Danielle The Book Huntress ’s
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(group member since Jan 27, 2010)
Danielle The Book Huntress ’s
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from the Dangerous Hero Addict Support Group group.
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Zee wrote: " Danielle The Book Huntress (Self-Proclaimed Book Ninja) wrote: "I flat out love when the hero is crazy for the heroine. That's my book kryptonite!"LOL! Same for me! I love seeing him brought to ..."
Yes!
Tracy wrote: "Enemies to lovers. Tormentor to lover, total asshole to lover..."LoL.
Just FYI, I am finally going to redo the list. The links still aren't working right now. I will try to get it done soon and let you know when it's finished.
I flat out love when the hero is crazy for the heroine. That's my book kryptonite!
Mar 17, 2016 10:12PM
Here's the end of Chapter Sixteen. Got inspired to write.Alexei waved a hand in a way that should have compromised his tough guy image, but it didn’t. “I’m okay with that. I rather like the idea,” he said, with that funny side-smile of his, but Karina thought that he was deadly serious.
“Why would you want him to hate you?” Karina asked.
“Because strong emotion makes people act stupid. Sullivan is a very intelligent man, but he’s also very arrogant. That alone makes him weak. Add blind rage to the equation, and he’s got feet of very fragile clay.”
It was secret to Karina that this man knew how to manipulate people. Perhaps in that he was an equal match to Sullivan. But something in Karina didn’t want to feel that Alexei was anywhere as bad as Sullivan was, even with clear obvious of his murderous nature.
“You want Sullivan to be provoked into playing his hand,” Karina said, already knowing the answer. She ran a trembling finger over her face. She was reeling, sick with the true realization that a man who had been like an uncle to her cold-bloodedly planned and executed the assassination of her parents. While he didn’t pull the trigger, he still paid someone to do it. She had the murder, and yes it was murder, of Fleming on her conscience, and now this man was putting himself in danger for her. Her stomach wrenched at the thought of Alexei dying because of her. That couldn’t happen. It might push her over the edge. “Maybe I should just give him what he wants. I don’t think he’ll kill me,…”
Alexei made a noise that sounded like the growl of an animal, and then he cursed in a low steady stream in Russian first and then in French. He pulled over the car onto a less busy side street and put it into park. He then said, “Look at me, Karina.” It was a command, nothing less.
Karina held her breath. Then she looked at his face. His eyes were cold and brutal and furious, and yet it was a burning cold.
He held her gaze as though he had frozen her like liquid nitrogen. “You will never even think that again. If you say something like that again, I’ll drop your ass off at Byrne’s, go back and put a bullet into Sullivan’s head right now, and kill any and everyone who stands in my way to get to him.”
His hand was surprisingly gentle on her, a marked contrast to the fierce, lethal authority in his voice. “You’re right, he won’t kill you. At least not the fast way. You’ll die inside, soon enough. Sullivan will keep you in a prison like you’ve never encountered. He will use you, sexually, emotionally, and financially. Ten years from now, you’ll be a hollow shell. Do you think that’s what your parents would want for you?”
Karina shook her head, shocked at Sullivan’s blunt and completely icy cold assessment. Equally shocked at the frigid undercurrent of rage beneath his words.
He waited until she responded before speaking more words like daggers of ice. “Then you also need to know something about me, Karina. This is personal. I don’t allow my enemies to walk away when they’ve wronged me. They die because I kill them. I don’t leave casualties behind. I leave corpses. Sullivan is not just your enemy. He’s also mine.”
Karina shivered as she looked into Alexei’s eyes, more frightening by leagues than they were back in his house when he had her tied up, torture instruments at his side. He was not the sensual, over -privileged, elegantly dressed Frenchman he pretended to be back at Sullivan’s house. He wasn’t the efficient Russian ex-soldier who gave orders and expected to be behaved. He was the ruthless assassin as she had yet to see him.
He took her face in his hand, still gentle. “This won’t end until Sullivan is dead and you’re safe from him. Believe that.” Then he kissed her. The kiss felt like a sealed vow. It felt like he was staking his claim on her, but that didn’t make sense. Now when they were here where no one could see them. Something felt like a door had closed and nothing was going back to the way it had been. And that scared Karina. But what also scared her, was that how much she needed to know that this man would protect her to the very end.
After that kiss, Alexei deliberately gave Karina some time to collect herself. He pointed out a coffee shop and suggested they stop there and get a refreshment. Karina nodded, too shell-shocked to say that her throat was in a tight knot and she couldn’t imagine drinking anything. Alexei being Alexei, he came around and helped her out of the car and placed a proprietary arm around her waist, leading her as much as walking beside her, to the coffee shop.
The shop was no designer coffee franchise like Starbucks. It was however, scrupulously clean and unique, decorated like someone’s grandmother’s kitchen and smelled fragrantly of a pleasant mix of coffee and spicy tea brews. The proprietor was a pale-skinned, black haired young woman with vibrantly blue eyes, what they called “Black Irish”. While there were plenty of black (of African descent) people of Ireland, this referred to the combination of blue eyes and black hair with pale skin that was a common enough coloration in both Northern Ireland and Ireland. “Hello. What can I get you?” the woman asked.
Alexei smiled at her, playing up his French accent. “Hello. I’ll have a Quad Espresso and she’ll have a Chai.” Alexei looked at Karina to confirm it. She nodded. She could use the spicy bite of the tea to wake her up and to settle her emotions.
Karina couldn’t help but notice that while the woman making their drinks had been professional, she cast an approving eye over Alexei, liking what she saw. Alexei looked drop dead fine. He was wearing a casual suit coat over a silk blouse and wool trousers, all in black, that were well-tailored but not too tight. He was no hipster wearing jeans a size too small. He wore his clothes so well that he could have been a male model, although he lacked their plastic good looks or their boyish appearance. Alexei was all man. His face was carved like a sculptor had a go at a hunk of marble but deliberately stopped before he messed his creation up. Alexei’s black hair was carefully tousled, obviously too long, but it worked for him.
What Karina missed was that she also garnered her share of looks. People stared at the young beautiful woman who looked a bit exotic, with bright hazel eyes, skin that was golden brown not pale like porcelain and daringly short curls. And that body. It was curvy in a way that the media wrote off as unfashionable but red-blooded men always secretly (or not) craved. Lovingly decked out in a black shirtwaist dress flocked with tiny white orchids that was essentially feminine, flirting with her hips that were very curvy, and generous breasts. Even without her pumps, she would have been tall, with those long longs. Some of the men looked like they would have approached her, but when Alexei looked around, his casual air of possession also had a lethal edge to it that they would wonder about when he left with his girlfriend, no fiancee, with that huge rock on her finger. When they left, people exhaled a sigh, either of relief or regret.
It didn’t take as long as they would have thought to fill out the paperwork. Karina secretly was disappointed that it was so easy. It made the future marriage that much more plausible and real to her. Not that she had anything against marriage. Her parent’s marriage was the example of the institution, one she’d always hoped for in the future. Karina stole glances at Alexei and, there was no question that he was physically a dream. He was protective and considerate. But morally, well, not like she could throw stones. This man was going to be her husband, for real. For however long that marriage served their purpose, and Alexei’s grand plans.
Alexei didn’t take her back to Sullivan's home. He went to a park. Karina didn’t ask. She just got out of the car, and took Alexei’s arm as he escorted her into the center of the beautiful park. Karina vaguely remembered that there were plants native to Ireland, and the signs posted in the various landscaped areas noted which ones. Broom, elder, aspen, wild cherry, dog rose, and even a plant called ragged robin, with deep pink petals that lived up to its name. There were other plants, and being there in the beautifully maintained gardens made Karina’s heart steady and her mind clear slightly. In Early spring, it was like being in a woodland meadow. Everything was blooming and the air was pregnant with the free fragrance of blooms and herbaceous notes.
Alexei was holding her hand in his much larger, strong, and slightly, but not unpleasantly callused hand. He showed no sign of letting her hand go, even when he lead them to a stone bench in the shade of an elder tree that looked like it had been there at least half a century. Karina took the time to breathe deeply. She said a prayer for peace that she knew she didn’t deserve, but she felt supernatural peace that told her that God had answered that prayer.
Alexei looked around, his body language casual, but Karina could read him well enough to know his gaze missed nothing. It was still early in the day, only late morning, and during the week, so most people were at work. Yet there were a few elderly people and young matrons pushing prams, as strollers were called in Ireland. Her father had called them that, his British origins evident in some of his word choices.
There was a man. He strolled into the park. His form was amorphous, and he wore dull brown street clothes. One would instantly look away from him, but something made Karina take another look. Sure enough, he strolled over to the section where Karina and Alexei were sitting, and stopped in front of a display of plants that grew on the coasts of Ireland. The man took out a cigarette and began smoking, and it struck Karina as being vaguely irreverent to smoke in such a beautiful place with fine, clean air. Alexei patted her lower leg in a proprietary manner. She looked up at him questioningly and a bit accusingly as well. He smiled slightly. “Stay right here. I won’t be long. I’m going to have a chat with our smoking friend there.”
Karina nodded. Any fear she might have felt seemed irrelevant. Alexei was always the most dangerous man in the place. Hands down.
Zee wrote: "I also love Plain Jane and In Disguise, and who can resist a good Marriage of Convenience? :)"Not me!
My favorites:Like you, Enemies to Lovers
Plain Jane/Spinster meets man who finds her irresistible (I like when the hero is a bit rakish and falls for the spinster)
Unrequited Love
Hero in Pursuit
Pregnancy
In Disguise
Marriage of Convenience
Pretend Lovers Become Real Lovers
Of course, Dangerous Hero. :) Assassin Hero, Bodyguard/Protector
Modern Western
I'm sure I'll think of more
So what tropes do you love in your romance novels? Why?
Wow, Raine! You go for it!
Andrea wrote: "Am I allowed to use "Alpha male romance" as my letters?"Yes.
I had two bad boys vying for my heart this past month.Rocco Amari was so bad it was good. He definitely had an Anne Stuart vibe (except not a killer) Married for Amari's Heir
Nicodemus was so delicious, I definitely have him at the top of my list. His for a Price
Which hero won your heart in February? Tell us why!
This is a promotional thread so I moved it to that section.
Congrats on finishing the challenge and thanks for participating. The March challenge is finally up. Apologies for the delay!
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
DHASG March 2016 Challenge
Introduction: March is here. Spring is around the corner, but we still have a little bit more winter to enjoy! May we encounter lovely books this month!
Rules:
1. Any DHASG member can participate in the challenge.
2. Books must be read between March 1st and March 31st.
3. A book may only be used once for this challenge.
4. Post or link to your final stats when you are completed.
5. In your stats, list book name, title and date read. Unless obvious, include why you choose a certain book in parentheses in your stats.
Levels:
1. Under the Book Rainbow: Read 9-12 books.
2. Book Pot O' Gold: Read 5-8 books.
3. Four-Leaf Book: Read 3-4 books.
Categories:
1.March Has Two Faces: Like March comes in with lots of winter storms and ends with a gentle breeze of spring, people can evolve over the course of their lives. Read a book where the lead character undergoes such an evolution.
2.The Green, the White and the Orange: These are the colors of the Irish flag. March is Irish American Heritage Month. Read a book with a lead or prominent character of Irish descent, related to Irish culture or set in Ireland. You can read a book with the colors of the Irish flag on the cover, but it must have some other aspect of Irish culture as a theme.
3.Her Story!: March is National Women's History Month. Let's celebrate the story of women in America by reading a book with a strong female character or a woman lead who is a trailblazer in her own way.
4.I Want You To Be Happy Day: March 3rd is a day where we want the best for someone else and do something to facilitate making them happy. Read a book where a prominent character does something for the good of another character with unselfish motives.
5.Anthropomorphic Fallacy Day: The actual name of the holiday celebrated on March 3rd is If Pets Had Thumbs Day. For this day, read a book where an animal character has human traits, either in their ability to talk and reason in the way of human or physically. Yes, animal shifters count.
6.Hug a GI Day: If you know or meet any GIs on March 4th, by means do hug them. But you can also celebrate military armed forces personnel by reading a book where a lead character is in the military or was at some point.
7.(Don't) Be Nasty Day: March 8th is a day we shouldn't celebrate, because there is no reason to be mean or cruel to others. Let's not celebrate by reading a book with a really nasty villain or antagonist.
8.Don't Panic: On March 9th, which is Panic Day, we'll channel our fears and anxiety into our reading. Read a suspense novel with lots of tension and thrills. Romantic suspense or otherwise.
9.Plant a Flower Day: March 12th is a day to celebrate gardening and flora of all kinds. Read a book with flower(s) on the cover, or with a lead character who gardens for a profession on leisure or is a landscaper or florist.
10.Everything You Think is Wrong Day: March 15th recognizes that everyone has a bad day. Read a book where the lead character has a bad day but comes out of it triumphant.
11.Will You Marry Me?: Proposal Day is March 20th, the day to make proposals. Any book where a lead character receives or gives a proposal of marriage during the book counts.
12.Reading Rainbow: Like the rainbow has many colors that compose it, there are numerous choices of days to round out this challenge. Pick one of the follow days to represent in this category: Extraterrestrial Abductions Day, Good Friday, Easter, National Goof Off Day, Near Miss Day, Make Up Your Own Holiday Day.
Information about March holidays taken from Holiday Insights page: http://holidayinsights.com/moreholida...
Challenge Participants List
Netanella
Larissa
Brandi
Brenda
Tina Theresa
Okay, so I did write the March challenge, but it disappeared. :( I'm sorry, but it will be late. I will try again tomorrow after Bible Study.
