Cruel Paradise by JT Geissinger-Review & Excerpt tour

Cruel Paradise (Beautifully Cruel #2 ) by JT Geissinger-Review & Excerpt tour

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 1, 2020

Anti-hero (noun):
1) A powerful and charismatic man lacking moral character
2) A magnificent bastard
3) Killian Black

You don’t know me.
You think you do, but you don’t.
The only thing you know is my name, and even that’s a lie.

I’m king of Boston, lord of criminals, ruler of an underworld empire. Or am I?

Only one thing’s for sure: I operate alone.

Until I cross paths with a brazen little thief who sets my whole kingdom on fire.

Just as two wrongs don’t make a right, two villains don’t belong together. Especially since she’s the daughter of my most deadly enemy.

Taking her would start a war.
Keeping her would be suicide.
Making her mine would break every code of honor and defy all common sense.

Then again, where’s the fun in following the rules?

•••••••

REVIEW:CRUEL PARADISE is the second instalment in JT Geissinger’s contemporary, adult BEAUTIFULLY CRUEL erotic, romance series. This is forty-year old, head of the Boston Irish mafia Killian Black and thief / PA Juliet Moretti Jameson’s story line. CRUEL PARADISE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Juliet and Killian) CRUEL PARADISE picks up several months after book one BEAUTIFULLY CRUEL wherein Liam Black hands over the reigns of the Boston Irish mafia to his twin brother Killian. A ‘strange’ theft at one of Killian’s warehouses finds our hero hunting the person(s) responsible only to discover that said thief is a woman who stirs something deep within our story line hero. Enter Juliet Jameson. With access to information no one should have Killian sets out to uncover the real identity of his ‘little thief’, an identity that threatens all good sense in Killian Black. Juliet Jameson ‘robs from the rich, and gives to the poor’ but Juliet is hiding in plain sight having, years before ran from her father, a man whose ties to the criminal underworld are dangerous and deadly but Juliet is about to discover that Killian Black is not the only man wanting something from our story line heroine. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Juliet and Killian, and the potential fall-out as Juliet is targeted for the sins of her father; and Killian reveals the who, how and why of his Mafia past.

The relationship between Juliet and Killian is one of immediate attraction but Juliet refuses to get involved with a Mafia king. Killian, for a powerful and self-assured man, struggles with his attraction to Juliet, desperately trying to seduce a woman who doesn’t want to be seduced. The more determined Killian is, the more headstrong Juliet refuses to go along. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic, passionate and intense without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

The colorful secondary and supporting characters include Juliet’s partners in crimes and best friends Max aka Maxima and Finley aka Fin; Killian’s associates Declan and Diego, as well as Killian’s brother Liam Black and his wife Truvy ‘Tru’ Sullivan. I am hoping the author has plans for both Declan and Diego.

CRUEL PARADISE is a story of family, friendships, power and control; of secrets and lies; of relationships and love. The character driven, fast paced premise is spirited and captivating; the romance is seductive and spicy; the characters are animated, energetic, and fun-the back and forth between Juliet, Fin and Max is sassy, entertaining and a pure joy.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one BEAUTIFULLY CRUEL

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy



I climb into the car. The driver shuts the door behind me. In a moment, we pull away.
All heat and coiled tension, Liam simmers in the seat beside me.
After we’ve gone three blocks, he says, “How long are you going to make me wait until you look at me?”
“I’m working on regulating my breathing so I don’t pass out. Maybe ten minutes?”
His chuckle is low and sensual, raising my blood pressure by at least two hundred points.
“You’re tougher than that. I’ll give you ten seconds.”
When the seconds have ticked by, I turn my head and glance at him warily from the corner of my eye.
He stares at me with such blistering intensity that for a moment, I can’t breathe.
His voice husky, he says, “Hullo again.”
Holy mother of god, he’s handsome. How can someone so evil be so hot?
My exhalation comes out in a burst. It’s accompanied by a shudder. Then I clear my throat and pretend I’m a mentally functioning adult. “Hi.”
He lets his gaze drift over me, head to toe, taking in every aspect of my clothing, posture, and expression.
“You still don’t trust me.”
I make a sound that’s supposed to be a laugh, but it sounds more like a small animal being strangled. “Trust? I’m sorry, did you just say trust?”
“I did.”
He’s serious. I stare at him in astonishment. “Of course I don’t trust you! You’re…you!”
The driver pipes in from the front seat. “That’s hardly fair, lass. You’ve only just met.”
Through gritted teeth, Liam says, “Declan.”
“Right. Sorry.” Falling silent, he turns his attention back to the road.
Liam smiles reassuringly at me. “It’s so hard to find good help these days.”
I look back and forth between them, gobsmacked by the whole situation. I could be hallucinating. Maybe that hipster bartender put something into my drink.
I’m still pondering that when Liam leans over and settles his huge, hot hand around my throat.
I grip his thick wrist in both hands, gasping and shrinking back into the seat.
Looking into my eyes, he murmurs, “I’m not going to hurt you.”
My voice comes out high and panicked. “This is a shitty way of proving that.”
“I’m not trying to choke you, lass.”
It’s true, the pressure of his hand on my throat is gentle, but still. “Then what the hell are you doing?”
He slides his thumb back and forth over the throbbing vein in my neck. “Feeling your pulse.”
Heart hammering, I stare at him. “Why?”
“Because I want to see how fast it gets when I kiss you.”
I freeze. “Don’t you dare.”
He quirks one dark brow. “Why not?”
“I don’t want you to.”
He leans closer, his eyes burning into mine, his body heat and the warm scent of his skin surrounding me. He growls, “If you were telling the truth, little thief, I’d honor that request.”
I blurt, “I’m not ready for that!”
Instantly, he stills. His dark gaze searches my face. Then, slowly, his full lips lift into a smile. “Then I suppose I’ll have to wait until you are.”
He stares hungrily at my mouth for a moment before releasing me.
I remain where he left me, frozen and wide-eyed, slumped against the door, staring at him and trying to convince myself of several important facts.
One, that I should be afraid. Because, two, that there’s at least a fifty-fifty chance he’s going to snap my neck. And three, that I really didn’t want him to kiss me.
Especially that I didn’t want him to kiss me. Because what would it say about my sanity if I did?
Adjusting his tie and looking straight forward, he says, “Don’t overthink it. But thank you for being honest. If this is going to work, we have to be honest with each other.”
My laugh is weak and disbelieving. “This? There is no ‘this!’”
He turns his head and sears me with his gaze. “Aye, lass,” he says, his voice thick. “There is.”

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A former headhunter, J.T. Geissinger is the author of more than a dozen novels in contemporary romance, paranormal romance, and romantic suspense.

She is the recipient of the Prism Award for Best First Book, the Golden Quill Award for Best Paranormal/Urban Fantasy, and is a two-time finalist for the RITA® Award from the Romance Writers of America®. Her work has also finaled in the Booksellers’ Best, National Readers’ Choice, and Daphne du Maurier Awards.

Join her Facebook reader’s group, Geissinger’s Gang, to take part in weekly Wine Wednesday live chats and giveaways, find out more information about works in progress, have access to exclusive excerpts and contests, and get advance reader copies of her upcoming releases.

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Beautifully Cruel by J.T. Geissinger-Review & Excerpt tour

Beautifully Cruel by J.T. Geissinger-Review & Excerpt tour

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

Don’t own a Kindle? Download the FREE Amazon Kindle App for your mobile device or pc

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 15, 2020

Alpha (noun):
1) Having the highest rank in a dominance hierarchy
2) The most powerful man in a group
3) Liam Black

He was a stranger to me, a dark and dangerous presence who materialized from the shadows one rainy night to save me from a vicious attack. I didn’t know his name or where he was from. All I knew was that the only place I’d ever felt safe was in his arms.

But safety is an illusion.
And not every savior is a hero.
And—as I’d soon find out—having an alpha save your life comes with a price.

Liam Black wanted something from me in return.

•••••••

REVIEW:BEAUTIFULLY CRUEL by J. T. Geissinger is a stand alone, contemporary, adult, erotic romance story line focusing on thirty-nine year old, billionaire/mystery man Liam Black, and twenty-four year old, café waitress/ law student Truvy ‘Tru’ Sullivan.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Liam and Tru) BEAUTIFULLY CRUEL focuses on the building relationship between thirty-nine year old, billionaire/mystery man Liam Black, and twenty-four year old, café waitress/ law student Truvy ‘Tru’ Sullivan. Tru Sullivan has served coffee to the perplexing man in black with the Irish brogue, for close to one year, with barely a word spoken between them but Tru had had enough of his late night visits and proceeds to introduce herself to the man with whom she will fall in love. The mysterious stranger will pull Tru into his dark and dangerous aura, an aura that hides a complicated past, a enigmatic present, and the potential for no future. An attack against Tru forces the man in black to reveal his presence igniting a fire between our couple that threatens to burn brighter than the sun. What ensues is the building but temporary relationship between Tru and Liam, and the potential fall-out as Liam refuses to go beyond the present.

Truvy ‘Tru’ Sullivan is no stranger to loss and heart break but meeting Liam Black forces Tru to see beyond the façade of a man who has lost much more than she could have ever imagined. Having been warned on numerous occasions to stay clear of the man that calls to her heart, Tru will be blindsided when Liam pushes our heroine, out of his life, and into the abyss of pain and sorrow.

Liam Black’s secrets are dangerous and dark; a man whose demeanor screams menace and death but a man who hides the suffering beneath an inscrutable veneer. Falling for Tru Sullivan placed our heroine in the direct line of fire, a fire Liam is willing to battle to spend forever with the woman he loves.

The relationship between Tru and Liam is one of immediate attraction but Liam refuses to act on their mutual attraction, a palpable sexual fascination that is barely contained. Tru, normally shy and withdrawn, yet strong and independent, refuses to back down when Liam warns Tru to walk away. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are introduced to Tru’s friend and roommate Ellie and Ellie’s sometime boyfriend Tyler: Tru’s co-workers Diego, Carla, and their boss Buddy : Liam’s chauffeur and friend Declan, as well as Killian, another man with deep and darkening secrets. I am hoping the author has future plans for Killian, Declan, Diego, and Tru’s roommate Ellie. There are so many potential stories yet to be told.

BEAUTIFULLY CRUEL is a fascinating, energetic and intriguing story with a couple of twists and turns you will not see coming. A mesmerizing tale of one man’s need to defend and protect, and one woman’s desire to show said man that he is worthy of his own happily ever after. The character driven premise is dramatic and tragic ; the characters are dynamic, wounded, spirited and strong; the romance is intoxicating and provocative.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

NOTE: Excerpt intended for mature readers due to strong language and content

I stare at him, incredulous. “Are you telling me you think this is a good idea?”

“No.”

“Then what?”

“I don’t know. Maybe nothing.”

His pause is loaded, and I know he’s carefully choosing his words.

“But she was about to get shot—or worse—and she fought back. You saw it yourself. On the ground, outnumbered, beat up, gun in her face, she throws a punch instead of all the other things she could’ve done. Begging for mercy. Giving up. Crying.”

He lets it hang there, knowing I have enough personal memories of men far stronger than she doing exactly that.

“So she’s a fighter,” I say, aggravated, yanking on the knot on my tie because it suddenly feels like a noose. “That doesn’t make it right.”

“Aye,” he agrees, nodding. “But maybe it makes it a little less wrong.”

I glare out the window, muttering a curse. I can’t believe he’s saying this. Him, of all people. I expected him to be silently seething with disapproval, not taking her side.

Not admiring her.

“You’ve been alone a long time, Liam. If you were careful—”

My temper breaks. I glare at him and thunder, “I won’t risk her life!”

Declan’s expression doesn’t change. His grip stays loose on the steering wheel, his gaze doesn’t dart away in panic. He simply meets my eyes in the mirror and tells me a devastating truth.

“You say that like you haven’t already.”

I grit my teeth and look out the window, hating that he’s right. Hating myself for letting it get this far.

I had a chance, when all I was doing was memorizing her profile while she poured me bad coffee. Before I knew the particular way she falls asleep. What her skin smells like after a shower. How her body feels pressed against mine.

How deeply satisfying it feels to protect her.

No, more than satisfying—fulfilling.

As if it were the thing I was born to do.

But I can’t undo what I’ve done. I can’t go back to that first day I saw her eleven months ago, helping an old woman cross a busy boulevard, stopping traffic by holding up her hand as the light turned from red to green. I can’t unfeel what I felt when she glanced up and our eyes met through the windshield for a moment before she turned her attention back to the old woman doddering by her side.

She was beautiful, but I’ve seen a thousand beautiful girls.

Never one who looked so fierce, though.

With her jaw set and her mouth pinched and her brows drawn together, she looked like she’d rip the head off anyone who dared to honk his horn at the painfully slow progress she and her elderly friend were making.

She was a lioness. Even without opening her mouth, I heard her roar.

So yes, it was simple curiosity that made me tell Declan to pull over. Yes, it was on a whim that I watched her wave goodbye to the old woman when they reached the other side of the street. Yes, I fully admit it was foolish of me to follow her into Buddy’s Diner, and to sit in her section that first time.

But it was sheer stupidity that I kept coming back.

As long as I was out of the country, I could tell myself I wouldn’t see her again. I thought I had the strength to stay away. But as soon as I returned, the wanting rushed back. The pull to see those clear green eyes. The need to hear that lilting voice and see that shy smile and be near her, if only for a moment.

Now, because I indulged myself, I’m well and truly fucked.

Because need and want have turned into something more powerful. Something darker and far more perilous, for us both.

So now I have two options.

Option one: claim her.

Option two: give her up.

I can’t bring myself to do either.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads /Pinterest / Instagram /

A former headhunter, J.T. Geissinger is the author of more than a dozen novels in contemporary romance, paranormal romance, and romantic suspense.

She is the recipient of the Prism Award for Best First Book, the Golden Quill Award for Best Paranormal/Urban Fantasy, and is a two-time finalist for the RITA® Award from the Romance Writers of America®. Her work has also finaled in the Booksellers’ Best, National Readers’ Choice, and Daphne du Maurier Awards.

Join her Facebook reader’s group, Geissinger’s Gang, to take part in weekly Wine Wednesday live chats and giveaways, find out more information about works in progress, have access to exclusive excerpts and contests, and get advance reader copies of her upcoming releases.

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