{"id":73371,"date":"2024-01-30T07:25:43","date_gmt":"2024-01-30T12:25:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/?p=73371"},"modified":"2024-01-30T07:25:43","modified_gmt":"2024-01-30T12:25:43","slug":"review-excess-lust-lies-2-by-kate-stewart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/?p=73371","title":{"rendered":"Review: Excess (Lust & Lies, #2) by Kate Stewart"},"content":{"rendered":"

Buy:\u00a0\u00a0Amazon\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0\u00a0Paperback<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n
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Review<\/strong><\/h4>\n

4 stars<\/b><\/p>\n

This story was originally published as the Excess<\/i> series under Kate Stewart\u2019s penname, Angelica Chase (published as Opulence, Reverence and Hindrance). It\u2019s now all together in one collection to create a story that is fast-paced, sexy, angsty, intriguing, and so very hot.<\/p>\n

I read this story when they were separate novellas, and I devoured all three of them in one day. They are that addictive! My reviews for the individual parts of the story are below.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Opulence \u2013 4 stars<\/b><\/h4>\n

Nina Scott is living a life that most people dream of, but it\u2019s destroying her. One brilliant idea dragged her out of her quiet, boring life and gave her wealth beyond her wildest dreams. Now 31 years old, she is lonely, unhappy and secretly resenting life among the elite.<\/p>\n

I had become one of them. I had no soul to save. I found pleasure now in what used to disgust me. I had begun mingling with the sharks years ago and had the choice to sink or swim.
\nI had chosen to swim, and it cost me everything.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Adding to her misery, she is hopelessly addicted to a married man that is no good for her. She was with Devin for six months before she found out he was married, but was unable to let him go, and so they have been having a secret affair \u2013 hot and dirty sex, seemingly without emotion – and she hates herself even more because of it.<\/p>\n

I hated this beautiful man. I hated that I wanted him so desperately. At one time, he\u2019d meant everything to me. Now I longed for the day I could break free, but I craved him like a drug.
\nI fed his need for dominance; he fed my inner whore. <\/i><\/p>\n

Nina\u2019s longing for something different from the life she is living leads her to an out of town bar, and she is instantly captivated the moment she sees the singer of the band. Aiden is not only a singer, he owns the bar, and is absolutely sex on legs. They share some intense eye fuckery and afterward, Aiden makes it clear that he\u2019s interested. There are flirty texts, great banter, fun and lightness, and sensational chemistry, but there is also depth there. Nina isn\u2019t after a quick hook up, she\u2019s sick of being used, and Aiden acknowledges and accepts that. He recognises that Nina is struggling with something, and he genuinely cares about her and wants to get to know her. They can\u2019t keep away from each other, and as Nina starts to open up to him, they find themselves powerless to resist their attraction.<\/p>\n

\u201cTell me, Nina, when is the last time a man made love to you?\u201d <\/i><\/p>\n

Nina and Aiden together are HOT! From the very beginning it\u2019s more than just sex, and it\u2019s all so easy between them. They have a wonderful dynamic, and he provides a stable grounding for Nina that she so desperately needs. He honestly seems like the perfect guy, even starting to show a dirty side that hints of the control and dominance that she craves. But Devin still has a hold over her \u2013 professionally and personally – and it doesn\u2019t look like he\u2019s willing to let her go that easily. And if the story is going where I think it is going, it looks like we\u2019re in for some fireworks!<\/p>\n

I really enjoyed this book. It\u2019s a quick read, but has great intensity and I was instantly hooked. Nina is a complex character and not faultless, but I like that about her. And I like the light side of her that we get glimpses of, she\u2019s real underneath the false exterior she puts on, and I hope to see more of that. But her head is a mess, and I foresee huge amounts of angst as she navigates her way through what is sure to become an awkward love triangle, while at the same time trying to figure out what she wants with her life.<\/p>\n

Fast paced, sexy and intriguing with a bit of an edge (and hot, did I mention the hotness? Damn!), Angelica Chase has given us a strong start to her series, and I am diving straight into book 2.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Reverence – 4 stars<\/b><\/h4>\n

Book 2 in The Excess<\/i> series gives us quite a spin on the events from the first book. The Nina\/Devin\/Aiden rollercoaster is really gearing up now, and my head is spinning!<\/p>\n

This book is told in the dual POV of Nina and Devin, and damn my fickle heart, I\u2019m falling for the bastard! I wasn\u2019t expecting his POV, and when we get a clear picture of what his life is really like, everything suddenly looks incredibly different. And as he reflects back on his time with Nina, we can see the connection between them, and I began to understand why Nina is as obsessed with him as she is.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t like the way you make me feel,\u201d she said, unsteady on her feet.
\n\u201cNo, you love it, and that scares you more.\u201d <\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In the meantime, Nina and Aiden are getting to know each other better (REALLY better!). I fell in instant love with Aiden in the last book, his humour, lightness and seemingly carefree ways provided a nice balance for Nina. But there is a whole other side to Aiden that is starting to be revealed. He is still carefree and playful, living his life just the way he wants it, and there is something really attractive about that. But there is a lot more to him that starts to emerge as he and Nina start to open up to each other more.<\/p>\n

If this man was my knight, I had no doubt he was hiding the dark horse he rode in on. <\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This book is super hot! Between Nina and Aiden exploring each other anywhere, everywhere, and anyhow, and Devin\u2019s reminiscing, there is sex a-plenty, and it\u2019s sizzling! There are strong elements of submission and domination, but nothing overly dark.<\/p>\n

Of course, the drama all comes to a head, and Nina finds herself torn between the two men \u2013 although not in the \u2018traditional\u2019 love triangle sense. It\u2019s all very well done, and I am really enjoying watching it all fall into place.<\/p>\n

The characters and their backstories are revealed slowly, and I love not really knowing the whole story. It keeps things interesting, and puts a different spin on the entire situation every time something new is revealed. There is more brewing though, and my mind is spinning with possibilities!<\/p>\n

Once again, the story is fast-paced, exciting, intriguing and oh-so-sexy. There\u2019s a bit more emotion in this one than the first, and I\u2019m thoroughly invested in these characters, and their story. I particularly liked seeing Nina taking control of her life a bit more in this one. The book ends with a stunning moment, and I can\u2019t wait to see what happens next.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hindrance – 4 stars<\/b><\/h4>\n

This is the final novella in The Excess series, and it certainly packs a punch! Twists and turns, and some big surprises, I was never really sure what was going to happen, but it all unfolded beautifully!<\/p>\n

I can\u2019t say much without spoiling the big ending, and this really is the type of story that you just need to dive into without knowing too much in advance, but I will say that I was really happy with the way it all ended up. Definitely not what I was expecting, and as I said, some big surprises \u2013 including a moment that had me worried that everything that had been building would collapse into a hole, but all is good! There\u2019s a lot that goes down in this book, but finally all of the questions are answered, and everything works out just as it\u2019s meant to be \u2013 including that hideous love triangle.<\/p>\n

Nina has endured a lot in these books, but she\u2019s come through it stronger, and I really like her character development. Often the character who is in the middle of a love triangle comes out looking like a whiny, indecisive idiot, but this one was really believable. Both Devin and Aiden offer her so much, and even though she\u2019s pretty much sexually enthralled by both of them, she does have a backbone, and I loved watching her stand strong.<\/p>\n

The sick, needy nymph I had turned into was ruling my life. My anger at myself brought me to one conclusion: love should not be complicated. Fuck them both. I needed neither of them.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

These books are highly smutty (and so, so hot), but there is a love story, and in this book, that romance is really there. I started to feel the emotion in the last book, and this time it\u2019s turned up a notch as hearts are laid open and declarations are finally made.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou are all I want \u2026 You are all I will ever want.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It\u2019s an angst-filled ride right up to the very finish. So much has happened between these three, and so much more happens in this book. And even when the HEA is in sight, there\u2019s still a lot of damage control that\u2019s needed. But I was happy with the way that it all happens, and was left feeling satisfied.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a bit of a teaser for Taylor\u2019s series up next. Nina\u2019s partner and friend is a feisty one, and her story looks like it\u2019s going to be a good one!<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve really enjoy these books. My first by Angelica Chase, she has given us a dark, sexy and intriguing story that is fast-paced, cleverly constructed and kept me guessing the whole way through.<\/p>\n

4 stars.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Lust & Lies<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Standalone dark romances previously published as serials under the pen name Angelica Chase<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\" \u00a0\"\" \u00a0\"\"<\/p>\n

Sexual Awakenings (#1)
\n<\/strong>Review<\/a>
\nBuy:\u00a0 Amazon\u00a0<\/a> |\u00a0 Paperback<\/a><\/p>\n

Excess (#2)
\n<\/strong>Review<\/a>
\nBuy:\u00a0 Amazon\u00a0<\/a> |\u00a0 Paperback<\/a><\/p>\n

Predator & Prey: The Phoe<\/span>nix and The Fire (#3)<\/span><\/strong>
\nBuy:\u00a0 Amazon\u00a0<\/a> |\u00a0 Paperback<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Buy:\u00a0\u00a0Amazon\u00a0\u00a0|\u00a0\u00a0Paperback Review 4 stars This story was originally published as the Excess series under Kate Stewart\u2019s penname, Angelica Chase (published as Opulence, Reverence and Hindrance). It\u2019s now all together in one collection to create a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":72977,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","yasr_overall_rating":4,"yasr_post_is_review":"","yasr_auto_insert_disabled":"","yasr_review_type":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[297,9,29],"tags":[333,1524,48],"class_list":["post-73371","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-angsty","category-romance","category-steamy","tag-kate-stewart","tag-lust-lies","tag-review"],"yasr_visitor_votes":{"stars_attributes":{"read_only":false,"span_bottom":false},"number_of_votes":0,"sum_votes":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Excess.jpg?fit=200%2C300&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7gaNL-j5p","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73371","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=73371"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73371\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/72977"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=73371"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=73371"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=73371"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}