Ruin (Slay Quartet Book 2)

HOT! Raw and Intensely Carnal. Thrilling, terrifying and blisteringly smart, like nothing I’ve ever read. To describe Slay’s story, is to undermine it’s brilliance. Ruin is beautiful and ugly and utterly unforgettable.A riveting tale of captivity, love and sexual suspense, you’ll rip through the pages. Trauma and trust, test the tenuous bonds of a fake marriage in the sultry atmosphere of a hidden island oasis. And Paige has us trapped there too, right where she wants.Her second installment in the Slay series reads like a crossover between a modern, edgy Dr No and a high-end sexy season of Survivor, where Celia has to outwit and outlast Edward, her calculating, beautiful husband and his staff of cohorts. Her family, her own desires, even her future and friends exist only on the periphery.The tension comes from Edward’s insistence they delve into Celia’s own Heart of Darkness. And the isolated setting lends itself perfectly to her over-calculating mind, her horrible past, and Edward’s rules which at first appear as benign shrugs to his wife.But as Ruin unfolds, Edward’s true motives transform Celia and this reader. Every scene between them buzzes with piqued sensuality and metaphors of their journey. A staff’s son, a reclaimed antique desk, or shared bottle of booze, even orgasms, at just the right moment become symbols for what’s passing between them on so many levels.Edward spends a great deal of the story on the edges of really monstrous behavior, but it’s never what you think. He deals out almost as much suspense and misdirection as Paige. And Celia wrestles with so much, naked in every way in front of her distant husband. I wept and moaned right along with her.Like a play in four acts, Ruin is an internal story told with sharp knives, sterile gifts, and brutal honesty, it churns inside you too. It’s all so unexpected, or is it?At one point, I had to reach out to talk to a fellow reader—it’s overwhelming in the most delicious ways—and I felt what Celia must have been thinking: What is happening to me?It’s impossible to categorize this story. Everything I’ve said is true, and yet I’m certain I’ve done it a disservice.A romance, a passion play, a satire on family and marriage. Even a healing tome on vulnerability. Gah! If you’re still here, buy it. There’s nothing else like it, Little Bird. 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

Wickedly sensual, thrilling and at times brutal, this book is writing brilliance.Heating up the pages is what Laurelin Paige does best and after reading Slay:Ruin you will be feeling the heat.Celia and Edward’s story continues in a way I never thought it would play out. Could Celia, the one we love to hate be redeemed? Only time will tell. Will the devil himself Edward, be the one to put an end to Celia and her game playing ways? Again only time will. Slay: Ruin is a book of revelations about both Celia and Edward. Their pasts will be revealed garnering us a look and a better understanding of both of them and the paths they have travelled that have led them to this point in time.This story is full of gripping twists, tantalising turns and a web of intrigue which will leave you squirming in your seat and praying to the gods of orgasmic highs for the next one.

Edward Fasbender was a master manipulator and Celia Werner was the sacrificial lamb who succumbed to his charm and deviousness. It was hard to know where to start when describing the intricacies of the next stage of their relationship. Edward forced Celia to become a prisoner on his island and set out to delve deep into her mind to find out all of her secrets. He was controlling and demanding, and put his wants and desires first. Celia may have been the Queen of “The Game” with Hudson, but Edward played “The Game” better than they did, and Celia never saw it coming. Edward isolated her and became more powerful than ever. He already knew all of Celia’s weaknesses and used them to his advantage.Celia, with all of her polish and education, became a naive and fragile person under Edward’s control. Her confidence disappeared and he left her lonely and fearful. She depended on him for everything and existed in a world where she could not escape. She was afraid if she didn’t do as he asked, Edward would take away what little love and affection he showed her. Celia could not enjoy the beautiful, tropical setting as she would have liked, because she was always afraid of what might happen next. She was haunted by demons from her past, and didn’t like being tormented by Edward in the present.What would the next sunrise bring for Celia? A brighter day or a menacing storm? The future remains to be seen.

Where to start........ I could not wait to get my hands on this after the cliff-hanger of book 1, and disappointed I was not, It's fan-fecking-tastic!!!It's addictive, I Couldn’t put it down and it certainly plays with your head.It's feisty, devastating at times, you feel the vulnerability of the characters, and oh so HOT!!!This is Laurelin at her best. I absolutely loved the Fixed series and to date had been my favourite, but this blew me away. Never in my wildest dreams would I have wanted a story for Celia, but now I can't get enough.In this book we get Edwards POV and it makes all the difference to finally know what's going through this man’s mind. I hated him, then loved him, then hated him again... like I said messes with your head.As for Celia this is a side of her, for those that know her from past books, we would never have known possible.They are individually a force to be reckoned with, if they can make it as a team, I fear for whoever gets in their way.

After Celia’s sham marriage to Edward he takes her to his private Island where he more or less holds her captive he even issues her with a death threat unless she complies to his wishes by completely submitting to him completely in mind & body . As if that’s not enough he also wants her to open up about herself and her past but most of all he wants complete honestly at all times from her . It’s a shock to Celia that he leaves her for long periods at a time while he carries on his life back in England . At first this makes Celia very angry but she soon decides to knuckle down and make the best of things ,also the lack physical contact between them is also unsettling for her . Of course as things change between them and the layers are peeled away feelings start to emerge that surprise both of them . In this book we see a very different side of Celia and Edward ,at the end of the first book I really felt sorry for Celia ,I still do feel sorry for her ,even more so after learning she had to endure horrendous abuse as a very young girl . We also find out exactly why Edward & his sister hate and wants revenge on Celia’s father . There’s a lot going on in this story ,you get a lot of back story on both sides and of course as the pair get get closer there’s plenty of extremely hot action between them 🔥🔥😍😍. The only down side is that there’s a bit of a wait until the next book ,.....it’s already on pre order😉.

No amount of time nor preparation could've had me emotionally nor mentally ready for Slay: Ruin.It completely and utterly d e s t r o y e d me.I'm truly at a loss for words right now on what to say to convey just how amazing and perfect and jaw-droppingly unexpected this sequel was - a dark and explosive one at that, one where secrets are revealed, pasts' are brought to light, and intentions are made shockingly clear, in such a way that once you start reading this novel, it's next to impossible to put it down again.I didn't think anything could've topped Slay: Rivalry - what with its intense and intimidating characters, its compelling, complex and ever surprising storyline, and the captivating writing that really sucks in and keeps a reader hooked - but Laurelin Paige really went above and beyond with Ruin by delivering tenfold all she did in Rivalry. What's more, whereas (to me) that novel focused more on the introduction and growth of the storyline, Ruin really set its sights on the characters' and their developments more than anything else, which is what made this book one of the best dark romances that I have read this year.Here, we get to see a different side to the devil and his dragon that I never expected to see, along with more of an insight into both their pasts that made everything - from her hesitations, to his motivations; their personalities; their kinks - all the more clearer about them. Yet it was also so devastatingly hard and heart-breaking to learn more about their raw and ugly pasts' that at one point, I was pushed waaaaay out of my comfort zone whilst reading about it, which is why I've shaved off the .5 Star from my final rating.But that is just my own issue, and something not everyone will feel nor agree with.Other than that, this sequel was absolutely flawless. I wanted Laurelin to ruin me with this novel, and she did just that splendidly.If I wasn't laughing out loud or swooning with adoration, I was cursing up a storm and coming this close to throwing my Kindle against a very solid and very Kindle-breaking wall. It could be a bit of a slow read at times (given the timeline of this novel), but mostly this sequel was a fast-paced, chemistry-filled, and a heart-racer of a read that - told in both Celia (mostly) and Edward's (rarely) POV - is a gripping story that consumes its reader from beginning to end, and is hands down not just my absolute favourite book of the Slay Quartet so far, but is also Laurelin's best work to date.It also ends with such a beautiful and satisfying ending that, had I not known that there were still two more books to be released, I'd have truly thought that Ruin was the conclusion to Edward and Celia's uniquely unusual romance. There is no cliffhanger whatsoever, and it even feels as though their story is split into two parts, with part one - books one and two - having come to an end, and part two - books three and four - only just beginning (you'll maybe understand why it is I feel that way - about the four books being split into two parts - when you've read and finished Ruin).All in all though, it was phenomenal and a thrill to read, and going by all that came to light in this story and reading into the title of the third book of this quartet, Slay: Revenge... I have a feeling I know what will be happening next for Edward and Celia in this series...AND I CANNOT CONTAIN MY EXCITEMENT FOR IT - BRING ON FEBRUARY 2020!!BRING ON REVENGE!!

So she's stuck on an island with no way to escape. The threat of being murdered hangs over her. Her husband just wants her secrets and to stay alive she must tell him.I liked this one better. It relied on character development and wasn't thankfully a bdsm snooze fest. Good story with the characters telling their pasts which were sad but gripping.I guessed everything but it didn't spoil the experience.Well written although considering the amount of time he spent on the island I'm surprised she didn't fight harder.Personally I wouldn't have spoken to any of the staff, they were her jailers. I wouldn't have spoken to him either, he's just as bad as those who hurt her. It's mental abuse and he's a narcississt.Go enjoy because any book that makes you think and provokes a reaction is well worth a look.

This story goes from strength to strength. This author is amazing. The characters are so strong, both broken in different ways. One Celia most definitely more than Edward. In all the other associated story’s this lady has appeared a right selfish person, but we realise she is like an onion and all her layers portray a very tragic previous life. Edward is also very dominant, manipulating and dogmatic, but the outcome is a delightful dark and delicious novel that is part of a phenomenal series. Well worth 5 stars. Shame about next part but I’m sure the wait will be torturously worth it.