Book Review - Her Master's Courtesan (The Masters #1) by Lily White

24 Sept 2014

6 MIND RAPE/FUCK/TWIST UBER DARK STARS! ★★★★★★

 


"He was skilled in seduction, demanding in his domination, and haunting in the hedonism in his desire." 

This book definitely deserved a bookshelf on its own which I now proudly call the ‘book comatose’ shelf. After putting it down and even sleeping over it, my mind is still utterly consumed by this read and I can’t stop mulling over it even while at work.

I'll admit, this has completely stumped me and exceeded all possible expectations I've ever had on dark reads. It felt like all these while I was in an absolute delusion about this genre and reading this was like a rude awakening, almost as if someone poured a bucket of ice water over me. Needless to say, this book doesn't even hold a candle to any dark reads I've read out there. Period.



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I'm not gonna divulge into the plot because I think the blurb is sufficient enough to prepare you for this read. And mostly because I don't want to spoil the read for anyone. This is just one of those reads that you should just go in with an open mind and just experience it for yourself.

What I will however emphasize, is that you should take the author's warning VERY SERIOUSLY and know that this is NOT a love story. So if anyone is looking for fluffy unicorns and rainbows or anything close to hearts and flowers, STAY AWAY. This book is absolutely dark to its core, it’s dark with a capital D. So for the love of your sanity and possibly your stomach contents, please avoid this read if you’re unprepared. And for those who are, get ready to strap on for this crazy mindfuck ride and where applicable: prepare alcohol, valium and maybe some moral support from any willing party (not sure if your pets are deemed safe to be around during this read either).

 

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I think I can easily say for everyone who has read that the contents of this read will leave you shocked, appalled and highly disturbed. And while I find this an absolute 6-stars read, please do not assume that I’m a sick masochist who condone the behaviors of both MCs nor did I find myself comfortable reading most scenes. If anything, I found myself almost chickening out this read by 70% and by the time I hit the 90% mark, I felt like throwing up my dinner. I think those who have read it can testify to my statement that the 90% mark was one of the most disturbing and brutal scene in the book.

 

I’m giving this 6 stars mainly because of the author’s bloody amazing writing in which she could turn such a disturbing read into something so completely thought-provoking. The psychological elements and twists in this book astounded me to say the least. Lily White has somehow managed to subtly weave in these twists without me realizing and planted little seeds in my mind that made me believed in what Aiden would have wanted me to believe in. I swear to God sometimes, it was almost like Aiden was speaking in my mind O__O

And of course, that’s where the mindfuckery comes into play and boy, was it a damn good one well-played by Aiden and Lily White herself. IT FEELS LIKE INCEPTION.



Another strong winning point for me was the consistency in Aiden’s character. Let me tell you, Aiden is an anti-hero at its best. If you think you’re gonna see a softer or vulnerable side of him, you have been deluded. From the very beginning, he has clearly made his stand and he damn well stuck to it. This wicked and twisted man is completely driven and unwavering that will leave you in complete awe if not mostly appalled by his actions.

You must know this fact to understand my story. I capture women. I break them down. And I rebuild them. And I am - in no way - a good man. I do not want love. I do not want kindness.



The dual POV element also made this read an absolutely riveting one as it allows the readers to tap into both the minds of Aiden and Rebecca, which I actually found to have greatly enhanced the mindfuckery element in this book. Absolutely brilliant actually. I can't spoil too much but it was rather disturbingly awesome.



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Overall, I may fall in the minority for this but I loved the ending of the book. Actually, I even expected worse but thankfully it was much different from my imagination. For me, I thought it was perfect given the circumstances.

So how can I motivate you dark/mindfuck read junkies to pick this one up? Well, the next book in the series is coming out soon in October!! Do yourself a favor and check out this awesome review written by the ever-amazing Feifei HERE on the next book (she even beta-read it)! Seriously, it can't get any better than that! :D



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IN SUMMARY (in case anyone got sick of my word vomit):

Are you tired & bored of the same ole' dark reads? 
Do you enjoy psychological mindfuckery? 
Do you want to read about a truly dark anti-hero? 
Are you okay with non-consensual sex scenes/BDSM (which btw is highly erotic)?

If your answer is 'YES' or 'MAYBE' or 'IDK maybe with alcohol/valium/moral suppport I could do this': then by all means, TRY THIS BOOK.

If you're looking for a nice romance topped with a HEA, fluffy kittens and puppies surrounded by rainbow and sunshine: then by all means, STAY AWAY.

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