HER DARK PAST (The Corde Noire Series #4) by Alexandrea Weis-Review, Book Tour and Giveaway
HER DARK PAST
The Corde Noire Society Series #4
by Alexandrea Weis
Genre: adult, contemporary, paranormal, erotic, romance
Release Date: January 23, 2017
Only 99¢: Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk /Amazon.au / B&N / KOBO / itunes /
ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 23, 2017
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Brynn Adler is a writer with a unique ability—everywhere she goes, images of the past haunt her.
After taking over the estate of her murdered ex-husband, Nathan Cole, Brynn is at the center of a mystery. A mystery the ruthless members of the Corde Noire Society want solved. Sent to discover Brynn’s secret, Declan Corinth plans to arouse her former submissive ways. There’s just one problem … he knows nothing about being a Dom. If Declan doesn’t get what the Corde Noire requires, Brynn Adler could become its next victim. Can he win her trust in time? The clock is ticking.
To uncover the past, embrace the darkness.
••••••••••
REVIEW: HER DARK PAST is the fourth and final installment in Alexandrea Weis’s contemporary, adult THE CORDE NOIRE slightly paranormal, erotic romance, BDSM series focusing on the members of an elite, secretive society known as Corde Noire. This is businessman Declan Corinth, and erotic, romance writer Brynn Adler’s story line. HER DARK PAST can be read as a stand alone but for cohesion and backstory, I recommend reading the series in order as there is an ongoing investigation and search for answers about the murder of Nathan Cole whose story was told in book one DARK PERCEPTION. There is also a crossover connection with Alexandrea’s COVER TO COVERS series with Cary Anderson (The Bondage Club #3) and Donovan Books as Brynn Adler’s agent and publisher.
Told from several third person perspectives including Brynn and Declan HER DARK PAST continues to focus on the search for the person responsible for the murder of billionaire businessman Nathan Cole. Brynn Adler is Nathan Coles’s ex-wife, and the woman about to take over all of his assets and possessions. As a member of the infamous Corde Noire Society- an exclusive BDSM club- Nathan’s murder casts questionable doubt amongst the members of the Corde Noire. Enter Declan Corinth, a former sub and a reluctant Dom who is tasked with ferreting out whatever information he can from our story line heroine. What ensues is the building romance between Brynn and Declan, and the revelation about the who and why of Nathan Cole’s demise.
Brynn Adler has a psychic connection to the past; when she steps into a room she is able to ‘see’ the events that have occurred, and Ren Plancharde, the current head of the Corde Noire Society, needs whatever information Brynn Adler is able to reveal. Declan Corinth owes much of his current success to artist Ren Plancharde, and all debts will be wiped clean if Declan is able to seduce Brynn into revealing the information about the person(s) responsible for Nathan’s death.
The relationship between Declan and Brynn begins as a lie. Declan is a reluctant Dom ordered to seduce Brynn into a D/s relationship-a relationship and lifestyle that once destroyed Brynn’s marriage to Nathan Cole- a man whose sexual proclivities bent towards the dangerous and dark. As the story line progresses Brynn begins to place her trust in a man whose attraction to Brynn is marred by a debt owed to Ren Plancharde. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense although Declan’s attempts to Dominate are fraught with guilt and sorrow. Brynn’s reluctance to re-enter the D/s lifestyle casts an aura of questionable consent.
The world building continues to focus on the murder of Nathan Cole. Nathan’s ghost continues to ‘haunt’ a number of the story line characters including our heroine Brynn Adler, and Ms. Sabine Cleo- a woman with mystical powers that currently holds Nathan Cole’s spirit hostage and prevents him from moving on. We are introduced to Gabriel Durand, Ms. Cleo’s nephew, and a man with some extraordinary powers of his own. Gabriel will be featured in Alexandrea Weis’s new spin-off series THE MISTRESS MAKER- as the new head of the Corde Noire Society.
HER DARK PAST is an intriguing, exciting and revealing story line. The true nature of Nathan Cole’s murder, and the people responsible, comes to light but Nathan’s spirit will continue to haunt this plane of existence. The premise is sexy, enchanting, spirited and inventive; the characters are sensual and passionate; the romance is moving and emotional. HER DARK PAST is an enthralling and magical story line; a must read for fans of Alexandrea Weis and her CORDE NOIRE series.
Reading Order and previous Reviews
All ebooks ONLY 99¢ at your favorite ebook retailer
Dark Perception
Dark Attraction
His Dark Canvas
Her Dark Past
Copy supplied for review
Reviewed by Sandy
She almost screamed for her driver when she saw the man in the sharply cut black suit slide into the seat next to her. His riveting blue eyes fixated on her, and Brynn’s mouth dropped open.
Oh, shit!
“Well, well, Brynn Alder,” he said in a voice akin to honey. “I thought that was you. Forgive the intrusion, but I have wanted to meet you. I’m Declan Corinth.” He held out his hand.
Brynn stared at his hand as if it was a nuclear missile. What in the hell is he doing here?
When her eyes rose to his face, his good looks made her mouth go dry. With black wavy hair and sharp blue eyes, he was even sexier than his portrait. Declan’s features were sharp, but his nose was a little flat and his chin somewhat small compared to his square jaw. He had thin lips that complimented his looks. Just the idea of kissing those lips made Brynn want to—
Shake his hand! “Mr. Corinth.” She took his hand. “Why are you in my car?”
While holding her hand, his eyes examined her face, sending a tingling sensation up from Brynn’s toes.
“I was coming to Ren’s, and I saw you. I’m ashamed to say I’m a fan, Ms. Adler. I’ve read all your books. I think your interpretation of the BDSM lifestyle is unique.”
“Interesting choice of words, Mr. Corinth.” The fact that the attractive man had read her books was even more unnerving than his being in her car. “Are you familiar with BDSM?”
He kept a firm grip on her hand. “I have several associates who are ardent admirers of the lifestyle.”
She yanked her hand away. “By associates, I take it you mean Ren and his little society.”
“Ren is a business associate, Ms. Adler. As for his society, I’m familiar with it.”
She sat back in her seat, studying Declan’s compelling features. “How did you end up in one of his portraits?”
He hiked up a dark eyebrow, his eyes brimming with amusement. “You’ve seen the painting? And what did you think?”
“Ren told me a local businesswoman commissioned it. She was apparently quite taken with you.”
“Mabel Bergeron was more than taken with me. She was obsessed.”
Declan’s soulful chuckle resonated in Brynn’s groin, and then she was struck by the name. “Mabel Bergeron? But she ….” Her voice trailed off, afraid to say what she was thinking.
“She owns a bondage club in the Garden District.” Declan sat back in his seat. “Your ex-husband was a frequent customer of hers. We met at Mabel’s club.”
A cold realization settled over Brynn. Declan Corinth was a player—a Dom. How else would he know about the bondage club Nathan had belonged to, or be friends with Ren Plancharde? Feeling foolish, Brynn glanced at Bob, still awaiting instructions behind the wheel.
“I should go. I’m keeping you from your meeting with Ren.”
“Nonsense.” Declan motioned for Bob to start the car. “I’ll see you back to The Shallows. You shouldn’t be alone today.”
“You know where I live?”
“I heard you took over Nathan’s old penthouse.”
Brynn’s reservations mounted as the engine roared to life. “No, Bob, wait,” she called. “Mr. Corinth was just leaving.”
The shock in Declan’s blue eyes was entertaining. She suspected that, being a Dom, he wasn’t used to having a woman tell him what to do.
With a curt nod, he reached for the car door and then glanced back at her. “Can I ask you a question?”
His voice reminded her of a dark whiskey. Smooth, soulful, and reaching down to her—
“Of course, Mr. Corinth.”
He shimmied closer to her. “It’s Declan, not Mr. Corinth.”
Her toes were tingling again. “What would you like to know?”
“How do you get ideas for your stories? They seem so real.”
Brynn shook her head, convinced that he was baiting her. If he was an associate of Ren’s and knew Nathan, then he must have known of her past.
“A writer never divulges where she gets her inspiration.” Brynn smugly sat back in her seat. “Good evening, Mr. Corinth.”
The surly grin he gave her damn near knocked her to the car floor. He was even more devastating when he was angry.
Declan shoved the card door open. As the sound of the rain hitting the sidewalk drifted into the car, he said, “We’ll see each other again, Ms. Adler.”
Brynn just smiled and waited for him to leave.
He bounded into the pouring rain and slammed the door closed. Brynn sank into her cold leather seat as he jogged through the open gate and into Ren’s pristine courtyard.
“No, we will not see each other again, Mr. Corinth.” She rocked her head back and closed her eyes. “That would be very dangerous for me.”
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Alexandrea Weis is an advanced practice registered nurse who was born and raised in New Orleans. Her first novel, To My Senses, introduced readers to the world of Nicci Beauvoir and garnered numerous awards and rave reviews. Her popular second Nicci Beauvoir novel, Recovery, won the Gold Medal for best romantic suspense from The Reader’s Favorite Book Awards 2011, and was named best Romantic Suspense novel by the Spring 2011 NABE Pinnacle Book Awards. Her fourth novel, Broken Wings, won best Contemporary Romance by the NABE Pinnacle Book Awards in 2012, was a Silver Medal winner in the ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Awards for Romance, as well as a finalist in the Reader’s Favorite Book Awards for Contemporary Romance for 2012. Her last novel, Acadian Waltz received honorable mention at the Readers’ Favorite Book Awards for Best Contemporary Romance and was a Best Southern Fiction Finalist. A permitted wildlife rehabber with the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries, Weis rescues orphaned and injured wildlife. She lives with her husband and pets in New Orleans.
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Great review, Sandy. This storyline looks very intriguing.
Excellent review, thanks Sandy. Congrats to Alexandrea on the new release.
Excellent review, Sandy . Looks like a very good story.
Great review Sandy
Looks great, thanks Sandy
Another wonderful review, thanks Sandy. Looks like a great series.
Terrific review, Sandy. Sounds great.
Very nice review Sandy, but I am tiring of the whole BDSM genre
Looks great, thanks Sany