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R.B. O'Brien

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THORNE: Rose's Dark Contract (Book I) Kindle Edition

by R.B. O'Brien (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.1 222 ratings

Book 1 of 3: THORNE

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Show me the steep and thorny way to heaven…the primrose path—Shakespeare

William Thorne is a powerful man with dark needs and a troubled past who doesn’t have the time nor the desire for romantic relationships or notions. Through meticulous planning and iron-clad contracts, Thorne has managed to maintain a modicum of balance, control, and happiness by employing personal assistants to aid him in all aspects of his professional and personal life.

Sex with no strings attached. Obedience without questions. An arrangement of mutual benefit. No mess. No love. No expectations. Nothing beyond a signed contract.

But when Thorne meets recent music grad, Victoria Rose, the shy and beautiful down-on-her-luck waitress, obsession replaces his carefully constructed thinking. He becomes so fixated on having her, without a full understanding of who she is, that he rushes her contract, making mistake after mistake before the ink even dries. His once neat and controlled existence becomes blurred and smudged.

Can the mistakes he makes be erased from Rose’s dark contract? Or will the damage leave an indelible mark that nobody could have seen coming?

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01BX7P9DQ
Publisher ‏ : ‎ (February 17, 2016)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 17, 2016
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 757 KB
Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 150 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #755,570 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #4,470 in Erotic Suspense (Books)
- #4,602 in Alpha Male Romance eBooks
- #20,498 in BDSM Erotica (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.1 222 ratings

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R.B. O'Brien

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“Emotive. Romantic. Introspective. And everything in between. Poetry is what my soul bleeds when I'm not looking...”

R.B. O’Brien is the founding member of The Nu Romantics and a multi-genre author. She is best known for her romance novels, including erotic and new adult, but poetry is her first love. She has several romance novel series and poetry collections published and has no plans to stop penning the many voices that demand to be heard from inside the intricate compartments of her mind.

O'Brien holds a degree in English literature and teaches for a living. She is a professor, a logophile, a reader, a health fanatic, an animal and nature lover, a dancer, a hopeful romantic, has a profound affection for Shakespeare, and creates—EVERY CHANCE SHE GETS.

She finds beauty in the darkest of things. Loves wry humor. And her heart beats too fast.

GET TURNED ON here: rbobrien.weebly.com.

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4.1 out of 5

222 global ratings

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Lilah E. Noir

These are also some of my favorite pieces of writing but it is difficult to find ...

Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2016

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Ever since I started having erotic fantasies most of them included some form of sexual corruption and unraveling. These are also some of my favorite pieces of writing but it is difficult to find a dark story that doesn’t involve non-consent, kidnapping and extreme conditioning/brainwashing. R.B. O’Brien definitely knows how to write a romantic story of a taboo relationship involving the corruption of innocence, domination, submission, kink and unexpected love. Her characters are usually damaged in one way or another, which is pretty typical for the dark romance subgenre, but they are also well-rounded, likeable and easy to identify with. The author had a fantastic start with Natalie Smith and Michael Black from the Natalie’s Edge series. In the first part of Thorne she continues developing her skills as a writer and takes us on an unforgettable ride with an unexpected twist. The journey of William Thorne and Victoria Rose to one another and to themselves is like a long, dark road and any hint of happy ending is beyond our line of sight… at least at the first book.
William does everything he can to persuade you that you should hate, despise and condemn him as a monster. And make no mistake, like another reviewer pointed out he is not a nice guy. I must say I liked his character for being so contradictory. He was arrogant yet he frequently showed how insecure he was, cruel and ashamed of his ability to show tenderness. I also loved his totally unapologetic my-way-or-the-highway attitude. We are given small clues of the secrets from his past, from that fatal event, which changed his life but the author does a great job of keeping us guessing.
It is always a pleasure when such a character who has arranged the walls around him so well gets defeated by the last person they’d expect. Victoria Rose, Thorne’s latest “personal assistant/concubine”, seems like the typical ingénue, young, easily impressionable and very weak at first sight. She may appear like your typical Mary Sue-ish, bland female who gets swept off her feet by the douche rich guy and who has no strength to stop him from abusing her. But over the story I think she frequently showed subtle, feminine strength and intelligence. Victoria was a sympathetic character down on her luck who tried to make the best of the bad circumstances. Nothing could prepare a girl like her, virginal and unaware of her own submissive tendencies, for Thorne’s sadistic games.
I don’t want to give too much of the plot away but none of the characters are what they appear to be, especially Victoria. The story has great pacing, interesting secondary characters, truly suspenseful atmosphere, an implied mystery and some truly off the charts kinky sex. All I’m going to say is that you should prepare for some steamy episodes in which pain and pleasure turn in two parts of the same experience, so tightly woven in one another it is impossible to distinguish them. Thorne really knows how to manipulate a woman’s body and mind till she is begging and crying for more.
Just like the author. At the unexpected end of the novel you’d be begging her to write Part 2 as soon as possible. I can’t wait for the next installment!

2 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Definitely a worthwhile read

Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2016

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This was a compelling story with wonderfully descriptive steamy scenes and a plot that kept me burning with curiosity (among other things)! I loved the depth of the characters--even the peripheral ones--and the struggle and passion between the two main characters. If you think you know kajillionaire-BDSM and have read it all, think again...and then read this book.

One person found this helpful

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A. Shades

Seductive And Emotional Journey

Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2016

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There are stories that you can say you like, some you may enjoy and love, but I can guarantee you that they are NOT anything like this story by Ms. O'Brien. This was one of those stories that really was a page turner, addicting, and allowed me to escape reality and delve into a world of beautiful submission. When a previous reviewer said this was the book Fifty Shades should have been, that was no lie. THIS book is all that and so much more.

From page one Ms. O'Brien grabs your attention. She opens the novel within the thoughts of Mr. Thorne - "sadistic prick" as he calls himself - a man who has secrets, a man who is dark, and dangerous, and should be off limits to the innocent and naive Miss Rose.

The relationship between Victoria and Thorne is somewhat forbidden, intense, and one that he never intended, nor wanted, to have. He was used to control, to being in charge, and yet with Victoria we see him more "human" than he admits he is. More than he allows others to see him. He is a bag of contradictions, though; both hard and strong, yet we see glimpses of insecurity.

Also revealed to the reader are clues, as one reviewer mentioned, into his past; what makes him behave the way he does, treat people the way he does. And Victoria, although submissive in nature, is stronger than she at first appears, and is very intelligent. She is the perfect counter to his hardened nature.

The intimate scenes are a beautifully written piece of art in this erotic story, and left me breathless. The chemistry between the two characters is off the charts hot. Pain and pleasure, desperation and desire, seduction and submission - I could go on, but you really should read it for yourself. If I could give this book 10 stars, I would. As a matter-of-fact: I do!

The twist at the end will leave you begging for book 2, which I will definitely be picking up as soon as Ms. O'Brien releases it.

This is one story that I invested more than just money in...I invested my emotions as well. Not something I can often say.

Beautiful job, Ms. O'Brien. I am so thankful to have read this book and I cannot wait for book 2.

15 people found this helpful

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TerribleGoose

Romance based on mysteries and deceit 3.5 stars

Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2019

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I had to take a few minutes to think about how I was going to review this. If it was possible I would have given it 3.5 stars because I did like it. I just didn't love it. It's very well written and edited so there's no problems there. I really liked the little bit we saw of many of the side characters and the mysteries that kept cropping up everywhere had me intrigued.

The story told from the man's point of view left me struggling to connect because he wasn't at all likeable so being inside of his head was blah, and what we saw of Victoria from his perspective made her seem like the bland standard virgin for the right man trope. Oh with huge boobs of course, since he mentioned them so frequently I shouldn't leave those out. I'm not saying it's unrealistic that guys focus on boobs that much... I am saying I would have enjoyed not reading it from his perspective.

They did have chemistry together and occasionally she came out of her shell enough to really shine. Especially when she disobeyed him. The sudden revelation of an entirely hidden sub-plot gripped me and then.........nothing. it stopped so abruptly that I was confused and kept flipping the pages to see if there was a mistake. I knew it was part of a set and that in dark romance you don't always have a HEA and I'm fine with that but the abruptness wasn't cliffhanger-esque it was just confusing.

11 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Mummybear loves reading.

WOW

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 30, 2016

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This is the first time that i have read from this author and going by this book it wont be the last if i could just put WOW as my review i would but i dint think it would give this book or the author the justice that it so clearly deserves.

WE meet William Thorne he is a rich, powerful man but he's had a troubled past that still haunts him to this day and to top it off he has dark needs that needs to be fulfilled and doesn't care much for how the woman feels as long as his needs are fulfilled. William is the type of man when he sees something that he wants he makes sure that he gets it.

William spots waitress Victoria Rose who he decides would make a brilliant PA for him. Victoria is very innocent in a sweet way and accepts the job. She soon realises that by becoming William's PA she not only has to cater for his needs during working hours and in the office she must join William in his dark sadistic side which she knows nothing about.

Will William succeed in turning the sweet and innocent Victoria into what he expects of her? Will Victoria be able to the dark side of her boss? Will Victoria be able to show him that he's not the dark sadistic person who stares back at him when he looks in the mirror.

I cant wait for book two

Claire

Addictive

Reviewed in Italy on September 29, 2016

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This is the first book I have read by this author and I love it! It's quite unique to have it all in a man's perspective and this just works so well! It was so well paced that I finished it in a day because I just could not stop reading!

Christine Bailey

Please read this book - A must. It will leave you wanting more....

Reviewed in Australia on May 25, 2016

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R.b. O'Brien, Wow. I could not put the book down. My surprise was Mr. Thorne. His journey chapter one to thirteen. It had me wanting to read more.... I cannot wait next book.

Charlotte Hart

Vignettes of Victoria

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 12, 2016

Verified Purchase

Okay, first one I've read from this author. Definetely won't be the last!
It's a great page turner of a book. Twisty, which I like, and had a really good pace to it. Oh, and the 'bedroom scenes' HOT ! Yep, the author knows his to write that. The story, so far, has a good depth to it, which leads you to believe there a much bigger background story going on. It always intrigues me when an author does this well, makes me want to grab that next book as soon as possible (if you know what I mean) *winks at ending*. It's a good, strong start to the series, and I look forward to reading the next installment soon.

Chloe

Dark Secrets & Clever Twists

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 13, 2016

Verified Purchase

It is essential for a writer to develop, to extend themselves, to go to the edge and then take a leap – of faith, into the unknown. Anything but keep digging in the same hole. That’s is what RB O’Brien has done with ‘Thorne: Rose's Dark Contract.’ Again, we find flawed, complex characters well-drawn and multi-dimensional, but the mood is more edgy, the writing more compelling.

The ‘dark contract’ is drawn up by Thorne – a man who admits from the off that he is ‘a monster,’ a drunk, a liar, a greedy manipulator - and signed by Victoria Rose. A trusting ingénue taken on as an assistant, Victoria is drawn into Thorne’s furtive world and overwhelmed by his powerful personality. Thorne is a user, an abuser, a man who takes what he wants, sucks out its essence and spits out what remains. Relationships, real relationships, are not for him.

But there’s something about Victoria Rose, maybe her innocence, her youth, her sadness – her beauty, that gets into his blood and into his brain. He wants to be rid of her and she wants to know what terrible secret lies at the heart of his cruelty – a puzzle O’Brien plants in your head and it nags you as you race through the pages to an ending that is both satisfying and leaves you ready for more.

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THORNE: Rose's Dark Contract (Book I) Kindle Edition

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