Tears of Tess Paperback – September 1, 2013

FANTASTICALLY EMOTIONAL CRAZY NO DON'T DO THAT STARS*****MY NAME IS AMY J AND I'M A Q-AHOLICFirst off I read this in one sitting, loved it. So happy to have found another 5 star read. The writing was brilliant<---- I only use this word when I LOVE a book.Tears of Tess is a story about soul crushing rejection, survival, strength, and sexual awakening.Tess is every 20 something year old girl who thinks she is sick because of her "deviant" thoughts. Brax is a lonely soul still finding himself who is kind , loving, sweet,....and lets say more vanilla than most. They found each other during a time of need and have yet to realize they have outgrown each other."I wanted a new label. One that said: girlfriend who will do anything to be tied, spanked all over rather than adored."Tess has <u>NEEDS</U> very specific needs. When reading this you think well don't we all , but remember her age. Most do not yearn for these needs at such a young age or at least not recognize the need. Tess is very in tune with her wants and desires which is refreshing. She is so much stronger than she realizes...throughout the beginning , middle , and end she has unrecognizable strength.My heart would squeeze for Tess as her thoughts of physical needs would enter her head and when Brax would shut her down. Brax has a sad past but to be soooo timid regarding sex for a young man is kind of....not normal? I would love for a spin off book about Brax that covers his past and maybe a sexual awakening? When they arrive in Mexico and she almost has to force a "moment" with Brax, killed me. How she can remain self confident and continue to try is a small reflection of her strength. Brax's reaction to a toy and her outfit---gahhhh so once again Tess pushes her needs aside thinking they are somewhat unnatural....One of my favorite quotes"I wasn’t broken enough for Brax. My courage and strength kept a rift between us all this time."The moment they get on that scooterI just knew this isn't going to end well--and from there my friends it tumbles down hill. Entering the Mexican Cantina I screamed NOOOOO stop don't do it. If Tess didn't already know going in there was a mistake she certainly did when the waitress entered the scene and again later when leather jacket man and goons showed up. How could Brax not realize something was very wrong? Yes Tess is very perceptive but was Brax just dumb? Quite possibly so when he leaves her to go to the bathroom. Didn't he remember being told NOT to leave each other? Tess soon realizes the desperation of the situation." It was like looking into a predators gaze: empty, hungry, black, and evil. It sucked my soul, amping my fear to a full forest fire."Tess's continued strength and zest for not going quietly impressed me. Even after she leaves Mexico. The only luck she has is that she didn't end up at where the other girls were sent. This equates to winning the freaking lotto!!The fact that the author keeps you guessing about Q up until the end is the brilliance of the story. There are hints and actions throughout but until it was laid out for me at the end, I just didn't see it. I was so freaking torn. When he tells her“Ah, esclave you’re in serious trouble. I’ll never be able to leave you alone now.”Q proves a point, Q ignores her, Q calls her that name, Q wants her...I was so freaking confused. Tess questioning herself when she wasn't confused..confused me? I mean Q was so strong and he was my hero how he handled the Brute and Driver and afterwards the words he told her. I stayed so confused until the guard explained it deplaning ...yes I still didn't get all that was Q. I might of understood the story but what I thought he was and why he was different but realistic. His needs dumbfounded himself and went against all that he stood for, if he was confused how could I, the reader, not be?"You won’t turn me into a broken shadow of myself. Your ferocity feeds me.”Pepper Winters attacks so many different issues with this story then brilliantly brings them full circle tying them up perfectly in a bow. Not one stone was left unturned. Each scene captures the desperation and need Tess is feeling. Just one of the many that stood out...the scene with the Russian OMG it was so realistic. And the Brute and Driver scene, I was dying. I was sucked in and couldn't stop reading. The desperation and need Q is feeling. The symbolism of rejection, the feelings of unworthiness both prevalent throughout her young life, are palpable and I felt for Tess. I understood her thoughts and feelings in France-or how she could feel what she felt. She runs when she can even though she questions it she keeps going cause its the right thing to do ...right? For Q to realize the right and wrongs of his life and to have the compass he has proves we all know deep in our souls what is right and what is wrong regardless of our past. He faces the monster that is his father and trudges on through his rejections righting the wrongs. Is he a hero,a grim reaper, a monster himself? All of the above? Everything I questioned in the story the author answered.OK I have one question but I think it will be discussed in the next book out December 13. This is not a cliffy and the next book is a continuation.Do yourself a favor READ TEARS OF TESS."“You are mine. I can do what I want with you. I can dress you. . Send you away. Loan you to others. You belong to me. And you’ve finally realized it isn’t romantic, it isn’t sexy, or fun..."I know to each his own and all that but I just don't see how this book would get less than 4/5 stars? Yet the reviews are all over the board. Definitely one of the better reads of the year.

**I reviewed this book for Martini Times Romance**Pepper Winters has created a darkly imaginative tale of how a girl transforms from a meek pleaser into a strong fierce fighter, finding out who she really is along the way and embracing a part of herself that she had fought to hide. Tess is a 20-year-old Australian woman, she doesn’t ruffle feathers, she desperately wants to please her vanilla boyfriend, and she has accepted the way of her dull life. Her world is rocked to its core when her boyfriend whisks her off for a last minute vacation to Mexico. The vacation ends in horror when Brax is beaten unconscious and Tess is kidnapped and forced into sex slavery. She is bought and given as a gift to a French man named Q. The two of them share the same dark desires within their souls, and embark on a relationship that tests their limits and changes their lives.The beginning of this book had me sucked in and on the edge of my seat. My heart was beating out of my chest, I was on the verge of panic as I read the story, it was exciting and scary and I was there with Tess every step of the way. I loved Tess, from the beginning of the book its clear that she is living a lie, she is pretending to be someone that she is not, and desperately tries to convince herself that she needs to act a certain way. Through this horrible event, she finds herself. She no longer hides within; she becomes a fighter, a fierce voice to be heard. She stands up to her captors, and risks her life and safety, unwilling to be broken or silenced. By the end of the book, she was a completely different woman, a changed person; she fully embraces who she is, and watching her transformation was thrilling. Tess has a craving to be dominated, to be a submissive, to be hurt, to incorporate pain into her pleasure, and Q gives that to her, effectively bringing her to life.Her French master, Q, is such an enigma. He comes across as a hard vicious man, but it seems as if it is nothing but a shield, and what you think he is, isn’t necessarily true. Under the façade is a kind man who battles between wanting to do the right thing, and wanting to feed his dark desires. Q needs to hurt, needs to inflict pain to feel pleasure, and for the first time in his life, he meets his match in Tess. She comes into his life kicking and screaming, a strong willed woman that will not be broken, and steals Q’s heart.The plot, I found to be unique, and different. Yes, there are other books dealing with trafficking and kidnapping, but this one changed courses and ended up being something completely different then what was expected.What kept this from being a fantastic book for me, were all of the questions that I had through the middle of the book. I wish that the epilogue detailing the past were at the beginning of the book as the prologue. The information provided in it filled in all of the gaps. These gaps, as I was reading, just made for strange and weird situations…why the designer wardrobe for a slave? Why was she told not to assist the help? What was the point of her being there as a slave when she wasn't treated as a slave? What is the deal with Suzett? I questioned the actions of the characters, and nearly wanted to stop reading because I just couldn't understand. Of course it all made sense at the end of the book, but if the back story to the characters had come first, I would have read this with a completely different understanding, and it would have been much more enjoyable for me.In addition, I would have liked to see more interaction between Tess and Q. They would go weeks without seeing each other, and the book was limited to only a hand full of interactions over a few months. It was an emotional, exciting story, with great characters and unexpected twists. I would suggest this book to anyone that likes darker romances, and doesn’t have a squeamish stomach, there is quite a bit of violence in the book as well as forced rape scenes, but you cant have this kind of story without this kind of content.There is another book to be released in the future. This is not left in a cliffhanger, but you will defiantly want more. I'm excited to see what Pepper Winters comes up with next.