Book review + Excerpt: The Bad Ones ~ Stylo Fantôme

Title: The Bad Ones
Author: Stylo Fantôme
Series: Standalone
Release date: April 12, 2014
(Sub)genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 254
Buy: Amazon US ~ Amazon UK
Rating:

Love isn't always bright and shiny.

Sometimes, it's dirty and wrong, buried six feet deep in a secret place where only wild things dare to go. Hidden behind a big black curtain that covers things no one should ever see.

Sometimes it happens between two people who should never be allowed to come together. One who is a match, and the other who just happens to be gasoline.

One strike is all it takes to burn the whole world down, and that's exactly what they plan on doing.

Even if it kills them.

warning: this book contains graphic sex, extremely brutal violence, bad language, and people repeatedly and knowingly breaking the law.

“Stupid little Dulcie,” he whispered, his breath hot against her lips. She held onto his wrists and glared at him, but didn’t try to pull away. His fingers got tighter. “So scared of the big bad wolf.”

Con and Dulcie, two young people from the very opposites of small-town life. Where Constantine ‘Con’ Masters is the town’s golden boy, the mayor’s son, Dulcie Travers comes from the wrong sides of the track. Their lives don’t entwine, Con is the popular ladies’ man and Dulcie the silent girl, looking at the world around her through her photo camera. But they do notice each other, see each other for what they really are, see what other people don’t see.

“Maybe we’re sick,” her voice fell back into a whisper. He groaned and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close so she was pressed against his chest. “If this is a sickness, then I don’t want a cure,” he whispered back. “You’re very clever for a sociopath.” “Well, cleverness is a trademark of being one.”

Con and Dulcie are a match made in heaven, to be more accurate, theirs is one made in hell. Both know they are different from other – normal – people, both know they have a different set of morals and believes. Con has come to terms with his inner beast a long time ago, and he has the feeling Dulcie is like him, that she keeps parts of herself hidden. But before he can have her, can claim her, he needs to learn to control himself, so he leaves Dulcie behind for a while. Dulcie is angry with Con for leaving Fuller, for leaving her. She makes a living for herself, but the moment he is back, she can’t resist her big bad wolf.

“I want you,” he stated bluntly. She simply nodded. “I want to do whatever the fuck we want. I’ve got a lot of money, Dulcie. A lot. We can go wherever we want, do whatever we want. We can … we can be as strange as we want. As awful. As fucking horrible as we goddamn want.”

The Bad Ones is written in Stylo Fantôme’s familiar style; a double point of view in the third person. The events take place over the course of a few years, and start with Con and Dulcie in high school. While apart they live their lives, but the other person is always present. I love that in this book, both Con and Dulcie are equally bad and disturbed. Normally it’s the tale of the sweet, innocent girl falling for the truly evil man, I’m glad Stylo wrote Dulcie and Con the way she did.

“His fingers slid further into her hair, and she could feel the bloody hand print he left behind on her cheek. “I can. We’re unstoppable. We’re goddamn amazing,” he growled, then pushed his tongue into her mouth. She kissed him back, wanting more from him. Wanting everything.”

I adore this twisted story, the madness that is Con and Dulcie. I give The Bad Ones 4.5 stars.

 

~~ The Bad Ones was provided in exchange for an honest review ~~

Excerpt

Con finally unlocked the doors and she hefted herself into the massive vehicle. They sat in silence for a while, their breath fogging up the glass. Then he opened his mouth.

“Did he touch you?”

Dulcie knew he wasn’t asking about the homeless man.

“Not in any way that counts,” she replied, turning to look at him. His hands had moved to grip the steering wheel.

“So he has touched you.”

“Jared was just an experiment, I wanted to see if -”

“You let him fucking touch you.”

“You fucking left me!” she was suddenly screaming. He didn’t even flinch, just gripped the steering wheel harder. “You fucking left me in this fucking town, without a goddamn goodbye! Without a goddamn word! God, you have no idea what it’s been like. That fucking camera, all those drawings. And there’s all these people, and talking, and feeling this way, and all the blackness, and I don’t even know what’s wrong with me, and nothing. You come back, and it’s like nothing to you. Oh hey, Dulcie. Where’s your sketchbook, Dulcie. Come to a party, Dulcie. Let me just fuck this chick in the woods, Dulcie. So you know what? Yeah, he fucking touched me. I let him fucking touch me. And I hated every minute of it, and I would pretend it was you, and I would hate you, and I would hate myself, and I just let it happen.”

Con lunged across the seat, and absurdly, her first thought was “wow, he’s really fast” before his fingers wrapped around her throat. She wasn’t fazed, though, and she pushed right back, slapping him across the face. This only caused him to clench both hands around her neck and he yanked her forward, dragging her to him so their faces were only inches apart.

“Stupid little Dulcie,” he whispered, his breath hot against her lips. She held onto his wrists and glared at him, but didn’t try to pull away. His fingers got tighter. “So scared of the big bad wolf.”

“I’m not … scared of you,” she managed to gasp out, but then his grip grew so tight he completely cut off her oxygen.

“Of course you aren’t scared of me. I’m not the wolf. You are.”

So that’s what was hiding behind the curtain. I wish you’d told me sooner, Con. We could’ve reveled in our darkness together.

It felt like a weight was lifted off her back. She’d been pretending for so long, and she hadn’t even realized it. Had conditioned herself to do it. It was easier to believe Con was the darkness, and she was simply drawn to it. Basking in his wake. But it was all a lie – she was every bit as dark as him. They were the same animal. She’d just been better at deceiving herself. And now they’d evolved into something else, into a new, higher being.

Her lungs were throbbing, screaming for oxygen. She could feel her pulse pounding behind her face. Her mouth was open, but she couldn’t make a sound. Black spots danced in front of her eyes, yet still they stared at each other. Recognizing each other, maybe for the first time ever.

Maybe for the last time.

What a way to die, looking into the face of this beautiful boy. What a gift.

Giveaway

Stylo Fantome’s THE BAD ONES Release Day Blitz