Review: Emerald Bruises by Pepper Winters

Title: Emerald Bruises
Author: Pepper Winters
Series: The Jewelry Box #2
Publication: April 9, 2024
Genre: Dark Romance
Find it on: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU
Rating: 4/5★

“I made a bargain with a monster.
A vow to save both our lives.
I thought our commitment would stay true.
It didn’t.”

I’ve spent my entire life alone.
I’m well used to loneliness and the endless pain of having no one.
Sure, we made a bargain. We shared our secrets and made a vow.
But I warned her not to do one tiny thing.
One very important thing.
For a while, she obeyed me.
Until the night she didn’t.
And now…the connection we shared?
That alliance we forged?
It’s broken.
I’m broken.
And by the time I’m done with her…she’ll be broken too.

Triggers on every warning possible.
This is dark and will push every boundary that exists.
Be warned….

Series TW: BDSM, Kidnapping, Noncon, Dubcon, Master & Slave, Bondage, explicit sexual acts, trafficking, bloodplay, breathplay

Emerald Bruises is the second book in the Jewelry Box series and this sequel definitely didn’t disappoint. If anything, things got kicked up quite a few notches in wickedness, depravity and uncontrollable lust. It’s obviously not a surprise to me but I’m still amazed at how Pepper Winters has such a way with words. Her writing is beautifully lyrical, powerful and so intense.

“My name is Henri fucking Mercer, and you, little nightmare, are mine. Body, mind, and soul.”

The story picks right up where it left off at the end of Ruby Tears and things get much more dark very quickly. Now that Henri has freed himself from what basically was his conscience, he feels more himself than he’s ever been which means Ily is his to do with as he pleases. I felt myself both hating and feeling sorry for him, much like what Ily was feeling throughout the book. But towards the end there absolutely was a shift I could feel in Henri, one for the better I think.

“Play with me, little nightmare, because my greatest weakness is you, and the day you understand that is the day our true games begin.”

Ily, meanwhile, is really struggling. She has feelings for Henri, yes, but can’t forgive him for being the reason for getting her in this position. I also felt a shift with her, acknowledging some things about herself like admitting she does have feeling for Henri and that she does like being hurt. I’m sure this shift will be even more pronounced in the next installment. But of course I think things will get worse for her before they get better. I’m also expecting Q (Henri’s brother) to show up at one point to kill every bastard on that island. I will gladly wait for that moment.

“If you run, Ilyana, I will chase you. I will catch you, and I’ll slam you against a wall and fuck you until you scream.

And as per usual the book ended in a cliffhanger. So it’s no surprise that I’m really can’t wait for the next book, Sapphire Scars. There will be four installments in total so I have no doubt that the third book will be very important to how the last one will go. I’m so excited to find out soon!

About the author:

On a career level, Pepper currently has close to 40 books released in nine languages. She’s hit best-seller lists (USA Today, New York Times, and Wall Street Journal) almost 40 times. She dabbles in multiple genres, ranging from Dark Romance to Coming of Age.

On a personal level, Pepper lives on a farm with two minis, four horses, countless birds and wildlife, and a precious little ball of fluff called Mo. Her little house-rabbit sits at her feet while writing all the words, and always seems to know when she’s writing a naughty scene. He’s her muse and the main reason why a rabbit is on her author logo.

Now back to the writing stuff…

After chasing her dreams to become a full-time writer, Pepper has earned recognition with awards for best Dark Romance, best BDSM Series, and best Hero. She’s an #1 iBooks bestseller, along with #1 in Erotic Romance, Romantic Suspense, Contemporary, and Erotica Thriller. She’s also honoured to wear the IndieReader Badge for being a Top 10 Indie Bestseller.

After releasing two books with Grand Central, Hachette (Ruin & Rule and Sin & Suffer) Pepper is a Hybrid Author of both Traditional and Self-published work.

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