The first in a new three book series from Ghiselle St. James:
This is not a fairytale. This is not a story of a woman who is perfect. This is not the story of a perfect couple that sails off into the sunset. This is gritty. This is frustrating. This is heartbreaking. This is my story, hard as it may be to tell.
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My name is Sullivan Beal – at least, that’s what I tell people – and I live life by my own rules. Most of my adult life has been spent hiding from my past. That is, until I meet HIM face-to-face.
Ben Hayes is the demanding C.O.O. who is hell-bent on having me for himself. But, I’m wrong for him. I know it, the universe knows it. If he ever found out who I really am, how utterly tainted I am, he wouldn’t waste his time wanting me.
There are things in my past that would destroy everyone in my wake. But Ben is relentless, trying to break down the walls around my heart that a messy past has caused me to construct. It’s a pity he doesn’t know…I am too tainted for love.
“Love isn’t for me, and my kind of love is too tainted, too blemished to share with anyone.”
Tainted Love
Ghiselle St. James (Author)
Reviewed by: Kristi Lynn
of Sullivan by Ben. He was determined, steadfast, and not one to take no for answer. The sub characters were fantastic and I especially loved Matt, Ben’s brother. The dynamic between these two had me laughing at several points in the story.
Beyond the characters, I loved the story line. It was gripping, had angst, some This is the story of Sullivan Beal (or at least that is what she tells people). Sullivan is hiding from her past. She spends her time bedding wealthy men to get what she wants from them and trying to stay away from a past that haunts her. That is until she meets Ben Hayes. Ben is a challenging Chief Operation Officer of a company. He is gorgeous, alpha, and persistent in his attempts to win over Sullivan. Their connection is undeniable, but Sullivan has walls built up as a means to protect herself and those around her from her haunting past. Will Ben be able to break down those walls? Will Sullivan let him in and feel the affection and adoration he has for her? Will her past catch up to her? And will one mistake cost them everything?
This is the first book I read of Ghiselle’s and let me just say I loved it. It pulled me right in and I fell in love with the characters. Sullivan is a strong woman considering all she has been through. I love a strong female lead and Ghiselle did not disappoint me in that department. Ben is the epitome of alpha male. He is domineering, strong willed and determined, yet has a softer side with Sullivan that you cannot help but love. I loved watching the chase amazingly hot sex scenes, and kept me enthralled through the entire book. Ghiselle has a way with words and the descriptive nature of her story telling was on point. Man can she write a sex scene!! Smoking!!! Be warned there is a cliff hanger in this book! Thankfully I have book two and am ready to dive in.
For this first book I have read of Ghiselle’s, she has a fan in me. I will happily read whatever she puts out and gladly recommend this book to anyone. I gave this book 5 stars.
This isn't a perfect story. It's gritty, dark, frustrating but beautiful. Love isn't all hearts and flowers and bullshit declarations that are hollow and empty. If you love someone, you have to PROVE you're worth they're love. The road to happily ever after is paved with mistakes and horrible decisions...don't hold mine against me.
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Sullivan: I have been captured by the only person I hate in this life; a person that I once foolishly loved. He is poison to me. Will I ever be free of him? Will I ever see Rachel again? Will I ever see my parents, my brother again? And Ben...will he ever know how I feel about him? So many wasted days I spent resisting him. A tear trickles down my face at that; because as I see Rick shaking that needle with a wicked gleam in his eye, I know this is the last time anyone will ever see me alive.
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Ben: I've worked very hard to maintain this control I have, but in just a few weeks Sullivan Beal came into my life and toppled my carefully constructed walls, and for a moment I didn't care. Now that she is out of my life, I should be happy...but all I can do is think about her; how I miss her smile and how she made me feel free. I have to get her back. The love I have for her may not be perfect, but our relationship scarcely is. And that's what makes it perfect. She may be tainted with demons from her past that she holds close to her chest, but I will free her from them; because as frustrating as my sweet girl is...I'm in this for the long haul. She might be broken, but I love her anyway. But one phone call...that dreaded phone call has me in a tailspin. Sullivan is kidnapped & it's a race against time to find her before he hurts her... Or worse...
Amazon UK
Broken Love (Tainted Love Book 2)
Ghiselle St. James (Author)
Reviewed by: Kristi Lynn
This is the continuation of the story of Sullivan Beal and Ben Hayes. In book one we are left with Sullivan being kidnapped by a person from her past that she once thought she loved. Ben and Sullivan had a huge fight and while Ben think he is meeting her to repair the relationship, he gets the dreaded phone call that Sullivan has been kidnapped. As secrets from Sullivan’s past start to come out will Ben be able to see past the secrets Sullivan has been hiding? Will he be able to save her in time? Will Sullivan survive and be her outgoing and sassy self or will she be broken and a shell of what she once was?
This book was no for the faint of heart in the beginning. There is some rape and forced drug use so if this offends you, it Is not the book for you. With that being said, we pick up where book left us. The first bit of the book was action packed and kept me on the edge of my seat with wanting to know what would happen and if it would turn out the way I hope. In this book I fell more in love with Ben. He showed a softer side, while at the same time he asserted himself in a more dominating fashion also. I love an alpha male who can show a soft side when needed and Ben did just that for me. This book was about growth for Sullivan. She had to ensure something no one should have to ever ensure (especially considering her past). She is strong, even when she appears weak and for that I am endeared to her character.
This book like book one was fast paced and an easy read to get through. The sex scenes remained hot and the storyline continued to pull me and captivate me. I will say something that was frustrating for me as the reader was the unwillingness to open up by Sullivan with Ben. I feel like if she was more forthright about her past some trouble and heartache may have been avoided. While at times, Ben and Sullivan appear to be so in tune with one another, other times they frustrated me by not being 100% honest. I know it is all done for a reason, but it was a point of frustration for me as a reader.
This books ends in a major cliff hanger that left me wanting to punch something and dropping several F bombs. I will be not so patiently waiting for book three in this series. I definitely recommend the series and give this book 4 stars.
Ghiselle St. James is a Jamaican author who has a never-ending love for written thoughts: poetry, song lyrics and fiction. A songwriter by the age of 9, Ghiselle enjoys singing just as much as she loves writing. She has been writing erotic novels since she was 13 years old. Never mind that they went unpublished; she had something inside her that wanted to break free…and it helped that it made her popular with the boys (hehe). Writing has been her outlet for most of her life, and will continue to be.
Ghiselle lives in Jamaica with her husband, Chris, and her handsome baby, Panthro the cat. She works full time but always makes time for music, writing, reading and chatting on Goodreads.
Ugh, I hate talking about myself in the third person.
Anywho…
I went to the Jamaica Theological Seminary (haha, yes!) where I studied Social Work and graduated with honors in June 2010. Since then, the writer in me has reawakened and hasn’t gone to sleep. I completed my first novel in January of 2013 which led me into writing my debut novel South Row in March 2014.
I pray my passion brings you as much joy as it has brought me.
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