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Mercy #1
Mercy
He taught me to kill. Murder is in my blood now. It runs through my veins and though I hide the monster I see in the mirror with ink, it doesn’t keep him from coming out.
My street name is Mercy, but I never show any. Except for her. I watch Becca, though she doesn’t know. She saved me a long time ago; the day my father killed my mother. Her bravery turned her into a target.
My father holds a grudge and knife with the same proficiency, and Becca is the focus of his hatred. And I’m the only monster who can save her.
My street name is Mercy, but I never show any. Except for her. I watch Becca, though she doesn’t know. She saved me a long time ago; the day my father killed my mother. Her bravery turned her into a target.
My father holds a grudge and knife with the same proficiency, and Becca is the focus of his hatred. And I’m the only monster who can save her.
402 pages, Paperback
First published August 20, 2017
1,403 people are currently reading
7,948 people want to read
About the author
Debra Anastasia
42 books3,800 followers 🔪💃Lady Mafia Cover Reveal 💃🔪
Release Date: March 26, 2023
Kindle Unlimited (Print through most retailers)
The latest novel by Debra Anastasia, LADY MAFIA is an action-packed, sexy mafia romance that is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat.
Leto is on a mission to rescue his brother from the clutches of a crime boss, but his plans take an unexpected turn when he kidnaps three women who aren't who he thought they were.
As Indy, Aster and Zinny navigate through dangerous situations, unexpected romances emerge and alliances are formed in the most unlikely of circumstances. Their bachelorette vacation ends up with a lot more weapons and scary men than anyone anticipated.
Will they be able to outsmart the criminals and save the day?
Find out in this action-packed adventure full of twists and turns.
Get ready to join the LADY MAFIA!
💃🔪Goodreads link:
https://bit.ly/LADYMAFIAGOODREADS
💃🔪Debra’s Newsletter for updates:**https://bit.ly/DebraAnastasiaNewsletter**
Goodreads link:
https://bit.ly/LADYMAFIAGOODREADS
Debra’s Newsletter for updates: https://bit.ly/DebraNewsletter
Release Date: March 26, 2023
Kindle Unlimited (Print through most retailers)
The latest novel by Debra Anastasia, LADY MAFIA is an action-packed, sexy mafia romance that is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat.
Leto is on a mission to rescue his brother from the clutches of a crime boss, but his plans take an unexpected turn when he kidnaps three women who aren't who he thought they were.
As Indy, Aster and Zinny navigate through dangerous situations, unexpected romances emerge and alliances are formed in the most unlikely of circumstances. Their bachelorette vacation ends up with a lot more weapons and scary men than anyone anticipated.
Will they be able to outsmart the criminals and save the day?
Find out in this action-packed adventure full of twists and turns.
Get ready to join the LADY MAFIA!
💃🔪Goodreads link:
https://bit.ly/LADYMAFIAGOODREADS
💃🔪Debra’s Newsletter for updates:**https://bit.ly/DebraAnastasiaNewsletter**
Goodreads link:
https://bit.ly/LADYMAFIAGOODREADS
Debra’s Newsletter for updates: https://bit.ly/DebraNewsletter
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,103 reviews
October 22, 2017
I picked up 'Mercy' as a Kindle Unlimited selection recently and was pleasantly surprised. This was a dark romance, that didn't cross over into the territory of seriously disturbing. It was just dark and dangerous enough to hold my attention without being so dark as to lose it's appeal for a mainstream romance audience.
Rebecca Dixie Stiles, aka "Becca", waits tables and bartends at a popular bar in town to make ends meet. Unbeknownst to her, she is the object of a dangerous man's obsession. Every move she makes is monitored. Even her favorite game app was designed as a means to keep tabs on her.
Fenix, aka "Mercy", aka "Nix", is a contract killer. He is known for his ruthlessness and is the best in the business. He's made a fortune doing the dirty work that others won't do or don't have the unique skillset for. He is respected and feared in the criminal underworld.
However, Fenix has secrets. His past is a closely guarded secret, lest it catch up with him again. Above all else, he wants to protect the woman that he has watched from a distance for years.
Becca and Nix met as children, when she brazenly defended him, standing off with his abusive father. Nobody had ever intervened on his behalf before and he could never forget the innocent little girl that was braver than anyone he'd ever met. Of course, there was hell to pay for Nix, but thoughts of the brave girl carried him through some very difficult times in his life.
After escaping the clutches of his abusive father, Nix continues to keep tabs on Becca from a distance. Over time, his obsession has morphed into far more than a protective friendliness. He wants her badly, but fears rejection.
When the bar that Becca works at hosts a series of themed costume parties, it gives Nix the perfect opportunity to insert himself into her life. His skeleton tattoos will appear to be just part of an elaborate costume vs. the permanent camouflage that he's chosen to don to eradicate any resemblance to the man of his nightmares.
Of course, as Becca and Nix grow closer, his greatest fears come to life. Nix must do whatever he can to protect Becca, just as she once did for him, knowing that it may destroy any chances of having the woman of his dreams.
Overall, this was a great story. There was plenty of danger and suspense, with just enough sweetness to balance it out perfectly. I loved Nix, damaged as he was. Despite being a hardened killer, he was also naïve and sweet. Becca also had plenty of emotional baggage and together they made sense.
If you're looking for something dark and dangerous, with a swoon-worthy hero, this is a good choice. It was a little far-fetched at times, but not so much so that the story lost it's appeal. There was just enough turmoil and angst to keep it interesting as well. Plus, there were some interesting secondary characters introduced whose stories I'm looking forward to reading in the future.
Check out more of my reviews at www.bookaddicthaven.com
Rebecca Dixie Stiles, aka "Becca", waits tables and bartends at a popular bar in town to make ends meet. Unbeknownst to her, she is the object of a dangerous man's obsession. Every move she makes is monitored. Even her favorite game app was designed as a means to keep tabs on her.
Fenix, aka "Mercy", aka "Nix", is a contract killer. He is known for his ruthlessness and is the best in the business. He's made a fortune doing the dirty work that others won't do or don't have the unique skillset for. He is respected and feared in the criminal underworld.
However, Fenix has secrets. His past is a closely guarded secret, lest it catch up with him again. Above all else, he wants to protect the woman that he has watched from a distance for years.
Becca and Nix met as children, when she brazenly defended him, standing off with his abusive father. Nobody had ever intervened on his behalf before and he could never forget the innocent little girl that was braver than anyone he'd ever met. Of course, there was hell to pay for Nix, but thoughts of the brave girl carried him through some very difficult times in his life.
After escaping the clutches of his abusive father, Nix continues to keep tabs on Becca from a distance. Over time, his obsession has morphed into far more than a protective friendliness. He wants her badly, but fears rejection.
When the bar that Becca works at hosts a series of themed costume parties, it gives Nix the perfect opportunity to insert himself into her life. His skeleton tattoos will appear to be just part of an elaborate costume vs. the permanent camouflage that he's chosen to don to eradicate any resemblance to the man of his nightmares.
Of course, as Becca and Nix grow closer, his greatest fears come to life. Nix must do whatever he can to protect Becca, just as she once did for him, knowing that it may destroy any chances of having the woman of his dreams.
Overall, this was a great story. There was plenty of danger and suspense, with just enough sweetness to balance it out perfectly. I loved Nix, damaged as he was. Despite being a hardened killer, he was also naïve and sweet. Becca also had plenty of emotional baggage and together they made sense.
If you're looking for something dark and dangerous, with a swoon-worthy hero, this is a good choice. It was a little far-fetched at times, but not so much so that the story lost it's appeal. There was just enough turmoil and angst to keep it interesting as well. Plus, there were some interesting secondary characters introduced whose stories I'm looking forward to reading in the future.
Check out more of my reviews at www.bookaddicthaven.com
February 9, 2018
People who are meant to be together find their way back. They may take a few detours, but they’re never lost.
When you both begin and end a story with tears streaming down your face from so many feels, you know it's meaningful. Oh was MERCY by Debra Anastasia meaningful! Mercy is so much MORE than a romance; it's salvation, redemption, hope, and destiny. Passionately poignant, soul-shattering, and devastatingly beautiful, Mercy hits the heart hard and slays the soul. Oh was my SOUL SLAYED!!!
Have you ever read a story that stole your soul and broke your heart on the very first page?
One page and...
Mercy hijacked my heart...breaking it...BREAKING ME.
One page and...
Mercy consumed me, claiming every part of me, commanding every feel.
One page and...
I was ALL IN…body…heart…soul…everything.
One page and...
I sank so fast where I was drowning in these words that crashed into me like big waves.
One page and...
I already knew that this book would break me, and, oh mercy, would I let it.
This story was my DRUG and I could not take enough hits of Mercy. I was HIGH on these INTENSE and INTOXICATING words. I was UTTERLY ADDICTED!!! This story swirled around me like a hurricane, Mercy's MAGNETIC PULL holding me captive. Nothing else mattered.
Mercy is his street name. This intense and lethal man is a monster, a street vigilante. Tall, cut, and inked, Mercy is a beacon of light fused with dark, beautiful to those who know the broken boy inside the bold man. Mercy and his damaged heart, both I wanted to save. An all-alpha and protector, Mercy has to protect and save her. This man never wanted to be saved...until her.
I felt like looking at her was drinking and I would always be thirsty for more.
Becca is a dreamer with strength in spades. She is fiercely independent with a wild streak I loved! I admired this heroine so much! This beauty, inside and out, crosses paths with Mercy. Savior and sinner collide...perhaps by fate.
A connection, so big as if it beckoned from above, blazes between Mercy and Becca.
He kissed me like he was bringing my soul to life.
An aura of fire, fueled by fate, dances around them. Lighting them up. Lifting them out of the darkness…lifting me out of the darkness…if only for a little while.
I felt my heart taking off its armor.
Oh Mercy! I LOVED THIS MAN of many layers but with a heart of gold that penetrated those layers the hardest…penetrating my heart too.
"I'm in a field of wishes and you're the only one I want to come true right now."
I MELTED, feeling the power and passion as I nearly fell to my knees, these beautiful words wrapping around my heart and squeezing my soul.
If she wanted it, she could have it. My hand. My heart. My life.
I don’t know why I waited so long to meet Debra Anastasia’s wonderful and wondrous writing, but I was a fool to procrastinate. Debra Anastasia writes from the heart where her heart is poured into beautiful and brilliant words. I felt Debra Anastasia through her words, the salt mixed with pepper. Dark laced with light . I just now need to devour her other masterpieces so I can feel the rest. How could I not feel those too?
Mercy is as heartbreaking as it is beautiful. My heart was bare, as this book bared its beautiful words to me...breaking me...burning me...burying me in a pile of feels. I was wrecked...ruined...as I cried for a broken hero and a family scare for the heroine that hit all too close to home. This SOUL-SHATTERING story struck me hard, this emotional explosion in words, where I felt every word...I FELT EVERYTHING!
When you read a story that cuts through you like a knife, gripping you, gutting you, and rendering you raw, bare, and breathless, you can't help but feel every word as if each were a slice to your heart and a song to your soul. My heart is still split wide open, aching for Mercy, bared to this BOOK THAT BLEW ME AWAY! This roller coaster of a romance is a ride of thrills and feels fused by fate, one where I almost screamed for mercy. A HEARTFELT and HEART-WRENCHING love story, Mercy, is a MUST-READ and a new top 2017 book! Mercy BROKE ME IN THE BEST WAY, and I would let it shatter me again and again. I LOVED feeling Mercy bleed through me!!!
"I'd rather die in your arms right now than live a life without you for a hundred years."
💋💋💋💋💋💋 heartfelt and soul-slaying kisses
A TOP 2017 MUST-MEET ROMANCE!!!
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April 12, 2020
It's official, I want a stalker please!!! (with lots of tattoos, thank you very much) 😂
Fenix and Becca only met briefly 15 years ago when they were kids, but that encounter affected Nix's life so much, that he remained a part of her life... without her knowledge. 😱
📚 "𝗜𝗳 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘁, 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘁. 𝗠𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱. 𝗠𝘆 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁. 𝗠𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲.
𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗺𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵." 📚
Nix's name on the streets is 'Mercy', but he has NON - yet he's a protective man and a loyal friend (at least, towards the few people he loves...) 😍
He is the proof that there is such a thing as a 'sweet stoker', because although he never planned to meet Becca face to face, Nix has loved her for years and looked out for her from afar... until the day they finally meet! 💥
📚 "𝗜 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗿. 𝗜 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗵𝗲𝗿. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗵𝗲𝗿." 📚
What I liked most is that Nix wasn't the typical hero I'm used to read about in books - he doesn't have blonde hair, blue eyes and muscular abs (well, obviously he has muscular abs - but it's irrelevant 😂) because his whole body (including his face) is covered in a skeleton tattoo!!!!! ☠
Why did Nix tattooed his entire body? What is he hiding from? Why does Becca needs his protection? 😱
And how does appearance affect our perception? Can people be judged beyond their looks...? 🤔
WOW... what a crazy, unique and amazing book!!! 👏💥
It's a story about love, acceptance, redemption and courage. 💪
📚 "𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗶𝗱𝗲, 𝗜 𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝘆𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝘁𝗼 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂." 📚
Yes, there were some twists that made me roll my eyes - YET I enjoyed this unique story so much! The awesome writing and the well-developed characters - that I finished reading it IN A DAY! 💪😱
I liked that Becca liked Nix despite his scary looks (if I brought home a man like him, my dad would DIE! lol) and Nix? My heart broke for this strong man who despises himself... 💔
I liked that their relationship developed slowly and allowed me to fall in love with them - and the result? Sweet and hot as hell story. 💣🔥
However, what I liked most was it's important message, which stayed with me long after I finished reading... accepting the different! 😍
So if you are looking for a book with lots of emotions and romance, this is the book for you!!! 👑
▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️▫️
📖 ᖴOᒪᒪOᗯ ᗰE Oᑎ IᑎᔕTᗩGᖇᗩᗰ: 🎉 https://www.instagram.com/the_romanti...
📖 ᐯIᔕIT ᗰY ᗷᒪOG ᖴOᖇ ᗰOᖇE ᖇEᐯIEᗯᔕ: https://books-romance.com/
August 8, 2017
This is a fabulous cover although it's not really a great representation of the hero. He is tatted as a skeleton all over, but hey I guess you work with what you can find. The composition is very good as well.
This is the second book I have read by this author and the second one I have really loved. It was fabulously well written. The pace was slow, but I didn't find myself bored. That said, I did find it a bit hard to get into at first. This was relatively slow burn, so the hero/heroine don't get romantically together until around 40%ish (I think). The slow nature of the buildup did afford the author time to give us some backstory that added depth to the characters and plot. Which I came to appreciate as the book went on.I wouldn't say it was a particularly angst or drama filled book. At least not where the couple is concerned. There was no OW/OM drama. It was a little bit dark. A little bit gritty. A little bit heartbreaking. A little bit hopeful. A little bit humorous at times (pecker pinata *lol*). There were some hot sex scenes. A fabulous cast of secondary characters. I ADORED the relationship between Fenix and Animal and I CANNOT wait for his book (even if he was a bit of a manwhore).
Both main characters were extremely likable. Nix was sex on a stick. Seriously who wouldn't want to sex up a dude covered from head to toe in tats of a skeleton? On top of that, he was sweet and vulnerable but alpha as f@ck when he needed to be. Becca was just as likable. I loved how accepting she was of Nix. I loved how she was there for her mom even though in my opinion the woman was a bit of a bitch. Lastly, this was all wrapped up in a satisfying ending (although I do wish there had a been a further into the future epilogue). That said I imagine we will see this couple again in Animal's book (hopefully).
Not much left to say other than two thumbs up from yours truly.
September 11, 2017
My first by Debra.....and I'm gonna kick myself for it !
The story of a broken boy- Fenix Churchkey aka Mercy . He meets a young girl in a supermarket parking lot and she pierces his scared , tortured heart and camps there. His entire life is now dedicated to keeping Rebecca Dixie Stiles safe .
Safe from his father
Safe from him.
If she wanted it, she could have it.
My hand.
My heart.
My life.
She took my hand, and that was enough.
He has very little in life to love or derive joy from . He's hooded and cloaked with tattoos all over his body. He hides and becomes a monster , his intent -to scare the world enough to leave him alone , and be an exact opposite of his abusive father . Yet his heart is unmarked and not blackened as ink

And I mean ALL over. From scalp to toes, including his entire face covered in a skull tattoo. Now I'm a fairly open minded person, but I do admit, facial tats disturb me. So I ventured into this story with a prejudiced chip on my shoulder , And hence I embarrassed myself as a reader. But I accept full responsibility and my redeemer is this expertly written book by Debra. I had heard about her RomCom books and had never , ever imagined her to write such a tender emotional book. Seriously, I was blown away !!
The story is dealt with such poignance and heart squeezing emotions, I couldn't help but cry and wanted to hug Fenix so bad. Open my arms and envelope him with love. Which is exactly what Becca does. And this shall be Mercy's salvation. He's wallowing in a pit of self degradation and th pure love of Christina and Becca fills that massive whole in his heart.
There's her signature Comedic lights peeping through this darkness in form of Becca's friend Henry who is no filter , slapstick character but fiercely loyal to her as Animal is loyal to Mercy
“I have all sorts of vegetables laid out on the table so you can show me what size he’s packing.”
“You’re a slut, Henry.” I trudged up the stairs.
“I’m pretty sure that’s jizz in your hair, so keep your dick sucker shut.”
I loved Mercy as a boy, as a man . He's so starved for love , so scared and angry and feeling unworthy , he just steals your heart and when he does r ecieve unadulterated , fearless love from Christina and Becca he has hard time letting go of his self loathing.
Holding her knowing she knew. That she remembered. A guy like me wasn’t supposed to have it this good. She gave me hope that I could tell her everything one day . Not today. There had been too much. To be accepted. I kissed the top of her head. She was crying. For me. And I soared. The notion that she’d thought of me every day like I did her— my mind was exploding.
But I'd say Beauty shines through. From behind the Tattoos, behind the violence and behind the stalking lenses. Love triumphs and how !!
The ink would set us apart, and we’d have to get used to it or force people to get used to us.
I fell in love with Mercy and Becca , and the adorable Christina. I have new found respect for Debra's writing and am going to be her stalker !! If only she starts playing Grabby Tabbies !!
5 Skeleton Stars
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The story of a broken boy- Fenix Churchkey aka Mercy . He meets a young girl in a supermarket parking lot and she pierces his scared , tortured heart and camps there. His entire life is now dedicated to keeping Rebecca Dixie Stiles safe .
Safe from his father
Safe from him.
If she wanted it, she could have it.
My hand.
My heart.
My life.
She took my hand, and that was enough.
He has very little in life to love or derive joy from . He's hooded and cloaked with tattoos all over his body. He hides and becomes a monster , his intent -to scare the world enough to leave him alone , and be an exact opposite of his abusive father . Yet his heart is unmarked and not blackened as ink
And I mean ALL over. From scalp to toes, including his entire face covered in a skull tattoo. Now I'm a fairly open minded person, but I do admit, facial tats disturb me. So I ventured into this story with a prejudiced chip on my shoulder , And hence I embarrassed myself as a reader. But I accept full responsibility and my redeemer is this expertly written book by Debra. I had heard about her RomCom books and had never , ever imagined her to write such a tender emotional book. Seriously, I was blown away !!
The story is dealt with such poignance and heart squeezing emotions, I couldn't help but cry and wanted to hug Fenix so bad. Open my arms and envelope him with love. Which is exactly what Becca does. And this shall be Mercy's salvation. He's wallowing in a pit of self degradation and th pure love of Christina and Becca fills that massive whole in his heart.
There's her signature Comedic lights peeping through this darkness in form of Becca's friend Henry who is no filter , slapstick character but fiercely loyal to her as Animal is loyal to Mercy
“I have all sorts of vegetables laid out on the table so you can show me what size he’s packing.”
“You’re a slut, Henry.” I trudged up the stairs.
“I’m pretty sure that’s jizz in your hair, so keep your dick sucker shut.”
I loved Mercy as a boy, as a man . He's so starved for love , so scared and angry and feeling unworthy , he just steals your heart and when he does r ecieve unadulterated , fearless love from Christina and Becca he has hard time letting go of his self loathing.
Holding her knowing she knew. That she remembered. A guy like me wasn’t supposed to have it this good. She gave me hope that I could tell her everything one day . Not today. There had been too much. To be accepted. I kissed the top of her head. She was crying. For me. And I soared. The notion that she’d thought of me every day like I did her— my mind was exploding.
But I'd say Beauty shines through. From behind the Tattoos, behind the violence and behind the stalking lenses. Love triumphs and how !!
The ink would set us apart, and we’d have to get used to it or force people to get used to us.
I fell in love with Mercy and Becca , and the adorable Christina. I have new found respect for Debra's writing and am going to be her stalker !! If only she starts playing Grabby Tabbies !!
5 Skeleton Stars
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November 15, 2017
➦I've never read anything by Debra Anastasia and I enjoyed this read a lot. Somehow I thought it would be a bit darker, just judging by the cover of it, but I didn't find it to be too dark. There's a tortured stalker-ish hero who is heavily tattooed.
➦You are probably wondering which one of those three things I am so happy about. Yeah, the stalker part. Definitely that one.
➦Wait, I should have added killer to that list.
➦S'all good, people! Fiction. I loved the chemistry between the two main characters and I thought they were really hot together. There were other things going on in the book that were interesting but I appreciated that the main focus was on the couple.
➦The last thing I'm going to mention is that I got this audiobook when it was first released. There were some boo-boos in it.... and I kinda expected the editing to be top notch... because I doubt that getting Zach Webber as a narrator is cheap. Overall, enjoyed this book and would recommend it to those who like dark-ish reads with tortured heroes! Ok, I'm out!
August 16, 2017
MERCY: is a standalone full length, contemporary romance novel by Debra Anastasia, spoken in ‘Dual Perspectives’ In this we meet Fenix Churchkey aka Mercy and Rebecca Dixie Stiles.
This unlikely duo met the day or night of Fenix’s mothers death they are at the supermarket picking up a few grocery items when his dad got rough with him when a young superhero of a girl stepped up and told him off for hurting him. He never forgot that day when she stood up to his father, a beacon of light in his darkest days.
Who knew from that day onwards she'd have a boy totally enamoured with her, she'd have a man put her safety above all else.
Fifteen years later, Rebecca is a waitress at Memes with a monster mother trying to marry her off to any man her she can find that ticks her suitable box, but the only boxes they come under in Rebecca’s eyes are crazy and weird.
“I just don’t want regular. You know? I want to feel love hard in my chest?”
Unbeknownst to Rebecca, Fenix has been watching her all these years keeping her safe. They would never meet, so he thinks, he would never get to touch her, but without all that he was desperately in love with her from afar. If she became mixed up with him, his past could put her in danger.
This was a wee bit drawn out in the beginning it's not until these two meet that things started picking up and from that point onwards I was hooked into the storyline and not able to put it down. What I enjoy about this author is her unique storylines you can't compare this to any other book.
May 14, 2024
Nope!!!
I feel very alone in my dislike for this book after looking through the reviews, so I'll keep this short.
This didn't meet my criteria for 'dark', our Fenix was confused, to say the least.
Becca was manipulated by a narcissistic mother and was just painful to read and had no connection to her at all.
The whole story was dull, dull, dull.
The writing style was what ended it for me, so many FULL STOPS. Descriptive writing was too much for the author. We are lucky to have more than six words before a full stop.
This was one of the many laughable sentences lacing this story that made me DNF... 🤯🤯🤯
"His breath was laced with alcohol. Whiskey. I knew it was whiskey because that was one of my jobs. Jesus, was it a bar patron?"
I feel very alone in my dislike for this book after looking through the reviews, so I'll keep this short.
This didn't meet my criteria for 'dark', our Fenix was confused, to say the least.
Becca was manipulated by a narcissistic mother and was just painful to read and had no connection to her at all.
The whole story was dull, dull, dull.
The writing style was what ended it for me, so many FULL STOPS. Descriptive writing was too much for the author. We are lucky to have more than six words before a full stop.
This was one of the many laughable sentences lacing this story that made me DNF... 🤯🤯🤯
"His breath was laced with alcohol. Whiskey. I knew it was whiskey because that was one of my jobs. Jesus, was it a bar patron?"
March 21, 2021
15 years ago little Becca tried to protect little Fenix from his a**hole dad in a supermarket.
He never forgot that one bright moment in his childhood.
Even after all these years he's still looking out for her - she just doesn't know it.
He thinks she would run away screaming if she ever saw him.
He's tattooed all over - from head to toe.
He thinks he had to do it - he looked too much like his dad.
And if that wouldn't scare Becca away, his job would definitely do it.
He only takes the jobs were he can rescue a kid or save someone or something - but ... he's still basically a killer for hire ....
His dad also never forgot the name of the little girl who tried to get him arrested 15 years ago ...
WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO BECCA & NIX?
WILL THERE BE A CHANCE FOR A HEA???
READ THE BOOK TO FIND OUT ☺
═════════════════════
Phew!
I really loved it! I'm not a fan of tattoos! And poor Fenix is completely covered in them. Even his face. That was the only part about the book I didn't like. I understand why he did it, but ... I didn't love it.
But I loooved him and Becca and their story.
It's a bit stalkerish, sooo very adorably sweet, very exciting and suspensy and full of fear and love and hope. It was a great love story. A love story that started when they were little and never stopped. Even though only Fenix was living the love story as her stalker and protector all these years! Adorable! ☺
But now it's finally their time. We just have to hope that Becca can forgive his stalkerish behavior. And that she can live with all his tattoos.
And that they both survive this book!
I loved reading it! It's a dark and angsty romance with lots of excitement and suspense but with so many adorable and moving and funny and sweet and sexy moments too.
It was a bit too over the top here and there and the blurb is not really perfect in my opinion, and like I said the tattoo stuff was a bit much for me, but I still loved reading it.
Can't wait to see what Animal will tell us in his own book!!! ☺
...also worth mentioning ... Debra named 3 hookers after herself and two author friends - LOL! ☺
MERCY was such a beautiful dark romance! You immediately fall in love with Becca and Fenix. You just want to jump into the book and hug them!
Moving, scary, sexy, adorable! Run to your nearest amazon for your own Fenix - this one is MINE!!!!
♡
♡
♡
♡
July 18, 2023
Different but good!
The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: ❤️💙💚💛💖
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📙📔
World building: 🌏🌍🌏🌎🌍
Character development: 😠☺️😋😉😍
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration Type: Dual Narration
The Hero: Fenix (a.k.a. Nix, a.k.a. Mercy) - his abusive father killed his mother. His father was the scariest man on the planet when Fenix was young. Fenix knew his father would someday kill him as well. He saw his mother die and she was shaking before she died. The next day at the grocery store, Fenix was shaking, and his father grabbed him hard. A little girl stepped in and told him to stop hurting the kid. She was the first to ever stand up to him. Fenix couldn’t believe her bravery, when she told his father that he was a bad man.
The heroine: Rebecca (a.k.a. Becca) - 15 years later, Becca was a bartender/waitress at a place called Meme’s. Her best friend Hendrix was dating a guy named Dick Dongey, so Becca lost her partner in crime. Becca’s mother keeps setting her up with weird, but respectable guys so she can get married and be taken care of. Though Becca doesn’t want a regular guy, she wants to love and be loved hard.
The Story: Fenix is an assassin and has tattoos all over his body, including a skull on his face. He was used to pain and could endure more than just about anyone. He had been kidnapped and was being held by 5 guys. He took a poison needle out of his tooth and spit it into one of his captors. While the other guys were distracted, he used his double-jointed hands to escape his bonds and killed the rest of them. He was there to do a job, save a young girl who was the granddaughter of a mobster.
Nix is good at many things, including hacking. He is known as Mercy, but he never shows any. Though he has some good friends and is known for getting impossible jobs done, like saving that little girl. He watches over some of the girls he has known, adding that little girl to his list which included Becca and his sister, Ember. He created a claw machine app which was Becca’s favorite game and he used it to watch her when she was online. He lived in a mansion, though alone. He was unrecognizable to anyone who knew him before and didn’t look like his father anymore.
Nix was so cute how much he liked Becca and how much he wanted to see her as much as possible. He put a repair sign up on his app so she couldn’t play when he wasn’t available to watch. He was still worried about his father reappearing in his life and rumor was that he was returning soon. Nix had a friend, whom he was very loyal to, Animal. Animal had a room in Nix’s house for when he was in town. Nix was surprisingly normal despite his job, his face and stalker tendencies.
I’ll admit, I was a little wary to read this one when I found out Fenix’s face was tattooed. I thought it would be hard to like him or understand him, but when you find that he looked just like his father, the person he hates most in the world, it is easy to feel for him, and the fact that he is such a nice guy despite being an assassin, I found that I liked him as much, if not more than any other romantic Hero.
This book is told in dual points of view via dual narration and was narrated by Muffy Newton and Zachary Webber. Zachary has a great voice, deep and sexy. I really love his narration style and how genuine he sounds. Muffy Newton has a nice clear feminine voice which is very pleasant, and she does a terrific job.
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The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: ❤️💙💚💛💖
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📙📔
World building: 🌏🌍🌏🌎🌍
Character development: 😠☺️😋😉😍
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration Type: Dual Narration
The Hero: Fenix (a.k.a. Nix, a.k.a. Mercy) - his abusive father killed his mother. His father was the scariest man on the planet when Fenix was young. Fenix knew his father would someday kill him as well. He saw his mother die and she was shaking before she died. The next day at the grocery store, Fenix was shaking, and his father grabbed him hard. A little girl stepped in and told him to stop hurting the kid. She was the first to ever stand up to him. Fenix couldn’t believe her bravery, when she told his father that he was a bad man.
The heroine: Rebecca (a.k.a. Becca) - 15 years later, Becca was a bartender/waitress at a place called Meme’s. Her best friend Hendrix was dating a guy named Dick Dongey, so Becca lost her partner in crime. Becca’s mother keeps setting her up with weird, but respectable guys so she can get married and be taken care of. Though Becca doesn’t want a regular guy, she wants to love and be loved hard.
The Story: Fenix is an assassin and has tattoos all over his body, including a skull on his face. He was used to pain and could endure more than just about anyone. He had been kidnapped and was being held by 5 guys. He took a poison needle out of his tooth and spit it into one of his captors. While the other guys were distracted, he used his double-jointed hands to escape his bonds and killed the rest of them. He was there to do a job, save a young girl who was the granddaughter of a mobster.
Nix is good at many things, including hacking. He is known as Mercy, but he never shows any. Though he has some good friends and is known for getting impossible jobs done, like saving that little girl. He watches over some of the girls he has known, adding that little girl to his list which included Becca and his sister, Ember. He created a claw machine app which was Becca’s favorite game and he used it to watch her when she was online. He lived in a mansion, though alone. He was unrecognizable to anyone who knew him before and didn’t look like his father anymore.
Nix was so cute how much he liked Becca and how much he wanted to see her as much as possible. He put a repair sign up on his app so she couldn’t play when he wasn’t available to watch. He was still worried about his father reappearing in his life and rumor was that he was returning soon. Nix had a friend, whom he was very loyal to, Animal. Animal had a room in Nix’s house for when he was in town. Nix was surprisingly normal despite his job, his face and stalker tendencies.
I’ll admit, I was a little wary to read this one when I found out Fenix’s face was tattooed. I thought it would be hard to like him or understand him, but when you find that he looked just like his father, the person he hates most in the world, it is easy to feel for him, and the fact that he is such a nice guy despite being an assassin, I found that I liked him as much, if not more than any other romantic Hero.
This book is told in dual points of view via dual narration and was narrated by Muffy Newton and Zachary Webber. Zachary has a great voice, deep and sexy. I really love his narration style and how genuine he sounds. Muffy Newton has a nice clear feminine voice which is very pleasant, and she does a terrific job.
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October 18, 2022
4 stars
Mercy is a book that's been on my radar for quite a while. I love Debra Anastasia's writing and I'm here for a possessive almost stalker like hero. Nix and Becca's story had some angst and drama, but it was also romantic and these two were truly fated to be together. I'm excited to read more in this world and I'm looking forward to reading Animal's book soon!
Mercy is a book that's been on my radar for quite a while. I love Debra Anastasia's writing and I'm here for a possessive almost stalker like hero. Nix and Becca's story had some angst and drama, but it was also romantic and these two were truly fated to be together. I'm excited to read more in this world and I'm looking forward to reading Animal's book soon!
Audio book source: Audible
Story Rating: 4 stars
Narrators: Zachary Webber & Muffy Newtown
Narration Rating: 4 stars
Genre: Romance
Length: 11h 16m
August 21, 2017
Obsessive, consuming, intense. MERCY is a romance like no other, with an anti-hero who will draw you in and make you fall hopelessly, desperately in love.
I am in love with this story. Just head over heels in love. This is the kind of story that stays with you, the kind you can't stop thinking about long after you've finished. Prepare yourself for an epic, but amazing book hangover.
I am in love with this story. Just head over heels in love. This is the kind of story that stays with you, the kind you can't stop thinking about long after you've finished. Prepare yourself for an epic, but amazing book hangover.
Read
August 27, 2017Dnf
September 20, 2017
4 This one is different stars
I picked up Mercy because of all of the five star reviews. I’ve seen this author before, but I don’t know why I never picked up any of her books. I just knew that the Hero is a killer (yes something I like) and there should be a damsel right?
The book starts out GREAT. It starts out with Mercy, but his real name is Fenix and he uses that most in the book (so the title is slightly misleading, but nothing to cry over). He’s ruthless and he has a terrible past.
I LOOOVVEEEDD Nix. I found him so endearing!!!! First off, his whole body is tattooed as a skull. That’s different right? I thought this would turn me off from the story, but it made the book I don’t know, just different. He has a reason for his skull tattoo which I like even more.
He’s so hardcore and damaged and I love how he turns into a puddle around Becca! No joke, it’s completely cute.
I do wish I could have seen more of his assignments. Where he takes on jobs and kills people. He had basically one job during the book, but the relationship between him and Becca is the star of the storyline.
He has a crazy stalkerish obsession with Becca. He met her as a kid and ever seen then he has vowed to protect her. The only thing is, she doesn’t know he exist. It’s a cute storyline and I gobbled it up. I loved reading about Nix’s feelings towards Becca and if you think this book is filled with inner monologues, it’s not and THANK GOD! I’m so happy to read a book with a lot of dialogue.
The relationship between Becca and Nix is like I said adorable. She’s a waitress and she has a Halloween-ish type of event so he finally shows up as a customer to interact with her. She has no idea this guy has been watching her for years. Becca is innocent and I love how she opens her heart up.
Overall, the storyline is great, my only problem with this book is that it’s a touch too long. Kindle gave me an estimate of 6 hours! That’s way too long for a single book. I understand the importance of character buildup and developing the storyline, but I felt like I was flying through the pages to get to the good action. And the good action kept me interested and reading the story.
So, I liked it. Not sure if I will read the spin-off, only because
I picked up Mercy because of all of the five star reviews. I’ve seen this author before, but I don’t know why I never picked up any of her books. I just knew that the Hero is a killer (yes something I like) and there should be a damsel right?
The book starts out GREAT. It starts out with Mercy, but his real name is Fenix and he uses that most in the book (so the title is slightly misleading, but nothing to cry over). He’s ruthless and he has a terrible past.
I LOOOVVEEEDD Nix. I found him so endearing!!!! First off, his whole body is tattooed as a skull. That’s different right? I thought this would turn me off from the story, but it made the book I don’t know, just different. He has a reason for his skull tattoo which I like even more.
He’s so hardcore and damaged and I love how he turns into a puddle around Becca! No joke, it’s completely cute.
I do wish I could have seen more of his assignments. Where he takes on jobs and kills people. He had basically one job during the book, but the relationship between him and Becca is the star of the storyline.
He has a crazy stalkerish obsession with Becca. He met her as a kid and ever seen then he has vowed to protect her. The only thing is, she doesn’t know he exist. It’s a cute storyline and I gobbled it up. I loved reading about Nix’s feelings towards Becca and if you think this book is filled with inner monologues, it’s not and THANK GOD! I’m so happy to read a book with a lot of dialogue.
The relationship between Becca and Nix is like I said adorable. She’s a waitress and she has a Halloween-ish type of event so he finally shows up as a customer to interact with her. She has no idea this guy has been watching her for years. Becca is innocent and I love how she opens her heart up.
Overall, the storyline is great, my only problem with this book is that it’s a touch too long. Kindle gave me an estimate of 6 hours! That’s way too long for a single book. I understand the importance of character buildup and developing the storyline, but I felt like I was flying through the pages to get to the good action. And the good action kept me interested and reading the story.
So, I liked it. Not sure if I will read the spin-off, only because
August 21, 2017
Quick review:
Cover: Sexy AF
Rating: NC-17
Thumbs Up: 5
Overall: so DAMN good
Characters: Well Done
Plot: Broken boy will sell his soul for the woman he loves
Page Turner: Absolutely
Series Cont.? YES
Recommend: YES
Book Boyfriend: Merc y/Nix
SUMMARY (50 words or less)
It’s been forever since I read a book that has me so pumped up. I LOVED it, every second. Even though there were parts that touched on areas I’m not a fan, I was so absorbed in this book, none of that mattered. Best book I've read in a while.
For a full review/ and sexy pic, see my blog post at:
http://www.mybookboyfriend.net/2017/0...
Cover: Sexy AF
Rating: NC-17
Thumbs Up: 5
Overall: so DAMN good
Characters: Well Done
Plot: Broken boy will sell his soul for the woman he loves
Page Turner: Absolutely
Series Cont.? YES
Recommend: YES
Book Boyfriend: Merc y/Nix
SUMMARY (50 words or less)
It’s been forever since I read a book that has me so pumped up. I LOVED it, every second. Even though there were parts that touched on areas I’m not a fan, I was so absorbed in this book, none of that mattered. Best book I've read in a while.
For a full review/ and sexy pic, see my blog post at:
http://www.mybookboyfriend.net/2017/0...
August 10, 2017
Mercy
By: Debra Anastasia
4 Stars
Mercy was my first book to read by Debra Anastasia and what a start it was! This cover alone could sell me on this book! But the story that was inside sealed the deal. I love reading about men that “He had a horrible childhood. He was secretive. He was loaded, and he wasn’t Batman.”
While Nix certainly didn’t have the picture-perfect upbringing, he did survive. Now he is on a road to revenge. Making sure the ones who mean something to him are watched after, are protected. Unlike he was growing up.
Rebecca – Becca is living the life working in a bar called Meme’s. Her mother is constantly trying to set her up with the dream husband. None of these men are what Becca desires. So until Mr. Right comes into Becca’s life, she continues to muddle through a pretty basic life.
There is a connection between Becca and Nix that cannot be disconnected.
“Her face was buried in my neck. I was spent, but her body was ridiculous enough that my dick wanted a defibrillator.”
The weaving together of these two has been in the making for many, many years. The weaving has taken time, planning and death. What is the price to pay for happiness?
This story was a page turner for sure! The twists and turns, the connections, you name it… One thing for sure though, it all came together in the end!!!
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By: Debra Anastasia
4 Stars
Mercy was my first book to read by Debra Anastasia and what a start it was! This cover alone could sell me on this book! But the story that was inside sealed the deal. I love reading about men that “He had a horrible childhood. He was secretive. He was loaded, and he wasn’t Batman.”
While Nix certainly didn’t have the picture-perfect upbringing, he did survive. Now he is on a road to revenge. Making sure the ones who mean something to him are watched after, are protected. Unlike he was growing up.
Rebecca – Becca is living the life working in a bar called Meme’s. Her mother is constantly trying to set her up with the dream husband. None of these men are what Becca desires. So until Mr. Right comes into Becca’s life, she continues to muddle through a pretty basic life.
There is a connection between Becca and Nix that cannot be disconnected.
“Her face was buried in my neck. I was spent, but her body was ridiculous enough that my dick wanted a defibrillator.”
The weaving together of these two has been in the making for many, many years. The weaving has taken time, planning and death. What is the price to pay for happiness?
This story was a page turner for sure! The twists and turns, the connections, you name it… One thing for sure though, it all came together in the end!!!
Follow us on:
FB – https://www.facebook.com/groups/BookB...
Blog -https://bookbistroblogcom.wordpress.com
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July 5, 2019
It is official! I want a stalker. Especially a stalker with skeleton tattoo. I want it now! God Nix is really squeezing my heart. Cut it and rubs a salt into it. I can feel his loneliness on his isolation life. A life he resent and hates. And the only thing that makes him living is a girl, Becky. Becky defended him when they were young. Becky's bravery, gives Nix hope.
Nix undying love for Bex is really romantic and beautiful. Gut wrenching. When Becky finally realizes who is Nix, I can not help swooning for both of them. I do not like the idea of Nix tattoo his face. I think its weird. But in this story somehow it highlights Nix determination to set him apart from his past.
This is my first read by Miss Anastasia. And I want more from her.
4 stars
Nix undying love for Bex is really romantic and beautiful. Gut wrenching. When Becky finally realizes who is Nix, I can not help swooning for both of them. I do not like the idea of Nix tattoo his face. I think its weird. But in this story somehow it highlights Nix determination to set him apart from his past.
This is my first read by Miss Anastasia. And I want more from her.
4 stars
December 26, 2021
1.5 a complete waste of time stars
I did some hardcore skimming to get through this. I wouldn't have finished it, but I was reading it for a challenge. The blurb was misleading; it wasn't nearly as dark or messed up as it implied. So this was one of those lame books where the characters interacted for about a minute (literally) as young children and never forgot each other. This extremely brief interaction set into motion a ridiculous chain of events. The reason for Nix's dad wanting to get revenge on Becca was so dumb and made no sense. Also it didn't make sense that Nix's dad was portrayed as a useless drunk but he somehow managed to escape being found by his son, the super hacker, for many years.
Nix was covered from head to toe in tattoos. I'm not a fan of tattoos in general but having a skull tattooed on your face is extremely unattractive. I understood why Nix wanted to change his looks, but he took a drastic, permanent way to do it. For a criminal, it is not wise to have such distinguishing features. It wouldn't have taken any time at all to be identified by enemies, whether they were other criminals or law enforcement.
Nix was a weird character. He was supposed to be killer and stalker but was really just a big softie with deep seeded insecurity issues. His friendship with Animal was unusual. They way they talked and interacted I would have thought they were ex-lovers, but apparently their relationship was purely platonic. I absolutely hated it that Animal called everyone baby and sweetness. It's cool to use pet names like that if you're dating someone, but other than that it's odd.
The romance was the focus of the story, but it was extremely rushed. They were in love after two days. It was really hard to believe that Becca, after such a short period of time, would have been willing to forgive him for stalking her for years and for being a hitman. She knew he was good, so none of that creepy shit mattered. I didn't like the way Becca showed her love for him at the end. It was sweet in a sentimental way but dumb in every other way.
I did some hardcore skimming to get through this. I wouldn't have finished it, but I was reading it for a challenge. The blurb was misleading; it wasn't nearly as dark or messed up as it implied. So this was one of those lame books where the characters interacted for about a minute (literally) as young children and never forgot each other. This extremely brief interaction set into motion a ridiculous chain of events. The reason for Nix's dad wanting to get revenge on Becca was so dumb and made no sense. Also it didn't make sense that Nix's dad was portrayed as a useless drunk but he somehow managed to escape being found by his son, the super hacker, for many years.
Nix was covered from head to toe in tattoos. I'm not a fan of tattoos in general but having a skull tattooed on your face is extremely unattractive. I understood why Nix wanted to change his looks, but he took a drastic, permanent way to do it. For a criminal, it is not wise to have such distinguishing features. It wouldn't have taken any time at all to be identified by enemies, whether they were other criminals or law enforcement.
Nix was a weird character. He was supposed to be killer and stalker but was really just a big softie with deep seeded insecurity issues. His friendship with Animal was unusual. They way they talked and interacted I would have thought they were ex-lovers, but apparently their relationship was purely platonic. I absolutely hated it that Animal called everyone baby and sweetness. It's cool to use pet names like that if you're dating someone, but other than that it's odd.
The romance was the focus of the story, but it was extremely rushed. They were in love after two days. It was really hard to believe that Becca, after such a short period of time, would have been willing to forgive him for stalking her for years and for being a hitman. She knew he was good, so none of that creepy shit mattered. I didn't like the way Becca showed her love for him at the end. It was sweet in a sentimental way but dumb in every other way.
Shelved as 'dnf'
July 14, 2020Audio...4 Stars
Story dnf @30% 🙄🙄🙄
Story dnf @30% 🙄🙄🙄
August 21, 2017
Debra Anastasia delivers with this book a very surprising story with a gripping plot and amazing characters.
Mercy isn't a dark read, as I thought it would be in the beginning, although it starts out with a very sad and dark scene.
It's a love story between two people who were made to be together from their childhood.
Fenix vowed himself to protect Becca and make her happy (without her being even aware of it), and he will stop to nothing to keep his promise. Inked with a skeleton from head to toe, his apparence is of the most intimidating and scary. He deals with mobsters, is a skilled assassin, a hot alpha hero. But what made me love him so much is this sweetness tenderness, and protectiveness he shows toward his people. Under the shell he wears, he is very sensitive and his vulnerability made me want to cuddle him.
"God, he broke my heart. He held that stance like he was used to disappointing people. Being rejected."
Becca is a fierce woman, she is strong, sassy and fun. She knows what she wants, how to get it. Her attraction to Nix is undeniable, I loved their chemestry and their unique relationship. She is caring, forgiving, and no matter the difficulties, positive. She trusts her instincts, follows what she feels seems right. She is a beautiful heroine, inside and outside, but when she finally decides to let go and be herself, she becomes exquisite. Really badass!
"The quality in her that gave her the courage to speak when others held their tongue— she wore that on her skin now."
Seing Nix and Becca's affection blossoming is exciting; Mixed with a good amount of action, danger, bantering, the story quickly becomes addictive.
"I never knew how much I needed a hand inked with bones holding mine. Until now."
This author is new to me. I enjoyed the tone of this book as well as her writing. I can't finish my review without talking of Becca's, and most importantly Nix's friends. Friendship is an important theme in this book. I loved the way the characters take care of, know and understand each other. Henry is a very interesting number, lol, but Animal! Wow!!! I just can't wait for his book!!!
*ARC generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you ! *
Mercy isn't a dark read, as I thought it would be in the beginning, although it starts out with a very sad and dark scene.
It's a love story between two people who were made to be together from their childhood.
Fenix vowed himself to protect Becca and make her happy (without her being even aware of it), and he will stop to nothing to keep his promise. Inked with a skeleton from head to toe, his apparence is of the most intimidating and scary. He deals with mobsters, is a skilled assassin, a hot alpha hero. But what made me love him so much is this sweetness tenderness, and protectiveness he shows toward his people. Under the shell he wears, he is very sensitive and his vulnerability made me want to cuddle him.
"God, he broke my heart. He held that stance like he was used to disappointing people. Being rejected."
Becca is a fierce woman, she is strong, sassy and fun. She knows what she wants, how to get it. Her attraction to Nix is undeniable, I loved their chemestry and their unique relationship. She is caring, forgiving, and no matter the difficulties, positive. She trusts her instincts, follows what she feels seems right. She is a beautiful heroine, inside and outside, but when she finally decides to let go and be herself, she becomes exquisite. Really badass!
"The quality in her that gave her the courage to speak when others held their tongue— she wore that on her skin now."
Seing Nix and Becca's affection blossoming is exciting; Mixed with a good amount of action, danger, bantering, the story quickly becomes addictive.
"I never knew how much I needed a hand inked with bones holding mine. Until now."
This author is new to me. I enjoyed the tone of this book as well as her writing. I can't finish my review without talking of Becca's, and most importantly Nix's friends. Friendship is an important theme in this book. I loved the way the characters take care of, know and understand each other. Henry is a very interesting number, lol, but Animal! Wow!!! I just can't wait for his book!!!
*ARC generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you ! *
May 7, 2024
✨Dark (ish) Contemporary MF
✨Shy, Blushing Stalker
✨Protective MMC
✨Vigilantism
✨Tortured Hero
✨Tattooed Lovin' Spice
Oh my heart. This book was so good. Nix is gonna go down as one of my favorite book boyfriends ever. I have such a soft spot for broken boys anyway, and Nix is broken, but also 100% devoted and the emotion shown is just so lovely. Sweetest stalker ever! 🫠
When Nix is ten, his father murders his mother and then takes Nix out for some shopping. Because why not? At the store, his father gets angry and aggressive with him, and a little girl named Becca sees it and tries to help... as much as a little kid can. That single act of kindness became Nix's light he needed to carry on with life, and he never forgets her.
Fifteen years later, after a hellish life, Nix (aka Mercy) is a killer and vigilante, but also a protector. He has a very select few that he always watches and makes sure they remain safe...while always in the shadows, hidden away with his full body skeleton tattoos (which actually have a deep meaning for him). An encounter at the bar that Becca works at triggers immediate sparks and chemistry and sets the path for a journey that far surpasses anything Nix could have dreamed of.
The romance and the back and forth between Nix and Becca just pulled at the heartstrings. It was so good. She was so caring and accepting of him, and he was so enamored with her that it was just beautiful and a little heart melting. Of course, there is some angst along with way but it's to be expected with the backstory. I'd also like to point out that this had one of the best male BFF relationships ever. Nix and Animal are just amazing with their openness and love for each other. No hiding it or playing it off. They loved each other, no apologies. It was refreshing.
Such a good story, and its the kind of dark romance that I love. Where the dark happenings surround the couple, but their love is not the dark part.
✨Shy, Blushing Stalker
✨Protective MMC
✨Vigilantism
✨Tortured Hero
✨Tattooed Lovin' Spice
Oh my heart. This book was so good. Nix is gonna go down as one of my favorite book boyfriends ever. I have such a soft spot for broken boys anyway, and Nix is broken, but also 100% devoted and the emotion shown is just so lovely. Sweetest stalker ever! 🫠
When Nix is ten, his father murders his mother and then takes Nix out for some shopping. Because why not? At the store, his father gets angry and aggressive with him, and a little girl named Becca sees it and tries to help... as much as a little kid can. That single act of kindness became Nix's light he needed to carry on with life, and he never forgets her.
Fifteen years later, after a hellish life, Nix (aka Mercy) is a killer and vigilante, but also a protector. He has a very select few that he always watches and makes sure they remain safe...while always in the shadows, hidden away with his full body skeleton tattoos (which actually have a deep meaning for him). An encounter at the bar that Becca works at triggers immediate sparks and chemistry and sets the path for a journey that far surpasses anything Nix could have dreamed of.
The romance and the back and forth between Nix and Becca just pulled at the heartstrings. It was so good. She was so caring and accepting of him, and he was so enamored with her that it was just beautiful and a little heart melting. Of course, there is some angst along with way but it's to be expected with the backstory. I'd also like to point out that this had one of the best male BFF relationships ever. Nix and Animal are just amazing with their openness and love for each other. No hiding it or playing it off. They loved each other, no apologies. It was refreshing.
Such a good story, and its the kind of dark romance that I love. Where the dark happenings surround the couple, but their love is not the dark part.
August 21, 2017
English / Português
3,7 stars
What first caught my attention in this book was the cover. Beautiful, right? The fact that it looked like a dark book was the second thing. And at last, the synopsis. That was it. I couldn't wait to read. Although it was not as I thought it would be, I quite enjoyed the book.
I imagined Fenix totally different from what was presented. The blurb implies that he is a cold guy and has no mercy. And right at the beginning of the book, right after the prologue, I came across a guy known on the streets as Mercy, but who is worried, caring and he does actually have a big heart. This difference made me not enjoy the book at first. But by adapting to the "new" Mercy, and continuing to read, I enjoyed the course of the story.
Becca is our heroine. She is the kind of character that I like: free, outspoken and does not lower her head to anyone. I enjoyed her from the start.
Fenix and his father met her as a child in an unpleasant situation. Fenix feels through this petulant girl a connection and a slight hope, but in the eyes of his father she is a threat. His father was not a good person and this made Fenix grow up with a grudge against the man who would later try to get revenge on Becca. The only thing he wants at the moment is to protect her, even if it puts their relationship in jeopardy.
I always imagine the characters while I'm reading and it was a bit difficult to imagine Fenix, because he is very different from the usual. However, when we know his reasons, it is clear why and I even started to think this difference was kinda cool.
This is the second book I read by Debra Anastasia and I enjoyed her writing style. Easy and fluid. Ah! And I loved that she gave her name to a character! MERCY is a good book. Despite having found the blurb very different from the real book, which was more a drama than a dark,the story let us hooked to it and we end up hoping that Fenix and Becca will be soon together.
*An ARC was provided by the author and Give Me books. Thank you!
------
English / Português
3,7 stars
O que me chamou a atenção primeiramente neste livro foi a capa. Linda, né. O fato de parecer um livro dark foi a segunda coisa. E pra fechar, a sinopse. Pronto. Já estava doida pra ler. Apesar de não ter sido como eu achava que seria, eu gostei bastante do livro.
Imaginei o Fenix totalmente diferente do que foi apresentado. A sinopse dá a entender que ele é um cara frio e não tem misericórdia. E logo no começo do livro, logo após o prólogo, me deparo com um cara conhecido nas ruas como Mercy, mas que é preocupado, carinhoso que tem de fato um coração. Essa diferença me fez não curtir o livro no começo. Mas ao me adaptar ao "novo" Mercy, e, continuando a leitura, fui curtindo o rumo da história.
Becca é a nossa protagonista feminina. Ela é o tipo de personagem que eu curto: livre, desbocada e não abaixa a cabeça pra qualquer um. Já curti logo no começo.
Fenix e seu pai a conhecem ainda criança em uma situação nada agradável. Fenix sente através dessa garota petulante uma conexão e uma leve esperança, mas aos olhos de seu pai ela é uma ameaça. O pai não era uma boa pessoa e isso fez com que Fênix crescesse com um rancor pelo homem que mais tarde iria tentar se vingar de Becca. A única coisa que ele quer no momento é protegê-la, mesmo que isso arisque seu relacionamento com ela.
Sempre imagino os personagens enquanto estou lendo e foi um pouco difícil imaginar o Fênix, pois ele é bem diferente do usual. Entretanto, quando conhecemos seus motivos fica evidente o porque e eu até comecei a achar legal essa diferença.
Esse é o segundo livro da Debra que leio e gostei de seus estilo de escrita. Fácil e fluido. Ah! E adorei que ela deu seu nome a uma personagem! MERCY é um bom livro. Apesar de ter achado a sinopse bem diferente do real livro, que foi mais um drama do que um dark, a historia prende e a gente acaba torcendo para que Fenix e Becca fiquem logo juntos.
*Recebi o ARC da autora e Give Me books. Obrigada!
----------------------
* Pick a Book
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3,7 stars
What first caught my attention in this book was the cover. Beautiful, right? The fact that it looked like a dark book was the second thing. And at last, the synopsis. That was it. I couldn't wait to read. Although it was not as I thought it would be, I quite enjoyed the book.
I imagined Fenix totally different from what was presented. The blurb implies that he is a cold guy and has no mercy. And right at the beginning of the book, right after the prologue, I came across a guy known on the streets as Mercy, but who is worried, caring and he does actually have a big heart. This difference made me not enjoy the book at first. But by adapting to the "new" Mercy, and continuing to read, I enjoyed the course of the story.
Becca is our heroine. She is the kind of character that I like: free, outspoken and does not lower her head to anyone. I enjoyed her from the start.
Fenix and his father met her as a child in an unpleasant situation. Fenix feels through this petulant girl a connection and a slight hope, but in the eyes of his father she is a threat. His father was not a good person and this made Fenix grow up with a grudge against the man who would later try to get revenge on Becca. The only thing he wants at the moment is to protect her, even if it puts their relationship in jeopardy.
I always imagine the characters while I'm reading and it was a bit difficult to imagine Fenix, because he is very different from the usual. However, when we know his reasons, it is clear why and I even started to think this difference was kinda cool.
This is the second book I read by Debra Anastasia and I enjoyed her writing style. Easy and fluid. Ah! And I loved that she gave her name to a character! MERCY is a good book. Despite having found the blurb very different from the real book, which was more a drama than a dark,the story let us hooked to it and we end up hoping that Fenix and Becca will be soon together.
*An ARC was provided by the author and Give Me books. Thank you!
------
English / Português
3,7 stars
O que me chamou a atenção primeiramente neste livro foi a capa. Linda, né. O fato de parecer um livro dark foi a segunda coisa. E pra fechar, a sinopse. Pronto. Já estava doida pra ler. Apesar de não ter sido como eu achava que seria, eu gostei bastante do livro.
Imaginei o Fenix totalmente diferente do que foi apresentado. A sinopse dá a entender que ele é um cara frio e não tem misericórdia. E logo no começo do livro, logo após o prólogo, me deparo com um cara conhecido nas ruas como Mercy, mas que é preocupado, carinhoso que tem de fato um coração. Essa diferença me fez não curtir o livro no começo. Mas ao me adaptar ao "novo" Mercy, e, continuando a leitura, fui curtindo o rumo da história.
Becca é a nossa protagonista feminina. Ela é o tipo de personagem que eu curto: livre, desbocada e não abaixa a cabeça pra qualquer um. Já curti logo no começo.
Fenix e seu pai a conhecem ainda criança em uma situação nada agradável. Fenix sente através dessa garota petulante uma conexão e uma leve esperança, mas aos olhos de seu pai ela é uma ameaça. O pai não era uma boa pessoa e isso fez com que Fênix crescesse com um rancor pelo homem que mais tarde iria tentar se vingar de Becca. A única coisa que ele quer no momento é protegê-la, mesmo que isso arisque seu relacionamento com ela.
Sempre imagino os personagens enquanto estou lendo e foi um pouco difícil imaginar o Fênix, pois ele é bem diferente do usual. Entretanto, quando conhecemos seus motivos fica evidente o porque e eu até comecei a achar legal essa diferença.
Esse é o segundo livro da Debra que leio e gostei de seus estilo de escrita. Fácil e fluido. Ah! E adorei que ela deu seu nome a uma personagem! MERCY é um bom livro. Apesar de ter achado a sinopse bem diferente do real livro, que foi mais um drama do que um dark, a historia prende e a gente acaba torcendo para que Fenix e Becca fiquem logo juntos.
*Recebi o ARC da autora e Give Me books. Obrigada!
----------------------
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August 21, 2017
One hundred and forty four million stars for my Nix!!!! *heart eyes*
He was taught to kill when he was just a kid at the hands of his own father. His whole life has been one kill after another. That's what happens when all you know is hate. His street name might be Mercy but his victims know he shows anything but.
The only solace in the hell that is his life is Becca, his superhero. She stood up against his monster and he has loved her ever since. He follows her, makes sure she is safe. Because he knows the monster holds a grudge against her. The monster has been waiting for his turn, sharpening his knives to take away every person that matters to Nix, specially Becca.
Holy Mother of GOD! I don't think I've ever read a book like this. I am in utter awe and I don't even know how to tell y'all how bloody amazing this story was.
I had so many emotions while reading this book. But I fell in love with Nix as soon as I started chapter 2 and it just grew from there. He is such a singular character, i don't think there could be any other like him. He is a badass, like kill a group of people within seconds kinda badass. Yet the vulnerability he showed whenever he was near Becca broke my heart. Nix is an absolute sweetheart and possibly my favourite assassin EVER. I cannot stress enough that Nix is one of my top 10 favourite characters.
This story had so many facets. It was funny, heartfelt, messed up and utterly beautiful. I adore Debra's writing style and no one does angst like her.
Mercy is one of my top reads this year and believe me I'll be doing a re-read of it really soon. Did I already say I LOVE NIX? ~Sonal
He was taught to kill when he was just a kid at the hands of his own father. His whole life has been one kill after another. That's what happens when all you know is hate. His street name might be Mercy but his victims know he shows anything but.
The only solace in the hell that is his life is Becca, his superhero. She stood up against his monster and he has loved her ever since. He follows her, makes sure she is safe. Because he knows the monster holds a grudge against her. The monster has been waiting for his turn, sharpening his knives to take away every person that matters to Nix, specially Becca.
Holy Mother of GOD! I don't think I've ever read a book like this. I am in utter awe and I don't even know how to tell y'all how bloody amazing this story was.
I had so many emotions while reading this book. But I fell in love with Nix as soon as I started chapter 2 and it just grew from there. He is such a singular character, i don't think there could be any other like him. He is a badass, like kill a group of people within seconds kinda badass. Yet the vulnerability he showed whenever he was near Becca broke my heart. Nix is an absolute sweetheart and possibly my favourite assassin EVER. I cannot stress enough that Nix is one of my top 10 favourite characters.
This story had so many facets. It was funny, heartfelt, messed up and utterly beautiful. I adore Debra's writing style and no one does angst like her.
Mercy is one of my top reads this year and believe me I'll be doing a re-read of it really soon. Did I already say I LOVE NIX? ~Sonal
May 27, 2021
Re-read 5/15/21
3.5 Super Stalker Stars
I read this last week, then had a hellish week, so this will probably be a shit review. 😊 Mercy is the first book in the Mercy series. (goes on to his best bud and sister’s books) It’s no secret that I love a fictional stalker, so I was all in. I liked it, but I felt like the author struggled a bit to decide where she wanted it to go. Some parts are steamy, some parts are violent, but then other parts are almost cheesy or silly. Like her BFF is named Henry, and she’s dating a dude named Dick Dongy … and his best bud Animal talks like he’s, his grandma. Tell me about it baby…sweetness, you ok… baby cakes … and stuff like… a pecker piñata. So, it’s not truly dark, yet it’s not truly fluffy either.
Fenix (Nix) had an awful childhood, and on his worst day ever, a little girl stepped in to call out his abusive father… something the adults have failed to do. Nix is so affected by this display of kindness, that he makes it his life’s mission to protect her from any hurt… including his father, who he thinks will want revenge. After the prologue, we FFW 15 years to grown up Nix and Becca.
Nix is pretty typical of the standard stalker H… he’s emotionally damaged, but has a gooey center. He’s a criminal/ hit man, but only kills bad guys, usually ones that hurt women. He’s covered in a skeleton tattoo, so he pretty much stays inside, and stalks her virtually. Becca is tough, and I’d totally be her friend. I found both very likeable, and I enjoyed the Nix/Animal bromance.
Bottom Line- I’m going to leave my rating as is, because I can’t remember everything from a week ago, and I’m lazy and don’t want to review my notes. I would recommend for readers looking for a safe romance with some danger, but not if you hate insta-love with a hint of fluff, or are looking for something very realistic.
3.5 Super Stalker Stars
I read this last week, then had a hellish week, so this will probably be a shit review. 😊 Mercy is the first book in the Mercy series. (goes on to his best bud and sister’s books) It’s no secret that I love a fictional stalker, so I was all in. I liked it, but I felt like the author struggled a bit to decide where she wanted it to go. Some parts are steamy, some parts are violent, but then other parts are almost cheesy or silly. Like her BFF is named Henry, and she’s dating a dude named Dick Dongy … and his best bud Animal talks like he’s, his grandma. Tell me about it baby…sweetness, you ok… baby cakes … and stuff like… a pecker piñata. So, it’s not truly dark, yet it’s not truly fluffy either.
Fenix (Nix) had an awful childhood, and on his worst day ever, a little girl stepped in to call out his abusive father… something the adults have failed to do. Nix is so affected by this display of kindness, that he makes it his life’s mission to protect her from any hurt… including his father, who he thinks will want revenge. After the prologue, we FFW 15 years to grown up Nix and Becca.
Nix is pretty typical of the standard stalker H… he’s emotionally damaged, but has a gooey center. He’s a criminal/ hit man, but only kills bad guys, usually ones that hurt women. He’s covered in a skeleton tattoo, so he pretty much stays inside, and stalks her virtually. Becca is tough, and I’d totally be her friend. I found both very likeable, and I enjoyed the Nix/Animal bromance.
Bottom Line- I’m going to leave my rating as is, because I can’t remember everything from a week ago, and I’m lazy and don’t want to review my notes. I would recommend for readers looking for a safe romance with some danger, but not if you hate insta-love with a hint of fluff, or are looking for something very realistic.
November 14, 2022
Really sweet, lost interest toward the middle because I was feeling a bit slumpy but the writing was pretty nice.
It’s my first take on the stalker trope and I absolutely loved this, it wasn’t done in a creepy way ( he's stalker tho) so totally my cup of tea!
I’ll keep on reading the following book.
The bromance here was THE BEST I’ve ever read.
It’s my first take on the stalker trope and I absolutely loved this, it wasn’t done in a creepy way ( he's stalker tho) so totally my cup of tea!
I’ll keep on reading the following book.
The bromance here was THE BEST I’ve ever read.
January 25, 2022
Ever read a book where you love the words but not what they all add up to? That was this book for me. It’s like cool song lyrics set to horrible banjos and screeching violins that go on and on and on.
MEET MMC
Intense.
He’s like a teacup chihuahua inside a pit bull.
I wasn’t certain I’d get this guy. Dude is full body tat of skeleton, and that’s not very Thor-like for me…
I’d rather look like a monster than see my father reflected in the mirror in front of me.
The claw game. Well, some will likely find that creepy. Me? I was like damn, Stalker dude, you so fine… you so fine… you blow my mind. Hey, Stalker! He makes stalker seem normal.
I turned from the image and started the water in my elaborate shower and felt the bruises that would be lost in the designs on my skin start to develop. No one would ever be able to tell if I was hurting again. And that was the way I liked it.
Seriously, his reasoning for the tats is what opened me up. We get so caught up in the cover of shit that it’s easier to assume than question. People heal and deal differently, and body modification was his deal and heal.
If I found out a dude was doing this to her, I would kill him.
So far as stalker goes…. This is more sweet , errr a lot of sweet, verses creepy. Just be prepared. He’s all in head over heels.
Is he dark? He’s an assassin who loves kids and allows his male BFF to call him baby and sweetness. Uhm, interesting… but this isn’t what I call dark.
The further we go, the less alpha’ish sexy he gets. To me, this is actually cheesy AF.
He started with a bang and ended with a thud.
FMC
She’s almost too perfect in that Malibu Barbie kinda way. Where are her personality flaws? Brave. Recycler. Tipper. Kind. Understanding. She verges on whimsical … like a Disney princess with a naughty streak.
I get following intuition and being caught up in the soulmate thing, but she just follows the plot here too easily. Again, as I read her reactions, it feels like a Disney character skipping and whistling to the birds.
Her entire character feels like it was written around the story verses the story written around her character.
Her big love gesture at the end… eh, I just didn’t get it. Does she want to be his twin or his lover?
Her personality did too much of a flip in the one-year separation.
PLOT
One Word: Atrocious.
It’s boring.
It’s not believable.
WRITING
The characters were basically like placemat names for the story, and the story sucked ass. The redeeming quality here is the author’s writing voice. It’s unique…
I had a sharp tongue and a liberal vagina.
It’s like the Eminem of books. Hard, fast, and not giving two shits about shit.
If Nix came, we would match. I wondered if coincidence and fate had made a bargain.
Simple. Yet… clever.
But I was piecing this puzzle together. He had a horrible childhood. He was secretive. He was loaded, and he wasn’t Batman.
😏
She giggled and I could have punched Godzilla in the dick—it made me feel so manly.
^^ One of the best MMC book lines I’ve read.
Animal took the driver’s side and I let him. I was too keyed up to drive sensibly. And that was how you drove a purple Hummer away from the scene of a crime.
Dry humor 😻
BUT…
It also sucks..
“Baby, look at me.” Animal snapped near my cheek. I looked up at him. “You’re a fucking legend. You’re not scared of anything or anyone. Come on. Nut up, Bones.”
🤢 ^^^ Now, that’s is two heterosexual dudes talking to each other. Animal calls him baby a lot, and he also calls him “sweetness” sometimes. Did I miss something here? I mean heterosexual men don’t really call each other sweetness” and “baby” as terms of bromance. It’s f’ing weird.
There is zero fluidity to this story. Every move is a jerk, but it lands you right back in same spot, leaving nothing but whiplash in its wake. Anticlimactic. It’s long and tedious as it circles around the same ideas over and over. The final jerk is so hard left of center that it comes off fake as fuck for a HEA.
TRANSITIONS
Scene transitions were as rough as the plot itself.
The timeline of real from imagined -and- past and present were both horrible. The past and imaginations were all mixed into now/real scenes without anything setting it apart. Very hard to follow! At times, I had to read shit four, five times to figure out if the MMC was here, there, or everywhere and whether it was real or imagined.
PLOT FAILS
🥇🥇🥇🥇 And the award for biggest plot fail goes to the MMC’s dad 🥇🥇🥇🥇
15 years this man had to find his son and/or the FMC <—- both of which stayed in the same childhood town. Why was he after the FMC 15 YEARS LATER? As a little girl, she mouthed off to this grown as murderous and abusive man in a store. So what! It does not get more melodramatic, SAF, and nonsensical than this shit.
^ The mob inclusion even further muddled it because it was impossible given the other information we already knew.
^ Then, there’s the cop that’s supposed to be the father of the MMC’s sister. Where the hell did he go? If he’s a good guy that helped the MMC, why didn’t he help his own child and baby mama? Stupid.
“You mad that I found your little girlfriend so damn quick? I’m always a step ahead of you. Your old man found her right quick. You think you’re smarter than me?”
Quick? I digress… it took him over 15 YEARS LOL
📴The bad guy is hiding in a single-use bathroom in a restaurant as he waits for the FMC. See the problem there? Other mofos use that bathroom. How’d he know she was even going to need to go to the bathroom? Etc etc. SAF.
📴What kinda idiot can’t tell tat ink from makeup up close and personal with it? The FMC couldn’t lol. SAF.
📴 Bricks through the window? WTF is this 1920? SAF.
📴 “This was the last thing she needed right now. I wish the cops had caught the guy. I have to let them know about the back blow and the fact he drinks whiskey.”
^^^ Her mystery attacker smelled like whiskey… well, don’t we all. Hell, that narrows shit down, Nancy Drew. SAF.
📴 Sister was five last he saw her. She’s 17 now. <<< That’s 12 years of watching her, and he never thinks to meet her or interact with her. Whatever~
📴 Same with FMC. The MMC watches her for 15 years without interacting until now. Did he follow her to college? She’s not a virgin… so, ah, was he watching when she was dating?
📴 Whitewash the stalking via the app. How lame. So, the couple of hours she plays that game was suffice to ensure she was safe from his daddy… what about the other 22 hours in the day? I hate plot points that are whitewashed with bullshit excuses.
📴Too many coincidences like the same hookers also having his sister’s phone.
📴 Uhm, assassins are supposed to blend… not have full body ink that makes everyone stare and take note of them.
📴 From gunshot to the chest and morphine to kicking ass in the blink of a scene.
📴 Mom is just forgiven - more whitewashing. Cancer used as a prop for an excuse. Left me feeling eeky.
📴 No epilogue to show if the mob leaves them be, continues as assassin… nothing.
📴 Every f’ing chapter here includes the FMC’s BFF until the one-year separation. So, her BFF is suddenly just silent about her quitting her job, getting all tatted up, MMC leaving, etc?
📴 How’d the FMC support herself. Broke mofos don’t quit their job to become an apprentice, and mofos don’t just become tattoo artists within two months.
Bottom Line
Swiss cheese ain’t got as many holes. Author has a way with words, but she needs to find a plot and characters to carry a story. Inserting cool lines here and there amongst a pile of shit doesn’t negate the stench of shit being shit.
MEET MMC
Intense.
He’s like a teacup chihuahua inside a pit bull.
I wasn’t certain I’d get this guy. Dude is full body tat of skeleton, and that’s not very Thor-like for me…
I’d rather look like a monster than see my father reflected in the mirror in front of me.
The claw game. Well, some will likely find that creepy. Me? I was like damn, Stalker dude, you so fine… you so fine… you blow my mind. Hey, Stalker! He makes stalker seem normal.
I turned from the image and started the water in my elaborate shower and felt the bruises that would be lost in the designs on my skin start to develop. No one would ever be able to tell if I was hurting again. And that was the way I liked it.
Seriously, his reasoning for the tats is what opened me up. We get so caught up in the cover of shit that it’s easier to assume than question. People heal and deal differently, and body modification was his deal and heal.
If I found out a dude was doing this to her, I would kill him.
So far as stalker goes…. This is more sweet , errr a lot of sweet, verses creepy. Just be prepared. He’s all in head over heels.
Is he dark? He’s an assassin who loves kids and allows his male BFF to call him baby and sweetness. Uhm, interesting… but this isn’t what I call dark.
The further we go, the less alpha’ish sexy he gets. To me, this is actually cheesy AF.
He started with a bang and ended with a thud.
FMC
She’s almost too perfect in that Malibu Barbie kinda way. Where are her personality flaws? Brave. Recycler. Tipper. Kind. Understanding. She verges on whimsical … like a Disney princess with a naughty streak.
I get following intuition and being caught up in the soulmate thing, but she just follows the plot here too easily. Again, as I read her reactions, it feels like a Disney character skipping and whistling to the birds.
Her entire character feels like it was written around the story verses the story written around her character.
Her big love gesture at the end… eh, I just didn’t get it. Does she want to be his twin or his lover?
Her personality did too much of a flip in the one-year separation.
PLOT
One Word: Atrocious.
It’s boring.
It’s not believable.
WRITING
The characters were basically like placemat names for the story, and the story sucked ass. The redeeming quality here is the author’s writing voice. It’s unique…
I had a sharp tongue and a liberal vagina.
It’s like the Eminem of books. Hard, fast, and not giving two shits about shit.
If Nix came, we would match. I wondered if coincidence and fate had made a bargain.
Simple. Yet… clever.
But I was piecing this puzzle together. He had a horrible childhood. He was secretive. He was loaded, and he wasn’t Batman.
😏
She giggled and I could have punched Godzilla in the dick—it made me feel so manly.
^^ One of the best MMC book lines I’ve read.
Animal took the driver’s side and I let him. I was too keyed up to drive sensibly. And that was how you drove a purple Hummer away from the scene of a crime.
Dry humor 😻
BUT…
It also sucks..
“Baby, look at me.” Animal snapped near my cheek. I looked up at him. “You’re a fucking legend. You’re not scared of anything or anyone. Come on. Nut up, Bones.”
🤢 ^^^ Now, that’s is two heterosexual dudes talking to each other. Animal calls him baby a lot, and he also calls him “sweetness” sometimes. Did I miss something here? I mean heterosexual men don’t really call each other sweetness” and “baby” as terms of bromance. It’s f’ing weird.
There is zero fluidity to this story. Every move is a jerk, but it lands you right back in same spot, leaving nothing but whiplash in its wake. Anticlimactic. It’s long and tedious as it circles around the same ideas over and over. The final jerk is so hard left of center that it comes off fake as fuck for a HEA.
TRANSITIONS
Scene transitions were as rough as the plot itself.
The timeline of real from imagined -and- past and present were both horrible. The past and imaginations were all mixed into now/real scenes without anything setting it apart. Very hard to follow! At times, I had to read shit four, five times to figure out if the MMC was here, there, or everywhere and whether it was real or imagined.
PLOT FAILS
🥇🥇🥇🥇 And the award for biggest plot fail goes to the MMC’s dad 🥇🥇🥇🥇
15 years this man had to find his son and/or the FMC <—- both of which stayed in the same childhood town. Why was he after the FMC 15 YEARS LATER? As a little girl, she mouthed off to this grown as murderous and abusive man in a store. So what! It does not get more melodramatic, SAF, and nonsensical than this shit.
^ The mob inclusion even further muddled it because it was impossible given the other information we already knew.
^ Then, there’s the cop that’s supposed to be the father of the MMC’s sister. Where the hell did he go? If he’s a good guy that helped the MMC, why didn’t he help his own child and baby mama? Stupid.
“You mad that I found your little girlfriend so damn quick? I’m always a step ahead of you. Your old man found her right quick. You think you’re smarter than me?”
Quick? I digress… it took him over 15 YEARS LOL
📴The bad guy is hiding in a single-use bathroom in a restaurant as he waits for the FMC. See the problem there? Other mofos use that bathroom. How’d he know she was even going to need to go to the bathroom? Etc etc. SAF.
📴What kinda idiot can’t tell tat ink from makeup up close and personal with it? The FMC couldn’t lol. SAF.
📴 Bricks through the window? WTF is this 1920? SAF.
📴 “This was the last thing she needed right now. I wish the cops had caught the guy. I have to let them know about the back blow and the fact he drinks whiskey.”
^^^ Her mystery attacker smelled like whiskey… well, don’t we all. Hell, that narrows shit down, Nancy Drew. SAF.
📴 Sister was five last he saw her. She’s 17 now. <<< That’s 12 years of watching her, and he never thinks to meet her or interact with her. Whatever~
📴 Same with FMC. The MMC watches her for 15 years without interacting until now. Did he follow her to college? She’s not a virgin… so, ah, was he watching when she was dating?
📴 Whitewash the stalking via the app. How lame. So, the couple of hours she plays that game was suffice to ensure she was safe from his daddy… what about the other 22 hours in the day? I hate plot points that are whitewashed with bullshit excuses.
📴Too many coincidences like the same hookers also having his sister’s phone.
📴 Uhm, assassins are supposed to blend… not have full body ink that makes everyone stare and take note of them.
📴 From gunshot to the chest and morphine to kicking ass in the blink of a scene.
📴 Mom is just forgiven - more whitewashing. Cancer used as a prop for an excuse. Left me feeling eeky.
📴 No epilogue to show if the mob leaves them be, continues as assassin… nothing.
📴 Every f’ing chapter here includes the FMC’s BFF until the one-year separation. So, her BFF is suddenly just silent about her quitting her job, getting all tatted up, MMC leaving, etc?
📴 How’d the FMC support herself. Broke mofos don’t quit their job to become an apprentice, and mofos don’t just become tattoo artists within two months.
Bottom Line
Swiss cheese ain’t got as many holes. Author has a way with words, but she needs to find a plot and characters to carry a story. Inserting cool lines here and there amongst a pile of shit doesn’t negate the stench of shit being shit.
July 2, 2022
This book was not what I was expecting. But I really enjoyed it none-the-less. Nix is obsessed with Becca. He has built his life around keeping her safe. He's a stone cold killer, but he rescues little girls from bad situations and makes sure evil people are taken down.
He looks like a skeleton but blushes when Becca gives him a compliment. He hands bring death but he trembles under her touch. Nix may be complicated but he was a cinnamon roll for Becca... but we'll just have to see what she thinks when she finds out his secrets.
Also... he is a dirty fucking talker... ahhhh!
4 Stars
3.5 on the spice scale
He looks like a skeleton but blushes when Becca gives him a compliment. He hands bring death but he trembles under her touch. Nix may be complicated but he was a cinnamon roll for Becca... but we'll just have to see what she thinks when she finds out his secrets.
Also... he is a dirty fucking talker... ahhhh!
4 Stars
3.5 on the spice scale
August 17, 2017
Reading this story took me back to early 2013, when I read my first book by this author. This book has Debra Anastasia’s unique writing style stamped all over it, her work is so distinctively different to anything else I’ve read before. If you are a fan of the Poughkeepsie series you will love this story.
Becca lives in a nice home with a mum and dad who love her. From a young age she understood the importance of having good morals and in doing so she has a great social conscience. She knows right from wrong. When she sees a young boy being manhandled in the supermarket she thinks nothing of stepping in and telling the man off.
Fenix’s life could not be more opposite to Becca’s. That day that she stands up to his father for him at the supermarket was a life changing one for him for two reasons. The first is because he had just been witness to the most horrifying experience of his life and secondly because no one had ever defended him like that before.
'You made me fight. You gave me a reason to live when I had not one single reason left. You told me he was a bad man, but you believed I was good.'
This chance meeting sets off a chain of events that shapes who Fenix now is, a man called Mercy. His father may be a cold hearted killer but Mercy is a monster hiding behind his tattooed mask. He knows that his father will be seeking revenge on Becca, despite the amount of years that have passed since that day and this is why he has always kept tabs on her, making sure she is safe.
Nix (Fenix) has been watching her from afar and is slightly obsessed with making sure she is happy, carefully manipulating her life from a distance. She has no idea that he even exists, let alone what he has been doing in the background of her life. All of this has been one in an effort to keep her safe from harm. In doing so he has also developed feelings for her, despite never meeting her in person.
This protective urge he has stems from not being able to keep his mother safe from his father when he was a young boy. He finds redemption in being able to keep Becca safe, along with two other females he has met over the years - one of them a small child. All three of them get 24 hour care from him but they are completely unaware of it.
When Fenix finally has the opportunity to talk to Becca again, face to face, he realises just how incredible she is and how much he wants her. From that day on his daily life is spent balancing his desire for her, his need to keep her safe & happy and seeking out his estranged father. In doing so though, has he invited the danger he is trying to protect her from to her doorstep? And what will Becca think when she realises who Nix is and he lengths he has gone to, to keep her safe?
This was a thriller/suspense/romance story that had so much happening in it. So unlike anything else I have read in a long time and that is a fantastic thing for an avid reader like me.
August 27, 2017
5+++ Stars
Badass soulmates united!
Mercy wasn’t the usual romance story, it’s a mix of dark and rom-com, with a hint of angst!! It was really amazing!! Mercy made me laugh and cry, made me sigh with love and worry for the characters and had me on edge. I fell in love with Nix and Becca, with how their lives were connected, with how they affected each other in so deep levels, and most of all, how they protected each other. They were perfect together.
200% Recommended.
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