Bane by L.J. Shen
My rating: 5+++ of 5 stars
“what’s the antonym of hate?”
For me…everything LJ Shen!
Ever read a book that leaves you so
spellbound that you are still thinking of it incessantly days after you read the last words? Ever pick up a book that you’ve just read and literally start it over immediately because surely, surely it cannot be as incredible as you found it to start? Ever been utterly TERRIFIED to leave a review because you simply cannot put into words just how amazing the story… the journey the reader undertakes with the hero and heroine has been? I have stewed for days. I have searched my heart trying to find a word… a phrase… ANYTHING that could every put into perspective just how much I loved Bane by LJ Shen. Only there is not a word… a phrase… anything that adequately describes the way I felt about this book.
As the fourth book in the Sinner of Saints series, I never (NOT EVER, IN MY WILDEST DREAMS!) expected to feel for this book the way I felt for MY first book LJ Shen book, Vicious… and yes, I read Vicious first – before Defy, can I’m a rebel like that… And then I skipped to the third book in the series 😉 And bounced back by jumping into some of LJ’s previous books. And still, regardless of having read every. single. book. in LJ Shen’s backstock, I have never read one of her books that I loved more than I loved BANE! And that, more than anything tells me that this book simply blew my mind. Nine books folks. NINE Motherf**king books and BANE is my number one by LJ Shen!!! Now, I’m not going to bother telling you my synopsis of this book. You’ve read it a million times now if you’re reading these reviews. And honestly, why bother?!?!?! At this point you know… YOU KNOW that this book is nothing short of a 10 star read. So why haven’t you one-clicked this sh*t already!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! If you need further validation of the book being f**king mind blowing at this point, my review isn’t going to sway you. But continue reading by all means… 😉
“…my whole life has been pledged to this meeting with you…”
In coming to terms with writing this review… With how I could possibly rate and review this exquisite book… it was really very simple to me: The Story/Plot, The Characters, and the knockout magnificence of the syntax and poetry inherit in LJ Shen’s words make this my number one pick of books for 2018. (and I hate to make such significant assertions because each, and every book we read, we go into with a different mindset.)
The Story/Plot:
As with the most exceptional literature, the likes of Charlotte Bronte and Jane Austin, LJ Shen wrote a story that was so mesmerizing I never once put my book down. And five stars is simply trifling when you love a book the way I loved Bane. I read from the first word until the very last without a break for any reason. NOT A ONE! The duel perspectives, the pace and the alliteration of LJ’s words remained with me even days after I finished the book. LJ’s words evoke a fantasy; a fantasy of what romance should be. Her use of Alexander Pushkin nourished my soul and in all honestly, made this romance the epitome of what we, as readers, endeavor to replicate in our own lives.
The Characters:
This Snow White story is one unlike any you’ve read in the past.
“The princess saves herself in this fairytale…”
And she does it in spectacular fashion. She may have gotten lost along the way; veered briefly from her path (if you will), but the experiences she overcomes are unlike any princess before her… and she is without question one of the most amazing heroines I have had the pleasure to read. Literature often leaves saving to the heroes. But if we are being honest… What women can’t save herself?!?!?!?! Jesse is my FAVORITE character that LJ Shen has written. And nothing short of the second coming will change that in the future. Her strength will forever be the periapt that women should aspire to wear around their necks. Her success is our own. And the beauty of her tale a story for all that come after her. Then, there is Bane… our hero. In a previous review, Shabby at Book Bistro Blog dethrowned Vicious… and you know what, as much as it kills me to admit this… I absolutely agree! (AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS SIMPLY UNACHIEVABLE!) Let’s face it, the book that brings you to an author always has a special place in your heart. And Vicious was that book for me. Yet, Roman “Bane” Protsenko
“Naked Surfer.
Habitual pothead.
A Con.
A Liar.
A Thief.
A Fraud.”
won me over to such a degree that I might simply never be the same.; I will forever hold him as the embodiment of a true romance hero. His perfections lay in his imperfections…those that make him the most real – a true modern-day romance hero. Bane is simply PERFECTION in its most imperfect form 😉 And the chemistry?! It’s tangible. Judge for yourself:
“Can you feel me fucking you with my words?…
…I’d rather you fuck me with something else…
…Everybody got the something else. You’re getting the never-seen-before version. The one where I actually try to do the right thing. Can you feel me sucking on your swollen pink clit?”
Its so substantial and concrete that you will be burning out your batteries and still need a cold shower and a dozen pairs of panties to see you through the conclusion of this story.😉
There is no doubt that L.J. Shen is one of the best writers I have ever read, be that traditional or independent author. She takes readers on journeys that move you; that speak to your hearts and turn those most cynical to believers in the Happily-Ever-After of a romance novel. Her stories, her brand of ‘creative writing’, succeeds in such a way as to portray the most expressive and unfeigned nonfiction. And even with all the words I have read by this author, I was still left STUNNED by Bane. I implore you to purchase this book. Read the story and see that nothing in this review is fabricated or exaggerated. LJ Shen is simply a master of romance in its most beautiful forms…
Download today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2rqvtiI
Amazon Universal: http://mybook.to/BaneLJShen
Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2BVlUPy
Start the Series of Standalones Today!
Vicious
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2xdCsQ6
Amazon Universal: http://mybook.to/ViciousLJShen
Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2hUo31f
This is a book I won’t forget for a long time. Bane is a surfer, a con, and a thief. He is looking for an investor. Jesse is a shell of the person she once was. Can Bane bring her back to herself? LOVE, love, love this book! I highly recommend this book.