Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Selling Scarlett by Ella James

Oh how this book will forever be etched in my heart of hearts.

Selling Scarlett

By Ella James



Book Synopsis


Elizabeth DeVille doesn't belong at a party like this—one where the gowns cost more than her Camry and cigars run higher than her grad school utility bills. Dragged out of seclusion by her best friend Suri, Elizabeth is merely playing dress-up, rubbing elbows with a crowd that banished her troubled family years ago.
Hunter West is tired. Tired of parties, tired of pretending, and tired of trying to right a wrong that haunts him every day. Bourbon heir and professional poker player by day, by night Hunter is gambling with his life in a high-stakes game of crime and blackmail.
When Elizabeth stumbles into Hunter's den of vices, she's a light in the darkness, a flame in the void. And, just like everything he touches, Hunter mars her in a record time. To rectify the damage done, Elizabeth needs money she doesn't have, and she's come up with a foolproof way to get it.
Follow Elizabeth—code-named Scarlett—to the lush Nevada brothel where she'll auction her virginity and risk the only thing that's not for sale: her heart. The highest bidder is a familiar face, with wicked hands and the devil's mouth. And a secret so dark that it could cost her life.
***RECOMMENDED FOR READERS 17+ DUE TO SEXUALITY AND MATURE LANGUAGE.***

My Review

5 Stars


I actually bought this book on release day and managed to push it back because I had (and still have) a pile of reviews I’ve agreed to do. Last night though I needed to read and I couldn’t stop thinking about Selling Scarlett…so I brewed some coffee, made cinnamon rolls (as a bribe for the bestie since I was staying there) and broke open Selling Scarlett.

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So glad I did.

Forewarning this is going to be a gush review (I ADORED Selling Scarlett) because I would give this book a hundred stars but unfortunately I’m forced to work with a five star platform, so I may repeat just how much I loved it multiple times. 


In previous reviews I’ve mentioned how much I love covers. I definitely have my “cover whore” moments, I can admit that. Especially if it’s enough to attract my attention while doing a million things on my laptop, which from many nagging friends I know is no easy feat. The cover of Selling Scarlett is provocative and even without reading the synopsis; I still wanted to buy the book. I was intrigued from the get go with a simple picture of a girl. But it’s the different shades of red, her lingerie, the gift tag wrapped around her wrist, her posture and the ribbon banner that work together and create a stunning book cover.  After finishing Selling Scarlett I have a whole new love for the cover and Ella James.

To say that I fell in love with Elizabeth Deville, Suri, Cross and Hunter West is the understatement of the year. They captivated me. Hunter and Cross are my new book boyfriends. Its official and its fictagamy which is the act of dating more than one fictional character at once. Elizabeth Deville was everything I could ever hope for in a female lead. She was not cocky or overconfident; she was well educated, determined and cared about her friends and family with every ounce of who she was. I saw a lot of similarities in our own back stories so that could have made me a little biased but I don’t think so. If my sisters grow up and are anything like Elizabeth, I will be proud.

*momentarily swoons and gathers composure* I would spill some deets on Cross but there’s not a whole lot I can say without spoiling him for you if you haven’t read Selling Scarlett. Hunter West on the other hand embodies sex appeal, especially when James describes him in his all black poker outfit he wears to every tournament. He’s full of his own layers (like an onion) which you will certainly enjoy peeling away as you read. I was cheering in his court hoping, praying and grinning like an idiot with my fingers crossed begging the book Gods that Hunter was going to successfully face his demons. The complicated friendships and relationships from the past and present make Selling Scarlett magical. Adding in the steamy scenes and sexy touches makes it impossible to quit reading.
**That's right. Another warning there are some hot scenes**

Selling Scarlett had so many layers to the story and characters that with each chapter you finished you discovered something new and there would be another layer, another key point. With each startling revelation Ella James amps the angst volume up another notch keeping you on the edge of your seat. My best friend mocked me continuously for the smile plastered across my face and how she could tell what I was feeling as I read because I wore my emotions like a scarf. I do not have a poker face. At one point when Ella James had my insides tied up in a million knots I had to pause reading. I wanted to know what in the world was going to happen and at the same time I didn’t… What if I wasn’t prepared for what she had in store for me?

The plot line and story continuity is flawless, there’s no loose strings, or holes that leave you hanging. Ella James made Selling Scarlett come alive on the pages, I was enthralled with every aspect of this book. The way Ella James chose to write the book through alternating points of view without repeating the same scenes made the book that much more intense. It did so much to add to the depths of the characters and the flow of the story that a singular first person POV or third person just wouldn’t of captured. If Selling Scarlett somehow missed your reading list, you should add it now. Selling Scarlett is an amazing romantic suspense story and it delivers so much more than the short synopsis promises. Ella James took a new approach to romance and the cashing in of ones V-card and did it elegantly and masterfully. I cannot wait for another installment of Love, inc. Consider me hooked. 

Some of my favorite lines:


“There are a million ways your words can be used against you once they leave your mouth.”-Hunter West

“This me behind the wheel is hollow. Brave and ready. This me is older and stronger and smarter. When I think about the tears I shed back there in the dark, I know they won’t come so easily again. And I am fine with that. I am.”-Elizabeth Deville

“I feel like I’ve fallen through the rabbit hole.”-Elizabeth Deville

**And this is me applauding Ella James for a job well done and ripping my heart to shreds before putting it back together.**

Amazon Link: Selling Scarlett (Love Inc.)


**Keep an eye out because I will DEFINITELY be including Selling Scarlett on a future giveaway



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