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Absolution

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***NOTE: This book is VERY dark. Please take that into account before reading. ***

Evie

All sins are equal in the eyes of God, but I'm not God. One sinner made me his sin, and I can't let men like him live. I want to kill them. Every. Last. One.
Ezra James is no different. I was going to kill him, but then I found myself obsessed and possessed in the most reverent of ways. I became his sinner, and he became my sin, but the wages of sin is death, so I must kill him.

Ezra

The son of a whore, raised by criminals, molded to fit into a world without morals. I've never given a shit about anything until the night I watched a man drop dead at the feet of my little killer. She called to my depravity, and everything in me demanded that I take her, possess her, own her. Some monsters hide behind the faces of angels.

Damned. Broken. Irredeemable.

Through blood, absolution shall be found.

188 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 11, 2016

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About the author

L.P. Lovell

63 books2,359 followers
Lauren Lovell is an indie author from England. She suffers from a total lack of brain to mouth filter and is the friend you have to explain before you introduce her to anyone, and apologise for afterwards.
She's a self confessed shameless pervert, who may be suffering from slight peen envy.

Lauren loves to hear from readers so please add her on Goodreads, Facebook and Twitter. Visit her website www.lplovell.com.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 473 reviews
Profile Image for ✦❋Arianna✦❋.
790 reviews2,602 followers
February 10, 2017
4 Stars!!

description

“We are imperfect, and our sins should mar our bodies as not to mar our souls.”


WTF did I just read? This book left me speechless, it left me numb and most important of all, despite the fact it was crazy as f@ck, it left me wanting more. “Absolution” was dark, raw, sadistic, violent and needless to say is not for everyone. Don’t expect hearts and flowers reading this one. This is not a love story and in my humble opinion is neither a book about love. This little dark gem will keep you at the edge of your seat, taking you slowly out of your comfort zone. Maybe you will feel uncomfortable reading this one, maybe you will be repulsed by some things going on here, but if you enjoy dark reads you should consider reading it.

“Absolution” fallows the story of Evelyn ‘Evie’ who all her life had been taught that pain brings her closer to righteousness. She learned to love the pain, because in her opinion pain is the only thing that can keep her clean.

“How can something as simple as asking for forgiveness absolve you from your sins? What penance is there if there is no pain?”


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She believes pain equates to forgiveness and she believes those who do something wrong must be punished. Her absolution comes through blood. After escaping her horrible life at home, Evie and her sister come in the city not only to start a new life, but also to clean the world from sinners (all men). They kill without remorse, truly believing that way she will protect all the women who need to be saved.

When her sister is murdered Evie is willing to do anything to find her killer. She will find him and she will kill him no matter what. She finds out that her sister’s boss name is Ezra and she comes out with a plan – to find him and make him pay as well.

“There's a market for everything, and the world is full of sick fuckers. I just happen to be a man who exploits their fucked up fantasies.”


Ezra was raised by criminals since his mother, a filthy whore died. He is a man without morals who runs a whore house and he doesn’t care about anything or anyone. After meeting Evie he figures out pretty quickly that she’s different from all his whores. He wants to own her body and soul and to make her cry and scream.

description

“Absolution” was addictive, really well written and it kept my interest from start to finish. It was bloody, it was psychotic and it was also erotic. Both Evie and Ezra are fascinating well developed characters. They are flawed, unredeemable and so f@cked-up. Evie was a batshit crazy heroine from the beginning. First, her believes were weird as hell. She was beyond damaged. She was cold and calculated, but also vulnerable at times. One moment she wanted to kill Ezra and the next she was infatuated with him even if she barely knew the man. I guess Ezra was both an anti-hero and a hero. An anti-hero generally speaking and a hero for Evie who saw him this way because of her past and because she believed he can give her the absolution she craves. Our main male character was intriguing, charming, but he also was dangerous and unstable to say the least. Needless to say he was the perfect match for Evie. He was really possessive at times, but he also was caring in some weird way.

"I need her. I need to possess her because, for whatever reason, she is my weakness. And weaknesses must be controlled before they consume us."


These characters’ relationship progressed very fast and in some strange way it felt believable. It was unconventional to put it mildly and the erotic scenes between them were as hot as they were unusual. They were really explicit, well written and I know for sure some readers will be left with their mouths hanging open since they were so unorthodox.

All in all, “Absolution” was a dark and disturbing read that not only blow me away at times, but it definitely left me wanting more. Ihm…I’m not sure what does this say about me! Well...what can I say?! I loved them dark and gritty! ;)

description
Profile Image for Jennifer Kyle.
2,512 reviews5,350 followers
January 14, 2016
4.25 Little Killer STARS

”As long as he can save me, I cannot kill him, no matter how evil he may be. ”

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I’m calling it a tie between the hero and the heroine as being the more disturbed character in this book. These two characters were so twisted and oddly likable making this one hell of entertaining dark read. The story is told in dual POVs and a reader should prepare to be disturbed by Evelyn's skewed religious beliefs and Ezra the pimp with strong mob connections and enjoyment in torturing others. Evelyn sets out on a mission of revenge when her sister is killed by one of Ezra’s clients.

The two characters were warped, twisted and in need of immediate therapy.

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Once they meet, their thoughts about the other were not only intriguing but also border lined funny in a warped way.

Evelyn and her warped sense of religion, sin and absolution and how Esra fits into this ideal…

”Part of me wants to kill him, part of me thinks I’d die without him, and oh, what a fucked up place that puts me in. I feel trapped in a never-ending cycle of sin and penance, and Ezra is both: my sin and my penance. And how is that even possible?”

Ezra James is the king of his kingdom and doesn’t mess with his whores and doesn’t love anyone…

”I can’t get enough of her. She takes everything I give her and asks for more. She has no limitations, no breaking point, and it just makes me want to push her that much harder. Honestly, I’m pretty sure one of us is going to end up dead.”

When the man who killed Evelyn’s sister sets his sights on her, Ezra does something he has never done for anyone, he tries to protect her. At times Evelyn made his intentions very hard…

“There, on the back seat, is a guy, eyes wide open and staring lifelessly at the ceiling. His head is at an odd angle, and his jaw is hanging open. She snapped his neck. What is she? Jackie-Fucking-Chan?”

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I think my favorite parts of the story were the role of Jen and how Ezra played it up to Evelyn’s insecurities and of course Evelyn’s reactions to anyone she felt need to atone for their sins.
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Some scenes were baffling while weirdly the big reveal I totally saw coming. Nevertheless, if you’re into dark reads that are bloody and brutal and has some truly amusing dialogue, I totally recommend this addicting fast read!

”She’s so fucked up. She makes me look dull.”
Profile Image for ❥ KAT ❥ Kitty Kats Crazy About Books.
2,416 reviews9,973 followers
January 5, 2016
༺**Complimentary Copy**༺ Provided by the author
"L.P. Lovell" in exchange for an honest review..Thank you!!

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TITLE: Absolution
AUTHOR: L.P. Lovell
GENRE: Contemporary Romance
RELEASE DATE: January 11th 2016

MY RATING: 5 Stars

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Gods I'm going to hell for even loving this book, I was hooked instantly!! There is NOTHING NORMAL about this book, ohhhhh yeah there is the dog, now he's normal!!

I'd seen little teasers all over facebook suggesting that this book here is going to go darker than they have ever gone before, and yes they did, they jumped over to crazy land and gave us the most f*cked up book they could give us!!

ABSOLUTION: Evie and her sister Hannah escape their horrific home lives and end up in the city and become gods little helpers by killing all the sinners (the irony lol) then Evie learns that her sister has been murdered so she sets up to avenge her death and that's where Ezra comes into the story because he's the man her sister worked for, Ezra runs a whore house..

I was raised to believe that pain equates to forgiveness.

This is one of those books where there will be no unicorn farting glitter it will take you out of your comfort zone, there will definitely be some repulsive moments that will make you question your own sanity, to top all that off there will be violence, abuse and explicit sex and you will delve into the mind of a psychopath as an added bonus after reading this you will probably think seriously about getting some therapy..

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This book is not your typical love story

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So I'm a few chapters in and I really have no idea what the f*ck I am reading because this book is the epitome of madness..These two authors are scary together..But for the life of me I can't stop reading it, it' s like when you see a car wreck no matter how hard you try not to tail gate and look, you do!! This is exactly the same, once you start on this crazy journey you can't get off!!

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I need to find the man who killed my sister, slit his throat, and watch every last drop of blood bleed from his pathetic body.

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My entire life has been spent seeking absolution.

"Motherfucker!"
I turn to face Evie who looks like butter wouldn't fucking melt. My legs are numb, and I have to grab the counter for support
"My arsehole! Really?"
She shrugs, then turns and trots out of the kitchen.
I would follow her, but my legs are fucked.
Some things are fucking sacred, Evie!" I shout after her.
A man's hole is one of them!

Absolution comes through blood.
Profile Image for Michelle.
944 reviews220 followers
January 19, 2016
4 Stars!
Evelyn is beautiful. She looks like a porcelain doll she's so flawless. All of her life she's been taught that being beautiful is a sin because men want her and sex is a sin and most definitely men that want to have sex with whores is a sin. She's taught that to be forgiven from her sins she has to be beaten. She has to fill pain. Any kind of pain to be forgiven. Evelyn and her sister run after Evelyn kills her father. These two become hookers to rid the world of filthy sinning men that pay for sex. When Evelyn is called in to identify her sisters dead body she has no choice but to go to the man her sister was employed buy. Evelyn will do anything to find the man that brutally killed her sister and dumped her body in the river.

Ezra is a pimp. Ezra doesn't fuck his whores. Ezra only protects them. Ezra doesn't fuck any whores for that matter he only prepares them for the job. He has a select few that can take a beating before they break. When Evie comes to Ezra wanting a job Ezra puts her through a few phases.

The second the leather makes contact with her skin I almost groan. This isn't BDSM or any of that prissy shit. There are no rules, no safe words. I do not want her willing submission. I want to drag it from her, screaming and crying. I want ultimate power over her, and while she's here in this room with me, I want to own her, body and soul. As the belt bites Evie's back, she doesn't flinch, she doesn't make a sound. I strike her harder, and again she doesn't move a muscle. I clench my jaw as I strike her with more force, right on the border of drawing blood. Nothing. The part of me that craves power roars at me to break her, even if I have to bleed her dry to do it.~Ezra

When Evie doesn't break during phase one and two Ezra decides she's too broken and sends her on her way. But she doesn't leave his mind. He wants her. She makes his cock twitch. But Ezra won't break his rule about fucking whores.

Evie won't give up until she finds who killed her sister. She's not sure what to think about Ezra and Ezra doesn't know what to think about Evie.

This man is breathtaking like God's glory surrounds him, but then, when I look into his eyes, I know he's of the devil because all I see is depravity and squalor. His eyes scream sin and hell, and I close my eyes. This man is everything I despise.~Evie

She calls to my fucked up depravity, makes me want to possess her, to ruin her, because something about her tells me she can't be broken. Or perhaps she's already destroyed, damaged beyond reparation. After all, you can't break what's already broken.~Ezra

I can't tell you which one of these two I thought were more fucked up. They both had no problems killing people. Ezra defiantly had his hands full with Evie. She didn't let him stop her from ridding the world of evil sinning men or women that Ezra once fucked. lol

I clench my fists. I don't even know what to do here. Evie's naked and killing another naked chick. And it shouldn't be hot, but my dick is pressing against my fly because of her words: 'he's mine'.~Evie

When I hit the 60% mark I couldn't help myself but to laugh at these two. I'm telling you they were both crazy! Perfect for each other!

I would follow her, but my legs are fucked. "Some things are fucking sacred, Evie!" I shout after her. "A man's hole is one of them!"~Ezra

"Evie, there's a guy downstairs with a knife through his dick and a slit throat." Ezra's eyes narrow accusingly on me as he locks the door. "Did you kill him?"~Ezra

Oh yea! Like I said Evie was crazy! I loved them both!

Now why not a five star?
Well...I had a few issues with words being repeated over and over and over. I didn't do a word count but damn! Evie went on and on and on about sinning, sins, sinners and being forgiving. Her demon voice in her head grated my nerves at times too. Ezra went on and on and on about his cock twitching, getting hard and tenting his trousers. There were tons more words or phrases that were on repeat through out the book. So I dropped a star. Sorry! But other than that I loved this crazy dark read!

There's no doubt I love both of these authors! Loved Wrong and Wrath so I was praying I'd love this one too. YAY! I loved it! Real life got in my way so I was slow to read this one and I'm happy I finally finished.

Both our lives have gone to shit since the very first time I took that belt to her. She's become my fucking addiction, and I've become her coping mechanism for all the shit she's been through.~Ezra

He is my god, and I am his sinner. And when I love him like this, he is my absolution.~Evie

If you like them dark, gritty, bloody, sexy, and crazy this one is for you! Enjoy my friends!
Profile Image for Sabrina.
3,807 reviews2,319 followers
February 22, 2016
3.5 'Sin and Blood' Stars

It's a week after reading this book and my mind is still wondering what the fuck I read. This book was beyond dark and gritty, it was demented and sadistic, yet I couldn't get enough of it! The crazy part about this book is that it made me laugh a few times. Sure the heroine, Evelyn, was completely batshit crazy, but I must admit there were also times her craziness was a little humorous. Did I just admit to being insane???



Evelyn is a killer. She kills for her God and to rid the world of the evil in it. In her world, you must be punished and suffer the pain of God in order to be forgiven, and if you sin then you must die. She see's herself as God's sin, and she does his work to rid the world of sinners. Which includes Ezra...so why isn't he dead yet?

Ezra is a criminal, he pimps out whore's to be used by his clients in any way imaginable. To him, it's just business and he doesn't care that it may not me morally right. When he see's Evelyn kill a man, it stirs something inside of him, and makes him want to own her. But his personal rule is that he doesn't fuck whore's...so why is Evelyn in his bed?



I don't know what it is about these two authors but when they get together, they create some fucked up shit, and this book is the perfect example of that. I loved every minute of it though, and these characters were so damaged that they somehow were perfect for each other. Even through the very messed up shit that was happening in this story, it was sad and emotional, and even romantic in it's own crazy way.
"We must be broken before we can be fixed, and now, I will fix Evie because she is mine."

Ezra and Evelyn were completely unhinged but I actually felt for their characters and even connected to them on some level. Their relationship, for lack of better word, moved quickly but was well developed. Through the need to possess Evelyn, it was clear that Ezra started to care for her, and I really liked that part of them together. The two of them are far from your normal MC's but that was part of their charm, and what made this book so interesting and erotic.



The only problem I had with this story was the ending. I didn't like how Ezra's character seemed to change at the very end because it just didn't make sense to me. We see him being this sick, sadistic control freak, and at the end he just wasn't the same, he was a little sweeter out of no where. If I saw a gradual change of character I would have been fine with it, but since it was like a switch was turned and he changed really fast, I didn't like it.

Bottom line, if you like very dark, deranged stories, this is the one for you. I promise you that you will not be disappointed. There are a lot of dark books out there now and I've become used to them, so it takes a lot for me to think a story is actually dark. But this book is one that still has me questioning what the fuck I read.
January 30, 2016
It's back on AMZ! Get it before it's gone again! http://amzn.to/1PhXQlD


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Absolution is one of those books I picked up out of blind faith more than anything. I'd never read any works from this author duo, but I must say between the blurb and the book cover, it attracted my inner dark-book whore attention. What I can say beyond the shadow of a doubt is these two characters are so beyond messed up, it's almost comical.


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Evelyn is one religiously brainwashed heroine. From her early years, she's been taught that beauty is sin, sex is sin, men are sinners- especially those men searching out the carnal depraved things in life like SEX! It's her mission to rid the world of sin one John at a time...and her going undercover as a whore will be her easiest way to seeking that redemption.


Evie meets Ezra, renowned pimp and mafia capo while killing another sinner hooking up with one of his customers. She's working on his territory and Ezra doesn't take a liking to having to clean up her mess. And so their crazy relationship begins. Ezra doesn't f*ck whores but he will offer her a job in his whore house...He doesn't realize the level of her psychopathic nature- that he too is a sinner and sinners must be rid from this world.


Evie has "challenges" she must pass in order to be a whore for Ezra. She has to be broken so he can rebuild her into the whore he employs for his Johns. She can do it because he's just another Jihn to her. Except, damn, Evie can't kill Ezra. He's the one man that beats then f*cks the penance right out of her

I feel trapped in a never-ending cycle of sin and penance, and Ezra is both: my sin and my penance. And how is that even possible?

I must say I started with one giant WTF in my head with this book. How can a character be so religiously brainwashed yet a complete cold-blooded killer at the same time? Couple her with Ezra, a man that loves to break women, he's met his match...and she has met her's. He beats the ever-living sin out of her and she begs for more. This is where the hilarity comes into play. Evie is off her ever-living rocker. A woman who now is as attached to Ezra as he is her, she will slaughter some poor soul just to get some attention from him.

She's hot, but you know what they say, the hot girls are always crazy. Well, she fucking redefines that shit.





"Fucking shit!" I slam my hand on the roof. There, on the back seat, is a guy, eyes wide open and staring lifelessly at the ceiling. His head is at an odd angle, and his jaw is hanging open. She snapped his neck. What is she? Jackie-Fucking-Chan?


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The hilarity of this couple and the authors' ability to take a book that's content is otherwise rather dark and make me laugh is sheer genius. Ezra had me in hysterics just trying to keep Evie safe but also clean up her messes. I kept having this internal voice saying "Clean up. Aisle 3!" The book is told in dual POV as well as italics where Evie's inner demonic voice lurks. Don't let the bookcover scare you, this is seriously more of a dark, f*cked-up, romantic comedy- no better term. Although some of the scenes seemed a bit repetitive, this was an all-around fun read for me and I look forward to lots more from this author duo. Why it was taken down briefly from Amazon is anyone's guess.




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Profile Image for Kirsten.
382 reviews172 followers
January 20, 2016
3.5 Sinning stars!

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This book was dark, twisted, and highly entertaining.

Evelyn has been looking to rid of the sin that's inside her. Growing up, she was punished and brutally beaten for her beauty. After murdering her father at the age of 19, Evelyn has been on killing spree by freeing the world of bad men, one sinner at a time.

Since the age of 8, Ezra has been enveloped into mob life. Now as an adult, he is basically a high class pimp for the family. With his own club, Sin, he is able to keep a watchful eye out for his girls and the clientele. He offers his whores protection and safety.

When Evelyn is caught by Ezra on his turf killing a john, he tries to offer her a job.

During the "interview" process, the two get what they're both in need of.

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Ezra wants tears. He gets off on fear.

Evelyn wants the sin beaten out of her...literally.

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With an occurrence that threatens Ezra, and a Little Killer that can't seem to stop dropping bodies, the two are entwined and feed off of the addiction they found in one another.

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Can they be enough for each other?

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This book was totally up my alley.
It's the perfect example for me of having the half star though.
I both enjoyed the shit out of it, and also had some reasons why it wasn't a 5 star read.

What I loved
Depraved, fucked-up, and oh-so-wrong, will always get and hold my attention. This book encompassed all that and then some.

Ezra is an epitome of what I love in my heroes. He's deadly, dangerous, and pretty much a cocky asshole. Yum!

I really liked the storyline. Two messed up people from two opposite (yet similar) lifestyles brought together.

Evelyn/Evie not having any impulse control was actually pretty funny sometimes.
She's so fucked up. She makes me look dull.

What went wrong
There was a lot of repetitive things that were said.

Evie's dual thoughts kind of got on my nerves. I don't think I was totally sold on her reasoning.

As much as Evie was a great heroine, I was lost on having a connection to her, and eventually that led to a loss in the two of them together.

I won't go into much more detail. Just know, I enjoyed it.
I ate this up even with a few speed bumps.
Profile Image for Jenny - TotallybookedBlog.
1,886 reviews2,067 followers
January 6, 2016
description

‘I was raised to believe pain equates to forgiveness.’

Holy shit what the hell did we just read? Well, before we try to answer that question we really have to applaud these authors for an incredibly addictive and well written story. The writing was fabulous and flawless which made for a craze arsed ride that had us feeling depraved and mortified at our enjoyment – but then again we do kind of love reading past our comfort zones.

‘There are no rules, no safe words. I do not want her willing submission. I want to drag it from her, screaming and crying. I want ultimate power over her, and while she’s here in this room with me, I want to own her, body and soul.’

This is not a book for the fainthearted and the Authors themselves have warned readers of this, so pick it up at your own risk. It was ugly, sadistic, horrific and violent. Yet it was terrifyingly sad, twistedly romantic and an extremely unusual love story. Because yes – at the crux of it – it was ultimately about love when stripped of conditioned fucked-up-ness. All we needed was a Tarrantino movie soundtrack to play in the background whilst reading Absolution.

‘I can practically hear her thrumming heartbeat. That sound is like music to my ears, but I don’t want brave faces. I want tears. I want screams.’

So let’s look at the definition of Absolution to start off with. Absolution is the formal release from guilt, obligation, or punishment. For one of our characters this was the soul destroying reality whilst fighting an indoctrination through a punishment of such extreme severity it ultimately impacted and altered the psyche and ‘normal’ body and mind responses. In the name of misguided religion whilst instead at the hands of self-serving narcissistic personalities who needed someone to blame for their own immorality.

‘Ezra is like a storm, violent and turbulent, and as long as you aren’t the one swept up in his winds, it’s tragically beautiful.’

In fiction we’re allowed to say we were mesmerised by Ezra to the point of falling for him. In real life we’d run for the hills never looking back.

‘He is the devil in all his brutal, raw beauty that leads the innocent into temptation.’

His perfect match? Well that would be the one trying to kill him. The one seeking absolution. The one who’s dedicated what’s left of herself to rid the world of the sins that live within her underneath her skin. The ‘stains’ she’s incapable of washing off.

‘Evie. The little killer. The monster hiding behind the face of an angel. She’s so fucked up she makes me look dull.’

We understood and hurt for Evie as we learnt of why she’s on the road that she is, we wanted to comfort this crazed haunted animal – yet again because this is fiction. In real life we’d run for the hills once more and never accept a drink thrust at us or even dare to send a look at Ezra.

“I’m the only God you need, little killer. I’m the one who will protect you, and I’m the one who will rain down hell on anyone who hurts you.”

Sin – obsession – death – passion – redemption – love…..

……………………..Ezra & Evie……it doesn’t get more bloodier than that….Bloody Brilliant!

“Do you like it when I hurt you, little killer? Don’t be ashamed, sweetheart. It’s fucking beautiful.”

❈ ❈ ❈

♥ ♥ ♥
description


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Profile Image for Gitte TotallyBookedBlog.
2,050 reviews942 followers
February 2, 2016
description

‘I was raised to believe pain equates to forgiveness.’

Holy shit what the hell did we just read? Well, before we try to answer that question we really have to applaud these authors for an incredibly addictive and well written story. The writing was fabulous and flawless which made for a craze arsed ride that had us feeling depraved and mortified at our enjoyment – but then again we do kind of love reading past our comfort zones.

‘There are no rules, no safe words. I do not want her willing submission. I want to drag it from her, screaming and crying. I want ultimate power over her, and while she’s here in this room with me, I want to own her, body and soul.’

This is not a book for the fainthearted and the Authors themselves have warned readers of this, so pick it up at your own risk. It was ugly, sadistic, horrific and violent. Yet it was terrifyingly sad, twistedly romantic and an extremely unusual love story. Because yes – at the crux of it – it was ultimately about love when stripped of conditioned fucked-up-ness. All we needed was a Tarrantino movie soundtrack to play in the background whilst reading Absolution.

‘I can practically hear her thrumming heartbeat. That sound is like music to my ears, but I don’t want brave faces. I want tears. I want screams.’

So let’s look at the definition of Absolution to start off with. Absolution is the formal release from guilt, obligation, or punishment. For one of our characters this was the soul destroying reality whilst fighting an indoctrination through a punishment of such extreme severity it ultimately impacted and altered the psyche and ‘normal’ body and mind responses. In the name of misguided religion whilst instead at the hands of self-serving narcissistic personalities who needed someone to blame for their own immorality.

‘Ezra is like a storm, violent and turbulent, and as long as you aren’t the one swept up in his winds, it’s tragically beautiful.’

In fiction we’re allowed to say we were mesmerised by Ezra to the point of falling for him. In real life we’d run for the hills never looking back.

‘He is the devil in all his brutal, raw beauty that leads the innocent into temptation.’

His perfect match? Well that would be the one trying to kill him. The one seeking absolution. The one who’s dedicated what’s left of herself to rid the world of the sins that live within her underneath her skin. The ‘stains’ she’s incapable of washing off.

‘Evie. The little killer. The monster hiding behind the face of an angel. She’s so fucked up she makes me look dull.’

We understood and hurt for Evie as we learnt of why she’s on the road that she is, we wanted to comfort this crazed haunted animal – yet again because this is fiction. In real life we’d run for the hills once more and never accept a drink thrust at us or even dare to send a look at Ezra.

“I’m the only God you need, little killer. I’m the one who will protect you, and I’m the one who will rain down hell on anyone who hurts you.”

Sin – obsession – death – passion – redemption – love…..

……………………..Ezra & Evie……it doesn’t get more bloodier than that….Bloody Brilliant!

“Do you like it when I hurt you, little killer? Don’t be ashamed, sweetheart. It’s fucking beautiful.”

❈ ❈ ❈

♥ ♥ ♥
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Profile Image for Katie.
334 reviews122 followers
January 24, 2016
4 "love is a sin" stars

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"Is this really sin? Because it's beautiful and I want to burn in it if it is. This is sin and sin leads to hell, and I'm okay with that because I would dance in the flames of that inferno at this very moment. To feel this way, like I'm wanted and adored, I would pirouette with the devil himself."

Having absolutely LOVED the Wrong book series by these two authors, I knew that this book would not disappoint me.

Evie and Ezra were totally fucked up in their own way. But, together they were created an crazy and unstoppable duo. Loved both of these characters.

"He is my god, and I am his sinner. And when I love him like this, he is my absolution."

I mean honestly, what's not to love about this book?

Great sex scenes ✓
Great BDSM scenes ✓
Dark as shit ✓
A strong heroine ✓
A messed up alpha male ✓

What brought the star count down on my rating was the fact that Evie was a bit too messed up for me to TRULY connect with her. She was downright psychotic at times! I often found myself wondering if Ezra egged this on too much as well. I mean, she traded one obsession (killing men) for another; him. Ezra knew this and yet, he allowed it to continue and even helped the obsession along. I guess, in a sense, it was their own fucked up version of love.
Profile Image for Fre06 Begum.
1,260 reviews207 followers
April 27, 2017
This was originally 3* for me but I keep going back to re read it and I honestly don't understand why. I only know its compelling and the guy is such an anti hero with his own twisted version of ethics but the the love he has for the female mc is actually more intense and real than the book couples I have been reading about recently. I can't give it less then 4* now o need to know what's happening with Roman's story!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Bex (Beckie Bookworm).
2,252 reviews1,496 followers
July 11, 2022



Evie along with her sister escaped their religious cult background and embraced a destiny of retribution believing she needs to rid the world of bad men she targets those she believes deserving of her judgment. But when her sister is killed she is determined to dispatch those responsible starting with her sister's pimp Ezra.

So this was seriously effed-up and I adored it there are no fluffy bunnies between these pages these two are so Psychotically deranged with such skewed moral compasses that they were actually perfect together and Evie actually seemed the worst of the two.

So though this was dark and toxic and all sorts of wrong it also had me laughing out loud. Ezra’s sheer exasperation with Evie and her many messes actually provided so much comic relief.
This girl is totally bat-shit her upbringing within a cult doing a real number on hers she hears voices that compel her to kill sinners and she believes she’s the biggest one of all. She’s always praying and quoting religious stuff and Ezra despite initially being on her kill list manages to captivate Evie with his ability to wash her clean of her Sins with the pain he gladly provides.

Ezra is not a hero he’s a bad man he’s a local pimp and mob man and he runs a stable of girls which he trains in the art of pain. He doesn’t ever play with the merchandise and has a reputation for providing high-class quality product. With Evie all bets are off he’s instantly fascinated not only with her ability to enjoy what he dishes out but also by the fact that she’s worse than he is a lamb who is really the lion and he wants to be the only god she now worships.

There’s nothing safe or sane about this and it’s a complete toxic minefield but these two do seem made for each other and Ezra loves Evie’s complete and utter crazy. It was well written completely addictive and strangely amusing. I couldn’t help but root for these two despite the things they were both capable of. If you like messed-up reads about bad and crazy individuals who make no apologies this definitely has you covered but be warned it doesn’t pull its punches though I didn’t find it particularly dark myself which I think was mostly because of the black humour and almost symbiotic bond these two formed together. But yeah I recommend this one and enjoyed it immensely.

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Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/63435390
Profile Image for Fatima.
761 reviews347 followers
January 16, 2016
Good God .. that was something !!!!! That warning that comes with this book people ? Yeah you need to take that shit to heart , I kid you not ! Evie and Ezra take crazy to a whole another level ! This could've been a perfect 5 star read for me , but the end felt a bit off .. not sure why . I mean , I'm not even sure what or how I wanted the book to end . But still , it kinda felt too fast and a little incomplete .

But please don't let that stop you from reading this book !
Profile Image for Grace.
2,188 reviews109 followers
March 15, 2016
4.5 stars

Two words: Sadist Pimp.
This is either your kind of book or it isn't.
There is no in-between.

Lucky for me, this was my kind of book. I wanted something intense and I got my fill with this story.

With pimps and hookers along with the sadist element, you'd expect this book to be dark. But, in my opinion, it is dark for a very different reason, violence. I can't even call the main characters a hero and heroine. They are clearly minus the morality gene. The kill with no regret.

Evelyn "Evie" and Ezra are two very complex characters.

Evie seeks revenge on "sinners", particularly men who seek out hookers. To her, killing isn't a sin. Lust is. So when she begins to have sexual feelings for this man, Ezra, who is all sorts of wrong in her eyes, she can only absolve her sins through pain. Something she has been conditioned to feeling since childhood, broken down by those who should have protected her.

Ezra relishes giving pain to others. Yet he is protective of the same women he puts through pain. When Evie claws her way into his world, he's at a loss with what to do with his "little killer". She is essentially the perfect woman for him, a woman who can and wants more pain than any woman prior. But she's a loose cannon and this man is all about staying in control.

Evie feels that she has found the perfect solution for herself, she can carry on with her "plans" and to absolve herself of sin, she can allow Ezra to beat her. Win-Win. But remember, Ezra doesn't beat on command. So the two begin to play a game of who is in control. Although both are caught up in a situation that they should walk away from, neither seems capable to their connection. I kept shaking my head at their actions, knowing where this was leading.

The plot itself is somewhat predictable, until it isn't. There are three WHAT-THE-FUCK moments (yes, I had to spell that out) that had me gapping like a fish out of water. It is dark and it is dirty. Two scenes involved the two pushing each other to extremes, one involves a secondary character. That's all I can say, but you'll know what scenes they are when you get to them.

If you are looking for something dark, with religion and BDSM tied in a way like never before, look no further.

For more reviews, visit
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Profile Image for Philomena Callan Cheekypee.
3,932 reviews414 followers
January 11, 2016
Firstly I love the warning. If I hadn't have heard of these authors or this book I'd be 1-clicking just for the warning.

I had prepared myself for this book. I rushed around doing what I had to so that I'd have a few hours of peace to read this. I'm so glad I did as this wasn't a book I'd have been able to put down easily. I literally sat and inhaled this book.

I now have to admit I must have a real warped mind as I absolutely loved this book.

Ezra and Evie. I'm not sure which I loved most as they are both dark and twisted.
They are brilliant solid characters.
The storyline is fantastic. If it was a movie I'd have whiplash lol I did have some wtf moments while reading this which I crave:)

I'd certainly recommend this to my dark loving friends. If you want to take a chance on a dark read I'd advise a grey kinda book & not this one.

I'm so looking forward to seeing what these two authors can throw at us next. If I had my wish it would be a darker story- yep I'm warped lol
Profile Image for  Linathebookaddict  .
1,488 reviews397 followers
January 10, 2016
ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.
Dark. Twisted. Warped. Two people. Two killers. One insane ride into twisted love.
Evie escaped from a religious cult. She has one purpose; kill the man who murdered her sister. Kill every man who sins. When her world collides with Ezra's only darkness is certain.
He is a pimp. A man who enjoys training women by breaking them. When he sees Evie, he wants her but he has one rule. He never sleeps with whores. Will Evie break his one rule?
The characters were very dark and twisted. Very few readers will be able to connect with them, but I think that was what the authors wanted. I cannot say I liked the characters but Evie had been brainwashed so her actions are not sane.
Ezra was cold hearted and possessive. Their story will shock you, for sure.
If you enjoy the edgy side of literature, then this is for you.

****3.75 Stars****
Profile Image for The Hopeless Romantics Book Blog.
737 reviews207 followers
January 20, 2016
Review: Surj

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L.P Lovell and Steve J Cole's "Absolution" was a book that was banned by Amazon for a short time. Well, if that wasn't like a beacon of light calling out to me, I don't know what is. This book had my name written all over it... a dark read with a synopsis that gave me goosebumps, plus a big ass warning that kinda said anything goes so turn the first page at your own peril and I almost felt like these authors were daring me, goading me to click. So of course I bit the bait and clicked and holy mother in heaven, Ezra and Evie's story was..... C.R.A.Z.Y!!!! In fact I would go so far as to say this one is up there with the best of the warped, twisted, fucked up reads I have ever read. "Absolution" really was unputdownable.
He is brutal, but something in his ruthlessness is beautiful. Something that shouldseem so violent, so wrong- seems so rewarding and divine in it's own right.
There were so many "WTF," "NO WAY" and "THAT DID NOT JUST HAPPEN!!!" moments that left my heart rate in a constant state of tachycardia and my nerves teetering on the edge, ready for the next event that would lead to a stomach churning, jaw dropping moment (and trust me, there were so many I lost count). This was no run of the mill dark story. This really was a cut above with absolutely no sugar coating whatsoever. The lead protagonists were as far from conventional as you could possibly get. In fact, I don't think I've ever met two fictional characters that have gotten such a reaction out of me. Both of them were stark raving bonkers but boy did they make me feel. My heart broke, it soared, I came close to tears and there were even moments this couple had me in fits of giggles... usually at the most inopportune of moments.
There on the back seat is a guy, eyes wide open and staring lifelessly at the ceiling. His head is at an odd angle, and his jaw is hanging open. She snapped his neck. What is she? Jackie- fucking- Chan?

I shouldn't have liked Ezra. i really shouldn't. He was the worst of the worst, the baddest of all bad asses but I couldn't help but be intrigued by him. And Evie, one minute her story was ripping my heart in two and the next, I was almost excited at what she would do next. She was as unpredictable as they come, a loose cannon where no man was safe. I understood her motives as barmy as some of them were and I really took to her character.
I am death dressed as his deepest desire: a weak woman. but I am not weak.
Was this book a love story? Ultimately yes but throw into the mix possession, obsession and compulsion, sin and absolution and a sprinkling of angels, demons, god and the devil himself and hey presto, you've got yourself one hell of an insane, brutal, barbaric, gritty, gruesome and very depraved story that for some reason, had me rooting for this couple and those three magic words. Did I get them? You'll have to wait and see.

The writing in "Absolution" was truly outstanding. It's so difficult to describe it ... was it almost poetic? I don't know but the way things were described... emotions, desires, actions and inner thoughts had me pinned to the pages. I felt those words like you wouldn't believe. The impact they had on my overall enjoyment of the book was second to none and I found myself highlighting like a crazy lady!!!
"You make me want to hurt you, to make you cry while I fuck you."
This is my first read by these authors but I'm putting my hands up now and saying I will absolutely be stalking them from now on. I can't wait to read more from this pair.

I rated "Absolution" a well deserved ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
"You're a monster, little killer," I whisper against her skin. A perfect monster.
Profile Image for 'Q' aka CoCo.
569 reviews59 followers
January 26, 2016
I'm in the minority here... Let me start by saying I thought the book's premise was really interesting. Evie is as crazy as they come, and she has good reason. Her life growing up was filled with abuse and brainwashing. Ezra is crazy as well, but he's more the normal kind of crazy--the dominating, ruthless, crime lord crazy we all know and love. Together, they could have been explosive. Instead, I couldn't get past the writing style.
I found it too repetitive to enjoy. I do get that the author probably did this intentionally at times to show us how Evie's mind worked, "I wanted to feel his filth, his sin crawling over every last inch of my skin, and then I wanted him to beat that sin right out of me. And that is a sin. That is such an evil sin."
Except Ezra did it too, "I let her fall apart. I want her to fall apart, and until now I had no idea how much I needed her to fall apart."
Even beyond that, the word "sin" or "sinners" is mentioned 285 times in this book. The word "whore" shows up 113, "forgive" 35, and "redhead" 18.
To be honest, despite the style not being for me, I was still enjoying the story enough to three star it until the end. Ezra was a grade A asshole and I love MCs like him. It's an automatic star drop for me when MCs have personality transplants, and geez, he could not have flipped more than he did there at the end. It was a huge disappointment.
Profile Image for Di Covey/TwistedBookReviews.
1,083 reviews216 followers
March 19, 2016
YES. YES. YES. Come join the insanity!

This is like the first time I went to Toys R Us as a kid. This was like the first time I was kissed. I was in dark, twisted glee, smiling from hear to hear through the entire book. Rolling on the floor laughing at the most dysfunctional couple I have ever read.

If you love dark romance, you need to read this. It's not your typical "Stockholm Syndrome" dark romance, it's a treat for the sick and twisted. I LOVED EVERY INSANE WORD!!! Evie & Ezra are on my list of favorite, dark couples. I literally laughed out loud at these two and their antics. I highlighted the entire book, but here's one of my favorite parts.

The second I open my car door I'm ready to kill her. "Fucking shit!" I slam my hand on the roof. There, on the back seat, is a guy, eyes wide open and staring lifelessly at the ceiling. His head is at an odd angle, and his jaw is hanging open. She snapped his neck. What is she? Jackie-Fucking-Chan?

I mean, if you can't handle dark, depraved elements, then you wouldn't understand. Take the warnings seriously.

Hands down this is a favorite of 2016!!!
Profile Image for Mg ♥ The Bookishmedialite.
1,222 reviews322 followers
January 14, 2016
5 "LITTLE KILLER" STARS.

I'm not sure, I'm still processing what happened here, but I think that maybe this is one of the most disturbing books I have read, and you know what... I freaking loved every second of it.

Evie & Ezra are both fucked up people and for that they fit one another perfectly. No one could ever make Evie feel the way Ezra made her feel and vice versa.

"He is sin, I am his sinner."

This book almost took me out of my comfort zone, there were things I found a little disturbing, nothing I could not handle, but the most scary thing would be that I enjoyed the whole thing.

I had so much fun with Evie's demonic voice. Lol. And Daveeee, ah that hurt my heart.

This book had romance, in a twisted way but romance after all, hot scenes that I found hot as sin, and I consider it kind of a thriller. So if you LOVE dark readings and want to be dragged out of your comfort zone, you need to give this book a try.

Cannot wait to read more from these two authors. Thank you for the wild ride.
Profile Image for Willow Madison.
Author 10 books265 followers
March 19, 2016
3.5 *** Loved loved loved, hated hated hated. So conflicted on this one. The premise – loved. Ezra – loved. Evie – loved. Sort of. The crazy talk in her head – hated. This is what pulled the story down for me and could use a good editing. Evie’s thoughts were too repetitious for my taste. The big shocker – hated. It could be seen a mile away and didn’t even do much for the storyline except create some obvious plot holes that need filling.

I rounded up because I loved that the author didn’t try to shove a redemption plot into this, the blood and gore were appropriately messy and added to the sexy times (yep, I’m sick like that), and the HFN wasn’t all butterflies circling the happy couple.
Profile Image for Hana ♡.
345 reviews199 followers
September 7, 2017
Dark, disturbing, sensual and AMAZING.



I really enjoyed this dark read. The characters were so intriguing and you could really feel the depth of their disturbing obsessions for each other. Ezra was a bit more sane but you could tell he was just as invested as Evie...

"I wonder if she even knows how far down the rabbit hole she's fallen because there is no getting out of this now. I fucking own her."



I wish there was more of Ezra and Evie, I would love to read more about them post-Absolution!
Profile Image for Kim BookJunkie ~ Editor & Proofreader.
2,047 reviews56 followers
December 7, 2022
After reading just the first few pages, I knew I was going to enjoy this book! ABSOLUTION is dark, crazy and very taboo! If you have strong religious beliefs and/or a high regard and respect for religion, do not read this book!

Lovell and Cole are masters of character development! In ABSOLUTION, they have created a markedly unique and exceptionally fu(ked up character named Evelyn. For several days, Evelyn wasn't just a character in a book; she became a living, breathing woman who intrigued and entertained me to no end! She also frustrated me. In fact, I felt all kinds of emotions as I read about this poor woman! As a child, Evelyn was conditioned and trained, leaving her with outrageously extreme religious beliefs and convictions. Evelyn's warped religiosity combined with the voices in her head compel her to do incredibly disturbing yet wildly entertaining things!

As a former mental health professional, this book was a guilty pleasure for me! If I met someone like Evelyn in the real world, the last thing I would feel is entertained!I would be panicked, doing everything I could to get Evelyn into an inpatient facility, locked up where wouldn't be able to hurt herself or anyone else. However, because this is fiction, I got to sit back and simply enjoy the show, shocked yet utterly fascinated by Evelyn's lunacy. Evelyn really is an incomparable character. I meet thousands of characters in the hundreds of books I read each year, yet I am absolutely positive that Evelyn is a character I will never forget!

Of course, Evelyn wouldn't have been a remarkable character if her story hadn't been so compelling. ABSOLUTION is the kind of story that's guaranteed to piss people off, and the fact that this didn't prevent Cole & Lovell from repeatedly crossing the line made me respect this talented duo even more! No, the editing wasn't flawless, yet the shock value alone made it easy for me to ignore the occasional typo. And yes, there is one aspect of the story that all readers should be able to predict, yet Lovell and Cole are damn clever! Readers may foretell what or who is going to pop up later in the story, but be prepared… This 1 predictable aspect is coupled with a gasp-out loud twist! Man, this book!!!! It's one I could reread from the start and enjoy just as much! If you haven't read this book yet, take your time, savor every chaotic moment, and enjoy the ride!
Profile Image for That Chic Jamie.
595 reviews35 followers
January 5, 2016
This is a 5 star read, if you can handle it.

If you're thinking that Absolution is going to be anything like the Wrong Series, you're going to be severely disappointed.

WARNING: The purpose of this story is to take you out of your comfort zone. There may be topics in this book you find repulsive or morally wrong-that is the intent.

Well, how do I write a review that will do Absolution justice? Did you read that warning? That's only the first couple of sentences. HEED THE WARNING, PEOPLE! I've been told for months that this book is fucked. It is raw, dirty, insane and complete wrong.

Absolution will rip you out of your comfort zone. If you're just getting into the dark genre do not start with this book. Work up to it.

"Ezra is like a storm, violent and turbulent, and as long as you aren't the one swept up in his winds, it's tragically beautiful."


Absolution is one of those that is very wrong, but oh so right. Seriously, I was turned on and repulsed at the same time. This is not a love story, even though you may catch some love within. It is not a story about bdsm, even if what you've read before makes you think otherwise. This is not a religious book, even if the characters religion is talked about. This is a book all in a class of its own!

"My world is potentially about to fall apart, and I should let her go, but I won't. I'm obsessed with her to the point I don't care what is best for her, only that she is with me. She should have walked away when she had the chance, before I fucked her, before I killed for her. Twice."


Be advised; there are scenes in this book that will make you uncomfortable, there are triggers, there are really, really fucked up scenes but in the end they all make sense.

I was gifted a copy from Twisted Sisters Book Reviews, in exchange for an honest review.


Profile Image for Natalie  ~ The Biblioholic.
2,692 reviews1,383 followers
May 11, 2016
I knew... I just knew when I one-clicked this that I would be led on a roller coaster ride of a journey. But this book gave me more than I expected. The dark and twisted theme ran true for BOTH characters.

Evie and Ezra were absolutely tragic. This is not your typical love story. There is NOTHING romantic about this tale. But despite the blood, death, abuse, psychological torment, and desperation, there was a glimmer of hope for these two. And I held onto that with all my might in order to see this book through to the end.

Seeing into Evie's mind was its own mindfuck if I were to be honest. It was like watching a horror show or thriller. The thorough brainwashing she endured was so sad. I kept hoping that she would realize that what she believed wasn't true, but... I'm still waiting.

Ezra pissed me off but in a good way. He tried to give Evie what she needed even though he was ill equipped. He was obsessed with her and I kept waiting for him to realized that in his own twisted way, he loved her. I didn't like his ex being brought up time and time again or the fact that he readily admitted that he still wanted her. I expected an explanation for that, maybe something that showed he only said these things to rile Evie, but I think he really did still want that Jen girl. Which of course angered me because I want my H to be only into my h.

Fave quote:There, on the back seat, is a guy, eyes wide open and staring lifelessly at the ceiling. His head is at an odd angle, and his jaw is hanging open. She snapped his neck. What is she? Jackie-fucking-Chan?

Overall an awesome dirty and gritty read. There were some errors in proofing but not so much that it would be distracting.

Enjoy! xo
Profile Image for 1-Click Addict Support Group.
3,749 reviews485 followers
February 24, 2016
This has got to be one of the most original books I have ever read. While I am a huge fan of dark and twisty, there are not many books even in the same league as this book. And just like the step-brother craze, I have a feeling we will seeing a few books like this in the future.

Evelyn (Evie) grew up in a situation most of us will never get a full grasp on, unless we have grown up in a cult. Especially one that makes woman the sin its self, and therefore must be "absolved" of their sins through physical pain. After escaping, Evie and her sister are on a mission to rid the world of evil men.

Ezra is a pimp, to put it bluntly. He is also the last person to have employed Evie's sister as a prostitute. He "trains" his high-end girls to be able to take a beating and give the clients exactly what they want.

I can't even tell you anything else without giving away a detail or two that will ruin the story for you. And, oh man, do I need to discuss this with people. Maybe I will start a support group.

The only real issue I had with this book was the cult aspect. I don't understand it, at all, so it's very hard to relate to for most of us, but it did not distract from the story. ~ Devlynn, 4.5 stars
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