Member Reviews
Bloody hell, what a story!
The Director is one dark, brutal, mindblowing rollercoaster of a ride. I seriously don't know what to say, other than say what a strong woman Emma is and my god Ethan, I just wanted to punch him and then five minutes later snog his brains out - what a character! Throughout this story, as a reader I felt like I was there in the Studio with Emma. What would I do if I was in her situation, omg just the thought of experiencing any of what Emma had to go through *shudders* and that ending, ugh just brilliant!
Amazing writing and storytelling by Lily as always - she is still the reigning Queen of Darkness and MindF*ck.
Well done Lily!
Unfortunately, I didn't connect with either the characters or the storyline and therefore, the book was a DNF
This is the darkest story I have ever read. Fans of K. Webster will be drawn to these pages. It is my first read by this author and I can't decide if I'm more in awe of the masterpiece that was created or in need of serious therapy. The warning shouldn't be taking lightly.
The prologue starts with Emma saying she will dying in three days... Intrigued?! I was. Even more so that the beginning chapters start a year before. It definitely hooks the reader. It the first several pages I think I held my breath. I was not believing that the author took this that far so quick. When Emma actually arrives at the great kept secret of the underground operation, she has an eye opener and chooses a path from which she want recover.
It takes suspense to a whole new level. I wanted to scream and cry and beg for mercy for her. Most importantly my eyes were glued to this insane storyline. It's from one extreme to the next, with bodies piling up around every corner.
The main male lead is a huge mystery in the fact that he is always being insane. "I had the distinct feeling Ethan was like a sour onion with many layers that only made you cry harder the closer you got to his core." I wasn't sold on his madness but I was drawn to the chaos that came from his mind.
Emma and Ethan develop a really weird connection from the start. She sees something in him that the reader can not. "Ethan believed I had more strength than others, but at this moment I would have sworn I broke more easily than the rest." She takes his encouragement to heart for the most part but she was right at this moment.
The ending is my absolute favorite part of this entire story. Most novels like this will disappoint you with how they take the ending. Not this book! It gives you exactly what you didn't know you needed. If I could give this 20 stars I would just because of the ending.
Buckle up buttercup, we are taking a trip through the darker recesses of Lily’s mind!
Imagine being kidnapped and given the ultimatum to "fuck or die." Well that seems such a simple choice. Dieing would end any pain and suffering you may have to endure if you were to choose the other. What people don’t realize is that although given the choice self preservation kicks in and that instinct to survive prevails the appeal of death.
Ethan, a director, has bored with the regular films he has produced. He seeks a higher level of art. One that pushes the boundaries of morality. He seeks to capture those true genuine moments of human emotion, be that desperation, fear, fury or ecstacy. To create such objectionable black market films he must have unwilling participants in order to showcase that which he seeks.
After being snatched and taken by force to a place where there is little hope of escaping, Emma is presented this illusion of a choice. Ultimately it really isn’t a choice, as both decisions involve the most deplorable of human violation and torture.
The Director is an engrossing read with unreserved content. Lily White will push your morality and corrupt your standards with this story. A must read for those foolhardy enough to attempt it.
4.5* Audacious Stars
Gaahhhhh I loved it!!! Lily put it all out there and left nothing unturned. This story will shock you beyond belief and yet I couldn't put it down. Lily gives us everything in this story, violence, sex, love, angst, death, torture, and I can honestly say she made me cry in this one. It was raw emotion this story, incredible.
If you love dark, twisted, dark, vile, dark, gore, dark, murder and did I mention dark, this is the book for you. This story is full of triggers not for the faint of heart.
Emma oh where do I begin....I loved her character. So strong, so protective so emotional I felt all her emotions during her journey into hell. You just cannot imagine where she found her strength. What would you have done in her situation. Stolen from the street forced into sex and murder and never knowing from one day to the next when it will end.
Fuck or Die??? That is the question as Ethan asks so eloquently.
Ethan is it wrong that I loved him??? It all has to do with Lily how she delivers him to us. Lily just has a way with egotistical, arrogant, good looking men. However, I think we needed to love Ethan in order for this story to come full circle for us. He was just the perfect vilian. Aahhh, I'm still thinking of him.
Ethan and Emma feed perfectly off of each other. How they force the other to.play thier hand brilliant. Emma sometimes pushing too far, but what else was she to do. She literally had nothing to lose in her mind.
If your looking for a story that has it all and you have a good stomach this is a must read. A story of self discovery and what one will do in order to live. How far would you go??
This is Lily's best dark book EVER!!!
The Director is the first dark exclusive by Lily White. She had my attention from this warning: Uncensored. Raw. Compelling. This book should only be read by those who truly love the DARK. This made my dark soul come alive.
The Director definitely did not disappoint. It captivated me from the beginning until the end. It is everything I love in a dark read; twisted, raw, taboo, and shocking. The characters were well developed and very interesting. Emma was a great heroine; she was strong and sassy. Ethan was a great villain, he was easy to hate but at times he wiggled his way into my dark heart. I loved this story, it was unique and a welcomed distraction from reality.
This was a great read and if you like dark stories you should grab this one up. In my opinion no one does dark better than Lily White and I cannot wait until her next release.
This story had my attention from page one. It is the perfect example of finding love in some of the scariest of places. This story was unique and real and probably the darkest book that I have ever read. I loved this story. It makes you feel so many things, and the characters are so complex. I highly suggest this book, but do warn that it should only be read by readers that can handle all triggers, and do not have weak stomachs. This story was phenomenal and completely unforgettable.
Emma Hart never thought one mindless decision could drastically changed her life. After being taken, everyday became a struggle for survival when she was force to give a performance of her life.
Ethan Cole was a well known Hollywood director until he felt stifled by the glittering facade and gone underground. For him, art should have no boundary but even then he wasn't fully satisfied. That was until he met a muse that could potentially be a game changer.
With this book being a dark exclusive, non Amazon book, I had very high expectations for it to be loaded with fucked-upness. In that aspect the book delivered.
I like how Ethan played his role in the story. He served his purpose. However I couldn't feel his soul (it doesn't matter the positive or negative aspect of it) therefore I didn't know him well enough. I would love to dig his character more to the core.
Emma was thrown into difficult situations throughout the book. While I'm not a fan of her, I could appreciate how her character evolved showing her strengths and weaknesses.
I am very particular when it comes to dark contents. This book satisfied my dark and depraved needs in the physical aspect, but not quite there in term of psychological aspect.
The Director is a story of adapting for survival. It would appeal to readers who like to cross into the dark side.
One question, requiring only one response:
Fuck or Die?
If I could give this book more than 5 stars I would!!!
This is the first of Lily White’s Dark Exclusives and will only be available on her website and Smashwords.
I don’t want to give away any details of the story I went in blind I seen the cover and heard it was going to be dark and I was like where do I sign up for this book. it is so well written, as is with all Lily’s books.
This book is Raw, consuming, dark. It draws you in and doesn’t let go until the very end. What a story it is.. Once I started I could not put it down. I loved the characters, I really liked Emma, what a woman she is. I just loved her.
Everybody wants to be an actress, right?
The lights, the camera, the action? The fame, the money, the beauty, and esteem? It’s all part of the package.
Unless, of course, you’re part of HIS films.
Emma Hart’s life irrevocably changes when she is abducted and given a terrifying proposition. With limited options, Emma’s rationale for her choice is the path of least resistance. However, when confronted with what lies behind door number two, her perspective radically changes to where every single last moment is earned.
Ethan Cole is a director with certain professional goals. As he studies people for emotional subtleties, he captures each unadulterated nuance on film. Without filters, Ethan creates a world of violence, pain and raw fear.
As Emma’s time becomes limited, she learns how to survive in ways she could have never foreseen. Using what she believes to be an advantage to manipulate her situation, Emma is still left vulnerable as the time for her final performance nears. While Ethan continues to control the environment in furtherance of his vision, the course set.
Told in dual POV, the nefarious tone of this novel is mainly felt through the perspective of Emma as she endures the reprehensible actions of her captors. Yet, even with these conditions, Emma manages to retain a sense of humanity. As Ethan’s experience is shared sporadically, his agenda is clear showing his ability and willingness to thrive in this depraved environment. Knowing her demise is near, Emma must process all her emotions and summon her resolve into the ultimate final act.
This novel definitely dives head first into a dark and evil world where limits are nonexistent. While Emma’s situation is desperate, she managed to channel an inner strength she didn’t know existed though at times it seemed to provide exactly what Ethan wanted. However, with the level of darkness evident in the physical acts, I was hoping the psychological elements between Emma and Ethan would have been equally as potent. Though there was manipulation, it felt offset by certain actions at times.
In The Director, Lily White creates a disturbing and grisly story that will keep readers on edge at all times. The theme of adaptation pervades the plot which allows for the characters to act the way they do. While it isn’t justification, it just becomes a means to an end. This one isn’t for the fainthearted but for those who like to test their limits. I recommend!
This book tested my boundaries, It's not like other books I've read. I definitely loved it thought! It's addictive and not a book I'll forget in a hurry!
I loved this book, the character development was interesting and complex.
Heed the warnings on this one!! She has absolutely outdone herself this time!! The darkest, most undeniably twisted book I've ever read. Girls taken from the streets and forced to make a choice. These are the performances of their lives. I loved Emma's spunk and stubbornness and though I probably should despise Ethan I just can't seem to. This one made be second guess my sanity because I enjoyed it so much.
This book was given to me at my request and I provided this review voluntarily
“It was in my moments with him that I realized that human life isn’t simply about the happy times and heartwarming moments. There was no true line between right and wrong, in each of us, both light and darkness exist. To refuse one was to diminish the other. To never fear was to never feel brave. To never hurt was to never find joy. To turn away from what society deemed disturbing was to never fully understand that even in ugliness there was beauty.”
You never know what path Lily White is going to lead you down, but you always know it’s going to be one hell of a ride! This is unrestrained, no holds barred, Lily White.
I couldn’t put it down. I had to know what was going to happen to Emma. Was this attraction developing between her and Ethan going to take root? Where was all of this story leading? Does Emma have an ending???
Lily White sure knows how to keep you on your toes and entranced in a story! As disturbing and awful as some of the acts in this story are, the author is able to shed hope and light and love in the direst of situations. This story is raw. It makes you think, it makes you question, it makes you feel.
“Because when you took the entire picture of my journey with Ethan and broke it down frame by terrifying frame, only one answer was left to be given; I’d taken a script written to show the most depraved of all nightmares and had somehow discovered notations of love scribbled hastily within its pages.”
Lily White writing a dark exclusive series that won’t be published on the big A, where she can fully hand over the reins to her evil, warped and twisted mind – no restrictions, no limitations… Talk about me being nervous and worried and intrigued and excited – but also downright terrified. Because all of the other works of hers I’ve read so far were also far from tame. And only last week I’ve read one which truly pushed my boundaries. Yeah, what this woman is capable of in the dark (more like pitch black) erotica genre is insane. So many times I’ve been disappointed when reading a “dark” book that came highly recommended, only to discover that it’s rather tame in my personal opinion. It seems like my own depravity isn’t half bad either – and Ms. White only continues to rise that bar.
This book is a masterpiece of what dark and depraved and violent and traumatic truly means. It’s shocking, disturbing, possibly even disgusting to some degree. You seriously need a strong stomach to be able to enjoy the brilliant storyline, which does not shy away from detailed and very graphic descriptions of every unfathomable vile act imaginable. It’s disconcerting how one can enjoy that type of sickening story at all. And I know for a fact that I do.
If you do not shy away from violence and brutality and cunningness you will be as frighteningly fascinated by Emma Hart and Ethan Cole’s story as I was.
Be warned: It doesn’t get much darker than that – and still I’m almost positive Ms. White will once again prove me wrong in that statement when she releases the next book in this series. You never know what to expect from her – but one thing you can count on every single time: to have your mind blown, to be thrown for a loop by the evil and manipulative twists she will throw your away. There a reason this lady is named the Queen of Mindfuckery – and I don’t think there will challenges to steal that title anytime soon.
THE DIRECTOR is everything I hoped for and feared – and more!
Wow! I would love to say this is a beautiful love story but I can’t. It has beautiful within the words of the author. It is a story within a story. Set in the real world of underground illegal pornographic and snuff films it is dark, harsh, tragic, heinous, disturbing, gruesome and not for the faint of heart. It is a story I will not forget and will read again at some point. The writing is superb. The love story is so tragic and triumph. I fell in love with Ethan although I hated to. The ending was not what I thought it would be but was really good. Needless to say I loved this book!
You know what I love most about reading a book from Lily White? That I never know how truly dark or twisted a road this author will lead me down. NEVER!! Just when I think I have a grip on what will happen next or how a character will react to certain stimuli, I’m almost always shown I have absolutely no clue how this thing works.
Emma was your typical 22-year old. Living a carefree life without worrying about the consequences. And although her momma taught her to be aware of her surroundings, those lessons didn’t really stick. After a complete fail of a date, she leaves her would-be suitor at a red light and walks to find a cab home. She’s then taken right off the street and spirited off to a compound that houses other women who perform at the pleasure of the pervs who troll the dark net. The man to lead her through her new life is Ethan Cole, The Director of the films that take place in her new home. He’s ruthless, calculating and lethal. One wrong move... a girl dies. Don’t comply… a girl dies. Don’t cooperate… a girl dies. You get the drift, right?
Seriously, I didn’t know which way was up with this story and the ending was completely unexpected, which is my favorite kind of read. Because everything that happened through this book was a surprise, I had to give it five stars. When you can pull the rug out from under me and still leave me with a smile on my face, you deserve all the kudos that feat deserves!
Release Date: December 13, 2017
Genre: Dark Erotic Thriller
POV: Dual - 1st person
Heat: 4 out of 5
Type: Standalone
I have been reading Lily White’s books for a while now. I enjoy dark romances/books in general, however, The Director, well this book cemented Lily White as one of my top all-time dark romance writers. This story will really test your limits. Take her warning seriously, this book is for those that truly love dark and twisted stories only.
Emma Hart was taken from everything she has ever known, including her country and thrusted into a world she never knew existed. Even when so much was taken from her, she stayed strong. Given the choice to live or die, she made the only choice possible.
Ethan Cole is no hero. He was once a highly regarded director, however, now he is the director for depraved underground movies depicting females stolen from their lives and thrown into this world without a choice. Even so, he is a very captivating and gorgeous man. It is very easy to fall into his spell, even as he demands the unimaginable from you.
The Director was one very dark and taboo story, I cannot stress this enough. This story pushes all boundaries on what is right and wrong. Lily White did an amazing job telling a story in a way that captivated me from start to finish. It was so twisted and wrong, but I could not put it down. There were many times I literally hated Ethan, but Lily wrote him in a way that you are also drawn to him.
This story is very dark and depraved and will push all your boundaries. Heed the warning, but if you love the dark and twisted and have no qualms about reading these types of stories, this book is for you. I was consumed by this book! This book has a lot of taboo and trigger subjects within it and is only available via the author’s website or Smashwords, which should tell you how dark this story really is.
What did I just read? This is dark and twisted at its best. I found myself going crazy by this story and trying to figure out why???
Emma is strong and I honestly wondered how she survived all she was put through by Ethan.
Ethan....mercy this is one man that intrigued me and anger me in such a way.
This is a good dark story. There are some serious triggers. The scenes are graphic. I won't lie. I struggled a bit. This almost made my speechless shelf. However the author has interesting way of writing. This was my first book by her. I want to see what else she got.
ARC provided by the author in exchange for review.
The Director is Lily White unleashed, unapologetic, and as dark and twisted as you know her to be. It is her first self published, no holds barred, Dark Exclusive. Are you scared yet? You should be. The evil genius that is the mind of Lily White tells a very disturbing tale in The Director.
Author Lily White creates characters that are strong, twisted, and down right fucked up! But she also has a way of putting something in these villainous anti-heroes that has me liking them, even wanting them to get an HEA despite all the evil crap they do. She does this beautifully with Ethan Cole, our dominant, controlling director. I wanted to know what made him tick. How he could be okay with what he was doing. He really doesn't give me a good reason, but, it is his reason. He appears to be evil personified and even a little crazy, almost detached by what he is a part of creating. Until Emma.
Emma is smart, sassy, provocative and something Ethan never expected. I don't think he was ready for her. She was a game changer. I loved her character. I truly felt for her and her dire situation. The strength she possessed is unbelievable. Fantastic character.
Not the conventional meeting for our hero and heroine. I think I held my breath during most of this book. It is intense, graphic, raw and very dark. I admit that I read some parts biting my nails. I was shocked and speechless with some of the events, but, I was so hooked. I couldn't read fast enough. Author Lily White's story had me racing to the end, devouring every gritty word. No sweetness and light here. It's about survival and strength in the face of despair. It is extreme. Yet, in all this darkness, there is a flicker of light. Something developing from all this evil and insanity, a ray of hope. It is a story only Lily White could tell. It's not for the squeamish, faint of heart or those who get easily offended, shocked, or disturbed. It is Lily White, uncensored, unfiltered and at her best. Loved it. Cannot wait for more of her exclusives. 4.5 Deliciously Dark Stars!!
What the freak did I just read?
I have entered an alternate dimension of a horrifying nightmare where all the triggers are pushed to their limit.
YET, despite it all, I couldn't stop reading this story as I found myself intrigued by the story, and the characters.
The plot was suspenseful, twisted and heart stopping! The characters were equally twisted, mysterious and well developed.
I found myself pausing several times...yes it's a tough emotional read... but I needed to find out the answers as well as what was behind another door.
The suspense... the unknowns...the desperation of Emma...What happened at the end?
In this read, all your senses are on high alert as you experience what Emma and others are going through. I gasped, I cringed, my skin even got some creepy crawly sensations.
The author has once again masterfully given the reader another dark, suspenseful, and intense thought provoking story.
Who is the Director and what exactly is he directing?
Is he predator or prey?
F@@k or die?
That is the question?
How would you answer?
This DARK, GRITTY and mystifying psychological thriller is not for the faint of heart! The sad reality is that what was described in this story happens in real life.
So please lovely readers, for the love of all that is reading... don't read this book and then complain about the content.
Now excuse me while I continue rocking on the corner.