Thank you NetGalley for the eARC. This book was not what i thought it would be. I did not finish it. There was a lot of cruelty , which made for the storyline, but was a trigger for me personally so i had to stop.

Wow! Counts of Eight was such a dark romance and I loved it! I'm sad it took me so long to read it, but at least the second book is out now and I can read it right away.

Anya and Ezra were both amazing characters. I loved how strong and resilient Anya was. She has been through way to much in the three years she's been a slave, but she hasn't lost her fight. I love the connection she had to Ezra as well. Ezra wants to protect her, and I loved that about him. Him being a slave too he could have only thought about himself, but he didn't.

Overall I enjoyed this book. The writing sometimes was a little too slow paced, but overall it was really good!

Counts of Eight has left me speechless. It's a roller coaster of pain, hope and heart broken despair and ends with a major cliffhanger! I loved every second of it. The characters were amazing and the story was well written. I recommend it!

Counts of Eight is definitely a walk on the dark side of the romance genre. The main character, Anya was taken several years before by Nikolai to be "talent" for his family. Her talent is she's an amazing classically trained dancer. She is forced to train and dance on behalf of Nikolai's family when the "Four Families" have their gatherings. Since Nikolai "owns" Anya, she is at his mercy in all ways. Let's just say he's not a kind person. Don't go into this book thinking you'll eventually like him...here's the only spoiler I will give you...you won't like him in this book at all. He's cruel and heartless. Has he endured tragedy, yes. Does it excuse his behavior? Absolutely not.

Nikolai kidnaps Ezra to dance with Anya. Apparently all the dance partners he's brought to her in the past have failed to live up to his expectations and vanish after their annual performance. Instantly, Nikolai and Anya both know Ezra is different. First of all, he's incredibly talented. Secondly, he is extremely strong-willed and determined. Nikolai is fascinated by him and wants to see if he and Anya can create the performance he expects. Anya is fascinated too - but she knows it could be the end of both of them if she gives into it.

This was my first Brynn Ford book and I enjoyed it quite a bit. Since this little gem ended with a doozie of a cliffhanger, I'll be reading her work again soon!!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Anya is a slave to Nikolai Mikhailov. She does not want this life, but she plays her part in subjugating her master’s new acquisition, Ezra, breaking him just as she was broken. Ezra is a contemporary dancer kidnapped to be Anya’s slave and partner. At first he resists, but when he learns what it costs Anya, with whom he feels a deep, instantaneous connection, he bends and obeys, but refuses to break. His strength renews a passion Anya hasn’t felt in years, and while it may make them dance well enough to save their lives, it may also be their undoing.

There is a disclaimer at the front of the book that the book has scenes of nonconsensual sex and violence, and there is. At no point does Ford glorify what is happening to Anya and Ezra, nor does she try to make the nonconsensual sex scenes arousing for readers. Because there is nothing truly erotic to be found in the scenes, instead a reader might wonder why Nikolai chooses to subject Anya (and Ezra) to this, and what he actually gets out of it, since he doesn’t really seem to enjoy any of this, either.

One also wonders what he does with his day when he’s not abusing dancers. Theoretically his family is in the human trafficking business, but I can’t believe that leaves him with as much free time as he seems to have. And why, for that matter, the scions of the Four Families are all young-ish, good-looking sexual sadists. That strikes me as a very odd coincidence. Of course, Nikolai has his own ghosts to battle, but who really cares about those?

As I’ve said, it is clearly a deliberate choice on Ford’s behalf to make any scenes of nonconsensual sex read as violent and to always make clear that Anya understands the wrongness of what is happening to her. By contrast, scenes of consensual intimacy are written in much the same way you’d find in any contemporary romance featuring a woman who has suffered abuse in the past. I approve of this stylistic approach, I have to say, but it seems to be the sum of Ford’s effort in writing, as the prose is generally unremarkable

Given that this series is about four crime families who specialize in human trafficking, I expected to find some sort of note at the end enlightening readers about the state of human trafficking and organizations trying to stop it, as well as perhaps information on RAINN and similar organzations combating partner violence, but I suppose the readership for this sort of erotica may not be the same group that needs those helplines. And, of course, I realize it is not the role of erotica writers to take on responsibility for the world’s ills in such a way, but it’s a trend I’ve noticed in YA books that would be nice if it spread to other genres.

At any rate, if you want to read about dancers being kidnapped and sexually tormented by a Russian crime lord, this book has all that. I can’t think of too many others that check all those boxes.

What a ride...

This book was dark and gritty.

Anya and Ezra found hell on earth... abuse, rape all because of a vicious man!

Together, they try to enjoy the only thing that is possible... dancing!

But between them more happens...

It's a roller coaster of my pain, hope and heart broken despair and ends with a major cliffhanger!

Anya is a dancer and captive of a monster. She must dance or die and Ezra is selected by her master to be her next dance partner. The strength these two people have and the things they endure will make you cry. A great read that I recommend.

Full review appeared at Reader's Edyn on June 10, 2020

Anya is no longer living her life. She is merely surviving; doing what she has to so that she makes it through another day. Her dream had always been to become a principal ballerina and she was well on her way – until one fateful day when she was ripped away from the life she knew. Thrust into a dark world of brutality, the vileness of human trafficking, the relentless mental and physical abuse toward her and others, owned and ruled by a man who can only be described as a monster. She dares not hope for escape or any other kind of life outside of this one. Hope is dangerous and the punishments brutal. So for now, to avoid death, she dances. Although she will probably dance until she dies anyway. But her latest partner is like none she has encountered. Ezra kindles her spark – a flame she had let extinguish in the face of her horrific reality. That spark is a dangerous thing to have. But it also allows her to live again. Knowing her time is likely drawing to a close, she allows herself to get lost in Ezra and everything he represents – a life she could have had one upon a time. But even as her heart softens towards the rebellious dancer, the fear of their imminent demise is never too far from their minds. They have a performance to prepare for and once the curtain closes, so may their time together come to a tragic end.

Ezra doesn’t know what the hell has happened. Snatched away following a performance in Russia, he fails to completely grasp the seriousness of his new situation. A situation, he is told, that is also his new reality from which there is no escape. Ezra is now owned – a slave to Nikolai just as Anya is. He will not be broken, but as his rebellion causes Anya pain and abuse, he must fight to submit despite everything inside himself warring against the possession. The things he and Anya experience are made of nightmares. Things that couldn’t possibly be true, yet here he is in the middle of one. Determined to save the woman he is quickly coming to care for, he looks for any opportunity to escape. Wanting to provide Anya with anything she needs that is within his capability, he easily gives in to any desire she expresses despite the severe warning given to them by their Master. Refusing to believe their life is now in the hands of a madman, he still hopes for freedom and a life with Anya away from all of this horrifying sadism. But a beautiful night turns threatening, and it looks as if Ezra will lose Anya for good.

Nikolai – also known as the devil incarnate. He can and will do whatever he wishes. He takes what he wants and right out owns it in every way possible. He inflicts coerced pleasure and pain – but no matter how you slice it, it is abuse both physically and mentally. He’s hateful and evil and has no feelings or emotions what-so-ever. He’s damaged to the point that there will be no saving him. And even if he could be saved, he could never be trusted. He is the worst sort of human being ever. Or is he? Just when you think you have him figured out, the slightest snippet of the tiniest glimpse of humanity is revealed. Or maybe humanity is too big of a word to associate with Nikolai. Because anyone who treats people as he does – who does what he does to Anya – can’t have even the slightest shred of decency inside. Or can he?

Holy effing cliffhangers! What the actual eff just happened? I am brand new to dark romance. I may have read something at one time, but it did not make an impression enough for me to be able to recall it. But this … this twisted, jacked-up, edge of my seat, train-wreck in the making, disaster … I couldn’t get enough of it. And now I am wondering what the hell is wrong with me that I was so enraptured by such a demented read. I mean – sure – this kind of thing exists. We like to pretend that it doesn’t, but in reality, we know it does. It reminds me of the quote from The Greatest Showman – something like people don’t want to admit it, but they are fascinated with the exotic and macabre. It’s why they stare at it. It’s why – knowing I was headed straight for a disaster in the making – because yes, I did read the disclaimers and still I opted to read the book knowing how much I personally despise cliffhangers – and I kept reading. Unable to look away. And now NPH is singing in my ear to “look away”. But no, I didn’t. And what’s more. I couldn’t. And beyond that, I won't when the next book comes out. When is that, by the way? Because I need to reel myself in from that horrifying cliffhanger. What the hell kind of author does that to a reader? Oh yeah! One that knows her shit. Because damn. I’m wrecked. I was so caught up in the misery that I didn’t even pay attention to picking out favorite lines or a vocabulary word as is my normal review custom. I mean this is something I do automatically and I just plain wasn’t capable of it while sucked into these pages.

Trigger warning – FIRST, you absolutely must read the disclaimers before reading this book/series. It isn’t pretty and for some, it will be impossible to stomach. SECOND There is abuse on several occasions – one instance even resulting in death – and rape; even kind of a double rape. This book is gritty and rough and graphic. It isn’t your average romance read. If that’s what you came for, then you will be sadly disappointed. I hated Nikolai and wished him nothing but death. I wished every single member of the human trafficking families a slow and painful death. They are nauseating people. Nothing about Nikolai and Anya was OK – yet Ezra and Anya provided the opposing light to Nikolai’s foreboding darkness. Somehow, even in this soul-crushing environment and against the worst sort of odds, a tale of a beautiful love was told. Ezra and Anya connected at the most fundamental level and became one another’s lifelines. In effect, they were the reason to survive another day, to push to keep going despite their precarious situation. Not knowing if this day would be their last. Not knowing if they would have any time together beyond their performance. So they embraced what they could accomplish together. Comfort found in each other’s arms. Something so basic, but that had been denied to Anya for years. And Ezra could have continued to push back, but being a good person – something Nikolai could never aspire to be – he backed down to try and protect her. They were a beautiful couple born of tragedy and tiny triumphs that only they shared. A love that would span time and space even if separated, however unwillingly. And now, in the final scene of this first installment of what promises to be a whirlwind trilogy, their future is hanging on the brink of the edge of the worst possible scenario. A scenario that had me screaming well before it occurred for them to not allow certain things to take place. I knew it would happen and yet couldn’t look away. It was the worst reading experience of my life – knowing what words would appear and even still praying that they wouldn’t.

I don’t even know what else to say. I’m not sure I can take the emotional torment associated with a dark romance. And yet I crave more. I’m so conflicted. This book is going to sit with me for a long while. Likely until I can jump into the next book and hopefully attain a bit of peace following that gut-wrenching cliffhanger. And fricking Nikolai. Just when I was sure he was as evil as evil could ever possibly be – we get this tiniest of a tiny glimpse into what seemed like human emotion. I mean, WHAT? There is no redemption for him. Period. But it almost seemed like there could be. At one point I felt sorry for the douchenozzle. And promptly hated myself for it. Gah! Fricking mind-blowing hot mess! I still can’t quite wrap my head around all of it. And then I think – I shouldn’t want to wrap my head around it. It was seriously messed up. Yet here I am, arguing with myself again because I want to understand and my only hope of trying to get there is by finishing the series. I know it just as surely as I know I will likely be even more wrecked after the next installment. So here’s my bottom line. Dark romance is not for the faint of heart. It takes a particular kind of reader to enjoy such a twisted version of a love story. And I am beginning to believe that perhaps Nikolai was showing love in his own way despite how beyond backward his version is. If you read the disclaimer and this review and shudder over any part of it – and I’m not talking those delicious tingly shudders – then it’s more than likely not going to be a good match for you. If you want to see what dark romance is all about, then by all means. Check it out – but tread carefully. Those with delicate sensibilities are sure to run away screaming. And those that are a little bit twisted already – people like me – may find a new genre in which they find enjoyment.

Kindle version provided by Xpresso Book Tours/Author in exchange for an honest review.

#arcreview #justreleased #countsofeight #netgalley .
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Counts of Eight - Brynn Ford @brynnfordauthor .
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Fair warning for the content of this book, it’s definitely confronting and harsh but it can happen in a crazy world of human traffick and keeping them as pets or slaves.
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I can’t say I loved reading it because of the subject,
but it is very good and intriguing.
The way it is written; it sucks you in, you feel the despair and pain.
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Nikolai; the ‘bad guy’ dark alpha basterd
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Anya; his first, slave, stolen, strong, dancer.
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Ezra; stolen time dance with Anya, naughty slave, friend
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This book made feel all kinds of emotions and indeed as the author warned I wanted to throw my iPad away when I finished that cliffhanger 😅
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Blurb;
All of my choices had been stripped from me except for one. Dance or die.

Three years ago, I was taken, stolen away, far from the world I knew, far from civilization. I became a slave, forced to serve one of the four families with my talent.

I'd been abused, battered, tortured in isolation. My master brought me men, partners for performance, but they failed to live up to the high standard of dance my master required.

Until one day, he brought me a new man. A blond-haired, green-eyed, dreamy new man who had no idea what was coming.

The men before him had disappeared. I presumed they were dead. I couldn't afford myself the luxury of hoping they'd made it out alive because that would give me hope that I might someday do the same.

Hope was a dangerous thing and this new man's spirit still thrummed with that electric spark of lightness. I would be the woman to strip that hope from him piece by tiny piece until he had none left. Only then could I control him, use him. Only then could I even consider the possibility of a predictable, complacent survival in this nightmare life.

And until that time came, I would make the only choice I was given the liberty of making.

Dance or die.

CONTENT WARNING: This book contains explicit sexual content, violence, and mature themes including scenes where consent is not sought or given. The author in no way condones such heinous acts.
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#bookreview #slave #dominanceandsubmission #ballerina #tbrpile #bookstagram #reading

A very well written story with characters that draw you in with their darkness and strength and willingness to make everything better in a world of captivity.
It’s darker than I was expecting and the author warning needs to be taken as it comes because there’s a lot going on that many people won’t like but I enjoyed it quite a lot.
It shows so much of the unseen part of some people or lifestyle that we appreciate but don’t know much about behind the scenes in real life. It also reminds me of some of my favourite authors that write dark romance.
I want and need the next books because I need my HEA in this story.

Wow! For dark romance lovers this book is phenomenal. I will definitely read the series. Thank you for the ARC!

After reading Brynn Ford's previous Duo Blue and Switch I couldn't resist giving Counts of Eight a go. I knew that it was probably going to be a bad idea. Not because I wouldn't enjoy it, but because this is book one of a trilogy and the second and third parts are not due out until later this year and early next year respectively. I'm a glutton for punishment though and couldn't resist diving in and giving this a read.
This is a very dark read and won't be for everyone. I don't mind admitting that some aspects of it edge towards the end of my enjoyment. It's not that the storyline isn't gripping (it really is) but what the characters are put through is really so awful. The story is about Anya and Ezra, who are both talented dancers. They are also owned by an evil head of one of the four crime families mentioned in the series title. These families are involved in human trafficking and think nothing of keeping talented individuals as talent slaves and to satisfy their other dark desires. Anya has been living this life for three years, but Ezra is new to it. It's Anya's role to break him so that he will obey, the longer it takes her, the harder it is for her.
As mentioned this is an incredibly dark story and it ends on a cliff hanger. I'm not sure where it's going next but I don't mind admitting that I really want to know. If you enjoy dark romances and like to have your emotions battered as you read, then I think you'll enjoy this. Don't expect a happy ending, at least not at the end of this book. It's clear that Ezra and Anya have a great deal more to face and deal with first.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.