Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

To Burn in Brutal Rapture

Rate this book
From the author of PUSH comes a new epic tale of unexpected forbidden romance… The ache of tragedy sunk deep, like the claws of a wicked monster. To heal was to remember what my godfather told me when I was six… Pain is a part of life. If you prepare for it, it will hurt less. He would know, after all. Lazarus Weston is pain personified. The scowling man with stormy eyes and tattoos covering his excessive muscles is not only my godfather, but also my dad’s business partner and best friend. A permanent fixture in our lives. Well, in Dad’s, not mine. But when grief mixes with confusing new feelings, I’m forced to see Lazarus differently, in a way that severely complicates my world. Because he’s too old for me. He’ll never be mine. I’m not allowed to have him, but obsession burns a fine line between can’t and won’t. I can’t want her… The curse on my heart is heavy, the tale of my malediction drenched in brutal loss. Wearing ink like scars reminds me of the tomb I left behind. I’ve been expecting pain all my life, yet I’m still unprepared, failing to see my downfall until she’s wrapped around my soul like barbed wire. Tracien Wright. My best friend’s daughter. Part of my life strictly through association. She was never meant to be more than that. But Traci is a trickster. A skilled predator in the most unexpected package, oblivious to her own power. She’ll learn the hard way that not all beasts should be hunted. I’m not what she thinks I am, having rose from a pit, only to bury myself in secrets and lies. Deep down I’d love nothing more than to have her. But I don’t get to keep nice things. Burn with me, Lazarus. **TBIBR is a standalone novel which contains sensitive subjects that may be triggering to some. Open-minded readers only! Please do not read or post spoilers.**

608 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 22, 2020

Loading interface...
Loading interface...

About the author

Nyla K.

25 books3,625 followers
Author of Flipping Hot Fiction. I write big books and I cannot lie, *insert smirky face*. Specializing in LGBTQ+ representation.

Nyla K is a quirky world-traveler with a sailor mouth and a filthy mind. She writes the dark, and the dirty, but most importantly, UNIQUE romantic fiction. Her smutty and taboo love stories are not for the faint of heart, so beware!

Nyla believes in the relevant, boundary-pushing, mind-bending side of erotic fiction, which is always what to expect from her. If you're looking for the same old story, you won't get that with Nyla K. But if you want complex characters, and stories that stick in your mind like a bad case of crabs... you've come to the right place ;).

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
1,099 (47%)
4 stars
592 (25%)
3 stars
339 (14%)
2 stars
147 (6%)
1 star
152 (6%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 464 reviews
Profile Image for ❥ KAT ❥ Kitty Kats Crazy About Books.
2,323 reviews9,246 followers
November 21, 2020
cav

MY REVIEW AND OTHERS: can also be found on my blog:
➽ KITTY KATS CRAZY ABOUT BOOKS

Kindle Edition, 637 pages, Ipad Mini 2,231 pages!! HOLY SHIT!! I lost count of how many hours I took reading this book, I know it was more than 2x days!! Arcs flew in but I couldn't tear myself away from this book!! This went from a 5 star read to one of my favourites of 2020!!

Social media went crazy over this book, everywhere I looked there it was glaring at me in the face, taunting me to one click, usually a book with pages of this magnitude I either speed read or don't bother one clicking, but this book right here pulled me in straight away and didn't let me go until I closed that last page.

This book destroyed me in the best possible way, a twist that came at me left field left me reeling in its wake, devastated, rooting for them to get their HEA, but this author had more installed for us. This story was one of the best I've come across, she took that forbidden aspect up to a whole new level, even though I gulped at the amount of pages I didn't want this to end, I didn't want to say goodbye to these characters who had crawled into my heart and settled in, this book deserves all the stars!!

This was hands down one of my favourite releases of 2020!!
In my opinion a story should pull you in deeply, irrevocably making you connect whole heartedly with the characters, and the storyline, when they hurt you hurt, when they are happy you are happy, To Burn in Brutal Rapture seeped into the deepest parts of my soul, a slow burn heart wrenching forbidden epic love story at its best. Words can not convey how much I truly loved this story..


Profile Image for Stephanie.
1,070 reviews150 followers
November 19, 2020
DNF

idk I get not wanting there to be spoilers but some people - me - would like to be warned if there is anything other than a MF relationship in a book.

Don’t try to sell me an MF book and then throw in that twist. Don’t try to tell me that I am closed minded either, but I am not going to read a 600+ page book expecting a certain outcome only to find out the guy is really in love with her father and the only reason they are together in the end is because dad conveniently dies. That’s a consolation prize, not a romance. That is what’s gross to me. That makes me sick. The heroine and the hero should never feel second best.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for ↬ Ⓛ.
322 reviews474 followers
Read
June 28, 2023
no, i didnt read the book. but it counts as "read" when i know the tea. it makes sense why the author was pressing on her ARC readers, “no spoilers” cuz once you find out, you ain’t gonna be with the kind of shit da author got in store for yall.

SPOILERS--
da heroine is in love with her dad's bff Lazarus since she was 13 years old, but Lazarus is a total man whore. he has been with her dad since he was in HS. somewhere along the way Lazarus fell in love with the heroine's dad-- yall ready?!


HER MOM TOO! Lazarus was in love with da heroine's parents, but Lazarus ONE TRUE LOVE have always been da heroine's dad. after her momma died, Lazarus & her dad have sex (mind you the heroine is 13 or 15 during that time). basically da heroine was da hero’s 3rd choice in da end.
Profile Image for Crystal (Crystalreads2) .
872 reviews806 followers
October 22, 2020
Did you ever have a book that took hold of your heart and soul, and years later, you still think about the book? Well, This book is now added to that shelf for me. To Burn In Brutal Rapture is an epic masterpiece. It has everything in it—such an incredible story.

Thank you to Nyla K. For doing what she does, she writes a complex, with multiple tropes novel. I fell in love with her writing a while back, so when she announced a new book, I decided to jump on the board and thought I was ready for Lazarus. If I could give this book more than five stars, I would.

I might be all over the place with this review, as it's all still raw and emotional. My advice to you is to go in blind with this book. Nyla suggests it in the forward, and I'm glad I took her advice. There may be some triggers for some people. If you follow me, you know I don���t have any triggers but one, substance abuse, and it’s in there along with age gap, forbidden romance, and some may think this is dark or taboo. I personally wouldn’t have it any other way. And oh, have a box of tissues on hand.


To Burn In Brutal Rapture is in several POVs, Mainly Traci and Lazarus, over five year Span; it starts with grief and how Traci now sees Lazarus in a different view. She now really sees who he is. Lazarus, Traci's father's best friend and business partner, and 21 years to her senior. Lazarus has no family, except for his best friend and Traci. He thinks he is a curse when it comes to love. Over five years, we read about angst, grief, loss, love, soulmates, sexual tension, chemistry, addiction, push, and pull. Let's not forget some of the twists; I know I am missing more, I don’t want to give much away. I didn’t expect to fall hard for this book.

Of course, in true Nyla K fashion, she writes some of the steamiest sex scenes. There just scorching hot. 🥵. The sex scenes in this book are just a bonus, to be honest.

The epilogue is everything. Nyla gives us a long look at the present. It was far from feeling rushed, which I love and far from disappointed. To Burn In Brutal Rapture is a must-read. You will not be disappointed.

I received an arc in exchange for my honest review
Profile Image for D.L. Howe.
Author 18 books510 followers
June 5, 2021
I can’t recall reading a book that made me cry so quickly. The reoccurring thought in my mind is that she’s so alone. You can’t point fingers or place blame because everyone experiences loss differently. It’s just hard to reconcile that she has no one and she’s twelve.

I’ve read my fair share of dad’s best friend stories and it feels like this one will be the most brutal. Not just because of her age but because of how close their friendship is.

Maybe I’m not seeing this fully because I tend to take the h’s side generally. But fuck Day! He needs her in his life but expects her to basically take care of herself. After losing her mother at 12. I agree her actions weren’t the best but she did what she thought she needed to do and honestly, she did need a fresh start. I’m just over the world coddling Day and not his child.

When Laz finally succumbed to the Traci bug it was awe inspiring to watch him unfold into a beautiful mess.

Lazarus’ thought process, his back and forth, his guilty angst has been fascinating and heart wrenching. I’ve read a few books where this was done well (The Truth About Tomorrow by B Celeste and Torn by Carian Cole), but I think this might be the best.

I didn’t expect the scene where he takes her virginity to be so funny and clumsy and just real. I’ve honestly never thought I’d read a scene like this and I loved it. He’s such a grumpy asshole but she just brings the best out of him.

The fall was fucking glorious!

Um ... was that really shocking? ... How was this not obvious since near the beginning? I mean Laz even said it was obvious. But ok.

It just kills me how guilty both Traci and Laz feel when if you really consider it, some blame lays at Day’s feet! You can’t ignore your grieving daughter and not only expect her to fall apart in some way (no matter how mature or independent you think she is), but also, to turn to the one person who gives her attention. 🤦🏼‍♀️

I didn’t like that twist. A little too convenient and the aftermath felt too much like a default. I don’t know ... I’m just so fucking torn and distraught. I still love this story even the parts that made me angry so I have no choice but to give it a five because it’s worth it. I’ll even read it again someday but ... damn.

I’ve always had the belief that everything happens for a reason. I can question it all day but they still ended up where they belong. And it was so fucking breathtaking when he finally kneeled ... for her. Only her. And together they rise.
Profile Image for JAN.
1,199 reviews895 followers
November 12, 2020
Updated.
*** 3.75 stars ***

First of all, I would like to address the genre, under spoiler tags just in case.

Cutting to the chase, my likes and dislikes to follow.

What I liked:
💥The colossal age gap.
💥The sweet time the author has taken to develop this story.
💥Following the character's chronological growth.
💥The fact that there was no insta-love.
💥The author was fearless.
💥The affliction and distress this story has caused me.

Sue me, I'm an angst junkie.



What I didn't like:

⛔There was 2 twist. One of them didn't make any sense to me.



⛔The other twist, I feel that there was not much choice considering the direction the author has chosen to give the plot based in the first twist.



⛔The last 20% dragged with too many inner monologues and flashbacks. Even the sex scenes became tedious to me.



I would have cut more than half of that content.😖😖
Profile Image for Lana ❇✾DG Romance❇✾.
2,120 reviews13.1k followers
October 13, 2021
4.5 STARS
We’re a chemical reaction. Explosively beautiful. Dangerously exquisite.”


Clearly I have been living under a rock. How am I only reading this book now when it's been out for almost a year? Me! ME! The reader that lives for all things taboo and forbidden. And it simply doesn't get more deliciously forbidden than father's best friend. This is an age gap with a bite, folks, and I was so here for it. DANG.
Every droplet of joy in this life comes at a price,” his jagged voice breaks through the silence, and the sounds of people chatting in the next room. “Happiness… It always turns to pain in the end.”

One thing I will advise is for you to go into this book absolutely blind. Seriously. I didn't even read the full blurb let alone reviews. I first discovered Nyla with Distorted and am now just systematically making my way through her backlist because I'm obsessed. All I knew about this book was it was taboo and I needed it!

Now what can I tell you about this story? Well, almost nothing. *evil grin* It's for your own good, trust me. But I will say, the one thing I've come to strongly appreciate about Nyla's writing is that she's not afraid to go there. This is clearly an author that writes for herself and her characters and not what she thinks is safer or would be more accepted. And I seriously love that. These characters are flawed and fucked up, my second two favorite f words. Ha! There are some twists to this story that were just UGH. To be honest, I'm still processing them and don't know how I feel. Did I like it? No idea. I'm conflicted as fuck. But I digress.

One of the things that can be a make it or break it for me when it comes to age gap, is the heroine. I'm just not a reader that enjoys reading about sheltered ingenues. But Tracien (Trix) while young, was one of the most relatable characters. This is a girl with some deep rooted issues of her own, stemming from the loss of her beloved mother, to lusting after her father's best friend. She's not perfect by any means. She's an old soul of sorts and that clearly comes across. She's also not the typical rich girl and I loved that about her.

Lazarus was one of my favorite tortured souls. This is a man that your heart just hurts for.

But that's all you'll be getting from me. I will tell you that this story is fucked up. It's downright uncomfy at times. It's also sizzling hot and full of depth and emotion. I devoured this thick ass book in a span of two days and had a hangover from hell to follow. Did I love all parts of it. Well, there were parts that I'm still figuring out how I feel about. But what I will say, is if you like age gap/forbidden tropes, this one is simply not to be missed.

Find me on:
Follow me on facebook Follow Me on Twitter blog
Profile Image for Lori [semi-hiatus].
276 reviews161 followers
December 4, 2020
"Open-minded readers only! Please do not read or post spoilers"
I don't get authors like this. I am open minded enough, but this ain't it sis. Some people can be open minded and not like that type of shit, and they deserve true triggers.
I mean... all those things aside, I don't know how this can be sold as romance when the heroine is second best (at least that's how it came off to me) but to each their own.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Amanda.
234 reviews70 followers
December 18, 2020
DNF

Well, this is disappointing. The reviews for this book are positively glowing. And the tropes—20+ year age gap, father's best friend—are all tied up to make one potentially amazing taboo romance.

Obviously, this did not end well for me. But please keep in mind that this may be something works for you. Semi-spoilers ahead for the first 38%.

There seems to be a theme in almost all of the age-gap romances I've read thus far: despite the heroine being younger than the hero, she's always somehow very mature for her age. You know, because we need balance and all that jazz. And there are multiple times where the seventeen-year-old heroine, Tracien Wright, is described to be mature by herself and side-characters. In fact, she's so mature to the point where she can't make friends at her school.

“You’re so damn smart,” he kisses my nose. “And mature beyond your years. I’m the luckiest dad on Earth.”


“None of the kids at school get me. They’re all too immature.”


But then, you've also got this coming from our mature heroine:

If he gets married, I’ll kill myself.


There's nothing wrong with being a naïve teenager. However, there is something wrong with trying to project yourself as wise when you are clearly a naïve teenager. Meanwhile, Traci plays an inconsequential role in Lazarus Weston's life as he's whoring it out—even after they've been semi-intimate.

To make matters worse, he’s been out, sticking his dick in every slut in the three-oh-five. Celebrating being single again, I suppose. The only reason I know about it is because I obsessively stalk social media for any mention of him, and every time I see his face, it’s with a new skank.


And then from the man himself:

I didn’t necessarily approve of the broads he was dating, but then who am I to judge? I’m practically a walking condom ad, outside of the two years I wasted in a serious relationship.


I'm sorry, am I supposed to swoon over a man who enjoys "sampling new flavors, like ice cream" while the heroine is pining away? A heroine who is, by the way, completely inexperienced because how dare she give it up to anyone else?

Based off the ratings, this might be another case of it's not you, it's me. But after enduring 200+ pages of yearning to strangle Traci and wanting to castrate Lazarus, I just couldn't bother to go any further.

MAJOR SPOILER AHEAD!

I skimmed ahead to find out what the big reveal was. Turns out Lazarus and Damien got together one night—and wow, the sex was steamy. The two shared a connection beyond friendship, and they definitely should've been endgame. Therefore, the actual love interest—Tracien—felt second best. And the fact that the hero had better chemistry with the heroine's FATHER is hysterical to me, sorry.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Carla Bulian.
1,396 reviews380 followers
October 25, 2020
Another 5 stars for me. This book was a phenomenal surprise. The characters took my breath away.
At the end the note from author explains everything I already know.
This book just ... WOW
It’s worth the reading 🙌🏻
Profile Image for Jenifer Briggs.
1,421 reviews168 followers
October 22, 2020
WOW. This book. This beautiful, amazing, painful, deliciously dirty & erotic, forbidden, wholesome love story CONSUMED me. This is easily one of my top reads of the year, AND one of my favorite books of all time. I cannot begin to tell you just how enamoured I am with this story and these characters. I finished this book last week and I still think about it, still dream about it. This book right here is the reason why I love reading so much in the first place.

So a little background: Traci has just lost her mom, the most important person in the world, and she is all alone. Sure, she has her dad, but he has his best friend Lazarus and his work, while young Traci just has her pain. A year later, she starts yearning for the man twenty two years her senior. Rationally she knows nothing can ever happen between them this soon, but all her fragile heart knows is that her one bright spot in her life is someone she shouldn't love. Someone who could very well be her downfall.

Her intense feelings for Lazarus tore my heart apart. Is she borderline obsessed with him? Maybe. But it's a pure obsession (no single white female, here! No bunnies were harmed in the making of this book. ((Please tell me someone will get that reference.))) She loves so freely, to the point where she would willingly burn her souln down if it meant having his salvation. And when she is nearing her 18th birthday, she finally makes a move on the man she has always loved, only to be rejected and crushed.

Determined to finally take her life into her hands, she moves in with her best friend Merci (all without telling her dad!!) And ends up working at a gentleman club. And *this* is where the magic between Traci and Lazarus really starts!!

It's by pure fate that Lazarus happens to be entertaining his clients when he sees Traci on stage, and it takes all of willpower to not march up on that stage and snatch her away from all the watchful, lustful glances being thrown her way. He meets her at the end of every shift to make sure she gets home safe, and this is when she pushes his set boundaries and makes him crave her the same way she's always craved him.

Laz is such an intense character with so many layers. He grew up in the system and still bears the scars of that to this day, but he's also building an incredible life for himself, one he never thought he would have. Underneath that though exterior of his is such a kind man with the biggest heart, and the way he loves Traci is
E V E R Y T H I N G.

Their journey broke me apart several times, but you just know they are meant to be. Even with all the twists and turns, and odds stacked against them, this unlikely couple just fits together so perfectly. They are literally the other half of one another and cannot be complete without the other person. This is a beautiful, beautiful love story that I can't get enough of!!

It should also be mentioned that this is my first time reading this author, and trust me, it won't be my last. I thought that I would be getting a forbidden age gap romance (which was more than enough reasons for me to sign up!!) But there is so much MORE to this book than that. This is more than a love story, this is a LIFE story. And oh my gosh is it utterly perfect in all of its imperfections.

There is so much more I want to say, but you NEED to go in blind while reading this story. Trust me when I say you'll be captivated from the very first page and won't want to stop reading. I just can't recommend this book enough!!

And I can't end this review without mentioning those deliciously dirty sexy times -- seriously, this is one of the hottest, if not THE HOTTEST book I have ever read. Be prepared to have your heart melted right along with your panties!🔥🔥🔥🔥


**I received an ARC of this book and these are my honest opinions!**
Profile Image for SheReads.
373 reviews18 followers
November 3, 2020
DID NOT FUCKING FINISH.

I'm lying in bed right now and I'm fucking cringing so hard whilst asking myself WHAT THE FUCK. WHY. WHAT. WHAT WAS THE FUCKING NEED.

PLEASE GIVE A TW NEXT TIME. WRITE THAT THERE WILL BE THREESOMES ETC. PLEASE WARN THE READERS ABOUT MM AND MMFF ALL OF THAT CRAP.

I'm just so annoyed because I got so invested in this book. The author is good at writing. I get halfway into the book and suddenly it goes so far downhill. One chapter manages to ruin it all for me. I'm just so shocked that the author decided to throw that very unnecessary plot twist in. What was the need? The story already had so much depth and plot lines, why throw that in there? I always had a feeling Damien and lazarus had an odd relationship but God why throw in romance? It was always there and I hate myself for reading on.

So disappointed.
Profile Image for JadeC.
358 reviews65 followers
Read
January 4, 2021
what the actual fuck? i'm so glad i didn't read all 600++ pages of it. i enjoy twists and turns but not something so.. brutal 😢sadly i think i'll dnf this one

Profile Image for Jess .
1,034 reviews146 followers
July 6, 2021
How do I even go about reviewing this book?? I am at a loss here.... I am going to start typing and see where it leads me....

First, don't ignore the trigger/content warnings. This book will be uncomfortable for some and yes Nyla puts a note at the front of the book cautioning readers but don't ignore it. This is a age-gap story that is going to test your limits and if you are remotely uncomfortable with the subject, avoid this book. Yes, this book was incredible BUT if you know ahead of time that the warnings are going to make you uncomfortable don't push it just to read it and then end up leaving a bad review. That is just crap.

When we first meet Traci, she is a 12-year-old girl who just lost her mother, and she is trying to come to terms that nothing will change that fact. The only person she ever felt truly close to is gone and she still has her dad and her godfather, but it is not the same. Her dad is the shell of the man he used to be and Lazarus, her godfather has always been this unstoppable force that she isn't sure how to feel about. As we see Traci start to grow from 12 to 13 and so on until she is 17 her feelings for Lazarus start to change. At first, she doesn't understand but as she finally starts to understand what they mean she is too far gone for those feelings to be anything other than all consuming.

Lazarus has always been a constant in Damien's life but when his wife passes away and it is just Traci and Damien left, he feels hopeless. His best friend, his brother just lost his wife, and he has no idea how to comfort his friend much less his 12-year-old daughter. Traci has always been there but as she starts to grow from the girl to the teenager he notices the way she is always there, watching. He knows it is a crush and it will pass but when he finally starts to settle down and get married only to left at the alter it isn't Damien there to comfort him it is Traci.

"We're a chemical reaction. Explosively beautiful. Dangerously exquisite."

Traci and Lazarus's relationship changes through the course of this book in so many ways and it is beautiful, tragic but mostly it is a force that no one can stop. Traci is coming to terms with all these feelings that she has had for Laz since she was a young girl and there is nothing more consuming than that one person you have always wanted wanting you too. Lazarus is trying get past the ever-changing feelings he has for Traci but there is something about her that is impossible to resist. Which is both astounding and terrifying, he can't get close to Traci without hurting his best friend, but he can't stay away from her without completely shattering his and her heart in the process.

To Burn in Brutal Rapture weaves a beautiful story that will have your stomach and heart battling a war between themselves. Every person in this story is weaved together in a way that only a family can be weaved together. A family, even if not blood can shatter your heart and soul but still have you desperately hanging on for the love you once shared. Honestly, the twists in this book you might see from a mile away but when they finally come out you are so invested in the story that it still takes you by surprise. There are so many pieces to this story, and it might seem long (I thought the same thing) but before you know it everything is building and building until the outcome is far more than you could have ever anticipated.

Nyla K is becoming a go to author for me. This is only second book by her but with both of those stories all the feelings I had (trust me there were plenty) were so overwhelming and powerful. I know, this story won't be for everyone, but I loved every ugly and beautiful piece of Lazarus and Traci's story.
Profile Image for Ana Manjić.
597 reviews52 followers
October 23, 2020
F8-A616-ED-ECE7-4169-985-F-362138-D267-C9

"Our souls are meant for each other, and that's strong enough to overcome the forbidden of it all."

This book just gripped me from page one.
I could not put it down and read it in like 2 days though it's more than 600pages (see my addiction here?!)

Triggers are here so be aware – psychological and emotional well being is a priority – BUT - my personal opinion is that it was neither too dark nor too heavy. With a dose of everything to keep you interested and - oh my god?! to myself – this was actually a very emotional, passionate, and heartbreaking story.

Though - I wonder if the ending would have been so satisfying — for me it was — i.e. if it would have been a different outcome for our main characters — if the last event and death had not happened??
What do you who read the book think?

9-E59-F617-7-A29-47-AB-88-BA-980-B4823810-B
Profile Image for Ceara.
140 reviews6 followers
Shelved as 'nope'
January 22, 2021
Skimmed so won’t rate.

The H Lazarus was in love and had a sexual relationship with Traci’s (heroine) father, Damien. They also had a foursome back in college with their respective girlfriends, which included Traci’s mom.

I know it’s just a book, but I can’t imagine ending up with a guy who not only was in love with my dad, but also fucked him and fooled around with my mom. But I’m old fashioned.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Corinne [semi-hiatus].
530 reviews104 followers
May 31, 2023
I am so conflicted and frustrated with this book. It took me a few days to read this monster seing as it is over 600 pages long. It started strong. The first 35% of the story is powerful, raw, interesting. It features Tracien, a 12 year old girl that loses her mother to cancer. We see how she is coping with this loss as an introvert and with only her dad and his best friend as support system. She grows up, gets addicted to anxiety medication and develops an unhealthy obsession with her father's best friend, Lazarus, 21 years her senior.
Lazarus is a broken soul, a product of the fostercare system, having bounced between 4 families until he was 14 years old and met Damien, Tracien's father. Damien saved him, helped him and they became friends for life. There is nothing he wouldn't do to prove his loyalty.
The remainder 70% of the book is about Tracien pursuing Lazarus, seeking her independence with questionable decisions, hot kinky sex, a big twist, a lot of grief, indecision and finally the big HEA.
After 40% I almost DNFed it. I pushed through the book because I had read some spoilers and I was curious. Was it worth it? Not really. At least not for me. Why? Because the story dragged a lot, there was a lot of repetition, I hated the twist and Traci's reaction. It was like reading a kinky story about 2 teenagers. So many bad decisions, so much unnecessary angst, so far away from reality. This book was not for me. It jusy left me angry. The writing style was good and engaging enough.

TWs: substance abuse, suicide, anxiety, loss of a parent, grief.
Profile Image for Abstract ♥ Books.
1,203 reviews1,654 followers
July 19, 2021



ALL MY REVIEWS CAN BE FOUND ON MY BLOG: ABSTRACT BOOKS

line
Web-Photo-Editor I’ve gone from lusting after him to plotting his murder in seconds flat, which I’m beginning to think is par for the course when it comes to this man.”


Star Rating : 5/5 stars

POV : Dual

Cliffhanger : None

Hero : Lazarus

Heroine : Tracien

Pace of the story : Moderate

Angst Rating : 9/10

Heat Rating : 6/10

Triggers Involved : Past Trauma

Review :
I am not someone who cries after reading books! I mean I do feel emotions that are huge because of such scenes but omg, this book literally made me sob like a baby. AT 4AM!!! I pulled an all nighter to finish this one and what a ride this one was!

It got released last year and I so regret not reading this book at that time! I kept delaying it and now have finally read it.

Lazarus and Tracien have a tale that will play with your emotions so badly. They will make you curse , steam and cry so freaking much! It's a story that spans over years so that you know everything and end on such an amazing note. I know why everything happened in this book and a huge part of me wishes that had not happened but I get it. It was the best part literally. The angst this book has in incomparable to any other book I have read and I just know that Lazarus is gonna stay with me forever 💖

I am now an official addict of this author! Every single book of hers climbs up on my charts and I just can't stop reading her books! I don't know if it's the delicious darkness she offers or the heart breaking angst but holy shit I am addicted!

I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book to all the Age gap and Dark romance loving people. The twist or the heartbreaking moment in this book was so worth the wait and I don't think I will ever be over this book 😭🥺

My-Post-3 Website | Bookstagram | Facebook Page | Newsletter
Profile Image for Renae Reads.
532 reviews508 followers
July 5, 2021
This was a complicated read that I have very mixed emotions about. The Age/Gap romance, which is a favorite trope of mine barely scratches the surface of the drama placed throughout this story. I went on a wild ride and was fully invested in both main characters even when it was frustrating and difficult to empathize fully with their choices and decisions.

Overall I was treated to another addicting read from Nyla K. and cannot wait to read her next story.
Profile Image for Sammy.
532 reviews158 followers
October 15, 2020
“you’re not a curse Lazarus Weston, you’re a storm.”

5+++++ stars!

Going into this book all we know that it is a forbidden love story between Tracien and her godfather Lazarus. The first part of the book takes place as Traci is growing up, becoming a woman and developing feelings for her much older family friend, Lazarus. There is so, so much more to this book and I really suggest not seeking out any spoilers to learn more. This is really all you need to know about the story. Go in blind and enjoy the ride… or burn?

I absolutely fell in love with Lazarus Weston. Like way more than I was expecting when I started this book. He’s grumpy, he doesn’t like people, he’s brilliant, he’s gorgeous and he’s covered in tats. What’s not to love? I loved being inside his head and seeing him grow and change from beginning to end of this book. What Lazarus has been through, and continues to go through throughout this story is truly heartbreaking but so worth it in the end.

Traci was such a great character to get to know as well. We see her growing up from the time she’s 12 up until 18-19. She was such a sassy and fierce character and she’s a bit of a lonely soul which is something I relate to a lot. Without spoiling anything, much like Laz, she goes throughA LOT in this book and seeing her continue to fight for happiness and love was so beautiful.

I don’t want to say anything else about these characters and this story because like I said, the author wants it to be a blind reading experience for us. You will also get to meet some more amazing characters throughout this story that really just tie the whole book together and I just can’t say enough about how freaking beautiful this story is. The writing is some of the best writing I’ve read in a long time as well. Nyla K also can write some pretty bomb sex scenes to be prepared for that!!

This was my first Nyla K novel and I can’t wait to dive into her backlist because I enjoyed this so, so much!

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review
Profile Image for Keri Loves Books.
1,243 reviews192 followers
November 3, 2020
Unforgettable. Beautifully broken love. And angst that might just kill you...and I loved every word.
Profile Image for Sentranced Jem.
1,134 reviews601 followers
November 6, 2020
HOLY CRAPPPPP!!!!!
November started out with a bang because this book was so unexpectedly good.

To Burn In Brutal Rapture had all the tropes I secretly and NOT-SO-Secretly CRAVE. It's forbidden to the max, it's freaking taboo perfection and...just *chef's kiss*
It has sooo many different genres and tropes and yet it never felt like Nyla was giving us a half ass book. Nyla writes them all to perfection and I DEVOURED this book.

MIND OFFICIALLY BLOWN AWAY 🤯 🤯🤯🤯🤯
Profile Image for heareads (Debbie).
697 reviews57 followers
October 21, 2020
Overall Rating - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️++

TOP READ OF THE YEAR ❤️

Prepare yourself for my longest review, I could write forever about this book!

Nyla has me hook, line and sinker with this book and I’m still hanging onto everything this book threw at me, not ready to let go, not sure if I want to!

I’ve only read ‘Push’ from this author and is a read I recommend to everyone, especially MM fans! 🔥🥵 So when I saw we were getting a new age gap/forbidden romance, I just knew I had to sign up, didn’t read the blurb and couldn’t wait to dive into it when it landed in my kindle.

The book carries a foreword advising you to go in blind, which I 100% agree with to enhance your reading pleasure and to also make you aware of some triggers, I don’t have any triggers so I’m pretty open-minded with what I read. Then Nyla advises us to ‘Enjoy the burn’ and enjoy the burn I did!

We start with part one, where Traci is dealing with the death of her mum at twelve years old feeling so alone, yes she has her dad, Damien, but he’s got his best friend, Lazarus, helping him through everything and she’s got no one. Being lonely is who she is and is determined to fight one day at a time.

Lazarus has always been in her life, he’s her dads best friend and business partner and has never been far away. At the age of 13, she starts seeing Lazarus is a completely new light and from here, her lust, love and overwhelming feelings for him start to burn into her.

This part of the book where Traci is starting to understand her feelings tore right into me. The angst, the need, the love and lust Traci felt, had me feeling it to my core and I was so invested in what was to come. There’s isn’t anything sexual between them at this age, just the longing by Traci.

Her crush on him was so overwhelming at times, she was obsessed with him and you could feel all the love she had for him. Seeing him with other woman broke her heart, but she knew something between them couldn’t be at her age, being that he was twenty-two years older but when she eventually puts her lips on his, I was so ready for it to happen, I felt it, her need, then felt the hurt in his rejection.

Moving into part two, we have Traci, a near eighteen-year-old taking her life in her own hands moving out of the mansion she shares with her dad and into an apartment with Merci, her best friend, you could call her a runaway at this point as she just leaves without telling her dad where she is going. Merci then gets her a job at The Boom Boom Room, a local gentleman’s club.

By chance, Lazarus is entertaining clients and ends up at this club and spots Traci during her performance. This is where the downward spiral begins in their love affair. Lazarus is crazy angry that she works in a strip club and becomes protective of her, turning up at the end of her shifts just to make sure she gets home. This is where Traci slowly starts to seduce him, pushing things further and further until they can’t go back.

Lazarus, swoon, I just loved him so much. He’s tortured from his bad upbringing in the system and although he’s landed on his feet pretty well, the deep scars are there, lingering around his mind. I did love his sweet and caring side and how he took care of Traci and I wouldn’t have minded being her in that shower scene! 😉

Oh man, you are so not ready for this story. Nyla’s writing is immense, slowly seducing you in all areas of this story. I’ve never felt such a connection to a whole story before, I even had to message Nyla when I had finished the book just to talk about it and I’ve never done that before! My mind was at a loss, so thank you for indulging me ☺️.

One of the things I loved about this book was the longer epilogue, I always want to know more about my favourite couples that are not rushed over in a few pages and we were treated to this.

Like with ‘Push’, I knew we were going to be treated to some pretty steamy scenes, so hold onto your panties, Nyla can write the steamiest scenes and this book is on fire!

I finished this book a few days ago and it’s taken me a few days to gather my thoughts to write this and the book hangover is real! This book is a big one and I cannot recommend it enough, I was in love with every aspect of it, their love was so raw and the angst and sexual tension near killed me and the twists and turns had my heart racing and aching all at the same time and if I’m honest, I’m still recovering! If you have not read this author before and love an age gap/taboo read, I urge you to give this author a chance on this MUST MUST READ which is easily my top read of the year!

Also, if your a 90’s chick like myself, you will love the ‘Spice Girls’ mention!

ARC received for an honest review.
____________________
Overall Ratings;⁣
POV - Dual
Hero - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️+
Heroine - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️+
Story - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️+
Steam - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️+
Chemistry - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️+

Follow me;
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/heareadsrev...
Facebook - https://facebook.com/heareadsreviews/
Profile Image for Bex (Beckie Bookworm).
2,154 reviews1,434 followers
January 21, 2021



What in the ever-loving hell did I just read I’m slightly gobsmacked and a bit blind-sided I’m not even sure quite what I think about the whole of this just yet.
What I do know though is this is very different to what I was originally expecting and the writing itself was fabulous.
It also gripped me reeled me in and invested me in the unfolding drama but and this is big but I’m still not quite sure about how we got to where we did and how I actually feel about it.

I mean I’m happy for Lazarus and Traci but
for me, it was slightly bittersweet and felt a bit like they arrived where they did due to circumstance rather than choice and that did leave a slightly sour taste in my mouth.
I can’t help thinking would Lazarus have made the same choices with a different set of circumstances and this bothered my somewhat.

So that aside I did enjoy this and it was a read that though lengthy didn’t feel like it needed condensing in any way like some books do.
I felt every word here was important and significant to the story itself, it needed to be told.

We follow Tracy from twelve in the aftermath of her mother’s death right up until her present timeline and she does deal with some serious stuff on this journey experiencing a great deal of personal growth along the way and though in some ways you could see her young years in some of her personal choices in other ways she seemed an old soul, She grew from a child to a woman during the course of this.

The relationship between Lazarus and Traci was very slow-burn which was as it needed to be to work and it was all very tastefully done.
You could feel the forbidden vein running throughout more because of who Lazarus is to her than the actual age-gap which didn’t really bother me.
I'm in an age-gap relationship myself of 20 years so this one struck very close to home for me.
As for Lazarus well he was a complicated one he’s actually a bit of a hot mess with no clue what he really wants I liked him but it was obvious he was broken in a lot of ways and Damian’s friendship was the crutch that centred him.

This has three POV’s Traci Lazarus and also a few from Damien Traci’s dad and Lazarus best friend.
Lines were blurred and the fallout here was epic this definitely was an angsty one.
I’m being vague due to not wanting to spoil but this is all about blurred lines.
I do have very mixed feelings regarding this one but I did enjoy it and the writing was top notch.
I rated this a four-star mostly due to my mixed emotions.
I’m going to be mulling over this story for a while.

Untitled design

Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com
Profile Image for Anne Melvine.
320 reviews6 followers
February 21, 2024
IM SO PISSED. SO. DAMN. PISSED.

I had to. I DNF’d this book at 82%.
This was my first book from this author, and maybe someone who read something from her could have been prepared, but I definitely wasn’t. And hear me out, i read all kinds of smut, i love forbidden, taboo books. Believe me, the edgier they are, the better for me. But this one? Yeah, they didn’t get the memo quite right.

I will say, i was thinking of putting it in my favorites shelf until around 60%. So, what happened?

As the intro to the book tips at (or the comments), there’s a plot twist. The thing is, it’s super predictable cause it’s hinted at all throughout the story. But my problem relies more on how that plot twist was handled, and how it completely destroyed, annihilated, murdered, crushed, ripped apart the relationship buildup and the “realistic” aspect of this book, to a point of literally no return in which the author, not knowing how to proceed with the story, had to take the cheap road of shitty problem solving, by not actually resolving anything, but rather let circumstance do it for her.

By that point, i found Lazarus so unforgivable that i was ready for any of the characters to just let him go f*ck himself.

Also, I hated how the author shoves down your throat repeatedly that Traci is sooooooo mature, when in reality she’s the dumbest character ever written, or at least the most immature.

Despite all of my complaining, i still loved some parts. I mean, it was just SO GOOD at the beginning! And it never stopped being hot, like wow this woman can write smut. But that plot twist that i first thought was going to be a weird inconvenience and a reason for a break (and some really hot scenes) turned out to be just the most awful way to ruin all of the character’s progress, relationship, and overall story.

Again, i’m pissed. And I completely disagree with the author not warning or hinting any of this in the blurb, or in the TWs. I think if she would have, you could think of this book in a different perspective. I think she decided to do that because she knew a lot of people wouldn’t read the book at all. So, if anyone happens to stumble upon this review and wants to know in advance, i’ll leave it here for you:
October 14, 2020
‘𝙒𝙚’𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙛𝙡𝙖𝙬𝙨, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢. 𝙒𝙚’𝙧𝙚 𝙗𝙧𝙤𝙠𝙚𝙣 𝙥𝙞𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙛𝙞𝙩 𝙩𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙡𝙮.‘

First of all. It took me more than 24 hours to finish. Not because it dragged, but because I wanted to both inhale and indulge myself in these pages at the same time.
Second. Have you ever been struck so absolutely speechless by pages you’ve read? Like you know there’s things to say about it. But you also really can’t manage to make any intelligible sounds.
That’s what happened to me.
This story was so consuming. All of the moving parts that, at first glance, made me question things, that instead showed themselves to be so necessary to the crux of the plot. This was bigger than romance.
Did I maybe have to talk myself into a few things while reading? I absolutely did. They’re my limits, and they were mine to push, and they definitely got shoved up against, rather insistently. But. The main question I ask myself when reviewing, is simply this. Would I tell someone to read this? And the answer is a resounding YES.
Round of applause for this author. This is my first read, I’m clearly late to discover her greatness, but y’all can expect for me to rectify that IMMEDIATELY.
Profile Image for Alana.
62 reviews
November 10, 2020
I’ll start by saything this author has talent I couldn’t put this down for the first 45% however this book made its way from so good I couldn’t put it down into trash in record time. There was too much happening at certain moments for no good reason other than the author needed conflict of some sort and angst for her readers. It didn’t work, it made me cringe. The heroine is too naive which works at the start but as she ages she’s a little girl playing adult. She never grows mentally she is addicted to Laz and it was weird. Laz has no real personality throughout the book.

The sex was off the charts hot but unless the main couple have a believable connection and true chemistry that still doesn’t make a good book. There’s a lot of plot points that come out of nowhere to some but like others I had an inkling early on so when it comes out, can’t say I was shocked at all.

The number 1 thing that ruined this book for me and made it a 3 star to 1 star was

As many others have said on FB this isn’t a good read and the ending killed it dead. If you’re gonna do shock value at least make it work for the story don’t just throw everything in the mix. Mehhh. Refunded from Amazon.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 464 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.