RELEASE WEEK BLITZ: REVIEW, EXCERPT, TEASERS, AND GIVEAWAY: Vanquish by Pam Godwin

REVIEW

I have a confession to make…this is my first Pam Godwin story; her other books are on my TBR, but they’ve had to be moved down the list so that I could get my ARC texts read first, so hen I saw that bloggers were invited to read Vanquish for the release blitz, I knew I needed to jump on board because that would guarantee I would have the opportunity to read a text from a writer who other bloggers/readers call a must read in the dark romance genre.

I didn’t have the privilege of meeting the sadistic bastard, Van Quiso, in Deliver, and I have to say, I’m not sure if that’s a good or bad thing. It may have completely deterred me from seeing Van as any kind of hero, or it quite possibly could have helped to understand how far he comes by the end of Vanquish. But since I didn’t read about him in book 1, I went into book 2 without any preconceived notions. I saw him for who he was solely based on his attitude and actions in Vanquish, and let me tell you, my first instinct was to despise him. When Van describes himself as a “cold-hearted fuck with an appetite for blood, come, and tears,” there’s not much more that has to be said that will paint a more complete picture of who this sick fuck is – at least that’s what I thought. But the further into the story I got, I started to realize that the dark ex slave owner is a complicated man with a multifaceted personality. When you’ve lived the kind of life he’s lived for all those years, trained by his despicable father and conditioned to give into his darkest urges, there’s no way to not be tainted by that existence and feel like you’re predisposed to continue that lifestyle. It almost seeps into your blood and drives you to commit deplorable acts that any sane man would recognize as evil and wrong. On the surface, that’s Van, but that’s only one part of his character, and while other aspects of his personality are harder to see because of the darkness that surrounds him, he only needs the right person to bring out the other layers of who he is, and Amber Rosenfled just might be the woman to do so.

Amber has her own issues and her own darkness to contend with, and while most of her crazy doesn’t inflict pain on other people, it still consumes her and threatens to destroy her. For two years, she’s been locked inside her house, refusing to leave for fear of what the outside world could do to her. Fear and her obsessive compulsions control every action she takes, and the only way she is able to dull the madness inside is by fucking the men who deliver her supplies. Amber merely exists in her “self made asylum,” but her most interesting attribute is that this extremely unstable woman has a body and a face that is strikingly beautiful and pristine. Readers see glimpses of the woman she used to be, but those characteristics are overwhelmed by her insecurities and shame. Amber understands what’s wrong with her, and she understands the steps she needs to take to overcome them, but her willingness is bogged down by her fear and with no one to help her, she’ll remain in her personal hell indefinitely.

When Van meets Amber, he sees her as the key to get what he wants – time with his daughter Livano. If he can break her down to the point where she solely relies on him and what he can do for her then he can use her as a character witness with Liv, hopefully guaranteeing a chance of reuniting with Livano. But what Van doesn’t anticipate as he puts his plan into effect is feeling compassion towards his captive, nor does he expect to want to help Amber overcome her compulsions more than he wants to bend her to his will.  What starts out as a plan to control Amber becomes a mission to save her from herself, and even though a lot of Van’s methods are reprehensible, they seem to be getting the job done – at least on some level. The only problem is that Amber has to want to help herself and not rely on Van to do it for her, which is easier said than done. Van and Amber shouldn’t work as a couple – the issues between them should be too much to overcome, but they help each other in a way that no other person can – their individual hang ups become easier to bear and their darkness lightens in significant ways.

Vanquish is a perfect title for Van and Amber’s story. Together, they work to defeat their demons, her illness and fears, and his sadistic tendencies. Individually, they are tragically flawed characters who struggle to shed the demons within, but together, they are redeemable individuals, looking to help each other live rather than merely exist.

The most enjoyable part about darker reads, for me, is witnessing the author transform dark and unredeemable characters into individuals worthy of a second chance, and in Vanquish, Pam Godwin accomplishes that feat. Watching Van fight for Amber is what solidified for me that he is much more than the sadistic slave owner he used to be.

Vanquish is a raw and gritty dark erotic read that investigates how a flawed mind works and what it takes to set it free from the chaos. Both Van and Amber’s personalities are concretely illustrated, which allows readers to understand the complexities that they have to deal with on a daily basis. I’ve definitely found a new go to author for dark romance, and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.

A complimentary copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

5 poison apples

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