**Blog Tour Review ~ Torrent ~ Gemma James**

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Gemma James' Torrent. My stop includes all the pertinent details for the book and my review. 

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Torrent by Gemma James
Condemned Series: Book One
Release Date: July 22, 2014
Genre: New Adult, Dark Romance
Source: I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review
Rating: 3.5 Bookworms

Synopsis

I’ve been obsessed with Rafe Mason since I was thirteen. The twisted part of this story is that I still want him, even now.

Now that he’s holding me captive on an island.

Rafe has his reasons for doing what he’s doing, and if I’m honest, I can’t blame him. I’m the girl who sent him to prison for a heinous crime he didn’t commit.

But now he’s free and the tables have turned…now he’s the one driven by obsession.

TORRENT is a new adult dark romance with disturbing themes and explicit content that includes sexual situations and violence. Intended for adult readers 18+ only. Part one of the CONDEMNED series. This is not a stand-alone read.

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Torrent is not a read for everyone. It's dark, twisty, unseemly, and unsettling. It's a story that makes you think. I grappled with trying to understand the reasons behind the characters' actions. I'm torn because on the one hand, who am I to say how a person, experiencing the events Alex and Rafe did, would react to them. But on the other hand, not wanting to excuse their behavior.

Alex has suffered for the last 8 years. And the guilt and disgust she feels about what she's suffered coupled with the remorse at putting an innocent man in prison is almost mentally crippling. 

Rafe has spent the last 8 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit. Not only does he want answers about why Alex did this to him, he wants revenge. And he has a plan to get both - which begins with kidnapping Alex.

Okay, here's where my trouble with the story begins. In a way, I think I get Alex's reaction to being taken by Rafe. She thinks she deserves his treatment on some level because of the self-loathing she feels. She also feels a certain amount of relief from being removed from the abusive situation she's been in. She has feelings for Rafe which haven't diminished since he was away and his treatment of her does the exact opposite of his intent. Now, why Rafe would risk going back to prison by committing a crime, I couldn't understand. But he did want his answers and spending 8 years locked up might make you crazy to have them. I also hae a wee bit of trouble with his particular brand of BDSM. But I'm not judging. He did soften with Alex once he got his answers - of course, those answers brought on a whole new set of problems.

I will absolutely continue this series. I'm still thinking about it. And I give kudos to Ms. James for that. It's kind of a dark psychological thriller of sorts. I definitely want to see what comes next following that ending! I also hope that Ms. James will give us a bit more background on Alex and Rafe. I want a better understanding of them both. Although I had some issues with Torrent, it was a compelling read. Alex and Rafe are under my skin. And even if I don't necessarily agree with their actions, I'm fascinated with the psychology behind them.

Gemma James (a pseudonym for Christina Jean Michaels) loves to explore the darker side of sex in her fiction. She’s morbidly curious about anything dark and edgy and enjoys exploring the deviant side of human nature. Her stories have been described as being “not for the faint of heart.” She lives with her husband and their four children—three rambunctious UFC/wrestling-loving boys and one girl who steals everyone’s attention. Sign up for her newsletter so you don’t miss out on future releases!

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