Review // Does it Hurt? by H.D. Carlton

"You were always destined to be mine."

Does it Hurt? by H.D. Carlton

Rating - ★★★1/2
Genre - contemporary romance with suspenseful elements
Trope - enemies to lovers
POV - Dual 1st person
Heat - several explicit scenes
Source - Kindle Unlimited
Length - 432 pages

Who am I?

I've forgotten the answer to that question long ago. Ever since I ran from that house, so desperate to escape, I left with only the clothes on my back and socks on my feet. After that day, I've only ever walked in stolen shoes.

Could I be a girl who is searching for the meaning of life in faceless men? They were all so forgettable. Until he came along. He took me under a waterfall and made me forget my name, and in return, I took his instead.

Enzo Vitale.

An enigmatic man that will only ever love the deep sea. Or rather the predators that inhabit it. Turns out, he's not so different than the monsters he feeds. He lured me onto his boat like a fish in the ocean, seeking vengeance for my crime. Had I realized his intentions, and that a massive storm would leave us shipwrecked, I would've ran.

Now, I'm a girl who's seeking refuge in a decrepit lighthouse with a man who loathes me almost as much as he craves me. He wants to hurt me, but the old caretaker of the abandoned island may have intentions far more sinister.

It's no longer a question of who I am, but rather, will I survive?

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My Two Cents

He's a shark expert (predator) and she's a thief (prey).

I've seen this author's books all over the feeds from some of my favourite bloggers and knew I had to try something. The premise for this book sounded promising so I dove in...

And enjoyed myself... for the most part. This book is listed as dark romance, but it read more like a contemporary romance to me with some eerie bits.

"What happened to you does not define you. It only forged a new path that will take you to a different version of yourself. But no one can force you to walk that road; only you can determine who you will be once you get there. It's your choice who you become, Sawyer."

Here's what I liked:

✫ Sawyer and Enzo hooked up and it was amazing. So incredible that Sawyer found it hard, for the first time, to sneak out. But that wasn't the last time she saw him and I was thrilled with Enzo's vengeful plan.

✫ Enzo's dark side. This seemingly mild-mannered, smart and sweet man was hiding some demons and I loved when he let them out to play.

✫ Every time Enzo was mean to Sawyer. Most of it was well-deserved, some of it was unfair, all of it was entertaining.

✫ The connection between Sawyer and Enzo. It grew from hate, but it grew into something wonderful and I was a willing witness to their madness.

I didn't hate anything in this story, but I didn't really get the whole lighthouse setup. While I found it hilarious, when I knew it wasn't supposed to be funny, I didn't understand how we got there. While evading the creepiness of the mad man who lived there, Enzo and Sawyer had to work through their issues and somehow it was all intertwined. Did it make sense? Not really, but I still had fun.

No matter what was happening, I was paying attention and I'll definitely be trying this author again.

The Author

H. D. Carlton is an International and USA Today Bestselling author. She lives in Ohio with her partner, two dogs, and cat. When she's not bathing in the tears of her readers, she's watching paranormal shows and wishing she was a mermaid. Her favorite characters are of the morally gray variety and believes that everyone should check their sanity at the door before diving into her stories.

Visit https://hdcarlton.com for more information