The Token Series Boxed Set (Volumes 1-3): Billionaire Dark Romance Kindle Edition

I've read the entire series. Yes, this series is that addicting. Of course, the cliffhangers don't help with that addiction. Here is my only real problem with these books. I HATE cliff hangers, but I can live with them IF the entire series is available and if the books in the series do not have an outrageous price and do not consist of novellas...cough cough... I will walk away from all this in a second. That said... I obviously didn't walk away from this series and the only reason I did not is because of KINDLE UNLIMITED. I'd like to thank and commend this author for putting her books on this service, because otherwise I would not have touched this series due to the cliffys in every single short novella, not even the free bundle of the first three books because of the cliffys. I really enjoyed this series so Yaaa for KINDLE UNLIMITED.

There are seven novellas in this series, so I'm writing a general review of the series once, then copying and pasting on every one of the books I read. I finished Faren and Mick's story. I haven't decided if I like Niki and Thorne well enough to continue with their stories, especially not knowing if those books include Faren and Mick. The fist two books are a bit slow, and I nearly stopped reading. The information is vital for the full understanding and enjoyment of the entire series and then novella 3 begins to pick up so I'm glad I didn't give up. I recommend that you do as I did. They aren't that long, and it's worth it in the end.

I could not put this series down. It's erotic. It has heartbreak, healing, and joy. It has mystery and suspense. The author does a great job with the mystery. She got me and that is very unusual. I usually see it coming and have already at least guessed at the mystery that unravels at the end. There are exceptions to every rule. This one got me good and I was left with my mouth hanging open... Bravo Ms. Eros!!! In one of the books, I wanted to jump in the book and punch Mick!! You will understand and have the same overwhelming desire once you get to that point. This author drags you into the story so that you feel you as if you are part of it. She makes you hate the villains and love the good guys, then changes all that with the twist and turns... EXCELLENT...

As much as I loved the story, it did have a flaw that usually has me lowering my rating. It was poorly edited. I think the author wrote well, and I really believe the problem was with bad or lack of beta readers and poor editing, but I did get confused at times. Knowing this and loving the story, I just stopped paying attention to details and just read and that worked for me. It didn't take away from the story, even with some seriously eye rolling..lol... So I just kept my rating at 5 stars.

This series is classified as a dark romance. I honestly did not see this as dark. I didn't see any ingredients to classify this as dark. I can't elaborate without giving spoilers, so just know that it's not dark. I'm not saying this as a negative. I know many people shy away from the dark stuff, so I think the author is doing herself an injustice by calling it dark. I think more people would be interested and would one click without the threat of dark... Yes, it is very erotic and has adult themes, very descriptive sex scenes and damaged characters with dark past... But nothing happens that I would say is actually dark. Everything is consensual and there is no incest...

I definitely recommend this series. I've already checked out this author's other books and will be checking them out, hoping that the editing is better...

The Token Book 1-3 managed to setup a world with sympathetic characters, esp. the FMC, but the lack of resolution within each book made me wonder if I'm reading an endless soap opera rather than a romance.

Faren Mitchell is a physical therapist by day... exotic dancer by night. AND... she's a virgin. Her left hand bears the scars of a horrific attack by her step-father, who is still out there, and her mother is in a semi-vegetative state from the same attack. Faren needed to raise the funds to put her mother into a proper nursing home... and was so distracted she got ran over by motorcycle ridden by billionaire Jared "Mick" McKenna, the most attractive man she had even seen, that she'd consider giving up her v-card to him. He felt guilty over causing her injury, but there was something more, because Faren seem to switch between the shy innocent girl and the sexy temptress in the blink of an eye, not that she volunteered any information about her "2nd job". But Jared was determined to find some answers, even as Faren's worst nightmare came to life: her evil step-father had found her... at work, and barely escaped with her life. Unfortunately, her home was no longer safe, and even as Mick took her home, intending to keep her safe, a police detective who has a vendetta against Mick intervened. And Faren needed to do one more job to secure her mother's care, but to do so she needed to lie to Mick, the one man she doesn't want to lie to...

While I enjoy the twists and turns, each book / volume should be enough to stand on itself rather than being like a comic book or soap opera that always ends on a cliffhanger. It's also super-angst-y. I guess I don't enjoy being teased, and having 3 volumes instead of just one and the story line is STILL nowhere near finished just makes me hope for a real ending already, even if it's just a "happy for now" ending.

An intriguing storyline that kept me reading...

BUT

The books are WAY TOO SHORT and while I was happy to read these first 3 books for free, there is no way I am paying $5.69 for book 4 when it is only 85 pages long.

I've had a quick look at books 5 & 6 on Amazon and while they are a little longer (around 130 pages each), $5.69 is just to much for the author to expect someone to pay for such a short book.

For my money, I expect at least 250 pages for that kind of price.

What a fabulous conundrum. Faren Mitchell is facing a terrible necessity...she's forced into exotic dancing in order to support her dying mother's expensive convalescent care. She sacrifices morals and slowly loses pieces of herself while learning her body is like an evil tool to be controlled and wielded over men. Through all of this insurmountable trouble, she fights to keep her life a secret from Mick...the very love interest pursuing her...the very man who owns the Clubs in which she works. Her shame forces her silence. But Jared (Mick) McKenna has many shameful secrets of his own.

I told myself I wouldn't read another ongoing series, but here I am doing it again. I love this story of Faren's messed up, mixed up dilemma. I loved her character and this author conveyed Faren's sorrow so perfectly, pulling at my heartstrings. Strong character descriptions. Provocatively erotic dialogue told in 1st person from Faren's POV. Worth the time.