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    The Initiation
    The Initiation
    The Initiation
    Audiobook8 hours

    The Initiation

    Written by Nikki Sloane

    Narrated by Savannah Peachwood

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    No one knows how new members are selected to the board of Hale Banking and Holding. But there are rumors of a sordid rite of initiation.

    Whispers how one woman and nine men disappear into a boardroom.

    This time, that woman will be me.

    The Hale family owns everything—the eighth largest bank in the world, everyone in our town, even the mortgage on my parents’ mansion. And now Royce Hale wants to own me.

    He is charming. Seductive. Ruthless. But above all, he’s the prince of lies. My body may tighten with white-hot desire under his penetrating gaze, but I refuse to enjoy it.

    I’ll make a deal with the devil to save my family and sell myself to the Hales. But Royce will never own my heart.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherShady Creek Publishing
    Release dateApr 24, 2020
    ISBN9781949409079
    The Initiation
    Author

    Nikki Sloane

    USA Today bestselling author Nikki Sloane landed in graphic design after her careers as a waitress, a screenwriter, and a ballroom dance instructor fell through. Now she writes full-time and lives in Kentucky with her husband, two sons, and a pair of super destructive cats.She is a four-time Romance Writers of America RITA® & Vivian® Finalist, a Passionate Plume & HOLT Medallion winner, a Goodreads Choice Awards semifinalist, and couldn't be any happier that people enjoy reading her sexy words.

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    Related categories

    Reviews for The Initiation

    4/5

    416 ratings22 reviews

    What our readers think

    Readers find this title to be a twisted power play thriller with cult-like rituals. While some reviewers are disgusted by the low self-esteem of the main character and manipulative behavior of Royce and his family, others are addicted to the intense dark romance and unimaginable twists. The narration is superb and the story is engaging, suspenseful, and steamy. The book ends in a cliffhanger, leaving readers eager for the next installment. Overall, this series is a great introduction to dark romance with a solid storyline and intense sexy-factor.

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 3/5
      Well, it was a loooong one….so this book was like having a front row seat to royal sadist from long ago. The pervy father in low was overdone. One can deduce she was wildly uncomfortable without detailed accounts of this lamb being led to slaughter. It didn’t need so much time dedicated to that relationship. I would have hoped that the female lead would have learned a thing or two earlier on. We wanted her to fight and rise above the manipulation by every character in the book. I appreciated the author’s support of the female lead’s interest and expression of her sex drive. That is rare to see in literature. The book could have used more moments between Maris & Royce. It would have offset excessive amount of lewd incest. The audience needed more romance and far less perversion. The authors “Rivalry” is a far better book.
    • 2/5
      It kept me intrigued but it disappointed me because she became a victim. I hate victimized women's stories. You are going to tell me a college educated woman doesn't understand how to negotiate contracts. They gave her choices but she couldn't think on her feet to win in a situation. It could have been more smart plots.
    • 5/5
      Holy smoking guns of thrilling sexy mind games ~ why did I wait so long to listen to this series? WOW~!!! It is all kinds of wrong, and there are some thoroughly dark potentially triggering scenarios....but the dark romance lover in me DEVOURED Marist's journey and her transformation. No spoilers...It's a very painful, twisty f*c&ed up journey that is not for the lighthearted, but this super dirty mythology-driven suspense romance had me hooked! I couldn't put it down and finished the trilogy in 2 days. Marist's journey is difficult, twisted, HAWT as hell, disturbing, basically all the things. This is not fluffy romance. There are mind games and power hungry men who will stop at nothing to win. I'm writing this for the whole trilogy (The Initiation, The Obsession, The Deception).

      Savannah Peachwood is an incredible performer and really delivered every character in this thrilling, steamy, dark romance with a HEA that curled my toes! This series reminded me why I have a crush on her dude voice.
    • 4/5
      I'm disgusted. This woman's self esteem is too low and Royce and his family are manipulative. But I'm addicted!!! It gets better in the other books.
    • 4/5
      Didn’t really like the narrators drag on pronunciations but I get used to it and the story is very good. So I’ll keep listening. Her “guy” voice is pretty convincing tho.
    • 5/5
      Two of the most dysfunctional families in all of Romantica have nurtured and molded the hero and heroine of this story. It’s no wonder then, that they alternatively drive the bus or are driven over, in a well-crafted story with some intense plot twists that you just don’t see coming. The author must be an evil genius. And the sexy-factor is intense. I m moving in to the next book right now!
    • 4/5
      It’s a hard wind up and you end up realizing how easy it is to hate characters.
    • 5/5
      A very intense dark steamy romance with a huge cliffhanger
    • 5/5
      I read this WHOLE series in like two days and what a ride it was. I was nervous about reading though in some ways because I had heard that this series wasn’t for everyone and had some darker elements and as this is Nikki Sloane you just know she will take you on a wild and incredible journey and I had a blast to be honest. I was quite addicted to these books. So get ready for all my reviews and thoughts on this series.So The Initiation is a book that starts off our main couple: Royce and Maris. Royce is the older son of the Hale family, and is tough as nails and has to be with the type of father he has been raised by. He is gearing his way towards taking the reins of the company and will do anything for that to happen. Then we have our heroine, Maris, who has grown up privileged but has been treated poorly by her peers. She has always considered herself the weird undesirable one of the social elites that her family is connected to and a bit of a ugly duckling. And it isn’t until her family is in dire straights, that she takes control and decides to jump into a life she has no comprehension of. Maris is a strong heroine but she definitely has her share of vulnerabilities. I enjoyed seeing all the challenges that she is faced with and the intense chemistry that builds between Royce and Maris. Its that intensity that really draws you in and the writing (as per Nikki Sloane’s style) is utterly addicting. There is a scene here that will NOT be for everyone, and I admired the way that Maris just forges ahead with it despite it being bonkers.Overall I found this first book to be a wild page turner that held my attention and by the end had me thirsting for more.
    • 5/5
      This isn't my usual "five star" book, but I'm giving it that because for what it is, it deserves it.

      I'm not normally into instalust, or scenes that are, frankly, just salacious for the sake of being salacious.

      Both of which this book has.

      You know what else it has? A strong plot, and character development, that SUPPORTS those factors just enough for you to suspend disbelief and buy into the premise.

      Definitely heed any trigger warnings that exist for the Big Scene, but simultaneously try to go in blind. The situation was actually "worse" than I thought it was going to be, so still packed a punch. However, there was also the relief factor of the situation also being "better" than I feared, which kept it from being completely traumatic.

      Yes, I'm contradicting myself a LOT in this review.

      But there's a lot of books with "taboo" content out there that focus so much on hyping up the spice level that the world building (and relationship building) is inadequate, and (imo) the whole thing just caves in, and feels "empty". This book does not make that mistake. Hence, a rare five star rating, from me.

      2 people found this helpful

    • 5/5
      This was a fantastic audiobook….WOW! I highly recommend it!!! Narration superb, story incredible, steamy HOT, suspenseful, unimaginable twists and turns….OMG! Moving on to the next book now! Got to know what happens next…what a cliffhanger!

      2 people found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Talk about a twisted book. This is like a serious power play thriller with some cult like rituals thrown in.

      2 people found this helpful

    • 5/5
      OMG! I pulled an all-nighter to finish listening to this. Nikki Sloan’s imagination to create this story is brilliant. Savannah Peachwood’s voice acting bringing it to life is so smooth and natural that it’s magical. This story is hot and decadent but written and told in such a way that it comes out as a love story. And what a cliffhanger, but done in such away that one knows it’s coming and not a surprise; but actually, a necessary part of the story as it all cannot be told in one book. Moving on to the next in series is a no-brainer.

      2 people found this helpful

    • 5/5
      I’m shocked at how engaging Nikki Sloane’s books are. If you don’t mind a bit of taboo, this book’s kinky tension will have you rapt. Ends on a cliffhanger. I’m kind of thrilled about how Capitalism is being tested in this weirdo erotic tale. Not your grandma’s idea of romance LOL

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Intense connection. Great plot. Keeps you very intrigued. Well worth the time invested to read

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Amazing, so many shocking and crazy moments. I have never cussed so much and despised a character as much as I do in this book. Looking for to the next book in this series.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      I really enjoyed listening to this book!
      This would be a great introduction to “ Dark Romance.”
      It was engaging and a solid storyline.
      Check for triggers, and enjoy!

      1 person found this helpful

    • 2/5
      2.5 Reluctant Stars for me!

      My rating range of this story... 1-3.75 Stars
      If significant, why? See final notes below for the puke factor.

      Main Character Ratings...
      H (Son) = 1/10
      H (Dad) = 1/10
      h = 3/10

      Narrator Rating(s)
      M = n/a
      F = 7/10
      If below 5/10,why?

      Was cheating involved? Yes but not with the MCs
      Any major triggers to be aware of? Sexual Predators

      Scenes with heat... Yes
      What point does it start? 5%
      How much of the story? 10%
      Anything beyond M/F? Yes
      If yes, explained: see final notes below.

      Heat Rating... 8/10
      Clean or Fade to Black - 1 or 2
      Normal to Descriptive 3-5
      Detailed Descriptive Sex - 6-7
      Um, Wow, Beyond Descriptive Sex - 8 or above

      Was there so much sex or unrealistic sex that you rolled your eyes and/or skipped forward? No

      The back story... The h's family are idiots with money and continue to spend even though they are nearly broke. The H's family is uber-wealthy, conniving and downright disgusting. The dad offers the h 5 million dollars to pretend to fall in love with his son and she accepts.

      The Romance... None. It looks like it through the 90% mark but the Hs are both pieces of sh!t.


      SPOILERS BELOW - STOP HERE IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE ANY SPOILERS BUT MANY OF THE PREVIOUS REVIEWS AND FILLED WITH THEM.

      Last chance...
      .
      .
      .


      The drama explosion... Dad offers 100k shares with an estimated value of 10 million + dollars to his son in return for his right to sleep with his soon to be wife whenever he wants... and the idiot son accepts.

      Did it feel Real, OK or contrived? Felt like B. S.
      Was it OTT? Completely
      Separation involved? No
      Was it resolved properly or rushed? Cliffhanger

      Final Notes... This is a difficult story to review based on the F'd up content.

      1. Son says dad is a snake but to play the game.
      2. The h agrees to an agreement to save her family from losing everything INSTEAD OF LETTING reality smack then in the face.
      3. The h agrees to let 8 men feel her up, stick their fingers and tongues wherever they want and then lets the H1 have sex with her in front of all and his father.
      4. Looks like she will reluctantly agree to stay at the H's family home after Dear old Dad and Garbage Fiance agree to a financial arrangement to let Dad have his way with her. That is the cliffhanger.

      If the story had been admission to a secret society with the sex games and people in their age group... No problem. This just felt creepy, sexist and disgusting.

      I wanted to rate it lower but the author kept me interested enough to finish it and to possibly read book 2 to see if it gets worse or the son grows a pair.

      One more thing... If the sex scenes are supposed to titillate, maybe cut back on the flowery head banter as it was so over the top.


      HEA or HFN?

      2 people found this helpful

    • 5/5
      It is a great series even tho it needed duo narrators. Suggest downloading all 4 books as it is one long story divided into 4 books. Books 1-3 end in a cliffhanger. 1.the initiation 2.obsession 3.deception 4. Redemption.
    • 1/5
      If you’re into books that are dubcon at best, but honestly rape then this one is for you. This book is absolute trash.
    • 1/5
      A serious downgrade from the Blindfold Club. It ain’t it.
    • 4/5
      I really liked this and I would have probably have given it five stars if not for the hymen breaking scene. I think that myth is honestly damaging for young girls because it can make them think that their first time having sex will hurt and they should bleed which isn't true. I always subtract a star when there is a scene when the male character purposefully "breaks" the female characters hymen and I would like to kindly request that authors stop writing this and do some more research, even if they're writing a dark romance.

      Beyond that unfortunate flaw, I really enjoyed this book and the characters. This family is so messed up you guys, and it makes for a really good book. I loved the interactions between Royce and Marist from the beginning. The sex scenes between them were generally super fun and very hot. I didn't realize just how steamy this was going to be when I started so a lot of this took me by surprise in a good way.

      As far as plot goes, what was there was interesting but there is clearly a lot of set-up for book two, which I definitely want to read soon. The whole business thing is ridiculous and completely unrealistic but that's what I think most people would expect with a book like this. Don't take it too seriously and have a good time.

      This does end on a bit of a cliff hanger and it definitely left me wanting to know what happens next. I don't know when I'll get to book two but this is a series I will be continuing.