The Prince (The Original Sinners #3) by Tiffany Reisz

WOW what a rush! I'm talking mainly about the ending which left me opened mouthed craving to get my hands on the next one. I couldn't even sleep properly I was keep finding myself half awake considering the options of whats REALLY going on but wasn't sure if all the information was played in the previous 3 books is enough. 


This book has a very defined structure. There is a loop of 3 different locations of time and place - 

First one "North - The Past" where we hear from Kingsley POV of his time at the catholic school were he lived with Søren. In the previous book, Nora acknowledged the fact that Kingsley and Søren have been lovers in the past, and the reason that it WAS in the past and isn't in the present is only due to Søren's love for her, not from lack of interest from Kingsley who have been in love with Søren ever since then. In a perverse way, Kinglsey is such a romantic! The chapters of the past shows us truly the beginning, who Kingsley is, or rather, was. Also how he and Søren came to be together and how it all led to them being together now ruling an underground empire.

Second "North - The Present" again we have Kingsley's POV only telling us of his and Søren's investigation of who's after them (which started with Nora's file getting stolen but there's more). It's interesting seeing the both of them as teens in one chapter than moving 30 years forward to how they are today. Kingsley would gladly go back to being with Søren. I'm not sure what's holding Søren back from claiming him (as well as Nora). I actually felt like I knew who was the thief even though I didn't have all the details of how (which I still in a way don't have which drives me absolutely mad!). 

Though I couldn't care less for Søren, I did feel bad for Kingsley for losing Søren to Nora or in general not having the person he loves most by his side the way he would want him to be. Sacrifices were made by both sides and in a way I DO believe that Søren still loves Kingsley but maybe not enough or he wants Nora more. I'm not sure. I actually sort of felt bad for Søren, he CAN'T love a man or a woman without the violence before hand. I DIDN'T feel sorry for the fact everyone in his childhood feared and hated him for being to damn perfect! 

Third and last "South" The Prince of Kentucky - Wes and Nora spending their time together at his family's mansion. Here we have alternating POVs of both Nora and Wes. Nora did in fact leave her boots and run from Søren to Wes but in a way she didn't since we know that he "gave her up" because he was worried she will get hurt. But since Nora doesn't know that, and since AT LAST they have time, just the two of them with no interruptions the romance between them could built. I LOVED seeing the both of them together. Wes is SO sweet it's simply unbelievable, not to mention that for me they are practically in heaven - surrounded by horses. Nora actually meets someone from her past as a Dominatrix - the one who gave her the car! There's a short plot line of what's going on with him though I don't think it's something that really matters for the bigger picture (but who knows!). 

I had literally no air AT ALL on their last chapter (also last chapter in the book). There are a lot of beautiful scenes between the both of them and I think that Nora gets that with all her love for Søren, giving up Wes is also impossible for her and unlike the situation between her, Søren and Kingsley - she CAN'T have them both. 

There is also a scene were Nora confesses of a sort of lie she made in the past to keep Wes away. I feel like I should apologize as well, because as it seems I accused Søren of something - wrongly.. He truly does love Nora beyond words, but I still don't get their relationship, less on the physical side, more on the mental side where she has to get his permission for everything. I accepted it with Griffin and Michael in the previous book. Mostly because of Michael being who he is (and also because Griffin is less "strict" in his dominance over him). But with Nora it feels totally wrong for who SHE is. 

I LOVED this book, loved the way it was constructed, where you have The past then the present of Kingsley and Søren following the present of Nora and Wes in a loop. It kept you on edge to everything that's happening, there was a lot of romance, both a vanilla one in the present and very hard core between Søren and Kingsley in the past, and in between - the investigations in the present (both in the north and in the south). 

AMAZING READ. Definitely 5 blood red stars!

Additional Details: Kindle Ebook, 416 pages, 26-27 July 2014 / On GoodReads

 

  ABOUT THIS SERIES

 

The Original Sinners ("The Red Years") by Tiffany Reisz is an excellent Erotica series. I'll be the first to admit I wasn't sure I'm going to like it, wasn't sure I'll feel comfortable reading it or somehow be able to sympathize with the characters. I"m not sure that I DID sympathize with ALL of them, BUT my initial uncomfortable feeling passed as the series continued and I just feel like I got a strange entrance pass as well as a very informative brochure to a world I wouldn't have visited without :)  

I recommend this series to all Romance lovers even if BDSM and S&M isn't your "thing". I think I mainly consider it "different" now, I find that I "get" it more than I did before and my revulsion of some of the staff somehow subsided. I mainly have a problem with the psychological side of things (like humiliation) and much less with the physical harm (like beating). In my eyes harming a person, really harming, is never about putting them in casts in the hospital it's breaking their spirit.

While this IS a series, in a way it's a whole tale written in 4 parts. Don't expect a HEA before the absolute ending and till all the pieces fall into place. Also don't believe everything you read or think. Most things are A LOT more complicated than they look.

The series is separated into 2 sub series - The Red Years which relate to the present and The White Years which relate to the past. I've read the first 4 books in the Red Years, in the White Years only the first book was published (out of 4).

The story in the Red Years is sort of a love triangle between the Main Character Nora Sutherlin (Also known as Eleanor Schreiber) a submissive in her past, a writer and dominatrix in the present, Søren (her Dom and lover for almost 20 years) and Wesley (her young and vanilla roommate). There are few more important main characters in the series that makes it colorful and interesting.  

My two main reasons for being reluctant to read The White Years are I'm not sure how I would feel about reading Nora as the submissive Eleanor. Also, if the White Years are like the Red years, the whole story will be told only when then last word on the fourth book is finished so I might wait for it all to come out then read it. 

There are a TON of short stories in this series, haven't read any of them yet, but all are listed either on GoodRead here or/and in Tiffany's website right here. I will probably read them when I feel I miss Nora Sutherlin and her fun and kinky world. 

 

There are 4 more books "The White Years" of Nora's time as Eleanor. Haven't read those. I'll probably get to them but I'm not sure when. 

Books:
The Red Years
1. The Siren (published 24 July 2012) ★★★★★
2. The Angel (published 25 September 2012) ★★★★★
3. The Prince (published 20 November 2012) ★★★★★
4. The Mistress (published 30 July 2013) ★★★½