Magnate - Celia Aaron

After completing Counsellor on Tuesday I only made it to Wednesday before I knew I had to have book two in the Acquisition series. I could not put these characters away, they stuck with me throughout the night and I am so glad I continued on immediately with Magnate, it did not disappoint.
“Seven rules to see you through. 
 Seven rules to live by. 
 Seven rules to make it hurt. 
 Seven rules to kill by.”

Rating: 4.5 Stars
Published: January 2016
Genre: Adult, Romance, Erotica
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Lucius Vinemont has spirited me away to a world of sugar cane and sun. There is nothing he cannot give me on his lavish Cuban plantation. Each gift seduces me, each touch seals my fate. There is no more talk of depraved competitions or his older brother – the one who’d stolen me, claimed me, and made me feel things I never should have. Even as Lucius works to make me forget Sinclair, my thoughts stray back to him, to the dark blue eyes that haunt my sweetest dreams and bitterest nightmares. Just like every dream, this one must end. Christmas will soon be here, and with it, the second trial of the Acquisition.

Full disclosure: This book is a dark romance with elements of slavery, violence, BDSM, and super-hot sex. It is the second book of a trilogy and ends on a cliffhanger. If you're good with these caveats, enjoy.

The Vinemont brothers are back, fighting over the beautiful Stella, the girl who plays such a huge role in the Acquisition trials. They will do anything to win, even risk the girl who's taking their emotions by storm.

 I could not put Magnate down, nothing could stop me from reading this book in one sitting. Stella and her fierce determination carry over from Counsellor, but in this book we learn even more about her past, her personal darkness, and what she's willing to do to get away from the Vinemont brothers, especially Sinclair. I loved reading Stella's perspective, just like before, she has such intense inner dialogue, fighting with herself over her desire to both be away from Sinclair Vinemont and to be in his arms at any given chance. Her emotions run wild in this book and I think that made it all the more interesting for me. What blew Magnate out of the water for me though, was reading how much Sinclair and Lucias have changed. I expected much of the same from both of them, but the impending winter trial and the reality of the Acquisition rules really brought out a lot of changes from both. The tender side we see in both characters, as they interact with family and come to term with their feelings, is such a huge difference from Magnate and I was ready to eat out of Sinclair's hand if he offered.

“You made me weak. From the first moment I saw you, you were a fucking poison.”

The darkness and mystery in this book continue to be just as heavy as they were in the previous novel, if not more.The Acquisition is explained in even greater detail and as a reader your head will become so jumbled with just how sick the wealthy Louisiana families are. I found myself seeing good in people I shouldn't, choosing sides, and trying to figure out an end that was so unpredictable. The romance in this book is especially dark and heavy, I struggled with the feelings I wanted to blossom between characters, because I knew the trials brought depravity, fear, and danger with them. It is all incredibly explicit and if you're like me you'll be asking yourself why you like it all so much. I was so engaged by all the relationship dynamics between the characters and I found myself eating up the stories about the past and present trials.

“His words were a dark promise that sent a thread of electricity straight between my thighs. I was in his web again, caught and cocooned as he slowly sank his fangs into every bit of me.”

I definitely found the second installment of the Acquisition series to be much more developed than the first, Counsellor. Not only were the main characters far more developed, but the secondary characters didn't feel like background noise anymore. There was a lot of development to the plot and I found myself really enjoy the suspense and anticipation. Intrigue will have you starting this book, the dark suspense and romance will keep you reading. Magnate is not a standalone novel and should be read after the completion of Counsellor, book three in the series is due this April.