Does It Hurt?

1st person/dual povSpice: 10/5 - Hot AF!WHOA... just whoa. If I had to sum this book up in just one word it would be that one. I am so glad I held off on reading this until the audio was out because experiencing it for the first time on audio was beyond amazing. I am once again blown away by the performance of Troy and Michelle. I have listened to them narrate together before but this one is my favorite of theirs. It. Was. Perfect. Troy's accents are phenomenal, but the old man in the lighthouse felt like a whole new person joined the cast! And don't even get me started on Enzo and his drool-worthy Italian self. My Italian obsessed self was all but clawing at my headphones wanting to pull that man into real life haha! However, my favorite thing about the narration was Michelle's performance. Her sassy and sarcastic attitude towards Enzo made their banter truly come to life and the way she delivered all of the little quirky things that Sawyer would say when anxious had me hollering! It felt so genuine and real that it just made me love the character even more. It's audiobooks like this that keep you coming back for more.Now for the story itself. I had no idea what to expect when the book started. We know Sawyer is running from someone and something in her past but we aren't really sure what. She alludes to the fact that she is a fugitive so we assume it's the law she is running from but still, I wasn't completely sure that was the whole situation. I also had no idea what she could have done to warrant being hunted down. It's all very mysterious and will definitely keep your attention hooked. In a last-minute change of plans to avoid being caught, she lands herself on a plane and winds up in a little coastal town in Australia. Here we find out that she has been stealing the identities of different men in order to fly under the radar and avoid being found. She is determined to keep a low profile and only spends money on things she feels she needs to in order to survive and not draw attention to herself. This has worked for her for years and no one has ever caught on to her. Then she meets Enzo.Enzo is this dark and broody gorgeous Italian man with a chip on his shoulder and Sawyer knows spending even one night with him is a terrible idea yet she can't stop herself. After a night together that neither of them expected Sawyer does what she always does and steals the information she needs before leaving his house without a backward glance. She never expected him to see him again. So when he runs into her several days later and invites her out on his boat she gives in and goes knowing this is yet another terrible idea. What she didn't know was that Enzo had a secret of his own and no longer feels anything for her but hatred. A secret that led to rushed decisions and not checking the weather before hitting the water. Actions that land them in the middle of the ocean where a storm creeps up on them putting their lives in danger. Now they must work together to survive until they can find a way to make it back to civilization while facing the secrets between them that are all slowly coming to the surface. Oh and not giving into the intense attraction they have for one another of course lol.This story has way more suspense to it than I was expecting and I loved it. If you like a good bit of mystery with your romance then this is a good one to pick up. It's got some great humor as well because the banter between these two is full of sass and enemies to lovers/hate to like or love you vibes. I thought it was paced very well and didn't feel like it was dragging on even though several weeks go by with them stranded together. And if you want something spicy that will blow your mind and have your libido doing jumping jacks well this one will do that and then some!The. Spice. Is. Next. Level.Just when I thought I couldn't be shocked by some of these smutty scenes anymore here comes Enzo and his wild AF ways of bringing someone to ecstasy until they almost die. And no I'm not kidding - near death is sometimes an understatement lol. I honestly never thought I would find myself using spicy and sharks together to describe a book but I should really learn to never say never in the romance world, especially when it comes to dark romance. (and yea sharks are involved but no - no lines like "that" were crossed so before anyone jumps to crazy conclusions just chill - we like it dark but not that dark over here so kindly step away from the report buttons and read the book first so you know what I'm talking about lol) Beyond that you've got a dirty talking man, in English and Italian thank you very much, who's mission is to bring his partner to ecstasy in ways that are nothing short of a religious experience. Telling someone you're going to see God may induce an eye roll until you realize he meant it literally and not figuratively haha! I can promise you that whether you're religious or not this man would make you see the gates of some sort of afterlife before bringing you back from the brink via 0rg@sm. That my friends is enough to have me sold on any book and the fact that the rest of it is so enjoyable is just a bonus.So run, don't walk, and listen to daddy Enzo learn you a thing or two about experiencing life-altering spice hahaha. But please if you need TWs do not, I repeat do not, skip the ones for this book. Trust me. It's worth it because Enzo just knocked Zade out of his top spot when it comes to HD Carlton's book men and that alone is saying something.

I have a love-hate relationship with dark romances. I have to constantly remind myself that I can't hate the main characters because they're "morally gray." That's what I signed up for. To each their kinks, "your kink is not my kink, and that's OK," I would never kink-shame, etc. Even when I'm angry at a character (fine, it's usually the hero) because I think they went too far and the forgiveness gets stuck in my throat and chokes me, I understand: it's a DARK romance. And that's ok. I can take them in small doses, once in a blue moon.This particular author did a fantastic job with the Cat and Mouse Duet, "Satan's Affair," and "Where's Molly." I loved, LOVED those, no matter how many times I got uncomfortable or cringed. In fact, it's only the second dark romance ever that I will read a second time. Not right away, oh no. I need an IV drip of puppies and kittens and unicorns first, ha! But eventually I'll go back to it because the characters are just that awesome. I probably should review those, actually.However... "Does It Hurt?"... I may want to read it again, in maybe a year. But this was one of those instances where I was really mad at a character at one point - ok, it was Enzo - and I struggled because I had a hard time with the "enemies" part. There were several moments where I felt it was too much and he was just too cruel. I think it went on just a tad too long, just a hair over my breaking point, and it's by sheer stubbornness that I kept going because I love Cat and Mouse so much and I really, really enjoy this author. In the end, I am glad I read this because, as far as dark romances go, it's definitely swoon-worthy. Enzo redeems himself in a *magnificent* way, which makes me grateful I stuck it out. I also adore his career, so he had a lot going for him from the start, heh.It's just that there was this one thing... In general, I have no trouble suspending disbelief - provided the context is there, of course - because these are stories, they are an escape. I am A-OK with these dramas because that will NEVER happen to me personally, heh. But when you know this can be wrapped up in a beautiful bow and be perfect, even imperfectly perfect / perfectly imperfect, when you do hit a snag, it's a bit disappointing. And I know I'm probably splitting hairs, but still...*MAJOR SPOILERS, i.e., ENDING AHEAD*I am happy to not look too closely at certain details (don't Trinity and Kacey have birth certificates somewhere? there should be a record of that, no?), I won't dissect and look for flaws, BUT there is this one thing... If people found out how Kevin was a disgusting excuse for a human being and his other victims came forward after his death, then what about Garrett? I mean, sure, I can picture Sawyer never hearing about what happened, never watching the news, etc., that's fine. But what about Garrett and his emails? So, in the six years Sawyer was running, even if it was two or three emails per year, he never told her the truth came out? If it was just telling her to turn herself in without mentioning something as monumental as the fact that Kevin was indeed guilty, I might have accepted it and not looked twice. But in the one email we, as the readers, get to see, he says things like Sawyer should face what she's done because Kevin was the one person who loved her so much and she should turn herself in because she owes it to him... Um. That's not how you talk about someone you thought of as your good friend and come to find out was actually a piece of sh#t. In all those six years, Garrett never said, oh by the way, sorry for not believing you, sorry for what you went through, something like that? Or how about just, hey, everyone knows now that he was a sicko, so I'll help you get the best defense? I'm scratching my head here. And even if, say, Garrett was just as sick as Kevin - they were buddies and all that - then wouldn't Kevin's victims have mentioned a second abuser?Honestly, I was waiting for Garrett to show up, like boo! plot twist! I'm here to shut you up because you're a loose end! I thought there was going to be another showdown.I feel like this was a plot hole that was a bit too glaring. It's like the author forgot about Garrett's character, even though, quite a bit past the halfway point, I think, Sawyer actually tells Enzo that one of Kevin's buddies still emails her every once in a while to threaten her or whatever.That's my niggling detail: what about Garrett?Other than that, I thought it was a really great story.

This story was intriguing and suspenseful, add well written characters and well written SPICY scenes made a well written story.The FMC Sawyer ,is running from her past stealing identities to live on happens to run into a wrong man MMC Enzo.The story is so well written that it keeps you interested until the end. There are scenes where by you amazed, not once did I feel lost or bored so therefore I had to finish it in one day and that same evening.Now I can see why, “Does It Hurt “, is so popular .The intense and erotic sex scenes are so beautifully designed to emulate the euphoric description allowing you to experience all .Throughout this book you are emerged with the characters ( Sawyer and Enzo) land their feelings and personalities and you will fall into Love with them both.It’s a MUST READ!Enjoy & Happy Romance reading!

The story line was good and the spice was perfect. Just enough spice to keep the story lively. I figured out something was off at the lighthouse early on and kept telling the characters it wasn't a ghost, get out and find out what was going on. Of course, the characters didn't listen to me until it was too late.

El libro está muy bonito solo que llegó un poquito arrugado de la parte de arriba, aunque no se nota tanto. Fuera de eso me encantó <3 Gracias

*spoiler-free review*5/5 ⭐️ overall rating4/5 🌶️ smutTropes/Elements:∆ dark romance∆ revenge∆ forced proximity∆ enemies to lovers∆ MMC with an accent∆ dual POV∆ touch her and die∆ one bed∆ creepy, eerie, suspensefulI read this book before I was really active on Goodreads, and it still lives rent free in my head, so I might as well give it the review it deserves –I am 28 years old and recently got back into reading. Does It Hurt is the 7th book I have read since starting this journey. This was also my FIRST dark romance. And let me tell you, I was pulled into the depths of these waters with Enzo and Sawyer immediately!I absolutely devoured this book.This was the perfect mix of darkness –I loved the grumpy MMC with his sexy Italian accent. I had to look up many of the translations, but I absolutely loved it. The quotes and translations made the MMC’s words hold so much more passion and depth.“Bella Ladra”*swoons*This was also a dark story in terms of, suspense and fear as well… and I absolutely did not see this coming since I went into this without really reading up on the book first, (with that in mind - please check TW's), but as I mentioned, this is a spoiler-free review. So we’ll leave it at that.But the best part of this book was that it isn’t like some of the other dark romance I have read since, which feature pathetic FMC’s with no character development or personality. The FMC is a quirky, independent character. We get to hear her story, we get to see more than one side of her, and we get to watch her take action and develop throughout the book:“But I realize now that I was wrong. Being scared and weak aren’t synonymous. It takes strength to keep getting back up after constantly being knocked down.”This book gave me everything I needed it to.All in all, I am new to H. D. Carlton, but I won’t be for long. I think this was extremely well done and I cannot wait to read more of her work!

OMG… THIS BOOK IT’S AMAZING!!!!First, i have to say that it’s my second book from the author, so i expected some good story, but i couldn’t expect this. This book it’s not a dark (like really dark and disturbing), but have some triggers, so carefull in that.OK, to the story… I simply loved that. We start saw Sawyer, a fugitive, embarking in the flight to Australia. There, she hides herself and, in the meantime, knows Enzo (the reason o f my life, just for record kkkk). After a night , she runs away (with his identity- after all, it’s that what she does to living). And here the author creates the most powerful hate and Enemies to Lovers of them all- the hating the each other nutres it’s palpable and you could fell all the emotions in this book. After some incidents, they finds themselves in the middle of a island with a lighthouse (who are leading by a rea strange guy kkkk). The mysteries, the emotions and the plot (even capable of discovering in the beginning of the book) it’s amazing and i have to say: if you didn’t read yet, go now and read, because this book it’s incredible.

“𝗜 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝘀 𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝘀 𝗜 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂. 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗲, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗮 𝗹𝗮𝗱𝗿𝗮” 🦈🌊hdcarltonauthorTropes:• Shipwrecked on an Island**• Enemies to Lovers• One Bed• Forced Proximity**My Opinion:When I tell you I am obsessed with this book.This one follows Sawyer, a woman who has been broken time and time again. When she took life into her own hands, she did what she had to do to survive, which was stealing identities. One day, after fleeing to Australia, she meets Enzo, a hot Italian man who happens to be a SHARK expert!!!They hit it off and start off with a BANG *if you know what I mean*. But, as usual, Sawyer takes what she needs and steals his identity. When he figures it out, he vows revenge, and he does with sharks involved 😭. They get stuck on a creepy island/lighthouse with a weird old man, and with one bed while his hatred is still there, so are new feelings.This is a rollercoaster of emotions. Let’s just get this out of the way: Enzo, my man, a literal grump, but yet I was rooting for him the WHOLE time. Like, I hated him, loved him, hated that I loved him, and wanted him all at once. But SAWYER... my goodness, this was her book. She is fierce, yet scared. She is hilarious but knows when to be serious. She is everything I have ever wanted in a FMC. Just loved her.As for the story, HD did not disappoint me. She always gives us uniqueness that you can’t find everywhere else. This story is suspenseful, creepy, sexy AF. I found myself scared and turned on all at once. WHAT A THRILL!This book will NOT be for everyone. It is dark, bully, enemies-to-lovers, psychological thriller, with lots of TWs. HD Carlton has listed them at the beginning of the book for your convenience.

i like when a book makes me feel everything the characters feel.It was such a good book, and i'm happy to say that H. D. Carlton has become one on my favorite authors.i really enjoyed reading this book.