In the Garden of Discontent by Lily White Blog Tour

This is a love story.
It’s brutal.
Heart wrenching.
Terrifying, honest, and raw.
But a love story nonetheless... because it is so beautiful.

Ensley

Noah Carter was the type of guy that every girl wanted.
Gorgeous. Talented. Smart and kind.
He was the world that revolved around me even though I didn’t deserve him.
But then something went wrong.
He snapped maybe, just lost his mind.
I found him the night my family died, their blood staining his hands.
I put him in prison. I got my revenge.
But then years later he broke free and stole me away from my life.

Noah

You couldn’t know Ensley without wanting to strangle her.
She was beautiful. She was wild. She was the girl next door.
I grew up with her by my side.
I watched her destroy herself while I held on.
I protected her when she had been blind to the danger that surrounded her.
I let her go once, only to find her again.
She would see me this time no matter what.

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Leaning down, Noah trapped my bottom lip between his teeth, the hold a punishment, the sting a balm. A part of that ugliness inside me fractured, that tiny amount of pain enough to knock something loose until it was rolling around and rattling.

Opening my lips with his, he swept his tongue into my mouth, filling me with his taste.

I was held up only by his grip on my shirt, balanced only by the strength of his arm and shoulder. My head fell back as he kissed along my jaw and down my neck, teeth scraping the skin, his bite sinking into my shoulder.

Lifting his head, he pressed his mouth against mine and moved to shove me against the wall, trapping me in place.

“I won’t fight you anymore, Ens.”

Noah spoke against my mouth, his knee coming up between my legs, spreading them until he could bring it up further. I rubbed against him, desperate to soothe the throbbing pulse that beat for only him, but he grabbed my hip with his other hand and held me still.

“Not anymore. You want to feel something? You need a release? I’ll give it to you, but not like this. I’m not a teenage boy whose hand can be forced. Not by you, and not by anyone.”

Our pain had raised the boy, but prison had shaped the man.

Tears welled in my eyes, the need so overpowering, that I slapped at him with my hands. He didn’t wince at my blows, he only pushed me tighter against the wall trapping my body with his own.

“Please...” The word tumbled from my lips, my body crumpling against him.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆☆
M/F Dark Romance
Triggers: Click HERE to see Avid Reader’s review on Goodreads for trigger warnings.

Ensley had a rough life growing up. With a family life that left a lot to be desired, Ensley thought that she had found her kindred spirit in Noah, the boy next door. But when tragedy strikes and Ensley is left reeling, she'll be held captive for years by her own memories and psyche.

Noah wants nothing more than to love Ensley. He wants to protect her, love her, survive with her. But when the worst happens, he'll stop at nothing to make sure that Ensley knows that truth and how much he loves her.

This is a haunting story that will keep you guessing. While it is a strange romance, make no mistake, it is a romance. Without giving away too much, you'll want to cheer for Noah and Ensley, while cursing everyone else. I'm still reeling from the story, but I enjoyed it a lot.


Shannan – ☆☆☆☆☆
“Give me your pain, Ensley, and I’ll carry it for you.”

Lily White delivers with this one. It's dark, it's gritty, the longing, the hate, it's the kind of love you crave but no one understands. It was everything I wanted and needed.

“That’s right, Ens. Make it hurt. Just like you always have. Make it hurt so fucking much that I carry more scars because of you.”

I was kept on the edge of my seat going from present to past and loving each directional change. Ensley and Noah were a perfect fit. I want to shout about this one but don't want to give anything away. I could have honestly highlighted entire chapters they were written so brokenly beautiful. It's a must read but there are triggers, for me that is what makes it an awesome read, for others it may be what destroys you. Read at your own risk.

"...I listened when she cried. When she was abused. When she needed someone—anyone—to love her. I hadn't stopped listening, not once. But she still insisted she was alone. There were messages out there I needed to hear. The ones buried..."


Angie – ☆☆☆☆☆
Sweet baby Jesus. Strap yourselves in for one hell of a ride. This book was an emotional rollercoaster. So much hurt, hate, and even love. My heart broke for Ensley and even Noah. These two are broken, but so good for each other. The author has such a way of sucking you in from the first page and you'll be on the edge of your seat the entire time, while holding on tight with all the twists and turns. The reader gets Ensley and Noah's points of view in both past and present situations and it flows so well. This was an amazing story that will run you through the ringer but so worth it.


Shelby – ☆☆☆☆☆
This is so difficult to write, almost as difficult as it was to read. I love a dark story and thought I had quite a tolerance for such subject matter, but I found my limit.

In the Garden of Discontent is a cruel tale of two people who find what they need in one another at an early age. Abuse comes in many, MANY forms in this story and I will highly warn you that if abuse toward children bothers you, then look no further. If you are able to stomach this warning, you will find a well written, dark story filled with suspense and ultimately love.

As I have found in many books written by Lily White, the story pulls you in and the suspense keeps you guessing. I can't summarize this, nor will I go into the characters, as any bits or pieces of the story can take away from the overall picture.

I can promise this story affected me and I will have difficulty moving on from it. For that reason, I rate this five-stars, but I won't be re-reading this anytime soon.

Lily White is a romance writer who likes to dabble on the taboo side of eroticism. She is most known for her Masters Series, Target This, Wishing Well, and Asylum. In addition to dark romance Lily writes contemporary romance, taboo romance, and psychological thrillers. Lily enjoys stretching her writing muscles by continuing to challenge herself with each book she publishes.

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of In the Garden of Discontent by Lily White to read and review for this tour.