Title: Opium Skies
Series: In Vein #1
Author: C.M. Radcliff
Genre: Contemporary New Adult Romance
Release Date: October 29, 2020

Blurb

Life is full of variables.
We crave control, but in reality, we have very little.

I left home with a plan: get the full college experience and pass my classes.
But that all changed when I met him.
Ander was the last thing I needed.
He was never part of my plan.
He was the one variable in my life that I could never control.

And we were destined for destruction.

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Review

Feels 3
Steam 2
Storyline 3.5
Overall Rating 3.5
Kindle eArc provided by Author
Reviewed by Stephanie

“Like an uncontrollable whirlwind, he tore through every aspect of my life, stripping me bare of everything I ever had. And for some sick, fucked-up reason through the ups and downs – I loved every minute of it. Every fucking minute, except for one. The very last minute that finally took him from me.”

I don’t usually take a look at reviews when I am done reading a book before posting my own. I was so torn the whole way through on how I felt about this book and wanted to see how others were feeling. I can see from taking a quick peek that I am in the minority with my thoughts on this one. I loved that the author tackled the dark and gritty world that is addiction. Some parts of this book will cut you open and let you bleed out. If you’re looking for a pretty story, this definitely is not it. I love a book that tackles the tough stuff that sometimes people shy away from. I think it’s so important to shed light on the truths that are out there…no matter how ugly that may look.

“Hadley Winters. I should stay away from her. She should have said no. But she didn’t. And now I can’t.”

Hadley is away at her first year of college and getting by with a little help from a friend. Only this friend is a small, blue dangerous pill. They help her get through the day. She feels she isn’t the same without them but doesn’t see that as necessarily an issue. They are all she wants and needs until she meets Ander. Ander has secrets and demons of his own and soon Hadley’s not only addicted to her little blue pills. She’s also addicted to a blue eyed boy.

“I don’t want to lie to her, but that’s what I do best. In the end, I always fuck everything up. It’s only a matter of time.”

These two start a quick and sometimes sweet but pretty toxic relationship. Ander is spiraling out of control. As much as he tries to keep Hadley sheltered from what is happening, it becomes impossible to separate the two. What should be a fun and carefree time in their lives for both of them turns dark and gritty as addiction begins to pull them under and things take a turn for the worse. Can the love they have for each other save them or will their addictions destroy them?

“Give me all your lies and broken promises.”

There are parts of this story that really pulled me in. Mainly the dark parts. I tried to pinpoint where or why I struggled with this whole book but I couldn’t. I applaud the author for not holding back on such a hard topic. I honestly wasn’t a huge fan of either character. I loved their names. I love dark books but this one I couldn’t lose myself in. Parts were slow while others went too fast and I lost the connection. A very important topic. Sometimes it was a heartbreaking read but overall it didn’t fully connect with me. I am, however, looking forward to the next book and really pulling for these two characters to have their HEA.

Excerpt

My eyes fly open and I glance at the door, meeting his stormy blue eyes.

“What the fuck are you doing, Hadley?” Ander barks as his entire body consumes the doorway. Everyone in the room freezes, glancing between the two of us.

Narrowing my eyes, I hold his gaze, challenging him as I slide the rolled-up bill across the surface of the dresser, deeply inhaling the bright white powder. My eyes never leave Ander’s as I drop the bill onto the dresser and stand upright, sniffing harder. Ander steps into the room, his entire presence consumes every inch of the space. The two guys in the room instinctively step back, knowing better than to get in his way right now.

Ander’s eyes are honed in on mine and they burn with the deepest shades of blue. A complete contradiction to the storm that brews within his expression. He stops in front of me, reaching out and grabs my chin. Tilting my head to look back at him, he leans in, his lips just barely touching mine.

“You wanna play like that, little girl?” He breathes against my lips as a sinister smile pulls on the corners of his lips. “Game on.”

Quickly releasing me, Ander nudges me to the side and plucks the rolled-up bill from the wood surface. Crossing my arms over my chest, I watch him, slightly amused as he leans over the dresser. Within a matter of seconds, he inhales the remaining lines left and stands back to look at me.

His pupils are already constricted, but I watch as they transform into just small dots, with his blue irises consuming them. Ander looks down at me with a sly grin playing on his lips, waiting for me to make the next move.

Abruptly grabbing me by the throat, he pulls me flush against him. My breath catches in my throat. His touch burns against my skin and the blazing fire settles throughout my body, mixing with the euphoria from the Oxy and everything else in my system.

Heat spreads from my stomach and a warmth creeps between my legs as he leans closer, his warm breath skating across my face. Just as his lips are about to capture mine, he ducks his head to the side, pressing his lips against my ear.

“Ball’s in your court, babe,” he breathes, his words only meant for me to hear and lightly squeezes my throat. “Your move.”

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About C.M. Radcliff

C.M. Radcliff lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two demon children. Known as the Psycho Queen, she speaks fluent sarcasm, dark humor, and has the mouth of a sailor. If she isn’t reading or writing, she’s probably on an adventure with her little family.