Title: Wild Arcana

Author: Lux Zakari

Publisher: Smashwords – Self-Published

Buy link: Buy Wild Arcana Here!

Rating: You Gotta Read

Reviewed By: Nerine

Blurb:

Five friends. One tarot card reading. Zero expectations—until fate stepped in.

SHANE, the movie star. He arrives at a rehabilitation clinic for his sex addiction only to be enticed in ways he never thought possible…
TREY, the contractor. He looks after his friend’s deeply troubled stepsister under the guise of remodeling his New York City high-rise, but soon faces temptations that test the bonds of friendship and his self-control…
KRI, the Japanese heiress. Regrets haunt her when she learns she’s pregnant and must leave her lover at the insistence of her strict, traditional father…
BRAND, the high-profile drug dealer. He wrestles with demons of his own after his boyfriend—a cop—ends their relationship over his questionable career path…
DISA, the wayward tennis player. She has her sights set on talk show host Jules Rohan with no idea just how much truth lies in his bad-boy reputation…

Their journey through the twenty-two cards of the Major Arcana in this high-society erotic novel reveals that nothing in life is left to chance—and they’re more entangled in each other’s lives than they ever could have imagined.

Review:

There’s a character for everyone in this sexually charged tale. First off, well done for Zakari for creating five well-realized characters who step off the pages right into my heart. Everyone is the master of his or her own fate, and though they make poor choices that leave them entangled and floundering, I was left breathless in anticipation to see what would happen next.

In addition, Zakari has succeeded in the somewhat daunting task of balancing out such diverse characters, weaving their fates together seamlessly while making me care about each of them to the point where I wasn’t certain who was my favorite.

Wild Arcana is an exploration of the complex relationships people have, be it friends or lovers. Each character is deliciously flawed with a complex outlook on life, which makes his or her journey to resolution all the more poignant.

Shane won’t admit to himself that he has a sex addiction, and he meets his match in a steamy online relationship while he’s supposed to be in recovery. He quickly discovers there’s more to life than the next shag, but what about love?

Trey lives in the shadow of a failed relationship and when his best friend’s sister leads him into temptation, he must decide between honor and his heart’s desire. And the woman he sets his sights on is brittle, and he doesn’t know where he stands with her.

Kri’s wealthy father holds her purse strings, and he’s less than enthusiastic about her relationship with a photographer. She must choose between her heart and the outreach program her father’s money finances.

Brand knows he can’t carry on with his lifestyle as it is, even more so when he is forced to decide between his income and the love of his life. And fate deals him a bad hand before he finds resolution.

Disa thinks she’s in control of her sexcapades but she might have bitten off more than she could chew in the events that transpire. Her growing realization is especially poignant when she hits rock bottom.

And that’s the rub. All the characters reach a nadir before they can get their somewhat bittersweet happy endings. The five viewpoint characters are served their just deserts in a thoroughly satisfying way, and in some cases with highly unexpected outcomes.

I can’t sing Zakari’s praises enough. This is one of the best indie reads I’ve encountered this year. Her setting and characters are so breathtakingly real it’s like watching a film as the stories unfold. Not to mention that her prose is sparkling. Read this book. The narrative is sensual and engages you until the last page has turned.