Fable of Happiness: Book Two

By: Pepper Winters

Narrated by: Tor Thom, Charley Ongel

From New York Times best seller, Pepper Winters, comes the second book in Kas and Gem’s twisted romance.

A valley full of secrets.

A history full of nightmares.

A man who cannot be saved.

And a woman who holds his very life in her hands. Strange how the villain of a story can so easily become the victim. Utter lunacy to think the captive might now become the caregiver.

Gemma has a decision to make. Her life or his. Follow her heart, even when it’s screaming at her to run? Or turn her back on the man who could become her everything?

©2021 Pepper Winters (P)2021 Pepper Winters

Wow wow wow — Tragedy, Hope & Love

This book is the second in the “Fable of Happiness”series. This is a complex story and set of circumstances, so you really must read the Book One before Book Two to have any clue what is going on.

Trigger Warning: Please take warning that there are many triggers in these books, including rape, child abuse, and sexual slavery. The books present some of the most sadistic and perverse people on the planet, so beware.

As a youngster, Kas ends up a victim in a large US trafficking ring. He was regularly abused - both sexually and physically - for several years. He tries to protect the 15 or so other kids in the house from the same horrific abuse. He also serves as a quasi-parent to them. However, in one extraordinary, life-changing moment, he finally decides he’s had enough. I’ll leave it to the book/audio to describe this incredible scene.

No one could have this type of background and come out unscathed, and Kas is no exception. The story begins with Kas living alone at 29, separated from modern life and people, ten years later.

Gemma is an award-winning rock climber and Influencer. She goes on a hike/climb far from home, in search of a remote cave that she’s heard about, but she becomes hopelessly lost. Unfortunately, when she stumbles upon the strange place where Kas is quietly living, she trespasses and infuriates a man who is already unstable and damaged.

What follows is Gemma living in intolerable circumstances as she tries to figure out this enigmatic man, convince him she means no harm, and reclaim her life back in the city.

It is an unusual set-up for a story, and I was totally drawn in by it! I don’t want to provide much more detail about the story line because you really have to experience the twisty-turny road of the Kas and Gemma relationship, while you also experience the bizarre environment in which the relationship develops.

This is a terrific book all the way around, from the plot, quality of the writing, descriptions of various indoor and outdoor spaces, and character development. Ms. Winters creates a world we can almost see and touch. There is mystery, suspense, man vs. nature, romance, and psychology elements in the book series, so there is definitely something for everyone.

Spoiler Alert! There is one item that bugs me about the books. Contrary to the repeated claims in Book Two, Kas’ does NOT have schizophrenia, which is caused by a chemical imbalance.

Kas has Dissociative Disorder, which is caused by extreme emotional/sexual trauma, usually in childhood. In Dissociative Disorder, a person develops other “personalities” (really just various facets of him/herself) in order to mentally separate or escape from the traumatic events while they are occurring. Later, these “personalities” reveal themselves at different times to cope with different types of stressors. When a particular “personality” is active, the person will often “lose” chunks of time or not remember what happened.

Other than that flaw, this series is incredible and completely original. The dual narration is also very high quality. The series will keep you on the edge of your seat every single minute. Highly recommended!

Excellent!

First off, I actually started this series based on the duet narration from Tor Thom and Charley Ongel. This author was new to me and I am generally not a fan of fairy tale renditions.

I was surprised that I ended up liking this story as much as I did. It's very well written and the duet narration is amazing. I was fully engaged and anxious to start the next title in the series as soon as the last page was turned. There are dark twisted components to the story that may be triggering to some, but I think it was injected well. It adds depth and understanding to the H's character development.

I am surprised that there aren't more reviews for this one- it is definitely credit-worthy and I hope more readers give it a shot.

Personally, I've read a lot of good books - that have crappy audio versions. Because of that, I think it's important to weigh in on the ones that are done very well. So that: 1) they get on the radar of other avid readers, and 2) the authors can be recognized for making the effort to have the audio done well. That is just something for you to keep in mind if you (like myself) find that you have spent far too much money/credits on audiobooks that truly suck.

And the story continues…

Book 2 of Fable of Happiness was just as interesting as book 1. Kas is intense and dominating as ever even more so since the unexpected situation from the ending in book 1. Despite being treated horrible and held against her will, Gemma has found herself having strong feelings for the beast.

Narrators did another job well done. They bring so much emotion to the characters.

Devastating, Intense, Amazing

Wow this book is truly the definition of a nightmare!!! I can't even imagine the horrors that Kas endured in that house, especially as he tried mostly unsuccessfully to protect his brothers and sisters. It's all there, graphic and gory, painful and so so tragic. And the many layers of Kas are slowly revealed to Gemma. For Gemma it's like a slow motion train wreck with carnage and the knowledge she has no ability to stop the torment. For both of them the crescendo of reality and insanity becomes desperate and cruel.

Book two is amazing! I don't think I've ever read anything like it. I am so excited for Book 3!!!

Narration by Tor Them and Charley Ongel was outstanding!

holy hell.

loved the book the narrotors are a perfect fit. and I am really loving this new world pepper winters has made and that dangerous cliff hanger though why must I wait till October for next book.

Emotional Rollercoaster

FOH picks up right where book one left off. Instead of running for her life, Gemma finds herself being a nurse to the injured Cassen. A lot is revealed as we learn about Cassen's horrible childhood and his family, especially his siblings. Cassen struggles with wanting Gemma and knowing he is broken and unsuitable for her. The inner working of his mind begins to show, and though he's a hard person to like, I was devastated to learn the trauma he went through. Gemma has to decide if she should leave or can she stay with Cassen knowing that there are deep-seated issues he needs help with. Once again, we end on a jaw-dropping cliffhanger.

Tor Thom and Charley Ongel did an excellent job with the duet narration. Both delivered the trauma and emotional struggles their characters went through.

Well-Written Angst

As a long-time fan of Pepper Winters, I’m somewhat conflicted about the first two books. On the one hand, I found the storyline intriguing and certainly well-written; in other words, I became invested in the story of Gemma and Kassen. On the other hand, hour after hour of non-stop grueling anxiety, angst, trauma, sadness, rage, sorrow, and horror, with no respite, left me, at times, emotionally exhausted, So much so that by the middle of the second book, I found myself making excuses to take a break and read something else for a bit, all the while hoping when I returned Gemma would have set aside her savior complex and Kassen could have healed enough to mend the splits in his psyche. But, alas, it wasn’t so.
I usually intensely dislike having to wait for the next book to come out in a series, but this time, I needed the pause. If, in fact, time does heal all wounds, I wonder what Book III serves up. Since we’re introduced to a new player at the end of Book II, all sorts of possibilities, of potentials, present themselves. He embodies Kassen’s history, so I can only hope this new character carries with him the thread to stitch together Kassen’s fractured soul and allow love to enter.

Dark and Gripping

This book is dark so heed the trigger warnings, you have been warned. This is the continuation of Kas and Gemma’s story and it was just as intense and gritty as the first one.

Narrated by Tor Thom and Charley Ongel, they did justice to Kas and Gemma’s characters. Ms.Winters has written broken emotional characters that really draw you in and capture your attention and their performances certainly brought this across.

Kas knows that Gemma is the woman for him. Gemma goes through a lot of changes in this story. The chemistry between Kas and Gemma is intense and passionate, not to mention eye opening and the narration certainly brought this to life. Gemma is not afraid to stand up to Kas. Just when you think you know what is going to happen, Ms.Winters throws us a curve ball.

Be prepared this one ends in one heck of a cliff hanger and I for one cannot wait to see what happens next.

Enjoyed part 2

This story is intense, so I needed to take breaks along the way. Then would come back and listen to some more. I love the narration of Tor and Charley. I love how the story feels so real while I listen. It is unique and different. Which is always nice as I love a variety of stories. On to the # 3 in the trilogy.

Emotional, but oh so good!!!

Pepper Winters. Need I say more? Broken Beauty and the Beast? I think that sums it all up as to why I love this series. This author, my favorite fairy tale and the haunting of my soul that this story brings it! Book 2 of this series is just as tragic and emotional as the first, but in a totally different way. Kas is such a troubled soul. Suppressing his memories is literally driving him crazy, but he does know one thing. Gemma is the woman for him. Gemma goes through some interesting transformations. This love/hate relationship is in for a change. Seeing Kas for who he is leads her heart. But is it safe for her to stay? Does she miss being home? Will Kas keep her forever? Just when you think you know all the answers, Winters throws a curve ball like no other, busting all my hopes and dreams for this couple wide open! Now I have to wait, happily, as this Winters/Beast combination is a winner and so worth the wait!

This book is highly emotional and needs a narration to be as well. Tor Thom and Charley Ongel continue with a powerful performance giving us all the feels, all the infuriation and blossoming love. Thom is spectacular as Kas. His complexity leads to a lot of personalities, and Thom blends them together creating the beast and the prince in Kas. Gemma is not afraid of her feelings, and Ongel portrays her with voices letting us know exactly how she feels. Anger, stubbornness, love, confusion, it's all there letting us understand who she is. This team is the perfect casting for this story and I can't wait to see where they take us next.