Romance Witch's Reviews: ARC Review: Sweet Revenge

Sweet Revenge (Sins Brothers #2)

by Rebecca Zanetti

Blurb:

The One Man She Can't Have

Matt Dean was born to fight…and kill. A member of a secret black-ops military unit, he and his brothers were genetically engineered by the government to be the perfect soldiers with an expiration date. Now, with time running out, he's gone rogue in a relentless quest for the one person who can save them. His mission leads him to Charmed, Idaho…and to a beautiful woman with eyes like emeralds and a body made for pleasure.

The One Woman He Can't Resist

Laney Jacobs knows the mysterious, handsome stranger is trouble from the moment he walks into her bar, looking for a job. She's spent years running from her own past—the last thing she needs is a romantic entanglement. But Matt's strong arms offer her protection, and his gentle touch promises passion unlike anything she's ever known. As lethal forces surround them, revealing explosive secrets about Matt's past and putting everything—and everyone—he holds dear in danger, can he save them all before time runs out?

Review:

The action never ends with these sexy, sinful brothers. This second book in the series delves more into the life of Matt, the oldest of all the Gray/Dean brothers. The series, about a quartet of genetically enhanced and sexy as hell brothers has taken us through the entire gamut of human emotion from terror to passion to love. Zanetti hasn't yet written anything I didn’t like, but I have enjoyed this series even more than others of hers I have read. Seeing the sweeter and gentler sides of these warriors as they fall in love and lose their hearts to the women that capture them in their webs, shows us that being an alpha male doesn’t mean being immune to emotions. If you have read the Ghostwalker series by Christine Feehan you might feel the similar themes, but Zanetti has her own dark twists and turns that show her unique voice and writing style.

Matt Dean is determined to find a way to save his brothers from the sword that is hanging over their heads—guaranteeing their deaths in under six weeks if they aren't able to eliminate the threat. He has traveled to the small town of Charmed following a lead on the doctor they think can save them, but circumstances have placed him directly in the path of the sweet and sexy Laney Jacobs. Laney seems to be a woman that is too brave for her own good, and Matt is determined to keep her safe while using the job she provides him for cover during his investigation. Laney is wary of letting Matt into her life; she knows he’s a dangerous man, though she doesn’t fear for her safety at all when he is around and the confusion of those emotions terrifies her. Laney has a dark past that she has been running from herself, one that she thought she had escaped when she settled in the small town with her new bar. But as bodies start turning up around them, Matt and Laney realize that neither of them are safe from their pasts and when the truth is revealed to them both, a wedge is driven between them that they might not be able to overcome. But as the danger mounts, their only option is to work together to overcome their common enemy and to bring any safety back into their lives.

Both of the main characters in this story had the unique problem of hiding their pasts from one another which added another layer of intensity to their relationship, mainly due to the temporary natures that is required of relationships soaked in secrets. Matt is obviously a strong and determined alpha male, but the loyalty and love he shows for his family give him depth and individuality that we sometimes lose in alpha males. His single minded focus on fulfilling his mission in time to save his brothers doesn’t get in the way of his connection with Laney, but seeing that focus turned on her is often blazing hot and irresistible. Whether he is kicking ass and taking names or caring for and soothing his woman, we get to see the multifaceted nature of a loving but dangerous man. Laney, however, had her hands full with Matt, unprepared for his intensity as he explodes into her life. While she is determined to experience that sexual intensity, she will not let him have her heart or control her life. She has worked hard to overcome her past, but when the shit hits the fan (excuse the crude expression but really there is no other way to describe it), she steps up and shows her strength as she works with Matt to keep them both alive and get them to safety. Seeing her strength, while still maintaining the softness needed to counter the harder side of Matt was a very well written delicate balance.

This continuation of the Sins Brothers series is one that will leave you flat out spellbound; with action, betrayal, passion, emotion, and plot twists that leave you stunned, you will be on the edge of you seat through the entire book. As the six week timeline quickly comes closer, you feel the urgency in these men and seeing them fall in love so quickly but deeply reminds us that the time you know someone doesn’t dictate the feelings that develop. Though Matt and Laney haven’t know each other long, the trust (hard earned to be sure) and love that they ultimately share is too deep to be denied or overlooked, leading them both into hard decisions and life changing moves. Matt is a sexy, sweet, and dangerous man that will leave your heart beating out of your chest, while Laney is a softhearted, but stubborn woman that is his perfect match (other than me of course). The big reveal in this one comes with an earth shattering suddenness and the aftershocks certainly spread through several of the small side plots, leaving you wondering how Zanetti interweaves all these characters and their complicated actions into one big conspiracy, I mean seriously what an imagination. If you haven’t read book one of the series, fear not, because you get plenty of details and back-story to keep you from being lost, but I still recommend you run out and buy Shane’s story too. We also get a bit more info on the plot of Nate’s coming story and,wow, I imagine that one will be another story full of shocks, twists, and fiery arguments. That book is already on my wish list and I promise I will be right at the front of the line to get Blind Faith when it comes out next year.