Review: Lethal Nights (Brute Force #3)

Lethal Nights (Brute Force #3)

by Lora Leigh

Blurb:

Ilya Dragonovich is no stranger to the dark side. As a safe-house owner for security agency Brute Force, Dragon knows that the battle line between good and evil runs through the heart of every man―and, sometimes, a beautiful woman…

Emma Jane Preston needs help. After her marriage crumbled, she believed she could get back to a normal, happy life. But her ex-husband moved among some shady characters, and now she needs the kind of protection that comes at a cost―one that only someone like Dragon can provide. But can Emma Jane trust this handsome, undercover operator to keep her safe when she is in danger of falling into the arms of the deeply seductive, fiery Dragon. . .and never letting go?

Themes:  Contemporary

Rating: 3.5  stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

 This is a series that gets more and more confusing and tangled for me, trying to decipher the good guys from the bad, but at the same time it does show that most of humanity lives in shades of gray not just the black and white of good and evil.  The series revolves around a group of shadowy criminals that have come together to try to eliminate a bit of the worst of their kind, teaming up with law enforcement and a secret organization to keep the innocent safe.  Ilya is the second-in-command for a well-known criminal and not exactly a good guy, but he is definitely a man that can be counted on in a pinch and certainly sexy as all get out.  He has been a little bit obsessed with Emma Jane ever since she came onto his radar and now that she is in danger because of that association he will do whatever it takes to keep her safe, even if it means finally claiming her despite not believing he is the best man for her.  Emma Jane has been always attracted to her sexy Dragon, but Ilya scares her just a bit at the same time. When she is almost killed and he arrives at her home her life changes forever and she soon finds that the attraction between them is no longer deniable, and she doesn’t actually want to deny it anymore.  I liked Emma Jane a lot as she stood up for herself, even against Ilya and his high-handedness, and she was unwilling to just let him take over her life without explanation or communication.  She knows that she is coming to care for Ilya and that she would love to have him in her life, but she won’t stand for anything less than everything from the man she loves ever again. Ilya was a bit of an ass and I didn’t care for him most of the time.  He doesn’t seem to be able to make a decision and stick to it when it comes to Emma Jane, instead pulling and pushing her and never fully embracing the love she could offer him until its almost too late.  That to me showed too much of a lack of respect for the woman he claims to love.  In the end I enjoyed the story despite so many little things bugging me, but I’m not sure I will continue the series to be honest.  While there is definitely passion between the characters, there needs to be more between them and more in the plot that grabs my interest to keep me interested.  We shall see if I come back for more, but I am glad Ilya and Emma Jane finally got their HEA.

*ebook provided by publisher (via NetGalley) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.