Brazen (Powertools: The Shields #3)

by Jayne Rylon

Blurb:

They were sent to kill him, but fell in love with him instead.

Sola doubted her instincts after her best friend and partner on the Shields security team, Aarav, acted for months like the attraction between them didn’t exist. One wild night on their boss’s private jet proves she was spot on even if she has no idea where their relationship will go from there.

When they’re sent to assassinate the head of a money laundering operation at a brand new casino, Sola looks into the eyes of their target and her gut screams he’s not the source of the evil they’re hunting. Risking everything, Sola steps in between the man she loves and the one they’ve been sent to kill.

Sola's instant and undeniable attraction to their unintended captive forces them to investigate him further and decide—will they eliminate him, protect him, or entice him to join their intimate partnership?

Themes: Erotica, Polyamory

Rating: 4.5 stars

Heat Rating:

Review:

Holy hottnes Batman, could these three have been any more blazing? I don’t think so!

There comes a time in every series where those two characters that have been circling around one another, watching their friends find love, romance, and sensual fulfillment finally have to comes to terms with one another or they’ll explode—this story was that and so much more! The previous story in the series left us hanging on the edges of our seats wondering just what would happen between Sola and Aarav , and of course who their third would end up being, but I doubt any of us imagine their story would lead where it did. Jayne Rylon is one of those talented authors that can build a story so high that when you finally reach the climax you are left reeling and wondering what the hell to do with your life until the next story comes. Aarav has been watching Sola and wanting her from the first moment he got to know her, but the connection has amazed and shocked in so many ways and made him wary of reaching out to her. Sola wants Aarav more than her next breath sometimes, but he drives her insane with his unwillingness to admit to the connection between them and the way he pretends not to feel anything for her beyond friendship. Now the tension between them has started to affect their professional relationship and that could put them both in danger, so it is time for them both to confront the hardest truths and find a way to peace and hopefully to one another’s arms. But another mission with a limited timeframe puts them into danger before they are back on even footing and Sola comes face-to-face with a man that flares all her instincts and makes her wonder if she might be coming undone at the seams. Cash has lived for very little in his life recently, and when he is abducted at gunpoint by a gorgeous assassin and her deadly sexy badass partner there is no denying that he is attracted to them both, but being around them and being with them are two very different circumstances. Together the three of them will have a lot to work through emotionally and physically in order to have any chance at a life together, but first the ultimate test of their relationship might tear them apart if they let it.

Aarav is the sweetest and most shy badass sniper that I think I have ever gotten to know, because honestly the guy has so much trauma that he is emotionally about the age of ten and doesn’t know how to grow on his own. Luckily with the help of his lovers he blossoms into the strong, confident and sensual man he was always meant to be. But the emotional need means that the love he develops for Cash and Sola are always going to be the driving force for him and anything that threatens that will force him to face fears or retreat into his shell. I really loved seeing him find a way to come to terms with himself and learn that he was perfect the way he was. Sola has her own issues, not the least of which is allowing her issues with Aarav to affect her self-confidence and instincts until it is almost too late. I was proud to see her take a stand and force her man (and later men) to accept and give the love that they all needed. It is obvious that she will always be the cornerstone of their relationship, giving them the strength and determination they need to succeed in their lives together. Cash on the other hand was an odd one in the beginning. Obviously the most experienced at casual relationships, at first you think that he is just in Sola and Aarav’s bed for the fun of it, but soon you see that he has too developed strong feelings for his lovers, too strong really for his own mind to handle. I hated to see him pull back at just the wrong time, but thankfully he found a way to man up and accept the love that was being offered and that he was worthy of that love.

Brazen is truly the story of three lovers, each caught in their own version of insecurity, that need one another in order to grow into the perfect side of the triangle to make their love work. Sola is the type of woman that needs her men to show her that she is the softness and graciousness that they each need in order to complete them. Aarav is the quiet strength and determination that will drive their relationship forward and make sure that they never lose sight of their love, no matter the fights or problems they may face. Cash is the laughter and lightness that the others need in order to deal with the ugliness their jobs show them on a daily basis. Together the three of them are the perfect soulmates for one another. Obviously the passion between all of them is off the Richter scales and there is no denying it from the first second any of them are together, but I loved even more seeing them come to terms with the connection they shared—deeper and richer than simple lust, no matter how steamy that might have been. Always a little bit mean to her readers, Ms. Rylon sets us up for the next book Broken with the last chapter and it looks to be a serious doozy not just in terms of the triad we have been dying for (Ruby, Liam, and Ace—Finally!) but also in the danger and drama they will be facing, and I for one cannot wait. Once again, Jayne strikes gold with her Shields.

*eARC provided by author for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review. No compensation was provided.