ARC Review: Danger's Heir (Masters' Admiralty #9)

Danger's Heir  (Masters' Admiralty #9)

Mari Carr, Lila Dubois

Blurb:

She fell in love, got married…and it was all a lie.

They expected a mafia princess, but when Rodrigo meets the woman his father is forcing him to marry, he realizes Giada is much more than she seems. Smart and dangerous, she’s the kind of woman he could love…too bad everything he’s about to tell her is a lie.

Casson knows Rodrigo is in too deep. Rodrigo’s undercover mission as the heir to a powerful Camorra don should have ended long ago, but now he’s engaged to the daughter of another dangerous man, and it’s Casson’s job to pull him out.

There’s just one problem. Giada.

She’s nothing either man expected, and everything they want. The last thing they expect is for Giada to invite both of them to her bed.

As the wedding day looms closer, and enemies close in, the line between what’s real and what’s a lie becomes blurred, and Rodrigo and Casson have to decide if love is enough. And if they should tell her the truth.

Unfortunately, there’s someone else waiting in the wings to make sure they never say “I do.”

Themes:  Ménage, Erotica

Rating: 4.75 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

 To be honest I am going to have a really hard time doing one of my standard reviews on this book without giving away a lot of the plot and the twists… so I will just share my thoughts on the book and hope it persuades you to read it too!

This is the latest story in the Masters' Admiralty spin-off series which began with the Trinity Master’s series a long time ago and I have loved every single story in both series, even as they broke my heart and had my in tears again and again as the lover had to go through serious trauma before finding their HEAs.  This newest story between Rodrigo, Giada, and Casson is no less heart wrenching and I almost lost hope that they were going to have their happy ending to be perfectly honest.  Rodrigo is trying his best to bring down the bastard he has discovered is his biological father, a mafia don of the worst level, when he is forced into an engagement with the daughter of another mafia don.  Little does he know that Giada is way more than she seems and is about to totally rock his world and change his perspective on everything in his life.  Then Casson crashes into both their lives and together the three of them are forced into a dangerous and deadly game with the mafic leaders and find themselves quickly falling into a relationship that is more than simple lust.  I loved Giada’s character, she was so complex, brave, strong, and sassy and definitely the perfect match for her men; her intelligence and unwillingness to ever let anyone truly treat her as less showed that she was never meant to be just a piece of arm candy like most “mafia princess” stereotypes. Rodrigo is definitely the quintessential tortured prodigal son, but instead of returning home to join the fold, he’s returning to bring down the dirty bastard that just happens to be his sperm-donor.  He is determined to do everything in his power to right the worst of the evil perpetrated by his father, even if is means going rogue.  I loved seeing him finally finding solace and peace when he started to trust Giada and Casson.  When they were apart seeing the other side of his personality was a true revelation and I loved all the facets of his character and seeing how deep and loving he was with his lovers.  Casson was an enigma for sure, leaving us guessing a bit here and there if his “feelings” for his lovers were just part of his cover, being such a professional in maintain his character undercover, but we slowly begin to see that Giada and Rodrigo were more than he ever expected and pulled out the true Casson, leaving him floundering in his task more than once.  The ending of this story was very unexpected but I loved that they finally had a chance to enjoy their much deserved love and HEA.  Fair warning to long time readers, there are a few moment between our favorite Fleet and Vice admiral that are going to tear your heart out and the epilogue of this one if definitely going to leave us screaming and salivating for the next book in the joint Trinity Masters/Master’s Admiralty series.  Once again our evil Queens are leaving us in terribly painful suspense!

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

Review: Desperate Act (Pike, Wisconsin #4)

 Desperate Act (Pike, Wisconsin #4)

Alexandra Ivy

Blurb:

Teenager Lia Porter shouldn’t have been anywhere near the railroad bridge that night. Sneaking home after a party in the fields outside Pike, Wisconsin, she glimpsed a woman in a leather jacket, running in terror. Lia puts the incident from her mind—until a body is found near the same spot fifteen years later, wearing the same jacket. The police rule it a suicide. Lia knows different. The woman she saw was trying to save her own life, not end it. But whatever she was fleeing from found her first . . .

The stranger who arrives at Lia’s store shares her suspicions. Hollywood stunt driver Kaden Vaughn has come home to Wisconsin to learn the truth about what happened to his brother’s fiancée years ago. The leather jacket, the timing—he believes the dead woman is Vanna, and that Lia may be the only person who can help. Together they retrace Vanna’s steps, but the more they dig, the darker the secrets become.

The killer is still out there, stalking the streets of Pike again, willing to do whatever is necessary to keep the truth locked in mystery. One by one, all those who know something about that night must be silenced, until there is no one left to tell . . .

Themes:  Contemporary

Rating: 4 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

One just can’t go wrong with a spine-tingling murder mystery, especially one that has been lingering for over fifteen years and has haunted two families and a small town that continues to have problems with corruption, serial killers, and dangerous residents. I have found myself more and more intrigued by Alexandra Ivy’s romantic suspense, though I remain partial to her paranormal series, but my favorite is definitely this series. This latest story begins with a young Lia sneaking young after a party she should never have been attending, but she can’t find any proof that she truly saw a woman murdered until fifteen years later when a body is found in the same area and she recognizes the clothes on the body. Hollywood bad boy Kaden Vaughn also recognizes the leaked photos of the clothes on the body and he comes to town to aid in the investigation, insisting that he can be of help.  He knows that the body is his late brother’s fiancé and is determined to find out the truth of what happened to her as a last favor in honor of his brother.  But as Lia and Kaden team up to find out the truth of what happened all those years ago secrets begin to unravel and they soon find themselves at the center of a dangerous conspiracy, one that could cost one or both of them their lives.  There is someone out there determined to silence them and make sure their secret never comes to light, but if they trust in one another and the connection they’ve found in the most unlikely of circumstances, there is the smallest chance they will survive to find the happiness they’ve both always wanted. Kaden was a great character, badass and determined to honor his brother’s memory by solving his finance’s murder, but he was also determined to make sure that Lia stayed safe. He was strong, smart, sweet, kind, and loving even when there were moments, he was just that little bit lost as he was confronted with Lia’s small-town mentality.  I enjoyed seeing him slow down and accept that he doesn’t always have to be going 90-to-nothing in order to be contributing, but can instead just be standing still and ultimately still be happy.  Lia was an enigma on the surface, but her motivations were pure and once we got to know her, she was a great character too.  She’s stayed in her small town, giving up some of her own dreams in order to support her community and make sure that they have what they need, but she has made a real difference.  She is intelligent, witty, dogged, and resourceful as she looks into the past with Kaden.  The heat between these two was one that sneaks up on them but I enjoyed watching them succumb to their passion as they fell in love.  I am looking forward to more in this series, because really who know that there was such a seedy underbelly or killers, corruption, and darkness in the middle of nowhere Wisconsin. Keep it up, Alexandra!

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

ARC Review: The Duke Not Taken (A Royal Match #2)

The Duke Not Taken (A Royal Match #2)

Julia London

Blurb:

Impossible. Infuriating. Intoxicating.

Ever since her sister became queen two years ago, Amelia Ivanosen, Princess of Wesloria, has been flirting and skirting scandal—just barely. Before she does anything too outlandish, she is sent to England and Lila Alexander, illustrious matchmaker to the ton, is recruited. Respectably ensconced at the country estate of a family friend, Amelia is introduced to many eligible bachelors, but…there is no spark. There never seems to be unless the man is completely wrong for her.

Next door lives Joshua Parker, Duke of Marley, who is grumpy and reclusive—for good reason. His first wife died in childbirth. When Marley is dragged by a friend to his neighbor’s soiree, he and Amelia instantly dislike each other. Their banter is snarky and heated. He’s a stuck-up smarty-pants; she’s a self-involved, annoying princess.

Sparks fly when they’re together—fireworks actually—but they loathe each other. Really. So why can’t they stop thinking about each other?

Themes:  Historical

Rating:  3.75 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

Ok so to be honest, after the last book in this series, I wasn’t too very sure what to expect out of this second installment in the Royal Match series, but while I can’t say it blew me out of the water, I will say it had me in tears of both laughter and heartache until the very last chapter. Julia London’s newest series revolving around the royal female line of a small (fictional) kingdom in Europe has been one of laughter and tears, with a strange quirkiness to the love story, and a unique nature to her heroes and heroines.  In the first story, the heir (and now Queen) Justine found love in the most unlikely of men and circumstances, and now her younger sister has been making trouble so it’s time for her to settle down in a match that will calm her restless nature.  Amelia has always shined in the spotlight, been allowed to indulge her restless need for adventure, and has seldom had to curb her natural inclinations, but now she is sequestered in a small country estate in England and has been told to behave and find a mate.  The problem is that none of the suitors presented to her meet her requirements for a life-long match and the love she so desperately wants in life, much less the adventure she needs.  A chance meeting with a dark and brooding man sets her blood to boiling and he sparks her desires, but when she discovers his identity so much changes. Joshua, Duke of Marley, just wants peace and quiet to wallow in the tragedy of the death of his wife and child, but now he’s being dragged to balls and forced to deal with loud little girls, angry farm women, and parties for spoiled princesses.  When he finally meets the princess face-to-face his world is turned upside down and the spark of life that has been missing from him is suddenly relit, totally against his will, and he has to fight every moment the pull to the beautiful and infuriating creature that will pull him into the light.  But when they both discover the love that has developed, only they can decide if it is enough to embrace a future together, or if they are destined to both remain forever alone and in the darkness.  I was very surprised by Amelia, but I enjoyed watching her growth throughout the story as she learned how her behavior and speech was perceived by others and learned that sometimes one must hold back ones true feelings in order to maintain a semblance of peace and happiness for all.  She found her true direction in life as well as the love she sought, and is that truly the only adventure we all need in life? I loved how she fought back against those that would quell her spirit and sought to force her to be something she wasn’t, but more importantly that she never allowed herself to forget that she might not be perfect, but she was a good person.  Joshua had definitely lived through a tragedy, but seeing him stuck, blaming himself for something that so often happened in those days, was heartbreaking and reminded me that while that error certainly had its beauty, I’m perfectly happy here in the 21^st century.  He obviously still has so much to give the world, if only he can accept that sometimes thing happen beyond our control, but the things we can control are the most important and what we need to focus on.  I enjoyed watching him laughing when he allowed himself to relax in quiet moments with Amelia, and when he finally allowed himself to love I knew he would be everything she’d ever need.  The sparks between these two never failed to leave me laughing as they challenged one another, fought one another, and ultimately brought out the love of adventure they’d both hidden for so long.  They truly were the perfect match for one another.  I am looking forward to more in the series, if in fact more is coming, but if not hopefully more in the vein of this series is coming which will be just as entertaining.

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