#Book Feature & #Review ~The Orchid Throne (Forgotten Empires, Book #1) by Jeffe Kennedy ~@jeffekennedy @SMPRomance @heroesnhearts #Fantasy

About The Orchid Throne:

A PRISONER OF FATE

As Queen of the island kingdom of Calanthe, Euthalia will do anything to keep her people

free—and her secrets safe—from the mad tyrant who rules the mainland. Guided by a magic ring of her father’s, Lia plays the political game with the cronies the emperor sends to her island. In her heart, she knows that it’s up to her to save herself from her fate as the emperor’s bride. But in her dreams, she sees a man, one with the power to build a better world—a man whose spirit is as strong, and whose passion is as fierce as her own…

A PRINCE AMONG MEN

Conrí, former Crown Prince of Oriel, has built an army to overthrow the emperor. But he needs the fabled Abiding Ring to succeed. The ring that Euthalia holds so dear to her heart. When the two banished rulers meet face to face, neither can deny the flames of rebellion that flicker in their eyes—nor the fires of desire that draw them together. But in this broken world of shattered kingdoms, can they ever really trust each other? Can their fiery alliance defeat the shadows of evil that threaten to engulf their hearts and souls? 

Read an Excerpt from Chapter One:

~ 1 ~

“Arise, Your Highness. The realm awaits the sun of Your presence.”

The ritual words cut through the thick smoke of the nightmare, bringing me awake with a start. A bad omen that I hadn’t come out of the dreams on my own—and a sign that gave the images the power to linger in my mind, stains refusing to be scrubbed clean.

The wolf fought its chains, howling in hoarse rage, shedding fire and ash.

The sea churned, bloodred and crimson dark, bones tossed in the waves, white as foam.

The tower fell into a pile of golden rubble, then to fine sand, the grains sliding against one another with soul- grinding whispered screams.

I loathe dreaming, where I have even less control than in the waking world. Calanthe Herself sings sweetly to me of the seas, the plants, and the creatures that walk Her soil. But outside our fragile island, the abandoned lands beyond cry like frightened children in the night. I can’t help them. It’s all I can do to protect Calanthe, and most days I de- spair of being able to do even that.

Still, with no one else to hear them, they call to me in chaotic images, the nightmares dashing me from one dark

6 JEFFE KENNEDY

scenario to the next. No matter how the dreams plague me, I usually wake when the light of the rising sun reddens my eyelids. I keep my eyes closed, pretending to anyone who checks on me that I’m still asleep. Pulling the pieces of my composure together, I listen to the morning song of Calanthe. The birds sitting high in the canopy to catch the first warming rays of the sun show me the sky. The fish swimming in the sea speak of clean water and plentiful food. Even the trees, the flowers, the small insects in the soil all hum to me of their lives.

All reassure me of the balance, that Calanthe, at least, is peaceful and vital.

Only I and the land I’m tied to exist in that time after sleep and before true waking, in what I call the dream- think, an almost enchanted bubble where I belong en- tirely to Calanthe. The emperor does not own me. The crying lands he’s orphaned are silent. My ladies have not yet woken me to wrenching reality and the trials of the day ahead.

Dreams always seem to me a terrible price to pay for the succor of sleep. Neither my naturalists nor my physi- cians seem to be able to explain the purpose of such dreams. And of course, Anure killed all the wizards, so I have none to tell me if magic can answer those nighttime screams. So without answers, and like the exorbitant tithes I’m forced to send to the emperor, I do pay the price, and nightly. The dreamthink is my reward, my time with Calanthe. A gift arising from waking Ejarat of the earth welcoming the return of Her husband, Sawehl of the sun. In the dreamthink, in Calanthe’s sweet communion, I can believe the old gods are with us still, that they haven’t abandoned us. That I have reason to hope.

“Euthalia, wake up. We’re ready,” Tertulyn whispered in my ear. My first lady-in-waiting, doing her duty as al-

THE ORCHID THRONE 7

ways. She couldn’t know she’d woken me from the night- mare instead of the dreamthink. Or that starting my day this way meant it would be certainly cursed.

No one believes in omens or curses anymore. Or hope, for that matter. In this, too, I am alone.

Euthalia is a mouthful, but no one calls me that except for Tertulyn so it doesn’t matter. Only Emperor Anure has the rank to address me by my given name, and I avoid con- versation with His Imperial Nastiness to the best of my ability. Tertulyn has called me by my name since we were children, but only when no one can overhear, as etiquette demands.

As if she’d whispered them into my ear along with my name, the concerns of the realm immediately flooded my mind. The emperor’s emissary should have returned in the night and would want an audience with me—something I’d been dreading, as he never brought good news. Rumors had spread of slave uprisings, possibly even rebellion, as unlikely as that would be, that had the emperor both an- gry and insecure in his power. The worst possible combi- nation in a man like him.

If I believed a rebellion could succeed, I would rejoice in the battle to come. But I had no hope of that. No one could defy Anure’s vast power and ability to destroy the least whimper of resistance, as all those kingless and queenless lands testified, crying their hopelessness to me every night.

No, such rumors meant the Imperial Tyrant would only tighten his fist—one that already strangled us nearly to death. The prospect of worse to come made me inexpress- ibly weary, and I hadn’t even gotten out of bed yet.

Nevertheless, I had to face the day. A realm awaited the sun of my presence, after all.

I opened my eyes and pasted a serene smile on my lips.

8 JEFFE KENNEDY

Tertulyn—already wigged, gowned, and decked in fresh flowers—stood a decorous three steps back from my bed, hands folded over her heart. All equally polished and lovely as morning dew, my five junior ladies awaited in a ring around her. They’d all been up since well before dawn to dress themselves before attending me. And yet their eyes sparkled as brightly as the birds that had shown me the sun on the sea, pretty painted lips curved in delighted smiles. Though I was only twenty-six, they made me feel old.

If a witch offered me a magic potion to remove the last ten years and restore my youth—and the innocent belief I’d had then, that my life would be a good one—I’d down it without question. Even if it meant my death the next day. No, that was a lie. I would never shirk my duty to Calanthe, not even for such a fantasy. Not without an heir to take my place. No matter how old and tired I felt.

Buy the Book:  

Amazon

Macmillan

Read My Review on Reviews by Saph:

https://reviewsbysaph.blogspot.com/2019/09/book-review-orchid-throne-forgotten.html

Meet the Author:

JEFFE KENNEDY is an award-winning, bestselling author who writes fantasy, fantasy romance, and contemporary romance. She serves on the Board of Directors for SFWA as a Director at Large.

Her most recent works include Prisoner of the Crown and the upcoming Exile of the Seas, from her high fantasy trilogy from Rebel Base books, The Chronicles of Dasnaria, in the same world as her award-winning fantasy series The Twelve Kingdoms and The Uncharted Realms. She is a hybrid author, and also self-publishes a fantasy series, Sorcerous Moons. Her books have won the RT Reviewers’ Choice Best Fantasy Romance of 2015, been named Best Book of June 2014, and won RWA’s prestigious RITA® Award.

She lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with two Maine coon cats, plentiful free-range lizards and a very handsome Doctor of Oriental Medicine.

Jeffe can be found online at her website: JeffeKennedy.com, every Sunday at the SFF Seven blog, on Facebook, on Goodreads and on Twitter @jeffekennedy.

Author website: JeffeKennedy.com

The SFF Seven blog: https://sffseven.blogspot.com/ on Sundays

Author Twitter: @jeffekennedy

Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeffe.kennedy

Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1014374.Jeffe_Kennedy

SMP Romance Twitter: @SMPRomance or @heroesnhearts

SMP Romance Website: https://heroesandheartbreakers.com/

#Book #Review: The Earl Next Door (First Comes Love, Book #1) by Amelia Grey #Historical #Romance

Book Details:

Print Length: 300 pages

Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks

Publication Date: May 28, 2019

Sold by: Macmillan

ASIN: B07H7C2XZ2

About the Book:

What does a Wickedly Wonderful Widow really want? One noble suitor is about to find out. . .

Adeline, Dowager Countess of Wake, is all on her own after her husband’s sudden death. The good news? Losing him allowed her to find herself. Finally, Adeline is free to do, go, and be as she pleases. She cherishes her newfound independence and is not looking for another man to wed. But seeking out a new lover? Well, that is a whole ’nother story. . .

Lord Lyon, son of the two-timing Earl of Marksworth, wishes to have a respectable, loving wife someday. When he meets the beautiful and self-reliant Adeline, Lyon is instantly smitten. But Adeline would rather have the handsome suitor in her bed than to take his hand in marriage. It’s a scandalous proposal—and one that’s hard for Lyon to refuse. Unless the fire of his passion can melt Adeline’s resolve. . .and he can find a way to be the Wickedly Wonderful Widow’s lover for all time?

My Review:

The Earl Next Door by Amelia Grey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Adeline, Lady Wake, has just returned to London after being kept at confined in her late husband’s country home. Since his death, she has moved back to London and purchased a home with an outbuilding perfect for a boarding school for girls. The home and building happen to be right next door to Lyon, the Earl of Lyonwood, who mistakes the home for something else, scares the children, and fights his growing attraction to his widowed neighbor.

The Earl Next Door is the first book in a new historical romance series by Amelia Grey. I really enjoyed the interactions between Adeline and Lyon. They banter, they butt heads, they aggravate each other, and they have fun together. Adeline and Lyon found in each other what they didn’t realize they desired. The misunderstandings threaded throughout the book are reminders that relationships aren’t perfect, and it is important to communicate.

What especially drew me into the book is Adeline’s quest to help the young daughters of the men who perished with her husband. In historical London society, it wasn’t unheard of for women without ties to a man to resort to brothels to make ends meet. In many cases, single women were not allowed the provisions to sustain a livelihood. The school Adeline and two of her friends established hopes to provide the girls with skills that will serve them well and keep them out of the houses of ill repute.

The emotional scenes in the book made my heart ache for Adeline. How she was treated and talked to by her former husband was despicable. His willingness to find what he supposedly needed in the arms of someone else was a slap in the face to his wife – and near the end of the book it gets even worse. I was distraught for Adeline. I realize that happened a lot and I know it still does but the acts are unacceptable regardless of the time period. She, of course, handled things will the grace expected of Lady Wake, but what a miserable two years of marriage and a horrible turn of events after she opens the school.

I enjoyed The Earl Next Door. The story was fun, engaging, and the antics between Adeline and Lyon were entertaining. I have yet to read a poor historical romance from Amelia Grey. The author’s books are fantastic, flow well, and have likable characters.

I was provided a copy of this book.

View all my reviews

Book Review: How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days (The Embraced, Book #1) by Kerrelyn Sparks

How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days by Kerrelyn Sparks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Grab Your Copy: Amazon

Luciana has magical powers that put her life in danger the second she was born. In an effort to keep her safe, she was taken to a safe island and raised under secure protection. She grew up believing her family gone or not wanting her until her father comes calling. He needs her help and she is only one that can protect their heritage and save her father’s life. Luciana will have to marry the dreaded Beast of Benwick and hope he doesn’t discover secrets she doesn’t wish to make known.

Lord Leofric (Leo) has a magical affliction that leaves him unable to touch other humans without killing them. His ability to harness lightning makes him a formidable foe but also renders Leo quite lonely. He must marry but is resigned to the fact that he will never be able to touch his wife. Or can he? It appears she may be magical and stronger than she appears.

How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days turned out to be a fantastic novel that I devoured – after I got through the first couple of chapters. I started the book three different times before I was finally able to get past the slow beginning and move forward with the rest of the book. When you have as many books to read/review as I do, giving any book more than one chance takes away time from another book. I’m really glad I didn’t give up and give the book a DNF.

I ended up loving Luciana and Leo. Both of their characters are strong but flawed. Both with vastly different childhoods, they both bear scars of loss. Yet, they both find kindred spirits in one another. Luciana and Leo are drawn to each other in a way neither understands and the author created them and developed them so realistically.

Once I got into the groove of the book, the intricate plot that the author created kept me engaged. The world building brought forth a historical setting with fantasy and paranormal elements. The descriptions were so vivid that I had no problem envisioning the story and feeling like I was there on sidelines. I look forward to the next book.

I was provided a paperback copy of this book to read.

View all my reviews

Book Tour & #Review: Bel, Book and Scandal (Belfast McGrath Mystery, Book 3) by Maggie McConnon #CozyMystery

About the Book:

Maggie McConnon rings in Christmas in Bel, Book, and Scandal, the third adventure for everybody’s favorite Irish-American culinary artist turned amateur sleuth.

Bel McGrath tries her best to keep herself on the straight and narrow but she just has a taste for trouble. This time danger arrives in the form of a newspaper left behind by visitors to Shamrock Manor—and a photograph that jolts Bel out of the present and back into a dark chapter from her past. The person in the photo is Bel’s best friend Amy Mitchell, long gone from Foster’s Landing, at a commune in upstate New York shortly after her disappearance. The picture, and Bel’s burning desire to find out what happened to Amy—and whether she may still be alive—is the catalyst for a story in which old secrets are revealed, little by little…and certain characters are shown to not be as genuine as Bel once thought.

Read My Review Here: 

http://saphsbooks.blogspot.com/2017/12/book-review-bel-book-and-scandal.html

Read Chapter One:

CHAPTER One

I was wet, cold, and tired, but despite the fact that she was ready to kill me with her bare hands for staying out all night, my mother addressed all three of my immediate needs before saying anything else.

A towel to dry my hair.

Clean clothes in the form of a pair of jeans, a T- shirt, and a pair of socks. An Irish sweater, the most uncomfortable item of clothing ever made—a hair shirt, really— but welcomed, and probably deserved, at that moment.

A bologna sandwich. It would be the last time I would eat bologna, for many reasons, the most significant being that the smell would forever after remind me of Amy. And how she had disappeared the night before and would always be gone.

Mom was worrying a rosary in one hand, the other securely placed in one of my father’s meaty ones. She turned and looked at me, asking me a question she had already asked and would continue to ask, along with everyone  else even vaguely connected to Foster’s Landing. “Where is she?”

I didn’t know. I didn’t think I would never know.

My brother Cargan, the closest to me in age and the one who had found me beside the Foster’s Landing River, was across the room, looking out the window, his violin strapped to his back; he had a lesson later that morning and wouldn’t miss it for anything, even if Amy Mitchell was missing and never to be seen again. No, he was gearing up for a big competition in Ireland and nothing stopped him from his lessons or his practicing. Although the mood was somber in the police station, I wouldn’t have been surprised if he had whipped the instrument out right then and there and started playing a tune, a sad one, the type I had grown up listening to.

My other brothers were out and about in town now. They, too, had come running when Cargan first discovered me but were less concerned about me now but had joined the hunt for Amy. It was another night for Bel, one said. She was going to be in a lot of trouble, said another. They were both right: It had been another typical night and now I was in a lot of trouble, the last to have seen Amy alive with nothing to tell that might lead to her whereabouts. They were a self-protective bunch, caring little as to why I would be hauled into the police station, happy that, for once, they were not the ones in trouble. Feeney, especially. He was always in trouble. Derry and Arney, not as much, but both had a way of finding their way into situations that were beyond their control. Feeney was a much more calculated and deliberate hooligan.

Next to Mom, Dad let out a barely audible sob, the kind that told me that he was, first and foremost, a father and one who felt the pain of a missing child. He looked over at me, almost as if he wanted to confirm that I was still there, and reached out the hand that didn’t hold Mom’s, patting me awkwardly on the thigh.

“Ah, Belfast,” he said. “Ah, girl.”

“It’s okay, Dad,” I said. “They’ll find her.  They’ll bring her back.” I thought about those words a lot over the years, wondering where that confidence came from. Youth, I eventually decided. When you’re young and nothing bad has ever happened, you think everything will always be better, every wrong will be righted. It’s only with age that I realized that that wouldn’t always be the case and that disappointments would stack up, like the layers of my famous mille-feuille cake, the one with seemingly a thousand layers of goodness that cracked upon the first dip of the fork. But even then, in my heart, I had a feeling it wasn’t going to turn out the way we all wanted, something I couldn’t give voice to at that moment.

Lieutenant D’Amato came out of the conference room at the Foster’s Landing police station and looked at me, frowning. Behind me the door opened, and his expression suddenly lightened, the sight of his only child, his daughter, coming through the doors with a cup of coffee in one hand and a bag of something delicious in the other, the greasy stain at the bottom indicating that it was probably a Danish from the local bagel store. It smelled better than my bologna sandwich, which I wrapped up in the wax paper that Mom had put it in and stuffed under my thigh.

Mary Ann handed her father the food and then turned to me, tears in her eyes. “Oh, Bel,” she said, and ran toward me, enveloping me in a hug. She smelled good, not like river water and stale beer like I did, but more like the soft grass that I felt beneath my feet when I ran from my house down the steep hill toward the river.  Beside me, my mother’s silent reproach hung over me like a fetid cloud.

Why can’t you be more like Mary Ann D’Amato?

I had heard it more than once in my seventeen years and hoped eventually it would die a natural death as I got older and more accomplished, setting off to take the culinary world by storm, another thing that left a distinct distaste in my mother’s mouth. I was supposed to be a nurse. A teacher. A wife, mother. Not a chef.

It was your idea to open a catering hall, I wanted to say. Your idea to have me in the kitchen every moment I wasn’t studying or swimming on the varsity team. Your idea to ask me how the potatoes tasted, if the carrots needed another minute. Your idea to let my brothers learn the traditional Irish tunes and put me in an invisible, yet highly important, role— that of sous chef to you and a myriad of other cooks who had come through the doors of Shamrock Manor, only to discover that yes, our family was crazy, and no, they didn’t really care all that much about haute cuisine.

Mary Ann was going to nursing school; of course she was. She was the daughter that my parents never had and she would make everyone in this town proud.

Years later, in what could only be from the “you can’t make this stuff up” files, Mary Ann would marry Kevin Hanson—my Kevin Hanson— and I would cook the food for their wedding. We would all be friends and we would laugh together and eat together and have a generally good time in one another’s company. Before, I felt the lesser, but in the future, the now, I would be equal, the one who had gone away and come back, realizing that my heart was in this little village, at least for a time. But back then, Amy was still missing and everyone thought I had the key.

“Where is she?” Mary Ann whispered into my curly hair.

“I don’t know,” I said. And I didn’t. Amy Mitchell was my best friend, my confidante, my sister from another mother, and she hadn’t said a word about where she would go after a night on Eden Island. My last words to her, an angry sentence (You’ll be sorry. . . .  ), burned in my gray matter. I don’t know where she is, I wanted to scream. It had been just fun and games until I had seen her kissing my boyfriend, Kevin Hanson. We had been celebrating our waning days at FLHS, and it was the best night we had ever had up until that point.

I don’t know why she wouldn’t tell me where she was going, but maybe I did.

Maybe of everyone here in the police station, she wanted me to be the last to know.

I broke the embrace with Mary Ann and sat down again; I would never smell a certain floral-scented shampoo again without thinking of that morning. I would never feel the grass beneath my feet without thinking of the smell and where it brought me in my mind. Mary Ann’s face, tear streaked and pale, made me feel bad about my own: dry as a bone, not a tear in sight, stunned, resigned. Amy was gone, and deep down I knew that she was never coming back. How I knew it so well in the early morning hours I had no idea. Why I had told Dad things would be fine was a mystery. But I knew it as well as I knew my own name that it was over and wondered how everyone else was still clueless to that fact. “Belfast McGrath?”

I looked up at a cop who clearly didn’t know who I was but whose face told me he knew why I was there.

“That’s me,” I said, and walked into the room where I would tell them everything and nothing.

Meet the Author:

MAGGIE MCCONNON grew up in New York immersed in Irish culture and tradition. A former Irish stepdancer, she was surrounded by a family of Irish musicians who still play at family gatherings. She credits her Irish grandparents with providing the stories of their homeland and their extended families as the basis for the stories she tells in her Belfast McGrath novels, beginning with Wedding Bel Blues.

Social Media Link:
https://www.facebook.com/maggiebarbieriauthor/

Purchase Links:

Amazon

B&N

iBooks

Powells

IndieBound

Release Blitz ~ Bad Deeds (Dirty Money, book 3) by Lisa Renee Jones @LisaReneeJones

Bad Deeds: A Dirty Money Novel by Lisa Renee Jones 

Release Date: August 8th, 2017 

Genre: Contemporary Romance

About the Book:

Would you bleed for the one you love?

To save his family empire from the grip of the drug cartel, Shane is pushed to the edge of darkness, forced to make choices he might never make. His father is dying. His brother is desperate to rule the empire and this means war and all gloves are off. His brother only thought he knew what dirty meant. Shane is about to give it new meaning. There is another war brewing though, and that one, is inside him, his battle between right and wrong, light and dark, and in the heat of the night, it is Emily he turns to for escape. Driving her to new limits, pushing her to accept a part of him that even he cannot.

In every one of Shane's seductive demands, Emily can taste and feel, his torment, his struggle to save his family and not lose himself. But he is losing himself, and that is a problem just as dangerous as her secret, that still lurk in the shadows, a threat to the Brandon Family waiting to erupt. No matter where she and Shane have traveled, or will travel in the future, she can't just sit back and watch him become everything he hates, everything he never wanted to become, everything she tried to save him from when she tried to run. It could be their undoing, the end. His end.

This is war, blood will spill, and someone in the heart of the Brandon family will not survive....

Saph's Thoughts:

"Bad Deeds is intense and emotional." 

A full review will be coming this week.

Order Your Copy Today!

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2ultalk

Amazon UK: https://goo.gl/R9wZPa

iBooks: https://goo.gl/J4FZ3Y

Nook: https://goo.gl/H7ZBUb

Kobo: https://goo.gl/dX51bB

Google Play: https://goo.gl/k4evij

Add to GoodReads: https://goo.gl/Hpbpcc

Start the Series Today!

99 CENT SALE - Hard Rules (Dirty Money book 1)

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2wDRZ8u

Nook: http://bit.ly/HardRulesBN

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Add to GoodReads: https://goo.gl/LZQ7OQ

$1.99 SALE - Damage Control (Dirty Money book 2)

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2wDGjmp

Nook: http://bit.ly/DamageControlBN

iBooks: http://bit.ly/DamageControliBooks

Kobo: http://bit.ly/DamageControlKobo

Add to GoodReads: https://goo.gl/Cmv8pT

And Lisa has a chance for readers to read the first TWO CHAPTERS of book 4, END GAME, early PLUS the first chapter of SETH’S story (Poison Kisses) as well!

More info: https://us.macmillan.com/smp/promo/endgamepreordergiveaway

About the Author:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones is the author of the highly acclaimed INSIDE OUT series. Suzanne Todd (producer of Alice in Wonderland) on the INSIDE OUT series: Lisa has created a beautiful, complicated, and sensual world that is filled with intrigue and suspense. Sara’s character is strong, flawed, complex, and sexy - a modern girl we all can identify with. In addition to the success of Lisa's INSIDE OUT series, Lisa has published many successful titles. The TALL, DARK AND DEADLY series and THE SECRET LIFE OF AMY BENSEN series, both spent several months on a combination of the New York Times and USA Today bestselling lists. Lisa is also the author of the bestselling DIRTY MONEY and WHITE LIES series. Presently, Lisa is working on her Murder Girl/Lilah Love series to be published by Montlake. Prior to publishing Lisa owned multi-state staffing agency that was recognized many times by The Austin Business Journal and also praised by the Dallas Women's Magazine. In 1998 Lisa was listed as the #7 growing women owned business in Entrepreneur Magazine. Lisa loves to hear from her readers. You can reach her at www.lisareneejones.com and she is active on Twitter and Facebook daily. 

Connect with the Author:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLisaReneeJones/

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Twitter: @LisaReneeJones

Stay in touch with Lisa by joining her mailing list:

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Website: http://lisareneejones.com

Book Review: Damage Control (Dirty Money, Book 2) by Lisa Renee Jones

Damage Control

Dirty Money, Book 2

Lisa Rene Jones

Print Length: 304 pages

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Publication Date: February 21, 2017

ASIN: B01J1EGXLA

Add to Your Shelf on Goodreads:  

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29939226-damage-control

About the Book:

Wall Street meets the Sons of Anarchy in Damage Control, the smoldering, scorching next novel in the explosively sexy Dirty Money series from New York Times bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones.

The only thing more dangerous than a dark secret is a damaged heart…

Shane Brandon has been pushed to the brink, torn between his corrupt family and his explosive, all-consuming desire for Emily Stevens, who he now knows is not who, and what, she seems. Has he trusted the wrong person? Will she, not his brother Derek, be the ultimate destruction of his family Empire.

Emily tries to run from Shane, but he will stop her, confront her, force her to reveal all – one hot touch and kiss, at a time, under every intimate detail of who this woman is, and what she wants, is exposed. But as he tears away the dangers of the unknowns with the woman in his bed, and in his heart, The Martina Cartel, has set their sites on his company, his family, and the one piece of leverage they believe he won’t gamble with: Emily.

My Review:

Damage Control picks up almost immediately after Hard Rules (book 1). Emily is trying to leave Shane in an effort to protect him from her past, present, and what may happen in the future. Unable to let her go, Shane tracks Emily down. Layer by layer, Emily reveals her painful past and the horrible secret she's been carrying for years. As Shane and his right hand man Seth begin digging into Emily's life to help solve her problems, the Martina Cartel shows their hand, subtly letting Shane know they've wormed their way into Brandon Enterprises.  This revelation is not a huge surprise but does bring the cartel a whole lot closer that what is comfortable.  Along with the cartel, Shane also his dastardly brother, ailing father, and conniving mother to contend with.

Damage Control is another wonderful book in the Dirty Money series. Shane's character is strong, ruthless when necessary, yet tender and affectionate. His feelings for Emily continue to grow stronger every day. Emily is also a strong character; she has to be in order to survive the turmoil and secrets that have been eating her up inside.  Emily and Shane truly care for one another.  They compliment each other and Emily illuminates the darkness Shane must maneuver through.

Lisa Renee Jones blends suspense, intrigue, and romance into an action packed sophomore novel!  I was engaged with Emily and Shane's story from the beginning and book 2 drew me further into their world. I was pulled into the drama and romantic suspense elements of the book.  Every element of Damage Control was enjoyable from the dark revelations to the intense emotions that make up the lives of Shane and Emily.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy through NetGalley.

My Rating: