Outside the Lines
Series: On the Run #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Lisa Desrochers
Release Date: January 19, 2016

The first in an edgy new contemporary romance series that follows a family on the run, from the author of the USA Today bestselling A Little Too Far series…

As the oldest son of a Chicago crime lord, Robert Delgado always knew how dangerous life could be. With his mother dead and his father in prison, he’s taking charge of his family’s safety—putting himself and his siblings in witness protection to hide out in a backwater Florida town.

Fourth grade teacher Adri Wilson is worried about the new boy in her class. Sherm is quiet and evasive, especially when he’s around his even cagier older brother. Adri can’t help her attraction to Rob, or the urge to help them both in whatever way she can.

But the Delgados have enemies on two sides of the mob—their father’s former crew and the rival family he helped take down. It’s only a matter of time before someone finds them. And if Rob isn’t careful, Adri could end up in the crossfire…

AMAZON | iBOOKS | B&N | KOBO

You are so fucking beautiful in every way, and all I can do is ruin you…”

From the second I read the blurb to Outside The Lines I was hooked. I knew I had to read. You see, I have this obsession with mafia romances. As in, I can’t ever pass one up. And having loved Lisa’s A Little Too Far series, adding this one was a no brainer.

The premise of the book is fantastic. Robert “Rob” Delgado is the oldest son of a Chicago crime lord. When a rivalry with another mafia family finally overbuilds with a hit gone wrong against Rob and his four siblings, his father takes a plea bargain in order to get them WITSEC. Now Rob finds himself at a backwater Florida town, still plotting revenge against those that betrayed their family. The only problem is finding out who they are first.

Adri Wilson has grown up in the small little town. Her father is the sheriff (enter super delicious set up of boy on the wrong side of the law falling for the sheriff’s daughter) and a fourth grade teacher who happens to have Rob’s youngest brother in her class. Robert draws her in straight away. There’s something about him, something behind those unreadable eyes that intrigues her. She wants to help him. She wants to help his siblings. But before she does all that, she needs to find out the truth he’s hiding behind all his lies.

This book had such strong potential that got lost somewhere between all the mundane details. After the first 15%, I found my interest steadily waning until I was almost ready to give up by the halfway point. Luckily it does pick up, but not enough to really raise my rating.

There’s a lot of day to day activity, description, and just mundane detail that takes away from the story. It could have easily been cut out and not effected the book any in my opinion. The characters were in their head a little too much for my tastes and it also took much too long for Robert to come to his senses with certain things. There was a scene with Rob and another woman at one point that I truly felt the story could have gone without. Particularly since this was already past the 40% mark, the only thing it did was diminish his connection with Adri for me. I don’t mind scenes with ow so long as I feel they add to the story, and it really didn’t here.

Adri was incredible naive and pure for my tastes, too. Her constant drive to fix everyone around her with no thought to her own safety didn’t do much to endear me to her. Her being a virgin on top of everything was just another added blah.

I did like the two of them together, but the sex scenes, while hot, were almost cheesy at times.

What ultimately hooked me was the set up for the rest of the siblings. While the book ends on a romance HEA between Rob and Adri, the whole who done it of the hit is still unclear and the Delgado siblings are still in WITSEC. There was a bit of a hint at a rival family’s son and Rob’s sister that I’m hoping will be getting a book. I’m also itching to get my hands on Grant’s story as well as Ulie and Lee. That alone is enough to keep me reading. Hopefully the next book will be a little quicker paced.

Outside The Lines was one of those reads that wasn’t bad and wasn’t great. It was just ok. A middle of the road kind of read if you will. I didn’t hate it, but it’s nothing I’d come back to either. I do have my hopes set on the next book because like I said, the premise of the series is truly a fantastic one.

Graphics are stock purchased and created by me for DGR blog. Please don’t share without permission