RUTHLESS
Series: Lawless #1
Genre: Contemporary Suspence
Author: Lexi Blake
Release Date: August 9. 2016
The first in a sexy contemporary romance series featuring the Lawless siblings—from New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake.
The Lawless siblings are bound by vengeance. Riley, Drew, Brandon, and Mia believe the CEO of StratCast orchestrated their parents’ murder twenty years ago to steal their father’s software program. And there’s only one way Riley can find some solid evidence…
Heir to the StratCast legacy, Ellie Stratton hires a new attorney to handle a delicate business matter—and she’s shocked by her attraction to him. Over the course of a few weeks, Riley becomes her lover, her friend, her everything. But when her life is threatened, Ellie discovers that Riley is more obsessed with settling an old score than in the love she thought they were building. And Riley must choose between a revenge he’s prepared for all his life and the woman he’s sure he can’t live without..
You tempt me like no other woman ever has. I don’t understand you and I might never, but I’m going to know you, Ellie Stratton. I’m going to know what makes you smile and what makes you scream out my name.”
I don’t know how this woman does it, but she manages to write books that do it for me. Every. Single. Time. Being a huge fan of her Masters & Mercenaries series, I’ve been salivating for more of the mysterious Lawless siblings ever since we first met Mia and Drew in From Sanctum with Love. I mean, c’mon, a mysterious, brooding billionaire software genius and his 3 siblings that are hell bent on exacting revenge on the people they believe responsible for their parents murder twenty years ago? Yes, please, and thank you!
Ruthless is the first book in the sexy and intriguing series. For those that haven’t read Blake’s Masters & Mercenaries series, don’t worry, you won’t be lost. But for those that have read Mia’s book, Dominance Never Dies, you’ll certainly appreciate the cameos here. I know I sure did. But I digress.
So what does this book have? EVERYTHING.
Revenge plot? Check!
Epic grovel? Check!
Lots of sexy times? Check!
Well developed characters and plot? Check and check!
Suspense? Check!
Perfect Saturday night read? You bet your tuhis!
Riley is the middle brother. He barely remembers the night that took their parents, but he knows that his father didn’t kill himself. Ever since that night, everything they’ve done has been a systematic step closer to their revenge. Now they have their sights set on the StratCast and the CEO, Phillip Stratton and his partner, who may be two of the three people they suspect to be behind their parents’ murder. Unfortunately, Phillip Stratton is now dead, and his daughter is now running the company. Hiring Riley as the company attorney to oversee the corporate buy out from her father’s partner seemed like a great idea to Ellie. But what she doesn’t know, is his interest runs much deeper than a mere paycheck.
I loved absolutely everything about this book; the pacing, the character development, and it certainly wasn’t without plenty of unpredictable twists to spice things up. In true Lexi Blake fashion, there was plenty of intrigue and suspense thrown in to perfectly balance the story.
Ellie starts off as a bit of a wallflower, but man, she really comes into her own towards the second part of the book. While their romance feels instant, it is established through weeks of working together. Ellie definitely doesn’t give into the brewing sexual chemistry between them with ease. She thinks things through and I really appreciated that. I also absolutely loved Riley. He’s not quite as singleminded in his revenge plan as his older brother. He knows a good thing when he has it and he knows he wants Ellie for much more than a carefully constructed revenge plan.
This book also had one of the most delicious grovels I’ve read in a really long time. I’m talking SERIOUSLY DELICIOUS levels here. Like half the book sort of delicious!
But it was also so much more than just a romance. All of the secondary characters are carefully plotted and perfectly developed. Everything and I’m talking everything is effortlessly fleshed out. Even the villains of the story are incredibly well developed, which only hooks you that much more. I loved getting glimpses of Bran and Drew and I seriously can’t wait for their books.
Ruthless was everything I could want in a story. It was filled with intrigue and suspense, and enough sizzle to set your kindle on fire. I’m utterly hooked and I can’t wait for more of these Lawless siblings. With the little peek we get of Bran’s story here, I already know it will be just as good as Riley’s, if not better. This author can do absolutely no wrong in my mind. If you haven’t read anything by her yet, you’re seriously missing out, and Ruthless will be the perfect book to start with!
PRE-ORDER SATISFACTION
Book 2 in the Lawless series and Bran’s story
Releasing January 3, 2017
STORMSWEPT
Rhys and Juliana fall in love, but they cannot be together, so they run away to marry in secret. Juliana’s brother (I want to slaughter him!) lies to both Juliana and Rhys to pull them apart and sends Rhys away to the military. He is forever changed.
BLOOD TO DUST
Well slap my ass and call me Sally, what in the ever hell did I just read?
Any other woman that finds herself bloodied, tied and locked in a dark basement waiting on certain death at the hands of men intent on collecting their debt from her, may be shaken. But not Prescott. Every minute in her captivity is another minute for her to plot and scheme and plan her escape. Because she will escape. Even if she has to use her unwilling captor to do it…
The story packs a hell of a one two punch. It’s deliciously dirty and anxiety inducing gritty. The characters are incredibly well developed, multi-layered, and impossible not to like. Prescott was one kick-ass chick. She’s a survivor and she never stops fighting. She maintains an almost morbid sense of humor even during the most dire of times which gives her this incredibly endearing quality.
There was one particular detail at the end that confused me a little because I don’t remember it being explained. It could have been something I overlooked, but after re-reading the part several times, I’m still not sure. I’m not expecting everything wrapped in a pretty little bow, but given the detail was a pivotal one that set the plot in motion, I suppose I just wanted slightly more explanation on it. But that’s just one minor quibble in what was a truly amazing book, so I really can’t bother myself to complain about it much. If you’re looking for a dark read with strong characters and an unpredictable plot, READ THIS BOOK.
From the very second that Jude was introduced in 
Melanie Harlow books are my happy place. The quirky humor, the steam, the ridiculously endearing characters she writes, all of it simply does it for me. Man Candy was yet another reason why she’s become my go-to author when I’m in the mood for something cute and steamy.
Quinn was absolute perfection. I had expected a cocky manwhore but he was so much better! He was the perfect combination of sweet and intense. He was incredibly sweet with Jaime and understanding when he needed to be. He was meticulous at chipping away at her carefully constructed walls. But when it came down to the sex? Holy mackerel! The man was crazy intense and had one heck of a mouth on him. GAH but I loved it.
My Clara:
If there’s one thing I know when I pick up a new book by Elizabeth Finn, it’s that angst and a punch straight to the feels is guaranteed. There’s a damn good reason why she’s become my go-to when I’m craving an addicting combination of angst and feelings and she’ll deliver on the promise 100% of the time. Reading the synopsis I knew I was in for one heck of a read and I was not wrong. It’s everything I hoped it would be; seductive, emotional, angsty and hot enough to burn.
What begins is a dangerous push and pull between two people that have everything to lose and yet chose to loose themselves in each other. The chemistry between them is undeniable and you can practically feel the electric current that crackles between them. The fact that you’re basically reading the book just waiting for the other shoe to drop makes it for one absolutely unputdownable read.
I feel like I’ve been run over by the angst truck. I don’t know whether I want a drink, a hug, or a cigarette. All I know is that I love the absolute hell out of this book and I’m not even a little sorry!
Alright, tell the truth, are you like me and you looked at that cover and blurb and thought to yourself, ‘ah yes, another deliciously irreverent manwhore falls for his best friend sister, fluffy and smutty read. Adding!’
Mister O was a hilarious and deliciously sexy romp from beginning to finish. The characters are perfectly imperfect. The story is addictingly good. It kept me smiling from cover to epilogue. It really doesn’t get much better than this with a rom com! I can’t recommend it enough to any reader that enjoys a good laugh with their steam, because the combination of it here? Perfection!
Do you like broody, protective uber alphas who prefer monosyllabic conversations unless they’re in bed and letting their inner caveman do the talking? Do you like sassy as hell heroines that give as good as they get and have more zingers than an episode of SNL? Do you like a sizzling hot sexual chemistry that brews even hotter with a slow burn sort of pace the author sets? Do you like your erotica written perfectly balanced with an addicting sort of story and a dash of suspense thrown in? Well lucky day! Because do I have the book for you!
If you’ve read the previous books in this series, then you’ll remember Elle Cooper, Tate Cooper’s sister and now James Bowen’s sister-in-law? If you haven’t, no worries, because you can easily read this book as a standalone and not be even slightly lost. Jack Copeland is James’s shadowy and grumpy friend that now has a tie to Elle that he’s not too happy about. The woman infuriates him almost as much as she turns him on. And Elle absolutely loves to tease Jack to within an inch of his sanity.
Jack does an upstanding job avoiding all things Elle, until the day where Elle lands in life threatening trouble and Jack is determined to protect her at all costs. He’ll do his job and walk away afterwards, but Elle is determined to make him lose all reason and patience in the process.
I gobbled up this book with a pervy sort of glee I haven’t felt in a long while. I loved these two together. Nothing beats a good hate/love scenario for me, and boy do these two serve that up on a silver platter. You can’t help but love Elle even if she lands herself in scenarios where you’ll want to throttle her. Jack is everything I love in an alpha; broody, slightly crass, protective, and a dirty, dirty man in bed.
