Review: Ruthless by Lexi Blake

Title: Ruthless

Author: Lexi Blake

Publication Date: 8.9.2016

Series: Lawless #1

Source: ARC from publisher

Purchase: Amazon

Rating: 4 Stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

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... 

Review:

I’ve always known Lexi Blakes books in other forms – when she co-writes with Shayla Black or as her alter-ego, Sophie Oak. So this was my first Lexi Blake, solo artist book and I was pleasantly pleased by what I found on these pages.

RUTHLESS actually carries over from Blake’s other series, Masters and Mercenaries. In Dominance Never Dies (book 11 in that series) you’re introduced to the family as that is little sister Mia’s book – the Lawless series is all about her hot big brothers, but Mia and her husband do make some appearances. I liked them enough to go back and purchase that book because I wanted more Mia and Case (but that’s a review for another day).

After the murder of their parents at a young age, the Danvers sibling are out for revenge on the people who set them up, which lands Riley smack in Ellie Stratton’s orbit as Ellie’s deceased dad is one of the people who killed Riley’s parents. With a connection like that, I’m sure you can only imagine all the ways this story goes.

And you’re right. I must admit that RUTHLESS is very predictable for the most part. But there were a few curveballs and twists that mildly surprised me which kept this book from becoming formulaic. It may not be ground-breaking material, but it is entertaining. I loved reading it and being introduced to the Danvers family.

I would love to be invited to that Thanksgiving dinner party.

I’m excited to see where Blake takes the rest of this series. If Riley’s brothers are half as hot and smoldering as he is, then I shall be a happy girl.