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.

Review: Scandal Never Sleeps by Lexie Blake & Shayla Black

Title: Scandal Never Sleeps

Author: Lexie Blake & Shayla Black

Publisher:  Berkley Romance

Publication Date: 8.18.2015

Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Suspense

Series: Perfect Gentlemen #1

Source:  ARC from publisher

Buy: Amazon

Rating: 4 Stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

They are the Perfect Gentlemen of Creighton Academy: privileged, wealthy, powerful friends with a wild side. But a deadly scandal is about to tear down their seemingly ideal lives . . .

Maddox Crawford’s sudden death sends Gabriel Bond reeling. Not only is he burying his best friend, he’s cleaning up Mad’s messes, including his troubled company. Grieving and restless, Gabe escapes his worries in the arms of a beautiful stranger. But his mind-blowing one-night stand is about to come back to haunt him . . .

Mad groomed Everly Parker to be a rising star in the executive world. Now that he’s gone, she’s sure her job will be the next thing she mourns, especially after she ends up accidentally sleeping with her new boss. If only their night together hadn’t been so incendiary—or Gabe like a fantasy come true . . .

As Gabe and Everly struggle to control the heated tension between them, they discover evidence that Mad’s death was no accident. Now they must bank their smoldering passions to hunt down a murderer—because Mad had secrets that someone was willing to kill for, and Gabe or Everly could be the next target . . .

Review:

I will never turn down a new Shayla Black or Lexie Blake book, but pairing the two together makes me all the more excited. SCANDAL NEVER SLEEPS is the first installment in what is sure to be an amazing, thrilling, and swoony new series. I devoured this book in less than 24 hours.

Can I first talk about Everly? Because I love her. She made this book amazing for me. I love when Gabe got a little controlling or high handed (because he wanted to protect her), she immediately shut that down and told him they needed to end things now because she would never be the docile little woman who waited for the men to finish saving the day. I feel like I have been waiting years for a heroine to say that. She was smart and sure and confident … The epitome of a heroine.

Gabriel … He was a little harder for me to wrap my head around. By the end I was Team Gabe, but it took some getting there. He is a bit of an ass and very used to getting his way.

This book nicely sets up the series and I can’t wait for the Gentlemen to keep unraveling the mystery. Typically in a contemporary series you have self-contained books where each book can standalone. This series seems to have a central plot that will tie all the books together. I can’t wait to see how this ends.