Self-Published | July 10, 2015 | Romantic Suspense
★★★★
SOURCE: INDIESAGE
Ivy Dune knows how to survive.Even when her paycheck-to-paycheck life is ripped from her by a vicious crimelord without a conscience, Ivy knows she'll do whatever it takes to make it to the other side alive. Dax Harrow has made a living off of blood and pain...both in the ring and out. As an enforcer for the most lethal family in California, Dax knows the bounds of loyalty and will do anything to pay back the debt he owes them, no matter the cost. When Ivy is placed in Dax's care neither of them are prepared for the fallout. As enemies close in around them, Ivy and Dax must be prepared for the fight of their lives.
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{ excerpt } .
‘You should learn to be more careful.’
The disembodied voice came from the other side of the alley and it brought her up short. Pausing to peer through the darkness, a figure emerged from the shadows and she identified the black-haired man from the suite upstairs, whom Trystan had referred to as Dax.
‘You should take your own advice, stranger. Loitering in dark alleys to rough up single women could get you into trouble.’
‘If I was here to rough you up, you wouldn’t have seen me coming, and I wouldn’t have announced myself.’
‘Said the voice of experience,’ she said. ‘Are you proud of what happened tonight?’
‘Heard you got yourself fired.’
‘No, your buddy did that. He’s a bully with an overinflated sense of entitlement. One day he’ll get what’s coming to him.’
‘Not while I’m around to stand in the way,’ he said. ‘You better watch yourself. You pissed off a very influential guy tonight.’
‘So I’ve already been told,’ she muttered. Getting away from this place and this person was appealing, but in truth she had nowhere better to be.
‘Mr Stark does not like to be disrespected and he’s been known to hold a grudge.’
‘Doesn’t he have anything better to do?’
‘You better hope that he finds something, because if he gets tonight’s events stuck in his teeth you’re going to be a very sorry little girl.’
{ review } .
This story is probably more dark romance than romantic suspense, but...
Ivy, who hasn't held a job for more than two months at a time (and that's being generous) just got fired from her latest (week-long) job for fighting off a man made of money. Rather than going to the police and helping her put forth the correct actions against a man who nearly raped her while his buddies either watched or held her down, her employer sends her packing.
Now her savings is gone and her roommate is about to push her out the door (because Ivy refuses to sell her body) but said roommate's companion last night told her about a cleaning job -- so Ivy goes for it.
Little does she know she'll end up bound, gagged, and no longer a person of freewill because this so-called cleaning job is a cover. Trystan, the man she refused, doesn't take kindly to such things; his family wants him to settle down so they're going to find him a wife. While he's out of town, his best friend -- a man that Ivy found attractive that first night before everything went down -- will be her 'trainer'.
What I liked about Ivy was her will. She was a strong, feisty woman and held on to her wills and morals until she absolutely couldn't anymore -- when her only other choice was death.
Dax... It takes a moment to like him. He's that guy who can always tell he has more to show the world than he does. He's a watcher; he absorbs what's going on around him. He knows better than to go against the Stark family -- they've been the only family he's had since he was a teen. He finds Tryst to be immature, but the man is still his brother in every sense of the word, so he'll do what it takes to keep him around.
Even when that means breaking in a girl to be Trystan's wife.
Ivy, who hasn't held a job for more than two months at a time (and that's being generous) just got fired from her latest (week-long) job for fighting off a man made of money. Rather than going to the police and helping her put forth the correct actions against a man who nearly raped her while his buddies either watched or held her down, her employer sends her packing.
Now her savings is gone and her roommate is about to push her out the door (because Ivy refuses to sell her body) but said roommate's companion last night told her about a cleaning job -- so Ivy goes for it.
Little does she know she'll end up bound, gagged, and no longer a person of freewill because this so-called cleaning job is a cover. Trystan, the man she refused, doesn't take kindly to such things; his family wants him to settle down so they're going to find him a wife. While he's out of town, his best friend -- a man that Ivy found attractive that first night before everything went down -- will be her 'trainer'.
What I liked about Ivy was her will. She was a strong, feisty woman and held on to her wills and morals until she absolutely couldn't anymore -- when her only other choice was death.
Dax... It takes a moment to like him. He's that guy who can always tell he has more to show the world than he does. He's a watcher; he absorbs what's going on around him. He knows better than to go against the Stark family -- they've been the only family he's had since he was a teen. He finds Tryst to be immature, but the man is still his brother in every sense of the word, so he'll do what it takes to keep him around.
Even when that means breaking in a girl to be Trystan's wife.
Except he never figured he'd fall for her.
When Dax finally gives in, I liked him even more. When he questions everything and everybody, though, you are reminded that this is a man who hasn't been given the best plate of life. But when he finally allows himself to take something for himself... You can't help but like the guy a little bit.
"I haven't had time to look at a fucking woman. I have spent the last seven weeks chasing your damn tail..."
"I haven't found my place to belong yet..."
"Your place to belong," he spat out. "There's only one place you belong..."
He caught hold of her face and hauled her up, forcing her mouth down over hers. Although she hadn't expected the kiss that didn't mean that she didn't want it. Opening herself to him, she leaned into him and trailed her hands up to his shoulders.
So while, yes, there's a romantic suspense aspect to the story -- Trystan and company doesn't exactly take too kindly to the whole Dax + Ivy = mmhmm -- I felt it was more Dark Romance. The first chunk of the book is extremely dark.
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