Ruthless Heart (The Ruthless Devils 1) by Eve L Mitchell-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 11, 2021

She is his enemy. He is her nightmare.

Three football stars who have it all: looks, money, talent and the world at their feet. No one messes with the Devils. You’re either with them or against them…and you’d have to be stupid to be against them.

Ava isn’t stupid, but one night of being in the wrong place at the right time is coming back to haunt her. One of the Santo boys—Jett—is out for blood. Specifically, her blood. Thankfully, he doesn’t know who she is, and Ava plans to keep it that way.

Sophomore year threatens to stop Jett’s progression to the championships and, more importantly, his plan to play in the NFL. All because of some mystery blonde. But he has a plan: find the threat and eliminate the threat. Jett is ruthless in his pursuit to find the girl who threatens his career.

They say there’s a thin line between love and hate, and neither is prepared for the consequences when they cross that line.

Three guys, three girls, one game. Are you ready to meet the Devils?

••••••

REVIEW: RUTHLESS HEART is the first instalment in Eve L Mitchell’s contemporary, new adult RUTHLESS DEVILS college, romance series focusing on brothers Jett and Gray Santos, and their cousin Ash. This is college sophomores, nineteen year old Ava Bryant, and football star Jett Santos’ story line.

WARNING: Due to the nature of the story line premise there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Jett and Ava) RUTHLESS HEART follows the enemies to lovers relationship between college sophomores, nineteen year old Ava Bryant, and football player Jett Santos. A random drug test came back positive, and star college football player Jett Stantos was suspended for two weeks, putting his future professional career at risk. Struggling to understand what happened or why, Jett goes in search of the blonde girl he found passed out in his bed earlier that week. Jett doesn’t do drugs, and in this, our hero, along with his brother Gray, and their cousin Ash, go in search of a stranger he’s about to destroy. Enter college sophomore Ava Bryant. What ensues is the acrimonious and tempestuous relationship between Ava and Jett, and the fall-out as our heroine becomes the target of harassment, bullying, and threats in the face of Jett’s need to destroy her life.

Ava Bryant had no idea what happened the night of the party but waking up in Jett Santo’s bed felt all sorts of wrong especially when she had no memory of what happened the night before. Days would pass where rumors unfolded about Jett’s desperate search for the woman whose life he was about to destroy, and with it, Ava began to question what happened and why.

The relationship between Ava and Jett is caustic and bitter but initially Jett has no idea who was the woman he awoke to in bed. From the outset, Ava and Jett’s introduction is acerbic and bitter, yet Jett has no idea that Ava is the woman whose life he is about to make a living h*ll. From harassment to bullying, physical and emotional abuse, Jett among others, begin to tear down our heroine, in the hopes of destroying and damaging her life. The $ex scenes are dramatic and intense. I want to add, although the author claims there is no non-con (non-consensual ) sex, in my opinion, someone who is drunk and drugged, is unable to give true consent, so there is a grey line as it pertains to the non-consensual element.

In addition, the college teachers and professors begin a campaign against our story line heroine. Ava is presumed guilty because the Santos school legacy takes president over our heroine’s innocence or guilt.

We are introduced to Jett’s brother Gray, and their cousin Ash-all Cardinal Saints College football stars, as well as Jett’s parents; Quinn, close family friend who ensures Ava’s life continues to spiral out of control; Dante Spence, quarterback for the opposing team; and several members of the Cardinal Saints Football team including Derrick, Jamie and Coach Bowers, as well as Ava’s friend Mia, and Wade. Quinn’s story line is next.

RUTHLESS HEARTS is an emotional and melodramatic story of betrayal and revenge, power and control, family and acceptance. The premise is thought-provoking, raw and haunting; the characters are feisty and stubborn; the romance is unconventional and twisted, tragic and raw.

Again, a warning about potential triggers, as the heroine’s treatment is abusive from everyone concerned.

Just a note, because the author is from Scotland, there are few terms that may not be familiar to North American readers.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy