A Cruel Arrangement (Kings of New York 2) by Tijan-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 25, 2023

This was my place. My business. Easter Lanes.Then a guy comes in, trying to rob me, daring to take it away from me.

My home. My life.Hell no. I won’t let my livelihood be threatened.

No one knows what I’ve done to build this life for myself.Except he might.

Ashton Walden, a man I remember from when we were kids.Even back then I could tell how dangerous he would be one day.

He’s now the head of the Walden mafia family, and my father is so in debt to them that they practically own him.

My dad and I are estranged and I want nothing to do with him or his debt, but the day after the attempted robbery, I don’t wake up in the hospital.

I wake up in Ashton Walden’s home. And he drops a bomb on me.If I want my livelihood back, I need to earn it back.

And thus begins our cruel arrangement.

•••••

REVIEW:A CRUEL ARRANGEMENT is the second instalment in Tijan’s contemporary, adult KINGS OF NEW YORK dark, erotic, Mafia romance series. This is crime lord Ashton Walden, and business woman Molly Easter’s story line. A CRUEL ARRANGEMENT should not be read as a stand alone. For back story and cohesion I recommend reading book one A DIRTY BUSINESS.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers. If you have not read book one, there may be spoilers in my review

SOME BACKGROUND: Molly and her friend Jess’s friends have been murdered, and no one was currently in custody, or charged with the crime. One of the deceased is the brother of one of the detectives in the organized crime unit, and said detective wants answers. Using any means necessary, Ashton Walden forces Molly to call in a favor, a favor in exchange for some heart breaking truths.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Ashton and Molly) A CRUEL ARRANGEMENT follows in the aftermath of an attempted robbery at the local bowling centre owned by Molly Easter. Molly and the bowling center were under the protection of crime boss Ashton Walden but Molly would soon discover that all was not as it would appear to have been. There is a war brewing between the various factions of the local mobs, a war that places Molly Easter, up front and center, pitting her against family, friends, and the man with whom Molly will fall in love. Ashton Walden doesn’t do relationships but his attraction to Molly started several years earlier. There is a lifelong connection between our leading couple, a connection that is about to reveal the secrets and lies Ashton has been hiding for a number of years. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Ashton and Molly, and the potential fall-out as betrayal, vengeance and the local mob come hunting for our story line couple.

Ashton Walden is desperate to find the person responsible for killing his best friend’s girlfriend’s friend (say that three times). Everyone is suspect; the crime bosses are refusing to cooperate; the local riff raff has been anointed to look deeper into the possible connections. Molly Easter is struggling with the revelations that everything she knew about her family and her life, has been a lie, a lie to protect the identity of someone else. Desperate to find the killer, Molly is often TSTL (too stupid too live) placing herself in the direct line of fire but Ashton has one more secret, a secret that could threaten the growing love between our story line couple.

The relationship between Molly and Ashton is a frenemies to friends to lovers. Ashton has named himself guardian and protector of our story line heroine but as the various factions of the criminal underworld begin to circle, Ashton will claim Molly as his own. Molly never thought she would fall in love with the powerful ‘captor’ but falling in love means exposing her heart to potential heart break and loss. The $ex scenes are passionate and intense without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

Once again, there is a large ensemble cast of colorful, powerful and energetic secondary and supporting characters. We are reintroduced to former parole officer and Molly’s friend Jess Montell, and heir to the West Mafia Tristan ‘Trace’ West (A Dirty Business 1); Ashton’s right hand man Elijah; Molly’s dad Marcus ‘Shorty’ Easter; her friends and co-workers Sophie and Pialto; foster ‘cousin’ Glen; Dr.Nea Sandquist; Nurse Sloane; Detective Worthing, crime lord Nicolai Worthing; Trace’s sister Remmi West, and Ashton’s cousin Marco. The requisite evil has many faces.

A CRUEL ARRANGEMENT is a fast paced, haunting and animated story of secrets and lies, power and control, betrayal and vengeance, acceptance, forgiveness and love. The premise is intriguing, engaging an d captivating: the romance is seductive and provocative; the characters are desperate, dynamic and determined.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one A DIRTY BUSINESS

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

Tijan is a New York Times Bestselling author that writes suspenseful and unpredictable novels. Her characters are strong, intense, and gut-wrenchingly real with a little bit of sass on the side. Tijan began writing later in life and once she started, she was hooked. She’s written multi-bestsellers including the Carter Reed Series, the Fallen Crest Series, and the Broken and Screwed Series among others. She is currently writing a new YA series along with so many more from north Minnesota where she lives with a man she couldn’t be without and an English Cocker she adores. 

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