POWER PLAY (Billionaire’s Club: New Orleans #2) by Mallery Malone-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 5, 2014

Raphael Jerroult a.k.a. the Crescent City Casanova, has fought his whole life—both in and out of the boxing ring. Watching his father suffer for years after his mother’s death, he’s resolved to envelop himself in a shell made of money, MMA matches, and a different woman every day. But when an old flame, and the only woman he’s ever truly let in, comes back in his life, Raphael can’t stop being distracted by the red-headed beauty with the curves that go on for days…

Macy Lovelace has no desire to start things up again with Raphael. Memories of the sweetest torture she’s ever known can’t make her forget that he’s not cut out for long-term love. But Macy’s the only girl who Raphael ever let in, the only girl who really knows his sexy, dangerous side. And with the Crescent City Casanova, the only way to keep up, is to be tied down…

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REVIEW: POWER PLAY is the second instalment in Mallery Malone’s contemporary, adult Billionaire’s Club: New Orleans erotic romance series focusing on three friends (Sebastian, Gabriel , Raphael) who grew up on the mean streets of New Orleans. Together they have fought their way to the top, starting in the school of Hard Knocks-a gym where local kids learn to fight with boxing gloves and not guns. All three men are equal partners in DJD Holding-the parent club to Hard Knocks. This is former MMA fighter Raphael Jerroult and, chef/restaurant owner Macy Lovelace’s story.

Told from third person POV, the storyline follows the rekindling of a relationship that fell apart eight years earlier. Raphael and Macy were childhood best friends, sweethearts and first loves but following the death of Raphael’s mother and subsequent suicide of his emotionally absent father, Raphael wanted to distance himself from Macy fearing he would turn out just like his father. Sending Macy to Paris to study cooking, Raphael realized he had made a mistake but two months later Macy had disappeared and no one would tell Raphael where she had gone. Fast forward eight years when Macy and Raphael would run into one another at Sebastian and Renata’s (Knock Out book 1) engagement party and the love they once felt for one another-has never died.

The relationship between Macy and Raphael is sensual, sexual and intimate. Macy and Raphael have never stopped loving one another but time, distance and miscommunication pushed the best friends and lovers in opposite directions believing that, in the end, neither one wanted the other. But Macy has a secret-one that could destroy the foundation of their second chance at love-and when the truth is revealed, Raphael will walk away-once again.

The secondary characters include Sebastian and Renata (book 1), and Gabriel who will be featured in Take Down-book #3. The world building continues as the friendship between Raphael, Sebastian and Gabriel follows each man as he finds the love of his life while focusing on the business of DJD Holdings.

Mallery Malone writes a seductive and compelling storyline about a second chance at love for two people who have never stopped loving one another. The love making is intense, emotional and passionate for two people whose lives splintered at a time when they needed each other the most but have been brought back together by a mutual friendship, a secretive past and two hearts that will never forget.

Reading Order
1. Knock Out
2. Power Play
3. Take Down (September 2014)

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley.

Reviewed by Sandy