RUTHLESS (Lawless #1) by Lexi Blake-Review and Giveaway

RUTHLESS
Lawless #1
by Lexi Blake
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, romantic suspense
Release Date: August 9, 2016

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 9, 2016

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.

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REVIEW: RUTHLESS is the first installment in Lexi Blake’s contemporary, adult LAWLESS erotic romantic, suspense series focusing on the Lawless siblings: Riley, Drew, Brandon and Mia. This is attorney Riley (Lang) Lawless, and heir to the StratCast company Ellie Stratton’s story line. There is a bit of a cross over/spinoff with Blake’s Masters and Mercenaries series with the appearance and ongoing role for Mia and Case (Dominance Never Dies), and the McKay –Taggart Security Service.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Riley and Ellie) RUTHLESS follows the Lawless siblings as they set out on a path of revenge for the murder of their parents twenty years earlier, and their first target is the daughter of their father’s late partner Phillip Stratton-Ellie Stratton-a woman whose world is about to crumble and fall. Riley’s need to destroy Ellie Stratton comes to a screaming halt when our hero begins to fall for the daughter of the man that destroyed his life. Twenty years earlier Benedict Lawless and his wife were murdered in a house fire intended to kill the entire family-a murder for hire where greed and power were the precipitating factors. Fast forward to present day wherein the Lawless siblings seek vengeance against the people who stole everything from their life. What ensues is the building relationship between Ellie Stratton and Riley Lawless –the man she hired to assist in a business buyout- and the take down of one more person responsible for the death the Lawless parents.

The relationship between Riley and Ellie begins as a business deal wherein Riley is hired to facilitate a buyout between Ellie Stratton and Steven Castalano-another business partner targeted by the Lawless siblings. Riley is a man determined to get in, destroy, and get out but finds himself falling in love with his beautiful mark. Ellie not only has to deal with the betrayals of her father, her father’s current business partner, and people she once called friends, but she must also face the lies and deception of the man with whom she is falling in love. The $ex scenes are erotic, seductive and intense.

All of the Lawless siblings play secondary and supporting roles. We are introduced to Drew, Brandon, Mia and Mia’s husband Case, and one of Benedict’s former partners Bill ‘Hatch’ Hatchard-a man who all but raised the Lawless siblings. I suspect there is a story about Hatch, and his role in the entire family saga. There are a number of Ellie’s co-workers and employees, as well as Ellie’s PA Lily, and Steven’s son Kyle. Brandon’s story will be told next in Satisfaction.

The world building focuses on vengeance and justice, and the interesting family dynamics between the Lawless siblings each brought up through the Child Welfare System but only the youngest child Mia found a permanent family and some semblance of love.

RUTHLESS is an intriguing tale of retribution and retaliation. It is a story about greed and privilege, murder and survival, family and the future. The premise is entertaining and engaging; the characters are broken, colorful, animated and intense; the romance is provocative but will falter in the face of lies and more betrayal. Lexi Blake pens another wonderful start to a new and intriguing series.

Copy supplied the publisher through Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

The Reading Cafe and Lexi’s publisher are offering a paper copy of RUTHLESS to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

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