Take Me Harder (Texas Bounty #3) by Jackie Ashenden-a review

TAKE ME HARDER (Texas Bounty #3) by Jackie Ashenden

Take Me Harder

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 7, 2017

An ex-con with a bad-boy reputation falls for his childhood sweetheart—a good-girl cop chasing a ruthless killer—as the Texas Bounty series gets steamier than the Lone Star State.

Rush Redmond never expected freedom to taste so bittersweet. He spent eight years in jail doing someone else’s time, and for what? As an ex-con, Rush can’t work as a bounty hunter like his brothers—not in Texas. Better to drown his sorrows with a stiff drink and soft curves. Too bad the temptation he craves is a redhead with a badge: Ava St. George. Once upon a time, Rush would’ve done anything for the sheriff’s innocent daughter. Now he’s fighting the urge to let her sweet-talk him into some trouble he can’t afford.

Even though she’s a cop, Ava knows that sometimes justice means pushing the boundaries of the law. To track down her mother’s killer, she turns to the man with the county’s criminal underworld in his little black book. The boy she knew is still drop-dead gorgeous, with panty-dropping charm as smooth as his smile. But his sculpted arms and the menacing gleam in his eyes scream “Don’t mess with me.” Yet Ava needs Rush more than ever—in more ways than one.

•••••••••

REVIEW: TAKE ME HARDER is the third installment in Jackie Ashenden’s contemporary, adult TEXAS BOUNTY erotic, romance series. This is former inmate and reluctant bounty hunter Rush Redmond, and police officer Ava St. George’s story line. TAKE ME HARDER can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.

Some background: Rush, Quinn and Zane Redmond are the current owners of LONE STAR BOUNTY since the death of their father months before. Lone Star Bounty is a struggling business but a business that brings the brothers closer together.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Rush and Ava) TAKE ME HARDER looks at the friends to lovers romance between Rush Redmond, a former inmate who served eight years for a crime he did not commit; and naïve rookie cop Ava St. George-a woman determine to uncover the truth about her mother’s demise. When Ava receives a anonymous tip about the death of her beloved mother-a police officer killed in the line of duty- Ava knows that to dig deeper she will need a list of contacts she knows only one man will have. Enter Rush Redmond, recently release from jail, and the man that has always called to Ava’s heart. What ensues is the tempestuous relationship between Ava and Rush; Ava’s need to uncover the truth; and Rush’s journey to discover the who and what of his past, and the heartbreaking rejection by his brother and dad.

Ava has always believed her mother, Lauren St. George, was killed by a drug dealer but a recent phone call from an unknown source revealed that the wrong man was arrested for her mother’s shooting. Rush Redmond was the only person with the available means to ferret out the information and contacts that Ava required but the man she loved was no longer the man she remembered years before. Ava has been in love with Rush Redmond since she was a little girl but eight years behind bars hardened Rush Redmond into someone she no longer knew. Rush Redmond is an angry man; a former member of the armed forces, a military man who upon his return three years later began working in the family’s LONE STAR BOUNTY business only to take the fall when a shooting goes horribly wrong. Ava’s request of Rush is met with derision , harassment and too much anger but our heroine is determined to take down the man who destroyed her mother’s life –with or without Rush Redmond’s help.

The relationship between Ava and Rush is acrimonious. Rush will direct his anger at the woman who calls to his heart; his treatment of Ava is reprehensible, rude and vulgar. Rush is nothing short of a pr*ck and an a$$hole; his demons ride very close to the surface. Ava is so desperate for information that she is willing to submit to Rush’s demands believing the man she once knew hides behind the cold and rough hewn exterior. The $ex scenes are erotic and intense. Some readers may take offense to Rush’s treatment of the story line heroine.

Most of the previous story line couples and characters play secondary and supporting roles including Rush’s brother Zane, and the love of his life Iris Callahan (Take Me Deeper #1) , as well as Nora Sutcliffe of Duchess Bail Bonds (Make It Hurt #2). Quinn Redmond may or may not have an attraction to Duchess Bail Bonds owner Lily ‘Duchess’ Hammond. The Redmond brothers are a little rough around the edges and continue to push one another’s buttons; I am hoping the author reveals more of the family history because the brother’s relationship struggles with secrets from the past. Rush can only surmise why he had to suffer through his father and brother’s rejections. The requisite evil comes with many faces including an expensive bottle of bourbon that all but tries to destroy Rush’s life.

The world building continues to focus on the struggling sibling relationships between Rush, Quinn and Zane Redmond, as well as the bounty ‘collections’ that come into the office.The hunt for the man responsible for destroying Ava’s life reveals some interesting facts about Rush Redmond’s past.

TAKE ME HARDER is a gritty romance about a broken man who lost eight years of his life for a man who seemingly despised the ground upon which he walked. The premise is dark and multi-layered; the characters are tragic and tense; the romance is difficult and struggles in the face of one man’s anger and shame.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Take Me Deeper
Make It Hurt
Take Me Harder

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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The Billionaire’s Virgin (Billionaire Fairytales #1) by Jackie Ashenden-a review

THE BILLIONAIRE’S VIRGIN (Billionaire Fairytales #1) by Jackie Ashenden-a review

The Billionaire's Virgin

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About the book: Release Date January 10, 2017

Dark, tortured, and intimidating, these dominant billionaires will steal their innocent heroines’ breath away. Overwhelmed by their desire to control their world, they push their heroines to explore their deepest desires. But even the most unworldly of heroines can unlock these billionaires’ secrets.

Xavier De Santis: Disgraced. Ruinous. Playboy.

The headlines are always shouting about Xavier’s various excesses, and he’s everything they say he is. But now he’s gone too far, and the black sheep of the De Santis family has been ordered to clean up his image. Volunteering at a homeless shelter, he sees a bright light amidst all the bleakness. An angel whose luminous face and tragic beauty call to him in ways he can’t explain.

Mia: Vulnerable. Homeless. Virgin.

When the shelter Mia calls home closes, she is left with nowhere to go – nowhere except for the luxurious, glorious palace of a home that Xavier De Santis has invited her to stay. This too-handsome billionaire is dark, dangerous – and also too good to be true. But surely Mia can indulge in her fantasies and escape the drudges of her daily life for just one night?

As one night turns into two, Mia knows that eventually, the magic will end and she will have to return to her life of hardship. She can’t keep the beautiful clothes. She can’t keep the soft bed. And most of all, she can’t keep the hard, handsome, brutal man who makes her crave his touch with every breath she takes. Mia doesn’t belong in his world. But as Xavier tempts his rags-to-riches heroine with exquisite pleasure and heady desire, Mia doesn’t stand a chance but to surrender completely to him.

•••••••••••

REVIEW: THE BILLIONAIRE’S VIRGIN is the first installment in Jackie Ashenden’s contemporary, adult BILLIONAIRE FAIRYTALES romance series. This is billionaire businessman Xavier De Santis, and homeless waif Mia’s story line.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Xavier and Mia) THE BILLIONAIRE’S VIRGIN is a Cinderella-esque romance that follows a homeless young woman name Mia who is rescued by the brooding billionaire businessman Xavier De Santis. Mia has lived on the streets of New York since she was thirteen years old-a victim of domestic violence at the hands of her maternal grandmother -Mia made the decision to risk life on the streets rather than face her abuser on a daily basis. Meeting Xavier De Santis at the local homeless shelter and food kitchen finds our heroine targeted by the billionaire during his volunteer service for attacking a paparazzo and destroying his camera. Xavier’s need to rescue Mia comes from the heart but our heroine doesn’t trust her would-be rescuer. What ensues is the building relationship between Mia and Xavier, and Xavier’s need to give Mia everything she could ever want.

The relationship between Xavier and Mia is slow to build. Xavier bides his time as Mia struggles to accept Xavier and everything he offers. Mia is naïve and innocent, and doesn’t trust easily but soon lets go of her inhibitions as her emotions and feelings towards Xavier begin to bloom. Our heroine is a survivor but broken. Xavier struggles with his place in the De Santis family, and the death of his mother years before. Guilt wars with our story line hero when memories of the past begin to push at his heart and soul. There is a slight spoiled little rich boy persona dogging Xavier De Santis.

We are introduced to Xavier’s brothers: Nero, Raphael, Lorenzo, and their father Cesare De Santis, The fractured family dynamics pushes Xavier in another direction.

I struggled with the lack of character building. We know very little about our leading characters especially as it pertains to Xavier and his earlier life. THE BILLIONAIRE’S VIRGIN focuses on the present and the future leaving very little exploration of the past.

THE BILLIONAIRE’S VIRGIN is a sweet, romantic story about two people who fall in love against the odds. The Cinderella-esque nature of the story has Prince Charming rescuing Cinderella from a life on the streets, driving her home towards a happily ever after. The premise is peaceful without too much outside conflict; the romance is fated.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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Make It Hurt (Texas Bounty #2) by Jackie Ashenden-a review

MAKE IT HURT (Texas Bounty #2) by Jackie Ashenden-a review

 

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date December 6, 2016

Nora Sutcliffe enjoys having tough guys at her mercy—preferably in handcuffs. The best fugitive recovery agent in the business, Nora always gets her man. But when her latest pursuit leads her to a notorious biker hangout, she’s reunited with “Smith”: the one man who was too hot for Nora to handle. Once upon a time, she was a rich girl and he was a bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks. Now she needs his help, and she’ll do whatever it takes to get it.

Eight years ago, Smith let a pretty little Texas debutante break his heart. He picked up the pieces, went to hell and back with the army, then rode out of the darkness with a gang of outlaws at his back. The last thing he needs is a blast from the past like Nora, who has reinvented herself as a gun-toting badass with the stones to challenge him in front of the whole club. But if she thinks Smith will give up one of his brothers for a single night of pleasure, she’s in for a rude awakening.

••••••••••

REVIEW: MAKE IT HURT is the second installment in Jackie Ashenden’s contemporary adult TEXAS BOUNTY erotic romance series. This is female bounty hunter Nora Sutcliffe, and president of the Graveyard Ministry MC Smith Tucker’s story line. MAKE IT HURT can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Nora and Smith) MAKE IT HURT focuses on the rekindling romance between bounty hunter Nora Sutcliffe, and MC President Smith Tucker. Eight years earlier Nora all but destroyed Smith’s life when a then eighteen year old Nora refused to defend Smith against a series of accusations that led to his enlistment in the army and eventual life with the Ministry MC. Fast forward to present day wherein Nora’s latest assignment is to ‘bring in’ Garrett ‘Dust’ Brook-Smith’s best friend and MC vice-president. What Nora didn’t expect was to find Smith Tucker, and a reawakening of her shattered heart. What ensues is the rebuilding of a romance when Smith makes several demands of the woman that broke his heart.

The relationship between Nora and Smith is one of a rekindling romance; a love that was destroyed by a young woman’s fear of betrayal and loss; and one man’s need to control every aspect of his daughter’s life. Smith has never stopped loving Nora Sutcliffe, and Nora has never forgiven herself for her inability to protect Smith from her father’s wrath. The $ex scenes are intimate, provocative and hot- there is definitely no lack of chemistry between our leading couple.

Quinn Redmond (Take Me Deeper #1) makes a cameo appearance as does Nora’s boss Lily ‘Duchess’ Hammond who were first introduced in Texas Bounty #1. We are introduced to Smith’s VP Garrett ‘aka Dust’ Brook-a man who is willing to sacrifice himself to save the Ministry MC.

MAKE IT HURT is a story of second chances, forgiveness, and letting go of the past. Nora Sutcliffe’s character is abrasive and acerbic, and presents as cold and uncaring throughout a good portion of the book- her bad a$$ bounty hunter persona felt contrived and a little over the top. Smith is a man determined to uncover the truth about the past-one way or another even if he has to blackmail the woman that he has always loved. The premise is entertaining but lacked some of the impact of an MC story, and the believability was limited as it pertained to the Ministry MC; the characters are somewhat idealistic; the romance is erotic and intense.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of TAKE ME DEEPER book 1

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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Wrong For Me (Motor City Royals #2) by Jackie Ashenden-a review

WRONG FOR ME (Motor City Royals #2) by Jackie Ashenden-a review

Wrong For Me

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About the book: Release Date November 29, 2016

After eight years in prison, Levi Rush is finally out and back on the gritty streets of Detroit to claim the future he was owed. A future that includes the one woman he’s wanted for years—his former best friend Rachel. She’s the reason he went inside and if getting her to do what he wants means buying the building that houses her tattoo studio and using it as leverage, then that’s what he’ll do. Because if there’s one thing he’s learned inside it’s that if you want to win, you have to play dirty.

Rachel Hamilton is a tattoo artist and one hell of a tough girl. Detroit is her home, and she’s determined to make it a better place. But her plans are threatened when her old friend Levi reappears and gives her an ultimatum: she gives herself to him body and soul, or else she and her business are out on the street. Levi’s got no room in his heart for anything but anger and the lust he’s been carrying around for so long. But the only thing stronger than the secrets of their shared past is their fiery attraction to each other.

••••••••

REVIEW: WRONG FOR ME is the second installment in Jackie Ashenden’s contemporary, adult MOTOR CITY ROYALS erotic, romance series focusing on a tight knit group of friends from Detroit. This is former inmate Levi Rush, and tattoo artist Rachel Hamilton’s story line. WRONG FOR ME can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Rachel and Levi) WRONG FOR ME is a friends to lovers/second chance storyline that follows the rekindling friendship between Rachel Hamilton and Levi Rush. Eight years earlier Levi was sent to prison for killing a man who had attacked his best friend Rachel. Fast forward to present day and Levi is an angry ex-con, h*ll bent on reclaiming all that he lost, and what he had lost were the eight years he could have been spending with the woman that he loves. Determined to renew his relationship with Rachel, Levi ‘blackmails’ Rachel for all of the wrong reasons ensuring Rachel remains by his side-one way or another. What ensues is an emotional battle between Levi and Rachel, and Levi’s dogged determination to prove he is worthy.

WRONG FOR ME is a story of family and friendship; heartbreak and love; moving forward and letting go of the past. Levi and Rachel, along with Gideon and Zoe come from the mean streets of Detroit, and it is their backstory and earlier years together that make up the emotional and protective relationships that encompass the series premise. Years of suffering and feeling unworthy find Levi Rush trying to prove he is deserving of the life that has passed him by.

The relationship between Rachel and Levi is one of emotional blackmail. Levi struggles with the loss of the previous eight years but more so with Rachel’s rejection and apparent lack of concern as it pertained to Levi and what happened years before.

All of the previous story line characters including Zee and Tamara (Dirty For Me #1), as well as Zoe James and Gideon Black play secondary and supporting roles. Rachel’s co-worker and fellow tattooist Xavier is ever protective of his friend and colleague. Zoe and Gideon’s story is next in Sin For Me (March 2017).

The world building continues to focus on five friends (Gideon, Zoe, Zee, Levi & Rachel) and the difficulties of growing up poor on the mean streets of Detroit. We are witness to the plans for redevelopment that may or may not have approval from the people who live and struggle to survive.

WRONG FOR ME is a dark and gritty look at endurance; at existing one day at a time; at struggling to succeed in a world that is continually pushing you down. The premise is startling ; the characters are passionate but tragic; the romance is emotional and disconcerting. At times, Levi’s treatment of Rachel and his need to recover years of lost time is misguided, vengeful and questionable. I also a couple of issues with questions that were never addressed and left unresolved.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one-DIRTY FOR ME

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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Take Me Deeper (Texas Bounty #1) by Jackie Ashenden-a review

TAKE ME DEEPER (Texas Bounty #1) by Jackie Ashenden-a review

Take Me Deeper

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 4, 2016

Even as a Green Beret, Zane Redmond hasn’t faced a tougher mission than going home again. Loyalty to his brothers is the only reason he’s back in Texas, not that he intends to stay for long. Zane sure as hell isn’t going into the family business. One last bounty and he’s done—or so he thinks. Nobody warned him that his fugitive happens to be a red-hot brunette with a smart mouth, a body made for sin, and a brutal cartel on her trail.

Bad circumstances and worse choices have left Iris Callahan in a desperate situation. After getting arrested for a drug drop gone wrong, she skipped bail and hit the road to avoid testifying. Now the cartel wants Iris silenced forever, and she’s just lucky that Zane catches her before they do. Handcuffed to a bed, she surrenders to the cool-as-ice bounty hunter in order to survive. But as the chase heats up, Zane sneaks past her emotional defenses—and Iris is in too deep to let him go.

•••••••••••

REVIEW: TAKE ME DEEPER is the first installment in Jackie Ashenden’s contemporary, adult TEXAS BOUNTY romantic, suspense series focusing on the men (and brothers) of Lone Star Bounty-Zane, Quinn and Rush Redmond. This is Special Forces soldier Zane Redmond, and Iris Callahan’s story line.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Zane and Iris) TAKE ME DEEPER follows Zane’s return home from his latest assignment overseas only to find himself on the hunt for a woman who skipped out on her bond. Iris Callahan was easy to find but Zane and his family owned Lone Star Bounty are not the only people searching for Iris-our heroine got caught up in some nasty business with a drug cartel and she isn’t willing to go down without a fight.

Zane is a protector at heart and keeping Iris safe is paramount even if it means placing himself and his brothers at risk. He is a man determined not to set down roots and being pulled back into the family business is something he never planned. Iris is a woman who made a bad decision for all of the right reasons but a decision that had caused her to lose someone close. What ensues is the building relationship between a man whose guilt from the past is focused on another woman running for her life. Both Zane and Iris have issues of trust because of events from their pasts. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense.

We are introduced to Zane’s brothers-Quinn and Rush Redmond. The three brothers currently own and run Lone Star Bounty since the death of their father months before. Lone Star Bounty is a struggling business but a business that brings the brothers closer together.

TAKE ME DEEPER is a story of suspense, romance and family. The premise is dramatic and suspenseful; the characters are strong, passionate and heartbreaking or perhaps it is their circumstance that will tug at your heart; the romance is seductive and provocative.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

reviewed by Sandy

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Dirty For Me by Jackie Ashenden-a review

DIRTY FOR ME (Motor City Royals #1) by Jackie Ashenden-a review

Dirty For Me

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 26, 2016

Ezekiel “Zee” Chase has a complicated past. Born into a family whose wealth grew from the seedy world of big-time crime, he ran away as a teenager and made a home for himself on the streets of Detroit. By day, the mechanic works at a local garage. But by night, he throws down with the best of them in Detroit’s gritty underground fighting scene. With all those muscles, he’s never had trouble with women–until he meets one who challenges him to the greatest fight of his life. . .

Tamara Lennox is a hardworking corporate high-flyer who appreciates the finer things in life, from her expensive perfume to her designer handbags. More than anything, though, she likes to be in control–and when Zee explodes into her life, she feels anything but. He’s the definition of a bad boy: brash, fiery, and of course, irresistibly hot. And there’s a darkness about him that keeps her coming back for more. As Zee takes Tamara deeper into a world she never knew existed, she just might prove to be the one opponent he won’t be able to dominate–at least not without some pleasurable convincing….

••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: DIRTY FOR ME is the first installment in Jackie Ashenden’s contemporary, adult MOTOR CITY ROYALS erotic, romance series. This is bad boy mechanic/MMA fighter Ezekiel ‘Zee’ Chase, and corporate intern Tamara Lennox’s story line.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Zee and Tamara) DIRTY FOR ME focuses on the building relationship between two broken souls-Ezekiel ‘Zee’ Chase born into a Detroit crime family where his father rules with an iron fist; and Tamara Lennox- a privileged young woman whose own past is riddled with a dark family secret. When Tamara accompanies her best friend to a late night, self-defense class for woman, in one of the seediest neighborhoods of Detroit, our heroine finds herself immediately attracted to the instructor-a tattooed, bad boy named Zee Chase whose attraction to Tamara is equally as strong and palpable. What ensues is a relationship based solely on $ex that looks deeper into the past of both of our story line characters. Tamara is about accept a marriage proposal from a man she does not love to pay a debt she owes her family; and Zee’s past comes back physically demanding a return to the family fold.

The relationship between Tamara and Zee is initially based only on $ex. Tamara wants to forget about her past and her potential future; and Zee is an MMA fighter who has his pick of any woman but Tamara has locked onto his heart and soul. The $ex scenes are graphic, aggressive and intense but I did not feel the emotional connection between the couple-they both wanted $ex and Tamara continued to return night after night in the hopes of more from Zee Chase. Zee struggles with his emotions and is reluctant to show even a softer version of himself fearing to let go would mean dropping his defenses against the outside world.

There are a number of secondary and supporting characters including all of Zee’s coworkers at the local garage: garage owner Gideon, tattoo artist Zoe, and mechanic Rachel-all former street kids who have banded together as a family. A fifth member of their rag-tag family -Levi -is currently in prison awaiting early release-Levi and Rachel’s story will be told next in Wrong For Me. We are introduced to Tamara’s best friend Rose and our heroine’s soon to be fiancé/ex-fiance Robert, as well as Tamara’s boss Scott who is trying to make Tamara’s life as miserable as possible. Tamara’s parents claim to want the best for their daughter but Tamara is being forced into an impossible situation. Zee’s corrupt father Joshua forces his son to make a choice- a choice between friendship or blood.

The world building focuses on dysfunctional family dynamics, dark secrets, betrayal and revenge. The conflict between Zee and his father ended rather abruptly and without too much angst or aggression which under the circumstance would have ended differently in the real world. I would like to see more of Zee and Tamara in a future story line as our heroine has rejected her previous life for a man whose own life is dangerous and dark. The premise is entertaining; the characters are colorful and animated; the romance is sexually graphic and, at times, almost needy in emotion and temperament. Some readers may take exception to the heroine’s ‘cheating’ on a man she does not love.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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Kidnapped by the Billionaire (Nine Circles #4) by Jackie Ashenden-a review

KIDNAPPED BY THE BILLIONAIRE (Nine Circles #4) by Jackie Ashenden-a review

Kidnapped by the Billionaire

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 1, 2016

He kissed her the way he’d run her down, conquering her, taking her…

A priceless plan. An illicit attraction.

Seven years ago, billionaire-turned-bodyguard Elijah Hunt lost everything he had-his family, his future-and now he wants revenge. But when he decides to kidnap the daughter of the man who ruined his life, Elijah gets a lot more than he bargained for. Violet Fitzgerald is nothing like her corrupt wealthy father. In fact, she’s so disarmingly independent-and irresistible-that she just might be dangerous…

And a love that’s too good to be true.

Violet never thought she’d feel a connection to her captor. But there’s something beneath Elijah’s steel-bodied exterior that makes her want to know him more deeply…and surrender to his every demand. But once Elijah’s erotic fantasies become a reality-and he and Violet develop a real romantic connection-he finds himself in a quandary: Is he still the one in control? Or has Violet imprisoned him-body and soul?

••••••••••

REVIEW: KIDNAPPED BY THE BILLIONAIRE is the fourth installment in Jackie Ashenden’s contemporary, adult NINE CIRCLES romantic, suspense series. This is billionaire/bodyguard Elijah Hunt, and heiress Violet Fitzgerald’s story line. KIDNAPPED BY THE BILLIONAIRE can be read as a stand alone but for cohesion and backstory I recommend reading the series in order as the NINE CIRLES series focuses on taking down the Nine Circles, and an elite corruption ring of sex traffickers, dealers and underground crime.

Told from several third person perspectives KIDNAPPED BY THE BILLIONAIRE finds our heroine in a precarious position as the victim of a kidnapping as part of a revenge plot against her father, and the corruption underground he controls. Violet in an innocent in that she never knew about her father’s ties to crime, and the horrendous cost of life he has inflicted on the people with whom he does business. Violet is a woman who has been searching for her brother-a man, who for the last sixteen years, she believes died by his own hands, but for one reason or another she believes is still alive. Enter Elijah Hunt, her father’s bodyguard, and a man who seeks revenge against Violet’s father for the loss of everything and everyone he loved.

Violet Fitzgerald is a strong woman capable of holding her own against anyone including the family that continues to keeps our heroine at a distance. And now…Violet is Elijah’s captive; a woman Elijah needs to take down the people that destroyed his life….but Violet is also the woman who calls to his soul, and that places both of them in a dangerous situation. As the story line builds, so too does the attraction of want and need between a predator and his prey. Elijah thought his heart had died seven years before, but something about Violet stirs the dying embers of a fire long thought vanished. The $ex scenes are aggressive, provocative and intense.

All of the previous story line couples play secondary and supporting roles, as their overlapping and continuing story lines blend with each successive installment. Although Jackie Ashenden reveals important information, from previous story lines, where necessary, and reflects on some of the history between the characters, I recommend reading the series in order. There is so much information in each installment that may be necessary for continuity for each successive story.

KIDNAPPED BY THE BILLIONAIRE is a fast paced, suspense-filled mystery of betrayal, revenge, and falling in love. The premise is cleverly written and remarkably intense; the characters are impassioned, dynamic and strong; the romance is acceptance of what was, and what can be. Now, I have to go back to the beginning for my own sanity to read what happened to get up to this point.

Copy supplied by the publisher by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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