KING (Power Players Stand Alone) by Cassia Leo-Review & Excerpt Tour
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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 26, 2019
Never steal from a king.
Down on her luck in Las Vegas, Isabel “Izzy” Lake turns to the regulated prostitution industry. But her first day on the job ends abruptly when her client dies, and his suitcase contains over a million dollars.
Izzy takes the money and sets off to a small town on the other side of the country, where she attempts to live a low-profile life. A few weeks into her new country girl lifestyle, she finds owning an old fixer-upper isn’t so fun when you’re a city girl with zero DIY skills.
Izzy’s handsome new neighbor, Kingston Jameson, is all too eager to fix her leaky faucet and warm the cold side of her bed. It’s not long before she finds herself falling for King. But is he really the sweet-talking country boy he claims to be, or has he come to collect more than her heart?
***
Kingston “King” Jameson knew he shouldn’t have let Garrett pick up the suitcase full of cash. And he sure as hell never expected Garrett to die at a brothel and get robbed by a prostitute.
King needs to get the suitcase – and the secret item hidden in the lining – before his boss kills him.
He has one problem: The girl who stole the suitcase has hidden it very well. She left her entire life behind in Las Vegas. She’s got nothing left to lose. If King wants that suitcase, he needs to get close to her. Close enough to watch her every move. To know her deepest secrets.
Okay, he has two problems: He’s also fallen in love with the girl he’s supposed to kill.
••••••••••
REVIEW: KING by Cassia Leo is a contemporary adult, POWER PLAYERS stand alone, erotic romantic suspense story focusing on twenty-two year old Isabel ‘Izzy’ Lake, and former US soldier Kingston ‘King’ Jameson.
Told from dual first person points of view (Izzy and King) jumping between present day and the recent past KING follows Isabel Lake as she struggles to remain one step ahead of anyone looking for a missing one- point- four million dollars. A few weeks earlier, desperate for cash Izzy spent one night in Vegas as part of the world of legal prostitution that ended before it got started with a dead man on the toilet, and our heroine on the run with a suitcase full of cash, and a secret item hidden in the lining. Changing her identity, and settling down in Valdese, North Carolina, our heroine would soon meet her new neighbour, a sexy contractor who knows more about our heroine than he is willing to admit. Having no idea as to the identity of the man who died on the toilet, Izzy will discover that the politically powerful have set their sights on taking her down. What ensues is the building relationship between Izzy and King, and the fall-out as King is contracted to kill the girl, and return the suitcase and all of its’ contents as soon as possible.
Kingston Jameson is desperate to return the suitcase to its’ rightful owner but desperation comes with threats against the people he loves, people he is willing to protect, to get the job done. Working as a go-between for the politically connected criminal underground, Kingston is unaware that his latest target is a woman that will call to his heart.
The relationship between Izzy and King is one of immediate attraction but a relationship built upon a number of lies. Izzy is wary of anyone who tries to get up close and personal, and King is slowly falling in love with the woman he has been ordered to kill. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.
We are introduced to Izzy’s boss Edie Bryant at the local construction rehab store The Junk Drawer; King’s friend and army comrade Santos, as well as the requisite evil who are desperate for the return of the missing suitcase.
The world building follows dual timelines: Kingston as he is questioned by the local police; and Izzy and Kingston’s building relationship as they dance the dance of a romantic relationship built upon a series of lies.
KING by Cassia Leo is a quick read covering several weeks in the life of Izzy Lake as she settles into a routine of normal life having no idea that the man with whom she will fall in love battles between head and heart for our story line heroine. The premise is entertaining and inviting; the romance is sweet and impassioned; the characters are colorful and energetic. On the flip side, I did have a few issues including the author’s use of the phrase or parts thereof –cocks, cock, cocking an eyebrow used twelve times, or some action involving eyebrows nineteen times. I think a good editor or beta reader should have caught the multiple instances of said phrases and words. Overall, KING is an intriguing and entertaining story of enemies to lovers, romance on the run.
Previous Reviews in the Power Players Series
Cash
Knox
Copy supplied for review
Reviewed by Sandy
“Try not to collapse, okay?” I say, setting her down gently. “I have to look for your keys.”
“Are you feeling me up?” she asks as I slide my hand into each pocket of her jeans.
Her breath is coated in the sickly sweet scent of whiskey mixed with a trace of vomit. Her hair smells like the smoky atmosphere in the bar. But her body is dangerously warm and soft under my touch.
“No, ma’am,” I reply, pulling a set of keys out of her front pocket.
She reaches up and clumsily traces her fingertip down the front of my lips. “Why not?”
I shake my head. “Believe it or not, I’m not in the habit of taking advantage of women who are too drunk to remember their own name.”
“That’s a shame,” she pouts as I unlock the door. “It’s… It’s Jolene.”
She laughs as I scoop her up in my arms and carry her into the house, where we’re greeted by Steve. The gentle beast wiggles her butt violently as she sniffs me up and down, taking in the smells of the bar.
“Hey, Steve,” I greet her as I use my foot to push the door closed behind me.
“You have to call her Steve-Bella until she’s used to Steve,” Izzy corrects me.
Maybe I should refer to you as Jolene-Izzy until you’re used to your new name.
I lower her onto the worn-in beige sofa, which I assume she purchased second-hand at The Junk Drawer. Taking a step back, I watch with slight amusement as she adjusts a throw pillow under her head and closes her eyes with a big smile on her face.
“How did you learn those fancy moves?” she slurs.
“What are you talking about?” I reply, taking a seat on the edge of the coffee table so I can keep an eye on her for a bit.
I tell myself I need to make sure she doesn’t choke on whatever’s left inside her stomach, but I know I’m only kidding myself.
Her eyelids flutter open, her gaze unfocused as she looks me up and down. “You tackled that guy like a defensive lineman, but you don’t look like a lineman. You’ve got quarterback written all over that hard body.”
I shake my head. “I used to be in the military. How did you learn those fancy moves? That was quite an elbow you dealt that guy.”
“I used to be in the military,” she replies with a cheesy grin.
“No, you weren’t.”
“No, I wasn’t.”
This girl just made off with 1.4 million dollars cash from a criminal organization. She’s obviously drinking to cope with the sudden loss of her friends and family. Yet, she still remembers to clam up about the details of her former life when she’s drunk.
I’m more impressed with her by the second.
“All right. I’ll let you keep your secrets,” I reply, getting to my feet now that I’m pretty sure she doesn’t need me here to watch over her.
“Thank you,” she says, closing her eyes again.
“For what?”
“For saving me.”
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New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Cassia Leo grew up in California and has lived in three different countries. She loves to travel and her dream is to one day score a record deal based on her awesome shower singing skills. She is the author of the Shattered Hearts series (Relentless, Pieces of You, Bring Me Home). She is also the author of the popular Luke and Chase series.
