THE RELUCTANT SIREN (Texas Sirens: Legacy 2) by Lexi Blake-review
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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 29, 2025
Harlow Dawson went through something terrible while working a case in Los Angeles. She fell in love. To be fair, the love part wasn’t so bad, but the betrayal left her devastated and in police custody. She returned home to decide how to move forward. One thing was for certain. Her life wouldn’t include Jensen Wiley. Two years later she’s back on her feet, working with her best friend, and building her business. She’s been falling for a new guy at The Hideout. Niall Griffen makes her feel safe. Until she learns his secret at the worst possible time.
Jensen Wiley has spent years working his way up in the criminal organization that took his brother’s life. The only thing that ever threatened to break his need for revenge was meeting Harlow Dawson. She became his partner until he realized she was being drawn into the darkest part of the organization. He had very little time to get her out and didn’t think she would go quietly. He knows his betrayal saved her life, but he hasn’t stopped loving her. Now they’re in the same city and he needs someone watching over her. He means to keep his distance until she walks right into the middle of his mission.
Niall Griffen has worried about his best friend, Jensen, for years. When Jensen asks him to watch over the woman he loves, Niall reluctantly agrees. The trouble is he falls for her too. If nothing happens, he doesn’t feel there’s any reason to talk to his friend about their unrequited love triangle. But after one night together changes everything, Niall knows he needs a new plan to make sure no one gets their heart broken. The good news? Harlow comes from a family with an interesting dynamic. He just might be able to make this work for all of them.
Things begin to unravel when Jensen’s past comes back to haunt him and the man he’s been hunting threatens to turn the tables on him. Protecting Harlow is now the only priority and might just send them all right into the relationship they all need.
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REVIEW: THE RELUCTANT SIREN is the second instalment in Lexi Blake’s contemporary, adult TEXAS SIRENS: LEGACY erotic, BDSM, romantic suspense series, a next generation spin off, set in the author’s TEXAS SIRENS world. This is twenty six year old Harlow Dawson, daughter of Chase, Ben and Natalie Dawson (Siren Unleashed 7), Jensen Wiley, and Niall Griffen’s story line. THE RELUCTANT SIREN can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Several characters cross over from the author’s Texas Sirens, Lawless Series, and the numerous interconnected Masters and Mercenaries.
NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise including MFM menage and BDSM scenarios, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.
Told from three omniscient third person perspectives (Harlow, Jensen, Niall) THE RELUCTANT SIREN follows in the wake of the return of Jensen Wiley, having left the woman he claimed to have loved, to seek revenge for the death of his brother but Jensen never expected to find Harlow Dawson in the arms of his best friend Niall Griffen. Niall and Jensen are both Doms, with Niall having the ability to switch, but Harlow needed a Dom to take control, and believing Jensen all but abandoned her, Harlow acted on her feelings for someone else. Meanwhile, Jensen’s foray into the criminal underworld finds the threesome targeted, as the FBI, CIA, and Special Forces are all searching for the same people who are running a questionable BDSM club hiding criminal activities.
The world building follows several paths, introducing numerous characters from the author interconnected series including Ian Taggert, Chase, Ben and Natalie Dawson. As the agents from the different law enforcement factions begins circling, Jensen is willing to sacrifice himself to protect the people he loves.
The relationship between Harlow, Niall and Jensen is a threesome that begins as friendships leading to something more. Harlow and Jensen were in a relationship that was broken when Jensen left without saying goodbye; Niall would begin a slow seduction of our story line heroine, offering to be her Dom when she needed it the most. The Sex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.
Once again, there is a large ensemble cast of colorful, familiar and energetic secondary and supporting characters, again, from the author’s interconnected series. The struggle of a father watching his daughter grow up is fodder for many of the friends and family members as Chase battles to keep a hold of his temper, and Ben only wishes happiness for our story line heroine. We are reintroduced to Harlow’s sister Greer, Chloe Lodge-Taylor, and Ruby Lockwood.
THE RELUCTANT SIREN is a story of secrets and lies, power and control, family and friendships, relationships and love. The character driven premise is edgy and dramatic; the romance is passionate and inspirational; the characters are desperate, broken yet struggling to heal. The epilogue fast forwards the story line one year wherein in the threesome must work on themselves as well as their relationship.
Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one THE ACCIDENTAL SIREN
Copy supplied for review
Reviewed by Sandy
New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband and three kids. Since starting her publishing journey in 2010, she’s sold over three million copies of her books. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance that she found success. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings.
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