Hello there, bookworms! Happy Tuesday! I hope you’re all well and enjoying the beautiful weather (while staying safe while the crazy times continue). Life has been pretty hectic here as work and home keep me busy, my parents’ medical sagas continue, and this past weekend I had back-to-back bridal showers to attend. Needless to say, summer has officially kicked off in my neck of the woods so let the chaos begin! Despite new strains of the virus still popping up and trying to stay safe, I think I have a few fun events planned in the next few months so I’m looking forward to getting out a bit more. Maybe I’ll have a bookish journey to report in the near future.
Until then, I had to pop on here because I finally finished a book yesterday (actually, 2).. that left me completely thrown and I had to just jump on here to tell you about it. As I type and process my feelings toward what I listened to (via Audible), I need to decide how much I’ll divulge because I don’t want to give anything away if you haven’t read it yet. Let’s just jump right in and discuss The Brit, the latest release from Jodi Ellen Malpas.
Pleasure has never been so deadly.
Rose Cassidy doesn’t truly live; she just exists. Numbing herself to fear and pain is the only way she can survive in this cruel world. So when she’s taken as collateral by the notorious Danny Black in a deadly game of power, she’s thrown by the deep fear she feels rising within her. And, worse than fear, a profound desire. She’s heard tales of The Brit. He’s callous. Coldblooded. But no one ever said he was wickedly beautiful and darkly captivating. He sees past her mask, giving her a cruel sense of hope. But she must fight their twisted attraction or risk losing the one thing she survives for.
When Danny Black took an enemy’s beautiful lover as security, he never anticipated the repercussions. Or the warped attraction they would share. Rose Cassidy pushes Danny to the brink of madness with her impenetrable façade and savage allure. He has to remind himself that she’s bait. A solution to a problem. Yet she evokes powerful feelings in Danny, and feelings are risky when you’re wanted dead by endless enemies.
The most dangerous game is about to be played.
But can either of them win?
*This story is gritty, dark, edgy, and contains scenes that some people may find uncomfortable to read. It is NOT for the fainthearted.
I’m just going to type as the thoughts enter my brain because I’m too all over the place to try to be coherent, and for that, I apologize.
First off, if you know this blog or any of my other social accounts, you know I love some Jodi Ellen Malpas. I was a big fan of her This Man series (and I can’t wait for it to properly hit Passionflix and see The Lord of the Manor on screen… yum)!
Second, and again – if you know me – you know I’m a sucker for anything Shane East narrates. He could read me a phone book and I’d be left a pile of salivating mess, so when he took on the dark and dangerous Danny Black, I was totally on board.
I feel like I haven’t jumped into a romance novel in awhile. I haven’t even had an Audible account for a bit, but I decided to end the dry spell when I had heard so many good things about this standalone novel – and the reviews were right!
This story might be uncomfortable for some. There’s dark themes, dangerous/fatal events, and scenes that may leave some audiences squirming. I will say you should try to brave it because not only is this book super sexy, but there’s a big fat plot twist that left me feeling all the things. Seriously, all the things. Rage, sadness, relief, frustration – you name it, I went through the phases. That being said, I feel like you won’t regret it.
Danny and Rose are your typical trope – damaged and dark people resigned to their lots in life, until they meet each other and realize that they want more, that they deserve more. For them, that’s not super easy thanks to all of the deadly obstacles that lay in their paths. Still, they fight and force their way through the impossible – mostly because they have to, and it seems that not even death can keep them apart. That’s one hell of a connection if you ask me.
While I’m not typically one for a “bad boy” type, I do LOVE a man who is dark/brooding/moody and insists that he’s heartless, when he clearly isn’t, and Danny checks all those boxes and then some. He’s met his match with Rose. She’s fierce and tough despite having her back to the wall on a personal level. When they collide and go toe-to-toe, things are explosive in good and bad ways.
I don’t want to say much more without giving away the twist or too much of this story to give you any clues as to what will unfold. I will say that if you haven’t already, throw this book in your beach bag or grab the audio version and listen to it while you float around the pool in the sun and get a tan. If you want, you can thank me later!
Until next time, bookworms – happy reading! xx
