Tuesday, September 06, 2016

DIRTY LITTLE LIES (MEN OF SUMMER #3)

THE HEART HAS ITS SECRETS.

Zack Richards knows he’s asking for trouble. Trying to protect a member of the notorious Maddox family could get a man killed—even a battle-scarred, muscle-ripped alpha like Zack. But the woman who has captured his wildest fantasies is nothing like the rest of her power-hungry clan. She’s innocent, beautiful, and has quickly become the one shining light in his dark, desperate world. The only woman worth fighting for…and dying for…

BUT PASSION NEVER LIES.

Her name is Grace Maddox—and everybody knows that she is a marked woman. Targeted for her family’s sins and hunted like a wild animal, Grace has no choice but to accept Zack’s protection. In his arms, she finally feels safe. In his eyes, she sees an insatiable desire that mirrors her own. But the truth is dangerous—and could end up tearing them apart. Will surrendering to Zack end up being the biggest mistake of Grace’s life?

Release date: August 30, 2016
St. Martin’s Press
The Men of Summer series #3
Romantic Suspense
Review copy provided by the publisher

Nikki’s Review:

When I think of Lora Leigh, I think of the queen of erotic romance...at last in my opinion. Maybe it's because she was the first author I read when I picked up the genre many years ago. Maybe it's because she just freakin' rocks!

One thing that I've come to expect from a Lora Leigh book is an intricately woven story. There are books that are light and fluffy; you can sit back and enjoy them and not need to think much. And this is absolutely fantastic. You need light and fluffy sometimes. But a Lora Leigh book is never light and never fluffy. I know when I pick up one of her books that I have to commit to paying close attention to details, character relationships, and background stories. 

It was in the details that I struggled a bit with this book. So many details. Details overload! There are many characters and story arcs in this book. At one point I stopped reading to make some notes; reminders of who was who and how they were all connected. Oy! It made my damn head hurt. This pulled me out of the book on numerous occasions. I've never had this problem with a Lora Leigh book. 

I really liked Zack and Grace. They were likeable together and individually. The relationship was smokin'! They've always been in each other's heart...whether they wanted to or not. Zack being the noble alpha needed to protect her; to shelter her and keep the danger off of her doorstep. All the while keeping her at arms length. 

The chemistry was so thick; it was practically suffocating...in a good way! There are very few authors who can write sex scenes like Ms. Leigh. I don't blush easily, but Lawd, I just about crawled into myself at times I was blushing so hard! Seriously, it's that scorching!

At times I felt like, Grace wasn't taken seriously enough. She was coddled and often treated like a child who couldn't make decisions for herself. I found this to be really frustrating. I'm fine with a damsel in distress, but she could actually take care of herself. She just needed other people to believe in her. 

I want to say that I loved this book. I've loved every other book that I've read by this author. At best, I'm kinda meh. I felt like the suspense aspect took away from the romance. It wasn't balanced. I love romantic suspense, but the love story has to be front and centre, at least for me. The overload of information and details just made it difficult for me to really sink into the book. I adore a solid story and details that pull everything together, but when I have to stop every few paragraphs and try to connect the dots, it's a bit much. Even though, Dirty Little Lies won't be considered a Lora Leigh favourite, I will happily and greedily read whatever else she puts out. 


Rating 2.5 Stars (C-)

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