DEVIL'S CUT (THE BOURBON KINGS #3)

In #1 New York Times bestselling author J. R. Ward’s thrilling finale of the Bourbon Kings series, the Bradford family dynasty teeters on the edge of collapse after the murder of their patriarch—and a shocking arrest.

At first, the death of William Baldwine, the head of the Bradford family, was ruled a suicide. But then his eldest son and sworn enemy, Edward, came forward and confessed to what was, in fact, a murder. Now in police custody, Edward mourns not the disintegration of his family or his loss of freedom . . . but the woman he left behind. His love, Sutton Smythe, is the only person he has ever truly cared about, but as she is the CEO of the Bradford Bourbon Company’s biggest competitor, any relationship between them is impossible. And then there’s the reality of the jail time that Edward is facing.

Lane Baldwine was supposed to remain in his role of playboy, forever in his big brother Edward’s shadow. Instead he has become the new head of the family and the company. Convinced that Edward is covering for someone else, Lane and his true love, Lizzie King, go on the trail of a killer—only to discover a secret that is as devastating as it is game-changing.

As Lane rushes to discover the truth, and Sutton finds herself irresistibly drawn to Edward in spite of his circumstances, the lives of everyone at Easterly will never be the same again. For some, this is good; for others, it could be a tragedy beyond imagining. Only one thing’s for certain: Love survives all things. Even murder. 

Release Date: August 1, 2017

Random House Ballantine Books

The Bourbon Kings #3

Romantic Suspense/Contemporary Romance

Liza's Review:

J.R. Ward has been an auto-buy author for me from the moment I read her very first Black Dagger Brotherhood book years ago. I'll openly admit I didn't love the first book in The Bourbon Kings series, but was pulled back into the series when I read I read The Angels' Share and couldn't wait to read the final book in the trilogy, Devil's Cut. Devil's Cut was absolutely worth the wait to read. 

I'll admit I'm still not a huge fan of Lane Baldwine, but really love his siblings. There is just something about damaged Edward that makes me want to hug him, and Gin is one of my favorite characters in the series. I do wish we had seen more of Max, but what we saw of him, made me want to hug him as well.

Everything that I wanted to be wrapped up in the series was handled in Devil's Cut. I have to say I was glad to see I was correct in my guess as to who killed William Baldwine. He was a total ass and the more I learned about him in Devil's Cut, the more I was glad someone had killed him. I loved that Edward would protect his family by trying to take the blame. I also loved that Sutton Smythe didn't give up on Edward and absolutely loved them as a couple. I also loved we finally saw Gin be the strong woman I knew she could be for both herself and her daughter. I've said before Lane isn't my favorite character, but I absolutely adore Lizzie and have come to love Lizzie and Lane together. I even feel like Lane finally grew up by the end of the book.

Devil's Cut gave me the satisfactory and emotional book I've come to expect from J.R. Ward. It had me both laughing and crying at times and I love a book that pulls multiple emotions from me. I still love her Black Dagger Brotherhood books best, but have thoroughly enjoyed this journey through her adopted state of Kentucky and the bourbon world. 

Rating: 4.5 Stars (B+)