ABOUT THE BOOK

His name is Beat, and I should hate him.

Bound, blindfolded and bruised, I’m tied in his basement, waiting for the men who stripped me from clothes and humanity to collect his debt to them. Me.

His name is Nate and I should hate him, but I don’t.

I’m not supposed to know his real name, even worse, I’m not supposed to care. He is nothing to me but means to an end. The plan is simple: break free, collect the pieces of my broken soul, kill the bastards and run away.

His name is Nathaniel Thomas Vela, and I’ve never seen his face, though I hear that it’s beautiful.

Behind the rugged and handsome exterior, there’s a quiet murderer, a killer who thinks guns are for pussies and ends people with his bare hands.

His name doesn’t matter, neither does his face, but what does matter is my heart. And right now, sadly, it’s his.

MY REVIEW

Good God!  I’m exhausted after reading this dark romance filled with revenge, violence, and dark humor.  This is my second book by L.J. Shen. Her character building is superb and the suspense is off the charts.

Prescott Burlington-Smyth, former socialite and current small-time drug dealer, is in a shit load of trouble. Her tortured past in the name of Godfrey Archer is here to kill her in the most graphic and violent way. But first, she has to wait for his prodigal son, Camden, to return to the states. Meaning she will be sitting in a dark moldy basement while two masked captors named Ink and Beat are ordered to watch her, but keep their hands off.  Perhaps she can manipulate one of them to break his word to the boss and hold it over him so he can help her escape. It’s definitely going to be the big hot captor with the unusual eyes and sexy voice.

Nate “Beat” Vela is not happy with his current circumstances. When Godfrey did him a favor in prison, Nate didn’t sign up to be a kidnapper. But he has no choice if he wants to stay alive. Godfrey promised to keep the Aryan Brotherhood away if Nate agreed to his terms. If that isn’t enough, the sassy Ms. Burlington-Smyth (nicknamed Country Club) is someone he didn’t expect. She’s manipulative, sexy, and oh, so badass. A dangerous and addictive combination.

Beware of these two lovers when they let loose because nothing is going to stop them from slaking their passion and getting their vengeance. Prescott is a fierce warrior with a horrific past who only wants to find her missing brother and get revenge on the men who brutalized her. As she gets closer with Nate by reading his prison diary and telling him her story, she realizes he is a ruthless killer with a protective streak. Nate has been objectified all his life because of his gorgeous good looks, but he doesn’t let it define him. In fact, he doesn’t do relationships because no one has attracted him like Prescott. Her bravery and resilience are a turn on to him, but he gives her the control due to her cruel past. The suspense of seeing these two lonely and characters get their payback is intense and bittersweet. Their unfortunate circumstances make them killers, but they both have compassion for each other as they crash into love unexpectedly and completely.

Ms. Shen does bad guys well and pretty much all of the supporting characters are just that. Bad. Vile. Disgusting. They deserve everything Prescott and Nate throw at them and more.

If you crave dark, dirty love and extreme vengeance with a hint of dark humor, you will eat up this book. Ms. Shen is an incredible writer who brings out the humanity in a world of deprivation and viciousness. I have to add that there are many triggers including rape, abortion, and savagery that may be too much for some.

Thank you to Ms. Shen for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

L.J. Shen is an International #1 best-selling author of Contemporary Romance and New Adult novels. She lives in Northern California with her husband, young son and chubby cat.

Before she’d settled down, L.J. (who thinks referring to herself in the third person is really silly, by the way) traveled the world, and collected friends from all across the globe. Friends who’d be happy to report that she is a rubbish companion, always forgets peoples’ birthdays and never sends Christmas cards.

She enjoys the simple things in life, like spending time with her family and friends, reading, HBO, Netflix and internet-stalking Stephen James. She reads between three to five books a week and firmly believes Crocs shoes and mullets should be outlawed.

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