ABOUT THE BOOK

I had no idea how much I would love Alex the day he walked into my life.

He changed everything.
The way I breathed.
The way I thought.
The way I loved.
He brought me back to life.
He gave me strength and a safe place to land.

And then he broke me.

Finding Emilia was a chance to do something good for once in my life.

I wanted to change.
She believed I was her savior.
I ached to be.
She found her way into my heart and claimed it as her safe place.
I should be telling her the truth about me…instead I break her with lies.

This book is a New Adult Romance and contains mature subject matter. It is not intended for those under 17 years of age.

MY REVIEW

Rebecca Shea is another new author for me and I enjoyed her writing style. However, I really have to check to see if books are part of a duet or trilogy because this one ends in a cliffhanger.

Emilia tragically loses her mother and is forced to leave Illinois to find her father who abandoned her mother when she was pregnant with Emilia. When her meeting with her father did not fare well, Emilia was left to fend for herself when she meets the very handsome Alex who gives her a place to stay until she can figure out what to do next.

Alex is the head of his father’s cartel by default when his father is arrested. He has always hated working for his father’s illegal business but he had no choice. You don’t walk away from your legacy. His attraction to Emilia is what keeps him grounded, but he doesn’t want to involve her in his life. It’s too dangerous. However, love takes no prisoners and he confesses everything as she forgives him for his lies. But that is just the beginning.

Though the plot is a little predictable and I figured out one of the big secrets fairly early, this book was an enjoyable read.  There is also a love triangle with Sam, a government agent after Alex who falls for Emilia and makes it an interesting dynamic.

Emilia is naive but very independent. After all, she took care of her depressed mother all of her life and worked hard to make ends meet. She is lucky Alex is a good man underneath his dangerous facade and actually had good intentions of helping her out in her dire situation. Alex is stuck between a rock and a hard place. He is a diligent and very reluctant cartel boss who was born into the life he leads and hates it with a passion. His father is a ruthless cartel leader who expects his son to do as he says or there will be consequences. My heart went out to Alex as he tried to keep Emilia safe by telling her lies which of course always backfires. In addition, I had doubts about Sam using Emilia to get the dirt on Alex, but he showed himself to be a compassionate guy who also had secrets. In the end, the lies are revealed, tensions are strong, and someone gets hurt which leaves us with a cliffhanger.

Rosa, Alex’s housekeeper is a great addition to the cast of characters with her motherly advice and loving nature.  Father Mark is also a great character who cares greatly for Alex.

If you enjoy a boatload of secrets, love triangles, and plenty of suspense, give this book a try. I look forward to finding out what happens in the next book.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rebecca Shea is the USA Today Bestselling author of the Unbreakable series (Unbreakable, Undone, and Unforgiven), the Bound & Broken series (Broken by Lies, Bound by Lies, and Betrayed by Lies) and three stand alone novels, Dare Me, Fault Lines and Unexpectedly Yours. She has also co-written two books with her friend, A.L. Jackson, The Hollywood Chronicles: One Wild Night and One Wild Ride.

She lives in Phoenix, Arizona with her family. From the time Rebecca could read she has had a passion for books. Rebecca spends her days working full-time and her nights writing, bringing stories to life. Born and raised in Minnesota, Rebecca moved to Arizona in 1999 to escape the bitter winters.

When not working or writing, she can be found on the sidelines of her sons football games, or watching her daughter play volleyball. Rebecca is fueled by insane amounts of coffee, margaritas, Laffy Taffy (except the banana ones), and happily ever afters.

Follow Rebecca on her website, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Google, Goodreads, and Amazon.