Night After Night

The Reliance Group #2

by Janelle Denison

The son of a con man, Sean O’Brien learned the hard way that living by your own rules comes with a price. After a brief time behind bars, Sean is now ready to live an honest life—and pay for his past mistakes. But even his gorgeous face and seductive charms can’t make up for his record…until a member of the Reliance Group sees Sean’s potential for good, and gives him a job at the Onyx Casino.



Zoe Russo has met all types of men on the Vegas strip. But when Sean pays a visit to her casino boutique, she knows she’s in luck. They share an immediate, irresistible attraction and, for the first time in her life, she’s found a man she thinks she can trust. But when Zoe stumbles onto the truth about Sean, she can’t help but question his feelings for her. Is he for real—or has she been a fool for love? Until now, nothing has prepared her for the thrill—and risk—of gambling on love …

Genres: Romantic Suspense, Romance, Contemporary, Suspense, Contemporary Romance

352 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published October 4, 2011

About the author

It’s hard for me to imagine that I’ve been writing romances for over twenty years now! I started at the young age of 21, just after I got married. Reading romances, and then writing them, came about as a result of having too much time on my hands. When I first married my husband Don, I was working a regular nine to five job and he worked swing shift, from four in the afternoon until midnight. It wasn’t an ideal schedule for newlyweds, and in order to pass those hours when I was alone I started reading romances, and eventually tried my hand at writing them.
The road to publication wasn’t an easy one. It took me five years and dozens of rejections to make my first sale, which was to Harlequin for their “Stolen Moments” line. THE FAMILY MAN, written under the pseudonym Danielle Kelly, was one of the twelve novellas published in 1993 for this promotional line.

It took me another two and a half years (and more rejections!) to sell my second book. HEAVEN’S GIFT (written under my own name) was published in October 1995 by Leisure Love Spell for their “An Angel’s Touch” series. Another two years passed of collecting even more rejections before I finally sold to Harlequin Romance and Harlequin Temptation. At the time, writing for both Temptation and Harlequin Romance provided me with a wonderful creative outlet for both my modern, ultra-sexy stories, and my warmer, traditional romances. But as the years passed, I realized how much I enjoyed writing the sexier stories and streamlined my career accordingly so that I was no longer writing the sweet traditional romances, and instead focused on the hotter, sexier stories for Temptation and Blaze.

After writing over two dozen books for Harlequin, I decided to branch out. I wanted to write anthologies and single titles, and came up with an idea about three sexy brothers with the last name of “Wilde”. Little did I know that those Wilde brothers would become such a sensation with readers. In the second Wilde book, WILDE THING, four Wilde cousins were introduced, and readers started writing in for their stories, too. It’s been a joy and pleasure to write each of the Wilde stories, and I want to thank everyone for purchasing those books and putting them on the USA Today Bestseller list!

I’ve been a full-time writer for years, which consists of being deep in deadlines, writing proposals (growling at the husband to fix a glitch in the computer so I can get back to work!), perusing contracts, line-edits (stressing over a scene that won’t work or characters that just won’t talk or cooperate with my plans for them!), galleys, art-fact sheets, promotion, and other publishing paperwork. Admittedly, I wouldn’t trade all the craziness in for pantyhose, rush hour traffic, and a nine-to-five job again. Writing is hard work, but I find the rewards are well worth the effort. Fan letters are one of those priceless rewards, and can keep me on a high for days! I’ve met the most wonderful people through my books, some of which I now consider good friends.

Reviews

[Saly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have had this book in my tbr for quite some time I just didn't get to it and now that I have I must admit it was a terrific read with not one but two love stories.

Sean the hero works for The Reliance Group(TRG) and as a bartender, his boss gave him a chance when Sean got out after serving eight months of a three year sentence. Sean was a con man it was something he learnt from his father but his arrest changed him, made him feel ashamed for the pain he had caused to the woman who was duped and also for disappointing his incarcerated father who wanted better for him. Sean's father was guilty of running a ponzi scheme but so was the heroine's dad, who was his dad's partner but Grant(Zoe's father) turned on his partner and got away. Now, Grant is the focus again, TRG has been hired to find the missing Grant, a project of his is stalled the money missing, so Sean is put on it, he has to friend Zoe to find her father.

Zoe is a upcoming designer and when she meets Sean he is helping her find a place for her boutique. There are instant sparks between them but Zoe is not one for casual sex and is still wary since her last relationship(her fiancee turned out to be two-timing her), plus she is in a very crucial junction of her career. Zoe's sidekick and best friend is Jessica, a famous singer, who she has known since high school.

Sean had scruples I must say, he didn't seduce Zoe instead tries his level best to not give in even when she learns the truth about him. He goes for casual sex because with his ex-con status he doesn't think any woman will go for him long-term plus he never had a role model, his father was in and out of their lives until his mother's death at 12, when he took him in but still lead a life of crime. Sean walked the straight and narrow but student loans and a meeting with his father's old friend, led him to act as an accessory, vouching for a guy who seduced a woman out of her savings. His past weighs heavily on him and he can't move past it.

Zoe is her daddy's girl and adores him, her mother is mercenary and self-absorbed, so when she finds out about Sean and TRG, she doesn't believe him but decides to work with them to search for her father. Soon, she finds out about her dad's past which makes him look so guilty and the evidence keeps piling up against him.
Sean too tells her about what he did, but she looks past it to who he is.

I liked Zoe and even Sean. The book gave us quite a twist at the endGrant was not guilty, his secretary & her partner were the ones stealing, he found out and moved the money, his secretary kidnapped him, he had changedwhen it came to the money.

I also loved Jessica's and Noah's story. They meet again after nine years, after Jessica abruptly cut contact with him, refusing his calls, letters etc They both were high school sweethearts with dreams of marrying and having children, Noah adored her and chased her, she was quiet and shy and he was the football captain, they soon got together and he was her first everything and knew about her mom and her emotional abuse.
He is very angry at first when he sees her and wants to know why, Jessica can't tell him, though she still feels the pull between them. Noah soon looks past the anger and wants her back, since he never forgot her and none of the women he dated were her. Jessica dated casually but never got intimate with anyone. When she did tell him whyher mother's boyfriend raped her and her mother instead threw her out, she became depressed and then weeks later had to go into the hospital not realizing she was pregnant, the bleeding made her unable to have any kids, her dreams of a family shattered she just cut Noah off., Noah just didn't care and wanted her.

I enjoyed both the love stories they were sexy and engaging.

[Splage · Rating 3 out of 5]

2 1/2-3 stars B-O-R-I-N-G, very average read, found myself skimming. It was good writing, but it didn't grab me. I actually thought the secondary romance between Jessica and Noah had more potential. I am not overly impressed with this series and probably won't read the 3rd when it comes out. I did really like the Wilde series from Janelle Denison and I am bummed this one isn't as good.

[Katie(babs) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Night After Night (The Reliance Group #2) by Janelle Denison is one hot contemporary romance. Readers actually get 2 for 1 here, because not only is there the main romance between a former con man and the daughter of a shady man who helped put his father in jail, but a Grammy award winning pop singer who reunites with her old high school flame she left behind because of a horrible event that made me shy away from men and sex. These two stories, including the setting of Las Vegas really hit home for me. Janelle knows how to build up sexual tension, especially when the hero loves making out with the heroine where she comes apart in his arms from his skillful kisses and caresses.

Sean O’Brien has been given a second chance. He and his father used to con people out of money. One con went bad and he was sent to jail for the crime. When he got out of prison, no one would hire him, although he wanted to walk the straight and narrow life. Not even his pretty boy looks could help him until Caleb Roux hired him as a bartender for the Onyx hotel and casino in Vegas. But he also does some freelance work for Caleb, who’s the founder of the Reliance Group, a private organization that resolves personal, private matters before the law gets too involved. The latest case Caleb wants Sean to work on is finding where Elliott Cooke, now going by Grant Russo, has disappeared to. Sean has an unfortunate history with Grant and would love nothing more than to take him down. Grant has done well for himself and owns the land a billionaire wanted in order to develop a resort. All the paperwork was signed, and it seemed Russo was legitimate. But the billionaire has been fleeced and it looks like Grant has run away with the fifty million dollars invested. No one can find Grant, but they think his daughter, Zoe may know where he’s hiding. Caleb wants Sean to get to know Zoe, even if he has to seduce her in order to find out where Grant is. Sean isn’t comfortable about this because his reputation as a ladies man is false and hates the deceit. But he owes his life to Caleb and does what he wants. Zoe is an up-and-coming designer of accessories. She wants to open her flagship store in the Onyx promenade. This gives Sean the perfect opportunity to gain her trust as the leasing agent.

Zoe has no idea about her father’s past or where he’s hiding. She thinks he’s traveling on business. She’s more concerned about getting the lease to open her shop. Her silent partner and the face of ZR Designs, pop-sensation and Grammy award winner, Jessica Morgan wants Zoe to succeed. These two women have been best friends since high school and Zoe was always there for Jessica, especially when Jessica had to leave home because of her unstable mother. When Zoe meets Sean, the sparks fly, but she keeps her distant until the papers are signed. Sean then asks her out for dinner and she accepts.

Around the same time Sean and Zoe are becoming close, Jessica meets her old high school sweetheart, Noah, the manager of the Onyx night club, Taboo. After nine years, Jessica has never forgotten Noah. He wants the truth why she ran away without any concern to his feelings. Jessica was the only woman he has ever loved and imagined building a future with. Now that she has walked back into his life, he won’t let her go and find out what she’s been hiding for so long.

Zoe is falling for Sean, but danger lurks around every corner as she becomes the target of some man who threatens her because of her father's shady dealings. Sean now must come clean in order to protect Zoe, but if he does she might turn her back on him not only because of lies, but of his past.

Night After Night was an awesome read. Sean and Zoe have great chemistry and they both are essentially good people. I adored Sean who wants to right the wrongs he’s done. He’s a near perfect contemporary romance hero who treats the heroine wonderfully. He uses romance and subtle seduction to get what he wants from Zoe. She in turns gives in to a point and welcomes his advances while remaining in control. There’s one hot scene near the pool between these two that involves an awesome round of foreplay but no sex. Can we say yummy?

Then there’s the relationship between Noah and Jessica that will tug on your heart. These two are so sweet together. The main thing keeping them apart was what happened to Jessica when she was a teenager. Noah is what I like to call a swoon worthy hero because he’s so dedicated to the woman he lost but never forgotten. Their courtship is one of the best things in Night After Night.

The mystery surrounding Zoe’s father takes somewhat of a backseat, but the way it’s resolved was satisfactory, including a twist I didn’t see coming.

Night After Night was a winner for me and I’ll definitely keep Janelle Denison on my radar when I’m looking for any future contemporary romances. If you’re a fan of Julie James or Lori Foster, you’ll want to give Janelle a try.

[Jess the Romanceaholic · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a Quickie Review. For the full review, please visit The Romanceaholic.

Expected Release Date: October 4, 2011
Publisher: Macmillan
Imprint: St. Martin’s Paperbacks
Author’s Website: www.janelledenison.com
My Source for This Book: Gift from the author
Part of a Series: Yes, Book 2, Reliance Group
Series Best Read In Order: Works well as a standalone
Steam Level: Hot

Sean grew up with a con-man as a father, and the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. After his father was sent to prison from a con gone bad, Sean tried to take the straight and narrow path, but the temptation of easy cash and the thrill of the con were too tempting, and pretty soon he was partnered up with one of his father’s old accomplices for what seemed to be an easy job. Things went sour with the victim, and Sean not only went to prison for a short stint, but also is plagued with guilt over what happened to the woman because of his actions.

Now both a bartender at the Onyx Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, and a member of the Reliance Group, a secret organization that utilizes the special skills of its members to complete under-the-radar investigations for high-profile clients, Sean is well on his way to proving to both himself and his boss that he has mended his wicked ways.

However, when a client approaches the Reliance Group with a job to track down the very man had been Sean’s father’s accomplice all those years ago — and the man responsible for his father’s prison sentence — Sean knows that this is his chance to finally bring the man to justice. Unfortunately, the case requires him to once more don his suave con-man persona — a persona he has worked incredibly hard to move on from.

It doesn’t help matters that his mark this time is Zoe Russo, the daughter of the man who sent Sean’s father to prison. Hating having to deceive her, Sean is determined to protect Zoe from the knowledge that she’s being played. Unfortunately, life doesn’t work that way, and pretty soon Zoe is confronted with Sean’s part in the investigation of her father, as well as his own personal history as a professional liar. For Zoe, whose own personal history gives her a distinct dislike for untruths, this is an incredibly cruel blow, because she had finally allowed herself to open up and trust a man.

Now Sean must protect Zoe from her father’s dangerous business partners who will stop at nothing to find her father, and to try desperately to convince her that the strong connection between them was the absolute truth.

I recently reviewed the first book in the Reliance Group series, INTO THE NIGHT, and gave that book a 4/5 Star rating. As much as I enjoyed that book, I don’t think it can hold a candle to this book at all. Don’t get me wrong, the first book was good, but this book was pretty much fantastic.

While this book is the second installment of the Reliance Group series, new readers should be aware that it works beautifully as a standalone. While the hero of the first book makes a small appearance, this story stood on its own two feet very well, with all the important information being given without ever falling into the dreaded Info Dump that so many sequels do.

I liked Zoe right from the start. While not a prude, she prefers for sexual relationships to have a basis in emotion, which was a refreshing change from the heroine in the first novel.

Sean was absolutely delicious, with his consummate good looks and all that charm, along with his guilt and self-hatred over his own mistakes in his past.

There was a delightful twist at the end that kept me on my toes, and I personally enjoyed the secondary romance between Jessica and Noah.

Overall, this was a wonderful read, full of both drama and suspense, as well as some delicious chemistry between the main characters.

A very cheerful 4.5/5 Stars.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sean O'Brien often has cases that he goes undercover for while working for the Reliance Group. Pretending he is a leasing officer to find out how much Zoe Russo knows about her father should just be another walk in the park. Sean had not planned on becoming attracted to her though,nor that she would return the interest.

Zoe has been burned one too many times but feels a deep conneciton to Sean. When she finds out the truth about him, she is not sure if it makes her a sucker or a gives her a chance at something beautiful, if he can keep her out of danger.

Love the books in this series.

[Anne OK · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the 2nd book in Denison's new Reliance Group Series. The former conman angle added depth to Sean's character and Zoe held her own against some pretty difficult odds. This story presents a few surprises and all in all a very good romantic suspense with two great couples for the price of one. I'm looking forward to the next installment and hoping we'll see Caleb find his HEA.

[Mom · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. I highly recommend it.

[Scarlet♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️

Ok I LOVED this one way better than the first. I honestly don't remember the plot for this book all that well since I read it a year ago, the romance was amazing. This does have lighter themes than the first book though.

This is Sean and Zoe's book and idk if we meet them in Into the Night but Sean is undercover trying to find out more about Zoe. This does have a little mystery thrown in but its not the main focus, though I do say this book is a bit slower paced. I do feel like this one has more emotions involved and focuses on the relationship between Sean and Zoe.

Also there is a second chance romance involving Zoe's best friend, Jessica, and someone from her past who she sees in Vegas and it was just the cutest. Seeing them reconnect and find out the reason why the fell apart was very emotional.

also check the tw for this book!

[Rose May · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note: This review, and all my reviews, comes from my blog - Romantic Rose's Bookshelf (http://romantic-rosesblog.blogspot.com)

A Special Thanks to Janelle for providing me with the review copy!

Book 2 in The Reliance Group series

Zoe Russo is so excited when leasing agent Sean O’Brien contacts her about setting up shop at the Onyx Casino. It fits her budget, is a great location, and has plenty of space for her to use. And when the sexy Irishman asks her out on a date as well – what’s there to say no to? However, Sean O’Brien is no leasing agent, instead he’s an ex-conman working as part of The Reliance Group to locate Zoe’s father, who is accused of embezzling funds from his own work project. Sean has a personal vendetta against Grant Russo that makes this case extremely important to him. He’ll go to any measure to catch this guy and put him behind bars, and if that measure is dating the man’s incredibly attractive daughter, well, he’ll just have to 'suffer' through.

Meanwhile, pop-star Jessica Morgan (Zoe’s best friend) gets a romance of her own when she meets up with high school sweetheart and one-time lover, Noah Young. Single, attractive, and the manager of a successful nightclub, Noah is the package deal. But he and Jessie have some unresolved issues from their past that will put their fresh, new romance on the line and their future at stake. Can Jessie learn to trust in Noah and the amazing man he is? Can she see past her own shame and guilt for leaving him? Could this cute couple possibly have a happy ending in store?

I loved the romance between Jessie and Noah and that, combined with the plot (which, by the way, was a total surprise at the end) is what kept me turning the pages. I liked Jessica a lot, as a person and a heroine. She was a fun but caring and responsible pop star and I liked that her occupation was a little different than the norm. I thought the way she and Noah worked out their problems was classy and deep, and I loved him for his understanding, patience, and unconditional love. Jessica had a lot of issues in her childhood and past, and their romance about overcoming and learning to trust again was touching. Both of their characters were developed well, and I felt very close to them each throughout the book. The suspense plot was fairly well written – and you can bet your bottom buck that you won’t guess where Grant Russo is ‘hiding out’ until it’s revealed at the end. It was a fun, unique premise and fairly suspenseful but not overwhelming.

My main problems with this book were the poor attention to detail, a few absolutely unbelievable scenes, and the protagonists. There were a lot of grammatical errors I can across – missing letters, etc. HOWEVER please note that the copy I received was a REVIEW COPY and therefore the actually print addition may have less (or no) mistakes. I cannot definitively say either way. But things like people thinking about themselves in third person, Zoe calling herself a ‘daddy’s girl’ then getting upset when Sean jokingly calls her the same, and using the word ‘lessoning’ instead of ‘lessening’ bothered me as I read.

As far as unbelievable scenes, how about this one: Zoe is in the parking garage when this guy starts stalking towards her. She gets rightfully scared, runs back to her car, gets in, and locks it. She then proceeds to SIT THERE in her car while the guy pulls out a knife and starts saying scary things to her. And all the while she's thinking of how she's going to die because he can break the window and slash her throat. One would think that she would, oh, I don’t know – DRIVE AWAY? You’re in your car, lady! DRIVE AWAY FROM THE SCARY MAN WITH THE BIG ASS KNIFE!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?? Waiting for him to make sushi on the hood of your car? RUN AWAY. I tell you. It drives me nuts.

Finally, the protagonists were a little under-developed, cliché and contradictory. Sean is hypocritical, especially at the beginning of the book, and that in and of itself is an annoyance. Then Zoe, who claims she wants commitment before entering a relationship thinks “…this was just a dinner, not a lifetime commitment, and that worked perfectly well for her.” which sounds like the words of a girl who likes casual dating. Which Zoe has already claimed that she doesn’t. Sean is annoying in his ‘I’m not worthy’ cry baby attitude and Zoe, while pitiable, is kinda wimpy. I just didn't like either of them, especially Sean, and couldn't sympathize with their plights. Overall I wasn’t satisfied with or convinced of their love for one another, and I tried to ignore their romance in favor of Jessica and Noah – the two loveable characters in the novel.

“Sexy”ness rating: Hot!

Overall Rating: B

Bottom Line: This book had a great romance between the secondary characters, but the primary romance was a little cliché and stilted and the main characters were contradictory. Nevertheless the book was engaging, if a little underwhelming, and Jessica and Noah’s story really made the book for me!

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a hot little romantic suspense with a couple of stories going side by side. Kind of a two for one. There is Zoe and Sean but also Zoe's best friend Jessie gets a little side story too. Sean is a member of the Reliance group founded by Caleb Roux. Sean was recruited by Caleb after a short stint in the state prison for a con gone wrong. Thankfully the judge saw something in Sean and hooked him up with Caleb. Sean is the bartender in the club in Vegas that doubles and the Reliance group headquarters. His assignment this time is to get close to Zoe Russo and see if she knows where her dad is. Her dad is suspected of embezzling millions in a land development scheme and has gone missing. Reliance group has been hired to find him. Grant Russo Zoe's father is also the man that got Sean's dad put in prison 12 years ago when they got caught in a ponzi scheme and Grant was able to make it look like Sean's dad acted alone. Talk about a uncomfortable assignment. It's all made worse when Sean meets Zoe and there is a instant attraction. It seems like everything is lost when Zoe finds out what Sean is really doing but then she decides to work with Reliance group to find her dad and hopefully clear his name. While there looking for Grant Russo someone is stalking Zoe and threatening her life. They need to find him and the missing money fast. This didn't end the way i thought it would. There is a nice little twist or two at the end i didn't expect. Sean is so hard on himself when it comes to his past but he finally finds a way to forgive himself in the end and i really loved this character. The little side story is this book is Zoe's best friend Jessica and her first love she unexpectedly runs into while helping Zoe. I won't say more than that because they are not the main focus of the book but i enjoyed their side story too. Giving Night After Night by Janelle Denison 4 out of 5 Modokker book Pick stars. I found myself caring about all the main characters by the end of this book and seeing how people can change if they really want to. Find out more about this book (including a excerpt) and Jenelle Denison's other work by checking our her website. www.janelledenison.com

[Cee · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you read my review for Into the Night, you know I had, not high, but moderate expectations for Night After Night. I thought it would be on the same level, hopefully even better than ITN.

Unfortunately, I was incorrect on that front. On the positive end, I liked Zoe’s character and the fact that this book essentially stands on its own, so there’s no rehashing of Into the Night. Another thing I liked was the difference in the love scenes. For ITN, I noted that they were frequent and detailed. Here, not so frequent and it's absolutely believable that it plays out this way. In addition to Sean and Zoe, Denison adds a secondary romance featuring Zoe's best friend, a superstar pop singer. The problem there was that it practically came out of nowhere. It's not connected to the story at all. As a whole, I thought Night After Night lacked feeling, which is my favorite element, and I found that I didn't care about the story. It was one of those instances where you're just reading to finish the book and move on.

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read. I couldn't put it down. Liked how Zoe was able to forgive Sean, even though she had good reason not too. The additional story of Jess and Noah was a bonus. I hope Caleb's story is coming soon.

[Shh I'm reading! · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the most memorable main characters I've ever read, but I was really interested in Noah and Jessie's relationship. The best part for me was the redemption of Zoe's father, Sean, and Sean's father. If only people in real life looked beyond the pasts of people with criminal background.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

All of Janelle Denisons book are amazing and this book is no different. The plot is well written and the characters are lovable and life like. I've enjoyed this whole series and I hope there's more like it coming soon.

[Liza · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Night After Night so much! We get two romances for the price of one with Sean and Zoe & Jessica and Noah.

Will post a full review at a later date.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am really liking this new series from Janelle Dennison. Definitely on my fave list and I'm looking forward to the next one.

[Lhenry · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was surprisingly dull for a book that had lots of excitement and pleasant enough characters. I finished it, and it was fine, but don't feel compelled to read any more by this author.

[Jocelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am really enjoying reading Janelle Denison!!!:)

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

again, gotta love her work. somehow she weaves a story and gets all the ties to get up together.