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Lawless Kings #4
Ruthless Protector
A sexy new STANDALONE romance in the Lawless Kings series.
The first time I saw my landlord Jude Wayland, with his gentle brown eyes and a body built to do damage, I knew he was trouble. Sure, he has the nice guy routine mastered, but I’m not buying it. In my experience, no one does a good deed for free.
Now that he’s seen me at my lowest, the sexy P.I. with a white knight complex wants to uncover my secrets. He also has me craving more of his sizzling kisses. But I can’t give in to my feelings for him. I promised my sister that I’d raise her daughter without a man, and I won’t let her down again.
Yet as my past catches up with me, bringing danger to our door, I’ll have to make a choice—let Jude in and betray my sister, or run, leaving behind the only man I’ve ever loved.
Ruthless Protector is the fourth book in the Lawless Kings series, but each of these sexy, gritty contemporary romances can be enjoyed as a standalone.
The first time I saw my landlord Jude Wayland, with his gentle brown eyes and a body built to do damage, I knew he was trouble. Sure, he has the nice guy routine mastered, but I’m not buying it. In my experience, no one does a good deed for free.
Now that he’s seen me at my lowest, the sexy P.I. with a white knight complex wants to uncover my secrets. He also has me craving more of his sizzling kisses. But I can’t give in to my feelings for him. I promised my sister that I’d raise her daughter without a man, and I won’t let her down again.
Yet as my past catches up with me, bringing danger to our door, I’ll have to make a choice—let Jude in and betray my sister, or run, leaving behind the only man I’ve ever loved.
Ruthless Protector is the fourth book in the Lawless Kings series, but each of these sexy, gritty contemporary romances can be enjoyed as a standalone.
310 pages, ebook
First published June 13, 2018
455 people are currently reading
522 people want to read
About the author
Sherilee Gray
52 books1,253 followersSherilee Gray is a kiwi girl and lives in beautiful New Zealand with her husband and their two children. When she isn't writing sexy contemporary and paranormal romance, searching for her next alpha hero on Pinterest, or fueling her voracious book addiction, she can be found dreaming of far off places with a mug of tea in one hand and a bar of chocolate in the other.
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June 5, 2018
Ruthless Protector is book four in the Lawless Kings series by Sherilee Gray. I’ve been so excited about this book since I’ve been in love with the series from the beginning. And I was most definitely not disappointed.
Jude Wayland is one of the private investigators that works for The King Agency. Jude is one of those guys that like to take care of those he cares about, protect them. Jude knows he’s broken. That he let down the most important people he was supposed to be protecting. He’s accepted that he is too broken to care about a woman in any way beyond one night. But, there is something about his new tenant. She has secrets, he’s sure of it, but is as prickly as a cactus. There’s something there, he’s just not sure what that something is.
Willa Hartley has learned the hard way that you cannot trust a man. First her father, then her ex-fiance, then her sister’s husband, have all proven that men do nothing but cause pain. Now, Willa’s only priority is to take care of her eight year old niece. She made a promise to her sister that she would raise Tilly on her own, without a man. That’s exactly what she intended to do. She got lucky finding the perfect home for cheap rent in a great neighborhood. It’s her landlord that makes her uneasy. He is a huge man but gives off that protective, kind vibe. But Willa knows that she can’t let her guard down with him. That she can’t trust him.
Willa and Jude sort of dance around each other at first but the attraction is there and it’s strong. When Willa finally gives in, she’s convinced that she can let herself enjoy this thing with Jude for just one night, to give herself that. But what she doesn’t know is that one night will never be enough.
Willa is in a constant struggle to try to provide for Tilly. When she loses her job, she’s forced to go way outside her comfort zone to try to make a living. The attraction she feels for Jude is in a constant battle with the promise she made to her sister. And also, no matter how good Jude is to them, she still is just waiting for him to show his true self, the self that she is sure he is hiding.
Just when Tilly really seems to be settling in and flourishing, their past comes back to haunt them and everything they have accomplished is threatened. Willa’s first instinct is to take Tilly and run. But does she really want to leave when Tilly is doing so well here?
I fell in love with this book. Something about Sherilee’s writing always has me hooked by the time I finish the prologue. Jude was everything I could want in a hero, he was tough and protective, but at the same time, so tender with Willa and Tilly. He knew all along that Willa was hiding things. He could have found out on his own, but he didn’t. He wanted her to tell him when she was ready.
This book had me from the first page to the final page. I could not stop reading. I’m not sure what Sherilee Gray has planned next but you can rest assured that I will be waiting for whatever it might be.
Jude Wayland is one of the private investigators that works for The King Agency. Jude is one of those guys that like to take care of those he cares about, protect them. Jude knows he’s broken. That he let down the most important people he was supposed to be protecting. He’s accepted that he is too broken to care about a woman in any way beyond one night. But, there is something about his new tenant. She has secrets, he’s sure of it, but is as prickly as a cactus. There’s something there, he’s just not sure what that something is.
Willa Hartley has learned the hard way that you cannot trust a man. First her father, then her ex-fiance, then her sister’s husband, have all proven that men do nothing but cause pain. Now, Willa’s only priority is to take care of her eight year old niece. She made a promise to her sister that she would raise Tilly on her own, without a man. That’s exactly what she intended to do. She got lucky finding the perfect home for cheap rent in a great neighborhood. It’s her landlord that makes her uneasy. He is a huge man but gives off that protective, kind vibe. But Willa knows that she can’t let her guard down with him. That she can’t trust him.
Willa and Jude sort of dance around each other at first but the attraction is there and it’s strong. When Willa finally gives in, she’s convinced that she can let herself enjoy this thing with Jude for just one night, to give herself that. But what she doesn’t know is that one night will never be enough.
Willa is in a constant struggle to try to provide for Tilly. When she loses her job, she’s forced to go way outside her comfort zone to try to make a living. The attraction she feels for Jude is in a constant battle with the promise she made to her sister. And also, no matter how good Jude is to them, she still is just waiting for him to show his true self, the self that she is sure he is hiding.
Just when Tilly really seems to be settling in and flourishing, their past comes back to haunt them and everything they have accomplished is threatened. Willa’s first instinct is to take Tilly and run. But does she really want to leave when Tilly is doing so well here?
I fell in love with this book. Something about Sherilee’s writing always has me hooked by the time I finish the prologue. Jude was everything I could want in a hero, he was tough and protective, but at the same time, so tender with Willa and Tilly. He knew all along that Willa was hiding things. He could have found out on his own, but he didn’t. He wanted her to tell him when she was ready.
This book had me from the first page to the final page. I could not stop reading. I’m not sure what Sherilee Gray has planned next but you can rest assured that I will be waiting for whatever it might be.
June 16, 2018
3.5 - "I've never met anyone like you..." Stars!
We return to the Lawless Kings series for the fourth book; Ruthless Protector. This being Jude Wayland’s book, I was eager to get started, as he has definitely been the strong, silent type of character in the background of the previous three books.
He couldn’t be trusted… No man could.
Enter Willa Hartley and her niece; Tilly. Both grieving the loss of Tilly’s mother, you are quick to get the message that this is a woman who is not only grieving the loss of her sister, but dealing with a whole heap of personal hang-ups about men. Hang-ups that are compounded by the reappearance of Tilly’s less than law-abiding father.
My life… it was nothing like I’d planned, didn’t resemble anything I’d imagined for myself.
The connection between our leads is pretty instant, but Willa see’s men in a less than positive light, and resists the pull initially. Even when it would appear that the man in question is trying to look out for her and do his best for her niece, the question always remains in her mind, asking, what they are looking for in return for that kindness. It makes her quick to judge, closed off and pretty hard to like in general, particularly when at points her attitude just comes across as ungrateful and rude.
I was so used to being shit on and abandoned… When someone walked, I let them.
Jude made this book for me. I don’t think Sherilee has ever written a lead male I haven’t fallen in love with. Big, burly, preferring actions over words, her men always exude control, and just the right amount of 'I-don’t-give-a-shit,' attitude that leaves the reader begging for more. And while I understand completely the author’s reasons for writing Willa as she did, I really struggled to like her for almost the whole book.
Eventually people let you down; they left, betrayed you, they fucked you over... I couldn't let myself rely on this man.
Hence the lower rating. Jude put it all out there, as well as his heart on the line for her, and I just couldn’t 100% get on-board with her motivations for the way she kept knocking him back, and withholding the truth, especially after they started sleeping with each other.
"I know you… you might still be trying to hide from me, but I see you."
Plenty of action in this one, and the sexy-times as expected were diverse, dirty and plentiful. I loved catching up with the rest of the characters from the previous books, and the little twist with the suspense aspect of the book came as a complete surprise.
"Stop with the barriers and bullshit, and talk to me… If only you’d goddamn trust me."
Not my favorite of the series, but still a pretty decent read. You can absolutely read Ruthless Protector as a standalone, but I recommend you familiarize yourself with the previous books as well, as this series is shaping up to be some of the authors best writing. My gripes with this one are totally down to characterization, not story-line. That was up to the usual level of awesome I have now come to expect from Sherilee Gray.
ARC generously provided by the author, in exchange for the above honest review.
We return to the Lawless Kings series for the fourth book; Ruthless Protector. This being Jude Wayland’s book, I was eager to get started, as he has definitely been the strong, silent type of character in the background of the previous three books.
He couldn’t be trusted… No man could.
Enter Willa Hartley and her niece; Tilly. Both grieving the loss of Tilly’s mother, you are quick to get the message that this is a woman who is not only grieving the loss of her sister, but dealing with a whole heap of personal hang-ups about men. Hang-ups that are compounded by the reappearance of Tilly’s less than law-abiding father.
My life… it was nothing like I’d planned, didn’t resemble anything I’d imagined for myself.
The connection between our leads is pretty instant, but Willa see’s men in a less than positive light, and resists the pull initially. Even when it would appear that the man in question is trying to look out for her and do his best for her niece, the question always remains in her mind, asking, what they are looking for in return for that kindness. It makes her quick to judge, closed off and pretty hard to like in general, particularly when at points her attitude just comes across as ungrateful and rude.
I was so used to being shit on and abandoned… When someone walked, I let them.
Jude made this book for me. I don’t think Sherilee has ever written a lead male I haven’t fallen in love with. Big, burly, preferring actions over words, her men always exude control, and just the right amount of 'I-don’t-give-a-shit,' attitude that leaves the reader begging for more. And while I understand completely the author’s reasons for writing Willa as she did, I really struggled to like her for almost the whole book.
Eventually people let you down; they left, betrayed you, they fucked you over... I couldn't let myself rely on this man.
Hence the lower rating. Jude put it all out there, as well as his heart on the line for her, and I just couldn’t 100% get on-board with her motivations for the way she kept knocking him back, and withholding the truth, especially after they started sleeping with each other.
"I know you… you might still be trying to hide from me, but I see you."
Plenty of action in this one, and the sexy-times as expected were diverse, dirty and plentiful. I loved catching up with the rest of the characters from the previous books, and the little twist with the suspense aspect of the book came as a complete surprise.
"Stop with the barriers and bullshit, and talk to me… If only you’d goddamn trust me."
Not my favorite of the series, but still a pretty decent read. You can absolutely read Ruthless Protector as a standalone, but I recommend you familiarize yourself with the previous books as well, as this series is shaping up to be some of the authors best writing. My gripes with this one are totally down to characterization, not story-line. That was up to the usual level of awesome I have now come to expect from Sherilee Gray.
ARC generously provided by the author, in exchange for the above honest review.
October 16, 2019
The heroine really irritated me :(
Loved the hero and little girl.
Loved the hero and little girl.
June 13, 2018
4.5 Stars!
If you haven't read this series yet, you really need to! Not only can Sherilee Gray write the best tortured heroes but the way she can portray the heat and intensity between her main characters will have you fanning yourself.
The men of the King Agency are all really good men who have had a rough past. Jude is an ex-cop who believed in the justice system until it failed his sister and nephew. He's tortured by the guilt he feels for not saving them. Because of this, he's the first one to put himself in danger for any woman or child who needs him.
Willa has never been able to rely on anyone but herself. Everyone leaves eventually and now that she has custody of her niece, she is determined to protect her at all costs. Even if it means her own happiness.
I absolutely loved Jude! As broody and unhappy as he started, he was so good to Willa and Tilly. Plus I have a thing for broody men. I liked Willa but she is also the reason this isn't a full 5 Star read for me. Because of her not being able to trust, she did a lot of pushing away. I get it but I also wanted her to trust him sooner.
I'm so looking forward to Van's story and I'm pretty sure this book hinted to Thomas Mendoza's story. ARC provided by author.
If you haven't read this series yet, you really need to! Not only can Sherilee Gray write the best tortured heroes but the way she can portray the heat and intensity between her main characters will have you fanning yourself.
The men of the King Agency are all really good men who have had a rough past. Jude is an ex-cop who believed in the justice system until it failed his sister and nephew. He's tortured by the guilt he feels for not saving them. Because of this, he's the first one to put himself in danger for any woman or child who needs him.
Willa has never been able to rely on anyone but herself. Everyone leaves eventually and now that she has custody of her niece, she is determined to protect her at all costs. Even if it means her own happiness.
I absolutely loved Jude! As broody and unhappy as he started, he was so good to Willa and Tilly. Plus I have a thing for broody men. I liked Willa but she is also the reason this isn't a full 5 Star read for me. Because of her not being able to trust, she did a lot of pushing away. I get it but I also wanted her to trust him sooner.
I'm so looking forward to Van's story and I'm pretty sure this book hinted to Thomas Mendoza's story. ARC provided by author.
June 13, 2018
Willa has a reason to not trust men and with a promise to her dying sister she sets out to raise her niece alone. As finances become tighter and someone from her pasts begins to blackmail her, she finds herself fighting just to keep her head above water. Along the way she is met with care and concern from her landlord. He feels like a safe place to land, but Willa knows better than to trust that feeling.
Jude’s past has left him scarred and unable to allow anyone to get close to him. However, the more time he spends with Willa the more his heart opens to a life he had been holding himself back from. But Willa refuses to trust him with her problems and he can’t protect her if he doesn’t know where the trouble lies.
Despite not getting a lot of Jude’s point of view, I loved him. I understood his sense of loss and his reactions to Willa in the beginning were completely relevant due to her behavior. It would have been nice if he had moved into his protective mode a bit earlier, perhaps in an effort to learn Willa’s secrets. Although if he had, and Willa learned of it, she would’ve shut him out ASAP.
That brings me to Willa. She was definitely entombed in a prison of distrust and unwillingness to open to anyone. She does a lot of pushing and pulling and there was a time or two I wanted to smack her for her steel determination to remain loyal to a promise that was harming her rather than strengthening her. But again, I understood why she did it, but it drove me crazy all the same. She was independent and strong and when she reaches her lowest point she knows instinctively that Jude will have her back. Admittedly, much of her decision making was based on her desire to save Jude from himself. So yeah, it was all a bit back and forth, but very nicely done.
Overall, this was a very good read. The heat comes a bit later in the story but once it hit, it’s full steam ahead. Secondary characters from previous books add support where needed and we are given the potential for the next story.
Dual POV
Safe
Triggers
Jude’s past has left him scarred and unable to allow anyone to get close to him. However, the more time he spends with Willa the more his heart opens to a life he had been holding himself back from. But Willa refuses to trust him with her problems and he can’t protect her if he doesn’t know where the trouble lies.
Despite not getting a lot of Jude’s point of view, I loved him. I understood his sense of loss and his reactions to Willa in the beginning were completely relevant due to her behavior. It would have been nice if he had moved into his protective mode a bit earlier, perhaps in an effort to learn Willa’s secrets. Although if he had, and Willa learned of it, she would’ve shut him out ASAP.
That brings me to Willa. She was definitely entombed in a prison of distrust and unwillingness to open to anyone. She does a lot of pushing and pulling and there was a time or two I wanted to smack her for her steel determination to remain loyal to a promise that was harming her rather than strengthening her. But again, I understood why she did it, but it drove me crazy all the same. She was independent and strong and when she reaches her lowest point she knows instinctively that Jude will have her back. Admittedly, much of her decision making was based on her desire to save Jude from himself. So yeah, it was all a bit back and forth, but very nicely done.
Overall, this was a very good read. The heat comes a bit later in the story but once it hit, it’s full steam ahead. Secondary characters from previous books add support where needed and we are given the potential for the next story.
Dual POV
Safe
Triggers
June 9, 2018
I enjoyed Ruthless Protector. It was hot. It was dirty. It was drizzled with action and suspense. I was invested in the characters pretty much from the beginning and it kept my attention throughout. However, I must admit I had some issues with the heroine especially at the beginning, yes I get why she reacted that way but it still rubbed me the wrong way. I loved that the hero was grumpy, huge and alpha. This was my first book in this series but it won't be the last as I plan on reading the previous books.
I recommend this book to those who love contemporary romance with hot sex scenes mixed with a bit of action and suspense.
ARC provided by author
I recommend this book to those who love contemporary romance with hot sex scenes mixed with a bit of action and suspense.
ARC provided by author
June 8, 2018
4.5 stars!
GAHHH!! Sherilee Gray once again kills it with this addition to the Lawless Kings series as Ruthless Protector was AH-MAZING!!! I absolutely love this series and can't get enough of the entire cast of characters. Jude and Willa were so fantastic and I loved them together. The back and forth and obvious tension and attraction was so erotic and sexy. I honestly couldn't get enough!
When Willa Hartley and her niece move to Jude Wayland's building, she notices the immensely sexy and towering man and the insane amount of sexual tension they have between them. But she made a promise to her dying sister that she wouldn't trust any man and would go it alone in life to raise her niece. The result: she had emotional walls and barriers protecting her heart higher than any man could scale. That is until Jude decides he'll scale them like the Superman that he is!!!
GAH!!! I loveeeeeed this story! It was SO HOT and fiery my kindle practically singed my fingers. I loved that Jude was so persistent and saw beneath Willa's prickly exterior. His resiliency to breach her walls was only rivaled by his nurturing heart. I am legit obsessed with him!! And while I thought he and Willa were perfect together, I did find her mistrustful nature to be a little tedious. I respected her need for independence, but I felt like I was waiting for her to ask Jude for help for a long time!!
All in all, I FLOVED this book and hope we get Van and Tomas' books in the future. They have stories that I am dying to read!!! Bravo! 4.5 stars! ~Ratula
GAHHH!! Sherilee Gray once again kills it with this addition to the Lawless Kings series as Ruthless Protector was AH-MAZING!!! I absolutely love this series and can't get enough of the entire cast of characters. Jude and Willa were so fantastic and I loved them together. The back and forth and obvious tension and attraction was so erotic and sexy. I honestly couldn't get enough!
When Willa Hartley and her niece move to Jude Wayland's building, she notices the immensely sexy and towering man and the insane amount of sexual tension they have between them. But she made a promise to her dying sister that she wouldn't trust any man and would go it alone in life to raise her niece. The result: she had emotional walls and barriers protecting her heart higher than any man could scale. That is until Jude decides he'll scale them like the Superman that he is!!!
GAH!!! I loveeeeeed this story! It was SO HOT and fiery my kindle practically singed my fingers. I loved that Jude was so persistent and saw beneath Willa's prickly exterior. His resiliency to breach her walls was only rivaled by his nurturing heart. I am legit obsessed with him!! And while I thought he and Willa were perfect together, I did find her mistrustful nature to be a little tedious. I respected her need for independence, but I felt like I was waiting for her to ask Jude for help for a long time!!
All in all, I FLOVED this book and hope we get Van and Tomas' books in the future. They have stories that I am dying to read!!! Bravo! 4.5 stars! ~Ratula
July 4, 2018
A reluctant 3 stars. I'v enjoyed the Lawless Kings series up until now. Each book focuses on a member of the Kings Agency, a private investigator organization. Fairly new to the team is Jude Wayland, a former cop. He is the big, tough and silent type. He rents out an apartment to Willa Hartley and her niece. Willa is making a new life for her and her niece. She made a promise (a stupid one at that) to her sister that she would look after Tilly without the help of anyone, especially a man. And that was what this book primarily was about - Willa learning to trust and rely on someone else. Unfortunately this learning curve made her unlikeable and more prickly than a porcupine.
I was frustrated and annoyed with Willa for majority of the book. She was, quite frankly, a bitch. And her treatment of others was a little bit too much. Jude, dealing with his own demons, was the typical alpha male. He was caring, understanding, supportive and a rock. The conflict between them was mainly due to Willa and despite it all he was a constant.
Here's hoping the next one is better.
I was frustrated and annoyed with Willa for majority of the book. She was, quite frankly, a bitch. And her treatment of others was a little bit too much. Jude, dealing with his own demons, was the typical alpha male. He was caring, understanding, supportive and a rock. The conflict between them was mainly due to Willa and despite it all he was a constant.
Here's hoping the next one is better.
June 15, 2018
1.5 Stars
This pains me. I realize, that sometimes I feel my reviews are a bit too critical. But, reading is a passion hobby of mine and I spend hours a day reading. It’s an escape and I like it more than TV. In turn, I like to give my honest thoughts on what I’ve read. I try to avoid being entirely too ranty or too emotionally driven; but nonetheless I like what I like and sometimes, what I read is not so good in my book and I want to share that. And I know what doesn’t work for me, will absolutely work for others.
I do want to preface this with that I LOVED Book 3 in this series. And I enjoyed several of her other books. I was highly anticipating this release and even did a reread of Book 3 to get pumped for this one.
Premise of this book: Willa has had a not so easy life and is now struggling to raise her niece. She promised her sister that should would always make Tilly #1 and trust no man. Jude is your tough, broody, possessive alpha with a bit of a hero complex.
This series also definitely follows the theme of a heroine with a lonely/sad/hard past and a hero with a chip on his shoulder and a seriously alpha vibe. This is mixed with some edge, lots of sexy times, and a serious dose of conflict/suspense. In theory, this should work. And I love this stuff.
Willa: Hmmm. This is the most unlikable heroine I’ve read this year. Take every cliché and every annoying habit/trait you can think of and roll it into one heroine. Side note: in the past, the author did an excellent job of creating empathy towards the featured heroine. And it just wasn’t here. Although yes, she was dealt a real sh*tty hand, I couldn’t forgive her behavior, actions, and choices. Other than being there for Tilly (cool kid), she wasn’t the most redeeming in my eyes.
Jude: At the surface, he’s everything a dominant alpha should be. And he’s not a manwhore. But he was quite dense. Jude knew Willa was on some seriously challenging times and he knew she was tight-lipped about it. This dude works for a friggin’ PI/intelligence/rogue security company. You’re saying he couldn’t have given her a Google? And Jude let Willa distract him with sexy times every time he tried to start a serious conversation.
The couple: Zero development. Zero falling in love. They just sexed themselves into love (which admittedly was hot to read). I can’t tell you much about either one and how they are even compatible.
Everything else: I know it sounds like I’m laying into this, but technically speaking, I don’t think this was poorly written. I just feel like the choices made to develop the characters, weave a plot, create the conflict/suspense, unfold a romance…literally all of it, just wasn’t the right move for me. It hit every cliché and trope and plot device that I couldn’t really forgive.
Why didn’t I DNF? Out of principle, if I bought it, I’m going to read it. Even if I skim aggressively. Also, just to reiterate, prior to this story, this author was 3 for 3 on enjoyable reads and I was really rooting for redemption.
I’m bummed. I wanted to like this. I tried to like this. I looked for the good, and didn’t come up with much.
Would I recommend? I think it’s clear I’d personally suggest a pass on this one. HOWEVER, I still stand by her other work. I like it. And I would still read a new book by her.
This pains me. I realize, that sometimes I feel my reviews are a bit too critical. But, reading is a passion hobby of mine and I spend hours a day reading. It’s an escape and I like it more than TV. In turn, I like to give my honest thoughts on what I’ve read. I try to avoid being entirely too ranty or too emotionally driven; but nonetheless I like what I like and sometimes, what I read is not so good in my book and I want to share that. And I know what doesn’t work for me, will absolutely work for others.
I do want to preface this with that I LOVED Book 3 in this series. And I enjoyed several of her other books. I was highly anticipating this release and even did a reread of Book 3 to get pumped for this one.
Premise of this book: Willa has had a not so easy life and is now struggling to raise her niece. She promised her sister that should would always make Tilly #1 and trust no man. Jude is your tough, broody, possessive alpha with a bit of a hero complex.
This series also definitely follows the theme of a heroine with a lonely/sad/hard past and a hero with a chip on his shoulder and a seriously alpha vibe. This is mixed with some edge, lots of sexy times, and a serious dose of conflict/suspense. In theory, this should work. And I love this stuff.
Willa: Hmmm. This is the most unlikable heroine I’ve read this year. Take every cliché and every annoying habit/trait you can think of and roll it into one heroine. Side note: in the past, the author did an excellent job of creating empathy towards the featured heroine. And it just wasn’t here. Although yes, she was dealt a real sh*tty hand, I couldn’t forgive her behavior, actions, and choices. Other than being there for Tilly (cool kid), she wasn’t the most redeeming in my eyes.
Jude: At the surface, he’s everything a dominant alpha should be. And he’s not a manwhore. But he was quite dense. Jude knew Willa was on some seriously challenging times and he knew she was tight-lipped about it. This dude works for a friggin’ PI/intelligence/rogue security company. You’re saying he couldn’t have given her a Google? And Jude let Willa distract him with sexy times every time he tried to start a serious conversation.
The couple: Zero development. Zero falling in love. They just sexed themselves into love (which admittedly was hot to read). I can’t tell you much about either one and how they are even compatible.
Everything else: I know it sounds like I’m laying into this, but technically speaking, I don’t think this was poorly written. I just feel like the choices made to develop the characters, weave a plot, create the conflict/suspense, unfold a romance…literally all of it, just wasn’t the right move for me. It hit every cliché and trope and plot device that I couldn’t really forgive.
Why didn’t I DNF? Out of principle, if I bought it, I’m going to read it. Even if I skim aggressively. Also, just to reiterate, prior to this story, this author was 3 for 3 on enjoyable reads and I was really rooting for redemption.
I’m bummed. I wanted to like this. I tried to like this. I looked for the good, and didn’t come up with much.
Would I recommend? I think it’s clear I’d personally suggest a pass on this one. HOWEVER, I still stand by her other work. I like it. And I would still read a new book by her.
June 12, 2018
review coming
Merged review:
Another great chapter in the Lawless Kings Series! This story we meet Jude, who like the others has his own history he brings to the story along with his looming larger than life presence. Jude has a protective streak a mile long and when one of his tenants seems to not only hiding secrets but now in danger it brings out his need to protect along with the ghosts of his past. Willa comes to NY with her young niece to start over after the death of her sister and her nieces father goes to prison for drugs among other things. Willa is hiding while starting a new life with Tilly. Tilly is completely engaging and Jude falls for Tilly and Tilly thinks Jude hung the moon! Willa is so busy trying to dodge questions and lying to Jude about her past, even while the threats escalate she bugged the beans out of me with that. I loved Fay the downstairs neighbor and all around great person to have as a neighbor and friend. After Willa loses her first job, Fay helps her get a job in a strip club, not her first choice but she feels that she's the only one who can care for Tilly and she made her dying sister a promise.
Depend on no man. Not ever.
Jude continually extends a hand while trying not to step on Willa's toes and Willa consistently shuts him down although they are attracted to each other. Jude's furious the first time he and Van walk into the club and see Willa stripping. Jude's livid and can't say I blame him there. Jude tries to respect Willa's privacy by not digging into her past. But honestly as a former cop and considering what he went through I didn't buy into that one. When he finally did and understood what he was dealing with Willa was in over her head, thinking she could handle it all.
While I loved Jude in this book, because he was Jude. Willa just punched all the what not to do buttons for me. I loved Tilly and as much as Willa was all about giving Tilly a better life, her money wasn't where her mouth was. All I can say is thankfully as always the Kings came through. But the story in between is a must read.
I honestly did multiple eye rolls and knocked off half a star because of Willa's ridiculous behavior. Nonetheless, Sherilee writes a spectacular book and this was no exception. Waiting patiently for the next book.
*arc from author for an honest review*
Merged review:
Another great chapter in the Lawless Kings Series! This story we meet Jude, who like the others has his own history he brings to the story along with his looming larger than life presence. Jude has a protective streak a mile long and when one of his tenants seems to not only hiding secrets but now in danger it brings out his need to protect along with the ghosts of his past. Willa comes to NY with her young niece to start over after the death of her sister and her nieces father goes to prison for drugs among other things. Willa is hiding while starting a new life with Tilly. Tilly is completely engaging and Jude falls for Tilly and Tilly thinks Jude hung the moon! Willa is so busy trying to dodge questions and lying to Jude about her past, even while the threats escalate she bugged the beans out of me with that. I loved Fay the downstairs neighbor and all around great person to have as a neighbor and friend. After Willa loses her first job, Fay helps her get a job in a strip club, not her first choice but she feels that she's the only one who can care for Tilly and she made her dying sister a promise.
Depend on no man. Not ever.
Jude continually extends a hand while trying not to step on Willa's toes and Willa consistently shuts him down although they are attracted to each other. Jude's furious the first time he and Van walk into the club and see Willa stripping. Jude's livid and can't say I blame him there. Jude tries to respect Willa's privacy by not digging into her past. But honestly as a former cop and considering what he went through I didn't buy into that one. When he finally did and understood what he was dealing with Willa was in over her head, thinking she could handle it all.
While I loved Jude in this book, because he was Jude. Willa just punched all the what not to do buttons for me. I loved Tilly and as much as Willa was all about giving Tilly a better life, her money wasn't where her mouth was. All I can say is thankfully as always the Kings came through. But the story in between is a must read.
I honestly did multiple eye rolls and knocked off half a star because of Willa's ridiculous behavior. Nonetheless, Sherilee writes a spectacular book and this was no exception. Waiting patiently for the next book.
*arc from author for an honest review*
June 10, 2018
First up, I’d like to thank Sherilee for sending me an ARC and allowing me the opportunity to review for her! Sherilee’s Axle Alley Vipers first caught my attention with independent women and their Alpha males and I’ve continued to follow her work....okay stalking is probably more accurate since I’m in her FB group too:)
Jude and Willa is the focus of this next Lawless Kings book and wow what a book! Jude as we know is a badass Alpha and a protector because of his ex-cop status. Willa loses her sister Rebecca to a drug OD, leaving behind a sweet little girl Tilly, whom she takes guardianship of. But while in New York, things start going pear shaped quickly when Willa loses her job and takes up a job that will put money on the table fast, until a figure from her past starts blackmailing her. Jude is her landlord and is gracious when she explains her circumstances. Their chemistry is off the charts and slowly he starts to show her how a real man treats his woman and what a reliable person looks like:)
Willa has a multitude of trust issues when it comes to guys and poor Jude gets put through the ringer to prove he can be trusted, which he does! Because come on.... it’s Jude....I expected nothing less from this hot sexy man:)
I can’t wait for more from Sherilee and I sincerely hope we get more from the Lawless Kings because I for one am not ready to say goodbye yet!
Jude and Willa is the focus of this next Lawless Kings book and wow what a book! Jude as we know is a badass Alpha and a protector because of his ex-cop status. Willa loses her sister Rebecca to a drug OD, leaving behind a sweet little girl Tilly, whom she takes guardianship of. But while in New York, things start going pear shaped quickly when Willa loses her job and takes up a job that will put money on the table fast, until a figure from her past starts blackmailing her. Jude is her landlord and is gracious when she explains her circumstances. Their chemistry is off the charts and slowly he starts to show her how a real man treats his woman and what a reliable person looks like:)
Willa has a multitude of trust issues when it comes to guys and poor Jude gets put through the ringer to prove he can be trusted, which he does! Because come on.... it’s Jude....I expected nothing less from this hot sexy man:)
I can’t wait for more from Sherilee and I sincerely hope we get more from the Lawless Kings because I for one am not ready to say goodbye yet!
June 24, 2019
Loved the pace and the character development but Willa was SOOOOOO FRUSTRATING in the first few chapters. Jude is literally the most beautiful!
March 9, 2021
Ummmm... so I read some reviews and everyone was all like "Willa is so irritating blah" and so of course I'm over here all like "I will love Willa because no one does!" But yeah, I overestimated myself. Don't get me wrong, she had some great qualities! And I've been there, the angry front to protect me from people, because people hurt... but there is a point of reason and Willa crossed it EVERY TIME. 😐
I didn't hate her, I just wasn't thrilled about being in her head for 70% of the book.
Jude I related to, I understood him all the way and the only thing I raised a brow to was why he liked Willa so much. Boy 🤷🏼♀️?
Tilly was not 8, Tilly was emotionally more mature than everyone else in the entire series.
My favorite character was probably Fay, the next door neighbor, who was so many kinds of awesome I couldn't even. 😊 I would have rather read a book about her than Willa but whatever. It's cool.
This series hasn't wowed me beyond book one. But it's still good so-- on to the next one!!
I didn't hate her, I just wasn't thrilled about being in her head for 70% of the book.
Jude I related to, I understood him all the way and the only thing I raised a brow to was why he liked Willa so much. Boy 🤷🏼♀️?
Tilly was not 8, Tilly was emotionally more mature than everyone else in the entire series.
My favorite character was probably Fay, the next door neighbor, who was so many kinds of awesome I couldn't even. 😊 I would have rather read a book about her than Willa but whatever. It's cool.
This series hasn't wowed me beyond book one. But it's still good so-- on to the next one!!
June 13, 2018
Like the writing but...
Man the heroine in this book drove me nuts! Really, the guys a PI and you think it’s better to keep the fact. *spoiler* that your sisters drug addled boyfriend is threatening you? Insane. I wanted to smack her, a lot. Her reasoning made no sense.
It was written well and I finished it, but it was irritating.
Man the heroine in this book drove me nuts! Really, the guys a PI and you think it’s better to keep the fact. *spoiler* that your sisters drug addled boyfriend is threatening you? Insane. I wanted to smack her, a lot. Her reasoning made no sense.
It was written well and I finished it, but it was irritating.
April 3, 2019
Push and pull till the end. I was bored a little. h is too stubborn, didn't care for her much.
April 24, 2019
Couldn't stand the h.
Ruined the book for me.
Ruined the book for me.
Want to read
September 14, 2019🎁 FREE on Amazon US today (4/5/2019)! 🎁
October 4, 2019
Rating: R for sex and language
Sex: multiple scenes
Language: 239 F words (that's not a typo), 162 Lord's name in vain, 128 S words
Violence: death by OD, choking, threats, home invasion, kidnappings, drug usage, torture, deaths
HEA or Cliffhanger: HEA
Do I need to read books before this one: no
Would I read more of the series: no, simply because of language
This is a good plot. The pacing is slow. I wish I understood more of Willa's and Jude's issues. Yah, Willa's dad left, mom left, sister went into drugs, boyfriend left. But give me the stories; let me experience the loss rather than telling me I should feel sorry for Willa. The pace picked up about 60%, which raised it from a one-star. The ending was exciting and satisfying (though we'd had no way to know who the bad guy was).
----SPOILERS----
1 year ago, Willa's sister, Rebecca, OD'd. When she'd almost OD'd before that, she made Willa promise that if something happened, she'd take care of Tilly without a man in their life because men mess you up. Just before she died this time, she made Willa promise again.
Tilly is now 8. Willa's boss threatens to fire her unless she can work a full shift at the bar, but she can't afford overnight care for Tilly. Plus, Trent, Tilly's dad, is threatening her. She gets Tilly from Fay, and bumps into her landlord, Jude. She's attracted, but all the men she's known have been scum (dad, Trent, ex-fiancé). Fay called Jude because of Trent.
Jude takes her home, tends to knees. He's an ex-cop, so probing questions. He gives her his work card because sometimes he doesn't have a cell on him, but they always know how to find him, thenleaves on his Harley. He's a private investigator.
Tilly has migraines, and Willa gets fired. She was barely getting by, and without the tips, she's worried about making rent tomorrow. They have groceries, but she can't fill the migraine prescription. And Trent wants money. She calls Jude to say rent will be late, she doesn't leave messages on phones, so she calls his office who then has him call her. He's upset because she's interrupted a kidnapping case. When Tilly is asleep, Jude knocks on the door. She's rude, defensive, even thought he wanted to trade sex for rent. He's fine with the rent, offering to hire her to take care of Fay (who doesn't need to be taken care of). Tilly cries out, Willa runs upstairs, Tilly vomits. Jude learns she's the aunt. He gets the meds.
Tilly wants to bake a cake to remember her mom tomorrow. Willa can skip a few meals for that. Willa watches footage of Jude rescuing the kidnapped child (explosions etc), taken 3 hours after he'd dropped off meds.
Hunter and Van King own The King Agency (friends with Jude since high school). Zeke, Neco, and Ruby work there, too. Zeke and Sunny have little Hope and Zeke is returning to pre-Afghanistan self. Jude wouldn't've been able to not rescue the girl. Jude had bought the house for his sister and nephew, but they'd never gotten to live there. Somehow, he'd failed them as a cop. That's why he takes point in these kinds of cases. He's going to update security on Willa's house.
Willa can't find a job. Trent comes, demanding money. Luckily Jude knocks with the security upgrade guy, Cage. Willa goes to Fay's house. Fay gets her to unload her troubles (except Trent), gives her back all the money she's ever paid for babysitting, and refers her to strip club she used to co-own. Willa goes home, Cage is there but no Jude. She texts him, angry.
She goes to Stilettos, the club. She's hired and starts now. She goes out to do her first dance, Steph helps her by telling her to dance for her dream man, and it's Jude she dances for.
Jude *is* there, meeting with Raul with members of the agency. Van and Hunter see Raul as a father figure. Jude wants to take her off stage, then he wants to pluck every man's eye out. He gets all caveman. He wants to know who she's thinking about so he can kill him. He knows it wasn't easy for her, sees her as strong, determined, brave. He goes backstage. Kisses her, and she kisses back. Then she's defiant. Thinks he's going to kick her out or demand sex. He talks openly, she believes him.
Willa jolts awake with the security going off. She locks Tilly in the bathroom, goes downstairs. Someone had shattered kitchen window. Cage calls again, is on his way. Jude arrives, Tilly (who doesn't like men) jumps into his arms, scared. He'll sleep on the couch. Willa needs to kiss him, he agrees, brings her to orgasm.
He'd been afraid, coming to the house, of what he'd find. He'd already planned on protecting before Tilly asked him to stay. When Willa had asked for a distraction, he let her have control so she'd stop feeling helpless. She says no big deal, he knows that's not true because she can't keep her eyes off him.
Next morning, he hears Tilly whispering, wants to wake him. Willa thanks him for last night, and he says let me know when you're ready for round 2.
Steph dances for Mr Suit, Tomas Mendoza, a pimp, dealer, money launderer. He never touches. Bodyguard puts Willa in cab because someone's targeting prostitutes and dancers. She goes to meet Trent, he puts her in another car. He takes her to the dock, the money's not enough, he threatens Tilly so she'll waitress a poker game in her skimpy costume. She tells them Trent is paying her. Tomas is one of the 6. So is Jude!
Jude's hoping Willa doesn't blow his cover, and Van's. "Tomas owed Raul a marker, Raul used it to help us out, to get us in on this game. Jethro and his new partner Donny were trying to move in on Tomas’ territory. Tomas was playing nice with these guys for now, letting them think they had the upper hand. It suited Tomas to let The King Agency, as well as the cops, take them out. Tomas’ hands stayed clean and he kept his territory." Jude tries to keep Willa on his lap, so does Van, to keep her safe. At the end of the night, he gets her out of there on his Harley. She doesn't tell him what's really going on; instead she jumps on him. He keeps pressuring her for answers; she says give me sex or back off. He figures he can get answers during or after sex, so he picks option one. Then Fay and Tilly hear them.
Fay sews Willa's dresses. Willa is doing hair for the girls. Raul thinks Willa's doing a great job. Fay and Raul are not a thing; she would never betray Mateo like that. Jude comes. The case is going south and his apartment flooded. He's moving in downstairs. Sexual tension is rife, so she shuts it down. He's gone for 3 nights.
She feels guilty, texts. Out of town job. They talk; he offers Tilly a ride from school to point out the bully, Willa too; he's on stake out, can they talk?
Tilly is suspended for 2 days because she fought back at bully. Trent is outside school. At home, Willa is afraid. She gets extra shifts at night for money to give Trent. Jude texts, they flirt. The next morning Trent calls, wants $2K in a week or he'll tell Child Services she's a whore.
She's doing private dances now. The first dancer taken was found cut, beaten, tortured, dead. Tilly cries, doesn't want to go back to school. Willa gets tissues, then Tilly's on the phone with Jude, happy because he's going to pick her up. They flirt, she misinterprets, he hangs up after telling her to be safe. He drops off Tilly, Willa asks about the helmet, nephew, bye. She's lost him.
Glutton for punishment, he's at Stilettos. While dancing, she looks at him, her eyes change. After her dance, she comes straight for him, lap dance, she orgasms. She asks him to take her home. They have sex. The tattoo on his arm says Serve and Protect with K&L underneath.
At the club, Steph's afraid, Trent bugs Willa for money, Raul gives her a ride home (spends the night at Fay's). Jude comes with pizza for movie night with them, then sex.
Jude has to leave for 2-3 days. Child Services calls; Trent wants visitation.
Jude's got the wife beater (hopefully not killer) in custody, needs Willa to answer to keep him calm because his brother-in-law beat Kate and Louis. She texts him finally, she'd had a double shift. He wants to know why he shouldn't kill this guy right now, she says we can't have sex if you're in prison. She just saved that dude's life, and she's saving Jude's.
Weeks go by. Trent comes for visitation, Tilly is shaking. Trent says it will take $20K in 2 weeks for him to go away permanently. Jude comes over, appears upset he wasn't there when Trent came. He invites them to Sunny's birthday party. He'd told Zeke he was bringing his girls, and being called his girls elates Willa. Tilly gets into her best dress and makes Willa change, too. Willa can see Tilly wants Jude to stay. Everyone's excited to meet them, but Willa recognizes they were at Stilettos the day of her audition. She wants out of there fast! Ruby comes to her, gets the four-year-old Josh to take Tilly to the cupcakes, and says You look like a kindred spirit and you like things straight; we've all seen you dance except Lulu and Sunny. Got anything to say about that? I like your attitude, I think we're going to be friends, and will you teach us some moves? Willa stays. When Jude takes her home, he realizes he wants something permanent with her. She won't let him talk, instead asking for him to quiet her head. She shows trust by letting him cuff her, and then he makes her confess she thinks about him when she's dancing. After, she gets him to share about Kate and Louis. Kate's husband, Wayne, beat her. She left when he started beating Louis. Jude had them in an apartment, a restraining order against Wayne. “He found them, lit the apartment on fire, then killed himself. They died in their beds. I wasn’t there to protect them. I wasn’t there, and because of that, I lost them both.” He quit the force, and Van gave him a job. She tells him that Rebecca died because she gave up on Rebecca, the worrying and the cleaning up.
She goes to Tomas's house to get a loan to get rid of Trent. He asks if Steph is okay. He agrees to loan her half the money.
Tomas goes to see Jude. They grew up in the same neighborhood. Tomas is disappointed Jude didn't follow his footsteps, but Jude never went after him as a cop. Tomas tells him about Willa's money request. Jude says he'll provide it, but don't tell Willa.
Willa meets with Trent in a coffee shop. I'll give you half now, half after our day in court, I'm not doing this unless it's all legal. She's bought herself enough time to save money, pack up, and leave.
Jude comes home, she doesn't tell him anything, and he takes her for a ride on his bike. They go to the roof of the building next to where Kate and Louis died. He tells her more, things no one else knows. She realizes she loves him. He gives hints that he wants her to open to him, we see that but she doesn't. She sees his disappointment. They go home, make love, break up cuz she won't talk.
Steph tells her Do not shut yourself off because of pain for too long because you forget to live. Willa has a private dance to do. It's Jude. She dances, they make love, they tell each other they love each other, but she's got to go. He leaves.
He's in his apartment, waiting for Neco to get him answers with a background search. He learns Trent is the person who brought her to that card game.
Fay's friend Jennifer's son is Donny, Jethro's buddy from the poker game. Willa goes to pick up Tilly from the bus stop, but she doesn't get off the bus. The school tells her Trent picked Tilly up. Luckily Jude comes home. He holds her while she hyperventilates. He says Trust your man. She tells him everything, he tells her about Tomas. She calls Trent, no answer. She gets a text, Talk to the cops and you'll never see her again.
It's been 14 hours. They've both been awake all night, Jude doing everything he can. Trent calls, Willa keeps him on the phone long enough, Trent wants $20K in two days. Neco gets a location.
Jude's team goes to the location of the phone. Trent left the phone behind. He has to tell Willa he failed.
At home, 2 goons from the poker game break into Willa's home and kidnap her. She's been taken by the person who's killing all the dancers.
Neco sees Trent turns his phone back on. Zeke, Ruby, Hunter, Van, Neco, and Jude head out. They find Trent with a needle in his arm in a condemned building. They find Tilly and get her out. It was Tilly who had taken the phone from her comatose dad and turned it on. She couldn't call because there was a password.
Donny has Willa. According to Trent, Donny's just the middleman. Trent gets the girls, gives them to Donny, who takes them to the killer. Trent lured the Agency away from Willa so that the goons could get her.
Donny locks her in manacles, leaves. The killer is dressed entirely in black, mask to toe. He starts the torture.
Jude has Donny. Donny says they are saving the whores from their sins. Jude and the team storm the killing room. The killer is Jennifer, Fay's friend and former dancer. Young Jennifer left her father's religious cult, came to the city, danced and had a relationship with Raul's father. When she went home, weird stuff happened. She’d never gotten past her father’s disappointment, his abuse, her fear that her “sins” would send her to hell. Somehow in her twisted mind, she’d decided killing those women would set them, and her, free. Donny was her right hand man in her own cult. She hadn't targeted Stilettos because of Fay. But then Raul slept with Fay.
Jude sits by her at the hospital, affirming he'll never leave her side.
A month later, Tilly is going to counseling. Trent is in custody. Tomas spread the word that Trent's debts had nothing to do with Willa and anyone who touched her would answer to him and to the King Agency.
Tilly says Jude is nothing like Dad or Evan, she wants Jude to be part of her family. Rebecca would want them both to be happy, to smile and laugh, and Jude does that. Fay calls Willa in to have coffee. She says “You can’t let your past hold you back from happiness." Fay is learning that with Raul, too.
Willa goes to the agency to tell Jude she's staying. Lulu is so glad because he's being surly. She tells Jude she talked with Tilly, then with Faye. They all agree she's staying. They make love. You changed my life, you make my life worth living.
A year later, Jude and Willa have gone through grief counseling. Tilly is the light of their lives. The basement apartment is now a salon, and Willa is in hot demand. Jude comes home from a job, hurt and late. He's in trouble with his girls. They're happy to be a family.
Sex: multiple scenes
Language: 239 F words (that's not a typo), 162 Lord's name in vain, 128 S words
Violence: death by OD, choking, threats, home invasion, kidnappings, drug usage, torture, deaths
HEA or Cliffhanger: HEA
Do I need to read books before this one: no
Would I read more of the series: no, simply because of language
This is a good plot. The pacing is slow. I wish I understood more of Willa's and Jude's issues. Yah, Willa's dad left, mom left, sister went into drugs, boyfriend left. But give me the stories; let me experience the loss rather than telling me I should feel sorry for Willa. The pace picked up about 60%, which raised it from a one-star. The ending was exciting and satisfying (though we'd had no way to know who the bad guy was).
----SPOILERS----
1 year ago, Willa's sister, Rebecca, OD'd. When she'd almost OD'd before that, she made Willa promise that if something happened, she'd take care of Tilly without a man in their life because men mess you up. Just before she died this time, she made Willa promise again.
Tilly is now 8. Willa's boss threatens to fire her unless she can work a full shift at the bar, but she can't afford overnight care for Tilly. Plus, Trent, Tilly's dad, is threatening her. She gets Tilly from Fay, and bumps into her landlord, Jude. She's attracted, but all the men she's known have been scum (dad, Trent, ex-fiancé). Fay called Jude because of Trent.
Jude takes her home, tends to knees. He's an ex-cop, so probing questions. He gives her his work card because sometimes he doesn't have a cell on him, but they always know how to find him, thenleaves on his Harley. He's a private investigator.
Tilly has migraines, and Willa gets fired. She was barely getting by, and without the tips, she's worried about making rent tomorrow. They have groceries, but she can't fill the migraine prescription. And Trent wants money. She calls Jude to say rent will be late, she doesn't leave messages on phones, so she calls his office who then has him call her. He's upset because she's interrupted a kidnapping case. When Tilly is asleep, Jude knocks on the door. She's rude, defensive, even thought he wanted to trade sex for rent. He's fine with the rent, offering to hire her to take care of Fay (who doesn't need to be taken care of). Tilly cries out, Willa runs upstairs, Tilly vomits. Jude learns she's the aunt. He gets the meds.
Tilly wants to bake a cake to remember her mom tomorrow. Willa can skip a few meals for that. Willa watches footage of Jude rescuing the kidnapped child (explosions etc), taken 3 hours after he'd dropped off meds.
Hunter and Van King own The King Agency (friends with Jude since high school). Zeke, Neco, and Ruby work there, too. Zeke and Sunny have little Hope and Zeke is returning to pre-Afghanistan self. Jude wouldn't've been able to not rescue the girl. Jude had bought the house for his sister and nephew, but they'd never gotten to live there. Somehow, he'd failed them as a cop. That's why he takes point in these kinds of cases. He's going to update security on Willa's house.
Willa can't find a job. Trent comes, demanding money. Luckily Jude knocks with the security upgrade guy, Cage. Willa goes to Fay's house. Fay gets her to unload her troubles (except Trent), gives her back all the money she's ever paid for babysitting, and refers her to strip club she used to co-own. Willa goes home, Cage is there but no Jude. She texts him, angry.
She goes to Stilettos, the club. She's hired and starts now. She goes out to do her first dance, Steph helps her by telling her to dance for her dream man, and it's Jude she dances for.
Jude *is* there, meeting with Raul with members of the agency. Van and Hunter see Raul as a father figure. Jude wants to take her off stage, then he wants to pluck every man's eye out. He gets all caveman. He wants to know who she's thinking about so he can kill him. He knows it wasn't easy for her, sees her as strong, determined, brave. He goes backstage. Kisses her, and she kisses back. Then she's defiant. Thinks he's going to kick her out or demand sex. He talks openly, she believes him.
Willa jolts awake with the security going off. She locks Tilly in the bathroom, goes downstairs. Someone had shattered kitchen window. Cage calls again, is on his way. Jude arrives, Tilly (who doesn't like men) jumps into his arms, scared. He'll sleep on the couch. Willa needs to kiss him, he agrees, brings her to orgasm.
He'd been afraid, coming to the house, of what he'd find. He'd already planned on protecting before Tilly asked him to stay. When Willa had asked for a distraction, he let her have control so she'd stop feeling helpless. She says no big deal, he knows that's not true because she can't keep her eyes off him.
Next morning, he hears Tilly whispering, wants to wake him. Willa thanks him for last night, and he says let me know when you're ready for round 2.
Steph dances for Mr Suit, Tomas Mendoza, a pimp, dealer, money launderer. He never touches. Bodyguard puts Willa in cab because someone's targeting prostitutes and dancers. She goes to meet Trent, he puts her in another car. He takes her to the dock, the money's not enough, he threatens Tilly so she'll waitress a poker game in her skimpy costume. She tells them Trent is paying her. Tomas is one of the 6. So is Jude!
Jude's hoping Willa doesn't blow his cover, and Van's. "Tomas owed Raul a marker, Raul used it to help us out, to get us in on this game. Jethro and his new partner Donny were trying to move in on Tomas’ territory. Tomas was playing nice with these guys for now, letting them think they had the upper hand. It suited Tomas to let The King Agency, as well as the cops, take them out. Tomas’ hands stayed clean and he kept his territory." Jude tries to keep Willa on his lap, so does Van, to keep her safe. At the end of the night, he gets her out of there on his Harley. She doesn't tell him what's really going on; instead she jumps on him. He keeps pressuring her for answers; she says give me sex or back off. He figures he can get answers during or after sex, so he picks option one. Then Fay and Tilly hear them.
Fay sews Willa's dresses. Willa is doing hair for the girls. Raul thinks Willa's doing a great job. Fay and Raul are not a thing; she would never betray Mateo like that. Jude comes. The case is going south and his apartment flooded. He's moving in downstairs. Sexual tension is rife, so she shuts it down. He's gone for 3 nights.
She feels guilty, texts. Out of town job. They talk; he offers Tilly a ride from school to point out the bully, Willa too; he's on stake out, can they talk?
Tilly is suspended for 2 days because she fought back at bully. Trent is outside school. At home, Willa is afraid. She gets extra shifts at night for money to give Trent. Jude texts, they flirt. The next morning Trent calls, wants $2K in a week or he'll tell Child Services she's a whore.
She's doing private dances now. The first dancer taken was found cut, beaten, tortured, dead. Tilly cries, doesn't want to go back to school. Willa gets tissues, then Tilly's on the phone with Jude, happy because he's going to pick her up. They flirt, she misinterprets, he hangs up after telling her to be safe. He drops off Tilly, Willa asks about the helmet, nephew, bye. She's lost him.
Glutton for punishment, he's at Stilettos. While dancing, she looks at him, her eyes change. After her dance, she comes straight for him, lap dance, she orgasms. She asks him to take her home. They have sex. The tattoo on his arm says Serve and Protect with K&L underneath.
At the club, Steph's afraid, Trent bugs Willa for money, Raul gives her a ride home (spends the night at Fay's). Jude comes with pizza for movie night with them, then sex.
Jude has to leave for 2-3 days. Child Services calls; Trent wants visitation.
Jude's got the wife beater (hopefully not killer) in custody, needs Willa to answer to keep him calm because his brother-in-law beat Kate and Louis. She texts him finally, she'd had a double shift. He wants to know why he shouldn't kill this guy right now, she says we can't have sex if you're in prison. She just saved that dude's life, and she's saving Jude's.
Weeks go by. Trent comes for visitation, Tilly is shaking. Trent says it will take $20K in 2 weeks for him to go away permanently. Jude comes over, appears upset he wasn't there when Trent came. He invites them to Sunny's birthday party. He'd told Zeke he was bringing his girls, and being called his girls elates Willa. Tilly gets into her best dress and makes Willa change, too. Willa can see Tilly wants Jude to stay. Everyone's excited to meet them, but Willa recognizes they were at Stilettos the day of her audition. She wants out of there fast! Ruby comes to her, gets the four-year-old Josh to take Tilly to the cupcakes, and says You look like a kindred spirit and you like things straight; we've all seen you dance except Lulu and Sunny. Got anything to say about that? I like your attitude, I think we're going to be friends, and will you teach us some moves? Willa stays. When Jude takes her home, he realizes he wants something permanent with her. She won't let him talk, instead asking for him to quiet her head. She shows trust by letting him cuff her, and then he makes her confess she thinks about him when she's dancing. After, she gets him to share about Kate and Louis. Kate's husband, Wayne, beat her. She left when he started beating Louis. Jude had them in an apartment, a restraining order against Wayne. “He found them, lit the apartment on fire, then killed himself. They died in their beds. I wasn’t there to protect them. I wasn’t there, and because of that, I lost them both.” He quit the force, and Van gave him a job. She tells him that Rebecca died because she gave up on Rebecca, the worrying and the cleaning up.
She goes to Tomas's house to get a loan to get rid of Trent. He asks if Steph is okay. He agrees to loan her half the money.
Tomas goes to see Jude. They grew up in the same neighborhood. Tomas is disappointed Jude didn't follow his footsteps, but Jude never went after him as a cop. Tomas tells him about Willa's money request. Jude says he'll provide it, but don't tell Willa.
Willa meets with Trent in a coffee shop. I'll give you half now, half after our day in court, I'm not doing this unless it's all legal. She's bought herself enough time to save money, pack up, and leave.
Jude comes home, she doesn't tell him anything, and he takes her for a ride on his bike. They go to the roof of the building next to where Kate and Louis died. He tells her more, things no one else knows. She realizes she loves him. He gives hints that he wants her to open to him, we see that but she doesn't. She sees his disappointment. They go home, make love, break up cuz she won't talk.
Steph tells her Do not shut yourself off because of pain for too long because you forget to live. Willa has a private dance to do. It's Jude. She dances, they make love, they tell each other they love each other, but she's got to go. He leaves.
He's in his apartment, waiting for Neco to get him answers with a background search. He learns Trent is the person who brought her to that card game.
Fay's friend Jennifer's son is Donny, Jethro's buddy from the poker game. Willa goes to pick up Tilly from the bus stop, but she doesn't get off the bus. The school tells her Trent picked Tilly up. Luckily Jude comes home. He holds her while she hyperventilates. He says Trust your man. She tells him everything, he tells her about Tomas. She calls Trent, no answer. She gets a text, Talk to the cops and you'll never see her again.
It's been 14 hours. They've both been awake all night, Jude doing everything he can. Trent calls, Willa keeps him on the phone long enough, Trent wants $20K in two days. Neco gets a location.
Jude's team goes to the location of the phone. Trent left the phone behind. He has to tell Willa he failed.
At home, 2 goons from the poker game break into Willa's home and kidnap her. She's been taken by the person who's killing all the dancers.
Neco sees Trent turns his phone back on. Zeke, Ruby, Hunter, Van, Neco, and Jude head out. They find Trent with a needle in his arm in a condemned building. They find Tilly and get her out. It was Tilly who had taken the phone from her comatose dad and turned it on. She couldn't call because there was a password.
Donny has Willa. According to Trent, Donny's just the middleman. Trent gets the girls, gives them to Donny, who takes them to the killer. Trent lured the Agency away from Willa so that the goons could get her.
Donny locks her in manacles, leaves. The killer is dressed entirely in black, mask to toe. He starts the torture.
Jude has Donny. Donny says they are saving the whores from their sins. Jude and the team storm the killing room. The killer is Jennifer, Fay's friend and former dancer. Young Jennifer left her father's religious cult, came to the city, danced and had a relationship with Raul's father. When she went home, weird stuff happened. She’d never gotten past her father’s disappointment, his abuse, her fear that her “sins” would send her to hell. Somehow in her twisted mind, she’d decided killing those women would set them, and her, free. Donny was her right hand man in her own cult. She hadn't targeted Stilettos because of Fay. But then Raul slept with Fay.
Jude sits by her at the hospital, affirming he'll never leave her side.
A month later, Tilly is going to counseling. Trent is in custody. Tomas spread the word that Trent's debts had nothing to do with Willa and anyone who touched her would answer to him and to the King Agency.
Tilly says Jude is nothing like Dad or Evan, she wants Jude to be part of her family. Rebecca would want them both to be happy, to smile and laugh, and Jude does that. Fay calls Willa in to have coffee. She says “You can’t let your past hold you back from happiness." Fay is learning that with Raul, too.
Willa goes to the agency to tell Jude she's staying. Lulu is so glad because he's being surly. She tells Jude she talked with Tilly, then with Faye. They all agree she's staying. They make love. You changed my life, you make my life worth living.
A year later, Jude and Willa have gone through grief counseling. Tilly is the light of their lives. The basement apartment is now a salon, and Willa is in hot demand. Jude comes home from a job, hurt and late. He's in trouble with his girls. They're happy to be a family.
October 23, 2019
So in love w Jude’s character and his big teddy bear heart. This story is sweet even with all the heartbreaks!
July 3, 2018
So this story is about Jude (I guess we're waiting on Van's story) who feels to blame for his sister and nephews deaths and doesn't feel he deserves happiness as a result. His tenant is Willa, who is caring for her niece, Tilly, after her her sister died of a drug overdose, but Tilly's father is still in the picture and trying to extort money from Willa. As her sister lay dying, she made Willa promise to raise Tilly without a man in the picture - just her and Tilly. Willa, having a bad track record with men, has no problem making this promise...until Jude steps into the picture and proves himself to be everything she never thought a man could be - loyal, trustworthy and caring. Willa is sure that Jude is too good to be true. So she continually pushes him away, trying hard not to let him into her (or Tilly's) life, even refusing to ask for help when her interactions with Tilly's father put her into some serious danger. Jude though, is relentless and now that he's finally got a glimpse of what happiness could be and is starting to think he might be deserving of it, he's not about to give up on Willa.
This one was definitely my favorite in the series. Maybe because the angst was pretty great, but I think it's because it didn't have the tropes of the other stories...no secret babies, no hidden pregnancies and no second-chance romance. The pacing of this story also worked pretty well for me, since Willa kept the UST going for quite some time and then her hidden secrets kept stringing poor Jude along. Hell, she was refusing to trust him with her secrets right up to the 80% mark, so that drew out the angst quite a bit.
Jude was a decent hero. He was strong, honorable, protective and alpha. I also liked that he didn't have insane jealousy or in any way treat the heroine badly because she chose to be a stripper - he doesn't even flip out when she's giving lap dances. He doesn't like it, but he respects what she does for a living and why she does it. I also like that he doesn't outright insist that he has a right to Willa's secrets. I hate stories where the hero gets pissy because the heroine won't trust him right away - that sort of thing does take time. But honestly, Willa's holding out for as long as she did was a bit of overkill on that one. This one went too far in the other direction for me. Halfway through the book I wanted Jude to just do his PI thing and get to the bottom of it...but I also fully understand that it would have been dishonorable. Still...the moment he figured her life was in danger because of her secret, I would have expected him to say Fuck it and figure her life is more important than her secrets, which he didn't...and I feel like that works counter to his background, since he blames himself for doing nothing about his sister and nephew.
Willa frustrated the hell out of me. Maybe if she'd had a strongly built background that clearly showed how she'd been hurt by trusting a man, I would have bought it. But she'd been hurt by both men (Evan, Trent) and women (her mom, her sister) and it seems that trust all around would have been a problem, not targeted towards men specifically. But I didn't feel like there was enough there to justify her COMPLETE shut out of Jude. I mean, she was willing to go to a mob-man to borrow and pay back $20,000 to pay to prevent a known drug-user to stay away from her and Tilly...and she'd have to trust his word to do so. Meanwhile, she has a private investigator who has befriended her that she could simply hire (if she's willing to borrow that much for one purpose, why not another? The PI is cheaper.) to find proof that the guy is using drugs, have him arrested again (and her problem is solved - she can move again as she would have before). And Willa was pretty abrasive too...and nary an apology for Jude. Problem was, I never warmed up to her.
The story here was pretty great, with a nice, angsty, well-paced plot. The chemistry between Willa and Jude was sizzling and their sexy times together were hot. I did not skim, as I sometimes do when the sex starts to feel repetitive or pointless. So, when can I read Van's book?
This one was definitely my favorite in the series. Maybe because the angst was pretty great, but I think it's because it didn't have the tropes of the other stories...no secret babies, no hidden pregnancies and no second-chance romance. The pacing of this story also worked pretty well for me, since Willa kept the UST going for quite some time and then her hidden secrets kept stringing poor Jude along. Hell, she was refusing to trust him with her secrets right up to the 80% mark, so that drew out the angst quite a bit.
Jude was a decent hero. He was strong, honorable, protective and alpha. I also liked that he didn't have insane jealousy or in any way treat the heroine badly because she chose to be a stripper - he doesn't even flip out when she's giving lap dances. He doesn't like it, but he respects what she does for a living and why she does it. I also like that he doesn't outright insist that he has a right to Willa's secrets. I hate stories where the hero gets pissy because the heroine won't trust him right away - that sort of thing does take time. But honestly, Willa's holding out for as long as she did was a bit of overkill on that one. This one went too far in the other direction for me. Halfway through the book I wanted Jude to just do his PI thing and get to the bottom of it...but I also fully understand that it would have been dishonorable. Still...the moment he figured her life was in danger because of her secret, I would have expected him to say Fuck it and figure her life is more important than her secrets, which he didn't...and I feel like that works counter to his background, since he blames himself for doing nothing about his sister and nephew.
Willa frustrated the hell out of me. Maybe if she'd had a strongly built background that clearly showed how she'd been hurt by trusting a man, I would have bought it. But she'd been hurt by both men (Evan, Trent) and women (her mom, her sister) and it seems that trust all around would have been a problem, not targeted towards men specifically. But I didn't feel like there was enough there to justify her COMPLETE shut out of Jude. I mean, she was willing to go to a mob-man to borrow and pay back $20,000 to pay to prevent a known drug-user to stay away from her and Tilly...and she'd have to trust his word to do so. Meanwhile, she has a private investigator who has befriended her that she could simply hire (if she's willing to borrow that much for one purpose, why not another? The PI is cheaper.) to find proof that the guy is using drugs, have him arrested again (and her problem is solved - she can move again as she would have before). And Willa was pretty abrasive too...and nary an apology for Jude. Problem was, I never warmed up to her.
The story here was pretty great, with a nice, angsty, well-paced plot. The chemistry between Willa and Jude was sizzling and their sexy times together were hot. I did not skim, as I sometimes do when the sex starts to feel repetitive or pointless. So, when can I read Van's book?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 21, 2018
3.5 stars--
ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 13,2018
The first time I saw my landlord Jude Wayland, with his gentle brown eyes and a body built to do damage, I knew he was trouble. Sure, he has the nice guy routine mastered, but I’m not buying it. In my experience, no one does a good deed for free.
Now that he’s seen me at my lowest, the sexy P.I with a white knight complex wants to uncover my secrets. He also has me craving more of his sizzling kisses. But I can’t give in to my feelings for him. I promised my sister that I’d raise her daughter without a man, and I won’t let her down again.
Yet as my past catches up with me, bringing danger to our door, I’ll have to make a choice — let Jude in and betray my sister, or run, leaving behind the only man I’ve ever loved.
•••••••••
REVIEW: 3.5 stars--RUTHLESS PROTECTOR is the fourth instalment in Sherilee Gray’s contemporary, adult LAWLESS KINGS erotic, romantic suspense series focusing on the men and women who work for the King Agency doing personal protection and security, private investigation (corporate and domestic), high-risk fugitive recovery, missing persons and kidnapping investigations. This is King Security PI and former police officer Jude Wayland, and waitress/exotic dancer Willa Hartley’s story line. RUTHLESS PROTECTOR can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.
Told from dual first person points of view (Willa and Jude) RUTHLESS PROTECTOR follows the acrimonious relationship between King Security PI and former police officer Jude Wayland, and waitress/exotic dancer Willa Hartley. Jude Wayland knows something is going on with his new tenant: mysterious strangers, and threats against her life, as well as her most recent venture into the world of exotic dancing find Jude going into protector mode as it pertains to the independent and untrusting Willa Hartley. The sole provider for her eight-year old niece Tilly, Willa becomes desperate enough to take on a position at the local exotic dance club, desperate enough when threats of another nature come knocking at her door. What ensues is the building relationship between Jude and Willa, and the potential fall-out as Willa continues to keep secret the who and why behind to threats to her life, and our heroine’s inability to trust threatens her relationship with the man that she loves.
Willa Hartley’s need for independence, and her inability to trust promote an aura of unfriendly and harsh. Our heroine’s aggressive attitude and unwillingness to ask for help threatens not only her life but the life of her eight-year old niece, and in this, she is a difficult heroine to like and accept. A little bit of TSTL (too stupid to live) syndrome does not make for an enjoyable character. Willa’s character development is questionable until the very end, and someone points out the truth of her actions against the man that she loves. Jude Wayland knows loss, and it is this loss that exaggerates his need to protect Willa and Tilly, an exaggeration that brings with it too many heart breaking memories of the past.
RUTHLESS PROTECTOR has a colorful cast of secondary and supporting characters all of whom interact with our story line couple. From fellow exotic dancers, the local cartel, the men and women who work for the King Security Agency, and the requisite evil with many faces, RUTHLESS PROTECTOR is a character driven story line about family, friendship, betrayal and love. The premise is engaging; the leading characters are broken and charismatic; the romance struggles in the face of our heroine’ s inability to trust or ask for help when it is needed the most.
Own a copy
www.thereadingcafe.com
ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 13,2018
The first time I saw my landlord Jude Wayland, with his gentle brown eyes and a body built to do damage, I knew he was trouble. Sure, he has the nice guy routine mastered, but I’m not buying it. In my experience, no one does a good deed for free.
Now that he’s seen me at my lowest, the sexy P.I with a white knight complex wants to uncover my secrets. He also has me craving more of his sizzling kisses. But I can’t give in to my feelings for him. I promised my sister that I’d raise her daughter without a man, and I won’t let her down again.
Yet as my past catches up with me, bringing danger to our door, I’ll have to make a choice — let Jude in and betray my sister, or run, leaving behind the only man I’ve ever loved.
•••••••••
REVIEW: 3.5 stars--RUTHLESS PROTECTOR is the fourth instalment in Sherilee Gray’s contemporary, adult LAWLESS KINGS erotic, romantic suspense series focusing on the men and women who work for the King Agency doing personal protection and security, private investigation (corporate and domestic), high-risk fugitive recovery, missing persons and kidnapping investigations. This is King Security PI and former police officer Jude Wayland, and waitress/exotic dancer Willa Hartley’s story line. RUTHLESS PROTECTOR can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.
Told from dual first person points of view (Willa and Jude) RUTHLESS PROTECTOR follows the acrimonious relationship between King Security PI and former police officer Jude Wayland, and waitress/exotic dancer Willa Hartley. Jude Wayland knows something is going on with his new tenant: mysterious strangers, and threats against her life, as well as her most recent venture into the world of exotic dancing find Jude going into protector mode as it pertains to the independent and untrusting Willa Hartley. The sole provider for her eight-year old niece Tilly, Willa becomes desperate enough to take on a position at the local exotic dance club, desperate enough when threats of another nature come knocking at her door. What ensues is the building relationship between Jude and Willa, and the potential fall-out as Willa continues to keep secret the who and why behind to threats to her life, and our heroine’s inability to trust threatens her relationship with the man that she loves.
Willa Hartley’s need for independence, and her inability to trust promote an aura of unfriendly and harsh. Our heroine’s aggressive attitude and unwillingness to ask for help threatens not only her life but the life of her eight-year old niece, and in this, she is a difficult heroine to like and accept. A little bit of TSTL (too stupid to live) syndrome does not make for an enjoyable character. Willa’s character development is questionable until the very end, and someone points out the truth of her actions against the man that she loves. Jude Wayland knows loss, and it is this loss that exaggerates his need to protect Willa and Tilly, an exaggeration that brings with it too many heart breaking memories of the past.
RUTHLESS PROTECTOR has a colorful cast of secondary and supporting characters all of whom interact with our story line couple. From fellow exotic dancers, the local cartel, the men and women who work for the King Security Agency, and the requisite evil with many faces, RUTHLESS PROTECTOR is a character driven story line about family, friendship, betrayal and love. The premise is engaging; the leading characters are broken and charismatic; the romance struggles in the face of our heroine’ s inability to trust or ask for help when it is needed the most.
Own a copy
www.thereadingcafe.com
June 12, 2018
Willa Hartely doesn't trust men period, so putting her safety in the hands of one who claims she can trust him, is definitely concerning, but with the encouragement of her neighbor she decides to give him a shot. But somewhere between him keeping her and her niece safe, and keeping her dirtball ex brother-in-law away, she starts to fall for him, full well knowing it could lead to her breaking a promise she made. This little promise in play, the one that she made to her sister, where she agreed to raise her niece alone, without the support of a man, means that letting Jude in would go against everything she believes and what all she agreed to...
Jude Wayland is a broken man that carries a heavy burden on his shoulders, he let someone down a long time ago and has paid dearly for it everyday since, so his job as private investigator for the King Agency gives him a chance to help people, and feel like he is doing something worthwhile. In a small way it gives him a sense of peace, knowing that he is doing something good and making up for his shortfalls in the past. It also allows him to maintain his closed off approach to people, since he doesn't do feelings or attachments. But then he meets his new tenant and her niece, and immediately he can tell she is hiding from something or someone, and his inner caring side starts to scream, she needs protection and he wants to be the man to keep her safe. But doing so might involve more than just him keeping her safe, feelings might come into play...and he doesn't do those!
Ruthless Protector has a little bit of everything; heart-pounding action to keep you on the edge of your seat, two broken souls with heart-wrenching pasts that hit you deep in the heart, and an combustible chemistry that leads to steamy moments that will leave you with a permanent blush! As with the other installments in this series, this one comes with the same edge and vulnerability, but there is also an innocence and beauty to be discovered amongst all of the hurt and damage. I cannot say enough about the alphas in this series, they all are truly remarkable men, though they have this fierce protective side, they also have a tender side that makes an appearance here and there, and when it does you better hold onto your heart! Once again I am left in awe of Ms. Gray's literary talents, she has created a story here that will completely decimate your heart, but somewhere along the way you will fill it being mended by her wonderful words and the heartfelt feelings expressed in those words. I highly encourage you to pick this one up, it will leave you moved, and harboring a serious Jude crush!!!
I requested an advanced copy of this title, and I am voluntarily leaving my honest opinion.
Jude Wayland is a broken man that carries a heavy burden on his shoulders, he let someone down a long time ago and has paid dearly for it everyday since, so his job as private investigator for the King Agency gives him a chance to help people, and feel like he is doing something worthwhile. In a small way it gives him a sense of peace, knowing that he is doing something good and making up for his shortfalls in the past. It also allows him to maintain his closed off approach to people, since he doesn't do feelings or attachments. But then he meets his new tenant and her niece, and immediately he can tell she is hiding from something or someone, and his inner caring side starts to scream, she needs protection and he wants to be the man to keep her safe. But doing so might involve more than just him keeping her safe, feelings might come into play...and he doesn't do those!
Ruthless Protector has a little bit of everything; heart-pounding action to keep you on the edge of your seat, two broken souls with heart-wrenching pasts that hit you deep in the heart, and an combustible chemistry that leads to steamy moments that will leave you with a permanent blush! As with the other installments in this series, this one comes with the same edge and vulnerability, but there is also an innocence and beauty to be discovered amongst all of the hurt and damage. I cannot say enough about the alphas in this series, they all are truly remarkable men, though they have this fierce protective side, they also have a tender side that makes an appearance here and there, and when it does you better hold onto your heart! Once again I am left in awe of Ms. Gray's literary talents, she has created a story here that will completely decimate your heart, but somewhere along the way you will fill it being mended by her wonderful words and the heartfelt feelings expressed in those words. I highly encourage you to pick this one up, it will leave you moved, and harboring a serious Jude crush!!!
I requested an advanced copy of this title, and I am voluntarily leaving my honest opinion.
October 5, 2019
Wow, this GUY
Okay, first things first, Willa could be a real pain in the butt. Snappy, rude, and unrelenting. BUT the root of why she is how she is makes it a bit more understandable. I found her snappiness to be a little off putting but this chick has been dealt a pretty crappy hand in life and she’s dealing with it the best way she knows how. Plus, she loves her niece a ton and it comes through in their interactions with each other.
Now Jude on the other hand is immediately likeable and swoonworthy. He puts up with her nonsense, gives her way more chances, and explains himself waaay more than most people would. But he’s caring, protective, and everything you could want in a book boyfriend.
The story itself is interesting and you feel yourself afraid for her and the kid. The relationship between the hero and the heroine is complicated and I wish there was less pushing him away and then sleeping with him. Then pushing him away. I mean seriously... the man is not a yo-yo. But the story overall was very good even if there were some predictable moments.
Okay, first things first, Willa could be a real pain in the butt. Snappy, rude, and unrelenting. BUT the root of why she is how she is makes it a bit more understandable. I found her snappiness to be a little off putting but this chick has been dealt a pretty crappy hand in life and she’s dealing with it the best way she knows how. Plus, she loves her niece a ton and it comes through in their interactions with each other.
Now Jude on the other hand is immediately likeable and swoonworthy. He puts up with her nonsense, gives her way more chances, and explains himself waaay more than most people would. But he’s caring, protective, and everything you could want in a book boyfriend.
The story itself is interesting and you feel yourself afraid for her and the kid. The relationship between the hero and the heroine is complicated and I wish there was less pushing him away and then sleeping with him. Then pushing him away. I mean seriously... the man is not a yo-yo. But the story overall was very good even if there were some predictable moments.
June 10, 2018
Once again Sherilee Gray has nailed it with this addition to the Lawless Kings series, as Ruthless Protector was everything I expected and so much more. Jude and Willa’s story was jam-packed with action; suspense and some seriously hot sexual tension too!
Jude is a huge alpha male, with a dark, broody side that just screams, “I need a hug”, while Willa is distrusting and determined to let no man into her life. This combination definitely leads to some off the charters unresolved chemistry, and a whole lot of angst. There were some aspects of Willa’s character that rubbed me the wrong way early on, but the overall story and outcome were exhilarating.
While these stories are designed to be read as standalones, I definitely recommend reading the entire series. The Lawless Kings are a great edition to any library if you are drawn to contemporary romance with action, suspense, and some seriously hot sex scenes too.
Jude is a huge alpha male, with a dark, broody side that just screams, “I need a hug”, while Willa is distrusting and determined to let no man into her life. This combination definitely leads to some off the charters unresolved chemistry, and a whole lot of angst. There were some aspects of Willa’s character that rubbed me the wrong way early on, but the overall story and outcome were exhilarating.
While these stories are designed to be read as standalones, I definitely recommend reading the entire series. The Lawless Kings are a great edition to any library if you are drawn to contemporary romance with action, suspense, and some seriously hot sex scenes too.
October 6, 2019
Ruthless Protector. ***SPOILER ALERT
Willa is raising her niece since her sisters overdose death. She doesn't trust men since her sister was abused from her husband and Willa's ex fiancee wasn't very supportive of her when her found out about her sisters drug use and many stayes of being in and out of being in rehab. Willie's new landlord is Jude and he is really a nice guy but Willa promised her dying sister she would raise her daughter alone without a man even though her and Jude have undeniable sexual chemistry. Tilly's dad Trent gets out of prison and starts blackmailing Willa for money. in order to make money She becomes a stripper to make money. Then Trent wants twenty thousand dollars. She is afraid to tell Jude about Trent blackmailing her so she decides to leave town with Tilly until Tilly is kidnapped by her dad. Things heat up even more but needless to say this is a very good book with some very surprising twist and turns.
Willa is raising her niece since her sisters overdose death. She doesn't trust men since her sister was abused from her husband and Willa's ex fiancee wasn't very supportive of her when her found out about her sisters drug use and many stayes of being in and out of being in rehab. Willie's new landlord is Jude and he is really a nice guy but Willa promised her dying sister she would raise her daughter alone without a man even though her and Jude have undeniable sexual chemistry. Tilly's dad Trent gets out of prison and starts blackmailing Willa for money. in order to make money She becomes a stripper to make money. Then Trent wants twenty thousand dollars. She is afraid to tell Jude about Trent blackmailing her so she decides to leave town with Tilly until Tilly is kidnapped by her dad. Things heat up even more but needless to say this is a very good book with some very surprising twist and turns.
January 11, 2019
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I liked it. I really liked him, and his story. I also mostly liked her. I didn’t however feel their connection as much. It felt shallow to me. It’s weird that I believed all the drama more than I believed them as a couple. I also think that the heroine at times treated the hero badly without having the sensible reasons.
SOILER ALERT!!
Plot:
The woman, Willa, rents a house with her niece, Tilley, far away from her past since her sister died of an overdose. The owner, Jude, feels strongly protective of the girls from the start, especially after losing his sister and his nephew. Tilly’s abusive dad, Trent, shows up blackmailing Willa by threatening to take Tilly. She starts to strip and to some work for Trent to get him money, while Jude slowly works his way into the girls’ life. They start a sexual relationship, but both of them start to fall in love. She fights hard to keep them strictly platonic, since she promised her sister to raise Tilly without any guy around. Trent keeps blackmailing her, and she starts to struggle and consider running away. Just her and Tilly. Jude knows that something is going on but wants Willa to trust him and tell him without him forcing her. She ends up in a seriously bad situation, where Tilly is kidnapped by her dad and Willa is sold to a serial killer. Jude saves them both just in time. And they live happily ever after.
I liked it. I really liked him, and his story. I also mostly liked her. I didn’t however feel their connection as much. It felt shallow to me. It’s weird that I believed all the drama more than I believed them as a couple. I also think that the heroine at times treated the hero badly without having the sensible reasons.
SOILER ALERT!!
Plot:
The woman, Willa, rents a house with her niece, Tilley, far away from her past since her sister died of an overdose. The owner, Jude, feels strongly protective of the girls from the start, especially after losing his sister and his nephew. Tilly’s abusive dad, Trent, shows up blackmailing Willa by threatening to take Tilly. She starts to strip and to some work for Trent to get him money, while Jude slowly works his way into the girls’ life. They start a sexual relationship, but both of them start to fall in love. She fights hard to keep them strictly platonic, since she promised her sister to raise Tilly without any guy around. Trent keeps blackmailing her, and she starts to struggle and consider running away. Just her and Tilly. Jude knows that something is going on but wants Willa to trust him and tell him without him forcing her. She ends up in a seriously bad situation, where Tilly is kidnapped by her dad and Willa is sold to a serial killer. Jude saves them both just in time. And they live happily ever after.
October 5, 2019
For all the high heat in this alpha male romance, there's a good story and plot I enjoyed as well.
The main characters are multi-faceted and intriguing. So much empathy for the protagonist Willa. She's been through shizz. More than her share. It shows. Over and over. Girl pushes back, hard. While Jude has his own stuff going on and handles it in a different way. The anger and aggression between the two is palpable.
But that's how we guard ourselves against more pain. The author's skill in deftly bringing down those protective walls pulled me through a story not afraid to expose the dirt and grit of life. And how we sometimes have to change despite our best intentions.
The main characters are multi-faceted and intriguing. So much empathy for the protagonist Willa. She's been through shizz. More than her share. It shows. Over and over. Girl pushes back, hard. While Jude has his own stuff going on and handles it in a different way. The anger and aggression between the two is palpable.
But that's how we guard ourselves against more pain. The author's skill in deftly bringing down those protective walls pulled me through a story not afraid to expose the dirt and grit of life. And how we sometimes have to change despite our best intentions.
August 2, 2019
Somewhat predictable story, but writer Ms. Gray was good enough to make the characters interesting. The main character was a little annoying at times, I feel she was a little TOO bound by her deathbed promise to her sister. But I have never had a deathbed promise thrown on me, so maybe I would do the same, I am not sure. As an added bonus, I kept imagining Joe Manganiello as the main character so that was fun. :)
FYI - lots of bad language and when they finally cave, lots of steamy x rated adult lit.
FYI - lots of bad language and when they finally cave, lots of steamy x rated adult lit.
August 9, 2019
Willa is horrible and killed this for me. Her niece is sick, but she can’t afford her medication. Jude offers to go fill it for her, after he tells her he’s going to let her slide on the rent, and she fights with him ranting about how she doesn’t want his charity - all while her niece is literally vomiting in the next room. At least suck it up so you can actually be the caregiver you want to be and hash it out later. There were so many things I did not like about her. I really like this series but this one was a miss.
June 15, 2018
Waste of an alpha male is 100% correct!
I’ve never read a Sherilee Gray book I didn’t like....... until now! Someone else reviewed that why did Jude even like her! Willa is very selfish and lame. Perhaps the heroine in this book is the neighbor lady. I don’t know if I will finish this book.. I paid for it and hate to feel I’ve wasted my money... so disappointed. I’m not alone in feeling this way. I saw other reviews expressing their discontent. Sorry, no bueno for me , sadly.
I’ve never read a Sherilee Gray book I didn’t like....... until now! Someone else reviewed that why did Jude even like her! Willa is very selfish and lame. Perhaps the heroine in this book is the neighbor lady. I don’t know if I will finish this book.. I paid for it and hate to feel I’ve wasted my money... so disappointed. I’m not alone in feeling this way. I saw other reviews expressing their discontent. Sorry, no bueno for me , sadly.
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