Name: Absolute Power Duet Box Set (Absolute Power Duet #1-2)
Rating: 4.5 (1 reviews)
ISBN: 9781943938711

1,088 reviews31 followers

August 17, 2021

Steamy And Suspenseful! Cash & Jagger’s Duet Begins As Cash Enters Jagger’s Life Looking For Revenge.

This box set includes both books in the Absolute Power Duet – Absolute Power and Absolute Trust. This is Cash and Jagger’s story. It is a spin-off of the stand-alone novel The Ruthless Knight. It is not necessary to have read that book first.

FROM THE RUTHLESS KNIGHT:

Calliope Jones, twenty-eight, escaped a horrible childhood only to discover the man that saved her was no hero. Abandoned by her father and left to be raised by a mother constantly in and out of rehab for a heroin addiction, Calliope was often left with the various men who came and went in her mother's life. She was molested, forced into dancing at strip clubs, and finally prostitution. When Cash found her, she thought she found a savior in him. They dated for years and he taught her how to run cons, but she eventually realized he used her the same way she had been used before. She wants out, but he claims she owes him and won't let go. Silently plotting her escape for a decade, she only needs the right opportunity to present itself to steal away and disappear from his wrath.

Roman Menshikov’s Masquerade de Marquis at his London club is her chance out. Things go awry first when Jagger, her twenty-two year old sister who is supposed to be waiting in their hotel room, talks her way into participating on the job. The sisters had been separated in their youth when their grandmother kicked Calliope out of her home along with their drug-addicted mother, but the sisters had since reunited. Calliope desperately wants to keep Jag away from her criminal life, but Jagger appears to be a natural so she gives in it at the last minute. Athena, Cash’s current squeeze, is part of the team but she isn’t a team player. Calliope and Jagger manage to escape, then Calliope leaves her sister at Heathrow Airport with instructions for beginning a new life and a key to a safe deposit box. She regrets abandoning her sister, but separating is the safest option.

Months into her new life as a bartender in Cleveland, Calliope notices a suspicious man lingering as closing approaches. She is too well-trained to panic, but she knows her cover is blown. Outsmarted, she finds herself held captive not by Cash, but by Mr. Big, as she had called him, from her last job at the London location of Devil's Playground. The two have incredible chemistry, which is unfortunate given the circumstances. When Sir Nikolay Reznik Tarnovsky takes Calliope to certain death at Valentina's hands as punishment for a job she participated in years earlier, he feels sorry for her. But Nicky’s family has been threatened and he has no choice. Although he delivers as required, Valentina is not finished with him yet. She sets about a twisted game of torture with Nicky and Calliope.

Months later Cash happens upon the couple as they dine at one of Nicky’s restaurants in Manhattan. He wants the money that Calliope owes him, but Nicky makes it clear that she is off limits before having Cash escorted out.

Nicky and Calliope's story is an intense, twisted read. The story is plot-driven, with complex layers. The characters are wonderfully defined. The story is written in first person and the POV alternates between Nicky and Calliope. I rate this book four stars.

FROM ABSOLUTE POWER, BOOK ONE:

Cash Delacorte is charming, cunning, terrifying, and merciless. He makes people disappear and he runs cons – mostly cash and jewel thefts. He owns the people that work for him. He does a favor, comes on nice, but soon his targets find themselves indebted with no way out. Calliope had been indebted to him, but she walked away after a dozen years, and she owes him. He wants revenge. Payback. Unfortunately, she is untouchable. But when her younger sister Jagger comes on his radar, all is fair game.

Jagger Jones, twenty-six, hasn’t seen her sister since separating with her at Heathrow Airport four year ago. She feels abandoned, but she understands why Calliope keeps her distance. Jagger moved around a bit over the years and finally made a friend in Emeline – her coworker, roommate, and trusted friend for two years. She went through a particularly difficult time with Kyle, an ex that roughed her up, but with Emeline’s support she weathered it. She made a home for herself in Baxter’s Corner, Indiana. Once settled, she used her sister’s money to buy a modest home and a small part of Mercer’s Fine Jewelry and Art Gallery, the shop in which she works. Mr. Mercer, and older man without family, had become a father figure to her. He also taught her about jewelry. But Jagger had gotten complacent about her situation when she decided to earn some extra cash on the side.

When Cash walks into Jagger’s life demanding his money, Jagger doesn’t consider calling Calliope. She had spent too much time trying to get away from him. And besides, it was Jagger herself who spent the money – she just hadn’t realized that it belonged to Cash. Despite the fear he triggers, Jagger cannot help but feel attracted to Cash, and he seems to feel the same about her.

Cash and Jagger begin a complicated relationship at the end of February. It is a business arrangement, but their personal attraction is very real. Cash struggles with himself when it comes to Jagger. He wants her, but she refuses him. He tells her he never strays from a relationship, but that does nothing to alleviate her concerns. He decides he will have her anyways. He plans to own her by summer’s end. Their story ends with an unexpected twist and a cliffhanger.

Cash and Jagger’s duet begins as Cash enters Jagger’s life looking for revenge. Their story is nicely written and plot-driven. The characters are intriguing. The story is written in first person. The POV alternates between Cash and Jagger. I rate this book 4.5 stars.

FROM ABSOLUTE TRUST, BOOK TWO:

Cash, thirty-eight, is determined to keep Jagger in his life. He already sees his future tied to hers, but understanding what that means is another story. Sorting that out and making it work is complicated. He runs a criminal organization, and a certain lifestyle goes along with it. It also means that he has enemies. Moreover, Gage, his childhood best friend and partner in crime, has misgivings about the relationship. And then there is Calliope’s surprise visit. She believes that he is the same man that wouldn’t let her freely walk away all those years. A manipulating and controlling monster. She is concerned about Jagger. This forces him to dig deep and reexamine himself, and Callie’s warning about the FBI closing in adds to the impetus for real change in his life.

Jagger, twenty-six, considers agreeing to be Cash’s girlfriend. She knows that is a step that he won’t take lightly. Little by little, he shows her another side of himself. She is attracted to the dark side – the cold and ruthless monster that showed up at her shop demanding payment. But Cash begins to show her glimpses of a softer side as well. He is capable of kindness to her and generosity to those she loves. She decides to go with her heart, but that decision makes her more vulnerable. She is more involved in his business now, and as a result she comes face to face with Athena again. Four years earlier Athena had put a gun to her head. But Athena is a valued member of the organization, so Jagger is expected to get along with her. Calliope calls after years of silence, hoping to convince Jagger to leave. And Emeline struggles with Jagger’s choice, causing friction in their friendship. With so many opposed to their happiness, the prospects of a happy ending look dim.

Cash and Jagger’s relationship faces challenges once they finally get together. They mix business and pleasure, which confuses matters. Cash struggles with himself when it comes to Jagger. He wants her, but he has never allowed a woman any element of control in his life before. On a side note, the story of Cash and Gage’s friendship and their history relating to Chelle is touching. It shows a different side of both men and adds to happy ending.

There are a few issues that merit mention. *Spoilers* Cash claims to never have had a real girlfriend before, with the slight exception of Callie, which had been understood to be temporary. He also claims that he is monogamous in a relationship, yet he never offers a distinction between ‘girlfriends’ and ‘relationships.’ Next, although the FBI is closing in on Cash, he is not concerned about having Jagger lay low to avoid being swept up in the melee. Additionally, Em and Jag’s falling out did not feel authentic. Emelie’s overreaction seemed out of character. Finally, the ending fails to take into account Cash’s vision for a happy ending.

Cash and Jagger’s duet ends as outside forces closes in on the couple. Cash enters Jagger’s life looking for revenge but instead finds himself a changed man. Their story is nicely written and plot-driven. The characters are intriguing. The story is written in first person. The POV alternates between Cash and Jagger. I rate this book four stars.

I received an advance copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Absolute Power Duet #1-2

Absolute Power Duet Box Set

Jeana E. Mann

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Jeana E. Mann

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