Rating: 4 Stars

Publisher: Self-Published

Genre: Dark Het Romance 

Tags: Morally Ambiguity, Kink, Alpha Anti-Hero, Good Girl/Bad Guy *TW Violence, etc 

Length: 141 Pages 

Reviewer: Kazza

Purchase At: amazon (**but you can’t purchase it anymore) 

Blurb:

Sloane

I’m not safe.

I haven’t been safe for a while now.

I ran to Zeth for protection, but Zeth is in danger himself. With Julio on one side, and the leader of the Widow Makers MC on the other, the smartest thing to do would be to run. I’ve been running long enough, though.
This is the closest I’ve come to finding my sister in two years.
I can’t back down now.

Zeth

My right hand man’s being tortured in the basement.

The guy who tried to buy Sloane’s virginity is burning rubber in our direction.
My psychotic boss is on a mission to find me, and the girl I’m supposed to be keeping safe has landed herself right in the middle of all of this.
Just another breezy weekend in the Californian desert.

What could possibly go wrong in the next 48 hours?

Review:

The weirdest thing has happened since I purchased Deviant and Fracture. The entire Blood & Roses series has disappeared off Amazon. The paperback also shows up as not currently available. It’s not on the author’s website either. It’s simply gone. Not good for me because this is a serialised story and I’ve only read 2 of the 6 books that were published. I’m rather WTF?! is going on right now. Maybe the author is looking at consolidating this series but that doesn’t assist me at this reading juncture.   

I’ve spent time on a review of Deviant, book #1. I’m spending time on a review of Fracture… BUT you can’t seem to buy it so bare that in mind. I’m feeling a bit like Zeth trying to get some info right now, maybe insert book for box.  

“The most important thing about this box,” I say, shaking it from side to side again, “is that right now it’s closed. It has something inside it that I want. Just like you. You have something inside you, Andreas. And just like this box, I’m going to open you up and reach inside and take it.” 

Sloane now has Lacy living with her. She’s a female friend of Zeth’s that Sloane can’t quite understand the relationship dynamic of. It comes out later in this book. It’s not concrete. Lacy is an unreliable narrator, so…. Lacy sees Sloane’s friend, who’s a shrink, at Zeth’s request demand and on all on Sloane’s time. While Sloane feels a tad protective of Lacy, she’s a reminder of the complexity of Zeth’s life, which is really the antithesis of being a doctor. Still, Sloane’s hooked on him. He rocks her sexual world and leaves her mind on high rotation of hate-love-hate-love. Although no declarations are even close to being uttered.   

Zeth leaves Seattle to go to California where he believes Sloane’s sister, Lexi, is being held at (I guess)  a cartel’s property. Let’s put it this way, they’re bad people. He also believes Charlie, Zeth’s boss in his crime organisation, is being paranoid and lately a tad suspicious of Zeth, whereas previously Zeth has always been the go-to henchman for Charlie’s big issues. Charlie’s doing a lot of lines lately and he’s clearly being paranoid. Zeth can’t worry a whole lot about the fact Charlie seems to want to eighty-six him right now because he has a head full of Sloane and needs to find ways to rescue her sister. Plus, he also has to have sex with her, Fracture being a sexy dark romance and all. 

So Sloane has to work, babysit Lacy, deal with her best friend’s (rational) dislike of Zeth, and have sex that is always on the freaky side with her big bad alpha arsehole before he leaves Seattle. Not to mention there’s an attempt to kidnap both Sloane and Lacy. Now she has to get the hell out of Seattle. She’s on the run with Lacy, and guess where Sloane is going? Bingo, baby! California. If you can’t beat them join them. It’s made all the worse because it’s clear to Julio, the compound bad guy where Zeth is staying, that Zeth actually has feelings for Sloane who is supposed to be nothing more that a plus one at Julio’s upcoming fuck-a-paloooza. ——>

Julio also seems weird around Zeth, and he’s torturing one of Zeth’s own crew, Michael. Julio doesn’t know who Michael is, just some guy taking photos of his (trafficked) women. Zeth knows Michael will be fine. He’s been through this shit before. Crazy life, right? ‘Says here on your CV, Michael, your specialities include surviving various torture techniques. Great skillset.’ My mind. It goes to strange places while reading.       

I’ve been really enjoying this novella/serialised Blood & Roses series before the rug got pulled out from under me. I like Callie Hart’s style – unapologetic pedal to the metal, go for broke dark. Fracture finishes up in the air but because this isn’t anywhere mainstream to buy right now, I’m potentially on a forced hiatus unless one of my friends has it and can loan it to me. 

Zeth Mayfair doesn’t see me as someone to fall in love with. Right now he needs to see me as a hooker in order to get us out of this jam, and he needs everyone else to see me that way, too.
Well, you know what, buddy? I say to myself, smiling grimly over the use of that nickname. You want a fucking hooker? I’ll give you a fucking hooker. 

You go, Sloane! Good luck with that plan. Hopefully I’ll get a copy of book #3 and see you on the other side, girl. 4 Stars!