RUTHLESS - Lexi Blake
Lawless , Book 1
Berkley
ISBN: 978-0-425-28357-8
August 2016
Contemporary Romance

New York City - Present Day

Riley Lang has lived his entire life by the plan he and his siblings created to get vengeance for their parents' murders, and it's finally paying off. He's gotten himself into StratCast, the company owned by two of the men who planned his mother's and father's deaths, now he just needs to tank the stock so he and his brother can buy it up for cheap and dismantle the company. Every eventuality was accounted for. But no one could have planned for Ellie Stratton, daughter to one of the men Riley hates.

Ellie just wants to buy out her father's business partner so she can turn the company into something so much better, and her new lawyer, Riley, is exactly who she needs to help everything run smoothly. But she didn't plan to like him, let alone fall in love with him. Breaking her heart she might forgive, but he lost her trust the second she learned about his plan to destroy her company, and that is something she can never get over. But her father's partner isn't planning to give up control so easily, and he has some revenge of his own to dish out. When Ellie is arrested as part of the partner's plan to get rid of any competition, she has to rely on the very last person she ever wanted to see, Riley Lang.

Lexi Blake deserves a round of applause for taking such a complex plot and making it so easy to get into and to follow. Riley and his siblings have an endgame in mind, and nothing will stray them from the target—at least until the whole family falls for Ellie Stratton. Riley can't imagine his life without her, and his brothers and sister are eager to add another strong player to their side. I fell in love with Riley and his whole family, and with the trials they went through as kids, it's no wonder they're desperate for revenge.

This book is so engrossing, it's impossible to put down. Not only will the characters get under your skin, but the complex plot and schemes are enough to give your brain a thorough workout. This book may be listed as contemporary romance, but it has more than enough suspense included to appease the readers who need a little dangerous excitement with their love story.

RUTHLESS will be followed by SATISFACTION, coming January 2017, featuring Riley's younger brother Bran. You won't want to miss it!

Amanda Toth