WHISKEY SHARP:  UNRAVELED - Lauren Dane
Whiskey Sharp -  Book 1
HQN
ISBN-13:  978-0-373-79938-1
February 2018
Romantic Suspense

Seattle, Washington - Present day

Maybe Dolan is pure punk rock.  She's also smart and sexy, changes her hair color on a whim, and talks a blue streak around friends.  And she has a huge crush on her boss, Alexsei Petrov.  Tall, burly, and too handsome for his own good, Alexsei owns Whiskey Sharp, an old-fashioned barber shop with a part-time bar at one end where patrons can relax during the happy hour.  He and Maybe have worked together for a little over two years now, ever since Alexsei's Aunt Irena sent Maybe into the shop to apply for a job that didn't exist.  So, Alexsei hired Maybe, and just like that, she brought happiness back into his life.    

Alexsei was mesmerized by Maybe from the moment she stepped through the door.  He's danced around his feelings since then; there never seems to be a right time to ask her out.  Likewise, Maybe has been waiting for him to make his move.  Finally, in between clients, she boldly asks Alexsei out.  They need to see if this attraction will last or if the sparks will die once they get physical.  They've both had their share of dates, mostly non-committal hook-ups, but Alexsei has been free of his fiancé for over eight months now, and Maybe wants to get on with the program.  So, now that they've made the decision to date, will they connect romantically, and will their current, casual friendship be able to stand the test?

WHISKEY SHARP: UNRAVELED is so much more than just a romance.  Maybe and Alexsei have a connection that is hotter than fire, and they are bound together by much more than just their working status.  Maybe and her sister, Rachel, own a house together right across the street from Irena Orlov, Alexsei's aunt.  Irena and her husband, Pavel own a bakery right around the corner from WHISKEY SHARP, where they work with their son, Vicktor, and their daughter, Evie.  Maybe's sister Rachel, a former FBI agent, now works as a tattoo artist down the street from the bakery, at Ink Sisters, with their best friend Cora.  A plethora of other secondary characters bring the reader a rich back-story and sense of comfort that wraps right around you like a loving hug.

Both Maybe and Rachel thrive under the Irena's watchful eye.  Irena took them both under her motherly wing not long after they moved into the house across the street, and it's the first time either sister has experienced a real feeling of family togetherness.  Their parents were distant, and Rachel was always their favorite.  When she went East to college, Maybe was only sixteen when she was forced to run away from home in Los Angeles to live in Spokane with her Aunt Robbie.  Some years later, Rachel, then a successful FBI agent, was kidnapped and spent months under in a hospital, while Maybe stood as her protector from all things that might hurt her, mainly their parents.  Now, their father, Richard Dolan, who has little use for his youngest daughter, is attempting to gain legal control of Rachel, claiming that she is living under the duress of Maybe's bad influence.  All this brings out Alexsei's protective nature, and even though he is sometimes bossy, he is right there, protecting Maybe with love. 

WHISKEY SHARP: UNRAVELED is the first book in Lauren Dane's  Whiskey Sharp Trilogy , and it is a winner!  Next up is WHISKEY SHARP: JAGGED, released March 27, 2018, (watch for that review!), followed by WHISKEY SHARP: TORN coming in June 2018. 

White-hot romance, lots of edge-of-your-seat drama, and a little mystery grace the pages of WHISKEY SHARP: UNRAVELED.  Alexsei and Maybe share passion and love that is off the charts, nearly lighting the pages on fire.  Do not miss this great story!

Diana Risso