Deceit requires punishment.But what happens when the mark is innocent?Killian “Dagger” BedivereMy latest assignment has evolved into a game of deciphering whom to trust–the renowned politician who hired the Cavalieri Della Morte, or the runaway bride?She’s gorgeous, conniving, and everything I crave in a woman.She’s also my target.Rule number one: Never fall for the mark.Rule number two: Fck … target.
Rule number one: Never fall for the mark.
Rule number two: Fck rule number one.
Amara “Scarlet” Rose
I never wanted this world, but the decision wasn’t mine to make. I always belonged to him. Now there’s a new player on the board–one hell-bent on destroying all my plans.
He’s lethal, handsome, and everything I should fear.
Rule number one: Don’t trust anyone.
Rule number two: Do everything you can to survive, even if it means breaking rule number one.
And rule number three: When in doubt, kill.
* *
“Are you trying to play, darling? Because I should warn you, I’m not easily manipulated.”
However, men were easy creatures who adored sex. And I excelled at seduction. A requirement of my upbringing.
“What time are you delivering me to Malcom?” I asked, applying subtle pressure to his groin. Just enough to tease and to show I knew how to handle him.
“Whenever I want,” he replied, his voice deepening. “Dead or alive.”
“But I’m worth more to you alive.” The words were more for my benefit than for his. It meant he would be hesitant to stab me–at least fatally. Of course, I’d prefer to avoid it altogether.
He smiled. “You were listening. Good girl.”
I’m going to enjoy hurting you, I decided, my mouth curling with the thought. more
Dark, intense and action packed Scarlet Mark was a suspenseful read that kept me on my toes. As a highly trained knight of the Tabella della Morte Killian was fierce, brutal and ruthless. He had never missed a mark until a fiery redhead found herself in his crosshairs. Fierce, resilient and feisty Amara was an intriguing chameleon. Watching these two go toe-to- toe was captivating. I loved the witty banter they shared as the sparks between them caught flame. The intrigue, suspense and non-stop action woven throughout Scarlet Mark made for one bloody entertaining read and another amazing addition to this series.
Scarlet Mark by Lexi C. Foss is the 8th installment of the Cavalieri Della Morte Series but can be read as a standalone! Lexi Foss is another new-to-me author and from my understanding, she mostly writes paranormal romance so Scarlet Mark was her FIRST venture into the dark romantic suspense genre!
I am absolutely AMAZED by how flawlessly she executed this book! The writing was fabulous, the pace was perfect and because this book was a little longer then some of the others have been, the characters were really well developed, the suspense aspect and build up were executed perfectly. Seriously this was a total 5 star read for me and I would most definitely give more stars if I could! Told in dual POV.
Scarlet Mark is Killian and Amara’s story.
Killian ‘Dagger’ Bedivere, one of the 12 assassins of the Tabella Della Morte ran by Arthur Calthorpe. Killian’s specialty is mingling with the worlds elite while still blending into the shadows and finding those who don’t want to be found. When Killian gets his assignment, to find and return the U.S senators fiancé who ran off with half his bank account and left him humiliated at the altar, he assumes no problem, how hard can it be to track down one con woman?
Killian quickly finds that Amara Rose is anything but easy and his task is going to be a lot harder than he originally thought. But at last, after a few weeks, he finally finds her… in one of the last places he would have expected.
“Definitely not a meek damsel, no. But a confident woman with a cruel streak. My kind of mark. My kind of toy.”
Amara ‘Scarlet’ Rose was groomed to become the woman she is. She knows no other way of life. Amara has FINALLY escaped from the hell that she’s called home and she will do anything not to go back.
Killian knows something isn’t right… Amara Rose may be a seductress but she’s no con woman, she’s a woman running for her life. There’s something about the Senator’s story that just doesn’t add up. Now Killian’s left wondering… is his mark innocent?
Killian has to choose, does he believe the word of Amara?
Or does he complete the job and turn her over to the Senator?
You’ll have to read Scarlet’s Mark to find out!
“He wasn’t my knight. He wasn’t my savior. He was merely Killian. My Killian.”
OMFG, I absolutely loved Scarlet Mark! I swear this series just gets better and better and I am loving it! Yes, there are a few dark scenes, but the way it’s written is actually pretty tame compared to other dark reads. I don’t have any complaints, there is a warning, so if you aren’t into that type of stuff then don’t read it.
Killian is one of my favorite assassins! He’s a total badass and most definitely has a certain kink but he is one of a kind! The way he loves Amara and is so connected to her and able to give her exactly what she needs when she needs it *sigh* I’m really enjoying seeing all these badass men brought to their knees for the woman that need them, but yet still continuing to be their badass selves.
“Sir Bedivere. My dark night. My version of a hero. My… love.”
Amara, that girl is a survivor! The hell she has been through since she was 16 years old… But watching her grow and break out from the mold that she had been made into under the care and guidance of Killian was nothing short of amazing! She’s sexy and feisty and everything that I want to see in a heroine.
That ending, I’m not going to spoil it but again, PERFECT! Although there is no cliffhanger, I definitely feel like there could be more to Killian and Amara’s story, and I for one would absolutely LOVE to read it!
“Maybe that was what brought us close together-the fact that we surpassed all expectations and chose our own routes. Me, an assassin. Her, a warrior. The perfect pairing.”
These two together, HOLY CHEMISTRY! They couldn’t be more opposites if they tried but yet it’s clear as day from the very beginning that they have major chemistry! The sex scenes, HOLY HOTNESS! These two didn’t even have to be having sex for the scenes to melt your screen!
I LOVED getting to see Niko from Cora Kenborn‘s installment, Darkest Deeds: A Dark Russian Mafia Standalone (Les Cavaliers de l’ombre). Darkest Deeds is one of my top favorites from this series so that was a huge plus for me!
The best part of this series for me has been being introduced to so many AMAZING authors that otherwise I may not have checked out, I’m not very big on paranormal BUT I will be checking out more of Lexi’s work and I most definitely hope she continues to write more in this genre!
The writing was excellent, the pace was perfect, there are so many twists that you won’t even see them coming, I HIGHLY recommend Scarlet’s Mark!
“He found me. Held me captive. But I captured the most valuable item of all- the heart of an assassin. Of my assassin. And I would never be letting him go.”
I voluntarily reviewed an advance complimentary copy of this book.
The Scarlet Mark by Lexi C. Foss was the perfect romantic suspense novel to quench my thirst for something on the darker side. I’m an avid fan of Lexi’s books. Her writing style always leaves me excited for what’s coming out next. If you’ve ever enjoyed any of her books I’m willing to bet this one will be your next new favorite. If you’re new to Lexi’s books buckle up and enjoy the ride because her books just keep getting better!!
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When the assassin Killian “Dagger” Bedivere acquires his newest mark, the alluring Amara Rose, he soon realizes there is much more to the story behind his recent target. Amara Rose is on the run from her former fiancé and a secret underground world of high society. Trusting the assassin hired to kill her has now become the only way to ensure her survival. He’s got the knives, she has the knowledge, and together they’re going to make people pay for their sins.
Do you enjoy romantic suspense? If you’re answer is yes then go get your copy today! I swear you won’t regret it!!
Wowsers, this might not be the darkest or grittiest of the series but it is by far and away the most compelling and believable love story of the bunch
Lexi C. Foss is a fairly “new-to-me” author. I read the beginning of an as yet unpublished romantic suspense in an anthology, which I really enjoyed. However you still have those ‘Was it a fluke?’, ‘Will I enjoy this?’, ‘What if I hate it?’ questions running through your head. No it wasn’t a fluke, yes I DID enjoy it and thankfully the last one wasn’t even a possibility.
Whilst Scarlet Mark contains some dark themes, it isn’t a particularly dark read per se. However that ISN’T a criticism. This story didn’t need to be dark, in fact I’m pretty certain it would have spoilt what is an absolutely fantastic romantic suspense. Not just that but it is one heck of an emotion filled love story too.
Whilst I have enjoyed the Cavalieri Della Morte series, not many of the books have totally convinced me of the MC’s love for each other. Not only did I believe in the love between Amara and Killian, I felt it. The emotion in this book is so convincing you could almost touch it. My heart raced when we were in danger, my stomach clenched and blood ran cold when we relived the most dreadful of memories, my pulse pounded as the lust flowed through our bloodstream and I fell in love with Amara and Killian as they fell in love with one another.
For me the main reason this book didn’t feel to dark AND the reason I loved it so much was Killian. He is a man who lives on the edge of right and wrong, but he was a man with morals, a man with a good heart and a man who would raze the world to it’s foundation for the woman he loved. He was alpha, he was edgy, he was dominant and dark but most importantly he was respectful and thoughtful.
Amara was just as wonderful, complex and rounded a character as Killian. I loved that she didn’t morph overnight into some bad ass killing machine. The scene in the playroom at the masquerade ball, oh my word that scene broke a part of me. That scene, that vulnerability, that damage, hurt and terror, it was perfect in its honesty. It was real and it wasn’t the only time this book shook my emotions and made me feel.
I’m almost tearing my hair out in frustration at my inability to produce a review that does this book justice. Once started, this was a book that I just wanted to keep reading, not just to the end but forever. Not once, not one single time, did I want to set it aside or skip parts. There was too much happening, the writing was too engaging, the plot too fascinating and the characters too compelling to do anything other than read. EVERY. SINGLE. WORD.
If you only chose to read one book from the series, make it this one. If you love romantic suspense read this book. If you like books with dark themes read it. Read it if you just enjoy a bloody good love story with well written and believable characters. In fact if you enjoy romance books of any genre or trope READ THIS, you won’t regret it.
This was my first book by this incredibly talented author and it will definitely not be my last. I dove in head first and never looked back. Dark, twisted, suspenseful, steamy and oh so good.
Her dark knight
Dagger’s skill set is to locate people that disappear. When he’s given the assignment to locate Amara, it’s not until later that he realises that he’s bitten off more than he can chew. Firstly, it takes him a few weeks to locate her and then when he does….things take a different path. Finally, when they do meet again…he’s not as certain as he was when he took the assignment.
This book is a dark and twisty tale that will keep you enthralled to the very end. I have to admit I tried to spread it out over a few days so that I didn’t finish it too quickly, but I have to admit that Lexi outdid herself writing this one…it was absolute perfection
A big thank you to Lexi for my advanced copy for which I voluntarily leave my honest review.
I believe this is the author’s first foray into Romantic Suspense, and all I can say is WOW, because this book was nothing short of brilliant.
The writing is fluid, the story utterly believable, the fight scenes so well done that they played out like a movie in my head.
Yes it’s dark. Yes the subject matter is uncomfortable, but the author deals with it so incredibly well, Amara’s past told through a series of flashbacks and inner dialogue that, while detailed in parts, are not graphic. They don’t make you shudder and close the book, desperate for a break from the horror on the page. I give the author a well-deserved pat on the back for that.
Killian was a terrifically rounded character. Yes he changes and grows in parallel to his growing attraction to Amara, but by the end, he’s fundamentally the same assassin we’re introduced to at the beginning. I loved that the author didn’t diminish him simply because of Amara.
I’d love to hear more from these characters. Whatever Lexi C. Foss decides to do in the future, I do hope she writes more in this genre—because she ROCKED it.
This series literally gets better and better with each book!! I’m in love with Killian! Killian “Dagger” Bedivere is one of Arthur Calthorpe’s Assassins. When he is tasked to find a missing girl, Amara “Scarlet” Rose, who stole alot of money from a senator, Killian is told to track her down and bring her back. Not his usual assignment. When he finally finds Amara she is anything but your average con as he was told but everything isn’t always as it seems when Arthur is in charge. Can he do what he was hired to do or will this mark be more than he bargained for? Amara aka Scarlet Rosalind was in hiding from her ex fiancé. Working at Diavolo Rojo, an exclusive sex club for the wealthy with specific tastes, she thought she got away until one sexy and mysterious Assassin finds her. She will do anything not to go back to where she ran from. Can she convince Killian of the truth or will his loyalty to the Cavalieri be to strong a hold. These two were hot together! This is the 8th book in the Cavalieri Della Morte Series but can be read as a standalone. Told in dual POV
Oh yes! Lexi C. Foss has done it again, her dark, sexy, dangerous and enthralling writing sucked me in right away and had me constantly guess and biting my nails. These characters are perfect Amara and Killian are kindred spirits and fit so perfectly together. This whole story was full of suspense and action packed, while being layered with steamy sexual tension, witty banter, and intriguing twists in the plot. Very entertaining read!