THE PLAN:
* Smuggle diamonds from Liberia to Morocco
* Make the trip in three days
* Don’t get caught
* Don’t kill each other
* Don’t have sex with each other
* Don’t fall for each other
* STICK TO THE PLAN
This is the story of what happens when an unlikely bond is formed between enemies, causing tensions to rise, and igniting a chemistry that threatens to burn them both. Together, … threatens to burn them both. Together, they’ll learn that sometimes even the best laid plans can fail.
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Best Laid Plans is the best rom-com, romantic suspense, action and adventure story I have ever read. Seriously, that sounds like a mess, but honestly it is plotted out so flawlessly it was nothing short of brilliant.
The two MCs, Marc and Lily carry this story better than half way through the book, and then in walks, well, more like hand around your throat and gun to your head enters, Kingsley Law. The chemistry between these characters, first, Marc and Lily is amazing. As they prepare for their jobs, they are businesslike and friendly with a side of witty banter, but when their missions collide and things turn deadly, it’s gloves off, no holds barred, run for your life, kill or be killed attitudes, that result in some of the best character interaction I have ever read.
Lily is on a mission, out for revenge and is a delightful combination of all female and bad a$$ warrior. She knows how to handle herself and it isn’t long before big, alpha, mercenary, Marc gets a taste of just how well she can. Then throw in elite assassin, man whore, Kingsley Law and it’s non-stop entertainment. And hot, let’s not forget hot!
Just when you think Marc and Lily are finally able to take a breath…think again. The author leaves us at a natural break in the story and Lily is mad, looks like the mission has changed. I’m looking forward to Out of Plans. Bring it on Lily!
**Audio Review**
Just as good as I remember…
I was again completely sucked into the dark and scary world of pretty rocks…aka diamonds. Listening to Best Laid Plans was like listening to an action/adventure movie with a lot of blood. These two are so crazy that they’re crazy good together. Fist fights, spilling blood and holding guns to each other’s heads is common…and more times than not, it’s Lilly leaving the most damage. This story is so outside of my normal reads but I’m completely enthralled. It’s sexy, fast-paced and very entertaining.
I didn’t mind the female narrator when she was reading Lilly’s part, but any other time made me cringe. Her performance of Marc sounded like he constantly needed to clear his throat, her accents just didn’t seem right, and Law sounded like a girl. The problem with Marc sounding really gravelly is that when the male narrator performed, his version of Marc was very smooth. It’s a female narrator so of course there’s a chance a male character is going to sound like a girl, but her version of Law was excessively girly. I liked the male narrator’s talking voice, it was easy to listen to and I had no problems identifying a character change.
If you’re looking for something a little bit different, have no issues with excessive violence, foul language and HOT sexy times, I highly recommend giving Best Laid Plains a go.
I will definitely be going back for more of The Mercenaries on audio, and at the bargain price of $2…ish (if you pre-own the kindle version), it will be sooner rather than later.
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**Kindle Review**
I wouldn’t want to meet these two in a back alley…
Some things I’ve learned/decided at the conclusion of Best Laid Plans…
Diamonds are not a girl’s best friend.
I do not want to be like Angelina Jolie in Tomb Raider anymore.
Lions and tigers are not the scariest animals in Africa, the two-legged upright ones are worse.
Be careful where you step in Africa, it’s a minefield.
And finally, if I have to visit Africa, I’ll make sure to do a defensive driving course first.
Wow, that was the longest running action movie ever. Bloody life got in the way and it took a lot longer to read than I planned. The times in between reading left me on edge feeling like if I didn’t hurry back, I’d miss something important. It was action-packed, smoking hot and exciting. You were constantly wondering what could possibly go wrong next. I was sucked into this tale from the very beginning to the end.
Some truths…the main characters are not goodies. They’re not even baddies trying to be good. They are trained killers and no one is safe. You could probably say that Lilly wasn’t all bad, especially compared to Marc. She was on a mission for justice and knew that there would be deaths, but she wasn’t keen on killing for the sake of killing. Marc on the other hand…don’t get in his way and don’t piss him off. He’s bad to the bone.
Lots and lots of violence with plenty of blood being spilt…on each other…by each other…to each other. Don’t worry about Lilly though, she can definitely hold her own. Very evil characters are introduced and it’s not always clear whether they are on your side or anyone’s side for that matter. Guns, knives and bombs are being used constantly, but some of the worst violence was in the hand to hand combat.
I really enjoyed this story and loved the main characters, Lilly and Marc. This was a very steamy read and I don’t think any of my smutty friends would be disappointed.
Kingsley was a great addition and I hope we get more of him in the future.
This is not a standalone, but the ending didn’t make me want to throw my kindle. The author promises that she doesn’t like to torture her readers, so I have high hopes the next instalment won’t be too far away.
My first 5 Star read of 2016! This was such a blast to read!!! Fun, non-stop action, and suspense with a huge helping of hotness! What a ride!!!! I can’t recommend this highly enough, With witty characters, and an action packed plot, this turned out to be a great alternative to the emotional and angsty romances I’ve been reading. Yes, this ends in a cliffie but the next one, Out of Plans, is already out.
Edited to add: The second read, two years later, was better than the first! These characters are every damn thing! I laughed, I cried and was holding on for dear life the whole way through. I don’t remember the last time I had this much fun reading a book. Oh wait, yes I do, two years ago when I first read this book.
AHMAHGAH this book is so awesome!! I seriously thought I was watching a movie. The nonstop action, the details and the story line. Nailed it! I felt like I was right up in there! Stuff going down over there, freaking explosive hotness going down over here and nail bitting action going down all over the place. Gah! So good!
This book got my blood pumping and I read this all in one sitting. Simply amazing! Can not wait for book 2.
Oh, and Kingsley Law (love that name btw)…you need your own book!!! *fingers crosses*
Marcelle and Liliana’s story was action packed. This book was fast paced, with all the hand-to-hand combat and the gun slinging, there was hardly any down time. I was glued to the pages of the book, riveted by all the action and the complexities of the characters.
Lily was a transporter for a Russian mafia family. She had one objective and no matter how careful her planning was, the instability of Africa combined with the unexpected company of Marc managed to consistently derail Lily’s plans. She was a fierce heroine.
She didn’t stand for any of Marc’s shit. If he doled it out she dished it right back. Lily’s status in the criminal underworld is on shaky ground, she’s still kind of new to the business and learning her way around, on top of that she’s got an end game of her own to handle. She’s not really in for the long haul, her game has an end-goal that’s rapidly approaching.
Marc on the other hand is definitely a career criminal. Being a mercenary is very much what defines Marc. His interactions with Lily travel a fine line of business and personal, Marc’s very familiar and comfortable on the business side of things but he’s less familiar with having personal relationships.
Well, personal relaionships with women, because, we did get to meet Marc’s “bestie” Kingsley. That man can hang around anytime. I could totally see why Lily wanted the three of them to stick together 😉