STANDALONE CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
No matter how unbreakable he may seem, every man has a weakness.
A year ago, my home became a bloodstained crime scene. That night marked the beginning of my hell—the same night I was tortured by my enemies and tossed into an underground prison to die.
They failed. I survived.
Now that I’m free, only one motive burns in my soul: revenge.
Lucky for me, they … soul: revenge.
Lucky for me, they think Jase Hawkins is dead. Maybe I am. I’ve got nothing but a cold, merciless rage, and Black Betty, the sharp steel blade that never leaves my side.
Then she drifts into my life.
Lucia wants answers—so much so, she’s willing to fall into the darkness where my enemies lie in wait, to kill her for what she knows.
Or to take her for the depraved fantasies her body alone can rouse in a man’s mind.
Me? I want her for the fire in her touch that feeds my addiction, forces me to feel what has become numb, but my appetite for bloodshed runs deeper than flesh.
For my own sanity, I’ve vowed to stay away from her. Because she’s my only weakness, an obsession that leaves me craving more—one that could make even the most steadfast plan backfire.
**Not recommended for readers under the age of 18. Trigger warning for violence, drug abuse and scenes of rape and torture.
BACKFIRE is a spin-off of RICOCHET and can be read as a standalone.
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Backfire was a gritty story set against the grim backdrop of a city devoid of hope. Detroit is colored with dilapidated and abandoned buildings, a huge surge in corruption, and underground crimes committed in broad daylight. It’s a scary world to live in and Keri Lake gave me all of the twists and turns I was hungry for.
One night, Jase lost all that he held dear. After living a life of struggle and strife, things come to a head and his family pays the ultimate price. For almost a year, he’s a slave to the man who took everything from him. His only way out is taking on a suicide mission, one that will get him the revenge he so desperately desires.
Lucia has developed somewhat of an obsession with an urban explorer who takes risks she’d never dream of. She follows him everywhere while taking pictures and videos for a local paper. One day, she witnesses something she really shouldn’t have and is now being hunted for what she knows. Terrified, she tries to right this wrong, but those bad guys aren’t the only ones on her tail. Kidnapped by someone she believes to be a member of the most dangerous crime ring in the city, she’s determined not only to survive, but to take them all down.
I’m not gonna lie… I didn’t have a lot of love for Lucy. She did so many things that I can’t stand for heroines to do. Even Jase called her out:
“Come on, brainy.” He slid his jacket up over his massive shoulders. “Don’t you have any street smarts?”
Yeah… no. She had absolutely NONE!! She constantly talked and thought about how strong and fearless and capable she was. I’m still not convinced. You’re by the side of a confirmed killer. Jase doesn’t just talk about it… you’ve watched him do it! And like the brat you are, when he makes you angry (although you have no reason to be angry), you act out and put yourself in danger. You even put him in danger! WTH?! I would never say this in real life, but you got what you got because you put yourself in that position. The saying goes ‘when you’re looking for trouble, trouble will find you’. And yet this chick was surprised that so many people wanted her dead.
If not for Jase and the fact that he was so hooked on this girl, I would want her to end up in a ditch. No joke. But that’s not how kinda sorta happy endings work, right? Backfire was more than worth my aggravation and I can’t wait to continue this series. I’m hoping to see the original vigilante again. Part of me hopes that all of these anti-heroes meet up as a united front against their biggest foe yet in the ultimate throwdown!
Fate…it’s an amazing and twisted thing.
Likewise, this book….
Every once in a while, there comes along that book, you know the one, it’s starts a bit slow and you have your doubts and then…what the !? Yes, I confess, I’m sitting here staring at this screen, trying to string words together that will in some way do justice to the brilliance of the message in this book. Fate. For Jase and Lucia, theirs were destined to include the other, there can be no doubt.
Throughout the course of this story, my heart hurt, broke, got glued back together and exploded (the good and the bad way). My hands shook, with anger and frustration and fear. My mind’s eye saw, things inflicted…no human or animal should ever be subjected to. To say this book elicited feels would be a gross understatement, these characters were love and hate, strength and weakness, dark and light, determination and hopelessness…and if this….if this, is not what a good book is supposed to do, make you think and feel, then I want to keep doing Keri Lake’s brand of wrong for as long as she wants to keep doing it.
I absolutely loved this book and it kept me on the edge of my seat the whole read. I loved this group of characters. Keri has such a talent of making us “feel” what the characters are feeling. With that being said, this book is not for the faint of heart in regards to violence and brutality as she warns in her note to readers (both to humans and animals). I can’t even begin to describe the sheer emotion that was felt throughout this read. Then, there’s the whole idea of fate that was prominent throughout- just makes you wonder sometimes……Great book!
I didn’t want shelter or safety from his storm. I wanted to be swept up and taken away, spiraling out of control with him.
Another stunner from the fabulous Keri Lake. Keri has become one of those rare authors whose words speak directly to my soul. I want to wrap myself in them and just revel in their beauty and pain. Any lover of dark romance needs to have this author on their must read list.
In this story, Jase and Lucia’s worlds clash in the most violent ways. Love is never easy and often heartbreaking but for Jase and lucia, love is brutal, raw and almost too painful to bare. The fates will not be denied, as this couple finds that their lives are more tangled than either of them realize. Their story is not an easy one but stick with it because it’s also beautifully emotional and so, so compelling.
This is only my second read by Keri but I will be quickly reading everything she has to offer. Though Backfire can be read as a standalone, do yourself a favor and read Ricochet as well.
4.5 stars
Backfire is book 2 in the Vigilantes series. While each book is stand alone they are set in the same dark and depressing world, I think reading them in order gives you the full experience. Jase and Lucy are the main characters of Backfire. Jase has been held prisoner for 11 months and has been given the opportunity to avenge his family that were killed. He believes Lucy plays a part in all of this so he kidnaps her. What he is unprepared for is his intense attraction to Lucy or the fact that she is part of his past. Lucy is an underground photographer and unfortunately she witnesses something that brings her to the attention of a group of men that torture and rape woman on film. Like most of Keri’s books this one was dark and at times heartbreaking. There is so much betrayal and everyone has a role to play. I can’t wait for Dax’s story.