“Love cannot live where there is no trust.” — Edith HamiltonI’m just a simple girl from a poor background, who loves with all her heart and has the best of intentions. Falling in love with Cash Delacorte was never a life goal. The former gang leader turned ruthless billionaire holds all of my power. He owns me—body, soul, and bank account.The problem? I like it. I crave his touch in the dark of … his touch in the dark of night. I long to hear his whispered dirty words in my ear when we make love. Most of all, I trust him to do what’s right for me. Because that’s what we do when we’re in love, right? We trust the wrong people. We make bad decisions. And we sacrifice our souls to make them happy.
Now, with the FBI breathing down our necks and a million dollars in stolen jewels on the line, the power rests in my hands. One word from me can bring Cash’s empire crashing down around him. Does he trust me enough to save us both or will his need for power ruin the only love I’ve ever known?
USA Today bestselling author Jeana E. Mann brings the heat in this dark and suspenseful romance.
This is BOOK TWO of a duet and is intended to be read after ABSOLUTE POWER.
These books are written in the worlds of THE EXILED PRINCE TRILOGY, THE REBEL QUEEN DUET, and THE RUTHLESS KNIGHT. You do not need to read the other books to enjoy the ABSOLUTE POWER DUET.
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Absolute Trust is the conclusion of the Absolute Power duet. It opens with Jagger thinking that she is done with Cash. But she finds herself immersed in a world of diamonds and the fireworks that Cash ignites within her. Jagger isn’t done with him. Not by a long shot. She wants him and will anything to keep him.
In Absolute Power, there was the very confusing dichotomy that is Cash Delacorte … light versus dark. The dark side dominated and it was confusing when Cash revealed his lighter side. Well, we just didn’t know that Cash had claimed Jagger the moment he first saw her. Unbeknownst to her, Jagger has Cash wrapped around her finger. Cash is ready to do whatever it takes to win Jagger over permanently. “I won’t stop trying to win you over. Even when you are mine.”
This fast-paced story filled with intrigue, drama, twists, and love. Almost all of our questions are answered, and we get a glimpse of friends from the past. Overall, I would definitely recommend Absolute Trust.
Thank you to the author for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is the 2nd part of this amazing duet and Cash and Jagger’s story. The FBI are after Cash and are willing to use Jagger to get to him. Cash may be a possessive, domineering, and dangerous man, but when is comes to Jagger he is sweet and will go to any means to keep her safe and happy. The chemistry between these two is explosive, but Jagger understandably has trust issues after a series of bad decisions along the way. This is a well written story which is filled with drama, twists, and love, and I was addicted throughout this riveting page turner, and I look forward to reading more from this talented author in the future. I highly recommend this thrilling duet for all readers.
This is the second book in the Absolute Power duet and the conclusion to Cash and Jagger’s story. As time goes on Jagger is pulled more and more into Cash’s world and we slowly see a softer side to him. I liked that the story continued at a fast pace. The danger and intrigue is still a major part but it takes a back seat to the evolution of their relationship. I still feel like I am missing a huge chunck of Cash’s story because we don’t learn much about his past. Jagger does grow throughout this book and shows more of the strength I felt was missing from her personality. I still find the situation with her sister a little weird but there is no denying the chemistry between Cash and Jagger but can she really trust him?
The first book of this duet was an uncertain like for me, I wasn’t entirely sure how I felt about Cash Delacorte. Jagger was a good girl with dark impulses, she had a kind and generous heart, she was passionate and kinky, and she loved to do cons. Her look of innocence, of the nice girl next door, hiding her mischievous and sassy side, was perfect for keeping Cash on his toes. No wonder he was falling for her!
“What started out as a vendetta against my ex-girlfriend has turned into a fascination with her little sister. Of all the women in the world, why does it have to be Jagger? The more I know about her, the more I want to know. She’s sassy and smart and unapologetic.”
In this book, the author developed the characters much better and I did get a feeling for Cash and liked him. When he was with Calliope, he was a full-fledged criminal. However, he was edging out of that lifestyle, and when he started falling for Jagger, it cemented his decision to go legit. Their problem: the FBI was on his tail, and therefore, Jagger was a person of interest to them.
Emeline, Jagger’s best friend and roomie, also gets involved the way all best friends do, by being nosy and opinionated and stubborn. Mr. Mercer adds a lot of heart to this story and I loved his participation. He and Jagger have a father/daughter relation and he gives her the love and acceptance she never had because she never knew her father. And as she gets closer to Cash and his sidekick Cage, she starts to form a family circle which is completed with her Chihuahua Lucy. I loved the scene where Cage buys Lucy a frilly pink sweater because, as he says: “Cash keeps the air conditioning so damn cold in here. The poor girl was shivering.”
Poor Jagger is taking hits from all sides; her jewelry business that she shares ownership with Mr. Mercer is in shambles, and Mr. Mercer is being discharged from the hospital. The FBI is after her. Emeline doesn’t approve of her relation with Cash. She has a lot of balls in the air and she needs to sort it all out.
There’s a lot of fun times, sexy times, a surprise visit from someone in Jagger’s past, complications from all sides, and suspense because everyone is unsure how it will all end. We all hope that Cash will be able to do away with his illegal business and make a good life with Jagger. Times are tense. There are a lot of elements and people in their life who are making it hard for them. I was feverishly reading, anxious to read how it all ended and was not disappointed in the resolution.
Contrary to the first installment, this time I did see how their love grew and evolved, how they turned their group of friends and allies into a family circle, and I got invested into their future. It was fun and scary at times, a great thrilling read!
This is 2nd book in the duet and it does come with a HEA after some twists and turns, shocking revelations, several crimes and betrayals. The addition of new characters are well done and complements the plot and story line. In the beginning of the book Cash is still being a jerk, even after he realizes he loves Jagger. He actually gets a conscience and every time tries to make it up to Jagger, I forgave him a bit for being a jerk until at the ends he totally redeems himself. The ending was a bit of a surprise but fitting and I am excited to read the Em and Gage’s story. Loved the book highly recommend reading it.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
* I received an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review *
Once I’ve made up my mind, I seldom change it. I want her, and I’ll stop at nothing to get her. The harder she fights, the greater my desire.
Sometimes I have a hard time when reading multiple books in a story. Once I finish the book and time passes, I sometimes am not as entranced by the storyline because there is a bit of a disconnect. This happened a little bit for me with the second book.
”I want to know you’re with me because you want me. Not because I forced you.”
I know this may be strange, but I love the way we saw Cash in the first book. While I was not a fan of how he was treating Jagger, the physical attraction between them was hot! Maybe if we did not see his POV it would have left more of a mystery. He seemed to fall for her pretty fast. On the other hand, we barely knew anything about him besides the little bits we heard of his past. The only thing we got to see was him talking about Jagger so it would have been nice to have a little more depth to his character.
”You’ve been mine since the day I walked into your gallery.”
While this book had its drama, I really wish there were some dramatic event that filled us with fear that the relationship is over. I thought that was going to happen when she was at the park but that kind of fell short for me. I am always impatient when I am waiting for the next book in a series especially when the last one ended with a cliffhanger. While a few things were missing for me I still think this was a good book and duet. These are just personal preferences so do not let it take away how good the book was.
Steamy And Suspenseful! Cash And Jagger’s Duet Ends As Outside Forces Close In On The Couple.
This is the second book in the Absolute Power duet which is Cash and Jagger’s story. It is a spin-off of the stand-alone novel The Ruthless Knight. It is not necessary to have read that book first.
From The Ruthless Knight:
Calliope Jones, twenty-eight, escaped a horrible childhood only to discover the man that saved her was no hero. Abandoned by her father and left to be raised by a mother constantly in and out of rehab for a heroin addiction, Calliope was often left with the various men who came and went in her mother’s life. She was molested, forced into dancing at strip clubs, and finally prostitution. When Cash found her, she thought she found a savior in him. They dated for years and he taught her how to run cons, but she eventually realized he used her the same way she had been used before. She wants out, but he claims she owes him and won’t let go. Silently plotting her escape for a decade, she only needs the right opportunity to present itself to steal away and disappear from his wrath.
Roman Menshikov’s Masquerade de Marquis at his London club is her chance out. Things go awry first when Jagger, her twenty-two year old sister who is supposed to be waiting in their hotel room, talks her way into participating on the job. The sisters had been separated in their youth when their grandmother kicked Calliope out of her home along with their drug-addicted mother, but the sisters had since reunited. Calliope desperately wants to keep Jag away from her criminal life, but Jagger appears to be a natural so she gives in it at the last minute. Athena, Cash’s current squeeze, is part of the team but she isn’t a team player. Calliope and Jagger manage to escape, then Calliope leaves her sister at Heathrow Airport with instructions for beginning a new life and a key to a safe deposit box. She regrets abandoning her sister, but separating is the safest option.
Months into her new life as a bartender in Cleveland, Calliope notices a suspicious man lingering as closing approaches. She is too well-trained to panic, but she knows her cover is blown. Outsmarted, she finds herself held captive not by Cash, but by Mr. Big, as she had called him, from her last job at the London location of Devil’s Playground. The two have incredible chemistry, which is unfortunate given the circumstances. When Sir Nikolay Reznik Tarnovsky takes Calliope to certain death at Valentina’s hands as punishment for a job she participated in years earlier, he feels sorry for her. But Nicky’s family has been threatened and he has no choice. Although he delivers as required, Valentina is not finished with him yet. She sets about a twisted game of torture with Nicky and Calliope. Months later Cash happens upon the couple as they dine at one of Nicky’s restaurants in Manhattan. He wants the money that Calliope owes him, but Nicky makes it clear that she is off limits before having Cash escorted out.
From Absolute Power (book one of the duet):
Cash Delacorte is charming, cunning, terrifying, and merciless. He makes people disappear and he runs cons – mostly cash and jewel thefts. He owns the people that work for him. He does a favor, comes on nice, but soon his targets find themselves indebted with no way out. Calliope had been indebted to him, but she walked away after a dozen years, and she owes him. He wants revenge. Payback. Unfortunately, she is untouchable. But when her younger sister Jagger comes on his radar, all is fair game.
Jagger Jones, twenty-six, hasn’t seen her sister since separating with her at Heathrow Airport four year ago. She feels abandoned, but she understands why Calliope keeps her distance. Jagger moved around a bit over the years and finally made a friend in Emeline – her coworker, roommate, and trusted friend for two years. She went through a particularly difficult time with Kyle, an ex that roughed her up, but with Emeline’s support she weathered it. She made a home for herself in Baxter’s Corner, Indiana. Once settled, she used her sister’s money to buy a modest home and a small part of Mercer’s Fine Jewelry and Art Gallery, the shop in which she works. Mr. Mercer, and older man without family, had become a father figure to her. He also taught her about jewelry. But Jagger had gotten complacent about her situation when she decided to earn some extra cash on the side.
When Cash walks into Jagger’s life demanding his money, Jagger doesn’t consider calling Calliope. She had spent too much time trying to get away from him. And besides, it was Jagger herself who spent the money – she just hadn’t realized that it belonged to Cash. Despite the fear he triggers, Jagger cannot help but feel attracted to Cash, and he seems to feel the same about her.
In Absolute Trust (book two of the duet):
Cash, thirty-eight, is determined to keep Jagger in his life. He already sees his future tied to hers, but understanding what that means is another story. Sorting that out and making it work is complicated. He runs a criminal organization, and a certain lifestyle goes along with it. It also means that he has enemies. Moreover, Gage, his childhood best friend and partner in crime, has misgivings about the relationship. And then there is Calliope’s surprise visit. She believes that he is the same man that wouldn’t let her freely walk away all those years. A manipulating and controlling monster. She is concerned about Jagger. This forces him to dig deep and reexamine himself, and Callie’s warning about the FBI closing in adds to the impetus for real change in his life.
Jagger, twenty-six, considers agreeing to be Cash’s girlfriend. She knows that is a step that he won’t take lightly. Little by little, he shows her another side of himself. She is attracted to the dark side – the cold and ruthless monster that showed up at her shop demanding payment. But Cash begins to show her glimpses of a softer side as well. He is capable of kindness to her and generosity to those she loves. She decides to go with her heart, but that decision makes her more vulnerable. She is more involved in his business now, and as a result she comes face to face with Athena again. Four years earlier Athena had put a gun to her head. But Athena is a valued member of the organization, so Jagger is expected to get along with her. Calliope calls after years of silence, hoping to convince Jagger to leave. And Emeline struggles with Jagger’s choice, causing friction in their friendship. With so many opposed to their happiness, the prospects of a happy ending look dim.
Cash and Jagger’s relationship faces challenges once they finally get together. They mix business and pleasure, which confuses matters. Cash struggles with himself when it comes to Jagger. He wants her, but he has never allowed a woman any element of control in his life before. On a side note, the story of Cash and Gage’s friendship and their history relating to Chelle is touching. It shows a different side of both men and adds to happy ending.
There are a few issues that merit mention. *Spoilers* Cash claims to never have had a real girlfriend before, with the slight exception of Callie, which had been understood to be temporary. He also claims that he is monogamous in a relationship, yet he never offers a distinction between ‘girlfriends’ and ‘relationships.’ Next, although the FBI is closing in on Cash, he is not concerned about having Jagger lay low to avoid being swept up in the melee. Additionally, Em and Jag’s falling out did not feel authentic. Emelie’s overreaction seemed out of character. Finally, the ending fails to take into account Cash’s vision for a happy ending.
Cash and Jagger’s duet ends as outside forces closes in on the couple. Cash enters Jagger’s life looking for revenge but instead finds himself a changed man. Their story is nicely written and plot-driven. The characters are intriguing. The story is written in first person. The POV alternates between Cash and Jagger. I rate this book four stars.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.