A NEW standalone mafia romance from bestselling author Catherine Wiltcher★★★★★ “An emotional, suspenseful, and incredibly sexy story with unforgettable characters and a breathtaking plot…” – Just Let Me ReadRICKI rose from nothing to own this city.A smooth-talking bastard with an empire of sin.I have the connections to crush my enemies.I have the looks to take what I want.I was so used to … have the looks to take what I want.
I was so used to winning that I never saw her sleight of hand.
Now I’m dancing with the devil, and she’s holding all the aces.
NINA
I jumped from my father’s penthouse to drown in this city.
Just another damaged princess hiding in plain sight.
They offered me freedom in exchange for his downfall.
Get close.
Uncover his secrets.
Destroy his empire from the inside out.
It seemed so easy…and when you’re as broken as I am, there’s nothing left to lose.
Except for my heart.
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What a story I loved every single word that came out of Ricks delicious mouth and believe me he doesn’t hold anything back you are at full attention and memorized on his every word and when Nina oh she is so brave walks into his life the world spins and they are fire and ice seeing things in each other only they can see and it is powerful. The passion and darkness that thrives them on even more is downright scary as the uncover the most hurtful truth from the history that they share.
This is on the the edge of your seat heart hammering story there’s no way to put it down once you start it will consume your every thought and the writing is flawless I can’t even express how good this is, these characters are extordinary and deserve it all.
I am a huge fan of Wilcher’s Santiago series, and made several inappropriate squeals when I found out that she was writing Rick Sanders story. Rick is a street smart coke dealer who could charm the pants off of anyone. He has a joke for every occassion, as well as brutal retribution for anyone who crossed him. He has a unique friendship with Dante Santiago…mutually beneficial with a healthy dose of wariness. This story is about Nina, who is forced to infiltrate Rick’s world. They collide with violence and similar pasts. Like a invisible forcefield, they can’t seem to leave each other alone…even after brutality.
Nina just gets Rick immediately. She’s drawn to who he really is. A broken man.
“That’s when I see the first chink in his armor. His jokes are a smokescreen for whatever is going on inside. The more he mocks, the greater he’s affected.”
“I stare at the handsome criminal with the wicked dancing eyes and the smarts that conceal a thousand hurts. The ones I know are lurking just behind that crooked smile because it looks like a painting gone askew, and I want so desperately to straighten it before I go and break us.”
But Rick also sees who Nina is. A broken woman.
“I’m not interested, unless they’re a slender green-eyed bird with a couple of broken wings for me to fix.”
This story was so emotional. I felt like Wilcher was yanking it out of me violently…forcing me to feel what Nina and Rick felt. And the feeling was glorious. Rick says some things that just ripped my heart out.
“Keep listening , baby, ‘cos this is the really, really hard part…” The stuff I can’t even admit to myself. I grit my teeth as the scar in my chest explodes with pain. “She was the first person to see the good in me, Nina. Even though I’ve done everything I can to prove her wrong since then. I’ve lied, I’ve cheated; I’ve heisted more hearts than a travelling circus, and all for the same &%$#-up rationale: I couldn’t save her so I was going to make damn sure I’d be the type of man who would have pulled that trigger without hesitation. And then I met you … And I can’t hide what I am from you, sweetheart, anymore than I could from your mother, because you see me, too. You see me, Nina, the same way you look at a canvas and see magic. You see all the order in my chaos. Just give me a chance to see yours. ”
Omg. I cried reading that dialogue. How can you not? Wilcher paints these two lovers as destined to be each other’s hero. It’s a magical connection…chemistry that can’t be denied.
The book is full of mafia wars, bad men, huge twists and a beautiful dysfunctional bromance. It’s edited flawlessly and written with love for Anti-hero Rick Sanders. Some might say he doesn’t deserve his HEA. But in the Santiago world, characters don’t need our version of moral to be King of their castle.
Wow! I DEVOURED this book! I’m still trying to catch my breath! Devils & Dust had me from the very start, and I just couldn’t put it down! I love Rick so much. Gah… so dreamy! And Nina is the perfect heroine, so sad and fierce. Their connection is so beautiful!
This is definitely one I recommend. It’s gritty and sexy. If you haven’t read The Santiago Trilogy, don’t worry. This book is a standalone! However, I do recommend reading them all because they are so good!