Sometimes it only takes a minute. A connection of eyes across a room, a quickened heartbeat, and everything changes.I was a cocktail waitress with a fondness for partying and meaningless sex. He owned half of Vegas, with the reputation to match. I should have turned away. Instead, I stepped closer.Then, the lies started.Rumors spread.Stalking commenced.And someone died. None of it stopped me from … commenced.
And someone died.
None of it stopped me from falling in love.
*This is book 1 in a duet. The second book, Double Down, will release on June 18th*
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What attracted me to reading Even Money was that beautiful cover! The colours and title imagery are so pretty. Set in the sinful city of Las Vegas you could say the strip is a character in the book all on its own. Torre did a great job with describing this interesting place that has so much life.
We first meet Belle and I instantly liked her fun loving personality. She was really honest and straight forward which I loved, Belle is totally a modern woman. When Dario and Belle meet they have a very romantic moment where it feels like its only them in the room.
Their romance is forbidden but they made it work. I liked them together although I found the back and forth to be irritating. Belle admitted to herself that she had considerable feelings for Dario despite knowing the baggage he came with. Yet there was this annoying game of cat and mouse going on. I just felt like if she liked him she should accept what he came with and move on (which she eventually done) or just forget about him. If they spent a little time apart she would change her mind about the situation till they met again. This happened multiple times. which is why I considered giving this book a 3.5 star rating but the ending really made me want to read this next book.
Dario had a lengthy pursuit of Belle! His sexy alpha vibes had me swooning from the start. As the story goes on we see his sweet and caring side, his love able and sweet caring personality shines through even though he is the most powerful man in Vegas. Dario was for sure my favorite character.
Lets talk about the villain! I don’t know about you guys but I love to hate a villain, the more terrible and evil they are the better. We definitely have a villain here and he kind of reminded me of R.Kelly. If you’ve been keeping up with the news surrounding him you’ll know what i’m talking about. I was afraid and entertained by the villain in this story, his crazy mind made me want to laugh and cry!
The ending was a little predictable and I wasn’t too shocked by it but I’m still looking forward to seeing the outcome of what happened. How will the situation be resolved? There will be a few punishments doled out that is certain! Can’t wait to see how Torre amends this situation.
All I have to say is WOW! What an amazing plot twist!! Even Money started out as a slow-burn romance which is unusual for Alessandra Torre. However the more I read, the better understanding I had as to why Dario and Bell couldn’t be together immediately. They definitely had some steamy and lustful encounters leading up to the climax so to speak and trust me it was well worth the wait. The plot concept is different in very good way. I really liked how Alessandra Torre thought outside the box with this one.
Dario is a rich, successful and powerful man who is practically the king of Vegas. To paraphrase the blurb, when Dario meets Bell, she literally brings him to his knees. Dario is a very intriguing character who peeked my curiosity. There was just something about him that drew me in. He’s quite loveable and I love his white knight persona. I enjoyed the way he pursued Bell and he wasn’t going to let anything or anyone deter him from having her. I absolutely loved Bell’s character. She’s bold, confident and strong. I don’t think she realizes how much strength and power she has within. I loved how she owns her sexuality and sexual prowess.
Alessandra Torre never disappoints when it comes to writing sex scenes. They are panty melting, sizzling and I definitely fanned myself more than a few times when reading these scenes.
All I can say is the ending is unpredictable and I need the second book ASAP!!
***I received an ebook copy from the author at no cost***
Alessandra has done it again with Even Money.
I was instantly hooked with this story. Bell works for her friends, in a sort of underground casino (The House) that they operate in Vegas. Dario Capece is one of the most well-known—and feared—men in Sin City. He owns multiple casinos and has a bank account with more than enough cash in it. The night he enters The House, he’s there for business reasons only. But then he encounters Bell and soon they both find their worlds turned upside down.
The story in this book is so good. It has a ton of elements that I love, like organized crime, suspense, red hot sex, and a sizzling forbidden love. On the surface, Dario seems like a typical egotistical businessman, but that’s not at all who he is. He has so much depth to his character. Alessandra did an amazing job when she crafted him. There’s a whole side of him that doesn’t see the light of day, but that comes out when Bell is around.
The forbidden love aspect of this story is so well done! Bell and Dario know they shouldn’t be together. There’s so many reasons why either one pursuing the other is a bad idea. But there’s this pull between these two. They’re like two planets orbiting around one another, just waiting for that moment when one breaks the orbit and smashes straight into the other. And as a reader, I was literally on the edge of my chair, unable to put my Kindle own, eagerly watching these two do this dance around one another and wondering when (or if) they’d finally come together.
This story kept me on my toes. The different elements, like suspense, romance, and a bit of angst, are balanced out, and the plot moved along so good. There were moments that totally threw me for a loop and I loved this cast of characters too. (The girls that Belle lives with are amazing!!)
This ends on a crazy cliffhanger, so now I’m waiting on pins and needles for the next book in the duet to come out. I can’t wait to see what Alessandra gives us in the next installment!
Five stars to this novel!
This riveting story instantly hooked me and kept me flipping pages long into the night. The emotionally intense plot and the intriguing characters kept me on my toes. Even Money is the story of a forbidden passion that transcends logic and self-preservation. It delves deep into the world of raw emotions, obsession and unrestricted love.
Dario Capece is a Vegas legend. Owner of several casinos, he is a powerful businessman surrounded by an aura of mystery and danger. On the surface, he is a man who has everything he could wish for. He is a complex yet endearing character.
Bell is a cocktail waitress in Vegas. Her job has got her out of her trailer park and she has enough money to study in college.
When Bell captures Dario’s attention, forbidden feelings begin to emerge. Dario is ruthless and addicted to power. His stalking behavior is disturbing Bell. But his intentions are genuine and heartfelt. His love for her erodes his self-control and his boundaries, he is willing to risk everything for her.
I loved that Bell was smart, feisty and determined. She didn’t just roll over and allow things to happen to her. She is scared of heartbreak and worried she’ll become emotionally attached. And yet, she likes the darkness, Dario’s darkness, and the complex, intense feelings she experiences. Try as she might, she can’t get him out of her mind. Their forbidden story could end in tragedy and cause the ruin of everything Dario has built.
With two masterfully developed characters, it was easy to get into their minds and understand their motivations and needs. This dark, steamy and seductive story is also suspenseful and has many twists and turns woven into the story. Things are quickly escalating and the book leaves us with a big cliffhanger. I seriously can not wait for the second part of this story!
Grab this book! I absolutely LOVED it! Dario Capece will make you want to fall to your knees and the ending will for sure make your jaw drop. I couldn’t stop reading this gripping, steamy, fabulously written book! One of the best I’ve read all year! Highly recommend!
* A review copy was provided by the author/publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review *
I truly don’t even know how to review this book without spoiling it. I am not sure I will be able to do this story justice!!! This book was AMAZING!!!
This review is going to be short and vague. I am pretty much going to give you the bare bones of the story plot and how I felt while I reading this story.
I have read many Alessandra Torre’s novels and I am always swept away at how AMAZING they are. Even Money is no different. This book had my mind and heart going all over the place. The writing was spectacular and the flow and pace of the story was perfect. This story is told in many different POV’s but that all I will tell you about that.
I will warn you though….this book does touch on some sensitive subjects. I can’t explain anymore, just know that going into this book. Also this book has a CLIFFHANGER!!! This is the first book in Alessandra’s newest duet. So there is another book coming that will continue on with this story. So if you aren’t a fan of cliffhangers you should WAIT to read this book until the second one is out. Luckily the second book releases like 2 weeks after this book….so not a long wait.
In this book we follow the story of Dario and Bell. Their meeting is totally random but it’s one that neither of them can forget. That’s about all I can say about the storyline. Because what we get from there is a story filled with mystery and suspense, lies and betrayal and romance that will knock your socks off.
I was immediately captivated with this story and the characters we meet. I couldn’t put this book down once I started it. I literally devoured every page and when I got to the end I yelled I WANT MORE!!!!!
I can’t tell you how much I would recommend this book!! It is unlike anything I have read recently and it was totally what I was looking for. If you are a fan of Alessandra’s books then you NEED to read this duet!! If you have never read a book by her, then strap on a helmet and take this wonderful journey with her, by reading Even Money. I can’t wait for Double Down to come out!!!!
Oh was this one hell of a read!
I always know to expect some great suspense when it comes to Alessandra Torre books. She knows how to capture my full attention to no end and I am always well satisfied with her twists and turns in her books. Now, we get a cliffy with this one since it’s a duet and mind you, I’m sitting here impatiently awaiting for book no. 2.
Dario Capece is a very powerful and influential man in Las Vegas and normally what Dario wants Dario gets. Once he sets his eyes on Bell Hartley, a waitress at one of the casino’s he is interested in purchasing, he is relentless in her pursuit.
Bell has a pretty sad past that has made her to steer away from relationships, she can do hook-ups and she can do one-night stands and she can do casual, but she can’t do relationships — until Dario comes in the picture, that is.
Bell knows that hooking up with Dario is not a good idea, he is dangerous and because he is dangerous, that means her life can be put to danger. She wants to stay away from him, but her pull towards him is just too strong and it doesn’t help that he’s there to woo her in, every which way he can.
Dario is a charming man, he may have his faults and he may have baggage, but he certainly knows how to get what he wants when he wants it.
The problem here is that now that Bell has pledged herself to this man, can anything good come out of this relationship or is she just walking into some seriously dangerous territory?
I am hooked — I mean completely HOOKED!
I don’t think I’ve ever read a book from Ms. Torre that I was not satisfied with and I love how she has those twists and turns that are so darn unexpected that have me reeling for days.
This was an excellent story that will keep you on the edge of your seat!
5 EVEN STARS!!
Bell is working as a waitress at the most exclusive private/underground casino in Las Vegas. The House. She makes good money and she’s happy with her two bosses. She also goes to school by day and has a purely physical affair with her prof. She doesn’t do commitment! Ever since things happened to her when she was only 15, she needs to be in control of those kind of situations.
Enter Dario.
Ten years ago he married into the city’s biggest Vegas casino family. And after working hard and investing very well, he’s now the biggest guy in town!
And he’s looking into buying or partnering with The House. But Lance and Rick are not interested.
And while Dario is at The House, he sees Bell. It wasn’t more than 60 seconds and a few words, but he can’t forget her. It’s almost an obsession.
But he’s married and she doesn’t do serious.
What will happen with those two?
And if all their problems weren’t already enough … there’s also Dario’s mega-psycho father-in-law …
Well, that was really amazing!
The first couple of pages I wasn’t really sure about things. Not sure if I liked Bell, the situation, the writing. BUT – I really started to love it after a few pages. It’s a really amazing story. Lots of sexiness and Las Vegasness and heat and sparks and crime and lies and danger and mystery. And lots of pain and sorrow in both our darling’s past.
The only thing I wasn’t 100% in love with… Dario is a bit too old for me. Or rather for Bell. He’s in his mid to late thirties. BUT you don’t really notice it. He has the body of a 25-year-old!
What more can I say?
Amazing Sexy Suspense Las Vegas Love Story- I can’t wait to get my hands on book #2 !!
This book is classic Torre. Sex, suspense, and a cliffhanger! (But the series is complete now so don’t worry).
Dario is a high rolling Vegas casino legend, and Bell is a hot little cocktail waitress that catches the eye of the dangerous Dario. That spells trouble in more ways than one.
I read this book in a day. Could NOT put it down. It reminded me of how much I loved Blindfolded Innocence. (Read that series too if you haven’t). Can’t wait to start the next one!!
This author does a wonderful job of setting up a story and sucking the reader right on in. I just had to keep reading to the end.
Loved this book and the second Double Down!!!
Cliffhanger. Be warned.
You will devour this book.
Bell and Dario’s story is highly addictive and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Gasp and holy guacamole.
You have to love Bookbub because it allows all the swear words because bloody hell and what the chuffing chuff, this book just blew the doors off! Boom, they are gone. Destroyed.
I’m in a mess. I don’t know how I feel. I’m flabbergasted. Never has a gas been so flabbered.
I loved it so much I’ve already read it twice.
Bell Hartley, ballsy, beautiful babe, steals the breath and the heart of Dario Capece. Dario is a legend in the Vegas casino world. Also a married legend! Hush now. Chill your pants and get off your high horse.
I love how Alessandra swaps and changes her style. She really is that talented that she can switch genres and they all are delivered perfectly. In Even Money, she moves from first person for Bell to third person for Dario. Then she weaves in chapters from supporting characters. It works so well because it keeps the reader on their toes. Each of the special character chapters feels like it’s a significant clue in the story.
My super power is spotting the plot twist before it comes. My powers failed me! Didn’t at all see it coming. Such a great read. I need the next book NOW!
This is one of those books that one could say things happen too fast. The almost insta-love is sometimes a turn off. I teetered on these. One minute I was okay with them, then the next minute I wasn’t okay with them. By the end of the book, they fit. Although the connection and relationship moved fast, other things built slow enough to smooth them out.
There is a lot happening in this book. The different tropes criss-crossing, causing a lot of tension for the reader. I really enjoyed that tension. It added to the thrill and fast pacing of the story. It gave me more intrigue. There weren’t any lags in the story line because there was just enough going on to keep the reader completely engaged.
I am not in love with these characters, but I don’t dislike them either. They work with the plot and storyline. Their perspective roles aren’t quite clear. They each blur the lines of what their characters call for, again adding to keeping me on my toes while reading this book.
And that ending?! I wasn’t expecting THAT! Did he really say… ??? I can’t wait to start the next book. I have no clue where the second part of this story could possibly take me. I am excited to see what happens next!
Dario owns a bunch of casinos and hotels around Vegas. He’s a married man but only on paper. Dario and his wife have an understanding she has her boyfriend on the ranch and he has his mistress until he meets Bell.
Bell doesn’t do relationships just sex. When she meets Dario she tries to stay away knowing he’s married and she doesn’t want to be the other woman. But the more she’s around Dario the deeper she falls.
Dario thinks it’s just sex with Bell but it’s different with her. He’s finally fell in love. He loves his wife but it’s a friendship love. Neither thought Dario would find love but the heart does what the heart wants.
The story is sad in parts that has you wanting to hug all the characters. The evil father wants Bell dead. Dario can not cheat on his daughter. So he has Claudia do his work. The ending is a hell of a cliffhanger but no worries the second book picks up right we’re the first one ends.Well written and a page turner.
Alessandra Torre doesn’t just bring you to Sin City; she drowns you in it’s seductiveness. One look, one moment was all it took was for the lives of Dario and Bell to change. Their chemistry should be declared illegal. And there are those who desperately want to keep them apart for their own reasons.
That ending once again demonstrates why Alessandra Torre is the Stephen King of Romantic Suspense. I can’t wait for Double Down !
Oh my, that was one heck of a cliffy. I read this one in a couple of hours, I couldn’t put it down. The story telling is amazing. And then there’s Bell and Dario. Boy do those two have some super hot chemistry going on. I’m so glad the conclusion comes out soon, I can’t wait to see what happens next!
Omg! This book and that ending! I have been in need of a good book full of twists and turns I didn’t see coming and this was it. After reading the blurb for this book I knew I was going to have to read it. Our two main characters are complete opposites.
Dario is rich and can get any woman he wants. From the moment he met Bell he wanted her. He is the type of alpha male who steams into her life and turning it upside down. Get ready for a rollercoaster ride you will not want off of. You will be pleasantly surprised with this book from start to finish. I can’t wait to start book two.
This is a story about a girl named Bell, she is a cocktail waitress and a college student. She works for her two good friends, Rick and Lance, at their casino ‘The House’. The House is where all the other casino owners on the strip go to gamble in private, away from the masses. One day the “King of Vegas” Dario walks into The House.
“He’s a whale. Or a shark. Or a killer whale, or whatever freaking ocean reference you’re about to make.”
Dario started from the bottom in the casino industry. He married Gwen and had the support of her very powerful (and scary) father and his Las Vegas empire began to grow.
“One conversation, a few lines about drinks and business, and he was obsessed.”
When Dario walks into The House he becomes captivated by Bell and can’t get her out of his mind. He can’t see to stay away from her despite her various attempts. He knows he should, he knows it could end badly for any everyone involved, but that doesn’t stop him, he will protect Bell with everything he has.
“You’re never going to lose again. You’re going to be fucking Queen of this town and anyone who so much as sneezes in your direction will pay hell for it.”
I loved how strong Bell is, both in her personality and her sexuality. As a teenager she went through an extremely traumatic event and the only thing she told herself she would never do is open her heart. She embraces her sexual desires, she embraces her wants and needs and doesn’t let what happened in her life hold her back in that aspect.
Dario and Bell’s chemistry is electrifying. Dario’s relationship with his wife Gwen felt so odd to me throughout the book, but made more sense after more details were provided about her past. I loved Bell’s interactions with her bosses and friends, Rick and Lance. I wish there was more of them in the story, because you can tell they also genuinely care about Bell and want to protect her. The mystery of the all the characters. The suspense of this story kept me on the edge of me seat and I couldn’t but it down! The ending…oh my god, talk about a cliffhanger!
“I can’t love you and not protect you. I can’t love you and not fight for you.”
This is book 1 of 2 in the All In Duet.