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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Even Money is book one of the duet and let me tell you, it is one amazing read! I am hooked.
Alessandra Torre has a knack for creating a story that is complicated with its twists and turns. With characters that make you fall and scenes that make you blush and then it’s all mixed up in this perfect amount of suspense and mystery that has you perched on the edge of your seat until the very end.
That knack, shines brightly in Even Money.
Dario was a boy that came from nothing and grew into the man that now owns a big chunk of Vegas. Handsome, dangerously dark, loyal and fiercely protective, his life of power and luxury has come with a cost. A cost that must be paid for….over and over again.
Bell grew up in a mostly stable, loving home until it was turned upside down by one devastating act. Now all grown up, she lives life on her own terms and without excuses. Beautiful, sassy and smart, Vegas is her playground and her key to a brighter future.
Until the day she finds herself in the shadow of the alluring Dario.
They both have heavy baggage to carry but it’s not enough to stop what is undeniably obvious between them.
And let me tell you, when things get going- they don’t stop!
So well written, the build up amazing and that ending!!! It’s just overall…. addicting!
I would highly recommend this book and can’t wait for the release and conclusion to this yummy tale by Alessandra Torre. She has yet to disappoint.
God, book 1 of the All In duet by Alessandra Torre is so sinfully delicious. I want more ASAP! I’m obsessed with Even Money!! I CAN.NOT. get enough of this sexy, suspenseful, thrilling book. I read it for the first time on the Radish app. I then read it again promptly after it landed on my kindle. Both times – even when I knew what was going to happen – I was on the edge of my seat with my heart beating wildly. That ending. OhmyGod! That ending. All I can say is that was one hell of a cliffhanger. I can’t wait to have Double Down in my hands!
Dario and Bell have an intense fire between them. Their connection was instant and powerful. As much as they should have stayed away from each other, that just was not happening.
Bell is one of my favorite Alessandra Torre characters. I love her relationship with her friends and the home she established at the casino she works at. She’s overcome so much and became this strong-willed, independent woman. I can admire her owning her sexuality. After the extremely painful event, I love that she’s not afraid to let it be known what she wants.
I am equally smitten with Dario. He is so much more than the dangerous aura that surrounds him. He has a raw sex appeal that immediately drew me in. I loved him.
Alessandra Torre has a way of pushing me out of my comfort zone and making things I would normally disapprove of seem so perfectly understandable. I am seriously in love with her writing. If I could give this book more than 5 stars, I would. I love love loved it!! Drama, sex, secrets, and Vegas, Even Money is an absolute MUST READ!!
Be ready to have your mind blown!
As soon as I started reading this book, I wasn’t able to put it down.
Dario and Bell’s story is one that will captivate you.
Intense, mysterious, suspenseful, your emotions will be high and once you reach the end you will be left in such an amazing book hangover.
I can’t wait to find out what will happen next in Book 2.
I have my predictions and can’t wait to see if I am right or totally off.
Author Alessandra Torre does it again with leaving readers breathless and having their minds racing into theories of how will it all wrap up.
Go One Click & be ready to take your Highest Bet on love.
I’m vacillating on my overall rating here, but I’m settling in the 4-4.5 range. I’m wishy-washy, I know. But hear me out…
I had a little trouble connecting with the story at first. And I don’t mean that in a bad way, necessarily. Alessandra is an extremely talented writer, and I enjoy her style of writing, but I didn’t quite get the initial attraction between Bell and Dario. Less so on his end than on hers, because she at least attempted to put up a fight where he was concerned.
But where Alessandra really shines is her dark and twisty. When she starts weaving in the heavy suspense and drama, she’s so freaking good. So once I really got to the heart of this story and started to dig deeper, I found myself becoming very engrossed in their tale. And once it ended and I was left hanging, I was jonesing for more.
By the time I got to the good stuff, I had forgotten the parts where I wasn’t quite smitten. Gotten over the fact that I had felt for a moment like I was reading just another rich, powerful hero falls hard for the ordinary, waitress heroine kind of story. Because that’s not what I was reading at all.
Alessandra gave me the dark and twisty I was waiting for, that niche that not many can pull off without it feeling too over the top, or too contrived. She pulled me into her dark web and now I’m stuck, waiting for the ending to Bell and Dario’s story, knowing she’ll take me further into the dark before bringing me back into the light.
Two things right off the bat..
I’ve never been to Vegas.
I’ve never read Alessandra Torre
I’m not quite sure why both things have never happened but I’m glad I at least fixed one of those! The blurb alone had me intrigued and I’m glad I took a chance!
I was in awe of the story. I was captivated by Bell & Dario’s story and how the two fell for each other immediately. The backstory was something I was not expecting, it was emotional and complicated. Bell & Dario’s chemistry and sexual attraction was beyond expectation and had me fully invested in their story.
I truly thought I knew exactly where the ending of this book was going..was I ever wrong! It was one of the best I’ve read in quite a long time and I read a ton of books!
I can’t wait for the second book!! Alessandra Torre has a new fan!
Now…to get to Vegas…
***4 Stars***
The blurb was the hook, especially the whole “And someone died.” part, and while the blurb is most definitely accurate, this book threw a few things that surprised me, or I guess I should say, the characters surprised me and I thoroughly enjoyed it…even with that ending aka cliffy from hell.
I really liked Bell and Dario. Their pasts are both troubled and dark and yet they’ve both persevered and have become something more than either thought they’d ever be. I loved Bell’s sass, snark and confidence. She does have a few walls up, for good reason, but she’s honest and upfront about it. Dario is all kinds of alpha AF male. Determined, overbearing while being charming and sweet and smexy as all get out. As for their relationship…it’s definitely convoluted and there will be those that just won’t feel it, regardless of that inexplicable pull they have towards each other. For me though, I really enjoyed their dance because they were actually honest about what they wanted and where they stood.
The writing was engaging and so easy to get lost in. The various POV’s were done in an interesting manner, but I didn’t find it difficult to follow. The secondary characters are all quite interesting and there are a few I’d love to know more about, so we’ll have to see what happens in the second book. And as this is a duet, there is a cliffy and dear lord what a cliffy it is. Things are about to get really complicated and I NEED to know how it all plays out.
~ Copy provided by the author via NetGalley & voluntarily reviewed ~
Seductive and sinful, Alessandra Torre doesn’t just bring you to Sin City; she submerges you in its darkness. It took one moment in time for the lives of Dario and Bell to change. The cocktail waitress. The most dangerous man in Vegas. Their chemistry should be declared forbidden it’s so hot. They tried to warn themselves, others tried to warn them, but they just couldn’t stay away.
Dario gets what he wants and this time he wants Bell. Bell doesn’t do serious, especially with a man like Dario. Neither of them expect to find the potential for everything or the danger that might surround them for doing so.
And that ending…once again this demonstrates why Alessandra Torre is the queen of Romantic Suspense. I’m just ready for Double Down!
Love, Drama, and Suspense it’s all here. Bell and Dario are so different she is a cocktail waitress and student and he owns most of Vegas, but the same in so many ways. It was supposed to be just sex, that’s all she ever does, and he’s married. This a very complex, interesting book that will keep you on your toes reading it, lots of twists. These characters are well developed, the main ones as well as the supporting ones. Be forewarned this is a duet so it does end in a cliffhanger, but it will get your heart pounding. Loved It!!
This book will leave you craving for Double Down. I normally don’t read series until all the books have been released. Since Book 2 is not to far away I thought I’m all in because I really enjoy Alessandra’s work. I should have waited…that cliffhanger has me like I NEED BOOK 2! Great characters, great story and a whopper of an ending.
Las Vegas is an emporium for sin…a mecca for sexual liaisons…a cornucopia for secrets and lies. People don’t call it Sin City for nothing, and in Alessandra Torre’s newest release, Easy Money, the main characters can’t help but partake, in varying degrees, of what the Entertainment Capital of the World offers, but while Dario Capece is a golden boy of Vegas – one who uses the city as his playground and rules his kingdom with both finesse and brute force – no one could have prepared him for Bell Hartley, and even though she seems to be one of many minnows that this whale could have fun with, it’s clear Bell becomes much more than a side piece to this married man and what that means for Dairo’s wife, his empire, and the man himself is a point of contention throughout the entirety of Easy Money, and readers and Bell would be wise to remember that potentially life altering idea.
There are a large amount of extenuating circumstances and obstacles that threaten to derail what seems to be building between Dario and Bell, and it’s those situations and outside forces that will leave readers on edge, wondering how anything can turn out well for either of them given Dario’s marital status, his sociopath of a father, and the fact that Bell has never wanted the complications that come with a relationship because she would rather revel in pleasure than deal with uncontrollable emotions. But the fact is that these two can’t stop the attraction and the pull between them, so finding a way together makes the odds of being found out in the house’s favor and that doesn’t bode well for Bell given the fact that she’s only just become a part of Dario’s life and he’s known and been with his wife for over a decade.
I want to be upfront and say that I’m not a romance reader who handles cheating in the stories I read; it’s usually a hard limit for me, so while the fact that Dario is a married man might not set well with readers, I found it easier to accept because Torre explains the situation quite well, showcasing Dario’s reasons for marrying his wife and exposing the reality of their marriage despite the fact that they have to make everyone else, especially one person, believe that no one or nothing threatens to unravel the tie that binds Dario and his wife together.
I always go into reading one of Alessandra Torre’s stories by expecting the unexpected. Her plot lines never follow a straight path, which means that I can never seem to prepare myself for what’s to come. In Even Money, even though I figured out what would happen at the end before it got there, it was still interesting to see the way that Torre set everything in motion and what variables she had to ensure played their parts in order to put the pieces where they needed to be at the time they needed to be there.
With the events that ended book one, I can only speculate where Torre will lead Dario and Bell in Double Down, but I would bet that now that the stakes have risen and there’s still a wild card or two to play that going all in will either end up costing them everything or catching a windfall at the perfect time.
4 Poison Apples
Even Money is book #1 of the All In Duet with the second book Double Down coming the same month!!
So i’m going to be completely honest when i started this book i really wasn’t sure if i was going to be able to finish it. The storyline seemed to be going down a path that i really don’t enjoy. But the more i read the more i realised, not all is as it seems and i found myself falling deeper and deeper into reading.
Even Money is a very intriguing, steamy and seductive story that has many twists and turns. And i’m so glad that i stuck with it. Other wise i would have missed out on this suspenseful read. I was not expecting that cliffhanger!!
“She was a liability, and he was the king of this town.”
Dario Capece was caught between two lands–two women–the one he promised to protect and the one his heart desired. Bell Hartley was just a cocktail waitress that happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
A connection of eyes across a room changed everything, but was their love worth fighting for?
With its addicting Vegas atmosphere, suspenseful plot, characters that I rooted for no matter how forbidden they were together, steamy moments that had my uterus fanning itself, and an enticing writing style, Even Money lured me into its grip and kept me there. I couldn’t breathe until the very end, just for the author to make me stop breathing all over again.
Not even the most powerful man in Vegas can afford to get distracted by a cocktail waitress without paying the consequences.
Can’t wait for Double Down!!!
Even Money sucked me in from the get and didn’t let me go until the end. Oh what an ending it was, it left me chomping at the bit so to speak dying for the conclusion. I loved the moral dilemma of this story and cannot wait to see what choices the main characters make and how that affects the outcome.
I definitely recommend this to those who love super sexy stories blended with suspense and a touch of dark.
ARC provided by author
Firstly, take note this is book one of a duet and so as to be expected we are left dangling on a cliffedge, though the second book is due by the end of the month so not too long to wait. Secondly, the H is married but dont let that deter you as the author sets the table regarding that matter early in the story.
Even Money is set in the gambling capital that is Las Vegas and is a slow burn romance set in the seedy backdrop of the underbelly of the shiny casinos. The author works her magic in building a suspense filled story draped in mystery, murder and intrigue.
Bell is a cocktail waitress in an underground casino dealing with the high rollers away from the tourist gamblers, she wears a fiesty front but has deep issues that keep her from relationships. Bell, is a likeable character that is a good friend to all around her and that wasn’t anything I could dislike about her. I loved her bosses and how protective they were.
Dario is a force to be reckoned with in Las vegas, a successful casino owner with a formidable reputation and a father in law with a fierce reputation. Dario was likeable, he was caring but his situation had me in two minds. Gwen, Dario’s wife was a pleasant character and I like that she wasn’t written in a bad light at all.
Bell and Dario share an instant attraction but Dario is all in for the chase and Bell tries to keep a distance. In all honestly Bell and Dario as a couple just weren’t working for me and I was glad that we got the slow build rather than a fast affair, I’m hoping once everything pans out in book two I find them a better fit.
As things escalate between them, pasts come back to cause friction and thinks come to a bubbling point as we are left waiting for book two to see how things pan out for all involved.
OMG This book was AMAZING! I am a fan of Alessanda Torre’s and I can honestly say that I haven’t felt this type book hangover since I read Black Lies a few years ago. Please be aware that this book ends with a cliffhanger and you will want to have book two, Double Down, handy so you can jump right in, luckily it comes out in a couple of weeks because my mind is still freaking out over it all. I need book 2 NOW!!!!
Dario is a charismatic man that has most women dropping to their knees for him but when he meets Bell, well lets just say she’s not so easily swayed. I loved the sassy, independent, and strong female character that is Bell, she has been through hell and back and is taking control of her life. She uses men for sex and doesn’t want a relationship with anyone…she is what most men would consider the perfect women.
Dario is married, I have to mention this because I know there are a lot of readers that will not read a book with cheating and will leave a negative review because of it. Dario’s marriage is one of convenience and both he and his wife have extramarital affairs, there is a love of friendship between the two but not one of intimacy that most married couples would have, therefore I do not feel as if Dario is cheating on his wife especially since she knows about his lovers and he knows about hers.
Even Money has it all and then some, Alessandra Torre hits another one out of park with Dario and Bell’s story.
WOW!!!! This is book 1 of a duet and leaves us with an EPIC cliffy! Book 2 can NOT come soon enough!
Bell and Dario’s story is definitely not an easy boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love. There is so much darkness and grief in this story. Ms. Torre does an exceptional job at building the world around Dario and Bell only to leave us with our mouths gaping open at the end. This book sets everything up perfectly. There are so many intricate details and come together to bring a gripping story. I’m excited to see how she wraps everything up in book 2 since we have a lot of loose ends at the end of this book. Great read!
Even Money (book 1) by Alessandra Torre is sexy, steamy, suspenseful, and all levels of dark –and I loved it!!! This is the story of Dario the alpha king of Vegas who comes with a secretive past and Bell the waitress who works at another Vegas hotel who was the “one” that caught his eye. Their eyes met and held. Let me tell you that from that moment when their eyes met, that moment was seriously HOT. From that moment on the story was additive, hot and held me captive until the epic cliffhanger ending. Bell knew Dario was off limits but something about him kept her coming back, just as Dario found something about Bell that made him super possessive of her and he knew it was better to walk away but he could, they both knew they should walk away but neither could. All they could do was fall for one another very fast and they held on for the emotional rollercoaster ride of their lives. Dario and Bell’s romance was hot, intense, deep, erotic and passionate. You could feel their connection, their chemistry even when they tried to deny it or refuse it, it was there and it was deep. And the angst was also there. I don’t want to give the plot away but suffice to say there were several secondary characters that were determined to keep these lovers apart and that epic cliffhanger has me wondering on the future for Bell and Dario. OMG I didn’t see that ending happening. I cannot wait for book 2 to find out will they get their HEA or was this the final curtain call for them. What a fabulous and emotional read that will hit every note you look for in a romance story.
My Rating: 4.8 stars *****
“I received an advanced copy of this book from the author at no cost to me.”
Bell Hartley, cocktail waitress and college student doesn’t do commitment or relationships. She doesn’t do feelings after events in her past cause her to build walls around her heart. So when one of Vegas’ most infamous men walk through the doors of the casino she works at, she doesn’t understand why she is so drawn to him when she should be walking away instead.
Dario Capece rules Vegas along with his wife. But it’s a marriage of convenience both looking the other way when lovers are taken. But when Dario feels an instant connection with a cocktail waitress in a casino he wants to buy, he’s willing to risk it all to see where things could go with her . . . even if she claims she doesn’t do relationships.
It’s a no win situation as both Dario and Bell develop feelings they shouldn’t have for one another, yet they can’t help falling in love. But, when Dario’s psychotic father in law enters the picture, no one will be safe and lives will hang in the balance.
Even Money is the first book I’ve read by Alessandra Torre and I am hooked! I literally found myself repeating OMG OMG OMG over and over again when I read the last page of this book!
I loved Bell. She’s a woman who knows exactly what she does and doesn’t want. She loves having fun and enjoys no strings sex, but relationships are out. Dario, however, has her breaking her own rules and she can’t even figure out why as she starts falling more and more for him.
While I usually don’t enjoy books with cheating, I actually loved Dario’s character. He’s a bit of a white knight and married his wife to save her from her psycho father and to get them both ahead and a piece of Vegas. While he’s loyal, he’s never been in love with her, so falling for Bell was completely unexpected. Even knowing the consequences, he can’t walk away and together, these two have off the charts chemistry that will leave you fanning yourself!
This book has smokin’ hot scenes and enough intrigue that you won’t be able to put it down. Watching Bell and Dario dance around one another and what they shouldn’t be feeling is fun as heck to read . . . even knowing that it’s probably a doomed romance. Once Robert Hawk gets involved (remember the psycho father in aw) all bets are off the table and pure suspense ensues and will keep you turning pages until the very last sentence.
As this is part of a duet, Even Money does end on one heck of a bang leaving readers screaming for more. Luckily, part two is coming in just a few short weeks, because I need it!
5 Stars for Even Money! I’m definitely all in!
It has been some time since I have written a review as I am reading a book. I generally read a few books and then go back and write reviews. But sometimes I find myself needing to write what I am thinking and feeling so I can make sure I am expressing how much I am loving a book. And I needed to make sure I expressed how much I loved Even Money by Alessandra Torre.
Some books you read, some you devour, and some consume you and then you have books by Alessandra Torre. I am not sure what it is about her stories, but they seem to drag you in and never let you go, even long after you finish them. Some are light and funny and others dark and twisted. Even Money was a wonderfully addictive combination of both.
Bell Hartley is trying to survive in the city of Sin. After a heartbreaking ordeal when she was younger, she knows she was not made for love. She goes to school, enjoys her job and loves her friends. She enjoyes enjoys casual sex as relationships are not on her radar. Dario Capece is the King of Las Vegas. He is powerful and a very controlled man who always gets what he wants, when he wants. But he also has commitments and promises he made and always intended to keep. But everything changes when he meets Bell.
Dario and Bell should have never been, but when they were alone, just the two of them, you fall in love right along beside them. I absolutely loved watching these two fall. The want, the need, the craving for each other, even as both realize pursing anything more than a physical connection would be their downfall. They both have their reasons for keeping things casual and physical in the past, but their chemistry and connection is undeniable and combustible.
Then as we learn their individual stories, it seems even more impossible they could ever have a future. But for the first time, they feel, they want, and they desire. But what will be the cost if they move forward? Then the lies begin, the stalking and a life lost. How will it all end?
I cannot begin to express how much I loved this book. I was consumed by the characters and their journey. I wanted to learn what would happen and how it would all end, but at the same time I was scared with every turn of the page. And then we get that ending! Wow, just wow! I cannot wait to get the final book in the duet. Even Money by Alessandra Torre is a must-read, just be prepared for an emotional and gripping ride!
Read and reviewed for Reviews From The Heart.
Happy reading!
I received a free copy of this book from the author.
One of the things I love about Alessandra Torre books is you never know what you’re going to get! She’s such a prolific writer and each story takes a different route. Even Money is a Vegas love story.
Dario is Vegas royalty. He and his wife own a good number of casino’s, hotels, and restaurants along the strip as well as other places. There’s one place in town called The House that Dario and Gwen are interested in buying so he goes to check it out.
When he arrives at The House, the owners send one of their waitresses, Bell, out to greet him and get him settled. He’s not a shark in Vegas he’s the Killer Whale. Of course this gets Bell on his radar – one he can’t shake her from even if she turns him down at every turn.
Their magnetism is hard to stay away from though. She can’t push back enough to keep him from breaking past her defenses. And break he does.
Now there’s some danger just talking to this man much less falling for him. Well…maybe more than some danger. Bell should be warned to watch her back – which her bosses have said many times since they knew she was on Dario’s radar.
There’s some twists and turns in the book you’ll be rooting for and a big bang at the end. I’m already trying to figure out where Alessandra is going to go with the next book and these characters. I can’t wait to read Double Down. Grab your copy of Even Money – because you won’t want to miss it!