#1 bestselling author Lora Leigh turns up the heat in her latest novel of high-stakes passion and persuasion featuring the men of Brute Force. Ilya Dragonovich is no stranger to the dark side. As a safe-house owner for security agency Brute Force, Dragon knows that the battle line between good and evil runs through the heart of every man–and, sometimes, a beautiful woman… Emma Jane Preston … woman…
Emma Jane Preston needs help. After her marriage crumbled, she believed she could get back to a normal, happy life. But now she needs the kind of protection that comes at a cost–one that only someone like Dragon can provide. But can Emma Jane trust this handsome, undercover operator to keep her safe when she is in danger of falling into the arms of the deeply seductive, fiery Dragon. . .and never letting go?
“Leigh’s books can scorch the ink off the page.”
—RT Book Reviews
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4 Star Review Lethal Nights (Brute Force #3) by Lora Leigh
This is Ilya Dragonovich and Emma Jane Preston’s story.There was a great deal of chemistry between Ilya and Emma and it was scorchingly hot. Lethal Nights had action, suspense, danger and intrigue which kept me interested.
I had a hard time engaging with the characters as much as I would have liked, but that is more me, than them. I did like how focused and determined Ilya was to protect Emma and I admired Emma’s strength and how she has moved on from her past.
There were secrets, lies and surprises and Ms. Leigh wove an interesting story. Will Ilya be able to keep Emma safe or will it all be in vain?
I received this book through the publisher via Netgalley.
Sexy Russian with complicated past falls for simple divorcee
The Hero, Ilya Dragonavich, is a bit hard to quantify easily. He is basically a Mafia hitman who has been adopted into the family he is currently in, but his real family is much more complicated. Either way, he is sexy as all get out and he sees this simple woman jus in the process of going through a bad divorce and he decides to help her out so she doesn’t lose her home to her deadbeat ex.
When Ilya gets to know Emma Jane Preston a bit better while negotiating the purchase of her house in order to save it for her by turning it in to a safe house for his boss, he determines that she is the woman for him. Though he doesn’t act on it at the time. One year later assassins try to kill her in her house so he has to come in and protect her and try to determine who wants her dead and why.
The story is fast paced, steamy and very good. It has all of the benchmarks of a great Lora Leigh book, such as suspense, drama, romance, humor, enjoyable supporting characters and more. I really liked the entire book. This was the first book in this series that I have read and I didactic need to read the first two in order to understand or get involved in the story. However, I did like this enough to now want to go back and read the others.
Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Really enjoyed the book. Lora Leigh is known for her steamy hot romantic suspense books and this book did not disappoint. Ilya (Dragon) comes from a family of gypsies that all have a dragon tattoo. His is on his face to cover up his scars. Emma Jane is recently divorced who ex-husband took out a bunch of loans in her name and she is endanger of losing her home. Ilya runs safe house and helps her to get her home set up but she is attacked and all his instincts kick in to protect her. Ilya is knows Emma Jane is the one for him but his life is dark and filled with violence. Emma Jane he feels is pure and innocent and just got out of a relationship. Loved all the secondary characters. Thoroughly enjoyed.
I received this ARC from Netgalley for an honest review.
Just finished reading this book and the climax is surprising to say the least. The characters are entertainingly believable in their conversations and internal thoughts. I’ve known too many people with the type of stubbornness and determination shown by Emma Jane to think otherwise. I am sadly disappointed, however, that the cover art does not have a dragon tattoo overlaid against the male model’s face. Alas, the downside of traditional publishing. However, my heart did warm in a completely evil way to discover even traditional publishing makes editing mistakes. However, these mistakes did not take away from the brilliantly laid out plot the author devised.
Lethal Nights was an amazing read with a steamy romance and a suspenseful plot.
Ilya Dragonovich, known as Dragon, is no stranger to the dark side. And when the first woman to capture his heart is threatened, no one is safe. Emma Jane Preston hoped life after divorce would be normal. But when she finds herself the target of a professional hit, it’s clear that isn’t going to happen. With Dragon to protect her, she knows her life is safe, but how can she keep her heart safe from the man who touches her the way no other ever has?
Ilya and Emma Jane initially meet a year prior to the events of the main story and while they’re both attracted to each other, they don’t act on it beyond one incredibly steamy kiss. When the pair come together again a year later, that attraction hasn’t dissipated at all and it is present in all of their interactions. The chemistry between these characters is simply amazing and when they finally give in to their attractions, the scenes are incredibly hot. The only real conflict in the pair’s relationship is Ilya’s belief that because Emma Jane is such a good person, she won’t be able to accept him and all of the terrible things he’s done. I liked though that while Ilya had doubts about how things could last due to who he is, he never gives up on the relationship and is all in. Overall I was very happy with their relationship and the direction everything went.
The mystery of who was after Emma Jane and why was an interesting one. Although I will say it was fairly obvious to me why she was being targeted and I don’t understand why it took the characters so long to accept the reason. There are a few great scenes that are quite suspenseful and keep you guessing as to how the situation will turn out. I thought the ending was well done and I was ultimately surprised by how everything was wrapped up.
Lethal Nights ended up being my favorite book in the series and I would recommend the series if you’re looking for some steamy romantic suspense reads.
**I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**
This story has been on my kindle for a while and I finally got a chance to read it. And I don’t know why I didn’t make time for it before because I love it. Ilya and Emma Jane are the perfect couple. He is the strong alpha male and she is the one that will put him in his place as the fall in love together as they are fated to be together.
Emma Jane met Ilya a year ago when she needed help with security after she left her husband and filed for a divorce. Ilya’s team has been looking after Emma Jane when the house alarm goes off. Ilya is called and told that someone tried to kill her and he rushes to check on her. Ilya has thought about his Emma Jane over the year and the one kiss they shared. He has felt that she was his mate and he will tell her so as soon as he makes sure she is OK.
Emma Jane doesn’t know why anyone would break into her home. But just hearing Ilya, her Dragon, on the phone has calmed her nerves a little. When she sees him it sets other things in her on fire though.
Ilya Dragonovich is the next leader of the Dragon clan, after going through a rough past as a child, he sports a dragon tattoo on his face. And Emma Jane seems to think the tattoo has a life of its own as it seems to move and wink at her.
Can Ilya protect her now with someone after her? Is the threat after her because of him? Can she handle his past and they be able to have a future together? Will the dragon clan accept Emma Jane as his mate?
I love romantic suspense and this story is great, it is filled with suspense, intrigue, lust, love and an HEA. So read it for yourself and I hope you enjoy it too.
Ilya and Emma Jane experience a moment of attraction that they do not acknowledge. When Emma Jane’s life is in danger, Ilya comes to ensure her safety. What follows is an entertaining, suspenseful, sexy romance. Ilya, as with all the males in the Brute Force series, is very Alpha. Emma Jane is well equipped to deal with his overprotective, demanding manner, and it never feels like Ilya is blatantly trying to control her. I enjoyed getting to know them throughout the conflict and as a couple.
Every Brute Force novel contains this curious undertone of the supernatural. Here it is represented in Ilya’s dragon tattoo and how it relates to his heritage and his romance with Emma Jane. I enjoy this aspect of it. The author presents it without explanation, and it is up to the reader to decide how much validity to give to it.
When the mood strikes me, I appreciate a sexy alpha male and his romance with a take no crap female. Lethal Nights is a worthy addition to the Brute Force saga.
A new genre for me. I can’t even narrow it down to one genre. But the Dragonovich family in the underworld complete with gypsies and spies kept me pigued until I just had to get to the end! The dark side, a safe house and a vengeful womb donor AKA as mother of the Dragon heir makes for some interesting battles as he strives to protect his woman, Emma Jane.
I received a free copy from Goodreads giveaway in paperback.
This was definitely an excellent story, amazing romance, and really really HOT! I loved the characters.
What I didn’t love was the typos, even in a print book. Apparently, Alexei was once called Rurik because they couldn’t keep his name right in one scene and he was IN it.
That said, I was seriously in love with these characters!! Like a LOT! Ilya was amazing.
Fast-paced romantic suspense with engaging characters and an interesting storyline. And it would be a Lora Leigh book without lots of smokin’-hot smexy-times. I enjoyed it.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias.
I’ve been a Lora Leigh fan for quite some time, read the first novel in her Brute Force series, but somehow missed book #2. I wasn’t thrilled with book #1, and found I liked book #3, Lethal Nights, quite an improvement. While I did have a few issues with it, on the whole, it was the kind of hot, steamy, romantic suspense novel I’ve come to expect and enjoy by this author and it gets 4 stars from this reader.
Lethal Nights is the story of Emma Jane, her spoiled, possessive and abusive ex-husband, Matt, and Ilya Dragonovich (The Dragon), who came to Emma’s aid a year earlier, when she learned that Matt had mortgaged her family home 6-months into their marriage, that he’d maxed out her credit cards, and she was about to become homeless because she was paying off his debts. Ilya, an operative for the Brute Force agency featured in this series, comes to her rescue by contracting her home to be a safe house for the agency, should the need arise. One year ago, he was quite taken with the strong-willed Emma Jane, and now that there have been break-ins and threats to her life, Ilya is back to protect the woman he has determined to be his fated mate.
Ilya’s upbringing was both harsh and abusive, thanks to his psychotic mother, Lorena, who assumed that when she became pregnant with Ilya, his father, the Dragon Prince, would marry her, but that’s not what happened and she’s been bitter, angry and took out her vicious and violent anger on her newborn son. Ilya bears the scars to this day, a dragon tattoo on his face, put there to cover up the scars she and her brother inflicted upon him. Most men, if they have any sense at all, fear him as the Dragon Heir, but his crazy mother wants him and his chosen mate dead, But Emma Jane does not fear him, something Ilya is extremely impressed by and attracted to. There’s a whole lot of Romanov and Dragonovich myth and legend in this novel, and I wish it had been a bit more cohesive and had been spelled out earlier in the novel, instead of having bits and pieces of the lore scattered throughout, but at least by the end of novel it finally makes sense.
Emma’s ex-husband, Matt, is one more antagonist Ilya and Emma have to deal with, and the plot is fraught with danger from all directions, but Ilya has vowed to keep his mate safe, and he doesn’t much care who has to die in order to fulfill his vow. Emma does have a backbone, and will fight Ilya when the need arises, something he finds both irritating and attractive about her, and as a reader, I loved the fact that she was able to stand up to her domineering, overprotective Dragon.
This is one of the darkest and sexiest novels I’ve read by Ms. Leigh, and if graphic sex isn’t your thing, I should warn you that there’s an overabundance of it in this novel, it’s not vanilla sex either, so I’d classify it as definitely one for the 18+ age group. I had no problem with the sex scenes, which are many–Ms. Leigh is masterful at crafting them, and I totally enjoyed the drama, suspense, action, lust, and even the violence contained in this novel, and very much liked both main characters, although I wished there had been a bit more love and lust and a little less graphic violence as the story progressed, all in all, it was quite an exciting and sexy page-turner, and a very satisfying and emotional read.
I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.
Emma Jane knew her dragon would changer her life. So she fought to protect herself in the only way she can. But when danger breaches her home will Illya show her why he is feared?
Lethal Nights is third in Lora Leigh’s Brute Force series. I really loved Illya. He is strong and alone. That is until he meets Emma Jane. She thaws the heart he forgot he had. And now danger from his past wants to destroy it. I love Illya’s strength and sense of honor. And his determination to protect Honor brings tears to my eyes.
And I adored Emma Jane. She has power over Illya that shows the heart of this man. Her tears gut him and while he doesn’t necessarily show that to others he doesn’t hide it from himself. Ms. Leigh gave us a character in Illya which is layers upon layers. And she gave him an equally strong and complex female in Emma Jane. I love that Emma Jane did not allow Illya to walk all over her. She knew when he was scheming and called him on it. I love that she kept Illya on his toes. She kept him somewhat honest even as she brought light into his world. I loved seeing Emma Jane and Illya find their way, even as secrets and danger surrounded them.
Ms. Leigh is a wonderful wordsmith. She crafted an enjoyable read full of angst, love, and humor. I thoroughly enjoyed this addition to this series and can’t wait to see where she will take us next.
Five Shooting Stars and Shining Star Award
I always forget how much I love this series until I read the next book in the series. I love this series. Each book I think gets better then the last. You don’t have to read the first two books to enjoy this one. I would highly recommend reading this as they are awesome. Crazy mom and crazy ex are not making for a fun time. Ilya though will finally come to his senses. This book has action, romance, heart and passion. It’s a can’t miss book.
*I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.*
I was hesitant to review Lethal Nights. I had reviewed Dagger’s Edge this previous June and didn’t like it. What changed my mind was the blurb. It caught my attention and made me want to read the book. I am glad that I read Lethal Nights because I enjoyed this book.
The plot for Lethal Nights was fast-paced and well written. The author did a great job of keeping the frantic pace up the entire book. There were parts of the book where it lagged, but the author did a fantastic job of getting the book back on track.
I loved Emma Jane. She was a strong woman. The things she went through before Ilya would have broken a lesser woman. And the things she went through after him would have broken even a strong woman. I loved how family-centered Emma Jane was too. Her family and their safety came first. She wasn’t above hiding things from them (including what her slimy ex did). She was perfect for Ilya. She saw who he was beneath the tattoos and loved him. It was something that he needed.
I loved Ilya, but man, his personal life was a mess. No wonder he kept Emma Jane at arm’s length. I love that his past was a mystery. There were parts of his past that made me wonder how it is going to fit into the series. I mean, he is the heir to rule a tribe of Gypsies with powers. On top of that, Ilya is dangerous, and that part of him sent shivers up my spine. Because I knew that he wouldn’t back down when Emma Jane was targeted.
The romance between Emma Jane and Ilya was sweet but at the same time dangerous. I liked that Ilya fell for Emma Jane the minute he saw here. He respected her enough to leave her alone so she could recover from her divorce. But, once she got attacked at her house, all bets were off. And that’s when things started to heat up.
The sexual chemistry and attraction between Emma Jane and Ilya were intense. What I liked is that the author didn’t have them jump right into bed with each other. Instead, they took it slow. There was a point where I got frustrated. I wanted them to have sex, release the tension, and do-over. But, it was a great move on her part. She held them from having sex until the middle of the book. Talk about explosive!!! Then she built that tension back up.
The plotline with who was trying to kill Emma Jane was full of suspense and danger. There were two people who I felt were behind the attacks. Of course, I was surprised at who it was. I was also surprised at how depraved this person was.
I do wish that Ilya’s Gypsy background was revealed sooner. I was fascinated by it. I wanted to know more about how the Dragon King worked, what his title entailed. Some of it was explained, but I felt a lot of left out. I got a suspicion that there was some paranormal element to it.
I do want to drop a warning. This book covers some heavy situations. Even I had issues reading some scenes because of what happened. There are child abuse and domestic abuse in this book. There are several vivid scenes of Ilya being abused by his uncle and stepfather in the book. Those scenes made me cry. There is also a scene of domestic violence that involved Emma Jane and her manchild of an ex-husband.
The end of Lethal Nights was exciting. I can’t get into it because of what happened, but I will say that Emma Jane and Ilya get their happily ever after. Now, I do wonder who will be in the next book.
Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team
Ruthie –
This is the third in the series, each with a new relationship, but carrying on the story, so we see development of the previous ones.
Ilya is a man who has known great suffering, and as the next leader of the Dragon clan, he has lived his whole life in danger. Sadly, as we find out, the most awful things which happened to him where perpetrated by those who should love him the most. Yet for all that darkness, he is someone who comes over as incredibly sensitive and passionate too. He recognises Emma Jane as his mate, but has stayed away for her safety, although ensuring that she is not rendered homeless or without income. She has a despicable ex-husband who would do anything to see her fall, and this ultimately brings the situation to a head.
I loved the drama, the sexual tension, which is exquisite, and the slow revelation of what they are to each other and how much they have to gain by acknowledging their love, lust, and passion for each other. Emma Jane is such a wonderful mix of innocent yet strong, hopeful, loyal, and utterly trusting in Ilya’s ability to support her, but not control her.
There is undoubtedly more to come in this fabulously intense and powerful series, I am already looking forward to reading the next one!
Avid Reader –
3.5 stars
M/F Paranormal Romance
This is the third book in the series and while you don’t necessarily have to read them in order, they are very good.
This is Ilya Dragonovich’s story. He is an important man in the underworld and while he knows who he is and what he is, he just is not quite sure if he’s ready to take his spot.
Emma Jane is a strong, independent, and fierce woman. She knows that she has gotten a bad deal with her ex-husband creating issues for her. And while she knows that her family loves her, she just couldn’t quite bring herself to lean on them when she needed them most.
Now that Emma Jane is working with Ilya’s group, she knows that she’ll need to be even more secretive with her family and that doesn’t sit great with her. She wants to be honest with them.
Ilya is powerful in his own right, but when Emma Jane is in danger, his inner dragon comes out to protect without fail. Ilya’s family drama has been brought to Emma Jane’s doorstep and while Ilya wants to be able to sweep it under the rug and not think about it, he’ll have to face it head on.
These two have a simmering chemistry that can only be found after denying their impulses for so long. They feed off each other and that’s because they are destined to be together.
I really enjoyed watching this story unfold. It has action, love, passion, craziness, and loyalty all wrapped in a package that is made of a dragon’s love and devotion.
Potential Triggers: Domestic Abuse, Stalking, Attempted Murder
Reviewers received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.
It’s been awhile since I’ve read a book from this author, have really enjoyed them in the past, but I had a difficult time with this book. The story started off a bit confusing for me, the characters jumped around, not giving me a good foundation on the story to build from. Definitely a dark story, probably would have helped if I had read the previous books in the series, but overall it was just okay for me.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC copy of this book
This is Ilya and Emma’s story and the 3rd book in the Brute Force series. Ilya is a hitman and a Romanian Mafia Prince. He meets Emma one year earlier and knows she is his mate but it is not to be. However, ever since then, neither has been able to forget each other. Ilya gets a call that Emma’s life has been targeted and he quickly returns to her. Emma fights her feelings for Ilya knowing that they don’t have a future together. Ilya has a past and his present is strife with trouble. I loved all the past characters. I am really intrigued as to Ilya’s half brother, Alexei. I hope we get a story about him soon. Filled with suspense, action, hot intense alpha loving and a HEA makes for an awesome read. Loved it!
Ilya Dragonovich and Emma Jane Preston are from two different worlds but the attraction between them is undeniable. Dragon is part of Brute Force and gets to know Emma when he is purchasing her childhood home to turn into a safe house for his boss. Emma is in the midst of a divorce and needs the money to keep her home. Dragon knows she’s the one for him but doesn’t approach her then. A year later, Emma is in need of protection as assassin’s have broken into her home to kill her. Her ex husband was dealing with shady people. I liked that Emma was strong, independent and intelligent. She was a perfect match for Dragon. Dragon is caring, protective and will do what it takes to get a job done. This story kept me on edge til the last page.
I received a copy of this book via Netgalley and am leaving a review.
Wow Lora Leigh doesn’t disappoint with her latest book Lethal Nights it will keep you on the edge of your seat with it’s thrilling story-line with danger, excitement and little bit of sexy thrown in.
The story of Emma Jane and Ilya will leave you breathless!
I loved Ilya and Emma Jane!
I loved the mystery of the dragons. Almost as though this were a sci fi in disguise.
And who wouldn’t love an alpha male taking charge and saving the day? And their chemistry is through the roof! Given the importance of Ilya’s dragon face tattoo, I would have liked to see that on the cover, though. But still, 5 stars!!