It’s my turn to fight the shady Organization that’s dug its fucking claws into every business in my town. Setting up my trap while keeping my friends safe is a challenge—and my private life shouldn’t interfere.Except it does. Because the only way to reach the center of the web is to crawl right into the spider’s lair—and that turns out to be the Cronin Scarlet Hotel. Luxury hotel with a kink, and … kink, and my regular haunt.
The perfect way in. Nobody will bat an eye if I ask for my usual relief from stress in one of their stylish pain rooms with some random girl who likes to dom. It will only take a phone call.
But there’s one complication: Mia.
A very sexy complication. She works at the hotel as a cleaning maid, and she’s prim and proper and damn pretty. So buttoned up, her gaze so icy when she looks at me, she pushes all my buttons. I want to tie her up, I want her to tie me up, I want to try every filthy kink possible with her.
But she doesn’t want anything to do with me. Or at least, she didn’t, until the last time I happened to be there. One searing hot kiss and I was lost.
Why do I want a girl who’s nothing like the dominant women I usually go for? And how the hell am I going to keep my mind on taking down the corrupted Organization when she’s around?
* Standalone romantic suspense novel, though Best read after Storm and Hawk *
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This book was THE PERFECT end to this series. Really, it was the perfect everything. I absolutely adore romance books that have action in them, for me it’s the absolute best! These men are our white knights, in the most rugged, handsome, bad boy types of way. Rook was someone who I wasn’t really sure I understood, but we find out so much about him in this book. He has such a dark, layered and complicated past. Nothing about the lives of these men was easy, but Rook seemed to have everything especially hard. He also seemed to care so much, and he was dead set on making things right.
Mia, she’s the best, I loved her so much from the time we meet her. I love how awkward she was at the hotel she worked at, it made everything so much more entertaining. I also love how she’s introduced to Rook. Rook seemed to have completely changed her mindset throughout this book, made her re-think things. The chemistry these two had was fire! I loved the anticipation of seeing what was going to happen. Jo made us wait, she made us beg for their coupling. That is the best feeling, I just love when we have to work for it. She wasn’t afraid to get her hands dirty, and we even have a few surprises. Well, many surprises, twists and turns. It was all so good!
The end of this book, oh it’s so special. Jo, you really know how to write an epilogue! I think it’s important to get closure, and this is a great way to get it. Can’t wait to see what’s up Jo’s sleeve next!
Mia and Rook know that sometimes there is fine line between pain and pleasure. Mia’s job at Cronin Hotel is every eye opening. A place of pleasure and pain she sees and hears so much coming from its gilded rooms. While she needs all she hears she cannot be affected by the kink she exposed to within these chain covered walls. When in the course of her duties she is swept up in a passionate embrace by Rook Carter, she is surprised by how deeply it affects her. He says he enjoys the crack of the whip and the sting of the flogger, something she knows nothing about and she has a job to do and cannot be distracted by tall, dark, and sexy. Rook has a mission – bring down the Organization at all costs. After Storm and Hawk’s run ins with the evil empire and putting his corrupt parents away – he has to take them down once and for all. With this ethos he is after the big kahuna Ian Cronin and will stop at nothing to take the man out. His plan is to infiltrate his HQ as a patron of his illustrious den of iniquity Cronin Hotel and find anything to get to his contacts to start the sky falling. With his well known love for pain and pleasure he won’t seem out of place but he will still need to watch his back. When he meets Mia and cannot get her out of his mind pain or no he knows that he needs to posses her. But with his past demons, dangerous life, and atypical appetites can he really drag down Mia. Taking out the Organization is personal and necessary, but Rook will soon discover something even more necessary…Love!
Sex and Bullets: Rook’s Fight with the Darkness
“I’m . . . lost . . . I’m not who I thought I was . . .Who am I then? Who in the f***ing hell am I, and what the hell am I going to do now?”
Holy Smokes! What a gripping, emotional ride! This story focuses on the last of the “brothers” in Jo Raven’s Sex and Bullets Series, and it definitely did not disappoint. Like the other books in the series, there’s a strong connection and chemistry between the hero and heroine, and it has that element of danger. But with this one, there’s also a kind of darkness that has infiltrated Rook’s life, mind, and soul since childhood. The emotional impact of the things he experiences is staggering.
Storm and Hawk have always looked up to Rook as a big brother, and he’s never taken his role lightly. Even being surrounded by pain and darkness, Rook is the man they could always count to come through for them. Although hesitant and suspicious at first, even the heroine, Mia could sense this about Rook as well:
“He’s convinced me he’s someone I can trust. Someone who puts others before himself, before his own life, and . . . Someone who’d defend what’s right, what’s true, to his last breath . . .”
Mia shows up on the scene having a job to do. She tries to fight her feelings for Rook, but she eventually gives into her desires, and the two become a formidable pair. From that moment on, things get heated and even more dangerous. Rook discovers things about his family, about himself that shakes his world and threatens to confirm his worst fears: that the darkness, pain, and suffering will be all he ever knows, all he ever deserves. My heart truly went out to Rook, and I was so glad Mia came into his life.
I can’t say enough about this book and how talented Jo Raven is at writing about tortured, Alpha heroes and their strong, brave women. I’m still reeling!
5 Stars to Rook: Sex and Bullets #3 by Jo Raven.
Wow! Jo Raven is easily one of my all-time favorite authors, ever! She is certainly in my top 3. I have been with her since she released Asher and never looked back. I will put down whatever I am reading when she releases a book. Jesus, she is a fantastic writer! (Fan-girling much? Lol)
The first book in the Sex and Bullets series, Storm is loosely connected to the Inked Brotherhood series, a spinoff from Rafe. You don’t have to read that series to enjoy Rook While this book can be read as a standalone, I personally believe you will get more enjoyment from it if you read the prior books. There is a continuing suspense element that resolves with Rook. Also, there may be a few times where you will have questions if you haven’t read the others.
Rook and Mia…….
Having met Rook in the first book, we know he is family to Storm and Hawk; they are like brothers. Rook is protective and loyal as are the other two. Rook will do anything to keep his ‘brothers’ safe. Even if that means death. I don’t want to give any details away, especially if you haven’t read the other books yet, so I will do my best to keep from spoiling this book for you.
Storm and Hawk have both technically had their happy endings with their girls, in the conclusion of their books. However the element of danger is still lurking and Rook feels strongly it is his responsibility to put an end to it. And that is exactly what he sets out to do. Alone. However, he doesn’t get away with keeping secrets from Storm and Hawk.
It is during Rook’s investigation that he meets Mia. She is beautiful and sexy and quickly gets under his skin. Rook tried to keep his distance from Mia but he is drawn to her. But when she finds out his secrets, his kinks, will she run? Rook believes he is destined to be alone for the rest of his life. He doesn’t think he will find what Storm and Hawk found with their girls. Rook believes he doesn’t deserve a happily ever after. Ok, this is where I disagree. Sorry Rook, but you deserve EVERYTHING! Yes, he has a tortured soul, and guarded heart. Rook broke my own heart. I literally cried for this man. It is so hard to properly describe my feelings about hi but I’ll try. He was smart, rich, sexy, loyal, protective, strong, dark and determined. Did I mention sexy? Hot damn! But he was sad and lonely and broken on the inside. When Mia came into his life, he was able to start to heal. Of course he believed he didn’t deserve her.
Mia was an amazing heroine. She was just as protective when it came to those she cares for. She was also brave and just as determined as Rook to end the evil in this story. Rook quickly found a way into her own closed heart. While she thought he was too dark for her, she quickly realized she needed him and she believed he needed her. Mia would unearth Rook’s secrets and show him she was not going to run.
This book is dark. There is suspense and violence. Secrets that unfold as you read. As the plot and conflicts grow, I was growing with anxiety and even excitement I loved the resolution! I was very satisfied with how the villain received his comeuppance. But even after that, there was still an engaging finish. This book was thoroughly captivating and the writing flowed perfectly. Soon I found myself on the last page and hated for it to end. But as I know Jo Raven, we can probably expect a long epilogue from this series to release in the future. I for one want to know that these men are still happy and living the life they deserve.
Not only do I recommend this book, I recommend you check out the whole Sex and Bullets series. And after the, you should check out Jo’s other amazing books!
This is my honest and unbiased review. Thank you for taking the time to read it.
*3,5 – 4 stars*
Jo Raven is one of my favorite authors and I will always read her books but I’m a bit on the fence with this one. I was excited to read the next one in this series ‘cuz I was enjoying it but I honestly have to say this one wasn’t really my cup of tea although I still loved Mia and Rook together. And we finally got more details about the organisation and who’s actually behind it.
There was just one theme in the story that didn’t quite appeal to me but overall it is still a good story that needed to be told and you can’t deny to fall for the chemistry Rook and Mia have. That is really one of the things that made me get into the story more and more. And of course the way Storm and Hawk were right there by Rooke’s side. A family you can’t mess with!
I’m sad it’s the end of this series but I’m excited to see what Jo has up her sleeve next!