USA Today bestselling author Stacey Kennedy delivers a riveting story about a former army ranger who will stop at nothing to protect the woman he loves. He has what it takes to protect her from everyone . . . except himself. Bar owner Kinsley Knight knows exactly what she wants: Rhett West. How could she resist over six feet of hard, trained physical perfection? Never mind that she’s been in … Never mind that she’s been in love with the guy since high school, or that she’s the “kid sister” of his best friend. Never mind that one unforgettably intense and heated night they shared-and the unexpected consequences. Because Kinsley’s determined to have Rhett . . . and she’ll do anything to prove they’re meant to be.
But Rhett can’t afford to get distracted by the mind-blowingly hot night he spent with Kinsley, or the insatiable hunger he still feels for her. She’s off-limits. Especially now that Rhett’s been investigating the members of a vicious biker gang who have invaded his town, and they’re intent on putting Kinsley out of business-permanently. Suddenly, all of Rhett’s protective instincts have taken over. Because no one threatens Kinsley on his watch. Not now. Not ever. And Rhett’s ruthless enough to protect Kinsley no matter the cost. Even if it means risking his heart . . .
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Kinsley and Rhett have known each other for practically their whole lives. He’s one of her brother’s best friends, a police detective, and the only man who has ever owned her heart. He used to be sweet and charming, however, when he retired from the military he came home a changed man. Rhett is haunted by the things he did and what he saw when he was a soldier and adjusting to civilian life hasn’t been easy. No one can question Kinsley’s devotion to him, but Rhett would never saddle her with all of his baggage. He has no dreams of happily ever after. He can’t even hold down a relationship. Can the small town sweetheart tame the notorious playboy?
Ruthless Bastard was a well-written, fast-paced, and entertaining diversion from reality. Rhett was supposed to be portrayed as a cold-hearted bastard, but to me, he was warm and caring with a bit of damage. I loved how the author characterized him and his backstory for it gave him depth and explained why he was such a delicious broken hero. As for Kinsley, she was an absolute darling person who should have nothing but happiness and joy. The small town feel and the romance that vibrated through these pages with some suspense to give this story an edge made my reading experience complete!
Loved loved loved this story! Love isn’t always rainbows and butterflies. Rhett believes he has nothing to offer Kinsley cause she’s love and light and his hands are dirty from a dark past. Kinsley sees Rhett and knows he’s not the same man but she knows she can’t walk away. The feels .. especially with the card had me in tears but I loved it.
Sweet, steamy and suspenseful all rolled into one delicious read! With book three in her always satisfying Dangerous Love series Stacey Kennedy delights her reader with a best friend’s little sister story line filled with lust, danger and the consequences of both!
Kinsley is a joy to read. She’s strong and tough when she’s handling things at her bar Whiskey Blues, but she can handle being tucked away and protected when danger comes knocking at her door. Especially when the guy doing the protecting is the guy she’s been not-so-secretly in love with for years!
Rhett is a doll. He knows he still carries the scars of the military life he led on his sleeve, and he’s tried with all of his might to stay away from Kinsley. One night of weakness is all it took to bind them forever, but he’s not so sure he can handle the life she dreams of.
I highly recommend this book and the entire series to anyone who enjoys a romance filled with alpha men, strong women and steaming hot stories filled with love, friendship and more heart than you’ll know what to do with. My favorite of the series!
To forever!
Kins and Rhett are not what anyone would call couple goals. They were one night for her to act out her fantasies. A one night stand that should not have happened and yet…
Life has a way of making things turn around. Sometimes for good, others not so much. Kins might be experiencing a turn but she’s not sure which way its going yet.
I love Rhett and Kins. I wanted them from book 1. I love their gravitational pull towards each other. Watching them fight it is like foreplay. It’s explosive when they actually stop fighting.
Ruthless Bastard is the end of the series but it feels like its the beginning of something better. To this. To Us. To forever!
Every time I read one of Stacey’s books, I am automatically drawn to the hero/heroine and almost feel like I personally know them. I went into this book wanting to know more about Kinsley and she didn’t disappoint. And Rhett, oh my heart. Stacey’s characters always grab a a hold of you for some reason and that made Ruthless Bastard a perfect read. One of those that once I started it I didn’t want to put it down.
AWESOME! Is that a little too strong? Nope. This book had all the feels in it. Heat, humor, danger, oh and one ruthless bastard. Rhett has been the ruthless one, the deadly one, the unfeeling one, since he left the Army. It was how he was trained, it was what he knew. The Army made him that way. Kinsley has loved Rhett since they were young. They grew up together. Kinsley, even though her mother abandoned her, she loves hard and fierce. She is very loyal. What happens when a one night stand turns south? Oh boy! A crap ton of drama and over protectiveness. Especially when someone is trying to put Kinsley out of business and will do it one way or another….
No spoilers darn it! I loved this book and just did not want to put it down. It had me hooked…bad
Ruthless Bastard by Stacey Kennedy is book Three in the Dangerous Love Series. This is the story of Kinsley Knight and Rhett West. I have read the previous books, but feel you can make this a standalone book if you wish to do so.
Rhett had left his home town to join the Military and his plan was to make that a lifetime decision. But then he was injured which of course made that plan change to him being retired from the military and returning back home. But along with his two friends they became detectives in law enforcement. Rhett is a homicide detective who has taken to drinking to much and sleeping around to much. Kinsley has always had a crush on her brother’s best friend but never got noticed or was able to act on it. But at her brother’s wedding she does get her only chance to taste the forbidden fruit that is Rhett. But afterwards, Rhett goes back to ignoring her until she and the bar she owns becomes threatened. Rhett has gone into protective mode but especially after finding out something that Kinsley hadn’t yet told him. Enjoyed this page turning story!
Ruthless Bastard was well worth the wait! I have been on pins and needles waiting for Rhett and Kinsley’s story and what a good one it was. When they finally get together for a night I worried Rhett wouldn’t be able to handle all that is Kinsley but having all of his protectiveness come out in this book made all the anxiety I had reading worth it! Also when it came to that beautiful moment near the end I couldn’t help shed a tear. Loved this book!
Edgy, intense, sexy, and full of suspense, action, friendship, family and love. I have been waiting for Kinsley and Rhett’s story since the first book in the Dangerous Love Series and Stacey Kennedy didn’t disappoint.
I was thoroughly captivated by their story. “RUTHLESS BASTARD” kept me on the edge of my seat, turning the pages rooting for my HEA. Their romance sizzles, the suspense builds, the action is intense and the ending is … dramatic, romantic and utterly wonderful.
Characters that will touch your heart and a romance that will leave you breathless.
Received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
This was my favorite book of the series. I wasn’t sure if it would be, with the long history between the two main characters, but I loved it so much!
Kinsley Knight owns a successful jazz bar, and she’s fairly happy at 29, but still single. She has always wanted Rhett West. Since she was a kid trailing after her big brother Boone and his two best friends, Rhett and Asher. But, after Rhett came back from his final Army deployment, he was never the same relaxed, fun-loving boy again. She still loves him, but she knows he can never be what she needs. He can never let her in, not really. But, at her brother’s tropical wedding, they finally stop fighting their attraction for one night only, with unintended consequences.
Rhett West is a hot mess. He’s a successful homicide detective in his small coastal Maine hometown, but he had plans for a lifetime as an Army Ranger. Until a bullet to the shoulder took that choice from him, and sent him back to a home he thought he’d never see again. He has had major problems readjusting to civilian life, and he can’t seem to let anyone close, except his 2 lifelong best friends, who are also detectives who work with him. He’s always noticed Kinsley, and he’s always known how she felt about him. But after he got home, he knew she deserved more than he could ever give her, so he worked hard to keep her at arm’s length. He slept around, and drank too much, and generally was unpleasant to be around. But, after one night with Kinsley, he’s been avoiding her for the last two months, until the night some bikers roll into her bar and give her a scare.
Rhett and Kinsley had mega chemistry, and after they finally acted on it the first time, they had a very hard time keeping a lid on it. They were drawn together due to their circumstances, as well as the threats to Kinsley and her bar, and they couldn’t help but take advantage of their situation. This story had so many tropes I love, including two of my most favorite: best friend’s little sister, and forced proximity. I really had fun watching these characters fall into each other, almost without realizing it at first.
The rest of the crew was fun to catch up with, after watching them get their HEAs in the 2 prior books. I love how they really are like family, with all their different crossed connections, and relationships. I love how much they are all there for one another, and truly love each other. Kinsley’s dad is also so great, and I loved how he trusted her to deal with her own life, and make her own choices. They all really loved both Rhett and Kinsley and hoped for the best for them.
I felt like the suspense plot was pretty strong here, and you never knew when danger was right around the corner. It kept me on my toes and I enjoyed that aspect of the story. I also liked how the danger really moved the story along between Rhett and Kinsley. If you’ve enjoyed this series, I think you’ll really like this book as well. This was my favorite story of the 3, and I loved how it closed everything out for all these characters we’ve come to love.
This was my first series by this author, but I enjoyed all 3 books so much. I highly recommend this series, and especially this book!
OMG i loved Rhett and Kinsley’s story from start to finish, There story full of emotions, suspense, action, sizzling HOT chemistry. Cant say to much with out spoilers and i dont do spoilers, A must read, Loved it Stacey. I just reviewed Ruthless Bastard by Stacey Kennedy. #NetGalley
Kinsley Knight has forbidden written all over her, she is the younger sister to his best friend, and that is a line he knows he shouldn’t cross… even though he has once before. They let their attraction for one another lead them to bed one night, but the next morning he decided it was best to go back to a “hands off” rule with her.
He does his best to keep his distance, but when she calls one night asking for his help he can’t help but come rushing to her defense…
Between the pages of this steamy little literary romp readers will meet a brooding wounded hero and the feisty woman who is determined to find her way into his heart. This forbidden pairing brought life to the pages, you couldn’t help but get wrapped up in their little show. Rhett was determined to keep the lines clear between them and stay true to his friendship with her brother, but Kinsley didn’t believe in lines, so she pushed him at every turn. I loved watching her push his buttons and tempt him every chance she got, and of course watching him try to contain himself around her, they kept anticipation levels high throughout. They were quite the pairing! I loved every single second of this one, the words were so intense and passionate, it was impossible to not get entranced by them!
I requested an advanced copy of this title from the publisher, via NetGalley, and I am voluntarily leaving my honest opinion.
The Dangerous Love series is such a good one and I was really happy to be back with this group of people!
Kinsley Knight is the sister of Detective Boone Knight and she’s owns a bar/jazz club, Whiskey Blues, in town. Kinsley has spent time around Boone’s best friend’s for years, but Rhett West has always been the one that she has wanted for herself. But he’s always been off-limits since he is her brother’s best friend.
Rhett went into the military and expected that was going to be his life’s work, but when he was injured and subsequently honorably discharged, he had to figure out what he was going to do with the rest of his life. He’s come home and is working as a detective, but he is still haunted by things that happened during his time in the service and also the fact that he had to give it up.
When the opportunity presented itself at her brother’s destination wedding for Kinsley to have the one taste of Rhett that she’s always wanted, she took it. Now that they are back home, she’s trying to get back to normal, but when her bar is threatened, things are anything but normal. Now fighting for the business, Rhett, her brother and their other friend Asher, are doing everything they can to help her. Rhett is involved from a detective standpoint, but Kinsley means more to him than he’s ever let on to anyone else. Can these two actually find their way to one another and make it work?
I loved this book and I read it in one sitting. The characters are fantastic, it kept me on the edge of my seat with the action and I also loved the way Rhett and Kinsley’s romance unfolded. The friendships and sense of family in this book are another reason that I loved it so much. Kudos to Stacey Kennedy for another winner in this series.
**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher**
Ruthless Bastard is a brother’s best friend/accidental pregnancy/small town/romantic suspense and the third book in the Dangerous Love series by author Stacey Kennedy.
Kinsley Knight and Rhett West have both grown up from their awkward teenage years, and can’t resist one another at her brother Boone’s destination wedding. Rhett’s military service and medical discharge have changed him deeply, and he has returned a “damaged” man. He joined the police department, and is still harboring a crush on his best friend’s sister. Kinsley owns a bar and ends up caught up in the middle of an intense gang situation.
This book is fantastic! I love the way the author makes the story flow so wonderfully, and details of the characters and their actions. This whole series is wonderful and intense. I love everything about this book! This wraps up this series so perfectly! I love the feels I got from this book. It has everything! I didn’t want to put it down. Loved this book and recommend it with 5 stars!
Love can repair even the most damaged heart!
Rhett knows he’s damaged goods, and it’s easier to let everyone think he’s a ruthless bastard than to try to prove them wrong. Kinsley is the exception, but he knows the man she thinks she sees in him no longer exists.
After one explosive night of giving in to their simmering attraction, he doubles down on his efforts to keep out of her life. Until the night she’s threatened at her bar and calls him for help, which also gives her the opportunity to break the news to him that will change his life.
I loved the respect between these two characters. Kinsley knew that Rhett could offer her nothing unless he made significant changes, yet she respected him enough to accept him as is, whatever he can be for her, and never even tried to change him. Rhett’s entire personal growth trajectory was wholly from within, as he allowed the feelings he had for Kinsley to take over and lead him into a new sense of self.
There’s quite a lot of danger and suspense in this story as our detectives try to figure out who is trying to put her out of business or out of commission entirely. Rhett is the hero Kinsley needs, the hero he was born to be, and I loved every bit of their story. The supporting characters are very familiar from the earlier books in this series, and it was wonderful to see them still involved with each other in their solid circle of friends.
Towards the end there was even a surprise secondary romance for one of the secondary characters, bringing this whole series to a truly satisfactory ending. The epilogue was everything I could hope for. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
5 stars
Rhett and Kingsley have known each other for ever. Rhett is Kingsley’s brothers best friend, former Army Ranger, now a cop in their little town. Kingsley owns Whiskey Blue, a bar in town. They spend one night together and then Rhett ghosts her. He believes he’s no good for her plus being his friends little sister, he tries to stay away from her. When the unexpected happens, Rhett is thrown for a loop. Then someone breaks into Kingsley’s bar and destroys it. Someone wants her to close down and they’re willing to do anything to make that happen. Can Kingsley break down the walls around Rhett and stay safe too?
OMG!!! This is one of my favorite books in a long time. You’ve got suspense, sex, and action. I stopped reading several times because I was afraid of what was going to happen next. It can be read as a stand-alone but it’s more enjoyable to read the others too.
* Voluntarily read and reviewed this for NetGalley *
Grab a fan and grab some tissues and maybe a nice glass of wine and sit back for an awesome adventure. Way to end a series Stacey!!!! You’ve read the blurb and know what this is about so I’m not going to re-hash the story but try to tell you that this book him me so emotionally. I cried so hard at one point. I love that you believe immediately the chemistry between Kinsley and Rhett. I love that this book has heat. I love that Kinsley is going to FIGHT for Rhett and them as a couple. I loved how Stacey was able to show Rhett growing and changing. I love love love Remy. She brings so much laughter. It’s great that the “family/friends” are together. I truly did not want this to end. I love how she wanted him to prove it wasn’t a dream (grrrr). And I loved when he went to the appointment towards the end of the book. WHY DID THIS HAVE TO END!!! I LOVE YOU AND ALL YOUR STORIES STACEY!!!