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REVIEW: Vigilant by Cora Rose & Lark Taylor

The Firm: Vigilant – Cora Rose & Lark Taylor
As the eldest brother and leader of The Firm, I take my responsibilities very seriously. There’s nothing I won’t do to keep my family safe. Staying vigilant, always thinking ten steps ahead, and holding the pieces of my life together with steady hands. Control is everything, because if I loosen my grip for even a moment, the darkness I’ve buried inside will claw its way free.
Everything is stable. Predictable. Safe.
Until Neo.
He’s a distraction I can’t afford but a temptation I can’t seem to ignore. My darkness is drawn to him; it wants to be set free.
And as our enemies close in, Neo becomes the one variable I can’t control… and the one risk I find myself wanting to take. Because for the first time, surrendering to the dark doesn’t feel like weakness.It feels a lot like love.
Vigilant is the third book of the dark billionaire romance series, The Firm by Cora Rose and Lark Taylor. This is my most anticipated installment, starring my favorite Buckingham brother, Wylder.
The Buckinghams were molded into killers by their ruthless father. As the eldest, Wylder endured the worst abuses while shielding his younger brothers. Now leader of The Firm, he shoulders every responsibility, holding the family together with iron control.
He didn’t count upon a bratty, blue-haired hacker to test that control. Neo is the bestfriend of Ancel (Deviant) and they are both living in the Buckingham mansion because of the threat from Umbra.
Neo lived to annoy Wylder, pranking, pushing and sassing him just to see how far he could. Wylder’s PA was on leave and he declares Neo take the position seeing the hacker was already neck-deep in Buckingham business. Neo lost no time upping his game and this time, Wylder’s walls are starting to crack.
Wylder totally made the book for me! He’s not a grump with a soft center. He’s a grump with a monster inside, and when it’s unleashed, it’s glorious! My favorite part about Wylder is that beneath the scowl, he’s a secret do-gooder: funding scholarships, protecting his family, and quietly helping those in need without expecting recognition.
Also, the megane moe slays!!!
Neo nearly ruined the book for me. More bully than brat, he was too pushy, too desperate for attention, his pranks felt more infuriating than humorous. He harrassed and manipulated Wylder for fun, just to see him fall apart. Then he sulks whenever Wylder pushes back.
And everyone would be on Wylder’s ass because he hurt Neo’s feelings. I hated how everyone made it appear that it’s Wylder’s fault and he had to do the groveling every time when really, it was Neo who started it.
Another thing that annoyed me to no end was how Neo would be all concerned about how exhausted Wylder looks and how he had too much responsibilties. Then proceeds to disrupt his sleep every night and pull pranks that added to Wylder’s burdens. He was even glad he made Wylder lose sleep because it means he’s getting under his skin.
One time, his fucked up prank even caused Wylder to pay millions of dollars for a settlement. Neo promised to repay him in blowjobs. Meh. His sob story of being a foster kid didn’t make up for his poor behavior.
My heart went out to Wylder at that scene when everything was too much, he crawled into his secret hidey-hole closet and just be. Seriously, the man needs peace, quiet and uninterrupted sleep more than he needs a blowjob. He’s really trying, damn it, even if emotions are something he struggles to understands.
Neo became somewhat tolerable when he got what he wanted, a.k.a. Wylder’s monster a.k.a. primal play in the woods. Still, not the guy for Wylder. I’d even go for Brennan, their head of security. At least, he always got Wylder’s back.
The rest of the Umbra mission was crammed in the last parts. I missed seeing the Buckinghams in action and I wished the plot was more mission-focused.
Vigilant is a story of control versus chaos. Despite being saddled with the totally wrong guy, Wylder endeared himself and charmed me to no end. I rooted so hard for him every step. Overall, it lies somewhere between like and love but Wylder completely made it worth the ride!
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: Wild Child
Artist: The Black Keys
Album: Dropout BoogieP.S.
The Firm is best read in order.
Watch a Buckingham arranged his marriage to his enemy in Covenant.
Witness a Buckingham happily guide his own kidnapper in the how-tos of abduction in Deviant.
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VIGILANT: Amazon UK | Audiobook
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RELEASE BLITZ: Stealing Forever by Lizzie C. Koz (Giveaway)
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NEW RELEASE: Save The Date by Sophia Soames (Excerpt)
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COVER REVEAL: Heartsmashed by Brooke Blaine
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NEW RELEASE: Around And Around We Go by Amy Aislin (Excerpt)
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NEW RELEASE: Wine Quest by Dann Hazel (Excerpt)
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RELEASE TOUR: Never Annouce You’re Dating The Massage Therapist by Portia Blake
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REVIEW: The Unlikely Spare by Jax Calder

Unlikely Dilemmas: The Unlikely Spare – Jax Calder
What happens when a prince falls for the undercover agent pretending to be his bodyguard?
Nicholas
I’m the spare, the younger brother of the Prince of Wales. Ever since I was propelled up the order of succession, my job description has been: Exist. Don’t embarrass the Crown. Repeat.
After a security scandal, I’m assigned a new bodyguard. A hulking, brooding Irishman who glowers at me like I’ve personally offended his ancestors. He’s the first to be completely immune to my charm, which is rather inconvenient when you’ve always wielded wit like a defensive weapon.
And why I feel the need to continue trying to impress Officer O’Connell is anyone’s guess.
My upcoming royal tour of Australia and New Zealand should be a nice chance to escape the British winter and bask in some Southern Hemisphere sunshine. But it turns out that representing the monarchy in former colonial countries means confronting some uncomfortable truths about how all those Crown Jewels ended up in my family’s vaults.
And the whole visit would really be far more enjoyable if someone wasn’t trying to kill me.
Eoin
I’ve clawed my way from the slums of Ireland to the top level of Scotland Yard’s undercover agents. But a deep security breach within the force has me investigating my own colleagues while playing bodyguard to a privileged prince on a tour Down Under.
Something about Prince Nicholas gets under my skin like shrapnel I can’t dig out.
Still, I’m a professional. I can handle one posh git with a smart mouth.
But as we navigate koala cuddling sessions, didgeridoo lessons, and deadly spiders in hotel rooms, I see beneath Nicholas’s princely façade. I’m supposed to uncover which of my fellow bodyguards is a threat to Prince Nicholas, not become obsessed with the most complex, fascinating pain in my arse I’ve ever met.
The line between duty and desire blurs with each passing day and the danger to Nicholas intensifies.
How can I maintain my cover, protect Nicholas, and resist the urge to press him against the nearest wall and kiss that smirk off his face?
The Unlikely Spare is a royal romantic comedy/suspense featuring a party prince learning his place in the world and an undercover bodyguard with a chip on his shoulder. As threats escalate and attraction intensifies, both men must decide what they’re willing to risk—and what they’re willing to fight for.
The Unlikely Spare is the 3rd book of Unlikely Dilemmas, Jax Calder‘s binge-worthy contemporary romance series. The spotlight falls on Prince Nicholas, second in line to the British throne and half-brother to Callum (The Unlikely Heir).
Nicholas’ new bodyguard is Officer Eoin O’Connell, Scotland Yard’s top undercover agent, tasked with protecting the prince and uncovering a traitor among the royal protection officers. The story picks up after the Matheson-Wembley incident from The Unlikely Pair, where Toby and Harry were kidnapped by Harry’s own bodyguard, a sleeper agent for an international terrorist group.
While touring Australia and New Zealand, Nicholas becomes the terrorists’ prime target. Under attack and unsure who to trust, Eoin escapes with him and the two are thrust into a fight for survival.
The bodyguard romance played out as it typically does. Nicholas is the bratty, sassy ward pushing bounderies, and Eoin is all iron-willed restraint until he gloriously loses control. It might be expected, but the chemistry is spectacularly electric! That kiss was absolutely primal!
Adding depth is Eoin’s inner conflict: an Irishman unexpectedly falling for a royal who surprised him at every turn. The pacing drags in the middle, but once the chase across New Zealand begins, things shifts into high gear. Then out of nowhere came that sucker punch of a twist that made my jaw drop! Ooh, was it clever and brutal!
The plot is politics-heavy, with sharp commentary on the British Empire and colonialism. The terrorists demand reparations for imperial atrocities, and Nicholas, as a blue blood, becomes the symbol of their rage. Some may find the politics overwhelming, but for those from formerly colonized nations, Jax Calder ’s perspective resonates.
The Unlikely Spare is a story of duty, betrayal, and a prince falling for his bodyguard amid political firestorms. Overall, it won’t spare you the politics, but it will most likely steal your heart.
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Spare My Heart
Artist: Imcha Imchen
Album:P.S.
Unlikely Dilemmas is best read in order.
Be regaled with obscure facts and trivias by the Prince of Wales in The Unlikely Heir.
Discover the joys of sharing body heat with one’s enemy in The Unlikely Pair.
If you like my content, please consider using my Amazon affiliate links below to buy your copy of The Unlikely Spare. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying Amazon purchases at no additional cost to you.
THE UNLIKELY SPARE: Amazon UK | Audiobook
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PROMO BLITZ: Never Announce You’re Dating the Massage Therapist by Portia Blake
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BOOK TOUR: The Wicked Sea by Jordan Stephanie Gray





























