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BOOK BLITZ: If You Were Mine by A.S. Kelly (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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RELEASE TOUR: Too Close To Home by C.F. White (Excerpt)
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PROMO BLITZ: The CEO And The Mountain Man by Kelly Fox
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RELEASE BLITZ: Don’t Fall by E.M. Lindsey
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PROMO BLITZ: My Dead Wife’s Ex Will Do by Anna Kensing
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RELEASE BLITZ: Be My Monster by Davidson King
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RELEASE BLITZ: Be My Monster by Davidson King
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REVIEW: His Reluctant Savior by Courtney W. Dixon
The District: His Reluctant Savior – Courtney W. Dixon
PLEASE READ THE BLURB AND WARNINGS IF YOU’RE SENSITIVE TO TRIGGERS! And please, please be careful of spoilers and giving away endings of books. Use spoiler tags.
I have a second chance to right wrongs, even if it means I’ll lose my family and life.
Sid Virgil
FBI analyst Dalton Reed’s name is on my hit list, but I know I won’t do it. Though I haven’t seen Dalton in twenty-seven years, we have a history together. He saved my life many years ago, and he doesn’t even realize it. Now, it’s my turn to save him and his young son. Saving Dalton puts my life at risk with my assassin family, but I owe it to him, and I owe it to myself.
Dalton Reed
Sid, goddamn, Virgil. I haven’t seen him in twenty-seven years, and I now find him standing between me and my escape. He insists he wants to help me, but I know he was sent to kill me. I don’t trust him. He was a bastard to me growing up as a teen, and I’m sure he’s a bastard now. He’s a killer. But I’m being hunted, and I have no choice but to let Sid help. My son is all that matters.
Can these two men see beyond their past to save Dalton before it’s too late? Can Sid’s family forgive him for his betrayal?
Reading in order will add more pleasure to the reading experience since some of the books end in a series cliffhanger. But they can technically be read as standalones.
Criminal Activity, Loss of Parents (off page), Sexual Assault (on page) of a Minor, Drugging Minors, SA by a Family Member, PTSD, Loss of Spouse, Torture, Murder, Murder of a Family Member, Organized Crime, Pedophilia, Forced Suicide, Mentions of Child Sex Trafficking (side character), Alcohol Consumption, Violence, Explicit Language, Sex.
Last we know of Sid Virgil, in the cliffhanger of The District Book 2, His Bane, he went rogue and betrayed his found family of queer assassins. Sully was raging to skin him alive, with Malik barely able to hold on to his beloved psychopath’s leash.
His Reluctant Savior follows Sid and single dad/FBI agent Dalton Reed as they dodge hitmen, The District boys, and fellow feds. There’s a hit on Dalton’s head after he submitted crucial evidence against the Speaker of the House, only to find out his boss was the Speaker’s friend.
But why would Sid risk everything, even his family and the trust they built for years, for a fed?
Like the rest of the series, Sid’s backstory is dark and tragic, suffering sexual abuse from his uncle since he was very young. It’s not as graphic or disturbing as Book 1, His Death Bringer, but do heed the TWs.
During high school, Sid was a moody troublemaker and treated Dalton, the star quarterback and all-around sweetheart, terribly, even though he was really crushing hard on the golden boy. A fateful night with Dalton at a party changed everything for Sid, though they never saw each other again after that. He never forgot what Dalton did for him.
When adult Sid and Dalton met again, there were sparks between them that quickly ignited into a full-blown inferno. I love the contrast in their personalities: Sid is the bad boy, always making jokes even in life-or-death situations, while Dalton is the concerned dad type—an overthinking boy scout who prefers to do everything by the book.
Trust is key to survival, with Dalton knowing Sid is a killer hired to kill him, and not fully understanding why the man is helping him, but having no choice with his son’s life on the line and bad guys hot on their heels. Also, not trusting Sid 100% didn’t stop Dalt from eagerly jumping into bed with Sid.
The best part is Easton, Sid’s 17-year-old protege and sociopath, who’s obsessively attached to Sid, the father figure in his life. East helped save their asses, and I loved his relationship with Owen, Dalton’s 5-year-old son. The birthday scene was adorable, and it made me eager for Easton’s book.
Meeting the family was also my favorite part. Sid bringing his Boy Scout to The District HQ, a.k.a. throwing him to the wolves, was hilarious and as tense as wild animals circling each other. Dalton might be by the book, but I loved how he shook things up in The District. There were shocking but fitting additions to the family. It’s also a fantastic resolution to their situation.
The story was intriguing, and I loved the connections between Sid and Dalton across past and present. However, I felt it lacked the oomph of Books 1 and 2. The ending scene was unfortunately anticlimactic, although it provided the best solution to protect Dalton and Owen.
Overall, His Reluctant Savior is a story of second chances, trust, and finding the good in a person. It’s a suspenseful chase, a steamy reunion, and an intense shake-up of a crazy family of killers who will always have each other’s backs, no matter what.
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: Good In Me
Artist: Andy Grammar
Album: Monster (Deluxe)P.S.
The District is best read in order.
His Death Bringer brought together the sweet and innocent with the dark and deadly.
His Bane is a clash of wills, power, and control between a feral psychopath and his closeted mentor.
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HIS RELUCTANT SAVIOR: Kindle | Audiobook
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RELEASE BLITZ: Finlay by Lark Taylor
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REVIEW: Never Say Never by Brea Alepou & Skyler Snow
Vitale Brothers: Never Say Never – Brea Alepou & Skyler Snow
I’d do anything for my family. Even go undercover and devote my life to the FBI so they can continue to thrive. Everything I do is for the Vitale name. I just have to focus, complete my job, divert attention and stay out of trouble.
But trouble finds me.
Not just me, but York Washington. He’s my boss, but more than that he’s my friend. When he and his daughters are thrown into danger I have no choice but to step into the light. Finally, I get to go back home.
But home is a strange hellscape I no longer understand.
While a war wages on, I’m caught between who I am and who I was with a man I’ve betrayed. There’s no happily ever after for me.
The fourth book in the Vitale brother series. Each book can be read as a standalone but best enjoyed read in order. HEA guaranteed.
The Vitale Brothers is an all-time favorite series, and each brother is memorable in his own way. I thought this would be a trilogy, so learning Gin has a twin in the previous book, Say I Do, made my jaw drop.
Never Say Never finally unveiled Gianpaolo Vitale. Going undercover in the FBI for his family as Paul Gallow, he keeps tabs on cases and passes information to Benito, the only brother who knows about his mission. Paul is known as a man whore in his department, dating coworkers left and right and getting in trouble with HR.
But the man Paul is really crushing hard on is his boss, York Washington, an Idriss Elba of a hunk who’s good at his job and keeps his personal life private. And so he was pleasantly surprised to discover York in a gay bar and that he has twin daughters.
The plot highlights Paolo’s dual identity. In the first part, as Paul, I wouldn’t say there’s none of the darkness but mostly hints of a deeper obsession. You got to hand it to Paolo. The man buried his Vitale so deep it didn’t feel like a Vitale book at all. I was even borderline bored.
It took me a while to warm up to York. A 46-year-old widower and first-time gay, he’s still figuring out most things. Paolo is eager to lend a hand and I get that York doesn’t want to complicate things with a subordinate. At the same time, the older man wants to explore his sexuality.
The thing with York is that he’s hot and cold for almost the entire book and I wasn’t convinced he’s actually in love with Paolo. Also, his characterization lacks depth. It was only at the end that he stood out as a character.
My favorite in the first part is Paolo and York’s twin daughters. Paolo adored the girls from the get-go and would die to protect them. And being a twin himself, he knows all about the mischief the clever girls cook up, even taught them a trick or two.
And we all agree, we could do without the nanny. This character was terrible and unnecessary.
When York and the twins were in danger, he didn’t hesitate. When Gianpaolo shed the Paul Gallow persona, revealing his Italian heritage, his tattoos, and became a full-on Vitale, it was glorious!!! And this is where the real crazy starts! I wish we got to this part sooner because this is what I came for.
“Sanity was only a facade with me. I was born into chaos and I wielded mayhem freely.”
You can tell he and Gin are twins because Paolo is one fucked up motherfucker with fucked up thoughts and zero qualms dub-conning his boss into staying in the Vitale building for their safety. He has already declared the twins his daughters, whether York agrees or not. I loved how fiercely protective he is of those he loves.
My favorite in the second part is when the Vitales unleashed hell on their enemies. It was a spectacular free-for-all violence, gore, and mayhem with a dash of humor, usually involving a brother’s weapon of choice. All the known brothers were there, plus Benito’s beloved monstrizio, Harlow, because as the queen, he has to have the head of the enemy.
I have yet to meet a Vitale I didn’t love, and Gianpaolo stands rightfully beside Gin, finally completing the Murder Twins. Paolo was thrown in a unique position and showed his true colors much later, but he proved a Vitale through and through.
Overall, Never Say Never is a mixed-bag yet ultimately thrilling story of loyalty, trust, and family, where the mind says no, the heart says yes, and the blood screams vengeance.
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: Say It First
Artist: Sam Smith
Album: The Thrill Of It AllP.S.
Vitale Brothers is best read in order. Each brother is fascinating so go ahead and meet them all.
Take Me Apart by Brea – Vitales like to live dangerously and Enzo did it by kidnapping a cop
Paid In Full by Brea – Gin found himself a twink he can’t let go
Say I Do by Brea – Benito don’t do things by halves so he married a complete psycho
If you like my content, please consider using my Amazon affiliate links below to buy your copy of Never Say Never. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying Amazon purchases at no additional cost to you.
NEVER SAY NEVER: Kindle | Audiobook
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