Jackson's Way

by Ashlynn Mills

He was moody,twice my age, and meant to be mine.

Jackson

In between pretending to run a bakery and searching for my lost brother, Alec steals all my attention. He was never a part of my plan. Then again none of these past two years were. His value as a doctor saved his life and landed him under my watchful eye.

I was once the hunted and now that I'm the hunter, he's become my new prey. He won't stop trying to run and as long as I keep ending up on top, he won't be able to get very far.

He belongs to the cartel now and soon he'll also belong to me.

Jackson's Way is the first book in my spin off series Nerds and Cartel. Saved by a drug lord from sex trafficking years ago, these men have had each other to lean on and have grown to be the family they all lost. All books end in an HEA.

Genres: M M Romance, Dark, BDSM, Dark Romance, Romance, Contemporary, LGBT

283 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 29, 2023

About the author

Ashlynn Mills is a Latina from Texas who currently resides in Missouri with her family running a farm. She enjoys reading and writing all genres about people falling in love.

Reviews

[Lilly [Hiatus due to School]]

DNF @ 50%

I usually really enjoy Ashlynn Mills's stories but this one was not for me. It was hard to get invested in the characters or story. The plot was right up my alley but sadly I struggled to finish it and had to DNF.

[read•me•romance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jackson’s Way // Ashlynn Mills // Nerds and Cartel 1

🖤Did Ashlynn mills take a cartel / stalker dark romance and give us the hurt, comfort and D/s exploration that warmed my lil, queer kinkster heart!? F yes she did! This book has it all- naughty and dark vibes, opposites attract, delicious shmink, and intense emotion. 🖤

🥵 The way I’m telling you that I am obsessed with Jackson’s stalkery tendencies…?! Don’t worry Alec is fully obsessed with it too! And the Primal play and CNC between these two? Light my whole kindle on fire, y’all. I’m not talking a sprinkle, I’m talking several scenes of primal, D/s and CNC from start to finish! 🥵

⛈️ Now to balance all that dark and deliciousness, there are some very intense and emotional moments. Heart strings were tugged, and I was holding my breath in several moments! But don’t worry- while these two heal each other in so many ways- they stay on their dark and dangerous paths. 😈

✨Also. Also. Also. I am eager and ready for Aj’s book! You can already see the chemistry betwese wild and deadly, AJ, and femme and feisty Maddox!

✨ Opposites Attract
😈 Cartel / Dr
⛈️ Trauma Survivors
🔗 St*lking / K!dn*pping
☠️ Toucu Him & D!3 …literally
❤️‍🩹 Hurt Comfort
🏹 Unaliving MC
🩸 Violence, Gore
⏰ Older Sub, Younger Dom

🔥K!nky tags:
Strict Top/ Bottom: yes
S/m- Pain Play
Dominance and Submission
Primal Play
Size Difference- both kinds 🍆
CNC
Degradation, Praise
B*nd*ge
Needy Bottom
Breath Play
Bratitude
Marking

✅Read the TW/ Author’s note as there are many sensitive topics!

Official Description:

A one night stand wasn't supposed to lead to a kidnapping.

Jackson
Finding my brother and seeking revenge have been my only priorities the past two years. Adding a nerdy, cute doctor into the mix only leads to complications and a distraction I don't need. Alec tests my patience and makes me want things men like me aren't supposed to have. I forget I'm supposed to be the bad guy when he's around. I'm only what I see in his eyes. The man he wants-not a hitman in a cartel.
What if I can't be what he needs? A little darkness comes out of us all eventually and I'm worried mine will be too much for his light.

Jackson's Way is the first book in my spin off series, Nerds and Cartel. Saved by a drug lord from sex trafficking years ago, these men have had each other to lean on and have grown to be the family they all lost. All books end in an HEA

💋 @read.me.romance

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

A cartel hitman ends up having to hold his one-night stand captive after he stumbles upon something he shouldn't have seen. The steam is off the charts between Jackson and Alec🔥 Age gap, Hate/love, hurt/comfort, primal play, submission, possessive and no lack of emotion between both the MCs heartbreaking pasts. Anyway this is a gem - read it! and while it says it's a spin-off series you can totally read it on its own like I did ! I'm also excited for Jackson's brothers to find their matches !


Favorite Quotes:

“You make such beautiful sounds, little Rabbit, and they all belong to me right now.”

“Wonderful. I’d much rather take your breath away by kissing that luscious mouth, anyway. It'll be impossible to do that if you're dead.”

“You need to stop being so damn enjoyable to be around, Doc. I'm two snarky comments, a curse word, and another knife at the throat away from being attached.”

“You were made for me to wreck. To ruin for anyone else. Mine to hurt and take when I need.”

[Latecia Jennings · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. Even though there were some disturbing and sad parts in this book, I still enjoyed the heck out of it because there were much more feel good, HOT, LOL and smiley parts. At times I forgot how young Jackson was because he was such an ALPHA (title of book definitely fits...LOL). So much trauma that he had to try to overcome, so seeking revenge was no brainer...I was cheering him on...Well him encountering Alec, the doc, added some normalcy and good in his life. I could see why he was hooked. Alec had his own demons and Jackson was there for it and helped him express himself. Well folks I wasn't ready for that kink but I was all for it...so fun...so HOT! Who says opposites don't attract???...these two definitely was like night and day but they did find things in common and it was entertaining how they started and finished with a sweet HEA. Absolutely LOVED it and can wait to read more in this series.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alec, a doctor, meets Jax in a bar for a quick hook-up. Several days later, Jax stalks him to a coffee shop for another. Alec is captivated and Jax obsessed. Circumstances force them together and Jax takes advantage. Jax, with his victimized past is exciting for Alec who has always been cautious after his violent Dad. This book is packed with violence and primal sexy times, a dark romance with rescues and torture. These are two guys with lots of damage and passionate needs they fill in hot, sexy times. Their story totally hold my attention and left me wanting more. I received a copy of this book and this is my voluntary opinion.

[LifeReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great start to this new series by Ashlynn. I really enjoyed it.

You have the hot doctor Alec who becomes entangled with our other hottie Jackson, who is the cartel assassin.

This is a sad but gripping story of the dark world of sex trafficking, the effects it has and how each person deals with it moving forward, including getting revenge.

I really enjoy stories like this and the violent nature of it as it sucks you into that world.

I loved both MCs in this. Loved the dynamics of this relationship with the submission and also need for pain. They played really well off each other. Both guys being able to give themselves fully to what the other needs to deal with past traumas.

Jackson is your tattooed baddie who is possessive and hot AF, and quiet loner Alec who bathes in that dominating manner in which Jackson treats him.

This is such a great read and I highly recommend as it gives the reader a lot of topics to bite into.

[Jamie Lee Zonneveld · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jackson's Way is the first book in the Nerds and Cartel series by Ashlynn Mills, a new spin-off series. This book is about Alec and Jackson. I loved their story. It had it's sweet moments, it was sexy, thrilling, full of feels and very well written.

[Ashley Carr, LSoR · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alec and Jackson have both had to overcome traumatic pasts. Jax came out dark and broody while Alec is innocent and shy. Alec is a doctor and doesn’t want to turn into his father. Jax meets Alec at a bar they have one night together and Jax becomes obsessed. Will these two guys make a relationship work or will their pasts be too much for them to overcome?

[DLB2572 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intense Start to This New Series

This really is an intense but very good story. Please mind the trigger warnings for this one. If you can get beyond those though, it is definitely worth reading. I'm looking forward to book two.

I received an ARC and this is my unbiased opinion

[Anne Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alec is a Doctor Who works in the emergency department at the local hospital. He decides to go to a bar because he is so fed up of just doing the same old thing. The only joy in his life is his beautiful dog popcorn. But that night when he went to the bar, he met a guy called Jax’s. He couldn’t understand why this gorgeous man would look at him and his dull clothes. But there was something about. They end up leaving together and having some fun in this guys car. It just felt so exciting to Alec jaxs gave him a lift home. And Alec wasn’t sure if they would see each other again.
A few days later, while Alec was at work and Nurse called him over saying there was a gentleman to see him and wouldn’t be seen by anyone else, and when he went to the cubicle, he couldn’t believe it when it was Jaxs and he had a cut on his head, Alec just felt alive when he was near this Man. But once Alec had finished with Jax’s he got called away and when he came back, Jax’s was gone, but he did leave a message on the board that he would see him soon doc.
Jax’s life was complicated, he had been rescued from a sex trafficking ring, and he agreed to work for the cartel so they could help rescue his brother. But now he felt like part of the family. He had recently moved to open a bakery as a cover. Him and his two brothers AJ and Jay were also in the cartel and it was their job to make the deliveries for them. But when Jax’s walked into the bakery that was a couple days from opening, he found AJ burning a man, Jax’s was fuming. The smell was awful, so now they had a body that they had to get rid of. Jack’s and AJ went to Woodlands to bury the body, but they got caught by a man walking his dog. AJ wanted to kill him so there would be no witnesses, but Jax’s knew who the man was. It was none other than his doctor, he was having fun with. So Jaxs said they didn’t have enough time to dig another hole and managed to get Alec and his dog in the car.Alec had now been kidnapped and agreed to be their doctor instead of dying.
Alec’s life changed over night, he called in sick to the hospital and took some holiday so no one at the hospital would get suspicious of Alec not being around. But even after all of this Alec could not help his feelings towards Jax’s. He was having an internal battle with himself, but in the end, he knew he would do anything that Jax’s wanted.
Would Alec escape?? Would Jax find his brother?? Would there be a future for Alec and Jackson??
I’ve Gotta say I was blown away with this book. I just could not put it down once I started. Even though Jax is this Heartless guy who is part of the cartel there is something extremely vulnerable about him and I was so glad that he had somebody like Alec in his life Who saw Jaxs/Jackson for the man he was. Because with Alec, Jackson could be himself, he didn’t have to pretend to be anyone else. And he had had so much badness in his life him and his brother being taken by sex traffickers. It just makes my blood turn cold.
This book was so well written. I think I went through every single emotion possible, but I’ve got to say I thoroughly enjoyed it. I really liked the change in Jackson and Alec to finally admit what he wanted from life that being Jackson. The passion that these two share is off the charts . They have a connection that no one can break they are two halves of one soul.
I received this ARC and now I have left my honest review.

[Sarahreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fluffy Dark Cloud

Ashlynn Miles ALWAYS has a way of breaking my heart. She puts it back together but she breaks me in the best ways.
Anyways…this is spin-off of two of book series Nerds and Tattoos and Cartel Wars. Now let me you I ABSOLUTELY LOVED cartel war and absolutely adored Nerds and Tattoo. This was like a fluffy dark cloud of awesomeness. I’m weird leave me alone. I loved this Jackson is a bad butt Marshmellow. I just want to hug him tell him it’s okay while handing him his next arrow. My little Mexican Hawkeye. Alec, oh my sweet Alec, life was not easy for him either *group hug everyone* He needs Jackson to ease his pain.

Favorite things:
Popcorn-enough said
Fluffed-also enough said.
Joey and his men-mmm yaaaasss
Jimmy and his men
Primal play-yummmmm
Full body tour
Straining order, waiting to happen-F yeah

[Kathy Seabrease · Rating 5 out of 5]

Only Ashlynn can turn a bloody cartel book into a good love story. Reading anything she writes is always a great pleasure. Jackson and Alec have both had horrible childhoods into their adult life, Jackson I guess moreso than Alec, but whose to say we should measure each other's pain. Jackson handles it differently, then Alec...while Jackson dishes out the pain, Alec fixes it. Both love to torture each other, but in ways that thrill them. I was glad the Alec was allowed to take the journey with Jackson, helping each other heal along the way. Each had their own brothers to protect. Alec had no one to protect him. Jackson was fortunate enough to have his "brothers" to back him, but only Alec could save him.
Looking forward to reading more.

[mr_emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Si, mi conejo.”

3.5 rounded up. This was a lot of fun. Was it the most original? No but not in a bad way. Did it always flow well? not really but not in a way that left you confused. I know, doesn’t make sense but it somehow worked and made for a good read. Even with the heavier topics. I haven’t read the previous series so it did feel like I was missing out when everyone would get together or who was a couple and who wasn’t. Not too distracting from the main story though. In the end, this was nothing but a vibe read.

[BLFantasy4 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5/5 ⭐️
Spice: 4/5🌶️

Doctor x Hitman
Strict Top/Bottom
PTSD
Gore, Violence, & Death
Age-Gap (10years)
Size Difference
Primal Play
Kidnapping

Jax is a hitman with a screwed up past and a revenge fantasy that drives him forward. All he wants is to make sure his brother is alive and to save him no matter what it takes. After a spontaneous one night stand with a cute little doctor, his plans become muddled and his mind becomes distracted.

Alec is an ER doctor at a hospital with scars that show the trauma of his past and a busy schedule to show the only way he knows how to cope with it. After a tedious life of work, eat, sleep, and repeat, Alex finds himself having a one night stand with a man he can’t forget.

When Alec accidentally walks in on a scene he wasn’t supposed to see and gets taken by the very man he thought he was starting to like, the two of them go through a rollercoaster of emotions to try and figure out their relationship.

THOUGHTS: This story was really good and I’m all for a dark romance with primal play.🤤 Jax and Alec are perfect for eachother and they fit together like two pieces of a puzzle. I also love how there were aspects of a found family involved with Alec becoming important to the people in Jax’s life and finding a home with them.

The only issue I had (which had me putting it at a 3.5/5 stars) would be the amount of information and detail I felt was missing. I found myself confused on more than one account with certain scenarios and feeling lost when it came to being introduced to random characters. I couldn’t keep up with it all and had to go back to reread a few times to figure out what was going on. There were also times when I was left not understanding who was in a relationship with who or what each person meant to each other. For example: It wasn’t until the end of the book that I finally realized one of the characters was in a throuple with two other people who were introduced at the beginning… Just overall felt that information and detail was a bit lacking.

All in all, the book was pretty interesting and I loved the premise behind it. I would definitely recommend to anyone who loves a dark romance where one of the characters chases the other through the woods before…. well you’ll have to read to find out the rest.👀

[Sabrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jackson's Way is another great read by Ashlynn Mills. This story was so fun (the boys are so funny), so sexy (no explanation needed), and a bit intense (those killings....but they totally deserved it). There are kidnappings, being chained to desks....and beds, baked goods, yellow labs, super hot sexy times, bows and arrows, knives, blood, rescue missions, found love, and definitely a found family.

We meet Alec. He seems a bit shy and innocent, but as time goes by, we find him to have a little fight underneath, but also likes to submit. Enter Jackson. He knows exactly what he wants and he isn't afraid to make it his. He is incredibly sexy and possessive in all the best possible ways. I absolutely loved him from the start. Alec and Jackson meet at a bar. After a hot little one-night stand, chaos ensues from there. You can't put the book down. It just keeps going and you need to read to find out what happens next. They also both have some past trauma that they lean on each other for and they have a fun way of connecting physically (please read all trigger warnings) that I couldn't stop drooling over.

I absolutely loved this book. The secondary characters are wonderful too and I can't wait to read their stories! While this does have characters from Ashlynn's other series, this can be read as a standalone. But, it does make you want to go back and read their stories again (or for the first time, if you haven't - totally recommend by the way). These characters are all so funny, sexy, and engaging, I could not get enough of them!

So, I am going to slap 5 stars on this book and just sit over here impatiently waiting for the next in the series! AJ needs to be put in his place (and hopefully by someone we already met in this book - fingers crossed that it is him!!) and I know Ashlynn is going to knock it out of the park again!!

[Tammy Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved these characters! Jackson (Jax) and Alec first meet at a bar and had instant chemistry. The funny thing was that they couldn't have been more different. Alec is an ER physician that looks like he just stepped out of Mr. Rogers' neighborhood and Jax is tattoo covered, rugged looking and sports a couple facial piercings. The one thing they do have in common is their desire for one another. Neither of them expected the intensity of their attraction. When circumstances bring them together again, it's not the sexy reunion that they both hoped it would be, even though the sexual tension is still incredibly strong. From this point on it's a bit of a battle for Alec as he tries to rationalize HOW he's feeling as compared to how he SHOULD be feeling towards Jax. Both of these characters are physically and emotionally damaged by their pasts and I think that is part of what makes them work so well together. This book is a bit dark but it has some comedic elements by way of bumbling "brothers" and adorable pets. This book can be read as a standalone but is better if you've read previous books in the Cartel Wars series and the Nerds and Tattoos series since characters from those series have cameos.

[Mariansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where to begin with this review… The 5 star tells you how much I enjoyed and loved it! All from the characters, the plot, pacing and the writing style. It’s all perfect in my opinion 💛

Broken characters with some trauma is one of my favourite tropes! Throw in some dark and twisted story with some sizzling hot sex and I’m a very happy girl! Jackson is very possessive, and Alec is a sweetheart who has some kinks that they definitely enjoy together 🔥

This story has:
💛Fantastic writing
💛Great plot with no loose ends
💛 Broken characters that fits together perfectly
💛 Snarky humour for days!
💛 Sizzling hot sex scenes! #pantymelting
💛A fantastic HEA

Favourite quotes:
“I didn’t want you to stop showing me who you are. All the little things so far have been my favourite parts”

“We are simply me and him”

Mind the trigger warnings! They are there for a reason 💛

[Marie Devlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

From victim to killer Jackson has no compassion for the many victims he shoots his arrow at considering their depraved ways. His fight to find his brother his main priority until a mind blowing first meet with Alec the doctor who has his own demons to face and a gorgeous dog named Popcorn which seems to go well with Jackson's hairless sphinx cat Fluffles.
Be sure to bring your big girl panties to this read and pay attention to Author trigger warnings as this book isn't for the faint hearted.
Love AJ and his compulsion to carry a knife with no regard for his own safety.
Jackson's playfulness to slowly invade on Alec's space until he gives in.
And the connection with Alec's brother and past series makes for good reading cos you always want to know how they are getting on.

[Tania · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t realise until I had finished this book that it was actually a spin-off so there were a few times while reading it that I felt like I was missing something or that the author had skipped a whole chunk of detail. This was especially apparent in the epilogue where a whole new bunch of names and relationships were just thrown out there.
Despite that I did enjoy this book. I loved the initial chemistry between the MCs and the later captor/captive roles.
Hopefully, as this is the start of a new series, later books will follow up on some of the events here as parts of the storyline did feel a little bit incomplete.

[Trip]

DNF @ 45%, 129pgs Ch12

I really wanted to enjoy this story, but sadly it just wasn't for me. Started of intriguing, then fell to pieces I wasn't keen on the captive situation between Jax & Alex. The whole thing felt off and just didn't feel like it made sense, considering Jax own history and the flow of the read in general.

Gave it a try to see where things go, but was very much a case of not for me. Although Jax & Alec seem to have gone similar route with their recovery, twisting and turning.

It does have great writing though and I'm sure many will love it for the reasons I didn't.

[Crystal Knapp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed in the United States. I loved Jackson's Way. I loved loved Jackson and Alec.Jackson was trying to overcome his traumatic past from being kidnapped and abused plus sold. Jackson was trying to get over not finding his little brother and the ones who took them.. His boss ordered him to work in a bakery in Texas since they think his brother is there. Alec is trying not to become his father who a alcoholic.Alec is a doctor and he decided to go to a bar than Jackson came up and was picking on his drink. Jackson became obsessed with Alec with just seeing him one time.

[Syd Springer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been waiting for Alec’s book and I was so did not disappointed! I loved Jax and Alec together with their instant and intense connection and chemistry. These two try to fight their feelings because they are from different backgrounds and because of Jax’s “work” but neither of them can truly deny each other. I loved the drama, steam, love, suspense, intrigue darkness and HEA that Alex and Jax have. I can’t wait for AJ’s book!

I received a free e-book copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

[FHR · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meeting for a hookup, puts Doctor Alec in bad boy Jacksons path. When they end up being captivated with each other, Jackson can’t seem to stay away and finds a way for them to keep on meeting.
With them both having a not so savoury past, they realise that they compliment each other in many different ways and might just be what each other needs to heal.

A book with darkish themes, passionate primal play, suspense, engaging characters and a well deserved HEA.
A fantastic starting to this new spin off series from the author.

[Amanda Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved the relationship between Jackson and Alec. Yes they were very fast and pretty insta-lust at the very least but their relationship helped heal the broken parts of each other. The abuse they each faced at the hands of others. Jackson’s need to dominate Alec and Alec’s need to submit to Jackson was perfect for them. With that dominance/submission also came the control each of them didn’t have when they were younger. They also replaced the old hurts with each other. Owning it. Unconventional maybe, but it worked for them 🤷🏻‍♀️

Cannot wait to read crazy AJ’s book!

[Ida Umphers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great start for the new series with several tropes I'm a huge fan of - age gap, one main character determined to possess the other and cartel/mafia members. Jackson is definitely sure of what he wants and in his personal life, that's Alec. Alec struggles with their relationship and Jackson's connections, but neither of them can resist the pull between them. Lots of chemistry and steam and at the end nice to see characters from the original series and it left me eagerly hypothesizing what's ahead in this series.

[K-Me · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jax and Alec both live in a violent and gritty world. They meet, intimately connect for a night, and then well Jax just might have stalked Alec. Which for some reason because Ashlynn knows how to write these kind men it is hot and maybe just a bit sweet! Jax is obsessive and aggressive and well Alec loves it. This book was passionate, hot and fast paced. At the same time, I felt the real romance too!

[Janet Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jackson’s Way is the first in an exciting new series, Nerds and Cartel. This is best read after a different fish in the sea. Both Jackson and Alec come from a traumatic background. Jackson’s trauma turned him dark, with good reason. Alec is a bit shy, maybe even innocent, but as we get to know him that innocence goes by the wayside. Jackson and his brother were taken as teenagers, he was rescued. He will stop at nothing to rescue his brother. Alec we first met in a different fish in the sea, he’s Jimmy’s brother. Jackson has surrounded him with a fantastic found family and I honestly can’t wait for their stories!! The plot and pacing was perfectly written. It’s dark and twisted, with primal play but so freaking good, an addicting read! Overall, a fantastic story!!

[Elaine Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jackson's Way is a very emotional and dark book. Jackson is a killer but he only kills those that exploit and harm children. He knows what it feels like after someone had kidnap and sold both him and his brother. He would do anything to find his brother even use a bakery as a way to handle their business. Alec is a doctor and they hook up one night he is kidnap by Jackson and his cohort, AJ. They give Alec a choice, either be their new doctor or die. Alec resists at first but once he gets to know Jackson he knows there is more to his story. Also, Alec has a secret fetish and Jackson discovers what he likes. The book is funny, with some angst, romantic, kinky, dark, action-pack, and their sexy times are hot.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fab blending of two great worlds - Nerds and Tattoos and Cartel Wars. You get the dark and gritty bits, as well as getting to see Isaiah and Carlos and the gang, along with the sweeter, cutesy bits with all of the gang from Nerds. Jackson and Alec are an amusing couple and just seem to fit - you don't notice any age gap. Despite the cute and funny, please do read TWs as the underlying storyline is neither of these things.

I received an ARC for an honest and voluntary review.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this was an excellent start to what I think is going to be a fantastic series. You definitely need to mind the trigger warnings. I absolutely loved these two. Both of these men have been through so much and they just fit together. I couldn’t put this story down and I am waiting anxiously for the next one.