American Yakuza II

American Yakuza #2

by Isabella

Luce Potter runs her life and her business with an iron fist and complete control until lies and deception unravel her world. The shadow of betrayal consumes Luce, threatening to destroy the most precious thing in her life, Brooke Erickson. Brooke Erickson finds herself on the outside of Luce's life looking in. As events spiral out of control Brooke can only watch as the woman she loves pushes her further away. Suddenly, devastated and alone, Brooke refuses to let go without an explanation. Colby Water, a federal agent investigating the ever-elusive Luce Potter, discovers someone from her past is front and center in her investigation of the Yakuza crime leader. Before she can put the crime boss in prison, she must confront the ultimate deception in her professional life. When worlds collide, betrayal, dishonor and death are inevitable. Can Luce and Brooke survive the explosion?

Genres: BDSM, Lesbian, Romance, LGBT, Crime, Erotica, Drama

265 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 12, 2013

About the author

Award winning, international best selling author, Isabella, lives in California with her wife and three sons. Isabella's first novel, Always Faithful, won a GCLS award in the Traditional Contemporary Romance category in 2010. She was also a finalist in the International Book Awards, and an Honorable Mention in the 2010 and 2012 Rainbow Awards.


She is a member of the Rainbow Romance Writers, Romance Writers of America and the Gold Crown Literary Society. She has written several short stories and just finished her next novel, Razor's Edge - American Yakuza III, set for an April 15th release. She is current working on Cigar Barons - A family dynasty where blood isn't thicker than water, it's war!

Reviews

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is told in third person and from Luce’s point-of-view. It opens on a sad note, and that sadness hangs around like a dark cloud for most of the plot. Not that I’m saying that’s a bad thing, just don’t open this book expecting rainbows and sunshine. For me, this story was a welcomed change from the usual romance tropes.

Luce has a lot going on. Not only is she dealing with the grief of burying a loved one, but also has to step up in rank while dealing with debilitating feelings of betrayal. I say debilitating as all of those things had an impact on her love life. In this instalment, Luce keeps Brooke at an arm’s length. While I understood Luce’s reasoning for alienating herself, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for Brooke, and I kept wishing Luce would just tell her what was going on. But, that was my wish, and had the story been written differently Luce’s character wouldn’t have rang true.

The suspenseful plot kept me glued to the pages, the amount of page time given to the BDSM club was unexpected, but far from unwanted. Be still my heart and girlie bits. The lap dance made me feel conflicted and not because it was hot as hell. Cryptic words, I know, but I can’t say more without spoilers

When Russian Mafia are involved, alliances are bound to be tested, and true to form, in this installment they most certainly are.

In summary, this story is raw, it’s gritty, it’s sexy, it grabbed me from the get-go and didn’t let up. The ending left me desperate for more. I can’t wait to get my hands on book three, thank goodness I don’t have long to wait.

[Guerunche · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lies that Bind, book 2 in the American Yakuza series, focuses on the aftermath of Luce losing her beloved grandfather, and the bite of strong betrayal she feels as secrets are revealed. Lies is quite dark - so much so that I am furious at Luce - the charismatic head of the Japanese crime family. Interestingly, I don't have that big of an issue with her violent nature in general (the people who get her wrath usually deserve it - though not always) but she stepped over a line in this one for me and since I haven't read book 3, I'm not sure if she'll be able to redeem herself. Though I suspect she will, she'll have to work for it. Hard. The fact that I care is a positive and says that writer Isabella and narrator Victoria Mei must be doing something right. Luce is a complex, flawed, interesting character. Her love interest, Brooke, took more of a back seat this time though she played a pivotal role.  I haven't read this series of books so am experiencing them for the first time via audio. In general, I like the series. We get very few female mafia heads in lesfic - ones that engage in light BDSM at that. Look forward to finishing up the series with book 3.
I was provided a free audio code in exchange for a fair, unbiased review.

[T · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really hoping when I picked this book back up, that luce would redeem herself. Instead she just kept doing unforgivable things! It just made me like Colby more and I found myself wishing that she was the main character instead of Luce. I won't be reading book 3.
And like others pointed out, there were far too many editorial mistakes, mainly missing words. How hard is it to get a proof reader?

[Val · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has a number of angst creating moments. It was tough to read about Luce being unfaithful (allegedly) to Brooke. I always hate those scenarios when someone gets hurt under the guise of "it's what's best for them." We all know that's BS. In any case, this book was just as riveting as the first. I will be snapping up the third one as soon as it's available. Oh yeah, what is the deal with freaking typos and grammatical errors. How hard can it be to find a good copy editor?

[Loek Krancher · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is worth more than 5 stars.

Oh wow, this sequel is even more exciting than the first one. It caused me palpitations and it kept me on the edge of my seat. A real page turner. The betrayal, the discoveries, all the twists and turns, a roller coaster of emotions. I have enjoyed it a lot and of course the end came much too soon. Please let there be a third part.

[Jem · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely better than the first. Less Yakuza but more action, more suspense and more drama. One of my favorite reads of 2013. But seriously, isn't the author the owner of the publishing company? So why do typos still get through? It doesn't reflect well on the publisher.

[Affire · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the second book in Isabella’s series American Yakuza. This entry continues the story of Luce Potter as she continues to take her business legitimate. But the death of her grandfather derails her life giving her arch enemies the opening they need to take her down. It isn’t until Brooke Erickson, the most important person in her life, becomes an unwitting pawn in Luce’s game with the Russians that Luce understands what should be the priority in her life. In the meantime, a Treasury Department agent, Colby Water, continues her investigation of Luce and her business.

Isabella addresses several issues in this series, including love, betrayal, and redemption. The characters are well drawn and despite the occupation of Luce, you find yourself liking her.

The writing is excellent, but the editing is abysmal. If I were guessing, I would say that the author has published her first draft of the book. No one corrected the many misspelled words, the misusage of words, the lack of continuity, etc., etc. If those kinds of things don’t bother you, then you should speed through this book. If these kinds of errors and missteps do bother you, then you’ll be taken out of the story time and time again as you sit surprised that someone didn’t catch ganlet for gauntlet, the misuse of “to” for” too,” and needing to back up a few pages to see if you missed something along the way that would explain why a woman near death in her hospital bed is suddenly sitting up and having a conversation with a visitor.

I’ll definitely read the next entry in this series, but if the author’s editors fail to catch all the obvious mistakes, it will be the last book in the series I’ll read.

[Lorraine Rusnack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Isabella did a wonderful job writing this book. I was totally caught up in it. Luce had me so angry at one point I had to stop listening to it. That’s how real it felt to me. Victoria as always did an amazing job telling the story I eagerly await book 3

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't listen to many Crime/Drama/Thrillers, but this one is amazing. Book 1 was great, book 2 is even better. Can't wait for book #3!!
I am behind main characters 100%. I love their interactions and issues. Very moving book!

[Maria · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't like it as much as the first one, I think the personal relationship got messy so I lost track. Otherwise, this is more filled with action and mafia like endeavors so it's quite entertaining.

[Nnamdi Abii · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a nice book but it had way too many typos. I really liked the introduction of Brooke's ex into the story. I hope theres a follow up story. Really want to see how Frank and Petrov end up.

[Kent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story, but lots of typos.

[Mari Stark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great series; this second book is still so powerful, the plot and the characters are so well developed and the light sexy BDSM scenes are always good and very hot.

Even when I wanted to slap Luce so badly more than once, due to her attitude towards Brooke, Isabella did a great job with the story and as usual, got me wanting more. I am more than ready for book three.

This series is definitely a must. Highly recommended

[Shaunette · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Lies that Bind is so entertaining! It’s like watching a movie play out in my head expect better because lesbians don’t die for no reason.
I definitely liked this book so much better than the first one. Luce was revealed as being a much more complex character than presented in the first book. Same with Brooke we see that she’s this strong, independent woman but we also see that strong, independent people also need a sense of security or things start to crumble.

[Bib · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started reading from book 3 of this series, Razor' Edge and worked my sat backwards. I realized the series is quite fast paced and entertaining. I would recommend this series to anyone who enjoys Ali Vali's Cain series

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read a digital version. There are many typos and grammatical errors that should have been caught by an editor or proofreader. The story continues from American Yakusa and into Razor's Edge so it's best to read the books in order. A good book but not a great book.

[Mandy Sawyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series so much. It’s a breath of fresh air with the dynamic of this Yakuza. Written very well that Victoria is perfect for. Victoria brings these characters alive brilliantly. Can’t wait for the next book.

[Karen Hockemeyer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Poorly written, bad grammar, disjointed plot, the book could be so much more, but the focus seems to be on leather and whips. I wish Isabella would get a good editor.

[Rtz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great mafia series. Great story. Lots of betrayal. Not too gory. Light bdsm. Sexy scenes. Both likable leads and side characters. Can't wait for more.

[Terry Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Luce Potter, Head of the American Yakuza, rules with a rod of iron. She controls her crime organization with the precision of a well oiled piece of machinery. That is until lies, treachery and deception make her well ordered world spiral out of control. Luce has suffered a terrible betrayal, which is eating at her very soul and slowly destroying the life and love she has with her partner, Brooke Erickson.

Brooke finds her all consuming love with Luce being pushed aside, with Luce pushing her further away until Brooke is finally out of Luce’s life altogether.

Although Brooke is alone, she has no intentions of letting go of Luce. Not until she’s been given a satisfactory answer as to why Luce suddenly decided to throw the love they had together away.

Federal Agent, Colby Water, is investigating Luce and her crime organization. Colby is shocked to find someone she cared for in the past in the forefront of her investigation in to the Yakuza boss. Colby is determined to put Luce away for a long time. But before she can do that, she has to sort out her own organization first.

Federal agents, Russians, crime bosses, deceptions, betrayals and death are a melting pot for disaster. Will Luce and Brooke even survive everything that is being thrown at them from all directions? If they survive, will their love be strong enough to bond them back together?

Ever since I finished American Yakuza, I’ve been looking forward to the sequel. To say I wasn’t disappointed seems trite and no where near enough to say for this excellent follow up. The story is absolutely spellbinding, riveting and a page turner from the first page. Unfortunately, I’m never satisfied. Now I want more. I hope the sequel is well underway.

The surviving characters from American Yakuza are all back with some more added in. All the characters are fully formed and they all play their parts to absolute perfection. Interacting really well together. Goodies and baddies alike.

The story is fast paced and once started, I couldn’t put the book down. I devoured it in one sitting. Which means I got to read it again to write my review. No hardship there. My second reading was every bit as good as the first, if not better. I could take my time, enabling me to savor the story without the pressures of not knowing how it ended. This series is a keeper and when it’s all written, it will be nice to read each one back to back.

[Cindy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was extremely difficult to read and the only reason I finished it is because I like some of the characters, namely Luce.
The number of grammatical errors was atrocious. There were more incorrect uses of commas than correct ones, some words were just wrong (ex. here vs. hear), and some sentences didn't make any sense, even after having read it over multiple times. Some mistakes could be passed off as typos (ex. where vs. were) but they were still annoying, and some inconsistencies were super aggravating. The oxford comma was used arbitrarily and "geez" and "gees" was used interchangeably.
There was also the "flashback" that was a c/p'd chapter from the first book...
The first book was okay, as it focused more on the relationship between Luce and Brooke as opposed to the dynamics of government and criminal organizations, but this book did try to explore a lot of protocol and it was quite unbelievable.
Brooke would call John for a ride before stepping into the elevator and he'd be pulling up right as she steps out. The cleaning crew would clean an entire bloody crime scene in the span of a short conversation. A chapter starts with a federal agent being beaten within an inch of her life with no explanation as to how she got abducted.
Luce staying away from Brooke to keep her safe was tropey and she had no reason not to explain herself other than she was going through a rough time so their fight was forced and then solved by sex.
This series has potential but the execution is so poor.

[Musa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book more or less continued after the first one, where we see Luce and Brooke being together in a relationship. Most of this book however, they were in a way separated because Luce would want to keep Brooke safe. The agony of living without your loved ones was so vividly pictured in the book. I was particularly moved by the scene where Luce and Brooke meet again at the club, it just speaks volumes of how much they feel for each other.

I have no idea if there's a next installment, but I'm really hoping we'll get a book 3 and don't have to wait for another year!

[Maite · Rating 5 out of 5]

All I can say is that I'm looking forward to a third one. If I liked the first in the series, American Yakuza II is all I've expected and then some! It is a page turner from the beginning that leaves you wanting for more. I can't wait for a sequel. Felicidades, Isabella!

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

By the end of the story, I was not dis-liking agent Water as much as I was in the beginning. Glad I waited till #3 was out before I read this one. Now, I can jump right into Razors Edge.