Retribution: Dark Romance Suspense

Billy Boys #1

by Jordyn Ellery

Indie and Reed are worlds apart in their lifestyle. Reed is a successful lawyer with a wife and 9-year-old-daughter whereas Indie is an entrepreneurial ballerina, with her own ballet studio. What happens when their worlds crash into each other? In the event of Reed’s wife’s death, he must face life on his own as a single father, or does he? With an ongoing custody case, cheating fiancés, contractual marriage, sisterly love, and mysterious messages what will become of Reed and Indie’s relationship?

Genres: Romance

354 pages, Hardcover

Published October 25, 2023

About the author

Jordyn Ellery is the author of the 'Billy Boys Series' which includes titles such as 'Retribution' and 'Redemption' - to be published in 2024.

She is a dark romance author and loves to include morally gray characters as well as plot twists. Jordyn is a huge fan of romantic suspense and gritty love stories. If she isn't writing about the most loveable hated characters, then she's reading about them.

Reviews

[allthingsbookishhh · Rating 4 out of 5]

happy release day!! @jordyn.ellery 🤍
thank you so much for this arc! 💘

in this book, we follow indie & reed. indie is a ballerina with her own studio. she teaches children & helps them find their passion for ballet. reed is an extremely successful lawyer who is married & has a child. unfortunate events lead to the death of his wife & now he’s left to face life as a single father. as he tries to navigate his way around being a single father, he soon realises his wifes parents want custody of his daughter, willow.

reed seeks help from indie, willows ballet teacher. he asks her to help him with the case, he needs to prove that willow has a loving & secure family around her. they enter a contractual marriage, with the sole idea of willows happiness & protection. but what happens when the undeniable attraction & chemistry between them turns into something more?

this book was really fast paced which threw me off slightly. as stated a million times before, im a slow burn girly through & through. butttt that being said.. i REALLY enjoyed reading this. i could literally feel their love for each other seeping through the pages. i was obsessed!!

speaking of obsessed.. REED!!! reed frickin brickenridge!! oh my lordddd, that mannnn!!! he is EVERYTHING. the way i was blushing like crazy at the things he would say & do😳!! ugh, i need me a reed, please & thank you!! 🫶🏽

the tropes in this book are- single dad, fake dating, billionaire romance, mysterious stalker, marriage of convenience & he falls first. some AMAZING tropes on this book that have been done SO well! if you like any of these tropes, definitely give this book a go! 💍

retribution can be found on amazon, KU, barnes & noble, waterstones & more!! 💌

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5⭐️

I enjoyed this one. For the most part, the story was gripping & entertaining.

There were A LOT of plot twists & it was very fast paced which was a lot to take in at times. It also had insta-lust/love vibes which just isn’t a fave of mine, but I pushed through & did end up liking it.

There was clearly tones of chemistry between the two MCs, Reed & Indie! I was particularly a big fan of the spicy scenes (no shock there lol)😏

I’m glad I picked this up & I will definitely be continuing with the rest of the series as the books release!

Tropes:
•fake dating
•single dad
•billionaire
•insta-love/lust
•he falls first

[Apoorva Sharma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this book if you like:

Dark Romance
Insta Love/Lust
Verity Vibes
Suspense
Family Drama
Single Dad

Retribution is a story about two people who are pushed together in tough circumstances but when everything and everyone tests their bond it really comes to the question as to who is hiding stuff from whom

I absolutely loved the book, it was fast paced but also a lot of connecting points were missing.

[Laura Elliott · Rating 4 out of 5]

First time I have read a book by this author.
Only thing I can pick at with her style of writing is the spaces between paragraphs. I just really hate it in books.

The book it’s self, I love the story line there was a lot going on, I love the main women lead and her relationship with willow. I did feel like the relationship between the two main characters developed very quickly but over all I loved this book and would tell a friend to pick it up

[Chloe Clitherow · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW WOW WOW!! Another 4 day read. This book has had me hooked from start to finish. Reed, Indie and Willow are the perfect little family and it‘s heart breaking what they all had to go through. This book had me feeling all kind of ways ! Allie and Scott deserve each other!

This book has had me on an emotional roller-coaster from start to finish. The journey that both Reed and Indie go on throughout this book is unbelievable. I am honestly lost for words and don‘t know what to say in this review other than WOW.

I am shocked with the twists and turns and multiple plot twists at the end , so much so that I have made myself extremely tired for work tomorrow just so I could finish it. Willow is the sweetest little soul and I‘m so glad she got the happy ending she deserves.

This book has me so so excited for the next book in the series and makes me want to read every book that comes next for this author. Jordyn you have done an amazing job with this book and have made me fall in love with smutty reads! Thank you so much for letting me be an ARC reader and i‘m so excited for it to be released to see other people enjoy it as much as I did! If you haven‘t already, get this book on your TBR and pre-order

[Mandy Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went into this book not really knowing what to expect as Jordyn is new to me as an author but I’m so glad I was able to receive a copy of this ARC. Retribution was a really quick read, Jordyn’s writing style is modern and fun - occasionally I found myself talking out loud to the book because it was so relatable.

Reed and Indie are such a power couple and their lives are just laced with complete chaos. The twists in this book, especially towards the end, had my jaw on the floor! And there’s even a sprinkle of spice in there that elevates the book further!

I really enjoyed this book and I’m excited to see what Jordyn does in the future!

[Savannah Willis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh gosh, this book had me in such a chokehold! I did not put it down from the second I started reading it! The story is so beautifully written, not to mention the amount of times my jaw literally dropped. Not to mention the absolutely flawless character development!

The book revolves around the characters of Reed Breckenridge and Indie Thorne as they each individually go through their hardships, they find a way to find their way together and what started off as something that wasn’t supposed to be love quickly blossomed into it. Reed is initially seen as a cold, stubborn man who is a workaholic and has no time for his wife, Allie, or his daughter, Willow, and when this causes problems in his marriage, he struggles to get his life back together but after finding out about his wife’s accident, he spirals. The only person to pull him out of this spiral being Indie Thorne… Willow’s ballet teacher. Indie goes through her own relationship troubles with her current fiancé but is she slowly starting to break? With Reed being in a crisis, him and Indie sign a contract of marriage but in the end is the marriage actually fake? I certainly didn’t think so!

This book I perfect if you like grumpy x sunshine and single dad romance. Beautifully done!

Favorite Quotes:
“ Watching the sunrise used to be one of my favorite rituals, until something came along that was even more breathtaking.”

“ You’re going to have to get used to it,dimples.”

“ The last thing I need is to torture myself, wanting what I can’t have, yet.”

[Allie D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved and adored the first part before the climax. I felt the interactions between Reed, Indie, and Willow to be so adorable and heart- warming, definitely my favorite scenes to read. I will mention the tense between Reed and Indie to be STRONG. I personally didn't find the sex scenes to be as tense and heated but I still loved them. It is mentioned to have a plot twist and I was highly unprepared for how major of a twist it was. Just for how major the plot twist was and how it affected the book/storyline is the main reason I didn't give it four stars

Update Book Review: I'm glad I waited to post the book review because after sitting on it for a bit and slowly trying to get into other books. I've noticed that Retribution has been stuck on my mind and is one of the only books I can think of. And even though I wasn't the biggest fan of the plot twist originally, I honestly adore it now and feel that as long as you're prepared for a huge plot twist you would love it to.

[Sian R Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow, what a rollercoaster of a read!

After losing his wife Allie in a tragic accident, Reed finds out that he could well be losing custody of his daughter Willow too. At a desperate attempt to keep his daughter, he has a proposition for Willows ballet teacher, they enter into a contractual marriage. After they marry they find themselves falling in love with each other but unfortunately things only get worse for them.

This was a really good read and I was totally gripped by the story, although in parts I felt like I needed a little more detail, especially with the aftermath. But the plot twists had my jaw hitting the floor honestly, they were totally unexpected. I was desperately rooting for Reed, Indie and Willow, I loved the relationship the three of them had!

The book was really fast paced and there was some interesting characters in it, I’d love to read their story’s.

Thank you to the Author for the ARC and I look forward to reading more from the Author.

[Kandice C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Retribution by Jordyn Ellery: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5.
So I loved this! The twists and turns for this book had me on the edge of my seat!!! The ups and downs of Reed and Indie’s relationship, the plot twists, and the chaos along with the spice- *chefs kiss* 🥰. There were a few moments where things felt a little rushed for me and timeline jump but this was a great read and I really enjoyed it! Looking forward to reading about the other Billy Boys🥵

Blurb:
Indie and Reed are worlds apart in their lifestyle. Reed is a successful lawyer with a wife and 9-year-old-daughter whereas Indie is an entrepreneurial ballerina, with her own ballet studio. What happens when their worlds crash into each other? In the event of Reed’s wife’s death, he must face life on his own as a single father, or does he? With an ongoing custody case, cheating fiancés, contractual marriage, sisterly love, and mysterious messages what will become of Reed and Indie’s relationship?

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

***BOOK REVIEW***
Name: Retribution
Author: Jordyn Ellery
Rate: 4.25🌟

~Retribution is the first book of the Billy Boys Series written by Jordyn Ellery. This is a dark romance novel. In this book you will find a single dad (Reed) trying to win custody for his 9yr old daughter against his soon to be ex-wife parents. In order to win his brother tells him that he should remarry, that it will help him win the judge over. So Reed makes a proposal to his daughter’s ballet teacher, since he is attracted to her also. All was going well, until the day they went to court and the Grandparents came with a grimy evidence just to destroy their happiness. The story does end in a happy ending between the main characters but there are so many twists and turns in order to get to the plot! I did feel like it was a slow burn since the storyline took a while for it to get interesting… like it dragged a little. I just felt for it being a “Dark Romance'' it was just not as dark enough. Now let’s see what book 2 will bring!

[Abbie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reed is a successful lawyer with a wife and 9 year old daughter, Willow. When Reed's wife unexpectedly dies, he will do anything to keep custody of his daughter, Willow. He reaches out to Indie, Willow's dance teacher with an interesting proposition. The pair enter into a contractual marriage, but soon find that their feelings may be real. As they navigate their new life together, they are faced with challenges at every turn, threatening to tear them apart.

This book was fast paced and had too much going on. Indie and Reed were faced with an onslaught of events that often felt disconnected from the rest of the plot. I enjoyed Indie and Willow's characters. I personally didn't enjoy the insta love between Indie and Reed, but if you're a fan of that, I'd recommend this book to you.

Thank you to the author for the ARC!

[Yesenia Olvera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. Just, wow. This book had me on a roller coaster of emotions😭

Indie Thorne. A well known Ballerina and teacher. Indie is such a sweetheart and my heart breaks for what she endured🥺 She just couldn’t catch a break! She’s also such a relatable character. Her love for Willow was just beautiful🤍

Reed Breckenridge. A lawyer who just made partner at his firm. He had been through so much at just 13 years old. I love to see a character realize they need help and ask for it. He is the type of father I wish I had. He loves his daughter Willow with all his heart and would do anything for her.

This book kept me on my toes! I thought I knew one thing but it turned out to be something completely different! I was completely SHOCKED at that plot twist🫣 The epilogue is the best part! It was so adorable😩 and I cannot wait to see if there will be another book!

[Amanda Mercedes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow this one really was a wild ride of emotions. Death of spouse, cheating fiancé who causes trouble, secrets uncovered posthumously, a bout of fake dating/marriage to help a custody battle, instant connection, and not to mention the spice! This is a good read if you’re looking for a romance that is not a romcom! It’s very emotional. Reed’s stubbornness and hot temper got to me sometimes, but it’s his character. Also it becomes very suspenseful! Especially that ending— before the epilogue. This is the read for you if you are looking to experience a rollercoaster of emotions.

Thank you to the author for letting me read this one early!!

Also as a side note:
I enjoyed that in the authors note at the beginning, Jordyn mentions having written about One Direction on Wattpad back in the day and then there’s a character in this (nick)named Harry 😝

[Mailise · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a captivating read that had me rooting for Reed and Indie 🥹

After an unfortunate accident, Reed must do everything in his power to keep custody of his daughter. After learning that being in a relationship strengthens his position to get full custody, Reed makes a proposition to his daughter's ballet teacher, Indie. The two begin a fake relationship, but soon find that the feelings between them are anything but fake. However, Reed and Indie are not the only ones who want custody of Willow and they must stop outside forces from breaking apart their new family.

I enjoyed this book and thought it was a good contemporary romance with twists and TONS of spice. I hope we get additional books about some of the other characters!

[Ashley Francisco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow!! I really, really enjoyed this book! Reed and Indie’s story had me captivated from the beginning. I swear that this book possesses every element that you could imagine. Love, spice (a lot of spice 🌶️🥵🔥) grief, guns, addiction, etc. The list could go on. Jordyn touched on so many relatable human traits, and they were all presented incredibly well. Every time that I thought I had a handle on the plot, there was a massive twist. By the end I literally could not stop reading.

I had a blast reading this story, and discovering the incredibly deceiving twists and turns. It was a roller coaster in the best ways possible, and beyond fun!! I highly reccomend grabbing a copy when this book becomes available!

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Jordyn for allowing me an ARC copy

Wowweee this book 😍 the story follows Reed Breckinridge, a successful lawyer and newly single dad and Indie Thorne, a ballerina and entrepreneur 🩰 I absolutely loved the fake dating and marriage of convenience in this book and watching the two characters fall head over heels for each other whilst on contract. The way Reed would do anything for Indie 😍

Despite having longer chapters than I have been recently reading, I flew through this book. Especially towards the end, where there were major twists, I kept wanting to read more and more to find out what would happen next. I definitely had a million scenarios in my head leaving me eager to read on.

I haven’t read a romance in a while, so I wasn’t sure how I was going to enjoy this but I am so glad this is the book I chose first to get me back into the genre. This dark romance has alllll the good tropes and spice 🌶️ I have already recommended this to people and I recommend it to anyone reading this review !! I cannot wait for the second book Redemption to come out next year 😍

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC READER: Thankyou to Jordyn for giving me the chance to read this book!

I absolutely was blown away by this story. I genuinely loved it and loved Indie and Reeds relationship. The two went through so much through the book and it was incredibly heartbreaking to see that happen. My heart broke for the two of them during numerous times throughout the book

This book is incredibly fast paced and keeps you on your toes throughout. The chaos throughout is very consuming. It makes you want to find out what happens and keep reading.

The plot twist at the end, I did not see that coming in the slightest. I was in so much shock at it and quite verbally shouted out about it. It was a really big plot twist that just added to the book even more.

I definitely recommend this book to people that love the insta-love, single dad, marriage of convenience tropes. I think they were written so well in the book

[Tash · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Indie and Reed are worlds apart in their lifestyle.
Reed is a successful lawyer with a wife and a 9 year old daughter whereas Indie is an entrepreneurial ballerina, with her own ballet studio.
What happens when their worlds crash into each other?”

While I did struggle in the beginning to engage with the story, once it clicked - within the first few chapters - I was hooked! Many hours of sleep have been lost reading this!

I loved the mystery element to this book - the little notes etc. that kept turning up with Indie really had me hooked! There was much happening in this book but none of it seemed out of place or to get lost in the story - there was points in which my heart broke for the characters.

The ending was very dramatic and entertaining, with such a good twist! Overall I really loved this book and will definitely recommend!

[Jodie Cross · Rating 4 out of 5]

BETA read. Thank you to Jordyn for trusting me 🫶🏻

I was fully sucked into this story. It’s a fast paced, dark romance full of romance, heartbreak and plot twists.

My heart broke multiple times reading this and I fully felt connected to the characters. I loved Willow & Indies relationship throughout.

The plot twist… WHAT. I genuinely had no clue. None at all. I was gobsmacked.

• fake marriage
• plot twist
• multiple POV
• single dad

I can’t wait to read more! 🫶🏻

Thank you for trusting me to beta read. I can’t wait to get my hands on the official published version 🥹🩷

[Annlouise Ratcliffe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where do I begin?!? This book is a fantastic fast paced book that will leave you absolutely speechless and wanting to read it all over again.
There is a great romance blooming throughout between the main characters Indie and Reed right from the beginning but also has a fantastic thriller aspect to it that keeps you coming back for more. I could not have guessed what was about to go down!
I laughed, I gasped and my kindle may have took damage once or twice from the twists and turns.
Thank you for the opportunity to read this fantastic debut novel, I would absolutely give this a 5/5!

[Jessica Ogram · Rating 3 out of 5]

Marriage of convenience. Single dad. He falls first. So many good tropes in this book!!! I loved the family dynamics and how true their relationships seemed. I thought the writing was very good and it was elevated from your typical romance book which I loved. I just thought there was some pacing issues. And some things just kind of were left unsaid and I was left asking questions. I would like to thank the lovely author for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review, I loved getting to know your characters and their story.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Retribution is about two people, Reed and Indie, that are brought together after something big and climactic happened in both their lives around the same time. This book pulled me in from the start and kept my attention throughout the whole book. I thought I had a hold on what was going to happen but I’m glad I didn’t. I really enjoyed all the twists that came with this book! If you are a lover of dark romance (which I am), family drama, and lots of suspense I recommend giving this book a try! I can’t wait to read more by Jordyn!

Thank you for the ARC!

[Lauren Fatuch-Scanlon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jordyn…. OMG! This read was F’N phenomenal! Reed & Indie as expected fall in love, but after learning of events that transpired during their first night together Indie fights it & fights it hard.

While they do ultimately get their HEA, the twists & turns that come out, the secrets revealed were not anything I had any thoughts would come about.

This book gripped me & pulled me in without letting me go! I CANNOT recommend this book enough!

I received a free advance copy of this book & am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Elise Ballard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Retribution was great. If your a fan of Nicholas Sparks then you
should Read this book. It is a lot spicier than Nicholas's books. Overall, the
plot twist really tricked me and I was in aw. over them. Especially the ending it
kept me on my toes the entire time. I will be waiting for book 2 Redemption to
come out so i can decide fully if Jordyn will be put in my Top 10 Favorite authors. I completely recommend this book to others.

Tropes: contractual marriage, single father, HEA
Spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️ Some explicit scenes
18+

[Sherry Jacox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beta Reader! Thank you Jordyn for letting me read this.

I found myself in shock by the end of this book. I loved Reed and Indie story. Part of me didn't like Reed but he completely did a 180. So I like him again. Indie was my absolute favorite. Willow....awe what a switch little girl.

If you want a fast pace romance with some really spicy parts. Because let's face it we all want some spice in our life. This book is for you.

[Thuy Cu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! My head is spinning! This book had a lot of twist and turns that I couldn’t quite wrap my head around it. I had to go back a few times to reread where I got a little lost or if I read/remember correctly.
This book was fast paced and a page turner. Didn’t want to stop, but at the same time I had to take a few breaks to understand/digest what I was reading.

This is the first book in the billy boys series and can’t wait for the next book.

[Abby Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

five star read

This is one of the top 5 star reads I’ve had this year!! The romance, the spice, the plot and the twists had me on the edge of my seat!! The characters are so well written and you can’t help but care for them ( not the shitty ones of course) I can’t wait to continue this series and see where this leads!!!!

[Fleur van Lievenoogen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dnf 56% it was not for me. I feel like a lot of things were thrown in there just for the sake of the plot and making it interesting.
I didn't like that there were so many major plottwists, but if that's your thing definetly check out this book.
Thanks to the author for the arc!

[Carla Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was amazing! I couldn’t get enough of this book it was the best rollercoaster ride I’ve been on!! It had me on the edge all way through and I’m obsessed with reed. jordyn created the perfect characters and storyline all together 🩷my best read of 2023 by far!!