Chace

Ryan Family #3

by Ana Balen

Danger. Secrets. Undeniable Attraction.
Undercover DEA agent Chace Ryan is on the brink of cracking the case that has consumed his career: dismantling a ruthless mafia's human trafficking ring. His mission leads him into the underbelly of crime, where danger and deception lurk at every corner. The stakes are high, and for Chace, failure is not an option.
His investigation takes an unexpected turn when he crosses paths with Alina Casella, the estranged daughter of the mafia boss he's targeting. Alina, determined to shed the shadows of her past, now runs The Elite, the city's most sought-after club, under a new identity, seeking redemption and a fresh start.
In a world where trust is a rare commodity, Chace's attraction to Alina is immediate and undeniable—an inconvenient truth that complicates his mission further. Despite the instant spark between them, Alina remains unaware of Chace's true identity and his ulterior motives.
As Chace delves deeper, he discovers that the criminal network he's fighting has infiltrated The Elite, threatening to pull Alina back into the very life she's desperate to leave behind. Torn between duty and desire, Chace faces the ultimate dilemma: expose his identity to save Alina, risking her wrath and their budding connection, or keep his cover and watch her unknowingly dance with danger.
Set against a backdrop of suspense and illicit romance, where a mafia princess and an undercover agent become entangled in a web of lust, loyalty, and lies promises a heart-racing journey from the shadows of betrayal to the possibility of forgiveness.
Can Chace dismantle the mafia's hold and win back Alina's trust, or will his deception be the end of their found family?
Dive into this gripping romantic suspense to discover if love can truly conquer all.

238 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 19, 2024

About the author

Ana Balen was born in Zagreb, Croatia, where she still lives with her husband, their son (read boss!) and the son’s pet rabbit named Shhh! (or some other gibberish that’s the favorite of their son for the day.)
She spends her days driving her husband up the wall (when he can’t get her ass up from the bed in the mornings), reading and daydreaming, or following orders from a two-year old. In the hectic life she leads (and loves every second of it), she never thought about writing. But, then one day a name popped in her head, then, the snippets of things, and she sat down and started typing. Next thing, she wrote a book. And now, she’s trying to write another one ;)

Reviews

[Mrs R · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book 3 of the series and can be read as a standalone. Characters and storylines from the previous books are mentioned. I have not read the previous books and was able to understand what was happening.

The story is told primarily from Alina's POV with several chapters from Chace.

Chace is undercover DEA and meets Alina who is the estranged daughter of a mafia don. They have an attraction but are both hiding secrets.

I really enjoyed the action-packed storyline. Lots of things going on and a few twists along the way, a few I did not see coming.

Alina was a very naïve character, especially relating to the mafia, but she was likeable. The romance is a little slow burn but does heat up.

[Daisy Nijs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chace is a forbidden, dark romance filled with suspense in the mafia world.
Chace is closing is on his target while being undercover, but when he meets Alina, the mafia princess who is trying to get out of that world, his life is turned upside down.
Miss Balen took me on quite an adventure. The attraction between Chace and Alina is there from the start, but Chace will take his time with her. This book shows to what lengthe people will go for love.

[Susan McWhinney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, what is not to like when a hunky undercover DEA agent meets Alina, a woman, he knows is off limits!! This book is off the charts full of angst, forbidden romance and a very slow burn romance, as Chace waits for the right moment to show his true feelings for Alina. Hiding a secret that he knows will change his relationship with Alina, it never seems the right time to tell her about his undercover status.
Alina, unaware that her club is being used for illicit purposes, seeks the help of Chace's brother, Max, where Chace can admit that he is Max's brother whilst still hiding his undercover identity.
Oh, the thrill of the ride as Chace dances between working undercover for the Don, who is also Alina's estranged father, and wanting/needing to get closer to Alina and keep her safe. Alina has never let anyone get too close to her, keeping her past to herself, but when meeting Chace, all that flies out the window. She trusts Chace, but what happens when she finds out the truth he has been hiding? Can love prevail or do the lies that Chace has been hiding be enough to chase Alina away!
A brilliant 5 star read by Ana Balen in the 3rd book in this series.

[Penny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing!! Phenomenal!! Must read
Ana Balen is one of my favorite authors. I had been waiting patiently for Chace to release. And I am not disappointed at all. Ana nailed this story from beginning to end. She keeps you on your toes, wondering who's mixed up in all the bad things going on. I loved how Alina was with Chace in the beginning. Wanting him but not willing to tear down her walls. But once the walls started coming down, the heat was on. Her and Chace have chemistry like no other. Add in all the drama of Mafia life and a twist I didn't see coming.... you have one H.E.L.L of a story. I couldn't put this book down. Ana did it again! She wrote another phenomenal story you won't want to miss. I'd give this more than five stars if I could. Bravo Ana!

[izey life · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hottie law enforcement guys are my weak spot
🥵🥵🔥🔥

[Bksbloggingandreviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been Ana's fan since I read jason, the first book to the Ryan Family.
Chace is book 3 in this series and can be read as a Stand-alone.
Chace is an undercover DEA agent who is working on bringing down the mafia Don.
Alina is the daughter of the mafia Don. And is the owner of Elites night club.
Chace and Alina chemistry is of the pages. The twists and turns leaves you at the edge of your seat. And the action is good.
Ana Balen did a great job with is book/series
#bksbloggingandreviews

[Kari Tidwell (karisbookstodevour) · Rating 4 out of 5]

An absolutely fantastic read! An undercover DEA agent, the Cosa Nostra, human trafficking, and a woman who has no idea how much danger she’s really in, all combined into a romance with electric chemistry, high stakes risk, and so many layers of half-truths, with a twist you do not see coming.
Chace is so close to cracking the case that has haunted his dreams and consumed his career, stopping a human trafficking ring run by the mafia. But he’s thrown for a loop when following his leads takes him straight to Alina Casella, the elusive daughter of a mafia Don. She’s done everything she can to distance herself from that life, running The Elite, a popular night club, totally above board and by the books and keeping as far away from her father as she can. When they meet attraction sparks, putting them both at risk and making them question how far they can trust. But when he finds out that the very men, he’s trying to stop have infiltrated her club, intent on bringing her back to a life she’s desperate to escape, Chace has to decide, risk his cover and save her or let it play out and risk her.
Highly enjoyed reading this. There was so much to the story between Chace, the mafia, and what Alina really knows and it just sucks you right in. All the characters are incredible, the twists and turns completely intriguing, and my favorite part, the lengths that people will go for love, totally amazing and pretty dang heart melting. A really addition to the Ryan family series and a wonderfully written book from Ana Balen.

[ReadonReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you mix an undercover agent and a mafia princess you get a story full of suspense, chemistry, and so much more. Chace is close to closing his case that he has spent so much time and his life dedicated to, but when the trail leads him to Alina he isn’t prepared for the turn everything takes. Alina is the daughter to the mafia boss and while she has done everything she can to distance herself from that life she is about to find herself immersed in it without even knowing. With instant attraction when they first meet they both try to push it to the side but that can only happen for so long, but things can get extremely dangerous for the both of them if they explore what it is. The story takes you on a ride full of intense moments with twists and the building chemistry that these two can’t seem to fight, but it’s Chace’s decision that will determine what will happen. Will he risk his career and life by choosing to save Alina or will it let it all play out before stepping in? I was drawn into this story from the very start and it kept me on the edge until the very end while still thinking about it and the characters for days later.

[Sheri Lemay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an explosive book and while this is book three of the Ryan Family, it can be read as a standalone. Ana has outdone herself. So much intrigue, danger, and edge of your seat moments, including ones where you just want to yell at the Chace and Alina to just spill the beans and come clean with each other already! Add to this the smexy hotness and you have yourself a five star read.

[Jetscarbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read all 3 in this series and I will rate them all 3 stars. The InstaLove is a little too Insta, but the plot is decent. I don't think they are standalones. You kind of need to read them in order to understand what's going on.

I think the books would be rated much higher if there were a good editor and if the InstaLove could be stretched out some. They were all short reads.

[Dianne Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

AN YOUR SERIES IS GREAT LOVE THE BROTHERS..WILL CARTER HAVE A BOOK..WHEN;))
LOVE THE SWAT/ DEA TIES!!
10+
GREAT STORYLINES AND CHARACTERS!!
MORE MORE MORE MORE

THE SERIES HAD DIFFERENT TYPES BUT CONNECTIONS THROUGH FAMILY!!

GETTING MORE OF YOUR BOOKS!
HOPING FOR ANOTHER BOOK IN THIS SERIES!


Thanks!
DGH
SC

[Tammy Casteel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great

This series is amazing. I love her books. I really hope there is another Ryan brother book coming. Although Jason is still my fave in this series.

[Shiree · Rating 1 out of 5]

Glad I got this on Kindle Unlimited because I would’ve been so mad if I spent money on a third book that was just bad