Relentless

by Lexie Ray

Raised by her grandmother in a poverty-stricken borough of New York, Shimmy knew what it was to lust after things she couldn't have. To her surprise, the popular and rich star basketball player at her school, Ben, returned her affections.

But when their puppy love got Shimmy pregnant, she was forced to upheave her life in order to provide for her new son, working jobs and going hungry so he could eat. Finally, she made the hardest decision of her life, giving up her child to Ben’s family so that she could get her feet on the ground.

It was when things were finally going right for Shimmy that everything went wrong. She got a new apartment and a new job after Mama’s nightclub was raided. But Ben became different, his family wouldn't let her see her son, and she had the nagging suspicion that not everything was what it seemed.

Now, she’ll have to rely on Tyler, a private investigator, to help her go through hell and back in order to regain custody of her baby. After all, a mother is relentless when it comes to the well-being of her child.

Genres: Romance, Adult

134 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 13, 2014

Reviews

[Erika · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's the turn of Shimmy to tell her story, and of all of Mama's girls she was one of the most focused and mature. She knew what she wanted and what she needed. She is very strong, in a very simple way, she just knew what she needed to do and took the steps to get it done. From the beginning she is very focused and everything she does, is to get her son back with her.

I liked how her mother's love gave her the strength she needed to face all the obstacles she found on her way. Also, even if Tyler is there to help her, she is very independent and knows what needs to be done. I liked her strength and how driven she was, even if the ending was a little anticlimactic.

When the police raid started, Shimmy didn't try to escape, she knew what was coming and decided to collaborate as much as she could with the police, that made them be sympathetic with her and help her. She told them everything about Mama and her time with her, and was surprised to realize that they considered her a victim, and not a criminal. They sent her to get help from a foundation, and she went there to find Jazz. She helped her get her life back together and get an education and a job. After Mama's trial, the judge decided to give the girls the money they had earned, and that gave Shimmy enough money to start her own business and start getting her life back together.

Shimmy had fallen in love with a boy in high school, they wanted to be together, and then she got pregnant and his parents wanted the baby, but they didn't want Shimmy because she was poor and they were rich. They kept Shimmy and her boyfriend apart, but helped her with the medical bills during her pregnancy. Once the baby was born, they kept pressuring her to give the baby to them, but Shimmy wanted her baby. She started to work and they were barely surviving, but then her grandmother, who took care of the baby so Shimmy could work, died. She still tried to keep her family together, but eventually, she realized that she couldn't do it, and that the best for her baby was to give it to his grandparents. She went, and told her boyfriend, who was back, that it was only until she could get her life together.

She started working for Mama to get money to get her baby back. Everything she did was to get him back, and when she finally had everything she needed, she went for him, but Ben, her ex-boyfriend, was a different man, and told her that she wouldn't get her baby back, and that if she tried again to see him, he was going to kill her. During the few minutes she was at his house, she noticed he had coke, and decided she needed to get her son out of there as soon as possible. She got a lawyer and asked him to help her get custody back, but at the same time, she hired a private investigator to help gather evidence of Ben's illegal business.

Ben started attacking her, trying to intimidate her, starting with threats, attacking her business, and finished by burning her apartment. Trying to find the smoking gun they needed, they broke into Ben's house, but they were discovered. Tyler, the PI, exchanged all the evidence they had for the chance to get away. Shimmy got crazy and didn't want anything to do with Tyler anymore, all she wanted was her son and she felt betrayed that Tyler just gave them everything, and she felt like she had lost her chance, and refused to listen to him. It turned out that Tyler was working with the police and they had a copy of everything, and after they got out, they went in and arrested Ben, his parents, and their contacts. Then Jasmine and her husband arrived with Shimmy's son and they reunited. Shimmy asked Tyler to forgive her from doubting him and they went back together, to be a family.

[Pixie Honey · Rating 2 out of 5]

The amount of trauma that Shimmy went through, both due to losing her grandmother and struggling enough she had to give her baby to the father's family with a promise she'd be able to get him back once she was more financially stable, and due to the way that she actually does get him back.

Nothing says romance and trust like forcefully knocking someone out, forcing them to abandon their child in a home with mafia and drug trafficking ties, as she screams and begs for her baby, but hey! It's all okay, because a few weeks later, her baby boy is delivered right to her!

The romances in this series just get worse the further along we get.

[Tee Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

While all of the stories ended on better notes, I would say that Shimmy probably made the wisest decision after leaving Mama's.

This series is one that I would recommend to others.

[carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

From abject poverty Shimmy's story starts. Young black girl brought up In a moral home by ailing Grandma with all intentions for social mobility and a life of fair comfort, doable, what all humans would aspire to, but for many below the poverty line, okay, yes with education they have some aspirations but with no finances or healthcare what chances have they got.

Then along comes rich Ben, good looking, sportsman, rich, has everything going in his affluent lifestyle. The other side of the coin. They come of age together but fate decides on pregnancy. Ben's family and Ben are happy to cut Shimmy out and see her as a gold digger deliberately after their wealth, yet they want their grandchild and at one point I thought fair play to them for that...but not for long!

Here you see how far a mother will go in order to get her child back. After the trouble at Mama's Shimmy finds her only hope of gaining her son back comes through Private Investigator Tyler. What a surprise, or was it, the way Ben's family have gained their wealth...cockroaches of society, scum and filth that make money out of other people's misery and masquerade as honest folk.

I liked this as it has morals and standards even with where life can lead you, intentions are everything. So happy Shimmy had her story and Lexie Ray gave it this ending. This has become a very good series. And quite addictive too.
Wouldn't it be good if all the young women in their situation had similar opportunities?

Four stars through and through.

[Jessie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!!!

I've loved this series, I've liked reading about all of mama's girls and how they ended up with mama and then to learn how they got their life back together ...

I think this book was amazing !!! I don't think it's as emotional as some of the other girls but I'm so happy she got her HEA ... this one was longer than the others which I thought was great!! I can't wait to read about mama I think that will be extremely interesting .... I wish I could have gotten more of a epilogue, maybe to see how things are a year or so later ...

I highly recommend this series !!

[Jenni · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this a few days back but haven't been able to get a review up, I've been so busy!

However, this may have been the best book in the series in my opinion. I loved every part of it! I may have even shed more than a few tears. I'm very sad to have officially read all the books in this series, what shall I do now? What should I read next?

I think I might wait a little while to read Mama's side of the story though. But I think I want to read more by Lexie Ray! This whole series was great!

[TJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

While reading this series I had a lot of questions to why the girls didn't do things differently. Then it hit me they simply didn't know. Their education wasn't paramount staying alive was. My heart broke when Shimmy didn't realize that she was a victim. She assumed that since she agreed to sell herself that she was as guilty as mama. The love a mother has for a child has no bounds and Shimmy was no exception.

[Mspraise50 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 5 in the Runaway Series. Shimmy's story. This too was an enjoyable read. I now understand why everyone loves Shimmy's love interest Tyler he was absolutely loving, caring and he helped Shimmy workout how to get her son returned to her. Book 6 will be Mama's story to come and that will be called Boundless! This series has been a great and I have thoroughly enjoyed reading it!

[Deborahazzi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this series easy to read, and the writer did provide a look into a world where I hope most of us would never have to experience. Having said that, for all the struggles and hardships these women endured, in the end, they met the man of their dreams and lived happily ever after. Life just doesn't always work that way....

[Kellie Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Shimmys story!!! Such a wonderful series to read, it will open your eyes to what is really going on in this world to girls who have no where to go or no one to turn to!! It is a short series but it will have you an emotional mess when your done!!!! Loved it!!!

[Carla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing. This was Shimmy's story. Beautiful, relatable and heartbreaking, but ended the way it was supposed to. I think I fell for Tyler as well. More to come.

[Vonetta · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my favorite of the series.