USA Today bestselling author Lisa Lang Blakeney, delivers the sizzling first book in a brand new trilogy, Obsession, a billionaire, age gap, romantic suspense.
Hunter Middleton doesn’t ask—he takes.
I built an empire out of blood and betrayal. Billionaire. Power player. Owner of Los Angeles’ most notorious nightclub, where every deal comes with a price and second chances are rare. Love? That’s for the weak.
Then she showed up.
Spunky, stunning, and absolutely forbidden. She’s just a bartender in my club, clueless about the world she’s stepped into—or the danger that follows me like a shadow. She doesn’t know who I am. Yet one look, one spark, and I can’t stay away.
She’s too pure for my world. Too perfect for a man like me.
But some addictions can’t be cured.
If I want her, I’ll have to protect her—from the dangers outside my club and the monster inside me. Because the moment I claimed her, I made her mine.
And I don’t share.
For fans of steamy billionaire romances filled with danger, obsession, and scorching chemistry, this is your next binge-worthy read!
Enter my world of possessive alpha billionaires when you read the first book in my forbidden romance series, MASTERSON. Or join me for some hot, bad boy, pro ball players when you read the first book in my sports romance series, SAINT.
About me: Hi, my name is Lisa and I am the USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary romance and romantic suspense novels. I grew up an only child gorging myself on daytime soaps, night time dramas, and romance novels. I'm a wife, mom of 4 daughters, mom of 2 labradoodles and a houseplant hoe!
This is the first in a new trilogy, and this is Hunter and Megan’s journey. Hunter is a self-made billionaire, who is the owner of a notorious LA nightclub, and Megan is feisty and sassy, and is the new server in his club, whom he falls for. I cannot wait to read the other books in this impressive trilogy! This is a well written easy to read story, which is an action packed, slow burn story, with tragedy, an age gap, boss / employee, danger, suspense, intrigue, obsession, undeniable chemistry, challenges, passion, humor, witty banter, romance, and love, which leads to an entertaining and addictive page turner. I look forward to reading more from this talented author whose work I highly recommend.
This story has me casting Richard Gere as Hunter Middleton and Zoe Saldana as my man's girl!!!This story is so freaking entertaining and hot on so many levels!!!!! Its a classic L.L.B book!!!!!
So good, but why the cliffhanger?! Have you no regard for my nerves??
So listen, I love me a dark romance. I enjoy a good thriller. I love me some spicy spice in my books, especially when it’s written well. I ADORE a good slow burn. And don’t even get me started on age gaps — I see age gap in the trope list and I’m already breaking down the door before I realize what I’m doing. I know, it’s a problem.
But like, cliffhangers? I do not like them. I would go so far as to say that I HATE them. Strong word, I know. But it’s a fact that I actively avoid books that I know end in a cliffhanger.
And you know what else? I’m giving Obsession four stars - EVEN THOUGH I DESPISE CLIFFHANGERS - because Lisa Lang Blakeney is using some black magic or something to hook me because this book is INCREDIBLE! It’s dark, it’s edgy, it’s got plenty of feminine rage and trauma backstory that doesn’t beat you over the head, and it might even make you cry. It made me cry.
OK, so what’s it about? This girl Megan is a lowly bartender at Blue Whiskey, a club known for its lawless clientele. Specifically the real movers and shakers of LA, via its seedy underbelly. Megan finds herself in the sights of Mr. Middleton, her older, billionaire boss by insulting the man and ruining his expensive clothes before realizing who he was. But it was an accident, honest.
Hunter Middleton is taken by Megan’s take-no-prisoners bravado that disguises the real fear in her eyes. So taken that he becomes obsessed with her. And let’s not kid ourselves, Megan May take longer to become obsessed with Hunter, but she absolutely gets there, too. They say opposites attract, but really it’s trauma survival. Hunter and Megan are two moths drawn to the inescapable flame of obsession.
And no wonder. With the kind of things they’ve seen, their views are a little… skewed. Also, there are some quotes that would make excellent merchandising opportunities. Just sayin.
I am fortunate enough to be an ARC reader for lisa, I give you my honest review. This book had me from the first chapter. Hunter and Megan are opposites,he's older but not by a huge amount, however he is dangerous. Megan has been through a traumatic childhood and can pretty much look after herself but charging at table 21 May be a step too far. Even after their first few interactions Megan has no idea who Hunter is. Her sass towards him amuses him, it makes a change for someone not to be frightened of him. His two right hand men are also great characters. Hunter and Megan have an affair, though they don't want to admit it they love each other. Megan saves Hunter when he's being shot at,someone is definitely out to get him. He takes her to Paris for a weekend this is when he realises he wants her for more than a weekend. Someone close to him whom he thought was dead may not be but we will find that out in the next book. You have done it again Lisa a real good read can't wait for the next book.
I fell to so hard for the characters. Megan, the female main character, comes from nothing and endured an abusive family growing up. It broke my heart but made her such a strong, sassy character. She doesn't trust easily and has a sharp tongue which creates some delicious tension with the mafia boss's who quickly becomes obsessed with her. SO DELICIOUS.
The banter, steam and spice is amazing. Seriously, this are the main reasons I couldn't put this book down. I craved every single moment the main characters were together and bantering. Perfection.
This story will keep you swooning. Also be prepared for the cliffhanger. It's not terrible but left me craving book 2!
I LOVE an FMC that takes no 💩 from no man and is not afraid to 💀 to prove that point. Megan was/is such a bada$$! Now, granted, she likely ended up this way out of sheer survival instincts from what she went through…which, I want to know more about! Ugh please let me stay in this world longer! I am obsessed with these two!
And, Hunter Middleton. The man that literally everyone fears…except Megan LOL! I find it really intriguingly funny that this man literally is the grumpiest and deadliest man that everyone knows and yet fell at his knees for this girl and TAKES whatever Megan throws at him. He literally swoons for her in his way in this book. All the while, he just takes it in stride. While also ☠️ and threatening people on her behalf.
Honestly, I really can’t wait for Submission to come out. FRFR, December can’t come soon enough. I have so many questions and theories!!
I'm so excited to announce that the first book in my new, steamy, age-gap, romantic suspense series OBSESSION is live. He's been a long time in the making, but deliciously sexy Hunter Middleton is ready for prime time! I can't wait for you to meet him.
Wow! I absolutely loved this book. Amazing characters and wonderful plot. Very beautifully written and easy to read.
Hunter Middleton is an owner of a notorious Los Angeles nightclub. He’s a self made billionaire and he’s feared for most men. He has no interest in relationships until he meets Megan, feisty server. She has no idea who he is.
He becomes obsessed with her form the first interaction. Megan has her own demons from the past. I loved their chemistry and passion. They are good for each other. The suspense and intrigue was so interesting.
Overall I loved this book and can’t wait for more. If you’re looking for a boss/employee, age gap romance then you’re going to love it.
This is the nostalgia talking. This book reminded me so much of that early 2010s books. I missed that era of books. Sad that now the romance books as an industry is going kinda shitty (at least for me).
Poor Megan can’t catch a break but when her boss takes an interest in her, her life starts looking up.
Age gap romances can be tricky for me because sometimes the gap is just uncomfortably bad. I. This one there seems to be a 13-14 year gap. And while it’s in the taboo range I think every time he or his friends call her a kid or she calls him a grown ass man it just make things a little icky to me. For reference he’s 35 and she seems to be in her early 20s.
Overall this was entertaining, but of course once they settle into a relationship the book ends on a cliffhanger.
Megan is taking the trash out the back of the nightclub when she sees the man sprawled in the middle of the alley. Glancing around she backs up slowly, closing and locking the door behind her, she kicks the key under the metal counters and quickly returns to the bar to serve the next customer.
She only works at the Blue Whiskey Lounge because of the salary. The type of clientele that is drawn here weren’t the ones you wanted to notice you. She is reaching for glasses for the next order when a server calls in an order for Table 21.
Table 21, reserved for the type of clients you didn’t want to mess with. She hands her the drinks warning her not to linger for tips. When he hears the bar manager cursing under his breath she notices that the waitress had not only ignored her advice as there there hundred dollar bills peeking out of her clothes, but now she was trying to escape the clutches of two men.
When she realized that her manager had no intention of helping, she told him she was sorry before grabbing two full bottles of wine on her way to Table 21.
Hunter was about to put an end to the two scumbags he was meeting with but stopped to watch the banshee that came flying at them conking one on the head with a wine bottle while kneeing the other in the crotch.
Who was this woman who came to the defense of the waitress without a care for her own safety? The more he investigated, the more obsessed he became.
I loved this book! It is very well written and the characters are fully developed and relatable.
This dark romance is action-packed, full of danger and smoking hot. Megan is barely making ends meet, but she is determined to finish her degree so she can escape her past and the bullies at college. Hunter is the most eligible bachelor in LA, but he is also the most notorious. The underworld negotiator who no one messed with. Except someone was killing people and leaving them at his back door.
This book leaves you with a cliffhanger as Megan answers her phone and finds out that the past she was trying to run from was in the lobby of her building. Megan and Hunter’s relationship is smoking hot, but she has secrets. They both do, but Megan hopes that hers never comes to light. Highly recommend!
What an incredible story! It drew me in from the very beginning! Had all the ingredients, making it so exciting! Can’t wait for the next one!! Love finding new authors!
This book is intense and suspenseful. I have been riveted to my seat taking in all the drama and action. There are still mysteries to be solved. I am eagerly awaiting book two. I hate cliff hangers, but I think the conclusion will be worth it.
Honestly I wanted to rate this a 4 star but there were reasons why I didn’t.
I love a good billionaire romance, but this cliffhanger…there were so many plot holes left unfinished. I thought the cliffhanger would deal with what us readers found out about Hunter earlier in the book. What happened to Jonathan? What about the fire?? What’s Parker and Lars backstory? What about Vaughn’s wife??
The couple has red flags, but they care about each other and they’re willing to work it out. So, that, I’m not going to touch to heavily on.
We do get a little bit of background on Megan’s life but there’s still a mystery on what happened to her as a child. Wish we dove deeper into her and truly understand what she went through. It’s not like it was brushed over, however, it could’ve been more interactive than what we were given.
Oh and Diana?? What’s up with her? Maybe I’m reading too deep into her character but there’s definitely something off about her.
I love the wit and sass between Megan and Hunter. Megan really did not play about her heart and Hunter saw that. There were times in Hunters point of view when I did think that he was just using her “for fun”, but by the end of the book, I think he’s okay 😶 not Aaron Warner or anything, but he’s okay. Mediocre at best. Basically, he could’ve done more.
After that cliffhanger, I don’t know if I want to continue the series. Only because Megan’s sister was only mentioned, like, once…and there wasn’t enough suspense around it. Maybe if the phone call was from a male that threatens her from her past, MAYBE I would be intrigued. But, that’s all for now. 🩷
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This is book one in The Middleton Series and it is Hunter and Megan’s story and omg what a great start to a new series and definitely a must read. Megan has had such a difficult and abusive life and now she works at The Blue Whiskey Lounge Nightclub because the wages are really good and helps her pay her bills while she is in college so she just keeps her dad down and don’t get involved in anything because it can be a dangerous place and just works hard until something happens that changes everything in her life and she could also lose her job which will make everything in her life even more complicated. Hunter owns The Blue Whiskey Lounge Nightclub but keeps himself out of the spotlight as much as possible because of the line of business that he is in and does so not many people know who he is which is just the way he likes it because that way he can keep under the radar while dealing with his operations and that was fine until Megan crashes into his life and challenges him like nobody else has and he is captivated by her and wants to get to know everything about her and he is so fascinated but he will also have his reputation to uphold especially because his life is dangerous so bringing anyone else into it could also put them in danger as well so he will have to be very careful and cautious. The more time that Hunter and Megan spend together the stronger and more intense there chemistry and attraction grows and when they eventually give into it sparks fly all around them but danger is closer than they think and the threats are coming at a break neck speed but will they be able to keep safe and alive while exploring how they feel about each other. My heart broke with everything that Megan had gone through at a ver Young age and still going through now in her life and she doesn’t seem to be able to get a break from it at all and I love how Hunter is so protective of her and deals with anyone that tries to hurt her especially because of the type of man he is Megan gives as good back with the conversations that they have if you could actually call them that which adds so much to this story. Wow this book certainly takes you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions and the twists and turns keep coming along with betrayal, action, danger, suspense, suffering, sadness, surprises, drama, protectiveness, friendship, abuse, hope and situations that will have you turning the pages because you are unable to put this book down and then you get a cliffhanger ending that will leave you needing the next book to see what will happen next and I can’t wait to read the next book in this amazing series.
This is the story of Hunter Middleton, CEO of Middleton Financial Group, and Megan, a fledgling artist attending college on a scholarship and working at Hunter's nightclub. This club serves as the hub for Hunter's role as a fixer for Los Angeles's gangs. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I discovered it online, captivated by its cover and the word 'obsession.' Hunter, who owns both the financial group and The Blue Whiskey club, operates from this establishment in a rough part of Los Angeles. It's his network's headquarters and his personal fortress. As the mediator of the city's underworld, he becomes fixated on Megan from the moment he sees her at Table 21. Working the night shift at The Blue Whiskey to support her studies, Megan has faced numerous hardships, often finding herself the target of bullying or abuse. The book reveals that Hunter's family perished in a fire set by a gang to deliver a message, and his father abandoned them, taking all their money. Hunter had believed his mother and sister died in the fire, but now, he's uncertain. As the story concludes, we discover that Megan's sister has arrived in town, leaving us wondering about her significance and the identity of the man who has been calling and threatening her. I'm eagerly anticipating the release of the second book in this series come December; the wait seems interminable. Good reading for those who decide to purchase this book. This is a new author for me and so I am going to look out my amazon kindle to see if I can find another book that I can read that reads as easily and enjoyable as this one.
Obsession, the first book in Lisa Lang Blakeney's new trilogy, Middleton, is a captivating story that will keep you on your toes and intrigue you so much that you will devour this story in one sitting.
Hunter Middleton, 35, is the formidable CEO of Middleton Financial and the owner of the Blue Whiskey Lounge. He manages his business with a keen eye and a sharp mind for the underworld of Los Angeles. When Hunter was up and coming on the streets, he had a criminal partner, Jonathan, who was with him when a gang member torched Hunter's family home, and he lost his mother and baby sister. After stealing thousands from Hunter, Jonathan goes deeper into the underground, leaving Vaughan Parson, Exalt Logic's owner, Christian Lee, Esquire, and his drivers, Parker and Lars, along with other soldiers. Steve is the current manager of the Blue Whiskey.
Megan Taylor works at the Blue Whiskey Lounge as a bartender on the late shift. She attends a local college of the arts with a scholarship that she has been in jeopardy of losing twice. She lives in a questionable area with a roommate, Naomi Tuner, a cosmetologist. Megan is stunningly beautiful, spunky, and clueless about her whereabouts. She thinks she can get by by keeping her head down and doing her job, making money to survive and graduate college.
Lisa Lang Blakeney writes a binge-worthy story that will leave you wanting more!
Sorry—No grown ass man would be interested in this heroine!
Megan Taylor is 21 or 22 years old and it shows. She's been through some shit, but she's emotionally immature and extremely combative and it just got to be so damn exhausting. It's no way Hunter Middleton—a grown ass man would be interested in this child—there. is. just. no. way!
There is a difference between being feisty, being a bitch and being combative—a BIG difference! I found her to be extremely annoying and irritating and I wanted Hunter to move on because she wasn't worthy of his time, attention or money.
Perhaps, I might have been able to roll with this heroine if she had no problem standing toe to toe with her enemies at school, but she was very passive aggressive and I tried hard to reconcile how she was able to stand toe to toe with a feared mafia don, a killer, but not her vicious schoolmates.
Unbeknownest to me, this is a three-part series, which I wish I'd known before I started this book. I will say Book One ended on an interesting cliffhanger, but I won't be dropping everything to read Book Two or Book Three. However, please do not let my opinion deter you from reading this book, you might have a different opinion.
I'm a fan of this author, so I will continue reading books from her Nighthawk Series.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher/author to review for Stephanie's Book Reports.
This is the first book in The Middleton Series. It is the Story of Hunter and Megan. She is a bartender that has some shady people coming into the Blue Whiskey. This is a club known for it lawless patrons in LA. It is the den of vipers in a way because it is L.A.'s underbelly. Now she has gained the attention of her boss who happens to be Hunter Middleton. However, she probably didn't mean to gain the attention that she did. She ends up insulting him big time and ruining the very expensive clothes she has on before she realized who he was. Hunter is really intrigued with Megan. She might have fear in her eyes but that doesn't keep her from putting on a brave face and running her mouth at times when she really shouldn't. Well now that I have said intrigued, I am thinking I should have said obsession. Because, the man is obsessed big time. These two soon find themselves trauma bonded and equally as obsessed with each other. That's about all I can tell you about this book or I will give something away. I really loved reading it.
Obsession by Lisa Lang Blakeney is a 5-star read. There is a lot going on in this book, its fast paced and there is an aura of mystery which kept me turning the pages. I just couldn’t wait to find out more. And as the story unraveled, I became even more captivated This author has a knack for writing about alphas who are really not very nice guys and somehow making us fall in love with them. Hunter is no different. There is obvious chemistry between the main characters, Megan and Hunter and it plays out wonderfully. This is an age gap book, and it fits them perfectly. There was so much I liked in this book. I found Megans sassy comments to be epic. The dialogue with Hunter and his friends was great, it humanized him and was definitely entertaining. Hopefully we meet up again with Christian and Vaughn in their own books someday. Obsession is only the first part of Megan and Hunter ‘s story. While the book doesn’t exactly end in a cliff hanger it is clear there is more to their story, and you will have to wait for the next book to find out the answers.
Hunter owns The Middleton Financial Group and also owns The Blue Whiskey, a club in not the best part of Los Angeles. It’s his home base for his network. It’s a fortress for his protection. He is Los Angeles’s underworld mediator. He is also obsessed with Megan from the first moment he sees her at his Table 21. Megan works the night shift at The Blue Whiskey because it pays more money. She also is in college. She has endured so much in her life and always finds herself in some kind of bullying or abusive trouble. Hunter takes on her protection himself. He is definitely a man to be feared. They have this tumultuous relationship, but are still drawn to each other, although neither ever, ever wants to fall in love, ever. But still, their magnetism and their steam are off the charts. They finally agree to date. This book is full of all bad things that happen and keeps you on edge the whole time. This first book ends with a surprise of one of her nobody family. I can’t wait to read the next book of their story.
MAFIA BILLIONAIRE ROMANCE AGE GAP SLOW BURN SUSPENSE
Megan and Hunter dance around each other is this suspenseful story. They both have trust issues but find it hard to stay away from each other. Megan seems to draw trouble and Hunter has to rescue her many times. due to the trauma of her youth, Megan can appear to be a bit of a doormat. She however, has learned how to survive. She knows when to pick her battles and play the long game. It can be frustrating but it is how she deals with the battles that life throws her way. Hunter is a dangerous man. He is ruthless when it comes to his business. When it comes to Megan he finds himself doing things well outside the norm. The behind the scenes help he gives her makes life easier. There are so many occasions that he goes above and beyond to protect her.
there is more to come and I am looking forward to see where we go with this story. The danger and suspense will keep you vested in them. Expect the unexpected
Struggling art student, Megan Taylor, has always had to fend for and take care of herself. She has never had anyone on her side except her best friend Naomi. While doing a good deed at work, Megan has caught the eye of her sexy older boss, Hunter Middleton and he is just getting started with his new manager and her sassy mouth and attitude. I loved this book from beginning to end! I can not get enough Megan and Hunter! I love how soft and caring Hunter becomes when Megan is around and how independent and strong Megan becomes with Hunter's slight encouragement. Plus add in all the side characters and this is outstanding billionaire age gap, mafia romance! I keep hoping for a Parker and Megan BFF situation! I can't wait for more, I am so excited to see where Hunter and Megan go!
I don't do well with cliffhangers, but if I am given a heads up, I can somewhat get my head around it & push on. My main issue is the waiting for the next book. In this case the overall wait isn't too long, but after finishing the first part of Hunter & Megan's story, I am definitely a little bit antsy to get the next book in my hands. I really enjoyed the push & pull between these two. Both have horrible pasts, and I'm not sure if that's what subconsciously draws them towards one another, but whatever the case, they are truly wonderful together. I liked how Megan has started to evolve in this book, and I look forward to more of her in the next book and obviously Hunter as well because I think there will be more to him that is still yet to be revealed.
Holy hotness in a book! There is something inherently sexy about an alpa male that falls first that gets me all hot and bothered every time.
Hunter is the poster child for billionaire alpha hole and for some reason that made me like him even more. I love that Megan was a take no BS, sassy FMC, that got under Hunter's skin so bad he didn't even understand it. That man was obsessed the moment she spilled her drink on him and called his custom suit ugly.
Their ensuing dynamic is intense and banter filled with tension in spades. Hunter and Megan were a slow burn I can get behind because when they finally got it on....explosive!
This was a fantastic start to a new trilogy and I'm so anxious to pick up where that cliffhanger left us...
Obsession By Lisa Lang Blakeney Main Characters: Megan and Hunter I voluntarily and honestly reviewed this book without bias or persuasion from the author. 5 out of 5 stars Hunter is a billionaire nightclub owner and a fixer. Megan works at his nightclub. This is the first book in the Middleton Series and I think it is a doozy. Megan is a firecracker and doesn't take any sh*t from Hunter. There is plenty of action, drama, and great chemistry between these two even if Hunter does not mix business with pleasure. I had trouble putting this book down. Megan got under Hunter's skin really quickly and it took him a while to figure out how much he really liked her. So this book turns out to be an age gap, a boss-employee story that does end in a cliffhanger.
Due to her past Megan knows the only person she can count on is herself and must be strong and independent because of it. Her attitude has gained the attention of Hunter, who is both attracted to and intrigued by her.
Hunter is a powerful man who is known for always getting what he wants. He knows that it would be in the best interests of both of them to keep his distance however he likes that she sees him as a man and not just his reputation.
This is beginning of Megan and Hunter’s story and both the events, and the characters will draw you and leave you needing to know what happens next.
The first book in this story of Hunter and Megan drew me right in from the start. Hunter - dangerous, mysterious, feared and Megan - irreverent, principled, feisty. In OBSESSION, the layers of their difficult and complicated lives are peeled away very slowly. By the end of book 1 there are more questions than answers, but we are on the cusp of learning a lot more.
I was able to read an early copy of this book to offer my opinion and I’ll just say it was hard to put down especially if you like the Pretty Woman/Cinderella kind of thing.
Lisa Lang Blakeney sure knows how to keep a reader’s attention!! I got to page two of this book and knew I wouldn’t put it down until I was done. Both Hunter and Meagan have multiple demons to slay, but nothing can take the place of each other! Both of them struggle to find whatever it is that they have between each other, and it’s getting closer every day. Both realize they are falling in love. They just aren’t sure that they can handle it. I can’t wait to read about what happens in Book 2!!