WELCOME TO THE GAME, CHERISE.
The story is another spin-off from the various Cerberus offices and lifestyle clubs, with this one opening in Monte Carlo. It will have life and death danger, mystery, suspense, and romance—along with the good, the bad, and the evil of humans.
San Diego, California, Nick Ryeland and Cherise were a couple, engaged to marry—until his SEAL team went under fire, killing everyone but him. He was beaten, tortured, but the one thing Lieutenant Commander Nick Ryeland didn’t do was break. He found the perfect opportunity to take down his guards and escape, and was eventually rescued by none other than Robert ‘Fitz’ Fitzwallace. Not only that, but they helped him depart the Navy, be listed as ‘deceased’ with his comrades, and resurrect to a new life, leaving everything and everyone behind to keep them safe. Cherise will be told that he died.
Cherise will start over if France and meet a savvy businessman, Hector Pardo, who treated her well, until after the vows were said, then she was just a decoration that he belittled. No physical scars, but plenty of mental abuse. At a gala, she will come face to face with Jordan ‘JJ’ James-Fitzwallace, who sees Cherise and recognizes a woman needing rescued, and gives her a card with her number to call whenever she is ready to get out.
I will say that this is a very intense and fascinating story created by these two authors. It has moments of heart-stopping drama that unfold, and then there is the romantic suspense between the past and the present when they collide. Ten years change people, add to dissolution, regret, and fear of letting go and trusting again.
I like Cherise, she is a survivor, and rather than crawl under a rock and hide, she walks into the lion’s den and takes more than she was after—and that will lead to her being hunted. Trusting JJ to help, she makes the call, and they provide her with an escape. What a shock when she comes face to face with a ghost from her past.
“You want answers? You want my help? You want to be more to me than just another assignment? If you want that—if you are staying, you’ll act as my new sub.”
The story kept me on edge from the beginning to the end, and watching those who have committed crimes and evil get their comeuppance is always a plus. Seeing Nick and Cherise becoming reacquainted, learning to trust one another, and for her to step into a world of Dominance and submission, espionage, and helping destroy the world Hector and his cronies had controlled. She gained not only her freedom, but also took control of her life and choices. Trusting Nick and submitting to him—him trusting her with helping uncover intel and going on missions was a win-win.
Nick: You destroy me.
Cherise: You put me back together.
“What we do tonight isn’t just justice—it’s truth dragged into the light, and I want her to witness it. To know that when the ghosts come calling, they don’t leave shadows behind. Only silence.”
“My ghost from years ago came back to life.”
The story does not end on a cliffhanger, but instead a segue into the next book in the series that will involve Logan—who is a key player in this story.