The Other Man

by R.K. Lilley

“How rough can you take it?
LOURDES
He was brazen as hell from the moment I laid eyes on him. He was aggressive, and dominant, with Mack truck arms, and a bar brawler voice.
He was too good looking for his own good, with a hard jaw, and harder eyes.
I’d always led a fairly peaceful life, but even I could tell at a glance that this man was dangerous. For so many reasons.
Not the least of which being that rough, dirty, sheet-clawing sex fairly radiated off him.
I’d thought I’d known how to handle every kind of man, but this one left me baffled.
To say he wasn’t my type was putting it lightly.
But you couldn’t tell that to my libido.
Not even when I found out the truth.
My lover had lied to me from the very start.
Nothing about our meeting was a coincidence.

This book can be read as a standalone.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Erotica, Adult, Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Dark

326 pages, ebook

First published May 24, 2015

About the author

R.K. Lilley has been a writer since she can remember, but has held down some interesting jobs to pay the bills. For several years she was a first class flight attendant, and she always swore that she just had to write a book about it. Mixing her love of romance and all things BDSM, the Up In the Air Trilogy is her debut into the world of contempary romance and erotica. She is currently working on the final installment in the series.
You can contact R.K. at Authorrklilley@gmail.com
Visit her Facebook page to keep up-to-date on what she's working on

https://www.facebook.com/authorrklilley

And check out her website http://www.rklilley.com/

R.K. also writes urban fantasy under the pseudonym: Rebecca K. Lilley

Reviews

[Aestas Book Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

::: FULL REVIEW NOW POSTED :::

“I’ve lived a violent life. But, Lourdes, listen very carefully, because this is a promise: I’d never hurt you. Okay?"

Sexy and thrilling , with twists that kept me glued to the page!

I first fell in love with RK Lilley's books with her Up In The Air series and Tristan & Danika trilogy, so when I heard that she'd released a new standalone, I had to read it! If you're new to her books, you can absolutely read this book alone. It's slightly interconnected with her other books -- there are characters from the previous two trilogies I mentioned in this as side characters, and there's also a connection to her Wild Side series (which I haven't read) -- but you don't have to read any of those to understand this book so the choice is yours. If you want to just dive straight into this book, you'll be totally fine!

The blurb of this book had me so intrigued. Especially that last line...

He was brazen as hell from the moment I laid eyes on him.
He was aggressive, and dominant...
He was too good looking for his own good, with a hard jaw, and harder eyes...
I could tell at a glance that this man was dangerous.
For so many reasons.  Not the least of which being that rough, dirty, sheet-clawing sex fairly radiated off him...
To say he wasn’t my type was putting it lightly.
But you couldn’t tell that to my libido.
Not even when I found out the truth.
My lover had lied to me from the very start.
Nothing about our meeting was a coincidence.

I love mysterious heroes so this totally had me desperate to read it!

The story is smoking hot right from the start. It's erotic, sensual, and when you add in the many unanswered questions, I was drawn right in. This guy, Heath, was full of secrets. He was only 25 but had a body riddled with scars. He came to her time and time again giving her the wildest sex she'd ever had, but then always left without a good-bye. Who was he? What did he do? Where did he go? Why did he always leave? He was mysterious, secretive, dominant, possessive, complicated, damaged, almost uncivilized, yet clearly highly trained, and then somehow, surprisingly sweet and caring. I found him fascinating!!

“You’re trembling,” he rasped into my ear, making me tremble all the more.
“Fear or excitement?”
I licked my lips and gave him the truth. “Both."

We do learn more about him as the story goes on and he was definitely the kind of hero I always fall for. I just love the tortured badasses. Something about them just melts my heart! I loved the way he tried to be accommodating and to make compromises. He realized what an impossible situation he was putting her in but still couldn't change who he was and what he did. And my favorite thing about him was his complete devotion to her. He couldn't give her much, but he never once made her doubt his feelings for her.

“I understand how it looks. It looks bad. And, hell, if I could tell you the full truth, it would probably look even worse than whatever you’re thinking. But I want you to know something, and it is the truth. I’d never hurt you. If it was within my power, I’d do anything to prevent you being hurt… You’re fucking mine, you understand?”

There's a big age gap between them. He's 25 and she's 41. I'll be honest, this isn't something I usually like in books. It's not at all a judgement, but it's also just not really my thing either, y'know? But I pretty much just overlooked it in this case because I was enjoying the story enough that I just went with it.

A couple people have asked me so I'll just say here that there's no cheating in this book. There's one point where the heroine kisses another guy (but she's not in a real relationship with the hero yet) and at no point does the hero even look at another girl so... no cheating.

The first half of the story was more steamy, sexy, and erotic as their romance built. Then secrets began to come out... and in the later part of the book (maybe the last third-ish), it took quite a dark, suspense-filled, thriller-y turn (with a scary evil bad guy!!) that kept me flipping those pages right up 'til the epilogue.

This is definitely the whole package. It's a little bit of an erotic romance, a little bit of a romantic suspense, a little dark, a little funny, a lot sexy... I really enjoyed it!

Rating: 4 -- 4.5 stars! Standalone romance. 
__________________________________________

PS: So again, you do  not have to read any other books to understand this one. But, I've read her two trilogies and loved them, and she has another serial too that I haven't read which is connected to this (technically this is a spin-off of that) so I'll just list 'em all here so that you can grab them if you want. 

UP IN THE AIR TRILOGY (full length books, same couple)
#1 IN FLIGHT
#2 MILE HIGH
#3 GROUNDED

TRISTAN & DANIKA TRILOGY (full length books, same couple)
#1 BAD THINGS
#2 ROCK BOTTOM
#3 LOVELY TRIGGER

THE WILD SIDE TRILOGY (novellas, same couple)
#1 THE WILD SIDE
#2 IRIS
#3 DAIR

THE OTHER MAN

_______________________________________

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[Eda** · Rating 4 out of 5]

RE-READ#1:

Because I'm on a mission to re-read a lucky number of my favourite books.

P.S: I've decided to reduce the stars a little biiiiiiiiit because I've apparently got carried away by Heath's sexuality and dominance before.

** 4 "You're the truth, Lourdes." STARS **

"Do you love me, Heath?"

"Of course I do. What do you think all this is, if not love?"

That day would change Lourdes' life drastically. The day she met the tall, young, large blond man with icy blue eyes that made him look older than he really was. The day she let this stranger into her house and suddenly felt the warmth filling inside the emptiness she had gotten used to for years. The day she gave herself fully and willingly to the hands of Heath, knowing she would never be able to get it back.

And perhaps lose her heart along the way too...

“How rough can you take it, Lourdes?”

“I don’t know. Why don’t you show me what you got?”

“YOU ASKED FOR IT.”

OVERALL:

#1 // There were things that should have bothered me about this book.

Like the fact that Lourdes was distracted enough to never realize the little things Heath knew about her, her house and her life. Things that he couldn't have known. Or like the fact that she forgave him for being gone as sudden as he came, and didn't exactly make him work for it.

But I sincerely wasn't troubled by any of it. The way the author presented the situation to us, how she included tiny sentences pretty much like “I should have noticed that…but I was too busy watching him eat an apple.” saved the whole setting from being absurd and idiotic.

#2 // HEATH: A man of few words and even fewer expressions.

I don't think I'm capable of explaining how PERFECT Heath was. Seriously perfect! He doesn't talk much, doesn't spill long declarations of affection, doesn't try to make his woman swoon by big gestures, but the small things that he says and does, and his strong, loyal, protective personality are enough to make you fall irrevocably in love with him.

“I’m not sweet, Lourdes, not even close. So if I said something that was, you should take it to heart.”
~ HEATH

#3 // There is one issue that always make us cringe in Romance/Erotica books: The “recklessness”, let's call it. Well, we have it in this story as well but the author makes an EXCELLENT job of making sure readers know it's a huge mistake that should be avoided like the plague. The situation is NOT represented to us like an outcome of being too in love or too turned-on, which is one of the reasons for me to love the sh*t outta this book!

#4 // The sex... OH MY GOD THE SEX! Prepare yourselves ladies, you'll need a fresh pair of panties after reading this, because Heath is one helluva beast in bed!



#5 // The snippets of scenes with characters from the author's earlier books were a bit too long and detailed for my taste, but oh well...I still can't find it in me to subtract a star for that sole reason.

So do I recommend this book?

Hum... OBVIOUSLY!

But keep in mind that this is definitely NOT a standalone. If you haven't read The Wild Side Trilogy before, you will be absolutely lost.

So be sure to read the hurricane-like love story of poor Dair and crazy Iris first, before hopping onto Heath and Lourdes' roller-coaster! ;)

I soothed him, made him feel whole again.

He invigorated me, made me feel alive again.

[Jasmine · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 STARS! ★★



I don't even know where to begin with this book because honestly, there were so many things that could go wrong in a book and this was just one book that everything DID go wrong. From character stupidity to clichés to worst of all, the truckload of drama that came one after another; I don't know if I'm more annoyed or flabbergasted by what I've just read in entirety.



Overview
For the seasoned readers of RK Lilley's books, The Other Man is a spinoff read of The Wild Side whereby Lourdes and Heath have been briefly introduced in that universe. This book is now their story and runs in parallel with The Wild Side timeline. Not only that, you will get glimpses of characters from her other series making cameos (Danika, Tristan, Bianca etc.).

What is this book about?
We have Lourdes who is a 41-year old mum with two boys and one douche of an ex-husband. She's a freelance photographer and doesn't have much going on in her life. Until one day in a grocery store, she got turned on when she realized she was being checked out by a random young muscular dude by the name of Heath. A day later, he appears again, she invites him over to her house and they totally had hot sex together.

Now if this plotline sounds familiar to you, it's because it does sound like The Wild Side except that the roles have been reversed. Older heroine getting it on with the younger hero, proceeds to have tons of hot sex even when they barely knew shit about each other. Hero is all mysterious and is hiding some huge secret from the heroine and comes and goes as he likes. Heroine is fixated on this mysterious hero. Ringed a bell, anybody?

Yeah that's because he's Iris's <- (heroine from The Wild Side) brother. I'm taking it runs in the family.



What I liked about the book
Only Heath, if I'll be perfectly honest. Okay maybe the hot sex too. This lady can surely write some damn panty-melting sex scenes. Heath surely was a nice refreshing hero from this author's usual reads. He was a broken hero and there was just an air of mystery with him everytime he appeared in the book. I loved the broodiness of it and although he rarely spoke, it's when he does speak that really wins you over. The silent hero surely has my heart here.

"Do you love me, Heath?”
“Of course I do. What do you think all of this is, if not love?”

What ticked me off
Basically everything that ISN'T Heath or the scorching sex scenes.

1) Lourdes
In her defense, I though she had some great potential as an older heroine. Although by the 2nd chapter, she lets a total stranger into her house out of the blue to have a good quick fuck, I was still willing to overlook that (there's a first time for everything, right?). But then, it just kept happening like it got stuck in a loop and FFS they barely knew each other! For a 41-year old lady, I honestly expected better from Lourdes and not being completely hypnotized by Heath's bedroom skills.

And you know how I mentioned Heath just comes and goes as he likes? Well yeah, by the 3rd of 4th visit, there was no need for common pleasantries as he feels it's okay to barge into her house and shagged her. Lourdes of course, is totally okay with this. I don't know about you but me thinks Heath has a magic penis. Or he fucked the common sense outta her.



2) The common cliché/drama-llama train
Someone call in the drama police please because hol-ee-shit. The last 30% of the book was byfar the most jam-packed dramallama stretch that I've ever encountered in a read. I couldn't even-- seriously that was one ridiculous amount of clichéd dramatic scenes lined up and may I add, ONE AFTER ANOTHER. I feel compelled to spoiler-tag this because it does reveal a fair bit. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!

First up, we have the foreshadowing of the preggers plot because the couple had unprotected sex (go figure). Then after numerous shagging and Lourdes realizes how she wants more of the relationship, Heath had to pull out the "I'm sorry but I can't see you anymore because I'm on a deadly dangerous mission. I'm leaving now" line. Fastforward to Lourdes going through a withdrawal phase, meets THE OTHER MAN (aha!) to get over the Heath funk but it's not working very well. Later, she finds herself preggers.



Cue in a suddenly dead ex-husband. Then followed by a worried Lourdes who tries to contact Heath. It's also when she realizes her house has been sorta ransacked and her favorite things have been stolen (which includes a vibrator, please don't even ask).



Next thing you know, she has been kidnapped! By the other man of course (yeah the one she tried to date but didn't work out). Turns out he's quite the psychopath doctor who gets off by carving random words on her body (again, don't ask me why). Heath comes to the rescue of course and all is well again.

Thereby after, followed by a series of events that tie-in with parallel to Iris's story from The Wild Series. And everyone gets their HEA.



What sucks is that the book was actually going quite well for me up till somewhere past the halfway mark. I mean, surely I didn't quite buy the whole 'strangers to fuck-buddies' idea at first but I genuinely felt their connection getting stronger when Heath opened up to Lourdes. That was done quite well and it just had so much potential moving forward but I felt like it was completely downplayed by the truckload of drama that was seriously unneccessary. It could have easily been a solid 4 stars had it not been for that last stretch.

Now I know one thing everyone wants to know is this:
Do you need to read The Wild Side before reading this?

Technically no. But do I advise you to read it before this? That would be a yes.

Basically there is no direct correlation with her other series that would leave you in a state of confusion as you read this. BUT it does help A LOT if you know the background story of Iris and Dair (The Wild Side couple). Due to the fact that the story runs parallel to that, a couple of referencing scenes are made in this one that may or may not throw you off. It helps a lot if you do know but I'm pretty sure it doesn't completely leave you befuddled if you don't.

So the choice is completely up to you :)

[Jennifer Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ~ 4 Stars

”I’d come to the attention of a man who didn’t play by any normal rules, and my life was about to get very interesting.”



I loved Heath and Lourdes’ May-to-December romance. It had a KA’s Mystery Man vibe where the hottie and our heroine are having tons of hot sex together and the hero is rough around the edges but oh so yummy. Both main characters were introduced in The Wild Side Series as Heath is Iris’s brother and Lourdes dated Dair.

Heath is wonderful broken hero. I seriously adored him!! Lourdes was such a likable heroine and we are gifted with catching up with all our favorite couples from the author’s previous books.

There was truly something special about Heath. He didn’t speak much and was mysterious about his job and past but he would give you real and in his attempts at giving Lourdes normal totally won me over.

”God, he was rough around the edges. Why the hell did I like him so much? He was uncivilized. Churlish. Uncouth. And strangely, kind of sweet.”



”You play no games. You’re incapable of deceit. “You’re the truth, Lourdes”



This story was a solid 4 star plus until about 80 percent when we were hit with a lot of bad guy drama and over the top connection to Iris’ issues from the previous series. Still if I ignore the over the top drama and tie-ins I truly did love Heath and Lourdes!

”Do you love me, Heath?”

“Of course I do. What do you think all of this is, if not love?”

[Patty ~ Wrapped Up In Reading Book Blog · Rating 3 out of 5]

*****2.5 STARS*****
{BR with my Beautiful Bestie, Dee}






I'm so very disappointed in this one.
I'd say I have loved just about every book I've read by R.K. Lilley, but this one came up lacking in substance for me. I struggled to get through this story and every night I attempted to read it, I ended up falling asleep instead.








In "The Wild Side" series, we met Lourdes and Heath. I liked Lourdes in that series. She seemed to be a very smart and independent woman. I don't know what happened to that lady, because she definitely did not make an appearance in this book. Instead of being a smart woman in her 40's, she behaved like a foolish and naive teenager. I never really warmed up to Heath in the other series and he didn't win me over in this book either. I didn't think there was anything to really love about this guy. He was just a bit too creepy and he lacked charisma.



The sex packed a punch with the steam, but it became redundant rather quickly for me. There's only so much sex I can take in a book if there isn't any substance to back it up within the story.



I really didn't care for what happens towards the end of the story with Lourdes. It just seemed an odd thing to add and it didn't work for me. Even being reunited with all the other characters I loved from the Up In The Air and Tristan & Danika series, didn't excite me. The whole story was kind of bland.



I struggled with wanting to DNF this book, but because I love the author, I gave it the benefit of the doubt. That being said, I really am a big fan of R.K. Lilley and even though this one was a huge MISS for me, I will still read anything she writes because she is truly an amazing author!!

[MELISSA *Mel Reader* · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 I Crave You Stars!
(BR with Sharon)





Lourdes is a beautiful 41 yr. old woman living in Vegas who went through a divorce about a year ago. She has 2 grown sons who are 18 & 21. She loves her job as a freelance photographer, adores spending time with her kids, but her life still had a void. Her life was missing romance & any excitement, until she crosses paths one day with a sexy, muscular, younger guy. He is arrogant, aggressive, and sets her hormones on fire! He called to her body in every way, & she wanted him desperately!



-He was so complicated, and God was I a sucker for a complicated man.

-"Don't make me regret this."

-"You won't," he assured me."

-"And you won't forget it, either."

-I was about to have sex with a perfect stranger in the middle of the morning on a Tuesday. It felt dangerous, yet completely necessary.

-"You don't normally do things like this, do you?" "Bring strange men home and lead them to my bedroom? Um, no. This is not a habit of mine."

-"I'll be sure to make it worth your while, then."



This gorgeous, dangerous, forceful blond man's name was Heath. He's a mystery to Lourdes, & she's never considered a one night stand before, but she's thinking maybe it wouldn't hurt to try it just once. Heath is persistent & forceful, and is very clear about what he wants. Once Lourdes has sex with him she's hooked. Heath comes & goes & disappears for periods of time, but Lourdes is addicted to him, & can't get enough of her rough, dominant, intense, unpredictable lover!



-He was staring at me.

-Had me feeling things I hadn't thought I'd ever feel again. When he looked at me like that, it's hard to even describe, but I'd never felt more beautiful, never felt more desirable, never felt more joyful, or hopeful.

-I had grown to love the way he watched me. It was amazing how fast I'd become accustomed to being studied like prey, how much I'd come to crave it, when I knew precisely what was at the end of that intent stare.

-It was beautiful to watch, the way he changed in those brief moments of bliss. Beautiful and dangerous. I'd do a lot to watch him change like that, to get even the briefest glimpse of that other side of him.

-"I've always given you something real. This is real. And for what it's worth, it'll last as long as I live."



Feelings begin to develop, and this is all new territory for Heath. He has had a difficult life, & has trust issues. His life is surrounded by secrets, lies, & danger, and Lourdes finds herself pulled into his world. Heath becomes obsessed with Lourdes to the point of distraction, and we see a softer, sweeter side to Heath when he's with Lourdes. Lourdes has never been with a man like Heath, and he helps her really live life! I really enjoyed this book! The couple had explosive chemistry & were smoking hot!!! They were unconventional & not what you would expect for each other, but I loved them together! :D

[SueBee★bring me an alpha!★]

Oh this makes me want to be lied to…

“How rough can you take it?

He was brazen as hell from the moment I laid eyes on him. He was aggressive, and dominant, with Mack truck arms, and a bar brawler voice.
He was too good looking for his own good, with a hard jaw, and harder eyes.
I’d always led a fairly peaceful life, but even I could tell at a glance that this man was dangerous. For so many reasons.
Not the least of which being that rough, dirty, sheet-clawing sex fairly radiated off him.
I’d thought I’d known how to handle every kind of man, but this one left me baffled.
To say he wasn’t my type was putting it lightly.
But you couldn’t tell that to my libido.
Not even when I found out the truth.
My lover had lied to me from the very start.
Nothing about our meeting was a coincidence.

[Sharon ∞❥ is an emotional book junkie ❥∞ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story about Heath and Lourdes. If you've read The Wild Side series, you know who I'm talking about. If not, well, Lourdes is a recent divorcee from a not too happy marriage but she's got herself together pretty well. Heath is a mystery, quiet but handsome and lethal.

Speaking of The Wild Side series, it's not necessary to read that before reading this book. BUT...you will have a much better understanding of what's going on with Heath and a few other people. I really recommend you read it, I mean it's R.K. Lilley, why wouldn't you?

Heath and Lourdes run into each other at the grocery checkout counter while Heath is buying condoms of course! As if that wasn't enough to unsettle Lourdes, he follows her out and they have a moment...or two. Fast forward a few days and they run into each other at a neighborhood park and of course, Heath comes over to Lourdes' house. Boom bada bing...and it's hot time in the city. Not that Lourdes is complaining, oh no...Heath puts good use to those condoms he bought!



Later, that's when they find out there's a sixteen year age gap not that either one of them care but it does contribute to a few problems, namely her ex husband.

Unfortunately, the main problem is the mystery of Heath...and here's where reading The Wild Side will give you an advantage because you already know what that is. I was a little shocked with how well Lourdes took things for a while anyway.

Sadly, it comes to the part where Heath tells her she won't ever see him again and Lourdes decides to move on with her life. Again, I was a bit shocked over this but not as shocked as I was with her behavior with her new "boyfriend" Kevin.

The book gets really crazy at about the 75% mark and on. While I knew things were creepy, I did not know to that extent! But it was interesting reading.

Then comes the wrap up and boy what a wrap up it is. I guess in a way, I was spoiled by reading the Wild Side but it was still good reading and I adored how Heath was at the end.



The Good Stuff:

Dual Pov's? Lourdes' POV.

Steam Factor? (Scale 1 - 5) 4-5...Heath is young, hot, vulnerable and needy. Phewww.

Angst? (Scale 1 - 5) 2ish...there were some moments. Would have been worse if I didn't already know the outcome.

Next book? This is a standalone.





Favorite quotes:

♥ "I'd always had a tender spot in my heart for wild things."

♥ "I want that. To know you. I really want that."

♥ “Fuckin’ hated it. But I’d sit through it again. I’d put that thing on repeat just to watch you watching it. To see you laugh like that.”

♥ “I want you and you want me. It’s that simple. Every time I get to be with you, I’m better for it. Every single time.”

♥ "Tell me something sweet, Heath."


♦ BR w/Melissa!


(Prior to review)
Lourdes and....HEATH!!!!

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

**Refresher: Lourdes is the photographer friend of Dair that we meet in Wild Side. We got a little taste of this story at the very end of the 3rd in that series, introducing us to the start of Heath & Lourdes twisted tale.**


Lourdes is an early forties, recently divorced, mother of two who stumbles upon our brooding, twenty-five year old Heath. Everything about him screams danger but everything about him also screams sex. Hard. Punishing. Sex. Lourdes is left reeling as one encounter after the next leaves her needy in all the right places as Heath sneaks his way into her life and under her skin. But nothing is as it appears. For those that read The Wild Side, you know the backstory – or at least part of it – for new readers, hold on tight, because you’re in for one helluva ride!



I love R.K. Lilley’s writing. Whether it is in the form of erotic romance (as we got with the Up in the Air Series, an emotional gripping romance (as we saw with Danika & Tristan) or this. A rhythmic, erotic romance that is filled the brim with suspense and teetering on the edge of darkness. The style was so different from the prior trilogies that put her on the map, yet the talent and the flawlessness was so evident from the very start.

What I truly loved about his series was Lourdes. She had this confidence that we rarely see in our heroines. Sure there were slight moments of weakness, but she was not this pieced together girl verging on adulthood. She had lived a life. She had seen what the love she once held had lacked and seen the possibilities of so much more when she looked up on her friends (and yes, by friends I mean Frankie, Bianca and Danika).



I think what I enjoyed most about this novel was not knowing what the heck was going on or what was going to happen. I loved that none of the pieces fit until it was time for them to fall into place. There was a constant hint of what was to come in the method that Lourdes narrated her story, but yet, even with that constant foreshadowing we were left in the dark until it was time for the lights to come on.

Heath was this brutally damaged hero, which is one of my favorites. I loved that although it was so clear he craved more, his character stayed true. His growth was organic and not forced nor faked. It felt so natural as he shifted just slightly into what we saw towards the end of this novel. Nothing was rushed, it was paced perfectly.



RKL produced another off the charts hot read with story. There is no doubt that every reader is going to need a little quiet time to themselves after a few encounters with Heath. Punishing doesn’t even to begin to describe the way this man took what he wanted. It was unstoppable.

All I can say after finishing this one is bravo~ oh, and bring us Tanner. I really want Tanner. He needs a woman to tame his wild ways!

[Natasha is a Book Junkie · Rating 5 out of 5]

“How rough can you take it, Lourdes?”

There’s something utterly decadent, in the best possible way, about revisiting a beloved fictional world, and getting to peel off more and more layers from a reality that already captivated us, mesmerized us, kept us engrossed beginning to end. The Wild Side trilogy was one of those delicious reading escapes for me that was impossible to put down and inevitably left me starving for more—more insight into the characters, more uncovered truths, more angles from which to untangle the plotline, not to mention seeing some of the secondary characters get their chance to tell their story. This book gave us just that—it gave us back two characters we couldn’t help but notice and become intrigued by in the midst of Iris and Dair’s whirlwind romance—and it made us fall in love with them. Lourdes and Heath are as unlikely a match as they could possibly be, and yet their very differences make them so perfect for one another. My heart raced from the first page, every word in this sinfully exhilarating romance making me forget the world around me and immerse myself blissfully in yet another scorching R.K. Lilley story that I adored.

“What I’d give to have a man love me like that… What I’d give to have a man look at me like that, with his whole heart in his eyes.”

A successful woman in her forties, Lourdes’ messy divorce has left her apprehensive about trusting men again in her life. Her romantic heart has always dreamed of finding a great love in her life, of being adored, cherished, protected, even though she never believed she’d be lucky enough to find such a man. So when a mysterious stranger, sixteen years her junior, walks into her life, determined and relentless in his forceful pursuit of her, Lourdes battles with herself as her mind and heart pull her in different directions. But it becomes very clear from the start that her stranger is not a man easily dissuaded from his intentions, his every touch, look, command awakening her body as never before.

“Don’t make me regret this.”
“You won’t. And you won’t forget it, either.”

Stoic, dominant, unreadable at the best of times, Heath’s remarkable self-control makes him a very confusing and often exasperating man to be around, but Lourdes is drawn to him like a moth to a flame, his ability to affect her body as puzzling as his unwavering concern for her emotional wellbeing. While he dominates in the bedroom, he is surprisingly gentle in his handling of her outside of it, making her feel protected and treasured whenever within his reach. Everything about him cautions her to safeguard her heart from him, and yet she inevitably falls for him more and more each time they are in each other’s arms.

“I’ve lived a violent life. But, Lourdes, listen very carefully, because this is a promise: I’d never hurt you. Okay?”

But Heath is a man drowning in secrets, his life a horrific collection of traumatic memories and lurking dangers, and the more Heath and Lourdes start to feel for one another, the more his reality drives them away from one another, breaking Lourdes’ heart more and more each time Heath disappears without an explanation.

“I’d taken in a wild animal. How could I be surprised I’d been bitten in the process?”

Ms Lilley has given us a heroine with an astounding level of self-awareness evident in her every thought, doubt, impetuous act born out of nothing more than instinct and courage. Her character is meticulously and perceptively framed start to finish, making it easy for us to connect with her on every possible level. She remains mindful of every complicated trait present in the broken man she is slowly falling in love with, and yet she keeps putting her heart on the line, confident it wouldn’t steer her wrong.

“I’d be alone for the rest of my life before I’d settle for less than a man who flat out adored me.”

An electrifying story that kept me on the edge of my seat page after page, with just the right balance of sizzling sex and mounting emotional attachment between the characters, not to mention an impressive insight into the characters’ psyche. I loved the way Lourdes and Heath are allowed to grow individually, as well as a couple, and the only thing that I would have loved even more would have been to hear Heath’s inner voice as well on occasion, an insight into his complex personality a welcome addition to the heroine’s. As they help one another overcome what is holding them back from having a life more complete, Heath and Lourdes also teach each other the true meaning of ever-lasting, selfless love—that love changing every aspect of their existence.

“How could the way someone looked at you change the way you saw your life?”

While this story could theoretically be read on its own, it connection to The Wild Side trilogy is impossible to ignore, many aspects of Heath and Lourdes’ story completing that of Dair and Iris. Their parallel timelines are designed to fit perfectly into one another, filling each other’s gaps and offering a more thorough understanding of the overall plotline.



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[Vanessa Booked Up]

DNF @35% - No Rating

Yeah...this one gets my gif that I save for only special occasions...



I know my mood is not helping matters here because I'm really impatient with books right now. I've read too many crap ones this year and it's made me really cynical. But, come on!! If an author can't hook me after 35%? If that isn't more than ample time? Then yeah, I'm out. I might come back to this one at some point, but as of right now, it's a DNF. If I rolled my eyes one more time...I swear!! From the amount of cliches (Heath doesn't like to be touched, the whole "you are mine" bullshit line that is so damn beat to death) to the complete lack of depth and just generally unimpressive writing...yeah, no. Not to mention, this book (at least so far) is EXACTLY like The Wild Side series but in reverse. And too much filler crap. I'm all for checking in with characters from previous series but this was a bit overkill. Paragraphs and paragraphs devoted to each one and their stories. When an author does that, it tells me there's not much story to tell. I'm sure it gets better later, just from knowing what I know about the Wild Side Series, but as of right now, I'm way too checked out to give a shit.

Oh, and the sex...yeah there's a ton of it, but to me it was unremarkable. Like bland hospital food. And Heath had ZERO personality to me.

This author is just hit or miss for me. The Up In the Air series was my biggest eye roll series of the century. Don't even know how or why I put myself through it...I kept waiting for it to get better. Yeah, I'm still waiting. But then the Wild Side series, I was ok with (I know...go figure).

Bottom line?

[Viri]

DNF 33%

No entiendo este libro. Francamente es de los más incomprensibles que me he encontrado.

1. Nada más conocerse ya se andan sobando todito
2. A la segunda vez el tipo anda o muy ganoso o muy drogado porque es verla y llevársela a la cama. (Que ni a la cama llegan cuando empiezan los "dame más")
2.1. Literal se acaban de conocer y ella ya lo metió a su casa!!!!!!! I mean, y que si es in violador asesino de maduritas? Eh, eh, eh? O sí es un proxeneta muy poderoso y la obliga a prostituirse? Incluso podría ser sado y la chica ni se entera!!! (Que cada quien sus gustos pero bueeeee) 🤷🏻‍♀️ hasta podría estar obsesionado con ella y secuestrarla y llevársela lejos y así! 😱
2.2. No sé si sea yo que ya he leído muchas cosas y visto demasiadas pelis, pero yo eso ni loca, ni drogada.
3. El es mucho menor que ella... que no sería problema de no ser porque ella ya anda chocheando y se le olvida hasta su edad. O igual y tiene Alzheimer 🤔
4. No se ustedes pero si yo sumó 28+20 me da 48. Pues a ella le da 41 vayan a saber ustedes como. (Hasta me hizo dudar de mis pocas habilidades matemáticas y recurrí a mí vieja y confiable calculadora hahaha)
5. El chico es la definición del macho alfa menos favorecedora del mundo.
6. Obsesivo, controlador, posesivo, y demás. Lo bueno es que es un DIOS DEL SEXO, porque sino la prota anduviera bien amoladita. 🤦🏻‍♀️

No fue para mí y sencillamente si así estuvo el principio... no quiero saber el final.

[Alex is The Romance Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having met Lourdes and Heath very briefly in The Wild Series, we now have their own story in The Other Man, which can be read as a standalone but much better if you’ve read that series before and thankfully it’s a full length book and not “broken” up into little novellas!

I really liked Lourdes from the beginning….she’s smart, talented, sexy and for a change…a heroine in her 40’s instead of “young adult”!!! And of course, who isn’t a bit excited about a broken and damaged and sexy 25 year old hero like Heath, who appears mysteriously in Lourdes life and soon sets her on FIRE!!!!!! It’s like the reversal of Dair & Iris…older man, younger woman…now we get older woman, younger man!!! How totally refreshing and exciting!!!!

Lourdes, divorced from a total idiot and loser, has two grown up children, a great career as a photographer…but her sex life….zilch!!!!
And when a young and gorgeous man wants to have sex with her??? Well, why not!!

Would you say no? Certainly not Lourdes!
Within a very short time, Heath seduces his way into her home …and bed!!! For some mind-blowing sex. Hot, steamy, sizzling, clandestine sex…

What starts as a one-night-stand…because that’s what Lourdes believes it will be….naturally I would believe it too…the guy just gets up and leaves..no goodbye, no thank you after having his way and she her way with him!!!

So here’s Lourdes…after the most mind blowing sex experience, finds herself wondering…will I ever see him again? Was that just one night or more?? Be patient Lourdes!!!

Because, yes, just like his sister, Iris….he comes back…unexpectedly, unannounced, in the middle of the night…and presto….what he wants again…

Yes, sex and more sex!!! Heath, her mystery stalker, part-time lover, man with secrets, Jack in the box disappearing acts…..a man of few words but when he talks….it’s no wonder Lourdes is beginning to feel more than just sex for him. There’s something about him that pulls at her heart strings. Makes her feel protective. Makes her feel more than what he tells her he wants their relationship to be….

The first part of the story is filled pretty much with sexual encounters between Lourdes and Heath. But suddenly we begin to discover more about this sad and lonely and broken man.

His story is really sad and heart-breaking. What has happened in his life is beyond something I never guessed. The pain, the loneliness, the fear, the uncertainty!!! Never being able to have a normal life, to let love into his heart!!! Tragic.

But somehow these two people find something in each other that heals those wounds that they both carry.

I liked the way characters from Up in the Air and Tristan and Danika and The Wild Side series were interwoven into the plot. It was nice catching up with Bianca, James, Danika, Tristan, Stephan…you know them all if you’ve read those series!

Having read The Wild Side Series previously I knew a bit about Heath’s history but there were some new surprises that I never expected.
The rather long epilogue ties up all the pieces from Dair & Iris’s story and of course Lourdes and Heath’s as well.

I enjoyed this book and the series a lot.

My favorite quote:

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book I was a lil nerve after readin some reviews but I did enjoy it

The story is about the gorgeous Lourdes she is a 40 yr old woman who has 2 older sons an is a divorced photographer she is very attractive an a around great woman when she's in the supermarket she meet the very handsome an sexy Heath she can c how sexy an good lookin he is but she can c in his eyes that there is something deeper an his eyes would not move from her she could feel my goin through her they ended up chatting her not really getting much out of him but she seemed 2 b able 2 open up 2 him 4 some stage reason after everything she as gone through with her ex she wasn't really lookin 4 a relationship an casual sex isn't really her thing but Heath just had hot sexy time written al over him an she just couldn't resist him she when she met him takin her dog 4 walk an they got talkin things went a lil wet an wild an she could get enough of him an he could either but Heath shouldn't realy b there Lourdes didn't really know much about him an he could tell her much either but he knew a whole lot about her which I did find crazy Heath would go missin 4 days weeks months but he just couldn't stay away but when thinks start getting a lil hard Lourdes does know if bein with Heath is the rite thing she just didn't if she was coming or goin

I think this book was really good I did think at times that Lourdes was a lil dizzy at times an I would wonder why she didn't question how he knew so much about her an her house cause she did notice but never said anything I know we find out a lil why through the book but it did annoy me a lil but like every other book that RKL as done I just couldn't put it done an loads did get in the way of my read time while read this which did piss me off but I was so happy when I got back into it I did luv the fact that we got more from other characters from the other series but made me luv this book so much more cause I a huge fan of the other series

I thought Lourdes was a really good character I do luv the older women younger me. story's there great an I did like both main characters but like I did say the whole not pull in Heath about why he knew her so well did annoy me a lil but not effort 4 me it's hate the book
Lourdes is a very sexy woman an as been through a shitty divorce but has 2 gorgeous sons how have stood by her through everything an they would do anything 4 her but they r quite near Heaths age so she is a lil scared that this mite b a problem but her older son but he is just great an so is her younger son but he does have a few worries about it but just wants her happy
Heath is a lil different an as been through hell an back an he his still dealin with shit now but Lourdes is helpin him deal with stuff a lil better Heath as never been into anything like this an he just needs her so much he just can't get enough even when he's not meant 2 c her he's there 1 thing this book did have was amazin sexy time they just sizzle 2gether it's hot rough an hard


Overall the story was great I just really luvd it the characters from past an present were amazin I would recommend the book an her others I just think RKL is an amazin author an she sure can't write some really hot stuff an some intense stuff which just makes the book brilliant xxx

[Denisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a pretty good read.


I really enjoyed it and I loved the characters, even the plot was something rather unexpected, as a whole. But after a while it kind of got predictable...


It made me smile a few times and the MC was wonderful.
All in all, though, unfortunately, it seems like a forgettable read. I'm writing this review after a few days of finishing the book and I'm sad to admit that, even though I remember I liked and enjoyed it, I forgot a lot of things that happened. So it can't get more than 3 stars from me.

It's worth reading, it'll at least bring a smile on your face (though it won't last long but well, nothing lasts forever, right?).

[Dee Montoya · Rating 3 out of 5]

***2.5 Disappointing Stars**

(BR with my bestie Patty)


Review Soon...

[Vilma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scorching—a deliciously hot page turner full of intrigue and angst.

I’m such a big fan of R.K. Lilley’s novels. They are the perfect blend of steam and story, and lately, just the right amount of suspense to keep me addicted. The Other Man is the story of Lourdes and Heath, whom we met in The Wild Side series. From the beginning, there was an instinctive allure to Lourdes… the older woman who had crushed on Dair, and who felt so put together and elegant. And then there’s Heath. He exudes mystery, hides secrets. He’s surly and dangerous. Brutish. And sexy as hell. From the moment the two collide, sparks fly, flesh craves. For a women like Lourdes, who had never felt that kind of fire, meeting a man like Heath only promised the kind of burns she may never recover from.

“I’d come to the attention of a man who didn’t play by normal rules, and my life was about to get very interesting.”

There was something about Heath that Lourdes couldn’t stay away from. She knew she was playing with flames, but her body desired to risk it all for one night of unrestraint.

“He was a wild thing that was not even close to being tamed.”

Their time together was hot as hell. But just as quickly as he had entered her life, he was gone. Vanished. It was clear that Heath hid everything—from his feelings to his job to something more not yet discernible. He was vague and secretive and absolutely dangerous.

“His eyes would never be the window to this soul. It was hidden somewhere else.”

But as Lourdes struggles with understanding him, with the expectations around everything to do with him, with her own desires and happiness, he continues to come back, disrupting all her best-laid plans. The more time they spend together, the more he softens. What was supposed to be a one-night stand is now suddenly more, but so far short from a relationship. Was Lourdes affecting him in a way that would nurture the possibility of a future?

“He was rough around the edges… He was uncivilized. Churlish. Uncouth. And strangely, kind of sweet.”

The story unravels through Lourdes’ perspective, but we get the sense that Lourdes does reach Heath in a way that’s real. But at the same time, the more turns the story travels, everything we’ve experienced gets questioned.

“I don’t have a future, Lourdes. But if I did… If I did, it would be yours.”

This all happens on a timeline parallel to The Wild Side series, so it was really cool to experience this other side, knowing some of what was happening. In addition, there are some scenes that had me smiling big, especially if you’re a fan of the Tristan and Danika series, and the Up In The Air series. The first half of the book really sets up just how unbridled their desire is. How they can’t stay away from each other, while the second part, anchors us emotionally with some addictive angst and heartbreak. I just loved everything about it, loved the brooding, reluctant hero. Loved to see a tortured soul find peace unexpectedly. Loyal readers of R.K. Lilley’s books will LOVE this as much as I did, and new readers can enjoy this as a sizzling standalone novel.

[Gail - Slitty · Rating 2 out of 5]

***This Review Contains Spoilers***

2.5 Stars

This book had the ingredients to be a 5 star read, I loved that the female was older, sophisticated, and self-confident…..in the beginning; a thriller with action, and a man with a mysterious past. Lourdes has these witty and worldly girlfriends, they meet on a bi-weekly basis, they are a support group for each other. But then she encounters this big bulky muscular guy, and all those good qualities she owns just evaporates. My first impression of Heath is that he’s huge, but he’s all brawn and no brain, like the cartoon Baby Huey or a big Neanderthal, but what guy needs a brain, when he’s packing a big sausage roll, right?

I knew there was a mystery to Heath, all the clues were spelled out, so it isn’t like I got all psychic and discovered something unknown to the other readers. But the problem is that I saw all the clues, my reading buddy saw all the clues, so why didn’t Lourdes see the writing on the wall. It’s frustrating to see this self-assured female get all d1ckmatized. Granted, we all tend to overlook some faults or inconsistencies when a man gives us what we want in the bedroom, but Heath’s penis was corrupt, it was as if the more Heath used it on Lourdes, the dumber she got. Now I had no problem with her wanting a one-night stand, I thought that was hot and what she was needing in her life. But when all the common sense is screwed out of her, Lourdes went from sophisticated to irritating, making bad decisions inside and outside the bedroom. She’s a single female living all alone, she brings home this stranger, and when she finally takes a break from her ocean of orgasms and comes up for air, and she sees that he is covered in scars from being tortured, and also gunshot wounds, it’s time to get concerned. Let me just say that if Dwayne Johnson, The Rock, could be banging me so hard that there are dents in my headboard, but if I see that he’s covered in scars from being tortured and old gunshot wounds, me and my quivering vagina will be waving bye-bye, "Good luck in your future endeavors, Mr. Johnson", and then me and my lady parts would be drowning our sorrows in cookie dough ice cream while wailing to Adele, the way that God intended for us to do. But no, Lourdes isn’t concerned about Heath’s scars, or his inability to be cordial, as in when he’s leaving, he just walks out without saying a word, well, there is that one time when he’s finished banging her and he rolls over and tells her that he has to leave immediately, and walks out the door. Not to mention that by their 3rd or 4th encounter, he’s no longer ringing the doorbell, he just breaks into her house and walks right in, or when he threatens to beat up her friend if she goes out with him again, it’s just not that alarming to Lourdes Then there’s that little thing that he seems to know where everything in her house is located from her spices, kitchen tools, and vibrator without being told where she keeps them, and he won’t allow her to visit his house that he says is right around the corner, and refuses to give any details about his employment, other than he works security Nope, that shouldn’t be a concern at all.
But then just before I give up, because at this point his corrupted penis has killed so many of her brain cells that she is in dire danger of going into a vegetative state, Lourdes gets a visit from people connected to Heath. Eeeeek, now shit is getting real, I’m willing to forgive and forget about the d1cktimazation of this poor woman and her lost IQ, because some of Heath’s mysteries are beginning to unravel. So I’m on the edge of my seat, and then ……..okay, I have to warn you that spoilers are below.

********SPOILER ALERT-STOP-PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK*********

So the story gets all angsty, because Heath leaves, he tells Lourdes “This is the last time I’ll be here to see you. It has to be. I have to leave. Have to go somewhere far from here, and I can’t say when I’ll be back. Too long to ask you to wait for me, certainly.” So Lourdes accepts that he has left, and she attempts to move on. It helps that someone from Heath’s past shows up to enlighten Lourdes that Heath is a criminal and he is also wanted by organized criminals. It also helps Lourdes to move on from Heath when another man enters her life. Another man who seems to know his way around Lourdes house, but unfortunately Lourdes brain cells have not fully replenished because she is not alarmed by his familiarity of her house. Then out of the blue, Heath and his corrupted penis stop for a visit, both are very upset with Lourdes because Lourdes has a new man in her life. Heath’s penis is so powerful that it corrupts Heath’s own brain cells because when he confronts Lourdes about the new man in her life, and she replies “You said you wouldn’t be back”, Heath says “That’s not what I said. I said I didn’t know when I’d be back.” Heath, Heath, Heath, please look at your statements above, you did tell her that it would be the last time you would see her. So Heath proceeds to kill off a million more of Lourdes’ brain cells through a sex-a-thon, and afterwards he proceeds to tell her to cut the new guy out of her life, but to be cautious of him because Heath gets a bad feeling about this new guy. As you’ll recall, I accused Heath of being all brawn and no brain, well he solidifies my assumption when he’s cautious about the new guy, but is unable to connect the dots and recognize the man as an assassin from his past. At this point, I’m thinking that Heath probably isn’t that good working security, but maybe my expectations are too high.

Anyolddeadbraincell, the story goes on, and there are some tense moments, and moments where Heath says he has to leave, or he needs to leave, or he should leave her alone, but that doesn’t matter to Lourdes at this point, waiting on Heath just gives her brain cells time to replenish, so that he and his corrupt penis can kill them off once they return.

Bottom line, I wanted this story to be a 5 star; I loved the idea of a much older accomplished woman having a relationship with this hot muscular guy. But Lourdes appeared too clueless, and Heath seemed barbarous and simple-minded at times, like a cave man. There were several scenes and plots well written, filled with angst and action packed, but these scenes couldn't fix or override the selfishness of Heath nor absolve Lourdes of her tendency to not question or heed the warning signs. There were several editing mistakes throughout the book, but I didn't rate the book any less for it.

[Talltree · Rating 5 out of 5]

For those who read and know Dair-Iris's story, this is Lourdes and Heath's HEA.

Heath is checking Lourdes out bcos she might be competition for Iris with Dair. They have a ONS(in the daytime..umm not sure what to call it) and it develops into more. There is a HEA with babies n some suspense in between.
Heath was so hotttt! Scarred, huge, gruff, scary with a penchant for rough sex and he couldn't get enough of Lourdes. It was so sweet to see how the h humanised him, made him laugh, made him human. H needed someone like that, after his horrible background, he was sub-human at best.

I really enjoyed this one for the excellent writing, the hot sex scenes and the H and how lovable the h was. I just know this will be a frequent reread just bcos I felt the connection btw H/h so much,

4.5 stars

Safe with exception h meets H in grocery shop checkout and the only thing he is buying is a pack of condoms, I don't want to think about the implication:(
After their second or third hookup, when h doesn't think she'll see H ever again( H hardly speaks to her, its usually hit n run ) , she goes on a date with Dair - which we read about in The Wild Side Trilogy as they happen parallely - but neither h/Dair felt any chemistry so I didn't mind. It riled up H though and there was great crazy possessive smex;)
Near end of book, H leaves h and he tells her its forever so she should move on so h tries to move on and date OM. It doesn't go beyond kissing and in the end OM turns out to be a bad guy.
H doesn't even look at any OW after meeting h, he gets irritated if any girl hits on him, loved it!!


Triggers Pregnant h is kidnapped by H's enemies and tortured with knives, made to bleed

Also you need to read The Wild Side Trilogy for this to make better sense, but it might work as a standalone too.

[Anas Attic Book Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

Giveaway Over

The Other Man by RK Lilley

Standalone Romantic Suspense. Related to The Wild Side Series.
Wow. RK Lilley really outdid herself on The Other Man . The Other Man is a standalone book with light ties to most of her other books. It's a spin-off of a spin-off, and while I don't think it's necessary to read any of her other books before The Other Man, I think reading it will be a whole different experience for someone who has never read The Wild Side Series vs. someone who has.

I remembered Lourdes from The Wild Side series, but I had forgotten the details of who Heath was. In fact, I didn't even remember who he was until I started reading (my memory sucks). So partially into The Other Man my curiosity got the best of me, and I went back to skim through Dair to refresh my memory of the outcome of The Wild Side series. And was immediately sucked into a full re-read of Dair (which I may have even liked more this time!).

This is where The Other Man can be difficult to review. Throughout the book, you don't know who Heath is and what he is doing unless you read The Wild Side first. And I think it's OK not knowing. I think it would even ramp up the tension and suspense in this fast moving novel. But I'm not sure. The books take place simultaneously, and since I did know who he was (especially after rereading Dair) I can't say whether I would be confused or frustrated with the not-knowing, or if would add to the tension and drama. I mean, that was the whole awesome thing about The Wild Side...you didn't know.

Lourdes is the 41 year old mother of two grown boys. The recently divorced photographer takes amazing care of herself, and is smoking hot. She is at the grocery store when she feels a set of eyes on her. She turns and sees a big, muscular blonde guy with a hard jaw and eyes buying condoms. She is immediately attracted to him despite his young age. Outside of the store, he boldly approaches her with no thought of 'the rules'.

I'd come to the attention of a man who didn't play by any normal rules, and my life was about to get very interesting."

When Lourdes runs into Heath the next day, she thinks it might be time to let her ever-cautious mind take a break and let her body do the thinking for her for a change.

Rough, dirty, sheet-clawing sex fairly radiated off him"

She's never had a one-night stand, but this bold, dominant stranger makes her want it...badly.



Of course, intimacy changes things, and Lourdes was desperate to see that moment where the hard man let down his guard with her.

The need was powerful to the point of self-destructive, especially considering the fact that I barely knew him, and what I did know only seemed to point to the fact that he was a wild thing that was not even close to being tamed."

Lourdes was an intelligent, well traveled woman with a great head on her shoulders, while Heath was almost an animal compared to her. She knows he disappears for days or weeks, but has no clue where he goes. It doesn't matter though, when he gets back, she can't trust her body to stay away from his.

God, he was rough around the edges.
Why the hell did I like him so much?
He was uncivilized.
Churlish.
Uncouth.
And strangely, kind of sweet."

Heath was the perfect blend of scary and sweet. Almost like a dog that has suffered abuse, you don't know whether he'll love you or bite your hand off when you feet him. I think that's how Lourdes must have felt, and it just added to the dangerous attraction.  Especially after she finds out he's a cold-blooded killer.

Like in The Wild Side Series, lots of hints and foreshadows are dropped throughout the book, and RK is fearless in her writing, if you ever doubt that an author will "go there" RK does...no matter where 'there' is. Despite the foreshadowing, you never expect what happens.

The Other Man is filled with danger, hot sex, some romance, suspense, a convoluted, crazy back story, action and did I say great sex? Yum, nothing like taking a dangerous dominant stranger home with you!

If you read The Other Man first, you will immediately want to read The Wild Side Series, but there are spoilers in The Other Man, so I recommend reading The Wild Side Trilogy first (novella series available now as one boxed set), though you don't have to.



Likes:

•The visits/girls night with all of the characters from her other books, like James & Bianca, Tristan & Danika, Frankie & Estella and Javier & Stephan, as well as Dair.
•The use of foreshadowing kept you on edge the whole time.
•A sexy, very dominant, very dangerous man...so hot.
•Lourdes is an awesome mom, and her grown boys are almost too perfect.
•I was on the edge of my seat, unable to put the book down.
•That RK took chances and 'went there' in this book.
•I LOVE that it is a single book
•Heath is the perfect anti-hero. He's scary and dangerous as hell, but you know he would never harm Lourdes...but what he would do for her is another story.
•I liked Iris better after reading this.
•Loved the epilogue.

Dislikes:

•I'm not sure how this would read as a standalone. While this is not a dislike of the book, it makes it difficult to review. I think it is a much different read for someone who knows where Heath keeps disappearing to, and what kind of work he's doing, than for someone who has no clue.

Rating 5 stars, 5 Heat



The Down and Dirty:
The Other Man is a standalone, but it is also a gift to all of RK's regular readers. We get to revisit all of our favorite characters within the context of the book. It was un unputdownable, unpredictable ride of epic proportions. RK took a character we should hate and turned him into a scary, dark sex god with a heart, and Lourdes, great mom that she is, was there to help him. I find it so cool that RK Lilley wrote this as almost another half to The Wild Side Series, and it fits in so seamlessly. Despite The Other Man being so intertwined with The Wild Side series,  I think it can stand alone just as well, but would read very differently for a newbie.  I must tell you though, reading this BEFORE the Wild Side would ruin a lot of the suspense from that series.

RK really outdid herself. Heath was all kinds of dangerous and dark and sexy, the action and suspense had me on the edge of my seat, there were no stupid angsty moments for no reason, and every single thing that happened seemed to be tied to a bigger picture. BRAVO!!!! Another spectacular read by RK Lilley, possibly her best yet. And yay! It's ONE book!


Purchase The Other Man by RK Lilley

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I recommend reading The Wild Side novella trilogy first, but it isn't necessary.

The Wild Side Trilogy | See my reviews

 

[Di Covey/TwistedBookReviews]

Yep, I might as well not wear panties. I can already tell.

[Amy J RAREtte4Life · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well now that was an unexpected twist!

[Vivian · Rating 3 out of 5]

THE OTHER MAN is a spinoff from THE WILD SIDE series, although it can be read as a standalone and it runs in parallel to THE WILD SIDE series timeline. It also features characters from other series written by RK Lilley (UP IN THE AIR series and TRISTAN & DANIKA series). Even though it is considered a “standalone”, I would personally recommend reading THE WILD SIDE series first because there are some bits and pieces in this book that are in reference to that series and it will help you piece things together more completely. Plus, you will get to understand Heath that much more…he is just as much a mystery in THE WILD SIDE as he is in THE OTHER MAN.

The minute I heard about Heath and Lourdes (from THE WILD SIDE series) getting their own book, I was EXSTATIC! Both Heath and Lourdes were such intriguing minor characters in THE WILD SIDE that I HAD to know what was to become of them…low and behold, they end up being HAWT for each other!! *throws hands in the air -- FTW*. But with that being said, I can only give this book 3 stars :’( This honestly tears me up inside! I love RK Lilley’s books and I feel terrible that I didn’t love this one like I loved her others…but there’s a first time for everything I guess.

Since I am trying to keep this spoiler free, I will point out the things I liked/disliked. Much like Lourdes did with THE OTHER MAN (she compared him to Heath), I am going to “compare”.

Things I liked:
-Rough, rowdy, sheet-clawing s*x scenes! I mean HAWT…up against the wall…bondage involved HAWT! RK Lilley knows how to write a “panty wetting” s*x scene.
“Heath f*cked like a force of nature – fierce, powerful, unstoppable.” -Lourdes.

-Heath! Say something sweet to me <3 (Lourdes would ask him to say sweet things to her) I LOVED his character! He is this BIG, muscular, smoking hot, blue eyed manly man that shopped for magnum condoms (BONUS! lol) *wink* and he had “damaged man” written all over him (not literally of course), so me being the woman I am (and Lourdes being the woman she is) we wanted to fix him. OF COURSE! For as closed off and tough as he was, he was easy to fall in love with. Plus, it helped that while reading about his character I pictured my all time favorite BBF muse- Chris Hemsworth (another bonus!).

-Cameos of previous characters from other series by RK Lilley!! We get cameos from Danika, Tristan, Frankie, Bianca, James, Stephen, and Javier. *Happy Dance*

Things I disliked:
-The not so smart heroine. First off, she meets a complete stranger at the grocery store and takes him back home with her to have a rowdy, rough one-night stand with??? Ok I can look past that because this is a book and idk, maybe ppl do that nowadays? But what bugged me was Lourdes seemed to lose more and more brain cells with every sexual encounter…and there were PLENTY of encounters! (I am in NO WAY complaining about the s*x lol). Every time they are together, it is apparent that he is dangerous, a complete mystery and probably shouldn’t be trusted, but she keeps letting him in, even after he disappears for weeks at a time with no word and then shows up out of the blue just to f*ck and leave. The average woman would stop letting him in...no?

-Predictability/Clichéd drama/Very much like THE WILD SIDE series. I was able to guess the plot twists almost before you knew there was going to be a plot twist. Now with that being said, if I didn’t read THE WILD SIDE series before this book, maybe I wouldn’t have figured out the plot twists as easily. As for clichéd drama…well let’s just saw, there were similarities in THE OTHER MAN and THE WILD SIDE, that made it again…predictable. Again, if I hadn’t read THE WILD SIDE series, I wouldn’t be able to say “clichéd drama” because I wouldn’t be able to compare this book to that series, but the similarities are there nonetheless.
__________
With that all being said, on a goodreads star scale, I "LIKED" the book, didn't "REALLY LIKE IT", didn't "LOVE IT", but I "LIKED" it! I am a complete sucker for spinoff books and I still feel this is an amazing spinoff of THE WILD SIDE series, but I feel like it was lacking some character depth...the intrigue was there for the reader to want to learn more about the characters, but I feel like they are still kind of a mystery to me. That is why it is getting a 3 star. If you have read any of the linked series of RK Lilley's (UP IN THE AIR, TRISTAN & DANIKA, THE WILD SIDE), I would still recommend reading this book, it adds a little more to those stories :)

3 Stars

[Kayla]

So...I was pretty much on the fence of DNF'ing this because it honestly felt like a filler book intended to just reintroduce us to previous characters from Up in the Air and Tristan and Danika and The Wild Side but my mind was made up for me once I hit a certain scene.

At about 35% Lourdes is on a date with Health and he asks about why her ex-husband is talking about pressing assault charges. Lourdes explains what she did to him once she found of he was cheating on her with her best friend.

“I waited until he got home, honestly not knowing what to say to him, and he acted like everything was normal when he greeted me. He went right away to take a shower, and that was when I lost my temper. You see, he’d done that a lot, come in from wherever and gone immediately to shower. He must have been stepping out on me for ages, and I hadn’t a clue.”

I studying him a while, trying and failing to gauge his reaction, and finally continued, “I grabbed the Fabuloso and his belt.”

“I like where this is headed,” Heath noted, and it made me smile. At least he didn’t think I was a complete nutcase. Yet.

“I sprayed the ground right in front of the shower. It’s very smooth marble. The second he stepped out, he slipped, cracked his head hard on the counter, and landed on his ass.”

“Good,” Heath said succinctly.

I smiled. I should have known this wouldn’t remotely shock him. “That’s when I took a belt to him, buckle first.”

“Good,” he repeated.

“I beat the shit out of him, beat him until he ran out of the house, naked, just to get away from me. Then I locked him out. Filed for divorce as soon as humanly possible.”

Does that sound familiar?

It would if you've ever seen the movie This Christmas
You can see the scene for yourself here: https://youtu.be/X3BrnCd6dT0

So I'm not trying to make any sort of statement about that similarity, but rehashed is rehashed and I enjoyed that scene much more the first time around.

Moving on.

[Kellie King · Rating 5 out of 5]

R.K. Lilley has done it again with a wonderful, steamy read with great characters and a story that keeps you wanting more. This book takes place in the same world and time frame as the Wild Side Trilogy and, although it could be read as a standalone, it is best read after those. The Other Man follows the story of Lourdes and Heath, who were introduced in the Wild Side books. I absolutely loved the character of Lourdes! Lourdes is a 41 year old divorced mother of two grown young men who gets involved with the much younger and mysterious Heath. In the Wild Side Trilogy we were given glimpses of Heath, but in The Other Man we get to know this complicated man and a little of what makes him tick. R.K. Lilley does a fabulous job developing their relationship and giving us a whole different side of the Wild Side story. It was also great to see glimpses of the characters from the Up In The Air series as well! R.K. Lilley has crafted yet another wonderful steamy tale which I would highly recommend!

[Pavlina Read more sleep less blog]

TEASER

Heath's jaw clenched, like he was bracing himself for something. “I don’t think I have time for lunch.”
My breath stuttered out of my chest. “What do you have time for?”
He didn’t even bother to answer, just took my hand and started pulling me.
And I let him.
Dammit, once I again, I was going to make this way too easy for him.
But one look at his agitated face had left me with an agitated body. The man could make me wet with one look. It wasn’t lost on me how twisted it was that that look was a scowl.
Heath angry = Me turned on.
I really hoped that wouldn’t turn into a thing for me.

[Akanksha❤ Søren♰ · Rating 5 out of 5]

When one reads such an amazing book, time flies.. and one doesn't even realize that the end of the book has come and gone and one just longs for more!

WHY DO GOOD BOOKS GET OVER SO FAST? I swear, I could have easily read another 200 pages off this book!

[K · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am honestly kind of speechless with this story. It was all over the damn place. I was so flipping excited to read about Heath. Lourdes? Not so much. But him? Loved him in the Wild Side even though I didn't like those books because they were another...

of a story. I don't know if it is the genre/setting she is writing with the two works or what, but they just....no. They don't work. The whole mystery, intrigue, action angle was not pulled off in either situation. For this book, what problems I had with it were a lot of things.

I loved the whole premise of the older woman, younger man. You don't get much of that. The thing was though, it did NOT fit. It did NOT work. It did NOT come together.

Lourdes was a

Here is my problem with her. She is supposed to be 41, so why is she so daggone naive? Why is she so stupid? I mean she shouldn't be either considering she was married for 20 years and she is in her forties with two grown ass kids (18 and 21 respectively). But no, she was slapped with the idiot stick too much, I guess.

Why do I say she was an idiot? Ok, starts off with a one-night stand upon meeting the guy. Not a problem, all good with one-night stands. However the way it happens...She was just asking for the guy to kill her, rob her, whatever. The one-night stand then progresses to continuous one-night stands. Why do I not say a relationship or fuck buddies? Because they NEVER talk, and he shows up sporadically here and there weeks apart. Just...randomly. And she lets him have sex with her. Every. Time. Then on the third meeting, he breaks into her house. Just breaks right the hell in. And she lets him and does nothing about it. Just taking a bath and he shows up in her bathroom and it is all "okay let's have sex now". Fourth meeting? She comes home to him sitting in her living room. Again....nothing.

It progresses to her getting whinny. Like a teenage girl. She starts whining at him, expecting more and "pouting" when she knew going into it that it was a one-night stand. And she was okay with it. Yet what happens? She whines like "why don't you do this" and "why don't you do that" and "you should do this" and bla bla bla....Whereupon he proceeds to be all "let's fuck" and she is all "okay" and gets over it. I am paraphrasing here, by the way.


Heath?

He was not the same as he was in the Wild Side. It was like he was trying to be the same guy but he just....wasn't. It was strange. Plus, he was NOT a 25 year old in my perspective. With the way he acted, he either came across as someone in the 30+ age range or at times came across as a teenager in regards to "relationship" stuff. So quick to be all what do you need from me in order for me to have sex with you... And I am over here like

He supposedly has trust "issues" yet he was awfully damn quick to tell her his background. All I used to be a spy.

He is 25 years old and "used to be" a spy. Used to be implies years ago otherwise it would say I was recently a spy. In either case if it was recently I would still call

A 25 year old? As a spy? Really?!?!? Now if it was used to, which it said, then....what?!?!? Did he join when he was 12?!?!?!?!? The word vomit he started spewing at her about being "a spy" and "I killed tons of people" happened very quickly after he was so tight lipped about anything and everything. Yeah, okay.

After all that nonsense came the fact of him jumping at the chance to accommodate her. After their fourth time of a one-night stand. Come on let's go walking around together (even though he is supposed to be hiding). Come on let's go on a date. Come on let me meet your kids (who are, let's not forget, supposedly around his age).

Then there is his whole no touching thing, but all of a sudden (again after the fourth one-night stand) he lets her touch him. Sure....


Another problem I had? Their relationship was way beyond awkward and did not work. It did not fit. It was like it was forced too hard and just became a big

Then there was the fact that he supposedly stalked her and all this stuff before meeting her but not once did she suspect anything. Not once did it even hint at anything that made her uneasy or whatever to lead up to that part of the story. And when he admitted to it? Her reaction?

Let me brush that shit off.


There were a lot of skimmed over, cut off, or non-descriptive parts that left me with nothing but aggravation. I mean....

Let's not forget about all the random shit thrown in here too. What was the point in having this whole meeting with characters from the other books she has written? It had no bearing on this story and just increased the eye roll factor. Bianca and Danika? And...just really? Was that necessary? I mean if the point was to show how they are getting along now after their books then it should've had something to show, not just "insert random bullshit here". Or how about the fact that it went into Lourdes's neighbors' life story? I mean, if the point was to say the neighbor is a nosy bitch who is friends with her ex-husband then say so. We don't need the whole daggone family's life history for that. It had no relevance what-so-ever.

The idiocy doesn't stop with all I have mentioned, however. It progresses in the story and becomes more and more ridiculous. I think Lourdes dumbassness rubbed off on Heath eventually.

The plot line was...well atrocious.

Don't even get me started on the insta-love in this. Three times of them having sex and she loves him. That's it, only sex because they didn't talk up to this point. And when I mean they didn't talk it was a I see you now let's get in, get off, get out thing. No hi or bye...nothing. Then him? Going all caveman possessive at the same time as she "loves him"....uh huh. Right...totally plausible.


So incredibly disappointed in this. The story just did not work for me.

[Wobilba · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m usually not a fan of reverse age gap but I really enjoyed this one. All the mysteries and suspense kept me on the edge till the end.

[Alba M. · Rating 2 out of 5]

No me ha gustado, no es que tenga mucho más que explicar.
El libro en si, es un sinsentido. Yo sigo pensando que tal y como la autora redactó y presentó al protagonista masculino, bien podría ser alienigena. Yo sigo pensando que lo es.

ES POSIBLE QUE LO SIGUIENTE CONTENGA SPOILERS.
Vamos a ver. La historia empieza con Heath conociendo a Lourdes en un supermercado. Todo va bien con eso hasta que el tipo se pone sobón pero el caso es que ELLA SE DEJA! Al día siguiente ella sale a pasear a su perro y él "casualmente" la encuentra allí y le pide que se lo lleve a casa (a jugar al parchis no iban, eso es evidente) y va la tipa y le dice que si!!!!!!!! A mí que alguien me explique dónde tiene esta mujer el instinto de supervivencia. Porque lo único que sabe, y lo único que él le ha dicho es su nombre y su edad. Y por cierto, ha acabado el libro y seguimos sin saber de él casi nada.
El caso es que estos dos se dedican a fornicar en cada momento posible pero el tío va y viene como le sale de los huevos. Desaparece tanto que yo juraba que el tío lo que hacía era irse a su planeta y volver cuando podía (yo sigo emperrada en que es extraterrestre). Es que en serio, no dejo de pensarlo, porque en una de estas que el tío la dejó ella dice que algo cambió en ella, que se ha vuelto adicta al sexo y mi pensamiento fue: ESE ES EL MOJO ALIENIGENA QUE TE HA CAMBIADO!!!!! 😂😂😂😂
Bueno la autora sigue intentando convencerme de que es humano y dice que trabaja en la CIA de asesino loco el tipo. Da igual, no cuento más porque es una caca. El caso es que hubo ahí un intento de hacer a Heath más humano (jaaaaa, que chiste tengo yo ahora con esto) pero no le ha pegado nada, porque el tío es como un témpano y cemento juntos.

No hay sentimientos, la historia es un mejunje de mil cosas, un enredo peor que una telenovela y no acaba de quedar bien. Le doy dos estrellas porque me enganchó solo para ver si al final confirmaba que no era humano PERO NADA. 😂