4.5 "Be My Queen" Stars! Loved it! Jay Crownover is a master at building multidimensional characters in a multifaceted world! Like in the real world, the characters in the fictional community of The Point (the stereotypical hood) and The Hill (the upper class suburbs), are neither all good nor bad, but instead lie somewhere in between, constantly straddling societal conventions to define who they truly are. This love story was real, raw and "bold," and had me on the edge of my seat, with my heart in my throat, constantly rooting for the safe haven that only true love can provide!
We commence this book at a pivotal time at The Point. Bax's father, the evil ruling mobster, has been taken down by Race and Bax and new leadership is swarming to take control. Race, greatly aided by his right-hand man Bax, is at the top of that heap, trying to determine how to assume the role as the King of the Point without becoming everything they fought to take down.
Race, however, is a smart man, and a bold one at that, and is quick to come to terms with the reality that there will always be bad in places like the Point, but as it's ruler he can make sure that the badness doesn't spiral out of control. So he makes alliances, and has to do things, that threaten his very nature. Can he manage to save The Point without selling his soul to the devil?
Into this chaotic world, enters Brysen, Race's sister's best friend. Brysen really doesn't fit in either The Point or The Hill. Symbolically raised right at the bottom of The Hill, where The Hill meets The Point, she straddles both worlds, but is accepted by neither. Not a good place to be, but she seems to handle it as best she can, and is even the anchor that tries to keep her family together, until her parents' action combine to lead them into danger that she can no longer handle.
Race steps right in, and decides to take on Brysen's plight as her own self-appointed protector. Soon the sparks start to fly, but can there possibly be a future for two people who live in such different parts of the societal strata? Once the dust settles, will their chemistry be enough to overcome society's prejudices and stereotypes?
Race is another yummy alpha hero. I loved his fierce determination to protect what he considers his own. There were also some hot, passionate scenes and the romance and suspense were both well developed.
All in all, Ms. Crownover has produced another hit! I love Ms. Crownover's characters and how they struggle with very real societal issues and pressures. Although Ms. Crownover's heroes in Welcome to the Point seem hard and dangerous on the outside, they nonetheless always in the end find the sole remaining soft spots in their hearts for the women they can't help but love. The next story should be an interesting change of pace, as the hero will be Bax's brother, Titus, a police officer. So for the first time, we will get to see how Ms. Crownover handles the societal pressures from the other side of the law, a good guy struggling with when a little bad is actually good for the world. I can't wait to read Titus' story in Better When He's Brave scheduled to be released in August.
Source: Review copy provided in exchange for an honest review.