A Hustle of Wings

by Julia Leijon, Callista Ball

When the heat is on, will these two loners gamble everything on each other?

Wingin’ it …Dragon shifter Hunter hates his job as a mob enforcer. He’s just killing time … among other things … while he builds up his stash of gold.

Kelly is a high-stakes gambler. Her prickly wit keeps people at arms’ length -- just the way she likes it. She’s lived for the moment since her brother lost his life to organized crime years ago.

Tipping the scales …Kelly and Hunter enjoy trading verbal barbs (and nothing else) until the day she pisses off the wrong person during one of her poker games. When Hunter’s ordered to take her out, he finds himself lying to protect her instead.

Playing with fireNow that they’re pretending to be engaged, Kelly and Hunter discover that their attraction is much more than skin deep. But she still has a bullseye on her back. Can Hunter find a way to protect the woman who might just be his perfect match … or will he be left alone with nothing but his gold for comfort?

77 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 14, 2016

About the author

Julia Leijon fell in love with writing at the age of twelve, and with vampires a year later. Despite being in her midthirties now, very little has changed.

Her one moment of infidelity was when she was eighteen and read Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, briefly switching her allegiance over to werewolves in the aftermath. Though she still writes shifters and weres from time to time, Julia now counts herself as a permanent member of Team Vampire.

Reviews

[Cheryl Drake johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hunter is a Dragon/Shifter hitman who also makes sure that people make their protection payments on time that is where Kelly see's him threatening someone and in a jewelry store she happens to be on a date with a very boring Movie Star who can only talk about himself but the pay is good so she is all for making the paparazzi think he is the most interesting man she has ever met when all she really wants to do is be in on a high stakes game Kelly is a woman who keeps her real self hidden from everyone she lives for the moment without any strings that most people are attached too, she lives in a hotel and she buys the best of everything because she is excellent with numbers and she has a good poker face and knows how to use what she has to keep her in the style she is totally accustom too. They have breakfast at the same place every morning but have never spoken to each other but she realizes that he is the one she saw in the jewelry store and she strikes up a conversation with him and it doesn't seem that they have anything in common except they both are keeping their real selves hidden. Suspenseful romance. I received a copy for an honest review.

[Pam Louis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kelly is a high-stakes gambler who lives for the hight of outwitting her the others and winning. Hunter is a dragon shifter who does odd jobs for the mob as hitman or enforcer but after being given a job to kill a women he bearly knew and only talked to once he couldn't do it. So he lied and told the guy this is my girlfriend. It ended the hit but he is a dragon and they aren't know to give up what they think are theirs or let it go. To protect her he moved her into his apartment but to keep her? He might just do anything.
Kelly is just a little card shark and can't believe someone would be to kill her but if the dragon wants to protect her she'll take it but she has no idea what to do with him.
Fun and fast read with interesting characters and plot. If your into shifters and like books about the mob then this would be a good book for you.
Book given for an honest review
A little warning if you like the guy in romance to be a knight in shinning armor this guy isn't it he has not problem with killing he's not human he is a dragon.

[Samm Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I liked this short little novella, but it is basically an enforcer story. In this instance the enforcer can also shift into a dragon. The dragon shifter part of the story is lacking. Hunter decorated his apartment to resemble a dragon's cave and he shifts twice to fly (not to escape danger but just to travel). The enforcer part of the story is good, as he is the one that receives the contract to take her out. The story is well written and the plot is decent. The characters interact well. There is some background on why Kelly is the way she is but very little on Hunter.

My bottom line on this story- 4 stars as a sweet mob enforcer novella, 2 stars as a dragon shifter novella

[Kerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the stakes are high sometimes you just have to go for the jackpot. High stakes games are all about the next high and beating the other players. Problem is, someone didn't like her winning. Can she let the walls down and find common ground with her savior?
He's got his eye on her. His job may not be what she likes but it's a job. Then the next target is picked. He lies to save her life but can he get her to see he's more than what she believes? He doesn't know why he did it, but want to see where it goes.
Actually a great love story about second chances, fine line between love an hate and re-examining the past. Well written **Received advanced copy or honest review

[Daniell Marsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book

Enjoyed reading this book. Had received a ARC for honest review but my computer messed up and didn't download right so I brought it. At first wasn't sure if would like either of the main characters but as you learned more of as the story went I started rooting for them. My not connecting at first was just me don't get me wrong. Was a different way then I usually see shifters portrayed but refreshing. This was a standalone book and gave it 4 stars as just wanted more even though the ending was not a cliffhanger.

[Christine Woinich · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kelly loves taking risks and enjoys gambling to make her money. She becomes the target of a disgruntled player. Hunter is a hitman with a heart and a dragon inside. He is assigned the hit on Kelly, but they know each other on a casual basis. To save her, he lies about their engagement. Their feelings grow as they learn to love and move beyond their pasts.