Ms. A Marie Johnson has proven that her talent cannot be attributed to being a mistake, a one-hit wonder, or a flash in the pan. She came out the gate with this novel determined to tell a dynamic story and needless to say she accomplished this goal well beyond any and all of expectations. The book is centered around two equally strong characters, Nova and Zen and their chemistry was scorching HOT!!! I absolutely loved Nova's patience and the fact that he knew what he wanted and painstakingly took the necessary steps to ensure that he got it. One of the more refreshing things about this story is the strength of character that was displayed in Zen. She was able to hold her own in a sea of alpha-males without compromising or sacrificing her intelligence, morals, or hard-earned respect. The sense of loyalty that was instilled in the team by Zen's predecessor was really quite astonishing to witness. It almost made me think that A. Marie was channeling Madam Stephanie St. Clair from the famed Harlem Renaissance when she fashioned her female heroine, Zen. She easily displayed both her powerful & ruthless side and her vulnerable and soft side in equal measures. The cast was rounded out with the addition of Mink, Bliss, and Knox just to name a few. Each character had their own set of quirks and nuances that helped to pull the story completely together into a tale that kept me riveted from beginning to end. Then if that wasn't enough Ms. A Marie really tried it with that ending. I was biting my nails and my eyes were about to pop out of my head with some of the startling revelations. I won't spoil it for the rest of the readers just know that you will be left with your mouth hanging agape when you reach the last page. Now on to the writer, Ms. A Marie Johnson. I don't often give out flowery compliments or overzealous recommendations on specific authors or books written. I pride myself on being a reviewer who attempts (at least in my opinion) to provide honest, clear, and fair feedback. With that being said, Ms. A. Marie Johnson is one of those writers who will be around for many years to come. Her pen game is fatally lethal and she is able to create characters and scenes that belie her age and attribute a sage wisdom that is normally only found in people twice her age. The way she so effortlessly turns a phrase, invokes a specific emotion, or elicits a huge guffaw of laughter warms my heart and erases any cynicism that may have developed in my mind for the urban/street literature genre. It is because of writers of Ms. A Marie's caliber that I proudly hold my head up and forge forward to continuously support a genre that many mock, belittle, and mistakenly overlook as irrelevant. It is because of this writers ability to always provide me with a guaranteed escape, the ability to transport me to another place, occupation, and outlook that I will ALWAYS, ALWAYS support and read her books. Being such a new ingenue in the writing game many will be hard-pressed to follow in her footsteps and yet she has left such an illuminating light in her wake that how can the future writers help but to follow her lead and hopefully gain 1/10 of her ability as time goes on!!! So KUDOS Ms. A. Marie Johnson!!!! You prove over and over you are right where you belong and as long as you continue to grow and excel in this literary game you will be here long after many others decide to call it quits!!!