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Malicious Destruction of Property.
Two counts of breaking and entering.
Two counts of possession of a controlled dangerous substance.
Four counts of assault.
Three counts of illegal gambling.
Three years served in Orleans Parish Prison.

Tommy ‘Havoc’ Kendrick’s rap sheet reads like a recipe for disaster: one part mayhem to three parts chaos. There’s no arguing the matter; he’s a bad guy, or at least he used to be. For the past five years, Tommy’s been on the straight and narrow, keeping his head down and staying out of trouble. He left the French Quarter behind, along with the New Orleans crime syndicates and underground fights that used to pay his bills. Trading in the high-octane thrill of earning money with his fists to work in an auto mechanic’s was hard, and yet somehow, despite everything, he’s made it work.

Until now.

Tommy hadn’t planned on seeing his brother again. When David Kendrick turns up on his doorstep with a bag full of money and four broken ribs, Tommy finds himself heading back to the place he swore he’d never return. Back to the fights. Back to the drinking, the drugs, and the women.

Back to a life he thought he’d left behind for good.

Nikita Moreau has lived in New Orleans all her life. She learned to drive there, lost her virginity there, bought her first house there, and she’s damned if she isn’t going to die there, too. As a prison psychologist at one of the country’s most dangerous facilities, she runs the risk of dying in the state of Louisiana on a daily basis, and yet she wouldn’t give it up for the world. There’s nothing more satisfying than helping those everyone else has given up on. Nothing more rewarding than fixing something everyone said was broken.

The day she meets Tommy Kendrick, however, she learns a painful lesson: sometimes a person is too broken to be fixed. Sometimes a person is beyond reach and cannot be saved. The tall, dark and handsome, tattoo-covered devil is danger personified. She knows this. She knows he’s bad news. So then why can’t she stop thinking about him? Why can’t she stay away from him?

And, most importantly, why won’t she save herself?

204 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2017

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1147 people want to read

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Callie Hart

58 books26.5k followers

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 191 reviews
Profile Image for ❥ KAT ❥ Kitty Kats Crazy About Books.
2,624 reviews10.9k followers
May 4, 2017
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ROAD TO RUIN: is the first book in the New Orleans Nights series co written by Callie Hart and Jonny Jones. Spoken in ‘Dual Perspectives’

In the ‘Prologue’ were introduced to Alexander Bastien (the most evil family that walked the earth in Louisiana) and Genevieve Kenrick who happens to be none other than Tommy's sister a wedding set in place which sets the pace for a dark, gritty, sit on the edge of your seat read. This is a marriage of revenge, a sure way of making Tommy pay for sins of the past.

She's sold her soul to the devil and now he's come to collect.

Twenty eight year old Tommy also known as 'Havoc' has a rap sheet as long as his arm and just when he thinks he's putting that life far behind him he's pulled right back into the thick of things.

Malicious Destruction of Property.
Two counts of breaking and entering.
Two counts of possession of a controlled dangerous substance.
Four counts of assault.
Three counts of illegal gambling.
Three years served in Orleans Parish Prison.


Nikita Moreau plays a vital part in this story as a prison psychologist at a high risk facility of dangerous criminals but for her there is nothing more satisfying than helping those everyone else has given up on. Nothing more rewarding than fixing something everyone said was broken. This woman was kick ass as tough as they come, she put grown men on their asses!!

The day she met Tommy outside of the prison gates there was that instant raw connection between them, but one look in his eyes and she knew he was as broken as some of the men within the prison walls.

The tall, dark and handsome, tattoo-covered devil is danger personified.

Twists and turns that even I never saw coming has me gasping or the next installment of this series. Highly recommend.

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This was really confusing in the beginning 'In the Prologue' we're introduced to Alexander and Geraldine and for me it seemed a wee bit distorted like I was missing vital bits of the story, which I couldn't understand why, it wasn't until I read a review on here where it clarified that these two we're introduced in another book previous to this one. But Once I caught up to the story though for the life of me I couldn't put it down although for my own preference I would've liked to have known about these cross over characters before I jumped onto this book.
Profile Image for Lisa (Two Bookish Brits).
907 reviews166 followers
May 2, 2017
Road To Ruin

Description

Malicious Destruction of Property.
Two counts of breaking and entering.
Two counts of possession of a controlled dangerous substance.
Four counts of assault.
Three counts of illegal gambling.
Three years served in Orleans Parish Prison.

Tommy ‘Havoc’ Kendrick’s rap sheet reads like a recipe for disaster: one part mayhem to three parts chaos. There’s no arguing the matter; he’s a bad guy, or at least he used to be. For the past five years, Tommy’s been on the straight and narrow, keeping his head down and staying out of trouble. He left the French Quarter behind, along with the New Orleans crime syndicates and underground fights that used to pay his bills. Trading in the high-octane thrill of earning money with his fists to work in an auto mechanic’s was hard, and yet somehow, despite everything, he’s made it work.

Until now.

Tommy hadn’t planned on seeing his brother again. When David Kendrick turns up on his doorstep with a bag full of money and four broken ribs, Tommy finds himself heading back to the place he swore he’d never return. Back to the fights. Back to the drinking, the drugs, and the women.

Back to a life he thought he’d left behind for good.

Nikita Moreau has lived in New Orleans all her life. She learned to drive there, lost her virginity there, bought her first house there, and she’s damned if she isn’t going to die there, too. As a prison psychologist at one of the country’s most dangerous facilities, she runs the risk of dying in the state of Louisiana on a daily basis, and yet she wouldn’t give it up for the world. There’s nothing more satisfying than helping those everyone else has given up on. Nothing more rewarding than fixing something everyone said was broken.

The day she meets Tommy Kendrick, however, she learns a painful lesson: sometimes a person is too broken to be fixed. Sometimes a person is beyond reach and cannot be saved. The tall, dark and handsome, tattoo-covered devil is danger personified. She knows this. She knows he’s bad news. So then why can’t she stop thinking about him? Why can’t she stay away from him?

And, most importantly, why won’t she save herself?"


As always, No Spoilers from me!

ARC given in exchange for an honest review.

Well HOLY COW. That was every bit dark with a whole lot of twisted thrown in. I don't even know where to begin right now apart from I'm in absolute awe of that whole story and it's ending. It hand my nerves shot to fuck throughout the whole damn thing, I just couldn't put it down, Jesus.

The beginning starts of from the chapter that was released in My Sweet Villaintine and it sure as hell gets A LOT more interesting and exciting and a whole lot of disturbing haha.

I absolutely loved how fiercely protective Tommy is over the ones he loves and how strong Nikita is, she's fucking badass and I LOVE IT so, so much! Oh and the sex, HOLY HELL that was HOT HOT HOT!Car action is always fun to read ;) I know I probably shouldn't but omg I liked West, he made me laugh with his disregard of privacy...can he turn out to be a secret good guy? Pleaseeee?

Callie and Jonny did an absolutely incredibly job with this. When I heard they were writing a book together I was so excited to read it and damn, it shot passed every expectation I had for it. It's better than anything I could have hoped for. Clearly they need to write together more often if masterpieces like The Road to Ruin come out of it, I'm so excited for Part 2. Well done guys, I absolutely wish I could give this one a higher rating than 5 stars.
Profile Image for Leigh.
1,397 reviews325 followers
April 25, 2018
3.5 stars

So first I have to say I'm a big fan of this author. I know when I start a book of hers they're going to be exciting, a little dark, super sexy and they usually have a darn cliffhanger. While I would rather wait for all the books to be available I decided to read Road to Ruin. My only complaint is that I found the first 50% really boring, I was having a hard time staying focused. Now with that said the second half totally grabbed my attention. I loved both Tommy and Nikita. They had great chemistry and I'm look forward to getting to know them better. I can't wait for book 2.
Profile Image for Yiota Misiou.
365 reviews54 followers
August 28, 2017
Ένας πολλά υποσχόμενος πρόλογος θα έλεγα. Το 1ο βιβλίο της νέας σειράς της Callie Hart στην ουσία μας συστήνει τους ήρωες και την ιστορία. Είναι μια ενδιαφέρουσα εισαγωγή με φόντο τον υπόκοσμο της Νέας Ορλεάνης και ελπίζω η συνέχεια να αποδειχτεί εξίσου συναρπαστική!
Profile Image for Marie Vasquez.
1,598 reviews78 followers
May 4, 2017
The prologue was quite captivating. It certainly pulled me in and set the suspenseful tone of the book. Plenty of moving parts to this story that kept me intrigued.

I can't wait for part two.

Full review to follow
Profile Image for Christina Pannell.
534 reviews23 followers
February 27, 2018
This wasn't my favorite book. But the ending left me wanting more which is the reason for the 3 stars.
Alex Bastien is a bully. plain amd simple. He pushes people around to get what he wants.
Obviously there was a situation between Tommy and Alex years prior and Tommy left town which after a while Alex wanted Tommy back so he took his sister.
Overall there is a lot of violence which I don't mind at all in reading but this book didn't keep my attention as well.
Profile Image for Irini.
215 reviews
August 23, 2017
Το πρώτο μέρος της ιστορίας μοιάζει σαν πρόλογος πριν απο την μεγάλη τρικυμία.Τουλάχιστον έτσι μας έχει συνηθίσει η κυρία Hart κι ελπίζω κι εδώ να μην αποτελέσει εξαίρεση.
Αναμένω την συνέχεια!!
Profile Image for Jan .
2,156 reviews45 followers
May 4, 2017
Wow, I loved every angsty bit of this book!

I was gripped from the first chapter and it just kept on going.



The prologue is told in Alex Bastien's pov giving you a deeper understanding of the plot to come. Alex is a guy in power, a man other men fear, he seems ruthless and heartless, runs an underground fighting racket that stems generations in the Bastien family.

Genevieve doesent have her own pov but plays a part in the scheme of the plot, taken against her will as revenge and forced her into marrying Alex. Revenge against Tommy Kendrick Genevieve's brother, Alex's once best friend who in Alex's eyes failed to protect his sister from getting killed, so an eye for an eye, he now has Genevieve.

There's so much in this book but so much more to tell, it's the tip of the iceberg. After the prologue the story then goes onto Tommy and Nikita's pov.

Tommy first meets Nikita at the prison when he is picking his cousin Junior up from release, Nikita has been Junior's therapist and has taken Junior under her wing and feels protective of him. Nikita comes across as feisty with backbone but there's so much more to her character and her backstory which I'm eager to know more about.

Underground fights,bloodshed,twists and turns, questions yet to be answered, I was gripped when I finally got the feel of the plot.

A book full of bad guys, loved it and eagerly looking forward to book 2. I'm already loving Nikita's character she's badass.

Brilliantly written by these two authors with a unpredictable enticing plot and enough angst and hotness to keep you turning the pages.

A must read for those who love a dark,gritty and gripping story with bad ass alphas.

Arc gratefully received for review purposes
http://www.Bbbf-sizzlereads-bestbookb...
Profile Image for Marcella.
880 reviews32 followers
June 26, 2017
4.5 stars.

THIS!!!!!!!


Zeth will always be my baby but Tommy comes really close! This series is the beginning of something amazing I know it. And I LOVE the bad guy too! So much potential and the side characters are all great. Another hit by Mrs Hart!

Zeth lovers...you need to get your hands on this one!
Profile Image for Laura Lee.
Author 29 books1,857 followers
May 9, 2017
This book is dark as f*ck but it's also gritty, raw, sexy, and even has moments of humor. There are layers upon layers of characters to explore. I really enjoyed seeing this collaboration between Callie Hart and Jonny James. That cliffhanger killed me though - hurry up with the second one guys!
Profile Image for Gloria.
545 reviews32 followers
May 5, 2017
I am a die-hard Callie Hart fan and this new book written with Jonny James is the best so far. I couldn't put it down. This story is dark and has so many twists it kept me turning the pages. Tommy and Nikita are explosive together. Alexander Bastien is a dark, evil villain , who governs his empire with his two brothers. I am intrigued with the character of West Bastien, the dark brother with a sense of humor.
These characters are well developed and the story is based in my favorite city, New Orleans. The ending is a gripping cliff hanger which i never expected. Can't wait for Book 2
Profile Image for Karen.
5,385 reviews74 followers
June 1, 2017
I hate cliffhanger books. One star off automatically.

Still I love the characters and the scene. I don't really feel New Orleans much but it's still got enough creepy cemetery reference to get some of the vibe.

Pretty violent.
Profile Image for Carla .
1,669 reviews531 followers
May 12, 2017
4,5. Muito bom esse livro. A série promete.
Profile Image for Brittney S..
236 reviews1 follower
November 9, 2017
God damn cliffhangers! This book has been sitting on my TBR downloaded list for moooonths and months. And really it’s a little slow out of the gate trying to figure out who is whom and how they all fit together. And right about the time I’m totally sucked in, the book ends in a cliffhanger. I shouldn’t be surprised because that’s a Callie Hart trope but damn man! And to top it off, no known follow up or release date.
Profile Image for Evie Summers.
Author 3 books51 followers
May 13, 2017
Title: Road to Ruin
Author: Callie Hart & Jonny James
Series: New Orleans Nights #1
Genre: erotic suspense, crime
Themes: return to hometown
Heat: 4/5
Rating: 4/5


A massively promising start to a new joint venture between one of my top favourite authors, Callie Hart, and the debut from model Jonny James, this first instalment injects the typical grit of a Callie Hart novel into a new setting: New Orleans.

Although the promise was that this would be dark to a new extreme, I've either read too much from that genre recently and have thus become desensitised, or this fell a little flat of that. Either way, it didn't stop me grimacing at some of the gore and brutality - though nothing I wouldn't already expect from something written by Hart.

One of the strongest aspects of this novel was the character development. Tommy and Nikita are both incredibly strong, independent characters; deadly, dangerous, and able to hold their own. And when they come together (which, by the way, was done in a way that felt massively refreshing in comparison to many of the other novels I've read recently - I love a no-excuses-necessary woman who knows exactly what she wants), they really do make something fierce. Even the supporting cast was perfectly formed: brutal, but three-dimensional. There are no caricatures here.

This is a relationship to get behind, characters to follow and grow attached to, and a plot full to the brim of intrigue.

The first I've read in a while which has made me disappointed when I've reached the final page. I want more, and boy, am I excited to see what this duo will bring us in part two.
Profile Image for Stephanie.
1,162 reviews51 followers
November 5, 2019
:::

Overall Rating :: 3 stars
Series :: Part one of the New Orleans Nights duet.
Hero/Heroine :: Tommy/Nikita
POV :: Alternating.
Cliffhanger :: Yes.
HEA ::

:::

I really dig this story. It was dark, the characters had some serious depth to them, and the story is headed in a really interesting direction. Sure, there's a bit of insta-love (I can handle it occasionally, despite my usual disdain), but it seemed to work here. I was intrigued by the connection between Tommy and Nikita, especially as wrapped up in violence as it was. I also just liked Tommy and Nikita as individuals. Tommy, the ne'er do well with a respectable side, and Nikita, the law-abiding citizen with a fighting background. I want to know more (and I want Alex to get his comeuppance)!

Alas, I think this is where my three-stars comes in. So, there's no book two. I usually research the heck out of a book before I start reading, especially with duets (I'd prefer for both parts to be released, or close to it - not that this is a shocker since most readers have the same thought). I went into this one quite blind. And shame on me, unfortunately. I did message the author to see if it was on the horizon, and while it's planned for, there's nothing on the immediate docket. Which is a bit sad, really. For me. For other readers. I do hope it comes out soon, or my interest will unfortunately wane.
Profile Image for Eileen (Bangor Belles) Robinson.
1,164 reviews30 followers
June 7, 2017
Bangor Belle Book Besties
OMG what have i just read?? When you read this book, and read it you must, this will make perfect sense. "Well Shit, Not even I was expecting that"
Right from the start this book will tie you up in knots, I kid you not!!! Chills, hot sexy cruel Alpha's and a story line that just blew me away !!!!
Alex Bastien is the underworld Lord, deadly, dark and is intent on reeking vengence on Tommy Kendrick, blaming him on the death of his sister. He decided to use Tommy's sister to force him to come back to town and it works! Both these men are no strangers to violence, both have blood on their hands and both are well versed in the life of criminals. With Tommy's younger cousin just being released from prison, Tommy is determined to keep him from moving back into the circle of Alex, he's also got involved with Nikita, who is an ex of Bastien,s from his youth. There is a mighty storm coming and neither of these men will give an inch !!
This book is a thrilling ride from beginning to end, and i really cannot wait for more !!!!!! Callie and Jonny have knocked this one right out of the ball park !!!!
Profile Image for Becky Cox.
433 reviews11 followers
June 26, 2017
Road to Ruin was fantastic. It's dark, angsty and so well written. I flipped the page and it was the end of part one and I was mad. Well, I still kinda am, I didn't want it to end. Ready for the next installment Callie and Jonny if you two could oblige please.

Tommy is all things bad boy with a soft spot for Nikita. Nikita is a female bada** with a great sense of self. Tommy was in deep in the New Orleans underground and got himself out and away. But his sister finds herself in a situation and he has to come home to do what he can to help her.

Nikita has a secret or two we haven't found out yet. She is a therapist at the New Orleans prison. She deals with criminals everyday and does what she can to help them ad that leads her down a road she wasn't intending on going.

Loved both of these characters and this story and looking forward to the next book. There was a few little blips in the book but they did nothing to dissuade from the story. If you like them dark and angsty I highly recommend Road to Ruin.

I was provided a copy for an honest review.

Reviewed by Becky for JoandIsaLoveBooks
Profile Image for Amanda.
50 reviews1 follower
May 1, 2017
Holy WoW! I just can't put into logical words how freaking great this book is! I swear I read this on the edge of my seat waiting to see what was going to happen next! Its thrilling, shocking, exciting, and full fledged awesome!

I couldn't put it down! Page, by page brought this book more alive, and totally had me hanging on each word! I'm not the spoiling type so all I'll say is you definitely want to read this!

I voluntarily received this book as an arc and it is worth 5 🌟's and then some!
Profile Image for Phyl.
1,596 reviews19 followers
May 8, 2017
The words that comes to my mind is bad ass. It's funny I don't usually like the bad guy, he's always a self righteous asshole but Alexander there's something about him that I like. Her brother West is hilarious. Tommy and Nikita are awesome characters, he's your typical alpha and she's a kick ass female. The balls on that girl. I liked it it was dirty, gritty and badassery looking forward to more
Profile Image for ROMA 🦋.
46 reviews
April 30, 2017
Here's the thing, so every time I start a book by Callie I start it blindly. I've no idea what I'm getting myself into. Is it going to be about a murderer with a black bag? a MC president? Or maybe a sexy veteran with a heavy past?

And "road to ruin" was no different. I went reading that baby with a blind fold, cuffed hands and legs wide open because we all know that it doesn't matter the "respectable" profession of the dude, he's always a fucking sexy alpha beast.

So, obviously I have a point for all this bla-bla I've been doing.

My point is, go fucking read it.

You don't need me to tell you that it's gonna be a mind blowing and an amazing.. because it's a Callie book, duuuh! bonus, she co-wrote it with JONNY (just look at his face and tell me it's not worth to at least purchase it just to drool over the cover)

Regards,
The one and only Mrs. mayfair.
Profile Image for Bookgasms Book Blog.
2,863 reviews1,564 followers
April 30, 2017
Whenever I start a Callie Hart book I already know to buckle up because she always BRINGS it without Fail. ALWAYS. But now add to the fact that this book is co-written by the FANTASTIC first time author Jonny James, we know that no doubt this unbeatable combination will take us on sexy and edgy ride that we will not want to get off of!! AND Good Lord did they deliver with Road to Ruin!!! I am absolutely hooked. I might have broke my kindle after frantically tapping next page because I just did not want it to end. And THAT ENDING. Holy Crap I needed more!!!

After putting himself on the straight and narrow path for the past five years, Tommy Kendrick has decided to come home to New Orleans and throw himself back into the dark and dangerous world of sex, drugs, blood and money that he left behind. But what happens when he meets Nikita Moreau, a woman on a mission with the same common enemy and past? Will they be able to handle the explosive chemistry between them or will everything blow up in their faces!?

Tommy and Nikita were absolutely amazing. They were both strong, tough and sexy AF! Their chemistry was crazy hot and I could not get enough. In addition, despite loving ALL the dark and sexy books, I wouldn't be me if deep down I didn't have hope for Alexander. Callie and Jonny made him so superbly evil but so damn sexy that I can't help but hope that maybe just maybe Genevieve can be the one to bring him to his knees and be his match. (THAT prologue. GODDAMN!!!!)

All in all this book was absolutely incredible. There is something so damn sexy about big bad men finding their Achilles heel and the women who not only complete them, but complement them as well. Both Hart and James superbly delivered this in Road to Ruin with Tommy and Nikita. Their chemistry was combustible and their banter is just as hot. I CANNOT WAIT for more in this series! Bravo! 5 stars! ~Ratula
18 reviews
May 5, 2017
HIGH RATING, SLIGHTLY CRITICAL REVIEW

Callie Hart’s writing style has always been superb; her grammar, vocabulary usage and tone of voice is pretty spot on, male or female, but that’s not to say I’ve loved every single one of her books. I never enjoyed the Dead Man’s Ink series as much as the Blood & Roses one. That being said, Road to Ruin is a very strong start to a two-part serial.

Road to Ruin has many characters for such a low page count, but none of the characters seem superfluous. All of the scenes, few of which actually contain the main characters together on page, are integral to the characterization of all the players in the story. The thing is, many books nowadays that call themselves “dark and gritty,” which feature “dangerous men” just can’t get it right. Either the characters are too soft or are too much of a caricature of what the author thinks dangerous should sound and act like. Callie Hart seems to hit that note without driving the men into irredeemable territory. And I prefer my “dark” storylines to be of the gray sort and not the black of sex slaves and psychopaths. Tommy Kendrick also isn’t a run-of-the-mill tough guy; the scene where shows how dangerous he can be, yet you know that he doesn’t and would never pose a threat to Nikita.

Nikita Moreau is also an amazing heroine (besides some plotting inconsistencies, which I mention below). Throughout the action, I keep waiting for Nikita's passion for her patients and her actions to turn TSTL, yet they never do. That's not to say Nikita is a Mary Sue; she's not perfect, she does make mistakes, which she also admits. I love that she can take care of herself, while at the same time, has flaws that allow Tommy to help her.

This book was written with Jonny James and I feel like I can tell at certain points where maybe his input came in because there are instances in the beginning where the writing just seems a little awkward, which I can’t imagine Hart being responsible for. The prologue also threw me off, as it was from Alexander Bastien’s point of view and I had no idea who this dude was because he wasn’t named in the synopsis. The way this part is written plus his strange actions just seem so off. I also don’t like Genevieve, Tommy Kendrick's sister, very much so far. [I’m sure she probably has some secret plan to help her brothers while also being the virgin sacrifice while also falling in love with this crazy dude. I don’t know, her character just doesn’t come off very strong, not enough that a guy like Bastien would fall in love with her. Her whole persona is so eye-roll inducing for me.] To be honest, if I didn’t trust Hart as a writer so much, I might’ve put this book down and taken a long time to pick it back up because of the prologue. But I didn’t notice much of this as the story went on. In addition to some awkward phrasing, however, there are multiple places where I can clearly tell that this was written by two authors who weren’t exactly on the same page. This is what brought the rating down for me a bit.

Exhibit 1: Nikita says this of herself - “I’m not a part of the Tinder generation. I don’t f*** and call it quits after one night.” Yet, This may be because of the situation they just went through, but what is the point of that previous line then? It should have been taken out so she wouldn’t sound inconsistent. Or maybe it’s to show how thrown off she is by everything that went down? If so, it didn’t come off properly.

Exhibit 2: Nikita explains that she doesn’t want to sleep with Mitch because “He’s not built for intimacy. He sure as hell isn’t built for a relationship,” yet she also says of herself “I’ve had boyfriends in the past, but the moment they become too emotionally involved, I pull the ripcord. I know how ironic this is. Usually that kind of dynamic is reversed between men and women.” So Nikita’s explanation for avoiding Mitch doesn’t really hold weight because why would she care about Mitch’s ability for intimacy when she doesn’t really want it either? She should have just said she wasn’t attracted to him.

Exhibit 3 (also most glaring/unexplainable error in my opinion):

There was also an instance when a male torturee is called “her” once, and for a second, I wondered if they were torturing a woman! But it was just an editing error. I honestly liked the book and the characters, but when I notice these kind of editing/plotting error, it really throws me out of the story for a minute. Still, though these errors seem to be a lot all written out, it didn’t detract too much from my enjoyment of the book, and so I rounded up my more specific rating of 3.75 to 4 stars.

I really hope this series doesn’t go the way of the Callie Hart/Lili Saint Germain pairing, because the follow up to Hell’s Kitchen is a long time coming….
Profile Image for Dawn.
1,098 reviews19 followers
May 8, 2017
I sadly struggled with this and didn't enjoy it
1,044 reviews2 followers
May 9, 2017
Review

This was a bad choice for me to dark to deviant, to much drama of the worst kind nothing to like, not even the characters.
Profile Image for Lavender.
187 reviews13 followers
May 15, 2017
4 F'ING CRIMINAL STARS

I stumbled upon this book and gobbled it up in an hour or two. Now I am impatient and sad that it's over—least until the next book.

So yes, there is a cliffhanger. A big, giant, cliffhanger.

I admit, the first opening lines were a bit alarming and out of left field, but I pressed on. I really enjoyed the writing style. Not only did the words flow well, there was a nice balance of darkness, humor, sensual-passionate-sexy-time and good old sarcasm. One minute I was laughing, the next I was cringing then I found on myself on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next.

Nikita also known as Nikki or Nik, is everything that I look for in a female lead. The author calls out Nikita's "stripper-like name" and it's hilarious. Nikita is a prison psychologist, obviously not a career for the weak and timid.

In this first book, we only get a glimpse of Nikita's job.
Also, I must note that this book isn't a stereotypical prison romance.

Of course Nikita is smart, sexy and caring, but she is also strong and resilient—Nikita had a difficult upbringing. As a teenager, she fell in love with Alex, a sadistic abusive bad boy that made her question herself and hurt her in the worst of ways.

Eventually, Nikita ditched that bad boy and made a life for herself—until Tommy Kendrick and Alex stumble into her life with a history of their own.

Tommy 'Havoc' Kendrick is deliciously tattooed, sexy and sensual but equally disturbed. Tommy has a quick temper but not by any means caveman like. He is capable of terrible, terrible things but at the same time Tommy also values loyalty, respect and cares very deeply for his family, his sister, and now Nikki. Tommy has redeemable qualities without being a stereotypical damaged bad boy.
"I'm none of those things. And I'm sure as fuck not a gift. If anything I'm a punishment. I'm karmic retribution. I'm the universe's idea of a cruel joke."-Tommy

I really liked how Nikki questioned her mindset when she got tangled up with Tommy. Tommy is dark and delicious but with Nikki's history with bad boys, she is smart to question the situation and her actions.

The attraction between them is strong and magnetic. They keep each other on edge, reading each other and calling each other out on their own bullshit. I wish there was more of that in this book.
"Some things are worth a little discomfort, Tommy Kendrick. Some things are worth a little pain...Now I'm on the tracks I can see the train coming in the distance, and I'm running straight for it regardless of the consequences."-Nikki

Tommy and Nikki are eventually faced with an ultimatum.
I'm dying to see how they choose.

So why not 5 stars?

Basically, it came down to the length of the book. It was a tad bit fast in some areas. If the book was longer, there would have been more time for character/relationship building and backstory of the characters. Also the cliffhanger was extra cliffy—the author could have given us a little bit more than that, I'm greedy.
Profile Image for Nadia Debowska-Stephens (Obsessed by Books).
1,080 reviews28 followers
May 5, 2017
"You and I both know that there's no such thing as 'separate ways' now. Our paths have converged. Life doesn't shove people together like this and then allow them to part so easily."

Road to Ruin is the attention grabbing explosive opener to a new series from the amazing author Callie Hart who has teamed up with Jonny James to provide a panty melting kick ass read that I could not put down. Sucked into the underworld of New Orleans, Alexander Bastien is the blood splattered King of his castle; unpredictable, violent and cunning. Ruling his city with irrevocable menace Alex has called time on a debt he feels is way past due. Marriage to a woman who is the sister of his enemy has a domino effect and the events that are instigated soon escalate as the pieces fall into place. Tommy "Havoc" Kendrick was the blood thirsty right hand man not so long ago but obeying blindly cost him greatly and put him in a situation he would never be able to win, yet when his sister Genevieve becomes a pawn in the game of vengeance he returns to face his own personal demon. When to make a deal with the devil can you ever really escape hell?

I devoured this story in less than a couple hours it was really that good. Well written with a plot that develops at pace, the authors flow seamlessly and I soon became lost in the bloody world of these alpha males. It is a part one of a series so it's acts as an introduction to a whole host of characters that I just can't wait to learn more about. I'm intrigued to find out all about the Bastien's and Kendrick's and how they all became the characters we meet during Road to Ruin. I feel that they all have a story to tell. West especially won over a dark corner of my heart but then again so did Junior and...yeah you get the idea! Nikita is a whole other character who I seriously fell hard for. I have a girl crush and won't pretend otherwise, she's fearless and has an inner strength that makes her fascinating. Genevieve is another facet to this story and I'm intrigued by her story and really can't wait to see how it unfolds, I think there is more to this story than meets the eye. A means to an end but what is the bigger picture? Faultless and totally enthralling this highly anticipated release does not fail to deliver. One of my favourite reads of 2017 so far and I can't imagine that changing. I simply can't find the words to eloquently describe how this story grabbed my attention with well rounded dangerously seductive characters that left me reeling. What a bloody way to leave us...can't wait for the next one ;) One click now folks honestly you won't regret it.

A five star road to ruin read.

~*~ Reviewed on behalf of Obsessed by Books ~*~
Profile Image for Anny hernandez.
1,181 reviews13 followers
May 4, 2017
I was provided a copy of the book by the Author for an honest review.

Wow holy smoke I am so in love with this book, I couldn't put the book down just wanted more. I have to say that this book got me mad at some point but I love every single minute of it, I am going to keep this short since I don't want to give anything away.

The begging of the story start with how Alex make Tommy sister married him and all that to get Tommy back into town. After Tommy brother shows up in LA beat up and telling him what had happen to their sister Tommy decided to go back to New Orleans. But what he was not expecting was to meet Nikkita the shrink that work in the prison where Tommy cousin is held off. Nikkita cant believe how sexy and hot Tommy is that's what makes her angry at him when she first meet Tommy when he when to pick up his cousin that he haven't seen in years. But Nikkita cant stop thinking of Tommy and wants to know more about him. But her main focus is Tommy cousin that she is worried that he will go back to fighting that's how she find her self in an under ground fight match and that's how she gets to see who the real Tommy is and why everyone is afraid of him.

I love it how Nikkita and Tommy are with each other, love it how she don't put up with no one crap and how she could take care of her self. Love it how Tommy is his the bad boy total package he do things with out caring if he going to hurt u or not and love it how he is with Nikkita.

I really love and enjoy reading this book. Author Callie Hart THANK YOU for introducing me to this Awesome characters and this Amazing book love it.
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