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The Confidence Game #3
The Mysterious Stranger
For Rory Archer, going deep under cover with her best friend Zeke Sherwood to bust a doomsday cult was a way of making up for her unprofessional behavior after a relationship breakup with her boss, Zeke's older brother.
All she had to do was act her part, find the evidence they needed to tear down the cult and help the people who'd been gaslit into joining to start new lives.
It was a far cry from the usual work she did, conning arrogant mega-rich men out of ill-gotten money to spend on deserving causes. And with Zeke by her side, it would be a blast.
For Zeke Sherwood, busting the cult was the easy part, even if it meant no way to feed his addiction to Frappuccinos, but surviving months, partnering the woman he'd been in love with forever would be the toughest job he'd ever signed on for. He and Rory had never been anything more than sidekicks and Zeke had given up thinking they ever would be.
But inside the cult, the truth is stranger than fiction, drawing them closer until uncertainty strips away old patterns of behavior and longing and lust bloom, bringing with them the danger of discovery and the fear that none of the new love they feel for each other is real.
All she had to do was act her part, find the evidence they needed to tear down the cult and help the people who'd been gaslit into joining to start new lives.
It was a far cry from the usual work she did, conning arrogant mega-rich men out of ill-gotten money to spend on deserving causes. And with Zeke by her side, it would be a blast.
For Zeke Sherwood, busting the cult was the easy part, even if it meant no way to feed his addiction to Frappuccinos, but surviving months, partnering the woman he'd been in love with forever would be the toughest job he'd ever signed on for. He and Rory had never been anything more than sidekicks and Zeke had given up thinking they ever would be.
But inside the cult, the truth is stranger than fiction, drawing them closer until uncertainty strips away old patterns of behavior and longing and lust bloom, bringing with them the danger of discovery and the fear that none of the new love they feel for each other is real.
265 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 27, 2019
4 people are currently reading
42 people want to read
About the author
Ainslie Paton
40 books144 followersAinslie Paton always wanted to write stories to make people smile, but the need to eat, accumulate books, and have bedclothes to read under was ever present. She sold out, and worked as a flack, a suit, and a creative, ghosting for business leaders, rabble-rousers, and politicians, and making words happen for companies, governments, causes, conditions, high-profile CEOs, low-profile celebs, and the occasional misguided royal. She still does that. She also writes for love and so she can buy shoes, and the good cat food.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
August 6, 2019
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Zeke and Rory have been best friends since they were kids. Their families are both in the business of ... conning rich bad guys out of their money. Robin Hood Style.
Their newest 'case' takes the two of them undercover into a dangerous and mysterious cult - suspected of dealing with guns and drugs and whatnot. Zeke and Rory pretend to be sad little rich orphan siblings. But Zeke's feelings for Rory have never been sibling-like. For Rory he's only ever been her best buddy - the brother of the guy she was in love with. But feelings can change ... especially in those dangerous circumstances ... but can those feelings be real? And will ´Rory & Zeke even survive all this to find out if they will get the chance to live happily ever after???
READ THE BOOK TO FIND OUT!☺
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Great Romance!
I really enjoyed reading it.
It was funny, adorable, heartbreaking, exciting, suspensy and dangerous.
The book has everything a great romance needs!
Zeke is beyond adorable. It's so sad that he's been in love with Rory all his life ... but she always belonged to his brother. But not anymore. The reader is very busy hoping that they'll finally get that happy end together - but of course we first have to survive that horrible cult!!! Very exciting.
Great book - I wouldn't mind seeing this on Netflix one day!
Like always ... Ainslie's writing is not so completely my kind of thing... she writes so very ... poetically and wordy and maybe even too complicated for a German person to easily follow. But I will keep reading her books, because they're awesome - different. Beautiful. ♥
♡
♡
August 30, 2019
Can best friends since childhood go undercover to bust up a cult without having their true feelings come to the surface when lives are in danger?, this one had me turning the pages as Zeke Sherwood and Rory Archer take on this job and lose their hearts to each other in the process, I am loving this series.
Rory Archer is part of the family known for taking from the rich and giving to the poor and Rory has been through a break-up with long time partner and boss Cal Sherwood and now is the time to prove that she is back and can do her job, this time paring up with Zeke and this job is nothing like the jobs she has done before, getting into the cult was fairly easy but now they must find proof the leader is conning his followers.
Zeke Sherwood has loved his best friend forever but she was with his brother and now she is single and they are working together and he must do his best to keep her safe as they pull the cult down and to keep his feelings undercover as well, that gets harder for him every day. He knew they worked well together and as each day went his need to be close to her grew.
I have been looking forward to this story having read the first two in the series and I was not disappointed what a story it had everything in it suspense, a sensual pull and the cheering as Rory and Zeke worked together to pull the cult down it is fast paced with lots of action. MS Paton has written a page turner that is sure to please any reader I loved Rory’s strength and the way she kept Zeke on his toes she made him work for that love and there was lots of smiles from me throughout the book, and Zeke man what a hero caring and gorgeous, this is one that I highly recommend.
Rory Archer is part of the family known for taking from the rich and giving to the poor and Rory has been through a break-up with long time partner and boss Cal Sherwood and now is the time to prove that she is back and can do her job, this time paring up with Zeke and this job is nothing like the jobs she has done before, getting into the cult was fairly easy but now they must find proof the leader is conning his followers.
Zeke Sherwood has loved his best friend forever but she was with his brother and now she is single and they are working together and he must do his best to keep her safe as they pull the cult down and to keep his feelings undercover as well, that gets harder for him every day. He knew they worked well together and as each day went his need to be close to her grew.
I have been looking forward to this story having read the first two in the series and I was not disappointed what a story it had everything in it suspense, a sensual pull and the cheering as Rory and Zeke worked together to pull the cult down it is fast paced with lots of action. MS Paton has written a page turner that is sure to please any reader I loved Rory’s strength and the way she kept Zeke on his toes she made him work for that love and there was lots of smiles from me throughout the book, and Zeke man what a hero caring and gorgeous, this is one that I highly recommend.
July 11, 2020
3.5 stars
I simply can’t get past the fact that 1) two private citizens decided to invade a cult and 2) when they finally shut it down and brought the FBI in, the government didn’t become suspicious about the family’s other illegal activities or why two random people decided to invade a cult. Like, it just seems incredulous to me.
“As far as the FBI was concerned, they were philanthropists on a mission. It was a carefully cultivated version of the truth that didn’t get them arrested for their other less legal vigilante activities.”
First, this is a rich and not obscure family. That isn’t going to raise the government’s eyebrows? Second, this has happened before. When Zeke was a teen, he and his brother invaded another cult before getting the authorities involved (I presume their legal names were given to the government. I might be mistaken on this).
“Cal was nineteen and Zeke seventeen when they infiltrated a religious cult. The two of them had nearly starved as part of their punishment for being ungodly. Cal was beaten to within an inch of his life before he and Zeke were able to escape and bring the authorities in, stopping the cult leaders from going ahead with a suicide pact.”
I’m not opposed to the idea that the civilians/Robin Hood-esque family are invading cults in addition to other illegal-but-good activities (more on this in the first two books). But am I seriously supposed to accept that the FBI isn’t going to question their family carefully and be suspicious at the end? Exactly how many "philanthropists on a mission" are invading cults on a regular basis? I can’t buy this at all, and it ruined the book for me.
The relationship is angsty and terrifying as hell. I was basically cowering under my blanket the entire time they were in the cult (which is the whole book!). If you want to read about love while simultaneously experiencing dread, then this is the book for you (this is not sarcasm, I’m perfectly serious). Personally, I found the cult stuff to be more interesting than the relationship, but that's very much a "it's me, not the book" thing. I ended up not caring about the relationship as much as I wanted to. The book didn’t work for me, but I think that I am an anomaly and others would enjoy it. Read other reviews to see if The Mysterious Stranger is a good fit for you.
Unrelated note: I enjoyed the two Psy/Changeling references. It was done perfectly.
I simply can’t get past the fact that 1) two private citizens decided to invade a cult and 2) when they finally shut it down and brought the FBI in, the government didn’t become suspicious about the family’s other illegal activities or why two random people decided to invade a cult. Like, it just seems incredulous to me.
“As far as the FBI was concerned, they were philanthropists on a mission. It was a carefully cultivated version of the truth that didn’t get them arrested for their other less legal vigilante activities.”
First, this is a rich and not obscure family. That isn’t going to raise the government’s eyebrows? Second, this has happened before. When Zeke was a teen, he and his brother invaded another cult before getting the authorities involved (I presume their legal names were given to the government. I might be mistaken on this).
“Cal was nineteen and Zeke seventeen when they infiltrated a religious cult. The two of them had nearly starved as part of their punishment for being ungodly. Cal was beaten to within an inch of his life before he and Zeke were able to escape and bring the authorities in, stopping the cult leaders from going ahead with a suicide pact.”
I’m not opposed to the idea that the civilians/Robin Hood-esque family are invading cults in addition to other illegal-but-good activities (more on this in the first two books). But am I seriously supposed to accept that the FBI isn’t going to question their family carefully and be suspicious at the end? Exactly how many "philanthropists on a mission" are invading cults on a regular basis? I can’t buy this at all, and it ruined the book for me.
The relationship is angsty and terrifying as hell. I was basically cowering under my blanket the entire time they were in the cult (which is the whole book!). If you want to read about love while simultaneously experiencing dread, then this is the book for you (this is not sarcasm, I’m perfectly serious). Personally, I found the cult stuff to be more interesting than the relationship, but that's very much a "it's me, not the book" thing. I ended up not caring about the relationship as much as I wanted to. The book didn’t work for me, but I think that I am an anomaly and others would enjoy it. Read other reviews to see if The Mysterious Stranger is a good fit for you.
Unrelated note: I enjoyed the two Psy/Changeling references. It was done perfectly.
August 31, 2019
This is a lovely achy book with an overwhelming sense of dread hanging over the entire thing. So if that's your jam (along with best friends pretending to be siblings while being in love with each other/figuring out they're in love with each other), you should definitely pick up this book as well as the rest in this series. You won't be disappointed!
November 29, 2019
Since romances set with cults as backgrounds are among my least favorite books to read (that and serial killer stories rank in my top two of Nope!), there are few authors whose books I would even consider with that type of plotline. Lucky for Ainslie Paton, she’s delivered enough compelling and unique romances that when I heard about the plot for The Mysterious Stranger, third in her Confidence Game series, I cringed a bit but ultimately decided to take the plunge. And I’m so glad I did because she delivers an intense, exciting, sexy and wholly unique friends-to-lovers romance.
Zeke Sherwood never fails to go out on a limb to be there for his family and his best friend Rory Archer, whom he’s loved from afar for years. When she chooses his brother over him for a romantic relationship he takes it in stride, and when that relationship falls apart, he’s ready to pick up the pieces – only the poor decisions Rory made on exiting that arrangement left her vulnerable and embarrassed and not ready to be around anyone in the Sherwood family, Zeke included. But now there’s a mission Rory wants in on and Zeke doesn’t have it in him to tell her no.
A doomsday cult has been taking advantage of wealthy but vulnerable people – those willing to shell out a lot of cash for a place that will protect them from the coming apocalypse. Furious at another example of powerful men taking advantage of those in dire straits, Zeke plans to take down the cult by infiltrating it with the help of Rory, who will pose as his drug-addicted sister who wants to get clean and needs to be away from society for it to succeed. Their fake personas have inherited a fortune from their deceased parents but have nothing to spend it on – making them prime targets for the cult. Rory looks at this mission as a way to redeem herself after past mistakes. What she doesn’t count on is seeing Zeke in a whole new light, a handsome and mysterious stranger who shows her new sides to his personality as they adapt to life in the cult and try to figure out how to take it down. And she doesn’t know that Zeke has held a torch for her all along. Under pressure, hiding more than a few secrets and with time running out, their attraction flares into something new and exciting. But if they make it out alive, will their new feelings for each other prove to be as illusory as the cult’s promises?
Making this story about a doomsday cult that isn’t focused on religious extremism and physical or sexual abuse of the members is what made this readable for me. That’s not to say that some of the women aren’t pushed into sexual relationships they don’t want (though it’s not on page), but the emotional abuse is more the focus of this story.
It begins for Rory when she and Zeke, who had asked to be housed together as brother and sister when they arrived, are separated. It’s a full week before they see each other again, during which time Rory has been told to work in the kitchens, then given no job but to stand and watch. No one speaks to her or sits with her, she doesn’t know where Zeke is and when he’ll be bac,k and so when he does return, the relief she feels at his presence is magnified by the isolation she’s been forced to endure. Remembering that she’s supposed to be his sister is hard when all she wants to do is hold him tightly. Zeke’s week is just as tough, a hazing out in the woods where he undertakes hard physical labor with a construction crew. This forced separation makes them realize they’ll have to accelerate their agenda to get dirt on the leader of the cult, especially since he’s taken a liking to Rory and thinks to make her his next bed partner. She’s able to hold him off, but won’t be able to keep him at bay for long.
The tension builds rapidly, and since Rory and Zeke are being housed separately, they must sneak out to see each other and discuss their findings. It’s also in these secret moments together that Rory can acknowledge how attracted she is to Zeke, a mutual feeling that they take the opportunity to act on in some very sexy and emotional scenes. The sexual tension is enhanced by the knowledge that if anyone discovers them their ruse will be uncovered and their lives will be in danger. Things get more fraught in the second half of the story, and at one point I wasn’t sure they’d both make it out alive. But this is a romance with a promised happy ending, and the author delivers it in spades. All’s well that ends well but it’s the getting there that makes this an intense and compelling read. I’m glad I took the chance on this setting under this author’s deft hand and I hope there will be more stories to come in the Confidence Game series!
This review also appears at All About Romance: https://allaboutromance.com/book-revi...
A copy of this story was provided by the author for review.
Zeke Sherwood never fails to go out on a limb to be there for his family and his best friend Rory Archer, whom he’s loved from afar for years. When she chooses his brother over him for a romantic relationship he takes it in stride, and when that relationship falls apart, he’s ready to pick up the pieces – only the poor decisions Rory made on exiting that arrangement left her vulnerable and embarrassed and not ready to be around anyone in the Sherwood family, Zeke included. But now there’s a mission Rory wants in on and Zeke doesn’t have it in him to tell her no.
A doomsday cult has been taking advantage of wealthy but vulnerable people – those willing to shell out a lot of cash for a place that will protect them from the coming apocalypse. Furious at another example of powerful men taking advantage of those in dire straits, Zeke plans to take down the cult by infiltrating it with the help of Rory, who will pose as his drug-addicted sister who wants to get clean and needs to be away from society for it to succeed. Their fake personas have inherited a fortune from their deceased parents but have nothing to spend it on – making them prime targets for the cult. Rory looks at this mission as a way to redeem herself after past mistakes. What she doesn’t count on is seeing Zeke in a whole new light, a handsome and mysterious stranger who shows her new sides to his personality as they adapt to life in the cult and try to figure out how to take it down. And she doesn’t know that Zeke has held a torch for her all along. Under pressure, hiding more than a few secrets and with time running out, their attraction flares into something new and exciting. But if they make it out alive, will their new feelings for each other prove to be as illusory as the cult’s promises?
Making this story about a doomsday cult that isn’t focused on religious extremism and physical or sexual abuse of the members is what made this readable for me. That’s not to say that some of the women aren’t pushed into sexual relationships they don’t want (though it’s not on page), but the emotional abuse is more the focus of this story.
It begins for Rory when she and Zeke, who had asked to be housed together as brother and sister when they arrived, are separated. It’s a full week before they see each other again, during which time Rory has been told to work in the kitchens, then given no job but to stand and watch. No one speaks to her or sits with her, she doesn’t know where Zeke is and when he’ll be bac,k and so when he does return, the relief she feels at his presence is magnified by the isolation she’s been forced to endure. Remembering that she’s supposed to be his sister is hard when all she wants to do is hold him tightly. Zeke’s week is just as tough, a hazing out in the woods where he undertakes hard physical labor with a construction crew. This forced separation makes them realize they’ll have to accelerate their agenda to get dirt on the leader of the cult, especially since he’s taken a liking to Rory and thinks to make her his next bed partner. She’s able to hold him off, but won’t be able to keep him at bay for long.
The tension builds rapidly, and since Rory and Zeke are being housed separately, they must sneak out to see each other and discuss their findings. It’s also in these secret moments together that Rory can acknowledge how attracted she is to Zeke, a mutual feeling that they take the opportunity to act on in some very sexy and emotional scenes. The sexual tension is enhanced by the knowledge that if anyone discovers them their ruse will be uncovered and their lives will be in danger. Things get more fraught in the second half of the story, and at one point I wasn’t sure they’d both make it out alive. But this is a romance with a promised happy ending, and the author delivers it in spades. All’s well that ends well but it’s the getting there that makes this an intense and compelling read. I’m glad I took the chance on this setting under this author’s deft hand and I hope there will be more stories to come in the Confidence Game series!
This review also appears at All About Romance: https://allaboutromance.com/book-revi...
A copy of this story was provided by the author for review.
July 8, 2019
Brilliant! And unlike anything I have read before!
Full review to come closer to release date.
Full review to come closer to release date.
August 12, 2019
Copy received from author for an honest review
Ainslie Paton has again taken us on a journey unlike most with The Mysterious Stranger.
Zeke and Rory's friends-to-more relationship will have the reader guessing as they turn each page as to what will happen next.
Out to prove herself after a complete mess of her work life, she is all focus and fierceness, and cannot see what is right in front of her face.
Ms Paton always takes us to places we aren't expecting, and I love that her books are not cookie cutter stories we have read a hundred times over.
I am looking forward to what Ms Paton brings us next.
Ainslie Paton has again taken us on a journey unlike most with The Mysterious Stranger.
Zeke and Rory's friends-to-more relationship will have the reader guessing as they turn each page as to what will happen next.
Out to prove herself after a complete mess of her work life, she is all focus and fierceness, and cannot see what is right in front of her face.
Ms Paton always takes us to places we aren't expecting, and I love that her books are not cookie cutter stories we have read a hundred times over.
I am looking forward to what Ms Paton brings us next.
August 31, 2019
Most of this book happens inside the walls of doomsday prepper (non-religious) cult, so the external tension is ratcheted up a billion percent.
Skip this paragraph for spoilers, read through if you need to know more about the plot execution around the culty bits. Luckily for my reading comfort level, the *threat* of bad things was what provided most of the tension, and there was no on-the-page rough violence against women. There’s plenty of psychological warfare, gaslighting, fear-mongering, etc... but no assault on women (aside from grabbing someone’s arm roughly, etc.) Zeke/Zack does get beat up more than once. I was immensely relieved to get to the other side of the plot without those overarching threats coming to full fruition.
The tension of the setting made it a bit harder to read than the previous two in this series, BUT what makes you want to go on is how utterly & deeply Zeke has always loved his oblivious BFF Rory. Watching how he has to battle himself to let this happen was soooo beautifully written.
A note about the cover: at first it was a (very) minor disappointment to see this one relative to the treatment of the other two in the series. It feels disjointed in a way, though there are clearly thematic similarities too. There is some publishing-business-related backstory behind this book which the author covered on Twitter. ~**BUT**~ now that I’m done, the cover feels perfect. It’s relevant to the story specifically, and I think mirrors the grittier/less-flashy aspects of this book over the first 2. So I appreciate this cover a whole lot more now.
Skip this paragraph for spoilers, read through if you need to know more about the plot execution around the culty bits. Luckily for my reading comfort level, the *threat* of bad things was what provided most of the tension, and there was no on-the-page rough violence against women. There’s plenty of psychological warfare, gaslighting, fear-mongering, etc... but no assault on women (aside from grabbing someone’s arm roughly, etc.) Zeke/Zack does get beat up more than once. I was immensely relieved to get to the other side of the plot without those overarching threats coming to full fruition.
The tension of the setting made it a bit harder to read than the previous two in this series, BUT what makes you want to go on is how utterly & deeply Zeke has always loved his oblivious BFF Rory. Watching how he has to battle himself to let this happen was soooo beautifully written.
A note about the cover: at first it was a (very) minor disappointment to see this one relative to the treatment of the other two in the series. It feels disjointed in a way, though there are clearly thematic similarities too. There is some publishing-business-related backstory behind this book which the author covered on Twitter. ~**BUT**~ now that I’m done, the cover feels perfect. It’s relevant to the story specifically, and I think mirrors the grittier/less-flashy aspects of this book over the first 2. So I appreciate this cover a whole lot more now.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Want to read
June 30, 2019via author direct
January 5, 2020
lol just realized I haven't marked this one as read yet anyway this book was so intense I was stressed the whole way because Zeke and Rory were undercover as siblings in a cult and looking for ways to bust it???? while battling with sexual tension?????
I WAS WORRIED FOR THEM THROUGHOUT THE BOOK
but all in all this was fun. I miss the Sherwoods.
Also Rory giving Zeke with Nalini Singh book character names for middle names? "Zeke Riley Vasic Aden Sherwood" I SEE U, AINSLIE.
E-ARC is received thanks to the wonderful author!
I WAS WORRIED FOR THEM THROUGHOUT THE BOOK
but all in all this was fun. I miss the Sherwoods.
Also Rory giving Zeke with Nalini Singh book character names for middle names? "Zeke Riley Vasic Aden Sherwood" I SEE U, AINSLIE.
E-ARC is received thanks to the wonderful author!
September 24, 2019
I absolutely loved the first two books in Paton's Confidence Game series, which made this one such a surprising disappointment. Instead of high-stakes cons in the world of New York City's corrupt elite, here we have two members of the Sherwood/Archer philanthropic con family going undercover to infiltrate a doomsday cult. The two involved are Zeke, a younger Sherwood brother, and Rory, the Archer girl who had formerly dated eldest Sherwood brother Cal, and who had unprofessionally not only slept with her boss (Cal), but who also blew up their 18-month long con before it could be completed by accusing him in public of being a lying cheater.
Turns out Zeke and Rory have been besties forever, although Zeke has been hiding his pining heart for Rory for years. Rory wants to go undercover to try and redeem herself in the eyes of the family; Zeke, a daredevil, action type, wants to bring the bad guys down while spending time with his bestie (with no hope that she'll ever thing of him in any more romantic way).
Things I didn't like about the book:
• The shift in setting from high-finance cons to a cult. Much prefer the former to the latter.
• Who is the mysterious stranger of the title? I'm still wondering...
• Seemed totally unbelievable that a private group like the Sherwood/Archers could call in the FBI just in time to save the day, and the FBI wouldn't question their involvement?
• The continually stupid things the two did while undercover, things that should have revealed their true identities but somehow don't (talking to each other using their real names; talking out loud to farm animals about their romantic troubles; being allowed to have the run of the compound during their daily morning runs, when the cult is supposed to be controlling their actions and movement, etc. etc.)
• The "ick" factor of Rory dating the eldest brother for several years, and then suddenly discovering she really loves the younger one; also, the worse ick factor of Cal, who supposedly always knew that Zeke was in love with Rory, still dated/slept with her. And not just for a night, but for months (years?). Yuck!
• The climax, when Rory rescues a drugged Zeke and they almost immediately jump into the sexual sack. Yeah, you had to get the requisite number of sex scenes in, but please, the guy has just spend hours hallucinating and puking! Let him sleep already...
• The post-climax estrangement, which I didn't quite understand the reasons for, except to make the book a little longer
Needless to say, this is not my favorite Paton book :-(
Turns out Zeke and Rory have been besties forever, although Zeke has been hiding his pining heart for Rory for years. Rory wants to go undercover to try and redeem herself in the eyes of the family; Zeke, a daredevil, action type, wants to bring the bad guys down while spending time with his bestie (with no hope that she'll ever thing of him in any more romantic way).
Things I didn't like about the book:
• The shift in setting from high-finance cons to a cult. Much prefer the former to the latter.
• Who is the mysterious stranger of the title? I'm still wondering...
• Seemed totally unbelievable that a private group like the Sherwood/Archers could call in the FBI just in time to save the day, and the FBI wouldn't question their involvement?
• The continually stupid things the two did while undercover, things that should have revealed their true identities but somehow don't (talking to each other using their real names; talking out loud to farm animals about their romantic troubles; being allowed to have the run of the compound during their daily morning runs, when the cult is supposed to be controlling their actions and movement, etc. etc.)
• The "ick" factor of Rory dating the eldest brother for several years, and then suddenly discovering she really loves the younger one; also, the worse ick factor of Cal, who supposedly always knew that Zeke was in love with Rory, still dated/slept with her. And not just for a night, but for months (years?). Yuck!
• The climax, when Rory rescues a drugged Zeke and they almost immediately jump into the sexual sack. Yeah, you had to get the requisite number of sex scenes in, but please, the guy has just spend hours hallucinating and puking! Let him sleep already...
• The post-climax estrangement, which I didn't quite understand the reasons for, except to make the book a little longer
Needless to say, this is not my favorite Paton book :-(
July 19, 2019
Rory Archer and Zeke Sherwood, friends forever in both life and their work as Robin Hood-style con artists, are embedded as brother and sister into a doomsday cult with a mission to find evidence to bring it down.
Rory wants a chance to prove herself after she spectacularly blew up a con when her relationship with Zeke's big brother and fellow con artist Cal failed. But Rory is finding the mission difficult not just because it's leader has set his sights on her for his next baby-maker, but because she finds herself looking at Zeke in a whole new light.
Zeke has always been in love with Rory, but built a wall around his feelings after she chose his brother. Now, in the confines of the cult, he can't help but wonder if Rory's interest is because they are trapped, or if it is real.
Lust, longing, and love turn this romantic suspense into a wild, sexy, and emotional ride that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Slow-burn but so hot when these two finally give in to their urges.
I did feel a bit lost, as I haven't read the first two book in this series in such a long time, and I could not remember Zeke and Rory from the other stories. You may want to start with those before picking it up, but it can standalone.
CW: Physical violence, humiliation of some characters, talk about fertility, threat of sexual violence (but never carried out), addiction used as a cover for a character.
Thank you to the author for the free review copy!
Rory wants a chance to prove herself after she spectacularly blew up a con when her relationship with Zeke's big brother and fellow con artist Cal failed. But Rory is finding the mission difficult not just because it's leader has set his sights on her for his next baby-maker, but because she finds herself looking at Zeke in a whole new light.
Zeke has always been in love with Rory, but built a wall around his feelings after she chose his brother. Now, in the confines of the cult, he can't help but wonder if Rory's interest is because they are trapped, or if it is real.
Lust, longing, and love turn this romantic suspense into a wild, sexy, and emotional ride that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Slow-burn but so hot when these two finally give in to their urges.
I did feel a bit lost, as I haven't read the first two book in this series in such a long time, and I could not remember Zeke and Rory from the other stories. You may want to start with those before picking it up, but it can standalone.
CW: Physical violence, humiliation of some characters, talk about fertility, threat of sexual violence (but never carried out), addiction used as a cover for a character.
Thank you to the author for the free review copy!
August 28, 2019
I had already read One Night Wife and when I heard that Rory was getting her own happy ending, I knew I had to rush out and read this. I begged an ARC off the author. (She was looking for readers, I didn't just accost her in the street).
After she screwed up the last project, Rory is keen to prove herself again. This time she's working with her lifelong best friend Zeke and they're going to infiltrate a doomsday cult! Rory adores Zeke, but he's strictly in the friend zone as far as she's concerned... but Zeke has been in love with Rory for as long as he can remember.
I love a good friends to lovers story.
The doomsday cult was really quite disturbing. At one point I was genuinely anxious that they wouldn't get out of it unscathed. (Arguably, they weren't unscathed at the end because the cult stuff does mess with the mind). The amount of research that had gone into the book was impressive - the cult was completely believable and very claustrophobic.
Zeke is a big softie and goes out of his way to be kind to individuals, to the point of almost risking the operation. Rory is learning to forgive herself - and the indoctrination into the cult doesn't help matters in that regard. All the while, they are slowly eroding the internal barriers that stop them from telling each other how they really feel.
I really enjoyed this book and I'll look out for more from this author. I read an ARC. This is my honest review.
After she screwed up the last project, Rory is keen to prove herself again. This time she's working with her lifelong best friend Zeke and they're going to infiltrate a doomsday cult! Rory adores Zeke, but he's strictly in the friend zone as far as she's concerned... but Zeke has been in love with Rory for as long as he can remember.
I love a good friends to lovers story.
The doomsday cult was really quite disturbing. At one point I was genuinely anxious that they wouldn't get out of it unscathed. (Arguably, they weren't unscathed at the end because the cult stuff does mess with the mind). The amount of research that had gone into the book was impressive - the cult was completely believable and very claustrophobic.
Zeke is a big softie and goes out of his way to be kind to individuals, to the point of almost risking the operation. Rory is learning to forgive herself - and the indoctrination into the cult doesn't help matters in that regard. All the while, they are slowly eroding the internal barriers that stop them from telling each other how they really feel.
I really enjoyed this book and I'll look out for more from this author. I read an ARC. This is my honest review.
October 2, 2019
I loved this book! It had great MCs, plenty of angsty unrequited love with a compelling and thrilling backdrop. Read it if you love:
Friends to lovers
Suspense
Cults
Found family
Angst
A truly beautiful and heartwarming tale of finding yourself and the love of your life whilst working to take down an evil cult
Friends to lovers
Suspense
Cults
Found family
Angst
A truly beautiful and heartwarming tale of finding yourself and the love of your life whilst working to take down an evil cult
September 27, 2019
I thought this was pretty good. I'm not sure that I really bought him taking off toward the end...that didn't make sense to me. I felt like there was some set-up in other books that I missed (I haven't read the whole series). But overall, a pretty good read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 28, 2019
3.5. While the unusual setting was fascinating, I also felt it detracted from my ability to truly “participate “ in the development of this friends-to-lovers relationship. As always, however, Patton is a superb storyteller.
October 29, 2019
I wish we had gotten to be more involved in the wrap up of the compound. It just kind of... happened.
November 7, 2021
Pretty good, but a bit of a letdown from the first two books - the setting was less compelling than I expected.
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