An Uneasy Alliance

by Kyra Radcliff

A bitter beginning that led to the sweetest ending…

The last thing small town mayor, Katherine James, wants is a call that her brother is behind bars. Not a good look. When she goes to see him, however, he swears that he’s innocent and is being framed by the brother of the woman he loves.

Set on doing whatever it takes to get her brother out of this horrific predicament without employing her powers as mayor, Katherine finds herself agreeing to a bizarre deal with the cunning and wickedly handsome Tate Reilly: Be his live-in social secretary for one month in exchange for dropping the charges against her brother.

Sounds easy enough, right?

But when a quiet, unassuming beauty falls under the command of an arrogant, hot-as-sin jerk, things are bound to get interesting. It’s not long before the searing attraction between the two threatens to consume them both.

Weeks later, when the tables turn and Tate finds himself on the other end of the stick this time around, Katherine throws him the same deal that he’d thrown her.
During their last deal, things had gotten far too hot and heavy to contain.

This time, their blazing passion just might burn the house down.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Fiction

182 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 27, 2020

About the author

Kyra’s love for big and energetic dogs is unrivalled although her passion for writing contemporary romance comes first! A foodie with a knack for whipping up different cuisines inspired by both her heroes and heroines. She loves to travel the world and ensures she visits her family and friends. An outgoing, fun-loving, romantic who is sociable and generous to a fault. She enjoys reading and taking long walks with her pets. She also loves a good debate, can be picky in her choices and sometimes confrontational in her approach. Kyra indulges in all things romance, humour, music and current affairs. She despises crime-action, procedurals, historical content, dishonesty and too much cleanliness. Her romantic experiences before marriage continually inspire her writing.

Reviews

[Vishnu Chevli · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been reading thriller and crime novels lately. Many of them were of a psychological thriller. Reading them during lockdown was actually made my mind very very serious. So I decided to lighten my mood, that's when I saw a romantic cover of "An Uneasy Alliance" by Kyra Radcliffe. The cover reminded my Mills & Boons series. The book was available in Kindle Unlimited so I took the chance and read the sample chapter. The sample chapters gave me confidence that the book is good to go. So here I am discussing my observations about the book.

Let me give you a brief of the story first. The central characters of our story are Katherine and Tate. One fine day Katherine, the mayor of Blissmore, got to know that her younger brother Keith was in jail. On meeting Keith, Katherine came to know Keith was framed by his girlfriend, Samantha's brother Tate for frame charged. Katherine wanted Keith to fight the case but Keith wanted the blessing of Tate for his wedding with Samantha. Katherine met with Tate, who was under impression that Katherine was unemployed. At the same time, he found her attractive, he thought of having a good time with Katherine by making Her work as social secretary for his work. There was unspoken chemistry between Tate and Katherine but same time there was a sweet enmity between them. The period of 2 weeks decided between them when eventful and Katherine went back to her town with tearful eyes. Read the book to know whether Katherine-Tate or Keith-Samantha finally meet or not.

Coming to the writing style, the story is written with a minimalistic approach. You will not find complexity in plot narration. There are hardly 7-8 characters in the story, which means you can easily keep track of characters as well. The language is easy to follow, I would recommend it for beginners. Due to a slight sexual touch, I would suggest it keep away from under 14.

Some critical observations. Though the book is written more like a love story a few parts I found written like erotica, well the language of those narratives were tender compare to plain erotica, which was a slight relief.

Overall a good light mood read. You may read it in 3-4 sittings. I finished it in 3 and enjoyed it.

I would give 3.5 out of 5 to this story.

Detailed review link https://chevusread.blogspot.com/2020/...

[Alaina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have received this ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

An Uneasy Alliance was an okay book for me. Not my favorite so far but that's because things were just a bit too predictable. Plus the whole live with me for two weeks thing was just a smidge weird. Yet, I was hopeful that maybe something would happen and excite me.

I'm not saying that I didn't enjoy the romance between the two main characters - because I did. I just seemed rather bored with what was going on. I didn't really get the whole keeping her job a secret to begin with and then the ending was just kind of meh to me.

It was cute but, again, not my favorite.

[Rainz ❤️rainnbooks❤️(on a break) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many Thanks to Dawn Hill Publications for a copy of this book. All opinions are expressed voluntarily.

A contemporary romance by Kyra Radcliff, An Unlikely Alliance has a billionaire masochist hero pitted against a strong and sensible heroine who is no shrinking violet.

As the mayor of Isle of Blissmore, Katherine James has no reason to kowtow to the obnoxious Tate Reilly but that’s exactly what she’s forced to do as she fights for her brother Keith’s wrongful imprisonment. As Tate forces her to work as his social secretary without being aware of her actual job status, Katherine is subjected to humiliation but once the adversaries take stock of each other and decide to be civil, flames begin to erupt as signs of attraction and desire makes itself known.

Kyra Radcliff writes stories that warms the cockles of one’s heart. An Uneasy Alliance is definitely a romance but there’s also a thread of sibling love that makes it a pleasure to read and enjoy. I loved the simple tit-for-tat game that Katherine forces upon Tate and what is more fun than having a handsome hero who is a billionaire but that he can also cook like a dream. In fact, most of books that I have read by the author has that theme of heroine not knowing the ABCD of cooking but it is the hero who is the master with pots and pans. The concept was a little hard to take in this book as in one scene it is shown that Katherine cannot even rustle up a decent sandwich even after being a caretaker of her brother.

The romance was stirring and the chemistry between the leads hot and potent. For toe-curling romance to cozy up during winter, An Uneasy Alliance is the perfect choice.

This review is published in my blog https://rainnbooks.com/, Goodreads, Amazon India and twitter.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

An Uneasy Alliance was a great quick romance read with awesome female characters and sizzling passionate scenes. Be prepared to be addicted!

Read this review on my blog!



ALPHA MALE | STRONG & SMART FEMALE CHARACTERS | FLAMING HOT SEXUAL TENSION | SIBLING RELATIONSHIPS | HEA

RATING: 4⭐/5
note: this book contain scenes for mature audiences

Buy this book on Amazon! Also available on Kindle Unlimited:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Uneasy-Allia...

This review is a collaboration with Dawn Hill Publications LTD, everything written here is my honest opinion.

Tate Reily is an attractive and busy man, and desperately in need of a social secretary. He loves his younger sister so much. So the only thing that crossed his mind to protect his sister when she told Tate that she's going to be married is to put her boyfriend into jail.
Katherine is a successful, smart, independent woman. She is the Mayor of Blissmore. But when her younger brother is being framed of a crime he didn't commit, Katherine will do anything to prove his innocence and get him out of jail without using her influence as a mayor. Even if it means she has to accept a deal to work as a social secretary for an overbearing man.
Little did they know, their agreement will not end up as planned. When her deal is off, Katherine set on her revenge by putting Tate in the same position as she was. Things are going to get complicated and hot between them. Could they control their blazing passion and desire for each other to honor both of their deals or would they succumb to their feelings?

And yet, she was also complex, interestingly so. She was a bundle of contradictions.

An Uneasy Alliance is the last one in the first three romance books from Dawn Hill Publications. But don't worry, this will not be the last book from them that I have the interest to read and review. I'm looking forward to their other books because I really liked this book and the previous ones, The Billionaire Needs a Bodyguard and Billionaire Boss, Undercover Affair!

The Billionaire Needs a Bodyguard by Ravina Hilliard review on my blog.
Billionaire Boss, Undercover Affair by Kyra Radcliff review on my blog.

An Uneasy Alliance started out smoothly, not wasting any time on unnecessary details. It has a couple of things that resonate with me and I loved that. This is the second book by Kyra Radcliff that I've read so far. Though I can tell there were similarities between them (a woman has to work for a man because of some kind of a deal and then they fell in love), each book has their own great story and characters. I do hope Kyra will write something different but equally, if not more fantastic, than her previous works.

One of the things that appeal to me in this book is that there were relationships between siblings that I loved dearly. Having 3 siblings myself, I could relate to the characters' desire to protect and provide everything for the sake of their sibling's happiness. Even though those relationships were not the main one in this book, I could still enjoy their ups and downs thanks to Kyra's detailed attention to the side characters.

She had always fantasized about a gentle lover, someone who would never utter a harsh word to her, taking care of her tenderly, while allowing her to be independent. Tate Reilly was nothing like that. He was harsh, judgemental, overbearing and autocratic.

Talking about the side characters, Kyra wrote them so well. In fact, I seemed to prefer them to the main characters. It's not that the main ones were bad or lacking in some way. I just thought that it'd be great if we have more pages to dig deeper about them. I'm specifically talking about you, Keith James. Katherine, our FMC, is an amazing woman. I admired her persistence greatly. I loved intelligent hardworking women and she is totally one of them! On the other hand, I'm not so fond of Tate. He is a controlling and judgmental person. I thought he'd grew on me eventually but I couldn't seem to like him which is very unfortunate.

Aside from the characters and the writing, another thing that I loved is the amount of strong women energy this book has. Besides Katherine, there was Sam, Tate's sister. Sam is a creative, kind, brave, and smart young woman. She is not the type to sit still and look pretty. Doesn't matter what the world says or what her brother tells her to do, she will make her own path and turn out to be spectacular. Seriously, Katherine and Sam is the perfect combo!

Overall, I really enjoyed An Uneasy Alliance. A well-written book with great characters, scenes that can set your Kindle on fire, and a beautiful ending. This book is perfect for you who love romance books and is looking for a quick read that will suck you in with its addicting story.

Thank you for reading and liking my review. What are your thoughts on this book? I'd love to discuss it in the comments, so don't hesitate to write down your opinion! Follow my socials and get awesome book recommendations or we can just talk about books all day long!

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[Katie Utterly Unashamed · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 lackluster stars.....

My thoughts during this entire book......



This is my first book of this author. The writing wasn't all that bad. The storyline was exactly what I hate about books and it was actually pretty ridiculous.

You are telling me that not once did the multi-millionnaire once think - hey maybe I will just google her and/or her brother. Maybe do a mild background check.



Seriously, I google people I don't even know, bet your ass I'm going to google someone living in my house.



From there we go on to have an entire book of complete miscommunication and withholding of feeling... But yet they still managed to fall in "true soul mate love", while being completely idiots. Wait, maybe that is it. If you are both idiots it works.



Anyway, like I said the writing wasn't bad. I just couldn't stand the plot. I can definitely see how many would like this book, but it just wasn't for me.



This review is a collaboration with Dawn Hill Publications LTD, everything written here is my honest opinion.

[Jungian.Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to Dawn Hill Publication for making this book available to me.

Out of nowhere, Katherine gets a call that her brother Keith has been locked up by the police for possession of some stolen jewellery. He says that he has been framed by the brother of his girlfriend, Samantha. He asks that Katherine go help him plead with Tate Reilly. Katherine decides to go meet Tate in hopes of them coming to an agreement.

When she meets him, she quickly realizes that he is a controlling asshole. He claimed Katherine's brother was trying to kidnap his sister and steal all her money because he thinks Keith is no lazy bum after her money. Katherine offers to pay bail and promise that her brother would not go near Samantha anymore but that was not enough for Tate. He asked that she be is secretary for some time and he would drop all charges against Keith. It might have been the instant attraction between the two of them because Katherine agrees to be is secretary!!!!!!

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

What do you get when you mix two star crossed lovers, a rich hunk with big brother issues and an offer you can’t refuse? You get Katherine James’ current situation and the plot of Kyra Radcliff’s new release An Uneasy Alliance.
Katherine (don’t call her Kate or worse Kat) is happy as the mayor of the small island she grew up on. She spends her days and nights trying to find ways to bring life back to Blissmore. However when her baby brother winds up in jail accused of a crime he didn’t commit, Katherine finds herself making a deal with the devil. Only this devil is flesh and blood, no horns in sight.
Tate Reilly is not interested in hearing all the love sick reasons his baby sister thinks shes in love. He knows better. This Keith James is after Samantha’s money he’s sure of it. So after arranging Keith’s arrest for stealing, Sam will finally be free. Perfect plan, right? Wrong. Keith enlists the help of his sister who will do anything to save her brother. Katherine knows Tate will never see her if she says who she really is. Under the guise of interviewing to be his new social secretary, she gets an audience with his hotness, I mean Tate. The cat is soon out the bag and Tate makes Katherine an offer she can’t refuse. Be his social secretary for two weeks and then she and her brother go free. Against her better judgment, she agrees. After all two weeks isn’t that long.
Katherine is unaware that Keith led Sam to believe she was unemployed. After two weeks of back and forth, fighting their mutual attraction, Tate is dead set on keeping Katherine. After all she needs a job and he’s got the perfect one for her, one that includes a fringe benefit, him. However, Katherine isn’t interested and flees his home and him. Finally settling back into her life on Blissmore.
When his sister goes missing, Tate tracks Katherine down and shows up at her house asking if she knows where Sam is. Now the tables are turned. She has something he needs. He’s in her home, where its her rules and demands. This time Tate will work for Katherine for two weeks. Cooking, cleaning, whatever she asks. At the end of the two weeks, she will tell him what she knows about his sister. Not having a choice, he agrees. The two weeks are eye opening for both. He still believes she’s unemployed and is still determined to have her come work for him. On the last night of his two week sentence, Katherine asks him to cook dinner for guests she’s having over. The dinner will be eye opening for everyone. Will the truth finally set everyone free? Or will hard heads, strong tempers and broken promises lead to both couples parting ways?
This book is an excellent read. Kyra has done an excellent job with the characters and I found myself really rooting for both couples. Her location descriptions are spot on. I can’t wait to read more from her!

[Page Grey (Editor) · Rating 4 out of 5]

An Uneasy Alliance is a surprise primarily because of the characters, so even though the book is short, the author still managed to provide a good story. Katherine and Tate’s romance is really a surprise. I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did. It was fun to see them butting heads while slowly falling for each other…until they can’t deny their attraction anymore.

I admire Katherine. She’s a strong-willed woman who knows her place and knows when to fight. I really cheered for her when she laid out her analysis of Tate’s supposed romantic feelings. On the other hand, Tate’s a bit cliche – tall, dark, handsome, and has an overbearing attitude. Sometimes, he can be mean and bully, and really stubborn. Unfortunately for him, Katherine is as stubborn as he is. By the way, if I was Tate I would disagree with Keith and Sam’s romance too. With everything that Tate knew about Keith, it’s understandable that he doesn’t want his sister to marry Keith. Their age is one reason.

I admit the concept is not that new but the author still manage to make the story engaging and entertaining. I really liked the idea of their siblings falling in love first and are the reason the main characters meet. And I enjoyed Sam and Keith’s parts in the story, not just their own romance but their intervention in Katherine and Sam’s romance.

My favorite part of the story is when Tate and Katherine’s position shifted, when Katherine got the upper hand in the second half of the story. I enjoyed the payback as much as Katherine did, and that includes not just Tate learning some lessons, but also the romance development. Tate can be sweet, after all.

That said, An Uneasy Alliance is not just a love story, it’s also fun, steamy, and surprisingly heartwarming. Tate’s development made sure of the last. This book is really worth reading. I recommend this book if you want a quick, fun and steamy read with great characters.

[Casey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately this book was not for me. I couldn't get past the abusiveness of Tate, the love interest, or Katherine's acceptance of it. She mostly apologized after Tate would verbally abuse her, and think to herself how he was justified in thinking his messed up thoughts which is typical victim behaviour. Both Katherine and Tate admit multiple times that he is abusive. This book is about an abusive relationship, and for some reason no one around them thinks it's a bad thing? Tate, at one time, criticizes an employee for leaving her job to get married and stay at home saying that women need to be independent in this day and age, but then rules his sister's life with an iron fist. She is not allowed to marry anyone without his permission. He also at one point thinks he would like to take care of Katherine so she wouldn't have to work....so much for thinking women should be independent.

I didn't feel any connection with the characters, I obviously wasn't into Tate because he is so abusive and didn't have any redeeming qualities. Katherine also was not very interesting, and not a very believable character. The ending was outlandish.

I did like the twist near the middle of the book, I was hoping things were going to turn around and they kind of did for a while. Things got better and I was enjoying the book more, until the series of events at the end. Unfortunately this one was a miss for me.

Thank you to the publisher for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Cheryl Graham-Petit · Rating 4 out of 5]

An engaging enemies-to-lovers romance with a great storyline and characters, drama, heartbreak, plot twist, undeniable attraction, suspense, humor, and steamy scenes.

I volunteered to review an advance reader copy of this book.

[Isha Coleman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dangerous attraction leads to a forever kind of love. An Uneasy Alliance proves to be an intriguing blend of suspense and romance. Radcliff makes it hard to look away from this complicated trainwreck. Tate and Katherine are on a collision course with love and it's anything but smooth sailing.

[Yasmin Gallo · Rating 3 out of 5]

“‘Penny, for your thoughts?’ she said, her voice husky, her tone taunting. She was still standing too close to him, her scent wafting into his flared nostrils. It was her natural scent, he realised, not perfume, and it was tantalising. ‘I was just thinking how you would react if I made love to you right here on this dining table,’ he blurted, surprising himself and her with his candidness."

Katherine is the mayor of Blissmore, a small island close to London, and when she sees her brother going to jail, framed by the brother of his girlfriend - Tate, she finds herself obliged to make a deal with him to help her own brother.

Honestly, when I started this book I was not sure how I would end it liking Tate, I mean, he put Katherine`s brother in jail knowing he was innocent and obliged her to work two weeks for him before he gets her brother out of the jail. But the thing is that it was fun to see them fighting against their attraction and I found myself really curious to see where the book was going...

In the middle of the book there was a plot twist and it was time for us to see Tate following Katherine`s rules, I wasn`t expecting for it and it was good to see. The characters were definitely crazy, not just the main characters but also their siblings, but I think it helped the book to be more light.

In some moments, the book reminded me of a Contemporary Beauty and the Beast. It was a fast reading with a cute ending and if you are looking for something not serious and easy to read this is the book for you.

“Katherine caught her breath at that beautiful smile. How come she hadn’t noticed how beautiful he looked when he smiled? His eyes had a gleam and his lips curled at just the corners, a faint hint of his teeth showing through them."

Thank you to Dawn Hill Publications for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Part of a series: No
HEA Yes
Cheating No
Any couple separation No
Angst Level: High
Heat Level: Medium to low
Cliffhanger: No

[Maxine Robinson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Where do I even start?

The characters? Fucking pitiful. They lacked depth, growth and any real consequences for their behaviour. The main male character was a misogynistic twat, with no redeeming qualities. He was abusive, controlling and violent. He behaved like a child in a grown mans body and had temper tantrums constantly. His mood swings could give you whiplash and he took no responsibility for his actions. He would be mean and display bullying behaviour and then two seconds later change his mind and decide nope, he was over what he just did, you shouldn't be sad about it anymore because he isn't.

And the female mc was a fucking doormat. It was gross and infuriating and I can not figure out why I finished reading it.

I guess I held out some hope for it getting better, but if anything It got worse. When a few twists were revealed, the insane level of manipulation and deception was mind blowing and the mc was so willing to look past it. Her own brother fucked her over for his own gain. It was pathetic.

If there were just a couple of honest conversations without people having temper tantrums or crying on their pillow, shit would have been resolved in a couple of pages. I fucking hate this trope. I think it's lazy and hard to execute well.

I like arrogant, jealous, possessive males in my romance books, I love watching them grow and embrace the romance, but it has to be written well and this came up lacking in every way that matters. The characters were 1 dimensional, the pacing was blah, their was no substance. It wasn't even mediocre.

Also whoever thought that the cover was a good idea, was obviously having a really bad day, cause they dropped the ball so freaking much.

I think I'm the most angry at myself though. Why the fuck did I finish it?

[Lizzie the Book Hoarder · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5
"Uneasy Alliance" is a slow burn story of two souls in need of love but are too wrapped up in work and family to notice and take care of themselves.
Katherine has been taking care of her younger brother, Keith for years. Now he has been framed for a crime he didn't commit and she will do whatever she can to get him freed. Tate has been raising his sister, Sam and creating a business from the ground up. Being her guardian he believes he knows what is best for her and will stop at nothing to prevent his sister from marrying who he sees as the wrong man. To help their siblings, Tate and Katherine make a deal. Katherine will work for Tate for two weeks and keep her brother from Sam and Tate will drop the charges against Keith. What neither expected was the complicated relationship that would form between them. Is is just a flirtation or are they meant to be?
There is a lot of miscommunication between the two. Tate does not know how to express his feelings and anything he does say or do comes out wrong. Katherine knows how she feels but is uncertain of Tate's feelings with all the mixed signals he sends. If only they could see that will such similar backgrounds they were meant for each other.
While this was not my favorite Kyra Radcliff I still really enjoyed this story. My favorite part of this book is when Katherine turns the tables on Tate and makes him work for her. I really liked the subplot of Sam and Keith's relationship and maybe they have something else planned for their siblings.

Providing an honest review for Dawn Hill Publishers.

[maria.g · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was a fun read I mean I did finish it in one sitting .
The plot revolves around Katherine James, she is the worshipful Mayor of Blissmore. At the beginning of the book I felt she was such a push over and had a contradicting behavior to the one I expected.As the book progressed she quickly became a headstrong and confident person that i really liked.
Her brother Keith is in jail falsely framed by Tate Reilly. And in comes Big sister Katherine to save the day but instead she is blackmailed by Tate and forced to work for him for two weeks.One of the main attraction in the book for me was the relationship between Keith and Katherine.
Tate is a judgmental, rude guy and for me he did not redeem himself.But he did have his moments mainly towards the end of the book.the author does write wonderfully and I had a great time reading. But the plot felt a little too fictional.The chemistry between Kat and Tate was good, the heartbreak , the sibling love, the untold truths, the drama, enemies to lovers bit were also really fun to read.

[Shivangi Rai · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks to Dawn Hill Publications for providing me with a copy
This is one infuriating book if I have read one. Both the male and female lead were head strong, bossy and were in a complete sense of denial for so long it became a little tiresome to read.
The story begins with Katherine James visiting her brother Keith in jail - and let me tell you I didn't feel any brother-sister bonding between them as she was getting irritated at him for calling her with a nickname -Kate. For some godforsaken reason they are trying to hide a very unimportant and minuscule thing such as her having a job. A job as a mayor of a small town - from Keith's girlfriend Sam and brother Tate. Later to bring her brother out of jail Katherine tries to become social security to Tate. I don't even know why she did it because never did she display any love for her brother and she was always blaming him without even knowing that was he actually at fault or not.
Tate and Kate (that rhymes) do this dancing around where they try to hide their feeling from one-another and in a way hurting each other. This goes on for entire book. The most saddening thing I noticed while reading is that the characters "thought" all the relevant things that were necessary in the story and which they should be "telling" the other person but never said it. It was as if the author just wanted us, readers to know that. This made the story too long and boring for me as by the time they ACTUALLY came to confessing things I've already read and known from the first early 10 pages and it was just redundant.
My 2cents on this books is - Read if you want to learn fancy English words and don't want to use your brain.

[Shia · Rating 1 out of 5]

I reallllly tried with this but had to DNF at 25%.

Katherine’s character was so hard to like. She appears to be this strong independent feisty woman but becomes submissive so easily at the smallest bark from Tate. I really despised that trait especially if her background was supposed to make her so much stronger and able to stand against state without turning into a withering flower.

Tate was enjoyable - his broody nature was expected and while his temper flares were super quick, he was more likable than Katherine.

I also really wish we learned more of Katherine’s background with her being mayor and how she grew as a person from it.

[Rebel Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one, unfortunately, wasn't for me. And, unfortunately, I DNF. Probably just me and my need for getting lost in a book, but reading it felt like a chore and I kept critiquing the author's voice. It has a great concept but failed to go further than that.

[Debby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the best book, but okay. Probably only 2.5 stars. I was determined to finish, even if I thought it was a fairly juvenile story. I think I would recommend passing on it. Just didn’t hold my attention.

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Katherine would do anything to keep her brother Keith out of jail. When she approached Tate with an offer to get charges dropped against her brother, he took her up on it with the intention of using her for his own benefit. For two weeks, Katherine was Tate’s live in secretary. She handled business matters and tried to keep their relationship professional. Tate on the other hand tempted Katherine at every turn. When their deal was up, Tate kept his word and dropped the charges against Katherine’s brother. They parted ways and Katherine ended up with a broken heart. Months pass and Tate comes to Katherine with another request. Will she agree to help him or counter with a request of her own to save her heart? Great story with a happy ending!

[Anna McFarland · Rating 2 out of 5]

Book 74 an uneasy alliance by kyra radcliff
No new authors or titles
Rating 2/5
Summary: Catherine James it's trying to save her small island town of bliss more. To make matters worse, she is trying to get her younger brother out of jail. Apparently for murder nope sorry apparently for a robbery he didn't commit. The only way she can get him out of jail is by turning 2 his girlfriend's brother Kate Riley Tate Riley.

What I thought of it man I'm so glad to be done with this book. At first I thought it was okay but now I just see all the things that are wrong with it. There's maybe like one or two positives but mainly it's on negative. First the plot makes no sense. Considering if there even is a plot. And Tate is an ass to Sam his sister to Keith and especially to Catherine. He made her cry on a daily basis and yet she still in the falling in love with him what the what?! And then when he needs her help instead of just doing a good deed she blackmails him I'm forces him to stay with her. They say they love each other but clearly they don't. There is a lack of respect I guess the lack of trust I don't like a communication. And they have no chemistry. Really they only kiss a couple of times in the book they have sex twice and I guess that means they are ready for marriage? Seriously! Just know no. I yai yai.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

------------------------------------------

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
The Characters

Katherine James is a smart, witty, and determined Mayor of Blissmore who is a saint for what she has to go through with her incarcerated brother, Keith. She was able to save the island of Blissmore from poverty by helping increase interest in investing in the island in the span of three years.

Tate Reilly is a venture capitalist with a company that he started from the ground-up. He is also the tall, dark, brooding, loud-mouth thorn in Katherine’s life as he decides to hire Kathrine to be his live-in social secretary for two weeks in exchange for dropping the robbery charges of Katherin’s brother, Keith. Tate’s character is odd because he hired Katherine immediately, knowing that she is related to someone he distrusts his sister to be with, without doing any background checks, etc before whisking away to his mansion. I will just give the benefit of the doubt that he believes that Katherine will not rob him when he’s asleep.

No woman has stood a chance with me, once I’ve made up my mind. Katherine, I’m going to make you mine.
— Tate, An Uneasy Alliance

The Review:
The story is good and although it’s not a new theme, verging on the underdog story. The writer is British and uses a few British terms but not to the point that readers will not understand (or have to whip out Google searches) per word – which I appreciate. The balance of terms makes the wording relatable.

It was hard to relate the characters at first but as I read further in I can see the uniqueness to each. I like fierce and strong heroines and can see it in Katherine. It’s sad to see her be “abused” by Tate without him knowing the truth. Tate is intense but also all-over-the-place with the way he seesaws between hate and lust for Katherine. The accusations are unfounded and very “shallow” that if only he knows how much she is taking just for the love her brother. I can see why Katherine is cautious and feels that the arrangement is like an entrapment, especially with all the “push and pull” from Tate.

I like how the story turned unexpectedly (I don’t want to spoil the fun of this book) when readers think that it’s the end. I like this and commend the author for pulling this well without making it turn cheesy.

The bond of Katherine and her brother, Keith, is wonderful in siblings that lost their parents. You see her talk to Keith with respect, even if she knows that her brother was wrong on how he went about asking for the hand of Samantha (Sam). Although Tate and his sister, Sam, took care of each other without their parents (also died in an accident), their relationship is different from Katherine-Keith. The juxtaposition of the sibling relationship of Katherine versus Tate is very blatant. I am in awe on how Katherine did deliver “reality” to Tate in order to see that Sam is already an adult and will have to decide things for herself soon or else lose her forever.

Comments:
1.) The book can get confusing since the POV quickly changes without letting readers know so you should be patient and “readjust” yourself on this. One moment you’re in Katherine’s headspace then the next paragraph, you jumped to Tate. A suggestion if this goes back for reissue/republishing to have the POV indicated or move to the next chapter so readers can shift POV slowly.
2.) Scene changes can be abrupt with no separators i.e. from an evening discussion to driving out the next morning. It knocks you off one scene to another. Separators will surely help if the author would want to still continue with the chapter.
3.) The pacing threw me off at times (most likely because separators were lacking) as there are scenes that were slower versus some that glazed through, especially in the end. Maybe it would have benefited the book to have a section as “epilogue” to help readers readjust with the story.

Overall, I like the book. It’s easy to read and relate though both character’s self-doubt of what is going on between them can get a bit tiring especially when they bicker. The chemistry is good and mutual thus makes the scene believable. The unexpected part in the middle of the book as the story turned in another way was great. I would recommend this book for easy reading with a siding of “revenge”. (Remember the saying..." payback is...")

I cannot wait to see what other books come out for Kyra Radcliff.

[Cynthie · Rating 2 out of 5]

*I received a free copy of the book from the publisher*

I kind of have a like-dislike relationship with this story. More on the dislike side. The only thing that made sense was the sexual attraction between the main leads, everything else was so unbelievable. With regards to the relationship between the characters, it could be attributed to the fact that it was sorely underdeveloped in the story. The plot was subpar at best, the characters' behaviour was exasperating (especially the main leads) and their decision making is seriously questionable.

Let's start off with what I like about the story. The main male character, Tate honestly treated the main female character, Katherine like a toy he could play with so frivolously. However, in the last third of the story, Katherine absolutely got the upper hand and she dished the treatment that she had received back to to Tate with relish and double the force. That whole time, I was rooting so much for her, her power and her backbone of steel which should have shown itself way earlier. The second more pleasantly shocking thing was that Tate actually took it in stride. Well, he did protest originally but he actually came to a conclusion and went along with it. And honestly, the way he was treated is neither bad nor good (considering his previous treatment of Katherine), but just extremely rare. You can barely find it in stories or in reality. That switch up (which I cannot disclose as it is a spoiler) is the one that sparked my interest and curiosity for the story, which convinced me to read till the end.
It was a surprising turn of events and mindset that it actually impressed me and I grudgingly grew a little more tolerant of him. Previously, for the first two-thirds of the story, I could barely stomach him and wanted to drop the story all because of him. I would say he did redeem himself (just a little), though he still does not deserve Katherine. A last part where I completely ascended into euphoria was when she actually voiced her humiliation at a certain part, simply because she came across as such a wilting daisy and

Now, for the bits I dislike. First of all, Tate's personality. He is downright infuriating. He has such a short fuse, getting irrationally angry at the tiniest things. He insults Katherine in one breath and then in the next, he is just panting after her. He thinks he is just superior and he goes about making the snidest remarks about Katherine's belongings, upbringing, family and attributes. It was unbearable to read his perpetual dressing down of her. His mood swings were just incorrigible too. To me, he was a little unstable.
Meanwhile, Katherine is supposed to be this proud, confident and self made woman. I mean, being a politician just puts across the idea that one possesses a certain degree of sternness and strength? I did not see Katherine display even a small percentage of that. She actually cried 3 times just halfway into the story and every time, it was all because of Tate?? More than that, she's portrayed as meek , weak and the most forgiving person ever, which is completely at odds in the last third of the story. What was up with that gap? It was more than two different personas being put on, it was just two completely different people? As a character, she was confusing and unbelievable. As a female, she was disappointing to me.
Third, their relationship. The first two-thirds of the story put across their relationship in a very period-typical fashion where women were completely inferior and almost an alien. That societal regression really made me consider dropping this book. I really wish the author developed their relationship so much more because the last third of the book showed immense potential and I absolutely enjoyed their actions then. Alas, it was not explored further and that was such a pity.

Overall, the whole book is mostly forgettable but I do have to commend the author for that beautiful switch up towards the end. It may have not been executed that well but it is such a rarity anywhere so I do cherish it.

New word/s: Obdurate, Moratorium, Extempore

[Jeanna Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Where to start with this book...
I really wanted to enjoy this read. I liked the idea of it. It sounded almost like a Beauty and the Beast re-telling. With Kathrine being held "prisoner" by Nate in order to have her brother released from jail. I can get down with this trope. I guess I wanted a little of:

Instead I got


Kathrine James goes to Tate Reilly to get him to drop the charges he has made against her brother for theft. He needs someone to work for him as a social secretary. They make an arrangement that she'll work for him for two weeks at which time he'll drop the charges on her brother to release him from jail.

There was potential here. However, there were many, many errors; the more I kept reading the more I found wrong with this book and I just could not enjoy it. I tried I really wanted to like it. There was so much potential for sexual tension, for witty banter. But it felt flat, forced and mostly tortured with both of them showing such hot and cold mood swings I kept singing Katy's Perry's song. Especially with Tate. How Kathrine fell for him I'll never know.

Tate didn't want to fall for Kathrine whom he believed was no better than her brother being jobless and therefore completely useless and no good. She must have had an impressive resume for him to "hire" her to work for him. Oh boy the eye rolls. And here is the biggest problem with this whole story, you ready? Do your research! Tate is supposed to be this big shot business man that has built his company into the high ranking status it is yet he's never done a background check? Never used a Google search before? I though maybe this takes place before the interest but they were texting, so for sure they had Google. All he would have had to do with enter Kathrine's name in and he'd find out she was a Mayor of an Island town. I just can't wrap my head around this. It was awful.
I really don't understand why at some point she didn't just tell him what she did. Instead she let him treat her like she was worthless for not being employed.

It didn't get much better when the tables were turned and Tate wound up cooking and cleaning for Kathrine in order to find his now missing sister. It was still awful. I didn't feel any chemistry between these two. And Kathrine whom I thought would be a strong badass kind of characters instead spent a lot of time crying over Tate's treatment of her.

The ending for me didn't get better, even when we were better introduced to Keith and Sam I didn't really like them either. Keith was just there and Sam needed to stand up to her brother a long time ago.

I was giving this book from Dawn Hill Publication in exchange for my honest review. I'm sure there is a lot more I could say but if you like Romance without a lot of realism to the story go for this. Some people were able to enjoy it. I can say that at the beginning I did, but it was not a love meant to last for me.

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have received this book in exchange for an honest review. I got the chance to choose one book out if three that had, in my opinion, the most appealing synopsis and I am really grateful for that. The beginning of this book was by far one of the best I have read lately; it was intriguing, fast-paced and not too hard to focus on or understand. I didn’t expect it to be a new favourite book, but I couldn’t see my rating of this book reaching lower than 4 stars. Even though the beginning was great, there were parts of the story I didn’t enjoy that much.

She was just a common visitor, she had been informed, with only the rights that other visitors had but were welcome to contact the Mayor of London if she felt slighted.

The story follows a sister who came to rescue her brother from jail. He swears he has been framed, that he is innocent. Set on saving his brother, without using her powers as mayor, as her brother requested, Katherine finds herself agreeing to a deal of working for the handsome Tate Reilly to organize some social events for two weeks in exchange for dropping the charges against her brother. Moreover, she is to keep her brother away from his sister. But things take an unexpected turn and it’s not long before the searing attraction between them threatens to consume them both. When tables turn and Tate finds himself on the other end of the stick, Katherine throws him the same deal that he’s thrown her.

Why was he making her go through with it? What had he to gain by making her stay?

The plot was, in my opinion, original. I haven’t seen this kind of approach in any other book I have read so far. It was very pleasant to see the behind the scene activities that led to a successful social event and the dynamics of the team behind. Events were chronologic and easy to follow. I did enjoy the romance, despite the fact that I more often than not wasn’t a fan of the romantic interest. Even more than the romance I like the family relationships between the siblings. To my surprise, I enjoyed the few political elements of the story (Katherine being the mayor of a little town called Blissmore).

He should have been satisfied with the outcome, having successfully reigned in his desires and humiliated her in the process. Why, then, wasn’t he feeling satisfied?

I liked Kyra’s writing a lot. Her descriptions were good and the dialogue was funny most of the time and almost always pleasant to read, however, I didn’t enjoy that much her ability of storytelling. The thing is, I found certain parts to repeat over and over again to the point where it started to get on my nerves. I get that it could be useful to mention that Katherine wakes up late, but does it add to the story if it appears in every chapter this little piece of information?

Find the complete review on my blog: https://dailydooseofbooks.wordpress.c...

[Jeannette · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book from Dawn Hill Publications in exchange for an honest review.

Generally, I'm a fan of romance, so I usually enjoy a good romantic comedy every once in a while and in-between some more serious and difficult-to-tackle books.

From the perspective of the plot, "An Uneasy Alliance" had the bones of a potentially very good enemies-to-lovers novel and I was looking forward to how the story's going to develop. I can still imagine that with a bit more depth both to the main storyline and, especially, to the characters, this would have turned out nicely.

The characters, however, drastically changed my reading experience. I really disliked both Katherine and Tate and I firmly believe that this should not be the sort of romance people should strive to achieve.

Katherine, the feisty, intelligent and hard-working mayor of Blissmore, gets a phone call that her brother has been arrested for theft and later finds out that he was, in fact, framed by his girlfriend's brother, Tate, because Tate wanted to sabotage the relationship. In a desperate attempt to get her brother released from jail, Katherine tries to appeal to Tate and ultimately agrees to his proposal to work for him for two weeks, after which he'll withdraw his complaint against her brother.

I was, pardon the pun, quite uneasy with these characters' relationship right from the start. Instead of level-headed and intelligent, as she was described, Katherine immediately switched to being just horny and immature at the sight of Tate, who, in my opinion, did not give a very good first impression at all, being extremely volatile, borderline violent, as well as rude and aggressive. And up until the end of the book little changed. We were left with the impression that Katherine is a smart woman who can handle herself well, but she spent the vast majority of the novel as a crying, pathetic, submissive girl, who was being constantly humiliated, yelled at, accused of a multitude of bad things, and she'd always end up apologizing to Tate, making up excuses for him, and, mostly, lusting after him, in every possible situation, including when he was treating her like actual trash. Tate, himself, was just despicable. He treated her absolutely awfully, shouted, embarrassed and belittled her in every possible situation, and only ever felt like he'd done something wrong once he saw that she was crying, or just heard her crying herself to sleep.

Even if the two of them managed to forgive each other for all the bad, I really don't think that this describes a healthy relationship in any way.

Therefore: +2 stars for the idea; -3 stars for the characters.

[Amber Coulson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Katherine and Tate meet when Katherine’s brother is arrested for a crime he didn’t commit. He was framed by Tate because he wanted to marry Tate’s little sister, Sam, and Tate was not having that AT ALL! Katherine, being the kick ass big sister that she is, steps in to save her brother from unjust prosecution. Tate makes her a deal, if she serves as his social secretary for two weeks he will drop the charges. Katherine agrees and then it’s ON LIKE DONKEY KONG!

Okay so now that that’s out of the way let me say what I liked about his book. It was a pretty easy read. Nothing too complex or time consuming. I actually really liked the character of Tate and Keith. I could definitely see Keith in my head as the little brother who never had to grow up because his sister was always picking up the pieces. In a movie, I would imagine him as a young Owen Wilson.

Here’s what I didn’t like. It’s a lot but that doesn’t mean I hated the book. I’m actually a harsher critic when I think something has potential because I think if these things are hammered out it could be amazing.

My first issue is with Tate’s character development. Katherine asks a very thought provoking question about half way through the book, “Who was the real Tate?” Well, that’s wtf I was wondering. It’s like he was bipolar. He would legit turn on her and then be sweet to her within the same 30 second interval. It was difficult for me to keep up
With as a reader so I could only imagine experiencing it. I think if the book were longer we could have really gotten into his mind a bit more which would have made it all the better.

Secondly, Katherine. In the beginning I thought I would love Katherine. I related to her. She’s a strong independent woman who would do anything for her sibling, even uncompensated labor with a crazy person. However, once we get past the first like chapter and a half she seems real weak. I was like is this supposed to be the same character. Tate is going crazy on her and she legit just takes it. She doh give him no attitude or talk no shit. I don’t like that. That’s not the character I was promised in the first chapters. I want this same story but with a smart mouth Katherine. That would make the kiss/love scenes so much better. All that fire!! All that heat!

I say all this to say that, while I definitely think there is room for improvement, the novel is not bad at all. I would recommend it for young adults who like 50 Shades of Grey but with better grammar and not so many details.

[Meander - Read & Roam · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ 
Type: Standalone 
Genre: Contemporary Fiction Romance 
Primary Characters: Katherine James, Tate Reilly 
Narration: Limited third person 

I have received this book from publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

An Uneasy Alliance is an okay book for me.  Book starts out exactly the way it’s described in blurb. Katherine James is a Mayor in a small town and meets her brother behind the bars. When he explains that he is framed for theft by his women’s brother, Katherine goes to meet him. She accepts to be his live-in social secretary for few weeks in exchange for dropping the charges against her brother.  

Tate is Shrewd, Cunning and Handsome. He is in desperate need for social secretary. He doesn’t do a background check about Kathrine and takes his sister’s word about her. He is unaware that she is Mayor. During their time together, they do develop a truce and sort of companionable relationship. Now their time is up. What happens to Tate and Kate? What about the relationship between main protagonist brother and sister? 

When Tate’s sister goes missing, tables are turned and Kathrine will put same condition what he told her. I was intrigued here that how it would turn out, but somehow it didn’t hold my interest for long. Somehow, I couldn’t believe the fact that he isn't aware of her professional identity even when he enters her town and home. Katherine is strong and Independent. She fell hard and fast for Tate than my liking and it was predictable. 

Writing style had few up’s and down. Since its written from limited third person view, it was tough to understand from whose perspective we are reading. It got jumbled at certain places. Plot was simple and little predictable. There were no intriguing secondary characters. Their younger siblings were ok, not so charming or interesting. I didn’t feel the connection and I missed the strong relationship development and building. Relationship building was more on physical terms than on character. 

Overall, it’s an Okay book with quick read.  I would recommend you to pick this, if you enjoy a contemporary fiction with a bit of Drama. Enjoy, Happy Reading  

 Source: Courtesy of Author/Publisher – ARC 

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[Sage Nestler · Rating 5 out of 5]

QUICK TAKE
An Uneasy Alliance is a steamy treasure that drips with lust and adventure. Fans of erotica are sure to be overjoyed by the delights inside!

TELL ME MORE
Often I find myself in the mood for a quick and fun romance, so when I came across An Uneasy Alliance I knew that I was in for a treat.

An Uneasy Alliance by Kyra Radcliff is a high-stakes thriller that follows Katherine James, a small-town mayor, and Tate Reilly, a man who can help Katherine get her brother out of jail if she serves as his social secretary. In the beginning, Katherine doesn’t get along with Tate, but she is willing to do whatever she can to help her brother get out of jail. However, the attraction between Katherine and Tate is palpable, and after Tate ends up in a desperate circumstance, Katherine helps him by giving him the same ultimatum that he gave her. But this time, the attraction between Katherine and Tate heats up, throwing the reader into a whirlwind of lust and desperation.

An Uneasy Alliance is unique in that it houses a complex storyline as well as erotic moments, and two main characters who completely captivate the reader. I loved to hate Tate, and I enjoyed Katherine’s wit and humor. The erotic moments were appropriate to the storyline and weren’t overbearing, allowing the novel’s plotline to shine through. This is the second book that I have read by Kyra Radcliff, and I can honestly say that I adore her storytelling skills. There were so many facets to this story, and it completely captivated me.

Radcliff’s ability to develop her characters intensified my enjoyment of the story, and forced me to fall into Radcliff’s fictional world from the get-go. Her characters take the reader on a delightful adventure filled with satire, grit, and attraction that is undeniable. I lost my sense of reality while I was reading, which, for me, marks the presence of an incredible author.

If you are looking for a complicated and intriguing romance adventure, then please go and pick up An Uneasy Alliance. You are sure to love Kyra Radcliff’s writing as much as I do!

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from Dawn Hill Publications in exchange for an honest review.

An Uneasy Alliance by Kyra Radcliff revolves around a hate-love relationship between Katherine and Tate. Due to extraneous circumstances of their first meeting, they deny their searing attraction towards one another. However, when Katherine is coerced to be Tate’s live-in social secretary for two weeks in order to bail her brother out of jail, their sizzling attraction starts to spill over into their professional agreement.

Radcliff offers a quick romantic read with great side characters and strong female representation. Katherine and her brother, Keith, had a typical sibling relationship that is obviously filled with ups and downs given the hardships they had to endure together as youths. As someone who has an older brother, I found Tate’s relationship with his younger sister, Sam, to be extremely relatable as my brother is very protective of me… but definitely not on the same level as Keith is and for that, I’m highly thankful!

I found Tate to be very controlling and overbearing towards his sister and Katherine. Instead of a healthy amount of concern for his sister, he became territorial. His behaviour kinda reminded me of a dad who would ask his daughter to bring home her boyfriend for the first time and when the doorbell rings he greats the boyfriend with a bat in one hand. Which is comical in a way but also completely outrageous. A few extra pages about the siblings and their history would provide important context to their actions for the reader.

But my biggest pet peeve was definitely the lack of communication. I know this happens in all relationships but the lack of clear communication consistently throughout the story frustrated me, especially as the main characters grew closer to one another and “trust” was built.

Overall, I enjoyed Radcliff’s writing style, especially as the story jumped right into the nitty-gritty and didn’t bother with unnecessary fluff. Radcliff delivered a quick read that was easy to follow and a peppered with a few steamy scenes.