Revenge

TEST

I have been eagerly anticipating the release of Revenge since reading Satisfaction, the second book in Lexi Blake’s Lawless series, as this is a series in which subsequent books really do build on the prior stories. By the time I actually got my hands on Revenge I was already familiar with its characters and suspense plot, which made me only more certain of how much I would enjoy it. To that end, I would recommend that anyone remotely interested in reading either Revenge or the books which precede it stop reading this review now, as I cannot help but give spoilers for the other books in the series. While they can technically be read as standalones, you’ll definitely get more out them if you read them in order.

Drew Lawless is the oldest and generally considered the most inscrutable of the Lawless children. Years ago his parents died in a fire, in what was reported as a murder-suicide, and Drew and his three younger siblings were all scattered throughout the foster care system. It was Drew’s tech genius – inherited from his father – which brought them back together, as he established a successful company and rebuilt their family unit. Since that fire, Drew has been all about taking responsibility – for his family, his office, his revenge. He’s long known that his father’s business partners conspired to have the man killed, and this series has seen him work towards achieving justice for his parents.  Now, in this final book, it’s time for a showdown between Drew and the mysterious third party who put up the money to have Drew’s father killed.

Shelby Gates is possibly the most tenacious investigative reporter Drew has ever come across. When she began digging into his background over the course of Satisfaction, he found himself first intrigued and then in awe of what she was able to discover. These investigative skills come in handy for Drew when he realizes that the person who wanted his father killed was in fact his own mother – who is still alive. Not wanting his siblings to learn this horrible truth, Drew turns to Shelby for help unraveling this mystery of what happened the night of the fire. Playing the role of his girlfriend, she’s able to be around him without suspicion from his family or anyone else as she works to uncover the truth.

Of course, it doesn’t take long for the spark of attraction that ignited when Shelby first hacked Drew’s systems to ignite, and before long she’s not just playing the role of girlfriend. Rather than being cheesy or formulaic, though, this part of the book was a joy to read. When I said Drew was difficult, I meant it. Although he’s clearly an upstanding guy, years of shouldering this immense responsibility—as well as the awkwardness which comes with his level of genius—led him to build a façade of invulnerability. He doesn’t like to share his feelings, nor does he even know how to. To say he’s romantically challenged would be understating it, regardless of his physical attractiveness.

Shelby sees through this façade, though. She knows she’s not only investigating a crime, but also uncovering some painful truths for Drew, and as the knocks keep coming she’s ready to be his staunch supporter. Ever patient, she works her way toward getting him to share his burdens, and shares some of hers in the process. It’s really lovely to see.

Unfortunately, this pattern of success breaks in the last third of the book. As the suspense plot picks up – though honestly, it’s solid and compelling from start to finish – Shelby’s reactions to Drew are a bit less understanding, which ultimately caused the drop in grade which kept this out of DIK territory. For someone who so easily sees through Drew’s cold façade at first, for Shelby not to realize he is pushing her away out of love was frustrating.

Ultimately, though, this is an incredible book and a solid resolution to the mystery which has spanned three novels. Drew, in particular, shines here as a strong man with at least a few flaws. He’s an alpha male without all the answers, and it’s nice to see him turn to Shelby for help. I’d definitely recommend Revenge – and the entire Lawless series – to anyone who likes a little drama and intrigue thrown into their romance reading.

Buy Now: A/BN/iB/K

Reviewed by Alexandra Anderson

Grade: B+

Book Type: Romantic Suspense

Sensuality: Warm

Review Date: 22/06/17

Publication Date: 06/2017

Review Tags: Lawless series

Recent Comments …

  1. excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.

College student by day. Book enthusiast around the clock. With any luck I'll eventually be able to afford food AND books. But I've got my priorities straight.

guest

0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments