Vice, by Rosanna LeoMy rating: 5 stars
POV: Dual POV's and in 3rd person
Blurb: As a Vegas singer and volunteer counselor, Kate Callender has experienced life on both sides of Sin City’s bright lights. The thrill of performing, and gambling’s devastating effect on the addicts’ families.
Liam Doyle is just the kind of man she despises—a handsome, enigmatic businessman with a knack for seducing customers into his casino hotels. Determined to put a lid on his growing influence, she prepares to picket the opening of his newest casino, Vice.
When Liam spots the lone protestor hassling his customers, annoyance wars with instant attraction. And he quickly discovers the leggy redhead not only can’t be bought, she tempts him the way the sound of a roulette wheel lures a gambler.
They are natural enemies, but when a vile attack sparks Liam’s protective instincts, they begin a sexual odyssey that dances on the edge of addiction. Dangerously close to losing control...and losing themselves.
Sky's Review:
Rosanna Leo steals my heart again---as usual---with her second addition to the contemporary romance genre. This book takes you through a series of heartache, thrill, and even through all the scary bits and emotional strain, it still has that humorous charm that made me fall in love with Leo’s books to begin with! (Apart from the drool-worthy shifters that star in her other novels *fans herself*)
The story follows two characters who take turns in their own point-of-views—third person—as they each struggle to fight their demons in the dark underworld of Las Vegas. One who is haunted by childhood memories of a father who has still yet to come to his senses; and the other, a man who has been abandoned in all areas of his life who puts all of his effort into building a life for himself to which he can control.
Both characters plucked at my heartstrings until they were all worn out and bent out of shape. I can’t count all the times I grew teary-eyed as I watched these characters learn to trust again and begin to heal.
It all begins when Vegas singer, Kate Callender---who also volunteers as a counselor at a gamblers anon group---finds herself unemployed and fed up with all the bad crap that happens to herself and her friends at New Horizons. Her first victim for a protest against gambling is the new shiny casino, Vice, owned by the man who they feel is ruining the lives of families with each casino he drops down on the strip.
Kate was certainly on a mission that could not be deterred, not even by the devilishly handsome owner of Vice, himself, Liam Doyle, as he stared menacingly down at her with his husky-blue eyes. Though, later, her mission does comes to an abrupt halt when she’s clued in on the soft side of the man who she once thought to be selfish and unrelenting, seeing through his tough façade. Liam is not the man he portray's himself to be.
After battling between her morals and her need to help others---and hilarious bouts between the two of them---they find each other talking one night and agreed to a pact to hit rock bottom together. I absolutely loved this part; I couldn’t stop smiling for the life of me!
Their pact to hit rock bottom together did not come easily, though . . . *smile slowly fades*
A stormy romance brews between the characters. A relationship that’s fraught with sorrow and an unsettling need to replace words with carnal intimacy is born as Liam refuses to say what’s weighing down on his heart. She implores him relentlessly, to help him as he did for her; but it only makes him shut down even more and burries his pain by losing himself inside her. Finally, Kate decides this unhealthy relationship has lasted much longer than it should have. The passion between them was unlike no other, but already fighting with the realization she needs to live by her words and stop feeding her father’s gambling addiction, she needed to stop being the crutch that she felt she was to Liam’s fear of letting go.
This is where the waterworks began for me. The entire last half of the book had me gripping my Kindle with damp hands, unsure of what was to come of this heart-breaking story. If it’s not too much of a semi-spoiler though, for you HEA fans, you will not be disappointed! I was deeply moved by the choices the characters make by the end, and so deeply relieved! I won’t say what I want to say about the very ending because it will give it away no matter how hard I try to make it subtle.
I saw Kate as having has a weary soul, she wants to believe in the good of others but her childhood prevents her from being able to trust anyone else but herself.
Liam is one tough cookie, a realtor tycoon, a fierce businessman, but what no one sees, is his true benevolent nature and the heart-wrenching truth that drives him to be successful
OOO! Another character who almost stole the show in my eyes is Wade, Liam’s trusty security guard and best friend. I adored him so hard! Also, the steamy, wild, sex between Kate and Liam will leave you breathless and weak in the knees---so find a comfortable spot to cozy up with this read! Five HUGE stars for this book. I recommend this to EVERYONE! I felt it was written by the authors heart, and it truly is inspiring, so many words of wisdom for anyone whose lives have been affected by gamblers or of any type of addiction in their family.
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