This is the second standalone book in this series and it is action-packed! Full of suspense, action, romance -- didn't want to stop reading once I started! Would definitely recommend if you like romantic suspense.

As always, Sandra Owens did not disappoint. The story held my attention from start to finish.

A Must Read!! Fantastic book! This is the second in the series but it's completely standalone, I didn't read the first book and still loved this one. (I will be going back to read the first book now).

Court Gentry and. Lauren Montgomery are hot and sexy together. They have issue they have to overcome, and they take us on the journey. Fate has brought her back together after years apart, but is their connection strong enough to get over the obstacles?

The store line is fantastic, the Characters you couldn't ask for better and the pace of the story was perfect...all together this is one book you do not want to put down. I loved it!

I thought it was nice. It's my first book, as far as I can tell, by Sandra Owens. She wrote a lovely story, definitely one that tore my heart up a little. I'd read another book by her. The danger, the love, the regrets...all of it felt really real to me.

My first foray reading Ms. Owens’ books and I very much enjoyed the story. There is a lot of emotional baggage going on – yeah, gotta love the angst. I thought the way the characters were written was very realistic especially their interactions and reactions to each other. Brothers always sniping at each other but always with love. Fantastic. A small issue with the heroine, I do not think I have ever read about a person who cried or teared up so much. Buck up, girl! Some emotion is okay, but not every other sentence. Definitely will read this author again. In fact, looking forward to Nate’s story.

Whereas in Jack of Hearts the Gentry brothers won me over, in King of Clubs I fell in love.
Court Gentry is an amazing hero. He is as alpha as they come, with a strong protective strike. He has inner depth, deep feelings, he is vulnerable, considerate, kind, generous, and hardworking. Sexy beast of a cuddly bear describes his complex character well, he is sensual as well as romantic, passionate and sincere.
Court's heart has been broken twice, by his mother and by Lauren Montgomery. To trust Lauren again is not going to be easy, but to turn his back on her when she is in danger and in need of help, that would be unthinkable.
Lauren's ex-husband did his best to break her, to destroy her will, mind, and heart. She would rather sacrifice herself, than let her ex hurt those she loves, including Court.
Lauren is the perfect match for Court. She is independent, feisty, caring, loving, protective, family oriented woman who loves life and laughter, until she is nearly broken by the monstrous ex-husband and his family.
The battle of accepting the past, forgiving the hurt and daring to love and live in the moment is palpable with Lauren and Court in the story. They have an uphill road ahead of them with many obstacles in the way, both physical and mental. But they are willing to work on those obstacles while I was rooting for them to find a way home to each other.
I loved how Lauren and Court talked and worked on their issues, their fears, and hopes for the future. The story gives a more in-depth look at the brothers' past, their childhood, and the troubling abandonment by their mother, and the abuse they faced in the hands of their father. The story demonstrates great character development and growth, the whole cast filled with characters I want to spend time with, to get to know better.
The suspense in the story is intense, the constant present danger giving the tale an edgy and skittish vibe. The tangible threat in the air lurks around, the kind that sneaks up on you on the death of night. Every time you think they are safe, something sinister lay in wait for them.
The story is well built with a great balance of romance, danger and action, as well as the past still haunting in the minds of the brothers. The story comes to a satisfying, very pleasing full closure with Court and Lauren yet leaves an intriguing teaser about things to come and left me a bit worried about the oldest brother, Nate. I can't wait for him to find peace of mind and happiness like his brothers now embrace.
With a heartfelt family bond, an ardent romance, and disturbing, traumatic malice with constant threat and vulnerability, the author binds a story that was easy to get lost in, submerge in and forget your surroundings. Aces and Eights is a series that I can highly recommend!
~ Four Spoons with a teaspoon on the side

Much better then the first one.

Lots of action and suspense. Court is definitely James Bond. Lots of gadgets and planning. The plot was interesting and kept you reading. The brothers are close and their interaction is great. Nate has tons of issues and he is the brother I want to know the most about.

Lauren was ok, she got on my nerves, it she is a survivor and she did rise above and take hold of her life. I didn't like how she strung Court along.

The one thing I did not like is if they are undercover FBI agents they sure tell a lot of people. How does it stay a secret? The most unrealistic part of the story.

I will read the next for sure.

Received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley.

This book may have triggers for domestic violence. Please beware.

I love this series and these brothers. The chance of reconnecting with a past lover is always a genre that I love reading and Ms. Owens does an awesome job. You could feel the anger that Court starts with and the eventual forgiveness he had for Lauren. When their feelings finally get sorted, it was a beautiful thing. I absolutely can not wait for the next two books.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Court and Lauren have a past be it only brief, they met on the summer break and their attraction had been instant and hot, they fell in love. But Lauren has another past she'd rather forget which comes back to haunt her and she has to say goodbye to Court...and she barely comes out of her hell alive.
Court is a FBI Agent and years later Lauren again finds herself in danger and needs his help. Now Court's heart is in danger, it's been broken once already six years ago, can he protect himself from the only woman he's loved?
An exciting story that had interesting characters and a well developed storyline, the action, drama and suspense in the story had just the right tension that kept it fast paced and exciting.
A very enjoyable story, I look forward to the next book in the series.

Fantastic book! This is the second in the series but it's completely standalone. This is Court's story and it's one you don't want to miss!

Six years ago on spring break, Court Gentry was certain he had met THE one. Lauren Montgomery was everything to Court. Yet Lauren walked away from him with just a phone call and no look back. Now fate has brought her back into his life and he plans on finding out what exactly happened all those years ago. Lauren can't believe Court is standing right in front of her. Walking away from his was the hardest thing she's ever done but it was for his safety. She knows he's looking for answers but she can't give him any. He's not that young kid anymore though and she may not know it but working for the FBI puts a lot of info at his fingertips!

I highly recommend this to everyone.

The Technical Stuff: This is book 2 of the Aces & Eights series, but it can definitely stand alone. That said, you should definitely read the first book because it is awesome and it has a little bit of Court/Lauren foreshadowing which adds to this book. This book has both cursing (including f-bombs) and on-screen sex. If those things bother you, this might not be the book for you. There are also a few moments that might be triggering if you're particularly sensitive to domestic violence. They are not graphic or described in horrifying detail, and they are very quick moments in a book full of wonderful things, but they are there nonetheless.

The cover of this book, much like the previous cover in this series, is absolutely gorgeous. This is the kind of cover that would have drawn my attention and made me one-click this book, even if I hadn't already wanted to read this story.

I loved this book from start to finish. It always impresses me that Ms. Owens can write a book with such serious subject matter and can infuse it with the right amount of humor and heart that it not only isn't horribly depressing, but it's actually really funny and heartwarming. Not a lot of writers have that level of talent, but Sandra Owens definitely does and it shines in this series. The heart of these books is of course, the relationships between the Gentry boys and the women they love, but the relationship between the brothers is seriously special and even if these books didn't have a happily ever after love story, I would read them just to read about the friendship that the Gentry brothers have. I love the way that they make each other laugh and keep each other in line, but also the way that even though they're big strong alpha men, they so unashamedly love and would unquestionably die for one another.

Court was everything I had hope that he would be as a book “hero” and he might have even replaced Alex as my favorite Gentry brother (don't tell Alex). Court was protective but so sweet, sensitive but passionate, and he didn't act condescendingly to Lauren or treat her like she was weak or a hysterical woman who couldn't take care of herself. Even when she *was* kind of a hysterical woman who was running on movie/TV-inspired instinct and made some big mistakes, he empowered her and helped her figure out how to protect herself in the future rather than making her feel stupid or dependent on him. I appreciated that more than I can say. Also, his inner thoughts about his mother and his brothers slayed me as I read them. Holy cow, I loved those moments spent in his head, and how he reconciled what happened with his parents while reaffirming how amazing the Gentry boys all are.

Lauren was fabulous – she was funny and strong, and she would do anything to protect the people she loved. Yes, at the beginning she had her moments where even I wondered if she had a clue what she was doing, but she learned from her mistakes, and she wasn't a weak, helpless victim and I LOVED that. *SPOILERS to end of this paragraph* “Pretending to be Court was kind of amazing.” I freaking adored when Lauren rescued herself from the botched kidnapping attempt. SHE was amazing and it made me want to high five her so hard.

Unrelated to anything but worth mentioning: Madison's secret name for Nate is perfect and I laughed so hard when I read it. It was beautiful.

While this book deals with some very serious issues, it manages to remain fun, sweet, hot, and wonderful. Domestic violence isn't something to be bandied about as a plot device, but I think Ms. Owens has handled it beautifully here. She portrays Lauren as a survivor and not a victim, and I very much appreciated that.

If you enjoy a second chance romance story with some intrigue and action, or just enjoy a love story between to characters who never thought they'd find love again together, you should definitely read this book. I absolutely cannot wait for the next book in this series.

3 Second chance Stars- This has a second chance for two people who should have been together all along. She was told to stay away... He felt lost and abandon by her up and leaving- fast forward to today and she is running from an abuse ex. Little does she know the men who care about her are under cover FBI!
From learning to trust again to fighting off the ex... this is a complete story.

Court and his brothers have a great relationship both personally and professionally. That's why even though "babysitting" is the last thing he wants to do, he finds himself at the apartment of his brother's girlfriend waiting on her roommate to come home. Once she arrives, it's the last person he expected to see. Court and Lauren had met and fell in love six years before. She broke things off to keep him safe from her ex. But now the ex is threatening Court again. Can Court convince her to trust him to take of them both and prevent the ex from ever bothering her again?

Wow, Ms Owens does it again and gives us another winner. This time in the form of book two of her series ACES & EIGHTS. Stories about three brothers, all FBI agents who own a biker bar for their undercover work. This one is about the middle brother, Court.
Court and Lauren met 6 years ago at the beach white on Spring break , with promises to keep in touch with the hopes of a future for them.
But life intervene. Shortly after her return, Lauren is beaten up and in order to protect Court, then a college senior, she tells him she doesn’t want to see him again.
Fast forward 6 years and once again life intervenes. But this time, is their unexpected reunion. Both have been hurt and a second chance might not be in their future.
Without giving anything else away, I do want to say that it’s a book filled with intrigue, bad guys and hunky good guys , Russian Mafia and romance. But it’s more than that. It’s a story of domestic abuse and survival, about how abuse affects not only the body but also the psyche of the abused. About taking charge of your life and being cautious but also understanding that if you love someone, you need to let them be themselves and love them for who they are no matter their profession. It’s also a book about the strong relationship the three brothers have and how they overcame their upbringing.
My only complain, though minor, is that at times I found Lauren not “getting” Court and I just wanted to give her a good shake. :)
Can’t wait for the next book in this series. The Epilogue gave us a glimpse, but I also want to know what will happen with Nate, the older brother that’s still single.
Definitely another winner for this talented author.
I was gifted this copy by Netgalley. The opinions expressed are solely my own.

Holy Hotness! Court Gentry is just so dang yummy! I absolutely love the chemistry he has with Lauren. They are just so well paired. This has just the right amount of suspense blended in to keep the story moving and giving more depth to the characters. I am just so thrilled with this new series. Hot FBI agent brothers disguised as bad-A bikers? Yes please! I am so looking forward to Nate's story.

4.5 Book 2 in the Aces and Eights picked up even more steam progressing past Madison and Alex. This plot with Court & GG was fast pace. I like that GG was a strong determine women. The prologue happens so many times to so many people. Romance, suspense, some "james bond" spy stuff made this book close to perfection. The icing, was the snippets of Nate and the lost sister. So past ready for book 3. I received my copy from Netgalley and am thrilled I did.

I originally found Sandra Owens’ historical romances several years ago and fell in love with them. When she started writing romantic suspense, I hesitated before reading her first novel for Montlake in her K2 series, but since that time, I have fallen in love with her contemporary books as well.

When I received an invitation to read and review King of Clubs, I eagerly accepted, and I have enjoyed this fantastic romantic suspense novel even more than I enjoyed the first book in her new Aces & Eights series. That’s saying a lot because I loved Jack of Hearts!

King of Clubs is another fast-paced romantic suspense with cutting-edge action scenes that kept me gripping the arms of my chair. Ms. Owens has become an expert in this sub-genre of romance.

Lauren Montgomery’s character pulled at my heart-strings. Her tale of abuse at the hands of the controlling bastard of an ex-husband is something no one should ever have to deal with. This part of the story mirrors the abuse other women have experienced at the hands of an abusive male, be it husband, boyfriend, or father.

Court Gentry is a great hero. Of course, Ms. Owen’s yummy description of his attributes had me fanning my face. His loyalty to his brothers is amazing. For Court to keep such a heart-wrenching secret to protect them, and at such a young age, tore at me heart. I’ll admit to sheading a few tears.

If you want a story that will hold your attention from the first page to the last, and one that will touch not only your heart, but your soul, then you will love King of Clubs. I highly recommend this amazing book; you do not want to miss this one. Happy reading!

The second book in the Aces & Eights series is about the middle brother Court. He and Lauren met on Summer Break and the attraction was instant. But Lauren has a past and it came back to haunt her just as she was giving her heart to Court.

Court, as an FBI Agent will protect Lauren with his life but he must also protect his heart which was broken six years ago, from the only woman he has ever loved.

Great story, fast paced and very easy to read. I look forward to the third book in the series, Nate's story.

This book combines a heart-breaking second-chance romance with a suspense romance pairing an alpha hero having to protect a heroine who has had the very worst luck in her choice of a previous guy.

The book starts out with Lauren Montgomery celebrating her divorce from a Russian hockey player who has brutalized her and put her in the hospital and him in jail over his jealousy. She had just met Court Gentry and they’d both fallen instantaneously in love. And I mean, just one look sort of love. The ex, Stephan, is incredibly jealous and possessive and threatens to kill any guy she gets involved with. So she broke it off with Court. It’s now six years later and they encounter each other because, coincidence of all coincidences, her best friend is married to Court’s younger brother and they’re all in South Florida together.

Court and his two brothers are actually undercover FBI agents running a biker bar, Aces and Eights, set up to catch all the bad guys who hang out at the bar and don’t glom onto the fact that the brothers are the ones turning them in.

He’s amazed and angry to find the woman who tore his heart out after their one-week romance, but switches into alpha-protection mode when he realizes she’s under threat from her evil ex-husband who is set to get out of jail and who is tied into the Russian mafia.

So that’s a whole lot of disbelief to swallow. I never buy insta-love and this book is quite clear that Court and Lauren took one look and fell for each other and into bed. But I’ll go with it, because, hey, it’s a romance novel. And I’ll buy that they meet up six years later with this connection between her best friend and his younger brother without either realizing the connection. I found the whole undercover biker bar by night, FBI agent also by night thing a bit hard to swallow. We’re privy to one operation in which Court is the lead guy in bringing down one group of bad guys. He’s pretend arrested and taken away in a car to fool the bad guys. But then he’s back at the bar a few days later. Wouldn’t that be a bit suspicious? I just don’t buy this permanent undercover set-up, along with the super “James Bond” set of gadgets and protection that they have in their ocean-front apartments. Besides being a hot, talented FBI agent, Court also has mad hacking skills and can break into all the bad guys’ emails. And there is another hot female FBI agent, obviously geared toward being the third brother’s love interest in a future novel, who just happens to know Russian so she can translate the emails.

So, as I said, there is a whole lot of suspension of belief I had to get through for this book. And I still loved it. Maybe I’m just a sucker for the courageous damsel in distress saved by a hot alpha guy plot, but this was a great version of that genre. Lauren has had bad luck, but she’s still gutsy and willing to sacrifice her happiness to protect Court. Of course, that drives him crazy because he thinks he should be the one protecting her. He doesn’t seem to get that, when the first threat was made against him, he was just a college student and she didn’t have a way of knowing that he’d grow up to be a savvy FBI agent. Which he apparently did in just six years, but go with it.

If you don’t mind the totally unlikely plot, this was a very enjoyable book and I couldn’t put it down.

I was given a free ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, but I would have been happy to have paid for it and I’ll be looking out for future books in this series.