Such an amazing and brilliant story!I was hooked, everything about Even Money was amazing!It was fast paced the story addictive and the characters well developed!

Dario and Bell's romance was passionate,sensual,super hot,intense and erotic!They have an amazing chemistry, I could feel their connection!There is also angst to keep you on the edge all the time with these two!

I'm looking forward for the next book and see what will happen!This is a must read, for me is one of my favorites by her!

A good well written read that held my attention most of the time. Looking forward to reading more of Alessandra’s books

Oh my, that was one heck of a cliffy. I read this one in a couple of hours, I couldn’t put it down. The story telling is amazing. And then there’s Bell and Dario. Boy do those two have some super hot chemistry going on. I’m so glad the conclusion comes out soon, I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Two things right off the bat..
I’ve never been to Vegas.
I’ve never read Alessandra Torre

I’m not quite sure why both things have never happened but I’m glad I at least fixed one of those! The blurb alone had me intrigued and I’m glad I took a chance!

I was in awe of the story. I was captivated by Bell & Dario’s story and how the two fell for each other immediately. The backstory was something I was not expecting, it was emotional and complicated. Bell & Dario’s chemistry and sexual attraction was beyond expectation and had me fully invested in their story.

I truly thought I knew exactly where the ending of this book was going..was I ever wrong! It was one of the best I’ve read in quite a long time and I read a ton of books!

I can’t wait for the second book!! Alessandra Torre has a new fan!

Now...to get to Vegas...

How do you a review Even Money without giving away spoilers? What a freaking cliffy! This book had the perfect blend of supense and romance. I enjoyed how Bell and Dario's relationship panned out. Bell was a tough nut to crack and eventually Dario was able to do that. Dario and Gwen's relationship gah it just tugged at my heartstrings. You will understand once you read it. I'm so pumped for the next book in this series. I cannot wait to see how this is going to play out.

Thanks to Netgalley for an arc.

GAHHHHHH! I was hooked from the start. I wasn't sure where the story was going to go at first but wow.
Loved!

I’m struck dumb! Not just by the impressive cliffie but by the magistral writing that I just read. This book had one great development of a plot, a love story, and a suspense that had me biting my nails.

Dario Capece is a big man in Vegas. He owns the Majestic hotel and several casinos around it, and he and his wife Gwen are a driving force in the glittering world of Vegas. Until one day he went sniffing around this small casino, very successful and exclusive, looking for an opportunity to invest, and found his destiny instead, in a young waitress.

Bell has it good. After a harrowing experience in her teen years, and a poor upbringing in a trailer camp, she’s now working with two great guys, with great working conditions and great pay, and she also has time, opportunity and money to pursue a college career. She doesn’t need to meet a big honcho with deep pockets, dangerous reputation, sensual vibe, and married, to burst into her life and send all her senses tingling like mad. They can’t resist their chemistry, and yet their situation is incredibly complicated, with a lot of high stakes and danger from unknown sources.

The plot moves inexorably forward, and these two play a game of one step forward, two steps back. Bell realizes the danger to her heart if she falls in love with this man, yet he’s so vulnerable and true with her. Dario is stuck between the woman he loves and the woman he swore to protect. I loved, loved how Dario and Bell fell slowly and reluctantly in love. I loved Dario’s openness and loyalty, and loved Bell’s kind and innocent manner, even with her upbringing. Dario’s and Bell’s love affair is not welcome in Dario’s world and someone is getting angry; the suspense that comes from a psycho mind starts early and goes on crescendo as the book develops.

Her two bosses and friends, Lance and Mick, were cute nerds, successful little fish in a big pond. Loved their big brother interactions with Bell, and their protectiveness. The book is written in two POV’s, Bell’s in first person and Dario’s in third person. In the beginning it was a little confusing but turned out to be a neat trick. This book was captivating and addictive! Can’t wait for next installment!

Usually, I love Alessandra Torre but for some reason, Even Money just fell flat for me. It's well written, the characters well-developed but for me personally, I just struggled to get immersed or invested in the story. The pacing felt stilted to me. And the storyline is just one that I don't normally like. I don't mind the other woman, other man aspects of it. It was the hero being married that turned me off the most I think. I'm just not a fan of cheating spouses.

Bell is guarded, determined, and sexually aware. She knew what she wanted and a relationship wasn't it. Dario is an anti-hero. He's an alpha to the bone with a side no one wants to meet in a dark alley. The chemistry between the two of them is seriously hot. The connection between them, immediate. As I mentioned, they are both well-written with elaborate backstories that deepen the storyline. The secondary characters are just as flawlessly developed. I really wish I could have loved it.

Now, don't get me wrong, this is a good book. It just wasn't the book for me. I've fallen in love with Torre's writing in the past, so if you're on the fence about this one, give it a try. It just might be for you. And while I probably won't read the next in this duet, I will be reading more of Torre in the future.

Firstly, gah! This book made me want to go back to Vegas!!

Bright light city gonna set my soul, gonna set my soul - or at least Bell's soul - on fire!

I was hooked on Even Money from the minute I started reading. I adored Bell, liked that she didn't just throw herself at a rich guy just because she could. She makes Dario fight for every morsel of her time, and I love her for that.

Dario - oh my goodness I want that man's... goodness! He has upped the ante on what I want in my BBFs.

As this is a duet, I knew that there would be a cliffy of some kind, however Ms Torre has upped the stakes with this one, and my jaw hit the floor as I hit the last page.

It is only a few weeks until we get the conclusion to this story, and I for one cannot wait.

“I’d always been a gambler, with my money, my time, my safety … but never my heart.”

You all, life isn’t fair. One of my favorite romance writers, a steamy story in my city? Lord, I was supposed to love this. But the insta-love, the improbability, and the sex work and slut shaming just completely ruined it for me. If you want to pick up something by Alessandra Torre, I completely recommend The Girl in 6E, Love, Chloe, Sex Love Repeat, and Moonshot over Even Money.

This is a story about a girl named Bell, who works as a cocktail waitress for a very peculiar casino that her two good friends own and run. In this casino, the rich Vegas casino and business owners can gamble in private, without having to worry about giving money to any of their competitors.

And Dario Capece is the proclaimed “King of Vegas” by everyone that Bell knows. He literally started from the bottom and rose himself up the ranks. He married a woman with a very powerful father, and with that initial boost in privilege, he created an empire.

Dario, following a new business endeavor, walks into Bell’s casino one night. And after that one night, he cannot stop thinking about her. Which would be fine, because she can’t stop thinking about him either. But he does some rather suspicious (and gross) things to ensure that she’s a girl he could be with. And then, he makes it his life mission to be pursue her, no matter what she has to say about it.

Even though Dario is a very powerful man, he is being watched by an even more powerful man. And when this mystery man finds out about Bell, he will do anything to ensure that Dario and Bell can never be together. Especially since these two fall in love in like a week. *eye rolls forever*

Trigger and content warnings for rape and talk of past rape (and the talk of rape is done really bad in this book. I honestly think I would have enjoyed this book ten times more if it wasn’t included, especially just for a revenge plot line and then a protector plot line), sexual harassment, unwanted touching, a lot of negativity towards prostitutes and sex workers, slut shaming, grey area cheating, stalking, talk of murder, death, torture, violence, abduction, kidnapping, talk of alcoholism, gambling, brief mention of animal death, and a gross male toxicity.

There is also a student teacher relationship in this book, and I know that’s not for everyone. But if I’m being honest with myself, I enjoyed those steamy scenes more than any of the others. Like, I almost want to ship them together. And like, his dirty talk was 11/10, in my very humble opinion.

And I did really like how confident and secure Bell felt with her own sexuality. I love reading about girls who embrace their sexiness and desires, and Bell for sure does. I just wish she wasn’t so negative about other’s sex lives.

I will say that the Vegas setting was done really well. Like, I’ve read so many Vegas romances that are so obvious the author hasn’t been to visit, but Alessandra Torre completely and authentically captures the city. I loved it, from the talk of our skies, to our streets, just to the entire aesthetic of this story. She does a wonderful job and it was my favorite part of this book, easily. And because of this (and because I’ve love so much of her other works) I will for sure look into picking up book two in this duology!

Overall, I just really expected to love this one! Maybe I went in with too high of hopes? I still love Alessandra Torre and so many of the other books she has created. This one just sadly didn’t work for me. But I hope if you pick it up that you will enjoy it more than I did!

I have such mixed feeling about this book.
The Good:
Interesting story concept and idea. Bell is a Cinderella type character who is also strong and independent. She's survived and is thriving surrounded by friends. Well written with heavy doses of steamy and a good doses of intrigue and suspense.
The Frustrating:
I have a couple of frustrations; Some are related directly to the story and some of technical.
With the story itself, as much as I liked Bell, I had a really hard time connecting with her and with Dario. They didn't feel fully developed and three dimensional to me. I also struggled with the time line and the idea of "I love yous" after a little more than a month when there seemed to be very little relationship building between the couple
On the more technical side, Ms. Torre chose to flip between a 1st person narrative for Bell and then 3rd person for the other characters. This falls under personal preference, but it is something that bugged me. I noticed it continually and it did pull me from the story. There was also a formatting issue (hopefully just with the advanced copy) that made the book appear much longer than it really was. I opened the book and saw a file size that led me to believe I had a full length book on the shorter end; what I really had was about 75% of what I would expect a full length book to be if the extra spacing had been removed. Again - this may have just been an issue with the copy I had and may have been corrected in the final published version.
The Verdict -
Even Money is a decent and entertaining book. Ms. Torre pulled me in and has me very curious about where Bell and Dario are headed in Double Down. Thankfully, the conclusion to the duet is due to publish in a couple of weeks so no one has to wait too long to know what's going on.

~WRITING - PLOT - PACE~
So honestly, if I had known when I was signing up for this book that the hero was married I probably would have given it a pass. I am not a fan of cheating. But man, that would have been a HUGE mistake on my part because this book turned out to be majorly eccellente. The writing was fantastic. It was very well paced. The plot was super engaging and had me hooked from the getgo. I loved the setting as well. Last, that cliffhanger of an ending...cazzo di inferno. How could you do me this way, Miz Torre!? Book two better release before I am off to Italy for two weeks! *squinty face*


~HERO~
DARIO...Well first, I really needed to do a complete brain bleach because my FIL's name is Dario...and NO, just NO. Carrying on... I adored Dario. He really was perfect hero material. He was sexy. He was sweet. He was caring. He was bada$$. He was enamored with Bell right from the start. I am figuratively salivating in anticipation of watching him exact his revenge in book two.


~HEROINE~
BELL...Bell was just as awesome as Dario. She was feisty. She was strong. She was sweet. She was independent. She was a great friend. I loved how she lead Dario on a merry chase and didn't just fall at his feet. There wasn't anything I didn't like about her character.


~SECONDARY CHARACTERS~
There were so many awesome secondary characters in this one. I LOVED Bell's bosses (and friends), Rick and Lance. I loved Bell's roommates. I even liked her fuck buddy Ian, and Dario's wife Gwen <--- and kudos to this author for not making Dario's wife a crazy bitch!


~HEAT LEVEL~
Low to Medium. There are a handful of spicey scenes in this one, but it is pretty late into the book before this couple has intercourse. I am usually not a fan of slow burn romances, but it worked very well in the instance. Plus, this couple has AMAZING on page chemistry.


~ANGST LEVEL - SEXUAL HISTORIES~
Low. I didn't find this one particularly angsty, to be honest. This couple's attraction was pretty insta (especially on the hero's part). There are a few ups and downs, but for the most part, they stay pretty solid throughout. Neither were virgins. Dario is married, but it is a marriage of convenience. Gwen is his best friend, and they tried once over ten years earlier to make it a physical relationship, but neither were interested in each other that way. He also starts the book with a mistress, and a waitress he f-cks. He ends both relationships when he meets Bell. Bell has a fuckbuddy (Ian), that she does have sex with a few times on page (but it isn't overly detailed). I *think* she actually slept with him once after she meets Dario, but before they become anything. Other than those things, there wasn't any OW or OM drama.


~IN THE END~
I LOVED it completely. From beginning to end this book had me in its grasp. The writing was excellent. It was fast paced. The plot was engaging. The characters, both main and secondary were intriguing and well developed. The chemistry between Dario and Bell was electric. And that ending...OMG...ripped my heart out. I seriously need to get my hands-on book two ASAP! Therefore, yours truly is going to give this one two HUGE thumbs up, and strongly suggest you add it to your TO READ list immediately.

Really loved this book. Alessandra writing and story is amazing. Couldn't stop reading it. I loved every second.

Sometimes it only takes a minute. A connection of eyes across a room, a quickened heartbeat, and everything changes.I was a cocktail waitress with a fondness for partying and meaningless sex.He owned half of Vegas, with the reputation to match.I should have turned away. Instead, I stepped closer.Then, the lies started.Rumors spread.Stalking commenced.And someone died.None of it stopped me from falling in love.When I started reading I couldn't put it down.Alessandra Torre is magnifysent writer.I cannot wait to read more of there books.Keep up the great work.You should definitely read this books.

I was not a fan of this book for most of its parts. I didn't like that Bree was sleeping with another man for over a little of the 1/3rd of the book and that Dario was married since I am not into cheating. This book's role is mostly to establish the couple and the main players in the game. I even managed to get a favorite character, Gwen, and I was very interested in her story until the end of this book came. No spoilers here, since the ending is a cliffhanger and it will ruin your reading experience. More on that in my review of the second book. Things are not looking good for anyone and I wonder what will happen in the second book. I have a couple of theories that unfortunately am not allowed to discuss here.

The story is mostly told from Bree and Dario's point of view and a little bit from a dangerous woman's point of view. I want to see what will happen to her when it's time to do face the consequences of what she had done. Also, is it weird that I expect most of the people in this book to not be good and have some evil plan? For someone who thinks that she wasn't so into this book I sure as heck came up with many different scenarios of what's to come.

I would recommend the book with a little hesitation.

What a book, what an ending!!

Guys, the ending is OMG – what a twist and WOW I can’t believe she did that!!!!

I thought I knew early on what was going on. Yeah, was I WRONG!!! Honestly I shouldn’t have doubted Alessandra Torre. After Black Lies, I better believe she can write one hell of a book, with an epic cliffhanger that had me gasping for breath.

From the very beginning, after reading the blurb I knew I would love this book. Hello!!!!!! Vegas, casinos, rich dudes, and a casino owner and a waitress – YES!!! That’s my kind of jam.

The couple fell definitely into the category of insta LUST – but it was very well done. On top of that the backstory was complex, emotional and gripping. Like I said, I was hanging on every word. Predicting the ending WRONGLY just delivered an even bigger WOW effect. Even Money had the best OMG ending I read in a long time.

Besides this AMAZING ENDING 😀 the couple had fantastic chemistry and their sexual attraction literally sizzled, and had me all hot and bothered. In typical AT fashion, the author spun a tale as fascinating as it was entertaining. She had me rooting for both sides, deeply sympathizing and hoping for a happy ending for everyone. The connection between the couple was STRONG, genuine, and even though it was fast and explosive, it fit the storyline.

The entire book was a fast read. I devoured this quick and deliciously sexy read and now I’m WAITING!!!!!!
W A I T I N G !!!!!!!!
Good thing – book two is being released this month. Otherwise I would be knocking on someone’s door!!!

Alessandra Torre has always managed to grab her readers in every story. Whether it’s a heart pounding cliff hanger, a corrupted plot twist, or just a heartbreaking love story, she gets your attention every time. Even though this story didn’t manage to wow me like her others, you can never take away the fact that her words and her style, has us coming back for more.

Belle Hartley practically seen it all in her time in Vegas. From gambling, to drugs, sex and money, there’s nothing or no one in this town that could shock her. At least that what she thinks until she meets the infamous Dario Capece. When your world has been nothing more than forbidden, what’s a little bit more danger?



Dario Capece is the king of Vegas and he wouldn’t have it any other way. Money, status, women, and one of the most biggest personal contracts that has catapulted him into legendary history. Life as he knows it right now is more than good but who would want that when you can have extraordinary? Its going to take one cocktail waitress to turn his life upside down for better or worse. How far is Dario willing to go to be with a woman like Belle?

I initially loved the premise of the story and if I’m being honest, I fell in love with Dario’s character. He had this allure about him that made you want to be in his presence at all times and there was this underlying danger about him. I really liked his character and I think that if we were shown a little bit more of his dark side, I would’ve in love even more.

Aside from the fact that I couldn’t really connect with Belle and I guessed the plot twist towards the end, I’m still anxious to see what’s going to happen in part 2. Will Dario and Belle survive these dramatic turn of events? Or will there be a new key player in the game?

Even Money
By: Alexandra Torre

📚💕⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💕📚

Absolutely captivating!!!

Well let me start by saying I have become a huge fan of this author. She writes with so much intensity and emotion pulled from each book it’s felt page after page. Some of quick witted story lines are so perfect and lets you believe you have a front row seat. So being able to read this love story didn’t disappoint. The authors ability to have two separate individuals struggling in their everyday life and try to navigate someone else’s thoughts, needs and desires was intense and gives all the fills.

This riveting story instantly hooked me and kept me flipping pages long into the night. The emotionally intense plot and the intriguing characters kept me on my toes. Even Money is the story of a forbidden passion that transcends logic and self-preservation. It delves deep into the world of raw emotions, obsession and unrestricted love.

Dario Capece is a Vegas legend. Owner of several casinos, he is a powerful businessman surrounded by an aura of mystery and danger. On the surface, he is a man who has everything he could wish for. He is a complex yet endearing character.

Bell is a cocktail waitress in Vegas. Her job has got her out of her trailer park and she has enough money to study in college.

When Bell captures Dario’s attention, forbidden feelings begin to emerge. Dario is ruthless and addicted to power. His stalking behavior is disturbing Bell. But his intentions are genuine and heartfelt. His love for her erodes his self-control and his boundaries, he is willing to risk everything for her.

I really enjoyed this book and it kept me engrossed throughout. I really loved the characters and the way they interacted with each other. This is a fun, hot, romantic must read book and I would definitely recommend this book to anyone.

This book has everything I love in a book. Then you add that it's beautifully written and believable. It is easily a five star read. Written in dual POV my personal favorite this story flows so incredibly well that the next thing you know your 80% into the book and loving every second of it. The believable way the characters interact is perfect. Run, Hop, Jump or use your (1 click) finger to do whatever you have to do and get this amazing book. It'll break your heart, you'll want to scream with frustration and it'll let you discover that love just might conquer all. The chemistry is steamy and intense.

Thanks Netgally for letting me read and review.📚💕

Okay, before you even start reading this book there are two things you should know. First, you may want to hold off until a weekend because you will not want to put this down. Secondly, it is part of a duet and does have a freaking heart pounding cliff hanger so if you are not a fan of those then you have been warned.

As soon as I began to read this book I had a feeling it was gonna be good, it was a given that it would be amazing just because Alessandra writes incredible stories but it was the characters that really pulled me in.

The story is set in Las Vegas, the city of sin. Bell works as a waitress at a small casino owned by her close friends. She is a student by day and has a pretty good life. She has been through some serious shit but come through the other side relatively unscathed. Apart from her need for no strings sex only and definitely no dating, relationships and never love.

Dario first lays eyes on Bell when he walks into the casino she works at. Their eyes meet and the connection is something he cannot stop thinking about. It was only several seconds and he meets many people on any given day but for some reason Bell is someone he cannot forget. He wants to know more about this beautiful woman.

When Dario starts showing an interest in Bell she is initially very skeptical but there is this ridiculous pull between them. She knows he is married so a no strings thing could be on the table there but she also knows how powerful he is in Vegas. Then there is his father in law who is an extremely dangerous man and that in itself is a reason to stay away from him.

‘I had to remember our differences. I was nobody and he was somebody. I was single and he was married. I was too young and naïve, and he was too old and…’

Bell finds herself giving into the pull that is Dario and in doing so unknowingly puts herself in potential danger. There is always someone watching and despite Dario & Gwen being able to hide some things from her father, not everything goes by unnoticed. Dario finds himself taking risks and doing things he never has before. His marriage to Gwen is solid but lately it feels like the ground is shaking and it all began will the moment he met Bell.

This was a thrilling, sexy, intense, fast paced, danger laced read. At the end I was left feeling shocked and incredibly sad. Now I just need to see what the heck is going to happen because the outfall is going to have serious consequences on everyone.

‘He was too everything – a black hole that could suck me in without even feeling the crush of my soul.’

Firstly, gah! This book made me want to go back to Vegas!!

Bright light city gonna set my soul, gonna set my soul - or at least Bell's soul - on fire!

I was hooked on Even Money from the minute I started reading. I adored Bell, liked that she didn't just throw herself at a rich guy just because she could. She makes Dario fight for every morsel of her time, and I love her for that.

Dario - oh my goodness I want that man's... goodness! He has upped the ante on what I want in my BBFs.

As this is a duet, I knew that there would be a cliffy of some kind, however Ms Torre has upped the stakes with this one, and my jaw hit the floor as I hit the last page.

It is only a few weeks until we get the conclusion to this story, and I for one cannot wait.