4.5 stars rounded up

This book is a hell of a lot darker than the previous three.

<u>One-Eyed Royals</u> takes place three months after <u>Cash Plays</u> and about a year after the Seven of Spades was introduced in <u>Kill Game</u>. Levi and Dominic are broken up at the beginning of the book, due in large part to Dominic lying and making excuses about his relapse, but still have a habit of falling into bed together. The Seven of Spades continues to get more dramatic and theatrical as they gain confidence and crave more attention. In this book, they start leaving “gifts” for Levi in the same vein as a cat leaving dead mice. At the same time, Levi is investigating a string of kidnappings that lead to one death, and Dominic has been hired by an insurance provider to see if their clients are committing fraud.

This book is significantly darker than the previous two, showing the escalation of the Seven of Spades’ murders but also we’re seeing Dominic caught in a major addiction spiral and Levi struggling with his anger issues, even while he’s learned new coping strategies from therapy. The SOS’s obsession with Levi has also gotten more violent and possessive as the story progressed.

A favorite aspect of this series is definitely the side characters and the friendships both Levi and Dominic have been able to foster. Carlos and Jasmine are getting ready to get married, though we don’t see much of them as we have in previous books. I love Martine and how There she is for Levi, always being on his side and not closing avenues of communication, even as other aspects of his life spiral away from him. I also like Stanton much more as Levi’s friend than I liked him as his significant other, and really enjoy watching their dynamic grow and reshape itself.

I have a new theory on who the Seven of Spades is and I cannot wait to see if I’m correct. The ending makes it feel like the next book will be the conclusion of the series because Levi is finally really, truly fed up and is done buying into the mythology of a serial killer; at the end of the day, they are still human and at some point they will mess up. I cannot wait to see what happens in the next book because the mystery has absolutely hooked me!!!

This book was one hell of a ride! You guys need to pre-order this and be ready to start reading the minute it hits your Kindles. And clear some time because once you start it you're not going to want to stop. This is going to be a short review because so much happens and it will be almost impossible to address anything without spoilers. I'm already seeing spoilers popping up in reviews so you should do yourself a favor and not read any.....except mine of course. :D (seriously though, major spoilers in some)

There are three aspects of this book. One is a case of kidnapped business women/men in the city, one is the Seven of Spades and one is the relationship between Levi and Dom. All of it is going to make you yell "holy shit" more than once. (I was freaking out waiting till a friend finished her copy so we could discuss it. Every 5 minutes I was all "Are you done yet? Are you? ARE YOU??)

It is a very emotional book and both Levi and Dom are in bad way and there's some painful to read stuff going down. Both of the cases blew my mind in a few places. Most importantly, I think I changed my mind on who I think the SoS is. I've been certain since the very first book that I knew who the killer was. After this book I think I may have been wrong. I think it's someone else now. Maybe. Uggg...... I can't wait till the last book to see if I'm right.

So....another hit out of the ballpark in this series. I both loved and hated this book and my emotions are all a twist. The next book can't come soon enough.

**ARC provided by publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

SPOILERS FOR Kill Game, Trick Roller & Cash Plays!

This was a hard read in more ways than one. All of them up have been, by degrees, harrowing but with this one was particularly jarring in that I was immediately knocked off kilter by Levi's actions. I thought I had a good handle on these two characters.

I was wrong.

Levi... it's like he became someone else. Maybe I was wrong about him from the start or maybe the breakup brought forth a heretofore unknown and ugly side of him. I don't know but I was confused and dismayed by it.

So let's just rip the band-aid off quickly, shall we?

Levi is petty, cruel and he sleeps with someone else, so readers who are dogmatic about their couples being faithful irregardless of whether or not they're together, you've been warned. For me, him fucking someone else was the least of my issues. It was the cruelty and pettiness that I struggled with. I even found myself at one point thinking surely the Seven of Spades (SOS) was behind some of it.

Nope. All Levi.

I know he's heartbroken about their breakup and hurt by Dom's gambling addiction. The way he lied and manipulated Levi to continue to engage in his addiction must've cut deep considering Levi's never been in love with anyone before, but that doesn't justify cruelty in my mind. What's more, Dom's addiction is mutually exclusive from his feelings for Levi and Levi knew his addiction could be a problem in their future. Dom never lied to him about that.

Obviously, I've taken a side here. I tried not to and I do believe Levi has redeeming qualities despite his morphing into a vicious anger ball the minute he discovered Dom's gambling. But his transformation was deeply troubling to me. To see his personality change, this level of anger emerge towards someone he purports to love? If it's largely due to the breakup rather than a culmination of events then I think I'm even more troubled by that.

I am happy they're back together but an apology, some promises to get help and a whirlwind fuck via Dom's monster magic peen isn't enough to fix this and I hope more reparations are forthcoming in the finale.

The sex was phenomenal, as always. Biting fans are in for some quivering.

As far as the thriller aspects of this installment, I like the progression where the SOS is concerned. They seem to be grandstanding more and I think that grandiosity and need for attention will ultimately be their undoing.

I thought more would come of the Utopia plot line but instead a new high dollar kidnapping and ransom ring turns up. Las Vegas can't catch a break, I tell ya!

It gets pretty gruesome at points, so be advised but I like that there is a case within each book that gets resolved so we get some sort of closure rather than relentless cliffhanging. The details of this particular case didn't quite add up for me but I can't say I wasn't glued to my kindle from beginning to end.

What ultimately pushed this installment into 4 heart territory was the domino chain of events that occurred at the end. Well executed action sequences always earn points with me and both these guys kicked ass. It was awesome. Parts of it were bad wrong, but still... awesome. And fun. In a bad wrong way. What can I say? *shrugs*

Last thing I'll say is... Stanton. *sigh* I know nothing will come of his storyline and he'll likely never get his own book, but he deserves someone befitting his capacity for love.

In short, gird your loins. It's a bumpy ride but well worth it in the end.




An ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Dominic and Levi have went their separate ways. They each think their demons are under control. Even though they aren’t together any more they still manage to fall into bed together. Time after time.

Once again their investigations intersect and they are drawn together. Dominic’s in because of a case of insurance fraud and Levi is investigating a homicide. The case brings them closer but still pushes them apart further apart.

The Seven of Spades strikes again. Giving Levi a special birthday present. Bringing back the horror of his past back to haunt his present.

They are working together when the Seven of Spades forces Levi into a decision that could change his and Dominic’s life forever. The secrets bonding them together as nothing else ever has.

These guys!!!! I want them to be together and to quit hurting each but then I think the pain they share becomes as necessary to them as breathing. It’s been a while since I didn’t want to finish a book and yet I’m reading fast because I need to know the ending. As to who the Seven of Spades is? I just don’t know. I do think I will be surprised when it’s revealed because there are so many viable suspects. Very well done whodunnit/suspense thriller/love story.

I received an arc from Netgalley for review.

Kingsbridge packs yet another high-adrenaline one-two punch in the Seven of Spades series!

One-Eyed Royals is one of those book that I'll re-read over and over again. This series is, too. It has so much suspense and heat, and it's chalk full of clever twists and turns of phrase that you really have to read it all over again to pick up the little hints and nuances.

Dominic was in a tough spot in the last book, and that doesn't change here. This time, however, it's Levi's turn to have more heat turned his way. Oh, my gosh! I think I gasped throughout the entire last half of this book. If it wasn't bad enough that a serial killer is obsessed with Levi, we have rocky ground between Dominic and Levi and another case brewing in the mix. I simply couldn't put this book down. Heck, I blubbered through tears and heart clutches and fist-pumps every other chapter.

And GUYS, I think I have an idea on who the Seven of Spades is! (I'm probably completely totally off, but by Jove, I'm excited to find out if I'm right!

I recommend this series to my library customer's all the time, and I'll keep on doing so. Is it December yet???

5 Stars!