For a mafia romance novel this book has relatable characters and a lot of plot with emotion. Ashton and Molly are both so different but somehow work perfectly. They start on on a path that seems almost impossible to navigate but make it work. One of my favorite Tijan couples.

Whilst reading the previous book in this series, I had decided I didn’t like Ashton Walden. I like my mafia men ruthless, but he was on another level, the way he’d tortured Jess Montell for crying out loud, and I love Jess Montell. Fast forward to book 2, and move over Trace West, your best buddy has just taken centre stage in my dreams. Yes he’s manipulative, ruthless, and cruel, but it turns out, with the help of his childhood nemesis, he can be protective, passionate, and dare I say, loving. Molly (owner - or not - of the infamous Easter Lanes Bowling Alley) might just be Ashton’s Kryptonite. When they agree to an arrangement to benefit the both of them, Ashton discovers that Molly isn’t just the bow down and take orders kind of girl, she’s got a backbone (and a switch), and she’ll do whatever it takes for those she loves. Some gruesome scenes, some funny scenes, some highly unpredictable scenes, and all this amounts to an extremely entertaining and highly addictive mafia romance. You don’t have to have read book 1 beforehand, but it definitely helps in assisting in the whole scenario set out in this story that starts out with a group of ‘friends’ searching for answers, to so very much more. I loved it. I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is my honest review.

Thank you netgalley for the eARC. I got this book because i read book one. I was NOT DISAPPOINTED in book two. This was so good! The storyline is so well placed and just flows! I love it. The sex stuff is just like a bonus to all the action and yet it’s still a love story! I just love this author completely.

Tijan has done it again! This book is Molly and Ashton's book. This book explains why Ashton and Molly are the people they are today. Their pasts and what they grew up with explains so much and answers so many questions. Molly is able to open Ashton up and realize there is more to him than work and revenge. He has a great heart and is able to find it with the help of Molly. Ashton and Molly are a great couple and they way they feed off each other is great. Molly is not scared of the bad Ashton and lets him know it. She listens for safety reasons but she still has her own mind and drive to do her own thing if she wanted.
In this book Ashton has a plan to figure out the motive's for the attacks on his and Trace's family and also who killed Justin and Kelly. Jess lost so much in the last book and had so much trama that Ashton is trying to correct some of his mistakes with her. This book is full of twists and turns and keeps you on your toes. Having to put it down to pay attention to the outside world was really hard to do.
Tijan has yet to disappoint me and always hate for the end to come.
Honest review in exchange for ARC

A great mafia romance.I usually do not like mafia romance but the characters had depth and were likeable. The writing and dialogue was superb.

Book picks up exactly where book 1 ended. I loved reading everything from Ashton’s perspective and how deeply he truly loves the people who matter to him, as well as the depths that he will go to to protect them.

This is the story of Molly and Ashton.

Molly is the proud owner of her very own bowling alley thanks to blackmailing her father into selling it to her for $30,000. Too bad it wasn’t his to sell. It belongs to the Walden Mafia family. Yikes! Ashton threatens to take it from her and she’s not having it! This bowling alley is her life! So Ashton makes her a deal…

Fast forward…. She’s held at gunpoint AGAIN and Ashton is beginning to realize he cares about her.
Oh yes, this bad boy mafia man is falling in love!!! I absolutely love his alpha domineering ways towards her throughout this story!

These two characters were wonderfully written and are both easily lovable. I enjoyed seeing Trace and Jess from the last story in this series. I also have a feeling we won’t be seeing the last of a certain detective. At least this is my hope! (PLEASE TIJAN!!!)

I loved this book !!! It was so much better than the first one. Ashton and Molly are so hot and love each other so much. Loved the darkness of Ashton and the others characters, the intrigue, the mystery. So entertaining I was hooked at the first page !

🖤“There’s beauty in pain, baby…Your strength is in learning how to breathe through it; how to keep living even when it feels like you want to die.”🖤
.

Be Still My Heart checked ALL my romantic suspense loving boxes! Did I get the recommendation, read the book, and write this mini review in under 24 hours? I did. Should you do the same? I vote yes!
.

A grumpy veteran and a driven homicide detective collide when a serial killer pops up in Skelm Island—a small town filled with skeletons and people prepared to do whatever it takes to make sure they stay buried.
.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
.

Read if you like:
🔪 Romantic Suspense
🥵 Tattooed MMC
❤️‍🔥 Enemies to Lovers
🙊 ALL the dirty talk
🩸 Serial Killers
👿 Grumpy MMC
🪦 Touch Her and Die
🤐 Small Town Secrets

There is absolutely something for everyone in this book!! First book is on KU so pick that up and this one will be out soon.

Thank you NetGalley for eARC in exchange for an honest review

A Cruel Arrangement takes place three weeks after the ending on A Dirty Business (the first book in this series), but from the point of view of two different characters. While Trace and Jess are still prominent characters in the plot, in this book we get to hear from Molly and Ashton.

For those who loved Trace and Jess (like me), hold onto your hats, because Ashton and Molly will blow you away. Molly has had some hard breaks thrown at her in her life growing up with a loser con-man as a father who has screwed who her over more than once, but still exudes a positive attitude about everything. Ashton is the enforcer part of our mafia duo who likes getting his hands dirty. In this book, we get to find out exactly what the past is between our unlikely couple, and we get to see their scorching chemistry.

Tijan did a masterful job of continuing the plot from our first book, while giving us an entirely new couple's point of view. No cliffhanger endings for this book, as things were wrapped up nicely from A Dirty Business, but I hope it won't be the last we hear from this mafia duo!

Thank you to Montlake Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book.

I received this advance copy through netgalley and realised this was book 2 so definitely check out dirty business prior to reading this.

We start off where book 1 leaves us and now we are following the dual POV of Molly and Ashton. I liked this change as we have a new perspective as we begin to search for the killer whilst also having the story of Jess and Trace continue as side characters.

The dynamic of Molly and Ashton's relationship develops well and we slowly see Ashton's hardened Mafia exterior opening up and he becomes very protective of her.

As you'd expect with a mafia plot there is plenty of rivalry, politics and twists and turns with some spicy scenes as well.

Overall a nice read.

Enjoyable but lacking any substance or believable characters.

5/5 for mindless reading
2/5 for plot

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. Great 2nd book in the series about Molly and Ashton. I liked their connection and how mafia bosses can be good guys. Perfect mix of hot, danger and love

Firstly I wanted to thank NetGalley, the publishers and Tijan for the opportunity to read and review this story.

I have heard a bit about this author; their books have been sitting on my TBR for a while, so I was excited to read this book. This book was the second book in this world, and I will preface by saying I have not read the first book (which is based on a different couple in the same world), and I managed fine with reading it. There were a few things I assume would have made understanding a little easier if I had read the first one beforehand, especially since the first book ended on a cliffhanger which is followed in this second book.

I was hooked and interested by the title "A Cruel Arrangement". Then you read the blurb "... I won't let my livelihood be threatened." and "...a man I remember from when we were kids. Even back then, I could tell how dangerous he would be one day."

Do I need to continue, or are you already in love with the story? Because same.

Dark protective alpha male Ashton
Cute sunshine-loving Molly
They grew up together
MAFIA ROMANCE
Dual perspective

I was utterly immersed in the story, there were a few questionable moments where I wanted to yell at certain characters for being stupid, BUT that's just part of the experience. I love being emotionally invested in a storyline and its characters, and this book utterly sucked me in. There was beautiful growth within the characters across the story, with Ashton wanting to use Molly in the beginning and the enemies or angst-to-lovers vibes coming through. And then, the spice within the story did not disappoint!

Now my final thoughts are this. It was a great book that I believe would have been even better if I had read the first book beforehand. Now it was doable, and it didn't take me long to pick up what happened in the story before. But I have come to find out that the first book ends on a cliffhanger which is answered and followed on in this book, even though they follow two separate couples. So if you can I could recommend picking up "A Dirty Business" before "A Cruel Arrangement".

This book picks up not long after Tijan's previous novel, A Dirty Business. I would not consider this book a stand-alone. While this story ties up loose ends from the previous one, it also focuses of Molly and Ashton. As the key players' relationship is defined, there are twists and turns and a surprising guilty party at the end.
I very much liked this book, and hope that there is another story focusing on Jake Worthing. If I had any criticism, it's that I think the final chapter ended a bit abruptly.

A Cruel Arrangement - Tijan
⭐⭐⭐⭐

"I want to take you away, push you against a wall, and slide so deep inside you that it's only me in there. Forever."

The second installment of Kings of New York! I loved Ashton and Molly and their love/hate relationship. Grumpy Ashton in denial and positive Molly seeping into his blood.

I think this book fell a TAD flat for me. I was reading it and thinking that something was missing. I feel that the explanation for the cliff hanger in the first book could have been more obvious? I feel that there were a few side stories (that did tie in) that maybe were not needed? Or could have been incorporated a little better?

I LOVE Tijan and her writing is addicting. This wasn't BAD by any means. I am glad I read it and I did love the characters. The banter and the swoon factor of Ashton finally admitting his feelings were done very well. Possessive and in love is my kind of story.

"You are mine...Never run from me again. Do you hear me? You run and I'll burn the world down for you"

I loved Trace and Jess's story in "A Dirty Business" plus it ended on a cliffhanger...so I was very excited to see "A Cruel Arrangement" come up.

This was my second book by Tijan and have found I love her writing and storytelling style. I especially enjoyed getting into the head of Ashton. He was somewhat dark in the first book, but with this one we found out how dark he really was as well as the whys. I enjoyed Molly in the first book and was anxious to know her story and it was quite a story. I really felt for this girl and all she went through in her life.

This read was quite the roller coaster ride and I had a very hard time putting it down. I was occasionally forced to put it down (damn work and chores) but did stay up late to finish and it was a very satisfying conclusion.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Tijan Meyer for allowing me to read this book before publication in exchange for an honest review.

Let me start with - I liked Jess from book 1. I LOVE Molly. I think that one of the things that the author did amazing with in this book was making Molly feel like someone you could be friends with in real life! Watching the relationship grow and develop between her and Ashton was so rewarding. The book really makes you feel like Molly deserves the absolute world. No matter what she’s gone through at the hands of her parents or even the world in general, Molly will always persevere. Seeing her self confidence grow and her friendship with Jess deepen was beautiful.

A truly great book with lots of twists and turns that I did not anticipate. This book makes for an incredible read.

I thought I loved Trace but Ashton tops him in everything!!!

First things first, I'm glad the mystery of Justin & Kelly (does that name combo make anyone chuckle too?) is solved by the end of this book. I'm glad Jess gets over herself ( I personally never thought she should have been mad at Ashton after her apologized I mean you know that world and the consequences). I'm glad Trace and Ashton worked everything out ( but again it was Trace's fault since he did not handle his business and left Ashton to do it). I'm glad for all of the things I mentioned but I am super glad that Ashton will put his money where is his mouth is and that Molly loves him for it. In my opinion Molly & Ashton are couple goals and work better than Trace & Jess because Molly has no issue stepping out of situation she's not suited for. What I want to see is some crossover books featuring the Bennetts, Cole, Carter, Ashton, Kash, Chase, and Trace actually helping/interacting with each other. In fact i'd be happy with more books in each of those worlds under one series callAll in all I enjoyed this book more than I enjoyed A Dirty Business and I enjoyed the heck out of that book too.