Karina Halle

A raw, gritty and hot read from the author of The Artists Trilogy, Love, in English and The Pact. Filled with forbidden love, twisted lives, and explosive action, and set in the scorching heat and headiness of Mexico, fans of Joanna Wylde, Kristen Proby and Tarryn Fisher won't want to miss this. For Luisa Chavez, former beauty queen, every day is a struggle to survive. Working as a waitress in Cabo San Lucas is her only hope until Salvador Reyes, depraved leader of a Mexican drug cartel, offers her a lifeline. Salvador wants Luisa as his prized wife, and she can't say no. Robbed of all her freedom, even the finest wines and most precious jewels can't make up for the ugliness and violence of her marriage. Desperate to escape, Luisa's wish comes true in the deadliest form: Javier Bernal, head of a rival cartel. Javier will stop at nothing to get what he wants. And he wants to take Luisa, use her, and ruin her. Unless she ruins him first... Don't miss Book Two in the Dirty Angels series, Dirty Deeds - for more dark, dangerous and breathtakingly sexy action. And be sure to catch The Artists Trilogy for more of Javier...

Dirty Angels 1

Dirty Angels

JoLee

Spoil Free Review

Rating: 5 Stars - Amazing
Genre: Erotic Romance
Heat: Steamy - Cold Shower Needed
Source: Bought

Javier story is raw, gritty and is not for the faint of heart. His book is darker than The Artists Trilogy and fit perfect to his character. Loved that he stayed true to his character from beginning to end. Dirty Angels was unpredictable and an intense read that I could not swipe my kindle fast enough.

I have had a love/hate relationship with Javier since the beginning of The Artists Trilogy. He is a very complex man who strives on power and will do whatever it takes to keep it. He his brutal when anyone crosses him especially when it comes to someone he cares about. He is twisted and I loved being in his head.

She was beautiful. She was mine. And she was going to bleed for her husband.

Luisa and Javier were a perfect match. Their relationship is on the darker side. Loved that she did not want to change him. They are each other weakness. Their relationship shows that love can be found in the darkest places. Dirty Angels was more on the erotic side than The Artists Trilogy but never took away from the over all plot. That was a bonus for me but at the same time some were a bit on the darker side that did have me a little shocked. I would of not have it any other way considering it flowed with Javier's character and plot. I still found the over all heat level - steamy - cold shower needed with a dirty talker.

I'm going to fuck your cunt with my fingers and your ass with my tongue.

Kudos to Karina Halle for giving fans Javier story and doing an excellent job with it.

Samantha Emery

★Book Basics★ 


  Genre
: - Dark Romance (Not for the faint of heart, or for those who might find certain things triggering)

  Series
: - Book 1 in the Dirty Angels series, although states it can be read as a standalone (Spin off of The Artists trilogy, blurb states you do not need to have read this though)

  Writing
 - First Person Dual POV 

  Main Characters
: Luisa Chavez, 23. Former beauty queen and at the beginning of the book, has been married to Salvador Reyes for 2 months, and is running away from him and his abuse. Married him to be able to offer her parents, her mother who is blind, and her father who suffers from dementia a better life.
Javier Bernal, leader of a rival cartel, who kidnaps Luisa to hold her for ransom and gain more ground and power away from Salvador

  Love triangle?
 - (view spoiler)[No (hide spoiler)]

  Cheating?
 - (view spoiler)[No (hide spoiler)]

  HEA?
 - (view spoiler)[Yes! (hide spoiler)]

  Would I read more by this author?
 - Probably

★Review★

I have to admit, that I have not read The Artists Trilogy, that features Javier (as it appears to be a love triangle which I am not a fan of, and I tend to avoid trilogies these days too). 

So the blurb states ***While this is a spin-off of The Artists Trilogy, prior knowledge of the books is not needed** However, I felt that to be able to fully understand Javier and the choice he makes, how the relationships and actions from that trilogy affects him now, his relationship with Esteban, his fight to get to the top of the cartel, all of which is sort of brushed over here, written as if I should have prior knowledge to, made me feel as if I missed out on certain nuances and subtleties to his character and needed more of that back story in this book to help offer some insight to who he was as a man.

At time, there was something almost, naive about Javier. It is hard to put into words, given some of his actions in this book, but it was just hard to see him as some feared cartel leader. A violent messed up man, yes. A feared powerful Cartel leader - nope. His own men seemed to second guess him and not have much faith in him. His insistence on some sort of honour amongst thieves seemed at odds with his supposed role in becoming leader of the cartel and the world he was determined to immerse himself in.


Luisa I struggled with also. She had an awful life, and an awful time of it, however, I rather disconnected from her as a character. I felt for her, of course, but I felt like her sole purpose became being with Javier, only there as a prop for Javier to, break, fall in love with, and work through his feelings for another woman. 

It was gritty and violent and disturbing in places, and I am glad they got the HEA. But, I did not find it as gripping as I thought I would. I did not get as emotionally invested in their story as I should have. Something just felt missing.

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