Book Review: V.B.’s impression of The Redemption Lie by Amanda Traylor
Hi, readers! The latest I Love Romance Blog review selection is The Redemption Lie by Amanda Traylor.
Take it away, V.B.!
Thanks!
The Redemption Lie by Amanda Clay (aka Amanda Traylor)
If romantic suspense/crime is your thing, you will enjoy this book! Nina is an especially endearing character who’s well aware of her flaws, but is making a success of her life. Beck is not only sexy, yet competent, and has somehow retained his idyllic beliefs.
Action fills each page as the suspense and danger builds to an awesome climax. The author also gives all her characters grit and heart. I especially appreciated the stigma Nina faced daily for her past. Her family relationships are strained as are Beck’s. This made them feel real to me.
Both Nina and Beck give us their points of view, and while some aspects of the mysteries feel obvious, the book does an excellent job of keeping things fresh and exciting. Sex is present, as are rape-type activities, but nothing is too graphic. Nina was part of a bad crew, and the men chasing her are animalistic in their pleasures. The book doesn’t glorify this, nor does it shy away from the brutal truths of a mobster life.
Finally, this story sets off a series, so while it ends well, it bodes of dangers to come. You will need to read the following books to get full satisfaction.
NOTE: I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I give this book 5 hearts because the MC is a bad ass even as she falls for the sexy DEA agent.
Book Info:
She’s done running from her past. But her past is now catching up to her.
She was the girlfriend of California’s leading crime boss. That past is behind her, her debt to society paid.
But getting life back on track isn’t always easy — especially when the ghosts of her old life still haunt her.
Now, she’s being hounded by DEA agent Beck Graham, who needs her help to bring down the biggest score of his career: the Opik crime family.
The problem? She has no interest in getting involved, because getting involved gets people killed.
On one side is redemption. On the other, death.
Redemption always comes with a price.
A heart-pounding thriller full of shocking twists, sizzling chemistry, and unforgettable characters.
Universal Reader link: https://books2read.com/u/mB826k
Here’s a teaser from the book…
“You seem pretty calm,” Graham said.
Nina’s heart sped up. “Should I have a reason to be otherwise?”
“Well, normally when a DEA agent comes strolling in asking questions, people get a little jumpy.” Graham had an air of confidence about him that teetered on the right side of arrogant. Nina laughed then. He was trying to get her twisted up. “Agent Graham, as I’m sure you’re well aware or else you wouldn’t be here, this ain’t my first rodeo with the DEA. I’ve faced down bigger wolves than you.”
“Is that how you see us? Wolves?”
“Calculating, ruthless pack animals? Something like that.”
“You make us sound downright criminal,” Graham said, the ghost of a smile at his lips. “But yes, I do know all about you, Miss Sullivan. Anderson. Whatever.”
“Just call me Nina.”
Graham nodded. “Nina. I’ve read your file.”
“So then, why don’t you stop playing nice and just tell me what it is that you want?” Nina said.
“I appreciate your directness. All right, well, the truth is, we have a new lead on your old game.”
Nina’s stomach tightened. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“What I mean is there’s some new information that tells us the old pipeline is up and running again. And that the top players are back at the table. Obviously, that’s bad news for us. Maybe for you too. But the silver lining is that it gives us the chance to take down some of the guys we missed the last time.”
The lines and colors around her blurred. She wasn’t hearing him correctly. That life was supposed to be behind her. Nina closed her eyes against the assaulting memory. The gut-wrenching nerves slicing away at her as she sat in a safety room, waiting for the news. Suffering relief and grief at the same time…
“No, I paid my dues. My debt to society is done.” Nina stood.
“Miss Sullivan — ”
“Am I under arrest? Do I need a lawyer?” Nina said.
“Of course not — ”
“Then I don’t have anything more to say.” Nina turned her back to Graham.
“Miss Sullivan, you can’t just walk away. That’s not how this works.”
Nina spun around and glared at the agent. “I know very well how this all works. You guys change the rules as we go along as best suits your hand. And then you get mad at us for cheating at the game. But I’m not getting involved in that shit again. I put it all behind me.”
“Don’t you want to at least hear me out? Don’t you even want to know what it is that we have?”
“No! I don’t I want to hear it, I don’t want to know anything about it. And in fact, I don’t want to see you ever again in my restaurant.”
“Your restaurant? You own the place?” Graham said, his tone incredulous.
Nina folded her arms over her chest. “Yeah, is that so crazy that I would own a restaurant?”
Graham shrugged. “Actually, kinda. Ex-cons don’t usually rebuild their lives so quickly. You’ve been out, what, three years? How’d you manage it?”
Nina chewed her lip. Ex-con. Would she ever get used to hearing that?
AUTHOR: Amanda Traylor
TITLE: The Redemption Lie
GENRE: Mystery Romance/Romantic Suspense
RELEASE DATE: June 27, 2018
PUBLISHER: Florence & Reynolds
ISBN/ASIN: B07DNKC913
OUR RATING: ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 stars
REVIEWED BY: V.B. “Can Do Indie Author”
Reviewer Bio: VB is an indie author who writes romance and Sci Fi and voraciously reads anything (with some limits). When she’s not reading and writing, she’s working a day job to pay for her truck habit and puttering around her house.
Thanks for reading our latest book review on ILRB! ♥ Have a great weekend, everyone!
Originally published at http://iloveromanceblog.wordpress.com on August 25, 2023.
