ARC provided by Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.

Neil is an action movie in book form, complete with bloodshed, smut, foul language, and a whole lot of suspense. Told from the POV of the heroine, Ariel, we are introduced to her struggling life as a single mother surrounded by controlling men in her workplace and the lack of help from her son's father. Her life has been a series of let downs, with the only bright spot being her son. She struggles to make ends meet, strips occasionally, and has no semblance of a life outside of motherhood. A man from her past reminds her of her womanhood and desires, but she'd never act on it even though he seems to force himself on her at every turn. His imposing ways are both annoying and helpful, but necessary when Ariel's ex takes their lives and turns it all upside down. When guns are drawn and threats are issued, Ariel has nothing to do but rely on the man who's emotions she can't read and leaves her desiring his touch despite his gruffness.

Ariel is the kind of heroine I usually hate actually, she easily gives in with no real prompting, but she had spunk and her perspective is an entertaining one. She's young, fighting for a good life for her son, and dealing with a life far more complicated than one needs at 21. I really liked how she was as a single parent, dealing with feelings she has for her ex, and really trying to do the best she can without taking hand outs. The way she felt about Neil, or Viking, is pretty apparent, even if the reader cannot grasp the feelings they seem to share. It's a push and pull situation that's hard to follow. They have an instant lust for one another that makes for some hot scenes, but otherwise it is very much a story of an older man alpha with a younger, disadvantaged woman.

I was really thrown off by Neil being told from only Ariel's perspective, having read Talon previously I expected to read from Neil's perspective or from both main character's POV. While it allows the reader to fully be immersed into Ariel's brain, to really get into the fear of the situation and see why she was so frustrated with his constant inability to be attached or show emotion, it also makes the story very one sided. I was unable to really connect with him or write off his volatile personality as Ariel was able to. He's an alpha to the core kind of character, the kind that takes without asking (because he just knows?) and is overly abrasive. Ariel's ability to get over his glaringly obvious controlling ways is quick after she learns of his past, but as a reader I never truly connected to them as better halves. Overall I really enjoyed the story, but Neil is a hard character to like and I think readers will find themselves either loving or hating him and his story.

It's not traditional romance by any means, but it is an entertaining story that I couldn't stop reading and a complete series that I'll be seeing through to the end. If you love your male characters alpha and your female characters snarky and independent, this is a series for you. I was never bored with the character dialogue, I loved the secondary character involvement, and the action notches it up another level as well. ( )

When Neil and Ariel meet the first time they are aware of one another but neither has a clue the impact that meeting a second time would eventually have on their lives.

Neil…definitely a man unwilling to compromise…ever! He is capable of anything at any time but also a man with a heart of gold that can charm or kill in the blink of an eye. Not a man of many words he is a man whose actions speak for themselves.

Ariel, born Ariella, is uncompromising in her love for her son, Conner, and in her relationships with men. She has fought hard to get where she is and works hard to maintain the status quo even if that means working in a strip club to make ends meet from time to time. Her baby-daddy screws up, again, and puts her and Connor in harm’s way so Neil, André (her boss), Tyler, Talon (from the first book in the series) and others are there for her when she needs them. What a team of alpha males André has working for him or that he can call in to assist from time to time…hopefully they will get books of their own in the future!

I have to say that this book sizzles. The chemistry is off the charts between gruff dominant Neil and sassy un-submissive Ariel but there are plenty of twists and turns that kept me wondering then hoping and finally happy and relieved that they both were able to finally achieve a happily ever after at the end.

Great story! I highly recommend it and want to thank the author who bequeathed me a copy through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I can’t wait to read André’s story in book three! ( )