For the record, in some urban stories it is not as easy to make a connection with the characters, and sometimes based on the storyline, it makes it harder. In this story, I could not find a place to connect. The characters were gritty and distant, struggling for normalcy during most of the story.  Two female cousins were trained to be ruthless women by their fathers. Both fathers had jobs in law enforcement, and they asked their respective daughters to do unthinkable things. My ‘Lisa Alexander was a beautiful young lady trained to be an assassin by her father. Her cousin Maliya was in the same situation with her father. When the ladies met handsome half Italian, half African American brothers their lives had a promise for change.

The brothers Gotti and Gaige were part of the drug game when they moved from the big city to quiet town USA where they met the two ladies who changed their lives.  The elements of the story I found intriguing was the way the brothers and the ladies disconnected from their actions and the way both of the elder Alexanders carried out illegal acts while no one suspected or associated their activities with the men for too long. I’m not sure whether Detective Myron Alexander or District Attorney Mason Alexander had a worse demeanor in the tale. The men were equally guilty of acts against humanity; they should’ve shown some measure of compassion when they only showed discontent and indifference.

Much of the story dealt with the betrayal and manipulation of both brothers by their mother and the female cousins by their fathers. Later, the story explored the couples becoming romantically intertwined and the progression of their relationships. Maliya and My ‘Lisa had a secret life they tried to keep hidden from the brothers. That part did not last too long.  The back and forth events in the story were sometimes stifling for my comfort level, and their culpability never manifested in a way to which I could relate. The author told the story from a distant point of view, with limited emotional connections until the young couple’s relationships. Additionally, the author sold two things in this story well—love does not decide when it will strike and the heart makes a choice without warning the bearer.  4.0 Stars

*note: a free copy of this book was given by the author in exchange for an honest review.*