Review: Blood & Roses Series by Callie Hart

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Review

5 Dark, dangerous and sexy stars

Dark, mysterious, suspenseful and utterly captivating, this series had me mesmerised from start to finish, and I read each of the books back to back across a couple of very exciting days. Each of them is a really quick read, but they’re definitely not lacking in intensity!

This series is one continuous story spread across six novellas:

  • Deviant
  • Fracture
  • Burn
  • Fallen
  • Twisted
  • Collateral

Sloane is a tenacious young doctor who is willing to go to any length to find her missing sister. Zeth is a badass. With an emphasis on the bad. He is an enforcer for a crime-lord, getting his hands dirty for his boss, and being entirely merciless about it. Sloane and Zeth meet under less-than-ideal circumstances, but they share an undeniable connection, and before they know it, they are sucked into a wild and dangerous ride that will change their lives in ways they could never have imagined.

Featuring corrupt crime-bosses, gangs, a highly feared MC crew, a determined DEA agent, people smuggling, sexual slavery, violence, torture and murder, these books are not for the feint-hearted. It’s a dark and dangerous world that these people inhabit, and Callie Hart holds nothing back in showing us that, dragging us right into the twisting and turning story along with Sloane and Zeth.

Written in dual POV, I love that we get to see both sides of the story – through the eyes of a somewhat innocent, and those of a ruthless killer who plays the game, and does it brilliantly. And Hart does a wonderful job at bringing these characters to life. Sloane is intelligent, but I like her willingness to explore her dark side. And Zeth is “pure sex and malice wrapped up in one blisteringly hot, tattooed package”. But there’s another side to him – the occasional smirk and a slight tilt of his lips that hint of something deeper behind his cold and ruthless exterior.

And alongside all of the action and adventure is a beautifully unfolding love story. Technically, you can class this series as erotica because it is hot as all hell. Sloane and Zeth’s sexual chemistry is sizzling, and the sex scenes are frequent, highly descriptive, and full of kink and dirty talk. Some of what goes on is a little eyebrow raising, but it’s consensual, so I could deal with it. And over time their attraction develops into something deeply emotional, and Sloane and Zeth’s journey to get to a place where they can be together in the way that they both so badly want forms a big part of the story.

The overall feel is definitely a dark one, but there are light moments woven into the story as well, and Hart has created a wonderful balance so that it never becomes too depressing. There are parts of this book that had me laughing out loud – I love Zeth’s sarcasm, and the banter between the characters is fantastic – and the romance provides some very sweet (yet still VERY hot) moments. Overall, it’s a very intense read, but one that is highly enjoyable.

I’m usually wary of a series that is made up entirely of novellas – why do that when you can just write full length books? But Hart has done a wonderful job with these. Yes, it’s one ongoing story, but it breaks up into multiple parts so perfectly, and the way the story is told adds a sense of excitement to the whole thing. It’s done so well, and each instalment ends in a good place, but still leaving you hanging and desperately wanting more.

Fast paced, action-packed, suspenseful, emotional, sexy as all hell and full of surprises, this is one of those stories that you finish and just sit back and marvel over everything that you’ve experienced as you take it all in again. Callie Hart has given us an amazing story. It’s a wild ride, and I loved every minute of it.

Series rating – 5 stars

 

The Blood & Roses series

Deviant - 80  Fracture - 80  Bodybuilder  Fallen - 80  Twisted - 80  Collateral - 80

Deviant (#1)
Free:  Kindle Ebook

Fracture (#2)
Buy:  Kindle Ebook

Burn (#3)
Buy:  Kindle Ebook

Fallen (#4)
Buy:  Kindle Ebook

Twisted (#5)
Buy:  Kindle Ebook

Collateral (#6)
Buy:  Kindle Ebook

 

Blood & Roses

Blood & Roses Series
Series Review
Buy: Paperback

 

 

Badlands (Michael short)
A spin-off from Blood & Roses
Buy:  Kindle Ebook

 

 

 

 

See our Callie Hart Author Spotlight for details on spin-offs and more books set in this world, and other work from this author