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Blurb

Welcome to the new world order—where the villains have become the heroes.

ERIC ‘WRAITH’ SHAW

Once upon a time… Yeah, no. Let’s stop right there. This isn’t a fairytale. I’m not exactly Prince Charming. And I haven’t forgotten the day Jamie Ellis left town in handcuffs. But that feels like lifetimes ago. My high school crush is all grown up and married to the man who’s holding me prisoner. Drugged and tortured, I’ve become a monster who’ll stop at nothing to rip David Crane’s world apart.

JAMIE ELLIS

When I left Mayhem at sixteen, a piece of my heart stayed behind with the charismatic bad-boy I’ve loved since kindergarten. But I’m a product of a life gone wrong, and I married David hoping for a better future. Now that I know the depth of my husband’s depravity, I’ll risk everything to ruin his carefully crafted empire—because if Wraith and I want our happily ever after, we’re going to have to fight for it…

Wraith is a complete standalone in the Masters of Mayhem series.

 

 

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Review

4.5 stars!

Wow. This book just blew me away! Renee Rocco is a new-to-me author who has been out of the writing world for a long time, but she’s back, and she’s delivered an exciting, raw and gritty dark romance with fantastically sarcastic humour, a badass antihero, a strong yet damaged heroine, and a heartfelt second-chance-romance that completely captivated me. It has vibes of the King series by T.M. Frazier and the Scarred Souls series by Tillie Cole, but it also has a feel and a story that is all its own, and I loved it!

In a United States set in the not-too-distant future, a second civil war has seen cities crumble and vigilante gangs rise to power. Civilisation and government still exist, but in the small town of Mayhem, the town is ruled by the Unholy, who keep the peace and dole out punishment as and when required. There’s not too much detail given on this, just enough to set the scene, with the focus very much on the characters and their story, but it adds a unique twist which I thought was really interesting.

Eric and Jamie grew up in Mayhem and met as children, but they didn’t really become friends until they were teenagers, when she was living a hellish life, and Eric was her one protector and the shining light in her life. At 16 she was sent away, and it’s not until eight years later that they see each other again, when everything has changed.

Eric is now a grown man, and is an enforcer for the Unholy, going by the name Wraith. But he has been captured and is being held prisoner as a fighter in a deadly underground fighting ring. Subjected to unending torture and held at the whim of a sadistic psychopath, his very existence is hell, until Jamie steps back into his life – beautiful, bright, and married to the monster that holds him.  But not all is as it seems, and Jamie has her own plans to tear down her husband’s empire. But first, she is determined to save the man she’s always cared for so deeply, and she’s prepared to put her own life on the line to do it.

It’s a great set up, and the drama and intensity of it all instantly sucks you in, but damn, some of those early scenes are scarily dark. The torture and violence plays out graphically on the page, and I have to admit, some of it is pretty stomach churning. But it sets the scene well, and leads to the part we’re all waiting for – Wraith and Jamie’s second-chance-romance.

“You bust me out, and it doesn’t end there. You understand what I’m telling you.”

It’s not exactly a second-chance-romance, because what they had as teenagers wasn’t really a relationship, but the feelings were there in the past, and they are definitely there in the present. Wraith and Jamie have never forgotten about each other, and they each hold a piece of the other’s heart, so when they finally get the chance to come together as adults, all of that anticipation, chemistry and sexual tension is just waiting to explode.

“My arms? These arms? They’ve always been open for you.”

It’s not an easy ride for them though. They’ve got things they need to work through, and there’s some angst as they figure it all out, but it makes sense for them and their story, and the banter, teasing and joking is highly entertaining. I wasn’t expecting to laugh so much in this book, but Wraith, Jamie, and especially Wraith’s best friend, Jester, are sarcastically hilarious, and the back-and-forth is just awesome. It brings much-needed levity to the violent world that they all inhabit, and I loved those fun moments between them.

I back-crawl up the bed, every part of me aching for every part of him. A predator, he follows me, and uses his weight to press me down on the mattress. I graze my nails down his back, over thick cords of muscle and newly healed scars.
I cup his taus ass, and he notices the grin I can’t hide.
“What’s with the smile?”
I squeeze his cheeks. “You have a nice butt.”
“Thanks. Squats. You got nice everything.” He grins himself against me, a wicked gleam in his dangerously dark eyes. “I’m going to light you up.”

And at the heart of it all is this beautiful love story that is hard-fought-for, passionate, and beautifully emotional

“Why me?”
I stroke his face, my fingers tracing the silvery scars… “The truth?”
“Always.”
… “It always had to be you, Wraith.”

Jamie is a great heroine. She has been scarred inside and out, and she understandably has fears and insecurities, but she’s all in for her man, and I loved her strength and bravery, and I loved seeing her come out of her shell the more comfortable she became. And Wraith… *sigh. There’s something so awesome about antiheroes, when you see these big, badass, violent men literally brought to their knees by the women in their lives, and Wraith is no different. He goes through so much in this book, and there’s no doubt he’s a scary dude, but his tenderness and protectiveness with Jamie is just gorgeous and I loved him so much.

“We should’ve done this eight years ago.”
I shake my head, remembering myself as a fractured teenager. “Back then, I was too broken.”
“Nah. I would have held you together.”

But they still have a mission to accomplish, and the danger isn’t through with them yet. It’s an exciting ride with a satisfying finish, and Wraith and Jamie get the happy ending that they deserve, with great closure for their story, and more books just begging to be written for the rest of the Unholy guys. Jester gets the next book, and I’m so freaking exited for that! He’s the rude, crude, filterless joker who would do anything for his friends, and we get a hint of what is to come for him, and I cannot wait!

I loved this book. It’s a great start to a new series, and I’m fully on board for whatever comes next.

4.5 stars.

An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

 

Masters of Mayhem

 

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