Los Zetas Cartel Collection
Great trio of books! **The Bonus: This was a dark, but oddly hopeful book. Chloe was put through the wringer, but managed to not only survive but thrive once she won the heart of the character described in another book as Lucifer. AJ Adams has a fantastic way of letting me root for the "bad guys" - even though there is a lot of dark things that happen, including dark acts perpetrated by the "heroes," I still want them to win by the end of the book. And they do - without being "reformed." I can't say a lot without dropping spoilers, but if you don't mind some hard language, hard (dubious consent) sex, and graphically violent scenes, including torture - you will more than likely fall in love with Kyle and Chloe. Not to say I would want to know them or try to survive in their world - I'd probably be a goner in seconds - but reading about them is a treat. And oddly hopeful by the end. **Songbird: This was a fantastic book. Kept me guessing all the way to the end. I had some things figured out, but I certainly didn't see the whole picture until right up until the gritty, exciting end. That's not to say that there was an unrealistic twist at the end, either. I could look back and see how almost everything was possible. I didn't especially like Solitaire and Arturo - mean, they are hard people, and I would HATE to try to survive in their world - but I totally respected their characters, and loved the way their characters were drawn. They are sharp, witty, street smart (and crime smart) people, and I felt their relationship grew in a believable arc. As well, the challenges they faced were well timed, and kept the suspense high and the plot moving right along. I can't say more without dropping spoilers, and believe me, you don't want this story to be spoiled. I love all of AJ's books, but this might possibly be my favorite. **Dirty Dealings: I think this is the best A.J. Adams book yet. Dirty Dealings is hard to put down. It had me ramped up from nearly the beginning, totally invested in Natalia and her family, and reconciling her life with the Zeta cartel. Ms. Adams got the balance of action to backstory just right in the beginning--wheeled me right into it without losing me to any drawn out explanations about things in the past. This book just kept steamrolling forward, very rarely letting up in intensity. I love how strong Natalia is. She's not someone I'd want to cross. I also love Quique for being a badass with a heart of gold. That Zeta cartel, they're some hardened criminals, but they do have a code that makes me want to root for them. This book is dark with graphic violence, chaos and mayhem. There are a few "fully depicted love scenes" but sex is definitely not the purpose of this novel. I totally recommend it to anyone who can stomach heroes who don't flinch at violence, killing, and deceit to protect their loved ones--and the story in these pages is built well enough that I found myself in total agreement with everything the protagonists did to make the situation right. (Fair to note that there is a lot of slang in this book, but if you are paying attention, the context will tell you what the words mean.)
