Tag Archives: Layers Trilogy

ARC Review: Layers Off (Layers Trilogy #3) by Lacey Silks

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Title: Layers Off
Author:  Lacey Silks
Publisher/Year:  MyLit Publishing 3/31/14
Length: 195 Pages
Series: Layers Trilogy #3

Overview

she’s gone through hell and back.

He’s kept a secret that could send her there again.
And they’re trying to find their way to each other. 

Rescued by the man she loves, Kendra Knight struggles to recover from a month-long captivity. Memories of her imprisonment as a sex slave haunt her as she battles withdrawal from drug addiction and fights to put a dreadful past behind her. With the help of her new friends, Allie and Laura, Kendra begins to question who she is, and Julian Cross’s true intentions for her future.

Julian Cross, owner of a top investigations firm, has kept a secret from the woman he loves since the day he met Kendra. He watched her grow from a teen to a woman and fall in love with his brother Tristan, only to be broken into pieces in the end. Now, he vows to stand by her until she’s well, so he can tell her the dismal truth about her past.

Will the truth finally set Kendra free or send her back to the pit of drug-infused hell?

My Thoughts

I found this series while i was visiting my in-laws over Christmas, and i’m THRILLED that i did.  The journey that we’ve taken with the Cross’s is one that’s really exciting, sexy, and very unexpected.  With the path that the first 2 installments took us on making it pretty clear who we were getting involved with in this final installment, how we learned Kendra’s story was definitely not what i expected and i’m really pleased with that.

Going into this story, i wasn’t sure how Ms. Silks was going to approach Kendra given what we know of her from Allie and Sam, and what we’ve seen so far.  The perspective that we get here though was really a nice way to look at things.  We are taken back in time to really tell her story of how she’s come to know Julian and Tristan, and then we get fast forwarded into the present to understand how she’s coping with being in captivity and trying to get to know herself and her relationship with Julian.

I have to admit, where the story took us, learning about what Kendra’s life was like pre-Cross brothers, and what it’s become now as a result of some stuff that she can’t remember – it’s a roller coaster.  The nice bit about it is that Julian is a constant – in the phrase that he has tattooed to his chest and that he utters to Kendra over and over again ‘I’ve got you’ – this book got me!  We get to see that their past is one that was shared – that they had chemistry even before they were in a place to act on it, and that’s manifested itself out nicely into the perfect situation now that they are both in a place to appreciate it.

What was expected is the heat and passion that comes out at full force once they allow themselves to be together like that.  Once Julian is convinced that Kendra can handle being close, a cold shower is about all that i can think about.  He’s romantic and kind, yet very passionate which makes for some amazing heat and scening.

The twist that this story takes though is great – i really didn’t expect the last 1/3 of the book at all, and it takes a bit to get me there.  i’m usually one of the first to figure out the path of a story.  ok  i can’t say that i was completely clued out – i knew part of what was going to come up, i’ve watched soap operas all my life to get that – but i think that the added bonus of a deeper story – well that was a welcome bonus and made the last 60 pages or so a really big page turner.

All in all, a great finale to a really great series – all the leading ladies had their stories woven together seamlessly, and that was a pleasure to find since i was worried – i have to say – at how things were going to be pieced together.  Enjoy!!

Review: Dazzled by Silver (Layers Trilogy #0.5) by Lacey Silks

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Title: Dazzled by Silver
Author: Lacey Silks
Publisher/Year: MyLit Publishing 7/17/13
Length:  150 pages
Series:  Layers Trilogy #0.5

Overview

Private Investigator, Gabriel Silver is healing from a deadly loss, burying himself in work and avoiding relationships of any kind. When he agrees to help a friend who’s tangled up with drug dealers he has no idea the job will change his life.
Samantha Connor is recovering from a terrible relationship. She’s on the prowl for a hot hook-up, with no strings attached. When she meets Gabriel, she thinks she’s found the perfect man to fulfill her deepest yearnings. But Gabriel turns out to be more than meets the eye.
Soon, she’s knee-deep in his latest case and on the run with Gabriel and her sexy friend Kendra. As they plot to trap the drug dealers, Samantha and Gabriel begin a thrilling game of cat and mouse. With growing feelings, danger at every turn and seduction on the table, anything can happen.
Can they both let go of their shattered pasts long enough to find true love, or is Gabriel Silver about to find out that history repeats itself, and lose everything he ever cared about?

My Thoughts

I Loved this novella and story about Gabe and Sam.  I have to say that Lacey Silks really knows how to bring on the passion and really bring on the anxiety.  There’s something to be said about a story line that can stand on it’s own even without the sex.

I don’t know how everyone else has read this series, but i’ve clearly read books 1 and 2 already, and felt that since i now know the fate of Sam and Gabe (through book 2) that i owed it to myself to get their story.  Glad that i did!

We meet Sam when she’s at the opening of Kissed – the club that Tristan helped open for Kendra in the hopes that it would get her back on her feet and maybe keep her sane and sober.  That night changes everything for Sam.  She not only sets her eyes on the hottest ‘bartender’ ever, (Gabe) but she also crosses a line in her best friendship with Kendra in the sense that we see that there’s more than just friendship there – they are obviously quite attracted from one another and act on it.

What we quickly learn is that Gabe’s not a bartender – he’s the silent partner in the club, and he’s completely enamored with Sam, and makes it his goal to learn about her and protect her since he fears that she’ll become a target of some not so nice people who are going to be after Kendra.

What quickly happens in this story is that there’s an attraction that Gabe and Sam cannot fight, and they start to act on it, but not full gusto at first.  then we see Sam almost get kidnapped, which sends the whole story into a tailspin, and across the world into hiding.  What we get from there is a story of fear, anxiety, and the potential for healing and love.

I really enjoyed this because while you come to expect that the main characters will be damaged from past relationships, the way that these 2 come together is nice.  Gabe is trying to heal from the murder of his wife which he feels he was responsible for, and Sam isn’t fully healed from losing her first love (in high school) to lukemia.  So coming together for them is a battle of wits, and what starts as a fling never lasts as a fling.

And the cliffhanger – while i know the outcome since it’s woven into the other installments, was a nice ending to their tale.

ARC Review: Layers Peeled (Layers Trilogy #2) by Lacey Silks

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Title: Layers Peeled
Author: Lacey Silks
Publisher/Year: MyLit Publishing 1/13/14
Length:  189 pages
Series:  Layers Trilogy #2

Overview

New life binds them,
Past ghosts haunt her,
Fresh secrets distract him,
…and history repeats itself.

Allie, a rookie cop hired and desired by a private investigator, is about to knock the wind out of Tristan with the biggest news of her life… … right after the announcement that he fired her sinks in.

Tristan, the owner of Cross Enterprises, has a few surprises for Allie as well. And she won’t see them coming.

While the couple tries to deal with their predicament and growing romance, ghosts from Allie’s past haunt her, slowly calculating the timing of their return.

With new assignments distracting Tristan, fate has stacked a threat against them. Can Allie and Tristan peel away their protective layers for long enough to see the danger brewing at their doorstep? If they don’t work together, trusting and sharing information, it may be too late.

And history may repeat itself.

My Thoughts

I loved the cliffhanger that we got from book 1 – i mean, really – Allie was set to reveal something game changing to Tristan, and he utters 2 words ‘You’re Fired’.  Allie’s life came to a crashing halt, and she didn’t know what to make of things

Then we pick up in book 2 with the same moment in time, Allie’s reeling since she was just about to tell Tristan that she’s pregnant, and doesn’t know what to do there.  What she doesn’t know and quickly learns though is that yes she’s fired,…..but from her current position and Tristan’s set up a new foundation for her and Laura to head up to rescue the kidnapped woman.  Amazing right?  At that same time, Tristan reaches for the box that Allie brought with her with the booties in it, and when Tristan realizes that she’s preggo, Allie’s afraid that things will end abruptly since he doesn’t seem like the type to want to be tied down.  well…she’s wrong!  He’s thrilled….so happy moments ensue, yet these may be the few ones in this story.

What we get in this 2nd and somewhat final yet not final installment (cause it is a trilogy i think) is a roller coaster.  We have a few interesting things going on here.

1) Allie and Laura are hot on the trail of trying to rescue women, with one girl in particular resonating more…Marissa.  The girl that was in the same auction as Allie, and who looks like she could be Allie’s sister.  This plot line in particular kept me guessing.  i mean, why keep mentioning that she could be Allie’s sister…right?  it’s just odd- but and interesting twist towards the end for sure.  The other interesting twist with this story is that you don’t know who the ‘ghost buyer’ is that bought her, and while i did have my suspicions (which were confirmed), i wasn’t 100% sure and that was fun.

2) Allie and Tristan’s relationship wasn’t certain in some sentiments.  while on just about every other page of this book they were having amazing sex and making me all hot and bothered, there wasn’t any certainty in what their relationship was going to be.  It seemed like everyone was pushing them to do things that weren’t ever in Allie’s cards before, and what Tristan didn’t seem ready for.  It made for a nice bit of diversity here.

3) David Wright.  i don’t know about any of you, but i wasn’t sure that he was out of everyone’s hair after book 1 – i mean, we never saw him die or put in jail, so i had a feeling that he was going to come back, and boy does he.

So, the confusing thing that i have to call out, which i know that Ms. Silks addresses in her notes after the story is that there’s a 4 month gap in the story – kind of like a fast forward.  IT’s like we learn a lot of information very quickly in the first few lines of the skip ahead and i kept wondering if i missed something.  The good news is that it sounds like we’ll find all the detail out in the next book from Kendra’s POV.

Anyhow, I really enjoyed this series so far, and i hope that the novella that i have on Gabe and the next book from Kendra will keep in line with the quality that we’ve gotten so far.  There’s nothing better than a story that has such passion and chemistry that you know it’s inappropriate for reading on a commute.  This book is that – you can’t get more than a page without the happy couple having trouble keeping their hands off each other – which is GREAT.

Enjoy!

Review: Layers Deep (Layers Trilogy #1) by Lacey Silks

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Title: Layers Deep
Author: Lacey Silks
Publisher/Year: MyLit Publishing 12/1/13
Length:  176pages
Series:  Layers Trilogy #1

Overview

He needs her to save a friend.
She needs him to plan her revenge.
Their pasts scar them Layers Deep.
Their passion distracts them…
…and distractions can be fatal.

Tristan Cross is battling emotional demons from the past. He lives in a world where trust is earned, loyalties are tested, and love is impossible. That is, until he meets Allie Green. She’s the only woman who can help him find a kidnapped friend and to top it off, she captivates him. All he has to do now is persuade her to work for Cross Enterprises, his top investigations firm.

Allie Green is a rookie cop seeking revenge and she’s willing to sell her soul to get it. With an opportunity to use Tristan Cross’s resources Allie calculates her time for payback. As vengeance boils her blood she can’t keep her mind off her new boss and Allie finds it difficult to keep her employment professional. With the mouth watering Tristan Cross distracting her, she struggles to prioritize an undercover job she’s been assigned and her hunger for revenge.

And when you’re ready to give up your life to save someone else, distractions can be fatal.

My Thoughts

What a nice introduction to a new series!  I loved where this plot line took us and there’s so much to build on.  We first meet Allie when she’s learning about a potential job opportunity with Cross Enterprises, a well known and established security firm….along side the other officers and rookie cops that she works with.  At the same moment that she first meets Tristan Cross, one of the owners, she finds that she can’t look away from him, and at the same time, is not willing just yet to apply for the job.  There are circumstances from her past that make things challenging – she and her mother are ‘on the run’ from someone from their past that wants to do them harm, and she’s hoping that she can use a relationship with Cross Enterprises as a means to seek revenge against him.

In walks of course Tristan, the powerful, domineering stature of a man that takes Allie’s breath away.  Of course, he knew what he was looking for some how – before recruiting for someone.  He has done a background check on Allie and knows more about her than makes her comfortable.  Along with this though, he finds himself attracted to her so strongly that not only does it mean that she would be ideal for the role in his company, but in his life as well.

This first installment of the series introduces us to the life that Tristan lives, to his family and that raises a few eyebrows to me.  There are so many similarities and hints that come along that i hope we get some of that resolved in book 2 and 3.  Namely his sister emma…..irony there…yes.

In any event, not only is the plot line compelling for the sort of role that he’s trying to recruit Allie for (an escort or prostitute of sorts) but there’s such heat and passion that you can’t help but to keep reading.

I don’t think that i’m overly familiar with this author, but i have to say that her style of writing is really engaging and exciting.  I felt the heat and clear chemistry in every scene that we were taken through.  These 2 can’t keep their hands off each other and i think that it came through really well.  There’s also the hope that we’ll get to see more, even in a spin-off with Julien and even with Laura.  I can’t wait until January when we’ll get the next installment, since this first book really left us blindsided with the ending.  Not only were there changes in the lives of people that were unexpected, there was just a cliff hanger than makes you wonder who will survive and continue on the journey.  Enjoy!