All These Hidden Scars (Loose Ends 0.5) by Avril Ashton

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BLURB

When I leave, I never return the same.

Pretending came far too easily for Sullivan Black. One of the reasons he rejected his privileged family and joined the FBI. But those dangerous assignments take something from him every time, leaving him a mess, unfamiliar even to himself. As he struggles to shed the skin of his latest op, he finds solace in the most random of places.

Bar manager, Carter Renault’s only intention was to escort the lonely stranger out of his place before he locked up. Yet somehow they end up in an alley, Carter’s pants around his ankles. Their encounter is intense. A onetime thing. Except months later Sullivan is sneaking through Carter’s window, appearing and disappearing at random. The blistering-hot sex doesn’t hide the obvious torment Sullivan is going through, but Carter doesn’t want to be caught in the middle.

Just when he thinks he’s seen the end of that undercover life, Sullivan gets pulled back in. But this time, his identity is no longer a secret, and the aggressive need he has for Carter could get the other man killed. To set everything right, Sullivan has to face the one man he loves and hates in equal measure…his twin.

REVIEW
My Rating - 5 Stars!

All The Hidden Scars, the prequel to Avril Ashton's Loose Ends series is absolutely amazing.  

We meet Sullivan as his twin is going off to jail, leaving Sullivan lost and unsure of how to go on without his other half. Sullivan is an undercover FBI agent who's sent into awful situations, and gets way too involved in order to not blow his cover. Unfortunately for him, each time he returns home from a case, he doesn't return the same, as he is naturally affected by the awful and criminal things he sees and does.

When Carter, a bar manager meets Sullivan, he is taken by surprise, as Sullivan wants Carter and is hot and aggressive with him. Qne quickie is not enough for Sullivan, leaving him crazy in his pursuit of the sweet Carter. And pursue he will.

Their story is gritty, desperate, terrifying and addicting. Two men, who struggle to survive each day. One man who can't stop himself from running away, despite how difficult it is to do. He has a hole in his heart where his brother used to be. The other who needs his lover to comfort him. There's a blind want, a desperation. 

This story is riveting, and not for the faint of heart. These are two men who are full of memories, regrets, pain, desperation, and despair. They have to deal with betrayal and torture, as well as their love for one another.

All These Hidden Scars is as complex and multi-layered as I've come to expect from Avril Ashton. I am quickly becoming addicted to the dark worlds that she creates. 

(Watch Me) Save You (Run This Town #4) by Avril Ashton

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BLURB

Is love enough to pull two drowning men back from the edge of darkness?

No one will love you. Tek Ng has heard that statement his entire life, and after all he’s been through, he believes it. The tortured reality of who he is wars with everything else in his world. He’s got a fiancée he doesn’t want, a family legacy he wants to escape, and unrequited love so unavoidable he descends into sexual depravity with the last person he should. Tek is drowning, but he’s not sure he wants to be saved.
Quinn Storm hides in his quiet house, afraid of his shadow and his memories. At one time he had a husband and a life, but that was snatched away in a violent attack. Hardly daring to live, Quinn is alive only because he’s too scared to end it all himself. He’s drowning and wants no chance at being saved.
A favor for a friend brings these two men together just in time for Tek to watch Quinn unravel. Quinn quickly becomes the most important thing in Tek’s life, but can he trust Quinn to love him once he realizes what Tek is hiding? Just as they reach for each other, their reprieve is shattered by Tek’s demons, leaving Quinn with the realization that he’s not the only one in need of saving.

Warning: Contains references to rape and sexual abuse/assault.



REVIEW
My Rating - 5 Stars!

Avril Ashton has managed to completely impress me again with her final installment of her Run This Town series, (Watch Me) Save You.


This book overlaps books 2 and 3, (Watch Me) Body You and (Watch Me) Unmask You, but now we get to read about Tek and Quinn. And what a story they have! 
 

Tek is essentially caught in a life he never wanted, as his father is forcing him to live a lie. He's living a life that doesn't fit him and doesn't feel right, as he's being forced to take over his father's human-trafficking business. Thus, he is spiraling and self-destructing as he's facing a future he never wanted. 

Quinn is a man who is just as broken, as his ex left him, he's a mess and hates himself. Quinn is suffering with panic attacks, guilt and shame, as he's stuck in the past, just running from his nightmares. He's also a spectacular contrast between a tough exterior and a man drowning in his past, missing the man he used to be. 

Their story contains murder, complications, rape, abuse, danger, rough sex, attempted suicide, drugs, romance, and human trafficking, of course. 

The sex scenes are superb as they contain pure, animalistic need, lust, desire and desperation. It is hot, emotional, transcendental, and life altering. 

Can I mention how much I love the Tek? The absolute dichotomy of his character is amazing, as he's a cross-dresser who loves feminine things, but is a cold blooded killer. I just love this. And the amazing acceptance of the real him by Quinn is breath-taking. Tek never expected to find someone that would accept him in a wig, dress, stockings, heels, and makeup. This makes some of their scenes so powerful. 

Overall, their story is a spectacular, complicate romance between two men who desperately need to reclaim their lives, say goodbye to their pasts and embrace their futures. It's messy, it's raw, and it's riveting.

Avril Ashton is just amazing, as she has such a beautiful and masterful way with words. Her descriptions are perfect, creating elaborate, stunning moments. Her words are descriptive, alluring and captivating. She is a master of the English language, one that others should study to learn how to write such descriptive and mesmerizing scenes. 

If you love a great, complicated, multi-layered story with complex characters, look no further than Avril Ashton's Run This Town series. (Watch Me) Save You is the final book and it is the perfect ending. 

(Watch Me) Unmask You (Run This Town #3) by Avril Ashton

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Blurb

With one tug the thread unravels, and a world built on lies will come tumbling down

Too many bodies. Rivers of blood. Elias Kote sees them all in his sleep. Only the love of his husband and daughter keeps him alive and fighting. This contract killer is exhausted and weighed down with all the lies he tells every day. Who he is. What he does. How he came to have all he has. Elias can attest to nothing remaining hidden forever, but his secrets, when they do drop, shatters everything. Everyone. And leaves him scrambling to make his family whole again.
Ten years together. Three legally wed. One with their daughter. And in one night Lucky Mousasi’s world just…stops. What he thought was a random home invasion turns into way more. Masked men not only brutalize him, but they come armed with knowledge about Lucky, his husband, and the life he thought he knew. It seems nothing is coincidental, certainly not meeting and falling in love with Elias. Bruised, battered, heart ripped open, Lucky walks away.
An intimate rival will stop at nothing to neutralize the threat Elias poses, and the life he built out of guilt and desperation becomes collateral damage. When Lucky takes their daughter and disappears, Elias goes on a rampage. He will get his family back, but first he’s on an elimination mission. One bullet at a time.



REVIEW
My Rating -  5 Stars!

Avril Ashton's (Watch Me) Unmask You has wrecked me! As with the previous books in this series, this book is deep, gut-wrenching and remarkable!

This story is truly amazing, with Elias and Lucky, a couple who have no right to be together, yet are drawn to each other body-and-soul.

Their relationship covers many years, starting with Elias helping to comfort Lucky when he's young, through Lucky's early twenties, and beyond.

In the beginning, Lucky is devastated as Elias flits in and out of his life, leaving him lost each time he leaves. Lucky's alone in the world, having lost his parents, and then his aunt. Elias is the only steady person he has, yet he is never around, going years between visits.

The strength of the bond and chemistry between these men is breath-taking and riveting. But they are drowning in their issues. Even if Elias is able to give himself to Lucky, he still isn't giving Lucky the real Elias, as Elias is living a life of lies.  

The beauty of this romance is the way that Avril Ashton can once again have us falling in love with a man who does awful, unforgiving things. How does she do this so darn well? How can we fall so hard for Elias, before even knowing the full truth, and rooting so hard for him? It is a testament to the strength of her writing, that's how. Elias is so broken, and breaks Lucky in return, yet I love every second of it, and I am thrilled to have found these amazing men.

This story contains suspense, extreme chemistry, action, violence, and more. The beauty comes in the strength of love and the ability to listen, understand, and forgive.

(Watch Me) Unmask You is as powerful of a story as I've read. Avril Ashton's Run This Town series is a must read for anyone who loves an action romance.

(Watch Me) Body You (Run This Town #2) by Avril Ashton

Amazon Link Title: (Watch Me) Body You
Author: Avril Ashton
Length: 71k words
Genre: contemporary, explicit sex & violence
Series: Run This Town, book 2

BLURB

What if loving him…
After recent events that had his life flashing before his eyes, Israel Storm is re-evaluating everything. His friends. His priorities. What’s not going to change is the deep connection he’s developed with Reggie Turner. They’re comfortable with each other, partners in crime with no qualms about sharing women. Whatever Is needs, Reggie is the one he calls. Their bond can survive anything. But maybe not the kiss Reggie plants on him out of nowhere.

…Means losing him?
Despite what Is thinks, that kiss came from somewhere. An un-named current has been flowing between them for months. Reggie doesn’t bat for his own team, but the more time he spends with Is, seeing past the rough façade of the man leading The Rude Boys, the more Reggie loses sight of labels and where he fits. All he knows is there’s something there, something Is will never acknowledge. One kiss leads to a punch that lands Reggie in the ER, and sends Is digging through his darkest memories in search of himself.

Friendship is all that’s left if they bury the truth. If they ignore the pull that makes it impossible to do anything other than fight each other. But denials can be exhausting and hiding isn’t working, not when everyone can clearly see your heart’s desire. An enemy is out to make an example of Is, and his weapon of choice will leave this Rude Boy bloodied…and bodied. REVIEW My Rating - 5 Stars! Once again, I cannot praise this Run The Town series by Avril Ashton enough!!! (Watch Me) Body You is the second book in this series by Avril Ashton. And like book 1, it is simply amazing! This time, Avril entertains us with a fantastic friends to lovers romance. Reggie has wanted Israel for as long as he can remember. but Israel has always fought the attraction between them. To put it plainly, Israel does not want to be gay, knowing it would actually be dangerous for a man in his position to be openly gay. Their story takes place among the dangerous streets they rule, and it's loaded with fear and anger. Deep down, Israel suffers from things in his past that make him question who he really is. In this book, Avril manages again to humanize these tough as nails gang members who lives their lives around peddling drugs, protecting their territory and exacting revenge. It is a true gift that one can take these tough and rough men and show their vulnerability, loyalty and family issues. I am in awe. I absolutely love the tension in this story as all the denial is happening. But, even more, I love they way that Israel finally decides to admit his feelings and take a chance on love. I am not going to tell it to you, but when you read it, it is just honest, good, and so damn realistic. But rest assured, that their chemistry is hot, and their story is great. And, don't overlook the secondary characters, as they are all fantastic and lend so much to this story. If you haven't already done so, please check out (Watch Me) Body You by Avril Ashton. As for me, I am on to the next book in the series!

(Watch Me) Break You (Run This Town, Book #1) by Avril Ashton

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They’re in a war for control of the streets, but love will be the ultimate prize. 

Here comes trouble… 
Men. Women. Drugs. Dima Zhirkov’s favorite things. Add in the element of danger and he should be right as rain. But not today. It’s not working, hasn’t for a long time. He’s grasping at the flimsiest of straws to prove he’s indeed strong enough to run his streets. Until he sets eyes on him. In the midst of a room full of strangers, Dima is drawn to a man as cold and dangerous as he is beautiful. Captivated, Dima embarks on a ruthless campaign to get his new toy into bed.

Here comes the danger…
Xavier “X” Storm is content to pull the strings while someone else handles the day to day dealings of his gang, The Rude Boys. He’s after what Dima holds closest—the Coney Island streets. He contracts out the job of killing the Russian, except Dima isn’t that easy to kill. When he suddenly shows up in X’s path, tempting him to indulge in the dirtiest play, he finds Dima isn’t all that easy to shake, either. His cocky attitude and rough submission tempts X to go where he’d vowed to never return, and they plunge head first into an affair fueled by possessive obsession.

Run for cover 
Sex and pain Dima can handle, and X delivers the most depraved kind. Their connection is explosive, their games addictive, but Dima can end it whenever he wishes. He doesn’t see that X is breaking him down, giving Dima everything he wants and even more than he ever thought to need. By the time he realizes who X is and what he wants, Dima is raw and bullet riddled. It’s run or fight. And Dima doesn’t back down. Neither does X.

***** Warning: Includes strong BDSM elements, violence, and gun play *****

REVIEW
My Rating - 5 Stars!

Avril Ashton's (Watch Me) Break You is one hell of a gritty, tough and powerful story. 

It is one complicated, intense and action-packed book. Both men are bad men, caught up in some serious life threatening situations.  You'll find lies, deception, murder, and passion! And, yet, somehow Ashton find humanizes these men, leaving us felling empathy for them. I am still shocked at how well this was achieved, as it is not an easy thing to do.

It is so unusual to have two such bad men actually finding love and passion for each other. Normally, these two men would never be able to open up and risk their hearts. They also wouldn't normally be the type to forgive. X and Dima are two accomplished, well developed, and deep characters.

As Dima says in one part '"He's not cold. That's just one part of who he is...He's really warm..."'

There is some serious BDSM play and pain, including some gun play. The passionate possessiveness is amazing! The author does a stupendous job of combining these two bisexual men with a sexual openness and awareness that works so damn well. 

But most importantly, there is just something insanely hot and intense about two evil men falling so damn hard for each other. And, the BDSM aspects of their relationship fits in so well with their naturally intense and violent worlds. It is superb and gives me all the feels!

In an nut shell, Avril Ashton, I am super impressed and amazed with (Watch Me) Break You!