(Adult) Book Review: Wanted

Wanted by J. Kenner
(Most Wanted #1)
January 7, 2014
Bantam publishing
352 pages
Genre: Adult Romantic Erotica (18+)
(Contains: sex, strong language)
Source: eARC from publisher for Honest review

Book Blurb:

He is everything I crave, all I desperately want—and he is everything I can’t have.

Evan Black embodies my every fantasy. He is brilliant, fierce, and devastatingly handsome. But he is also headstrong, dangerous, and burdened with secrets.

My family warned me to stay away, that I could never handle Evan’s dark dealings or scarred past. Maybe I should have listened. Maybe I should have run. But our desire is undeniable, and some temptations you just can’t fight.

And from the moment we touch—the passion between us consuming us both—I know that I will never be the same.  

For fans of Fifty Shades of Grey, Bared to You, and Release Me comes an all-new erotic series of three enigmatic and powerful men, and the striking women who can bring them to their knees. 

Wanted is an erotic romance intended for mature audiences.

 My Review:

Wanted is Angelina and Evan's story, but also sets us up to meet the men who will be featured in the next two books of this series. Evan and Angelina have known each other for a number of years, through their mutual connection with her uncle, but have never been very close as her uncle has kept her at a distance from Evan and the other guys. But after some tragic circumstances, things have shifted in their lives, changing up the relationships in Angelina's life. And bringing Evan to the forefront. But any opportunity between the two of them will come at a price and with risk. Risk may be good for the thrill-seeker in Angelina, but will she and Evan be able to take the chances that need to be taken for any possible future?
 
I really enjoyed Kenner's Stark Trilogy, and I can say that Wanted maintains the level of writing I've come to expect from Kenner. Kenner has created a story that drew me in right from the very first chapter. Her writing style depicted the setting really well, giving me the complete mental picture of each location and scene. She created characters that, though they have money and the men have alpha tendencies like other books, they still had their own unique qualities and circumstances, setting them apart from their contemporaries. 

As for the plot and storyline, I felt Kenner really put her own spin on things. Just when I would think the story would be played out a certain cookie-cutter way, some new twist would pop-up, keeping me on my toes until the very end. This is not to say that there aren't some predictable moments as well, but the unpredictability kept things spicy and intriguing and I stayed fully engaged.

Admittedly, there was something a little bit swarmy about these three bad boys that didn't completely win me over. There are many secrets to their various lines of work. Evan has many positives and negatives going for him, but I did come to like him more, though never quite loved him. The boys have a business that I will never be a fan of, no matter how someone tries to spin it. But beyond the business aspect, I liked Evan in regards to his relationship with Angelina.
 
Wanted is a solid start to this companion trilogy. If you like alpha males who are rich and mysterious, and don't mind illegal and questionable dealings; if you like sexy romance and mild erotica; if you like female characters that are not complete pushovers and have a good head on their shoulders - then this could be the series for you.

3-1/2 STARS
(maybe 3-3/4 Stars)

 

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