Reviews

Arranged: A Masters and Mercenaries Novella by Lexi Blake

diloretobeth89's review against another edition

5.0

Loved

An amazing story of love and submission. You have everything in this book. The male submitting to the female, an arranged marriage and treachery.

kodom251999's review against another edition

5.0

I love this series! I loved Kash finding his queen. He was so lost. Big Tag always saves the day! Shhh!!! Don't tell him his ego is big enough. I enjoyed this one. It was good to see a lot of their characters! ❤❤❤🔥🔥

deanie's review against another edition

4.0

Kash Kamdar, the king of the fictitious nation of Loa Mali has made appearance in previous books in the Masters and Mercenaries series, but now he gets his own book, and it's definitely a departure for Lexi Blake, since the king is a submissive and his new bride in the Domme in their relationship. The look into Kash's psyche is a great psychological exploration of a man who feels he should be in control at all times, even if that's not what his heart wants. Dayita, a commoner and educator, as well as a well-known Domme is allowed to be strong here, and doesn't need to have her authority diminished to prop up Kash's ego. They're a great couple in a really good book.

lyshreads's review against another edition

emotional hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

thesassybookworm's review against another edition

4.0

This is the standard 1001 Nights cover. I like it. Good representation of the hero/heroine. Good composition. Great use of graphics and typography.

So I pretty much went into this one expecting not to like it very much. If I had known before I requested the ARC that the heroine was going to be a

Spoiler

Domme

, I wouldn't have bothered with it. On top of that, I am not a big fan of an author taking an uber manwhore secondary character and trying to make him into a hero. And that is basically ALL Kash has been throughout the series. He is best known for being the "walking venereal disease" and not much else.

So you can imagine how delighted I am to say that I actually DID enjoy this one (for the most part). Oh, I STILL think Kash would have been best left as a side character, and there were WAY too many mentions of his manwhore past. Including an opening scene where he awakes in bed having spent the night with three women (gag). But Miz Blake sucked me into the story, and I found myself turning the pages and enjoying the journey these two were embarking on.



I enjoyed Day immensely. I found the type of

Spoiler

Domme

she was pleasing. She wasn't cold or harsh. I think that is why that aspect worked for me when in other books I find it a turnoff. She was also a strong and intelligent heroine. Although I did question why someone with her intelligence would EVER want to tie herself to a walking venereal disease...but whatevs.

As is the case with nearly every book Miz Blake writes I enjoyed seeing some of the other couples from the M&M universe. After so many books in this series, a lot of these characters feel like family. The mystery part was OK. I figured out who the baddie was from the minute the person was introduced, but that didn't take away from my enjoyment at all. There were also some parts that made me cry, and the sex scenes were hot. So, all in all, I went in not expecting much and came out pleasantly surprised. Two thumbs up from yours truly.

hereisbridget's review against another edition

5.0

Wow! tbh, I did not expect to like Arranged as much as I did (only b/c I didn't remember Kash all that well...whoops). But I didn't just like it, I LOVED it. Kash and Day's story, while it still takes place in the Masters and Mercenaries world, stands apart from the series in a way that was refreshing. And don't take that wrong way. I am OBSESSED with the Masters and Mercenaries series (SO GOOD!), but sometimes it's nice to read something a little lighter with a level of suspense that won't cause you to bite your nails down to the bit (gross, I know). Arranged was an enjoyable, refreshing read. Got me out of my reading slump for sure!

Kash can be a stubborn jerk, but I can't really blame him. His life isn't all sunshine and rainbows, as he has suffered a tragedy or two. Underneath the tough playboy exterior, Kash is endearing and sweet, and I love that he's such an advocate for women. He's also the submissive in this BDSM relationship, which made for a fun turn of events. He Dommes, Day, is a baddass. I loved seeing her grow from the slight mouse of a girl in the prologue to the strong, fierce, independent woman ready to go full-on battle mode with not only Kash's crazy ex but also the stuffy old men of parliament. Day is the real deal. A queen in all senses of the word.

I was really happy to see more of the Taggart crew, too. Ian is bae. I just <3 him and his sense of humor so much. And now I'm seriously chomping at the bit for Brody's story, and Drew Lawless's story! I just absolutely love the world Lexi Blake has created with the Masters and Mercenaries series, and I recommend to all romance readers. Arranged is a winner!

janetmurphyprice's review against another edition

3.0

I'm sure it's tough sometimes as an author, and you know representation is important. The world is not just white dude doms with white female subs, and neither should the Lexiverse be. So I appreciate where she'd going with this, as it wasn't at all bad. It just wasn't amazing either. And I'm sure that's because that's not Lexi's preferred kink. I think for something that isn't her preferred dynamic, she did a fine job. I have always liked Kash, and Dayita was a worthy match. I kind of wish that the primary conflict wasn't about him coming to terms with his need to submit as a man. He showed more toxic masculinity than I would have liked. But I guess maybe that is hard for some men to process. I don't know. It was good but not her best

pavi_fictionalworm's review against another edition

4.0

Kash Kamdar, the King of Lao Mali; was introduced in what is probably my favorite of the Masters & Mercenaries Series – Love and Let Die; and though he was a wonderfully quirky character who was always on the background, I honestly did not expect him to have his book or even such hidden depth.

I did not go into the book, expecting much; but then again, it’s a Lexi Blake book; so I knew that I shouldn’t be worried and that I would find my way and in the process, definitely enjoy what she dishes out.

Day and Kash were friends, friends who really wanted to be more for each other, and just when they were finally getting their chance, Kash’s world comes crashing down and they lose their way.


Before this book, Kash is seen as some glorified playboy with not much brains; but that honestly couldn’t be further away from the truth – and really I am actually guilty of thinking the same. This book blew all my assumptions into smithereens – Kash was a complex characters with hidden layers that even I was left astounded.


But the one who stole the show was Day; the brilliant intelligent independent woman who took no prisoners and never let anyone walk all over her – and trust me, being an Indian, I know how easy it is to bow down to the societal pressure that infinitely present everywhere around you. And the fact that I could identify with that strength gave me all the more reasons to enjoy this unexpected pairing.

There are so many hidden depths to secondary characters; the ones we never give a second thought to – and it is the skill of the author to bring out such characters to the fore-front, and no one does it better than Lexi Blake.

And if you still haven’t started off with the Masters and Mercenaries Series; don’t worry I have got you covered – all the books, including this one are standalones, but even then you can get to understand this world of Lexi Blake right here!



For more reviews visit For The Love of Fictional Worlds :)
Do come join us at For The Fictional Worlds Facebook Page

lauraanne9's review against another edition

4.0

***ARC Provided by the Author and InkSlingerPR***

4.5 Stars

Lexi Blake is a favorite of mine, and I love the whole 1001 Dark Nights series. Such a fun idea, to tell numerous compelling and shorter stories to take up an evening.

I really enjoyed this one. the characters were interesting, and I loved that you got to meet Kash as a much younger man, and on a very pivotal day in his life, before the real story began. Day, well, you like her, you like who she is, and you like that she is not afraid to be the person that she is.

There were a couple of elements of this story, and it is what I would call light BDSM that were different, which I will not spoil here, but I enjoyed them as they are not the common direction to take a story like this.

I thought Lexi Blake told quite a complete and well balanced tale, with developed characters, in a short novella, which is not something that is easy to do, and it was done well, despite being set in a fake country...which really doesn't matter in relation to the plot of the story, it just happens to be something that I am never totally positive is necessary.

Do I wish there was more of their story? Yes, but that is part of the challenge of a novella, to tell a complete story in the shorter time...it does often leave you wanting more, but in this case because you like the characters not because you feel you didn't get a complete story.

I recommend this novella.

nbiblioholic's review against another edition

4.0

I got a taste for Lexi Blake's writing with [b:For His Eyes Only|32792022|For His Eyes Only (Masters and Mercenaries, #13)|Lexi Blake|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1483475103l/32792022._SX50_.jpg|53385945] and couldn't pass up the opportunity to read from her again. ARRANGED was an absolute pleasure to devour. It's about the arranged marriage between Loa Mali's King Kash and his one-time sweetheart, Day. For the past five years Kash has been living the life of an infamous playboy. Paparazzi, threesomes, hookers, and sex tapes were his new norm. Until his sovereignty was threatened and he was forced to wed the straight-laced Day. He soon discovered that his new wife was much more than she seemed.

I really liked the way the BDSM world was worked into this story. I especially appreciated how the author explained and illustrated that being a submissive wasn't a form of weakness and that there weren't set gender rules for it. I think it was handled with care and I love the sweet twist it gave to this story. The plot and the characters were interesting and entertaining and I would recommend this read to anyone who enjoys some suspense with their erotica.

Release Date: April 25, 2017
Genre: Erotic Romance
POV: Dual - 3rd person
Steam: 3.5 out of 5
Book Type: Standalone novella - Book 13.5 of the Masters and Mercenaries series