Review by jocthenomad - Dangerous Men

jocthenomad 's review for:

Dangerous Men by Evelyn Ward

5.0

dark emotional fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I sat down to read this book, and *devoured* it in one sitting because I couldn’t stand to put it down! The first in a new series by Evelyn Ward, Dangerous Men follows Sydney and her childhood friend, Jade, beginning with a night out that quickly turns south for the besties. The events of the evening put Sydney on the radar of Fortune City’s most Dangerous Men—Alec, Ashton, Sebastian, and Viper—as their paths converge and they each collide with Sydney over the course of the story.

The overall pace of the story is quick-moving, and the dialogue and action easily keep up, setting the stage for the next book(s) in the series. While the Dangerous Men navigate a threat to their territory, Sydney is learning to stand on her own two feet following the end of a bad breakup, the start of co-owning a business with her best friend, and the ripple effects of reaching for what she wants in life.

If you’re looking for a slow-burn romance, this is not it—however, it is *definitely* slow-burn character development, in all the best ways. The story premise drew me in, but seeing the layers of dissimulation peel away from Sydney as the story progressed is what kept me hooked. Without spoiling anything…if you’ve ever had your emotions weaponized against you, Sydney is a kindred spirit and I did not realize just how “seen” I would feel when reading her perspective.

While Sydney is recovering from a toxic relationship at the beginning of the story, her unbecoming—the stripping away of the person she folded herself into, to suit everyone around her—is like a riptide below the surface of the action. It flows subtly through the story, each interaction with one of the Dangerous Men of the Fortune City Mafia bringing it further to the surface until it swept me away. Already on my second read-through I am really enjoying all of the little breadcrumbs that the authors plant throughout the story, and I cannot recommend the story enough. If you’ve read their other series, The Queen’s Blade, you’ll also enjoy seeing those easter eggs woven into this novel. 😊

I am *so* excited for the next installment of this series, Dangerous Thoughts, and am on the edge of my seat to see where Sydney and the Fortune City men go next!

Thank you Evelyn Ward(s)/M and K for sharing a copy of your book and allowing me to be a part of your ARC review process—I am so excited for the next book in the Fortune City Mafia series! 😊

Content Warnings, marked with spoiler tag:

The authors include a comprehensive content warning at the beginning of the novel, and though this first novel in the series does not get very “dark” by most standards, there is clear intention for the later books to become darker, and the Content Warning sets this up.

That being said, this first novel includes clear depictions of sex and violence, including but not limited to torture, murder, dubious consent, voyeurism, stalking, and an attempt of sexual assault (a character is roofied, though no SA occurs). There are discussions of Domestic Violence, parental death, and infidelity. Though I thoroughly enjoyed this story and look forward to the next in the series, please mind the tags if you feel you are sensitive to any of the noted topics.

Content Warnings