Bastard Boss (Tyler & Bella 1) by Lisa Renee Jones-Review & Excerpt tour
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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 21, 2022
A sexy, dirty talking alpha. The beautiful, sweet, and fiery Bella. Her boss. A contract that forces him to marry. An arrangement that will change them forever. Meet Tyler Hawk…
Tyler Hawk is a man with secrets and a dark past. A man who has known tragedy and betrayal. He wants for little, but what he wants is more power, a legacy that is his own, and not his father’s. There are obstacles in his way, one of which is the scandal his father left behind and a will with certain demands.
Behind the scenes he is a man on edge, and only one woman sees the truth hidden beneath his strong will and dominant rule. Bella is somehow demanding and submissive, fiery and yet sweet. She can give him everything he wants, she just doesn’t know it, not yet, but she will. If she’ll just say yes and sign on the dotted line.
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REVIEW: BASTARD BOSS is the first instalment in Lisa Renee Jones’ contemporary, adult BASTARD BOSS erotic, romance duet focusing on attorneys, thirty-four year old Tyler Hawk, and twenty-seven year old Bella Bailey. BASTARD BOSS is a spin off from the author’s THE NECKLACE TRILOGY focusing on author Dash Black. Bella is Dash Black’s half-sister.
Told from dual first person perspectives (Tyler and Bella) BASTARD BOSS follows the tempestuous relationship between attorneys, thirty-four year old Tyler Hawk, and twenty-seven year old Bella Bailey. Bella Bailey works as a contract attorney at Hawk Legal but months earlier, Tyler’s father, embittered and embroiled founder Jack Hawk murdered his girlfriend, and lost his own life in the fall-out. Fast forward three months, Tyler Hawk has yet to come to terms with the possible ramifications of what happened and why, when the reading of the will sends Tyler’s life into another unstoppable spiral. Conditions must be met, and if not, Tyler would lose everything he has accomplished including the woman he refuses to love. Enter attorney Bella Bailey, his best friend’s half-sister, and the woman he needs more than he could have ever imagined. What ensues is the back and forth, up and down relationship between Bella and Tyler, and the potential fall-out as jobs, lives and careers hang in the balance if Bella refuses to agree to Tyler’s demands.
Bella Bailey has always been attracted to her boss, her brother’s friend Tyler Hawk but Tyler’s demons run dangerous and dark, and he carries a burden of heavy guilt upon his shoulders-not the grief of a son losing his father but of a man who blames himself for the death of an innocent woman. When Bella offers ‘comfort’ Tyler’s outright refusal sends our heroine a message, a message she is about to take to heart but the terms of their friendship and work relationship are about to implode, and Bella is forced to run away with a broken heart.
The relationship between Bella and Tyler is a boss/employee, best friend’s sister, forbidden romance in which Tyler refuses to cross a line Dash Black has drawn in the proverbial sand but Tyler’s future and the future of everyone at Hawk Legal is spiralling the drain, unless Tyler can convince Bella to go along with his plans, in an effort to further curtail a scandal that could possibly end their lives. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and passionate.
The secondary and supporting characters include Bella’s brother Dash and his fiance Allison Wright, attorney Gavin McCloud, and fixer Dierk Jordan.
BASTARD BOSS is a story of power and control, betrayal and vengeance, obsession and struggle. The character driven premise is captivating and riveting; the romance is erotic and intense; the characters are broken, determined, desperate and destroyed. BASTARD BOSS end on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.
Copy supplied for review
Reviewed by Sandy
He opens the door and enters the room, maneuvering me along with him. The door slams shut behind us, and he’s already kissing me again. This time when his fingers find my hair, he gives the long strands an erotic tug and drags my gaze to his. “Control in all things, Bella. It’s who I am. It’s what I need, not a want.”
“And as you remember,” I say, my fingers curling on his chest, “I don’t like what I can’t control, which I guess actually means I like control, too.”
“And you have it with me,” he promises. “Always. All you have to say is no, and we find what feels like a yes to you. You asked if I trust you. I’m asking you now, if you trust me.”
I consider the complexity of the question. Do I trust him to listen when I say no? Yes. Do I trust him not to break my heart? I’m pretty sure that’s signed, sealed, and delivered, so, no. Do I trust him to make tonight all about pleasure? The kind of pleasure I’ll remember long after he is married off to his future fiancée. Yes. That’s a brutal yes because of where this is headed, which is nowhere but right here, right now, but one I can’t walk away from, either. “Yes,” I say. “I trust you.”
“I don’t think you do, Bella,” he murmurs, and the way he uses my name—it’s as if he wants me to know I’m not just sex to him. Or maybe I just want to believe that—even need to believe that—to be here with him, to be this intimate with him. Because I’m still me. I’m still not the “sex is sex” kind of girl, even if he aspires to change that in me. “But I want you to trust me so damn badly it’s insane,” he adds roughly, an edge of frustration in him, as if this statement somehow contradicts the control he so values.
It shakes me just how much I’m pleased that I’ve tormented him in some way, as if it’s selfish of me. I know this, but Lord also knows I’m tormented over this marriage agreement he’s obviously accepted. And if I think too hard about it, I will run. I will leave.
I don’t want to leave.
I press to my toes, desperate for his mouth and body, for that oblivion he’s shown me once that I crave once again.
His grip tightens gently round my hair, the act both arousing and brutal, as he denies me his mouth. “I’m going to make you trust me, Bella,” he declares, and then, thank you Lord, his mouth slants over my mouth, his tongue caressing my tongue. And it’s a toe-curling, deep, drugging kiss that leaves me breathless when his lips part mine. “Undress, baby,” he orders. “I want to watch.”
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New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones is the author of the highly acclaimed INSIDE OUT series.
In addition to the success of Lisa’s INSIDE OUT series, she has published many successful titles. The TALL, DARK AND DEADLY series and THE SECRET LIFE OF AMY BENSEN series, both spent several months on a combination of the New York Times and USA Today bestselling lists. Lisa is also the author of the bestselling the bestselling DIRTY MONEY and WHITE LIES series. And will be publishing the first book in her Lilah Love suspense series with Amazon Publishing in March 2018.
Prior to publishing Lisa owned multi-state staffing agency that was recognized many times by The Austin Business Journal and also praised by the Dallas Women’s Magazine. In 1998 Lisa was listed as the #7 growing women owned business in Entrepreneur Magazine.
Lisa loves to hear from her readers. You can reach her at www.lisareneejones.com and she is active on Twitter and Facebook daily.
Great review, Sandy. Looks like a wonderful start to this duet. Thanks.
Terrific review, thanks for the excerpt
Thanks for another wonderful review and excerpt.
Looks great, thanks Sandy
Thanks for the great review and excerpt
Looks like an exciting story. Thanks, Sandy.
Terrific review, Sandy. Looks like a great read.
Great review, Sandy. Lisa usually writes exciting stories.
Very nice review and excerpt Sandy
sounds very good. thanks, sandy.