Prince of Killers by Layla Reyne
Series (Fog City, #1):
Publisher: Layla Reyne (Self-Published)
Release Date (Print & Ebook): June 10, 2019
Length (Print & Ebook): 216 pages (52K words)
Subgenre: M/M Romantic Suspense
*Warnings: Explicit sex including mild kink; explicit language; violence; instances and/or discussion of homophobia; off-page instances and/or discussion of PTSD, drug use, and abuse of minor characters.
Book synopsis:
No indiscriminate killing. No collateral damage. No unvetted targets.
These are the rules Hawes Madigan lives by. Rules that make being Fog City’s Prince of Killers bearable. Soon, he’ll be king—of an organization of assassins—and the crown has never felt heavier. Until the mysterious Dante Perry swaggers into his life.
Dante looks like a rock god and carries himself like one too, all loose-limbed and casually confident. He also carries a concealed weapon, a private investigator’s license, and a message for the prince. Someone inside Hawes’s organization is out to kill the future king.
In the chaos that follows the timely warning, Hawes comes to depend on Dante. On his skills as an investigator, on the steadiness he offers, and on their moments alone when Hawes lets Dante take control. As alliances are tested and traitors exposed, Hawes needs Dante at his back and in his bed. But if the PI ever learns Hawes’s darkest secret, Hawes is sure to get a knife to the heart—and a bullet to the brain—instead.
There’s no shortage of twists and turns in this new romantic suspense trilogy from Layla Reyne. Prince of Killers is book one of three. Fair warning: buckle up, cliffhangers ahead!
Teaser:
Hawes’s mind whirled as Dante captured his lips. He still had questions—Holt’s and Helena’s lingering concerns about Dante couldn’t be disregarded—but no doubt, Hawes trusted Dante to handle himself when the shit hit the fan. He could use an ally, a partner, like that. And Hawes trusted Dante to handle him, especially tonight when other needs were so much closer to the surface.
Relaxing against the ladder, he opened wider for Dante’s kiss, inviting his tongue to tangle with his as it swept inside Hawes’s mouth. Dante tasted sweet, like the caramel candy he’d taken off Kane’s desk, on top of the Dante flavor Hawes had come to enjoy so much this week—dark, mysterious, dependable. A favorite cocktail that filled Hawes’s insides with steady warmth. That both ensnared and freed him. Dante’s thigh between his legs, the rhythmic rocking of hips, his hard chest beneath Hawes’s palms. The long, silky hair Hawes could wrap around his fist and hold on to. Or use to pull Dante back when it became clear, once shirts were shed and pants undone, that they were gonna fuck right there against the ladder if Hawes didn’t move them elsewhere. Granted, the blowjob Dante had given him there ranked among Hawes’s hottest sexual encounters, but it wasn’t what he wanted tonight. “I’m not sure this is better than the foyer pole.”
Dante fought his hold. “Picky, picky.”
Tugging Dante’s head back farther, Hawes licked a stripe from his throat to his ear. “Fuck me in my bed,” he whispered hotly, then released Dante’s hair and trailed his hands over his shoulders to his biceps. “And let me fall asleep in your arms after.”
Review:
Prince of Killers (Fog City, #1) (ARC) was graciously provided to me by A Novel Take PR for an honest review. I have voluntarily read this book and have provided my honest opinion.
“A Suspenseful, Mysterious, and, Addicting Read..”
An absolutely gripping, intriguing, mysterious, addicting, mind-blowing, deeply heart-breaking, suspenseful, and sizzling read already has me wanting and needing more from a much-anticipated series, as the components of this new release were powerful and equally mind-bending in its quest for answers, justice and a general sense of peace..
WOAHHH…what a story! It had everything that a highly-addicting and highly-emotional read would contain. Intrigue, mystery, heat, realistic characters and settings, and a developing storyline, all of which had this reader soaking up all of these well-written entities quicker than the swish of a kindle page. As a returning reader for this author, having read Noble Hops and loved it, standards were already set high for future excellent reads from this author, and, when I began this new read, I was already looking forward to a similar type-of-story. Did I? You bet your kindles I did.. Hold on to your reading glasses readers, a new series from Layla Reyne is here that will no doubt have many readers insatiable and needing more before the end of the last head-scratching page..
Prince of Killers, by Layla Reyne, is a heavy and multi-layered story about a heart-warming quest, disguised by harsh events, lead by a multi-generational family who are like an enigma. For seemingly unknown reasons, this mysterious group of dedicated, family-centered, well-meaning, beautiful individuals, each having a different purpose within the family dynasty, find it their purpose to maintain this particular and purposeful guise. With numerous action-packed nail-biting moments, moments of indescribable necessity, many times of deceit, it is a wonder how family members, who have been battling their own demons as they fight to maintain their family legacy, have been able to maintain such an aura of strength throughout the actual traumatic event.. I found myself gasping, yelling, cheering, high-fiving, bawling, and, buzzing, for much of the story, and, for this, found it to be a thrilling and indescribable read to say the least…
Man-oh-man…Fog City is quickly proving to be quite the series to read. Its initial storyline is a great one, but, contains a plot that, speaking for this reader, could not be fully grasped. Despite this variation, the characters were well-written, each of them with their own hidden and extremely realistic baggage, many of which set the stage for many twists and turns. He-llo twists! As a result, I may have, at times, felt this unbelievably strong urge to throw my kindle right into the wall out of sheer frustration with a mouth-agape kind-of-shock. *wipes brow*
Prince of Killers, by Layla Reyne, was a great read as I maintained an open-mind with the direction of the storyline, while remaining cautious with its overall direction. That being said, however, there were many difficult-to-read moments, perhaps too many and too much, and for this, I was beyond desperate for the ultimate reasoning of such actions, that despite some confusing moments to the plot, these particular reasons of such actions, in this readers opinion, barely made it to fruition. This inability to grasp reasoning, in addition to the almost see-sawing and almost unclear thoughts and emotions of one of the main characters, in conjunction to the depth of the plot, the clarity and smoothness of it all was a bit fuzzy.
Prince of Killers was quite the story. I had been spoiled before with the reading of Noble Hops, and, this new read proved to be no different, despite being the first compared to the last of a series. Despite there being some difficult and confusing parts, and a need for more clarity, in the end, this is a recommended story with a warning of possible triggers for future readers. Will I read the rest of the series? Yes. Will I read it with blinders on while preparing to perhaps shout and allow a plethora of emotions to come to the surface? You betcha, because as a whole, I felt this was a great and entertaining read..:)
*star rating: 4.40 ‘I really liked it’ stars*
Praise for Prince of Killers:
“Layla Reyne is an auto-buy author for me. She writes it; I devour it. Prince of Killers is an amazing start to a new series. It’s fast-paced and intriguing with the perfect balance of action, passion, and plot twists I’ve come to expect from her books. Layla never disappoints, and I can’t wait to see what happens next in her Fog City series.” – Aimee Nicole Walker, Bestselling author of the Curl Up and Dye Mysteries
“Prince of Killers gives us everything we adore about Layla’s writing: bullets, boys, and betrayal. From the very first page, Hawes and Dante have sexual tension that sparks off the page. They don’t trust each other, but they have to work together to uncover a traitor in their midst. The result is a steamy dance of push and pull that left me itching for more. I’m excited to recommend Layla Reyne’s Prince of Killers and see what’s next in her new Fog City series!” – Lucy Lennox, Bestselling author of the Made Marian and Forever Wilde series.
“This book made me reach for the ‘Oh Sh*t’ handle every time I picked it up.” –Erin McLellan, author of the Farm College series.
Hair and double denim. My favourite things! –Allison Temple, author of The Pick-Up and Top Shelf
“I bloody loved it!” –Lily Morton, Bestselling author of the Mixed Messages series
“Layla Reyne redefined what a family of assassins looks like with “Prince of Killers.” The “Fog City” series kicks off with some mind-blowing twists and I can’t wait to see what happens next.” – Jeff Adams, Big Gay Fiction Podcast
“PRINCE OF KILLERS is a suspenseful ride through the streets of San Francisco, and the ins and out of a tight-knit crime family. I couldn’t stop reading, and when I hit the end, I wanted the next book immediately!” – Hailey Turner, author of the bestselling Soulbound series and the Metahuman Files series.
All buy links or pre-order links: http://getbook.at/PrinceOfKillers
About Layla Reyne: RITA Finalist Layla Reyne is the author of the Agents Irish and Whiskey, Trouble Brewing, and Changing Lanes series. A Carolina Tar Heel who now calls the San Francisco Bay Area home, Layla enjoys weaving her bi-coastal experiences into her stories, along with adrenaline-fueled suspense and heart-pounding romance. She is a member of Romance Writers of America and its Kiss of Death and Rainbow Romance Writers chapters. Layla is a 2019 RWA® RITA® Finalist in Contemporary Romance (Mid-Length) and 2016 RWA® Golden Heart® Finalist in Romantic Suspense.
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Get to know more about Layla Reyne in this fun Review Tour Q&A!
- Do you listen to audiobooks? If so, are there any you’d recommend?
Yes! One of my day jobs is as a legal resource editor, and I always have an audiobook playing when I’m doing that work. The Tales of Verania series by TJ Klune, narrated by Michael Lesley, is an absolute treasure.
- What are your five favorite words?
I just need one: Fuck, especially the way Tristan James says it narrating audiobooks 😉
- Do you have a favorite cover from one of your books?
This one! Cate Ashwood who did all the Fog City covers sent me the cover concept for Prince of Killers first, and I screamed “Holy Shit!” so loudly that my dogs startled. And I kept repeating “Holy Shit” for like the next week. She deserves so much credit, as does Wander Aguiar for the gorgeous photos, and Patrick Sean (the model) for just being that damn gorgeous.
Giveaway: Enter to win 2 sets of signed backlist paperbacks (Trouble Brewing or Changing Lanes, winner’s choice); if international, signed book plates.
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