Wild Aces: An Unblocked Collection Spinoff by Marni Mann Published by Self-Published on February 16th 2016
Pages: 302
Format: ARC
Genres: Erotica, Mystery
Amazon
Trapper Montgomery
His darkness drew me in.
A mystery with a past I wanted to solve.
He was cold, like ice, but set me on fire.
A heat I hadn't felt in ages.
But when I saw his face, I burned...
In mourning
Again.Brea Bradley
She melted from my voice--shuddered from my touch.
But trembled from the memories
That my face brought back.
She wanted more...
Maybe even him.
I wasn't the hand she counted on.
But I was what she was dealt...
A Wild Ace with no way to win.
When I finished Marni Mann’s Unblocked Collection, I had this sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. It felt like moving away from your best friends—their lives keep going on, but you drift apart and you no longer know what they’ve been up to. Marni Mann has gifted fans with a mini reunion in Wild Aces, but it is a standalone that can easily be enjoyed without reading the other books.
The story revolves around Brea, Frankie’s savvy colleague and best friend. Brea and Trapper—a professional poker player—meet at Frankie and Derek’s masquerade party, and they fall deeply in lust without seeing each other’s faces. In this beauty-focused society, imagine just being attracted to someone because of their voice and personality. That’s so hot!
Brea and Trapper only get to speak briefly at the party and know very little about each other, but they continue their flirtation over über steamy phone sex. Brea also starts sexting him almost immediately. Like seriously dirty sexting. This is my main issue with the book. How does a woman trust a virtual stranger enough to feel comfortable sexting the man and sending intimate photos of herself? It seemed unrealistic to me.
The first quarter of the book is filled with lots of sexual anticipation and naughty deeds between the two, but they don’t take enough time to get to know each other. In between the sexy times, though, an extremely intriguing plot unfolds. Brea and Trapper both have demons from their past they are battling, and the subtle tension as revelations are made is well executed. The detailed layers of their individually fascinating history are peeled back at a gratifying pace. As Trapper and Brea learn more about each other, their relationship becomes more realistic and it’s clear they are perfect together. They’re survivors, and I couldn’t help but feel compassion for them – particularly Trapper. However, Trapper is hiding something dark that could potentially destroy their relationship.
Wild Aces is a perfect combination of mystery wrapped in an erotic romance. You’d better hold on tight because there are plot twists galore. Marni Mann has delivered an enticing, emotional, and original story, with a healthy dose of steam mixed throughout. Frankie and Derek returning to play vital roles in the story is just icing on an already enjoyable cake. Well done.
Recommended for fans of:
Tortured heroes
Erotica
Poker
**ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.**
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About Marni Mann
USA Today best-selling author Marni Mann knew she was going to be a writer since middle school. While other girls her age were daydreaming about teenage pop stars, Marni was fantasizing about penning her first novel. She crafts unique stories that weave together her love of darkness, mystery, passion, and human emotions. A New Englander at heart, she now lives in Sarasota, Florida, with her husband and their yellow Lab. When she’s not nose deep in her laptop, working on her next novel, she’s scouring for chocolate, sipping wine, traveling, or devouring fabulous books.
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