Review: Not Your Typical Romance Which Is Why I Loved It!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 5, 2014
Pretend. Seduce. Deceive. Get What You Want.This is the world and lifestyle that London Stallone enters when her life gets turned upside down after witnessing a string of heinous acts. Under the protective eye of Donovan “Ace” Crow, her brother’s business partner, London attempts to form a stable life even while hiding out, but that’s easier said than done when Ace lives across the hall from her. He’s the wild card in this whole scenario. He’s unpredictable, threatening, and devious. He’s a man who oozes sex, power, and control. He’s everything London shouldn’t want, but her body has other ideas. Her brain keeps telling her any step in Ace’s direction is the wrong way because she doesn’t trust him, and she has every reason not to. Ace’s life is filled with secrets, deceit, and danger, and he has ulterior motives for protecting London, but the sexual chemistry they share is something neither can deny, so when they finally give in, things get even more complicated, and when everything plays out and hard truths are revealed, everyone associated with Crow will be forever changed.All readers need to heed Shanora Williams’ warning because this is definitely not your typical romance, but that’s exactly why I loved it. There are not many good guys, if any, in this story, which intrigued me right from the get go. Greed, murder, and backstabbing are everyday occurrences in this crazy, messed up world that Shanora created. Love doesn’t seem to have a place in Ace’s life nor does he seem to want it, but he never counted on London being who she is. It makes him question everything, and even though he acts like an arrogant jerk most of the time, he can’t help but soften towards her and feel something beyond sex. But that’s not the game plan; Ace can’t afford to let his guard down because that’s what keeps him alive and one step ahead of everyone else, so regardless of what he’s feeling, he won’t allow himself a chance at love – it’s never been his style, and it’s not going to be now or so he thought.Beware takes readers on one hell of a ride; it has mystery and deception, and it’s definitely dark and gritty. London’s an interesting heroine; at first, it seems that she doesn’t have much of a backbone, but as the story continues, readers witness her strength and her resolve to figure out if she can trust Ace or not. Ace – I didn’t want to like him; I tried to concentrate on every despicable thing he said and did, but Shanora’s writing wouldn’t allow my perception to stay at surface level. Through her development of Ace’s character, I was taken beneath his dark faade and given reasons behind his acts. I still didn’t agree with everything he did, but I don’t think I was meant to…I was meant to see how London changed him…how greed actually didn’t win out, and when it came right down to the end, trust was gained.  I had no idea how it was all going to end, which is what kept me up reading until I saw how everything played out. Because it’s not a fairytale, I knew that anything could happen, and boy does it. For the most part, everything gets resolved, one way or another, but it’s still a bit open-ended, which I hope means there’ll be more stories to tell.I read a lot of books in the romance genre, so whenever I can grab on to something a bit different…something that will keep me second guessing until the end, I hold on tight and enjoy the ride. Beware is such a story, and I definitely enjoyed every messed up minute of it!A complimentary copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.4/4.5 poison apples (The Fairest of All Book Reviews)