Entangled Publishing has graciously
provided me with a complimentary copy of this book, via Netgalley, in exchange
for an honest review. Thank you!
Melissa
and Mikayla Morgan have spent Kayla’s whole life on the run, but from what she doesn’t know. Kayla’s mother never told
her what or who they were running from, but she did teach her the rules of
survival – never stay in one place to long, never keep all of your money in one
place, never trust anybody, never wait for somebody else to save you, always
trust your instincts…
When
Melissa is murdered, Kayla is the only suspect and goes on the run. She knows her mother left her a clue as to
the identity of her murderer, but to get it she will have to break the biggest
rule of them all: never return to the scene of the crime. After a year has passed Kayla figures the
dust has settled enough to chance it.
Tired of running, desperate to clear her name, she takes a chance and
goes back to the house where her mother was killed.
Kayla
barely has the letter in her hands when she is interrupted by her nemesis, a
bounty hunter named Patrick who has been hunting the Morgan girls all her
life. Sure, her mom was a con artist, but that
doesn’t explain Patrick’s obsession with capturing them – surely the reward
money couldn’t be a lot for one measly little thief? By his side is his protégée, a young bounty
hunter named Shaun. Before Kayla can
even form a plan of escape, other players join the fray and bullets start
flying, causing Kayla to lose the letter in the chaos that ensues. Kayla has no choice but to flee the house
with Patrick and Shaun, but she has no intention of letting them turn her over
and getting her arrested for a crime she did not commit. That’s when Kayla learns they don’t plan to
hand her over to the police, but to a man named Jaffe; for reasons unknown to
her, there’s a large bounty on Kayla’s head, and this Jaffe person doesn’t care
if Kayla is brought to him dead or alive.
Separated from Patrick, Shaun cuffs himself
to Kayla to keep her close and make sure he doesn’t lose their bounty. Every bounty hunter on the Eastern Seaboard
is after the Morgan girl, and he’s not letting her out of his sight – only, he
didn’t count on losing the key and being permanently chained to the most
exasperating girl he’s ever met. Mikayla
Morgan is a piece of work, and Shaun can't decide if he wants to kiss her or
kill her. Initially he doesn't care about the particulars - who wants Kayla or why; all he cares about is collecting his cash. But the more time he spends with Kayla, running from the police, other bounty hunters and even Jaffe's hired guns, the less he cares about the money. Kayla is brave, tough, smart and funny - frankly, he comes to realise, she's the greatest girl he's ever met. Who is Jaffe, and what could he possibly want with Kayla?
Kayla
has only ever trusted one person in her life – Melissa. No matter how hard she tries to fight it, how
tightly she clings to Melissa’s rules of survival, Kayla slowly comes to trust
the bounty hunter who seems to believe her claim of innocence. To stay alive, Shaun and Kayla must join
forces to prove Kayla’s innocence. They
set out to uncover the truth about Melissa’s past, and an eighteen year old
crime sheds light not only on who Melissa was, but also who Kayla is.
As the
danger mounts and the killer closes in, the chemistry between them threatens to
explode. Can Shaun and Kayla stay alive long enough to
explore the feelings neither of them wanted, but neither can deny? They might have to break all the rules if they hope to have a
chance…
Rules
of Survival by Jus
Accardo is a fast-paced, action packed romantic suspense. I find the majority of the book to be quite
realistic, especially surrounding Kayla and Shaun being cuffed together for
days on end – problems such as remaining inconspicuous, using the bathroom,
taking a shower and changing clothes are skilfully handled. The mystery surrounding Jaffe and why he’s
targeting Kayla is strong enough to drive the story, and running from cops,
other bounty hunters and Jaffe’s men creates a tense atmosphere that made me
turn the pages as fast as I could.
I
love the characters in this book. From
the get-go the author had me invested in Kayla’s journey. She’s a great character: streetwise,
resourceful, smart and brave, yet she has an undeniable vulnerability that
endears her to the reader. Her smart mouth constantly gets her into trouble,
but her quick thinking gets her out. Kayla continuously demonstrates her survival and evasive skills,
and Shaun's bafflement and sweet admiration is a joy to behold throughout. Shaun is a typical bad boy with a tendency to be infuriatingly arrogant, yet his past also comes into play, shedding light on why he is the way he is. He also has a very soft side which comes out the more he comes to care about Kayla. Shaun and Kayla are wonderful together; their banter is highly entertaining and their chemistry is off the charts.
The
only thing I don’t like about the book is the ending – it does deliver a HEA,
but I thought it ended very bluntly. The
entire book is so expressive, I feel that the ending needed a little more
depth. There is no clarity on Kayla’s
fugitive status (though it is hinted at – clarity would have been nice,
though). I also would have liked for
Shaun and Kayla to have a stronger final scene to tie things off.
Overall
though, I enjoyed every single page. I
would definitely read a sequel – Kayla and Shaun are great characters, great
together, and I would love to spend more time with them.
Product information:
Title:
Rules of Survival
Author:
Jus Accordo
Publisher:
Entangled Publishing
Year:
2014
Number
of pages: 202
ASIN: B00K9OOELS
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