Title: The
Bastard’s Bargain
Author: Katee
Robert
Genre: Dark Contemporary Romance
Release Date: February
6, 2018
Publisher: Grand
Central/Forever
Series: The
O’Malleys
Format: Digitial
and Print
ASIN: B071ZYWPL5
Synopsis:
Married to the
enemy
When Keira O'Malley was a child, she used to picture her perfect wedding.
The flowers. The dress. Her husband. But nothing could have prepared her for
saying "I do" to Dmitri Romanov-cold, domineering, and always one
step ahead of everyone else in the ever-shifting power plays of New York City.
She agreed to his bargain to secure peace for her family, and she may want the
bastard more than she'd ever admit, but she'll be damned if she'll make this
marriage easy for him.
Dmitri knows better than to underestimate Keira for one second. Molten
desire smolders between them, a dangerous addiction neither can resist. But his
enemies are already on the move, and he needs every ounce of his legendary
focus and control to keep them alive. Keira could just be his secret weapon-if
she doesn't bring him to his knees first.
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Review:
This book contains adult themes.
I love the O’Malley series by Katee Robert. This was the 6th book in the
series and my guess the final book since all the characters have had a book. This was one of my top books I wanted to read
in 2018 and I was not disappointed.
This book follows Keira the youngest O’Malley sibling and Dmitri who is the head of the Romanov family.
The story picks up right where the last book left off with Dmitri taking Keira. Keira and Dmitri end up
getting married quickly in the book and now need to figure out a life
together. Keira is used as pawn so she
is always trying to keep herself one step ahead of the game and brings her own set of knowledge and experience to the situation.
I loved that the book was told in dual POV’s. We get to see the relationship between Keira
and Dmitri unfold. Keira has her guard completely
up and doesn’t even realize that Dmitri is turned on by her being so strong.
Keira turned out to be my favorite female lead of
the series. She is so strong, but doesn’t
see it due to her dependency on drugs and alcohol. I love when she is forced to get sober that
you can see she is fit for this world that she lives in and can take control of
all situations. Keira comes into her own
throughout this book.
Dmitri was an interesting character in all the books in the
series so I was very intrigued that the last book was going to be specifically
about him. We did get a little more backstory
on how he became to be, but the story was more focused on developing a relationship
with Keira. Dmitri is a complicated
man, but he does keep himself somewhat honest in the book and we do get a
refreshing look at him.
The story line is great for this book. We get a great look at the relationship
between Dmitri and Keira from the beginning.
My second favorite part is seeing Keira begin to recover and her
realizing what is wrong with her. I
loved the way the author handled addiction because it is not over when you are simply
recovered.
My one complaint would be the lack of action in this
book. Other books in the series have
hard more action in them and this one felt a good portion of the buildup was
happening during the story and there was only a mild amount of actual action
that happened towards the end of the book.
I felt that the focus of this book was more on the relationship between
Keira and Dmitri versus the overall O’Malley story. My other complaint is I wish they brought all
the siblings back together one last time I missed Sloan.
I would suggest this as a weekend read. I got totally sucked in as I knew I would and
couldn’t put the book down. The story
line does have some parts where you can stop reading, but I found it very
challenging to take a break because I just wanted to know what was going to
happen.
I received a copy of this book from Barclay Publicity to
provide an honest review. This does not
affect my opinion of this book.
My Rating: 4/5
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The Bastard’s Bargain Excerpt
Copyright © 2018 Katee Robert
It wasn’t until the front door closed
behind Ivan that the reality of her situation sank in. Dmitri was furious. He might have faked it for his
friend, but he stood next to her, a pillar of stone with anger coming off him
in waves. His grip on her elbow didn’t hurt, but if she’d tried to leave, he
would have restrained her.
She should be afraid. She should be terrified.
Keira’s heartbeat picked up, adrenaline
kicking in. She swung to face him with a fierce smile on her face. “You didn’t compliment
me on my dress.” It was a work of fucking art. She smoothed her free hand over
her hip and up her side. “Actually, you called me a high-class sex worker. Is
that any way to speak to your beloved
wife?”
His gray eyes followed the movement, a
muscle ticking in his jaw when she cupped her breast. “I meant it when I said
you’re playing with fire.”
That wasn’t just anger on his face now.
No, it was rapidly being overtaken by sheer lust. An answering feeling sent a
bolt straight to her core. She stepped back, and he released her instantly. A
strange feeling coursed through her, straightening her spine and making her
want to laugh out loud. Power. This is
what power feels like.
He wanted her. He wanted her so badly,
he had his hands clenched at his sides to keep from touching her again. But he
wouldn’t until she gave the green light. Keira took another step back. “I have
a hypothetical question.”
“Ask.” His voice was rough. The way he
watched her made her feel like prey, and she liked it far more than she
should—because she wasn’t prey. Keira
had her own teeth and claws, and Dmitri would learn that as time went on.
“Hypothetical, if I said yes tonight…how
do you imagine that would go?”
He stared at her a long moment. “Nyet. I’m not playing this game with
you.” She blinked and he was on her, one hand snaking around to press against
the exposed small of her back, the other tangling in her hair. “We are not
children, moya koroleva. These games
don’t become us.”
He kissed her. There was no cautious
exploration or easing into it. Dmitri kissed her like a conquering warlord who
was sure of his welcome because he owned everything in the room—including her.
There was no fighting this. She didn’t even want to try. Keira slid her arms around
his neck and pressed herself more firmly against him. His cock was a hard
length with too many layers between them. She rolled her hips, an invitation
she wasn’t sure she was ready to follow through on.
Dmitri slid his hand down to cup her
ass, guiding her movements. Long slides up the length of his cock and back down
again. The stupid goddamn dress kept her from spreading her legs wider, from
getting him exactly where she needed him. Her nipples rubbed against his shirt,
the silk incredibly decadent across her sensitized skin.
“Keira. Moya koroleva.” He kissed down her jawline, tilting her head back
until she had to arch her spine to accommodate the position. “Did you enjoy their
eyes on you? Ivan’s. The men who owe allegiance to me. Anyone who cared to
look.”
It took her desire-drugged brain a beat
to catch up, but by then he was already growling out more words against her
skin. “Did it make you feel powerful to know they were imagining stroking the
nipples you flash with such impunity?” He moved his hand from her ass to do
exactly that, dragging a finger over her puckered nipple. “They wanted the body
you so proudly put on display.” His voice roughened. “They wanted what’s mine.”
ve in tonight
and then it will all be over.
He moved his hand to her back
and bent her until she relied solely on his strength to keep her off the
ground. And then Dmitri’s wicked, wicked mouth closed around her nipple. The
weight of the beaded design seemed heavier with his tongue flicking the
engorged bud, making his touch that much hotter. She couldn’t hold back a moan
as he moved to her other breast.
Dmitri dragged his mouth up the
center of her chest, the only part of her not caged in the dress, stopping at
the thick collar. He flicked the hollow of her throat with his tongue. “This is
my favorite part of the dress.” He ran his thumb over it. “This, more than
anything else, marks you as mine.”
A collar for a kept pet.
It was as if he’d doused her in icy
water. Keira went rigid and shoved Dmitri away. She almost fell when he
released her, but she regained her balance at the last second. They stood mere
feet apart, breathing hard and staring at each other. I am no one’s pet. She slashed her
hand through the air. “I might be your wife, Russian, but I’m not yours. I’ll never
be yours.”
The Trail Rules (The Rules
Series #2)
