Love in Spades (Four Kings Security #1) [Ace & Colton] by Charlie Cochet

This one was such a treat! I LOVED it! I don't read many Romantic Suspense novels, maybe because generally speaking I don't usually drawn to mystery novels. Yet Charlie knows how to mix well the suspense/mystery with the romantic part. MOST of this book is about Ace and Colton falling in love, but the suspense isn't forgotten, it's just PACKED in the end with enough action and drama to keep me on my toes up to the very end.

This is a new series by Charlie. I ADORED her PNR/UF series "THIRDS" and though they don't have anything really in common, what they DO share is the action/mystery. After reading this series I knew I need to grab all of Charlie's books. Up until now I mostly read PNR and Historicals so getting this book as an ARC was such a wonderful surprise! Well, the series itself was a surprise for me! After reading this one I really can't wait for the others ones in the series!

When our "King of Spades" - Anston "Ace" Sharpe and his three best friends got discharged from the service (as Special Forces) they decide to open "Four Kings Security" together with two more guys who served with them. And since they know what they're doing it's no wonder they make a name for themselves as the best security company money can buy. When Paxton Connolly, a very wealthy business man offers the "Kings" a contract to find and deal with his son's "stalker" he is certain it's the right call to make, even if he knows his son won't accept being tagged that easily.

Once Colton Connolly hears about the deal his father made his is FURIOUS. He WON'T be controlled by ANYTONE, even if it's "for his own good", the treats on his life feels meaningless to him. Children's play maybe. He doesn't take them seriously at all. But the "Kings" DO take them seriously which means a lot of changes needs to me made to Colton's life, ones he is not ready to make.

Out of the 4 "kings", Ace is the one chosen to stay closest to Colton. Being also stubborn and determined he seems to be the exact person to stand up to Colton and make him realize what they are doing, what they are asking of him, is FOR him and he should cooperate for his own well being. But it doesn't mean Ace have an easy time! Colton is as stubborn as one can get! and his past has taught him to be weary of who he should trust and NEVER let anyone control his life, not even Ace, sinfully good looking and turns Colton on even when he is being impossibly controlling.

Ace finds himself in the same boat - he is SO attracted to Colton! He even half admits to himself he LIKES him. He gets how difficult it is for Colton to change his life because of the treat to his life, he really does, he just wishes Colton would trust them enough to do their job so they can protect him from harm.

As Colton and Ace spend more time together it because much more than just lust, they actually become friends. They have a lot in common, they make each other laugh, enjoy peaceful walks on the beach and as they share more of those together something deeper than lust and friendship starts to bloom. Yet while Colton just wants what he sees in front of his eyes, Ace knows the price would be VERY heavy. He and his brothers in arms - his company may lose it's reputation, his brothers would surely be disappointed in him for crossing such a line with a client, yet as time goes by it gets more and more difficult for him to say no to Colton when he WANTS him so bad and he knows it's not just pure lust.. They share a lot of tender moments together, it was SO refreshing seeing both of them SAY what they feel and not keep each other's at an arm's length. They confessed about their past, their aches and worries, they simply put everything there on the table. I really appreciated that.

I can say much more about Colton and Ace together. I LOVED seeing them fall for one another and then the HOT sexy-times they share together... 'enough said.. I also really enjoyed getting to know the other "Kings" as well as the little we got of the two other members (Jack and Joker). We get a sort of prelude to the next one of our "King of Hearts" - "Red" and Laz - a close friend of Colton which I REALLY can't wait to read! There are actually A LOT of characters introduced in this one, two more I'm wondering if we'll get romantic stories of - Lieutenant Mason Cooper is one - Ace's previous lover who seems to have a mysterious past and also Frank Ramirez the owner of "Sapphire Sands" club who is both friends with the "Kings" as with Colton.

I kindly received this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book will is out TODAY - Grab it through Amazon / KU you're SO going to enjoy it!

Rating: ★★★★★

E-Book Edition

302 pages

Read on: 19-21 April 2018

ABOUT THIS SERIES

 

Four Kings Security is a Romantic Suspense MM Romance series by Charlie Cochet. The series focuses on 4 best friends, ex-Special Forces who formed together their own security company. They guys are nicknamed after the "card kings"

Anston "Ace" Sharpe - King of Spades

Russell "Red" McKinley - King of Hearts

Eduardo "Lucky" Alejandro Morales - King of Clubs

Ward "King" Kingston - King of Diamonds

Each book in the series will be of one of the four finding their HEA, with "The Kings: Wild Cards" as "spin off" with characters we've met along the series including characters we've already met, like Jack and Joker who were a part of the original Kings team on their military days.

Four Kings Security:
1. Love in Spades [Anston "Ace" Sharpe & Colton Connolly] (Published 24 April 2018) ★★★★★
2. Be Still My Heart [Russell "Red" McKinley & Lazarus "Laz" Galanos] (Published 29 July 2018) ★★★★
2.5 Ante Up [Seth & Kit] (Published 28 august 2018) ★★★★
3. Join the Club [Eduardo "Lucky" Alejandro Morales & Mason Cooper] (Published 19 November 2018)  ★★★★½
4. Diamond in the Rough [Ward "King" Kingston & Leopold "Leo" de Loughrey] (Published 15 February 2019) ★★★★★
4.5 In the Cards [Anston "Ace" Sharpe & Colton Connolly *] (Published  8 February 2019) ★★½
(* Including Spencer & Quinn the couple from "Beware of Geeks Bearing Gifts")

The Kings: Wild Cards:
1.  Stacking the Deck [Jacopo "Jack" Lorenzo Constantino & Fitz Harlow] (Published 28 July 2020) ★★★★ 
2. Raising the Ante [Frank Ramirez & Joshua Sterling] (Published 10 January 2021) ★★★★½ 
3. Sleight of Hand [Sacha "Joker" Wilder & Giovanni "Gio" Galanos] (Published 6 July 2021) ★★★★½
4. Calling his Bluff [Jay & Ryden] (To Be Published ???)