Read my reviews of the previous books in the Mobsters + Billionaires series:
Extradition (#1) | Protection (#2) | Attraction (#3)
The relationship between enforcer Hopper and Liam, his RICO agent, has been teased from the beginning of this fantastic series, and the final reveal of the full arc did not disappoint. A lot of the set-up for how Liam becomes an inextricable part of this found family also occurs in previous books, which allows Fox to hit readers right in the feels with the inciting incident we knew was coming—the family death that precipitates Liam’s (unwilling) transformation from FBI agent to billionaire.
Fox’s always-fantastic characterization work means that these men, who shouldn’t fit together on the surface, instead have matching jagged edges that soothe each other. Some literal murder swoon cements their bond, and readers who thought book 1 was kinky are in for a wild ride here.
With Hopper, Fox deftly created a “crazy” character distinct from a previous fan favorite. His point-of-view scenes are an absolute delight and do well to balance the angst of Liam’s personal life, even though I certainly feel for his plight. I also adored how Liam expresses his hard feelings and never berates himself for them, which is a refreshing perspective from a traditionally “alpha male” character, especially one in law enforcement. Hopper, however, just knows that Liam is his person and that he wants his person to feel better.
What follows is a strange courtship that I nevertheless embraced as perfect for these characters. I appreciated the excellent discussions of consent in various contexts, including the nonsexual ones that are equally important. Fox folds their relationship and dynamics with other series characters into the context of the external plot while also highlighting an overarching theme of this series, the true meaning of brotherhood. Whether this is the official conclusion to this series or not is unclear, but we get everything we’ve come to love and expect from her wonderful storytelling, with a few delightful cameos as an added treat.
Disclaimer: I received a digital review copy of this book from the author.