My rating: 5 of 5 stars
White Collared Part one: Mercy by Shelley Bell is a 2014 Avon “Red” publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Kate is a third year law student and working as an intern when the murder of Alyssa Deveroux , the wife of prominent millionaire Jaxon Deveroux, has Kate's boss Nick slated to defend Jaxon who of course is the primary suspect, especially when it come to light that Jaxon and his wife were into BDSM and sex clubs.
Kate has a steady boyfriend, but has a little crush on her boss and mentor. When he informs her she is going to be his second chair on this case, she is beyond thrilled. But, things take a darker turn when Kate may have to comb through sex clubs with their client and actually be a participant in order to prove their client is innocent.
This novella is part of a four part series or e-series that leans toward the erotica side of romantic suspense. Kate has a dark past that at this point in the story is not yet revealed. But, apparently Kate has a few fantasies involving domination and submissive sex games. For this case Kate has done some reading up on the subject. But, would she really want to live out her fantasy? It looks like she might get that chance, but Kate could have made a grave error. After an emotional scene Kate does the unthinkable for a lawyer in the ethics department. If that weren't bad enough, it also appears Kate could be putting her very life in danger as a result of her actions.
I love this e-series concept and have a really good time with these short installments. Using the same formula used back in the old days when books came out in serial form, each installment leaves you with a little bit of a cliffhanger. The suspense really gets going toward the end of this first chapter which sets the stage very nicely for the follow up. So far, so good! I thought the author did a great job of introducing the main characters, having the reader invested and caring for Kate when she goes through a humiliating experience and then makes a huge mistake. So, I am on board for the next book in the series for sure. This one was excellent! 4.5 stars rounded to 5.
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She began writing upon the insistence of her husband who dragged her to the store and bought her a laptop. When she’s not working her day job, taking care of her family, or writing, you’ll find her reading the latest smutty romance.
She currently writes for Avon Red Impulse, Loose Id, and Soul Mate Publishing.