A Cruel Arrangement is the second book in the Kings of New York. Although each book focuses on a different couple, they do not work as stand-alone. Questions raised in book one are answered in the second installment. In A Cruel Arrangement, readers get a story steeped in suspense, danger and romance.
Title: A Cruel Arrangement
From New York Times bestselling author Tijan comes the intensely passionate story of a man trying to make amends and the woman who makes him want to keep his promises. I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.
Author(s): Tijan
Series: Kings of New York #2
Also in this series: A Dirty Business
Narrator(s): Brooke Bloomingdale, Jason Carpenter
Published by Brilliance Audio on April 25, 2023
Pages: 409
Length: 10hrs 56mins
Genre(s): Contemporary Romance
Source: Publisher
Format: Audiobook, eArc
Purchase: Amazon|Audible
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This was my place. My business. Easter Lanes.
Then a guy comes in, trying to rob me, daring to take it away from me.
My home. My life.
Hell no. I won’t let my livelihood be threatened.
No one knows what I’ve done to build this life for myself.
Except he might.
Ashton Walden, a man I remember from when we were kids.
Even back then I could tell how dangerous he would be one day.
He’s now the head of the Walden mafia family, and my father is so in debt to them that they practically own him.
My dad and I are estranged and I want nothing to do with him or his debt, but the day after the attempted robbery, I don’t wake up in the hospital.
I wake up in Ashton Walden’s home. And he drops a bomb on me.
If I want my livelihood back, I need to earn it back.
And thus begins our cruel arrangement.
A Cruel Arrangement gives us Molly and Ashton’s story. From the moment of their introduction in book one, I sensed the chemistry between them. This, along with my need for answers to the questions arising as a result of the cliffhanger, had me eager to pick up A Cruel Arrangement.
Now Ashton was cold and dangerous. He did some stuff in the first book, which made it difficult to like him. However, he redeemed himself on this installment. One could say that love mellowed him out. However, he still had that dangerous and cold side to him which was reserved for his enemies.
Molly went through a tough upbringing. She, however, did not allow it to hinder her from becoming a successful businesswoman. I had an interesting getting to know her. Although there when moments when she did some questionable things with regarding her safety.
Their relationship started out as a business arrangement. However, when the danger resulting from this arrangement escalates, placing Molly at risk, their relationship became more. They attempted to fight the attraction between them, but they failed miserably. In addition to the danger, insecurities threatened to derail the growth of their relationship.
Now, for the second reason, the reading of this installment was imperative. The answers which I so desperately needed after that cliffhanger in book one came to light. Interestingly enough, it wasn’t at all what I expected, but it provided closure for everyone it affected.
Readers receive updates regarding the couple from the previous book. It was great catching up with them and seeing how their lives had developed.Â
Overall, A Cruel Arrangement delivered a satisfying conclusion to the Kings of New York series.
Brooke Bloomingdale and Jason Carpenter narrated this installment. The story alternates between Ashton and Molly’s POV. I did not like the male narrator’s interpretation of Ashton. His tone was dry and emotionless. I switched speeds during his narration. Not that speeding it up helped much.
The female narrator did a wonderful job with Molly. Her male voices were good, and she did a better interpretation of Ashton than her male counterpart. While I am not sure if I would listen to Jason Carpenter again, Brooke Bloomingdale’s performance is one I would recommend to listeners.
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
I really don’t like cliffhangers. But this one sure sounds great!
Glad you got your maddening answers from book one’s cliffhanger. I love it when an author can change my mind about a character and redeem them.
Oh wow series that need to be read in order are a blessing and a curse right Nadene. It’s why I sometimes am grateful when I get to them late or even after the series is finished. But I do have few that I wait a year for like JR Ward’s BDB series. Great review you make me want a closer look
After reading the title I thought this would be darker. But it sounds like it was pretty good.
What a lovely review you have here! Glad you enjoyed it so much there. Glad that this one delivered such a satisfying feel for the conclusion for you. Just makes me so happy to see that. Hope you are enjoying your week Nadene!
Happy reading!