Built to Last by Julie Ann Walker is the final book in the Black Knights Inc series. I found it exciting and emotional and a fitting conclusion to the series. The men of Black Knight first came on my radar when I read Fuel for Fire. However, of all the men highlighted the one who piqued my interest was Angel aka the Prince of Shadows. From the moment he was introduced I wanted know his story. I had so many questions regarding his past. A former Mossad agent. Angel is a man of mystery who sported many identities and one whose name instilled fear in the hearts of many. This installment provided me with all I need to know and more.
In the last two books, I watched as the team tries to capture Spider, a criminal mastermind who has proven to be a thorn. They got their chance when Angel infiltrated his organisation and commenced working for him. While there, he came face to face with the woman who owned his heart.
Sonya Butler an Interpol agent and Spider’s current victim of blackmail. It would appear he had incriminating evidence, which could land her in prison for the rest of her life. As such, she was forced to work for him to avoid a prison sentence. Angel believed her to be a traitor, but he would soon learn that not everything should be taken at face value.
The interaction between Angel and Sonya made for interesting reading. Sonya had no idea that Angel was the same man who she fell in love with ten years ago and who she thought was dead. Although she was still mourning the loss of her lover, she found herself drawn to Angel like a moth to flame. There is something about Angel that reminded her of the love she lost. Keeping up the facade proved tricky for Angel as he would find himself reverting to habits with which Sonya was familiar. I waited with bated breath for the moment she would figure out Angel’s identity.
I understood why he needed to keep his identity secret all these years. However, I could not accept his decision to keep it from Sonya indefinitely. His actions reeked of cowardice and selfishness. Built to Last showed that behind the tough and fearless facade lay a man who struggled with real human emotions.
Spider made my skin crawl. He is the personification of evil and a misogynist to the bone. The reason for his vendetta with the Black Knights came to light. Elusive and arrogant, but self-importance would prove to be his downfall.
The story which began on an interesting note, moved between the past and the present. Angel’s past came to light, and we gained insight into how he became to be the person he is today. I got a first-hand look into how Angel and Sonya’s’ developed ten years ago. This enabled me to understand their current emotional state. Watching them trying to navigate the secrets, pain of the past, and present took me on an emotional journey I never expected.
Besides the main romance, built on the love story between two members of the BKI that had been brewing from the previous installment. This romance, although not one I would normally read, was sweet and strangely, it put a smile on my face.
Intense and exciting action scenes kept me on the edge of my seat whenever they occurred. I found myself re-reading these scenes, as I could not get enough of them.
Conclusion and Recommendation
Built to Last offers a second chance romance sprinkled with action and suspense, which kept me engaged from start to finish. It is a story about love, forgiveness and second chances. Perfect for fans of romantic suspense.
About Julie Ann Walker
Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Julie grew up in a house full of women – she has three older sisters. As you can imagine, there was no lack of drama… or romance. Her mother enrolled her in a book club as soon as she began to read and it was the small spark that ignited her voracious appetite for the written word. Because of Julie’s early immersion in literature, she found writing came quite naturally. In high school, she won multiple writing contests and was the proud senior editor of The Tiger’s Tale – her school newspaper. During her college years, however, she longed for a challenge. “Reading and writing felt like second nature to me, so I looked for a way to flex my mental muscles,” she recalls. After receiving a Bachelor of Science degree, Julie began teaching advanced high school mathematics. “I loved working with the students and facing the challenges of the classroom, but I longed for the occasional snow day when I could race to the local book store, buy two or three new novels, and curl up in front of the fire to read.” It wasn’t until a fortuitous move to Chicago that Julie once more returned to her first passion. Now Julie loves to travel the world looking for views to compete with her deadlines. When she’s not writing, she enjoys camping, hiking, cycling, cooking, petting every dog that walks by her, and… reading, of course!
