SYNOPSIS

Black Hearts is a BRAND NEW STANDALONE DUET – the second book and conclusion, Dirty Souls, releases March 17th.

For Vicente Bernal, truth is all he’s known. The son of an infamous drug lord, Vicente was born to help run the family business, which means he’s been raised on a throne of sordid pasts and dirty laundry, violence and pride. But when Vicente stumbles across someone he’s not supposed to know about – a woman from his father’s checkered past – he sets out to California to find her behind his father’s back.

What Vicente doesn’t expect to find in San Francisco is Violet McQueen, the woman’s twenty-year old daughter. Beautiful and edgy with a vulnerability he can’t resist, Violet tempts Vicente from afar and though he promised himself he’d stay away from her, curiosity and lust are powerful forces. Besides, Vicente has always gotten everything he wants – why shouldn’t he have Violet too?

Soon his wants turn into an obsession, one that sweeps Violet into his games as they fall madly, deeply in love with each other, the type of first love that can drive a person mad.

But it’s a love with tragic consequences.

Both the truth – and the lies – not only threaten to tear them apart, but threaten their very lives.

Someone has to pay for the sins of the fathers.

And they’ll be paying the price with their souls.

Black Hearts is a BRAND NEW STANDALONE DUET – the second book and conclusion, Dirty Souls, releases March 17th

*****Mel’s Review*****

5 Stars!

Vincente Bernal grew up in Mexico as the prodigal son of a drug lord. He was raised to one day take over the cartel & had everything he wants in life except freedom. He grew up sheltered & often isolated for his safety in a world full of power, respect, and money. He was born to follow in his father’s footsteps, & lost his innocence at a young age.

Vincente learns about a mystery woman from his father’s past & wants to learn more about the man his father used to be. He wanted proof that his father once had a soul. He convinces his parents to allow him to travel to America for the next couple months. He steps foot in San Francisco, California & feels like he can finally breathe.

Vincente has a plan that goes off track when he meets the daughter of the woman he’s come to see. He then wonders if the daughter could be his way to get close to the mother. The problem is he wasn’t prepared for the beautiful, intriguing Violet McQueen. She’s kind, sensitive, vulnerable & has an innocence about her. She also has a bit of an edge to her & there’s something about her he’s drawn to.

Violet McQueen meets a gorgeous, Hispanic man with amber eyes. He’s absolutely stunning and she instantly wants him. He’s sensual, sexy, & everything she isn’t. He’s strong, confident, and once he touches her, she’s done for. She is addicted to him. He’s wild, adventurous & sets her body on fire. He makes her feel alive & finally understood. She’s completely consumed by him and in the moment when they’re together.

Violet soon starts to realize her parents aren’t who she thinks they are. Things have seemed off lately & she begins to feel she was raised in a house of lies. The only person that she feels safe with is Vincente. He just gets her.

Violet was never part of the plan. Vincente is feeling things for her that scare him, and complicate everything. He was trained & raised to take over the family business & taught love is a weakness, but he can’t control how his heart feels every time he’s with Violet. He considers Violet his & he has no plans of letting her go.

-She’s the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen. To stare at her from afar is one thing. To see her up close is another.

-She’s learning what she wants. And what she wants is me.

-I’m angry. I’m so fucking angry that my heart feels something for her. That she’s getting under my skin. That she’s making me question who I am.

-The hold he has on me is only growing stronger. I can’t get enough of him. He occupies my thoughts, my body, my heartbeat.

-Vincente’s mouth against mine is a lungful of oxygen, his body a life raft.

If you’ve read the Artist’s Trilogy or the Dirty Angels series by Karina Halle you will be familiar with these characters, but this book is a spinoff & can totally be read as a stand alone. It’s the children of Javier & Luisa Bernal and Camden & Ellie McQueen. Black Hearts is the first book in the duet. The second book Dirty Souls releases March 17th & will complete the story.

I LOVED this book! Like father like son, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Vincente is gorgeous, sinfully sexual & skilled in the bedroom, but also can be twisted like dear old dad. What I adored about Vincente that I felt made him stand out is his heart. I feel he will choose love in the end. This book had action, excitement, and love, & was sexy as hell! I can’t wait for the next book in the series!

*****Patty’s Review*****

*****4.5 STARS*****
{ARC Generously Provided by Author}

I was thoroughly fucked by Vicente.
Over and over and over again.
In a way I never imagined.
He made me step away from myself. He pulled me out of that prison. He opened my eyes to a reality I didn’t think I could be a part of.
He made my weaknesses my strengths.
He made it raw and beautiful.

BLACK HEARTS is a spin-off of The Artist Trilogy and Dirty Angels series but can definitely be read as a standalone. The main characters in this story are the offspring of the characters from the Karina Halle’s previous two series. This one is filled with a ton action, suspense and hotter than heck STEAM!! I read ”On Every Street” and “Sins and Needles” and was definitely on TEAM CAM, but there’s a new man in town and he completely stole my heart. Get ready to meet the sexy bad ass Hero with an edgy dark side—Vicente Bernal!!

Vicente is in San Francisco on a supposed vacation but he has a secret agenda, find the woman who is the only person to ever one-up his father, Javier Bernal. His plan is to either capture and bring Ellie Watt back to his father as a prize or to pick her brain to hopefully reveal some of Javier’s secrets which would help him in taking over as head of their drug cartel. But when he lays eyes on Violet McQueen, all bets are off.

Violet is the daughter of Camden and Ellie. She is a very sensitive young woman who tends to keep her inner turmoil hidden from most of her loved ones. Vicente grasps at an opportunity to meet her when he follows Violet after she leaves her photography class at the university she attends. Pretending to be interested in signing up for her class, he is able to strike up a conversation with Violet. She is instantly intrigued by the sexy stranger and agrees to go out for coffee with him. Soon enough these two end up getting entangled in one seriously steamy affair.

Vicente gets Violet to step out of her comfort zone and take risks she normally would steer clear of. For the first time in her life, she is feeling exhilarated and also like she has a true connection with Vicente that she has never felt with anyone else before. While deeper feelings start to evolve between the two lovers, it would seem as though their relationship is doomed as there is no end to the list of people who are against their union.

The story ends with a cliffhanger but luckily for us, the conclusion is due out in May, so there’s not much of a wait. Get ready to fall in love with Karina Halle’s latest bad boy!!

BLACK HEARTS is currently available!

Amazon: bit.ly/BlackHearts