~5 Dirty Stars~
"Dedicated to the ones with the black hearts and dirty souls."-Halle
Dirty Promises is the third book in Karina Halle's Dirty Angels Series. This book has an intoxicating blend of action, passion, violence, romance, heartbreak, and brutality. It was ugly. It was raw. It was perfect! Readers should pay close attention to the NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR in the beginning of the book. Ms. Halle was not exaggerating!
"The two of us sat on our thrones, king and queen, with the kind of ease you’d find from an old married couple on a broken down porch, mosquitos buzzing hungrily at their ears. But the mosquitos drew more blood each time. One drop here, one suck there. Eventually you’d be hollowed out. It didn’t matter how content you were, how little they took. Bloodsuckers never rest until they’re full."-Javier
Luisa and Javier were last seen as the queen and king of the Mexican Cartel. They had been ruling in unity and were viewed by all as a mighty force of nature. Now everything has changed. The death of Javier's sister has left him spinning in a tailspin. Life isn't always fair in love and war.
"Rage. It fueled me. It whipped me. It begged me. I would not stop until everything was mine again. Until the heads rolled on the dusty floor."-Javier
As Luisa and Javier navigate the murky waters of deceit, their marriage is failing. No one can be trusted. Nothing is as it seems. Luisa and Javier become dirty from sins against each other and sins against themselves. Javier is clinging to his empire and will stop at nothing to maintain his reign as King. Can he survive and still have Luisa seated next to him?
"Family is everything. That is the creed in this country. But that creed gets others killed. And it slowly kills you. Your family is the first thing you’ll lose. Your soul will be the last."-Javier
Although I would love to explore the plot more with you in this review, the truth is I feel like you need to experience each moment for yourself. I will just share that I started the book in the afternoon and stayed up all night to finish it. So make sure you have some time to devote to all things Javier because he will dominate every minute he has with you!
"In Javier’s case, I likened his soul to a dirty window. The glow was muddled, and what did come through was in little cracks and smudges. But those little cracks held the brightest light, piercing through the darkness and shining a spotlight in some of the blackest places of the heart. Javier had those cracks, that sharp light, and it was blinding sometimes. I felt I was special just to witness it."-Luisa
Overall, I simply cannot rave enough about this read. Karina Halle has certainly raised the bar and busted through the roof with this masterpiece. She paints an authentic "vivid" picture of the brutality of living in the drug lord lifestyle. It is so vivid I could almost taste the blood in my mouth after it rained all over my face. The read is written in mostly dual POV (with a third POV from the villan's perspective). Each violent act is described with precision so there is no question as to the level of brutality these characters are experiencing.
"Our marriage had been obliterated, and this was all that was left. I was going to hold on to that until my fingers were raw."-Javier
The characterization of these characters is in a caliber of it's own. Meaning every aspect is explored thoroughly to include physically, emotionally, spiritually, and (my favorite) sexually. Because these characters have been growing and developing over the coarse of many years, we see every flaw and perfect imperfection. The tempo is fast paced and the dialogue is rich with texture. Personally, I have been a fan of Javier from the beginning of his creation in Sins and Needles Series (Don't worry Camden is still my number one man!). It takes a great amount of talent to take a villan and make him sexy and even tender. Additionally, Luisa is full of fire and a perfect match for Javier (well besides me of course). The emotions evoked in this read are intense. I certainly don't feel like this series is for everyone. However, if you enjoy a good action romance with steamy sex, intense characters, and a complex plot than this is the series for you. Karina Halle really exceeded expectations with this ending. I will never forget Luisa and Javier! I imagine they are still living on and ruling the world!
"It was only him and it was only me. King and Queen. That’s all that existed in this rusty, bloody space, between these two tortured, filthy souls."-Luisa
~BR with WAR and CC...thanks for allowing me to watch!~
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