Pros & Cons of Vengeance, A.E. Wasp and May Archer

Umm...YES.  So much freaking YES about this book!  There was drama, intrigue, captivating characters, snark and banter, humor, chemistry as a group, incredible steam as a couple, revenge on a truly monstrous human being, and captivating potential for the rest of the series.  What more could I want?

Steele and Breck were a fantastic pairing.  I enjoyed their dynamic, their banter, and their sexually charged interactions; they were addictive from the outset.  The two of these men started out one way but do quite a bit of softening and maturing through the events of this story.  Though their romantic timeline is quite short, it's kind of a "when you know, you just know" situation, yet we actually get a lot of depth in their evolution because both of them get to struggle through processing their past and how they got to the place in which they now find themselves.

Steele had a slightly darker past and when we first meet him he comes across as arrogant, self-assured, and immature.  Along the way however, we see that he's much deeper and thoughtful than we're led to believe.  He wears more of a light gray hat rather than a black hat when it comes to what he does for a living.  When we learn the reason for his darker moments and why he was blackmailed into coming to the funeral in the first place we get to see his heart laid bare and a vulnerability that colors his entire outlook on his worth.

Breck however, sees much more than the cocky Casanova; he sees down to the broken pieces and accepts all of them.  Having grown up in a less-than-ideal family and suffering the consequences of his egg-donor's abysmal life choices, Breck is aware of the complexities of people and their decisions.  His own are a bit...colorful, to say the least.  But finding himself in bigger trouble than he ever thought possible, it's through this ordeal that he finds both humility and strength.

Since this story is the first of the series we get an introduction to the entire crew of misfits.  While not exactly a Danny Ocean crew set-up, it's just as well put together.  Each character has their role, unique background and skills, and their own flavor to add to the group.  There's no trust at first and barbs were often pointed yet cautious because of the circumstances (and person) that brought them together.  A comradeship is formed, if not trust, and it made for magical moments as they "sub-vocalized" during mission ops, offered their particular brands of insight, and found a common pursuit they could all fully support together.

Certain characters rubbed me the wrong way in the beginning but as the story progressed they "softened", showed a personality that could be liked, even enjoyed.  So much so, in fact, that I'm so freaking excited for the next book, and the next, and the next...  Tenterhooks, my friends, tenterhooks.

*$3.99 on Amazon or FREE on KU!