This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review. Also my tags may have spoilers in them so be forewarned before checking out full review.

Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔
Hero: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Heroine:🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞💞
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖📖
Narration:🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨.25

First Impressions
Bad Deeds is the third installment in the "Dirty Money" series and I knew going into this one we would go down a bit darker of a road than what we have seen so far. And yes it does get a little bit edgy in this one, the hero becomes more morally gray in this book and there is a WILD cliffhanger. So you want to make sure you have the final book ready to read. I also really enjoyed the way in which this story developed. We really see how our hero is battling a war within himself just like he is trying to battle the drug lord and his family secrets. I was curious to see where the author would take it and it doesn't get too dark but it definitely goes borderline on that spectrum. But you definitely see a story that will satisfy you until the end there.

First Line
"You could always sacrifice your queen and let her die a royal death. Would it--would she---be worth it to win?"

The Main Protagonists
The Hero: Shane
The Heroine: Emily

Summary
The story sets off with starting off where the second book ended, where Emily is threatened with death by Derek (Shane's brother) and runs outside. Shane goes out after it, and Emily is reasonably shaken after that dangerous threat. But all this does is solidify Shane's protectiveness towards Emily. He knows he won't be easy to keep her safe from his family machinations. There are mysteries that are revealed about his family involvement with the drug lord and different key players coming on the board of this dangerous chess game that could cost them their lives? But Will Shane lose who he is in the playing these dark games with these players who will destroy everything that he holds dear? Will he and Emily rise above the upcoming challenges? Or will they lose everything they hold dear?

What I Loved
Whew! This book was edgy and thrilling and kept me so fascinated all the way through. The author really takes the hero "Shane" especially on a self journey. He is having to compromise some values in order to play games with the drug cartel, and we see how that affects him and it affects his relationship more than he realizes with Emily. We also see how this also affects them in the bedroom. It was interesting to see some elements of BDSM that was showcased in this one here. Its not heavy or strong, but there are some scenes of it here that makes sense with what is happening with our characters in the story. It really flows together here. We really see how Shane is willing to do whatever it takes to win in the end but it will come at a terrible cost in the end. We also see more happening with the family politics.

What I Struggled With
The only thing I was disappointed in was the lack of plot dealing with the heroine. We get plenty of build up on it in the first two books and then it just falls flat and I was hoping we would see some of that. So I do feel like there could have been more build up on the plot with the heroine and her brother that felt so intense in books 1 and 2. But also feel like there is more happening with the parents that weren't revealed quite yet.

Narration
FANTASTIC! Its a narration that has me not wanting to put this one down at all! This pairing is so well done on it.

Overall View
Bad Deeds is a book that will dig deeper into the human elements of the conflict that develops when fighting evil, its filled with edge, morally grey moments and stunning unity that comes to our pair! SUPERB IN SO MANY WAYS!

Favorite Quote(s)
She is the sunshine that was never supposed to exist in this storm I'm living.

"A blade in your hand now. A blade in your heart, or back, later."

Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense
Character Types: Alpha Male, Morally Grey Hero, Spirited Heroine
Themes: Danger/Suspense, Couple Together Early On, Power Couple
Tropes: Epic Love

Book Perspective
Duo POV

Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
Plot Conflict

If you like these authors, I recommend This Book
J. Kenner
Katy Evans
Meghan March

Song This Book Inspires
You're the One That I Want by Lo-Fang

Recommendation For Reading Order
Yes. I highly recommend reading in order

Steam/Spice Explanations

Steamin' up the room -the sexual content is more explicit in the language and tone, heavier amount of sexual scenes.

Narrators:
Jeremy York, Grace Grant ( )

Shane and Emily are trying to keep everything together while battling the Martina drug cartel and keeping control of Brandon Enterprises. Derek and Brandon Sr aren't making anything easy along with lies and back door deals that might put the company in ruins. Betrayals within the family make it harder for Shane to protect the family name. He an Emily draw closer even though there is still danger from her past life. Brandon Sr's health is declining more and Shane must make drastic moves to ensure all is not lost. The book ends in another cliffhanger so I will need to read the next one. This one was a little long and some of the information could've been cut. ( )

Immediately following the events in Damage Control, Shane Brandon is having a weak moment, his feelings for Emily and for his parents are leaving him unfocused. The desire to get Brandon Enterprises away from the cartel and back into the green is stronger than ever, he's desperate to save the business, and to find a way to save his girl and his family in the process. Even when they find a moment to sneak away for an erotic moment, Emily can tell is haunted by the what ifs and she fears he'll change himself in order to save everyone else. The only way to escape the cartel's grips is to play a better game, but the Brandon family must find a way to come together if they want to team up against the Martinezes. Secrets and lies may make their separation even wider though and they may all go down with the business.

"...and those demons of his aren't whispering now. They're shouting. Actually, I'm pretty sure they're holding knives and jabbing them in his chest and mine right along with it."

The developments and the twists in this book! Family drama, cartel danger, and plenty of lust fill the pages of Bad Deeds, book three in the Dirty Money series. Told from multiple POVs, readers are graced with the viewpoint of not just Shane and Emily, but also of Derek and his companion, Teresa Martinez. The character development is astonishing in Dirty Money. Shane became a three-dimensional character for me, more than this man driven by his goal and his lust. We see a more emotional side of him, which works perfect with Emily beginning to show the strength her old self possessed. Emily carried the story a lot this time, her research and drive to bring the family together showed her devotion to Shane, but also took away this vulnerability that wasn't becoming of her previously. She shows her wits and courage and I loved that. Then there's Derek and Teresa, who move out of low secondary positions in the story line into much more prevalent and important character roles. Though their POV chapters are sparse, they give reader an alternate look at the drama that surrounds the Brandons and the Martinezes. Continuing to grace us with their presences is also the Brandon parents, Shane's hot security team, and Adrian Martinez with his band of merry thugs.

"She moans. She sighs. She whispers my name and everything else fades."

Bad Deeds takes us out of the big picture, getting Brandon Enterprises away from the Martinezes, and focuses on the tiny details that got the Brandons in the mess in the first place. I really enjoyed the extra details Lisa Renee Jones included when writing scenes with the Brandon family, their dynamic is unique and really drives the story forward. It's obvious that wealth, greed, and revenge has taken this family and turned them upside down, pitting siblings against parents and each other. While progress is made with Shane's goals, it is done through dissecting the Brandon family, gaining knowledge on the Martinezes, and in Shane finding more than romance in Emily, but rather an ally and partner as well. The family, the business, the ties to the cartel, it's all twisted up in a tangled web, but it makes for a stunning series.

"I'm stunned by her words, but more so by how much this woman loves me despite all I have let myself become, and all I have done to her."

I was hooked with this release, could not put it down, and it's a heck of a release from LRJ. I could feel my heart racing when things went from bad to worse and my emotions were all over the place as we jumped from one character's view to another, gaining perspective on the full gamut of trouble the Brandons will face as a family. It's addicting. Plus, Bad Deeds ends in another cliffhanger and readers won't see this one coming. I am desperate for the next release and know LRJ is going to deliver a stunning conclusion. Fans of suspense, romance, and erotica will once again find that Lisa Renee Jones is the queen. ( )

Lisa Renee Jones brings us back to the world of Dirty Money in Bad Deeds. The story picks up exactly where book 2 ended and you jump right back into the family drama. A family dinner with the Brandons is more of a prequel to war than a meal and lots of bombs are loaded and aimed. Derek makes veiled threats, Mrs. Brandon tries to get everyone to the table, and Mr. Brandon mentions that he is planning to go to Germany for a treatment that will cure his incurable cancer. So, you know, normal family dinner.

Shane and Emily have a pretty rock solid relationship at this point. Shane is realizing how amazing Emily is and how much he loves her. Emily is strong and smart; her advice to Shane is always spot on and he would have already screwed up a few things without her guidance. Shane, however, doesn't want Emily to be involved in his world and wants her to docilely leave the room and let him handle business. It was frustrating at times because Emily makes Shane better.

Shane was a bit wimpy for me in the beginning book. While it was sweet and romantic to hear his inner mooning over Emily, it started to come off as a bit saccharine after awhile. I wanted him to be more self confident and dominate. Not necessarily dominate over Emily at all, but be that dominate presence that he was in the courtroom. He just came off as less self assured so often it bothered me. However, then he would turn into a cold Dom type and it felt weird. His behavior throughout the story felt off to me frequently and it was strange. I am glad there are chapters from other POVs to help balance out the weird vibe I was getting from Shane.

Bad Deeds also gives us more insight into Derek. Parts of the story are told in his and Teresa's POV so you get to see behind the curtain so to speak. Derek has been the villain throughout the story and I enjoyed getting a better insight into his possible end game. At this point in the story, no one is 100% good or clean (except maybe Emily) and the story keeps you on your toes guessing who get the dirtiest; will Derek remain the villain, will Shane make some dark decisions, will Mr. Brandon live on and continue to torture everyone? Honestly, at this point, not only is the state of the company up in the air, the villains are numerous and continuously coming, lines of good and bad are blurred into big grey blobs, and survival of anyone isn't guaranteed. The plot keeps you guessing as to how everything will work out. Frankly, the end game keeps changing and you have to read carefully to keep up! There are so many players in the game and all of them have various motives.

My biggest struggle with the story is at times it felt we took a few steps backward. Book 2 was really engaging to me, and Bad Deeds felt like it regressed at time. I will also say that with the family dynamics growing deeper in this book, it was kind of like a soap opera (I think this is both good and bad-mostly good though because I love the drama!)

 

• POV: dual 1st


• Tears: no


• Trope: drug cartel, dysfunctional family


• Triggers: spoiler


• Series/Standalone:


• Cliffhanger: BIG one. I think the biggest cliffhanger of the series


• HEA: unknown until the end of book 4

Trigger by LP Dover, The Devil's Daughter by Katee Robert, Nico by Sarah Castille...then you will probably like Bad Deeds!

 


Bad Deeds





See full review on The Book Disciple ( )

If I deducted stars for how many times I ranted "OH MY GOSH" This would rate at negative 10. Cliff HANGER IS A KILLER!! Continuing the Dirty Money series Jones leads the reader on ups and downs of bliss and nail biting suspense. Mix of Courage, Love, Betrayal keep this glued to your hands and cannot be set aside. Shane and Emily have cleaned up some of their issues but more seem to find them. Cannot wait for the next in this series. All of Jones' novels put her at the top of my have to read list. "A copy of this book was provided by St. Martin's Press via NetGalley with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read and my comments here are my honest opinion." ( )