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cedrisc's review against another edition
5.0
This book was so good! It was like reading an action movie. It did remind me a bit of Mr & Mrs Smith with the crazy relationship between the two heroes.
For the 1st 50% I did not want to put it down and found it hard to calm down and go to sleep. There were a few cliche moments, but I am still giving it 5 stars for taking me back to movies such as romancing the stone and others where the romantic interest is more of a hate relationship.
Definitely going to read the next book.
For the 1st 50% I did not want to put it down and found it hard to calm down and go to sleep. There were a few cliche moments, but I am still giving it 5 stars for taking me back to movies such as romancing the stone and others where the romantic interest is more of a hate relationship.
Definitely going to read the next book.
twogreenpenguins's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
nourbey's review
5.0
OMG. Talk about about freaking phenomenal. The synopsis did not do this justice it was so gooood. The pacing was wonderful and the plot and writing kept my on my toesss. Everyone was kinda morally grey which I LOVE because I could just form my own opinions about characters. I’m genuinely so invested I don’t know how I’m going to sleep without reading the entire second book (hint: I won’t)
devansbooklife's review
5.0
This story keeps you hooked from the moment you start it. Full of excitement, flying bullets, and lots of violence. Amongst the chaos, a love story of sorts develops. The characters are fierce and well developed. The ending leaves you wanting and needing more. This story is far from over.
kelly6022's review
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
5.0
Even if Marcelle turned into a bitch near the end this is still one of my favorite spicy action books. Loved the FMC
octopusgarden's review
5.0
It's 2:26am and I'm fucking shaking. This book was not what I expected and now I want to write love poems to Ms. Fantome for this phenomenal book. Now I knew that she was good when I read the 'Kane Trilogy' but this is Mercenary life and she fucking KILLED IT with this different twist. I can't fucking compliment this book enough, it's WHAT YOU NEED TO READ. It's got the heat, the grit, the love, the tears, and the suspense that will keep you on your fucking toes and begging and screaming for more!!!!
The plot was unexpected, it kept you guessing and wondering what was going to happen next. You didn't know what was going to happen next, so much suspense and antagonizing brilliantly laid out fights.
The protagonists were written so eloquently, they didn't bullshit and they didn't have you guess. They owned their battle scars and the female heroine was a fucking badass I couldn't love more. STRONG WOMEN OWN THIS GENRE and Ms. Fantome delivered it.
The ending was what I didn't know I needed, I was hoping for something fluffy and I got something so much better. It was the equivalent of Angelina Jolie at the end of 'Salt' rising out of the water and you know she was going to do some badass shit.
*sigh* now to get some sleep and on to the next in the morning
" 5 GIVE ME SOMETHING FUCKING MORE MERCENARY STARS!!!"
The plot was unexpected, it kept you guessing and wondering what was going to happen next. You didn't know what was going to happen next, so much suspense and antagonizing brilliantly laid out fights.
The protagonists were written so eloquently, they didn't bullshit and they didn't have you guess. They owned their battle scars and the female heroine was a fucking badass I couldn't love more. STRONG WOMEN OWN THIS GENRE and Ms. Fantome delivered it.
The ending was what I didn't know I needed, I was hoping for something fluffy and I got something so much better. It was the equivalent of Angelina Jolie at the end of 'Salt' rising out of the water and you know she was going to do some badass shit.
*sigh* now to get some sleep and on to the next in the morning
" 5 GIVE ME SOMETHING FUCKING MORE MERCENARY STARS!!!"
kplight's review
3.0
There was way to much fighting for me to like it and I found myself kind of loathing the main guy
norwayellesea's review
5.0
4.5 stars
Wow!
This first book in the Mercenaries series is a lightening paced adventure across dangerous West African terrain.
Liliana Brewster has been training for this mission for five years. Her motivation is revenge. The plan is to kill the man responsible for the kidnapping and killing her sister. She's spent all these years, working as a transporter and money launderer to work her way into the Russian Bratva crime organisation. Now she's been noticed, and been given a job to move her nearer to her target...the boss Stankovski. She's spent the last month in a Bratva safe house in Monrovia, Liberia and now she's ready for her final job before taking a flight to Moscow...to find closure.
Marcelle De Sant is a well respected mercenary, working wherever the job and money lead him. He's in Liberia to complete a mission. Before he leaves, he ends up spending the night with the feisty redhead who's been hanging out at the Bratva safe-house. What happened next is a passionate night he'll remember for more than one reason...betrayal.
Marc and Lily's sexual chemistry is fed on adrenaline as they dodge the bullets on their dangerous road trip across Western Africa. Fate or presumptive events depending on your point of view, threw the lovers together, if only to kill one of them! Once the misunderstanding is violently worked through, Lily continues to proves to be a tough, bad-ass heroine who's more than a match for Marcelle De Sant. Respect that is unexpectedly earned. He's doubted her ability and naivety but she constantly surprises him with her toughness and skill...if only she'd shut her smart mouth up once in a while!
The plot becomes even more intriguing when the dangerous lovebirds run into trouble. There is a contract out on De Sant's head and an old “friend” is curious enough to find out why! Bentley Law and De Sant embark on a strange, violent duel ending with laughter...Law sticks around, deciding to not kill a man he respects and joins the ride. There are diamonds at stake!
The writing is superb, with my attention kept the whole duration of the book. At times, some scenes are a bit gruesome, however the violence is far from gratuitous. The protagonists are strong, and believable and their dialogue is snarky, hilarious and full of expletives. The ending was unexpected, but not jarringly so. It left me wanting to know what the future holds for Marc and Lily.
***arc generously received in exchange for an honest review***
Wow!
This first book in the Mercenaries series is a lightening paced adventure across dangerous West African terrain.
Liliana Brewster has been training for this mission for five years. Her motivation is revenge. The plan is to kill the man responsible for the kidnapping and killing her sister. She's spent all these years, working as a transporter and money launderer to work her way into the Russian Bratva crime organisation. Now she's been noticed, and been given a job to move her nearer to her target...the boss Stankovski. She's spent the last month in a Bratva safe house in Monrovia, Liberia and now she's ready for her final job before taking a flight to Moscow...to find closure.
Marcelle De Sant is a well respected mercenary, working wherever the job and money lead him. He's in Liberia to complete a mission. Before he leaves, he ends up spending the night with the feisty redhead who's been hanging out at the Bratva safe-house. What happened next is a passionate night he'll remember for more than one reason...betrayal.
Marc and Lily's sexual chemistry is fed on adrenaline as they dodge the bullets on their dangerous road trip across Western Africa. Fate or presumptive events depending on your point of view, threw the lovers together, if only to kill one of them! Once the misunderstanding is violently worked through, Lily continues to proves to be a tough, bad-ass heroine who's more than a match for Marcelle De Sant. Respect that is unexpectedly earned. He's doubted her ability and naivety but she constantly surprises him with her toughness and skill...if only she'd shut her smart mouth up once in a while!
The plot becomes even more intriguing when the dangerous lovebirds run into trouble. There is a contract out on De Sant's head and an old “friend” is curious enough to find out why! Bentley Law and De Sant embark on a strange, violent duel ending with laughter...Law sticks around, deciding to not kill a man he respects and joins the ride. There are diamonds at stake!
The writing is superb, with my attention kept the whole duration of the book. At times, some scenes are a bit gruesome, however the violence is far from gratuitous. The protagonists are strong, and believable and their dialogue is snarky, hilarious and full of expletives. The ending was unexpected, but not jarringly so. It left me wanting to know what the future holds for Marc and Lily.
***arc generously received in exchange for an honest review***
sonja_ahrb's review
5.0
Stylo Fantôme has been on my ATR, Authors To Read, list forever, so when the chance came to read one of her books - I jumped on it and the fact that synopsis sounded good was an added bonus! I knew Best Laid Plans was going to be good, I just didn't know that it would blow me away or that I would love it as much as I do. This book made me feel a lot of strong emotions, it demanded all of my attention, and made me its b*tch. It was fricking amazing and I loved the hell out of it!!
I know that intro wasn't polite or completely censored and I normally don't write my reviews like this, but that's just what Best Laid Plans is like and what it does to you. It's not polite or censored or sugar-coated - it's raw, untamed, and uncivilized - if you're going by normal society standards anyway. Ms. Fantôme doesn't hold anything back or pull any punches with Best Laid Plans, although it does have a certain class and charm that made it very appealing and enjoyable.
I told you that this book drew a lot of strong emotions out of me and was of those emotions was anger. Most of my anger was and still is a little directed at Marc, and in fact, angry isn't even the right word - fury would be a much better one. And I'm not just talking about the yelling, shouting type, oh no, by the end, it was the silent, seething fury which is so much worse than the loud kind because I seriously think if I could have gone into the story, I would've killed him or shot him. He's just so ARGH and such an annoying, not very smart man sometimes! Kate Hudson totally summed up my feelings about Marc in How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days when she said, "I love you Binky, but I don't have like you right now." Marc drives me crazy and I hated him a little, but ultimately I still love the guy. And he's really not as bad as I'm making him sound because he did make me laugh, he's protective and possessive and he can even be so sweet that he melts your heart.
Now, while I don't always like Marc, I always loved Lily! She's so awesome and the absolute best! She's such a total bada*s that I actually have a little girl crush on her and that doesn't happen very often. I can't even tell how amazing she is because I wouldn't be able to her justice, I'll just say that she's definitely one of my all-time favorites heroines and I loved, loved, LOVED her!!
Best Laid Plans is a dark, rough-and-tumble, fast-paced, action-packed book with enough sexual tension and heat to set you on fire! It is told from Lily and Marc's POV and it ends in a cliffhanger that drove me crazy, but I'm so excited to see what Ms. Fantôme does in Out of Plans because I can absolutely see it being EPIC!!
~ Sonja, 5 Stars
I know that intro wasn't polite or completely censored and I normally don't write my reviews like this, but that's just what Best Laid Plans is like and what it does to you. It's not polite or censored or sugar-coated - it's raw, untamed, and uncivilized - if you're going by normal society standards anyway. Ms. Fantôme doesn't hold anything back or pull any punches with Best Laid Plans, although it does have a certain class and charm that made it very appealing and enjoyable.
I told you that this book drew a lot of strong emotions out of me and was of those emotions was anger. Most of my anger was and still is a little directed at Marc, and in fact, angry isn't even the right word - fury would be a much better one. And I'm not just talking about the yelling, shouting type, oh no, by the end, it was the silent, seething fury which is so much worse than the loud kind because I seriously think if I could have gone into the story, I would've killed him or shot him. He's just so ARGH and such an annoying, not very smart man sometimes! Kate Hudson totally summed up my feelings about Marc in How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days when she said, "I love you Binky, but I don't have like you right now." Marc drives me crazy and I hated him a little, but ultimately I still love the guy. And he's really not as bad as I'm making him sound because he did make me laugh, he's protective and possessive and he can even be so sweet that he melts your heart.
Now, while I don't always like Marc, I always loved Lily! She's so awesome and the absolute best! She's such a total bada*s that I actually have a little girl crush on her and that doesn't happen very often. I can't even tell how amazing she is because I wouldn't be able to her justice, I'll just say that she's definitely one of my all-time favorites heroines and I loved, loved, LOVED her!!
Best Laid Plans is a dark, rough-and-tumble, fast-paced, action-packed book with enough sexual tension and heat to set you on fire! It is told from Lily and Marc's POV and it ends in a cliffhanger that drove me crazy, but I'm so excited to see what Ms. Fantôme does in Out of Plans because I can absolutely see it being EPIC!!
~ Sonja, 5 Stars