A complimentary copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Holy cow! This was amazing, awesome, intense and scary. Scary because I didn't know what was going to happen between Dominic and Levi, I didn't know what Levi was going to be forced to do as a result of the Seven of Spades, I didn't know how far Dom would fall or what would happen to him.

This is such a great series. The writing is flat out amazing - Cordelia Kingsbridge is a super talent that has very few peers. The anticipation being built in the story is incredible. The Seven of Spades is escalating and has taken people that Levi knows, but leaves their bodies where Levi is positive to find them...and also cast suspicion on his own involvement. On top of that, Levi is dealing with his break up with Dom, and Dom's fall back into gambling. There were so many different things going on in this story, but never once did I feel overwhelmed. EVERTYTHING was relevant and necessary; not once did the story feel like it was dragging or that content needed to be deleted. I read every single word. Let me tell you, that's not easy for me; I tend to skip words, sentences, paragraphs, pages. But with Dom and Levi, I couldn't miss a single solitary word they thought, spoke or action they took. It was all important, and all riveting.

What else can I say? The Seven of Spades is still on the loose, but Levi has finally had enough and isn't going to play along with their game anymore. He's pissed and ready to put an end to the Seven of Spades revenge tirade and adoration of Levi. Dom and Levi, through very extreme circumstances, are able to reconcile and Dom seeks help for his addiction. This is important because it sparks the catalyst for Levi to finally say enough is enough right to the Seven of Spades video image face.

If you haven't read this series yet, you must. It is, dare I say, perfect. Whoever is chosen to be the voice(s) of these characters, they will have some big shoes to fill because the characters deserve someone who can give real life into their voices and actions, create the right amount of tension and drama, fear and suspense, love and lust, and kick as comedy at moments.

I give this ALL the stars, but GR limits me to 5. Come on A Chip and a Chair, come on!

At about 86% it FINALLY kicked in why it was called One-Eyed Royals. Way to be slow on the uptake! I must have been too mad at Dominic to notice.

Aside from being in love with all the characters, even though they pissed me off throughout most of this story, and besides loving this authors writing style. I have to say I feel like this book was just a bunch of angsty filler. I am not totally sure it was all necessary to the overall storyline, but that being said, I loved it anyways.

SoS is upping their body count and changing their MO a little bit. They're including Levi in more of their killings as this time it's based around Levi's past. So this particular spree is Levi's "birthday present".

Dominic is still in denial and it's so sad, but Rebel is as awesome as ever.

Some characters from earlier on are now making more of an appearance and I feel like I've figured out who the SoS is, but then I feel like Cordelia is just fucking with us on purpose to make us think that way and it will be someone from way out in left field.
I kind of hope it is who I think it is because HOLY SHIT that would be a mindfuck.

The next book is coming soon and it really couldn't come soon enough!

***4.5 Stars***

After what happened in the last book - on a personal level and in regards to catching the Seven of Spades - Levi and Dominic are forced to gamble for high stakes, but everything points to the dice casting in favor of their opponent...

Their relationship in a shambles, both men find themselves on a self-destruction path of sorts, heading for a collision with a virtual brick wall. Dominic, still in denial about his gambling issues getting out of hand, absolutely refuses to see the problem and acknowledge Levi's attempts at helping him by sabotaging any gambling opportunity. He is not weak. He can't be. Weakness is for losers, which he is not. He can stop anytime, right? Not a problem at all... While the Seven of Spades changes his game plan in order to force Levi to take sides and his actions escalate into a blood bath never seen before, Levi's already frayed stress level is about to boil over and his anger issues reach a point where he is only a hair's breadth away from snapping. But even if they hurt each other badly, take advantage of any hard-won trust to turn it into betrayal and try to erase memories in any and every possible way, they still can't keep their hands off each other. When a case they both are working on suddenly hits too close to home and has only a chance to be solved when they join forces, Levi and Dominic are confronted with the decision about how far they would go to save someone they care about and realize that feelings simply cannot be shut down, and what's more, that they are the only things in life that count.

Damn it to hell! This book hurt! More than the last one. It was painful to see Levi and Dominic lashing out at each other and I can tell you, if causing bodily harm to a book character would be a thing, these guys would still be licking their wounds now... I was torn between anger and heartbreak and when Levi did the almost unthinkable for me, which I usually hate in my books with a passion, I was about to once again throw my precious Kindle across the room, after stomping it to pieces of course. But when my initial rage calmed down, I thought about it - long and hard - and I actually understood the why and wherefore. To some extent. That doesn't mean it still didn't hurt. But if Dominic could forgive him, who am I to stay mad? I could not remove more than a half star, though, because the rest of the book was suspense at its best. By all accounts. I'm not growing tired of saying that Cordelia Kingsbridge is a mastermind at keeping me on my toes the whole time and I almost ran a ditch into my rug from pacing. I just love the whole package she's delivering here, including all side characters, and Rebel will be my all-time favorite book dog. My suspicion about the identity of the Seven of Spades is still not wavering, to the contrary, with each book I'm more and more convinced that I'm right and I can't wait to see their exposure. 

I honest to God have no idea how Ms. Kingsbridge will top this book with the last one, but with Levi now on the warpath, I'm sure she will find a way. Highly recommended!

4.5 stars rounded up

This book is a hell of a lot darker than the previous three.

<u>One-Eyed Royals</u> takes place three months after <u>Cash Plays</u> and about a year after the Seven of Spades was introduced in <u>Kill Game</u>. Levi and Dominic are broken up at the beginning of the book, due in large part to Dominic lying and making excuses about his relapse, but still have a habit of falling into bed together. The Seven of Spades continues to get more dramatic and theatrical as they gain confidence and crave more attention. In this book, they start leaving “gifts” for Levi in the same vein as a cat leaving dead mice. At the same time, Levi is investigating a string of kidnappings that lead to one death, and Dominic has been hired by an insurance provider to see if their clients are committing fraud.

This book is significantly darker than the previous two, showing the escalation of the Seven of Spades’ murders but also we’re seeing Dominic caught in a major addiction spiral and Levi struggling with his anger issues, even while he’s learned new coping strategies from therapy. The SOS’s obsession with Levi has also gotten more violent and possessive as the story progressed.

A favorite aspect of this series is definitely the side characters and the friendships both Levi and Dominic have been able to foster. Carlos and Jasmine are getting ready to get married, though we don’t see much of them as we have in previous books. I love Martine and how There she is for Levi, always being on his side and not closing avenues of communication, even as other aspects of his life spiral away from him. I also like Stanton much more as Levi’s friend than I liked him as his significant other, and really enjoy watching their dynamic grow and reshape itself.

I have a new theory on who the Seven of Spades is and I cannot wait to see if I’m correct. The ending makes it feel like the next book will be the conclusion of the series because Levi is finally really, truly fed up and is done buying into the mythology of a serial killer; at the end of the day, they are still human and at some point they will mess up. I cannot wait to see what happens in the next book because the mystery has absolutely hooked me!!!

This book was one hell of a ride! You guys need to pre-order this and be ready to start reading the minute it hits your Kindles. And clear some time because once you start it you're not going to want to stop. This is going to be a short review because so much happens and it will be almost impossible to address anything without spoilers. I'm already seeing spoilers popping up in reviews so you should do yourself a favor and not read any.....except mine of course. :D (seriously though, major spoilers in some)

There are three aspects of this book. One is a case of kidnapped business women/men in the city, one is the Seven of Spades and one is the relationship between Levi and Dom. All of it is going to make you yell "holy shit" more than once. (I was freaking out waiting till a friend finished her copy so we could discuss it. Every 5 minutes I was all "Are you done yet? Are you? ARE YOU??)

It is a very emotional book and both Levi and Dom are in bad way and there's some painful to read stuff going down. Both of the cases blew my mind in a few places. Most importantly, I think I changed my mind on who I think the SoS is. I've been certain since the very first book that I knew who the killer was. After this book I think I may have been wrong. I think it's someone else now. Maybe. Uggg...... I can't wait till the last book to see if I'm right.

So....another hit out of the ballpark in this series. I both loved and hated this book and my emotions are all a twist. The next book can't come soon enough.

**ARC provided by publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

SPOILERS FOR Kill Game, Trick Roller & Cash Plays!

This was a hard read in more ways than one. All of them up have been, by degrees, harrowing but with this one was particularly jarring in that I was immediately knocked off kilter by Levi's actions. I thought I had a good handle on these two characters.

I was wrong.

Levi... it's like he became someone else. Maybe I was wrong about him from the start or maybe the breakup brought forth a heretofore unknown and ugly side of him. I don't know but I was confused and dismayed by it.

So let's just rip the band-aid off quickly, shall we?

Levi is petty, cruel and he sleeps with someone else, so readers who are dogmatic about their couples being faithful irregardless of whether or not they're together, you've been warned. For me, him fucking someone else was the least of my issues. It was the cruelty and pettiness that I struggled with. I even found myself at one point thinking surely the Seven of Spades (SOS) was behind some of it.

Nope. All Levi.

I know he's heartbroken about their breakup and hurt by Dom's gambling addiction. The way he lied and manipulated Levi to continue to engage in his addiction must've cut deep considering Levi's never been in love with anyone before, but that doesn't justify cruelty in my mind. What's more, Dom's addiction is mutually exclusive from his feelings for Levi and Levi knew his addiction could be a problem in their future. Dom never lied to him about that.

Obviously, I've taken a side here. I tried not to and I do believe Levi has redeeming qualities despite his morphing into a vicious anger ball the minute he discovered Dom's gambling. But his transformation was deeply troubling to me. To see his personality change, this level of anger emerge towards someone he purports to love? If it's largely due to the breakup rather than a culmination of events then I think I'm even more troubled by that.

I am happy they're back together but an apology, some promises to get help and a whirlwind fuck via Dom's monster magic peen isn't enough to fix this and I hope more reparations are forthcoming in the finale.

The sex was phenomenal, as always. Biting fans are in for some quivering.

As far as the thriller aspects of this installment, I like the progression where the SOS is concerned. They seem to be grandstanding more and I think that grandiosity and need for attention will ultimately be their undoing.

I thought more would come of the Utopia plot line but instead a new high dollar kidnapping and ransom ring turns up. Las Vegas can't catch a break, I tell ya!

It gets pretty gruesome at points, so be advised but I like that there is a case within each book that gets resolved so we get some sort of closure rather than relentless cliffhanging. The details of this particular case didn't quite add up for me but I can't say I wasn't glued to my kindle from beginning to end.

What ultimately pushed this installment into 4 heart territory was the domino chain of events that occurred at the end. Well executed action sequences always earn points with me and both these guys kicked ass. It was awesome. Parts of it were bad wrong, but still... awesome. And fun. In a bad wrong way. What can I say? *shrugs*

Last thing I'll say is... Stanton. *sigh* I know nothing will come of his storyline and he'll likely never get his own book, but he deserves someone befitting his capacity for love.

In short, gird your loins. It's a bumpy ride but well worth it in the end.




An ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Dominic and Levi have went their separate ways. They each think their demons are under control. Even though they aren’t together any more they still manage to fall into bed together. Time after time.

Once again their investigations intersect and they are drawn together. Dominic’s in because of a case of insurance fraud and Levi is investigating a homicide. The case brings them closer but still pushes them apart further apart.

The Seven of Spades strikes again. Giving Levi a special birthday present. Bringing back the horror of his past back to haunt his present.

They are working together when the Seven of Spades forces Levi into a decision that could change his and Dominic’s life forever. The secrets bonding them together as nothing else ever has.

These guys!!!! I want them to be together and to quit hurting each but then I think the pain they share becomes as necessary to them as breathing. It’s been a while since I didn’t want to finish a book and yet I’m reading fast because I need to know the ending. As to who the Seven of Spades is? I just don’t know. I do think I will be surprised when it’s revealed because there are so many viable suspects. Very well done whodunnit/suspense thriller/love story.

I received an arc from Netgalley for review.

Kingsbridge packs yet another high-adrenaline one-two punch in the Seven of Spades series!

One-Eyed Royals is one of those book that I'll re-read over and over again. This series is, too. It has so much suspense and heat, and it's chalk full of clever twists and turns of phrase that you really have to read it all over again to pick up the little hints and nuances.

Dominic was in a tough spot in the last book, and that doesn't change here. This time, however, it's Levi's turn to have more heat turned his way. Oh, my gosh! I think I gasped throughout the entire last half of this book. If it wasn't bad enough that a serial killer is obsessed with Levi, we have rocky ground between Dominic and Levi and another case brewing in the mix. I simply couldn't put this book down. Heck, I blubbered through tears and heart clutches and fist-pumps every other chapter.

And GUYS, I think I have an idea on who the Seven of Spades is! (I'm probably completely totally off, but by Jove, I'm excited to find out if I'm right!

I recommend this series to my library customer's all the time, and I'll keep on doing so. Is it December yet???

5 Stars!