The Status Debt

First of all, that cover is amazing and the novel is the same. This is described as a suspenseful thriller with twists and some romance intertwined within it all. We follow Lillian Morgan and the aftermath of the decisions she makes. I will definitely be reading the second novel. The author's writing style grips you from the beginning and you will be so engrossed in the story that you will not put it down. There are content warnings for sexual violence and some violence. Definitely check out this author!!

I really enjoyed this book. I’m not typically a suspense/thriller reader but this is definitely the exception. I think the cover is eye catching. The writing and storytelling is vivid and kept me invested. I’m really looking forward to the next book!

I loved this book! It’s refreshingly different from 90% of the thrillers/suspense I’ve read which all seem very similar, but with this one I was on the edge of my seat with the twists and schemes and the general originality of the story.

Tori Morgan’s mother, Lillian, has gone to great pains to hide that her husband (Tori’s father) was murdered, allegedly because of his involvement with dodgy dealing. Being from an upper class family, Lillian was desperate not to let this stain on her family affect her status in the society she believed all important. So important that she was willing to do anything to make this happen, including arranging marriage for Tori to the son of an equally materialistic and horrible couple, Richard and Susan (who had their own agenda).

Matt, (Tori’s fiancé) is like his father, a nasty piece of work and between him and his horrible friends, treats Tori in a revolting fashion. Tori hates Matt and doesn’t want to marry him, but being as she’s so bogged down and lacking in confidence, she feels she has no choice and just has to put up with it.
Matt’s greed drags him into dealings with the Reapers (a local motorbike gang) in an attempt to cash in from peddling drugs to his rich mates and also with helping his career at the bank by securing a property the Reapers own. Matt’s plans of how to gain possession of the building involves using Tori in unsavoury ways, but his plan doesn’t go quite the way he wants.
Hunter, the president of the Reapers, although a hard and violent man, has a heart and also a conscience despite what he has done in the past and finds himself, regardless of his reservations and personal issues, falling for Tori and the feeling is mutual.

I won’t say anything more about the story as I don’t want to spoil it, but a tangled web of lies, betrayal, blackmail, hurt, hope and love is mixed within the pages and I found it very difficult to put down. There are plenty of very hot scenes, violence and some things that some people might feel uncomfortable with –in my opinion, a top class mix of thriller/suspense and romantic suspense, not like anything I’ve read before.
I also loved how things were made clear to the reader whilst leaving the characters tying themselves in knots working out who was behind things, trapped in a cycle of suspicion. I felt this was a uniquely original way of doing things. I found myself getting quite agitated about what half the characters were doing and it’s not very often a book gets under my skin like that, so I was extremely impressed.

The book is fast paced, well written and told from multiple points of view, with every emotion you can think of dripping from the characters. Although it does not end on a cliffhanger as such, the story certainly does not finish anywhere near like I thought it might and I’m very much looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

A dark, gritty suspenseful read from a new to me author.

The story is a twisted kind of wonderful. There's no gaps, no skimming pages, and no question about what's going on. This book had me hooked as soon as I was introduced to Hunter, And my interest never faltered.

4 stars

There wasn't anything about this book that I didn't like. Once I started reading it was hard to put down. Great storyline and interesting characters. I'll be reading more of this author.

Victoria is caught between a rock and a hard place. Her mother who would do anything to regain her status in the community after her husband was murdered turns to blackmail to ensure that Victoria marries well.

Unfortunately the man she is to marry is an abuser, physically and mentally. She doesn't know how to free herself from this monster.

And then she meets Ashley Hunter .. president of a club that has been known for its drug dealing ways. She and Hunter don't particularly like each other .. but life moves in mysterious ways and things unexpectedly change.

There's lot of secrets, lots of lies. some which have the power to shred the very foundation of their lives.

This is a fast-paced page turner with deftly drawn characters. There may be some triggers for some readers .... rape, physical domestic abuse ... drug use ..... The romantic interludes are explicit and very spicy.

This is book 1 of a 3-book trilogy. There is a huge cliff hanger leading to book 2 ... but the good news is that THE FAMILY LEGACY (BOOK 2) is already available .. .no waiting. And they positively should be read in order.

Many thanks to the author / BooksGoSocial /Netgalley for this Romantic Suspense Plus. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions are unbiased and entirely my own.

I enjoyed this book! I felt like it was different from most of the suspense novels I’ve read. This one kept me on the edge of my seat with the twists and schemes and the originality of the story.