Book Review: The Bounty by Author Ashlee Jay!

Author: Ashlee Jay

Genre: Erotica, Romance, Interracial, Multicultural

Publisher: Lillium Publishing House LLC

Summary:

The Bounty is the first story published by Author Ashlee Jay under Lillium Publishing. It’s an erotic short that details the explicit sexal encounter between Lara, a young woman just getting home from work who inadvertedly stumbles on the murder of her beloved neighbor, and Lorenzo, a demonic bounty hunter who’s doing the murdering. After deporting her neighbor–who also happens to be a demon–back to hell, he sets his sights on the only witness; Lara herself. After she stops him in his tracks with a well placed command that feels more like a spell to the seasoned hunter, and she freaking STABS him, they head back to her apartment and the tables turn. Fear and lust are only separated by a thin line. And it snaps.

My Review:

I genuinely enjoyed this story. I collect short stories to read in my downtime or between work and this one didn’t disappoint. Ms. Jay’s writing style is crisp, clean, and easy to understand, and the erotic scenes leave you feeling both satisfied and craving more. My only complaint was the pacing and what seems to be a missing story arc. While this is only a short story and obviously isn’t going to have lots of details, I felt a little jipped that more of the story wasn’t included. I want to know more about Lorenzo, his history and his powers. Speaking of powers, whatever Lara is has to be tied into the story somehow. I really hope she does a sequal to this as The Bounty is shaping up to be a great start to a long writing career.

Excerpt:

“Lara Ferreira took one step out of the elevator and into the depths of hell. The pained cries of her neighbor, high pitched and guttural, sounded like a car dragging a box of helpless kittens. Her ears rang, but her feet refused to move. What on earth was going on in there? Glass shattered. Thump after painful thump vibrated the floor beneath her. Her body coiled as she backed away, only to be hit by the fast closing elevator doors. She sighed. How much crap would she have to deal with before she finally made it home? The sound of metal striking flesh came to a brutal halt around her. Someone was slammed into the metal apartment door, sending the six-inch slab of steel into the hallway and her neighbor tumbling after it.

Jackson, her neighbor, rolled off the door and promptly regurgitated his dinner on the hall carpet. His clothes were torn, his eye beaten shut and his once flawless jaw structure swollen beyond recognition. He was a complete and utter mess. Lara ignored her natural response to move forward and help him, choosing instead to stick as close to the elevator as possible. If he knew she was there, he didn’t show any signs of acknowledging her presence, and that was fine with her. His body shook violently as he raised a bent and broken arm over his face. The other, he used to try and push himself away from his attacker who stepped over the debris. Lara’s knees quaked as a silhouette appeared in the doorway. Large hands brushed at the fibers of his a dark blue suit. Her eyes were immediately drawn to blood dripping off of his knuckles to pool on the carpet below his feet.

She watched him step through the doorway, finally getting her first real glimpse of the attacker. Sweat beaded on her forehead, her treacherous heart betraying her stoic expression as it thud loudly against her ribcage. His head was close to the ceiling he was so tall, his body large and intimidating. She watched his equally large hands lift the door and toss it to the side like it was nothing more than paper. He tugged at the lapels of his suit, straightening, the Italian fabric and attempting to wipe the blood from his hands. His footsteps thumped loudly as he neared her hiding place and her breath caught in her throat but, luckily, he was fixated on his target and didn’t appear to notice her.”

Excerpt From: Ashlee Jay. “The Bounty.” iBooks.

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Grab The Bounty by Author Ashlee Jay here!

Genesis: Second Excerpt!

     It had been over three years since he’d last laid eyes on the man who’d thrown him out of his home and Kaizer would be lying if he said he wasn’t still holding a bit of a grudge. He knew he’d have to return sooner or later to sort things out with the asshole, he just didn’t think he’d have Victoria in tow. What if something happened to her? What if Ezra took out his frustrations on her instead of him? He didn’t have the power to fight off one brother, let alone his entire guard, especially his first general, if he was forced to defend himself. He stared down at her, his body tensing as doubt and uncertainty flooded him. Was he making the right decision? Or should he be headed in the other direction, running for her life as well as his own? The thought of losing her kept him rooted in place, unable to move for the fear of never laying eyes on her again. Kaizer watched a door open down the hall as Zain stepped out to greet them, his all knowing eyes reading his posture and knowing instantly that he was thinking of bolting. “Zain’s waiting for us, Kai.” She smiled up at him, completely oblivious to the dangers they were about to face. He couldn’t help but sigh as he placed a hand at the small of her back, keeping constant contact as he pushed them forward.

“I guess it’s too late to run now.” He muttered, watching Zain nod knowingly as they approached. He didn’t speak as he stood aside and allowed them to pass into the confines of Ezra’s personal sanctuary. He remembered that office clearly from his childhood, having been sent there for punishment at least twice a week until he graduated high school. It once belonged to their father and just entering it again made him feel like a sniveling child, begging for forgiveness for whatever petty crime he’d committed. It almost felt like stepping into a principals office, knowing you were either going to be suspended or beaten with a yard stick longer than you were tall. It was decorated in rich woods and earthy tones that were aesthetically pleasing to the eye, welcoming and warm, a place you never would have expected to be a military briefing room. He stared over at the antique claw-foot, wooden writing desk, polished to perfection and reflecting the grim image of the man who sat behind it, a golden pen in hand moving smoothly across parchment as he signed orders to move his armies around the world. Ezra Dresden was a man to be feared, not only because of his power or the soldiery he commanded, but for is intelligence and dedication to completing any task he set his mind to. A formidable foe, he was not the type of person you wanted standing beside your enemies on the battlefield, and although at that moment he could have launched himself across the room and strangled him for his expulsion, he couldn’t help but be proud that such a person was his own flesh and blood.

Kaizer watched him lift his head, as if he’d only just noticed them entering the room, his dark eyes going from Zain’s calm form to Kai who moved to stand protectively in front of Victoria. Those eyes of his flashed as he shuffled the documents he’d been working on and set them aside. Rising gracefully from his high-backed, antique chair, he moved to stand in front of his desk, leaning casually against it as he slipped his hands into the pockets of his expensive cotton slacks.

“Before we begin,” He spoke, his deep voice erupting from his chest in the form of a thunderous growl, “I just want to remind you that were we not in the presence of a young woman, I would be slamming your head against the floor for your ignorant, ill-advised, behavior.” His eyes briefly burned a brilliant amethyst before returning to their natural jet black.

“The Führer”

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