Much better then the first one.

Lots of action and suspense. Court is definitely James Bond. Lots of gadgets and planning. The plot was interesting and kept you reading. The brothers are close and their interaction is great. Nate has tons of issues and he is the brother I want to know the most about.

Lauren was ok, she got on my nerves, it she is a survivor and she did rise above and take hold of her life. I didn't like how she strung Court along.

The one thing I did not like is if they are undercover FBI agents they sure tell a lot of people. How does it stay a secret? The most unrealistic part of the story.

I will read the next for sure.

Received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley.

This book may have triggers for domestic violence. Please beware.

I love this series and these brothers. The chance of reconnecting with a past lover is always a genre that I love reading and Ms. Owens does an awesome job. You could feel the anger that Court starts with and the eventual forgiveness he had for Lauren. When their feelings finally get sorted, it was a beautiful thing. I absolutely can not wait for the next two books.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Fantastic book! This is the second in the series but it's completely standalone. This is Court's story and it's one you don't want to miss!

Six years ago on spring break, Court Gentry was certain he had met THE one. Lauren Montgomery was everything to Court. Yet Lauren walked away from him with just a phone call and no look back. Now fate has brought her back into his life and he plans on finding out what exactly happened all those years ago. Lauren can't believe Court is standing right in front of her. Walking away from his was the hardest thing she's ever done but it was for his safety. She knows he's looking for answers but she can't give him any. He's not that young kid anymore though and she may not know it but working for the FBI puts a lot of info at his fingertips!

I highly recommend this to everyone.

The Technical Stuff: This is book 2 of the Aces & Eights series, but it can definitely stand alone. That said, you should definitely read the first book because it is awesome and it has a little bit of Court/Lauren foreshadowing which adds to this book. This book has both cursing (including f-bombs) and on-screen sex. If those things bother you, this might not be the book for you. There are also a few moments that might be triggering if you're particularly sensitive to domestic violence. They are not graphic or described in horrifying detail, and they are very quick moments in a book full of wonderful things, but they are there nonetheless.

The cover of this book, much like the previous cover in this series, is absolutely gorgeous. This is the kind of cover that would have drawn my attention and made me one-click this book, even if I hadn't already wanted to read this story.

I loved this book from start to finish. It always impresses me that Ms. Owens can write a book with such serious subject matter and can infuse it with the right amount of humor and heart that it not only isn't horribly depressing, but it's actually really funny and heartwarming. Not a lot of writers have that level of talent, but Sandra Owens definitely does and it shines in this series. The heart of these books is of course, the relationships between the Gentry boys and the women they love, but the relationship between the brothers is seriously special and even if these books didn't have a happily ever after love story, I would read them just to read about the friendship that the Gentry brothers have. I love the way that they make each other laugh and keep each other in line, but also the way that even though they're big strong alpha men, they so unashamedly love and would unquestionably die for one another.

Court was everything I had hope that he would be as a book “hero” and he might have even replaced Alex as my favorite Gentry brother (don't tell Alex). Court was protective but so sweet, sensitive but passionate, and he didn't act condescendingly to Lauren or treat her like she was weak or a hysterical woman who couldn't take care of herself. Even when she *was* kind of a hysterical woman who was running on movie/TV-inspired instinct and made some big mistakes, he empowered her and helped her figure out how to protect herself in the future rather than making her feel stupid or dependent on him. I appreciated that more than I can say. Also, his inner thoughts about his mother and his brothers slayed me as I read them. Holy cow, I loved those moments spent in his head, and how he reconciled what happened with his parents while reaffirming how amazing the Gentry boys all are.

Lauren was fabulous – she was funny and strong, and she would do anything to protect the people she loved. Yes, at the beginning she had her moments where even I wondered if she had a clue what she was doing, but she learned from her mistakes, and she wasn't a weak, helpless victim and I LOVED that. *SPOILERS to end of this paragraph* “Pretending to be Court was kind of amazing.” I freaking adored when Lauren rescued herself from the botched kidnapping attempt. SHE was amazing and it made me want to high five her so hard.

Unrelated to anything but worth mentioning: Madison's secret name for Nate is perfect and I laughed so hard when I read it. It was beautiful.

While this book deals with some very serious issues, it manages to remain fun, sweet, hot, and wonderful. Domestic violence isn't something to be bandied about as a plot device, but I think Ms. Owens has handled it beautifully here. She portrays Lauren as a survivor and not a victim, and I very much appreciated that.

If you enjoy a second chance romance story with some intrigue and action, or just enjoy a love story between to characters who never thought they'd find love again together, you should definitely read this book. I absolutely cannot wait for the next book in this series.

3 Second chance Stars- This has a second chance for two people who should have been together all along. She was told to stay away... He felt lost and abandon by her up and leaving- fast forward to today and she is running from an abuse ex. Little does she know the men who care about her are under cover FBI!
From learning to trust again to fighting off the ex... this is a complete story.

Court and his brothers have a great relationship both personally and professionally. That's why even though "babysitting" is the last thing he wants to do, he finds himself at the apartment of his brother's girlfriend waiting on her roommate to come home. Once she arrives, it's the last person he expected to see. Court and Lauren had met and fell in love six years before. She broke things off to keep him safe from her ex. But now the ex is threatening Court again. Can Court convince her to trust him to take of them both and prevent the ex from ever bothering her again?

Wow, Ms Owens does it again and gives us another winner. This time in the form of book two of her series ACES & EIGHTS. Stories about three brothers, all FBI agents who own a biker bar for their undercover work. This one is about the middle brother, Court.
Court and Lauren met 6 years ago at the beach white on Spring break , with promises to keep in touch with the hopes of a future for them.
But life intervene. Shortly after her return, Lauren is beaten up and in order to protect Court, then a college senior, she tells him she doesn’t want to see him again.
Fast forward 6 years and once again life intervenes. But this time, is their unexpected reunion. Both have been hurt and a second chance might not be in their future.
Without giving anything else away, I do want to say that it’s a book filled with intrigue, bad guys and hunky good guys , Russian Mafia and romance. But it’s more than that. It’s a story of domestic abuse and survival, about how abuse affects not only the body but also the psyche of the abused. About taking charge of your life and being cautious but also understanding that if you love someone, you need to let them be themselves and love them for who they are no matter their profession. It’s also a book about the strong relationship the three brothers have and how they overcame their upbringing.
My only complain, though minor, is that at times I found Lauren not “getting” Court and I just wanted to give her a good shake. :)
Can’t wait for the next book in this series. The Epilogue gave us a glimpse, but I also want to know what will happen with Nate, the older brother that’s still single.
Definitely another winner for this talented author.
I was gifted this copy by Netgalley. The opinions expressed are solely my own.

Holy Hotness! Court Gentry is just so dang yummy! I absolutely love the chemistry he has with Lauren. They are just so well paired. This has just the right amount of suspense blended in to keep the story moving and giving more depth to the characters. I am just so thrilled with this new series. Hot FBI agent brothers disguised as bad-A bikers? Yes please! I am so looking forward to Nate's story.

4.5 Book 2 in the Aces and Eights picked up even more steam progressing past Madison and Alex. This plot with Court & GG was fast pace. I like that GG was a strong determine women. The prologue happens so many times to so many people. Romance, suspense, some "james bond" spy stuff made this book close to perfection. The icing, was the snippets of Nate and the lost sister. So past ready for book 3. I received my copy from Netgalley and am thrilled I did.

I originally found Sandra Owens’ historical romances several years ago and fell in love with them. When she started writing romantic suspense, I hesitated before reading her first novel for Montlake in her K2 series, but since that time, I have fallen in love with her contemporary books as well.

When I received an invitation to read and review King of Clubs, I eagerly accepted, and I have enjoyed this fantastic romantic suspense novel even more than I enjoyed the first book in her new Aces & Eights series. That’s saying a lot because I loved Jack of Hearts!

King of Clubs is another fast-paced romantic suspense with cutting-edge action scenes that kept me gripping the arms of my chair. Ms. Owens has become an expert in this sub-genre of romance.

Lauren Montgomery’s character pulled at my heart-strings. Her tale of abuse at the hands of the controlling bastard of an ex-husband is something no one should ever have to deal with. This part of the story mirrors the abuse other women have experienced at the hands of an abusive male, be it husband, boyfriend, or father.

Court Gentry is a great hero. Of course, Ms. Owen’s yummy description of his attributes had me fanning my face. His loyalty to his brothers is amazing. For Court to keep such a heart-wrenching secret to protect them, and at such a young age, tore at me heart. I’ll admit to sheading a few tears.

If you want a story that will hold your attention from the first page to the last, and one that will touch not only your heart, but your soul, then you will love King of Clubs. I highly recommend this amazing book; you do not want to miss this one. Happy reading!

The second book in the Aces & Eights series is about the middle brother Court. He and Lauren met on Summer Break and the attraction was instant. But Lauren has a past and it came back to haunt her just as she was giving her heart to Court.

Court, as an FBI Agent will protect Lauren with his life but he must also protect his heart which was broken six years ago, from the only woman he has ever loved.

Great story, fast paced and very easy to read. I look forward to the third book in the series, Nate's story.

This book combines a heart-breaking second-chance romance with a suspense romance pairing an alpha hero having to protect a heroine who has had the very worst luck in her choice of a previous guy.

The book starts out with Lauren Montgomery celebrating her divorce from a Russian hockey player who has brutalized her and put her in the hospital and him in jail over his jealousy. She had just met Court Gentry and they’d both fallen instantaneously in love. And I mean, just one look sort of love. The ex, Stephan, is incredibly jealous and possessive and threatens to kill any guy she gets involved with. So she broke it off with Court. It’s now six years later and they encounter each other because, coincidence of all coincidences, her best friend is married to Court’s younger brother and they’re all in South Florida together.

Court and his two brothers are actually undercover FBI agents running a biker bar, Aces and Eights, set up to catch all the bad guys who hang out at the bar and don’t glom onto the fact that the brothers are the ones turning them in.

He’s amazed and angry to find the woman who tore his heart out after their one-week romance, but switches into alpha-protection mode when he realizes she’s under threat from her evil ex-husband who is set to get out of jail and who is tied into the Russian mafia.

So that’s a whole lot of disbelief to swallow. I never buy insta-love and this book is quite clear that Court and Lauren took one look and fell for each other and into bed. But I’ll go with it, because, hey, it’s a romance novel. And I’ll buy that they meet up six years later with this connection between her best friend and his younger brother without either realizing the connection. I found the whole undercover biker bar by night, FBI agent also by night thing a bit hard to swallow. We’re privy to one operation in which Court is the lead guy in bringing down one group of bad guys. He’s pretend arrested and taken away in a car to fool the bad guys. But then he’s back at the bar a few days later. Wouldn’t that be a bit suspicious? I just don’t buy this permanent undercover set-up, along with the super “James Bond” set of gadgets and protection that they have in their ocean-front apartments. Besides being a hot, talented FBI agent, Court also has mad hacking skills and can break into all the bad guys’ emails. And there is another hot female FBI agent, obviously geared toward being the third brother’s love interest in a future novel, who just happens to know Russian so she can translate the emails.

So, as I said, there is a whole lot of suspension of belief I had to get through for this book. And I still loved it. Maybe I’m just a sucker for the courageous damsel in distress saved by a hot alpha guy plot, but this was a great version of that genre. Lauren has had bad luck, but she’s still gutsy and willing to sacrifice her happiness to protect Court. Of course, that drives him crazy because he thinks he should be the one protecting her. He doesn’t seem to get that, when the first threat was made against him, he was just a college student and she didn’t have a way of knowing that he’d grow up to be a savvy FBI agent. Which he apparently did in just six years, but go with it.

If you don’t mind the totally unlikely plot, this was a very enjoyable book and I couldn’t put it down.

I was given a free ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, but I would have been happy to have paid for it and I’ll be looking out for future books in this series.

Owens reaffirms why the romance genre exists! The characters are appealing, the scenes are steamy, the writing is descriptive.

The second installment of the Aces & Eights series, brings the Gentry brothers back into the midst of past love, Russian mafia entanglements, abusive exes and second chances. Six years ago, Lauren Montgomery finally had the courage to divorce her abusive husband. Reclaiming her life, led her to six days of pure passion in the arms of Court Gentry. She fell in love hard and fast. But returning home brought her bourgeoning new life to a halt, when Stephan nearly killed her and threatened to kill any man that came close to her. So she protected her love and cut Court out of her life, only to meet him again when she needed him most. Covert FBI agent Court Gentry never expected to reencounter the woman who crushed his heart six years ago. Yet, turns out she is his new sister-in-law's business partner and best friend. Keeping her safe becomes his priority when the Gentry's and her past comes knocking at her door. Spending time together brings to the surface all the passion and attraction that had turned their lives upside down long ago. Too bad it also brings up hurt and resentment. Court has abandonment issues. Lauren has fear. She wants to run. He wants to keep her. As danger closes in on them, so do their resurfacing love. Second chances are rare, but as secrets are aired, these two crossed lovers finally have a chance at happiness, if only they can let go of the past. A thrilling, sexy and full of surprises romance… The twists keep on coming till the very last page. So, there might be a queen at the Aces & Eights after all…

I loved King of Clubs, the second book in this series. It's impossible not to fall in love with all of the Gentry brothers. They are what I imagine when I think of a hero. The book is full of suspense. Not the surprising kind, just the kind that keeps you turning the page so you can find out how it will end up.

This story had potential but I found the dialogue to be childish at times. It was just too predictable to me. I feel like I have read this story before.

This is the second book in the Aces & Eights Series. In this title is Court's HEA.. In the first book while Alex was trying to protect Madison we meet her roommate Lauren who was very upset that they send Court to protect her and it seems they both hated each other right away. Now in their book we find out why. They knew each other six years ago after having a fabulous week of love Lauren breaks up with Court and he close his heart off from love. Now coming face to face with her all the emotions and hurt comes out. We then find out her ex husband beat her severely after realizing she had a new love in her life and to protect Court she broke up with him. Fast forward six years later her ex husband is about to come out of jail and has send his brother to let her know he is coming after her when he gets out of jail.. The story again circles around not only the couple but the three brothers. We get to see Alex and Madison now happily married and all of them wanted to protect Lauren from her ex husband. A sting is set up to lure Stephan to Lauren so they catch him harassing and possible kidnapping her. A great addition to the series I look forward to Nate story and to find out if their long lost sister contacts them. Reviews are on amazon and Goodreads.

What a wonderful suspense Romance story! Had me at the first chapter that we had to go out somewhere and I was reading it in the car. I would definitely recommend this to my mom to read while on vacation. If you think about how many suits there are in a deck of cards that ending makes sense. Can not wait for the next story!

This is a voluntary review via netgalley my thoughts are my own!

This is a little different than my normal reads, but I enjoyed this book. There was action and romance as well as an actual story. It seems like do many of the romance genre have romance and action, but no actual story.
I liked Court. His character was good for the Hero in this book. He was strong (emotionally as well as physically). He also had realistic worries and fears.
The heroine wasn't my favorite, but she wasn't my least favorite either. She'd been through a tough history, but she was very young or immature. She seemed naive for someone who had lived through what she had and all that goes with starting over.
I will be looking for the rest of the series....

This is the second in the Aces and Eights series and and introduces us to Court.
All three Gentry brothers are undercover FBI, and use their bar, a known biker hangout called Aces and Eights, to keep up on the latest bad news. Alex, the youngest brother is happily married to Madison co owner of a book store with her best friend Lauren, (Jack of Hearts.) This is Lauren and Court's story. A second chance romance with all the odds stacked against them.

Six years ago, Lauren Montgomery was celebrating her recent divorce and spring break at the beach. A chance meeting with a gorgeous guy who was equally attracted to her, made their time together magical. They made plans to try a long distance romance for a while and parted, each professing their love. This was like a dream for Lauren, until she got home. Waiting for her was her ex husband Stephan. His jealous rage nearly killed her, but she never gave up Court's name. She broken heartedly told Court they were done, with no explanation, hoping to keep him out of danger. Her ex went to prison. She started a new life.

Court is blindsided by the fact that Madison's roommate is Lauren, his Lauren. He never recovered from losing her, and he feels anger and happiness that she is back in his life. But, the danger is not finished. Stephan is about to be released, and his Russian Mafia family is giving her messages he wants her back. Her answer is to run.
Court gives her an alternative....."If at the end of seven days you still feel like you don't need my help, I'll put you on a plane, under an assumed name and send you wherever you want to go." She loves her new life and wants to keep it, so they strike a bargain. Court's hoping it's for a lot longer than seven days.

This story is romantic, lots of suspense, and a great addition to the Aces and Eights series. It's fast moving, sexy and keeps your attention from beginning to end.
Can't wait for the next in the series.
I received this ARC from the publisher and Netgalley for an honest review.
Pat Fordyce