Raw Heat is the last book in Cherrie Lynn’s The Larson Brothers series and it was a bit of a letdown for me. The first two books in this series were very complex with the characters having to overcome some big time baggage to be together and in those books they worked through it, they showed growth, they made amends and they moved forward. That same type of book was very possible with the hero and heroine in Raw Heat, but we didn’t see it, not at all, and it was disappointing. An “indecent proposal” type of bet, leads to night club owner and professional gambler Damien “winning” his straight laced accountant for a month in whatever way he chooses.

As the youngest of the Larson brothers, Damien has always been a bit of a loner something readers have seen in the previous two books in this series. While he loves his brothers completely, he keeps mainly to himself and lives for his club and the illegal poker games he runs out of it. From the moment Emma walked into his office to interview for the position of his accountant, there was something about her that called to him. Things get complicated when Emma’s brother, an addicted gambler, gambles beyond his means and Damien offers to pay off his debt if Emma will spend one month with him as he sees fit.

I felt like this book tried to be too many things at one time and not all of it fit together. We really never got to know either character extremely well. Emma worked hard, worried about her brother, and tried to keep her parent’s from enabling him anymore and sending them into complete financial ruin. It was obvious she liked Damien despite his illegal activities, but never expected that he was interested in her. Damien wanted Emma but for some reason felt he couldn’t ask her out so instead he offered to let her work off her brother’s debt and in turn made her feel bad for doing so. I kept asking why he would do this if he really liked her, why would he keep it going when he knew how much it hurt her and we never got those answers. It was obvious Damien had demons in his past that made him into the man he is today and while we got a cursory glance at his childhood, he never really talked to Emma or his brothers about his feelings and I missed that. I missed not seeing him come to terms with his past, for realizing the things that happened were holding him back, and while he did finally begin to understand it was okay to let someone get close, we never got that big “a-ha” moment with him. In addition, Emma went from being a strong woman to a push over and she didn’t stand by her convictions after calling Damien out on his bad behavior and leaving him. Adding BDSM elements into this story was fine, but again we don’t know what drove Damien to pursue it and given that the submissive is the one with the power in the relationship, was he really in control?

I loved seeing the characters from the first two books and all the brothers being together even though those scenes were way too short. I was happy Emma and Damien were able to work things out, but I needed more time with them as an actual couple than the couple in a screwed up scenario where they spent a great deal of time arguing. As always Ms. Lynn did not disappoint in the sexy times, they were plentiful and hot as always.

I have read Ms. Lynn’s work for years so it really pains me that this book simply did not live up to my expectations of her work. That being said, while this was not my cup of tea that doesn’t mean others won’t enjoy it and this one book will not keep me from seeking out her future books as well.

This was an okay story but I wasn't particular interested either the hero or the heroine. Overall, not the best read.

I had high hopes for this one. In the end, it was fine. I had hoped for more with this but it just didn't deliver.

I think this was my favorite book in the Larson Brothers series. Damien was.... wow. I need a moment to collect myself here. Ever since I first met Damien in book one I always knew there was something about this man that would bring me to my knees, and I was right. Sweet baby Jesus was I right. 

To say the Larson brothers didn't have an easy up bringing would be putting it mildly. But they had each other and I truly think that made all the different in each of their lives. Each of them handled their past in their own way, but Damien became dark, brooding and mysterious as he grew older. Don't get me wrong, all three brother are hot and sinful as Belgian chocolate, but Damien's wild side in the bedroom... *fans self* have mercy! However, even with his God like body, good looks, and his power and wealth he is still looking for more out of life. 

And then there is Emma. Sweet, caring, feisty Emma the accountant. Her brother has a bad habit for spending money he does not have. He can't get enough of the gambling life and he can dug himself a nice hole of 30k in no time. Emma wants Damien to stop letting him into the players room at his club, but Damien has a more sinister idea and he makes Emma an offer she can't refuse, and just saying she be a dummy to refuse (you'll see what I mean).  

This story had everything I love, hot damaged hero, strong beautiful women, amazing connection, and let's not forget the sex holy moly get your spare panties out and a tall glass of ice water ready. I recommend this book to anyone who's ever wanted to play with the big dogs at the grown up table.

This series has done nothing but tear me up with wonderful and gut-wrenching emotions, and Raw Heat was no exception. Damien and Emma were amazing characters that gripped my attention. I loved their story.

Oh I'm a fan of the Larson brothers!! Raw Heat is the first book I'e read in this series but can be read as a stand alone.

The story is entertaining & sexy!!

I look forward to reading more by Cherrie Lynn

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

Cherie Lynn is on fire! The third installment in the Larson Brothers series is seriously hot. Emma and Damien's story is well worth reading late into the night.

Damian and Emma what a unique combo. Damian has the luck of the devil as a professional poker player and Emma is the accountant for his night club. When Damian literally wins a month with Emma in any way he wants her, his dreams of her have come true. He knows he can get to release her sub side to him. Trust is fragile and it will be tested in this book.

I am going to miss the Larson brothers. This was a great way to end the series. Please write more about their friends.

I enjoyed this more than the previous book.It has a great storyline and the characters were both lovable.I loved that Emma was able to break down Damien's walls and let him be vulnerable after a damaging childhood. This is one of the things I liked more about this story.Another thing I loved a lot is the way these two came together, it was unexpected and I like it.

3.5 stars
Damien has always been the mysterious brother. Since Raw Deal, I have been increasingly intrigued by the youngest Larsen. He has always been broody and secretive. And with him being the focus of Raw Heat, I couldn’t wait to dive in. There was such a dark undertone to the story. Each Larsen brother had their book perfectly tailored to them. With the shenanigans going on and Damien himself, this book had a different feel than the other two. To me, Damien was a great anti-hero. But there was something more to him and it came out with Emma. Emma was put into a horrible predicament-thanks to her gambling addict of a brother. These two people who couldn’t be more different somehow fit well together. I enjoyed seeing the change in Damien when he was Emma. It was sweet and she was able to get to the heart of him. I was interested to see how their relationship would go as the story progressed. They were great together and they complemented each other well. I really liked seeing Damien’s brothers Mike and Zane and their women in this story. The bond between the three brothers continues to be strong and how much they all cared about each other was nice. I was engrossed into this story and was excited to see how everything would play out. The storyline and the characters especially were addicting. Overall this story was a good combination of mysterious, passionate, and sweet. I have enjoyed the Larsen brothers and their stories. A nice book and an explosive series.

Raw Heat took me a little while to get through. The story and plot were entertaining and somewhat unique. The Hero hot and sexy. The side characters well written.

This would have been a solid 4.5 if it had not been for the heroine. I get why she felt the way she did and the author tries to explain it within the story as to why she acts the way she does but to no avail. She was annoying and there just weren't enough redeeming qualities about her or scenes with her to pull me back in. Even when she wasn't nagging she was whining or crying or indecisive.

Cherrie Lynn can write heat, trust me. If you are looking for a hot read with a swoony hero then please try this one. I really enjoy her books and will still continue to purchase/read them.

The Good, The Bad, and Everything In Between
-An “indecent proposal” type trope with some BDSM and a whole lot of hot sex? Alrighty then, sign me up.
-Third book in series, does work as standalone. There are appearances from his brothers (the heroes of the two previous books) and their loves, but it wasn’t critical to this story.
-The sexual chemistry is strong and the scenes that worked the best for me. When they teased each other physically, I was pulled in and I had no problem believing in their sexual attraction.
-Emma and Damien were a mixed bag for me. Damien was enigmatic, too enigmatic most of the time and Emma as the heroine wasn’t my fave. I wanted to like her, but her tendency to whine (and inability to own her reactions to Damien or her own actions) wasn’t cute or attractive to me as it was to Damien. Even towards the end she consistently thought the worst of Damien. I was not a fan of that. I didn't feel their character arcs amounted to a big enough change in Emma and Damien towards each other, as much as their reactions to outside influences.
-Their emotional arguments felt disjointed to me. They didn’t flow naturally, and felt more like trying to fabricate an emotional component into a relationship that was a bit fakakta to begin with. As a result, I could believe a HFN, not sure about a HEA.

The Bottom Line 2.5 stars
I enjoyed parts of this story, even if it was overall a bit uneven to really fully recommend. I will chalk this up to the fact that I am late to this game though, and perhaps had I had a chance to get to know the brothers prior to this story, I may have cared more about the outcome.

Benjamin wagers his sister Emma to spend a month with Damien and looses. Damien has a dark past that taints his view of the world but is conpelled to protect Emma from her brother's addition and being hurt. Will Damien be able to open his heart and return Emma's feelings or is it doomed from the beginning.
Lots of heat, angst, and passion.
Part of a series but can be read as a standalone.

I was all up in this book. Numbers. Poker. Nerd. Asshole. A perfect book recipe, and this book baked itself into my heart and into my pants.

“The idea, when it hatched, slithered from its shell in his mind, dark and slimy but irresistible. His best ideas usually made him feel like a dirty sonofabitch; that’s how he knew they were good ones. Suddenly nothing seemed impossible anymore. That sweet pink mouth could be his for the taking.”

Emma is the nerdy accountant. Damien is her boss, and also a poker genius. When Emma’s brother gets caught up in some debt to Damien, Emma is willing to do anything to help him get out of it, and Damien takes full advantage. Damien wants Emma, and he is determined to get her, morals be damned. This alpha-hole goes down in the books because he is sooooo mean to her.

Damien. He is a tall glass of asshole, and I drank every last drop. His soul is black as night, and that’s how I like ‘em, ya’ll. He’s smooth. He’s sexy. He’s perfect. Of course, I loved how Emma started working her light into his darkness, but it wasn’t too fast, and he was still an asshole in the end. I loooooved that they had numbers in common. An accountant and poker genius?! Perfection! Damien likes it dirty dirty dirty. Oh yeah, I saw it coming too. This book has some BDSM touches to it, and that isn’t a spoiler.

“I’m the mean, selfish bastard who has you here. I’m the one taking advantage of the situation. Maybe if I had a kind bone in my body, I would send you back home and consider the deal done. But I’m not going to do that. It isn’t how I operate. So absolve yourself, and blame me. I promise you. I can take it.”

I loved that we got Damien’s pov. It makes this book so much more worth it. The characters were all written so well, even the side characters. The plot was fantastic. It was basically perfection. Cherrie Lynn has always had a special place in my heart, and I’m so glad this book brought me back to her.

4.5 stars

Damien is my favorite Larson brother of them all! There is something about a damaged bad boy that pulls me in every time but add in a dominant side and I am a definite goner!

Emma has always been unsettled by her attraction to her far too sexy, intense and broody boss but she is sure he is way out of her league so it isn't really a factor for her. When her gambling addict brother gets in too deep in Damien's illegal poker room, she desperately asks him for a way out of her brother's debt that doesn't involve bankrupting her or her parents in order to bail him out yet again. Damien sees an opportunity and she ends up making one helluva deal with the devil himself for the next 30 days.

Damien is nowhere near as unaffected as she thinks but he has become a master at controlling his reactions and emotions since he was a kid. If he keeps people at arms length, he can't care too much about them and doesn't run the risk of getting hurt so only his 2 brothers are allowed in. Emma is unlike anyone else in his life though and he suspects he is in for the ride of his life for the next month but it is a chance he is willing to take.

Emma is a mess! She is angry at her brother for putting her in this position, furious with Damien for suggesting it, and hating herself for agreeing to go through with it. Her biggest moral dilemma though is that even though she doesn't want to enjoy herself, she secretly is thrilled by the chance to be with him and find out what his world has to offer.

Damien has never really been around normal relationships but his instincts are good. He may be a selfish bastard who seized an opportunity get what he had been wanting on terms that made sense to him but he doesn't disrespect her or try to make her feel like a prostitute. He spoils her but he also makes her face facts about herself that she would rather avoid much to her frustration. Add in his inability to share emotions with ease and she is in constant turmoil.

When they let their bodies do the talking they are most definitely on the same scorching page! He fulfills some of her darkest fantasies she couldn't share with anyone else and they are both in deep before they realize what is happening Of course Damien's certainty that he will break her tries to become a self-fulfilling prophecy and he has to take the biggest gamble of his life if he wants to find the same happiness that his brothers have embraced.

Although their constant back and forth could be a little maddening, I really enjoyed these 2 characters! Emma may be quiet and reserved to start but her feisty side comes through and she is willing to fight for Damien if he can pull his head out of his butt. Ms Lynn gave him a great mix of cocky confidence, alpha traits and a hint of vulnerability to keep him human. I am sad to see the series end but it was a great sendoff!

I really enjoyed this book. Damien and Emma had fantastic chemistry. Damien has this intense side to him that was hot. I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read whatever this author writes next!

I have loved all of Cherrie Lynns book but this one I just couldn't get into. The other two Larson brother books were fabulous but I didn't care for this one. Emma was just ok couldn't really find it in me to like her. Damien was dark and broody and don't we all love the emotionally screwed up fellas. The sex was hot, sadly that is the best I can say for this book.

This is the third book in the Larson Brothers series. Out of the three brothers I think Damien was my favorite. Tall, dark and handsome. He's a business owner but also is a professional poker player. He's alpha and has a kink side to him. While I loved him I just found myself rolling my eyes at Emma. I couldn't like her character for nothing. The whole book she just seems spineless and whiney. She agreed to the indecent proposal and went along with it. But she would whine to her friends/family about it. Yet it seemed like Damien laid everything at her feet. Really treated her like a queen and when they were together just the two of them Ms Lynn did write some good chemistry between the two. It still was a okay story and you get to see a little bit of his brothers so that was a nice wrap up of the series. I would still recommend it and I look forward to reading more of Ms Lynn's books in the future.

When Emma's brother gets in deep with her boss Damien Larson, owner of the illegal poker club in Houston, she makes a deal with Damien to help her sleazy brother get clear of his obligations. The deal involves giving herself to Damien for a month, after which they both go their separate ways.

Emma has been harboring a crush on Damien for a while. He's sexy and dark, and perhaps a bit cold and heartless to make this deal with sweet Emma. She wants her brother out of trouble, mostly to save her parents who have already paid for Benjamin's gambling problem, but she has trouble reconciling her feelings the longer she's with Damien. Alternating between wanting to experience Damien's charms up close and personal and feeling like their "relationship" is nothing more than a money deal, Emma can't stop how she responds to Damien.

I'm a huge fan of Cherrie Lynn's Ross Siblings series, and so I was very interested in seeing how I would like this new series. I realize I'm coming late to the series as this is the third and last book about the Larson brothers, but I can say that I liked it and will be picking up the first two books in the series and fitting them (somehow) into my reading and reviewing schedule.

I liked Emma. She's got a soft heart. I liked Damien. It was easy to see how she could fall for him, yet feel guilty about how the circumstances of their being together came about. And Damien wasn't fooling this reader as to his true feelings about Emma. From the very beginning it was clear there was some attraction to her before the ridiculous indecent proposal. They were so good together, especially when he was showing her new horizons in her sexuality.

Even though Emma could be a bit frustrating when she bounced between wanting Damien and hating that he bought her for the month, I totally got how she was feeling. She didn't want to fall for him -- but she did-- and then she had to really show him what he would be missing once their deal was up. I liked how the ending showed that Damien had a core of honor and goodness just like Emma.

I enjoyed Raw Heat. The story flowed very well and kept my interest to the final pages. There was plenty of scorching hot love scenes with some mild D/s if you are looking for that. It works well as a standalone and I will definitely be reading the first two books in the series.

An ARC was provided for review.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the best has been saved for last. I didn't think you could top (no pun intended) the first two Larson's, but oh em geeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!

The third and youngest Larson, Damien, is best known for winning many Texas Hold 'Em tournaments in Vegas. But he's also known for being intense, dedicated and oh yeah, extremely hot. As the youngest, he's been looked after by his older brothers for years, with no one else really caring to. But when he's given the opportunity to bet on something priceless, he doesn't hesitate to make that selfish bet. What he doesn't bet on is being cared for, which throws everything off balance. Now what does he do?

Emma is the accountant that keeps Damien's books in order. Does she know what type of man he is? She thinks so. But when her brother puts her in a very personal situation, Damien's true nature comes out. Although she thinks she's ready for it, she's in way over her head and it only get worse. I mean, what do you do when you fall for your boss?

I'm having a hard time writing this review because I don't want to give anything away. But OMG!!! This one is my favorite by far. The Larson Brothers have all had their fair share of dealing with their past, but they way in which Damien deals with it is pure sex on a platter. Poor Emma (not really, lucky bitch). She didn't stand a chance. These two are perfect for each other and I loved how Emma forced Damien to come to terms with things. After all, he did the same to her.

reviewed by Christina