Bell works in Vegas. In a casino called The House. But it is an exclusive casino. Only people who want to stay off radar goes there.
One night, Dario Capese, the biggest man in the city, is in The House. And he is interested in her. But he is married. Not only that. His father is law is a powerful psychopath who intends to kill any Darius' conquests. So, although he knows he is putting Bell in danger, Darius can't fight against his feelings towards her.
This book is amazing! I love the characters, all the danger behind their affair...And the final pages are epic! I can't wait to know what will happen.
It was very interesting to read the story from a multiple point of view.

"He turned to me, and in the direct eye contact, I felt unstable, a scrap of paper loose in a hurricane."

And thus begins the story of the seduction of Bell Hartley. Yes, a suave Las Vegas business man Dario Capece spends all of 10 minutes in her presence and her life is changed. She really didn't have much of a choice. These two have chemistry and an immediate connection and Bell's efforts to hold Dario at bay are fruitless. This is a phenomenal story with a resilient heroine and a persuasive man who finds it gratifying to dispense justice when a woman he loves is harmed.

Even Money is most certainly a love story, but there's so much suspense laced throughout that it becomes a thriller romance or romantic thriller. I found the balance between the two pretty even and wholly engrossing.

Torre does what she does so well, slowly giving us both Bells' and Darrios' backstories. She goes one better by giving them a sort of slow burn coupling, one filled with both emotional and physical foreplay. There's so much that complicates any potential relationship between them. Most particularly Robert Hawk and his daughter Gwen. Yes, most certainly Gwen. Dario has a unique allegiance to her, they have a unique allegiance to each other, and Bell's entrance into his life threatens everything.

From the very beginning I was intrigued but Bell. She pays attention to her instincts but Dario's entrance into her life throws her off kilter and her heightened senses are lulled his presence. She's has sense enough to question the present, but neither contemplate the future with much seriousness as to the gravity of their connection. Dario offers her the world, but is that what she wants? Before she can give it much thought, life is upended and she's left, we're left, wondering just what the hell is Dario is thinking. Even Money concludes with a stunning cliffhanger making Double Down my most anticipated summer read.

Alessandra Torre never fails to capture all my attention and I most always plan my time for a one sitting read. Either that or accept that I'll be distracted until I can get back to the book. In this case I found myself sneaking chapters and reading at 4am just so I could get more Dario or Bell. I highly recommend Even Money as a 2018 summer #mustread.

Wow, I don't even know what to think about what I just read. At first I wanted to slap Bell for getting involved with Dario, but even I couldn't help myself from swooning over him. This story was full of twists and turns, but boy did it have a heat factor of Plus 10. That ending though? Wow! Can't wait for book 2 to see how this all works out.

Another great read! Torre is a master at writing. She is able to pull you in and make you feel like you never want to leave the pages.

4.5 stars

Even Money is an attention grabbing, emotion twisting, hormone laced ride that leaves you stumbling when you get off.

It opens with a seemingly innocent beginning. An introduction into the quirks of a group and leads you into the lion's den by mere coincidence. It's almost a trick of the cards. Luring you into contact with a chemistry that is bound and unbreakable. Teasing your senses with possibilities. Showing you all it could be while making you desperate to run from yourself.

Yes, Even Money is dangerous and addictive. You won't know how bad you've fallen until it's too late. A world destroyed all because you couldn't stop that unbreakable bond...but now is it in tatters? Is this the end? Where does this leave us?

I will tell you. It leaves you begging for more and yet afraid to find out if this is the end of a whirlwind experience...
Is there a tomorrow?

I can't wait to dive into Double Down.

This book keeps you on your toes from the first page to the last.
Bell is a cocktail waitress in a exclusive gambling room she knows who to stay away from, and to keep herself clean. In Las Vegas it is not always that simple it only take s one decision to knock you down.

I was not expecting this book to knock me off my seat I was pleasantly surprised.



** I received a copy of this book from NetGalley for an honest review**

EVEN MONEY is the first instalment in Alessandra Torre’s contemporary, adult ALL IN romantic suspense duet focusing on thirty seven year old, Las Vegas billionaire and multiple casino owner Dario Capece, and twenty-two year old, college student /cocktail waitress Bell Hartley.

NOTE: Due to the story line content, there may be some triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from first person point of view (Bell), and several third person perspectives including Dario Capece EVEN MONEY follows the forbidden relationship between Las Vegas billionaire casino owner Dario Capece, and twenty-two year old college student / cocktail waitress Bell Hartley. Bell Hartley is a struggling cocktail waitress working for an underground casino that caters to the uber rich and famous- those who wish to remain out of the public eye. Enter Las Vegas casino owner Dario Capece, a married, powerful, self-made billionaire, known as the king of Vegas, who worked his way up through the ranks including a ten-year marriage of convenience to the Majestic Casino heiress Gwen Hawk, a marriage, that for all intents and purposes was, in name only. Affairs and sex outside of the marriage is an accepted practice between the married couple but falling in love, with someone else, meant a change in status that was a difficult prospect to swallow. Meeting Bell Hartley threw all caution to the wind including his personal mandate never to fall in love, or to let any outside relationships interfere with his business or his wife.

Dario Capece wants Bell Hartley within minutes of meeting our story line heroine but Dario’s reputation as a manwh*re with a hard-nosed, take no prisoners attitude is only surpassed by the scathing reputation of his father in law Robert Hawk. Warned by her friends to not get involved with Dario Capece, Bell Hartley is drawn like a moth to a flame, an involvement that has attracted the attention of the man in charge. Bell Hartley is no withering wallflower but a tormented heroine whose own past is filled with betrayal and loss. What ensues is the insta-lust/inta-love relationship between Dario and Bell, and the fall-out as the upset to the status-quo means someone may be about to lose their life.

EVEN MONEY is an intriguing and suspenseful story line that reveals a number of heart-breaking backstories, the power of money, and the potential for greed and jealousy to destroy them all. The premise is edgy and fascinating; the characters are spirited, flawed and tragic; the romance is intimate, intense and provocative without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text. EVEN MONEY ends on a cliffhanger-you have been warned.

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I liked this one somewhat but I thought that it could have been better. I did not really connect with the characters the way I would have liked and the story was a little cliche. I liked how strong of a character Bell was and Dario was willing to do what was necessary and willing to protect the ones he loved. I did like Lance and Rick a lot and would have liked to see them more of them and Meredith too. Bell seemed to spend more time with Dario once he came into the picture and I would have liked to see her with the others more. I did find myself laughing at some parts of this book and Bell and Dario's relationship was swoon-worthy and fraught with tension and problems since Dario was married and Bell was scared of commitment. I thought the ending was perfect and the cliffhanger has me wanting to read Double Down to see what happens next. I hope I come to like Bell and Dario better in the conclusion of this duet and I do hope they can work things out in the end.

I am not a huge fan of the author's writing style, but I loved the story of forbidden love between a rich, unavailable casino manager and a broke cocktail waitress.

Even Money is book #1 of the All In Duet. This is Alessandra at her best! Sex, money, mystery, danger, forbidden romance…Did I mention sex? From the first page I was captured! The scene was set as well as the pace. I could feel the energy of Vegas through her words.

Dario Capese is the ultimate alpha with a touch of anti-hero. He IS Vegas. Hotel owner & entrepreneur. Dario is wildly successful, magnetic, intense, and a complicated man. He is very much like Blindfolded Innocence’s Brad DeLuca.

"He looked like a night full of filthy, delicious sex, and a string of orgasms that would leave you panting and delirious. He looked untouchable."

Bell Hartley. Cocktail waitress and college student. She is fearlessness, sexual. Full of wit. Bell is a straight shooter. She knows what she wants – and what she doesn’t. She has a fondness for partying and meaningless sex.

“You seem complicated. And…I like my life as it is right now.”

Dario and Bell’s world is rocked after a brief meeting. They have a seismic pull between them. But they also have many things in common. They both have had to overcome tragedies in their lives. Bell’s was devastating. And I knew that at some point, justice would be served! For Dario, Bell is a temptation that he has never experienced before and the stakes are high. For Bell, the stakes are just as high, but in a different way.

"One look and she had some sort of hold on him."

Their story is one that will keep your emotions flowing. Dario and Bell’s relationship had a slow burn to it. I loved how they got to know one another. Even though they have these intense, crazy feelings for each other, it takes them a while to realize what they feel is love. And Dario is so protective of Bell. The pages are on fire when they are together!

“If I have you, I’ll never be able to let you go.”

But, things are not always as they seem. I found my heart beating wildly at times. There are other situations occurring as well. The danger and the death had me on the edge of my seat.

Even Money is a gamble. The end had me stunned. So now I need to ‘Double Down’ and get some answers! Looking forward to the conclusion of the All In Duet – Double Down! I cannot imagine how Alessandra will get us through this!

"He was too everything —a black hole that could suck me in without even feeling the crush on my soul."

Why did I have to be so busy while reading this book? The first part took me way longer to get through than I anticipated. Not for the writing, because LIFE. But Alessandra Torre kills each story every time she sets pen to paper (or rather, fingers to keyboard).
This first book in the All In duet had everything. It was sexy. it was romantic. It was well written. It left you wanting more and it was full of suspense. Just how I like my books.
"Elliot gave me a taste of the power of my own sexuality. And with that taste, I was addicted."
Bell is a waitress of sorts in Vegas. Taking care of the high rollers is her job, but to what expense? She has learned to own herself and never fall victim to love or a relationship.
Dario is the sexy, powerful King of Vegas. He's married to his Queen and they rule and are respected within their crowd. But Dario and his wife Gwen have something else on in their lives. Are they really royalty? Or is someone else pulling the strings?
The power of the rich and VIP is all over the place in this duet and I can't wait to see what comes next in the duet. Be prepared for a cliffhanger, but know that the new book comes out within a couple weeks of this book's release (and technically is out now).
Ready for some crazy suspense, romance and some thriller? Roll the dice and put all your chips in. If I were a betting woman, I would say that this will wet your appetite for a roll with Vegas!
4.5 steamy stars

I have mixed thoughts on this. I love Alessendra Torre titles, but this one had stalker vibes and cheating. I'm not a fan of stories about married men cheating on their wives (spoiler: even when the couple has an agreement/arrangement). That said, this has everything a reader could want from a Torre title! Insta-love, sex, lust and a good build up.

4.5 <b> Strip Poker </b> Stars
I can’t believe it has been so long since I last read an Alessandra Torre book. She has such a good flow to her writing and it just sucks you in and at first you have no idea why and then the story really unravels and you are hooked.
This story is about Bell Hartley and Dario Capece. Bell is a beautiful waitress at The House and Dario owns Las Vegas. The attraction they have for each other is intense and you can really feel the heat of it. This book makes their love stories give you butterflies. Their romance is intense and still slow burning. I can’t really say much about the book without ruining something.
I think I would love the POVs of some of the side characters and their take on everything. I am so intrigued by everything. I want to know everything about everyone!!! Tell me tell me tell me.. also I really want book 2. Book 1 ends in a gut wrenching scream out loud cliffhanger!!!

Trigger warning: Cheating

<img src="http://harleystreetaddictionspecialist.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/AdobeStock_100918762-min.jpeg" width="300" height="300" alt="description"/>
This story is about cheating, falling in love, sex, lust, desire, death, plot twists and you really start remembering. Nothing is a sure bet in Vegas.

WOW, Alessandra Torre once again did not disappoint with this one. Cannot wait to dig into Double Down now.

Even Money was a bit of a slow start for me. I really struggled for most of the book the switching back and forth between writing in 1st POV and 3rd POV, my preference is 1st POV but do enjoy 3rd POV but it takes me a bit to get into 3rd POV and I found the switching back and forth betting the POV from other characters at time pulled me out of the story. By the time I got to the 40-50% mark the story had picked up enough for me to get really pulled in so I was engaged in the story and the swapping pulled me out less.

I loved Bell's character, I loved how strong she was, I loved that her horrific past only made her stronger rather than weaker. I loved the chemistry she had with Dario who was so powerful but never did she cover. Bell truly was the perfect female lead.

Dario, how can you not swoon over this sexy dangerous bad boy. I love the man he is, he may be bad but he is loyal to Gwen yet at the same time gives his heart to Bell. Dario may be bad and a bit scary but he totally won over my heart, someone who hardly ever goes for the bad boy.

Overall this was a fabulous, on the edge of your seat hot and sexy first of Bell and Dario's story. I loved the dynamic the author built for them and I loved the chemistry they had. It was instant and you couldn't help but feel it. This was definitely a 5 star read for me but the switching back and forth took a lot away from the story making it more of a 4-4.5 star read

3 1/2 stars. This book was such a dichotomy to me. Several things really irritated me; like the insta-love and the repetitive thoughts in italics. And I disliked both Bell and Dario. She was so annoying to me and he was stalkerish. Yet I was so compelled to keep reading I never considered not finishing. I'm thinking that's a testament to Torre's writing. And that cliffy.......Whew......crazy stuff!

Reviewed on behalf of The Book Boyfriend Addict

4.5 Stars

“You don’t need to be afraid of me, Bell.”
“I’m not afraid of you.” It was the truth.
Maybe I should have been.

Bell Hartley was just your average college student by day, cocktail waitress by night. She’d been through some tough times in her youth but has managed to come through the other side but as a result, she keeps her relationships purely physical and doesn’t let her heart get involved. All that changes, though, the day Dario Capece enters her casino and their eyes meet from across the room. Suddenly she finds herself considering things she never thought she would. Dario is one of the richest and most powerful men in all of Vegas and for some reason he wants Bell. She doesn’t know if she should follow her head or her heart but either way, she finds it impossible to stay away from Dario. Their connection is unexplainable yet powerful but being with Dario is not without risk. Between the secrets, stalking, and murder the danger Dario poses to Bell’s heart may be the least of her worries.

Holy cliffhanger! I was well aware that this story was part of a duet so I was expecting a cliffhanger, but this one left my jaw on the floor and I can’t wait to see what’s going to happen next. This was one of those stories that sucked you right in and made you not want to put it down until you were done. There was a passionate love story building but there was also mystery, danger, and suspense that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat. And with the way this one ended, I have a feeling that the second half is only going to be more intense! I thought that Dario and Bell were very intriguing, complex characters. Dario was rich, powerful, and dangerous yet he was loyal, protective, and at times, just your average guy. I really enjoyed exploring all these layers and I’m sure there’ll be even more of that in the next book. I can’t say much about the story itself because there are so many potential spoilers but the situation that these two find themselves in is so complicated and messy and it’s probably going to get worse for them before it gets better. There are a lot of things that’ll keep you guessing and I’m very excited for the conclusion to see how everything comes together because, if this first book is any indication, it’s going to be so good!!

'Ten thousand cocktail waitresses in this town and he had to meet the one that might break him.'

The thing I love most about Alessandra Torre is her ability to expand her scope of writing. She doesn't stick to one genre or type of writing. She moves out of her comfort zone and expands into many possibilities. And this time she's moved into the underground belly of the gambling world of Vegas and psychopaths.

Dario Capece is the king of Vegas. Bell Hartley is a server at an underground gambling house.

The moment Dario sees Bell he wants more. So much more he's willing to give it all up. Now he just has to convince her and his wife.

Bell has her reasons for keeping it sex only and not having relationship. However, Dario changes the game for her and she starts to forget her reasons of the past. But is this potential relationship worth the risk?

At the end of this part of the duet we are left with a wee bit of a cliff hanger, thankfully it's a small turnaround for Double Down book 2 and we can find out what happens with Bell Hartley and Dario Capece.

Wow I am speechless. This book was so amazing. I was on my toes the whole time. What a cliffhanger. I am seriously going to read the next book after I finish this Review!!!! The build up to Bell and Dario was great. I loved the chemistry they had. I loved the background characters also Lance and Rick!!! I'm hoping for a spin-off! I mean who doesn't love a rich man and a waitress story!!!! This is my first book from this author but I can't wait to read her books now! I was engulfed in her writing the whole time! It was a quick read. The whole book flowed really well. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a good Romance story!!!!!

Brimming with intrigue and sex, Even Money kept me engrossed until the heart stopping, oh-no they didn’t cliffhanger of an ending. Its okay, part two of the duet is out so you can dive right back in. The story hinges on the relationship of a powerful casino owner brought to his knees by his sudden unexpected feelings for a feisty cocktail waitress. Dario is torn between his desire for Bell and the love of Gwen, the woman he married to save her from a dangerous father. There is no easy escape from the lives they’ve chosen and soon an unseen menace threatens everyone’s safety. This seductive, suspense filled story continues in Double Down and I can’t wait to see how it all ends!

It was interesting and the subplots were intriguing. I went into this thinking it was going to be a full on “Vegas Love Story”. One where the main characters fall instantly in love and they forget everything around them and only focus on them. But that was not it. It was captivating and intriguing and honestly some of the best content I’ve read. The twists and turns this books took got me so hooked on it. The sex wasn't gratuitous and it wasn't that icky kind of sex that makes take a step back from the book and then you realize that the book is fake.
The world was immersive and the characters relatable. I honestly loved it. There was a moment where I wasn't sure whether to like it, love it, or hate it. But then I got hooked in. I immediately got the second book. I couldn't wait to see what the ending to Bell and Dario's relationship is.