This one was a wild, intense, emotional ride! I loved following Kinsley and Rhett on their journey. It was dark, it was romantic, it was chiseled beautifully! I definitely think you should give this a try if you want a captivating read!

Another series ends for Stacey Kennedy and as usual she saves the craziest and most intriguing story for the end. Stacey Kennedy has taken us for another wild ride through a small town and the close personal relationships of six friends and lovers, all intertwined and bonded by love—whatever type of love it might be. The story picks up directly during the epilogue of the previous story, with Kinsey and Rhett falling into one another’s arms at the island wedding of their friends then continues through their own dangerous and sensual journey to and HEA. I loved their story despite a somewhat overdone troupe being the lead-in, but I guess it is a cliché because it works. Kinsey finds herself with a little surprise leftover from their one night together and when the secret is finally revealed their lives are changed forever. But now that Kinsey is the center of Rhett’s personal focus, he has enemies after him for his work and they have latched onto Kinsey, putting their new future into serious danger of never having a chance. Together they might be able to find a way to happiness, but are they both willing to put in the required work and find a way to get over their pasts and truly be happy together for themselves and their new child? I loved Kinsey from the very beginning, but seeing her dealing with all the shit that happened to her in this story, losing her cool and finding a way to come back to balance was awesome. Kinsey maintained her sweetness and sass even as she came to terms with her new life path and the changes she would have to make in the future as she became a mother. She never actually gave up on a chance of having a relationship Rhett, but she didn’t let his fears and refusal to accept her define her or her baby’s future and was determined to go it alone if she had to. She is the kind of woman that I know I could be friends with easily. Rhett was an ass… sorry let’s call an apple an apple. While he was sweet in moments, he had his head so far up his butt as he denied his feelings and refused to accept that I didn’t like him much until about halfway through the story. Yes I get that we all have trauma and he had a lot more in his past that many, but sometimes you have to accept help from those around you in order to heal, and Kinsey was always there trying to give him what he needed but he refused to see her. Once he came to terms with his own needs for the woman he pushed away for so long, I began to forgive and love Rhett and see what Kinsey saw in him for so long. I am glad that Kinsey found a way to heal Rhett’s heart because the passion between them was something to experience and a once in a lifetime love is not something to deny. I was sad to see this series ending, but I enjoyed reading their stories and look forward to whatever comes next from Stacey Kennedy and her skill with bringing together broken lovers and the passionate fires that can heal them.

Ruthless Bastard by Stacey Kennedy was the perfect break from the quirky contemporaries I had been reading. I don't read too much romantic suspense and this might be my first motorcycle club romance, and I really enjoyed it. This book was fast paced, with some steamy romance, and just enough intrigue. I picked it up and couldn't put it down until I finished. I will have to check out more from this author!

Love Stacey Kennedy and could not wait to read this final book in the Dangerous Love trilogy. I've been waiting for Kinsley & Rhett's story from the beginning. It was fantastic!
Romantic suspense in a small town, former army ranger turned police detective, jazz bar owner and sister to his best friend. Packed full of action with a protective man who thinks his past has made him unlovable.
This hits the spot if you love a good romantic suspense. The whole series does.

This was a great conclusion to the Dangerous Live series. Rhett was such a damaged soul. He feels that he cannot and does not deserve love. As a former solider, he feels that what he has seen and done makes him unlovable. Kinsley has loved Rhett forever. She sees him as a good man. When fate through them together, they must decide if it’s worth the risk to start a relationship. And of course there is threat to Kinsley and her business that can’t be ignored. I really loved watching Rhett become the man that he is. He has struggled for years and begins to realize it is all in his head. Kinsley is bold and has no problem telling people how it is. These two together have enough chemistry to light a city. They just need to figure out who they can be together

***ARC Provided by the Author***

Rhett and Kinsley were fun. This book was both hot and emotional, their connection was strong and it was clear that Rhett feels that he is not worthy of her, and that he is not really someone that she could love.

You feel sorry for him, while you connect with him as he is written in such a way that you not only want him to get his HEA, but you like him.

I enjoyed and recommend this title.

After DNFing the previous book in this series I wanted to give the author another try. Unfortunately the plot of this one didn't work for me and it was another DNF at 19%

Sweet, steamy and suspenseful all rolled into one delicious read! With book three in her always satisfying Dangerous Love series Stacey Kennedy delights her reader with a best friend's little sister story line filled with lust, danger and the consequences of both!

Kinsley is a joy to read. She's strong and tough when she's handling things at her bar Whiskey Blues, but she can handle being tucked away and protected when danger comes knocking at her door. Especially when the guy doing the protecting is the guy she's been not-so-secretly in love with for years!

Rhett is a doll. He knows he still carries the scars of the military life he led on his sleeve, and he's tried with all of his might to stay away from Kinsley. One night of weakness is all it took to bind them forever, but he's not so sure he can handle the life she dreams of.

I highly recommend this book and the entire series to anyone who enjoys a romance filled with alpha men, strong women and steaming hot stories filled with love, friendship and more heart than you'll know what to do with. My favorite of the series!

2.5 stars
I hate when I read a book and the relationship has already stated. There is a HUGE piece of info that starts this story out ( no spoilers) but it just didn't make me care for this plot at all.

This was a fun read. I enjoyed the town that it was set in and the main characters and side characters. It's definitely a series that I might revisit when I'm looking for a romance set in the "real" world.

To forever!

Kins and Rhett are not what anyone would call couple goals. They were one night for her to act out her fantasies. A one night stand that should not have happened and yet...

Life has a way of making things turn around. Sometimes for good, others not so much. Kins might be experiencing a turn but she's not sure which way its going yet.

I love Rhett and Kins. I wanted them from book 1. I love their gravitational pull towards each other. Watching them fight it is like foreplay. It's explosive when they actually stop fighting.

Ruthless Bastard is the end of the series but it feels like its the beginning of something better. To this. To Us. To forever!

Rhett West is not looking for a relationship or anything like love. He just wants to look after the people, friends of his. Now his friend’s little sister Kinsley Knight has run into some trouble at her bar. Texting him 911 he rushes down to find a biker gang there. After confronting them he and Kinsley finish the night. That is the most he has talked to her since they have returned from her brothers' wedding. She finally got what she wanted a hot fantastic night with Rhett the man she has been in love with for years. He of course panicked and must stay away from her. He is too old, she is his best friends’ little sister, on and on with the same excuse after excuse.
This all changes though when a different biker gang comes telling her to close up along with other threats. She also has a surprise for Rhett and as much as he is trying to work out his demons, he is still having problems with people but not being a cop.
A good story with good characters all around. Enough action to keep the story moving along but not so much as to overtake the story. Overall a good book.

Stacey Kennedy’s RUTHLESS BASTARD is like a cautionary tale for falling in love with a hot, broody, overprotective guy. This is another snap-out-of-it situation, because in this sexy suspense, the stakes are high. We learned from Sons of Anarchy that fighting against biker gangs in a small town is like knowingly walking over to a wall and banging your head against it. Repeatedly and for fun. Geesh, can’t a guy put on fancy leathers and ride his motorcycle without joining a gang self-destined to run guns, drugs and women? This is my favorite book in her Dangerous Love series, because I am crazy about Rhett West and Kinsley Knight. On the one hand it’s a ‘best friend’s sister’ love story that means Rhett can never repeat the one night stand he had with Kinsley, or reveal that she’s the woman he loves. But on the other, these are two robust characters who are mature, well-written and realistic in their attraction. Acting on it is tantamount to willingly going with the biker gang—denying it is so much worse, in a different way. But the heart wants what the heart wants, and in this case the danger takes a backseat to true love. Kennedy places the angst and tension in the right place—the bad guys—rather than in a loopsy-endless tug of war between Rhett and Kinsley. I loved the pacing and the danger of the story, and the way the characters circled one another while ultimately giving in to love.

*Originally published at Frolic: https://frolic.media/april-romantic-suspense-must-reads/

I absolutely loved this book! It’s the third book in the Dangerous Love series and it was the one I’ve been waiting for! Rhett is the tough Bastard that is not wanting to ever fall in love but has been wanting Kinsley forever. They have one hot night at the wedding of his best friend in the tropical islands and that’s all it will ever be and they both know it. Kinsley goes back home to her bar. Rhett goes back to his job and soon has to deal with the bikers back at Kinselys bar causing trouble. That’s when he learns that Kinsley came back from the wedding with a surprise gift. This a great story and I love this series and these characters. Kinsley is in danger cause her bar is attacked and destroyed and Rhett must help her figure out who did it. Can he help her and will they choose to keep their special gift?

Ruthless Bastard is the final book in the Dangerous Love series and I really liked it despite my usual aversion to some of the tropes. Rhett and Kinsley have known each other pretty much all their lives. Kinsley always had a crush on Rhett, but the latter only ever saw her as his best friend's sister. Rhett left for the military and returned home 8 years later when he got injured. And that's when Rhett finally started seeing Kinsley as more than just his best friend's sister.

Rhett and Kinsley are obviously attracted to each other, but they refuse to act on it for many reasons. However, inhibitions are lowered at Kinsley's brother's wedding and she and Rhett finally give in to their mutual attraction. And bam, two months later, Kinsley is pregnant! I think the unplanned pregnancy was the perfect trope to use here because it was the only thing that could actually push Rhett out of his comfort zone. Rhett has PTSD and is an extremely tortured hero. He doesn't think he's the type to settle down with a wife and kids, but everything changes when he finds out that Kinsley is pregnant with his baby. Add in some trouble from a motorcycle club and you've got some great suspense mixed with the romance. To be honest, I wasn't blown away by the romance, but I really enjoyed the suspense aspect of the book, especially the climax. Stacey Kennedy knows how to write some really kickass action scenes.

Final thoughts on the Dangerous Love series:

I think Ruthless Bastard was a great ending for the series overall, even if it was a little cheesy and a tad bit unrealistic (i.e. Rhett's PTSD going away completely). But overall, I am satisfied with how the series ended and I'm glad that everyone got their HEA. The books in this romantic suspense series take place in the small town of Stoney Creek. It's very atmospheric and adds a layer of suspense to the danger that these characters find themselves into. My favourite book in the series is still Naughty Stranger, the very first book, mostly because it is probably the most atmospheric one in the trilogy. Also, Boone is my favourite hero in the series haha. If there is one thing that Stacey Kennedy does extremely well in this series, it is the awesome action scenes. She definitely goes above and beyond, to the point of shocking me haha. Just when you think the characters can't be in any more danger — BAM! She shocks the hell out of you. Very well done!!

Joaquin King is one character that has me intrigued. He'd be such a fantastic anti hero and I am hoping the author will eventually write his story. There is so much that can be done with this character!!

This is the third standalone book in Stacey Kennedy’s Dangerous Love series. Ruthless Bastard is Kinsley and Rhett’s story. I loved the intense chemistry that Kinsley and Rhett shared in this beautiful written book. This story takes you on a journey of veteran Rhett’s emotional and physical healing with Kinsley support and love. This is my favorite couple out of the three books. I loved this series! If you have not read the other two books in the series I recommend them highly.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Mary – ☆☆☆☆☆
Kinsley and Rhett have known each other forever almost. He is her brother's best friend and she has loved him since she was a teenager.

Rhett is an ex-Army ranger, which he thought he would spend his life serving his country until the unthinkable happened and now he is back home in Snowy Creek, Maine. Kinsley owns the bar Whiskey Blues and after one night with Rhett at her brother's wedding, they have something to talk about. But Rhett is avoiding her calls.

When she finally gets a chance to talk to him, it happens to be around everyone, and it is not how she wanted to talk. Rhett doesn't know how to handle the news, but he will do all he can to protect her. So when her bar is broken into, Rhett's protectiveness is in overdrive and he realizes his feelings for Kinsley.

Can Rhett keep Kinsley safe? Will Kinsley help him see that they can have a future together? Will he be able to protect her in the end?

I have loved this series and I think that Rhett and Kinsley are my favorites so far. Their story is filled with intrigue, suspense, past pain, lust, and a love to last. So grab this series, and I hope you enjoy it too.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆☆
This is the third book in the series, and I would say that you will benefit from having read them in order, as the characters and storylines we have met before are key to the development of this story. That said, you do get enough guidance as to issues, if you want to jump straight in!

Kinsley and Rhett have known each other and been close forever, but when he left to join the military, she had to accept that her crush had no future. When he came back injured, out of the Rangers, but clearly a darker man than when he left, she still loves him, but cannot see a way to make him happy. She tries her best to be cheeky, to tease and tempt him, but he instead develops a terrible hook-up habit, which just hurts. Then he drops his guard just long enough for them to have one night of passion, before he locks himself down again... amazingly though, the reader is still hopeful because though he sounds like he is well named in the title, actually Kinsley clearly sees another side to him.

One of the loveliest and funniest parts of this book is when Kinsley unknowingly reveals a huge secret in front of all her friends and family who are hiding in her house ready to celebrate her birthday... This was such a perfect plot device as it just removed all the issues of non-communication in a very dramatic but brilliant way.

As Rhett comes to terms with that secret, suddenly Kinsley's bar is under attack, and more disturbingly, Kinsley herself. As the police (her brother, father. and Rhett) investigate what is happening, the danger gets more serious, finally bringing Rhett to the realisation of what really is important to him.

I really thought this was a great story, and as well as building on the previous two, for me, it was my most favourite story of them all.


Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Romance

Kinsley and Rhett have known each other for years. With Kinsley having a major crush on Rhett for years, when she has a chance to be with him at a wedding, she jumps at it. Rhett has noticed Kinsley for years but knows that he's not good enough for her.

After they hook up, Kinsley knows that nothing will ever be the same again. But what neither of them knew was just how much their lives would change. Rhett starts to reevaluate his reasoning for always wanting to be alone. His life made sense when he was in the military, but now, nothing seems to make sense anymore. Kinsley will have to adjust her view on what her happily ever after looks like too.

With a threat nobody saw coming, love on the line, and each character having to find themselves, Rhett will fight to save what he didn't know he was missing and Kinsley will have to hold on to her love for Rhett, despite the circumstances.

Triggers: PTSD, kidnapping, talk about war

Ruthless Bastard is the third book in the Dangerous Love series by Stacey Kennedy. While part of a series, and returning readers will get more out of the read than newcomers, it can be enjoyed as a stand alone as well. Bar owner Kinsley Knight knows exactly what she wants: Rhett West. How could she resist over six feet of hard, trained physical perfection? Never mind that she's been in love with the guy since high school, or that she's the "kid sister" of his best friend. Never mind that one unforgettably intense and heated night they shared-and the unexpected consequences. But Rhett can't afford to get distracted by the mind-blowingly hot night he spent with Kinsley, or the insatiable hunger he still feels for her. She's off-limits. Especially now that Rhett's been investigating the members of a vicious biker gang who have invaded his town, and they're intent on putting Kinsley out of business-permanently. Suddenly, all of Rhett's protective instincts have taken over. Because no one threatens Kinsley on his watch. Not now. Not ever. And Rhett's ruthless enough to protect Kinsley no matter the cost. Even if it means risking his heart.

Ruthless Bastard is a good friends to lovers romance, with plenty of danger and heat to keep readers interested. I have not read the previous books, which is surprising since I enjoy the author's style, so I did not have the background knowledge of the characters. However, I think the book does a good job of illustrating the character relationships and dynamics so that new readers would be able to catch up fairly quickly. I really liked Rhett's character and how he was doing his best and wanted to protect those around him, even from himself. I will admit that I was a little annoyed with the descriptions of Kinsley as so 'not like other girls'. She is low maintenance, understands the demands of law enforcement and the military on others, and owns a bar- so clearly different from all the other girls. This is a pet peeve of mine, and it might not even come across this way to others, but it started wearing on me during the read. I did like the arc of her coming together with Rhett, and I liked the mystery and danger involved. Although, I did make several guesses about who was involved with what early on, and was proven right. The clues to this seemed a little too obvious, but I read almost as many mysteries as romances so I am often looking pretty hard for that sort of thing. As a whole I enjoyed the read, but a couple personal preferences made it an okay read rather than the winner that I was really expecting from the author.

Ruthless Bastard is an engaging contemporary romance. Fans of the author and the series will definitely want to pick this one up.

Ruthless Bastard is my favorite book in the Dangerous Love series so far! Kinsley and Rhett perfect chemistry throughout this book - also, my favorite couple! I was drawn this story from the beginning - I'm a big fan of childhood friends turning into romance, but with a surprise twist! This story, as this series, is full of suspense, humor (Remy!) and plenty of sweet and sexy moments between the characters!

Edgy, intense, sexy, and full of suspense, action, friendship, family and love. I have been waiting for Kinsley and Rhett’s story since the first book in the Dangerous Love Series and Stacey Kennedy didn’t disappoint.

I was thoroughly captivated by their story. The intensity of their feelings and the danger they must face kept me on the edge of my seat, turning the pages rooting for my HEA. Their romance sizzles, the suspense builds, the action is intense and the ending is ... dramatic, romantic and utterly wonderful.

Characters that will touch your heart and a romance that will leave you breathless. Swoon!

Received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.