Overall Opinion :
Shane is here! First of all I would like to give this author a huge fr asking shoutout for not only battling cancer but also coming out more ruthless and amazing as ever! Lily is truly an inspiration.

I was heartbroken when I got to know that this series was being put on hold a few years ago but then even more devastated when I got to know the reason why. And then somehow this woman performs a literal miracle and gives this book to us! I will forever be thankful.

Shane and Brinley have an amazing tale of love and hate. The characters are amazing and the banter in this book is to die for like all the books of this series. This author never fails to make me laugh with her jokes! Next up is Damon and I am so glad to say that we do meet his woman in this book and I am already losing my mind about it.

Definitely recommending this one to all the dark romance loving people out there.

I received a copy of the book from Netgalley to review. Thank you for the opportunity.
An action packed romance with plenty of twists and turns alongside likable characters.
A good read.

I requested this eARC because an assassin falling for his mark has got to be one of my favourite tropes ever.
Mercenary was my introduction to this series-so I was sort of lost when it came to the backstory of the characters and it did take me more than halfway through the book

to keep the revenge plotline and the characters involved straight in my head.
And where I expected intense chemistry between the protagonists and keep me invested in their relationship but all I felt was everything between them was forced and too instant even though the story discusses years of connection between them.

While I didn't enjoy their relationship; What had me invested was the background of the group and why I might pick up the next book in the series.

Complementary copy given for honest review and opinion
As the second book in the series, I was a bit behind but seemed to catch up. It really didn’t feel like enemies turned lovers and it was pretty difficult to get through. It seemed to stretch out way more than needed. Have plenty of time to read if you are interested because you will want to go through the series.

Mercenary wasn't a bad book, as the second in a series, I followed it ok and didn't even seek out the first book so I'm comfortable saying it can stand alone enough to be enjoyable

I didn't feel it was an enemies to lovers story as the characters are never really enemies. There are issues, but I think it's a stretch to call them enemies.

Overall i like the story and where it headed, I'd be interested to check out the next book and see what happens with some of the secondary characters.

Mercenary is the second book in the Deadliest Lies series. It is full of suspense and is a quick and steamy thrill ride. It kept my attention and kept me guessing!

Thanks to NetGalley and Victory-Editing for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

What an exciting book. I was quite impressed with the writing style of Ms. Mannon. Good characters and a suspenseful plot. Nice job.

I am gonna be completely honest with you, I requested the book because the guy was hot, but that is probably the only thing I cared for. I know that I am definitely not in the norm as others rated it 5 stars, I could not see why. My second mistake was that I didn't know that this was the second book in the series, and I didn't take my own advice to always read the first book, and normally if I enjoyed this one I would go and read the first one, but I didn't and I wont. So yup was lost, felt this was the book lacking, we have Madelyn who is a college student so with that I would think she would have some brain but I didn't find that. Here is this guy that you thinks looks dangerous and yet because he claims to know your sister you invite him in?. What? then you keep hearing she is innocent, there is innocent and just plain dumb ass and she came across as such. Declan is supposed to be this big badass but one kiss and you are in love, and you are going to go against your big bad boss because you want to save her, not knowing her, What?, well if you want hot sex, and that is all you care for then grab the book, if you want entertainment, dont.

This book is the second in a series featuring related characters but can be read as a stand-alone. It was fast paced and interesting from the beginning and just mysterious enough to keep you wondering! I discovered this author through NetGalley and cannot wait to read more by them!

A very convoluted love story that keeps your attention and makes you wonder what will happen next.

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Both the plot and the relationship development were messy and illogical, which also had the unfortunate side effect of negating any tension that might have come from the more intense plot developments. Madelyn is supposed to be naive and innocent, but she consistently jumps directly to being almost inconceivably stupid. The most cohesive moments were the sex scenes, but they were surrounded by a relationship that wasn't dark so much as it was utterly confusing.

4.5 Stars Mercenary is the second book in the Deadliest Lies series and I enjoyed everything about this book. The suspense and character dynamics had me turning the pages keeping me engrossed from beginning to end.

Thank you NetGalley, Victory Editing and Michele Mannon for gifting me an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
This is book number two in Michele Mannon’s Deadliest Lies series, but I had not read the first. While you can read this as a standalone, it will ruin book number one. The way these are written means reading the series in order is important to understand the whole story! I still finished and enjoyed this book, though!
After catching the attention of the wrong people, Madelyn’s life is in danger. After losing her mom and losing contact with her sister, Madelyn is more vulnerable than ever. Declan is everything Madelyn isn’t. While she’s sweet, and nieve, he is dangerous and cold. Madelyn is just there to help him get to her sister, but he never imagined she’d be his perfect match.
This book was thrilling and fast paced and while I did get a little lost in a few spots, that is completely my own fault not reading book number 1 first! The chemistry is undeniable between Madelyn and Declan and the steamy scenes had me blushing. Who doesn’t love a hot alpha man every once in a while?!
This book was different than the romances I usually read which gave me a fresh palate and a new series to read!

Thank you Netgalley for this Arc copy. It was an okay book.
Overall I liked the idea of the book but there were certain points where I couldn’t help but skim through some pages no matter how hard I tried. Maybe it’s because I am not really a fan of Mysteries and thrillers. There were some points in the book that made me like it a lot to finish the book.

Mercenary is actually the second in the Deadliest Lies series. While it does for the most part work as a standalone story, there is certainly quite a bit of crossover here and even things that are mentioned in passing that I assume have taken place in the previous book. I think it would probably be better to have read the first book before this one, which I hadn't done. This book tells the story of Declan and Madelyn, she is the sweet and innocent sister of someone he works with. He is a mercenary and killer. Despite their differences, there is an instant connection between the two of them and despite his best intentions, Declan cannot help the way that he is starting to feel for Madelyn.
I did enjoy the blossoming romance between the two. I do enjoy romances where at least one of the characters is doing their best not to fall in love with the other. Having said that, I thought that Madelyn was a little bit too sweet and innocent. She's supposed to be 20 when we first meet her, it's her birthday, but she seems to be much younger. Considering the world that she finds herself thrown into and the life that her sister has clearly been leading, I just don't really buy someone being that childlike.
This wasn't a bad read, but I think my enjoyment was marked by my not having read the first book. As I mentioned before, I'd certainly suggest that you do read it first.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

ARC received for review

DNF

I tried, multiple times, but I just don't see the connection or anything..

This is the second book in this series and I have to say I had trouble following it as I believe book 1 Kylies story needs to be read first once I bought that and read it I absolutely loved this story but saying that it isn't Dior the faint hearted This hero is no hero in fact he is a cold hearted killer but in his latest target he may have found redemption.

Kylie and Madelyn are sister but where Kylie is the adventurous one who keeps secret and we know from her book that she is fact a black op soldier Madelyn is the quite studious sister. Now she is looking for her sister who has disappeared once again at her sisters home she finds a man in the storm and assuming he is a friend of her sisters she invites him in. Declan is a hired killer sent into find out where Kylie is and he will use her sister to get that information but as he spends more time with her he realises just how naive and innocent she is and he starts to rethink what eh had planned for her. Soon passion flares between them and he learns that while she may be innocent she soon becomes master at destroying him with her love. Can they have a future together will he help her hunt for her sister and can they find a way to be together You will have to read to see

Having read the first book in the series, Rogue, I was excited to get to read Mercenary as an ARC also. Unfortunately, it just didn't click with me quite the same as the first.

For me, the frustration was with the heroine, who we are repeatedly told she is innocent, so innocent she often comes across as stupid with literally zero common sense. Despite being tag-lined as an enemies-to-lovers story it was a sad case of insta-lust. Around 35% I started to skim read, with it being such a quick read it didn't feel worth it to not finish.

I liked that this book explored the characters introduced in the first, but because the timelines intertwined there was no real tension since we knew how it was going to turn out. I'll finish the series with the third book, hopefully it was just a fluke that this one fell flat.

A killer wants to protect her but might not be able to!

The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💙💚💛🧡🖤
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📙📒
World building: 🌎🌍🌏🌎🌍
Character development: 👤👤👤👤

The setting: Okla-f*ck-me-over-homa, San Diego, Cabo San Lucas, Texas.

The Hero: Declan – Works as a hitman for a corrupt corporation, an off-the-grid private security contracting organization. His boss is more like a Mob boss. Declan is sent out to take care of people that cross them.

The heroine: Madelyn – Her parents have both died, all she has is her sister Kylie who is a chemist. Madelyn is studying marine biology and got a full ride scholarship to college in San Diego. Since her mother died of cancer, her sister has been pretty absent and acting a bit shady. They live in a trailer home in Oklahoma. Madelyn is very innocent and naïve.

Love Story: Declan is at the trailer park outside their trailer when a severe storm opens up the heavens. Madelyn invites him inside because he says he is a friend of Kylie. Sparks are flying all over the place. After that she sees him again when she is in a dicey situation and he protects her. Madelyn sees him as her hero. Though in reality he is nothing of the sort.

This book was HOT! I loved every minute of it and even went right out an purchased book 1 in the series. That was Kylie’s story. I can’t wait to read that one. Though I don’t see how it could be better than this one. I loved how stoic and broody Declan is, despite him much he wants Madelyn. He wants to protect her but knows he has to use her to find her sister. I just can’t get enough of the attraction between them.

Madelyn is innocent and naïve but also is someone that can hold her own. She takes things as they come and hardens herself when she comes across situations that would freak out a lesser person. Madelyn does some surprising things and is a great heroine. I just loved both of these main characters. I can’t wait to read more of this series.

I voluntarily read & reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

I enjoyed Mercenary and I read it in two days! Would recommend to those who like a darker romance. I would be interested in reading more from this author. I like shorter romances and for some reason I felt it was a little long but I know loads who love a longer romance.