A fast paced thriller about a man who finds himself in a real mess. Brody commits robbery to get money for his sister's meds but that turns out to be a bad decision in more ways than one. Lola- wow. This would make a good movie.

Fast paced thriller with “never a dull moment”. Good character development and storyline. I honestly didn’t think that I would like this based on the book summary but I had a hard time putting it down. I liked that the ending was satisfying as so many stories sometimes just drop off with open questions.

Fantastic book, kept me enthralled with the story. The twists and turns and character development was interesting and I couldn't put the book down. I had to finish reading it into the wee hours of the morning.

Maybe just a case of not for me. Maybe just the tone and writing style, but it would probably make an excellent movie!

What a fascinating book. I was impressed by the storyline and the characters were all well written and complex. Where there are complex storylines combined with intriguing characters the reader experience is magnified tremendously. To have a book that is well written as well as entertaining is a delight. Reading is about escaping your world and entering another one. Here I forgot about my own life and was immersed in the world created by the author. I would recommend this book.

Rating: 8.0/10

Thanks to the publisher and author for a copy of Lola on Fire for review consideration. This did not influence my thoughts or opinions.

Lola on Fire is a pedal to the medal, pulse-pounding crime caper turned action thriller that was as explosive as it was heartwarming. I’m always down for what Youers brings to the table and this one was no exception.

I have been a fan of Rio Youers for a while now, having devoured some of his more recent novels like Westlake Soul, The Forgotten Girl, and Halcyon as soon as copies were in my possession. He has a penchant for bringing the reader directly into the story on page one and having you emotionally involved with the characters seamlessly. On top of that, his stories are some of the most original I’ve read and quite unputdownable.

With Lola on Fire, while we have seen crime capers/action thrillers with BA male and female protagonists, this one just felt different; and it could be the way in which Youers framed the story. While the reader becomes familiar with Lola in the onset, the main storyline actually revolves around Brody Ellis and the absolute mess he has gotten himself into: the robbery, the frame job, and, well, the fact that he is now running away from a mobster with little to no cash and his sister. How in the world do they actually expect to get out of their predicament?

This was a very straight-forward thriller, unlike some of the author’s previous works that took a little bit of imagination and perhaps some re-read pages. It was also a bit more cinematic which kept the adrenaline up and allowed for continued engagement with the story; it read more like a movie, one with a quicker pace that allowed for a faster read (if that makes any sense). It also helped that I felt an instantaneous connection with Brody, especially through the struggles he and his sister endure on the daily. While he doesn’t like the prototypical “savior” type at the beginning, he does some very quick growing up as they put rubber to the streets across the states.

All in all, if you enjoy action packed thrillers that are more on the crime side of things, this is an excellent grab from one of my favorite authors.

I just started reading Lola On Fire and it is GOOD🤩. It is like an action packed movie perfectly compacted into one lovely book. The characters are fiery and explosive and adds gas to the fire of a story and you know it’s going to blow up.

Fast paced, lot of action and intrigue. Brody and his sister, Molly are hard on their luck as their dad committed suicide and mom left them years ago. Brody decides to rob a convenience store to pay the rent and get his sister her medication, but and then he is blacked mailed when a girl at the convenience store finds his wallet that he dropped. Brody is between a rock and hard place and has to help Blair the girl who blackmailed him and then he finds out he is set up as it is all a ploy to draw out him mom who abandoned them. Turns out Brody's mom was an assassin named Lola connected to the mobster Jimmy Latzo who she tried to kill. Jimmy is not pleased and seeks revenge on her kids bring Lola out of retirement. Received free copy from Scene of the Crime Facebook Group's Early Read. Thanks to HarperCollins and William Morrow Books.

I loved how this book started out like an action movie on par with The Terminator; only it wasn't a hero, but a heroine at the center, named Lola Bear. Lola went in on a solo mission, to seek her own brand of justice on her boss. At one time, Lola, was Latzo's best weapon and now that weapon was going rogue.

No one expected Latzo to survive, but survive he did, and his hatred burned hot for Lola.

Brody Ellis was about to do the unthinkable, but he was desperate the rent was past due, and Molly, his sister was putting up a brave front, despite the pain; she needed her meds. Brody waited until the early hours to rob a convenience store. Almost home free, he collided with a girl, but he was still wearing the ski mask.

Brody and Molly, at one time had a wonderful family life. Up until their mother left them and their father. Their father carried on the best he could, until one day, the police showed up at their home to inform the children that their father was dead. Death ruled a suicide.

Brody had no way of knowing how robbing the convenience store was going to change his and Molly's life forever. After, getting a call from the girl he collided with that fateful night, he met her to retrieve his wallet, he suddenly finds himself being blackmailed to do her bidding. He agrees, and finds himself in deeper water, which takes him and Molly fleeing and uncovering secrets along the way.

This was a fast paced, thrilling read that kept me turning the pages and felt like I was reading a script for a movie!

I received an ARC from NetGalley via William Morrow and Custom House and I have voluntarily reviewed this book.

Lola On Fire, wow this was a action packed storyline. This was a new author for me, but I really enjoyed his writing style. This book kept me turning the page until I finished the book. I will be checking out more of this authors books for sure.

I received a ARC from NetGalley and the publisher and am under no obligation to leave a favorable review, all opinions expressed here are my own.

From the opening pages of Lola on Fire, Rio Youers takes you on a roller coaster ride with twists and turns that you will never see coming. Brody Ellis was desperate. His mother walked out on the family, his father committed suicide and he is responsible for his disabled sister Molly. He works menial jobs and is behind on their rent. His only solution is to rob a convenience store. In the process he runs into a young woman named Blair and loses his wallet. When he is later contacted by Blair, she promises to return his wallet in exchange for a favor. The woman is connected to Jimmy Latzso, a vicious mob boss who years earlier was attacked by Lola and left for dead. He vowed revenge and has never stopped hunting for her. Now Blair has found a connection between Lola, Brody and Molly and will use them to find her.

How far would someone go to protect loved ones? This is the question that arises as Brody goes on the run with Molly and Lola finally confronts Latzso and her past. At times the story is tense and at times it is violent, but it is also a story of love that you will not be able to put down. I would like to thank NetGalley and William Morrow Publishers for providing this book for my review.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This is definitely not the type of book I usually read. I even thought of giving up several times because I am not a fan of violence. With that said, I have to say that this was a very well written and entertaining book. Lola Bear is definitely an epic character. Her back story was very developed and I felt I knew her. We have the mob element and what can happen when you try to go against them. Brody and Molly were the perfect underdog characters and kept me turning the pages. I usually do not enjoy reading about violence, but I enjoyed this book so much and loved the ending. Thank you to Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book and this is my honest review.

What starts with a bang and a flamethrower ends with love and a lot of heart.
Brody is struggling to make ends meet and makes the most consequential decision he'll ever make, to hold up a convenience store. This one bad choice ends up sending him and his handicapped sister Molly on a cross country run for their lives. On their run from a ruthless mobster they'll discover a lot about themselves and their strengths that will serve them well in the future.
Lola Bear was an enforcer for that mobster until he killed her lover, big mistake! Lola is a resourceful badass but failed at her attempt to get revenge thus creating a bigger monster than she ever imagined and he's now bent on a revenge of his own. A revenge twenty-eight years in the making, one that Lola has been running and hiding from while trying to make a life for herself.
Central to the story is Blair, the mobsters newer and younger version of Lola. She had her sights set on Brody but her ultimate goal is helping her boss get the revenge he's waited so long for.
I enjoyed this riveting, action packed thriller from its first chapter to the explosive convergence of the story lines and its emotional conclusion. It's very well written and highly cinematic. This one is perfect for those looking for a high-octane, fast paced thriller of good vs. evil.

I definitely didn't know what to expect just based on the cover of the book, however, it ended up exceeding my expectations! This book reminded me of a female version of a John Wick movie. Lola Bear used to be involved with mobster, Jimmy back in the 90's, but Lola tried to kill Jimmy after he killed her boyfriend. Lola disappears after learning Jimmy survived. Now, Jimmy is out for revenge and is going through her entire family to fine her.

I ended up finishing this book in one day, because you could tell as you were reading this that the end of the book was going to be explosive..and it was!

Thanks to William Morrow for an advanced copy of this book.

Brody is taking care of his sister as well as he can but, she needs medicine and he has no money. Brody robs a convenience store and loses his wallet as he is escaping. When a woman calls with his wallet, she gives him a choice. Help her steal diamonds or she can turn the wallet in. Brody's luck goes from bad to worse when he discovers he has been set up.
The characters are really good, the story moves along and I enjoyed the way it went. I didn't quite figure it ou before it ended.
Thanks to NetGalley, William Morrow and Rio Youers for a copy of this book for review.

I enjoyed this suspenseful mystery. This is a new author for me that I look forward to reading more from. This is a well rounded story that has characters that made the story entertaining. They are connectable and engaging. They made me feel as if I was right there with them, part of the story. The twists and turns had me turning pages fast just to see what would happen next to Brody and Molly. I liked their characters as they really made the story for me. I felt bad for them in a way. He just wanted to help his sister, instead it turns into something they never expected. This really is a great story that I highly recommend.

Lola Bear was the best protege of gangster Jimmy Latzo until he killed someone she loved. In retaliation, she thought she killed Jimmy. He survived and she went into hiding using different identities, knowing that he would aways be after her. Now Jimmy has a new protege, Blair and she hatches a scheme to find Lola by using her family.
This story moves along swiftly, even as it shifts back and forth in time, as well as from different points of view that fill in the backgrounds of these people.
Thank you NetGalley for this exciting thriller starring a smart and tough woman in 'Lola on Fire".

Action-packed and emotionally charged. I love Rio yYuers and LOLA on Fire delivers the damn good (again).
This man should be a household name.

Brody Ellis is broke and needs money to buy meds for his sister Molly. He makes the bad choice of robbing a convenience store and losing his wallet in the process. It is recovered by Blair Mayo, who demands that he steal her dead mother’s diamonds from her stepmother before she will return the wallet. When he goes to carry out the robbery he discovers a dead woman. Jimmy Latzo, a mobster, is then after him for revenge. Brody and Molly flee for their lives and become entangled with Lola Bear, an enforcer who nearly killed Latzo many years ago. This thriller is suspenseful and action-packed, but too brutal and violent for my taste.