Was it the best thing I've ever read? No.

Did I only finish it because it was the only book I had on my phone while on a flight? Yes.

The ~spice~ was cringy and awkwardly written.

*Thank you to the publisher for this eARC.

This book was so amazing! I have not read any of the other books in the Prescott series so I was nervous about reading this one. Even though I know it is a standalone, it is easy to feel like you missed something because I haven't read the other books. I was able to follow along very easily because this story is about Lucian and Olivia with little talk about what happened in previous books.
Lucian and Olivia first met 5 years ago when she had a birthday party at one of Lucian's clubs. The attraction was instantly there for both of them. But Lucian does not want to admit it because there's an age gap between them and there's the fact that Olivia's father is a big investor in his projects. So this caused the two to tip toe around each other for the next 5 years. Also, Lucian is scared to let anyone important into his life because he lives a dangerous life and does not want to risk Olivia getting hurt.
Everything changes when Olivia's dad asks Lucian to give her a job designing one of his new restaurants. During the interview, Olivia and Lucian both reveal the connection they have been denying for years and finally decide to start a real relationship. But when someone from Olivia's past starts threatening her, Lucian is willing to start a war for his woman.
This book was very enjoyable. Not too much mob content and what was included was necessary for the story. Also plenty of HOT sex scenes!! I may have to go read the others in the series now.
*this was sent to me via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

This was my first book in the series but it worked as a standalone too. There were mentions of couples in the previous books but it was only a couple of scenes so I didn't feel left out.

This was a well written book with good pacing. It has a mafia subplot and usually I am not a fan of that trope but it worked okay in this book.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley.

Finally, we get to read about Lucian's dark secrets! Tara has already painted the picture of the highly disfunctional Prescott family in Stupid Love (Theo's story), Snow Job (Sebastian's story) and Love Bug (Max's story).
In Snow Job, where Kayla and Willa were just rescued by Max and Lucien, we already learned that Lucien had some shady connections. And although Lucien swears he is not into the mob, he hasn't really told his family what ties he has in the underworld. And his brothers know better than to ask. As the 'big' brother in the Prescott family, Lucien has always looked out for his younger brothers. But now they are all having girlfriends (or even wifes) and little babies underway. It makes Lucien feel old with his forty plus age.
And even more frustrating is that the one woman he actually has feelings for, is someone who is totally off limits. Olivia, the twentysix year old daughter of one of Prescott's most important investors is the one woman who Lucian wants to have, but can't have. For years, he has kept her at an arm's length, although he wanted nothing more than to claim her as his. But when Olivia's father asks him to work together with her on a project and Lucien realizes she is in danger, because of a very dangerous stalking ex. And then all bets are off: nobody touches someone who is dear to Lucien. Nobody.
Keep those Prescott's stories coming please, I'm very happy that Tara has announced that the three cousins of the Prescotts will also get their own story. Five out of five stars from me and a special thank you to Netgalley for providing the arc.

I had not previously read a Prescott book so possibly was behind the eight-ball with this one.

It's a mobster (dark-ish) romance set in Manhattan where else? Lucien Prescott is the last of his brothers to fall in love. In his 40s he's prepared to grow old disgracefully - well running his legit businesses and rubbing shoulders with New York's mobsters, as the unofficial overseer of mob etiquette. Five years previous Lucien met Olivia, the much-younger daughter of one of his main investor Gavin, at one of his clubs. He's never been able to get Olivia out of his head and try as she might, she's never been able to stop thinking about him either. The reasons aren't particularly clear - it appears to be physical attraction, and more the case of off-limits infatuation rather than something deeply intellectual.

When Gavin contacts Lucien asking for a leg-up for Olivia as an interior designer for one of Lucien's restaurants, Lucien reluctantly agrees. Around the same time Lucien finds out Olivia has been stalked by another young mobster who won't take no for an answer. Lucien's protective nature takes over, and he calls out the young buck, laying claim to Olivia.

Full transparency, I tend to struggle with mafia, mob books (unless they are thriller-ish) as whatever way you look at it - killing is killing, and it isn't something I could see intelligent, young women having high on their must-have features in a man they want to spend the rest of their lives with. But this book sees Lucien and in some parts Olivia being bad-asses. I'm just not sure if it works for me (particularly where character is killed in some bathroom stalls and neither character misses a beat). Harsh! No insight, no empathy.

Readers can pick this one up as a standalone - I found I could still like all the brothers and despite knowing how they end up I'd probably go back and read about them. Also if you don't mind a good age gap and plenty of steam, plenty ++++ encounters including cars, and public places, clubs and parties... if you like closed door you will need to scroll past fast!

Thank you to Netgalley for this ebook to read and review.

I would tend towards 3.5-4 stars for this one but I'd be rounding up.

Woo wee!! I think my kindle caught fire! Dang this book was hot! Hot! Hot! This is book four in this series, I really enjoyed reading this one! I did like all the books in this series but d some more than others! This book had suspense, drama, intrigue, blood shed, and action packed! And like I said it was hot! I definitely recommend reading this book and series! They're well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

3.5 stars, but I still love you, Tara!

Like most Tara Wyatt slash Prescott Brothers fans, I was waiting impatiently for the last brother, Lucien, to get his story. That said, I went into this book with different expectations because I knew there would be mobbish stuff cluttering his tale. Mob romance is one of my least favorite tropes because no matter how you spin it, organized crime is awful business, and murder isn't sexy. I know, I know, Lucien isn't in the mob. He just... works with them. (So yeah, mobbish.)

So Lucien is this über-rich businessman with both legit and shady projects going on. He's tough and scary, though we already know from the first three books that he's got a soft side and will do anything for the people he loves. In this book, that person is Olivia, the daughter of a business associate (a legit one). They meet in a flashback at her 21st birthday party and fall immediately into mutual lust. However, she's 18 years his junior, and there's the not-mob thing, so he keeps her at a distance. Still, they flirt through another few flashbacks, but it's not until he hires her to design his new restaurant's interior and is simultaneously being stalked by an ex (present day, she's now 26) that they get together.

And together and together and together...

It wouldn't be a Tara Wyatt without very steamy and sometimes raunchy...togetherness. This book might be the steamiest of the four. I'm okay with steam--and Wyatt does it so so well--but I do wish there was a more obvious mental connection between Lucien and Olivia as well. I'm not sure that I ever really saw what drew them to each other besides their obvious physical attraction. (Admittedly, there's an aside about them talking for hours after getting together, which I greatly appreciated.) The first book in this series--Stupid Love--handles both the sex and the connection brilliantly, and I confess that I've measured each Prescott book against Stupid Love and none of them came close.

Anyway, Tara writes really well, so even a storyline that wouldn't usually grab me goes down smooth. That said, I'm hopeful that the Prescott cousins' books will move away from mobbishness and back towards more mainstream conflicts. (I'll also probably devour the Kings of Hell's Kitchen series that Wyatt teases about in an afterword, though I'll probably also complain about them.)

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion. Thanks!

Lucian Prescott.is a successful businessman, the founder and CEO of one of Manhattan’s largest hospitality companies, the Prescott Group. He is also the head of the Kings of Hell’s Kitchen, a small, elite group of former mob members who are the lynchpin in Manhattan’s underground organized crime scene.

But Lucian has more secrets than just his criminal ties—like the fact that he’s been in love with Olivia Walsh for the past five years. Olivia, who is eighteen years younger than him and happens to be the daughter of Prescott Group’s biggest, most important investor. She’s completely off-limits, but that doesn’t stop him from wanting her. In his arms. His bed. His life. But staying away becomes impossible when Olivia’s ex—a man almost as dangerous as Lucian—begins stalking her, and he’ll do whatever it takes to keep her safe.

This is the fourth book in the series and we finally read about Lucian. It's a standalone but you get a better feel of the book and the characters if you have read the other books in the series. The characters have lots of chemistry and you can't help but root for the couple. A great way to spend a few hours.

Thanks to the publisher for providing an arc.

This was a GOOD age gap romance. First of all, even though he was 18 years older and in the shady business, he was a gentleman... Which is always a win! And Olivia!!!! I swear she is perfect. There chemistry flew off the pages, and I loved it!!!! Definitely one of my favorites.

Lucian is like the Batman of organized crime. I like that about him, we saw little pieces of this in his siblings stories. It really comes out while he is protecting Liv.