DNF @ 13%. No rating.

No undertones or depth. I felt like I was being hit over the head with information.

I didn't particularly like this book. I've read the others in the series but this one I had to give up on because it didn't keep my interest. However, I don't believe it was the book - I think it was just me.

Jack of Hearts is the first romantic suspense book in the Aces & Eights series written by author Sandra Owens. Thanks to NetGalley and Montlake Romance for the advance copy.

Alex, Nate, and Curt had a horrible childhood and their mother walked out on them when they were little boys. Alex is an FBI agent working undercover with his brothers. They own and run a biker bar as their cover and investigating Ramon Alonzo a drug trafficker. Madison is Ramon’s cousin. Madison opened a bookstore with friend Lauren. Madison took a loan from her uncle but didn’t realize the strings that were attached. Madison doesn’t know what to think of Alex. Alex is very attracted to Madison.
I liked this story a lot. I liked the plot and found the action very interesting. I did think it was a little far fetched though. I loved Alex even though he wasn’t always honest with Madison but had his reasons. I didn’t like Ramon or Trina and felt everything they got was deserved. I loved Alex and Madison together. I loved the characters and the ins and outs of this story. I recommend.

Really enjoyed this book. It was fast paced, had a few twists and turns and the characters really appealed to me. Alex is the youngest of three brothers who own a biker bar, and the moment he lays eyes on the beautiful redhead cousin of Ramon, the guy he is doing business with, he is completely smitten.

Madison is very attracted to Alex but is keeping her distance as she can't understand why a guy like him is friends with her slimeball of a cousin Ramon.

Alex knows he shouldn't fall for Madison but he can't help what his heart wants, only problem is he can never tell her who the real Alex is and the other part of what he does for a living as he knows any chance he may have with her will be gone when she finds out what a liar he is.

I have voluntarily read and reviewed this book thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher.

Alex Gentry doesn’t scare easily. Working as an undercover FBI agent in the biker bar he and his brothers co-own, he hangs with deadly criminals in order to gather information. Danger is just part of the family business. But one thing has him terrified: his attraction to Madison Parker.



Madison is the cousin of Ramon Alonzo, son and second in command to a notorious drug lord Alex is trying to bust. Alex has befriended Ramon as part of his cover, and Madison has unknowingly become his informant. Falling for her could risk this case—and both their lives.



All Madison wants is to get her new bookstore business off the ground, and for her creepy cousin Ramon—to whom she’s unfortunately indebted—to leave her alone. If she could only stop fantasizing about his mysterious new friend, Alex…



As the Alonzo cartel investigation heats up, so does their relationship. But will the secrets they’re keeping tear them apart—or get them both killed?



* * * * *



JACK OF HEARTS starts out with a bang, or a crash, and doesn't seem to slow down from there. A lot of intrigue with the occasional fight thrown in for good measure. What really kept me glued to the pages were the Gentry brothers. I can't wait to read Nate and Court's story.


Alex does a great job of playing a biker bar owner who is willing to do whatever is needed to make some cash. Too bad he can't introduce Madison to the real Alex Gentry while he is setting up her uncle and cousin to go down for drugs.



Madison doesn't seem to fit with her family. She radiates an air of innocence that is almost a direct contradiction to her cousin who is a slimeball. She lost her father a year ago and now she is trying to get her new bookstore on its feet while trying to take care of her mother. I really enjoyed watching her come alive as she gets to know Alex.


I enjoyed this book as rather than a lot of shooting and action, we got a chance to watch Alex maneuver undercover. There was a lot of tension to keep me turning pages and the dialogue is witty and had me laughing at times. Ms. Owens is a new author to me but she has written several books in the past that I plan on checking out. If you are interested in checking those out, just click here to head to her website.


I do think that my readers would enjoy this book if they like romantic suspense that is heavy on both the suspense and the romance. There were some sex scenes but nothing extremely graphic.


*** I received this book at no charge from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed within are my own.

Alex and his brothers own a bar and are running a behinds the scenes investigation for their real job on a drug lord. Enter Madison, related to said drug lord, and the stakes become higher as emotions and hearts become involved. Hold onto your seats as this new series starts the reader off with a good book.
Ebook from netgalley and publishers with thanks. Opinions are entirely my own.

I loved Madison and Alex! This book was the perfect mix of romance, intrigue and mystery. This is a great start to this series and I can't wait to read more. Fantastic!

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆☆
4.5 stars
M/F Romance
Triggers: Click HERE to see Avid Reader’s review on Goodreads for trigger warnings.

Ramon is just icky. I didn't like him in the beginning and liked him even less as the story continued. Ramon believes that he will be taking over the family business when his father hands it over; however, he has this icky, skin crawling fascination with his cousin, Madison.

Alex is trying so very hard to follow the rules. He's working his butt off to get Ramon and Uncle Jose to make a mistake so that he and his brothers can stop the money laundering business that Ramon and Jose believe they are running, successfully. What Alex doesn't count on is falling for Madison.

Madison is just trying to live her life. She is entirely too naive for this story and it sometimes drives me a little crazy. Despite the fact that she knows her uncle is a bad man, her cousin is a bad man, she has this strange perception of her mother as being this simpering weakling and treats her as such. I found her a difficult character to really analyze too much – I just didn't quite like her.

Alex and Madison's relationship started on a lie, so for me, despite the fact that I liked other aspects of this story, this part – the romance – was just off kilter the whole time. I found the resolution somewhat predictable and hope for more twists in the next books.

Lauren, Madison's roommate, was more easily relatable for me. I liked her spunk, witty banter, and take no prisoners attitude. I hope she gets her own story.

Then you have the brothers – Alex's brothers love him fiercely and protect him at all costs. I love how his relationship with his brothers is portrayed. They are all close, all within the bounds of the law, and all want to do more to better society. However, they are all living with this scar – their mother left them and never returned, leaving them with a horrible, abusive father. I do wish we would have learned more about this, but the next book hints that is exactly what it is about.

I hope all of the brothers get their own story and can't wait to read more.

I picked this one up and put it down a couple of times. And, unfortunately, it just didn;t work for me.

Alex and Madison had chemistry, they had passion, and I liked them as a couple...the issue was I just didn't believe the situations they found themselves in...and I never believed he would sneak into her window on a continual basis, as an example. I don't want to get into specifics about what didn't work for me, as that will spoil it for others. But I didn't believe the story which made it tough to invest in it.

This is my first book by the author, and I am interested in reading others, even though this was more of a miss than a hit for me.

This novel has it all! Bikers who happen to be undercover FBI agents, a dangerous drug dealing family, a young woman who started out as a snitch, but ended up being in love, and a hot sizzling romance.

Alex Gentry along with his brothers Nate and Court own and operate Aces and Eights, a rough and tumble bar that caters to bikers. It is also their cover for their work with the FBI. They are investigating the Alonzo family for money laundering and drug deals, and Alex has worked on a friendship with Ramon Alonzo, son of Jose the patriarch of the family. Things are starting to heat up, and Alex wants to be in the middle of it. At a casual meeting while playing pool he meets Madison Parker. All fire and beauty, and Ramon's cousin. Ramon is a little too friendly with Madison and she lets him know she doesn't like it, so Alex intervenes. Madison appreciates her champion, and feels a dangerous pull to him. He also feels this pull, but knows if she finds out he's FBI out for her family she'll hate him. But, it's his job and he has to take the risk.

Madison and her roommate Lauren are opening their dream; a book store called High Tea and Black Cat Books. They even have the obligatory black cat named Hemingway. Madison's mother and Ramon's father are twins, and when Addison's father died Jose helped them. Madison is still not very fond of that side of the family. Alonzo gave her start up money for the bookstore, and she know's she will regret it. After meeting Alex and the sparks she felt, "What did she know of him other than he was Ramon's friend, he owned a biker bar with his brothers and he qualified on all counts as a bad boy?" Unfortunately she really liked bad boys!

Suspense, action and sizzles make this book a great read, and an excellent start to a new series. I'm looking forward to the next novel.

I received this ARC from the publisher and Netgalley for an honest review .
Pat Fordyce

This was my first book by Sandra Owens and I'm looking forward to reading more of this series.

The characters, while a little far-fetched, resonated a bit with me. There was some humor, hotness, action, and family all rolled into the story and it made for a nice balance.

Alex and Madison- you know they are going to get together but wow- what a journey. This is a well crafted romance with the unusual addition of a seriously dangerous component in Ramon. I liked the Gentry brothers and how they worked together. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This looks like an interesting new series; I'm going to look for more installments.

As an avid mafia romance reader and huge fan of “Falling for Her”, book 3 of Ms. Owens K2 Team series, I had high hopes for “Jack of Hearts”, since it has a criminal mob backdrop. Unfortunately, it fell along the same lines as the second only book I’ve read by this author, “Lost in Her”. The on and off again monotonic, mechanical writing and poor choice of plot development/sub-characters kept me from enjoying it, folks. Throw in the creepy concept of the heroine’s first cousin, Ramon, having the hots for her to the point she feared him sneaking into her room at night, and I just didn’t see the point of continuing.

There are some other items I could point out, but I don’t see the point in wasting your time or more of mine. At 30% into it, I felt I had endured enough and called it quits. I just don’t think this book was particularly well-written, my fellow romance book-loving friends. Here’s to hoping others feel differently. I wish the author all the best with this series. It was an intriguing concept, but I needed a better delivery of this romantic tale.

Title: Jack of Hearts, Series: Aces & Eights (Book 1), Author: Sandra Owens, Pages: 270, stand-alone but part of a series, did not want to finish, stopped at 30%.

(This review is based on advanced reader copy provided via NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased, fair review. No compensation was provided to this reviewer, nor is there any affiliation between the reviewer and author/publisher/NetGalley.)

I really liked this first book in the series and can see them getting better with each book. I liked the concept of the three brothers being undercover FBI. It's a little clichéd that they own a bar, but it works for these guys. Alex, the youngest, meets Madison when he is trying to establish a relationship with Ramon, her cousin and a drug dealer. It was lust-at-first-site for both of them. I liked the progression of the two. It seemed more real than a lot of book romances. The whole push-pull of Madison falling for him, but at the same time pulling away because she feels as if something is off. I couldn't get behind her being so weak around her mother. Why wouldn't you tell your mother something as important as abuse by a family member? The relationship between her mother and uncle sounded beyond creepy, too. Can't wait to find out what's going on with Lauren and Court.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

4.5 Stars!

Jack of Hearts was a great start to a new series by Sandra Owens. This first book nicely sets up the remaining stories in the series by introducing us to the Gentry brothers and their biker bar front to undercover FBI operations. The Gentry brothers have always had each other's backs and have now followed each other into careers in law enforcement - FBI, specifically. Although each brother has a role in this first book, the romance focuses on youngest brother, Alex Gentry and Madison. Unfortunately, Madison happens to be a cousin/niece to the family he's investigating.

I really enjoyed the premise of this story, as well as execution. It had all the elements for some great suspense without going overboard. Since I lean more towards the romance aspects in a story, I liked that both the romance and suspense had equal footing. Nothing was drawn out, but there were some nice unexpected surprises. I especially loved the big reveal that continues the secondary story line of the Gentry brothers family history. Not a cliff-hanger, but it definitely makes me want to see where the story goes. Overall, a fun and well-written first book in the Aces and Eights Series.

DNF @40%

The unfortunate thing about reading an "okay" book right after an amazing one (A Darkness Absolute) is that it really makes the difference stand out.

The plot was a little far fetched, Alex and his brothers didn't really seem like they were FBI agents when the majority of their time is spent running their biker bar. I didn't really feel any chemistry between Madison and Alex, would've liked a little more foundation with their romance. Also, the attraction/fascination Ramon had with Madison (his first cousin, ick!) was just weird. Her controlling family was an annoying plot point and part of the main conflict, so I just didn't want to continue.

Thank you to Montlake Romance for sending a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Jack of Hearts is the first book in the Aces & Eights Series and it breaks my heart to give this book 3 stars because K2 by Sandra Owens is one of my favorite series but I had a hard time with this book. I really liked the concept of three brothers who are FBI agents and own a biker bar together. I just couldn't relate to the heroine at all. She seemed REALLY young to me. It drove me crazy that she wouldn't say anything to her mother about her cousin sexually harassing her and her uncle trying to force her to launder money through her business because she thought her mom was too fragile. Then when we finally meet her mom she doesn't come across fragile at all so that plot point just didn't work for me. I really liked Alex right up until he was a complete jerk to Madison <spoiler>He has sex with her, she tells him she loves him and then he dumps her "for her own good"</spoiler>. Still the brother's relationship was wonderful and I loved how they interacted with each other. So I'll definitely read the next book in the series and hope this one was just a case of the heroine not working for me.

Review: JACK OF HEARTS (Aces & Eights Book 1) by Sandra Owens http://wp.me/p3d0RZ-7WN
Publication Date: February 14, 2017
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Reviewed by: Reading in Pajamas/ Donna
Rated: 5 Stars

I love this new series! It’s filled with ongoing suspense and tension then sexy hot romance, and relatable people that you want to spend time with. The writing kept me turning the pages to see what would happen next. Madison was easy to like and her reaction to things was believable, even when she made me groan. Alex? I’d sure like to meet an Alex! He is sweet and smoldering all at the same time, which makes for fun reading. I look forward to reading about his brothers and how things pan out for them, it should be fun.

*Review copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve been a fan of Sandra Owen’s ever since I her amazing novel The Letter, which is a beautifully written historical. When she began writing contemporary, I must admit I was skeptical, but she quickly proved she could handle the transition with her K2 Team series. When I received an invitation from the publisher via Net-Galley, I eagerly accepted. Ms. Owens new series is fantastic!

Madison Parker wants a simply life, one where she can manage her new bookstore with no drama. Unfortunately, she has to borrow funds from her weasel cousin, Ramon. While she cannot be sure, she believes he is involved in criminal activity. When she meets a friend of his, she worries that an attraction to him will involve her in something she wants no part of.

Alex Gentry is working undercover, posing as a friend to Ramon Alonzo, a man who is heavily involved with a drug cartel he is trying to destroy. When he meets Madison, he wants to believe she is not aware of her cousin’s nefarious deeds, but can he trust his instincts?

Jack of Hearts is another great romance by Sandra Owens, and is a fantastic start for her new series. I can’t wait to read the next book in the Aces & Eights series. I was immediately pulled into the story from the first scene and stayed that way to the end. The pacing is excellent, and remains so throughout the book.

Madison’s character is delightful. She has a great sense of humor, she’s a loyal friend and loves her mother. She also has a cat, which will always make her character a winner in my book! I loved her from the start and wanted her to find her happy ending.

Alex is a great hero. He’s a warrior and a protector. He’s dedicated to bringing down the bad guy, and he loves his brothers. All of them sound yummy! He is so careful and gentle with Madison. It shows a totally different side of his character from the fierce, take charge guy he is when dealing with Ramon and the investigation.

The chemistry between Alex and Madison is strong from the very beginning and grows to a hot blaze by the end of the book. Ms. Owens uses her skill from her Regency romances and keeps the sexual tension building as the story progresses. That is something that is normally less apparent in contemporary romance than historical.

I thoroughly enjoyed Jack of Hearts and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a romance with plenty of action, great characters, primary and secondary, and a lovely love story. Happy reading!