The Yacht (Deck of Hearts)

I feel like I was in the minority of the DoH series' readers; I was more interested in hearing about Kathryn's journey and letting Leena + her men take a back seat for a while. So I was hyped when Rosaline announced The Yacht and I loved every second of this emotionally thrilling ride.

Kathryn is next in line to run the Hearts gang but there is a bittersweet note for her. She wants to make her father proud, but she has some resentment towards Leena for basically leaving and never looking back. She pays for her name and position when she's kidnapped and taken aboard the aforementioned yacht. Her captor? The swoon-worthy Asher, a man with his own vendetta against Kathryn's father and determined to figure out with the Ace of Cups are planning. The two have an immediate attraction but fight against for several reasons.

It took me a while to embrace Kat, only because she was naive to the world around her, even though she's a Mafia princess. You expect more out of her, but she grows into herself as the story continues.

I loved Asher as soon as I delved into his POV. His own backstory makes you sympathetic and understanding towards him. He and Kat were perfectly complementary and made each other stronger; he emboldened her to become more confident and show her strength while she showed him that it was okay to be vulnerable and slowly trust again.

The pacing was a bit off in certain parts, like the ebb and flow changed, but the story was electrifying. I liked Asher's friends and crew as they provided that found family aspect and lightened the darker moments of the book. And of course, the spice was well-written but I expect nothing less from Rosaline. Overall a great addition to the Deck series and I can't wait for the next book!

*Thanks to Rosaline Jay for the early copy!