Cuffed by His Charm: A Dirty Little Secrets Novel

**Received ARC from NetGalley for a fair and honest review** Cuffed by His Charm is the 4th book in the Dirty Little Secrets series. Gabe has lusted after McKenna for the last year. If only she wasn't his employee... but Gabe has a rule about no dating employees. McKenna's had a rough life, alcoholic abusive mother, and younger brother with issues that she's always needed to care for. She's lusted after Gabe, but knows he will not date/mess with employees... From the start this book grabs you and doesn't let go. I couldn't put this book down! This book is an emotional rollercoaster! There is so much craziness that happens in this book, and was so good I would read it again! I really enjoyed the characters, I've always liked Gabe's character from the other series and couldn't wait for this book, and it definitely did not disappoint. He is definitely a dominant/alpha male, but it isn't overboard. McKenna is a strong woman, she's got her demons that she fights and at times almost too strong, but she does lean on Gabe. They have great chemistry and if you like hot and steamy this book will not disappoint. I also really enjoy being able to catch up with the other characters from the previous books and she doesn't just end the book and leave you hanging which really frustrates me when that happens... but she gives you that HEA. I was also pleasantly surprised to see some other characters from another series of her books! I'm really hoping that Ryder's left hand Alex gets her own story!! I really want to see her story!!! Hope this helps!! Happy Reading!!!

Full review appeared on Reader's Edyn on 11/19/17 ... If you guys haven’t read any of this series, there is a warning that some critical plot points are revealed in this book for one (or more) of the previous books in the series. I haven’t read the rest of the series and this is book 4. While I didn’t have any difficulty following along and was sure that there were things mentioned that would have to do with a previous book or three, nothing that blatantly interfered with my reading enjoyment occurred. I don’t feel like anything too life-shattering was mentioned but having not read the previous books, I am in no way an expert. That said if you don’t want to risk any spoilers, it might be safer to read this series in order. I really enjoyed both Gabe, McKenna, and all of the supporting characters – with the exception of the evil goons, of course. McKenna is a strong character who has been through a lot and has made her own way. With the exception of her tunnel-vision regarding her brother, she was a likeable character. I wanted to slap her regarding the enabling qualities she possesses with Evan and, even though we were prepared for her next moves in Evan’s case, I found that habit annoying. But when put into perspective, you can almost understand why she does what she does concerning her brother Gabe is that quintessential alpha male billionaire. He’s got money and power, but he’s an average guy who prefers working behind the bar, to the daily monotonous CEO grind. Ha! Who am I kidding? No billionaire is an average guy despite his dislike for corporate life. 😊 He’s connected and he and his self-made billionaire buddies are all at the center of some serious scandal which apparently spans the length of the series. I have to say that even though these guys are crazy intuitive, it was a quite a refreshing change to see them make a mistake and accuse the wrong person initially. Alphas making a massive mistake isn’t a common component. All of Gabe’s friends very obviously had their own back stories and the more they were involved, the more I liked them. I would definitely read the series in its entirety based on these charming characters; each bringing a vital piece to their life-long friendship. I’m looking for a story for Alex, Ryder’s hacker, next. Hopefully there are plans for her. Supposedly it’s the end of the series, but you never know … And since I’m speculating, there are a couple of other “potential couples” mentioned in the epilogue, so I’ll hold out for the next installment – or a spin-off … 😊 Overall, this is a great book with a little bit of everything – brooding hero, strong female lead, loyal friends, an annoying mother, suspense, betrayal, hackers, redemption, a titch of BDSM, bars, sex clubs, billionaires and the women who have captured them, crazy hot sex … Yep, a bit of everything! I do have one compliant – the villain didn’t get his in my opinion. I feel like there could still be an axe to grind and if he’s the same scoundrel from the previous books (which I am not sure of), then really? That’s all? But technically there are two scoundrels and I felt like they could have dealt with that one just a bit more severely as well. Granted, they are upstanding guys that have been wronged, and wouldn’t stoop to the level of their temporary oppressors, but dang! If it truly is the end of the series, get it handled! And here is where I feel like Alex would come in nicely. Just saying. I’m pretty sure fans of the series would have no objection to visiting these characters again. But either way, fans of romantic suspense will find this read (and most likely the series) fascinating and engaging. The evil-doers will piss you off, the sizzling romance will excite you, the captivating plot will thrill you, and the emotionally charged characters will charm you. All in all, an enjoyable read! Kindle version provided by RandomHouse Loveswept/Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Let me start by saying that I haven't read the other books in this series, but I didn't have too much difficulty figuring out the connections between this group of friends. That part of the story line was interesting and it was obvious that this group would do anything for each other. The romance between Gabe and McKenna was where I ran into problems. I was put off by Gabe's initial treatment of McKenna, but as the story progressed, he did redeem himself. McKenna, however, was the source of much eye-rolling and head shaking. From the star ratings that I've seen, I realize that I'm in the minority here, so I will try to explain without too many spoilers. McKenna loves her brother and would do anything for him, which I can understand. What I couldn't understand was her willingly participating in a "scene" with Gabe right after finding evidence that her brother could be in serious trouble. I completely understand two people with a strong attraction coming together in times of stress, but this situation seemed almost separate from any worries McKenna may have had. Gabe had no reason to care what happened to McKenna's brother, other than his feelings for her, but at times it felt like I was reading two separate stories - one that was an emotional hunt for Evan and another that was a steamy BDSM light romance. Again, toward the end, I was a bit confused about the money. I don't know if it was intentional, but it came across that McKenna didn't want Gabe when she though he'd paid one amount, but when the truth comes out, it's a different story. I'm still confused as to why it matters how much was paid as long as her knight came riding in to save her. The romance between this pair never felt like a romance to me. A strong physical attraction, yes, and Gabe does things that only a man who loves a woman would do, but I never felt like McKenna had anything more than lust for him.