North
by Vanessa Vale
My review:
“North” is the first book in the ‘Billionaire Ranch’ series by Vanessa Vale. I already know that this author writes entertaining stories that often have unexpected twists. Well, this story certainly delivers all of that.
North is not a direction, a location, or even a man, as the book cover might lead you to believe; she’s a cold-hearted businesswoman known as the Ice Princess. Jed is a disgraced FBI agent, returned to his western cowboy roots to eke out a living now that he’s destroyed his career. Except neither North not Jed is who or what they seem to be. As ‘the reader’, we are privy to Jed’s big secret, but as the story progresses, we get to learn he’s much more than a frequently inappropriate, extremely dirty-talking, bossy alpha male (regardless of how hot that is). North is also hiding some huge secrets of her own. She’s an incredibly strong character with a heart-wrenching back story. When North and Jed get together, it’s so hot you’d think sprinkler systems everywhere would rain down upon unsuspecting readers. I don’t want to reveal anything more about the plot because I think with this one, the less you know, the more intense your enjoyment will be. It’s a quick read because you keep turning pages faster and faster to see what happens next.
This book is full of drama and intrigue, all different types of secrets, blackmail, revenge, deception, corruption, murder and mayhem. The villains are excruciatingly despicable. There are some great secondary characters, including North’s three brothers … yes, they are South, East and West, and they will make up the rest of the series. I’m looking forward to reading what Vanessa Vale has planned for them all.