Damn, Ethan is hot. Ethan is the reason I'm reading Arden. He pushed my buttons; his fun, teasing personality combined with the military background and tech? Please give me mercy. I have a bone to pick with Arden though... What does ShadowByte look like? I need to know. You can't tell us what QueenBee looks like but not Ethan's avatar.

I love the chemistry Ethan and Barbara have, it's teasing, fun and tasty. The differences between Ethan and 'Sebastian' (his alter ego used to seduce Barbara in an MMO) are done well. He doesn't change his language, just his voice; if Barb had been able to make sense, she would have figured out that they were one and the same. But Ethan has that level of chemistry that sense is impossible. When they end up together, Ethan is dominant; he gives Barbara exactly what he can sense she needs, especially when it comes to her fantasy, primordial chase. That is done in the most Ethan way possible. Both the setting and the way he deals with her limits.

There is the conclusion to an arc started in Emily's story here, as well as Emily and Killian's wedding. The epilogue plus all four couples and a moment of surprise (well, not surprise really), which changes a lot.

TBH, I do kinda wish this was longer. I want to know more about these characters. I wanted more use of the tech that Ethan installed, more Sebastian, and an answer to what the fk that tattoo symbolises.

I enjoyed this more than I expected to. I loved Jade, the FMC. From the first chapters, I seeing so much badass potential in her. Her past is full of scars and pain stemming from before her abusive marriage. She is a perfect match to Colt the MMC. Colt, I had some mixed feelings about. He's a child of abuse, physical and emotional; it has broken him a little. The emotional scale he shows just doesn't work for me. But he tries to respect Jade's boundaries, treats her as a princess once he commits, and I appreciate that in a man. They are fire together.

The plot outside their relationship feels like it will be overarching for the entire first generation of the Stone Brothers series. They are drug couriers; they get a new man to meet on one end, a wild card who knows too much. It's good money, but it's dangerous, and they know it. The main plot is Jade and Colt, leading into book two's story as well. It's not a unique story, not in the way it's told or in the characters. But I found it an enjoyable read. I liked the support characters and I really want to read bk 3 (2 looks meh).

On the support cast. It was largely Jade's ex, Ray, Colt's two brothers, Hunter and Slade, and their neighbour, Amy (aka Street). I love Amy; she is our Queen. The girl has been through hell and deserves her happiness. She is a glorious bestie for Jade. I spent most of the book wanting to slap Hunter, but mostly on Amy's behalf. He is a good brother to Colt and Slade, but good lord, he needs to see the light. But Slade, Slade, I love. Slade is exactly my type of guy. He has the humour, the demeanour and the patience that his brothers don't. I can see why he ends up with the kind of woman he does.

Ray is a fairly generic ahole abuser. Monied, powerful and willing to do anything to get his property back. He is a weak man who can't handle his alcohol, who thinks he is strong and learns better at the hands of Jade, the woman he tried to break (not a spoiler, that is the first chapter). He's nothing special. But his ending is.