Shane and Emily are trying to keep everything together while battling the Martina drug cartel and keeping control of Brandon Enterprises. Derek and Brandon Sr aren't making anything easy along with lies and back door deals that might put the company in ruins. Betrayals within the family make it harder for Shane to protect the family name. He an Emily draw closer even though there is still danger from her past life. Brandon Sr's health is declining more and Shane must make drastic moves to ensure all is not lost. The book ends in another cliffhanger so I will need to read the next one. This one was a little long and some of the information could've been cut. ( )

Immediately following the events in Damage Control, Shane Brandon is having a weak moment, his feelings for Emily and for his parents are leaving him unfocused. The desire to get Brandon Enterprises away from the cartel and back into the green is stronger than ever, he's desperate to save the business, and to find a way to save his girl and his family in the process. Even when they find a moment to sneak away for an erotic moment, Emily can tell is haunted by the what ifs and she fears he'll change himself in order to save everyone else. The only way to escape the cartel's grips is to play a better game, but the Brandon family must find a way to come together if they want to team up against the Martinezes. Secrets and lies may make their separation even wider though and they may all go down with the business.

"...and those demons of his aren't whispering now. They're shouting. Actually, I'm pretty sure they're holding knives and jabbing them in his chest and mine right along with it."

The developments and the twists in this book! Family drama, cartel danger, and plenty of lust fill the pages of Bad Deeds, book three in the Dirty Money series. Told from multiple POVs, readers are graced with the viewpoint of not just Shane and Emily, but also of Derek and his companion, Teresa Martinez. The character development is astonishing in Dirty Money. Shane became a three-dimensional character for me, more than this man driven by his goal and his lust. We see a more emotional side of him, which works perfect with Emily beginning to show the strength her old self possessed. Emily carried the story a lot this time, her research and drive to bring the family together showed her devotion to Shane, but also took away this vulnerability that wasn't becoming of her previously. She shows her wits and courage and I loved that. Then there's Derek and Teresa, who move out of low secondary positions in the story line into much more prevalent and important character roles. Though their POV chapters are sparse, they give reader an alternate look at the drama that surrounds the Brandons and the Martinezes. Continuing to grace us with their presences is also the Brandon parents, Shane's hot security team, and Adrian Martinez with his band of merry thugs.

"She moans. She sighs. She whispers my name and everything else fades."

Bad Deeds takes us out of the big picture, getting Brandon Enterprises away from the Martinezes, and focuses on the tiny details that got the Brandons in the mess in the first place. I really enjoyed the extra details Lisa Renee Jones included when writing scenes with the Brandon family, their dynamic is unique and really drives the story forward. It's obvious that wealth, greed, and revenge has taken this family and turned them upside down, pitting siblings against parents and each other. While progress is made with Shane's goals, it is done through dissecting the Brandon family, gaining knowledge on the Martinezes, and in Shane finding more than romance in Emily, but rather an ally and partner as well. The family, the business, the ties to the cartel, it's all twisted up in a tangled web, but it makes for a stunning series.

"I'm stunned by her words, but more so by how much this woman loves me despite all I have let myself become, and all I have done to her."

I was hooked with this release, could not put it down, and it's a heck of a release from LRJ. I could feel my heart racing when things went from bad to worse and my emotions were all over the place as we jumped from one character's view to another, gaining perspective on the full gamut of trouble the Brandons will face as a family. It's addicting. Plus, Bad Deeds ends in another cliffhanger and readers won't see this one coming. I am desperate for the next release and know LRJ is going to deliver a stunning conclusion. Fans of suspense, romance, and erotica will once again find that Lisa Renee Jones is the queen. ( )

Lisa Renee Jones brings us back to the world of Dirty Money in Bad Deeds. The story picks up exactly where book 2 ended and you jump right back into the family drama. A family dinner with the Brandons is more of a prequel to war than a meal and lots of bombs are loaded and aimed. Derek makes veiled threats, Mrs. Brandon tries to get everyone to the table, and Mr. Brandon mentions that he is planning to go to Germany for a treatment that will cure his incurable cancer. So, you know, normal family dinner.

Shane and Emily have a pretty rock solid relationship at this point. Shane is realizing how amazing Emily is and how much he loves her. Emily is strong and smart; her advice to Shane is always spot on and he would have already screwed up a few things without her guidance. Shane, however, doesn't want Emily to be involved in his world and wants her to docilely leave the room and let him handle business. It was frustrating at times because Emily makes Shane better.

Shane was a bit wimpy for me in the beginning book. While it was sweet and romantic to hear his inner mooning over Emily, it started to come off as a bit saccharine after awhile. I wanted him to be more self confident and dominate. Not necessarily dominate over Emily at all, but be that dominate presence that he was in the courtroom. He just came off as less self assured so often it bothered me. However, then he would turn into a cold Dom type and it felt weird. His behavior throughout the story felt off to me frequently and it was strange. I am glad there are chapters from other POVs to help balance out the weird vibe I was getting from Shane.

Bad Deeds also gives us more insight into Derek. Parts of the story are told in his and Teresa's POV so you get to see behind the curtain so to speak. Derek has been the villain throughout the story and I enjoyed getting a better insight into his possible end game. At this point in the story, no one is 100% good or clean (except maybe Emily) and the story keeps you on your toes guessing who get the dirtiest; will Derek remain the villain, will Shane make some dark decisions, will Mr. Brandon live on and continue to torture everyone? Honestly, at this point, not only is the state of the company up in the air, the villains are numerous and continuously coming, lines of good and bad are blurred into big grey blobs, and survival of anyone isn't guaranteed. The plot keeps you guessing as to how everything will work out. Frankly, the end game keeps changing and you have to read carefully to keep up! There are so many players in the game and all of them have various motives.

My biggest struggle with the story is at times it felt we took a few steps backward. Book 2 was really engaging to me, and Bad Deeds felt like it regressed at time. I will also say that with the family dynamics growing deeper in this book, it was kind of like a soap opera (I think this is both good and bad-mostly good though because I love the drama!)

 

• POV: dual 1st


• Tears: no


• Trope: drug cartel, dysfunctional family


• Triggers: spoiler


• Series/Standalone:


• Cliffhanger: BIG one. I think the biggest cliffhanger of the series


• HEA: unknown until the end of book 4

Trigger by LP Dover, The Devil's Daughter by Katee Robert, Nico by Sarah Castille...then you will probably like Bad Deeds!

 


Bad Deeds





See full review on The Book Disciple ( )

If I deducted stars for how many times I ranted "OH MY GOSH" This would rate at negative 10. Cliff HANGER IS A KILLER!! Continuing the Dirty Money series Jones leads the reader on ups and downs of bliss and nail biting suspense. Mix of Courage, Love, Betrayal keep this glued to your hands and cannot be set aside. Shane and Emily have cleaned up some of their issues but more seem to find them. Cannot wait for the next in this series. All of Jones' novels put her at the top of my have to read list. "A copy of this book was provided by St. Martin's Press via NetGalley with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read and my comments here are my honest opinion." ( )

Ok! Well Emily and Shane are doing great, their relationship is growing in leaps and bounds. There's drama from the Cartel and his father as he finally tells them his intentions while he's going through treatment which causes an up roar. And we learn more about Derek's relationship with Teresa, and sparks are flying between the assistants too.
Generally things are moving along, then...."damn"....the dreaded cliffhanger. I'm dying here. I need #4. ( )