Review: Maddox by Maggie Ryan & Alta Hensley

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Standalone - The Black Stallion Trilogy #1
Release: January 6, 2017
Length: 438 pages

Power… danger… desire

Maddox Steele, along with his two brothers and father, lives by one code: Help all in need. Even if it means saving those who walk among the most sinister criminals in the world. Known as The Black Stallions, their mission is simple – provide rescue and safety to the underground.

Adira Nazar has no idea her entire life is about to explode into a million pieces. With her life in extreme danger, her only choice is to hand over complete trust to a dark and mysterious man she has never met before… Maddox Steele.

Just another job…

Someone to protect like all the others…

But when Maddox sets eyes on Adira, all bets are off. She is his save, and he's determined to make sure that nothing happens to this exotic beauty trapped in a ruthless world.

Tucked away at The Black Stallion Ranch, and with the few clues they have, can the Steeles put together the pieces in time to save her, or will they lose Adira to the clutches of darkness?

Publisher's Note: This book contains graphic sex and BDSM elements.

Find it on Goodreads

My Review

I read something from Alta Hensley before (Dark Feather, which I really enjoyed), but nothing from Maggie Ryan, so this was a new experience for me. I wasn't sure what to expect.

This book was a romantic suspense with an underlying D/s theme throughout. Adira and Maddox (as well as the other Steeles, including Jennie) were all pretty easy to like. There was no mistaking Maddox's need for control, in and out of the bedroom. He was an Alpha right from the start. Adira was headstrong and, at first, very rebellious. I liked the fight she had in her, however, I was disappointed at times with her inner thoughts. How could someone with a PhD lack logic. But then again, given her circumstances, who could really blame her for losing all rationality? I enjoyed the steamier scenes between these characters as well. Despite the necessity of Adira's discipline, each scene gave credence to their intimacy and the undeniable feelings and connection that was growing between them.

Despite this, it was hard to really get into this story. It took quite a while for anything of significance to happen. The narrative was very descriptive when it came to land, homes, boats and horseflesh, but with regards to the actual plot, some of those details weren't as forthcoming. Things would happen but they were mentioned as more of an aside. I would rather have more information about the Steele men than anything else. And sadly the climax to the story felt anti-climactic. There is a huge storyline behind the Steele men and how they came together but there were no details. I wonder if this will be covered in each of their books? But why wasn't more information regarding Maddox's background (his and his father's loss) discussed? How did the government fail them? What happened after that?

Genre: Romantic Suspense
POV: Dual - 3rd person
Steam: 3 out of 5