Review: Surrender by Lisa Renee Jones

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Careless Whispers #3
Release: January 9, 2017
Length: 321 pages
Review of book 1, Denial
Review of book 2, Demand

Passion burns fiercely hot between Ella Ferguson and Kayden Wilkens, the man who held secrets and lies in his hands, and then allowed them to fall into hers. But even though he has become her anchor—helping her recover from amnesia after finding her unconscious in an alley, and allowing her into his secret world—all is not what it seems. Kayden still has secrets, and pieces of Ella's past are still shrouded in the darkness of her mind, while the powerful man who hunts her will not stop until she is his. In this final, explosive novel in the Careless Whispers series, Ella discovers that while her life with Kayden didn't begin in that dark alley...it could easily end there.

Chris and Sara from Inside Out return in the explosive finale to Ella's story from New York Times bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones with the third book in the sexy, suspenseful Careless Whispers series.

Goodreads | Amazon

My Review

I know I am just one of many who were eagerly anticipating this conclusion to Ella and Kayden's saga. It picked up around where Demand ended: Ella and Sara are on the phone and it's told in Sara's POV. Quelle Surprise! I liked getting some glimpses of Sara (not really, you know I wanted to see Chris) in this one.

We're then immediately thrust back into the dynamic of Ella and Kayden's relationship. She's still struggling to remember and ultimately the right triggers are conveniently helping the cause. He's doing everything in his power as the Hawk to end her torment and to provide her with safety and security, as well as be the supportive, caring and considerate man that loves and is loved by her. Their love and connection was as strong as ever, despite her habitual hesitations. Their chemistry was as off-the-charts as ever.

On the suspense side, a plan finally falls into place, even considering the unpredictable nature of the players involved. Niccolo is still expecting Kayden and Ella to eliminate his brother, Neuville, and provide him with the necklace. They just need to stay one step ahead of him. Unfortunately, Neuville is a psycho, no one is safe, and I was doubting who could be trusted.

I know I'm going against the grain. I know that I will be of the minority. I'm actually used to that, but I didn't love this book. As much as I had looked forward to this story, it felt anti-climactic. It left me still yearning for a conclusion. As beautifully written as it was, I wasn't wowed. This had a lot to do with the redundancy of Ella's inner thoughts (am I really the only one who was annoyed?) and the lack of an effective ending. It didn't touch me. I wasn't satisfied with the way things were left in the end. The only thing that gave me hope is the hint that the author left that there may be an epilogue for this couple in the future.

This was an enjoyable and entertaining conclusion with an action scene that highlighted Ella's badassness. There were appropriate doses of love and forever between her and Kayden and I was still very much in love with his character. I'm crossing my fingers for a future epilogue!!

Genre: Contemporary Romance/Romantic Suspense
POV: Heroine - 1st person
Steam: 2 out of 5
HEA: HFN