Review // The Mastermind by Dylan Allen

"I thought you didn't dance," I tease.
"I guess I found the right beat, because here I am."
"You like the beat of Calypso?"
"I like the beat of you."

──────　♔　──────

The Mastermind by Dylan Allen

Standalone - Rivers Wilde #3.7
Release - February 8, 2022
Genre - Contemporary Romance / fling
Dual POV - 1st person
Heat Level - 4 out of 5 / a few scenes
Format/Source - eARC (Thanks to Social Butterfly PR)
Length - 253 pages
Publisher - 1001 Dark Nights Press

Goodreads * Amazon

He lives under a golden spotlight.
I’m shackled to a past that must stay hidden.

Omar Solomon is the king of the comeback.
Ten years ago his career as a star athlete ended in injury and scandal.
He may have traded in his cleats for Gucci loafers, but he’s been as victorious in the boardroom as he was on the pitch.

He returns to London, wealthy, influential, and powerful beyond measure.
And he spends every weekend in the pub where I work.
A law student with a night job and a dark past,
I’m hardly the type of woman a man like him would notice.

Or so I thought.

When he offers me a no-strings-attached affair,
I forget all the reasons I should say no.
He’s straight out of my dreams—
with a body and a mouth made for sinning.

Our passion turns my gray existence into a vibrant, colorful life.
But it has an expiration date.

When his time in London is over, we will be, too.
And it will be for the best.
Because he can never find out who I really am.

But my Mastermind has set his sights on a new goal: me.
And this time he’s playing for keeps.

My Two Cents

3.5 "Break and Beat" stars

Sweet and charming
Sexy and spicy
Dylan Allen knows how to deliver must-read, heartwarming, happily ever after romance!

Omar Solomon was a man who seemed to have it all—money, celebrity, family, friends, etc. Yet he was uncomfortable with the press and failed to make real connections in his love life. And his family seemed to be falling apart due to secrets and lies.

Jules knew all about lies—heck, she was living the biggest one of them all. She didn't allow anyone to get too close, stayed under the radar, and dreamed from afar.

It was like these two were each other's kryptonite. They were doing things they vowed never to do. Feeling things they never experienced before. While their romance seemed to build quickly, it actually started off extremely slow (their pseudo meet-cute forced things to develop in steps).

I was even caught up in the mystery surrounding Jules's past. Who did what? She is who now? What happens next?

However... don't act like you didn't know a but was coming... I did find that this story was too long and yet not long enough. While some parts were explored in depth, like the relationship between the main characters (so good), the other parts, those surrounding the past, seemed to be left up in the air. Touched, but barely. I'm greedy. I think we all know this by now and I needed more.

Not quite a novella, not quite a novel, but definitely worth the read.

About the Author

Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling Author, Dylan Allen writes compelling, dramatic, emotional romances with exceptional, diverse characters you'll root for and never forget.

A self-proclaimed happily ever junkie, she loves creating stories where her characters find a love worth fighting for. When she isn’t writing or reading, eating, or cooking, Dylan indulges her wanderlust by planning her next globe-trotting adventure.

Dylan was born in Accra, Ghana (West Africa) but was raised in Houston, Texas. Dylan is a proud graduate of Tufts University, Howard University School of Law and the London School of economics. After twenty years of adventure and wild oat sowing, Dylan, her amazing husband and two incredible children returned to Houston where they now make their home.

Visit https://www.authordylanallen.com/ for more information