Blurb:

All my life I’ve been a prisoner.

Locked away by men who think they hold all the power.

First my father.

And now him.

The devil himself.

Reid Harris.

Even my husband can’t save me from the most infamous man in Harrow Creek and his loyal best friend.

I’m tangled up in their twisted games.

One woman.

Three dangerous men.

They expect me to cower.

To beg and plead for mercy.

But Reid’s about to discover that not everyone bends to his will.

Because I don’t care who he is or what he does, I will not break.

Not for any man.

And certainly not for him.

My 4* Review:

Merciless by Tracy Lorraine is book one in her new Harrow Creek Hawks series. It is a captive, why choose, dark romance with torturous and upsetting undertones. If you have read the Maddison Kings University series then you will recognise many of the characters involved.

Harrow Creek is under the control of the corrupt and violent Victor Harris. If you are born here then there is no chance to leave but luckily some people are planning to end his reign of terror. This is a revenge based story which revolves around Alana Murray, her captor Reid Harris, his best friend Julian Dempsey and her husband Maverick Murray. 

Reid is the heir to the Hawks and has built himself a ruthless and deadly reputation but secretly he is preparing to bring Victor down. When an incident involving his good friend Kane threatens his plans, he kidnaps the culprit Alana, to find out what she knows. He never expects to be drawn to her and have to constantly battle his feelings while trying to extract the answers he is after. His methods are not conventional and often violent but he is determined to find out her secrets.

JD is good at breaking the rules especially when it comes to Alana. He is positive his kind ways will have better results than Reid’s evil ones. He is so funny when he teases Reid but their friendship is solid as they have obviously been through a lot together. During his interactions with Alana he realises there is more involved to her story than they thought and maybe she isn’t a threat to Reid’s plans. 

Alana has experienced more than anyone should and her life has been ruined by men.They have lied, manipulated, controlled and used her so Reid and JD are just added to her list. Although she is haunted by her past, she shows how strong she is in her way of dealing with her captors. One thing that keeps her going is the love she has for her husband Maverick, because he’s always tried so hard to help and protect her. 

Mav is the son of Razor, a high ranking Hawk but he doesn’t want the life he has been born into. He found out what had been done to Alana and feels guilty for not helping her sooner than he did. Since the fateful night that changed her life, he has done all he can to keep her safe and not add to her trauma. They have devised a plan to help her get the answers she wants but what will they have to sacrifice to get them. Mav and Reid have become enemies over the years but we don’t know exactly why. 

The sexual tension between Alana, JD and Reid grows rapidly so they use it against her but who will break first? I felt sorry for poor Maverick who is so in love with his wife and desperately trying to find her. For the last five years he has tried to do the right thing by her and is scared of failing her.

The author gives us flashbacks about Alana’s life to help understand the dynamics of her marriage, her connection to Kane and the horrific events in her childhood.  I have always been intrigued by the eldest Harris brother and think we have a lot more to find out about him especially as he really seems to care about JD and now Alana. JD has shown us his flirty and charming side but we have been warned he has a dark side so I expect that might appear if Reid is threatened. 

It was good having the story told by all four characters and it flowed well from one to the other. They are all victims of Harrow Creek but have managed to find a way to survive. Will they get the revenge they seek on the ones who have made their lives so miserable. I think when Reid gives into his desires for Alana all hell will break loose and what will happen when all the truths are revealed about what has really been going on as each one of them has secrets they are hiding.The author leaves the reader with an exciting but frightening cliffhanger ready for the next book.