I knew this book was going to be different from any other JR Ward's work and I was excited to read it. I love her BDB series and her romance novels as Jessica Bird. 
 This one plays more like a Dynasty or a Falcon Crest soap opera if you will. We have a Bourbon empire, a despicable patriarch, an absent mother, and the siblings dealing with their own battle scars and broken spirits. 
 The first book features Jonathan Tulane "Lane" Bradford. He is the younger of the male siblings. When we first meet him he's in NYC gambling and staying on his best friend's couch. He has been there for two years. Only to leave NYC for his home estate, Easterly when someone dear to him is sick. 
 Lizzie King works as the main horticulturalist for the Bradford's estate. She fell in love with Lane two years ago, only to loose him. He hurt her deeply and she is not going to give him a second chance. This of course, doesn't last long. Their feelings for each other run too deep to have disappeared. Lane wants to fight for Lizzie but he might not be able to win her back with so much evil surrounding them. 
 ~~ 
 This is an interesting saga. The family makes dysfunctional look good. We have four siblings trying to survive the best they can. 
 I'm not too sure why Lane had to run away after he broke Lizzie's heart. I don't like that over the last two years he hasn't done anything productive with his life. He has spent his time drinking and gambling. I saw a few instances when he started to take control of his life and those glimpses gave me hope. 
 "There is no fight - I'm yours. If you want, here and now. Or later. A week, a month, years from now." 
 I don't understand why Lizzie stayed employed by the Bradfords. If it was me, I would have said "Sayonara losers" a long time ago. No garden is good enough reason to be confronted with Lane's wife on a daily basis. 
 In regards to the other siblings: 
 Gin, the only sister, is spoiled and never learned to take care of herself. Regardless of this, I liked her and felt sorry for her. But, I don't agree with her "way out" at all. What happened to her made me mad and upset. Keeping quiet is NEVER the answer. 
 Edward, the oldest brother is a broken soul and I immediately fell for him. He needed someone to love him deeply and help him overcome all his obstacles. He deserved happiness. For me, he was the most interesting character. I'm not sure who his HEA is. Sutton is definitely a contender. 
 Max is still missing in action. He was mentioned a few times and we saw a glimpse of him as a child, and Lane alluded to some of his darker side but nothing else except Tanesha Nyce asking about him. (HEA?). 
 "You're the love of my life, whether you're with me or not." 
 Cliffhanger: In a way yes. The story is not close to done. 
 4/5 Fangs 
 A complimentary copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 
 MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It 
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