Even Money and Double Down by Alessandra Torre...... Review by Dawn

Sometimes it only takes a minute. A connection of eyes across a room, a quickened heartbeat, and everything changes.

I was a cocktail waitress with a fondness for partying and meaningless sex.

He owned half of Vegas, with the reputation to match.

I should have turned away. Instead, I stepped closer.

Then, the lies started.

Rumors spread.

Stalking commenced.

And someone died.

None of it stopped me from falling in love.

In Vegas, there was one man who was off limits. One man... and I fell for him. 

I knew there were risks. Still, I played the game. When Dario Capece called, I answered. When he beckoned, I came. When he broke all my rules, I looked the other way. 

I knew there were risks. I just never realized they included death. 

Dawn's Review

Bell, was a character that I loved... in the beginning.
Dario, was someone who bothered me, but then grew on me.
I really did enjoy this story and the second book Double Down as well.  I thought the plot was interesting and kept me engaged. I was far more interested in knowing more about Dario and Gwen at cretin points in the book. We did get the full story and I was really vested in their "marriage."  It was believable and made my heart heavy for poor old Gwen. I was really happy to see that she did love "Ranch hand Nick," see everyone was happy.
Now, with Bell's past and it being mentioned many times, when she felt uneasy, I was left saying 'GIRL, WHY ARE YOU NOT LISTENING TO YOUR GUT?" I just thought since she had this "feeling" why did she ignore it. Of course, we are readers and we pick up on it, because we are getting the entire picture and have to wait on the character to "get it."
Dario, was truly a gentlemen, he treated Bell with respect and let he know right from the start that he was married and the reason for his wedding.  I believed him, I really did, he married Gwen, for her protection.  Dario and Bell, has amazing chemistry , sparks and super sexiness!
The supporting cast were FANTASTIC. I loved Lance and Rick, they were hilarious and so fiercely loyal to Bell.  Bell's roommates were fun to read about. Meredith and Bell, had me cracking up!
It is a dark read at times, kidnapping and rape are discussed, many times. I didn't mind the darker side of this story, as it was not a constant conversation.
The story did get a bit wordy at times, but other than those few things, I did really enjoy it.
The ending to Even Money, left us with a cliffhanger, I KNOW! But Alessandra, being the giver that she is, only made us wait a week for book 2, Double Down, so cliffy be damned!

The Double Down, picks right up where Even Money left us, with a dead body, but who's?

STOP READING THIS REVIEW.....SPOILER ALERT

 

So,  Bell lives.... and someone else is shot. I'm going to let you take a minute, before you go on...

Bell, lives and Gwen dies. I mean I saw that coming but it still was a shock. I believed Dario's pain, he lost his best friend, but his true love was in the very room, suppose to be dead. All of this leads to Dario, swiftly getting Bell out of Vegas and sending her to the only person/people he trusts. 

Things transpire between the local police, the feds and Gwen's father Hawk. Talk about a character that had zero redeeming qualities. I hated that man, like to his core. I was so happy when he died. I took a minute to let myself enjoy his death, although it was a bit rushed, I needed Hawk to suffer...A lot.
Dario and Bell, still had the same chemistry and they were brought even closer with the constant threat of who wanted Bell dead. Even with Hawk, gone the threat was still there.
The dark underlying topic in this story was Hawk's penchant for kidnapping young women and breaking them.  The FBI was on the trail with Dario's help. This played out and was a huge part of the book and sometimes I felt a little uninterested. I didn't have a connection to these victims, and I was glad for that, because this story had enough players to keep up with. 

I love that this was left a bit open ended. Not everything was wrapped up and that is exciting! This duo is worth the read and you will enjoy it. Alessandra, tells a story that is steamy, drama filled and always with her tendency to go a little twisted.  

4 Stars for Even Money and Double Down by Alessandra Torre

Honest Review based on book provided by NetGalley