Sunday, August 30, 2026

Book Review: Unraveled (Elemental Assassin, Book 15) by Jennifer Estep ~ #UF Urban Fantasy ~ #TenYearAnniversary #PublishedForADecade

Unraveled
Elemental Assassin, Book 15
Jennifer Estep

Ten Year Anniversary!


Book Details:

Print Length: 400 pages
Publisher: Pocket Books
Publication Date: August 30, 2016
ASIN: B017I22DZC

Purchase from Amazon 
Add to Goodreads


About the Book:

What could go wrong when you’re trying to unravel a decades-old conspiracy?

As the current queen of the Ashland underworld, you would think that I, Gin Blanco, would know all about some secret society controlling things from behind the scenes. I might be the Spider, the city’s most fearsome assassin, but all my Ice and Stone elemental magic hasn’t done me a lick of good in learning more about “the Circle”. Despite my continued investigations, the trail’s gone as cold as the coming winter.

So when Finnegan Lane, my foster brother, gets word of a surprising inheritance, we figure why not skip town for someplace less dangerous for a few days? That place: Bullet Pointe, a fancy hotel resort complex plus Old West theme park that Finn now owns lock, stock, and barrel. At first, all the struttin’ cowboys and sassy saloon girls are just hokey fun. But add in some shady coincidences and Circle assassins lurking all around, and vacationing becomes wilder—and deadlier—than any of us expected.

Good thing this assassin brought plenty of knives to the gunfight …


My Review:

Unravled, book 15, is another fantastic installment of the Elemental Assassin series. The entire series has pulled me in and kept me engaged from the very beginning. These are the types of books that have me longing for the next one. They are written with vivid descriptions and genuine feelings, allowing the reader to become totally immersed in this world.

Gin, Finn, Owen, and Bria are headed out of town to Bullet Pointe, a Wild West theme park. After the fallout of book 14, Bitter Bite, Finn learns he inherited the theme park from his mother. The last time Gin took a vacation was several books ago and she's highly due for another one. Gin really should know better - nothing good ever comes out of going on vacation. When Circle assassins appear throughout the park Gin knows that Bullet Pointe isn't all fun and games.

Even after 15 novels in this series, Jennifer Estep knows how to keep the stories engaging and interesting. I've been a fan of the entire series. I've rated all of the books 4 or 5 stars. They are written with vivid descriptions and genuine feelings, allowing the reader to become totally immersed in this world. The world building continues and we learn a bit more about Gin's mother.

I was provided with a copy of this book. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.


My Rating:


Review previously posted on Sapphyria's Books but has been updated.



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Sunday, August 9, 2026

#BookReview ~ Hard Rules (Dirty Money, Book 1) by Lisa Renee Jones ~ #TenYearAnniversary #PublishedForADecade #ContemporaryRomance ~ @LisaReneeJones @StMartinsPress

 Hard Rules (Dirty Money, Book 1) by Lisa Renee Jones

Ten Year Anniversary!


Book Details:

ASIN: ‎ B015WAHK2I
Publisher: ‎ St. Martin's Griffin
Publication Date: ‎ August 9, 2016
Print Length: ‎ 304 pages
ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1250083869
Book 1 of 4: ‎ Dirty Money


Genre: Contemporary Romance

About the Book:

How bad do you want it?

The only man within the Brandon empire with a moral compass, Shane Brandon is ready to take his family’s business dealings legitimate. His reckless and ruthless brother, Derek wants to keep Brandon Enterprises cemented in lies, deceit, and corruption. But the harder Shane fights to pull the company back into the light, the darker he has to become. Then he meets Emily Stevens, a woman who not only stirs a voracious sexual need in him, but becomes the only thing anchoring him between good and evil.

Emily is consumed by Shane, pushed sexually in ways she never dreamed of, falling deeper into the all-encompassing passion that is this man. She trusts him. He trusts her, but therein lies the danger. Emily has a secret, the very thing that brought her to him in the first place, and that secret could destroy them both.

My Review:

Brandon Enterprises has been mixed up in its fair share of shady dealings. Derek Brandon has his hands in many illegal ventures, thinking about nothing but financial gain and running the company when his father is no longer able. Shane Brandon has other ideas; it's time Brandon Enterprises walked the straight and narrow. He returns to Denver from New York to straighten up the mess his father and brother have made with the company. Shane may walk the line between darkness and the light but he does what he must to stabilize his family's legacy, keeping it from falling further into the pit of corruption. The intriguing woman he encounters in a coffee shop is only supposed to take the edge off, not leave him desperate for more.

Emily has just settled down in Denver. She's been on the run from her past, present, and most likely, her future. Harboring secrets that she's unwilling to divulge to anyone, she also has a past that she could get dragged back into it at any time. She just needs to get a job and keep a low profile for now, but a chance meeting in a coffee shop puts a twist in her plans.

Shane's character is strong, ruthless when necessary, yet tender and affectionate. His feelings for Emily are evident from their first encounter. After they meet again, their one night of passion proves to no be enough for either of them - not by a long shot. Emily is also a strong character; she has to be in order to survive whatever secrets are threatening to eat her up inside. She truly cares for Shane on almost every level - except the one that tells her to trust him with her secrets. Emily and Shane compliment each other. Emily illuminates the darkness Shane must maneuver through.

Hard Rules is a wonderful blend of suspense, intrigue, and romance ~ at some moments - very steamy romance! I was enraptured by Emily and Shane's story from the beginning prologue and could not put the book down. I was pulled into the drama and romantic suspense elements of the book. Every element of Hard Rules was enjoyable, from Shane and Emily's first meeting all the way to the cliffhanger ending.

I was provided with a copy of this book. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.


My Rating:




This post contains affiliate links.
If you make a purchase using my links, I will receive a small commission from the sale at no cost to you.
Thank you for supporting Sapphyria’s Books.