Member Reviews
This is the 4th book in the Bourbon Street Boys Series. I absolutely love this series. All the characters are so unique with their own set of issues they have to overcome. In this story Tamika is literally driving down a one way street and hits Thibault with her car. When Thibault confronts her he finds her in labor. As the story goes with this series, Tamika has a scary situation and Thibault wants to be here superman. She struggles to accept help from the elite team of security or Thibault himself. Thibault is determined to save her. This book is action packed and has a ton of chemistry. It is fast paced and fun to read. I highly recommend it! If you haven't read any of this series, then you are missing out. Go pick it up today. Happy Reading!!!!!
“I hit you with my car! It’s not like you chose to be around me or involved with me. It’s not like you know me. I’m just some girl who almost ran you over, and you’re just the distracted dummy who got in my way, right? So, what I don’t get is how I go from being that girl to this person you want to protect at all costs. It doesn’t make any sense! You should be suing my butt off, not protecting it.”
3,5 stars
Let me begin with this: I love Elle Casey’s work. Shine Not Burn; MacKenzie Fire; All The Glory; her series War of the Fae and Clash of the Otherworlds have all been 5 stars. So clearly my rating has nothing to do with Elle Casey’s writing and talent in general.
It did just not work as I hoped for me.
This is the moment I’ll use variation of a broccoli analogy using carrots Jewlesy (fellow reviewer) used not so long ago: I can eat carrots and even enjoy it as my mom raised me right and taught me to eat vegetables every day. But I do prefer chocolate to carrots.
Well this story was like carrots: if I did enjoy the book I did not get the same pleasure from my read that I got from the above mentioned Elle Casey’s stories.
It was not easy to love the main female character Mika and that’s the main part of my issues with the story.
Mika is a very strong, independent and stubborn woman. She had no alternative than to work for a Russian Mafia Boss, Pavel . Now she wants out as he is threatening her life.
She has no friends and mistrusts everyone. She has her reasons as she did not have an easy life but it’s difficult to connect with a character holding you at arm’s length.
One life altering moment and she will literally bump into Thibault, one of The Bourbon Street Boys.
Thibault realizes very soon she has serious problems, no one to go to and as he is a very good guy, he wants to help her.
Little did he know the damsel in distress had a fiery temper and a stubborn streak!
Mika was neck deep in problems but did not want to accept Thibault’s help before a very long time. I get you can have your pride and she had a difficult past but there’s a difference between being prideful and foolish! She did not have the luxury to reject his help and it took her a long time before begrudgingly accepting said help. I just wanted to shake some sense in her head. Not a good sign right?
“In a few hours he’ll be gone from my life, and letting him think he has any say in that is a mistake. I am the captain of this ship. I decide how it runs and where it goes. I don’t care how nice he is or how good he looks in the morning, he is not going to push me in a direction I don’t want.”
What was also a little bit unsettling: I did not know what Mika looked like. Either I’ve been terribly distracted in the beginning (it’s a possibility) either there isn’t any physical description of Mika. We know what Thibault looks like as well as the other side characters but Mika… not so much. Why?
I recon this is not mandatory in a book but given that I already had a hard time connecting with her it did not help figuring her out.
Their relationship was also somewhat hard to believe in. Why? Because Mika gave mixed signals. This is a romance book but Thibault was like an afterthought as a romantic interest. Yes she is ogling him, yes she says he is pleasing to the eyes but again she kept her distance. Of course she had other problems and priorities plus a mobster chasing her but it did not contribute to sort through their feelings. And it had nothing to do with a lack of steam or sex scenes as some books are hotter than hot without any real sex scene, just because the chemistry is out of the charts.
Enough with my issues! Let’s talk about what worked really well for me.
-Thibault aka Superman.
He honestly saved the book. He was pushy but the right kind of pushy as he wanted to help a damsel in distress. Even with one hurt leg he was also very resourceful and fully able to protect Mika with the aid of his team. You have to admire a man that even temporarily crippled has your back and can take care of you! Usually men are big sissies when hurt or ill but not Thibault. Respect!
-The side characters and their connections. This is the fourth book in this series and even if I haven’t read the other ones I did not feel lost. I loved reading about Thibault’s friends and family, how a great and efficient team they made. They’re tight knit and help without question asked.
-The last 30%. That’s where everything happens that with the first 10% setting the story. Once Mika opened herself to Thibault and began trusting him it was easier to grasp and believe in their feelings, in their story, in everything in general. Twists and turns rain in the last part holding my attention till the end.
So will I read other books by Elle Casey? Certainly as I’ve loved her other works. Would I recommend this book? Well I would certainly tell you to make up your mind because my issues could not be problems for you.
This book grabbed me from being set in New Orleans - one of my absolute favorite cities. However, I only liked this book. I could not connect with Mika at all. She made some insane decisions that I don't think anyone could actually do.
The story moved very quickly and judging from the heroines from the previous books, the series sounds fun.
A good romance with an interesting plot. good writing. Thanks!
DNF at 67%.
Oh Elle Casey, it's not you it's me. Your books are like Marmite for me, I either love them or I hate them. This one was doing so well and then Thibault went and spoilt it.
Tamika (Mika) Cleary is a book-keeper for a Russian mobster, she is on her way to the Police station when she takes a wrong turn down a one-way street and mows down Thibault Delacroix. Their heated exchanges about whose fault it was take a backseat when Thibault realises that Mika is going into labour, much to her surprise.
Alone, with no friends and no-one to trust, Mika reluctantly turns to Thibault and the Bourbon Street Boys, but she won't hand over the evidence she has on her former boss - that's her insurance.
As I say, this started well, Mika is totally shocked by giving birth and is trying to plan her escape from New Orleans, but stuck wearing a hospital gown and with her car having been towed she has limited options. Thibault has a superman complex and wants to save everyone, although he swears Mika is too much like his sister Toni for him to ever want a relationship with her, he struggles with his feelings for Mika.
But then it starts. Thibault is helping Mika because he wants to, he practically forces his help on her, and yet he also demands that she tells him everything. Over and over again. He bullies, he uses emotional blackmail, he exploits Mika's love for her son, he sulks, he insists she needs him but he can't help her (with an implied "at all") unless she tells him everything and gives him the codes to her secret files. He insists she trust him but seems incapable of trusting her. I got increasingly angry and when I feel compelled to throw my Kindle on the floor in rage it's time to DNF.
I'm sorry Elle Casey and I promise I won't request any more books by you from NetGalley. I say bully, you say bossy; I say doormat, you say in need of help from a big strong man.
Thibault has always been my favorite Bourbon Street Boy. Silly, strong, and a real gentleman to the guys' wives and kids. He is like a gentle giant but his sister, Toni, has labeled him Superman and the name will stick forever. Tamika has been stuck in a world of Russian mobsters and has been forced to live her life day by day hoping she survives.
I loved it so much. It's a must read.
I have been waiting for this book ever since I read the last page of the previous book - and believe me, waiting that long wasn't easy. When I bought the first book of the series in December, I read it - and went back to download the next. And the next. And then the wait began. And it was hard. Fortunately I found "Shine not burn" by Elle Casey that turned out to be as funny and witty and gripping and page-turning in its own way as the books of the "Bourbon Street Boys" - Series but nevertheless I just couldn't wait for this book to get out.
Was it worth the wait? Hell, yessss....
From the first page on, this book got me and kept me glued to my reader till the very last page. I laughed and cried and I was upset and I was afraid and I was furious and - I loved every single page.
When Mika takes the wrong turn, this may just turn out to be the right direction, despite it being a one-way-street. in the other direction. And, well, despite the man she just hit with her car. Yes, even though every thing might turn out to be just the right thing and the right direction, no matter how bad it looks.
Unfortunately her up-to-now-but-not-any-longer employer didn't get the message and things get really bad but with Thibault at her side, how could Mika go wrong?
Fortunately the guys from Bourbon Street Security have some experience dealing with bad guys and when Thibault realizes that Mika is in danger he won't stop till she is safe.
Another wonderful book in a great series that just priveds the perfect mix of fun and action spiced with a lot of romance - I love it!
I really enjoyed this novel. The heroine Mika was funny, damaged but ultimately a survivor. I loved her inner dialogue. I loved the hero Thibault, he was strong, caring and funny. I loved how the two met and as unbelievable as it was I loved the way Thibault jumped right in to help Mika. I love how the story developed and was surprised by all the twists and turns. I love that Mika and Thibault were able to rise above everything and come together. I really enjoyed this novel and will be looking into reading other novels by this author. It is not necessary to read the previous books in the series but it is nice to catch up with previous characters in the other novels. I really enjoyed this novel and would highly recommend it.
The final book in th Bourbon St. Boys does not disappoint. This time it's Thibaults story and although can be read as a standalone it helps to have read the previous books if only to meet up with all the other great characters again.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, others have done the synopsis a lot better than I could but some have ruined book by giving away too many spoilers with the potential of ruining the ending, therefore all I will say is this is an entertaining and immensely readable book.
Thanks to net galley and publisher for opportunity to review this book
I really enjoy The Bourbon Street Boy series by Elle Casey. This the the 4th one and Thibault is our hero. It starts with our heroine Tamika sneaking out on her Russian mob boss to visit the cops without him knowing and the story takes off from there. I wasn't sure exactly what was happening since Tamika kept yelling and was rude and not very smart at all. I was hoping it was an act of some kind but it wasn't. She has to be in my top 5 of worst heroines I've read. Ever! The way she acted and spoke to Thibault, ugh! I couldn't get past it. There was nothing about her for him to like or be attracted to. He deserved a better match...
The story was not much and the romance is almost non existent.
Not something I would read again or recommend. Hoping the next one is better
F 50x66
Nellie Rivera's review
Mar 22, 2017 · edit
it was ok
I am so disappointed, I waited and waited for this book to come out. I am so happy that I have kindle unlimited and I could read book for free, because had I spent money on this I would have been pissed. I have purchased the three previous books, and loved them, this one sucked. I hated Mika, and Thibault deserved a better person. Mika was thoughtless, self-centered, and an idiot. I didn't like story line either, to think that we the read this and believe this is ludicrous, I know that this is fiction, but still, too many ridiculousnes. Not knowing you are pregnant, not knowing that Alexei was acting for 5 years!!! Come on!!! I can not believe that Thibault would leave his family and friends for this person he did not even know, for her to be OK with that shows how horrible a person she was, and when he is sticking his neck out and his team, she is still holding back info, and gets angry at him for not understanding why she won't leave a supposedly very dangerous situation, and putting not only her life but her baby's, and his teams life who is also his family until she knows about Alexei. I can understand helping her, but no not the rest. For Mika to allow him to abandon everything for her, is cruel. I also wish we would have read more about the others, they were the only redeemable part in all this. I love the Bourbon Street Boys, I am sad that this was a total waste of time for me, I want that time back.
Another great read in the The Bourbon Street Boys series. To be honest, this was not book in the series. I still enjoyed it and Love Elle Casey!
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this! I didn't know very much about it at all going in to it, but I am so glad that that wasn't the case because I feel it made me enjoy it all the more. I won't say anything too specific about the plot in case this review gets posted online and I spoil the reveal for someone, but there is a twist at the beginning of the book that I definitely did not see coming!! (Although maybe I just missed the clues). Either way, the whole knight-in-shining-armour is always a winner for me, and this was no different. It was great to see a female protagonist that wasn't totally perfect for a change. She had a past and she got caught up in bad things, and different to things you normally see in this genre. It was pretty easy reading in the sense that it didn't require too much thought to figure out the plot line, but remained thrilling. Would totally recommend.
I was happy that Thibault got his happily ever after finally. However of all the Bourbon Street Boys books, this was my least favorite. Simply because it didn't have as much action as the other. With that being said, I did enjoy the quick whit that both Thibault and Tamika had. In their situation if it was at least a little comical then they would probably be crying. The beginning of the book was the best. You have to read Wrong Turn, Right Direction just for that alone.
Wasn't sure how Elle Casey was gonna match Toni's story, but she did good. I enjoyed the story and kind of figured out the twist at the end. Seemed a little fast, but a lot of her stories are.
This was another winner for this series. The main characters worked perfectly with the set up of fated meeting and then the needed attraction and feeling of protection for her. Add in the complex situation of a little one happening, the russian mob and being an informant ...and you have a quick paced story.
Thibault has always been my favorite Bourbon Street Boy. Silly, strong, and a real gentleman to the guys' wives and kids. He is like a gentle giant but his sister, Toni, has labeled him Superman and the name will stick forever. Tamika has been stuck in a world of Russian mobsters and has been forced to live her life day by day hoping she survives. A crazy opening scene has us questioning her sanity but all becomes obvious a few chapters in when Thibault becomes Superman. This was probably the craziest book in the series but I love where Casey took the story. A truly suspenseful story, with a bit of comic relief and a few hunky men made this an unforgettable addition to the Bourbon Street series. I think this might be the last one in the series as everyone has gotten their story, unless new guy Jericho is deemed worthy. We get all the old characters in this one but it's not necessary to read them in order because each is independent. My review was written voluntarily after reading an advanced copy from Netgalley.
An amazing read. I couldn't put it down from beginning to end. A top author
This is the 4th installment for The Bourbon Street Boys and it did not disappoint. This story was a fun read with Thibault and Mika. They meet unexpectedly when Mika is driving the wrong direction on a one-way street and right into Thibault. When Thibault confronts the driver, she goes into labor and that is when the fun begins. The baby is coming fast which leaves Thibault no choice but to deliver it.
The two are rushed to the hospital and can't resist the bond that was created through this experience. Mika even names the baby after Thibault, aka, Baby T. He soon learns that her life is complicated and that she is a person of interest with very dangerous people. He convinces her to trust him and his team so he can protect her.
Thibault has a Superman complex and feels determined to save this damsel in distress, while Mika is unable to trust anyone even though Thibault is breaking down her walls. Danger is following Mika and Thibault and his team are determined to protect the people they love.
The dialogue to this story was fun and sassy just like the previous three stories. It is clear that the author not only likes the alpha male, but she likes a strong heroine, too. This book delivered