Take Over by Edie Baylis.
Book 1 in the Allegiance Series.

I love starting a new series and especially when its a gangland crime series.

We are introduced to some interesting characters through this book. A decent realistic storyline.
Sam has always been a pampered only child, not totally aware of her fathers business.
However the day has come that Sam needs to take over. A little Naïve maybe, but Sam is determined to do her dad proud. Not everyone is backing Sam, some don't think this is what she should be doing, some will go all out to stop her.
Can Sam rise above and prove she has what it takes or will it be easier to pass things over to another family member.

Interesting, intriguing and a good page turner. This book left me wanting to read the next book in the series and as luck has it, I'm a little behind and have another 3 books my get my teeth in to. This book has a great mix of family, betrayal and crime. A gritty page turner.

Edi Baylis has created an interesting start to a series, lets see what the rest of this series will be like, I'm certainly looking forward to it.

Samantha Reynolds didn't know what she was getting into stepping into her father's shoes and taking over the family business.

Use to be watered hand and foot this is not what she expected to be doing. It's a big change to her system which she is not used to. Can she figure out how to run this business and keep it a lot?

📚Wow! What a way to begin a new gangland-crime series! I was very impressed with the fast paced flow of this, and how much this has left me wanting to read the entire series.

📚This was refreshingly new, and as a huge fan of this genre I was a little apprehensive that this would miss the mark. I am delighted to declare that my worries were unnecessary as this author clearly knows their stuff. I can’t believe I haven’t read anything by her before.

📚Written so well, showcasing the ability to create a whole new underworld with some amazing characters, and I can’t wait to see how this will progress through the rest of the collection. I will definitely be picking up the next installment of this adrenaline fueled series.

📚Full of sinners, dark moments, and criminality, this was hard to put down, having me absorbed from the beginning to end. A perfect read for fans of Gillian Godden, Jessie Keane and Kimberely Chambers.

A great crime story about two rival families. The Reynolds and the Stokers.

Samantha Reynolds an only child is daddy's little princess she wants for nothing and has everything within her reach. Then a terrible tragedy means she has to take over the business her father has built up and that she hasn't the first clue about. But to protect her mum and herself she must. She is willing to put herself on the line to learn everything, toughen up and prove herself.

Then we have the Stokers, led by Mal and his four sons. When Mal has a scare with his health he decides to hand the reins to his eldest son Sebastian, who is vicious, cruel, smart, deadly, and a bit gorgeous.

Edie Baylis has delivered a great crime book again with this. The twists and turns keep the reader on their toes. and the dramas and thrills keep you page-turning at a rate of knots.
I did get a bit of a crush on Seb I must admit.
Thank you so much NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this excellent book. xx

I really enjoyed this domestic drama by Edie Baylis. Insight into the darker side of some business establishments. Complex characters that made me feel invested in the story. WOW... What A Ride!... blew me away… The narrative grabs the reader by the throat and doesn't let you breathe until the end… I read this book in one sitting. I stayed up until midnight devouring the action A unique story.

If there’s one thing that I like doing, it’s discovering new authors. Edie Baylis is certainly a new author for me. Having enjoyed reading ‘Takeover’ as much as I did, I am now rather cross at myself that I left it this long to discover how much of a flipping fantastic author she is. I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Takeover’ but more about that in a bit.
It took me next to no time to get into ‘Takeover’. In fact by the time I got to the end of the synopsis, I had a feeling that I was going to be in for a treat. I fell under the book’s spell from the moment I read the first word on the first page and the spell lasted until after I read the last word on the very last page. I had only intended to read a chapter or two to say that I had made a start on the book but I became so wrapped up in the story that I lost all track of time and just how quickly I was getting through the story. My Kindle wasn’t exactly glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it travelled everywhere with me. I couldn’t bear to miss a single second of the story. I soon got to the end of ‘Takeover’ and I enjoyed every single minute of it. I found ‘Takeover’ to be a gripping, tense and dramatic read, which certainly kept me guessing and which kept me on the edge of my seat throughout.
‘Takeover’ is extremely well written. The author has one of those writing styles that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with. Edie certainly knows how to grab the reader’s attention and draw them into what proves to be one hell of a story. For me, the story hit the ground running and maintained a fast pace throughout. To say that some of the characters in the story frightened me is a wee bit of an understatement. Reading ‘Takeover’ felt like being on an at times scary and unpredictable rollercoaster with several twists and turns along the way. Just when you thought that it was safe to take a breath and gather your thoughts then off the action would go again.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Takeover’ and I would have no hesitation in recommending this book to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Edie’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

1st book in a new series and it opens with a bang! Daddy is dead and his pampered princess daughter has to step up and take over the business!!! With no idea what she is doing the author takes you on a journey of her new life!

This is the first book in the new Allegiance series and wow what a book it is to get you hooked into the series !

In this book we have Samantha Reynold , she is used to a pampered and spoilt life so when she has to takeover the reigns of her fathers casino business it is a bit of a shock to say the least ! The life she has lived doesn't help when she gets to grips with the life of a casino boss along with the gangland war with another family casino business. Who will come out top ?

This book is jam packed with action to keep you on your toes and keep you gripped to the story. It's one of them books where you start of reading normally then find yourself cheering them on , wanting them to win ! It is fast paced and written brilliantly it flows quickly!

We start with Samantha who is a spoiled and pampered girl when we first start the book. Then she has to take over her father business now we meet the Bada** Samantha. This story had me hooked it has so many twists with secrets,lies and of course great drama. I really enjoyed this book I am so glad I got picked to do this book tour this was a well written story by A author I will be reading more from. I would recommend it to all. This is book one in th eAllegiance series

Book Review “Takeover” by Edie Baylis”
JANUARY 31, 2022 ~ NIKIPRESTON
Gangland Thriller


SYNOPSIS/BOOK BLURB

Takeover

She’s the boss now…


Daddy’s girl Samantha Reynold hadn’t bargained on unexpectedly needing to step into her father’s shoes and take over the family casino business.

Pampered and spoiled, Sam knows nothing about the rules of this glamorous but deadly new world. She has a lot to learn and even more to prove. But she won’t let her family down, especially when it looks like they could lose everything to their biggest rivals – the Stoker family.

Eldest son Sebastian hasn’t got time to pander to pretty girl Samantha as she plays at being boss. Rumours are swirling around the streets of Birmingham that have the power to rip the Stoker family apart and destroy everything they’ve built.

And Seb will stop at nothing to ensure that in this takeover, only one will succeed.

A gripping new gangland story perfect for fans of Kimberley Chambers, Heather Atkinson and Caz Finlay.

REVIEW ~ NIKI PRESTON ~ 5 STARS

Takeover seriously pulls no punches. A Gangland thriller just as it should be, hard hitting, hard to put and at times hard to take it all in. I loved every page and once I started reading , found it super hard to put down.

Edie Baylis has a fast paced style that really keeps you on your toes. She creates believable characters and makes the reader feel like they are on the side lines watching all the drama unfold before their eyes.

Family is main priority in Takeover. There are splits in the loyalties that could blow the whole Gangland areas they are controlling to tiny pieces. A long term honour has held the two opposing families somewhat together. They run their own territories and respect each other. Suddenly that is changed beyond anything either family can imagine. Is the long standing respect about to fall apart? Sam really has no idea what kind of business her father ran and she certainly never wanted to be at its head. Can she blag her way through and keep the very angry and unpredictable Seb at bay? Well you know what I am going to say now, go out and grab a copy, set aside a few hours and devour this superb book. Beware once you pick it up you won’t be able to stop until its finished. A tense and brilliant thriller.


Author Bio –


Edie Baylis is a successful self-published author of dark gritty thrillers with violent
background settings. She lives in Worcestershire, has a history of owning daft cars
and several motorbikes and is licensed to run a pub. She has signed a five-book deal
with Boldwood.

Social Media Links –

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/downfallseries

Twitter https://twitter.com/ediebaylis

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ediebaylis/

With Thanks for the Advance copy for the #Blogtour to …..

Rachel Gilby https://www.rachelsrandomresources.com/

Edie Baylis https://www.instagram.com/ediebaylis/

Boldwood Books https://www.boldwoodbooks.com/

Takeover by Edie Baylis is a gritty. Exciting, gang crime thriller. This is a new to me author, and I’m excited because she’s another author I can put in my list to pay attention to when she releases books.

This started off at a slower pace, but that wasn’t a negative. It allows the reader to really get to know the characters, who are so well developed. This is a character driven novel.

Once the story gets moving, it is very exciting. The twists and turns are surprising and the pace is excellent, which kept me invested in the story.

Takeover is gripping and very well written. Don’t miss out on this excellent read!

Thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources for the free review copy. All opinions are my own and unbiased.

Edie Baylis’ Takeover is a jaw-dropping page-turner spiced with ruthless ambition, family strife and deadly vengeance that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.

Samantha Reynold is a daddy’s girl who can twist her father round her little finger. Whatever Samantha wants, she gets and the pampered princess is far too busy with her own life to worry about the family business – until a cruel twist of fate ends up putting her firmly in the driving seat of the casino her father ran. With enemies round every corner, nobody to trust and next to no knowledge about the gambling world, Samantha has a lot to prove. She is very much aware of the perception other people have of her and she is determined to prove them wrong – especially as one wrong move could be just what her family’s biggest rivals need to swoop in and take the business out from under her.

For Seb Stoker, his family’s pride and honour mean everything to him. He simply does not have the time to sit around and watch Samantha play at being the boss. With his family’s very existence at stake, Seb is willing to do whatever it takes to ensure that the Stoker clan go all the way to the top and stay there – even if it means playing dirty and leaving a trail of chaos and destruction in his wake. Seb thinks that victory is his, however, he quickly realises that he should not have underestimated Samantha Reynold…

With everything to lose, the stakes have never been higher for Seb and Samantha. But who will emerge victorious in a bloody takeover where there can only be one winner?

Peaky Blinders meet Jackie Collins in this chilling gangland thriller from Edie Baylis. Takeover is a gritty, glamorous and highly readable tale packed with more twists and turns than a rollercoaster. Birmingham’s criminal underbelly is brought to colourful life in Takeover and readers will find themselves sucked into this dark, menacing and terrifying world which will hold them in thrall until the final jaw-dropping revelation.

Perfect for readers who like hair-raising and heart-pounding gangland thrillers, Edie Baylis’ Takeover has me eagerly anticipating the sequel!

This is a brilliant book where the main character in this story get giving a casino as a family run business. If you love casino stony with a twist of rich and famous then this is for you. Plenty of fun in this book. I love the writing style and the characters were amazing in this story x

Another one of my favourite authors. Edie Baylis writes gritty gangland on the same level as Kimberley Chambers and Mandasue Heller. I could go on, but you get my drift. This is a fantastic beginning to a new Gangland crime series, The Allegiance series.
New families who are rivals make for a fabulously gripping, tense, and gritty story. This book starts with a few characters to get your head round, but I had no issues at all. I picked up Takeover and was hooked immediately. I read it on my Kindle, and if I went out, I carried on reading when I was waiting for appointments, too.
We meet Samantha, who is thrown into the deep end, without armbands, having to learn how to run her fathers business. She does have help, but is the reasoning behind that help not what she would expect?
She never expected to be in the position she finds herself. Samantha had always known she should learn at some point, and she knew some things. Her graphic designer career has always been at the forefront. It makes an absolutely fabulous setup for this book.
The author has created a gangland story and brought every ingredient needed, mistrust, intrigue, and tension as well as romance. This gives us an intense story, not just with the gangland thriller side, but the romance side gives us a different angle.
The characters all fitted well into the roles Edie Baylis has assigned to them. They brought the story to life for me as I got more involved with the characters and found myself forgetting I wasn't really part of the story myself at times!
An all-consuming gangland thriller that makes me want to read the second book like yesterday. I really do recommend Takeover for anyone who loves a gangland thriller with heart. Thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley.

4☆ A Gritty New Gang-Lit Series.

Takeover is a gritty Gang-Lit Crime Thriller, and an exciting start to a fresh new series, by an author I'm glad I've just discovered!

It took me a little while to get into the story as there is a few characters to get to grips with. But as I got further into the story the twists and story gets juicier.

It's a Gripping story about two rival families and a darker force at play who's determined to take down their empires and seek revenge!
But who can be trusted and who is telling the truth!

My favourite character by far is Samantha.
She was never meant to take over the family business, she has no interest in it, and it came as a huge shock when her Dad handed her the business. Although she had an inkling of what he did, she had no idea of what was involved as he kept her sheltered.
But she's stepped up, become a bad ass and quickly making a name for herself in her Dad's firm. It was brilliant to watch her grow and shine.

If you love Gang-Lit Crime Thrillers, that have thrilling twists, plenty of secrets and lies, Juicy storylines and Family Rivalries then you will love this Gritty Brand New Series!

4 Stars from me

I love a good old gangster type novel and Takeover didn't disappoint in that respect. The world of Samantha and Seb and their rival families was instantly immersive and I fast became involved with the story and the characters.

The casino and the family business were super interesting to read about - as were the dodgy deals and the dark depths of family history.

The family element was strong throughout and I felt quite sorry for the two mum's at the top of each family line, they seemed almost incidental in the process and reasonably 'innocent' in the grand scheme of things if that's even vaguely possible given the origins of their comfortable homes.

Takeover also had a few surprises up it's sleeve and the Stoker family were exciting to read about as tensions developed within the brothers. 

Overall a great story, heaps of excitement, danger and and little frisson of sexiness to boot!

Rating: 3.5 stars

I was granted eARC access to Takeover by Edie Baylis via NetGalley as part of my participation in a blog tour for this title with Rachel's Random Resources. Thank you to all involved in affording me this opportunity! My thoughts are my own and my review is honest.

So it would appear that when I agreed to this tour I didn't read the WHOLE blurb. Gangland is absolutely not my genre and this book did not change my mind. With that said, considering this book for what it's meant to be and the audience it's meant to appeal to, I think this is a solid piece of fiction that should prove compelling for those who like the genre. As I write this review it currently has a Goodreads average of 4.21, so that backs up my hunch that it's good if it's your thing.

Samantha is a very strong main character and I was absolutely on her side the whole time! I wish I had her ability to say the right thing at exactly the right moment. I found her inner turmoil over chancing partnership with a rival family compelling and relatable.

I honestly couldn't place this story in time. Sometimes it felt like the 1920s, sometimes it felt like the 2020s.

I wish I could write a longer, more eloquent review but I honestly don't even know where else to dig in and comment as this is, again, not my genre. If I'm reading dark, gritty, and violent I want magic (grimdark fantasy) not gambling and mobsters. If you do, this is probably a good choice for your next read.

Thirty years ago Tom Bedworth got a teenage girl pregnant and the ensuing baby was rehomed. With the payout he received, he’s made a nice little earner for himself in Macclesfield but now he’s back in Birmingham. Surely it can’t only be the lure of his new casino, the grotty Aurora club with its rigged tables and entourage of cheap scrubbers that has brought him home? He knows his baby is one of the second generation of two successful club owners – the Reynolds led by father Len and the four Stoker boys led by their father Mal – and plans to blackmail both whilst trying to take away their businesses. The two families are rivals rather than enemies, working in harmony with their legal casinos and the “other” less legal sides. As the Reynolds celebrate daughter Samantha’s birthday, Len makes the shocking announcement that the business will eventually be handed to Sam rather than his nephew John Maynard, the son of Len’s murdered business partner and best mate Jimmy. John is furious. Meanwhile Mal makes the decision to enjoy what’s left of his life and hand over the reins to eldest son Sebastian. As Tom begins to stir up trouble with the two families, retaliation is swift to follow and soon both Seb and Sam find themselves in charge of their respective empires. While Seb was born to the job, Sam finds herself thrown in the deep end and it will be a case of sink or swim. At the feuding steps up a gear, will she have what it takes in this ruthless world where only winners survive?
This is an excellent thriller, gripping from start to finish. All the characters grew on me as I read further in to the story, and at times I really didn’t know who to like and who to dislike! A great start to the series and I am looking forward to what's in store in book two. 5*

Takeover by Edie Baylis.
The Allegiance Series Book 1.
She's the boss now...
Daddy’s girl Samantha Reynold hadn’t bargained on unexpectedly needing to step into her father’s shoes and take over the family casino business.
Pampered and spoiled, Sam knows nothing about the rules of this glamorous but deadly new world. She has a lot to learn and even more to prove. But she won’t let her family down, especially when it looks like they could lose everything to their biggest rivals – the Stoker family.
Eldest son Sebastian hasn’t got time to pander to pretty girl Samantha as she plays at being boss. Rumours are swirling around the streets of Birmingham that have the power to rip the Stoker family apart and destroy everything they’ve built.
And Seb will stop at nothing to ensure that in this takeover, only one will succeed.
A brilliant read with great characters. Samantha was my favourite. I love this author books. 5*.

Takeover by Edie Baylis

She's the boss now...

Daddy’s girl Samantha Reynold hadn’t bargained on unexpectedly needing to step into her father’s shoes and take over the family casino business.

Pampered and spoiled, Sam knows nothing about the rules of this glamorous but deadly new world. She has a lot to learn and even more to prove. But she won’t let her family down, especially when it looks like they could lose everything to their biggest rivals – the Stoker family.

This is a great start to a new gangland crime series. The reader is given a lot of information to digest at the start but don't be put off by this. Complete with many twists and drama this book will hold your attention from start to finish. A fast-paced book that has very nicely set the scene for the series.

Rating: 4/5