Ashlynn Mills is a queen of dark romance, writing characters with so much depth and complexity to them. She creates worlds that are raw and dangerous and gritty, and I’m here for it.
Sold Blood (book three) revisits Isaiah and Joey from the Cartel Wars prequel, Cold Blooded. The relationship between these two has always been heavy. An unbreakable bond. They are now married and running their own operation. They’ve made enemies through the years, leading to Joey being taken by a group of traffickers. Isaiah knows only one person he trusts enough to bring his Roo home – his former lover, Carlos Castenada. The chemistry is still there between the two of them, and it doesn’t take long for it to grow between Carlos and Joey too. The heat and spice is perfection, and the dynamic between the trio is beautifully written.
While the story itself can stand alone from Cartel Wars books 1-2, the overreaching plot and side characters will mean more if you’ve read them all. I definitely recommend at least reading the prequel. It has continuing elements that are central to the storyline. I also highly recommend reading the books that follow. I love that the guys Joey meets while taken get stories too.
Carlos
The past has a way of always following you and whenever he’s involved, I never mind. Isaiah has called on me for help before, but the new favor he asks of me is one I never expected to receive. His beloved husband has been taken and he needs help tracking him down. One good quality I’ve always had was the ability to find people. I should say no and turn my head. Except the word no was never in my vocabulary when it came to the man I’ve been secretly in love with for the last ten years.
Once my job is completed, will I be able to walk away this time?
Isaiah
As much as I’ve been looking for an excuse to call on my old friend, this wasn’t it. My life has had its ups and down but I’m finally at the point where I thought I had everything. Or at least, I did until the other piece of my heart was taken away from me and every good thing in my life was threatened. There’s only ever been one other person besides Joey I could always trust, and he’s never completely left my mind or heart all the years later.
As much as I hate putting another person I care about in harm’s way, I know he’s my only hope.
Joey
One minute I’m safe in the arms of the man I love, and the next I wake up in the back of a dark van half naked. Out of all the things I feared in the past, being sold to the highest bidder wasn’t one of them but here I am and I won’t make it to any auction without a fight. I never was one to need rescuing, but Isaiah was never one to leave me fighting alone either.
The man he sends is nothing I’ve expected him to be. What starts off as pretending for the sake of surviving, turns into something else. I’m not sure I can let him go once this is all over.
