Reviewed by Roberta
TITLE: Savage Love
SERIES: Assassin Shifters Book 23
AUTHOR: Sandrine Gasq-Dion
PUBLISHER: Skull Blaster Publishing LLC
LENGTH: 45, 979 words
BLURB:
WARNING: This book contains homosexual relations, violence and bad language.
This book is part of a series and not meant to be read as a standalone.
Six years ago, Chaz Savage was on top of the world: Beloved NFL star, filthy rich, great friends — and a man he was close to falling in love with. Lev Chirkoff was smart, funny, sexy and freaking adorable. Then, one night he was gone with no explanation. Chaz is devastated, left wondering what happened to the only man who ever had his heart. Eventually, hurt turns to anger and then to rage. If he EVER sees that man again….
Lev Chirkoff has an impossible job forced on him by the mob boss his father works for. It involves a professional athlete he has worshiped since the first time he saw him, and the very thought of it sickens Lev. He meets Chaz and they seem to be made for each other. Soon, his only plan is falling in love. When a traumatic night forces Lev out of Chaz’s life, he disappears. But Chaz Savage never leaves his heart.
Six years later, Lev returns to Seattle, makes new friends and finds a purpose in life. A Halloween party puts him in Chaz’s orbit again, and unsportsmanlike conduct doesn’t begin to cover the big man’s reaction. With the mob after Chaz, Lev is assigned to protect him as they go into hiding. But Chaz Savage isn’t about to make it easy for the man who devastated him. Once old feelings stir, he finally has a chance to discover the truth of Lev’s betrayal. Lev falls even more deeply for the man who is so much more than just a football star — but surely his secret will only cost him Chaz’s love forever.
They say it takes a village, but in this case it’s a reservation — and as Chaz and Lev come to an uneasy peace, they discover that the people around them are more than willing to give their lives for the safety of their family.
REVIEW:
I remember when the first Assassin/Shifter book came out. I loved Mateo and Riley!! I couldn’t wait for the other guys to get their books. I loved meeting the new and interesting characters that impacted the story or would have storylines themselves. I will say that I stopped reading the series for a while. The last book I read was Lyon’s Den. I had missed a couple of books in between that one and Russian Prey, but I ALWAYS LOVED Devin and Andrei. So, I know that I’ve missed some stuff. I was wondering if I could pick up this book and be able to follow along.
Lev Chirkoff was raised in a Mafia family. His father was an enforcer and was trying to find a way to get them out. His father was killed and the Mafia boss wanted Lev to pay off his father’s debt by going to Seattle and finding out if Chaz Savage was gay. He didn’t care if he had to seduce him, hell…he knew that Lev was gay, so it wasn’t a big deal. Lev has always known he was gay and he also knew that he didn’t want to work in the mafia. Lev is this really sweet, naïve guy. You just want to put your arms around him to let him know that it’s going to be ok. He’s so adorable and kind. I really liked his character. To watch him grow and change from the sweet guy into this totally badass, sweet guy was kinda surreal.
Chaz Savage is a former Pro-Football player with the Seattle Seahawks. Chaz met and fell in love with Lev when Lev was sent to Seattle to blackmail him. When Lev disappeared from Chaz’s life, he spiraled for a bit and then got his life together. He left pro-football and became a firefighter. I love how Chaz is this really loving guy. Chaz is respected and cared for by those in his life. He’s a good son and a great friend. I love that he’s tough in the sense that he was on the hunt for the truth regarding what happened to Lev and if it all was a lie. I liked that he was a strong character. Even with all of the things in his life spiraling out of control…he really kept his cool and handled what was in his way. That is truly the mark of a well adjusted and wonderful person. I really admired Chaz while reading this book. To find out about his parents…he handled the information with grace and really…so believable. Chaz is another great character from Sandrine.
There were so many secondary characters in this book, that I can’t even begin to name them all. I get that Sandrine is adding more characters and also has a spin-off series, The 12 Olympians, so those characters are in this book as well. I will say that there were just a bit too many characters. That took away from the main storyline for me. I remember from having read her prior books, that she introduces new characters in her stories in order to keep the series alive, however, there is just so much going on with these other characters. I couldn’t remember their names. The shifters, the warlocks, immortals…etc, I was truly overwhelmed and that took away from the enjoyment of the story for me.
Now, there was the normal amount of sex in this book. It wasn’t too much or too little. Sandrine has always been able to balance out the intimacy of her characters with the storylines that she’s got going on. I have always found that it’s never sex for sex sake. The sex was always because the MC’s are building a relationship with each other and they are bonding together
There is always a fair amount of action in the Assassin/Shifter books and that hasn’t changed in the least. I like the fact that there isn’t just a romance going on, that these guys are fighting for something. That they have become a family and that they will ALL do whatever it takes to keep their family safe. Not just their family, but the world also. You won’t be disappointed in that aspect of the story.
Overall, this is a pretty good book. I liked that after not reading the series for awhile, I could follow along, somewhat regarding the characters. I will say that for me…this storyline is getting a bit out of hand. I wasn’t really impressed with the God’s/Other’s business. I felt that for me…it took away from the roots of the series for me. I felt so overwhelmed by so much additional information that was thrown at you, that it took away from the story for me.
RATING: 
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TAGS: Alternate Universe, Paranormal, Action, Alpha males, mafia, sports, reunited, interspecies, friends to lovers, firemen, Celebrities, Criminals, shifters, fae/faeries, magic-users, assassins, part of a series, Skull Blaster Publishing