REVIEWED by Jen B.
TITLE: Santori Reborn
AUTHOR: Maris Black
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
LENGTH: 225 Pages
RELEASE DATE: March 31, 2018
BLURB:
MICHAEL KAGE SANTORI doesn’t think his life can get any more complicated. Juggling a new business, a fledgling UFC career, and the only real relationship he’s ever had is taking a toll on him both mentally and physically. After being attacked for daring to question the inner workings of his own business, he is left broken and confused. The discovery of his uncle’s journals has brought him face-to-face with a past he never understood, and the new perspective has him reeling. Add to that the fact that he hasn’t been totally honest with the love of his life, and you have a recipe for a serious nervous breakdown.
When an old friend resurfaces with new information, Kage discovers things are only going to get worse before they get better. If he ever hopes to free himself from the chains of his uncle’s dark legacy, he’s going to have to become something he never wanted to be.
And risk losing the only person he’s ever truly loved.
JAMIE ATWOOD is in over his head. Instead of the happily ever after he’d envisioned, moving in with Kage has only been one disappointment after another. Kage has come out to the entire world and still managed to keep his reputation and his UFC contract intact, but mysterious forces Jamie has yet to discover are transforming his sexy alpha fighter into someone he doesn’t recognize anymore.
If Kage doesn’t come clean soon, Jamie fears he’s going to have to leave. With his journalism degree and a newly-flourishing MMA blog, he knows he’s got what it takes to make it on his own financially. It’s his heart he’s worried about.
Because without Kage by his side, what is there to live for?
MEANWHILE IN ANOTHER LIFETIME…
PETER SANTORI has found his bliss. Being Gio’s boy is a dream come true for a guy who thought he was doomed to a life of abuse and poverty. His confidence and sense of security are flourishing in the warm glow of Gio’s love, and he has started to believe that maybe he can have the fairytale after all.
Never mind that he’s got to keep the true nature of their relationship a secret. Never mind that one of Gio’s associates seems to have something against him. And never mind that sometimes he gets the feeling that there’s a lot more to Gio than meets the eye. All that matters is that he and Gio are together.
4 EVER & EVER…
The plot thickens in this installment as Kage tries to take control under the restrictions left by the evil Santori. This picks up right where book 1 left off with Kage at home after his “mugging” where Jamie does all he can to take care of Kage even though knowing Kage is keeping secrets is wearing on him. My heart broke for both Kage and Jamie for different reasons here. Kage is struggling so much to do the right things where Jamie is concerned and nobody is making it easy for him. He is trying so hard to protect him first from the bad side of things he is dealing with, and then from the various threats that seem to be coming from every angle.
Jamie is struggling as well, with the communication breakdown that seems to be growing between them and feeling as though he is being pushed aside. Meanwhile, Kage loves Jamie so much it hurts to watch everything he is dealing with and going through. He does what he is being forced into, and while it isn’t easy, we can only hope it will work out in the end when all the pieces are put back together.
Also in this segment we get to see more of Peter’s life through his journals. It is difficult to picture the Theo in those stories with the Theo in Kage’s life now, just as it is difficult to see Peter in that different light than the one we knew made Kage’s life such hell. That storyline has become a very important part of this story and watching how it all played out feels like it will play a very integral role in how this story will end. It is easy to imagine how Kage feels reading the journals as we all learn what happened in those early years. They reveal some interesting twists, and I have a feeling a few more will be revealed in the finale.
If you haven’t picked up this series yet, you’re definitely missing out. If you are waiting for them to all be available before diving in, I suggest you get ready to dive in as soon as the last one is available. Or, if you are in the thick of things like I am, you’ll be on the edge of your seat waiting for the outcome and rooting for Kage and Jamie to be strong enough to weather the storms and finally get their happily ever after.
