Reviewed by Cindy

TITLE: The Button Man

AUTHOR: Davidson King

PUBLISHER: Self published

LENGTH: 278 Pages

RELEASE DATE: August 30, 2022

BLURB:

A visit from Button Man means only one thing: someone wants you dead.

Duke is born into the world a hired killer. It’s his birthright—all he knows, all he thinks he’ll ever be. Then one fateful night, the unthinkable occurs and in the most tragic of moments, a promise is made. That promise is kept for almost fifteen years, until he comes face-to-face with a target he never expects and a future he never sees coming.

Kelly spends his days in a classroom, while his nights couldn’t be more different. Unbeknownst to those around him, their friendly neighborhood teacher is the handler for a hit man. For over a decade he has watched Button Man’s back from behind a computer screen. He is content living his double life, believing he will never cross paths with the dangerous assassin, but fate has a different plan.

When the past collides with the present, Duke and Kelly must prevent it from destroying the future. It’s not just their lives they need to think about—the entire world of a fourteen-year-old girl is about to spin on its axis. Dodging bullets and uncovering truths bring the two closer than they could have imagined. But lust takes a back seat to survival when enemies threaten to drown them both in blood. Can they navigate these twists and turns when death is lingering at every corner, or will they die trying?

REVIEW:

Duke is a man who’s living a double life. A family legacy he never thought he could escape and a daughter who has no idea who her father really is…it’s all about to come together in the perfect storm.

Kelly has his own double life to deal with, especially when the part that’s tied to the mafia and the Button Man feels like its finally gonna catch up with him.

Two men on a collision course. Can they negotiate the damage and find a better life on the other side?

I am a big fan of Davidson King. They always come up with fascinating premises for their stories and I’m seriously starting to wonder just how closely tied to the mafia they really are! The heros of this story are really kind of anti-hero’s I think. For all the love and affection Duke and Kelly have for each other and their friends and loved ones, you can’t really call them “nice”. Nice-ish maybe?

I love Duke’s daughter Everleigh. She’s smart and funny and the kind of female character I love to see. Duke’s dad Cal isn’t present much but does add a few key plot advances to the story.

Kelly is smart and sweet and funny but can be absolutely brutal when necessary. Usually when he needs to defend someone he cares about. Duke is more vulnerable than a hitman has a right to be and that makes him all the more relatable.

The sex is hot and on point. Who doesn’t like a good round of “life affirming” steamy love scenes? Although I also love the “might as well make the most of it because we might be dead tomorrow” sex too!

My only complaint about this story is that it could have used a little more “anticipation”. The bigger the build-up the better the emotional payoff, I always say!

But other than that, this is a heck of journey with characters that are easy to love and absolutely delightful to cheer for. It’s a proper romance with the expected HEA but it sort of takes the back way, a little (a lot) bloody and guaranteed to keep you glued to the pages until it comes skidding in for a heck of an ending!

RATING:

BUY LINK:

Amazon