Dear, Restless Reader: Rogue Alliance (Review)

(Shyla Ericson, #1)

By: Michelle Bellon

Release Date: November 2nd, 2012

Genre(s): Adult Crime/Thriller

My Review: (5/5 stars*)

I kept waiting for the moment when Rogue Alliance would cease to hold my interest but that moment never came. It held my attention throughout the whole novel and I enjoyed every page, it was wonderfully told and well written—Michelle Bellon does a truly spectacular job engaging readers. Also the cover design of the book is beautiful which is just another reason to grab it. As soon as I read the summary I instantly wanted to read more; Shyla is a great heroine she's determined, courageous, down-to-earth, and has a clever cop mind. She sticks up for herself and does what's necessary. Brennan is reserved, cautious, dangerous, and something else entirely.

Shyla Ericson is a female police officer whose been working a huge drug case for many years. She finally gets her big break when she's given the opportunity to go undercover and obtain the intel she needs to put an illusive drug dealer behind bars. The only problem is her chief wants her to move back to her home town—a place she hasn't been in nearly 19 years because of her dark past which haunts her. Shyla knows the dangers of undertaking such a risky operation but she is so close to justice she refuses to let this chance pass her by. Brennan Miles doesn't know who he is or where he came from—only that he needs to escape the confines of the cage he's been in for as long as he can remember. Dr. Shinto made him into a well-disguised monster by altering his genetics and testing him beyond his limits—he's a prisoner without a way out..until a man offers to give him freedom for the price of his loyalty and protection. The game is on as these 3 paths intersect in this excitingly thrilling novel.

Rogue Alliance is told from two different POV's. Shyla is a cop who specializes in narcotics and Brennan is a mysterious man with an unknown past. Shyla is confident, brazen, strong-willed, and stubborn. She possesses many relateable and admirable qualities that I absolutely loved. She's ballsy—she sticks up for what she believes in and at the same time she has this vulnerability beneath the surface. But she also has her flaws; Shyla drinks way too much for her own good and has a tendency to be obstinate. Brennan is puzzling, loyal and oblivious to his inexplicable allure. Together they form an interesting bond that ties them to one another even though they're on opposing sides of a situation. I instantly fell in love with both there characters who have soo much depth and darkness shrouding them but they make the best of whatever obstacles they face. Rogue Alliance has the perfect amount of action, romance and suspense to keep all reading parties interested.

I was incredibly impressed by the story development and character profundity that's fantastically integrated. I had a real obscure knowledge of what to expect and quickly I became drawn in tearing through the pages to see how everything ended. What a great ending, expect many twists with an edge of unpredictability, a fierce heroine, a complicated hero, with realistic situations and a hint of the extraordinary. Rogue Alliance will be devoured for its sheer amusement and wit alone. Shyla is a force of nature not to be messed with. I absolutely loved everything about it and I'll be looking forward to reading the next book in this new series. Michelle Bellon's writing is excellent and should not be overlooked!

Synopsis:

Trying to escape a horrific past, Shyla has immersed herself in life as a tough, sassy cop in the bustle of LA. When the case of a lifetime takes her back to her hometown of Redding, she is thrown into a world of organised crime, deceit, and bitter reminders of her childhood. As Shyla’s path crosses that of Brennan, an unwitting and troubled sidekick to the ringleader she’s intent on taking down, she is forced to re-evaluate everything she believes about herself, her job, and what she knows about right and wrong.

Can she face the demons of her upbringing and learn to trust again? Her life will depend on it.