Rule 37: Be the Thing Men and Women Fear

"Oh and by the way,
Icarus burned because he flew during the day.
He wanted the world to see.
We fly in darkness, where people are afraid to look."

--JJ McAvoy, American Savages

Genre: Adult Contemporary

Publisher: NYLA

Pages: 388

Publication Date: March 19th, 2015

Source: eARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review

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Previous Books in Series: Ruthless People & The Untouchables

Goodreads Description

“Villains by Choice."

Betrayed. Melody is nowhere to be found, Liam is in jail, and the Callahan family is cracking, just as Avian Doers, the FBI Director and puppet master behind their downfall, planned.

But just because they’re down doesn't mean they’re out. To fight back, Liam and Melody will have to put everything on the line. The kid gloves are coming off, and no one is getting out alive. Nothing will compare to the reign of terror that is about to envelope the entire country. First they were Ruthless, now they are pure Savages. The end is here, and no one is safe…

18+ Adults Only for violence and sex.

The end is here...and I mean that in more than one way. Ya know, the last book of the series...and death for many characters. I relished in quite a few of these. I cried over others. But I'm getting ahead of myself...

The Story

I love how the story plays out. There are a lot of twists. A lot of revelations. And quite a few shockers. No loose ends are left because...well do you think Liam and Mel would leave any loose ends? The plot deepens when Mel and Liam actively go after Ivan and it is a pas de deux of violence and power plays and I loved every second. Every time I got worried they were going to lose, they never cease to amaze me in their brilliance and resourcefulness. They are a team. They work together They love together. They hate together. And I love their relationship so hard. Their relationship is not easy and it is something they both have to work for especially after the last book. I think the pacing of this book and how the story unfolds is perfect. Especially after re-reading, it becomes more apparent how well the story is told. Love love love.

The Relationships

I know I gushed about Mel and Liam above but it is so true. Their banter, their wit, their sarcasm, their SEX! OMG, hot hot hot. I love how they explored their sexual relationship even further...wowza. I just...yeah. Hot. BUT more than that I absolutely fell in love with our other characters relationships even more. Declan and Coraline and kickass and I love that she gives him the business in what she can and can't do. My favorite thought is Sedric and Evelyn. The "old folks" are so in love and I love hearing the stories they tell and about raising those three hellions they call sons. It is just incredible how much they love each other and their children. I would love to sit around their dinner table and hear their stories.

The Reckoning

Many people have gone out of their way to fuck over the Callahan family. Those people...will pay...dearly. I loved seeing how these people were caught and how they suffer. I was so nervous certain people would never be implicated and then I laughed at myself thinking, please how dare you doubt Liam and Mel. They ALWAYS find out and they always pay back. Love love love this.

The Ending

The conclusion to this series is everything I hoped for and so much more. It is not all butterflies and rainbows. Casualties occur and not only the ones we want to see die. I found myself crying and tearing up because I've come to love these characters so much. I relate a lot to the love of family, the rage you feel when somebody fucks you over, and I get to indulge and live vicariously through Liam and Mel who actually get to act out their violent tendencies. I am so sad to see these characters go but hey, there's always the re-read.

VIP

If you love amoral characters, lots of familial love, revenge, and violence...this book and series is for you.