Hard Rules: A Dirty Money Novel

Lisa Renee Jones

Aug 2016 · Dirty Money Book 1 · Sold by St. Martin's Griffin

About this ebook

Wall Street meets the Sons of Anarchy in Hard Rules, the smoldering, scorching first novel in the explosively sexy new Dirty Money series from New York Times bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones.

How bad do you want it?

The only man within the Brandon empire with a moral compass, Shane Brandon is ready to take his family’s business dealings legitimate. His reckless and ruthless brother, Derek wants to keep Brandon Enterprises cemented in lies, deceit, and corruption. But the harder Shane fights to pull the company back into the light, the darker he has to become. Then he meets Emily Stevens, a woman who not only stirs a voracious sexual need in him, but becomes the only thing anchoring him between good and evil.

Emily is consumed by Shane, pushed sexually in ways she never dreamed of, falling deeper into the all-encompassing passion that is this man. She trusts him. He trusts her, but therein lies the danger. Emily has a secret, the very thing that brought her to him in the first place, and that secret could destroy them both.

This is book ONE of FOUR in Shane and Emily's story.


Excerpt from Hard Rules (Dirty Money book #1)


His hand curls around mine and he drags it to his knee, and the way he’s looking at me, like the rest of the room, no, the rest of the world, doesn’t exist, steals my breath. I haven’t allowed anyone to really look at me in a very long time.
“Emily,” he says, doing whatever he does to turn my name into a sin that seduces rather than destroys me.
“Shane,” I manage, but just barely.
“Did you say yes to dinner because you didn’t want to be alone?”
I am not sure where he is going with this, if it’s about reading me or if he needs validation that I am here for him, so I give him both. “I like being alone,” I say, and on some level, it really is true. “I said yes to dinner because you are the one who asked.” My lips curve. “Actually you barely asked. You mostly ordered.”
“I couldn’t let you say no.”
“I’m actually really glad you didn’t.”
“And yet you say you like being alone?”
“It’s simple and without complication.”
“Spoken like someone who’s lived the opposite side of the coin.”
“Haven’t we all?”
“Who burned you, Emily?”
I blanch but recover with a quick, “Who says anyone burned me?”
“I see it in your eyes.”
“Back to my eyes,” I say.
“Yes. Back to your eyes.”
“Stop looking.”
“I can’t.”
Those two words sizzle, matching the heat in his eyes, and my throat goes dry. “Then stop asking so many questions.”
He reaches up, brushing hair behind my ear, his fingers grazing my cheek, and suddenly he is closer, his breath a tease on my cheek, his fingers settling on my jaw. “What if I want to know more about you?”
“What if I don’t want to talk?”
“Are you suggesting I shut up and kiss you?”
Yes, I think. Please. But instead I say, “I don’t know. I haven’t interviewed you as you have me. I know nothing about you. I want to know if you—”
He leans in, and then his lips are on mine, a caress, a tease, that is there and gone, and yet I am rocked to the core, a wave of warmth sliding down my neck and over my breasts. He lingers, his breath fanning my lips, promising another touch I both need and want, as he asks, “You want to know if I what?”
Everything. “Nothing.”

Ratings and reviews

"And you were right. Alone is better, which is exactly how I planned to spend this night. Until I saw you and alone wasn’t better anymore. And now I know why. You want what I want." Hard Rules is a sexy, suspenseful, and downright confusing at times, story of family, loyalty, and the ties that bind. It’s the first book in the Dirty Money series, a series that, from even just this first book, is shaping up to be quite the Brandon family saga. Secrets and lies, mystery and intrigue, passion and betrayal…sounds just like all the things to love about a soap opera, doesn’t it? Shane Brandon- the lawyer, the good son, the one who plays by the rules and does things by the book, has returned to Denver to help turn the family business around. Actually, “turn the family business around” is not quite accurate- he’s there to make sure business is, and stays, on the up and up. He’s in for a fight not only with his brother, but with his father as well, both of whom have no problem straddling, and more often than not, crossing the line into some shady situations. At times it was hard to understand exactly what was happening- how the dots were connecting. There was so much going on I honestly found myself a little lost at different points in the story. The prologue had me intrigued right from the start, but then it seemed either I got off course, or the story did, at least as far as what was happening with the Brandon family empire. I never quite figured out how the prologue related to the rest of the book. And that could just be on me, and maybe I need to go back and read that part again. What I really enjoyed the most about Hard Rules is the relationship between Shane and Emily. They started with a “meet cute” but from then on nothing about their interactions was cute…and I’m so okay with that! These are 2 lonely people who just, luckily, happen across each other, at a time when both could really use some human connection. Things heat up pretty quickly between them, but that’s not all there is to them. They’re both very intelligent, and Emily is able to hold her own with the very alpha and dominant Shane. But Emily is a mystery. As much as she opens up to Shane there are still things she’s hiding- she’s got secrets that so far she’s not comfortable sharing, and that may be just what ends these 2 before they can really begin. And can you say holy cliffhanger?!? That ending has left me with more questions than answers! And I need answers, desperately! *Reviewed for The Book Enthusiast.

I was graciously given an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review, and honestly... this book is phenomenal! Hard Rules is positively sizzling! It's skillfully written, intense, edgy, raw, unpredictable, heartbreaking, and oh so hot. This book is absolutely breath stealing! Lisa Renee Jones weaved a story that once I started reading, I was captivated and couldn't put the damn book down. She has a unique talent of giving her readers exactly what they want and so much more. She has the ability to pull you into the story and keeps you on the edge until the very end.

Six pages. Less than one chapter. That's how long it took for me to fall for Shane Brandon, and to be completely in love with this new series from author Lisa Renee Jones. I'm not surprised, really, because there is nothing that Lisa's written that I don't enjoy tremendously, but HARD RULES starts out fast and furious, and just keeps going. Lisa is a mistress of writing the strong alpha man that we just can't say no to, and Shane is true to form. A good man in a nest of vipers, he's doing everything he can to right the wrongs of his father, and save the family empire from the corruption that threatens at every turn. When chance pulls Emily Stevens into Shane's orbit, he's intrigued. Emily is truly an enigma, but one that sparks Shane's interest in a way that he hasn't experienced before. One night leads to another, and soon these two people that don't 'do' relationships are trying to find their way in the midst of secrets and chaos. HARD RULES is a tautly written, engaging read, and I could not put this book down. The characters, the premise, the dark heat, all worked together to draw me in and keep me hooked. Thank goodness this is the first book in a series, because I am a fan, and I cannot wait for DAMAGE CONTROL, Book 2. 5 fast-paced, sexy, secret-filled stars for HARD RULES. Pop this book right to the top of your TBR, because it is a must-read for Lisa's fans. Grab it, read it, thank me later.

About the author

Lisa Renee Jones is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than forty books across many romance genres—contemporary, romantic suspense, dark paranormal, and erotic fiction. Her books have been translated all around the world, and her highly acclaimed Inside Out series is now in development for cable television. She loves to hear from readers.