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A Dirty Business is the first book in Tijan’s all-new mafia series, and if you love mafia as much as I do, you will not want to miss this.
As is usually the case with any book by this author, once you open it, there’s no going back. The first page pulls you in, and you stay completely immersed in it until you’ve devoured every page. Secrets from the past and actions of the present blend together in this heart pounding read.
Jess is a BA in her own right. Not just because she’s strong and can hold her own against her parolees but because she’s made a decision to be better than her parents. She doesn’t just succeed at it; she excels at it. She’s a BA when needed, but she’s also caring and loyal to those she’s close to. I adored her character, and as the story went on, I felt the development of who she was at the beginning to who she was at the end was a natural progression.
Trace is a businessman who leads two different lives. Both sides are who he is; it’s just that they are quite different. He and his best friend own a club, a legit business that isn’t a part of the “Family.” On the other side is Trace, the man set to become head of the West Family mafia. He seems to be split between the two sides of his life. No matter which side of Trace you were dealing with, there was never any question that he wasn’t the one in charge. He owns every room he walks into, and with a quirk of the brow, he’ll have panties melting and the mouth on him.
Jess and Trace are fire, ice, and a hurricane. Their chemistry is palpable the moment they meet, but because of who they are, it’s not quite as easy to give in to the lust between them. I loved that Jess was never afraid to push back, even after knowing who he was. There were so many times that my heart ached for them. It was clear that they were meant to be, but it seemed as though as soon as they took a step forward, something knocked them 10 steps back.
A single touch would cause a feverish burn, but then something or someone was there to remind them of who they were, and it was as though they were doused with ice water. It was the two of them and what they stood for that was the hurricane. I did love that once they waded through the push and pull of what their bodies told them, which was the opposite of what their heads said, they were all in.
My emotions were all over the place, from all the fluttery feels of the closeness both Jess and Trace had with their best friends to the way Jess had no fs to give when she stood her ground against others. The pain they felt, especially in the moments when it was caused by others, made my heart ache.
I have never opened a book by this author and not been immediately sucked in, but there was something different about A Dirty Business. Everything felt like what I would expect, but to the nth degree. The storyline was more mesmerizing, the characters more intriguing, the connection between Jess and Trace deeper, and the steam hotter; all of it just felt like it was on steroids. I’m already looking forward to diving further into the Kings of New York series.
