The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Black Dagger Brotherhood delivers the first novel in an enthralling new series set amid the shifting dynamics of a Southern family defined by wealth and privilege—and compromised by secrets, deceit, and scandal….

For generations, the Bradford family has worn the mantle of kings of the bourbon capital of the world. Their sustained wealth has afforded them prestige and privilege—as well as a hard-won division of class on their sprawling estate, Easterly. Upstairs, a dynasty that by all appearances plays by the rules of good fortune and good taste. Downstairs, the staff who work tirelessly to maintain the impeccable Bradford facade. And never the twain shall meet.

For Lizzie King, Easterly’s head gardener, crossing that divide nearly ruined her life. Falling in love with Tulane, the prodigal son of the bourbon dynasty, was nothing that she intended or wanted—and their bitter breakup only served to prove her instincts were right. Now, after two years of staying away, Tulane is finally coming home again, and he is bringing the past with him. No one will be left unmarked: not Tulane’s beautiful and ruthless wife; not his older brother, whose bitterness and bad blood know no bounds; and especially not the ironfisted Bradford patriarch, a man with few morals, fewer scruples, and many, many terrible secrets.

As family tensions—professional and intimately private—ignite, Easterly and all its inhabitants are thrown into the grips of an irrevocable transformation, and only the cunning will survive.

♠ Review ♠

So I have to admit, I have never read a book by JR Ward so when I saw that she had a new series coming out I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to pop by JR Ward cherry. Holy hell in a hand basket, this book lived up to the hype surrounding her previous books.  I will admit, at first I was a little skeptical because he started off a little slow with a lot of background information, but once it got going I could not put it down.  It had more twists, turns and family drama than a daytime soap.  It was very reminiscent of the old night time soap opera’s Dallas and Knots Landing, in that the main storylines revolve a very rich family with lots of skeletons in their closet.  It was so much fun to read and really took me into their world. With so many different characters each with their own crazy story, it was hard not to get sucked in. I was so engrossed by the end that I couldn’t believe the book was already over.  I NEED more and can not wait to see where this series takes me.  I have an official fan of JR Ward now and look forward to reading more.

4 Stars

♥ Sophie