Wild Aces - Marni Mann

If you're looking for a romance that's more than just erotica, look no further than Wild Aces. With complex twists and turns, there's more than meets the eyes in this sexy novel.

Rating: 4 Stars
Published: February 16, 2016
Genre: Romance, Erotica, Contemporary
Many thanks to Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Trapper is a world renowned poker player, he's also got the kind of past you could never imagine and a career that's as illegal as they come. When he meets Brea at a masquerade party they give in to their emotional connection and share a kiss as intense as they come, however they never see each other's face. Brea's been through hell over the past couple of years and when he best friend encourages her to start really dating she knows the man behind the mask is the perfect person to start with. when his face resembles someone dear to Dani she knows she has to figure out this mystery. With his face Trapper brings secrets to life that Dani and Trapper knew nothing about and those dark secrets could affect their lives forever.

"He was masks and mystery and willing to take a risk with someone he didn’t even know. He was dark nights of phone sex and gambling, a gravelly voice that could make me wet from afar." 

Mmm, mmm, mmm, Wild Aces is one of those delicious novels you will not be able to put down. From the sex to the wild plot twists, this one is a page turner. Told from the dual-POV's of our hero, Trapper, and heroine, Brea, Wild Aces jumps headfirst into a suspenseful romance filled with dark turns and characters with stories you could never guess. What starts as just an emotional, lust filled connection of the eyes and lips soon turns into intense photos and phone calls between the main characters. Without knowing who the other is, beyond just their first names, the slightly dangerous unknown brings out the sexual side of Brea and Trapper, tying them to one another emotionally before they really know who is on the other side of the phone. I am trying to write this review without giving anything away, so bear with me if it's a little confusing.

"She had curves to grasp, perfectly sized tits to get lost in. A body that I needed to worship. Lips that would fit perfectly around my cock as I slid it toward the back of her throat. But her eyes were what drew me in the most. They’d seen a hell of a lot of pain. She’d seen even more of it when she’d shown me her tattoo. Wherever she had gone—a flashback, a memory—I had been to that place. And when I looked into her eyes, it was like looking into my own." 

I loved these characters, including all the dark parts of them. Brea is like a puppy you want to comfort, she's hard to dislike, and watching her world get rocked by all the twists in this novel is heartbreaking. Then there's Trapper, who we know has a past as dark and ugly as you could ever imagine, but as a reader we see a light to him. Marni Mann did an amazing job of writing this book with suspense and mystery, while it is simple to guess at some things, other parts took me by complete surprise. While the chemistry is there, it's surface, and as secrets come to light it gets so intense. There are hurdles that alone could have been handled, but combined make for this huge emotional breakdown that I wasn't sure could ever be repaired. It's definitely the kind of book that you should go in without expectations, because nothing is what you think. The twists grabbed my attention and though I hurt, and even cried, I felt like a cheerleader on the sidelines cheering for these two to figure it out together. The love story is real and while this is a sexy read, it isn't overly smutty. There are some very dark parts, but the light that comes from those dark parts makes it absolutely worth it.

“There’s a whole side of my life that you don’t know about. 
I don’t tell anyone about it. 
I want to tell you, and I want to show you." 

Filled with a roller coaster of emotions, Wild Aces is one surprising read. There is more depth to this novel than one would first expect and it makes it just that much better. Wild Aces is a standalone, however several of the secondary characters are featured in other novels. This is my first Marni Mann novel, but it won't be my last.