Book Review: Theo’s Retaliation (Fated Lives Series), by Kelly Moore

Publication: May 21, 2019

About the book:

Book 5
Lawson Reed – The Gunners’ SEAL team trainer and best friend to Derrick Rebel

Book 6
Fiona Petit – A strong young woman whose life has been taken from her, and the one woman Theo Drake could not save.

Book 7
Theo’s Retaliation

Theo’s mind has been clouded from the moment he failed to keep his promise to set Fiona Petit free. His job of infiltrating a crime ring and becoming one of them has turned Theo’s once-happy demeanor dark. Now he has one purpose, and one purpose only…to find Fiona. If she’s still alive.

Rebel builds the Gunners with new team members and gains intel on another organization whose crimes resemble those committed by geNetics. This time, it’s almost right outside his own back door. The Gunner team will go into battle against a familiar force that leaves none of them unscathed.

Will it lead Rebel to help Theo find Fiona, or will it dig Theo’s grave deeper? Will Rebel die trying to save them all, or will he lose Fallon in the process?
Will Theo get his retaliation?

My Review

This one is titled Theo’s Retaliation, but get ready for so much more in this collection of Books 5-7 in Kelly Moore’s Fated Lives series! Hopefully, you have already read Rebel’s Retribution, but if not, read it first! The incredible first collection in this series will give you some good info to get you ready for Theo.

Theo’s Retaliation begins with the back story of the mysterious and sexy Lawson. Your heart will ache as you learn about his past, his heartbreak, and how he came to be the owner of the gym where Rebel trains. So much is learned about this fabulous character and I promise you will understand the need to open with his life later on.

Next, we get some of Fiona’s history and how she ended up being sucked into the criminal holds of geNetics. Again, her story is heartbreaking, frustrating, but almost hopeful. Theo was the first light she had seen in a while with regards to her future, but he wasn’t able to free her and bring her home as promised.

Which brings us to the bulk of the book, all about Theo’s retaliation. Theo’s character has changed significantly since the start of this series. The once sweet and light-hearted man has become angry and borderline obsessed over his failed promise to free Fiona. But once the Gunner team gets a plan in place to try again to bring geNetics down, Theo is all business again with one goal in mind – bring Fiona home. What does this mean for the reader? This means non-stop, heart-pounding action and suspense until the very last word of the novel!

One thing I have always loved about Kelly Moore is her flawless way to blend romance with suspense and action. Yes, she has written several wonderful novels that are mostly women’s fiction/romance, however, this woman has super-powers when it comes to romantic suspense/action. I don’t know of another author that can combine so much action, so much emotion, and impeccable characterization into one beautifully wrapped package. Speaking of which, have you checked out the beautiful man on the cover? Or on Rebel’s cover, for that matter? Anyway, I have loved reading all of her novels over the years and watching her writing grow and change, but this series and specifically this book are perfect examples of her unprecedented writing ability in this blended genre.

If you are a fan of romance, suspense, action, and true emotion – then I cannot recommend this novel enough. The plot is perfectly developed with several surprises and a number of things coming together to give you those wonderful “aha” moments. Moore takes the time to build her characters so that we are invested and curious, yet without overdoing it with mundane details. Her imagery is so strong that you will feel the tension, feel the frustrations, and feel the joys right along with the characters. And most importantly, she leaves you wanting more. Much more, in fact.

Anytime I think that Kelly Moore has written her best novel yet, she always surprises me with the next one. I am constantly in awe of this woman’s ability to create such engaging characters and stories, and Theo’s Retaliation is yet another example of her ability to surprise me over and over again.

*Many thanks to the lovely Kelly Moore for providing an advanced review copy in exchange for my honest opinion!