The Pharaoh's Concubine

The Pharaoh's Concubine by Z.A Maxfield
Samhain Publishing 

Novel

4.5/ out of 5

3.5/5 PL Scale

Blurb:
Beauty is only skin deep…until love reveals what lies beneath.
As mob boss Yvgeny Mosko’s open secret, Dylan Anderson is happy enough with a passionate, if loveless, arrangement that affords him a life of luxury. But at thirty-six, he wonders how committed Mosko will be to an aging lover.
He finds out when a rival gang kidnaps him in a turf war everyone’s sure to lose. Mosko unleashes deadly force, leaving no one alive except for a young man whose dark eyes tug at Dylan’s heart—and the conscience he thought he’d excised long ago.
Though he tried to stop the kidnapping, William “Memo” Escobar knows Mosko will use what’s left of him to send a powerful message to his rivals. When Mosko’s pampered pretty boy risks everything to help him escape, he can’t believe his luck.
William figures he’s better suited to life off the grid, but as the days go by he begins to realize Dylan’s beauty is more than skin deep. And as Dylan coaxes more and more beguiling smiles from William, he yearns for things—like family ties—he’d thought were best forgotten.
Yet behind their newfound happiness lurks the certain knowledge that no matter how careful they are, Mosko will come for what’s his.

Review:
Whenever I read a book by Z.A Maxfield, I am just so crazy happy, her characters always appeal to me and by the middle of the book, I am so in love I don’t know what to do with myself. This book was no exception, her characters always unique and never perfect. They appeal to my better nature (which is I love hot guys together), I see them so clearly in my head I start to believe that I am reading an autobiography about their lives. They honour me with sharing about their lives, and I feel so happy that they decided to share their life with me. This is what Maxfield does to me when I read one of her books; simply put I become crazy obsessed, and grin from ear to ear.

The Pharaoh’s Concubine is one of those epic books for me by the author. She brings the uniqueness of her characters, all humour and crazy attitude. Dylan is our pampered kept boy, but he is as far from a boy as anyone, going on thirty-six years he lives a routine life. Placed on pedestal because of who is lover is, Dylan is the biggest dirty secret in Las Vegas that everyone knows about. There is more to Dylan that meets the eye, he is not just a pretty face, his life of gold is getting old, and he is getting no younger. When Dylan is kidnapped and beaten in retaliation to who his lover is, all that he knows he will have to be left behind, and even with running for his life Dylan will once again discover himself and find love if only for a moment.

William is the product of a hard life, a gangster dad and gangster brothers, leaves him no room for a regular life. Spared the brunt of it in his young life by a caring grandmother. When his grandmother passes there is no one left to protect him, and the gang comes for him. He is forced to live the life style but knows if he refuses he is pretty much dead. When forced to kidnap Dylan Anderson lover to a mob boss, William is sick. It’s not something he wants to do, but its something he has to do. Knowing there is no way things will go as planned, but never knowing his young life is about to be changed forever.

I will honestly say that I really like this book; I haven’t had the opportunity read all the books by this author. This one is very different from the books I have read, but still offers up the great writing and unique humour the author is known for. I love the complexity of Z.A’s characters; yet they still manage to be relatable. I am always one-hundred percent invested in a Maxfield book, and this one had me smiling and spending a little bit too much time ignoring my children (yes, I did just write that). I loved these two very flawed men finding love with each other. I liked that they are from two very different backgrounds, but they share a common goal. To find happiness, love, and all the things worth living for (also not dying).

I am a huge fan of William, I love how he has swagger without the rep, and I love how he is this hot Latino. What makes me love him more, is when he says *papi* I freaking lose it. I am planning to have people call me papi, been informed that I am not a man and blah blah blah. I want to be papi! Plus this young man is packing some serious packaging, like packing heat............ So really the multiculturalism of the story is a huge plus, and no one does it better than Z.A. This one might not be a big hit with fans of the author, but if you are a serious fan then you won’t wanna miss this one.

With great supporting characters, and all the family love, what’s not to like. I really hope the author gives Peter, an annoying and equally douche baggish ex-lover of Dylan. He’s an ass but I would love him to have his own story, there is room for him to grow as a character and I hope he is a bottom, lol.

In the words of Ni Hao Kai-Lan, "Z.A, you make my heart feel super happy",

Reviewed for Three Dollar Bill Reviews