Review: The Viper by Kele Moon

The Viper is the first book in the Untamed Hearts series by Kele Moon. The Untamed Hearts series is a spin-off of her Battered Hearts series, but these books can be read as standalones. I had never read a book from Kele Moon before, but as soon as I read the blurb for this one I knew it was one I wanted to take a chance on. I am so glad that I read this book as I absolutely loved it! It was a great story and start to this series, and I honestly cannot wait to read more from Kele Moon after reading this book. 

When Katie Foster and Marcos Rivera get into an accident, Marcos stays and talks with her while they wait for help. Though Katie and Marcos are complete opposites, they both find themselves drawn to one another. After the accident, Katie tries to find Marcos but the address and phone number she had from the accident report are no longer accurate. She tries to get in touch with him by placing ads on craigslist as well as by going through his cousin Chuito. When Marcos finds out from Chuito that Katie has been trying to contact him, he returns to Garnet from Miami in order to see what she wants. Though Marcos knows that he needs to stay away from Katie, he finds himself unable to. Marcos knows that his life is full of bad things and that Katie deserves so much better, but he finds himself agreeing to spend a week with her before returning to his life at the end of it. But when the week is over Katie isn't willing to let him go, and she is determined to show him that they belong together. 

I really loved Marcos and Katie together. These two were so completely different, and yet they were absolutely perfect for one another. Marcos had a tough life growing up. He didn't finish school and got involved in a gang. He lost his mother and cousin Juan, and it changed his and Chuito's lives forever. Marcos was used to living life as a criminal, and even when he tried to find honest work he ended up getting let go because of his record and his past. But after he met Katie, he wanted to be better and do more with his life. I really loved how protective and caring he was with her, and you could tell that they had a really strong connection. They made each other better, and I liked that they really seemed to bring out something in each other that no one else ever had before. Katie was used to her boring steady life and had thought that after divorcing her ex-husband that she would never find anyone. But Marcos changed something in her the night of the accident, and he really brought her to life. He showed her that she could stand up for herself and take what she wanted. I liked that she was stubborn and challenged Marcos. These two had such great chemistry together, and I loved seeing them fall for one another.

Overall, I really loved this story. Katie and Marcos were fantastic as a couple, and I really liked seeing how their feelings grew and how they both changed over the course of this book. I liked that Katie never judged Marcos, and she saw beyond just his past and the things that he had done. She truly loved him for who he was, and she brought out the best in him. Marcos thought that Katie deserved better than him, but I was glad that she kept trying with him and showed him that she wouldn't give up on the connection they shared. I also really liked Chuito and the rest of the secondary characters, and I can't wait to get more of them as this series continues. I am really looking forward to getting to know Chuito better, and I am also really wanting to go back and read the Battered Hearts series now.This might have been my first book by Kele Moon, but it definitely will not be my last! I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a great opposites attract romance with a sexy alpha and likable heroine.

**Review Copy Provided by As the Pages Turn**

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ARC Review: The Slayer by Kele Moon

The Slayer is the second book in the Untamed Hearts series by Kele Moon. Each book can be read as a standalone, but the characters are interconnected and this series is a spin-off of her Battered Hearts series. I had loved Chu in The Viper, and I was really looking forward to getting his story. The Slayer was so good, and I ending up loving Chu and Alaine.

Chuito has not had an easy life. He lost his brother and his aunt to the violent life that he had always known. When his cousin Marcos went to prison, he moved from Miami to Garnet and became a fighter. He might have found success in the UFC, but he still struggles with the nightmares of his past. When he moved in, he met the girl next door Alaine and they began an unlikely friendship. Though there was always a connection between them, he knew that he wasn't the man for her. Alaine is the daughter of a preacher and Chuito knows that he will do nothing but tarnish her halo. He also knows that he needs to return to Miami to take care of his past once and for all, but he finds himself struggling to leave Garnet and Alaine behind.

I am so glad that Chuito's story started at the beginning of everything for him. When I saw that this one had jumped back in time a bit from where we were in The Viper, I was a bit worried that things would be rehashed but that wasn't the case at all. We ended up getting the full story with Chuito, and I really enjoyed seeing how he became the man he was. His life was far from easy, and it was clear that every single thing that happened to him had affected who he was. I loved seeing how his friendship with Alaine had started and seeing them grow closer to one another. Chu and Alaine's relationship was slow to build, and I was really glad for that. While it was clear to me right away that these two were great together, their relationship was so strong because of the years it took to develop. Alaine was strong and beautiful, and I loved that she was smart. She had always been so kind and supportive of Chu, and these two could not have been more perfect for one another despite their differences. I think it was all the things that made them so different that also made them so right for one another. They had great chemistry and a lot of tension between them, but they also had a really strong connection because of the bond that had formed over the years. 

I am becoming a huge fan of Kele Moon's with each new book I read of hers! This book was a great addition to this series, and I really loved Chu and Alaine. I had loved Marcos and Katie so much that I was worried that these two wouldn't compare. While they weren't Marcos and Katie, they were great in their own way! Kele Moon's writing style is so fantastic, and I can't help but be drawn in right away with each book I have read of hers. She sucks you right in and you find the rest of the world falling away as you devour her stories. I honestly cannot recommend these books enough, and I think that her books are definitely worth the read. The do contain some violence and things that might make some uncomfortable, but the stories are worth it. I cannot wait to read more from her in the future, and I am already looking forward to the next book in this series.

**ARC Provided by As the Pages Turn**

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