Review: “The Bribe” by Willa Nash

Book Title: The Bribe

Author: Willa Nash

Series: Calamity Montana, Book 1

Rating: 5⭐

Release Date: October 15th, 2020

Goodreads | Amazon.in (Available on KU)

Synopsis: Sheriff Duke Evans is living his best life (or so he thinks), when he crosses paths with a woman who knocks him off his feet in every way. Only, he doesn’t realise that she’s someone famous, trying to hide and keep her identity a secret as much as possible. Lucy Ross is running away from Nashville and the last thing she wants is to have her location revealed. Or to fall in love.

Review: As a new Devney Perry fan, I jumped on this book as soon as I heard about it. Written by Devney under the pen name Willa Nash, The Bribe is a romantic suspense that will have you at the edge of your seat. This book combines country music with drama and so much sexiness that you will want to read it twice just to make sure you can soak up all of the awesomeness that has been packed into it.

And because it’s got lots of suspense, there’s only so much I can give away without spoiling the whole book. 

“Sweet lord, I nearly swooned. He had a great name. I’d always been a sucker for a great name.”

Lucy Ross is running away from Nashville and her life as an award-winning country musician. She’s got demons she’s fighting and hiding out is the best option, especially with a name like Jade Morgan. She wants to keep a low profile, stay off the grid and just take some time for herself. The last thing she expects is to meet Duke Evans when she and her best friend are stranded on a hiking trail. On the surface, they’re both drawn to each other and it’s lust at first sight. I mean…they’re both stupidly beautiful people, it’s a no brainer. Duke Evans is the sheriff of Calamity, a small town in Montana. He protects his people and looks after his town with every fibre of his being. So when he pulls Jade over a few days after their run-in, he’s shocked to discover that she’s actually someone famous. And the last thing he wants is fame bringing the paparazzi and everything else to his small town.

Lucy’s music and the gossip around her disappearance isn’t a surprise, but there’s so much that she’s not sharing and Duke is going to get to the bottom of it. He refuses to let her use those beautiful eyes and all that natural sex appeal to distract him from what he’s trying to uncover. But Lucy does a pretty good job of trying to push him away – with a bribe, with more time – till Duke finally cracks and takes a step back. 

“The spark between us hadn’t just been a sizzle. It was a raging wildfire that was going to incinerate, not singe.”

The sexual tension in this book is so intense! From the moment they meet (as Duke and Jade), they want each other, but it only gets more intense once Duke discovers who she really is. There’s so much of ‘will they, won’t they’ happening through the course of their relationship that when they finally throw caution to the wind and take what they want, it’s explosive! But that doesn’t stop Duke from digging and hoping that Lucy will start confiding in him. And it’s not just about the sex – which is fantastic – but it’s about their relationship. They have so much chemistry, it’s easy for them to settle into a comfortable and fun relationship where they talk and laugh and tease each other. Where they can just shut off from the rest of the world to focus on each other. It’s like Duke and Lucy have always known each other, which just adds a little something more to their relationship.

I knew that I was going to love Duke the minute I read the blurb, but I honestly didn’t know just how much. He’s brilliant. He’s a steadfast leader for the town of Calamity and he’s a great father figure. He’s also so giving and so honest. Duke has had a normal life, he’s got his ducks in a row and even though Lucy comes in and throws all of that off track, he’s still got his head on straight. Duke is such a generous character and it’s clear in all of his interactions with Lucy and everyone else in town. It’s really hard to not love Duke.

“In public, you’re Jade. But behind closed doors, you’re—”

“Lucy?” she breathed. I shook my head. 

“Mine.”

Lucy is really great too! To go through all the stuff she deals with (and seriously, she’s gone through a whole lot) and to still be so strong, to smile and love and laugh is just absolutely incredible. Lucy is the strong kind of heroine we all deserve, because she puts her best foot forward every single day. Even when she’s scared, she doesn’t let that bring her down. But at the same time, she’s willing to let people see her scars once they get close enough. Being vulnerable is never a bad thing and Lucy is also okay with that.

The Bribe is packed with witty banter, great characters, a protective alpha, a badass musician, action, angst and lots of drama! Brace yourselves for a wild wild ride.

With all the supporting characters introduced, I know for sure that they’re all going to play important roles in the rest of the series and I can’t wait. Devney Perry has created such a wonderful world with this first book, the rest of the Calamity Montana series is for sure going to blow your mind. With every book of Devney Perry’s that I read, I become an even bigger fan. I can’t wait to just dive headfirst into her backlist and never leave.

Thanks to Devney Perry/Willa Nash and Valentine PR for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.