Blame it on Vegas (Bad Billionaires #5) by Kira Sinclair is an enemies to lovers story full of 
misconceptions. There’s a cheating problem in Annalise Mercado’s casino. When she talks to her brother about the problem, it leads to Luca Kilpatrick, which was wrongly accused eight years ago for cheating in Annalise’s casino. And now there they are, with Luca hired—against Annalise’s wishes—to find out who’s stealing money from her casino and why.
Obviously, their thoughts clash constantly because they didn’t trust each other. Annalise really thinks he was a cheater. Luca believes Annalise is an arrogant, spoiled pampered princess. Also, he still has strong resentments for how he was treated by her father when he was falsely accused—and has a limp that reminds that moment in his life every day. Add to the mix the blatant attraction between them, and this will be a dish served cold. The cat and mouse game is set! But, would it end with their redemption, or will it destroy both?
As a kid, Annalise witnessed very traumatic experiences that made her become who she is as an adult, professional woman. She never take risky steps, she always goes safe in her life decisions. Yet her most valuable virtue—and her weakness also—is her loyalty to her family and her employees. Luca, on his part, has serious issues with trust. He doesn’t trust anyone, period. His childhood and his incident with Annalise’s father eight years ago taught him the hard way. That said, they both misjudged each other badly.
“Go ahead,” Luca said, “say what you want to say.”
Her gaze raced across his face. He could practically see the wheels turning deep inside her brain. Finally, she opened her mouth, the tight pink tip of her tongue swiping quickly across her luscious lips.
“We’ve both made assumptions about each other, haven’t we?”
“It’s human nature.”
Annalise and Luca are powerful characters. Luca pushes all her buttons the right way, so she displays all her emotions without even noticing them. At the same time, Annalise pulls his emotional strings in a way he didn’t expect it. Their sizzling chemistry runs all over the book in exciting waves. Their antagonistic (in the beginning) and passionate (after) interactions are the best of this book. Both hero and heroine are strong, stubborn, and alluring. Their romance grows with each page, turning them an outstanding couple.
Although we don’t have a lot of secondary characters in this book, they’re strong ones with specific roles in it. That’s a huge hit because the story runs around Luca, Annalise and the thief stealing the casino and those characters didn’t drew the attention towards themselves, as it should be. I loved the bond between Annalise and her brother Dominic and her best friend Meredith because they put Annalise’s doubts and thoughts in a wider perspective than her own. Not to mention how the tragic childhood events Annalise and Dominic share define their brother-sister relationship.
In terms of writing, if I could say something about this book is that it introduces you into the casino world without effort, so you could understand all the technical elements about running a casino easily. Ms. Sinclair did her homework VERY well. Also, the scenes flow smoothly not only in the chronological events but on the main characters’ emotions and interactions with each other and the secondary ones.
Generally, the author (who based on this book reveals herself as a fascinating storyteller), checks almost all the boxes. This is a well written book with an exciting couple, well developed backgrounds, solid argument and a great ending. Since this is my first book from Ms. Sinclair, I’m looking forward for the rest of the Bad Billionaires series (and her other books) because I want to read more of her stories.
Book Info:
Publication: July 26, 2022 | Harlequin Desire | Bad Billionaires,#5
She doesn’t trust him. He doesn’t trust anyone. Will these enemies give in to temptation? Find out in the latest Vegas-set romance from Kira Sinclair.
Is falling for the enemy in the cards?
The stakes couldn’t be higher.
For card shark turned tech tycoon Luca Kilpatrick, it’s ironic to take a job catching the thief who’s stealing from Annalise Mercado’s casino. That’s because he’s never forgiven her family for accusing him of cheating. But he owes a friend this favor, and he’ll deliver, even as the heat simmering between him and Annalise becomes highly inconvenient. It’s tough to stay focused on helping his enemy’s casino when he’s enjoying nights in her bed! Will trusting each other be too much of a gamble?
From Harlequin Desire: A luxurious world of bold encounters and sizzling chemistry.
You’ll be swept away by this bold, sizzling romance, part of the Bad Billionaires series:
Book 1: The Rebel’s Redemption
Book 2: The Devil’s Bargain
Book 3: The Sinner’s Secret
Book 4: Blame It on Vegas
