Adley Firm

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1. LORD OF LONDON TOWN by Tillie Cole

SYNOPSIS

Cheska Harlow-Wright was born into a life of luxury and privilege. She has never wanted for anything. A comfortable future as a married London socialite awaits her. But since the age of thirteen, Cheska has harboured a secret—an unshakeable fixation on a boy who could never offer her anything close to ⁣comfort. A boy steeped in sin and draped in depravity. A boy born into the possessive embrace of darkness.

When Cheska’s seemingly perfect world is ripped apart by an unknown but deadly enemy, there’s only one person she can run to. One person in the world ⁣who has the power to keep her safe. The one person her weak and shattered heart craves.

Arthur Adley. The new head of the most feared crime family in London. ⁣Forced too young to take the helm of the Adley firm, Arthur has become even more ruthless, formidable, and cold than ever before. His enemies are circling, and he must fight—and kill—to maintain his family’s place at the top of the London crime underworld. There is no room for weakness, emotion, or loss of control.⁣

But then Cheska smashes back into his life with the force of a wrecking ball. She has no place in this dark, vicious, and bloodthirsty world. And worse, she is the solitary chink in his impenetrable armour. He’s already pushed her away once, but this time she desperately needs him. She’s broken, lost, and in danger, and he is the only one who can help.⁣

Arthur must protect her. He must destroy those who dare to threaten her, hunt down those who would take what is his. He would raze all of London to the ⁣ground to keep her safe… but can he also protect himself?⁣

The infamous Dark Lord of London Town faces his most brutal battle yet—the crippling weight of the past, the unrelenting enemies lurking in the shadows… and the havoc that Cheska’s presence is wreaking on the granite fortress that was once his heart.⁣

BOOK REVIEW

Tillie Cole always writes one-of-a-kind romances, and Lord of London Town was a great example of the author’s amazing writing in its own subgenre. A sinfully sexy and deliciously suspenseful love story between a couple of lonely people from two completely different worlds with a smidgen of darkness and even psychoticism to slowly die over. Not my most favourite from Tillie but still unique and psychotic in a good way even.

Devil. That seemed a good title for Arthur. Most people were terrified of him. He was unapproachable, with eyes that could cut you where you stood. And he had the allure of Satan too. A magnet to sin and temptation, stirring wants and desires inside of me that were anything but chaste and holy. And if the rumours were true, he had the evilness of the dark lord too.

Arthur Adley was a broken boy with so much anger and grief sitting deep within, raised in a crime world where murder and violence were not only expected but mostly encouraged. And once forced to take the reigns over the Firm, he quickly turned into a ruthless man full of rage, determined to destroy anybody staying on his way. Arthur ruled with an iron fist, but no way was he prepared for Cheska who made him finally feel… And even though Arthur did his very best to push Cheska away by showing the dark and brutal side of his lifestyle, she stayed determined to fight for him, since she saw ‘true Arthur’.

“Try your best to destroy me, Arthur. Try your best to break me apart. But I’ll still be here when you’re exhausted, my claws sunk deeply into your flesh as you drag us both to hell.”

Cheska Harlow-Wright was born into privilege, expected to be a social princess, and marry well. But deep down, all those things were nothing she truly wished for or wanted. Honestly speaking, I didn’t like her character since it felt like she was only there to enhance the aura around her love interest. And the only remarkable thing about her was that she loved Arthur and wanted to be dragged into the darkness with him. But what else is there to expect from Cheska in the setup of a dark romance?

“You made me feel again. After so fucking long. After the blood and the death and all the dark thoughts…” I squeezed my eyes shut. “You made me fucking feel.”
“I am your queen. And you are my king. Your dark kingdom is now ours.”

I still find it difficult to put a decisive label on the relationship between Arthur and Cheska. For me personally, it was hard to say that love was the major driving force behind the chemistry of the two. Lust played a bigger role (and don’t be mistaken, the sexy times were dangerously hot, definitely on a harder side). Also, not spoiling anything, but even the decisions made by the two main characters were mostly the results of occurrence rather than their consciousness… So, not sure…

We were here. Together. He had let me breach his high, impenetrable walls. I knew it would take time to hammer through the rest. But I wasn’t fazed by the task. I was inspired. To know all of this man. To have him love me and let me see his soul. It was worth it all.

I did think that Arthur and Cheska made a good couple. And I loved the growth in both of them. They did get their HEA, but I felt like there was definitely more story to tell…

I enjoyed the overall dynamic in the Adley Firm, but I had an irresistible feeling that the secondary characters were all over the place and thus, made it kind of difficult to get invested in them for potential future books in this universe. There were a couple of twists and turns that clearly surprised me but otherwise, the events were predictable and slow…

I cannot necessarily pinpoint what exactly was lacking in Lord of London Town, but some sort of hollowness was substantial. I don’t know, see for yourself.