Book Recommendation ➱ Hell of a Mess (Mississippi Smoke Series Book 8) Southern Mafia Romance by Abbi Glines

Hell of a Mess by Abbi Glines
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

📖Book Info

Lace

Waking up without any memory of who I was in a place with people who didn’t know me would have been terrifying if it hadn’t been for him. The comfort I felt when he was close by pushed other darkness away. Memories slowly fighting to return, haunting images, fear that crawled closer every day until he showed up with a book by my bedside to read to me. I didn’t care what he read, just hearing his deep southern drawl ran off the monsters lurking in the shadows of my mind. Luther Levine was my hero.

Luther

My life was what I’d made it. The one I wanted, and I was real damn happy with it. Until I found a woman with a pair of the prettiest eyes I’d ever seen staring up at me beaten and broken behind a dumpster. For the first time in my life, someone needed me. What was even more shocking was I wanted her to need me. I wasn’t planning on keeping her. She was too young. The age gap too big. But when they came to take her from me, the urge to fight back clawed at my chest. Just when I accepted I couldn’t let her go… we found out who she was. Not because her memory returned. It was her DNA that dropped the bomb on us all. The outcome was one hell of a mess.

💭Our Thoughts

Holy Shnikeys!! WTF?

The twist!!!

I was wondering how this was going to play out?

How was Luther going to keep Lace?

There was no way around this that I could see, when BAM, out of nowhere, one of the absolutely best! And I do mean the best twist ever was revealed.

It was so far out of left field while being plausible and making sense! It wasn't even a stretch of the imagination, but it was a Hell of a Whammy!

Loved it.

“Huh. Well, damn. Look at me. I wasn't so bad at the comforting thing.”

It all started when Luther and the guys were there to collect a debt for the boss, one of his favorite activities; The reminding of the consequences part, not the verbal reminding either. When he stumbled upon a broken and battered Lace.

He wasn't going to leave her there, so he took her home.

And let the drama begin!

We all know Luther is slightly unhinged, loves to play with his prey, and enjoys the game as much as the unaliving.

Think big grizzly in a human skin costume.

What we, or at least I, didnt know is that he has the biggest marshmallow heart with a bit of a caretaker kink

Who knew

And he just found the one person who triggered it, and he was not letting her go.

Watching growly Luther constantly protect Lace, provide her with the reassurance and confidence to try things, to explore, and help her regain her memories - the pièce de résistance of their story

Lace had me going back and forth as to how I felt about her.

She was strong in so many ways and less so in others. I had to remember that she was young and what she had lived through in her few short years. Those experiences shaped who she was and how she responded to events.

But when she stepped up to defend Luther. It was a beautiful sight to behold

There is a pretty big age gap between these two, but it felt natural for their characters.

The intimate moments between them... Hot as Hades, even a couple that were cute (you’ll see)

I quite literally read this in one sitting.

Said it before, but just a reminder: This whole series is a must-read.

Great story lines that captivate. Strong cast of characters that burrow their way into your heart and leave a lasting impression

Author Website: https://abbiglinesbooks.com/

Blog Tour Page: https://awonderfulworldofwordsa.blogspot.com/2025/10/by-new-york-times-usa-today-and-wall.html

My Reviews on: 

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/Joyffree

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#HellofaMess #MississippiSmokeSeries #agegap #southernmafiaromance #morallygreyhero #AbbiGlines