Archer Securities by Jove BelleArcher Securities by Jove Belle is part of The Law Game series from Ylva Publishing. Don’t let the novella length fool you—this is a complete story with compelling characters that left me wanting more.

Laila Hollister has her own investigations company, thanks to an investment from her uncle Samar. She’s long since paid it back, but her gratitude for that start makes it a no-brainer any time he needs help looking into something at Archer Securities, the international company where he’s an executive. This time it’s about the numbers—someone’s stealing from Archer, and well outside of the margins for acceptable losses. Luckily for Samar and Archer Securities, nothing excites Laila more than a difficult puzzle.

Trinity Washington provides systems support for Archer from her home office. The arrangement allows her to stay close to her mother, taking advantage of the time left before her mother’s early onset Alzheimer’s means having to move her to a care facility. Her quiet life makes it easy to hide exactly how good a hacker she is and how she uses her skills to help others.

Trinity didn’t count on an investigator looking into the losses at Archer. Will Laila figure out who’s been skimming from the company or has she finally met her match?

The Characters

Diversity has not been one of the strong suits in lesbian fiction, which is why it was exciting to see it in several different ways in Archer Securities’s characters. Trinity is black and Laila is a woman of colour, with Indian family on at least one side. Although we don’t learn her diagnosis, Laila is also clearly neurodivergent; this is an asset in her line of work because it lets her focus on problems in a way a neurotypical person may not.

Despite the novella length, Laila and Trinity are both fully developed as brilliant, driven women, even if they’re driven by different things. The friends and family who are part of their lives round out the cast, with Laila’s cousin Sia being my favourite. I love seeing friendships written well in fiction, and the dialogue between Sia and Laila is great.

The Writing Style

As always, Jove Belle’s writing style is compelling and keeps the story moving at a good clip. I enjoyed Archer Securities and its two main characters so much that I may have contacted her and asked if there’s any chance that this is the start of a new series. Cross your fingers with me, people, because I need more books with Laila and Trinity in my life.

Archer Securities is not a romance at all, which was refreshing because I read so much romance that I sometimes need a break. There’s almost an unwritten rule that lesbian genre fiction has to have at least some element of romance (if it’s not going to just flat out be a romance novel), but this book proves that satisfying stories can happen in lesfic without the two leading ladies falling in love.

The Pros

Fun dialogue, memorable characters, and an enjoyable story that kept me interested until the end.

The Cons

I wanted more. I still do.

The Conclusion

I really liked Archer Securities and I recommend it to anyone looking for a short, fun read. It’s a great novella and well worth your time.

Excerpt from Archer Securities by Jove Belle

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Laila always told Sia what she thought of her boyfriends. Maybe this was one of those social rule things that she constantly screwed up. Maybe she wasn’t supposed to tell Sia if she liked her dates or not. Not that it mattered now that she was marrying Desmond. Laila loved him. He was great at brainteasers and just laughed and tried harder any time Laila beat him.

“You weren’t really into her. I knew it wouldn’t last, so I didn’t see the point in ruining your fun.”

“Yeah, she was fun.”

“No, she wasn’t.”

Laila laughed. “Maybe not with you. But I had a lot of fun with her.”

Sia sighed. “We need to discuss this habit you have of mistaking great sex for a great relationship. It takes more than a regular dose of orgasms to lead to happily ever after.”

Laila tried to picture another way to be happy for the rest of her life but came up blank. “I’m pretty sure you’re wrong about that. Orgasms are awesome.”

Get This Book From Amazon

 

 

 

 

 


[tweetthis]I just read the review for Archer Securities by Jove Belle – check it out here[/tweetthis]

Bits and Bobs

  • ISBN number: 9783955336288
  • Publisher: Ylva

The Law Game Series

Note these are all stand alone. They are a series because they have a theme of crime.

  1. Requiem For Immortals by Lee Winter
  2. Archer Securities by Jove Belle
  3. Daughter of Baal by Gill McKnight
  4. Evolution of an Art Thief by Jessie Chandler
  5. If Looks Could Kill by Andi Marquette

Jove Belle Online

Website

Facebook 

Twitter 

Note: I received a free copy of Archer Securities by Jove Belle for review. No money was exchanged for this review. I will always review books as honestly as possible and on occasion I refuse to review books.

Listen to a reading of Archer Securities by Jove Belle