At 17, Lily Walker knows she is in love. Others may say differently since she is young and innocent but in her heart she knows the feeling is real. The best thing for her to do is runaway and find Andrew and live the rest of her life with the man she loves. But once she arrives in New York City, Lily is surprised to find Andrew with another woman. With a shattered heart, she turns and flees never looking back until she hears the sounds of shots being fired. All she considered was her love for Andrew as she shut out the harsh and dangerous world that often fills any city. She has no money, no where else to go, and she refuses to return home. Unaware how she will even survive in a place she is not familiar she runs into a stranger. Cain is a cold-blooded killer who has just fulfilled a contract. Lily has no idea he is a hired gun man. He wonders if she was a witness to the killing in the alley. Cain must find out what she knows and if she even suspects anything. He decides to give her shelter until he learns more about her but he never anticipated on having warm affections for her. As he tries to help her survive while learning about her, he decides this is one girl he wants to protect from the meanness in the world. With each passing day, Cain’s feelings for Lily grow stronger no matter how hard he tries to shut her out. Lily, in turn, begins to share feelings of love for Cain then learns what his occupation really involves. He showed her how to survive in a harsh world, now she wonders can the love she feel for him be strong enough to live with him forever and perhaps change his destiny as well.

The Killing Game is a powerful read that grabs and never releases until the end. Lily is sweet and innocent and instills a believable character as she follows her heart only to find the love she thought was real wasn’t meant to be. The connection between her and Cain is wonderfully written and sends a bit of chemistry mixed in the pages. A young girl, a hardened man, a great plot and a well-written story makes one fabulous read. It was as if these two souls needed to be together. I could almost hear Cain’s British accent with each word he spoke. Ms. Heaton incorporates an awesome story that is heart-stirring. I enjoyed how she allowed the two to slowly fall in love as Cain shows Lily how to mature into a young woman. This story is so beautiful, so tender. Watching tough guy Cain fall for a young innocent while showing a softer side of vulnerability to him was worth the read. Ms. Heaton pens a non-stop romance that this reader really enjoyed! This book is definitely a keeper!

Reviewed by: Linda L