Spin-off Saturdays: On Saturdays, I will review a series that is a spin-off series. It is recommended that you read the original series first in order to get the most out of the spin-off series. Here is this week’s offering:
Liars Inc Series is a spin-off of the Wingman Inc Series
Series: Liars Inc.
This is a spinoff of the Wingman Inc Series
Author: Rachel Van Dyken
# of Books: 2 (Full Reading Order Here)
Book Order: Connected but Chronological
Complete?: Yes
Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Humour
Heat Rating: Hot
Point of View: First Person, Multiple (#1); Alternating (#2)
Publication Date: June – October 2018
Source & Format: Kindle Unlimited—eBook
WARNING: If you have not finished the original series, this review may have spoilers!
My Expectations?
I rated the Wingman Inc Series very highly when I read them. They were a great blend of humour, romance and solid characters so I had a blast reading them. But then I read two dud books by Rachel Van Dyken after that (The Dare [The Bet #3] and Co-Ed), so I was a little worried that this was going to be a letdown as well. Plus, there seemed to be a love triangle alluded to in the synopsis of Dirty Exes so I went in hesitantly.
How Does It Compare To The Original?
–More Fun (2000s Rom-Com) than Heartwarming (1990s Rom-Com)–
I will admit that I did laugh at some of the situations Blaire finds herself in as she completes her PI investigation. Blaire (the sister of the hero in The Matchmaker’s Playbook and the only thing that connects the two series truthfully) lacks her brother’s confidence but that is part of her charm. This read more like a rom-com with a focus on the drama of the romance Blaire finds herself in.
—Dirty Exes (#1) Was More Suspenseful–
I don’t like love triangles when they don’t contribute to the plot but here, it was the main plot premise and I really didn’t know who Blaire was going to end up with until the mid-way point. I found that really captured my attention as I tried to figure out who was the “totally right” and the “totally wrong” man from the synopsis.
Anything I Didn’t Like?
–Fast Romances–
I just thought the connections here weren’t as deep as Wingman Inc Series. Things move fast given the high stake plots of each book and the characters’ close proximity so I understand how that accelerates the connections. They all had great chemistry so that helped balance things out and allowed me to see why they would work out in the long run.
–Didn’t Like the Antics at the Start of Dangerous Exes–
I did not enjoy the first 20% of Dangerous Exes (#2) which was disappointing because I was so excited to start it after the end of Dirty Exes (#1). I even contemplated DNFing it truthfully. But I took some time away from it to read another book and then when I returned to it and gave it a few more chapters (and the premise listed in the synopsis started), I began to enjoy the story. I just found the character antics immature and also slightly unnecessary at the start. The dramatic element that pulls them together just seemed like a stretch to me.
Series Rating: 4/5
Dirty Exes 4/5 | Dangerous Exes 3.5/5
If you want a faster paced, rom-com-esque story, this will be a fun duology for you to pick up!
Read if You Like: rom-coms, love triangles
Avoid if You: want erotica
- Wicked Sexy Liar by Christina Lauren (Wild Seasons Series #4)
- The Goal by Elle Kennedy (Off-Campus Series #4)
Synopsis for Dirty Exes (from Goodreads):
Blaire has never quite gotten over Jessie Beckett, the ex–NFL star whose kisses were hot enough to ignite the entire Eastern Seaboard. When he chose work over her, Blaire was left brokenhearted. Why else would she have married a skeezy two-timer, just to divorce him less than a year later?
Now Blaire is getting even by becoming one half of Dirty Exes, a PI firm fully committed to humiliating cheating jerks. If only the new jerk she’s been hired to uncover wasn’t Jessie Beckett himself.
Exposing Jessie isn’t going to be easy, especially when she still daydreams about his sexy smile. Further complicating matters is Colin, Jessie’s best friend. He’s gorgeous, a little bit cunning, and willing to help Blaire get the inside scoop on Jessie—for a price.
Now caught between two men—one totally right and the other totally wrong—Blaire will need to decide just how much she’s willing to risk…and whom she’s willing to risk it for.
