#Review: Outside the Lines by Lisa Desrochers - 3 Wine Glasses

Title: Outside the Lines
Series: On the Run #1
Author: Lisa Desrochers
Format: Kindle Edition, 292 pages
Published: January 19th 2016 by InterMix
ASINB:00WS1PBJY
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N
Reviewer: Crystal
Source: NetGalley
Rating: 3 out of 5 Wine Glasses

As the oldest son of a Chicago crime lord, Robert Delgado always knew how dangerous life could be. With his mother dead and his father in prison, he’s taking charge of his family’s safety—putting himself and his siblings in witness protection to hide out in a backwater Florida town.

Fourth grade teacher Adri Wilson is worried about the new boy in her class. Sherm is quiet and evasive, especially when he’s around his even cagier older brother. Adri can’t help her attraction to Rob, or the urge to help them both in whatever way she can.

But the Delgados have enemies on two sides of the mob—their father’s former crew and the rival family he helped take down. It’s only a matter of time before someone finds them. And if Rob isn’t careful, Adri could end up in the crossfire...

Crystal's Thoughts:
Outside the Lines from author, Lisa Desrochers, made for a decent start to a mafia themed series, which I am glad to start seeing more of! Love me some mafia romances! With the intriguing premise of a crime lord on the run with his younger siblings, unknown dangers, and an unlikely romance between said mob boss and an innocent school teacher; I can't say that the story entirely lived up to all of my expectations but it didn't disappoint.

The story opens with Robert Delgado, the prince of a Chicago crime family. He's taken over the family business from his imprisoned father... that is until someone decides to take a hit out on him and his siblings. Now they're hiding out in a small backwater town on Florida's coast, under the government's protection, as far from their lavish lifestyle as they could get. Rob was a sexy and dangerous character who while trying to keep his family protected, also seeks vengeance for whoever would dare try to take him out. Was it a rival family, or someone from his own? This mystery will keep readers in suspense throughout the book.

In the meantime though, Rob and his four younger siblings must adjust to the quaint and quiet life they now find themselves in, which means the youngest of the Delgado's (Now known as the Davidson's) must begin school. Enter the fresh-faced teacher, Adri Wilson. Adri has just returned to her home town after the death of her mother to be with her father, the local police chief. As her first teaching job, she knows that she has to impress in order to keep it. But when the older brother of her newest student walks in, filling her mind with the most delicious of inappropriate thoughts, she realizes that may be harder then she thought. Adri was a delight to read, she got adorably flustered whenever Rob was around and often caught that 'foot-in-mouth' syndrome. She's also a fixer, so when she see's the tension between Rob and his litter brother Sherm, she can't help but nose her way in and try to help. But something just isn't meshing with the "Davidson's" and their supposed background.

Rob and Adri were a cute couple. They both fumble around a bit in the beginning, fighting their feelings while also trying to validate them. The romance was slow to ignite, around the 50% mark, but I think it moved at a steady pace for the couple. When things finally heated up though, it got HOT! Adri's character did irk me at times,  she was not only incredibly naive, but also somewhat dense. Her actions near the end had me shaking my head in disbelief but thankfully it all worked out. I really liked her strength and determination. I also liked Rob's gruff and protective attitude. He came off as an arse in the beginning but once the layers were peeled away from his character I sympathized with the circumstances he found himself in.  

The story itself did move slowly at various intervals. The author's writing is detailed, overly so at times which caused the plot to drag. The mundane day to day activities of the siblings tended to overpowered the main story-line. I enjoyed the family dynamics though and each of the characters interested me. The sub-plots playing out in the background were intriguing as well, and didn't distract from the main plot-line. However, the main thread of the story wasn't tied up, so I assume that mystery is going to continue throughout the series. All in all; Outside the Lines lacked the mafia madness that I was looking forward to and ended up being more of a mystery with a splash of romance, but I think that was mainly because the author was setting up the series.  I am really looking forward to the next book, Over the Line, and expect it to have more of that 'madness' that I was hoping to find here.