Bare It All by Lori Foster (Love Undercover #3)

Available: Now Amazon/B&N

Type: Romantic Suspense

Publisher: Harlequin 

My Copy: NetGalley

Reviewer: Nikki

A cop’s craving to know more about the woman next door could prove fatal in the steamy new novel from New York Times bestselling author Lori Foster 

As the person responsible for taking down a brutal human trafficker, Alice Appleton fears retaliation at every turn. No one knows about her past, which is exactly how she prefers it…until the sexy cop next door comes knocking. 

Detective Reese Bareden thinks he knows what makes women tick, but his ever-elusive neighbor keeps him guessing like no other. Is his goal to unmask Alice’s secrets? Or protect her from a dangerous new threat? One thing is certain: their chemistry is a time bomb waiting to explode. And with no one to trust but each other, Reese and Alice are soon drawn into a deadly maze of corruption, intrigue and desire-and into the line of fire…

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Picking up Bare It All gave me mixed emotions. I have long since been a champion of Foster’s work but I’ve felt something was really lacking in the last book and so I wasn’t sure I would even continue with this series.

You may remember the heroine, Alice, in a Trace Of Fever from the “Men Who Walk The Edge Of Honor” series. Or you may not because she wasn’t a huge part and that book feels like forever ago. When we first met her she was much meeker but that backbone of steel was still evident even then. Since then she’s definitely grown into her own. She’s more confident and she’s managed to get her life mostly back in order.

Though she keeps mostly to herself her hunky neighbor and his dog have wormed themselves right into her heart. When he needs somewhere to stay after his apartment becomes a crime scene she jumps at the chance to offer him her place to crash. Reese has tried for weeks to get Alice to open up to him and she’s finally starting to let him in. No way is he turning down her offer. He’s going to need all his detective skills in order to crack Alice because she tightly guards her secrets. She’s also a magnet for trouble and it seems like no sooner does he have one case wrapped up does it find her.

I really liked Alice as a heroine. She was capable but realistic and I liked that distinction. She wasn’t fearless but she held herself together incredibly well in moments of high stress. With Reese in her corner she finally was able to feel safe. I mean who wouldn’t feel safe with that man in their corner? *fans self* Reese was tall, protective and loves animals…it doesn’t get any better then that. Reese was really patient with Alice’s need to keep secrets and only pushed when he felt he needed to know.  I found myself chuckling over the banter between characters. Rowdy mostly but also the two other women living in their building who were trying desperately to get in Reeses’ pants. They were just so deliciously stupid and every woman knows someone like them. Alice’s reaction to them and her need to mark Reese as her own was priceless.

On the downside I thought that for a romantic suspense it lacked…suspense. What there was felt very easy and when it came time to wrap things up everything happened very fast. I kind of wished that there would have been danger to Alice so that I could bask in Reeses’ protectiveness over her. There were hot men all over the woman wanting to keep her safe and there wasn’t a whole lot to keep her safe from. The villain wasn’t very fleshed out and we got basically nothing from his point of view.

Rowdy gets a nice set up in Bare It All that will continue into the next book where he comes front and center. I liked Rowdy in this book much better then the last because he skirts the line between right and wrong really well. He dominates every scene he’s in and I completely look forward to him falling hard for his woman.

Overall I liked this one much more then the last book and I will definitely be back for Rowdy’s book!

I give Bare It All by Lori Foster 3.75 stars!

Dangerous Refuge by Elizabeth Lowell

Available: Now Amazon/B&N

Type: Romantic Suspense

Publisher: William Morrow & Company

My Copy: Edelweiss

Reviewer: Pam

On the surface beautiful, quiet Shaye has little in common with dark, dangerous Tanner. He’s a suspicious big city cop come home to the historic Davis family ranch to settle his uncle’s estate. She’s working for an environmental conservancy that acquires and protects old ranches-and she wants to preserve the Davis homestead. When the suspicious death of Tanner’s uncle at his ranch throws the two opposites together, tempers flare and sparks fly. While they have trouble seeing eye to eye, Shaye and Tanner agree on one thing: they need to uncover the truth.

Combining their unique skills-Shaye’s low-key approach and local connections and Tanner’s experience as a homicide detective-the unlikely pair share long nights in the pursuit of justice. Before they know it, the friction they generate turns to heat, igniting a burning love neither ever expected to find. They believe passion this intense cannot last. But when Shaye becomes a killer’s target, Tanner realizes he’d give up anything to protect her-including his life.

There is something that just does not add up when Tanner Davis comes to town to find out about his uncle Lorne, who just passed away. In the country, you do not go out without a hat and you do not wear your city shoes while working around the ranch, which is how Lorne is found by Shayne Townsend when she goes up to talk to him about a misunderstanding. Shayne works for the

Conservancy; a non-profit company that helps keeps family ranches and farms from becoming extinct or turned into resorts and shopping centers.

Tanner Davis is a LA homicide detective who is just as tough on the inside as he looks on the outside. He left Refuge many years ago when his father and uncle stopped talking to each other and has never regretted the move. His uncle Lorne was one crusty character and you always knew where you stood with him as he let you know. He had many friends and enemies around the area. He was working with the Conservancy and Shayne to help preserve his land, until he got angry one night when Shayne’s boss gave him the wrong papers to sign. He yelled at Shayne and anyone who would listen that he felt lied to and cheated on, he changed his will the very next day making Tanner the beneficiary.

As Tanner and Shayne try to piece together the weeks before he died, the clues just keep pointing to a suspicious death. Their relationship also starts to heat up as they spend more time together, trusting no one but each other. They find that thinking of long term means someone must change their way of life, but as danger comes closer they do not want to lose each other. One clue after another sends them in different directions until Shayne finds herself in the most dangerous situation with some unstable suspects.

This is what I called a romantic suspense, full of mystery, danger and sexual chemistry that when put together works well. I have read several of Ms Lowell’s historical romances but this is the first suspense for me and I thoroughly enjoyed. It started out a little slow as we meet the characters, watch as the mystery is revealed and Shayne and Tanner get suspicious, and then wow, the story goes into high gear and hurtles you toward the gripping conclusion.

I really enjoyed the how well Tanner and Shayne fit together and worked as partners trying to find the clues to Lorne’s death. I liked that although Tanner was a rough, take no prisoners homicide detective and portrays his bad attitude to anyone that gets in his way, he always treats Shayne with respect and admiration. She even commented about how he had two different personalities at times.

The secondary characters are interesting and as you watch Shayne deal with the politics that surround her job you could not tell who was good and who was evil, as with most politicians. I did like August who was a deputy that seemed to want to do the right thing, however always on his own terms, as he had an agenda. I am not sure if there will be more than one book surrounding these characters however this is a great single title romantic suspense.

I give Dangerous Refuge by Elizabeth Lowell 4.25 stars!

Lucky Like Us by Jennifer Ryan (The Hunted #2)

Available: Now Amazon/B&N

Type: Romantic Suspense

Publisher: Avon Impulse

My Copy: Edelweiss

Reviewed by: Pam

Bakery owner Elizabeth Hamilton’s quiet life is filled with sweet treats, good friends, and a loving family. But all of that is about to turn sour when an odd sound draws her outside. There’s a man lying unconscious in the street, a car speeding toward him. Without hesitation, she gets the man out of harm’s way before they’re run down. Unwittingly, Elizabeth has put herself in the path of a serial murderer, and as the only one who can identify the FBI’s Silver Fox Killer, she’s ended up in the hospital with a target on her back.

All that stands between her and death is Special Agent Sam Turner. Against his better judgment, Sam gets emotionally involved, determined to take down the double threat against Elizabeth—an ex desperate to get her back, despite a restraining order, and a psychopath bent on silencing her before she can identify him.They set a trap to catch the killer—putting Elizabeth in his hands, with Sam desperate to save her. If he’s lucky, he’ll get his man … and the girl.

Elizabeth Hamilton lives in a warehouse loft and bakes wonderful goodies for a living. She comes from a well known, wealthy family but loves to give back to others to make them feel better. She was in the middle of mixing up a batch of cookies while talking to her best friend on the phone when she hears some popping sounds and looks out the window to see a man lying in the street.

Sam is an FBI agent and former special ops who is working on an assignment to find the Silver Fox, a serial killer who is terrorizing the area. Sam and his partner Tyler, are meeting an informant in a bar when things so very wrong. Sam is ambushed and drugged, taken from the bar and thrown into a vehicle. He somehow gets out of the car and starts to run when the suspect shoots him in the back. As the he is about to be run over, a woman comes running, grabs Sam and rolls him under her SUV. The suspect tries to finish them both off with his car but fortunately the police come and he runs, but not before leaving Sam very injured and Elizabeth in critical condition.

As Sam and Elizabeth struggle to get better the investigation goes into high gear to find out who did this. Both families use all their influences to get the best medical help for the two and to gain information on the killer. Danger comes close several times for Elizabeth as the Silver Fox tries to kill her, and throughout it all Sam is there for her, getting to know her and realizing that their attraction can grow in small calm moments.

This is a very quiet romantic suspense, after the initial adrenaline rush in the beginning as Elizabeth is trying to save Sam and then herself, the story goes into a more investigational mode. The tone changes as they are taken to the hospital where the staff tries to save Elizabeth. I love how the family bonds as Elizabeth fights for her life, she and Sam slowly form a relationship despite several emotional battles he must get through as his job has taken a toll on him; however Elizabeth makes him want to live life again. I like how they quietly get to know each other through holding each other and keeping each other company during some long nights. In lighter moments Sam even becomes Elizabeth’s fake fiancé and they tease each other to help fend off the weird guy she dated once who seems to not want to go away.

Even though this romantic suspense is more relationship and investigative orientated that does not mean there is no action, they do have a stalker to thwart and the serial killer to find and arrest before he kills Elizabeth. Also Tyler has an interesting relationship going on with a psychic ghost who helps him with a few investigations. I enjoyed seeing all of Sam’s family again, Sam’s twin Jack with his wife Jenna who we met in the first book and his sister Summer all come to help. And Elizabeth’s family was a hoot, as we watch her brothers and father being very protective of her. All in all the characters Ms. Ryan creates are all very interesting from those we met before to new ones, both good and evil.

The plot progression is well done and I really enjoyed how the story unfolded going from a rapid pace in the beginning to slower in the middle and then it raced to the end as the danger revved up toward a conclusion. A very enjoyable second addition to the series that I will continue to read.

I give Lucky Like Us by Jennifer Ryan 4 stars!

Surrender by Stephanie Tyler (Section 8 #1)

Available: Now Amazon/B&N

Type: Romantic Suspense

Publisher: Signet

My Copy: Sent

Reviewer: Pam

DESPERATE, FEARLESS, AND HUNTED For former Navy SEAL Dare O’Rourke, Section 8 was legendary. The son of one of its missing members, he grew up in the shadow of its secrets. All he knew was that it was a cabal of operatives discharged from branches of the military and reassigned to extremely dangerous, off- the-books international missions. And that their handler was as shrouded in mystery as the missions themselves.

NOTHING CAN STOP THEM. NOTHING CAN BREAK THEM. Now the handler of Section 8 has given orders to kill any remaining members, along with their families. Dare must save his long-lost half sister, Avery, whom he was never meant to meet. Determined to fight for their lives and find their missing father, Dare and Avery bring together for one last mission those who are in danger because of their relationship to Section 8—to avenge their families and to survive.

When you think of a Section 8, you think of some mental disorder, craziness and being discharged out of the military, which is exactly what those behind the Section 8 black ops group created. It consisted of seven men and one woman recruited from various military branches and the CIA and all had a little bit of crazy in them, many were getting discharged out of the military and they were snapped up by the handler that took care of all the missions. No one was supposed to know who the handler was, then and now. However his name is getting out and in the last few years there has been a clean sweep order to keep is identity under wraps.

Over the last six years those with ties to Section 8 including their families were gone, accidents and unexplained deaths were killing those with even the smallest connection. Darius O’Rourke was part of the original eight and his son Dare knew that they were both on that list, his father has been missing for a year and Dare was supposed to have died a year ago in the jungle, however someone saved his life, at a very high price.

Dare knew that S8 had officially disbanded when he was thirteen and for years the members worked missions on their own, until they got a call and the remaining six members had one last job, four men never returned with only Adele and Darius coming back alive, however they were never the same. Now Adele was visiting Dare, coming to a place where he never has visitors; after he almost died he has been alone for a year with his nightmares. Adele tells him that his half sister needs him and he will have to come out of hiding to help her.

As he rescues his sister Avery, they travel to New Orleans where they start to find others as they come to find answers, Gunner, Key, Jem and Grace all have something in common and they are all facing death unless they come to some kind of understanding and work together to find the one man that wants his secrets to die with them.

This book is full of action, adventure and all the fun of tortured alpha men and women just at tough. It should also be noted that the blurb on the back only talks about his half sister, this is not who Dare has a romance with; the author even writes a side note about this on GoodReads, the blurb seems to be missing a major player in this romantic suspense. However, blurb aside, this was a great book and I am so excited it is the start of a new series. I love how the story kept me guessing until the end, the plot twists are page turning material. There were several surprises as the ending came and I liked how I never saw them coming.

The characters all fit the perfect black ops profile, all with questionable and secret pasts, tortured souls and they all had a bit of “crazy” in their personalities, they all had this adrenaline rush they would experience when they would do something just a little off, and it happened to all of them, a personality quirk that the author wrote in to each one. I would have liked more information about how Dare is dealing with his nightmares, as this was something that immobilized him for a year, it seemed glossed over when all the action hit, and I am not sure when any of them slept as there was so much going on. I also was confused when Key and Jem go to their family home to pick up a Jeep that had been in a shed for years, and it just started right away, maybe more will be explained in each of their stories. Otherwise the story flowed well as we go from one heart stopping moment to another.

The romance between Grace and Dare was heartfelt and I enjoyed the chemistry between the two, even though they could not trust each other at first as they each have all these secrets. I liked each of the other characters that they collected along the way to help thwart the bad guy, they all had

something in common as they form this tenuous group. I look forward to getting to know each one in future books, the back stories are all intriguing and I can’t wait to hear about their tortured pasts, I love those tortured heroes.

All in all this is a wonderful action packed story and a series that I will continue with. I am not sure whose story is next, however I will take any of them as they are all interesting characters.

I give Surrender by Stephanie Tyler 4.5 Stars!

Saved By His Submissive by Angel Payne (The WILD boys of Special Forces #1)

Available: Now Amazon/B&N

Type: Erotic Romance

Publisher: Self pub

My Copy: Sent

Reviewer: Michelle

Garrett Hawkins is the most valuable asset to his Special Forces unit—because frankly, the guy doesn’t care if he lives or dies anymore. Since the love of his life, Sage Weston, was kidnapped and killed with her medical unit a year ago, Garrett has turned the shell of his soul into the impenetrable armor of a finely-tuned fighting machine. Being the first tapped for the unit’s craziest missions is just fine by him. The less time for memories, and the agony they carve into his soul, the better.

It’s a plan that works—until one night, deep in the jungles of Thailand, Garrett’s world is upended when memories become stunning reality. The unit is called to rescue a group of kidnapped aid workers, only the head count on the retrieval is unexpectedly doubled. Sage and her teammates, believed dead, are very much alive. Only now that Sage is back in his arms, Garrett doesn’t know what to do. He has changed in dramatic and daunting ways, especially in the darker tastes of his passion. If he touches Sage again, he’ll want to claim her, restrain her…dominate her.

Is Sage’s love strong enough to let Garrett back in not only as her fiancé, but her Dominant? Can she trust that visiting the new shadows of his life will lead her to ecstasy and not ruin? Or can it be that Garrett’s discipline is exactly what her own soul needs to find its way back to life—and love—once again?

This book had all of the ingredients to create a hot romantic suspense including a sexy alpha hero, a strong heroine, scary situations with bad guys, along with some BDSM thrown in. Garrett was uber-alpha, Sage was kick-ass in her own right, and the action was pretty dramatic. Unfortunately there was so much internal emotional struggle between Garrett and Sage that the erotic aspect took a back seat, and it never felt very romantic at all.

Garrett “Hawk” Hawkins has been going through the motions for the past year, spending his life not caring about much of anything since Sage went missing. When her medical unit disappeared and no bodies were discovered, the world assumed the worst. Garrett pours everything he has left into being a stone cold soldier always up for the most dangerous missions. It is on one of those missions that Garrett stumbles upon his very much alive fiancée. Despite the changes over a year of captivity and fighting for survival have wrought, Garrett knows her immediately. The rest of the world may have accepted her death, but his heart had never truly let go. Now that he has her back, he vows to protect her at all costs and never let her go again.

Sage has never been so glad to see someone in her entire life. She’d been through hell for the past year, never knowing what her fate would eventually be. Somewhere in the back of her mind, though, was always the hope that Garrett, her soldier, her love, would find her. When he and his team rescue her and her fellow captives, she feels it is a second chance at life with him.

Things never quite go according to plan, though. The bad guy(s) have a way of resurfacing at completely inopportune moments. Frankly I don’t understand why the author had to continue that storyline. It seemed to me that Garrett and Sage had enough problems and struggles without throwing in the bad guy that just won’t go away. I would have liked the focus to be on them finding their way back to each other through the murky waters of their new relationship. Maybe they could have had a smoother path if they’d actually had the time (and maturity) to talk things through. Between Garrett’s overprotectiveness that he used to justify his secrecy, his inability to trust Sage with his true desires, and the games she played to try to see behind the walls he put up, they never quite got their act together.

Garrett was determined to suppress his sexual desires, believing that BDSM and sexual bondage/slavery have no place in a relationship between a man and woman who love each other. He was ashamed of his wants and refused to believe Sage when she insisted she shared those same wants. There were two really great parts of this book. The initial reunion between Garrett and Sage in the jungle was full of angst and emotion. I loved when she called him her hero. The scene in which Garrett finally gives in to his Dom/sub urges was very hot – if you can ignore the circumstances, as well as the fact that it took most of the book to reach that point. I would have preferred to read more about how these two overcome the past year of hell they both went through, and explore their new desires, and less about the bad guys and the couple’s inability to communicate. The sexy and romantic reunion story I was hoping for never quite reached its potential.

I give Saved By His Submissive by Angel Payne 3 stars.

Thrill Ride by Julie Ann Walker (Black Knights Inc #4)

Available: Now Amazon/B&N

Type: Romantic Suspense

Publisher: Sourcebooks

My Copy: NetGalley

Reviewer: Nikki

He’s Gone Rogue

Ex-Navy SEAL Rock Babineaux’s job is to get information, and he’s one of the best in the business. Until something goes horribly wrong and he’s being hunted by his own government. Even his best friends at the covert special-ops organization Black Knights Inc. aren’t sure they can trust him. He thinks he can outrun them all, but his former partner—a curvy bombshell who knows just how to drive him wild—refuses to cut him loose.

She Won’t Back Down

Vanessa Cordova hasn’t been the team’s communication specialist
very long, but she knows how to read people—no way is Rock guilty of murder. And she’ll go to hell and back to help him prove it. Sure, the sexy Cajun has his secrets, but there’s no one in the world she’d rather have by her side in a tight spot. Which is good, because they’re about to get very tight…

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Rock is on the run from his own government after an elite assignment gone horribly wrong. Known to his friends as one of the best operatives around they aren’t willing to believe the allegations that are surfacing about his true intentions. They know the man he is and they know there has to be more to the story. They quickly gather themselves and set off after him but after months of searching come up empty handed.

Vanessa simply won’t back down and on a hunch ends up directly in Rock’s path in a jungle in the middle of no where. She’s intent on proving his innocence even though he claims he’s not an innocent man. Vanessa knows better and as they race against time, with their emotions on edge something curious starts to happen, everything fades away and they are left with each other, and another opportunity to have something more.

I’ve always been on the fence with the BKI books and Julie Ann Walker as an author. I’ve never quite connected with the story lines or the characters and have been left wanting something more at the ends of the previous books. However, Thrill Ride lived up to it’s name and what I found in between the pages was a fast paced adventure romance that set my pulse pounding until the last sentence.

It’s no secret I am a total accent whore and Rock has this magnificent Cajun accent that came off smooth as butter. He would alternate between French and English during high emotional moments and I found it all incredibly sexy. I just love a Cajun accent. It probably has something to do with me watching a lot of X-Men cartoons when I was little and my favorite character was always Gambit…but I digress.

I enjoyed Vanessa and Rock together even if they never could seem to get it right throughout the book. How many times can things heat up only to cool off just as quickly? I mean these two got interrupted by everything, including themselves, so many times I wanted to scream. Good lord, just have sex already! Rock was bound and determined not to get Vanessa on her back…but hey, it’s totally okay to give her a manual orgasm leaning against your motorcycle. She’ll be cool with just that. What? No? Yeah, exactly.  Rock is so emotionally shut off that he can’t even vocalize anything to her until literally the last page of the book. I wanted to smack him and tell him to get his head out of his ass and stop trying to protect everyone becuse all it does is either drive people away, or in Rock’s case, make them all even more determined to help.

The camaraderie between all the Black Knights really stood out in Thrill Ride and I found myself eagerly engaged to their hi-jinx as well as their serious moments. These people are most definitely a family and it really showed this time around. Each member was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice in order to clear Rock’s name. There are laughable moments peppered throughout and each characters personality shows quite well. All starkly different but alike too.

I enjoyed this book and will definitely be back for the next one!

I give Thrill Ride by Julie Ann Walker 4 stars!

High Risk By Vivian Arend (Adrenaline #1)

Available: Now Amazon/B&N

Type: Romantic Suspense

Publisher: Berkley

My Copy: Sent

Reviewer: Pam

LIFELINE: an elite search-and-rescue squad based out of Banff, Alberta. Specializing in high-risk rescue missions, this team goes wherever the job takes them… Rebecca James was once revered for her devil-may-care attitude and backcountry survival skills. But ever since she lost her partner in a fatal accident, patches of her memory have been missing. And until she can recall those final, tragic moments before the accident, she can’t move on.

Since Marcus Landers was permanently injured during a mission, all his energies have been focused on his Lifeline team. When Becki—whom he had an intense affair with seven years ago—arrives in Banff, he’s inspired to reignite the spark they once had. Their mutual ardor slowly awakens Becki’s dormant, haunting memories. New truths surface until Becki must at last confront her greatest fear. Remembering the past might mean a future without the man she loves…

Lifeline is an elite search and rescue squad that Marcus Landers owns and runs; he started the company three years ago when life as he knew it changed. He used to work all around the world for others doing rescues and secretive recoveries. That career vanished during a failed operation that cost him his left arm just below his elbow. Returning to Banff was always in his future plans, but he did not think it would happen so soon. He set up a private rescue company and recruited the best; they are the “go to” squad called in for high risk and impossible rescues.

David Landers is Marcus’ brother and runs a school that teaches search and rescue, he established one of the highest ranked training centers in North America. Marcus thinks his team has become lazy and full of themselves so while David’s school is on hiatus Marcus is going to run his team through training.

Rebecca James (Becki) is skilled at working the ropes for search and rescue teams, she went to school at David’s training center years ago and has built up quite a reputation. David is hiring Becki as a trainer when school starts up again however she came early to find herself as she is still recovering mentally from an accident eight months ago when her partner died while climbing. Becki’s memories of the events are vague and she has a large amount of memory loss. She has nightmares that seem to always stop at the same spot each time waking her up in a cold sweat.

Marcus and Becki had a sizzling wild weekend when she was going to school here so there is some sexual tension as soon as they see each other again. They make a deal, she will train his team and help him train with the ropes with his arm and he will help her through her panic attacks and nightmares. However before they even get started he misses several training schedules. She is worried but then when David tells her Marcus is OK she then gets pissed. Marcus also has issues he deals with and gets blinding headaches; he shuts done for several days sometimes.

When a reporter digs up details from Becki’s accident she is worried that what she can’t remember will cause trust issues with the team. And when she is the only one to help on a rescue that cuts close to her heart, this may be the exact trigger for her memory recovery.

High Risk is a very good start to a new series by an author whose books are always on my long “to be read” list. This first book sets up the new series as you meet the team and see how they interact together; you see how the school came about and also the why and how of Marcus’s dream. There was not a lot of search and rescue in this book as it dealt mostly with the relationship of Marcus and Becki and the past issues that keep them from moving on.

The only thing is I did not feel this was a romantic suspense however can see how future books could very easily be more on the suspense side as they perform more search and rescues. I enjoyed the relationship between Marcus and Becki, there is a lot of sexual tension in the beginning and once they are together the sex scenes steamed up the pages. I also enjoyed the way Marcus and David interacted, they have a great brotherly relationship and it is fun watching that way they played off against each other. The team members all seemed to get along, not much drama which is refreshing when you have a team made of up the best and usually egos get in the way, they are truly a team. The story moved along quickly and was a fun and exciting read and Becki’s ordeal several months ago revealed a twist I did not see coming. I am looking forward to the next book as the leading characters are both on the team and they seem to have a love/hate thing going on.

I give High Risk by Vivian Arend 4.0 stars!

Cherry Adair Interview & GIVEAWAY

Today I have the awesomely awesome (hush, I can say what I want) of authors! Today I have bestselling author many times over, Cherry Adair! Welcome back Cherry! Let’s talk about your newest book, Relentless! 

 

Relentless mostly takes place in Egypt. You’ve used this region before. What is it about this area/culture that fascinates you?

 

I’ve always been fascinated by Egypt, even as a little girl. Maybe it’s a reincarnation thing? I’m pretty sure I was a slave, because I still have an aversion to housework! lol

 

You love to put your heroines in situations that are completely out of their element, but yet all of them are extremely capable. Isis is a prime example of a woman believing herself out of her element. When you’re brainstorming ideas what is your process with character development? Do they just jump out at you or do you have to think about it?

 

The best characters for me are ones who arrive fully formed in my head. But that’s not always the case. I start with their birthday (decided very quickly with absolutely no thought) I build their personality from the character traits of that sun sign. If that is who I want them to be, great. If not (better!) I have to give them the life experiences that formed them into whoever I want them to be when the story starts.

 

Can you give us a favorite line or excerpt from Relentless?

“You have to go now.”

“Go?” He blinked her into focus. “Go where?”

“To your own room. I’m not having sex with you tonight, James Connor Thorne.”

“You’ve got to be- Why the bloody hell not?”

“Because you’re just not ready for me.”

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She was a tightwad who made every penny work twice, once for each side. He could go first class. She’d go coach. Thorne purchased two first class tickets, and told her to shut up and enjoy her heated nuts.

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The kiss was wild and bordered on rough. It was the kind of kiss long term lovers shared, not the touch of two virtual strangers.

 

Each of your books, regardless of series, are action packed with car chases, weapons and suspense. Do you have multiple contacts in different fields for research, or do you deal with only one or two main people? Have any funny research stories?

 

I have multiple people from all walks of life who are fabulous about sharing their experience with me. I had a heroine who was a nuclear physicist (seriously? What was I thinking?) I didn’t know anyone who knew anyone. I mentioned the dilemma to my husband, and he said “Oh, I know a guy.” “You know a guy?” It turned out he knew a man from dog agility who was a nuclear physicist! When asked, the physicist was delighted to help me. I told him what I needed my heroine to know or say, and he gave me the tech speak. That was the only time I’ve ever had a character who I didn’t understand! I had to send the finished scene to him so that he could tell me if what I’d written made sense. Lol

 

Over the course of the Lodestone series you have hinted at the re-appearance of Gideon. Will readers ever see him again? Come on, TELL MEEEEEEE!!! 

 

IF Gideon Stark is alive (a- Gideon Stark is such a great name for a hero and b- his body was never found) I’m sure he’ll surface in 2014.

 

Ooh you’re sneaky! Thank you so much for stopping to talk to us today! 

**Giveaway – Cherry is offering up one paperback copy of either Hush (book one) or Afterglow (book two) to an US or Canadian winner! Simply leave a comment here and a way for me to track you down. Contest open until April 15th at 11:59pm EST with winner announced shortly after**

Order Links: Amazon/B&N

Lately, the gods are not smiling on Isis Magee. How else can she explain the bizarre events that have led her on a relentless high-stakes chase from Seattle to London to Cairo in search of the elusive tomb of history’s beautiful and enigmatic queen Cleopatra?

A Hidden Treasure

Isis has only two leads: a fragmented trail of clues offered in rare moments of lucidity by her father, a once-respected archaeologist whose last dig ended in disaster, and the unique sixth sense of sexy Lodestone agent Connor Thorne.

The Passion of a Lifetime

Connor also encountered tragedy in the Egyptian desert not long ago, and as Isis pulls him deeper into her mission to restore her father’s reputation, he is secretly plotting a revenge of his own. Propelled across wild, untamed sands by vicious unknown forces, the duo is seduced into a labyrinth of secret chambers. When they fear they can go no further, they surrender to their incendiary desires and discover that the prize each separately seeks may be waiting at the end of the same dangerous road.

All Or Nothing: A Trust No One Novel by Dixie Lee Brown

Available: Now Amazon/B&N (Paperback available in April 2013)

Type: Romantic Suspense

Publisher: Avon Impulse

My Copy: Edelweiss

Reviewer: Pam

Someone wants Cara Sinclair dead. One minute she’s halfheartedly enjoying an Oregon Coast casino, and the next she’s being chased by hit men. Rescued by a total stranger, Cara must decide whether she can trust her safety to this Joe Reynolds and his team of ruthless mercenaries. The more time she spends with Joe, the more her desire for him grows. But can he truly protect her, or is she placing them all in mortal danger?

Joe agreed to protect Cara as a promise to a dying man. He never expected to feel such heat between them, or her total lack of faith in him. Now he must convince her that her only hope lies with him. Because Joe is starting to realize that he won’t be satisfied with just saving her life . . . now, he wants it all.

Six years ago Joe Reynolds lead a team into North Pakistan, their mission was to locate an Al Qaeda operative and bring him out alive. The mission went horribly wrong and although the team made it out, Joe did not, as he was about to be executed, Charlie Dugan defied orders and came back for him. However when Charlie needed him three weeks ago, it was too late. So he has come to Lincoln City on the Oregon Coast to save a woman’s life because Charlie begged him to with his last breath.

As Joe meets Cara outside the casino her brother owns, several men try to grab them forcing them to the beach, Joe struggles and Cara runs, however things turn deadly as Cara shows Joe she is an excellent shot when she is in danger.

Joe must persuade Cara that her brother is trying to kill her and Cara convinces Joe that her ex-husband is also in the mix of people that want her dead. At first Joe thinks Cara may have had something to do with Charlie’s death however several turn of events put them both on the same side. Cara was severely abused by her ex-husband, David who comes from a mafia family. Her brother helped get her a divorce, however there were things unsaid and no one is sure what deals were made to ensure those papers were signed.

Joe takes her to his “ranch” in Kalispell, Montana, a place where he trains people for jobs that no one else wants to take and no one is suppose to know about. His colleagues are those he has collected throughout his life from jobs, those who have nowhere else to turn and have had to deal with some hard living.

Danger gets close as there are two that want Cara dead and while Joe and those at the ranch swear to protect Cara, she does not want anyone getting hurt because of her. In the meantime, Joe’s boss needs one more mission to get the information on her brother, but things get dangerous and deadly as her enemies find her.

What a ride, this was a great start to a new romantic suspense series; the story flowed with several different twists to throw you off as you head toward the conclusion. You can tell that Joe does not believe Cara was the innocent in all events, even though his friend Charlie told him to take care of her. Joe also keeps his distance from Cara as he believes she was Charlie’s girl, and then she was just so distant with everyone because she did not want to be the cause for anyone getting hurt. Her ex-husband did a number on her both physically and emotionally, she needs to overcome much and I think Joe knows this and keeps away.

Much of the story was about the ranch, getting to know those that lived there and the training they are doing. When Joe and Cara finally gravitate toward each other obstacles get in the way to make both back off. The sexual tension was not prevalent in the beginning and did not start until later when they both realized that maybe something could come of their attraction however then her husband would show up or Joe’s boss would need her to do something, always getting in the way of romance. The only thing I did not care too much for was the fact that Cara had a hard time accepting Joe and how he felt for her, even as everyone was telling her how he would look and act toward her, she still had problems believing and I wanted to shake her until she understood.

The characters that Joe “collected” at the ranch were fun and engaging; I believe each will have their own damaging tale to tell of how they came to the ranch from disturbing pasts that were not revealed. And looking on the author’s website it looks like Walker gets his own story next which is wonderful as he is funny and quirky with a little crazy mixed in.

I give All or Nothing: A Trust No One Novel by Dixie Lee Brown 4 stars!

Shades Of Passion by Virna DePaul (Special Investigations Group #3)

Available: March 19,2013 Amazon/B&N

Type: Romantic Suspense

Publisher: Harlequin

My Copy: NetGalley

Reviewer: Nikki

Shades of the past

Detective Simon Granger has devoted his life to solving high-risk cases, and he’s vowed never again to get involved with a woman whose work is equally as dangerous. But when the Special Investigations Group teams him with a beautiful psychiatrist , his resolve is shattered by the tense and emotionally charged partnership…. 

Shades of intrigue

Determined to outrun the grief over her sister’s death, Dr. Nina Whitaker reluctantly agrees to use her training to help the police. Despite Detective Granger’s disdain for her profession, she believes she can change his mind. But then a grieving father begins a deadly game of revenge, threatening Nina’s life, challenging her beliefs, and drawing Nina and Simon together in an explosive endgame of intrigue…and unstoppable passion. 

Shades of passion…

.

Nina is on the run from her past. After the death of one of her patients and the subsequent fall out she flees to the other side of the country to start over again. She meets SIG Agent, Simon, who is running from his past as well. His ex girlfriend, a psychiatrist, was murdered 6 months ago by a man she was trying to help and he’s been trying to tell himself he’s fine ever since. He’s never dealt with the emotional aspect and now his work is starting to suffer.

When Nina starts getting threatened Simon must work to overcome his own issues in order to protect the woman he is coming to care deeply for. Her aspirations of working with the police to enact a supplemental department trained to handle people with mental illness, takes a back burner to the threats on her life.

Nina and Simon are forced to work together even though Simon’s deep rooted disdain for psychiatry keeps pushing them apart. They circle around the argument and return to it again and again. It’s what made seeing them as a couple hard to swallow. There was no getting past this issue and even at the end of the book I was left shaking my head because even though Simon does make strides to seeing Nina’s POV, they will never see eye to eye on the topic of mental illness. All Nina’s “doctor speak” at times could get a bit overbearing and I think that coupled with their constant arguments, brought the book down a bit for me. Simon himself could be overkill in his reactions to Nina’s profession. By the end it felt like they were beating a dead horse.

All the past characters make appearances in this one and I enjoyed seeing them all again. DeMarco (Simon’s partner) is set up nicely for the next book. His PTSD from difficult case will play an integral role I assume as he learns to get past it and move on. I actually thought that given how much page time he got that we’d learn a bit more about him. He seemed on the very edge of a mental breakdown but then really nothing happened. It was a bit odd for it all to be laid out there if nothing was going to come of it yet.

The best part of Shades Of Passion was that I never saw the ending coming. I never put two and two together and so this one kept me guessing until the end with who was involved. I love a suspense that surprises me in the end and Shades Of Passion definitely got me there.

I give Shades of Passion by Virna DePaul 3 stars!