Tag: #series

Book Review: Strike Force by Beth Rhodes

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

STRIKE FORCE (Hawk Elite Security, #4) by Beth Rhodes is another great addition to this romantic suspense series. I have been waiting for Malcolm’s story and it is everything I was hoping for.

Malcolm Daniels dealt with a lying, cheating ex-wife. He was young, inexperienced in relationships and she took everything from him including his trust in all women. When Marie is taken in by Hawk and given a job at Hawk Elite, Malcolm knows she is hiding secrets and he vows to reveal them. What he does not expect is that he comes to admire Marie’s hard work, courage under fire and her ability to see outside of the box. Marie is also beautiful and Malcolm wants his “little thief” physically, but he refuses to trust her.

Marie Feur is from a long line of Romanian gypsies and is meant to inherit and wear the gold armband that is legendary in her family. When Marie was young, the armband was stolen by another family with a long standing feud with her family. Her chance to get close to the armband comes with her work for Hawk Security. She wants to please her only remaining family member, her Uncle Bert, by returning the armband to their family, but that means she will be betraying her friends at Hawk Security, betraying her growing feelings for Malcolm and proving him right in believing she is only a thief.

Malcolm is so rigid and by the book. He loves his computers and programs and no longer believes in love or relationships. Marie is fun, loving and good at what she does, which does not always follow what one might consider “right”. These two are so opposite and yet Ms. Rhodes makes them, over the pages of this story, so right for each other. There is plenty of action and suspense as Malcolm and Marie deal with not only the stolen armband, but drugs and international sex slaves with the help of the FBI and their friends at Hawk Security.

The sex is steamy and hot, hot, hot between these two. It also progresses from sex with no strings or attachments to much more. Both Malcolm and Marie are now two of my favorite characters in this series.  I especially love how Malcolm’s only response to good or bad situations, out loud or silently in his head is “Fuck”. A man of few words, well basically only one word, who left me laughing out loud!

I highly recommend the entire series and especially this book. It can be read as a standalone, but I bet you will go back for more.

Written for and posted first on The Romance Reviews.

Book Review: Ignite by Lisa Carlisle

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

IGNITE (Underground Encounters Book 3) by Lisa Carlisle is now my favorite of this series!

Vamps underground nightclub is the epicenter of each book in this paranormal romance series that are all easily read as standalone stories. Ms. Carlisle’s world of vampires, shifters, witches and gargoyles just keeps getting better and better.

Book 3 has Lily Everett celebrating a promotion with her friend at Vamps. Lily works hard at her job, works out hard at the gym and is an avid reader who has occasional sex with no commitments. Lily’s night out is interrupted by The Velvet Cocks lead singer and she is not thrilled until she hears him sing. He has a sensual voice that captivates her. Lily is interested, but very guarded and a loner because she has a furry secret that she never shares.

Nico Bedrosian aka Leggy Bones is a rock star by night and a computer geek by day. He is intrigued by the golden eyed beauty who does not seemed interested in him. He gets Lily to let him in enough to be a friend with benefits and those benefits are extremely hot!

Real feelings begin to grow on both sides, but Lily refuses to share why they can never be together. Nico wants to break down Lily’s walls and find out why she is so afraid to commit, but can he really handle the truth?

Lily and Nico are both well fleshed out characters that have many layers to their personalities that make them unique. You can feel for Lily having to grow up with her secret and being too afraid to share. Nico is just perfect with his rock star looks and voice, literary knowledge, geekiness and English accent. These two have explicit, steamy, smokin’ hot sex scenes throughout the story, but they are well placed and realistic to the building relationship.

Ms. Carlisle has built an intriguing paranormal world around Vamps and each book has increased my interest and love of the series. I cannot wait to see who will be introduced next!

Written for and posted first on The Romance Reviews.

Book Review: Tell It Like It Is by Stanalei Fletcher

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

TELL IT LIKE IT IS (Northstar Security #5) by Stanalei Fletcher is the newest addition to this fantastic romantic suspense series! I believe Ms. Fletcher consistently produces realistic and strong heroes and heroines, interesting suspense plots and romance to heat up the sheets on these chilly winter nights.

Justine Shelby is an agent for Northstar Security who lives and works in California for the D.C. based company. Tiny, white haired and honest to a fault, Shelby has a past that she has worked hard to overcome. Her latest assignment is to be a personal bodyguard/assistant to world famous author Rosalee Kane. Rosalee is writing her memoir and has started to receive death threats. Shelby begins to care for the author as more than just a job and does not want to lose jurisdiction to Rosalee’s FBI Special Agent nephew.

FBI Special Agent Nelson Kane has many reservations about Northstar handling his aunt’s case from a previous encounter. As the threats escalate, he must put those reservations aside and trust in Shelby to help him keep his aunt alive.

With each turn of the page, you become even more involved with the mystery, suspense and action. Most romantic suspense stories center mainly on the H/h and protagonist, but this book also has a feisty, elderly author/aunt, who is just as smart, young at heart and entertaining as the H/h. Ms. Fletcher’s dialogue between these characters is intelligent, funny and sassy. The romance is there and happens without sexual intercourse. I was more focused on the suspense plot and Rosalee. (Not a slight, I just was not as completely into the H/h’s romance in this book.) I was able to predict the villain of this tale, but it did not ruin the story for me.

If you have not tried this author or this series, you really should! This book can be read as a standalone, just like the others in this series, but I think once you finish this story, you will want to read the others, too.

Written for and posted first on The Romance Reviews.

Book Review: Broken Bones by Angela Marsons

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

BROKEN BONES (D.I. Kim Stone, #7) by Angela Marsons is an intricately woven web of clues under investigation by Kim and her team that brings together international sex slavery, illegal immigrant exploitation and prostitution into a realistic and brutally honest story. Once again, I can highly recommend this book and series!

It is Christmas and as D.I. Kim Stone is leaving the station, she finds a baby abandoned on the steps. As the team comes together to watch Kim deal with a baby, a call comes through for Kim and her team of a murdered prostitute. As Kim and Bryant follow the trail of clues, they get pulled into a world of not only prostitution, but also the grooming and entrapment of young girls into modern day slavery and gangs.

At the same time, Stacey and Dawson investigate to find the mother of the abandoned baby. Their investigation leads to a factory of Romanian workers that just does not seem quite right and a dead Romanian man, who appears to be a vagrant. As they work the clues, they are introduced to a world of illegal immigrants forced into indebtedness that will never be overcome and is therefore just a form of slavery.

At first, there appear to be too many threads to follow and I was not sure of how all of the plotlines would come together, but under the deft plotting of Ms. Marsons everything all tied together beautifully with a very surprising ending. I believe all of the issues covered throughout this book were handled with truth and empathy, including the revelations in the main characters lives. Kim, Bryant, Stacey and Dawson are a realistic group of investigators/characters that have all grown in various ways throughout this series. Another great addition to the series that can be read as a standalone, but I believe if you give it a try, you will become as hooked as I am and read the whole series.

Thanks very much to Bookouture and Net Galley for allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review. I hope this series continues on for many years to come!

Book Review: The Reunion by Sara Portman

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

THE REUNION (Brides of Beadwell, #1) by Sara Portman is a wonderful character driven historical romance that had me hooked from the first chapter!

Lady Emmaline Shaw has grown from an uncertain girl into a strong, independent woman. She had to face the disappearance of her fiancée, John Brantwood, four years ago and not so long after that the death of her parents. She ignores the gossips, has a close circle of friends, and is living happily in the small village of Beadwell.

John Brantwood has returned to claim his family lands and title as the Duke of Worley. Everyone believed he had run off to war and been killed. Not so. Now he is back and needs to quickly find himself a bride. When he is reminded he already has a finacee, he remembers a shy, meek girl, who will not do for his plans, but Emma is no longer that girl and he finds himself liking and needing this strong woman.

A marriage of convenience is agreed upon, but can either keep their hearts uninvolved and safe?

This book is a wonderful introduction to this series and I can’t wait for many more. Ms. Portman has written characters that come to life on every page. Emma and John try so hard not to involve their hearts. The subplot of John’s sister, Charlotte trying to hide her American past was a great way to show the differences in cultures. The dialogue is witty and fun. The sex scenes are hot and steamy, but not over the top and placed perfectly to enhance John and Emma’s relationship.

Overall, just a wonderfully enjoyable historical romance!

Written for and posted first on The Romance Reviews.com.

Book Review: Serenity Avenged by Craig A. Hart

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

SERENITY AVENGED (The Shelby Alexander Thriller Series Book 3) by Craig A. Hart places Shelby’s pregnant daughter in danger due to his ex-wife’s debt to a sadistic crime boss named Darkmore. Ex-boxer and retired fixer Shelby Alexander has once again found himself to be anything but retired and at peace.

When Leslie, Shelby’s daughter, goes into early labor he heads out of Serenity and drives down state. When he arrives, Leslie is stable, but his ex-wife has led serious trouble to her door. Due to a hidden gambling problem, Helen borrows money from a loan-shark. When she can’t pay, the threats begin and Darkmore sends his nephew after her and uses Shelby’s abducted daughter as collateral.

Shelby teams up again with his best-friend, Mack, a retired detective to save Leslie using Helen and Jimmy, Darkmore’s nephew as bait. With lots of fire power and Jimmy’s inside help Shelby is determined to save Leslie and her unborn child.

I love reading these fast paced thriller stories featuring Shelby, who is not your usual hero. His character is so interesting and well defined. The plot is action packed and suspenseful with a truly terrifying and evil antagonist featured in this book. The dialogue is entertainingly sarcastic at times which smooths some of Shelby’s rough edges. This book can be read as a standalone, but the characters grow and interact more in each book, so I recommend reading them in order.

I will be anxiously waiting to read more of Shelby’s adventures in the future.