Honor Bound - Katherine Grey

Bound by honor...tempted by desire

California “Callie” St. John knows just how much one night of rebellion can cost. After narrowly escaping a car bombing, she is forced to acknowledge she needs a bodyguard, just not the one chosen for her. He pushes her buttons and forces his way past her defenses. While she fights to keep the secret that destroyed her family, she worries she's trusting her bodyguard more than she should.

Lieutenant James “Hawk” Hawkins, a member of a special ops unit of soldiers with extra-ordinary abilities, believes acting as a bodyguard to the daughter of one of DC's movers and shakers is a waste of his talents. But as he comes to know the woman behind the icy façade, he realizes she is more than she seems.

When a dangerous enemy from Hawk’s past targets Callie, he’s willing to risk everything to keep her safe. But succumbing to temptation isn't an option...no matter how much he wants to give in. Because secrets always come to light, and the past is never forgotten.

My Review

Honor Bound tells the story of Callie, a young woman who seems to live the perfect life. With her own flash apartment paid for by her father and a life of volunteering for charities, many would love to swap places. Unfortunately, things aren't as idyllic as they seem. Callie's father doesn't care about her and she's completely alone.

When Jimmy is assigned as her bodyguard, he doesn't like her to begin with, her ice queen exterior stops anyone from getting close. I loved seeing how this pair grew to trust one another as they spent more time together.

The story is a tense romantic suspense and I couldn't bring myself to put it down once I'd started. Callie faces danger at every turn. I loved the romance between these two, they were really well-suited and I enjoyed watching them grow closer as time went on. 

This is the first in the Echo Company series and I'd be keen to read more. This is a great start to the series and one I recommend. 

Author Bio

Katherine Grey writes contemporary romances with a hint of the paranormal. She lives in upstate NY with her family. When she’s not writing, she can be found up to her elbows in flour trying out new cookie recipes.

Buy Link: Amazon - Honor Bound

The Couple Next Door - Rick R. Reed

The Couple Next Door by Rick R. Reed
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm not quite sure how I would classify this book. Is it a romance? A thriller? Romantic suspense? It's possibly actually all three, but it's also very different from anything I've read before. Right up until the very end I wasn't really sure how it was going to all pan out.
When Jeremy meets his new neighbours Shane and John, it's clear that there are plenty of secrets and problems surrounding them. As he discovers more about them he finds himself drawn further and further into their world. Can he really trust what he is told and learns about them?
Although there is romance here and it is that which drives Jeremy's connection to the two other men. The real heart of the story though is the life that John and Shane have been living for years. There are lots of twists and turns here. Although there are some elements that at least seem obvious from the beginning, there's still plenty to keep you guessing. I really don't want to say anything that might give away anything, so I'll leave this review here. I only really want to finish off by saying this is a gripping read that has you guessing right up until the end.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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In Deep - Blue Saffire

In Deep by Blue Saffire
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In Deep tells the story of Demaris and Kevin. Demaris is an undercover FBI agent, working as a detective and trying to get to the bottom of the corruption in the police force. She's reluctant to get involved with anyone, as she has been living a fake life for years and has begun to forget where she ends and her undercover identity of Danita starts. When Kevin comes into her life for the second time, she soon realises that there's no way that she can continue to keep him at arms distance. No matter how hard she tries to not get involved, he has different ideas.
I really liked the chemistry between Demaris and Kevin. He's willing to accept who she really is, even when she's keeping much of her real-life secret from her. I thought it was quite interesting to see a relationship where he was willing to accept her as she was and not push too hard against the secrets that she was keeping.
The only thing that I wasn't totally on board with was Kevin's accent. I'm not keen on lots of dialogue written with an accent, which is probably just a 'me' thing. I also wasn't sure why he even had an accent, his parents might be from Ireland, but he seemed to be American unless I was missing something.
Overall, this was a gripping romantic suspense and I'd certainly be keen to read more from the Blackhart Brothers.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Deadly Surrender - Katie Reus

Deadly Surrender by Katie Reus
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Grace has been burnt by love in the past, not only after being jilted at the altar but even growing up her mother was not the most loving. She struggles to accept that someone might actually want her. That hasn't stopped her from being attracted to Logan. He has a reputation as a bit of a player, (although to be honest, although Grace mentions it, there is no other evidence of that being the case in this book. This is the first in the series that I have read, so perhaps he has been more of a player in previous titles). It's obvious to everyone else how Logan feels about Grace, but she is reluctant to get too close and be hurt again.
Logan is very sweet. He clearly really likes Grace and wants a future for her. In fact, if it weren't for the suspense element to this storyline, I suspect this would be a very quick read as he soon makes it clear what he wants and isn't going to stop until he gets it.
This was a good romantic read. A good mix of heat and love with characters that work well together. It also has a suspense element, which fits well with the storyline and is not distracting or almost as an afterthought as sometimes happens in romance books. I enjoyed this and would be keen to read others from the same series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Cabin 1 by Amanda McKinney

Cabin 1 by Amanda McKinney
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Cabin 1 is the first in the Steele Shadows Security series. Gage, like his brothers, is a heavy drinking, womanising ex-military type. After the death of their father, they now run a private security firm with a fortress-like base hidden away on a mountain. (Although, it's not that hidden, as plenty of people seem to find them easily.) Niki is attacked in the middle of nowhere on her way home from a yoga class. When she stumbles across the Steel Security base when on the run from her attackers, Gage takes responsibility and soon finds that he is drawn to her.
The suspense side of this novel was fairly convoluted and when the person behind it was finally revealed I wasn't all that sure that it made a lot of sense. I'm afraid that the romance part of the book wasn't really that strong either. I couldn't warm to either Gage or Niki and didn't buy the chemistry between them. That's not to say that this was a bad read, it worked fairly well for the most part but just lacked that extra spark to push it towards being a great read.
I'd be interested to read more in the series to see if they get better as they go along, but I won't be in a huge rush.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Hard Justice - Pamela Clare

Hard Justice by Pamela Clare
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This one get's 3 1/2 rounded up to 4 stars.
I haven't read the previous books in the series, but I think that this one worked well as a stand-alone. This is a romantic suspense with a bit of a murder mystery to get to the bottom of along the way. There's plenty of action and plenty of heat in the romance department.
Set in Scotland with a Glaswegian lead, lots of the book is written with a 'Scottish' dialect which for the most part was fairly well done. The author had clearly done quite a bit research and other than the odd little slip-up, but these were mostly little random things that just slip in there (things like going to a paediatrician's office which is unlikely in the UK). I do struggle a bit with things written in dialect, often it's overdone a bit, as the person writing is less used to the accent. For the most part, this was well done and worked.
I enjoyed the suspense element of the book and although I thought I knew where it was going, it didn't make for a boring read. As for the romance, I think that this might be slightly where things fell a little flat for me. I just didn't fully buy into the chemistry between Quinn and Elizabeth. I also found him calling her Lilibet really cringy. I don't know if it's because the only time I've heard that name ever used before is because it's what the Queen is known as to some people and came about because she couldn't say her own name. It's such a babyish name and not something you could imagine lovers using. It's a shame because I think that it was the romance element that made this less than a four-star read.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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The Fire God Tour - Michele Sims

About the Book

Title: The Fire God Tour Author: Michele Sims Genre: Contemporary Romance, Suspense Miles
Moore is obsessed with fire. He can’t help it—it’s in his genes. He’s also the famous performer Ari, an international hip-hop sensation. There are some negatives that come with fame—death threats and life on the road among them—but there’s also a lot of good: fast cars, fast women, international travel, and more money than he can handle. When Bella Wahlberg joins his team as the chief of marketing, she seems like the antithesis of what he’s looking for, so much so that Miles dubs her Belsa the Ice Queen. It would be unprofessional for them to get together, but more than that, she’s unavailable—and deathly afraid of fire. But as they prepare for The Fire God Tour, Miles can tell something is changing. Is he ready to commit himself to one woman? Can fire and ice come together?    

Author Bio

Michele Sims is the creator of the Moore Family Saga and the Fire God Series. She loves writing hot love stories and women's fiction with multidimensional characters in multigenerational families. She is the recipient of the 2018 RSJ Aspiring Author Award and first runner up in the Introvert Press Poetry Contest for February 2018. She is a member of the LRWA, in Charleston, SC and the From The Heart Romance Writers’ online group. She lives in South Carolina with her husband who has been her soulmate and greatest cheerleader. She is the proud mother of two adult sons and the auntie to many loved ones. When she's not writing, she's trying to remember the importance of exercise, travelling, listening to different genres of music, and observing the wonders of life on this marvellous planet.  

My Review

Links

Amazon Autor Page 

 Email: michelesims2122@gmail.com 

  Facebook Goodreads Instagram Twitter Website   

 Purchase Act I. Seed on Fire and Act II. Playing with Fire.  

Under the Skin - Zara West

Under the Skin
Zara West
Publication date: June 6th 2019
Genres: Adult, Romance, Thriller

A billionaire bridge builder
A gifted thief
A ruthless criminal
Can he save her before it’s too late?

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks

Author Bio:
Zara West loves all things adventurous and heart-stopping as long as they lead to true love. Born in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Zara spends winters in New York where the streets hum with life, summers in the Maritimes where the sea can be cruel, and the rest of the year anywhere inspiration for tales of suspense, mystery, and romance are plentiful.
An accomplished artist by training and passion, she brings a love of art to every book she writes. When not marooned on an island or chasing after Greek shepherds, Zara tends her organic herb garden, collects hats and cats, and whips up ethnic dishes for friends and family. Learn more at http://www.zarawestsuspense.com

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

My Review 

There was a lot to like about this book. With its look at homelessness, illegal immigrants, the way that women who are vulnerable are treated and the like, there was a great deal to this story. While one part of our couple, Lena, is faced with being at the whim of all kinds of unpleasant people, struggling to keep her families head above water, Mic has been there but managed to escape.

This is the fourth in the series and having not read the other books, I haven't got any knowledge of the characters that pop in this book that featured in the previous stories. I don't know if those books dealt with such meaty topics as this, but it certainly added to the storyline here. I don't think that it was essential to have read the previous books, I don't think that my enjoyment was affected by having not read them.

On the whole, I enjoyed the storyline and the two main characters were likeable. Unfortunately, for me, I didn't really feel the chemistry between Mic and Lena. I'm not sure if the rest of things that happened actually caused that to be buried somehow, or if it was something else. Their relationship seemed to jump quite a bit for me and not in a totally believable way. It was a shame, as there was a great deal of potential here and I think that the homelessness aspect added a really interesting dimension to the story.

Overall, this was a good read. The plight of the homeless and illegal immigrants added an interesting and thought-provoking element to the book.

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Deadlock - Cherrie Lynn

Deadlock by Cherrie Lynn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is clearly the first in a series and what a start to a new series it is. Lindsey is the quiet and 'good' twin. While her sister Lena is the one to go rushing into adventure, not worrying about who she hurts or upsets along the way, Lindsey has always followed her picking up the pieces. When Lena goes missing, Lindsey has no choice but to turn to the man who Lena almost destroyed when they were younger.
This is very much a romantic suspense novel. The suspense element being just about as important as the romance. In fact, apart from a kiss when the two first meet, it's a while before the romance side comes through for Lindsay and Jace.
I am quite a big fan of enemy to lover romances. In this case, Jace and Lindsay aren't really enemies as such, it's Lena that Jace has a problem with. After the way that she, in his eyes, ruined his life, he's never going to be that welcoming towards her identical twin sister.
I really enjoyed this read. While it came to a conclusion of sorts at the end of this book, there's clearly more to come. Both for Lena, who I think is probably nowhere near as bad as everyone seems to think, and for the group that Jace works for and with. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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