Category / Suspense

by mvbookreviewer

Requested ARC Review: Risking Trust by Adrienne Giordano

Format: E-bookriskingtrust
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Series: Private Protector’s, Book 3
Publisher: Carina Press
Hero: Michael Taylor
Heroine: Roxann Thorgesson
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: November 7, 2011
Started On: November 5, 2011
Finished On: November 6, 2011

Believe it or not Risking Trust by Adrienne Giordanno is actually the book that started Adrienne’s writing journey and acts as the beginning of the the Private Protector’s series. Though this is the third book published in the series, this story actually takes place before Man Law, the first book of the series which made me sit up and take notice of Adrienne’s writing style.

39 year old Michael Taylor, CEO of one of the nation’s most private and elite security companies finds himself the number one suspect in the murder of his wife Alicia, whom he has been separated from and embroiled in a financially ugly divorce for the past two years. Wanting to prove his innocence in the most public manner possible, Michael approaches Roxann Thorgesson, owner of the Banner-Herald who happens to be his ex-girlfriend from twelve years back.

35 year old Roxann’s life has just about spun out of control since the sudden death of her beloved father. Watching Michael stroll into her office and offering her exclusive rights to all his life past and present in exchange for her helping him uncover the real killer seems like the icing on the cake. Though Roxann would love nothing better than to tell Michael to run back to his life and leave her alone like he had done twelve years back without any explanations, the curious nature within her as well as her heart which still remembers the happiness that had been her life when they had been together refuses to let her do so.

Delving into the murder of the woman who had married the man she had wanted beyond anything else and keeping her emotions intact seems to be one of the toughest challenges Roxann has encountered up till now. The close proximity which the investigation puts her in with Michael weakens her resolve not to get involved with the man who had broken her heart and never looked back. As the investigation opens up a can of worms neither expected, so emerges the reasons why Michael had left her which clears up the air for both of them to start over; only if they can find the real killer behind the murder.

Risking Trust is the story that serves as the missing component when I first delved into Man Law. Back then, I had no clue whatsoever that Michael had a story of his own. And I am so very glad that Carina Press decided to publish his story which serves as a really good beginning for the whole series. If you haven’t read this series yet, I recommend that you kick it off by starting with this one.

With Adrienne’s trademark wit, style and humor, she reels the reader in with this installment as well; none of the cardboard variety characters to be found in her stories, but people you can most definitely relate to which makes her stories unbeatable. She has a way of portraying her characters that is unlike any other and pits them together in the most difficult situations which they work through like heroes and heroines who definitely deserve the happily ever after at the end. Time and yet again, it is the style and prose with which Adrienne delivers her stories that keeps me her #1 fan when it comes to her Private Protector’s series.

Michael is the broody, ex-military hero who finds himself living his worst nightmare when the police refuses to investigate any other avenues in the investigation of his wife’s murder. His regrets makes him human, his resolve to win back Roxann’s affections that makes him an alluring hero!

Roxann is a heroine who makes for a very worthy partner for Michael in every single way. She is the type to stubbornly stick to the side of those whom she loves which makes her unbeatable as a heroine. I loved her style, her sense of humor and the way she fights the panic that threatens to submerge her even if she were to give an inch.

And that brings me to my favorite character Vic Andrews. Whenever he strolled into the picture in all his come-get-me-now-sexiness, I felt a grin tugging at the corners of my mouth and an overwhelming urge to just sigh and crumple at his feet as one big puddle of goo! Yep, he is that good and I believe even if I had never read or heard of Vic before this story, I would still have ended up half in love with him by the time this one was done!

Combining explosive passion and a story of second chances twelve years in the making, Risking Trust is a novel that stands true to Adrienne’s remarkable talent as one of the best RS authors out there

Highly recommended for those who love humor, wit and verbal swordplay in their romantic suspense, there is none who does it better than Adrienne.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Carina Press

amazingread

by mvbookreviewer

ARC Review: Behind the Scenes by Natalie J. Damschroder

Format: E-bookbehindthescenes
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Carina Press
Hero: Rogan St. James
Heroine: Kennedy Smyth
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: October 31, 2011
Started On: October 24, 2011
Finished On: October 27, 2011

Behind the Scenes By Natalie J. Damschroder is the second novel by Natalie that I have tried out, which is set to release from Carina Press on the 31st of this month. Though I have managed to read just two of her novels, there is a theme that rings constant in both her books – you get heroines of the kick-ass variety that drive the story forward and heroes who are a bit laid back than the usual alpha heroes that we all clamor for.

Kennedy Smyth is the owner of  SmythShield, a small security company focused exclusively on projects with a humanitarian goal. It had been the death of her beloved brother working in one such project that had kickstarted Kennedy’s efforts and it had taken her 10 years to bring SmythShield to its current level and status. 

When Kennedy receives a request to monitor the security of the movie shoot of Coming of Day because of terrorist threats that a few selective members of the cast and the director of the film has been receiving, Kennedy’s first impulse is to say no and take on a project more related to what she usually handles. But in the end, Kennedy says yes and finds out that she had completely underestimated the level and focus of the threats that have been following in the wake of the shootings since the beginning.

When the handsome and sexy movie star Rogan St. James comes into the picture, Kennedy has no interest whatsoever in pursuing the curl of desire that leaps forth within her. A woman focused on her work and the pressure that it brings to her life is who Kennedy is and she has no intention of  changing that anytime soon.

Rogan is a laid back version of alpha heroes who doesn’t get as much time as I would have liked in the story. But the scenes that he does appear in, he does make them count and I think Rogan’s brand of laid back persuasiveness was exactly what Kennedy needed in order for her to see that sacrificing her whole life for the greater good of mankind isn’t all there is to living.

Kennedy who hates showing any sort of vulnerability knows that the first time in ten long years she is in danger of doing just that when bit by bit Rogan invades her thoughts, dreams, desires and then her life until the threats start focusing on the object of her affection. Though Kennedy tries her hardest to keep Rogan at bay, Rogan seems equally determined to do the opposite leaving her with no choice but to embrace his love in the end.

Behind the Scenes is very much an action driven suspense novel with bits of romance thrown in. Kennedy is a tough heroine, who makes it really hard for anyone to get close to her; her worst nightmare being that if she gets close to someone, he or she might be the target of enemies that she has accumulated over the past years. Her focus and intensity when it comes to the job at hand is awe-inspiring and humbling at the same time.

Rogan though he doesn’t play an overly major role in the story, turned out to be an endearing and sexy hero whose intention of never getting involved with an actress or a woman whose too driven goes up in flames when his attraction towards Kennedy develops into something much more than he ever envisioned. It is how Rogan seems to know exactly when to advance and retreat with Kennedy that seals the deal with her. Rogan has reserves of patience and of course the wisdom to let Kennedy be true to herself even when circumstances look pretty harrowing.

I liked the overall premise and the setting of the story. A female heading an exclusive security firm is a novel concept and the constant danger and action that is seamlessly integrated into the story makes for a compelling read. Though I felt that the romance aspect of the novel didn’t get an equal amount of attention as the suspense part, Behind the Scenes still managed to keep me turning the pages. I felt that unveiling who the villain turned out to be took just a tad longer than necessary because by the time the story hits the last couple of chapters it is pretty obvious who the villain is.

Rated as good read, Behind the Scenes by Natalie J. Damschroder is recommended for those who love action driven suspense novels with kick-ass heroines leading the story.

Favorite Quotes

He propped his hands on his hips, shook his head slightly and turned his gaze from the front of the building to meet her eyes, dead on. “It sounds ridiculous, but I want you to have dinner with me. Since we have an early night.”
Those truths clamored louder. She shook her head.
“Why not?”
“I don’t have time, Rogan.” […]
“You don’t have time to eat?” he asked.
Kennedy blew out a breath. “I don’t have time for dating games.”
“Good, neither do I.”
“Then what’s this?”
He let go of her and lifted his shoulders, hands out. “Flirtation?”
Something intangible popped, and the tension faded. She smiled. “I expected you to say foreplay.”  

Rogan caught her hand just before she got out of his reach, and tugged her slowly back toward him. His eyes met hers, and she realized just how good an actor he’d been for the last few days. Where before she saw mild interest, now she saw intensity. Need.
Purpose.
He put his hand on the back of her head and dipped down for the kiss she’d daydreamed.

[Rogan] “I’ve been watching you, and you’re more confident and decisive than any woman I’ve ever known. There’s no pretense to you. No concern that what you’re doing is the wrong thing, or that you’re not doing it right.”
“And you don’t like those traits in a woman?”
“I do. I didn’t know that until I found them.”   

What he’d wanted before had crumbled away, leaving the truth of what Kennedy did to him. It was new, and there was a long way to go before it could be right, but that was the path he wanted to take. 

She stepped forward into the shadows with him and took his hand. “What do you want from us, Rogan?”
He shuddered with the force of his expelled breath and intertwined his fingers with hers. “I’m not sure.” He brought their hands to his lips and rested them there, not kissing or licking or being seductive, just touching. “I think I want it all. I’ve barely kissed you, but I already know it won’t be enough. Even sex won’t be enough. You’re deep in my system.”

Purchase Links: Barnes&Noble | Carina Press | BooksOnBoard

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by mvbookreviewer

ARC Review: The Heart of a Killer by Jaci Burton

Format: E-booktheheartofakiller
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Series: The Killer, Book 1
Publisher: Harlequin MIRA
Hero: Dante Renaldi
Heroine: Anna Pallino
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: October 18, 2011
Started On: October 21, 2011
Finished On: October 22, 2011

Sixteen year old Anna Pallino is attacked  in a dark alley and a heart carved on her chest, an assault that haunts her by the sheer brutality and unexpectedness of it. It is only by the intervention of her then boyfriend Dante and his foster brothers Jeff, Roman and Gabe that she escapes with her life intact. But that dark dreary night changes Anna and the relationship she has with the guys she considers as her brothers apart from Dante. When Dante ups and leaves without looking back, Anna is left to lick her wounds in private, battle the fears that seems a part of her since the life altering moment in the alley.

Twelve years later, Dante returns back to his hometown only to bring in his wake the murder of his foster father, in a manner eerily similar to the night of the attack on Anna that had changed Dante’s life for better or worse. The version of Dante that returns is a more lethal and dangerous one, one who has honed the skill of killing down to a fine art. When Dante comes face to face with the newer and harder version of Anna who has been a cop for the past 7 years, Dante knows that his memories of the one woman who had remained in his heart doesn’t do justice to the impact she still has on his heart, body and soul.

With a killer who is willing to play hide and seek with Anna, taunting her with the murders of those dear and close to her, Dante is determined that he would stick by her side and be there for her, a chance he never had 12 years earlier. But what Dante and Anna never figure out is that  the killer is much closer to home than any of them dared to think of, and he is willing to do everything in his power to come out as the winner in this game of cat and mouse that just never seems to end.

The Heart of a Killer is my first Jaci Burton. I have always heard that she writes romances high in sensual content and that was what I expected to find together with suspense of the dark and edgy variety. Though there are moments of toe-curling passion in the book, Jaci Burton seems to have toned down with the sensual aspect of the book and brought out more of the crime-solving aspect. Nevertheless it is obvious that Jaci has got what it takes to deliver a healthy dose of sensuality in her romances and I loved how Dante was patient enough and understanding enough to give Anna exactly what she needs when it comes to physical intimacy.

Dante is a hero who is sweet and dangerous all at the same time. The way he is willing to forgo his wants and needs just because he wants what is best for Anna, and the way he is protective without being overly stifling about it makes him such an endearing character. And though I liked Anna’s character well enough, I just didn’t fall for her as I should have. Anna’s strength and the way she continually battles her fears made me admire her, but I just didn’t feel the “love” when it came to Anna.

The mystery and suspense potion of the story is well done. The person who turned out to be the killer at the end totally surprised me as I was betting everything I had on the wrong person all along. Even then, I felt that at times there was too much rehashing going on of the events that had taken place in the past which diminished my enjoyment factor with the novel as a whole.

Even with certain aspects of the story that didn’t quite wow me, I still managed to enjoy my first Jaci Burton and would rate this as a good read, recommended for fans of the author and fans of police procedural romantic suspense.

Favorite Quotes

She hated that he was here, messing up her life, making her want things she’d wanted for a long time, then pushed to the back of her mind, forcing herself to forget.
She inhaled the scent of him. Big mistake, because God help her, she wanted to put her hands on him, and in that moment she realized the feelings she had for him weren’t dead.

She threw her hands in the air. “Of course I was tense. You were kissing and touching me and I was turned on like crazy. Also, I haven’t had a decent orgasm in like six freaking months. Are you reading my lips here? Six. Months. You’d be tense, too, wouldn’t you?”
Dante gaped at her. Anna threw him a murderous glare.
“Are all men this dense or just you? Jesus, Dante, do I have to draw you a road map to my vagina, or are you grabbing a clue?”

There was no way she could rock against him, filled with him, and not be affected. This wasn’t a quick coupling in the dark—it was no-holds-barred, lights-on, open-eyed lovemaking with a man who wouldn’t accept anything less than her total surrender.

by mvbookreviewer

Requested Review: Jockeys and Jewels by Bev Pettersen

Format: E-bookjockeysandjewels
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Westerhall
Hero: Kurt McKinnon
Heroine: Julie West
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: June 12, 2011
Started On: September 25, 2011
Finished On: September 28, 2011

Kurt MacKinnon is a horse trainer who handed over his resignation to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police eleven months back, refusing to let the lies and deception that ruled his life in undercover work drain him out any longer. But Kurt gets pulled back to do one more undercover job, to bring to justice the man/woman responsible for the murder of one of his trusted colleagues. Kurt’s knowledge about horses and his profession makes him the ultimate choice for the undercover mission that involves infiltrating a horse race track to find out the person responsible and to find the reason behind the murder.

23 year old Julie West is an apprentice jockey who dreams of becoming a jockey as revered and experienced as her mother had been. A suspect in Kurt’s investigation, Julie is not what Kurt expects her to be and from the first moment, it becomes hard for Kurt to be objective where Julie is concerned as her refreshing honesty about everything pulls him in far deeper than anyone else has in a long, long time.

Julie tries hard to keep things professional between herself and Kurt but finds herself unable to do so as Kurt’s charm and underlying kindhearted nature that peeks through makes him more and more irresistible. So finds Julie breaking the rules which had governed her adult life about mixing business with pleasure, all the while not knowing Kurt’s true agenda when it comes to her and the rest of her colleagues at the race track.

Blended with details about horses, racing and the life of a novice jockey who wants to make it big, together with the detecting and undercover work of a determined undercover agent, Jockeys and Jewels is a novel that proved to be an entertaining read. Because I am not someone who has much familiarity with horses since I live in a country where the only time we encounter a horse is when its on TV, I found myself fascinated with certain aspects of the horse racing world. Though I felt that there was a bit too much on the horse racing aspect at times, for someone who loves horses, racing and the world of jockeys with a bit of romance and suspense tossed right in, Jockeys and Jewels would be a gem of a read.

Kurt’s character comes off as the brooding hot variety and he has a hard time keeping his feelings in check when it comes to Julie. Kurt does prove in the end that he has no intention of letting Julie go because for the first time in his life, Kurt finds someone worthy of letting into his heart, body and soul as his mate for as long as he lives. Julie at first is skittish as a newborn colt when it comes to succumbing to the attraction that fires up between herself and Kurt from the very first moment. But as little  by little Kurt charms his way into her emotions and heart, Julie learns to let go, though she doesn’t have a clue as to the real reason behind Kurt’s appearance at the race track.

Bev Pettersen has got that innate talent of telling a good story which I know would only continue to improve with each publication.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Kobo | Smashwords

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: Lethal by Sandra Brown

Format: E-booklethal
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Hero: Leo Coburn
Heroine: Honor Rosemary Gillette
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: September 20, 2011
Started On: September 23, 2011
Finished On: September 24, 2011

It feels like its being ages since I have been invested in a story, its characters and its final outcome as much as I did when reading Lethal by Sandra Brown. And it has been quite sometime since I picked up a Sandra Brown, who always manages to keep the reader glued to the pages, whether it be because of the strong elemental connection she manages to make with the reader or because of the suspense element in her later novels that always manages to entice the reader to put everything else on hold and indulge.

Lee Coburn is a federal agent deep undercover going on 13 months when all hell breaks loose and he is forced to flee for his life after being implicated in the mass murder of 7 men which had initiated a nationwide manhunt for him. His destination is one that will either help him make or break the case of a wide ring of smugglers who dabbles in transportation of young girls to drugs to weaponry.

When widow Honor Gillette’s 4 year old daughter Emily discovers the wounded man outside of their home, Honor has no inkling that her whole life is about turn upside down when the dangerous man with menace emanating from his very pores makes her regret the impulse to check on him. But what Lee brings home to light makes Honor question the circumstances surrounding the seemingly innocent death of her husband Eddie two years back and place her trust in Lee to keep Honor and her daughter safe when everything familiar seems so murky in comparison. 

Lee with his ingrained mistrust for everyone tries hard to not be disarmed by a pair of hazel-green eyes that entices and beckons at the same time. With everyone involved in the manhunt with unclear agendas of their own, Lee trudges his way through with the woman and her child in tow, knowing that anything else would mean a swift death for both of them which he just cannot fathom having on his conscience. And all the while, the awareness that singes through both Honor and Lee’s blood grows with every passing minute, practically making the very air between them electrifying.

Sandra Brown takes the reader on a harrowing journey told from multiple viewpoints, the story’s impact a much more profound one because of the fact. The villain when brought to light towards the end proved to be a shocker which is a testament to Ms. Brown’s ability to spin a well effectuated thriller.

Both Lee and Honor, who serve as the main protagonists are reason enough to bow down to Ms. Brown’s superior talent when it comes to delivering on heroes and heroines a reader can relate to and characters that you want to open up your heart to.

Lee is the version of a dying breed of heroes that few authors have the gumption to write in the present times. Lethal and dangerous, Lee is a former Marine who had a tough childhood, whose days in the military had honed his skills of killing to the extent that he practically feels nothing until Emily and Honor both pierce through the fog of nothingness that has surrounded him all his adult life. With a delicious barbed wire tattoo on his bicep and a straightforwardness to his manner that is both exhilarating and alluring at the same time, Lee is a hero who raced towards my shelf of favorite heroes before I had the time to blink!

Honor is a worthy heroine for a man like Lee. A second grade school teacher who is a total babe in the woods when it comes to the likes of Lee, Honor nevertheless has a backbone of steel that propels her to make the right decisions even when everything else tells her otherwise. Her attraction when it comes to Lee is a visceral one that has her falling hard and fast before she even has the time to gather her wits around her.

Emily was just plain adorable I say and I think my heart just practically turned over during the first couple of chapters which brought to light her cherubic character. I knew then and there that if nothing else could get through to a hero of Lee’s caliber, Emily could, with her innocent and trusting nature that could heal even the most wounded heart.

When it comes to the suspense aspect of the novel, it is how Ms. Brown manages to keep the reader on tenterhooks about her characters, wondering which one’s the ally and which one the foe that makes this one hard to put down. With the turn of one page, you think you have learnt a bit more about the characters that constantly keeps you on your toes. But then at the turn of the next page you realize that you might not know as much as you think you do, which makes this an instant page-turner!

My one teensy bit of disappointment stems from how the story ended, though there were elements that makes the reader draw the conclusion that there is a happily ever after in store for both Honor and Lee. But then again, I guess it was because of the ending that Lethal would remain in my heart for a long time, the riot of emotions that coursed through me at that very moment being one I wouldn’t be forgetting anytime soon.

Final Verdict: A game of cat and mouse timed to perfection & flawless in its execution, Lethal by Sandra Brown is another winner by master storyteller Sandra Brown.

Momentous Scenes:

  • The moment Emily places a kiss on Lee’s cheek. Had me going all Aww! because of how much it affected the stoic Lee Coburn.
  • The moments during which Lee holds Honor in his arms, just wanting the moment to linger on, a first for him. Such a sweet and throat tightening moment.

Favorite Quotes

His entire aspect was menacing, starting with his chilling eyes and the pronounced bone structure of his face. He was tall and lean, but the skin on his arms was stretched over muscles that looked as taut as whipcord. The backs of his hands were bumpy with strong veins. His clothes and hair had snagged natural debris—twigs, sprigs of moss, small leaves. He seemed indifferent to all that, just as he did to the mud caked on his boots and the legs of his jeans. He smelled of the swamp, of sweat, of danger.

Doral asked if Coburn’s neighbors had been interviewed.
“By me personally,” Fred replied. “Everybody in the apartment complex knew him by sight. Women thought he was attractive in that certain kind of way.”
“What certain kind of way?”
“Wished they could fuck him, but considered him bad news.”
“That’s a ‘way’?”
“Of course that’s a ‘way.’ ”

She shook her head slowly. “I don’t believe you. You can’t be a cop.”
“Not a cop.”
“Federal agent?”
“FBI.”
“Even more unlikely.”
“J. Edgar rolls over in his grave every day, but that’s the way it is.”

And then he pressed into her. First his thighs, then his middle, his chest, and finally his mouth. She made a whimpering sound, but its definition was unclear even to her, until she realized that her arms had gone around him instinctually, and that she was clutching his back, his shoulders, her hands restless and greedy for the feel of him.
He kissed her openmouthed, using his tongue, and when she kissed back, she felt the hum that vibrated deep inside his chest. It was the kind of hungry sound she hadn’t heard in a long time. Masculine and carnal, it thrilled and aroused her.

Moving between her thighs, he stretched out above her, then thrust into her. Once. Because, as he did everything, he acted without hesitation or apology to claim her entirely. Her eyes went wide and her breath caught. Holding her gaze, he pressed himself deeper, barely easing back before pressing deep again.

(Coburn)“Honor.”
Gasping, she lowered her arm from over her eyes and looked into his face.
“Put your hands on me. Pretend this means something.”
With a whimper, she wrapped her arms around him and clutched his back, then slid her hands down over his ass and drew him even deeper into her. He groaned, buried his face in the hollow of her neck, and rocked his body against hers. An orgasm burst through her at the same time he came.
She pretended nothing.

The intensity of his expression caused her to tentatively ask, “What?”
“I’ve never been a big fan of the missionary position.”
Not quite sure how to respond to that, she said simply, “Oh.”
“I preferred making it any other way.”
“Why?”
“Because it didn’t have anything to do with getting off.”
“What didn’t?”
“Looking into the woman’s face.” He murmured the statement as though puzzled by it.
Her throat grew tight. She reached up and stroked his cheek. “You wanted to look into mine?”

(Honor)“You had told me that if you didn’t return within a few minutes of ten o’clock, I was to drive away and get as far from Tambour as possible. So, for all you knew, that’s what I had done. After nearly dying in that explosion, with a burn on your shoulder, and your hair singed, you could have run in any given direction in order to get away, but you didn’t. When you found me on the railroad tracks, you were racing back to the garage. To me.”
He didn’t say anything, but his jaw tensed.
She smiled and moved closer to him, aligning her body along his. “You don’t have to give me flowers, Coburn. You don’t even have to hold me.” She laid her head on his chest just below his chin. Her hand curved around his neck. “Let me hold you.”

He had to admit: She’d got to him. This demure second-grade schoolteacher, who’d been faithful to her husband, but who had fucked him with the same fervor with which she’d fought him two days ago, had crawled under his mean ol’ hide.

If he turned his hand into her and began stroking her there, she would wake up smiling and drowsy and ready for him again.
They would kiss. Erotically. Her mouth would be so damn enticing, he’d dip into it again and again to gather the taste that was now familiar to him. He would touch his tongue to her nipples, and she’d rub her thumb around the tip of his cock and feel that he was about to burst, and then he’d be inside her, moving.
Or maybe not. Maybe he would do something he’d never done with a woman. Maybe he would just… be. […]
No, maybe this time, he would just savor being joined to another person as tightly as two people could be. He would savor being joined with Honor.

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | BoB | ReaderStore

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by mvbookreviewer

ARC Review: A Just Deception by Adrienne Giordano

Format: E-bookajustdeception
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Series: Private Protectors, Book 2
Publisher: Carina Press
Hero: Peter Jessup
Heroine: Isabelle DeRosa
Date of Publication: September 5, 2011
Started On:September 1, 2011
Finished On: September 3, 2011

A Just Deception by Adrienne Giordanno is her second book in the Private Protectors series. 32 year old Peter Jessup is former Navy SEAL and now works for Taylor Security. Forced into taking a vacation to get his act together, Peter is a restless soul that has no penchant for sitting around twiddling his thumbs. Coming from a family that is filthy rich, Peter is someone who feels comfortable being his own guy, away from all the rules that the ultra rich society adheres to.

Isabelle DeRosa is a defense lawyer who hides behind the effect her sultry and heartstopping good looks has on the opposite sex. A victim of sexual abuse during childhood, Isabelle has no qualms about what she is capable of emotionally and physically and arms herself with the necessary skills to defend herself if the need were to ever present itself.

When her cousin Kendrick with whom she shares her turbulent past with is murdered and fingers start pointing in her direction, Isabelle agrees to help the FBI uncover the reality behind the facade of a charity home that Kendrick has been keeping up as a business front on his home turf. When Peter Jessup enters the picture as her protector, a man who for the first time in her life has the ability to pierce through the iron clad armor that guards her fragile emotions and heart, Isabelle is in the battle of her life to overcome the fear that has ruled over her life up until now. As block by block the armor crumbles around her, Isabelle makes her way into the treachery and deceit that is Kendrick’s legacy.

This is my second book by Adrienne Giordanno and the one thing that constantly strikes a chord deep within me is Adrienne’s voice which rings with humor all throughout the story. Yes, she deals with a lot of emotional, dark and heavy subjects like the trauma of a woman getting over being abused sexually as a child to baby selling black markets to murder within this story. But somehow, all through this, Adrienne finds a way to keep true to her voice and deliver the reader with what I have come to identify essentially as her own style. And that is one main reason I would always constantly keep coming back for more of her books whenever a new one comes out.

When I encountered Vic Andrews in Man Law, the first book in the Private Protectors series, I thought to myself that no man could ever measure up to Vic. But I was proven completely and utterly wrong when Peter Jessup strolled in and swept me off my feet and tumbled me into his world where his character is everything and I mean everything you would want in the man by your side. He is however not without his own demons to fight but what makes him so appealing is the way he is so patient with Isabelle who has a lot of baggage of her own to get over from before Peter and Isabelle can find their own happily ever after.

The one thing that I can always count on when I pick up a book by Adrienne is the fact that she doesn’t waste time trying to portray the men in her stories the way that the opposite sex wants them moulded and shaped up as they want men to be. But rather, Adrienne brings the male characters in her books to life the way they should be, the way I see men in reality interact with one another and react to emotional upheavals in their lives. And that is one reason I just loved the 2nd book in the Private Protectors series as much as I did.

Isabelle’s character is one worthy of being mentioned because she is one tough chick with an inner vulnerability that just reaches into something deep inside of you until you cant help but empathize with what she has gone through at such a young age. Her coping mechanism when it kicks in is more than understandable and what appealed to me is the way Adrienne handles Isabelle’s emotional trauma in the book, giving her ample enough time and reason to get over it and even then there are no magical solutions to healing the scars that seems to be embedded deep inside of her.

The dialogues are wickedly hot at times and of the laugh out loud variety, the sexual tension between Isabelle and Peter insanely hot, sweet and emotional and the suspense factor that aligns nicely along with the romance aspect of the novel makes this an instant winner! Recommended for fans of the series and fans of Adrienne Giordano. Peter Jessup’s character alone makes this one worthy of being picked up!

Momentous Scenes:

  • The scene during which Peter’s mother walks in on Peter and Isabelle getting it on. Laugh out loud funny. Seriously! LOL
  • The car smexing scene. Insanely and wickedly hot and emotional as well!
  • Every.single.time Peter Jessup gives his Hollywood variety smile. Made me go weak at the knees every time I tell you!

Favorite Quotes

(Isabelle) “You can do whatever you’d like at my house.”
He raised his eyebrows and grinned.
“Within reason,” she added. “If I find you in my bed with a woman, you’re a dead man.”
He grinned bigger.
Her stomach knotted. “Did I say that?”
He continued to grin.
She had said it. Must be the fatigue. Three hours of sleep didn’t cut it.
He stepped closer. Oh, boy.
“Izzy, the only woman I want in that bed is you.”

Peter heard the lock tumble. She must have turned it with her free hand, because the door opened and the inside light she’d left on washed over them.
Izzy threw her arms around his neck, pressed against him and slammed her tongue into his mouth. Demanding and hot. His breath caught and he couldn’t release it. Thank you, Jesus. He’d never known anything better than this kiss.

After slipping the condom on, he rolled on top of her, shoved her hair out of her face and held it while he got lost in those sea green eyes that, in a darkened room, shined bright.
He wanted her. And it wasn’t just the sex. He wanted the whole nutty package.

by mvbookreviewer

Requested Review: Protecting Paige by Norah Wilson

Format: E-bookprotectingpaige
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Self-Published
Series: To Serve and Protect, Book 3
Hero: Tommy Godsoe
Heroine: Paige Harmer
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: August 20, 2010
Started On: August 27, 2011
Finished On: August 27, 2011

Protecting Paige, book 3 in the To Serve and Protect series explores the story of how a single mother finds much more than she bargained for in the arms of her sexy and younger neighbor that makes for one of my favorite tropes of romance. 34 year old Paige is a product of the foster care system making a life for herself and her 17 year old son Dillon whom she has brought up on her own after her husband had bailed out on her.

Moving to her new neighborhood, Paige discovers that her neighbor, the taciturn Tommy Godsoe who is recovering from an injury to his hip makes her heart go pitter patter right from the start. Younger than her by a couple of years, Tommy is hellbent on isolating himself to lick his wounds both physical and emotional in private. But in Paige, Tommy discovers a force to be reckoned with as she practically storms her way into his life, making him sit up and take notice of her and Dillon and drawing him into their lives with an effortless ease that leaves him stunned.

When things take a sinister turn and both Paige and Dillon’s lives end up in danger in a plot that Tommy couldn’t have dredged up even in his worst nightmares, Tommy knows that he would die trying to keep the woman who means everything to him alive and well, even if it means pushing his body beyond its limits of endurance after the injury.

What drew me in with Protecting Paige was in fact Paige’s character that is hard not to fall in love with. She may not be a beauty in the classic sense but on the inside she is a beauty that few can compete with. Growing up in the foster care system and later being abandoned by her husband of 3 years in favor of alcohol may have left its mark on Paige, but she doesn’t let it define who she is and that’s one of the reasons why I tumbled in love with her character as the story progressed.

Paige is one determined chick when it comes to those she loves and is protective towards and when she sets her sights on her sexy neighbor who could seriously give a Calvin Klein model a run for his money and looks like he is in dire need of some TLC, Paige bulldozes her way into his life, refuses to give him a chance to say no and worms her way into his emotions and heart just like that. I have got to say that Norah has a talent when it comes to consistently delivering heroines that readers can relate to and Paige is in no way an exception to this rule.

Tommy’s character is a sneaky one I tell you. At the beginning he is grumpy, surly and right in your face rude because his life has turned upside down with a work injury from which he doesn’t  hope he would recover from. But beneath all that surly attitude lies a heart that is steeped in fear of never measuring up, of always failing to meet the expectations of those that depend on him; a remnant residue of a childhood spent with a father who had demanded so much more than a little boy was capable of giving. It is Paige who brings a ray of sunshine into the bleak existence of his own making and it is in her that Tommy finds a reason to try again, to not let the blackhole that his life has become consume him until he has nothing left to give.

I loved the action aspect of this novel that explores the use of canines in police work which is a vital facet of the daily grind of law enforcement agencies. The interesting explanations of dog handling, the full of life relationship between a dog and its handler which is explored to just the right extent lent something extra to this novel that made things that much more compelling for me as the reader.

And of course, worthy of a mention is the secondary romance that develops between Dillon and Rachel, a character whose entrance into the story opens up a lot of possibilities. Maybe if we are very lucky, one day, Norah might write a story for Rachel and Dillon. A girl can always hope!

Recommended for fans of the series, fans of Norah Wilson and fans of younger hero and older heroine romances. This one’s seriously good!

Favorite Quotes

Her lips parted on a shocked gasp, and he took full advantage, sweeping into her mouth. She tasted of surprise and cinnamon and an unexpected innocence, which took the edge off his anger, but did nothing to dull the keenness of his intent. He grasped her face, tilting it for better access to her mouth, and proceeded to kiss her with deliberate, frank eroticism. No gentle request, no teasing enticement, no sweet cling of lips. Just pure, driving sexual demand.

Her tongue was in his mouth, and oh, Jesus, God, she tasted good. Like coffee and brandy and woman. Any thought of resistance fled.
She kissed him endlessly, again and again and again, like she was starving. Like she might never get enough. Like she could eat him alive. It was the sexiest thing he’d ever known.

(Danni) “I was kinda busy on the way back, too,” she admitted, her face reddening.
Tommy frowned. “I thought you said Dillon was passed out?”
“He was, but Derek wasn’t.” She grimaced. “I guess he got a little hot and bothered by the action in the back seat and wanted a little for himself.”
“Chrissakes,” exploded Ray. “Did anyone not get blown on this trip?”
Danni’s gaze came up then, her eyes glinting with tears and suppressed anger. “Yeah. Those of us without dicks.”

by mvbookreviewer

Requested Review: Saving Grace by Norah Wilson

Format: E-booksavinggrace
Read with: IBOOKS for IPAD
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Self-Published
Series: To Serve and Protect, Book 2
Hero: Raymond Morgan
Heroine: Grace Morgan
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: August 17, 2010
Started On: August 26, 2011
Finished On: August 26, 2011

Saving Grace is book 2 in the To Serve and Protect series by Norah Wilson. If you have already read book 1 i.e. Guarding Suzannah, you would have already met both Ray and Grace Morgan who were a couple even then. At first, I was surprised to know that book 2 would focus on Grace and Ray, a couple who already seemed to have everything going for them. Little did I know that there was indeed a story worth telling, and a lot of hurdles to be crossed before they both could embrace their love for each other in the truest form.

Saving Grace starts at a point that we rarely come across in romance novels. Ray who is reeling from the bombshell that Grace, his wife of 4 years has left him for another man gets the news that Grace has been involved in an accident. Helpless to do anything else, Ray makes his way towards the hospital, reluctant as he is to put his already bruised and battered emotions on the line. There he finds out that Grace has no recollection whatsoever of leaving him, nor that of her association with any other man apart from her husband.

Nursing Grace back to health as she struggles to deal with her memory loss seems to be the cruelest form of torture for Ray who can’t help but feel protective towards his wife even though his heart practically bleeds every time he lays eyes on her. Grace who has no idea of what she has done to earn that cold and distant aloofness that she finds in Ray’s eyes is determined that she wouldn’t lose the man she loves in this world above everything else.

When Ray comes face to face with the fact that both their lives are in danger, and that there is no way of identifying the threat as long as Grace’s memory keeps eluding her, both of them are forced to go into hiding to figure out what to do and to evade those who are hellbent on seeing them buried six feet under. It is this period of forced intimacy that proves to be the pivotal point in the healing process of their relationship, a journey that just left a permanent lump in my throat as I read along.

I loved the way how Norah managed to completely surprise me with this one. I was prepared for more of the same as Guarding Suzannah when I picked this one up. But boy, was I proven wrong right from the first page itself when emotions seeped right through my e-reader and made me impatient to find out every little bit I could about both Ray and Grace. In the end, I couldn’t have asked for a better story, nor a better or more fitting ending for a couple who literally goes through emotional hell and back to finally reach their very well deserved happily ever after. And for someone who rarely cries over books or movies, Norah definitely managed to do just that to me today.

The one thing that totally made the book for me was Ray’s character. From the first page itself, oh wait let me backtrack, ever since I encountered his character in Guarding Suzannah, I have been dying to know what would make the overly polished and controlled Raymond Morgan tick. And Norah certainly delivered on all counts with his character as he totally and irrevocably laid seige on every single emotion I had left to spare and then some. He is tender, generous, kind and on top of all that the way he takes care of Grace even when his heart is being torn into pieces just makes him one of the best heroes ever! And when he does finally let go of his legendary control in the bedroom, all my senses joined up and chanted, “Oh yes Ray baby, you should let go more often!”.

Grace’s character is not one to be left behind as I gush on about the things that worked for me. When I started reading, I was totally prepared to hate Grace’s guts cos in my world, there is nothing worse than hurting a delcious hero for whom my heart just bleeds. But then again, I should have known better and from the moment Grace finds comfort in Ray’s arms whilst at the hospital, I knew absolutely that there was no way that this woman could hurt the man she loves intentionally. I found myself in awe of the way Grace shaped up to a totally new and better version, one with a backbone of steel that earned my wholehearted approval as she sets out to right what she has done wrong and of course make Ray give ALL of himself to her.

Recommended for fans of delicious heroes, fans of romantic suspense and of course fans of the series and Norah Wilson. This is a series that I have a feeling will just continue to get better with each book!

Favorite Quotes

Hot and fierce and impossibly arousing, it was like that day in the car outside the motel. Elemental.
Yes, he was angry; she could feel it in his coiled muscles, taste it in the demand of his mouth and the bite of the hand cupping her head. But it didn’t matter. Anger was honest. Anger was real. Right now, she’d take it.
Ray’s hand raked up under the hem of her loose boxers to squeeze her bottom and she arched into him. Oh, yes, she’d definitely take it!

He caught her hand. “What do you want from me, Grace?”
That was easy. “Everything.” She wanted to touch his chest, but since he held her hand prisoner, she insinuated one leg between his legs, delighting in what it did to his breathing. “I don’t want you to hold anything back. I don’t want you to be so careful with me all the time.”
“Grace….”
“I want you to give me as much as I can take, and then I want you to give me more.”
“Like I did last night?”
His voice was rough, laced with self-disgust. God help her, she’d never loved him more.

“I hope you’re ready for me,” he rasped, rolling her under him, “‘cuz in about five seconds, I’m gonna be inside you.”
“Ray Morgan, I was born ready for you,” she breathed against his ear, even as she guided him to her entrance.
He slid home with one strong thrust. Both of them froze.

Then, suddenly, she was convulsing around him, shimmering, flying apart. Seconds later, he followed, his own release ripping the lid right off his world.
Slowly, like a feather on the breeze, he felt his spirit lilt back and forth until finally it settled to earth again.
Incredible. He’d just had the hottest sex of his life, and he’d had it with his wife of almost five years.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Smashwords | Barnes&Noble

amazingread

by mvbookreviewer

ARC Review: Under Fire by Rita Henuber

Format: E-bookunderfire
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Carina Press
Series: Standalone
Hero: Declan O’Conner
Heroine: Olivia Carver
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: August 22, 2011
Started On: August 19, 2011
Finished On: August 24, 2011

I am a little bit late with my review of Under Fire by Rita Henuber. Work has been a bit crazy and with other obligations taking up my precious reading time, I have been a bit swamped so to speak. But I am a girl who always believes in the “better late than never” adage and though my review is a trifle bit late in coming, it comes with all good tidings and recommendations for fans of the genre to give this one a try!

Rico Cortes is a DEA agent who has been working deep undercover in the midst of Miami’s drug world. With a past that has put him on a course to do his bit to rid his country of drugs, Rico is at the verge of wondering who the real Rico is as his job pulls him deeper into a world filled with treachery and deceit.

Coast Guard Lt. Commander Olivia Carver is one determined woman, whose twin brother Danny was murdered whilst working undercover in the Miami drug scene. Her vow to avenge the death of her twin is one that constantly rings through her very soul and the only thing that stops her from quitting her job to embark on a full fledged search for the killer is the fact that her position brings her intel that she otherwise would not have access to.

When Olivia and Rico’s worlds collide, a meeting machinated by Rico in order to throw Olivia off the course of Rico’s investigation, the one thing neither counts on is the volatile sexual need that practically wipes every other thought from their minds. A one night stand that leaves both wanting more takes a darker turn when Rico is forced to make use of Olivia in their joint quest to bring their mutual enemy to justice – or wipe him off the face of the Earth once and for all!

Under Fire is an appropriate title for a book which is filled with action of the heart pounding variety that never lets up. The constant kick-ass action that is always a part of this story held my undivided attention as I sped through the pages. With a thrilling chase that kickstarts the story sets the tone for the whole novel as Olivia and Rico pulls out all the stops to lure one of the worst drug lords in their country to his ultimate demise. I loved the fact that Rita Henuber doesn’t pull any punches and delivered that realistic edge to the action, not doing a complete 360 degree turnabout at the end where forgiveness and doing the right thing takes precedence over the goal that had been set at the beginning.

The passion that ignites between Olivia and Rico is one to be savored in the story. Though the scenes aren’t explicitly detailed each and every single time, Rita does know how to keep the adrenaline pumping with the constant arcs of awareness that leaps forth between Olivia and Rico. I loved the heat and sultriness of the first encounter between them and I’ve just got one word for Rico – HOT!

For me, though Olivia tended to be the centrepoint of the story as it unfolded, Rico’s character turned out to be the most endearing one. His painful past when it comes to light made me want to wrap my arms around him and never let go. As the shades of his undercover persona is left behind bit by bit, there emerges a man that wants above all to do the right thing and to find that one person in the world who would love him completely, his darkness and all.

Olivia makes for one kick-ass chick, whose sheer determination to find her twin brother’s killer obliterates everything else in her life – even her burgoening feelings towards Rico. I think it was because of that reason that I couldn’t completely warm up to Olivia’s character towards the end though she makes you want to learn one of those few dangerous manueuvers of your own to dish out every now and then.

The humor that is so intrinsically woven together in a story that practically vibrates with adrenaline overload turned out to be one of the reasons I kept coming back for more of Olivia and Rico. I kept going LOL even during those tense moments fraught with either danger or sexual tension that just somehow seemed to fit right in making this romantic suspense a well balanced one.

One of my peeves with the book turned out to be how things ended in the story. I was clamoring so bad for an epilogue that would depict Olivia and Rico as a couple, maybe a couple of years in the future, both settled in and adjusting to life at a different pace than the ones they have led up till and throughout the story. The way how things ended is the only reason that prevented me from giving this one a whopping 5-stars though Under Fire still makes for an awesome read!

Recommended for those who love their heroines to be of the kick-ass variety, their heroes to be ultra sexy and for the story to practically burst at the seams from the continuous stream of non-stop action!

Favorite Quotes

(Rico) “What’s it going to take to get you to dance with me?”
She crooked her index finger and motioned him to come close. “A million in your bank account and seven inches in your pants.”
Without missing a beat he replied, “The million I have, but even for a woman as beautiful as you, I won’t cut off three inches.”
Olivia’s eyes went wide and she burst out laughing.

(Rico) “Can’t wait.”
“Neither can I.” She prepared herself for another go-on-forever kiss. It didn’t come. Between gentle darting kisses, Rico nibbled her lips while his hands explored her body. Olivia moaned. She couldn’t help it.
The sound seemed to trigger something in Rico. Now the kissing was hard, wild and insatiable. Strong arms circled her, big hands covered her buttocks and yanked her against him. Without stopping the kisses or separating their bodies, Rico maneuvered them to the passenger side of her Jeep.

She closed tight around him, pulsing. Rico’s fingers dug into her hips. His movements quickened and he found his rhythm. She wrapped her legs around his hips as his body arched, tensed and shuddered with his own release.
Someone growled. Him, her, she didn’t know. Her blood pounded so hard and loud in her head she couldn’t be sure.

(Olivia) “I’m stopping at the next exit for gas. I’ll get rid of the scrubs. You get out and walk around or by the time we get to Miami you’ll be too stiff to move.”
“Don’t worry, when I get stiff I move very well,” he muttered as he turned to face away.
“I heard that.”

He (Rico) moved to look at the speedometer.
“Come on, Olivia. The speed limit is 70. You’re doing 95, and this car is ticket bait. I don’t want to risk getting stopped.”
“I’m traveling with the flow. This is I-95. If I go the speed limit I’ll stand out.”
He scowled.
“Okay.” She slowed the Corvette.
“Thanks,” he muttered. “You always drive like this?”
“Yep, I grew up in Texas. Speed limits there are only a suggestion.”

(Olivia) “What is all of this, your James Bond room?”
“You could say that. It’s my backup.” He opened cabinets, took out a pill bottle and downed a Percocet. “In here I have weapons, computers, transportation, medical supplies, money and anything else I might need for my survival. Things we’ll need to complete this job.”
Olivia ran her fingers across several of the weapons on the counter and shelf. “Where’s your toothbrush radio and exploding briefcase?”

Purchase Links: Amazon | Carina Press | BooksOnBoard | Barnes&Noble

greatread

by mvbookreviewer

Requested ARC Review: Deceiving the Protector by Dee Tenorio

Format: E-bookdeceivingtheprotector
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Paranormal Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Carina Press
Series: Resurrection, Book 2
Hero: Jensen Tate
Heroine: Lia Crawford
Sensuality: 4
Date of Publication: August 15, 2011
Started On: August 1, 2011
Finished On: August 1, 2011

You know that uber satisfied feeling that you get when you have read a book that has managed to hit all those spots that crave to be petted and stroked when you immerse yourself in a good book? Well, at the moment I am like the cat who got her full bowl of cream and then some as the 2nd book in the Resurrection series managed to completely woo me and left me spellbound once again with Dee Tenorio’s ability to blow me away with her stories.

Jensen Tate, brother to Alpha and one of the generals of the pack is tasked with the job of finding a female “stray” and bringing her to safety. A job that stirs up feelings that Tate has thought long since buried when he comes into contact with the half-starved, gritty, determined and surly Lia Crawford who seems to call out to the inner wolf inside of him to come out and stake its claim on the woman whose bewitching green eyes show remanents of a hidden fear so deep that it just about tears up Tate on the insides.

Lia knows that there is no turning back for her on the path she has chosen to walk and that neither is Tate supposed to be with her if what he and his brothers have worked so hard to bring about is to remain on course without the vicious hunters on her trail getting to them through her. For the safety of her sister Laurel, Lia is willing to do anything, even put up with the constant darkness that never seems to leave her life, always one step ahead, forcing her to accept the fact that she would never ever be a free woman of her own will.

Tate knows that Lia hides more than she is willing to let on and it drives him nuts trying to protect a woman whose sheer stubbornness alone makes him want to lay her down somewhere and make her forget the dead weight that she seems to carry on her shoulders. As Tate “forces” her to go along with his plans, Lia finds herself charmed by a man beneath whose gruff exterior lies a wolf begging to be petted and stroked and a man whose rough tenderness just about breaks every wall and shield she has erected to safeguard her emotions & heart.

As their trek towards the next safe house continues, Tate comes face to face with the danger that stalks and preys on the absolute fear that it demands from Lia as he finally starts accepting the fact that Lia is his mate for life, if she can just trust him enough to protect her and save her from the evil that refuses to let go.

Deceiving the Protector is fantastic in all the ways that counts. The way Dee builds up her paranormal world, subtly bringing in the details in the midst of the character development is what drew me in. The constant whirl of my thinking cap trying to figure out what would happen next was what I loved most about this paranormal romantic suspense and the reality and horrors behind what Lia underwent at the hands of mad men willing to rid the world of shifters anyway they can just left me with a bad taste in my mouth and shivers of the bad kind running up and down my spine.

Jensen Tate is a hero that practically invaded my heart as layer by layer his character unfolds, revealing a man of immense strength and beauty, though being called beautiful might piss Tate off and make him growl a bit before settling down, but nevertheless that is how I find him to be. A man so worthy of tender touches and healing kisses, whose protective nature refuses to step back and let his mate be the protector instead, no matter how chauvinistic that might seem to be. The reason why I fell so deeply for Tate is how he manages to gently draw out the hidden woman inside of Lia who has been cowering inside, afraid to show herself and refuses to let her return back to the shell of a woman she was before. His charming manner of telling a good story of course had me sighing all over the place and of course nekkid Tate is a sight to savored on its own.

Lia is a heroine who finds the strength to go on against all odds, a woman who has been on her own for so long that she finds the concept of accepting help a foreign one. Nevertheless, her fascination with Tate that continues to grow as they spend time together is one that refuses to be denied, and the need and desire that unfurls deep within her to claim his wolf as hers is one that continues taunt and tease her until she is ready to serve herself to Tate on silver platter. It is Lia’s immense courage and strength that awed me, and the way she perfectly complements Tate and knows how to soothe & appease the inner wolf inside of him and at the same time be a mate worthy enough to stand by his side that won me over.

It is a testament to Dee’s ability that she managed to make a slight part of me feel for the villain who continued to terrorize Lia until his demise, and I couldn’t help a tiny part of myself from thinking that it is the monsters who had carved him into what he turned out to be that should be rotting in hell. I know that the as the Resurrection series continues that everyone would get what they deserve, in fact I’m counting on that to happen so that I can revel in it big  time when their asses get kicked to Hell never to return!

How Dee does it I would never know, but let me tell you I loved every single minute of it! One minute I am practically drooling and panting over the explosive passion between Tate and Lia, the next I am immersed in tender emotions so deep that I just feel like curling into a ball and sighing in contentment and the next thing I know I am laughing out loud at the witty banter between Tate and Lia that never fails to amuse! Kudos to Dee who manages it so effortlessly and made this book one entertaining fest that I won’t be forgetting anytime soon!

Highly recommended for fans of the series, fans of Dee Tenorio and fans of paranormal romantic suspense.

Final Verdict: Delivering a kick-ass paranormal world with a heady mix of suspense and romance that one cannot resist,  Deceiving the Protector is a SHOULD NOT MISS!

Favorite Quotes

Then he stepped into an orchard, on a rise of packed dirt between tree groves, and proceeded not to give a rat’s ass what she might be trying to do.
The scent was finally clear.
And it went straight to his head.
Female. Apples. Cool water. Rich earth. Rain. Sunshine.

Sometimes, she wasn’t sure when she was seeing him, except for those few moments when their eyes met and she couldn’t look away to save her own life. She could see the protector in him then, sense the hunter. Raw strength emanated from him in those moments, his intensity surrounding her, suffusing her. She could almost feel his arms around her, trying to pull her under his protection. She’d be safe with him. Not cosseted, maybe, but…she’d be able to breathe. To know the next breath was coming, sure as the sunrise.

(Tate) “Sure, she can. She also makes a staff out of light that can cut people and the cars they’re driving in half. Five-feet-five-inches of pure power. Even at her best, it’s like having a nuclear bomb for a sister-in-law.”
“Boy.” Lia laughed, and by the look on his face he knew it was at his expense. “She must love you.”
“We have a complicated relationship,” he agreed with a self-depreciating nod. “Sort of a cross between suspicion and fuck you.”

His hands gripped her hips, slowing her descent. She could feel him savoring her, quaking at the feel of her claw tips sinking into his shoulders. His eyes flickered, the gray color she loved having shifted to the glowing yellow of his Wolf. She smiled, bucking against his hold.
“This time, I take you.” She pushed down, filling herself with him. He growled, drowning out her sigh. He squeezed tight, but she refused to be held back. She lifted up, rocking forward before sliding back down, savoring his groan against the beaded tips of her breasts. “I’m claiming you, Jensen Tate.”
Because you’re mine.