Seduction Game (I-Team #7) by Pamela Clare

Blurb...


CIA officer Nick Andris wants revenge. His last mission failed after a Georgian arms smuggler killed his lover. He’s been tailing a woman for three weeks hoping she will lead him to his target. But there’s a problem with the intel. Holly Elise Bradshaw is nothing more than an entertainment writer with a love for sex and designer clothes. Clearly someone at Langley made a mistake . . .

When Holly finds herself in trouble, the only weapons at her disposal are her brains and her body. But they won’t be enough to handle the man who’s following her. He’s going to turn her world upside-down.

My thoughts...

My favorite stories are those with heroes and heroines whose bravery and intelligence and capacity to love know no bounds, and such is the case with Holly and Nick in Pamela Clare’s 7th installment of the I-Team series, Seduction Game. I know there will be some who might be surprised that Holly Bradshaw fits this description, but trust me on this – forget everything you thought you knew about her and prepare to be blown away!

I’ll be honest with you, when I heard that Holly was getting her own story my first thought was “why?”, because in the earlier books she was always a background – I mean, sure, she was there as a great friend, but to me she always felt like...filler. But within minutes of that wayward thought I’d come to my senses and knew she’d be great for the simple reason that Pamela Clare doesn’t write empty characters. Even her supporting casts are made up of people we either love or hate, so well developed are they. So I knew, I knew that Holly would turn out to be a woman with incredible depth and I was not wrong.

The bottom line…

This is a fast paced, exciting, burn up the pages story, and offers further proof (though no further proof is needed) of Pamela Clare’s amazing writing talent. Despite the hell she’s lived through these past couple of years, she gave us Holly, who along with Nick and the rest of the I-Team, made Seduction Game one of my favorite romantic suspense reads of 2015!

Click here to purchase Seduction Game from Amazon

The I-Team reading order, so far:

1. Extreme Exposure
1.5 Heaven Can't Wait - a novella found in the out of print anthology Catch of the Day and on ebook
2. Hard Evidence
3. Unlawful Contact
4. Naked Edge
5. Breaking Point
5.5. Skin Deep
5.9. First Strike
6. Striking Distance
6.5. Soul Deep
7. Seduction Game
7.5 Dead by Midnight

Forever Your Earl (Wicked Quills of London #1) by Eva Leigh

Eleanor Hawke loves a good scandal. And readers of her successful gossip rag live for the exploits of her favorite subject: Daniel Balfour, the notorious Earl of Ashford. So when the earl himself marches into her office and invites her to experience his illicit pursuits firsthand, Eleanor is stunned. Gambling hells, phaeton races, masquerades . . . What more could a scandal writer want than a secret look into the life of this devilishly handsome rake?

Daniel has secrets, and if The Hawk's Eye gets wind of them, a man's life could be at stake. And what better way to distract a gossip than by feeding her the scandal she desperately craves? But Daniel never expected the sharp mind and biting wit of the beautiful writer, and their desire for each other threatens even his best-laid plans.

But when Eleanor learns the truth of his deception, Daniel will do anything to prove a romance between a commoner and an earl could really last forever.

Forever Your Earl is the first book in Eva Leigh’s Wicked Quills of London series and I loved it! I was blown away by to think this could possibly be Ms. Leigh’s debut, until I learned that Eva Leigh is, in fact, Zoë Archer – another favorite author of mine.

There are already many excellent reviews of this story, so I’ll keep mine short. I’ve read some of Zoë Archer’s Steampunk Nemesis Unlimited books and loved them, and had been hoping she’d write straight historical romance, too, because I knew they’d be stories brilliantly told, and I was right. A solid story, lot’s clever dialog, sexual chemistry that's off the charts, and laugh out loud moments has made Forever Your Earl an absolute delight to read, and I am sooooo looking forward to more!

An ARC was provided by Avon Books. In appreciation I’m giving them an honest review.

Hard to Come By (Hard Ink #3) by Laura Kaye

HARD TO COME BY is the third book in the Hard Ink series, and continues with the team’s efforts to get to the bottom of the ambush that cost them so much. It’s an action packed story and a fantastic read, start to finish.

Blurb…

Caught between desire and loyalty…

Derek DiMarzio would do anything for the members of his disgraced Special Forces team—sacrifice his body, help a former teammate with a covert operation to restore their honor, and even go behind enemy lines. He just never expected to want the beautiful woman he found there.

When a sexy stranger asks questions about her brother, Emilie Garza is torn between loyalty to the brother she once idolized and fear of the war-changed man he's become. Derek’s easy smile and quiet strength tempt Emilie to open up, igniting the desire between them and leading Derek to crave a woman he shouldn't trust.

As the team’s investigation reveals how powerful their enemies are, Derek and Emilie must prove where their loyalties lie before hearts are broken and lives are lost. Because love is too hard to come by to let slip away…

My thoughts…

If you’re a fan of military conspiracy/suspense and love sexy tatted heroes, this is the series for you. If you swoon over wounded warriors who risked their lives for the country they love, only to be betrayed by a man they trusted and are now out for revenge, you’ll really want to give this series a go. If you crave all of these things in your romantic suspense reading then you need look no further than Laura Kaye’s amazing Hard Ink series which delivers all of this and more!

Derek DiMarzio is an amazing - and I do mean amazing - man. I love his sense of humor, his honor, his integrity, and his devotion to this team of men who have banded together and are once again risking it all – this time to get to the truth. Emilie has a lot of secrets, but I love that she’s no TSTL heroine, and once she sees what the team is about and what they’re up against, and even though it might cost her dearly, she knows she must do the right thing and help them get the answers they need and deserve.

The bottom line...

Murder, car chases, shoot-outs, explosions, romance and burn up the pages passion… Hard to Come By has it all and has taken this series to a whole new level of amazing!

An ARC was provided by Avon Books via Edelweiss and in return I’m giving them an honest review.

Glory in Death by J.D. Robb, Narrated by Susan Ericksen

It is 2058, New York City. In a world where technology can reveal the darkest of secrets, there's only one place to hide a crime of passion-in the heart.

Even in the mid-twenty-first century, during a time when genetic testing usually weeds out any violent hereditary traits before they can take over, murder still happens. The first victim is found lying on a sidewalk in the rain. The second is murdered in her own apartment building. Police Lieutenant Eve Dallas has no problem finding connections between the two crimes. Both victims were beautiful and highly successful women. Their glamorous lives and loves were the talk of the city. And their intimate relations with men of great power and wealth provide Eve with a long list of suspects-including her own lover, Roarke

**********

Science Fiction for people who don't like Science Fiction!

Glory in Death is the second book in J.D. Robb’s wildly popular, futuristic, In Death series, and just like the first book, it’s an exciting, gritty, thrilling read.

The Story -

Two prominent women and a third ‘accidental’ have been found with their throats slashed, and as primary on the case, Police Lieutenant Eve Dallas has her hands full. With the list of suspects rising along with the death count, Eve is mentally and emotionally pushed to her limits, and so is her relationship with Roarke.

My Thoughts -

Honestly, even though I’ve listened to my daughter rave about these stories, and despite the number of 4 and 5 star reviews on Goodreads, I just never felt the urge to read this series. But thankfully I stumbled upon the audio version of Naked in Death at my public library and now I’m hooked!

Glory in Death is an intriguing murder mystery filled with twists and turns and suspects and probable causes… plenty of possibilities to keep me guessing – even though I had a fairly good idea, I wasn’t certain – as to the identity of the murderer. And the budding romance between Roarke and Eve is done so well that even though it’s frustrating at times, it’s also what I’d expect from these two, strong willed people.

The series is set in the future, mid 21st century. Since I’m not a fan of Science Fiction, I was worried about how well I’d like these books. Fortunately, while they’re futuristic, they’re not at all overly Science Fiction, and I think people who aren’t usually fans of the genre will enjoy these. In fact, if you're familiar with Stephenie Meyer's The Host, I'd say this series is even less SciFi than that.

Now, a bit about the audio. Susan Ericksen is just so, so talented! She gives these characters such distinctive voices that it’s as though she’s breathed life into them. She gives them the level of passion, fear, sorrow, hope... all the emotions become so much more vivid. They truly do start to feel like real people, and that’s exactly how I love my audio ‘reads.’

Overall, Glory in Death is fast paced, exciting, passionate, and even romantic in a two-steps-forward, one-step-back sort of way, and I loved every minute of it!

  

Striking Distance (I-Team #6) by Pamela Clare

Her past is a secret—even to her.

Discovering it will be the most dangerous move of her life.

TV reporter Laura Nilsson, known as the "Baghdad Babe," spent eighteen months in an Al Qaeda compound after being kidnapped live on the air. Two years later, she's still wondering why.

No rescue mission in Javier Corbray's fourteen years as a Navy SEAL affected him the way Laura's rescue did. No woman has stirred his protective instincts the way she has. And he wants her more than he's ever wanted anyone.

As Laura and Javier's passion ignites, so does Laura's need to discover the mystery of her past. Especially when she learns that her abduction was not random—and that she's still a target for a killer with an impenetrable motive. Now Javier will have to rely on his skills to keep the woman he loves from being struck down before she dares uncover the truth.

*************

Note: This review is based on the story I read as a WIP (Work in Progress), and as brilliant authors often do, there may have been changes made to the final copy.

Striking Distance is the sixth book in Pamela Clare’s I-Team series, and just like the five books before it, it’s amazing! It’s fast paced, exciting, heartbreaking, inspiring, romantic, sensuous… it’s everything we’ve come to expect from this amazing author!

This story deals with some difficult subject matters, including the heartbreaking aftermath of rape. The cover blurb alone tells us that this will be an emotional ride, but let me tell you… what Laura endured in captivity was hell. Even after being freed she continues to live that hell, and trying to put the pieces of her life back together and move on... well, I can imagine many women would just curl up and give up, but not Laura. She’s strong, she’s intelligent, she’s compassionate… she's truly a wonderful woman.

Javier Corbray is an amazing man. Of course he's sexy as all get out, but he's also protective, compassionate, honorable, devoted... he's all kinds of awesome! He understands all that Laura has been through and does whatever he can to make her life easier and to keep her safe. Laura has much to overcome, but with Javier on her side, anything and everything is possible.

One of the most compelling things about Pamela's stories is how she uses events or practices that really do happen, educating us to the world around us and doing it in a way that's entertaining. Don't misunderstand - I'm not saying there's anything enjoyable about drug rings, human trafficking, heinous acts in prisons, or setting women on fire... I mean that these are things we all should know about, but probably don't. Pamela gives this to us, making us aware of what's happening, but doing so in a 'first hand' way, through her characters' eyes, and giving us hope in the knowledge that there are people out there who are working to make a difference. To make things better. And who knows? Maybe we can find a way to help, too.

In case you aren’t already aware, Pamela Clare has given us a prequel novella, First Strike, which is Javi and Laura’s first meeting in Dubai, and the super sexy weekend they spent together. If you’re interested, you can read all about why this scene was cut, and how it came to be a novella, in My Spoiler Free Review of First Strike. As always, Pamela makes sure that, one way or another, her readers get her stories, told the way she wants them told - in their entirety!

Well, I best stop now before I start rambling - more than I already am. There's so much to say but all you need to know is that Striking Distance is a riveting, poignant story. Javi and Laura are a worthy addition to the other I-Team happily ever afters, and I can't ask for more than that!

The I-Team reading order, so far:

1. Extreme Exposure
1.5 Heaven Can't Wait - a novella found in the out of print anthology Catch of the Day and on ebook
2. Hard Evidence
3. Unlawful Contact
4. Naked Edge
5. Breaking Point
5.5. Skin Deep
5.9. First Strike
6. Striking Distance
6.5. Soul Deep
7. Seduction Game
7.5 Dead by Midnight

Midnight Secrets by Ella Grace

 

At the stroke of midnight, the heat begins...

On a hot southern night, with a storm on the horizon, a family is shattered. Three beautiful daughters—Savannah, Samantha, and Sabrina Wilde—go on with their lives, each significantly changed, as they bear the memory of the murder-suicide that killed their parents. For years, they have stayed away from Midnight, Alabama. Until Midnight calls them home.

Savannah is the first one back, when a grueling case in Nashville leads the young prosecutor to seek shelter in the quiet of the once grand Wilde mansion. But when she finds letters casting doubt on her family’s dark, shameful past, she realizes that peace in Midnight is a shallow façade and sinister secrets lurk beneath the surface. Zach Tanner, once the town’s bad boy, is now the new police chief and still has a wild hold over her. Zach can feel it, too, but he hurt Savannah once. As teenagers, they broke every rule together. Now it’s his job to keep her safe, even though he isn’t sure who her enemies are—or which ones might be his own.

*****

Midnight Secrets is the first book in Ella Grace’s Wildefire series, and opens with a tragic scene that absolutely broke my heart. Right from the start I was completely invested in the Wilde family, and desperate to know the truth of what happened that horrible night.

I really enjoy ‘second chance’ romances, especially when they’re written the way Midnight Secrets is. What I mean is that instead of just being told about the past through character reflection or dialog, we actually watch it unfold. We see the ‘murder-suicide’ as it takes place, and even though it was heartbreaking to watch, I was glad those details were given to us because it saved me a lot of anxiety throughout the rest of story. Then years later - but not yet in the present - we get an up close and personal glimpse at Savannah and Zach’s relationship, how it begins and how it ends too soon. I loved that it was written this way because, as I said, it pulled me in and I became connected to the family, invested in them and the learning the truth. And as much as I loved those parts, the present day story is just as good, just as compelling. This is such a well written mystery/romance, with wonderful characters and a storyline loaded with enough twists and turns to keep me guessing right to the very end.

Interestingly enough, I’ve been meaning to read Christy Reece’s writing ever since Pamela Clare – a truly amazing romantic suspense author – recommended her to me, but there’s always been one thing or another cropping up, and I just never got around to it. When I decided to read and review Midnight Secrets, I had no idea that Ella Grace is Christy Reece, but knowing it now, you can bet I’ll be picking up Ms. Reece’s Last Chance Rescue books, very soon.

The bottom line: Fast paced, intriguing, and sexy, romantic and fun, Midnight Secrets is an exciting story that no romantic suspense fan should miss! Savannah and Zach are fantastic together, and now I’m anxiously awaiting Samantha’s and Sabrina’s stories.

My thanks to Ballatine Books and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

Rev it Up by Julie Ann Walker

 

Soldier. Hero. Ladies’ Man. He’s the one who broke her heart...

Career soldier Jake “The Snake” Sommers has made a few mistakes in his life, but none so terrible as forsaking the only woman he’s ever loved. But he’s finally conquered his inner demon, the one that thirsted only for blood. So, now he’s back. And he’s not leaving without Michelle. Unfortunately, her enemy has other plans. Plans to see her dead.

Mother. Warrior. Lover. She’s the one he left behind...

Michelle Carter has never forgiven Jake for abandoning her all those years ago. Now he’s suddenly back, after she’s finally begun to make a life for herself. But her safe, orderly world is about be blown apart. With a psychotic Las Vegas mobster gunning for her, she has no choice but to turn to Jake. Only there’s more at stake than her life. As they all head for a showdown, something that was never meant to be revealed is suddenly thrown into the light. And with a secret this hot, there’s bound to be an explosion.

 

*******

 Rev it Up is the third book in Julie Ann Walker’s Black Knights, Inc. series and my favorite of the three, so far. The story was both action-packed and poignant, opening with a heartbreaking, intense scene that had me feeling anger, sadness and loss. From the very first pages the tortured hero, Jake Sommers, grabbed hold of my heart and didn’t let go.

 

I’ve enjoyed all three BKI stories but this one drew me in on many levels. A truly emotionally tortured hero, a widow whose husband served with Jake, raising her small child alone, fighting the memories of her own dysfunctional childhood that we learned of in the last book… yes, this story has it all and kept me turning the pages faster and faster wanting to find out what happens next, yet not wanting the story to end.

One of the things I most love about Ms. Walker's writing is her ability to take us from poignant to sexy to funny to intense... and she does it so well that you can actually imagine yourself there, caught up in whatever it is that's taking place. And I love that! I want to be drawn in. I want to feel the passion, the fear, the hope... to be engrossed, enthralled and captivated by the story and the characters, and with Rev it Up that's exactly what I got. I can't ask for more than that!

My thanks to netgalley.com and Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. As always, the pleasure was mine.