Ignited (Titanium Security #1) by Kaylea Cross

Description...

When her father is murdered by a Taliban cell in the tribal regions of Pakistan, Khalia Patterson reluctantly steps into his shoes to carry on the legacy of Fair Start Foundation, a non-profit group dedicated to furthering the education of girls. There she meets Hunter Phillips, the ex-SEAL and head of her Titanium security team, and quickly learns that coming to Pakistan might prove to be a deadly decision.

Battling demons of his own, Hunter grudgingly leads Khalia’s protective detail as a favor to his boss. From their first meeting it’s clear she’s going to be trouble, and that the cell that killed her father is hell bent on taking her out as well. Keeping her alive is one of the toughest assignments he’s ever faced, yet through one harrowing situation after another she continually impresses him with her strength and inner courage. Even though he fights his feelings for her, it’s a losing battle. And when the job is over, he doesn’t know how he’ll let her go.

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Let me start by saying, at $2.99, this is a STEAL!

I thoroughly enjoyed Kaylea Cross's Bagram Special Ops series and was thrilled to see this first in her newest, Titanium Security, being reviewed (and loved) in droves! Being slow, as I often am, to jump on board 'the latest thang' train, and even knowing I'd get a great read, I've just now finally finished Ignited and am here to tell you, it ROCKS!

My review...

Kaylea Cross, in my opinion, takes Military Romantic Suspense to a level that no other author has taken it to - not that I've read, anyway. More often than not we're given just enough of the harsh, ugly reality of war to get our imaginations going but without pushing against the walls of our comfort zones. Ms. Cross takes her stories just a bit further and gives us more of the ugly, more of the harsh, more of the reality of war, and while I hate knowing what happens out there, I also appreciate knowing what happens out there.

Another thing I love about Ms. Cross's stories is that her characters are mature, dedicated, passionate people; heroes who are alpha and protective, but let their heroines shine, and heroines who are strong, capable, and never clueless. Both heroes and heroines can hold their own, but they're confident enough in themselves to let each other be who they are and hold their own own, when needs be.

And since so many others have written AMAZING reviews of this story, I'll stop here because I can't give you more than they already have.

Lethal Pursuit (Bagram Special Ops) by Kaylea Cross

5 stars just isn't enough! This. Is. Amazing!

Kaylea Cross outdid herself with this third book in her Bagram Special Ops series. She totally blew me away! Intense, brutal, romantic, and sexy, even writing this review I'm still shaking as I remember how things went so horribly wrong before they went so beautifully right!

U.S. Code of Military Conduct, Article 3:

If I am captured, I will continue to resist by all means available. I will make every effort to escape and to aid others to escape. I will accept neither parole nor favors from the enemy.

Description...

Security Forces Lieutenant Maya Lopez is right at home in a war zone: she's been fighting all her life. A hard-won commission in the air force has brought her to Afghanistan, and if she plays her cards right, she could end up with an FBI job. It won't be easy, but that just makes her more determined.

Jackson Thatcher is a protector in all senses of the word. A pararescue jumper with Southern-boy charm, he easily captures Maya's interest, but her trust is another story. He's sexy, strong and caring, but she makes it clear she's no damsel in distress. She's never relied on any man, and she's not about to start now.

When Maya and Jackson become pawns in a radical warlord's deadly game, they find themselves on the run and must depend on each other if they want to make it out alive.

My review...

To say that Lethal Pursuit is a gripping story is putting it mildly. To say I couldn't put it down is not an exaggeration. Start to finish Maya and Jackson's story had me glued to my seat, hands shaking, closing my eyes because I couldn't bear to read what was going to happen next, yet unable to look away as I watched - yes, it felt like I was watching (because that's how incredibly talented Ms. Cross is) - this story unfold.

And the truth is, I still can't find the words to do this story justice so I'll leave you with this:

The bottom line...

If you're a fan of military romantic suspense and you haven't yet experienced Kaylea Cross's stories, you're not just missing out, you're missing out big time, because they're not just a story, they are an experience! And I know some of you are wondering, so I'll tell you now - yes, this book can be read out of order, but don't do it! Once you've read Lethal Pursuit I know you'll rush out to get the first two books, Deadly Descent and Tactical Strike so you might as well read them in order and get to know the incredible men and women who put their lives on the line and, in the process, found their happily ever afters, too.

My thanks to Carina Press and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this amazing story! It was...well... amazing!!

Tactical Strike (Bagram Special Ops) by Kaylea Cross

 The mission of a Combat Controller is to deploy by the most feasible means available into combat and non-permissive environments. Combat Controllers are Special Tactics Operators who establish assault zones while simultaneously providing air traffic control, fire support and command and control communications in the joint arena. Additionally, Combat Controllers expertly employ all terrain vehicles, amphibious vehicles, weapons and demolitions. First There.

Hooyah!

—Combat Controller mission statement

*****

Tactical Strike is, without a doubt, the best military romantic suspense story I’ve ever read, and Bagram Special Ops, the best military romantic suspense series out there. The first book in the series, Deadly Descent, was intense, exciting, emotional, romantic, steamy… I really didn't think anything could top it. Well, I was wrong, because Tactical Strike is all that, on ‘roids!

Straight up? Kaylea Cross is an amazing writer. Somehow she's able to take something I've never experienced and make it real. Make me feel it. Dread it, want it, hate it, love it, crave it... whatever "it" is, I feel it. And this isn't just jogged memories... maybe I can explain it this way...

If you’ve spent any amount of time at the beach, in the water, you know what the push and pull of the tide feels like against your legs. You know exactly what it's like to have the sand washing away beneath your feet, the slight imbalance as the waves roll in and back out… So, if an author describes that in a story, it’s more clear to your imagination because you've lived that. It's a memory that you draw on and it's your experience filling in the gaps in the author's words. Now, stay with me, I'm getting there...

I’ve never known the terror of being chased through the mountains while terrorists are shooting at me. I’ve never had friends die while I watch, helpless to do anything. I’ve never suffered the biting pain of having no shelter in a snow storm, no idea what that level of cold feels like... I've never experienced any of the kinds of things these people have and yet, swear to all that's holy, I felt like I was right there living it. My heart was racing, my hands sweating, my mouth dry... I felt it. And the passion? Burn up the pages and again... heart racing, fanning myself... yep, I felt it. The romance, the uncertainty of it all, I haven’t been as engrossed in a military romance – hell, any romance – in a long time. I started reading and couldn't stop.. just. Couldn't. Stop!

Ryan Wentworth and Candace "Ace" Bradford are incredible together. Ryan's easy going flirtation and subtle seduction, his attempts to get "Ace" to drop her guard a bit - and her resolve to not get involved - to keep her distance... watching Ryan work his magic and make that resolve crumble... so, so good. Their chemistry and their intensity and how it combusted in their first time making love together is one of the most sensual, amazing scenes I've read.

The bottom line: I'm just rambling. Three days I've been writing this review and there's so much to say that I can't find the right words to say it all, so I'll stop. Except to say, read this series. You won't be disappointed.

For anyone wondering; No, you don’t have to read Deadly Descent first to appreciate this story. Now, that doesn’t mean I think you should skip Deadly Descent, quite the opposite. It’s one hell of a story and we meet Ryan and Candace there, getting a small glimpse into their attraction, their dynamic. That carries over to Tactical Strike, and had I not known “Ace “and where she’s coming from going in to this story, I might not have warmed to her as quickly as I did.

My thanks, truly, to Carina Press and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this amazing story in return for an honest review. Start to finish, incredible.