Series:
Brothers in Arms: Fully Engaged (Book 4)
Beau Slater once enjoyed an unforgettable night
with a woman who matched him in brains, passion and black ops skills.
Three years later he's gone rogue to help the sexy Prospero agent find
top secret weaponry plans--and rescue her kidnapped toddler from a
vengeful arms dealer. What Beau doesn't know is that Deb Sinclair's son
is his.
But for this mission, the freedom-loving bachelor will lay
his life on the line for a child in danger and the woman he's never
forgotten. Yet how can he trust the cunning spy who's already deceived
him?
Very good book and excellent conclusion to this series of Brothers in Arms books. Since having her son Deb has been doing mainly desk work for Prospero. When her son is kidnapped by the arms dealer the team has been trying to capture she has to try to get him back. Zendaris wants the plans that went missing in exchange for her son. When she goes missing and it looks like she is working for Zendaris the Prospero leader sends Beau after her to bring her in. It doesn't take him long to find her, but things aren't always as they seem. Beau remembers their night together very well and is also sure there is an explanation for her actions. When he finds out what it is he offers to help her, not knowing that the missing child is his son. Once he finds out they both have to learn how to trust in order to bring about the right resolution for all of them.
I really liked Deb. She has been an excellent Prospero agent, one of the few women in that position. Her one lapse was that night in Zurich with Beau that resulted in the birth of her son. She never tried to track him down, remembering his statements about not wanting any kind of family to tie him down. When Zendaris kidnaps Bobby, Deb will do anything she has to in order to get her son back safely, including the appearance of betraying Prospero. When Beau catches her and plans to take her in she has to convince him not to interfere so that she can save her son. She is stunned when he offers to help her, and very relieved. She is also very cautious as she is used to standing on her own. She had the kind of childhood and youth that made it very hard for her to trust that anyone would be there for her. She even keeps herself slightly apart from her team members. I loved the way that she and Beau worked together, with each one having particular abilities to bring to the search. Deb also discovered that the attraction she had felt before was even stronger now. She also found that there was a lot more to Beau than she had known before, including the love he has for his family - especially his nieces and nephews. She begins to feel very guilty for not telling him about Bobby. Once she does she has to deal with his feelings of betrayal and hope that he can overcome them.
Beau had never forgotten that night with Deb and thought about her often. When he was asked to track her down he jumped at the chance. As soon as he saw her again he knew that the old attraction was still there. When he found out why she had disappeared he was skeptical at first, but once convinced he had to help her. I really liked the way that he was totally committed to helping her, even before he knew that he was Bobby's father. He sometimes had trouble convincing Deb that he wasn't going to abandon her but he understood her issues so he tried to have patience. I liked the way that Beau didn't just make all the decisions but made sure that they were working together. In spite of having a professional reputation of being cold and ruthless I thought that on a personal level he was a really nice guy. He had never planned on having a relationship or a family of his own, but his love for his relatives was obvious. When he found out that he was Bobby's father he was furious with Deb for not telling him, but overall pretty excited about being a dad. There's a great scene at the end where he's talking to Deb's teammates and tells them that he's Bobby's father.
I really enjoyed the whole progression of the search for the plans and rescue of Deb's son. There is a lot of intensity as Deb has to overcome her fears about Bobby's life in order to do what needs to be done. The trust that she and Beau have to have in order to get things done is hard won at times. They also have to figure out who it is that seems to be intent on stopping her from finding the plans. It really kept me turning the pages from Deb's first task to the final happy ending.
Series:
House of Steele (Book 2)
The House of Steele works for the good guys -- but sometimes it's hard to tell heroes from villains…
The beautiful former thief had never met a lock she couldn't pick.
Although Rowan Steele is now legit, she handles some of the family's
most dangerous assignments. When she agrees to safeguard an ancient
treasure, her heart -- as well as her life -- may be the price.
His outlaw days roaming the streets of London are behind him. Now Finn
Gallagher's expert eyes authenticate the treasures he used to steal.
When a major antiquities cache is threatened, he recruits Rowan to join
him. Together, he figures, they can keep anything safe. Until an old
enemy raises the stakes…
This was an exciting book to read, from the time Rowan and Finn met as teenagers to their reunion and romance as adults. They met as teenagers when both attempted to steal a priceless bracelet from the same house. Rowan never saw Finn's face as he was masked, and was horrified when he was shot during their escape. She never knew what happened to him until they met again. Finn has gone to her for help protecting an Egyptian treasure. When attacks on them escalate Finn and Rowan will have to depend on each other to protect the treasure and themselves.
I really liked Rowan. The book opens with her as a sixteen year old thief. She steals as a way to cope with the loss of her parents, even though she knows it's wrong. This time she is stopped by another thief who is after the same thing. When a third group of thieves shows up, she and the stranger work together to escape. There is something about him that appeals to her. During their escape he is shot and sends her on ahead. The event makes her take a long look at what she's doing and she makes immediate changes. She spends the next twelve years wondering what happened to him and feeling guilty. When Finn hires her company, specifically her, to help him protect the treasures he is to authenticate there is something about him that seems familiar. When she discovers why she is furious with him for never letting her know he was okay. She also discovers that the old attraction is still alive and well and much more intense. I loved seeing them work together as they tried to figure out who was behind the trouble. I also loved the fact that Rowan is very capable on her own, that she's not dependent on Finn for protection. She's had a very successful career that has taken her into some risky situations and she's proud of that fact. At one point she even says "I'm sick to death of reading stories where the man has to swoop in to save the woman. ... All I'm saying is why can't it be both of them? Or why can't the heroine rescue the hero every once in awhile?" Rowan is very quickly falling in love with Finn, but there is one very important difference of opinion that they have that may keep them from a future together.
At nineteen Finn had been very drawn to the beautiful girl he rescued during a mutual robbery attempt. When it was over he discovered who she was, but because of his own background there was no way he was going to make contact with her. Over the next twelve years he took his experiences as a thief and turned them into a very successful business as an authenticator. He also kept track of her and her activities, happy to see that she had turned her life around. When he needed her expertise for the Egyptian job he was looking forward to seeing her again. He didn't expect that hint of attraction to be even stronger for the grown woman. I loved watching him try to fight it in order to keep things strictly business. He is disturbed by the attacks on them and wants to protect Rowan though she fights him on it. When he gives away his identity as that thief he doesn't really understand her fury until he learns just how big an impact it made on her life. In spite of his successful legitimate business he has never quite given up his old ways and discovers that it is a very big drawback in Rowan's eyes. I liked his appreciation of Rowan's abilities and how well their abilities meshed. There were some very intense situations that they got out of because of their teamwork. By the end he had to decide if he was willing to let his past dictate his future.
The progression of the mystery itself was very good. It was interesting to see that one of the bad guys is revealed to the reader from the beginning, showing how various strings are being pulled. The identity of the puppet master isn't shown until the end of course. The author did a great job of stringing me along there, because I didn't suspect at all. There were several intense events that increased the tension all the way to the climax. I could not put it down until it was over.
Series:
Project Justice (Book 8)
Desperate times call for desperate measures…
And Travis Riggs is way past desperate. With time running out to
overturn his brother's wrongful murder conviction and stop his niece's
adoption, Project Justice is Travis's last hope. But when his request
for an interview is denied, he resorts to drastic measures -- kidnapping
the founder's personal assistant, Elena Marquez.
Travis hadn't planned for any of this to happen, least of all the
chemistry between him and Elena. Under different circumstances, they may
have had a chance at a relationship. However, the last thing he wants
is to drag her down with him, which is exactly what will happen if he
accepts her help. Not that Elena is giving him much of a choice….
Good book. Travis is getting desperate to get his brother out of prison in time to stop his niece from being adopted away from the family. He's tried getting Project Justice involved but has run into problems with the online application and getting through by phone has been impossible. Next he shows up at Daniel Logan's home, hoping to see him face to face. Instead he gets Daniel's assistant, Elena, who he promptly tosses in his truck and drives off with, hoping to force Daniel to help him. The kidnapping doesn't last long, with Travis regretting his actions immediately. All Elena wants is a chance to help Travis clear his brother's name.
I really liked Elena. She has been working for Daniel as his personal assistant for awhile and has a good feel for how things are done. She is the one who takes the call when Travis shows up at the mansion and tries to get Daniel to listen, but he's on his way out to an emergency and just tells her to tell Travis to fill out the application. When she goes down to tell him in person his frustration gets the better of him and he kidnaps her. She's frightened at first, but soon learns that Travis isn't dangerous, just desperate. Once the whole kidnapping thing is dealt with, Elena really wants to help Travis get the resolution he needs. I loved the way that she uses her organization and research skills to try to help him. She gets very frustrated with his refusal to accept the help she can give. She is also very attracted to him which is adding a whole other layer to her frustration because he keeps saying he's not good enough for her. I loved her persistence in keeping her eye on the goal of getting Travis's brother cleared and his niece back where she belongs. There are also some great scenes with Elena's mother. The ending was very satisfying and moving.
Travis is a man with a good heart and a problem with making some bad impulsive decisions. One of those impulses got him some jail time, another one saw him married to a real piece of work, and the latest had him kidnapping Elena. All he really wanted was a chance to get his request in front of the Project Justice people. He had some real problems with the online application due to some learning disabilities and a definite aversion to asking for help doing something that should be easy. As soon as he kidnapped Elena he knew he was in trouble but didn't know how to fix it. Once he had convinced her that he really didn't want to hurt her he was surprised at how forgiving she was. He was also surprised by her offer to help him. He has a problem accepting any kind of help for two reasons. First, his ex-wife had considered him a "project" and wasn't happy with him the way he was. She kept trying to "help" him improve himself, so now he sees all offers of help as an indication that he isn't good enough. Second, because of his jail time and background he doesn't think he deserves the kind of happiness that Elena's help could bring. I have to admit that I got pretty frustrated with his constant negative attitude about himself. It was great to see the way that she chipped away at that attitude, then really blasted him when it got to be too much for her. I did like the way he came through at the end.
There was quite a bit of action also. The kidnapping itself and Travis's efforts to evade being caught were pretty intense. The most important action revolved around Travis's niece MacKenzie and his efforts to get her away from the foster family that is trying to adopt her. There is definitely something fishy going on with them. There are also multiple instances of vandalism to the house that Travis is renovating that seem to be tied to MacKenzie and Travis's brother's imprisonment. It certainly kept me turning the pages to see how it was all going to work out.
Series:
Malloren (Book 13)
SEDUCTION IN SILK
Peregrine Perriam, son of
an earl, has no desire to marry, but when he's named heir to Perriam
Manor, he finds he has only a month to persuade a stranger, Claris
Mallow, to the altar or the property will be lost to his family forever,
and his line will be cursed.
Having survived her parents'
tormented marriage, Claris prefers poverty to any husband. When a
high-born stranger demands her hand, she drives him off at pistol point.
Perry finds weapons of his own, however, and soon Claris is
compelled to accept his proposal. But she does so on her own
terms--especially that the marriage be in name only. Once mistress of
Perriam Manor, however, she discovers she isn't immune to Perry's
charms. Perhaps a real marriage might be worth the risk--including a
real marriage bed...
Not my favorite of Jo Beverley's books. There's usually a bit more conflict and suspense in her books that just wasn't there in this one. Perry has been left Perriam Manor by his cousin, under the condition that he marry Claris Mallow. He doesn't want to marry anyone, but he doesn't want to lose the house, so he goes off to convince Claris. Meanwhile, she has no desire to marry either. Her parents had a miserable marriage and upon their deaths she is raising her twin brothers. There isn't much money but they are getting by. When Perry shows up to get her to marry him she doesn't want anything to do with him and chases him away. But she can't deny that marrying him would have benefits that would make life easier for her family so she gives in. She has demands of her own regarding the marriage and Perry is desperate enough to give in. It isn't long before both want more from the marriage that the business arrangement they had agreed on.
I have mixed feelings about Claris. I really liked her independence and the strength she had to have to make a life for herself and her brothers, grandmother and friend. I loved the scene where she used the pistol to chase Perry away. She did end up agreeing to marry him after realizing how the marriage would help her make a better life for her brothers. It bothered me a little that she seemed to give more weight to the goodies Perry provided than the benefits to her brothers. Claris worried that marriage to Perry would see the end of her independence. She was somewhat reassured by his actions as he kept the various promises he made, though she seemed to be constantly expecting him to go back on his promises. She had a tendency to take almost everything he said or did the wrong way and accuse him of breaking his word. Even though she had insisted on a marriage in name only, she decided that she wanted a child of her own and told Perry of her change of mind. I liked the way that she didn't hold back once she made that decision. Claris had been very nervous going into the marriage feeling that she was not up to the task of being a nobleman's wife. She was helped along the way by Genova Ashart (Winter Fire) and began to feel a bit more confident. I really enjoyed seeing her grow into her role as lady of the manor, but she still seemed a bit on the whiny side to me. I enjoyed her trip to London to see Perry and loved the way she stood up to a couple of the snotty ladies.
Perry's inheriting of Perriam Manor was a complete surprise to him. The conditions to do so were unpleasant but he was determined to do it to keep the manor in the family. He was terribly overconfident when he went to Claris the first time and it wasn't really a surprise to see him get shut down fast. I liked his sense of humor about it and loved his conversation with Genova Ashart about how to win Claris. I really liked the way that he was willing to give her complete control over the manor. It was fun to see him realize that he was attracted to her and bemoan the fact that he had agreed to a marriage in name only. I liked the way that he is kind to Claris and her family and does whatever he can to make the transition a smooth one. Perry is an usual hero in that he has no interest
in the managing of the estate and admits that he has no clue as to how
to do it. He insists that he is a Town guy, but he sure seems to like his time in the country with Claris. He has his duties in the city, most of which are tied to positions gotten for him by his father. One thing that bothered me about Perry was how he was under his father's thumb. I didn't like the way he caved in regarding the disposition of the manor. I liked seeing the work he did for Rothgar and thought a little more could have been done with that. When Claris came to visit Perry in London it caused him to think even more about the effect she has had on his life and how important he finds it to do things that make her happy. I liked the way that he finally took control of his life.
Secondary characters were done well within the story. Claris's grandmother was a pretty good foil to show Claris's goodness. Athena was not the most pleasant of people and showed up to be pretty selfish. I liked her friend/companion Ellie and was rooting for good things to happen with her. I loved Claris's brothers. They were a great mixture of good and mischievous. I liked the way they tried to watch out for Claris. They also enabled Claris to see a different side of Perry.
Series:
Scene of the Crime (Book 6)
BURIED ALIVE
FBI agent Seth Hawkins was on a mission to catch a serial killer. Yet
his only lead-a mysterious azure-eyed beauty found buried alive in the
local sand dunes-had no memory of how she'd been abducted. Or anything
else about her identity.
The only thing Tamara Jennings knew for sure was the undeniable
attraction she felt for the strong, handsome man who saved her life. It
wasn't long before their passion flared out of control. But as memories
of her forgotten past returned, would they lead her to the killer-and to
a life she could share with Seth?
Serial killer stories are among the creepiest and this one was well done. I was hooked from the beginning. Seth was on vacation, visiting his sister and niece, out riding his motorbike on the dunes when he stumbled on a woman nearly buried alive in the sand. He gets her out but she has no idea of how she got there, or even who she is. The local sheriff asks for his help in solving the mystery and Seth is glad to do it. Without any memory of what happened and very few clues it is a frustrating endeavor. It doesn't help that they are attracted to each other and have to fight it. When the killer tries to fix his mistake Seth and Tamara are in a race to recover her memory before it is silenced forever.
Tamara's first memory is of Seth pulling her out of the sand. She can't remember her name or how she got there just a sense of terror. It took her a full day just to be able to talk again. Seth was the only person who made her feel safe and she was relieved when Seth's sister invited her to stay with them during the investigation. I liked seeing the way that she was determined to get her memory back so they could catch the killer before he strikes again. I loved seeing her happiness as bits and pieces started to come back. She was also attracted to Seth even though she knew it was a bad idea. There was anything that could come of it but she wanted to feel normal. It was interesting to see what she did with the various memories that did come and how they showed her that there were things that she didn't want to remember. I liked the time that she and Seth spent together and how much they had in common. She knew that she was falling in love with him and was probably going to get hurt but she embraced the feeling anyway. When the final confrontation with the killer came her biggest regret was not telling Seth how she felt. I liked the fact she was brave enough to tell him later, even as he was pulling away. I loved seeing her face all her memories and deal with them as she tried to move on with her life.
Seth was on a rare vacation when he found Tamara. There was something about her that immediately grabbed him and he didn't want to let go. Even if he hadn't been recruited to help solve the crime, there was no way he wasn't going to get involved. I loved seeing the tenderness and care he treated her with. She was very different than any woman he had ever been attracted to before. He knew it was wrong and was sure that any feelings she had were just because of her loss of memory. Seth has never planned to be married since he has seen very few cases of happy marriages. The more time he spent with Tamara the more he could picture her in his life and that made him very nervous. When an attempt is made on her life by the killer Seth decides that he won't let her out of his sight. That only makes controlling his feelings even harder. His terror when she disappeared showed him that he had fallen in love with her. It was so hard to see him pull away from her feeling that what she felt was only gratitude. I loved the ending and the way he went to her.
The whole serial killer theme was very well done. There were a few brief glimpses into his mind, but never enough to give away who he was. There were enough possibilities that it really kept the suspense going. I didn't figure it out until near the end, thanks to one little clue. I'm looking forward to the next book.
Series:
HQ: Texas (Book 3)
It's been ten years since soldier Shep Lewis laid
eyes on delinquent-turned-FBI agent Lilly Tanner, and this time they
have an even bigger problem than each other: terrorists. In the center
of a smuggling operation, Shep and Lilly must partner up and protect
each other.
Not even their undercover identities can mask the
mounting attraction between the pair as they struggle to survive in the
merciless Texas borderlands. Can they put the past behind them and focus
on the mission at hand? Or will their partnership reignite the flames
of their untapped passions?
Excellent conclusion to the HQ: Texas trilogy. The team is down to the wire to stop a group of terrorists from coming across the border. They know when, but they still need to know where and they still want the guy in charge. To add insult to injury they are being sent an FBI agent liaison who will make the decision whether to call in the National Guard. The last time Shep saw this particular agent she was eighteen and he was her parole officer. He lost track of her after she stole his car and accidentally set his house on fire. Now they have to work together and try to ignore the attraction sparking between them.
I really liked Lilly. She had a rough start in life ending up in foster care and rebelling from there. By the time she was seventeen she had a juvenile record and Shep was her parole officer. She developed quite a crush on him as he was young, good looking and actually nice to her. She felt bad about taking off the way she did but felt she would do better on her own. Eventually she got an education, became a cop and then entered the FBI, her troubled youth giving her an edge in some cases. When she gets assigned to Shep's team she doesn't know what to expect, so she puts on a tough front and wades in. Lilly is surprised by the way that he still makes her feel but is determined that it won't affect her work. She sees a chance to get in undercover and takes it. She has a quick mind and her early experiences enable her to make some snap decisions. She didn't expect Shep to set himself up as her boyfriend as a way to protect her. That put him a little too close for her comfort especially with that passion burning between them. She was a bit on the independent side and took some chances that didn't work out well a couple times. She also got really frustrated with his protectiveness and called him on it several times though she is glad of his backup later on. I loved seeing the way that she and Shep worked so well together. I really enjoyed the last chapter and the discussion of their future plans.
Shep has been as frustrated as the rest of the team with their inability to catch the man behind the threat. None of them are happy to find out they are going to have FBI oversight. He's even less happy to discover that it's Lilly. She'd still been a kid the last time he saw her but not anymore. She starts right out getting involved with his investigations. He goes into protective mode immediately when they get shot at, before he realizes that she knows what she's doing. He tries to keep her out of his investigation of the bar only to discover that she got there ahead of him and managed to set herself up in an undercover identity. I loved seeing him get all bent out of shape over the people hitting on her until he made it look like she was his girlfriend. It takes him some time but he goes from completely resenting her presence to appreciating the woman she has become and how good she is at what she does. They start to work together very well which really ends up paying off for the team. He also admits that he loves her when he realizes the danger she is in and he could lose her.
I really enjoyed the resolution of the terrorist plot. Seeing the way all the clues build on each other over the three books really shows how involved an investigation like that is. I liked the way this team works together and each has their particular strengths. The intensity that built as the deadline got closer really kept me turning the pages. By the time the final showdown came I couldn't read fast enough to get to the end.
I have to say that I found the title and cover a bit misleading. Shep is not a cowboy and admits that he isn't even much of a rider, Lilly taking the lead when the have to ride double on a horse. In fact, riding only happens once and not even for that long.
Series:
Willow Creek Texas (Book 2)
A Texas-size secret…
Nine years ago, Jena Brooks fled Willow Creek, Texas, as a frightened
teenager. Now she's finally found the courage to come home, and this
time she's not leaving without her baby. Memories of Asa Corbett
stealing her newborn child still haunt Jena to this day. Unfortunately,
her best chance at finding her baby is Asa's eldest son, local cop
Carson Corbett.
Trusting a Corbett again isn't easy, but they'll need to rely on each
other completely to face their pasts and discover the truth. Together,
Jena and Carson have a chance to heal old wounds and unite their
families for good…if the truth doesn't first tear them apart.
Wow, so much pain in this book, but with so much love to give at the end. Jena had finally gotten the courage to return to her hometown and try to find out what had happened to the baby stolen from her so long ago. The best person to help her is also the son on the man who had done the stealing and the brother of her baby's father. He doesn't believe her at first, but the details she has are too good to be made up. In order to get at the truth they are going to have to work together.
Jena had been terrified by Asa's threats against her and her family when she fled Willow Creek nine years ago. She's older and stronger now, and when she hears that Asa has been ill she knows she has to get the truth from him before he dies. I loved the guts that she showed facing down Carson and securing his assistance. Thanks to the trauma of what Asa had done to her, she tends to be quick to take offense at almost anything Carson has to say to her. Eventually they come to an agreement to leave the attitudes behind in order to get the answers they need. Jena is also fighting an attraction to Carson, knowing that nothing can come of a relationship with Asa's son. I really liked seeing the way that they worked together. When they could leave their issues behind they liked each other and made a very good team. Jena also got to know Carson's kids and enjoyed spending time with them. There were a couple of fun scenes with her and the kids, dealing with hair braids and fishing. There were also some really heartbreaking scenes as Jena confronted Asa face to face and saw just how evil he was. Jena also had to confront gossip in their small town dealing with her disappearance. She couldn't say the things she wanted to say because she was trying to protect the feelings of her sister and her mother. I liked her relationship with her sister and her patience with her mother was very moving. There were some revelations at the end dealing with her mother that I never saw coming. When all the information came out about her boyfriend's murder, the murder of her father and the whereabouts of her child she had a lot to deal with, including whether there was any chance of a future for her and Carson.
Carson is the constable for their town. It's a fairly easy job until Jena comes to town and confronts him about his father's part in the disappearance of her baby. When he takes the information she gives him and confronts his father he is stunned and horrified to find out that it's all true. What's worse is the fact that his father flat out refuses to tell what he did with the baby. He feels terrible that he had believed all the lies that his father told about Jena and tells her that he will do everything he can to discover the truth. I enjoyed seeing his protectiveness come out around her, and also the way she refused to be babied by him. He was also trying to fight his attraction to her and was losing the battle. Once Carson had agreed t help Jena he discovered that there were many irregularities from the investigation done into the two murders. When dealing with his father was a dead end, he and Jena started looking into trying to get at the truth about them. The more information they found the worse it looked for his father. Carson was having to deal with the idea that his father was going to be arrested and trying to figure out how to pursue justice and still protect his family. Carson is especially worried about how it will affect his children, who love their grandfather. The solving of the mystery creates a rift between Carson and Jena that ends up being mended by the actions of a child. I loved the ending but I was exhausted by the time I was done reading.
