On the Chase by Katie Ruggle

This was my first book in this series, but not my first book by this author. I enjoyed the cold isolated Colorado setting. The canine unit guys were an extremely tight knit group with very different personalities. Hugh is definitely the mischievous jokester of the bunch. He is always doing something he is not supposed to and rarely takes anything seriously, at least not until Grace. Grace brings out the best and the worst in Hugh. He can't help but rile her up because he gets such a kick out of their back-and-forth banter. Grace is completely out of her element, but Hugh makes things better, even if he also drives her crazy.

 Between the two of them, there is definitely a lot of danger to go around. Each one believes it to be their fault, but in all actuality they are both targets. The book was pretty suspenseful and had some nice action moments throughout. My favorite part, however, was the funny conversations. I like all of the secondary characters as well, and will be putting book 3 on my WishList.

I received an ARC from Net Galley for honest review.

The Billionaires: The Bosses by Calista Fox

As is typical for this series, this was extremely sexy and fun and can work well as a standalone. I also like that it had a dose of suspense and a little bit of action. One of my favorite things about this author is that she takes fantasy to a whole other level. She writes great alpha guys who would be great if they were on their own, but when paired together they are spectacular. Bayli was a very lucky girl indeed. Rory and Christian were great characters, and this story gave me a fun night of fantasy escapism. I had trouble putting it down and even ended up staying up way past when I should've been asleep.

Net Galley provided an ARC for honest review.

Shattered by Allison Brennan

Okay, so I've got to be honest and say that I read the first Max Revere novel and didn't like it at all. Max just came across hard and unlikable and frustrating. I didn't end up continuing with the series despite my love of Allison Brennan. I only tried this one because it featured Lucy Kincaid, and I am nothing if not addicted to anything Kincaid/Rogan. As I started this book, I still wasn't fond of Max, and I didn't trust her motives with Lucy. The more I read though the more I respected Max and began to begrudgingly like her. The interplay between Max and Lucy was really interesting with neither really trusting at first and each trying to figure the other out.

Lucy was at her best, and we also got to revisit several members of her family. I loved the self discovery and the self confidence that built with the characters. The story really drew me in , and by the end, I was liking Max and feeling a need to know more about what might happen between her and David. Any future Lucy Kincaid book was definitely going to be on my reading list, but it looks like Max Revere #5 will be too.

Net Galley provided an ARC for honest review.

Find Me by Tiffany Snow

Tiffany Snow's Kathleen Turner series is absolutely my favorite romantic suspense series ever. I had high hopes for Tangled Ivy and Risky Business, but while I really liked them, they didn't just take over my life like Kathleen Turner. I was beginning to think nothing would ever equal up until I started reading this series. Not only did she bring back favorites from Kathleen Turner for small parts (which really made me beyond happy), but I liked the Corrupted Hearts characters for themselves. It's a classic Tiffany Snow triangle with two men who could be the right one, but which one really is THE one? This series has everything I love about Tiffany Snow's writing, fast pace, twisted plots, out of this world chemistry, and constant suspense and danger. I'm not about to rehash the plot and ruin the suspense, but I will say I've finally chosen a team. I'm fully team Clark. I had assumed this would be a trilogy, but while much was resolved, threads are still left hanging, and I can't wait for more!

I received an ARC from Net Galley for honest review.

Say No More by Liliana Hart

I adore Liliana Hart, and I loved the first two books in this series. This story, on the other hand, started out very slow for me, and I struggled to hang in. I liked the characters, but I generally don't enjoy long trips into the past. All the Gravediggers books have had some past history simply to let us know how they ended up on this team, but the couple didn't even encounter each other in the present until fifty percent into the book. My four star rating comes from what happens from fifty percent on. Every part of the story picks up in pace at this point. The danger and action ramp up, the chemistry ignites, and the tempers flare. The whole team gets involved, including pregnant Tess. I liked Liv and Dante together. She held him accountable and made him better. One of my favorite aspects of this story was learning more about Axle. I really can't wait to get his story even though I'm afraid it will be heart wrenching.   I also loved Elaine. She cracked me up.

Net Galley provided an ARC for honest review.

Hard Justice by April Hunt

This was my first book by April Hunt. Even though it is the third book in a series, I had no trouble reading it as a standalone. Obviously Vince and Charlie had interacted in the previous books, but it didn't seem like there was a lot of history the reader needed to know before reading this book. Charlie was tiny, pink haired, tattooed, pierced, and ready to kick butt at a moment's notice. Vince is huge, all muscle, tatted up, shaved bald, and hung up on Charlie for some reason he can't really understand. When her past comes calling with a dangerous mission, Vince is her only option for backup, and he's not complaining. Both Vince and Charlie have pasts that haunt their nights though neither want to talk about them in the light of day. Their chemistry is smoldering, but their secrets persist.

I really enjoy military/security style romantic suspense, and this was exactly what I like. The characters were intense but likable. The chemistry was strong, and there was plenty of suspense to keep me tied into the story. I enjoyed meeting the characters from the previous books so much that I will likely go back and read the first two.

Net Galley provided an ARC for honest review.

Demolished by Cathryn Fox

Both Summer and Sean are back in the small town they grew up in after years away. Neither is there under happy circumstances, and Summer is not even there under her own name. She's hiding big secrets and hoping no one will recognize her until she can solve her problems. Sean isn't buying her story, but he's willing to play along until she trusts him. The question is whether or not she will trust him in time.

This was definitely much heavier on the sexier aspects than the suspense aspects. It was very sexy with a high frequency of intimate adventures. On the suspense end, it just didn't ring true to me most of the time, like hiding in a town where everyone knew you and trying to convince them you were someone else based primarily on only darker hair color and ageing, or getting a job with the fake identity of a still living person. Summer's thought processes made little sense to me, but as I often say, it's fiction, so it doesn't already have to be 100 percent exact. Escapism  is acceptable too. So, why did I give this four stars? I really liked Sean and his family, that big band of brothers and cousins with a feisty matriarch grandmother.  They pulled my interest and made me desire to read more of the series to find out what makes those guys tick.

Net Galley provided an ARC for honest review.

Elliott Redeemed by Scarlett Cole

Admittedly, I'm a romantic suspense junkie. I rarely read anything that lacks a suspense element, but even though the Preload books don't have the slightly suspenseful edge of the Second Circle Tattoos series by this author, I can't get enough. When I saw Net Galley had approved my request for an early copy of this book, I literally cheered. This group of guys that Scarlett Cole has written own my heart. Their stories touch me emotionally as strong as if they were real people I know. Maybe it's my background as a counselor, or maybe it's just that I love seeing the imperfections in a character be the exact thing that turns them into a light or source of hope and strength for someone else. Ms. Cole is a marvel at creating these beautifully broken people and imagining ways to put them back together in a better shape than where they started. I absolutely couldn't wait to read Jordan's story in the last book, and since he tugged my heart the most, I just knew nothing could top his story. I now must admit I was wrong, because Elliott was beyond what I could have anticipated. Bravo, Ms. Cole. I can't wait to join you for Nikan and Lennon.

Make Me Want by Rebecca Brooks

Abbi is all about the big bad guys. She keeps them long enough for a little fun then cuts them loose. The only problem with that is that the most recent one doesn't want to take no for an answer. Abbi's best friend sees her struggle and sends a well meaning stranger to the rescue. Tyler figures pretending to be the new boyfriend might be the best way. He has no way to know how complicated that small choice is going to make his life. The even bigger complication is that when Tyler shows up for his new job, he finds himself opposing Abbi at every turn. Outside of work, he wants to be anything but opposition.

The story starts off pretty quick and keeps a good pace. There is some suspense related to the work project which keeps this couple on opposite sides of the fence, and more than enough chemistry to go around. Both Tyler and Abbi are pretty stubborn and convinced they are right, so sparks fly while they try to figure out if they can work together and if they can make a relationship work.

I received an ARC from Net Galley for honest review.

Beyond the Rules by Anna del Mar

Since the first two books in this series were single couples, I was a bit surprised this one wasn't. While I don't mind a little out of the box fantasy, I'm not interested in a story written just for the erotic aspects with no real plotline. Thankfully, this story had great characters of which I'd be hard pressed to choose a favorite. It had enough suspense to keep me interested in the story and enough emotion to keep me connected to the characters. It was actually quite sweet and romantic, and the more racy aspects were not pervasive enough to overtake the story. I really liked it, and I especially enjoyed the ending. It was pretty spectacular.  On a final note, the cover was so sexy and is actually what made me decide to read the book. Once I was finished, I felt like I could see the guys' personalities in the design m of the cover. I think Tanner is on the right, Aiden is on the left, and Zar is in the middle. If you read the book, you'll understand why.

Net Galley provided an ARC for honest review.

Alpha Crew: The Mission Begins by Laura Griffin

Wow! This is Laura Griffin in a whole new way. I have read and loved all of her Tracers series, but this was nothing at all like that. It was a lot sexier and action packed. I adore military style suspense, but I wasn't sure how Laura Griffin's style would translate into this genre. I shouldn't have worried. She just completely invented a new style for herself, and it worked brilliantly. The chemistry was off the charts, and both Emma and Ryan were likable characters. They meet under extreme circumstances after Emma's plane crashes. Ryan is part of the team sent to find survivors. He finds Emma, and things only get more interesting from there. Emma knows something was off about the plane crash, and she is determined to find out what. Ryan knows more than he is letting on, and he just wants to protect Emma. Unfortunately for him, she is not the type to be babysat or coddled. Ryan finds that out the hard way. In part two of this story, Emma and Ryan discover the conspiracy and secrets go much deeper than either had imagined. Emma has disappeared, and Ryan and Jake are frantically working to discover what happened, and Ryan determines he will stop at nothing to get her back. With help from Jake and an FBI agent, Ryan finds Emma just in time. He determines that Emma needs to disappear again...with him. The two go on the run working behind the scenes to determine who orchestrated the plane crash and who wants to make sure Emma is no longer a survivor. I really was sucked into both part one and two of this series. The characters were likable and believable; the chemistry was sparking, and and the suspense didn't let up. It was everything I love about the military style suspense genre and everything I love about the writing of Laura Griffin all rolled into one. How could you go wrong with that? The only thing missing is the rest of the story behind what's going on between Jake and his FBI agent. I sure hope those two are getting their own story soon. I received an ARC from Net Galley for review.

Bad Deeds by Lisa Renee Jones

I am beyond hooked on this series! I've read them all so far, and after this one, the best yet, I am anxiously awaiting the conclusion. Lisa Renee Jones has created a story so entwined and tangled that it's hard to even consider how it will all turn out. I won't rehash the whole plot, but I will say it is a series that absolutely has to be read in order. There is the perfect amount of intrigue, not so much going on that you get lost and can't keep up, but plenty to keep your mind spinning with speculations. I love that you can never know what to expect and that Ms. Jones is not afraid to throw in a shocker...like the ending. I couldn't believe it! Now I'm dying to know what happened! I'm glad the wait will not be long.

Net Galley provided an ARC for honest review.

Out of Sight by Melissa Klein

This was my first book by this author, so obviously also my first book in the series. Thankfully, it read like a standalone. Mia and Hank were foster siblings and have always been very close. When the book starts, Mia is recovering from a violent attack which left her with a traumatic brain injury. She has serious mental blockages and has a fiance who isn't inspiring much in the way of positive feelings. The only real brightness in her life is Hank. Her attacker is still unidentified and on the loose, and her career may be over. When struggles in his own life result in Hank putting distance between himself and Mia, she struggles to find anything good. Thankfully, she is resilient and decides to fight for what she wants. She is the strength for both of them.

This story moved pretty fast and had plenty of suspense, some romantic tension and chemistry, and a little action to finish it out. I got frustrated with Hank at times, but Mia was just awesome. I'm definitely interested in checking out the rest of the series.

Net Galley provided an ARC for honest review.

Point Blank by Cheyenne McCray

It was hard for me to put this one down because I liked the characters so much. Natasha was such a quirky fun individual, and Brooks was very sexy in a western sort of way. They certainly made an odd pair, but it was easy to see the sparks that flew between them from the start. Brooks is unfortunately investigating Natasha, so while she honestly likes him, he had a hidden agenda. He knows he should tell her once he develops feelings for her, but will he do so in time?

I was familiar with Cheyenne McCray, so I was sure I would like this book before I ever started reading. I wasn't wrong. The pacing was fast, and the suspense of watching Natasha try to work her way out of an impossible situation drug me in. I find myself needing to find the other books in this series and start reading.

Net Galley provided an ARC for honest review.

Under Fire by Scarlett Cole

I love Scarlett Cole! Her Second Circle and Preload books are amazing and some of my favorites. I wasn't sure what to expect exactly from this series, but I knew if it was Scarlett Cole I had to read it. As usual, she has created unique characters with flaws that only make them more endearing. Louisa is chronically shy, and Six occasionally suffers from mild PTSD like symptoms. The two of them are an odd pair, but somehow it really works. I enjoyed the development of their relationship and also the development and growing pains of Eagle Securities. I found several characters whose stories I'd love to read, so obviously this is a series I will definitely be continuing.

Net Galley provided an ARC for honest review.