Tag Archives: Law Enforcement

Bulletproof Butterfly

By Anna Brooks

Synopsis

I wasn’t a rookie, but I made a mistake because I was selfish, impulsive, and headstrong.

I was also in love.

My desire for her overwhelmed me. Consumed me. Distracted me.

To protect her, I stood motionless as my partner pried her from the security of my arms. I watched as she fought his hold. I even listened when she screamed that she hated me.

For years I’ve been patient, I’ve been smart, and I’ve gone by the book. But now… it’s finally over.

It’s time to get my girl back.

Review

Firstly, I love the cover of Bulletproof Butterfly, it is so Jay and I could imagine this guy throughout the whole story.

Livvie’s journey is highly confronting, her depth of despair will have you questioning how you would cope, she was inspiring to me.

Jay I fell in and out of love with as this story progressed, he did lose me in the middle of the story.  I cannot pinpoint why, however i was emotionally invested in Livvie and she was hurting and I blamed Jay when I should not have.

I have to say I struggled with the pace until around chapter 10 and then I was hooked and could not put this down.  Livvie was an amazing character and her emotional strength kept me turning the pages.  To be able to follow her process her immense feelings of loneliness, anger and fear broke my heart many times.  At times I became frustrated with the story continually returning to before Livvie was forced to leave Jay, in hindsight, it was probably because I was eager for them to reunite.

I am very much looking forward to reading Opal and Ryan’s story, that was a lovely addition.

Quote:  I feel betrayed, lonely, scared. Just …. all the things. I have never been this mad before.

Bulletproof Butterfly

My Rating:  

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Twisted Truths (Blood Brothers #3)

By Rebecca Zanetti

Synopsis

You can’t escape the past . . .

Noni is desperate. Her infant niece has been kidnapped, and the only person who can save her is a private detective with too many secrets to count–and more enemies than he can name. A man who walked away from Noni without any warning a year ago, a man who broke her heart. But with Talia’s life on the line, Noni needs his help now more than ever–and this time, she won’t take no for an answer . . .

The moment Denver Jones sees Noni, the memories come rushing back. The fire in her eyes. The determination in her voice. The danger of having her in his life. Denver had to push her away once, but now with vicious criminals threatening Noni and her niece, he’ll do whatever it takes to protect them. But enemies from his past are circling, and they’ll use anything–and anyone–to get to Denver.

Review

Twisted Truths is the third and final installment to the Blood Brothers series.  It centers around Denver and Noni. Denver had left Noni without a word to keep her save but Noni needs help and has now put herself in danger by trying to contact him.

I love Denver.  He was exactly the way I wanted him to be.  We got to see more of how the boys grew up and came together in this book.  Denver, as a young boy, only wanted to be loved and to have a family. Instead he got abusers.  Until he met Ryker and Heath, Denver didn’t know what it was like to have people who cared about him.  Denver would do anything to keep them safe and he definitely  did not want to bring another person that could get hurt into his life until Dr. Madison was dead.

The only thing that Noni wants is to get her niece back and she is willing to go to any length to do that.  She only knows one person who can help her and that is going to put a spotlight on her. She fell for Denver while he was on an op and then he just disappeared.  Noni was left heartbroken but she has to find her niece. Once Denver saw that Noni was looking for him, he knew that she would be in danger and he had to go to her to keep her safe. I really liked Noni, she was driven and wanted to keep the people around her safe.

This book has everything in it.  Like other Rebecca Zanetti books, this book is packed with action, suspense and emotion.  There are secrets revealed and Denver finds out the true meaning of family.  I am so happy that we get more of the Dean bothers and we get to see more of Malloy. Plus we already knew that Dr. Madison was psychotic but she always manages to throw something in there that will surprise you.  I love this series!!!

Twisted Truths

My Rating:  5 Hearts

Buy Links:  Amazon

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Touch of Red (Tracers # 12)

By Laura Griffin

Synopsis

When crime scene investigator Brooke Porter arrives at the home of a murdered woman, the only thing more shocking than the carnage is the evidence that someone escaped the scene. But where is this witness now? A thorough search of the area yields more questions than answers, and before Brooke even packs up her evidence kit, she’s made it her goal to find the witness and get them out of harm’s way.

Homicide detective Sean Byrne has seen his share of bloody crime scenes, but this one is particularly disturbing, especially because Brooke Porter is smack in the middle of it. Sean has had his eye on the sexy CSI for months, and he’s determined to help her with her current case—even if it means putting his attraction on hold so he and Brooke can track down a murderer. But as the investigation—and their relationship—heats up, Sean realizes that keeping his work and his personal life separate is more complicated than he ever imagined; especially when the killer sets his sights on Brooke.

Review

I can’t say too much about TOUCH OF RED because I didn’t take a lot of notes while I was reading it.  That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it’s not a good thing either, because it means there wasn’t a great deal about the book that I considered noteworthy, good or bad.

I thought the case was very interesting; it was my favorite part of the story and I really enjoyed reading about it.  I liked Sean, but at the same time, nothing about him stood out to me.  I liked Brooke, but she also annoyed me.  She’s intelligent and very devoted to her job, but at times she made decisions that left me thinking she was too stupid to live.  Under the guise of helping, she would put herself in situations that had a high chance of not ending well for her.  This was a woman who needed saving from herself.

TOUCH OF RED is told in dual POVs, but also in the POV of at least one other character.  It is part of a series, but it can be read as a stand-alone, and it does come with a happy ending for Sean and Brooke.

Touch of Red (Tracers # 12)

My Rating:  

Buy Links:  Amazon | iBooks

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Tracers Series

Can’t Let Go (Original Heartbreakers #5)

By Gena Showalter

Synopsis

With trust issues a mile long, Ryanne Wade has sworn off men. Then Jude Laurent walks into her bar, and all bets are off. The former army ranger has suffered unimaginably, first being maimed in battle then losing his wife and daughters to a drunk driver. Making the brooding widower smile is priority one. Resisting him? Impossible.

For Jude, Ryanne is off-limits. And yet the beautiful bartender who serves alcohol to potential motorists tempts him like no other. When a rival bar threatens her livelihood—and her life—he can’t turn away. She triggers something in him he thought long buried, and he’s determined to protect her, whatever the cost.

As their already scorching attraction continues to heat, the damaged soldier knows he must let go of his past to hold on to his future…or risk losing the second chance he desperately needs.

Review

For me, Can’t Let Go is another great addition to this series.  It handles tough subject matter and leaves you with hope for a future.

The story picks up where Can’t Hardly Breathe leaves off.  They are all getting ready for the wedding between Daniel and Dorothea.  Jude served with Daniel and considers both Daniel and Brock brothers. Jude has lost more than one person should ever have to lose.  He now lives to make sure his friends are happy and safe. That now includes Dorothea and her friends.

Ryanne is best friends with Dorothea and Lyndie.  She is the owner of the local bar.  She also comes with her own emotional turmoil.  Ryanne has major trust issues with men because of her mother and because of mother she is a virgin.

Because Ryanne is the owner of the local bar, this is an issue for Jude.  He wants to hate Ryanne because he doesn’t want to have anything to do with alcohol. But because Brock still goes out to the bar and Ryanne is best friends with Dorothea, Jude feels like he must do everything in his power to protect Ryanne.  This becomes an issue when the mob moves in across the street.  Jude is now put in the position of protecting something he hates because he has feelings for the owner.

This book took me on a rollercoaster of emotions.  Ryanne is so likable and you want good things to happen for her.  And you can’t help but feel the despair that Jude has gone through.  You want him to see that loving another person doesn’t change the love that you had.  Their chemistry was amazing and left you with hope.  I love this series and can’t wait for the next installment.

Can’t Let Go

My Rating:  

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Saving Him (Keep Me #2)

By Angela Snyder

Synopsis

I was kidnapped and sold to a monster.

My abductor told me he would let me go…after he got what he wanted. So I offered him my virginity in exchange for my freedom, but he broke that promise. And now he’s decided to keep me.

When my past suddenly collides with my present, it’s an all-out war.

How could I have ever guessed that my captor would turn into my protector?

I don’t know if we can survive this, but now it’s my turn to save him.

**Saving Him is the conclusion of the two-book dark romance Keep Me Series and is not intended to be read as a standalone. It contains adult content for mature readers.**

Review

Saving HIm did not disappoint me at all, it begins right where Keeping Her ended.  Just saying that I believe this would have been an amazing standalone mob romance. I simply love the way the author has woven this dark & delicious story – I simply escaped into this world.

The author paced this story perfectly and I simply did not put this book down, read in a day.  Told from both POV you can follow the anguish and hurt as this story moves to the drama-packed emotional ending.

So happy with the way their relationship progressed and how Luc grew into being the man for Adeline.  How Adeline fought her way, in the beginning, middle and end was inspiring and my favourite part.

A surprising turn of events was Jackson and his love story and I was very happy for him.

Honestly, it has been awhile since I devoured a series like this and ignored the world. Adeline & Luc were simply an amazing couple who repaired each other’s souls and hearts.  They each gave hope and a future to one another after unhappy and traumatic childhoods.

Saving Him (Keep Me #2)

My Rating:  

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Breathe (Colorado Mountain #4)

By Kristen Ashley

Synopsis

There’s nothing like the first time . . .

In Carnal, Colorado, Faye Goodknight is the town’s quiet, shy librarian. She may also be Carnal’s last remaining virgin. For years, Faye has had a crush on Chace Keaton, but the gorgeous cop has always been unattainable. She’s resigned to live contentedly with only her books for company-until Faye suddenly meets Chace alone in the woods . . .

Chace doesn’t think he’s the good guy everyone believes him to be. He’s made a lot of choices he regrets, including denying his feelings for Faye. Through his choices, he’s come to believe the pretty librarian is too good for him, but after their time in the woods, Chace realizes that she may be his last chance for redemption. Soon, their long simmering desires grow to a burning passion. Yet always casting a shadow over their happiness is Chace’s dark past . . . 

Review

So I am torn, I have always said The Gamble and Sweet Dreams were my favourites well Breathe is right up there.

You had me at “Holding out for a Hero”, my favourite song ever and so Faye is now a favourite KA girl.  Faye is fracking fantastic and her love of books just makes my heart beat harder for her.  For someone so sheltered she has such a backbone and her interactions with her family provided wonderful humour.

I always have been intrigued by Chace and this story gives us his background which is unfortunately sad.  He is a strong man but so torn.

I really loved how this story finalised all the back stories and links from Sweet Dreams and Lady Luck. I would highly recommend you read this whole series in order as each book has characters from the last.

There are great secrets revealed in Breathe and lets not even discuss the dramatic event for Faye and Chace.  I literally was beside myself with fear and trepidation.

A wonderful character and old friend for Chace is Deck who played such a great role.

Finally, the way the author gave us closure for so much of this story at the end was perfection.  I was left totally satisfied with knowing how Chace and Faye ended up along with all the other characters.

Quote:  “I’ll take you thinking I’m your angel but you need to know you’re my hero. Twenty-nine years, I held out for you.”

Breathe (Colorado Mountain #4)

My Rating:  

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Fatal Identity (Fatal Series # 10)

By Marie Force

Synopsis

Every family has its secrets… 

As the first anniversary of her marriage to Vice President Nick Cappuano approaches, Lieutenant Sam Holland is dreaming of Bora Bora—sun, sand and a desperately needed break from the DC grind. But real life has a way of intervening, and Sam soon finds herself taking on one of the most perplexing cases of her career.  

Government worker Josh Hamilton begs Sam to investigate his shocking claim that his parents stole him from another family thirty years ago. More complicated still, his “father” is none other than the FBI director. When a member of Josh’s family is brutally murdered, Sam begins to question how deep this cover-up goes. Is it possible the revered director was part of a baby-napping ring and that others involved are also targets? 

With a killer intent on deadly revenge and her team still reeling from a devastating loss, Sam’s plate is full—and when Nick and their son, Scotty, take ill, is her dream of a tropical anniversary celebration in peril too?

Review

FATAL IDENTITY is another great addition to the Fatal series.

When I started writing this review, I was shocked to realise that it had been two years since I’d read my last Fatal book, FATAL FRENZY.  It was good to reconnect not just with Sam and Nick, but with all the other characters from this series.  I like that with the initial reappearance of each character, we get a quick rundown of their history from the previous books.  That little refresher comes in handy because after four years and eleven books, it’s difficult trying to remember everything that’s happened to everyone.  That being said, I am getting sick of hearing about the Sam/Avery connection and the Sam/Archie fling.  Ms Force, if you’re not going to make something of these two things, please stop bringing them up.

I’ve read all the books in this series up to and including this one, and as with all the previous Fatal books, FATAL IDENTITY was an enjoyable read and one that was hard to put down.  The case Sam works on was certainly interesting, although when the truth came out at the end, it was a little far-fetched.  That’s not going to stop me from reading the next book though.

FATAL IDENTITY is told in the POV of multiple characters, but it is mostly told in Sam’s.  It can technically be read as a stand-alone, but I think understanding the characters and their relationships would be easier if you’ve read the entire series.

Fatal Identity (Fatal Series # 10)

My Rating:  

Buy Links:  Amazon | iBooks

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Fatal Series

Time in Between (Magdalene Series #3)

By Kristen Ashley

Synopsis

After a painful loss, Cady Moreland is coming to Magdalene to start the next chapter of her life. A chapter that began eighteen years ago but had a heartbreaking ending. The time in between was full of family and friendship, but Cady could never get the man she fell in love with all those years ago out of her heart.

Coert Yeager has learned to live without the girl who entered his life right when she shouldn’t and exited delivering a crippling blow he would never have suspected. The time in between was full of failing to find what he was missing…and life-altering betrayal.

But when that girl shows up in Magdalene and buys the town’s beloved lighthouse, even if Coert wants to avoid her, he can’t. A fire in town sparks a different kind of flame that won’t be ignored.

As Cady and Coert question the actions of the two young adults they once were thrown into earth-shattering circumstances, can they learn from what came in between and find each other again?

Review

Time in Between has become my favourite book of this series!  Cady made me laugh, cry, forget to breathe and make my stomach somersault.

The compassion she expressed to family and strangers considering her background was impressive.  To love as deeply as this woman had and become the heartbeat of  “The Family” – tears in my eyes too many times.

Picking my favourite moments and characters is just so hard.  Pat Moreland Jnr is my hero and chapter sixteen is a standout.  “The family” for Cady made this story into more than just a love story and provided many magical and lighthearted moments.

I always knew Coert had an incredibly broken story.  The way the past and present entwine and fill the gaps from the lost  Time in Between made me unable to put this book down.

The Magadalene series was completed perfectly, the ending scenes gave great closure for all the wonderful characters in this town.

I will be reading the Magdalene stories every year as three strong women in this town provided some incredibly tough heartbreaking moments but also great friendship tales.

Quote:  And the beam of the lighthouse that was the last thing Patrick Moreland gave to the daughter he met at a convenience store went round and round, constant and tireless in offering safety.

Time in Between (Magdalene Series #3)

My Rating:  

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Havoc (Moonshine Task Force #3)

By Laramie Briscoe

Synopsis

When a marriage of convenience turns into the passion of a lifetime…..

Holden “Havoc” Thompson

My job as the leader of the Moonshine Task Force is my life. I eat, breathe, and sleep it. The men under my command mean the world to me. Knowing they count on my guidance has kept my demons at bay for longer than I care to admit.

The control I have over myself is an iron fist that sometimes threatens to squeeze the life out of me. What I want more than anything is to live again – let go of the hurt smothering every bit of light I have in this darkness.

I don’t expect it to come in the form of a Moonshiner’s daughter needing my protection.

Leighton Strather

My whole life has been defined by who my family is. In the state of Alabama, we’re number one with a target on our backs. The danger and prestige isn’t for me. I don’t care about the money, and I care too much about the families we’ve ruined.

My brother and my dad are proud of it. They wear their arrest records like a badge of honor. Me? I want as far away from the lifestyle as I can get.

It’s the only reason I ask Holden to marry me.

I never expect his whispered yes to cause such upheaval in my life. Even though I resist, I learn some havoc is good – and this one? It’s a whirlwind of lust, hope, and love and all I can do is let it sweep me away.

Review

Havoc is simply fantastic and in my opinion the best so far of this 3 book series and I cannot wait for the next installment.  We were given a wonderful romantic build up along with the deepening story of the Moonshine family both Task Force and the Strathers.

Throughout this journey with the Moonshine Task Force, both Leighton and Havoc have intrigued me. Watching their interactions with sneaks of information was torture.  An integral scene for me has always been in the ambulance in book 2.

Leighton’s story and her growth as a character is one of my favorite parts of this story and the author gave her and Havoc the time to build their relationship.  Havoc and his nurturing of her as a young woman and the support he gave her was beautiful considering how she grew up.

A wonderful component of Havoc was Leighton and her brother rekindling their family connection after the drama of book 2.  I enjoyed learning more of the mystery of the Moonshine business.

An exciting development was Leighton’s co-worker and her problems at home and I look forward to seeing where her life changes with her own alpha protector.

This series is continuing to build strength, the Moonshine background is different to anything I have read and the supporting friendships provide a family base to the story.

The cover of Havoc is H.O.T. and he did not disappoint in his alpha protective ways, I cannot wait to see more of Leighton & Havoc and I hope to see babies as Leighton deserves to have a family of her own to love.

Havoc (Moonshine Task Force #3)

My Rating:  

Buy Links:  Amazon

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Tank (Moonshine Task Force #2)

By Laramie Briscoe

Synopsis

Life isn’t promised, love isn’t easy, and relationships aren’t always clean, but everyone has their soulmate who is willing to forgive when it would be better to forget.

Trevor “Tank” Trumbolt

I never thought in the blink of an eye my life could change, but it did. Cresting a hill driving to my favorite fishing spot, I was hit head-on by a teenager with no regard for anyone’s life but his own.

The recovery process has been hard, painful, and damn near beating me down.

The bright spot? Blaze.

Surviving the wreck has given me a second chance to make a life with her. Not knowing if I’ll ever be able to rejoin the Moonshine Task Force again has brought my world into focus. It’s made me realize what’s important.

Blaze. Stella. My brothers. My sister.

The ego that ran Blaze away before isn’t here any longer. What’s left is a man who’s holding his heart in his hands and a burning hope that once I’m healed she’ll still be around.

Daphne “Blaze” Coleman

There’s only been one person in the world who’s accepted me for who I am – from the fiery red of my hair and vibrant tattoos covering parts of my body to the smartness of my mouth and my desire to be matched in the bedroom.

That man is Trevor Trumbolt. When he asked me to give up my job as an EMT because he saw the dangers I face one scary afternoon, it spelled the end for us.

Now that he’s been injured, he needs my help and my love. I’ll give it all freely, but in the end, I’m gonna need him to understand one thing about relationships. The give and take, love and sadness, pleasure and pain is a two-way street. He’s either in this with me or he’s not, but at the end of the day, I won’t let him boss me around.

If there’s anything that can handle the steel of a tank – it’s the heat of a blaze.

Review

Tank was an enjoyable second installment in this series, however, I definitely did not love this as I did Renegade.

Simply I have put this down to the fact it was more about Blaze and Tank and no so much about the ongoing Moonshine Task Force. Tank and Blaze have many hurdles to overcome and it provides for an emotional read.  I became a little bit bored with their relationship, to be honest.  I did find Blaze and her family history an interesting point in the storyline.  It kept me invested in her overcoming her emotional hurdles.

Now the introduction of Holden and Leighton’s story made me so excited and I cannot wait for Havoc as I think Holden is simply all alpha male.  As Holden appears in the ambulance scene when Leighton was injured it just set my heart soaring with hope for this young girl.

Loved seeing more of Renegade, Whitney and Stella and how their family life is progressing.

I have high hopes for Havoc to return to the illegal Moonshine and lots of drama with the Task Force showing their alpha capabilities.

Tank (Moonshine Task Force #2)

My Rating:  

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