The Rebel - Adrienne Giordano (HI #1598 - Oct 2015)

Bad to the bone…in all the right ways

A brilliant civil lawyer, David Hennings has always been the outsider -- at odds with his wealthy family, shunning relationships, defying convention as a sexy leather-jacketed biker. Which is why sculptor Amanda LeBlanc agrees to his request to reconstruct a skull from a cold case murder. The instant heat between them is scorching.

But once Amanda takes the job and gets too close to the rebellious attorney, her carefully balanced life is upended by a series of methodical attacks. Someone doesn't want her to finish the job. Now David will risk everything not to lose the woman he unknowingly put in jeopardy.

Loved this book, the latest in the series about the Hennings family and their friends/coworkers. It begins with a Chicago detective finding a skull while walking his dog. Five years later the victim has still not been identified and the detective is looking for help. Enter Amanda, an artist and sculptress, who the detective asks to do a reconstruction from the skull. She initially refuses, but is overheard by Mrs. Hennings, David's mother. She talks him into seeing if he can convince Amanda to take on the project.

David has just moved back to Chicago after living and working in Boston for several years. He has never felt like he fit in with his family of rather intense criminal lawyers. As the oldest, he was expected to join the family firm, but that wasn't what he wanted to do. Being able to live his own life took moving far away from his family. But now he wants a chance to mend fences and connect with them again. He doesn't expect his mom to rope him into her latest project. He especially doesn't expect the instant attraction between himself and Amanda. I really enjoyed seeing how he showed his individuality, and loved the motorcycle riding, bad boy image.

Amanda is very reluctant to take on the forensic sculpture job. Her mother had done that before her death and Amanda remembers all too well the emotional trauma that it caused her. Thanks to her mother's extreme emotional highs and lows, Amanda has led a life that she works hard to keep on an even keel. She avoids anything that could wind her up, until David appears at her door. The man is seriously sexy and has a way of overcoming all her misgivings. As soon as she agrees to help, her life goes completely crazy.

Within hours of her agreement, the building where she lives and works is shut down, her bank accounts are frozen, and the plaster cast of the skull is stolen. Many of her paintings are destroyed in another attack. Throughout it all, David is at her side as they try to track down who is doing these things, and why. David is determined to protect her from whoever is causing the problems. As they try to track the clues they uncover, it becomes obvious that someone doesn't want her to finish what she started. It was really interesting to see the way it all came together. I was totally surprised by who was behind it and the reasons for their actions. I could not put it down until I finished it.

I loved seeing the relationship grow between David and Amanda. The chemistry was hot from the very beginning. I liked the way that David accepted it and wanted to pursue it. I loved the way that he saw her hesitation and understood what caused it, but he wasn't going to give up. Amanda fought her feelings hard. She didn't want to deal with the riot of emotions that being around him brought out. I loved seeing the way that they balanced each other. David brought a sense of fun and spontaneity to Amanda's life, and Amanda's calm helped to temper David's volatility. I loved how they realized that neither was perfect, that their relationship would always be a work in progress.

The family dynamics were wonderful. David was mentioned in previous books, and I always got the impression that he wanted nothing to do with them. In this book we got to see what had driven him away. I loved seeing him come home wanting to be part of the family again. The relationship he has with his mom is a good one. I loved seeing the way that she was able to get him to do exactly what she wanted him to do, and that he saw what she was doing and didn't resist. He gives a great description of his relationship to his mom when he's talking to Amanda about her. I liked that he and his brother didn't really have any problems between them and got along well. It was the relationship with his sister Penny that had the most turmoil. There were times that I wanted to smack her, because she really seemed to be doing her best to piss him off. She definitely came off as being something of a spoiled brat. David made up his mind that he wanted to fix things, but stopping the bickering was harder than he thought it would be. There were a few moments when I thought they were never going to get through it. Once again their mom steps in, and I loved seeing her lay down the law.

The Agent's Redemption - Lisa Childs (HI #1597 - Oct 2015)

Series: Special Agents at the Altar (Book 4)

She'll do anything to expose her sister's killer -- even reunite with an ex…

After six years hunting The Bride Butcher, FBI agent Jared Bell is as determined as ever to find the ruthless murderer. So when the killer strikes again, he'll stop at nothing to bring closure to the case -- and the first victim's sister, Rebecca Drummond. Including staging an engagement to lure the madman into a trap…

It's been years since their torrid rendezvous, but as Jared's fake fiancée, Becca can no longer ignore their attraction. Or the secret she's been keeping from him. For now, she needs to focus on bringing her sister's killer to justice -- and insist on using herself as bait to do it.

Excellent conclusion to the series. Jared is the FBI agent/profiler who has been hunting the Bride Butcher serial killer for six years. When another victim is found, and there appears to be a link to the first victim, Jared pays a visit to the first victim's sister. Becca has never stopped mourning her sister, nor insisting that she knows who did it. Jared is the last person she wants to see show up at her house. Six years ago, in the middle of the tragic event, she and Jared had had a passionate encounter, but their differences kept them apart. She's had no contact with him since then, including telling him that she was pregnant. 

The attraction between Becca and Jared is just as strong now as it was before, and neither one can deny it. Jared is stunned to discover he has a son, and angry that Becca kept it a secret from him. Some of those feelings have to take a back seat to the mission of finding the killer, but it isn't easy. I liked the way that Jared accepted the truth so quickly, and loved the way he bonded so quickly with Alex. The relationship between him and Becca was a little trickier. He still cared about her, and the feelings were getting stronger, but telling her how he felt would take more courage than he had. He wasn't sure he could handle hearing that she didn't feel the same way. Becca had also cared about Jared, but because he had left without saying anything, she hadn't either.

Now that they are working together to bring the Butcher to justice, those feelings have come back to the surface. Becca feels pretty guilty that she hadn't told Jared about Alex, and making him part of their lives now makes her realize just how much they have missed. Jared needs Becca's help, but his feelings for her have added a whole new level of protectiveness to them. I loved seeing how both of them had to deal with their feelings and at the same time still keep focus on what they were trying to do. I really enjoyed seeing the way that Becca stood up to Jared when it came to trying to trap the killer. When the final confrontation was over, both of them had to face those feelings and decide whether to take the risk. I loved Jared's big moment there, and Becca's surprise.

The suspense part of the story was fantastic. The tension kept climbing, from the discovery of the new victim right through to the final confrontation. I loved seeing Jared and Becca try to discover the link between the first victim and the last one. It was interesting to see how she stuck to her belief about who the guilty person was. When she started receiving threats, Jared was even more determined to discover who it is. I loved following the investigation, and how they came up with several suspects. Each one seemed to be a good possibility and it was hard to settle on any one of them. There was a very interesting twist at the end that I never saw coming. The final confrontation was intense, and I wondered at times just how everything was going to turn out.

Born Wild - Julie Ann Walker (Sourcebooks Casablanca - Nov 2013)

Series: Black Knights Inc (Book 5)

TICK...TICK...

"Wild" Bill Reichert knows a thing or two about explosives. The ex -- Navy SEAL can practically rig a bomb blindfolded. But there's no way to diffuse the inevitable fireworks the day Eve Edens walks back into his life, asking for help...

BOOM!

Eve doesn't know what to do when the Chicago police won't believe someone is out to hurt her. The only place to turn is Black Knights Inc. -- after all, no one is better at protection than the covert special-ops team. Yet there's also no one better at getting her all turned on than Billy Reichert. She has a feeling this is one blast from the past that could backfire big time...

Very good book. The action and suspense were there from the first page and never really let up. Eve has had three "accidents" and is sure that someone is trying to kill her, but the police don't agree. After the latest one. Eve realizes she needs help, and goes to Black Knights Inc. But that also means facing ex-boyfriend "Wild Bill".

Twelve years earlier, when she was eighteen, she and Billy had been in love. But while he was away, she gave in to pressure from her father to date another man, and ended up marrying him. Realizing her mistake, she quickly divorced him, but the damage was done. Billy was heartbroken and very bitter about what he saw as her betrayal. 

Because Eve is his sister's best friend, Billy sees Eve quite often. Every time the sparks fly between them, usually expressed in snide remarks. Their past is always there, stirring up feelings that neither wants to admit are still simmering. When Eve comes to BKI for help, Billy can't deny the need he feels to protect her, but trusting her again is something he can't bring himself to do. Eve can only hope that he doesn't hate her too much to help.

I loved finally getting Billy and Eve's story. The tension between them has been building through several books, and it has reached its boiling point. Though Eve has previously come across as quiet and a bit of a doormat, in this book a different Eve emerges. She has had enough of letting people like her father boss her around and she has made several changes in her life. From defensive driving and self-defense lessons, to moving out of her father's house, she has developed a new confidence in her own abilities. It doesn't come easily to her, and there are some great scenes of her giving herself pep talks. She also tends to blame herself for all the bad things that are happening. Billy is definitely an alpha male, great at taking charge, but he is also a gentleman at heart. I loved seeing his protectiveness and caring come out, even as he was trying to resist admitting that he still loves Eve. One of the things I really enjoyed was the way he was often surprised by what she is capable of now, finally realizing that she isn't the same girl she was all those years ago. The events on the sailboat show him just how much she has changed, but letting go of those hurt feelings is harder than he thinks.

The action and suspense of the story was really good. I loved Eve's determination that someone finally believe her, and how she takes matters into her own hands. As the attacks escalate, it becomes obvious that someone is deadly serious about ending Eve's life, and the team is equally serious about finding out who and why. Putting all the pieces together isn't easy, and leads to evidence of a betrayal of the worst sort. The final confrontation comes with a twist that Eve and Billy didn't see coming, and nearly cost Billy his life. It did make him realize that life can be too uncertain to hold a grudge. The final scene of the book was great, and Eve's comment about the catheter was pretty funny.

There wasn't much involvement from most of the BKI team, except for Mac and Ace. There were a couple fun spots with Ace, especially with him telling Billy what a fool he is. There's more involvement from Mac, who has his own contentious moments with Delilah of the bikers' bar. I've liked what I've seen of her in previous books, and she really shines in this one. I hurt for her after the shootout at the bar, and was rooting for her as she got under Mac's skin. I'm really looking forward to their story in the next book.

Agent Undercover - Lisa Childs (HI #1561 - Apr 2015)

Series: Special Agents at the Altar (Book 2)

She's wanted by unknown assailants, the government…and the man sworn to protect her

A man like FBI special agent Ash Stryker would never be caught dead at a speed-dating event. But that's where he tracks down Claire Molenski, a computer programmer suspected of selling government information. When he rescues her from a botched kidnapping, he realizes not only that she's innocent, but also that the only way to protect her is to pose as her boyfriend.

Claire knows that their relationship is a ruse. Once the case is closed, she'll never see Ash again, and that scares her almost as much as the abduction attempts. But the way he acts toward her makes her wonder just how much of an act their relationship really is. And if she'll be able to survive long enough to find out.

Good book. Ash works for the antiterrorism unit for the FBI and is currently looking for the person selling information about how to get around government firewalls. His investigation has led him to Claire, a previously convicted hacker who now works for a cybersecurity company. He suspects she is at the speed dating event to make contact with a buyer. 

Claire was convicted of hacking as a teenager and given the chance to work for the good guys instead of going to prison. Ever since then she has concentrated on her work at the expense of having any kind of personal life. When the people who mean the most to her start finding love and lives of their own, she realizes that she wants what they have. Never having had the chance to really develop some social skills, she turns to online dating to find someone of her own.

Her reaction to Ash makes her nervous and she leaves the event in a hurry. As she heads out of the hotel she is grabbed and chloroformed, but luckily Ash is there to rescue her. When she regains consciousness, she's dismayed to discover that Ash suspects her of selling secrets. 

I liked both Ash and Claire, though he certainly frustrated me at the beginning. Ash was totally convinced that Claire was guilty, and it wasn't until there had been several attacks on her that he admitted he might be wrong. I liked the fact that once he was convinced, he was determined to keep her safe, even though he also wanted to use her to catch the person who was really behind it. Because he is skilled at undercover work, Ash decides that posing as her boyfriend is the best way to keep her with him. He doesn't expect to find himself enjoying the ruse far more than is wise. 

I liked the fact that Claire doesn't just sit back and hide behind Ash's protection. She is determined to find out just who has set her up, and if that means pretending, she'll do it. But the longer the act goes on, the more she wishes that it was real.

I loved seeing the relationship build between Ash and Claire. He's so uptight and intense that the effect she has on him hits him really hard. He feels guilty about the danger she's in because of him, but he thinks it's the only way to save her. He's also spent so long denying that he needs anyone in his life that he has a hard time letting her in. One of the things I loved about Claire was that she had such great observation skills. She was really good at reading his moods and seeing things that bothered him. It was fun to see her call him on them, and how it sometimes made him very nervous that she seemed to know him so well. When the case was over, both had to decide what to do about their feelings. I loved the ending and seeing Ash's sweet and romantic confession of his feelings.

The suspense aspect of the book was very good. The frequent attacks kept the intensity going, as Ash and Claire tried to figure out who was really behind it all. I liked seeing Claire insist on being part of the operation. I wasn't terribly surprised by who was really trying to sell the secrets as it seemed pretty obvious to me. However, I was very surprised by who was behind the attacks. I hadn't seen that one coming at all. The final showdown was really intense, and I quite enjoyed seeing how everything turned out.

I loved the appearances of the other agents. It was fun to see Blaine and Maggie from the first book, and how Blaine could so easily see that Ash was following right in his footsteps. I also enjoyed the back and forth between Ash and Reyes, especially when Reyes caused some jealousy on Ash's part. It will be interesting to see what happens in his book, and what kind of payback he might have.

The Pregnant Witness - Lisa Childs (HI #1556 - Mar 2015)

Series: Secret Agents at the Altar (Book 1)

Strong, handsome and crossing a dangerous line!

An expert at catching bank robbers, FBI special agent Blaine Campbell isn't sure who to trust. He's just rescued the beautiful assistant manager from being abducted by robbers -- but was it an inside job? What if pregnant Maggie Jenkins wasn't a hostage but a co-conspirator?

After several harrowing attempts on the young widow's life, the steely Blaine relies on his instincts: Maggie wasn't involved. The only thing she's guilty of stealing is his heart. Risking his life to find Maggie's would-be killers has become more than a job. She and her unborn child could be the future he never imagined for himself. All he has to do is keep her alive.

Good book that started with a bang and kept up the tension. Blaine is an FBI agent who specializes in solving bank robberies. He's been sent to Chicago to work on a series of robberies there, and arrives at one bank in the middle of a robbery. He arrived in time to stop them from taking a hostage, but the security guard, who was Blaine's friend, was shot and killed.

Blaine is a bit on the cynical side, and is suspicious of Maggie at first, especially when he learns she worked at another bank that also got robbed by the same people. But after foiling several attempts on her life, he realizes that she is innocent. However, she may still be the key to finding out who is behind it. Blaine just has to find a way to keep his mind on the job and off the attraction he feels for Maggie.

Maggie has been living with a great deal of guilt. Her fiance had been her best friend, and though they'd been engaged, her feelings for him weren't those of a woman in love. He had paid for her ring with his reenlistment bonus, then been killed overseas, and she blames herself. Now she's developing feelings for Blaine that are much different than what she had felt for Andy. 

The development of their relationship was fast, thanks to the stresses of trying to keep Maggie safe. They learned a lot about each other in a short period of time. I loved Blaine's protectiveness, which was echoed by Maggie's wish to do whatever necessary that would keep him safe also. The ending was pretty sweet with the way Blaine confessed how he felt.

The suspense of the story was very good. The action was non-stop from the start, as the bad guys kept coming after Maggie. It was pretty clear that they thought she knew something and they were determined to get rid of her before she could say anything. Each encounter seemed to get more intense. The identity of one of the bad guys was pretty obvious, but the discovery of who the brains behind it all was a surprise to me. The constant action kept me hooked from start to finish.

Seduced by the CEO - Barbara Dunlop (HD #2382 - June 2015)

Series: Chicago Sons (Book 2)

Born on the wrong side of the bed, Riley Ellis is done playing second fiddle to his half brother -- the legitimate heir. Determined to make his own company a success, Riley needs leverage and Kalissa Smith is it. Only he knows Kalissa is the long-lost identical twin to his rival's beloved wife. What a scandal their union could cause…

By the time Kalissa learns the truth, Riley's passion is the real deal. But can he convince her she isn't a mere pawn in his seduction scheme?

Good book where revenge gets overtaken by passion. Riley is the illegitimate half-brother to Shane Colburn of Sex, Lies and the CEO. His father never acknowledged him, and Riley grew up resenting the fact that Shane seemed to have it all. As an adult, he went into the same business as Shane, and has made a point of competing with him. One day he sees a woman who is the spitting image of Shane's wife and believes it is Darci and that she is attempting to spy on him.

Kalissa is a landscaper who has recently started her own business. One day her partner sees a picture of the new Mrs. Colburn and comments on the resemblance. Kalissa doesn't take it seriously until she is confronted by an angry Riley. Once she has convinced him of who she is, both become aware of the attraction that has flared between them. Riley later contacts her and hires her to landscape his home.

Riley considers the possibility of using Kalissa's resemblance to Darci as a weapon against Shane, but quickly discovers that he's far more interested in Kalissa herself. He really likes her blunt speech and innate honesty. He refrains from telling her who he is and his connection to her sister. He knows he's going to have to tell her the truth, but is afraid of what will happen when he does.

When Kalissa and Riley begin dating, she realizes her resemblance to Darci could create problems for the other woman. I loved the initial meeting between the two women, and Kalissa's determination to make sure Darci realizes that she isn't after anything financial. I loved watching them get to know each other. There are some interesting twists that come about, that will complicate Kalissa's relationship with Riley.

Kalissa is falling fast and hard for Riley. She likes the way he isn't intimidated by her attitude. They have a lot of fun together. And when they give in to their attraction the passion is incredible. Just when things are looking really good for them, the truth comes out. Kalissa feels betrayed and is heartbroken that Riley was only with her to get to Shane. She doesn't want to listen to anything he has to say and has lost all trust in him. 

I loved the fact that Riley doesn't give up. He knows he screwed up and is willing to do anything to get back in Kalissa's good graces. There are some really fun parts as he does some pretty wild things to get her to listen to him. Kalissa still has feelings for him, but trusting him again is something that is really difficult. I liked seeing them work their way back to each other. I really liked the event that showed Kalissa the truth of Riley's feelings.

I have to say that in this book Shane did not come across very well. I got very frustrated with the way he rode roughshod over Kalissa's wishes regarding Riley. I know he was trying to protect her, but she's a grown woman. It was also interesting to see the interactions between him and Riley. Things got really intense the day that Riley showed up at Shane's home to see Kalissa. That confrontation had some unexpected revelations and was the beginning of something neither had foreseen. 

The final resolution of both Kalissa and Riley's relationship and the one between Riley and Shane was very well done. I'd love to see them a couple years down the line and see how they are doing.

Sex, Lies and the CEO - Barbara Dunlop (HD #2376 - May 2015)

Series: Chicago Sons (Book 1)

After his ex writes a tell-all book, CEO Shane Colborn is battling a PR nightmare. The last thing he needs is an affair with another woman, especially one who works for him. But Darci Rivers proves impossible to resist.

Their passion is intense, but so is Darci's secret. She's out to discover a truth that could redeem her father's legacy -- and destroy Shane's company, taking him down with it. Will she do what she's come to do…and risk the once-in-a-lifetime connection she's found with her boss?

Good book. When Darci starts to go through her father's things after his death, she discovers a letter that claims his former business partner stole his designs and cut him out of the business. Now she wants to find the truth and redeem her father's reputation, and to do it she needs to get close to Shane Colborn.

Shane is in the middle of a nightmare. A former girlfriend has written a tell-all book that is full of lies and innuendos, and it's creating problems with his business. He needs to stay away from women and focus on saving his company. When he encounters Darci at one of his business parties there's something about her that he just can't resist.

Darci has a real problem when she meets Shane. Besides being incredibly attracted to him, she likes him. He's smart, he's funny, and he's got a sweet and romantic side to him. She also feels horribly guilty because of the way she's deceiving him, but she's not sure she can trust him with the truth. 

Shane is just as attracted to Darci. He likes her down to earth attitude and the way she resists his attempts to seduce her. Having been burned by a woman who was out for what she could get, it's great being with one who is so open with him.

The chemistry between them is intense and as much as she tries to resist, eventually she gives in. By the time the truth

comes out, Darci and Shane have gotten really close. Darci has gone so far as to fall for him, and the guilt is killing her. She had just decided to confess when he found out. Shane is furious and hurt by her deception. He had started thinking that she was different and that they had something real together. But once he got past his initial reaction, he did something really different - he decided to help her look.

I loved seeing where their relationship went from there. Though trust had been damaged, the feelings they had for each other were still there. There was a terrific scene where Darci was determined to help counteract the effects of his ex's book, and I loved seeing what she did. I also liked seeing how Shane kept trying to believe the best about Darci, even when his friends were against it. I thought it said a lot about his feelings for her that he wanted her to find what she was looking for. There was a rough patch at the end when things didn't look too good, but everything worked out at the end. I especially loved Darci's last ditch effort and Shane's solution.