Clandestine Christmas - Elle James (HI #1601 - Nov 2015)

Series: Covert Cowboys Inc (Book 8)

Sexy cowboy ropes in stunning secret agent!

A wickedly handsome billionaire rancher, Chase Marsden is past his dissolute playboy days. With Covert Cowboys' Kate Rivers posing as his fiancée, he's determined to find the culprits trying to murder an old -- and notorious -- friend many would kill to keep silent.

From the moment Chase eyes Kate -- beautiful, tough, but vulnerable -- he knows she's the one. Kate, a former Texas Ranger, fears nothing but Chase's reckless kisses. As they investigate together, each clue puts their lives further in jeopardy. Will Christmas find them under the mistletoe…or escaping kidnappers and dodging hit men?

Terrific end to the Covert Cowboys series. Chase is a wealthy rancher who used to be quite the playboy. He was rescued from the consequences of that lifestyle by Sadie Lovely, a former madam, who helped him see the error of his ways. When Sadie comes to him, worried about strange accidents that have been happening to her, Chase is determined to protect her and her grandson. He asks for help from Covert Cowboys Inc.

Kate is a former Texas Ranger who came to work at CCI after injuries that forced her to leave the Rangers. She arrives in town just in time to see a car run down Chase and Sadie, leaving Sadie in the hospital, fighting for her life. Posing as Chase's fiancée, they are determined to find out who is trying to kill Sadie and why.

There is an immediate attraction between Kate and Chase. Kate tries hard to ignore it for two reasons. The first is that she is working for him and it would not be appropriate to get involved with him. Second, there are things about her that she feels make her all wrong for a man like Chase. He doesn't agree. He is drawn to her strength and her beauty, and also to the vulnerable woman he senses is under the tough exterior. I loved seeing the way that Kate was able to share her secret with him, and Chase's insistence that it makes no difference to his feelings.

I loved the changes that both went through. Chase's transformation from playboy to rancher was great. His growing appreciation for his legacy also showed him what he was missing in his life. I really liked the way that he saw Kate's place in his life so quickly. Kate had more to work through. The unhappiness and feelings of unworthiness caused by her injuries left her feeling that all her dreams for her future were dead. It hit her especially hard when she first saw Sadie's grandson Jake. I loved seeing the effect that being around him had on her, and how he helped with her healing. I loved the ending with the Christmas wishes coming true.

The suspense part of the story was great. The action started right off with the attack on Chase and Sadie, and continued at a good pace throughout. Each clue that they uncovered seemed to be countered with another attack as they tried to piece together who was behind it all. There were several possible suspects and I loved the way each was dealt with. There was one scene that gave me an idea of who it was, but I wasn't sure until the end. The intensity of the kidnapping scene made the final confrontation a little bit anti-climactic, but satisfying nonetheless.

High Country Hideout - Elle James (HI #1594 - Oct 2015)

Series: Covert Cowboys Inc. (Book 7)

Last hope or second chance?

Ranching was Angus Ketchum's first love -- until his last tour of duty shattered that dream. The wounded ex-soldier gets his second chance when he's recruited to go undercover to protect a widowed ranch owner. But from the moment he meets Reggie Davis, Angus can tell holding on to her land and keeping her young son safe is taking its toll. Especially when someone threatens her livelihood and her life. As the attacks escalate, Angus must rely on his combat skills to keep Reggie and her boy alive. And he must rely on his commitment to the mission to keep their powerful attraction in check.

Good book with enough suspense and romance to keep me hooked to the end. Angus is a new employee of Covert Cowboys Inc. He had planned to make the military his career, but an IED took part of his leg and it's no longer possible. Now he's been asked to pose as a ranch hand while protecting the owner of Last Chance Ranch. Angus isn't so sure he's the right man for the job because of his disability.

Reggie lost her husband a year ago and she is determined to keep the ranch going so it can be passed down to her son. It's hard work for just her and her foreman, CW. When he hires a ranch hand to help, she isn't too happy, as she feels they can't afford it, but Angus talks her into letting him stay.

There has been a series of strange accidents on the ranch that CW thinks aren't accidents, which is why he asked for help from his friend at CCI. Reggie thinks that they are just random acts of vandalism until the night she is physically attacked. After that she has to admit that there is something going on. Angus's presence makes her feel safer as they try to find out who is behind the attacks. Each incident has Angus more determined to keep Reggie safe. As they investigate, there are several people with motive to harm her. It wasn't until near the end that I settled on one suspect. The final confrontation was intense, and the danger very real. 

Angus and Reggie were attracted to each other from the beginning, but neither wanted to accept it. Reggie is still grieving for her husband, and feels guilty that she could be interested in someone else. Angus feels that his injuries make him unsuitable for someone like her. I loved seeing them get to know each other. Reggie is very independent and very stubborn and hates asking for help or depending on someone else. She fights her attraction to Angus as well as her desire to lean on him, until she can't resist any longer. I liked the way that she didn't pity him about his injuries and instead showed him that he could still do anything he put his mind to. Angus's attraction to Reggie catches him off guard. He had made up his mind that his injuries would make it impossible for him to have the kind of life he had once dreamed of, but being around her makes him wish that he could. I loved seeing him discover that he is actually far more able that he thought, and how his confidence in himself grew. I loved seeing how they brought out the best in each other and by the end realized that they belonged together. 

Navy SEAL Newlywed - Elle James (HI #1570 - June 2015)

Series: Covert Cowboys Inc. (Book 6)

Here comes the bride…gun at her side

Navy SEAL "Rip" Cord Schafer is officially missing and presumed dead. It's the perfect cover until he can catch the traitors supplying Honduras terrorists with American arms. It's not a one-man operation, but never in his wildest dreams did he imagine teaming up with a woman -- Covert Cowboy operative Tracie Kosart.

Posing as wealthy newlyweds, Rip soon discovers Tracie is as skilled at playing his sensual "bride" as she is at covering his six. Despite their jungle-hot attraction, Rip senses Tracie's reluctance to trust him. But when her cover is blown, Rip knows her life depends on his SEAL instincts and her love depends on his unwavering commitment as her "husband."

At the end of Navy Seal Justice Cord had just been rescued, but the bad guys behind his trouble were still on the loose. Cord is determined to find out who they are and stop them. To do that, his rescue has been kept quiet and he is thought to be dead. It is not something he can do on his own, so with the help of the Covert Cowboys organization, he will have the help and backup that he needs. He doesn't expect that help to be female operative Tracie Kosart, and being paired up with a woman is not what he had in mind. 

I loved their relationship right from the start. Cord makes his opinion known, but Tracie isn't one to back down from a challenge. It was great to see her match him every step of the way when it came to their covert activities. What they didn't expect was the attraction that made posing as newlyweds far too easy. Every time they touched the flames burned a little hotter and it got harder to resist giving in, until they decided to stop resisting. In spite of the reputation that SEALs have, Cord prefers to have emotions engaged when he's with a woman, but Tracie is insisting that it's just sex. He senses that there is something important behind her resistance. Tracie had been engaged to a fellow agent who turned out to be corrupt, and was just using her. And he was working for her boss, who was also corrupt. Their actions had resulted in her being held captive by a drug cartel until the Covert Cowboys came to her rescue. As a result, she has a great deal of trouble trusting men. Cord's caring attitude and growing respect for her abilities starts to build a trust she never thought she'd feel again. I loved seeing that trust turn into something more, and how they worked out having the future they both wanted.

The suspense and action in the story was wonderful. Cord was determined to find out who was behind the transfer of weapons to the terrorists. Each step of the way the danger increased. The confrontation with the coffee plantation owner who was also one of the terrorists gave them some of the information they needed. The raid on the terrorist camp was intense, and the evidence retrieved put them on the road to the next step. They were really close to a breakthrough when their cover was blown and Tracie ended up kidnapped. I loved her confidence and trust that Cord would find her, and also that she didn't just wait around for it to happen, but took steps to save herself. The final showdown was great, and didn't end there. I loved the takedown of the last player.

Navy SEAL Justice - Elle James (HI #1566 - May 2015)

Series: Covert Cowboys Inc. (Book 5)

FBI agent Melissa Bradley is used to cryptic assignments like this: retrieve package from PO Box and deliver to old friend. Package in hand, she's attacked by thugs -- and she's not about to trust the tall, dark and dangerous rescuer who claims he was sent to protect her. A former navy SEAL turned cowboy suddenly reinstated as a SEAL, there's clearly more to James Monahan's covert op than he'll admit. When their mutual friend goes missing, they join forces deep in the swamplands of southern Mississippi to find him. But as a dangerous band of traitors, terrorists and killers close in, survival means trusting each other -- their toughest mission yet.

Very good book, with action that kept me hooked from the beginning. Both Melissa and James got messages from their friend Cord, asking for their help. He asked Melissa to pick up a package at the post office and bring it to him at a local bar. James was asked to watch out for her because Cord suspected that she might be in danger because of it. Thanks to Cord's call, James was there to help Melissa when she was attacked by thugs. The escape was exciting, and the initial interactions between Melissa and James were pretty funny. Melissa is a tough FBI agent, well able to take care of herself, and she has no trouble telling him so. But when they discover that Cord is missing, they decide that working together is the best way to find him.

James had been a navy SEAL before he left the service to take care of his dying father. After his passing, James went to work for Covert Cowboys Inc, and had just started when he got the call from Cord. Fortunately this sort of problem is right up their alley, and his boss pulls some strings to get James reassigned to his old SEAL team, where he can investigate more easily. His inner protector wants to keep Melissa out of the investigation and safe, but realistically he knows that's not possible.

I loved the interactions between them. Both are smart and determined and quite stubborn when circumstances call for it. They were also surprised by the attraction that flared up between them. Melissa is wary of it because she had been burned in relationships before, by men who couldn't handle her being an FBI agent. Trust builds very quickly between them as they work together, and that trust opens the door to other feelings. I liked the end where they decided they wanted to get to know each other better, rather than declaring instant love. It was a pretty sweet scene in the hospital room too.

The suspense and action of the story had me riveted to the end. The questions about what had gone wrong on the mission that sent Cord looking for answers, and then his disappearance, were the basis of the story. James and Melissa made a great team as each of them used their strengths to ferret out information. The intensity of the danger kept going up as the bad guys tried to stop them. The final confrontation was pretty gripping as James, with the help of the team, raced to save Melissa. I really loved seeing that she had a big part in saving herself. Part of the mystery has been solved, but there are still questions about who is behind it all. I'm looking forward to the next book to see if they are answered.