The Baby Contract - Barbara Dunlop (HD #2396 - Sept 2015)

Series: Billionaires and Babies (Book 61)

Troy Keiser won't hire a woman, no matter how skilled -- or beautiful -- for the dangerous work of his elite security firm. Plus, there's no way he could keep his hands off Mila Stern! But when his sister and infant nephew need protection, Troy offers Mila a job…as a caretaker for them both.

Mila doesn't know much about kids, but she'll learn if it means Troy hiring her for more than this assignment. But as she falls for the baby -- and her sexy boss! -- she uncovers a secret about the boy in her care that could change everything… 

Good book. Mila is a very determined woman and she wants a job at Troy's security firm. Troy is equally insistent that he will hire no women. Mila has just managed to get a face to face meeting with Troy when his sister and her infant charge appear. She is being stalked and wants to stay with Troy for awhile. Seeing her opportunity, Mila talks Troy into letting her protect Kassidy and Drake on a temporary basis, hoping to show him what she can do.

I loved Mila. She was smart, she was determined, and she wasn't going to give up. I loved the way that she took on everything that Troy threw at her. He kept telling her that she didn't have what it takes to work for him and would give her the same tests he gave the male applicants. And she kept passing them. The only one she had trouble with was the obstacle course, and she refused to give up on it. In the meantime, she was doing everything she could to find out who Kassidy's stalker was. I loved seeing the way she earned the respect of the other security guys.

Troy was a rather frustrating man. Because he had lost a woman agent early on in the business, he has refused to hire another one. He won't accept that it wasn't his fault, and that it could just as easily been one of the men. The problem that he is running into is that she is earning his respect, but he can't get past his fears that something could happen to her.

Mila and Troy were also fighting an irresistible attraction to each other. Nearly every time they got close to each other they ended up in each other's arms. Both knew that sex would be a bad idea because it would blur the lines between boss and employee, but they ended up giving in several times. For Troy especially, it just made him more determined to protect her. Mila knows that she is falling for him, and still has hope that she can overcome his protectiveness and show him that she can do the job. But in the end, Troy refuses to take the chance, and Mila won't accept anything less that what she deserves. I loved the ending, with Mila still determined to conquer the obstacle course, the rest of the guys invested in helping her do it, and the way they all stood up to Troy to show him that he was wrong. Seeing him finally get it was very satisfying.

I really enjoyed the stalker story line, something that is very different for the Desire line. I liked the way it brought Kassidy and Troy back together, after years of not getting along well at all. It was interesting to see how Troy's opinion of his sister changed throughout the book, from believing that she was like a kid playing at being a rock star and mother, to actually seeing the talented young woman that she was. I also loved seeing him go from being very wary around little Drake to comfortable and loving with the little boy. The only thing I found hard to believe was that he didn't take the stalker thing seriously from the start. He was convinced that it was simply an overzealous fan, while Mila was certain that there was something truly creepy going on. Even once Troy was convinced, he was certain it had to do with him (conceited much?) and not Kassidy. I loved the way it was Mila that really had a handle on the whole thing. When the final confrontation came, it was Mila and being a woman that gave them the advantage, which was really satisfying. There was also a twist that I really didn't see coming when it came to Drake's true parents. I'd like to see Kassidy get her own story - maybe with Vegas?

SWAT Secret Admirer - Elizabeth Heiter (HI #1560 - Apr 2015)

Series: Lawmen (Book 3)

A predator is no match for her protector…

It's been ten years since the attack that drove Maggie Delacorte to become an FBI SWAT agent. She's an elite fighter now -- and when the Fishhook Rapist sends her a letter saying he's coming back for her, she knows she has to find him first. Her teammate Grant Larkin is assigned to the case, and he's determined to protect Maggie, even if it damages the connection that's been growing between them. And even if her attacker has decided that the way to get to Maggie is by targeting the people she cares about. Her feelings for Grant could get him killed, but she needs him -- and his love -- to make it through the worst danger yet…

Terrific conclusion to the series. In the ten years since she was attacked Maggie has become an excellent FBI SWAT team member. She has never given up the hope of finding her attacker, who has struck again once a year ever since, always in a different city. For the last six months she's been receiving letters from him, saying that he's coming back for her. She is determined not to be a victim again. 

Grant has been one of Maggie's teammates for nine months. He had developed an excellent friendship and working relationship with her, but he was also hiding his attraction to her. He knows that nothing can happen as long as they're on the same team. He knows about the Fishhook Rapist and Maggie's connection to him, but it hasn't affected the way he feels about her. When the task force working on her case asks for his help because of his work on a similar case, he's glad to help. He's determined to find this guy and keep her safe.

I loved seeing Maggie and Grant together. She has felt the same attraction to Grant, but like him, can't act on it. When he's assigned to help with her case, they are drawn together even more. I loved the way that he gave in so quickly to sharing information with Maggie and her group, even though he had been specifically warned against it. Maggie is very intense and driven and willing to do anything to finally get this guy. Grant is also intense when it comes to his work, but much more easy going outside of it. I liked seeing the way they balance each other. Their attraction is getting stronger, but both do an admirable job of keeping it under control, as neither wants to wreck the other's career. I loved seeing the relationship develop as Maggie got to the point where she allowed herself to lean on Grant for support instead of feeling she had to keep it all to herself. I also loved how Grant was protective while still trusting that Maggie can take care of herself. 

I loved the suspense that had been building since the beginning of the series. In this one, it's finally time to face down the monster. I loved seeing how it was Maggie and Grant working together who were able to figure out who was behind the attacks. The tension really built as the date got closer and they tried to find him first. The way that the bad guy arranged the confrontation was pretty scary, but not a total surprise. I had a feeling she was going to be involved from the time she was mentioned. The confrontation itself was really intense and I wondered how it was going to be resolved. I liked the realism of what happened to Grant, scary as it was. I loved the epilogue and seeing how the case turned out as well as seeing the three couples together.

Taken by the Con - C. J. Miller (HRS #1838 - Feb 2015)

A sexy scammer is determined to steal an FBI agent's heart

Her new partner in crime-fighting makes Lucia Huntington uncomfortably hot. To catch an embezzler, the beautiful FBI agent must work with ex-con Cash Stone...although they couldn't be more different. Career-driven Lucia lives by the rules, while devilishly charming Cash gleefully bends them.

Unbeknownst to Lucia, Cash once did wrong for the right reason--his ailing son. Now he claims he's working for the FBI to go on the straight and narrow. But as the case turns dangerous with deadly attacks, Lucia questions her trust in Cash. He's reliable and protective, making her yearn for the passionate bond that's always eluded her. But is their entire relationship one big con?

Good story. Lucia and Cash have been assigned to work together to help catch an embezzler. Lucia isn't very happy about it at the beginning. She is a stickler for following the rules and Cash sees rules pretty much as guidelines that can be worked around if necessary. Both of them have reason to want this case to end well.

Lucia is from a wealthy family, one she has never felt she fit into. She has always wanted to be an FBI agent. She was recently transferred from the violent crimes department to white collar crimes and is anxious to prove herself. Working with an ex-con is not her idea of how to do it. He's a criminal and she isn't sure that she can trust him. There's also a very inconvenient attraction that has a tendency to scramble her brain when she's around him.

Cash is the son of a con man, but he never wanted that life for himself. He stayed away from it, found a good woman to marry and had a son. When that son developed a rare cancer, the only thing that might help was an experimental treatment that was very expensive. The only way that he was able to raise the money was by running a con of his own. He was successful and the treatment worked, but Cash got caught and sent to prison. He hasn't seen his son in three years and is desperate to put his life back together and regain custody of his son. When the FBI offered to parole him from prison, on the condition he help them, he accepted. He has to succeed and behave himself, or he could end up back in prison. Working with Lucia is his ticket to freedom. That she is a beautiful and sexy woman is a definite bonus.

There were sparks between Lucia and Cash from the very beginning. Lucia tried hard to bury them, dismayed by the distraction Cash posed. She also can't believe she's attracted to someone like him, so different from the men she's been around before. Getting involved with any coworker is a bad idea, but this one would be wrong on many levels. Cash is also surprised by the attraction, but he's much more open to following up on it. He senses that there's a passionate woman under the layers of rules and regulations. 

Working together allows them to combine their strengths and pretty soon they start to make headway in their investigation. A couple of attacks on them have Cash's protective instincts up in arms, and Lucia begins to see Cash as someone she can trust after all. She sees that in spite of past mistakes Cash is a honorable man, intent on doing what is right. Her fears cause her to make a couple of bad decisions regarding Cash, but she quickly sees the error of her ways and moves to correct it. Cash sees that under her surface confidence, Lucia also has vulnerabilities. He sees her need to be accepted for who she is and tries to show her that he does. I loved how her growing relationship with Cash gave her the courage to stand up to her family's attitudes. That was a great scene and I was rooting for her all the way.

The search for the embezzler and attempts to capture him have a building intensity. Cash and Lucia have to go through several layers to get to him. There's a personal link between him and Cash that adds an extra motivation to Cash's desire to catch him. The teamwork between Cash and Lucia was great, especially in their undercover work. I liked seeing how their attraction added authenticity to their roles. The final showdown was pretty intense with a couple very interesting twists to it. One of those twists I never saw coming, and I loved seeing how Lucia handled it.

The wrapup of the story was great. The scene in the FBI office was sweet between Cash and Lucia, and I loved their coworkers' reactions. The last part at Lucia's parents' house was wonderful. I loved seeing the changing relationships, and Cash's son was adorable.

Infiltration - Janie Crouch (HI #1544 - Jan 2015)

Series: Omega Sector (Book 1)

She never expected to see her old flame again. Or be kidnapped by him.

The wrong place at the wrong time -- that's the only way Sophia Reardon could explain her predicament. She wasn't even an FBI field agent and now she was being taken hostage. By her ex-boyfriend Cameron Branson. The moment Sophia walked into his undercover operation, Cameron warned her that his "employers" would want to break her. So keeping her by his side, pretending not to have feelings for her, was the best way to maintain his role in the dangerous organization, and the only way to keep them both safe. Because if they got their hands on her, she could expose him and his secrets. And then they'd no longer have any reason to keep her around…

Good first book in a new series. It started out fast and kept up the suspense throughout the book. Cam has been working undercover for eight months, to bring down the leader of an organization that murdered his partner. He's in the middle of negotiations when Sophia wanders into the middle of it. He has to find a way to keep her safe while at the same time not blowing eight months of hard work. Sophia had simply gotten lost while trying to find the building she's supposed to photograph for her job. She's a graphic artist for the FBI. She's captured by Cam, who she'd had a brief relationship with five years earlier, before he disappeared without a word. Now she has to depend on him to keep her physically safe, but protecting her heart may be impossible.

What I liked best about Cam and Sophia best was that they were human. Neither one was portrayed as being perfect in their actions and reactions. Cam had left Sophia without a word when he was recruited for the Omega Sector. He had never forgotten her and frequently wishes he'd done things differently. He's determined to bring down the leader of this gang, not just because it's his job, but this one is personal. He is also beginning to feel that he needs a break from undercover work, as he wonders if it is beginning to have a permanent effect on him. He's stunned to see Sophia and has to scramble to find a way to protect her. This is where we get to see that he hasn't lost himself entirely, as he tries to get Sophia to cooperate without terrifying her. 

Sophia had never forgotten Cam either. Finding him with a gang of criminals really confuses her at first, because the man she had known would never do such a thing. Once she knows the truth, Cam is the only one who can keep her safe. Though she works for the FBI, she's not an agent. She does do a pretty good job of keeping her head, and at the beginning walks back into danger to save Cam's life. She is working with a pretty serious handicap, in that she is very claustrophobic. There is one point where Cam uses that against her and a couple others where it creates an additional obstacle to her safety. However, we also see that she has the tools to fight it, and in the final confrontation is able to successfully subdue it in order to be an asset rather than a hindrance.

As neither Cam nor Sophia had forgotten each other, their reunion was both good and bad. It's bad, because one slip about their past and they could both end up dead. It's good, because it becomes obvious very quickly that there is still a strong connection between them. There are moments when Cam's care for Sophia is so sweet, like when he's helping her through her claustrophobia attacks. There are others when the attraction between them is so hot they can barely think about anything else. I especially loved the scene at the end when Cam made sure she understood how he felt.

The suspense of the book was fantastic from the beginning. Cam does a wonderful job of thinking fast and improvising when Sophia ends up on the scene. The thugs he's working with are definitely scary dudes and their deviousness becomes apparent as Sophia is trying to escape. That scene had me on the edge of my seat as I wondered how it was going to turn out. The addition of the "Ghost Shell" to the plot ramped up the urgency of what Cam had to do, and the danger of being discovered. Extra tension was there as Cam met with the head of the group and had to walk a fine line to keep up his appearances. From that point on it was one crisis after another that kept me riveted until the end.

Lethal Lies - Lara Lacombe (HRS #1830 - Dec 2014)

Trusting the man she loves could cost her her life

Putting her faith in someone who lies for a living isn't the safest thing Dr. Jillian Mahoney has ever done. But to stay alive, she has to believe the undercover agent -- who's kidnapped her to prove his innocence -- isn't a traitor to the FBI. And to help him, she must deny their intense attraction as they run from two vengeful killers.

 . 

Her captor, Alex Malcom, has lived a life of lies -- some worse than others. Still, there's one truth he's reluctant to disclose to Jillian, the woman of his dreams. One that could stop their relationship cold.

Good story with gripping suspense from the first chapter. Jillian is a doctor in a busy emergency room who has been on duty for three days. She's due three days off just as a bad snowstorm is about to hit the city. Thinking about what she needs to do as she walks to the subway station, she is startled when a man stops her to ask for help for his injured friend. Rather than bringing him into the hospital, the man kidnaps her to force her cooperation.

Alex is desperate to save the man with him, not because he's a friend but because he's the only person who can prove Alex's innocence. Alex has been working undercover with a gang for two years. There was supposed to be a sting that night, but instead the FBI and other agencies had been ambushed, and Alex is being blamed. He has to find out who in the FBI is the double agent and expose him, and Tony is his only link. Kidnapping Jillian is his only option.

Though she is terrified, Jillian keeps her head and is able to help Tony. She's not sure at first if she can trust Alex, even after he tells her who he is, but she's willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, especially when he saves her life. They have to work together to stay out of danger while at the same time trying to find out who was really behind the ambush. Added to that tension is the attraction they feel for each other, but must try to ignore to keep it from being a distraction.

I really liked Jillian and Alex. Jillian is a strong and independent woman, determined to do what she can to help people. She became an ER doctor because of her experiences trying to help her drug addicted brother when she was younger. I loved seeing the way her mind worked as she did what had to be done. She thinks well under pressure and that comes in handy during the course of the book. I liked that it didn't take her long to believe in Alex and his innocence. She is also very good at seeing the good in him, even when he is sure that he is beyond redemption because of the things he had to do. There is one point at the end where her trust is shaken, but a conversation with a very good friend shows her that she's not being fair to him.

I felt so bad for Alex. He had gone into the undercover op with idealistic fervor, but after two years he's become rather disillusioned. He no longer sees things in black and white, but he's still determined to do the job right. He's devastated by what happens with the raid, and stunned to find out that he's being blamed as a traitor. He's determined to find out who the real betrayer is and prove his own innocence. He's not happy about having to kidnap Jillian to gain her help, but does his best not to hurt her. I really loved seeing how careful he is. He's really attracted to her, but feels he's too damaged to be good for her. This is only reinforced when he discovers they have a connection that could destroy any chance they have. I liked the way he doesn't give up, even when things don't look too good. When he confesses that connection he's devastated by her reaction, but doesn't give up quite yet.

I really enjoyed the suspense. We find out early who the bad guy is and what his motivations are. The suspense comes in as Alex and Jillian have to stay safe as they endeavor to find the proof they need to get the guilty one behind bars. They have to stay ahead of both the FBI and its traitor and the gang that wants to kill them. I loved the descriptions of what they were doing and why, and the effect it should have if it goes right, and what will happen if they fail. The final confrontation is quite intense and had me completely sucked into the story. 

I loved the setting. Being relatively familiar with DC it was fun to enjoy the familiar sights. I especially liked the accuracy of the descriptions of DC's reaction to snow.