Under The Wire (Bad Boys Undercover #4) by HelenKay Dimon-Review, Book Tour & Giveaway

UNDER THE WIRE (Bad Boys Undercover #4) by HelenKay Dimon-Review, Book Tour & Giveaway

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UNDER THE WIRE
Bad Boys Undercover #4
by HelenKay Dimon
Release Date: June 28, 2016
Genre: adult, contemporary, romantic suspense

Under The Wire

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 28, 2016

The Bad Boys of the Alliance—a top-secret military security agency—are back for more in HelenKay Dimon’s sexy, action-packed series

Only one thing could pull Reid Armstrong away from a vacation he’s earned with every muscle in his finely honed body—learning that his former fiancée has disappeared on a top-secret science expedition in the middle of nowhere. Second chances don’t come often in Reid’s business, and he needs to prove his worth to Cara Layne or die trying.

Waking up to find her camp destroyed and her colleagues missing, Cara is a walking target. She can’t trust anyone, least of all Reid. Even if his skills get them out alive, he’s a heartache waiting to strike twice. Yet being in close proximity proves their connection burns hotter than ever.

The body count is rising, the enemy is getting closer, and soon Reid will be right back in the position that cost him everything—forced to choose between the woman he loves, and the job that’s his only hope of saving them both

••••••••••••

REVIEW: UNDER THE WIRE is the fourth full length installment in HelenKay Dimon’s contemporary, adult BAD BOYS UNDERCOVER romantic suspense series focusing on a Black Ops Team known as Alliance-the merging of former CIA and MI6 agents whose assignments are dangerous and deadly. This is Alliance member Reid Armstrong, and geologist Cara Layne’s story line. UNDER THE WIRE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

Told from several third person perspectives UNDER THE WIRE focuses on the search for Cara Layne, and her missing research team in the Ural mountain range of Russia. When Cara’s team goes missing, and our heroine does not check in, Cara’s brother Caleb knows just the man who will do anything to find his missing sister. Enter Reid Armstrong, Cara’s former lover and fiancé, who has been ‘drafted’ into searching for the woman that he loves. What ensues is a search and rescues that reveals Cara’s assignment in Russia involves more than a geological expedition.

The relationship between Cara and Reid is one of second chances. Eighteen months earlier Reid and Cara fell in love during another rescue mission but Cara walked away believing everything happened too fast. Reid has never stopped loving Cara and wants to ensure that there is a future with the woman that he loves. The $ex scenes are limited but intimate without the use of over the top graphic imagery and text.

Several members of the Alliance team play supporting and secondary roles including Alliance leader and former MI6 agent Tasha Gregory; Parker Scott- a former CIA agent and Alliance member teams up with Reid in his search for Cara Layne; and Caleb Layne-the Alliance’s IT computer hacker (but don’t call him that) 😉

The world building continues to focus on the dangerous missions no other group is will to undertake, or have the ability to slip undetected in and out of foreign lands.

UNDER THE WIRE is a well paced, well written story of suspense. There are some scenes of violence though not graphic or in your face gore-not everyone will make it home alive. The premise is entertaining and intriguing; the characters are charismatic, colorful and engaging; the romance is a second chance at love for two people caught up in a world of espionage and danger. HelenKay Dimon’s BAD BOYS UNDERCOVER series is intense, romantic and passionate.

Reading Order and previous reviews
Running Hot .5
Playing Dirty
Falling Hard
Facing Fire
Under The Wire

Copy supplied by the publisher through Edelweiss

Reviewed by Sandy

excerpt

“Don’t make me sorry I brought you.” Reid walked around, mentally cataloging every stone and every leaf as Parker captured the scene in photographs.

“I can outshoot you but I do wish I could outrun you.” Parker broke the usual protocol of securing the scene and glared at Reid. “Just spill it. Is this an actual assignment or not?”

“It’s personal and . . .” His words trailed off as his eyes focused on the figure breaking through the mass of trees and heading right for them.

Parker must have picked up on the unexpected guest because he spun around and joined in the staring. They both watched as she got closer, stumbling and off balance, before stopping about ten feet away.

“One more step and I’ll blow your balls off.” Cara stood there, voice and hands shaking as the barrel of the gun bobbed around.

Relief smacked into Reid so hard that the breath whooshed out of him. He fought the urge to double over and rest his palms against his knees. He opted for putting his gun away instead, surprised when his hand trembled. “Thank God.”

Parker scoffed. “That’s your response to what she just said?”

“She’s bleeding.” The words kept repeating in Reid’s head before he finally said them out loud. Then he really looked at her. Her dark hair hung half in and half out of a ponytail band. She wore hiking boots but her utility pants had a long gash down the thigh. Ripped clothes. A bloody shirt. No jacket. Shaking hard enough to make her body sway.

Parker took a step toward her then stopped when she aimed the gun directly at him. “She looks like shit.”

Reid’s gaze toured her body, looking for obvious injuries. A hefty case of shock seemed to be right on the verge of kicking her ass. Not good. He needed her calm. Had to get her warm.

With careful steps, slow and as nonthreatening as possible, he moved in closer. “Cara, it’s me.”

She nodded and kept nodding. “I know.”

“Wait, you two are friends or something?” Parker asked.

“The threat still stands, Reid. I don’t trust anyone, including you.” She tightened her grip. “Do not move.”

“I like her so far.” Without any obvious footsteps, Parker had moved. Shifted his body until he drew almost even with her side. “Except for the part where she looks ready to pass out. Guns and fainting don’t mix.”

Reid agreed but didn’t let his concern for her show. “She knows how to handle a weapon.”

She glared at Parker. “And I’ve never fainted in my life.”

Anger. Reid took that as a good sign.

“Do you have a mirror?” Parker asked, drawing her attention back to him. “You look like you’ve been ripped apart by mountain lions.”

She frowned, as if sizing him up. “Weapons down and stop shuffling around.”

“That is never going to happen, sunshine.”

Her eyebrow lifted as her body seemed to steady. “Sunshine?”

Parker shrugged. “I thought I’d try flattery.”

Just enough talk. Reid moved in. One lunge and he’d have her gun. He didn’t want to rattle her or push her any closer to the edge. Didn’t want to get shot either. “Cara, look at me. I need you to lower that weapon.”

“I can’t.” She shook her head as her words came out in a new wave of panic heavy breaths.

“We’re here to help.”

Her eyes turned a little glassy, as if she had trouble focusing. “Someone called in the Alliance?”

“She knows about the Alliance?” Parker asked, sounding stunned at the idea. “Clearly I’m the only one who doesn’t know what’s going on right now.”

Reid ignored his friend. Blocked out the cool air and the danger involved in standing out there, exposed. Kept all of his attention on Cara.

“I came for you.” And that was not a lie. He would cross oceans without blinking if it meant keeping her safe. Their rough past didn’t change that.

She frowned. “How did you know where to find me . . . or to come now?”

“You’re in danger.” Reid thought the gnarled tent should make that obvious, but she clearly was not in a stable mental place to be able to reason things out for herself. “Cara, you have five seconds or . . .”

“Or what?”

“She asks a good question, man. What kind of threat do you intend to make next?” Parker whistled as he made one last move. He stood next to her with a hand close to her arm.

Reid waited for Parker’s slight nod. When it came, Reid knew they were ready. Both in position. They could disarm her without incident then get her help . . . and seek a few much-needed answers. But he needed to draw her attention first. “What the hell happened here?”

“They’re dead.” The desperate words sounded as if they’d been ripped out of her.

He forced his instincts back. Did not rush in or give in to the tension pumping through him. “Who, Cara?”

“My whole team.”

That didn’t really clear anything up for him or stop the tension shooting through him. “How did—”

“Reid.” The hand with the gun dropped to her side and she rushed forward, closing the short distance between them. Her free hand came up and fingernails dug into the sleeve of his thin jacket as her gaze searched his. “We need to hide.”

“I think she’s tipped over.” Parker slipped the gun out of her hand and checked it before tucking it away behind his back.

A wave of relief crashed over Reid, followed by an even bigger one of dread. “Let’s calm down for a second.”

She held on to him. Both hands now. Her fingers tightening around his biceps as her eyes and voice begged for help. “We have to go.”

Reid agreed she needed to get out of there and relax. “Why?”

“They’ll be back.”

He glanced at Parker, who just shook his head and asked, “Who is ‘they’?”

“They’re coming—” Her words cut off as she dragged in deep breaths. “This time they’ll kill me, too.”

About The Author

HelenKay DimonGoodreads/Website/Twitter/Facebook

Helenkay Dimon spent the years before becoming a romance author as a . . . divorce attorney. Not the usual transition, she knows. Good news is she now writes full time and is much happier. She has sold over thirty novels, novellas and shorts to numerous publishers. Her nationally bestselling and award-winning books have been showcased in numerous venues and her books have twice been named “Red-Hot Reads” and excerpted in Cosmopolitan magazine. But if you ask her, she’ll tell you the best part of the job is never having to wear pantyhose again.

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