CHASING VENGEANCE (Redemption Harbor #7) by Katie Reus-Review Tour
Chasing Vengeance
(Redemption Harbor #7)
by Katie Reus
Genre: adult, contemporary, romantic, suspense
Release Date April 9, 2019
Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo /ibooks /
ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 9 , 2019
Wanting her means putting a target on her back…
Layla’s taste in men runs toward the epic side of awful. With one murderous ex-fiancé already behind her, she’s attempting to start over in Redemption Harbor with the help of her bestie, Nova. And wine. Lots of wine. The very thing that helps her make another epic mistake—trying to kiss Xavier, one of her newest friends. So what if he’s sexy, funny, and has completely taken over her fantasies? Relationships and Layla don’t mix. And Xavier is clearly not interested anyway.
But it’s too late to walk away…
Any good hitman has no business forging a personal life…no matter how great the temptation. And Xavier is an exceptionally good hitman, with a long list of enemies. Even if Layla could somehow look past his profession, he’d never put her in jeopardy. But everyone has their breaking point—and when Layla accepts a date with someone else, Xavier’s possessiveness is unleashed. The greater the risk, the sweeter the reward…until Xavier’s sweet Layla is used against him by someone from his past. Now he’ll do whatever it takes to protect her from the enemy hunting her from the shadows.
•••••••••
REVIEW: CHASING VENGEANCE is the seventh and final instalment in Katie Reus’ contemporary, adult REDEMPTION HARBOR erotic, romantic suspense series focusing on the men and women who work for Redemption Harbor Consulting. This is former Marine, former CIA contractor, and assassin for hire Xavier, and kindergarten teacher Layla Ferrer’s story line. CHASING VENGEANCE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from previous story line is revealed where necessary. Layla was first introduced to the reader in book five HUNTING DANGER.
Told from several third person perspectives including Layla and Xavier CHASING VENGEANCE follows the friends to lovers relationship between former Marine, former CIA contractor and assassin for hire Xavier, and kindergarten teacher Layla Ferrer. Xavier has lusted after our story line heroine since her rescue months before but Xavier knows his lifestyle will never be conducive to settling down or falling in love. When Xavier suspects he and Layla have been targeted by someone from his past, our hero becomes lover and protector for the woman with whom he will fall in love but a woman whose heart he will break in the process. What ensues is the back and forth, developing relationships between Layla and Xavier, and the fall-out as Xavier continues to push away the woman he loves.
Xavier believes he doesn’t deserve to be happy, and struggles with what he does, very well. Protecting Layla is his number one priority but uncovering the who, how and why is just as important. Leaving the details to the Redemption Harbor team, Xavier shuttles himself and Layla to a safe house for their protection.
The relationship between Layla and Xavier is fraught with the uncertainty of Xavier’s inability to allow himself to be loved. Layla is honest with what she wants, and she wants Xavier in her life but our story line hero is willing to sacrifice his happiness to protect Layla Ferrer. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and passionate without he use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.
There is a large ensemble cast of colorful and familiar secondary and supporting characters including most of the previous story line couples, as well as their expanding families. The requisite evil has many faces.
CHASING VENGEANCE is a bitter-sweet finale knowing this is the last we will see of the Redemption Harbor group, a series focusing on friendships, family, security, protection and love. The premise is engaging and seductive; the characters are colorful, energetic and oft-times fun; the romance is spicy and hot. Thank you Katie for taking me along for the ride.
Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Resurrection
Savage Rising
Dangerous Witness
Innocent Target
Hunting Danger
Covert Games
Copy supplied for review
Reviewed by Sandy
NOTE: The excerpt is intended for mature readers due to strong language and content
“So what if he did? Maybe I kissed him,” she snapped. “Maybe I put on a little strip show for him to the tune of ‘American Woman’! Maybe I let him touch—”
He cut off her words as he crushed his mouth to hers. Xavier didn’t want to know if she’d done anything with her date. He didn’t care. Okay, he fucking cared , but if she’d done anything with that guy, it didn’t matter. The only thing that mattered was completely possessing her right now and wiping the memory of any other man from her mind forever.
She moaned into his mouth, her fingers digging into his shoulders as she jumped up, wrapping her legs around him. The way she clung to him surprised the hell out of him. She should probably call him out for being a jackass and showing up at her place at midnight.
His erection was hard between his legs, pressing against his abdomen, pulsing with need. She had to feel his reaction to her—and this was all for her. His entire body thrummed with energy, with the desire to thrust deep inside her over and over.
They needed to get to a flat surface. He desperately needed to taste all of her. To hear her moans of pleasure as she came against his mouth.
Xavier felt possessed with the need to have Layla even as he told himself this was insane. But as his tongue teased against hers, all common sense scattered like grains of sand at the beach. There was nothing else in the world but him and Layla. Nothing but right now.
And he needed to see her naked. Needed to taste her everywhere. Earlier tonight, in that dress, she’d looked incredible. Mouthwatering. And he’d wanted nothing more than to strip it from her body, to kiss and tease every inch of her. Now he was going to get the chance to imprint himself on her forever.
“Clothes off,” he rasped out as he pulled back from her mouth, his breathing harsh.
She blinked at him, her expression as dazed as he felt. “What?” she whispered.
“I want to see you naked. Now.” His voice sounded guttural, uneven. His words weren’t even particularly dirty, but her cheeks heated up. Oh hell. He’d misread things. They needed to slow down now. “This is too fast—”
“No, I want this. I’m just…wrapping my head around this. Us.”
That was all he needed to hear. He grasped the hem of her shirt and tugged it over her head. He hadn’t come here for this. He’d come here to warn her away from that guy, but… Hell, maybe he had come here for exactly this. He couldn’t lie to himself. He needed her like he needed his next breath.
Katie Reus is the New York Times, USA Today, and IndieReader bestselling author of the Red Stone Security series, the Moon Shifter series and the Deadly Ops series. She fell in love with romance at a young age thanks to books she pilfered from her mom’s stash. Years later she loves reading romance almost as much as she loves writing it.
However, she didn’t always know she wanted to be a writer. After changing majors many times, she finally graduated summa cum laude with a degree in psychology. Not long after that she discovered a new love. Writing. She now spends her days writing dark paranormal romance and sexy romantic suspense. Her book Avenger’s Heat recently won the Georgia RWA Maggie Award for Excellence in the fantasy/paranormal category.
Connect with Katie:
Facebook | Blog| Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest | Website
Wonderful review, Sandy. Sounds like a very good series and when you enjoy it, there is always sadness when it ends.
Terrific review, Sandy. I will have to go back and read this series.
Thanks for another wonderful review. I too am sad to see this series end. I always enjoy Katie’s books.
Another great review, thanks Sandy. I always hate to see a great series end.
Wonderful review, great excerpt, thanks Sandy.
great review, sandy. sounds like an exciting story .
Great review, Sandy. Looks like a very good book.
Great review, Sandy. Sounds very good.
Aw, sad to see the series ending. Thanks for another wonderful review.
Very nice review, Sandy. Thanks for this update, I’ll have to catch up on this series.
Wonderful review and excerpt.