Killer Smile (Assassins in Love 3) by Tawna Fenske-a review

Killer Smile (Assassins in Love 3) by Tawna Fenske-a review

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 9, 2022.

He’s a covert operator. A killer built by the U.S. Army. He’s tasked with taking out his dream girl—and not on a date.

Targeting Nicole should be simple, since she hates his guts. Sebastian The Dentist—yes, a real freakin’ dentist, don’t make it scary—has wanted Nic since they first locked horns. He’s not sure why they’re enemies, but he knows there’s more to the sweet daycare owner than crayons and cardigans. But discovering her secrets lands them both in danger they’ll dodge only by working together.

Between awkward wedding dates and puppies with no personal space, Sebastian and Nic get closer. They’re also close to discovering if Nic’s dead associate may not be so dead.

If Sebastian can stop her from hating him long enough to eliminate the threat, they might just fall in love. But only Nic can stop him from hating himself.

••••••

REVIEW:KILLER SMILE is the third and final instalment in Tawna Fenske’s contemporary, adult ASSASSINS IN LOVE romantic, suspense series focusing on the Bello siblings. This is dentist and assassin for hire Dr. Sebastian LaDouceur, and day care worker Nicole Bello’s story line. KILLER SMILE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty but I recommend reading the series in order for back story and cohesion.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Sebastian and Nicole) KILLER SMILE follows Sebastian as he is contracted to take down an operative known as the Rogue but a certain familiarity about Sebastian’s target. The Rogue has a high number of kills amassing against the fellow operative but the kills are in response to history of kills and abuse. Meanwhile, Nicole Bello’s family still struggles in the wake of their parents’ murder, and the death of their beloved grandmother but the past has resurfaced targeting our story line heroine in its’ wake. When Sebastian refuses to walk away from the woman who has stolen his heart, our couple find themselves in the midst of a battle to finish what was started years before.

The relationship between Sebastian and Nicole has been building throughout the series. Sebastian’s ongoing flirtatious attitude and slow seductive on our story line heroine pushes all of Nicole Bello’s buttons but Nicole struggles with a past mired in darkness, and Sebastian may be the man to bring her into the light. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

The secondary and supporting characters include Dante Goodman and twenty-six year old, vintner Jennifer Bello (Killer Instincts 1),Jennifer and Matteo (Killer Moves 2),as well as Sebastian’s grandmother Terri.

KILLER SMILE is a fitting conclusion to the Assassins for Hire romance series. All three siblings have found love and their own happily ever after but secrets remain hidden, and not everyone is aware of the true nature of the beast. The premise is engaging and captivating; the romance is sweet and spicy; the characters are energetic .

Reading Order and Previous Reviews

Killer Looks
Killer Instincts
Killer Moves

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

FOLLOW: GOODREADS / Website / FacebookTwitterInstagramYouTubeAmazon Author Page

When Tawna Fenske finished her English lit degree at 22, she celebrated by filling a giant trash bag full of romance novels and dragging it everywhere until she’d read them all. Now she’s a RITA Award finalist, USA Today bestselling author who writes humorous fiction, risqué romance, and heartwarming love stories with a quirky twist. Publishers Weekly has praised Tawna’s offbeat romances with multiple starred reviews and noted, “There’s something wonderfully relaxing about being immersed in a story filled with over-the-top characters in undeniably relatable situations. Heartache and humor go hand in hand.”

Tawna lives in Bend, Oregon, with her husband, step-kids, and a menagerie of ill-behaved pets. She loves hiking, snowshoeing, standup paddleboarding, and inventing excuses to sip wine on her back porch. She can peel a banana with her toes and loses an average of twenty pairs of eyeglasses per year. To find out more about Tawna and her books, visit www.tawnafenske.com.

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Killer Moves (Assassins in Love 2) by Tawna Fenske-review

Killer Moves (Assassins in Love 2) by Tawna Fenske-review

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Google Play /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 12, 2022

He’s a hacker. A high-tech hitman. And now…a daddy?

When Matteo skips prison with a clean record, his conscience is anything but. Guilt hits him like a sack of marbles when he spots the woman he jilted. The clincher? A child who looks like him.

Renee’s son may have Matteo’s eyes, but she won’t say who fathered AJ. She’s also mum on what sent her into hiding or why guys with guns are after her. But when Matteo blocks an attack, he persuades Renee to appoint him their protector.

Keeping them safe means faking they’re a normal family road tripping with s’mores and snuggles and possibly a sniper rifle. Toss in a potty-training toddler and temptation from the woman he still craves, and it’s officially Matteo’s toughest mission.

But with danger nipping their heels, the only way to save his family may be to leave their lives for good.

•••••

REVIEW:KILLER MOVES is the second full length instalment in Tawna Fenske’s contemporary adult ASSASSINS IN LOVE romantic suspense series . This is Matteo Bello, and Renee Lorenson’s story line. KILLER MOVES can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

NOTE: For fans of Tawna Fenske, there is a slight cross over with the author’s PONDEROSA RESORT series. Like the previous instalments, I do NOT consider the series a rom-com…there is nothing funny or humorous in the premise. Some of the retailers have marked the story as a romantic comedy, I am guessing because of the author’s history of writing the rom-com genre.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Matteo and Renee) KILLER MOVES follows in the wake of the reappearance of Matteo Bello who walked out of Renee’s life years before only to be targeted by a dirty cop, and sent to prison for a crime he did not commit but with his return Matteo discovers that all is not well in Renee’s life, as the woman he once called his own, is now on the run, with a young boy who looks exactly like our story line hero. Desperate to protect the family he never knew he had, Matteo becomes guardian and protector as the threesome find themselves desperate to stay one step ahead of an unknown predator. What ensues is the rebuilding romance and relationship between Matteo and Renee, and the potential fall-out as the past demands information, information Renee knows nothing about.

Renee Lorenson grew up in the foster care system as her father spent most of his time in and out of jail. On her own, Renee never expected to become a single mother but AJ is a reminder of what she can never have. Seeing Matteo Bello brought back too many memories from the past, memories of abandonment and mistrust, love and loss. Matteo Bello never intended to walk out of Renee’s life but life as a ‘hitman’ means never falling in love, and never pulling someone else into a lifestyle that is dangerous and dark.

The relationship between Renee and Matteo is one of second chances but Renee struggles to trust a man who walked out and never came back, a man whose history she never really knew. As Matteo slowly seduces the woman with whom he had fallen in love, our couple find themselves on a cross country journey where the bad guy is constantly just around the corner. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top sexually graphic language and text.

The familiar secondary and supporting characters include Dante Goodman and twenty-six year old, vintner Jennifer Bello (Killer Instincts 1),Jennifer and Matteo’s sister Nicole, Renee’s son AJ, as well as Dr. Sebastian LaDouceur-Dante and Matteo’s comrade in arms. The requisite evil has many faces.

KILLER MOVES is a story of family and relationships, secrets and lies, greed and power. The premise is intriguing and entertaining; the romance is seductive and captivating; the characters are dynamic and energetic. My only complaint about the series, is the limited back story for the series characters.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews

Killer Looks
Killer Instincts

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

FOLLOW: GOODREADS / Website / FacebookTwitterInstagramYouTubeAmazon Author Page

When Tawna Fenske finished her English lit degree at 22, she celebrated by filling a giant trash bag full of romance novels and dragging it everywhere until she’d read them all. Now she’s a RITA Award finalist, USA Today bestselling author who writes humorous fiction, risqué romance, and heartwarming love stories with a quirky twist. Publishers Weekly has praised Tawna’s offbeat romances with multiple starred reviews and noted, “There’s something wonderfully relaxing about being immersed in a story filled with over-the-top characters in undeniably relatable situations. Heartache and humor go hand in hand.”

Tawna lives in Bend, Oregon, with her husband, step-kids, and a menagerie of ill-behaved pets. She loves hiking, snowshoeing, standup paddleboarding, and inventing excuses to sip wine on her back porch. She can peel a banana with her toes and loses an average of twenty pairs of eyeglasses per year. To find out more about Tawna and her books, visiwww.tawnafenske.com.

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Killer Instincts (Assassins in Love 1)by Tawna Fenske-Review Tour

Killer Looks / Killer Instincts (Assassins in Love .5 & 1) by Tawna Fenske-Review Tour

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Google Play /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 7 2022.

He’s a hired gun. A hardened killer. So how’d he end up bottle-feeding lambs for his best friend’s sister?

Dante didn’t set out to deceive. His favor for a pal in prison got him this farmhand job, and Jen needs help guarding more than her blueberries. Someone’s set on hurting her, and he’ll make damn sure they don’t. She can’t know who sent him or why he’s handier with a handgun than a hoe. But none of that matters more than keeping Jen safe.

To save the girl, he’ll have to pair old skills with new. A princess tea party and an old-fashioned gunfight? Why not. Grape stomping and grenades? Sign him up.

But as the enemy closes in, there’s one skill Dante finds he doesn’t have: The strength to walk away when the job is done.

••••••

REVIEW:KILLER INSTINCTS is the first instalment in Tawna Fenske’s contemporary, adult ASSASSINS IN LOVE erotic, romantic suspense series. This is assassin for hire Dante Goodman and twenty-six year old, vintner Jennifer Bello’s story line.

NOTE: For fans of Tawna Fenske, there is a slight cross over with the author’s PONDEROSA RESORT series.This is NOT a rom-com…there is nothing funny or humorous in the premise. Some of the retailers have titled this story as a rom-com.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Dante and Jen) KILLER INSTINCTS follows the building romance and relationship between assassin for hire Dante Goodman and twenty-six year old, vintner Jennifer Bello. Jennifer Bello needs to hire a handyman, a farmhand to help with the upkeep at the family owned winery but her ex-fiance is demanding his share of the profits and the business. Enter Dante Goodman, a mysterious stranger whom our heroine believes is her new employee but the man with whom Jennifer will fall in love. Unaware of Dante’s real reasons for working on the farm, Jennifer finds herself on the defensive when she is targeted by three potential enemies including a hotel chain hoping Jennifer sells. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Jennifer and Dante, and the potential fall-out as the threats against our heroine become personal, and the truth about Dante’s identity is revealed.

Dante Goodman is an assassin for hire but our hero also works security and safety. As a favor to Matteo Bello, currently in prison for a crime he did not commit, Dante agrees to ‘keep an eye’ on Matteo’s sister, knowing that to cross the invisible line could be the end of a possible friendship. Jennifer Bello is struggling to make ends meet, and the threats from her former fiance are only adding fuel to the fire. With the help of Dante Goodman, Jennifer puts a plan into place to help save the winery never realizing the real enemy is but a smile away.

The relationship between Dante and Jen is one of immediate attraction; a forced proximity/forbidden relationship in which Dante wants what he cannot have, and Jennifer struggles in the face of secrets and lies. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are introduced, via phone, to Jennifer’s brother and Dante’s friend Matteo, their sister Nicole, as well as Dr. Sebastian LaDouceur-Dante and Matteo’s comrade in arms; and Jennifer’s ex Johnny and his fiance Penelope.

KILLER INSTINCTS is a story of secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, money and power, acceptance and love. The premise is captivating and intriguing; the romance is seductive; the characters are energetic, charismatic and strong.

NOTE: There is a FREE prequel novella KILLER LOOKS (see below) : Amazon / Amazon CA / B&N / KOBO. / Google Play

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed By Sandy

_____

KILLER LOOKS
(Assassins in Love .5)
by Tawna Fenske

FREE-Amazon / Amazon CA / B&N / KOBO. / Google Play

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 14, 2022

They’re hitmen. Trained assassins. If they nail this job, there’s a payoff. Possibly cookies.

But first, the bad stuff. Dante’s done with hitman life, but there’s one last job to do. A favor to the Duke of Dovlano targeting brutal gun runners. Dante calls on comrades, Matteo—brilliant, brooding, lethal—and charming Sebastian “The Dentist” LaDouceur. Each has skills he’s honed to take out threats at all costs. They’ve also got soft spots for family, lost loves, baby farm animals, and iambic pentameter.

But when the job falls apart, their carefully laid plans go up in smoke. Can three killers with a conscience stick together, or is it every man for himself?

••••••••

REVIEW: KILLER LOOKS is the prequel novella in Tawna Fenske’s contemporary, adult ASSASSINS IN LOVE romantic suspense series. KILLER LOOKS introduces three black op assassins-Dante, Dr. Sebastian LaDouceur, and Matteo Bello.

NOTE: This is NOT a rom-com…there is nothing funny or humorous in the premise. Some of the retailers have titled this story as a rom-com.

Told from three first person perspectives (Dante, Sebastian and Matteo) KILLER LOOKS follows our trio in Seattle, as they work together to take down a a group of gun runners but a dirty cop, and a rogue agent threaten the success of their mission. A call from Sebastian’s father sends Dr. LaCouceur back home; a cop on the take sets up Matteo for a take down; and Dante is asked to protect Matteo’s sisters Jennifer and Nicole.

KILLER LOOKS is a fast paced, quick look that introduces the ‘heroes’ and villains in Tawna Fenske’s ASSASSINS IN LOVE series. The author reveals some of the background and history of each character, setting up a suspenseful story and their own happily ever after. The premise is intriguing and swift; the characters are energetic and strong. KILLER LOOKS ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

Own a copy

FOLLOW: GOODREADS / Website / Facebook/ Twitter/ Instagram/ YouTube/ Amazon Author Page

When Tawna Fenske finished her English lit degree at 22, she celebrated by filling a giant trash bag full of romance novels and dragging it everywhere until she’d read them all. Now she’s a RITA Award finalist, USA Today bestselling author who writes humorous fiction, risqué romance, and heartwarming love stories with a quirky twist. Publishers Weekly has praised Tawna’s offbeat romances with multiple starred reviews and noted, “There’s something wonderfully relaxing about being immersed in a story filled with over-the-top characters in undeniably relatable situations. Heartache and humor go hand in hand.”

Tawna lives in Bend, Oregon, with her husband, step-kids, and a menagerie of ill-behaved pets. She loves hiking, snowshoeing, standup paddleboarding, and inventing excuses to sip wine on her back porch. She can peel a banana with her toes and loses an average of twenty pairs of eyeglasses per year. To find out more about Tawna and her books, visit www.tawnafenske.com.

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