Tag Archives: Military

RECLAIMING REBECCA (Whiskey and Roses 1) by Cassie Colton-review

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RECLAIMING REBECCA (Whiskey and Roses 1) by Cassie Colton-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 20, 2026

Rebecca Rhodes disappeared without a trace—but just before she vanished, she made two desperate calls: one to Serenity Securities and one to the only man she trusts to come for her.

Julio never believed in fate until he met Rebecca. When she disappeared, he vowed to burn the world down before letting the love of his life vanish forever.

Held captive and fighting to survive, Rebecca endures the pain, the fear, and the darkness by focusing on those she’s vowed to protect. But survival changes a person. And even after the nightmare ends, the scars remain.

Now, Julio must prove she can trust him with her life and her heart.
Because reclaiming Rebecca isn’t just about bringing her home, it’s about giving her a reason to stay.

•••••••

REVIEW: RECLAIMING REBECCA is the first instalment in Cassie Colton’s contemporary, adult WHISKEY AND ROSES dark, military, romantic suspense series set in the author’s SPECIAL FORCES: OPERATION ALPHA-SERENITY SECURITIES: TEAM HAWKE series, a part of the multi-authored series featuring characters initially introduced by Susan Stoker. This is FBI Agent Julio Hernandez and CIA Agent Rebecca Rhodes’ story line.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there WILL BE triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from several third person perspectives, and several intersecting pathways, RECLAIMING REBECCA focuses on the search and rescue of CIA Agent Rebecca Rhodes. Rebecca Rhodes’ latest assignment imploded, and our heroine found herself the prize possession of an international human trafficking ring. Enduring emotional, physical and sexual abuse, Rebecca refused to give up, helping the other women and children whenever she could, never giving up hope that the man whom she loved would be her knight in shining armor. Fast forward one year, Julio Hernandez and the team at Serenity Securities go in undercover as potential buyers, wherein Julio will bring home the woman he loved but a woman who is struggling to move on from the past. Days, weeks and months will pass as Julio watches Rebecca fall deeper into the abyss, an abyss from which Rebecca may never recover.

The world building is graphic and dark as we are up close and personal with the murder and madness of a world few know anything about.Rebecca Rhodes is determined to protect the women and young girls she considers her responsibility, but the deeper Rebecca falls, she is unable to protect herself.

The relationship between Rebecca and Julio begins as one of the forbidden as government agents working for different factions of powerful law enforcement. Trying to keep their relationship a secret, Julio must reveal the truth when the woman he loves becomes a victim of an international human trafficking ring. The $ex scenes are limited.

There is a large ensemble cast of determined, desperate and charismatic secondary and supporting characters many of whom were introduced and had leading roles in the author’s SERENITY MOUNTAIN series.

RECLAIMING REBECCA is a story of betrayal and vengeance, madness and murder, desperation and survival, healing and love. The character driven premise is dark, gritty and dramatic; the romance struggles in the face of healing and recovery; the characters are dynamic yet broken but fighting to heal.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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Echo: Hold / Dark Signal by Delta James-reviews

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Echo: Hold / Dark Signal by Delta James-reviews

ECHO: HOLD
(Men of Echo Ridge 4)
by Delta James
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, military, romance

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 9, 2026

Some missions protect the world. This one protects my family.
I walked away from Rachel Donovan eight years ago, thinking distance would keep her safe.
I was wrong.
Her son just witnessed a Committee execution, and now they’re hunting them both. Protecting them is the mission… but the moment Rachel opens the door, I know it’s more than that.
I’ll hold the line.
I’ll hold Lucas safe.
And this time, I’m not letting her go.

•••

REVIEW:ECHO: HOLD is the fourth instalment in Delta James’s contemporary, adult MEN OF ECHO RIDGE romantic, military suspense series focusing on a group of former Delta Force soldiers. This is Colton Stryker, and single mother Rachel Donovan’s story line. ECHO: HOLD can be read as a stand alone but for back story and cohesion, I recommend reading the series in order, or have some working knowledge of the story, as there is an ongoing premise throughout.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

SOME BACKGROUND: Having been betrayed while on assignment in Afghanistan, the group of former US Delta Force soldiers, set up a military compound known as Echo Base, Montana where they find themselves searching for the truth all the while, protecting those who need it the most.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Stryker and Rachel) ECHO: HOLD follows in the wake of the threats against Rachel Donovan’s six year old son Lucas, a young boy who witnessed an execution style murder behind a local grocery store. Unaware of the danger, Rachel finds herself facing the man who once broke her heart, the man she struggles to forgive and forget. Colton Stryker has been assigned to protect the woman he has never stopped loving but the ongoing threats by a group known as The Committee, force Stryker to take control, securing Rachel and Lucas at the Echo Base Compound, a compound that is about to become the target of some powerful men.

The world building focuses on the protection and guarding of Rachel and Lucas but approximately eight years earlier Colton Stryker walked out of Rachel Donovan’s life, leaving her to face the wrath of the Mexican Cartel. Fast forward to present day, Colton promises Rachel forever but the threats against Lucas refuse to stop.

The relationship between Rachel and Stryker is one of second chances: a rekindling romance destroyed by one man’s inability to accept his worth but a man who never stopped loving our story line heroine. 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 the return of the engaging and determined Men of Echo Ridge: Kan and Willa, Mercer and Delaney, Dylan and Reagan, as well as IT wiz Tommy, communications Sarah, and Afghanistan orphan Khalid. We are introduced to CIA operative Micah Hawthorne.

ECHO: HOLD is a story of power and control, murder and obsession, family and friendships, forgiveness and love. The character driven premise is dramatic and dark; the romance is fated and seductive ; the characters are desperate, charismatic and dynamic.

Copy supplied for review

_________

DARK SIGNAL
(Shadow Strike 1)
by Delta James
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, military, romance

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 16, 2026

I was never supposed to survive the explosion.
One minute I’m alone on the water, collecting data. The next, I’m drowning, saved by a quiet, lethal Navy SEAL who looks at me like he’s been watching me long before the attempt on my life.
Lieutenant Commander Holden Lange is assigned to protect me while base personnel investigate the sabotage. He’s controlled, dangerous, and far too good at reading me. I don’t trust men who make me feel safe. I trusted one once and barely escaped with my life.
But the attacks keep coming. My research is stolen. Someone inside the base wants the data I uncovered, and they’re willing to kill for it.
Trapped in close quarters with a man trained to hunt threats, attraction becomes impossible to ignore. Holden doesn’t push. He waits. Watches. Protects. And every time he touches me, I forget all the reasons I should run.
Because the ocean isn’t the only thing hiding deadly currents.
I came to Tidewater to rebuild my life.
I never meant to fall for the man who dragged me out of the deep.
But love is like the ocean…
Beautiful.
Dangerous.
And impossible to control.

•••••

REVIEW: DARK SIGNAL is the first instalment in Delta James’ contemporary, adult SHADOW STRIKE dark, erotic, military, romance series. This is US Navy SEAL Lieutenant Commander Holden Lange, and marine biologist Dr. Fallon McKay’s story line.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Fallon and Holden) DARK SIGNAL follows in the wake of a number of attempts on the life of our story line heroine. Dr. Fallon McKay’s is researching the tide and erosion along the shores of the Virginia Coast but never expected to find herself facing off against an unknown prey. Hiding from a personal threat back home, Fallon discovers that not only has she been threatened but her research as well. Working alongside with the Joint Expeditionary Base Tidewater and the Navy SEALs, Fallon gains herself an unwanted security detailed, the man with whom Fallon will fall in love. US navy SEAL Lieutenant Commander Holden Lange has been quietly ‘stalking’ the woman that calls to his heart but when threats against her life become dangerous and dark, Holden becomes guardian and protector of our story line heroine.

The world building follows the search for the person targeting our story line heroine but all is not as it appears to be. Not only has someone taken aim at Dr. Fallon McKay but her research as well.

The relationship between Fallon and Holden begins as protection when our heroine is target by an unknown assailant. Volunteering as bodyguard, Holden finds himself falling for the woman under his charge. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are introduced to Holden’s US Navy SEAL team seven: explosives expert Griff Holland, Captain Thatcher Caine, Kowalski, Pike, Esposito and Reynolds, as well as Commander Cynthia Hartwell, Dr. Abernathy, Commander Bradford, and Fallon’s ex Detective Bruce Tanner, and Consultant Daniel Rexford.

DARK SIGNAL is a story of power and control, espionage and secrets, betrayal and vengeance, relationships, friendships, loss and love. The character driven premise is detailed and dramatic but much of the conflict resolution was behind the scenes; the romance is seductive and charismatic; the characters are animated and spirited.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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Death Stream (Freelancer Action 2) by Chase Austin-review

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Death Stream (Freelancer Action Thriller 2) by Chase Austin-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 8, 2026

They pay to watch people die. Millions of dollars per stream. And the ratings are getting higher.Elite operative Axel Monk has seen humanity at its worst, but nothing prepares him for his latest mission: infiltrating an underground network that streams real-time murder to paying audiences. At the heart of this dark web empire sits the Producer, a former Hollywood executive who turns death into high art, and his star performer known only as the Ghost – a killer who has elevated murder into theater.

When a grieving tech billionaire’s daughter falls victim to this twisted streaming service, he hires the mysterious organization known as the Conglomerate to dismantle the network. Monk finds himself in a race against time. With each stream drawing bigger audiences and higher stakes, he must navigate a world where the wealthy bid on human suffering and death is just another form of entertainment.

But as Monk delves deeper into this twisted playground of the elite, he discovers that everyone has something to hide – and some secrets are worth killing to protect. In a world where murder goes viral, the only way to destroy the system might be to become part of it.

••••••••

REVIEW: DEATH STREAM is the second instalment in Chase Austin’s contemporary, adult FREELANCER dark, military suspense series focusing on freelance operative Axel Monk.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there WILL BE triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from several omniscient third person perspectives (Axel) DEATH STREAM follows Axel Monk as he is contracted by a group known as The Conglomerate to stop and dismantle an underground network that makes millions streaming real-time murders, hundreds of murders, destroying people and villages in the name of entertainment and money. Depraved and sick minded people pay money to watch,never knowing the the truth or the reality of the dead left behind.

The world building is dark and dramatic, following freelance assassin Axel Monk as he becomes the predator, going on the offensive to stop a massacre but Axel would become the prey, targeted for his part in the take down of the man inside.

DEATH STREAM is a graphic, dramatic and dark story of madness and greed. The premise is raw and gritty as the reader is up close and personal with the death and destruction of innocent lives. DEATH STREAM ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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Echo Burn/ Echo Line / Echo Dark by Delta James-reviews

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Echo: Burn / Echo: Line/ Echo: Dark (Men of Echo Ridge 1-3) by Delta James-review

ECHO: BURN
(Men of Echo Ridge 1 )
by Delta James
Genre: adult, contemporary. military, romance, suspense

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 17, 2025

I didn’t survive Delta Force by being soft. Fire burned me, missions hardened me, and now I live alone in a mountain cabin where no one crosses my perimeter. My world is fire, steel, and silence.
Until she crashes into it.
Willa Hart is a fugitive with haunted eyes and a past that could expose everything Echo Company has fought to protect. I should’ve sent her away the moment I leveled my shotgun at her. Instead, I made a choice I swore I’d never make again. I let her stay. In my cabin. In my bed. Under my protection.
Snow closes in. Her stalker circles tighter. And every day, the line I drew around my heart gets burned away. She sees the man behind the scars, the soldier I thought was long gone.
Now she’s mine.
And anyone who tries to take her will burn.

•••••

REVIEW: ECHO: BURN is the first instalment in Delta James’ contemporary, adult MEN OF ECHO RIDGE erotic, military romance series. This is former Delta Force commander Kane, and trauma nurse turned veterinarian Dr. Willa Hart’s story line.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Kane and Willa) ECHO: BURN focuses on survival. Dr. Willa Hart has unknowingly triggered a group known as The Committee, when she rescued an injured dog named Odin, a dog trained to sniff out dangerous chemicals. The Committee wants both Willa and Odin dead but there is military team hidden deep within the mountains of Montana, a team who are determined to uncover the truth. Betrayed by one of their own, the team fled the Middle East, setting up their own military compound known as Echo Base, Montana. Determined to protect Dr. Willa Hart, Kane mounts a rescue but a rescue that places a target on his people and team.

The world building is detailed as the men of Echo Ridge are forced to mount both a defensive and offensive tactic in an effort to protect our story line heroine but Willa Hart has been trained in the art of military defense, and in this, Willa will become a valuable asset to Kane and his team.

The relationship between Kane and Willa begins as a rescue but quickly turns into something more. Kane is determined to protect the woman with whom he will fall in love but Willa is a force unto herself, and is just as capable protecting our story line hero. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are introduced to Kane’s expert and specialized team at Echo Base, Montana: Alex Mercer, Khalid, Sarah, Tommy, Rourke, and Stryker, and chemical sniffing dog,Belgian Malinois Odin; mercenary Dominic Cray, and Karine Miles. Alex Mercer’s story line is next.

ECHO: BURN is an action packed story of power and control, betrayal and vengeance, secrets and lies, military operations and espionage, friendships and love. The character driven premise is detailed and intriguing; the romance is seductive; the characters are determined and charismatic. ECHO: BURN ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

______

ECHO: LINE
(Men of Echo Ridge 2)
by Delta James
Genre: adult, contemporary. military, romance, suspense

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 14, 2025

I was trained to profile killers.
Not fall for one.
When the Bureau assigned me to hunt Alex Mercer, a decorated soldier turned domestic terrorist—I expected a fanatic. Instead, I found a man bleeding out in a Wyoming safehouse… and saving my life when the hit team came for us both.
Now I’m on the run with the enemy.
Every file I trusted is a lie. Every badge I believed in has been weaponized. And the man I was ordered to arrest is the only one keeping me alive.
He’s dangerous. Controlled. Infuriatingly calm even with a gun in his hand and blood on his shirt.
But when his walls crack open, I see the scars no one else has touched, and the kind of loyalty that could burn the world down.
The Committee wants us silenced. The FBI wants me back in line.
But I’ve already crossed it… and the only person I trust on the other side is the man I was sent to destroy.

••••••

REVIEW: ECHO: LINE is the second instalment in Delta James’ contemporary, adult MEN OF ECHO RIDGE erotic, military suspense series. This is FBI profiler Delaney Ward, and former Delta Force soldier Alex Mercer’s story line. ECHO: LINE can be read as a stand alone but I recommend reading the series in order for back story and cohesion as there is an ongoing premise throughout. If you have not read book one, there may be spoilers in my review.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Alex and Delaney) ECHO:LINE picks up after the events of book one ECHO: BURN in which Alex Mercer had been captured following their last assignment. Alex Mercer was about to face FBI Profiler Delaney Ward but from the outset Delaney suspects not all was as it appeared to be, and within minutes of her arrival, Alex and Delaney are on the run, as the group known as The Committee takes aim at our story line couple.

The world building follows Alex and Delaney as they struggle to make contact with Alex’s team at Echo Base. Someone has set up our story lien couple, and Delaney is about to lose everything of which she has fought hard to achieve.

The relationship between Delaney and Alex begins as a rescue but a rescue predicated upon secrets and lies. Delaney is about to place her trust in a man she believes is guilty, while Alex struggle to survive the torture inflicted for days before. The $ex scenes are intimate and impassioned without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

Once, again, we are reintroduced to the determined men of Echo Ridge: Kane and Willa (Echo: Burn), Khalid, Sarah, Tommy, Dylan Rourke, and Stryker. The requisite evil has many faces. Dylan Rourke’s story line is next

ECHO: LINE is a story of betrayal and vengeance, power and control, espionage and corruption, friendships and love. The character driven premise is dramatic and edgy; the romance is passionate; the characters are desperate and dynamic.

_________

ECHO: DARK
(Men of Echo Ridge 3)
by Delta James
Genre: adult, contemporary. military, romance, suspense

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date December 12, 2025

The monster they sent to silence me… might be the only man who can save me.

I thought I was chasing the biggest story of my career; proof of a covert black-ops program called the Committee. Instead, I walked straight into their trap. One encrypted file, one analysis that got too close, and suddenly the Committee thinks I know where their enemies are hiding.
Echo Ridge.

Now every shadow operative I’ve been investigating is hunting me, because they believe I have coordinates to a compound that isn’t supposed to exist.

Including the man who finds me first… Dylan Rourke.

He was the Committee’s interrogator, the weapon they whispered about, the monster they built out of grief and violence. He should still be one of them. Instead, he was burned, chose to save one innocent life over following orders, and now he’s the only thing standing between me and the people who trained him.

Working with Dylan is the last thing I want. Trusting him is the last thing I should do.
But he’s also the only person who can keep me alive long enough to finish what I started.

And the more I learn about him, the harder it becomes to see him as the monster everyone fears. Because beneath the darkness and the scars is a protector who would burn the world to defend what’s his.

The Committee is coming. Echo Ridge is preparing for war.
And the only way to survive is to trust the man I should run from…

••••••

REVIEW: ECHO: DARK is the third instalment in Delta James’ contemporary adult MEN OF ECHO RIDGE erotic, military, romantic suspense series. This is former Delta Force soldier Dylan Rourke, and journalist Reagan Mitchell’s story line. ECHO: DARK can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty but I recommend reading the series in order for back story and cohesion as there is an ongoing premise throughout.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Dylan and Reagan) with a final chapter by Kane, ECHO: DARK focuses on six months of information gathering that has placed journalist Reagan Mitchell in the direct line of fire. Reagan is determined to uncover the whereabouts of a Black Ops groups located near Echo Ridge Montana but Reagan’s investigation has uncovered a secret organization known as The Committee, and in doing so, has threatened not only her life but everyone involved with Echo Ridge. Assigned to bring in Reagan Mitchell, Dylan Rourke finds himself falling for a woman who could unwittingly destroy their lives. As Reagan continues to gather information, now with the help of the team at Echo Ridge, The Committee begins to amass, targeting everyone involved.

The world building focuses on the gathering of information as The Committee prepares for war. The team is once again, in the direct line of fire, but in an effort to deflect, Reagan and the team release a barrage of information in the hope of destroying the people trying to destroy their lives.

The relationship between Reagan and Dylan begins when Dylan is assigned to stop Reagan’s investigation, an in investigation that is about to reveal the team’s membership, location and military history. Reagan is determined to finish the story she began but will slowly discover not everything is as it appears to be. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

Once again, all of the original team members return : Kane and Willa, Alex and Delaney, Stryker, Sarah, Tommy, and Khalid. Stryker’s story line is next.

ECHO: DARK is a story of power and control, betrayal and vengeance, military and hostility, friendships and acceptance. The premise is detailed, complex and captivating; the romance is seductive and energetic; the characters are desperate, determined and dynamic.

Copies supplied for review

Reviews by Sandy

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Monk Last Rite (Axel Monk 4) by Chase Austin-review

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Monk Last Rite (Axel Monk 4) by Chase Austin-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date December 25, 2025

Axel’s this mission isn’t sanctioned — it’s personal.
Axel Monk wanted to disappear. To vanish into the deserts of Afghanistan and leave behind the ghosts, the bodies, and The Conglomerate that made him a monster.

But the past does not forgive.
And when they take Sanam Bajwa, the person he ever swore to protect, the world’s deadliest assassin is angry.

Now Monk is deep inside the badlands of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a lawless frontier ruled by warlords, smugglers, and traitors. Every side wants him: the Pakistan Army, the tribal militias, and the very assassins he once trained beside. But Monk does not care.

Because this time, it is not about duty.
It is about redemption.

As the Conglomerate hunts its rogue asset, Monk cuts his way through the underworld one bullet, one betrayal, one blood-soaked promise at a time. From the ruins of Peshawar to the mountain fortresses of the border, the message spreads like wildfire:

Axel Monk is coming.

And this time, he is not taking prisoners.

••••••

REVIEW:MONK LAST RITE is the fourth instalment in Chase Austin’s contemporary, adult AXEL MONK THRILLER suspense series focusing on assassin / police officer/ freelancer/ ghost Axel Monk aka Ali Ansari. MONK LAST RITE can be read as a stand alone but I recommend reading the series in order for backstory and cohesion, as there is an ongoing premise throughout.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from several omniscient third person perspectives including Axel Monk, MONK LAST RITE follows several pathways including the search for a missing woman. Axel Monk is struggling in the wake of a botched assignment in Pakistan, and our hero has gone rogue. A group known as the Conglomerate is offering twenty million dollars to take down Axel Monk but Axel finds himself the lone witness to an abduction, a human trafficking ring, and he is determined to save the women unable to save themselves.

Meanwhile, two other assassins have accepted the contract in an effort to earn the twenty million dollars but as the assassins begin their journey towards becoming millionaires, they find themselves always one step behind, or following a dead end.

MONK LAST RITE is a detailed and dark story of power and control, religious rites and beliefs in the wake of questionable family dynamics, torture and abuse, acceptance and aggression. Axel Monk’s role is only a part of the current story line as the numerous pathways take the reader on several different journeys. The premise is complex and dramatic-the search for Monk ,the bounty and The Conglomerate is akin to the John Wick™ and the High Table. The characters are desperate and determined. MONK LAST RITE ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

I would like to note that the title appears to flounder grammatically -perhaps MONK’S LAST RITE would have been more appropriate. Even my ‘spell check’ and ‘grammar check’ highlighted a problem.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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Extraction (Stonewall Trilogy1) by JL Drake -review tour

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Extraction (Stonewall Trilogy1) by JL Drake -review tour

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 26, 2025

Agent Paul is a soldier of many faces—
a ghost, an undercover operative, a team leader.

But those are just titles.

When a letter lands in his hands, everything changes. The past he buried resurfaces with a single revelation—his son.

Returning to the cartel world he barely escaped is a mission he can’t face alone. His brothers rally behind him, shifting their current operation to follow a trail that leads into the darkest corners of Mexico. What they encounter is far more than intel.

A pawn.
An heir.
A child.

Nicole Winter is a war correspondent with a reputation for chasing the truth. Smart. Relentless. And already three steps ahead. When their paths collide, she’s holding the one document Paul needs—and carrying secrets of her own.

As trust is tested and loyalties blur, the mission spirals. When Paul vanishes mid-operation, Nicole is left with one impossible task—to get the boy out alive.

Even if it costs her everything.

•••••••••

REVIEW: EXTRACTION by JL Drake is the first instalment in JL Drake’s contemporary, adult STONEWALL dark, suspense series set in the author’s WORLD OF MAYHEM. This is Stonewall Agent Paul and war correspondent Nicole Winter’s story line.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers from more sensitive readers.

Told from three first person perspectives (Paul, Nicole and Bruno) EXTRACTION follows in the wake of a notification for Agent Paul. A couple of years earlier, while undercover in Mexico with the Mexican Cartel, Paul fathered a child he knew nothing about. A letter arrived from the woman he left behind, letting Paul know she gave birth to his son but Paul will not be the only person searching for the child-the Cartel is determined to claim the child as their own, and no one will stand in their way. War correspondent Nicole Winter has found herself at the mercy of the Cartel, having befriended numerous members and controlling parties but Nicole has been ordered to find the missing child, and return the child to the Cartel. Along the way, Nicole encounters Agent Paul, and with the help of the Blackstone organization,find themselves on the hunt but at every opportunity, someone else is ready to take them down.

The world building is detailed and complex as the Blackstone soldiers must rescue a child they have never seen but a child that belongs to one of their own. Nicole Winter never expected to come face to face with the group of former soldiers who will lay down their lives to protect the innocent but Paul’s past is about to come full circle, and Nicole has no idea as to the depths of his secrets.

The relationship between Paul and Nicole is slow to build as most of the time is spent on the run, trying to stay one-step ahead of the Mexican Cartel. Paul and his team are working from one side, while Nicole is forced to operate within the parameters of the Mexican Cartel.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful and energetic secondary and supporting characters including several characters from the Broken, Blackstone and Blackwater series. We are introduced to war correspondent Nicole Winter, her cameraman Benjamin Bale, and several members of the Mexican Cartels.The requisite evil has many faces.

EXTRACTION is a story of betrayal and vengeance, obsession and madness, power and control, secrets and lies, deseperation and determination. The premise is dark, dramatic and edgy; the characters are strong-willed and stubborn. EXTRACTION ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

J.L. Drake is a bestselling author with multiple series published in several different countries. The Broken Trilogy is her best seller, and her next series, Quiet Mafia, has the same kind of homey feel sprinkled with some yummy darkness.

She was born and raised in Nova Scotia, Canada, later moving to southern California. Though she loves the weather in Cali, she would sell her left kidney for a good rainstorm. Jodi’s love of the seasons back home in Canada definitely put in an appearance in her books.

When she’s not writing, you can often find her sitting somewhere along the coast of Huntington Beach, reading, or at home curled up on a couch with her two children and husband, binge watching Marvel movies.

SOCIAL MEDIA: Website / Goodreads / Facebook /  Instagram/

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Hidden Comrade by Jillian David – a Review

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Hidden Comrade by Jillian David – a Review

 

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Description:
Pele Tuitama’s Morpheus Squad mission infiltrating a Smoky Mountain children’s camp is FUBAR. He might be a virally-enhanced military experiment, but augmented abilities won’t help him protect Reagan McNeill, the most unsecure-able target imaginable. Sweet Reagan’s kisses and the possibility of a future he should never consider, distracts his laser focus. If Pele can’t keep Reagan safe from an evil adversary bent on revenge against the entire McNeill family, then Reagan will die.

After a nasty breakup, Reagan doesn’t trust any man—or herself. Enter handsome Pele, the world’s worst camp counselor. She doesn’t believe his story or his motives. When overly-protective Pele draws her close and then rejects her, Reagan is finished with games. Then the truth she learns rips open recently-healed emotional wounds.

In order to escape through the mountains, Pele must share his deadliest secret. To have a chance at their future, they must reveal their demons and pray for acceptance … and survival.

 

Review:

Hidden Comrade by Jillian David is the 2nd book in her Project Morpheus series, and I would suggest that before reading this one, you read book one. Reading the first one although not absolutely necessary, will give you a better understanding of this book. I’d read the first book (which is great by the way), I did wonder where the next book would take us….and let me tell you it’s bumpy ride! .  

Reagan is Kiera’s older sister. (She’s the main female character from the first book) And as a whole the family have suffered terribly (what with the loss of their mother and the death of their brother, which was explained in book one.) 

Reagan has also had to deal with her abusive ex-fiance. She’d been with him for two years, she’s struggled to find herself, but slowly she’s getting there. But still has moments of self doubt. 

Pele’s job/assignment is to protect Reagan. It’s not going to easy as she works outdoors in the mountains at an educational camp for children. In the short space of time, he’s set up cameras to keep an eye on her. But plans won’t go correctly if the subject is Reagan!

Reagan doesn’t trust the new camp councilor, he just doesn’t fit in! But he is easy on the eye. ?nether the less, she’s not interested in a new relationship, she just wants to concentrate on helping the kids. The back and forwards between Pele and Reagan will have you laughing one minute then wanting to shake either character in the next. 

Although a slow burn romance, it doesn’t lack for action/betrayal and mystery. Pele does try my patience, it’s a push and pull with him, he wants her, but he doesn’t think he deserves her. And when they finally decide to try at a relationship, a secret comes along and blows Reagan’s shaky confidence. Can they really move forward and leave the past behind? 

I’d have to say I liked the first book more than this one. But I can’t wait to read the next book. 

Reviewed by Julie

Copy supplied for review

 

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BULLETPROOF (Waterproof : Navy SEALS 9) by Jo Chambliss- a review

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BULLETPROOF (Waterproof : Navy SEALS 9) by Jo Chambliss-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 11, 2022.

Spending a lifetime in the SEALs can teach a man a lot about himself. Getting shot several times trying to protect a pregnant woman can change a lot of the things you think you know… if you survive.

Commander Timothy “Stone” O’Reilly did survive and now knows that he wants more from this life than a successful career and his ten-year marriage to the intelligent and beautiful Dr. Cassidy O’Reilly. He wants the family he’d never desired before. Finding out that nearly losing him has made Cass feel the same way, the two decide it’s time to make a baby.

With Tim recovered enough to return to his men, life is as good as it can be and about to get better with the thought of becoming a father. That is until a close friend and former SEAL teammate ends up dead under suspicious conditions.

No one knows why Bishop was targeted until the killer decides to play a game with the two remaining members of the long-time trio, Commander O’Reilly and CEO Dillan “Warden” Knot.

Invoking the name of a SEAL that died seventeen years ago, Bishop’s killer uses his vast reach to cast all of Tim’s world into chaos before making his final move.

Tim soon finds out that he’s the target on a chess board full of power players determined to destroy him. And if the enemy can’t get to Stone O’Reilly, they’ll gladly start picking off everyone else in the commander’s life. Beginning with Cass.

No one is safe, not Dillan Knot and not the commander’s hand-picked squad of seals, the Wendigos.

•••••

REVIEW: BULLETPROOF is the ninth and final instalment in Jo Chambliss’ contemporary, adult WATERPROOF: Navy SEALS erotic, romantic, military suspense series focusing on the US Navy SEAL Team two aka Wendigos. This is Commander Tim ‘Stone’ O’Reilly and his wife Dr. Cassidy O’Reilly’s story line. BULLETPROOF can be read as a stand alone but I recommend reading the series in order for back story and cohesion as a number of the events in the current timeline are as of a direct result of events in several of the previous instalments. BULLETPROOF picks up several weeks after the events of book eight FOOLPROOF.

WARNING: Due to the nature of the story line premise including graphic violence, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Cass and Tim) BULLETPROOF follows in the aftermath of a shooting that left our hero, Commander Tim O’Reilly struggling to survive. Weeks in recovery find Tim returning to base only to be told one of their own, James ‘Bishop’ Stoddard, had died, and a suspicious note reveals it was murder. As Tim and the NCIS begin an investigation, there is an attempted abduction of Tim’s wife Dr. Cassidy O’Reilly, an abduction linked to Bishop’s murder, an abduction that will not be the only try. With Cassidy serving with Doctors Without Borders, Tim quickly realizes his wife is no longer safe when Cassidy becomes the victim of yet another abduction. As Tim and his fellow SEALs do a search and rescue for the woman he loves, the investigation begins to reveal a seventeen year old betrayal and vendetta, one in which the entire team has been targeted in an effort to take down the man in charge. What ensues is the search for Cassidy O’Reilly, the rescue of several members of Commander Tim O’Reilly’s SEAL Team two, and the take down of the people responsible for destroying so many lives.

The relationship between Tim and Cassidy has already been established but the author reveals some of the background about how they met. Years have past, both have become successful in their fields, and our couple must decide about their future going forward. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful, and energetic secondary and supporting characters including most of the members of Team Two: Skin, Judge, Dallas, Ink, Hawk, Wrench, Bandaid, Fish, Devil, as well as the return and introduction of a group of private military contractors including Sadie Phelps and Aaron Hosfeld.

BULLETPROOF is a story of betrayal and vengeance, power and control, obsession and misdirection, death and destruction, family and love. The fast paced premise is intriguing, detailed and raw; the romance is seductive; the characters are powerful, dangerous and strong.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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