Tag Archives: romantic suspsense

Secret Vendetta/Silent Vendetta (Vendetta duet)by Kathy Lockheart

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Secret Vendetta/Silent Vendetta (Vendetta duet) by Kathy Lockheart-review tour

Secret Vendetta
Vendetta Duet 1
by Kathy Lockheart
Release Date: December 22, 2023

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LUNA
Baptized in blood, I’m marked for death.
Each time it comes, he appears. My masked protector.
Saving me for reasons only known to him.
But the Vigilante is playing a deadly game.
One I must stop before he claims another soul.
My new love, Hunter, vows to keep me safe.
But will we survive the Vigilante’s secret vendetta?

VIGILANTE
I’m the most dangerous man in the city.
Hiding in the shadows, stalking my next victim.
I watch them take their last breaths before bathing the city in their blood.
Now, I watch her.
I end the lives of the men who come for her.
But I fear my pervasive darkness…
…is about to make her its ultimate prey.

••••••

REVIEW:SECRET VENDETTA is the first instalment in Kathy Lockheart’s contemporary, adult VENDETTA dark,erotic, romance series focusing on ADA and prosecutor Hunter Lockwood, and defense attorney Luna Payne.

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

Told from three first person perspectives (Hunter, Luna, Vigilante) SECRET VENDETTA follows in the aftermath of a trial in which Luna’s client is murdered, and our heroine quickly discovers she will be targeted for something she knows nothing about. Years earlier, Luna’s father was charged and sentenced for a crime he did not commit, and Luna promised she would do everything to prove her father’s innocence but Luna never expected to fall for ADA Hunter Lockwood, who proclaims himself Luna’s guardian and protector. As the threats against Luna become deadly and dark, Hunter goes on the offensive searching for the people threatening the woman he loves. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Luna and Hunter, and the potential fall-out as the Vigilante declares open season on anyone he deems on the wrong side of the law.

The world building focuses on love and retribution. Luna lost her father to a wrongful conviction, and Hunter lost his father to a murder’s gun. As adults, both Hunter and Luna are struggling to down the killers but from opposite sides of the law. As the threats against Luna increase, Hunter provides Luna with shelter and love, a shelter that is about to become something more.

The relationship between Luna and Hunter begins as professional as they will meet one another in court. When Luna’s client is murdered, Hunter becomes protector of the woman with whom he will fall in love but everything is not as it appears to be, as the threats against Luna are often taken down by a Vigilante seeking justice for those who have been wronged. In the early stages Luna refuses to accept that her life is in danger, often placing herself in the direct line of fire, thusly TSTL would be an apt description. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are introduced to a strong cast of secondary and supporting characters: Luna’s father Richard Payne, as well as Hunter’s brothers Jace, Grayson and Bryson, .their uncle Alexander; Luna’s best friend Sean, Detective Rinaldi, as well as several security specialists, and private investigator Barry Mansfield; Luna’s client Dominic, and his brother Franco. The requisite evil has many faces.

SECRET VENDETTA is a story of power and control, betrayal and vengeance, secrets and lies, obsession and love. The fast paced premise is intriguing, dramatic and dark; the romance is seductive and provocative; the characters are desperate, determined and tenacious. SECRET VENDETTA ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

_____

SILENT VENDETTA
Vendetta Duet 2
by Kathy Lockhart
Release Date: December 22, 2023

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

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3Snod57

LUNA
I just uncovered the secret identity of the Vigilante.
Now, he holds me prisoner in his vault of vengeance.
And nothing is as it seems.
Bound in this abyss of secrets and darkness,
I ache for Hunter’s warmth and light.
And vow to reclaim my freedom.
But how does one escape…
…being the obsession of a killer?

VIGILANTE
The monster inside of me always hungered for death.
But it became unhinged when men stole her from me.
I savored torturing them,
ending their lives with my serrated blade of justice.
I long for her to see the crimson on my hands as a stain of honor,
and to convince myself I’m worthy of something other than her disgust.
But what if she doesn’t embrace my darkness?
What if she becomes its most tragic casualty?

•••••

REVIEW:SILENT VENDETTA is the second instalment in Kathy Lockheart’s contemporary, adult VENDETTA dark, erotic, romance duet . This is the continuing story of prosecutor Hunter Lockwood, and defense attorney Luna Payne. SILENT VENDETTA should not be read as a stand alone as it picks up after the events of book one SECRET VENDETTA. For fans of Lockheart’s writing, there is a slight cross-over with the author’s SECRETS AND THE CITY series.

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

Told from dual first person perspectives (Hunter, Luna ) SILENT VENDETTA follows in the of Luna’s discovery of the real identity of the person known as The Vigilante. Chicago’s crime scene has been aided by a person cleaning up when law enforcement fail to do their jobs but Luna is about to discover the identification of the person, a person who takes our heroine prisoner in the face of another betrayal. As Luna struggles with the who and why, our couple continue to search for the truth behind the murder of Hunter’s father, and the unlawful imprisonment of Luna’s dad. As Luna and Hunter begin to unravel the truth, lives will be lost, and our couple must face the possibility that everything they thought they knew, has been a lie.

The world building continues to focus on the building but slowly fracturing relationship between our story line couple. Luna is determined to prove her father’s innocence but in doing so has rattled the proverbial chains of some powerful people. As Hunter’s private investigator discovers a few anomalies about the circumstances surrounding his father’s death, our hero begins a spiral from which he may not come back.

The relationship between Luna and Hunter continues to grow but secrets and lies threaten any possibility of a happily ever after. Hunter’s own secrets reveal a dark and troubled life, while Luna is forced to face a life without the men that she loves. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

Once again, we are reintroduced to Hunter’s brother Grayson, whose own secrets are dangerous and dark; as well as Luna’s father Richard Payne, Hunter’s brother, Grayson, their uncle Alexander; Luna’s best friend Sean, Detective Rinaldi, several security specialists, and private investigator Barry Mansfield. The requisite evil has many faces.

SILENT VENDETTA is a story of secret and lies, power and control, betrayal and vengeance, forgiveness, acceptance and love. The premise is revealing, dark, and dramatic; the romance is impassioned; the characters are broken, desperate and struggling to heal.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Kathy Lockheart is an author of Romantic Suspense novels. Her books—which have a unique blend of emotional elements typically found in women’s fiction and the romance and danger elements found in romantic suspense—contain themes of dark romance, antiheroes, and forbidden romance. When she’s not writing, you can find her silently cursing the person who put fluorescent lights in dressing rooms.

FOLLOW:Goodreads / Website/ Bookbub / Amazon Author / Facebook /

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Fatal Fallout (Crimson Point Protectors 7) by Kaylea Cross-review

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Fatal Fallout (Crimson Point Protectors 7) by Kaylea Cross-review

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 30, 2023

When the past isn’t really dead and buried…

After a lifetime of constant danger as an assassin, Ivy is finally safe to step out of the shadows. She’s even considering allowing a man into her life—a sexy former intelligence agent who makes her want more than she’s ever dared hope for. Except he doesn’t know the truth about her past—or what she’s done. She owes him and wants to wipe her slate clean once and for all. But when a past threat suddenly resurfaces, it puts countless lives at stake and threatens to destroy everything she’s built.

No one is safe.

Walker has zero regrets about leaving his intelligence career years ago to take care of his family, but a recent terrorist attack at home thrusts him back into the action. Now recent bombings in the UK all point to one of his former assets—who was supposed to be long dead. Once again he finds himself teamed up with Ivy, the unforgettable and mysterious operative he’s undeniably attracted to. She awakens something inside him he thought was gone forever. But as hot as the unexpected fire burns between them, he knows she’s holding something back. Something big. Even so, he has no choice except to trust her—because they’re running out of time to stop a madman bent on exacting vengeance. And this time, it’s personal.

••••••

REVIEW:FATAL FALLOUT is the seventh instalment in Kaylea Cross’ contemporary, adult CRIMSON POINT PROTECTORS romantic, suspense series- a spin off from the author’s Crimson Point Series. This is former CIA agent Tobias Walker, and assassin Ivy Johnson’s story line. FATAL FALLOUT is a cross over story line with the author’s VENGEANCE series, a series focusing on an elite, all-female group of trained assassins and specialists.

Told from several omniscient third person perspectives FATAL FALLOUT follows in the wake of the return of a man long thought to be dead. Isaac Grey was believed to have died in a fire in Russia, with both Walker and Ivy believing they were responsible for the death. When a series of bombings and kidnappings link back to a dead man, Walker finds himself heading to the UK, in an effort to work with a woman he never met. Enter Ivy Johnson, one of the former Valkyrie assassins, and the woman with whom Walker will all in love. As the threats in the UK become a reality, the threats back in the US become personal for our story line hero. Working side by side is a struggle for Ivy, having issues of trust for as long as she can remember but when the truth about the past is revealed, Ivy hopes Walker will forgive her, for the sins of the past. What ensues is the building relationship between Ivy and Walker, and the potential fall-out as our couple are targeted, in a game of revenge.

Ivy Johnson has never known love until she met the sisters of the Valkyrie program. Having been hurt and left for dead in the past, Ivy battles between head and heart to reveal the entirety of her life to the man with whom she is falling in love. Walker is a man determined to take down Isaac Grey before he destroys everyone Walker loves but Grey is two steps ahead of those desperate to take him down, two steps that threaten the lives of everyone involved.

The relationship between Walker and Ivy is one of immediate attraction. Walker has heard about Ivy for close to a year but meeting Ivy gives Walker a hope for a second chance having already lost the first woman he loved. Working together brings Ivy and Walker up close and personal but a perceived betrayal pushes Walker out of Ivy’s life. The $ex scenes are limited but passionate.

The secondary and supporting characters include a cameo for all of Ivy’s Valkyrie sisters including the more intricate involvement of Kiyomi and her boyfriend Marcus; Crimson Point security specialist Donovan Myers, and Walker’s step daughter Shae. We are introduced to former SAS Agent Warwick James.The requisite evil is someone both Ivy and Walker had long thought dead. Warwick’s story line is next.

FATAL FALLOUT is a story of vengeance and power, desperation and determination, forgiveness and love. The fast paced premise is exciting and entertaining; the romance is seductive; the characters are strong-willed and dynamic.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Falling Hard
Cornered
Sudden Impact
Unsanctioned
Protective Impulse
Final Shot

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

 

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Kaylea Cross writes edge-of-your-seat military romantic suspense. Her work has won many awards and has been nominated for both the Daphne du Maurier and the National Readers’ Choice Awards. A Registered Massage Therapist by trade, Kaylea is also an avid gardener, artist, Civil War buff, Special Ops aficionado, belly dance enthusiast and former nationally-carded softball pitcher. She lives in Vancouver, BC with her husband and family.

FOLLOW: Goodreads / Website /Twitter / Facebook / Newsletter / Bookbub / Instagram/

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Coercion (Controlling Interest 3) by Amelia Wilde-review tour

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Coercion (Controlling Interest 3) by Amelia Wilde-review tour

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo / Google Play / Apple /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date JANUARY 24, 2023

There’s a fight to the death… and a fight for his heart.

COERCION is book three in the Controlling Interest trilogy. Find out what happens in the explosive conclusion of Will Leblanc’s emotional story.

•••••••

REVIEW:COERCION is the third and final instalment in Amelia Wilde’s contemporary, adult CONTROLLING INTEREST erotic, romance trilogy focusing on thirty year old, billionaire Will LeBlanc, and PA Bristol Anderson’s story line. COERCION should not be read as a stand alone as it picks up after the cliff hanger and events of book two EXTORTION. COERCION and the Controlling Interest series is a spin off from, and set in the same world as the Author’s THE COLLECTOR trilogy focusing on Will’s brother Emerson LeBlanc. Will’s brothers Emerson and Sinclair cross over for cohesion and back story.

SOME BACKGROUND: In the wake of her father’s troubles, Bristol Anderson embezzled $50,000 from the investment firm where she was temporarily working, embezzlement that is discovered within hours of implementation. To pay off her sins, Bristol is ‘forced’ to work alongside, and do everything Will LeBlanc demands including any and all sexual favors both in and out of the proverbial bedroom but there is more at stake including the lives of Bristol and her younger siblings Mia and Ben, lives that are threatened for their father’s sins of the past.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Bristol and Will) COERCION continues to focus on the building romance and relationship between thirty year old, billionaire Will LeBlanc, and PA Bristol Anderson, as well as the continued safety of Bristol’s ten year old, younger siblings. Bristol’s father is in desperate need of money, and he isn’t above using his children to pay off his debts but the twin’s disappearance forces Bristol to face the truth, about the man with whom she is falling in love, and his extended family who have secrets of their own. As Bristol and Will’s relationship turns into something more, Will and his brothers must confront their own past, a past that is hoping for a second chance.

The relationship between Will and Bristol begins as a short-lived business arrangement that will quickly turn into something more. With Bristol’s attempts to embezzle money, Will will use anything and everything to gain control of the woman with whom he will fall in love. As Bristol confronts the demons from her past, Will must come to terms with what was, and what may never be. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and provocative without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

The secondary and supporting characters include Bristol’s siblings Ben and Mia; Will’s brothers Emerson and Sinclair; Finn Hughes, security specialist Evan Donovan; Bristol’s father, and Will’s mother. The requisite evil has many faces.

COERCION is a story of dysfunctional family dynamics on both sides of the relationship; power and control; greed and addiction, betrayal and forgiveness. The premise is intense and captivating; the romance is seductive and impassioned; the characters are energetic, struggling but healing.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Blackmail
Extortion

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

FOLLOW:Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Instagram / TikTok / Amazon Author Page

Amelia Wilde is a USA TODAY and Amazon Top 100 bestselling author of steamy contemporary romance and loves it a little too much. She lives in Michigan with her husband and daughters. She spends most of her time typing furiously on an iPad and appreciating the natural splendor of her home state from where she likes it best: inside.

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Frozen in Ice/Falling for the Ice Queen by Cynthia Eden-reviews

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Frozen In Ice /Falling for the Ice Queen (Ice Breakers Cold Case 1) by Cynthia Eden

Frozen In Ice
Ice Breakers Cold Case #1
by Cynthia Eden
Genre: adult, contemporary, romantic suspense

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 5, 2022

Is he a drop dead gorgeous…killer?

Delilah “Lila” Darrow doesn’t belong in the world of the rich and famous, but for one night, she’s going to wear the fanciest dress she can find and pretend that she does. Her plan—get close to reclusive billionaire Archer Radcliffe and find out…is he a murderer?

She knows exactly what Archer likes. She knows how to slip beneath his guard. She knows how to make him fall for her. With the right tools, Delilah believes she can finally make Archer pay for the crime he committed so long ago.

Payback is calling…and she’s wearing a dress made for sin.

Delilah is part of a group of crime solvers called the Ice Breakers—an online team made up of individuals who have the goal of solving cold cases. Five years ago, Delilah’s sister disappeared without a trace. Since then, Delilah has made it her mission to close as many unsolved cases as possible. Archer Radcliffe will be the latest target in her quest.

Except…Archer turns the tables on her. He sees through her lies. Tries to seduce her. And, he also swears his innocence.

Can she trust him? Or is he playing her?

•••••••

REVIEW: FROZEN IN ICE is the first instalment in Cynthia Eden’s contemporary adult ICE BREAKERS COLD CASE romantic suspense series focusing on the men and women who work for Ice Breakers, an online team of crime solvers whose goal is to solve cold cases. This is billionaire businessman Archer Radcliffe, and Ice Breaker/research journalist Delilah Darrow’s story line.

Told from third person perspectives FROZEN IN ICE follows the search for the truth. Delilah Darrow believes billionaire Archer Radcliffe is guilty in the disappearance of his former fiance Vanessa Byron, and our heroine is determined to prove Archer’s guilt but in an effort to ferret out a possible lead, Delilah agrees to a fake relationship with Archer Radcliffe that will quickly turn into something more. With each public appearance Delilah Darrow is targeted, and a near fatal fire forces Delilah’s fellow Ice Breaker to take charge. As Delilah and Archer begin a search for the person responsible, a ghost from the past resurfaces, forcing Delilah and Archer on a cross country journey searching for the truth. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Delilah and Archer, and the potential fall out as Delilah is targeted in the name of betrayal and revenge.

The relationship between Delilah and Archer begins acrimoniously as Delilah is determined to prove Archer killed his missing fiance. Vanessa’s sister Tiffany is determined to point fingers at our story line hero but Delilah quickly realizes that there is more to the story than a missing fiance. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top sexually graphic language and text.

We are introduced to Delilah’s fellow Ice Breaker and former bounty hunter Memphis Camden, Ice Breakers Dr. Antonia Rossi, and Elijah; Archer’s half brother Harrison Walker; attorney Oz Whitlock, and Tiffany Byron. Memphis Camden’s story is next.

FROZEN IN ICE is a story of betrayal, jealousy, obsession and love.The premise is engaging and interesting; the romance is seductive and impassioned; the characters are dynamic and determined.

Own a copy

Reviewed by Sandy

______

FALLING FOR THE ICE QUEEN
(Ice Breaker: Cold Case 2)
by Cynthia Eden
Genre: adult, contemporary, romantic suspense

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 14, 2022

He’s more than a little rough around the edges…

Memphis Camden isn’t a nice guy. He’s big, dangerous, and has an extremely low tolerance for BS. A former bounty hunter, Memphis now has a deadly new target…a serial killer. Memphis has been tracking the guy for months, and he may just have found the way to drag the monster into the light. In order to accomplish his mission, he’s going to need help from an unlikely ally…

She’s elegant, poised, and a beautiful society queen.

Eliza Robinson doesn’t talk about her past. She tried going to the cops—long ago—but they never caught the man responsible for her abduction, and her powerful family made sure to bury every detail about that night. Now, she spends her days dodging the stiff guards her family keeps sending her way. Until someone very unusual steps into her path.

He’s not like the others. He’s fierce, ruggedly sexy, and more than a little uncivilized…

••••••

REVIEW: FALLING FOR THE ICE QUEEN is the second instalment in Cynthia Eden’s contemporary, adult ICE BREAKER COLD CASE romantic suspense series focusing on the men and women who work for Ice Breakers, an online team of crime solvers whose goal is to solve cold cases. This is former bounty hunter turned tracker / Ice Breaker Memphis Camden, and Eliza Robinson’s story line. FALLING FOR THE ICE QUEEN can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.

Told from third person perspective FALLING FOR THE ICE QUEEN focuses on the hunt for a potential serial killer. Several years earlier Eliza Robinson was abducted from a local bar, held captive near a sunflower farm, and in her escape has no recollection of what happened or how. Fast forward to present day wherein Eliza, now followed by her father’s hired security team comes face to face with Memphis Camden, a member of the Ice Breakers Cold Case crime solvers, and the man with whom Eliza will fall in love. With the help of Memphis, Eliza begins to retrace every step and every action in the days leading up to, during and following her escape, a retracing that points a finger at too many suspects. Every year on the anniversary of her abduction, our heroine receives a bouquet of sunflowers, and another woman goes missing and is never found. As Memphis and Eliza begin to unravel the clues and lies, our couple will find themselves falling for one another. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Eliza and Memphis, and the potential fall-out as our couple are targeted by a killer who refuses to walk away.

The relationship between Eliza and Memphis is one of immediate attraction but Eliza believes Memphis is part of her father’s security team, then believes he is a possible stalker. Keeping Eliza safe becomes paramount for our story line hero, as her life is a constant state of secrets and lies. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and seductive without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful secondary and supporting characters including Eliza’s brother Benjamin, their father Prescott, and his wife Kathleen; Eliza’s best friend Bethany Bancroft, as well as Detective Daniel Jones, Body guard Alec Davis, and Ice Breaker investigator Delilah Darrow, and her husband Archer Radcliffe, and Memphis’ half-brother Saint. The requisite evil has many faces.

FALLING FOR THE ICE QUEEN is a story of betrayal, vengeance, jealousy and madness. The fast paced premise is exciting and intriguing; the romance is provocative; the characters are energetic and charismatic.

I want to add that there are many similarities between the first and second books including secret half-siblings, and guilt-ridden full-siblings, I am thinking the author could be using more originality in her story line premises.

Own a copy

Reviewed by Sandy

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