Category Archives: cop/crime

Ex Meridian (Nothing Special VII) A.E. Via

?Reviewed by The KimiChan Experience?

TITLE:  Ex Meridian 

SERIES:  Nothing Special VII

AUTHOR: A.E. Via

PUBLISHER: Via Star Wings Books

LENGTH: 237 pages

RELEASE DATE:  February 26, 2020

BLURB: Police Lieutenants, God and Day are under intense pressure from the chief to take back control of Atlanta’s streets. The last thing their task force needs is a pair of trained killers in town with a personal score to settle. 

Take a man and strip him of his ability to feel compassion, empathy, remorse, or any of the emotions that make him human, but leave the ones that ignite rage and aggression and you have the perfect killing machine—now imagine two of them. 

Code names Ex and Meridian are synonymous for ‘guaranteed death’ to international terrorists. Two broken men from the same crooked streets, recruited into an unsanctioned government program that few know about. Trained to operate most efficiently—lethally—together. 

When Ex returns from an op in Bolivia to learn his little brother has been accidentally killed in a feud between drug gangs, he’s stateside before he can consider the rules he’ll be breaking, and of course Meridian is right beside him. There’s mayhem on the streets of Atlanta and the police are losing control. If Godfrey and his elite team of detectives can’t get the job done then they’d be happy to lighten their caseloads for them. And Ex nor Meridian care about doing it quietly. 

“I know who you are.” The man grunted when Ex turned to leave. “You’re the fucking devil.”

Meridian walked past, glaring one final time. “Say that loud enough… maybe God will save you.”

But after their first run-in with the big lieutenant and his protective husband, Day, Ex and Meridian start to reevaluate their own relationship. Wondering if they could be even deadlier if they let loose the feelings for each other that they’ve been forced to suppress for years. 

Meridian’s dark eyes stayed locked on his, “A man who can fight beside the one he loves doesn’t make him weaker, Ex—it makes him more dangerous.”

REVIEW: This latest installment of the series continues on with two new characters. Ex and his partner Meridian are two CIA agents who are in the ATL on an unsanctioned, off the books op searching for the drug and gang kingpin who murdered Ex’s baby brother.

The characters from the previous books in the series and their spinoffs make brief appearances throughout the book. God and Day’s team more so than the others as they are the force that moves the story along. 

The author introduces two new players in these books. Ex and Meridian are too mysterious and extremely dangerous men. These two are ruthless, unstoppable killing machines. But the author injected quite a bit of humanity into their characters. Reading the story, you could feel Ex’s  overwhelming sorrow over his brother’s death. The deep regret and guilt Ex feels for not being there for him and his mother is heartbreaking.

You stepped smack dab in the middle of Ex and Meridian lives fully aware that there’s a backstory that belongs to them only. Yet, you don’t feel disoriented or like there’s something missing in the author not giving the reader their full history’s. The bond these two men share is strong and you can see it clearly. This is such an important element of the story as it illustrates just how perfectly in sync with each these men are. 

These men are fierce, battle hardened and confident. Secure and communicating their wants and needs to each other. But there are some part in the story where Ex is a mixture of vulnerable and commanding that gives his character a depth that is much more fascinating and complex.

My favorite thing about this authors writing style is her ability to assert humor in her books at the most unexpected moments. There are moments when the dialogue takes me completely OUT to the point where I am positively wheezing, damn near laughing myself into an asthma attack.

This author’s work is brilliant, her characters’ personalities are so vividly written. These are every day working men that embark on these extraordinary adventures. Her characters are these mature, crazy, bold, dangerous men who work, live, play and love hard.

Just when I think this series can possibly get any more fantastic, this author goes into our kitchen and cooks up yet another even more delicious creation.     

And Sis *puts her foot in the pot* every single time she goes into that kitchen aka writer’s room of hers. 

*AAVE*

This book includes two fabulous bonus chapters at the end. While this story does not have a HEA ending it has a HFN one that is a perfect fit. 

RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

BUY LINKS:

Amazon

Rialto (Unbreakable Bonds #8) Jocelynn Drake, Rinda Elliot

?Reviewed by The KimiChan Experience?

TITLE: Rialto

SERIES: Unbreakable Bonds #8

AUTHOR: Jocelynn Drake, Rinda Elliot

PUBLISHER: Self Published

RELEASE DATE:  December 16, 2019

BLURB: Someone has it out for Rialto.

Ian Banner is loving his hectic life. He’s newly married, ready to start a family, and opening a new restaurant. All his dreams are coming true.

The last thing he needs is a problem with his restaurant.

But when one attack after another comes, he grows convinced he has another enemy.

Ian tries to handle things by himself, but his friends are soon drawn in when the attacks become violent. That’s when Ian realizes the target isn’t Rialto. It’s him.

Rialto is the final installment in the Unbreakable Bonds series and features sexy times, Daciana snuggles, overprotective family, fire, and of course, code names. 

REVIEW: This book was bittersweet. This is the last time will read about these wonderful men in their adventurous, chaotic, dangerous and lovely lives. But this finale is the series on the sweetest of high notes

The dynamic duo of Jocelyn Drake and Rinda Elliott brought Lucas, Snow, Rowe and Ian together for one last adventure before they settle down to live out the rest of their days as happily married fathers. That is unless Rowe and Noah a.k.a. the Master of Mayhem find some trouble for them all to get into.

Ian is the sole focus of the final installment in the series. As with the rest of the books in the series featuring him, this centers his past life. Ian’s character—to me—is the toughest. I say this because this man survived a horrific ordeal to become the man that he is today. But of course, even from the grave it seems that the man responsible for his horrific pass is still finding ways to intrude on the happiness and success that he has made for himself.

Ian’s story has always rip my heart apart. I love the story because in this book, Ian is able to confront, not one from, his past. Not only that, but he’s proved to Lucas, Snow and Rowe that he’s much tougher than they—and even he— realized. 

He truly came to his own in this book and it may the rest of his family finally sit up and take notice that he’s not someone who needs to be wrapped in cotton, insulated from the evils of the world. He prove to them that he was able to handle himself and to protect them if needed and times of extreme danger and it was a glorious thing to finally witness.

The love these men have for each other practically leap off the pages of this book. It is beautifully written; the characters a vivid, bursting with energy that makes each word of each sentence of each paragraph a treat. The action, adventure and romance of these stories are extremely well written; they immediately grab your attention and hold it from the first page read to the very last.

You’ll experience a roller coaster of emotions with this book. You’ll go from having a lump in your throat from heartbreak to having you laughing out loud at their antics to feeling joy at their triumphs.

This book will linger indelibly on the brain long after you finished reading it.

RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

BUY LINKS:

Amazon

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Bishop (A True Lover’s Story) A.E. Via

?Reviewed by The KimiChan Experience?

 

TITLE: Bishop

SERIES: N/A

AUTHOR: A.E. Via

PUBLISHER: Via Star Wings Publishing

RELEASEDATE: September 30, 2019

BLURB: At only thirty-two, Bishop Stockley has lived a hard-knock life. His gang was his family, the streets his home. Until the crew he’d always called his brothers betrayed him. After doing five years in a federal prison, Bishop is back at his dad’s trailer and working for his landscaping company, thrust into a legit world where he’s no longer the alpha—a world where a criminal record is the least of his disadvantages, because Bishop can’t read or write. Illiteracy had never been an obstacle for him on the streets, he didn’t need to know how to read Moby Dick to survive, he needed to know how to read people… and that was a hustle he’d learned hard and fast. Now, he had to change his life.

 

Bishop’s only support system was a young, inexperienced dad who’d insisted he call him Mike all their life—since they looked more like brothers than father and son. And his hot-tempered, childhood, best friend from ’juvie, Trent. Bishop already had the deck stacked against him, but he wasn’t afraid of hard work to change his situation, and he did want to change. Especially after he encountered Edison Scala, a kind-spirited office manager who didn’t hesitate to come to his defense… a man that saw past Bishop’s grass-stained coveralls. A man who wasn’t intimidated by his stern features and his silence.

 

Edison hadn’t grown up the way most of his peers had. He’d been raised by a single father who’d owned an old-fashioned barber shop where Edison was taught how to not only shave with a straight razor, and shine shoes, but also how to treat others, to not judge, to be a gentleman, to be respectful and speak without profanity. But, the biggest lesson he’d learned, was to always be himself. His lack of friends and a social life wasn’t his fault. No matter how much weight he gained, no matter how many times his staff called him a square, Edison did not need to change.

 

Bishop knew Edison was off-limits. He’d made personal vows to himself when he was released from prison, ones that he never intended to break. But, when Edison asked him about providing landscaping services at his home, there was no way he could refuse. He hadn’t expected Edison to feed him, praise him, encourage him, and look at him the way he did—as if Bishop was somebody. Mike and Trent warned him not to mix business with pleasure and he didn’t intend to.

 

No multiple pairings. No cliffhangers. Ends with a very, very HFN. Warning:

This book is a M/M contemporary romance, a hardened man’s struggle to find real love. There are no police chases or doors being kicked in, in this one. But, don’t worry. Bishop is still intense enough to keep you on the edge. 

REVIEW: Okay, y’all. Can I tell you how much I loved this book, these characters? Miss Via has done what she always does and spin a story that will make you care for her characters as you’re reading them. Bishop and Edison are two strong men from different backgrounds, yet they seem to find common ground even though they have nothing in common.

Even though Bishop was the main character, it was Edison who spoke to me the most. But I’ll speak on that in a bit.

I particularly loved how the author approached the topic of Bishop’s illiteracy. It was handled with kindness and understanding. The author wrote it in a way that didn’t belittle him. Bishop is a flawed hero. A man who like many of us, have made mistakes, faced the consequences of said mistakes and is looking for a little redemption and forgiveness for it. He wants to live his life—not necessarily a BEST life— but just go along the familiar lines and on the right path of it. He wants to do better and fought hard to BE better. He’s not asking for or expecting the moon and stars, he’s just asking for normalcy and stability with a man who sees him as something other than what he was. 

Now, to Edison. His character resonated more with me because his kindness, generosity, sweet nature and integrity reminded me of someone I knew a long time ago. Edison is like many of us, one who struggles with poor self image, body issue and low self esteem but to me, his character was beautiful, more beautiful because he had a beautiful spirit and a big heart. I absolutely loved how the author had a character who didn’t have the perfect body and was still find the type of passionate love still. This story had a great deal of body positivity and I loved it and we need to see more of it in the romance genre.

At first glance, one would think he’s someone whose weak. But I didn’t find that to be the case at all. Edison is gentle and kind. Respectful. Mature. This comes from him being raised around older gentlemen. This made him a target for bullying by some of his colleagues but his insistence on being who he is is what makes him strong.  I adored his character and I adored him and Bishop together. Bishop’s gentle toughness combined with Edison’s sweet old world charm is what makes them perfect for each other. Edison’s character was actually like being reunited with my friend.  It was amazing.

This author is a master of her craft. Her writing style is absolutely superb. Miss Via’s work is always top notch, regardless of whatever genre she chooses to write. Her characters are ALWAYS vivid, complex and multifaceted. Her dialogues are ALWAYS beautifully written and her storylines are simply perfect. This book flows smoothly. She doesn’t simply tell a story, she’s giving you a front row seat of their thoughts and heart. 

This book doesn’t have a traditional HEA and that’s okay because life doesn’t always work that way. You just know that these men’s life Journey is just getting started so the HFN ending fits perfectly. This story is memorable and the characters and their experiences will linger long after you’ve finished reading this book.

This author and this book is a serious must read. Take a bow, Miss Via. You’ve done an amazing job yet again.

RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

BUY LINKS:

Amazon

 

 

Trigger (Mercs #1) Remmy Duchene

?Reviewed by The KimiChan Experience?

TITLE: Trigger

SERIES: Mercs # 1

AUTHOR: Remmy Duchene

PUBLISHER: Self Publishing

RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2019

BLURB: Dawson “Trigger” Kerr walked away from the JTF2 angry and feeling betrayed.

My brother’s keeper, my ass.

Civilian life takes a new kind of strength, but he settles into building his business. He is content with his new life—a successful nightclub, amazing friends and a life away from war-zones.

Everything is coming up roses—that is until Claude Desjardins walks into his life.

Claude doesn’t have a choice. In order to find his brother in Brazil, he needs the best. Word on the street, Dawson is the man for the job.

But Dawson isn’t too keen on helping the Desjardins. There’s a story there and there isn’t time to tell it. As they race against time to find out what happened to the older Desjardins brother, Claude is falling – hard.

But Claude is going to learn, if he’s going to squeeze the trigger, he’d better shoot to kill.

REVIEW: Okay, this book was a very good start to what looks to be a promising series. This story gives us Dawson aka Trigger and Claude. If you like action and suspense mixed with your romance, then this is definitely the book for you. The writing style is clean, crisp and straight to the point. This is what I like. This author doesn’t dally around with their stories; these men are straight forward with their attraction and feelings for each other which is a consistent thread with all of this author’s work. I actually like that. I don’t care for characters who dance around their attractions or feeling for each other. And the action wasn’t over the top or extra. It was the perfect balance of both romance and action which made the book that much more of an enjoyable read.

The ending was perfect and actually lays the groundwork for a smooth transition to the next book in the series.

This author is consistent in offering quality work. Her editing, storyline and character development was excellent and her cover was beautiful.

This is a great start to the series.

RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

BUY LINKS:

Amazon

Blaze (Unbreakable Bonds) by Jocelynn Drake, Rinda Elliot

?Reviewed by The KimiChan Experience?

TITLE: Blaze

SERIES: Unbreakable Bonds

AUTHOR: Jocelynn Drake, Rinda Elliot

PUBLISHER: Self Published

RELEASE DATE:  June 22, 2018

BLURB: The rings have been selected. The champagne placed on ice. The cake decorated.

And the pre-wedding sex is off the charts…

Lucas Vallois and Andrei Hadeon are finally ready to walk down the aisle. There’s just one small problem.

A ghost from Lucas’s past shows up days before the wedding, desperate for help. Against his better judgement, Lucas and his best friend, Ashton Frost, plan a fast trip back to the one place they swore they’d never go: their hometown in Oklahoma. But the danger is worse than they expected.

Now, they’re in a race to track down a killer, keep a young girl safe, and get Lucas back in time to say, “I do.”

REVIEW: WOW! What else can I say? When I heard that book 5 was about Lucas and Andrei’s wedding I couldn’t wait to read it. I knew that meant all the guys would be together again and wherever they were, trouble would not be far behind. Well that was an understatement. Lol! I enjoyed this book so much I didn’t want it to end. It easily earned a 5star rating from me. Lucas and Andrei’s love for each other is just as fierce and hot as it was when they first met and we see that from the beginning of this book, (lol) all the way to the end. We get my control freak Lucas with the arrogance of a billionaire, Ashton Snow Frost and his wicked sense of humor, sweet Ian (who’s high on wedding fumes). I died laughing at that comment, and Rowe with his devil may care attitude “the embodiment of chaos”. I want a Rowe in my life!

We get to know more about Lucas and Snow’s past. The unbearable childhood they each had to endure that later forged their friendship and brotherhood. We meet some of Lucas’ family members like Nicole and Taylor along with his despicable parents. My heart broke for the anguish so much intolerance had caused. We also meet some new members of Ward security Seth and Cole. We were briefly introduced to a friend of Taylor’s, by the name of Bran with pink hair. I can’t wait to get his story as I’m sure there is one.

Finally, you will love this page turner. It will have you crying at times and laughing out loud at others. The action ad suspense will have you on the edge of your seat and the sex will make you blush.

RATING: ✨✨✨✨✨

BUY LINKS:

Amazon

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Promises (Bounty Hunter #4) A.E. Via

?Reviewed by Kiwi?

TITLE: Promises

SERIES: Bounty Hunters # 4

AUTHOR: A.E. Via

PUBLISHER: Via Star Wings Publishing

RELEASE DATE: March 5, 2018

BLURB: Men found him attractive, interesting even. He was like a fascinating experiment gone wrong that men liked to investigate. He’d get a date – or two, if he was lucky – but it wasn’t long before Brian’s darkness showed, and the men were running from him.

Brian King was honorably discharged from the United States Navy five years ago. He’d left with the highest honors a man can receive in his country, but he’d paid the ultimate price to earn them. He was considered one of the best; an Intelligence Officer in a Joint Special Operations Delta team that’d been a twelve-man wrecking crew. They’d thought they were invincible… until they weren’t. Brian was the only member that survived the ambush. He survived ten months of pain, of torture, only to emerge on the other side a warrior. A POW survivor. He’d returned home with all his limbs, his right mind, and with his only brother Ford, at his side. But, one thing had been lost, maybe for good… his voice.

Now, being a bounty hunter is Brian’s only means to satisfy his need to calculate, track, and capture. His only outlet to the stress caused by his silence. He was good at what he did. But, all work and no play for a forty-four year old man was taking its toll. Brian wasn’t a faulty experiment. He missed companionship, he missed communicating. So, when he met Sway Hamilton – in the most unconventional means – he’d been surprised at his special way of understanding Brian’s every look… and touch.

Sway grew up in the rough part of ATL, trailing behind his twin brother Stanton and his best friend, Dana. He and his brother had a bond only twins could understand. So when Stanton’s life was taken during their sophomore year in college, Sway didn’t think he’d ever recover. He finally finished school, got his masters in nursing, worked hard, and focused on taking care of his mother. However, Sway knew there was more to life than heartache, and caring for others. There had to be. But he didn’t know what any of those things were until he met a dark hunter that blew his mind… and the intense man had never uttered a single word.

Brian and Sway can feel the powerful connection between them. It was there from the start—but both of them have battled with loss and anguish for so long, neither understand that love can ease all of it. Do they have the courage to battle through it together? Sway has to learn to trust in love, and Brian has to believe that Sway will always understand him even if he never speaks again.

Sway held him tight around his neck, “I don’t need you to talk, Brian. I can hear you just fine,” Sway whispered softly, kissing his throat.

This novel is a part of a series but can be read as a standalone. No cliffhangers.

Trigger Warning: This story contains acts of bond recovery agent violence. Mention of war zones and descriptions of war prisoners. This story DOES NOT contain overly-described acts of torture.

REVIEW: As usual, this author has truly outdone herself. Just when I think her books couldn’t get any more exciting, any more perfect, she surpasses everything and brings another amazing creation. So, this is the fourth book in this wonderful series and gives us Brian and Sway’s story. Brian is a big, sweet, tough teddy bear of a man. A gentle giant to Sway, his friends and family but to everyone else, a tough ex-Navy SEAL and highly skilled bounty hunter who can kick some serious ass. He was captured and tortured by terrorists which rendered Brian unable to speak. Brian’s PTSD is heartbreaking to read and the author was able to capture the daily struggles service-members face when they return home. She did it with respect and sensitivity. She didn’t embellish, romanticize or glorify it. Also, I liked how she didn’t give super descriptive details of the torture Brian endured while captured.

Sway is a hard working and dedicated nurse practitioner. He works hard to provide a good life for him and his mother. Sway is a good man, he takes care of everyone but himself.

These two men absolutely belong together. The author did an exceptional job of writing their emotional responses to each other. You felt that simmering, intense…thing between them; it leapt out at your from the pages. You not only read them falling for each other, you also feel their emotions; the sadness, the loneliness, the joy, the pain. Every emotion in this book was intense and it was written just so. To write a character’s emotions to the point where it’s felt by the reader, I feel is not something that’s easily accomplished yet this author does it all the time, in all of her creations. That’s how you know that you have an author who masters their craft. It’s not an easy feat to accomplish yet she does it with ease. It was absolutely amazing.

I also love how her characters are more mature in age. These are gentlemen of a particular age and as a reader of the same age, I can really dig it. She shows that these men are still strong, sexy, and virile. They’re fabulous in their 40s and I am here for all of it!

This book, like all of her work is simply amazing. This author is truly a master of her craft. Her writing style, the way she uses her words is like an elegant work of art. She’s an artist who comes up with these beautiful creations which are her books.

RATING: ??Amazing??

BUY LINKS:

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Dantès Unglued (Ward Security #2) Jocelynn Drake/Rinda Elliot

?Reviewed by Kiwi?

TITLE: Dantès Unglued

SERIES: Ward Security #2

AUTHOR: Jocelynn Drake/Rinda Elliott

PUBLISHER: Self Published

RELEASE DATE: January 24, 2018

BLURB: When private investigator, Shane Stephens, is hired by the mayor of Cincinnati to track down the hacker who has been threatening him, Shane is sure this is the opportunity to launch the Merleau Detection Agency into the big time. He even convinces Rowe Ward of Ward Security to loan him one of his best IT specialists, Quinn Lake.

Shane, a man who prefers casual intimacy, is surprised by his attraction to the moody computer geek, but when Quinn suggests they have fun for the month he’s on loan, Shane happily agrees. Both men are expecting nothing more than a good time.

But the investigation takes an unexpected turn and they quickly discover they are facing more than a hacker out to ruin the mayor’s re-election chances. And as they spend more time together, they realize their relationship may be a lot more than just a good time.

With only weeks until the election, Shane and Quinn race to gather the proof they need while dodging bullets and possibly…falling in love.

REVIEW: This is the second book in the fantastic spinoff from the Unbreakable Bonds series. A friend of my turned me on to these authors and I am so very glad that she did. These two authors are a dynamic duo; their characters, settings, storyline and plots are absolutely fabulous.

I became obsessed with their books starting with the Unbreakable Bonds series, the series that started it all. I was literally addicted with the first page of Shiver to the first page in this current book.

As with the rest of their series, their writing style is perfectly matched. There have been times when I’ve read books written by two authors and it didn’t seem like a cohesive story. This is not the case with these authors. Their writing style and transition from one book to the other is seamless, almost as if it’s written by one person instead of two. The editing is spot on perfect, no plot holes, gaps in storyline, nothing. It’s wonderful.  

Quinn and Shane are great together. The chemistry these two men have leaps off the page. The recipe of mystery action and suspense, infused with just a touch of humor grabs and keeps your attention. You lose yourself into this world and the lives of these characters from the very first word to the very last. I absolutely adore these authors’ work and I highly recommend this series. I am anxiously awaiting the next book.

RATING: ??Amazing ??

Buy Link:

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Dantès Unglued (Ward Security #2) Jocelynn Drake & Rinda Elliot

    ?Excerpt & Giveaway?

Title: Dantès Unglued

Series: Ward Security Series #2

Author(s): Jocelynn Drake and Rinda Elliott

Publisher: Drake and Elliott Publishing LLC

Release Date: January 26th

Genre: Romance, Thriller/Suspense,

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37923033-dant-s-unglued

Summary

When private investigator, Shane Stephens, is hired by the mayor of Cincinnati to track down the hacker who has been threatening him, Shane is sure this is the opportunity to launch the Merleau Detection Agency into the big time. He even convinces Rowe Ward of Ward Security to loan him one of his best IT specialists, Quinn Lake.

Shane, a man who prefers casual intimacy, is surprised by his attraction to the moody computer geek, but when Quinn suggests they have fun for the month he’s on loan, Shane happily agrees. Both men are expecting nothing more than a good time.

But the investigation takes an unexpected turn and they quickly discover they are facing more than a hacker out to ruin the mayor’s re-election chances. And as they spend more time together, they realize their relationship may be a lot more than just a good time.

With only weeks until the election, Shane and Quinn race to gather the proof they need while dodging bullets and possibly…falling in love.

Excerpt

After one quick knock on Rowe’s door, he stepped inside without waiting for him to call since he was already expected. But he stopped short when he saw the tall man standing next to Rowe’s desk, his hands on his slender hips as he grinned down at Rowe. Quinn couldn’t stop his eyes from quickly sweeping over his broad shoulders and chest that tapered into a narrow waist. His eyes snapped back up to find a pair of brown eyes that twinkled as they finished checking him out as well.

“Sorry,” Quinn mumbled, instantly taking a step backward. “I can come back.” Rowe rarely saw clients. He had customer representatives that handled talking to the clients. Of course, with Rowe’s lack of a filter, it was better if he didn’t talk to the new clients directly.

“No, come in, Quinn,” Rowe said sharply. He stood behind his desk, drawing Quinn’s gaze to his shorter but broader frame. His dark red hair stood up slightly as if he’d been running his fingers through it. Quinn never took that as a particularly good sign.

With a quick jerk of his head, Quinn stepped in and shut the door behind him. The other man was smiling at him, that assessing look still in his eyes, and Quinn didn’t want to think about the fact that he was dying to take another longer look at him, but not with the freaking boss in the room.

“Quinn Lake, this is Shane Stephens. He’s a private investigator with The Merleau Detection Agency,” Rowe introduced.

Shane extended his hand to Quinn and Quinn clenched his teeth, trying to hide his discomfort at taking Shane’s hand. His own palms were sweaty, making the momentary contact awkward. Why the fuck was he always so damn awkward around hot guys?

“Rowe tells me you’re the best,” Shane said, releasing his hand.

Quinn couldn’t help the skeptical look he shot at Rowe, who only shrugged as he sat down again. “Well, I said you <em>and</em> Gidget are the best.”

“Is this about a job?”

“Sit, Quinn.” Rowe absently waved toward the two chairs in front of his desk. He shuffled some papers around without seeming to actually look at them, placing them in piles at the edge of his desk.

Shooting one last uncertain look at Shane, Quinn moved to the farthest chair and sat, his tablet clenched in both hands. His mind raced as he tried to figure out why he’d been called into this meeting. Clients didn’t meet with Rowe, and Quinn didn’t meet with clients unless they’d already been assigned a bodyguard. And while they’d worked with some private investigators in the past, Rowe wasn’t usually involved. He had a company to run.

“Shane recently acquired a client who is the victim of a hacker,” Rowe started.

Quinn looked up at Shane, who was still standing beside Rowe’s desk, his mind finally turning away from too many questions to a problem he could understand. “Identity theft? Bank accounts drained?”

“No, not yet.” Shane shook his head, some of his dark curly hair falling forward against his temple. “At least, not that we’ve uncovered.”

“Then how do you know this client was hacked?”

“There are other signs…but I can’t go into it.”

Quinn frowned for a second. That certainly wasn’t going to make his job easier. “Well, do you just need improved protection? Alerts on accounts? We’ve got a comprehensive list of things we can do to help shore up the client’s account protection and privacy.”

“Shane isn’t looking for protection from the hacker for the client.” Rowe paused until Quinn looked back at him. “His client has hired him to track down the identity of the hacker.”

“Whoa…” Quinn said on an exhale, sitting back in his chair. That…that was not an easy task. Most hackers were pretty damn good at not being found. You had to be if you wanted to survive as one. If you sucked, you were usually snagged by the FBI pretty damn fast. Quinn would know. He’d started hacking at a young age—not stealing other people’s money but just breaking through security systems because he could. It took the feds a solid five years to catch him. But his boss knew all this. Rowe knew everything about the people working for him.

“We’re not equipped to handle this level of…” Shane frowned at Rowe’s computer as if he blamed it for his problems. “Well, we’re not staffed yet to handle computer things like this. I can do some of the forensic research in accounting matters, but I need a computer genius like you.”

“That’s why I agreed to loan you to Shane and his business partner, Ethan, for one month,” Rowe announced.

Quinn was out of his seat in a shot, hovering over the edge of the desk as he looked down at his boss. Pain shot through his chest, and he was suddenly having trouble catching his breath. Panic clouded all of his thoughts. He loved working for Ward Security. He’d been there for just less than two years, and he’d never found another place where he’d felt like he fit so damn perfectly. This was home. These people he worked with, they were his friends. He didn’t have to hide or pretend or feel uncomfortable.

And Rowe…Rowe had always been amazing. Sure, he could be cranky and a little crazy. He was always loud and tended to speak before thinking. But Quinn always knew exactly where he stood with Rowe. He always felt like Rowe had his back.

But this…

“Are you getting rid of me?”

“What?” Rowe snapped. “Where the fuck did you get that idea?”

“You’re hiring another IT person. I saw the listing. And this? Putting me ‘on loan’?”

Rowe groaned and scrubbed a hand over his face. With a heavy sigh, he pointed back at the chair Quinn had just vacated. “Sit.” Grudgingly, Quinn followed direction while Rowe looked over at Shane. “Can you give us a minute?”

Purchase Links

Amazon

Meet the Author

Who are Drake & Elliott?

Jocelynn Drake and Rinda Elliott have teamed up to combine their evil genius to create intense gay romantic suspense stories that have car chases, shoot outs, explosions, scorching hot love scenes, and tender, tear-jerking moments. Their first joint books are in the Unbreakable Bonds series.

Author Links

Website: http://drakeandelliott.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drakeandelliott/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrakeandElliott
Tumblr: http://drakeandelliott.tumblr.com/
Email: drakeandelliott@gmail.com

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Steel Trap (The Wyverns #5) L.M. Somerton

?Reviewed by Kiwi?

TITLE: Steel Trap

SERIES: The Wyverns # 5

AUTHOR: L.M. Somerton

PUBLISHER: Pride Publishing

RELEASE DATE: October 17, 2017

BLURB: Secrets don’t stay hidden forever.

Hatchet has a thing for the enigmatic Mr Smith, Horatio Trap’s spokesman. He’d love to get his hands on the pretty man and show him how good it feels to take orders for once rather than hand them out. He’s had his eye on Smith for years and he’s running out of patience.

The Wyverns’ involvement in the drug trade is limited to stealing money from the cartels, they don’t want junk peddled on their turf. When Trap orders them to destroy a crack cocaine factory in Phoenix, they are happy to oblige. But Smith throws a spanner in the works by posing as a potential buyer, putting himself in mortal danger.

Hatchet and The Wyverns come up with a plan to fake Smith’s death, muscle in on the deal and convince the cartel to do business with them instead. But when Hatchet’s cover is blown he’s left to save a bunch of illegals, destroy the drugs and wipe the factory from the face of the planet. It’s all in a night’s work for The Wyverns—but there are still secrets to uncover and the mysterious Horatio Trap, and his mind games, can’t stay hidden forever.

 

REVIEW: Oh, my! I’ve been waiting for this installment of this series feels like forever. I know that’s not the case; I was just anxious. Well, the author certainly didn’t disappoint me. This in addition to Adrian and Teddy’s story, are my favorites in the series.

Hatchet and Mr. Smith are as different as night and day but you know they say that opposites attract. Mr. Smith aka Montgomery Smith, is indeed enigmatic but underneath that cool, collected and cultured façade is a man that is attracted to Hatchet’s rough exterior. Monty (yes, I gave Smith’s character my own nickname) is kind of tired of being lonely and acting as the go-between the Wyverns and the mysterious Mr. Trap.

Hatchet and Monty seems like an unlikely couple at first but it works. The action, the dialogue, characters and storyline of this book, of all of the books in this series is absolutely fantastic. The books are short (under 100 pages) but it reads like a full length novel. There are no plot holes or cliff hangers in any of these stories which I really love.

There are a couple of plot twists in this book. Secrets you will not see coming as it pertains to the mysterious Mr. Trap and Monty are finally revealed.

I truly enjoyed this book and really looking forward to reading more. I’m waiting for Artie and Bull to have their HEA.

Please note: The general release date is October 17, 2017. However, you can pre-order from Pride Publishing or Amazon. 

RATING: ????

BUY LINKS:

Amazon

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Facing Fears (Kiss of Leather #7) Morticia Knight

REVIEWED BY Patricia 

TITLE: Facing Fears

SERIES: Kiss of Leather Book 7

AUTHOR: Morticia Knight

PUBLISHER: Pride Publishing

RELEASE DATE: July 4, 2017

BLURB: As the men at Kiss of Leather celebrate the resolution of the case of Corey’s kidnappers,Master Hunter worries that he’ll never see Tobey again.

Chuck isn’t about to let one of the key figures behind Corey’s kidnapping get away from him again.
Everything he and Stone have discovered through their months-long investigation is about to come together. However, when Chuck follows the suspect to a shipyard, it’s not only his own life that’s in danger.

Master Hunter is officially part-owner of Kiss of Leather, so he’s thrilled to raise a toast in celebration now that the mystery of Corey’s kidnapping has been solved. However, he can’t help but feel left out. Everyone is paired up except for him. He’s never believed in
monogamy before, but after Tobey unexpectedly left Kiss of
Leather and no one knows where he’s gone, did Hunter make a horrible mistake by not sharing his true feelings?

Tobey has been miserable ever since leaving West Hollywood and going back to Idaho. After breaking his own promise to himself by falling in love with his trainer, Tobey impulsively left Kiss of Leather because of something awful Master Hunter said. But things at home are worse than ever and he’s come to realize that those who are related to him by blood aren’t necessarily hid true family. The only place he’s ever felt he truly belonged was at Kiss of Leather.

Tobey has to face Hunter if he goes back to Kiss of Leather and Hunter has to figure out what he really wants from life and love. It takes a charity slave auction to show them what they’ve both been too stubborn to
see.

REVIEW: This great book is the 7th entry in Morticia Knight’s sensuous and sexy series Kiss of Leather. The ongoing drama and danger of Corey’s kidnapping comes to a completely unexpected ending that caught me by complete surprise. I really enjoyed seeing the whole gang make an appearance in this story, getting a quick glimpse into how each of the couples are doing. Tobey is a real sweetheart, but tends to be impulsive, running whenever he gets hurt. Ah Hunter!! He’s one of those silent loner alphas who make me want to scream with frustration!! He knows what he wants but it almost takes an act of Congress (pardon the pun) and someone lighting a fire underneath him to get him to go after it. Reading this series has been a fantastic
journey, and I would definitely recommend starting from the beginning.

RATING: ????

 

BUY LINKS:

Amazon

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