Reviews

Danger and Desire by Kimberly Kincaid

jigsawgirl's review

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5.0

A total of 8 novellas. Some I enjoyed more than others, but all eight were entertaining, quick, romantic suspense reads.



Kimberly Kincaid - The Rookie, 5 stars

This book grabbed me right from the start. I really did not expect Xander and Tara to get together so so easily. It want installed. They define had a not so friendly past, that caused me to think there would be a ton of angst.

I liked the way the story played out. The pace was fast. It flowed smoothly from one scene to another. There was enough information and detail that I wasn't reading it thinking of a ton of questions that I needed to have answered.

This book had action, suspense, danger, a touch of mystery, romance, and sexual tension. I would definitely go with a 4.5 for this novella.


Rachel Grant - Night Owl, 3 stars

 This book was all about Brad and Jenna's romance. There was something sinister about an operative by the name of Godfrey, and his influence on new trainees, one in particular. It was mentioned on a couple of occasions that a murder of an operative occurred.

I had a problem with this book because I felt like the reader was being teased. Don't get me wrong, this wasn't a cliffhanger. When I started reading, I got the impression that this was a romantic suspense and we would be delving into the suspected murder and the sinister character of Godfrey. I was wrong.

The book only delves into Brad and Jenna's romance. You have to buy another book to find out about the other storylines mentioned. It is probably just me, but I feel a little cheated. Especially after reading the first book in the Danger and Desire anthology. Maybe this book is just the "Desire" part.

This book was ok. It was a cute romance with an HEA.


 Cat Johnson - Desire in D. C., 4 stars

This book had a couple of interesting twists and turns in it. As Peter's character was introduced, he came across as kind of timid and wimpy. Marty, on the other hand, started out as a force to be reckoned with.

Over the course of the book, Peter stepped up his game. I would never consider him an alpha male, but he lost the wimpiness. I still felt like he was always waiting for Marty to make the first move in the relationship.

The best part of the book waa the plane ride and Marty's experiences on her way back from Athens. There was action, danger, and romance in this book. I would give it 3.5 stars.

 
Maryann Jordan - Levi, 4 stars

This is a pretty good novella. I has just the right pace, the right amount of suspense, the right amount of intrigue, and the right amount of romance.

Levi and Claire falling for one another on a cross country trip was easy to imagine. I liked the idea of Lighthouse Investigations and the Keepers. This book definitely made me want to read other books in the series.

 
Cristin Harber - The Guardian, 3 stars

I liked Jason and Roxana's witty dialogue. Roxana was a strong and intelligent woman.

The novella was fast paced and intriguing. I had a problem with the situation with Buck. All of these dominoes started to fall because of the condition Buck was in at the time Jason met with him? Really?

This was a major upheaval of life. Then with the phone call everything was suddenly chill? Really? I felt like I was missing something major. I had started to get into the book waiting for the explanations, the intrigue, to all be fleshed out. Then it fell flat for me.

It was an ok read, but I expected something more.


Janie Crouch - Scout, 5 stars

This is the first book that I have read by this author, and it won't be the last.

I really liked Wyatt (Scout) and Nadine. She was nobody's wuss, as much as she felt like she was. When Wyatt showed up.in trouble, she jumped right into the fray.

Scout was FULL of action, suspense, danger, and intrigue. The story kept me on the edge of my seat from the first to almost the last page. I thought Nadine was impressive. There waa a reference to what she and her friend had experienced, but in this situation with Wyatt, she came through like a champ.

Even Wyatt and Nadine's romantic times were suspenseful. I kept thinking they were going to be caught by the bad guys. Wyatt and Nadine's dialogue was witty, and sometimes funny. With all of the action and drama, they still got their HEA.


Caitlyn O'Leary - Lawson and Jill, 5 stars

Lawson and Jill was a fast paced, witty romantic suspense. I liked both of the characters, Jill especially. There was a fair amount of intrigue, action, danger, suspense and romance. Law's brother and his friends played a significant role in getting Law and Jill to their HEA. 4.5 stars.

The book gave me background history on the characters involved. I discovered there is a book for Law's brother Asher, also for Kane and Cullen who helped during Jill's situation. I plan on reading all three books.


Elle James - Breaking Away, 5 stars

Really enjoyed this book. It was almost nonstop action, danger, adventure, and suspense.

Mac and Kylie find they have a second chance. Never considering that it will be under the circumstances they find themselves in while overseas.

I liked that Kylie was was tough and didn't fall apart under extremely dangerous circumstances.

A fast paced exciting read with an HEA.

I voluntarily read and reviewed the Advanced Reader Copy of these books, received as part of the Danger and Desire 8 book Anthology.

mags_louise's review

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4.0

4.5⭐

I love reading anthologies as they are a great way to find new authors and DANGER AND DESIRE in particular ticked all my boxes as the stories are from a genre I love: romantic suspense; and I truly had a great time reading the seven stories included in this eARC which were:

*The Rookie by Kimberly Kincaid
*Night Owl by Rachel Grant
*Desire in D.C. by Cat Johnson
*Levi by Maryann Jordan
*The Guardian by Cristin Harber
*Scout by Jamie Crouch
*Lawson and Jill by Caitlyn O'Leary

And with varying amounts of romance and suspense not to mention a vast array of settings from the wilds of Alaska to the north side of Chicago to the nation's capital in the seventies there was something genuinely intriguing and enjoyable in every one.

Would happily recommend.

**eARC kindly provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

mommasaystoread's review

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4.0

There's no better way to meet a new author than in an anthology in my opinion. I prefer a mix of familiar favorites and new to me authors so I'm sure to like at least some of what I find. Usually, there will be at least one author or story that will be the draw for me. In this case, I was pretty sure I'd like most, if not all, of the stories enclosed since they're all romantic suspense - one of my favorite genres. This one has 8 novella length books in one, and it amounts to somewhere around 800 pages of - well, as the title says, Danger and Desire. Some are heavier on the danger, and others lean more toward the desire, but they all have some level of both.
The Rookie by Kimberly Kincaid starts with a good bit of excitement and doesn't let up. It's fast-paced, and Xander and Tara have great chemistry. It's a good mix of suspense, danger, and attraction, and ended up being one of my favorites in the collection.
Scout by Janie Crouch was the one that drew me to this collection, to begin with, and another favorite in the collection. As a fan of the Linear Tactical series, I'm always ready to gobble up anything that includes those characters. This one gives us Wyatt and Nadine, along with a few others from the Linear Tactical team. The romance moves a little faster than is typical for the series, but this is a novella, and it's done in a way that is kind of perfect for this couple and their story. It also has the author's usual flair for action and intrigue mixed with some well-timed wit. Many of the characters are from the Linear Tactical series, but Scout can be read as a standalone. I will warn that once you meet any of the characters from this series, you'll want to know them all.
Night Owl by Rachel Grant takes us to Alaska for a bit of romance and owl watching. This one starts as kind of a lust from afar type of thing with it being implied that the attraction has been there for some time but neither Brad nor Jenna have acted on it until now. Brad was a little too wishy-washy for me with his back and forth, 'I want her, but I shouldn't start something with her,' and it grew tedious even in a novella. Of course, that can't hold so we do get some romance, but it's not as suspenseful as I expected. This one also has a sort of open-ended conclusion with a mention of the series, so there is that. This is the only one in the series that had that open-ended vibe. I will say that other than Brad's indecision, the characters and storyline did hold my interest, and the series sounds promising.
The Guardian by Cristin Harber is loaded with secrets that Jason and Roxana are going to need to overcome to get their happily ever after - if those secrets don't kill them first. This is another fast-paced story with a solid mix of romance and suspense. The story is entertaining and engaging, and I will be checking out more of Cristin Harber's work.
Levi by Maryann Jordan starts out a little bit slower than I prefer, especially in a novella, but that doesn't last long, and then we're off and running. The premise is interesting, and I love the idea of a romance blooming during a cross-country trip. Of course, that's not what Levi had planned as he set off for a new job, and he and Claire have plenty to deal with. This is another one with some great characters and an entertaining storyline.
Desire in D.C. by Cat Johnson is another favorite in this collection. I do love me some political intrigue, and this has plenty of that. There's also a romance that blooms despite different political beliefs and some heated debates, at least on one side of that debate - of course, the heat isn't all about different sides of the political arena, and it burns even hotter with the attraction between this couple.
Lawson and Jill by Caitlyn O’Leary was a little harder for me to read. Not because it isn't good, but because I've had my own grief to deal with these past few weeks. At the same time, it was a story that pulled me in, and I ended up liking it a great deal. This pair fits so well together and they do have their own danger to deal with.
All in all, we have 8 stories of romantic suspense, and while I liked some better than others, they were all well worth the read, and in addition to enjoying an author I know and love, I've also found a few more to check out.

leanner's review

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5.0

What a fantastic anthology this is, I've enjoyed all the stories immensely. It's also free so what are you waiting for.
I've discovered new to me authors and revisited some faves and their series.

Caitlyn O'Leary - her heroes are always swoon worthy. Lawson carried the grief of his brother's death, it affected his life and decisions. Jill's grief was over her cousin, almost a sister. Both meeting at a counselling group, coffee turned into so much more and sparks sizzled. I enjoyed the slow burn of their impending romance. When danger stalked her we watch Law go all macho and protective, this Marine Raider was deadly serious in his security measures for her. This was a wonderful story and had likeable characters, I'm ready to read more of this family.

Maryann Jordan - I love the Lighthouse Series. - Levi is headed across country to start his new job at Lighthouse security. A circumstance has him starting his role before he even arrives. Who is this woman and can she be trusted? We have sparks flying here, but he must find out if she is a criminal or a victim. Their story is short but sweet and I'm guessing we'll learn the growth of these characters in other stories in this series.

Elle James - another favourite of mine. A delta hero and a war correspondent, she is someone from his past. Can they have their second chance? Will they both even survive the war zone? Plenty of danger and drama in this one, I loved it.

Kimberly Kincaid - new to me author, just what I need more books on my TBR pile. lol
I enjoyed these characters, he's a cop and feels unworthy due to his past to see Tara. She's educated, an ADA and super smart. Sizzling moments will inevitably bring them together. A criminal is after her and they don't even realise. Will he be able to save her life? Intriguing story and I look forward to some full length novels by this author

Rachel Grant - Haven't read this author before, so I'm interested to see a full size novel. I enjoyed reading about the Alaskan area in which this was set. And of course the owls. This couple almost left their relationship too late, 3 years of what ifs, just wanted to smack him. I didn't really have a conclusion with this one, a few loose ends that I guess continue in this authors stories to come.

Cat Johnson - Not read this author before either. This one takes place in DC but the action is overseas. Seemed like a regular romance until one circumstance had me glued to my kindle.

Cristin Harber - Another new to me author. Secrets could make or break a relationship. She's no idea what on earth is going on. Who is this man she loves? I've not read this series so I felt like something was missing. Perhaps it would be better not read as a stand alone.

Janie Crouch - Haven't read this author before, not knowing her characters made no difference as the story unfolded with mainly the two main characters and their drama.
She's practically a recluse, hiding from the world after surviving a traumatic event. He's been secretly watching her, not in a bad way but keeping her safe. That is until he brings danger to her door. This was an exciting action packed story and it was fun watching their romance blossom.

nikkisbooknook's review

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5.0

Scout (Linear Tactical Series) - Janie Crouch. One traumatised and self-confessed hermit heroine and an on the run warrior, attempting to keep her safe but brings her into danger anyway! Wyatt is so Alpha but impossibly caring at the same time. Nadine is still traumatised but trying to cope with her new life. She is stronger than she knows! (Pepper spray is my fave scene)

Night Owl (Evidence Series) - Rachel Grant

Jenna local, small town girl but lusts after Brad, one of the Falcon team who is determined not to stick around. But one hot night owl watching may just break his resolve. (Get ready to loathe Ted!)

The Guardian (Aces Series) - Cristin Harber

Roxana loves that her boyfriend, now fiance, is a predictable CPA. Not for her the adrenaline-fuelled nutters like her brothers turned out to be. Ummm, she may have to review that summary! Unhinged drunken bosses, gun-toting home invaders and tunnels that go for miles!

Levi (Lighthouse Security) - Maryann Jordan

Levi is ready for a new challenge. Driving from Wyoming to Maine for his new job is a great way to unwind and act like a tourist. But never one to leave a damsel in distress he soon has a travel buddy. One who is keeping secrets! (I hadn't read any of the other books but they are now on my gargantuan TBR!)

Lawson and Jill (Night Storm) - Caitlyn O’Leary

Lawson is still struggling with the death of his older brother and has been goaded into grief counselling. But he never expected Jill to be the light in his darkness. They share grief over the loss of a loved one but there is danger lurking in the darkness! Jill is smart cookie and cool as anything under pressure!

jksh5678's review

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4.0

The Rookie by Kimberly Kincaid
Tara Kingston is a prosecutor for the Remington District Attorney’s office and she is passionate and determined that justice is served. Her latest case reunites her with now rookie cop Xander Matthews, a man she tried to send to prison two years prior. Now they are working closely together to protect a potential witness. The attraction is felt quickly, but with their backgrounds so different Xander tried to keep things professional. Unfortunately for him, their chemistry was too much to deny. As Tara’s trial draws nearer, the danger increases and protecting her witness and now herself becomes imperative, but Xander is definitely up for the job. 3 ½ stars

Night Owl by Rachel Grant
Jenna O’Donnell, server and bartender at Tamarack Roadhouse, has been secretly crushing on Brad Fraser, one of the Raptor operatives for the past 3 years. But her actions and reactions to Brad makes her attraction to him not so secret. He too feels the chemistry but he refuses to give in, he has a plan to leave Alaska and he knows she would never want to leave. After an impromptu night visiting Jenna’s favorite animal, they both give in to their attraction but Brad was adamant it was only for that one night. As the days go by, Brad realizes staying away from Jenna was just not possible. 3 stars

Desire in D.C. by Cat Johnson
A senator’s aide meets the woman of his dreams in a bar one night, but is shot down due to their differences. But for Peter Greenwood, he is not ready to give up. With his determination along with a riot and a hijacking of a plane they find a common love for each other. 3 stars

Lev by Maryann Jordan
Former FBI agent Lev Amory is starting a new career with Lighthouse Security and Investigations and decides to take his time and drive across the states to his new home in Maine. On the way he has a chance encounter with Claire Loman on the backroads outside of Chicago. Not feeling comfortable leaving Claire broken down and with no other means of transportation, he offers her a ride to her destination. As the miles go by, they learn more about each other and a connection starts to develop. Unfortunately, Claire has some secrets that come to light and places her in danger. Once again not being able to leave a damsel in distress, Lev and his new co-workers do whatever they can to keep her safe. 3 ½ stars

The Guardian by Cristin Harber
The day after Jason Green proposes to Roxana Carter, she is held at gunpoint and realizes her fiance has been lying to her from their very first meeting. Now it is up to Jason to prove his love for her while trying to get out of the mess he had created. 4 stars

Scout by Janie Crouch
After a harrowing event the year prior, Nadine Macfarlane is now a recluse, hiding away in her home and leaving only to go to the market. Wyatt Highfield, part of the Linear Tactical team, was also present after her rescue. Since then Nadine and Wyatt have been communicating with each other online for the past year but have not gone any further than that. But during one of Nadine’s infrequent outings that Wyatt came back into her life. Unfortunately, Wyatt is back under false pretenses, but he needs her help. Wyatt is definitely one of those uber alpha males, but it was Nadine who proved she was stronger than she thought that did the saving. 5 stars

Lawson and Jill by Caitlyn O’Leary
Lawson and Jill find each other at a grief support group after losing someone they loved. Even though they did not stay in the group for very long, they both found a way to heal with each other.
There were some sweet moments and some heartbreaking memories along with some steam but mixed in was also a little bit of drama. When Jill becomes a target, the alpha in Lawson emerges and creates some intense scenes. 3 ½ stars

si0bhan's review

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2.0

The Danger and Desire boxset was a collection of short stories and novellas that were quick and easy to power through. Some I enjoyed more than others, but I cannot claim any of them wowed me.

The Rookie by Kimberly Kincaid was a three-star rating. It was a story that easily pulled me in, although I did find the information dumps a bit distracting. Despite this and the fact I had to suspend my belief about certain details, the story had me eager to see how the pieces would come together. I enjoyed watching the story play out and the characters come together, although I would have liked a bit more depth and for there to be a bit more to the ending.

Night Owl by Rachel Grant was a three-star rating. It was a story that had the potential to be interesting, but it failed to deliver what I had expected. It was an enjoyable romance between the main characters, but I was expecting more from the suspense in this one. In many ways, this felt like it provided a prequel for details of the main series but did not quite give enough for this to be a powerful standalone novella.

Desire in DC by Cat Johnson was a three-point-five-star read, and I ended up rounding down to a three-star rating. The first half of this story hooked me, and I was quickly pulled into events and fell for the characters. Although I enjoyed the second half of the story, things happened too quickly for me to love them. After the build-up of the first half of the story, I had expected more. As it was, I enjoyed watching the events play out, but I had been hoping to see more action. The fact this had some four-star moments, however, has me curious about the rest of the series.

Levi by Maryann Jordan was a two-star rating. It was a story that had the potential to be interesting, but it was too underdeveloped for me to fall for it in the way I had hoped. There was no real suspense to this one, and the relationship between the characters was insta and without the chemistry I had hoped for.

The Guardian by Cristin Haber was a two-star rating. This was a story I feel would have worked better if I had read the other books in the series. As it was, I felt like I stepped into the middle of a story and was lacking in the information to understand it. That would have been fine, except I felt like nothing happened with this one.

Scout by Janie Crouch was a two-star rating. There were a few moments where I contemplated giving this one a three-star rating, yet there were not enough of those for me to decide to round my rating up. I think, in some ways, I would have enjoyed this one more if I’d read the other books in the series. It felt like a bonus for fans, giving the story of a side character, and did not have enough depth for me to feel any real connection with it.

Lawson & Jill by Caitlyn O’Leary was a two-star rating. This was a story that had me conflicted. I enjoyed the first half of the story, even though it did not quite have enough depth for me, which left me eager to see how everything came together. Unfortunately, the way things came together was lacking for me. Things happened far too quickly, and I never quite felt the danger I had expected with such a story. Although an interesting idea, it came together too predictably and quickly for me to enjoy it in the way I had originally anticipated.

Breaking Away by Elle James was a one-star rating. I wanted to enjoy this one, as there was a lot of potential for edge-of-the-seat moments, yet it failed to grab me in the way I had hoped. This one felt much too flat for me, filled with characters explaining things that were obvious, and never quite packed the emotional punch it could have. A part of me questions whether I would have enjoyed this more if I’d known the characters better from other books, but I’m unsure – no one was fleshed out enough for me to have an interest in them.

All in all, this was easy reading that has me curious about some of the authors, yet it was not quite enough for me.

cheryls's review

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5.0

THE ROOKIE by Kimberly Kincaid 4.5 Stars
The story features Xander and Tara. All he wants is to leave his past behind him, be a great cop and help people. Tara was the A.D.A. a few years ago, at a time he was up to no good and tried to prosecute him. Now, he’s a cop and the chemistry is sizzling HOT between them as they work  closely on the same case. 

NIGHT OWL by Rachel Grant. 4.5 Stars
Jenna wants Brad...BAD!  Brad wants her too but he doesn’t want to hurt her when he leaves town. They've had this attraction for 3 years and  chemistry is OFF-THE-CHARTS!  There’s also some things going on at Raptor that I would definitely love to find out more about.  This is a series I must read!

DESIRE IN D.C. by Cat Johnson  4 Stars
This is a Hot SEALs origin story featuring Peter and Marty. They were political opposites but it’s true that opposites attract. This is another book that makes me want to read the entire series.

LEVI by Maryann Jordan  4.5 Stars
This is a Lighthouse Security Investigations novella and it features Levi and Claire.  He rescued a damsel in distress but he got so much more than he was expecting.  Levi finds out exactly how awesome it will be to work for a family type of company like LSI.  Great story line and fantastic characters!

THE GUARDIAN by Cristin Harber  4 Stars
This is book 4 in The Aces series and it features Jason and Roxana.  She thought he was an accountant and he is but he’s also so much more. That will be a problem for her if she finds out  because she’s vowed to NEVER want a man with a dangerous occupation.

SCOUT by Janie Crouch  5 Stars
This is a Linear Tactical novella and it features Wyatt/Scout and Nadine. She’s been through a lot!  Wyatt has been covertly keeping an eye on her and at the same time, they call and email each other often.  While on a solo mission, Wyatt needs her help and trouble spirals.  This is another fantastic story in an amazing series!

LAWSON AND JILL by Caitlyn O’Leary  4.5 Stars
This is a novella and book one in the Night Storm Legacy series and it features Lawson and Jill.  This is a beautiful story of two people who have each lost someone important and are learning to live again.  If things aren’t hard enough, Jill is kidnapped by a madman.  I am definitely interested in learning more about Law and his friends.

BREAKING AWAY by Elle James  5 Stars 
This is a Delta Force Strong novella and it features Mac and Kylie. Who knew that after all these years that they would meet again in Afghanistan and under such treacherous circumstances.  If you like strong heroes and heroines then this is the book for you!  This is an action packed, second chance romance, that is FULL of sexy, Delta Force alpha-men.
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