Rinda Elliott

Wild Warrior (The Weavers Circle #2) by Jocelynn Drake & Rinda Elliott: RDB, Excerpt, Release Day Review *2 and Giveaway

August 7, 2020 by Denise

Baer Manning

What happens when Baer spills his big secret about monsters and magic to a total stranger?

Chaos.

In Baer’s defense, he really thought Wiley was a lost brother.

This case of mistaken identity forces the cute artist to stay at the plantation house for his own protection while they search for a way to take down a witch.

Wiley Stuart

He never should have gotten in Baer’s Jeep.

But in Wiley’s defense, Baer is really sexy. And funny. And so sweet. And did he mention sexy?

All his life he’d dreamed of superheroes and a life of action. He just never expected to find himself swept up into a world filled with monsters and goddesses.

Wiley will do anything to stay with this magical band of brothers and help them with their fight. He just wished he could be Baer’s soul mate.

Wild Warrior is the second book in the Weavers Circle series. It includes fast-paced action, running through Savannah, secrets, swimming pool fun, shapeshifting, an elephant, sexy times, lots of snakes, insecurity, three crazy old ladies, and magic!

Title: Wild Warrior

Series: The Weavers Circle #2

Author: Jocelynn Drake & Rinda Elliott

Publisher: Drake & Elliott Publishing LLC

Release Date: August 7, 2020

Heat Level: 4 – Lots of Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 106,000

Genre: Romance, Fantasy

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There were about five people ahead of Baer in line—all of them staring at their phones or the shiny glass case of a tantalizing rainbow of doughnuts and pastries. Including the sexy blond Mini Cooper owner who was right in front of Baer in line. While Baer was a relatively average height of five ten, the blond was at least a delicate five seven or maybe five eight. The guy looked up from his phone as Baer stepped up behind him, and he flashed a nervous smile.

“Hey,” he greeted in a slightly husky voice and then flushed some more.

Yeah, this guy was all kinds of adorable.

“Mornin’,” Baer replied. “You ever been here before?”

The man shook his head, shoving his phone into his pocket. “No. It was recommended to me recently. When I woke up this morning, I just had to have doughnuts.” He gave a nervous little laugh. “I guess that’s the result of nonstop marketing at its best. It’s fall, so we’ve all gotta eat pumpkin-flavored everything for the next month.”

Blondie had the sexiest southern drawl. It wasn’t too thick. Probably a local, but he’d spent some time out of the area. Just enough to lose some of its natural thickness, but those lilting drawls still mesmerized Baer when he spoke, leaving him wondering how his lips and tongue wrapped around each vowel and consonant.

Good grief. He really did need to grab Grey for a boys’ night out in Savannah if he was going to start fantasizing about a nerdy twink’s mouth. Soul mates and forever sounded great, but it was clear that he needed to get laid. And what better time was there? Things were quiet. They weren’t running and fighting for their lives.

Pumpkin doughnuts and sex could do a growing boy good.

The bell hanging from the front door announced the arrival of another customer. Baer was about to ask the man’s name when the heavy scent of rotting flesh rolled through the room, overpowering the delicious miasma of frosting and fried dough.

Fuck.

He didn’t even need to turn around to know that behind him, pestilents had stepped into the bakery. It wasn’t enough that the alien race was attempting to steal the power of the earth to save their own dying planet while killing all Weavers in the process, but they had to interrupt his attempts at flirting as well? Just not cool.

Silently, Baer cursed himself and his luck. They’d all grown a little complacent over the past couple of months. They’d even started venturing away from the protection of the plantation without backup because the pestilents had stopped attacking.

Apparently they’d gathered enough numbers to make another go at the Weavers, and he’d not been paying enough attention to his surroundings to check to make sure there were no pestilents close. Instead of checking in with the animals in the area that there were no pestilents around, he’d let himself get distracted by big chestnut-brown eyes and a sweet smile.

Twisting around to glance over his shoulder, Baer swore under his breath to find a male and female pestilent standing in front of the door. Humans wouldn’t notice anything different about them, but Weavers could. The air wavered around them as if they radiated heat. And, of course, there was the godawful stench. Pestilents were not meant for this world, and their bodies started rotting from the moment they arrived. Their time in this place was limited, but what time they had was spent trying to kill the Weavers.

The pestilent woman wore a pair of ragged jeans, and her brown hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail, making her angular features seem that much sharper. A feral grin pulled across her thin lips when she spotted him. She lifted the shotgun in her hands to her shoulder and pointed it straight at his chest.

Baer sucked in a breath. Was she really going to open fire in a small building crowded with people? Everyone was going to be killed or injured. Not only one fucking Weaver.

Pivoting on the balls of his feet, Baer wrapped an arm around Blondie’s slender waist and dove over the closest table. A shocked yelp left the man’s lips, but he didn’t fight Baer as they tumbled to the floor. With his free hand, Baer grabbed the edge of the table, pulling it onto its side. They landed with the surprisingly thick wooden barrier at their backs just as the shotgun exploded in the room, slamming into the far side of the table and a scattering of chairs.

You definitely need to read book 1 as this is a continuing story.

We met Baer in book 1 as one of the Weavers. Magical beings that, through reincarnation, have been trying to beat the pestilents- otherworldly beings that are trying to take over earth because their world is dying. Like I said, you have to read book 1.

Baer is the animal weaver. Not only can he hear what animals are “saying” but he can also shift into any animal. It’s really pretty cool. Which is exactly what Wiley thinks when the bakery they are both in is attacked by pestilents (only Baer knows what they are) and Wiley watches him shift into a lion.

Wiley draws comic books for a living, so seeing this happen is like the coolest thing EVER for him. And then when Baer thinks Wiley is another weaver, WIley is practically GIDDY.

Wiley is thrust into this reality of magic and weavers and goddesses and pestilents and is having the time of his life. It’s kind of adorkable how much he loves being in the middle of it all- even without powers.

The pestilents have upped their game though. They have finally thrown something at the Weavers that they can’t seem to beat. They also find another “brother” the Fire Weaver. And they are searching for journals that previous Weavers wrote.

This installment was exciting, fun, sexy, heartbreaking and suspenseful. There was a lot less of the goddesses and more of the Weavers trying to figure out what they are going to do. While waiting for the missing Weavers to make their way to the plantation.

Drake and Elliott have woven (see what I did there?) an intricate world in the age old battle of good and evil. I CANNOT wait for more.

4 pieces of eye candy

I knew I was going to love Baer, I knew it and I was so excited for his book, but let me just tell you, I completely fell in love with Wiley! Lemme tell you why these two are so perfect for each other.

Baer is our shifter weaver, able to tune in with animals, hear their thoughts and speak with them, and he can turn into any one of them, though he hasn’t tried them all yet. He’s compared in the last book, to a bouncy, happy dog, and that’s exactly what his personality feels like to me too. He’s always just so happy and eager to please, I just love him immediately… so when he sees Wiley, a nerdy and cute comic book illustrator at a little donut shop, he thinks that he was led there by Jo (one of the Goddesses/Aunts), and since he feels such an attraction to him, he thinks he’s the group’s fourth weaver, so after saving him from two pestilents that follow him into the shop, he dumps every bit of truth on him and fully thinks that he’s their new brother.

Wiley is thrust into this magical world after a little old lady put an idea in his head that he wants pumpkin donuts… which, ewww, but ya know… whatevs lol After seeing this red-headed hunk in a donut shop, he can’t believe his eyes when the hot guy shifts right in front of him and takes apart these two people with guns…it gets more unbelievable when the guy asks him to come with him, tells him he’s part of their brotherhood, tells him he’ll get powers of his own and tells him everything there is no know about he and his brothers…. And Wiley….is….pumped!

I really felt for him, especially in the beginning because he wanted to belong to this group so bad. He’d always wanted a big family, with brothers and cousins and aunts and uncles, and though he has his grandma, he was lonely…. Unfortunately, that didn’t work out, but he was still so determined to help. And just because he isn’t a Weaver, doesn’t mean he doesn’t have his purpose, and Gray knows it too, even if Baer and Wiley do go back and forth over it so much I wanted to slap them both and yell DON’T YOU SEE??? You’re his soulmate!!….. YES YOU ARE!…… Nooooo, yes, you are! I mean, stop arguing with me in my mind, Baer, I know what I’m talking about!

Anyway….aside from Baer and Wiley and how ridiculously perfect they are for one another, we get to learn more about the guys and their purpose in this one. More pieces come together and things start making sense, and though I’m normally not a paranormal kinda gal, I do not do shifters and magic and ghosts and aliens and whatever else the paranormal world brings… I am absolutely hooked on this story and I never stopped being entertained.

I love the banter between the brothers and they really feel like brothers in this one. Soul brothers or whatever, like they’d known each other their whole lives. They bicker like brothers, they’re loyal like brothers and they’ll lay down and die for each other without hesitation. I love that. And Baer, so fierce and loyal and just so impossible not to love.

We also get a new brother, Lucien, and I cannot wait to know more about him, though I suspect the next story will be Grays with that lead in… I hope so, I cannot wait to see who’s going to be able to tame that broody broody man. It’ll be so hard to top Baer for me though, I just really fell in love with him and Wiley. Everything felt so genuine with them, they meshed so well together and when they finally realize that what they have isnt’ temporary, and they admit their feelings for one another, it feels so real and believable. I LOVE when that happens. Those I love you’s, are deserved in this one. I just swooned all over the place for both of them.

Overall, it was a crazy intense roller coaster full of action, loyalty, love and brotherhood. Honestly, what more could you want? It was perfect. I cannot wait to find out more about Gray! I’ll be over here impatiently but politely waiting for more!

All the stars from me!

5 pieces of eye candy

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.

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Rialto by Jocelynn Drake & Rinda Elliott: RB, Exclusive Guest Post, Release Day Review and Giveaway

December 19, 2019 by Denise

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.

Title: Rialto

Series: Unbreakable Bonds Series #8

Author: Jocelynn Drake & Rinda Elliott

Publisher: Drake & Elliott LLC

Release Date: December 16, 2019

Heat Level: 4 – Lots of Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 74,000

Genre: Romance, Thriller/Suspense

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4 Cornerstone Locations of the Unbreakable World By Jocelynn Drake

When you’re lucky enough to either be writing a long series around a specific group of friend, or if you’re lucky enough to fall in love with a series like that, you find yourself returning to some of the same locations over and over again. There’s always that one friend’s house where everyone gathers. Or maybe that favorite neighborhood pub where you sit in the same stool every time.

These places start to feel like home as much as your own bed or sofa in your house.

The boys of the Unbreakable Bonds quickly developed four such places that they quickly identified as home and I thought we’d visit those places today.

Shiver

Lucas’s night club Shiver in downtown Cincinnati was one of his favorite and it was the best place to kick off the series. The wild and adventurous night club encapsulated the crazy roller-coaster rides that were ahead of the boys. But Shiver itself was very much described Lucas Vallois – cold, bold, and different from the rest of the crowd. Even in the midst of the all the noise and chaos of the night club, the boys had their own secret hideaway that set them apart.

I think Shiver most closely called to the Lucas and Snow of old. They were cold, unreachable men. Rowe could never be described as cold, so it was a difficult fit for him, but he was always happy to follow his friends wherever they went. Sadly, we never got to see Ian here, but then the chef had his own place in the world.

Rialto

The restaurant created by Ian Pierce and funded by Lucas Vallois, Rialto served as the kitchen and dining room table where this strange little family gathered. Ian’s cooking was to die for, and the boys were always happy to gather here for just another taste. But Rialto was also Ian’s domain. It was the place where Ian started to come into his own, where he found and stretched his self-confidence. It was the one place where he ruled supreme. The Unbreakable Boys had a tendency to bulldoze anyone not speaking loud enough; they tended to overprotect. Standing in Rialto, it was the one place where Ian could be sure that his voice would always be heard. In Rialto, Ian is king.

Rialto has always been a place of family and love. Lucas had his first “date” with Andrei in Rialto. Ian had numerous meetings and important discussions with the boys in Rialto. It was where Ian managed to slowly woo Hollis with his cooking.

Ward Security

If Rialto was the dining room for the family home, then Ward Security was the armory. Of course, if you ask Rowe and Noah, they’d likely tell you it was the toy chest. When you’ve got stubborn, bossy men like Lucas and Snow in your life, it’s hard to claim yourself the undisputed ruler of anything, but Rowe managed to carve out his own territory in Ward Security. The converted warehouse was where Rowe gathered together the very best toys, whether you’re talking about weapons, surveillance, or just random tech. Rowe is a big believer in he who has the best toys wins, and Rowe very much wants to win. But he also wants to be well equipped for any eventuality. He cares a great deal about the people in his employ and he wants them to always be protected against danger.

But more than just toys and gadgets, Ward Security was where the boys came to seek Rowe’s advice. Sometimes they needed his help in uncovering some hidden facts or mounting rescue missions. And sometimes they just needed his expertise on how to proceed. For Rowe, Noah, and Andrei, Ward Security became a second home to meet the other half of their family – the Ward Security family.

The Penthouse

When you received your key to the penthouse, you knew you were a part of something special. Lucas’s penthouse in The Ascent, a condo skyrise in Northern Kentucky, was more than just Lucas’s home. It was a home for all of them. At one time or another, they all slept and ate meals in that penthouse. Ian made breakfast twice a week there. They got drunk so many times in that penthouse. And it was the first home for Daciana Vallois.

Rising above the Ohio River to look down on Cincinnati, the penthouse was a fortress and an escape. When the world threatened, it was the one place they could all run to and be safe for at least a few hours.

For all of the Unbreakable Boys, the penthouse was home.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this quick tour of the four cornerstone places within the Unbreakable Bonds world. If you’ve not read the series yet, we hope that you make a stop in Cincinnati and meet the boys. The series is now complete with eight novels and four short story collections. Jump into the adventure today!

I’m so obsessed with this series that I didn’t even care who it involved, I love them all! However, in this one, we get to see Ian and how amazing his restaurant, Rialto is doing. He’s got an amazing family, a career that he loves and the man of his dreams who he’s taking the steps to become foster parents with. Ian’s life is as close to perfect as he could’ve ever imagined and boy, did he deserve it.

Hollis is working as a PI, which you know is kinda like his work as a cop, but with fewer rules and red tape, so it’s perfect for him. As long as he gets to come home to the love of his life every night, he can’t complain. Everything’s been quiet, the families are getting settled and, well, it was about time for explosions and mayhem, right?

When someone starts attacking Rialto, Ian thinks it’s probably just someone jealous of his restaurant or his success, especially now that he’s opening a second place. It starts off with little things, like a call to ICE, bad reviews online and surprise visits from the health department… but with anything that comes to these guys, it escalates and does it quickly. Only, it’s been years since Ian’s had any trouble with anyone and the person he had trouble with… Is dead… so, who could possibly have it out for him?

The one thing that drives me crazy about these guys, is their all set to suffer alone. Like, you have this family who SPECIALIZES in finding people, eliminating threats and who genuinely take it as an insult when you keep them out of the loop with things that involve your safety…So, why do you insist on keeping everything from them? I understood Ian’s reasonings this time and was glad that that didn’t last long, but still…

It isn’t hard to figure out the type of person behind all the trouble, and let me tell you, you’ll fall more in love with Ian and his big heart when he discovers the who and the why. I don’t want to give anything away, but I’m so flippin’ petty, I might’ve acted as I’m sure, Snow, Rowe, Lucas and Noah would’ve loved too, but Ian, although fierce when he has to be, especially when it comes to his family… I loved his determination in this one. His forgiving heart and his patience and understanding…. I just loved it all, even though it raised my blood pressure and kept me on edge for a good last hour of the story lol

If you love this family, their shenanigans, cute babies, ridiculous code names and lots of steamy love.. don’t skip this one. It was a great ending, though, I’m still hoping for a spin-off or something so it’s not really over… but even if it is… everyone is in such a good place and they’re all so healthy and happy and together. What could be better than that?! Perfect addition <3

5 pieces of eye candy

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All For Wesley by Jocelynn Drake and Rinda Elliott: RDB, Excerpt, Release Day Review and Giveaway

October 4, 2019 by Denise

A B&B owner takes on a posh hotel developer in this enemies-to-lovers story with plenty of South Florida heat.

The grudge match is set to get nasty.

Wesley and Nathan are willing to pull out all the stops to achieve their dreams.

They just never expected the heat between them to carry over to the bedroom.

After one reckless night burning up the sheets, Wes and Nathan can’t stay away from each other.

But is there any hope of them having their happily ever after when it means someone has to give up his dream?

All For Wesley is a standalone enemies-to-lovers MM romance with sneaking, spying, family troubles, helpful movie stars, one poorly timed hurricane, and all the feels.

Title: All for Wesley

Series: Pineapple Grove #2

Author: Jocelynn Drake & Rinda Elliott

Publisher: Drake and Elliott Publishing LLC

Release Date: October 4, 2019

Heat Level: 4 – Lots of Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 67,000

Genre: Romance

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Closing his eyes for a moment, Wesley mentally chastised himself. This whole plan had been insane. Following Nathan into the gym only to trap himself? Freaking brilliant. At least he knew if the B and B thing didn’t work out, his future was not in private investigation.

Wesley hid among the lockers for what felt like a long time, listening to some low conversations, though none were Nathan’s voice. A couple of lockers slammed shut, and it sounded like people were heading for the shower. When it grew quiet, Wesley released the breath he’d been holding for far too long. He sneaked out from the last row of lockers, aiming to make a beeline straight to the exit and back to Wilton Cottage.

Except Nathan was waiting for him, leaning against the lockers.

In a towel.

They were alone in the locker room.

“You positively suck at being inconspicuous, do you know that? That bright shirt can be seen a mile away.” Nathan chuckled and crossed his arms over his wide, bare chest.

The towel slipped an inch lower, and all Wesley could do was stare at the light-brown happy trail below his navel and wonder how it would feel under his tongue. He could drop to his knees and tug that towel off, wouldn’t take much to dislodge it…

“Blake!”

He blinked up to find Nathan’s eyes narrowed as he stared at him. Heat crept up his neck, and he worked to remember why he was there. Hell, he could barely remember his name right then. His gaze slipped down that muscular chest again. He couldn’t help himself. Damn, but Nathan Randall was built. A lot more than he’d expected. Those damn suits hid all the good stuff.

“Are you even capable of conversation right now?”

“Hmm?” Had that towel moved when his abs contracted?

The soft laugh that met his ears did little to pull him out of his stupor. Had his mouth been dry before? Because now it was watering something fierce.

Nathan stepped closer and lifted his chin with warm fingers. “There’s an…interesting scent coming from you.”

That slammed Wesley right back down to earth. “I stepped in dog shit.” The humor of the situation got to him all of a sudden and he snorted.

Nathan grinned and Wesley was stunned at how such a little thing could transform Nathan’s entire demeanor. Had he really never seen Nathan smile at him? Well, he was sure he had, but there had always been a look of calculation in his eyes. Like he hadn’t really felt the warm emotion that went with the smile. He’d only done it to put Wesley at ease. But this time, the grin was matched with amusement in his eyes and those adorable little crinkles that stretched out from the corners. “It’s not a pleasant smell,” Nathan murmured.

“I promise, I usually smell better.”

“I’m aware.”

Wesley and Nathan, they were a little slow going for me at first, even though I am kind of a sucker for enemies to lovers. I’ve been so ready for Wesley’s story, I just knew he was going to be so sweet.

So, in this one, we have Nathan, a hotel developer who is set to stop at nothing to get Wesley, the owner of a quaint little homey, B&B in Pineapple Grove, right on the ocean. Where the B&B is a place where Wesley spent years transforming it into the perfect place for the members of his community to come and feel at home and welcome, Nathan’s idea to tear down the building and put in a newer and fancier hotel and his “dream” was built on revenge because of his own childhood in the community.

Now, don’t get me wrong… did I see where he was coming from? Absolutely! He had a terrible childhood because of his father and he wanted to show everyone who ever ignored his need for help as a child, that he wasn’t someone to discarded as trashy or unworthy, so what better way to show them, than showing them his success…. But, his dream seemed kind of immature, especially when he started having feelings for Wesley.

And I cannot lie, their back and forth, in the beginning, was a little bit repetitive, the first half of the book was just Wesley snarking at Nathan about wanting to tear his place down… I mean, it was sometimes cute and he got a couple of good digs in, but it was mostly the same thing over and over but at the same time, he was having feelings for Nathan and Nathan for him. When they decided to let their guards down though, I enjoyed them together, especially when Wesley was the type Nathan had needed as a kid and it was impossible to see that he loved and cared about his community so much, oftentimes more than himself. I loved that about him and I loved watching Wesley start falling for that part of him because it felt so important.

Anyway… I don’t wanna give the whole thing away, but there are some bumps and bruises along the way, but if you adore anything this duo writes together, you’ll love one just the same. It’s a nice change of pace from the guns and action sequences I swear that I can see in my head, and it’s sweet and sometimes sappy and I loved every second of it.
Another hit in a pretty awesome series and I cannot wait to see what’s in store for Lincoln and Jamison!!

4 pieces of eye candy from me!

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Ignite (Unbreakable Bonds Book 7) by Jocelynn Drake and Rinda Elliott: RDB, Excerpt, Release Day Review * 2 and Giveaway

July 27, 2019 by Denise

Two of Noah’s Army buddies are dead.

Someone has taken shots at Noah.

And now Noah’s former lover, JB, is a target.

Noah, Rowe, and JB team up to track down a killer trying to take out all of Noah’s old Army team in hopes of covering up a dark secret.

But this trip to Washington, D.C. threatens to unravel the perfect life that Rowe and Noah have built over the past three years. JB’s arrival in their lives have Rowe and Noah wondering if they want the same thing for their happily ever after.

Rowe is sure of one thing—nobody threatens his man. And he sets out to show anyone with a hidden agenda what a bad decision that was.

Title: Ignite

Series: Unbreakable Bonds #7

Author: Jocelynn Drake & Rinda Elliott

Publisher: Drake & Elliott Publishing LLC

Release Date: July 26, 2019

Heat Level: 4 – Lots of Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 73,000

Genre: Romance, Thriller/Suspense

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Noah smiled to himself as he watched Rowe drive them home. His hands slid easily along the leather wheel. Soon those strong hands would be stroking down his body. The way the man kept looking at him during the wedding had him half-hard all evening. He knew it was the wedding—all the romance in the air.

A lingering worry had nipped at him earlier in the day that Ian’s wedding would bring back painful memories of Rowe’s own wedding, but he seemed fine and Noah couldn’t be more thankful.

So, he watched those hands. Being touched by Rowe was like nothing else in this world. The man worshiped his body with an all-in intensity that frankly awed Noah. And he knew that wouldn’t change, no matter how long they were together. He took in his dark-red hair, lit by moonlight, disheveled as usual, and his ripped shoulders and arms. The man filled out a suit well, but he couldn’t wait to peel him out of it.

“Keep staring at me like that, and I’ll be finding a secluded spot to pull over,” Rowe murmured, giving him a steamy look.

“That’d be fine with me. Did I tell you how hot you are today? You should wear suits more often.”

“Soon as we get home, I’ll show you my birthday suit.”

“That’s my favorite suit of all.” Noah grinned.

Rowe pulled to a stop at a red light and turned toward him, his green-eyed gaze hotter than the sun. “You clean up nice yourself. Come here.”

Noah leaned over to kiss him. Brakes squealed sharply. Noah jerked his lips away from Rowe’s before they could touch. A car had pulled up, perpendicular to theirs, in the middle of the intersection. A loud bang quickly followed and the ping of glass breaking. Startled, he looked at the windshield to find a small hole in it.

“Shit, get down!” Rowe grabbed him and shoved him into the seat, covering him with his body just as another shot broke through the windshield.

“Someone is fucking shooting at us!” Rowe stretched over him to reach the glove box where he kept his gun. He yanked it out but stayed down. “Are you hurt?”

Noah couldn’t believe the man covered him, but that was Rowe. “No, I’m fine. You?”

“I’m good.”

Tires squealed again and the roar of the car engine grew softer. A knock on the driver’s window had them both jerking upright. Rowe aimed the gun in that direction, ready to put two in whoever was stupid enough to be standing there. Noah rose, ready to jump out of their truck and attack.

The woman outside screamed and ducked away from the window. “I was just making sure you were all right!” she yelled, and Rowe immediately lowered his gun. “The person shooting drove off, but I got a good look at the car. I’m beside you at the stoplight. The driver just pulled right into the intersection and someone shot out of the front passenger window. Is everyone okay? I called 9-1-1.”

Noah looked out the windshield to find the first hole directly in front of him. He turned and found a matching bullet hole in the seat. It would have pierced his heart. Whoever shot at them had one hell of an aim. Or at least, they would have if Noah hadn’t leaned over to kiss Rowe at that moment. <em>Holy fuck</em>, <em>that was close!</em>

His stomach was in knots as he met his boyfriend’s gaze. “What the hell?”

Rowe rolled down his window, apologizing to the woman for scaring her. “What kind of car was it?”

“A black Volkswagen hatchback.”

“Did you see anyone in the car? Could you tell if either person was a man or woman?”

“The passenger looked like a man. I’m sorry, I didn’t get a good look at the person’s face.”

Sirens sounded in the distance, getting steadily closer. Rowe put his gun back into the glovebox and they both got out of the truck to look at the damage. Two police cars arrived with a roar of engines. The first cop opened his door and stood with his gun at the ready.

“The shooter drove away,” the woman yelled. She was certainly helpful and brave to have gotten out of her car at all. Her red Honda was still parked at the light beside them with several more cars stalled there as well. None of those people had gotten out of their vehicles, but now they did as the police gathered.

Rowe and Noah answered questions but because they’d ducked, they had less to offer by way of explanation than the woman who’d witnessed the whole thing.

“Was more than likely a drive-by,” one of the cops said as he made a few notes in his little notepad. “We’ve had a few of them recently. I’m glad nobody was hurt this time. The others weren’t so lucky.”

But Noah had a feeling it wasn’t some random drive-by.

Fun, sexy, exciting. Yes, yes, yes. Definitely those things. Explosions, gun fights, chases. Those as well. What else would you expect of these guys? The couple of focus in this book are Rowe and Noah. We also meet JB, Noah’s former teammate and lover from when they were in the Rangers. Seems someone is taking out ex military who might have witnessed an ambush years ago in Afghanistan. Two are already dead, Noah and JB are next.

Underlying all of this excitement are Noah and Rowe contemplating their future together. Most importantly, marriage and children.

There isn’t a lot of the original guys in this story, but several do make appearances- the core four and their significant others. But they don’t take a big part of the story at all- definitely supporting players.

Ok, here is my wet blanket. A couple of things really took me out of the story. The first is that Noah and Rowe are the victims of a drive by shooting on the way home from Ian’s wedding. Not only is everything seemingly just taken care of at the scene by the cops, there is no further questioning, no ballistics done on the bullet in their car and they were free to go home, in bullet riddled car, very quickly. Like, meh, no big deal.

Even though these guys are trying to figure out who and why people are trying to kill them, they make time for sex. Lengthy sex. Ok, that’s fine. But you really have sex toys packed?

I won’t tell you the third thing because while it isn’t really a spoiler, it does happen at the end. But it is a minor part of the story that is never finished.

So I am so used to looking over explosions, tons of dead people, destroyed property, because fiction. Because it’s fun. And exciting. And good reading. But yea, those couple things bugged me. I’M SORRY!

It is still a good book. Like I said, fun, exciting, sexy, explosions, etc. Definitely read it if you have been reading all of these books. Because it is worth it. It’s like an action blockbuster where the female hero wears heels all of the time. Like, who cares? but it bugs me.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

I was so excited to see this one pop up because Rowe and Noah have been my favorite! (Don’t tell the others, I think I’m attracted to their crazy!)

So, in the beginning, we see Ian and Hollis getting married through the eyes of Rowe. I loved seeing everyone there for them, seeing as Hollis had to battle the brood for a while before they saw how much he loved Ian, and how Ian needed someone exactly like Hollis to claim him. And if anyone deserved a HEA, it was Ian….loved it….

As we know though, weddings does things to folks and it had both men thinking about where they saw their relationship going. They know they love each other… they know it’s forever and I was a little bummed to know how they felt about marriage and kids and stuff, but only because I’m a sap and I want the whole hog for all of them. There is no denying their love for each other though. On the way home from the wedding, they run into some trouble that the police try and brush off, but both men with their skillset feel that it’s way more than local law enforcement is treating it as.

When an old friend/brother-in-arms/past lover calls and confirms that not only are a couple of teammates dead, but he’s being targeted and fears that Noah will be too… binging him back home with them, they want to get to the bottom of whoever is out to hurt them before they have a chance to come back and finish the job!
JB, I thought was going to be trouble (he’s the old friend/brother-in-arms/ex-lover… I didn’t think Iw as going to like him because I’m so incredibly obsessed with Noah and Rowe and I didn’t want anyone coming in and making them doubt anything or trying to come in between them. I wasn’t a fan…

However, Rowe got his possessive and crazy jealous self and Noah assured him that he had nothing to worry about and JB was actually really charming, incredibly likable and fit in great with the guys and their craziness. I do hope he pops back up in future books because it was obvious that he still had feelings for Noah and unrequited love sucks! I want him to find his happy, he deserves it too.

Now, I won’t get into the who’s and the why’s of who and why Noah and his ex-team is being targeted because it kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time I was flipping through electronic pages and I don’t want to ruin that for y’all. I do feel like I need a mood stabilizer after it though… and it’s crazy how this duo can paint such vivid pictures of all the hilarity and chaos and have me gripping my kindle with clammy nervous hands until all is right in the world again. This one was no different.

If you’ve read any of the others in this series or the ones they’ve spun off from, you should be no stranger to the heart palpitations, the love, the broody, charming, gorgeous, possessive, hilarious family they write about. What starts out sweet, soon turns to hellfire and explosions and kidnappings and violence and murder and bad guys… but then gives us the sweetest weddings, babies, puppys, family and so so so much love that it makes every second of it worth it.

Awesome addition and I can’t wait to see who’s next!

This one gets all the stars!

5 pieces of eye candy

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Killer Bond (Ward Security Series Book 5) by Jocelynn Drake and Rinda Elliott: New Release Review

June 16, 2019 by Denise

Daniel Hendricks wants a vacation. Ward Security’s accountant and resident code breaker just needs a little R&R from the chaos and usual shenanigans of the office.

But what was supposed to be a sexy vacation hook-up explodes in his face when he’s mistaken for a rogue secret agent.

Now he’s on the run with CIA agent Edward Raines from Bermuda to Barcelona to Paris as they try to find the secrets the real rogue was attempting to sell before another foreign spy does.

The chemistry between them is off the charts, but how is Daniel supposed to trust a man who had originally set out to kill him?

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

What a fun book! Even though this is Book 5 in the Ward Security series– which is a spin off of the Unbreakable Bonds series– it is definitely the stand aloniest of all of them. (Yes, I made up a word. You’re welcome)

The story gets almost immediately into the action. Daniel, quiet accountant for Ward Security, is finally on vacation. He doesn’t care that he is alone. Well, not really. But a super hot guy sits next to him on the beach. Flirting leads to dinner leads to what Daniel thinks is a one night stand. But Edward thinks Daniel is a rogue agent out to sell government secrets to the highest bidder. Until the rogue agent and Daniel are in the same room and the similarity is shocking.

And so begins a very James Bond like adventure. With really hot sex. Because as freaked out as Daniel is at the beginning of this adventure, being lied to by Edward AND realizing that Edward had fully intended on killing the rogue agent (him, but not him), he really doesn’t want a roll in the hay again. Buttttttttttt… he can’t help it.

Edward and Daniel traipse through several European countries trying to not only find the information that was set to be sold, but to also figure out who the real rogue agent’s partner is. I loved how Daniel insisted on seeing the sights while also basically running for their lives. It cracked me up. But hey, if that was probably going to be my one and only time in France, I might do the same.

There is very little mention of “the guys” at Ward Security and mostly only one of his coworkers in involved very slightly. So it wasn’t the typical rousing of the troops to save the day. It was pretty much just Daniel and Edward.

Fun, exciting, sexy….and a happily ever after. Must read.

4 Pieces of Eye Candy

Killer Bond by Jocelynn Drake & Rinda Elliott: Release Day Review

May 20, 2019 by Denise

Daniel Hendricks wants a vacation. Ward Security’s accountant and resident code breaker just needs a little R&R from the chaos and usual shenanigans of the office.

But what was supposed to be a sexy vacation hook-up explodes in his face when he’s mistaken for a rogue secret agent.

Now he’s on the run with CIA agent Edward Raines from Bermuda to Barcelona to Paris as they try to find the secrets the real rogue was attempting to sell before another foreign spy does.

The chemistry between them is off the charts, but how is Daniel supposed to trust a man who had originally set out to kill him?

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

I swear, every new one of these books, they convince me they’re my favorite. I don’t think anyone will top Rowe and Noah, or maybe Lucas and Andrei… Mmmkay, nevermind, I can’t pick.

So, in this one we have Ward Security accountant, former FBI-guy, Daniel, vacationing in Barcelona. With a head for numbers and a quieter job than the rest of the guys at Ward, he didn’t really feel like he fit in; so he needed some time away.

Sitting on the beach with a good book and a cocktail, he’s surprised when a very charming and good looking man sits next to him and chats him up. Normally shy and more reserved than the other guys, I liked how confident and flirty he seemed with Edward, even if he was still a little shy.

And Edward, who was supposed to be in telecommunications, turns out to be a secret CIA agent with a job to do and mistakes Daniel for someone else, he figures he’ll do whatever he needs to do to get what he needs from Daniel; even if it means seducing him.

Edward, even though he’s kind of a bad guy disguised good guy… I found him incredibly charming, even when he talked about seducing and probably killing Daniel when he was done with him. Their connection was immediate, and even though he tried to keep his distance from him, it proved pretty impossible because Daniel was equally as charming.

When described like a Bond movie, that’s exactly what this was. I was flipping pages almost faster than I could read them. Every time I thought that the danger was over, they were thrust back into it, and I want to explain it all so you’ll see how amazing and heart-pounding this is, but you just need to experience it for yourself.

Also, if you haven’t read the other ones in this series, what is wrong with you?! Stop what you’re doing and go do it! You’ll find yourself fighting over favorites like I do, I guarantee it!

As much fun as the adventure, the site-seeing, the danger and the getting to know each other was with these two, my heart kind of broke a couple of times for Daniel, because he fell for Edward so quickly, and even though Edward was a little bit better at hiding it, he’d fallen for Daniel too. He was actually really sweet and though dangerous and quite deadly… he was protective and possessive and everything we all love from these guys!

There were twists and expectations that I had that turned out to be completely wrong, which I was glad about because in every story I’ve ever read, the ‘handler’ turns out to be a bad guy. I was waiting for that. And just when you think that everything’s over… it turns out to be just the beginning for these two. I was really disappointed by the end. I hadn’t been paying attention and I wanted about 10 more chapters, just cuz!

Overall though, I love this series…. It’s a frequent go-to for me and I love every single couple and every mini-movie that each story feels like. I can’t wait to see who’s next, and I hope to see more of these two in the future…

5 pieces of eye candy