Review: Brighter than the Sun (KGI #11) by Maya Banks

Author: Maya Banks

Series: KGI #11

Publisher / Source: Netgalley / Jove Books

Release date: 7^th March 2017

Pages: 384

Synopsis (Goodreads)

Searing action and passion ignite the latest KGI novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Darkest Before Dawn.

The Kelly Group International (KGI): A super-elite, top secret, family-run business.
Qualifications: High intelligence, rock-hard body, military background.
Mission: Hostage/kidnap victim recovery. Intelligence gathering.
Handling jobs the U.S. government can’t...

As the last unattached member of the Kelly clan, Joe is more than ready to risk life and limb on any mission he’s assigned to, but when it comes to love, he’ll keep his distance. He’s content to watch his brothers become thoroughly domesticated. 

Zoe’s had nothing but heartbreak in her life, and she’s determined to start over with a completely new identity, thanks to her college friend, Rusty Kelly. But it’s the gorgeous smile and tender words of Joe Kelly that begin to weaken her resolve to never risk her heart again. And Joe will have to put everything on the line to save Zoe, when secrets of her past resurface—and threaten to tear them apart…

Review: 2 out of 5 stars

I have been a fan of Maya Banks for as long as I can remember and the KGI series has always been one of my favourite romantic suspense series but this read nothing at all like the other books and unfortunately I was left quite disappointed.

With a new identity Zoe Kildare is on the run from her father and boyfriend for reasons I won’t mention to avoid spoilers, she is ready for a fresh start with the help of the Kelly family’s adopted daughter and sister, Rusty. Rusty has skills no one seems aware of and sets Zoe up with a new life and takes her back to the Kelly compound for refuge

Joe is the last single Kelly and is quite eager to stay that way until he sets eyes on Zoe, he sees that she is scared and needs protecting so takes it upon himself to be her saviour and asks her out on a date.

The relationship between Joe and Zoe progressed rapidly, I found that it was too much too soon and I didn’t quite get the connection. Zoe was broken and very down on herself and Joe was her knight in shining armour but he turned into an emotional mess.

What I did like about this book was the military aspects and interactions between the KGI teams, it’s nice to revisit past characters and their wives. This book had a more serious tone and the teasing between the brothers was noticeably absent.

I have never been a Rusty fan, I found her to be a bit of a pain in the past books but she was a real stand out in this book and I loved her page time; I couldn’t help but hope for more for her.

Everything was emphasized in this book, the emotion, the drama, suspense and angst and I found it all very frustrating! We don’t even get a glimpse of the bad guys, it was all very rushed and didn’t make sense at all. You have to suspend belief when reading this title because it was extremely far-fetched.

I thoroughly enjoyed the first few books in this series but the past few I didn’t enjoy at all; I think this might be a series that has run its course for me unfortunately.

Thank you to Berkley Books via Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.

About the author:

Maya Banks is the #1 New York Times, #1 USA Today and international bestselling author of over 50 novels. A wife and mother of three, she lives in Texas.

Books in order

#1 The Darkest Hour
#2 No Place to Run
#3 Hidden Away
#4 Whispers in the Dark
#5 Echoes at Dawn
#5.5 Softly at Sunrise
#6 Shades of Gray
#7 Forged in Steele
#8 After the Storm
#9 When Day Breaks
#10 Darkest Before Dawn

REVIEW: Whispers in the Dark (KGI #4) by Maya Banks

Author: Maya Banks

Series: KGI

Pages: 333

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Publisher: Berkley

Amazon: Whispers in the Dark

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

Nathan is being held captive and is in agony. His saving grace is the voice of an angel who eases his pain and helps him regain enough strength to escape. When he does, she leaves him with a void that he can barely stand. When he escapes and returns to the KGI, he hears her again-now "she" needs "him."
Her name is Shae, and she's on the run with her sister. A government group wants to harness their abilities to heal. The KGI wants to help- but can Nathan quiet his soulmate's doubts and convince her that they are meant to face these dangers together?

REVIEW: 4 out of 5 stars

Whispers in the Dark is the 4^th book in Maya Banks KGI series and follows youngest brother, Nathan Kelly’s story.

Nathan whilst on tour in Afghanistan was taken hostage and tortured for information, witnessing extreme horrors he is left broken until he hears the voice of an angel who surrounds him with her warmth and plots a plan to help him escape.

Shea Peterson has telepathy and the ability to take away pain, her ability is random but she has honed in on Nathan during his ordeal and has formed a bond to the weakened soldier. Shea has been on the run along with her sister Grace who also has a special ability since the death of their parents, she has no idea who is after them except they are wanting to exploit and use them for their extraordinary abilities.

With Shea’s help, Nathan and his team mate Swanny are able to escape, rescued by his brothers he is on his way home but the connection he has to Shea has also been broken leaving him questioning his sanity and becoming a recluse. It isn’t until a few months after that he hears a weakened plea of help from Shea and knows he can’t sit back and let it pass.

I was quite surprised by Ms Banks Paranormal twist, I was a little skeptical at first with how it would all work but she seemed to pull it off. Whispers in the Dark was a riveting read which kept me wanting to turn the pages, there were a number of twists and turns I never would have expected and the ongoing action kept the pacing even.

Now the romance I was a little iffy about, I enjoyed the bond created between Shea and Nathan but his caveman act at times was a little too much for my liking. He certainly pulled off the dominant alpha male role perfectly but I found him to be quite gruff and demanding whilst Shea on the other hand was meek and mellow. The connection and inner talk between them I felt was sweet but it wasn’t one of my favorite Kelly relationships.

I absolutely love the dynamics of the Kelly family and it is always nice to catch up with the brothers and their wives, they all pull together when one of their own is put in harms way and offer the support and love we have come to enjoy from this series. I hope Ms Banks continues this with the other books as this support system works really well. I am also quite keen to read about other secondary characters, Swanny especially as well as the non-Kelly members of the KGI team - Cole, Rio, P.J and Steele.

I enjoyed the suspense, angst, action and mystery, Ms Banks has a way of pulling you into the story she is telling and never letting up; I was captivated.

Although these books could be read as stand-alone, I would highly recommend you read them in order to get the full effect of the Kelly clan.

I am excited to read the next book in this series, Echoes at Dawn which is Rio and Grace’s story.

REVIEW: Long Road Home by Maya Banks

 

Author: Maya Banks

Pages: 272

Genre: Romance - Suspense

Publisher: Samhain Publishing

AMAZON: Long Road Home

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

No matter how far and how fast you run, the truth is never far behind.

CIA counter-terrorism expert Manual Ramirez has spent the last three years looking for the woman he loves, who disappeared without a trace while on a post-graduate trip to France.

Then, as suddenly as she disappeared, Jules Trehan turns up in a small-town Colorado hospital bed, injured in an explosion that killed her parents. Manny is shocked by the change in the woman he once knew. Kidnapped by a shadowy organization, Jules has been forced to become the very thing he’s pledged his life to defeat—a terrorist assassin.

Knowing her testimony will finally bring down the organization, Manny races to get her to Washington, D.C. in one piece. Just when there’s a glimmer of hope of overcoming her past, Jules must pull off one last job or Manny’s life will be forfeit. It’s a mission she must complete…even if it means betraying the only man she has ever loved. 

REVIEW: 4 out of 5 stars

Jules Trehan is on the run from a man she knows only as Northstar and from a terrorist organization she was forcefully recruited into when she was on a post-graduate trip to France, what was meant to be a vacation turned into her worst nightmare.

Manual Ramirez is a CIA counter-terrorism expert and has been searching for Jules since she disappeared three years prior, only leaving him with a vague message and not knowing one way or another whether she was safe, using all the resources he has on hand he finally locates her but is surprised by the person she has become and the links she has to the terrorist organization known as New French Revolution (NFR).

Trained as an assassin, Jules had to perform some unthinkable acts whilst employed by the organization and struggles to forgive herself for what she has done; she spends a lot of time trying to protect Manny and accepts one last job to try and free herself from the clutches of the organization but it is a job that could ultimately mean her demise.

Long Road Home is heavy on the suspense, there were a number of twists and turns that kept me captivated and wanting to know more – I was surprised by who the villains were and was thankful of the outcome. I truly felt for Jules and the predicament she was in. I liked her as a character, she had courage and determination but I wish she had of trusted someone from the very beginning and more so when she knew of Manny’s connections and capabilities.

I adored Manny, he had always been protective of Jules and became even more so when he found her again after being separated for so long, he was torn over whether she could be trusted but he never faltered in his protection, love and care.

Long Road Home has all the things I enjoy in a Romantic Suspense, mystery, betrayal, action and of course a healthy dose of romance – I loved Jules and Manny together.

Tony was a wonderful side character and was the perfect partner to Manny, the sort of person you would definitely want covering your back.

It is a fast paced and engaging plot, the action is ongoing from the very beginning and didn’t let up. I enjoy Maya Banks writing; she has a way of pulling me in, I was engrossed in Long Road Home.

This novel was previously released under Ms Banks pen name Sharon Long.