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: Killing Sarai (In the Company of Killers #1) by J.A. Redmerski

Killing Sarai

Author: J.A. Redmerski

Series: In the Company of Killers

Pages: 393

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Publisher: Self

Amazon

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

Sarai was only fourteen when her mother uprooted her to live in Mexico with a notorious drug lord. Over time she forgot what it was like to live a normal life, but she never let go of her hope to escape the compound where she has been held for the past nine years.

Victor is a cold-blooded assassin who, like Sarai, has known only death and violence since he was a young boy. When Victor arrives at the compound to collect details and payment for a hit, Sarai sees him as her only opportunity for escape. But things don’t go as planned and instead of finding transport back to Tucson, she finds herself free from one dangerous man and caught in the clutches of another.

While on the run, Victor strays from his primal nature as he succumbs to his conscience and resolves to help Sarai. As they grow closer, he finds himself willing to risk everything to keep her alive; even his relationship with his devoted brother and liaison, Niklas, who now like everyone else wants Sarai dead.

As Victor and Sarai slowly build a trust, the differences between them seem to lessen, and an unlikely attraction intensifies. But Victor’s brutal skills and experience may not be enough in the end to save her, as the power she unknowingly holds over him may ultimately be what gets her killed.

This is their story…

Review: 4 out of 5 stars

Killing Sarai is certainly intense, action packed and gritty; I’ve been curious about J.A. Redmerski and her books and after seeing a number of positive reviews for this one and wanting to read something a little darker, it seemed to be perfect for me. I was also drawn to the beautiful cover which I feel suits the book perfectly.

Sarai Cohen has been confined to the walls of a Mexican drug lords home for the past nine years, favoured and treated differently to the other girls around her she has witnessed some horrors and experienced abuse and fear; when an opportunity comes in the form of a hired killer to escape, she jumps at the chance of freedom.

Victor Faust is all sorts of messed up, with his life filled with murder and crime he is a hardened character but also extremely controlled and intriguing, he doesn’t know whether to save Sarai, use her or kill her. Part of a secret organisation where he has been since his childhood, he doesn’t know of a life outside of corruption, violence and death.

I felt disconnected from Sarai and Victor initially but I think this was mainly because of the people they had become and the upbringing they both had – they have both had to adapt to survive; I was saddened by what they had endured but had hope for who they could become; Victor was a complex and mysterious character who had me questioning his sincerity but I came to love the way he protected Sarai; Sarai had a lot of strength, despite how she had suffered she coped to survive but she held a lot of anger for the life that had been taken away from her, they came to form a mutual trust which I loved watching progress.

The pacing was spot on for me up until around the half way mark when things change dramatically and an important key player is eliminated, I didn’t know in which direction it would go from this point but it was still as riveting and hold on to the edge of your seats exciting.

I adored the dual POV’s; getting an insight into both Sarai and Victor’s thoughts and actions was wonderful and written perfectly – I don’t think the story would have worked as well without it. I am a HUGE fan of any form of romance and the chemistry is apparent between them from the beginning but I was curious to see how it would all play out, I didn’t think there would be any sappy knee-wobbling moments and even though we don’t really know how either is truly feeling it was great seeing the build-up to the point where they actually give in to the attraction, especially Victor.

Quote: “I don’t think that this thing between us is love, or even lust. It’s something else, something powerful and unmistakable that neither of us have been able to ignore. But it doesn’t have a face.”

The writing is perfection! J.A Redmerski has created gripping, detailed scenes and completely fleshed out yet imperfect characters like no other and the unpredictable plot kept me completely fascinated.

Overall, this is a darkly intense, suspenseful read that definitely keeps you wanting to know what will happen next and while we don’t get a cliff-hanger ending as such, it does leave you needing more.

About the Author: J.A. Redmerski, New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of THE EDGE OF NEVER lives in North Little Rock, Arkansas with her three children and a Maltese. She is a lover of television and books that push boundaries and is a huge fan of AMC’s The Walking Dead.

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REVIEW: If You Know Her (The Ash Trilogy #3) by Shiloh Walker

 

Author: Shiloh Walker

Series: The Ash Trilogy

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Pages: 358

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Amazon: If You Know Her

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

A SHADOW IN THE WINDOW

Nia Hollister doesn’t scare easily. Come hell or high water, she intends to find her cousin’s killer. She returns to Ash, Kentucky, for answers. What she doesn’t expect is to ache with desire every time she sees Law Reilly. If any man can help her escape the nightmares for a while, it’s him. But can she allow herself to take comfort in those strong arms when a murderer still roams free?

Unknown to Nia, as she quietly slips into Law Reilly’s home, is that she’s being watched—by someone who is waiting for an opportunity to strike. Timing is everything, though he can’t wait forever. If she’s not frightened, she soon will be. Nia has made a vow to find her cousin’s killer. She should be careful what she wishes for.

REVIEW: 3 out of 5 stars

If You Know Her is the third book in The Ash Trilogy by Shiloh Walker and was kindly provided to me by Netgalley for Ballantine Books. 

I unfortunately started this book not realizing it was a part of a series.  Ms. Walker does a wonderful job of explaining characters, past events from the other books etc. so I found myself caught up pretty quickly but I would have liked to have started from book one.

Nia Hollister is intent on finding her cousin Jolene’s killer, she has returned to the small town of Ash, Kentucky seeking answers and runs into none other than the broody Law Reilly, a man she had previously pulled a gun on and accused of murder.

Law is fiercely attracted to feisty Nia and helps her to uncover the truth about her cousin’s death, not believing the original story and the person who was blamed; although I liked Nia and Law together I felt their relationship progressed at an unrealistic pace considering the past they shared. I was also a bit torn about what to think of hard-ass Nia, I am not used to characters that are so dominant and gun ho but I eventually warmed to her and the steamy yet sweet relationship she shared with Law.

The suspense in this story was great, I was so eager to find out who the killer was and although I had my suspicions, I was way off. It was enjoyable to see how the plot panned out; the mystery was intriguing and the POV from the killer was sick and creepy.

Ms Walker is an auto-buy for me, I enjoy her writing style and the suspense-filled yet romantic stories she writes.

This is a series that definitely should be read from book one, I’ll be starting from the beginning the see how this story all started.

Books in Order:

1. If You Hear Her

2. If You See Her

3. If You Know Her