Secret Service Rescue - Elle James (HRS #1808 - July 2014)

Series: Adair Legacy (Book 4)

Kidnapped and held captive for weeks, Shelby O'Hara is grateful to be rescued by handsome secret service agent Daniel Henderson. But the rebellious beauty balks at his 24/7 protection until she learns the shocking secret of why she was abducted: she's the granddaughter of the former U.S. vice president, a woman with lethal opponents in a deadly political game.

To elude those enemies, Daniel and Shelby go on the run, although they are constantly at each others' throats...until the fighting stops with a torrid kiss. Suddenly, Shelby doesn't feel so safe. From the bad guys, maybe, but from Daniel? He's a clear and present danger to her heart.

Fantastic conclusion to the series. It begins with Shelby's grandfather arriving at Kate Winston's home to ask her for help locating Shelby - after all, she's Kate's granddaughter too. Kate and her entire family are stunned by this news. Kate had been told that her baby died and had no idea that it was a lie. The rest of the family was just surprised to find out that their mom had had another child. As one of Kate's Secret Service agents, Daniel takes charge as they rush to interrogate another agent who had been arrested for being one of the bad guys. They manage to get the information they need just before the man dies of suspicious causes. 

Shelby had been held captive for two weeks, but had not given up hope. She is an independent and determined young woman and has been working to escape her bonds. Just as she is about to escape her abductors set the house on fire and run, leaving her unconscious. She is, of course, rescued just in time by Daniel. She is surprised to learn of her grandmother, but doesn't agree that it should have any effect on the way she lives her life.

The sparks between Daniel and Shelby are instant and strong, but not very welcome. Daniel recognizes right away that he is attracted to Shelby, but his job is protection not seduction. He doesn't want to be a glorified babysitter, but he can't deny Kate when she asks for his help. Shelby is just plain irritated by Daniel. She is stubbornly independent and hates the idea of someone following her around everywhere. She doesn't believe she's really in any danger anyway. Daniel's attitude just makes her mad, and being around him makes her twitchy and she doesn't know why. She finally gives in to her grandfather's pleas that she cooperate, but she isn't happy about it.  I have to say that I got quite a chuckle out of the fun that Daniel had with getting Shelby ticked at him. It also made it a little easier for him to keep her at a distance when she was angry at him.

The action was almost constant as Daniel tried to keep Shelby safe from the frequent attacks. He was determined to keep her safe, and Shelby was just as determined to keep her life normal. I got really irritated with her as she tried ditching him at the university and almost got taken again, and then the next day went off jogging alone and was attacked again. I was surprised that Daniel didn't either lock her in her room or spank her like the brat she was acting like. At least she finally realized that she was truly in danger and Daniel was her only protection.

The attraction between them really starts to heat up, fueled by the danger they are in. Daniel tries hard to resist because getting involved with the person he is trying to protect is a really bad idea. But when Shelby decides that she wants him too, his resistance is futile and the chemistry is explosive. They both think that whatever they have together can't last, but they're going to enjoy it while they can. Shelby soon realizes that she wants more than just short term, but has no idea if Daniel is interested in anything more. Being with Shelby makes Daniel realize that there is more to life than devotion to his career, but he does have a few issues with what he sees are the differences between them. I loved seeing Shelby fight him on those. 

I enjoyed getting to know Daniel better. In previous books he was always the dedicated, serious agent. In this book he takes Shelby to his parents' home in Maine in an attempt to keep her safe. There we get to see him interacting with his brothers and parents, showing a loving and fun side to his personality. It was great to see him laughing and teasing his brothers, and the sweet way he treats his mom. I also loved the way they embraced Shelby, and how she enjoyed being part of a family unlike her own.

The constant fight that Daniel and Shelby had to stay ahead of the bad guys showed Daniel that there was something going on that allowed them to get so close. I thought that particular culprit was pretty obvious. There was more to the story than just him, and the efforts made by Daniel and the others to uncover the whole mess kept me going. The final confrontation was great as Daniel came riding to the rescue again. 

There were a couple really nice twists at the end besides Daniel and Shelby getting their HEA. I loved seeing Kate make her announcements, and was really pleased with her own personal announcement.

Special Ops Rendezvous - Karen Anders (HRS #1804 - June 2014)

Series: Adair Legacy (Book 3)

A beautiful P.I. and a damaged warrior race to prevent an assassination

He can't remember what they did to him while he'd been held captive. But the blackouts and memory loss Sam Winston suffers since returning home scare the decorated soldier more than combat. Most of all, he fears placing those he cares about in danger...especially Olivia Owens.

Despite the risks, the gorgeous investigator is determined to help Sam remember the terrible secrets locked inside his head. Olivia is convinced he's the key to a terrifying conspiracy. Working closely together, Olivia hopes that Sam makes progress with uncovering the past, and that the walls around his long-guarded heart fall down....

This series just keeps getting better. I have been waiting for Sam's story since the first book. He is still trying to recover from the torture he was subjected to while a prisoner in Afghanistan. His blackouts and memory loss scare him because of the things he sees in his nightmares. Just as he feels he is starting to make some progress, the therapist he has been working with is brutally murdered. Then he discovers that the doctor had asked his private investigator sister to keep an eye on Sam, fearing that he was in danger. Sam is afraid that what is going on with him will bring harm to those he cares about - his family, and now Olivia.

Sam is the middle son of Kate Winston, former vice president and possible presidential candidate. There is also a great deal of family wealth. Sam wanted to make his way on his own merits, so joined the military and became a Ranger. After his rescue he has come home to try to get his head back together before going back on duty. In the last couple months there have been attempts on his mother's life, including one by a fellow Ranger and friend of Sam's, who had also been captured with him. Sam is worried that he's somehow involved.

Olivia wasn't sure about her brother's request until she saw some suspicious people following Sam and then her brother was murdered. Now she is determined to help Sam unlock the mystery of what had happened to him, and hope that she can also catch whoever killed her brother. She doesn't expect the fiery chemistry and instant connection she feels with Sam.

I loved Sam and Olivia. Sam loves his family and will do anything in his power to protect them. The nightmares and blackouts have him convinced that he is a danger to them so he has withdrawn as much as he can. With the loss of Dr. Owen he fears for his own sanity until Olivia makes her appearance. He is amazed that he is so easily able to open up to her and how much she is able to help him. The connection that he feels for her is unlike anything he's felt for anyone else. Because he plans to go back on duty he doesn't feel right about getting involved with her, but he has zero resistance to what is happening with them. It's also fun to see how much her determination and capabilities sometimes surprise him and turn him on.

One of the things I loved best about Olivia is the way she doesn't back down when Sam tries to intimidate her into doing things his way. She has just the kind of personality he needs. It was so much fun seeing her match him step for step in their actions as they go after the bad guys. I also loved that she was convinced that they could unlock his memories. Olivia was not going to give up on him. The love she had for him gave her so much strength as she helped him work through his terrors of his torture. At the end Sam has to face what's left of the memories and deal with them and Olivia has to have the confidence to let him go until he does. I was incredibly moved by what happened next and loved seeing them deal with their futures.

The mystery itself has been getting more intense. In the previous book Executive Protection, there have been two attacks on Kate. It is discovered that the last attempt appears to be part of a conspiracy. With the identity of that shooter revealed, the idea that Sam's problems could be related become more likely. The partnership of Sam and Olivia in investigating draws some dangerous attention as one of the people behind it tries to take Olivia out of the picture. As Sam gets closer to remembering what happened to him the bad guys are more determined that he doesn't, at least until they are able to carry out their plan. The suspense at that point was incredible and kept me turning the pages to the end. The final confrontations were intense, with both expected and unexpected actions. By the end, they are one step closer to the mastermind. There is a new twist that appears and ties together one of the mysteries of the first book with the heroine of the next. I can't wait to read it!

Executive Protection - Jennifer Morey (HRS #1800 - May 2014)

Series: Adair Legacy (Book 2)

Crime investigator Thadius "Thad" Winston must protect his high-ranking political mother after she is shot and nearly killed. He is prepared for risks. What he isn't prepared for is Lucy Sinclair. Hired as his mother's nurse, Lucy is capable, compassionate and entirely inconvenient for Thad. He doesn't envision a life of shared love or commitment, yet he can't deny the intense attraction growing between them. And when a stalker sets his sights on Lucy -- possibly the same man who tried to kill his mother -- Thad realizes just how much he has to lose.

Good book with enough suspense to keep me enthralled and some wonderful emotional growth on the part of the hero. Continuing from the first book in the series Her Secret, His Duty, the investigation into the attempted murder of Thad's mother goes on.  Thad feels responsible for not protecting his mother and is determined to find out who is responsible.  He runs into roadblocks all along the way, being told that the feds are in charge and with no one sharing any information.  Thad and his partner aren't backing down, even after they are threatened.  There are quite a few twists and turns on their investigative path, including a connection to Lucy's stalker. Even when they find out the identity of the shooter, they are left with more questions than answers.

Lucy is his mother's nurse.  She is very good at what she does and has a very caring personality.  She also has no trouble standing up to Thad when she feels he's out of line.  She's attracted to him, but he's made no secret of the fact that he is anti-marriage.  He's just as attracted to her, but he knows she's not the no commitment type.  He is adamant that there will be no marriage in his future.  Thad witnessed the way that his parents' marriage fell apart as his father had multiple affairs and his mother ignored them because she loved him.  He believes that even if you're in love it won't last and that everyone ends up hurt and refuses to put himself or anyone else through that kind of pain.  

Thad's mother, Kate, takes every opportunity she can to throw Thad and Lucy together.  She is convinced that it will just take the right woman to overcome his objections and that Lucy is the right one.  Lucy is having problems with a stalker and Thad's protective instincts kick in.  He finds himself spending a lot of time with her, fighting his attraction the whole time. When Lucy takes in one of the foster children in her literacy class, Thad ends up in situations mirroring family life.  The things he's starting to feel for both Lucy and Sophie scare him. I loved the way that Lucy could see what an awesome family man he could be if he would just allow himself to believe it.  I also liked the way that she stood up for her own needs.

The time that Thad spends with Lucy and Sophie makes him start to question his attitude.  He is constantly being surprised by how right it feels to be with her.  I loved watching all the people around him point out what his feelings are, even though he doesn't believe them.  It takes two attempts on Lucy's life before he can finally accept the truth of his feelings.  I found the ending interesting and not quite what I expected.

Her Secret, His Duty - Carla Cassidy (HRS #1796 - Apr 2014)

Series: The Adair Legacy (Book 1)

When Debra Prentice discovers she's pregnant, she knows two things are true: that she can't wait to become a mother...and that she can never reveal the father's identity to anyone. Because not only is Trey Winston her boss's son, he's also got his eye on the North Carolina senator's seat--and he doesn't need a scandal.

But when Debra must work with Trey in organizing his fund-raising dinner, the sparks from their one night of passion still sizzle. Trey knows he should stay away from Debra, but it soon becomes impossible. And as Debra's life is threatened, Trey promises to keep her--and, unknowingly, the baby she carries--safe.

Very good book, really kept me wondering what was going to happen next.  Debra has known Trey for years, as she is his mother's personal assistant.  She has been attracted to him from the time they met.  One night, after unexpectedly seeing each other at a local bar, they had a passionate encounter.  Now Debra is pregnant and she can't tell him or anyone else that he's the father.  Trey is about to start a campaign for senator and doesn't need a scandal attached to his name.  His mother, Kate, is thinking about a run for president, and Debra doesn't want to cause problems for her either.

I really liked both Debra and Trey, though there were also times I wanted to shake them both.  Debra is the daughter of a single mother who wasn't really interested in being a mother.  Her father was married and wanted nothing to do with her.  Debra was independent and driven from an early age, and has loved working for Kate Adair Winston.  When she discovers she is pregnant from that night with Trey, she is determined to protect him from the scandal her pregnancy would cause.  When Kate asks Debra to help Trey plan his fund-raising dinner to kick off his campaign, she can't say no.  Spending that much time with Trey, the sparks are not only still there, they are getting hotter.  Debra tries to keep him at a distance, knowing he needs a different kind of wife, but when she becomes the victim of several attacks his protectiveness just strengthens her love for him.  I just wish she wasn't so sure that she wasn't "good enough" to have a relationship with him.

Trey is the oldest of the three brothers and has always intended to run for office.  He is very conscious of what he needs for a successful future.  He has been dating one woman who seems to be perfect for the job of his wife.  But what he feels for her can't hold a candle to the attraction he feels for Debra.  He hasn't been able to forget that night with her and has found his desire to be with Cecily waning, though he knows she is the type of wife he needs.  Working with Debra to plan his event shows him how much he likes being with her.  The sparks are there, but he also just likes to be with her.  He starts to realize just how much she means to him when she is attacked.  He is surprised to find out about the baby, but not at all upset at the idea of being a father.  He asks her to marry him, but she turns him down.  

I got frustrated with Trey's plans to marry Cecily because she was the "right" type of woman to be his wife.  I know that his parents' marriage hadn't been the best example, but that seemed a pretty bland way to pick a partner.  I loved seeing him try to deal with his growing feelings for Debra and try to reconcile them with his future plans.  His eye opening moment was great, but if he had just told her of his feelings some of his stress might have been allayed.  

There are a couple mysteries going on in the book.  The first is who is trying to kill Debra and why.  It starts with some odd things going on in her house before escalating into physical attacks.  There seemed to be several possibilities and I admit to some surprise at the person it turned out to be.

The second one is centered around Kate Adair Winston.  Her husband had been a senator who had not been a faithful husband and created a scandal upon his death.  Kate had taken over his seat when he died and discovered a talent and love for the political process.  She went from senator to vice president and is now thinking of running for president.  At the beginning of the book we learn of a secret in her past.  There are also some questions raised by the ravings of her mother who is possibly suffering from dementia.  By the end of the book we know there is something going on, but have no idea what is behind it.  I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.