UNSANCTIONED (Crimson Point Protectors 4) by Kaylea Cross-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September 27, 2022.

Star-crossed lovers…

Driven by her traumatic past, Nadia Bishop has dedicated her life to helping children orphaned by war around the globe. She won’t let anything stand in her way—not even the sexy former soldier she left back in the U.S. As one of the most experienced workers in her relief organization, she’s their top choice to send to Kabul as the security situation in Afghanistan teeters on the verge of collapse. She’s helping get children to safety when Callum shows up unexpectedly, igniting an intense longing that makes her question the life she thought she wanted. Then things suddenly spin out of control, and Nadia is forced to make an impossible choice. Now there’s no turning back. Nowhere to run. And her only chance at survival is the man she’s been trying not to fall in love with.

…are about to face the maelstrom of war together.

Former Delta operator Callum Falconer had his fill of combat. Now a highly skilled and respected security contractor, he gets to call the shots and choose the jobs he takes. So when a contract comes up in Kabul, a place he hoped never to see again, he volunteers to lead the security detail for one reason: Nadia. She changed his whole world when they met, making him feel things he never thought possible. Yet the more he wants to hold onto her, the farther she slips out of reach. Then things turn deadly, and nothing else matters but her safety. With Nadia’s life in imminent danger there’s nothing he won’t risk, and no rule he won’t break to get her out alive.

•••••

REVIEW: UNSANCTIONED is the fourth instalment in Kaylea Cross’ contemporary, adult CRIMSON POINT PROTECTORS romantic suspense series -a spin off from the author’s Crimson Point series. This is former Delta Operator Callum Falconer, and relief organization volunteer Nadia Bishop’s story line. UNSANCTIONED can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary. There is a cross-over with the author’s VENGEANCE series.

WARNING: Due to the nature of the story line premise including murder and war atrocities, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from third person perspective UNSANCTIONED follows in the wake of the Taliban taking control in Afghanistan. Months earlier Callum Falconer and his team rescued aid worker Nadia Bishop but work and life kept our couple apart no matter how hard Callum struggled to fit Nadia into his life. Nadia’s latest assignment finds her in war-torn Afghanistan where she will find herself trapped, in the wake of the Taliban taking control. Desperate to save the woman he loves, Callum Falconer sets into motion an unsanctioned mission, a mission that is aided by an unknown foe. As Callum and his team struggle to free Nadia from the Taliban control, Nadia comes to a decision about her life going forward.

Nadia Bishop is desperate to protect a young orphaned child but in doing so leaves herself open to danger and loss. On her own, Nadia must forge a path towards safety, a path she is hoping will lead to the man that she loves. Callum Falconer didn’t understand Nadia’s need to return to Afghanistan yet he knew from experience, trying to stop someone with such dogged determination may only result in suffering and pain. Rescuing Nadia was a team effort, a team he knows will cover his back.

The relationship between Callum and Nadia began months earlier but Nadia was constantly overseas, and Callum’s assignments took him around the world. Nadia struggled in the face of a past mired in rejection and betrayal, and in this, our heroine battles between head and heart, never knowing if Callum is the real deal, or something else. The $ex scenes are limited but passionate and intense.

Several characters cross over from the author’s original Crimson Point series, as well as a cameo from one of the Vengeance Valkyries, and the introduction of Nadia’ family. The requisite evil has many faces.

UNSANCTIONED is a story of war and death, loss and acceptance, search and rescue, love and understanding. The fast paced premise is intriguing, heart pounding and gritty; the romance is seductive; the characters are desperate and determined.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Falling Hard
Cornered
Sudden Impact

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Kaylea Cross writes edge-of-your-seat military romantic suspense. Her work has won many awards and has been nominated for both the Daphne du Maurier and the National Readers’ Choice Awards. A Registered Massage Therapist by trade, Kaylea is also an avid gardener, artist, Civil War buff, Special Ops aficionado, belly dance enthusiast and former nationally-carded softball pitcher. She lives in Vancouver, BC with her husband and family.

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