MINE (Holton Woods #3) by HelenKay Dimon-Review and Giveaway

MINE
Holton Woods #3
by HelenKay Dimon
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, romantic suspense
Release Date: October 6, 2015

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 6, 2015

She doesn’t depend on anyone for anything. He intends to make her his completely.

Natalie Udall thought her position at the CIA was secure—until protecting her team earned her an armed escort into certain danger. Natalie can’t stand the idea of being secreted away in a cabin in the middle of nowhere, especially since it means sharing close quarters with the controlling bodyguard enlisted to keep her alive.

Gabe MacIntosh joined the military to support his son, trained as a sniper and dealt with death on a regular basis. Now retired and operating a security firm, his first assignment is to protect a CIA agent on the run. She’s strong willed and difficult—and all Gabe can think about is exerting his domination and stripping her of every expectation she has.

Natalie has no intention of giving in to Gabe’s straightforward demands of dominant sex with no attachments—even though the very idea of giving up control thrills her like nothing ever has…

••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: MINE is the third full-length installment in HelenKay Dimon’s contemporary adult Holton Woods erotic, romantic suspense series. This is CIA operative Natalie Udall, and former army sniper/private security agent Gabe MacIntosh’s storyline. MINE can be read as a stand alone but for cohesion and backstory I suggest reading the series in order.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Natalie and Gabe) MINE follows two paths: the first focuses on Gabe and Natalie’s building relationship while Gabe keeps Natalie in protective custody. Natalie’s ‘keepers’ at the CIA have targeted our heroine for her role in protecting her team when everything went to h*ll. With three members of her team dead, Natalie is the CIA’s next potential target. What ensues is a sexual relationship between Natalie and Gabe, one with a possible end date when Gabe’s assignment is over.

The second path looks at Gabe’s troubled relationship with his eldest brother Rick- a relationship destroyed eighteen years earlier by betrayal and heartbreak. Present day finds Rick and Gabe in an ongoing battle that will break one brother’s heart and reassure the other about the sins of the past.

The relationship between Gabe and Natalie begins acrimoniously as Natalie is determined to prove she doesn’t need protection or a babysitter. She has survived an abusive childhood, dangerous CIA assignments, and isn’t willing to let someone else be responsible for her survival. Gabe’s assignment is to protect Natalie from the people who once protected her back, and in this Gabe finds himself falling in love with his latest ‘assignment’. The graphic $ex scenes are numerous, erotic, seductive and hot.

Several of the secondary and supporting characters crossover from previous storylines including Gabe’s youngest brother Andy who still holds out hope that Elijah Sterling (Taken 2.5) will come to his senses and realize that Andy is the man for him. But Eli is in love with Wade, and Andy must come to terms with his broken heart. Gabe and Andy’s brother Rick is the black sheep of the family, having betrayed his brother years before. Sebastian Jameson (Only #2) plays a small role as the lawyer who works behind the scenes trying to negotiate with the CIA for Natalie’s freedom.

MINE is an entertaining storyline but fell short in the area of the possible threats against Natalie’s life. The threats were negligible; the intrigue and suspense continued to build but nothing came to fruition; the action and danger were virtually non-existent. In the end, the main focus of the story was redirected at Gabe and Rick’s relationship, and the secret both men kept to protect someone they love.

HelenKay Dimon’s wonderful HOLTON WOODS series continues to focus on several former CIA agents and the operation that now targets all of the former team members connected to Natalie Udall. The premise of MINE is interesting and suspense filled but fell short in the action and drama; the characters are colorful, animated and well developed; the romance is provocative and sexually graphic.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley.

Reviewed by Sandy

MERCY
Holton Woods #1
by HelenKay Dimon
Genre: adult, contemporary, romantic suspense
Release Date: May 6, 2014

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Click HERE for Sandy’s review of MERCY

RELEASE DATE: May 6, 2014

After she infiltrated his business and betrayed his trust, a disavowed CIA agent must seek sanctuary in the bedroom of a man who will either help her, kill her, or bring her to her knees

Becca Ford is on her own. Eight months after she headed up a sting operation to take down millionaire club owner Jarrett Holt, the other agents in her special ops team have been eliminated under odd circumstances, and she needs a place to hide.

Jarrett is a man who prefers darkness to light. He deals in the only truly valuable currency—information—and his supper club caters to an exclusive clientele. It was an uncharacteristic moment of weakness when he let a woman into his life. But it’s not luck that the criminal charges disappeared . . . as did the evidence.

When Becca returns to the club seeking his help, Jarrett doesn’t want to hear her story. But he does want her body, and demands that she give it to him. He’ll keep her safe—for now—but it’ll be in his bed and on his terms, until he says they’re done.

__________

ONLY
Holton Woods #2
by HelenKay Dimon
Genre: adult, contemporary, romantic suspense
Release Date: October 7, 2015

 

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 7, 2014

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of ONLY

He’s a man who fixes difficult situations. She’s the one thing he can’t handle—and the one thing he can’t resist…

ONLY

Sebastian Jameson negotiates for high-end clients who need problems taken care of quickly and discreetly. Accustomed to being in control, he’s still reeling from his ex-wife’s decision to write a tell-all about their private life, one that highlighted their bedroom activities. The fallout left Bast’s love life in chaos, making him a magnet for women who thrive on risky fantasies, and a pariah to all others.

Kyra Royer knows all about Bast’s reputation—and is intrigued enough to try to change him into a one-woman guy. But getting him into her bed will be a challenge. He’s known her brother for years, and her brother, with his rough past and sniper abilities, is not a man you cross. Kyra knows Bast thinks she’s off-limits, so she’ll have to get creative to make him hers.

As Kyra turns up the heat, Bast struggles to resist the sexy young woman’s considerable charms. But when Bast’s job turns from tricky to deadly, keeping Kyra nearby might be the only way to keep her alive—even if it means getting closer than he ever intended…

__________

TAKEN
Holton Woods 2.5
by HelenKay Dimon
Genre: adult, contemporary, M/M, erotic romance
Release Date: April 21, 2015

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 21, 2015

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of TAKEN

Wade Royer and Elijah Sterling are on shaky ground. While initially reluctant Eli is finally ready to take things to the next level, Wade is hesitant. He senses trouble coming and he’s right. Still, they know their fiercely undeniable connection—both in and out of the bedroom—is worth saving.

Then a man from Eli’s past reappears and the CIA comes calling—and they both want Eli back. With their relationship in jeopardy of falling apart and Eli in danger of a different kind, both men will have to decide what they really want—and then take it…

The Reading Cafe and HelenKay Dimon’s publisher are offering a paper copy of MINE to ONE(1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

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