SWAT Standoff/Stranded With the Detective by Lena Diaz – Reviews

Welcome back to Destiny, Tennessee, and the SWAT team we love so much. Author, Lena Diaz, has been hard at work and is stunning her fans with the last two installments of the series. I’ve had the good fortune to receive ARCs and I will give you brief glimpses into what can only be described as proud, fitting tributes to a police group of men and women who make reading so worthwhile! 

 

SWAT Standoff
Tennessee SWAT series
by Lena Diaz
Release Date: July 1, 2018

Amazon / B&N / Kobo / BAM / Book Depository

 

Description:
A SWAT team vanishes.

Can two partners put aside their differences to save them?

Playing hero backfires on sexy SWAT team member Blake Sullivan. He infuriates his partner, Donna Waters, as much as he attracts her. But before they can resolve their differences, they discover that the rest of their team have been kidnapped by an unknown assailant. Now as they race to rescue the small Tennessee town’s real heroes, they share a growing mutual trust…and a hot, life-changing connection.

Review:

Blake, the newbie of the team, and his already-earned -her-respect partner, Donna, are coming to terms with their working relationship. Blake hasn’t yet fit in, but it’s not for lack of trying; Blake’s gut is the only logic he trusts. That mentality doesn’t sit well with their leader.

    “He’d really never accepted the blame for how things were going, always thinking it was everyone else’s fault that they refused to accept an outsider. The truth, as with most things, was probably somewhere in the middle.”

When ALL of our heroes are fiendishly ensnared, it seems Donna and Blake are in charge of rescuing their teammates/friends/family. I never saw this coming, but I am here for it! While the Destiny police and SWAT force are a formidable unit, when the core members vanish without a trace, it’s up to Donna and Blake to save their group AND uncover who’s behind the diabolical plan. If this type of investigation doesn’t solidify their bond, they might as well seek employment elsewhere.

The research and effort of such a case requires the “big guns” of the FBI, who is accustomed to ransom negotiations, but things quickly turn south. Before long, Donna and Blake are the only ones who remain stalwart to the goal of recovering their unit intact. The combined dedication allows Donna and Blake to reveal themselves in a bolder light and shed those insecurities that kept them at arm’s length. It was gratifying to see them so at ease with one another; to finally share more intimate feelings. Lena Diaz thrives in love story telling. You will undoubtedly be swept up in the romance.

SWAT Standoff is a joyful finale to a thrilling series full of memorable characters. Lena Diaz is a solid choice for action-packed, gritty, crime solving stories, lovingly entwined in all things sexy and swoon-worthy. It’s no easy feat, but she’s made her mark.

 

 

Stranded with the Detective
Tennessee SWAT series
by Lena Diaz
Release Date: June 1, 2018

Amazon / B&N / Kobo / BAM / Book Depository

Description:
A routine investigation turns deadly

Now they’re running for survival

SWAT officer Colby Vale and horse rancher Piper Caraway are left to die in the remote wilderness of the Blue Ridge Mountains. But for Colby, death is not an option. He vows to protect Piper as they navigate the treacherous way home. Surviving against nature is difficult. Fighting their attraction is harder. But when their tormentor makes his move…living to tell their tale may be impossible.

 

Review:

    “He’s not your horse. You tricked Billy. He knows how important Gladiator is to the future of my business. He’s the last horse I’d sell, no matter how hard times get.”

     “Are times hard right now?” Colby watched her closely. A light flush colored her cheeks.

     “We’ve had a few…problems lately. Nothing we can’t weather. But they’ve taken their toll. That’s why I was out of town when Gladiator was stolen.”

Piper insists she was wronged, and her horse swindled. Colby happened upon the fracas, but his immediate liking to Piper convinced him to be extra vigilant. He’ll help Piper reclaim her animal in every way legally possible.

When Piper and Colby are kidnapped and left for dead, it’s got to be something serious to be discarded deep in the grueling conditions of the Appalachian mountains, Colby’s detective brain goes into action. Despite the frostbite threatening his wellbeing, he starts building a case; certain that he’ll see the perpetrator in prison.

Is it a grudge against Piper, a disgruntled employee or neighbor, a jealous stalker? Lena Diaz writes a terrific whodunit, within a love story, that keeps you guessing and rooting for Colby and Piper. You’ll revisit with former characters who serve to enhance the investigation and deliver the camaraderie that keeps them so loyal. You’ll wish YOU could be Stranded with the Detective, too!

Reviews by Carmen

Copies supplied for review