Tag Archives: Julie Ann Walker

Man in Black (Black Knights Inc:Reloaded 3) by Julie Ann Walker

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Man in Black (Black Knights Inc:Reloaded 3) by Julie Ann Walker-review

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Google Play /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 28, 2024

A story as old as time… He comes from nothing, and she was born with a silver spoon. Do opposites really attract?

The Black Knights are back and better than ever!

As the son of a felon, Fisher Wakefield is no stranger to the seedier side of life. So when Eliza Meadows, BKI’s elegant and efficient Girl Friday, finds herself the target of group of low-down, murderous thugs, he doesn’t hesitate to jump into the fray despite Eliza insisting she doesn’t need his help.

The lone survivor and only witness to the killing of U.S. senator and his family, Eliza is forced to rely on the covert operators at Black Knights Inc. to keep her safe. But she’s never been very good at letting other people solve her problems. And to make matters worse, Fisher, the bad boy from the bayou, refuses to leave her side.

As the Black Knights race to uncover who is behind the senator’s murder, they soon find out all is not as it seems. There are mysterious powers at play. And if Fisher and Eliza can’t learn to work together, they might lose everything.

••••••

REVIEW: MAN IN BLACK is the third instalment in Julie Ann Walker’s contemporary, adult BLACK KNIGHTS INC: RELOADED romantic suspense series- a spin off set in the author’s BLACK KNIGHTS INC world. This is Fisher Wakefield, and Eliza Meadows’ story line. MAN IN BLACK can be read as a stand alone but for back story and cohesion, I recommend reading the series in order as there is an ongoing plot, as well as Eliza and Fisher’s story begins in book one.

Told from several omniscient third person perspectives including Fisher and Eliza MAN IN BLACK follows in the aftermath of the assassination of several members of the US government. As one of only three survivors, Eliza Meadows is under the protection of the crew at BKI (Black Knights Inc) but when the other two survivors are murdered, the FBI makes other arrangements for our story line heroine. Nothing goes according to plan when an attack at the BKI compound threatens the lives of the entire crew, forcing Eliza to face down the man who had stolen her heart. Enter BKI agent Fisher Wakefield, the man who fell in love with Eliza the first day they met. What ensues is the building but contemptuous relationship between Eliza and Fisher, and the potential fall-out as Fisher struggles with the demons from his past, pushing Eliza out of his life.

The world building follows several pathways including the attempts on the lives of the BKI members, all black ops and former black ops soldiers. Several of the original team members offer guidance and familiarity, as the new crew of members find their own happily ever afters but Fisher struggles with what was, and believes he is not capable of happiness or love.

The relationship between Eliza and Fisher struggles in the face of unrequited love. Eliza has been dating a senator’s son as Fisher watches from the sidelines as his heart is destroyed. Eliza knows her heart belongs to someone else but their animosity is pulling our couple apart. The $ex scenes are limited but passionate and intense.

Once again, several original members of the BKI family return including Becky and Boss. We are introduced to FBI Agent Julia O’Toole, and the return of Britt Rollins. There is something developing between Britt and Julia. The requisite evil has many faces

MAN IN BLACK is a story of betrayal and vengeance, secrets and lies, power and control, acceptance, forgiveness and love. The premise is captivating and compelling; the romance is seductive but struggles in the face of ridicule and scorn; the characters are desperate, determined and broken.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews

Back in Black
Black Hearted

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

FOLLOW Julie: Facebook / Goodreads / Website /   Bookbub | Instagram | Newsletter

Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Julie grew up in a house full of women – she has three older sisters. As you can imagine, there was no lack of drama… or romance. Her mother enrolled her in a book club as soon as she began to read and it was the small spark that ignited her voracious appetite for the written word.

Because of Julie’s early immersion in literature, she found writing came quite naturally. In high school, she won multiple writing contests and was the proud senior editor of The Tiger’s Tale – her school newspaper.

During her college years, however, she longed for a challenge. “Reading and writing felt like second nature to me, so I looked for a way to flex my mental muscles,” she recalls. After receiving a Bachelor of Science degree, Julie began teaching advanced high school mathematics.
“I loved working with the students and facing the challenges of the classroom, but I longed for the occasional snow day when I could race to the local book store, buy two or three new novels, and curl up in front of the fire to read.”

It wasn’t until a fortuitous move to Chicago that Julie once more returned to her first passion.

Now Julie loves to travel the world looking for views to compete with her deadlines. When she’s not writing, she enjoys camping, hiking, cycling, cooking, petting every dog that walks by her, and… reading, of course

Be sure to sign up for Julie’s occasional newsletter at: http://julieannwalker.com

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BLACK HEARTED by Julie Ann Walker-review, excerpt, guest post

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BLACK HEARTED (Black Knights Inc: Reloaded 2) by Julie Ann Walker-review, excerpt & guest post

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Google Play / Apple /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September 26, 2023

He’s everything she ever wanted. She’s everything he never knew he needed. Can she convince him she’s the one?

The Black Knights are back and better than ever!

Samuel Harwood has spent his entire career working in the black and gray areas of international intrigue. Living in the shadows for so long has made him forget who he was and where he came from. Then a blast from the past, in the form of his ex-girlfriend’s kid sister, arrives on the front steps of Black Knights Inc, reminding him of everything he left behind. Except, she’s no longer a kid. And she’s in serious trouble.

Hannah Blue has been in love with Sam Harwood since she was in braces. When someone sabotages her entire life, he’s the first person she turns to. She has critical information about a potential cyber-attack on the U.S. power grid that could end in catastrophic financial damage and loss of life. But the FBI thinks she’s a traitor. And now she’s on the run to save herself and the fate of the entire nation.

Who does Samuel trust? The smart, sexy woman he’s known since he was a teenager? Or the government authorities who give him his orders and cut his paychecks? He’ll make one desperate play to find out. A play that could cost him everything…including his heart.

•••••

REVIEW:BLACK HEARTS is the second instalment in Julie Ann Walker’s contemporary, adult BLACK KNIGHTS INC: RELOADED romantic suspense series-a spin off from the author’s BLACK KNIGHTS INC. This is thirty-four year old, former US Marine Raider turned BKI agent Samuel Harwood, and twenty-nine year old, DOD IT specialist / hacker Hannah Blue’s story line. BLACK HEARTED can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line or series is revealed where necessary. Several characters cross over from the original series for cohesion.

Told from several omniscient third person perspectives including Hannah and Sam BLACK HEARTED follows in the wake of the arrest of our story line heroine. Hannah Blue uncovered a possible threat to the US power grid but someone has placed the blame squarely on our story line heroine. Arrested by the FBI and held on terrorism charges, Hannah’s one call to her best friend Cesar results in the escape and rescue of our story line heroine. Enter thirty-four year old, former US Marine Raider turned BKI agent Samuel Harwood, the man Hannah has love most of her life. What ensues is the search for the truth, and the building relationship between our story line couple.

The world building continues to focus on a new crew of Black Ops agents working for Black Knights Inc. Hannah Blue has lusted after Samuel Harwood since the first time her older sister brought Samuel home but Samuel sees Hannah as a younger sister, and as such is desperate to keep their relationship as friends but when the FBI comes looking for our story line couple, Samuel becomes guardian and protector of our story line heroine.

The relationship between Sam and Hannah is one of unrequited love. Sam has kept his distance from the woman that stirs something deep but it is only a matter of time, and a suspicion that Hannah has been set up to take a fall, that Sam will realize Hannah is the woman he loves. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

Several of the original Black Knights Inc team return a secondary and supporting characters. We are re-introduced to Eliza Meadows, Fisher Wakefield as well as Grace Beacham and Hunter Jackson (Back in Black 1). The requisite evil has many faces. There is something developing between Fisher and Eliza.

BLACK HEARTED is a story of power and control, betrayal and vengeance, espionage and terrorism, family, friendships, relationships and love. The fast paced premise is intriguing, captivating and dramatic; the romance is seductive and fated; the characters are powerful, determined and dynamic. BLACK HEARTED ends on a happily ever after for now-the main conflict and the people involved has yet to be resolved.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one BACK IN BLACK

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

 

 

She didn’t have the strength—or the will—to lift her hands to brush her tears away. Which meant they ran down her face, dripped off her chin, and plopped onto her shirt.
“I’m s-so sorry,” Sam said as he gingerly removed the last boot from the five-toed iceberg that was her foot. His hands were shaking so hard he dropped the boot the instant it came free. And she wondered why she wasn’t shivering. She was absolutely frozen. Shouldn’t she be quaking like him? “I kn-know you’re hurting, ’cause I feel like s-someone’s shoving f-frozen pokers into me, and you were more exposed than I was. B-but hang on a little bit l-longer, okay?”
“That’s not why I’m crying,” she whispered.
“No?” He cocked his head.
“I’m just…” She sniffed. “Thank you, Sam.” She hiccupped as a new sob shook her entire body. “You saved me.”
“You mostly s-saved yourself. I just d-did the d-driving.”
“No.” She shook her head, wanting to tell him how much she appreciated the risk he’d taken in coming for her. Wanting to explain how much it meant to her. But no matter how hard she tried, the words wouldn’t form. What came out of her mouth was, “I feel like I only have two brain cells functioning, and they seem to be fighting each other for third place.”
One corner of his mouth twitched. “There sh-she is, the funny, flippant H-Hurricane Hannah I know and l-love.”
The instant the word love left his lips, fresh tears welled. She’d waited her whole life to hear him say that. And now he had.
But he hadn’t meant it.
Not the way she wanted him to.
“C-come here.” He gathered her close and she thought he was going to hug her. She was more than a little disappointed when instead he scooped her into his arms so he could quickly transfer her into the tub, T-shirt, pajama bottoms, and all.
“No!” she yelped. Her brain went from slow and sluggish to blaring danger, Will Robinson! Danger! The water was burning tongues of fire licking over her skin. “It’s too hot!”
He kept her in the tub with a firm hand on her shoulder. “It only f-feels that way ’cause your sk-skin is f-frozen.”
Every instinct told her to jump from the lava bath lest her flesh melt right off her bones. But she trusted him. Gritting her teeth, she stayed put. And then watched, dumbfounded, as he peeled his White Sox sweatshirt over his head before tackling the zipper on his jeans.
Once he was down to black, thermal long johns that hugged his muscular body like a second skin, he stepped into the tub.
“S-scoot forward,” he instructed.
When he lowered himself into the tub behind her, his big body made the water rise. Every new inch of skin it touched burned like blue flames. She only managed to keep from hissing her pain by biting the inside of her cheek.
“Now l-lean b-back.” He patted the place over his heart and she gingerly reclined until her back was pressed against his chest.


 

Old world. New Characters. Who dis?

When I first considered jumping back into the world of motorcycles and mayhem—a world I left behind almost 5 years ago—I was worried. You see, I closed the door on the series when I penned the final Black Knights Inc. book. But…knowing me and knowing how much I loved the characters and their world, I did have enough forethought to leave open a window. My concern was the readers wouldn’t be willing to crawl through it. Not now. Not after so much time had passed.

Imagine my surprise and delight when the first book was met with hand-flapping excitement and rave reviews. Turns out, the fans were willing to crawl through, jump into, and throw rocks to break the glass of the window in order to get back to Black Knights Inc. And I am both humbled and so incredibly happy to be able to continue to write stories in a setting the feels like home to so many.

(Author’s note: You don’t have to read the original 12-book series to enjoy the new Black Knights Inc: Reloaded stories. All books can be read as standalones. Although, I would suggest starting at the beginning of the spin-off, with Back in Black.)

FOLLOW Julie: Facebook / Goodreads / Website /   Bookbub | Instagram | Newsletter

Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Julie grew up in a house full of women – she has three older sisters. As you can imagine, there was no lack of drama… or romance. Her mother enrolled her in a book club as soon as she began to read and it was the small spark that ignited her voracious appetite for the written word.

Because of Julie’s early immersion in literature, she found writing came quite naturally. In high school, she won multiple writing contests and was the proud senior editor of The Tiger’s Tale – her school newspaper.

During her college years, however, she longed for a challenge. “Reading and writing felt like second nature to me, so I looked for a way to flex my mental muscles,” she recalls. After receiving a Bachelor of Science degree, Julie began teaching advanced high school mathematics.
“I loved working with the students and facing the challenges of the classroom, but I longed for the occasional snow day when I could race to the local book store, buy two or three new novels, and curl up in front of the fire to read.”

It wasn’t until a fortuitous move to Chicago that Julie once more returned to her first passion.

Now Julie loves to travel the world looking for views to compete with her deadlines. When she’s not writing, she enjoys camping, hiking, cycling, cooking, petting every dog that walks by her, and… reading, of course

Be sure to sign up for Julie’s occasional newsletter at: http://julieannwalker.com

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Back in Black (Black Knights Inc: Reloaded) by Julie Ann Walker

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Back in Black (Black Knights Inc: Reloaded) by Julie Ann Walker-review tour

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Google Play / Chapters Indigo /  AppleBooks / BAM!

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 29, 2023

A secret identity mixed in with forced proximity on top of red-hot chemistry? What could go wrong?

The Black Knights are back and better than ever!

FBI agent Grace Beacham is on the run. After an operation to bring down a Russian disinformation campaign goes sideways and ends in her partner’s death, the Kremlin has sent its most notorious assassin to kill her. Not knowing who to trust inside the Bureau, Grace is forced to call on the one man who might be able to save her. The one man she hasn’t been able to forget.

BKI operative Hunter Jackson walked away from Grace Beacham three years ago. And he hasn’t looked back. But when his cell phone suddenly jangles to life with Grace on the other end begging for his help, he doesn’t hesitate to ride to her rescue.

Grace is no stranger to men like Hunter. Men who are devastatingly attractive and in love with their perilous professions and no-strings-attached lifestyles. As the two of them go off-grid to uncover the truth behind what happened on her last assignment, she fears her life might not be the only thing on the line. With Hunter, her heart could be in danger too.

•••••

REVIEW:BACK IN BLACK is the first instalment in Julie Ann Walker’s contemporary, adult BLACK KNIGHTS INC: RELOADED erotic, romantic suspense series-a spin off from the author’s BLACK KNIGHTS INC. This is FBI agent Grace Beacham, and BKI Operative Hunter Jackson’s story line. BACK IN BLACK can be read as a stand alone. You do not have to have read the original series to understand.

Told from several omniscient third person perspectives including Grace and Hunter, BACK IN BLACK follows in the wake of the murder of Grace Beacham’s FBI partner. While investigating a Russian disinformation campaign, Grace and her partner find themselves target of a man calling himself Orpheus, an assassin who is about to throw Grace to the wolves. As the prime suspect, Grace is desperate for help, and calls the last man she ever thought she would have to call. Enter BKI operative Hunter Jackson, former US Green Beret, and the man with whom Grace will fall in love.Three years earlier, working an assignment together, Hunter and Grace crossed a personal line, a line neither one has been able to forget. On the run, Hunter and Grace begin a dance of seduction while the team at BKI search for the truth.

Meanwhile, BKI Agent Sam Harwood needs help to track down a possible mole in the US government, and contacts the only person he knows with enough experience and capabilities to hack the people in charge. Enter Hannah Blue, his ex-girlfriend’s younger sister, and the woman whose heart Sam is about to break.

The world building takes the reader back into the world of the Black Knights Inc. A new team has been assembled as the original team members have moved on with their lives but the occasional cameo and return of a familiar name adds cohesion to the new story line arc.

The relationship between Grace and Hunter is one of friends to lovers whose previous encounter turned personal but Grace and Hunter moved on with their lives, and when Hunter offered his phone number in case of emergencies, Grace never expected to come face to face with the man who called to her heart. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and passionate without the use of over the top sexually graphic language and text.

We are introduced to the new team of agents at BKI including secretary Eliza Meadows, Sam Harwood, and hacker Hannah Blue. Hannah and Sam’s story line is next.

BACK IN BLACK is a story of power and control, espionage and murder, second chances and loves. The fast paced, action packed premise is intriguing and captivating; the romance is seductive and provocative; the characters are desperate and powerful.

 

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

FOLLOW Julie: Facebook / Goodreads / Website / Twitter /  Bookbub | Instagram | Newsletter

Julie Ann Walker is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of award-winning romantic suspense. She has won the Book Buyers Best Award, been nominated for the National Readers Choice Award, the Australian Romance Reader Awards, and the Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA award. Her latest release was named a Top Ten Romance of 2014 by Booklist. Her books have been described as “alpha, edgy, and downright hot.” Most days you can find her on her bicycle along the lake shore in Chicago or blasting away at her keyboard, trying to wrangle her capricious imagination into submission.

Be sure to sign up for Julie’s occasional newsletter at: http://julieannwalker.com

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Shot Across the Bow by Julie Ann Walker-Review Excerpt & Giveaway

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Shot Across the Bow (Deep Six 5) by Julie Ann Walker-Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

 

SHOT ACROSS THE BOW
Deep Six #5
by Julie Ann Walker
Release Date: November 29, 2021
Genre: adult, contemporary, romantic suspense

 

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo / Google Play /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 29, 2021

The former Navy SEALs of Deep Six Salvage thought they could retire to the sea and hunt for treasures of the deep, but when trouble comes to visit, there’ll be hell to pay.

Former Navy SEAL Spiro “Romeo” Delgado is six-plus feet of high-octane charm, and he has two hard and fast rules. One, always come to the rescue of those in need. And two, never give up his fast and furious bachelor ways. But when Mia Ennis joins Deep Six Salvage on the hunt for the Santa Cristina, her mesmerizing blend of brains, beauty, and bravery makes him question everything he thought he wanted in life.

Mia’s traumatic past has taught her to keep everyone she meets at arm’s length. But Romeo, with that body that is forever tensed for action and that dark gaze that tracks her every move, makes her feel safe in a way she never expected. Yet the secret she carries compels her to keep her distance—even as the past comes back to haunt them.

A harrowing plane crash ends with Romeo and Mia marooned on a desert island. When a boatful of men bent on murder drop anchor, Mia discovers her only hope for survival depends on her letting her guard down around Romeo. But surrendering to the passion she feels for him might be the most dangerous thing of all…

•••••••

REVIEW:SHOT ACROSS THE BOW is the fifth instalment in Julie Ann Walker’s contemporary, adult DEEP SIX romantic suspense series focusing on a group of former US Navy SEALs who own and operate a marine salvage business-Deep Six Salvage. This is former Navy SEAL Spiro ‘Romeo’ Delgado, and marine archeologist Mia Ennis’s story line. SHOT ACROSS THE BOW can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary. The DEEP SIX series is a spinoff from Julie Ann’s BLACK KNIGHTS INC series. Romeo and Mia’s story started in book four DEEPER THAN THE OCEAN.

SOME BACKGROUND: The DEEP SIX series follows six former military or special ops agents who, upon retirement, set up their own business running secret missions behind the scenes. Searching for the wreck of the Santa Cristina near Wayfarer Island, the Deep Six team continues to encounter terrorists, pirates and drug runners on their hunt for sunken treasure.

Told from several third person perspectives including Romeo and Mia, Doc and Cami, SHOT ACROSS THE BOW follows the Deep Six team as they continue their search for a sunken treasure off Wayfarer Island but three members of the team-Romeo, Mia and Doc-along with property attorney Cami D’Angelo find themselves stranded on a small, remote island when an explosion sends their plane into the ocean, an explosion that may have targeted one of the people on board. As the foursome set about making a temporary shelter, past histories reveal startling revelations wherein anyone could have been in the direct line of fire. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Romeo and Mia, and the potential fall-out as the foursome find themselves facing down more than one gunmen when the true target is revealed.

Meanwhile, Dalton ‘Doc’ Simmons finds himself in an acrimonious relationship with the team’s property attorney Cami D’Angelo, a relationship fraught with palpable sexual attraction disguised by animosity, fueled by circumstance.

The relationship between Mia and Romeo is one of immediate attraction but Mia’s past refuses to let go, controlling all of her actions going forward. Believing she is not worthy of love, Mia is constantly pulling away from the man with whom she will fall in love, a man who has made it clear, he too wants nothing permanent going forward.Stranded together, Mia and Romeo find themselves acting on their mutual attraction, an attraction that is quickly crossing the line from friendship to love. The lone $ex scene is passionate and seductive without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

The secondary and supporting characters include Mason McCarthy and Alexandra Merriweather; LT Anderson and Olivia, Dalton ‘Doc’ Simmons, attorney Cami D’Angelo, as well as Mia’s mother Jane Ennis, and her cousin Carter. Doc and Cami’s story line is next in DEAD IN THE WATER.

SHOT ACROSS THE BOW is a story of betrayal and vengeance, greed and jealousy, dysfunctional family dyanamics, friendships, relationships, sacrifice and love.The character driven premise is edgy and compelling but the guilty party is revealed early on, therefore the intrigue and suspense is limited; the characters are animated and dynamic; the romance is compelling and intimate.

The DEEP SIX series is an imaginative, detailed and impassioned series that reveals the destructive nature of greed and power across all walks of life.

Reading Order and previous reviews
Hell or High Water
Devil and the Deep
Ride the Tide
Deeper Than the Ocean

Copy supplied by Netalley

Reviewed by Sandy

 

 

He noticed the sand had turned cool beneath his bare feet as he led her toward the western tip of the island. For a long time, he stayed as silent as she did. Listening to the waves hiss against the shoreline. Enjoying the gentle warmth of the evening breeze as it teased across his skin. Sneaking glances at her pretty profile and fantasizing about running his finger from the slope of her smooth forehead down to her button nose and ending under her stubborn little chin.
Eventually, though, he couldn’t stand her silence any longer. “You’re being awfully quiet this evening.” He realized what he’d said, and rephrased. “I mean, quieter than usual. What’s on your mind?”
She tentatively met his searching gaze. For a moment, he thought she wouldn’t answer. Then, she did. And when she did, the simple truth of her words, and the way she said them without ego or artifice, hit him like a grenade from a rocket launcher. “The answer to that question is the same as it’s been for the last couple of months. You. You’re what’s on my mind. It’s always you.”
“My god, Mia.” His voice sounded like it’d been raked over rocks on the way out of his mouth. “You have no idea—”
He stopped there, because he wasn’t sure what he even wanted to say. That she had no idea what she did to him? That she had no idea how she made him feel? That she had no idea that it was taking the last bit of his willpower not to pull her to him so he could taste the mouth those sweet words came out of?
She placed a gentle hand in the center of his chest, and his heart thudded up to meet her touch. “Are we about to become lovers?” Her expression seemed pensive.
When the wind whipped some of her hair across her face, he did something he’d been longing to do since the day they met. He brushed the wavy lock behind the delicate shell of her ear, letting the strands slip slowly through his fingertips.
“I want that,” he admitted in a voice so low it was barely more than a growl. “Is that what you want?”
His heart tripped over itself when something that looked very much like indecision moved behind her eyes.
“Yes,” she finally answered, and he realized his shoulders had tensed, because they suddenly relaxed. “But…” She frowned. “Can you promise, no matter what, we’ll stay friends? I don’t think I could stand it if—”
He silenced her by placing a finger over her lips. He’d have rather used his mouth for the job, but once he started kissing her, he wouldn’t be able to stop. And right then she needed his words, not his tongue.
“I will never stop being your friend, cariña,” he swore to her.
She looked relieved. But it only lasted a second before her brow beetled again.
He used her troubled expression as an excuse to run his finger over her forehead, down her pert nose, and beneath her stubborn chin. There, he stopped, tilting her face up so that she was forced to hold his gaze. “What is it?” he asked quietly. “Tell me.”
“I haven’t…” She rolled in her lips when the words seemed to get stuck in the back of her throat. After a second, she tried again. “I haven’t had as many lovers as you have. I might not be what—”
He didn’t let her finish. He didn’t need to. “Mia, my sweet, sexy woman, believe me when I say that’s nothing you have to worry about.”
She nodded. But he could tell she was still nervous.
Who could blame her? Doc had accused him of staring at her like he’d like to eat her whole. What small, delicate creature wouldn’t be nervous when she found herself caught in the sights of a much bigger, much hungrier predator?
But he wasn’t going to eat Mia in one giant gulp. Mia wasn’t a fast-food french fry. She was a seven-course meal from a Michelin-starred restaurant.
He was going to eat her slowly, lick by lick. And bite by delicious bite.
But first…
“Breathe, cariña.” He tucked another unruly strand of hair behind her ear because he couldn’t get enough of touching her. “We aren’t going to start now.”
Not that he didn’t want to. He’d have liked it if they never stopped after that first kiss. But she was all up in her head, and that’s the last place he wanted her. When he made his move, and he would make his move, he wanted her totally in her body.
“Let’s sit down.” He gestured to a small log that had washed up on the beach. It was bare of bark and made smooth by its time at sea. “Will you read to me?”
When she nodded, he led her to the driftwood. After sinking down beside her, he let out a contented sigh when she unzipped her purse, took out the book, and began to read.
Her husky voice drifted in the salty evening air, sounding like pure seduction. And the blush on her cheeks was a soft, delicate pink that matched the sunset-tinged clouds.
It was an odd feeling to know that, despite the loss of his plane, despite their precarious predicament, he’d never been happier than he was right then. Sitting next to her. His thigh touching her thigh. The waning light bathing them both. And the anticipation of what was to come humming softly in the air around them.
And what happens after? the voice in the back of his head asked.
He wished the sonofabitch had a face so he could plant his fist in it. The voice had never cared about after before, so why was it talking about after now?
After doesn’t matter, he assured the voice and himself. After we’ll be friends, just like I promised. And in the meantime…
She would be his. And that would be enough.
He would make sure it was enough.

 

FOLLOW Julie: Facebook / Goodreads / Website / Twitter

Julie Ann Walker is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of award-winning romantic suspense. She has won the Book Buyers Best Award, been nominated for the National Readers Choice Award, the Australian Romance Reader Awards, and the Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA award. Her latest release was named a Top Ten Romance of 2014 by Booklist. Her books have been described as “alpha, edgy, and downright hot.” Most days you can find her on her bicycle along the lake shore in Chicago or blasting away at her keyboard, trying to wrangle her capricious imagination into submission.

Be sure to sign up for Julie’s occasional newsletter at: http://julieannwalker.com

Julie Ann Walker is graciously offering an ebook copy of SHOT ACROSS THE BOW to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

IMPORTANT: If you are having difficulty commenting after logging onto the site, please CLICK on the title, and it should take you directly to the post.

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. Follow Julie Ann Walker on  Facebook

4. LIKE The Reading Cafe on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

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8. Giveaway is open internationally

9. Giveaway runs from November 29-December 3, 2021

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Deeper Than the Ocean by Julie Ann Walker-Review & Giveaway

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Deeper Than the Ocean (Deep Six 4) by Julie Ann Walker-Review, Guest Post & Giveaway

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Google Play

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 31, 2021

The former Navy SEALs of Deep Six Salvage thought they could retire to the sea and hunt for treasures of the deep, but when trouble comes to visit, there’ll be hell to pay.

Ray “Wolf” Roanhorse took one look at Chrissy and knew she was the woman of his dreams. There’s a hitch, however. He screwed things up with her. Big time. Now all she wants is to be friends. He’ll have to be his most charismatic and charming self if he has any hope of changing her mind. And winning her heart.

Christina Szarek knows all about sexy, brooding men like Wolf. She grew up watching her mother fall for – and be broken by – plenty of them. If she had her way, she’d avoid Wolf altogether. But they’re partners in the hunt for the Santa Cristina’s legendary treasure. Avoidance is impossible. And the longer she’s near him, the more he chips away at the walls she’s erected against him.

The danger to Chrissy doesn’t only come from her burgeoning feelings, however. There are mysterious players who would see her silenced – for good. And Wolf, with his wicked grin and spec-ops training, is all that stands between her and a date with death in the deep.

•••••

REVIEW:DEEPER THAN THE OCEAN is the fourth instalment in Julie Ann Walker’s contemporary, adult DEEP SIX romantic suspense series focusing on a group of former US Navy SEALs who own and operate a Marine salvage business. This is thirty-four year old, former Navy SEAL Ray ‘Wolf’ Roanhorse, and dive shop owner Christina Szarek’s story line. DEEPER THAN THE OCEAN can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary. The DEEP SIX series is a spinoff from Julie Ann’s BLACK KNIGHTS INC series. Wolf and Christina’s story line started in book three RIDE THE TIDE.

SOME BACKGROUND: The DEEP SIX series follows six former military or special ops agents who, upon retirement, set up their own business running secret missions behind the scenes. Searching for the wreck of the Santa Cristina near Wayfarer Island, the Deep Six team continues to encounter terrorists, pirates and drug runners on their hunt for sunken treasure.

Told from several third person perspectives including Wolf and Christina DEEPER THAN THE OCEAN follows the building relationship between thirty-four year old, former US Navy SEAL Ray ‘Wolf’ Roanhorse, and dive shop owner Christina Szarek. Months earlier Christina Szarek reluctantly agreed to a date with story line hero but found the man of the hour in a potentially compromising position with another woman. Fast forward to present day, Christina has agreed to an evening of drinks with our story line hero but a short cut with her best friend Winston finds the couple witnessing potential criminal activity and both are about to pay the price. Finding the woman he loves fighting for her life, Wolf Roanhorse becomes guardian and protector as Christina continues to be the target of a criminal mind. What ensues is the building relationship between Christina and Wolf, and the potential fall-out as Christina’s mother’s sins continue to control our heroine’s present.

Meanwhile salvage partner Spiro ‘Romeo’ Delgado, and Marine archeologist Mia Ennis continue to dance around their attraction to one another but Romeo’s past refuses to let go.

The relationship between Christina and Wolf is one of mutual attraction but Christina struggles with issues of trust having watched her mother’s love life slowly implode. Offering a friends with benefits relationship only, Christina finds herself falling for a man she believes wants something different going forward. The $ex scenes are seductive and passionate.

Once again, there is a large ensemble cast of colorful and dynamic secondary and supporting characters including: Spiro ‘Romeo’ Delgado and Mia Ennis; Mason McCarthy and Alexandra Merriweather; LT Anderson and Olivia; and Bran Pallidino. We are introduced to Christina’s best friend Winston, and his girlfriend Rosa. The requisite evil has many faces.

DEEPER THAN THE OCEAN is a story of betrayal, vengeance, power and control. A tale of one woman’s issues with trust, and one man’s need to prove he is worthy of her love. The character driven premise is intriguing and fascinating; the romance is edgy and intense; the characters are energetic, determine and courageous. DEEPER THAN THE OCEAN is a wonderful addition to the Deep Six series.

Reading Order and previous reviews
Hell or High Water
Devil and the Deep
Ride the Tide

Copy supplied by Netalley

Reviewed by Sandy

Hey all you romantic suspense readers out there! Julie Ann Walker here, celebrating the release of the fourth book in my bestselling Deep Six series, DEEPER THAN THE OCEAN, by sharing with you who I would cast to co-star in the movie based on my book. This is always so much fun for a writer, because we get to indulge in dreams of Hollywood. Ha!

So without further ado…

For the part of the hero, Ray “Wolf” Roanhorse, I would cast Martin Sensmeier. The aquiline nose, the flashing dark eyes, the jaw hewn from granite? Oh, yes. Martin would make an excellent Wolf. What do you think?

For the part of Christina “Chrissy” Szarek, I would cast Blake Lively. Everything about Blake screams island girl, which is perfect for Chrissy’s character since she was born and raised on Key West, runs a dive shop, and is more comfortable in swim fins and goggles than she is in Dior and high heels.

 

FOLLOW Julie: Facebook / Goodreads / Website / Twitter

Julie Ann Walker is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of award-winning romantic suspense. She has won the Book Buyers Best Award, been nominated for the National Readers Choice Award, the Australian Romance Reader Awards, and the Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA award. Her latest release was named a Top Ten Romance of 2014 by Booklist. Her books have been described as “alpha, edgy, and downright hot.” Most days you can find her on her bicycle along the lake shore in Chicago or blasting away at her keyboard, trying to wrangle her capricious imagination into submission.

Be sure to sign up for Julie’s occasional newsletter at: http://julieannwalker.com

Julie Ann Walker is graciously offering an ebook copy of DEEPER THAN THE OCEAN to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

IMPORTANT: If you are having difficulty commenting after logging onto the site, please CLICK on the title, and it should take you directly to the post.

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. Follow Julie Ann Walker on  Facebook

4. LIKE The Reading Cafe on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

5. LIKE The Reading Cafe  on Twitter for an additional entry.

6. Please FOLLOW us on GOODREADS for an additional entry.

7. Please follow The Reading Cafe on Tumblr

8. Giveaway is open internationally

9. Giveaway runs from May 31 to June 4, 2021

 

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Ride The Tide (Deep Six #3) by Julie Ann Walker-a review

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Ride The Tide (Deep Six #3) by Julie Ann Walker-a review

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo / Google Play

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 24, 2020

Once a fighter, always a fighter…

Former Navy SEAL Mason McCarthy is done being a fighting man. Now he and the Deep Six Salvage crew are working feverishly to find the wreck of the Santa Cristina and its legendary sunken treasure. Unfortunately for Mason’s peace of mind, chatty, brilliant historian Alexandra Merriweather has joined the hunt and there’s no avoiding her. Alex is exactly the kind of distraction Mason can’t afford right now…or maybe ever.

When a murderous enemy from Mason’s past threatens the Deep Six, he must rely on old instincts and the skills he honed from years of running black ops to make sure nothing touches Alexandra. But with their lives on the line and the adrenaline running high, it’s inevitable that sparks will fly

•••••••

REVIEW:RIDE THE TIDE is the third full-length instalment in Julie Ann Walker’s contemporary, adult DEEP SIX romantic, suspense series focusing on a group of former Navy SEALs who currently own and operate a civilian marine salvage business. The DEEP SIX series is a spinoff from Julie Ann’s BLACK KNIGHTS INC series. This is thirty-five year old, former Navy SEAL Mason McCarthy, and twenty-seven year old, historian Alexandra ‘Alex’ Merriweather’s story line. Alexandra was first introduced in HELL OR HIGH WATER. RIDE THE TIDE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary. There is an introductory novella HOT AS HELL that can be found in the May 2015 multi-authored anthology-WAY OF THE WARRIOR.

NOTE: The DEEP SIX series follows six former military or special ops agents who, upon retirement, set up their own business running secret missions behind the scenes. Searching for the wreck of the Santa Cristina near Wayfarer Island, the Deep Six team continues to encounter terrorists and pirates on their hunt for sunken treasure.

Told from several third person perspectives RIDE THE TIDE follows the Deep Six crew on their continued search for the Spanish galleon, the Santa Cristina, believed to have sunk in 1624 near Wayfarer Island in Florida Keys, but on this particular mission, the crew, along with feisty and talkative historian Alexandra Merriweather would find themselves, having been chased down and shot while searching at sea, the target of another unknown assailant. Rescued by the Coast Guard, leaving three dead men in their wake, Mason, Alexandra, Romeo, Wolf, Chrissy, Doc and Uncle John
would find no more security on land when, once again, their whereabouts and safety leaves much to be desired.

As the story line progresses, we are up close and personal with the yin and yang of the relationship between Ray ‘Wolf’ Roanhorse and dive shop owner Christina ‘Chrissy’ Szareck. The sexual tension is palpable but Chrissy refuses to give in to temptation, at least, for now.

Meanwhile, Alexandra Merriweather is focusing on our hero Mason McCarthy, a focus that reveals Alex’s attraction to Mason does not go unnoticed but Mason refuses to accept that he is worthy of love or a permanent relationship. Having loved and lost in the past, Mason struggles with his perception of Alex’s version of a happily ever after but it will be Mason who is unable to forget about the feisty woman who calls to his heart. Mason offers Alexandra one night together but the heart wants something more than he is willing to give. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are reintroduced to several members of Deep Six Salvage, most of whom are former military or Navy SEALs: Ray ‘Wolf’ Roanhorse, Spiro ‘Romeo’ Delgado, dive shop owner Christina ‘Chrissy’ Szareck, Uncle John Anderson (a cross between a ‘crusty sea dog and slack –ass hippie), and Deep Six Salvage co-owner Doc. The requisite evil has many faces.

RIDE THE TIDE is a story of betrayal, vengeance and retribution; relationships and love. The premise is intriguing and captivating; the romance is provocative and tender; the characters are edgy, dynamic and flirty.

Reading Order and previous reviews
Hell or High Water
Devil and the Deep

Copy supplied by Netalley

Reviewed by Sandy

 

ebook #deals ONLY $1.99 ea

HELL OR HIGH WATER 

US: amzn.to/3pFPvTr

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Nook: bit.ly/2ITTta4

DEVIL AND THE DEEP

US: amzn.to/36P0B00

CA: amzn.to/3kK4A2S

Nook: bit.ly/3kIBpgG

FOLLOW Julie: Facebook / Goodreads / Website / Twitter

Julie Ann Walker is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of award-winning romantic suspense. She has won the Book Buyers Best Award, been nominated for the National Readers Choice Award, the Australian Romance Reader Awards, and the Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA award. Her latest release was named a Top Ten Romance of 2014 by Booklist. Her books have been described as “alpha, edgy, and downright hot.” Most days you can find her on her bicycle along the lake shore in Chicago or blasting away at her keyboard, trying to wrangle her capricious imagination into submission.

Be sure to sign up for Julie’s occasional newsletter at: http://julieannwalker.com

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In Moonlight and Memories 1-3 by Julie Ann Walker-Reviews and Giveaway

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In Moonlight and Memories 1-3 by Julie Ann Walker-Reviews and Giveaways

IN MOONLIGHT AND MEMORIES
Volume 1-3
by Julie Ann Walker
Genre: adult, contemporary, fiction

ABOUT THE BOOKS: Release Date July 1, 2019

Volume #1: Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo / Google Play/ iBooks

MOST LOVE STORIES HAVE ONE BEGINNING AND ONE ENDING. THIS LOVE STORY HAS MANY.

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Julie Ann Walker comes an epic story about sacrifice, friendship, and the awe-inspiring power of love.

Maggie: Ten years ago, Cash Armstrong stole my heart. Then he promptly joined the army—dragging my best friend with him—and left me crying on the front porch in a red sequined prom dress. Now he’s back. They’re both back. Cash, the one who still has my heart. And Luc, the one who saved my life.

Cash: How do you know if you’re at the end of the beginning or the beginning of the end? That’s what I’ve been trying to figure out since a traumatic brain injury made me “unfit to serve.” I’m back in New Orleans, and picking up the shattered pieces of my past means I must confront where my life’s journey began… and where it all might end.

Luc: Long ago, Maggie May was mine. Not mine in the way you might think. She was mine because she was my only friend. Then Cash came along and we became brothers by something stronger than blood. We became brothers by choice. When tragedy struck, I was forced to make a decision that changed all our lives. I thought, after ten years, it was safe to come back home. I was wrong.

•••••••••••

REVIEW: IN MOONLIGHT AND MEMORIES Volume 1 by Julie Ann Walker introduces some of the back story, history and present day struggle of three friends in New Orleans, Louisiana: twenty six year old, Magnolia ‘Maggie’ May Carter, and twenty-eight year olds, Cassius ‘Cash’ Armstrong, and Lucien ‘Luc’ Dubois.

Told from three first person points of view (Maggie, Cash and Luc) IN MOONLIGHT AND MEMORIES follows twenty six year old, Magnolia ‘Maggie’ May Carter, and twenty-eight year olds, Cassius ‘Cash’ Armstrong, and Lucien ‘Luc’ Dubois as they reconnect in the aftermath of ten years of silence in which Maggie Carter never stopped wondering what happened and why. Ten years earlier, Maggie and Cash were high school sweethearts but on the night of the prom, Cash disappeared without a trace leaving Luc Dubois to pick up the pieces of Maggie’s heart. Fast forward to present day wherein Green Berets Luc and Cash return from serving several tours in the Middle East but Cash is but a shell of his former self. What ensues is the rekindling but fragile friendship between Cash, Maggie and Luc, as they meander a minefield of memories, past betrayals, and the possibility of losing one another, all over again.

IN MOONLIGHT AND MEMORIES is an emotional, raw, heart breaking and angst filled story of friendship, forgiveness, secrets and lies. Having just touched on the some of the dark and explosive backstory, Volume One sets into motion the potential for destruction of everyone’s heart.

A love triangle of sorts, the relationship between Luc, Maggie and Cash is real, startling, profound and calamitous. Cash Armstrong’s daily battle is a fight between life and death, the present and the past; pain, grief, guilt and love. Luc Dubois battles his attraction to the woman he has always loved but a woman who is in love with someone else; and Maggie Carter, a twenty-six year old business owner who has yet to discover the truth; the secrets, and the horrific possibility that everything is about to come crashing down as the man that she has never stopped loving has stopped loving himself.

Julie Ann Walker pulls the readers into a tragic story of a friendship forged by tragedy, loss, betrayal and love.

_________________

Volume #2: Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo / Google Play/ iBooks

IN MOONLIGHT AND MEMORIES Volume 2 by Julie Ann Walker continues to focus on the contemptuous relationship between three friends whose lives were destroyed ten years earlier: twenty-six year old Magnolia ‘Maggie’ May ; and twenty-eight year old Cassius ‘Cash’ Armstong, and Lucien ‘Luc’ Dubois.

Some background: Ten years earlier Maggie Carter’s life spiralled out of control when the boy that she loved disappeared on the night of her prom, never to be heard from until present day. His best friend Luc volunteered to take Maggie to prom but life as they knew it was about to come crashing down. Fast forward to present day wherein Luc and Cash have returned home from their years in the US Army, only to find themselves back in the past facing the same threats, secrets and lies as so many years before.

Told from three first person perspectives (Maggie, Cash, Luc) using present day and memories from the past, IN MOONLIGHT AND MEMORIES continues to focus on the fragile and battered reunion of former high school best friends, best friends whose secrets run dangerous and dark. Cash is losing his battle with both the bottle and his pain, and in doing so pushes away the people who love him the most.

Meanwhile Maggie learns that not all is as it seems when Luc turns her less than well-ordered life into a hurricane of epic proportions. The love she has for Cash begins to deteriorate as he continues to pick at the never ending scab forcing our heroine to rethink what and who it is she wants.

IN MOONLIGHT AND MEMORIES Julie Ann Walker reveals the fragile bond and love between friends who have weathered h*ll, and lived to tell about it. From the horrors of war, to the battle back home, Maggie, Luc and Cash must face the reality that has become their lives. Determined to take down the people in charge, our trio set out to cull the herd of those trying to destroy their lives. Another heart breaking and impassioned instalment from Julie Ann Walker.

_________________

Volume #3: Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo / Google Play / iBooks

IN MOONLIGHT AND MEMORIES Volume 3 by Julie Ann Walker concludes the three part serial focusing on back story, history and present day struggle of three friends in New Orleans, Louisiana: twenty six year old, Magnolia ‘Maggie’ May Carter, and twenty-eight year olds, Cassius ‘Cash’ Armstrong, and Lucien ‘Luc’ Dubois.

Told from three first person perspectives (Maggie, Cash and Luc) IN MOONLIGHT AND MEMORIES Volume 3 follows the culmination of a lifetime of friendship, love, secrets and lies. Cash Armstrong continues to fight the battle of his life, as he, Maggie and Luc put a plan into action to take down the men who have and continue to destroy so many lives. Secrets are revealed; hearts will be broken; betrayal and vengeance will seek retribution and more. As Maggie and Luc move forward with their plans, Cash struggles to remain in the here and now.

IN MOONLIGHT AND MEMORIES is a heart breaking, emotional and passionate three part serial focusing on three friends who live hard but love harder. An impassioned, raw and dramatic tale, IN MOONLIGHT AND MEMORIES will stay with you long after the story has ended.

Copies supplied for review

Reviews by Sandy

FOLLOW Julie: Facebook / Goodreads / Website / Twitter

Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Julie grew up in a house full of women – she has three older sisters. As you can imagine, there was no lack of drama… or romance. Her mother enrolled her in a book club as soon as she began to read and it was the small spark that ignited her voracious appetite for the written word.

Because of Julie’s early immersion in literature, she found writing came quite naturally. In high school, she won multiple writing contests and was the proud senior editor of The Tiger’s Tale – her school newspaper.

During her college years, however, she longed for a challenge. “Reading and writing felt like second nature to me, so I looked for a way to flex my mental muscles,” she recalls. After receiving a Bachelor of Science degree, Julie began teaching advanced high school mathematics.

“I loved working with the students and facing the challenges of the classroom, but I longed for the occasional snow day when I could race to the local book store, buy two or three new novels, and curl up in front of the fire to read.”

It wasn’t until a fortuitous move to Chicago that Julie once more returned to her first passion.

Now Julie loves to travel the world looking for views to compete with her deadlines. When she’s not writing, she enjoys camping, hiking, cycling, cooking, petting every dog that walks by her, and… reading, of course!

Be sure to sign up for Julie’s occasional newsletter at: http://julieannwalker.com

NOTE: The Reading Cafe is NOT responsible for the give-aways. If you have any questions, please contact the author.

There are two (2) ways to WIN

GIVEAWAY #1: Enter to win a $100 Amazon gift card by posting about the In Moonlight and Memories trilogy on one of your social media accounts. Be sure to tag Julie Ann on Facebook or on Twitter, or on Instagram @julieannwalker_author. (The winner will be randomly selected on Friday, July 12th, and contacted via the social media post.)

 

GIVEAWAY #2: Enter to win a $200 Amazon gift card by leaving reviews for the In Moonlight and Memories trilogy at any of the major retail sites like Amazon, B&N, Kobo, iBooks, etc. All honest reviews count, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Simply take a screenshot of your reviews or grab the links and email them to julie.ann.walker@gmail.com by Friday, July 21st. (The winner will be randomly selected on that day and contacted via email.)

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Built to Last (Black Knights Inc #12) by Julie Ann Walker-Review, Excerpt and Giveaway Tour

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BUILT TO LAST (Black Knights Inc #12) by Julie Ann Walker-Review, Excerpt and Giveaway Tour

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo / Google Play / iTunes

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 3, 3018

Masterful, mysterious, and completely ruthless, Jamin “Angel” Agassi joined the Black Knights Inc. after a mission-gone-wrong forced him to undergo extensive plastic surgery and change his name. He’s going to bring down the world’s worst crime syndicate, and hopefully keep Sonya Butler, a love from his past, from discovering who he really is…

When a dark-eyed stranger gets caught up in Sonya’s latest mission, she starts to question all her hard-won instincts. Something about Angel tells her he’s more than he seems, and sometimes, when she least expects it, he reminds her of a man she used to know. As the bullets fly, she realizes that in love and war nothing is ever what it seems

••••••••

REVIEW:  BUILT TO LAST is the twelfth and final instalment in Julie Ann Walker’s contemporary, adult BLACK KNIGHTS INC romantic suspense /military, action series focusing on an elite group of ex Navy SEALS, FBI, CIA and military heroes headquartered and fronted by a custom motorcycle shop in Chicago known as Black Knights Inc. This is assassin Jamin ‘Angel’ Agassi, and thirty-two year old Interpol agent Sonya Butler’s story line. BUILT TO LAST can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary but I recommend reading the series in orders, especially the last few instalments, as there is an ongoing premise focusing on a terrorist known as ‘The Spider’.

Told from several third person points of view including Angel and Sonya BUILT TO LAST follows the rekindling romance between Interpol agent Sonya Butler and assassin Jamin ‘Angel’ Agassi, a man who is familiar to our heroine yet not. Ten years earlier, Sonya Butler saw her lover murdered trying to take down a bomber, and in the ensuing time has continued to grieve and never moved on. Fast forward to present day wherein Sonya will come face to face with a man, although unrecognizable, reminds our heroine of the love she has lost. Enter Jamin ‘Angel’ Agassi, Sonya’s former lover, and the man that will once again, destroy her heart. What ensues is the (re)building relationship between Angel and Sonya, as our couple unknowingly work together to stop the man they have come to know as ‘The Spider’.

Angel is an assassin, known as the Prince of Shadows, an assassin feared by all. Ten years under cover with an assumed identity finds Angel struggling to keep his secret from the woman he loves. Two weeks in her presence, and Angel battles both his attraction to, and the questionable circumstances under which, our heroine now finds herself working for the terrorist known as The Spider. Not only does Angel have secrets to hide but Sonya’s secrets are soon to be revealed.

Throughout the last few instalments there has been a building relationship between Colby ‘Ace’ Ventura and Rusty Parker. Their ongoing attraction to one another is stifled by Rusty’s inability to come out of the proverbial closet, a closet hindered by his family’s deep –rooted religious beliefs. A life and death situation opens his heart such that Rusty must come clean to the people he loves.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful and familiar secondary and supporting characters including most of the previous story line couples-some by cameo, updates or offhand mention. The author ‘introduces’ six new warriors who have been assigned to the BKI team-here’s hoping for a new spin-off.

BUILT TO LAST is a story of betrayal and vengeance; family and forgiveness; love and a happily ever after. The premise is intriguing, action packed and entertaining; the romance is passionate and fated; the characters are dynamic and charismatic. Julie Ann Walker’s BLACK KNIGHTS INC is an edgy, sassy and intelligent series with lovable heroes, and brilliant heroines.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Hell on Wheels
In Rides Trouble
Rev It Up
Thrill Ride
Born Wild
Hell For Leather
Full Throttle
Too Hard To Handle
Wild Ride
Fuel For Fire
Hot Pursuit
Built to Last

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

NOTE: Excerpt intended for mature readers 18+ due to language and sexual content

 

What was he doing? What the hell was he doing?
Oh, right. With everything he had, he was kissing the woman he’d fallen in love with a decade earlier and, God help him, loved still. His mind and body had traveled down I-Want-Your-Sex Road so fast that he’d missed his exit to This-Is-a-Really-Bad-Idea Town.
A really bad idea, he warned himself and followed that up with It isn’t fair to her.
Of course, when she slipped her tongue between his teeth, tentatively exploring, it took everything he had not to fall to his knees. Her mouth tasted of love and loss, of a wonderful and terrible past and a murky, tormented future.
It’s not fair, he silently reminded himself again. She doesn’t know who I am.
And yet she wanted him.
It was there in her eyes when she looked at him. A familiar longing. A confused, punch-drunk hunger that defied logic and reason because it was instinctual, a product of their lizard brains recognizing in each other the perfect physical mate. All the plastic surgery in the world couldn’t mask that.
“Mmm,” he hummed when she sucked on his tongue. Just a little. Just a nibble. He angled her head so he could align their mouths more closely.
In all the years that had passed, he had tried to convince himself their connection, their passion, had been a product of their youthful hearts. Two undisciplined lovers hungry to experience the thrill of the fall. But now? Oh, now, with her in his arms, with her mouth eager and greedy on his, he realized it had been so much more.
He didn’t believe in fated love or one-and-only’s, but neither could he discount the truth staring him in the face. Or, rather, the truth gripping his shoulders and trying to inhale him.
No woman had ever come close to touching his heart the way Sonya had. And certainly no woman had ever brought him the kind of pleasure she did.
And believe me, he thought as he nipped her plump bottom lip, knowing it would make her gasp, I let plenty of them try.
Since he’d left her, he hadn’t exactly lived the life of a monk. Looking back, he realized he’d been searching for Sonya inside other women, looking for that same connection, that same spark. But no matter how hard he’d tried, no matter how many birds he’d bounced atop countless beds, he’d always come up empty-handed.
Now, he realized that was because Sonya was it. The one. The standard by which he’d judged women and beauty and bravery and grace. He’d compared every smile to her smile, every laugh to her laugh. To him, she was everything a woman should be, her name branded upon his heart.
Fool that he was, he took great delight in knowing she felt the same, knowing she’d only ever loved one man. Him.
Or, at least she loved me as I was back then, he thought, stepping in to her until she was flush along his front, loving the feminine heat rolling off her body and the way she didn’t hesitate to rub herself against him.
That was the problem, wasn’t it? Not that she rubbed herself against him; that was heaven on earth. But that she loved him as he was back then. Because—and this was God’s honest truth—that man was dead in all the ways that counted. When Mark had become Majid who had, in turn, become Angel, he’d given up his home, his name, his face…and the woman he loved.
He’d done it in the name of Israel and freedom and the lives of innocent people everywhere including hers. But he’d done it nonetheless. He’d left her.
Left her to miss him. Left her to mourn him. Left her to fend for herself in a treacherous and merciless world. And look what had happened. She’d fallen into the grasp of a man like Grafton.
How can she ever forgive me?
Anguish grabbed hold of his heart and shoved it into his throat at the same time she grabbed the back of his head and went up on tiptoe to press herself more firmly against him.
When guilt had threatened to swamp him over the years, he had always been able to justify things to himself and chase the insidious emotion away. Now, knowing what had become of her, knowing if he had stayed, she wouldn’t be in this awful position, remorse wormed its way inside his gut and set up shop.
He’d wronged her for the right reasons. He’d made a decision that broke their hearts and quite possibly saved their lives. He’d wrecked their little world to make the larger one safer for everyone.
Yet…was it possible there might have been another way? Could he have answered the call of his country and his ramsad and held on to the woman he loved? Ten years ago, he would have insisted that how things had happened was the only way any of it could have happened. Today? Well, today a seed of doubt had been planted.
It was all so complicated. So confusing.
There were only two things he knew for sure. First, he was determined to figure out why she allowed herself to work for Grafton, to discover precisely what the bastard had on her to keep her under his thumb if it wasn’t her love and loyalty to the jewel thief. Second, along with bringing Grafton/Spider down, he was determined to save Sonya. She didn’t deserve this fate she’d found for herself. He believed that with everything inside him.
His thoughts dissolved then because her starved and impatient kisses turned abandoned. She’d lost herself to passion, hungrily devouring his lips and tongue and running her hands over his shoulders, up into his short hair. His mind drifted back to a time when his thick, dark locks had been long enough for her to curl her fingers around. His cock responded to her wicked seduction by straining against the fly of his jeans, seeking the heat and the soft give of her belly.
She moaned with pleasure.
He moaned for more of her.


 

FOLLOW Julie: Facebook / Goodreads / Website / Twitter

Julie Ann Walker is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of award-winning romantic suspense. She has won the Book Buyers Best Award, been nominated for the National Readers Choice Award, the Australian Romance Reader Awards, and the Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA award. Her latest release was named a Top Ten Romance of 2014 by Booklist. Her books have been described as “alpha, edgy, and downright hot.” Most days you can find her on her bicycle along the lake shore in Chicago or blasting away at her keyboard, trying to wrangle her capricious imagination into submission.

Be sure to sign up for Julie’s occasional newsletter at: http://julieannwalker.com

NOTE: The Reading Cafe is NOT responsible for the rafflecopter giveaway. If you have any questions, please contact the publisher.

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