The Dom Who Came In From the Cold by Lexi Blake-review tour

The Dom Who Came In From the Cold (Masters and Mercenaries: Reloaded 5) by Lexi Blake-review tour

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 21, 2023

Kyle Hawthorne once believed his future would be a job in the private sector—a simple, normal life. Fate had other plans and he wound up in the military. Some newly discovered talents caught the eye of the CIA, and in no time he was working with a covert team. He found himself in a relationship with fellow operative, Julia—until she turned out to be the enemy. When her betrayal was uncovered, things got bloody and Kyle returned home broken, searching for a chance to walk the road not taken.

MaeBe Vaughan has never been interested in normal. Her happy place is a dark corner of the Internet, where she disrupts all the bad guys. She has a great circle of friends and a full life. She doesn’t need a man. Until Kyle Hawthorne walked into her life. He’s all wrong for her. Surly. Damaged. His uncle is her boss. But she couldn’t help getting close to him. When his past threatened her safety, Kyle walked out without saying good-bye.

Kyle will do anything to keep MaeBe safe. He faked his death, hid in the middle of nowhere, and watched over her from afar. But when Julia resurfaces, he knows that to protect MaeBe, he’ll have to get close. So close that if they manage to survive, he will never let her go.

•••••

REVIEW:THE DOM WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD is the fifth instalment in Lexi Blake’s contemporary, adult MASTERS AND MERCENARIES: RELOADED erotic, BDSM, romantic suspense series-a spin off from the author’s Masters and Mercenaries: The Forgotten, which in turn is a spin off from the author’s Masters and Mercenaries series. This is former CIA agent Kyle Hawthorne, and IT specialist MaeBe (Mae Beatrice) Vaughn’s story line. THE DOM WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD can be read as a stand alone but I recommend reading the series in order as there is an ongoing premise throughout as well as references to previous events and interconnected characters. Kyle and MaeBe’s story line has been building since book one of the Reloaded spin off.

NOTE: If you have not read the previous instalments, there may be spoilers in my review. Some of the events of THE DOM WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD cross over with NO TIME TO LIE #4.

Told from third person perspective using present day and memories from the past THE DOM WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD follows in the wake of Kyle Hawthorne’s return from the dead. Years earlier, CIA operative Kyle Hawthorne had fallen in love with fellow CIA agent Julia Ennis, but soon discovered Julia had turned to the dark side, taking Kyle along for the ride. Upon his ‘escape’ from Julia, and his return to his extended family at McKay-Taggart Security and his mother Grace Taggart, Kyle would find himself falling for IT Specialist MaeBe Vaughn but Kyle’s past refused to let go, and our hero faked his death to protect the woman he loved. Fast forward eighteen months, and Kyle would, once again, come face to face with MaeBe Vaughn, the woman whose heart he destroyed in an effort to save her. Working for McKay-Taggart brought Kyle up close and personal with MaeBe but Kyle’s demons have returned gunning for everyone that Kyle has ever loved. What ensues is the acrimonious but rebuilding relationship between Kyle and MaeBe, and the potential fall-out as Julia Ennis sets her sights on our story line hero, killing anyone who stands in her way of reclaiming the man she lost.

The relationship between Kyle and MaeBe is a second chance relationship but a relationship destroyed by secrets and lies, issues of trust, and Kyle faking his death in an effort to protect MaeBe Vaughn. Having remained hiding in plain sight, Kyle had been in contact with family back home but MaeBe was kept out of the loop to protect her from future harm. Kyle’s return brought trepidation, more issues of trust, and the enemy only minutes behind, and with it, MaeBe’s life would once again hang in the balance. MaeBe is a submissive in the bedroom, but in the real world, MaeBe refuses to bend to the man she still loved. The $ex scenes are intimate erotic and intense with some scenes of spanking and bondage.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including Big Tag and Charlotte, Sean and Grace Taggart; operatives Taylor Cline and Drake Radcliff, Deke Murphy and Maddie Hall, Hutch and Noelle, Adam Miles, Jake, Boomer and Yasmin, as well as the return of Julie Ennis, and newcomer CSIS (Canadian Security Intelligence Service) Joseph Caulder who will lead the new teams in MASTERS AND MERCENARIES: NEW RECRUITS September 2023.

THE DOM WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD is another complex, detailed, exhaustive and meticulous storyline that wraps up this particular arc of the Masters and Mercenaries series, as well as the introduction to the next generation of operatives and spies-children of the couples we have met in the original and previous series. The premise is thorough, elaborate and intriguing; the characters are numerous, charismatic, determined and dynamic; the romance is passionate but struggles in the face of betrayal and loss. Lexi Blake pulls the reader into another wonderful, exciting and amazing series-you don’t want to pass by.

Previous Reviews and Reading Order

Submission Impossible
The Dom Identity
The Man From Sanctum
No Time To Lie

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

 

 

“Do you think he’s going to kill you? I know the man seems scary but he’s not. The key with Big Tag is to give as good as you get. Like fight his sarcasm with sarcasm. When he asks how my broom ride in was, I smile and ask him if he rode in on the back of a brontosaurus from his age. I know that sounds harsh, but it made him laugh, and now we’re cool. I spent the first couple of weeks terrified by him, thinking he was this big bully, but he’s actually the sweetest guy.”
The words had been said with a slightly husky feminine tone, and when he turned, sure enough there was a woman. A young woman who looked like she’d walked off the pages of a goth comic book. She was petite, a good foot shorter than him, with two purple pig tails, and she liked black. She had on a black miniskirt with sparkly suspenders over a black button-up. Dark green leggings and combat boots completed the look.
She was absolutely nothing like the two types of women he’d been surrounded by the last decade of his life. Military women who kept things neat and clean and practical, or the sophisticated crowd he’d run in when he’d been a spy. Women who were polished and thought out every single word they said and action made.
The first he would have nodded and made some simple conversation with. The second he would spend some time figuring out to ensure they weren’t here to spy on him.
He had absolutely no idea what to do with the woman in front of him. “Uh, I don’t think he’s going to kill me.”
She was weirdly fascinating. And just plain weird. She had a messenger bag over her shoulder, and the wide strap was decorated with a bunch of buttons, one which proclaimed her the Mistress of Code. She seemed to like code and the color green since she had a big button with the words I Always Play Green and some weird figure on it. “Confident. I like it. Are you a client or a new hire?” She gasped as she seemed to think of something. “Or a new vendor? Because if you are trying to sell the big guy anything that’s not a lemon tart, he might kill you. We should rethink this.”
It was her smile that did it. A small uptick of lips that let him know she was fucking with him and probably fucked with every guy in her life. Not in a “I’m looking to screw you over, take your secrets, and then probably murder you on the way out the door” way he’d gotten used to.
In the “I don’t take life too seriously” way. Like the women he’d been friends with in college. The ones he’d been comfortable with in another lifetime. In the life he’d had before he’d so brutally destroyed everything around him.
He should walk away from this woman. He was toxic, and his world for so long had been blood and secrets and death. She wouldn’t even know how to walk in his world. She also wasn’t his type. The last thing he needed was even a casual flirtation.
“I’m the new guy.” He held out a hand. “Name’s Kyle Hawthorne. I’m starting in the bodyguard unit today.”
She was completely harmless. It wouldn’t hurt to talk to the cute goth chick while he was here. He wouldn’t be here forever. He was giving this two months tops. That should be enough time to satisfy his family and the higher-ups at the CIA that he wasn’t going to do something dangerous. And then he would go do something dangerous.
She reached out, that smile turning into something truly glorious. Her black-tinged lips spread and showed even white teeth, but it was the way that smile lit up her eyes that made him pause. “MaeBe.”
Oh, she was playing with fire because for the first time in months he felt his groin tighten as he took her hand in his and felt an actual fucking spark that probably wasn’t static electricity. He couldn’t help the way his own lips curled up, and the words that flowed out of his mouth could have come from his twenty-year-old self. “Maybe? I would say that’s a little presumptuous of you, but I think I’ll go with it.”


 

NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog in the world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem.

FACEBOOK / TWITTER / WEBSITE /GOODREADS / AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

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The Dom Identity by Lexi Blake-Review tour

The Dom Identity (Masters and Mercenaries: Reloaded 2) by Lexi Blake-Review Tour

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September 14, 2021

A man with everything

Michael Malone seems to have it all. A wealthy, loving family. A job that fulfills him. Friends he can count on. But something is missing. He’s spent years watching his brother and close friends get married and start families, but it hasn’t happened for him. When an assignment comes up to investigate fallen Hollywood star Vanessa Hale, he jumps at the chance. She’s gorgeous and potentially deadly. Playing the spy game with her might be just the thing to take his mind off his troubles.

A woman with nothing left to lose

Vanessa Hale had big dreams that ended in scandal. She returned home with nothing but heartache and the desire to find her mother’s killer. The trail points to someone at Lodge Corp, so taking a job with Julian Lodge’s mysterious company is her best option for finding the truth. While she hunts for a killer during the day, she hopes to find some solace at night in The Club. Meeting the gorgeous, sexy and seemingly kind Michael Malone, their chemistry sparks in a way she’s never felt before, and Vanessa thinks maybe her luck has finally changed.

A love that might save them both

When Michael’s true motives are revealed, she will have to find a way to forgive his betrayal. The killer has made Vanessa their next target. Working together and stopping this monster is the only chance for them to have the real love they both deserve.

••••••••

REVIEW:THE DOM IDENTITY is the second instalment in Lexi Blake’s contemporary, adult MASTERS AND MERCENARIES: RELOADED erotic, romantic suspense series- a spin of from the author’s various interconnected Masters and Mercenaries series-fast forwarding the series several years. This is Dom/ security expert Michael Malone, and one-time Hollywood starlet, thirty-two year old, Vanessa Hale’s story line. THE DOM IDENTITY can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line and series is revealed where necessary.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise there are some scenes of bondage and discipline, domination and submission including spanking.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Michael and Vanessa) THE DOM IDENTITY follows the building romance and relationship between Dom/ security expert Michael Malone, and one-time Hollywood starlet, thirty-two year old, Vanessa Hale. Vanessa Hale’s sister Nicki is dead, and our heroine is determined to prove someone at The Club is behind her sister’s sudden demise. Hired by her sister’s former employer, Vanessa begins an investigation into the events leading up to her sister’s death including a membership at the exclusive BDSM The Club, where she will meet her future in the guise of Michael Malone. Not only will Michael becomes Vanessa’s Dom but Vanessa will have to submit to a man who is about to destroy her heart. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Michael and Vanessa, and the fall-out as Vanessa’s life continues to spiral out of control when her late husband’s family targets our heroine in a game of cat and mouse.

Michael Malone has been tasked with uncovering the truth about Vanessa Hale, an actress whose life has played out in the public domain following her marriage to, and the subsequent death of her aging, billionaire husband. Someone has stolen money from the Lodge Corporation, and thusly billionaire Dom Julian Lodge, and in this Vanessa is the prime suspect to everything that is about to go down. With no family or friends with whom she can trust, Vanessa finds herself the target of paparazzi, tabloids, gossip and innuendo, but never suspected the true heart break coming from the people with whom she works, and man with whom she will fall in love.

The relationship between Vanessa and Michael is predicted upon a number of lies. Vanessa is hoping to uncover the truth behind her sister’s unexpected death, and Michael is tasked with ensuing Vanessa is not a threat to the people he has come to call family and friends. As their D/s relationship begins to develop, Vanessa will discover that everything about her new life is a lie, and the people she trusted, are setting her up to fail. The $ex scenes are erotic and intense with some scenes of bondage and spanking.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters many of whom we have me in previous story lines including Charlotte and Big Tag, Julian, Finn and Danielle Lodge, McKay –Taggart agents David and Tessa, IT specialist Mae Beatrice Vaughn aka MaeBe, former CIA agent Kyle Hawthorne, Deke Murphy, Boomer, as well as Michael’s mother Ava Malone, and his brother JT. The requisite evil has many faces. Deke’s story is next in The Man From Sanctum. The members of The Club/Sanctum/and McKay Taggart are a family, such that each person is a part of the whole, a family that is often closer than blood.

THE DOM IDENTITY is a complex and detailed story of betrayal, deception and vengeance, power and control, obsession and retribution, secrets and lies, forgiveness and love. The premise is heart breaking, and impassioned; the romance is intimate and dramatic; the characters are flawed, spirited and broken.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one SUBMISSION IMPOSSIBLE.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog in the world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem.

FACEBOOK / TWITTER / WEBSITE / AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

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Submission Impossible by Lexi Blake-Review & Excerpt tour

Submission Impossible (Masters and Mercenaries: Reloaded #1)by Lexi Blake-Review & Excerpt Tour

 

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 16, 2021

He loves the sweet life

Greg Hutchins is reluctantly adulting these days. He’s settled in his job, recently bought his first house, and has a network of friends he can call family. But there’s something missing in his life, and he can’t quite put his finger on it. When he’s assigned to a case that involves investigating a biochemical company, he meets a woman who’s sweeter than any candy. Maybe she’s just the thing to make him feel complete.

She’s ready for the future

Noelle LaVigne has faced plenty of tragedy in her life, but she’s on the right path now. Between her new job and settling into a new city, she’s got no time for dating or relationships. She’s worked hard to get where she is, and no man is going to push her off track. Except the minute Hutch crosses her path she can’t seem to think about anything but the handsome security expert. He’s there to find a corporate spy, but late-night work sessions make her think they’ve both found something much more meaningful.

A twist they never saw coming

When the case becomes dangerous, both of their futures are on the line. And when the bullets start flying, they will have to learn to trust in each other if they hope to survive.

•••••••

REVIEW:SUBMISSION IMPOSSIBLE is the first instalment in Lexi Blake’s contemporary, adult MASTERS AND MERCENARIES: RELOADED erotic, BDSM, romantic suspense series-a spin off from the author’s Masters and Mercenaries: The Forgotten, which in turn is a spin off from the original Masters and Mercenaries. This is Greg ‘Hutch’ Hutchins, and scientist Noelle LaVigne’s story line. SUBMISSION IMPOSSIBLE can be read as a stand alone, you do not have to have read the previous series to follow or understand. There is a slight cross-over with the author’s LAWLESS series.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise there are some scenes of bondage and discipline, domination and submission including spanking and rope play.

Told from third person perspective SUBMISSION IMPOSSIBLE follows Greg ‘Hutch’ Hutchins, as a member of the McKay-Taggart security force, tasked with the protection of scientist Noelle LaVigne in the wake of a suspicious death of a fellow researcher at Genedyne Labs. Along with fellow security specialist Kyle Hawthorne, Hutch goes undercover as Noelle’s boyfriend, in an effort to stay closer to the woman with whom he will fall in love but all is not well at the Genedyne Labs, when our heroine is targeted for her work, and the people hired to protect her come under scrutiny from the man in charge. What ensues is the building but contemptuous relationship between Noelle and Hutch as our couple navigate a minefield of corporate espionage, secrets, lies and attacks against Noelle, Hutch and Kyle Hawthorne.

Greg Hutchins struggles with what was and what will never be but our hero knows that Noelle is the woman that calls to his heart, and the submissive to his Dominant side but protecting Noelle becomes increasingly difficult as she refuses to believe she is a potential target at Genedyne Labs. There is more than one team investigating the who, what and why at Genedyne Labs, and our heroine will be caught in the middle of a fight for control.

The relationship between Hutch and Noelle begins acrimoniously as Hutch refuses to ‘babysit’ a spoiled scientist, and our heroine refuses to accept protection from the man with whom she will fall in love. Pretending to be in a committed relationship Hutch agrees to become Noelle’s Dominant when her introduction at Sanctum spirals out of control. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

Several of the characters including Big Tag and Charlotte (Masters and Mercenaries), Grace and Sean play secondary and supporting roles. We are introduced to IT specialist Mae Beatrice Vaughn aka MaeBe, security specialists Michael Malone and Kyle Hawthorne, Genedyne CEO Jessica Layne , Noelle’s father Armie LaVigne and his wife Lila, engineer Peter Moore, Dallas PD Chris Taylor, and Cara Dover.

SUBMISSION IMPOSSIBLE is a story of betrayal, power and control; corporate espionage; money, murder, relationships and love. The premise is engaging, intriguing and entertaining; the romance is seductive and captivating; the characters are animated, energetic and dynamic.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

“I’ve spent a lot of my evening researching your boss, and she’s dangerous. I think her corporate structure is sketchy, too. I think there’s a good chance she’s under some kind of investigation, and you’re going to get dragged into it. Is there any way you could take a couple of weeks off?”
It was the conclusion he’d come to. He would feel safer if she didn’t go back into that building again.
She shook her head. “I can’t. If I leave, I leave my research behind, and I’m close. If I prove my processes can work I’ll be able to hire on anywhere, and that would be remarkable at my age.”
Well, it was the answer he’d expected. “I want you to keep your eyes open and call me the minute you feel like anything’s weird. Trust your instincts.” He let out a breath and admitted the answer he’d come to. “I’m going to let Kyle go in with you tomorrow.”
“Good, because I have it on the highest authority he was going to take that job anyway.”
It was good to know he was in charge. He closed the screen of his laptop. He should go to bed and let her have some peace. She had to be at work early in the morning. He would lay on her couch and stare at the ceiling.
He was about to stand when Noelle beat him to it. “Hey, you didn’t get your prize.”
“Prize?”
“That’s kind of what you wanted, right? I’m supposed to give you something for opening up to me.”
“I wasn’t thinking about it as a prize, though I can see where you would.” He wanted to explore this thing between them, and having her talk to him or tell him something important about herself would do that. But he wasn’t going to push her. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”
He was going to go slow. He was going to get to know her and ease into a friendship that could become something more. He had to be patient.
“I want to.” She crossed the space between them. “I want to give you this.”
She had another Red Vine in her hand. He’d wanted something personal from her. Something that would let him know this woman better. He got his own candy back. Story of his life. Still, he gave her what he hoped was a game smile and reached out. “Thanks.”
She pulled her hand back before he could take the candy. It wasn’t even a full one. It was the last little piece of what he’d given her.
“I want you to take it from me.” She licked her lips and put it in her mouth.
He was fully awake now, and about three thousand reasons this was a bad, bad idea went through his head.
It was too soon. She was sheltered and inexperienced. He was not. He had needs that would shock her. She’d literally said she didn’t do weird sex stuff. He did. A lot of weird sex stuff.
He should wait because she wasn’t doing this because she was in love with him. She was doing it because they had wild chemistry and she couldn’t help herself. He should be the senior partner and end this experiment of hers.
She settled on his lap. Suddenly every muscle in his body was tense and waiting to see if she was doing what he thought she was doing.
“Noelle?”
She lifted her face to his, offering that last bit of sugar, and he gave up the idea of waiting.

NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog in the world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem.

FACEBOOK / TWITTER / WEBSITE / AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

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