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GRAVE DECEPTION (Secrets and the City) by Kathy Lockheart- review

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GRAVE DECEPTION (Secrets and the City 4) by Kathy Lockheart-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 15, 2023

My new neighbor is a scorching hot police detective—one I have a massive crush on, but I never wanted to get his attention like this: as the apparent victim of an attempted murder.

After rescuing me from the icy waters of the Chicago River, Shane begins investigating the people closest to me, and to my horror, discovers several of them have a motive to want me dead.

Worse, he firmly believes they will try again.

The more time Shane spends with me trying to unravel how I plummeted from that bridge, the more protective he becomes, and the harder we fall for each other. But I can tell Shane is hiding something from me—something that has the power to destroy our happily ever after.

All I want is to solve the case so we can put this entire nightmare behind us.

But I never imagined the shocking truth about that fateful evening… or what’s about to happen to us both…

•••••••••

REVIEW: GRAVE DECEPTION is the fourth instalment in Kath Lockheart’s contemporary, adult SECRETS AND THE CITY romantic suspense series. This is police detective Shane Hernandez, and HR representative Willow Johnson’s story line. GRAVE DECEPTION can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

Told from first person perspective (Willow) GRAVE DECEPTION follows in the wake of the rescue of Willow Johnson. Out for a late night jog, CPD Detective Shane Hernandez witnesses a woman falling off a bridge, and jumps into the icy water to rescue. Having no recollection of what happened or why, Willow Johnson discovers her rescuer is her next door neighbor, a man who refuses to leave Willow alone. Believing the police are reluctant to investigate beyond the obvious clues, Shane begins to question everyone in our heroine’s life, pointing a finger at all of the people who may or may not hold a personal grudge but as the investigation continues, a series of mysterious occurrences threaten the safety of the woman with whom Shane is falling in love. What ensues is the the building relationship between Willow and Shane, and the potential fall-out as the past refuses to let go of our story line couple.

Willow Johnson lost her father when she was a child, a loss she is unable to remember, one of which her mother and sister refuse to discuss. Shane Hernandez grew up in a family of law enforcement, front line workers, but a bullet took his father way too soon. As Shane and Willow continue to struggle with demons from the past, someone is targeting our story line couple.

The relationship between Shane and Willow begins as a rescue but Shane has lusted after his neighbor from afar, a lust that at times feels a bit stalkerish in his need to defend and protect. At the same time, someone is targeting Willow Johnson, and our heroine refuses to to accept that anyone she knows could be wishing her dead. As the list of suspects continues to grow, Willow finds herself falling for man who may not be relationship material. The $ex scenes are limited but passionate and intense, without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

The secondary and supporting character include Willow’s ex boyfriend Ezra, her mother and sister Hayley, as well as co-workers Amelia, Emily and Tracey, police officer Rosse, and Shane’s best friend Chicago DEA agent, police officer Fallon O’Connor. The requisite evil has many faces.

GRAVE DECEPTION is a story of betrayal and vengeance, obsession and madness, family and relationships, forgiveness and acceptance. The fast paced premise is intriguing and interesting; the romance is seductive; the characters are broken but struggling to move forward.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Deadly Illusion
Fatal Cure
Lethal Justice

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Kathy Lockheart is an author of Romantic Suspense novels. Her books—which have a unique blend of emotional elements typically found in women’s fiction and the romance and danger elements found in romantic suspense—contain themes of dark romance, antiheroes, and forbidden romance. When she’s not writing, you can find her silently cursing the person who put fluorescent lights in dressing rooms.

FOLLOW:Goodreads / Website/ Bookbub / Amazon Author / Facebook /

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Lethal Justice by Kathy Lockheart -Review & Excerpt tour

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Lethal Justice (SECRETS AND THE CITY 3) by Kathy Lockheart -Review & Excerpt tour

 

 

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date

A crime leader has fallen for the wrong woman. She’s his hostage in a heist, and if he leaves any witnesses, his colleagues will kill them both.

A hostage isn’t supposed to develop feelings for her captor—a man who’s the antithesis of everything I stand for. And my captor isn’t supposed to see me in a way no one else ever has, let alone want to protect me from the other men who plan to end my life…

Surrendering to our unexpected feelings could spell death for us both. Especially when Easton is given a direct order: Kill me, or they’ll kill him and his brother.

Soon, our lives, along with the lives of everyone we love, are in danger. And time is running out…

•••••••

REVIEW:LETHAL JUSTICE is the third instalment in Kathy Lockheart’s contemporary, adult SECRETS AND THE CITY romantic suspense series. This is Easton Wells, and twenty-six year old, marketing analyst Zoey Williams’ story line. LETHAL JUSTICE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

Told from first person perspective (Zoey) LETHAL JUSTICE follows in the aftermath of a robbery at Zoey Williams’ father’s former condo. Following a hit and run accident that left her estranged father in a wheelchair, Zoey became the sole responsibility for the man who broke her heart but finances were tight, and Zoey needed an influx of cash, and returned to her father’s condo to retrieve a piece of jewelry with some sentimental value but Zoey walked in on a robbery in progress, and found herself a captive of three hired thugs. Three men hired to rob the condo were now threatening to kill our story line heroine but one of the thieves was determined to protect Zoey from the others and herself by placing himself in the direct line of fire. Upon her escape, Zoey would eventually come face to face with her captor and would-be rescuer, the man with whom Zoey would fall in love. Enter Easton Wells. What ensues is the problematic and hypocritical relationship between Zoey and Easton, and the fall-out everyone comes cleans about their personal involvement.

Zoey Williams was destroyed the day her father left the family behind but following his accident Zoey was the only person available to help her father heal but in helping she placed herself in dire financial straights. Hoping to sell the only piece of jewelry left behind, Zoey had no idea she would come face to face with her future, a man who was willing to protect our heroine with his life.

The relationship between Zoey and Easton is controversial at best. Easton is desperate to protect an innocent woman, and Zoey sees something in Easton that does not make him all bad. Following the robbery, and our heroine’s subsequent escape, Easton is desperate to protect the woman with whom he is falling in love, a woman who is willing to risk her own freedom for the man who could have destroyed her life. The $ex scenes are passionate but mostly implied.

We are introduced to Easton’s brother Gavin; physical therapist Alex, and Zoey’s father, as well as Detective Shane Hernandez of the Chicago PD.

LETHAL JUSTICE is a story of betrayal and desperation, power and money, family, friendships, relationships and love. The premise is intriguing and thrilling; the characters are desperation and determined; the romance is subtle but seductive.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Deadly Illusion
Fatal Cure

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Haven’t started the series: DEADLY ILLUSION book one is only 99¢ for a limited time

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I kicked my foot toward him, hoping to slam the heel of my foot into his nose. But he blocked that one, too. I tried to yank away from his grip, but doing so rocked the chair and tilted one side of it into the air. Before I could correct the center of gravity, the chair tipped over, sending me into a free fall, my nose on a collision course with the wooden planks.
But he grabbed me before I hit—one arm around my stomach, his other hand gripping my upper arm.
He pulled me into a standing position as if I weighed nothing and set me back on my feet.
“Careful,” he said, a blend of irritation and enjoyment seeping from his tone. “I’d hate to see you hurt that beautiful face of yours.”
“Because you prefer to do it yourself?”
I heard him huff a laugh-breath.
Why isn’t he letting go of me?
He stood there, his hands on my body, doing what? Staring at me? Smelling like burnt sugar.
Strange. I’d have expected him to smell like chemically rotting feet, not delicious and inviting.
“So, this is what you do?” I said, heat pooling beneath my cheeks. “Break into people’s homes and then murder them if they happen to come inside?”
No answer.
“What an exemplary member of society we have here,” I snarled.
“Let me give you some advice.” His tone was low and even.
“This ought to be good. Advice from a criminal. I’m waiting with bated breath.”
He tightened his grip around my waist until my chest pushed into his. “You’re bound and blindfolded and at my mercy. Provoking the very person who holds your life in his hands is unwise.”

 

Kathy Lockheart is an author of Romantic Suspense novels. Her books—which have a unique blend of emotional elements typically found in women’s fiction and the romance and danger elements found in romantic suspense—contain themes of dark romance, antiheroes, and forbidden romance. When she’s not writing, you can find her silently cursing the person who put fluorescent lights in dressing rooms.

FOLLOW:Goodreads / Website/ Bookbub / Amazon Author / Facebook /

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Fatal Cure (Secrets and the City 2)by Kathy Lockheart-Review tour

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Deadly Illusion/ Fatal Cure (Secrets and the City 1 & 2)by Kathy Lockheart-Review tour

Amazon.com / Amazon US Paper /Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /B&N paper /

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 31, 2022

Hunting the enemy is dangerous. Falling for him is deadly.

An aspiring DEA agent has one goal in life: to dismantle the drug organizations that destroyed her family. A drug kingpin has two rules that keep him alive: never get caught and never fall in love. Too bad for him, she’s about to break them both.

Fallon’s a survivor who will stop at nothing to catch the drug criminals that decimated her family, but when she lands the opportunity of a lifetime and joins a DEA task force, she uncovers the shocking truth about her past and realizes the criminal kingpin she’s hunting is closer than she ever imagined…

Dillon has a lot of enemies—enemies that would hurt anyone he cares about if he makes a mistake. Thus, he has two rules: never fall in love and never get caught. But when he’s rescued from certain death by a captivating woman named Fallon, he has no idea that she’s about to break them both or that they’ve become a target of the world’s most dangerous criminals.

Worse, a ruthless drug cartel makes a horrifying move that puts the lives of thousands of civilians, and the fate of the entire country, on the line. And time is running out…

•••••

REVIEW:FATAL CURE is the second instalment in Kathy Lockheart’s contemporary, adult SECRETS AND THE CITY romantic suspense series. This is soon to be Chicago DEA agent, police officer Fallon O’Connor , and businessman Dillon McPherson’s story line. FATAL CURE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.

WARNING: FATAL CURE contains scenes and descriptions of graphic violence and death, and may contain triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from first person perspective (Fallon) FATAL CURE follows the building relationship between soon-to-be DEA agent Fallon O’Connor , and Dillon McPherson. A high rise fire traps two strangers, Fallon O’Connor and Dillon McPherson, in an elevator, an elevator that is about to plummet twenty-six floors taking our story line couple with it. A quick thinking Fallon saves them both, and a whirlwind romance ensues but all is not well in the city of Chicago when the drug trade explodes, and a war with Syndicate and the arrival of the Mexican Cartel ensues with the Chicago PD. As Fallon and her fellow officers begin a search for the people responsible, Fallon’s relationship with Dillon implodes forcing our heroine to make a heart breaking choice between love and her job. What ensues is the building but rocky relationship between Fallon and Dillon, and the potential fall-out when the Chicago PD suspect a mole in their organization, as Fallon and Dillon find themselves the target of the Syndicate and the Baja Cartel.

Fallon O’Connor’s life is the story of nightmares having lived her younger years with addicts and the threat of death every day. Working with the DEA has been a lifelong dream but all is not well within the Agency, and our heroine is targeted from outside and from within. Dillon McPherson’s secrets run dangerous and deep, and he never wanted his work to threaten the woman with whom he is falling in love. Desperate to protect Fallon, Dillon must sacrifice everything he knows, but the fates have other plans for our story line couple.

The relationship between Dillon and Fallon begins in the wake of a fire targeting one or both of our story line characters. Dillon quickly fell for Fallon O’Connor but secrets and lies are about to destroy the building love, secrets Fallon never thought possible. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top sexually graphic language and text.

We are introduced to Fallon’s best friend and fellow office Shane Hernandez; DEA Sargent Marcus Burch, and Agent Proctor; as well as several members of both the Syndicate, and the Baja Cartel.The requisite evil has many faces.

FATAL CURE is a story of drugs, addiction and family; power and control; betrayal and vengeance; secrets and lies, forgiveness and love. The premise is intriguing, twisted and tragic although I suspected the twist very early on .The characters are energetic, charismatic and troubled; the romance is seductive and captivating.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Check out the trailer here -> https://youtu.be/qGULugDq8tI

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DEADLY ILLUSION
Secrets and the City #1
by Kathy Lockheart
Release Date: December 2021

ebook ONLY 99¢ USD: Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

She was able to hide the bruises from everyone…until an MMA fighter came along. Now he’ll die to protect her. Maybe even kill…

Jenna was determined to leave her dark past behind her and build the life she’d always wanted, but just when she thought all her dreams were finally coming true, a shocking incident shattered her fairy-tale life, and now she’s hiding a terrible secret—a secret that could cost her everything.

Damian is as gorgeous as he is mysterious, keeping his own dark secrets from everyone he meets. He never thought he’d care about anything again…until he meets Jenna. He knows letting her get close to him will put her in danger, but when he suspects Jenna’s in trouble, there’s only one thing that matters: protecting her at all costs.

Thrust into a terrifying nightmare where a threat looms in every shadow, Jenna and Damian find themselves in a race for survival. Soon, everyone Jenna loves is in peril, and only the ultimate sacrifice can save them…

••••••

REVIEW: DEADLY ILLUSION by Kathy Lockheart is a contemporary, adult , romantic suspense story line focusing on twenty-three year old, marketing analyst Jenna Christiansen.

WARNING: Due to the nature and subject matter of the story line premise there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from first person perspective (Jenna) DEADLY ILLUSION follows Jenna Christiansen as she begins a new life in Chicago, Illinois. A chance encounter in a dark alley with a stranger found our heroine in a relationship that would quickly spiral out of control. Eight months before Jenna would acknowledge the truth but the ongoing denial and damage would continue for months to come. Meeting MMA fighter Damian Stone gave our heroine pause for the future but Jenna wasn’t willing to sacrifice her freedom for the sake of her own safety or the safety of others. As Jenna is forced to see the legitimacy of the threats to her life, Damian struggles to protect the woman with whom he is falling in love.

DEADLY ILLUSION is a story of obsession, violence, power and control. A raw, gritty and honest look at the dangers of an abusive relationship , and the detrimental affect, not only on the survivor but to those of the people they love. The premise is powerful and emotional-one you won’t forget for a very long time.

Copy supplied for review

I crossed my arms over my chest and said, “You beat up Proctor.”

Dillon wiped his nose with his thumb. “I’m sure whoever did it wanted to do far worse to him.”

“That’s not a confession.”

“Confessing a crime would put you in an uncomfortable position.”

I frowned. “I told you I hit him first.”

“I’m sure the only relevant fact to whoever did it was that he laid hands on you.”

“Strange that whoever did it was smart enough to leave no bruises on his face to avoid drawing unwanted attention to it. And even stranger that Proctor didn’t report it,” I said.

“A lot of guys feel embarrassed after getting their ass kicked.”

“He could change his mind,” I warned.

Dillon locked his steely eyes with mine. “Perhaps the assailant wore a ski mask. So that scumbag didn’t see his face.”

I glowered at him. “I don’t need you to fight my battles for me.”

“I know you don’t need me to,” Dillon said. “But anyone who messes with you can expect to deal with me.”

 

© Kathy Lockheart. All rights reserved.

Kathy Lockheart is an author of Romantic Suspense novels. Her books—which have a unique blend of emotional elements typically found in women’s fiction and the romance and danger elements found in romantic suspense—contain themes of dark romance, antiheroes, and forbidden romance. When she’s not writing, you can find her silently cursing the person who put fluorescent lights in dressing rooms.

FOLLOW:Goodreads / Website/ Bookbub / Amazon Author / Facebook /

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