TAKEN (Holton Woods 2.5) by HelenKay Dimon-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 21, 2015

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

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

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REVIEW:  TAKEN is the third installment in HelenKay Dimon’s adult, contemporary Holton Woods erotic, romance series. This is former CIA agent Eli Sterling and, Holton Woods security specialist Wade Royer’s storyline. TAKEN can be read as a stand alone but for  background information and character history, I would suggest reading in order as Eli and Wade’s storyline began in book one MERCY.

NOTE: TAKEN is an erotic, romance novella with M/M sexual situations.

TAKEN follows the ongoing relationship struggle between Wade and Eli. As a former CIA agent who left under extenuating circumstances, Eli was targeted for immediate disposal. With the threat now ‘buried’, someone from Eli’s past attempts to pull Eli back into the lifestyle he just escaped, and Wade fears Eli’s new direction in life is boring and sedentary. As Wade continues with his own issues of trust, another threat to his relationship with Eli comes in the form of an ex lover and friend.

Throughout the series, the relationship between Eli and Wade has been one of push and pull, yin and yang, and an emotional roller coaster of misunderstanding, perceived betrayal, and mistrust. Wade is quick to push Eli away, and in this Eli has a difficult time with the relationship dynamics. The $ex scenes are intimate, suggestive and provocative. Eli and Wade are deeply in love but there is quite a bit of emotional baggage and mistrust.

The supporting and secondary characters include Becca and Jarrett (Mercy #1) with only a mention of Kyra and Sebastian (Only #2). There is a start up of a relationship between former CIA agent Natalie Udall (whose life has also been targeted for termination) and Gabe- a man who runs a secret organization that specializes in deep, undercover protection. We are also introduced to Eli’s past-a man who wishes Eli was his present.

TAKEN is an intense, compelling and quick read that focuses on the troubled relationship between Wade and Eli, but also begins to build on the upcoming installment for Natalie and Gabe. There are moments of romance, love, heartbreak and pain in a storyline that ends with a happily ever after but getting there is a struggle.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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

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Click HERE for Sandy’s review of MERCY

RELEASE DATE: May 6, 2014

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

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

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

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

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

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 7, 2014

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of ONLY

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

ONLY

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

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

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