Title: Hot Secrets
Author:  Lisa Renee Jones
Publisher/Year:  Lisa Renee Jones 1/22/12
Length:  200+ Pages
Series: Tall, Dark & Deadly #1

Overview

Royce Walker, a former FBI Agent, who’s opened a private security firm with his brothers, has always had the hots for the prim, proper Assistant District Attorney, but considered her hand’s off because of a family connection. However, when danger threatens Lauren, he isn’t willing to stand by and watch her get hurt. Now the passion for survival is only rivaled by the passion burning between them. And that passion, might just be the death of them both.

My Thoughts

I feel like i may be putting our author Lisa Renee Jones on a pedestal here, but honestly, i feel like i never feel short changed when i read her series.  This is the first installment of the Walker Brothers sagas – where we meet Royce as he’s been ‘contracted’ to protect our leading lady Lauren, but finds himself drawn to her in ways that were unexpected.

Our story starts off really when Lauren is with her friend Julie at yet another event that she’d rather not be at for her father who’s a senator.  Julie seems to think that Lauren needs to get back out in the dating world or at least play a bit since her break up from her fiancee 6 months ago has left her really living in the single world and being too focused on work.  What we quickly see is a chemistry building between Lauren and Royce – someone that she’s seen in passing and knows by reputation but that’s really it.  All it takes is a look from across the room and they are bound together in a sense.

The twist here is that Royce, and Ex FBI (like the summary says) and owner of his own security firm has been asked to look into some threats that have been coming to Lauren’s father the senator that pin point her as a target.  Royce of course says he’ll look into it, as he feels in debted to her father because of a friendship between his own father during Vietnam.  (we don’t learn this until later and only via a quick note).  Anyhow, while Royce takes on the ‘job’ – he quickly feels more than a protective professional thing.  he’s drawn to her in a stronger way – physically yes, but emotionally as well.

So, where this story takes us is on a mystery of sorts – trying to figure out who’s out to harm Lauren, how twisted they are in the sense of are they just playing with her to get her to drop her case (she’s an Asst. DA who’s trying a case that has the death penalty up for grabs) or is this person out to really harm or kill her.

Every chapter has a new threat which keeps the energy up – and quite exciting.  We never know when the hunter is going to reveal him or herself – and i have to say that the nice thing here is that there are hints throughout the story of who it could be, but leading us on paths of multiple people.  I hoenstly thought it was 2 or 3 different people, and was only partially correct – 1 was right – but there was an accomplice that i wasn’t expecting.

Of course what we know of these stories is that fear brings sex and where there are 2 people that are interested and attracted to each other – they will most likely combust – and that happens here.  We see the explosive passion between Royce and Lauren come  out in full force on many occasions.  It’s hot and passionate and really gives us that relationship development that we so crave.

so…all in all, a nice introduction to the Walker brothers, and i have to thank the folks over at Netgalley for making this book available for me to begin the journey.  I love how Ms. Jones really brings characters to live with a dark and troubled past and i think that we’ll continue to see that come through with the other brothers Luke and Blake since Blake has a much more troubled past that he’s seeking revenge on and Luke seems like he’s the quiet romantic kind that deserves his own happiness.  ENJOY!