Tag Archives: J Kenner

Review: Sinner’s Game (Saints and Sinners #4) by J Kenner

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Title: Sinner’s Game
Author: J Kenner
Publisher/Year:  Martini & Olive 2/15/22
Length:  300 pages
Series: Saints and Sinners #4

Overview

What’s more dangerous-a killer attraction that breaks all the rules, or the true killer who’s closing in?

Security consultant Ronan Thorne might be sex on a stick, but that doesn’t mean I should want him. After all, I’m Brandy Bradshaw, the Girl With the Worst Luck With Men. As for that one kiss we shared? That was nothing but a drunken mistake between friends. I know perfectly well that Ronan’s not a relationship guy. He’s got dark edges and dangerous secrets and so many scars.

But when I find my landlord dead in my living room, shot with a single bullet to the head, Ronan’s the man I cling to. I feel safe in his arms, and he has the skills to figure out what’s happening.

Except what he learns is that a case of mistaken identity has made me the next target.

Now we’re on the run together, but I’m not prepared for the heat that flares between us, or the tantalizing things he does to my body when we give in to temptation. He soothes my fear by showing me a different type of danger, sensuous and wild. It’s miraculous and wonderful, but terrifying, too. Because as soon as we catch the killer, I’m afraid Ronan will leave. And when he does, I know my heart will shatter.

My Thoughts

It’s been a minute since i’ve been in the mix with this series but it was a good jump back in since I haven’t been reading as much (i’m sure you guys are bummed by that). this week though I dug back into my library and found a story that I had ordered but not read so back into the world of Ronan and Brandy.

We’re coming off the wedding of Ellie and Devlin and we remember why their story was so complicated. Now it’s time to see if the chemistry that’s been building between Brandy and Ronan is something real or if they put up too many walls to make it happen.

We know that Brandy’s past was a bit of a struggle, she doesn’t trust men since they’ve always hurt her and she’s far too scarred. What we also know about Ronan is that he’s got this past as well that was rooted in love but then ended up with a death, not only of his first love but of his unborn baby as well.

So here we are, back in CA when things are starting to get messy in personal lives and complicated in professional.

Ronan has been on a manhunt for the man who actually murdered his love all those years ago, even if it was at the order of his father. He now has intel on where the man is and needs to take some time to go after him.

Then there’s brandy – she’s seeing success with her line of bags and she’s getting the good rewards that she’s been hoping for. Until of course she cross paths unexpectedly with the man who owns her house, and the reaction is scary and unexpected.

Low and behold, a chance encounter on the street ends up in a dead body in her house and a search to find out who the killer is, who the target was and what that means for everyone. The story we go on is a twisted on.

The murderer has Brandy’s face. The victim is her landlord. The connection is unknown.

They go into hiding – Ronan promises to protect her but at what cost? They recognize that there’s an attraction – that much is obvious since the air between them sizzles, but yet they aren’t able to act on it since they are both so protective of their feelings. Brandy can’t be casual and Ronan thinks that he’s too damaged to do more than that.

We watch them dance around each other, and we watch them go on the run, thinking they are safe but realizing that there’s nothing that can save them from what’s coming. It’s dynamic and it’s engaging and what we see at the end of this story in the form of a resolution is both a bit expected and a bit surprising. I’m a bit sad that we only get one book for their story but at least we got that much! so….now I have to find something else to read but you all should enjoy!

Review: Enchant Me (Stark Saga #7) by J Kenner

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Title: Enchant Me
Author: J Kenner
Publisher/Year:  Martini & Olive 10/26/21
Length:  214 Pages
Series: Stark Saga #7

Overview

It was supposed to be a new beginning for billionaire Damien Stark, his wife Nikki, and their family…

I thought I knew everything about my beloved husband, Damien Stark. In our years together, I’d heard all the rumors, faced all the dark secrets, and survived the danger that comes hand-in-hand with loving a powerful magnate like Damien.

After all we’ve been through, I believed we were finally free of the past, of the darkness, ready to move into the light of our future together. As we stand ready to renew our vows in front of our friends and family and move on to the next chapter of our life together, I am giddy with joy and love.

I am unprepared for the devastation that steals my happiness and threatens our future in ways I never imagined. Given our past, I should have expected it. But how could I when Damien didn’t either?

This man has come from nowhere, and he says he’s Damien’s son. Everything is chaos, Damien is wrecked, and I don’t know where to turn. The worst part? I think I believe him.

And he has promised to destroy everything we love.

My Thoughts

For anyone who’s not familiar with the love story and connection between Damien and Nikki, you’d take that summary and think the worst. You’d think that this could break their relationship and make it something less significant. For those who have been with this series for years, and with all the spin off series that continue to demonstrate their dedication, you would know that nothing can break them. It’s just a matter of finding out who’s pulling the strings behind the scenes and for what purpose.

In this story, just as the summary tells us, there’s a son that comes out of the woodwork that no one knew about. At least no one that should have. We know that Damien is incapable of being unfaithful to Nikki, so it’s obviously from before their time, and we know that Nikki has always been understanding of the potential of what his playboy past could have led to.

Ashton Stone. That’s the man. The son, the one who has been turned against Damien and who therefore plots how to take him down. What’s interesting about Ash is that he resembles his father, and he’s got the same personality traits and need for risk and challenge, but he’s got an edge that Damien either never had or learned to smooth out. There’s not a great age difference between father and son, and that’s what solidifies the idea of who Ash is, and who his mom is. Ash approaches Damien for a business deal, but turns around and uses his rage to try to take him down.

All on the day of Nikki and Damien’s wedding. He knew the right moment to ruin what was supposed to be beautiful, and he doesn’t it with vengeance.

All while this is happening, we learn that Damien is being blackmailed in a way. There are videos and images that are being threatened to be released and they are new to Damien of course meaning that he doesn’t know the source. He expects that it’s his father, but then when Ashton comes into the fold, he’s also put in the spotlight.

We fear for the reputation impact for this couple, although we know that they can overcome anything. We worry for the safety and sanity of their children, knowing that they wan to protect their kids at any cost, and we worry for what the future will hold.

We go on a roller coaster in this story – watching how Damien comes to terms with having a child, and knowing who his mom is. We watch how he uses patience and honesty to try to explain how he wasn’t aware that he had a child and that Ash’s mom actually didn’t know as well. (you have to read the story to understand that one). We also watch how there’s been such a history of deceit and lies that it’s really hard to know who’s side to go on.

Where we end up in this story is another death/murder, someone being blamed for it who shouldn’t and someone unexpected being the cause of it all. We watch how the passion and faith that Nikki and Damien have in each other is really the driving force behind all that we need, and we see how there’s something that everyone can strive to have to make the world a better place but few can ever get.

While i’m sad that it seems like their journey may finally be done, but I love that there will continue to be several spin-offs that keep us in the Stark fold. So on that note, enjoy and i’m off to find another book to read!

Review: Ravaged With You (Stark Security #7) by J Kenner

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Title: Ravaged With You
Author:  J Kenner
Publisher/Year:  Martini & Olive 9/7/21
Length:  324 Pages
Series: Stark Security #7

Overview

Retired from the military and finally free of the demons of past missions, former Special Forces soldier Charlie “Red” Cooper leads a blissfully calm life running his successful distillery. At least until the day he finds his partner and best friend drowned in one of their best barrels of whiskey. Now he must dredge up old skills and memories to not only avenge his friend’s death, but to protect the one woman who has always made his pulse race-his friend’s grieving widow.

Shocked by her husband’s death, Josephine Swift should be mourning, but instead she’s terrified and…pissed. Turns out the husband she’d fallen out of love with was into some seriously bad business. Even worse, he’s dragged her and his partner into his web of deceit and danger. Now his mistakes could get them both killed.

Jo is glad to have the benefit of Red’s skills to keep them safe. She shouldn’t be interested in him-especially not now-but there’s no denying the white-hot attraction that smolders between them. Red’s far too honorable to sully his best friend’s memory by giving in to his desire for Jo. But when their lives hang in the balance, all bets are off. And as the depth of their passion grows, Jo dares to hope for a future. First, though, they have to survive…

Charismatic. Dangerous. Sexy as hell.

My Thoughts

Here we are in book seven of this series – and it’s really nice to see the new members of the team that we get introduced to in each installment. Last time we got to see Renly’s story and now it’s time for his twin brother Red’s saga.

This story takes us on a twisted path that we should have figured out at the very beginning yet the way that the story is told, it’s round about and we don’t figure it out as a reader until about 2/3 of the way through. (at least that was me).

So, to take a step back, Red is our leading guy in this story – he was part of the Special Forces and has had quite a bit of trauma coming out of it. We know that he’s got these tells of sorts of things that trigger him, but we don’t really know the full back story. Then there’s Josephine (Jo) – she’s our leading lady. Red, Jo and her husband were all fast friends back in college and that carried over to their adult life. They opened the whiskey distillery together and that’s where our story takes it’s dark turn.

Red received a text to meet his partner at the distillery and when Red gets there, he discovers that things are not as they should be. Alerts and alarms have been turned off and the worst thing imaginable, he finds his friend, face down, dead in one of the vats.

The story from here on out follows several paths. The first is trying to find out what Mitch had gotten himself into and what that means for Red and Jo. The people who murdered Mitch quickly get in contact with Red and tell him that they know there’s a package stolen and if he and Jo don’t find it quickly, then people will slowly die.

The next path is the one with Jo and Red. What we learn throughout this story is that not only were these guys all the best of friends, there was chemistry between Jo and Red before she even got with her husband. There was a moment one night that Red forced an end to and that left them both wondering, but also made Red realize that he couldn’t have the one perfect thing in his life since he had his own demons.

We know that any person who goes to work for Stark has a haunted past and it’ll be a process to dig under the skin and figure out what are the triggers and how to get past. Red is exactly following that same situation and it’s nice that he’s got someone like Jo that can read him and a twin in Renly that cares so much.

The story takes us on flashes of the past, but uncertainties of the present. Every step that Red and Jo make is met with someone trying to do them harm, in the hopes that it’ll get the result that they’re looking for. Stolen goods. Each time that Stark believes they have the upper hand, something goes wrong.

We see people come back from the presumed dead, we see lies and mysteries revealed meaning that we never really knew the people that we thought we knew, There’s a kidnapping, several deaths, a few breakthroughs and an ending that was unexpected, but appropriate none the less.

What we got here as well is what our author J Kenner is known for. A tease throughout the book of what’s to come next in the series. There’s a new recruit named Simon that really makes us scratch our heads. He’s referenced from Devlin Saints series (which was really good if you haven’t read it yet) and we know that Devlin was all about trafficking and bringing that industry down. He had his own dark side because of his family ties and that means that Simon has to be complex as well if he was a recommendation. I can’t wait for that one to come out but in the meantime, now I have to find something else to read. Enjoy!

Review: Memories of You (Stark Security #6) by J Kenner

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Title: Memories of You
Author:  J Kenner
Publisher/Year:  1001 Dark Nights Press 6/8/21
Length:  111 Pages
Series: Stark Security #6

Overview

Hollywood consultant Renly Cooper is fed up with relationships. His recent breakup with a leading lady played out across the tabloids, and the former Navy Seal is more than ready to focus on his new position as an agent at the elite Stark Security agency. He’s expecting international stakes. Instead, his first assignment is to protect one of Damien Stark’s friends from a stalker. A woman who, to his delight, turns out to be one of his closest childhood friends.

After a foray into online dating puts tech genius Abby Jones in danger, she needs a bodyguard, and her business partner, Nikki Fairchild Stark, enlists help from Stark Security. When the assigned agent turns out to be her best friend from junior high—and her first crush—she’s thrilled to discover he’s even more delicious now. She hopes one sexy night can turn into more, but Renly is firmly in the friends-with-benefits camp.

As the threat to Abby increases, she tries to keep her growing feelings for Renly at bay. But as the sparks between them burn even hotter, can they go from friends to lovers when the first order of business is simply to keep Abby alive?

My Thoughts

I love the Stark Security series and I’m happy to get into book six, even if it’s a novella. I’ll be honest thought, the summary doesn’t 100% match up to how the story plays out, but i’ll forgive that since we get exactly what’s needed in this series.

Abby if you remember is Nikki’s partner in the tech firm and we’ve come to really enjoy her throughout all the stories in the Stark world. She’s proven herself to be a great friend, a great professional and because of all this, she deserves happiness. How that pans out, well, we see some of that in this story.

Then there’s Renly – he’s new to Stark and as the summary suggests, he was a SEAL and then worked in Hollywood. We know that he isn’t a relationship guy so while his last one was ‘in the tabloids’ – it’s really not that serious in the grand scheme of things. The woman is one of the most desired women in hollywood but to him, that really means nothing.

What makes this story great though is the shared past that Abby and Renly had and how that manifests itself into the now.

We quickly learn that they were best friends, inseparable until Renly and his twin Red were moved away in high school and Abby lost her best friend and her crush. Little did she know that the crush she had on Renly was kind of the same that he had on her, yet neither one of them was strong enough to go down that path. I think that it’s for the best when you see how this story shakes out.

They come face to face when Abby is concerned that she’s being stalked but doesn’t know by whom. She gets hang up calls on her mobile and on her direct line at work and there’s never anyone talking. It’s not until she walks back to her car one day and finds it covered by blood (fake blood thankfully) that we see Abby and Stark Security merge. Renly is in the office when he hears Nikki share the news that something happened to Abby and he races out of there with her and Damian. When they get to the ‘crime scene’ – it takes just one second for Abby to realize that it’s Renly in front of her and she launches herself at him.

From this moment forward, we watch how they have such intense chemistry and magnetism that even though they know that they want different things romantically in life, they find themselves circling each other in the hopes to get the friendship back. They reconnect on so many levels and it’s like life was meant to bring them back together. Thankfully Stark Security puts Renly on Abby protection and they are together non-stop until things are sorted.

What happens – a night that they thankfully don’t regret, but one that they know can’t ever happen again since their friendship is far more important than a confusing relationship. That seems to work on the surface for them, until a night that Renly takes Abby as his +1 to a Hollywood wrap party and they run into his ex who forces Abby to stand up for herself and lay claim to Renly in the most carnal way.

Their story takes a change in trajectory but it’s one that works for them. What it also does though is it makes everything that Abby’s stalker does even more personal. And while we don’t know who it is for quite a bit, we have suspicions. He finally comes out in the open, poisons Renly and Abby so that he can get her away, and that means that all bets are off on what it will take to bring her back.

So…the novella is jam packed, and we get to see an evolution of relationships both professionally and personally and there’s a good teaser or intro into the next installment to this story – where we get to see Red’s life take center stage. We do’t know much about him, but we know that he was involved in Damian’s world back when his daughter was kidnapped. So, that means that his story – a full length one I believe will be even more exciting. So….onto the next! Enjoy!

Review: Royal Cocktail by J Kenner

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Title: Royal Cocktail
Author:  J Kenner
Publisher/Year:  Martini & Olive Publishing 7/12/21
Length:  143 Pages

Overview

Sparks fly between a playboy prince and an idealistic lawyer, but when the demands of the throne call, can they get a fairy tale ending? 

Prince Leopold of Avelle-am-see is destined to rule his small European country. But he doesn’t want to. His entire life, Leopold has rebelled against the inevitable, gaining a reputation in Europe as a bad boy royal with a chip on his shoulder.

Skye Porter jams on researching complex legal issues, but with her lifelong speech impairment, she’s happy to pass the briefs off to another lawyer to argue. Just the idea of being in the spotlight makes her cringe. Two years ago, she dodged a bullet when her intense college fling with charismatic Leo ended when the bastard ghosted her. At the time, she’d had no idea he was a prince, or she never would have fallen so hard.

Now Leo is back, and the chemistry between them sparks just as hot. With his promise of secrecy, Skye surrenders to one more wild night. But when the press finds them together, Skye is tossed into a nightmare of tabloid photos, graphic memes, and a life in the public eye. 

Can a reluctant royal and the girl next door find their happily ever after?

My Thoughts

I always love a story that ties back to another one that I read ages ago, and surprisingly, I do even remember a bit about those story lines even though it’s been a minute. We spent quite some time at The Fix in the Man of the Month series, so we’re back at the bar, but not for the same reasons. No more saving of the bar is needed, and instead, it’s just a back drop for where 2 people meet, and fall in love, and then realize that things are far more complicated than they seem.

We start this story two years in the past when Leo is in the US studying Physics which is something that he’s passionate about, and something that his father the King allows of him if he 1) keeps a low profile, 2) uses it as a means to further his home land and 3) realizes that this is a reprieve before he’s to take the throne in a few years. Leo is the rougish bad boy royal that we expect, but there’s more to him than meets the eye.

Skye has her own dark story. She’s a law student in the beginning of this story – and we know that her struggles in life are due to a car accident that she was in when she was little, the accident killed her mother and left her with a brain injury that impairs her speech. It’s something that she’s struggled with and learned to live with but also something that makes her uncomfortable.

When she meets Leo, it’s lust at first sight for sure, but he also doesn’t seem affected at all by her speech and it’s because he quickly informs her that he has an uncle who suffered from the same impairment and it was something that they lived with and moved on from.

We watch these two fall in love, even though Leo knows that he can never be with her. SKye isn’t a citizen of his country and that’s all that he’s allowed to marry. In fact, he hides his identity entirely and we know from experience in reading stories – when you aren’t the one to reveal who you are, it blows up in your face.

Which happens – the night after they first sleep together. Leo leaves with no note or explanation, and Skye is left brokenhearted. She only learns after the fact that he’s a prince and that he had to go home because his father suffered a heart attack, but when he also doesn’t reach out to her after the fact, things go from bad to worse.

We then fast forward two years later – when Skye is established in her family’s firm and she’s thriving, doing what she’s able and comfortable doing. She wrote an international legal paper for a law review to graduate and that same content comes back to haunt her when it brings a person from her past back to Austin for her help.

The story from here is one where we see forgiveness, yet we see tentativeness. They both don’t know where to go from the first words now since there’s so much anger and hatred, love is a hard thing to overcome. All Skye wanted was the truth and a genuine apology and it’s a shock to see that she gets it.

While Leo being back is one obstacle in Skye’s life – we also watch as her father forces her to present her international review at a symposium since it’s content that can grow the firm and it’s an opportunity to push Skye to be more than she think she can, and Skye’s terrified. She hates the idea of speaking in public and that means that she’s hit two times with painful challenges.

The balance of the story is watching how both story lines play out as well as watching how things at home need to evolve for Leo. He has an older sister who’s capable of leading their country, who wants to lead, but yet she’s a woman so she’ can’t. That’s part of what brought Leo back to the US to talk to Skye, but we also watch how things aren’t that easy.

The ending of this story is a bit of a surprise – we don’t expect revelations to come from various places, but what we get is an ending suited for the beginning of this story. I feel like there could be even more of a link and tie into the Man of the Month series, but I get why it’s a standalone. So on that note, enjoy this short story – and now i’m on to the next. Enjoy!

Review: My Cruel Salvation (Fallen Saint #3) by J Kenner

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Title: My Cruel Salvation
Author:  J Kenner
Publisher/Year:  Martini & Olive 5/18/21
Length:  358 Pages
Series: Fallen Saint #3

Overview

He’ll keep her safe, no matter the price.

Investigative reporter Ellie Holmes has uncovered billionaire Devlin Saint’s dark and dangerous secrets, and he has both stripped away her protective armor and tamed the wildness within her. Bound by a shared past and the hope of a blissful future, they grow even closer, each exposing more of themselves as their love deepens. 

But now that Devlin’s true identity has been publicly revealed, old enemies appear, intent on destroying Devlin. And while he vows to enlist all of his resources to protect her, Ellie soon realizes that the only way to save them both is to take the last, final step to fully join Devlin in the dark. 

My Thoughts

Just when we didn’t think that their story could get any more complicated – the rest of the secrets come out. It was only a matter of time but that doesn’t make it any easier to stomach. On a night that should have been something amazing not just for Devlin but for DSF as well, turns into a monster of a night where his identify is leaked, outed and what he’s worked his adult life for is on the end of being ruined.

We know Devlin and Ellie are not the type to shy away from confrontation – they are going to take their opponent on head first, and while that’s happening, we just have to worry about who’s going to get caught up in the crosshairs. There are inklings of who leaked the information, especially now that Anna’s dead, and there’ a plan in place to take that person down once they have enough concrete evidence.

It’s a race to the finish here – with several of our favorites meeting a less than stellar fate. There were so many sub plots that were on the move to being something great, and those lines of story are cut short.

Brandy and Christopher were on the road to happiness – we know Brandy’s path and were so happy to see what she was able to overcome with Christopher, however the challenge that we see her face is the notion that Christopher was not who he seemed. He is the brother of Joseph Blackstone and while they weren’t on great terms, there’s manipulation going on behind the scenes and we don’t yet know if he’s trustworthy. He goes missing at a prime time and there’s evidence shared that doesn’t paint him in the best light, and that means that we really don’t know if he’s good or bad. What we do see though is Brandy is stronger than she appeared to begin with, and this is just a bump in the road for her – an opportunity for her to find her footing and come out on top.

Then there’s Lamar and Tracy. Lamar is the consumate cop – the man who’s always trying to stay on the right side of the law, even when it doesn’t seem like it’s directed to him. He’s struggled with what Devlin does within his organization, but after a variety of things transpire in this third installment, he walks the fine line with our friends. Tracy is a character that we’ve enjoying watching grow in her role at DSF and her relationship with Lamar really starts to take a new phase. It’s cut short when circumstances of revenge come into play and this is another jumping off point for bigger and better things to happen for the crew.

We fall back into Ellie and Devlin’s story over and over again, and what this third book does is that it takes us on a journey both in the past and then back to the present. There are moments and memories that come through in sub chapters so that we’re able to see what caused things to happen, what put things in motion in Devlin’s past to make him into what he is, and to give us hints at who was potentially behind all that’s going on.

There are a few snippets here and there that make it clear to me as the reader who we need to watch out for, but the journey that our amazing author J Kenner takes us on is a bit round about and doesn’t give us the direct route. It’s adds to the tension and it makes us question some other characters that come up from time to time, but that’s what gives us the resolution and closure that we need.

We know that we want a happy ending and we know that it’s possible if certain dominos fall into place but there’s really no direct answer on how that will happen, and who will be left standing. We have the notion of long lasting true love – good v. bad, family – and all that pays itself off as we see this part of the journey come to an end. I”m really happy with the way that this story plays out even if it doesn’t mean a happy ending for everyone. We’re left with more questions than answers for several people, but that’s what makes a good book good right? you don’t want everything buttoned up nicely, We see a glimpse of hope of a new romance coming along, and I think that’s what we get in the next spinoff – Sinners Game, so i’m going to track down when that one’s available and hopefully dive right back in. Enjoy!

Review: My Beautiful Sin (Fallen Saint #2) by J Kenner

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Title: My Beautiful Sin
Author:  J Kenner
Publisher/Year:  Martini & Olive 1/26/21
Length:  372 Pages
Series: Fallen Saint #2

Overview

Everything Ellie thinks she knows is about to change.

Despite his dangerous past, billionaire Devlin Saint finally has Ellie Holmes in his life—and in his bed. Yet shadows still cling to Saint, obscuring his dark secrets and the confidences he swore never to reveal. 

An investigative reporter, Ellie is certain the man she loves hasn’t told her everything. And when she starts receiving anonymous warnings about Devlin, she vows to investigate. Soon it becomes clear that Devlin isn’t the only one with things to hide, and the more Ellie learns, the more she realizes that loving Devlin is dangerous.

His touch is her sin…

My Thoughts

We spent the first installment of this series watching as Ellie was trying to find the answers to all the questions that changed the trajectory of her life through the death of her parents, her uncle….what ended up sending her down a path of self destruction, especially as the boy that she loved up and left her. Fast forward several years and she’s found him again, although he’s not the same man, he dangerous and he’s got secrets, yet what we saw from them is that they are both willing to accept each other at face value since there’s a once in a lifetime love that’s between them.

Once Ellie came to the self realization that she couldn’t live without Devlin, and that she was willing to accept that he had secrets, that he was dangerous, we also watched her realize that she owed it to herself to find answers. The challenge though is that those answers would likely lead her to uncover information that she wasn’t ready to process and that Devlin really didn’t want her to know. He was willing to let that be the situation, but then he also felt that he owed it to allow Ellie to see every part of him.

What unfolds in this second installment is a story that’s quite the roller coaster for EVERYONE involved. We know that Ellie’s best friend and cop Lamar doesn’t like Devlin and doesn’t trust him. When he’s brought into the circle of trust to learn who Devlin truly is and what he’s done, that really puts pressure on everyone because we don’t know what the fallout will be. We know that as a cop, Lamar is bound by law to do the moral thing, but that would mean hurting Ellie and that’s something that would come at a price.

Along with that story line, we watch Brandy, Ellie’s best friend live her life. We learned about her past and how it’s prompted hesitation with men, how she’s never quite been able to get over being raped and the circumstances that fell afterwards, but we see the thriller author Christopher show patience and caring and we have hopes for the future for them.

That’s Ellie’s side of things – we also get to see how Devlin’s side of the house responds to the budding romance and how they are now so intertwined. We know that Anna has her story with being part of Devlin’s past and how she’s now a safe space with Devlin. No longer a threat to Ellie and we watch how that friendship helps Ellie get to the bottom of all her questions. There are things that Anna seems to be tied to and information that she has about Devlin’s past that make her uncomfortable, but how that plays out is anyone’s guess.

Then there’s Ronan – the guy that rubs Ellie the wrong way on so many levels, and a girl named Reggie that she can’t quite place but feels that she should. Seeing the two of them makes every situation that more uncertain and that’s not good for anyone’s livelihood.

Throughout this book we watch the roller coaster that is Ellie and Devlin’s relationship. We watch them fight tooth and nail to get answers and find their way to be happy together but we also watch them self destruct and do whatever they can to push each other away. There’s someone who’s trying to scare Ellie away from Devlin we think, threatening her with the notion that he’s not sharing everything with her and while she knows he isn’t, she’s not plussed by it. But when someone tries to kill her, several times, there are more questions than answers behind who’s doing what. Add to that a data breach from Devlin’s company and everyone’s on edge.

Unexpected information is uncovered, and paths that we thought would lead to answers lead to more questions. Everyone that we thought was on the right side isn’t and those that we were willing to forgive their sins were potentially not worth it. At least we have heat and passion between some of our couples to help glue this story together and where we net out at the end of this second book is a place that we hoped we’d never get to. When too many of the wrong secrets are revealed to the wrong people, we know that NOTHING good can come out of it. I’m worried for what this means for everyone and who’s going to survive the rest of the story. So on that note, we have to wait until May I believe before we see the resolution and I don’t know how i’ll wait. Enjoy!

Review: Destroyed With You (Start Security #5) by J Kenner

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Title: Destroyed with You
Author:  J Kenner
Publisher/Year:  Martini & Olive 12/15/20
Length:  334 Pages
Series: Stark Security #5

Overview

Former sheriff Winston Starr doesn’t think about the past. That dark day when he lost the sweet, innocent woman he’d loved, dead because of his mistake in a mission that had gone horribly wrong.

Now an operative with Stark Security, he’s left Texas behind, focusing only on his work and closing his heart to love even as his soul screams for revenge against the scum that killed his Linda. When old friends reveal new evidence, Winston learns that not only is Linda alive, she faked her death in the ultimate betrayal.

But things are not as Winston believes, and he soon finds himself on the run with the woman who ripped his heart out. Now, the only thing stronger than his rage is his desire for the woman who destroyed him.

My Thoughts

We loved Winston for all that he did for Emma in the past when they knew each other and we now that his past is haunted. There are things that he’ll share and parts of himself that he’ll keep closed off because he’s lost too much in his life – as is the case it seems with everyone who’s in the SSA world. We know that he went under cover for SOC to take down the Consortium and in doing that he lost his wife. Linda was killed in a car bomb and that broke him more than he could have ever fathomed.

So fast forward a few years when Winston gets a call from his old boss at SOC with some interesting information. Linda isn’t dead – and she’s actually an assassin. This means that everything that Winston though he knew about life and her was a lie, and while he didn’t reveal who he truly was to her, he eels that her lies betray even more.

This story takes us on the journey that Winston takes to not only find the truth but to give himself some sort of resolution and closure to what he considers to be one of his biggest mistakes ever.

What they both come to find is that nothing is what it seems. They both believe that they are working assignments for the good guy but quickly learn that perhaps no one is good -everyone is dirty and can be bought for the right price. They go on the run to find answers, knowing that it means they’l have to spend time together and hopefully reveal the truth of what their pasts truly was and figure out what that means for their future.

They played each other in the past and they play each other now still. There’s a huge question of who’s going to get hurt in the crossfire and who’s going to come and save them. Because the first part of the assignment takes them to Texas, we see Noah come back into the mix a bit. The tech whiz who haw more tricks up his sleeve than any one else out there. We also know that Emma will play a role here again as well since she was close with Winston over the years and even knew Linda.

They go from Texas to LA, and are forced to kill, lie, cheat and break into a vault all in the hopes of getting answers. We all know where this is going to end up, but what we get in the meantime Is a story of fact finding and finding a path back. I think that it’s really sweet how they slowly let their walls down but still have so much fear of what the other can do to hurt them again. There’s a chemistry that’s undeniable between them and while it’s just for this assignment that they agree to let things play out, it at least come out in a hot and steamy manner.

And in true J Kenner form, we have an intro to our new leading couple for the next book – Reny a new agent for SSA and Abby who’s Nikki’s partner for her tech firm. So all that in hand, i’m excited for the next installment of this series. Enjoy!

Review: Wrecked With You (Stark Security #4) by J Kenner

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Title: Wrecked with You
Author:  J Kenner
Publisher/Year:  Martini & Olive 5/26/20
Length:  338 Pages
Series: Stark Security #4

Overview

He never wanted a partner. And then she came along.

After more than a decade chasing shadows, Antonio Santos finally has a lead on the hiding place of The Serpent, the elusive villain who kidnapped him as a child and murdered his mother and uncle. But in order for Tony to get close, he’ll need access to an exclusive private island-where he can only enter with a woman on his arm.

Antonio goes to Stark Security to call in a debt … then walks out with Emma Tucker on his arm. A loner, Antonio isn’t interested in having a partner. He just needs a female. But the striking redhead’s skills soon impress him. More than that, her lush body and beguiling self-assurance tease his senses in unanticipated ways. 

A longtime operative with deadly skills, Emma resents being arm candy for someone else’s agenda. But the more she works with Antonio, the more she admires his razor sharp intelligence and formidable prowess. And when the island’s games push them over a sensual cliff, she can’t deny his talents in the bedroom, too.

As passion rises on this island playground full of lust and danger, they both fight the growing attraction between them. But with danger racing toward them from both on and off the island, they soon realize that more than their hearts are at stake. Because unless they can trust and rely on each other, they also risk losing their lives.

My Thoughts

I’ll be honest when I say that i’ve spent too much time away from this series to really remember the guys that we get to focus on. As I eased myself back into this one though I quickly remembered a few things and it reminded me the value of this spin off series. We have yet another story that’s got a dark side in it’s past – on the parts of both of our main characters.

We start off with Antonio the leading man who was a part of Deliverence and now is in between gigs while he follows his quest to get revenge for the man that ruined everything that he had going for him in his life. The man who murdered his mother, his uncle, who kidnapped him and who put him on the wrong path. He’s being recruited by SSA and Stark wants him to be a part of the tea, but he won’t do it until he’s able to get his past resolved. lucky for him though, Stark owes him a favor and with that comes resources and a partner.

Enter Emma – the older sister of Eliza whom we met in the previous installment with Quincy and we get to see more and more why she’s so tough and protective. We know that her backstory with her sister isn’t a good one – they had to do just about anything possible to survive once they got away from their abusive father, and what’s interesting here is that there’s a link to Tony’s story that we don’t learn until the last third of this story.

Emma is being recruited by SSA as well, and we get to see how she’s afraid to lose her freedom from the jobs that she works now. She was part of an off the grid government agency that basically did the same work as SSA and she’s got skills that people need.

They’re teamed together to help Tony find The Serpent – the man who ruined his family and who needs to be taken care of. This quest to find him takes our two leading characters to a resort island that’s all about sex and debauchery and while it’s no surprise that’s the environment that they find themselves in, it’s the entertainment there that keeps this story flowing.

Tony’s only reason to be there is because of someone he met on the dark web who said she has information on The Serpent. so we spend the first bits of time at the resort watching our duo try to track down this woman with information. They get into several interesting situations where they think they’re on the track to the right person and end up with just a good time with nothing to show for it. The hitch to all this though is that we see them develop a deeper attraction towards one another which is inevitable and of course that also means that we have to see if they’re willing to be honest and open up about their pasts for this to become something more.

They quickly find themselves in dicey situations where they are led astray, into a trap, into another trap, multiple people die and then they are back at square one with little insight into what’s what. While they’ve failed their direct mission, we also watch them fail at trust. When intel is shared that makes Tony question everything about Emma, we see that they definitely are too fragile to survive and that means that they go their separate ways. It’s only SSA that brings them around again although the path to discover what is an entirely different story.

True to J kenner form, we get anxiety and fear, vendettas and blood lust, the need for freedom and a desire for control. Add to that some insane chemistry and heat, some great toys to play with at the resort, and a means to open oneself up both figuratively and literally – and well we have an amazing book 4. I can’t wait to get into book 5 and see what’s next for this crew that keeps expanding. Enjoy!

Review: My Fallen Saint (Fallen Saint #1) by J Kenner

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Title: My Fallen Saint
Author:  J Kenner
Publisher/Year:  Martini & Olive 9/15/20
Length:  230 Pages
Series: Fallen Saint #1

Overview

His touch is her sin.
Her love is his salvation.

Charismatic. Confident. Powerful. Controlling.

A brilliant investor with a Midas touch, Devlin Saint turned a modest inherited fortune into billions, and now operates one of the world’s foremost international philanthropic organizations. He’s a man determined to help the underprivileged, to fight injustice, and to make the world a better place. And that, at least is true.

It’s not, however, the full truth.

Because Devlin Saint is a man with a dangerous secret. One he’ll do whatever it takes to protect. And when investigative reporter Ellie Holmes turns her attention to an unsolved murder, she finds herself caught in a web of intrigue and passion as Devlin draws her closer and closer. But as the intensity and sensuality of their relationship grows, so do Ellie’s suspicions. Until she is no longer certain if the heat between her and Devlin is real, or only a facade he constructed to hide his dark and twisted secrets.

My Thoughts

WOW. That’s how i’m going to start this one because well….wow. We’re brought into a completely new world from the great J Kenner. A world that doesn’t even remotely touch on any of the other stories that we’ve gotten and that makes this one even more amazing. It’s romantic, it’s heartbreaking, there’s more than a touch of drug lord, sex trafficking and all that other bad stuff to keep this story moving at a quick pace. Top that off with some intense heat and passion….and well….there’s something combustable happening.

We start this story off through the eyes of Ellie, the leading lady here – watching her life crumble piece by piece as everyone that she loves and cares about dies, gets killed, or leaves her. She’s found solace living with her uncle, and has this insane attraction to Alex, a boy who works for him and when there’s nothing else good for her, she turns to him and they become more than best friends. It’s everything that a high school romance is supposed to be except that he’s not in high school and there’s so much that no one knows.

Ellie’s best friend moves away, her uncle is killed and Alex uses her and leaves without a word that Ellie grows up even faster and realizes that she can only count on herself and trust herself. Fast forward about nine years, there’s new information that’s brought to Ellie’s attention that draws her back to the town she ran from and the ghosts that she never wanted to face again. There’s information on who her uncle’s killer is and as an ex cop and now investigative reporter, she goes after the story. Little does she know that she’s about to run headfirst into her past in ways that she never knew were possible.

Enter Devlin Saint. A man that has a clean past that no one can really dig too far into, yet he’s a man that does so much good that people just let it be. He started a foundation to help rescue and rehabilitate people who were trafficked and he’s also now on the receiving end of Ellie’s story. We watch as he cancels interviews with her, yet stalks her and makes her curious. Only when his identity is revealed does this story truly get exciting. There’s chemistry between them but we know that Devlin isn’t a man to give into anything that he doesn’t have a value or purpose for. Until he realizes that there’s no point in fighting what he feels for ellie.

The bulk of this story is watching the game that these two play – dancing around each other – using other excuses to be together instead of just truly admitting emotions and feelings. there’s a lot of danger and a lot of secrets – some of which are revealed in this book and many that are not, and what that does is cause even more pain and heartbreak. There are so many lies in this story that you have no choice but to wonder what’s real, and then when the world crumbles because of photos and information revealed by a handful of people who are lucky to be in the know….it’s a cliff that we’re now on and I really can’t wait patiently enough for book 2 to come out. I have so many thoughts on wha’s going to happen and who’s going to get caught in the crosshairs. I also wonder who’s going to out some of the more severe secrets- so ……i’ll find something to keep me occupied until I can get this next book. Enjoy!