He’s her brother’s ex-best friend…And the only man who can protect her.
Former Navy SEAL Noah Vandermeer has few regrets. But Danica is one of them. She’s the girl he never forgot, even though he was supposed to. Even though her brother was once Noah’s best friend—and now considers Noah his sworn enemy.
After masked men nearly kidnap Danica for ransom, the billionaire heiress realizes she’s been betrayed. Noah is the only person she can trust—even if she finds him infuriating. To keep her suspicions secret, she asks her new protector to play her boyfriend.
But their white-hot chemistry isn’t fake.
As the kidnappers close in, Noah and Danica race to uncover the plot against her. If they can’t deny their explosive attraction? They risk losing far more than just their hearts.
This action-packed romance features a sexy bodyguard with a motorcycle, an heiress who knows jiu-jitsu, flirty banter, and a twisty, who-done-it mystery. All books in the Bennett Security series can be read as standalones.
Reviewer raves for HUNG
“There was a ton of suspense and action in this book, but I think the romance which got super steamy was front and center… I was living for the romance between Noah and Danica.” Tina, Goodreads ★★★★★
“5*. For the greatest relationship I've read in a romantic thriller in a good long while.” Kirsty, Goodreads ★★★★★
“Noah and Danica’s story is a wonderful second-chance romance filled with secrets, danger, intrigue, betrayal and torrential steam filled with love.” Susan, Goodreads ★★★★★
I write suspenseful romance with pulse-pounding danger, fun & flirty banter, and tons of heart (plus spice!). Both a Californian and a Texan in my past, I now live in the Colorado mountains with my family.
This is a Second-Chance Romantic-Suspense, and this is the 5th book in the Bennett Security series. I have read and reviewed the first four books in this series before picking up this book, but I do think you can read this book as a standalone without any problems. I loved this book from beginning to end. I loved Noah so much, and I think all the characters come to live in this book. I guessed who was behind the stuff that was going on, but I did not guess why. I also do not think my guess took anything away from my reading enjoyment. There was a ton of suspense and action in this book, but I think the romance which got super steamy was front and center in this book. I was living for the romance between Noah and Danica. This was a great read because it had everything I wanted funny times, steamy times, cute romance times, action, suspense, and great characters. I will keep reading this series. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Diana Road Books) or author (Hannah Shield) via Booksirens, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.
Hung Up kept me on the edge of my seat as I tried to figure out who the culprit is that tried to kidnap Danica. The incident has her in a bundle of nerves because she doesn't know who she can trust. When she and Noah reconnect the spark between them is still there and he is the only one that believes that she isn't seeing things and comes on board to solve her problem. As the evidence unfolds secrets about the Foster-Grants are uncovered creating a barrier between Danica and her father. Will they find out who is behind trying to get to Danica and will Noah and his security firm he works for keep her safe?
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Noah was her neighbor growing up and the best friend of her annoying younger brother. Until the summer after her college graduation, when Danica realizes that Noah has grown up. He's intelligent, athletic, confident, and HOT! But after her brother finds himself at the center of a college cheating scandal and blames Noah for betraying him, Danica never hears from Noah again.
Fast forward to the present. When Danica is almost kidnapped in broad daylight outside the museum she is helping to revitalize, her father decides she needs more personal security. Although Bennett Security doesn't get the job, the interview does provide Noah, now a retired Navy SEAL working bodyguard gigs, and Danica an opportunity to reconnect.
It soon becomes clear that someone close to Danica must be involved in the kidnapping attempts and that information is being withheld from her by those she trusts most. Danica turns to Noah and Bennett Security to secretly protect her and help unravel the mystery of who is masterminding the kidnapping attempts. A fake relationship is the perfect cover, but there is nothing manufactured about the chemistry between Danica and Noah! As the investigation intensifies, family secrets are revealed that challenge Danica's memory of her mother and her relationship with her father and brother.
I recommend this contemporary bodyguard romance for readers who enjoy a strong female main character, flirty banter, and a second chance with the one who got away.
Thank you to Booksirens for my free advance copy. I voluntarily give my honest review of this book.
Danica sure is having a rough time. Who wants to kidnap and hurt her? What secrets is her dad hiding? The only one she can trust is Noah whom she's known since they were younger. Wow what a story and I love the Bennett Security series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Danica Foster-Grant is a professional woman very active in the business world. She has another project going on in her hometown. When she is almost kidnapped, she contacts Bennett Security to hire protection and runs into an old acquaintance, former Navy SEAL Noah Vandermeer, her brother’s ex-best friend. He had deliberately not tried to get that assignment because of their past history, but he is the only one she actually trusts when she realizes someone has betrayed her.
Danica and Noah agree to pretend that he is her boyfriend to keep him close and explain his presence. But soon real feelings arise and neither one of them feels like what they have is fake. Will they find out who is after her and why? Or will someone lose their life over this?
Noah and Danica's backstory: Noah was best friends with Danica's brother until Noah revealed his best friend's secrets, causing the friendship to fall apart, as did Noah and Danica. Forward twelve years, Noah is a former Navy Seal turned bodyguard due to an injury, and Danica needs protection due to an attempted kidnapping, but she doesn't trust her current staff, so she hires from a different firm, only to run into Noah.
This book is fantastic! I wasn't expecting all of the suspense; I went in expecting to read a military romance, but instead, I got hit with all of the thrills. The plot was excellent and well-written, but Hannah's writing abilities never fail to impress. I definitely can't wait for the next book!
Noah & Danika’s book. Former Navy SEAL Noah Vandermeer has few regrets. But Danica is one of them. She’s the girl he never forgot, even though he was supposed to. Even though her brother was once Noah’s best friend—and now considers Noah his sworn enemy. It was an entertaining read. And am voluntarily leaving my review.
As usual, Hannah Shield does not disappoint. Honestly, Noah didn’t really make a big impression on me in the book he was introduced but going into this book was a nice treat. I feel that he’s probably one of the few out of the guys that we have read about that already has a good idea of what he wants. Sure, there’s the hesitation but I feel that both Noah and Danica were pretty straightforward with one another and once they acknowledged how they felt for each other, there was no breaking them apart. Although I’m not fond of older woman-younger man stories (that’s just kind of not my thing) but Shield sets it up where age didn’t matter because they were just two people who found each other again and finally getting a chance to explore it. I think it’s a bummer with what happened between Noah and Soren but I think it was a good choice on Shield’s part to write it the way it is because it shows all the different aspects of life, good and bad without overselling it. I don’t think you can go wrong with any book in this series. Shield has brought stories that romances you as well as setting up a world that is exciting, suspenseful, and overall, just something that you can never get enough of. She can write 20-30 novels for this series and I can guarantee you that I will no doubt be reading it all.
An enjoyable fifth book in this series Bennett Security. This is the story of Danica and Noah and their journey to their happily ever after. The book will keep you interested all the way through. The characters fit well together and have great chemistry. You can read this book as a standalone, but to get a better understanding of the backstory you will want to read them all. A great series.
Noah and Danica have known each other for years - he was her younger brother's best friend until Noah had to take a stand for justice while they were in college. Now, years later, she's trying to stay a couple steps ahead of kidnappers and she needs his help to figure out who's behind it all.
This story hits the ground running and the action doesn't let up. Just when you think they're safe from another immediate threat, they have to deal with the insatiable chemistry they are finally admitting they've always shared. But their history only complicates any possible relationship.
I have thoroughly enjoyed every one of the Bennett Security books, and this one is every bit as good as the others. I loved getting to see the rest of the team in action again, and I'm thrilled that Noah has found his "one that got away."
Danica is a strong heroine, a warrior in her own right, but not afraid to admit when she needs backup. I loved her private scenes with Noah, especially when they took turns being in charge. Noah was never stronger than when he allowed Danica to show her strengths.
The romance is charming, the action and suspense is intense, and the jaw-dropping secret at the end perfectly explains the villains motives. Noah and Danica's HEA was very satisfying and I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this exciting series. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
The Bennett Security team is back! We saw a lot of Noah in the previous book, and we get him all to ourselves this time. Noah seemed laid back, and the go with the flow type of guy. Enter Danica, a woman who got away from him, we see a different side of Noah. He'll fight for what he wants, and he's ready for a second chance.
Noah was Danica's brother's best friend. A falling out between Noah and her brother kept the two apart for 12 years! Now Danica is in trouble, and the only person she can trust is Noah.
I just loved these two. The sexual tension and the history between them was enough to make the pages singe my fingers! I loved how they fought for each other even in the end. And what a twist ending! Seriously read this book, you won't regret it!
*I received an ARC from the author for my voluntary review*
The fifth book in the series brings a cast of strong characters centering on Noah and Danica. The author brings an action packed story filled with secrets and suspense, danger and intrigue, twists and turns and a second chance romance. It's well written, moves fluidly and is an entertaining story. Loved it!!
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.
Another great book in the series. Noah and Danica were strong, engaging characters with a wonderful chemistry. Action packed, suspenseful and steamy with plenty of twists and turns.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Danica’s life just got more complicated after someone nearly kidnapped her. When her father decides she needs a bodyguard, one company on the list had one employee who was constantly on her mind and was also her brother’s ex-best friend. In response to her father's decision to hire another company and keep her out of the investigation, she hires her own bodyguard.
The man who got away years ago.
The man who might be the only one she could trust.
Bodyguard/client, forced proximity, fake boyfriend, ex-flame, brother’s ex-best friend and enemies-to-lovers. This book mixes suspense, action and romance. It makes you wonder who the bad guy is and who to trust. Hung Up by Hannah Shield is a part of the Bennett Security series. It’s a wild ride with a strong female character that knows how to save herself.
To me, the writing felt stiff in some areas. Like it’s telling the reader that some characters are suspicious rather than showing why they shouldn’t trust them. It took away part of the thrill of finding out who is behind the kidnapping attempts. But that didn’t stop the story from being interesting and the unexpected plot twists more than made up for it.
This book was better than I thought it would be. I loved seeing Danica as this strong character that didn’t need a man to save her. Her take-control personality made her interesting to read about when she finally let Noah take care of her. Definitely satisfying. And Noah letting her see the parts of himself that no one else saw was heartwarming and sexy.
This book is a very exciting read. If you are looking for a story with a feisty heroine, suspense, mystery, steamy romance with a navy seal bodyguard, then this is the book for you. The book contains profanity, sex, violence, and death. It is book 5 in the Bennett Security series, but can also be read as a standalone.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This is the fifth book in the Bennett Security series and centres around the characters of retired SEAL Noah and Danica, daughter of billionaire William Foster-Grant. Noah and Danica knew each other years ago when they were neighbours in West Oaks and Noah was best friends with Danica's younger brother Soren. But the boys relationship was shattered after a dirty secret was revealed and the two families drifted apart. Noah now working with the Bennett Security company is approached to do some security work for the Foster-Grant family in particular centering around Danica after an emotionally charged kidnapping attempt. What follows in the plot is some great action, emotionally, physically and romantically for our two undeclared love interests of Danica and Noah. There are some mysterious family secrets that will either break or unite characters and really test the boundaries of trust and loyalty. I simply loved the characters of Noah and Danica, both very relatable and honest. Also love how there is the support and revisiting of previous characters that were presented in previous titles, especially the emphasis of family from within the work family relationships that are produced in these books. As always not only do we get great primary characters but thankfully some very entertaining secondary ones that really do provide some light humour to the plot. I found the storyline was well constructed and planned out where the storyline ran smoothly and very enticing to keep on reading until the end. This is a book from a series but it is still very much a standalone story that can be easily followed without the previous books in the series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I enjoyed this fifth installment in the Bennett Security series (my third). Friends -To-lovers is my kryptonite, with Best-Friend's-Sister close behind, and though this book isn't exactly a perfect example of either trope, it checks several of the boxes.
Noah used to be best friends with Danica's younger brother Soren, and he always had a crush on the sightly older woman. Things happened between Noah and Soren though, and more than a decade has passed since they last saw each other. They reconnect after Danica is a victim of a kidnapping attempt. There's not a lot of romantic drama or fighting their mutual attraction; the drama instead stems from the mystery behind the kidnapping attempts and Danica's family's secrets and dysfunction.
I actually like it when the heroine and hero are a unit fighting external issues, so that plot point did not disappoint. I also love a strong heroine and a proudly-in-love hero, both of whom we get here. Danica did stray dangerously close to TSTL territory closer to the beginning of the novel as a result of her needing to "be a part of the investigation" and also by not being fully cognizant of her surroundings when she most needed to be. However, she redeems herself by being how well she treats Noah.
I've enjoyed the books in this series so far, though I did miss two of them, and I look forward to the next one!
I received an advance review copy from the author and BookSirens for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thanks!
I think this might be my favorite book in the Bennett Security series! I love the second chance romance aspect between these characters and that neither of them were the ‘bad guy’ in why their relationship didn’t work out twelve years ago.
Danica/Dani is a super-focused, serious, professional woman who runs her non-profit like a captain of industry. She’s back in her hometown to help with finding the renovations of a local museum as a project for her non-profit. She is nearly kidnapped while taking a tour of the museum.
After a botched kidnapping attempt of a local billionaire’s daughter, Noah runs into Dani accidentally when he tells his boss it’s better if he doesn’t attend the interview for bodyguards with the Foster-Grant family due to their past history.
Both Dani and Noah have strong feelings and attraction for each other that they both try to suppress and ignore. The connection between these two was exciting because of the heat from their current attraction to each other with the added layers of their previous close friendship/near relationship.
The storyline has a strong suspense element and the author kept me guessing and rethinking who I thought was involved and why right up to the actual reveal. I love being surprised with a good reveal and I have to admit even though the ‘baddie’ was in my list of possibles, I didn’t see the reason for their plot.
I received a free ARC from the author and her publisher via BookSirens; and I am voluntarily leaving an unbiased review.
I love this series! All the stories are really good!!! Former Navy SEAL Noah Vandermeer has few regrets. But Danica is one of them. She’s the girl he never forgot, even though he was supposed to. Even though her brother was once Noah’s best friend—and now considers Noah his sworn enemy. After masked men nearly kidnap Danica for ransom, the billionaire heiress realizes she’s been betrayed. Noah is the only person she can trust—even if she finds him infuriating. To keep her suspicions secret, she asks her new protector to play her boyfriend. As the kidnappers close in, Noah and Danica race to uncover the plot against her. If they can’t deny their explosive attraction? They risk losing far more than just their hearts. This book is entertaining and full of action-pack moments. Dani is intelligent, smart and really strong. I adored Noah. He is like a sweet big teddy bear with killing skills LOL. They are great together. There are amazing steamy times but also a lot of aghast. You can´t decide who’s the real bad guy. There’s mystery and there’s a lot of romance. I always enjoy seeing characters from previous books. I missed Sylvie and Dominic, though! Great combo for a happy reading. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Every book in this series gets better. There was so much going on in this book between the suspense and the romance I devoured every page.
I absolutely loved Noah. I think I fell more in love with him every time he asked Danica what she needed. Not “what do you want” but “what do you need” it’s such a subtle thing, but that one word makes all the difference in the level of love and respect he has for Danica. He owned up to his mistake in not fighting for Danica the first time around and didn’t hesitate to vocalize his feelings.
I had so much respect for Danica. Even though her family blamed Noah for things in the past, she let him explain and never questioned his truth. She was smart and strong and didn’t let anyone taint her relationship with Noah. Although Noah was her bodyguard, she was never the damsel in distress waiting for someone to save her. She took action and saved herself.
I loved Noah and Danica’s relationship. It was never going to be easy being together but they were honest with each other and both made sacrifices. There were so many twists in the kidnapping plot and the writing was superb. This was definitely an edge of your seat kind of read and I could not put it down.
Hung Up is the fifth book in the Bennet Security Series. This was actually my first book in the series and I intend to read the rest of them. The author has a great writing style. As far as I can tell, they can all be read as standalones.
Danica and Noah already have a history that did not end well the first time. Noah was her neighbor and her little brother's best friend. Because of an incident, Noah cut ties with the family and they did not get in contact again until six years later, when Noah's place of work got an interview to become Danica's bodyguard.
Danica is in West Oaks for a few days to oversee a new project that her Foundation acquired. She did not expect to, after a day in the city, need to hire a new bodyguard service, and even less that Noah would be one of them. From there, we have an action packed, steamy, and breath taking book.
This book was an easy read, but it hit all the good spots: great editing, nice rhythm, fast where it's supposed to be, as it is a sort of suspense and mystery story, on top of a romance one.
Bonus: no one recovered miraculously from their past and of what unfolded throughout the book. Lots of therapy and time. Yay!
Wealthy Danica Foster-Grant is almost abducted from the museum when she leaves to meet her security detail. The kidnapper wasn’t expecting Danica to fight back and she is safe…for now. Her father decides to hire a new security company and contacts Bennett Security. Noah Vandermeer, a former SEAL, is working for Max when they arrive for the interview but when Danica sees him, he knows that she will not want to work with him. He has been in love with Danica for years, but an issue with her brother and his leaving to train as a SEAL ended their friendship. Danica insists on being involved in the investigation, but the new company that her father hired are ignoring her concerns. She contacts Noah and hires him as her bodyguard. He can count on Max’s team of to back him up when she is almost kidnapped again. When they believe the threats are over, can they be sure that they are or will her family’s secrets put her life in jeopardy once again. A fast-paced and exciting mystery with strong characters. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)
I have read the previous books in this series and this book is my favourite so far. Noah and Danica are battling not only an unknown enemy who is set on kidnapping her, but also their attraction and deep feelings for each other. As they investigate the attempted kidnappings, Danica must face the fact that someone close to her could be responsible. All she knows for sure is that she can trust Noah to help her and that he will protect her at all costs. Danica is a kick-butt, take-charge heroine, but she does have a vulnerable side that few have seen. Noah is determined to protect the woman he has carried in his heart and memories for years. He only hopes she will give them a second chance at love, that she will want a future with him after this is all over. As the investigation becomes more dangerous and twisty, their desire for each other flares out of control. Will they get their chance at building a future together?
I read this book long into the early morning hours, unable to tear myself away until I had finished it. It is intense, steamy and wonderfully suspenseful. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Danica has a near miss with a kidnapping attempt and can no longer avoid having security with her. Of the potential companies in the area, Bennett Security is on the list to be interviewed, including Noah, her brother's ex best friend. They shared something 12 years ago, but life got in the way.
As Danica navigates the aftermath, it becomes clear that either something more is going on or Danica is not all there. Either way, it is not going to be good answers.
Danica and Noah start off as pretending to be in a relationship to keep him close, but the line of pretend and real quickly start to blur. I enjoyed how they both allow themselves to be vulnerable with the other. You need someone to rely on.
I have enjoyed every story in this series and this one was as adrenaline filled as the others. There is definite danger, and a mystery to solve. It was hard to figure out what was going on by myself, but I appreciated how the answers unfolded at the end.
I loved getting to see the other bodyguards and their girls. So excited for Chase's turn next.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
What a great addition to this action-packed, sexy world! The writing and world building are great like usual, as is the plot. There are a lot of twists and turns that will shock you and a longing that was finally, FINALLY fulfilled.
It had been a long time coming, but now they could finally clear the air...and maybe come together for good.
They needed to be together SO bad! Oh, my goodness it's so frustrating to have these two with a backstory having to wait to be together. I was anticipating them coming together like crazy! I loved that comment between Max and his bud over his sister. That still makes me smile, the very first couple in this world is still my favorite. But don't get me wrong, this and all couples have nice build-ups and very sexy outcomes. The outcomes that happen...didn't see that stuff coming at ALL. Another super sexy read about this yummy group of bodyguards!!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is a steamy, action-packed, second-chance romance that will have you hooked from the beginning.
Danica Foster-Grant fell in love with her little brother’s best friend twelve years ago but never got to live that love. Now, after almost being kidnapped, her path crosses with Noah Vandermeer's once again. He will do everything needed to guarantee her safety, even pretend to everyone they are dating so he can stay by her side all the time.
I had fun reading this book and was obsessed. I thought about the story during the day, wishing I could read more and advance on the plot.
I loved the banter between Danica and Noah, the way they trusted and were able to be authentic and open with each other, and how well they worked together. How they just felt right.
You can guess who’s the culprit, but you’ll probably have a few options and not be sure for a long time.
There was never a dull moment when reading this story. Now, I need to read the rest of this series…
Danica and Noah finally come together after all those years living entirely apart with no contact.
That is until Danica returns home to help make changes to a museum to help them improve and become more popular of a destination once more. However, from the minute she gets to her home town things don't entirely go to plan when she is involved in a near kidnapping.
In swoops out hottie Noah, who is called in to be her security, but wait thats too easy isn't it. Well Bennett security does not seal the deal on becoming her security….. yet.
After yet another failed attempt Dani decides to hire Noah and Bennett security on the down low as she feels she can not trust those near and dear to her even her own father.
Secrets unravel, lies are told, evidence is corrupt, there are many family surprises. Dive in for the twists and turns Noah and Danica will provide.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Received as an ARC and leaving my honest review voluntarily. This actually had a couple of tropes woven in (2nd chance, best friend's sister, reverse age-gap, suspense) but it was so tightly woven that it just flowed seamlessly and it didn't feel like any one trope was fighting for attention. As I've come to expect from Hannah Shield, the plot is always a roller coster ride and a balance of adrenaline rush, suspense, steamy romance and unexpected twists and turns… never a dull moment for sure! Loved the way both Noah and Danica have multi layers to them that gave them depth and that once they made up their minds they were all in so no unnecessary angst; their chemistry was just wow hot! Both had strength and intelligence yet were also willing to have that give and take that made them perfect for each other. The suspense was a good build up and the twist… woah I did not see that coming. Loving this series and can't wait for the next book!
Hannah Shield writes so well that we have to keep reading to find out what happens. In this romance/suspense, we have an heiress who needs security protection but finds her own bodyguard in Noah of Bennett Security. They have been crushing on each other since their teens. Her wealthy family has hired a different firm to protect Danica, but she senses she is being gaslit and hires Bennett herself. The two fall for each other quickly. There are so many secrets and twists and turns that we have to stay up all night to find out who the real villains are. I particularly like that Danica is very well trained in self-defense and does a great deal to save herself from the evildoers! We feel all the angst, fear, and confusion along with the characters and the relief when things become clear.
I received an advance review copy for free and left this review voluntarily.
I adored this book! I’ve loved all of Hannah’s books so far! After I received the ARC, I realised I missed the release of Tanner and Faiths book so I actually went and ordered it, read that first AND THEN read the ARC!! Hung up is my favourite so far. I was in work when I was nearing the end, maybe the 80-90% mark and my kindle died, and I finished it on the kindle app WHICH I NEVER DO! I hate reading on my phone/iPad. Amazing plot, amazing spice, childhood friends to lovers to strangers to lovers, I mean what could possibly go wrong! I would actually read Hannah’s shopping list at this stage, each novel gets better and better! CANNOT WAIT FOR THE NEXT ONE! Time to go rave about this series to anyone who’ll listen! 💕🥹
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Full of suspense and heat! This is a second chance for the main characters. The first time, they had barely begun when he gave her up to do the 'right' thing, which blew up his relationship with her younger brother. But now he's a bodyguard and she's in danger without knowing who to trust. But she trusts him, even if her family doesn't. There are likely suspects, many acting slightly off, but it's hard to pin point which person is the one behind the danger. And the way it really unfolded- I didn't see that coming! This is the first I read in this series and I definitely want to go back and read the previous ones- though I definitely didn't feel like I was missing anything having not read the previous couples' journeys.
*I am leaving an honest and voluntary review after receiving this book as an ARC.