Lightning: Reed Hawthorne Sicurezza

Reed Hawthorne Security #2

by Danielle Pays

Cosa succede quando la persona di cui ti fidi diventa quella di cui non dovresti?

Paxton

Il mio capo è stato ucciso da sua moglie. So che è vero, ma non posso dimostrarlo. Ora qualcuno sta dando la caccia alla sua affascinante figlia, Alicia. Non sono riuscito a proteggere suo padre. Per onorare la sua memoria, userò ogni grammo del mio addestramento e della mia esperienza come Navy SEAL per tenere Alicia al sicuro... anche se dovesse costarmi la vita.

Alicia

La morte di mio padre è stata archiviata come un incidente. So che non lo era. Quando finalmente ho trovato la forza di esaminare le sue cose, mi sono imbattuta in un segreto tanto scioccante quanto pericoloso. Qualcuno non vuole che la verità venga a galla e ucciderà per mantenerla sepolta. Paxton lavora per la squadra di sicurezza che apparteneva a mio padre e giura di proteggermi. Ora, è l'unico di cui posso fidarmi mentre il pericolo incombe.

Genres: Contemporary

331 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 31, 2023

About the author

Danielle Pays writes romantic suspense with twists and a hint of humor. When not trying to write her characters into some kind of trouble, she can be found chasing her dog or annoying her kids. Unless the sun is out. She lives in the Pacific Northwest and if the sun comes out, it is a requirement to go outside before it hides again.

Reviews

[Ela La1978 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this book is keeping you on edge. We finally get details of Hawthornes death and many other new informations. Seeing Alicia and Paxton work through their issue while trying to figure out what happened and who’s responsible will not only keep these two busy but all of them. How it ends, read to find out.
In the end we get Cuffs preview and let me tell you that will get you anxious for the next book!
Love it!

[Silke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lightning is only the 2nd book in the Reed Hawthorne series, following Thunder - naturally - but it feels like we've known this team forever. There's friendship, antics and bone-deep loyalty which is all sorely needed when looking into the murder of one of their own and battling an unknown enemy. Lightning and Alicia's budding relationship gets caught in the crossfire and it takes a lot of soul-searching, and facing death, to make them realize what they feel and find their HEA.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Carol Peake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alicia has lost her father and now must give up Thunder or risk him been hurt or worse .
Finding clues to her fathers murderer makes her go to Thunders boss,her fathers old friend and partner for help.
How can Thunder get over the feeling of loss and betrayal to help keep her safe?
As more information comes to light the whole team are in danger.
As usual Danielle writes a fast paced suspenseful story where you are so invested in the characters that your heart is in your mouth throughout the twists and turns.
I am never able to put her books down once I start and have to read them all at once.
Try this book you'll be hooked like me lol

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 2 of the Reed Hawthorne series focus’s on finding out who killed Hawthorne and the relationship between Lighting and Alicia. A fast paced book that keeps you guessing with some miss direction added in makes for a great read. Highly recommend.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paxton and Alicia's life has been anything but easy. Her father dies and then she breaks up with Paxton to protect him from her Step mother, but things don't work out as planned. There's plenty of action, suspense and a HEA.

[Read All About It · Rating 4 out of 5]

The his whole story is one action packed adventure.

Alicia Hawthorn is being blackmailed into breaking up with Paxton. She wants to protect the man she loves.

“Paxton, I’m sorry, but I can’t do this anymore,” Alicia says through her tears.

Lightning is angry and disgusted. He doesn’t understand what’s going on with her so he just ignores any communication for months until she’s in danger.

And investigating her father’s murder with bad guys everywhere trying to get rid of his whole team.

This is my first time reading this author but it sure won’t be my last. I was hooked from page one.

[BecReadReview · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paxton & Alicia go through a crazy ride of emotions & danger. As i read I was yelling at both of them to pull their heads out of their ass. Their anger made so much things more difficult than it had to. The team was as usual excellent, supportive & super childishly funny!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Danielle Pays books are written about strong male characters and even stronger female leads. This one doesn't disappoint. Paxton (Lightning) and Alicia are a couple who have an issue and break up. But their lives revolve around the same business, so they can't go without seeing each other. It also helps that her father was killed and he is one of the people responsible for proving it.

This book is full of mystery and action which draws the characters together. There is also amusing antics between the men who work together. This is a standalone HEA within the Hawthorne series.

There weren't enough hours in the day for me to read this in one sitting, but I sure tried. This is a must read.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved, Lightning and Alicia. They had their ups and downs, Reed is great also loved the crazy antics the guys at RHS were involved in. Page turner, angst, romance and a lot of action.

[Tesh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic story.
Paxton, a Reed Hawthorne agent and Alicia an accountant were together but she broke it off, keeping her reasons a secret.
Danger, drama, mystery and intrigue carry this story along at a lightning pace, pardon the pun.
I enjoyed the trouble and intense moments in the relationship, but the romance wins out eventually.
Well written, kind of fun and well worth the read, I enjoy these books by Danielle Pays and can't wait for more in future.
Great work!!
This was an ARC and this is my honest review.

[Lindarhc · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great story there’s intrigue, murder and attempted kidnapping. Paxton need to keep Alicia safe after her father is killed. Her stepmom threatens that if she doesn’t brake up with Paxton he will have an accident. Little does she know that after leaving her house he goes off the road and is buried under snow for five days. Then she finds evidence that her father was killed. Paxton and Alicia have to go into hiding. This has love and more it’s a great read. I received an ARC for an honest review which I have given.

[Stacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I really wanted to like this book as I liked the first one and Cody's story. However, I just found this so freaking hard to believe! And I'm starting to suspect this author has never been to NYC.
Ariana is the daughter of the founder of RHS. She suspects her stepmother to be involved in her dad's death. So she confronts her on it. And because she has no proof, that allows Stacy (I am so offended they chose that name!), the evil step, to retaliate. Ariana has decided not to go to the office full of men trained in protection and security and deal with this herself! However, the rest of the book makes me question how great at this business they are.
So Stacy (still offended!) has Ariana break up with Lightning or she threatens to kill him. Ariana waits three days, giving ESM (evil step mother) ample time to cut the brake lines, then breaks up with Lightning by saying she does want kids and is leaving him because he can't. So, the cruelest possible way. And that's in the first dang chapter.
Then Lightning gets in a wreck because of said brake lines being cut and is lost for FIVE DAYS! During a snowstorm in NYC? I call bs. It's unclear if this is city or country and I don't think the author knows either.
It just gets worse. Arianna finds evidence her dad left on USB drives and eventually decides to trust the team of security people with this evidence. But no one thinks to back any of these drives up? ANY?
So, of course, they get stolen and now they have no evidence.
It was just... not great.

[Laura Moylan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alicia is the daughter of one of Paxton, aka Lightning’s bosses. Her stepmother Stacey makes her break up with Paxton or she’ll have him hurt. I really hate Stacey. Stacey keeps sending a guy named Chet to date Alicia. A lot of bad stuff happens in the book. You find out who killed Alicia’s dad. Usually I can figure out the bad guys. Not this time. There is a comment in here about working in Starbucks. When I worked there I could always tell the difference by smell which was regular and which was decaf. I am extremely susceptible to aromas/ scents. I’m worse now than 20 years ago when I worked for Starbucks. Lol.

The guys that work with Lightning are hysterical. The majority of them are always playing tricks on each other. I love this series and I knew Lightning’s book was going to be awesome and it was!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Teresa Reitnauer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A page-turner suspense involving corrupt cops, scheming step-mother, hidden secrets, and romance. Trying to solve Hawthorne's death, Alicia and Lightning, along with all the members of Reed Hawthorne Security, don't know who to trust. Everywhere they turn, someone is after them. The main couple goes through a difficult time but being forces to work closely brings them back together. A well-written book with well-developed characters. I recommend this series. I received a copy, and I'm voluntarily giving my honest review.

[A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lightning is the second book in the Reed Hawthorn Security series, and it is great. I couldn’t put it down. There were a lot of twists and turns that made this book so exciting. It was sexy and suspenseful. Alicia knew that Lighting was in danger. So she broke up with him. They both still love each other, but hurt keeps them apart. Can Lightning put aside his hurt to help Alicia when she is in danger? Can the team solve what happened to Hawthorn? I tore through the pages to find out. I can’t wait to see what happens next!

[Sarah Cudlipp · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was a lot going on in this book! I definitely recommend reading book 1 in the Reed Hawthorne Security series before coming to this one. I really liked Alicia and Paxton and the relationship between them. The action starts right off the bat and it really doesn't stop until the end of the book. So it absolutely held my interest. The chemistry and relationships between all of the characters are very well written and there is enough comedy within to also keep you laughing.

From the moment Alicia said words to hurt Paxton in the beginning and he left her, I knew that something was off and it was agitating me that he wasn't figuring it out. But I could tell he was also blinded by that hurt and needed time to figure out what was really going on. But I didn't expect all of the twists and turns! There was a lot happening and enough side characters to keep you wondering who was involved and who was an innocent bystander. I love it when a book is unpredictable. And while you have a good understanding of who the ultimate villain is, there is still so much more going on to keep you guessing as to who else is involved.

I truly enjoyed reading this book and I'm excited for the next one! It's always great to have a series like this because you get to see so many of the characters from the books before and after. So it almost feels as if their story doesn't end. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Stox4story · Rating 4 out of 5]

Keeps You Guessing

The suspense addict will love this, and there’s enough ‘amour’ to satisfy romance fanatics too. Want a few giggles? It’s here. Want to see imperfect people, they are here too. Want to keep guessing ‘who done it’? Well, keep trying. The clues keep popping up. It seems so obvious but just how deep do the crimes go? And yes, I said crimes. Yep, the clues are there but are you being led on a wild goose chase? Just know, you can’t trust everyone. And never forget, betrayal never comes from a stranger.

🤔OBSERVATIONS:

✒︎ I fell in love with many of these characters, but did my share of cringing and eye rolling too.

✒︎ I’m more of a closed door romance fan and prefer it less crude. To be fair, this doesn’t have a lot of that, but when I read ‘dry humping’ I knew to start skipping parts.

✒︎ On the other hand, when it comes to crime, there’s nothing ‘closed door’ about me… I want perpetrators to reap just what they sow. No measly prison time for a few years for capital crimes!
And, didn't Martin get killed in that shootout? How and why would a plea deal take place in that case?

✒︎ Alicia might be smart but she sure is dumb …and naive. With Alicia, I had many eye rolls. As for Paxton, he knew how to play the danger game and win.

I received an advance copy of this book and freely leave my review.

[Sharon Grow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paxton “Lightning” Beck thought he had found the love of his life, until she sent him away. To keep him safe, Alicia was forced to lie to him and end their love. When she learns that someone is still trying to kill him, he refuses to listen to anything she has to say. Her father recently died and she believes her stepmother was responsible for his death, but can she prove it? Other than Reed Hawthorne and his security team, she is not sure who she can trust. Finding her father’s hidden USB drives brings the danger to her door. When it seems as if even the police might be involved in her father’s death, she needs Paxton. After there are several attempts to harm or kidnap her, he finally begins to believe her claim that she loves him and only forced him away to protect him. I enjoyed the interaction and action involving other members of the security team as they sought to end the threats against her and bring her father’s killer to justice. Intrigue, action, suspense and hot romance! I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

[Floraljoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best read as part of the series:
This was an enjoyable second chance, romantic suspense novel. There is some follow through mystery from the first book and I would recommend reading that prior to this one and preferably without too much time in-between as it was a bit tricky recalling all of the details. Although there was a lot of fast paced action, there were also some anticlimactic moments and I wasn't exactly gripped by the mystery or suspense.
I did enjoy reconnecting with this group of friends as well as witnessing Paxton "Lightening" and Alicia as they worked past their hurts and solidified their relationship. I was also pleased to finally have some of my left over questions from the first book be answered. I would be interested in discovering the rest of these guys stories and meeting the ladies who melt their hearts.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lighting
By Danielle Pays
Main Characters: Paxton (Lightning) and Alicia
I voluntarily and honestly reviewed this book without bias or persuasion from the author.
5 out of 5 stars
This is the 11th book by Danielle Pays that I have read and reviewed. It is a contemporary romantic suspense with a HEA ending that I didn't see coming. Paxton thinks Alicia is the love of his life but something happens and Alicia must break his heart. Her father recently died in a parachute accident and she thinks her stepmother had something to do with it. This story has plenty of action, laughs, and suspense. Trying to untangle all the clues was pretty entertaining. I loved all the characters in this story and I look forward to continuing reading the next in the series.

[Di · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Alicia breaks it off with Paxton, a chain of events follow that has her second guessing her decision. When she finds evidence that her deceased dad left her, the only one she wants to confide in is Paxton. Paxton wants nothing to do with Alicia, she ripped his heart out but after months of being apart, the feelings are still there and when she could be in danger, him and his team will be there to protect her….is this their second chance…
A good read with some suspense and action, twists and turns, surprises and good characters. The story took a bit for me to get into, and Paxton was being too stubborn in my opinion. It finally started picking up later and once secrets unravelled, it was hard to put down.
*I voluntarily read an advanced copy and expressed my honest opinion*

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Only my second book by Danielle and I love her writing. It is a mile a minute suspense action. You cannot takes your eyes off the words because if you do you might miss some clues. The loyalty and banter between the men of RHS is fantastic. I laughed out loud at some parts (furries!). Then there is the agonizing and eventually sweet romance between Lightning and Alicia. Whew, I thought I might have to intervene between Lightning and Alicia the tension was so palpable. We finally find out who killed Hawthorne (not easy to figure out and I loved that).

I received a complimentary copy from Booksprout.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lightening is the second book to the Reed Hawthorne Security Series. This book certainly keeps you guessing and sitting on the edge of your seat, so many twists and turns with some really good checky banter. Then you add the romantic second chance love of Paxton and Alicia and it’s a book you cant put down. I haven’t read Thunder YET but it’s now on my to read list before the next instalment of RHS hits the shelves.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[KL Cassanello · Rating 5 out of 5]

Someone has blackmailed Alicia into breaking up with Paxton/Lightning. The "who" kept me guessing for a long time. Finally, the true details of Hawthorne's death are revealed. I love Alicia and Paxton together, and was mad at her for that breakup lie, although I understand why she did it. It was a long road back, but they finally figure everything out. The Reed Hawthorne guys are absolutely hilarious together. I'd give this more than five stars if I could! I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jen B · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book in the Reed Hawkthorne Security series. The hunt for who killed Hawkthorne continues as the guys unravel the truth. Alicia finds herself forced to do the one thing she never thought she would do. She breaks Paxton's heart and fears she will never get him back. This story is packed full ups and downs and twists no one seen coming. I loved the action of the case and the second chance that Alicia and Paxton get. I look forward in learning more about Coff and the mess he has gotten into. Enjoy!

[casvec · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing addition to the Reed Hawthorne Security series. Alicia and Paxton's story has the danger and suspense grabs you from the start. Shortly after breaking up with Paxton, Alicia realizes the mistake. When she needs his help, it could be a second chance.

Their story has the twist and turn that won't let you put the book down and the connection between them ignite the page.

Amazing story.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jenn O'Leary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paxton and Alicia had been dating, things were going well until Alicia suddenly ends things.
Leaving Paxton mad and upset.
Alicia didn't tell Paxton the real reason behind their break up and they are both miserable.
When their lives are in danger they must work together along with the rest of Reed Hawthorne Security to figure out what is going on.
This was an intense, suspenseful book with a lot going on.
A good dread. I am looking forward to the rest of the series

[Niki · Rating 5 out of 5]

He is trying to prove that his boss was murder, while still trying to protect his daughter. When she breaks it off with him, he is heartbroken and wants nothing to do with the investigation. When her life is put in danger, he has to push aside his hurt to keep her safe.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Nate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paxton & Alicia had an entertaining, suspenseful read. His boss was killed by his wife. He knows this to be true but can’t prove it. Now someone is coming after his daughter, Alicia. He couldn’t protect her father. To honor his memory, he will use every ounce of his training and expertise as a Navy SEAL to keep Alicia safe... even if it costs him his life. And am voluntarily leaving my review.

[Melinda Swaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was absolute romantic suspense perfection!!

OMG this book was fantastic! I just loved this story. It had constant action and suspense, a sexy romance and a great involved storyline that just didn’t quit when you thought it would. This book was absolute romantic suspense perfection!! I couldn’t get enough I didn’t stop reading until I got to the end! I’m looking forward to more books regarding these strong, Reed Hawthorne security personnel. Go grab this book today. Happy reading everyone