Mine

Holton Woods #3

by HelenKay Dimon

Praised for her “hot and bold”( Kirkus Reviews ), the author of Only and Mercy now delivers her most daring novel yet…

She doesn’t depend on anyone for anything. He intends to make her his completely.

Natalie Udall thought her position at the CIA was secure—until protecting her team earned her an armed escort into certain danger. Natalie can’t stand the idea of being secreted away in a cabin in the middle of nowhere, especially since it means sharing close quarters with the controlling bodyguard enlisted to keep her alive.

Gabe MacIntosh joined the military to support his son, trained as a sniper and dealt with death on a regular basis. Now retired and operating a security firm, his first assignment is to protect a CIA agent on the run. She’s strong willed and difficult—and all Gabe can think about is exerting his domination and stripping her of every expectation she has.

Natalie has no intention of giving in to Gabe’s straightforward demands of dominant sex with no attachments—even though the very idea of giving up control thrills her like nothing ever has...

Genres: Romance, Erotica, Suspense, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Adult, Dark

320 pages, Paperback

First published October 6, 2015

About the author

HelenKay Dimon is a divorce lawyer-turned-romance author. After dedicating years to helping people terminate relationships she now writes romance novels full time. Her books have earned praise, appeared on bestseller lists, won numerous awards and twice been named Red-Hot Reads and excerpted in Cosmo. She sometimes writes erotic romance, sometimes writes romantic suspense and sometimes writes contemporary romance. But no matter what she's writing her books are always filled with smart banter and sexy times, and a HEA is guaranteed.

-"Sharp writing and plenty of sexy romantic sizzle..." - John Charles, Chicago Tribune

-"So smart, sexy and fast-paced, I devour her stories." - Lori Foster, NYT bestselling author

-"Lots of heat with lots of humor." - MaryJanice Davidson, NYT bestselling author

-"She's a delight." - Christina Dodd, NYT bestselling author

Reviews

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***

Mine by HelenKay Dimon
Book Three of the Holton Woods series
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: October 6, 2015
Rating: 4 stars
Source: eARC from NetGalley

***Warning: this is an adult book, and for the eyes of mature readers***

Summary (from Goodreads):

She doesn’t depend on anyone for anything. He intends to make her his completely.

Natalie Udall thought her position at the CIA was secure—until protecting her team earned her an armed escort into certain danger. Natalie can’t stand the idea of being secreted away in a cabin in the middle of nowhere, especially since it means sharing close quarters with the controlling bodyguard enlisted to keep her alive.

Gabe MacIntosh joined the military to support his son, trained as a sniper and dealt with death on a regular basis. Now retired and operating a security firm, his first assignment is to protect a CIA agent on the run. She’s strong willed and difficult—and all Gabe can think about is exerting his domination and stripping her of every expectation she has.

Natalie has no intention of giving in to Gabe’s straightforward demands of dominant sex with no attachments—even though the very idea of giving up control thrills her like nothing ever has…

What I Liked:

That cover. It is super steamy looking. If you don't like the cover, then ignore it. The book is really, really great.

I so enjoyed this book! Steamy, smart, engaging, and heartwarming, this novel had it all. It's definitely on the sexy, more erotic side of romance, which I actually found myself loving. I'm typically not an erotica person (I cannot handle threesomes, voyeurism, things like that). This book is probably mild in terms of erotica, but more steamy than your average romance novel. Definitely one of the hottest romance novels I've ever read! I really enjoyed it - but not just the chemistry and romance. The story was so good too!

Natalie doesn't want a bodyguard. She is forced to leave the CIA, and she is told that she needs protection and to lie low, in case people don't want her spilling any secrets that she has from working with the CIA. Natalie is great at her job, and doesn't like that she had to leave, or that she needs a bodyguard. She and Gabe have been working on the details for quite some time, and the chemistry between them has sizzled. Now that they are actually in hiding, the chemistry explodes. Protecting Natalie is Gabe's job, and he never screws around on a job, but he has been waiting too long for this chance. Gabe is demanding in every way that turns Natalie on. But will Natalie be able to walk away when the danger is over?

Oh this book! It's not just about the sexy times, even though I probably have made it sound like it is, as well as the cover is screaming "sexy times here!", and the synopsis. But there is so much more going on! Natalie and Gabe are in a cabin in Montana, hiding from possible threats to Natalie's life. There are people that want her "silenced", since she is no longer with the CIA but know a lot of intel from working with them. And then there is all the personal problems that both Natalie and Gabe have - especially Gabe. There are a ton of heartbreaking things that are happening to him. I won't get into the specifics because that would be super spoilery, but his personal issues are pretty important, and very deep. I like how Dimon goes into tough realistic issues - not too heavy, but very well written and emotional.

This book opens with Gabe's POV. I so like Gabe! He is very direct, but in the beginning, he is very short with Natalie. He used short phrases and sentences to answer her, and was a bit curt. But he slowly loosened up, let her in, and some of his walls came down. Gabe is actually a nice guy (though he doesn't like it when she tells him that), and he is a good person.

Natalie is a runner - she knows how it feels when a man who should care about her hurts her. She likes Gabe, and likes having sex with him, but does not want to date him or get serious or committed. But she finds herself worrying about him, getting invested in his personal life and problems. I love how headstrong and independent Natalie is, yet how comfortable she is with her desires and self. Natalie and Gabe are such a great pair because they are two fires, pushing each other, taking no crap from each other. They fight a lot, and it's so indicative of how much passion simmers between the two of them.

Ah! The chemistry is off the charts hot. I think Gabe and Natalie may have met in previous books of the series? This is book three of the series, so I may have missed out on something. We start off this book knowing that Gabe is attracted to Natalie, and that Natalie is attracted to Gabe, but both of them don't know that the other is attracted to them. So when they're holed up in a cabin in the middle of a snowy nowhere? Sparks fly and collide and explode. The two of them are so hot together! I love how every scene is different, and represents something different.

There is a subplot dealing with Gabe's youngest brother Andy. Andy is gay and used to be in love with this guy who worked with Natalie, named Eli. Eli is now with the love of his life, Wade, who hates and does not trust Andy. This subplot was interesting, though very sad for Andy, as we know he has no chance. But I like that Dimon includes this more personal view into a different character's life!

The emotional issues in this book were so incredible. The romance was swoony and beautiful. I loved seeing tough-guy Gabe metaphorically get down on his knees and bare his soul to Natalie. And the chemistry and steamy scenes and "erotica" part of the book was so, so hot. Gabe is brooding and naughty and fiercely protective, Natalie is clever and distrustful and guarded. Basically, this book was excellent on all fronts, and I am so glad that I gave it a shot. Any of HelenKay's books are so good and well-written!

What I Did Not Like:

I can't think of any dislikes, I think! I've actually read and reread some of my favorite scenes in this book so many times. It was/is that good!

Would I Recommend It:

If you're an adult romance novel lover, you will totally enjoy this book. One couple, one steamy romance, one fantastic relationship. Natalie and Gabe overcome many obstacles to be able to trust each other, care about each other, love each other. While this book is hot enough to be classified as erotica, it has such a great story, with wonderful and heartbreaking emotional twists (some of which have nothing to do with the couple's relationship). And it's HelenKay, so you know the ending will be satisfying (and it was)!

Rating:

4.5 stars. I'm rounding down, though I have no good reason. This book was excellent, scorching hot, and easily an adult romance novel that I see myself rereading over and over.

[Aly is so frigging bored · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think is one of the "it's not you, it's me" instances. I just didn't care what happened to either character and couldn't make myself care.

[Maria Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

HelenKay Dimon is quickly becoming an auto-read author for me, her stories to date either fitting the contemporary romance genre (such as her Greenway Range series) or full of exciting action in the romantic suspense genre. This one fell somewhere in the middle for me, somewhat suspenseful (though not as much action as the Bad Boys Undercover series) but equally as hot if not hotter then her other contemporary romance ones. Mine is the third in the Holton Woods series, and as usual, I’m coming into it having not read the first two (something that drives SSBR reviewer Tonya nuts, but doesn’t bother me so long as each story has a tidy happy ending). But as soon as I finished my arc read of this one, I went out and bought the rest of the Holton Woods series, because it was just that good.

Natalie is a top CIA agent, head of an elite team – and she’s on the run. Someone has been hunting down her agents, picking them off one by one and there are only a few left. Her life is in danger, and the only way to show the top bosses that the information she is privy too is not worth killing her for, is to stay off the grid and prove to them that she is not going to sell them out. To that end, Gabe has been hired as her bodyguard. An ex-military sniper, he’s the perfect choice to protect Natalie and he’s decided that keeping her at his isolated Montana cabin is the best place for him to ensure her safety while at the same time having his security team and her lawyer convince her bosses that she’s no threat to them. But putting these two strong willed individuals alone, in the woods, is a recipe for disaster as the heat between them threatens to send everything up in flames. Can Gabe keep Natalie alive long enough for her to see him as more than just her bodyguard and consider making things more permanent?

The suspense in this story comes less from action and more from the tension that underlies both the relationship between Gabe and Natalie and the waiting – waiting to see whether someone is going to come after Natalie or not. It was a definite nail biter for me, as from the very start, Gabe and Natalie have a sizzling sexual tension between them, and once they are alone, it’s not long before they can’t keep their hands off each other. Gabe is the one who wants to be in control in the bedroom, something that Natalie has never really experienced. She’s always the strong one, in charge, and to let go and let Gabe be the sexually dominant one is freeing for her. The sex scenes between them are super hot, though Natalie makes it clear that in other aspects of her life, she needs that control as much as he does. Knowing that at any time someone could be out to kill her makes their scenes also fraught with tension as they never know when their safe location will be compromised.

Gabe’s family plays a significant role in this story. His younger brother Andy works with him at the security company and is responsible for him being on this assignment. They have a solid friendship. On the other hand his older brother Rick and him are at odds, for personal family reasons as well as professional as Rick is one of the people sent to look for Natalie. Gabe has a son, Brandon who has started college, and his relationship with him is warm and protective. He’ll do anything in fact to protect his son and for this reason, has kept his extra-curricular activities away from him, including not bringing any women home. But Natalie is different, and Gabe finds that as their relationship deepens, he wants to share this part of his life with her too. Coming from the same type of work background, they can relate to each other the way normal people can’t. They’ve both experienced severely traumatic events, personal and professional and when they open up to each other, it only serves to tie the bond between them even tighter. Trust is the key and they both must work hard at letting the other person in, but the reward is worth it.

The story is told from both points of view (always a plus for me) and is dramatic and super steamy. Several characters from the previous stories in the series make appearances in this one, so readers familiar with the earlier books will enjoy seeing them again. I’d definitely put it in the erotic romance category, and with the excellent characterizations, family drama, and suspenseful subplots it’s a well rounded and entertaining story. 4.5 stars.

A danger sign flashed in his brain. He should drop her hand and scoot his ass off the bed. Should have done a lot of things. He picked kissing her. Not a shattering move. A simple one. Lifted their joint hands and pressed his lips to the back of hers. Licked his tongue down to her wrist. She watched him, her gaze following every touch.
“The beard.”
“You don’t like it?”
“The opposite.”
She traced a finger around his mouth. “I can’t help but wonder what it will feel like everywhere.”
Jesus.
“You are a temptation, Natalie Udall.” And that was a fucking understatement.

He didn’t hold back one more second. Shifting his weight, he leaned in, giving her all the time to pull back, slap him, hell, knee him in the groin. But none of that headed his way. If anything, she lifted her chin. Bringing her mouth closer to his. Then he was kissing her. Not sweet or lingering. No, he dove right into a devouring, oxygen-sucking kiss. Heat blasted around him as a hand slipped around her waist and tugged her in closer. Soft grumbling sounds filled the room as he crossed his mouth over hers. Forget treading water. Hands, lips, the sweep of his tongue over hers…it all mixed together and combined to pull him under.

Note: a copy of this story was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for review.

This review appears as a blog post at http://straightshootinbookreviews.com...

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: http://bookbriefs.net**Mine is the third book in the Holton Woods series by HelenKay Dimon. I have not read books 1 or 2 in the series, nor had I even heard of the series before reading Mine. I had no problem keeping up with the story or the characters, so I can confidently say that each book stands on its' own. CIA and Military is a trope that I don't venture into very often, but for the right book and the right plot line I am happy to try it. And there was just something about Mine that spoke to me. It is a really engaging read and a fantastic romance.

I loved the clash and mixture of two dominant personalities. Natalie and Gabe have incredible chemistry. Natalie is ex CIA and people want her dead. Lots of people. Gabe comes into the picture to keep Natalie safe, throw in lots of obstacles, off the charts chemistry, quick witted banter and really smart writing and you have the formula for a romance that you will not be able to put down. I don't know if it is just me, but I really love to watch the head on clash of two dominant personalities. And that is exactly what you get with Natalie and Gabe. They are each really different, and their pasts manifest differently in their presents, but both of them are used to getting what they want. Watching them interact was so much fun for me. It brought a level of intrigue to their romance.

I also thought it was interesting that Natalie was the more gun shy when it came to commitment in Mine. I would have initially pegged Gabe as that person, but I was totally wrong. HelenKay Dimon is a masterful author. I cannot wait to dive into more of her books. (as an aside, she joins the ranks of my not-so-secret list of lawyers turned authors that I love to read.) If you like the high tensions of an on the run romance, and like government agent/military/bodyguard romances Mine is a fantastic one for you to check out! It is really well done.


This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

[Cocktails and Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on Cocktails and Books

Natalie is a former CIA agent who left the agency on poor terms. Gabe is the former Army sniper responsible for keeping her safe until she can start her new life. She fights him at first, but once they start spending time together in an isolated cabin, they discover a hidden attraction.

These two were really fun to watch. They were so much alike, that they almost seemed like oil and water in terms of talking to each other at first. I found myself relating to and hoping for both Natalie and Gabe as they got to know each other. They were both so out of their element that they had lots of sweet and funny moments together.

Natalie’s past cast a shadow of uncertainty, but it’s actually Gabe’s older brother, Rick, that causes most of the drama in the story. Rick is a catalyst for concerns in both of Gabe’s private and public worlds and he’s almost impossible to like. Gabe’s younger brother, Andy, is a fun secondary character that actually plays a big part in helping Gabe and Natalie work things out. Andy is also a key character in dealing with the characters from, Taken, the Holton Woods novella. One of the really fun things in this book was seeing scenes from the novella, but written from a different characters point of view.

This book wasn’t exactly what I expected. Based on the blurb, I was expecting some hefty intrigue and suspense and while those elements exist, they weren’t as apparent as anticipated. Mine is book #3 in the Holton Woods series, but actually the forth book when you include the novella. It works as a stand-alone, but there is heavy character cross over, especially with the novella. I haven’t read a lot of Ms. Dimon’s work, but I have enjoyed what I have read and am looking forward to more.

Reviewer information can be found under the Tags section of the post on our site.

[Sandy S · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 6, 2015

She doesn’t depend on anyone for anything. He intends to make her his completely.

Natalie Udall thought her position at the CIA was secure—until protecting her team earned her an armed escort into certain danger. Natalie can’t stand the idea of being secreted away in a cabin in the middle of nowhere, especially since it means sharing close quarters with the controlling bodyguard enlisted to keep her alive.

Gabe MacIntosh joined the military to support his son, trained as a sniper and dealt with death on a regular basis. Now retired and operating a security firm, his first assignment is to protect a CIA agent on the run. She’s strong willed and difficult—and all Gabe can think about is exerting his domination and stripping her of every expectation she has.

Natalie has no intention of giving in to Gabe’s straightforward demands of dominant sex with no attachments—even though the very idea of giving up control thrills her like nothing ever has…

••••••••

REVIEW: MINE is the third full-length installment in HelenKay Dimon’s contemporary adult Holton Woods erotic, romantic suspense series. This is CIA operative Natalie Udall, and former army sniper/private security agent Gabe MacIntosh’s storyline. MINE can be read as a stand alone but for cohesion and backstory I suggest reading the series in order.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Natalie and Gabe) MINE follows two paths: the first focuses on Gabe and Natalie’s building relationship while Gabe keeps Natalie in protective custody. Natalie’s ‘keepers’ at the CIA have targeted our heroine for her role in protecting her team when everything went to h*ll. With three members of her team dead, Natalie is the CIA’s next potential target. What ensues is a sexual relationship between Natalie and Gabe, one with a possible end date when Gabe’s assignment is over.

The second path looks at Gabe’s troubled relationship with his eldest brother Rick- a relationship destroyed eighteen years earlier by betrayal and heartbreak. Present day finds Rick and Gabe in an ongoing battle that will break one brother’s heart and reassure the other about the sins of the past.

The relationship between Gabe and Natalie begins acrimoniously as Natalie is determined to prove she doesn’t need protection or a babysitter. She has survived an abusive childhood, dangerous CIA assignments, and isn’t willing to let someone else be responsible for her survival. Gabe’s assignment is to protect Natalie from the people who once protected her back, and in this Gabe finds himself falling in love with his latest ‘assignment’. The graphic $ex scenes are numerous, erotic, seductive and hot.

Several of the secondary and supporting characters crossover from previous storylines including Gabe’s youngest brother Andy who still holds out hope that Elijah Sterling (Taken 2.5) will come to his senses and realize that Andy is the man for him. But Eli is in love with Wade, and Andy must come to terms with his broken heart. Gabe and Andy’s brother Rick is the black sheep of the family, having betrayed his brother years before. Sebastian Jameson (Only #2) plays a small role as the lawyer who works behind the scenes trying to negotiate with the CIA for Natalie’s freedom.

MINE is an entertaining storyline but fell short in the area of the possible threats against Natalie’s life. The threats were negligible; the intrigue and suspense continued to build but nothing came to fruition; the action and danger were virtually non-existent. In the end, the main focus of the story was redirected at Gabe and Rick’s relationship, and the secret both men kept to protect someone they love.

HelenKay Dimon’s wonderful HOLTON WOODS series continues to focus on several former CIA agents and the operation that now targets all of the former team members connected to Natalie Udall. The premise of MINE is interesting and suspense filled but fell short in the action and drama; the characters are colorful, animated and well developed; the romance is provocative and sexually graphic.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley.

www.thereadingcafe.com

[Lori · Rating 2 out of 5]

An OK for me

It was a fun read. Beards gross me out though, even on a hot dude. lol Some stubble is alright. So needless to say, couldn’t get past that.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went into Mine with absolutely no knowledge of the previous books in this series, and luckily, that was a non-issue. I'm sure some of the characters overlapped but I didn't feel lost at any point. That being said, after reading the blurb I was expecting more action, suspense, and danger and in reality we hardly get any of those. As a contemporary romance it wasn't bad, just not what I was expecting.

So when this book opens up Gabe and Natalie have already known each other for a few weeks. Natalie was recently let go of her position in the CIA and Gabe has been hired by her friends to protect her. Things pick up rather quickly when Gabe drugs Natalie and rushes her off to a hidden location.

I was really expecting some running through the forest, some gunfire, and of course some adrenaline induced sexy times. While I didn't get everything I was expecting, I definitely got the sexy times. The sexual tension between these two was apparent from the get-go and it didn't take long for them to give in to their desires. Add in the element of seclusion in a cabin and possible danger and it was smoking hot.

There was quite a bit of drama that I wasn't expecting revolving around Gabe's brother and son... And, of course, for the sake of relationship drama Natalie plays a pretty big role in that area. Luckily, the big fight at the end didn't play out for too long, which I can really appreciate.

Overall, this was a good read, again just not what I was expecting when I went in. That being said, I'm sure it'll be enjoyable for someone that's looking for a sexy contemporary romance.

*Print copy kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.

[Limecello · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm offended on behalf of the book that the rating is 3.something

It was fantastic. Apparently some people were expecting more gun toting running around RS - but that doesn't make sense for the story and it was written how it needed to be and I REALLY LOVED IT and I even wrote about it for the FL on H&H and it was one of my favorite reads in 2015

A+

[Donna Was A Scandal · Rating 3 out of 5]

this blurb is kinda misleading...i'll explain further in my review:

http://www.scandaliciousbookreviews.c...

[Lauren at Live Read and Breathe Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 It's okay to need others stars

Source: eARC for Honest Review Courtesy of Berkley | Penguin Group

"You make it sound easy to move forward."

"It's not.  Not even a little."

So . . . I did like this book.  It was good but it could have been better if I was in a different mood.  Sometimes when you have to read for a deadline versus want to,  it can change the reading experience.   For some reason throughout the whole book I was never in the mood to read it and the book didn't completely engage me enough to get me into it.  It's like being on the outskirts of a reading funk.

The writing was good.  The story was good.  The sex was hot.  The heroine was strong.  The hero was strong.  But . . . I wanted more.  I don't know what I wanted, just more. 

Natalie has been one of those love to hate characters in the other books but here we get to see behind her shield.  From the beginning, Gabe has been intrigued with Natalie, but has a strong line that he doesn't cross between work and personal.  However, the more he gets to know her the more he wants to cross that line.  

"I was an asshole."  It was a flat-out truth he couldn't deny, so he
said it.  "Absolutely."  She didn't open her eyes as she mumbled the
word against his skin. 

"Like, a totally fucking asshole." 

"I'm not disagreeing."

Gabe can only hold out so long before he gives in.  At first it starts as a sex only agreement but since they both challenge each other in a good way, it quickly becomes so much more.  As Gabe's trying to keep her safe from some potential threats, he also has to deal with his brother Rick interfering in his life. 

"She equals you.  She is never going to be easy."

 

Natalie, has been dealt a pretty shitty hand but she made the best of it.  But that doesn't mean she completely understands things she's never personally experienced on her own.  With Gabe, everything is new, which scares her and causes her not to always make the best decisions.  She has great intent but not always the best methods.

"Again, you didn't pick an easy woman."  Andy slapped the back of his hand against Gabe's chest.  "Man up and fight for her."

With Gabe, he's been hurt before and doesn't trust easily, but with Natalie he wants to, even though that too is put to the test.

"You're running.  Just like you always do.  She didn't look away from his stare.  "It's a skill that works for me."





"You ran before I could hurt you, and I get that.  It's second nature for you.  A reflex that kicks in when you get scared." 

A great thing about this story was the fact that the heroine was a
runner and I still felt her strong and liked her.  Normally when the
heroine runs instead of communicates or tries I get annoyed, but
HelenKay was able to show the flaws of the heroine and still make her
likeable and strong.



Did I like this book?  Yes, but also a bit no.  Like I said it was good but never engaged me enough to get me out of my meh funk.  Was the chemistry good?  Yes.  Was the story line good?  Yes, but I still felt like I was wanting more from it.  Will I read more from this series or author?  Yes.  Just because I didn't fall in love with this story doesn't deter me away from the series or the author.  

[J.C. Jaye · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this read... Talkin' about big, brooding Gabe, my ideal
"Can't touch her, she's off-limits" kind of a hero. Swoon!
Found the story, the writing, and the characters superb...
A five-star romance from start to finish.

[Olivia Grogin · Rating 4 out of 5]

plot was kinda lame but the spice was hot, hot, hot

[Stef · Rating 1 out of 5]

Note to self: this was a boring book.

Must read series in order for the characters that enter and continue.
Suspense, action, romance, mf, erotica, hot sex in the cold.

I enjoyed most of the book then I found myself bored and then I skipped parts and read a little and skipped again. So I was disappointed that this book didn't keep me into the book. So this book tells you more about Gabes brother Rick than keeping you involved in Natalie and Gabe. Could have skipped the Brandon stuff until last, just a thought.

I will try to get another of HelenKay Dimon series from the library to read.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good. After Natalie Udall left the CIA, she was put in severe danger. Worried that Natalie may release top secret information, some people were not thrilled about her departure from the organization. Natalie was then put under the protection of Gabe Macintosh. After years in the military, Gabe runs a security firm and his newest mission is to protect Natalie. His plan is to take Natalie and have the two of them stow away at a cabin in Montana until she is confirmed safe. The problem is they both are stubborn, hot headed and can’t agree on anything… expect that they find each other attractive. As they become closer Natalie is eager to find out more about Gabe’s mysterious past and family life.

Pretty good. Unfortunately not what I was in the mood to read. I really liked the set up for it, but the execution was kind of slow. Really nothing happened in the book expect for having sex and talking. Neither of which were extremely exciting or created a substantial plot. Didn’t hate it, but didn’t love it. Needed more character depth because I didn’t connect to any character, nor did I feel real chemistry between Natalie and Gabe. Wasn’t bad, I still liked it but not what I was hoping for.

[Flora Lei · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, Id rate it a 4.5. This was a really nice read, I liked both the characters— I admired Natalie’s independence, ambition, and determination, and I liked Gabe’s overprotectiveness and how much he cared about Natalie. I liked the third person omniscient point of view, and it was great seeing how everyone felt. This was a hate to love type relationship. All in all, it was a pretty nice book, but there’s just something about it that left me unsettled, hence the 4/4.5 rating

[Lauren Warunkiewicz · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was good and definitely had a good balance between spice and plot. Going into this book I really was just expecting it to be smut but the story line was nice. However I would have enjoyed more thrill and excitement since Natalie was on the run. I feel like the story would have benefitted if there wasn’t so much focus on Andy and Eli’s love as well. I wouldn’t mind a little back story about them but I feel like they were mentioned more than necessary. Overall a fun light read.

[McKayla Nolan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to admit this book is a very slow read and I struggled to get through the first half of the book, I was determined to finish the book and it picked up towards the middle of the book. It has some good qualities in it but it didn’t hold my interest making me want to binge read the book like some other books. Once I got to the middle it picked up and was a good read but not one of my favorites, cute ending though

[Shelby · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book isn’t for everyone but I absolutely loved it!! I’m really starting to like books that have action + romance + spice. This has all of the above and was done so well. One of my favorite quotes was:

“I didn’t even know love could be like this, so overwhelming and bright and healing.”

Also loved Natalie as a main character because she was actually strong and independent instead of whiny and weak all of the time.

[Corynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

The romance in the book, of course I loved, but I was a bit disappointed in the story overall. I wanted more information as far as what type of entail Natalie Udall had. I want more action, but really it felt like reading a soap opera. I honestly started to skim through the book because I was just tired of reading it. I didn’t get to see what skills Gabe had. He seemed like a good guy and the love for his son. I also loved, but I think the book just focused too much on the drama.

[Karla Palmore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spicy fantasy where the hot broody MMC gets a HOA with minimal drama or storyline. A little hiccup towards the end but all in all in just screwing the FMC in a rustic snow covered cabin in the middle of nowhere. If you are looking for a straight spicy book, this will be for you. If you like an actual storyline, plot or depth, might skip over this one. It wasn't the worst book I've read but nothing to get excited about either.

[Marlana · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was honestly bored throughout this entire book and it is why it took me so long to finish. The author uses the word “subterfuge” at least once, if not twice in every chapter of all four books and it is honestly irritating. I also was annoyed that there was literally no action - it was supposed to be about two spies on the run.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

i enjoyed this book more than i expected. it does just get right down to business and jumps into the story pretty much immediately. i will say that just about every conversation between the main love interests has at the very least the thought of sex brought up, i understand that this is an erotic romance but it just felt like a bit too much. in the end i grew to enjoy the main characters and was pleased with where the story went.

[Anna Wright ( annas_book_nook) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really good to read but it kindof moved fast, and I as if I missing something from the other books but i guess the other books were different, so it just confused me a little bit. But overall i really enjoyed reading this!

[Sarah D- Living my dreamlife · Rating 1 out of 5]

Glorified shut! Which shouldn't of surprised me from the first few pages, but the description had me hoping for more.

The book had a great premise and I finished it hoping for more meat to the actual story. But nope boy gets girl in the end with a lot of sex scenes in between.

[Alyssa Prass · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good book. Loved both of the characters. Definitely recommend if you love forced proximity and bodyguard tropes. It was the first book that got me into reading so I am a little biased. But I definitely would give it a try I don’t think it’s talked about enough.

[Gracie Heim · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was so hard to read because it had zero substance. It took till the end quarter of the book to get somewhat interesting but even then it fell short and it was a struggle to finished haha. Not my type of book.

[Karlie Petersen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good book! One I’ll definitely be reading again in the future, not as detailed as some of the other books I read but if your looking for more of a passionate burn this is definitely a book you should try!

[Christine D · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like the badass characters Gabe and Natalie and the sex was hot.

[Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

The beginning of the story was great and totally hot. Its a great romance story with a strong female character. The ending of the novel was a little too "campy" for my taste.