Dr. Iris Kincaid witnesses a murder she was never supposed to see.
One moment, she’s working a routine shift in the emergency department. Next, a patient is executed in front of her by an assassin tied to the Consortium—a global criminal syndicate that owns judges, politicians, and the justice system itself.
Now Iris is a marked witness with a death sentence.
Her only chance of survival is Deputy U.S. Marshal Boyd Vance.
Known as the Hammer, Boyd is the most feared operative on Task Force 9, an off-the-books U.S. Marshals unit deployed when standard law enforcement is no longer enough. Hard. Calculating. Built for violence. Boyd doesn’t protect witnesses—he neutralizes threats.
His extraction plan is simple: disappear Iris.
Off-grid. Deep in the mountains. Inside the Glass House, a fortified safehouse designed to survive siege warfare.
Then a blizzard traps them together.
Snowed in with a lethal protector whose control is as dangerous as the killers hunting them, Iris discovers the man beneath the weapon. Every shared breath strips away another boundary. Every touch ignites a fire neither of them can afford.
But the Consortium finds them.
Now Boyd and Iris are trapped in a fortified mountain safehouse, outgunned, isolated, and running out of time.
Boyd was assigned to protect a witness.
He’ll become the most dangerous thing in the storm to keep her alive.
Boyd: Lethal Vitals is a pulse-pounding romantic suspense thriller packed with elite U.S. Marshals, witness protection, forced proximity, snowed-in survival, tactical action, obsessive protection, and explosive chemistry.
Ellie Masters is a USA Today Bestselling author and Amazon Top 15 Author.
In addition, she's a wife, military mom, doctor, and retired Colonel.
She writes romantic suspense filled with all your sexy, swoon-worthy alpha men. Her writing will tug at your heartstrings and leave your heart racing.
Born in the South, raised under the Hawaiian sun, Ellie has traveled the globe while in service to her country. The love of her life, her amazing husband, is her number one fan and biggest supporter. And yes! He's read every word she's written.
Wow, Intense, exciting, full of drama and deception. This story will keep you guessing and on edge. The danger when you realize that you have witnessed a murder, and now you are in danger, you just have to resort to keep yourself alive. Only there are others who are coming to protect you as well, hold on for a fight for your survival. Great story.
Dr Iris Kincaid is an ER doctor. Boyd is a U S Marshall
Iris and Boyd meet , when the meet he sweeps into rescue her from assassins be Cause she saw something she should not have and now has a target on her back. There is an attraction and chemistry simmering between Boyd and Iris a slow burn to explosive. Can Boyd and his team (Task Force 9) keep Iris safe? Can they dismantle the evil organization? You will have to read the book to find out.
This is a great start to a new series, I can’t wait for Cipher’s book.
This book has edge of your seat suspense, danger, action and emotions.
Book 1 in the Elite task force 9 series and it’s off to a great start! This is Iris and Boyd’s story and I could not out this book down!
Dr. Iris is an ER doctor who bring at the wrong place at the wrong time witnesses a murder. This moment sets off a series of events requiring the services of US Marshall protectors and enter Deputy Boyd.
The result is this fast paced, exciting and action packed story with plenty of lethal situations.
Their story was intense and chilling with an amazing romantic story in the middle of it all! In spite of the danger and the absolute worst situations their chemistry and attraction was undeniable, and combustible. This read was a real page turner and I won’t reveal how it all unfolds, that you’ll have yo find out on your own.
The US Marshals: This is going to be one hell of an epic series!! First up is Boyd "The Shield" Vance and Dr. Iris Kincaid.... Witnessing a cold-blooded murder in her OR room, Iris vows to find justice for the young, innocent victim that died. Taking Iris on the run to his safe house, Boyd knows that he has to do everything possible to keep the witness alive at all costs! Thrilling storyline with fantastic characters and a great HEA. I am looking forward to the next book in the series. I received an ARC copy of this book from the author, and I'm willingly leaving an honest review.
Another great book from Ellie Masters!! Looks like we have a great new series to read. I think I've read just about every book that Ellie Masters has written, and I can honestly say that none of them are repetitive! They all have a different theme or story. This one starts out with a bang and then it's non stop action and suspense to the end. Explosive, intense and a great read! I'm definitely looking forward to the rest of the series.
ARC review. Boyd: Lethal Vitals is the first book In Ellie Masters’ new US Marshals Task Force 9 series. Ellie never disappoints. Dr. Iris Kincaid and US Marshal Boyd Vance are the newest, impactful characters that Ellie brings to life. Their chemistry and trust are undeniable as they fight the Consortium to save each other and the youth that they’re trafficking. The storyline is fast paced and action packed and all you can do is hold on until you get to the final page. I can’t wait for Cipher’s story.
Ellie Masters starts Task Force 9 with a blizzard and no brakes. Boyd is hard, calculating, built for violence – but trapped in the glass house with Iris, the walls come down. Darkness meets light. Protection turns possessive. Intense stakes, snowed in, burning tension, and heat that drips off the page. He’ll become the most dangerous thing in the storm to keep her alive. Start of a series that promises more.. whoop whoop! 🤓
This is the start of a really good series. Loved the fast pace. It kept me wanting to skip ahead but I didn't because the story is so good. You're going to love every word. I can't wait for the next book!
I look forward to the next books about the U.S. Marshals of Task Force 9. This first book was tightly written in detail and characterization. It was vintage Ellie Masters.
Ellie Masters has another hit in this new series! I had doubts that anything would be as good as the Guardians, I was wrong. Boyd and the U.S. Marshals are everything you expect from Ellie Masters. A must read. Can’t wait till the next in series.
Not sure how she keeps writing such amazing, heart stoping, ‘sure hope this doesnt happen in real life government’, steamy stories that I cant put down, but she does! And this one leads to another! Anxious for ghe next one!
Loved it! Boyd is scary efficient stubborn protector. Iris is a brilliant stubborn doctor who stumbles into something she shouldn’t…making her a target. The whole story once again had me reading well into the night! Ellie’s new series, as we are introduced to Boyd’s team mates is excellent! Thank you again Ellie…you are the best!
Heart pounding action from the start. Psychologically intriguing relationship builds throughout the storyline and has an emotional impact on the main characters. Their interactions flesh out who they are and explain the attraction between them.
Masters at her best. An intriguing complex plot, full of impossible choices. A strong willed feisty doctor caught in a awful situation determined to seek revenge against a monster. A Man sent to be her shield, a Marshal ruthless but… I won’t spoil this you just have to read it!
Absolutely loved the beginning of this new series. Couldn't put it down and had to finish it in one go. Well done Ellie, now waiting patiently for Cipher! Definitely recommend with 5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
So intense from the first page, I was on the edge of my seat for the whole book! Absolutely going to love this new series! Danger, heat with spice and intense emotions.
Fabulous start to Ellie’s new series. Boyd & Iris are thrown together after she was witness to a murder in her ER and he was sent to protect her. It’s as good as all her previous books, Guardians, Angel Fire, Angel's Peak etc etc. Boyd’s team were introduced in this first book and I cannot wait until the next one launches (Cipher I think). Thank you for writing such awesome books Ellie.
I’m so loving this start to the new series. Boyd is tasked to rescue Iris who is a physician who knows too much. Non stop action and suspense along with two strong characters make this an exciting read you don’t want to miss! Highly recommend.
The chemistry between Boyd and Iris was off the charts. Once I started I couldn’t put it down! Keeps you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end!
I read anything I can get my hands on written by Ellie Masters. This is her new series and as I have come to expect it was superb. I’m already waiting impatiently for Cipher to drop. If you are a Guardian Hostage fan, you will love the new series.
Boyd and Iris are thrown together after she witnesses a murder in her emergency room. It turns out this boy is part of a large organization that human traffics. I really enjoyed this book. Lots of action and suspense.
I always look forward to reading Ellie Masters so when I heard she was starting a new series, US Marshals Task Force 9, I got very excited. BOYD: Lethal Vitals is the first book in the series and Ellie did not disappoint with one of her adrenaline heavy protector romances. Iris Kincaid is an ER Doctor who witnesses the wrong thing; a patient executed in front of her. Deputy U.S. Marshal Boyd Vance He’s assigned to extract Iris.
Dr. Iris Kincaid is working a normal ER shift when a patient is wheeled in, but before she can stabilize him, a man connected to the Consortium, a global criminal syndicate who is an assassin walks into the trauma bay and executes him in front of her. Now Iris is a witness and because the Consortium doesn’t leave loose ends, a target. Boyd, Task Force 9’s most feared operative is sent in to extract her. The Consortium doesn’t waste any time and are waiting for Iris when she goes to leave the hospital. It’s only when shots are fired and Iris finds herself thrown to the ground by Boyd that she realises she’s not safe and once the immediate threat has been neutralized by Boyd, goes off grid with Boyd to The Glass House, a high tech, siege proof safehouse buried deep in the mountains.
Right from the first moment that Boyd protects Iris with his body, you can feel the heat between them. Iris isn’t like other witnesses Boyd has been involved with, she’s calm, smart, observant and refuses to crumble. Boyd is terrifying, cold, controlled, and unreadable but Iris see’s past that. Inside the safehouse, Iris sees Boyd’s humanity whilst Boyd sees Iris’s resilience. Then a blizzard hits, they’re snowed in, cut off from backup, and forced into close quarters. This is where the emotional shift begins, the boundaries blur, the tension builds, every shared breath tightens the connection, every touch is a mistake they both want to repeat. Despite the blizzard, the Consortium tracks them, the safehouse is breached, Boyd and Iris must fight together to survive.
Iris and Boyd’s journey is a slow burn with that inevitable feel about it. Iris breaks through Boyd’s emotional armour, whilst he becomes the first person to make her feel protected. Their connection goes deep, it’s raw, dangerous, real but built on trust, a romance forged under fire. This is an epic start to a new series, which promises to be every bit as addictive as Ellie Master’s Guardian Hostage Rescue Specialists series.
This story is the launch of the author's new U.S. Marshals: Task Force 9 series. Dr. Iris Kincaid is working in the ER when she witnesses something she shouldn't. She instantly becomes a target of the Consortium, a ruthless criminal organization that eliminates anyone who could expose them. Deputy U.S. Marshal Boyd Vance is assigned to keep Iris alive long enough to testify.
Boyd and Iris are fantastic together. Iris isn't the stereotypical damsel in distress; she's intelligent, compassionate, and remarkably resilient. Even while being hunted, she continues to think clearly and refuses to let fear define her. Boyd, on the other hand, is all control, discipline, and deadly efficiency. Beneath his cold exterior, however, is a fiercely protective man carrying more emotional weight than he lets anyone see. Watching Iris slowly chip away at his carefully built walls made their relationship feel genuine and well-earned.
The chemistry between them is undeniable. Their romance develops naturally amid impossible circumstances, with forced proximity, shared danger, and unwavering trust creating a slow-burn connection that felt authentic rather than rushed. The emotional moments balance the relentless action perfectly, while the steam adds just the right amount of intensity without overshadowing the story.
The action is as intense as the romance. The suspense never lets up, and the stakes continue to rise until the very end. But Boyd and Iris get their long deserved HEA.
This is the first book in the US Marshalls: Task Force 9. This story was a definite pleasure to read. It starts off fast paced and doesn't stop. Dr. Iris Kincaid saw something she shouldn't have when a young man came into her trauma bay. She was told to forget what she saw. She is automatically suspicious and decided right then and there she couldn't do that. Enter Boyd Vance, US Marshall Task Force 9. He is tasked with keeping her safe and able to testify to what happened in the hospital. What follows is a whirlwind of action, suspense and danger. I found myself reading so fast, I had to stop and re-read a few pages. The journey they are taking is anything but easy. Iris is attracted to Boyd and he is unwillingly attracted to her. When the danger gets too close, they are in for the fight of their lives. They have a literal mountain of obstacles standing between them and their HEA. Get this book and see if they succeed. Sorry, no spoilers.
Boyd comes in colder than a Vegas casino at 3 a.m. when they’ve decided you’ve won just a little too much. The tone is dry, blunt, and emotionally distant — which could work for a stoic alpha MMC, except here it leaves both Boyd and Iris feeling like two mannequins trying to act out a romance scene.
Do they get their HEA? Yes. Do you feel it? Not really. It’s like watching two people hug through a plate-glass window.
The plot itself isn’t bad — it’s actually a solid setup for a new lineup of alpha males, and the series potential is strong. But this particular book? It never quite warms up, never quite lets you in, and never gives you that “oh hell yes” emotional punch you want from a couple fighting their way to forever.
Final verdict: A chilly, distant installment with a functional HEA and a promising doorway into a new series. Not the most gripping romance, but enough intrigue to make you say, “Fine, Ellie, I’ll read the next one.”
OMG, what a start to this epic series. We first meet Dr Iris Kincaid, a doctor determined to treat a young man despite what is happening around her, men equally determined for the young man to die. A witness, a loose end, she finds herself being protected by Boyd, a US Marshall, but not just any US Marshall, part of an elite group. As they battle blizzards and mercenaries, they discover a passion that neither expected. With the odds against them, the whole elite team come together to rescue Iris who may have just found information on a group behind the attempt to kill her, a group that not only deal in drugs and arms.
This is a fast-paced on the edge of your seat read. Action, drama, steam, determination and a team that work in synchrony. Another masterpiece by this incredibly talented author.
This book grabbed me from page 1. It's terrifying to think that what happens in Chapter 1 could really happen. The complete comfort that a monster has, to walk into a busy emergency room and get away with what monsters do. Knowing he won't be stopped. It's unthinkable!! I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This is an amazing story. I loved the heat between Iris and Boyd!! The story is full of action, danger around every corner and moments when you hold your breathe and want to close your eyes but can't. Plus, a group of men who will do anything to right the wrongs of the monsters in our world. I highly recommend this one!!