BLAKE SECURITY

by Celina McKane

Free with Kindle Unlimited.
Includes all five books of Blake Ryder, Tyler, Leif, Abrahem, and Blake.
No cliffhangers. Approximately 1,000 pages.

RYDER
For a year, Alicia has been expecting her dark secret to catch up with her. What she isn’t counting on, however, is for that secret to end up endangering an innocent baby. Nor is Alicia at all prepared to be suddenly thrust into Ryder Grant’s path when his company, Blake Security, is hired to protect baby Celia and her family. Ryder is just as shocked when he comes face-to-face with Alicia and immediately feels a powerful connection with the beautiful Russian woman. Soon, Ryder becomes as determined to solve her mystery as he is to figure out what Alicia’s connection to the kidnapping might be.

TYLER
Tyler Petit has spent 17 years trying to forget his painful past. As a teenager, he did something so unthinkable that he was forced to flee from everything and everyone he had ever loved. In particular, when he ran, he left behind Ariana Douglas, the love of his young life. Then a phone call brings Tyler home for the first time in almost 20 years and his path crosses with Ariana’s once more. The love is still there, but there are so many secrets and so much time and pain in between the former couple that it will take a miracle to bring them together again.

LEIF
Leif Thompson isn’t your average guy. Some might even say he’s a little strange. Spending months pretending to be a different man, so he can exchange letters with a woman he’s loved from the first accidental letter he received after a mix-up, definitely qualifies. When that woman, Karli, finally meets Leif and he blurts out the truth, there’s no chance she’s going to forgive him for such a huge deception.

ABRAHEM
Abrahem Hakim has always quietly worked in the background at Blake Security Investigations. He likes it that way. But his boss, Blake, has other ideas and starts drawing Abrahem back into the world through a series of school talks about his war experiences. Specifically, about the experience where he lost his leg. And that’s how Abrahem meets Matt, a young boy who is also missing a leg, along with a father figure. Through Matt, Abrahem meets the boy’s beautiful sister, Mindy. She immediately sparks something in him he never thought he would feel, after all he saw in Afghanistan numbed him to life. But Mindy has her own demons she’s fighting, demons that threaten to tear her and Matt away from the fragile new life they’ve just barely begun to establish.

BLAKE
Blake has remained alone and aloof, holding everyone at a distance to avoid revisiting deeply embedded pain. Then Roxy drives into his life one cold, strange night, and Blake’s world is upended as he’s drawn into her own personal tragedy and sets out to help her, as he has so many others. Only this time, everything is different. In the end, maybe this one case will be what changes Blake’s life for the better, if he lets Roxy into his heart. And if he can keep her alive long enough to learn to trust again …

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romance, Collections

1090 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 11, 2016

Reviews

[Renee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Since not all of the books in this series are available to review here separately, I'll just review the series as a whole.

The Good:
Each story was different from the others. It wasn't like some where its the same formula over and over. I liked that each guy had some issues personally they needed to overcome to be with their ladies. Most of the females were a decent mix of strong and vulnerable.

The Bad:
The pacing wasn't very good. Some books would drag and drag through monotonous inner thoughts, then you get a huge summary of some major event that happened behind your back. I know when reading a set like this, you want to feel like you experiencing along with these guys. This was especially in the case of Blake, who you see the entire series working through issues, only to get a ton of information on what has been happening as a summary after he figured it out months ago. 2 of the 5 books are written with past/present timelines. While this is supposed to help keep us informed of a long standing dynamic, the author relied on the past to make an instantaneous jump to love in present time, despite some pretty serious issues in the way that are never really discussed or resolved.

The Ugly:
This set really really needed a good editor/proofreader. The continuity is horrible. The security secretary has a boyfriend, then shes married, then back and forth throughout not only the series, but in a single book it wasn't consistent. There are sort of updates of the previous couples, but the in passing mentions aren't always clear on what new has happened with them. While additional kids are mentioned in passing, the last scene with everyone together only mentioned those named throughout the books. Blake's whole situation that carried through the entire series was never really fleshed out. He's searching for someone, then we meet her, then he is searching for her like he never met her, then they have a whole understanding. There was alot of confusion.

Overall:
These stories weren't the worst. They really needed to be fleshed out better taking into account what is necessary to move the story and what the author just felt like writing about. I wouldn't call these a waste of my time, but I continued to read them knowing they weren't going to need my full attention at all times. Also, these are very very tame books. Very little kissing, mostly on foreheads and cheeks. No sex at all. Even past one night stand behavior is only referenced as 'I wasn't a saint.'

Individual ratings:
Ryder: 3.5
Tyler: 2.5
Leif: 3
Abe: 3.5
Blake: 3

[Willow Brooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Someone recommended this series to me. I think it was one of my sisters. It set on my kindle for a month or so before I could/wanted to get to it. Now I'm so glad I finally read it because it was full of plot, action, good guys, bad guys, perfect heroins.

All the Hero's were in the military and somehow ended up working for Blake Security. The jobs they took somehow connected each Hero with the perfect heroine. Each heroine came with an issue where they needed to be protected. In this series, you get to keep up on what's going on with each hero because they play a part in each story.

Granny was a trip. Loved her character.

I didn't think I was going to like it when I first started reading this series but each story was different and after I got into them, each story was good and entertaining.

[Andrea Gillan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Action packed

I loved this series. Blake is a veteran who has his share of ghosts in his head opens a security firm on his retirement from the army. He is a saviour of sorts and meets and assists a few selected vets and recruits them in his firm. They all have their own books in this boxset.

[Busybeth76 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pushing through obstacles

The five men of Blake Security are not perfect. They are former military, subject to bouts of various PTSD, faced with insecurities and personal conflicts. But they are all good men trying to readjust into civilian life by working in a business that allows them to help others. Their various talents and training provide strong backgrounds for both the investigative and security parts of their business. The various intriguing, bright and supportive women who enter each of these men's lives in these books have unusual and captivating stories. Add in a Cajun Granny and it also delights. Each book has it's own plot, but all the plots include a continuing mystery involving their boss, Blake Donovan. Well told, realistic and yet with touching romantic & funny interludes this series has characters that make you laugh, cry and hope for the best for each of them. And it does not disappoint.

[Erika · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading a lot of Security bundles, I have to say this is the best I have found. Most of them follow the same line, the operatives go to work, fall in love with the person they are supposed to protect, sometimes is someone they knew from before, but always is someone they are hired to protect, and then they end up together. It repeats until everyone in the company has someone. But with this series, the love story is not always directly related to the job, and that's a fresh perspective that I appreciate. We still have the same kind of work going on, but also other stories.

Ryder

Ryder is tasked with the job of protecting a kid, but since his work started, he knew something was wrong, and despite being sidetracked because of a pretty face, most of the time he knows what he's doing. Alicia has a lot of things to hide, but she never thought her secrets could endanger other people. She has trouble trusting other people, but with time, Ryder shows her that there's some people willing to help her.

Alicia was forced to marry a very bad man, she tried to run away, but couldn't, but after she had her daughter, she knew she couldn't let her live the same life, so she manages to send her away. At first her husband doesn't suspect her, but after she finally manages to divorce him and left him, he discovers she was involved in their daughter's kidnapping. She goes to USA to run away from her ex-husband, and there starts working as a nanny. When her ex's people try to kidnap her, her bosses think the target is their daughter and hire Blake Security, and Ryder is assigned to them. They suspect there's something else going on, and when the family decides to leave the country and Alicia ends up without work, Ryder decides to keep protecting her, since he suspects she is the real target.

Alicia tries to leave him, but she is attacked twice and finally decides to trust Ryder and his friends. After she tells them the truth, they start working on a plan to send her ex to jail, and since he is a crime boss, they manage to find enough evidence to send him to jail. After they get the issue with her ex sorted out, Ryder and Alicia decide to get together and start working on getting her daughter back to her, but it's a long process since she has been with another family for years.



Tyler

Tyler left her town and enlisted, he has been away for seventeen years, but when his father dies, he has to go back and face his past. When he goes back, he thinks everything is the same, but only on the surface, because everything changed while he was away. This is a typical book about misunderstandings and lots of pain caused by lack of communication. At first I was confused because I didn't see the link between Blake Security and Tyler, but when the link is shown, I liked how the story was different from most. There were a few things that I didn't believe or understand, like how they were supposed to be looking for him and never found him, how hard could it be?

So Tyler's mom got cancer, and while she was dying, his father, who was always kind of abusive and a jerk, started drinking and got even worse. When his mother was too sick and couldn't handle the pain anymore, she asked him to help her die. She had already asked his father, and he couldn't go through with it, so when she dies, he knows Tyler had something to do with it and throws him out of the house, telling him he doesn't want to see him ever again or he will tell the police what he did. He is full of grief and guilt and goes to see a friend, and finds another, they get drunk together and then, when Tyler wants to go drive, his friend that is slightly less drunk than he takes the keys, but they end up crashing and his friend dies. His girlfriend is his friend's sister, and when he wakes up in the hospital, she is not there, and neither is his father. He already missed his mother's funeral, but he goes to his friend's funeral, and his girlfriends go to him, and she is mad at him for what happened to her brother, so he feels like he has nothing left there and leaves. Seventeen years later, he goes back, but things are weird.

He gets drunk and meets Blake, who offers him a job, at first Tyler thought he was going to be there for a couple of days, but since he is going to stay longer he takes Blake's phone and agrees to contact him about the job. When he starts investigating, he finds out that his girlfriend, Ariana, had a son, and it's his. He discovers that Ariana was pregnant when he left, and that she reached out to his father. Once his father stopped drinking, he became the perfect grandfather to his son. His son thinks he is dead, but he wants to know him, so he gives her a day to tell him the truth. He goes and do a job for Blake, and then decides to stay so he can get to know his son better, so with the money his father left him, he buys into Blake Security. He talks to Ariana, they clear their misunderstandings, and they go back together to be a happy family.



Leif

This one is very sweet, the guy, Leif, is a total dork, in a good way. He has serious trouble connecting with other people, and even if he gets kind of stalkerish, is not in a frightening way. I like how fate keeps throwing Leif and Karli together, and I kind of understand why Karli wouldn't accept him at first, but I like that at the end they clear all misunderstandings and give each other a chance. I just loved Leif, he is so sweet and sometimes I wanted to get inside the book and give him a hug.

Leif has problems interacting with other people, he gets scared when he tries to talk to women, so when he receives a letter from a woman he finds it easier to communicate. At first he is going to tell her she got the wrong man, but then he changes his mind and writes to her as if he is the Leif she knows. After a lot of letters between them, he finally goes to meet her and tells her that he has been impersonating the guy she slept with and the father of her son. She gets mad and send him away, and he leaves her with a folder of information from her Leif, who is dead and also married.

Leif goes to a military base, and by chance, he meets Karli again, they start talking and everything is going well, but then Leif gets scared and lies to her, but then she finds out about it, and she gets angry at him and tells him she can't trust him and goes away again. Years later he finds her again while working with Blake Security, and he is tasked with protecting her step-father. He and her son became friends, and when his services are no longer required he gets uneasy, because he feels like they are still at risk. He starts protecting her son without their knowledge, and saves him when someone tries to kidnap him. He gets injured during the fight, but as soon as he gets better, he goes after the son of the guy that is trying to hurt Karli's family and takes a picture of him with the kid, to show the father that as easy as he can get to Karli's son, he can get to his son, and he accepts to leave her family alone. After everything, Karli has to accept that she loves Leif and after she sees him get hurt while protecting her son, she finally let her walls down and accepts him and they start a relationship.



Abrahem

Abrahem's and Mindy's story also includes Matt. Mindy doesn't trust anyone and even if Matt trust Abrahem, it's not easy for her to accept him, even after she starts falling for him. Some parts of the story were a little predictable, but I liked Abrahem's attitude, and even if she made a mess of things, I liked Mindy's spirit and strength.

Abrahem lost his leg during a battle, and as part of his new assignment, he is talking at schools about his life after the accident. At one of his talks, he meets Matt, his new target. The school is afraid Matt is going to go crazy and shoot students, but as Abrahem gets to know him, he sees that his problems are different, and that he and his sister are running away from something. Matt is tired of running away, and he feels like Abrahem can help them, so he lets him in and start pushing him to his 'sister' Mindy. While Abrahem is visiting, a group of bikers attacks their house. Mindy wants to run away, but Matt convinces her to let Abrahem and his friends help, only Mindy knows that they are not the only ones at risk, and she has to do something to help a friend that is being held by the MC after them.

Mindy was the girlfriend of the MC's Prez, and when her boyfriend turned against the MC, his father had him killed, and blamed Mindy. Mindy was hiding, and to force her to stop hiding the MC attacked her parents, killing them and hurting Matt, causing him to lose his leg. Mindy was afraid that the Prez was going to kill Matt so she confessed to him that Matt was actually her son, and his grandson. That bought her some time so she could run away with Matt, but after that the Prez started following her, trying to get Matt. He finally kidnaps a friend of her so he can force her to go back, and she goes to him, but manages to record him confessing to killing his son, her parents, and kidnapping her friend. While she is there, Tyler manages to infiltrate the MC and stops the Prez from killing her, but as part of his undercover work, he has to fight, but the other guy is fighting dirty, and Mindy has to go and help him. In the chaos that follows the Prez gets to Mindy and tries to use her to get away, but Abrahem manages to save Mindy. After that, with Matt knowing she is his mother, they try to start being a family, with Abrahem at their side.



Blake

During the other books we get some clues and hints of Blake's story, and his stalkers, but we don't get the whole image until this book. At first I thought the book would take a totally different direction, but then Roxy Dallas appears at the side of the road and he has to help her. Roxy doesn't remember anything, but she is scared and that wakes Blake's protective instincts. It turns out that she was saved by the right guy, since she is running from something very bad, and if she had ended up with someone else she would have been dead.

What I didn't like about Blake is that for everything else he seems to have good instincts, but when dealing with Jules, the girl out for revenge, he makes all these mistakes. At the end he kind of redeems himself by fooling her into confessing her crimes, but he dated her, let her drug him and hurt him, after being suspicious of her, why? When dealing with Roxy his instincts are a little bit better, and it's kind of nice that he finally finds someone good for him, but it took him a long time.

So he finds Roxy sitting in her car, not knowing where she is or why, not even who she is. She says that she is Roxy because that's the only name she remembers, but later, when her memory starts coming back, she realizes that Roxy is her twin sister, and she is Dallas. She also remembers her sister's murder. There's a lot going on, and some people are working hard on blaming her for her sister's murder.

Blake knows she is innocent, and the energy that is taking to frame her for murder means that there's a lot of people involved. Together they start investigating, and they find some papers her sister left for her, showing that she was working undercover to expose some dirty cops, the same cops that killed her and framed Dallas. With the help of Blake Security, they manage to get the information to the FBI and stop the bad guys, and Blake finally gets the girl.

[Catherine Montgomery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very Good Read!

I thoroughly enjoyed each one of Blake's security team. I had nephews that fought in Afghanistan, Iran, and Iraq and some that are beginning their tours, so I relate to the PTSD that all who have fought for and will fight for our country have to deal with, and as each of these men dealt with it they also found a good woman to help them find more of themselves. Their stories were entertaining, and intriguing. Most of my soldiers have also been able to find loving and caring women to help truly bring them back from the war.
Thanks for the great characters and stories that brought enjoyment, and a great spectrum of emotions to remind us of all we owe to those who gave or have given so much for us all.

[Jodi Picou · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked the book, but being from Terrebonne Parish, which is named in the book, near Houma, I had a bit of a problem with some of the parts of the story about Houma, a little research would have shown her that Houma is not swamps. Her story should have been set in the early 1940's or so instead of 2016, some things were just ridiculous. Her calling Houma, Houmas ( as in the indian tribe) didn't make sense, and it always takes me more than 30 minutes to get to New Orleans. I did like the characters, and the plots. I believe that I will read more by this writer.

[Christine Holmes · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great series all in one place

The men of Blake Security all came home from war broken in some way. But under Donovan Blake's wing, they turned his business into a family. A family of men who didn't realise there was a woman for each of them to make them whole. Believable characters and exciting storylines the Author has written an absorbing book that I couldn't put down

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

They served & Blake gathered these slightly damaged men. They then had a renew reason to protect, support of new brothers-in-arms, the know-how & muscle when each of them broke through some traumatic event to claim his lady.
The settings were picturesque, characters colorful & the strong bonds of friendship & justice made it had to put down.

[Cheryl K. Gates-Beller · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a Ride !!

Blake Investigations - A Band of Brothers that would catch a bullet for the other guy in this group that work together under Donovan Blake, war hero with the scars to prove it. Their jobs put them in the right place to find love without even looking for if. 1st time reading this Author. 5 ***** for sure

[Deemahrling · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good series

I totally enjoyed these books. It had action, passion, and love. I absolutely could not put this series of books down and would read until the wee hours of the morning. I loved all of the guys. It would be hard to pick my favorite but I think it would have to be Blake.

[Cherye Elliott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blake Security

I am so glad I waited until I had the opportunity to read the whole series at one time. Good read. Really enjoyed it. All I can think of is "Here I am to save the day!".

[Ronda Blanke Geiger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blake Security

Excellent book! I love reading series books and to get to read 5 in a row was great! All 5 stories are well written and the characters are great! Each book has it's own storyline but each book is connected and I loved it!

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blake Security

I liked the continuity on the series. It is an easy read and compelled me to come back to it and finish the series. I wish the editing would have been better as there were many typos to work around.
Overall, it was an enjoyable series.

[Tamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!

Loved this series! It's great when you read about the stories of several people that entwine together to make a family.

[Angela Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

BRILLIANT!😊

A very absorbing set of stories, with each champion member and innocent victims of each plot being creditable a ultimately memorable.
Great work Celina McKane👏👌

[Debora Barnett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love for each hero

The men of Blake security each finds the women that was created just for him. They were all like family.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blake Security

Interesting history of very brave men and their women and children. Well worth the read. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars.

[Janice]

Ryder, Tyler, Leif, Abrahem, and Blake.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good but

I liked the booked but they are in a different order then the pic and index, didn't spoil the series but due to the errors I've marked it down how did no one spot these

[Kathy L · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are the first books I read of Ms. Celina McKane and I enjoyed them all. The order of books are: Ryder, Tyler, Leif, Abraham and Blake. Blake's story is my favorite followed by the others. Each man fights to get is HEA and these stories are hot and full of action. The women in the story can be stubborn (Karli) and full of passion. Run out and get your copy.

[Nicky Marriott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Suspense and enjoyable!

Really enjoyed the juxtaposition of suspense, enjoyment, vulnerability of characters, with romance flourishing alongside! Well done indeed!
Hunky guys and beautiful girls, plus an irrepressible Granny I loved!
Really liked getting to know the characters too.

[Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW

The stories of the five different men so mirror everyday life and the decisions/mistakes in their past that it's eerily normal. They are all veterans that suffer from PTSD. Some more severe than others. Join them as they find a future the never thought possible while overcoming their past. I promise you won't regret the time you'll spend with these amazing men and heroes.

[Lynda hale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really great read!

I never do reviews, but 2/3rds of the way through I knew I had to for this book. The characters have substance, the back stories are really good and encourages you to keep reading. I am not going to recap the stories, but would encourage any one who likes a little mystery, romance and happily ever after to read these books. Besides you get multiple stories at a really good price. Just bought the only other book by this author and can't wait to get into it.

Hope you enjoy this as much I did. Good reading!!!

[Irene Marshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

This is a really good series, each book has its own interesting storyline the background of each involving Blake security and the closeness of all the guys involved in it together they are a formidable force. They evolve into one great family as each guy finds the love of his life and of course Granny is a wonderful character. Thoroughly enjoyable read, if you like plenty of hot alpha males this is for you.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Badly in need of a continuity editor!

The characters are interesting and the stories are for the most part entertaining. However the inconsistencies and contradictions in the series as the reader moves from book to book are so annoying that I needed to take my rating down. I'd give it 3.5 stars if that were possible. How does an author not possess the ability to keep track of her own storylines?

[marisa dono · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good series

I have it a four and not a give because of the mistakes in typing. At one point they wrote that one of the guys was in surgery and in the waiting room at the same time. Otherwise great stories and plot twists. I all like the fact that there wasn't any overtly sexual dialog.

[gail mollencopf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow

Reading as a box set was great. This series is very well written and the characters you will fall in love with. The last book is about Blake and at the end I had trouble reading because of the tears. This is not only stories of romance but vet's putting their lives back together after war. Enjoy this awesome box set

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had to get the set in order to read the last 2 books of this series. Overall I loved the set. A few errors, maybe 1 or 2, in each book that I noticed (places, who's speaking, and formatting for kindle).