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Unbroken Heroes #6
Don't Look Back
In DON'T LOOK BACK by Dawn Ryer, she is the only woman worth fighting - or dying - for...
Shadow Ops Agent Thais Sinclair has sworn off falling in love for good. It’s what’s kept her calculated, steady, and on-task in a world dominated by men. She needs nothing and no one but her own wits and strength to guide her. But when she’s slated to shadow the one man who could reveal their entire operation, all bets are off.
Dunn Bateson, illegitimate son of a Southern debutante, has always had to fight harder than the rest to get what he wants. Now, the last thing he needs is Thais following his every move. She is so strong, sly, seductive. . . No woman has ever captivated him so completely. Thais may only have room for her mission in her heart, but is Dunn up to the challenge of showing her that she’s worth every risk he is willing to take?
Shadow Ops Agent Thais Sinclair has sworn off falling in love for good. It’s what’s kept her calculated, steady, and on-task in a world dominated by men. She needs nothing and no one but her own wits and strength to guide her. But when she’s slated to shadow the one man who could reveal their entire operation, all bets are off.
Dunn Bateson, illegitimate son of a Southern debutante, has always had to fight harder than the rest to get what he wants. Now, the last thing he needs is Thais following his every move. She is so strong, sly, seductive. . . No woman has ever captivated him so completely. Thais may only have room for her mission in her heart, but is Dunn up to the challenge of showing her that she’s worth every risk he is willing to take?
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 28, 2018
23 people are currently reading
132 people want to read
About the author
Dawn Ryder
26 books272 followersDawn Ryder has not been abducted by gypsies. She stepped through a time tunnel and has been busy writing about Scots in kilts and English Knights for Kensington’s Brava line. but she will return, very soon to her special operations guys and the other characters that are demanding their turn to tell their story. please check back for updates and click on over to MaryWine.com to discover what she’s got releasing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews
July 26, 2018
ARC received for review
This has to be my least favorite of the series. I speed read the first half. There were too many voices talking, and Thais was annoying. Dunn wasn't much better, but at least he had a reason. Then the ending was not that great considering this was the last book in the series. At least all the bad guys were taken care of in the end. I was hoping for one more with Kagan.
This has to be my least favorite of the series. I speed read the first half. There were too many voices talking, and Thais was annoying. Dunn wasn't much better, but at least he had a reason. Then the ending was not that great considering this was the last book in the series. At least all the bad guys were taken care of in the end. I was hoping for one more with Kagan.
August 28, 2018
It's been a long journey but the baddie finally gets his comeuppance in Don't Look Back. It was a group effort with some help in corners I least expected and almost the whole gang makes an appearance!
Thais and Dunn were well paired. They were both very ride or die, loyal to a fault, brave and ready to lay down their lives for the people they loved. I liked them as a couple and was happy to see them finally open up to each other but with so many things happening to them and all around them, the romance/love story seemed to be downplayed just a bit. It was all a lot of lust and insta-love for two people that danced around each other for a big chunk of the story.
There is plenty of action, suspense and hurling insults (at least from me!) at Carl Davis. To say I'm happy to see the last of this villain is a huge understatement. I'm definitely hoping Greer and his mysterious sister get their own books, they are characters that have piqued my interest.
Would I recommend? Yes, if you've followed the series this is a must read. I wouldn't consider it a stand-alone since there are a lot of recurring characters and events from past books are mentioned and play a large role in the ongoing plot. Even though the romance was a bit downplayed, the overall story wrapped everything up nicely.
* * * ARC provided for an honest review * * ***
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
SAFETY INFO:
Thais and Dunn were well paired. They were both very ride or die, loyal to a fault, brave and ready to lay down their lives for the people they loved. I liked them as a couple and was happy to see them finally open up to each other but with so many things happening to them and all around them, the romance/love story seemed to be downplayed just a bit. It was all a lot of lust and insta-love for two people that danced around each other for a big chunk of the story.
There is plenty of action, suspense and hurling insults (at least from me!) at Carl Davis. To say I'm happy to see the last of this villain is a huge understatement. I'm definitely hoping Greer and his mysterious sister get their own books, they are characters that have piqued my interest.
Would I recommend? Yes, if you've followed the series this is a must read. I wouldn't consider it a stand-alone since there are a lot of recurring characters and events from past books are mentioned and play a large role in the ongoing plot. Even though the romance was a bit downplayed, the overall story wrapped everything up nicely.
* * * ARC provided for an honest review * * ***
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
SAFETY INFO:
November 24, 2019
3.5 Stars
Don’t Look Back was a fun romantic suspense read with a great cast of characters and a fantastic romance.
Thais Sinclair has no time for love and is instead focusing all of her energy on her job as a Shadow Ops agent. When her newest assignment has her tailing Dunn Bateson, the illegitimate son of a Congress hopeful, she’ll have to pull out all of her best tricks to keep him in line. Dunn doesn’t like being told what to do, but the sexy Thais has him tempted to listen if she’s the one giving the orders. When danger threatens, Thais and Dunn will be forced to confront the attraction simmering between them if they’re to work together to find those who would do them harm.
Thais loves everything about her job and how capable and strong it makes her feel. Thais was previously married to horrible man and so she treasures her ability to take care of herself now that she has the skills to do so. Her job does tend to force her to project a hard exterior and she wishes that she had someone she could let down her walls with. Thais doesn’t have a relationship with her family due to their role in her terrible marriage and because of the kind of people they are.
Dunn is a bit of a recluse as upon inheriting his family’s business he became incredibly wealthy which tended to attract the wrong type of people. He has a lot of trust issues when it comes to women as he has been used in the past because of his money. Dunn’s opinion of love is also soured by the fact his parents were forced apart due to his mother’s family and their expectations of her. He’s struggling still in how much to let her in now that they’re able to have a relationship.
Thais and Dunn have a bit of history prior to Thais being assigned to tail him which definitely affects their first few interactions in this book. There’s a lot of contempt and annoyance between them with their attraction to one another under it all. There’s a lot of banter in their relationship which I loved, but there was less of it as the book went on and their relationship became more solid. Their physical attraction to each other is incredibly apparent right from the start and their chemistry is off the charts. The sex scenes between them are fantastic with the perfect amount of sexiness and frequency.
Unlike a lot of books in romance series that tend to be more companion books, the plot of Don’t Look Back relies heavily on events from previous books in the series. As this book was the first book in the series I have read, I was lost for a while in terms of what was going on. The author does do a good job of filling you in on what happened previously, but I think it’s expected that you’ve read the other books if you want to know all the details. I am interested in reading the other books though as I liked the side characters and would like to know more about the political plot that runs through the book.
Overall Don’t Look Back was a quick and enjoyable read, but I feel like I would have enjoyed it more if I’d read the first five books in the series. I definitely hope to read the rest of the series at some point as I enjoyed the cast of characters and the author’s writing.
**I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**
Don’t Look Back was a fun romantic suspense read with a great cast of characters and a fantastic romance.
Thais Sinclair has no time for love and is instead focusing all of her energy on her job as a Shadow Ops agent. When her newest assignment has her tailing Dunn Bateson, the illegitimate son of a Congress hopeful, she’ll have to pull out all of her best tricks to keep him in line. Dunn doesn’t like being told what to do, but the sexy Thais has him tempted to listen if she’s the one giving the orders. When danger threatens, Thais and Dunn will be forced to confront the attraction simmering between them if they’re to work together to find those who would do them harm.
Thais loves everything about her job and how capable and strong it makes her feel. Thais was previously married to horrible man and so she treasures her ability to take care of herself now that she has the skills to do so. Her job does tend to force her to project a hard exterior and she wishes that she had someone she could let down her walls with. Thais doesn’t have a relationship with her family due to their role in her terrible marriage and because of the kind of people they are.
Dunn is a bit of a recluse as upon inheriting his family’s business he became incredibly wealthy which tended to attract the wrong type of people. He has a lot of trust issues when it comes to women as he has been used in the past because of his money. Dunn’s opinion of love is also soured by the fact his parents were forced apart due to his mother’s family and their expectations of her. He’s struggling still in how much to let her in now that they’re able to have a relationship.
Thais and Dunn have a bit of history prior to Thais being assigned to tail him which definitely affects their first few interactions in this book. There’s a lot of contempt and annoyance between them with their attraction to one another under it all. There’s a lot of banter in their relationship which I loved, but there was less of it as the book went on and their relationship became more solid. Their physical attraction to each other is incredibly apparent right from the start and their chemistry is off the charts. The sex scenes between them are fantastic with the perfect amount of sexiness and frequency.
Unlike a lot of books in romance series that tend to be more companion books, the plot of Don’t Look Back relies heavily on events from previous books in the series. As this book was the first book in the series I have read, I was lost for a while in terms of what was going on. The author does do a good job of filling you in on what happened previously, but I think it’s expected that you’ve read the other books if you want to know all the details. I am interested in reading the other books though as I liked the side characters and would like to know more about the political plot that runs through the book.
Overall Don’t Look Back was a quick and enjoyable read, but I feel like I would have enjoyed it more if I’d read the first five books in the series. I definitely hope to read the rest of the series at some point as I enjoyed the cast of characters and the author’s writing.
**I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**
November 8, 2025
I enjoyed the story, it was fun, fast and entertaining. I appreciated the way Ryder wove a complex and suspense-filled plot, chuck full of political machinations that had you loving and hating specific characters.
The romance didn't ring true for me. I felt there was too much explained and repeated internal turmoil, which always hits me wrong, and makes me feel slightly disconnected to the characters.
For a romantic suspense, the suspense was a really like and the romance was a like, so overall this was a 3.5 star read for me.
I received this ARC copy of Don't Look Back from St. Martin's Press. This is my honest and voluntary review. Don't Look Back is set for publication August 28, 2018.
The romance didn't ring true for me. I felt there was too much explained and repeated internal turmoil, which always hits me wrong, and makes me feel slightly disconnected to the characters.
For a romantic suspense, the suspense was a really like and the romance was a like, so overall this was a 3.5 star read for me.
I received this ARC copy of Don't Look Back from St. Martin's Press. This is my honest and voluntary review. Don't Look Back is set for publication August 28, 2018.
September 1, 2018
Don't Look Back By Dawn Ryder is the 6th book in this Unbroken Heroes series.
I received a early copy to review, apparently you can read this as a standalone, but no. NO you can not! I tried and I thought what on earth is happening here, I didn't know the characters and the over all story arc was confusing for me to follow. I feel like to get a better idea of the story you should probably start with book 1 with this series, just like any other series.
2,5 confusing stars
I received a early copy to review, apparently you can read this as a standalone, but no. NO you can not! I tried and I thought what on earth is happening here, I didn't know the characters and the over all story arc was confusing for me to follow. I feel like to get a better idea of the story you should probably start with book 1 with this series, just like any other series.
2,5 confusing stars
August 29, 2018
Don't Look Back by Dawn Ryder is a fast-paced romantic action suspense and is the final book in the Unbroken Heroes series. I didn't realize this when I requested it on Net galley so I often had trouble getting acquainted with the names. It really felt like being bombarded with information you had no idea about.
Special agent Thais Sinclair was part of Shadow Ops team and the author never missed a chance to remind that again and damn-fucking again. At first glance, she was fierce, brave, and gorgeous with a backbone but this soon turned old with the constant reminders.
Dunn Bateson was the ruthless, irresistible filthy rich "civilian" here (yes, like the special ops monotone, Dunn being a "civilian" was also a constant here). Dunn apparently had a policy of women on his terms, no negotiation, and no personal involvement. Thais Sinclair was obviously an exception to those rules.
Thais and Dunn are brought together on an assignment when Dunn's mother was shot and became the target of political power struggles. Dunn went all He-Man when it came to protecting his only family left. Events that followed falsely accused Sinclair of being the assassin and turned Dunn as the hero to save the damsel in distress.
Sinclair swore off relationship after her troubled past and shied away from Dunn in light of their unwavering pull towards each other. Though her desire for Dunn was incomparable and her emotions ran deep, she was too high on self-preservation to give this a chance. Dunn was too captivating for her to stick to her original plan of resisting him. The raging attraction between them was insurmountable that soon led to the bright flare of their passionate romance. The sexual chemistry alone carried this book forward a long way.
The author vacillated between several sections of the story too often. Scenes between one set of characters were left in between to check back into other section of the story. It not only disrupted the flow of the book but also confused and annoyed me to no end. Also, the author poked into almost every character's head. There were so many POVs that it became difficult for me to keep track of everybody's thoughts.
This book could have been so much better if the author had stuck to a tight storyline. The book was all over the place. One moment it was about a political assassination and the next the family mother-son bond that the author emphasized so much upon in the beginning was almost lost between the nuances of the tumultuous relationship of Dunn and Sinclair.
While the book is advertised as a standalone despite being part of a series, I did not find it so. There was too much history between the characters and that may have been the reason why I felt so disconnected with the storyline.
Political ambitions, danger, thrill, deceit, action and romance could have taken this book to another level but all these were lost somewhere in between and all we were left with was a confusing piece of mess with a flat plot.
Special agent Thais Sinclair was part of Shadow Ops team and the author never missed a chance to remind that again and damn-fucking again. At first glance, she was fierce, brave, and gorgeous with a backbone but this soon turned old with the constant reminders.
Dunn Bateson was the ruthless, irresistible filthy rich "civilian" here (yes, like the special ops monotone, Dunn being a "civilian" was also a constant here). Dunn apparently had a policy of women on his terms, no negotiation, and no personal involvement. Thais Sinclair was obviously an exception to those rules.
Thais and Dunn are brought together on an assignment when Dunn's mother was shot and became the target of political power struggles. Dunn went all He-Man when it came to protecting his only family left. Events that followed falsely accused Sinclair of being the assassin and turned Dunn as the hero to save the damsel in distress.
Sinclair swore off relationship after her troubled past and shied away from Dunn in light of their unwavering pull towards each other. Though her desire for Dunn was incomparable and her emotions ran deep, she was too high on self-preservation to give this a chance. Dunn was too captivating for her to stick to her original plan of resisting him. The raging attraction between them was insurmountable that soon led to the bright flare of their passionate romance. The sexual chemistry alone carried this book forward a long way.
The author vacillated between several sections of the story too often. Scenes between one set of characters were left in between to check back into other section of the story. It not only disrupted the flow of the book but also confused and annoyed me to no end. Also, the author poked into almost every character's head. There were so many POVs that it became difficult for me to keep track of everybody's thoughts.
This book could have been so much better if the author had stuck to a tight storyline. The book was all over the place. One moment it was about a political assassination and the next the family mother-son bond that the author emphasized so much upon in the beginning was almost lost between the nuances of the tumultuous relationship of Dunn and Sinclair.
While the book is advertised as a standalone despite being part of a series, I did not find it so. There was too much history between the characters and that may have been the reason why I felt so disconnected with the storyline.
Political ambitions, danger, thrill, deceit, action and romance could have taken this book to another level but all these were lost somewhere in between and all we were left with was a confusing piece of mess with a flat plot.
July 12, 2018
Don’t Look Back by Dawn Ryder is billed as the final book in a series that can be read as a standalone novel. To me there was way too much not explained for it to work well as a standalone. In addition, this book is billed as a romance between Thais and Dunn, and while the romance part of it is interesting, it’s only part of a story told from at least twelve points of view. The story constantly switches from one character to another within chapters that go on forever. It also gets incredibly confusing about just what exactly Shadow Ops wants to do with Thais. Do they want her in custody, do they want her with Dunn, do they want her in custody? This part of the story isn’t consistent, which is disappointing because the relationship between Thais and Dunn should be top billing, but often spends time relegated to the backseat as the author wraps up what I’m guessing was a storyline across the whole Unbroken Heroes series.
September 3, 2018
New Release Review! Don't Look Back (Unbroken Heroes #6) Dawn Ryder!
In DON'T LOOK BACK by Dawn Ryder, she is the only woman worth fighting - or dying - for...
Shadow Ops Agent Thais Sinclair has sworn off falling in love for good. It’s what’s kept her calculated, steady, and on-task in a world dominated by men. She needs nothing and no one but her own wits and strength to guide her. But when she’s slated to shadow the one man who could reveal their entire operation, all bets are off.
Dunn Bateson, illegitimate son of a Southern debutante, has always had to fight harder than the rest to get what he wants. Now, the last thing he needs is Thais following his every move. She is so strong, sly, seductive. . . No woman has ever captivated him so completely. Thais may only have room for her mission in her heart, but is Dunn up to the challenge of showing her that she’s worth every risk he is willing to take?
Thais may only have room in her heart for her mission, but Dunn is up to the challenge of showing her that she’s worth every risk in this fast paced and smooth flowing novel full of explosive action, thrilling suspense, passionate romance and electrical sparks. Thrills and excitement abound throughout the story as the suspense keeps readers hanging on to the edge of their seat with lots of twist and turns and pulse pounding events keeps anticipation building. The candidate running for the Presidency is up to no good once again and wreaking havoc within the Shadow Ops Agency and the heroic and determined agents which keeps the turmoil and the suspense growing to epic proportions all the way up to the startling explosive conclusion of the conflict.
Thais and Dunn are two characters that are strong and considerable characters that are full of electrical chemistry that has sparks flying in every direction as they fight to keep a relationship from happening even after they give in to the undeniable attraction which keeps the emotional turmoil high throughout but gives readers an in depth and insightful look at the characters psyches as they fight the bad guys and continue toward their happily ever after despite the reasons why they shouldn’t allow that to happen.
The story could be read as a standalone in the series, however it really is much more enjoyable read in sequential order in able to better understand the overall plot and to get to know all the characters because while this story is Thais and Dunn’s romance, all the characters are essential to the plot and the points of view switches between them.
Author – http://dawnryder.com/books/dont-look-...
Add Don’t Look Back to your shelves at –
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
BookBub – https://www.bookbub.com/books/don-t-l...
Don’t Look Back is the 6th and final book in the Unbroken Heroes series –
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/series/1741...
Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07...
which includes –
1 Dangerous to Know2 Dare You to Run3 Deep Into Trouble4 Take to the Limit5 Close to the Edge6 Don’t Look Back
in print or ebook at –
St. Martin's Press - https://us.macmillan.com/books/978125...
Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISB...
B&N - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dont...
BaM - http://www.booksamillion.com/product/...
Book Depository - http://www.bookdepository.com/book/97...
!ndigo - http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/a...
IndieBound - http://www.indiebound.org/book/978125...
Kobo - https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/don-...
iBooks - https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/dont...
GPlay - https://play.google.com/store/books/d...
Dawn Ryder has not been abducted by gypsies. She stepped through a time tunnel and has been busy writing about Scots in kilts and English Knights for Kensington’s Brava line. but she will return, very soon to her special operations guys and the other characters that are demanding their turn to tell their story. please check back for updates and click on over to MaryWine.com to discover what she’s got releasing.
Website - http://www.dawnryder.com/
Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Dawn-Ryder-5...
Twitter - https://twitter.com/dawnryder_write
BookBub - https://www.bookbub.com/authors/dawn-...
In DON'T LOOK BACK by Dawn Ryder, she is the only woman worth fighting - or dying - for...
Shadow Ops Agent Thais Sinclair has sworn off falling in love for good. It’s what’s kept her calculated, steady, and on-task in a world dominated by men. She needs nothing and no one but her own wits and strength to guide her. But when she’s slated to shadow the one man who could reveal their entire operation, all bets are off.
Dunn Bateson, illegitimate son of a Southern debutante, has always had to fight harder than the rest to get what he wants. Now, the last thing he needs is Thais following his every move. She is so strong, sly, seductive. . . No woman has ever captivated him so completely. Thais may only have room for her mission in her heart, but is Dunn up to the challenge of showing her that she’s worth every risk he is willing to take?
Thais may only have room in her heart for her mission, but Dunn is up to the challenge of showing her that she’s worth every risk in this fast paced and smooth flowing novel full of explosive action, thrilling suspense, passionate romance and electrical sparks. Thrills and excitement abound throughout the story as the suspense keeps readers hanging on to the edge of their seat with lots of twist and turns and pulse pounding events keeps anticipation building. The candidate running for the Presidency is up to no good once again and wreaking havoc within the Shadow Ops Agency and the heroic and determined agents which keeps the turmoil and the suspense growing to epic proportions all the way up to the startling explosive conclusion of the conflict.
Thais and Dunn are two characters that are strong and considerable characters that are full of electrical chemistry that has sparks flying in every direction as they fight to keep a relationship from happening even after they give in to the undeniable attraction which keeps the emotional turmoil high throughout but gives readers an in depth and insightful look at the characters psyches as they fight the bad guys and continue toward their happily ever after despite the reasons why they shouldn’t allow that to happen.
The story could be read as a standalone in the series, however it really is much more enjoyable read in sequential order in able to better understand the overall plot and to get to know all the characters because while this story is Thais and Dunn’s romance, all the characters are essential to the plot and the points of view switches between them.
Author – http://dawnryder.com/books/dont-look-...
Add Don’t Look Back to your shelves at –
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
BookBub – https://www.bookbub.com/books/don-t-l...
Don’t Look Back is the 6th and final book in the Unbroken Heroes series –
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/series/1741...
Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07...
which includes –
1 Dangerous to Know2 Dare You to Run3 Deep Into Trouble4 Take to the Limit5 Close to the Edge6 Don’t Look Back
in print or ebook at –
St. Martin's Press - https://us.macmillan.com/books/978125...
Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISB...
B&N - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dont...
BaM - http://www.booksamillion.com/product/...
Book Depository - http://www.bookdepository.com/book/97...
!ndigo - http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/a...
IndieBound - http://www.indiebound.org/book/978125...
Kobo - https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/don-...
iBooks - https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/dont...
GPlay - https://play.google.com/store/books/d...
Dawn Ryder has not been abducted by gypsies. She stepped through a time tunnel and has been busy writing about Scots in kilts and English Knights for Kensington’s Brava line. but she will return, very soon to her special operations guys and the other characters that are demanding their turn to tell their story. please check back for updates and click on over to MaryWine.com to discover what she’s got releasing.
Website - http://www.dawnryder.com/
Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Dawn-Ryder-5...
Twitter - https://twitter.com/dawnryder_write
BookBub - https://www.bookbub.com/authors/dawn-...
August 28, 2018
I did review Close To The Edge, an earlier book in this series by Dawn Ryder, and I didn’t enjoy it. However, a friend who is a big fan insisted I should give the author another try, so when Don’t Look Back appeared on NetGalley, I figured I’d give it another go. And my friend was right; this book was actually a lot better.
Some of the things I took issue with in Close To The Edge are still present; there is an awful lot going on which has been carried forward from other books in the series, so much of it that in fact the heroine didn’t even appear until 7% of the way into the story. Which was a real shame, because Thais Sinclair was absolutely badass and I wanted lots more of her. She gave no quarter, she asked for no concessions, and she called her hero, Dunn Bateson on his internalised misogyny and hypocrisy until he stepped back and took a good hard look at himself.
Dunn was the usual alpha hero, but he also respected Thais’ abilities and listened to her when she pulled him up on his natural instincts to put her safely out of the way of the action. The two of them working together were a formidable team, and their very similar pasts and attitudes towards dating and relationships made for intriguing conflict as they worked their way towards a solution which suited them both.
Regarding the plot, this book brought to a head the building conflict between the presidential candidate trying to shut down the special ops team and Miranda, the congressional candidate whose daughter is married to one of the team (and Dunn is her secret son, too). With several attempted assassinations, I did find my credulity stretched somewhat, especially with someone being able to carry a concealed and loaded gun into the presence of a presidential candidate, in a private interview, without being checked over by the Secret Service. Really? I mean, seriously? That’s absolutely an insult to the incredibly professional men and women of that agency, who would never let a breach of such magnitude occur. I can let a lot of things slide in the name of a good story, but that’s a step too far.
As a wrap-up for the series, this left a few too many threads untied. I felt like it was deliberate, possibly setting up some characters for a spinoff series - the sister of one agent said to have mysterious paranormal abilities felt very much like a setup.
As I said, I liked this better than Close To The Edge, but that was mainly because I enjoyed the characters a lot more. The messy plot let it down and the constant moving of PoV to characters who have already had their own book was a waste of words; I wanted more of Thais and Dunn, not a rehash of previous romances and plots. I still can’t give this any more than three stars.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for review through NetGalley.
Some of the things I took issue with in Close To The Edge are still present; there is an awful lot going on which has been carried forward from other books in the series, so much of it that in fact the heroine didn’t even appear until 7% of the way into the story. Which was a real shame, because Thais Sinclair was absolutely badass and I wanted lots more of her. She gave no quarter, she asked for no concessions, and she called her hero, Dunn Bateson on his internalised misogyny and hypocrisy until he stepped back and took a good hard look at himself.
Dunn was the usual alpha hero, but he also respected Thais’ abilities and listened to her when she pulled him up on his natural instincts to put her safely out of the way of the action. The two of them working together were a formidable team, and their very similar pasts and attitudes towards dating and relationships made for intriguing conflict as they worked their way towards a solution which suited them both.
Regarding the plot, this book brought to a head the building conflict between the presidential candidate trying to shut down the special ops team and Miranda, the congressional candidate whose daughter is married to one of the team (and Dunn is her secret son, too). With several attempted assassinations, I did find my credulity stretched somewhat, especially with someone being able to carry a concealed and loaded gun into the presence of a presidential candidate, in a private interview, without being checked over by the Secret Service. Really? I mean, seriously? That’s absolutely an insult to the incredibly professional men and women of that agency, who would never let a breach of such magnitude occur. I can let a lot of things slide in the name of a good story, but that’s a step too far.
As a wrap-up for the series, this left a few too many threads untied. I felt like it was deliberate, possibly setting up some characters for a spinoff series - the sister of one agent said to have mysterious paranormal abilities felt very much like a setup.
As I said, I liked this better than Close To The Edge, but that was mainly because I enjoyed the characters a lot more. The messy plot let it down and the constant moving of PoV to characters who have already had their own book was a waste of words; I wanted more of Thais and Dunn, not a rehash of previous romances and plots. I still can’t give this any more than three stars.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for review through NetGalley.
August 6, 2018
Don’t Look Back is a phenomenal work of art! To have the privilege to read such a masterful, high-octane story that kept me on my toes and guessing the entire time was such a wonderful delight to all of my senses. I love stories that pull every part of my heart and mind in without reservation or hesitation. This was a mind-blowing out of control train that barreled past my defenses and blew my entire world to smithereens in the best way possible. What a fantastic treasure that I will replay in my mind for a long time to come!
Shadow Ops Agent Thais Sinclair lives for the job. All she knows or cares about is her team and the next job. Love is something she extracted from her live for the sake of being the best agent and completing her work effectively and effectively. Nothing good ever came from it, so like a thorn in her side she removed it and left it dead in the past. Dunn Bateson is a true enigma to Thais and her team, and yet they need him and his resources for one all-important mission. When the reason for his help is revealed to him, Dunn can’t say no which only makes him more uncomfortable. There are good reasons he is known as a recluse, but Thais threatens to burn them all to the ground. She can’t divert her attention away from the tasks assigned to her, and yet she can’t deny the pull to Dunn. Will Dunn extract himself from this mission unscathed, or will the strength, beauty, and intelligence he sees in Thais bring his life and walls tumbling down around his ears?
I don’t think that anything can be done when two people are both unwillingly drawn and equally repelled by the other. Nature will take its course, but it will draw all secrets and buried emotions to the foreground. No one can hide when love will not be denied no matter how adamant or determined they might be. The heart knows what it wants, and it will fight dirty to get it. When life is determined to change despite what you want, you can either willingly give in or watch as everything you know is systematically transformed before your very eyes.
This is the first book by Dawn Ryder that I have read, and I am completely at her mercy. Her storyline was gripping and captivating while her stunning characters stole my heart and never let it go. I was completely and utterly lost to this world of secrets and shadows. This is a breath taking masterpiece that will live in my heart forever.
Shadow Ops Agent Thais Sinclair lives for the job. All she knows or cares about is her team and the next job. Love is something she extracted from her live for the sake of being the best agent and completing her work effectively and effectively. Nothing good ever came from it, so like a thorn in her side she removed it and left it dead in the past. Dunn Bateson is a true enigma to Thais and her team, and yet they need him and his resources for one all-important mission. When the reason for his help is revealed to him, Dunn can’t say no which only makes him more uncomfortable. There are good reasons he is known as a recluse, but Thais threatens to burn them all to the ground. She can’t divert her attention away from the tasks assigned to her, and yet she can’t deny the pull to Dunn. Will Dunn extract himself from this mission unscathed, or will the strength, beauty, and intelligence he sees in Thais bring his life and walls tumbling down around his ears?
I don’t think that anything can be done when two people are both unwillingly drawn and equally repelled by the other. Nature will take its course, but it will draw all secrets and buried emotions to the foreground. No one can hide when love will not be denied no matter how adamant or determined they might be. The heart knows what it wants, and it will fight dirty to get it. When life is determined to change despite what you want, you can either willingly give in or watch as everything you know is systematically transformed before your very eyes.
This is the first book by Dawn Ryder that I have read, and I am completely at her mercy. Her storyline was gripping and captivating while her stunning characters stole my heart and never let it go. I was completely and utterly lost to this world of secrets and shadows. This is a breath taking masterpiece that will live in my heart forever.
September 3, 2018
Thais may only have room in her heart for her mission, but Dunn is up to the challenge of showing her that she’s worth every risk in this fast paced and smooth flowing novel full of explosive action, thrilling suspense, passionate romance and electrical sparks. Thrills and excitement abound throughout the story as the suspense keeps readers hanging on to the edge of their seat with lots of twist and turns and pulse pounding events keeps anticipation building. The candidate running for the Presidency is up to no good once again and wreaking havoc within the Shadow Ops Agency and the heroic and determined agents which keeps the turmoil and the suspense growing to epic proportions all the way up to the startling explosive conclusion of the conflict.
Thais and Dunn are two characters that are strong and considerable characters that are full of electrical chemistry that has sparks flying in every direction as they fight to keep a relationship from happening even after they give in to the undeniable attraction which keeps the emotional turmoil high throughout but gives readers an in depth and insightful look at the characters psyches as they fight the bad guys and continue toward their happily ever after despite the reasons why they shouldn’t allow that to happen.
The story could be read as a standalone in the series, however it really is much more enjoyable read in sequential order in able to better understand the overall plot and to get to know all the characters because while this story is Thais and Dunn’s romance, all the characters are essential to the plot and the points of view switches between them.
Thais and Dunn are two characters that are strong and considerable characters that are full of electrical chemistry that has sparks flying in every direction as they fight to keep a relationship from happening even after they give in to the undeniable attraction which keeps the emotional turmoil high throughout but gives readers an in depth and insightful look at the characters psyches as they fight the bad guys and continue toward their happily ever after despite the reasons why they shouldn’t allow that to happen.
The story could be read as a standalone in the series, however it really is much more enjoyable read in sequential order in able to better understand the overall plot and to get to know all the characters because while this story is Thais and Dunn’s romance, all the characters are essential to the plot and the points of view switches between them.
September 22, 2018
Received in exchange for a honest review.
Here we have a illegitimate son who has proved himself and is cunning and crafty but also stubborn and kind being shadowed by a woman who gets his juices going and challenges him. So what happens?
Dunn stays stubborn but in some delicious ways and Thais digs her heals in and tries to stay the distant Shadow Op agent trying to protect him although he does a better job on his own. As Dunn’s mother challenges her candidate more and more and stands up to him. the danger to those around her grows and we some pretty unconscionable things done. Dunn ends up keeping Thais out of the line of fire as they try to not be found and seen. At the same time the attraction between them is through the roof and they are trying to fight it.
Dunn likes to push Thais’s buttons but you also see him be very protective and kind to her. He is challenged by her and likes it. she doesn’t roll over when it comes to him and this is something he really finds intriguing.
The story is interesting and has danger at every page. Whether the danger is the man trying to win or the danger of falling in love and giving in to the attraction or even both you never know. Each page brings a new adventure for these two and it keeps you on your toes to the end where we see a sweet conclusion for this couple.
Here we have a illegitimate son who has proved himself and is cunning and crafty but also stubborn and kind being shadowed by a woman who gets his juices going and challenges him. So what happens?
Dunn stays stubborn but in some delicious ways and Thais digs her heals in and tries to stay the distant Shadow Op agent trying to protect him although he does a better job on his own. As Dunn’s mother challenges her candidate more and more and stands up to him. the danger to those around her grows and we some pretty unconscionable things done. Dunn ends up keeping Thais out of the line of fire as they try to not be found and seen. At the same time the attraction between them is through the roof and they are trying to fight it.
Dunn likes to push Thais’s buttons but you also see him be very protective and kind to her. He is challenged by her and likes it. she doesn’t roll over when it comes to him and this is something he really finds intriguing.
The story is interesting and has danger at every page. Whether the danger is the man trying to win or the danger of falling in love and giving in to the attraction or even both you never know. Each page brings a new adventure for these two and it keeps you on your toes to the end where we see a sweet conclusion for this couple.
August 15, 2018
4 Star reviews of Don’t Look Back (Unbroken Heroes #6) by Dawn Ryder
Thais Sinclair is a shadow ops agent, a woman in a man’s world. She depends on no one and the last thing she wants or needs is a man in her life, especially Dun Bateson. Dun is rich and has had a tough past, he knows he has to fight for what or who he wants.
Although they try to fight it, neither Thais or Dun can fight the chemistry between them. The pace was quick and is certainly steamy.
Dawn Ryder is a new author to me and although I enjoyed this book, I have to say that I was totally confused at times. There seemed to be so many POV’s that I honestly got lost. To be fair if I had read the other books in the series it may have helped as I believe this is the last one and I am guessing that the author was also tying up any loose ends.
An enjoyable read and I will be looking at other books written by Dawn Ryder.
I received this book through the publisher and Netgalley.
Thais Sinclair is a shadow ops agent, a woman in a man’s world. She depends on no one and the last thing she wants or needs is a man in her life, especially Dun Bateson. Dun is rich and has had a tough past, he knows he has to fight for what or who he wants.
Although they try to fight it, neither Thais or Dun can fight the chemistry between them. The pace was quick and is certainly steamy.
Dawn Ryder is a new author to me and although I enjoyed this book, I have to say that I was totally confused at times. There seemed to be so many POV’s that I honestly got lost. To be fair if I had read the other books in the series it may have helped as I believe this is the last one and I am guessing that the author was also tying up any loose ends.
An enjoyable read and I will be looking at other books written by Dawn Ryder.
I received this book through the publisher and Netgalley.
August 28, 2018
Wanted a fix from this genre with this one jumping out at me. This also happened to be a author who I had one on tbr so this was perfect. This one is also a reverse with the alpha female taking the lead but who crosses her path is very much her match it would seem. Thais and Dunn carry you through this one with special ops being in the forefront. This one also had a love hate thing for me because not having read any before this not sure if this is normal style. Suspense came through with drama filling in the edges. Chemistry tries to get in it but some of it a bit of a let down. It gives you plenty to follow with you engaged until the end.
July 17, 2018
First time author for me. I do plan to read the previous books in this series. I made it through this book and enjoyed the storyline and characters. However, I think the story would have been much better if I had read the previous books in the series.
An ARC was provided by the publisher/NetGalley for an honest review.
An ARC was provided by the publisher/NetGalley for an honest review.
August 7, 2018
I really enjoyed the suspense/ action of this book.Tense heart pounding action never lets up. I also liked that both leads were strong individually but even stronger as their relationship grew.
This author has an excellent word choice style. I enjoyed how the characters conversations flowed.
This book leaves you on the edge of your seat behind for more. Didn't want to put it down.
This author has an excellent word choice style. I enjoyed how the characters conversations flowed.
This book leaves you on the edge of your seat behind for more. Didn't want to put it down.
September 28, 2018
I really enjoyed the suspense/ action of this book.Tense heart pounding action never lets up. I also liked that both leads were strong individually but even stronger as their relationship grew.
This author has an excellent word choice style. I enjoyed how the characters conversations flowed.
This book leaves you on the edge of your seat behind for more. Didn't want to put it down.
This author has an excellent word choice style. I enjoyed how the characters conversations flowed.
This book leaves you on the edge of your seat behind for more. Didn't want to put it down.
January 13, 2023
Thais Sinclair is used to being used as bait, a distraction and using her feminine charms on targets. She may not always like it but it gets the job done. She has armour around her heart and refuses to let anyone in, even her team mates are kept at arms length. She didn't exactly have the best childhood and was groomed by her odious mother to be a bit of a femme fatale. Well she got the fatale bit down pat, she killed her hubby and his relatives when they might have got away Scot free!
Dunn Bateson always knew who his mother was. He knew why she had to give him up and he loves her anyway. Now that the new presidential hopeful is gunning for her, he'll ring his unlimited resources to the Shadow Ops table.
Dunn and Thais circle each other like vultures LOL. Dunn has been hurt by gold-diggers in the past and Thais can't see herself as much more than that. Dunn is way more than your typical playboy and it doesn't hurt that he is a sexy Scot - got to be patriotic and love the home grown lad! Thais did take a while to warm up to but it was a great conclusion to the series!
Dunn Bateson always knew who his mother was. He knew why she had to give him up and he loves her anyway. Now that the new presidential hopeful is gunning for her, he'll ring his unlimited resources to the Shadow Ops table.
Dunn and Thais circle each other like vultures LOL. Dunn has been hurt by gold-diggers in the past and Thais can't see herself as much more than that. Dunn is way more than your typical playboy and it doesn't hurt that he is a sexy Scot - got to be patriotic and love the home grown lad! Thais did take a while to warm up to but it was a great conclusion to the series!
April 27, 2019
This is the last in the series and it stars Thais and Dunn, if you have read the previous books, you know that Thais and Dunn have had previous history. Thais and Dunn have quite the banter back and forth but underneath it all the chemistry is hot. Thais is tasked to protect Dunn and takes her work very seriously.Throughout the story we are rewarded with some past characters and finally get to capture the bad guys and wrap up the story. Plenty of action, hot sex scenes, comic relief and all in all a good read. I do have to say I skimmed through most of it, as I was not as pulled in with Thais and Dunn's story as I thought I would be. 3.5 stars
****ARC provided by St. Martin's Press thru NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*****
****ARC provided by St. Martin's Press thru NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*****
August 28, 2018
4 stars
ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 28, 2018
In DON'T LOOK BACK by Dawn Ryer, she is the only woman worth fighting - or dying - for...
Shadow Ops Agent Thais Sinclair has sworn off falling in love for good. It’s what’s kept her calculated, steady, and on-task in a world dominated by men. She needs nothing and no one but her own wits and strength to guide her. But when she’s slated to shadow the one man who could reveal their entire operation, all bets are off.
Dunn Bateson, illegitimate son of a Southern debutante, has always had to fight harder than the rest to get what he wants. Now, the last thing he needs is Thais following his every move. She is so strong, sly, seductive. . . No woman has ever captivated him so completely. Thais may only have room for her mission in her heart, but is Dunn up to the challenge of showing her that she’s worth every risk he is willing to take?
•••••••••••••
REVIEW: DON’T LOOK BACK is the sixth (and final ?) instalment in Dawn Ryder’s contemporary, adult UNBROKEN HEROES erotic, romantic suspense series focusing on the men and women who work for an elite Shadow Ops Team made up of ex-SEALs and other special forces warriors. This is reclusive British businessman Dunn Bateson, and Shadows Ops Agent Thais Sinclair’s story line. DON’T LOOK BACK should probably not be read as a stand alone; I recommend reading the series in order for back story and cohesion as there is an on-going premise throughout the series.
Told from several third person perspectives including Dunn and Thais DON’T LOOK BACK is the culmination of six story lines focusing on the political atmosphere surrounding the US Federal elections. Dunn Bateson is the illegitimate son of a powerful woman running for office, a woman who has figured prominently in the upcoming elections for the US Congress, but it is Dunn’s attraction to Shadow Ops agent Thais Sinclair that finds our couple at odds with one another when Thais is assigned protection duty to the man that pushes all of her buttons. With the political campaign pushes into high gear, Miranda Delacroix continues to be targeted by the front-running opponent, an opponent who is not against using hired assassins and dupes in his bid for higher office. As the Shadow Ops team continues to ‘shadow’ Miss Delacroix, a more dark and sinister mind begins to unravel in his attempts to destroy them all. What ensues is the building romance between Thais and Dunn, and the fall-out as a series of attempts on the lives of the people they love finds the Shadow Ops team pulling out all the stops to serve and protect.
The relationship between Thais and Dunn is fraught with the palpable sexual attraction that does not go unnoticed by the Shadow Ops team, an attraction that is questioned by the people in charge. Both Dunn and Thais have been burned in the past- used by the people professing their love. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.
The world building follows several paths and several perspectives as the Shadow Ops team must work overtime to take down the man in question, a man whose need to win at all costs could very well cost them all of their lives.
Once again, similar to all of the previous story lines, the back and forth between numerous points of view is frenzied and disconcerting- the affect may be too erratic for some readers as the story line relentlessly and rapidly jumps between different perspectives without so much as a break or introduction. It can be confusing and unsettling from paragraph to paragraph, numerous times throughout each chapter, or within a single page, such that the reader may have to re-read the previous passages to follow the jump in perspectives.
DON’T LOOK BACK is a story of suspense, political intrigue, power and control. The premise is intriguing and action-packed; the characters are animated, dynamic and edgy; the romance is passionate and seductive. If you can look past the frantic change in perspectives, DON’T LOOK BACK is a fitting conclusion to Dawn Ryder’s UNBROKEN HEROES.
Copy supplied by Netgalley
www.thereadingcafe.com
ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 28, 2018
In DON'T LOOK BACK by Dawn Ryer, she is the only woman worth fighting - or dying - for...
Shadow Ops Agent Thais Sinclair has sworn off falling in love for good. It’s what’s kept her calculated, steady, and on-task in a world dominated by men. She needs nothing and no one but her own wits and strength to guide her. But when she’s slated to shadow the one man who could reveal their entire operation, all bets are off.
Dunn Bateson, illegitimate son of a Southern debutante, has always had to fight harder than the rest to get what he wants. Now, the last thing he needs is Thais following his every move. She is so strong, sly, seductive. . . No woman has ever captivated him so completely. Thais may only have room for her mission in her heart, but is Dunn up to the challenge of showing her that she’s worth every risk he is willing to take?
•••••••••••••
REVIEW: DON’T LOOK BACK is the sixth (and final ?) instalment in Dawn Ryder’s contemporary, adult UNBROKEN HEROES erotic, romantic suspense series focusing on the men and women who work for an elite Shadow Ops Team made up of ex-SEALs and other special forces warriors. This is reclusive British businessman Dunn Bateson, and Shadows Ops Agent Thais Sinclair’s story line. DON’T LOOK BACK should probably not be read as a stand alone; I recommend reading the series in order for back story and cohesion as there is an on-going premise throughout the series.
Told from several third person perspectives including Dunn and Thais DON’T LOOK BACK is the culmination of six story lines focusing on the political atmosphere surrounding the US Federal elections. Dunn Bateson is the illegitimate son of a powerful woman running for office, a woman who has figured prominently in the upcoming elections for the US Congress, but it is Dunn’s attraction to Shadow Ops agent Thais Sinclair that finds our couple at odds with one another when Thais is assigned protection duty to the man that pushes all of her buttons. With the political campaign pushes into high gear, Miranda Delacroix continues to be targeted by the front-running opponent, an opponent who is not against using hired assassins and dupes in his bid for higher office. As the Shadow Ops team continues to ‘shadow’ Miss Delacroix, a more dark and sinister mind begins to unravel in his attempts to destroy them all. What ensues is the building romance between Thais and Dunn, and the fall-out as a series of attempts on the lives of the people they love finds the Shadow Ops team pulling out all the stops to serve and protect.
The relationship between Thais and Dunn is fraught with the palpable sexual attraction that does not go unnoticed by the Shadow Ops team, an attraction that is questioned by the people in charge. Both Dunn and Thais have been burned in the past- used by the people professing their love. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.
The world building follows several paths and several perspectives as the Shadow Ops team must work overtime to take down the man in question, a man whose need to win at all costs could very well cost them all of their lives.
Once again, similar to all of the previous story lines, the back and forth between numerous points of view is frenzied and disconcerting- the affect may be too erratic for some readers as the story line relentlessly and rapidly jumps between different perspectives without so much as a break or introduction. It can be confusing and unsettling from paragraph to paragraph, numerous times throughout each chapter, or within a single page, such that the reader may have to re-read the previous passages to follow the jump in perspectives.
DON’T LOOK BACK is a story of suspense, political intrigue, power and control. The premise is intriguing and action-packed; the characters are animated, dynamic and edgy; the romance is passionate and seductive. If you can look past the frantic change in perspectives, DON’T LOOK BACK is a fitting conclusion to Dawn Ryder’s UNBROKEN HEROES.
Copy supplied by Netgalley
www.thereadingcafe.com
August 8, 2018
A fitting resolution to the political intrigue…
This is the sixth book in the Unbroken Heroes series that can be read as a stand-alone though it references past events and provides the final resolution to a plot that has crossed all the books.
Shadow Ops is more than a job for the beautiful agent Thais Sinclair, given a second chance at life after hers had fallen apart. She crossed a boundary that most would shy away from to do what needed to be done though for the right reasons, which made her perfect for the teams. She’s a femme fatale, trained by her mother to please men, she learned her lessons well and uses those wiles to her advantage. She’s a cool, calculating, and seductive operative who keeps her emotions under wraps, shielded by memories of betrayal that cut deep. No one gets under her skin, she works alone but has her team’s back. Thais is assigned to protect the one man who seems to fracture her composure, a sexy wild card civilian gone rogue to protect his mother from the political intrigue that wants her removed from contention.
The illegitimate son of an American political family, Dunn Bateson was raised by his Scottish father and has always known the reasons why his mother was forced to give him up. Now that she’s come into his life he’ll do everything necessary to obtain vengeance against those that tried to kill her. Dunn is highly secretive and reclusive with vast monetary resources, he knows the world that the Shadow Ops agents operate in; trained by a similar type of organization that is not public knowledge. When Thais saves his mother’s life, she’s framed and arrested for the attempt and used as bait by her handler to draw out the true assassin. Dunn takes exception to this, taking matters into his own hands. He’s had his own share of betrayals and is as closed-off to relationships as Thais but she elicits an intense emotional response in him that he can’t ignore and he’s not letting her be used in such a way.
In this series, Thais has been a most intriguing character, an intelligent, strong, lone female operative within a team of dominant men who have unexpectedly managed to find their romantic partners. But what man would do for Thais? In Dunn, the author has found the perfect complement, both with issues of their own that help them comprehend the other in ways most couldn’t. The sexual tension between them was palpable, the pushback between them was entertaining, each was determined to stand their ground and not get burned yet one has to take a chance to find what more there can be. With the right person, love can bring about much-needed healing. These two were great characters.
The fascinating, multi-layered, suspenseful, political intrigue that started this series has been slowly unraveled by Shadow Ops until there is just one man left, the insidious presidential candidate who will destroy the teams once elected with an executive order. Can they bring him down without disgracing themselves in the process? There was much action and suspense and a surprise fitting resolution, some characters even found redemption. The numerous points of view kept the reader engaged in all that was transpiring. This advanced version was not final and seriously needed clear demarcation of the change in scenes, character voices which made for a confusing read at times.
An advanced reading copy was obtained from the publisher via NetGalley.
4.5 stars
This is the sixth book in the Unbroken Heroes series that can be read as a stand-alone though it references past events and provides the final resolution to a plot that has crossed all the books.
Shadow Ops is more than a job for the beautiful agent Thais Sinclair, given a second chance at life after hers had fallen apart. She crossed a boundary that most would shy away from to do what needed to be done though for the right reasons, which made her perfect for the teams. She’s a femme fatale, trained by her mother to please men, she learned her lessons well and uses those wiles to her advantage. She’s a cool, calculating, and seductive operative who keeps her emotions under wraps, shielded by memories of betrayal that cut deep. No one gets under her skin, she works alone but has her team’s back. Thais is assigned to protect the one man who seems to fracture her composure, a sexy wild card civilian gone rogue to protect his mother from the political intrigue that wants her removed from contention.
The illegitimate son of an American political family, Dunn Bateson was raised by his Scottish father and has always known the reasons why his mother was forced to give him up. Now that she’s come into his life he’ll do everything necessary to obtain vengeance against those that tried to kill her. Dunn is highly secretive and reclusive with vast monetary resources, he knows the world that the Shadow Ops agents operate in; trained by a similar type of organization that is not public knowledge. When Thais saves his mother’s life, she’s framed and arrested for the attempt and used as bait by her handler to draw out the true assassin. Dunn takes exception to this, taking matters into his own hands. He’s had his own share of betrayals and is as closed-off to relationships as Thais but she elicits an intense emotional response in him that he can’t ignore and he’s not letting her be used in such a way.
In this series, Thais has been a most intriguing character, an intelligent, strong, lone female operative within a team of dominant men who have unexpectedly managed to find their romantic partners. But what man would do for Thais? In Dunn, the author has found the perfect complement, both with issues of their own that help them comprehend the other in ways most couldn’t. The sexual tension between them was palpable, the pushback between them was entertaining, each was determined to stand their ground and not get burned yet one has to take a chance to find what more there can be. With the right person, love can bring about much-needed healing. These two were great characters.
The fascinating, multi-layered, suspenseful, political intrigue that started this series has been slowly unraveled by Shadow Ops until there is just one man left, the insidious presidential candidate who will destroy the teams once elected with an executive order. Can they bring him down without disgracing themselves in the process? There was much action and suspense and a surprise fitting resolution, some characters even found redemption. The numerous points of view kept the reader engaged in all that was transpiring. This advanced version was not final and seriously needed clear demarcation of the change in scenes, character voices which made for a confusing read at times.
An advanced reading copy was obtained from the publisher via NetGalley.
4.5 stars
July 12, 2018
**I received a copy of Don't look Back from St. Martin's Press and Net Galley in exchange for a voluntary and honest review **
Don't Look Back by Dawn Ryder is the sixth book in her Unbroken Heroes series and also the final one. Although I wonder if the ending had a teaser for a new series maybe? It wasn't my favorite one but then again it was the most action filled story yet. I'd highly recommend reading the books in order before this one because there are a lot of character story lines back and forth. Plus it starts at the end of the previous book and the attempt on Damascus's life.
Dunn Bateson is a Scottish recluse but he's always known who his mother was and why she gave him up to please her political connected family. But when he meets Thais Sinclair the sparks fly between them even though she is considered a Shadow Ops agent she works alone. Dunn will rescue her from Homeland when she's wrongly accused of trying to kill Miranda and even use his connections to keep Carl from winning the presidency. But can they keep their hands off each other?
Thais Sinclair is a lone wolf agent who when asked by Vitus, Saxon and Kagan ask her to guard Miranda she doesn't hesitate. But she's got ghosts of previous ops as well as being hurt by her ex-husband so it's going to take a lot of work for Dunn to convince her to let him work with him. Even with all the men and women guarding Miranda as she runs for a political office and the greed of Carl Myers with his presidential bid plus hit men trying to take out everyone on Carl's orders the story goes back and forth a lot. I grew to love both Dunn and Thais's love story as well as Carl's aide Eric finally having enough of Carl, thus the ending is fantastic.
Don't Look Back by Dawn Ryder is the sixth book in her Unbroken Heroes series and also the final one. Although I wonder if the ending had a teaser for a new series maybe? It wasn't my favorite one but then again it was the most action filled story yet. I'd highly recommend reading the books in order before this one because there are a lot of character story lines back and forth. Plus it starts at the end of the previous book and the attempt on Damascus's life.
Dunn Bateson is a Scottish recluse but he's always known who his mother was and why she gave him up to please her political connected family. But when he meets Thais Sinclair the sparks fly between them even though she is considered a Shadow Ops agent she works alone. Dunn will rescue her from Homeland when she's wrongly accused of trying to kill Miranda and even use his connections to keep Carl from winning the presidency. But can they keep their hands off each other?
Thais Sinclair is a lone wolf agent who when asked by Vitus, Saxon and Kagan ask her to guard Miranda she doesn't hesitate. But she's got ghosts of previous ops as well as being hurt by her ex-husband so it's going to take a lot of work for Dunn to convince her to let him work with him. Even with all the men and women guarding Miranda as she runs for a political office and the greed of Carl Myers with his presidential bid plus hit men trying to take out everyone on Carl's orders the story goes back and forth a lot. I grew to love both Dunn and Thais's love story as well as Carl's aide Eric finally having enough of Carl, thus the ending is fantastic.
August 30, 2018
4 Stars
Review by Angelique
Late Night Reviewer
Up All Night w/ Books Blog
When there’s a spark, especially with the one person you know you should never fall for, it’s hard to stay away.
Dawn Ryder captures a wild mix of emotion, intrigue and action in her latest novel, Don’t Look Back. This is also the sixth and last installment of the Unbroken Heroes series.
The story follows Shadow Ops Agent, Thais Sinclair as she’s ordered to shadow Dunn Bateson. Of course working isn’t a problem at all, to her work has become her life. The problem is the man she’s expected to shadow. He doesn’t make it easy for her to simply do her job and he has found a way to press all her buttons.
Dunn, having been used in the past isn’t easy to give people second chances, nor give too much attention to the one’s he knows he should keep his distance from. But Thais is something else completely. She’s strong and self-sufficient and she’s an enigma, no matter how hard he tries to not let her get under his skin, it’s impossible.
From the first encounter they both tread carefully, throughout everything that happens, both good, bad and questionable, they eventually end up where they should.
“Now? She was left staring at him, trying to decide if she should just jump off the cliff with him.”
It isn’t often that I give a book anything less than five stars, but due to too many characters and names in simply the first part of the book, I got way too confused. It all made more sense in the end and the characters revealed themselves and what their role was.
**ARC provided for an honest review**
Review by Angelique
Late Night Reviewer
Up All Night w/ Books Blog
When there’s a spark, especially with the one person you know you should never fall for, it’s hard to stay away.
Dawn Ryder captures a wild mix of emotion, intrigue and action in her latest novel, Don’t Look Back. This is also the sixth and last installment of the Unbroken Heroes series.
The story follows Shadow Ops Agent, Thais Sinclair as she’s ordered to shadow Dunn Bateson. Of course working isn’t a problem at all, to her work has become her life. The problem is the man she’s expected to shadow. He doesn’t make it easy for her to simply do her job and he has found a way to press all her buttons.
Dunn, having been used in the past isn’t easy to give people second chances, nor give too much attention to the one’s he knows he should keep his distance from. But Thais is something else completely. She’s strong and self-sufficient and she’s an enigma, no matter how hard he tries to not let her get under his skin, it’s impossible.
From the first encounter they both tread carefully, throughout everything that happens, both good, bad and questionable, they eventually end up where they should.
“Now? She was left staring at him, trying to decide if she should just jump off the cliff with him.”
It isn’t often that I give a book anything less than five stars, but due to too many characters and names in simply the first part of the book, I got way too confused. It all made more sense in the end and the characters revealed themselves and what their role was.
**ARC provided for an honest review**
August 18, 2018
Terrific conclusion to the Unbroken Heroes Series, white hot, action, redemption and finding your soul! We finally get agent Thias Sinclair and Dunn Bateson HEA and boy do they have to fight for it, as it should be. So many bad guys get what's coming to them and a couple surprise redemptions too. The thought I kept having is "Sometimes you have to put a mad dog down".
Thias is the over-the-top sexy ops agent that seems to have no emotions. Oh she does, believe me, they're just buried deep to protect her abused heart. Dunn Bateson is an elusive international businessman that occasionally helps Shadow Ops. He's the illegitimate son of congress hopeful Miranda Delacroix. Miranda is from a powerful political family in DC that killed her politically dirty congressman husband her family forced her to marry. This book is centered around Miranda's run for congress and her support of Carl Davis' rival Tom Hilliard. Carl is a beyond dirty politician and is WAY out of control. His aide Eric knew what he was getting into, is reaching the end of his rope trying to reign him in. Carl's trying to stop Kagan's Shadow Ops by putting a hit on Thias and later one of Miranda's daughter Damascus, now wife of Vitus Hale of Shadow Ops. Dunn is hiding a secret that we finally learn reading the book that makes his involvement with Shadow Ops make sense. We even have a former bad guy find his soul and become a good guy. So many twists and turns in this book! Absolutely FABULOUS!
Thank you Dawn and St. Martin's for giving me the opportunity to review this story as well as most of the series!
Thias is the over-the-top sexy ops agent that seems to have no emotions. Oh she does, believe me, they're just buried deep to protect her abused heart. Dunn Bateson is an elusive international businessman that occasionally helps Shadow Ops. He's the illegitimate son of congress hopeful Miranda Delacroix. Miranda is from a powerful political family in DC that killed her politically dirty congressman husband her family forced her to marry. This book is centered around Miranda's run for congress and her support of Carl Davis' rival Tom Hilliard. Carl is a beyond dirty politician and is WAY out of control. His aide Eric knew what he was getting into, is reaching the end of his rope trying to reign him in. Carl's trying to stop Kagan's Shadow Ops by putting a hit on Thias and later one of Miranda's daughter Damascus, now wife of Vitus Hale of Shadow Ops. Dunn is hiding a secret that we finally learn reading the book that makes his involvement with Shadow Ops make sense. We even have a former bad guy find his soul and become a good guy. So many twists and turns in this book! Absolutely FABULOUS!
Thank you Dawn and St. Martin's for giving me the opportunity to review this story as well as most of the series!
August 28, 2018
Don’t Look Back is the sixth book in Dawn Ryder’s Unbroken Heroes Series. Thais Sinclair is a Shadow Ops Agent who has turned her back on ever falling in love. She is strong willed, calculating and task oriented in the predominantly male dominated world of politics and secrets. Dunn Bateson, the illegitimate son of a Southern debutant, is a reclusive man surrounded by money and secrets. He has worked his entire life to be stronger and better then all the rest in order to get what he wants.
Love was never in the cards, but when Thais and Dunn are thrown together for a job, the sparks fly and their chemistry is explosive. They are drawn to each other and struggle to main focused on the task at hand- staying alive, protecting the congress woman and stopping the bad guys. Will they surivive long enough to live happily ever after?
I discovered Dawn Ryder and this series while searching netgalley. I love alpha military romances, with lots of non-stop action and the cover and synopsis instantly grabbed my attention.
This book meets all my usually criteria for choosing a book, however, this story left me unsatisfied. I loved the characters of Thais and Dunn but Thais’ character rubbed me the wrong way at times. I also found the constant switch of character perspectives throughout the chapters to be disorienting and distracting at times. Not sure if I will read another book in this series. Time will tell.
All the books in Dawn Ryder’s Unbroken Heroes series contain a happily ever after and can be read as a standalone, however, reading it in order will give you a better appreciation for the characters and the series itself.
This is a voluntary review of an advanced readers copy from netgalley.
Love was never in the cards, but when Thais and Dunn are thrown together for a job, the sparks fly and their chemistry is explosive. They are drawn to each other and struggle to main focused on the task at hand- staying alive, protecting the congress woman and stopping the bad guys. Will they surivive long enough to live happily ever after?
I discovered Dawn Ryder and this series while searching netgalley. I love alpha military romances, with lots of non-stop action and the cover and synopsis instantly grabbed my attention.
This book meets all my usually criteria for choosing a book, however, this story left me unsatisfied. I loved the characters of Thais and Dunn but Thais’ character rubbed me the wrong way at times. I also found the constant switch of character perspectives throughout the chapters to be disorienting and distracting at times. Not sure if I will read another book in this series. Time will tell.
All the books in Dawn Ryder’s Unbroken Heroes series contain a happily ever after and can be read as a standalone, however, reading it in order will give you a better appreciation for the characters and the series itself.
This is a voluntary review of an advanced readers copy from netgalley.
August 14, 2019
I enjoy the action and it was great to see characters from the past books come together! This is the final book in this series. I agree with some of the other reviews that mentioned this isn't a standalone, so I'd recommend reading the previous books before this one. Each book does feature a different main couple, but with this being the final book with the ending of the series long storyline, the others should be read first. I like the intrigue in this series, but the writing doesn't flow very well. There's also way too many povs; do we really need 2 hitmen's povs, when there are already so many other povs. All those povs muddle the story. The bad guys are truly deplorable, so I definitely wanted them to get taken down; I'm satisfied with what happened there, but I do wish that there was more exposure.
Thais and Dunn are the focal point couple in this book. They do have some hot chemistry and some pretty good sex scenes. I liked them together; I could feel the depth of passion they feel for each other. Dunn was great; I liked how protective he was of Thais. I liked that he called out her "team" for using Thais. The whole using sexual means to gain things is just sad. Thais acts strong on the outside, but she's a sad mess on the inside. Her so-called "team" doesn't really act like a true team that is there for each other. I like her, but I didn't like how childish she was at times. I was hoping she'd kick more butt in this book.
Overall, a sweet, sexy romance with some good action, but I don't connect with the writing style; too jumbled.
Thais and Dunn are the focal point couple in this book. They do have some hot chemistry and some pretty good sex scenes. I liked them together; I could feel the depth of passion they feel for each other. Dunn was great; I liked how protective he was of Thais. I liked that he called out her "team" for using Thais. The whole using sexual means to gain things is just sad. Thais acts strong on the outside, but she's a sad mess on the inside. Her so-called "team" doesn't really act like a true team that is there for each other. I like her, but I didn't like how childish she was at times. I was hoping she'd kick more butt in this book.
Overall, a sweet, sexy romance with some good action, but I don't connect with the writing style; too jumbled.
August 27, 2018
Full review on bluedragonsii.blogspot.com
Miranda Delacroix has made an enemy of Carl Davis. Miranda surrendered evidence to a Special Ops team implicating an associate of Carl's in a severe crime. Injuring his political career, Carl ordered an assassin to take out Miranda to safeguard his political goals. Don't Look Back by Dawn Ryder belongs to the Unbroken Heroes series. From the beginning, it was apparent this book was part of a series. Even though it was a bit disorienting at first, it quickly becomes clear how the characters fit into each other's pasts. All I needed was a basic understanding of past events, so I would say Don't Look Back could be read as a stand-alone novel. This book would be good for those who enjoy a political crime thriller, or romance novels.
The injustice perpetrated by a political figure, assassination for power, was an act that one could argue hits a little close to home. Misdeeds in our government I absolutely believe happens. To the scale of covert assassinations, who's to say? Watching a group who could change things in this atmosphere, had me rooting for them. Witnessing Dunn and Thais' affection grow was a satisfying romance. They were sensual and intense. An alpha couple aptly paired. I most definitely recommend Don't Look Back by Dawn Ryder. I received an advance reader copy of this novel from Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for my honest opinion. I encourage all readers to reach their own conclusions.
Miranda Delacroix has made an enemy of Carl Davis. Miranda surrendered evidence to a Special Ops team implicating an associate of Carl's in a severe crime. Injuring his political career, Carl ordered an assassin to take out Miranda to safeguard his political goals. Don't Look Back by Dawn Ryder belongs to the Unbroken Heroes series. From the beginning, it was apparent this book was part of a series. Even though it was a bit disorienting at first, it quickly becomes clear how the characters fit into each other's pasts. All I needed was a basic understanding of past events, so I would say Don't Look Back could be read as a stand-alone novel. This book would be good for those who enjoy a political crime thriller, or romance novels.
The injustice perpetrated by a political figure, assassination for power, was an act that one could argue hits a little close to home. Misdeeds in our government I absolutely believe happens. To the scale of covert assassinations, who's to say? Watching a group who could change things in this atmosphere, had me rooting for them. Witnessing Dunn and Thais' affection grow was a satisfying romance. They were sensual and intense. An alpha couple aptly paired. I most definitely recommend Don't Look Back by Dawn Ryder. I received an advance reader copy of this novel from Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for my honest opinion. I encourage all readers to reach their own conclusions.
September 6, 2018
I received a copy of this story from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I like a good action story every now and then. You know, dangerous situations, bad guys on the loose, a bit of mystery, tensions running high, that kind of thing. This one seemed promising at first but quickly fell flat.
There was no mystery to the plot. Because of the alternating points of view, I knew everything 99% of the time. I was reading a series of events these characters went through, not a dynamic story. And everyone seemed secondary to to the Thais and Dunn storylines. Each event seemed designed to advance their stories, not the story as a whole.
It was very repetitive, too. Mentioning that Shadow Ops agents stay in abandoned/foreclosed/condemned house to stay off the grid is good information 15-20% through the story. It's unnecessary to mention it again 70% through. Thais's thinking was incredibly repetitive, as well. She struck me as a character with a decent amount of self-awareness so why she was confused through a good portion of the book was beyond me.
My biggest problem with the writing here was the use of "male" as an adjective. "Male victory", "male pleasure", "male approval", those all sound clunky and impersonal. I paused and laughed the first time I read it and cringed every time after that.
I don't think I'd recommend this. There are others in this category that I've enjoyed more.
I like a good action story every now and then. You know, dangerous situations, bad guys on the loose, a bit of mystery, tensions running high, that kind of thing. This one seemed promising at first but quickly fell flat.
There was no mystery to the plot. Because of the alternating points of view, I knew everything 99% of the time. I was reading a series of events these characters went through, not a dynamic story. And everyone seemed secondary to to the Thais and Dunn storylines. Each event seemed designed to advance their stories, not the story as a whole.
It was very repetitive, too. Mentioning that Shadow Ops agents stay in abandoned/foreclosed/condemned house to stay off the grid is good information 15-20% through the story. It's unnecessary to mention it again 70% through. Thais's thinking was incredibly repetitive, as well. She struck me as a character with a decent amount of self-awareness so why she was confused through a good portion of the book was beyond me.
My biggest problem with the writing here was the use of "male" as an adjective. "Male victory", "male pleasure", "male approval", those all sound clunky and impersonal. I paused and laughed the first time I read it and cringed every time after that.
I don't think I'd recommend this. There are others in this category that I've enjoyed more.
August 23, 2018
Dawn Ryder immediately captured my attention with this latest foray into the exciting and intricately woven world of her Shadow Ops.
This story had a fantastic plot with amazing characters. As the only female member of the Shadow Ops team Thais Sinclair was a deadly threat. I've read the other books in this series and she had always struck me as being a cool under pressure ice queen type of character. In this book the author shoved Thais right into some hot water. She unraveled the ice queen and showed how she got that strong will. This mission was personal for Dunn Bateson. He was fighting to save not just Thais but his family as well. I loved that Dunn turned out to be such an alpha hero and still retained his vulnerabilities, like his secret fear of being rejected. Because of his past this became a bigger issue for his relationship with Thais.
This story had an incredibly suspenseful storyline. It was loaded with action and characters who weren't afraid to color outside of the box. It turned a bit dark, or gritty, at certain points, and seemed to leave a few open doors for possibly a new spin-off series. I think so at least. One thing for certain I will read whatever Dawn Ryder comes up with next.
I am voluntarily reviewing a complimentary Netgalley copy of this book.
August 28, 2018
This is a voluntary review of an advanced copy.
Most books I read that are romantic suspense are heavy on the romance and light on the suspense and mainly focus on the one couple. This book has a large cast of characters to keep track of and is more of a suspense book with a great romance included!
I have not read any of the other books in this series so I felt like I was thrown into the middle of a plot as I didn't know who all these people were and how they were connected. Fortunately, there was a good bit of explanation as the book goes on that filled me in and helped understand the connections.
I really want to be careful not to give away any twists in the book as it was so much fun to read the book through and watch as the events progress and I don't want to ruin it by giving away surprises. I also did not read the last chapter first like I do with other books, I was so engrossed in the book that I didn't ever feel the need to get to the conclusion.
Thais and Dunn were so made for each other and yet they resisted that attraction until they were thrown together. It was fun to watch them fight that attraction and challenge each other. I loved the secrets that were revealed about Dunn and that Thais didn't see it, so he was pretty good at hiding things!
Now that I finished this book, I am intrigued about these characters and want to start reading from the beginning of the series.
Most books I read that are romantic suspense are heavy on the romance and light on the suspense and mainly focus on the one couple. This book has a large cast of characters to keep track of and is more of a suspense book with a great romance included!
I have not read any of the other books in this series so I felt like I was thrown into the middle of a plot as I didn't know who all these people were and how they were connected. Fortunately, there was a good bit of explanation as the book goes on that filled me in and helped understand the connections.
I really want to be careful not to give away any twists in the book as it was so much fun to read the book through and watch as the events progress and I don't want to ruin it by giving away surprises. I also did not read the last chapter first like I do with other books, I was so engrossed in the book that I didn't ever feel the need to get to the conclusion.
Thais and Dunn were so made for each other and yet they resisted that attraction until they were thrown together. It was fun to watch them fight that attraction and challenge each other. I loved the secrets that were revealed about Dunn and that Thais didn't see it, so he was pretty good at hiding things!
Now that I finished this book, I am intrigued about these characters and want to start reading from the beginning of the series.
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