Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Sweet Seduction #5

Sweet Seduction Shield

Rate this book
"Marie, I want to be a part of your lives. Not just a satellite. Not just a fading star. I want to be your sun. And I want you to be mine."

Five years is a long time to hide from your greatest fear and biggest regret. Ask Marie Cox, she should know. She's developed an icy shield of confidence to ensure no ones sees her hidden angst. But her dangerous and dirty past comes back to haunt her, when everything is torn asunder with the determined and sexy Detective Sergeant Ryan Pierce walking through her door. And he won't let her get away with anything.

Battling her returning dread, and fighting her instant attraction to a cop with his own demons but a pure heart, Marie faces the biggest challenge of her life. And this time, there's more at stake than just her survival. A precious five year old secret both Marie and Ryan would give their lives to protect in the end.

Tattooed henchmen on her trail, high speed car chases through inner city streets, gunshots, kidnappings, fierce male bodyguards and even more assertive female friends, Marie has something the bad guys want. But will it be her downfall in the end? Or can her knight in shining armour protect her? And will she let him?

Love at first sight has never been so dangerous and so very delicious at the same time.

330 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 2, 2013

30 people are currently reading
625 people want to read

About the author

Nicola Claire

137 books737 followers
Nicola Claire lives in beautiful Taupo, New Zealand with her husband, two teenage boys and a Miniature Schnauzer named Rudy.

A bit of a romance junkie, she can be known to devour as many as half a dozen books a week if she drinks too much coffee. But her real passion is writing sexy, romantic suspense stories with strong female leads and alpha male protagonists who know how to love them.

So far, she’s written well over 70 books. She might have caught the writing bug; here’s hoping there’s no cure!

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
254 (33%)
4 stars
330 (42%)
3 stars
148 (19%)
2 stars
29 (3%)
1 star
8 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
Profile Image for JadeShea.
3,235 reviews60 followers
November 18, 2018
Sweet Seduction Shield begins when Ryan Pierce walks into Marie Cox's office and brings her worst fear to life. He's asking questions about things she's been running from for the last five years, and now she knows she's not safe. But not only is she not safe neither is her daughter. So once she gets rid of the sexy cop, she must then run. However, her plan is destroyed when she finds someone breaking into her home. Now her only option is to go to detective Ryan for help. He has a major attraction to her, and he's not ever going to let her go even if she doesn't know it yet.

Beautiful relationships, old friends, action, and a sweet little girl rounds out this book to make it awesome! I really enjoyed the romance between Marie and Ryan. Not only that but I loved the added fact of Marie's little girl as well. She was just too cute. Then we get to see the rest of the Sweet Seduction group from the previous books too! I really enjoyed this book, it was a lot better than the previous one. And it had a whole lot more action, which was a bonus to me! Now I can not wait for the next book!
Profile Image for Victoria.
1,188 reviews94 followers
May 11, 2014
I had almost given up on this series. I'm so glad I took a chance and read this book. I really liked the first book in this series but the second and third books failed to live up to my expectations. Several of my GR friends didn't like book four so I skipped it. I really figured this was just another series that started on a high note but fizzled out along the way. I was cleaning my Kindle up a bit and came across a sample for this one I had downloaded at some point. I ended up reading the sample and got sucked in. Go figure!

Sweet Seduction Shield was as good, if not better, than the first book in the series. It was definitely sexier. The steamy parts were well done. I love an author who isn't afraid to spend several pages devoted to the sexy bits and Nicola Claire wasn't scared. Overall, the book wasn't a scorcher compared to some of the erotica I read but it was quite HOT! A little dirty talk, some face f*cking...you know, the important stuff : ) I did think the story may have dragged just a bit at times and I wish the book would have been written with dual POV instead of just from the heroines, but other than that, I really enjoyed it. The main characters had good chemistry together, the hero is book boyfriend material, and the suspense part works. Hopefully the next books continue to be this solid because this is a series that I really enjoy reading.
Profile Image for Indy.
1,199 reviews34 followers
February 19, 2015
Consistently in this series there are likeable characters, alpha males who instantly fall in love with their heroines, and lurking danger throughout the book. Usually there is steaminess too but this one had a really long build up, finally at 70% mark we see some action. Unfortunately I have noticed there are details lacking in each of the books which have come to frustrate me as a reader. Ex. Never is any reference to protection made, no condoms references or fear of pregnancy which I find odd and slightly unrealistic and irresponsible. In this book this ledger was referenced but earlier on it was too big and had to be transported in her purse, later the hero mentions pulling it out of his back pocket. Several little innocuous references but ones which cause me to pause and scratch my head. I also miss seeing any development with the other couples from previous books, Gen has been pregnant the last two without really beginning to show. Would be nice to see some development for fans who have lived through the series. Really appreciate when all loose ends are tied up, could be done a bit better to increase my enjoyment.
Profile Image for e.
472 reviews20 followers
January 6, 2015
Comecei a ler essa série por esse livro por questões aleatórias. No início, senti algumas semelhanças com Rock Chick, já que a mocinha se envolve em confusões e tem um macho pra resgatá-la do perigo. E também por aquela história de "like 'em, want 'em, take 'em", ou algo próximo a isso.

Mas, na realidade, não tem a essência dos livros da Kristen Ashley, sendo bem inferior a qualquer dos livros do Rock Chick.

A história em si prendeu a minha atenção por alguns capítulos, mas, depois, a narrativa foi se perdendo e ficando meio sem sal. Dava claramente para classificar cada capítulo como "ah, esse é o de ação", "ah, e esse é o de romance", "esse é o de sexo", "já esse é para encher linguiça"... e assim vai. Acho que faltou melhorar a forma de contar a história e alguma autenticidade.

Sinceramente, depois desse, não me animei a ler nenhum outro da série.
254 reviews391 followers
December 29, 2013
I love this series!

Nicola Claire rocks my world!

I can't get enough of the gang!
Profile Image for Jill.
506 reviews
January 5, 2014
This is definitely the best book of the series so far! Loved both of the characters and loved the way the past casts backed them up. Looking forward to finding out who Fred is:)
Profile Image for Jamie.
870 reviews31 followers
March 9, 2014
As usual, Nicola Claire has given us another steamy, action-packed adventure with the Sweet Seduction crew. Sweet Seduction shield takes us back into a story that began in Sweet Seduction Shadow, and includes my two faves Ben and Abi.

Summary:
Marie Cox has spent five years with a shroud of confidence and ice surrounding her to keep her never ending fear at bay. With one visit from an Auckland CIB detective, her shield crumbles and her heartbreaking past comes back to haunt her in real time. Marie used to be married to her college sweetheart. She had hopes and dreams, a bright future to look forward to, but it slowly seeped away. Her husband became a man she didn't recognize as the one she fell for and his actions on behalf of a New Zealand drug lord were what made it that way. That part of Marie's life ended tragically and filled with danger and fear, but before she found herself clear of that world, she guaranteed herself a little insurance and a way to get payback. Unfortunately, she never followed through after the warning she was given, and now she doesn't have just herself to worry about. She also has a five year old daughter, Daisy, that depends on her to keep her safe, healthy, and happy. Never imagining her past will come back in the way it does, Marie's perfectly put together existence shatters with the entrance of Detective Ryan Pierce. Ryan Pierce is a dedicated and loyal cop. He's spent his career seeking out those in need and helping them to achieve protection and justice after experiencing his own tragedy and the fallout. He started the case on Roan McLaren, getting Abi to work with him, and now he thinks Marie will be able to provide even more evidence with the details of her husbands grisly murder. Ryan and Marie didn't anticipate the whip lash of attraction they feel for each other, though. Ryan has a job to do and justice to seek out without complicated emotions getting in the way. Marie isn't alone in anything she does. Daisy has a stake in what happens and is just as easily harmed if not more so if things go wrong. Getting involved would be inappropriate and seemingly a bad idea with Ryan having such an honorable profession and Marie coming from a past filled with criminal dealings by way of her husband. But both their worlds are turned upside down when Ryan has to protect Marie and Daisy and sift through the massive amount of evidence Marie was able to take with her from McLaren's operation. Protecting a witness means time spent with said witness, and time in this particular case means the already blazing attraction is heightened to unbearable levels. Passion, lust, and the beginnings of love bond them in an intimacy neither one saw coming. For the first time in a long time, both Ryan and Marie see a future bright with family and love. But before their peace and contentment can take hold, danger again unfolds and Daisy's life hangs in the balance. Ryan will do everything in his power to protect the family he's come to love, and Marie will find herself staring straight into her past and the demons that always seem to be on the edge of her vision only with so much more in the balance.

First, I love, love, love that Ben and Abi were back for this story. They are my favorites (mostly because of Ben) and it was great to see what they have achieved together. Now, Marie...I'm sorry to say that I didn't like her much at first. As a mother I could understand why she thought to just rid herself of everything and move on for the sake of Daisy, but I also feel she was being selfish in order to not face what she went through. If I knew turning over something I had would be dangerous but be for the better good and had someone like Ryan, I wouldn't hesitate to do what I could. Luckily, as the story progressed, I found her more appealing. Ryan was definitely the night in shining armor. I liked him for a hero, but I wish we saw more of his alpha behavior outside of the bedroom. I liked him, from the beginning, but wasn't able to connect with him as well as I did with previous heroes in Nicola's books. Still he made for one hell of a fantasy man, and the added storyline and conclusion to the McLaren case made this book unput-downable (???). Haha. I fell in love with Nicola's writing in Sweet Seduction Sacrifice and it only keeps getting better. Now I'm frothing at the mouth to read Kelly's story. We've known her from the beginning and she's been one of my faves throughout. Great job Nicola and keep 'em coming!! <3
Profile Image for Emmie.
1,277 reviews3 followers
February 15, 2017
Every time I read a book in this series it reminds me of the rock chick series by Kristen Ashley. It's the same, but not. You will see what I mean when you read the books.

I am going to be so sad when this series ends! This book was wonderful. It had all the action and romance you could want. With all the normal misunderstandings associated with a budding romance.
I enjoyed every minute. Cant wait to get my greedy eyes on the next installment!
Profile Image for Marissa.
384 reviews38 followers
December 7, 2013
Somehow, this series keeps getting better. Every one of Nicola's Alpha heroes is my favorite, until I read the next book. Ryan is my new BBF. And Nicola explaining how Ryan was Marie's shield, how she fought him from taking things further because she knew Ryan shouldn't have to compromise his job or values to make sure she didn't go to prison, was greatly descriptive. And I think having a little girl for Ryan to fall in love with too, especially since she was so like her mother, helped me stay involved in the story just a bit more. I think my only complaint (which is sort of ridiculous) is there was no Kate in this book. She's been in every story, and her lighthearted and fancy-talk would have been a welcome reprieve for both Marie and Daisy. Yes, there are a ton of side characters, so maybe Nicola had to choose to leave one out, but she was mentioned maybe one time, and not even when Jason was in the scene. Sorry, that ends my rant on that. :)
Otherwise, the dialogue was great, the descriptive words and background were sweet, and the falling into bed and love was super hot. Another one to add to my Favorites pile.
Profile Image for Kami.
268 reviews
March 7, 2014
"Realised you want it yet, Tiger?" he asked, the most contented and happy look gracing his handsome, goatee bearded face.
He didn't wait for an answer. Just offered a wink, spun on his heel and left.
I stared after them. My family. My daughter. The man of my dreams.
And in them, one day soon, his answer would be a yes."

I loved this ♡ This series is great.
I loved seeing the whole gang back togther.
This story is about Marie and Ryan...
Ryan's a big bad cop, I loved him. He had so much character. I loved how he was willing to do something he didn't want to do for his girl.

"The law isn't Justice." -Best line of the whole book.

Marie was Alpha Bitch. She was a great mum. she put Daisy's needs before her own in every situation. She got my respect for page 1. I just wish she had a little snarky attitude.

Daisy was the sweetest little thing. I wished the author would've made her age a little more realistic. She was saying things no 5 year old knows.

One thing I didn't like was the whole Ice Queen thing. That is KA's Rock Chick Regret all the way and I don't appreciate the stealing.

Overall this was great. I now need Kelly's book pronto.

☆☆☆☆
Profile Image for Snigdha Prakash.
892 reviews91 followers
April 19, 2015
3.5....
Sweet Seduction Shield
As the previous installments...this book has also been a pleasure to read.
Even though the backdrop and theme and certain circumstances really resemble to KA's Rock Chick series...it is still highly entertaining to read this as those who are fan of KA will definitely like how Nicola Claire weaves her story and characters.
I liked the plot.
It was to the point in writing and had a bit of touch of humour to it.
I liked Ryan. He was the perfect male protagonist that I could ask for.
About Marie, she was good for the most part. I think that smehow she wallowed too much in self-pity but usually she was a good as a female protagonist.
I loved Daisy. I loved how the author has not showed her completely oblivious to things and situations when most authors tend to do that when they have kids involved in their stories.
I liked how Daisy is shown to have a good intellectual mind of her own.
In fact, I liked the book. Period.
Can't wait for more.
P.S. Awesome secondary characters
Profile Image for Leighanne Cooper nottingham.
830 reviews
February 16, 2014
Loved this book!!

I loved this book the most so far!! Ryan and Marie's story sucks you in from the very first chapter. I also love how the characters from the other books are brought into each story. Can't wait to read the next one.
Profile Image for Ivy.
16 reviews1 follower
October 10, 2014
A MUST READ! I really liked the plot. and the humor. the action. those steamy moments. Like seriously, if you're into action and romance, this will be a good bet. THE WHOLE SWEET SEDUCTION SERIES. Recommended to all PI-hotbunch-badass-badboy lovers out there :)
Profile Image for Lu.
516 reviews3 followers
December 19, 2013
This is another great addition to this series.
Profile Image for Neha Oberoi.
996 reviews72 followers
June 27, 2014
Scorching!

The men are sizzling and the scenes between the couple are singe worthy.
And the Five year old with her sass is adorable.
Profile Image for Yvonne.
969 reviews82 followers
January 7, 2015
Well written alphas and light suspense, but I'm really growing tired of "instant love" between heroes and heroines.
Profile Image for Haz.
413 reviews19 followers
January 7, 2015
This is one of the best books in the series! I loved it! It was smoking hot! And unbelievably adorable and full of hardcore action
333 reviews1 follower
September 4, 2022
It was okay. Wanted more of them ina relationship
Profile Image for Julie.
1,688 reviews20 followers
January 3, 2014
This book didn't thrill me but it was a good solid story. Ryan is a police detective in charge of the MacLaren case and he is looking into Marie, once he can quit staring at her butt & beautiful face that is! They have an immediate attraction but Marie is always putting up her walls to protect herself & her 5 year old daughter Daisy. We get to catch up with all of our old favorite couples & I love how they rally around Marie & Daisy & make them feel protected & welcome. Marie's deceased husband was the love of her life until he wanted more & more money, falling into MacLaren's web & keeping track of his books. Before her husband was murdered Marie made sure she latched onto the evidence that could keep MacLaren away. What she didn't realize is that this protection for her could also be her downfall since she never shared it with the police. I loved that Ryan was supposed to keep Marie at arm's length for the investigation but he couldn't do it. It didn't help that Daisy is a cute little angel & saw that Ryan was falling in love with her mommy. He was done for! :) Ryan is also battling some demons since he is adopted and while a young adult he sought out his real parents which ended in heartbreak. MacLaren still has his fingers on the pulse of society & sends his goons out looking for Marie's evidence. Although Ryan & Marie can't keep their hands off each other no real action starts until about the middle of the book, but wow, it is hot! Ryan is possessive & a little bit of a dirty talker & he minces no words to let Marie know that he is head over heels for her & sees a future for them. I loved the ending, the simplicity of how Daisy sees her world with Ryan at the center of her family, so sweet!
3,114 reviews26 followers
February 3, 2015
YOU MUST READ THE FIRST FOUR BOOKS IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND THIS ONE.

Perhaps I've read too many in this series, but this one was hard to take. Perhaps this formula needs to be shaken up a bit? Not sure but I didn't love this one as much as the others... and maybe I was expecting this to be about another ASI person and not Detective Pierce.

We've met Pierce in the other books as he's looking to take down the huge drug bosses in NZ. In Abi's book, we read the tale of her witnessing a murder from the roof of the compound. This book explains who she saw murdered and why. If you recall, Abi saw a couple dragged out, and the man killed right in front of the woman. This book is about that woman, whose name is Marie.

Ryan Pierce is investigating into McLaren and has tracked down Marie who has been hiding from Drug boss McLaren. Marie's got a couple of secrets: a child from her marriage to her now dead husband and something that she stole from McLaren that people would kill or kidnap for to get their hands on.

The entire gang is in this, with the exception of Katie who is mysteriously absent.

The insta-love thing by the men in this series was at first endearing, then kinda interesting, but now it's barely tolerable. He asks her to marry him after only knowing each other for five days... for Pete's sake!
Profile Image for Tina.
783 reviews13 followers
March 15, 2014
4.5 Stars

Well she did it again, what a great addition to this series. At not even 10 % in there was action & suspense and I was completely captivated by the story.

I loved Ryan I'm so glad that we got his story, he was sweet, sexy and completely fell for Marie & her Daughter. There is something special about a man who can love another man's child. I adored Daisy (Marie's daughter), the interaction between her Ryan it was so wonderful & sweet.

Marie was so easy to like, her struggles inspired a true sympathy from me but also admiration. She was a great combination of strength & vulnerability that I fell in love with. She was a very well written heroine.

I continue to love the supporting characters in this series, and I thought the connection between Abi in book 3 and Marie in this book was brilliant!! I also loved how there is a very intriguing set up for book 6 in this series. I'm so excited to get started on that one.

I have come to expect a lot from a Nicola Claire book and she has definitely delivered with this one. It was a fast paced well written story full of action, suspense, sweet romance, and steam!!

I highly recommend this series to any romance or romance suspence fan!
Profile Image for Julie.
605 reviews5 followers
May 26, 2014
Ryan and Marie's story makes me wonder why I haven't gone and got into a bit of trouble if this sexy cop is what's waiting to lend a helping hand. Well Nicola definitely knows how to write a alpha. I have enjoyed the entire series thus far and am very much looking forward to Kelly's book next. I love how all of the supporting chacters are pulled in from previous books and you not only get a look back at some of your favorite chacters but a glimpse to see what's coming next. Anyway this book is filled with action, suspense, some laughs and most importantly some very steamy sex. I recommend not only this book but the entire series.
Profile Image for JJH--Judy.
1,093 reviews1 follower
December 8, 2013
4 1/2 stars. I love this series, and I thought this book was much better than the last. Where I felt the previous story was more about the couple, this one had a better balance of a love story and a romantic suspense. It was nice to revisit the characters from previous books. Reading the books before this will help to understand some of the secondary character dynamics, but I don't feel it is totally necessary to understand the plot in this one. Good alpha male, steamy love scenes. I'm looking forward to the next installment!
Profile Image for Lisa Wilson.
87 reviews
September 28, 2015
5 stars for number 5

I read the first book in this series almost 3 years ago and loved it. I can't believe it took me so long to pick up the rest. To be honest they are all good and I love how you get a little teaser of who the next story is going to be about. I also love how the NZ underworld features giving the stories grit. Yes, there is that risk that it all becomes a bit of the same thing after each book but yet I do find myself wanting to download the next one....this was one of my favourites so far.
Profile Image for Emmi.
520 reviews
December 23, 2014
I've been fighting myself to like this series, at first it was that it smacked way too much of my all time favorite author Kristen Ashley's Rock Chick series and KA is untouchable so it couldn't compare. In the last book, I thought the author finally found her own voice and I liked it. This one, not so much. The beginning dragged on and that connection was missing. Then, the end was rushed. And what's with all the conversations with their eyes? Meh.
Profile Image for Jo.
957 reviews242 followers
November 18, 2015

I really liked Marie and Ryan, and even though I was quite upset with Ryan in the beginning for using Marie to obtain evidence to put away Roan McLaren, the fact that he believed in justice meant that he was perfect for Marie after what her deceased husband put her through with his criminal activities and putting money above their marriage.

I loved how Ryan called Marie Tiger, and her little girl was just too cute.

Another great addition to the series.

Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.