One Shot

IAD Agency #2

by Laurie Roma

Tara Toshi is a woman on the edge. Code name "T-rex," Tara is one of the elite agents of the IAD Agency, modern-day warriors tasked with taking down terrorists and keeping the world safe. She doesn't believe that happily-ever-after exists for her, until her world collides with corporate tycoon Julian King.

Julian King is the owner of a multimillion-dollar hotel empire. He rules his kingdom with an iron grip, especially the Palace Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas which he personally manages. He's used to playing the odds and knows the house always wins, but when he meets Tara, all bets are off.

When a terrorist plot threatens his city, Julian realizes that everything he cares about is in jeopardy, including his heart. With so much at stake, can Tara and Julian risk going all in, or will they lose their one shot at finding happiness together?
NOTE: This book was previously published but has been revised and extended.

Genres: Romance, Suspense, Romantic Suspense, Contemporary, Military Fiction, Erotica, Contemporary Romance

469 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 5, 2013

About the author

Laurie Roma mainly writes contemporary, romantic suspense, fantasy, and sci-fi romance. She can usually be found tapping away on her keyboard, creating worlds for her characters while she listens to music. Of course, her playlist depends on her mood…but then again, so does her writing. She loves to hear from her readers and can be reached at laurieromabooks@gmail.com.

Reviews

[The Sassy Bookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a bit difficult for me to rate. I liked the story, I LOVED Julian, and I liked the side characters. Who I didn't like was Tara. I get she is suppose to be this badass agent type person, but I found her selfish, whiny, and really always to much in your face. It was like she was the alpha in the relationship, and it really brought my enjoyment down of this story.

I'd also like to make mention of something that took place in this book that really, really, turned me off. At one point Tara misunderstands something Julian has done and burst into his office to yell at him, and at one point punches him in the face! Here's the thing, had the situation been reversed, everyone would be all up in arms about a guy punching a woman, but no one says a peep about her doing it to Julian. Punching someone in the face, especially someone you are suppose to love is abuse regardless of gender.

Maybe I am being picky, but I didn't find it badass, I found it distasteful, and really wished at that point that Julian just dumped her and found someone decent to be with!

[*CJ* · Rating 3 out of 5]

"One shot" is the story of Tara and Julian.
Tara is one of the two female agents of IAD, someone with a super difficult childhood and scars from her missions, and lives her life amongst men fighting. When she's put into a mission which is against one of her past tormentors, she ends up meeting Julian King, the owner of multimillion dollar hotel chains while they run the operation in his buildings.
Sparks are instantaneous.
While Julian is floored from the moment he sees her, Tara resists giving into him completely until the very end but they do enjoy making sexy time together.
Now I really adored both Julian, and their super passionate and hot lovemakin!
He was totally devoted, OTT alpha and really loved Tara.
My issue was with Tara. I love strong female alphas, but she was soooo reluctant with him throughout the book that it seemed like a one way relationship (until she confesses in the last 1/3 the reason). I knows shes been scarred by shitty parents and a douchebag terrorist- but she let all her insecurities affect her relationship all the way upto the very end- and I wasn't happy with all the history regarding her potential and past sex partners and everyone she considered sleeping with. It's my pet peeve. Big nope always.
Anyways, it was lovely to see Bella's wedding and the lovely chemistry between all the IAD members.
Safe
3.5/5

[rj · Rating 3 out of 5]

♡ Julian was such a sweetheart ♡

- It was good time kill for the most part. I did have to force myself to continue at times.

- I also could have done with a little less of Tara scoffing at anything feminine. I love a badass female character as much as the next person but her "badassery" seemed a little much. She said she would rather be getting shot at by bad guys then talk about her girlfriends upcoming wedding. *rolls eyes*

- Julian was the highlight of this story. I was a kind of side eyeing him in the beginning but he totally grew on me! He completely understood Tara and was just so wonderful to her, even when she didn't deserve it. I also liked that he wasn't daunted by the fact that Tara could probably take him down. He wasn't afraid of being vulnerable and he was just a breath of fresh air in a series where there are alpha males upon alpha males.

- I'll end this by saying that Laurie Roma can write some sexy scenes!

- And Julian's dirty talking! *phew*

[Susan Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Julian King is my new favorite alpha. He's sexy, he's rich, and he's used to having the ladies fall at his feet. When Tara arrives in his life, she turns his world upside down and Julian inside out. (and possibly wrecks his office in...well... you have just have to read it for yourself. All I'll say is...HOT!)

This was a fast paced book with a tonne of action and suspense, but Laurie Roma keeps the growing romance between Julian and Tara front and center. Tara is a tough, edgy heroine who has more than a fair share of battle scars, and watching her come to terms with her past and her feelings for Julian made for very compelling reading.

Watching Tara's overprotective fellow agents react to her new love interest made for some incredibly funny moments, and I loved the combination of heat, humor and story telling.

[Trina · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author had improved her writing skills tremendously in between book 1 & 2. I'm very glad I did not give up on her. Her style very much resembles Lisa Marie Rice, in fact, she has surpass LMR's last few releases, IMO. This one's for all the possessive/protective hero lovers! I especially appreciate how strong character, Tara, the heroine is.

[Judy Churchill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the action as the good guys stopped a nefarious plot to obliterate Las Vegas. The characters are a bit over the top but hey - it’s fiction.

[Cocktails and Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tara is a female warrior. She has been trained to fight anyone and win, regardless of gender. Tara works for MAC Securities and IAD in Chicago. IAD uses MAC Securities as a front for a secret task force that fights terrorists and other bad guys around the world. There are very few women involved in this testosterone filled world. Tara is a secret special agent, who is tough and trusts no one, except the other members of her team.

Julian King is a tycoon who owns hotels in just about every country around the globe. He lives at the Palace Hotel and casino in Las Vegas. He is a private person and few people know anything personal about him. He is an alpha male, who exuded power and is rigidly controlled.

Tara and Julian meet when Tara stays at Julian’s hotel in Las Vegas. From the moment Julian meets Tara, he is instantly attracted to her. Julian isn’t intimidated by Tara’s badass attitude, he embraces it. He has never reacted this way to a woman before in his life. Tara is taking a break from men and isn’t interested in getting involved with Julian. Julian is exasperated by Tara’s lack of interest. Usually women throw themselves at him.

Laurie Roma has a way with words and is a wonderful storyteller. ONE SHOT is an exhilarating ride filled with spies, espionage, intrigue and lots of hot, alpha males. The MAC Securities team is an elite, tight knit group. They banter back and forth, play practical jokes on each other and watch each other’s back. When Julian and Tara are together, sparks fly and they have a highly charged, explosive relationship. This is the second book in the IAD series. Each book is a stand alone, but I would suggest reading the books in order.

Reviewed by Karen for Cocktails and Books

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this a copy of this book from an blog hop contest.

His Fierce Warrior
What did you like:
It takes a strong man to be a match to a strong woman, it takes an even stronger man to admit when his woman is stronger than him. Save the world or taking vengeance on her torturer? Why can't she have both. The heroine is a strong warrior with a wounded heart. While the hero is an alpha male, he's putty to his mate. Foreshadowing the next books, which I can't wait to read, while not taking away from the main storyline. Still the same characters we've grown to love and even some new ones.

Would you recommend to a friend: Absolutely.

[100sweet · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would have liked this story better if the h wasn't such a superhero. I mean she is very petite but she can take down guys 3x her size. There were so many instances and descriptions of how powerful and deadly she was that I had trouble seeing her as a vulnerable woman who wanted tenderness. Her strength and beauty was played up so much that she didn't seem real. I'm disappointed b/c I really liked the first book, Under Pressure.

[PepperP0t · Rating 4 out of 5]

The loose end from Tara (T-Rex to her friends) Toshi's last assignment has the team on the trail of a canister of modified sarin gas going up for sale. The available gas also brings one of the teams most deadly and elusive foes out of hiding

This review and others can be found at: http://www.ireadthatbook.com

[~Steph K~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow - this book was hot!!! and Julian is such a great Dirty Talker!!

[Savsandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

One Strike

I love a good thriller and would consider “One Shot” a romantic thriller. I’m fairly certain this is my first foray into the IAD Agency Series. This is not your average run of the mill novel. The characters are atypical - Tara, a strong female lead who is a stone-cold operative with the IAD agency and her sidekick Mykala, who is a sniper for the same agency. Then there’s multimillionaire Julian who owns hotels all over the world and is in love with Tara and in awe of the work she does to keep the bad guys from taking over the world. The plot, thin as it is, involves the agency trying to stop one of the bad guys from contaminating the Las Vegas municipal water supply and recovering the missing. canister. The plot could’ve carried more of the imminent danger but was consigned to the role of an observer except for the passionate and sexually explicit love scenes between Tara and Julian. Those pretty much carry the story.

The writing is marred by many typos and dropped words as well as numerous instances of verb tense being in disagreement with the sentence subject. Any writer who passed high school English 101 would never let those errors stand. Throw in a few mixed metaphors, stir, and what you end up with is a mishmash. Now that self-publishing is a reality, previously unpublished writers should invest in a real copy editor, not just friends who fancy themselves as knowledgeable enough to get the job done because they’re usually not. Three stars.
#OneShot #LauraRoma #IADAgencySeries #ReadMyLips.home.blog #Twitter@savsandy #Instagram.sandragarlandhardy #Goodreads.Savsandy #Facebook.SandraGarlandHardy #KindleUnlimited

[Readiculous 📚🖤👱🏼‍♀️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love me a good romantic suspense and this one definitely scratched the itch! We are back with the IAD crew. I love how protective all the men are over the few women…sigh! And don’t get me started on Julian, he is major swoon! Alpha, hot and so sweet and caring toward his woman. Tara is not an easy woman to love. She is hardened by life, crass and fierce. Julian is the only man who can ‘tame’ her. We get plenty of suspense, some sweet romance and tons of scorching spice. Julian is a dirty talker and I’m totally here for it!

All in all I really liked this one! I listened to the audio. It has only female narration (I prefer dual narration). Even though this is part of a series, it can be read as a complete standalone. I’m off to read the next one!

Safety:
OW: female in hotel latches on to H, propositions him in front of h (after they just met).
OM: h has been with two of her colleagues in the past (twins), they are very protective of h. This makes H jealous, but doesn’t cause problems.
No cheating
No separation / no third act break up
Mentions domestic violence
Mentions rape
Blood, violence, gore

[Victoria Sturlini · Rating 5 out of 5]

GOOD STORYLINE!

This was a good read! I really enjoy reading about the IAD team. I like how they interact with each other. laurie's descriptions are so vivid it is easy to picture each character in the book. I really enjoy stories where the H is smitten by the h immediately and we get right down to the relationship between the two without countless inner ruminating. Julian and Tara were an interesting couple and I enjoyed their sparing and banter. Their romance was sweet, super sexy, and passionate. This was a good action book also. It kept your attention throughout. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series and highly recommend this one!!!

[Shelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am amazed at the high rating of this book. I struggled with it terribly. I found myself skipping so much redundant information that I skipped much of the book. I liked the premise of the book but I thought it would be more engaging. I was interested to see how the situation turned out but even that I found flat. I had a hard time with how everyone fawned over this woman and thought she was all that and maybe she was, but I didn't see it. She didn't grab my interest. Now her friend, Lynx was interesting to me. I didn't read the first book so maybe that hurt my interest but I have no desire to read any of the others.

[Kaye Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Action packed

This is the second book in the series and like the first book it packs a punch with suspense, drama and humorous moments happening all through the book making it really hard to put down...
The chemistry between the Juliet and Tara was hot and I love the dirty talk that happens between them as well as the camaraderie of the other characters in the book....loved it.

[Linda Whitacre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast paced mystery love storh

I Love the characters in this series from the IAD agency personnel to the hotel staff. Julian, the billionaire hotel owner is a great sexy love interest for Tara, an IAD operative. The story takes place in Vegas and is a good action mystery. I like the series. Linda

[Anne Blyth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basically this book has the basis for a good story but from my personal perspective, the story was outweighed by the amount of sex in the book. While I am no wilting violet about sex I really prefer if it is a tasteful addition to the story, not the overpowering centre of attention. However, if you need detailed sex scenes then you will no doubt enjoy this book.

[Wanda E. Beckworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written

My first book by this author. Very well written. Kept you interest until the end. Was not one of those books you had figured out early in book. Will buy books from this author again.

[lisa jung · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tara T rex

The IAD guts call her T Rex. But she has found her one in hotel casino owner Jason King. Las Vegas will never be the same.

[Kaelie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was very slow and not one of my favorites In the series I will be, could you leak with the series, though? And seeing what happens to the other characters that I fell in love with in the first book

[Lisbeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tara was a bit to much for my taste, but still a great read.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laurie Roma does it again and this time she sent a kick-ass heroine to woo me. In book 2 of the IAD series, we are introduced to a woman more deadly than most men. She can make you cry, make you scream….and make you like it! Tara Toshi is a woman with secrets and hidden inner-turmoil. She has seen and experienced the darker side of the human psyche and lived to tell the tale. She is strong and capable and most men are intimidated by the mere presence of her. Enter Julian King, hotel extraordinaire and sex-on-a-stick male God. Julian runs a vast hotel conglomerate and has ties and a friendship with a few members of IAD. He is also the only man who can and does bring Tara to her knees. The cat-and-mouse game these two play with one another is entertaining, to say the least. Julian “gets” Tara on so many levels, you have no choice to accept that these two are soul mates. I laughed with them and cried with them and cheered for them over and over. Their banter is witty, charming, and sometimes flat-out comical. Then we have their sexual chemistry. This couple oozed sin and sex…sometimes the pheromones were so potent I saw them leaking out of the speakers on my Kindle. They can’t control the way they feel around the other and they eventually stop fighting it. But Tara has demons she feels Julian won’t be able to handle and this does cause a bit of friction between them. Julian never backs down and plows through her defenses, helping to heal Tara and rebuild parts of her darkened soul. He understands Tara and her job and doesn’t try to take it away from her, no matter how strong his protective instincts kick in. Julian also takes on other agents of IAD, earning the right to call Tara his, and his alone.
The plot of this book was believable and realistic and didn’t confuse me. Mrs. Roma gives you enough details to follow along with the story but doesn’t confuse or confound you with too much trivial information or details. I loved seeing more of the IAD agents and watching them interact with one another. The men of IAD are all alpha-male sexy and are extremely protective of their fellow female agents in over-the-top yet charming ways. This book has one, minor flaw. All descriptions of Tara portray her as having short hair. Yet the woman on the cover has very, very long hair. Call it my quirky nature, but I like my covers to some-what accurately portray the characters in the book. Still, if that is the only flaw I could find, I’d call this book a rousing success. My best advice is to pick up the first book in the IAD Series, Under Pressure, and read it. These books could be read as stand-alones if you felt so inclined but why would you want to miss out on a single moment of this series? Trust me when I say, you don’t! I give One Shot 5 of 5 stars.

[eRomantix · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted at http://eromantix.com/wordpress/

Ok this is the second book in the IAD Agency series. IAD is an anti terrorist organisation that Tara works for. She has been taking back to back missions so she doesn't have to face the other demons in her life. When a team is sent to Vegas to stop the sale of sarin gas on the black market she jumps on board. It just so happens that the hotel they are using for a base and cover is owned by Julian. Neither of these guys are looking for a relationship but Julian can't deny his feelings and goes after Tara single mindedly.

Tara isn't so sure. She is one tough women having survived a traumatic childhood and torture by terrorists. I really liked Tara she had lots of personality. It was also a nice change that Julian freely admits she could probably take him in a fight. Part of her protection is the fact that people underestimate her. Of course she proves them wrong. Not only do they underestimate her physically but also emotionally. She is very close to the other guys on the team and even they don't believe she is capable of a relationship. I love how Julian stands up for her and believes they can grow together.

Julian was certainly an alpha male. Lets face it, Tara wouldn't accept anything less. But he was smart about pursuing Tara. well most of the time. By boy, was it hot when he messed up and they made up. :-) I wish we got more of his back story. It's mentioned that before Tara he held himself back from relationships. Why? They mention his family in passing but it would have been great to know a bit more.

He gets under her radar using sex and then slowly works on her to put things on an emotional footing. I think this was quite clever. I would never have believed it Tara feel in love at first sight. That's just wouldn't add up with her character. Their feelings develops against a backdrop of the operation which kept the action going. But the romance was defiantly at the forefront of the story. I really liked the snippet you get to see the team undercover it certainly kept you wondering how it would all play out.

This is the second book in the IAD Angency Series. I think you could rea it as a standalone but it would be more fun to read these in order. The first book Under Pressure sets up all of the characters.I did have a few issues with Laurie Roma's POV changes in that book. Not so in this one, she seems to have refined her writing style just a little. I really enjoyed One Shot and am looking forward the release of the third book in the series. It is Mikayla or "Lynx" story and out the 31st of July 2013.

[Nancy Crocker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book in the IAD series. And it does not disappoint. I can't recommend this series enough. Very intense both in the field and bedroom!

Tara Toshi aka T-Rex works for Mac Securities, which is really a front for IAD a specialized intelligence agency and counterterrorist task force, and she is one VERY tough kick ass agent! When the story opens it immediately catches your attention with Tara's wicked sense of humor. She is not a girlie girl, so she is far from enjoying the wedding plans being discussed for her best friend Bella and Jason MacBain's (Tara's boss) in just a few weeks. She is very grateful to be called into a meeting and happily volunteers for the next mission before even hearing about it. Part of the IAD team is off to Las Vegas to try to stop the sale of a deadly form of sarin gas. I love the family feeling you get from the IAD team. Yes they might kick each others butts, but they look out for each other also.

Enter Julian King owner of a The Palace Hotel in Las Vegas, that the team will be using as a front while staying there. They will be going in to upgrade his security system and train security staff, but they will really be looking for the terrorist that are looking to buy and sell the Sarin Gas. Julian King is Smoking Hot, Rich. And extremely attracted to Tara the minute he meets her at the airport. And who wouldn't fall for this man.

The chemistry between these two is off the charts. The scene in the elevator ... Someone call the fire department to put the flames out. Then there is the broken furniture ... But you will have to read the book to find out what I mean. But Tara has her demons that must be dealt with for this love match to succeed, and that is not going to be easy when she has major trust issues, and for good reason!

If I have one critique it would be that we don't learn who The Phoenix is. I am hoping because we hear from this person in future books and learn later. Looking forward to book three in the series!

[Pet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Laurie Roma!!!
I love alpha Hero's, and I get that they are growly and snarly and as dominating as hell, it's become sort of my cross to bear, because while I love all that in an H, I hate it that in romance books, no matter what the genre, the heroine while often strong herself will always bend for her bossy man, sometimes just a little, sometimes with a lot of back and forth, and sometimes with a lot of fight, but in the end she either compromises or gives in.
No matter what her career or situation, or how good at her job she is, if it places her in any form of danger, the big strong H will make sure she either quits, finds a "better job" gets a "promotion" or moves to another department.
In the literally hundreds of romance books I've read, there have only been a handful of writers that have managed to actually write an h strong enough to stay true to herself and what she does and still keep her Über Alpha happy in all his dominating best, and those are all series with the h as the MC.

LR has taken this a step in a wonderfully new direction, and has written a damaged and haunted h with an incredibly dangerous job, but the skill and the strength to do that job well, and she's coupled her with a sexy Alpha hero, that accepts and respects her for who she is and has the balls to be the man she needs him to be and still stand head and shoulders above nearly every other H I've read in a long time.
I read this story with utter delight and despite the over done and repetitive dirty talking during sex, I had to give it full stars and put LR up there with my favorite authors.
Well done Laure Roma!

[starsaga · Rating 3 out of 5]

Drags a bit but still entertaining
I am not usually a fan of the badass heroine, Tara seemed like she was OTT hard and a fighting machine, but she was ok. I realise that all the friendly touches and familiar behaviour between this lot of quite unprofessional super-agents was included to endear these characters to the reader, and for the most I went along with it. There was one point that really made me wonder though if this book that was supposedly erotica mixed with romantic suspense, did not stretch even my elastic imagination past its breaking point. That was when Mikayla, the sniper got the shakes after her 200th kill. Where Tara is feeling for her because when you get to 200 kills for a sniper, it can be really rough to take for the sniper, especially one with a big heart!!! Hmmmm, not the most appropriate description according to me and quite disturbing but I plodded on and came to the last sentence Tara says before the end of the story. Not brilliant but a fitting end to this story full of cliches.

[Opinionated and Brutally Honest Reviews · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't care much for the writing style. It was hard to get into. There was some grammar mistakes and extra words but it wasn't horrible.
I thought Tara was portrayed very well. She was very much a skilled operative but still had a soft side. It just took some time for her to show it. (I know a lot of people didn't like her character but I loved it.)
I did not like Julian. At all actually. He was too pushy and forceful. He was concerned she didn't really love him and didn't really want to marry him. Shouldn't he have thought that before he TOLD her they were getting married? Maybe he should have actually asked her. Instead he just puts the ring on her finger and says it will happen. He came off as a complete douche the whole book.
I looked forward to the action but not so much the "love". All it was, was lust.
I also really wanted to know where Julian's mom was. The engagement news was everywhere but there was no conversation of him telling his mom or his siblings for that matter. That just seemed weird to me.

[Blackravens Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

One Shot is the second book in Ms. Roma’s IAD suspense series. It is nonstop action filled with secondary characters that had better be getting their own stories soon!! Impressive characters that have full bodied emotions and have been so well written that you would swear you know them. On point, funny, and well written dialogue add to the flow of this wonderful gem of a novel. I am looking forward to finding the rest of this series and catching up with old friends.Read More...

[Pearls · Rating 4 out of 5]

The terrorists are meeting in Las Vegas and IAD is there is to stop them. Agent T-Rex, aka Tara, is fighting her own battle against her growing feelings for hotel owner Julian King, a battle he refuses to back down from. I enjoyed seeing the team in action again, and Julian is a great addition to the IAD family. Roma seamlessly intertwines the two conflicts, creating a storyline that never lags. And a romance that sizzles!