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Evidence #9
Winter Hawk
Raptor operative Nate Sifuentes isn’t thrilled to find himself back on the job on the first day of his winter vacation, but he can’t say no when his brother asks a favor. At least he’ll earn an easy Christmas bonus—after all, driving a fired military contractor home after she’s been escorted off base by military police can’t be that hard.
In a matter of minutes, Leah Ellis has lost everything, and now she’s left stranded in the nation’s capital on the first night of Hanukkah without money, phone, or bed. All she has is a mysterious driver who might be after her technical knowledge of the US military’s drone operations.
The former Green Beret’s protective instincts—and skills—kick in when he discovers the alluring AI engineer is being hunted. On the run, they escape the winter cold by generating their own heat, but will they find answers in time to stop a terror attack on Christmas Day?
In a matter of minutes, Leah Ellis has lost everything, and now she’s left stranded in the nation’s capital on the first night of Hanukkah without money, phone, or bed. All she has is a mysterious driver who might be after her technical knowledge of the US military’s drone operations.
The former Green Beret’s protective instincts—and skills—kick in when he discovers the alluring AI engineer is being hunted. On the run, they escape the winter cold by generating their own heat, but will they find answers in time to stop a terror attack on Christmas Day?
203 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 6, 2019
330 people are currently reading
419 people want to read
About the author
Rachel Grant
49 books1,632 followersCOMING SOON
AVAILABLE NOW:
USA Today bestselling author Rachel Grant also writes thrillers as R.S. Grant. She worked for over a decade as a professional archaeologist and mines her experiences for storylines and settings, which are as diverse as excavating a cemetery underneath an historic art museum in San Francisco, survey and excavation of many prehistoric Native American sites in the Pacific Northwest, researching an historic concrete house in Virginia (inspiration for her debut novel, CONCRETE EVIDENCE), and mapping a seventeenth century Spanish and Dutch fort on the island of Sint Maarten in the Caribbean (which provided inspiration for the island and fort described in CRASH SITE).
She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her archaeologist husband and demanding cat.
AVAILABLE NOW:
USA Today bestselling author Rachel Grant also writes thrillers as R.S. Grant. She worked for over a decade as a professional archaeologist and mines her experiences for storylines and settings, which are as diverse as excavating a cemetery underneath an historic art museum in San Francisco, survey and excavation of many prehistoric Native American sites in the Pacific Northwest, researching an historic concrete house in Virginia (inspiration for her debut novel, CONCRETE EVIDENCE), and mapping a seventeenth century Spanish and Dutch fort on the island of Sint Maarten in the Caribbean (which provided inspiration for the island and fort described in CRASH SITE).
She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her archaeologist husband and demanding cat.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews
December 21, 2019
Check out all of my reviews at: https://www.avonnalovesgenres.com
WINTER HAWK (Evidence Series Book 9) by Rachel Grant is a fast-paced holiday romantic suspense novella. The Evidence world features the men and women of Raptor and all the books can be read as standalone romantic suspense reads, but there is some character crossover.
Raptor operative and former Green Beret Nate “Hawk” Sifuentes finds himself doing a favor for his brother on his first day of winter vacation. He fills in as a contract driver picking up a fired military contractor at the gates of the Navy Yard when she is escorted off the base by MPs.
Leah Ellis has no idea how she lost everything. The military fired her from her AI work on drones and her home company has taken everything away until an investigation is complete. She is being led off base on the first night of Hanukkah with no home, no car and no money. The mysterious driver picking her up does not look like any driver she has ever seen before and she wonders if he has been sent after her technical military knowledge. She does not know who to trust.
As Nate is driving Leah, he realizes they are being followed. When an attempt is made to run Leah down, Nate’s protective instincts kick in and the two escape to a fellow Raptor’s holiday cabin to hide out and figure who is out to hurt Leah and why the beautiful and intelligent AI engineer is being targeted.
This romantic suspense is a treat packed with everything in a small number of pages. The suspense plot is very interesting and intense with all the information on commercial and military drones and AI programming. It was woven into the romantic suspense plot so that it was never an info dump or boring. The romance between Nate and Leah was immediate and intense. I was glad that Ms. Grant revisited the character of Nate Sifuentes and gave him a strong, intelligent and older heroine to aid. Nate and Leah fit together well. The sex scenes are intense and graphic, but not gratuitous. They are two mature characters in a mature relationship.
If you like your holiday read to have plenty of action, suspense and smokin’ hot sex scenes then this is definitely the novella for you!
WINTER HAWK (Evidence Series Book 9) by Rachel Grant is a fast-paced holiday romantic suspense novella. The Evidence world features the men and women of Raptor and all the books can be read as standalone romantic suspense reads, but there is some character crossover.
Raptor operative and former Green Beret Nate “Hawk” Sifuentes finds himself doing a favor for his brother on his first day of winter vacation. He fills in as a contract driver picking up a fired military contractor at the gates of the Navy Yard when she is escorted off the base by MPs.
Leah Ellis has no idea how she lost everything. The military fired her from her AI work on drones and her home company has taken everything away until an investigation is complete. She is being led off base on the first night of Hanukkah with no home, no car and no money. The mysterious driver picking her up does not look like any driver she has ever seen before and she wonders if he has been sent after her technical military knowledge. She does not know who to trust.
As Nate is driving Leah, he realizes they are being followed. When an attempt is made to run Leah down, Nate’s protective instincts kick in and the two escape to a fellow Raptor’s holiday cabin to hide out and figure who is out to hurt Leah and why the beautiful and intelligent AI engineer is being targeted.
This romantic suspense is a treat packed with everything in a small number of pages. The suspense plot is very interesting and intense with all the information on commercial and military drones and AI programming. It was woven into the romantic suspense plot so that it was never an info dump or boring. The romance between Nate and Leah was immediate and intense. I was glad that Ms. Grant revisited the character of Nate Sifuentes and gave him a strong, intelligent and older heroine to aid. Nate and Leah fit together well. The sex scenes are intense and graphic, but not gratuitous. They are two mature characters in a mature relationship.
If you like your holiday read to have plenty of action, suspense and smokin’ hot sex scenes then this is definitely the novella for you!
December 6, 2019
Nate is former Green Beret, Special Forces. He works for a private security company called Raptor. He occasionally helps his brother out picking up wealthy and powerful clients when one of his other drivers are unavailable.
He's scheduled to pick up Leah Ellis ... she's just been fired from a government military manufacturer. She wishes she knew why.
Nate is happy to take her to whatever destination she has in mind.... but there seems to be a problem. There are several attempts made to kill her ..from a hit and run to burning down her apartment.
A government hit? Does she know something she shouldn't? Maybe a local resident with a grudge against her work for the government? Or possibly someone with a reason to kill.
Nate's protective instincts kick in .... and it doesn't hurt that he and Leah are majorly attracted to each other
The non-stop action starts as they go on the run. The suspense is nicely paced. The main characters are likable and relate to each other well.
WARNING: The intimate moments are many, and very graphic.
Many thanks to the author / Janus Publishing / Netgalley for the digital copy of this Romantic Suspense. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
December 23, 2019
I liked the storyline in this one, but it could, quite honestly, have worked just as well without the romance, which felt rushed. Rachel Grant is one of my favourite authors, and one of the best writers of romantic suspense around, and, having read the terrific novella Inferno earlier this year, I was hoping for more of the same. Sadly, I was disappointed.
Winter Hawk is part of the Evidence series, and features Nate Sifuentes, who was introduced in book four, Incriminating Evidence. He's recently transferred to DC from Raptor's Alaska compound, and is a bit pissed off that he's getting passed over for jobs and promotions because, he assumes, he was hired by Raptor's former - corrupt - boss. Just before Christmas, his brother, who runs an exclusive car service, asks Nate to help him out by collecting someone from the Navy Yard, someone he assumes is being fired - which is how Nate winds up entangled with Leah Ellis, a contractor who has been dismissed and has had almost all her personal possessions confiscated.
The suspense storyline is really well-conceived with a nice (or not!) seasonal twist, and I especially enjoyed the incorporation of the Hanukkah traditions, but the relationship between Leah and Nate was total instalust; there was an attraction there for sure, but there wasn't enough time to make the emotional connection I was told was evolving into something concrete and believable.
While I enjoyed the plotline, I did think the identity of the villain came a bit out of the blue; I prefer when the author leaves me trails of breadcrumbs to follow, so I can be working things out at the same time as the characters, but that didn't really happen here, so the big reveal fell a bit flat.
So... not my favourite of the author's books, and I suspect perhaps the shorter format meant cutting a few too many corners. But I'm still a fan and I'll still be picking up whatever she comes up with next.
Winter Hawk is part of the Evidence series, and features Nate Sifuentes, who was introduced in book four, Incriminating Evidence. He's recently transferred to DC from Raptor's Alaska compound, and is a bit pissed off that he's getting passed over for jobs and promotions because, he assumes, he was hired by Raptor's former - corrupt - boss. Just before Christmas, his brother, who runs an exclusive car service, asks Nate to help him out by collecting someone from the Navy Yard, someone he assumes is being fired - which is how Nate winds up entangled with Leah Ellis, a contractor who has been dismissed and has had almost all her personal possessions confiscated.
The suspense storyline is really well-conceived with a nice (or not!) seasonal twist, and I especially enjoyed the incorporation of the Hanukkah traditions, but the relationship between Leah and Nate was total instalust; there was an attraction there for sure, but there wasn't enough time to make the emotional connection I was told was evolving into something concrete and believable.
While I enjoyed the plotline, I did think the identity of the villain came a bit out of the blue; I prefer when the author leaves me trails of breadcrumbs to follow, so I can be working things out at the same time as the characters, but that didn't really happen here, so the big reveal fell a bit flat.
So... not my favourite of the author's books, and I suspect perhaps the shorter format meant cutting a few too many corners. But I'm still a fan and I'll still be picking up whatever she comes up with next.
December 6, 2019
Winter Hawk by Rachel Grant is a novella set in Ms. Grant's Evidence world. Being a novella the book was action packed from the first chapter.
Nate Sifuentes and Leah Ellis are the lead characters and are older than the traditional hero and heroine found in most romantic suspense. I really appreciated their more mature outlooks on life and their careers. There were sparks between Nate/Hawk and Leah from the beginning so this started off as "insta lust" but as they got to know each while trying to keep Leah alive and figure out what was going on it slowly developed into a love relationship. Twists to keep you guessing, drone programming that turns deadly, hot romance and a surprising reveal kept me turning the pages.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Janus Publishing via NetGalley. All of the above opinions are my own.
Nate Sifuentes and Leah Ellis are the lead characters and are older than the traditional hero and heroine found in most romantic suspense. I really appreciated their more mature outlooks on life and their careers. There were sparks between Nate/Hawk and Leah from the beginning so this started off as "insta lust" but as they got to know each while trying to keep Leah alive and figure out what was going on it slowly developed into a love relationship. Twists to keep you guessing, drone programming that turns deadly, hot romance and a surprising reveal kept me turning the pages.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Janus Publishing via NetGalley. All of the above opinions are my own.
January 4, 2020
Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) provided by the Author and Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an fair and honest review.
Wow, just wow! I was blown away by the way Rachel Grant was able to pack so much into a 200 page novella. A true Romantic-Suspense book with a Christmas theme is a rarity. I looked high and low for some this past Christmas season and came up pretty much empty. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to receive this book as an ARC. It definitely fits a niche that a lot of Romantic-Suspense authors have ignored. Although the romance was insta-lust, the plot was scary realistic. Rachel Grant continues to be one of my top favorite authors. I only wish she could write them as fast as I can read them.
This is the first Christmas that Raptor operative Nate Sifuentes has spent near family in eight years. Nate has finally been transferred to the DC area from the Raptor training facility in Alaska. His career has been on the slow track as one of the few still employed by Raptor who was hired by the previous owner. He gets why, he just doesn't like it and is ready to make his displeasure known. When his brother, owner of a car service, calls him needing a big favor, Nate can't say no. Pick up a fired employee from the Naval Ship Yard and take them home. Simple, two hours max.
As soon as computer programmer Leah Ellis sees the MP's heading her way the Sunday before Christmas she knows something is terribly wrong. They confiscate everything and escort her out of the building and off the premises. At the gate she is met by the hottest man she has ever seen and has no clue what to do. She has no money, no phone, no car, and no home. Just where is she supposed to go? Wondering if she is being kidnapped for her military drone technical knowledge, she decides to take a leap of faith and trust this mysterious stranger.
Nate has no idea why Leah was fired, he only knows that she is alone and in need of a friend. When he discovers someone tailing them, he decides she needs his protection too. Keeping her alive and finding out just what is happening turn this two hour gig into much more.
Wow, just wow! I was blown away by the way Rachel Grant was able to pack so much into a 200 page novella. A true Romantic-Suspense book with a Christmas theme is a rarity. I looked high and low for some this past Christmas season and came up pretty much empty. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to receive this book as an ARC. It definitely fits a niche that a lot of Romantic-Suspense authors have ignored. Although the romance was insta-lust, the plot was scary realistic. Rachel Grant continues to be one of my top favorite authors. I only wish she could write them as fast as I can read them.
This is the first Christmas that Raptor operative Nate Sifuentes has spent near family in eight years. Nate has finally been transferred to the DC area from the Raptor training facility in Alaska. His career has been on the slow track as one of the few still employed by Raptor who was hired by the previous owner. He gets why, he just doesn't like it and is ready to make his displeasure known. When his brother, owner of a car service, calls him needing a big favor, Nate can't say no. Pick up a fired employee from the Naval Ship Yard and take them home. Simple, two hours max.
As soon as computer programmer Leah Ellis sees the MP's heading her way the Sunday before Christmas she knows something is terribly wrong. They confiscate everything and escort her out of the building and off the premises. At the gate she is met by the hottest man she has ever seen and has no clue what to do. She has no money, no phone, no car, and no home. Just where is she supposed to go? Wondering if she is being kidnapped for her military drone technical knowledge, she decides to take a leap of faith and trust this mysterious stranger.
Nate has no idea why Leah was fired, he only knows that she is alone and in need of a friend. When he discovers someone tailing them, he decides she needs his protection too. Keeping her alive and finding out just what is happening turn this two hour gig into much more.
June 9, 2021
I love the Evidence series and I love RG's writing style, but since this is very short, it can be considered a novella...
I was expecting something more regarding the relationship between h and H not such an incredible insta-lust/love! It was really, really unbelievable!!
The crime part was interesting and the why and how too, but my above complain was so great that I couldn't give this one more than 3 stars... :(
I was expecting something more regarding the relationship between h and H not such an incredible insta-lust/love! It was really, really unbelievable!!
The crime part was interesting and the why and how too, but my above complain was so great that I couldn't give this one more than 3 stars... :(
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November 23, 2019Thrilled to have received this quote from Jayne Ann Krentz!
Want to read
December 5, 2019💝
ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
💝
December 24, 2025
12/24/25 Time for my annual reread!
"Winter Hawk" was a sexy, fast paced, and exciting read. I love this series and this was a nice addition, despite its shorter length. It takes place in December 2019, when Hanukkah overlaps with Christmas and New Year's Day 2020. I *loved* how the hero and heroine respected and shared each other's holidays. Also, the MCs are older, late 30s and early 40s, which was nice to see.
Hawk and Leah are smart, strong willed, funny, and sexy. They respect each other and, mostly, talk out their problems. They are also realistically flawed. The romance happened quickly, as they do in romantic suspense stories. But I found it believable and appreciated the lack of contrived conflict or angst.
The suspense was strong as Grant kept me guessing and the mystery was topical and scary. The motivation was on the one hand cliched and on the other hand also topical and timely.
While this is #9 in the series, I think you could easily jump in and start here.
"Winter Hawk" was a sexy, fast paced, and exciting read. I love this series and this was a nice addition, despite its shorter length. It takes place in December 2019, when Hanukkah overlaps with Christmas and New Year's Day 2020. I *loved* how the hero and heroine respected and shared each other's holidays. Also, the MCs are older, late 30s and early 40s, which was nice to see.
Hawk and Leah are smart, strong willed, funny, and sexy. They respect each other and, mostly, talk out their problems. They are also realistically flawed. The romance happened quickly, as they do in romantic suspense stories. But I found it believable and appreciated the lack of contrived conflict or angst.
The suspense was strong as Grant kept me guessing and the mystery was topical and scary. The motivation was on the one hand cliched and on the other hand also topical and timely.
While this is #9 in the series, I think you could easily jump in and start here.
December 5, 2019
Nate Sifuentes is the marginalised Raptor operative sent to pick up fired employee and drone engineer Leah Ellis, in what looks like a simple assignment until it blows up in their faces. That in essence, is ‘Winter Hawk’ , a short holiday novella in Rachel Grant’s Evidence series that is classic romantic suspense—non-stop action, tension, a conspiracy to unravel, with hot boinks in the midst of escaping the bad guys while clearing one’s good name. Think Bond or Bourne, just more compressed, with breathier scenes.
What feels like secondary characters become the protagonists here—older, jaded, done anything and everything with a ton of sexual partners—though the suspense is in no way compromised just because both Nate Sifuentes/Leah Ellis hadn’t been at the forefront of Grant’s books.
But I thought the brevity of the novella however did the pairing little justice given the speed at which everything went down. There’s the meet and greet to the sex (with a near-stranger) that felt more like a one-nighter than a start to a meaningful relationship and then the resolution, all of which didn’t erase the instalove feel I got from this—more so because it felt adrenaline-fuelled rather than genuine chemistry, heartfelt connection and mutual dependence. At the end of it all, I didn’t get or like this pairing, nor could I properly get invested in them at all, seeing as much of this couple was literally ‘wham-bam-thank you ma’am/sir’ and then it was the happy ride into the sunset along with a few out-of-place TSTL moments at the start.
Oddly enough, I think I might have enjoyed this more without the romance as a result, since this felt like the only questionable element in the story that proved a little too distracting. So not quite a disappointment, but also not the stellar read that I’ve come to associated with Grant’s kind of calibre.
*ARC by the publisher via Netgalley
What feels like secondary characters become the protagonists here—older, jaded, done anything and everything with a ton of sexual partners—though the suspense is in no way compromised just because both Nate Sifuentes/Leah Ellis hadn’t been at the forefront of Grant’s books.
But I thought the brevity of the novella however did the pairing little justice given the speed at which everything went down. There’s the meet and greet to the sex (with a near-stranger) that felt more like a one-nighter than a start to a meaningful relationship and then the resolution, all of which didn’t erase the instalove feel I got from this—more so because it felt adrenaline-fuelled rather than genuine chemistry, heartfelt connection and mutual dependence. At the end of it all, I didn’t get or like this pairing, nor could I properly get invested in them at all, seeing as much of this couple was literally ‘wham-bam-thank you ma’am/sir’ and then it was the happy ride into the sunset along with a few out-of-place TSTL moments at the start.
Oddly enough, I think I might have enjoyed this more without the romance as a result, since this felt like the only questionable element in the story that proved a little too distracting. So not quite a disappointment, but also not the stellar read that I’ve come to associated with Grant’s kind of calibre.
*ARC by the publisher via Netgalley
December 5, 2019
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley for a honest review.
Winter Hawk by Rachel Grant is Christmas novella jam packed with mystery, suspense and romance. Leah has been fired and she doesn't know why, Nate was there to pick her up and take her home but she had no home to go to. What follows next is an unraveling of a story about some who feels like they have a right to have a grudge and how two people connect in a truly suspenseful story. Good story line with some interesting character's, this is my first Rachel Grant story but now I'm curious to see more about the Evidence series.
Winter Hawk by Rachel Grant is Christmas novella jam packed with mystery, suspense and romance. Leah has been fired and she doesn't know why, Nate was there to pick her up and take her home but she had no home to go to. What follows next is an unraveling of a story about some who feels like they have a right to have a grudge and how two people connect in a truly suspenseful story. Good story line with some interesting character's, this is my first Rachel Grant story but now I'm curious to see more about the Evidence series.
December 7, 2019
This fast paced romantic suspense just whets my appetite for more Raptor books. This book has it all mystery, suspense, smoking hot romance, and one heck of a thrilling conclusion. As this is novella size the romance moves as a really fast rate but the chemistry was there from the start so it worked. Loved the suspense part of the plot about the drones.. A very edge of your seat read...
February 26, 2020
I completely read this out of order and still loved it! Two thumbs up!
Want to read
December 9, 202112/9/2021 - Audio is 99¢ on Chirp
December 7, 2019
Winter Hawk was an action packed holiday romance! Leah and Nate had an accidental, weird almost meet cute, then slid in to a fast courtship, but they made a cute couple! I enjoyed the romance, but the suspense is what always sells me on Grant’s books! The intricate plotting is stellar and fine tuned. This was a perfect holiday novella.
December 5, 2019
I think that it is probably a fairly universal truth that, while you can enjoy any book, any time, we all tend to feel most comfortable with books about people who are in our own age range. This novella (which is a pretty long novella) is about two people who are both in their 40s and are very serious about their careers and are NOT having a midlife crisis. I loved it.
Both Leah and Nate/Hawk are living their lives, focused on work, but both needing a better work/life balance. Leah is a truly badass programmer - at an almost genius level. But she is tough and career minded. I was so impressed with her overall character and strengths. She is a woman in a man's field who is conscientious, smart, and demanding - of her self and those around her. Nate is a longtime employee of Raptor - but has been held back because of his history with the company. He is good at his job, but was hired by someone who turned out to be a serious villain. When they meet - I can understand the insta-lust and quickly moving to love. I think this becomes a true case of, when you know, you know.
Nate and Leah are both adults and act like adults. Each has their own strengths (and weaknesses). They support each other and talk to each other. Even when Leah is trying to run - which is an understandable response in context - they still both act like adults. it was SO REFRESHING.
I have not read any of the other books in this series - and didn't feel left behind. I think you can 100% read this as a standalone.
I received this an an ARC from Netgalley, but these opinions are all my own!
If you liked my review and would like to read me more - check out more at http://thisbookthatlife.com
Both Leah and Nate/Hawk are living their lives, focused on work, but both needing a better work/life balance. Leah is a truly badass programmer - at an almost genius level. But she is tough and career minded. I was so impressed with her overall character and strengths. She is a woman in a man's field who is conscientious, smart, and demanding - of her self and those around her. Nate is a longtime employee of Raptor - but has been held back because of his history with the company. He is good at his job, but was hired by someone who turned out to be a serious villain. When they meet - I can understand the insta-lust and quickly moving to love. I think this becomes a true case of, when you know, you know.
Nate and Leah are both adults and act like adults. Each has their own strengths (and weaknesses). They support each other and talk to each other. Even when Leah is trying to run - which is an understandable response in context - they still both act like adults. it was SO REFRESHING.
I have not read any of the other books in this series - and didn't feel left behind. I think you can 100% read this as a standalone.
I received this an an ARC from Netgalley, but these opinions are all my own!
If you liked my review and would like to read me more - check out more at http://thisbookthatlife.com
November 29, 2019
Nate is slowly building up a real bitterness at being a Raptor Operative. Not because he hates the job, he's just fed up of being painted with the same brush as the despised Beck. It wasn't his fault his original boss was a horrid human being.
Taking over a driving job for his brothers business at the last minute, Nate realises it's a pretty sucky assignment too - some poor moob is getting canned right before the holidays. But when he sees the sexy Leah strutting towards him, head held high, he can't help but be turned on. But things quickly go pear-shaped when Leah seems to have become a target. Just what has Leah got involved in.
Leah is damn good at her job. She refuses to let a lesser coder take her job, just because she was better than she was and he's throwing the toys out of the pram. It;s the first night of Hanukkah, the first Hanukkah without her mother and she has had her home, money, car and career taken away from her. She should be crying in a corner but she is coming out fighting. The plotter obviously doesn't know how tenacious she is!
With her new driver/bodyguard/hero in her corner Leah is determined to take on the sabouteur.
Utterly fascinating, intensely passionate, fast and furiously paced but a really tight plotted story. Great to have some older leads for a change!
Taking over a driving job for his brothers business at the last minute, Nate realises it's a pretty sucky assignment too - some poor moob is getting canned right before the holidays. But when he sees the sexy Leah strutting towards him, head held high, he can't help but be turned on. But things quickly go pear-shaped when Leah seems to have become a target. Just what has Leah got involved in.
Leah is damn good at her job. She refuses to let a lesser coder take her job, just because she was better than she was and he's throwing the toys out of the pram. It;s the first night of Hanukkah, the first Hanukkah without her mother and she has had her home, money, car and career taken away from her. She should be crying in a corner but she is coming out fighting. The plotter obviously doesn't know how tenacious she is!
With her new driver/bodyguard/hero in her corner Leah is determined to take on the sabouteur.
Utterly fascinating, intensely passionate, fast and furiously paced but a really tight plotted story. Great to have some older leads for a change!
December 7, 2019
Such a great short read with sassy Leah and Hawk. When Leah is shocked by the one phone call that rips her life to shred. She's been fired and by the way she can't go back to the company condo, use her, company car, or get her belongs from either until they have been totally searched. She is escorted off the base by the military police and has no idea where she's going or how she's going to get there. That's when she sees a driver with a sign that has her last name written on it and Hawk picks her up. He's taken a side job for his brother and is a driver for a couple of hours. He has no idea he is walking into a situation where his skills as a Raptor operator with be necessary to help Leah as it becomes extremely clear someone is trying to kill her.
As they navigate the next couple of days it becomes clearer that someone is trying to not just kill Leah but he friends and millions of Americans and using her as a scapegoat.
Read to find out how this couple goes from strangers to very attached and saves millions of Americans.
As they navigate the next couple of days it becomes clearer that someone is trying to not just kill Leah but he friends and millions of Americans and using her as a scapegoat.
Read to find out how this couple goes from strangers to very attached and saves millions of Americans.
September 16, 2020
I have really loved Rachel Grant's Evidence series and when I saw this book I was so excited to read it.
This is the story of Raptor operative Nate Sifuentes and Leah Ellis. Nate has been asked by his brother to do a job on his first day of winter break. He has to drive fired military contractor home after she's been escorted off base.
Leah has lost everything she has no money, bed or phone all she has is a driver who might be after her military drone knowledge.
Nate's instincts kick in and he wants to protect Leah. She is being hunted and they need answers in order to stop a terror attack..
I really enjoyed this story it was a fast quick read for me. It was a great addition to the Evidence series and I can't wait to read the next.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley and here is my honest review. I planned on purchasing this book and would reccomend to friends and family.
This is the story of Raptor operative Nate Sifuentes and Leah Ellis. Nate has been asked by his brother to do a job on his first day of winter break. He has to drive fired military contractor home after she's been escorted off base.
Leah has lost everything she has no money, bed or phone all she has is a driver who might be after her military drone knowledge.
Nate's instincts kick in and he wants to protect Leah. She is being hunted and they need answers in order to stop a terror attack..
I really enjoyed this story it was a fast quick read for me. It was a great addition to the Evidence series and I can't wait to read the next.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley and here is my honest review. I planned on purchasing this book and would reccomend to friends and family.
December 5, 2019
When Nate Sifuentes accepts a job from his brother’s car service to pick up and deliver a client to their destination, two hours tops, he should have known things would fall apart. He is a former Green Beret and should be able to handle anything, but that is before he meets Leah Ellis. Leah has just been fired from her job writing code for the government. Escorted from the building, her driver is Nate. When someone follows them and tries to kill Leah, Nate as well as his buddies at Raptor are all in. Non-stop action as Nate uses his skills to keep Leah safe, but when the timeline is pushed forward to save others as well, they know failure is not an option. A fun, sexy suspense story as Leah and Nate give in to the attraction between them while trying to stay alive. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)
December 7, 2019
Leah is a computer coder and is working for the Navy. Her company is getting ready to release a new drone Leah developed. While working in the Navy yard, she is fired and left with no car, no money, and no house. The NSA has frozen everything until it can be searched. Nate is an employee for Raptor but his brother owns a car service and asks him to do a little favor. Pick up someone being fired at the Navy yard. He picks up Leah but someone is following them. When Leah is almost run down, Nate decides she needs protection. Nate’s buddy has a cabin and Nate and Leah head there to hide out. Can they find out who is trying to destroy Leah’s career and reputation?
Great story with action and sex. This is all happening a couple of days before Christmas. It may be short but it has a great story line.
* Voluntarily read and reviewed this for NetGalley *
Great story with action and sex. This is all happening a couple of days before Christmas. It may be short but it has a great story line.
* Voluntarily read and reviewed this for NetGalley *
December 29, 2019
Winter Hawk (Evidence 9) is a holiday novella in the Evidence series. Nate is a former green beret who works for the private security company, Raptor, and also occasionally drives wealthy and powerful clients for his brother when no other drivers are available. Nate picks up Leah Ellis who has suddenly been fired from her job a a government military manufacturer for reasons she does not understand. Nate is happy to drive her wherever she wants to go but on the way there are several attempts on her life. Nate vows to protect her and keep her safe while they find out what is going on.
Good story with lots of action for a novella and the romance between Nate and Leah heats up quickly. Thanks to the publisher, author and NetGalley for an ARC.
Good story with lots of action for a novella and the romance between Nate and Leah heats up quickly. Thanks to the publisher, author and NetGalley for an ARC.
December 7, 2019
I loved this novella, fast paced from the start such a great read. Well written, great pacing, action, romance, steamy and fun.
A wonderful quick read that made me want to go read other books in Rachel Grants work.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
A wonderful quick read that made me want to go read other books in Rachel Grants work.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
December 2, 2019
Mystery, action, romance and steaming sex in a quick and easy read. Well written with believable characters and dialogue, great plot and story.
July 30, 2025
I'm disappointed in this book because I liked it! That being said, I think it deserved a full book.
Leah and Nate's story featured insta love and drama and heartache and chaos! I think it would have been better getting their full stories. Particularly with today's political climate regarding religion. As a non-religious person (Truly anti-religion), I can still respect people that celebrate and embrace religion. The aspects of Judaism were interesting and relevant for this story. I liked how Nate truly wanted to know about her history and family traditions.
The insta-love was a little too perfect. I think a full novel would have been better for them to really feel their love story out.
Oh and this line: "'You don't celebrate Christmas and don't have family. You don't need time off now like the rest of us do.'
She'd stuffed the resentment and done the work."
The truth of this statement! As someone who has regularly been told I don't deserve holidays off or I should take more overtime because I don't have children, I felt very seen reading this. It's true that entitled parents love spinning things in their favor. And those people can go screw themselves.
Leah and Nate's story featured insta love and drama and heartache and chaos! I think it would have been better getting their full stories. Particularly with today's political climate regarding religion. As a non-religious person (Truly anti-religion), I can still respect people that celebrate and embrace religion. The aspects of Judaism were interesting and relevant for this story. I liked how Nate truly wanted to know about her history and family traditions.
The insta-love was a little too perfect. I think a full novel would have been better for them to really feel their love story out.
Oh and this line: "'You don't celebrate Christmas and don't have family. You don't need time off now like the rest of us do.'
She'd stuffed the resentment and done the work."
The truth of this statement! As someone who has regularly been told I don't deserve holidays off or I should take more overtime because I don't have children, I felt very seen reading this. It's true that entitled parents love spinning things in their favor. And those people can go screw themselves.
January 12, 2024
3.5/5 stars, rounding up. A solid first read of the new year. Some of the elements of the suspense plot probably needed a little more tying together, but overall I liked this.
April 12, 2020
I'm a huge fan of Rachel Grant and I have read all of her books to date so I was delighted to receive and ARC of Winter Hawk.
Raptor operative Nate Sifuentes isn’t thrilled to find himself back on the job on the first day of his winter vacation, but he can’t say no when his brother asks a favor. At least he’ll earn an easy Christmas bonus—after all, driving a fired military contractor home after she’s been escorted off base by military police can’t be that hard.
In a matter of minutes, Leah Ellis has lost everything, and now she’s stranded in the nation’s capital on the first night of Hanukkah without money, phone, or bed. All she has is a mysterious driver who might be after her technical knowledge of the US military’s drone operations.
The former Green Beret’s protective instincts—and skills—kick in when he discovers the alluring AI engineer is being hunted. On the run, they escape the winter cold by generating their own heat, but will they find answers in time to stop a terror attack on Christmas Day?
Winter Hawk is an absolute edge of your seat read I loved the storyline and the characters and the chemistry between Nate and Leah and I just couldn't put it down!
Thank you to NetGalley and Rachel Grant for the arc of Winter Hawk my review is honest and unbiased.
Raptor operative Nate Sifuentes isn’t thrilled to find himself back on the job on the first day of his winter vacation, but he can’t say no when his brother asks a favor. At least he’ll earn an easy Christmas bonus—after all, driving a fired military contractor home after she’s been escorted off base by military police can’t be that hard.
In a matter of minutes, Leah Ellis has lost everything, and now she’s stranded in the nation’s capital on the first night of Hanukkah without money, phone, or bed. All she has is a mysterious driver who might be after her technical knowledge of the US military’s drone operations.
The former Green Beret’s protective instincts—and skills—kick in when he discovers the alluring AI engineer is being hunted. On the run, they escape the winter cold by generating their own heat, but will they find answers in time to stop a terror attack on Christmas Day?
Winter Hawk is an absolute edge of your seat read I loved the storyline and the characters and the chemistry between Nate and Leah and I just couldn't put it down!
Thank you to NetGalley and Rachel Grant for the arc of Winter Hawk my review is honest and unbiased.
December 20, 2020
I really enjoyed this holiday instalment in the Raptor series from last December. It was nice to have older protagonists, the mixed-faith Jewish / secular Christian romance, and a male lead who's just so damn good at respecting the female lead's competence and complete ease when it comes to expressing what she wants.
The plot was... not massively original (I pretty much figured out what was going to happen early in the book - to some extent, it reminded me of Catalyst, albeit in a very different field and for very different reasons), but honestly, I didn't care. I just enjoyed hanging out with the characters and watching their relationship develop regardless of what was happening in the plot.
Basically, Rachel Grant and Toni Anderson have become my benchmark for smart, competent romance characters that don't make my inner feminist twitch (and yes, they've both had instalments that haven't worked for me, but on the whole, they're both effectively auto-buy authors for me: if I see they're going to release something, I'll pre-order it the second I can). And this was one of the ones that worked - so yay for that!
The plot was... not massively original (I pretty much figured out what was going to happen early in the book - to some extent, it reminded me of Catalyst, albeit in a very different field and for very different reasons), but honestly, I didn't care. I just enjoyed hanging out with the characters and watching their relationship develop regardless of what was happening in the plot.
Basically, Rachel Grant and Toni Anderson have become my benchmark for smart, competent romance characters that don't make my inner feminist twitch (and yes, they've both had instalments that haven't worked for me, but on the whole, they're both effectively auto-buy authors for me: if I see they're going to release something, I'll pre-order it the second I can). And this was one of the ones that worked - so yay for that!
June 8, 2020
Raptor operative Nate Sifuentes isn’t thrilled to find himself back on the job on the first day of his winter vacation, but he can’t say no when his brother asks a favor. At least he’ll earn an easy Christmas bonus—after all, driving a fired military contractor home after she’s been escorted off base by military police can’t be that hard. In a matter of minutes, Leah Ellis has lost everything, and now she’s stranded in the nation’s capital on the first night of Hanukkah without money, phone, or bed. All she has is a mysterious driver who might be after her technical knowledge of the US military’s drone operations. The former Green Beret’s protective instincts—and skills—kick in when he discovers the alluring AI engineer is being hunted. On the run, they escape the winter cold by generating their own heat, but will they find answers in time to stop a terror attack on Christmas Day?
This was a decent read. It was light and quick to read. The characters were likable and the overall plot was good. I recommend.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book
This was a decent read. It was light and quick to read. The characters were likable and the overall plot was good. I recommend.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book
July 4, 2021
A perfect holiday suspense
I absolutely LOVE The Evidence Series! Anything by Rachel is an automatic buy for me. She has some of the best suspense plots, action and passion. These stories have it all! Nick first showed up in Incriminating Evidence as a Raptor operative in Alaska and has now moved to the D.C. office. He meets Leah by chance when he is asked to fill in as a driver to pick her up after she is fired. The story takes off from there and the action doesn’t stop until the very end. Will they be able to save Christmas? I can’t wait for more Raptor novels and hope we get updates on the other characters in The Evidence Series as well!
I absolutely LOVE The Evidence Series! Anything by Rachel is an automatic buy for me. She has some of the best suspense plots, action and passion. These stories have it all! Nick first showed up in Incriminating Evidence as a Raptor operative in Alaska and has now moved to the D.C. office. He meets Leah by chance when he is asked to fill in as a driver to pick her up after she is fired. The story takes off from there and the action doesn’t stop until the very end. Will they be able to save Christmas? I can’t wait for more Raptor novels and hope we get updates on the other characters in The Evidence Series as well!
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