Twisted Secrets

Deadly Isles Special Ops #1

by Amy McKinley

After her messy break-up, the last thing grad student Riley Evans expects is to meet someone new. Throw in a family history of bad relationships, the likelihood of the past repeating itself seems inevitable—especially after her ex turns stalker. She’s a magnet for disaster. But when a man walks into the Coffee Hut and asks her on a date, she isn’t prepared for the flare of desire. The pull of attraction is impossible to deny, and she gives love a second chance.

Navy SEAL Xander Hale lands in a Hawaii military hospital after a mission gone wrong. If that wasn’t bad enough, his girlfriend breaks up with him. Plagued by his current single status and suspicions over the mission’s bad intel, doubts fester about the direction of his life. Until he stops for coffee and encounters a barista that steals his breath and shifts his priorities from a presumed military career path to civilian.

When danger closes in after a suspicious home invasion, Xander whisks Riley to the safety of his family’s island. On secluded shores, he’s determined to keep her safe. But dark memories are triggered by her past and followed by a hidden threat that neither anticipated.

*The Deadly Isles Special Ops series is a Romantic Suspense filled with intriguing twists and meant to be read in order. All the strings left untied come together in the epic conclusion.

Genres: Romantic Suspense, Romance

218 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 7, 2021

About the author

Amy McKinley is the USA Today bestselling author of the romantic suspense thriller Gray Ghost Novels, Deadly Isles Special Ops, Mafia Elite, Moonlit Destination, Five Fates paranormal romance, and several standalone titles. Her edge-of-your-seat books are filled with surprising twists and just the right amount of heat and danger. She lives in Illinois with her husband, two daughters, two sons, and three mischievous cats. You can find her at www.AmyMcKinley.com

Reviews

[Riley]

I received a free ARC copy in exchange for a honest review. This is my own opinion and was not influenced by anyone.

Twisted Secrets is the first book I have read by Amy McKinley, which worked out well as this is the first book in the new series Deadly Isles Special Ops. This story has crime, action and romance. It is one of deception, betrayals and murder.

Xander is a Navy SEAL who's last mission was a failure. Now on his current one, things get switched up and a tragedy occurs leaving him with questions as to what went wrong. This is just making the empty hole in his life larger. He has two brothers: Jason (Jax) and Tyler (Ty). Jax is a former Navy SEAL and Ty is still active. They help him look into the problems at work.

Riley is a grad student, weeks away from graduation. She is working on her MFA in photography while she works at the Coffee Hut. There we meet those she works with: Jeffrey, Chloe and Mel and a regular but difficult customer Ava. We also meet Charles, her married, professor, advisor, boyfriend. Lately their relationship is strained.

When Xander hears Riley voice by chance he is drawn to her. He feels something amazing and new to him. She's attracted to him but holds back due to Charles. When things get scary for Riley, Xander steps in to protect her at all costs.

These characters have chemistry that develops slowly as the story progresses. The mystery surrounding events in Riley's life is a slow burn, giving us a few possible suspects. It involves murder and betrayals.

The story does end with a few important points still dangling. There were definitely parts if the story where I couldn't put the book down. I will be picking up the next one in this new series.

[Laura Furuta]

Twisted Secrets (Deadly Isles Special Ops Book 1)
By Amy McKinley
5 out of 5 stars

I loved reading the book Twisted Secrets (Deadly Isles Special Ops Book 1) by Amy McKinley. It is a story that had my emotions going up and down as I was reading it. The book includes danger. suspense. And romance. I loved the characters of Riley Evans and Xander Hale. They have a deep attraction/connection. What does the future hold for them? Read this book to find out. This is a story that had me on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next. I also enjoyed reading about the additional characters that are introduced. I liked that the characters are well-developed and made me want them to be safe and happy. The author does a wonderful job of making the story and the characters come alive. i was turning pages wanting to know how it all turns out. This is a book with strong main characters that are amazing. Don’t miss out on a story that is intriguing, exciting, entertaining, and suspenseful. I highly recommend it.

[Kylie Cook]

Stranger than fiction

This story had a bit of everything. Romance (of course), action, betrayal, mystery and suspense. Navy SEAL Xander is taking some forced downtime after a failed mission. He meets grad student Riley and they have an instant connection. However, Riley is in a relationship. When Riley’s relationship status changes, they are free to pursue each other but strange things start to happen to Riley and she is left wondering if they are the work of her ex or someone else. Xander and his brothers are also trying to find answers to why his teams missions keep going wrong.

The writing was very descriptive and the storyline was compelling with the mystery involving Riley predominantly driving the story. Xander also had his own mystery to solve so there was a lot happening. I was certainly kept guessing until the very end. The main characters don’t really have a lot of interaction for most of the story so I felt it was lacking the amount of heat I like in my romances.

While Xander and Riley’s story is complete, some aspects of their storyline will continue in the upcoming books in the series.

If you like your romance with some action and a mystery to solve then this is the book for you.

[Liz]

Oh I am so going to love this series! I have loved Amy McKinley’s writing before and especially loved her Gray Ghost Series so when I discovered this is a spin off type series of that I knew I needed to get my hands on it and I needed it NOW. I was so not disappointed and loved every moment I spent reading Twisted Secrets, the first of her Deadly Isles Special Ops series. This is one heck of a suspenseful ride as you read bringing the drama and smexy sizzle to the underlying storylines that will keep you wanting more, more, more. I really loved following along and the story that we got with Xander and Riley. These two bring the heat and the suspense that will leave you on the edge of your seat trying to figure things out as you go. I loved and hated the way this ended… mostly because I wanted more lol. I am anxious to get my hands on the next book in the series soon! This is one you do not want to miss!

[Jenni]

Twisted Secrets (Deadly Isles Special Ops Book 1) by Amy McKinley is a crime romance story with lots of suspense. Amy is a go to author and I loved her Gray Ghosts series and the swoon worthy men that are spilling over into this series. As I have come to expect from Amy the story is wonderfully written and the world building is superbly done. The characters are well developed and it is a compelling story. Action and lies, secrets and hopes, intensity and intrigue are just some of the things that will have this book glued to your hand. Throw in an ex SEAL or two or more and some sizzling romance and you have a winner.

Being dumped after a failed mission or so it looks and at a low point in his life Xander finds himself helping and drawn to a young woman who has some strange events happening to her.

I cannot wait to see where Amy takes this series.

[Katie]

Twisted Secrets
By Amy McKinley
5 stars

Another fantastic read from this very talented author. I absolutely adore reading her books; I am so invested in the characters and their stories from the beginning until the very end. I can already tell that this series is going to be just as amazing as her previous one; Twisted Secrets is full to the brim of action and romance. Xander and Riley’s story was great to read, I really enjoyed the characters – especially Xander who is everything I wanted him to be and more!! I am so excited to read the rest of this series! I can’t wait for more!!

[Naomi Valkyrie]

Twisted Secrets is the first book in the Deadly Isles Special Ops series. The main story between Xander and Riley wraps up, but there is a cliffhanger to the other part of the story line.
Overall, I enjoyed this story. The characters are interesting and the plot is intriguing. The only struggle I had was the way that Riley’s friendship with Mel developed. It seemed like there was something missing that got them from point a to point b, but I may have just inadvertently missed a key point somewhere in the story.
A promising start to a new series.

[Dana]

I had pretty high expectations for this book. The blurb had me hooked. And it does have a great storyline. The problem was the delivery of it. I could not connect with anything here to save my life. There were so many holes in the story, starting with who Riley’s friends were. The girl works in a coffee shop, we are told how she has a regular customer named Ava who she likes, but they don’t talk very much because Ava is kind of standoffish, however, she only likes the way Riley makes her coffee. But then Riley keeps on calling Ava with all her personal problems, like they’re bff’s. Then, there’s Chloe who is much younger, therefore, they got nothing in common and don’t talk that much. But then Riley hangs out with Chloe to take her pics for her collection. Then, there’s the boyfriend situation. All of a sudden Riley is done with him, and even though it might seem like there was a good lead into it, there wasn’t, and it felt forced.
Xander didn’t have much to say overall, and even though we have him and Riley thrown together here and there, there isn’t much chemistry between the two. He also has his own drama going on the side, which was neither here nor there, and which did not get resolved in this book, so I’m assuming it will continue in book 2.
To wrap this up, the changes from one event to the next were so abrupt, and felt a little forced, the transition left me with lots of questions. There was a surprise twist at the end, but then the ending itself was as abrupt as everything else. I found myself at about 53% mark when Riley and Xander finally started getting together more, so I’m not sure if this is supposed to be a romance related story or not. I have already committed to reading book 2 in this series, so I am hoping to like it a little more.

[Roxsanne Lesieur]

This is the story of Riley Evans and Xander Hale, she is a grad student and works in a coffee shop, he is a SEAL who is on leave after a medical procedure to remove shrapnel from his shoulder after his latest mission took a turn for the worse and a last minute change of plan meant that one of his brothers in arms was killed. He is not happy and when he finds out that he guy who was leading the team has also stolen his girlfriend, he is in no shape to go on missions, so he is made to go on a further few weeks of leave and he decides to make the most of it and do some renovations on his families homes on a nearby island.

Next Riley is at the coffee shop and about to start her shift, she greets a customer, a customer who has become a friend over the time she has been frequenting her coffee shop while she writes her books and complains that the other servers get her order wrong, unlike Riley. She chats with a coworker as she finishes her shift about the pizza get together she missed because of her homework and about a customer, she also hints that she has had some books published herself under a pen name. As she delivers the customer’s order, Riley is intrigued by the book she is reading and asks about it, it turns out that her coworker recommended it and that it is a really good one, Riley considers getting a copy for herself, just as a customer is putting it away, the book, a pair of designer sunglasses fall out of her bag, Riley picks them up for her, compliments her on them and then gets back to serving coffee until a new customer peaks her interest.

As Xander is heading to the local hardware store to buy what he needs for the renovations, while he thinks about how it would be nice if he could find someone to have a relationship with like the one his parents have, but he doesn’t think that it is something which will happen, he also thinks about his friend who was killed, that is until he hears a voice which calls to him from inside the coffee shop he is passing, this is where he sees a woman who looks like his type and he feels a connection to her which he cannot explain, so he goes inside and when he locks eyes with her, he knows she is something special. Riley has no idea how to react when she is face to face with this gorgeous man who has just walked in, so she serves him and when he starts to flirt with her, she has to put some distance between them or she would lose her mind, so when she serves him his black coffee and when her boss shouts that it is on the house, she asks him who it was, little does she know that this isn’t going to be the last time that they bump into each other.

A few days later, Riley is exhausted after working a double shift and exercising to chase away her demons in her nightmares, she is heading to the hardware store and when she steps through the doorway, she slams straight into the guy from the coffee shop, she apologises and then has the most awkward conversation with him, until he asks her to lunch, she tells him she has a boyfriend, but he counters with he would just like her company, so she agrees to go. This time the conversion isn’t as awkward and they have a good time and as they say goodbye, her mind wanders to her boyfriend and how they were arguing more and he seemed distant and when he cancels on her by text, she is even less impressed. When he calls her up demanding to know where she is her hackles raise and she tells him that she didn’t agree to go see him, he makes his excuses for not spending time with her and blames it on her as usual, but when she gets home and sees that her front door is open, she has something else to worry about, but she is late for a shopping trip with her friend and so she tries not to think about it while they have a girls afternoon together.

As the days pass, Riley begins to wonder why she is even with her boyfriend, how everything is on his terms and how he seems to act like she is just a warm body and nothing else, she is also thinking about Xander and how it is so easy and different while she is spending time with him and eventually makes the decision to break up with him, but when he refuses to give up on her and someone breaks into her apartment again, she has to get the police involved and things start to take a more sinister turn, including her night terrors and the past memories they bring with them. Can her and Xander’s budding relationship develop while her past is threatening to tear them apart and who is breaking into her apartment, is it her ex, or someone else? The only way to find out the answers is to read along with this thrilling adventure which twists and turns so much, you won’t know until the very end what will happen.

[Angela]

4 Stars

Twisted Secrets is the first book in the Deadly Isles Special Ops series by Amy McKinley. This book sets the series off to superb start with wonderful characters, an exciting storyline full of action, danger, violence, drama, sizzle, intrigue, tension, mystery, suspense, adventure, family dynamics, banter, humour, finding love unexpectedly, and romance. It is a bit of a spin-off from the Gray Ghosts series- so I am excited to see where it will all lead.
After a mission goes awry, Xander is forced to take some down-time to recover. He has had a string of bad luck lately- including the failed mission, and his girlfriend dumping him. He also can’t seem to shake the suspicious feeling that there was more to the failed mission than what they were led to believe.
Riley is a grad student working as a barista in a local coffee shop, to make ends meet. When her relationship ends badly, and strange things begin to happen- Xander is there to yank her to safety. Will he be able to keep her safe? And will he figure everything out? This is well worth the read to find out.
Riley and Xander were such great characters, and I really enjoyed following along on their adventure. I loved how Ms. McKinley wove a spicy romance through a wonderfully suspenseful tale- including all the mystery surrounding Xander’s failed mission and his SEAL team. The underlying storyline looks set to continue into the next book/rest of the series- so I am really looking forward to seeing what she has in store for us in the next instalment.
Another completely engrossing and intriguing read- with all the intensity, sparks, chemistry, tension, and dramatic developments I have come to expect from Ms. McKinley!

Thank you, Amy McKinley!

[Angela Shirley]

When you are in slump after a mission has gone wrong and you start questioning things in your life, in walks an angel and you believe everything will be alright, or will it.

Xander is a navy seal but when his mission with his team goes wrong and causes him to have to take some down time to recover he feels that sometime just was not right with the intel, bit he has more to worry about when his girlfriend decides to leave him he feels like the world is working against him. One day all this changes when he hears a voice that he is instantly drawn too but will he be able to convince the owner of the voice they belong together.

Riley is a grad student, working in a coffee shop to help with the funds but one day she see him, the man who she can't get out of her mind although she is in a relationship but what she thought was in her past, may invade her future.

I loved this story and I love Amy McKinley's novels and this is just as good as the other stories. The chemistry between these two characters was brilliant and drawn you in. The writing draws you into the story and keeps your attention from the first page to the last.

I also think the secondary characters enhance the story and make this a un deniable great read. The tale twists and turns and brings both of the characters history to light which just adds to the mysteries within the story. I not only recommend this book and can't wait to read the next book in the series but if you love this book you need to read the other series by this wonderful author.

[Mrs R]

This book was an easy read, full of romance, suspense and action but I think it was below the usually high standard for this author.
Riley is dating who she believes is a man separated from his wife, however she soon finds out he is still married which then turns into a very messy break up. Around the same time she meets Xander, who she has an instant attraction to, but she's unsure if she can trust again. Xander is a Seal who's last two missions went wrong, and he has a bad feeling about his new commander.
I enjoyed the main plot of the story and there were a few parts I didn't see coming which added to the suspense.
The book almost felt like it had two different plots running, one with Xander and the other with Riley. Xander's part seemed to take the backseat and was never resolved, so I'm unsure if this will continue into the next book.
There seems to be a few discrepancies that need resolving. Riley's relationship with Ava was confusing, she was introduced as just a customer of the coffee shop, but then a chapter later they were best friends and calling each other all the time. I didn't quite understand the relationship with Melanie either, for someone who was so jealous it seemed unlikely that she would talk Riley into attending Charles class.
There was a huge amount of description on taking pictures, getting them set up, editing and what the picture portrayed which felt like far too much considering the relevance to the story.
Overall, the story was enjoyable and I will be reading the next book in the series.

[Escape to the pages]

I fell into this story really easily and was thoroughly entranced by the storyline and especially the family dynamic between the brothers.
I struggled however with Riley, I couldn’t work out if she was naive or just chose to wear blinders with her relationship with Charles and whilst some family history reason for this was hinted at, it was never fully explored enough to make it “ok” for her to have acted how she did early on in the book in terms of her relationship with him. I also couldn’t really get over whilst at the same time Xander was falling for her, she still clearly harboured unresolved feelings for Charles, yet then fell so quickly in love with Xander at about 80% of the way through the book. Despite this I did feel towards the end of the book her character was slightly more rounded out though still a little directionless.

I feel like the story behind Xanders mission will have to come up again in one or both of the brothers books as whilst it was referred to many times, it just didn’t really progress or conclude.

Overall there were many pleasing elements to this book and lots of plot directions that were exciting, but it just wasn’t put together very cohesively. I’m not sure of that’s the authors style or if it’s because It’s the first of a series so there was a lot of Easter eggs to bury but it left the feel of the book a little ragged.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jennifer]

I was hooked from page one of this novel which is packed full of romance, drama and suspense, by one of my favourite authors, Amy McKinley. Following a messy break up and with a family history of bad relationships, grad student Riley Evans is not looking for love especially when her ex starts stalking her. Navy SEAL Xander Hale finds himself in a military hospital in Hawaii after a mission gone horribly wrong. Newly single Xander is also not looking for a relationship and is preoccupied by his suspicions over his last mission. However when Riley and Xander meet in the Coffee Hut where Riley works as a barista Riley is suddenly thinking of giving love a second chance when Xander asks her for a date. Xander’s background comes in useful when Riley is put in danger and so he takes her to his family’s island for her safety. However even on the secluded island a hidden threat and dark memories threaten the couple. I was gripped by Riley and Xander’s story and felt completely immersed in the storyline due to the authors descriptive narrative and writing style. The instant attraction between the couple really came across in the story and I liked how their relationship then developed throughout the book. Both of the main characters were likeable and relatable and the suspenseful plot kept me happily turning the pages. This was an exciting and enjoyable read and I look forward to reading the next book in this new series, ‘Deadly Isles Special Ops’.

[Kendra Aubry]

“A nice change of pace from the cliché grocery store romance novels.”

Twisted Secrets is a fantastic blend of multiple genres, always keeping the reader guessing about what’s around the corner.

Xander Hale is a Navy SEAL on leave in Honolulu for questioning the actions of his new commanding officer, and when he stops by the local coffee shop, he meets grad student Riley Evans and instantly feels a connection with the woman. Riley is a photographer juggling the last few weeks of school, indecision as to what to do after graduation, and a complicated relationship with her professor. After ending their affair, Riley becomes the subject of her ex’s new and erratic, possessive side, and also the victim of several frightening events. Xander finds himself drawn to Riley and wants nothing more than to protect her while the police try to get to the bottom of things before she either ends up a suspect or a victim.
I could not put this book down! The way that McKinley kept the story from becoming too deeply entrenched in any one genre made it an exciting and refreshing read. The characters are multi-faceted and allow their individual histories to unfold in an organic fashion, rather than feeling contrived or forced. Unlike other mystery-type books, there was no anticipating which way the story would turn.
I cannot wait to read the next two books in the series!!

[Michelle Austin]

Twisted Secrets (Deadly Isles Special Ops Book 1) by Amy McKinley was a great 5 star read
I was pulled in right from the beginning and couldn’t put it down.

Riley is a grad student and works at the local coffee shop. She isn’t looking to have a relationship since she already has a boyfriend. But the boyfriend hasn’t been acting very kind lately and she starts to question being with him.
Xander is a SEAL who finds himself on leave for a while to work out some personal things. He is working on renovations to keep himself busy. He meets Riley when he hears her voice, something about it pulls him in, when he comes face-to-face with Riley he feels an instant connection with her.

Things take a scary twist when Riley decides to move forward from the boyfriend. She is having nightmares and past memories start to haunt her. Can Riley help her get through her fear? Can they have a HEA?

Overall I really enjoyed this read. Riley and Xander were great, their chemistry came right off the pages. We get romance, suspense and so much more. All of the characters added a great element to the story. I enjoy reading books from this author, her writing pulls you right in. If you're looking for a great read, 1-click and get started today.

[Tracy Antonelli Manderson]

Twisted Secrets by Amy McKinley

5 out of 5 stars

I have read a few books written by Ms. McKinley and I think Twisted Secrets was my favorite. The characters are well written and amazing how well they connect. The description of Honolulu was amazing I felt like I was there. This is a military love story with a few twists.

We meet Xander and Riley and there great. Xander is a navy seal and he just came back from a mission that went wrong. When he questions his Commander, he got put on leave on top of that he just broke up with his girlfriend. He has been thinking about his current single status and suspicions over the mission’s bad intel, doubts fester about the direction of his life. Then he meets an angle grad student Riley Evans but she is reeling from a bad break-up.

The last thing Riley expects is to meet someone knew so soon. Especially now that her ex is stalking her and with her family history could she put her trust in Xander or is he another disaster in waiting? Can they over come the obstacles thrown there way? Will they have a happily ever after?

You need to read this great book… I highly recommend it….

Tracy
@tracym

[Cindy]

Twisted Secrets
Deadly Isles Special Ops
Book 1
By Amy McKinley
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
This is a full length Suspenseful Romance. Come on in and see what this book has in store for you.

Riley Evans has escaped many tragic events in her life. Therefore her focus is on finishing college and starting a new life. Living in Hawaii has its perks as well as a stalker ex-boyfriend. Then she meets Xander Hale. Sexy, good looking and smooth. Being a Military man he has many things to reconsider. After the last job landed him in the hospital, giving him many unanswered questions. Once he meets Riley he is attracted to her and asks her out. That is all you get. No Spoilers, find out what happens next in this story.

Amy McKinley is the author of this fast paced rollercoaster. All of your emotions will be brought out in this story. The twists and turns of events will keep you entertained. You can't help but to fall in love with the characters. I love a strong independent woman who is not afraid to defend herself. This book has it all: ex-boyfriends, women scorn, hot steamy men, rolled to this romantic suspense. Well Done Amy McKinley! Well Done!

[Vanessa Watts]

I could not put this book down, I read it in two hours from start to finish. As if the gorgeous Navy Seal Xander wasn’t enough to pull me in, you add in the real threat of danger and divine story line and I was sold from page one.
Xander must come to terms with a mission that seems to have more unnatural flaws that cannot be accounted for as well as becoming single after hoping to settle down with his girlfriend. He takes leave after being injured on his last mission and heads to his own personal paradise where fate seems to have ideas about his love life. In enters Riley who is dealing with her own romance problems and her stalker ex. Things seem to go from bad to worse when Riley starts encountering dangerous happenings at her apartment. At this point Xander becomes her white knight making her feel safe and protected. But is he able to protect her from the danger that lurks around every corner? Can Xander and Riley move past their current circumstances and build a future together? There are twists and turns around every corner making this a wonderful page turner and keeping the reader guessing on where the danger is coming from.

[Trish (Beautiful Chaos Reviews)]

Twisted Secrets is the first in the Island Secrets series, a spin-off of the Gray Ghost series. I have not read the Gray Ghost series, but I think I may want to because Twisted Secrets was suspenseful and steamy. Riley and Xander made a great insta-love couple, and they introduced us to the brothers and other characters that will make up the rest of the series.

The setting was beautiful, and I loved how Riley got right out there and surfed with Xander. I liked her independence and confidence in her Art. I also liked that once she made a decision, she stuck with it. This book was a bit on the short side, but the author still managed to create a fair bit of tension, mystery, and danger.

Along with Riley's mystery solved in this book, there is an ongoing mystery involving Xander's SEAL team. The author will continue that storyline through the series. I am looking forward to finding out what is going on and getting to know Xander's two brothers. If you enjoy good suspense with steam and very likable characters, give this book a read.

[Jennifer Pierson]

A SUPER HOT Navy SEAL, an amazing heroine, and suspense ramping up against a backdrop of a colorful island paradise, I mean, it's perfection in my eyes. Riley Evans is getting out of a relationship that doesn't seem to be going so well, as he won't get the memo. It gets complicated when that relationship is with one of her teachers who is totally stalking her which helps nothing. She never thought she would meet someone new in the midst of all of this chaos, but SEAL Xander is on leave so he strolls into the coffee shop she works at. The attraction is instant like a bolt of lightning, and as they're getting to know each other, things are taking a darker turn as it appears that someone is after her. Xander has his own issues since he's suspicious of a mission gone wrong,  so there are twists all over the place. Now, he helped Riley get to the bottom of her stuff but there are still questions that he has & I have so I CANNOT WAIT to read the next book so many just maybe I'll get those answers! HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND! 

[Ashley Jasper]

When I saw the plot for Twisted Secrets I knew I had to make it my first read from Amy McKinley because it has all of my favorite things. Navy SEAL + Hawai'i + Suspense = Yes, please and thank you! That being said, there were some contradictions that detracted a bit from the overall telling of the story.

I enjoyed the way the suspense steadily mounted as the book progressed. And in the midst of fear and murder, was this budding relationship between two people who had been more than unlucky in love. There was no denying the attraction between Xander and Riley. It was instantaneous. As their feelings for one another grew, so did the danger.

I will say that Amy McKinley had me going right until the end with who was the culprit behind all the death and destruction. My heart was racing as those intense moments played out. While Riley and Xander's journey came to a happy close, there are still loads of unanswered questions surrounding some things that went down in Twisted Secrets and I'm looking forward to seeing where the series goes next.

[Betsy Melano]

Twisted Secrets: Deadly Isles Special Ops, Book 1
By Amy McKinley

This book has suspense, romance, and a bit of mystery all rolled into it. Xander is a SEAL who finds out his girlfriend has found someone new. While he is on an extended leave, he is considering what haw wants to do with his life. One day he catches sight of Riley at a local coffee shop and is drawn to her in a way he never expected.
Riley is beginning to wonder if her boyfriend Charles is really being truthful or not. As she considers her current relationship, odd things begin happening to her. Riley’s apartment is broken into, she is hit in the stomach while out for a run, and receives threatening texts from an unknown number. The more she considers her relationship with Charles, the more she feels she needs to make a change.
As Xander and Riley begin to spend time with each other and start a friendship, Riley is noticing that being around Xander is natural and good for her. Has Riley finally broken her family curse of being in a bad relationship?

[Kerry carr]

This  book is the first in the Deadly Isles Special ops series and what a book. I loved the instant attraction between the main characters and also the mystery and drama that it involves.

Riley is a student studying photography. She also works in a coffee shop. Things seem good for Riley however things her boyfriend and professor seem to be heading downhill. There are secrets he is keeping from her. When her house is broken into and she gets weird messages is someone out to get her?

When Xander  an Navy SEAL walks into her life the last thing she expects the the instant connection between them.
Xander is on leave after his last assignment left him injured. He's home to renovate his families properties. After leaving his job and his girlfriend leaving him all he wants is to focus on his tasks and get back to work. That is until he meets Riley.
He feels a connection so strong its like nothing he's felt before. The need to protect her is immense.

Can they both overcome their pasts to ha e a future together? Can Xander save Riley from who ever is after her? Who is after Riley?

[Heather Bass]

I have read a few books from this author but she continues to blow my mind. I love a good military romance but this author always exceeds my expectations. This is the first book to a new series called Deadly Isles Special Ops. These characters drew me into their story right away. I could not put this book down until the end. I can’t wait to see what she will write next.

Riley Evans is going to grad school for photography and she is in love. She is so excited to graduate but when the stress starts to hit she finds herself breaking up the guy she thought was her one. Riley is in shock when a gorgeous guy walks in the coffee shop she works at. She can’t take her eyes off of him. Riley is also dealing with her ex being a stalker. When she meets Xander she feels something she has never felt before. They start to get to know each other and they can’t resist anymore. They are so busy with their relationship they don’t realize that danger is waiting to strike. Will Riley and Xander see their danger or will it be too late?

[Elizabeth]

Twisted Secrets is Amy McKinley's first book in her Deadly Isles Special Ops series. It is very similar to the Gray Ghost series, with some references to overlapping characters. I LOVED this book, and cannot wait to read more. The story is very well told, with the mystery and suspense lasting until the end of the book. I was pleased that I never figured out "who done it" until it was revealed. Bravo! The characters are very likeable, each with their own friendships and past. I wish there was more details unfolded about Xander's drama within his SEALS team, but I suppose that might continue into the next book. The story focuses on on Riley and Xander, and their developing relationship. I liked that each had their own stuff going on, so its almost 3 stories merging. There is Xander and his possible infiltration within his SEALS team. Riley's relationship and the drama surrounding her breakup. And then the relationship that is developing between Riley and Xander. Highly recommend this book and can't wait to read the next book.

[Kayla Kearney]

The first book in the Deadly Isles Special Ops series, Amy McKinley’s Twisted Secrets has you unable to put the book down! Quite possibly the best book that I’ve read this year, this is the first book that I’ve read by the author, but it certainly won’t be the last!

Not your run-of-the-mill romance novel, the author does a great job of adding suspense, conflict, and depth to the plot and the characters, making it easy for the reader to feel a connection to the story and the characters themselves.

This book made my heart race in the intense moments, and a few tears were shed along the way as well. Amy does an amazing job of describing exactly what is happening, so that you feel as if you are in the same room as the character themselves, and every issue that they encounter, you encounter right along with them.

This book allowed me to escape my life for a while, one of the greatest gifts an author can have in their writing. I am so excited to binge read the rest of the series, as well as check out her other books!

[Dawn Daughenbaugh]

5 Stars
Twisted Secrets (Deadly Isles Special Ops Book 1) by Amy McKinley

Twisted Secrets is the first book in the Deadly Isles Special Ops series by Amy McKinley. This is a romantic suspense that is a quick paced story packed with action, suspense , danger, mystery, adventure and romance. I found myself lost in the pages and couldn’t put it down till I finished . I had to know what was going to happen next . This is Riley and Xander's story. They both have had bad break ups , he is forced to take time to recover after a mission goes wrong. He’s had a little bad luck lately but he can’t ignore the feeling that there’s more to the failed mission than what they believe . She is a college student working at a coffee shop and recently strange things start happening not to mention her last relationship didn’t end so well. Xander is there to pull her to safety. Can he keep her safe? Find out what happens next in this must read . I can’t wait to read more from this Author.

[Trish]

This is the first book in the Deadly Isles Special Ops series. It’s a military romantic suspense. It was steamy and entertaining. I really enjoyed it and have already add the authors Grey Ghost series to my reading list. The main plot of the story follows Riley and her problems but Xander is dealing with his own mystery that will continue on into the next book.

Xander is a Navy SEAL and he meets Riley at the coffee shop she works at while he's home on leave. After being on a second op that’s gone wrong, he's feels like there's something wrong and wants to keep investigating that. Both Xander and Riley are dealing with breakups but their connection to each other is strong. Riley breaks up with the man she's been dating when she finds out he's married. After the breakup weird things start happening to Riley. Can Riley and Xander get to the bottom of the mystery before it’s to late?

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Daisy Sauceda]

This is the first book I have read from Amy McKinley and I loved it. So this is usually not something that I read. I have not found any military type of romance books that sucks me in the story. Twisted Secrets had me in the first chapter and I was intrigued. So we have Xander who was injured on a mission and now is home recovering. Not only is he injured but his girl is with another man he knows. Then you have Riley who learns some information about her boyfriend and weird stuff starts happening around her. Now when Xander meets Riley his world shifts and he feels it. Now the thing about this book is I feel like there are two stories going at the same time. So I was waiting to the collision to where it syncs up and it was amazing. I thoroughly enjoyed the mystery, intensity and the focus of it all. I will definitely be reading more from this author.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.