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He swore he’d never forgive her
Until he had to trust her with his life.

Reckless. Smart-mouthed.
Infuriating.
Gorgeous.
Isabella Moreno is the enemy.
Kellan’s never going to forget
how the sexy detective endangered his sister’s life.

Not even when he makes a
bone-chilling discovery at the scene of a fire
and she needs his help to
catch a killer.

Isabella won’t stop until she gets justice
even if she has to work with Kellan Walker to do it.
But the closer she gets to the
tall, dark, and scorchingly hot firefighter,
the more she wants to
sleep with the enemy.

But real danger lurks in the shadows.
The stakes grow higher. The passion hotter.
What started as a case has become everything…

And with one wrong step, they could lose it all.

USA Today best-seller Kimberly Kincaid offers up a sizzling, full-length firefighter suspense. Enemies to lovers never burned so hot on their way to happily ever after.

382 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 20, 2016

880 people are currently reading
1518 people want to read

About the author

Kimberly Kincaid

61 books2,678 followers
USA Today best-selling author Kimberly Kincaid writes romantic suspense that sizzles and contemporary romance with heart and heat. Equal parts action and emotion, her firefighters and first responders always save the day. When she's not finding adventure with her family and naughty Whippets, Olive, Daisy, and Jack, she can be found practicing obscene amounts of yoga, whipping up anything from enchiladas to éclairs in her kitchen, or curled up with her nose in a book.

Kimberly's series include The Intelligence Unit, Remington Medical, Station Seventeen, and her brand-new Remington Rescue Squad series. All titles stand alone for easy reading.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 211 reviews
Profile Image for Claire.
2,324 reviews738 followers
September 8, 2016
4 - "I'm going to take my time with you..." Stars!

Kimberley Kincaid start off her new Station Seventeen series with a really enjoyable romance between to battered souls, with a hefty dose of romantic suspense on the side to keep you on your toes.



It took me a little while to get into Skin Deep, not because the writing and story-line weren’t appealing but more of the fact that the opening chapters felt very similar to the last book I read by the author, also funnily enough set around a Fire House, also about one of the crew members with a few personal demons, as well as having a large dose of romantic suspense delivered through the plot.

"Being a cop isn’t just about you. It’s about solving cases as part of a team."

But once Isabella and Kellan started to get to know each other and the story progresses, although there were still a large number of glaring similarities, the story itself was just different enough to keep me from feeling that I was reading exactly the same book again.

"You’re working without backup, and sooner or later, no matter how brave you are, that’s going to blow up in your face if you don’t let someone help you."

After putting out a fire at a derelict house, Kellan comes across a lock box full of photographs, pictures that indicate the house may not have been as disused as initially thought, and that the activities taking place there were probably not on the right side of legal. Calling in the RPD, Kellan and Isabella are forced to work together again, not something either of them are particularly happy about after the last time, which resulted in Kellan nearly losing someone close to him, due to a dodgy cop.

It goes one step further when the local FBI rule that the pictures do not warrant enough evidence to open a case, which pushes Isabella to take matters into her own hands. It doesn’t take Kellan long to work out what she is doing, and he unwittingly becomes her unofficial partner in the out-of-hours investigation she starts conducting. Her motivations stem from personal incidents in her past, something Kellan doesn’t know about at the start, but Isabella is taking this potential crime a whole lot personally, which if not careful could lead her down the pathway marked ‘trouble’.

There is a lot going on in this book, the set-up of the Remington FD characters as well as the RPD team that Isabella is a part of. Both of them have heart-breaking pasts, and both of them struggle on a daily basis to live with this. Kellan mentally boxes everything up to the nth degree, while Isabella just blocks out the things she doesn’t want to think about, but as things progress with the (non)case, they both see something in the other that allows those personal demons to fade into the background while they are together, the sexy-times are hot between them and nicely diverse, and Isabella is a woman who is not afraid to take her own pleasure in the bedroom.

"I’ve spent the last ten years compartmentalizing every emotion I have, because if I don’t, I can’t act. So instead I keep everything packed away. But I’m really just going through the motions. I can’t let go and really feel something with all I’ve got, even if that thing is good, because I don’t know how to do that without breaking…"

Everything moved along at a fast clip with Skin Deep so much so that I thought it was going to end on a cliffy when at 94% the villain still hadn’t been captured, and then BAM, job done and they all drove off together into the sunset the sirens blaring and lights-a-flashing. I’m interested to see where the author takes this series, as there was no real clear indication as to who would get a story next, and as everything was resolved to neatly in this one, it doesn’t look like there will be a bigger story playing out through the progression of the series.

ARC generously provided via Netgalley, and it was a pleasure to provide the above honest review.
Profile Image for Kimberly Kincaid.
Author 61 books2,678 followers
June 15, 2019
Reader friends! I am thrilled to bring you the first sizzling hot book in the Station Seventeen series! Grab a cold drink and get ready...it's about to get hot in here :)
Profile Image for Dali.
2,087 reviews591 followers
October 10, 2017
#99cents #Sale http://amzn.to/2g9EQ4L
A thrilling and smoking hot story about an ex-Ranger turned fireman and a passionate police investigator.
“Everything. You feel like everything,” he whispered

After two tours as a sniper for the Army Ranger, Kellan Walker knows how to manage not only his adrenaline but also how to keep a tight lock on his emotions, two things that have come in handy as a firefighter. But when he finds evidence of a possible crime after putting out a fire the detective who he barely tolerates and strangely also finds incredible attractive shows up, her mere presence threatens to unravel him completely. Especially when she insists on finding the person who she suspects is harming woman all by herself. Can he convince that he’ll have her back even when she doesn’t want it?
“Don’t look so surprised, Moreno. I’m more than just a pretty face over here. I go all-in at the firehouse just like you do at the Thirty-Third.”

A tragedy in Isabella Moreno’s past prompted her to become a police officer. She’s promised to serve and protect above all else no matter how hard a case might get or how many dead ends she might run into. That includes having to deal with the sexy fireman who hates her because he things she put his sister in danger a few months prior. As they join forces, not only does their attraction turn from smoldering to burning hot, their walls start to crumble around each other, but will they realize they’re perfect for one another before their time runs out?

Kimberly Kincaid knows how to write blazing stories with appealing characters and spine-tingling plots so well researched and described it felt as is a movie reel was playing before my eyes.
“Fall out immediately…”Kellan’s rib cage threatened to constrict, but shit, he had no time for body betrayal. He needed to finish clearing this room.

Isabella is not only beautiful, she’s smart, determined and capable. She’s head strong and completely dedicated to her job to the point where she’ll gladly spend her vacation time volunteering to catch bad guys. I could only admire her for that. She’s also closed off because she’s afraid of letting anyone emotionally in and then having to worry about losing them, which made hurt for and with her.
"I don’t think you trying to help those girls is stupid, Isabella. In fact, I think it’s really fucking brave. But you’re working without backup, and sooner or later, no matter how brave you are, that’s going to blow up in your face if you don’t let someone help you."

Kellan is not just a gorgeous, brave and dedicated firefighter, he’s a caring and protective brother and loyal friend. He was a good man who had seen and lived too many things and was unable to let himself feel for fear that his emotions would rule him. Getting to know Isabella allows him to not only change his mind about his initial assessment of her, but also share their passion for the job and their tortured pasts. I just loved how much he looked out for her and let’s not get into their witty back and forth and fiery sexy times!
“I like my pizza cold.”
“You’re serious. We’re giving up personal information, and that’s what you’re going to lead with?”
“You didn’t really think I was going to give you something juicy on the first go, did you?”


The plot flows moves easily from burning houses to crime investigations, from them barely being on speaking terms to flirting and teaming up to them finding a strong and trusting connection. I will confess there were times where I wanted to story to go faster because I really wanted the sociopath they were after to go down and for them to realize they were good for one another, but I also realize that the provided detail made the story richer.

Sin Deep is book #1 and a wonderful start in the Station Seventeen series by Kimberly Kincaid. This is a steamy and exciting standalone book with a gripping firefighting/police investigation background. I can’t wait to read more about the supporting characters. This story is told from several points of view with a happy ending.

* I was given an ARC of this book courtesy of the author via NetGalley. The excerpts are from that copy. *

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Profile Image for Kate.
2,277 reviews356 followers
August 1, 2017
This is first book in the series by Ms. Kincaid and it starts with a bang. It’s been a long time since I read a book with a fire fighter and it was about time that I got round to reading one again. It’s just I’m picky.

Kellan Walker a firefighter in Remington with Station Seventeen with the RFD. A former army ranger more specifically a sniper He's been compartmentalizing things since his tours overseas. His emotions start to go a haywire when a certain RPD cop is around. Kellan can hold a mean grudge against said cop.

Isabella Moreno is a tough as nails cop. She is totally bad arse and a strong female MC. For months Isabella has had to put up with Kellan’s grudge which isn’t justifiable. What happened to Kylie Kellan’s sister isn’t her fault. For the last couple of months they have managed to avoid one another until a disturbing case brings them together.

After putting a fire out, Kellan stumbles across some photos that point to a prostitution ring and they handed over to the thirty third precinct where Moreno works. Their first meeting is chilly, very chilly that is until Moreno comes around and asks for another walk through, through the burnt down house.

Kellan doesn’t want to help her at first but then caves.

Although they have a rocky start that doesn’t dampen the chemistry that they have together and what I love is that they didn’t act on it straight away. After the elephant in the room that was between them was taken care of did they start a relationship. A physical one to begin with but emotions soon got involved. I love them together they have some similarities between them but also enough differences to make what they have. The sex was sizzling, strong attraction and well I want meself a firefighter.

The story plot progresses naturally and all the loose ends are tied up. Although overall fast paced it did drag in some places that is why I could only give it 4 stars.

But there is also superb character development. Isabella goes from being closed off to trusting specific people in her life. After she lost her cousin to a tragic event she has been living on the outskirts so that no one can get close to her.

Kellan has to deal with the emotions he isn’t sticking to anymore and well we see how he has a tough time but he openly accepts his feelings for Isabella.

I loved the gender reversal where Isabella saves the day.

The writing style is completely different to the book I read before that the transition was pretty easy though. Engaging, captivating and worth a read.

We all have auto buy authors. Over the last year or so, two of my auto buys have been dropped due to cookie cutter romances and well repetitive stories/plots and characters.
Getting to the actual point here is that Ms. Kincaid seems to suit me for an auto buy. I will most certainly be checking out her other books in the future. Just still have a lot of books to read beforehand.


Review can be found @ http://jerisbookattic-reviewblog.blog...

Book received by Season Publishing via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Monique V.
572 reviews67 followers
December 30, 2016
4.5 stars! That was so good. Even though the suspense parts where very predictable, they were very interesting. The case they were investigating was very cool to read about. But I think that the romance was the best part. it developed nicely and it was so very HOT. THIS IS ONE OF THE HOTTEST BOOKS I HAVE READ. te sex was very well written so I very much appreciated that!
I cannot wait to read more!
Profile Image for Simply Love Book Reviews.
7,046 reviews870 followers
September 27, 2016
Kitty's review posted at Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews

4.5 stars

A Romantic Suspense … not exactly what I thought this was going to be. But, once everything started coming together, as I got to know the characters and understand the storyline, I was thrilled that I took the time and read this story. Kimberly Kincaid did a fantastic job of keeping me totally engaged and interested in where the story was going. She surprised me with a few twists and turns and delighted me with Kellen and Isabella.

Skin Deep was a complicated story with just as complicated characters. Both Kellan and Isabella had pasts that haunt them. A senseless murder and several deployments. Both of them have their own ways of dealing with what has happened in their lives. Isabella refuses to let anyone get close to her. Kellan compartmentalizes everything. They had a rough beginning but neither one of them can deny the sizzle when they are together. As they work together, pull this case together, they can’t but fall into each other’s arms and bed.

Kellan opens up and slowly gets Isabella to let him in, to make her see that he’s more than just a firefighter but a man who’s ready to care, to love and to depend on. It takes a lot for Isabella to truly see the man that he is and to accept him and her team in the police department. In the end, when it’s her life or his, she picks his … opens her eyes, makes the right call and brings an end to what could have been the end of both of their lives.

As I said, I wasn’t really expecting a story as intense as Skin Deep was. When she brought us to a fire, she was spot on with how everything would go down. When she brought us to the undercover meets, she was spot on with how everything would go down. Now, would a firefighter and a detective work a case together? No. But, it did make things interesting! I was really impressed with how the story flowed, how the police investigation did intertwine with the fire scenes; with how Ms. Kincaid brought Kellan and Isabella through their pasts and had them looking forward to the future. The supporting characters were just that … supporting … and he did a wonderful job integrating them into the story and making them a true part of it. Skin Deep had a wonderful storyline, interesting characters and kept me on the edge of my seat waiting to see how, exactly this would end.

Review copy provided for an honest review.
Profile Image for Coco.V.
50k reviews131 followers
Want to read
May 15, 2023
💝FREE on iBooks today (6/21/2018)!💝

Blurb:
Where there’s smoke…

For firefighter Kellan Walker, checking his emotions at the door doesn’t just keep him on the level. It keeps him alive. A gut-wrenching find at the scene of a blaze threatens to blow his ironclad composure, but when the detective assigned to the case is the same woman who put his sister’s life at risk three months ago, all bets for Kellan being calm, cool, or collected are definitely off.

There’s bound to be fire…

Keeping people safe is Isabella Moreno’s number one priority, no matter how tough the case. Working without solid leads and with the gorgeous, broody firefighter who believes she’s responsible for endangering his sister on a previous case isn’t ideal. But someone is hurting women in the here-and-now. Isabella will do whatever it takes to find justice.

As Kellan and Isabella reluctantly team up to catch a criminal, they realize they have more in common than they’d ever imagined. With every move, the stakes grow higher and the passion sizzles hotter, but can they race against the clock and the odds to catch a killer? Or will they lose their hearts—and their lives?
Profile Image for Sheryl C. Nash.
2,019 reviews432 followers
August 24, 2016
WOW... I honestly wasn't expecting this at all!!! Seriously SMOKIN' HOT and lots of ACTION!!! I absolutely LOVED Kellan (always love me some dirty-talking ALPHA) and I have to say that while Isabella came off as very balls-to-the-wall at the start, I adored her in the end!!!

Can't wait to read the next book in this serious!!!


*ARC courtesy of Netgally and Kimberly Kincaid*
Profile Image for Court.
418 reviews50 followers
June 10, 2018
Overall, this was more suspense than romance in my opinion. Very accurate, I'm assuming, in terms of police and firefighter procedures. I couldn't, unfortunately, connect with Isabella. She was pretty cold emotionally and held most everyone at arm's length. Kellan was a likable character - I'm all for ex-military, sexy firemen. And despite his personal trauma, he had her back. A lot of the book focuses on the chase after a sadistic maniac, and that was interesting, but I still found it easy to be distracted by other things and come back to the book. It almost never takes me 3 days to finish a story, but I had no pulling drive to pick it up at every opportunity. I may give the others in the series a shot because the writing itself was good, but I need to connect with characters to enjoy a story. Hoping that happens next time.
Profile Image for Rachel.
655 reviews12 followers
January 16, 2021
Kimberly Kincaid not only kicks off a new series with Skin Deep she also jumps into a new genre with it and does so with a bang. I’m a sucker for her books, I make no apologies for it. But what she has delivered with Skin Deep blew me away. To say I loved this book is a huge understatement. It’s flipping awesome.

This book was so much more than I expected. I knew going in that I would love it and that at some point I would want to pack my bags and move there. But what I didn’t expect was for KK to step up the steam and heat and to give me a book that left chills racing down my spine more than once.

I’m going to keep this short-ish so I can remain spoiler free, because believe me, you need to not see the twists and turns coming.

The author does an amazing job of blending romance, heat, snark, hot saucy sex, past and present day horrors, comradery and so much more into a book that will have you glued to the pages as you get acquainted with the guys and girls of Station Seventeen and Remington Police Department. All the while falling for Kellan and Isabella, the hero and heroine (oh so perfect description for them) of this book.

I’ve already told the author I don’t know who I loved more in this story. Kellan or Isabella. They are both such strong characters that it’s hard to choose. I fell for both. I loved that they both have a reason to push them to do what they do and they make no excuses for it. It’s just part of the DNA. But put them together and watch the fireworks start to flare and consume them. It was a delight watching them fall hard and fall fast.

This may be the first in a series but it doesn’t really feel like it. You get to know and love the secondary characters as the story unfolds and you never feel rushed or like you’ve missed something. I call that damn fine story telling. It almost feels like you’ve known all these characters forever. I love when that happens.

Well so much for keeping this short huh? I will say this before I go, if you already know this authors writing, you will love this just as much as any of her other books. If you are new, then you have no doubt found a new series to love. Kimberly Kincaid has managed to jump feet first into a new series and genre and done so with ease and with a 5 star must read book. Bring on the next one, I need it ASAP.
38 reviews5 followers
September 11, 2016
SKIN DEEP by Kimberly Kincaid, is the first book in a new Station Seventeen Romance/ suspense series. Loved it! It is a romance with lots of suspense that will keep you trying to read each page faster so you can find everything out! Kellan Walker, ex-military sniper for the rangers and a two year veteran firefighter for the Remington Fire Department at Station Seventeen, is who we meet first. Hot guy. Nice Hot guy. Add a fire at an abandoned house that yields a suspicious find that could lead to a crime. Now meet Detective Isabella Moreno, from the Remington Police Department, who was assigned to investigate this mystery at the same fire where Kellan Walker is on duty. Isabella is one tough detective and also one sexy woman who wants to do things her way and in doing so, has to learn to trust others, including Kellan. Sparks really fly now! Detective Isabella Moreno and Kellan Walker have a personal history together, and both are still very much aware…and wary… of one another. Following how they work together to solve this mystery they found at the fire, saving one another and working through their not so subtle attraction to one another, and falling in love is a joy to read. I want what they both have with one another. You will too! I just didn’t want the book to end!
Profile Image for Bette Hansen.
5,073 reviews40 followers
September 9, 2016
After I finally started this one, because hey I had to stare at that gorgeous cover for a while, I absolutely could not put it down. Ms. Kincaid has decided to dip her toe in the romantic suspense genre pool and she does it in spectacular fashion! The writing is great, the twists and turns in the story hooked me right away, and the romance that develops between the incredibly yummy firefighter Kellan Walker and Police detective Isabella Moreno is perfection. These two had a not so great history when Kellan's sister was in trouble but they get past that when they begin working a case together after some horrifying pictures are discovered at a house fire Kellan worked.

Put this at the top of the must read list! I highly recommend it.
392 reviews2 followers
September 20, 2016
Loved IT!!!!!! Just WOW!!! Kimberly Kincaid has done it yet again. An absolutely fantastic new series. Kellen and Isabella are on the hunt for answers for a crime that needs solved quickly before more die. The chemistry between them is smokin hot. This book had action in it but I felt like it needed more. Kellen and Isabella both come to a truce you can say. I highly recommend reading this book. I look to read the next book in this new series.
Profile Image for Pat.
1,374 reviews44 followers
August 28, 2016
The action, suspense and hot sex in this novel never lets up! I think I held my breath through the first chapter. Awesome story about a feisty edgy female detective and a former Army sniper turned firefighter. Full review to follow on http://www.tbqsbookpalace.com. Sept. 14th.
Profile Image for Marija.
698 reviews45 followers
January 19, 2023
Hot suspense

Hot suspense that kept me on the edge of the seat until the end. The storyline was good with enough twists and turns to keep my attention.
Profile Image for A Klue.
1,500 reviews326 followers
September 26, 2016
Kellan Walker, the hero, is a smoking hot handsome firefighter/former Army sniper who is walking around neck deep in animosity towards Isabella Moreno, the detective he blames for a police protective custody gone wrong shoot-out that put his sister in harm’s way three months ago.

Beautiful, lives for the job, sassy Isabella is still beating herself up over the rogue, on the take from the bad guys cop she mistakenly vouched for while working Kellan’s sister’s case. Honestly though, how was she to know? The woman does not own a crystal ball, people. That turncoat cop fooled everyone. Her self-imposed guilt over that and the unsolved, violent death of her beloved cousin has only made her more determined than ever to work twice as hard to be a figurative caped crusader for protecting women/fighting for justice for all.

When Kellan accidentally stumbles across some evidence suggesting women are being abused/held against their will while putting out a fire in an abandoned building, he finds himself face to face with the one woman he still holds a grudge against. Fortunately, it doesn’t take him long to finally let the truth sink in and see Isabella for who she really is, one extremely dedicated police officer.

Against Isabella’s wishes, Kellan ultimately becomes her back up while they try to secure concrete evidence so the FBI will officially investigate the human trafficking case. This part I sort of had a problem with. It just didn’t make sense she wasn’t working on the low down with some of her police compadre pals.

Julian, the bad guy behind the women being abused, was very sick and twisted, my fellow romance book-loving friends. So much so it is very disturbing, along with his wealthy only, anything goes illegal drug/sex club like party the main couple had to covertly infiltrate in order to try to solve the case. Unfortunately, things unravel with deadly consequences, and for quite awhile it seems Julian keeps getting the upper hand. But the words “give up” is not in Isabella’s vocabulary, folks. She’ll risk life and limb to free these women and stop Julian, no matter what it takes. Yeah, that’s where she gets in over her head. Rules are meant for a reason, and it isn’t until she has the sense to follow them her team successfully accomplishes their mission, with Kellan unfortunately caught in the crosshairs.

The writing did flow and was engaging. However, the content/very idea of what these abused women were going through was very disturbing. Some of these girls were likely underage, as well. I’m just not a fan of incorporating that type of content into my romantic reads. I did really like the strong, confident heroine’s character, even though she acted rather rash at times and didn’t always make the right decisions. The hero was pretty dang swoon worthy/incredible, except for taking him so long to admit he was more than just “in like” with Isabella. The smexy scenes were “extremely” steamy with lusty language, folks. So brace yourself for that, as well.

Here’s to hoping my review has been helpful in some way so you can determine if this book will get under your skin in a good or bad way.

Romance Safety Gang: No cheating, no OM/OW drama, no love triangle, but has the stereotypical “I’m just in like/lust with her” until about 80%, despite their numerous, very smexy times together. However, at least he seems to really respect her. Isabella is inflicted with an “afraid to love because once someone trusts me I let them down” repeating mantra. The likely only objectionable moment is near the beginning, while on their their way to speak to an informant, Isabella mentally admits she is attracted to Kellan, but thinks he still hates her. She briefly wonders if she should seek out a lusty one night stand to get over it. Yeah, that’ll do it (huge eye-roll).

Title: Skin Deep, Series: Station Seventeen (Book 1), Author: Kimberly Kincaid, Pages: 357, HEA, stand-alone, disturbing scenario involving women being abused and held against their well/forced into prostitution, VERY steamy scenes with lusty language, a big part of it is a cop drama, strong/sassy/doesn’t back down heroine, alpha good guy hero, no cheating, no OW/OM drama, no love triangle.

(This review is based on ARC generously provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion. No monetary compensation was paid to the reviewer, nor is there any affiliation between the reviewer and author/publisher.)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
1,353 reviews38 followers
September 19, 2016
Kellan Walker of the Remington Station 17 Fire Department is a man of action, and he’s got his hands full when a fire alarm that looked upends his life. When investigating the premises afterwards, Kellan finds a metal box containing photographs of women and earrings: it’s not just a fire in an abandoned building anymore, it’s become a crime scene. And this means that Kellan will have to face Detective Isabella Moreno again. Three months before, Kellan and Isabella had clashed when Isabella had failed in protecting his sister Kylie, and Kellan has not forgiven Isabella, which is not making things easy as they will have to work together on the investigation.

I was not expecting the suspense in SKIN DEEP to be so gripping, and when it comes to romantic suspense, I’m rather difficult to please. What contributes to a great thriller? A meticulous crafted plot, and Ms. Kincaid is flawless on that point. Lead characters you easily cheer on: check; every single character is superbly drawn. And most of all a believable villain and we definitely have a winner in that category in SKIN DEEP. When Isabella and Kellan first meet, you could cut the tension with an ice pick! Isabella is not angry at Kellan, but he is still furious, but faced with the task at hand, they remain professional. And here I must say that Kimberly Kincaid has probably written the best “enemies to lovers” trope I have ever read. The transition is as smooth as can be, every exchange between Kellan and Isabella rings true, and while they are attracted to each other, there is definitely no instalust or instalove. But when they stop hating each other, it is brilliant! The story is gripping, the plot airtight; in fact the suspense part is so good, I thought there were just a tad too many sex scenes, which are superb, by the way. I will probably be able to hear some boos and hisses, but what can I say: I take my suspense very seriously, and SKIN DEEP is a terrific suspense novel!

Ms. Kincaid’s descriptions are crystal-clear: I really saw exactly what Kellan and Isabella did at work; it all felt absolutely authentic, whether when it came to their relationship with their co-workers or with each other; I felt I was part of their lives, and I so loved both Kellan and Isabella! I very much appreciated that there were no ridiculous issues, that everything was dealt with logically, as reasonable adults should do to. Dive in without fear, SKIN DEEP is a superb read!


I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Dísir.
1,735 reviews187 followers
August 30, 2016
Kimberly Kincaid surprised me with this one. I’ve come to expect many firefighting books to be about arson-related cases or about bush-firefighting, but 'Skin Deep’ deals more about sex-trafficking crimes and sexual slavery than it is about firefighting itself. It works very well as a standalone, even if it’s a full-fledged continuation of Liliana Hart’s Kindle Worlds Mackenzie series, which Kincaid was a part of.

’Skin Deep’ is quite a ride from start to end, with a deliciously filthy villain (channelling all sorts of odd shades of serial killers, Lady Macbeth and the local mafia) and characters who could well be plucked out from primetime TV. The criminal case that emerges is engrossing enough and I found myself liking the pacing as well as the solid cast of characters that come and go from the story.

The leads were credible, even if I did find myself gravitating towards Kellan Walker more than I did Isabella Moreno. Closed-off and distant, Isabella assumes the role of most male protagonists in the romance genre, staying off commitment and relationships because they tend to hurt more if they care - along with the rather stupid belief that forming close relationships would somehow lead the other person to die.Despite this clichéd behaviour trait, she did seem competent initially, if reckless and foolish for launching a private investigation without telling everyone else about the danger she’d placed herself in. I liked how she was called out for her lonewolf, untrusting behaviour early though, first by her colleague and then by Kellan, who muscled his way into Isabella’s private investigations and past her defences. Kellan on the other hand, seemed like a godsend: loyal, discerning, not afraid to show her as much tough love as her colleagues do, then led by example by putting his faith in her so she could do the same for others.

Even if I’m not entirely convinced by the rightness of this pairing (after all, sex did seem be a way to skip the serious talking business too much here), the slight twist at the end upped my enjoyment of the book, leaving me only hanging a little by the abrupt ending and a very battered HEA.

*ARC by netgalley
(always grateful, mind)
Profile Image for Jennifer Zorko.
202 reviews2 followers
September 6, 2016
Skin Deep (Station Seventeen #1) by Kimberly Kincaid is an amazing start to what is going to be a excellent series. This book has everything HOT firemen, HOT romance, and suspense that kept me glued to my seat from the first page to the last. This is the amazing story of Kellan and Isabella.

Kellan Walker is a former soldier, current fireman who is trying to outrun the nightmares of his past. Always moving, always keeping a level head because to loose it in his profession could spell disaster. When he finds some very disturbing photos, he never expected to that the detective in charge would be the one person that he wished he would not see anytime soon, the woman that almost got his sister killed, the strong, sexy, hard headed Isabella Moreno.

Isabella Moreno has never backed down from a challenging case. She has always been an advocate for women in trouble, always trying to save women from abuse. Carrying around the guilt that she was unable to save her little cousin, the cousin who was like a sister to her, from the assault and murder that took her from the family, Isabella is determined to make sure that she saves as many victims as possible.

When her captain will not turn over the photos of the abused women found in the fire, or force the FBI to open an investigation into the women whereabouts, Isabella decides to go out on her own to gather information. What she does not expect is Kellan to step up and demand that he be her backup. When two informants are murdered, and Kellan goes missing, Isabella will need to trust her team and trust herself to have his back and get him back.

What I really loved about these two characters is that they really did have each others backs. Kellan refused to allow Isabella to take on this investigation on her own, wanting to make sure that she was safe and protected. Isabella was a surprise to me. She is tough as nails and nothing really shakes her, other than the memories of her cousin, she is cool, calm and collected most of the time. When the chips are down, she proves that she actually did hear Kellan and that she truly had his back.

The chemistry between these two was white hot and WOW! I really am looking forward to see which couple gets the next book. Amazing suspense with a great HEA.
Profile Image for Trish.
39 reviews6 followers
September 7, 2016
Skin Deep is the first of a new series by Kimberly Kincaid. Her previous books have been romance, but this new series amps it up with suspense added. I love her romance books so I was excited to see that she was trying something different. This book has the perfect blend of romance and suspense.

Kellan Walker, our hero, works as a fireman with Station Seventeen. He has some issues from his past military experience as a sniper, but I love how he manages to cope with the stress of his job and his life. I loved how strong and confident he was. Isabella Moreno, our heroine, is a detective with the Remington police department. She also has past demons she is dealing with revolving around the death of her cousin years ago. Because of this, she tends to trust no one and relies on only herself to get things done. This does present a problem with her fellow officers, who definitely have her back. I liked how Kellan helped her to give up some of her control and rely on others.
Skin Deep is a stand-alone book, but Kellan and Isabella were actually introduced in Ms. Kincaid’s novella “Deep Trouble”. It isn’t necessary to read this book first, but it does help you understand their past relationship, plus it is a great book too. Kellan’s sister needed police protection and Isabella was to provide that protection. Things went wrong and his sister’s life was put in jeopardy. Kellan holds Isabella personally responsible for this. Even though he is angry with Isabella, he cannot deny their chemistry.

I love suspense with my romance books and this books absolutely delivers both. I loved the character development, the romance and the suspense. The supporting characters make you eager for the next book. Ms. Kincaid has jumped into the romantic suspense world and hit a home run! Can’t wait for the next book in this series.
Profile Image for J Lundsten.
965 reviews39 followers
August 20, 2016
Wow! This is such a great book. Hot firefighters, creepy bad guy, and smoking chemistry all add up to a great read. Months ago, Kellen, sexy firefighter, teamed up with detective Isabella Moreno to protect his sister Kylie from bad guys (Kylie's story is Deep Trouble, which I highly recommend reading because its a great story but this can easily be read as a stand-a-lone). When things went bad and Kylie was almost killed Kellen blamed Isabella and hasn't spoken to her since. Kellen finds evidence of a possible crime at a fire scene and finds himself working alongside Isabella again. As they work together to bring down the bad guys they learn to trust each other, not only with their lives but also with their hearts.

I loved Kellen. He realized early on that he really liked Isabella and that he would have to be careful to gain her trust and not scare her away. Isabella was sassy and tough and I loved seeing a bit of a softer side of her emerge.

Overall just a great read! Highly recommended.

I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for ⚜️XAR the Bookwyrm.
2,341 reviews17 followers
July 12, 2017
I was a bit surprised by this book, but ultimately bored with it. I liked the fact that the author went for more of a suspense angle to the story, which is new for this author, but her characterization ended up dragging the story down for me.

I found it very difficult to connect with both Kellan and Isabella, and their reversal from enemies to lovers wasn't entirely believable for me. The story was slow moving and repetitive, and I really had to struggle my way through it.

This is not the first time I've had issues with this author's books, so I definitely think it is a case of the reader not fitting with the author here. Pretty much going to steer clear of this author once I read through what I have already purchased of hers.
Profile Image for Jennifer Schultheis.
1,316 reviews6 followers
September 9, 2016
Skin Deep by Kimberly Kincaid is one wild emotional rollercoaster. The writing is well-done, the research that went it to the book is clearly present, and the story itself will capture your attention from the very beginning and not let up until the end.

Our hero, Kellan Walker, is a firefighter with Station Seventeen. He’s also former military and has some emotional issues that keep him from expressing his feelings. In the beginning, Kellan holds a grudge against our heroine, Isabella Moreno, for what happened to his sister. Once he learns more about Isabella and the type of person she is, the grudge becomes non-existent and what develops in its place is a worthwhile, one of a kind romance.

Isabella is one heck of a detective. She’s smart, feisty, and works way more than she should. Isabella has a past, just like Kellan, but her past stops her from developing relationships. She figures if she doesn’t let anyone in, she won’t have to worry about losing them. But when a case brings Kellan and Isabella together, her choices are to let him in or lose herself in the process.

Skin Deep weaves the right amount of suspense and romance together, making it a very compelling read!
Profile Image for MK.
1,620 reviews22 followers
August 27, 2016
Fantastic. New series. Book 1 in Station Seventeen has it all. Romance, Suspense.
When Kellan Walker finds a box of photos after a fire has been put out, and the cops are called that last person he expects to see is Isabella Moreno. It seems she's going to be looking into what it all means. Her surpvisor wants them to evaluate things. He's not sure it will be easy after the last time he saw her.

Detective Isabella Moreno after seeing the pictures found is overhelmed and needs to find answers. The worst thing is her station doesn't believe there's enough to open an investigation on. Well she believes otherwise and she will prove it. She goes to Kellan for help. But it's just for one thing. It soon turns into more, and he won't stop helping her. Is it a good thing or bad? They need to find enought proof to bring to her boss.

As Isabella and Kellan work to bring down the guy who has been doing something sick and twisted it gets dangerous. What will happen? It will have you turning the pages fast.

Highly recommend this book.

Release date September 20th.
Profile Image for Staci.
449 reviews8 followers
September 20, 2016
Kellan Walker is one of the firefighters at Station Seventeen. Isabella Moreno is an intelligence officer with RFD. They had a run in a few months ago when Isabella was helping to keep Kellan's sister safe from a madman. Kellan has continued to hold that case against her because of an FBI agent vetted by a colleague of hers ended up being dirty and almost cost Kylie her life. Flash forward to the present day when Kellan and Isabella are thrown together on a new case. Kellan comes across some evidence at a fire scene that makes him very suspicious of some bad stuff going on in his town. Isabella's unit gets called in to investigate and her boss assigns her to the case. They don't have enough evidence to open a case, but Isabella knows there is something major going down. She decides to go rogue and Kellan decides he needs to stay close to her as back up. This book kept me on the edge of my seat as I was waiting to see how it would all play out. I thought it was fantastic and would highly recommend it to anyone.
3,544 reviews40 followers
September 3, 2016
What can I say, but that Ms Kincaid continues to blow my mind with her talent as a writer. Skin Deep is book one of her new series, Station Seventeen. We were introduced to our main characters, ex-Army Ranger, turned firefighter, Kellan Walker, and Isabella Moreno, a detective who a few months previously, had attempted to assist his sister after Kylie has witnessed a murder but instead, almost got her killed. (The story is told in the prequel, Deep Trouble. Excellent story)
Needless to , Kellan is not Isabella’s BFF. Still there is some chemistry between them. and end up working together in a case that deals with human trafficking , prostitution and murder.
So, if you like a great story, with hunky heroes, strong woman, suspense, a strong cast of secondary characters, and lots of great scenes both in and out of the bedroom, this is the book for you.
Can’t wait what else Ms Kincaid has in store for us.

I received a copy of this book for an honest review. The opinions are solely mine
Profile Image for Tina Hobbs Payne.
570 reviews7 followers
September 11, 2016
Kellan Walker is the best kind of hero. Strong, capable, definitely hot by the description and just an overall badass. Isabella Moreno is my FAVORITE kind of heroine. Self reliant, strong, beautiful and again, an overall badass!
Skin Deep has so many elements that I truly love in a story. Kimberly Kincaid has truly outdone herself with the suspense, the sex and the chemistry in this book. Isabella & Kellan start off as unlikely partners, considering Kellan's disdain for Isabella due to their prior history. In time, they find in each other a trust they haven't felt before.
One of my favorite factors in this book is that the author DIDN'T give us a stupid female. Thankfully!
I have always enjoyed Kimberly Kincaid's books and her writing style. This book is my absolute favorite, hands down. Pretty sure I have found a MUST READ series here! I can't wait for more, much more!!
Profile Image for Jane.
701 reviews10 followers
September 20, 2016

O.M.G.

Have you ever read a book that absolutely engrosses you and you forget where you are and all the things going on around you? THAT is this kind of story!! It is so well written and researched that you begin to feel like you are a part of the story. Kellan and Isabella are STEAMY!!!! This story is like being on a rollercoaster, one minute your going smoothly along enjoying the ride and then next your gripping the edge of your seat, holding on tight, waiting for the next downward spiral. I could not put this book down and when I had to, I was figuring out how soon I could get back to it. If you are a lover of a good romantic suspense this is your book! I will promise you won't be disappointed!!!
Profile Image for Becky Burciaga.
1,530 reviews18 followers
August 26, 2016
This first in a new series is off the charts fantastic...with twists and turns suspense, a smoking hot firefighter alpha, Kellan, a feisty, all out, all the time female cop, Isabella, and best of all lots of fiery romance between these two. Who could ask for more from this author who has a gift for grabbing your attention right out of the gate. This is the type of story that you'll totally lose yourself in and forget everything going on around you...not to mention who needs sleep when you've got to see what happens next.

I'm definitely looking forward to reading more from this series, I can only imagine what goodness will come from the next story.

This book was provided by the Publisher and Netgalley for my honest review.
Profile Image for Will2pear95.
252 reviews2 followers
September 12, 2016
No cliffhanger
No cheating
M/F
Contemporary, Romantic Suspense
HEA

This is the first book in a new series. I had a really hard time getting into this book. It wasn’t a bad book but I just couldn’t connect with the story. It was slow to start for me and I found myself distracted and slightly bored with the pacing. Kellan and Isabella were a good couple and thankfully there were no real TSTL (Too Stupid To Live) moments from either one of them. I just didn’t connect with them. The ending was a tad bit abrupt for me and I think I would have enjoyed a little bit more of a wrap up.

ARC kindly provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
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