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North Star #6
Undercover Rescue
She’s escaped him once…
But can she do it again?
After the husband she thought was dead returns with revenge on his mind, Veronica Shay resolves to confront her secret past. Her old boss and friend, Granger Macmillan, has previous ties to organized criminals and won’t let Shay handle them on her own. But when they fall into a nefarious trap, they’ll need to call in their entire North Star family in order to stay alive…
But can she do it again?
After the husband she thought was dead returns with revenge on his mind, Veronica Shay resolves to confront her secret past. Her old boss and friend, Granger Macmillan, has previous ties to organized criminals and won’t let Shay handle them on her own. But when they fall into a nefarious trap, they’ll need to call in their entire North Star family in order to stay alive…
215 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 12, 2022
39 people are currently reading
40 people want to read
About the author
Nicole Helm
308 books497 followersNicole Helm is the national bestselling author of fast-paced romantic suspense for Harlequin Intrigue and down-to-earth contemporary romance. Her Intrigues routinely land on the Publishers Weekly Bestseller list, and she’s received starred PW reviews for her contemporary romances. She’s written over 75 books, known for their emotional depth and happily ever afters.
Nicole also writes with Megan Crane/Caitlin Crews as Hazel Beck writing the Witchlore series, which began with SMALL TOWN, BIG MAGIC in 2022.
In her spare time, Nicole loves losing herself in genealogy research, watching Cardinals baseball, and hiking with her family. She lives in Missouri with her husband and two sons.
You can contact her via email: Nicole@nicolehelm.com
You can sign up for Nicole’s monthly newsletter at http://eepurl.com/V973n
Nicole also writes with Megan Crane/Caitlin Crews as Hazel Beck writing the Witchlore series, which began with SMALL TOWN, BIG MAGIC in 2022.
In her spare time, Nicole loves losing herself in genealogy research, watching Cardinals baseball, and hiking with her family. She lives in Missouri with her husband and two sons.
You can contact her via email: Nicole@nicolehelm.com
You can sign up for Nicole’s monthly newsletter at http://eepurl.com/V973n
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 31, 2022
I was so excited to get the final installment of the North Star novels when it was released! I'd been waiting for Shay's story for eleven books and Nicole Helm did not disappoint in telling the story of a complicated woman who had suffered more in life than anyone expected. She also managed to wrap up two series into one book with two characters that were meant to be together from the first time they were together.
Shay had headed The North Start group for years, working outside of and around the law to do good by bringing down the bad. If she ever doubted what they were, all she had to do was look at the team surrounding her, helping each other and building a family. The one person missing was Granger, her mentor and the first leader of North Star. A man she'd idolized since he saved her from a bad situation and since she'd saved him from certain death in an explosion. Since then, they'd danced around each other and their feelings rather than admit they needed each other. Showing weakness wasn't easy for either of them, so Granger stayed away from North Star just to avoid his uncomfortable feelings of inferiority to a woman he loved even knowing they couldn't be together.
The time has come, though, to face the demons of their past before those demons prevent them from having a future. Little did we know that Granger and Shay shared the same demon. Setting off together is the last thing Shay wants to do, but she knows Granger will never let her go alone, so she agrees, or at least she lets him think she agrees.
I don't want to say too much about the plot of this book because it gives away a lot of information that Ms. Helm has held tightly to her chest for twelve books. I want the mystery to unravel for the reader with each page, so rather than go into specifics, I'll say this; when you're a successful leader, people show up and that's exactly what happened for Shay and Granger. When the chips were down, their people showed up. They didn't share blood, but they were family, and everyone on the North Star team, both past, and present, wanted Shay to know she was loved.
The person who needed to tell her that the most was Granger. He was a broken man, physically and emotionally, but watching Shay lead his team told him that he had made the right choice in putting her in charge. Shay's determination to take one for the team, so to say, and give up her own life for them, showed him what unconditional love looked like. Granger's pride in Shay was palpable as he watched her purge her past life with courage to prove that a phoenix does rise from the ashes.
Speaking of rising from the ashes of their past, Ms. Helm teases that a new mission, and a new series, is on the horizon for the old North Star team, and I, for one, am here for it!
Shay had headed The North Start group for years, working outside of and around the law to do good by bringing down the bad. If she ever doubted what they were, all she had to do was look at the team surrounding her, helping each other and building a family. The one person missing was Granger, her mentor and the first leader of North Star. A man she'd idolized since he saved her from a bad situation and since she'd saved him from certain death in an explosion. Since then, they'd danced around each other and their feelings rather than admit they needed each other. Showing weakness wasn't easy for either of them, so Granger stayed away from North Star just to avoid his uncomfortable feelings of inferiority to a woman he loved even knowing they couldn't be together.
The time has come, though, to face the demons of their past before those demons prevent them from having a future. Little did we know that Granger and Shay shared the same demon. Setting off together is the last thing Shay wants to do, but she knows Granger will never let her go alone, so she agrees, or at least she lets him think she agrees.
I don't want to say too much about the plot of this book because it gives away a lot of information that Ms. Helm has held tightly to her chest for twelve books. I want the mystery to unravel for the reader with each page, so rather than go into specifics, I'll say this; when you're a successful leader, people show up and that's exactly what happened for Shay and Granger. When the chips were down, their people showed up. They didn't share blood, but they were family, and everyone on the North Star team, both past, and present, wanted Shay to know she was loved.
The person who needed to tell her that the most was Granger. He was a broken man, physically and emotionally, but watching Shay lead his team told him that he had made the right choice in putting her in charge. Shay's determination to take one for the team, so to say, and give up her own life for them, showed him what unconditional love looked like. Granger's pride in Shay was palpable as he watched her purge her past life with courage to prove that a phoenix does rise from the ashes.
Speaking of rising from the ashes of their past, Ms. Helm teases that a new mission, and a new series, is on the horizon for the old North Star team, and I, for one, am here for it!
May 27, 2022
Reviewed at Happily Ever After Romance
What a fantastic story to bring the A North Star Novel series to a conclusion. And also of note, we will see some familiar faces from the connecting series Badland Cops as well. It’s a wrap-up of troubles that partially began back in the Badland Cops, continued through North Star and now we will close the door on a series that has kept me waiting for each new release impatiently.
In a way, Undercover Rescue brings us full circle with Shay and Granger. They have a history, a bond in many ways, a friendship that has stood the test of time, and perhaps more if either would ever acknowledge their feelings. In the past few books, we’ve had hints, and then stronger hints that there is trouble within North Star – as was proven in the previous book, Dodging Bullets in Blue Valley when Shay was injured. Shay has a plan, one that her team which has become her friends, her family, certainly wouldn’t agree to if she’d voiced it – which is why she’s getting everyone she can out on assignment or off to their new lives. She needs to handle this threat on her own for she knows where it’s coming from – what she hadn’t expected was Granger showing up, knowing exactly what she was up to… and joining in on her plan, with his own additions.
Someone is after North Star. Not just Shay and Granger, although they are targets, everyone ever associated with North Star is in danger. This is why Shay slipped away from headquarters to deal with the problem without further endangering her team, and her friends. Granger began North Star, he was her boss until injuries had him step aside and give Shay control of the operation. Yet, he’d always kept a close eye on them all, so he knew almost as soon as Shay did what was happening, and who was behind it. He won’t let her face this threat alone… and neither will the others who consider them both to be boss, friend, and family.
Tense. Gripping. Nostalgic. Those are the thing I felt most while reading Undercover Rescue. Yes, Shay and Granger faced great danger, and their crew did what was needed to do to rescue them. Yet it was the familiar faces, men and women whose stories I’ve enjoyed, some who went off to live their lives with their love far from North Star, others who have recently found their life partner are still within the organization… but it was the reconnections that hit me the hardest, with the biggest smiles, and the heart-stopping tensions that they do not lose that hard fought for happiness to this vile piece of trash.
Badland Cops and North Star have finished their journey, together and separately… but there was one short mention in the final chapters that has me wishing that idea would become another series, another chance to reconnect – one day. Who knows? But it would be awesome if it happens.
I loved every single moment spent in Undercover Rescue. And if you’ve read either (or both) series then you need to read this one. The action is fast-paced, the danger intense, and the plot simple yet complex in the best ways. Anger, tears, laughter, family, finding that love of a lifetime, connections… all that and more await you in this concluding story. Don’t miss this one.
I own a Kindle edition of this title.
What a fantastic story to bring the A North Star Novel series to a conclusion. And also of note, we will see some familiar faces from the connecting series Badland Cops as well. It’s a wrap-up of troubles that partially began back in the Badland Cops, continued through North Star and now we will close the door on a series that has kept me waiting for each new release impatiently.
In a way, Undercover Rescue brings us full circle with Shay and Granger. They have a history, a bond in many ways, a friendship that has stood the test of time, and perhaps more if either would ever acknowledge their feelings. In the past few books, we’ve had hints, and then stronger hints that there is trouble within North Star – as was proven in the previous book, Dodging Bullets in Blue Valley when Shay was injured. Shay has a plan, one that her team which has become her friends, her family, certainly wouldn’t agree to if she’d voiced it – which is why she’s getting everyone she can out on assignment or off to their new lives. She needs to handle this threat on her own for she knows where it’s coming from – what she hadn’t expected was Granger showing up, knowing exactly what she was up to… and joining in on her plan, with his own additions.
Someone is after North Star. Not just Shay and Granger, although they are targets, everyone ever associated with North Star is in danger. This is why Shay slipped away from headquarters to deal with the problem without further endangering her team, and her friends. Granger began North Star, he was her boss until injuries had him step aside and give Shay control of the operation. Yet, he’d always kept a close eye on them all, so he knew almost as soon as Shay did what was happening, and who was behind it. He won’t let her face this threat alone… and neither will the others who consider them both to be boss, friend, and family.
Tense. Gripping. Nostalgic. Those are the thing I felt most while reading Undercover Rescue. Yes, Shay and Granger faced great danger, and their crew did what was needed to do to rescue them. Yet it was the familiar faces, men and women whose stories I’ve enjoyed, some who went off to live their lives with their love far from North Star, others who have recently found their life partner are still within the organization… but it was the reconnections that hit me the hardest, with the biggest smiles, and the heart-stopping tensions that they do not lose that hard fought for happiness to this vile piece of trash.
Badland Cops and North Star have finished their journey, together and separately… but there was one short mention in the final chapters that has me wishing that idea would become another series, another chance to reconnect – one day. Who knows? But it would be awesome if it happens.
I loved every single moment spent in Undercover Rescue. And if you’ve read either (or both) series then you need to read this one. The action is fast-paced, the danger intense, and the plot simple yet complex in the best ways. Anger, tears, laughter, family, finding that love of a lifetime, connections… all that and more await you in this concluding story. Don’t miss this one.
I own a Kindle edition of this title.
July 19, 2022
North Star implosion
A great finish to the North Star series. The reason for 4 stars rather than 5 stars is the extra operatives added to this mission that appeared on another of the author's series, Badlands Cops was checking confusing.
Shay and Granger are captured by Frankie and as usual the North Star operatives rally to rescue them. But Frankie is unhinged making the mission's success doubtful.
There's a lot of mystery and suspense as the reason for the capture unfolds. All in all a successful end to a good series!
A great finish to the North Star series. The reason for 4 stars rather than 5 stars is the extra operatives added to this mission that appeared on another of the author's series, Badlands Cops was checking confusing.
Shay and Granger are captured by Frankie and as usual the North Star operatives rally to rescue them. But Frankie is unhinged making the mission's success doubtful.
There's a lot of mystery and suspense as the reason for the capture unfolds. All in all a successful end to a good series!
June 1, 2022
Great Story
I really enjoyed this story very much and as I have read other books by this author and enjoyed her stories, I will look forward to reading more stories by this author and will defiantly recommend her books to others….
I really enjoyed this story very much and as I have read other books by this author and enjoyed her stories, I will look forward to reading more stories by this author and will defiantly recommend her books to others….
Read
May 1, 2022Categories
Romantic Suspense, Crime Thriller, Police Procedural Mystery & Detective
Miniseries
A North Star Novel Series (Book #6)
Romantic Suspense, Crime Thriller, Police Procedural Mystery & Detective
Miniseries
A North Star Novel Series (Book #6)
Read
May 1, 2022Categories
Romantic Suspense, Crime Thriller, Police Procedural Mystery & Detective
Miniseries
A North Star Novel Series (Book #6)
Romantic Suspense, Crime Thriller, Police Procedural Mystery & Detective
Miniseries
A North Star Novel Series (Book #6)
May 5, 2022
What a way to end the series!! Holy crap!! Absolutely loved this from start to finish!!
June 2, 2023
A Rousing Finish
The North Star series concludes with Shay and Granger finally admitting their love for each other under pretty tense conditions.
The North Star series concludes with Shay and Granger finally admitting their love for each other under pretty tense conditions.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews