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Madi Hayes has a lot of secrets. But one she can barely remember has haunted her nightmares for years and left her scarred inside and out. Now, she’s a Seattle SWAT Officer masquerading as a dispatcher for her overprotective family. She tries to make the best of an awkward family vacation, but when Madi finds herself in the middle of the action and old pains flare to life, she, and the mysterious definitely-not-tour-guides, find themselves locked in a struggle of truth and lies that leaves Madi’s life hanging in the balance.

Theo Boudreaux is a former Army canine handler who joined Anderson Security when his dog, Elke, was injured and retired. Now he leads a team of special operators filling the gaps between the law and justice, with a little help from the Anderson’s government connections. But he’s getting restless, and a suspicious freckled blonde with green eyes that don’t miss a thing is exactly what Theo doesn’t need as his team faces their biggest case yet.

As Alpha Team struggles to decide if Madi’s an innocent caught up in their case or the guilty party they’ve been looking for, Madi and Theo discover that a little trust can move even the iciest of mountains.

It’s up to Theo and Alpha Team to uncover the secrets that lie buried beneath the snow.

351 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 29, 2022

14 people are currently reading
217 people want to read

About the author

J.M. Leigh

3 books45 followers
A good story lives somewhere between believability and fantastic imagination.

Leigh has been writing for about as long as she’s been able to hold a pen. What started as gibberish lines only interpretable into wild tales by a child’s eyes evolved into sensorial short stories and finally landed in the realm of mystery and intrigue.

An avid reader, Leigh discovered a passion for the genre when her mother purchased her the entire collection of Nancy Drew books. As her enthusiasm for reading and writing expanded, Leigh ventured into new topics and categories, but always came home to a good whodunit with a happily ever after.

Leigh loves a good mystery and characters you can fall in love with. Her stories tie together situational suspense, intense emotion, and a pinch of humor. Oh, and a splash of spice, too. They always have a happy ending, even while they still keep readers guessing about what will happen next.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
Profile Image for Rose.
180 reviews1 follower
September 5, 2023
Absolutely incredible i’m not sure how i’m supposed to sum this up into words how I felt. I cannot believe this is a debut novel at all it’s so well done!
In book one of the Anderson Security team series we follow Theo (Teddy) and Madi who both happen to be at a ski resort for very different reasons. The story takes all sorts of twists and turns and we being to see that both of them happen to be involved in the main mystery of the story, along side this we have many other twists and turns with Madi having her own dark secret that might be relevant to the case but if she tells the guys it’s an act of treason. With all the different little mysteries I was so hooked and read this all in one sitting staying up till 4am to finish it! 100% recommend everyone go read this fast pace romance where the two love interests need to figure out if they can trust eachother!
Profile Image for Luli.
718 reviews78 followers
August 10, 2024
I'm calling it quits at 60%.
I think I have given the author enough time to show me something, anything, about this story, but she has not.

The characters are inconsistent, the plot is going nowhere and right now, at 60%, the FMC is living with 5 guys she doesn't trust, who are questioning her previous sexual choices and calling her names. Calling Her Names. That's so disgusting. And they are (supposedly) the good guys. My Goodness!
And the only thing the MMC is doing is cringing. Come on.

So, if they don't trust her and she doesn't trust them, and she is a SWAT operative on the right side of the law and the guys DON'T, the situation is, plain and simple, unbelievable. Add all the convenient (and impossible) things that are happening just for the sake of the plot going on and I'm out.
Profile Image for Samantha.
488 reviews16 followers
November 27, 2022
How is this a debut?! Leigh obviously has a magnificent mind! From the get go this was captivating! The sexual tension between Teddy & Madi was obvious from the start, so we were just waiting for it to happen!! The flirting was fun, and we got snippets of mystery in the beginning. The more the story unravelled the less I was able to put my kindle down. I was proper sucked in. Learning about all of the characters, all of the twists and turns - some obvious, some very not! The suspense was great - I loved that I was kept on the edge of my seat needing to learn more about Madi. I was trying to guess things and I did NOT get much right 😅 with some mystery books I find some scenarios unrealistic but I didnt with this. One scene really choked me “Answer the phone, Babygirl”. It wasnt even heartbreaking 🫣 I was rooting for Theo throughout.

Madi is tough, she went through a lot in this and I really enjoyed watching her let her guard down and become stronger at the same time. Learning to let people in again.
Teddy was *swoon*. He went through stages of ‘bear’. Grizzly & over protective. Cuddly teddy bear. Grumpy bear. I think he was my favourite when he was growly and jealous 😂 he fell hard! (And first guys!!)

Dont let the discreet cover throw you, If you like suspense & romance then please pick this up! It was so worth it. Thank you to Leigh for letting me read this as an ARC. This is the first in a series and im excited to read more - Luke & Chloes story will be explosive. Without a doubt!!
Profile Image for Izabela.
324 reviews25 followers
July 31, 2023
5⭐️!
on kindle unlimited

Read if you like:
- military hero
- fiery heroine
- suspense/action
- forced proximity

Synopsis: Madi Hayes, a Seattle SWAT Officer who is a dispatcher as her job cover, reluctantly accompanies her family on vacation. Soon into the trip, Madi is unexpectedly thrust into a dangerous situation that could be connected to an event that has been haunting her for years. Meanwhile, Theo Boudreaux, a former Army canine handler who is now leading a team of special operators, faces his biggest case. His path crosses with Madi's and while there is mutual attraction, there are also many secrets. Including Theo being unsure if Madi is innocent or guilty.

This book read like an action romance movie, and I couldn't put it down. The story was easy to follow, the action was well described and the characters developed. I loved unearthing Madi and Theo's pasts and realizing why they act the way they do now. The last chapters and the epilogue set up the next book so well! Their connection was everything, and even though their mutual attraction develops early in the story, the romance is really well paced and feels so real as they're going through these various events.

This was a phenomenal debut from J.M Leigh, and I can't believe it's her first book. I can't wait for the next book in this series, as well as what else is to come because I have a feeling anything she writes will be amazing and hook me right in.
Profile Image for Alexis Karpicke.
2 reviews
June 19, 2023
This book is absolutely amazing! Keeps you on your toes! It’s romantic, very suspenseful, mystery like! Absolutely one of my favorite books!
298 reviews8 followers
November 30, 2023
Misdirection is the first book in the Anderson Security Alpha Team series. Each book is a continuation of the previous story, so plan on reading the whole series. Be sure to read the Author's note that explains this is a dual POV format, however the chapters do not tell you whose POV you are reading, you need to know that odd numbered chapters are in Madi's POV and even numbered chapters are in Theo's POV. It took me couple chapters to get used to this formatting.

I tend to go in completely blind when reading books, I start a book or series usually because I have come across the author in some form of social media and something about their energy caught my attention. In the case of Misdirection, this worked out wonderfully for me! This "Slow Burn" book was anything but, the attraction between the two main characters is there almost from the beginning, and the action and suspense comes into play faster in this story than most other mystery and suspense romance novels. Non of this takes away from this being a good story all the way through, there are plenty of twists and turns in the story that kept me guessing and second guessing what was gonna happen next. This is very much a Mystery and Suspense Book first and a Romance Novel second. Misdirection relies more on the courtship of the main characters, only having a few very mild spicy scenes.

J.M. Leigh does a fabulous job writing characters that are savage and sexy, and an array of personalities that meld together beautifully and capture the reader's heart and attention from the very beginning. I not only fell in love with the main characters almost from the minute we met them, but also the rest of the Alpha Team. I empathized when main and side characters demonstrated emotional hurt or trauma, laughed when the goofy one's got a one liner in, and felt the hate towards the obvious and not so obvious villians of the story.

I highly recommend this book to Mystery, Suspense and Romance readers, anyone who is looking for a good action packed story with a lot of amorous tension and sweet side moments.
43 reviews1 follower
October 21, 2022
Misdirection is J.M. Leigh's debut novel and it is everything I could have hoped for. It starts out a little slow for my adventure loving heart but I stuck to the pages and continued to dive into the enticing and witty story telling that helped us get to know all the new characters. If you start this for the adventure and the romance and it's a little slow moving for you my best word for you is to STICK IT OUT. You will not be disappointed.

The banter, witty come backs and the flirting comes on fast and strong and never ends through the last page once it starts. Theo is super swoony with Madi through the entire adventure and Madi is a freaking badass that I didn't see coming. Every twist and turn J.M. Leigh is bringing out Madi's awesome personality and character traits and I loved her more with every new secret she shared.

I loved the banter between Madi and Theo and the rest of the Anderson Team on this Mountain Ops adventure and I cannot wait for the rest of this series to be finished and released to find out what happens with McIntrye, Anderson Security and especially Max and Gabriel (I'm looking forward to the secrets those two have to be revealed).

I am so excited and honored to have been able to read this and read it early! It was everything (and more) that I was hoping for in this novel after following J.M. on instagram and watching all of her excitement posts leading up to reveal and publishing. I am super excited for her next novel and to continue to unravel the mystery that Anderson Security is presently trying to discover.

*Disclaimer: I read this through an ARC (advanced reader copy) but was not required to leave a review. That said, this book and J.M Leigh deserved a review for her hard work and story telling.
Profile Image for Bellaturnsthepage.
238 reviews24 followers
August 6, 2023
💫5/5 |🌶️ 3/5 | Mystery & Suspense | Romance | Emotional Scars | Family & Team Dynamics | Mental Health Rep | Trigger Warnings: Torture, PTSD

I’m obsessed! This book had the perfect mixture of mystery, suspense, romance & spice. Dang! I read this within 24 hours, I couldn’t put it down. Our MC’s Teddy & Madi were made for each other – from the very first chapter, I already knew the chemistry was going to be off the charts. I am glad this is part of a series because I also couldn’t get enough of the guys. I know Luke’s book is next but darn, I can’t wait for Max and Myles’ book TBH.

Madi is such a spunky, flirty, badass FMC, I almost wanted to be her – also because Teddy was HAWT & swoony and I’d give anything for the man’s attention. We see her journey towards healing and facing her past traumas and the strength that she shows throughout the book. Theo/Teddy is the head of a special ops team, the flirty bastard had me wrapped around his finger the entire time. LOL but in all seriousness, bless the guy for all he had to put up with. The PATIENCE he had with Madi and just the fact that he was there for her whether she was hot or cold was the best. How he spoke to her will make you melt into a little puddle. The little moments they had were O.M.G. out of this world. He had a lot of confusion when it came to Madi due to the nature of his job, but I think he handled it pretty well.

I loved the camaraderie and dynamics of the Anderson Alpha Team! Despite the book being serious at times, we got little quips of fun and hilarious moments. With the guys being like brothers, I still loved how Teddy would get jealous sometimes when one of the guys had Madi’s attention. I have a soft spot for Myles & Max – I can’t wait for their books! How the team’s relationship with Madi evolved was cool, funny, hilarious and heartwarming at the same time.

The suspense, mystery and action were perfectly balanced; still giving us some funny, hilarious moments between the guys; and the romance and spice between Teddy and Madi. This was perfect! I loved it! Oh and, what about that conversation between Madi & Max and their upbringing? JUICY!!!
Profile Image for Taylor Booksta.ylor.
148 reviews6 followers
November 22, 2022
Thank you J. M. Leigh for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review. These are my real opinions of this book.

Theo is a former military canine handler working for Anderson Security, along with Myles, Max, Gabriel and Luke. They’re working at a Canadian ski resort in an undercover op looking for Alec McIntyre.
Madi is a Seattle SWAT officer who tells her family that she is just a police dispatcher. She has a mysterious past that no one knows about due to the nature of her previous employment. She’s on vacation at the same Canadian Ski resort that Theo's team is working and ends up getting caught up with Theo in more ways than one.

This book is EVERYTHING I wanted it to be. It’s what I would want to read when it comes to a Romantic Mystery novel. It was giving me Quantico-esque vibes at some points (if that makes sense). It brings the romance, the spice, the mystery, and keeps you on the edge of your seat just waiting to see what happens next and what information is going to come to light. All of the characters are so unique and the relationships between all of them is so cool to see.
The relationship between Theo and Madi is so unique due to the nature of their careers and the mystery of their pasts. The way they interact with each other and learn to trust each other despite all the mystery surrounding them is so unique. I loved it!

One thing to note:
There are A LOT of characters and events going on - so make sure you pay attention!

This is Book 1 of the Anderson Security series and J. M. Leigh’s debut novel…safe to say I’m excited to see what comes next for this unique cast of characters!

Thanks again J. M. Leigh!
251 reviews3 followers
November 29, 2022
Theo and his team of Ex-military buddies are now working for Anderson Security. Their current job has them working undercover at a Canadian Ski resort.

Madi is a Swat agent but due to her past and overbearing mother her family thinks she is nothing more than a police dispatcher. In Canada on a family vacation, she ends up smack dab in the middle of several crime scenes associated with Theo and his team.

Theo can’t stop the attraction he feels towards Madi and finds himself falling for her hard and fast. His team is more hesitant to trust her and she has to work hard for them to see she is who she says she is. I love a great suspenseful romance book and this one did not disappoint. It is a slow burn and took a few chapters for it to pick up but once it did, I didn’t want to put it down. Loved all the twists and turns and the relationship with not only Made and Theo but the other members of Theos team as well. Hopefully we will get their stories in the future!

Thank you so much to JM Leigh for my advanced copy of this book!

Slow burn
Romantic suspense
Military romance
Profile Image for Andrea B.
120 reviews6 followers
November 11, 2022
✅ Military Romance
✅ Romantic Suspense
✅ Slow Burn

⭐️: 5/5
🔥: 1/5

“I had to make the smart decisions. But she was under my skin, in all meanings of the word. If I was honest, I really fucking liked her there.”-Teddy

Misdirection is J.M. Leigh’s debut novel and is book one in the Anderson Security series.

Misdirection is definitely slow burn in my opinion but oh man it’s so worth it! The entire story is so well written and the plot kept me on my toes that’s for sure! Lots of twists and turns that really sucked me into the story. The way that Leigh describes and sets the scenes made me feel like I was really there.

The banter and chemistry between Madi and Teddy was absolutely amazing! And the other guys of the Alpha team were perfect, each one had a specific personality and it really came across the story. Besides Teddy, Max was definitely my favorite and I can’t wait for his story to come out!!

The series will continue with book 2 Misinformation (Luke & Chloe) coming Spring 2023!

* I received an ARC from the author, and this is my honest review.

**This book is Dual POV and is written in first person perspective.
Profile Image for Kate Lewis.
264 reviews8 followers
August 19, 2023
First off! Loved this, and I am so excited to start Misinformation!! I loved Madi and her constantly, keeping me guessing and watching theme peel back her layers. It was refreshing to see a FMC who could be independent but also honest and open. Teddy was perfection! Protective but honest yet untrusting. He occasionally felt like a doormat to me, but still when a man says "babygirl" *swoon*!

The friend group / found family was amazing! I love Myles and Max, Gabriel can F off!!! But let's be honest he would make a perfect grumpy sunshine.

My few erks were: the chapters and epilogue weren't labeled who's point of view, so I found myself getting a little lost. The action scenes were occasionally hard for me to follow, and I found myself rereading them to make sense. Finally, the climax felt action packed yet lack luster all at the same time. I know this is going to be an intense series, too. I'm not knocking it.

I did absolutely love this book and might be turning into an action book girlly!
Profile Image for Jenn O'Leary.
1,021 reviews22 followers
November 7, 2022
Misdirection is book 1 in the Anderson Security: Alpha Team series.
It is also J.M. Leigh's debut novel!
Misdirection is an exciting story about Madi, Theo & the Anderson Security Team
There are lots of secrets, and suspense in this book. And I just loved all the characters.
Madi is very strong, stubborn and haunted by her past, and Theo is alpha protector who falls hard for Madi. They had such great chemistry.
I can't wait to read the rest of the series! I need to know more about all the other characters especially Max & Grumpy Gabriel.
This was a fun, suspenseful read!
I would like to thank J.M. Leigh for the chance to read and ARC copy of Misdirection.
I highly recommend it if you like romantic suspense
Profile Image for Jesse Slade.
Author 6 books120 followers
December 21, 2022
Misdirection by J.M. Leigh is a phenomenal debut novel. I love a good mystery and oh boy does Misdirection deliver.

Misdirection is a slow burn romantic, suspenseful mystery that will have you wondering what’s going on. It’s well written, clever, and intelligent. A top-notch edgy thriller full of slam-bang action where you trust no one and suspect everyone.

Misdirection is a page turning action-packed thrill ride, woven with unexpected twists and turns, with interesting and likable characters.

J.M. Leigh has a new fan and I can’t wait to see what this talented author comes up with in her next book--Misinformation.

Misdirection is a gem. Buy it. Borrow it. Just get your hands on it and read it.
Profile Image for Kacey Hochgraber.
47 reviews
January 1, 2023
TikTok book

Came here from TikTok when I saw a video the author was promoting. And said that there’s the ‘who hurt you’ trope, as well as ‘slow burn’ and ‘forced proximity’. I agree with ‘who hurt you’ and ‘forced proximity’ but not so much as ‘slow burn’. The main female character (Madi) gets hurt in the situations she’s forced to be in, as well as has previous injuries from her past. And due to those injuries Madi and Teddy are forced to be together for a period of time. But it def isnt a slow burn the got together within the first 15 chapters and basically stay together for almost the whole book and confessed their love at the end.

But really good on showing and describing characters pain and need for each other.
Profile Image for Rae.
8 reviews10 followers
July 2, 2023
✨️Romantic Suspense
✨️Military Romance

This is the first book I've read by J.M. Leigh and it did not disappoint.

Theo (Teddy) is a military man and he's on a mission, until he meets Madi who seems to complicate everything. Madi has her own secrets that she can't, and won't, reveal. When their worlds collide and seem to connect will they trust each other enough to find the truth and save the lives of their team, and possibly their own?

This book kept me on guessing and definitely kept me reading to find out all the secrets. I really enjoyed how the book ended and it made me super excited for the next in the series.
4 reviews
June 10, 2025
Good story

Like story, characters and plot but could have been better. had it had a little more background detail about the ex husband,family dynamic and the mission that went wrong didn't really see his part in it until he was there. why did they split? was he mental before? Are they really maxs kin? U opened it up but didnt do a dna test? The controlling but clueless mom and brother no detail where's dad so would have been more of a plot twist. the handler again no previous detail so we couldnt suspect him. could have made smoother transitions. Extra scenes should have been in book would have helped story
Profile Image for Toni Ervin.
18 reviews2 followers
December 3, 2022
4.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
1/5 🌶️
Please check TW, there are a few

I was given an arc in exchange for my honest review.

Thoughts:
* I truly did not want to put this book down, I literally had to force myself to go to bed.
* I absolutely loved Teddy & Madi’s banter & chemistry
* The alpha team, every character had a different personality & I loved each & everyone. Besides Gabriel (at times) 🙄
* The whole book kept me wondering how? Who? Why?
* I can’t give away much more without spoiling it, but it’s a must read.
Profile Image for Aubrey.
45 reviews2 followers
July 18, 2023
This book was so good !!! It was short but packed in the action like woah! Though it was a little coincidental which sometimes bugged me but even the characters poked fun at the coincidences that came up. Who doesn’t like covert missions and a mystery . I fell in love with all of the characters in this novel and the FMC is a complete bad ass !!!! If you want a short action packed romance this is it -
Tropes- enemies to lovers, touch her and die, strong female lead, snarky heart, alphas , ex military
Profile Image for Jo Ann.
8 reviews
October 16, 2023
Oh my, this is such a good book if you love ex-military security romance. I love Riley Edwards and this was even better in my opinion. I loved the humour, the characters including the whole team. The spice is swoon-worthy..I mean this author can really write a spice scene with all the feels. I think that really stood out for me. There is plenty of angst towards the end when the team is not sure if she is a goodie or baddie and there is 3rd act break-up. So so good. Highly recommend. Pleased to find this author!
Profile Image for Steph.
407 reviews7 followers
July 29, 2023
Romance, suspense, mystery... what's not to love.
I really enjoyed Maddi and Theo's journey. So many twists and secrets throughout the story to kept you on the edge of your seat. Their romance was oh so cute, he is so protective of her and such a teddy bear. She has so many secrets that she struggles to keep.
I loved all the banter between not just the MC's but the entire Ops Team.
I can not wait to read the next book in the series!
Profile Image for Deanna Johnson Lopes.
1 review
January 1, 2023
Amazing. Could not put it down. Kept me guessing for the entire book! Story was fast paced and exciting and characters were all intriguing and unique each with their own backstory that kept me on my toes the entire book!
Profile Image for Lady Azulina.
49 reviews
December 14, 2022
I’m giving this review because I was blessed enough to be part of J. M. Leigh’s awesome ARC Team; I enjoyed this book and I hope to be able to enjoy many more.

So… secret agents. And spies, uh? My cup of tea even when I know nothing about them and I don’t always understand what they’re doing or how they did what. But is that I just can’t stop! They’re so… interesting. And how things unfold! No one trusts each other and the lack of communication creates unnecessary issues! It drives someone a bit mad when we know they should be talking. But is even worse when the information they need is nowhere to be found, not even in the only person alive involved.

Have you heard about selective memory? How about repressed memory? I know very well the second one, but the trauma that our female protagonist suffered is indescribable, mostly because is nowhere too. It’s a thing of them, the secret agents and spies, their records aren’t easy to reach.

But what is easy is how fast you can love the male protagonist’s team! Maybe not all of them (because what would be the fun in having a whole team of approachable, reachable sex appeals?) but the vast majority… if you have my taste. If not, they’re still pretty diverse.

It doesn’t come without some content warnings… Just think about it, the background of those agents isn’t the prettier. But aside from the bad and the drama (that can be good, but is also bad), there are some spicy, some spy moments and reminiscences, very much some flirting, and a whole lot of action. The action just steps aside a little bit during the whole book, so…

If that’s your thing, why not give it a try? 😉
987 reviews74 followers
August 20, 2023
2.5 ⭐️

The chapters didn’t state whose pov we were in. You have to read the first few sentences to figure out who you’re following.
1,145 reviews
September 15, 2023
Lust at first sight with everyone keeping secrets. Probably would have ended the book way sooner if people were more honest but I guess you don't need/expect honesty from the person you're banging?
Profile Image for Torrie.
40 reviews
March 20, 2024
execution did not do the book justice, romance felt flat and forced as did all character relations, writing had grammatical errors, and the storyline became difficult to follow
Profile Image for Sam.
531 reviews32 followers
September 13, 2023
✨ 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰✨

“𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙬𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙩𝙝 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙤𝙣, 𝙗𝙖𝙗𝙮𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢. 𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙖𝙛𝙚 𝙞𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢.”

𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬: 11, 12 & 30
𝐒𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧: 26%
𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬: Military romance, insta-love, forced proximity, found family
𝐏𝐎𝐕: Dual POV
𝐊𝐔: Yes

🎿 Romantic suspense
🎿 Action-packed
🎿 “Who hurt you?”
🎿 Badass FMC
🎿 Mental health rep
🎿 Healing journey

If you love an action-packed story full of mystery and suspense, this book is for you (bonus if you love supporting indie authors)! Madi is such a strong and confident FMC! The author does an incredible job of weaving the threads of her trauma throughout the story.

I loved the found family within the Alpha Team and can’t wait to continue the series. Aside from the romance with Teddy, Madi also formed friendships with some of the guys which I really enjoyed. I’m really looking forward to Max and Myles’ story!

I found the first few chapters of the book to be confusing because there are no chapter headlines indicating the switches in POV. I didn’t realize it was dual POV until several chapters into the book. Leigh indicates in the Reader’s Note at the beginning of the book that all odd chapters are in Madi’s POV (FMC) and all even chapters are in Teddy’s POV (MMC), so my confusion could have been avoided if I read the Reader’s Note.

“𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙙𝙤 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙖 𝙗𝙞𝙩 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙤𝙥 𝙩𝙤 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙢𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙢𝙚 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡 𝙨𝙖𝙛𝙚, 𝙞𝙣 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙, 𝙬𝙚𝙡𝙡, 𝙞𝙩 𝙥𝙪𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙨 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙤𝙪𝙩.”


⚠️𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬:⚠️
Multiple open door scenes with explicit descriptions
Strong language

𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬:
Profile Image for Ktsues_booknook.
143 reviews4 followers
July 21, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️
This is the first in the Alpha Team Series. It follows Madi on what is supposed to be a vacation where she meets Theo “Teddy” who is working on an special op. They their worlds collide and the try to unravel what exactly happened on that mountain and who is responsible. Maxi and Teddy are each hiding their own secrets and identities from each other but how long can the Misdirection last when they are so explicably drawn together? The intense physical and emotional connection Madi and Teddi share is hard for them each to accept because they are always both guarded. The way they are so human and struggle to open up about anything so relatable. The story, suspense, spice and characters make you so invested that you don’t want to put the book down. I am eagerly awaiting book twos release soon and will continue to read all her new work!
Profile Image for Elizabeth Satala (ElizaJayneReads).
452 reviews8 followers
August 18, 2023
I really enjoyed this book!
There is a little bit of everything!
We've got a little mystery/suspense and a little rom-com. There are a few spicy scenes.

Madi is a strong FMC. She has a dark past from one of the missions she was on. It changed her life tremendously. She is also funny and caring. She cares deeply for her family and those close to her. Her past makes it hard to let people in, though, because it was super traumatic.

Theo (or Teddy) is a kind, hardworking man. He trained dogs in the military, and when his dog had to retire, so did he. He started working at Anderson Security to make up for the early retirement. He and his team are really close and would do anything for each other.

Teddy was immediately drawn to Madi. He loved her spirit and sass. When weird things started to happen to Madi while on vacation, Teddy was immediately suspicious, yet there was something about her that made him trust her. He was under cover as a resort worker, where she was on vacation with her family. He knew he had to protect Madi at all costs. He started to develop feelings for her after just a few days, and she started to open up to him... but neither could tell each other everything. Once each other's secrets started getting exposed, everyone was trying to keep Madi alive.

Madi and Teddy balanced each other out. Where he was serious, she was funny and always tried to lighten the mood. Where she was a little out of control, he was in control. I just loved them together!
Profile Image for (ti) Racconto di un libro .
103 reviews5 followers
July 5, 2024
⭐⭐,5

PRO:

➡ La scrittura è abbastanza fluida e l'inglese non troppo difficile da capire

➡La protagonista è sfacciata e sicura di sé, un bel cambiamento dai soliti personaggi dei romance

➡ Le premesse ci sono tutte per una storia mistery

➡Lui lavora per un'agenzia paramilitare privata nei primi capitoli risulta affascinante e autoritario

CONTRO:

➡Nel momento in cui si avvicinano degenera tutto

➡ Lei non ricorda alcuni avvenimenti del passato quindi è confusa, la squadra è confusa, la storia è confusa, mi sono ritrovata a non capire molto.

➡Lei soffre di PTSD quindi ci sono dei momenti, toccanti, ma al di là di questo non c'è un legame tra i due

➡La scena con il "cattivo" dura 10 righe e poi si aggiunge un'altro personaggio che da loro del filo da torcere confondendo ancora di più la storia.

➡Lui diventa possessivo, geloso, perde la concentrazione sulla missione diventanto superficiale e a un certo punto si. trasforma in uno st***zo. Un'altra persona.
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