"Neither human nor animal, but something in between, Circe's Recruits stop rogues bent on killing..."
In the three years since Project Dawn disbanded, Derrick continues to fight the good fight. Now civilians, his squad--Circe's Recruits--works for a private organization bent on cleaning up the mess left in the wake of Project Dawn's rebirth. Pearson Labs continues to create Circs, people who have been genetically changed. When needed, these Circs take on an altered form, one neither man nor animal, but something in between. But unlike the squad, the Circs coming out of Pearson Labs aren't sane.
Derrick doesn't trust Sabrina Torrence. She's an agent for the Project Protection Agency. Their mission in life is to kill and enslave Circs for Pearson Labs. No matter that she helped one of their own escape from the labs, or that she's given them vital information they'll need if they want to take down Elliot Pearl, the labs' founder. Derrick knows she's got her own agenda. If only she wasn't so damned attractive, then he might be able to keep his hands off her and his mind on the job. Then a stunning circumstance forces him to reevaluate all he once thought. But will this new insight be too late to save their growing love?
"When a hard-headed Circ meets the one woman he shouldn't trust but can't resist, all bets are off."
Publisher's Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: Anal play/intercourse, bondage/restraint, domination, male/male sexual practices, moresome (m/f/m/m), violence.
Important:: Marie Harte is NOT active on GoodReads, so to contact her, please use her website at marieharte.com.
Caffeine addict, boy referee, and romance aficionado, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Marie Harte has over 100 books published with more constantly on the way. She’s a confessed bibliophile and devotee of action movies. Whether hiking in Central Oregon, biking around town, or hanging at the local tea shop, she’s constantly plotting to give everyone a happily ever after. Visit http://marieharte.com and fall in love.
Marie Harte is a new author to me, and I found that her work was a little different which made me want to see what it was all about. Let’s just say I was pleasantly surprised. What I have found is that anything goes in her world. There is MM MFM and anything in between. It is original, it is fun, it is sexy, it is sizzling, it is strangely erotic in this paranormal world, and you will need more than a long drink to cool down. There is plenty of action and sexfests and you want to do away with the evil who place horrors against the characters. You want to be there to do harm when they infiltrate the enemy. If you like something oh so sexy, spicy and erotic, steaming and exciting with multiple partners then this is a book you should grab and dive right in.
Book 3 in the Circe's Recruits series. The story was intriguing; with plenty of action, romance, and an overarching plot that keeps me reading.
The series continues to improve. This one is my favorite, with book 2 a close second.
The men are strong, possessive and protective. The women are no weaklings, and are able to hold their own. They willingly submit to their mate and the alpha of the group, Roane.
The sex scenes are 🔥. Two m/m, one m/f/m, and several m/f scenes. One of my favorites is when the monster in the h takes over, leading to rough sex where the H is forced to dominate her.
🇱🇴🇳🇬 ∗ 🇷🇪🇻🇮🇪🇼:
MCs: Derrick Hale has serious trust issues b/c he was rejected by his mother after becoming a Circ, and cheated on by his ex-fiancee. 🔸Bullheaded, sarcastic, and downright mean, Derrick used his outward toughness to protect a tender soul. 🔸When changed, Derrick towered over everyone, with the exception of Roane,... Six feet four inches of man became seven and a half feet of raging Circ. His muscle mass increased, as did his sex drive.
Sabrina Torrence worked for Pearson Labs for 4 years, first as a Navy corpsman and then as a civilian, unknowingly experimented on like the other women. She went from corpsman to scientist to Circ.
In book 2, Sabrina rescued pregnant Circ Kelly Malloy from Pearson Labs, and gave her an encoded data disc with important findings. This caught Roane and his squad's attention.
A month later, Derrick and Hale are searching for Sabrina. Derrick feels a strong connection to her, revealing they are mates. Though they initially distrust each other, their attraction grows from lust and frequent matings to love.
The MCs are perfect for each other: 🔹Derrick needed someone strong to match him, and his instincts led him to Sabrina. 🔹Feisty Sabrina kept him on his toes, and he enjoyed her fiery attitude. 🔹His bluntness matched her sharp wit, and others tended to steer clear of them, which he liked.
🍭 So Sweet: 🍭 “Derrick?” Doc asked, his mouth open. “Are you purring?” Derrick wanted to crawl through the floor. “Yes,” he hissed. “And you can’t tell the others, okay? I catch enough shit about her as it is.” He nodded toward Sabrina, resting in his arms like a contented kitten.
“Why do you always smell like cinnamon?” “Why do you smell like apples?” he countered. Stymied, they stared at one another until Doc cleared his throat.
Derrick and the other Circs: He could see, smell, and hear ten times better than any human. With an ability to change, to shape-shift into a hulklike creature of monstrous strength, speed, and stamina, Hale and his friends were man-made weapons capable of great destruction.
The villain, Elliot Pearl of Pearson Labs: After Project Dawn failed, another government agency had stepped in. Pearl was now no more than a lackey, except in the scientific department.
🔺The Exciting Conclusion with Spoilers: 🔺 Diego, Doc's long-time lover and friend, is actually a government mole tasked with watching Doc. This breaks Doc's heart. After Diego tranquilizes Ace, Sabrina escapes to Pearson Labs to get Pearl's password folder to access the stolen files.
At Pearson Labs are: Sabrina, Derrick, Hale, and McKinley. (McKinley captured Derrick and Hale). A rogue kills Elliot Pearl, and McKinley seems poised to take control, possibly planning to dismantle Pearson Labs and its leaders. McKinley helps Sabrina get the passwords and then releases the captured men.
This sets the stage for an exciting final showdown. I'm intrigued to learn more about the mysterious McKinley.
💖 𝐓ɦ𝖾 𝐌𝐂𝗌 𝐒ω𝖾𝖾𝗍 𝐄𐓣ᑯ𝗂𐓣𝗀:
♥ “I love you, princess. I don’t know how it happened, but I’m nothing without you.”
♥ “Oh, God. Derrick, I love you. I love you so much, despite your bossiness, your arrogance, and your lack of charm. You’re handsome. You’re strong. And you love me,” she said with wonder...
♥ “Oh, yeah. Princess, you were made for me.”
♥ Sabrina promised herself never to take anyone for granted. Not her new friends or her mate — the man she loved more than anything. A family would come in time. Derrick would make an excellent father. And she’d prove to him that he could trust her. Words wouldn’t mean as much as actions. Sabrina knew without a doubt that he was “it” for her.
🇮🇳🇫🇴 2️⃣ 🇷🇪🇲🇪🇲🇧🇪🇷
▪️Sabrina: Tasked by Pearl to collect samples for a mating program, she struggled with a growing dark side that craved violence. She sought help from Doc, who discovered a transfusion with Derrick's blood cured her monster.
▪️Evan "Doc" Dennis: Has been managing Circe's Recruits for 8 years. He reveals his half-brother is Elliot Pearl.
▪️Hale Rogers: Second-in-command to Roane, he has untapped power within him. He dreams of two lovers: McKinley and Doc's presumed-dead niece, subject 31.
▪️Elliot Pearl: Lost control of his labs to a new backer and is determined to succeed with Project Dawn, producing a new, stronger batch of rogue Circs.
▪️McKinley: A feral and psychic Circ with super soldier traits, he works for Elliot after appearing mysteriously at his lab, displaying extraordinary abilities and unknown DNA.
▪️Pearson Labs CEO: Identity unknown, values secrecy to maintain military connections.
Derrick, book 3 of the Circe's Recruits series, by Marie Harte @authormarieharte. This is a re-read of the series for me. I had been thinking about this series for months & finally decided no time like the present! 🤩
I loved Derrick & Sabrina’s story! So much chemistry! Hot, sexy & amazing! Some MM, some group sex to bond as a Circ, & lots of sex between Sabrina & Derrick.
Whew! The mysteries in this series just keeps coming! Who's really behind the PPA? What's going on in that lab? What will happen? But in this book another Circ finds an HEA and it's great
First read years ago and first reviewed in 2015 and I am still loving this series in 2021. The series is now in KU so I will be reading them again. Best to read in order to get the whole benefit of the sub stories. I have just reread this series CIRCE’S RECRUITS and the follow-on series DAWN ENDEAVOUR for the third time. Always enjoyable to read. If you want something that is a bit different, not quite shifter and not quite alien, along the lines of government science projects, genetically altering people, everything going wrong, scientists playing god, then this might just be for you. Circe’s Recruits - Soldiers turned into something more. They fight against the ones who could not take being turned, or just ended up bad and are called rogue circs. Derrick thought all women were trouble after having been hurt in a previous relationship and also by his own mother who wanted nothing to do with him once he’d been changed. He has trust issues and especially didn’t want to have anything to do with Sabrina, because she also worked for the PPA in their labs as a technician. Sabrina was working to bring down the PPA from the inside as much as she could. She had been recruited from the Navy and unbeknownst to her, she was experimented on. Sabrina helped Kelly in the previous book to get away from the PPA lab and had been shot in the process. Have a lot of the do not want her but can’t keep my hands off her, before they get themselves sorted out. The four books in the series all weave together to form one really good ongoing story with relationships coming together, both past and present and sub stories about other important people who have pivotal roles in the series. Best to read in order to get the whole benefit of the sub stories.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I really, really enjoyed Derrick. It's been some time since I'd read the 1st two in this series, but this one brought it all back to life.
This series is about military types being made into super soldiers with super powers & shifting. Something goes wrong with the science and only our 5 intrepid circs survive with their sanity intact. Roane, the leader hooks up with Caitlyn in the first book. Zack and Ace team up with a pregnant Kelly in the second. Both women are also circs, as only circs can satisfy the mating heat. That leaves Derrick and Hale for the third & fourth books. LOL.
Derrick is fascinated by Sabrina Torrence, the woman who helped Kelly escape from the mad scientists. Sabrina was one of those scientists, unfortunately, she has been infected with the circ serum without her knowledge or consent and only finds out when she partially changes and kills all the agents after her, following her traitorous helping of the Kelly escape.
The ending, setting up for Hales's book is mindblowing. Can't wait to read it.
4.5 stars for book three in the Circe's Recruits series that features Derrick. Being the biggest guy on the squad has its advantages for Derrick but also it leaves him feeling bereft at times. While the other guys have found mates in Caitlyn and Kelly poor Derrick seems almost annoyed by the whole idea of mating until he meets Sabrina and can't get the hotheaded woman out of his head.
Sabrina is a beautiful laboratory technician that originally enlisted in the Navy but now works for the PPA. She is also the person on the inside that helped Kelly escape in book two. Sabrina was unknowingly infected with the serum that will turn her Circ and is in desperate need of help.
Derrick has been burned by women before and is having a difficult time believing anyone who works for the PPA regardless if she helped save Kelly's life. Once the mating heat hits and he realizes Sabrina is indeed the one for him Derrick doesn't know if he can trust her with his life or the life of his team but is quickly succumbing to the frenzy. Hale's book is next and seriously can't wait for that one :)
I like this series. It's got a good plot, a lot of action, and smokin' hot sex. The characters are ones that I've come to care about, and I can't wait to see how everything is going to eventually play out. This is one of those series where you have to read them all in order to really get what's going on.
I've been wondering about Derrick for a while because he always seemed to resent the girls when they came into the picture--first Caitlyn then Kelly. He was obviously hurt by women in the past and felt that they were nothing but trouble. But, he just seemed so hot, I couldn't stop wanting to hear more of his story. And I was definitely not disappointed.
The little sneak peak into Hale's story has me more intrigued than ever, so I'm going to go read that one right now and see how it all ends!
This book was interesting. It raised a lot of questions regarding Pearson Labs and the work they do and who's in charge. Sabrina had to struggle with being infected by Elliot Pearl without her knowledge. Pearl gave her a doctored serum which brought out a monster in her so Doc and Circe's Recruits had to find a way to help her before she ran out of time. Derrick was great. Even though he didn't trust Sabrina he was there for her all the time. I really like their relationship. I'm very curious to know who the real boss of Pearson Labs is and also what the hell McKinley's deal is. And I also want to know what's going on with Hale too. I' curious to see how everything wraps up in the next book.
Okay, this one was much better than the last book in this series. Much more action and danger. Plus now your actually left wondering who the mystery McKinley is as well as why the head scientist wanted Hale.
Still a little guy on guy action that freaks me out a tadd but was a much better read than the last book. I like Sabrina more than I did Kate in the previous book. She's a much more take action type of person. I also like the whole spin on her and Derricks relationship. All in all it was a really entertaining read. Though I don't think I'll put this series on my must own bookshelf unfortunately, The whole series as a whole i feel lacks something I can't quite put my finger on to make it fantastic.
This was a good installment to the Circe's Recruits series. Derrick is the largest Circ on the team and he is trying to track down the woman who helped Kelly escape from Pearson labs. Sabrina is a phlebotomist who has been trying to take down Pearson labs from the inside. After risking all to save Kelly, Sabrina is on the run.
Darrick doesn't know if he can trust someone who has worked for Pearl, but he also can explain why Sabrina helped Kelly at clear risk to herself. Is he ready for all of Sabrina's secrets?
I liked this couple and I enjoyed this book in the series. I wasn't as connected with them as I was with Zack, Ace, and Kelly - I think because Z, A, and K had been together for years as friends before coming together.
I'm starting to enjoy Ms. Harte's books more and more. I liked this series as I read each new book. The sex could have become redundant, but Ms. Harte seems to make it fresh. I liked Derrick and how he found his mate. This all works out nice and pat which is too perfect to be true. However, I believe Ms. Harte is a romantic at heart. This is why there are mates and why things all work out in the end. Derrick met his match and then some! I can't wait to read about Hale. I think Hale's is going to be another menage. Woohoo!
Picking up practically from where Book #2 left off, Sabrina's on the run from the PPA and Derrick can't get her out of his head. My biggest question with this book was why Roane had to claim Sabrina and mark her as one of the Pack when he didn't have to claim Kelly in Book #2. As far as I can figure that was entirely handwaved. I really don't remember any actual explanation for it. Other than that, this was a fun little read that moved the overall series arc toward the final book.
This one is about Sabrina and Derrick. She's a spitfire and just what someone like Derrick needs. Great characters. Too short, but good action and some humor. Lots of sex, & most of it fits into the story. Plenty of twists. Doesn't pick up from where the previous one felt like an abrupt ending. Which made the beginning a little chaotic feeling until it settled down
This started out a little slow but took off about halfway through. Some questions were answered about the PPA and some of the relationship connections. But there is still a lot of mystery surrounding McGinley. The build up for Hale's story has me thinking it will be the best one yet!
I wasn't as invested in Sabrina and Derrick as a couple. They didn't really do much for me. I am curious to see who's involved in Project Dawn and what role McKinley has in this whole thing.
Derrick was a good story. It had action and a little suspense. I couldn't put it down, I wanted to read everything that was happening. Hale next. A good read.
Wow!!... This book, SMOKING HOT! There's nothing that I didn't love about this story. Great story line, shifters, and the sex?.. holy shit. I will gladly follow this entire series!