A Reunion of Rivals - Reese Ryan (HD #2745 - July 2020)

Series: Bourbon Brothers (Book 3)

Sparks in the boardroom 

and the bedroom…

She can’t let anything derail her passion project, 

Not even a second chance with the sexiest man alive… 

The deal that could bring Quinn Bazemore’s career back from the brink has one catch: she must partner up with her ex-lover Max Abbott. Quinn can’t forget the pleasure-filled summer they shared. But now she’s butting heads over business strategy with the mouthwatering marketing VP, even as their reawakened desire threatens to expose her deepest secrets… 

Good second chance romance. Max and Quinn had a secret relationship one summer before leaving for college. Quinn was eighteen, and Max was twenty. Quinn was heartbroken when Max suddenly broke off the relationship and disappeared from her life. They haven’t seen each other for thirteen years until Quinn walks into the boardroom at King’s Finest and upends his life. 

Max and his sister worked for two years to convince their father and grandfather to take a chance on producing fruit brandies. Now that they have agreed, as Marketing VP, Max is ready for the next step. He is angry when told that the marketing project will be headed by someone else, and stunned when he finds out it is Quinn. 

Quinn is determined to make this campaign a success for two reasons. First, the fruit for the brandy comes from her grandfather’s farm. The success of the venture will make or break his business. Second, Quinn needs this job to repair the professional reputation trashed by her vindictive ex-fiancé and his father (her former employer). 

I enjoyed seeing the relationship develop between Quinn and Max. On the work side, Max had to get over his resentment at having Quinn put in charge. It took a little doing, but he did finally realize that it made sense to have someone who could devote the time to it. I had to laugh when he admitted that he couldn’t come up with any ideas that were better than hers. That helped them relax into a good working relationship. But under that working relationship simmered the renewal of their attraction. 

I liked the fact that Max immediately tried to apologize for the way he broke off their prior relationship. He knew he was wrong when he did it, but the intensity of his feelings for Quinn scared him. Quinn doesn’t want to hear his apology. She wants to keep the past in the past and keep the present professional. Having been burned by her recent relationship, Quinn doubts the wisdom of getting involved with Max again, both for the risk to her heart and the risk to her career. In addition to working together, they are also thrown together during several social occasions. It doesn’t take long for Max to realize that he wants Quinn back in his life, but overcoming the obstacles won’t be easy. Quinn fights against her feelings and tries to convince herself that a secret fling is all she wants. I loved it when she got to the point where she trusted him enough to tell him about her ex. Max’s understanding and patience went a long way toward making Quinn believe in their feelings. I loved the ending scene with the family. 

One of my favorite things about this series is the closeness of the Abbott family. Their love and respect for each other is evident but doesn’t preclude some familial difficulties. There is an ongoing storyline dealing with brother Parker’s belief that he should be the next CEO, rather than the oldest brother Blake. That comes to a head in this book. I thought the issue was handled realistically, and I’m looking forward to seeing how it plays out. I liked seeing more of the youngest and only girl, Zora. She is good at what she does but is also the one who tends to stick her nose in everybody’s business. I liked her interactions with Quinn and loved how she poked at Max. I found the youngest brother, Cole, very intriguing. He is the only one not involved in the family business, which has caused some stress. Things between him and Max are especially tense and become more so when Max discovers that Cole and Quinn have been good friends for years. Max’s jealousy was obvious, even when Cole tried to set him straight. I ached for Cole, who is hurt by the attitudes of Max and the rest of the family. I look forward to his book and seeing him come into his own - and lose his womanizer status!

 

Midnight Abduction - Nichole Severn (HI #1930 - June 2020)

Series: Tactical Crime Division (Book 3)

For the Tactical Crime Division, no case is left cold.

When Benning Reeves's twins are kidnapped, the frantic father knows who can help: the Tactical Crime Division and Ana Ramirez. Even though Ana once shattered Benning's heart, the special agent is the only one he can trust. But Ana is still tormented by the unresolved case that brought them together years before -- a case somehow entangled with Benning's children. It's up to the TCD and Ana to discover why…before it's too late.

Fast-paced suspense along with a second chance romance. The story opens as Benning's twin children, Owen and Olivia, are kidnapped from their home. Benning has something that the kidnapper wants, and the children are his insurance to get it. For some reason, the kidnapper quickly releases Olivia, but keeps Owen. Desperate to get his children back, Benning contacts the FBI and requests the only person he trusts to help him - Agent Ana Ramirez. He and Ana were a couple seven years earlier, but when the case she was working on ended badly, Ana walked away from Benning.

In the past seven years, Ana has acquired an impressive record of finding missing and kidnapped people. She has a laser-like focus on doing everything needed to find those victims. Ana is driven by the memory of her failure years before and blames herself for allowing her feelings for Benning to distract her from her job. Since that time she has kept people at a distance and keeping her emotions out of her work. She is stunned when she discovers that her new assignment is to recover Benning's son.

This story is action-packed from the beginning. The bad guy desperately wants the item that Benning found during one of his inspections and will do anything to get it. Things get complicated when Benning discovers that the item is no longer where he left it. It seems that every time Benning and Ana get a lead on how to find either Owen or the item, the bad guy is right there to stop them. They survive shootings, fires, explosions, stabbings, blows to the head, and just about any other injury imaginable while refusing to give in until they find Owen. As the case progresses, it also becomes evident that the bad guy has something personal against Ana, and it has something to do with the unsolved case from seven years earlier. By the time the final confrontation came, I was on the edge of my seat wondering how Ana would get out of it alive. The identity of the bad guy was a shock.

I enjoyed the rekindling of the relationship between Benning and Ana. It is obvious from the start that the sparks between them are as strong as ever. Ana is still consumed by guilt over letting her relationship with Benning distract her from that earlier case and tries very hard to keep Benning at a distance. Benning realizes early on that his feelings for Ana are just as strong as they were before, but getting past Ana's defenses won't be easy. Her journey to forgiving herself wasn't an easy one, and the final step came from an unexpected source. With that, Ana is now able to allow her love for Benning show. The ending was sweet, with Owen and Olivia joining Benning in a surprise for Ana.

 

Secret Investigation - Elizabeth Heiter (HI #1923 - May 2020)

Series: Tactical Crime Division (Book 2)

In the wake of a tragedy,

the Tactical Crime Division is the first call.

When ironclad body armor inexplicably fails and soldiers perish, the Tactical Crime Division jumps into action. Agent and former ranger Davis Rogers asks to go undercover to find the traitor responsible for the death of one of his friends, and Petrov Armor CEO Leila Petrov is happy to provide access to her company…especially once she discovers she's being framed. But will their joint efforts be enough to uncover the truth?

Fantastic story that gripped me from the first page to the last. FBI agent Davis Rogers was devastated to learn of the death of a friend of his when her unit's body armor failed. When he learns that his team will investigate the manufacturer, he wants in on the assignment. He is determined to bring the traitor to justice.

CEO Leila Petrov was horrified to discover that her company's armor had failed so badly. She is more than willing to give Davis unlimited access during his undercover operation. She is also determined to be part of the investigation.

Sparks flew between Leila and Davis from the beginning. Part of it was Davis's certainty that someone at Petrov was a traitor against Leila's refusal to believe that anyone at her company would do something so heinous. The other part was the attraction that flared between them. Unlike some romantic suspense stories, both Davis and Leila are aware of the complications that could arise if they give in to their attraction. I liked the way that they got to know each other, admitted to their feelings, yet still managed to keep things professional between them. There was a little trouble with trust between them near the end when they butted heads over the likely suspects. Both had to take a good look at whether love could overcome those momentary lapses. I liked seeing them come together at the end, ready to move toward a future with each other.

The suspense of the story was fantastic. Davis is driven to discover the truth behind his friend's death. Leila will do anything she can to prevent any more deaths. Leila is working at a slight disadvantage, having only recently taken over as CEO from her father. Some employees feel she isn't up to the job, especially after she ended their weapon manufacturing to concentrate solely on armor production. As the investigation progressed, Davis and his team discovered that the problem was much bigger than they suspected. The more they learn, the narrower the suspect pool becomes. The number of twists and turns kept me guessing until the very end. Every time I thought I knew who it was, something would point to someone else. Then someone else would move to the top of the list, then back to the first person. I was a little disappointed in Davis because I thought that he allowed his personal feelings to influence him a little more than he should have regarding one suspect. The final confrontation was intense, with an unexpected resolution.

There was also a secondary part of the investigation pursued by Kane, the undercover specialist, and Melinda, the profiler. Kane is a loner, as most undercover operatives are, and doesn't appreciate being paired with Melinda, who sees him more clearly than he likes. There are sparks between them, in equal parts antagonism and attraction. Both of them make mistakes that nearly get them killed. It will be interesting to see if they show up again in later books.

Engaging the Enemy - Reese Ryan (HD #2657 - Apr 2019)

Series: Bourbon Brothers (Book 2)

“That's the deal, Abbott. Take it…or leave it.”

How far will an ambitious heir go to secure his future?

Parker Abbott will do whatever it takes to be the next CEO of King's Finest Distillery, even play fake fiancé to his childhood nemesis, Kayleigh Jemison. Yet as he and the fiery redhead get reacquainted, sparks fly and real passion emerges. But when her ex wants a second chance, who will Kayleigh choose?

Good book. Parker and Kayleigh were good friends as children until Parker did something stupid that destroyed their friendship. To complicate matters further, Kayleigh is convinced that Parker's father cheated her mother when he bought their family property. Now Parker has shown up at Kayleigh's store wanting to buy her property! Parker needs this sale to show his father that he is the best choice to be the next CEO of the family business, but how far is he willing to go?

Having met Parker in Savannah's Secrets, I wasn't sure I was going to believe he was redeemable as a hero. He is focused on the bottom line and his goals, and doesn't come across as caring much about people other than his family. He certainly doesn't have much in the way of people skills. Kayleigh is Savannah's best friend, which has made some gatherings a little awkward now that Savannah has married Parker's older brother. Kayleigh is creative and independent. She never forgot the hurt of Parker's sixth-grade betrayal, which doesn't make her any more willing to sell her property to him.

I enjoyed the development of their relationship. Kayleigh is ready to send Parker packing when she gets a call from her ex-boyfriend's sister. Suddenly Kayleigh needs a plus-one to a wedding, and who better than wealthy, gorgeous, Parker Abbott? She basically blackmails him into agreeing to pose as her fiancé in exchange for agreeing to sell her property to him. I loved this scene because it not only showed the issues between them; it also crackled with the sparks of attraction that were there too. I also enjoyed his family's reaction to the plan. Neither Kayleigh nor Parker was particularly happy when Savannah pointed out that their attitudes would not convince anyone that they were madly in love. Savannah was a genius in coming up with a plan for Parker and Kayleigh to get to know each other again, enabling them to carry off their masquerade. I was also sure that she clearly saw that they belonged together, and it was her way to get them to see it too.

I loved that first "tell each other what you see as their good qualities." That got them looking at each other in a positive light. Then the "ten dates in ten weeks" plan was to enable them to get to know each other and become comfortable with each other. It was fun to see each of those dates and the changes each one made in their relationship. With each one, the sparks of attraction burned hotter until they finally burst into flame. There were also some fun and sweet scenes between them, from the mountain biking trip to the dance lessons. At the same time, their friendship returned and grew into something more, though neither one would admit it. Just as Parker realizes the truth about his feelings, they arrive at the wedding, and he discovers that her ex wants a second chance. I ached for Parker as he makes a rather boneheaded move, believing that she still loves the other man. Meanwhile, Kayleigh is devastated by what she sees as another betrayal. A little communication would have gone a long way to preventing heartbreak for both of them.

I loved the ending as Parker went after what he really wanted, though it took a kick in the pants to get him moving. The only obstacle left to their happiness was her grudge against his father about the land purchase. I loved that Parker had learned his lesson about communication and honesty. I liked the conversation between Parker and his father, and his insistence that it was time to tell the truth. The revelation at the end was a surprise and went a long way toward changing my opinion of Parker's father as well as Kayleigh's. I can't wait to see what's next for the remaining Abbotts.

 

Savannah's Secrets - Reese Ryan (HD #2580 - Mar 2018)

Series: Bourbon Brothers (Book 1)

Falling for the boss, or taking him down?

Savannah Carlisle had the perfect plan. By infiltrating the Abbott family's Tennessee bourbon empire as their events manager, she'd be one step closer to claiming half of the business they stole from her grandfather. Now she's not so sure. Because sexy Blake Abbott, heir to it all, is simply intoxicating. He's supposed to be the enemy. But after one long, stormy weekend, she's pregnant with his child…

Their grandfather raised Savannah and her sister after their parents died in a tragic fire. Finances were tight and Savannah grew up listening to her grandfather talk about how his moonshine partner cheated him. Joe Abbott went on to found the wildly successful King's Finest Bourbon Distillery, while Martin McDowell was poor and bitter.

Savannah is determined to find the proof necessary for her grandfather to claim half the business. The perfect opportunity arises when she is hired as the new event planner for the distillery. All she needs to do is keep under the radar until she discovers the truth. Having grown up hearing about how terrible the Abbotts are, Savannah doesn't expect the intense attraction she feels for Blake Abbott.

Blake has buried himself in his work since the end of his last relationship. He doesn't typically interview new employees, but with key members of the family out of town, it fell to him to interview the possible new event planner. To say that he was stunned by her beauty would be putting it mildly. He had a hard time concentrating on the interview, but it wasn't difficult for him to realize that her qualifications were excellent. The only downside was the unwritten rule that Abbotts don't get involved with employees.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Blake and Savannah. Both feel the intense attraction, but both have good reasons to resist it. Blake because of the prohibition against dating employees, and Savannah because of her secret agenda. That resistance becomes more difficult by the day, as Savannah discovers that Blake is not the heartless scum her grandfather described. Instead, he is sweet, thoughtful, and easy to work with. Blake is more impressed with Savannah's abilities every day, as well as more attracted to her.

They did well with their resistance until a storm trapped them together for a weekend. The combination of the sparks between them and Blake's kindness during a rough part of the storm blew their resistance to pieces. The immediate connection that went deeper than just the physical attraction surprised them both, making each of them wary of getting too close. Over the next weeks, they spent as much time together as they could while at the same time trying to keep it to themselves.

I ached for Savannah, who knew she was falling for Blake and was eaten up by guilt over her deception. She has a harder and harder time seeing how the situation will end well. The more time he spends with her, the harder Blake falls for Savannah, but he also feels that there is something more going on. I kept waiting for it to blow up in Savannah's face, and sure enough, it did. I hurt for both Savannah and Blake when it happened. Blake's feelings of betrayal were heartbreaking. Savannah knew she had earned his anger, but she also felt that her reasons were justified. An unexpected complication arose when Savannah discovered she was pregnant, and Blake had some choice words and accusations when he found out.

It was hard to see how any of this was going to have a positive outcome. This is where the strength of family and love came into play. There were some interesting twists and revelations on both the Abbott and McDowell sides. I liked seeing the support that both Savannah and Blake received, which included some tough love from their family members. The ultimate resolution was realistic and satisfying, making it possible for Blake and Savannah to find their happy ending.

I'm looking forward to the rest of the series and seeing Blake's siblings find love, too. Parker looks like he will be an especially tough nut to crack.