She knew he would have taken the bullet for her, with or without a vest. It both filled her heart with love and with colossal fear.

Material Witness by Lisa Mondello

Standalone - Heroes of Providence #1
Release - January 1, 2012
Genre - Romantic Suspense
Primarily Dual POV - 3rd person
Heat Level - 3 out of 5/a couple of barely descriptive scenes
Format/Source - Amazon Kindle purchase
Length - 237 pages
Publisher - Indie

Bestselling crime novelist, Cassie Alvarez, aka Cassie Lang, had murder on her mind when she walked into Rory's Bar under dressed and under cover to research her latest crime novel. Researching the cool, blue-eyed and dashingly handsome man at the end of the bar stirred her senses more than she wanted to admit. But was this man of leather armor all he appeared to be?

Playing White Knight to an innocent wasn't how Detective Jake Santos planned to spend his time under cover. But there was no way "CJ" was what she claimed to be and that nagging tightness in Jake's chest told him he'd better take her home to safety and leave it at that. Then the barroom exploded with gunfire, leaving a trail of dead that includes a notorious Providence crime boss and an undercover FBI agent. When Cassie's name is leaked to the media as the only witness to the grisly murders, Cassie insists she only trusts Jake to protect her.

The FBI wants their star witness happy and will do anything to make sure Cassie testifies. But it is clear to Jake that the shooter isn't the only person who wants Cassie dead. Not knowing who to trust, he vows to protect Cassie at all cost despite the fact that guarding the beautiful novelist is a serious distraction.

I was attracted to the blurb for Material Witness and I have no regrets! I love me some romantic suspense, and while I did find this story to be a bit ridiculous, inaccurate, and predictable, I enjoyed the heck out of this read.

Cassie was a woman who wrote crime fiction for a living and she was pretty good at it... if you chose to neglect the fact that it wasn't wholly accurate or that she naively put herself in dangerous situations in order to research whatever she was writing about. I found her to be a bit deluded when it came to real life as opposed to the fiction she wrote. Who goes into a mob-run bar to conduct research for a fiction novel? Seriously? At least Detective Jake Santos had a reason to be there, seeing as he was undercover. Anyway, her being there ties her whole life up in knots because she's a witness and someone doesn't want to leave her alive.

It was pretty obvious who some of the bad guys were, but I was still caught off guard. I enjoyed the way the story developed and the way the suspense brought the characters closer together. If someone recommended another book from this author for me to read, I'd definitely give it a go!
USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR, Lisa Mondello, has held many jobs in her life but being a published author is the last job she'll ever have. She's not retiring! She blames the creation of the personal computer for her leap into writing novels. Otherwise, she'd still be penning stories with paper and pen.

Step Into My Web by Cynthia Eden

Standalone - Death and Moonlight #1
Release - October 27, 2020
Genre - Romantic Suspense/Thriller
Dual POV - 3rd person
Heat Level - 3.5 out of 5/a couple of scenes
Format/Source - Kindle purchase
Length - 417 pages
Publisher - Hocus Pocus Publishing, Inc.

Step into my web…and you’ll never get out.

Chloe Hastings doesn’t like rules, and she doesn’t exactly play well with others. But she does have one amazing talent—she can get into the mind of killers like no one else. A police consultant and profiler, Chloe is definitely not like anyone that Joel Landry has ever encountered. From the moment they meet—in the middle of a bank robbery—she throws him off balance and pulls him under spell. She seems to have no fear, she plots constantly, and…Joel quickly finds himself trapped in her web.

She needs a new partner…and he’s just the man for the job.

There’s a sadistic killer hunting in the streets of New Orleans, and Chloe plans to catch him. First, though she needs a partner she can trust, and she’s decided that Dr. Joel Landry is the best fit for the job. Sure, he has a dark past. The doctor was attacked by a serial killer, but Joel survived while his attacker did not. Now the ruggedly handsome doctor has turned to the shadows. He’s learned how to hunt, how to fight, how to kill in a thousand brutal ways—in short, he’s acquired all of the skills that Chloe absolutely adores in a man.

He’s exactly what she wants. She could become the only thing he needs.

Together, they should be a perfect fit. She knows the minds of criminals better than anyone else, and Joel can protect her from any threat that comes their way. They’ll have one hell of a time tracking down the bad guys, provided Chloe and Joel don’t kill each other first. Another unanticipated twist for the new partners? Their attraction to each other is explosive, their desire uncontrollable. One reckless kiss seals their fate, and their need won’t be denied.

And neither will the killer who waits for his moment to attack.

Once you step into a spider’s web, there is no going back.

Author’s Note: Chloe Hastings always has a plan in play. Her investigations are unusual, her friends are generally on the shady side, and her social skills? Well, those are pretty much non-existent. But Chloe solves every case that crosses her path, and she never, ever backs down. When she teams up with her new partner, all bets are off. Joel is gorgeous, sinful, and about to break through every wall that Chloe possesses. He’ll fight for her, she’ll fight for him, and the criminals in their path had better get ready. There is a new crime-solving team in town.

Find your copy of Step Into My Web here:
Amazon * iBooks * Nook * Kobo

And this is why I will never ever question why Cynthia Eden is on my one-click list! Step Into My Web was on the right side of creepy (if creepy could be right) and gave me the thrilling story I was looking for.

After surviving an attack by a serial killer, Dr. Joel Landry was trying to get by. Surviving but not really living. He was scarred both physically and emotionally and Chloe Hastings believed she could offer him a way back. Be her partner. Help her catch a killer. Fall in love. No biggie.


There was so much to love about this story:
⭐ Chloe's mind, her secrets,her insights
⭐ Joel's strength and determination, his fight, his integrity, his endurance
⭐ the side characters that made their team — I hope to see more of them
⭐ the killings. I was seriously caught up in trying to find connections and didn't quite figure out whodunit until it was shown to me. I love to be kept guessing!

My only issue was the part about Chloe's ex, Morgan, who seemed to warrant more of an explanation. However, knowing that there will be another book, I'm hoping it will provide all that I found missing. I will definitely be one-clicking Save Me From the Dark when it releases in April.

"You're changing me. I feel like I've been sleeping. Or, hell, maybe I just haven't been living. Ever since that bastard put me in the ground, I haven't been the same. Nothing mattered. I dug myself out of the grave, but I felt like I was still buried. The days just passed and passed..."

"We should go —"

"Then I met you. You matter, Chloe. You matter." She'd changed everything for him.

She was searching his eyes. Searching —

"Joel?"

"Yeah, baby?"

"Please touch me again."

Please. A fucking magic word. He slid his hand under her chin.

"Lean toward me.

He leaned close.

Her lips pressed to his. A soft, tender kiss. "You matter, too."

Award-winning author Cynthia Eden writes sexy tales of contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and paranormal romance. She is a New York Times, USA Today, Digital Book World, and IndieReader best-seller. Since she began writing full-time in 2005, Cynthia has written over one hundred novels and novellas.

Cynthia lives along the Alabama Gulf Coast. She loves romance novels, horror movies, and chocolate. Her favorite hobbies including hiking in the mountains (searching for waterfalls) and spelunking.

Straightened Out by Janine Infante Bosco

Standalone: The Pastore Crime Family #1
Release: November 23, 2020
Genre: Romantic Suspense/organized crime
Dual POV: 1st person
Heat level: 4 out of 5
Format/Source: ebook provided by the author
Length: 289 pages

I'm a mob boss with a tarnished name, leading a kingdom in the shadows of disgrace.
She's a ballerina, the sister of my underboss, dancing her way through life.
Until her, all I wanted was to be straightened out.
But with power comes sacrifice.
With respect comes fear.
With love comes death.
The rule of the streets is to take or be taken.
Some legends are born, others are made.
But not all survive.
When Rocco was first introduced, I felt he came off as too brash, too impulsive, too reckless, too ignorant, and way too irreverent. In all honesty, my conclusions about him didn't change until almost the end of this story. He was nowhere near ready to be a made man, but when his uncle, Victor Pastore, calls on him, expecting him to step up when he's gone, he's got no choice. If this book was about anything, it was about Rocco growing up, maturing, and figuring out his place in this thing called life.

Then there was Violet, the girl who didn't have a clue. She didn't know what she wanted, couldn't stand up for herself, but she knew she loved Rocco. Together they were a hot mess of angst and drama and yet nothing, not even bullets, could keep them apart. Not her mother. Not her brother, who also happened to be Rocco's best friend and right hand man. Not nothing.

It took me a while to realize that this wasn't a continuation to the timeline of the Satan's Knights - it ran concurrent to it. Not only was it the beginning of Stryker and Gina's relationship (loved getting that glimpse of them), it was the start of Rocco's relationship with the Knights. I was so happy to see all of my favorites again. See... gone but never forgotten. And while I grew to appreciate Rocco and began to love him, I will always be Property of Parrish! Janine Infante Bosco lives in New York City, she has always loved reading and writing. When she was thirteen, she began to write her own stories and her passion for writing took off as the years went on. At eighteen, she even wrote a full screenplay with dreams of one day becoming a member of the Screen Actors Guild.

Janine writes emotionally charged novels with an emphasis on family bonds, strong willed female characters, and alpha male men who will do anything for the women they love. She loves to interact with fans and fellow avid romance readers like herself.

She is proud of her success as an author and the friendships she's made in the book community but her greatest accomplishment to date would be her two sons Joseph and Paul.

King of the Causeway by T.M. Frazier

King series #9.5
Release: January 9, 2020
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Dual POV: 1st person - King & Ray
Heat: 4 (one scene)
Format/Source: ebook borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Length: 124 pages

A massive hurricane looms off the coast of Florida while a different kind of storm is brewing in Logan’s beach.
A mysterious newcomer is vying for the title of King of the Causeway. He’ll do anything to steal the crown, including bringing someone back from King’s past who will threaten a lot more than the title King has spent his lifetime earning.
A hurricane is coming.
And it could destroy everything.
(This novella features King & Ray from King & Tyrant)

Driven by Rebecca Zanetti

Standalone: Deep Ops #4
Release: January 26, 2021
Genre: Romantic Suspense, serial killer
Dual POV: 3rd person
Heat: 3.5
Format/Source: eARC provided by the publisher (NetGalley)
Length: 400 pages
Publisher: Zebra Books

Unswerving: Angus Force is determined to hunt down the serial killer he'd once shot dead--or so he thought. But an anonymous source reports that Lassiter is alive. Force hasn't slept since, knowing it's only a matter of time before "the Surgeon" strikes again. And soon, a body is found, bearing Lassiter's same maniacal MO. It's just the beginning of a murderous trail blazing through DC and Virginia, right to Force's backyard...

Unstoppable: Nari Zhang is the shrink for the ragtag Deep Ops Unit, though she isn't Force's shrink--which is a very good thing. Because once they're thrown together on the case, their attraction is explosive and irresistible. They'll just have to fight that much harder to keep the heat between them from flaming out of control. But things are about to become far more challenging, and deadly, than they could have imagined...

Unhinged: Once the killer catches a glimpse of Nari, she becomes his new obsession. She is now the focus point--for both Force and Lassiter--in a dangerous dance for survival...
I have been craving the story of Angus Force ever since I read my copy of Hidden. He was brooding, damaged, and full of demons. Once the FBI's top profiler, a serial killer turned his entire world upside down. A bottle of booze, his faithful hound, and an isolated spot in Kentucky were all he needed to be content. Then he's pulled right back into the world he successfully escaped and that's how the deep dark secret of the HDD, the best team to take out the world's worst nightmares, was created.

For three books, Angus has been absolutely certain that Lassiter, the serial killer who ruined his life, the abomination he had killed, was very much alive. Too bad no one believes him. When the first body turns up with a twisted form of the killer's signature, everyone believes it's the work of a copycat. Even Nari, the one woman he would love to claim as his own, doubts him. And all of those doubts start to seep in, making him question himself. Could he be wrong? If so, who is out there targeting him and the members of his team?

This book was thrilling and had my adrenaline pumping from beginning to end. It had me on edge and I was constantly trying to figure out if Angus was on the money. I've never liked Nari in the other books and while I still didn't like her in this one, I did like the ways in which she played off of Angus. Their scenes were truly intimate and their chemistry was hot. Then again, Angus could do no wrong for me so that could be why I was cool with her in the end.

There are bombs, shootouts, interrogations, dead bodies, tons of drama, bits of romance, and even moments of humor sprinkled throughout this book. If you enjoy suspenseful stories that keep you guessing, you're gonna love this. Now I cannot wait until Jethro's story!!


Rebecca Zanetti is the author of over forty romantic suspense, dark paranormals, and contemporary romances, and her books have appeared multiple times on the New York Times, USA Today, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iBooks bestseller lists. She lives in the wilds of the Pacific Northwest with her own Alpha hero, two kids, a couple of dogs, a crazy cat…and a huge extended family. She believes strongly in luck, karma, and working her butt off…and she thinks one of the best things about being an author, unlike the lawyer she used to be, is that she can let the crazy out. Upcoming series are: The Blood Brothers, The Realm Enforcers and The Scorpius Syndrome.

Beautiful Thief by M.N. Forgy

Release: October 19, 2020
Standalone: Omertà Law #2
Genre: Romantic Suspense/Mafia Romance
Dual POV: 1st person
Heat: 3
Format/Source: eARC provided by the author
Length: 188 pages
Publisher: Indie

My name may be Romeo, but I’m far from romantic. My brother betrayed the family, forcing me into the role of underboss beneath the criminal mastermind that is our father.

I’ve never been a merciless criminal, and my father tests my resolve by giving me a stolen woman, knowing the situation disturbs me. What he doesn’t know is the disheveled beauty intrigues me.

She tried to kill me with my own gun on the first night, pushing my fixation into a dangerous addiction.

She’s unknowingly teaching me the power I have, and now I’m going to take over my father’s empire.

It’s a cold dark path to the top and I’m finally ready to lead the way.

Disorderly Conduct by Rebecca Zanetti

Bullets and Kisses Can Burn

The last person Anna Albertini expects to see in an orange jumpsuit in District Court—a place she SO doesn't belong as a new prosecuting attorney—is Aiden Devlin, the man who’d saved her life when they were kids. For years, she has dreamed about him. Now here he is—his eyes blue, his chest wide, and his hands in cuffs.

Sure, Aiden says he doesn’t want her help, and his ties to a deadly motorcycle club should give her warning. Yes, her new boss is a sexy Italian bad boy who might be using the case to climb to the top. Plus, the detective assigned to the case, with his green eyes and broad shoulders, wants her to stay out of his way.

With so much testosterone surrounding her all of a sudden, most women would find it hard to concentrate. This might be why the case leads Anna to yelp during a spa appointment, fall out of a tree, and chase a naked old man around the courtroom. It’s a good thing Anna learned a long time ago to be her own hero, no matter how fast the bullets fly or the kisses consume.

"I love a good murder mystery book wrapped up in an amazing love story. This book hit all my emotions and intrigue."

"Wow, what a story. This book had so many twists and turns. I couldn't put the book down once started."

- Reviewers

Elsie has a problem. She has a mystery she is bent on solving, a mystery that led her to run for her life down the streets of Navesink Bank until she found herself rescued by a sexy stranger.

Paine has a past. He’s done everything in his power to move on from it, to distance himself from the things he has done. But then one night he finds himself saving a woman whose naive dabbling in matters she doesn’t understand threatens to drag him right back into the world he had done unspeakable things to escape from in the first place…

* This is a stand-alone with an HEA, but features secondary characters from "Monster" and "Killer".

** For possible triggers, follow this link: http://www.jessicagadziala.com/triggers.html

Find your copy of Broken here:
Goodreads | Amazon | iBooks | Kobo | Google | Nook

This cop might be too hot to handle...

The sparks of unexpected passion ignite in this electrifying GhostWalker novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan.