A Night of Secret Surrender - Sophia James (HHS #476 - May 2018)

Series: Gentlemen of Honor (Book 1)

He was her first love…

Now she’ll risk all to save him.

Celeste Fournier once gave her innocence to the man she loved. Years later, that same man, Major Summerley Shayborne, is in Paris, and in danger! Celeste’s world has changed beyond recognition, but she knows she must help Shay flee. Yet their scorching reunion makes her wish she could reclaim something of herself -- to be the girl she was, the girl that Shay deserves.

Good story about two people reunited by war, deeply changed by their experiences. Celeste and Shay had known each other as teenagers in England, where they had one night together before she left for France with her father. Years later, Shay is one of Wellington's best spies, currently working in Paris. The book opens with Shay receiving a warning from a young Frenchwoman, letting him know that he is in immediate danger of being captured. There is something familiar about her, but she disappears before he figures it out. Celeste is a French informant, working for the same organization that wants Shay. Warning him that he is in danger puts a target on her own back, but she would never forgive herself if something happened to him.

The action is intense from beginning to end. With Napoleon's departure in his attempt to take Moscow, the rest of France is in turmoil as various factions fight for control. Shay and Celeste are in constant danger of discovery as they try to make their way to safety. Rather than fancy houses, balls, and parties, this book shows the darker side of Paris and the war. Both Shay and Celeste have been affected by the things they have seen and done. In the past six years, Celeste has lived through unimaginable things, making her quite cynical. She is blunt in words and actions, but there are also hints that there is more to her than meets the eye. Shay is also rather cynical, having seen what people are capable of. He is wary of trusting Celeste at first. But trusted or not, he can't leave her behind. Neither one expected the passion that flared between them in the midst of all the danger, and the feelings between them grew just as fast. The intensity of their escape bid kept me turning the pages as they made their way out of Paris and across the French countryside. Constantly changing disguises barely kept them ahead of their pursuers. I ached for them both as Shay tried to convince Celeste to return to England with him, and she was just as insistent that it wasn't possible. My heart broke for Celeste as I saw what she did to ensure Shay's safety.

I wasn't sure how Celeste and Shay were going to manage their happy ending with the way things were looking at that point. I feared for Celeste's life as she fulfilled the promise that she had made. The story fast forwarded for more than a year, and neither Shay nor Celeste knew if the other had made it to safety. Celeste's next appearance comes as she follows through on something that Shay had told her in France. I felt her worry as she took her chances that he had been right. She receives a much more unpleasant surprise when she hears that part of her past has followed her and she knows that she must warn Shay. I loved that reunion and the depth of emotion it brought out. The final confrontation with the bad guy went as expected, followed by some unexpectedly light moments that were an excellent antidote to the darkness. I loved the revelation of the rest of Celeste's secrets and seeing her and Shay finally get their chance at a future together. The epilogue was excellent and left me wanting a story for Lian. 

Facing Fire - HelenKay Dimon (Avon - Oct 2015)

Series: Bad Boys Undercover (Book 3)

When his uncle is brutally murdered, Josiah King knows that business just got personal. His uncle's ties to the Alliance can mean only one thing: Josiah and his black ops team are targets, along with everyone they love. Primed for vengeance, Josiah is determined to unravel the plot--until long-legged redhead Sutton Dahl becomes a dangerous distraction.

Sutton is very good at uncovering other people's secrets -- and protecting her own. When Josiah bursts into her life she's torn between pushing him away and asking for his help. Mysterious, strong, and much too sexy, he's a puzzle she longs to solve, and a temptation she can't ignore.

Thrown together in the face of Alliance's most lethal threat, Josiah and Sutton become unlikely partners, fighting for their lives even as the attraction between them flares into real passion. Torn between his team and the woman who means everything to him, Josiah will risk it all to save Sutton, even if that decision is his last.

Good book that had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. Josiah is the leader of Alliance's Delta team. The team has been working to track down their nemesis, Benton, the one who got away at the end of Falling Hard. It hasn't been easy, as the man always seems to be one step ahead of them. The search became personal for Josiah when Benton brutally murdered Josiah's uncle. This was Benton's opening shot in his war of revenge against Alliance. 

Sutton is a PI who has spent the last several years on a quest to find the man she holds responsible for her mother's death. Her search has brought her to Paris and the office next door to the man now calling himself Bane. A covert trip into Bane's office revealed a puzzling file of names, photos, and code of some kind. After barely making it out of his office undetected, Sutton went to work investigating the list of names, trying to find their connection to Bane.

The action ramped up when Sutton's investigation came to the attention of the folks at Alliance - because it was their names she was searching. Josiah and Mike went to Paris to discover what Sutton knows. I loved the confrontation between Sutton and Josiah. He is adamantly convinced that she is working with Benton, as he and Mike kidnap her to find out what she knows. Sutton does not give in easily, even when they are attacked and she has to depend on Josiah and Mike to keep her safe.

The development of the relationship between Josiah and Sutton is fast and intense. Josiah is quite a jerk at the beginning with his threats and refusal to believe in her innocence. Sutton doesn't exactly make things easy either, by keeping much of what she knows to herself. It was pretty obvious that part of Josiah's extreme attitude toward Sutton is because he is fighting his attraction to her. Sutton is more accepting of the attraction and has no trouble calling Josiah out on his attitude. I loved watching the push and pull between them as the attraction deepened to something more. I really like the way that  Sutton understood Josiah and sees past his walls to the man inside. Some of the scenes between them are heart-wrenching as Josiah deals with the things that happen. I ached for both of them as Josiah pushed her away because of his feelings of being broken. I loved the conversation with Mike that helped open Josiah's eyes. His big moment at the end was pretty great, especially when he let his vulnerability show.

The suspense of the story was great. The horror of the murder of Josiah's uncle and the subsequent threats made by Benton showed just how evil the man is. The additional information that Sutton provided gave the Alliance team the boost that they needed to get closer. With some of the story told from Benton's POV, we also get to see his actions and reactions. The intensity increased with each attack, as the team faced seemingly impossible, and sometimes heartbreaking choices. The final confrontation had me on the edge of my seat as I wondered if Benton would slither away again.

I loved the various team members. It was immensely satisfying to have two such strong women on the team. Tasha and Ellery were awesome in what they could do and the respect that the others had for them. I also enjoyed how Benton underestimated them and Sutton.  Harlan was the one, among the men, who seemed to be the voice of reason. He was just as intense as the others, but he also had a way of cutting through the emotion and bringing them back to the reality of what had to be done. Mike was my favorite. I loved the close friendship he had with Josiah. He had a terrific way of cutting through Josiah's angst so that he could see the whole picture. Mike was also the center of some other drama that was completely unexpected.

From Courtesan to Convenient Wife - Marguerite Kaye (HH #1371 - Apr 2018)

Series: Matches Made in Scandal (Book 2)

Every woman wants to marry him

But what if he is already taken?

In this Matches Made in Scandal story, Jean-Luc Bauduin, Parisian society’s most eligible bachelor, is determined to take only a wife of his choosing. But until that day comes, he’ll ward off his admirers by hiring Lady Sophia Acton to wear his ring! The passion Jean-Luc shares with his convenient bride is enormously satisfying -- until he discovers Sophia’s utterly scandalous past!

Good book. Sophia has had to make difficult choices in her past, choices that have left her reputation in ruins. All she wants now is the chance to start a new life. She is offered that chance by a woman known as The Procurer, who helps women such as herself rebuild their lives. All she needs to do is travel to France and play the part of loving bride for a French wine merchant.

Jean-Luc is young, handsome, and very wealthy. He has recently been approached by a woman who claims that he is the missing heir to a dukedom and the man her parents betrothed her to when they were children. He needs a fake wife to protect him until he can investigate the claim.

There was a connection between Jean-Luc and Sophia from the moment they met, as well as a spark of attraction. I loved how easily they both slid into the role of a happily married couple. It wasn't long before each of them found themselves forgetting that the marriage wasn't real. But Sophia's past still haunts her. The things that she had to do still cause her deep shame, and she fears what Jean-Luc's reaction would be if he knew. Jean-Luc senses that there is something that isn't right with Sophia. He doesn't push for answers to his questions, sensing that it will take time for her to trust him.

I liked both Sophia and Jean-Luc. Sophia is a stronger woman than she thinks she is. She came through her ordeal with her pride intact, though not her ability to trust. My respect for her grew as each piece of her past was revealed. I also liked the way that she insisted on helping Jean-Luc unravel the mystery of his past. Jean-Luc is an amazing man. He grew his business from almost nothing to being one of the best in the country. He is kind, and honorable in his treatment of both Sophia and Juliette.

I loved the development of the relationship between Jean-Luc and Sophia. They spend the time together to convince the public of their marriage and quickly discover that they like each other. There are some marvelous scenes of them together, as Jean-Luc shows Sophia around his beloved Paris. I also loved Sophia's support of him as they delved into the mystery of his past. As the attraction between them heated up, Sophia had to deal with the memories that would come between them. I loved Jean-Luc's patience as he waited for her to be ready. I ached for Sophia when her past made an unexpected appearance. Her pain and shame as she confessed all to Jean-Luc were heartbreaking. I loved Jean-Luc's reaction and how it showed just how well he knew her and the depth of his love for her.

The mystery of Jean-Luc's background was very well done. It's obvious from the start how it is going to turn out, but the journey there was terrific. With the unusual setting of post-Revolution France, there were many twists and turns before the truth was uncovered. The epilogue was good and wrapped up some loose ends.