Great mix of action, suspense, mystery, and romance!
342283
I've been so excited about this book since I added it to my to read pile. I thought it would be awesome and I love it when books live up to my expectations. I loved loved this book! It's just my type of read - big on action with a well balanced side of romance, mystery, suspense, and drama. Altered read like the Bourne Identity for YA readers to me and I love that franchise. I don't think there's anything I didn't like about Altered and that's a rare occurence for me these days.

The writing style fit the story perfectly. It really captured the tone well. There was this air of urgency, mystery, danger, and sense of a team forming that really sucked me in. The dialogue was perfect. I even found myself laughing out loud a couple of times.

I loved the characters. They start off as one note, but as the story unflods, they each get their own distinct personally. Cas was funny, Nick was a jerk that grew on me over the course of the story, Trev was sweet, Sam was a boss, and Anna was the perfect heroine for this team of guys. By the time I was halfway through the book, I was in love with Team Altered (that's what I'm callin em). When they hurt, I hurt. When they were good, I was good. I don't ever want this team split up you guys! Even Anna's dad grew on me. The bad guys were your typical creeps, but I enjoyed them. All in all, it was easy to invest in the journey because I really started to care for the characters as the story unfolded.

The plot was great. Somethings I thought could have been picked up on sooner by Team Altered as they were rather obvious. At the same time, I was okay with it because I felt it was realistic, given their situation, that somethings might be overlooked. I really enjoyed the mystery though and the clues were pretty clever and very spy like. I thought the whole setup was perfect and authentic. It made the plot very enjoyable.

All in all, Jennifer Rush has delivered a great YA read here. It's funny, sweet, and just plain fun! I recommend this to readers that love a well written action story with many more elements to offer. You won't be disappointed.
3465341
I can usually figure a book out by the half way point, but this one kept me guessing. I loved the mix of history, suspense, and supernatural. I also loved the characters. Very well developed and interesting and I kept wanting to know more about them. I hope more books follow, I will definitely purchase!
4911332
I loved this book!  It had everything I want from a novel.  Great plot, lots of action, great suspense and romance.  Wow!
364224
Cara McKenna brings readers the first book in the new Desert Dogs series, Lay It Down. Murder and mayhem abound in this romantic suspense tale set in the small Nevada town of Fortuity. McKenna cashes in on the latest romantic craze featuring motorcycle clubs, but her take on it is not what readers might expect. With a strong focus on the suspense, the antics sometimes associated with these bad boys takes a backseat. Readers looking for something more than the average story will find this one gritty, emotional and full of possibilities for the series!

What I liked:

My first thought when I say this one and read the blurb was that McKenna must be a Son's of Anarachy fan, which I am myself. I was expecting a lot of motorcycle club drama, involving everyone's 'old ladies' and criminal activity. Though there was a little of that here, the focus of this book was totally on the suspense. The murder of the main characters best friend takes precedence over everything else, even the romance. That can be good and bad, but in this case it was amazing!

I love romance and there is certainly a strong connection between main characters Vince and Kim. Their relationship is dynamic and passionate, which is what readers would expect from a bad boy, like Vince. But there is a lot more to it than that. Their scenes in the bedroom are pretty steamy but it's the way they interact on a regular basis and how they try to help each other and those around them that will endear them to readers.

Vince wants to protect his hometown, take care of his family and find out who killed his friend, Alex. The casino operation has threatened just about everything he loves and he is determined to see justice, in his own way. I loved that this story had a few elements of the paranormal in it and the way it was used. A good suspense tale is often a real page turner and Lay It Down was fast paced and hard nosed. It was certainly not at all what I expected.

McKenna uses this book as a lead in to the series and she accomplishes that well by making the secondary characters a big part in solving the mystery in Lay It Down. Readers get to meet a lot of characters that I hope get their own books. The town of Fortuity will also get under the readers skin, as well as, the Desert Dogs themselves. I look forward to reading more in this series.

What I didn't like:

I liked just about everything with this book. There weren't any elements that I felt were out of place. The pacing was good, the characters were memorable. I love a good romance and this one has that too.

Bottom Line:

This is a great start to a new romantic suspense series. It may have nods to shows like Sons of Anarchy being set in a small town and having a motorcycle club, but that's where the similarities end. McKenna takes this series in her own direction and readers will follow!
4884074
Great mix of fast action, suspense and romance.  Loved all the characters and look forward to reading a book about each brother.
1719811
A fast-paced story with a nice mix of action, suspense, surprises on a political, historic and intriguing mystery background... Embark for a great adventure!
3397266
4.5 Stars. Although Cold Malice is the 8th book in the Cold Justice series you could read it as a stand alone but why would you when the previous books are just so darn good! Cold Malice is another page turning, edge of your seat romantic suspense with a great mix of action, danger, and intrigue that has you guessing who the villains are and who the MCs can really trust.

Once I started this book I was hooked from the cult scene that introduces both of our characters in the past to the beginning of a series of hate crimes that seem to involve someone from that past. Tess was a strong heroine who grew up in a white supremacist group until they were raided by the FBI. Mac was a young police officer under cover with the group and he tried his best to protect Tess while he was there but ultimately feels guilty for the way some it played out. Tess always saw Mac as her protector and she had a big crush on him when she was a girl. Mac saw Tess as a spirited little girl who didn't let the family/life she lived smother the spark of life and sweetness. Tess is all grown up and she's tried to put the past behind her. She is a successful accountant and has done her best to raise her baby brother to be a good man but when people start dying that seem to be connected to her family and she finds information about one of the victims in her brother's office she starts to worry that he's somehow involved.

Mac is now an FBI agent and he's leading the task force on the new series of hate crimes. He doesn't want to believe Tess is involved but he's been lied to before and he doesn't have a lot of trust. Mac has a road map for his career and he doesn't want anything or anyone to get in the way of that so he has not time or room for a romance especially with a woman with ties to a white supremacist group. However, the more time he spends with Tess the more he sees the spirit of that little girl although he's also very attracted to the woman she is now.

This book had a lot of twists and turns and I was never sure who was involved in the terrorist plot. There were times when I was sure Tess' brother was innocent and other times when I couldn't help but wonder if maybe he was involved. There were a few red herrings along the way and a lot of suspects. I loved the intrigue and mystery of this book and I still wasn't sure who the bad guys were until the very end! I enjoyed the fact that we got into the mind of the villains and I couldn't believe I still couldn't figure out who it was.

I liked Mac and Tess together but there were times when I really wanted to smack Mac. He just couldn't decide whether to treat her as a suspect or friend/lover. I do wish that the two would have had a bit more time together without conflict to establish their relationship and I also thought Tess was awfully quick to forgive some of Mac's behavior. I would have loved to have seen some of the scenes from the end of the conflict before we jumped a month into the future for the epilogue.

Overall a 5 star suspense/mystery and a 4 star romance but I'm rounding up to 5 stars because once I started this I couldn't put it down!

A copy of this book was provided to me by the author with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and my comments here are my honest opinion.
1465120
What an interesting and suspenseful story!  It begins with Emergency nurse Erin Gray meeting Assistant DA Will Patton when he crashes his bike in front of her as she is out for a run.

Will has been transferred to the town of Lost Coast Harbor due to his promotion and becomes involved in an investigation of the local police department.  Erin is a strong, independent woman who has close ties in the town and is the estranged daughter of the police chief. Her circle of friends includes Maddie and Bree that we met in the first book, however, this book can be read as a standalone.

As the investigation heats up with suspicion of the chief's involvement in police corruption, so does Will's romantic relationship with Erin.  They quickly become an item and their romance is complicated with twists and turns in the investigation.  I loved the suspense, romance and the interesting and complex characters in this story.
711766
I really enjoyed this book.  It was a good mix of mystery, suspense, and romance!  I thought I had the killer narrowed down... but I was all wrong!
2717109
Reluctant Burglar is a wonderful mix of romance and suspense and kept me turning pages, rooting for both hero and heroine, right up until the end. The "who-done-it" factor held plenty of twists and turns, and I was happily kept in suspense, not figuring out the mystery too soon.

I've had a glimpse of Jill Nelson's work in the past, but this book went beyond my expectations - a compelling read!

I look forward to reading the next in this series and will definitely keep an eye on this author.
3408594
This is a great story by Karice Bolton.  It is a story about Hannah that lives in a community and is in a arranged marriage to Eric, whom she does not love.  When she discovers illegal activity going on she realizes she must leave the only people she has ever known, as well as people she can not trust.  She heads out to California and runs into Luke at Starbucks.  Luke is an investigator and can tell that Hannah is running from something.  Hannah does not want to befriend anyone, knowing she would put their lives in danger.  She ends up going to work and even moves in with Mia, who is Luke's sister.  The story will slowly start to unfold.  Luke needs to get Hannah to trust him in order for him to help her.  She has a couple of run ins and almost loses her own life.  She has had to deal with people she considered as friends dying around her.  Close to the end you will discover what secrets she knows that has placed her life in jeopardy.  This is an action packed, suspense, as well as a romance story.  A great read!
2645695
Great combination of mystery, suspense and action make it hard to put down.  I hope there's a sequel!
4245391
Under Fire was the perfect mix of a unique heroine, a gruff hero, and quickly paced excitement that kept me glued to the pages!

Louisa was just so smart, and so shy.
She's dedicated to her research. Six is a former Navy SEAL, and as smart and dedicated as Louisa is, Six is as well. He's sexy and I loved the chemistry between them.

Overall, I really enjoyed Under Fire. The characters were intriguing and the story made you feel. It was quick, but in a way that was perfect for the story. It was suspenseful and romantic. 4.5 star recommended read

*Review Copy requested and reviewed on behalf of OMGReads*
4288074
I really enjoyed this book. A nice mix of romance and edge of your seat suspense as this story unfolds.  Looking forward to book 2!!
1377021
I love this book. It was great Romance and action filled with mystery. I could not put the book down until I finished it.
2502847
I really enjoyed this book, and am currently reading the second one in the series.  The characters are well developed and there is alot of suspense, and surprises.  I would highly recommend this to any reader who enjoys suspense with some romance in the mix!
4239950
An ongoing mystery is solved. Even if you haven't read the first two books in the series you can catch up and follow easily. There is a good balance between action, humor, and relationships. The side characters are just as entertaining as the hero and heroine. Ms. Cole does the romantic suspense genre justice. I will definitely be reading more by this author! I received an ARC. This is my honest review.