Blog Tour: Safe from Harm by Kate SeRine (Giveaway)

Protect and Serve, Book 2

Synopsis: There’s something about prosecuting attorney Elle McCoy that Deputy Gabe Dawson just can’t get enough of. Even with Gabe’s family legacy in law enforcement and promising career, Elle’s smart, sassy rejection of all his charm makes Gabe want her even more.

But Gabe’s confidence is shaken when he’s shot on the steps of the courthouse, protecting Elle from a terrorist intent on revenge. Worse, Elle isn’t out of danger yet. But as they race to counter the terrorist’s next move, Gabe determines to prove to Elle—and himself—that he’s a man worthy of her.

Review: I liked the first book in the series and it’s true that I was curious to get into a new one. Admittedly, Kate Serine presents a very good sequel and I was happy to discover Elle and Gabe!

A family is terrorizing the city, but no one seems able to do anything against them. Yet everything gets worst when one of them kills Gabe’s partner at a party in a bar. The trial appears to strengthen their grip when they lose and vow revenge for what they have experienced. To stay alive, Gabe and Elle will have to join forces to understand what is really happening and to stop the events that worsen gradually.

I will not say more about the plot not too spoil the story but this is a new good novel. It’s quite surprising to see such an unhealthy atmosphere here with this family which eventually creates a sort of cult followed by many. It’s impressive to see what Jeb, the head of the family, is willing to do to bring down the other family he considers enemy.

In short, it is difficult to say that but Jeb does not hesitate to sacrifice his family to achieve his objectives and is even willing to be violent. He’s a completely crazy but it’s true that it’s fascinating to see his limits and especially what Elle and Gabe would be willing to do to stop them. The relationship between the two is rather touching, we see it evolve gradually until something more tenuous appears.

You’ll understand, we have a good plot, a different atmosphere and a couple that is fun to read about. Yes, it’s a good discovery.

4 

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Excerpt

Gabe started awake, throwing off the covers and bolting to his feet. Pain shot up and down his leg as soon as he made contact with the floor, making him groan through clenched teeth and follow it up with a juicy curse.

“Motherfu—

“I’ll just come back later.”

His gaze shot up to see Elle standing inside the doorway, gorgeous eyes wide, her peaches-and-cream skin flushed an alluring shade of pink that deepened as he gaped at her. When she dropped her gaze, turning first left, then right, as if forgetting where the door was, he suddenly realized his bare ass was hanging out of the back of his hospital gown giving her quite an eyeful.

“No, that’s okay,” he said in a rush. “Come on in.”

He straightened quickly, wincing with the sudden movement, belatedly realizing his wound apparently hadn’t affected other areas of his anatomy and he was sporting some serious morning wood, which was pitching one helluva tent beneath the thin cotton gown.

He cursed again and dropped down on the bed, throwing the blanket over his lower body in one quick motion and trying unsuccessfully to suppress another groan. He squeezed his eyes shut for a second until the wave of agony passed. When he opened them again, he was surprised to see Elle standing before him, her gaze searching his face.

“Are you okay?” she asked, her hand coming up to cup his jaw. The gentle warmth of her palm sent a chill through him, making him shudder. Her hand immediately dropped away at the response, mistakenly thinking her touch was unwanted when, in fact, he desperately he craved it. “I’ll get the nurse.”

When she reached for the call button hanging near the head of the bed, he gently grasped her wrist and drew her hand away. “Leave it. I’m fine.”

She swallowed and dropped her gaze briefly to their hands, looking like she wanted to bolt and rid herself of his touch. He almost released her, saddened that she found the contact so unwanted. But then he felt her pulse quicken beneath his fingertips.

So maybe it wasn’t revulsion she was feeling after all…

When her gaze drifted back up to his, he decided to test his new theory and let his thumb slowly smooth over her skin. “How are you?” he asked softly.

She gave him a tremulous smile and, God help him, he damned near dragged her into his arms and kissed her. But he managed to restrain himself as she said, “Shaken up a bit. But no lasting harm.”

He narrowed his eyes at that, not believing her for a second. “You sure about that, honey?”

“I’ll be okay,” she assured him, nodding a little, her lips pressed together as if she was trying to convince herself of the truth of her words. “It’s just…” She sighed. “I almost died yesterday.”

There it was. The truth they both needed to face. Elle was no fool. Hell, she was brilliant as far as he was concerned. She must’ve known as certainly as he did how close they’d both come to losing their lives the previous day. So there was no denying her words, no use trying to convince her she was mistaken.

“Yeah,” he said, still caressing her pulse point. “You sleep at all last night?”

She shook her head, her eyes beginning to glisten with unshed tears. “No. All I could see when I closed my eyes was—” Her words broke off when her voice hitched with emotion.

Ah hell.

He slipped his hand into the thick waves of hair at the base of her neck and pulled her toward him. Every inch of him—especially those hidden under the blanket—longed to kiss her, but at the last moment, he pressed his lips to her forehead in a lingering kiss.

He didn’t know what to say to make her feel better. It wasn’t like that time when Todd Jenkins had broken up with her a week before the homecoming dance and Gabe had hinted to Chris that maybe he should ask her. Or the time her biggest rival was made editor of the school yearbook and he’d broken into her locker before school to leave her flowers (anonymously, of course). Or the time he’d given Aaron Maguire a fat lip when that asshole had gotten a little grabby with Elle in spite of her saying no loud and clear. Or the time he’d driven two hours to the college she was attending to fix her car on the sly because her aunt Charlotte had mentioned that it wasn’t running and Elle refused to ask for the money to fix it.

He’d been secretly looking out for Elle for as long as he had known her, never letting on that he was the one, never asking for anything in return. Knowing she was safe and happy was enough. But he was at a loss on how to comfort her this time, when they were very literally face to face.

He’d never known how to deal with a woman when she was upset. He supposed he got that from his father, who wasn’t exactly the most nurturing guy. Normally, Gabe bailed when things got serious enough with a woman that she was actually sharing emotions. Okay, to be honest, he usually bailed way before that. But seeing Elle looking lost and afraid brought out a protective urge in him that he’d never really experienced with anyone else—not to this extent, anyway.

He could lie and say she’d be fine in a few days. But the truth was, it might be something that haunted her far longer. God knew he had plenty of nightmares—some of them walked and talked and dropped by for a visit in his hospital room in the middle of the night.

Elle’s hand came up to rest lightly on his chest, and he felt her breath quicken as tension began to build in the air between them. “Thank you for saving my life,” she whispered. She pulled back enough that their faces were just inches apart. And for a moment, he thought she might actually kiss him. The look in her eyes told him she was considering it, which shocked the hell out of him…

 

 
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Safe from Harm de Kate SeRine (VO)

Protect and Serve, Tome 2

Résumé (traduction personnelle) : Il y a quelque chose au sujet du procureur Elle McCoy dont le député Gabe Dawson ne peut pas se passer. Même avec l’héritage de la famille de Gabe pour la loi et sa carrière prometteuse, le rejet impertinent d’Elle de son charme donne à Gabe encore plus envie de la séduire.

Mais la confiance de Gabe est secouée quand on lui tire dessus sur les marches du palais de justice, protégeant Elle d’une intention de vengeance. Pire, Elle n’est pas encore hors de danger. Mais dans leur course pour contrer le prochain mouvement terroriste, Gabe est déterminé à prouver à Elle et lui-même qu’il est un homme digne d’elle.

Avis : J’avais bien aimé le premier tome de la série et c’est vrai que j’étais curieuse de me lancer dans la suite. Il faut dire que Kate Serine nous présente un très bon nouveau volet et j’étais contente de découvrir Elle et Gabe !

Une famille terrorise la ville mais personne ne semble capable de faire quoi que ce soit contre eux. Pourtant, tout empire quand un de leur proche tue le partenaire de Gabe lors d’une soirée dans un bar. Le procès semble raffermir leur emprise quand ils perdent et jurent de se venger pour tout ce qu’ils ont vécu. Pour tous les faire tomber, Gabe et Elle vont devoir unir leurs forces et comprendre ce qu’il se passe réellement et arrêter les évènements qui empirent petit à petit.

Je ne vais pas en dire plus sur l’intrigue pour ne pas trop spoiler mais c’est un nouveau bon roman. C’est assez surprenant de voir une ambiance aussi malsaine ici avec cette famille qui crée finalement une sorte de culte que beaucoup suivent. C’est impressionnant de voir ce que Jeb le chef de famille est prêt à faire pour faire tomber la famille qu’il considère comme ennemie.

Bref, c’est assez difficile à dire mais Jeb n’hésite à sacrifier les membres de sa famille pour atteindre ses objectifs et même à être violent. C’est quelqu’un de complètement fou mais c’est vrai que c’est fascinant d’un côté de voir ses limites et surtout de voir ce qu’Elle et Gabe seraient prêts à faire pour les arrêter. La relation entre les deux est d’ailleurs assez touchante, on la voit évoluer petit à petit jusqu’à ce que quelque chose de plus ténu apparaisse.

Vous l’aurez compris, une bonne intrigue, une ambiance différente et un couple que l’on prend plaisir à lire. Oui, c’est une bonne découverte.

4 

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Nowhere to Hide by Nancy Bush

Nowhere, Book 2

Synopsis: THERE ARE SINS
“Do unto others…” Carefully, he carves the words into their flesh. The victims are all young, brunette, pretty. But she’s the one he really wants. The others are just a way to ease the rage that has festered for years, until the only thing that calms him is his knife slicing through skin…

YOU NEVER LIVE
Detective September Rafferty—Nine to her friends—recognizes the artwork that arrives in the mail. She created it back in second grade. Now a killer’s words are slashed across it in what looks like blood. He knows her. September’s investigation leads to her old classmate, Jake Westerly. She wants to believe Jake is innocent. But trusting anyone could be her last mistake…

TO REGRET
Every slight, every slur, he remembers them all. They turned him into a monster, and now they will suffer for it. Starting with September, he’ll show them that the past can never stay hidden, and the time of vengeance is at hand…

Review: I’m always quite attracted to romantic suspense and when I saw the summary of this one, I thought I could have a good time with the story.

Here, we follow September, a police officer, newly arrived and who finds herself on a case that could touch her much more than what she originally thought. At the same time as often in this kind of novels, also follows the killer, his thoughts, his desires with small asides in chapters without ever learning about his identity. Moreover, we feel fairly quickly his unhealthy nature, twisted and desperate to achieve his goal. I found that the author was successful in creating a perfect atmosphere around him. But back to September … this young woman went through and will go through many trials. Indeed, a serial killer seems interested in her, sending her school drawings along with some strange inscriptions. But then, is this a joke or is it for real? And what about Jake? The perfect boy she loved while younger but who never stayed with her and who he reappears now, related to the case … She should not succumb to the attraction and yet … I have to say that I enjoyed his character. Everyone makes him seem like the perfect boyfriend and it’s true that this is how we see him too. He wants to be there for September, to help her, to support and protect her. What more can we ask for?

What was a little annoying for me was the confusion and unspoken of the history. There are many elsewhere about the killer, the investigation on the September family or about the character that concludes the story. I found it a bit strange and the story gives us a little feeling of incomplete in the end. In all cases I enjoyed discovering more about our heroine and her pretty dysfunctional family. Oh yes, because for once, her family is really twisted and it is also true that the more we learn about them and the more we understand the remoteness of some children.

In any case it was interesting to follow the investigation to see what was going to happen, how everything was going to bind and to see how our heroine was going to come out in the end. Despite some points, I thought it was pretty well done and I wonder what the result will book now with the sequel.

 

3 

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En ligne de sang de Nancy Bush

Nowhere, Tome 2

Résumé : “ELLE PAIE POUR ELLE.” C’est la phrase qu’un tueur en série grave dans la chair de ses victimes. Quand September Rafferty reçoit le même message, barbouillé en rouge sur l’un de ses dessins d’enfant, elle comprend que le tueur l’épie. Pour arrêter l’assassin, elle devra fouiller son propre passé… et approcher Jake, un ancien camarade de classe, dont les regards la troublent. September n’arrive pas à le croire coupable. Mais elle ne peut pas se permettre la moindre erreur. Car la véritable cible du tueur, c’est elle.

Avis : Je suis toujours assez attirée par les romances à suspense et quand j’ai vu le résumé de celle-ci, je me suis dit que je pouvais passer un bon moment avec l’histoire.

Nous suivons ici September, une officier de police, nouvellement arrivée et qui se retrouve sur une affaire qui pourrait bien la toucher bien plus qu’elle ne le pensait au départ. En même temps qu’elle, et souvent dans ce genre de roman, on suit aussi le tueur, ses pensées, ses désirs par de petits apartés dans les chapitres sans ne jamais en savoir plus sur son identité. On ressent d’ailleurs assez vite son côté malsain, tordu et prêt à tout pour atteindre son but. J’ai trouvé que l’auteur avait bien réussi à créer une atmosphère parfaite autour de lui. Mais revenons à September… cette jeune femme a traversé et va traverser un grand nombre d’épreuves. Voilà en effet qu’un tueur en série semble intéressé par elle, lui envoyant des dessins d’école avec des inscriptions. Mais voilà, est-ce une blague ou est-ce réel ? Et qu’en est-il de Jake ? Le garçon parfait qu’elle aimait plus jeune mais qui n’est jamais resté avec elle et qui réapparait, lié à l’affaire… Elle ne devrait pas succomber à l’attraction  et pourtant… Je dois dire que j’ai beaucoup apprécié ce personnage. Tout le monde le fait passer pour le petit ami parfait et en même temps c’est vrai que c’est ainsi qu’on le voit. Il veut être là pour September, l’aider, la soutenir et la protéger. Que demander de plus ?

Ce qui m’a peut être un peu dérangé c’est toute la confusion et les non-dits de l’histoire. Il y en a beaucoup d’ailleurs, sur le tueur, l’enquête, sur la famille de September ou encore du personnage qui conclut l’histoire. J’ai trouvé ça un peu étrange et l’histoire donne un petit sentiment d’incomplet au final. Dans tous les cas j’ai apprécié en découvrir plus sur notre héroïne, sur sa famille assez dysfonctionnelle. Oh oui parce que pour le coup, sa famille est vraiment tordue aussi et c’est vrai que plus on en apprend à leur sujet et plus on comprend l’éloignement de certains des enfants.

En tout cas c’était intéressant de suivre l’enquête, de voir ce qui allait se passer, comment le tout allait se lier et voir comment notre héroïne allait s’en sortir au final. Malgré quelques points, j’ai trouvé que c’était assez bien fait et je me demande ce que la suite réservera à présent.

3 

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One Kiss More by Mandy Baxter

U.S. Marshals, Book 2

Synopsis: Emma Ruiz knows her father is innocent. But that doesn’t help her convince the law—not even smoking hot U.S. Marshal Landon McCabe. When McCabe bangs on her door demanding information about how her cancer-stricken father escaped from federal prison, she’ll have to distract him somehow—it may as well be with a stolen kiss.

Landon gets why Emma isn’t saying all she knows. What he doesn’t understand is why he’s putting his reputation, his case, and his badge on the line for a gorgeous person of interest. Much as he’d love to, he can’t let Emma play him. The stakes are higher than either of them can guess. The only way to survive is to trust their instincts. But their instincts want more than one kiss…

Review: Oh Mandy Baxter / Amanda Bonilla is a writer that I especially love and am always on the lookout for the release of her books. So when I had the opportunity to read this second novel, I did not hesitate for long and I threw myself on it. I really enjoyed the first volume although a little something has bothered me a little bit but I admit that this time, I was completely swept away by the story and the characters.

Emma is a young woman whose father escaped from prison, or it is in any case what the authorities think. Landon, the person who takes care of the case is determined to understand what happened, especially when we know that the father of the young woman is very ill. However, this survey is not easy and this is due to the fact that our two characters feel an attraction for one another since their first meeting during the arrest of the father years ago. But here it is, seeing her again does not help, but not at all !!! And while Landon investigates and begins to understand what’s going on, he realizes that there may be more than what he thought. And Emma who thought that she could handle the situation alone, realizes that eventually everything quickly escapes her hand without any possibility to do a thing.

I’ll try not to say too much, which is a difficult thing elsewhere. When the novel begins, we’re a bit lost because we do not know why the father of the young woman was in jail. It’s not easy to understand the situation in which Emma evolves and I loved the fact that the author tells us things little by little, hooking us to the story so we don’t want to put it down before the end. Oh yes, because I did not expect such a plot, it was a big one and it was very nice to discover everything. So yes, I was completely swept away by the whole thing and I was curious to see the next actions of the characters. Emma and Landon will really have many things to do and I enjoyed getting to know their history and to see that eventually they manage to support the other during the events.

It was a very good novel difficult to put down as I said. The author reserves us some very good surprises and if you’re looking for a good romance full of suspense and action, do not hesitate, go for it! It was a great find and I am now very curious to discover the third volume and to find a new story and a new couple. Also, did I forget to mention that we also hear a little bit about Galen, the character of the first volume? Yes, he is here! Another good point for this book, which delighted me.

4 

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One Kiss More de Mandy Baxter (VO)

U.S. Marshals, Tome 2

Résumé (traduction personnelle) : Emma Ruiz sait que son père est innocent. Mais cela ne l’aide pas à convaincre la loi, pas même le charmant US Marshal Landon McCabe. Lorsque McCabe cogne à sa porte demandant des informations sur la façon dont son père, rongé par le cancer, s’est échappé de la prison fédérale, elle essaie de le distraire – autant que possible avec un baiser volé.

Landon comprend pourquoi Emma ne dit pas tout ce qu’elle sait. Ce qu’il ne comprend pas, c’est pourquoi il met sa réputation, son affaire et son badge sur la ligne pour une charmante personne d’intérêt. Même s’il adorerait, il ne peut pas laisser Emma se jouer de lui. Les enjeux sont plus élevés qu’aucun d’eux ne peut le deviner. La seule façon de survivre est de se fier à leur instinct. Mais leurs instincts veulent plus qu’un baiser …

Avis : Ah Mandy Baxter/Amanda Bonilla est une auteure et j’adore particulièrement et je suis toujours à l’affut de la sortie de ses livres. Aussi quand j’ai eu l’occasion de lire ce second roman, je n’ai pas hésité longtemps et je me suis jetée dessus. J’avais pris beaucoup de plaisir avec le premier tome bien qu’un petit quelque chose m’ait un peu dérangé mais j’avoue que cette fois ci, j’ai été complètement emportée par l’histoire et les personnages.

Emma est une jeune femme dont le père s’est échappé de prison, ou c’est en tout cas ce que pensent les autorités. Landon, la personne qui s’occupe de l’affaire est bien décidé à comprendre ce qu’il s’est passé, notamment quand on sait que le père de la jeune femme était très malade. Pourtant, cette enquête n’est déjà pas facile et cela est dû au fait que nos deux personnages ressentent une attraction l’un pour l’autre depuis leur première rencontre lors de l’arrestation du père des années auparavant. Mais voilà, retomber sur elle n’aide pas mais alors pas du tout !!! Et alors que Landon enquête et commence à comprendre ce qu’il se passe, il réalise qu’il pourrait  y avoir bien plus que ce qu’il ne pensait. Et Emma qui pensait pouvoir gérer la situation à elle seule, se rend compte que finalement tout lui échappe rapidement sans qu’elle ne puisse y faire quoi que ce soit.

Je vais essayer de ne pas trop en dire, ce qui est chose difficile d’ailleurs. Quand on commence le roman, on est un peu perdu parce qu’on ne sait pas pourquoi le père de la jeune femme était en prison. On ne sait pas non plus quelle est exactement la situation d’Emma dans tout ce qu’il se passe et j’ai beaucoup aimé le fait que l’auteure nous révèle les choses petit à petit, nous accrochant à l’histoire pour ne plus qu’on la lâche avant la fin. Oh oui parce que je ne m’attendais pas à ce que l’intrigue soit aussi énorme, qu’elle prenne autant d’ampleur et c’était très agréable de découvrir le tout. Donc oui, j’ai été complètement emportée par l’histoire et j’étais curieuse de voir les prochaines actions des personnages. Emma et Landon auront vraiment de quoi faire et j’ai beaucoup aimé découvrir leur histoire à tous les deux, voir que finalement ils arrivent à se supporter l’un et l’autre au cours des événements.

C’était un très bon roman que l’on a du mal à reposer. L’auteur nous réserve de très bonnes surprises ici et si vous êtes en quête d’une bonne romance pleine de suspens et d’action, n’hésitez pas, foncez ! C’était une très bonne découverte et je suis très curieuse maintenant de pouvoir me plonger dans la suite et de découvrir une nouvelle histoire ainsi qu’un nouveau couple. De plus, ai-je oublié de mentionner que nous entendons aussi un peu parler de Galen, le personnage du premier tome ? Oui, c’est le cas ! Encore un bon point pour ce livre qui m’a ravi.

4 

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Wicked Game by Lisa Jackson &Nancy Bush

Wicked, Book 1

Synopsis: One By One, They’ll Die…

Twenty years ago, wild child Jessie Brentwood vanished from St. Elizabeth’s high school. Most in Jessie’s tight circle of friends believed she simply ran away. Few suspected that Jessie was hiding a shocking secret-one that brought her into the crosshairs of a vicious killer…

Until There’s No One Left…

Two decades pass before a body is unearthed on school grounds and Jessie’s old friends reunite to talk. Most are sure that the body is Jessie’s, that the mystery of what happened to her has finally been solved. But soon, Jessie’s friends each begin to die in horrible, freak accidents that defy explanation…

But Her…

Becca Sutcliff has been haunted for years by unsettling visions of Jessie, certain her friend met with a grisly end. Now the latest deaths have her rattled. Becca can sense that an evil force is shadowing her too, waiting for just the right moment to strike. She feels like she’s going crazy. Is it all a coincidence-or has Jessie’s killer finally returned to finish what was started all those years ago?

Review: I had not heard of this series before reading it, but I was curious to find out more. I always enjoy discovering a new suspense / thriller series and it was therefore a good opportunity with this novel. I admit that with the French summary, I did not expect to find a paranormal touch, but it was a nice surprise to find this nice mix. I was still a little anxious before getting into the story. Yes because I have to say that I had the opportunity to see some somewhat mixed reviews and I was afraid to feel the same way. But ultimately no, I had a good time with the story and I’m quite curious to see how the other novels will be.

Becca has grown up since high school but it’s true that her heart always remained turned to the boy she loved at that time. But time has passed and that’s why she does not see all these people she was hanging with anymore. But now, there is a body in her old school … and a girl of their group was missing all those years ago. The group then reforms, trying to understand if this girl is none other than Jessie, and to understand what happened when they were younger. But this introspection in their past will attract more dark forces than they thought and each of them could put their lives in danger. But through this investigation, a nice thing also appears, a beautiful relationship between Becca and her ex-boyfriend Hudson.

It was very touching to see the two together in love. Although their lives have changed over the years, we can clearly see that they have not managed to overcome their history. They are a very nice couple and although they have a little trouble at the start about the way to interact with the other, something very strong links them. Becca is a girl different from the others, oh yes, because she has some visions she does not fully understand but which help her to understand what is happening.

In terms of the investigation and intrigue, I admit that I was surprised several times. The author provides us many revelations throughout the story that we do not expect at all, about the killer, the murder, Becca or even Jessie. I really enjoyed everything and I’m curious to learn more, including about this community, this sect we hear about. A good discovery.

4

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