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Tuesday, February 13, 2018

BOOK BLITZ - Strike Force by Beth Rhodes




Title: Strike Force
Series: Hawk Elite Security #4
Author: Beth Rhodes
Genre: Romantic Suspense Standalone
Release Date: November 15, 2017



Blurb


Hawk Elite Security, a group of dedicated men and women.
Moved by duty and honor.
Dedicated to being courageous in the face of adversity.
Passionate about life.

~*~*~

Descendant of a line of Romanian gypsies, Marie Gabor uses both truth and legend to create a persona that will fool even the most jaded of men. When the family heirloom—the gold armband—is stolen by the long-feuding family from the old country, she’ll do whatever she can to get it back, including work for Hawk Elite Security, the very men who are supposed to be guarding the amulet.

Malcolm Daniels has dealt with lying, cheating women before, so when Marie steps into Hawk Elite to work, he sees right through her faΓ§ade to the woman with secrets and a sly hand. But the more he works with her, the harder it is to ignore just how much he likes; she thinks outside the box, she faces danger with courage, and—hell—she’s gorgeous. He wants her but doesn’t trust her.

The stakes are raised when her plan to acquire the armband goes awry. Life becomes a commodity paid to the highest bidder. But will Malcolm be willing to pay such a high price?




Purchase Links

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AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Free in Kindle Unlimited


4 STARS

This is my favorite book in the series. Malcolm, another commitment-phobe, has to prove to the team and Hawk that he is completely recovered from a bullet to the chest. Not so happy he was paired with the gypsy newest member of the team. Marie. Trust didn't come easily and the fact that he wanted her--bad--didn't help matters. He learned that she had a connection outside of the assignment that just added to the complications. What should have been a simple security system check was anything but. 
He respected what she had accomplished, liked her personality, yet couldn't trust her. Where could they go without trust? 
She had to revenge her family and take back an ancient artifact taken by Hawk Elite's client. More reason not to trust her. But there is more to the client. More to the family connection. More danger than he guessed. Will they find their way to be together? Will they even live long enough to try?
There is plenty of steam, unforgettable characters who are stronger than they think, and a good storyline. 
Reviewed for Words Turn Me On. 





Excerpt

Chapter Two

His doorbell rang at almost eleven the next evening. He’d packed, run through a few of his programs, played Assassin’s Creed, and was in his gym—the only clean place in his apartment at the moment. His computer room had exploded with his latest project, and his living-room-slash-gaming-room-slash-bedroom looked like what it was…confused.
He pulled himself over the bar one last time and dropped to the mat below. He grabbed the chamois off the hook on the wall and wiped his neck, face, and chest. His fingers bumped over the scar bisecting his pectoral.
His wake-up call.
He tugged a t-shirt back on. When he went through the confused room, he stopped to open the blinds. Stepping over the pile of movie cases, he scowled in disgust and then opened the front door.
Marie. “Fuck. What are you doing here?”
“Is that how you say ‘hi’ to all your friends?” Her brow rose.
Speechless, he hesitated, not sure what to say. Friends. She’d said the word, but he still struggled to equate what they had with something he shared with…say, Craig or John.
“I was thinking,” she began, as if sensing his dilemma, “maybe we got off on the wrong foot.”
Forget feet—the sight of her and those big eyes had his tired body reacting…inappropriately, or appropriately if they were on a path toward being in his bed. He cleared his throat and thought about the last string of code he’d created for Tangent Media.
Her hands fluttered to her sides and she shrugged, reminding him of how small she was, but delicate? No. “Look, if we have to spend the next few days together, I’d like to clear the air.”
Malcolm couldn’t invite her in. The mess was embarrassing, a problem he’d been meaning to fix. He glanced over his shoulder. “Um…”
“Oh my God. Do you have someone in there with you?” Her eyes had gone even wider. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t think. Of course you have someone over. You’re leaving town for a few nights. And—” She paled. “Uh, you know what? I’ll just see you at the airport in the morning. I’m sorry.” She leaned, as if to yell around him. “I’m sorry,” she called out into his empty apartment.
She turned to leave, and guilt rode his conscience to stopping her. “It’s not a woman,” he called out, immediately second-guessing himself. He wanted the distance. He didn’t need her thinking about him as single or available or…fuck, a liar. He prided himself on being straightforward and honest. “It’s only… Fuck. Weeks of not cleaning up.”
Marie turned back, a wary look on her face. “It’s a bad time.”
“It’s fine. Come in,” he said. “For a few minutes,” he added pointedly. She might be the drop-by-and-stay kind of girl. Admitting the lust was better than ignoring it, he told himself, feeling like a total prick. No matter if she was a crook or a sweet girl who really did want friendship.
She could have turned over a new leaf.
Or she could be playing them all.
“I’m going to go get changed. I’ll be right back.” He hesitated. “Don’t steal anything.”
“Hey.” She pouted, her bottom lip sticking out.
He pressed his lips together on the groan wanting to escape.
And then she surprised him by laughing. “Okay, okay. No touchy.”
Oh, that did it. And why did her voice sound sultry?
In his bedroom, he picked up his jeans and stepped into them. He removed the sweaty shirt and wiped himself with it before he tugged the shirt he’d had on earlier over his head. Shower later.
She’d made herself at home in his kitchen and pulled down his only package of Oreos. “How do you eat these?” she asked.
“The usual methods. Sometimes, I pop it in whole. Sometimes, I twist it open and lick the cream filling.”
She swallowed. “Oh.” Her cheeks flushed, in the same moment he realized how those words sounded.
“That’s not— I mean, sorry. I didn’t mean… Shit. I would never purposely make you uncomfortable. Shit. Talk about a sexual harassment suit.”
She waved him off. “What I mean is…they’re horribly unhealthy, have a habit of getting stuck in your teeth, and, overall, aren’t exactly adult cuisine.”
“Oh, that.” Heat rose on his neck. He shrugged. His history with Oreos was long and complicated.
Marie leaned against his counter and waited, at ease, as if she belonged right where she was, waiting for a friend to say something. A flyaway strand of her hair fell against her face. Her eyes showed a warm interest he hadn’t seen in them before.
Then she took a bite of Oreo. A little crumble stayed at the corner of her mouth until she licked it off with the tip of her tongue. Fuck. He cleared his throat. Friends. If she was going to push and insist on a truce, they could be friends. He could handle that.
“I never had any of the extras growing up,” he finally said. “My first night on my own, I had enough money for very little. I bought a small bunch of bananas and a package of Oreos—”
“Did you sit and eat the whole package or ration them?”
It was a personality quiz, and he might have avoided answering. But for some reason, he looked at her and knew the shaky friendship they’d developed over the past several months either needed to take shape or be cast off completely if he was going to move on.
“I rationed, eating three a day for almost two weeks.”
“A big package.” She laughed at her double entendre. “Sorry.”
His laughter came unexpected, and he cut it off, covering his mouth as his shoulders shook. “Geez.” When he looked up at her, she was smiling. Was this the truce she wanted? It was working.
“You ready for tomorrow?” he said.
“Almost.”
He nodded. “Anything you want to share about this trip? You did say you wanted to ‘clear the air.’”
She moved then, pacing away from him toward the hallway, which led to his bedroom. “No. It’s hard enough to work with someone who I’m close to. I thought it would be good if we were at least speaking. You’ve been avoiding me, Malcolm.”
Self-preservation.
“You have an uncle that lives on the coast, near Portland,” he said.
“He is my uncle!” she exclaimed, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Sure,” he drawled, egging her on for no good reason other than he liked to see the fire in her eyes…and that blush on her pretty little neck. Glutton for punishment.
She scowled at him. “He raised me. He’s at least seventy-five-years old.”
Malcolm lifted his hands in surrender. “There’s fucking something, though,” he muttered.
“There’s nothing,” she answered, the look in her eyes challenging him.
He conceded with a nod.
“We going to be okay?” she asked, serious again.
“Have you given up your pickpocket ways?”
She narrowed her eyes. “For the most part.”
He considered her, taking in her open sandals and the long skirt with lace on the bottom and pretty metalwork on the belt at the top, below her navel. “You like people to see you a certain way. You fill a stereotype.”
“I am what I am. A Romanian by birth. I come from a long line of proud, sometimes arrogant, people. My family.” Her chin went up, and he wanted to run the edge of his thumb along the soft skin revealed beneath it. “I like the peasant skirts, and I love the jewelry. That’s being a woman, nothing to do with my roots.”
She never admitted to being a thief. But she’d wanted something in Germany. And that was what bothered him. What had she wanted and did she want now?
There was only one way to find out—by staying close to her. “Okay.”
“Okay, we’re going to be okay? Or okay, whatever you say…?”
“Okay, the air is clear, and I’ll be watching you,” he added.

She’d said she wanted to clear the air, but as far as he was concerned, the smoke screen was thick between them. She had plans for something, and if she wouldn’t talk to him about it, wouldn’t he be a fool to trust her?






Also Available


$1.99 for a limited time

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Free in Kindle Unlimited



4 STARS

Ten years ago, Hawk and his team had a mission go bad. Bad because two civilians were killed, a woman and her baby. He'd never forgotten and he was about to be reminded in a big way. On a vacation with his wife Stacie, he's called away for his team. Things aren't going well for them. They've had a good marriage but something is in the way and he isn't talking. Hawk is fighting his own demons, a war head injury is affecting his vision. It may be permanent and it is interfering with his ability to protect his family and lead his team even his security business. More important, his self-esteem.
An old enemy that was supposed to be ruined has been rebuilding his drug business. Now that he is reestablished revenge is next. Against Hawk. Their marital problems work right into his plans. Yet, he has someone working against him besides Hawk.
Will they fight back to each other? Or will Hawk's deficiencies cost them their marriage and business--even more.
I found the characters interesting. Love an alpha male with a few insecurities to make him real. His wife is a strong woman, yet she too has issues that make them a stronger team together. The team was introduced but there were few insights to their characters. I'm sure there is more to come as the series continues. This good storyline makes me ready for the rest of the series.
Reviewed for Words Turn Me On




$1.99 for a limited time

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Free in Kindle Unlimited


3 STARS

Tan liked to train the team and clients self-defense. He also ran the protection side of the business for Hawk Elite. He didn't like taking on the guard duty personally. When no one else was available he had to step in. Elizabeth didn't want him any more than he wanted her--well that is until they saw each other and chemistry reared her head. She couldn't portray the professional she had become. He couldn't keep his mind out of the bedroom with her. He knew better. To keep his head in the game and be alert and focused he couldn't focus on her body under his.
What had been a possible threat turned deadly. Who was after her and why? Both have pasts with problems. Neither wanted to share those problems with anyone. Could their pasts be part of the present danger?
There are some good characters and the basic storyline. However, I had some problems with the transitions between characters.
Reviewed for Words Turn Me On.




$1.99 for a limited time

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Free in Kindle Unlimited






Author Bio


Beth Rhodes grew up thinking she was going to travel the world and be a missionary, helping the poor. She would travel to exciting places...like Russia and Australia. She was going to wear a canvas backpack and take a wooden raft down a river through the jungle. She never had any plans for romance or getting married, either. But after a few years of college, studying English Literature, she married her own real-life hero, who patiently puts up with her absentmindedness and creativity... And the only poor babies she helps now are her own six children.

She learned that life doesn't always go the way she plans, except for one thing, BOOKS.

Beth writes in order to share a little love and lots of hope with a hurting world. Find more about her Online!



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1 comment:

  1. Hi cheri!
    Thank you so much for taking the time to read and review my books, and for sharing with your readers this week. <3 You rocked. So grateful.

    ReplyDelete