Hard Justice by Lori Foster - Review, Excerpt, Giveaway

   

NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Lori Foster returns with the second installment in her explosive new series featuring sexy bodyguards who’ll do anything to protect the ones they love.

 

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Author: Lori Foster 

Publication Date:  21 March 2017

Publisher: Harlequin Books

Series: Body Armor, book 2

Genre: Contemporary Romance, MMA/Suspense

Age Recommendation: 17 and up

Rating: 4 Stars

~ I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review ~ 

 

Book Description:

Playing it safe has never felt so dangerous…

Justice Wallington knows how to harness his strength and intimidating size—skills he put to good use first in the MMA cage, and now as a bodyguard at the Body Armor agency. But no opponent has ever left him feeling as off balance as his new client, heiress Fallon Wade. Far from a spoiled princess, she’s sweet and intriguingly innocent. It’s a risk-free assignment, until he’s required to fake a relationship with her in order to blend in.

Sheltered from the world after a family tragedy, Fallon longs to experience life—going to bars, dancing, talking to strangers. Not easy with a huge, lethal-looking bodyguard shadowing her every move. Justice seems like her polar opposite, but pretending to be a couple stirs undeniable heat. And when danger strikes again, it’s not just her safety in jeopardy, but a passion that’s real, raw and absolutely against the rules…

My Review:

I am throughly enjoying this spin off series from Lori Fosters Ultimate series.  That series was my first foray into MMA based writing and I love that she is taking a turn and giving some of these guys a new life as bodyguards in an elite agency.  

I quite enjoyed the first book in the series, we all know how nice it was to see Leese, bad boy (and not the good kind of bad boy...really just a bad. boy) the Hero in book 1, Under Pressure (click link to see my review) get his final redemption and HEA, but there was just something special about Justice and Fallon's story.  I'll admit when I first met Justice in this book I thought 'oh crap, he's going to be a smart ass with a chip on is shoulder in this book.' but man I was so happy to discover my first impression was way off the mark.  Justice is a truly sweet, kind, and loving Hero and Fallon, with her sweetness, insecurities and guilelessness, is the perfect Heroine for him.

I will admit that at times I found Fallon frustrating with how trusting she is and how 'proper' she believes she has to be.  Allowing one character to continue to basically harass her out of some feeling of 'duty' or 'honor' bugged me.  Justice had it right every time he tried to tell her to let him deal with the guy.  Of course it all works out in the end but that doesn't stop the frustration when you are working through the story.  On the other side of that frustration was a feeling of pride as we watch Fallon work to take her life back.  After a horrific event her once 'hovering' parents become overbearing in their fear for her safety, and really while you can't blame them, they are honestly doing what every parent deep down wishes they could do in order to keep their child safe, they take their concern for her safety to the extreme which leads to Fallon being overly sheltered and at the age of 24 almost child like in her experiences.  I loved that she fights to gain control over her life but at every turn she is still thoughtful and respectful to her parents feelings.  It is not just about her being free but it is about them learning to let her go.

I'd like to say right now that I LOVED Fallon's mother.  I kept thinking how like Justice I found her to be and then had that confirmed near the end of the story that made me want to punch the air and shout YES!  While I am on the topic of 'family' I just have to mention Justice's grandmother....I want her in every book!  Talk about a woman with pluck and spirit.  I need her out there digging into everyone's business and bringing smiles to my face when things get tough.  She was hilarious and I plain and simple did not get enough of her!

Not only do we get a sweet love story full of depth and character growth, Lori gives us the suspense I have come to expect from her stories, and I think that this time around this has to be one of the more devious plots to come out of this series or the Ultimate series.  I will say I wish that we got more of an understanding as to why, other than the simple explanation of entitlement and arrogance.  Maybe that's just my desire to believe that people can't be so horrible just because they feel like they have the right, that there has to be something deeper to their reasoning, it is simply hard to understand the I have the money so I have the right concept.

I love that we get so much time with the Ultimate characters, it always makes me smile to see their updates and the fact that Lori brings us back to them every book for that glimpse gives me major happy feels.  I miss that group so much so it is wonderful seeing that their stories really haven't ended.  We also get a big look into Miles who I am guessing has to be our next Body Armor story and man am I ever curious about his mysterious love interest.  I am also wondering in the back of my mind if we may see Tomahawk as a hero in the future.  I missed getting a little snippet about Sahara's brother...in the first book I got the impression that there is quite a story surrounding her brother so I kept looking for a maybe a little hint that something would be happening there, but nothing this book.  Also, what is up with Sahara and Brand, *temples fingers together and hums with giddy curiosity*.

Hard Justice is a great addition to the Body Armor series, I am definitely hooked and anxious for more!  If you love contemporary romance with an MMA background, if you love alpha guys who aren't asshole alphas but plain and simple alpha males who protect their community and the ones they love then you will love this series!  

~ HAPPY READING ~ 

Excerpt:

It took Fallon a few seconds more to get her feet moving, then she darted to the closet with new excitement. Shoot, even having a bodyguard would be an adventure when the bodyguard looked like him.

She stepped into her flat-heeled shoes, found a cardigan to pull on over her top and chose a scarf to drape around her neck. She didn’t particularly like the outfit, but no way would she make him wait while she went through her wardrobe.

After one last fluff of her brown hair and a quick swipe of gloss over her lips, Fallon squared her shoulders, filled her lungs with a fortifying breath for courage and ventured forth.

The second she stepped out, she heard his deep voice and paused to listen.

“No need to worry. I’ll cover her.”

Her father choked, turned it into a cough, and said with authority, “She is not to be alone. Not for a single second.”

“Promise I’ll stick real close.”

Alarmed, her father corrected, “But not too close.”

“Just close enough, then.”

“No one is to get too cozy with her either.”

“No cozy shenanigans,” he said. “Got it.”

“She’s naive and doesn’t understand that thugs—” here her father paused for effect, his narrowed gaze on the man “—might try to use her to get to her wealth.”

“Yeah? That’s happened before?”

“Well…no.” Her father harrumphed in that familiar way that showed his annoyance. “But it’s a very real concern.”

     

And don’t miss the first book in the Body Armor Series!

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About Lori Foster: LORI FOSTER is a New York Times, USA TODAY and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of more than 55 titles, beloved for her contemporary romance novels revolving around alpha males and the women they fall for. Lori has been a recipient of the prestigious RT Book Reviews Career Achievement Award for Series Romantic Fantasy, and for Contemporary Romance. For more about Lori, visit her website at LoriFoster.com, or check out these online locations where she interacts with readers: Facebook.com/LoriFoster, Twitter.com/LoriLFoster, Goodreads and Pinterest.com/lorilfoster. You can also sign up for her monthly newsletter at LoriFoster.com/Newsletter.    

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Fighting Dirty by Sidney Halston - Review, Excerpt, and Giveaway

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Author: Sidney Halston
Publication Date: 5 January, 2016
Publisher: Loveswept
Series: Worth the Fight, book 5
Genre: Contemporary Romance, MMA based
Age Recommendation: 18 and up
Rating: 4 stars

~ I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review ~ 

Book Description:

If you love the MMA romances of Vi Kreeland and Kendall Ryan, Sidney Halston’s Worth the Fight series will knock your socks off! In Fighting Dirty, a geek-chic cage fighter proves that appearances can be deceiving . . . and oh-so-tempting.

With his preppy clothes and horn-rimmed glasses, Enzo Silva is the last dude anyone expects to find in a mixed martial arts gym. A wealthy Brazilian banker who never had to fight for anything, Enzo’s stuck in the amateur circuit—but he burns to make the pros. Maybe that explains the heat he feels whenever he’s around Jamie Lynn Calhoun. The pint-size, magenta-haired bartender with the Texas drawl is everything he’s not . . . and everything he craves.

Tough as nails and independent to a fault, Jamie Lynn—JL to her friends—works hard to pay her bills and keep life simple. Enzo is doing his best to complicate that. Even though she likes to bust his balls, he’s got some kind of a nerdy-hot vibe that makes JL wonder if she might finally be able to let her guard down. It might do the boy some good to spend some time in her world, where blood, sweat, and victory are as sweet as the first taste of real love.

My Review:

I have really been enjoying this series by Sidney Halston and Fighting Dirty, Enzo's book was not exception.  Infact it may be my favorite so far.

Enzo and Jamie Lynn (JL) are two very different people..polar opposites you might say.  Enzo is a wealthy businessman who recently located to the U.S. from Brazil for business.  He's all order, direction, rules, and perfection.  Enzo's life is straight and narrow he's always done what he's needed to do for his family and his family business, until a quirky, spirited, free-living woman enters his orbit and throws him completely off his axis.

JL is from what Enzo might call the 'wrong side of the tracks' in comparison to how he grew up.  JL and her twin brother, Travis, have had to fight to get where they are, they had to fight against a mother who was only concerned about her next boyfriend, drink, and dollar bill.  They had to fight against a world that would pull them apart and fight to survive.

I loved the back and forth between JL and Enzo....watching them fight their way through their different personalities to find their center and happiness was really touching.  I loved how they both could look past outside appearances and see the soul of the other person, Enzo could see past JL's wild and brash behavior to a sweet almost quiet soul and JL could see past Enzo's stuffy suits and ordered life to see the dreamer inside of him.

Sidney's writing and character depth gets better and better with each book.  Each book seems to flow more easily between character dialogue and the story telling itself.  Fighting Dirty is full of sweet poignant moments but it's also really just a fun read, and the 'romance' totally SWOON-worthy!    I will say that while these books are MMA based that aspect is not a huge component, especially in Enzo's book.  Now I think that in future books we will begin to see more and more MMA fighting coming in to play.  This book while it involves all the characters we have grown to know and love form WtF (Worth the Fight) Gym it is much more character driven, which I will say is a wonderful thing.  Just don't go into this one series, especially this book thinking you are going to get a lot of fight action...but hang on because like I said I think it is coming.

This is a great read for Contemporary Romance and MMA fans.  The books are stand-alones within the series, but as usually I would recommend that you start at the beginning.  You won't be totally lost if you just close our eyes an pick any one of them, but small things will be more clear to you.  This is a great series and like I said that books are just getting better and better so grab yourself a book or two and settle in for a good read!

~ HAPPY READING ~ 

Excerpt:

“What made you change your mind about going out with me?” he asked as they crossed the parking lot. “Not that I’m complaining. But you’ve been saying no for almost a year.”

“Truth?”

“Always.”

“You always seem so predictable, but you doing this . . .” She shook her head. “I guess it made me see you in a different light.”

He held her car door open for her as she tucked the canvas facedown in the backseat and then got in the car. “I’m glad it took me completely humiliating myself to get you to go out with me. Maybe I won’t kill your brother for this ridiculous bet, after all,” he said. “I’ll make reservations at the Tackle Box and pick you up at eight tomorrow.” When she looked at him for a moment too long, he said, “You don’t like the Tackle Box?”

“Do you work tomorrow?” she asked as she got back out of the car.

“Yes.”

“That was a dumb question. You’re always working. Let me rephrase the question. Can you take the day off tomorrow?”

Enzo quickly thought about all the teleconferences he had scheduled and all the reports he had to do. “I can.”

“Okay, so I’ll pick you up at eight.”

“Uh . . . I don’t understand.”

“Eight in the morning,” she clarified. “I asked you out, so I pick. That’s the deal, okay? It’s my treat. I pick where we go and what we do.”

“I don’t think—”

“You hate giving up control, don’t you?” she asked wryly, already knowing the answer. “Don’t worry so much. Just be ready. It’ll be fun—spontaneous. You’ll like it. I promise.”

He let out a breath. “Fun and spontaneous isn’t something I’m very comfortable with,” he admitted. But then he decided, What the hell? He’d already survived taking the biggest leap of faith of his life by moving from Brazil to Florida, something that was so completely out of character his parents thought he was still mourning the end of his marriage. So, going on a date with a beautiful woman and letting her take the lead . . . what could possibly go wrong?

“Okay, fine. I’ll text you my address,” he said as he leaned in and kissed her cheek. She folded herself into her crappy fifteen-year-old Honda Civic, which was mostly red, except for some patches where the paint had chipped off. The bumper was held together with a hot-pink bungee cord, and there were bumper stickers plastered everywhere. He couldn’t picture her with any other car but this one; somehow it suited her perfectly. But she was absolutely out of her mind if she thought he’d be going anywhere with her in that clunker tomorrow.

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Sidney Halston lives her life by one simple rule: “Just do it.” And that’s exactly what she did. At the age of thirty, having never written anything other than a legal brief, she picked up a pen for the first time to pursue her dream of becoming an author. That first stroke sealed the deal, and she fell in love with writing. Halston lives in South Florida with her husband and children.

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Saving a Legend by Sarah Robinson - Cover Reveal

The second book in the highly buzzed about KAVANAGH LEGENDS series by Sarah Robinson reveals it's hot, new cover! 

Coming to you in March 2016, but you can preorder now!

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Book Description not yet available

The second book in the Kavanagh Legends series that focuses on a family of Irish alpha males in Woodlawn, Bronx, NYC that own a Mixed Martial Arts gym

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READ BOOK 1 TODAY!

Don't forget to go read BREAKING A LEGEND (Kavanagh Legends, #1) right now! Available on all retailers! Click here to purchase for only $2.99!
 It's a standalone mma romance about the oldest brother in the Kavanagh family, Rory, and was #1 in Sports Fiction on Amazon! 

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MEET THE AUTHOR

Aside from being a Top 10 Barnes & Noble and Amazon Bestseller, Sarah Robinson is a native of the Washington, DC area and has both her Bachelors and Masters Degrees in criminal psychology. She is newly married to a local police officer, Justin, who is just as much of an animal rescue enthusiasts as she is. Together, they own a zoo of rescues including everything from mammals to reptiles to marsupials, as well as volunteering and fostering for multiple animal shelters.

Click on any of the links below to follow Sarah on social media! She loves talking to readers! Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Amazon ~ Tsu ~ Instagram ~ Pinterest ~ Google Plus ~ Goodreads ~ Tumblr

Join Sarah's fan club and reader groups! Facebook Fan Club ~ Goodreads Reader Group  Kavanagh Legends Readers Group ~ Fight Club Readers Group