ARC REVIEW Beyond Control by Kat Martin

Texas Trilogy #3, This can be read as a stand alone, the events in this book are loosely connected to previous events but everything that is needed to know for this book is explained. Josh Cain is a retired Marine sniper who left the war behind him and is done with violence and destruction. Victoria Langford is a single mother on the run from her abusive ex-fiance. After months of running, of having Damon tracking her down and harassing her everywhere she tried to settle Victoria found Iron River Ranch and Josh. Josh knew immediately that the young mother and her daughter were running from something and despite his promise to avoid violence he hires Tory on to work as a ranch hand. I love Josh and Tory it was one of those romances where they fight it at first and then agree to a no strings attached even though they both know at that point it's to late for that and when Damon shows back up Josh isn't so willing to let either Tory or her daughter go. 

Quite a bit happens in this book on top of Tori's psycho ex someone is trying to kill Josh, they have already murdered two of his friends and now Josh must work with Taggart and the FBI to track down those behind the attacks. Meanwhile they are still trying to to stop Damon from getting to Tory but they have just hit the tip of the iceberg when it comes to just how truly evil and to what lengths Damon will go to get at Tory.

Overall, this was definitely one of my favorites. I knew from the first introduction to Josh in the previous books that his story was going to be good, but then again I do love a good sniper hero and to quote Sally Can't Dance from the movie Con Air, "Ooh. Men in uniform." I love Kat Martin's writing style, this book has good pacing and I love the characters. I really liked where she went with the Damon storyline it was unexpected and a nice touch. The romance between Josh and Tory was one of my favorite parts. Josh being stubborn about it and Tory being reasonably hesitant, especially after her last relationship, but the instant attraction followed closely by lust and then love inevitably to follow.     

ARC REVIEW Beyond Danger by Kat Martin

Book Two of the Texas Trilogy by Kat Martin, Beyond Danger is just a good as the first book. Martin remains true to what she does best and the action and mystery is wonderfully done letting you in on the POV of the antagonists. The hot romance does try to take a backseat to the mystery, and it makes sense both of the are professionals who want to keep working together in a professional manner, until the  were-still-alive affirmation sex, then they manage to keep a professional relationship outside the bedroom until the whole situation becomes life threatening then it gets personal.

I loved the characters, Beau and Cassidy. Beau we met in the first book, each book is a stand-alone you don't have to read it, he is a retired race car driver who prefers his sports cars to the company SUV, unless it's necessary. He also has a horrible relationship with his father and hasn't been back home in the last five years the only thing that brought him back this time is the fact that his uncaring father got a barely legal girl pregnant. Beau being a better man than his father tells her he'll take care of everything. including having his father sign over the parental rights to the unborn child.

Cassidy is a private investigator, her main job is finding facts, she's very good at what she does and she loves it too. She is tenacious and will not stop until she has the answers, she's even helped co-workers to capture a variety of bunch of bad people in the past so it's no wonder that former Senator, Stewart Reese, asked her to investigate the possibility that someone may be out to get him. Reese has had the feeling that someone has been watching him so Reese moves Cassidy on to the property, but before she can really start doing her job she walks in and finds Beau leaning over his dead father with a bloody letter opener in his hand. Beau had just came back from the lawyers in Dallas with the papers for his father to sign, Beau had prepared himself for another argument but instead just finds his father dying on the floor with a letter opener in his chest.

Beau knows the police can only go so far in their investigation and as the prime suspect to his father's murder he knows he has to dig deep in his father's dirty dealings to find the real person responsible, so he hires Cassidy to help. They begin to dig deep into the dark recesses of Stewart Reese's life stirring up trouble along the way, unfortunately the more they dig the volatile the antagonist becomes and the more dangerous it becomes for Beau and Cassidy. For Beau it was lust at first sight Cassidy trying to be more professional tried to keep her feeling separate from the facts of the case, but her instincts tell her to trust Beau. The more their lives are put in danger the more protective Beau feels over Cassidy and soon he realizes it's more that just lust but before they can proceed with any kind of relationship they need to clear Beau's name and find the real killer.

Overall, another Kat Martin book to love. I always enjoy Martin's writing style and while I loved the Brodies I'm glad that these, so far, have been separate from that series. I look forward to the next book.     

ARC REVIEW Beyond Reason by Kat Martin

Beyond Reason is the start of a new series from Kat Martin, Texas Trilogy. It was a nice step away from the Brody's series. It was a good read very typical Kat Martin, which is a good thing, good romance, good plot, and well paced. My only complaint is that Lincoln was too much of the cliched billionaire playboy. It was a nice change to have a book take place in Texas and not be about cowboys, thank you very much, we are not all cowboys, oil tycoons, or mexican labourers. The trucking industry is big and it's nice to see it getting some attention for a change (that I know of).

Carly Drake has so much to make up for, she knows just how much her Grandfather did for her she feels guilty for not being here for him sooner. Now that he's dead she's going to make Drake Trucking once again into one of the best trucking companies in Texas, but the cards are stacked against her and if it isn't one thing it's another and here she is five weeks after her grandfather's death her best driver was shot down and hijacked and the police aren't very hard to find out why. Lincoln Cain owes so much to Joe Drake, after he got out of prison Joe was the only one who gave him a chance and it was that one opportunity that lead Lincoln on the path to being as successful and rich as he is now. Lincoln made a deathbed promise to Joe that he would take care of Carly after Joe's death. Lincoln heard so much about Carly and expected her to be polished and spoiled, his plan was to buy the company from her for enough money to set her up for life and she wouldn't have to worry about money any more. What he got was an insanely beautiful and determined woman who said no. Lincoln isn't the only one who she said no to, Carly also said no to a local drug lord and now she's in over her head, top it off with company money disappearing and the death of her best driver. Lincoln is bound to help her whether she wants it or not but once she realizes who the drug lord is she's willing to accept help to take him down.

Overall, this was a good read it has some good side stories going on, the character development was nice with the background information on Lincoln. The romance aspect was enjoyable, like all playboys once he has his girl, Carly, she's the only one that matters. and I'm looking forward to Beau's, who is Lincoln's business partner and childhood friend, story.

ARC REVIEW Into the Firestorm by Kat Martin

Brodie Operations Security Service, Inc. or BOSS, Inc. for short is a Seattle based security company run by (duh) the Brodies. In book three we find that Luke as finally met his match, who better for battle jaded tough guy Luke to fall in love with than a jaded tough girl out for revenge. I think I liked this one better than the other two, Emma is such a strong character and so determined to do what she has to do. If you have read the previous two books you have seen (well, read) Luke in action so you can imagine his surprise when a petite curly haired woman with some serious curves takes out a bail jumper all on her own. Luke hopes they aren't after the same guy, but when she shows up asking questions about the same guy he's looking for he realizes she doesn't know just how much in over her head she is, and even though their are reasons he never takes on partners he would rather her work with him than on her own and the sexual attraction is not helping the matter.

Emma was all set to be a teacher, but after her niece's rape and the rapist jumped bail and disappeared. Emma stopped everything and for the better part of the last year she has been working out, training, and studying to be a bounty hunter. In her research she has read up on Luke Brodie, she admires him for the bounty hunter he is and for being able to get anyone he goes after. But when she finally meets him she is hit unexpectedly with attraction. Despite all the warning from everyone to not get sexually involved with Luke, and even though Luke knows better and that she deserves better than him they give in to the attraction. They tell each other that it's will just be until the job is over then they will go their separate ways but of course it never works out that easily. When Luke finds out that Emma has plans to kill the guy he is willing to do anything to protect her from having to do that.

Overall, it was a really good suspense. Kat Martin is great with the action and fight sequences. Luke and Emma fit like puzzle pieces they just fit perfectly together.    

ARC REVIEW Into the Whirlwind by Kat Martin

BOSS Inc. book two by Kat Martin which is part of her Brodie's Universe. Into the Whirlwind follows Dirk and Megan who started their romance in the last book. Fortunately, while it helps to have read the last book it is not imperative to follow the story. I really enjoy Kat Martin books, the action is always a grabber the romance is heartfelt and combining the two is always well thought out; especially when you are dealing with high tension situations. When I read the synopsis for the book I thought how in the world are two people going to fall in love (again) when a child has been kidnapped! As a Mom I know romance would be the last thing on my mind if one of my kids went missing. But Kat Martin made it work. I was looking forward to the tattooed bad boy's story and this did not disappoint; even if Megan did a little bit.

 Megan's son the whole reason she dumped Dirk five months prior has been kidnapped. She can't go to the cops but she knows the Dirk can help bring her boy home. Dirk calls in reinforcements and gets to work immediately; it's easy for him to find out who was behind it and find a possible location they might be holding the boy, but things aren't that easy and with the price on the little boys head in the millions it isn't going to be that easy getting him back, or tracking down the brains behind the kidnapping or the ulterior motive behind the kidnapping.

Overall, From Seattle to Argentina it is an action filled story. While Megan thought she was thinking of her son when she initially dumped Dirk her motives were kind of selfish as were the actions that followed. She obviously didn't learn her lesson about pleasing other people and sacrificing you own happiness with her first marriage. Luke Brodie plays a major role in this story and it gives you a taste of him before his own book out next year.      

BLOG TOUR Against The Tide by Kat Martin

Secrets—and safety—melt under a midnight sun…

Liv Chandler is running for her life, and the cops haven’t been able to do a thing to help. But there’s one man who makes her feel safe, no matter what…rugged charter boat captain Rafe Brodie.

To Rafe, Liv is a beautiful mystery, one he can’t ignore. He means to unearth her secrets, and in the process, if luck is on his side, maybe the spark between them will ignite.

But Liv’s past is more dangerous than Rafe could guess, and when his first mate turns up dead, she fears that she’s next. That there’s something else coming she can’t see. That even Rafe and the remote village of Valdez, Alaska can’t protect her forever…

Link to Follow Tour:  http://www.tastybooktours.com/2015/03/against-tide-brodies-of-alaska-3-by-kat.html

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22812429-against-the-tide?from_search=true&search_version=service

Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/126176-the-brodies-of-alaska

Buy Links:  Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo

                Okay I love the Brodies and now in this third book the eldest Brodie, Rafe, meets his match with a mysterious woman, Liv, and an attraction neither of them can deny. Liv and Rafe are an engaging couple she keeps trying to distance herself from him but the more she pushes the more he tighten his grip on her. In typical Brodie fashion it is never easy when they fall in love and with each book the external conflict just gets more and more intense. What first appeared as a murder of a young man ends in an elaborate plan and in the process Rafe and Liv fall in love as Liv's secrets are revealed.

                Kat Martin is a fabulous writer and this one is an intense mystery and an emotional love story. Rafe is an alpha male who has finally fell in love and now that he has found her he is not letting her go no matter her past. Liv is a strong heroine but scared and so in love with Rafe she doesn't want to ruin his life with her problems. I think this one is my favorite so far, since their is another one coming out that will probably be my new favorite when I read it.
                         

Rafe leaned back in the booth as Olivia walked away. Beneath her light blue apron, she wore black leggings under a black skirt, and a black turtleneck sweater. She wore black a lot, he’d noticed, and with her heavy, dark hair, pale complexion, and striking features, it suited her.
The café was beginning to fill with customers, both locals and the first of the tourist crowd. Besides deep-sea fishing, the area offered helicopter sightseeing, wildlife cruises, glacier cruises, kayaking, hiking, camping, and a jillion other things visitors thought up to entertain themselves in a place so rich in natural beauty.
By the first of May, as winter slid into spring, the local hotel and restaurant businesses jump-started into high gear. So did Rafe’s company, Great Alaska Charters.
His fleet was composed of a thirty-two-foot Armstrong; a Glacier Craft thirty-five; and his thirty-eight-foot Mac, all of which worked from April through October, depending on the weather. Scotty had made a place for himself in the company, had become an important part of the business, and it was going to be damned hard to replace him.
Scott Ferris had become Rafe’s right-hand man, and more than that, a very good friend. There was no easy way to lessen the personal loss Rafe felt at Scott’s death. He needed to go see Cassie, find out if there was anything he could do to help her get through her grief.
Rafe knew from experience it was going to take a helluva long time for her to heal.
He looked over at the tall, slender woman moving around the café. She was the real reason he had come to the Pelican this morning. Just watching her eased some of the tightness in his chest. Trim and lithe, she moved like a dancer, in more of a glide than a pattern of steps, so light on her feet she was there one moment, then she wasn’t.
With her high cheekbones, wide forehead, and unusual gray eyes, Olivia was a beautiful woman. Her chestnut hair, twisted into a knot at the nape of her neck, glinted with vibrant highlights. By midmorning, a few strands escaped around her face, softening the severe appearance she seemed determined to maintain.
And there was that mouth. Lipstick was the only real makeup she wore, a glossy dark red on lips so plump and perfectly curved they could have been in a magazine ad. That mouth made him think of dirty sex and taking her to bed, or anywhere else he could have her.
Maybe she could read his mind; maybe she knew what he was thinking and that was the reason she never waited on him. And though she was always polite, she spoke tohim only if she had to and rarely by name.
For the first couple of months after she’d taken over the business, he’d figured she was just too busy to notice him. Besides, he was still dating Sally, and he wasn’t the kind of guy who cheated on a woman he was involved with.
Four months ago, Sally had moved on, and Rafe had discovered he was glad. He cared for Sally Henderson, but he wasn’t in love, never had been. He’d told her from the start he wasn’t interested in marriage. At the time, she’d convinced him she wasn’t either. But relationships changed, and Sally was ready to settle down.
Sally was ready. Rafe wasn’t.
It wasn’t until after they’d parted that he started to take an interest in Olivia Chandler. Besides her striking looks and porn-star mouth, there was just something about her, something that began to intrigue him. She was always friendly to the other customers, though according to Nell, she had no close friends outside the people she worked with, and no family in the area that anyone knew of.
At first he’d told himself he just wasn’t the lady’s type, but the more she ignored him, the more intrigued he became. She rarely went to the local pub, he discovered, just kept mostly to herself in the apartment she lived in above the café. She was a runner, he knew, having seen her jogging early in the mornings with the big, black-and-brown German shepherd she called Khan.
Every time he went into the Pelican, which was often since he was a bachelor and a lousy cook, he watched her, and eventually a funny thing happened. Over the days and weeks that passed, Rafe became more and more certain Olivia Chandler wasn’t avoiding him because she wasn’t attracted to him.
She was avoiding him because she was.
Liv Chandler was a beautiful mystery, one Rafe no longer intended to ignore. He meant to unearth her secrets, and in the process, if luck was on his side, maybe he’d discover the fierce attraction he felt for her was returned in equal measure.
Rafe damned well hoped so.
Rising from the booth, he tossed a dollar bill on the table for the waitresses’ tip jar and started for the door. Olivia Chandler was a mystery he meant to solve.
But another mystery needed solving first.
His jaw hardened. Rafe wasn’t about to let the man who murdered one of his best friends go unpunished.


Whatever it took, he was going to see justice done.

Author Info

Kat Martin is the New York Times bestselling author of more than sixty books across multiple genres. Sixteen million copies are in print and she has been published in twenty-one foreign countries, including Japan, France, Argentina, Greece, China, and Spain. Her books have been nominated for the prestigious RITA award and won both the Lifetime Achievement and Reviewer’s Choice Awards from RT Book Reviews.

A resident of Missoula, Montana, Kat is a graduate of the University of California at Santa Barbara, where she majored in Anthropology and also studied History. She and her author husband, L.J. Martin, spend their winters in Ventura, California. She is currently writing her next Romantic Suspense. Visit Kat at www.katmartin.com

Author Links:  Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

 Website:  http://www.katmartin.com/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/KatMartinAuthor

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/KatBooks

GoodReads:  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/49381.Kat_Martin

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REVIEW Against the Sky by Kat Martin

I LOVE THE BRODIES OF ALASKA!!!! 

As always Kat Martin writes an exciting adventure and romance. Against the Sky is book two of the Brodies of Alaska series; this one follows Nick Brodie retired Anchorage Police Detective former Army Ranger and pet grooming marketing director Samantha Hollis. Your standard opposites attract, strangers in the night, lust at first sight, I say standard but nothing Kat Martin does is standard this is another example of her brilliance. I loved the characters both the main and the second tier. Nick and Samantha are opposites; Samantha a city girl and Nick the rugged manly man but they are exactly what they need in each other.

Bored with nothing to do now that he is retired Nick takes on some private security detail for a friend; it's an easy job and less stressful than being a cop. In need of a distraction Nick's brothers make him take a vacation a little time in Vegas can do the body and mind good. While their Nick saves a woman from a drunks unwanted advances. Samantha is in Vegas for a pet store convention and isn't looking to make it anything but business but when the tall, blond and gorgeous Nick scares off the unwanted advances of another guest he convinces her otherwise. After keeping it strictly platonic their last night in Vegas they give in and make the last night the night to remember always. Three weeks later Samantha feels completely different about it because now she is pregnant. Unsure about what to do she just planned on contacting Nick and getting a feel for how he would react what she got was an invitation to Alaska. 

Nick has been unable to stop thinking about Samantha so on a whim he invites her to spend time with him in Alaska. What was supposed to be a nice two week vacation turned into an exciting adventure investigating the death of his neighbor at the insistence of his the man's son and that turns into tracking down and exposing a drug ring and an underage white slavery ring run by some Russian Mobsters. With the help of Nick's best friend, brother and more they manage to make a mess of an FBI undercover operation and expose the mole. Nick and Samantha fumble through their problems and fall in love but can they work through their differences for a HEA? I loved it, very page turning action and steamy romance.