The Dom Who Came in from the Cold by Lexi Blake Release Blitz

Kyle Hawthorne will do anything to protect MaeBe in this exciting new novel from New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake.

Kyle Hawthorne once believed his future would be a job in the private sector—a simple, normal life. Fate had other plans and he wound up in the military. Some newly discovered talents caught the eye of the CIA, and in no time he was working with a covert team. He found himself in a relationship with fellow operative, Julia—until she turned out to be the enemy. When her betrayal was uncovered, things got bloody and Kyle returned home broken, searching for a chance to walk the road not taken.

MaeBe Vaughan has never been interested in normal. Her happy place is a dark corner of the Internet, where she disrupts all the bad guys. She has a great circle of friends and a full life. She doesn’t need a man. Until Kyle Hawthorne walked into her life. He’s all wrong for her. Surly. Damaged. His uncle is her boss. But she couldn’t help getting close to him. When his past threatened her safety, Kyle walked out without saying good-bye.

Kyle will do anything to keep MaeBe safe. He faked his death, hid in the middle of nowhere, and watched over her from afar. But when Julia resurfaces, he knows that to protect MaeBe, he’ll have to get close. So close that if they manage to survive, he will never let her go.

Don’t miss our reviews of the rest of the Masters & Mercenaries: Reloaded series!
For book one, Submission Impossible, click HERE.
For book two, The Dom Identity, click HERE.
For book three, The Man from Sanctum, click HERE.
For book four, No Time to Lie, click HERE.

 

 

Book 5
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“Do you think he’s going to kill you? I know the man seems scary but he’s not. The key with Big Tag is to give as good as you get. Like fight his sarcasm with sarcasm. When he asks how my broom ride in was, I smile and ask him if he rode in on the back of a brontosaurus from his age. I know that sounds harsh, but it made him laugh, and now we’re cool. I spent the first couple of weeks terrified by him, thinking he was this big bully, but he’s actually the sweetest guy.”

The words had been said with a slightly husky feminine tone, and when he turned, sure enough there was a woman. A young woman who looked like she’d walked off the pages of a goth comic book. She was petite, a good foot shorter than him, with two purple pig tails, and she liked black. She had on a black miniskirt with sparkly suspenders over a black button-up. Dark green leggings and combat boots completed the look.

She was absolutely nothing like the two types of women he’d been surrounded by the last decade of his life. Military women who kept things neat and clean and practical, or the sophisticated crowd he’d run in when he’d been a spy. Women who were polished and thought out every single word they said and action made.

The first he would have nodded and made some simple conversation with. The second he would spend some time figuring out to ensure they weren’t here to spy on him.

He had absolutely no idea what to do with the woman in front of him. “Uh, I don’t think he’s going to kill me.”

She was weirdly fascinating. And just plain weird. She had a messenger bag over her shoulder, and the wide strap was decorated with a bunch of buttons, one which proclaimed her the Mistress of Code. She seemed to like code and the color green since she had a big button with the words I Always Play Green and some weird figure on it. “Confident. I like it. Are you a client or a new hire?” She gasped as she seemed to think of something. “Or a new vendor? Because if you are trying to sell the big guy anything that’s not a lemon tart, he might kill you. We should rethink this.”

It was her smile that did it. A small uptick of lips that let him know she was fucking with him and probably fucked with every guy in her life. Not in a “I’m looking to screw you over, take your secrets, and then probably murder you on the way out the door” way he’d gotten used to.

In the “I don’t take life too seriously” way. Like the women he’d been friends with in college. The ones he’d been comfortable with in another lifetime. In the life he’d had before he’d so brutally destroyed everything around him.

He should walk away from this woman. He was toxic, and his world for so long had been blood and secrets and death. She wouldn’t even know how to walk in his world. She also wasn’t his type. The last thing he needed was even a casual flirtation.

“I’m the new guy.” He held out a hand. “Name’s Kyle Hawthorne. I’m starting in the bodyguard unit today.”

She was completely harmless. It wouldn’t hurt to talk to the cute goth chick while he was here. He wouldn’t be here forever. He was giving this two months tops. That should be enough time to satisfy his family and the higher-ups at the CIA that he wasn’t going to do something dangerous. And then he would go do something dangerous.

She reached out, that smile turning into something truly glorious. Her black-tinged lips spread and showed even white teeth, but it was the way that smile lit up her eyes that made him pause. “MaeBe.”

Oh, she was playing with fire because for the first time in months he felt his groin tighten as he took her hand in his and felt an actual fucking spark that probably wasn’t static electricity. He couldn’t help the way his own lips curled up, and the words that flowed out of his mouth could have come from his twenty-year-old self. “Maybe? I would say that’s a little presumptuous of you, but I think I’ll go with it.”

 

 

 

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Mary – ☆☆☆☆☆
I have wanted MaeBe and Kyle's story and it was worth the wait. MaeBe and Kyle were just starting a new relationship when his ex shows up and hurts MaeBe, and tells her all kinds of things about herself and that she is not good enough for Kyle. And to make matters worse, Kyle blows himself up.

Now he is back because he has to protect MaeBe from Julia, who wants him and will stop at nothing to have him back, and that includes killing MaeBe. But Kyle has to get MaeBe to talk to him so he can explain why he did what he did and left her hurting.

If MaeBe can forgive Kyle, they, along with the McKay-Taggart group, will have to take down Julia once and for all before she goes after someone else they love.

Oh, and that epilogue was perfect, and the look in the next series is going to be awesome. I cannot wait for more. Sounds like the twins are going to get into some kind of trouble but they can always call daddy to help them out.

If you haven't read a Lexi Blake book, then you don't know what you are missing. All of the Masters & Mercenaries and the spin-offs are great. Grab a book and start reading, you will not be disappointed.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆☆
This may be the fifth book of this series, but I would definitely recommend that you have read all 26 (!) of the Masters & Mercenaries series to fully appreciate all the players in the game. I just love how everything ties together, and we get to see these fabulous people living it large, saving the world, and having a lot of kinky sexy times too! I am assuming in my review that you are up to speed...

I love that we get to see some of the story we knew already from the direct viewpoint of MaeBe and Kyle. For example, knowing that MaeBe worked out very quickly that he wasn't in fact dead, makes it better, but also makes it worse that he did not trust her. I always loved that she learned how to keep herself safe, and showed him in no uncertain terms!

The tension is great, but so are the awakenings and realisations that they both need to get over their pasts, and see how it could be... and then they slip again... the developments and changes are both cerebral and physical. It always makes me chuckle when the next generation down objects to being in Sanctum at the same time as their also kinky parents, just such a squirmy and funny idea!

Julia Ennis really is disturbing the party, but now that everyone is on the same page and working together, not in protection mode, the adventures really take off. Julia really is a fabulously manipulative and evil character – and yet Blake gives us enough of how she got to be that way to force us to think that there is a human behind the mask, just.

Fabulous read from start to finish – enjoy!


Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆☆
4.5 stars
M/F Second-Chance Romance
Triggers: Slight BDSM themes

I am so glad that the wait is over for MaeBe!!! I really enjoy her character throughout this series. I definitely suggest that you read the previous books in the series, or I think you'd feel a little plopped down in the middle of a book.

These books have been steadily growing to this showdown and it does not disappoint. The villain needs to be dealt with and quickly, before it's too late!

I was slightly put off with the beginning, because it felt kind of slow and redundant, if you'd read the previous books. However, once you get about 1/3 of the way through, it really picks up.

Kyle is trying to right the wrongs of his past. But in order to do that, he has to learn to trust his family and friends, lean on those he loves, and especially make sure that he shows trust in his relationships.

MaeBe is ready. She is strong, capable, and so dang smart. She knows that her past relationship was fleeting, but she can't help but feel that maybe something might be wrong with her in particular.

These two characters have so much love between them, but the past and future are kind of butting heads and need to be dealt with.

You'll see new characters, old characters, and be cheering everyone on. I really enjoyed watching MaeBe and Kyle figure out whether or not what they had was fleeting, worth fighting for, or just too dang hard to overcome. Love does not always win out. Sometimes, obstacles are too insurmountable.

You will not be disappointed in this book. And the teasers at the end... Oh my goodness! I can't wait!

 

 

 

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author LEXI BLAKE lives in North Texas with her husband and three kids. Since starting her publishing journey in 2010, she’s sold over three million copies of her books. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance that she found success. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings.

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Facebook Group: Lexi’s Literary Universe

 

 

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of The Dom Who Came in from the Cold (Masters & Mercenaries #26, Reloaded #5) by Lexi Blake to read and review.