Bad Reputation by Nicole Edwards

Meet the most wanted players in sports... one ridiculously hot alpha male at a time.

Chase:
With a nickname like “Sin,” it’s no wonder they call me the bad boy of hockey. Opponents curse me. Fans scream my name—in the arena and in other, much more private places. Penalties or not, I’m not afraid to dish out a little pain. But pleasure? That’s my weakness. And no one knows it better than my best friend, Cassie Desrosiers. I’d have to be blind not to notice her rocking body and teasing grin. So when she invites me along on a trip to Vegas, my curiosity isn’t the only thing that’s aroused.

Cassie:
Chase Barrett is a world-class A-hole. As his best friend, I’m allowed to call him on his BS. Who else is going to do it? Certainly not the puck bunnies swooning at every flex of his biceps. Everyone knows that Chase is the love-’em-and-leave-’em type. There’s no such thing as commitment for the king of casual hookups. So why should I care? Maybe because all work and no play makes me a sexually frustrated girl. It’s time to put the hockey stud at my beck and call to good use... but after a week in Vegas with Chase, I might never want to go back to the real world.

Book 1
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
3.5 stars
M/F Sports Romance

This is a push-pull story between two friends. They are playful and love each other as friends first.

Chase is a cocky hockey player who is loving his single life. He has a great family and set of friends, but he really wants to have Cassie love him.

Cassie is a strong woman and knows that she wants to have a great life. What her life doesn't include is love.

These two dance around each other and then when things finally go to the next level, their communication sucks.

This had a ton of potential for me, but the back and forth was just a little too much. Overall, it was a sweet story – there was just a little too much young adult drama.


Angie – ☆☆☆☆
Chase and Cassie have been best friends for several years. Everyone calls Chase "Sin" and he has a reputation for being a bad boy... but really he isn't. Chase has had a crush on his BFF forever! Cassie calls Chase out all the time for all his crap, has never thought of him in a sexual way even though he is hot AF. When Cassie has to go to Vegas for work, she invites Chase. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas... yeah, right. There were a few things that happened in the book that were so predictable it kind of ruined the storyline for me. It was still a good book, but I expected and wanted more, not something so predictable. There are a few other players on the hockey team that I would love to read their stories though, hopefully without being able to guess the end of the book before I am half way through it.


Mary Jo – ☆☆☆☆
What I really loved about this book was the fact that it takes two people with a solid friendship and shows the progression from friends to lovers in a well told out romance. It takes been there, told that story to new heights and it’s a story that’s told very, very well.

Chase and Cassie are the best of friends and have been since college. Chase plays professional hockey and when Cassie has the opportunity to accept a promotion in the same city he’s in, she jumps on it.

Being close friends, they give each other grief about everything, from potential hook-ups to what each other wears, to how hard/much the other works. Chase likes to have fun and does his best to get Cassie to let loose a little. Yes, Cassie is driven and knows that Chase is just as driven in his hockey career, only with the different professions it shows itself in different ways.

Life goes from being pretty good, to being out of control when a night out in Vegas tanks Cassie’s career. Through it all, Chase is Cassie’s rock and she doesn’t understand why.

It takes a tough nut to crack her shell and have her admit that the reason that she and Chase have been such good friends all these is years is because they fell in love as kids and grew into that love as adults.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆
3.5 stars of friends-to-lovers romance

This is a sweet, fun sports romance, heralding a new series from Ms. Edwards. It is definitely lighter than many of her books which I have read.

Told from both Chase and Cassie's viewpoint, we soon realise that they really are a team, who just haven't succumbed to the desire... yet! At times I found their voices to be younger than the careers that they had, but the informality wasn't entirely annoying. Thanks to the set up, it wasn't difficult to predict what was going to happen, but it was fun watching it roll out.

There were definite hints as to other characters who could have their stories told in future instalments and I await them with interest.


Shannan – ☆☆☆
Bad Reputation is a friends-to-lovers sports romance. Two best friends who have feelings for each other but don't want to ruin what they have.

Cassie and Chase met in college. They become as close as two friends can. Feelings have developed but neither wants to cross that line. Cassie doesn't think someone like Chase would be interested in her and Chase knows Cassie isn't into him like that.

Chase is the bad boy of hockey. He's fierce on the ice and a player off the ice. He's known to be a hard hitting player. All the girls fall for Chase, but he's not interested in more.

Cassie's mother ruined her view of love. She's moved from husband to husband, choosing to marry for money. Having that as a role model has deterred Cassie from wanting love.

You know where the story is headed pretty early on. I have to say I did skim some because at some point the internal dialogue seemed almost childish. The banter between the two was entertaining. I enjoyed Chase's character more than Cassie's.

Ms. Edwards has definitely left the door open for more from the secondary characters. Bad Reputation is an easy, quick read.

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Nicole Edwards lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband, their three kids, and four rambunctious dogs. When she’s not writing about sexy alpha males, Nicole can often be found with a book in hand or making an attempt to keep the dogs happy. You can find her hanging out on Facebook and interacting with her readers—even when she’s supposed to be writing.

Connect with Nicole

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Google+  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads
The Nicole & Colt Edwards Facebook Group

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Bad Reputation (Bad Boys of Sports #1) by Nicole Edwards to read and review.

The Wicked Billionaire by Jackie Ashenden

The Tate Brothers were once orphans and they have been raised to do one thing only: protect what is theirs.

As a trained sniper and Navy SEAL, Lucas Tate found the courage to distance himself from the wealthy, wicked patriarch who adopted him. Instead, he’s devoted his life to the elite band of brothers from his unit. So when the widow of one of his former comrades finds herself in apparent danger, Lucas makes it his job to protect her against all enemies... and not let her out of his sights.

Grace Riley feels overwhelmed by Lucas's presence, but the cold-eyed marksman will do anything to keep her safe. Soon the special attention he pays her becomes a wild romantic distraction—one that troubles Grace, since Lucas was so close to her deceased husband. Still, how can she resist Lucas’s intense, ice-blue stare? All she knows is that a life without strong, passionate Lucas is one not worth living. Can Lucas can find a way to honor his former brother-in-arms by saving Grace... and loving her, too?

This high-concept series brings together the glamour of Park Avenue and hot Navy SEALs in dark, smoldering contemporary romances.

Book 2
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
St. Martin's Press

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
3.5 stars
M/F Romance and some mystery

Lucas and Grace have a difficult relationship. It is mainly that way because Lucas is such a lonely character. Throughout the story I found myself feeling sorry for him over and over – he always seemed to push people away and feel that he deserved to be alone.

Grace is kind and sees through the tough exterior that Lucas presents. However, she also knows when she is deserving of more – for the most part. She has had to overcome a life of being told she wasn't enough. Grace must decide whether or not she can take the leap and put herself out there. I thought that Grace was a character that I could really identify with – the strength that it took to take a chance and open herself up.

Grace and Lucas together were full of chemistry and lust. I did find that Lucas' constant need to push Grace away was somewhat hard to read about – especially since you knew how much Lucas needed Grace.

Lucas' brother will make for an interesting story – I think he has a ton of potential.

Jackie Ashenden lives in Auckland, New Zealand with her husband, the inimitable Dr. Jax, and their two kids and two cats. When she’s not torturing alpha males and their stroppy heroines, she can be found drinking chocolate martinis, reading anything she can lay her hands on, posting random crap on her blog, or being forced to go mountain biking with her husband.

Jackie writes dark, sexy contemporary romance for St Martin’s Press, the titles Mine To Take, Make You Mine, and You Are Mine.

Connect with Jackie

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Google+  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of The Wicked Billionaire (Tate Brothers #2) by Jackie Ashenden to read and review.

Five Dares by Eli Easton

Andy Tyler has been the class daredevil since middle school. Over the years, he’s convinced his best friend, Jake Masterson, to perform some dangerous-looking stunts with him. But the dare they attempt on the night of their college graduation goes sideways. The firecrackers explode too soon and both of them end up with badly burned palms.

But hey, nothing gets the “terrible two-o” down for long, and they recuperate in style at Andy’s family cottage in Cape Cod. As the weeks go by, both Andy and Jake grow frustrated over the inability to use their hands for all sorts of daily activities—including getting off. So Andy begins a new series of dares that don’t just cross the friendship line, they obliterate it.

But what might be mere sexual relief to Andy is serious business to Jake, who only recently got over years of secret pining for his straight best friend. Inevitably, the burns heal, summer ends, and hearts are broken. To fix things, Andy will have to face the greatest dare of all.

Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Riptide Publishing

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Erica – ☆☆☆☆
4.5 Stars

Jake and Andy have been friends since middle school, with Andy always charming Jake into high-risk dares. With a dare gone awry on their graduation night from NYU, the two best friends' futures are put in jeopardy.

The novel spans five dares, each two-fold in the present and the past, showing the evolution of their friendship, and the hold they both have on one another.

Holed up in a beach house to recuperate, Jake and Andy draw closer in a way neither would acknowledge before. Jake has always had a crush on Andy, refusing to tell his best friend he was bisexual, fearing Andy would jump to the right conclusions and it would mess up their friendship.

A lot can change in two months during this friends-to-lovers story. Cute. Humorous. Sweet. Naughty. Sexy. Tension-filled innocence, with the after-effects of heart-punching emotion. Andy baits Jake through a series of dares, forcing Jake to admit how he truly feels, not realizing these same dares will spring forth an existential conflict for himself.

I highly recommend this novel to fans of MM romance, especially the friends-to-lovers trope, with an added kick of angsty deliciousness, where one friend is bisexual and assumes the other is straighter than straight.


Angie – ☆☆☆☆
I will have to be honest, I skimmed through some of this book. The first dare that we read about that leads up to the current story I read, but all the other dares from when Andy and Jake were younger, I skipped, I didn't really need to know about those, they didn't add anything to the story for me. I wanted more current story. The current part of the story was good. Andy and Jake did one more dare before starting their adult lives on two different sides of the country. I liked how both had feelings for each other, even though one didn't really know that he did until he sat down and thought about it. These two were so good together and when they started "experimenting" at the cabin, things got even better. The love these two had for each other was evident when Andy's dad catches them in a compromising position and finally Andy decided to stand up to his dad after talking to his mom about everything. Overall, I enjoyed the story and there was some steamy sex too.


Kris – ☆☆☆
Five Dares was a sweet coming of age, and coming to grips with their sexuality, story. Jake and Andy were best friends since grade school. Jake was Andy's wingman. His crazy partner who would be in on any dare or stunt Andy could conjure. The two were inseparable until college. One last party and one last dare put the two at a huge risk. They end up injured, their hands having third degree burns from a firecracker stunt gone wrong. Hanging out together for one last summer at Andy's lake cottage while their wounds healed seemed innocent enough. But Jake couldn't keep hiding that he was in love with Andy. Especially after Andy dared him to slake their needs together.

The two were very hot between the sheets and I began to really love the intimacy and the steamy scenes. Andy's uptight and controlling father was a good story strife-maker and the book was well written. I did find some references to the "current political climate" unneeded. In fact, it tore me from the story several times. Andy wanting to be a lawyer and his father reminding him what a "straight man, good old boys club" that profession is, was a bit over the top but understandable when wanting an easy road for their child.

I enjoyed the couple enough to finish the story and the epilogue was spot on, a very nice happily ever after for the boys and a feel good moment that made me smile.


Sarah – ☆☆☆☆☆
This sweet story about a lifelong friendship that becomes something more is full of joy. And pain. And hope. And parts of it had me laughing out loud. The book starts with a bang. It’s actually an ill-advised explosion that seemed like a good idea to two drunk BFFs celebrating their university graduation. Both Jake and Andy end up badly injured and the pair are forced to spend an uncomfortably intimate summer together while they recover.

The author of this story beautifully captures the mixture of bravado and uncertainty felt by Jake and Andy as they leave the safety of college and start adulting. Both boys are excited for the future but are still wrestling with family pressures and parental expectations.

I loved Jake from the start. He’s a reluctant follower who will do just about anything for his bright, beautiful, daredevil best friend. I spent most of the story wanting to protect Jake’s heart from Andy’s carelessness. Without Andy’s family money, Jake takes adulting a bit more seriously – but he is also free from the suffocating pressure Andy feels to live the life his father has planned for him.

It is hard not to like Andy. He is exciting and fun. He’s the kid who never had to study too hard. And he loves Jake with a passionate loyalty – but only as a friend. There were a couple of times I wanted to kill him but we also see him vulnerable and breaking under pressure.

The bromance to romance between these two is great fun but it is also painfully slow and the lack of communication between Andy and Jack is incredibly frustrating. However, there are some very imaginative, very sexy scenes along the way.

The one part of the story I found hard to believe was that Jake kept his sexuality a secret all the way through university. It might have been plausible ten years ago but I’ve never met someone their age who cares much about sexuality one way or another.

Having been, at various times and under different names, a minister’s daughter, a computer programmer, a game designer, the author of paranormal thrillers, a fan-fiction writer, an organic farmer, and a profound sleeper, Eli is happy these days writing love stories.

As an avid reader of such, she is tinkled pink when an author manages to combine literary merit, vast stores of humor, melting hotness, and eye-dabbing sweetness into one story. She promises to strive to achieve most of that most of the time. She currently lives on a farm in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, with her husband, three bulldogs, two cows, a cat, and a potbellied pig. She enjoys reading in all genres and, when she can be pried away from her ipad, hiking and biking.

Eli Easton has published 24 books in m/m romance since 2013. She won the Rainbow Award for Best Contemporary Romance in 2014 (The Mating of Michael) and in 2016 (A Second Harvest). Her Howl at the Moon series of humorous dog shifter romances have become fan favorites and placed in the Rainbow Awards and the Goodreads M/M Group Reader’s Choice awards. She is best known for romances with humor and a lot of heart.

Connect with Eli

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Google+  ~  Blog  ~  Goodreads

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Five Dares by Eli Easton to read and review.

Complete Us by Lily Harlem

When two become three, it’s guaranteed the earth will move.

Patrick’s life with his shifter mate Greg is idyllic. In love and lust, they exist in a wonderful bubble of contentment and satisfaction in the Redwood Forest, giving in to their needs and desires whenever the mood takes them.

Until one day Patrick stumbles across a wild dog. His wounds are shocking, but it’s even more sickening how he got them.

Neither Patrick nor Greg can abandon the poor creature and they take him into their home and their hearts. But when the new addition to their family turns out to be so much more than a dog, can they act on what their bodies are crying out for? Will a third man in their relationship upset the applecart? He certainly thinks it will and it seems he’ll need convincing otherwise.

Reader Advisory: This book contains scenes of voyeurism, some injury description and references to violent assault.

Book 4
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Pride Publishing

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah –☆☆☆
This short shifter ménage is sex heavy and plot light. The shifter part feels a little bit like a paint-by-number story as familiar shifter tropes are added with little explanation or development. This is erotica and the bits of plot that link the sex scenes feel like afterthoughts – useful but not necessary to the story.

The characters are loosely sketched. Greg is an alpha and he lives a lifestyle D/s relationship with his human mate, Patrick. Of course, both men are gorgeous. I struggled a little with Patrick’s exaggerated ‘feminine’ nature and role. Their third, Carlos, is also gorgeous.

All of the relationship development in this story happens through sex. The pattern is familiar with the first scene between Greg and Patrick and the last one between all three as a full ménage.

Ultimately, this is basic shifter erotica. Personally, I didn’t engage with the writing style at all which made it difficult to find the story terribly sexy.


Avid Reader – ☆☆☆
M/M/M Shifter Erotica
Triggers: Assault

This is the first book that I've read in this series and I kind of felt that there were some underlying issues that I didn't know about because of that.

Greg and Patrick have a D/s relationship where Greg is the shifter and Patrick is a human who belongs to Greg's pack. They love each other and have a great relationship; however, when they save Carlos, both think that they could add a third to their relationship.

This is where I felt that the story kind of went a little wonky. Greg and Patrick were both almost unwilling to just come out and say they wanted Carlos – they tiptoed around it. Also, I felt that Carlos' reactions were the most organic and Greg and Patrick's responses were not how you would normally react to someone you love.

This was a quick read and it was just okay for me.

Also Available in the Redwood Shifters Series

Book 1
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Pride Publishing

For reviews & more info, check out our Run Away with Me post.

Book 2
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Pride Publishing

For reviews & more info, check out our Finding You post.

Lily Harlem lives in the UK with a workaholic hunk and a crazy cat. With a desk overlooking rolling hills her over active imagination has been allowed to run wild and free and she revels in using the written word as an outlet for her creativity.

Lily's stories are made up of colourful characters exploring their sexuality and sensuality in a safe, consensual way. With the bedroom door left wide open the reader can hang on for the ride and Lily hopes by reading sensual romance people will be brave enough to try something new themselves? After all, life's too short to be anything other than fully satisfied.

Connect with Lily

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Google+  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Complete Us (Redwood Shifters #4) by Lily Harlem to read and review.

Night Heat by Desiree Holt

Ten years after—can they rekindle the heat?

One hot night with Gabe Carter has haunted Jill Danvers for ten years, almost as much as his decision to marry someone else.

Now a successful journalist, she’s back in town to write about the city’s Bicentennial Celebration—and Gabe is the chairman.

This time around he’s determined not to let other people control his life where Jill’s concerned, especially his vicious, vengeful ex. It might not be possible to get past ten years of pain, but as they work together on the article and solving the mystery of the undercurrents flowing beneath the surface of the town, they might just find a way back to each other.

Reader Advisory: This book contains references to miscarriage. Mild fight scene.

Publisher's Note: This book has previously been released elsewhere. It has been revised and re-edited for re-release with Totally Bound Publishing.

Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Totally Bound

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Romance, BDSM
Triggers: Click HERE to see Avid Reader’s review on Goodreads for trigger warnings.

Jill is back in her hometown and not too excited about it. She knows that her knowledge of the town will bring more authenticity to her article, but she dreads running into old acquaintances and one in particular – her old love, Gabe.

It's been a decade since she and Gabe went their separate ways and she still is heartbroken over their relationship.

Gabe is now head of the town and is so excited to hear that Jill is coming back to town. He's tried several times over the last decade to talk with Jill, but she's been a master at avoidance and ducking his tries. He wants to know her again.

Then you have the drama of a small town. There is so much going on, but one thing never waivers – that Gabe wants Jill. It's a great story with some extremely hot chemistry between the two main characters. You have love, romance, back stabbing, lying, and corruption all wrapped into a sexy package.

A multi-published, award winning, Amazon and USA Today best-selling author, Desiree Holt has produced more than 200 titles and won many awards. She has received an EPIC E-Book Award, the Holt Medallion and many others including Author After Dark’s Author of the Year. She has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning and in The Village Voice, The Daily Beast, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The London Daily Mail. She lives in Florida with her cats who insist they help her write her books, and is addicted to football.

Connect with Desiree

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Google+  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Night Heat by Desiree Holt to read and review.

Eye Candy – Fallen Crest Nightmare by Tijan

A frightfully good time! Dive into these Halloween novellas from bestselling authors Tijan, J. Daniels, Helena Hunting, Bella Jewel and Tara Sivec. Featuring stories set in the worlds of their popular series.

Tijan’s Fallen Crest crew are back for a weekend of mischief that takes a sinister turn.

Cozy up with a mug of hot cider on a dark night and fall under the spell of this Halloween anthology!

Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
St. Martin's Press

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Scary Story
Triggers: Click HERE to see Avid Reader’s review on Goodreads for trigger warnings.

Logan and Mason were their hot, protective selves and Sam is just as awesome. She is having the worst Halloween – her friends are dropping like flies and she can't seem to stop it. There is someone after her and even with everyone trying to save and protect everyone, this mystery person is getting to them.

This is a short story about the main characters in Tijan's Fallen Crest High story. It was scary, sexy, and despite knowing what you can guess when you read books like this, it was very entertaining. I loved seeing these characters again.


Kris – ☆☆☆
I've been a junkie for the Fallen Crest High characters since book one. I love Mason and Logan, they're loyal, loving, and downright jerks when they have to be. Everything you want to love in a male lead character, they have in spades. I've lost some interest in Samantha though in the past few books. She's become very secure in herself and that's great, but almost too much? She's lost any redeeming qualities that made her likable, in my opinion. I'm finding her cold and too aloof. In any case, Mason is off playing football in the NFL. Sam, Logan, and sidekicks are celebrating their last year of college at Cain U with a huge Halloween party. The girls decide to enjoy a girls’ night out on Halloween Eve (we call it Devil’s Night in Michigan) and Sam gets extremely drunk... or maybe she's been drugged? There's a strange cloaked and masked, evil entity following the entourage. All types of horrible things happen to Sam and her friends and who knows what's going on. I found the story very spacey and odd. Very choppy, never really flowing. If this was done intentionally, it was brilliant as it certainly kept me off key and off kilter and slightly freaked out. I had to skip ahead to find out what in THE heck was going on! Perfect for a short Halloween tale, but not my cup of tea! I’m a wuss.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
4 stars of super spooky!

Even if you have never read the series (where have you been?), you will soon be brought up to date with the dynamics and history of the characters. That said, this dark is definitely new!

Very clever, perfect Halloween story, which is very cleverly paced and has enough twists to make you wonder, and then wonder again. It was a satisfyingly spooky tale, perfect for the time of year – and it is always good to catch up with the gang. Not enough of them really, but fun nonetheless.

Tijan is the New York Times bestselling author of the Carter Reed series, the Fallen Crest series, and the Broken and Screwed series, among others. She lives in northern Minnesota.

Connect with Tijan

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Google+  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Fallen Crest Nightmare by Tijan in the Eye Candy anthology to read and review.

Cover of Night by Laura Griffin

Sparks fly when a journalist and a Navy SEAL cross paths in Thailand in this third entry in the thrilling and sexy Alpha Crew series from New York Times bestselling author Laura Griffin.

Journalist Karly Bonham is on her first overseas mission, covering the new United States ambassador to Thailand, when she is taken hostage by terrorists, with only her wits and courage to keep her alive—until help arrives in the form of Navy SEAL Ethan Dunn.

As part of an elite SEAL team called Alpha Crew, Ethan has been on countless harrowing missions, but he knows this one is different the instant he meets Karly—the sexy young reporter who somehow managed to escape the terrorists’ clutches. Ethan is impressed by her, especially when he learns she has intel that could be the key to a successful rescue op. Ethan knows working with a civilian raises the stakes on an already dangerous mission. But with the clock ticking down, he enlists Karly’s help to thwart a vicious plot and bring a terrorist mastermind to justice.

Book 3
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Simon & Schuster

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Romance
Triggers: Click HERE to see Avid Reader’s review on Goodreads for trigger warnings.

This is the first book that I've read in this series and I never thought that I was missing anything.

Karly is a kick butt, take names kind of journalist in this story. She is doing a somewhat fluff piece on an ambassador on a lovely tropical island when things really take a turn for the horrible. She's caught up in a terrorists' attack and only has seconds to act. She's a tough woman who knows that she can't leave people behind.

Ethan is a sexy SEAL who comes to her rescue. When he meets the strong, determined Karly, he can't help but be attracted and awed all at once. He knows that he probably shouldn't feel the attraction let alone act on it, but he's powerless against it.

Ethan and Karly are a hot couple who have a connection that most would dream about. When trouble finds them off the island, they have to trust in each other and hope that nobody else will get hurt.

I do hope that this series continues. It was action packed and sexy all wrapped in a nice bow.


Rachael – ☆☆☆☆
3.5 Stars

This was my first story in the series, but I didn't feel like I missed anything by not reading the first couple stories.

I enjoyed the story and the characters. It was nice to have a strong female lead that was relatable. Karly went through a lot in the story and kept herself together even when everything was a mess. I liked Ethan. He was sexy and interesting and determined to get the woman he wanted.

Now I have to admit that at times I really felt like we were just dragged along in the story instead of being included, which was frustrating at times. Like how time would pass and we would miss vital scenes and interactions between secondary characters that would've really helped the reader feel like they were there with the characters.

The action was well written and is the big saving grace for me. Watching as the sexy SEALS did their jobs and took care of business helped keep the pages flying by while helping me relate to the way they were outside of scary situations.

Overall I enjoyed the book, but it was just an okay read to me that when I finished, I sadly didn't feel like I HAD to pick up the other stories in the series or like I would be the first in line for the next book. But it was entertaining to read with fast-paced action and a couple of hot scenes.


Sarah – ☆☆☆
This story about a terrorist attack at an exclusive Thai beach resort might not be the best choice for a holiday read but it is definitely a chilling story. Karly is a journalist shadowing a new politician when a group of terrorists take the politician and his entourage hostage.

There are some graphic and disturbing scenes at the start of this book. Karly’s experiences are harrowing and the things she witnesses are horrific. I’m not sure the rescue scenes are terribly realistic but they are exciting and dramatic.

For me, it was the character development and romance that let the story down. Karly is strong and brave during the attack but for the rest of the book she feels a bit flat and unremarkable. Ethan never really becomes more than another hot SEAL. He is protective and sweet but there is nothing special or unique about him. The romance between Karly and Ethan is instalove – they only really see each other a few times in the story and the ‘I love yous’ seem to come out of nowhere. There is one very sexy scene and some other heated moments.

So, this is an exciting read. There isn’t much character development or much of a love story but the action and adventure works well.

New York Times bestselling author Laura Griffin is the author of the Tracers series, the Alpha Crew series, the Moreno & Hart series and several other novels. A two-time RITA Award winner and the recipient of the Daphne du Maurier Award, she lives in Austin, where she is working on her next book.

Connect with Laura

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Cover of Night (Alpha Crew #3) by Laura Griffin to read and review.