THE INNOCENT
In post-9-11 America, when the world is on the brink of holy war, Olivia Rose
is on a mission to save the lives of four small children who have been chosen
as sacrifices for an ancient ritual. It is believed that these children will save
the world. Three of them have already gone missing. Vowing to keep the fourth
child hidden and haunted by dreams of a past she cannot outrun, Olivia seeks
out the bright little girl with a dark destiny. Her first lead comes from her
evil twin sister, who not only shares Olivia’s past but also has answers to
their future—answers that lead to the child’s very protective, very dangerous,
and very handsome father.
THE DAMNED
Pulling double duty as a casino bartender and civilian informant for the police, Eddie Garrett doesn’t need more complications in his life. Olivia first accuses him of kidnapping, and then she claims that the Native American tribe he’s come to love and respect has painted a target on his daughter. Whether Olivia’s claims are true or not, the threat alone compels him to protect Libby at all costs. Forsaking his job at the casino as well as his mission to take down its drug-dealing manager, Ruben Coll, Eddie and Olivia embark on a journey of danger, passion, and crippling discovery. They learn that not everything is what it seems...and when in the wrong hands, the past can be much scarier than an uncertain future.
THE DAMNED
Pulling double duty as a casino bartender and civilian informant for the police, Eddie Garrett doesn’t need more complications in his life. Olivia first accuses him of kidnapping, and then she claims that the Native American tribe he’s come to love and respect has painted a target on his daughter. Whether Olivia’s claims are true or not, the threat alone compels him to protect Libby at all costs. Forsaking his job at the casino as well as his mission to take down its drug-dealing manager, Ruben Coll, Eddie and Olivia embark on a journey of danger, passion, and crippling discovery. They learn that not everything is what it seems...and when in the wrong hands, the past can be much scarier than an uncertain future.
Cat gives this one 5 Meows with a 3 Purr
heat index...
I am going to admit I have
not read any of the books before this one, but I do plan on it. I bought book
one not long after starting this one. I will say they stand alone just fine. I
never was lost and there was enough backstory to explain the recurring characters
and make me want more of their stories.
This book has a very deep the story, slightly dark, with some violence. I loved both Olivia and
Eddie. Neither are goody two shoes and I liked that as well. Not all people are
squeaky clean or sweet and I enjoyed reading about the tougher side of life and
life in an Indian reservation where rules are much different than ours.
There are lots of twists
and turns, lots of action and it does result in a HEA. If you like Bad boys, not
so good girls, strong female leads, Mob type stories, cute kids, some hot sex
towards the end and a satisfying ending, this is for you!
Excerpt…
Olivia inserted her key,
flipped the lock and turned the knob. Everyone in their right minds was
asleep—all except for the new girl with a sucky, dead-end job. A temporary
dead-end job, she reminded herself.
The hinges gave a low moan
as she closed the door behind her. Before it could latch, though, it began to
push backward against her, so slowly at first, she gave it an absent shove
without realizing someone was on the other side. Not until a huge shadow
appeared from around it, illuminated only by the dim light streaming through
the cheap curtains at the window.
Intruder. Fuck. Olivia gasped and backed away, giving herself enough
space to go for the firearm nestled in the hidden compartment of her backpack.
But the shadowed man had the advantage, having snuck in so damned silently.
Before she could mourn her lost instincts, her backpack was gone, and the door
was closed.
With her sights on the baseball
bat in the corner, Olivia attempted to lurch out of the stranger’s reach, but a
muscular arm wrapped around her middle while a hand clamped over her mouth,
preventing any attempt to scream for help.
“Calm down,” whispered a
voice above her ear. “I just want to talk.”
Isn’t that what all
murderers said before they drew blood in some sick, creative fashion? Olivia
went limp in his arms, nodded her understanding. As soon as his hold relaxed,
she grasped a large thumb, twisted and bent backward. A grunt sounded as her
attacker twisted with it. She used that brief, precious moment to stomp his
toes and ram the heel of her hand into his face.
The result was
disappointing since it only gained her another grunt. But she was free. And she
ran.
A cry left her lips as she
was tackled to the floor. The living room’s throw rug muffled the impact and
cushioned her fall, but if her attacker were to gain the upper hand, none of
that would matter. Olivia struggled; his weight too incapacitating as he
searched out her wrists in the dark.
“Quit struggling,
goddammit, I said I want to talk.”
“Then get off me!”
Whoever it was lifted up
and backed away, hands raised in a show of cooperation. Chest heaving, Olivia
scrambled backward until her back hit the bathroom door. “Who are you?”
“Eddie Garrett.”
Holy shit. It didn’t take
a genius to figure out what Ruben’s right-hand-man was doing in her apartment.
She had asked questions. Ruben wouldn’t take chances. Sylvia wouldn’t think
twice about divulging the location of her apartment, the evil bitch. “If you
know what’s good for you, you’ll leave without waking up my boyfriend,” she
panted.
“Boyfriend, huh?”
She wrapped her hand
around the bat. “Yes. Oscar’s a professional fighter and he’s got one hell of a
knockout punch. You’ll be flying through the window before you can blink.”
The light flicked on and
Olivia was caught with bat in hand, poised and ready. The word “Oscar” was
written in bold black marker along its length.
The man shoved his gray
hood back, revealing a satirical look of boredom. “Pretty sure I can take
Oscar.”
J.A. DENNAM,
an award-winning author and RWA member, resides in a small Kansas town with her
husband and children. Creativity is her strong suit having nurtured a career as
a western artist and graphic artist.
Storytelling, however, has
been a part of her life since childhood. At six years of age, insomnia forced
her to endure many long, sleepless nights staring at the ceiling. After
confessing her problem to her older sister, the two of them decided to tell
each other stories to entice sleep; however, the inevitable snore always tore
through her sister’s nose before she could utter the words Once Upon a
Time.So the stories began to flow in silence, her imagination taking her to
quiet, private places so enthralling, the sudden trick was to stay awake.
Those habits carried on to
adulthood until the need to purge her stories demanded she put them in print.
Her fascination with romance, fast cars and adventure films is what structures
her novels today.
Website: http://jadennam.com
Twitter: @JADennam
Instagram: ja_dennam
Goodreads: J.A. Dennam
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really enjoyed the excerpt
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