BOOK REVIEW ~ BORN WILD BY JULIE ANN WALKER

Title: Born Wild ( BKI, Book Five)
Author: Julie Ann Walker
Release Date: November 5, 2013

ARC provided by NetGalley

She's got three rules:

1. Trust no one… Eve Edens has been abandoned, used, or manipulated by almost everyone she's ever met. Born into ridiculous wealth, she's dealt with the petty jealousies and sordid little resentments for nearly thirty years. But after three botched attempts on her life, she can no longer ignore the truth. Someone wants her dead.

2. Avoid the bad boys at all costs… William "Wild Bill" Reichert, the wonderfully sexy boy who abandoned her years ago, is back in town. Only he's no boy. Now he's a covert operative - and he's all man. When Eve hires Bill to help her discover who is behind the attacks, Bill soon comes to suspect it's someone much closer to Eve than she dares to believe.

3. And never fall for the same ruse twice… The search for the killer takes Bill and Eve deep into the dark secrets and strange world of the rich and famous, and into the heart of red-hot passion re-ignited by the peril that threatens to consume them both. But does Eve dare risk her heart on Bill a second time?

Book Review 

Billy Reichert and Eve Edens have a tangled past that has left Billy's heart broken and hurt. He has built a fortress around his jilted heart and will never forgive Eve how she ended things between them. 

While overseas, Billy learns of Eve's betrayal and forthcoming marriage--to another man--and the crushing sensation to his heart makes it impossible to forgive the woman he gave his heart to. 

Eve Edens, a rich socialite, never intended to hurt the one true love of her life. She and Billy made vows to stay true to each other, but after continuous persuasion from her father, she agrees to go out on a harmless date with another man. 

But that harmless date turns out to be the biggest mistake of her life.

Years later, Eve and Billy run into each other once again, and old feelings come rushing back--for both of them.  Yet, Billy refuses to act on those feelings and be hurt again. He fights the attraction that still lingers and reinforces those impenetrable walls around his heart.

But Eve needs Billy. Someone has tried to kill her--three times now--and no one believes her. Not even the police. And Eve knows that Billy and the men of BKI can help her. But being this close to the man she still loves makes it difficult to keep the truth to herself.

That twelve years later, Eve still loves Billy.  

But can Billy forget and forgive her? 

And will the killer who waits silently in the shadows finally complete his plans to get rid of Eve Edens...once and for all?

Julie Ann Walker has created a great romantic suspense series with her BKI men. All of the Alpha men in this covert group are sexy, fierce, and kick-ass baddies that will make a woman swoon.  And I love the fact that Julie gives the reader more than just the H/h to get to know and understand. The secondary characters are used wisely and you can see the sexual tension build between Delilah and Mac. My only complaint would be that I would have loved to have seen more of other past characters (Big Smile). 

While some of the plot and story structure came across as cliche, I still love reading this series. It's solid characters and continued building story line will definitely keep me around. 

LUSTING FOR COVERS ~ HELL FOR LEATHER BY JULIE ANN WALKER

Lusting for Covers is a weekly meme, held on Sunday, that allowsbloggers to share their current cover obsession with fellow book lovers.

This meme is hosted by TBQ @ TBQ's Book Palace.

To view complete instructions on how to participate, as well as grab the HTML code for the graphic, see this page first!

Once you are ready to join the fun, 

please fill out Mister Linky over at TBQ's blog with 

your name/blog name and the direct 

link to your Lusting for Covers for this 

week!

My candidate for this week:

Only the most urgent crisis could force Delilah Fairchild to abandon her beloved biker bar and ask the surly Bryan "Mac" McMillan for help. Her uncle—the man who raised her—has vanished into thin air, and Mac is the only person with the right connections to help her find him. What the ex-FBI agent has against her is a mystery...but when the bullets start to fly, Mac is her only chance of finding her uncle alive. 

Mac knows that beautiful women can't be trusted, but he has to put his natural wariness of Delilah aside in order to help her. With the clock ticking, Mac and Delilah find themselves holding on to each other in the wildest adventure of their lives.

Hello Biker Dude~ Don't you look delish? Wife-beater? Yum...

Big, er...hands? Yeppers.

 

And very nice, muscled ams? Hell Yeah! 

Not to mention, the uber talented Julie Ann Walker wrote this book and created the sexy Mac McMillan. 

I am so there! 

I love the Black Knight Series--a must read! 

LUSTING FOR COVERS ~ BORN WILD BY JULIE ANN WALKER

Lusting for Covers is a weekly meme, held on Sunday, that allows bloggers to share their current cover obsession with fellow book lovers.

This meme is hosted by TBQ @ TBQ's Book Palace.

Once you are ready to join the fun, please fill out Mister Linky over at TBQ's blog post with your name/blog name and the direct link to your Lusting for Covers for this week!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Here's my candidate for the week:

Expected Release Date:
November 5, 2013

 She's got three rules:

1. Trust no one… Eve Edens has been abandoned, used, or manipulated by almost everyone she's ever met. Born into ridiculous wealth, she's dealt with the petty jealousies and sordid little resentments for nearly thirty years. But after three botched attempts on her life, she can no longer ignore the truth. Someone wants her dead.

2. Avoid the bad boys at all costs… William "Wild Bill" Reichert, the wonderfully sexy boy who abandoned her years ago, is back in town. Only he's no boy. Now he's a covert operative - and he's all man. When Eve hires Bill to help her discover who is behind the attacks, Bill soon comes to suspect it's someone much closer to Eve than she dares to believe.

3. And never fall for the same ruse twice… The search for the killer takes Bill and Eve deep into the dark secrets and strange world of the rich and famous, and into the heart of red-hot passion re-ignited by the peril that threatens to consume them both. But does Eve dare risk her heart on Bill a second time?

Why I chose this book ~

Duh. It's Julie Ann FREAKIN Walker's Biker series that know and love with all my pervy little heart. This series has fast become of my all time faves. 

Not to mention a shirtless cover model sporting a drool worthy V and solid abs that make me whimper a bit inappropriately. 

Last, this is Eve and Bill's HEA...finally. 

Now it's your turn to show me the cover you're lusting over ~ 

ARC BOOK REVIEW ~ THRILL RIDE BY JULIE ANN WALKER

Title: Thrill Ride (Black Knights, Book Three)

Author: Julie Ann Walker

Expected Release Date: April 2, 2013

ARC provided by NetGalley

He's Gone Rogue

Ex-Navy SEAL Rock Babineaux’s job is to get information, and he’s one of the best in the business. Until something goes horribly wrong and he’s being hunted by his own government. Even his best friends at the covert special-ops organization Black Knights Inc. aren’t sure they can trust him. He thinks he can outrun them all, but his former partner—a curvy bombshell who knows just how to drive him wild—refuses to cut him loose.

She Won't Back Down

Vanessa Cordova hasn’t been the team’s communication specialist

very long, but she knows how to read people—no way is Rock guilty of murder. And she’ll go to hell and back to help him prove it. Sure, the sexy Cajun has his secrets, but there’s no one in the world she’d rather have by her side in a tight spot. Which is good, because they’re about to get very tight...

Book Review 

I am a huge fan of Walker's Black Knights Series. Each book in her series has gotten better, more addictive than the last, and I cannot wait to read the next one. There is a build-up between Eve and Bill that happens in Thrill Ride, and then there's Ozzie--who just is D.I.V.I.N.E. Walker knows how to write a sizzling hero that makes you weak in the knees. 

Rock Babineaux had me at hello. He is sexy, dark, quiet, and lethal. When he is not working missions with his fellow Black Knights, he disappears, no one knowing where the Cajun has taken off to or what he is doing. 

Vanessa Cordova has it bad for Rock. And when they had to work together recently on a mission, sparks flew between the two, creating a sizzling sexual chemistry filled with tension. But Rock stopped things before clothes fell off faster than you can say, " NOLA Boy". 

Rock sees a picket-fenced, happily-ever-after in Vanessa's eyes. Something that he cannot give her. And he keeps his distance. 

Now the government wants Rock dead. He has gone rogue, killing innocents and is in hiding. The Black Knights are being watched while they try to uncover who has set Rock up and why while trying to locate him before it's too late.

Vanessa refuses to believe what is being said about Rock. She knows he is innocent. Even when the facts seems to point to his guilt. 

The BKI's investigative skills take them to Costa Rica, where Vanessa finds Rock hiding in the jungle. What follows is a cat and mouse game with Rock and Vanessa running for their lives. 

Walker writes a fast-paced plot with action, twists, and emotions that pull at the reader as they fall into the pages of her fictional world.  

Here are some favorite moments:

"Because while I have no doubt I could give you the thrill ride of your life, I can guarantee that's all it'll be. You see, ma belle, no matter what, you can't let yourself fall in love with me." 

Well, goody. We're both just hunky-dory after last night's little Come-to-Jesus chat. 

"Good God! You two have got to quit that. You're making my boy parts get bigger!"

BOOK REVIEW ~ REV IT UP BY JULIE ANN WALKER

Title: Rev It Up ( Black Knights, Book Three)

Author: Julie Ann Walker

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Release Date: Oct 2, 2012

ARC provided by NetGalley

He Never Misses a Target

Jake "the Snake" Sommers earned his SEAL codename by striking quickly and quietly - and with lethal force. That's how he broke Michelle Carter's heart. It was the only way to keep her safe - from himself. Four long years later, Jake is determined to get a second chance. But to steal back into Michelle's loving arms, Jake is going to have to prove he can take things slow. Real slow...

She Aims to Make Him Beg

Michelle Carter has never forgiven Jake for being so cliché as to "love her and leave her." But when her brother, head of the Black Knights elite ops agency, ticks off the wrong mobster, she must do the unimaginable: place her life in Jake's hands. No matter what they call him, this man is far from cold-blooded. And once he's wrapped around her heart, he'll never let her go.

Oh, Julie babe--we must make a date and sit and talk about your smexy bikers. OH WAIT--we already did that, lol.

This series is fast growing one of my all-time faves. I love Walker's bikers and how she crafts a story; a little bit of humor, a whole lotta lovin'.

Rev It Up picks up where In Rides Trouble (Book Two) left off--and the action never stops.  Jake has returned to the Black Knights fold and it is obvious to those in this elite group that things are smoking between Jake Sommers and Michelle Carter. These two have a past and some unresolved issues that could make or break any chance of a possible future.

Jake is determined to make up for all the hurt he's caused Michelle and make her see just how much he loves her and how much he has changed. The only problem--Michelle is hiding a secret that could destroy their fragile relationship.

Meanwhile, there is someone out to destroy the lives of Frank Knight's family--and Jake finds himself trying to protect the woman he can't live without.

One thing that I adore about Walker's stories is that she also gives the reader a secondary love interest.  A two-for that is just a teaser for things to come--Rock and Vanessa are working together undercover and the sexual chemistry between the two is off the charts. Rock has this sexy, charming New Orleans bad-boy thing going on that makes me swoon in lust. Can't wait for his and Nessa's story.

Some of my fave quotes:

"Stop staring at my kid sister like she's five-foot-ten-inches of grade A giggidy"    

"He looks more like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dumbass"

Fans of romantic suspense with a strong romantic element will love Walker's Black Knight series.

BOOK REVIEW ~ IN RIDES TROUBLE BY JULIE ANN WALKER

Rebel with a Cause...

Becky "Rebel" Reichert never actually goes looking for trouble. It just has a tendency to find her. Like the day Frank Knight showed up at her door, wanting to use her motorcycle shop as a cover for his elite special ops team. But Becky prides herself on being able to hang with the big boys-she can weld, drive, and shoot just as well as any of them.

Man with a Mission...

Munitions, missiles, and mayhem are Frank's way of life. The last thing the ex-SEAL wants is for one brash blonde to come within fifty feet of anything that goes boom. Yet it's just his rotten luck when she ends up in a hostage situation at sea. Come hell or high water, he will get her back-whether she says she needs him or not.

 

 

In Rides Trouble is Walker's second book in her Black Knight Series and it not only met my expectations, but surpassed them.

Imagine if you will, a tall, dark, mysterious Alpha male, straddling a motorcycle--decked out in leathers, tatted up like the bad boy he is, and a cocky grin to twist your insides up until you are a puddle of goo. That is the picture in my head with Walker's Black Knights. 

They are Special Operatives, deep undercover, taking the dirty jobs that no one else will do. Each have their own demons they're fighting, each are kick-ass strong, and have some hidden vulnerability that makes them more real.

Frank Knight is the experienced leader of this group and he is hell bent on not letting Becky "the Rebel" Reichert be involved in any mission--her sexy ass is to stay and build bikes--and it is pissing Becky off. She has trained for this and is ready to be taken seriously as a operative.

When Frank says no to the idea, AGAIN, Becky takes off and sets sail with girlfriend, Eve, on the Seychelles waters in a thirty eight foot catamaran. Just two bffs chilling for a few days, right?

What Becky doesn't expect is to be kidnapped by a bunch of pirates--deadly men intent on using them as hostages in a lethal game of cat and mouse.

To say that Frank loses it when he finds out that Becky is in danger, is an understatement. And he's determined to go and get her--along with a few men from his team.

What a roller coaster ride of action, shoot-'em up, and suspense as Walker takes the reader from one part of the globe to the city of Chicago, where danger continues to plague the Black Knights.

I love these characters and am starting to fall for them--hard. And this story is laced with a secondary romance --Jake and Eve--that will result in book three, Rev it Up. 

I loved the verbal sparring between Becky and Frank--two individuals with a great sexual chemistry that leaps off the page.

She went to her knees then. It's all she could suddenly think about. Tasting him, getting her mouth around--

"I'll never make it," he growled, grabbing her shoulder and hoisting her up against his chest, slamming his mouth over the top of hers until the only thing she knew was him, his hands, and skin, teeth, and tongue, the hot spicy smell of hungry man filling her flaring nostrils.

Fans of romantic suspense will enjoy the in-depth characters, action-packed plots, and enough spice to light up a small city!

**ARC provided by NetGalley



INTERVIEW AND GIVEAWAY ~ JULIE ANN WALKER -- IN RIDES TROUBLE

~ GIVEAWAY DETAILS AT END OF POST ~

Hello Lovelies! Today I am excited to have two very interesting people with me to talk about their story and have some fun. In Julie Anne Walker’s newest series, Black Knights, Inc., we get to meet some very interesting men and one woman who work at a motorcycle shop in Chicago. It’s a front for an elite special ops team that takes jobs the government doesn’t want. They are highly trained men with a military past and have mad skills—in as well as out of the bedroom.


Here is a little blurb from Goodreads about the newest release, In Rides Trouble.





Release Date: September 4, 2012
Book Two, Black Knights

 Rebel with a Cause...

Becky "Rebel" Reichert never actually goes looking for trouble. It just has a tendency to find her. Like the day Frank Knight showed up at her door, wanting to use her motorcycle shop as a cover for his elite special ops team. But Becky prides herself on being able to hang with the big boys-she can weld, drive, and shoot just as well as any of them.

Man with a Mission...

Munitions, missiles, and mayhem are Frank's way of life. The last thing the ex-SEAL wants is for one brash blonde to come within fifty feet of anything that goes boom. Yet it's just his rotten luck when she ends up in a hostage situation at sea. Come hell or high water, he will get her back-whether she says she needs him or not.



We meet Frank and Becky in the first book, Hell On Wheels, where they verbally spar with one another, and one can feel the sexual tension that’s thicker than the San Francisco fog. I must admit, these two had me very interested in seeing just how their future would work out.



CS: So **points to two chairs**, why don’t you both get comfortable, and have a seat. Would you care for anything to drink? OJ, coffee, milk? **looks slyly at Frank and Becky while digging for bowl under desk** Or would you rather have a Dum Dum? I even have Root Beer flavor.

Becky: **slugs Frank in shoulder and snickers**

Frank: **rubs shoulder and frowns**

Becky: Don't let that glower fool you. He wants it.

Frank: **shrugs and reaches for Root Beer Dum Dum, stuffs it in shirt pocket**

Becky: See! I told ya! The man has absolutely no control when-

Frank: **interrupting** That's not what you said last night.

Becky: Shh! This is a professional interview, you big dillhole. Try to keep your head out of the gutter for five seconds, will you? **feigns a scowl, but corner of mouth twitches**



CS: Okay, Frank, this first question is for you. How did you get into motorcycles? I know that Becky here has always been a little grease monkey growing up. What is your story? And what is your dream bike? Have you asked Becky to design one for you?

Frank: **looks over at Becky and winks** I got into bikes when I was a teenager and yearned for the freedom of my own ride but couldn't afford a car. My junior year in high school, I bought an old 1982 Honda CBX for three-hundred bucks, wrestled it back into fairly good working order, and, from then on, I was hooked. The wind in my hair, the open road... There's just something about it.

Becky: **rolls in lips, eyes thinning slyly** Yeah, that. And he knows how could he looks in leather and biker boots.

Frank: Can't help what God gave me.

Becky: Pfft. Answer the rest of her question, Mr. Universe.

Frank: **hooks an arm around Becky's neck, pulling her over for a loud, smacking kiss**

Becky: ** laughs happily**

Frank: As for my dream bike. It's sitting right outside. If you stroll over to the window, you'll see Boss Hog parked by the curb. I came up with the general theme, pearlescent white paint, lots of chrome... but Becky's the one who put all the extras on that really make it stand out. That intricate dual exhaust was her, the chrome studs in the leather on the seat was her. Basically, she took my simple idea and ran wild with it. It's a gorgeous bike. All her bikes are gorgeous bikes.

Becky: Aw, thanks, babe.

Frank: **winks, looking well-satisfied and proud**



CS: Becky, have the dynamics in your relationship with the men of Black Knights changed since your involvement with Frank? Do the men constantly tease Frank about being “chained down” by a woman?

Frank: **growls**

Becky: **fights a grin** Oh, the Knights like to give both of us a hard time. If we kiss? Guaranteed someone's making a gagging noise. And, I swear, they absolutely delight in banging on our bedroom door in the morning, yelling, "If the bed's not rockin', you best bet we come knockin'!" It's like living in a fraternity house sometimes. But I wouldn't change it.



CS: Frank, tell us a little bit more about Zoelner. Do you think he’ll ever join you guys in the future as a member of Black Knights?

Frank: **face suddenly wiped clean like a chalkboard** I've asked him. Now, it's up to him.

Becky: He'll join us. I just have a feeling...



CS: Either one of you can answer this next one. In book one, Dan loses his wife and he is obviously having a hard time dealing with his grief. How far do you think you’ll let this go (his drinking) before you step in and help him. Or will you step in?

Becky: **glances at Frank, expression sad**

Frank: **shakes head** Dan's wrestling with a lot of demons right now. And I'm of the school of thought that a man has to work through his own shit... er... his own stuff in his own way and time. But that being said, if he doesn't pull himself up by the bootstraps soon, we're going to have to do something."

Becky: He just needs a little more time.

Frank: **nods** Maybe...



CS: Okay, let’s get a little less serious folks and have some fun. Becky, you go first. Describe your co-worker Ozzie in three words.

Becky: **chuckles** Brilliant, Irreverent, and Total-Pain-In-The-Ass. I know that was more than three words, but that last description should count as one. A big one. The most accurate one. Ha!

Frank: **nods** She's right.



CS: Frank, what would you do if Snake, aka Jake, were to get involved again with your sister? What would say to him?

Frank: Depending on what his intentions were... ** eyes narrowing** I'd either welcome him with open arms, or make sure he doesn't walk right for a month.

Becky: He's very protective of Shell.

Frank: The woman needs protecting. She's had a hell of a lot of knocks on the chin in her life.

Becky: Yeah, and I'll say it again, you're very protective of Shell.

Frank: **shrugs** Comes with the territory. Big brother and all...



CS: Who would you say is the most serious of the group. Besides you, Frank. **eyes the man with a big smile*

Frank: Mac.

Becky: He means Bryan "Mac" McMillan. He's our resident ex-FBI agent, and I don't think I've ever seen the man smile.

Frank: Still waters run deep.

Becky: **glances at Frank, frowning** You know something about the guy that I don't?

Frank: **shrugs**

Becky: Ugh. **rolls eyes** Always with the boys' club.



CS: And this is for the both of you. Describe Julie Ann in just 5 words.

Frank: **crosses arms** Slave-driver.

Becky: **socks him in shoulder again** She's just driven. She wants to get all of our stories told.

Frank: That's what I just said, the woman's a slave-driver. Constantly at the keyboard.

Becky: **sighs** Julie Ann Walker is driven, ambitious, and because of that, a probably bit over-caffeinated.

Frank: Now, that last one I'll agree with.



CS: Is she difficult to work with? And tell me one thing about Julie Ann that nobody knows about.

Frank: She asks too many damn questions. Always trying to pick apart our motivations for doing things.

Becky: **shakes head** In case it's not obvious, those two have a love/hate relationship. Julie Ann loves to put us in angst-y situations, and Frank hates that. But as for something you don't know about her? Well... **slides Frank a sly look** She once told me she wrote a sex scene that involved me and Frank and a lollipop, but her editor cut it out.

CS: Double Damn…that shit, er…that scene needs to be written on her web page. Or even better, mailed to me. She knows my email now, so I better **ahem** see something soon, Jules…and I know you are listening to every word outside the door there. We.Will. Talk. ***crosses arms over breasts and scowls at door***


Frank: **perks up** She did?

Becky: **wiggles eyebrows**

Frank: Well, maybe she's not so bad after all.



CS: Lastly, Frank—have you forgiven or had words with Angel about his behavior toward Becky in In Rides Trouble. He seemed to love pushing your buttons.

Frank: Nah. He was just trying to look out for my girl. So I've forgiven him.

Becky: Oh, how magnanimous of you, Frank. **laughs exasperatedly**


CS: Thank you so much for showing up today. I hope you had fun. Please come by soon and visit whenever you want. Just, next time, bring Rock with you. His little sexy Cajun self is so cute.

Becky: Ha! I'll tell him you said that.

Frank: Thanks for having us here, ma'am. **pushes significant bulk up from chair and extends hand to Becky** Come on, woman. I've got plans for you.

Becky: **wiggles eyebrows at CS and follows Frank from room**


CS:  Sigh, yet another scene that I must read. That Frank has moves like Jagger. **Glances up to see if Becky is indeed out of earshot. That woman would sooooo kick my ass if she heard that.

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