BRIGHTER THAN THE SUN – A Maya Banks Review

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**ARC received from the author for an honest review**

Oh the Kelly boys….there’s nothing better than action packed military men who believe in love and family above all else. Joe has held out the longest (if you don’t count Rusty..and I DO!). He’s always been so adamant against find gin the fairytale ending all his siblings have seemed to find. Each previous story for the Kelly world has had its true level of intrigue and danger. But Joe…oh Joe got a bit of a different type.

Brighter Than The Sun had a much more down-home country feel than the other novels. There was mystery in the begging as we met Rusty’s friend, Zoe. She’s assuming a new identity after running from a dangerous past that’s turned against her. I was hoping that this would allow for a bit more danger throughout our story but it just wasn’t there. What was there was seeing Joe’s vulnerable side as his gut tells him to go after Zoe in there right way. Become her friend and show her that there ARE people in the world that you can trust and that are willing to protect you at all costs.

That being said the ending on this story had the typical KGI action and danger that any Banks fan is used to. I loved it! Despite the lack of action throughout Joe’s story we got to see a bit of a different type of Kelly. Not that our other operatives aren’t caring or kind…I mean they do rescue hostages for living. I liked that we got to see a Kelly, and especially Joe, more int heir home setting and the time in between missions.

Along with everyone else I am ANXIOUSLY awaiting Rusty and Sean’s story. The teasers in this one were soooo good!


 20453985.jpgSearing action and passion ignite the latest KGI novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Darkest Before Dawn.

The Kelly Group International (KGI): A super-elite, top secret, family-run business.
Qualifications: High intelligence, rock-hard body, military background.
Mission: Hostage/kidnap victim recovery. Intelligence gathering.
Handling jobs the U.S. government can’t…

As the last unattached member of the Kelly clan, Joe is more than ready to risk life and limb on any mission he’s assigned to, but when it comes to love, he’ll keep his distance. He’s content to watch his brothers become thoroughly domesticated.

Zoe’s had nothing but heartbreak in her life, and she’s determined to start over with a completely new identity, thanks to her college friend, Rusty Kelly. But it’s the gorgeous smile and tender words of Joe Kelly that begin to weaken her resolve to never risk her heart again. And Joe will have to put everything on the line to save Zoe, when secrets of her past resurface—and threaten to tear them apart…

ADD IT TO YOUR GOODREADS

BUY LINKS:

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Don’t miss the rest of the KGI Series…

The Darkest Hour
No Place to Run
Hidden Away
Whispers in the Dark
Echoes at Dawn
Softly at Sunrise
Shades of Gray
Forged in Steele
After the Storm
When Day Breaks
Darkest Before Dawn


Connect with Maya…

MayaBanks03_home.jpg I live in Texas with my husband, three children and assortment of cats. There’s also the dog that my daughter presented us a two page written proposal on why she should have it. (Don’t ask) When I’m not writing, I can be found hunting, fishing or playing poker. A southern girl born and bred, I love life below the Mason Dixon, and more importantly, I love bringing southern characters and settings to life in my stories. Not all my stories are set in the south, but most are 😉

 

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS

 

2016 GoodReads Challenge: Pt. 2

The year is over! And I’ve reached my third reading goal for 2016! I started out with a goal of 80, then 100, and now 115! Check out all my reads below and be sure to add them to your TBR piles for 2017!

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Click here to see the first 80 books from 2016!

I’m so excited for my reads and reviews coming up in 2017!!!

XOXO Nalla

KEPT – A Maya Banks Review

**ARC Received from NetGalley for an honest review***

Maya Banks is back with her Enforcer Series third installment: KEPT

Silas has a tragic past that makes him the perfect right hand to the one and only Drake. But when downtrodden Hayley steps into his path he suddenly can’t control the urges he has to own her and make her his.

I loved Silas when we first met him in Mastered. The quiet sidekick (although thats a poor name for his role in Drake’s life, he IS his brother) struck a chord with me and i hoped that one day Banks would tell us his story. I had no idea how tragic it truly was. Banks left me speechless and heartbroken from the horrid details that transpired from Silas childhood. No one deserves love more than this man.

Hayley made me want to fight for her from the get-go. Strong-willed despite the tragic past and fate that befalls her. She exudes this finite level of innocence and stubbornness is one tiny package. I don’t think there has ever been a more perfect depiction of the fine line between helpless and hopeful. I was rooting for these two from the start.

The pain that Silas goes through in order to protect Hayley after he realizes their whirlwind romance has gone too far gutted me! Here is man who says and does all the right things for a woman he truly cares for and who deserves that love but he cannot see the forest for the trees! He doesn’t believe he is worthy of Hayley. Bless her for all she went through to bring him back to us!

Really, really hoping Maddox is next but Zander won me over a bit more this time too.

Until next review…

XOXO Nalla

Add KEPT to your GoodReads now!

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AMAZON | B&N | KOBO | IBOOKS | GOOGLEPLAY

Start at the beginning with MASTERED…

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Connect with Maya…

MayaBanks03_home.jpg I live in Texas with my husband, three children and assortmentof cats. There’s also the dog that my daughter presented us a two page written proposal on why she should have it. (Don’t ask) When I’m not writing, I can be found hunting, fishing or playing poker. A southern girl born and bred, I love life below the Mason Dixon, and more importantly, I love bringing southern charactersand settings to life in my stories. Not all my stories are set in the south, but most are 😉

 

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS

2016 GoodReads Reading Challenge: Pt. 1

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I’ve reached my goal!! Scroll down to see all my reads from this year…so far!

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Maya Banks: Softly at Sunrise, Forged in Steele, After the Storm, When Day Breaks, Darkest Before Dawn

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Maya Banks: Mastered, Keep Me Safe, In His Keeping

Karen Marie Moning: Feverborn

Erin McCarthy: Burn

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Maya Banks: Safe at Last, For Her Pleasure, Be With Me

Candy Starr: Too Many Rock Stars

Kate Dyer-Seeley: Slayed on the Slopes

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Yasmine Galenorn: Autumn Thorns

Kristen Ashely: Rock ChickRock Chick Rescue, Knight

Jaci Burton: Unexpected Rush

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Kristen Ashley: Rock Chick Redemption, Rock Chick Renegade, Rock Chick Revenge, Rock Chick Reckoning, Creed

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Kristen Ashley: Raid, Deacon, Sebring, Rock Chick Regret, Rock Chick Revolution

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Kristen Ashley: For You, At Peace, Golden Trail

Shiloh Walker: Darker than Desire

Patricia Briggs: Fire Touched

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Drew Jordan: Hide

Kristen Ashley: Games of the Heart, The Promise

J.R. Ward: The Beast

Katie MacAlister: Dragon Soul

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Kristen Ashley: Hold On, Bounty

Kresley Cole: The Player

Jay Crownover: Built, Charged

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Gena Showalter: The Darkest Torment

Maya Banks: Dominated

Kylie Scott: Dirty, Lick

Jay Crownover: Rule

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Jay Crownover: Jet, Rome, Nash, Rowdy, Asa

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Katie MacAlister: Daring in a Blue Dress

Jay Crownover: Honor

Sherrilyn Kenyon: Born of Legend

Julie Ann Walker: Devil and the Deep

Shiloh Walker: Headed for Trouble

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Katie MacAlister: Ghost of a Chance

Katie Ruggle: Gone Too Deep

Yasmine Galenorn: Flight from Mayhem

J.R. Ward: The Angels’ Share

M. O’Keefe: Burn Down the Night

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Jaci Burton: Don’t Let Go

Shiloh Walker: The Trouble with Temptation, The Right Kind of Trouble

Katie Ruggle: Hold Your Breath

Jay Crownover: Better When He’s Bad

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Maya Banks: With Every Breath

Jay Crownover: Better When He’s Bold, Better When He’s Brave

Katie Ruggle: Fan the Flames

Lynsay Sands: Runaway Vampire

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Lynsay Sands: Immortal Nights

Kresley Cole, Larissa Ione, and Gena Showalter: Blood Red Kiss

Yasmine Galenorn: Shadow Silence

Katie Ruggle: In Safe Hands

Erin McCarthy: Heart Breaker

I’ll add the rest of 2016 at the end of the year with the rest of the stats!

XOXO Nalla

WITH EVERY BREATH – A Maya Banks Review

“Sometimes the person who can save us, is the one we least expect.”

**ARC received from Edelweiss for an honest review**

Ladies and Gents, Maya Banks knocks it out AGAIN! With Every Breath is her latest in the Slow Burn Series and does it go down smooth.
Eliza Cummings has been one of the boys for years working for Devereaux Security Services and running from a past she knew would haunt her forever. With a secret no one knows, not even her most trusted partner, Eliza has closed herself off from love and letting the right person in to her heart. So why does her latest enemy seem to be working his way in to her closet of skeletons? Especially right when he past seems to be creeping in and threatening the life she’s built
Wade Sterling has never claimed to be anyone but himself and a feisty blonde is no match for his sarcastic tongue. He’s entertained Eliza and her fool hardiness for some time. But when she runs off on a suicide mission after saying goodbye to her brothers in arms, he knows there’s only one man can bring her back from the brink: the one who loves her.

***Spoilers below***

As always, Maya Banks has made me fall in LOVE with her characters. Eliza is not only headstrong and stubborn, her team knows she can back it up and I love seeing that in a female character; especially one that has such a roller coaster of self-discovery as Eliza Cummings. Finally learning that her past is based in such misery made me understand why Eliza is so closed off. Having a man manipulate your mind at the age of 16 and warp you into confusing obsession and love with control and oppression would make any person want to swear off human connection.
Wade is strong enough to see the changes happening in Eliza even if their interactions up until now had been schoolyard bullying and sarcastic barbs thrown at one another. Both a deflection from how they felt about one another. Two strong, level-headed, and strong minded people would seem catastrophic in a relationship but Wade understands Eliza’s need to be iron-willed. Yes, he wants to protect her from the ugly past that she’s run back to erase, but he knows that taking that revenge or justice (however you see it) away from her would results in her safety, yes. But she’s also so determined to avenge the women who died (which she thinks is her fault) that she would weasel her way out and get back to her task, no matter what the ones that love her said if they tried to hold her back.
Eliza’s journey of abandonment to realization is braced by Wade’s own determination to show her that she means the world to him. So when she falls, stumbles, crashes under the weight of realizing that she truly has a family, brothers and sister, who love her, she can stand firm. Wade is one of the most strong-willed male characters I’ve read in a long time. He not only has the strength to be there for Eliza and step back when she needs to be the strong one, he never once crosses the boundary and seems to always know exactly what Eliza needs to survive.

I cannot WAIT for more the Slow Burn series (or any new Maya Banks material in general)!!

Until next review!!! Happy Bingeing Beauties!

xoxo Nalla

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Add it to your Goodreads Now!

And Don’t Miss the First Books in the SLOW BURN Series

Keep Me Safe

In His Keeping

Safe at Last

Connect with Maya Banks

*WEBSITE
* FACEBOOK
* TWITTER
* GOODREADS

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