Monday, November 9, 2015

review || HIDDEN IMPACT { blog tour } by Piper J. Drake


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Carina Press | November 9, 2015 | Romantic Suspense
Safeguard, book 1
★★★★★

SOURCE: BARCLAY PUBLICITY

He's not the hero she's looking for...

As part of the elite Centurion Corporation team, military-veteran-turned-mercenary Gabriel Diaz is a natural defender. He'll do anything to ensure a mission is successful. Anything but get emotionally invested—he learned the hard way that can be deadly. Easy bodyguard jobs in between the more challenging missions are all he's interested in now.

Maylin Cheng is desperate and running out of time. Her younger sister has gone missing but no one seems to take her concern seriously. Her last hope lies in asking an aloof bodyguard for help. He dismisses her outright, but all that changes when she is almost killed in a not-so-accidental hit-and-run right before his eyes.

As Maylin leans on Gabriel, she begins to rely on him for more than just her safety. But as their attraction grows, so does the danger surrounding them. When the elaborate web they're trapped in unravels, Gabriel will do anything to protect them. Even if that means putting his heart in the crosshairs.

{ about piper j. drake } .

Piper J. Drake (or “PJ”) began her writing career as “PJ Schnyder” writing sci-fi & paranormal romance and steampunk. She has recently received the FF&P PRISM award for her work as well as the NJRW Golden Leaf award and Parsec award.

Now, PJ is exploring the complexity of romantic suspense, incorporating her interests in mixed martial arts and the military into her writing.

{ excerpt } .

Breathe.

She gasped and cool air rushed in, clearing away some of the fog.

“That’s it, sweetheart. Take another breath nice and slow. Slow.” Strong hands patted her down, touched her with gentle purpose. “Does anything hurt? Your neck, your head?”

“The way you took her down, it’s amazing her skull isn’t splattered all over the sidewalk.” Another man’s voice floated over from some distance away. Or was it a shock thing?

Maybe she was in shock.

Did people’s feet get cold at times like this? Only her left one.

“Your left foot is colder because you lost a shoe when I shoved you out of the way.” A thread of amusement ran through the original speaker’s voice. She liked the sound of it. Kind humor, like what she heard in his words, was the sign of a good man. “I’m going to help you to a sitting position, but if anything hurts at all, you let me know right away and we’re laying you back down. Understood?”

“Yes.” She said it out loud on purpose, because she was pretty sure she’d been talking out loud anyway so it’d be good to know if she could do it when she actually meant to.

The same big hands she’d taken note of before took hold of her, one sliding under her neck to give her support as she came up to a sitting position.

“Slow,” her caretaker admonished.

His choice of speeds was frustrating.

{ review } .

There's nothing that I enjoy more in this type of story than a hero who blatantly says 'no', only to say 'yes' when he sees the danger the lady ends up in -- and that is exactly what happens with Gabriel and Maylin.

Maylin's sister is missing and knowing that the person hosting a party she's catering only hires the best, she corners Gabriel to ask about finding her sister. Gabriel essentially says no -- her sister is an adult and it's been less than 24-hours. Shortly after the conversation, though, Maylin is nearly run down by a car, making Gabriel change his mind rather quickly.

This was a decently-filled suspense read with just enough chemistry and romance to keep me turning the pages. I was in a bit of a "concentration" rut when it came to reading, and this puppy pulled me in and didn't let go. Gabriel is hard and stern, and Maylin is small and quiet, but watching as these two interacted... I couldn't wait to watch the relationship grow and progress.

Above all else, I love the domestic sense that Gabriel and Maylin eventually fall in -- one of my favorite scenes is him pretending to be asleep while he listens to her sock-covered feet entering the room... It's just light and fun -- but it takes these two a bit of time to get to that place.

This was definitely a great way to open the series, and I can't wait to see what's next!

{ giveaway } .

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