Publisher | January 25, 2016 | Genre
Crossing the Line, book 3
★★★★
SOURCE: INDIESAGE PR
Falling for a con man is the most dangerous game of all…Con artist Austin Shaw’s been in disguise so long he’s not sure where his fake identities end and he begins. Now that he’s been strong-armed into working for a specialized undercover unit working with the Chicago police—criminals with unique “skills”—the last thing he needs is to risk his iron control. Especially when it comes to a certain stunningly sexy hacker who tempts him with every look of disdain.Polly Banks will never, ever trust a con man. On the trail of a ruthless crook who destroyed the only family she’s ever known, Polly is unnerved by the shadow who follows her every move. The one who makes her pulse pound and breath short with lust. Austin. He’s infuriating, enigmatic, and pure sex appeal, and she’s determined to resist him.But an untrustworthy man of disguise can become anyone he wants…including a man that Polly must trust if she’s to escape their dangerous game alive.
{ about tessa bailey } .
Tessa Bailey is originally from Carlsbad, California. The day after high school graduation, she packed her yearbook, ripped jeans and laptop, driving cross-country to New York City in under four days. Her most valuable life experiences were learned thereafter while waitressing at K-Dees, a Manhattan pub owned by her uncle. Inside those four walls, she met her husband, best friend and discovered the magic of classic rock, managing to put herself through Kingsborough Community College and the English program at Pace University at the same time. Several stunted attempts to enter the work force as a journalist followed, but romance writing continued to demand her attention.
She now lives in Long Island, New York with her husband of eight years and four-year-old daughter. Although she is severely sleep-deprived, she is incredibly happy to be living her dream of writing about people falling in love.
{ excerpt } .
“Drop the gun.” He issued the order through clenched teeth. “I find the idea of hurting you distasteful.”She twisted her body, an attempt to regain control of the Beretta. “I can’t believe you don’t have the decency to put your dick away before charging at me.”
Call him sick, call him whatever you liked, he liked Polly talking about his dick in any capacity. Look at it. Want it. “I’m the furthest thing from decent.”
“No shit.” They were breathing heavily, inches from each other’s mouths. And hell if the swollen bastard between his thighs didn’t react favorably to having her close, even though she might have come there to murder him in cold blood. Pity, his cock didn’t deal in semantics.
“One last chance, Banks. Drop the gun or I’ll take it away from you.”
She pretended to think about it. “See, I’m not really in the mood to cry uncle.”
“Are you in the mood to cry Austin? Now that could be interesting.” She attempted to jerk the Beretta away again, giving him no choice but to dig his thumb into the pressure point on her wrist, releasing her grip automatically. “There now.” Keeping his attention trained on Polly, he placed the gun out of her reach on an overhead shelf. “That wasn’t so difficult, was—”
Her freed fist drilled him in the stomach. A grunt burst past his lips, but masculine pride kept him standing upright. Well, masculine pride and another fist flying in his direction, this time at his head. He shot a hand out to intercept the punch, using the grip to drag Polly off the sink and twist her arm behind her back.
“Aiming for this moneymaker face, sweet?” He clucked his tongue. “Now that’s just cruel.”
“Let me go,” she demanded, her voice vibrating with anger. Although he detected more embarrassment than anything else. He’d never seen her anything but confident. Ready for a challenge. It didn’t sit well that he’d scored her pride, so he let go of her arm. He had questions that needed answering, though, so as soon as he refastened his pants—not an easy feat when his cock still stood at attention—Austin pressed her body back against the sink, blocking both avenues of escape with his arms.
“How did you find my address? I’ve made it impossible.”
Some of her confidence returned in the form of a chin lift. Jesus, he would’ve liked to see that chin pointed toward the ceiling as she wailed for more tongue. “You should know by now that nothing is impossible for me.” Intelligence glimmered in her eyes. “I know you asked Derek to pay you by money order. I tracked the last several serial numbers to four different check-cashing places in the neighborhood.” Her shrug appeared grudging. “That was smart, not using the same place consistently. But I was able to pinpoint your general location down to a three-block radius, nonetheless. This building is the only one not run by a professional management company, and the most likely to rent without a proper credit check and accept cash deposits.”
It took an effort, but Austin managed to hide the chest-expanding awe she’d inspired. “And my apartment number? How did you manage to glean that information, my hot little sleuth?”
“I’m not your anything, Shaw.” She narrowed her gaze. “And your buzzer has the name I.M. TheTits on it.”
{ review } .
This was my first Tessa Bailey book, and it certainly won't be my last. In fact, I've already purchased earlier books in this series. Her ability to write these characters in character was great. Right from the beginning, I enjoyed reading both Austin and Polly in their undercover personas -- especially with Austin spying on Polly. Both were very particular about their jobs and how they performed -- something that they had in common even if both thought they did not.
Austin comes across right away as a cocky, sure of himself DB. His thoughts as he's scoping out the establishment are that of an over-sure man, a man who's poo doesn't stink if you get what I'm saying. He had a very aristocrat way about him, or that is how I read him. So watching as he let loose a bit and opened up to the very woman he swore he didn't want to want, was lovely to read.
I enjoyed reading as these two navigated their feelings, as well as work through the suspense line of the story. Both have wrongs they want to right, both on their own personal levels. And true to the genre, it takes some pretty awful times for our hero/ine to realize just what s/he wants...
An enjoyable first Tessa Bailey book -- and if the other reviews are anything to go by, I'm sure I'll love the others even more.
Austin comes across right away as a cocky, sure of himself DB. His thoughts as he's scoping out the establishment are that of an over-sure man, a man who's poo doesn't stink if you get what I'm saying. He had a very aristocrat way about him, or that is how I read him. So watching as he let loose a bit and opened up to the very woman he swore he didn't want to want, was lovely to read.
I enjoyed reading as these two navigated their feelings, as well as work through the suspense line of the story. Both have wrongs they want to right, both on their own personal levels. And true to the genre, it takes some pretty awful times for our hero/ine to realize just what s/he wants...
An enjoyable first Tessa Bailey book -- and if the other reviews are anything to go by, I'm sure I'll love the others even more.
{ giveaway } .
DON'T MISS THE OTHER BOOKS IN THE SIZZLING CROSSING THE LINE SERIES....
RISKIER BUSINESS
by Tessa Bailey
Crossing the Line, #0.5
Publication Date: January 5, 2015
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
by Tessa Bailey
Crossing the Line, #0.5
Publication Date: January 5, 2015
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Purchase: Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | B&N| Kobo | iBooks
Synopsis: One more game. And this time, there are no rules…
After a life of pool hustling and living on the wrong side of the law, Ruby Elliott is living on the straight and narrow with sexy-as-all-hell NYPD detective, Troy Bennett. Now the only trouble Ruby has with the law is the naughty kind, pinned against the wall by Troy's strict and spectacularly hard body. Obeying his every command. Both of them losing themselves in a lust that borders on obsession...
But then her father returns with an offer she can’t refuse: one last hustle in exchange for information. Information she’d die to have. As the pieces and the players of the game reveal themselves, Troy feels the fine edges of his control slipping—control he can’t channel without hurting Ruby. The stakes are high, and the risk higher. Because losing this final game could cost more than Ruby’s heart…it might cost her life.
RISKING IT ALL
by Tessa Bailey
Crossing the Line, #1
Publication Date: January 27, 2015
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
by Tessa Bailey
Crossing the Line, #1
Publication Date: January 27, 2015
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Purchase: Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | B&N| Kobo | iBooks
Synopsis: NYPD detective Seraphia Newsom will avenge her brother’s death at any cost. Even if it means insinuating herself into a rough, Brooklyn street gang and going so far undercover, she’s not sure she’ll be able to get out. Every minute she spends in their midst means the clock ticking down on her life, especially when she overhears something that could get her killed.
Bowen Driscol is the heir to a crime enterprise. He never asked for the job, but with his father behind bars, he has no choice but to step in and keep the operation running. But when the NYPD blackmails him with a piece of damning information in exchange for aiding an undercover cop, he finds himself on the other side of the law for the first time in his life.
Bowen knows the danger Sera is in, and keeping her safe trumps saving his own ass. The problem? She can’t know he’s on her side. And there's the matter of the seriously inconvenient heat sparking between them that's incinerating his resistance. But Sera only sees Bowen's past, and men like him are the reason her brother is dead. If they're to get out alive, he'll have to risk exposing the man beneath, and hope to hell he doesn't blow the whole operation in the process.
UP IN SMOKE
by Tessa Bailey
Crossing the Line, #2
Publication Date: June 23, 2015
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Purchase: Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | B&N| Kobo | iBooks
Synopsis: Never start a fire you can’t control…Connor Bannon is supposed to be dead. Dishonorably discharged from the Navy SEALs, he's spent the last two years working as a street enforcer in Brooklyn for his cousin's crime ring. Through a twist of fate, he's now in Chicago, working undercover to bust criminals. But when a cute little arsonist joins the team—all combat boots, tiny jean shorts, and hot-pink hair—Connor’s notorious iron control slips.
Erin "she's getting away" O'Dea knows two things. She hates authority. And… Nope, that's it. When she's forced to operate on the “right” side of the law, her fear of being confined and controlled blazes to the surface. The last thing she expects is a control freak like Connor to soothe her when she needs it most. Worse, something behind the sexy ex-soldier's eyes ignites a dangerous inferno of desire. One that invites Erin to play with fire. And one that could get them both killed…
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