Review originally featured at Angel's Guilty Pleasures

 

After being held hostage while in the military, Lucas St. Clair came back changed from the person his parents expected him to be. It also reminded him of the person he was forced to let go because of them, Mia Ramon. When it looks like she’s in danger, he drops everything to go save her. This book wasn’t bad. Similar to a number of military second-chance stories, but it still had an interesting plot. All of the characters were well-written. I did have some minor problems with it. One thing that irritated me was the overuse of the word “murmured” much of the time the various characters were talking. I don’t like it when authors do this as people don’t just go around murmuring when they are talking to others unless it’s during certain situations. **I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

Five soldiers became five brothers when they were held in Taliban prison for weeks of brutal torture. It’s been over two years since returning from the war, and now the men run a successful security firm in Texas. Lucas St. Clair, hostage negotiator, comes from a wealthy, well-connected family who expected him to be a big-wig statesman. Yet after his time as a POW, Lucas left his manipulative family for his brothers-in-arms, founding ARES Security. However, when high school friend Anthony "Tony" Hughes was murdered near ARES offices, Lucas is drawn back to his hometown of Shreveport, LA, and face-to-face with Mia Ramon — the one that got away.

 

Mia Ramon has come a long way since she last saw Lucas St. Clair, taking over her father’s small lawn mowing business and turning it into a successful landscape company. She doesn’t have time for Lucas to waltz back into her life after he broke her heart 15 years ago. Yet, when she learns that her friend Tony was murdered with a photo of her in his hands, she realizes that Lucas may be the only one to help her find Tony’s murderer.

 

Once again, Alexandra Ivy weaves a suspenseful tale that captured me from page one. Kill Without Shame is the second story in Ms. Ivy’s ARES Security series. Although there is a small overall story arc, the romance and mystery are very much standalone, with no connection to the first book. Lucas and Mia’s story is gripping and sweet. The romance and suspense are well balanced. I liked that Mia and Lucas had a strong history, which gave their romance solid footing in the perilous situations. And there was little confession of feelings at inappropriate times - something that is a huge pet peeve of mine for romantic suspense titles. 

 

Lucas and Mia had a friendship and attraction that was easy to rekindle because neither ever got over the other. The author does a wonderful job establishing their backstory, filling it with strong emotions, which gave credibility and strength to the situation. While Lucas wanted to be all alpha-caveman, he listened to the good advice of his friends, meeting strong-willed Mia on middle ground when it came to the investigation. And both were upfront about lingering hurt from the past, allowing them to quickly move past the pain and onto the future.

 

The mystery of who shot Tony and what it had to do with Mia was engrossing and cleverly written. The author gave me enough clues that I was able to piece it together before the characters; however, I was privy to all the information, not just bits and pieces. And even after I mostly figured it out, the story still drew me in and captured me. I enjoyed watching Lucas and Mia put it all together.

 

I had one small issue with the Kill Without Shame, which came near the climax of the investigation. There is a scene when Lucas puts Mia in a dangerous situation, which is WAY out of character for this over-protective male. The thing is… there was absolutely no reason for it, which is why it felt off. If it had been out of Lucas’s ability to do something different, it would have been more believable. However, it did set up the final showdown scene, so I rolled with it.

 

Overall, Kill Without Shame is an entertaining, suspenseful story with great balance between action and romance. The love story worked well because of the pair’s history together with their open communication and compromises. I completely enjoyed Lucas and Mia’s story and look forward to more from the ARES Security series.

 

My Rating:  B+ Liked It A Lot

Originally posted at That's What I'm Talking About

Review copy provided by Netgalley

This is a second chance love story with a lot of suspense. Mia has survived her hurt and past to build a successful business that she loves. Lucas left Mia because he thought she would be better off. When a mutual friend is murdered, the two come together again. Sparks fly but trust is elusive. Danger surrounds them as they admit their feelings. I loved Mia's strength of character to rise above her past and to admit her feelings as they grew. Lucas was so overprotective but smart enough to not stifle Mia. I recommend this book. It is second in a series, and having read the first, I also recommend the series. I look forward to more. I received a copy through Netgalley, and this is my unsolicited review.

Rafe is a bit of an alpha male, and I've never been very fond of the type, as in my experience they're abusive shits, Of course they never are in romances.

 

The book gets quite exciting in the second half after the skip-skip bonking is over, with a couple of plot twists. So, all in all, a pretty good read. Annie is a bit wishy-washy though. And the touch of paranormal "visions" is not my cup or tea unless it's a paranormal.

 

Here's the book blurb:

 

From the hellhole of a Taliban prison to sweet freedom, five brave military heroes have made it home—and they’re ready to take on the civilian missions no one else can. Individually they’re intimidating. Together they’re invincible. They’re the men of ARES Security.
 
Rafe Vargas is only in Newton, Iowa, to clear out his late grandfather’s small house. As the covert ops specialist for ARES Security, he's eager to get back to his new life in Texas. But when he crosses paths with Annie White, a haunted beauty with skeletons in her closet, he can't just walk away—not when she’s clearly in danger…
 
There’s a mysterious serial killer on the loose with a link to Annie’s dark past. And the closer he gets, the deeper Rafe’s instinct to protect kicks in. But even with his considerable skill, Annie’s courage, and his ARES buddies behind him, the slaying won’t stop. Now it’s only a matter of time before Annie’s next—unless they can unravel a history of deadly lies that won’t be buried.

 

The RT review is here