CLOSE COVER by Lexi Blake
Remy Guidry doesn’t do relationships. He tried the marriage thing once, back in Louisiana, and learned the hard way that all he really needs in life is a cold beer, some good friends, and the occasional hookup. His job as a bodyguard with McKay-Taggart gives him purpose and lovely perks, like access to Sanctum. The last thing he needs in his life is a woman with stars in her eyes and babies in her future. Lisa Daley’s life is finally going in the right direction. She has finally graduated from college after years of putting herself through school. She’s got a new job at an accounting firm and she’s finished her Sanctum training. Finally on her own and having fun, her life seems pretty perfect. Except she’s lonely and the one man she wants won’t give her a second look. There is one other little glitch. Apparently, her new firm is really a front for the mob and now they want her dead. Assassins can really ruin a fun girls’ night out. Suddenly strapped to the very same six-foot-five-inch hunk of a bodyguard who makes her heart pound, Lisa can’t decide if this situation is a blessing or a curse. As the mob closes in, Remy takes his tempting new charge back to the safest place he knows—his home in the bayou. Surrounded by his past, he can’t help wondering if Lisa is his future. To answer that question, he just has to keep her alive.
Review:
Rating: 3 out 5 stars
Close cover is my least favorite novella in the crossover and so far I have read 4 of them. I would recommend reading the story after you have read all the others because there some mentions of the main characters of the other novellas and while you already know that they will get their happy ending, I feel like Close cover will be a closure.
I hated the hero. He didn't do a single thing that made me happy or feel like he had some good qualities. He was not a good person in my opinion and he didn't treat his lady in a way that could lead me to believe that he might actually have feelings for her. The heroine was most of the time awesome. I hated how easily she gave into Remy's charm. I wanted her to make him groove more and do something to prove that he was worthy of her. She was kind and unlike others, she didn't want to rely on her family for financial help.
One other thing I hated were the thousand mentions of Remy and Lisa's exes. Half the book is spent on them. And some of the said exes happen to appear in this book. I was not happy with that. The story should have been more focused on the couple. There wasn't enough romance.
The best thing was Ian. I love that guy and he is always making each book where he appears better. For me, this book deserves a solid three-star rating. The heroine was good enough for me and the hero sucked. The secondary characters were good and I plan on reading their books someday soon. I want to read Lila's story.
HER GUARDIAN ANGEL by Larissa Ione
After a difficult childhood and a turbulent stint in the military, Declan Burke finally got his act together. Now he’s a battle-hardened professional bodyguard who takes his job at McKay-Taggart seriously and his playtime – and his playmates – just as seriously. One thing he never does, however, is mix business with pleasure. But when the mysterious, gorgeous Suzanne D’Angelo needs his protection from a stalker, his desire for her burns out of control, tempting him to break all the rules…even as he’s drawn into a dark, dangerous world he didn’t know existed. Suzanne is an earthbound angel on her critical first mission: protecting Declan from an emerging supernatural threat at all costs. To keep him close, she hires him as her bodyguard. It doesn’t take long for her to realize that she’s in over her head, defenseless against this devastatingly sexy human who makes her crave his forbidden touch. Together they’ll have to draw on every ounce of their collective training to resist each other as the enemy closes in, but soon it becomes apparent that nothing could have prepared them for the menace to their lives…or their hearts.Review:
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Her Guardian Angel felt like it was the longest book out of the six. Unlike some of the other books in the crossover, this one didn't make me feel like I had to have some knowledge of the world to get fully into to the story. It did make me wanna read the rest of the books though. I liked the universe and the characters seemed interesting. I still cannot wrap my mind around the idea of having angels and demons in the M&M world, to be honest. I liked Declan and Suzanne. Ian is a lot more present in Her guardian angel than he is in the other novellas and the book got lots of points for that. The book did feel a little too long for me, but I liked the authors writing and the Demonica world, so I will go with 4-stars for Her guardian angel.
JUSTIFY ME by J. Kenner
McKay-Taggart operative Riley Blade has no intention of returning to Los Angeles after his brief stint as a consultant on mega-star Lyle Tarpin’s latest action flick. Not even for Natasha Black, Tarpin’s sexy personal assistant who’d gotten under his skin. Why would he, when Tasha made it absolutely clear that—attraction or not—she wasn’t interested in a fling, much less a relationship. But when Riley learns that someone is stalking her, he races to her side. Determined to not only protect her, but to convince her that—no matter what has hurt her in the past—he’s not only going to fight for her, he’s going to win her heart. Forever.
Review:
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
One of my favorite author's wrote a story that's connected to one of my favorite series. How could I not be happy about it? This story happens to be one of my favorites out of the six, not that the others weren't great. I liked the story, the characters and the way the main characters tried to find who was Tasha's stalker. What I didn't like was the almost involvement of another man in Tasha's life as a sub. Things went a little too far for my liking even though in the end nothing happened between them. I was worried for a second and that's the reason this book got 4.5 stars instead of a solid 5 like I was planning to give it.
You can read this book as stand-alone, so if you are not familiar with one of the two universes (the M&M and the Stark) you won't have a problem getting into the story. I enjoyed reading it and I had mostly a good time (with the exception of the time mentioned above). So far this book is my favorite in the crossover even though it's tied with Carly Phillips and I have read 4 books. Maybe once I have written a review for His to Protect I might be able to choose one and I will try to update this review.
P.S. Justify me is officially my 2nd favorite book in the series.
You can read this book as stand-alone, so if you are not familiar with one of the two universes (the M&M and the Stark) you won't have a problem getting into the story. I enjoyed reading it and I had mostly a good time (with the exception of the time mentioned above). So far this book is my favorite in the crossover even though it's tied with Carly Phillips and I have read 4 books. Maybe once I have written a review for His to Protect I might be able to choose one and I will try to update this review.
P.S. Justify me is officially my 2nd favorite book in the series.
SAY YOU WON'T LET GO by Corinne Michaels
I’ve had two goals my entire life: 1. Make it big in country music. 2. Get the hell out of Bell Buckle. I was doing it. I was on my way, until Cooper Townsend landed backstage at my show in Dallas. This gorgeous, rugged, man of few words was one cowboy I couldn’t afford to let distract me. But with his slow smile and rough hands, I just couldn’t keep away. Now, there are outside forces conspiring against us. Maybe we should’ve known better? Maybe not. Even with the protection from Wade Rycroft, bodyguard for McKay-Taggart, I still don’t feel safe. I won’t let him get hurt because of me. All I know is that I want to hold on, but know the right thing to do is to let go…
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Review:
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Say You Won't Let Go was going to be a great book if it hadn't made me feel like I began reading Emily and Cooper's story from the middle. There a lot of things going on and certain situations that made me wanna stop reading this book and read Say I'm Yours in order to fully understand what was going on. Cooper was such a great guy in this book and I liked him. Emily is a good heroine and I liked her too. This novella is also different from the rest because the main characters are from the same series and Waide (Lexi's character) is secondary. I am ranking it as my 5th favorite crossover book.
Review:
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Say You Won't Let Go was going to be a great book if it hadn't made me feel like I began reading Emily and Cooper's story from the middle. There a lot of things going on and certain situations that made me wanna stop reading this book and read Say I'm Yours in order to fully understand what was going on. Cooper was such a great guy in this book and I liked him. Emily is a good heroine and I liked her too. This novella is also different from the rest because the main characters are from the same series and Waide (Lexi's character) is secondary. I am ranking it as my 5th favorite crossover book.
HIS TO PROTECT by Carly Phillips
Talia Shaw has spent her adult life working as a scientist for a big pharmaceutical company. She’s focused on saving lives, not living life. When her lab is broken into and it's clear someone is after the top secret formula she’s working on, she turns to the one man she can trust. The same irresistible man she turned away years earlier because she was too young and naive to believe a sexy guy like Shane Landon could want her. Shane Landon’s bodyguard work for McKay-Taggart is the one thing that brings him satisfaction in his life. Relationships come in second to the job. Always. Then little brainiac Talia Shaw shows up in his backyard, frightened and on the run, and his world is turned upside down. And not just because she’s found him naked in his outdoor shower, either. With Talia's life in danger, Shane has to get her out of town and to her eccentric, hermit mentor who has the final piece of the formula she’s been working on, while keeping her safe from the men who are after her. Guarding Talia's body certainly isn't any hardship, but he never expects to fall hard and fast for his best friend’s little sister and the only woman who’s ever really gotten under his skin.Review:
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
His to protect is the last book I reviewed for the crossover because I needed to gather my thoughts. I have decided that's this is the best book for me (I'm sorry, Justify Me). The book is truly a stand-alone which is great because you won't have to read any book before this to understand what is going on and for those who follow the series is also great because they get to see some characters they already know and love. The plot is developed as well as the characters and it was a complete story for me. I was very happy with the way Talia decided to handle the situation and I loved the epilogue. You should read this book even if you don't have any idea who the authors or the series are.
RESCUING SADIE: A Delta Force Heroes/Masters and Mercenaries Novella by Susan Stoker
Sadie Jennings was used to being protected. As the niece of Sean Taggart, and the receptionist at McKay-Taggart Group, she was constantly surrounded by Alpha men more than capable, and willing, to lay down their life for her. But when she visits her friend in San Antonio, and acts on suspicious activity at Milena’s workplace, Sadie puts both of them in the crosshairs of a madman. After several harrowing weeks, her friend is now safe, but for Sadie, the repercussions of her rash act linger on. Chase Jackson, no stranger to dangerous situations as a captain in the US Army, has volunteered himself as Sadie's bodyguard. He fell head over heels for the beautiful woman the first time he laid eyes on her. With a Delta Force team at his back, he reassures the Taggart's that Sadie will be safe. But when the situation in San Antonio catches up with her, Chase has to use everything he's learned over his career to keep his promise...and to keep Sadie alive long enough to officially make her his.Review:
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Rescuing Sadie might have been an even great experience for me if I had read Justice for Milena. The story is obviously continuing from where the story ended in that book and since I haven't read the book, I couldn't help but feel like I was missing something. Susan Stoker is quickly becoming an author I like and enjoy her writing style, so I couldn't help, but like this story. I liked the main characters and the plot. I don't want to write anything else, about the book, just that you should have read JFM. Some things might be clearer then. It's my third favorite book in the crossover.
EXCERPT
Close Cover by Lexi Blake
The light in his face blocked out the view of the man interrogating him. Remy blinked in the glare and sighed. He should have known this wouldn’t go the way he’d hoped it would. He’d come back to Dallas as a courtesy and now he had to worry that maybe he wouldn’t make it out of this office again. He should have filed his report and run the other way, but the truth was this had been his team and it was in ruins now. Well, what some would call ruins. They had been a fully cohesive unit and then the last few weeks had played out the way they had and their ranks had been decimated. One by one they’d fallen… The team he’d known so well these last few years was gone and it wouldn’t be the same again. “I want to know what happened,” a deep voice said. Remy sat back. He wasn’t about to let that bastard know for a second that he was mildly intimidated. Besides, after everything that had happened in the past few weeks, the asshole probably had a right to take a chunk out of his hide. “It’s all in my report.” There was the sound of shuffling and then his report slid across the desk and bounced into his lap. “You mean this? This tells me nothing.” “It tells you everything you need to know about what happened in Papillon. I’ve documented everything thoroughly, including all the bloody parts and where I buried the bodies in case you need them for anything. Of course, given where I was at the time, those bodies might not last long. The bayou tends to take everything it can from a man if he’s not moving. Sometimes even when he is.” As his brother had learned. God, he hoped his brother forgave him one day. Of everything that had happened in Louisiana, his brother’s pain was the one thing he truly regretted. Remy picked up the report he’d submitted only last week when he’d done all his exit paperwork. He thought he’d been extremely thorough in his mission report. His final report. “Tell me what else you need from me, Tag.” It was his last report because he wouldn’t be back here again. Not to work. After what had happened that wasn’t possible. He was needed somewhere else.
About the Authors
About Lexi Blake: New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband and three kids. She began writing at a young age concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance that she found success. Lexi believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome or foursome may seem. Facebook | Twitter | Website | Amazon 
