As the leader of a special op team, the hero is celebrated for the fact that he was able to kill a vampire-something no one had ever done before. He's gotten the job of protecting a reclusive but extremely rich businessman only to discover that it's an extremely rich businesswoman. From the jump the hero is thrown off by the heroine. She's incredibly sexy and alluring yet she has no idea just how attractive she is. She's strong and independent yet she's a rare female character in that she actually allows the bodyguard to do his job. She doesn't impede his plans by seeking out of insisting on attending risky parties but instead calmly allows the hero to lead. That doesn't take away from the fact that she's very able to protect herself when it comes down to it, or to put her foot down on certain matters. All in all she was a great female lead and I wish more author penned characters like hers. The hero is just plain sexy, with his muscular build, gorgeous eyes and tats. He was lost to the heroine from the second he meets her. He will do anything and everything to make sure this woman is safe yet she can't stop himself from crossing the line of professionalism. They had mad chemistry but despite the fact the you think they're going to freak within the first 2 chapters they actually hold off until much later in the book. It allowed for a constant and heavy build up of tension between them and made for a hell of a ride as a leader. The major flaw of this book is a complete opposite of Jax's previous book Hunter in that this book had way too many loose ends. The 'vampires' are never really explained. Just suddenly they're a part of the story but there's no back story about how they came to be or how the humans found out about them. Apparently they were kidnapped humans turned into these things via experiments. In fact, you don't even truly find out that they're vampires until well half way through the book when suddenly the heroine drinks the hero's blood. Up until that point they were just immortal beings. I did like that the author made their weakness mercury instead of the predicable silver but I felt like I was thrown head first into a brand new world that was never fully explained to me. That being said, the romance between the two characters was enough to save the book a little for me but it's nowhere near my favorite book. ( )

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: In a world where it’s humans versus Morphates, a Morphate loner must trust a squad of humans to protect her life. Let’s hope her trust is not misplaced…

Opening Sentence: “Why do I get the feeling I’m about to have a really bad day?”

The Review:

I was a little unsure what I would think of this book when I read on Jacquelyn Frank’s website that she was using the Jax pseudonym to write books featuring “unconventional” romances. Luckily, my nerves were unwarranted, and I enjoyed the story, although there were also issues that kept it from being a 4-star read for me.

Fifty years ago, a doctor began running experiments on people. While a large portion of his subjects were homeless or criminals, those who discovered what he was doing also became test subjects. As a result of his work, a new species is born: the Morphates, who have super human strength and speed and are also immortal.

In the present time, Devon Candler has figured out a way to kill Morphates. A Morphate herself, she wants to create an even playing field between humans and Morphates, so Morphates don’t become out of control. Unfortunately, Morphates who don’t agree with her plan have put a price on her head. To protect herself, she hires NHK, a security firm headed by Liam Nash, the one man who has killed a Morphate himself. From the moment they meet, there’s a palpable connection between Liam and Devon; however, neither one of them believe in mixing business with pleasure. Will they be able to resist each other? Will Devon be able to survive the assassins coming after her?

Devon is a great heroine. She is incredibly strong and self-confident, and yet there is also a vulnerability to her that I felt made her very realistic. She managed to survive the experiments done to her and came out of them a strong, independent woman who’s not afraid to go against her species in order to do what she thinks is right. She’s definitely a heroine a reader can feel connected to and cheer for.

The best partner for a strong woman is a strong man, and Liam definitely fits that mold. What I liked best about Liam is that he doesn’t treat Devon as if she is helpless. He knows she can take care of herself and treats her accordingly. They make a great pair.

Now for the negatives. The world building was sometimes confusing. I would have liked to have more information on how the world operated, with the Federated States and the Dark Cities. I knew enough to follow what was going on most of the time, but a little extra explanation would have been helpful. Also, after the halfway point, it seemed like most of the book was sex. I don’t necessarily have a problem with that, but it felt like the plot suffered because of it. At the 95 percent mark, nothing had been resolved, and then it all wrapped up very quickly. I would have preferred a longer book, so that the end didn’t feel quite so rushed.

Overall, I enjoyed the book, but did have some issues with it. While it’s currently a stand alone book, if Jacquelyn Frank decides to make it a series, I would be interested in reading more set in this world. It feels like there is much more that could be said!

Notable Scene:

The doors opened with a burst of energy, a no-nonsense movement and confidence, and in walked Devon Candler.

Time suddenly ground to a halt for Liam. Every single muscle in his heavily powered body contracted abruptly with shock.

Devon Candler was a woman.

She entered the room with a display of powerful presence, blatant femininity, and the most mouth-watering curves Liam had ever laid eyes on. And just like that, in the breadth of a nanosecond, Devon Candler robbed Liam Nash of his peace of mind.

FTC Advisory: Kensington provided me with a copy of Dangerous. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. ( )

I did not have the easiest time getting into the story. Everything built up really slowly and was quick to let it down if that makes sense. The world was interesting but nothing that really made me go wow. Both characters on their own were ok but there was something off about them together. I can't put my finger on exactly what their relationship was missing but there was something that didn't sell me on them. The ending was meh. Definitely something you should grab at the library if you feel you must read it. ( )

3.5 Stars

I love a little smexy in my reading and while this book more than delivered on this end, the insta-love was the book's downfall in what could have been a great story for me.

*Full review coming soon* ( )

More like 2.5 stars. I'm not sure what I really think about this book. I liked some parts others I didn't. I find most of her books that are written under the pen name Jax to be a little harder to like then her Jacquelyn Frank books. I don't know...maybe it's just me. I don't understand why Devon needed to hire a team of bodyguards if she is faster, stronger and just plain more deadly then the humans. She seemed to be able to take care of herself just fine. Liam spent half the book recovering from an attack and the other half seducing Devon. At one point it said that the Morphates are immortal and can't be killed then later it said the mortality rate for Morphates in the lab was 90%. I just didn't understand why if it's so hard to kill these people why did the big fight finale last for only a couple of paragraphs? Not sure I can recommend this book.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. ( )