It was difficult to get interested in this story for the first half of the book, and I still don't quite know why. By the end, however, I couldn't put it down. The main character may have been a little too forgiving for my taste, but overall, the story was exciting and believable enough to hold my interest. I'll be reading Falling Hard next. ( )

****Full Review****

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Commanding men, sinister terrorist plot, sexy bedroom scenes, and double dealing all lead to a romantic suspense story that is hot in more ways than one. Ford is former CIA now working for a very off the books government group called Alliance. Alliance also includes former MI6 and other tips of the spear military members. Coming off of a botched mission, Ford the leader of Bravo team is doing a little undercover work to get close to Shay, the cousin to a suspected terrorist. They have instant chemistry and Ford finds himself getting a lot closer to Shay than he originally anticipated. As missing deadly toxin vials and cat and mouse games with deadly consequences swirl around them, Ford is forced to decide what he'll compromise to keep Shay safe and Shay is left questioning if the man she loves is the true Ford.

This is an incredibly quick moving story; key players are constantly making moves that keep you turning the pages anxious to see where it is all going to lead. The strength is definitely in the suspense plot with the reader wondering how much is Shay's cousin really involved in the terrorist plot and who the mole is. Although, in the beginning when all the members of Alliance are kind of clustery thrust at the reader and who is who is being learned, things were a little muddled but about thirty percent in I was able to get into the flow of the story. Alliance and its members is the central core of the story with the terrorist plot/mole and Ford's romance with Shay branching off of that. Ford and Shay's relationship is strong throughout the story but they definitely get lost in the mix at times. Individuals looking for some romance in their suspense stories will fare better here than those looking for the vice versa.

As this is told from more of Ford's perspective he is the stronger character. He has a realness and ease that will have reader's instantly connecting with him. Also, let's be honest, his capability in and out of the bedroom and the way he loves Shay will have him starring in a couple of fantasies. Due to all of these strong components, the character of Shay doesn't pack much of a punch. Her limited screen time interactions with Ford consisting of a lot of sexual foreplay/activity and musings if Ford is trustworthy leave her relegated to the background. They are hot together but the fact that Shay doesn't discover who Ford is until very late in the book leave her an outsider to the story and the reader.

The introduction of all the characters might overwhelm you at first but as you get to know them, you'll be secretly wishing for each and everyone to get their own story. It's a well crafted, thought out, intriguing characters, with sex scenes that are on point book. If Playing Dirty is any indication to what the rest of the books in the Bad Boys Undercover series are going to be like, then sign me up for them all.
( )

Very good book. Ford is undercover, working on a case for Alliance. A scientist has gone missing along with some vials of a deadly toxin. Rumor has it that it will be sold to the highest bidder. Ford is tagged with watching Shay, cousin to the missing scientist, and property manager of the building Ford is now living in. But Ford goes further than he should, and gets much, much closer. Because of a past relationship that went wrong, Shay intends to be cautious with Ford. But those intentions go right out the window when the sparks between them burst into flame.

I really liked both Ford and Shay. Shay is pretty straightforward, doesn't play silly emotional games. She is recovering from one bad relationship, where the guy lied to her and used her to try to get to her uncle and his wealth. She likes Ford, and though she is frustrated by his frequent absences, she understands that his job as an IT specialist calls him away at a moment's notice. I loved that she isn't a whiner and doesn't try to inveigle him into a deeper relationship than he's ready for. Her family is important to her and she worries about her cousin.

Ford is great. He first appeared in Running Hot, as Ward's partner. Now he is a team leader himself. He likes the new agency, which isn't as bound up in rules and regulations as his former work with the CIA, which gives him the freedom to react as he needs to. He is protective, loyal, frequently sarcastic, and honorable. He's haunted by things that happened on his last CIA mission and determined that it won't happen again.

The relationship between Ford and Shay has the potential for disaster from the beginning. Ford wasn't supposed to make contact with her yet, but the attraction to her is too hard to resist. From the outset, we see the conflict that Ford is suffering from. She is part of the job, a possible suspect, and yet he can't stay away from her. He realizes quickly that she isn't involved and quickly moves into protector mode, worried about her getting caught up in the middle. I loved seeing them together, with their happiness in just being able to spend time together. Shay's mistrust of men disappears when she's around Ford, feeling that he's just what he says he is. Ford gets a little freaked out by just how much he needs Shay in his life. I loved how being with her would center him after a difficult op. I was a little bit surprised that Shay wasn't more suspicious of Ford, especially with his odd schedule, but he was pretty convincing. I ached for them both when the truth came out. Ford had fallen so hard for her, but knew that he deserved her anger. What he didn't know was if she would ever forgive him. Shay was hit with so much at once that Ford's deception seemed to be an even worse betrayal. It takes her a while to process everything, and even then she's not sure she can forgive him. I loved Ford's big moment at the end, especially the vulnerability that he exposed to her.

The suspense of the story was fantastic. The men and women of Alliance are determined to stop Trent and his plans to sell the toxin to the highest bidder. The problem that they have is that each lead they follow ends up being a dead end or a trap that nearly gets them killed. It quickly becomes obvious that there is someone on the inside that is helping the bad guys. So in addition to finding Trent and the toxin, they also have to find the "mole". There were a couple possibilities and the truth remained hidden until the end. The build up to the final confrontation was intense and kept me reading well past my bedtime. I was on the edge of my seat through it as I wondered how it was going to end.

I loved how Ford's Bravo team worked together. They were all so different, but each had their own place. I especially liked how much respect they had for Ford and that they were with him no matter what. I loved the banter among them all, from the funny to the sarcastic. I'm looking forward to seeing more of them in later books. ( )

Playing Dirty

The Characters

I don’t even remember. That tells us much.

The Story

I give up on HKD books. I’ve read, from people I trust, how good they are but I can never make it past the first few chapters. Maybe I’m not patient enough.

The Random Thoughts

*DNF so no rating