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Kiss,
Marry, Kill
Iron Clad Security #1
Iron Clad Security #1
By: Sidney Halston
Releasing
March 28, 2017
Swerve
Swerve
In Kiss, Marry, Kill (Iron Clad Security #1) by Sidney Halston, Megan Cruz is a very popular woman being the lead singer of band TNT. Unfortunately, fame comes with a price and the price she's paying at the moment is a stalker threatening her. Luckily, she has a white knight in Jackson 'Jax' Irons; a man she had the most amazing connection with five years ago and hasn't seen in just as long. Yet, he's determined to protect her at all costs and find the person responsible for the threats. Will Jax be able to keep her safe?
What a fantastic start to this series Ms. Halston has penned in this book, which encompassed several tropes including the second chance romance trope, the sexy protector trope and the opposites attract trope. When this couple met five years ago, Megan's life changed for the better having taken the advice Jax offered. Yet, in the present, their lives are reversed and the hero is the one that needs to find his way back to being the fun-loving guy he was before his time in the military hardened him. The way this story started was a tad nerve-wracking with what the heroine is going through. What lengths is her stalker willing to go to get to her? How far will her stalker go to scare her?
The dialogue was well-written and kept me turning the pages, as the story flips between when they met five years ago and now. Will Jax be able to keep the heroine at a distance in order to protect her? Will Megan be able to respect Jax's wishes? Moreover, the dialogue was a wonderful mix of intense and playful, and I liked how the heroine bought fun back into the hero's life by challenging him to do things he wouldn't normally do. What the heroine is going through due to her stalker is scary, but I liked that she didn't allow it to hold her back from doing the thing she loved most, even when the things her stalker was doing became more and more dangerous.
Indeed, the heroine is strong, brave and I liked how feisty she got when Jax did something she didn't agree with. No way was she going to allow him to make all the decisions, no matter whether he was trying to protect her. I also liked that she followed her dreams and didn't allow her parents to have their way. Certainly, she wouldn't have been happy, if she'd continued to follow the path they wanted her to follow for her future. While Jax, he has so much guilt over what happened during his last mission, which left him honorably discharged from the military. So, he's really determined to make sure nothing happens to Megan. He goes overboard at times and gets a bit intense, but his heart is in the right place.
Overall, Ms. Halston has penned a really good read in this book, where the chemistry between this couple is off-the-charts and still burns as bright as it did in the past. The way this story ended had me on the edge-of-my-seat wondering what Megan's stalker would do, just like the suspense had me that way throughout this story. Some of the things Megan's stalker does shows just how deranged the person is. However, it was the epilogue that wrapped this story up perfectly, because of how things turned out for the hero and heroine and the new client Iron Clad Security have. Will secondary character Annie get her way? I would recommend Kiss Marry Kill by Sidney Halston, if you enjoy romantic suspense, second chance romances, the sexy protector trope or the opposites attract trope.
OVERALL RATING:
BLURB:
It was just
supposed to be a regular Thursday afternoon…and then he saw her. Sitting in
seat L214, one seat over from his at the baseball game, right next to her
douche of a soon-to-be-ex-boyfriend. An impromptu kiss for the kiss cam, and
Jax knew his life would never be the same. Five years and a tour in Afghanistan
later, Jax is back stateside running his own private security firm, Iron-Clad,
with his best friend. He isn't the man he used to be... but Megan isn't the
sexy and sweet, though sheltered, twenty-two-year-old he left behind, either.
And she's in trouble.
...but now they're on the run.
Megan
Cruz has made something of herself. She’s turned her dreams of pop stardom into
a reality. But when a deadly stalker breaks into her home claiming to be her
number-one fan, the only person she can turn to is the boy who got away. But
Jax isn’t the same carefree charmer who stole her heart, then broke it when he
joined the military. This man is seductive, hard, guarded. And he'll do
anything to protect what's his.
“I can’t
believe I’m here with you. I mean, I didn’t think I’d ever see you again.”
His face
softened and there was the ghost of a smile hidden somewhere in his bushy beard.“Still
not a question.”
“How long
have you been back?”
“Few
months.”
“What
happened to you? Do you leave again?”
“Got blown
up, got discharged, came home, not leaving again.”
It was short,
and she needed more information, but knowing he wasn’t going to expand, she
moved on. “Okay,” she sing-songed, “are you married?” Then she heard the very
familiar and very welcome chuckle of Jackson Irons. It hit her right in the
chest. It was her first glimpse of the old Jax.
“No. Not
married.”
“Do you
want to know if I’m married?” she asked.
“Already
know you’re not.” His arms were big and bulky and the way that he leaned into
the island made him look impatient.
“Can you
sit? You’re making me nervous.”
He pushed
off the counter and sat on the chair across from her, the island between them.
“What do you do now?” “I co-own Iron-Clad Security here in town. We do all
types of security work including
bodyguard, government ops, cyber-security, securing homes.”
She held
out her finger and pointed to herself. “I’m pretty sure I’m in the market for
some of that.”
“Already on
it, Meg.”
“Really?
Don’t I have to hire you first, or something? Discuss prices? Sign a contract?”
“You think
I’d sit back and wait for a stalker to break in again while we discuss pricing options?
Fill out paperwork?”
USA Today bestselling author, Sidney
Halston lives her life with one simple rule: "Just Do
It"--Nike. And that's exactly what she did.
After working hard as an attorney, Sidney picked up a pen for the first time at thirty years old to begin her dream of writing. Having never written anything other than very exciting legal briefs, she found an outlet for her imaginative, romantic side and wrote Seeing Red. That first pen stroke sealed the deal, and she fell in love with writing. Sidney lives in South Florida with her husband and children. She loves her family above all else, and reading follows a close second. When she's not writing, you can find her reading and reading and reading. She's a reader first and a writer second. When she's not writing or reading, her life is complete and utter chaos, trying to balance family life with work and writing (and reading). But she wouldn't have it any other way.
After working hard as an attorney, Sidney picked up a pen for the first time at thirty years old to begin her dream of writing. Having never written anything other than very exciting legal briefs, she found an outlet for her imaginative, romantic side and wrote Seeing Red. That first pen stroke sealed the deal, and she fell in love with writing. Sidney lives in South Florida with her husband and children. She loves her family above all else, and reading follows a close second. When she's not writing, you can find her reading and reading and reading. She's a reader first and a writer second. When she's not writing or reading, her life is complete and utter chaos, trying to balance family life with work and writing (and reading). But she wouldn't have it any other way.
I love Sidney Halston's books. Nice review!
ReplyDeleteThank you. I really liked this book. Ms. Halston pens a great read.
DeleteThank you for reviewing and hosting!
ReplyDeleteAllisia
Tasty Book Tours
You're welcome. This was another great read by Sidney Halston.
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