Friday, January 18, 2019

Review: Hot Justice (Hostile Operations Team #14)

Hot Justice (Hostile Operations Team #14)

by Lynn Raye Harris

Blurb:
She's searching for justice. He's searching for peace.
What they need is each other. They just don't know it yet...
Dean "Wolf" Garner is the kind of guy who loves hard and leaves fast. From the moment he rescues reporter Haylee Jamison in the Guatemalan jungle, he can't stop thinking about the dark-haired beauty. His life is too complicated for romantic entanglements though--and not even a woman like Haylee can convince him otherwise. 
Haylee wasn't supposed to be in the drug cartel's compound, but she was captured while on a mission of her own: find the trail of fake opioids entering the US and halt the operation. Back home in DC, Haylee can't stop thinking about the gorgeous military operator who rocked her world for one steamy night before leaving. But when she uncovers a conspiracy and finds herself in danger, there's only one man she trusts to keep her safe.
It's easy for Wolf to risk his life to protect Haylee and give her the justice she desires. The hard part is taking a chance and admitting what's in his heart before it's too late.
Before he loses the best thing that's ever happened to him.
Themes: Contemporary
Rating: 4.5 stars
Heat Rating:  
Review:
Lynn Raye Harris continues to amaze and entrance readers with her HOT series as she gives us a glimpse into exotic locales and the seedy underground world of espionage, danger, and crimes that most of us generally forget on a day-to-day basis.  I love her ability to weave a tale of love into the danger and drama that seems to flow from her imagination with no trouble at all (which I’m sure isn’t the case, but it sure looks that way to us readers).  If you haven’t read any of the previous stories in the series, you will certainly have missed out on a bit of the subtext in the dynamics of the HOT team, but Haylee and Wolf’s story is wonderful on its own merits and should not be missed.  I enjoyed every second of it and wished it had been even longer.  Wolf and Haylee were both lovable characters with quirky senses of humor and interesting views on life in general that just seemed to mesh.   They reminded me of a song lyric I love about two people that each walk to their own drummers, but they just happen to hear the same beat.  I am looking forward to what comes next, hopefully Mal’s book, and seeing the rest of Echo squad and the SEAL team fall in love with their own amazing partners.  If you are looking for a group of amazing men and women that seamlessly come together to save the world and remind us that love is always what makes war worth fighting, you cannot go wrong with Harris’s HOT Series.
Dean “Wolf” Garner is on a mission with his team to rescue hostages in a godforsaken jungle in Guatemala when his world changes forever, in the form of a sexy and sassy woman bound and determined to get justice for her murdered friend. Haylee Jamison has traveled to the jungle to find a lead on the tainted drugs that killed her best friend and never imagined she would end up kidnapped and then rescued by an elite group of Special operatives sent by the American government to rescue the others she was held with.  During the rescue Wolf and Haylee are both instantly draw to one another and the spark is too strong to resist, and a moment of weakness leads them into each other’s arms.  But once they are back in the states Wolf pulls back and Haylee writes him off, until she needs his help again.  Thrown together in another life-or-death situation, Haylee and Wolf are pulled together constantly, but neither knows if the passion is enough for them to let go of their hang-ups and build a relationship.  Can they admit their feelings and find a way to be together, before it’s too late?
Wolf and Haylee are both hilarious characters and I am dying to know if Lynn based any of their traits on anyone she knows in person.  Haylee is super spunky, and I loved the smartass and sassy way she continuously teased Wolf, leading him on a merry chase until she stole his heart.  She has her own issues to work through like any person, but she knows that Wolf is the kind of man that is worth the effort and definitely worth losing her heart and soul to.  She is also determined and committed to making sure that she finds justice for her friend’s death, even if it puts her own life in danger, and I liked that quality in her because it made her fit right into the HOT team. Dean is the quintessential bachelor—with a few extra sweet qualities; his m.o. is one-night-stands and he is determined to never have a woman of his own.  But his reasons for keeping that distance and not devoting time in the beginning to building a relationship with Haylee are honorable instead of typical bachelor garbage.  His sexy swagger would draw just about any woman to him, but his innate sweetness, thoughtfulness, and willingness to do whatever it takes to keep a friend safe and to make his woman happy, show him for the truly perfect man he is (or as close as any person can be).  I loved getting to know more about his background and seeing Haylee bring him out of his shell and show him that his fears and hang-ups are unfounded if he finds the right kind of woman.
HOT Justice is the story of two people coming together not just in a shared passion, but also in a shared mission.  That mission leads them both into danger, but together and with the help of the HOT team they are able to bring the bad guys down and give one another a semblance of solace.  I loved watching Haylee and Wolf sparring together and playing together, because the sparks certainly flew, whether they were fighting or loving, and that passion will definitely last for a long, long time.  Haylee was a great character with just enough sassiness that she was able to stand up to Wolf’s stubbornness but enough compassion and love that she was able to give him the devotion and empathy he needed as well.  Wolf went into his interactions with Haylee again and again with assumptions and each time she proved him wrong he feel deeper under her spell.  He was a great guy to watch in action and to see him falling in love, even if he didn’t realize it for a while, was fun and cute. Their story was filled with passion and there was just enough drama to keep everything interesting, but the focus was definitely on them.  I cannot wait for Mal’s story because seeing him fall under the tires of the love bus will be beyond awesome.  Lynn you continue to astonish me, but I guarantee as long as you keep writing I will keep reading and sharing my love of your work with the world.
*eARC provided by author for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.

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