Secret Maneuvers 

Ex Ops - Book #1

Author: Jessie Lane

Format: eBook

Publication Date: June 15,  2013

Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

Blurb: 

Some mistakes from the past haunt us forever... unless fate steps in with a second chance.

One 'dear John' letter haunts Bobby Baker's every living moment. It’s the letter he stupidly wrote to his high school sweetheart, Belle, right after he left to join the Army. The letter that he told her that he wasn't so sure if they were ready for forever yet. But before he can let her know that the letter, and his second thoughts, are nothing but a mistake, she up and disappears from the small Georgia town they were both raised in.

Fifteen years later, Belle unknowingly walks back into Bobby's life when her job as an ATF Agent forces her to work with a group of men secretly headed by the CIA to help her track down whoever is involved in funneling black market weapons to a drug cartel in Mexico.

Bobby will use this mission to try and soothe Belle's hurt feelings while proving to her that their love is still meant for forever. He'll use every dirty trick he's learned since he joined the Army to maneuver her back into his life for the long haul. But Belle's not making it easy as she keeps him at arm's length in the hopes that mistakes of her own never come to light.

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My Review

This is my first book by this author but I am won! I will definitely be reading more after this book! :) Secret Maneuvers is an intense emotional rollercoaster that makes you feel every emotion you could think of. From the very first apge I was hooked and I just could not put it down. My one and only complaint is that I wish there has been more action. The story maily focused on Belle and Bobby and their relationship and most of the action happened closer to the end. But it's a small complaint because I still loved the story!

Belle and Bobby have been through a lot! Bobby was basically her savior when they started dating in high school and he was trying to protect her from her horrible father. He was all she had and then suddenly he's gone and she gets a letter from him telling her they shouldn't be together. It broke my heart to read that part! And too little too late Bobby realized his mistake only to be too late. Fast forward 15 years, they are now working a case together and things get heated! In more ways than one! I'll keep those details out so I don't ruin the entire story for you but let's just say Belle had no right to keep something so huge from him and he had every right to flip out about it. But it all worked out for the best and needless to say they deserved a happy ending and I'm really glad they got it! Though there were many ups and downs!

I LOVE that I was able to connect so much with these characters. Even though I loved and hated them both at different times, I just couldn't help but like them. I needed to keep reading to find out how it turns out. And oh what a happy ending! Now I'm ready for more! I especially wanna see what's up with Teagan! I loved her!!!

All in all this was a fantastic summer read and I recommend this to romantic suspense lovers and comtemporary romance lovers alike. I think this is a very enjoyable read and ya'll will be sure to love it too!!!

“Lunch was nice, Ace. Thanks for the talk, as well as the apology. There’s something else we need to talk about real soon, but after hearing about my dad, I need some time to myself today. Before I go, though, I’ve got to be honest with you. I’ve got someone in my life that makes it impossible for us to patch things up. I’m sorry. We can move on to being friends, though—if you want—when all of this is over.”

I hung my head as a wave of pain ripped through my chest. Friends? She wanted to be fucking friends? All because she had a man in her life? Where was this someone in her life yesterday morning when I’d been so deep inside her that I wasn’t sure where she begun and I ended? I’d be damned if I was going to let her ignore what we had and try to categorize me as a friend. Without thinking, I reached over to snag the back of her neck, bringing her closer to me. Before Belle could protest, I slammed my lips down onto hers, kissing her senseless.

She gasped in surprise and I took the opportunity to thrust my tongue into her mouth. I put all of my love, frustration, pain and desire into that kiss. Sliding my tongue against hers, causing her to moan at the touch. My brain felt fried as a burning sensation traveled through my entire body at the simple touch. Sparks ignited behind my eyelids and I knew, without a doubt, that no one had, or ever would, feel like this to me again. Belle’s hands fisted the fabric of my shirt. When my head was swimming from lack of oxygen, I finally pulled back enough to break our kiss. Foreheads still touching, lips hovering over hers, breathe sawing harshly in and out of my chest.

“Friends don’t kiss like that, baby. You can’t tell me that this is something you really want to walk away from. No man will ever love you like I do.”

She was silent for a second, but when her voice came out, it was hoarse with a slightly choked sound. “You can’t know that, Ace. Someone may come along for you in time and, whoever it is, she’ll make you happy. You’ll move on.”

Shaking my head in denial, I rasped, “No, Belle, you’re wrong. No one will ever make me feel the way I do with you. I know this with the certainty that the sun will set today and rise again tomorrow. The kind of certainty that when the moon rises and the stars blink in the sky that they’ll all still look way too dim to me. They’ll always look too dim because you are the brightest star in my life and, without you, everything else seems cloudy. I only seem to see things clearly when you’re around and I know all of that because you are my soul.”

Jessie Lane is the writing team of Crystal Leo and Melissa Pahl. The two sisters-in-law share a passionate love of naughty romance, cliff hanging suspense, and out-of-this-world characters that demand your attention, or threaten to slap you around until you do pay attention to them. Because really, it is ALL about the characters. (They're kind of megalomaniacs - but don't tell them that we said that.)

  Their first YA novel, The Burning Star, was released in May 2012. Big Bad Bite is their second novel, but their first adult paranormal romance, and was released in January 2013. Their third book, Secret Maneuvers, releases on June 15, 2013, and will be the start of a new adult contemporary romance series (Ex Ops Series). They are now working on their next three novels, Walk On The Striped Side (Big Bad Bite Series #2), Stripping Her Defenses (Ex Ops Series #2), and The Frozen Star (YA Star Series #2).

  With these projects underway, they are looking forward to showing the rest of the world their crazy stories, heroes and heroines that often plague their minds until written, and hope you will join them on their journey!

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