Shannon McKenna

Terrific addition to the series. Marcus is the last of the three Moss siblings to fulfill his grandmother's marriage mandate - marry before he turns 35 or lose the family company. While Elaine's motives are understandable - she feels guilty about raising workaholic grandchildren, wants great-grandchildren, and wants to keep the company out of Jerome's hands - her methods are high-handed.

Marcus is a confirmed bachelor and well-known for his hook-ups. Though the women throw themselves at his show more feet, he has no intention of marrying them. He has been adamant that he would not cave in to Elaine's pressure. But when others remind him of the stakes, he agrees to a business marriage. Leaving it to chance, he draws the name Eve Seaton from the selection of single women working for his company.

Eve is a brilliant geneticist who works temporarily for MossTech while she saves money to get her business started. She and her team have developed a type of hardy grass with flowers that bees love, absorbs carbon, and is a nutritious food source. She's been burned by past romantic relationships with men who use her, steal from her, and disappear.

I loved watching the relationship develop between Marcus and Eve. Their first meeting and the dinner where he makes his proposal hit Marcus hard with unexpected attraction and fascination with his potential bride. He already senses that his plan to keep his distance is in trouble. Eve is intrigued by his offer, but wary. Besides being burned in the past, she's had a secret crush on him for years. Can she do this without risking her heart? I loved how quickly they connected over dinner, thanks to their shared interests.

It was amusing to see Marcus pull his grandmother's chain a little by concealing his marriage to Eve until the last minute. He got an inordinate amount of satisfaction from his announcement, not just from his grandmother's surprise but also his uncle's anger. The scenes with Jerome were disturbing in their vitriol, and you get a real sense of his determination to have his way by fair means or foul.

As Marcus and Eve spend more time together, their attraction becomes irresistible. But beyond the chemistry is the realization that there is more than the physical. I loved watching them get to know each other and share the things that are important to them. As their feelings for each other deepen, they want to believe they have a future together. But when disaster strikes and Eve believes Marcus has betrayed her, it strikes at his insecurities. I ached for both as trust and pride worked against them. I loved it when Marcus fought back the best way he knew how. The ending was fantastic.

The siblings' cousin Veronica wasn't included in the marriage mandate because she is already engaged. But she is furious at her father's actions and begs her grandmother to include her. She wants to be the one to put an end to his schemes once and for all. From the book's description, it will be a bumpy ride, and I can't wait to read it! show less

Out of Control
4 Stars

Synopsis
Framed for murder and on the run, Margot Vettner is facing her newest challenge in the form of a crazed stalker. The only one she can turn to is sexy private investigator, Davy McCloud who prefers his life and his women simple, calm and uncomplicated. Margot is none of those things but Davy is unable to stop the hunger she arouses in him, and must decide if she is worth the effort before a twisted psycho takes matters out of his hands.

Review
Sexy and spicy - the show more most entertaining in the series so far.

Davy and Margot are likable because of their flaws and insecurities rather than despite them. Davy is domineering, overbearing and obsessive but in a good way and his inner control freak is perfectly understandable given his background and upbringing. Margot knows just how to push Davy's buttons and seems to enjoy goading and driving him to the brink. Once you accept this, she turns into a captivating, take no prisoners heroine although there is one irritating TSTL moment when Margot suspects that Davy is the stalker and runs rather than confronting him that I could have done without. Their snappy dialogue is entertaining but the constant bickering can get old.

The writing is smooth and the tension ratchets up at a solid pace. McKenna certainly knows how to write seriously twisted psychos and this book is no exception. Marcus is slimey and Snakey the stalker made my skin crawl. The climax of the story is exciting and the resolution satisfying.

Additional highlights include cameo appearances by Seth & Raine as well as Tamara, whose words of wisdom and gift for Margo endeared her to me. The McCloud family dynamic is captivating and I look forward to Sean's book which is coming up next. show less

OMG, this series. Kick-butt romantic suspense mixed with like whoa chemistry between characters who it's impossible not to fall for--I seriously hope Ms. McKenna continues with this series all the way through to Ivy's story (and since she's still clutching stuffed cats and watching cartoons, that'll give us a while to go... ;))

In My Skin is the third book in the series--Luke's story; Zade's brother (from My Next Breath --where his main goal was finding his brother again)--and though the show more focus here is on Luke and Dani, Zade and the others end up playing fairly big roles too. I wouldn't start with this one but since I have read Zade's book I did just fine. A bunch of the science-y stuff and Obsidian/Manticore drama still felt a bit over my head, but honestly, that could likely still be the case after I read book one, so I didn't sweat it much. The suspense, the danger, and the characters are what draw me in, and they're all here in spades. I'm not even sure I was breathing for a few chapters there toward the end!

I loved, loved, loved Dani and Luke--even when they were about to make bad choices, Ms. McKenna made me believe they were making them from a good place. Their we-can't-control-ourselves-because-we're-so-sexy tendencies were a teensy bit over the top, but it's hard to argue with the results. I did love that Dani was able to hold her own (mostly) among some super-scary modded-out dudes (and one dudette) and that it was up to the non-super soldiers to do some of the heavy lifting at the end of the story. Please, please tell me that Zoe and Asa get a story soon? Please?

So if you like romantic suspense and super-sexy super soldiers sound like they might be your catnip, definitely give this series a try. I wouldn't start with this one--there's a lot of catching up to do if you do--but I'm warning you right now, it'll be next to impossible not to immediately pick up Luke's book once you finish Zade's. (And no waiting almost a year for you! I'm jealous...it was torture!)

Rating: 4 stars / A-

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. show less

Terrific conclusion to the series. Elaine Moss laid down an edict that her three grandchildren had to be married by a certain age or lose the family company to their detested Uncle Jerome. The first three books in the series were their stories. Their cousin Veronica, Jerome's daughter, was not included because she was already engaged. But, furious at her father's underhanded actions at the end of the previous book (How to Marry a Bad Boy), Ronnie begged her grandmother to include her in the show more mandate to stick it to her father.

The day before her 30th birthday, Ronnie and her fiancé are in Vegas for a conference. They plan to marry that night to fulfill the mandate. At the last minute, Jareth decides they should attend some big wig's party instead. I hadn't liked Jareth from his first appearance in an earlier book. I thought he was selfish and obnoxious, so I wasn't surprised when he bailed. I also suspected that her father had a hand in the situation. Devasted, Ronnie despairs of fulfilling the mandate and preventing disaster for her cousins. Then she is approached by a man she noticed during her presentation.

Wes Brody first appeared in the series' opening volume, Their Marriage Bargain. In that story, he was the bad guy with information that could ruin the Moss family business. But his co-conspirator ended up marrying the oldest Moss and destroying the information, wrecking Wes's plans for revenge. I had a feeling that we'd see him again. Sure enough, he showed up at this conference, hoping to find a way to get close enough to Ronnie to get the information he needed. He never expected to marry her.

The sparks between Ronnie and Wes are incendiary from the start. In addition, Wes can be a charming and romantic guy. The backstory of his life after his father's death was heartbreaking, and his need to clear his father's name was understandable. He leaps at the chance to marry her but also feels guilty about the deception. Ronnie is bowled over by Wes's charm and willingness to help her and takes him up on his offer for a marriage of convenience.

I enjoyed watching the development of Ronnie and Wes's relationship. Their attraction was undeniable and irresistible from the beginning. Wes's charm and attention filled a hole in Ronnie's life, left by her mother's death and her father's actions. She fell hard for him very quickly. Wes doesn't expect to fall in love with Ronnie, but he does, and the guilt of his deception eats away at him. He wants to come clean but is afraid of her reaction. There are some sweet scenes between them as their love grows, but Wes always has that feeling of a sword hanging over his head.

Wes's secretive search for the information he needs continues. He knows his time is limited because as soon as Ronnie's cousin Caleb and his wife return from their honeymoon and see him, the jig will be up. But before he can confess to Ronnie, a family emergency brings everyone together, and the truth comes out. I ached for Ronnie and her pain at Wes's betrayal and for Wes, who only wants to love her. There is painful fallout from the revelation and a surprise that complicates their future. I loved the ending; an unexpected discovery changes everything and brings Wes and Ronnie back together. The epilogue, including a twist involving Ronnie's father, Jerome, was terrific. show less