Stripped by Tara Wyatt Series: Blue HEAT #1
Published by Avon Impulse
Publication Date: May 15th 2018
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense
Pages: 384
Source: Publisher
Format: eARC
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Disclaimer: I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely mine.
Detective Sawyer Matthews isn’t just having a bad day—he’s having the worst day. His hunt for the criminal who killed his team member has stalled and now… he’s got to play nice with his new, totally unwanted partner. It’s not that she isn’t qualified, or that he doesn’t like her—it’s because he knows what she looks like naked. So very, very naked.
Brooke Simmons finally landed her dream job working for H.E.A.T, an elite undercover detective squad, and she’s not giving up simply because she had a one-night-stand with her sullen—but undeniably sexy—new partner. They’ll just have to keep it professional. Easier said than done, considering their first case requires Sawyer to infiltrate a drug cartel operating out of a male strip show. Watching him do his best Magic Mike impression every night isn’t just hot—it’s torture.
Sawyer doesn’t need any distractions, yet his attraction to Brooke is explosive and he can’t resist going for round two. Or three. Or four. But as their investigation progresses and danger mounts, they’ll have to put their jobs, hearts, and lives on the line to fight… for each other, for survival, and for justice.
Review
I have enjoyed everything Tara Wyatt has written so far and this was no exception. I haven’t watched Magic Mike, so that may have added to this story being fresh and new to me. Combine that novelty with a steamy, sexy, forbidden romance and some suspense to make it one of my favorite books so far this year.
The hook for me is the overarching story-line and I’m counting down the days to the rest of the series, to see where the author is taking the story. However, the characters are really the enjoyable part of the story. Dedicated to their careers, but also wanting more than just the job. Both Brooke and Sawyer want a life outside of work, a lasting connection with someone, but will they let their fears and hangups get in the way of what they want or will they fight hard for it?
From a bad date to a one night stand to working with that one night stand, everything moves really fast for these characters. Sawyer is quite a package – a little bit of everything from sweet, sexy and thoughtful to a bit of an idiot who bungles the handling of his feelings for his partner – but he’s still adorable because he knows he’s found what he’s been looking for and is willing to put in the work to keep it. And besides, his dedication to his undercover role is very attractive!
Brooke was not exactly my favorite gal, especially with her having one foot out the door in everything but her job, but she came through when it counted, so all is forgiven.
The characters are easy to relate to and Brooke and Sawyer easily found a spot in my heart. Even the secondary characters will make you want to read more about them. This is a a solid start to the series and I am really looking forward to the rest of it.
About Tara Wyatt
Tara Wyatt is a contemporary romance author who's been making up love stories ever since she fell head over heels for the Backstreet Boys almost twenty years ago. Not content with merely daydreaming about Nick Carter, she grabbed a notebook and wrote what she now realizes was Backstreet Boy fan fiction.
After outgrowing her boy band obsession and obtaining an Honours B.A. in English Literature and Philosophy from McMaster University, her love of books and reading led her to pursue a Masters' degree in Library and Information Science at the University of Western Ontario. Currently, she works for a large public library system, where she has the arduous task of selecting books for children and young adults for the library's collection.
Winner of the Unpublished Winter Rose Award, Linda Howard Award of Excellence and the Heart of the West Award, Tara lives in Hamilton, Ontario with the cutest dog in the world and a husband that makes all of her heroes look like chumps.
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