This review was really hard for me to write. I spent more than a month contemplating what to even rate the book. On the one hand, there were some parts that I absolutely LOVED in this book! But there were other parts that had me double checking I was reading a KGI novel.
In most of the previous KGI books, and especially the ones involving the original Kelly siblings, there was a lot of action and danger involved in the storylines. I went into this book with that expectation, and that may be where I went wrong. I try really hard not to go into books with expectations, but I did with this book. Joe's book was not heavily littered with action throughout the book, but the threat of danger was always looming, so I was still intrigued. At times, while I truly enjoyed the storyline, I felt like this could be from a different series. While it carried the signature Maya voice, the style was closer to some of her sweeter series.
That being said, I still really liked the book, and enjoyed it even more on the re-read I did prior to writing my review, knowing the flow of the storyline. Joe is just as sweet, overprotective and loving as his brothers, and I really loved watching his "downfall" as the last standing brother. He was patient, kind and in tune with Zoe.
Zoe, while she may have her secrets, is not about to share them with Joe, causing some great tension while reading the book. (I love a good tension plot line.) A few times I just wanted to shout out to her to trust him with her secrets!
Another great aspect of this book was the setup for Rusty's eventual book. Tensions have never been higher between Sean and Rusty, and some parts, I felt the pages were ready to combust with the sexual tension! Maya has announced recently that Rusty will close out the series after another 3 books, so we all have a long time to wait!
Overall, I really liked the book, I would recommend it to any KGI or military romance fan, and I will be remembering Sweet Joe for a long time to come!

Confession time: I attempted a Maya Banks book a few years ago. I don't remember what it was called or even much about it, because I hated it and gave up pretty quickly. So, really, this is my first Maya Banks book. Brighter than the Sun was unexpectedly enjoyable since I wasn't sure I would be able to finish this book either.

"Zoe" is on the run from her mafia boss father and an ex-boyfriend who was using her for something. She enlists the help of Rusty Kelly, her BFF and hacker extraordinaire to create a new identity for her and help her escape. Rusty brings her home to the Kelly compound. The place is a fortress filled with her badass ex military brothers who now run a security/hostage rescue firm. If Zoe isn't safe there, its possible she will never be safe anywhere!

Joe is the only Kelly brother who isn't married and popping out kids. He is perfectly happy to keep his bachelor status! He sees Zoe as more than just a girl coming to visit her friend and recognizes the signs of fear and terror. He is determined to get to know her. Of course, you can imagine where this will lead!

The emotions are very well written and transverse the pages so much they had me in tears a few times. Once the story picks up, there is a lot of suspense and danger to keep you glued to the pages, and I really appreciated that. Lately I have been struggling with books that are straight contemporary romance with little action. Banks gives you PLENTY of action.

Now my dilemma? This was book 11 in the series. I have so much to go back and catch up on now that I realize I do, in fact, enjoy Maya Banks' books!

Brighter Than the Sun
KGI series book #11
Release Date: March 7, 2017
Review copy provided by the publisher

Sometimes when a series goes on for too long it loses its lustre. It stops feeling genuine and I lose interest. That is so not the case with the KGI series! Each new book feels like I'm unwrapping a much anticipated present!

Sweet baby Jesus...I love me some Joe Kelly! He is the last Kelly standing. I have wanted to see him fall hard for a deserving heroine. He's all laughs and teasing with his brothers, and teammates regarding their love lives. So, when Zoe comes into the Kelly fold, and trips up his heart, I was giddy!

Zoe is timid and weary of her growing attraction to Joe. I really liked watching the relationship unfold slowly. Joe knows that she's skittish and harbouring secrets that she's not ready to share. There is nothing that melts my heart more than a hero who sweetly builds up his heroine. Joe coddles Zoe, but he doesn't stunt her from becoming who she's meant to be.

This KGI book is a bit different from the rest in the series. It takes place mostly in the Kelly compound, on their home turf. While I love the adventures the foreign, and sometimes exotic, locations bring, there's something more intimate about the story taking place at their home. I felt like I was able to get to know the characters from previous, and upcoming books, better.

Even though the Kelly clan isn't jetting off to fight the bad guys in other countries, there's still plenty of heart stopping action! Zoe is on the run from someone who's suppose to protect her, her father. She's seeking refuge with her friend Rusty Kelly at the compound. She's hiding her problems from Joe and his family.

Like all of Maya Banks' books, this one is chalked full of emotion. No one can make me snot and bawl quite like Ms. Banks! But then I flip the page and things really steam up! The love scenes were nothing short of breath taking and delicious! I'm always left thinking...how does she do it?! How does this author pull so many emotions from me?! I haven't found the answer to that, and I really don't care...I want more!

I loved that I got to visit with the characters from previous books. I like getting snippets into their lives after they've had their HEA. I also liked getting a better look at the characters who haven't had their stories told just yet. It really amped up my anticipation for future books. But what I really really really loved, was the secondary story of Rusty and Sean. Jeezus, I sobbed! Freakin' sobbed reading their "Black moment". I can not wait for their book! I can't wait to see how Maya Banks makes Sean grovel. Ya, I'm gonna need that book real soon.

I have never walked away from a KGI book disappointed. And this book wasn't any different. I love family sagas and this series is most definitely that. No matter what crazy dangerous missions the teams are on, they know they have family to come home to. You should do yourself a favour and read this book. I suppose it could be read as a stand alone. However, I'm crazy OCD when it comes to reading a series in order. But, Maya does a great job filling in any gaps so you don't feel out of the loop. Between you and me...you should read the whole damn series!

Brighter Than The Sun is another superb book in the KGI series. On the surface it's exciting, sexy and suspenseful. At heart it's about family, friendship and unbreakable bonds. It was perfectly delivered to keep the reader engaged from beginning to end. The highlight for me was the gutwrenching setup for Rusty's book. I can't wait to read the next KGI novel.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary Netgalley copy of this book.

**ARC received from the author for an honest review**

Oh the Kelly boys....there's nothing better than action packed military men who believe in love and family above all else. Joe has held out the longest (if you don't count Rusty..and I DO!). He's always been so adamant against find gin the fairytale ending all his siblings have seemed to find. Each previous story for the Kelly world has had its true level of intrigue and danger. But Joe...oh Joe got a bit of a different type.

Brighter Than The Sun had a much more down-home country feel than the other novels. There was mystery in the begging as we met Rusty's friend, Zoe. She's assuming a new identity after running from a dangerous past that's turned against her. I was hoping that this would allow for a bit more danger throughout our story but it just wasn't there. What was there was seeing Joe's vulnerable side as his gut tells him to go after Zoe in there right way. Become her friend and show her that there ARE people in the world that you can trust and that are willing to protect you at all costs.

That being said the ending on this story had the typical KGI action and danger that any Banks fan is used to. I loved it! Despite the lack of action throughout Joe's story we got to see a bit of a different type of Kelly. Not that our other operatives aren't caring or kind...I mean they do rescue hostages for living. I liked that we got to see a Kelly, and especially Joe, more int heir home setting and the time in between missions.

Along with everyone else I am ANXIOUSLY awaiting Rusty and Sean's story. The teasers in this one were soooo good!

Review: BRIGHTER THAN THE SUN (KGI Series Book 11) by Maya Banks http://wp.me/p3d0RZ-896
Publication Date: March 7, 2017
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Reviewed by: Reading in Pajamas/ Donna
Rated: 5 STARS

I could not put this book down! At first I wasn’t sure about Zoe and her ultra-self-esteem issues, but I’m glad I got past that. It was a heartfelt romance that showcased Joe’s romantic side, as well as his patience. It wasn’t a super sexy novel, but it was gratifying all the same. The Kelly family banter is always fun and showcases how close knit they are during the good times and the bad. The story didn’t hold as much danger as the others did, but it sure kept me riveted. I loved it.

*Review copy provided by Penguin in exchange for an honest review.

FAV QUOTE: “Make love with me. Let me make love to you. Let me show you how very perfect it would be between us.”

✴✴✴REVIEW✴✴✴
So, I am not sure why I have not read all the books in this series. I keep thinking I have and I have not. Well, from my absent-mindedness I will tell you that they surely can be read out of order. Though I really want to read them all, I need a week staycation to get caught up though.
This like the others in the series that I have read are full of action, suspense, drama and redhot romance. Ms. Banks sure does know how to write those intimate scenes to get the blood a pumpin'.
This book focuses mainly on Joe "last man standin" Kelly and Zoe. Joe has witnessed all his brothers and a fair share of his friends fall and fall hard. He sure did fall hard and fast. His downfall is "Zoe" a friend of Rusty's who is running from her father and her ex. What better place to come than the Kelly's if you want to hide and be protected. Joe and Zoe are great together, he is patient where she is concerned and she needs it after what she went through. Zoe is not a push over though, just loving and wanting to be loved. Of course, she is keeping secrets and they get in the way and well as someone from her past. Joe must get over his hurt and rescue the girl he loves. This book does include some more the Rusty/Sean drama, so hopefully the next book will be about them because come on there are major sparks there.
You cannot beat Ms. Banks, so if you have not read her you should start and this is an excellent series to begin with.
4Stars
*I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book provided by the publisher.*

Maya Banks' KGI series has been hit and miss for me, but since this book featured Joe Kelly and I loved his twin's book (Whisper's in the Dark, KGI #4) so much, I had high hopes. I can't say that I disliked Brighter Than the Sun, but I can't particularly say that I liked it either.

Our heroine, Zoe, is fleeing her complicated past and goes home with her college friend, Rusty Kelly, the adopted sister of our hero, Joe. Joe is the last of his bachelor brothers and is determined to remain footloose and fancy free, but he takes one look at Zoe and basically changes his mind. There's some wooing, some cuteness, some bullets flying, and lots of Kellys.

However, this book is a miss for me, because Zoe doesn't seem to have much of a personality. She's the innocent ingenue who doesn't realize her own beauty, Joe is the stock alpha male character (with a surprisingly sensitive side), and there seem to be a lot of overwrought speeches about emotions.

Then there's the way that Rusty is treated, towards the end. I had been looking forward to seeing how her relationship with Kelly family friend, Sean Cameron, played out, but right now that whole thing is a big no thank you for me.

Brighter Than the Sun will probably please longtime KGI and Maya Banks fans, but it's not one I'm likely to reread.

Stella Cambridge is the daughter to one of the biggest criminals in the US, but she wasn't load, brash or anything you would think a crime bosses daughter would be! She is sweet, kind, shy and just wants her father to love or even care about her, but she know deep down that's not going to happen. But in her need for acceptance, she dates a man that she thought her dad would like. But when she overhears her boyfriend telling someone on the phone that her father doesn't care about her, and he is going to kill her, because she has become a nuisance, Stella runs to the only person that can help her, Rusty Kelly.

After getting Stella set up with the fake name of Zoe, and a new background that no-one would question, Rusty (the baby girl of the Kelly Family) takes her home to the KGI/Kelly compound. But then the last thing anyone would expect happens, Rusty's oldest "bachelor forever" brother falls for Zoe!...and I'm going to it there, mainly because I have revealed enough info already.

I'm thrilled to be reading another KGI book from the talented Maya Banks, I will be truthfully in saying that I haven't read even half of them, but it doesn't matter, as each story can be read as a standalone, but I will say Brighter than the Sun is a little different than the other KGI books I have read before, as this is really 1 and a half stories, as it's not only the story of Zoe and Joe, but Rusty and Sean's too.

This book also had me in ugly tears at several point, so for God sake! Keep your Kleenex handy, cause with this amazing plot and writing, you can help but fall in love with all of the characters! And go through the emotional devastation that Zoe, Joe, Rusty and Sean go through! And I will tell you all now!! I'm desperate for Rusty's full story!

Brighter than the Sun is another home run for Maya Banks, which is why I give it 5 stars!!

This story sounded really interesting on paper and I was excited to start it but once I did and time went on,
I was struggling to keep myself interested but kept failing at it.
I soon realized it wouldn't get any better and this was simply not for me.
I am sure others will enjoy it and maybe the cause of my failure is due to not following the whole series from the start.
Thank you immensely for the chance.

Joe Kelly doesn’t want to settle down. As the last Kelly holdout not living within the compound, he doesn’t want to settle down and is happy to watch his brothers settle down and avoid his mother’s matchmaking attempts and not so subtle hints. But, as typical with the Kellys, when they find their one any past declarations are forgotten in the single minded focus to make her his.

Zoe Kildare is reinventing herself, hiding with her college friend Rusty Kelly. She hasn’t had luck in any aspect of her life, and has some serious confidence issues and carries guilt caused by actions that are not her own. She is unsure about herself as she tries to find footing in her new life.

I loved watching Joe take great care with Zoe. He may not have known her past, but he knew she was skittish and needed someone to help her see herself. He is careful with her, and shows a great amount of patience as he waits for her to open up, but just as his brothers, when he decides Zoe is his one and only, he has to work to convince her of the same.

There was a great connection between Zoe and the other Kellys that fits, especially with Joe’s twin, Nathan, and Shea. I loved how quickly she was welcomed into the Kelly clan and how quickly she found at least some comfort in the large chaotic group.

The other fun part of this book is the amount of Rusty and Sean we get. As Zoe is Rusty’s best friend, she is involved in the story quite a bit, and though their story is not settled at all, it is so much fun to watch them interact. Sean and Rusty have not had an easy time, nor are their interactions new, but the setup from this book is a fantastic teaser for the possibility of more for these two.

As this is a long standing series and the Kellys are a large family, there are plenty of cameos by the previous characters, as well as the new team members that have been added to KGI over the years. There is a lot going on here, with teasers of Sean and Rusty, updates on all the other brothers and teammates, and of course Joe and Zoe’s beginning, but all that adds up to page turning action that keeps moving whether they are having a quiet moment on the lake or in the middle of danger.

I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a bit of a departure from the norm in a series which is full of action packed adventures. The various members of the tactical teams have found romance while under the threat of fire but this story is much slower paced with a lot of emotion and no where near as much action as in the past.  
Zoe is the daughter of a criminal master mind.  She made friends with Rusty Kelly when they both attended the same college.  When Zoe finds herself caught up in her father's world and in danger she reaches out to the only friend she has for help.  Fortunately for Zoe, Rusty Kelly has watched her brothers rescue victims and set them up with new identities far from the dangers that stalk them. Rusty helps Zoe set up a new identify and lay a false trail to keep the criminals pursuing her from finding her.
Rusty then brings her friend home into the secure Kelly compound to spend the summer with her at her parents home.  It seems all the warriors in the KGI tactical teams are also home for the summer training and assimilating new recruits into their teams.
Joe Kelly is the only unattached Kelly brother.  He's quite happy with his bachelor life and has no intentions to succumbing to his brother's teasing or his mother's attempts at match making until he sees Zoe across his parent's backyard.  Before he knows it, he finds himself making overtures to show her the local area and get to know her better. Joe has seen wounded victims before and recognizes that he'll need to go slow with Zoe and coax her story out of her while he woos her and shows her how beautiful he finds her.
Unfortunately Zoe's past catches up with her and she's taken from Joe's home which is the only house outside the compound.  The author gives her readers no indication how the bad buys found Zoe because the identify that Rusty prepared for her is so rock solid that even Donavan couldn't break it.  Never the less we have the hostage rescue action that brings the team together and bonds them.
When the dust settles from the accusations and counteraccusations there will be some hurts that will take a long time healing.  I can't wait to see how the next book will play this out.

I have missed the Kelly's and KGI. Zoe and Joe are such a cute couple. What shined for me is Rusty. I can not wait for her and Sean's story!

BRIGHTER THAN THE SUN may be a <i>KGI Novel</i>, but it's low on suspense and action (only toward the end). There's a thread of fear and tension that's being carried by Zoe (heroine), who was running from someone who wanted to kill her, but I have to say it wasn't that well done, as I didn't <i>feel</i> it myself. Overall, I was disappointed.

Let's now talk about Zoe, one of the disappointing factors. She spent the whole novel afraid and scared shitless of her own shadow. Sure, she had cause--who wouldn't be if someone is out to get you?--plus, her self-esteem and sense of self-worth were eroded by her father, a crime boss. HOWEVER, I'd have liked to see her show a bit of spine even one <curse word> time! So, it was really hard to like her, and hard to root for her. She was pitiful and didn't seem to want to break out of that mold.

Next, the villains. Don't get me started. They were one-dimensional and off-screen most of the time. It seemed they were only there to get the entire KGI team to action at the end, because of course, the bad guy had to come after Zoe, since she was running from them, right?

Next, Joe had these protective instincts for Zoe about 5 minutes after he met her. This seemed to communicate to him that he's f*cked, because it means he's met "the one". But at this point, it's basically chemistry, because Zoe barely said "hi" to him. Then two days later, it's love love love. And for this reader, it's not believable, because what is there to admire in Zoe?

Lastly, info dumping in places (maybe for the reader's benefit, especially for those who are new to the series), repetitive, rambling and unrealistic dialogue...and maybe I should give this a 2 stars instead.

The only redeeming factor, I feel, is Joe. I really liked the way he "changed" his approach and attitude--becoming laid back and teasing and non-threatening--because he thought that was what Zoe needed to feel safe.

Series fans would also be delighted to see cameos from characters in the previous books, though for a new reader like me, who didn't know their backstory, everything was a jumble, because there were just too many of them. The author also sets the scene for Rusty and Sean's book, and I have to admit that seems more interesting than Zoe and Joe's story.

Overall, I would recommend new readers to start from book 1 and see if the book and the series would be to your liking.

The books in the KGI series are either a hit or a miss for me. The last book was amazing but this one was a miss.

I didn't like Zoe, at all. She wasn't a strong heroine and I couldn't connect with her. After a while, I was wishing she'd be quiet. I wasn't interested in her receiving an HEA.

The insta-love storyline was what sunk the read for me. In the beginning of the book, Joe was completely against finding a wife or even settling down with anyone. He comes face-to-face with Zoe, and all of the sudden he's asking her on a date and ready to get serious. I was annoyed more than anything. The lack of chemistry between Joe and Zoe was the final nail in the coffin.

I'm disappointed I didn't like the book better.

***ARC provided in exchange for an honest review***

4.5 Star Review of Brighter Than The Sun (KGI #11) by Maya Banks

This is book 11 in the KGI series. Having read the previous books I was excited to see what Maya Banks had in store for Joe Kelly. The last brother holding out for bachelorhood, that is until his sister Rusty, brings home a friend who is in trouble, Zoe.

This series is one of my favourites and I wasn’t disappointed. Although this book, like the others can be read as a stand-alone, I would recommend you read the previous books if possible as it makes it easier when characters from previous books appear.

As we have come to expect from the KGI series, the men are tough, alpha males not afraid to charge, sometimes violent but always determined to succeed. The last thing Joe wants is love and commitment.

Zoe's life has been filled with pain, complications and heartbreak and she has no intention of falling for anyone, least of all Joe Kelly. However, fate intervenes when trouble from Zoe's past puts her life in danger and it is Joe who has to step in and save her.
Although Zoe is leading a life of pretense, Joe can see underneath to the true woman below the surface and becomes both intrigued and infatuated with her; it is his strength and support that allows Zoe to come into her own and bloom.

The chemistry between Joe and Zoe is intense and I have a soft spot for all the Kelly clan but perhaps Joe may now be my favourite. I enjoy the fact that several of the characters from her previous books make appearances.

I really do love Rusty Kelly and I hope that she eventually gets the happily ever after that she so deserves.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book through NetGalley from the publisher.

The latest of the KGI books and this time it is the youngest of the Kelly boys turn. Joe wasn't looking for love until she showed up. She is his sister Rusty's best friend and she is on the run. This goes back to what KGI does best - help people and Zoe needs help. Joe takes an instant like to Zoe but finds it best to take the soft approach.
It tasks Joe, Rusty, and the rest of the KGI team to get Zoe free of her past so she can look to the future.

I hate insta-love, especially when the characters are running from insta-love failure and should know better. Even the action can't make up for the bad taste this one leaves.

I hate insta-love. Insta-love feels like it is forced down your throat like yucky medicine.

In Brighter than the Sun, Rusty (adopted sister of the Kelly boys) has brought home an old college friend to stay with her at the Kelly base camp. What she hasn't told everyone is that Zoe Kildaire is a fake person that Rusty has used her I.T. skills and listening to her big brothers to create. Stella Cambridge is on the run from both her father, a mafia kingpin, and her boyfriend, who thought he would earn a place in her father's organization by screwing her. Once the boyfriend finds out that Stella's father doesn't care about her, he decides that killing her might just send the message he wants instead.

Rusty hasn't told anyone Stella/Zoe's story, but when you have a group like the Kellys who spend all their time rescuing people from bad situations, they can see pain and fear radiating off her. Zoe's pain catches the attention of the only single brother left, Joe Kelly. Not only can he see her pain but she is soooo beautiful. Zoe is that beautiful that doesn't realize how beautiful she is because she didn't get love from her daddy and her mom abandoned her, and she must have taken all of the mirrors from the house when she left. So we were forced to listen to Joe's constant flabbergast that Zoe is beautiful. When she smiles, she beautiful. No, when she laughs, she is even more beautiful. In fact, everything is beautiful, the day, their lovemaking, Joe. It's all beautiful.

And a little side note, Rusty and Zoe dye her hair from red to blond but when Joe and Zoe finally have sex, Joe doesn't make any comment about the color difference, especially since he was still trying to figure everything out. Hmmm. You think it would have been something he commented on.

The big issue here with insta-love is that Zoe is there because she is running for a man she didn't realize was using her. Zoe is only there for one day before she has to meet all of the Kellys and their wives and kids and the other team members, and their families, who are all at the camp for training. Joe sees how overwhelmed and frightened Zoe is and it upsets him. Really, who wouldn't be upset being in a crowd of about 50 or so family and friends and knowing only 1 person. You didn't need to be running from danger, you just have to be an introvert. Hell, this is me every holiday with my in-laws. Joe offers to take the nervous and beautiful Zoe out the next day to show her around his favorite haunts so he can make her less nervous and get all her secrets out of her. He is taking her alone--not Zoe and Rusty so that Zoe can get used to him. They go alone!

Come on think about it, a family that live together like this on a compound, with guns and military training. Throw in a little banjo music and suddenly you have a cult or doomsday preppers.

So Zoe, who is running from a boyfriend who wanted to kill her and obviously has issues with selecting men, agrees to go on a non-date alone with Joe, who she only just met. Joe staunchly defends his action as only being friendly to Rusty's friend and for no one to make any issue of it, but two days later, they are in love. IN LOVE?? Super attracted, I get. In lust, understandable. FOREVER AND EVER IN LOVE? No! It felt so awkward.

Even though it needed to be rushed since we had to get the KGI saving the day portion of the story, it could have been extended out in vague narratives of how Joe would show up at his mom's house to eat dinner every day for the last month since Zoe arrived. Watching movies together or just sitting and relaxing, but for a period of time. Something that would have given them a real chance to get to know each other or at least Zoe would have a real chance to relax and trust Joe with her story.

I have been not thrilled with the three of the last four KGI stories but I would hold out for Rusty and Sean's story. We get a bit of a set up here, and although I could almost guess where we are going, I would still read it. Except it appears that Rusty will not be the subject of the next story. Maya Banks has indicated she will only be doing five more KGI stories, and I might just skip it altogether until we get to Rusty's story. At least we know it won't be insta-love since these two have been dancing around each other for years.

4.5 Stars

I had to go through all of my books because I can't believe I have never read a book by Maya Banks before. Where have I been? Because as I was scrolling through her titles, which includes over 50, I realized that this hidden gem is one that needs to be further explored.

Her newest release is coming up quickly. It's a continuation of a series that includes suspense, romance and even a few tears.

I know what it's like to see someone and just know they are the one you were meant to be with. That's what happen with my husband and I. So when people scoff at stories that include instant connections, I not only understand them, but I crave them.

The author has a remarkable talent for crafting a story that completely draws you in. Weaving in people and situations from prior novels just makes me want to go back and read every one. They all seem include a magical connection with that special someone. With the love so profound, it's hard to imagine the depth of feelings the author pours into her writing.

Brighter Than the Sun is a beautiful story. With humor, wit, sarcasm, fun-loving, deep family connections, and even some bad guys, this book shines! To top it all off, it even offers suspense and a damsel in distress. We are also given an amazing HEA and the set up for the next story that I know is going to break my heart.

Now that Maya Banks has been put on my radar, I'm off to load up my wish list for more of her great reads.

Great read. Better then the last few books that have been published.