A dangerous adventure fueled by love…

I really enjoyed this high-octane, adventure-filled romantic suspense. McKenzie was mourning her brother but charging that grief with determination. In his memory she was going to complete his bucket list. Just because she is shy and quiet, not adventurous at all, doesn’t mean she can’t accomplish all the exciting things Liam had left to do. She may have joked ‘even if it killed her’. Never, ever tempt fate…

“This is for Liam.”

Noah was on a quest of his own but he didn’t expect McKenzie to be as brave and fearless, and intoxicating, as she turned out to be. He needed to get close to her and that wasn’t a hardship until the lies became too much. He wanted their desire and chemistry to be based on truth, not lies…

“She’s nothing but a job – the mark I’m supposed to get close to…”

Bullets were flying but the sizzle between Noah and McKenzie trumped it all. Noah was ex-military strong and more than capable to handle the harrowing situations. Surprisingly, McKenzie rose to the challenge and met every situation head on, going with the flow even when she was scared witless. Working together, even with Noah’s hidden agenda, they made a great team.

It was good writing and an intriguing story that didn’t end even with this couple’s HEA. There’s more to come and I’m looking forward to it!

**3.5 Stars**

McKenzie, a wedding dress designer, is taking the plunge. No, not marriage, an actual plunge. She's in Costa Rica getting ready to jump into a waterfall. McKenzie is honoring the memory of her older brother, Liam, a SEAL, who recently died during a mission. She's systematically working through Liam's bucket list, the one he's had and continually added to since they were kids. As McKenzie works up the courage to jump, she sees a man, dressed in black, emerge from the trees, and as she's plummeting to the water below, hears gunshots. Thankfully, as she realizes from Jorge, her tour guide, upon waking, a bullet only grazed her shoulder.

Noah, a former SEAL, is finally close to exacting his revenge for the deaths of his wife and daughter. Yes, he's become acquainted with some bad people due to his determination, but it'll be worth it. He's currently meeting with the leader of a cartel, and the man wants to know about the weapons shipment he paid Noah for, especially since the person responsible for acquiring them, Liam, is dead. Something Noah didn't know. He then informs Noah the information he needs is probably with Liam's sister, disguised as a bucket list.

The two meet in Vegas as McKenzie is fulfilling another item on the list. When she sees the sexy man watching her at the club, she decides to live as her brother did, to the fullest. Plus, there are some tasks she'll need help with and she has the feeling he can fulfill the kinky sex requirements. Though the chemistry between them is explosive, and they're on their way to exploring it, they're interrupted by Noah's cell and the night ends differently than McKenzie had hoped.

A week later, Noah has ensured McKenzie will have to rely on him for the next section of the bucket list. Plans he's aware of because she accidentally left the list in his hotel room. McKenzie accepts, hoping they can follow through on what they'd started in Vegas. But McKenzie doesn't know Noah is there, with her, for his own purposes.

Will Noah succumb to the passion between him and McKenzie? Or will he deny them both, knowing it's a line he shouldn't cross? How far will Noah push McKenzie's boundaries? What happens when the connection they share becomes so much more? How far is Noah willing to go for his revenge? Has Noah truly gone to the other side? How will McKenzie react upon learning Noah's ulterior motive for getting close to her? Can she ever trust him again? Can she believe his declarations of love? Who is behind the attempts on her? Can Noah keep her safe? Will McKenzie ever forgive Noah? Was Liam truly selling weapons? If not, was he framed and can his name be cleared? Can they both move on from their individual painful pasts? Is there a HEA for Noah and McKenzie?

One-click now and follow along as a man falls for his target, the woman who can help him in his quest for revenge. I liked this premise and the characters. The chemistry between Noah and McKenzie was intense and the sex scenes were steamy. I'm looking forward to book two, Walker's, a teammate of Liam's, story.

On a purely personal note, I wish McKenzie had been the first woman Noah had been with since losing his wife, Sarah. Also, the number of years since Sarah's death varies. It starts off at three and a half, then Noah is mentally thinking (as he's waking up snuggled with McKenzie) how it's been almost six years since he woke up next to a woman, not allowing himself to spend the night with one since losing Sarah. Another scene we have Noah telling McKenzie what happened and he says almost four. So, which is it? I'm guessing the former (and the almost four) as it's the one mentioned the most, but some continuity would be nice.

**I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.**

DNF at less than 30%..McKenzie's brother dies and then she gets boat with with a stranger to finish her brother's bucket list !?!?!!? That is CRAZY!!

DNF.
This book just did not click with me for some reason, so I did not leave a review for it on any platform. I will give it a try again in the future - maybe it was a timing thing.

<b>Hotness Rating 3 out of 5</b>

Hold on tight. Rogue is sure to take you on a fast-paced, adventure filled, sexy ride. This first book of the Phoenix Rising series sets us up perfectly for the future books of this series without bogging us down with background. I feel like first in series books sometimes suffer from all background and setup while neglecting the current story and what the reader needs to really connect. Brynley is the queen of balance. I can't wait to read on and find out what exactly is going on, but was very invested and connected to the characters of Rogue.

Noah was always proud to be a SEAL but when he crossed the wrong people and lost his wife and daughter because of it he could think of nothing but getting revenge even if that meant partnering with other bad guys to achieve his ultimate goal. It was all a game of give and take. He gets what these guys need and they give him the assistance he needs to take down the man he wants. So, when asked to find info on missing weapons and Noah finds that a pretty young woman possibly holds this information he is convinced it'll be a walk in the park.

McKenzie has always been the cautious, thoughtful one in the family. But, losing her Navy SEAL brother has enticed her to shake things up a little. Armed with his precious bucket list McKenzie has decided to complete it oblivious or in spite of the danger she is placing herself in.

Noah was heartbreaking and focused not seeming to care who he took down in his mission of vengeance. There were times where I was unsure if his grief had such a hold that he couldn't shake it to see the gift of a second chance that was literally thrown right in his path. I loved how the romance between this couple developed without seeming rushed but also not drawn out unnecessarily. Again, Queen of balance our Brynley Blake. The drama came from the external forces going on around the couple rather than manufactured between them. I cannot tell you how much of an annoyance it is when characters create more drama between themselves than necessary or makes sense to have.

We're left with unanswered questions, but not exactly what I would call a cliffhanger. That doesn't mean you won't be waiting on the edge of your seat for the next book. I know I am.

Thank you to NetGalley for the loan of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Yet again it seems I'm the odd one out with my review so take it for what it's worth...

DNF 30%

I liked the premise of the book but I found McKenzie's character to be far too naive. You have a girl reeling from the death of her brother who she knows was on a top secret mission who decides to just jump on a boat with someone who knows absolutely nothing about to finish her brother's bucket list. While I liked the idea of these together, the notion that she is so trusting doesn't fit with what she knows about her brother's death.

This was a sticking point I just couldn't get past unfortunately.

Hmmm. What to say. It was not bad, and it did keep me entertained, however, it did contain, for me anyway, too much sex, that I felt detracted from story. McKenlie was still grieving the death of her brother Liam who she had on a pedestal and believed he could do no wrong. Liam was a Navy Seal killed in the line of Duty, and he leaves a bucket list behind and she feels she has to complete it, and while she is doing this she comes in contact with danger and she also feels closer to Liam. While doing this she meets Noah, who she is instantly attracted to. Noah is working for a drug cartel and assigned to get the bucket list from McKenzie, but when he sees her, she is not what he expected and there are sparks flying, he tries to fight the chemistry, because he has an agenda, which is to get revenge on those who killed his wife and daughter, and getting involved with McKenzie could disrupt that. He manipulates the situation so that she has to get his help in finishing list and they fall in love. Of course, she ends up finding out who he is and what he does, and is heartbroken, but who is he really? We do not get all the answers in this book.

I love love loved reading Rogue! It was everything! I was left with the feeling of wanting more! I couldn’t get enough. The was action, mystery, adventure, and chemistry that burned up each and every page. I mean any book that starts with a bucket list has the being markings of a winner. McKenzie is on a mission to complete the bucket list that her brother wrote before his death. What she didn’t count on was bizarre run ins with people shooting at her with guns but of course that could be a total coincidence. Following on adventure to Vegas with her girls, she gets a chance run in with a sexy stranger. Only problem is she’s not a stranger to him, Noah runs into McKenzie with the sole purpose of getting that list and finding out how much she knows of her Navy SEAL brother’s past misgivings. She thinks he is nice man willing to help her complete the list but when his ulterior motives come to light things get interest. The twist and turns are endless and continue till the very end. I can easily give this novel 5 stars and I will be impatiently waiting for the next novel in this new fabulous series!

5.0 out of 5 stars New author for me., May
This was my first experience with this author, although it won't be the last since many threads are left hanging at the end of this book. I will definitely need to find out what happens with Walker and Gemma. So, this book was seriously sexy, like burning hot. McKenzie started off pretty timid but determined to compete her brother's bucket list. Noah was sent by the cartel to see if her brother's list was more than it seemed. McKenzie has no idea who he really is and readily accepts his help with some of the more tricky list items. Noah doesn't intend to fall for her. Despite his intentions, the couple has amazing chemistry, and they bring out the best in each other. When attempts are made on McKenzie's life, they realize more is going on than either imagined.

I didn't go into reading this book knowing it was a cliffhanger. I still would have read it, but I like to know going in. Thankfully, the relationship aspects got resolution even though the suspense aspects did not. I was hooked in quickly, and I'm glad Net Galley gave me a chance to check out an author who was unfamiliar to me in exchange for an honest review.

This was a short romantic suspense novel that was sexy and filled with a lot of traveling and action. Mackenzie pays tribute to her action loving, Navy SEAL brother who has recently died. She takes his bucket list and starts doing it from jumping off a cliff in Costa Rica to a fun-filled gambling night in Vegas. This is where she meets dark and mysterious Noah who happens to be a willing partner in the sexy part of that list. Little did she know that Noah has his own ulterior motives in seducing her. As the travel around fulfilling everything on the list, little did Mackenzie know that the guy she trusts with her life is the same one who might end it.

Rogue is a very sexy, lighthearted suspense thriller that really keeps readers guessing on Noah's ultimate end game and when Mackenzie will start questioning his motives and where the relationship is ultimately headed.

First time on author but it would seem she also is using this as opening in a series. This will center around McKenzie and Noah. The military will have a place in this also which is reason I was drawn to this one. There will also be a bucket list that will be the center of quite a bit. Me personally think if possible live today fully not wait but many do this which gives good reading. You also could say this is the good vs the bad with both being caught. The list is the magnet but the magnatism will also shoot from a couple. This author will give quite a adventure with you following every minute. Danger stranger but in this case it is a different kind of danger lol. This is one that will keep you riveted until you reach the conclusion with who the winner is besides us the readers will have unfolded.

Rogue is hot romantic suspense! McKenzie is living out her deceased brother, Liam's, bucket list, trying to be bold and fearless like he was. "I want to be like Liam--reckless and bold and fearless." From Costa Rica to Vegas and the Philippines to Malaysia, his bucket list will take McKenzie all over the globe and give her the adventure (and love and sex) of a lifetime. What McKenzie doesn't know is that Liam's bucket list isn't just valuable to her for its sentimentality, it's valuable to a drug kingpin to whom Liam had sold arms and then never delivered those arms to him. So now that kingpin has sent his man Noah after McKenzie. Noah's mission is to get the list, figure out the clues it has to contain, and do what he will with McKenzie. What Noah didn't expect was to fall in love with McKenzie, his mark.

As Noah and McKenzie meet in Vegas and then later in the Philippines, they don't know they're about to embark upon not just an adventure, but a journey where they'll fall in love. At first Noah is hot and cold with McKenzie. He's trying to hold back from the connection he feels with her because he doesn't want to hurt her anymore than he knows he will when he disappears with the list, but he can't ultimately resist her. He's a dominant man, and McKenzie is just begging for him to show her what a little BDSM with a dominant guy like him will do for the goddess just waiting inside her. And show her, he does! In lots of hot, sexy ways with rope and feathers and ice and leather and restraints and blindfolds. But, Noah doesn't have it in him to love another (or so he thinks) after knowing he got his wife and daughter killed, so he doesn't realize he's fallen for her until she's kidnapped from right under his nose. Will Noah be able to rescue her? Will he ever get to tell her he loves her?

If you like your romantic suspense with loads of steamy sexy, lots of suspenseful action and beautiful locations, you absolutely have to read Rogue. Not only are Noah and McKenzie hot and sweet together, but this is just the start of a new series. Walker's book is next, and if he lives up to the promise he showed in Rogue, it's going to be just as great as Noah and McKenzie's story.

What an adventure! This book transports you from steamy Costa Rica, glittering Las Vegas and the sun drenched Philippine­s.

I was along for the ride McKenzie had em­barked upon to honor her brother Liam by completing his buck­et list. She stepped outside her comfort zone right away in the book and I loved watching her come into herself. All with the help of hunky Noah! They steamed up the pages from the moment of meeting and it just kept goin­g.

Lots of twists and turns throughout the book, with a good do­se of BDSM. This is my first book by Bry­nley Blake, but it won't be my last. Even being written in first person, she sea­mlessly transitions from McKenzie to Noa­h's POV - which lets you get in each of their heads. I can't wait for the next book in this series.

This is the beginning of a new series, this one being Noah and McKenzie's story. It is the typical dominant male/alpha guy with lots of sexy bad boy times. If this isn't your type of book, be warned. I wish I would have connected with the characters a bit more, but still a decent read. Would recommend only if you really like this type of book.

You might recall that I recently used this cover for L4C. I mean, LOOK AT HIS ARM/SHOULDERS. I have A Thing for good arm porn. I am weak for such covers. And I do like a SEAL (or former SEAL) hero, so I took a chance and grabbed this one from NG. And once again, I wish I had not.



The plot is pretty much exactly what you see in the blurb, so I’m not going to spend too much time going over it. My biggest issues really don’t connect to the plot (though I don’t really have anything overly positive to say about it, either).



Mackenzie’s brother, a SEAL, died in a mission recently. He left her a bunch of money (which she doesn’t question how/where he got it, btw) and his bucket list. Her life has been quite straightforward, perhaps boring, even. But she decides to take his bucket list and start crossing the things off – even though Liam was the opposite of her, and everything on the list is the last thing she’d ever think of/want to do. She jumps off a waterfall in Costa Rica, goes to Vegas with her friends, etc., etc. There’s also some sex related items on the list, but what exactly they are, I’m still not sure, as we’re never told. Just a vague “she needs to do kinky sex things with someone”. Also, since I got the impression that Liam was NOT a shy prude with his sex life, I’m still not sure WHY he had “kinky sex” – hell, ANY sex act – on his bucket list in the first place. That did not fit his character at all, but I guess it was needed for the “romance” set up between Mackenzie and Noah? Your guess is as good as mine.



Noah was a SEAL, but when a mission he was on in Mexico went wrong, and his wife and baby girl were killed by the drug lord, he went a bit off the deep end for a bit, mad for revenge. Basically, he ended up being discharged from the service and shortly after made his own plans to get revenge on his family’s killer. Said plans involve infiltrating another major drug lord’s group. Anyway, his “boss” wants the guns that Liam had, and sends Noah to find the sister and this bucket list; he thinks the list is a treasure map to where the guns were hidden. I don’t know, it all seemed a bit confusing and far-fetched to me, and not very well explained, but I stuck with it, hoping it would get better.



Noah follows her to Vegas and approaches her; they share a lil’ kiss and grope, but then they split ways before doing anything more. He ends up with the list, as it fell out while she was in his hotel room. Note: She keeps the list in her bra at all times because she wants this last piece of Liam – handwritten by him and all – with her. And yet SOME HOW she doesn’t notice the list missing until DAYS later when she runs into Noah again, who just happens to have it? Okay. Sure.



He convinces her (ha, manipulates the situation around her) to allow him to drive the boat for the next thing on her list. Now at this point, I’m about 30% in and honestly do not care one bit for either of them or the story. I should have just DNFed then. But I stuck around, and from there it only gets worse. Because I still never grow to like them – or hell, even really know these characters, even though this is told from alternating 1st POV! – and I’m not even really invested in the story of the brother and the missing guns, and on top of that, I have ALL THE FUCKING ISSUES with the sex. Or rather, the poorly done BDSM.



Let’s start from the beginning of their sexual relationship. This is really such a minor thing, more of a “Haha, what? No!” moment compared to the WTFery that comes later, but I figure it’s best to start small and give you a laugh first. They’re out to dinner, and in the middle of the restaurant, Noah tells her to go in the bathroom and take off her bra and panties. She gets up and does so. But here’s the thing that gets me: she hides BOTH her bra and her thong into her hand and walks back to the table. HOW BIG IS HER FUCKING HAND? Look at your bra – can you ball that up and hide it within your fisted hand? Even a training bra wouldn’t really fit in this situation! She gets back to the table, he takes both from her, SNIFFS THE THONG – in the middle of a damn restaurant, remember! – and then puts the bra and thong into his pocket. HOW? Are her underthings literally the size of a Barbie doll? How do you put a bra into a pants pocket?



Like I said, this part is such a silly thing to call out, but this was only the beginning. My issues get much more serious now.



There’s some poorly done BDSM in here. Surprise BDSM, at that, because this was clearly a case of “Let me jump on the wagon for this trend/money maker even though I don’t know how to write it correctly and it really doesn’t fit the character or story at all”. That alone pisses me off. I’m all for some good kinky romances, but I’m tired of authors throwing it in because it’s popular. It’s not a damn throwaway trope, so stop treating it like one, please.




I knew better than to protest this time. He’s made it clear that he will do as he pleases.




But here’s my biggest problem with all of the BDSM in this book: it’s done without any discussion, without the heroine understanding what she’s getting into, and without the consent and trust that a BDSM relationship REQUIRES in order for it to be kinky fun and not, you know, unsafe and questionable sexual activity. He doesn’t explain to her what he wants, what he’s going to do, or what she should expect. He doesn’t ask her for a safe word, doesn’t ask her what her limits are, doesn’t do ANY OF IT. He just starts bossing her around because “he’s a Dom and he knows what she needs” bullshit, binding her up, blindfolding her, and going to town on her.



THAT. IS. NOT. OKAY. THAT. IS. NEVER. OKAY.




I tug on the bindings. My arms and legs don’t budge, and I feel a small flare of panic that I quickly tamp down.




She doesn’t know anything about BDSM, she’s never given a chance to say “Hey, just don’t do this thing, I’m not interested” or “Hey, can you talk me through what it’s like to be suddenly BOUND so I’m not panicking”. If your partner is, at any point, panicked by what is going on, or not feeling comfortable during a scene YOU ARE DOING IT ALL WRONG AND THAT IS NOT CONSENSUAL OR SAFE OR FUCKING RIGHT. And yet that’s how all their shitty-BDSM sex scenes go: with him pushing all these new things on her, without asking first, without talking to her at all, and her just having to take them, even as she freaks out – on more than one occasion – before ultimately giving in because he has the magical orgasm-giving peen or some shit.




“Sarah was fragile, and not very independent or resilient. Back then, it was what attracted me to her. There’s one thing that makes dominant men tick---and I was dominant, even though I didn’t know what to call it then—and that’s that we want to be needed as much as submissives need to be wanted. And Sarah definitely needed me. She aroused my instincts.”




Then we have the fact that despite his claims that he’s this Dom who knows what he’s doing, he’s really not. His actions say that loud and fucking clear to anyone who knows even basic BDSM rules. No Dom would do this shit. But then later we get this quote from him (Sarah was his wife) and I wanted to throw something at his head because THAT IS NOT HOW A DOM/SUB RELATIONSHIP WORKS STOP IT! And he tries to pull the “Oh, but I’ve since learned that I really want a sub who is strong and pushes back and you’re that sub for me *wink*” which doesn’t fix ANYTHING other than still prove that he is not a Dom and shouldn’t have anyone submitting to him, ever.




And I’ve been waiting for this one moment, this one man, to set me free.




Also, can we not with the heroine thinking that this magical man (and more specifically his magical penis) has finally come along to free her from her cage and give her endless orgasms as she flies off into the sunset? Look, exploring your sexuality with a partner CAN be awesome and informative and perhaps even life-changing in that you learn things about yourself that you didn’t know before. That’s one thing. But THIS comes across as “she has zero sexual agency herself and was just wasting away waiting for Magical Hero to dick her to personal freedom” and that’s such bullshit. And make no mistake, she really doesn’t have any sexual agency here, no growth to find herself or what she likes, because it’s all based around what HE gives her, what HE makes her do, what HE wants, all in order to “push her limits”, limits that HE has decided on by himself.



That’s not how this works, that’s not how any of this works. I cannot repeat that enough in regards to the BDSM in this book.



So, back to the unsafe BDSM, let me give you a few glimpses into THEIR FIRST TIME TOGETHER. Remember again, he didn’t talk to her, didn’t ask for her limits or likes/dislikes, just used her as his own sex toy, basically.




I have no idea when he set this up, but he clearly has it all planned out, and I’m not sure if the thought of his premeditation is terrifying or exhilarating.




Oh, I know the answer, dear (stupid) heroine: TERRIFYING. FFS.



He sets up a game where he binds her up, blindfolds her, and then takes different objects and rubs them on her body. She has to guess what they are: a correct guess will earn her 2 minutes of an erotic massage later, a wrong guess will earn her 2 minutes of punishment. If this book had been done in a GOOD BDSM-positive way, that could have been one fun and sexy tease of a game. But because it was happening in this book, where she’s left in the dark and has no say in what they do, I was turned waaaay off by this entire scene.




The bristles scrape across again, and I whimper. “Some kind of brush. But not a soft one.”

“A toothbrush,” he confirms. “I’ll give you that one.” When it feels like my poor nipples have been chafed enough, he brushes downward, guiding the bristles over my stomach and pelvis and to my sex, grazing my clit. I desperately try to close my legs, but they’re too firmly tied. I want to close them, but the restraints are holding me open, helpless to whatever he wants to do.




There’s a feather (okay, that’s normal), there’s even an ice cube at one point (again, nothing too unusual there) but there’s also dental floss, which he uses to make DIY nipple clamps/bows (Wha?), a toothbrush which he uses to brush her nipples – and her clit (WTAF? -- also, I hope to fuck that it was a new toothbrush, but considering this hero and his shit, who knows?). Oh, and a chopstick, which, when he draws it across her skin, she freaks out and thinks he’s got a knife and is trying to cut her.



Here’s my surprised face at her not trusting him and thinking a chopstick is a knife:



THAT’S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DON’T TALK ABOUT SAFETY AND PLANS AND GET HER CONSENT AND INPUT BEFORE A SCENE STARTS, DUMBASS.



He brushes her worry aside as “Well, the mind can fuck with what you think you’re experiencing, but you just need to trust me” bull shit. THAT’S THE ENTIRE PROBLEM, DICKHEAD: SHE DOESN’T TRUST YOU. Their scenes are not built on safe, consensual power dynamics, so no, douchebag, you don’t get to write her panic off as kinky mindfucking. Mindfucking CAN be a thing in a scene, but again, for the person in the back -- IT REQUITES TRUST AND BOUNDARIES SET UP FIRST. And that is NOT done here, ever.




I try to focus on his cock, which is impressively erect and still wet with my saliva, but now that the real world has encroached and reminded me it’s there, I can’t help casting furtive glances around us to see if anyone is nearby.
Noah steps back abruptly, pulling his cock from my mouth and lifting me to my feet. “Whether anyone can see you or not shouldn’t be your concern,” he says brusquely. “Right now, you exist for my pleasure, and if I want to show you off, I will.”

[….]

“What are you going?” I ask, the edge of panic I’m feeling tinging my words.

“No talking, baby. Just experiencing. Do I need to gag you?”




Oh, but this continues throughout the book. He strips her naked and ties her to the mast of his ship --- I’m not even joking – and she’s not at all comfortable with it because they’re out in the open, docked, and she’s afraid people might see her. And he doesn’t give a single shit, just keeps her there and distracts her with orgasms to forget that she’s NOT OKAY WITH THIS. Again, doesn’t stop to talk to her about it, doesn’t ask her what she’s feeling, just swings his pseudo-Dom dick around and gets his way. All under the disguise of “I know this is what you need because my cock is all knowing, baby”.



I cannot stress enough: these things, on their own, are not BAD or WRONG, especially if it’s your kink/likes. But my problem is he’s doing all these things without asking her about it first, without explaining what he’s going to do, without ONCE asking her what her limits are, or a safeword – oh, excuse me, he does tell her once that if she wants to stop, say red, but that’s it, that’s the extent of his BDSM 101 talk with her. THAT is why I have a problem with all these things – because she shows in the book, during inner dialogue, by tensing up/being nervous, etc., that she’s not 100% into these things. And just because she orgasms and has a smile on by the end does NOT make it okay for her to be uncomfortable during the scene. Her being nervous isn’t part of the scene play either, before someone asks – she’s GENUINELY not comfortable or trusting or even goddamn knowledgeable about what he wants to do to her.



But orgasms and magical peen can apparently fix that. ß (sarcasm for days)




I could go on, complain about every BDSM sex scene in the book, but I’ll stop because I think (hope!) I’ve made my point: this is not safe, sane, or consensual just because he’s the hero and she happily orgasms in the end. Without communication, without limits and actual trust between them, I don’t view their scenes as hot – I view them as him forcing his desires on her.



And that is NOT sexy. That is NOT what a hero does. No, not even a Dom --- especially not a Dom.



But wait, he continues this controlling, abusive bullshit outside of the bedroom too, with this gem:




“You can’t just demand that I tell you what I’m thinking.”

“Yes, I can.” I take a sip of coffee. “We have an agreement. You’re mine for the duration of this trip, Kenzie. Not just your body, but your thoughts as well. This is how it works. It’s about being honest and transparent with your feelings. It’s about communicating your desires and asking for what you want."




OH HELL FUCKING NO.



Nobody owns your fucking thoughts. You do not owe ANYONE your thoughts. Communication is fucking important, yes, but that is NOT what he’s talking about here. No, he honestly believes that because he “owns” her, her very goddamn thoughts are his as well.



FUCK. THAT. SHIT.



Okay, moving past the bad BDSM sex and all its shit, which came out of nowhere (no mention of it in the blurb, no hint about it until he starts playing Pseudo-Dom to her) and took up a good portion of the book, the rest of the book was lacking, underdeveloped, disappointing, and boring.



The characters were so flat that I never got anything from them, never felt like I knew them. And remember: it’s 1st POV. If I can’t get anything from your characters in 1st POV, then you are DEFINITELY doing something wrong. I didn’t get the picture of her as the goody-two-shoes girl all her life, or her finally letting loose and stepping outside of her comfort zone – I got nothing from her. Zip. I didn’t get anything from him, either. For a man who is out for revenge on his dead wife and daughter, I got zero of that emotion, zero of his character – hell, he spoke about their murders and his revenge plans like he was talking about the weather, like it had affected him as much as a rain storm ruining his day.



Also, though it’s not a big deal in the scheme of things: I’m still not sure how old he is. She’s 24, we’re told that, but he starts throwing around years, and not his age -- like he didn’t join the Navy until he graduated with his degree (and what a random degree it is, let me tell ya…), so I’m guessing 23/24, and something about 6 years was mentioned – not sure when that was, his service time? The time since their deaths? I have no damn clue because it wasn’t made clear and whatever WAS said didn’t stick in my memory. It’s a small detail, sure, but it’s just proof that this story was lacking, was rushed, and wasn’t properly developed at all levels.



The fact that I was often bored is probably a combination of not caring about either character and not feeling a connection to this story/writing at all. The writing often felt bulky and didn’t flow smoothly. I had hoped that maybe the suspense plot would carry the book a bit, but that fell so flat, it’s a joke. When I picked this one up, I knew that it said first in a series, but I figured the rest of the series would just cover characters we’re introduced to in this one. And it will . . . but it’s also connected through the plot. That’s right, the mystery of her brother’s involvement with the missing guns is not solved in this book. It’s not even touched, really. It’s somewhat there to set the story up for Noah and Mackenzie to meet and that’s about as far as it goes. And it's not until I'm nearing the 90% mark that I realize there's no time left for the story to be wrapped up or addressed. And it's not. It just ends with these two "happy" and the plot is thrown aside to be picked up in book 2. That was disappointing and frustrating because I don’t have any desire to read any more of these books, so I guess I’ll never know what all was going on with the brother and the guns. Which irritates me, but not enough to bother picking up the rest of the series. I’m just left frustrated and disappointed.



Okay, last thing, since I’ve kept you guys here listening to my rambling rant for far too long: the romance wasn’t even good. I’m not even talking the sex anymore, just the romance itself. I don’t believe for a moment that these two were in love with each other. Nope, not buying it. There’s nothing to show how they fell for one another, no deep conversations that reveal their characters, there’s no reason for why he went from telling her “I’m too broken to love anyone *manly brooding*” to “I love you forever and ever and ever!” in the span of a few pages – the last few pages, of course.




TL;DR: I didn’t connect to the characters, the BDSM was OH HELL FUCKING NO bad, the romance was worse than instalove, and the suspense plot is dropped, to be continued in future books that I have no desire to pick up. There’s nothing about this book that I can point to and recommend to others, no redeeming quality to it. For me, it literally failed on all accounts. And once again, the only reason I didn’t DNF was so I could do this full rant. You’re welcome. Or I’m sorry. Probably both, to be honest.



1 STAR!

rogue kicks off the phoenix rising series, where it seems like the central mystery will be a through line throughout the whole series, so just be prepared for that. i was at 80% of the novel and realized that there was no way we would learn the truth about liam prescott and his bucket list. but that's okay, because it just means i get to spend more time in this world with these characters.

mckenzie prescott was always the kind of girl who played it safe. she let her big brother liam be the risk taker. so when he dies on a mission in afghanistan she decides to complete his infamous bucket list as a way to honor his memory and as a way to stay close to him.

little does she know that her brother may not have been on the up-and-up. he'd apparently brokered an arms deal with noah payne, former navy seal and current mercenary for a drug lord. with the drug lord out thousands of dollars with no guns to show for it, noah is asked to track down the shipment. figuring that mckenzie is the person most likely to have intel on what liam might have done with the guns, noah is tasked with getting close to her.

having lost his family due to his career as a seal, the last thing noah intends to do is fall for a mark. but mckenzie has a way of getting under his skin. and the chemistry between them is explosive. he tries to keep her close and at a distance, but when this doesn't work he gives in to the magnetic pull between them. somehow he will get his job done and protect her. and the best way of doing that is staying close.

but noah is keeping too many secrets and the gun shipment is too valuable a prize to keep mckenzie out of other bad guy's sights. when things go haywire and the truths start to reveal themselves it will take a lot of explaining and leaps of trust for noah and mckenzie to figure everything out. the suspense and intense sexual chemistry keep you on the edge of your seat throughout the novel. and when there are as many questions as there are answers at the end, you can't help but wish for what ever comes next to publish quickly!

I really liked this one! It is a great blend of mystery, suspense, and steaming hot romance. After losing her brother McKenzie Prescott is determined to live life large and finish her brothers bucket list. She's definitely going to need help completely some of the more...ummm...sexy items on the list so who better to ask than an incredibly hot stranger she meets in Vegas. Noah is a former SEAL who is now out to avenge the death of his wife and daughter. Getting close to McKenzie Prescott is necessary to complete his current mission. Never realizing how necessary she will become to his heart.

I highly recommend this one.

Rogue by Brynley Blake is Book 1 of the Phoenix Rising Series.

What a ride! I got so much more than I expected with Rogue! With plenty of action and adventure plus intrigue packed into this baby right here you will be sitting on the edge-of-your-seat. There are also some heated moments that include bits of BDSM to make an erotic reader happy too. Ms. Blake did a bang-up job delivering this well-executed story that will delight all kinds of readers.

Please note that an ARC was generously provided in exchange for an honest review of which this is both honest and completely voluntary.

Rogue, by Brynley Blake is an interesting contemporary romance.

After the death of her Navy SEAL brother, McKenzie Prescott decides to complete his adventurous bucket list in this fast-pace story around the world. Along the way, she meets Noah Payne, and they quickly act upon their instant attraction. However, Noah is hiding several secrets, including the real reason that he actually met McKenzie.

Due to his dark past and current nefarious employment, Noah knows that his time with McKenzie is temporary, yet they both engage in an intense relationship with aspects of BDSM. And this book ends in a slight cliffhanger for the overarching story line.

Rogue is geared towards those who enjoy reading intense romantic action-mystery books.


Note: I received this book from NetGalley, which is a program designed for bloggers to write book reviews in exchange for books, yet the opinions expressed in this review are my own.