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Wicked Attraction

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Wicked Attraction is the second installment of The Protector series by Megan Hart. You will need to read the first installment before reading this story to get the full back story.

Ewan Donahue has made enough mistakes to last him a lifetime, but his biggest regret his pushing Nina away. With his life no longer in danger Ewan doesn’t have an excuse to have her by his side, but that doesn’t stop him. He’s ready to hire Nina once again. This time, he’s going to be the one to protect her.

At time's I felt like Wicked Attraction was a flipped version of the first book Dangerous Promise, though it did have some surprising new elements. I was slightly disappointed that Ewan and Nina's relationship couldn't be re-kindled unless she was his "bodyguard" again. Even if the danger was now towards Nina. Think about, Ewan is a billionaire and could have easily done things to woo or even get Nina's attention without bringing everything full circle.

Overall it was an alright story, but I just could't get behind it.

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I liked the first book enough of this series to have a go at the second book, plus it’s a Megan Hart novel. Known for her erotic romances mixed in with drama, this sci-fi romance is definitely different from her usual books. But, of course, there are hot and steamy scenes to be expected. Just like the first, we get to follow the story with Ewan and Nina’s alternating points of view. While I find them likeable enough at the start of the series, here, they mostly came off whiny and indecisive which makes them slightly annoying. The aspect in which Nina’s tech is deteriorating is very interesting as, at that point, the once strong and capable Nina has to let others worry about her. And because of that, there is not a lot of action and excitement. I like how we get to know both characters a little deeper as their past was finally unraveled. I also appreciate knowing some other enhanced in the story.

I didn’t enjoy it as much as I did Dangerous Promise, though. The start is painfully slow and dragging, I even had to abandon this a few times as I didn’t feel invested with the couple’s story this time. It doesn’t help that the villain is so obvious right from the very start and not one, not even Nina, suspected anything. And just like the first time, we are left with a cliffhanger ending that made you want to read the third book to find out what happened. Interesting plot but it didn’t quite deliver what I expected of a Megan Hart novel.

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Wicked Attraction is the middle book in a trilogy set in the future. Ewan is is a billionaire playboy who is the leading opponent of “Enhanced” humans. Nina Bronson is one of the “Enhanced” humans that Ewan has been against. Unfortunately, he cares about Nina and screwed up really bad so now he’s hired her as his bodyguard just to get her to talk to him again.
This story wasn’t bad. Unfortunately I didn’t know it was part of a trilogy when I read it, which dampened my feelings on it a bit. There was some times that dragged, but overall this was an enjoyable book. I look forward to reading the next installment. I recommend.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

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I enjoyed the first book in this series very much and after the cliffhanger ending, I was desperate to read Wicked Attraction. Though I still thought the concept of this series was unique for a romance, this wasn't as good as the first one for me. There was too much back and forth between the two, and I also thought they needed to communicate better with each other instead of jumping into bed after every argument.

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I really had trouble getting into the book initially and getting caught up in the emotions of the characters. The storyline was good, but it just didn’t stand out in my mind amongst other books in the genre. The blurb was great, but overall the book just fell flat for me.

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Recommended to read these books in order. I read the second one before the first. This is the first book of Ms. Hart that did nothing for me. It was just okay. I'm used to having internal conflict with the characters. Something tortuously poignant which makes me sad is what I expect. For this one, maybe because I didn't read the first book, it did not pull me in.

This story was hard to get into. Since Nina has a sort of amnesia, she didn't remember Ewan. The chemistry or relationship between these two don't do much for because because I didn't really see the love. It is clear Ewan is torn about Nina and wants to do everything for her. Nina trying to regain her memory and figure out answers to her questions made her seem distant. For a romance novel, this left me a bit cold and disengaged.

The main plot is about fixing these "bionic" people. It seems there is a conspiracy that continues to cause problems and I find, I'm not surprised by the direction it goes. Unfortunately, I don't care what happens to Nina either. I am going to go back to read the first book in hopes it makes me change my mind about this series.

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This book was better then Expected. The way it was written you have all the feelings from beginning to end.

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I read the entire Protector series and this was my least favorite of the three. I feel this one could have been skipped altogether. It didn’t serve the story and was basically just Nina and Evan having sex the whole time. It got very repetitive and I even started skimming pages after a while waiting for an actual story.

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Book 2 in the Protector Series. It picks up where book 1 left off (cliffhanger). Nina and Ewan’s adventure with psycho people and their adventure to find their way back to each other after everything they had went through. More issues with the tech enhancements and more issues with other people trying to get their hands on it. This book wasn’t as good as the first book, but I enjoyed it and will read the next installment.

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I am quickly becoming a fan of this series and I’ll tell you why. Yeah, it’s written by Megan Hart and she’s an awesome writer. But this is all about the kick ass heroine of this series, Nina Bronson. I really like how her character is being developed, how she handles the things that are thrown at her. I just LIKE her!

I don’t want to spoil the first book if you haven’t read it but this is a continuation from that. Ewan had lied and it resulted in a betrayal that pushed the fledgling relationship he had developed with Nina back to zero. But now he’s hired her again and their working relationship is much different this time around. Plus he’s really trying to win her heart again and show her that he is the man for her.

While this could’ve been a bit flat, the world was expanded a bit in this and more conspiracies are unveiled. The situations that our characters are facing in this book were interesting and kept me on my toes. For both the immediate result and to figure out the bigger picture and what is yet to come.

But one thing is for certain. I think Ewan and Nina as a couple have great chemistry, I love seeing them together. There’s an easy banter while at the same time some simmering sexual tension. And the added bonus is that I think they also make the perfect team. They each have the missing pieces of the other.

I was not expecting the curve ball that is thrown at us at the end of this book and it’s certainly left me excited to read the last installment (or at least I think it will be). I haven’t decided if I think this will make things easier or harder for these two but I can’t wait to see how they’re going to deal with them.

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Like book one in this series, it just wasn't for me... I love Megan Hart, but sadly these were DNF for me. Very sad, sad faces

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As The Protector series continues, Megan Hart proceeds to amaze me with the twists and turns, surprises and amount of love between Ewan and Nina. Wicked Attraction picks up where Dangerous Promises ended and I couldn’t wait to get into the story to see just what Ewan had up his sleeve to get Nina to trust him again. I was astonished with where this story took me.

Ewan did pull out all the stops but Nina was having none of it, even though her heart thought that she should give in. It’s hard to forgive his lies of omission. Something happens though and she can’t fight it anymore and opens up to him. But, as the relationship is slowing growing and being put back on track, strange things start happening. Little things that lead up to the big one. No one is suspicious until it’s too late and the truth comes out.

New characters come into the story that just add more and more drama. Old characters make themselves known again. But, through it all, Ewan knows that he will do whatever he has to do to bring Nina back to him. Will he be too late or right on time?

I was amazed with how everything went down in this story. Megan Hart really astounded me with what she did. She wrote an interesting story that had it’s ups and downs. Nina was confusing at times. I really wasn’t sure which way she was going to go and then her whole demeanor changed and she accepted her feelings. Ewan was himself but did turn a little bit of a blind eye to all the clues that were glaring at him. I even knew who the culprit was before it was revealed. But, it did surprise me what exactly why he did it, who put him up to it, why he did it.

I am looking to seeing how she resolves this one. How she brings the two of them full circle and back to the beginning. How he gets Nina to fall back in love with him. And, finally, if he screws this up again. So, until tomorrow ……

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I failed to read the 1st in a series and I did feel as if I was missing something. As the story went along, it did fill me in to their past so I think I caught up fine.

I was really amazed at how MUCH there was to this story. There was world building, which included a modernized language. It also felt as if this story covered a lot of ground at 300 pages and it did kind of feel long at times but I couldn't figure if that was good or bad. My gut tells me it could've been tighter, though.

I've not read a sci fi from Megan Hart before, but I thought she did an ok job.

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The author gives us more of Nina and Ewan. It ends in another cliffhanger. I just enjoyed the first novel more.

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ARC - I voluntarily offered to review this book with no obligations and my opinions are hones
Book 2 picks up from where Book 1 left off.
Now, Nina and Ewan had to find out if their relationship is a keeper.
I loved the storytelling + the characters
The storytelling + the character's build were awesome!

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A big thank you to NetGalley and St Martin/Swerve for the ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. First time reading this author. Wow I found this to be crazy but interesting. Super soldier falling in love. Enjoyed the read. I rate it 3.5. What's the truth? Who can you trust?

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Wicked Attraction is the second book in Megan Hart’s The Protector trilogy in which the three books tell one overarching story – which means there are spoilers for book one in this review.

In Dangerous Promise, the author made a terrific job of building her vision of the world of the late twenty-first/early twenty-second century in which the books are set, and of introducing her two principal characters. Nina Bronson is ‘enhanced’, a human with superhuman abilities that are the result of experimental technology implanted in her brain which allows her to control her physical and emotional responses and bodily functions, and to be stronger and faster than normal human beings. Because of the advantages given her, she – and the other fourteen former soldiers who underwent the same treatment – are barred from returning to the armed forces and the only work open to them is as bodyguards. When Nina is hired to protect billionaire businessman Ewan Donahue, it’s the ultimate irony because he’s the leading opponent of enhancement technology. The laws which have been passed owing to his persistent lobbying and political influence have banned the creation of any more enhanced, and prohibit the application of upgrades – which means that ultimately, all fifteen of them will break down and die. But these laws are unpopular in some circles, many groups believing the experimentation should be allowed to continue; and it’s this belief which led to the mountain of death threats against Ewan from which Nina was hired to protect him.

Even more ironic, however, is the fact that not only is Ewan now a passionate opponent of enhancement, he’s the one ultimately responsible for it. Nina is unaware of this until quite late in the book – and of course, once she discovers the truth, is devastated. She fell in love with Ewan and his deception inflicts the sort of pain she hasn’t experienced in years and had hoped never to feel again. As soon as his safety is assured, she leaves, wanting nothing more to do with him – but fate takes a hand when she is offered a lucrative contract on behalf on an anonymous client. She isn’t surprised when that client turns out to be Ewan Donahue, intent on getting her back into his life by hook or by crook.

Wicked Attraction picks up shortly after this. With the threats to Ewan’s life neutralised, he no longer needs a bodyguard to shadow him 24/7, and Nina has made it very clear this time, their association will be solely professional. The problem, though, is that the attraction and deep emotional connection they had built has never gone away, and now that Nina has allowed herself to feel, she can’t just put the cat back into the bag and pretend their relationship never happened. Ewan has never stopped loving her, and wants desperately to win her back; and the first part of the story consists almost entirely of a ‘one-step-forward, two-steps-back’ dance as they talk and, yes, shag, with Ewan going into full grovel mode and Nina trying – unsuccessfully – to resist him. I didn’t count the sex scenes, and I know that Ms. Hart is known as a writer of erotic romance so there are, perhaps, more than in the average romance novel – but well-written though they are, I began to skim through them after the first few while I waited for some story progression.

The plotline in Wicked Attraction is almost a mirror image of that in Dangerous Promise in that it’s Nina in danger instead of Ewan, and he needs to protect her from an unknown threat, especially as it seems her tech is starting to degrade. Ewan is conflicted; how can he, who has spoken out so vehemently against enhancement, now turn around and argue that the necessary upgrades should be made available to Nina and her fellow enhanced? Yet he’s prepared to do it, and is gathering support to ensure a repeal of the law that outlawed further research and development of the tech; the problem is that there are those ready to use it for unethical and unscrupulous purposes – and who will stop at nothing to get it.

Although I was fascinated by the ethical questions posed by the concept of enhancement, and the discussions about the importance of memory are intriguing, Wicked Attraction nonetheless suffers from middle-book-syndrome. I enjoyed a fair bit of it, but there’s a lot of padding and a lot of time is spent just treading water before the plot really kicks in in the last few chapters – leading to a heart-breaking cliffhanger. If you enjoyed the previous book and want to follow the story through to its conclusion, then you’ll probably want to pick this up, even if you do find yourself having to skim in a few places. Although Wicked Attraction didn’t grab me in the same way as the previous book did, I still intend to read Forbidden Stranger (book three) to find out how everything turns out.

Grade: C+

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Unfortunately this didn't hit the mark for me, I liked it enough to finish the story,
Wicked Attraction wasn't for me, I don't know what it was that I was feeling it, but It was an ok read.

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I don't know what's going on with these authors know-a-days but I love it. Strong, smart women having their stuff together can fall in love.! I also enjoyed the fact that it was a slow build. It wasn't two days later and BAM! They had issues that while were not insurmountable weren't pushed away because they liked each other. They had to get over that or walk away from each other. Great Read!

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part two picks up when book one ends. Nina being duped into an assignment for and by Ewan. He doesn't need a bodyguard when something a little more encumbering would work. I didn't care much for Ewan, at all. He shows his backside in book one and book two brings us much of the same. I didn't really think he'd try and not be such an a@@ but a girl can hope. Pfft.
Throughout this book we see the story evolve and it seems it is Nina who is in danger, leaving Ewan scratching himself. Does this man not have one thought that doesn't revolve around him. It didn't matter how he really felt about Nina, he's just too selfish and self centered and had he been paying more attention....
I had trouble with this story for several reasons aside from my dislike of Ewan. Great plot however the dialogue and some of the redundant speech became tiresome to read, along with the story drawn in one straight line. We get a cliffhanger at the end, not overly dramatic which was ok. I really like Megan as an author and these two books have been a big departure for her, but honestly I think I prefer her natural style to these.

**arc from NetGalley and publisher is exchange for an honest review**

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