I thought I would like this based on the blurb, but it really wasn't for me. This could be because I know people in the field and it just seemed unrealistic. I'm sure others will like it though.

After an accident led to the death of one of the kayakers on the tour she was leading, Charlee Tanner left her job as a Florida Fish and Wildlife officer. She hoped moving back home to the safety of her family would help her get over the guilt. After an eerily similar accident occurs near the anniversary of the accident, newly promoted Fish and Wildlife lieutenant Hunter Boudreau begins to question whether the accident was really an accident.

Hunter is Charlee's best friend. Together with Charlee's two law enforcement brothers, they're determined to keep her safe. Only Charlee doesn't want to be protected. When the danger surrounding her expands to encompass her entire family, she's resolved to be the one to do the protecting. Hunter is captivated by this tenacious, gutsy side of Charlee. As they spend more time searching for answers, Hunter's feelings for Charlee grow far beyond friendship. First though, he has to keep her alive.

There is tension on so many levels in this story that all adds to the underlying tension and danger surrounding Charlee, but never eclipses it. Guilt over the accident has left Charlee vulnerable, questioning everything about herself. As the story progresses, she rediscovers the strong, independent spirit she really is, the one Hunter has grown to love. With twists and turns that leave the reader guessing who done it until the bitter end, this book is a great start to a new series.

Intriguing and suspenseful. Hunter loves his job, but it gets complicated when his best friend is in danger. He has to figure out to protect her. Loved it.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to review this book and to be an early reader via NetGalley! However, I will not be writing a review for this title at this time, as my reading preferences have since changed somewhat. In the event that I decide to review the book in the future, I will make sure to purchase a copy for myself or borrow it from a library. Once again, thank you so much for providing me with early access to this title. I truly appreciate it. Please feel free to contact me with any follow-up questions or concerns.

Charlee Tanner has moved back home to help with her family’s business, running wilderness and river tours in Florida. She had left home after a tragic incident in which a boy died while on an excursion with Charlee, but her family needs the help so she is trying to get back into the swing of things. When another boy is almost killed while on a trip with Charlee on the anniversary of the earlier death, things start looking suspicious. Hunter is a new leader in the Fish and Wildlife Service and Charlee’s best friend. He begins investigating the attacks, with Charlee’s help. Things escalate with the mystery and between Hunter and Charlee, who both are attracted to each other but are hesitant to start anything.

This book was...fine. I liked the action--there is a lot of chasing and investigating. I also liked that Charlee is a wilderness guide. It provided a fun, interesting setting for the story. She’s (mostly) capable and tough, and she knows how to survive. I also appreciate that she has a friendship with Hunter before a romance. Even though we come into the story after their friendship has been developed, I always enjoy a friends-to-lovers progression.

Overall, though, I didn’t think Hunter and Charlee’s romance was particularly compelling. They were both clearly interested in each other, but they each held back. Charlee was coming off a relationship with a jerk who definitely wasn’t right for her, so some initial hesitation at first made sense. It goes on way too long, however. She’s supposedly been friends with Hunter for a long time. She knows he’s not like her ex and never will be. It didn’t make much sense why she kept resisting so long. Plus, I didn’t really feel the passion there. Hunter definitely feels protective of Charlee, but he seems to feel protective of everyone! Moreover, Charlee’s brothers are part of the team of officers Hunter has recently taken over supervising. There is a whole sub-plot, where there is tension among the officers about his new role. It felt out of place and unexplored, and then there is a ridiculous “my brothers won’t like us dating” conflict, which I never appreciate. Why her brothers would care about her dating a stand-up guy like Hunter makes no sense. I wanted more passion, more conversation, and more grown ups all around.

This book wasn’t a total miss, but it certainly wasn’t one of my favorites either.

Grade: 2.5 out of 5

This was a great story, with a really good plot. Highly recommend and I enjoyed the romance angle!!

In Connie Mann's Beyond Risk, the first installment in the Florida Wildlife Warriors romantic suspense series, this debut will knock your socks off and keep you in suspense. For Charlotte "Charlee" Tanner, she couldn't get over the guilt she had from a drowning accident a year ago. Now as a former FWC officer, she works at her family's Outpost for kayaking and canoeing adventures on the water. But when she took out a group of young people out in the ocean, things turns grisly and almost deadly when someone shot at them and caused one of them to have an accident. Little did she know, that someone has a bloody ax to grind with her. And it's personal with a capital P. On the scene is FWC Officer Hunter Boudreau, a Cajun lieutenant who has feelings for Charlotte and do anything to protect her, though he couldn't shake his own inner demons from his brother's death. Thing get dicey for Charlee, when Brittany Harris mysteriously died in the hospital, and this maniac went after her brothers with eerily similar accidents in the water. The chemistry between Charlee and Hunter is smoking hot when they're together. In a race of time, they would find out who done it and the real reason why.

I loved the premise of this book, and the characters were dynamic and interesting. I'm excited to read more from this author.

Murder mystery - who could be wanting to kill Charlee or cause her family harm. This is the start of the story and the author leads you on a "who done it" with a romance inside. Hunter and Charlee have been fighting the attraction since he started as a game warden in Florida. Charlee was once in law enforcement - until the accident a year ago that caused a person to die. Now the family is extra protective of Charlee after another attempt on her life. I don't want to give the story away - but it is a true action book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest opinion.
This book wasn't the winner I wanted it to be. The synopsis sounded intriguing and the cover was beautiful...I know, don't judge a book by its cover, but really, look at it! There were a few good plot twists and the setting of Florida river systems and the wildlife was interesting, but It wasn't as exciting as I thought it would be, in places a tad boring and was a bit repetitive at times. I found it hard to keep myself engaged through some of it And as much as I wish I did I just couldn't connect with the characters. I just didn't like the story but I didn't hate it either. 3 ⭐ for this one

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Veronica – ☆☆☆☆
A year to the day since a teenage boy drowned on a trip Charlee was supervising, she is again on the river supervising a group of kayakers. When history starts to repeat itself and a teenager nearly drowns and the group is shot at, the question is: are the two events related? With all the talk of what happened a year ago, I wondered if I’d missed a book in this series and this was book two, but after checking Goodreads I learned Beyond Risk is in fact the first book in this series.

This story wastes no time getting going. We jump straight into the action and I loved the pace. The danger, hunt for the person responsible for the shooting and then further acts of violence against people connected to Charlee, and the romance between Charlee and Fish & Wildlife Officer Hunter are a great mix. I was sure I had a five-star book on my hands. I was excited and having a blast reading and loving all the different characters and threads to the story. And a bonus is I had no idea who did it or why, so I was hooked.

Problem for me is my logical brain started to get in the way. Why, after being submerged in water, was Charlee’s phone working? Why is the Fish & Wildlife Commission investigating murder and attempted murder? Why did the men in Charlee’s life keep leaving her on her own when they knew how much danger she was in? As the story hit the 70% mark, I was struggling to suspend my disbelief and my brain was killing my book buzz. Luckily for me though, I was drawn back into the story in the final 10% for the big finale, which was full of suspense and well done.

I struggled with whether or not to give this book three or four stars because the things that bugged me really bugged me, but ultimately, for most of the book I was having a ball and that is what matters. So four stars it is.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the first book in a new series, and I am already looking forward to the next one. This is a really good romantic suspense, and as there are plenty of others who need to find their happily ever after too. Charlee and her family are a wonderful addition to the fictional world of people I now know. The world-building is done in a very organic way as the story develops. The plot is quite complex with some misdirections which work well, and I had half the solution before the reveal.

The tension of repeated attempts on Charlee and people around her certainly raised the danger levels, and sometimes I was confused by the lack of care that seemed to be taken on occasion, but it worked out. Most of the time she was lucky enough to be accompanied by Hunter, her best friend, and those feelings develop into something quite different. The timing is not great, but when cupid's arrow hits, there is little they can do to resist it.

There is a lot of humour in the relationship between Charlee, her brothers, parents, and Hunter, which lightens the tension. Bakery owner Liz, the ever-grateful recipient of Charlee's cupcakes in her store, is also integral to the story – ensuring that she gets all the details of the Hunter chemistry!

I shall be looking out for the next book with great interest.

Beyond Risk starts out solid--we're thrown right into the action, with hints that there's a history there for at least one character (Charlee) that might be influencing what's happening now...or is it all a coincidence?

(Spoiler: it's not a coincidence.)

Really wanting--no, needing to know what is going on, why, and who's behind it all kept me turning the pages even when the story started to go a little out of control. There's a whole lot of attempted murder here (too much? I lean toward yes)--not to mention actual murder--that ultimately I don't think really matched up all that well with the motive we're eventually given. Maybe more POV--with, I hesitate to say it, flashbacks, perhaps?--from the antagonist could have helped here?

Only if it didn't add pages on, though--at 400+ it's already too long...

I liked Charlee and Hunter, and though they went to the I love yous a bit fast given the story's timeline, they've known each other a while (though we don't see or hear too much about that either...) so it didn't feel too unrealistic.

Verdict: this was a new-to-me-author that I'd probably give another try in the future, in the hopes that the writing on the next one I do would be a bit tighter.

Rating: 3 stars / C+

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

Beyond Risk is beyond great. The plot includes suspense, mystery, and romance. Charlee used to love the water until a fatal accident happened when she took a group out kayaking. On the anniversary of that fatal day, she is on another trip and another accident. Somebody is after her. Hunter is a strong, protective man that is bound and determined to help Charlee clear this accident and find the person behind it. When accidents keep happening, Hunter and Charlee work together. This book is a page-turner that the reader doesn't want to put down until the mystery is solved.

WOW! My first read from author Connie Mann, an amazing romantic-suspense thriller reminiscent of the writings Karen Rose. Could not put it down! No spoilers here though. I will definitely be reading more from this author who just launched her way into my top 10 list of authors! (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).

THE SUSPENSE👀
The murderer wasn't who I'd tought was going to be, there were a few suspects and all of them acted in suspiciously ways so I was confused most of the time (that's good) but in the end when the truth was revealed I didn't even remember who was that character. So it was a bit disappointing.


THE ROMANCE😍
Friends to lovers is my favourite trope ever and it was well done here. Charlee's and Hunter relationship was a slow burn one and they protect, respect and take care of each other.

Charlee was recovering from an abusive relationship, she was with a man that made her feel stupid, that manipulated her and the author made a great job at portraying it in a subtle way. Maybe Hunter would validate her opinions and say that she was an amazing cop (as he should) and she would be like so suprised and she would thought that he was going to say that she was exaggerating. It was so raw, real and sad that even if she knew that Hunter was a good man and that he respected her, she wouldn't trust herself and all of that because her ex made her think that she wasn't smart enough.

I really liked her as a heroine and her character development. And I liked that Hunter said that it was HER decision to choose him, he cared about her and he wouldn't push her even if he loved her. Also he was kind of overprotective sometimes but he had a tragic similar situation in the past, someone that he cared about was murdered, so I understood where he came from and why he acted the way he did. And he didn't cross any line. He was protective without being misogynist because he always told Charlee that she was a great cop and encouraged her to keep being one.

To sum up 👇
It wasn't as exciting as I thought it would be, it wasn't a bad book but it was repetitive at times and as a whole I think it was boring. But the suspense was better done than other books that I've read this year. In the end it was one of those cases where "it's not you, it's me". I just didn't love the story but I didn't hate it either.

GIVE THIS ONE A TRY IF YOU:
•love "friends to lovers" trope.
•Love slow burn romances
•Want to read some suspense romance
•Love cop heroines
• Want to read real rep of how does it feel to reclaim yourself after an abusive relationship (but it wasn't explicit, I know it could be too painful to read to some women)

This was my first book by Connie Mann, and boy, what a wild ride it was! There was non-stop action right from the start.

Charlee Tanner was a former Fish & Wildlife Officer (or "fish cop" as one character called it) who resigned and moved back home a year previous after a tragic event. Her family was very tight knit, with a sister and two overbearing but loving older brothers. Lt. Hunter Boudreau, her best friend, was the new head of his department. When very bad things began to happen, they seem to be somehow connected to Charlee. As her family started to be targeted, it became apparent that these new events were related to those of the year past.

I really liked that Charlee and Hunter were best friends before they were lovers. They tried to fight their burgeoning romantic feelings, but both failed miserably. When things began to hit the fan, Hunter was bound and determined to protect Charlee. She, however, was one tough cookie. She would not be left behind in this investigation. As the danger intensified, I could not figure out who the bad guy was; red herrings abounded. If you like action and romantic suspense, you'll want to pick this one up...and you won't be able to put it down until the exciting conclusion.

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

Beyond Risk by Connie Mann is a 2019 Sourcebooks Casablanca publication.

Over the past several years I have really lost contact with the romantic suspense genre and its authors. At one time I read more RS than any other genre, but when the style began to shift and the genre morphed into something entirely different, I lost interest.

However, recently I have tried to reacquaint myself with the genre, hoping things had improved. This book doesn't follow the old school romantic suspense format, which I still enjoy, nor does it follow the newer military hero/ alpha male style of RS, either, which is a good thing. The story got off on solid ground, but unfortunately it quickly spiraled out of control, and never regained its footing.

I did enjoy the action scenes, at first, but there were too many of them, and the story began to rely too heavily on them to maintain its momentum. There also seems to be some kind of mini-trend going on in recent publications, where there are entirely too many characters to keep up with.

Between the overpopulation of people and the numerous action scenes, the plot and characters remained underdeveloped, which naturally affected the romantic elements, as well.

This story also followed another troubling trend I’ve picked up on recently. This story reads like it is the second or third book in a series, instead of the first. It’s like the author assumed I was already familiar with the characters and what their individual backstories were. I felt like I was walking into a movie already in progress.

I nearly gave up on this one, to be honest. Not only was it hard to follow at times, but it was perhaps just a bit too long, as well. But, of course, I had to find out who the killer was. My diligence, unfortunately, didn’t pay off. I wasn’t impressed with the motive, which was entirely too far-fetched, in my opinion.

So, it's back to the old drawing board when it comes to romantic suspense. 😕


2 stars

Let me start with saying I just love that cover. Isn’t it just beautiful? It was definitely what grabbed my attention in the beginning. And yes I know you should never judge a book by its cover, but this is just so pretty. When I saw this book on Netgalley I knew I wanted to read it. So I was super excited when I got approved.

But next to the cover, I definitely also enjoyed this book. ‘Beyond Risk’ is a romantic suspense novel with two great main characters. And I loved reading about Charlee and Hunter. What I loved most was the way Charlee and Hunter were friends first. They enjoyed each other’s company and could really be themselves with one another. And when Charlee was in trouble, Hunter was really there for her. And it was super fun to read how these two argued about Charlee getting in on the action. Hunter just wanted Charlee to be save, but Charlee was a tough woman who didn’t like to be treated different just because she was a woman. But I did find myself wondering if I missed a book since Charlee and Hunter’s relationship had already started. That really made this romance not as good as I would have hoped.

The suspense in this book was also pretty good. A lot is going on, murders, attacks etc. And I for one had no idea who was behind all of this until the author described it. I loved that. This read definitely made me sit on the edge of my seat and I didn’t want to stop reading until I knew what was going on.

But I also had some troubles with this book. For one time went super-fast. For example there was an attack and two sentences further they were at home. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it confused me on more than one occasion. Secondly, there were several moments in this book where CPR was done. And they were all successful and people woke up soon. As a nurse, I found that part a little bit hard to believe. But it would definitely be great if someone was that good in CPR.

The thing that bothered me the most in this book was when the characters where on the phone. You wouldn’t read about what the person on the other side of the phone was saying, and then all of sudden we did read one sentence. I mean, let us know what the other person is saying or not. Not only one sentence. If just felt off to me.

Overall this was a nice book I enjoyed reading.

Wildlife! Big family! A mystery! Romance! New to me author and series! Oh my, yes! I thought I had found the perfect match as soon as I latched eyes onto this book. I ended up finding it moderately engaging.

Beyond Risk opens with Charlee, a former Fish & Wildlife Officer, getting ready to start over at the family-owned river rafting business. She had a shake up when she lost a client out on the water the year before and the guilt is still troubling her, but family support and a family friend who is becoming something more have her ready to start again. Only, a new misadventure on the water has everyone realizing that the first drowning was no accident and Charlee is the intended target.
Hunter is determined to do well at his new job as Lt. in the Fish & Wildlife after the last one tarnished his name by taking bribes, but he is more concerned about who is after Charlee and why because he wants to be more than the family friend.

So, Beyond Risk, by all early indications should have been a fabulous read for me, but, it was more along the lines of moderately engaging. I didn't hate it, but found myself out of sync with this book from the beginning and never finding a good connection. It dove right in to the middle of the story and had me checking more than once that I didn't grab a book in the middle of an existing series or checking to see if I accidentally picked up the first in a spin-off series that needed the first series to feel cohesive. But, that wasn't the case, at least that I could find. It jumped in to the middle of an existing problem and an existing developing relationship.

A passel of people were thrown at me in the opening pages as well as some conflicts. I sorted them out soon enough, but it was distracting for a while there. Later on, the author goes back and gets into the past situations to make sense of the earlier confusion, but I never did feel connected.

The mystery was decent though it wasn't difficult. It did make a nice element in the overall story and added spikes of excitement.

The romance was so-so for me, too. I liked both characters and liked them for a couple with their shared interests and experiences, but it was a case of not buying into what was holding them back. Charlee was wary of a relationship and her reasons weren't good enough to hold Hunter at a distance the way she did. Hunter's issue was more solid and fortunately he only used his concern about her family reaction and his work conflict once or twice before really going for it. The wildlife euphemisms for lovemaking were not weird per se, but a little quirky for me.

What I thoroughly liked was the setting and backdrop of the life along the Florida river systems and focus on the wildlife. Charlee's big family and the business were also great fun and a good nucleus for the series.

So, I ended up liking it, but not loving it. I might give the next book a go to see if I do better now that I might not have that sense of being off beat with the book and the romance. I think others who enjoy romantic suspense might not experience that and would enjoy the book.

A good read that was full of intrigue, action, romance and drama. There were many characters and important back story in Beyond Risk, but I thought the way it was presented was very helpful and fitting to the moments. The characters were well developed and I hope to see more books about their individual stories. I do wish the book was longer or had a prequel because there was a lot of events, emotions and people to fit into one story. I did not see that exact ending taking place so I was pleasantly surprised at how all the acts, characters and events connected together at the end!

Thanks NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the chance to read this book and share my opinion!