Three titans of romantic suspense pairing up to create an anthology of all-new novellas? I was over the moon excited for this book! Sadly, this anthology fell flat for me. I think the hardest part was KNOWING all three of these ladies can write a better story. All three of these novellas are connected in small ways, so they’re better read in order. Also, the title of the story kept making me think of “Friends”.

Against the Heart by Kat Martin – 2.5 Stars

You have to set aside realism to enjoy this book. The heroine has her major ditzy moments and basically decides to trust the hero with her safety and the safety of her young daughter because he’s hot. I also didn’t feel like the hero knew anything real about the heroine even by the end of the book. He did know she had a rockin’ bod though, which he thought about basically the entire novella. Overall the hero was sweet to the heroine and I did like the secondary couple’s story.

Shaken by Rebecca Zanetti – Three Stars

Rebecca is by far my favorite author of the three, so maybe I’m biased but I enjoyed her novellas the most. I think second chance love stories work really well in novella format. The hero was a hunk and a half. Yes, please, more hopelessly devoted heroes. The heroine, on the other hand, made me want to pull my hair out. Her continual lack of trust in the hero and her faith in her drug addict mother made it hard to root for her. The action was on point in this novella though and so were the sexy times.

Echoes of the Past by Alexandra Ivy – 1.5 Stars

You can’t have a novella where the hero left the heroine because he’s hung up on an old girlfriend who is now his sister-in-law (ick), and not have ANY groveling. Come on. I didn’t connect to either the hero or the heroine and the little boy the heroine rescued was only in the story for, like, four pages. The novella was boring and rushed and I struggled to finish it.

**I received an ARC of this book in order to provide an honest review**

I sought out this book specifically for the Rebecca Zanetti story, as I have thoroughly enjoyed her Deep Ops series. I was amused and surprised to find that her story, Shaken, also had cameo appearances by characters from her Dark Protectors series. A great touch!

The lead characters in the 3 stories connected in their younger years. Additionally, some of the supporting characters are connected via other storylines. The characters are appealing enough to make you want to check out the other works by these authors that introduced them.

Authors Kat Martin and Alexandra Ivy are not as familiar to me as Rebecca Zanetti. Although I enjoyed all 3 stories in this collection, I loved the Zanetti story, liked the Ivy story and found the Martin story to be OK. It just wasn't as compelling to me as the other 2 stories. All three were well-written and well edited.

Overall, very entertaining!

PIVOT By Kat Martin, Rebecca Zanetti, & Alexandra Ivy
I had not read anything by Kat Martin and Rebecca Zanetti. I have been a fan of Alexandra Ivy for years however. I was very impressed with the writing in this anthology. We go from one novella smoothly into another. Some of the heros and heroines cross to the next one. I will be picking up other books from Kat and Rebecca now that I have sampled their work. I think this is a 4 star book.
I was given this advance readers copy from Netgalley for my fair and honest review.

I have a love and hate relationship with anthologies – there will almost always be some stories, that will always miss their mark with me; but does that ever stop me from reading them? Nope. Mostly because they are easy and fun to read well!

I actually requested access to this title because while it had been ages since I read anything by Kat Martin; but I did remember that I definitely enjoyed her books; all romantic suspense novels!

The three novellas within this book – are by three different authors – are all connected with each other. The female protagonists are all friends; but are all in some sort of trouble. All the three novellas didn’t actually read like novellas; but like three full length novels – they all had that edge of suspense with a whole lot of romance for my cold dead heart to soak in for at least a little while!

All the three novellas had a strong foundation + a brilliantly thought out plot with strong protagonists and an engrossing mystery and some very sizzling romances – and if you are wonderfully why I am reiterating this TWICE, it’s because I went & ended up picking Alexandra Ivy’s backlist books to read and will be picking up books by the other two authors; Kat Martin & Rebecca Zanetti as well! *wink*

If you weren't a fan of these three authors before, you will be after reading the sexy, suspense-filled, inter-connected stories in this new anthology. I couldn't put it down.

The main characters in all three stories are vividly portrayed with realistic obstacles in their way. The women are in danger but not your stereotypical damsels in distress. While the three heroes are all alphas, set on protecting the women they love, those same women are not about to twiddle their thumbs on the sidelines. They hold their own with strength and determination, especially when their loved ones are at risk. And the men, warriors all, are gentle and loving with the ones who hold their hearts. I especially loved Ian's relationship with Meri's four-year-old daughter, Lily.

I was impressed with the flow and continuity of the three novellas, each written by one of the three authors. While each novella has a beginning and end, together, they form what feels like a full length book, with story and character overlap. By the time I reached the end, it was easy to forget that these characters aren't part of the same fictional world but, rather, are parts of worlds created separately by each of the authors.

I'm already well acquainted with Kat Martin's books (I've been reading her for years) and enjoyed getting to know another Brodie cousin (I somehow missed this story the first time around (in the novella Against the Heart). While I know of Rebecca Zanetti and Alexandra Ivy, I had not yet read their books. These new novellas, which include ties to series of their own, were enough to have me correcting that oversight. I'll be taking a closer look at Ivy's books soon but the first thing I did after finishing Pivot was to download the three books in Zanetti's Deep Ops series. I cannot wait to read Raider's and Wolfe's stories, especially Wolfe's, a secondary character in Pivot who darn near stole his entire novella.

4.5 Stars

*ARC received via NetGalley
*All opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.

This is an interesting compilation of connected characters across three prolific authors.
Against The Heart by Kat Martin
She's trying to make a better life for her daughter. First step get away from the deadbeat that was a one night stand and only comes around when he's trying to shake Meri down for money. Second step, find a way to make money to continue the escape plan. Third step, fall for Ian, he'll protect you.
Shaken by Rebecca Zanetti
Michelle has the worst luck, starting with her mother whose drug addition forced her into foster care. The only good thing that came out of that was seeing connections with her fellow neglected kids. And when things get dangerous she knows she can call in them, but she doesn't expect Evan to be her rescuer. Now as they try to resolve the situation the past hurts are surfacing and it's time to decide if forgiveness is possible. Can Michelle trust Evan not to hurt her again?
Echoes of the Past by Alexandra Ivy
Detective Gray Hawkins is back in Seattle a place he didn't think he'd returned after he left two years ago. But when rumors of corruption in the police force service surface he's the perfect one to dig in. Melanie Cassidy is a huge advocate for the kids she works with she just didn't expect to stop kidnappers from taking one of them. And the unexpected rescuer of Gray was definitely a twist. Now they have to work together to find out who is threatening the kid and uncover the corruption.

Pivot is an anthology from three different authors and from the bunch I have previous red only work from Rebecca Zanetti.
The first story Against the heart
Meri is running from her baby daddy and the path leads her to a small town where she meets Ian who offers her a job helping renovate his father's house. A story is full of family drama and love.
The second story Shaken
This is absolutely my favorite from an anthology. This second chance for Michelle and Evan is a story full of suspense action and humor. I loved all the characters and the series is just getting better and better. I loved it!

hird story Echoes of the past
This is also a second chance love story for Gray and Melanie and is my second best. It is also a story full of suspense and old grudges but Gray is determined to leave his fears in the past and live his life to the fullest with the people he loves. Like fate has heard him Melanie jumps in his life and he is determined that she will stay by him.
I volunteered to review an ARC of this book for NetGalley

Three standouts in romantic suspense in one book! How perfect is that! ? Each story brought us little glimpses into familiar worlds but they stood on their own. If your not familiar with one or more of these authors then this is the book to grab.

ARC received for review

All three of these books are connected by the bad guys, and little by side characters.

Against the Heart - 3 stars

It just felt old. Oh wait, it's from 2013 which really isn't that old. Meri is on the run from her ex and stops in Ian's town. Ian saves her when the bad guys finally show up. Little side romance with his dad and the neighbor.

Shaken - 3 stars

Melanie saves a boy she tutors from being kidnapped by one of the bad guys from the previous novella. Gray hides the boy with Ian and Meri (not that we see them). Melanie and Gray have history that makes it hard for her to trust him, but in the end true love wins.

Echos of the Past - 3.5 stars

Michelle is attacked by the bad guys in book one looking for her friend, Meri. Her ex comes in to help hide in his town. True love once again overcomes the past mistakes. Loved seeing Wolfe, Roscoe and Kat from that series.

I don’t think I’ve said this enough, anthologies are a great way to get extra content about our favorite characters while also getting a chance to read other authors.

From this anthology I really wanted to read Rebecca Zanetti’s story about a comic book writer and an ex-marine now sheriff of a small town who fell in love when they were young foster kids and now have a second chance at happiness.

After a difficult upbringing, heartbreak Michelle Peach has found her zen writing comic books. Her only problem is her crazy mother who’s brought serious trouble to her doorstep and has created some of her own. Evan Boldon was not her first choice to help her out, but her gorgeous ex is not only qualified to solve her problems but also jumped at the chance to get back the only woman he’s ever loved.

Even though Michelle and Evan parted ways amicably it wasn’t because they had fallen out of love. Evan’s career in the military put him constantly at risk and he felt Michelle deserved stability and happiness after the rough life they’d had. But he’s found contentment as sheriff of a sleepy town which he feels Michelle would love. Now he only has to convince her he’s back for good in the middle of the chaotic situation her mother has put her in.

As with her other Deep Ops novels, Rebecca Zanetti pens a thrillingly scorching romance full of action and wonderful chemistry. I loved having Wolfe, Kat and Roscoe as supporting characters and the cameo crossover from Rebecca’s Dark Protectors was the cherry on top this great read.

This was a very enjoyable fast-paced and sexy read. Even though it’s a short story, Zanetti expertly pens a hooking plot with well-developed characters.

Shaken is novella #2.5 of the Deep Ops series by Rebecca Zanetti. It is a fascinating suspenseful romance you won’t want to miss. Told from both points of view, with a happy ending.

The Pivot anthology features two other stories, Against Her Heart by Kat Martin and Echoes of the Past by Alexandra Ivy.

NOTE: PIVOT is an anthology with three interconnected novellas of intrigue and suspense focusing on three former foster care friends (Meri, Michelle and Melanie), drug addiction, dealers, security specialists and dirty cops. Two of the story lines spotlight a rekindling romance, while one focuses on new love-all culminate in a happily ever after. All three novellas as part of the authors’ established series but you do not have to have read any of the aforementioned series to follow or understand the current story lines.


______________

Against the Heart by Kat Martin



•••••••••

REVIEW: AGAINST THE HEART by Kat Martin is a contemporary, adult, romantic suspense set in the author’s BRODIES OF ALASKA series. Against the Heart focuses on single mother Meriwether Jones, and security specialist / ex-cop Ian Brodie.


Meriwether Jones, and her daughter Lily are on the run. Lily’s father, Joey Bandini, is an addict, desperate for money, and has threatened our story line heroine. Needing a quick influx of cash and a safe place to live, Meriwether heads to Spokane Washington, where she will work as a temporary house keeper before running again. Enter ex cop/ security specialist Ian Brodie. What ensues is the quick building relationship and romance between Ian and Meri, and the fall-out as Meri’s past comes looking for more.


AGAINST THE HEART is a story of family, friendship, desperation and love. As Meri begins to settle into a daily routine, she knows it is only a matter of time before she has to run, again. The premise is intriguing and engaging; the characters are colorful; the romance is an insta-lust to love with a happily ever after.

_________


Shaken by Rebecca Zanetti


•••••••••••


REVIEW: SHAKEN by Rebecca Zanetti is a contemporary, adult, romantic suspense novella focusing on former US Marine, Sheriff Evan Boldon, and illustrator Michelle Peach. Shaken is part of the author’s DEEP OPS series with a slight cross-over from Rebecca’s Dark Protectors series.


Told from dual third person perspectives (Michelle and Evan) SHAKEN runs parallel to, and overlaps with Kat Martin’s AGAINST THE HEART, and follows Michelle Peach (Meri’s friend Against the Heart) in the aftermath of Joey Bandini’s threat and attack against our story line heroine. Michelle is a graphic artist but her mother’s (Jayleen) drug addiction places Michelle in the direct line of fire. With no money or means to pay off her suppliers, Michelle’s mother offers up our heroine’s tablet, a tablet that contains valuable images and drawings that do not necessarily belong to Michelle. Desperate for help, Michelle calls her friend Raider Tanaka (Deep OPs) but Raider is unable to aid in our heroine’s struggle. Enter Evan Boldon, Michelle’s ex boyfriend. What ensues is the rebuilding romance and relationship between Evan and Michelle, and the potential fall-out as Jayleen continues to cause problems every chance she can get.

SHAKEN is a story of second chances, betrayal and love. Evan has waited two years before rekindling his relationship with the woman he loves but Michelle continues to struggle with Evan’s lifestyle believing our hero isn’t ready to settle down. The premise is engaging and entertaining; the romance is seductive; the characters are colorful and energetic.



••••••••

REVIEW: ECHOES OF THE PAST by Alexandra Ivy is a contemporary, adult, romantic suspense novella set in the author’s THE AGENCY series. This is detective Gray Hawkins, and youth counsellor Melanie Cassidy’s story line.

Told from several third person perspectives including Melanie and Gray ECHOES OF THE PAST follows the second chance relationship between detective Gray Hawkins, and youth counsellor Melanie Cassidy. Gray Hawkins’ return to Spokane to investigate the possibility of a dirty detective at the local precinct couldn’t have come at a more opportune time. An attempted kidnapping at the local youth centre brings Gray face to face with his past, counsellor Melanie Cassidy, the woman with whom he is hoping for a second chance but Melanie has a target on her back when she is witness to the abduction, and the potential involvement of the local police. As Melanie and Gray take refuge at his family’s cabin, our couple rekindle their relationship but not before finding themselves on the run, once again.

ECHOES OF THE PAST is a story of second chances, betrayal, and love. The fast paced premise is energetic as our couple find themselves struggling to uncover the truth while on the run.


PIVOT is an anthology with three interconnected novellas focusing on drug addiction, dealers, security specialists and dirty cops. Two of the story lines spotlight a rekindling romance, while one focuses on new love-all culminate in a happily ever after.

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I expected a lot from this book, because the quality of the authors’ previous works has preceeded them. Let me review this anthology one story at a time.
First, we have Against the Heart by Kat Martin (Meri’s story). She’s escaping a one-night-stand who’s also, unfortunately, the father of her daughter. This guy wants to bleed her dry for every penny she has, and threatens her kid on top of it. So Meri runs … right into Ian Brodie.
Man, I loved Ian and his father. I have this feeling they may have been in other of Ms. Martin’s books, but I’ve never “met” them before. Ian is steadfast, honorable and loving. His dad is heartbroken from his wife’s death, incorrigible and hides his heart pretty well, until he gets thawed out by Meri’s young daughter, who basically adopts him as a grandpa.
There is no question this story’s suspense was first rate. I was absolutely worried about Meri and, as I got to know the rest of the crew in Spokane, worried about them, too. It seemed her ex would stop at nothing (which included beating up a friend and kidnapping) and, even though I knew in my head this story would have a happy ending, I wasn’t sure I was going to make it through reading about them getting there. I did. Barely, and with heart pounding.
The part I didn’t love as much was the romance. Not that I didn’t adore Meri and Ian, I just couldn’t buy they could fall in love–like the “let’s get married and live happily every after forever” love–in that short a time. Honestly a ‘happy for now’ ending probably would have contented me more (and I don’t say that often).
Next comes Shaken by Rebecca Zanetti (Michelle’s story) and this one really had it all. I felt it was the strongest, most well-rounded story of the trio. The suspense was great (though I really did struggle with why she felt ANY kind of responsibility to her mother…but that is what the entire story hinged on so it had to exist). Evan was a take-no-prisoners (and take no crap) kind of guy, and refused to let Michelle get away with much when it came to their previous and current/potential relationship. I also adored Wolfe…his character was honestly about the most well-rounded one in the story! I think several of the secondary characters are also part of other books the author has written, and I’m definitely going to hunt those down. If her other books are as good as this story, she’s going to be an auto buy author for me.
Lastly we have Echoes of the Past by Alexandra Ivy (Melanie’s story). Another second chance romance! One of my favorite tropes when done right, and this one did pretty well. I did feel a bit of what I’m sure was a word count constraint here, so we weren’t able to see as much of their backstories as I would have liked. Still, the romance and the suspense both worked for me here.
All in all, I think this was a pretty solid romantic suspense anthology. I got to find two “new to me” authors that I’ll check out for longer releases and found a good amount of escapism and enjoyment from this well-written trio of inter-connected stories. If you’re a fan of any of these authors, or just the genre in general, you could do worse than grabbing yourself a copy and reading the day away.

Can you trust again?
Kat Martin- Against the heart- Meri has no choice but to run with her daughter, Lily as she knows that her ex will be back. He will never stop until he gets what he wants. Luck shines down on them when she meets Ian and he offers her a job. She hopes that she can save enough and find somewhere safe for her & Lily. Little does she realise that Ian doesn’t want them to leave he wants them to be a family. But Meri fears that her ex will find her and take Lily, she can’t allow that to happen. Ian knows that he wants them both to be part
of his life but can he keep them safe from danger? Do they have a future together?
Rebecca Zanetti- Shaken- Michelle can’t believe that her mother has gotten into trouble again but this is worse than before. And she has taken her tablet that she needs, all her work is on it. But she needs to find her mother first and Evan has decided to be her saviour. Can she trust him again? He broke her heart when he left and she is too scared to go there again. Can they find her mother before she causes even more harm? Evan knows that he hurt her when he left but it was something that he needed to do but he is going to do whatever he can to keep her safe. Can he win Michelle over? Will she agree to give him another chance?
Echoes of the past- Alexandra Ivy- Gray knows that he has a job to do find the dirty cops but it has become more complicated as someone has tried to hurt Melanie and a witnesses little boy. He knows that he hurt her badly when he left, he handled things badly but will she forgive him? Melanie knows that she needs to trust him as they won’t stop until they find her. Will Gray be able to keep her safe and win her over? He can’t let her slip away again he isn’t running this time. Can Melanie see herself as part of Gray’s life? First they need to make it out alive.
A great read, loved all the characters great to see Wolfe back. I was lucky enough to receive a copy from Netgalley and the publishing house in exchange for my honest review.

Enjoyed all 3 stories! Suspense and action and hot romance in each of them! There’s connecting threads throughout all 3 of the stories, so I’d recommend reading the stories in order: Martin’s, Zanett’s, then Ivy’s. Looking forward to more from these authors! I wrote reviews for each; mostly a synopsis for each story, so things got a bit long.


Book 1 - Against the Heart Kat Martin - 3 stars

First off, why did Meri end up in Spokane, Washington if she was going to Portland, Oregon from California? It bothered me the whole time I was reading; should’ve looked at a map. Washington is more North than Oregon, so Meri being in Spokane makes no sense if she was trying to get to Portland from California.

This story was published before; I think around 2014, so it’s not a new story. Just wanted to make that clear, so those that have read it before know.

I liked some of the suspense in this story, and Ian is a totally great guy. Meri got knocked up by some loser, who is now threatening Meri’s 4 year old daughter if Meri doesn’t give him even more money than she already has. Meri decides to get out of California to escape this violent loser. She ends up in Spokane, Wa despite trying to get to Portland, OR, when her money runs out, so she decides to get a job to make some cash before she leaves again. Luckily, Ian happens to be posting a job as a housecleaner on the job board at the local market at the exact same time Meri is looking for a job. Ian sees Meri’s desperation, so he offers her the job. Ian is trying to clean up his Dad’s house that hasn’t been kept up for awhile; Ian’s mom died 5 years ago and he hasn’t been to see his dad in 2 years, so the house needs a lot of work. Meri ends up living at the house until it’s all finished, so Ian and Her grow closer. Unfortunately, Meri is very bad at reading people’s intentions and character, so she allows her stupid decisions in the past blind her to what a good guy Ian is. I do like the connection between them; some good passion there. I also liked the little girl, Lily, she’s a sweetie. This is a fairly short story, but it felt like a full story. I’d say a 3.5 rating. Rounded down to a 3 for the author’s lack of proper research. Still an entertaining story that kept me interested.

Book 2 - Shaken by Rebecca Zanetti - 5 stars

Michelle and Evan Wolfe is mentioned

This book takes place at the same time as the story in Martin’s story. Meri’s friend, Michelle, is the lead female in this story. The lead male is Evan, who also happens to know the male lead, Ian, from Martin’s book; lots of coincidences happening here.

Michelle has a wreck of a mother; drug issues, who has brought problems into Michelle’s life. Michelle is now in danger and needs to find her mother before she causes even more issues. Luckily, Michelle knows some guys who now work in law enforcement/security; they were all in a foster home together, so Evan comes to protect Michelle. Michelle and Evan were past loves, but Evan’s military career got in the way, so there’s some hurt feelings there.

Cool suspense and action! Loved the passionate, sweet connection between Evan and Michelle! Zanetti did a great job with her writing. Entertaining and fun!

Book 3 - Echoes of the Past by Alexandra Ivy - 5 stars

Gray is asked by one of the bad guys from Martin’s book to help protect his young son because the corrupt cops want to keep the bad guy from spilling his guts about who is all involved in the corruption, so they’ve threatened is son. Before Gray can get to the boy, the corrupt individuals find him, but luckily the boy escapes. Melanie, the female lead, works at a youth center that the bad guy’s son goes to, so when the son is about to be abducted, she intervenes and becomes involved in the danger. Luckily, she and the son are saved by someone from her past, Gray. Melanie isn’t exactly happy about it because they were once lovers, but things didn’t end well when Gray moved away. Melanie and Gray are on the run and trying to find out who the corrupt cops are.

More fun suspense and action! Awesome sexy, sweet connection between Gray and Melanie. Entertaining story that kept me interested the whole time!

This was a wonderful anthology with 3 talented authors! I don't usually enjoy anthologies but this one featured 3 women connected by the foster system and the stories intertwined. It was so interesting how each author took the characters and certain individuals and bad guys moved between the stories. Excellent romantic suspense read.

Kat Martin's Against the Heart is Meriwether Jones who has a 4 year old daughter Lili being threatened by her once lover Joey Bandini, father of her child. He's very bad news and she needs help to get him out of her life. When she runs out of money and gas on the run she finds Ian Brodie looking at a bulletin board at a grocery store. Ian is visiting his Dad and needs a housekeeper to help him clean up his Dad's place. Meri is in desperate need of a job so she and Lili can get back on the road. Ian takes a chance and hires her because he can see she needs help. Ian runs a security firm in Seattle and he plays a part in the following 2 stories. I've never read Kat before but this was an excellently crafted and believable story. I'll have to get more of her books.

Rebecca Zanetti's Shaken is part of her Deep Ops series. Michelle Peach is Portland Oregon and was at Miss A's foster home. She calls Raider her former foster brother for help when her druggie mother Jayleen shows up looking for money. He's undercover so he sends Evan Bolden, Michelle's ex who is a former marine. He's now sheriff of a small town in Eastern Washington. Joey Bandini shows up trying to get the money because he works for the people Jayleen owes the money to. Evan realizes Michelle isn't safe at her home so he takes her to his small town to hide and protect her. Here we meet some interesting characters from her various series. When I say interesting I mean INTERESTING. We are also introduced to Doobie Brown, bad guy hacker that play a part in all 3 stories. I love everything Rebecca writes!

Alexandra Ivy's Echoes Of The Past we meet Melanie Cassidy also from the foster system who now works in a youth center helping kids. When she stops a kidnapping of Donny, one of her kids, she is picked up while on the run by Grey Hawkins her former lover. He's a cop and back in town after running away from her and his family. He's working undercover because there is dirty cops working with a cartel and he's there to find out who. He quickly figures out she's running from bad guys connected with his case. It's the same group Jayleen was running from, that Joey works for and Doobie is part of. I just loved how the stories were connected and characters intertwined.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A great romantic suspense collection. Three authors, three stories, and a connection through each. I'm a fan of all three authors and several supporting characters were familiar. I always enjoy Wolfe! These are so well written that at times I had to stop and check which author wrote which story. They go together seamlessly. Alpha males with heart, strong and fierce heroines, mystery, suspense, tension, and romance make for a read you can't put down.

I completely enjoyed myself in Pivot, one book, three intense, intriguing stories that have a connection to each making it feel as if I’d read one large, complete story.

Everything you really need to know about these stories before picking up Pivot can be found in the cover description. Since these stories are all Romantic Suspense I don’t feel comfortable giving away too much of their plots. What you will find here, beyond what the story blurb tells you upfront are believable people experiencing extremely difficult situations, oftentimes, life-threatening situations with bravery, ingenuity, and sheer will. Each of these friends will find a man who will stand by them, protect them and most important of all (beyond loving them) believe what they are told without dismissing anything, no matter how questionable. Meri and Ian, Melanie and Gray, Michelle and Evan are all interesting characters who bring so much to not only their own story but the connections within as well. I had a blast with these three friends who finally find their happy ever after futures – there’s just some crap they have to get through first.

Fast-paced, intriguing, humor at times, deep friendships, and love worth fighting for. I loved Pivot and would not hesitate to recommend it, all of these fantastic authors and their other stories to any reader who loves a good mystery, suspense or romance reading adventure.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from Kensington Books – Zebra via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

I like these authors so I have this a shot. So glad I did. Great stories. I liked how they wove together and the little bit of suspense.

Thank you netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I was initially excited to be reading these short stories by the authors I loved but each one was a disappointing let down. Each story starred a alpha male that did nothing but give orders and use sexual desire to complicate the relationship. Their encounters were uninspiring and the overall plot unappealing. Just not what I was expecting.

This is a collection of three interconnected books that could be read as stand alones, but is actually better read in order. All are romantic suspense that are connected by a drug kingpin thread.
Against the Heart was an insta-love story. Great characters but I would have preferred Meri and Ian’s courtship was expanded since I felt there was not enough interaction between them before they declared their heart felt emotions. Lily was a doll!
Shaken was my favorite in this anthology. This was a second chance romance with another great cast of characters. There was a secondary character that was introduced that I want to know more about! The chemistry between Michelle and Evan just sizzled. Exciting action too.
Echos of the Past was another second chance romance but there was not much said about Mel and Gray’s history other than their parting ways. Exciting action and some steam.
All in all, a great introduction to some new authors to me.