Secret Enemy, is full of suspense. The title says it all. Lyosha has no idea who is after him. That doesn't stop him from protecting Mila from the threat. Secret Enemy, is a great book, kind of short so perfect.

Secret Enemy by Katie Reus
Publisher: KR Press, LLC
Genre: Romance
Publication Date: June 22, 2021

Secret Enemy by Katie Reus is the sixteenth book in the Red Stone Security series. I had not read the previous book (and I will be correctly that oversight on my part!) and was thrilled that this could easily be read as a standalone romance.

Oh my goodness!!! This book is so fast paced and filled with so much action! I loved the mystery woven into the story! It was so well done! The romance was hot and steamy and a lot of fun to watch develop. I really loved the characters and look forward to diving deeper into their world!

If you enjoy security romances, I highly recommend this book! If you enjoy steamy romances, this book is for you! If you love action and adventure, you should definitely check out this book!

I'm so grateful to Katie Reus, KR Press, LLC, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.

I am a big fan of all things Katie Reus - and this book is definitely a good read. Great alpha hero - fun heroine and lots of zany family members. The thing about this one for me was that I kind of felt like it was the introduction to a new phase of the series - and maybe it was - but I think because of that maybe we didn't get as much depth in the relationship as we normally would have? Lyosha and Mila have been friends for the last five years. It is clear to everyone that they are more than friends to each other - but neither of them have ever taken steps to make it more.

For Lyosha - he feels very much unworthy of Mila and fears taking a risk of bringing her into his life only to put her in danger. For Mila, it is more of a confidence thing. Why would a guy like Lyosha want more from her? and if he did - wouldn't he have gone after that by now? When enemies from Lyosha's past decide to target him through Mila all of that goes out the window pretty quickly.

Now - as much as I love Katie Reus - this was the first book in the Redstone Security. I felt like maybe I needed some history for Lyosha? Like the villians of the story for whatever reason didn't have a huge impact on me. Especially the big reveal towards the end.

Overall - while I liked it a lot - it all felt very surface to me - like we just didn't get a lot of depth and I missed that.

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, but these opinions are all my own.

Whenever a Katie Reus cover appears on Netgalley, I just have to request it. Although I was hoping for the next part in the Ancients Rising series, I am always very happy to indulge in the Red Stone security series. Because this series has standalone stories, it doesn't matter if you haven't read all the previous parts or not. you are always in for a treat, with some steamy scenes and of course, there is always some danger lurking.

In this story it is a danger threatening Mila. She has met Lyosha at the pet shelter, where she volunteers. They have become friends ever since. And although Mila would love to become more than a friend, Lyosha always keeps her at a friendly distance. Little does she know that Lyosha would like nothing more than to claim mild as his. But he is afraid that his past and his dangerous profession wil endanger the sweet and innocent Mila When Mila is targeted by an unknown threat, a race against time starts to unravel the truth: both of Lyosha's enemies and of his heart.

As always: fast paced, funny, full of suspense and romance. Love it! Five out of five stars from me and a special thank you to Netgalley for providing the arc.

4.5 stars

Secret Enemy, by Katie Reus, is a fun and fast read by an author that I'm coming to love. It's number 16 in the Red Stone Security series, but the first in the series for me. It worked fine as a standalone, though fans of the series will be happy to see several previous characters make an appearance.

Lyosha and Mila meet in a prologue; he had just left the animal shelter where he'd brought in a kitten for a check-up. He'd left some documentation, and volunteer Mila called him to see about getting it back to him. Chapter 1 begins about six months later. Mila is a new employee at Red Stone, and she and Lyosha have become good friends. Alas, friends without benefits because Lyosha has the "I'm not good enough for her" thing going on.

This book checked a lot of my boxes: Hot, protective hero? Check! Adorable but self sufficient heroine? Check! Cute pet? Check! Suspense? Mostly check. So it's the suspense that dropped this nearly perfect read down a half star for me. I just wanted more of it. To be fair, Reus manages to surprise me a little bit with the "who," but the action itself was really minimal. Most of the suspense is on preparing for the worst rather than any actual danger. It's not that I don't like what there was, it's just that I wanted there to be more of what there wasn't.

Otherwise, this book is really satisfying. Side characters--especially Mila's awesome family--add a lot of depth, and the humor they bring is an added bonus.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion. Thanks!

This author always delivers! This book is so good. Lyosha has so many layers and his past is murky. With Mila being in danger denial.goes out the door. Loved her family and the interaction between them. Got to say desert is always good!

A big thank you to NetGalley and KR Press, LLC for the ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. This is I believe the 2nd in a series. It reads well as a stand alone. I found this to be a cute, fun book with some added suspense. Mila was great, and Lyosha a big softie very unwilling to admit it. Nala was an added bonus. Mila's family was amazing. I think most romance readers would enjoy this book. 3.5 stars

I was certainly impressed with this novel. The writing is incredible and the author did a great job at the storytelling. Hours ticked by as I happily devoured the pages.

Love all of the Red Stone Security books and this was no exception like all of its predecessors it is a tight read with all the angst drama and suspense and romance that you could want and best of all you get to meet many of the characters from previous books

Lyosha Makanov met Mila when he took a half starved kitten to the shelter she volunteered at he was instantly attracted but knew he wasn't good enough for her but that didn't stop him "accidentally" leaving paperwork behind so he would have return or meet her to get it back. Meanwhile Mila is crushing on the tattooed bad boy even though she knows he is out of her league. When she starts a new job at Red Stone this brings them even more into contact after all Lyosha boss Viktor is married into the Red Stone family Everyone can see that they belong together but both are fighting it That is until Lyosha's past puts Mila in danger now he will do whatever he needs to in an effort to keep her safe and if that means keeping he in home then it is time well spent together, Such close proximity will have them both finally admitting that they want one another but can they have a future You will have to read to see

It was great to be back in the Red Stone Security world. I was afraid I'd forgotten the names of people involved, but no, it was like coming home again.
This one is about Mila, working at Red Stone and Lyosha, one of Viktors men. They've been dancing around each other for a while, not daring to confess how they feel about one another. When Mila is targeted by one of Lyosha's enemies, he steps up to protect her at all cost.
What follows is action and romance in typical Katie Reus style.
Highly recommended.

Can't wait for the next one!!

A big thank you to Mrs Reus and Netgalley for this ARC!

This is my first book of the series, but I didn’t feel that I was missing anything by diving in now. Lyosha and Mila were both so woefully oblivious of the fact that their feelings were each returned that I had to laugh a few times. Once they gave into temptation for a second, Lyosha then almost destroyed everything by running scared. But he came back and came through for Mila when it counted.

I loved how this story flowed and how it never left me bored or angry (for long). Sure, Lyosha had a few typical “dumb man” moments, but he and Mila had so much more than just lust between them that it was only a matter of time until he reconciled his fears with his heart. They were the perfect balance for each other because when one was stubborn, the other gave enough to realistically compromise without breaking. And when one was being less than smart, the other was there to guide the way. I can’t wait to see what comes next from this author now!

Well done!

Red Stone is back and is just as great as all the others. Mila and Lyosha have an engaging story full of heart, emotion, action and drama.

I voluntarily read an advanced copy.

I love getting more Red Stone Security books, especially when it’s for the man who works for Viktor. Viktor’s story is one of my favorites of the series because of the way he was and how he treated Dominique.

You get a lot of those same traits in Lyosha. He’s extremely protective of Mila. He treats her like every woman secretly wants. If it were up to Lyosha, he would wait hand and foot on her. That doesn’t mean he is that strong Alpha male. He’s very much an intense, dominant male. He just chooses to treat Mila like a queen.

Mila had a bit of insecurity, but also had brave moments when she was upfront with Lyosha about her feelings, and she wasn’t a doormat. It’s a good mix to find in a heroine. I loved the “extra” her family brought to the story. I would even love to get a couple more books with the sisters. They were a fun and loving family.

This was definitely an enjoyable read and I’m looking forward to more in the series.

Mila has a new apartment, new job, and a handsome friend. She volunteers at an animal shelter when Lyosha walks in with a kitten. He leaves some papers so Mila calls him and they become friends. Lyosha is the head of security for his boss’s company, which is now legitimate. Both are attracted to each other but both also thinks they are not good enough. When it looks like Lyosha’s past has caught up with him, Mila is targeted. Can he save her and give his heart to her?

Suspense, sex, and action. I loved it. Two people finding love after making something of themselves. Friends to lovers. I honestly don’t know what to say. You will not be disappointed, in my opinion.

* Voluntarily read and reviewed this for NetGalley *

Katie writes alpha men right. The way they are protective, possessive, and so gentle with their women makes me swoon. I need a Katie hero in real life. I'm so glad that she decided to write more in this series because it is absolutely one of my favorites. So excited for the next one.

A thrill soaked, fun and romantic ride of a book.

I haven’t read any of the other in this series so can say for sure that this can be read as a stand-alone, though there are lots of people and references to the prior books so enjoyment would very likely be enhanced by reading at least some of the earlier series (particularly Dominique and Viktors story I think)

The storyline keeps you engaged and you find yourself cheering on the characters, as well as sighing in frustration at times.

The slow burn non-romance (that totally was romance) between Lyosha and Mila right from the get go was such a delight to read and so when it all stalled for a time it really did bring forth an emotional response and I really wanted the relationship to succeed.

I adored Mila’s family, and how important Lyosha was to them all and how they embraced him. The pool party was such fun to read

I did feel that I never really got to grips with exactly why Lyosha held himself apart from Mila, there seemed to be hints but no big thing or part of his history that would make him feel this way.

This didn’t detract from the story for me though and I thought it a really well written book.

Good book! This book had intrigue, suspense, action, and lots of thrilling moments! I've read quite a few books in this series, and they've all been good, sometimes a little short but they're all decent reads! I would definitely recommend reading this book and series! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

Mila and Lyosha meet at an animal shelter she volunteers for. The two of them strike up a friendship and being going out frequently as friends only, much to Mila's disappointment. Lyosha definitely has the hots for her but he holds himself back from pursuing anything more with her thinking he isn't good enough for Mila. Unfortunately he has an old enemy who has come to town and he plan on making Lyosha pay for sending him to prison, Mila is the perfect tool to use to make him suffer.

Really enjoyed this story, it was exciting and romantic. So happy to have another Red Stone Security Story its such a great series to read!

Secret Enemy (Red Stone Security #16) by Katie Reus
It was fun visiting RED STONE SECURITY again. This is Lyosha and Mila's story. He has a history and doesn't feel he is good enough for her. She doesn't think she can fit in with his lifestyle. There is angst, fear, evil, laughter, tears, wonderful family and friends, love and plenty of steam to get us to a action packed HEA. I am looking forward to more books in this series.
Reasons I enjoyed this book:
Scary Romantic Wonderful characters Easy-to-read Steamy Action-packed Witty Twisted Tear-jerker Happily Ever After Entertaining Page-turner Great world building

SECRET..ENEMY
..Katie..Reus..
..NG....K.R.Press.
Lyosha thinks that his past is what he is. Meeting Mila the newest member of the security team and volunteering at the animal shelter. When he brought in a stray cat, She thought that was like him, tough, and a marshmallow inside.
A guy dating Mila’s roommate Emily, is making a move on her. Hearing about this Lyosha persuaded him to not come to the apartment till after Mila has moved out. This set her up for this guy’s revenge and to show her.
Especially after seeing the text that Mila had sent of words he had said.
Would Lyosha be there to protect her. Good heart warming story of a love that comes, and doesn’t want to be denied.
Given ARC by Net Galley and K R Press for my voluntary review and my honest opinion.