When the first word is Adrenaline

Wow! This story starts off at a nail-biting thrilling pace and doesn't let up! If you read the prequel, then you already know the history between Xavier and Audrey. (If you haven't, don't worry. While I highly recommend reading that before starting this one if only to experience the events as they happened, there's nothing covered in that book that isn't eventually explained in this one.)

I can't tell you much about the plot without giving away spoilers, but I will say that the action never stops, the romance is a delirious roller coaster ride, and the good guys are the heroes of legend. When Xavier first betrayed Audrey, I was so angry at him I nearly didn't finish the book. Thankfully, I persevered, and was rewarded with an explanation that cleared the way to their HEA.

This is a standalone romance, though we do interact with a couple from one of the author's previous books. It was nice to get the chance to catch up with Luke and Undine and see how their own HEA is playing out. There's just enough of an epilogue to cement Xavier and Audrey's HEA followed by a bit of an intro into the next book.

So many surprise twists and unexpected turns in this story kept me glued to my Nook and I honestly couldn't step away or take my mind off these characters. The writing is flawless and the events feel as urgent and relatable as anything you'll hear on the news. I was simply blown away by this story. Most of it is presented in either Xavier's or Audrey's third-person POV, but there are several parts told by four other secondary characters that don't feel all that secondary at all. Utilizing six different points of view really gives us the entire breadth of the action in a way that a two-person POV would have limited.

This is an outstanding book, one I highly recommend to anyone who loves to read romantic suspense with true-to-life heroes. At one point Audrey reassures herself with, "Navy SEALs were the closest a person could get to being a superhero, right?" and I couldn't agree more. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

Into the Storm is book one in the ‘Evidence: Under Fire’ series by Rachel Grant and boy is it action packed. The story focuses on Audrey and Xavier who shared a passionate night together, only for Audrey to be betrayed by Xavier in the worst possible way. Now he is back in her life and even though they both have some mutual distrust going on they have to work together to survive and save Xavier’s SEAL team whilst trying to stay alive themselves.

This was a really great military suspense book/ romance. Audrey loves her job as an archeologist and even has feelings for Xavier, even after everything that he has done. She is harbouring some secrets of her own though, but she is a strong character and isn’t going to be strong armed by Xavier. Xavier on the other hand is pure alpha male and although he doesn’t trust Audrey initially, he knows that he has to work with her in order to survive and get his team to safety. At the beginning of the novel, he was quite arrogant, but he does develop as the story moves along.

The suspense is great in this novel and keeps you wanting to read on well into the twilight hours to see what happens to the characters. The setting in the national park is also wonderful too and you feel like you are taken on a thrilling ride whilst reading. Overall, a really good book.

ARC received for a fair, honest and sometimes long review. All opinions are my own. 😊

More of my reviews can be found on my blog: http://thehotmesslibrary.blogspot.com

Super interesting book! I haven't read something like this before, especially with these types of characters and their jobs. I really enjoyed how it was mostly a mystery/suspense book but still had an underlying romance piece to it.

Definitely recommend this if you're looking for something different than the "normal" books.

Audrey goes to check something at a dig site she is looking after and walks in to a SEAL training exercise being run by the man who recently betrayed her. After spending one amazing night together he used this to get the go ahead for his training. When it turns out the training is compromised they are both in grave danger. They work together to try to find out why everything has gone so wrong. Along the way they have some help from unexpected friends and the SEALS who are there for training. Audrey has to put aside her distrust for Xavier to ensure that they can both survive as she needs to tell him something when the time is right. This is action packed with a nice bit of heat and lots of f interesting characters. I liked how strong and level headed Audrey was and how loyal and dedicated Xavier was. This was a thoroughly enjoyable read.

Excellent start to a new series, that feels familiar. Loved the cameos from previous characters, and the snapshot of their lives. I loved the epilogue. The story was great, lots of action and some twists and turns. Can't wait for release day, where their will be a bonus story of our couples first meeting.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC of "Into the Storm" in exchange for an honest review.

Xavier and Audrey shared a steamy night together after meeting for the first time. Afterwards, Xavier betrays Audrey by sabotaging her career in order to get a Navy SEAL training approved in the Olympic forest. However, the SEAL team had no idea that their planned training would turn into a real op, and they were all in danger.

This was such a thrilling read and definitely difficult to put down! The action started right from the beginning and there were no dull moments. I especially enjoyed seeing the enemies-to-lovers relationship of Xavier/Audrey develop as they tried to escape the forest alive and save the SEALs. I had not read Rachel Grant's other titles before but this made me want to start! Personally, I am not a fan of traditional romance novels unless there is a strong plot involved, but this certainly could appeal to romance lovers and thriller fans alike. Looking forward to additional titles in this series!

I loved this book. It was full of suspense and romance. I loved the characters of Audrey and Xavier and their chemistry together. I can’t wait for the next t book in the series.

5⭐️

Grant is an impeccable writer who has delivered the perfect read 😍

WOW! WOW! WOW! I absolutely adored this read and was hooked from the very beginning. There was not one moment I didn’t feel immersed in the action of this easy flowing read. 😍🔥

This read really has everything I love in a book, from the atmospheric descriptions of the ‘montane forests’ and ‘temperate rainforest’ to the twists, turns and unexpected romance. I have never quite read a book that fits so many genres all at once. 😮

There were heartwarming and sexy chapters which were instantly shattered by the edge of the seat plot and the unexpected direction that the book travels in. 🔀

Grant has articulated an insane plot and the background knowledge surrounding SEALs and archeology flows beautifully off the page making the read feel ever so real. 🔥

I also really loved Audrey and Xavier and how protective he was over her. They were a huge reason as to why this book is amazing!🥹

My review definitely does not give this book the justice it deserves and I urge thriller/suspense lovers to check this one out as I’m sure you will not be disappointed. 🎉

I am eagerly looking forward to reading Grant’s other work and the prequel when it’s out next year! 😄

Many thanks to Rachel Grant, NetGalley and Janus Publishing for this ARC which is published on 7th October 22! 📚

⚠️ Please check out the trigger warnings! ⚠️

Into the Storm by Rachel Grant was a perfect example of how to do romantic suspense well. This was only my second Rachel Grant read, but I love this author. Very like Pamela Clare, she writes intelligently and clearly does a lot of research. Her family situation seemingly allows her to be very knowledge when it comes to both archaeological and military matters.
The book kicks off, straight into the action. This kept me hooked, and page-turning, from beginning to end.
What I loved most about Into the Storm though, was that despite most of the action happening over a few days, the author did not rush the characters to fall madly in love or proclaim it. It felt very real to me and I enjoyed watching sensible, adult characters question their feelings. It made the love story that much more genuine.
My biggest issue with Rachel Grant is deciding which of her books to pick up next.

This is an author I have not read before, the synopsis sparked my interest and it exceeded expectations. It was an interesting mix of adult romance and a suspenseful high-stakes classified Navy SEALs mission.
The setting at Olympic National Park in Washington was beautifully described, while the brutally inside was a stark contrast. The intricate SEALs training exercise had me shivering in the cold, wet environment. Having never traveled anywhere like this area, I appreciated the very vividly described and fact filled flora, fauna, terrain and pitfalls.
Audrey, an archaeologist at the park, has put her job in jeopardy after a memorable rendezvous with Xavier. He’s planning a highly classified Navy SEALs training op at the park which she has blocked. It takes the consequences of a ‘one-night stand’ to an elevated level! Their bickering, anger and hurt filled feelings will have to be put on hold as real gunfire, not the pretend ‘Simunition’, cracks in the forest.
They will need to put aside personal emotions to survive the unknown, unidentifiable threat behind the bullets. Audrey prays her friends will notice she is missing. Xavier is just praying for his team members to realize the training exercise has turned into a live threat on US soil. The unfolding of events is fast paced, heart stopping action.
George, a local resident, former Vietnam vet and tribal elder, is one of the friends Audrey is counting on to help them. His character is critical to the plot, as is Jae, the park ranger and an old friend of Xavier’s. Interesting characters I hope to read more about in upcoming books.
The story reads easily, is filled with betrayals, revenge, heartbreak, forgiveness, murder, pain, and second chances. It was a unique concept for a plot. I learned some new words used in the Nation Park and SEAL lingo and abbreviations. The storyline impressed me enough to have already download more from the author’s romantic suspense series.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advance digital copy of “Into The Storm, Evidence: Under Fire” by Rachel Grant, and to Janus Publishing. These are my personal honest thoughts and opinions given voluntarily.

i loved this book. i haven’t read a thriller romance before and this was a great book to start with. i loved the aspect of reading about Xavier and Audrey’s relationship while they were fighting for their lives. i also loved how the book wasn’t only from the perspective of the two MC’s and that you got the perspective from someone Audrey’s friends/co-workers and from the SEAL’s perspective. i felt like that brought more of the thriller aspect into everything and helped to make a lot more of the plot make sense and bring things in for Audrey and Xavier’s perspective. also, the way the mystery was told towards the end, i really enjoyed. everything that you read about had a purpose in the storyline and wasn’t left leaving you with questions about why that was brought up.
Audrey and Xavier’s relationship was also great. adding the suspenseful life ir death situation into it, i felt, really helped to get their relationship going. it gave the characters a chance to rebuild broken trust and spend time together and talk about what happened between them. i did feel their relationship went a little too fast tho. but for their situation and timeline i felt it really worked.
overall, i loved this book. it was really a page turner and at the end of each chapter i felt i couldn’t put the book down because i wanted to know what was going to happen next.

Wow, it's hard to believe that most of this story encompasses only 72 hours. It's so full of suspense and surprises. Xavier is in awe of Audrey and her abilities. Shoot, so was I. I had a hard time putting this book down.

"Into the Storm" by Rachel Grant is an immersive, nail-biting and exciting read. Leave it to Rachel Grant to create an intricate, maze-worthy world amidst survival, uncertainty and suspense. Audrey and Xavier's paths cross before they find themselves in a battle of the survival of the fittest. Scorching chemistry and a one-night stand later, Xavier betrays Audrey in the worst possible way, leaving her to pick up the pieces of a barely there career. However, there's a surprise as Audrey is pregnant. The elements of the op were well executed throughout the book, and the multiple perspectives kept me on my toes. Archaeology, strategy and Indigenous knowledge and understanding were beautifully balanced and incorporated. The romance suspense was memorable and heartfelt, woven with forgiveness, vulnerability and hope. The ending had me on edge, and it was simply incredible! This is certainly not my last read by this author. A 5-star read! I highly recommend this book to fans of romantic suspense.

Thank you, NetGalley and Janus Publishing, for giving me an e-ARC. This honest review is left voluntarily.

Special thanks for netgalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC of this book for an honest review.

This book promissed a romance with lots of action and suspense. And yes, the author delivered just that. But the romance didnt convince me. This book had great potential for an amazing emotional and angsty love story, but it didnt wirk for me. After everything the hero did to the heroine, I think she forgave him way too fast. I get that they had to work together so they could survive, but at the end of the day, it took away all the expectations of him working hard to get her back. Did he grovel? Yes, but to me it wasnt enough.

The action in the book was good, but I think the part where they're in the park trying to survive and figure out what was happening dragged on way too much for my preference. Also, I think the author wrtote the same things too many times. Like the H saying he'd wine and dine the h when it was all over. I lost count of how many times I read that sentense. And not just that, but the book as whole is too repetitive.

But you know what?! Dont mind me! I'm in the minority here! Read the book. It has amazing reviews and there is a great chance that you are going to love it too. I'm probably just being way too picky. The action was good. The suspense was good! Give it a try! 😉

Into the Storm (Evidence: Under Fire, #1) by Rachel Grant
This book is about Xavier Rivera and Audrey Kendrick - it kept me on the edge of my seat -sometimes I'd close my eyes then realize I was reading a book not watching a movie. There is angst, deception, betrayal, treason, suspense, some wit, tears, terror, wonderful and evil characters, and steam to get to a very HEA.
Reasons I enjoyed this book:
Entertaining Romantic Witty Tear-jerker Steamy Scary Wonderful characters Action-packed Page-turner Great world building Easy-to-read Unpredictable Tragic Happily Ever After.
I enjoyed reading and reviewing this book.

Into The Storm was an incredible, suspenseful journey for survival that hooked me at first paragraph.

A Navy SEAL, Xavier Rivera, and an Olympic National Park's archaeologist, Audrey Kendrick, don't see eye to eye when it comes to accept a SEAL special training in the forest, but when there is more than some archaelocical sites at stake they'll come together to save their lives and the lives of other people from a mysterious threat. Audrey and Xavier have spent a wonderful night together few months earlier that'll risk to put them in an even worse danger.

I loved everything of this book, the writing, the setting, the storyline, the fast pace, and the characters. Rachel Grant was a new to me author but she was a beautiful discovery, I'm already looking forward next book in this series.

Audrey is my favourite character, she is strong, smart and resourceful. Xavier is a good character nonetheles, he is an alpha but with a conscience.
I really hoped they don't find their death in the Washington forest because they have to give a chanceto their relationship.

Into the Storm is a gripping romantic thriller that has heart pounding moments and is full of excitement.
Audrey works for the Mount Olympus National Park,Washington state, ensuring all is well and protecting archeological sites from treasure hunters and the like. She has a one night stand with navy seal Xavier which is wonderful but then her betrays her dreadfully and she almost loses her job, added to the fact she then finds out she is pregnant.
Xavier with his navy seal team are conducting a top secret exercise on the park when it is infiltrated by hostiles, Audrey unwittingly becomes involved and her and Xavier have to work together.
The action starts early on in this story is relentless until the final few pages.
With great characters, some I’m sure we’ll hear from in the future, a rollercoaster of thrills, daring deeds and a great story.
My thanks to netgalley and publisher for the opportunity to review this book honestly.

Another great series, mixing action, romance, and a dose of history/archaeology.

Audrey loves her little slive of heaven in rural Washington state. She doesn't love the way that she and Xavier connected and then he acted like she was some kind of stalker She nearly lost her job as Park Archaeologist over that and now she realises that Xavier left her with another little surprise - she's pregnant!

Xavier had to lie to Audrey when they met - he can't go around telling everyone he's a SEAL or that he's planning a super secret training mission. But the need for secrecy trumps his feelings for Audrey and basically tramples her career and her feelings into the dirt.

Now the training mission is about to begin but it would appear that someone else is in the park. Someone who has inside knowledge of the mission and is out for revenge! Audrey's cameras go down and she's worried so enters the park to see what's gone wrong. But now she is also in the sights of the park invaders!

Xavier is the perfect hero but OMW he puts those big feet in his mouth! Audrey was a great mix of intelligent Archaeologist and livid ex, she rightly gave Xavier a hard time but I really feel he got off a bit too lightly, I would have made him grovel a whole lot more! They both handled the unexpected pregnancy well and there was no denying it or ditching responsibility.

This was actually a multiple POV book as we also see the action from other characters, not just Xavier and Audrey.

I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. This review is my own opinion.

Rachel Grant writes detailed romantic suspense novels and does it beautifully. I find myself drawn into these amazing stories. Captivated by characters that draw me into their world. I promise you will want to binge read the rest of her books.

This was my first Rachel Grant book but it certainly won’t be my last.

I really liked Xavier and Audrey’s story. They both had a steamy night together prior to the events happening in the book and it ended up with Audrey getting pregnant.

Audrey and Xavier don’t start off on the best foot due to Xavier being dishonest about his job and Audrey resenting him for it. Xavier has to dig himself out of trouble and grovel a bit to get himself back into Audrey’s good books because he knows he did wrong and feels guilty but the way they work through it and end up coming together was really nice.

I liked the way the story was told and I thought that having multiple POVs would get confusing but actually it wasn’t and it was enjoyable to read different perspectives.

The story was suspenseful and thrilling as well as romantic which are all the things I love in my books. It really kept me on the edge of my seat just wanting to find out more.

*NetGalley provide me with an ARC of this book. All opinions are honest and my own.