On the beautiful Hawaiian Islands, not all is paradise in this high-stakes, action-packed romantic suspense.
He’ll risk his life for her . . . but will he risk his heart? Jiang Ying Yue assumed her kidnapping was random, that she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. After all, who would want to harm her? But then her rescuer—a charismatic former soldier who takes her breath … rescuer—a charismatic former soldier who takes her breath away—uncovers a traitor in her father’s organization. Now, Ying Yue realizes that she’s become a pawn in a dangerous game, and her kidnapper won’t be satisfied until she disappears for good.
Zu Anyanwu’s work with Search and Protect and his canine partner Buck have always been his first priority . . . until he’s tasked with keeping Ying Yue safe. To him, the brave and resilient investment expert is more than just another client. But with danger closing in, Zu can’t let his emotions get in the way of the most important job he’s ever had—protecting the woman he loves.
Forever Strong is the 6th book in the True Heroes series. It’s a Romantic Suspense with interconnecting characters and each book is a stand alone.
Jiang Ying Yue lives and breathes her job as an investment expert so when she’s kidnapped by human traffickers she just assumes they grabbed the wrong woman. Ying’s father is high profile, who would want to harm her? Her rescuer a quiet former soldier snares her trust from the moment he finds her. They discover a traitor in her father’s security team. Ying realizes that her kidnappers won’t give up until she’s disappeared for good instead of just held for ransom.
Zu Anyanwu’s owns and works with Search and Protect with his canine partner Buck in Hawaii. Both have always been his top priority until he rescues Ying Yue. She is brave and to him she is more than just another client. With danger lurking and closing in, Zu must keep his emotions reigned in or they will get the woman he’s falling in love with…dead.
Mm. I got excited for this story when I had an idea about it in the previous book. I’m super pumped that this last book of the series really does tie everything together. So many friends! A lot of suspense and unexpected happenings. Whew. I was definitely taken for a wild ride. This is a steamy romance.
I had a lot of fun with this book! This is the sixth book in Piper J. Drake’s True Heroes series. I have only read one other book in this series and I thought that this book worked well as a stand-alone. I found this to be a really quick read and was able to read the book cover to cover in a few hours. I was looking for an exciting romance when I picked up this book and I felt like it delivered.
At the start of the story, Ying Yue has just been rescued after spending weeks with her kidnappers. Zu agrees to escort Ying Yue to the hotel that her father is currently staying at while in Hawaii on business. Once they pull up to the hotel, they realize that there is a problem and know the Ying Yue will be safer under Zu’s protection. Zu and his team work with Ying Yue’s father’s team to ensure that everyone stays safe and to bring the kidnappers to justice.
I really liked Zu and Ying Yue and thought that they made a great pair. I thought that their personalities meshed together very well and the chemistry between them was very well done. I liked that they were both reasonable and competent individuals working towards a common goal. I also really liked the other members of Zu’s team and thought that they added a lot to the story. I really appreciated the fact that the dogs in this series play an important role in the story. Buck was a great partner and I loved seeing his interactions with Zu, Ying Yue, and the rest of the characters.
I would recommend this book to fans of romantic suspense. I found this to be a really exciting story with a lot of action, great characters, and a wonderful romance. I definitely plan to read more of this author’s work in the future.
I received a review copy of this book from Forever (Grand Central Publishing).
FOREVER STRONG by Piper J. Drake is an action filler romantic suspense novel and the sixth book in the True Heroes series. Jiang Ying Yue was kidnapped and rescued by Zu Anyanwu’s Search and Protect team. This novel starts with her statements at the police station in Hawaii after she has been rescued. Was her kidnapping random, because of her father’s business interests, or is there more to the story?
This is the first book that I have read by this author and it worked well as a standalone novel. The characters are compelling and definitely someone you can root for. They felt read and distinct with clear goals. The secondary characters were well-rounded and enhanced the plot. I loved the varied and distinct personalities that meshed well together. The plot twists were believable, and there were some unexpected turns. The descriptions were vivid and gave a clear sense of time and place.
I enjoy good romantic suspense and this one pulled me into the story quickly and kept me fully engaged. Action, romance, and suspense set in beautiful Hawaii! I am looking forward to reading more of this series.
*4.5 stars*
Strong characters and a tension-filled courtship…
The mysterious, almost mythical, Zu has his story! Throughout this series, the tantalizing glimpses of this man had me craving to find out more. He was supportive though from afar with Arin revealing the personal parts of him he hid behind his boss-like, bullet-proof persona. I knew his romantic interest would have to be a special person and Ying Yue was just that woman…
Ying Yue was introduced in an earlier book, part of an earlier investigation, but despite those circumstances she was anything but a victim. Her strength, even as the attacks kept coming, showed her backbone. She was a force in any situation and Zu was smitten. He may have started as comforting security, but she soon looked at him with much different eyes…
I loved their relationship. Working together to solve a dangerous mystery while realizing their unique spark and acting upon it, no holds barred. The heat was intense and the pace fast. They were both smart, quick on their feet and complemented each other in bed and out…
This story was full of questions that left me wondering and guessing. Even when I thought I knew who the villain would be (so obvious) turned out I wasn’t even close lol. This duo’s chemistry was everything and made this my favourite read of the series.
*Reviewed for 1-Click Admin Support Group
**Thank you to NetGalley
True Heroes #6, Ever since Zu walked into the room with Buck in book 4, Total Bravery, I knew that this strong, silent, intimidating man would be my next book boyfriend. It was worth the wait because this book was fantastic. Piper J. Drake is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors, top ten easily, she’s already an autobuy author, as in if I see the book on the shelf and I don’t have it I buy it. I love her diverse characters, especially the ones in the latter part of the series. This was an action-packed edge of my seat story I didn’t want to put down. It is definitely one of my favorites in the series.
Jang Ying Yue was one of the people that Zu rescued from a cargo container in the last book, for this story arc I would recommend reading at least from book 4 although it can be read as a standalone. Ying Yue was kidnapped in Singapore and brought to Hawaii for ransom and to manipulate her father into doing something bad with his international, has government contracts, corporation. Zu feels a pull toward Ying Yue, he feels more protective over her than anybody else. She questions him about the decisions he makes so that she understands what he’s doing and voices her concerns and her wants and needs and it just makes Zu like her even more. Even after rescuing her from the initial kidnapping they realize she’s still not safe and Zu won’t have anyone but himself and Buck protecting her. When the shit hits the fan, as it always seems to do, friends old and new come to lend a helping hand, and dog.
Overall, I’m gonna cry I think this is the last book of the series…Say it Ain’t So! I really loved this series and Forever Strong (if it is the last book) is a strong finish to the series. I loved that she brought in all True Heroes and their people from the previous books. It is a well paced action with plenty of emotion and romance, loveable dogs and one pig. Definitely great reads.
Being an avid romance reader, I found it refreshing to have an author write characters that are POC. While it won’t dampen my enthusiasm in reading this genre, I do have to internally sigh when I read about yet another blue eyed blonde/brunette and her journey to her HEA. The fact that this story has canine characters is a bonus. Add in the suspense – double yay! Great story line, mildly steamy scenes as the focus is more on the intrigue. I would have liked more on the father/daughter dynamics although I realize that culturally, from my personal experience, Chinese are not very effusive.
I received a free copy from Netgalley. This is my unbiased review.
This is book 6 in the True Heroes series and you absolutely must read the previous books before this one as they are all connected and built upon each other. In this one we get Zu’s story. Ying was kidnapped and rescued by the Search and Protect team on an op in Hawaii. Ying truly thinks that she was just in the wrong place, at the wrong place. But when the team goes to take her to her father, she see’s one of her kidnappers in her father’s security. And realizes it wasn’t random. Now Zu has to keep her safe while also figuring out exactly why she was kidnapped. All while trying to ignore the chemistry that they share.
As usual you can never go wrong with a Piper Drake book! This story drew me in from the very beginning and kept me reading. I have been hoping that Zu would get a story of his own and this one in no way disappointed! He is this strong, protective, alpha male with a sweet side a mile wide. Ying went through something no one should have to go through but she also is intelligent enough to know that it could have been extremely worse than it was. And even knowing she is still in danger, she is still this strong, beautiful soul that you can’t help but like. The only reason I marked down for this one was because some parts of it felt a little slower than I liked. But other than that, I loved it!
4 1/2 STARS!
Pulse-pounding intrigue! With the sixth book in her True Heroes series, Piper J. Drake continues the non-stop action with FOREVER STRONG. The plot is thick with tension as the team tries to keep an innocent safe through multiple capture attempts.
Investment expert Jiang Ying Yue thought her ordeal was over once she was rescued from her kidnapping and delivered to Hawaii to reconnect with her father, but the trauma is just beginning as she recognizes one of her kidnappers as part of her father’s security team.
Search and Protect leader Zu Anyanwu and his canine Buck were in the right place at the right time to rescue Ying Yue from her kidnappers, and when she panics at seeing one of them again, he takes her into his protection until he can figure out exactly what is going on around here.
I recommend this book and the entire series to anyone who enjoys a romance mixed with a band of former soldiers and their canine partners saving the day on a regular basis. There were a few holes that could have been built on a tad, but overall this was a solid read and one of my favorites in the series. It was especially satisfying to see all of the guys reconnect for a mission.
This pace of this standalone addition to the True Heroes series felt a little slow to me. I liked the mystery and action but couldn’t connect to the main characters. Their connection felt a little flat. Overall I did enjoy the story. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC received via NetGalley.
FOREVER STRONG is the sixth instalment in Piper J. Drake’s contemporary, adult TRUE HEROES romantic, military suspense series focusing on the men and women who work for the Search and Protect team, a Special Ops team of mercenaries for hire location in the Hawaiian Islands. This is K9 handler, and Search and Protect Owner and Agent Azubuike ‘Zu’ Anyanwu (and Buck), and specialist in international tax law Jiang Ying Yue’s story line. FOREVER STRONG can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous instalments is revealed where necessary.
Told from dual third person perspectives (Zu and Ying Yue) FOREVER STRONG follows in the aftermath of a search and rescue mission where the Search and Protect team find our heroine, an unexpected prisoner, but a woman who is not willing to play victim for very long. As the daughter of a prominent Singapore businessman, Ying Yue believes she has a target on her back but a return to her father finds Ying Yue facing a possible traitor in her father’s company. Refusing to release Ying Yue into her father’s custody, Zu Anyanwu takes responsibility for the safety and protection of our story line heroine. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Zu and Ying Yue, and the potential fall-out as Ying Yue remains a target of some very powerful men, with possible connections to a human trafficking ring.
Ying Yue refuses to be a victim but someone is determined to take control of our heroine placing the Search and Protect Team in the direct line of fire. On the run to secure her safety, Ying Yue and Zu will call in reinforcements including the K9 specialists from Hope’s Crossing Kennels.
The relationship between Ying Yue and Zu is one of immediate attraction but Zu knows to get involved with a client could place both of them in danger if Zu gets distracted. Ying Yue is drawn to our hero, a hero who reluctantly accepts that there may be something between our couple, something that he is willing to explore. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.
There is a large ensemble cast of colorful and energetic secondary and supporting characters including Agents Raul Sa and his dog Taz, Arin Siri and her dog King, and communication specialist Pau; Kenny, a man with his ear to the ground about the illegal goings on in the Hawaiian Islands; officer Kokua; Ying Yue’s father Jiang Li Weis, and his numerous security personnel; as well as the cameo appearances of David Cruz, Alex Rojas and Brandon Forte, whom we met earlier in the series through Hope’s Crossing Kennels. The requisite evil has many faces.
FOREVER STRONG is a story of betrayal and vengeance; of power and control; of acceptance and love. The fast paced premise is engaging and inviting; the characters are spirited and strong; the romance is seductive. Piper J Drake pens a fascinating series of romantic suspense.
Hot guys, smart dogs, Hawaii, danger this book has it all and more. I love that I learn so much from a Piper J. Drake book and this one is no different. This story took me to places and situations I’ve never been and honestly wouldn’t want to go to most of them. I really liked Jiang Ying Yue our heroine. She is smart and driven and stood up for herself but not to the detriment of her own safety. Our hero Zu is smart and driven but also was a bit of a jerk at the start, he made up for it later.
I really enjoy this series and this is a fabulous addition.
I really enjoyed this book; I love when authors include animals, especially search and rescue type, in their stories. This book, like the others in the series, is a fast-paced romantic suspense full of excitement, action, danger, suspense, and romance with interesting characters and a well-written, engaging storyline. It was a page-turner from the beginning to the end. A great addition to the series!
*I received an arc from the author, via a newsletter contest, and under no obligation, I am providing my honest review.