Leah Giancarelli makes balancing her new role as a single mom look easy, but she’d have crumbled if not for her late husband’s best friend, Marcus. She has her issues with HORNET, an elite hostage rescue team–after all, Danny would still be alive if he’d never accompanied them on their last mission–but Marcus has always been by her side, a strong shoulder to lean on… Until, after one … one impulsive kiss, he’s so much more.
Eaten alive by guilt, Marcus takes off, leaving both HORNET and Leah behind. Alone is easier. Safer. Because his feelings for Leah are all kinds of wrong, the worst kind of betrayal, and he can’t trust himself not to act on them.
But Danny’s death was only the beginning. Whoever hired the hitman is looking for something, and they think Leah knows where it is…
Each book in the HORNET series is STANDALONE:
* SEAL of Honor
* Honor Reclaimed
* Broken Honor
* Code of Honor
* Reckless Honor
* Honor Avenged
more
Received in exchange for a honest review.
I was on the fence with Leah. She was barely surviving but that anger was fueling her. Anger that was making some sense but not really. She blamed a group of people and their job over the fact that her husband was gone. I can understand the need to lash out and find fault somewhere but she, to me, went further than necessary. That is not to say she isn’t a good character she is. She is strong and resilient. She is protective of her family and does what she needs to to make her family feel safe, secure and happy.
Marcus is a joy for me. He loves his job and those he works with. He is loyal, kind, attentive and when it comes to Leah and her children he loves them fiercely. Only issue is he feels guilty about what happened to his best friend-Leah’s husband. He feels guilt over how he feels about Leah as well. He doesn’t deal well with this guilt and does what he needs to to survive-run. He runs away, which ticks me off but I understand as well. He was drowning and didn’t know what to do. He didn’t want to burden anyone and felt as if he was betraying his friend and letting everyone down. He ran to survive and find his center again. Did he hurt people but picking up and running? Yes. Was there another way? Maybe but for him this is the only way he could come to grips. His guilt and feelings of betrayal to his best friend was eating him alive and he had no where to turn in his mind.
Only things happen that are beyond his control and Leah needs his help. She and her family are in danger so she goes to him and they do have the confrontation but are also at the same time faced with danger over what is going on in Leah’s world. She is brought into the past of her husband’s and must solve the mystery before she is killed. So she turns to the man that was always there for her-Marcus. He wasn’t too happy at first and when they finally act on that attraction he doesn’t do well with his guilt but over time he learns. He learns to let go and live. He learns to forgive and let love in. He learns that falling in love doesn’t have a time table or care who it is but is something to see as precious and beautiful especially as they are in danger and trying to solve who is the spy and bad person. When they do wow, not what i expected.
The story is good. The plot flows nicely and we have that great give and pull between Marcus and Leah but also within Marcus as he finds his way back to the surface and embraces the gift he has been given in Leah and her children. The danger is as palpable as the attraction between Leah and Marcus and as the story unfolds and you get the bigger picture the shock of who is betraying everyone begins to make sense. A good story from beginning to end.
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WOW! This is the first book I have read by this author and I was hooked! This entire series is binge-worthy, literally, I had to finish two books of the series before I could stop to go to sleep. After completing this book, which is number 6 in the series, I had to go straight to book number 1 and start the series at the beginning. The entire series is full of action, twists and turns and emotions. They are beautifully written fast-paced, wonderful characters, and strong storylines. I am now hooked on this author’s books and am looking forward to reading the other series.
Full review appeared at Reader’s Edyn on 05/23/20
Leah is in very real danger – except she has no idea just how much or just how close it is. Reeling from the death of her husband and a newfound attraction to their best friend, she is just trying to take things a day at a time as a single mom to three. When she ends up abducted and sucked into the life the HORNETs live and breathe daily – a life her husband was going to turn to – a life that got him killed, she is thrust into a world she had no understanding or appreciation for. When the only two choices are live or die, there really isn’t any decision to be debated against. With the HORNETs as her incoming rescue, she is less than thrilled. They are who she blames for everything her life has become. In fact, the only thing they have in common from her perspective is their love for Marcus – and now the fact that she is in peril, abducted and whisked away to a strange land, with only Marcus and the HORNETs to save her leaves her begrudgingly accepting their help. But through all of the craziness and scheming is something much deeper than anyone could have ever anticipated and Leah might be the key to unraveling it all and taking down some seriously devious crime bosses in the process. All she has to do is stay alive, figure out a way to trust the HORNETs, and convince Marcus that their attraction is so much more than the betrayal to her husband and his best friend that he stubbornly insists it is. No big deal.
Marcus is hopelessly in love with Leah. He probably has been for as long as he can remember, but since Danny got her, he never allowed those feelings to manifest. With Danny gone and his connection to Leah growing stronger, it’s getting hard to resist her. But each break feels like disloyalty toward his best friend and he doesn’t want to suck Leah into the deception with him. She’s just grieving, not really feeling anything for him anyway. So he does what he does best and runs – far away – even from his team. But he eventually returns at Leah’s request and immediately turns personal protection detail out of necessity. Except this threat ends up being so much bigger than anyone thought and he needs his team desperately if they are to have a chance of survival. It looks like he’s got a lot of decisions to make. Leah’s safety is the priority, but then he’s got to figure out what to do about his position within the team, and then his future with Leah. That is, if she’ll even speak to him again after they make it out of this harrowing experience she’s been an unwilling participant in.
I feel the need to preface this review by saying that I have not read any of the books in the HORNET series. There is very clearly a lot of carryover from the previous books and I feel it would be in the best interest of any reader to enjoy this series in order. Not to say that I did not enjoy this book. I most certainly did. However, I also know that when I eventually get around to reading this series from the beginning, I will definitely have to read this book again just to keep up on where everyone was and what was occurring. The book works as a stand-alone, yes. But after reading it, I can say with certainty that I know it would have been even better having come into the story with all of the back knowledge in place. As it is, I am left with a lot of questions. Intrigued as well.
While this book is about an elite security team that puts their lives on the line to do the ugly jobs no one wants to think about, it is also a story about overcoming loss and learning to move on. Leah goes through several emotions during this nerve-wracking experience, but when she finally emerges on the other side of all the bad, she has a newfound understanding of life. Not only to appreciate everything you have and not take anything for granted but also new respect for the things the HORNET team does and the people they come into contact with. This enlightenment even transfers into a new direction for Leah’s life that goes beyond just her and Marcus – a direction that could very well place her on HORNETs radar again in the future. I’m just saying. For Marcus things are quite a lot different. He already knows what he wants and is fulfilled with his chosen career path. What he has to realize and learn to embrace is that he is not stealing Danny’s life away from him. He is stepping into a place where there is an absence felt on a molecular level that only he can fulfill. And there couldn’t be a better person for that role. At one point I wanted to knock him upside his head, but the depth of emotions that he went through was gut-wrenching. While I experienced aggravation at the guilt and alienation Marcus wallows in and thrusts at Leah, it was also relevant and appropriate to the situation. Ultimately, I actually ended up enjoying the strife. They didn’t just fall into bed and try to play house, which made me connect to both of them on a deeper level. I also adored Marcus’s freaky great encyclopedia in his head of movie quotes. What a fun and unexpected quirk of this rough and fearsome special ops soldier.
As far as the characters…dang, there were a lot of them! Marcus’s mother stole the show for sure. She is a bad-a$$ in her own right and has some crazy capable skill. If ever I was in trouble, I’d for sure want that woman at my back. Alexander Cabot – let’s just say he’s been through some junk and what’s coming next is going to have one heck of an effect on HORNET. Then there is Mercedes whom we have ascertained is Alexander’s sister. Also that she has some crazy sparks with Ian. She’s the enemy but seems to have turned informant when it suits her. Even begrudging teammate at times. But make no mistake – she is still on the wrong side. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a book in the future for Mercedes and Ian with Mercedes defecting to the HORNET team. She reminds me of Navabi from The Blacklist. When I picture her, that is who I see – so much about those two characters are eerily similar. Then there is Ian. Good grief that guy! He will probably end up with the best book of them all. He’s a puzzle – he’s definitely a mystery and has secrets he’s guarding. Those secrets seem to have something to do with Defion. Since this is my first book, I did not get a clear picture of Defion or how they impacted the team members, but it is definitely some shady, nasty company that no one walks away from. Ian, Alexander, and Mercedes have ties to them and there doesn’t seem to be any love lost between any of them and the evil business. But back to Ian … while there are parts of him difficult to assimilate, he isn’t all that cmplicated when you break it down. He prefers to be alone and refuses to acknowledge that he needs this team just as much as they need him. He doesn’t do friends, or feelings. He acts like it’s some big inconvenience to be a part of the team. But he is quick to react whenever necessary and despite his tendencies toward violence, his teammates are always at his sixes, keeping him in check. It frustrates the heck out of him, but I believe he secretly craves the connection. For all outward appearances, the guy is only comfortable with his four-legged partner, Tank. And that may be true on some level, but he also needs the link to humanity his team provides. His attraction to Mercedes is going to be a sticky situation and I look forward to reading how it all eventually plays out. I’m clearly just a bit enamored of this fascinating character. Believe me when I say these are just a few of the massive cast of characters assembling to create this fantastic world.
If I had a regret, it is whole-heartedly that I did not start this series at the beginning. With so much obviously carrying over from one book to the next, I strongly recommend reading in order. Now, I did make my way through this book with little difficulty, but assimilating so much information with no back knowledge from the previous books was daunting at times. As I made my way through the story, there were a few areas I re-read just to try to keep the people and events straight. So please heed my advice … READ IN ORDER … if the other books are half as good as this book, then it will be time well invested. Ms. Burrows has created a fantastic group of men and women within this amazing operative team that each have their own strengths and weaknesses. When melded together as a cohesive unit, they are pretty much unstoppable. I loved that each member was so unique, yet vital to the success of the missions. The depth of emotion experienced throughout this book was unexpected but welcomed. I can tell there is a ton gearing up for the subsequent books in the series and I am excited to see where Ms. Burrows takes these talented, feisty members. Ms. Burrows and the HORNET team series is firmly in my top 5 special ops book series as of, well, immediately. Now to find the time to read the whole series … I will endeavor to make it happen.
Kindle version provided by NetGalley/Entangled in exchange for an honest review.
To say I loved this book is putting it mildly. This story is SO good. You won’t be able to put it down. Marcus and Leah’s story is so amazing. So many emotional aspects to this story: heartbreak, sorrow, grief, anger, friendship, love. I guarantee you will love it. Just when I think I have found my favorite HORNET story, a new one comes out and it is another fantastic addition to the series. If you like romantic suspense, you won’t want to miss this series. You will not be disappointed.
A Spectacular Suspense . I volunteered to read and review an advanced readers copy through Netgalley of Honor Avenged . Wow ! This is story is such a pulse pounding intense story .
Marcus DeAngelo’s world turned upside down his best friend was killed by a sniper and he will do whatever it takes to get answers to who did it and why . Marcus is really on a downhill spiral and he’s out of control . His team and his best friends widow Leah and children need him but he feels so much guilt over his death and also the heated kiss he shared with Leah the night of the funeral he runs and hides . He avoids everyone and their calls .
Leah has been trying to cope with her grief and her children’s . When men try to shoot her and another gives her a drive and helps her get away tells her trust no one in uniform go to Marcus and Hornet . After the men come after her again Marcus’s mother sends her after Marcus for help . Danger soon follows and they must solve why and whom is behind everything with Hornets help . Marcus and Leah’s chemistry cannot be ignore as danger escalates . This story is a definite nail biter . I loved reading it . I highly recommend taking the time to read .
Not having read the earlier books in this series put me at a disadvantage with a Honor Avenged. While it’s billed as a stand-alone within a series, there was too many characters and backstory issues in the first 40% of the book for me to sift through. I was more distracted by Ian and what was going on in his mind to be interested in the Leah/Marcus plot.
Which is a shame, because I did find the story intriguing and the characters interesting. But by the time the action started for me, their possible love connection was just getting in the way. I like the writing, I enjoyed the team’s connection to each other, but the romance left me bored. While I was unaware I was reading a series book, I’ll stick to my own rule of reading books in order from now on.
This is a fantastic Romantic Suspense. I could not put it down so read it in one day. Leah is a young widow and mother of three, her husband having been killed during a mission with HORNET…a top secret hostage rescue team. Since his death, she wants nothing to do with HORNET. She even accepts the break in friendship with Marcus, a member of the HORNET team and her husband’s best friend even though it hurts. That is until something happens that instantly sends Leah running back to Marcus and HORNET”s network.
This book is action packed. It’s exciting and had me on edge several times in the best way. Burrows does a great job of portraying the conflicting feels that both Leah and Marcus have as they grow closer. While this book is part of a series, it was very easy to read as a stand-alone and really just makes you want to read the rest. The members of the HORNET team are intriguing and likeable and you just know that Burrows will bring you the same sense of adventure that you find in this book. There is fun, tension, excitement and steam. Everything you could want from a romantic suspense book. I would definitely recommend this one.
Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled for an ARC of this book. The opinions here are my own.
Honor Avenged is book six in the HORNETS Series Tonya Burrows. It is a romantic suspense that has characters carrying around a tremendous amount of emotional baggage in addition to the danger that comes their way. The characters are realistic in that tough men like Marcus would seem likely to hide their emotions then think that they are dealing with them through alcohol and isolation. I can’t imagine a suddenly single mother who wouldn’t fill like falling apart but would need to hold it together for her children’s sake. Leah is a great character as she works through her unexpected tragic life changes. Even the children’s response to their father’s death seems realistically heartbreaking. More so then usual in the series the intense feelings are as strong as the suspense.
Also it is a story of suspense with a twist as the story evolves. Just when the characters think that they know exactly who the bad guys are something new happens keeping them on their toes as well as me turning pages to see how it all fits together.
The love story also has elements of loneliness, loss, having to remake your future, guilt and regret. Even more the characters learn the art of surviving a tragic loss, discovering a hopeful future, finding love and forgiveness.
The HORNET crew make appearances when the team needs to work together but it stands well as a stand-alone.
An ARC of the book was given to me by the publisher through Net Galley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This was my first book by this author, but it definitely won’t be my last. While I dropped into the middle of a series, I didn’t feel lost or confused because she does an excellent job of introducing (or reintroducing) characters without detracting from the current main characters and their story.
Marcus and Leah both have a lot of healing to do, and if they could just get beyond their guilt and grief, they could heal together. All that guilt doesn’t stop Marcus from jumping into action when Leah needs him most, and he brings the whole HORNET team along for the ride. While their HEA is found in this book, I’m now anxious to see what happens next for this team. Because of that, I’ll definitely be reading more from this author.
Hello, I’m NICUnurse Stephanie and I’m a romantic suspense book junkie…and darn proud of it! Tonya Burrows is a new-to-me author, but I’m always up for new adventures with new friends, and if you add hot, tortured heroes with guns, I’m definitely all in.
Honor Avenged can be read as a standalone. I haven’t read any of the other books in this author’s HORNET series, and while there were times that I was more than curious about the minor characters’ stories, but there was no point in the story where I felt lost. I’m also a series junkie, so at some point, I’d love to dive into the first 5 books in this series. But my TBR list is long and daunting so it could take me a while.
NICUnurse’s Rating: The first couple of chapters felt like they drug just a little. But this really could just be me. This pandemic and sheltering in place stuff has had me in a strange headspace, and I’ve had a harder time falling into stories than I normally would. So that’s not just a line I’m using so it doesn’t seem like I’m trying not to offend authors. It’s truly been a thing. But, I digress (See! I’ve also been easily distracted!). Once I finally was able to be fully engrossed in the book, I had to make myself slow down my reading because I wanted to know how this was all going to play out so bad, and before I knew it, the clock read somewhere around 2 am. (This has become a bad habit for me.) Needless to say, I finished it pretty quickly. It was totally entertaining and the suspense was on point. I’ll be looking for more books from this author in the future.
I give Honor Avenged by Tonya Burrows a solid 4 out of 5 stars!
HORNET Agent Marcus Deangelo, former FBI, was there when his best friend and former partner Danny Giancarelli was murdered. He was unable to save Danny and now Danny’s wife, Leah, is left to raise their three children. Marcus is determined to find the man who killed Danny as well as those that ordered the hit. When Leah is attacked and barely escapes, she fears for both her and her children’s safety. What was Danny working on and what information did he leave behind that has brought this danger in to their lives? HORNET team members, a hostage rescue group, will soon learn that Danny’s murder was just the beginning of a far-reaching criminal enterprise, one that people are willing to kill and die for to protect. Hot action starts from the beginning of this fast-paced suspense until the very end. I definitely need to read the first books in this series. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)
At long last we get Marcus Deangelo’s story in this high action, romantic suspense, paramilitary series. I really enjoy this series with it’s brotherhood of team members and their adventures into finding love. It is a close fellowship that were concerned when their teammate Marcus went off the rails and disappeared when his buddy Danny died in a training op. This series is addicting!
Marcus Deangelo is just plain lost when his life long best buddy dies on a HORNETs training mission. He just wants revenge and will do anything to achieve that end, even cross the line. The story starts when he’s tracked down Mercedes Raya, girlfriend of the hitman, and he’s desperately trying to break her to find the guy who shot Danny. He gets enough out of her when his team finally catches up with him. During the story we find out Mercedes is-was part of Defion, the rival PMC – Private Military Contractor. Mercedes is trying to locate her brother Alexander Cabot who was Danny’s CI – confidential informant. When Xander saves Leah Gancarelli, Danny’s widow, he gives her a jump drive that sets the story into action.
Leah Gancarelli is just trying to cope after being widowed with three children. She, Danny and Marcus were friends from childhood, and she knows the world Marcus introduced Danny to is the cause of his death. While showing a house, she’s trying to sell, she’s thrown into Danny’s world. Now that she and her children are threatened she seeks Marcus to protect her. The story grows and gets huge from that point on. Leah doesn’t want to be drawn into HORNETs world that she blames for Danny’s death. Marcus is riddled with guilt and grief he’s barely functioning. His life has taught him to run from emotions and stress. The team will do everything to save them. I love this series!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
“Glass exploded around her, rained down in little shards that bit into her skin. What the…?”
Leah Giancarelli’s life has been an unsettled mess for almost a year already. Her husband, Danny, was killed while on a job for HORNET. Since then, she’s had to keep herself and their 3 kids going on with their lives. But now? Now, bullets are flying at her when she’s supposed to showing a house.
This turn of events brings her old friend, and Danny’s best friend, Marcus, back into her life. Marcus has tried to avoid all connection to Leah since Danny’s death. But now, someone wants Leah dead. Marcus and HORNET have to find out why. While doing this, Marcus and Leah have to sort out their feelings for one another. Which has come with a load of guilt.
I loved this story! The action and the romance were absolutely on point!
**I received a copy of Honor Avenged by Tonya Burrows from Entangled Publishing and Net Galley in exchange for a voluntary and honest review. My review was not solicited in any way and is mine alone.**
Honor Avenged by Tonya Burrows is the sixth book in her HORNET Series and picks up where book five ends with Marcus trying to understand why his buddy Danny died in on Martinique. This book has everything angst, Black Market trafficking of human organs, and of course a hostage. But when it comes to the climatic ending will Marcus and Leah give into their feelings for each other?
When Leah Giancarelli is attacked while showing a house she’s given a jump drive and told that it contains information on her late husband’s death. She doesn’t trust HORNET so instead heads to Marcus to see what he knows. They’ll travel to Asia, Central Africa and finally back to the USA where information from the drive shows how deep the ties are for the black market and who could be behind the group. Can she escape the person who tried to keep Danny from telling who the person really is?
Marcus Deangelo is struggling with his BFF Danny’s death but finding the answer won’t be at the bottom of the bottle or surfing especially since his feelings toward her feel like a betrayal to Danny. But when Leah shows up in Indonesia he doesn’t hesitate to call his team in to find out the real killer all while running from the people who want them dead. The jump drive could expose the person behind the group who sells human organs to the highest bidder. The ending is climatic and the final chapter leads into the next book and it’s a eye opener that’s for sure.
Excellent! Filled with action and suspense. Leah loses her husband and her best friend. Marcus loses his best friend and it leaves him in a very dark place. Danny was like a brother to him. Leah is now in danger and it sends her running to Marcus for help. There is page turning action as they run from mercenaries out to kill them, and try to figure out who really killed Danny and is trying to kill her. They also have to face the developing feelings of love between them and make the decision about where they want to see themselves going in the future. It is a great ride that will leave the reader wanting to come back for future stories in the series.
I love this series and these members of HORNET so much. Some of my favorite romantic suspense right here! Ms. Burrows sure knows how to do it up right! This is a great story with edge of your seat action and suspense with a nice size helping of tender and emotional as Marcus deals with the fall out in his life of losing his best friend Danny but having real feelings for his widow Leah and her kids. And of course this is all happening while trying to stay alive and find out who killed Danny. Such an awesome book!
High octane romance:
I enjoyed this book and found it captured my attention from the very beginning. There is plenty of fast paced action but I especially enjoyed the intrigue and investigative aspects of the book. Quite violent at times and I wasn’t always comfortable with their actions, yet I could understand why they reacted that way.
This was a slow burn romance. Marcus is full of self loathing and blames himself for his best friends death. He also hates that he is falling for his widow, but when Leah finds herself in danger, he’s compelled to do anything in his power to protect her. Meanwhile Leah is doing her best to take care of her family and survive in the wake of her husband’s death. At times I wanted to shake the two of them, especially when they didn’t talk about how they were feeling and shut themselves down. I was so glad when they were finally honest with each other.
This is book 6 in the HORNET series; I hadn’t read any of the prior books however was able to follow along just fine. I do have some catching up to do though, as now I want to know the other team members stories!
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.
Honor Avenged is a paramilitary best friends widow tale that will have you wanting to smack an obstinate stud upside his head. This book features some horrible things, the loss of a husband/best friend, betrayal, and really nasty bad guys. It also features moving on and living life. Well once Marcus gets his head out of his butt anyway. This is a fast paced scary ride of emotion and danger.
Love finding new authors to gorge on!
Marcus can’t get over losing his best friend, his brother in arms. But after allowing their joint grief to almost ruin their relationship, Marcus is staying as far away from Leah and her children as possible.
Leah knows that what almost happened was due to grief. But when bad guys start taking pot shots at her and then her family, she’ll go to the ends of the Earth to find Marcus. He is the only one she trusts to keep them safe. Not the FBI, not the police and most definitely not HORNET!
I have not ready any of the previous books in the series – about to be rectified and added to my TBR!
Marcus has a whole lot of grief, self-loathing and long held, deep seated family secrets going on! His Mama is one tough broad – I want to be her when I grow up LOL! Leah I felt was very anti HORNET when it’s almost clear from the beginning they were not to blame for Danny’s death but she is brought around. Leah and Danny’s kids are so sweet but you can just feel the grief the entire family have been living with, each in their own way.
There were many WTF moments, especially with Ian and a certain duplicitous and dangerous female!
Brilliant chemistry between the leads and love the intense camaraderie between the team!