Once they were soldiers. Now they answer only to honor . . . The 11th Hour is made up of men and women who are no longer deemed fit to serve their country, but still need to fight a war. They work in shadows, keep their secrets—and follow their hearts . . . Helicopter pilot Kellan Blake has always hated being told what to do, so being discharged from the army for insubordination doesn’t come … being discharged from the army for insubordination doesn’t come as much of a surprise. What does surprise him is that when he joins up with the elite, underground 11th Hour squad instead, they send him straight home. The nest of vipers that calls itself his family is the next target for the team’s tech unit, so he’ll either have to brave their traps and deceptions himself—or watch his sweet, shy friend Sabrina walk into them alone . . .
Sabrina’s no femme fatale, but since there’s no one else with the tech skills to get the info they need, she’ll put on a party dress and take one for the team. But whoever decided she should pretend to be Kellan’s new fiancée hit a little too close to home. How can she concentrate on a dangerous mission when she’s worried about giving away what she really feels for her loyal, passionate, smoking hot partner? At least she isn’t likely to blow their cover. Until she’s in the line of fire, and neither Kellan’s demons nor his heart are hers to tame . . .
Praise for Jackie Ashenden’s Dirty for Me
“An intense scorcher of a story that is sure to delight fans and win her a legion of new devotees. . . . Unforgettable.” —RT Book Reviews, Top Pick
“Tension and heat pervade the frequent sex scenes . . . Readers will eagerly anticipate future installments in the series.” —Publishers Weekly
“Explosively sexy.” —Heroes & Heartbreakers
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One of my very favorite romance themes is friends to lovers, and Total Control is an exceptional one.
Kellan and Sabrina are both part of an elite special ops team called The Eleventh Hour. Kellan is former military, and an action man, while Sabrina is the computer expert. Kellan is from a wealthy family, and Sabrina’s father was the gardener. When her mother and brother were killed in an accident and her father abandoned her, Kellan’s parents took Sabrina in and she and Kellan were raised together. But Sabrina has never felt sisterly toward Kellan.
When Kellan and Sabrina have to fake a relationship to go undercover, and potentially expose the misdeeds of Kellan’s father, things get tense, and very, very heated.
This book is full of angst, hot love scenes and intense action. I loved it!
3.5 stars–TOTAL CONTROL is the second instalment in Jackie Ashenden’s contemporary, adult 11th HOUR romantic suspense series focusing on the men and women who work for 11th Hour Security. This is former Night Stalker Helicopter pilot and former Navy SEAL Kellan Blake, and IT specialist Sabrina Leighton’s story line. TOTAL CONTROL can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.
Told from dual third person perspectives (Kellan and Sabrina) TOTAL CONTROL follows the friends to lovers relationship between 11 Hour Security team members former Night Stalker Helicopter pilot and former Navy SEAL Kellan Blake, and IT specialist Sabrina Leighton. Sabrina and Kellan were childhood best friends. The daughter of the Blake estate gardener, Sabrina was raised alongside Kellan when her mother’s death and her father’s subsequent abandonment left a ten year old Sabrina with no one else to care. Fast forward to present day wherein, Sabrina and Kellan must work side by side when an 11th Hour Security assignment pits father against son as Kellan must uncover the truth behind the accusations against the father he loves. What ensues is the building physical romance between Kellan and Sabrina; the take down of the man Kellan calls dad; and the fall-out of the relationship and friendship between our leading couple as Sabrina struggles with memories from the past.
Sabrina Leighton has loved Kellan since she was ten-years old but as the daughter of the hired help, Sabrina was constantly reminded that she would never be acceptable for the man that she loved. With secrets of her own, Sabrina knew that to get involved with Kellan potentially meant a broken heart-a heart she had already lost to the man who only saw Sabrina as a friend, and nothing more. Low self esteem and numerous insecurities were always at the forefront of our heroine’s mind. Kellan Blake refused to believe that the man that he loved, his father, was involved in the things of which the 11th Hour Team had accused. With secrets of his own Kellan and Sabrina return to their childhood home, only to come face to face with the dysfunction within.
The relationship between Sabrina and Kellan is a friends to lovers romance that is doomed to fail as secrets and ghosts from the past continue to loom over our leading couple. From unrequited love to the hero’s overprotective alpha personality, the relationship also struggles with preconceived notions and a familial history that continues to eat at our heroine’s heart. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.
We are reintroduced to the 11th Hour Team including leader Jacob Night, ex-Black Ops, owner of a billion-dollar security company; Faith Beasley, Isaiah Graham, and Callie Hawthorne and Jack King (Raw Power #1). Faith and Jacob’s story is next in Hard Night.
There are some issues of repetitiveness and redundancy including 76 mentions of varying eye shades of blue, and 16 comments about the green or green-gold color of the heroine’s eyes. I also had a difficult time accepting the ‘issues’ that eventually tore our couple apart-Sabrina’s explanations and actions just didn’t fly in the face of everything that had happened. Kellan’s quick emotional turn around once he discovers that Sabrina has wanted a relationship for close to twenty years is questionable; and the results of the team investigation that culminated in nothing more than a slap on the hand were unfulfilling and underwhelming.
TOTAL CONTROL is an interesting and entertaining story line but I struggled with a number of issues. The premise is engaging; the romance is spicy; the characters are dynamic and energetic.
“Those terrible, beautiful words.”
I’m a fan of the author’s writing, she’s always done it for me with her dirty talking alphas. But I must say that Kellan frustrated me. While I’m aware that all the members of 11th Hour are ex-military and most likely have demons chasing them, I wanted him to have more confidence and cockiness than he did. I guess having the mission focused on his family took the wind out of his sails and put him on the defensive rather than the offensive much of the time. His internal dialogue kept me in touch with his thoughts and feelings and is responsible for me wanting to throw my Kindle at him to wake him up.
Sabrina is the character I was most interested in getting to know. I love techies and her being a hacker was very intriguing for me. And of course, her having been secretly in love with her best friend since she was 10 yrs old had my romantic heart yearning for her HEA. She also shared her thoughts and feelings with me, so I knew the damage she was battling. No wonder she never let him know how she felt, the risk of losing him as a friend was too much. She’d rather have part of him than none at all if he didn’t return her feelings. But how was she supposed to convince him she was only pretending to love him as she posed as his fiance? How was she supposed to touch and kiss him and then walk away as if it never happened?
What I liked most about Sabrina was that even though she was used to working behind the scenes, hidden behind her laptop, she still has some sass when her buttons get pushed. And nobody can push her buttons better than her best friend who holds her secrets and her heart. I loved it when she got mad enough to stand up for herself and tell him off. The sparks flew and I just waited for them to catch fire. Waited for him to wake up and see what he was missing, regarding his family and his friend. Yup, frustrating… But never fear, I’ve never read a book by this author that wasn’t hot as hell and this one is no exception. She can write a sex scene like nobody’s business and never disappoints between the sheets, in the alley or against a wall.
Mmmmmmmmm. Oh, I’m sorry. I can’t stop looking at the cover. Daaaaaaaaaang, right?
Kellan is a member of the 11th Hour. The team of ex-military who still protect civilians even though they no longer serve their branch. Kellan has been hit over the head, because the next mission assignment couldn’t really be happening, right? He’s just learned that the man he’s idolized his entire life could be behind an legal arms ring. WHAT?! No. Way. And there’s no way he’s gonna let someone else investigate this, because he’s determined to prove his boss wrong. His dad’s innocent. Right?
Sabrina is Kellan’s best friend and although not ex-military, works with the 11th Hour Team. She’s also been in love with Kellan since she was ten years old. After her mother died and father left her, Kellan’s family made her a part of the family. At least that’s what everyone thinks. Truth be told, she hasn’t really felt like part of the family. And now with this new mission, the past is rearing it’s ugly head.
OMG! I’m in love with this couple. Best friends turned lovers is THE BEST chemistry, ever!!! The mission takes on a whole new meaning when these two are forced to lie to Kellan’s parents, stating they’re engaged. Having to “act” the role forced Kellan to finally see Sabrina in a different light. And boy oh boy, the sparks don’t just fly, they soar!!! The tension of the mission also brings up the past for both characters. Each one having to come to terms with it in order to move forward.
And that EPILOGUE!!!!!! Hurry up! I’m dyin’ ova here!!!!!!!!!!!
I am a longtime reader and lover of Ms. Ashenden’s stories. They are highly emotional and I love every minute of them (with the exception of a couple). Yeah, totally love the angst. In reading the first book in this series I got the impression that Kellan was a happy go lucky kind of guy. He is not. He is full of self-recrimination regarding both his military career and his personal life. When he and Sabrina go on a mission he discovers that she has “liked” him for many years but just could not commit. Her issue is with abandonment. I like how the stories of their growing up were intertwined to show their differences and really how they enable each other. I cried a lot while reading this story. That is always a good sign I like the story. Their interaction and journey are beautifully written. I am not usually one to talk about sensuality in books but damn, this book is freaking off-the-charts hot from the first kiss scene to the end.
Next up Night and Faith…I am betting it is a good one!
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through NetGalley.
Sabrina is very smart and works for the 11th Hour company as a computer specialist. Kellan is former Marine and Army, from a wealthy family and took Sabrina in when her father left her at ten years old. She has been in love with Kellan for as long as she’s known him. Kellan’s father is suspected of selling arms to cartels. Kellan doesn’t believe it, so he and Sabrina go undercover as a couple to find the information that will prove he’s guilty or find nothing just like Kellan thinks. While at his childhood home secrets are revealed and he finds out everything Sabrina has been keeping from him. They’ve always been best friends but when they become lovers, Sabrina gets scared and tries to push Kellan away. Kellan has to choose the woman he’s fallen for or the man who was his hero.
A sexy, suspenseful story with friends to lovers. Secrets and a woman who’s learned to keep everyone’s secrets. The only thing that bothered me was when she finally gets what she’s always wanted, she doesn’t think she’s good enough for him.
* Voluntarily read and reviewed this for Netgalley *
This was a 3.5 star if I’m honest. I’d read the third book, loved it. Found the first book, loved it but this one just seemed a bit off. I’m not sure if it was because Kellan seemed a bit manipulative at times or because of Sabrina’s total lack of self-worth. Don’t get me wrong I’m a big old bag of lack of self-esteem myself but Sabrina just couldn’t see that her skills made her awesome not Kellan’s interest in her as anything other than a friend!
Kellan’s history as a former SEAL and helicopter pilot had little to do with the plot really other than as an entry point for the investigation into his family. Sabrina Leighton is like uber-hacker girl and I just felt that she was completely manipulated by those around her. 11th Hour at least respected her as a hacker and agent, even with her lack of field experience. But as Kellan’s quasi foster-sister she was as good as wallpaper, she barely existed to them!
The whip-lash speed of Kellan’s changing passion towards Sabrina and the very repetitive nature of some of the descriptions just made this a bit…wanting. It won’t put me off reading any other works by this author but just felt a bit underwhelmed.
4.5Stars
Another great book from the series in this one two of the 11th Hour fell in love. Sabrina and Kellan are best friends since they were kids little that everyone’s knows Sabrina is also in love with Kellan for years. In new assignment they are on a mission to discover is Kellan’s father really involved in gun trafficking. So for the assignment, they have to pretend that they are engaged. For Sabrina that is pure torture, for Kellan is eyes opening in everything, how he sees Sabrina, start to feel for her, her relationship with the family, and he sees who his father truly is. Both characters well developed, likable. The story flows through the pages, chemistry between Sabrina and Kellan hot. I can’t wait for for the next one.
I volunteered to review an ARC of this book for Netgelly.
Not that great
There is so much history between Sabrina and Kellan and I love it. It’s amazing how two people can see circumstances entirely differently from one another. They, for the most part, grew up in the same home. For Kellan, it was his home with his mother and father. For Sabrina, she was the abandoned young girl Kellan’s family took in. While Kellan always believed Sabrina was treated the same as he was, that wasn’t the case.
Because of the way Sabrina was treated by Kellan’s parents, and the fact that he allowed himself to be blind to it, left a lot to be unpacked in this relationship. While Sabrina never held Kellan at fault, he is the type of man who has a sort of hero complex so it doesn’t sit well with him. Especially when his parents are less than welcoming to her in the present day.
I’m a huge fan of friends to lover and fake fiancée stories, so this one seemed made for me. Oddly enough, I have a bit of an issue with the person in the friends to lovers trope that is the clueless person in the scenario; the one that doesn’t even realize the chemistry and connection they have with the other person. And to say Kellan was clueless is a huge understatement. Huge! So while I love the trope, I hate the inevitability of feeling one character has something over the other.
The author does a great job instilling tension into the narrative. From the feelings Sabrina is trying to hide from Kellan, the mission they’re both hiding from his parents, the secrets both Sabrina and Kellan are keeping from each other, the tension is palpable.
This story seems to be the start of something big in this series. There is a lot uncovered and a lot that still needs to be learned. The Sabrina/Kellan arc is concluded, but there’s so much more to come.
My last note, I believe I’ve said it before but I’m going to repeat myself. Jackie Ashenden really knows how to write sexy scenes. Kellan “interrogates” Sabrina at one point and it is raw and angry and hot and wrong and oh so right all at the same time. Fire!
This review can also be found at https://allingoodtimeblog.wordpress.com/2018/11/21/total-control-book-review/
**I received a copy of Total Control from Jackie Ashenden from Net Galley and Kensington Books in exchange of a voluntary and honest review**
Total Control by Jackie Ashenden is the second book by the author in her 11th Hour series. While I didn’t read the first book, I have read books in Tate Brothers and Texas Bounty series. But I have to say I had a very hard time getting into this story. Maybe it was the constant repetition and reminder of Kell’s blue and Sabrina’s green eyes of the H/h but it just fell flat for me. The story felt rushed at times also.
Kellen Blake misses being a helicopter pilot so when his next assignment involves his father who may or may not be a gun runner even though he’s a decorated retired Army General. He sets out to prove Jacob Night who runs 11th hour wrong but balks at Sabrina Leighton included in this ops. He decides that both he and Sabrina should pose as a newly engaged couple and hope that his parents won’t ask questions while they compile a case against his father. However what he doesn’t know is the Sabrina knows a lot more than she’ll tell Kellen especially the secret from his past.
Sabrina Leighton has known Kellen’s family most of her life as his family took her in when her gardener father disappeared. She’s a computer hacker extraordinaire who know the truth about General Blake and that she’ll do anything to protect Kell even keep a secret for years. She has loved Kellen since they were teenagers and wonders if he’ll finally see her as a lover instead of a friend. Things will get sketchy and they will need to use all of their skills to find out the truth as well plan to take down his father.
Fantastic as expected! It’s no secret that I’m a huge Jackie Ashenden fan and this book is the perfect example of exactly why. Unique and fresh storyline, superb writing, and unforgettable characters make this book a must read.
Kellan Blake is a help pilot for the elite crime fighting group The 11th Hour. He’s surprised when one of his first assignments is to return home and investigate his father. He’s positive they have it all wrong but agrees to do it certain he can prove his father innocent. Going with him is his lifelong friend Sabrina. She’s a tech genius and her skills will be invaluable. This mission will open Kellan’s eyes not only to exactly what type of man his father really is but also to what an amazing woman Sabrina has grown into.
Must read! I highly recommend it.
I just went on another thrilling mission for the 11th Hour team. On the Total Control mission, I joined Kellen and Sabrina as they fought their way to discovering the truth about Kellan’s father and Sabrina’s place in his family.
Kellan and Sabrina are strong characters that easily grabbed my attention and I just had to find out what happened between these two because for them achieving their happily ever after is a heart tugging, soul wrenching journey that was anything but smooth or easy. Blindness and a refusal to accept the changing emotions between them keep this couple on an emotional rollercoaster throughout their mission, and let me tell you that I don’t think I have ever been around two more stubborn characters than these two.
The fast paced and thrilling story keeps the adrenaline pumping and the suspense building throughout the story as Kellan and Sabrina go to some elaborate lengths to get at the truth, but there undercover game adds to the tension of their relationship as it starts to change the dynamics of their long standing friendship, so there was never a dull moment to be found.
The second book in the 11th Hour series is quite an emotionally explosive but sexy and daring story that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. The best friends turning into lovers for this couple was filled with intense emotions and electrifying chemistry that I could practically feel as they poured from the pages. Needless to say, so far I am really liking this series, so I can’t wait for Hard Night to be released in November.