After all these years, OPAQUE agent Josh Slater is finally closing in on the crime boss who bought his father for a bank account. But that entails returning to his hometown to protect his boss’s niece — the only women he ever loved. Sexy, gorgeous Mackenzie Baudin also happens to be at the top of the organized crime’s hit list. He knows he can never reveal the real reason why he was forced to … forced to leave her behind years ago, but he’ll do whatever it takes to gain her trust.
Each book in the Shades of Leverage series is STANDALONE:
* Slater’s Revenge
* Dangerous Lies
more
Finally, read book 1 – I read book 2 initially and managed to confuse myself slightly lol!
Josh has been a government agent for years. He felt that he owed the man who helped him out of his hometown something. Even though he left behind something, or rather someone, very important – Macki. Now the same man who helped him needs a favour. His niece is in danger from the very people they have made it their mission to track down. One slight wrinkle in the plan – his niece is Macki and she is not going to be pleased to have a babysitter, never mind that that sitter is Josh!
Macki may have grown up in a privileged household but she is no spoiled princess. She is a former vice cop and more than able to fend for herself. But she does recognise that she is a target due to her wealth so she does have sensible precautionary measures in place, all thanks to her uncle. But he has a lot of explaining to do when he plunks down Josh as her protector. She gave that man her virginity and he blew out of town sharpish. But as the danger mounts more of the reasoning behind that departure is revealed and she finds herself melting into him once more.
Considering Macki is a former cop, I felt that the police in her town just about tolerated her, never mind were downright antagonistic towards her! Her ex’s partner is also a bit kind of creepy on the personal side but nothing prepared me for all the bolts from the blue! I never saw some of these twists coming, which doesn’t say much for the day job (I work on police investigations!) However, I redeemed myself by at least getting the bad guys right, just in the wrong places in the hierarchy!
Josh is the perfect mix of Alpha male and dependable partner. Macki was smart, courageous and bit of a maverick! I loved meeting the extended team (again) and picking apart the monstrosity that CT has become.
Well paced, plausible storyline, great characters with a 2nd chance at love for our leading pair. Great story.
Read as Slater’s Leverage.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story and the second chance romance that was interwoven through the suspense plot. I connected with the main characters and was rooting for them to take down the bad guys. I liked that the violence was not explicit, though that may not be to everyone’s taste.
Great read! Couldn’t put it down until I finished!
Suspenseful to the end.
This story made me stay up late to finish it! Can’t wait for the next book to be out. 🙂
Good main characters with a painful history that still hurts them all these years after.
Mackenzie or Macki as Josh calls her is a multi-level successful, fierce woman. She is also someone who does NOT like being told what to do. Her chauffeur Ed mentioned that she got back up every time life knocked her down. Sometimes she took unusual routes to stand the pain but she kept her eye on the horizon. Always moving forward. That statement was proven time and again.
Josh is a very skilled man as well but because of his main focus of protection without feelings he also comes across as a jerk quite often.
Detective Cummings is even more of a jerk as well as his Lt. Grey. Both were pushy and overbearing. Cummings was always invading her space. Even made me want to hit him. I really didn’t understand why they thought they had the right to be all up in her business. And I just wasn’t sure if that was all it was it was or if one or the other was a criminal. Maybe even both. It’s going to take some time to figure out which side of the law that they really fall on.
I liked that Josh was such a complex man and that Macki observed that he had two different personas. That when he strapped on his guns he switched from being the Josh she knew to going into his protection mode personality, Agent Slater. Or should that be lack of personality in order to be more accurate.
Team Shades was an interesting mention of people who no matter where they were in the world if a call went out for help, they all responded if they could.
There was plenty of interesting characters on both sides. Good guys and bad guys included. It was nice that it didn’t make the story hard to follow though.
This story was full of emotion and crazy action. Crazy in a good way for the reader. The romance part was pretty good too.
Huge twists and surprises head towards a dramatic finish. A Epilogue is included which I always enjoy. I ended up totally loving this story and look forward to more in the series. This was one FULL story.
“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”
I really enjoyed Slater’s Revenge. First of all, both the H/h were truly likeable and believable. I’m not a huge fan of second chance romance, but Macki and Josh’s back story was realistic, and I found myself wanting them to get back together.
The action in the story was well-drawn. It was like a thriller movie, where you didn’t know what to expect next. I never guessed the bad guy, which is major, since I have a 98% accuracy (at least I think so), though I did guess his second in command.
Josh and Macki are so well suited to each other, and I credit Ms. Shelton with great character development for that. In fact, I think that’s the author’s strong point.
I look forward to more books in this series, because I have to know who is the head of Coercion Ten! Besides, the OPAQUE agents all seem very swoon-worthy!
OMG! This book was packed with so much drama, action and suspense that I could not put it down! Add to that a strong sexy hero and an equally strong and sexy heroine and you have a suspense romance story that will knock your socks off! I became totally engaged from start to finish and loved every minute! Great action, lots of suspense and some nice twists made this story a winner for me! I highly recommend this book.
Wow! This….I can’t form the words to explain how good this book is. It is so suspenseful and quite the page turner! Incredibly intense with tons of action and angst between Josh and Macki will keep you turning the pages. Macki is a former vice cop and Josh is part of OPAQUE. Everyone thinks OPAQUE is a security firm but little does everyone know that OPAQUE is out fighting the bad guys, Coercion Ten. Coercion Ten is a top of the line criminal organization and Macki ends up on the top of the hit list. Josh is brought in to protect her. But the past that they have didn’t end on a good note. As the past reveals itself and as the story progresses we find out how much these two are just in the middle of the chaos that Coercion Ten plans to bring. Facing facts, fears and the future with tons of emotions riding high in this story will constantly keep you turning the pages. This story fills you with the need to figure out what exactly is going on. The suspense was killing me! It’s a crazy wild ride that keeps you guessing. And the plot twists!!!! The plot twists just keep coming! And the end….the end….Boom!!!! You won’t be disappointed at all. I read this one as a stand-alone and can’t wait to get into more of this series. Claudia Shelton is a new author for me and she has obtained a new stalker….*waves*, fan! Bravo!
**I received a copy of Slater’s Revenge from Net Galley in exchange for a voluntary and honest review**
Slater’s Revenge is the first book by Claudia Shelton that I’ve read but its actually a continuation of Slater’s Leverage by the author. I felt that in order to understand more about Coercion Ten and their hold on Riverfall it would’ve been recommended to read the first book prior to this one. Because at times I felt very lost. All in all I’d give this book 4 stars for the action packed and plot line that had you guessing all the way to the end.
Josh Slater goes back home to Riverfall and the only woman he’s ever loved Mackenzie at the request of his boss and leader of OPAQUE. He and Macki left after he found out what his father did to her parents and now she’s been targeted by CT which will use everything they have on her to get her Uncle Drake. After several cryptic texts to Macki it will take everything to keep her safe from those high ranking officials even his own love that never stopped for her.
Mackenzie Baudin is a heiress running her hotel and even though her uncle has a bodyguard/chauffeur/protector when Drake tells her that Coercion Ten has put her on the top of their hit list, she knows that when Josh arrives they’ll have to work together to find the leader of the group. But most of all Trust No one in the city not even the cops. Will Josh and Macki rekindle their love and survive the kidnapping at the end and find the ultimate head boss of CT before it’s too late?
A fast-paced adventure involving a corrupt group that includes law enforcement and, OPAQUE, a private security company with secrets of its own. Josh and Macki had a “thing” ten years ago before her parents died in a tragic accident. When Josh is assigned to protect Macki, he has to find a way to make her understand why he left suddenly after the death of her parents. Macki must decide to forgive him for what she views as his desertion, or to move forward. Suspense, romance, what’s not to love?