A beautiful fugitive. A hot bodyguard. A high-stakes game of temptation.For Nasir, former Special Ops military man and bodyguard, his new job seems like an easy-money gig: trail a Russian mobster’s runaway wife in Mexico, enjoy the sun, observe, and report. Just one rule: don’t get too close. But it’s all Naz can do not to watch the alluring dancer’s every move. A closer look is … look is irresistible—especially when she’s in trouble.
Evalina escaped to the island getaway to live an untraceable life—as far away from the past as she can get. But Eva can’t ignore the dark, muscled stud who rescues her from a drug gang. He says he’s an ex-cop on vacation. When providence throws them together time and again, Eva thinks it’s all a beautiful coincidence. Now she’s giving in to a strange new sensation: trust.
But Naz has a mission to accomplish and a secret to keep. Eva has her share of secrets, too. And as the heat flares between them, Naz knows that trust could become the most dangerous impulse of all.
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The Dangerous Beauty series is a spinoff of the Bad Habit series, where we first met Barney, personal bodyguard and former special ops military soldier, whose real name is Nasir or Naz. In this first installment of the new series, Naz is on assignment in Mexico for Metrix Security. His company is hired to watch and report on the wife of a Russian mobster, which sounds easy enough to Naz, until he actually meets the woman and realizes it’s anything but. He doesn’t have a clue about what he’s really gotten himself into, and he’ll soon discover that things aren’t always what they seem or what you’ve been led to believe. Evalina Ivanova, aka Eva, is a woman in hiding from a very dangerous and cruel man, and she has no idea that he knows where she is. Her beauty, brains, humor, and survival instincts make her irresistible to Naz, who knows it’s a bad idea to be in contact with her. Naz and Eva have so much chemistry, and their humorous bantering will have you chuckling throughout the story. As Naz gets to know Eva, his assignment changes and becomes personal, and he knows he will protect this woman at all costs. This romantic suspense has all of the mystery, action, danger, and steamy encounters that will keep you turning the pages. But, beware, there is a cliffhanger at the end. I am a huge J.T. Geissinger fan and am impatient to read book two and find out where Naz and Eva end up next!
What did I do? Tell me! What did I do to deserve this kind of torture!?!
Dangerous Beauty is a page turning, can’t put down (except for potty runs) read. It’s a runaway train that you can’t help but be caught up in. Eva is the beautiful, smart, sassy target of surveillance. Nazir is the hired henchman doing the surveillance. Only he’s not a henchman. He is also doing more than surveillance. He’s falling for the target. It is going to be a hard and painful fall too. Even though I’ve finished the book, this isn’t over. Hence my questioning whether this is penance…
Dangerous Beauty is a sexy, suspense thriller with a love story that will keep you flipping pages. But the unexpected show stealer is the witty banter between Thelma and Wilbur. I laughed out loud many, many times during this serious story. I was smirking and caught off guard by some hilariously inappropriate moments. I think the levity that J.T. Geissinger added makes it that much more. So enjoy the intrigue, the white knight, and the love story but try not to pee your pants when the humor unexpectedly sneaks up on you.
They say patience is a virtue. I’m clearly not virtuous because I’m already searching for book 2’s release date!
4.5 stars
CLIFFHANGER WARNING: First off, I’m going to warn anyone contemplating reading this that there’s a major cliffhanger at the end of this book. This is the first book of a true trilogy – not three loosely connected books, but rather three books about the same couple. If you’re the kind of person who gets all bent out of shape about that kind of thing, I suggest passing this by or waiting for all three books to be released.
That being said, this was a very enjoyable read for me. I absolutely LOVED the banter between Eva and Naz and really felt that they connected as a couple, in spite of the circumstances. This is only the second book by this author that I’ve read and I felt like I might have missed a previous book about two of the supporting characters that play a major role in the book. Was it enough to detract from my enjoyment? No. But I’m a bit OCD about liking to read things in order whenever possible, so I’m now going to have to look through her other works to see if I have to go back and read their story at some point.
I’m a bit of a sucker for romantic suspense, so I really liked that aspect of the story and I felt that it was well done. I’m very much looking forward to reading the next two books to see what happens.
*Advance copy provided by NetGalley. All opinions are my own.*
DANGEROUS BEAUTY by J.T. Geissinger is book One in the Dangerous Beauty Series. This starts the story of Nasir ‘Naz’ and Evalina ‘Eva’.
Naz a former military special ops, bodyguard and now investigator. Naz is working on a easy case to keep a eye on a mobster’s wife who is in Mexico. Naz thinks this is gonna be a easy job but he quickly learns nothing is going to be easy. Eva has been on the run not trusting anyone but there is something about Naz that makes her want to trust him.
This does leave us with a cliffhanger and I can’t wait for the next book ‘Dangerous Desires’.
***4 Stars***
Hmmmm. Definitely didn’t expect all that.
Not that it’s a bad thing in any way, just…surprising.
But, I’m definitely intrigued enough to see how everything plays out for Naz and Eva.
Being a fan of the Bad Habit series, I’m already in love with Naz, who I’d previously known as Barney, and was thrilled when it was announced that he would get his own HEA (especially after all he went through) and I have to say I love the man even more now than I did then. Honorable, quick thinking and a little quirky, he kinda hit all the right buttons for me. Eva is a strong woman. After what she’s survived, one would expect her to have broken, but she hasn’t and has a positive outlook on life.
Their relationship, thus far, was a bit of a surprise, but a fun one that is an interesting mix of insta and slow burn. I loved their bantering and how they just seemed to flow together, even when they probably shouldn’t have. The crazy they go through definitely brings them closer and I’m more than curious to see what else is in store for them and how they will weather that storm.
If you haven’t guessed, this one ends on a cliffy of sorts. I didn’t know going in, and though I do prefer knowing that I’ll be getting a cliffhanger it wouldn’t have deterred me since I really wanted more of Naz and love the authors writing, so total no brainer. There were some things (non Nazand Eva things) that had me going hmmm, but not enough to mess with my enjoyment of their story or the need to see what will be coming for them in the next installment!
~ Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley & voluntarily reviewed ~
Oh my gosh! I loved this book! Despite that ending, or maybe because of it.
Naz has been hired to keep an eye on a rich man’s spoiled wife but when she gets herself into some trouble, he has to step in. Within no time at all he realizes she isn’t everything the client described her to be. And before he knows it, he’s crossing boundaries he warned himself to stay away from. And Eva is eagerly waiting for him on the other side.
“He inhales deeply, then lets it all out in a gust. “It’s how men are supposed to be. Unfortuntaely, a lot of them don’t know the difference between protective and possessive, which is why you have so many a$$holes in the world.”
I close my eyes and sit very still, basking in that statement. And in him, this beautiful man who is single-handedly redefining the word MASCULINE for me.”
Eva has some deep, dark secrets. Secrets that will break your heart. But she’s living her life now, enjoying every day for what it’s worth even as she keeps one eye over her shoulder. When Naz enters into her life, she’s reluctant to share anything about herself. When they keep running into each other she slowly opens herself up.
“I love how she wears her heart on her sleeve and doesn’t pretend to be tough.
She isn’t tough. She’s strong, but not tough. She’s obviously capable and independent and whip smart, but she’s also vulnerable. Sweet. Soft.”
This couple were so freaking cute and fun and sexy and just perfect! I absolutely loved their banter and back and forth insults that were light hearted and hilarious. Naz knew just how to defuse any moment that became too heavy with Eva and I loved him for his sensitivity.
This book has a relatively low angst despite what each couple are dealing with. The pace is fast and so engaging that I hated each time I had to close the book to deal with real life. With a slow burn, the steam was still extreme and there is never a doubt as to the chemistry between Eva and Naz.
I knew going in it was going to be a cliffhanger and while I hate them, I could tell this couple need more than just one book to do what needs to be done. But the worse thing about a cliffy, is the waiting…sigh.
Dual POV
OMG! AMAZING! Like shout it from the roof tops AMAZING! At the same time I just want to throttle her for giving us a cliffhanger! I despise cliffhangers. Its not a fault of the author, I just know my memory is sh*t and the wait kills me. That being said, from one of my all time top favorite authors (and Ms. Geissinger is in my top five for sure) I’ll still read them, but I like a warning. Thats my only criticism of the whole book, I’m used to her interconnecting series with each book covering a different couple, so thats what I expected with this one. I got to 92% and plot twist! I’m frantically searching for more pages, even reading the description again to see if it indicated a cliff hanger then scouring the pages to see when the next one comes out lol.
Anyway, its all good and she more than makes up for any disappointment I had over this being a cliffhanger by being such an amazing unbelievable story. Its so thrilling and suspenseful and in parts both super fun and flipping HOT! Naz is up there as one of my favorite book heroes now, its only a few weeks into the year but it’ll take awhile to knock him out of the top spot. Hopefully by the time that happens the next book will come out to remind me why I love him so much. Eva is growing on me. I like her spunk, and their chemistry is FIRE, but my favorite parts were their quiet silliness. You don’t see that enough in romance. Add in the nonstop action and intrigue and this is going to be a big contender for top read of the year once we get the other installments. I can’t wait for more!
“I know better than to let business get personal. But this woman. Goddamn. She’s a unicorn. The whole enchilada. I didn’t think women like her existed outside the movies.
I’m a big J.T. Geissinger fan, she’s proven herself over and over to me. So, when I see her name, it’s a no-brainer. Yes. Yes. Yes. No need to even read a synopsis. Which explains how I ended up in the middle of a romantic suspense story that ends on a cliffhanger. But, even if I had known, it would still have been a hell yes!
Naz is just basking in the sun and collecting an easy paycheck. Why not enjoy all the benefits of an island getaway while spying on a beautiful woman, right? He never expected to make contact with her, he was just supposed to watch her from afar and report back. Well, you know how the best laid plans go… they don’t. When Naz witnesses her in trouble, he can’t do anything other than rescue her. And once he does that, he cannot return to his invisible state. And once he talks to her, he wants her even more than he did before. But, she’s not on the menu, she’s forbidden fruit and he can’t have a taste.
Evalina has been hiding for months. She’s paranoid and lonely, but she’s free. She’s been doing a good job of taking care of herself but when she runs into danger she welcomes the intervention of the sexy stranger. She’s very wary, but she can’t help but feel safe in his presence.
The deeper I got into this story, the more intrigued I became. The chemistry between Naz & Eva is electric, but he knows she’s married so he fights it. They are both keeping secrets and the suspense is excruciatingly intense right up until the final page. My heart was about to pound out of my chest and I kept sliding my finger to turn the next page in my Kindle, just in case the story would magically continue the next time I tried. I’m so excited to get my hands on the next installment in this story. My mind is liable to explode if I have to wait too long. The line forms here…
This was a slow start to the romance, but I still enjoyed the story, characters and love.
I enjoyed the first iteration of the Dangerous Beauty series. Fun to see characters cross in from two different series, and I’d like to see Barney get his HEA. Will be reading on to book two.
Oh this was so good. J.T. Geissinger is a favorite author of mine. I enjoy every book I pick up of hers. Damn if Dangerous Beauty didn’t take me by complete surprise. It was so entertaining and suspenseful. I loved it. Nasir(I’ve always loved that name) was so alpha, but a also so kind and caring. I liked the connection he had with Eva and his protectiveness over her was swoonworthy. I also liked Eva, that woman was sweet, blunt, and a really beautiful person. She does not play games though. She is a tough woman who is a bit afraid to be vulnerable and not very trusting, but Nasir sneaks his way into her heart and it was so beautiful. He is exactly what she needs.
I liked the bit of action and suspense. This turned out to be a really enjoyable book. I loved it a lot. I am very excited for the next book to see what happens next with Nasir and Eva. Plus I can always use more Connor and Tabby.
Nasir is new to Metrix Security Services and his first assignment seems easy enough. Follow Eva, the wife of the client who is living in Mexico, supposedly taking a break from her glamorous life of luxury. Everything is going along well until Eva almost gets herself killed and Naz has to engage with his assignment.
J.T. Geissinger knows how to write alpha heroes with edge and humor and heroines who may be in distress but are hardly defenseless damsels. In Dangerous Beauty, we get a nice helping of both. Both characters are complicated beyond their surfaces, with Naz appearing to be nothing more than muscle for hire, a bodyguard for an errant wife but it is revealed that he is smarter, sharper and much more cunning than that. Evalina, too, comes across as a bored, spoiled housewife who decided to take an extended vacation from her privileged life. Instead, she is a titanium steel-spined survivor who just wants to live her life in peace.
Eva and Naz’s budding and sensual romance is intertwined with tense scenes as secrets and true motivations/intentions are revealed. Geissinger skillfully builds the suspense as she layers the danger circling her heroes. This is the type of read you need to start early in the day because you will not be able to put it down til the end. And.. when you get there, J.T. leaves you on the precipice of a very deep cliff that will have you cursing her name.
5 OFF THE CHART STARS for Dangerous Beauty !!!
This book was received from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Opinions expressed are my own & have not been influenced in any way….
Dangerous Beauty is not a standalone & is part of a (3) part series. The author was kind enough to send a copy to me so that I could also review Book #2 Dangerous Desires.
This book & series are INCREDIBLE if you like romantic suspense. From the first few pages you get right into the story with Eva who is on the run from a highly abusive relationship & finds herself hiding out in Cozumel. Nasir is contracted by her abuser ( Dimitri ) to log & report back on her whereabouts – Naz thinks Eva is married to Dimitri & has just taken off on her mega wealthy husband. Little does he know although he starts to suspect she is in fact running for her life.
There is SO much that I loved about this book … lets start with the “ absolute perfection “ of the cover as well as the book synopsis – both alone grabbed my attention that I would want to read this book …
Humor & such sensitivity between the characters
Amazing chemistry
Great secondary characters …
Fast paced storyline & plot
Eva is throughly PO’D when she finds out what she believes is that Naz has been playing her all along ….
This book does end on a cliffhanger however Book #2 Dangerous Desires is available to one click with the (3 rd ) book coming on November 19th !!!
Highly recommend this book & series !!! Loved it !!!
JT’s books are my automatic one-clicks! And I’ve been waiting for its release since it was announced. Coming into it knowing it would have a cliffhanger and was just only the beginning of Naz and Eva’s journey, I honestly did not expect so many wow factors and surprising twists and turns as in JT’s other standalones. Because I know she would save the BEST for last Some of the unfavorable reviews I’ve seen earlier might have been about this. That being said, I think it was beautifully written as always, how Naz and Eva developed their feelings for each other was crafted naturally. Naz was honorable, gentlemanly, and caring, whereas Eve was sweet, intelligent, and courageous. This book was just the beginning of their rocky journey together and I can’t wait to see their next adventures toward their happy ending
Thank you JT for another beautiful book. It’s been a while since I read your last one, and I just realized how much I’ve missed your words. Now August… please come faster
Side note: I LOVE how Tabby is still the baddest badass with a wacky fashion sense and a Hello Kitty craze. And the love advice Connor had given Naz was just too funny and unexpected Anyway, I cannot get enough of this couple! Time to read Wicked Sexy again
I cannot handle that CLIFFHANGER!!! This book is so good that I will forgive it for being part of a series that left me hanging at the end. JT Geissinger’s writing is consistently great, telling stories about complex individuals who often have dark pasts. This book is most certainly not an exception to that – TRIGGER warnings all over the place with this one, and I’m guessing we’ve just touched the surface with those. If you’re looking for a fantastic romantic suspense series where the main couple is extremely likeable with dark pasts, sizzling chemistry and playful banter mixed in with such deep emotion, look no further than this Dangerous series.
The story follows Naz, a natural protector who is just starting work at a security agency. His first assignment has him following the wife of a wealthy Russian man, a woman he assumes is rich and privileged, tired of her pampered life. When he comes face to face with Eva, she is nothing like he expected and he cannot fight the attraction that sparks between them. Their chemistry is off the charts and though he knows he shouldn’t be lusting after a married woman, he can’t help but think there might be more to the story. Eva has spent the last 7 years in hell, and meeting Naz has brought light back to her life. She has trouble trusting men but it all feels natural with Naz. Unfortunately, there is no easy path to happily ever after when the man you’re falling for is being paid by your “husband” to watch your every move.
I’m not usually a fan of books that cannot be considered a standalone, so I resisted reading this at first. Ultimately, I have loved too many of JT Geissinger’s books in the past not to give it a try, and I am so happy that I did. There is no way Eva and Naz’s story could’ve been told in one book; we’ve just barely scratched the surface here. The quality of the writing drew me in from the start, and it will have me continuing on to the next book without hesitation.
This book was hot and intense! I was sucked in from the very first page! I can’t wait to read more!
poorly written, poorly edited
Absolutely Amazing!
WOW! This was one intense roller coaster ride of action, suspense and intrigue. I could not get enough of it. What an amazing story and OMG that ending broke my heart!
The main characters are so well written and lovable. Eva is fierce and so strong after everything she has endured. She’s funny, sexy and sassy. Naz is very strong and loyal. He would do anything for Eva to keep her safe and happy. Their first real kiss was explosive and powerful. It blew me away. Everything from beginning to end that happens to these two kept me fully enthralled with the story. I can’t wait to see what happens next.
Favourite quote: “The average woman exhibits more courage before lunch every day than a soldier does his entire career. The bravery of women is what built the entire world. You men just like to take credit for it.”
Absolutely fantastic writing. Highly recommend.
This book took me about halfway through to finally get into it but once I did I was hooked! I LOVE Naz! The banter they have is a little much but I am sure it will grow on me as the story unfolds. I like that Eva can still be witty and bold even after everything Dimitri put her through and how she is hiding out for her life.
I Loved the banter, loved the danger and suspense, loved the main characters Naz and Eva, and the secondary characters. Connor and Tabby. Tabby was especially fun! I’d love to read her and Connor’s story if it’s ever written!
I’ve never read a bodyguard romance where the heroine had been trapped and abused for years like Eva had been. It was a really interesting dynamic to see how she was after she’d “escaped.” I’m actually surprised she was so willing to be physical with Naz because usually someone who’d been raped and abused for years wouldn’t be so willing and eager to have sex with someone else. But it’s just a book, and I like to think that she was just extremely ready for a healthy, loving relationship in which her and Naz had 100% trust between them.
The sexy parts were great and not too explicit but still detailed. Curse words were used fairly often but not too often that it detracted from the book.
I wish the male model on the cover wasn’t white since Naz is Lebanese, but other than that, I have no issues with this book!
I can’t wait to start book 2 and am pretty sure I’m gonna die waiting for book three!