New York Times bestselling author Laura Griffin’s Desperate Girls is a tightly wound, fast-paced romantic thriller that follows a desperate woman on the run as she hides from a killer’s symbolic revenge spree. Defense attorney Brynn Holloran is right at home among cops, criminals, and tough-as-nails prosecutors. With her sharp wit and pointed words, she has a tendency to intimidate, and she … a tendency to intimidate, and she likes it that way. She’s a force to be reckoned with in the courtroom, but in her personal life, she’s a mess.
When a vicious murderer she once helped prosecute resurfaces and starts a killing spree to wipe out those who put him behind bars, one thing becomes clear: Brynn needs to run for her life.
When the police come up empty-handed, Brynn turns to a private security firm for protection. But when she defies advice and gets involved in the investigation, even the former Secret Service agent assigned to protect her may not be able to keep her safe. With every new clue she discovers, Brynn is pulled back into the vortex of a disturbing case from her past.
As the clock ticks down on a manhunt, Brynn’s desperate search for the truth unearths long-buried secrets and reignites a killer’s fury.
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Great read. Read it in two days. Thoroughly enjoyed it
I really liked this book. Suspense, crime story, hot romance. This book has it all, as Laura Griffin tells the story of an escaped murderer, who’s objective is revenge killings of those that put him behind bars. A legal team, protected by high security experts, while trying to fulfill their obligation to their client, and clear him of a murder that he didn’t do. Lots of action, suspense, a nice romantic interlude and an ending, that will deal you a wallop.
I received this ARC in return for my honest review. Thank you to Laura Griffin and Galley Books.
Twist, turns, suspense, mystery, intrigue, danger, romance. All this coupled with a sexy, hot, protective ex-secret serviceman and an intelligent, feisty, determined defense attorney.
Brynn was tough, sexy, smart, determined, tough, and in need of protection. Life and its circumstances have caught up with her and she finds that she needs help protecting her life. I say help because Brynn was one of those women that wouldn’t give up her life even when it was in danger. With each step she took in the case, she was putting her life in more danger and more opportunities for her life to end. She was stupid smart, but seemed to lack general common sense. This may have been due to her job. She soon realizes that she needs to give up something to get more.
Erik finds that he becomes tasked with the one job that he could have done without. He also learns that sometimes work is not all there is. Erik was strong, stern, sexy, intense, calm, calculating. He could think clearly when needed and had those moments that allowed you to see the human/male in him.
Wolfe Security is the new series from Laura Griffin and it comes out with the action, drama, suspense, tension, intensity all turned up a few notches. Two hard working, work obsessed people learn a valuable lesson this time around. They learn that there is more to life than the job. The find something more to value.
Laura Griffin for me has always been the one of the authors to go to when you are leaning more to the suspense, intensity, mystery of a romance. There is and for me has always been less of the romance and more of the intrigue of the danger, action, murder. The tones and notes of the broader picture. When I want a romance but one that is not the dominant character of the read. The Wolfe Security series seems to be picking up the gauglant from the Tracer series. Looking for suspense, intrigue, mystery, murder with added hints of romance. You need not look further.
Enjoyable read. The story has a few bland spots but picks up and recovers. There are some plot twists, intrigue, a little mystery, the saving grace of this story. The romance is kind of redundant, has been done many times before, not a bad thing, just same ol’, same ol’. One of my questions is where did the title come from? Sure murder of girls/women, however this is a book about one woman. All in all a decent read.
I love Laura Griffin and everything she writes! Another wonderful crime novel that kept me up at night!
I loved this book. Once I started reading this book I could not put this down. The whole thriller part of this book was interesting to follow. Brynn is a fierce, independent, powerful woman and Erik is her perfect match. She fights him tooth and nail through this whole book and he loves and hates it.It was such fun to read about these two and watch them try and fight their attraction. I hope there are more books with Wolf Security cause I loved reading about all the guys there and think it would be great to have more from them.
*I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.*
Another smash by griffin that keeps you hanging
A gripping, breathtaking, increasing tension in a story that blew me away with the brilliant twists in the plot, where no one is safe, with memorable characters who make an impression, as they are fighting for truth, justice, happiness, and love.
Defense attorney Brynn Holloran is a woman easy to admire. She is smart, capable, and bright. She knows what she wants and she is not afraid to go after it. She has guts and she is brave, but she does recognize that she needs help, that she needs protection, and that the team handling it knows more about their expertise than she does. She is no doormat and giving up control is not easy for her, but sometimes it is necessary.
I loved the chemistry between Eric and Brynn. Eric is protective, professional, smart, commanding, even intimidating, and more than capable to handle the demanding job. I loved the mutual respect and admiration Eric and Brynn have for each other, they are equal in the other’s eyes, and so well suited for each other.
The story has three major components that are cleverly twined together, each component bringing its own intensity to the tale. There is the case Brynn is defending in the courtroom where a young man’s life is on line. There is the mad killer on the lose who escaped from the prison and is hunting for his own kind of justice, the burning need to find the killer, and to learn the truth of what happened during his trial. And then there is the love story developing between Eric and Brynn, a romance that is ardent, tender, and adorable at the same time, bringing in the swoon factor on a high level, with the hero who lives to protect, and with the heroine who is not afraid to ask what she wants.
Laura Griffin writes stories that capture my mind and heart while I’m completely immersed in the destinies of the characters. The images are vivid and sharp, the cases twisted and complicated, the emotions deep and wide, and the fear, tension, and suspense as palpable as the tangible passion sizzling between the protagonists. Desperate Girls was an absolutely riveting story, and I can’t wait to read more about the intriguing and powerful men and women working at the Wolf Security.
~ Five Spoons
I have been a fan of Laura Griffin Delphi Series since the beginning. In the first book in her new series, Desperate Girls, Laura pulls in the Wolfe Security team to protect a team of attorneys. It’s a compellingly good read with great characters. I can hardly wait to see where she takes this new series.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this novel.
When a judge is murdered in her own home, the past rushes in to confront Brynn. The suspect is an escaped prisoner that Brynn helped convict and law enforcement has every reason to believe he may target her next. Now she’s got a team of bodyguards interfering in her daily routine and a trial that demands her undivided attention. Added into that stress is her attraction to Erik who refuses to act on his own desires due to his job to keep her safe.
Brynn was one tough heroine who had definite ideas and plans and no one was going to stop her. There were times I was afraid her choices were going to land her in deep water but fortunately that never happened. She was a bit brash and outspoken, a tough, experienced lawyer who fought for justice for her clients.
Erik struggled to keep his focus on the case, on keeping Brynn safe and not on what he wanted to do to her. He was intense and stoic, an alpha hero without the over the top alphaness. He knew that a break in his concentration could cost someone their life, possibly even Brynn.
This was a fast paced romantic thriller filled with suspense and mystery as well as a twist that was absolutely shocking. The characters were all well developed and the steam was what I would consider a medium heat. When they finally came together later in the story, it was pretty hot but there wasn’t a lot of build up to get to that place Secondary characters were everywhere and were important to the story.
I enjoyed this book and the thriller feel to it with plenty of chases and close calls. I did feel that this couple needed more time together to connect but that was almost impossible with a serial killer on the loose. It was missing a certain “humph” factor that made me know this couple would work out and would be together forever and I really, really wanted to feel they were a forever couple. Perhaps an epilogue a few years down the road would have eased my concerns.
However, I would definitely recommend this for the suspense/thriller elements as these plot points kept me riveted to the story.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book provided by NetGalley and Pocket Books. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
5 Amazing Stars
Review by Amy
Late Night Reviewer
Up All Night w/ Books Blog
I am officially in love with this new series by Laura Griffin. Desperate Girls is the first book in the series and I am completely invested in these characters already!
Brynn is a defense attorney who used to play for the opposite side. When a convict from one of her previous cases escapes from prison, he is suspected of going after all the people who helped put him there years earlier. In order to remain safe, her boss hires bodyguards for her and her partner, and that’s where things get really exciting.
Wolfe Security comes on the scene and things heat up, in the court room, on the streets, and between the sheets. Danger ensues, people die, and Brynn is still trying to keep her eye on the ball for her current client who is on the line for murder. The last thing she needs is some annoying bodyguards impeding her ability to do things the way she has always done them.
I was completely intrigued form the very beginning of the book. It started with a bang and kept up the momentum until the very end. This definitely qualifies as an addicting read. I could not put it down. I am absolutely dying to get my hands on the second book of this series. What a well written, fast moving bullet train thriller. Everything you would expect from a suspenseful story, plus the heat of a fiery romance. What more could you ask for?
Fantastic book. I could not put this book down. Ms. Griffin brings it with twists and turns you won’t see coming. So hang on. Brynn is not to happy about all this protection deal. She’s working on a case and
does not want interruptions until she meets Erik. He’s part of the protection detail. Erik assures her it’s necessary. Her boss wouldn’t have hired his team otherwise. When Brynn’s partner gets injured she’s glad about the protection. Someone that was locked away they thought is out who they need to catch before he kills again.
See what happens. Highly recommend
Desperate Girls is the first book in Ms. Griffin’s Wolfe Security series. Wolfe Security is a group of top notch men and women who provide private security. We first learned of Wolfe Security in Ms. Griffin’s Tracers Series.
Wolfe Security is hired by defense attorney Reggie Gunn to protect two of his attorneys, Brynn Holloran and Ross Foley, as they gear up to defend a young man on a murder charge. Brynn firmly believes her client is innocent. One of Brynn’s former associates is brutally murdered and they suspect James Corby, an escaped murderer, is behind her murder. Brynn was co-counsel at his trial. The threat against Brynn is real and very intense.
Erik Morgan is assigned by Wolfe Security to head the detail protecting Brynn and Ross. Eric was a Secret Service Agent before he joined Wolfe Security. He is very focused and detailed in his protection. He expects everyone to fall into line and do exactly what he says. Brynn, however, firmly believes she needs to be in control. She is used to doing things her way and doesn’t much like being told what she can and cannot do.
As Brynn prepares for her trial, she and Lindsey Leary, the police investigator charged with finding James Corby, actively search for anything that will help catch this killer. Erik just wants to protect his clients. The chemistry between Erik and Brynn is smoking! They are attracted to each other and while Brynn is okay with that, Erik has a code he follows that doesn’t allow emotional or physical attachment to his client. The journey to the end was filled with suspense, mystery, romance and turn-the-page action.
Desperate Girls is what romantic suspense should be. I love this new series. Wolfe Security is filled with men and women who will put their lives on line to protect their clients. I am eager for more stories to come. I highly recommend this book. Ms. Griffin is an auto-buy author for me. I have read all her books and eagerly look forward to her next one.
As a huge fan of Griffin’s TRACERS series, I already knew I couldn’t wait for more of the Wolfe Security team to find love. Tough, no-nonsense, and sexy, these men (and women) are a team of elite security specialists and Erik Morgan is placed on duty to watch beautiful, yet stubborn defense attorney, Brynn Holloran. Griffin sets the bar higher and higher with every intense and page-turning release, but Desperate Girls is like the icing on the cake bomb. The sexual tension could be cut with a knife, the chemistry between Erik and Brynn was taken up a notch and I LOVED EVERY SECOND of their time together, in bed and out! Griffin brought the heat with this simply masterful first in new series!
WOW! This was a page turner and I am surprised my kindle survived it. Actually when I set my kindle down I had my phone in my hand reading because I just could not stop! From the beginning with a murder then immediately setting up security for Brynn and her team and the elite team from Wolfe Security who are charged to keep her safe when in Dallas for a trial. This is a fast paced story that did not disappoint in any way. The suspense was perfect and the underlying romance was outstanding. This author never lets me down and this one is one of her best. I definitely recommend this one. It is a standalone but I hope there are more books in the future with some of these characters!
My only complaint with this book is that the title doesn’t really seem to make sense, or fit with the book. But it got my attention, so I guess it works.
I loved how authentic this book felt. Granted I’ve never been in the CJ system in any capacity shown here, but it still felt pretty real to me.
Laura Griffin does a fabulous job of completely engrossing you in the story, and I found myself fighting my inner Nerd to just put it down and go to sleep!
Desperate Girls, by Laura Griffin is an edgy thriller with unexpected twists and turns. When an escaped serial killer starts killing the people responsible for his incarceration. Brynn Hollaran, a former prosecutor, now defense attorney, working on a high profile case, finds herself the target of the killer. Afraid for her safety, her law firm hires a private security firm for her protection. Erik, her bodyguard and former Secret Service Agent, is tasked to keep her safe. A task that will prove to be more difficult than any of his missions behind enemy lines. Especially when Brynn defies Erik’s advice to not get involved in the case. A mistake that could cost both of their lives.
this is a good story got the book for netgalley
This book had it all. I absolutely loved the mystery, suspense & romance this book delivered. It’s been a while since I read any Laura Griffin books & boy do I need to catch up! I forgot how good of a tale she could weave & how hard it is for me to put her books down!
Brynn was a former ADA now she is a defense attorney. She has been getting threatening notes but police believe it’s nothing. Until a judge who was the prosecuting attorney against a killer and rapist. Then a former cop that worked the case is killed and Brynn’s boss hires security for Brynn and her second chair Ross. He hires Wolfe Security, the best in the private sector. Erick is former military and secret service but is team leader of one of the groups protecting Brynn. She’s not happy being followed around but she has a strange attraction to Erick. But Erick has rules he follows.. no distractions, no alcohol, and no caffeine. He breaks the first rule when he can’t stay away from Brynn.
While Brynn is trying to get her client freed, the killer is closing in and makes several attempts at getting to Brynn. Her partner Ross gets stabbed and her other bodyguard gets his face cut open. Some interesting information comes to light, will Brynn get it to the authorities before a killer gets her?
Honestly excellent story. Full of twists and turns, suspense and shockers. Action paction with a couple of sexy scenes. I read it in one day. I really didn’t think it would be this good but WOW!!!! A must read.