One attack in her home is enough to make Lacie Hill freak out, but a second is enough to make her check out. Lacie was happy with her solitary life—kindergarten teacher, weekly girls’ nights out, and a father she’s close to. When she’s targeted for sick games with unknown players, she forces herself to act normally and hope everything will go away. You know, ostrich impersonation. The police are … are doing everything they can to help. Nothing left for her to do, right?
Wrong.
When Lacie’s father hires Pierce Securities to help her, the only person not working a job would be the boss man, Simon— a control freak who loves his rules. He’s trying to find his sister’s stalker while keeping his micromanaging eyes on all the guys in the office. He has policies in place for reasons. For safety. For professionalism.
For his heart.
But will Lacie’s case be an echo of his past? Or will he be able to protect her and love her at the same time, breaking all his hard and fast rules?
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Character Development:
Brilliant! I love Lacie – she’s selfless, infuriatingly so at times, dedicated to her job and those around her without regard for her own well being.
Simon – the man has been somewhat of a mystery up til now, so I’m stoked to get his book! Who isn’t? It’s what we’ve been waiting for, right? What we have seen of him though, has paved the way for the man he is, as we come to learn, so the continuity is brilliant and the character development level is advanced for sure.
I find myself relating to them both for different reasons, and know early in that this’ll be my favorite in this series.
Fans of this series will be pleased to know we get a taste of all the other men and Deena Rae in this one – I enjoyed every second.
Overall:
Off the bat, we’ve got drama, and we can tell it’ll lead to action, with more drama mixed in, so I’m hooked! A fast-paced read, and it’s mildly tainted by the nagging knowledge that this is the last in this glorious series.
This one has some darkness that makes it all more real, that I’m in love with. And at times, we get the POV of the antagonist, which is incredibly fun and somewhat enlightening if you’ve followed this series since Craze.
I’ve looked forward to this book – Simon’s since Book 1 in this series and it did not disappoint, somehow. Overall, 4 stars. Kept me hooked right until the end. Wishing for more of this series.
Cover: Gorgeous.
Fitting.
Formatting:
Beautiful as always. These are really pretty books, both in print and ebooks.
*I won’t comment on the editing/proofing since I primarily read ARCs.
This is my first time in reading this author with the contents calling me since I do love to read books such as these. Only concern was at first that it is in a series with some out all ready but the author and characters speak for themselves. This centers around Lacie and Simon with each having strong personalities. I do so like reading the boss man getting his especially when they least expect or want. The drama level is superb with pulling you to the edge more than once. Their hearts might race in this one but so will yours. This author kept me engaged so I would read more from her.
Echo by Anne Conley is an action-packed romantic suspense. Ms. Conley has delivered a well-written book loaded with phenomenal, lovable characters. Lacie is a kindergarten teacher being stalked and has been attacked twice. Simon is the owner of Pierce Securities and is hired to keep Lacie safe. Their story is packed with drama, action, humor, sizzle and suspense. Warning, once you start this book, it’s hard to put down. I totally enjoyed reading Echo and look forward to reading more from Anne Conley in the future. Echo is part of the Pierce Securities Series but can easily be read as a standalone. This is a complete book, not a cliff-hanger.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This installment of Pierce Securities brings Simon to the case to help Lacie with protection and to solve the mystery of her stalker. Enjoyed these characters as they found answers and their hearts love with all the suspense along with visiting with the Pierce securities crew.
Ebook from author’s copy with thanks. Opinions are entirely my own.
Simon Pierce has always had a “no sex with the client” rule. He is the last guy to meet that certain someone. Laci is being stalked by…a few men. Right?? How does someone get stalked by more than 1 guy?? I am a sucker for a good stalker book, and this story has ALOT of twists and turns. I was gripped all the way to the end!! Whew!! I LOVE this book and hope it’s not the end of the series.
Reading Echo was rather bittersweet knowing that it wraps up the Pierce Security Series.
Throughout the entire series we get glimpses of Simon, the eldest Pierce and we know some of his pain. We know that his iron clad rule against dating the client was thrown out the window with each and every case, so It should be easy for HIM to abide by it right?
Oh how the mighty fall hard when they finally allow themselves to fall.
Simon and Lacey’s story is full of angst and intense chemistry ( wouldn’t expect anything less from Anne Conley)
We finally see a few things come full circle and I would be lying if I said that I didn’t shed a few tears while reading this story.
I have faith that this isn’t the last we hear about the gang at Pierce Securities, Well… I certainly hope not..
I HAVE A NEW FAVORITE BOOK IN THE PIERCE SECURITY SERIES AND ITS ECHO!! I have a SERIOUS thing for leaders and as the boss man of Pierce Securities, I had a full on crush on him for A LOOOONG time and to finally get his story was INCREDIBLE, SEXY, PASSIONATE, ACTION-PACKED and had the most toe curling sex and heart racing suspense.
I have been wondering who Simon’s woman would be, but I never imagined she would be a teacher. Lacie is shy, beautiful, brave with a very sweet personality. Her instant attraction to Simon had me leaning closer to my kindle. And his instant liking to her as well as all his protective urges that rises within him had me almost jealous of Lacie. I tore into this book with high expectations and I am so happy to say, Echo EXCEEDED EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM! I LOVED IT TO PIECES! It was thrilling, ultra hot with loads of heat and lots of action, danger and suspense…my absolute favorite kind of romance to read! Anne Conley I think outdid herself with Echo. I couldn’t of imagined Simon’s story to be any better.
Echo gets a FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC TEN AMAZINGLY BRIGHT SHOOTING STARS!
Sometimes control is all you have to keep you from unravelling…
A beautifully written story by Anne Conley. Bittersweet as the much anticipated story for Simon, owner of Pierce Securities, comes to it’s conclusion with ECHO – Bk 9.
It’s thoughtful, complex, jam-packed with adventure, adrenaline, twisted turns and an unresolved case that will collide with a current, more personal investigation. It will eventually come full circle and test Simon and Lacie in more ways than they can ever imagine.
What a mysterious and suspenseful plot line to unravel. Lacie, along with her kindergarten students will push the limits and test those strict rules and controls that govern Simon life. For some, we are able to lock down the turbulent emotional pain under strict rules and control. It’s that very control that keeps us from unravelling. Do you find the courage to take another chance at life and protect love?
Technology is a wonderful thing, with endless possibilities, yet in the very wrong hands of a man hellbent on revenge and destroying Pierce Securities – has made life extremely dangerous for Simon and Lacie.
Parts of this story reminded me of the movie, Kindergarten Cop, but elevated to a whole new level of high stakes suspense and dramatic mind games.
You will become invested in their lives. A page-turner from the very first word to the last word. Get caught up in the drama that can be love. It’s dramatic, it’s heated suspense. It’s ECHO. Read what it takes to bring two beautiful, determined, stubborn and oh so courageous souls together. This is Simon and Lacie’s journey. What a truly remarkable and well written story to conclude this series – well done Anne Conley!
When you have wonderful characters you want more to their story, and this story delivers the more… even when you wanted to shake them both so bad! As a series now concludes, you see some characters inside that we all catch up with. If you aren’t familiar with Simon’s security team and they have piqued your interest – then go back to the very beginning to start your adventure. A definite recommend to read this entire series.
Felt like I waited forever to read Simon’s story but it was well worth the wait!! This book had all the feels I was laughing, I shed a few tears, I was mad and yelling at the book. Lol. And it had some pretty streaky scenes as well!!
Makes me sad that this is the end of the series. I wish it would go on and on!! Hopefully we will hear more about them in the book b!tches series!!!
If Simon Pierce can’t get control of his personal demons he just might fail not only himself, but the woman he can’t live without. There’s more at stake than his carefully ordered life and rules. Lacie, Bonnie, and his entire team are at stake if they can’t connect the dots and finally put Jonas out of commission. Simon will have to prove to himself that love can open the doors to trust, that history won’t repeat itself if he lets Lacie into more than just his bed, and that there’s no force on Earth that will keep him from solving this case and protecting them all.
Lacie Hill is being haunted by multiple people. When her father witnesses one of the men accosting her he hires Pierce Securities to watch out for her. Lacie isn’t stupid, for which I was impressed and glad for, so when Simon shows up she can tell something is up and is grateful for the protection once the truth comes out. She also isn’t one to run scared either, so she does her best to live her life as she would if the threat weren’t there. But being tugged to and fro by Simon’s hot/cold reactions to their chemistry she’s left confused, vulnerable, and then when the stalking gets worse, she’s becoming increasingly frustrated and scared. There’s a lot that weighs on her and Simon is actually making things worse. I admire her inner strength and her ability to compartmentalize is useful, wise, and a healthy coping mechanism. She goes a bit far sometimes, but for the most part I think she’s smart and resourceful.
Simon Pierce, on the other hand, for all his control, rules, and rigidity, is running scared. Scared of his past coming back in the form of another woman, scared of his feelings, scared of failure, scared of his enemies. While it’s not apparent on the outside, when we get the full story about his background and his frustration concerning the team members’ relationships with their clients it becomes obvious that his vulnerability pervades everything he thinks and does. I do like Simon. I think his vulnerability is something that makes him attractive, someone worth healing and loving. And Lacie is the perfect partner for him in that regard. What I don’t particularly enjoy is his priggish attitude at times. The way he treats Lacie in the beginning gives me hope, the way he treats her after he realizes he’s attracted to her crushes it. There’s something about Simon that bothered me in this story that I wasn’t expecting and I can’t even put my finger on it. He vacillated a bit too much for me and his treatment of Lacie was disappointing more often than not.
But together, when Lacie wasn’t willing to put up with Simon’s retreat and confronted him, they became so much more. Lacie’s inner strength drew out Simon’s and I loved where they ended up. Each of them had strengths and weaknesses that made them ideal partners for one another.
The drama of this story brings the case against Jonas to a close. Finally! Each confrontation without truly being a confrontation was really good at ramping up the tension. Connections were all over the place but missing one piece, just one thing that would bring it all together. The final confrontation was big, emotional, and harrowing. The interrogation was disturbing and actually quite perfect to finally get the answers into a little of Jonas’ twisted, sick mind. Answers. That’s really what this novel offered more than any of the others. We finally see where everything was heading, the why’s of all the trauma and drama, and the reality of what they were all facing. At last we see it all. Including the happiness. Having their barbecue at Ryan’s place was the right way to bring it all together. Food, family, hopeful announcements, Simon’s softer side, and most of all, happiness and peace.