How do things fall apart so easily?Kate:As a former teacher, my mission is to keep the disadvantaged youth of our city engaged with school. My non-profit has been wildly successful with the kids, but now I’m forty mentors short for the Christmas season. It didn’t look like we would be able to find enough help, until Jim Adelson got involved. He may have solved my mentor problem, but he’s created … solved my mentor problem, but he’s created another: I can’t concentrate with this panty melting God around.
Jim:
The community has been good to me. I’d built my successful security business with hard work and determination, and when I got approached to help Kate Monroe’s non-profit, it seemed a fitting way to give back. I’d offer to spend time with some kids, but it’s Kate that I find myself wanting to spend time with. With beauty obvious to everyone, and a compassionate heart she wears on her sleeve, she has me reevaluating my priorities.
When the children’s Christmas gifts go missing, Jim and Kate are forced together in the hunt.
Can true love fight through the drama to find a happy ending?
Gifted is the first book in the holiday series Clear Security Holidays. This is a standalone holiday romance suspense novel, but characters from the Venture Capital series and from Tech Billionaires can be known to make appearances.
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Enjoyable trip back to San Francisco
After spending 20+ years in the Bay Area, I enjoyed reading about areas I’m very familiar with; almost like being there!
The author brought in a variety of characters to weave throughout the story to keep my interest. Several twists and turns which left me wondering what was next!
Good read…be aware there is some pretty spicy “romance “ going on throughout!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Well written. Good characters. Entertaining storyline. Look forward to reading more from this author in the future.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I really like Kate Monroe character the minute I started to read this story, it’s amazing what one teacher could do to change a community and kids that need a better future. And then comes Jim and his perfect for her and together they really keep you entertained during this story of love and friendship, and laughter and joy. There wasn’t a dull moment in this book and I really do love the way it ended for Jim and Kate and the kids as well. The author did a great job with writing this one, I will definitely read more of her books from now on.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
ARC was given by Author through Booksprout. My review is given voluntarily.
I gave this book 5 stars.
This was a great start to a new series Jim and Kate were so cute together, and we got to revisit with some of our favorite SHN friends.
This was a touching, sexy, holiday season with a touch of mystery romance. I love Ainsley St Claire her writing always leaves me wanting more, and this book didn’t not disappoint!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Loved the book it was great, the story was well written and the characters are interesting. Once I started I could not put the book down, from start to finish you just could not get enough left you wanting more. Kate with a non-profit and does a lot of help to the people. Jim wants to give back to the community he was asked to help Kate with the non-profit. It was hot and steamy and a bit on the side of scrumptious.
Thank you for allowing me to review your book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I genuinely enjoy a good holiday themed romance, this one didn’t disappoint. The story is well written, with engaging easy to like characters Jim and Kate.
A good start to a new series, Clear Security. What’s better than to start with a holiday romance with terrific characters in Jim and Kate. Great writing in this fast moving sweet and sexy romance with the hunky security stud and the lovely Kate with sone drama and great family and friends. A throughly enjoyable read with a fabulous holiday feel, charitable folks and a bunch of worthy kids. Worth the read!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Absolutely Awesome Read, well written, great characters, Awesome story line, easy read to hold you on their journey, this genre might not be for everyone but its a really wonderful story cannot wait for more from this Author.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
An intense emotional storyline that grabs you right from the start keeping you engrossed and turning page after page throughout the whole book.
It caused me to lose quite a bit of sleep while I was reading it because it was so hard to put down at night.
I received a copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A fun holiday themed read with a bit mystery in it. I liked the cast and the writing was entertaining.
I have loved every book written by this author. This one was just as good as the last. I loved how the story of Kate and Jim connected with the previous series but was a story of its own. The way they connected was inspiring and heartwarming. This story made me believe in people again… whether real or not I wanted it to be based on a true story or at least feel that there are people like Jim and Kate in this world. I truly enjoyed reading this book and I can’t wait for the next one 🙂
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I loved this book! It was really well written and the characters were great! I loved how the story played out and I would recommend it to others!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is a really fun holiday suspense romance.
The main character is from Venture Capitalists, Jim .
Kate is new . We have also few other from last series
This is a whole new series and it starts pretty good. The perfect story on finding that special someone during the holidays.
Very engaging and entertaining
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I’ve read several books written by Ainsley St Claire; she has done a great job at writing a good book; she is becoming one of my favorite authors. I can’t wait to read more of books her books.
The story line caught my attention at the very beginning and kept me interested throughout the entire book.
I loved the chemistry between the characters.
I received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.
4.5* ARC Review – Holiday Gift and Start of New Series!
I received this ARC via Booksprout as part of the author’s ARC group. I am a big fan of this author and loved her Venture Capitalist Series that is the precursor to this one. Many of the secondary characters in this book are from that series and this story takes place as the other series ended.
This is the story of Jim, who owns a security firm that was featured in the prior series due to the underlying story lines. His firm works with some very prominent people and firms in San Francisco, and one morning a client sends him an email that changes his life. It is a request for help from a charity called Brighter Future that helps children stay in school. This organization is run by former teacher, Kate Monroe. Jim is taken by both Kate and her charity, which he recognizes could have helped him as a kid and he wants to do as much as he can to help those kids. He also gets quite a few friends to help with the charity and it gives us a little update on the characters from the prior series.
When the gifts for the students are stolen, Kate contacts Jim to see if he can help. This not only works to help the kids but also brings them together. They discover they have a lot in common and as a bonus great chemistry. We begin to meet the other members of Jim’s firm, Clear Security, and how the new series might progress!
Ainsley St Claire’s Gifted: A Clear Security Holiday is just in time for the holiday season. It’s well written, well developed characters with chemistry and a captivating storyline. Kate Monroe and Jim Adelson muddle thru the drama, mystery, insta-lust, surprises and more all to get to a happy ending. This a great start to a new series. I definitely recommend this book and talented author.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
For the first time in my life, I’m really enjoying the Christmas stories. Normally, I stay way from them like the plague, but I have had quite a few this year, and I’m feeling Christmas. Could my heart be thawing or is it the authors?! I’m going to say both with the authors taking the lead, and Ainsley St. Claire is on that list, as I LOVED Gifted! Jim is the CEO of Clear Security, which is successful with a lot of high profile clients. An email is sent to him from one of those clients looking for volunteers for a Christmas project for kids. He takes it, which brings him to spending quite a bit of time with the heroine, Kate, who definitely throws his world into chaos in a very good way. However, while they have some lethal chemistry sending sparks in every direction, there’s also a big turn of events when Kate’s program for the kids takes a hit. All the gifts are stolen for the kids who worked hard in Kate’s program, and this is the point where Jim & Kate join forces to find those gifts, which has their chemistry going crazy until it can’t be denied. I was gripped from the beginning, and never looked back. This is a story that is not only enjoyable in the ultimate end game of love, but the social issues are very realistic, while the twists had me all jacked up. One may ask, how does it all end up?! Well, you’ll have to one click Gifted to find out, and trust me, you want to know. HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
I truly enjoyed this story! This was another novel-length insta-love that was just perfect to read.
Kate is a teacher who is amazing in what she does. She tries to make the students in the school succeed. She has started an awesome non-profit to help incentivize students to focus on school and get rewarded for it.
Jim is a closet sweetheart. He is Kate’s white knight and savior simply because the mission of the non-profit speaks to him. And he’s just a joy to read. I really loved reading his thoughts and what he would do to make Kate and the students happy.
I haven’t read this series before, but I will be! This story ticked my boxes; it was romance, mystery, sweet and funny. Definitely an author to read again!!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Jim was everything I wanted him to be, after reading about him on a more professional basis in the other books it was perfect to get his story, and how he goes all out to help Kate and finds a pot of gold.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Gifted is the first book in a new series involving Clear Security. I got the impression that this is a spin-off series since several characters were mentioned that seem to have already had their stories. Despite that, this worked well as a stand alone. This is Kate and Jim’s story. For the most part, I thought it was cute. I did like them together, although I thought the declaration of love came a bit too fast given the time frame of the story. There is a little mystery that rounded out the story nicely. This is the first book I have read by this author. I look forward to trying her again.