Come back to me… die agonizing deaths.
Luke’s dangerous plan to reconnect with his past—and stay alive in the present—has drawn his enemies’ attention to the tough and sexy Dani LaSalle. He’s duty bound to protect the luscious beauty from the evil pursuing them, but he can’t control the scorching desire she awakens in him.
Dani’s strict routine has been trashed by Luke’s explosive arrival. This rock-hard slab of valiant, smoldering manhood appears out of nowhere, saves her life, spirits her away to his mountain lair and bewilders her with tales of sadistic researchers, enhanced assassins. Is this gorgeous, problematic sex god just plain crazy—or is she? But Luke can do things with his mind that are just as wild as what he can do with that body…and she can’t say no.
And there’s no time to wonder. As their passion burns hotter, Obsidian moves closer…and Luke and Dani must place their lives and their hearts on the line just to survive…
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Great story. The more that I read, the harder it was to put the book down.
Let me start by saying that I am a long time Shannon McKenna fan. I have been reading her books since the beginning and I am so glad that she is still writing romantic suspense. The Obisidian File books stand alone however there is an ongoing storyline that makes it necessary to read the books in order to enjoy them to their fullest. In My Skin picks up right where My Next Breath left off. We are finally able to connect with Luke Ryan, Zade’s brother and find out not only that he survived but how. Luke’s story will bring him in contact with Dani LaSalle, a California nurse that has been living an ordinary life and has no idea of the kinds of evil that exist in the world around her. These two have a connection that neither one was aware of and not sure if they are willing to accept what fate has sent their way. If I tell you any more about the story I will ruin it but I will say that In My Skin is excellent romantic suspense with a paranormal twist. It’s told from multiple POV and will not only keep you hooked but wanting to see what happens next with these Midlands rebels!
Finding a good romantic suspense is far harder that you would expect given the wide choice there now is since the advent of eBooks and self publishing, sadly more quantity than quality. However, rising above this sea of mediocrity is The Obsidian Series by Shannon McKenna; a fabulous blend of ingredients – thriller with intrigue and suspense, sci-fi with a dash of paranormal, romance, action, hotness and sex – this series has it all and does it well.
For me personally, I would recommend reading all three, and in order, rather than treat them as standalone as it would be a shame to miss the complexities, the background, the jargon and would help you catch little nuances that will enhance the understanding as you delve deeper into the world Ms McKenna creates.
The third book, In My Skin, hits the ground running and doesn’t stop; the pace fast and furious as the author effortlessly weaves the intrigue and suspense with her trademark hot and steamy. We have already heard of Luke in the previous books and his story was always going to be hard to read with almost a horror element to it. Dani is a new character, sassy and strong as so many of Ms McKenna’s are, no weepy simpering ‘too stupid to live’ heroines that annoy and detract from a good book even when a strong alpha hero is involved, her leads are always more balanced, both bringing different strengths that compliment. The chemistry between Luke and Dani is so hot it’s almost tangible, you will be breathless for a number of reasons! As with the McCloud brothers books, characters we have met previously show up throughout, allowing us to catch up with them, see how time is developing their relationship and all three books show a strong sense of family – both of blood and choice – the need to protect, to nurture, to love are all shown beautifully. There is banter that will make you laugh, selflessness that will leave you not sure whether you want to hug or slap the characters involved and, overall, a fierce need to know what happens next?
I have so many questions, none of which I am going to write here as they would give away too much of the plot and character development, plus why read a suspense book if you have already been given half the story in a review?!!
Rating: 4.5
Luke Ryan is a little different from most people. But being unique works to his advantage. Daniela “Dani” LaSalle gets put into something that would make a great SyFy series. She’s a brave woman but a little confused about what’s going on. There’s plenty of action and it starts right from the beginning.
I’m afraid that Luke’s story doesn’t start here. It actually stars with the book titled My Next Breath – at least as to how he got here. If you haven’t read it yet, you may want to start that book first because that’s the book that introduces the reader to his brother. And you’ll see as you read this book that his brother makes an appearance. You don’t really have to but at least for me it makes sense. At the very least read the book’s blurb first before you decide.
This story was very addictive. Once I started reading I got hooked very quickly. We have people who have been altered but the author has made it all seem so believable. Makes you wonder about strangers you walk by on the street. Can you imagine walking by Luke and not even realizing how special he is? This just shows you how creative our author is – when you can take something unbelievable and make it possible.
Besides the chemistry Luke and Dani have, there seems to be some pushing of buttons. This just softens some of the more serious moments – you may find it hard not to chuckle. It’s a sweet mix of romantic suspense and the paranormal. Dani will have you wondering what would you do if you were in her shoes. I didn’t get any sense of an ending. I see the happy but I felt as if there are still things to come. They both had me realize that I would read this more than once especially if I want to keep up with the series – at some point I see a marathon in my future.
I was not compensated nor was I required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
There are small pleasures in life, and Shannon’s books are one of them!
It took me a few hours to read IN MY SKIN and it ended so fast I still can’t believe it!
And Luke?
HE IS Sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo SWEET!
Like really, I find this combination of hero and sweetness amazing!
Sure, all of McKenna’s heroes are to die for but I think this is the first one I describe as sweet! (some may say Miles, but no, I don’t think of Miles as sweet, sorry)
One moment Luke has full fighter mode on and the next he’s with Dani and you just can’t not love him!
As for Dani, she has it all, smart, witty, brave and sensitive (the Jada scene(s), oh please, just give me a Kleenex!)
I’ve read so much of this author’s books to the point that one might say, enough already but let’s be honest, McKenna’s books are like drugs… YOU ALWAYS WANT MORE.
Hot and smart characters? Sure
Family and friends sticking together? Of course
Evil all around hunting you down? Please!
No it is not a romance but yes it is. It is all the action you can think of too.
The thrills, the fights, the suspense…. it’s so good it kills you.
It is a page turner, even when you get to the very last page. It’s a page turner because the story doesn’t end here, we all know that. The only difference between this last page and the pages before is that the next page to come will make us wait a while!
One day all of OBSIDIAN will fall and I can’t wait!
I drink to that and to many more books!
P.S. If Zade was in front of me right now, this is what I would have said to him:
“You idiot! You know you got lucky it ended up well, right?
What were you thinking going on a suicide mission?
No, don’t answer that!”
Then I would slap him at the back of his head and probably hug him.
“Don’t do it again” I would say, knowing fully that he would.
*all in my head*
*Zade and Simone are my favorite couple so far*
ADVANCED READER COPY RECEIVED AND LOVED!
I wonder if these books might turn into movies one day…
This is the 3rd installment and it was freaking amazing! McKenna developed characters that are remarkable and fascinating. Steamy, sexy and hot love scenes. The plot keeps you guessing till the end. Great read!
This thrilling and sexy series just keeps getting better and better! This book picks up with Luke on the run after his daring escape from his torturous capture. Being a super soldier, he was able to block his mind to stop Braxton from learning about the rest of his family. Unfortunately his memory is buried so deep he can’t remember who he was protecting. As he works to find a way to bring his memory back, ER nurse Daniela gets caught in the middle. she unknowingly has something both Luke and the evil people at Obsidian all want. Now it’s a race to stay alive as Luke convinces the courageous, sexy nurse to trust and help him get his memory back. I really loved how strong Daniela is, a true warrior in her own way and so perfect for Luke! I also loved the fun, witty banter between everyone, especially Asa and Zoe, I hope their book is next! Ms. McKenna is a genius at creating the best heart pounding stories with strong, alluring characters, the hottest love/sex scenes and the most evil villains! There are many twists and turns in this fast paced story that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The secondary characters are all fascinating as well, their banter is fun and their loyalty and support makes me want to know more about them all. This is a wonderful and exhilarating series and I can’t wait for more!
Luke is a super soldier who was locked up and tested for a year. He has some really bad guys after him and they follow him to Dani. Dani is a nurse and when her friend shows up half dead, she’ll do anything to help him. He leaves her with a chip and the crazy scientists want it. She and Luke are on the run and have no one to turn to because his memories are blocked. The only way to get them back is to shock a part of his brain. Once they come back, anyone enhanced like him can get the information. When they are captured, they want to paralyze Luke, kill his brother, and kill Dani. Dani escapes and will do anything to save Luke and Zade.
Fast paced, wildly addictive, action packed, supremely sexy, and it will have you reading into the night. I just don’t know how to describe it without giving anything away. If read any of Mrs. McKenna before then you know she will have you at the edge of your seat.
* Voluntarily read and reviewed this for the author *
Original review: https://myshelfbooks.wordpress.com/2020/12/20/review-in-my-skin-by-shannon-mckenna/
Romantic Suspense, Cyborgs: The Obsidian Files is a saga about a bunch of rogue cyborgs that go against the company that created them. It has really good foundations that are displayed in every book of the saga. Nice plot, interesting villains (although a bit repetitive) and enjoyable action scenes. It is pretty obvious the author feels comfortable writing about gun fights, car chases and all the other flavours of the genre. So… why doesn’t she expends more time on them? This third books ends pretty well, but more than the first half is rather… boring.
zZz: The story takes too long to take flight, dragging the plot through situations that lacked emotion and interest. The same problem happend with the second book, so it saddens me a little bit that it doesn’t try to change the course.
Love?: But the worst part of this third story is the romance. Luke and Dani main dynamic during most part of the story is a sexual inferno followed by a deep dive into a frozen lake. The constant contrasts in their relationship annoyed me quite a bit and I was unable to forge any kind of connection with the couple. That is why I find rather unbelievable their love relationship. I even dare to say that their friendship feels far-fetched, too…
I loved this author and this series of books. Can’t wait to read them all.