Naughty Stranger

a nice gentle read with an ending a romance reader can appreciate

Naughty Stranger is just the right mix of suspense and romance. It is a well written, sexy story with lots of chemistry between the characters and it kept my interest from start to finish. I found the characters easy to connect with and there are entertaining secondary characters as well. I liked the two main characters; they have both been hurt in the past and are careful with their heart, but find it impossible to resist the strong pull between them.

Peyton has just moved to Maine from Seattle, because she wants to start over and try to forget after the devastating death of her husband. On her first day in town, she meets detective Boone Knight and feels an immediate attraction. However, the attraction makes her feel guilty and uncomfortable and she tries to ignore Boone after that first encounter.

Boone is busy trying to solve a murder case. He is a good guy and is protective and charming. He has no interest in getting involved in a relationship, but he can’t help the attraction he feels for Peyton.

Peyton and Boone are still recovering from past hurts and are not looking for a relationship. However, they can’t deny the sparks that fly whenever they are together. I enjoyed this engaging story.

Peyton has gone through a tragedy and is in Maine for a fresh start. Boone is a detective in the police department. A murder occurs at Peyton’s store and puts her in danger. Boone is determined to protect her but she will have to let him get close. Peyton is attracted to Boone but now she will have to let him past her barriers. Can Boone protect Peyton from a murderer? Will the couple be able to have a relationship? A stunning read.

I received a copy of this book via Netgalley and am leaving a review.

This is actually my second book by this author. I have read Dirty Talking Cowboy and decided to try this one as well as I love her writing style. Peyton moves to the small town Stoney Creek, Maine, escaping a tragic past. Boone is the police detective and has to investigate a murder that happens at her shop. Between the two there is chemistry but both are hesitant and afraid to act upon the mutual attraction. However, Boone becomes Peyton’s protector as her past may have not stayed buried. Filled with sizzling attraction, suspense and love, needs to HEA for these two. 4 solid stars*****

*******I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book provided by NetGalley.******

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Mary –
I just have to say I loved everything about this story, it is the perfect romantic suspense that will have you on the edge of your seat wanting to know what will happen next.

Peyton Kerr is starting her life over in a new town, the last place she was truly happy. Moving to small-town Stoney Creek, Maine, where she bought a small business and a lake house. She loves that no one knows about her past. It is perfect for starting over.

Boone Knight is the sexy police detective that is drawn to Peyton, and why not? She did kiss him before she even knew who he was. They have a chemistry that sizzles when they are in the same room. Neither Boone nor Peyton are looking for a relationship, because of their past. But why can’t they have a little fun together?

When a body turns up in Peyton’s shop, her quiet existence is suddenly gone. It seems someone is after her, but her life back in Seattle looks perfectly clean on paper.

Can Boone protect her from who is after her? Will Peyton give in to the feelings for Boone? Can Boone and Peyton figure out what is really going on and why? Will there be a future for Boone and Peyton?

As I said, I loved everything about this story, it is filled with romance, love, lust, suspense, new beginnings, and a happily ever after. I love Stacey Kennedy; she has a way of drawing you into a story and keeping you hanging on until the end. I highly recommend this story and love that it is the beginning of a series, so more romantic suspense to come. I cannot wait.

Ruthie –
I really enjoyed this story combining small town romance with a touch of mystery and suspense.

On her very first night in Stoney Creek, where Peyton plans to make a fresh start, she ends the evening kissing a stranger (Boone) outside the local bar, owned by Boone’s sister, Kinsley. This was definitely not intentional and given the knocks which both Peyton and Boone have suffered, the chemistry is not something which they want to acknowledge. It sets up the story beautifully though!

Kinsley is instantly a good friend to Peyton and helps Peyton in her journey of recovery from her loss. Not that anyone knows about that, because Peyton wants to be herself, and not defined as a widow. She doesn’t even admit to her past career as an ER nurse, and throws herself fully into her new lingerie store.

Boone also has a past he wants to move past, and as we learn about his betrayal and the loss suffered by Peyton, we can see that they would be perfect for each other – so it is fun watching them dance around and accept the inevitable! But when someone is murdered in her store, and an accident befalls Peyton, Boone is determined to both protect her and discover what is at the bottom of the events.

I liked the twist; there are strong hints, but it is cleverly revealed and dealt with in a satisfying way. We also get some hints of who will star in future installments, but I do hope that we continue to get news of this lovely and deserving couple.

Sarah –
This is a romantic suspense story about Peyton, a newcomer to a small town, and Boone, police detective she falls for. But just as Peyton starts to relax into her new life, terrible things start to happen around her.

I have to admit that I’m conflicted about this story. The premise, the blurb, and the bones of this story work. It just isn’t developed as well as I’d expect from such an established author. I was distracted by the choppy writing and copy-editing errors at the start (which will hopefully be corrected pre-publication), and I was annoyed by the frustrating lack of character and relationship development.

Peyton and Boone are both interesting characters with secrets and pasts. This combination should have created suspense and romantic tension but instead we get a sort of insta-love/friends with benefits/hook-up/soulmate mess that I couldn’t make sense of.

Stoney Creek and Boone and Peyton’s friends feel like they’ve been pulled from a stock character lucky dip. Remy is kooky. Kinsley is an instant BFF. Asher is brooding… The town itself hits every Maine small town cliché in the first few pages. It’s all cute and sweet but it feels formulaic and a little bit tired.

The suspense works better for me than the romance in this book. The start is a little too slow, but the end is exciting. I did find a few things frustrating though. The secrets that should have created suspense were revealed at strange times. A major secret is thrown away early in the story which led to me guessing the whodunnit in the first third of the book. This was disappointing and I kept hoping for twists that would prove me wrong. The twists never came, and the ending was a little too predictable for me.

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Naughty Stranger (Dangerous Love #1) by Stacey Kennedy to read and review.

I was pleasantly surprise with all the mystery that this story had. Peyton’s fresh start will drag along more excitement than she wanted but it will give her an opportunity to get close to Boone and really get to know him. She doesn’t have the intention of finding someone, so giving in to him is not her first instinct. But they bond in a deeper level by sharing past pains and trusting their secrets on each other. Secrets that have been buried for long enough and need freeing to move forward. Peyton has such a beautiful and caring heart. She is a really strong woman. And Boone is understanding and so protective. He will stop at nothing to protect her. Which makes the story even better because you as a reader will be trying to guess what and who’s causing all the danger. This book also leaves you not so patiently wanting the next story. You will really want things to be solved for all the other friends that appear in this story.

D@mn from zero to a hundred real quick and so worth it! I wanted to hug Peyton from the start.. she’s so fiercely strong with all that she’s been through. Then comes Boone with his crooked sexy smile and skeletons in his closet as well to show Peyton sometimes what you need is to just feel. Lawd do they!

Wow! I loved this book and was hooked from the very beginning. The story just drew me in to the point I did not want to put it down.
How do you love again after you have lost the love of your life? Peyton leaves Seattle to find herself again, and to get away from everything that reminded her of her dead husband. She goes to the last place she was happy. After meeting and kissing a hot stranger, what does she need to do next. Things are not always as they seem. Boone has survived being betrayed by his now ex wife, but has he really come out for the better? How does he come back from that? It starts by meeting the new woman in town.
The sparks fly once these two connect and never slow down. I love the journey to their HEA.

Stacey Kennedy knew what she was doing when she titled this one Naughty Stranger! This story was full of sizzling chemistry, romance, lust, love, great secondary characters, secrets, and suspense that kept me glued to the pages.

Peyton Kerr has left Seattle and moved to Stoney Creek, Maine because it was the last place that she was happy. Unable to continue to just survive, after losing her husband, she needed to breathe and live again. Using all the life insurance money she purchases a lingerie store “Uptown Girl” and a house on the lake. When she wanders into the bar by her store she meets the owner and has a few drinks. But what she didn’t count on was meeting Boone Knight and kissing him.

Boone Knight is a hotter than hot, sexy, detective for the small town of Stoney Creek, who has been burned already by love. He isn’t into relationships , but when Peyton kisses the hell out of him, and then stay clear of him, he just can’t stop that kiss from constantly playing in his mind. All he wanted to do was recreate that kiss again. But when a murder occurs in Peyton’s store and he is assigned to the case, Peyton would just have to give up some of her secrets and some of the distance she had been creating between them. Because Boone was determined to keep her safe

These two strangers unexpectedly come into each other’s lives and heat up each other to a lethal level of lust and needy rawness. Their affection for each other is intense, full of pure need and sweet affection. Leading them out the other side of their difficult pasts to a HEA. Captivating Romance at its best.

This had my full attention and I cannot wait to see what happens next in Book two of this series, “Wicked Sinner”, Remy and Asher’s Story.

Peyton Kerr has had a rough time of it lately. She decides to leave her home in Seattle, WA to start over in the last place she was happy, Stoney Creek, Maine. There Peyton is the new owner of the lingerie shop. Upon arrival Peyton heads to the bar next door to her shop for some food. There she meets Kinsley, the bar owner and they just click. Peyton also notices the hot guy at the bar but steers clear of him until he is suddenly next to her. When Peyton starts to feel nervous she heads to the bathroom. Imagine her surprise when she walks out the door right into the guys arms and ends up kissing him. Imagine Kinsley’s surprise when she sees her new friend kissing her brother, Boone a local detective! LOL.

Boone is instantly attracted to Peyton but has stayed away from her because of things from his past. When a dead body is found in Peyton’s store, Boone and his partner show up at the store to investigate. When Boone is determined to protect Peyton from any harm, they decide to throw caution to the wind and get together. What they didn’t expect was the level of sexual chemistry they had…..off the charts!!!! As Boone and Peyton spend more time together, their feelings keep growing stronger. While it is obvious that there are things from their pasts that neither of them divulged, they can’t help but want to be together.

When it appears that there may be someone actually trying to kill Peyton, Boone goes into full protective mode and realizes that he may want more out of this relationship than he originally thought. Between keeping Peyton safe, finding the killer and trying to get beyond their pasts, it will be a long and bumpy ride for these two until they can find their happy ending.

I just loved Peyton and Boone. They both had such emotional pasts and it took a lot for each of them to get past it in order to be able to move forward into the future. Peyton is such a sweet, fun person and I can’t even begin to image what she has been through. Boone is such a great alpha male with a big helping of emotions thrown in. Together these two could finally get beyond their pasts to finally find a happy ending. I also loved the mystery that revolved around their story. It really made it fun trying to figure out who the killer was. Overall a great start to a new series!