Retaliate

I did not see the secrets and the turns this story took me on. Only true love could be strong enough to pull Bishop and Anabeth through to a bright future. I do hope one day Finn and Anabeth can get past the mistakes as well as become friends again. And that Finn and Bishop can work through the damage. Such an amazing story.

ENTHRALLING ROMANTIC SUSPENSE WITH HEART!!!
Oh my! I loved, loved, loved Retaliate, the highly anticipated second release of Kristan Harte’s compelling new Vigilante Justice series. And it’s official, I’m still hopelessly hooked! The Vigilante Justice series may be the launch of Harte’s career in the contemporary romantic suspense genre, but this isn’t her first rodeo. For readers who may not be aware, Kristin Harte is the alter ego of USA Today bestselling paranormal romance author Ellis Leigh and half of the contemporary romance dynamic duo known as London Hale. It’s no big secret and neither is the fact that I’m a huge fan and have followed her career for years. I’m a hopeless romance junkie who can’t resist a good tearjerker, and romantic suspense is my all-time favorite contemporary subgenre, but I’m also somewhat of a rom-spense snob, meaning I’m pretty darn selective with the authors I choose to read. I’m passionate about quite a few things, but two that top my list, only surpassed by family, are good food and great books. When it comes to food, I’m very much a meat and potatoes kind of girl which, surprisingly, also applies to my choice in literature, meaning I enjoy reading something I can really sink my teeth into, the kind of book that satisfies all my cravings – danger, drama, action, adventure, angst, mystery, suspense, humor, passion, and romance but most importantly, it must be well written with creative storyarcs, intriguing conflicts, and engaging characters. Already being familiar with Harte’s work, both as Ellis Leigh and London Hale, my expectations were high and once again, Harte didn’t disappoint. She not only met them, she surpassed them and delivered it all in Retaliate. But folks, this ain’t ya mama’s secret stash of romance – it’s waayyy HOTTER with a heaping helping of steam and a whole lot more of the feels! It’s romantic suspense on steroids, but to tone it down and put it simply, Retaliate is a heartachingly beautiful second chance love story you won’t be able to stop reading until you reach the final page, and most certainly one that will be remembered long after the final word is read. I snickered, snorted, sniffled, snuffled, sighed, sobbed, and screamed in anger through the entire story and LOVED every single second! I was a complete basket case by the time I finished.! lol… But all jokes aside, Kristin Harte totally ripped my heart right out of my chest with this one! It’s pure crack for romantic suspense addicts! If you read Payback, the first book of the Vigilante Justice series and fell in love with Alder Kennard, then his brother Bishop Kennard will make your little ole heart flutter! And oh my, if you thought Alder was sexy when he was talking to Shye, just wait until you hear Bishop! *swoon* But, as usual, I digress when talking about the books and authors I love, so let’s talk details!

Retaliate is a riveting, edgy, fast-paced, somewhat dark, standalone novel filled to the brim with pulse-pounding danger, edge-of-your-seat adventure, heart-pounding action, spine-tingling suspense, heart-wrenching angst, intense drama, explosive passion, tug-at-your-heartstrings romance, and, of course, steamy dreamy sex. After all, this is a Kristin Harte/Ellis Leigh story and anyone who has read her work in the past already knows Leigh pens some of the dirtiest talking alpha heroes and the dreamiest sex scenes ever! The narrative is beautifully written in the first person with clearly defined his and her perspectives. The dialogue is smart, snappy, gritty, sometimes humorous, exceptionally well executed, and flows effortlessly. Harte/Leigh’s stories move at lightning speeds yet are always comfortable and easy to follow with no unnecessary fluff or filler. But without a doubt, my favorite element of every Harte/Leigh story is the cast of intriguing characters. Don’t get me wrong; I think all the components of a book are important: setting, plot, conflict, resolution, along with overall craftsmanship including title, cover, formatting, execution, and editing, but without engaging, relatable protagonists complemented by a cast of entertaining ensemble players, there is no story. In my humble opinion, Kristin Harte/Ellis Leigh writes the most unapologetically protective, possessive, passionate, and fearless heroes and heroines I’ve ever read. And Bishop Kennard is no exception! If you were smitten with Alder in the first book of the series, you will adore former navy Seal Bishop, the second oldest of the Kennard siblings. The premise for the Vigilante Justice Series is based upon the Kennard family, a tightknit group of four brothers, Alder, Bishop, twins Finn and Elijah, and one sister Lainie, from the fictional town of Justice, Colorado, and also includes their friends. There’s even a dog named Rex who belongs to Bishop’s best friend and former Seal teammate Gage! Rex may be a mixed breed, but he’s a real sweetheart as well as an intelligent and loyal mutt! My kind of dog! Who doesn’t love a story with a loyal pet as one of the characters? In Retaliate, the two protagonists of our story are Bishop Kennard and Anabeth Monroe. Bishop is the second eldest of the Kennard siblings, a former Navy Seal, and current marketing executive for Kennard Mills. Anabeth is the fiery red-haired orphan who stole Bishop’s heart 18 years ago when she first arrived in Justice as an orphan to live with her grandmother, Miss, after spending the majority of her life in foster care. The chemistry between these two characters is like fire and gasoline – explosive. It was like watching two trains racing toward each other on the same track at a hundred miles per hour. You know they’re going to collide, but you simply can’t look away. But when Bishop and Anabeth finally succumb to the inevitable, it’s like two stars going supernova. It’s a beautiful thing to experience. I fell in love with Bishop when he was introduced in Payback, the first book of the series. Bishop is handsome, intelligent, hardworking, brave, selfless, kind, and loyal to a fault. He’s what my dad used to call a man’s man! Who in the world can resist a hero with all those qualities? Not me! lol… And what do I even say about Anabeth, or should I say Firefly which is Bishop’s pet name for our fiery heroine? My heart just broke for Anabeth who lost her mother at an early age to drug addiction and spent the majority of her young life in foster care, never knowing she had any remaining family until her grandmother, Miss Hansen, found her when she was twelve and brought her to Justice. I related to her character on many levels and one in particular since I also read Tarot Cards. Bishop and Anabeth are enthrallingly flawed characters with a passion so combustible, it literally explodes from the pages. I loved Alder and Shye in Payback, but Bishop and Anabeth restored my belief in hope, redemption, love and second chances.

Did I like this story? No, I LOVED it! I was glued to my seat from the first page to the last, completely captivated, white-knuckling my reader with my heart fluttering wildly in my chest as the pages flew as quickly as the time, and adored every single minute! Would I recommend it? You bet, and I am but only for adult readers since it does contain explicit language, violence, and sex. Like his brother Alder, Bishop Kennard is a silver-tongued devil who knows how to talk dirty to his woman! *swoon* ANd FYI, this is not erotica but it does contain explicit language and sex scenes that could be described as erotic. Harte/Leigh writes some of the hottest and most emotionally beautiful love scenes ever! This book can be read as a standalone and does not end with a cliffhanger, but rather what I call a happy for now. There is an underlying interconnected conflict that will be resolved as the series progresses. Will I read this author again? Absolutely! Just as soon as she releases her next book! I’ve already preordered the third book of the series, Justify, which releases May 10, 2018. And finally, was I entertained? Completely! Fabulous entertainment and an awesome read! Well done, Kristin Harte! Well done, indeed!

Fourteen years is a long time to nurse a broken heart, especially for a fiery redhead who left him high and dry without a goodbye or a single explanation. No matter how many times he tried to deny it, Bishop Kennard still feels the pain of loss and knows he will always love Anabeth Monroe. She’d ripped out his soul and left him with nothing but painful memories and a desperate longing for the life they could have had together. His Firefly had abandoned him for fame, fortune, and the bright lights of the Vegas strip. He’d spent years serving his country as a Navy Seal and still, nothing came close to the pain of losing Anabeth. He’d sworn to never love again, but even he wasn’t prepared for the flood of resurrected emotions when Anabeth Monroe returns to spend the final days with her dying grandmother. But Anabeth Monroe is a woman with secrets, secrets she’s long held close to her vest, and no matter how much it hurts, she has no intention of revealing them now. Never again would she allow herself the comfort of Bishop’s arms. But Bishop and Anabeth’s unexpected reunion couldn’t have come at a worse time. The Soul Suckers MC has already burned two homes, killed one person, made an attempt on his brother’s life, and they’re still out for blood. But you know what they say – never say never. Bishop and Anabeth’s head may say no, but their heart refuses to be denied. This time there’s no running from secrets or the truth. You can’t escape fate. After all, it’s all in the cards.

Title: Retaliate
Series: A Vigilante Justice Novel #2
Release Date: #AlreadyReleased
Author: Kristin Harte
Reviewer: Ingrid Stephanie Jordan
Serial: Standalone, No Cliffhanger
#Contemporary #RomanticSuspense #Military #Justice #MC #SoulSucker
#5Stars
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Whoot! Whoot! Ellis Leigh’s alter ego Kristin Harte has written a Contemporary Romantic Suspense series. Boys leave for the Military and come back Men. Fill the coffee pot this is an all nighter. It had me on the edge of my seat from the first page, to the last. Definitely a Must Read!
••••••••Introduction to Vigilante Justice•••••••
The Kennards go back for centuries always taking care of the people, keeping them safe in little pint size town of Justice, Colorado. The Kennard’s were the law even if the lazy crooked sheriff thought otherwise. Alder and his friend Deacon (who owned The Jury Room) served together in the Army’s Green Beret’s Special Forces. While Alder’s brother Bishop and friend Gage (who was always with his K-9 Rex) were in the Navy Seals, plus Camden was Marines anyone who was smart enough knew better than to screw with any of them. Even Finn though selected a different path.
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Anabeth Monroe is back… Not by choice….. Miss called saying she didn’t want to be alone… the big “C”… Why did she wait so long to call.. Anabeth hasn’t been back to Justice in so long, she wouldn’t come back if she came back she’d have to see him, she couldn’t face him not ever. Anabeth has lived with her memories of pain, her secrets for fourteen long years and now she has to face them all.
Bishop Kennard has lived in Justice his whole life, it seemed he’s been broken hearted the whole time too. He was in college when she left him why? He went to find her in Las Vegas she was with a man, that was the last he’d seen her, unless you count his ever waking moment and dreams.
Anabeth is back and he has to face her it was only right, he was a Kennard and her grandmother was the pillar of the community. The big question is can he be around her and not touch her? Can he protect her from the Soul Suckers MC?
I have voluntarily read this book and my comments here are my own and honest.