She’s an expert at getting into places she doesn’t belong.The government created Megan, transforming her into a Valkyrie—a deadly operative only whispered about in certain circles. They took everything from her and made her into a weapon. Now someone is leaking secret information about her sisters-in-arms, betraying them for money. Loyal Unto Death is the Valkyrie motto. So when Megan is … Valkyrie motto. So when Megan is recruited to find who leaked the files, she takes the high-risk assignment. Even if it means working with the man who betrayed her trust long ago. Even if it means giving her life. Because she’ll do whatever it takes to find justice.
But this is one situation she can’t escape from on her own.
Tyler Bergstrom never forgot the resourceful woman who escaped during the toughest phase of SERE school. So when he learns the stunning truth about her and his unwitting part in her past, he volunteers to work alongside Megan for a chance at redemption. Except she doesn’t want a partner. Doesn’t want to let anyone into her life, including him—hell, especially him. Yet whether she likes it or not, for this mission they’re partners. Now it’s a race against the clock to bring down the shadowy figure targeting Valkyries. But the threat goes deeper than they ever imagined. No one is safe. And the only way they’ll survive is if they trust each other. If not, they’re both dead.
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First, I just have to say . . . . AHHHHHH I am so so excited for this series, especially now that I read book one! The entire concept of a secret government agency that takes orphaned girls and turns them into assassins and weapons is a super cool concept and creates one heck of a crazy sisterhood. But, the Valkyries have been disbanded and someone is hunting them so they can’t reveal the truth about the secret government program.
When Megan realizes the program has been exposed, she goes into hiding. But, when she is recruited to help find the remaining Valkyries before it’s too late, she can’t say no, even if it means putting her own life in danger once again.
While she’s always worked alone, for this mission, she is paired with Tyler Bergstrom, the SERE instructor who returned her to her captors when she escaped from them during her training. While he didn’t know what was awaiting her, she never got over the betrayal. And, once Tyler realized just what he returned Megan to, he never forgot her and the role he unwittingly played.
It’s a race against the clock to not only find the remaining Valkyries but also to discover who is hunting them down one at a time. Tyler is willing to do anything he can to help Megan succeed in her mission. He’s always been intrigued by her and now that they’ve come face to face again, he can’t help but to admire her and want more. And, while Megan doesn’t like depending on anyone, she finds herself incredibly attracted to Tyler and realizes that having someone watch her back is a nice change from the lonely life she has lead up until now.
As the danger grows, Megan will need to come to terms with both the betrayals that are uncovered as well as her feelings for Tyler all while she learns to trust in him as a partner and possibly more before the clock runs out.
Stealing Vengeance was a complete thrill ride with so many unexpected reveals, I was left with whiplash and wanting the next book in the series now! Megan is such a cool operator who never lets her guard down or trusts in others, so working and depending on a partner is completely foreign to her. I loved watching this struggle as Tyler smashed down all of her walls. She was torn with both wanting and needing him, yet trying to keep her distance to keep him safe and it made for phenomenal drama. And, oh, the reveal regarding Megan’s past . . . .Just WOW!!!!!
Tyler is also no slouch when it comes to covert military operations. I loved watching him battle with himself over needing and wanting to keep Megan safe and letting her operate on her own because she is more than capable and needs her independence. I adored that he never gave up wanting her no matter how many times she tried to push her away. And, his grand gesture was simply perfect and to die for!
Honestly, as a romantic suspense, Stealing Vengeance has it all! And, not only did I fall in love with the characters in this book, I am super excited with the teases we saw of what is to come in the series. 5 stars!
A new series that will have you on the edge of your seat, or keep you up all night reading.
This book opens with an introduction of sorts. Trinity, Georgia and Briar are three of the original Valkyries, they are now ‘retired’ but a situation has come up requiring their special skills. Their boss Alex Rycroft is coordinating the operation to find a very skilled hacker who has put all of them in jeopardy. This is going to require more than just them since the fact that they work alone would give them away.
Megan is a Valkyrie created to be a master thief with the ultimate survival skills. She has gone into hiding at a friend’s home in England after a scandal broke involving high level officials.
As bodies start piling up, Rycroft contacts Marcus in order to set up a meeting with Megan and set her up with a partner.
Tyler is known to Megan as an instructor from years ago, she also remembers his betrayal. When Tyler found out what he had returned her to he volunteered for this mission. He needs to apologize and do what he can to help and protect the woman he never really forgot.
Fast-paced, suspenseful with many twists and turns as Megan and Tyler team up and begin a relationship beyond just a working one.
I can’t wait to read the next book in this series!
Kaylea Cross is one of my favorites action romance writer. This series is kind of a spin off of her famous series Hostage Hescue Team and is about the Valkyries, a female operative group of bad ass women that was created by the Government. In previous books we met some Valkyries and now we are getting to know a second group of operatives that was really undercover.
Megan and Tyler are the perfect couple for this first book and we find out more about the political aspects of the Valkyrie group and the action is super great.
This book is the one you cannot put away because there is so much action and you want to know what happens in the next chapter.
I just loved it!!
I am a huge fan of cloak & dagger type of suspense. I got such a Jason Bourne vibe while reading Stealing Vengeance and devoured it in one sitting. It was even better since the main characters were strong, kick a$$ women. This book is chuck full of suspense, where loyalties will be tested, alliances pushed to the limits, and everything you knew will be questioned.
Megan is a strong, confident, self sufficient woman that is also vulnerable. She is the perfect combination I love to see in heroines. She isn’t weak, timid or always needing to be rescued.
Cross takes you on a journey that keeps you on the edge of your seat!!
Stealing Vengeance is book one in Kaylea Cross’ new Vengeance series. This series centers around the group of Valkyries that are girls that are trained by the US government to be covert operators. The program was supposed to have been shut down…but it’s coming to light that it wasn’t. Now someone is trying to take the remaining Valkyries out…permanently. Since this is the first book in the series, it’s obviously a standalone book. But the remaining titles will not be as the backstory will continue to unfold. There are appearances of three other characters from previous books but Ms. Cross introduces and gives just enough background that you aren’t lost as to who these minor characters are. Megan is a Valkyrie who has gone into hiding after a few of her fellow sisters in arms have turned up dead. Tyler is sent to be her partner as this group of covert operators works to uncover who is behind the leaking of the information…and ultimately who is the mastermind behind the plan to take them all out. These two have a past of misunderstanding and hurt. Can they overcome that past and work together, or will Megan be the next victim?
Yes…I’ve admitted before that I’m a pretty big fan of Kaylea Cross. And this book is just one more reason she’s on my auto 1-click short list! For some reason, I love to read before bed. Sometimes it’s relaxing for me. And sometimes…well…a plot is just too in depth and moving too quickly for me to fall asleep. Needless to say, I’m pretty sure I saw 4 am before I finally finished this book because I could NOT put it down! But was it worth losing sleep over? Absolutely!
NICUnurse’s Rating: I love, love, love romantic suspense. I love almost all subgenres of romance but thanks to Nora Roberts, romantic suspense is my great love in the literary world. And Kaylea Cross’ books have yet to let me down. I honestly can’t say enough good things about any of them. I haven’t read them all (yet) but her talent for storytelling truly shines through in each one I’ve read. I give Stealing Vengeance by Kaylea Cross 4.75 stars! And I’m not so patiently waiting on her next Valkyrie book!
I was one excited reader when I got to get into this one at the beginning. Having read a few of this author’s novels I found I do like her style and her stories keep me into them. This one is one that will go in deep with secrets and awesome with the characters leading the way. Megan steal the show as it can be said with her being so intriguing. Then there is Tyler whom could turn a head. The action will run fast and keep you on your toes with you also seeing these two on how they act. I was taken into this with it also keeping me there not letting me surface much with when I got to the end of this one it left me hungry for more.
Megan and Ty, partners, and maybe so much more… or not!
I have been really looking forward to this series, especially learn more about the Valkeryies after Briar, Georgia, and Trinity and now it’s here.
Someone is hacking big-time and selling sensitive information that is getting Valkeryies killed, some tortured and killed it’s got to stop. Alex Rycroft and Trinity come up with a plan after the discover the Valkeryie series was not shut down when they all thought it had been and now someone is targeting these amazing bad-ass female assassins and they need to be stopped.
Action, adventure, intrigue, suspense, betrayal, love. bonds and family this story has it all in spades.
The idea of super soldiers has been around for a while now, on both TV shows like NCIS and in fictional books. What makes Stealing Vengeance (Valkyrie Vengeance #1) by Kaylea Cross stand out is that these operatives are women. Pretty clever for a government to use women instead of the traditional male soldier. Not exactly legal either for orphaned little girls to be taken, severely trained with specific skill sets, then give them one mindset, “Loyal Unto Death.”
Excellent storytelling that bring the reader into this world that is contemporary and believable but still so far out of reach for me in my everyday living. Reads well as a stand-alone giving background on Megan and the government program as needed. Several twists in the story too especially in the hacker’s identity. Just when I thought I knew everything about the hacker one more major reveal happened that caused a true “Oh, my” response from me. Megan is so closely and completely developed that could understand, empathize, and cross my fingers that more and better would be in store for her future. It would take an exceptional male to love and win this woman over, Tyler was perfect for the role including or making because of his unfortunate role in her past. Loved scenes where these two were together. For full disclosure, I simply loved this heart pounding book form beginning to end. Tyler and Megan’s story is completed in this book but there is an overall theme cliffhanger, making it hard to wait for the next book.
Other Valkyries also make an appearance. The biggest supporting role and a true leader is Trinity, whose story is in Brody’s Vow (Colebrook Siblings Trilogy #1) Then Briar’s story is in Disavowed and Guarded (Hostage Rescue Team Series #4 and #12) with Georgia’s story in Betrayed (Hostage Rescue Team Series #9). Both of these have minor roles but will bring the reader up to speed with the operatives. At least three more have been named, with a Hooray from me that more is to come.
The publisher/author gave me a complimentary ARC of the book which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I am so glad to have found this author! Admittedly military based romance is not my first choice, but this story was so enjoyable! I’m always glad to change my mind.
Megan is a Valkyrie, a secret ops super badass solider. Tyler was a Ranger and they had a run-in during training that left her not liking him and him harboring some serious guilt. They are put back together as a team to help stop other Valkyries from turning up dead and it’s a love / hate situation for sure!
Great action, wonderful characters and some really hilarious banter as well as some steamy romance balanced this well crafted story perfectly. I’ll be going back for more of Kaylea Cross’ work for sure! Recommend!
Reviewed on behalf of KindleFriendsForever
This is the first book I have read by this author, an action-packed romance with deadly femme fatales; it’s going to be a great rollercoaster thrill ride this one.
When Megan, a Valkyrie operative trained by the government, finds herself back in the game, little did she know that the man assigned to be her partner is somebody from her past. Megan was trained to be the best in her field by a covert military group, and that soon becomes handy when she has to find the traitor who is responsible for selling out the identities of Valkyrie agents.
Tyler is an ex-military who’s assigned to work with Megan. His guilt and remorse will make him do whatever he can to make it up to the woman he betrayed in the past. But the highly skilled thief not only steals valuable objects, but will also steal his heart.
What I like about this book is that it is first and foremost an action thriller that features highly- trained female agents, the steamy bed scenes are just a bonus. Megan’s hard-as-nails persona starts to gradually melt when she gets to know more of Tyler’s character and soon learns to trust him. The introduction of other important characters which I think will be featured in the next book adds more dimension to this thriller. The author narrates high-octane action scenes but doesn’t make it too technical for those of us who are not tech-savvy in weapons and logistics, just enough to titillate our senses and whet our appetite for more books of this genre.
I did a little research on the previous works by the author and found out that some of the characters here have their own stories from a different series. I quite enjoy it when there is a cross-over; the more interesting personas that you only get a glimpse of from previous stories gives you a chance to learn more about them in the new books. Tyler and Megan’s relationship gets closure in this tale but Amber another Valkyrie agent will carry on with her mission onto the next, Covert Vengeance (Vengeance #2) and I am looking forward to reading it. I thoroughly enjoyed Megan’s story and I am sure you will too.
Stealing your heart more like it
Megan has gone to ground after the Valkyrie program is revealed and has been staying hidden….that is until she is tracked down by no other than one of our favourite females, Trinity. However, Trinity brings someone with her who Megan has tried to put in her past and forget about!
Tyler has signed up voluntarily to help Megan with an op, especially after he found out what happened to her when he was her instructor twelve years ago. But the attraction between them grows and grows until neither one can deny their feelings
Absolutely loved the start of this series and some superb twists I did not see coming which really enhanced the story….not to mention a few cameos from some old favourites tooA big thank you to Kaylea as I was fortunate enough to win an ARC in a FB giveaway and I willingly leave my honest review. I look forward to Amber’s story next with much anticipation
4.25 stars–STEALING VENGEANCE is the first instalment in Kaylea Cross’ contemporary, adult VENGEANCE erotic, romantic suspense series focusing on a group of women once known as the Valkyrie-members of a secret government project who are now targeted by an unknown assassin. This is Megan Smith, and former Valkyrie trainer Tyler Bergstrom’s story line. The VENGEANCE series is a spin-off from the author’s HOSTAGE RESCUE TEAM series. You do not have to have read the original series to follow or understand but it is recommended to read DISAVOWED (Hostage Rescue Tam #4) for backstory and cohesion.
Told from several third person perspectives including Megan, Tyler and Amber STEALING VENGEANCE focuses on ferreting out the person responsible for the torture and assassination of several former Valkyrie members. Recruited to help locate the person responsible, Megan will come face to face with her former trainer, Tyler Bergstrom, a man she blames for not protecting her when she needed him the most. When the group discover one of their own may be connected to the latest murders, Megan and Tyler are forced to work side by side in an effort to locate and take down the person involved. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Tyler and Megan, and the potential fall-out as Tyler’s time with the team comes to a close.
Megan Smith suffered greatly during her time when she trained to become a Valkyrie. The unsanctioned government project ‘stole’ orphaned girls and trained them to become elite assassins and deadly operatives. Believing the project has been terminated only to discover someone was operating behind the scenes, Megan struggles with a direction in life until she is called back to help find a killer in their midst when several former Valkyries are reported missing or dead. Tyler Bergstrom never forgot about Megan Smith but sins of the past forbid our hero from making amends to the woman with whom he would fall in love. Hoping to prove he is worthy of her love, Tyler refuses to let Megan work alone even though the Valkyrie have been trained as solo operatives. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.
There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including former SAS veteran Marcus Laidlaw; former Valkyries Briar, Amber, and Trinity Durant, as well as consultant Alex Rycroft.
STEALING VENGEANCE is a story of betrayal and vengeance; retribution and reprisal; second chances, forgiveness and love. The fast paced, action-packed premise is engaging, entertaining, and gripping: the characters are animated and energetic; the romance is passionate and moving. STEALING VENGEANCE is a compelling and dramatic first instalment in Kaylea Cross’ new VENGEANCE series.
This is the start of a new series by this very talented author. A series that promises to be a winner. The government has trained a group of strong , resourceful female operatives to go beyond the expected. Megan Smith is one of these Valkyrie.
When files are leaked that can threaten them to the point of death, Megan is recruited to find out who is responsible for this leak. She will be forced to work with Tyler Bergstorm, the man who betrayed her.
Tyler volunteers to help not only because it’s an important mission, but because he realizes his past mistakes.
This is an action pack story, filled with whodunit, very bad guys, a hunky one, a strong , resourceful woman, and of course, romance.
Definitely a book not to be missed. Can’t wait to see what else is in store for us in the next book.
I was entrusted a copy of this book. The opinions expressed are solely my own.