Review - - The Agent

The Agent

by Kimberly Kincaid

The Intelligence Unit - Book 7

Publisher: Kimberly Kincaid Romance

Release Date: July 11, 2023

Reviewed by PJ

His enemy’s little sister is the only person with the power to undo him.

Nothing rattles stone-cold FBI Agent Kai Roman. Not chasing down ruthless criminals. Not losing his wife years ago. Not even inadvertently being caught in the middle of a bank robbery.

Except Camila Garza is right beside him when danger strikes, and suddenly he’s the only person who can protect the off-limits beauty. No matter how much her older brother hates him.

And no matter how much he secretly wants her.

Camila knows she should hate Roman. He’s made it clear he doesn’t like her—or possibly anyone—one bit. But when they have to go on the run to save their lives, she begins to see past his icy exterior to the man who would do anything to keep her safe.

Including risk it all.

PJ's Thoughts:

Kimberly Kincaid ratchets up both the danger and desire in her newest Intelligence Unit romantic suspense novel. Set within her popular Remington, NC world, this one hits the ground running with a breath-stealing bank robbery and never lets up. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough while at the same time, wanting to slow down time and savor every single word, nuance, and emotion.

In real life I wouldn't have the patience for a moody, broody (albeit gorgeous) man but our fictional Roman in the capable hands of Kincaid? Yes, please! I'll take all that and more. I loved the pairing of Roman and Camila. If you've been reading the Intelligence Unit books, you already know Roman's IU adversary is detective Matteo Garza, none other than Camila's uber-protective big brother. Seeing his baby sister fall for the PITA FBI agent is sure to send Matteo spiraling and create all kinds of delicious conflict. Matteo and the rest of Camila's big, boisterous, protective family guarantee plenty of humor to strategically lighten the heavier aspects of the story. 

I loved watching Camila begin to acknowledge and own her strength and confidence; watch her learn to stand up for herself and chase her dreams. She and Roman have fiery chemistry but they also have a sweet vulnerability that they only feel free to expose with one another. It opens Roman to the possibilities of a new love after devastating loss. It strengthens Camila, offering her a loving partnership of equal standing. It left me sighing happily for both of them.

The suspense portion of the book is tightly plotted, filled with plenty of twists and turns that heighten the intensity as the characters race to find the villains before Camila pays the ultimate price. It's a well-balanced blend of danger and romance that had me gasping and sighing in equal measure. 

Kincaid has written the books in this series in a way that each story stands on its own. You can absolutely enjoy Roman's and Camila's journey without having read the earlier books but I'm willing to bet you'll be so intrigued with the secondary characters (especially Garza and Delia from The Guardian) that you'll want to read their books too. 

If romantic suspense is your catnip and you've yet to discover Kimberly Kincaid, I highly recommend diving straight into her Intelligence Unit series. Each book is an action-fueled, steamy, page-turning adventure I never want to put down.

Review - - The Saint

The Saint

by Kimberly Kincaid

The Intelligence Unit - Book 5

Publisher: Kimberly Kincaid Romance

Release Date: October 18, 2022

Reviewed by PJ

 

His partner’s most trusted informant is his only hope…and his only weakness.


When Detective Liam Hollister is assigned to an assault-turned-murder, he brings his signature three “C”s: control, calm, and composure. The “C” he wasn’t counting on? His partner’s informant, Carmen Desoto, who’s not only the key to unlocking his case.

The sexy, sharp-tongued nurse is the only person who’s ever gotten under Liam’s skin. Driven him crazy.

Made him want the one thing he can’t have.

And now they have to go undercover together to catch a killer.

Liam knows he must keep Carmen at a distance, no matter how hard it is to resist. But when the scheme they uncover puts them directly in danger, distance isn’t an option.

They’ll have to fight together if they want to make it out alive.

PJ's Thoughts:

Kimberly Kincaid is one of my go-to authors for edge-of-the-seat romantic suspense with multi-layered, fully-developed characters, and steamy romance. Once again, she's brought all of those facets together in the newest installment of her The Intelligence Unit series, a compelling story I could not put down.

I love the unexpected pairings in many of Kincaid's books with Liam and Carmen being near the top of the list. There are so many reasons these two should not be together yet I couldn't help but root for them. Kincaid expertly navigates the obstacles in their path, allowing them to work through the issues that should keep them apart and, instead, giving them reasons to be together. Their chemistry is on fire, the respect between them steadily grows, and their love deepens to the point where, together, they can face anything.

The suspense, as always, is on point with plenty of action, twists, a tightly-woven plot and more than a few surprises. I can always count on Kincaid to keep me guessing, gasping, and eagerly flipping pages to the very end. 

The Saint is book five in The Intelligence Unit series but stands well on its own. You'll meet characters from earlier books but the spotlight stays primarily on Liam and Carmen and their story is begun and concluded within the pages of this book.  

If you enjoy intense romantic suspense paired with steamy, emotional romance, I highly recommend giving any of the books in The Intelligence Unit a try. Why not begin with The Saint? 

Review - - The Grifter

The Grifter

by Kimberly Kincaid

Publisher: Kimberly Kincaid

Release Date: October 19, 2021

Reviewed by PJ

Only one person has ever rocked Detective Shawn Maxwell’s titanium composure. Francesca Rossi, his ex-partner. His ex-everything.

He hasn’t seen Frankie since she left him eight years ago and now he has to work with her on an undercover case that could break them both.

But when Shawn’s world is turned upside down by the news that he has a three-year-old daughter, Frankie stuns him by being an unlikely ally.

The more they’re together, the more the walls between them begin to crumble and the less he can resist the fierce, beautiful woman he fell for. But their past comes with wounds that run deep and the present holds danger neither of them see coming.

Until suddenly, they aren’t just fighting for love. They’re fighting for their lives.

PJ's Thoughts:

The Grifter is the third book of Kincaid's Intelligence Unit romantic suspense series. Although it features continuing characters from the first two IU books along with cameos by characters from her other series set in Remington, NC, the book works well as a standalone. 

Frankie and Shawn are complex, multi-layered, flawed characters with a complicated history between them. Kincaid did a wonderful job of bringing them to life along with their awkward, intense, and deeply emotional second-chance romance. These two really grabbed my heart with their unexpected tenderness, vulnerability, integrity, strength, and sizzle (I found myself reaching for a fan more than once). Then there's the bond of love that had been tested to its limits but, to their surprise, had never broken. 

The romance in this book is well balanced with an intense, edge-of-the-seat suspense thread that had me gasping frequently. Kincaid has created a stone-cold, psychopathic villain who gave me chills. This dude is the stuff of nightmares. He leads Shawn and Frankie on a not-so-merry chase with life or death consequences that had me on edge from start to stunning finish. 

As I mentioned earlier, characters from earlier books set in Remington weave in and out of this book with ease. Fans of the series will no doubt enjoy catching up with favorites while those readers new to Kincaid should be able to jump into The Grifter without missing a beat. If tightly woven romantic suspense with complex emotion, plenty of steam, and an unexpected character who brings out the tenderness in both our hero and heroine are your jam, give The Grifter a try. It has my enthusiastic recommendation. 

CW: Drug Addition and Murder

 

Release Day Review - - The Guardian

The Guardian

by Kimberly Kincaid

The Intelligence Unit - Book 2

Publisher: Kimberly Kincaid

Release Date: March 9, 2021

Reviewed by PJ

Guard against any danger. Especially if it comes from within.

Detective Matteo Garza doesn’t just do the job—he is the job.
He’s learned the hard way that work and pleasure can’t co-exist.
So when his little sister’s best friend accidentally uncovers a money laundering scheme led by one of Remington’s most cold-blooded criminals, Garza vows to keep things strictly business as he keeps her safe. No matter how much the quirky mathematician makes him feel things best left buried. No matter how much she makes him want.

Delia Sutton knows she’s not like most people, just like she knows she needs to forget her ages-old crush on Matteo and focus on survival.
But the closer they get, the bolder she becomes—the more she breaks down his carefully crafted barriers to discover the man beneath.

Danger is closer than either of them could possibly imagine and no one can be trusted. Delia needs a guardian to fight by her side, and Matteo will do anything to protect her.

No matter who the enemy is.

PJ's Thoughts:

I love sizzling, emotional, contemporary romance and I love breath-stealing, edge-of-the-seat, romantic suspense. What Kimberly Kincaid has created in The Guardian is a superbly balanced combination of the two that totally immersed me in the story, keeping me glued to the pages long into the night, until I turned the final page with a deep, heart-felt sigh of satisfaction. 

Grumpy, broody, alpha heroes are my weakness and, boy howdy, does Garza ever fit that description. Pair him with the brilliant, quirky, and eternally optimistic best friend of his younger sister, who just happens to have been crushing on him since college, and I am so there. They complement each another beautifully, with physical chemistry that is off the charts (Kincaid is a genius creator of sizzling, organic love scenes). That chemistry is matched by a developing emotional tenderness and vulnerability with one another that won my heart and a deep respect for each other that convinced my head that the deepening bond between these two was the real deal. 

The suspense/action portion of the story is fast-paced, edgy, and expertly crafted with so many unexpected twists and turns I had no idea what would happen next...but I couldn't wait to find out. The villainous characters are fully developed, and scarily realistic, adding another layer of tension to the life or death consequences at play. 

The Guardian stands well on its own. If you're new to Kimberly Kincaid's novels, it's a great place to start. For those of you who are already fans of her books set in Remington, you'll no doubt be delighted to catch up with a few favorite characters from previous books. And if you love Matteo's and Delia's story as much as I did, you'll no doubt be excited to learn a bit more about the next hero in The Intelligence Unit and an upcoming, undercover reunion that has him in a tizzy. Detective Shawn Maxwell's book, The Grifter, is scheduled for release in October, 2021. I can't wait. 

~~~~~~~~~

Do you enjoy romantic suspense?

Do you prefer more suspense, more romance, or an equitable balance of the two?

Have you read any of Kimberly Kincaid's books yet?

~~~~~

Kimberly Kincaid writes contemporary romance that splits the difference between sexy and sweet and hot and edgy romantic suspense. When she’s not sitting cross-legged in an ancient desk chair known as “The Pleather Bomber”, she can be found practicing obscene amounts of yoga, whipping up anything from enchiladas to éclairs in her kitchen, or curled up with her nose in a book. Kimberly is a USA Today best-selling author and a 2016 and 2015 RWA RITA® finalist and 2014 Bookseller’s Best nominee who lives (and writes!) by the mantra that food is love. Kimberly resides in Virginia with her wildly patient husband and their three daughters.

Connect with Kimberly Kincaid:

Website: https://kimberlykincaid.com

Newsletter: https://kimberlykincaid.com/newsletter-2/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKimberlyKincaid

Amazon Author Page: http://bit.ly/3suiR95

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6938229.Kimberly_Kincaid

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimberlykincaidauthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kimberlykincaid

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kimberly-kincaid

Tour Review - - The Rookie

 

The Rookie

An extended-length novella

by Kimberly Kincaid

The Intelligence Unit - Book 1

Publisher: Self Published

Release Date: October 6, 2020

Reviewed by PJ

Police recruit Xander Matthews wants two things: to help people and to keep his dark and dangerous past in his rear-view, where it belongs. He never thought he'd see brash, beautiful A.D.A. Tara Kingston after she tried to prosecute him two years ago. 

Yet here she is, smack in the middle of a crime scene and now they have to work together to catch a killer.

Tara prides herself on being tough - after all, she learned the hard way how fleeting life can be. But the closer she gets to Xander the more she wants to open up and let him in. The more she wants everything.

The stakes are high and the passion is hot. But Xander's secrets run deep and now their hearts and their lives are on the line...

PJ's Thoughts:

Kimberly Kincaid never fails to fully immerse me into her fictional worlds. In The Rookie, she brings readers a passionate, fast-paced, romantic suspense story that grabbed me from the start and refused to let go. It's a novella, but longer than most at 150 pages, with layered characters and emotional depth usually found in full-length novels. 

I was invested in Xander and Tara almost from the beginning and enjoyed the development of their characters individually as well as the two of them as a couple. The supporting cast was equally intriguing, adding texture to the story, and the suspense factor kept me on the edge of my seat right up until the end. 

In addition to meeting characters who are new to the Remington world, familiar characters from previous books (and series) set there make appearances in this story. While it's fun for fans to see them again, new readers won't miss out on anything by beginning with The Rookie. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and am already excited about The Intelligence Unit series and future stories to come. If you haven't yet discovered Kimberly Kincaid, this would be a great place to start.