I really enjoyed this intriguing romance. This was actually a second chance romance. I bought this at the local library book sale and I gave it a 5* rating. This is not for the under 18 readers, there is an extreme amount of violence in this. This heroine has gone through a lot of abuse but has risen above it. This certainly pulled me in quickly and pulled me along to the end. This is part of the series that is different authors. I have been enjoying this series. I'm on to my next read. ( )

Armed Response is Lillian's story and I knew it would be heartbreaking! Lillian is the only female member of the SWAT team and she obviously has baggage. Also, at the end of book 4 you learn that there is a chance she might be the mole! We start off with Ren calling in an old military buddy to help infiltrate the SWAT team and find the mole. This military buddy? He was also Lillian's best friend and first love from her childhood.

Lillian's backstory is gut wrenching for sure-foster kid, illegal gang activity, etc. The one bright spot was Jace. They planned to join the military together and get the hell out of Tulsa. But, on the day they were to leave, she changed her plans and he left without her. Now that they are thrown back together, Lillian is terrified all her secrets will come out. Not only is she having to deal with this personal crisis, but Damien is planning something major for the LESS summit and she needs to keep her head in the game.

Blending a second chance romance with a terrorist plot is exactly why I love Janie Crouch. Both these themes blend seamlessly to create a compelling story and dynamic characters. And the plot twist at the end? So did not see that coming! Armed Response is perfect for readers who want a fairly quick binge read with heart and danger!

 

• POV: 3rd


• Tears: a few for Lillian!


• Trope: second chance romance, terrorism


• Triggers: Lillian was kidnapped and raped. Crouch doesn't graphically detail the rape but it could be a trigger for some readers


• Series/Standalone: series


• Cliffhanger: not for Lillian and Jace but the terrorist is still on the loose setting up the plot for the final book


• HEA: yes

authors like Susan Stoker, Kaylea Cross, Cynthia Eden...then you will probably like Armed Response!

 


Armed Response






 See full review on The Book Disciple ( )

The action and suspense continue in this second chance story. I have been looking forward to Lillian's story since the beginning of the series. I love seeing a strong, capable woman doing a job that earns her the respect and admiration of the men she works with, and there is no doubt that she is a well-loved member of the team. We also saw in the previous book (Major Crimes) that the mole in the Omega team is setting Lillian up to take the fall. He has been successful enough that the head of Omega has called in a friend of his to join the SWAT team and investigate.

Jace and Lillian have a history. They knew each other as kids and teens in the slums of Tulsa where they had done what they must to survive. As soon as Lillian turned eighteen, they were going to make their escape and join the army together. But something happened that sent Jace off on his own, believing that she had betrayed him. As much as that had hurt, he has a hard time believing that Lillian could be the traitor.

I liked both Lillian and Jace. Both had rough starts to their lives and had come out successfully on the other side, though not without a great deal of pain. Throughout the series, we have seen Lillian as a respected member of the team, yet one who has kept a certain amount of distance between herself and others. I was doubly impressed by the way she overcame the physical trauma of her past, though her PTSD from it is never far from the surface. But she is a fighter and refuses to be that vulnerable again. Jace took his anger and bitterness over what he saw as Lillian's betrayal and used it in his career in the army. After a dozen years, he's had enough of the death and destruction and is ready to do something useful with his life. He has purchased a ranch where he will invite veterans to come and heal. But first he will do this favor for Ren and at the same time purge Lillian from his system.

I loved the first meeting between Lillian and Jace. Neither of them backs away or goes easy on the other during their match. I especially enjoyed the growing respect that Jace has as he realizes that he has to work to hold his own against Lily. There is also no doubt that the sparks between them are just as intense as they were in the past. I had a lot of respect for Jace when he turned down her invitation because he didn't feel right about deceiving her. Until he knows for sure that she's innocent, he won't give in to the attraction. Fortunately, proof of her innocence isn't long in coming but opens up a whole new set of problems. I cried for Lillian as she revealed everything that had happened to her, and ached for Jace and his guilt for not seeing the truth. I loved his patience and understanding, as well as his desire to protect her from further harm. I loved the advice he got, that Lillian didn't need someone to protect her physically, but someone to be there for her emotionally. And he truly got it, as he shows here: "I wouldn't fight your monsters. You can do that yourself. But I'll stand with you as you fight them. Every single time."

The suspense of this book was outstanding. The mole has his own agenda to go along with Damien's desire to destroy Omega. His desire to reinvent law enforcement for his own twisted purposes is scary as hell. The team suspects that his plans have something to do with the upcoming law enforcement conference and are intent on making sure that he doesn't succeed. The preparations and conference were a roller coaster of action, including some pretty wild twists. The final confrontation with the mole was intense as they raced against time to stop him. But the action wasn't over yet as Damien still had to be dealt with. That confrontation was even more frightening, as Damien continued his MO of involving others in his dirty work. Though I was certain that Lillian would prevail, the process was both heartbreaking and inspiring. There was some new and interesting information revealed at the end that leads into the next book. ( )