Jenna Ryan

Dark Justice: Hunt by Jenna Ryan
Dark Justice #2

I am on the fence with this book. I loved book one, Morgan, but this book wasn’t quite as well done, in my opinion, as the first book in the series. Why? Well, there was a bit of repetition with the two bad guys thinking and saying they wanted to “kill her (Melia) for revenge – no let me torture her” and her ex-husband saying “I did it to keep you safe but I never stopped loving you”. And, I didn’t feel the deep abiding love between Johnny Hunt and Melia Rose that I might have wished for.

That said…if I forget the trick Johnny played and the lie he perpetrated and only look at the part where he does everything he can to keep Melia safe…that might be okay except…but why were the bad guys so inept unless it was to be a spoof of a story and not meant to be taken seriously? You know, backwoods small town in Florida with stereotypical and/or wacky characters, crazy things happening, moonshine, the token bloodhound and such…

Even after writing the review I am on the fence…

Did I enjoy the story? Kind of

Do I want to read the next book in the series? Yes

Why do I want to read another? I want to find out what happens between McCabe and Mockerie (a very bad man)

I am also curious about Laidlaw…mentioned in this book…he might deserve a story of his own…maybe?

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the ARC – This is my honest review.

3 Stars… (plus d'informations)

Full review originally posted on Reader's Edyn on 10/15/17

Alexa Chase (Amber Kelly) is on the run with her sister. She is now Amber and a part of the Witness Protection Program. Her sister married an extremely bad guy, which she refuses to see, but Alexa knows the truth. Uncovered evidence and turned it in to the FBI, in fact. Problem is, some of the guys are on the take and even a new location and a new identity can’t keep them from being found. She’s just been discovered again and her handler calls in a favor this time – Gage Morgan. He’s gorgeous and he’s come to protect her, but he’s going to have to get her to trust him first – easier said than done when you’ve been hunted the last year.

Gage Morgan is not wanting anything to do with this job, but he ends up taking it anyway. Glutton for punishment and all that. His gorgeous target isn’t going to make things easy on him either. Hell bent on rescuing her frivolous, unappreciative sister, they end up finding trouble at every turn. Luckily Alexa is pretty smart and self-sufficient; allowing them to help each other at times. Not to mention the steamy attraction between them that they’ll have to address at some point … if people would stop trying to kill them each time they get close.

This book is the first in the Dark justice series – fast moving and entertaining, you won’t want to stop reading. Packed full of suspense and a lot of quirky characters with their own stories waiting to break out, you’ll be kept on an engaging ride from start to finish. If you are looking for an HEA, you won’t find it here. Well, maybe a bit of one, but the book ends on a slight cliffhanger. While some things are explained and wrapped up, others are left wide open. I’m particularly interested in Bear’s story. And even more of Gage and Alexa. The had some pretty interesting lives and I can’t say much of it was explained. Partially, but I feel like there is more there than what we were given. As far as Rachel (her sister), I didn’t connect with her much. She’s expendable unless she makes a complete 180 and begins to contribute something other than trouble in the future. But I have no idea, I’m just making assumptions on what may or may not be a part of the next story. The only thing I struggled with were the switch in names from Amber to Alexa and back again, for example.

Generally speaking, I don’t care for cliffhangers. They twist me up – and when I have to wait for the next installment, I get annoyed. However, Ms. Ryan did a good job with this one in that it wasn’t a huge cliffhanger that left me wanting, but it did leave enough open that I want to come back for more. Satisfied enough to return, I guess you could say. Several of the characters introduced through Gage had their own stories to tell and I wondered why more of it wasn’t told, so maybe we will see them more in the future. I would describe them as characters with depth, but a depth we were denied – if that makes any sense. I feel like I might be talking this book down, when I really enjoyed it, so I’ll end it now. Overall, this book was quite enjoyable. You can read it quickly and will more than likely find yourself wishing the next book in the series was already out. At the very least, I want to see where Ms. Ryan takes the series and what she plans to do with these characters. Somehow I think they all might end up intertwined even more so when it is all said and done. But we’ll have to see …

Kindle version provided by NetGalley/Entangled in exchange for an honest review.… (plus d'informations)

Dark Justice: Morgan by Jenna Ryan
Dark Justice #1

Suspense, thrills, action, betrayal, romance and more abound in this the first book of the Dark Justice Series. I was hooked from the beginning and could not put the book down till I finished the last page.

Amber (once Alexa) was asked by the FBI to find information on Owen Fixx, her criminal boss, and fearing for her sister’s life she does so. At the point when both sisters lives are in danger they end up in the Witness Protection Program – even though Rachel (once Georgia) does not want to leave her cushy life and does not believe she is in danger. For a short period of time they are safe in a small town but…suddenly Amber’s sister disappears, Amber is contacted by the bad guys and told to come in or she will be brought in and…she runs.

Gage, contacted by mysterious McCabe, agrees to meet up with Amber and provide for her safety. From the moment Gage and Amber meet their lives are in danger and if caught their deaths will not be easy. With two bad guys and the thugs they send after them out for blood it is a chase fraught with suspense as they thwart the bad guys…for the most part. Gage does call upon some intriguing friends during the chase and they end up visiting some interesting places. Through it all both Amber and Gage are tough, tenacious and willing to do what it takes to stay free and eventually try to free Rachel. I am hoping Gage’s friend Bear will have a story of his own and that McCabe will, too. This series could be finished in a trilogy or…if other characters show up then perhaps more than three books will be required.

The book ends with some revelations that are good and some not so good. There is no real cliffhanger BUT the story is not quite finished because the truly evil wicked top dog of a bad guy, James Mockerie, still is alive and needs to be brought down.

I did have to suspend belief after one of Gage’s injuries and move from the book being truly believable to fantasy or believe that the hero had supernatural healing abilities and the heroine had a medical skill set most laypeople do not but with that thought dealt with and then tucked away in the corner of my RN mind I kept reading and thoroughly enjoyed the book. AND am eager to read what comes next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4.5 Stars… (plus d'informations)