A brooding covert operative and a spunky CIA agent discover a burning passion in the next installment of Julie Ann Walker's red-hot BKI series

Dagan Zoelner has made three huge mistakes

The first two left blood on his hands. 

The third left him wondering...what if? What if he had told the woman of his dreams how he felt before his world fell apart?

Spitfire CIA agent Chelsea Duvall has always had a thing for bossy, brooding Dagan. It's just as well that he's never given her a second look, since she carries a combustible secret about his past that threatens to torch their lives...

Graphics from Author's Facebook page

This is a crazy mixed up adventure with the newer members of BKI who come from various backgrounds including the CIA and SAS. They are on assignment in England to back up CIA and BKI liaison and analyst Chelsea Duvall as she goes undercover to infiltrate the computer of a suspected crime lord.

This might be the BKI book most full of sexual tension, verbal sparring, and flirty and dirty banter. It deals with not one couple, but also the possibility or two more. And there is a lot of fussing, fighting, repression, avoidance, and denial going on.

Dagan "Z" Zoeller and Chelsea have had an attraction and hidden feelings for each other for years through their CIA work and it has continued. But they hide it under antagonism and arguments.  He is always being overprotective and making her feel like she is not equipped to her job. And she is not afraid to fire back at him. She is clever, outspoken, spunky, and has a big heart. But she is keeping a big secret from him that has to do with his past. Dagan is brooding, bossy, lethal, and appears detached. His past mistakes still haunt him and make him feel not good enough for her, and that he has to atone for his sins. So they both have reasons that they have not acted on their attraction.

Emily Scott is the new BKI office manager and Mother Hen. She is brazen, unfiltered, nosy, and resourceful. And he has the hots for the stuffy, uptight Brit and former SAS agent, Christian Watson. She has a rule about not fraternizing with co-workers, but she continually picks fights with him to rile him up. Christian is fastidious, serious, and thrives on control and order in his world. He would love to see Emily submit to him. But these two are like kids on the playground that pick on the one they like and will never admit it.

And the fifth wheel on their team is Colby "Ace" Ventura. He is the more easy-going and funny member of this group. The girls don't fight with him because he is their gay friend. He ends up being the one to break up a lot of the squabbling. But he also might find someone to interest him along the way.

What starts out as a pretty clear cut assignment turns into a huge mess with this group struggling to even find their way out of England. Tension is running high, feelings and desire are being exposed, and they are literally on the run for their lives and being foiled at every turn. So it is an action-packed, intense, and dangerous situation for them all. 

As Dagan and Chelsea get closer and more serious, her big secret weighs heavier on her. Their physical chemistry is off the charts and their feelings have been growing for years. It seems like they might be close to finally getting it together. But there is still something standing between them that could change everything. Dagan has always put Chelsea up on a pedastal, will he be able to forgive her for her own mistakes?

This is told in multiple points of view so we get into the heads of all the main characters and even the villains. There are a few cameos from old friends and some new intriguing additions. There are some plot points still left open and I assume will continue into Christian and Emily's book, Hot Pursuit. I am looking forward to more with Ace too,  and maybe one of the new mysterious men. 

I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review. 

Dagan "Z" Zoelner is a newer member of BKI, and has a few black marks on his career prior to joining the team.

Chelsea Duvall was privy to his secrets, as she worked with him in the CIA when everything went down. She still works for the CIA and is on special assignment with the Knights as they track down a global crime leader.

There was a spark between them during their years with the CIA, and now that they are working in close quarters again, the struggle to maintain a professional relationship is real. Especially as Z must watch Chelsea put herself directly in the line of danger in order to trap their target.

The sexual tension between these two is off the charts. But secrets and regrets keep them from broaching the topic with each other, instead they interact with antagonistic comments and remarks. Working in close quarters, sharing a safe house with two other teammates means there isn’t a whole lot of room to hide feelings, and everyone around them can see exactly what is building between them.

I liked how this book focused on not just Chelsea and Dagan, but also laid foundations for two other couples. The bits and pieces of the other couples mesh really well with Chelsea and Z’s story without pulling attention away from the main, something that is hard to do for secondary couples. For me, seeing these other couples teased makes me more excited for their own possible future books, as I have had a hard time connecting with the new members at times.

The action and suspense are high as they work to trap a criminal mastermind while also remaining undercover. The plans they made quickly fall apart and they find themselves scrambling for their lives. Every time I had to put the book down, I found myself wondering how they were going to work their way out of each new challenge they faced.

I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review.

See our reviews of 

Thrill Ride (# 4) 

Born Wild (# 5)

Hell for Leather (# 6)
Full Throttle (#7)
Too Hard to Handle (#8)
Wild Ride (#9)


Upcoming 
Hot Pursuit (#11) October --Christian
Built For Speed (#12)

Julie Ann Walker
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