Fun action, and I liked the mystery behind the murder. Plus, the second chance romance is sweet and steamy. Not a fan that it's been so long; about 15 years, since Lucas and Mia were together. Also, that Lucas gave up on her to begin with. The idea of Lucas setting out to find and protect Mia because he finds out there's a threat against her, is cool! I would've liked a bit more groveling from him, but they are sweet together. Enjoyed the security team idea too, and I look forward to reading the other team member's books. I liked both Mia and Lucas; Mia is sassy and I liked Lucas' protective nature. Entertaining read!

Romantic suspense with plenty of twists and misdirects, enough that the story is far from predictable with an ending that tied everything up quite nicely. This is the first book by this author I’ve read and can honestly say I’m looking forward to more from her and this series.

This ARC book was complimentary, provided by the Publisher and NetGalley. I am voluntarily providing my honest review.

Kill Without Shame is the second book in the ARES Security series featuring five soldiers who were bound together in horror when they were taken prisoner by the Taliban. These protective alpha males have returned stateside and maintained their closeness to include starting a security firm together - ARES Security. Now each one will exercise those protective instincts to save a damsel and bring her into the fold.

Our hero in this installment is Lucas St. Clair, the charmer of the group. Lucas came from power and privilege, and probably surprised and angered his family with his decision to go into the military. When an old acquaintance is killed holding a picture of Lucas' high school sweetheart, he hightails it back to Louisiana to save the day. My connection with Lucas was not as strong as I felt with Rafe in Kill Without Mercy. I admired his determination to save Mia and bring her back into his life, but I wish we had more character development for him. He didn't come off as a tortured hero despite his time as a prisoner of war, and I didn't feel he was bonded to his Ares brothers quite as strongly as some of the other guys.

Mia Ramon was the daughter of the St. Clair family's landscaper, and viewed as wholly inappropriate for the golden boy, Lucas. Despite running her own successful landscaping business, Mia lives with a chip on her shoulder from Lucas' desertion so long ago. But Mia had no choice but to accept Lucas' help when it becomes apparent that someone is out to kill her. I liked that Mia has somewhat dragged herself from the poverty of the Louisiana swamp and built a life for herself.

The mystery was laid out well in this one. I liked who was picked to be the villain, the murder plot, and the investigating detectives. But I also felt that all of our characters were slow on the uptake. I thought their suspicions should have been raised sooner, and even common sense deduction seemed to point at our culprit.

Probably my favorite part of the series is still the brotherhood between the Ares men. As I wasn't connecting totally with Lucas, I liked that Max and Teagan were around to capture some of my attention. I still think Teagan will be my favorite of the group, so I hope that his book comes around soon.

Have not had a chance to read the book yet. This will get updated as soon as I read the book. If this book is part of a series it will be included when all the books have been read.

A great page turner! Definitely grabbed my attention from the get go. One of my favorites to read

Wow I have read a lot of second chance for love stories, but this story has got to be one of the most interesting and well-written I have read in a LONG time. I have read everything ever written by Alexandra Ivy and, though they vary in theme, heat, and length, I have never read one that I didn’t love and Kill Without Shame did not let me down. Ivy has a way with both her characters and her writing that brings readers to her and makes them into loyal fans with the first read. While the first story in this series led me to think this series was going to have a bit of the paranormal mixed in with the contemporary aspect, this second novel is straight contemporary and more than awesome all on its own. Lucas left his hometown in Louisiana a long time ago, leaving behind the girl he loved, trying to escape the influence and unhappiness of his family life. Now that he has found his place in the world, when a threat to the woman that still holds his heart is presented to him, there is no way he won’t protect her and work to earn her forgiveness and love back. Mia on the other hand is in no mood to forgive, even after Lucas repeatedly saves her life; soon it becomes obvious that the danger to Mia is very real and it isn’t going away. Mia and Lucas—along with his friends and fellow ARES members—work to uncover the mysteries of the past in order to unmask the individual that looks to see Mia dead. Full of intrigue, twists and turns, Lucas and Mia’s story is one that reminds us all that while love may be pushed to the back of our minds, our hearts never truly stop loving, even when doing so hurts. I enjoyed getting to know more about the slick and suave Lucas St. Claire, seeing him give his all to solve the mystery surrounding his woman, while at the same time working to convince her that she can’t live without him any longer. He is that guy that on the outside looks like he has everything he’s ever wanted and nothing bad ever sticks to him, but on the inside he is slowly bleeding out without the heart that Mia stole from him a decade earlier. Mia is a woman that has made the best of her humble beginnings, becoming a successful business owner and putting her mark on her hometown, but she has never forgotten the young man that shattered her heart and has never been able to find someone to put it back together for her. When Lucas comes back into her life, sharing the bad news that one of their childhood friends has been murdered, her world shifts in more way than one. Now Mia can no longer deny that though he broke her heart, he also kept it for himself and until she can come to terms with that loss she will never be able to move on with her life. The passion between these two was off the charts, whether they are arguing, fighting for their lives, or coming together in the heat of the moment, there is no way to deny the spark they set off whenever they are in the vicinity of one another. I loved this story and cannot wait for more in this series. The other men of ARES are going to be intriguing to watch as they fall under love’s spell and I am looking forward to being a fly on the wall when they do. And of course, we are all dying to find out who is threatening Hauk and see him kick some bad-guy ass. Ivy strikes gold again with her new ARES Security series and as long as she keeps these amazing and interesting stories coming my way, she will always have a fan in me. Thanks for the awesome escape from my rather mundane reality as I enter the world of the amazing men that are ARES.

I'm sorry to say I didn't really care for this book. I was more interested in the chemistry between the secondary characters, Taylor and Brian, than I was with the story for the lead characters, Mia and Lucas. The story did not hold my interest despite my hoping it would get better. I usually y enjoy reading books by Alexandra Ivy, just did not enjoy this one.

Not sure how the title relates to the story, but other than that, I really loved this story. Lucas and Mia had good chemistry, and I always enjoy the rekindled romance plot.

Enjoyable romantic suspense with lots of action and romance. Lucas left his girlfriend Mia without a word 15 years ago and now he charges back into her life because she is in danger. There are still sparks, but Mia is no pushover so the story is a roller coaster of emotion. This is my first time reading the ARES Security series, but not my last.

This is a gripping tale of drama, secrets, mystery, love and amusement. The storyline is intriguing and all the characters interesting and some are amusing. Lucas is intense, loyal, stubborn and very cocky. Mia is strong, stubborn and vulnerable. It's a brilliant story and should be added to your TBR list.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. This is my honest opinion of it.

Lucas St. Clair's prestigious family wanted him to fall in line and follow their rules. When he found that he couldn't live the way they wanted him to, he left everything behind...including his high school sweetheart Mia.

When it becomes clear to Lucas that Mia may be in danger he rushes back to Mia's side. The real question is can he protect Mia and prove to her at the same time that he is still in love with her and hated every moment they were apart? Read and find out!

I voluntarily read the advanced review copy of this book

Overall this book was pretty good. I liked that the women in this book were soooo strong. They worked hard and busted their buts to get what they needed in life and to protect the ones that they love. I also really like Lucas, he seemed like a jerk for leaving but there are some secrets that showed that there was more happening than Mia ever knew.

Although many parts of this book were not as mysterious as I would have wanted... the action, the heat and the romance more than make up for it. I can't wait for the next book in this series!

"Kill Without Shame" is my first read by this author and it was an enjoyable read that kept my interest throughout. With Lucas and Mia reconnecting, you knew were going to have a HEA, but it was fun to see how they got there. For me, there is so much more history and story in a romantic suspense book, and this one has it all with a group of hot guys, a feisty h, and the hot H that will work to solve it all until the very last bad guy or gal is facing their crimes. I enjoyed the guys at ARES SECURITY and look forward to reading more in this series. For romantic suspense readers, this is one you want to pick up. Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington/Zebra books for gifting me with "Kill Without Shame" and asking for my honest review. This is mine. 4 Stars!

I won't say that this is an original but I really enjoyed it.

To be reviewed on Goodreads and my blog when I return from overseas in a few days.

Alexandra Ivy has written yet another suspense-filled, gripping novel in Kill Without Shame (ARES Security #2), and although I enjoyed it only slightly less than her previous novel, Kill Without Mercy, it still rates a big 4.5 star review from me.

This novel focuses on Lucas St. Clair, one of the five men who formed a brotherhood while captured, held and tortured in a Taliban prison. That brotherhood led to the formation of ARES Security. Lucas is the son of a U.S. Senator who grew up in wealth and privilege, although in a family devoid of warmth and comfort. He found that warmth and comfort in the arms of Mia Ramon, the family gardener's daughter and needless to say, his wealthy family found her unsuitable for their son, although Mia tried to fit into their world. One night, 15 years ago, Lucas left her with nothing but a short note, and broke her heart.

Fifteen years later, Lucas is approached by a Houston homicide detective while kicking back at a bar with his "brothers". The detective wants to know about his relationship with Anthony (Tony) Hughes, who attended the same prep school, and someone with whom Lucas has had no contact at all since leaving his home in Shreveport. The police want to know why Tony was found shot to death, less than 3 blocks from the office of ARES Security, and Lucas hasn't a clue, but when presented with a photo found in the dead man's pocket, a photo of Mia Ramon, with the words, "Kill her or else" written beneath it, he drops everything and races back to Shreveport.

In those same 15 years, Mia, whose father sank deep into alcoholism after her mother's death, picked herself up, and moved on, expanding her father's gardening business into a successful landscape design and gardening empire. Her best friend in high school, Taylor, now works as her secretary/office manager, to support herself and her teenage son. When Lucas St. Clair suddenly shows up in her office, she wants nothing to do with the man who caused her so much pain, and even more unwelcome is the fact that he's the bearer of sad tidings, there to tell her that her old friend and former employee, Tony, is dead, that he was murdered, and that someone wants her dead too. Although she wants to keep Lucas as far away from her as possible, still attracted to the devastatingly handsome man, he's there to keep her safe and get to the bottom of the mystery and he won't take no for an answer.

Will Lucas and his friends get to the bottom of Tony's murder? Will the members of ARES Security be able to keep Mia safe from harm, even after attempts are made on her life? Will they be able to untangle the web of lies and suspicion behind events that occurred more than 15 years ago? Will Mia ever be able to trust Lucas not to break her heart yet again? To find out, you're going to have to read this well-written, sexy, suspenseful, second-chance at romance novel and I highly recommend it.

Ooooo Book two in Alexandra Ivy's new ARES Security series. Really good suspense and a wonderful romance, I'm a sucker for second chance romance. Mia was just the gardener's daughter but to Lucas she was so much more. She's the one who got away and Lucas never stopped loving her or looking out for her. Lucas never thought he was worthy enough for her and knew she would never forgive him after the way he left and he thought she had every right to hate him. Mia tried to forget Lucas, she made herself believe she was over him, but as much as she wanted to rush back into his arms when he showed up out of the blue her heart still hurt so much from when he left. She doesn't want to open herself up for that kind pain again.

The men of ARES Security are still trying to find out who is sending threats and stalking Hauk but then Lucas gets waylaid by the murder of an old school friend, Tony, who came all the way to Houston from Shreveport to see Lucas. In the dead man's front pocket was a picture of Mia, Lucas' high school girlfriend, on the back of the picture were the words "Kill her or else". Local PD be damned Lucas rushes off to Shreveport to protect Mia whether she likes it or not and get to the bottom of why someone would want her dead. Mia and Tony were best friends, she always had his back and until recently he worked part time for her landscaping company but after getting busted for drugs she had to let him go. Mia took over her father's landscaping business and turned it into a thriving and successful business; Mia was well on her way of achieving her dreams.

Tony's death sends everything into a spiral, Lucas comes back to a place he said he would never return to but Mia's life is in danger and he will stop at nothing to protect her and find out what is really going on. Mia swears she's over Lucas and tries to keep him at a distance but at every step he's there and this time he's not leaving when it's all over. The truth about the past and why he left finally comes out and Mia is astounded. Lucas stirs up a hornet's nest and with the help of ARES Security they find out the truth about the many secrets Tony was keeping. Lucas and Mia fall deeper in love with the people they have grown up to be.

Overall, the conclusion is outstanding and it was a great story. I really liked Lucas. I look forward to Teagan and Hauk's story.

Loved reading the exciting, intriguing, and fabulous romance written by the outstanding author Alexandra Ivy. I voluntarily reviewed a copy from Kensington Books through NetGalley.
Mia's friend has been murdered and now her life is in danger. Lucas is back in town to protect and wants Mia back in his life. While Lucas is protecting Mia's life, Mia is unsure if she wants to get her heart broken again from Lucas St. Clair.
Read the highly recommended, wonderfully written story line full of mystery and romance, and a must read love story of Lucas and Mia.

Kill Without Shame is book #2 in the ARES Security Series. I have not read book 1 and wasn't lost at all, this book could totally be read as a stand alone (although it will leave you wanting more).

Mia was in love with Lucas back in high school. He just up and left her and took with him her heart. She runs a lawn care business that was once her father's. Her friend Tony, although he seems to attract trouble, Mia allows him to come work for her when he needs extra money. Imagine her surprise when he turns up dead with a picture of her in his hand that states she must be killed.

Lucas served in Afghanistan and unfortunately was captured and held prisoner along with other men. Him and those men became brothers and when they escaped they started a security business called ARES Security. The one thing that kept him sane and wanting to live was thinking of Mia. Wishing he didn't have to let her go all those years ago. But, his father was a Senator and Mia was a commoner, a relationship was not to happen. Now, Lucas wishes he'd never listened to his father. Now, it seems his friend Tony was found shot and clutching a photo of Mia. Lucas knows she's in danger and will go to the end of the Earth to protect her. But, will she forgive him for breaking her heart?

Loved this book and was captivated from the beginning! It wasn't what I expected, at all. It kept me on the edge of my seat wanting to know who wanted Mia dead. Lots of mystery and nail biting moments. The only issue I had was I wished there were more steamy scenes between Lucas and Mia.

WOW! Alexandra Ivy turned up the suspense AND the heat in this latest installment to the ARES Security series!

Second chance romances are my favorite reading trope and Lucas and Mia did not disappoint! Lucas broke Mia’s heart but he’s never forgotten her and the love they shared. When Lucas finds out Mia is in danger, he drops everything and hightails it back to Louisiana and to the woman that still holds his heart.

Mia is a tough heroine but she finds it hard to keep her walls up with Lucas around. She’s gotta stay strong and keep him at a distance, but Lucas’s fierce protectiveness and candid emotions test Mia’s resolve. Lucas and Mia are brilliant together. Their chemistry just about set my Kindle ablaze. They were a perfect fit!

There’s also a secondary romance storyline that developed and was really sweet! I’m pulling for this couple and I hope that we can see them in future books! And the suspense hook to the story was amazing. I could not put the book down! From start to finish it’s a fast-paced ride full of twists, turns and dark secrets! I had to stop myself several times from jumping to the end to find out who the villain(s) and uncover his/her/their devious plans! Full throttle excitement all the way! I cannot WAIT for the next book!

I highly recommend the ARES Security series!

***I voluntarily read an ARC provided by the publisher. All conclusions reached are my own***