Midnight Target brings the Killer Instincts series to a close. I have to say, I haven’t enjoyed a series as much as this one in quite sometime. It’s sad to see it come to a close.

Cate Morgan has only known her father for five years, but they are alike in every way that counts. They both crave the adrenaline that they know a dangerous job can bring. Morgan wants his daughter to live the normal life that he never had. He wants her to go to college, marry a normal man, live in the suburbs. Cate wants adventure, danger, and love. She’s rebelled against everything that her father wants for her.

Cate is in Guantana where the civil unrest is at an all time high. The military is barely keeping the peace and the drug cartels almost have full control of the country. Cate is there with a colleague taking pictures and she snaps a photo of the most dangerous man in the world. Which might not be a big deal if he wasn’t supposed to be dead. When men come after her, she has no choice but to call her father and his men in for extraction.

When her father is critically wounded while trying to rescue her, Cate is devastated. She’s also furious. She desperately wants to be a part of the operation to strike back at those responsible. Her stepmother, Noelle, is fine with it, but David “Ash” Ashton is far from fine with putting Cate in the line of fire.

I loved Ash. He was spectacular. I completely disliked Cate. She was a spoiled brat. I really liked her in Midnight Action. I thought I would like her in this book, but she was only twenty one. I don’t think she had enough time to grow up.

My favorite part of this book was Liam and Sully. They have been dancing around each other since Midnight Action. Liam was devastated when Sully disappeared. Their love story was told over many of the books, and the conclusion was perfect. Their story is why I loved this book. Elle Kennedy really pushed the envelope with their relationship and I applaud her for that.

Cate and Ash rating: 3 out of 5.

Liam and Sully rating: 4.25 out of 5

I'm a dolt who thought this was a PARANORMAL romantic suspense, but it clearly isn't, and I am unable to post non-speculative reviews on the blog.

We’ve come to the end of the Killer Instincts and I’m not going to lie. There might’ve been a tear or two shed about that. I still remember picking up the first book on a whim when it first came out, having never read this author before, and falling for both the group of men and women in it. Badass all around. And one of my favorite romantic suspense series nowadays, one I always recommend. And it’s all coming to an end. Reading MIDNIGHT TARGET was bittersweet. It’s the final chapter, even when I was hoping it didn’t have to be. But I think Elle Kennedy has done it in a way that ties up all loose ends for us.

This one is special because it’s actually two romances. The first is Jim Morgan’s daughter and the youngest man in his team. This pairing had plenty of friction because Cate is younger than Ash. He met her when she was still a teenager and he’s dealt with his own attraction for years. Mostly burying it because if it wasn’t the fact that she was younger than him (not by much, though) then it was the fact that he wouldn’t feel deserving of her and he needs the approval of Jim Morgan more than anything after he was the one that gave his life purpose again. Lots of emotional struggles before they can come together and I think the author did so very well. I thought they were the “cute and sweet” of this story.

Cate is trying to do what she wants in life, much to her father’s disapproval. She doesn’t want to stay behind in the “safe” zone and runs into trouble while on a freelance photography job by taking a picture of a politician and a drug cartel lord that was believed to be dead. When news about this picture is leaked, her life is in danger and Jim and the whole team go to her rescue. I loved the action packed plot of this because it’s not a quick and easy fix. There was plenty of meat and danger to this story and that kept me interested throughout. Meanwhile, the Cate and Ash drama was playing out in the background as well. Pacing for their romance was slow burn perfection. Even if with a bit of spoiled brat heroine thrown in for good measure.

But here comes the best part. Cate and Ash were cute and all that but I really needed to read this because of Liam and Sullivan. Yes, the two members of Jim’s team that have been in love with each other and playing around this fact for way too many books. They’ve been through a lot. There’s a lot of feelings that need to be dealt with. Life altering ones that call for changes and decisions. Lets just say I lived for the moments when these two were on the page even as they were gutting my heart. The yearning, the heartache. I was expecting something completely more explosive from them and it’s not what Ms. Kennedy went for here. And as much as it’s not what I was thinking it should be, it was still beautiful and I was ultimately happy to see them together.

MIDNIGHT TARGET managed to be packed with action and danger but keep a slow and steady pace. Not so much an edge of your seat read, but still captivating and a page turner. There were a few heart stopping moments and some that even drew a tear. Job well done for Ms. Kennedy on closing out a series in such a way.

Let me start out with I adore this series and I'm sad to see it go. However, I'm glad Ms. Kennedy didn't decide to stretch it to far...I hate when that happens. The suspense, romance and character's were on point, and I loved every moment of this series.

Cate, Morgan’s daughter, quit college and moved onto photography, taking her all over the world, much to Morgan’s disappointment. He wanted Cate to stay in college, graduate, meet a nice (boring) man, and settle down. Morgan didn’t want his mercenary soldiers anywhere near his daughter. Unfortunately for Mogan, years at the compound meant that Cate formed a friendship and powerful attraction to the youngest merc of his team: David “Ash” Ashton. They got each other, connecting as friends before the attraction ever came into play. But every time Cate would see the heat creep into Ash’s eyes, he’d shut it down and run for cover. Finally, when Cate laid herself bare, Ash turned her away and broke her heart. Two years later she’s out on her own, loving her work and trying to forget she ever met Ash. That is until Cate snaps a photo and all hell breaks loose. Now Ash is back in her life trying to protect her whether she wants him there or not.

Ash has had it bad for Cate, Morgan’s daughter since she was seventeen and very off limits. She’s now of age at twenty-one, but Morgan, his boss, has made it clear that he wants better for his daughter. Maybe if it were any other man Ash wouldn’t care, but Morgan accepted him into his band of men, became like a father he never had, so his approval means a lot. What is and isn’t important quickly clarifies for Ash when Cate’s life is at stake. He burns for Cate, especially at the thought of losing her forever! Will she take a chance on him after the way he treated her?

Liam and Sully have been dancing around each other in several books. Their story has been quite tumultuous. Every time I thought the walls would come down, some wrench would get thrown in the works. Engaging in several threesomes over the years, they’ve got a look at each other in the height of passion and their attraction just grew and magnified from there. The sexual tension between them was palpable! Liam’s traditional upbringing was an issue. He didn’t know how his family would take the news that he’s bisexual. Sully, on the other hand, had past demons that made committing to a relationship seem impossible. I was thoroughly ready for these two to finally sort everything out and come together, and it was lovely!

Oh, unrequited romance! Both are filled with longing and pain from perceived rejection! With Elle Kennedy you just know the payoff is gonna be really hot, and really good! She definitely knows how to turn up the heat! In between the adrenaline rush from the life and death situations these two couples face, they manage to get some very sexy alone time!

I was really worried for the team, hoping none of my favorite characters would bite the dust, because everyone was a target to this psycho killer! The suspense part of this romantic suspense kept me on the edge of my seat at times!

I’ve loved the Killer Instincts series from the beginning, so I have bittersweet emotions knowing this is the last book. On one hand, I’m thrilled to finally get Sully and Liam’s and Cate and Ash’s romances, but I’m sad to say goodbye! Midnight Target was everything I wanted, especially in Sully and Liam’s case, and the epilogue was wonderful! If you haven’t had a chance to read this series, this is the perfect time to pick it up! All the books are out! Each couple had an exciting and passionate story, and who doesn’t love a good series binge read?!

FINALLY! After what felt like the longest wait ever, we get the story for Ash and Cate, and Sully and Liam. And while you can read this book as a standalone, I highly recommend reading the series in order to truly appreciate the many intricacies, plot and character developments. A lot of the characters are introduced early in the series and while the author gives plenty of background in the book, it still has a much better effect reading in order.
Midnight Target was the perfect conclusion to easily one of my all time favorite romantic suspense series. Talk about high octane action! The bullets were flying, the suspense was spine tingling, and the romance was toe curling! So much love!
Their friendship had become one of the most important things in his life. She had become one of the most important things in his life. But his need for her had always been superseded by one thing—his loyalty to the man lying in front of him.
Being the only daughter to the head honcho and badass mercenary Jim Morgan means two things for Cate; an overprotective and borderline overbearing existence where her father would rather wrap her in plastic and lock her away in a safe tower, and having the only man that she’s ever wanted, completely off limits to her. She’s had feelings since she first met him when she was 17 and he was 25. Now, years later, his easy dismissal of her still grates.
She was so tired of Ash walking away from her. One of these days she was going to tie him down, though what she was going to do with him once she had him secured, she wasn’t sure. Either fuck him or kill him. Maybe both.
Ash has been lusting for Cate just as long. She’s not just too young but she’s off limits to him because her father is the only family he’s ever had that mattered. He knows a mercenary is not what her father wants for her. But when hard headed Cate lands herself in major trouble and finds herself in the crosshairs of a ruthless Cartel, he knows he’ll stop at nothing to protect her.
The entire team finds themselves back together in a mission that puts all of their lives at risk and the danger is enough to make a few of them re-evaluate their life choices along with their hearts…
After all this time, after all these years of restraint, Ash was finally letting go, and his kiss was as addictive as she’d always known it would be.
On the backdrop of the non-stop action, we get a secondary romance plot line for Sully and Liam. Years in the making, these two men finally face what’s been in front of them…an undeniable lust and an undercurrent of something much more…
Beg,” Liam growled. He was helpless. Mindless.
“Suck me.” His voice rang with anguish, his throat tight with desire. “Please, Boston, suck me off.” With a dark chuckle, Liam lowered his head again.
There’s so much happening in this book that it was completely impossible to put down. This series reminds me of some of my top favorite RS series from Lora Leigh, Stephanie Tyler, and Pamela Clare. I love the secondary romance storyline we get in each book but I have to say this one was my absolute favorite in the series. Between Sully and Liam, and Ash and Cate, I thought my kindle would catch on fire from the sizzling chemistry.
This series couldn’t have ended with a better book. I laughed, I cried, I swooned, and I was kept on the edge of my seat from beginning to finish.
Did I mention Sully and Liam? Because SULLY AND LIAM!!!!!

I was a little nervous but a lot more excited before starting Midnight Target by Elle Kennedy. The Killer Instincts series by Elle Kennedy is actually one of my favourite romantic suspense series of all time. I love all the couples and the action packed plots. Midnight Target is the final book in the series. Also, it contains not one but two love stories. So obviously I had high expectations and I'm happy to say Elle Kennedy met them all.

Cate is Jim Morgan's daughter. All her life she's wanted to be included, to be a part of the bigger picture. But because of her over protective father she's distancing herself from family. When Cate finds herself in trouble she turns to her father for help. She doesn't know what a shit storm she's unleashed until its too late and Jim is critically injured. Thus begins the story where everyone starts coming together to get to the bottom of it.

I loved Cate as a heroine. Yes, she was young and impulsive but her heart was always in the right place and at the end of it she is Jim Morgan's daughter. Kate has always been in love with Ash. But one too many rejections from him have made their relationship tumultuous at best. When Cate is forced to work with Ash both their feelings spill over. You'd think Ash is a total asshole but he isn't. Not really. He respects the hell out of Jim Morgan, a man who has given him a place to stay and made him feel like family. He knows his feelings for Kate are forbidden but he leaves no stone unturned when she is in danger.

Side by side to Kate and Ash's romance we also FINALLY get Sullivan and Liam's story. These two were best friends once upon a time. They could read each others mind. But feelings for each other have muddied the waters. I loved Liam. He was the one willing to take a step forward, willing to take a risk. Sully on the other hand was more cautious. But that didn't stop either of them from getting together. I am not a m/m reader but I still very much enjoyed Sully and Liam's story.

You definitely come to a full circle with Midnight Target. We get to meet all of Jim's crew and Noelle's assassins. I loved seeing how everyone was doing and seeing everyone together on a mission, working towards a goal. It made my heart happy. Midnight Target is filled with action and romance. Not everyone gets a happy ending and things get bloody fast. But I think Elle Kennedy has tied all the threads together with this. This is a massive book but one I loved reading. I didn't want it to get over. The Killer Instincts series is an amazing one and I would highly recommend the entire series.

*Note: A copy of this book was provided by the author/publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. We thank them.

I feel like I am always saying this about reviews, but this review truly was one of the hardest ones I've ever written! How do you say goodbye to a well-loved series? Writing the review means it's over and I finished the book, and for a few days, I wanted to live in the denial it was really done, so I had to put off writing my review until I could come to grips with the end.
That being said, this book was amazing! Five stars! This series is one of the very few romantic suspense and action series I can tolerate. I tend to have very high standards when it comes to books involving any type of military or para-military/ commando type of action. Very few authors can deliver an action story I can believe and follow while still making the hero and heroine's love story believable, but Elle has delivered time and time again with this series. All of the Killer Instincts couples that I have read have had steamy romance scenes paired with believable action sequences and Midnight Target was one of my favorite storylines!
Cate and Ash have a tumultuous past that leads up to the opening timeline of the book, but I have missed a few books in this series, so I don't know if this is new information or replaying old information. The fact that I could come back to a series, having missed a few books, and still not feel lost speaks high volumes for Elle. I could feel the push and pull of their relationship throughout the entire book.
There were other couples who were highlighted in this book, but without giving away spoilers, all I can tell you is that you will love the back and forth and extra bits highlighting other couples and characters you have seen throughout the series. I am also hesitant to say much else about this book, as I don't want to spoil it, but you will laugh, cry, cringe and probably have some anxiety from the suspense!
Overall, this was a bittersweet but perfect sendoff to one of my favorites series, and I cannot wait to go back and read this series from start to finish!

4.5 stars!!

Non-stop, heart-thumping action and emotionally nuanced romance involving not just one but two couples made Midnight Target my favorite in the series. Elle Kennedy has outdone herself again.

Sully & Liam -- Ugh. Emotionally satisfying and just the best in terms of emotional rewards. Readers of this series have been looking forward to their story as I was. I was a little worried that they might not get the same page time as Cate and Ash or that their story might get lost in all the action. But all those worries are for naught because Elle Kennedy did right by them. She gave them the story they deserved. And while I do still want a solo Sully and Liam boo (a novella, maybe?), I am satisfied with their HEA in this book...but I still want more.

Cate & Ash -- Man, these two have come a long way from when they first met to where they are now at the start of this book. Cate is now a photojournalist who just uncovered the biggest scoop of her life. When trouble finds Cate, she has no choice but to call for help from her father and his team. This puts her and Ash in the same place once again and the sexual tension just about killed me.

Between the action sequences and the emotional confrontations, readers are taken for a ride from the team's compound in Costa Rica, through the streets of fictional Guatana, to Boston...the action doesn't let up. Readers are given a bit of time between action sequences to get a feel for each characters, letting them in on the emotional stakes between the couples involved. Even then, the emotional intensity remains high. I'm not even going to go into the sexual tensions that ignited into steamy, sexual encounters that will have you fanning yourself because Elle Kennedy...wow! Just wow! Those encounters are not just sexy but so emotionally nuanced that you just can't help but feel more emotionally invested than ever.

I can't recommend this series highly enough. If you're looking for non-stop action with high emotional stakes, this series is for you!

ARC provided by Berkley.

4.25 stars--MIDNIGHT TARGET is the eighth (and final?) instalment in Elle Kennedy’s contemporary, adult KILLER INSTINCTS romantic, suspense series focusing on an elite group of highly trained men and women-mercenaries for hire. The focus is on the search for a notorious drug lord, once thought to be dead, who has threatened Cate’s life, and on two on-going relationships: Cate Morgan and David ‘Ash’ Ashton, and Liam Macgregor and Sullivan Port-both relationships struggling with unrequited feelings and emotions. MIDNIGHT TARGET can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

WARNING: If you have never read Elle Kennedy’s Killer Instinct series be forewarned, MIDNIGHT TARGET contains graphic scenes of violence, death and blood shed, and may not be suitable for all readers. The mercenaries and assassins are hired to do a job and cannot let emotions and personal feelings get in the way. These men and women do NOT kill the innocent –they are hired to take down the evil within our societies and sometimes the evil may be family, friend or someone caught up in a bad situation.

NOTE: MIDNIGHT TARGET contains graphic scenes of M/M sexual situations, language and text.

Told from several third person points of view including memories from the past, MIDNIGHT TARGET follows Jim Morgan’s elite team of mercenaries as they set out to rescue his daughter Cate, a woman caught in a South American country on the verge of civil war. As a photographer Cate follows the stories including the very real possibility that the notorious leader of a vicious drug cartel is alive and well in Guatana City, Guatana. Capturing the evidence that she needs, Cate finds herself targeted by the very man she was hoping to find, and is in desperate need of a rescue on the run. Enter David ‘Ash’ Ashton, the man that Cate has always loved but the man that broke her heart one too many time. What ensues is the search for the man in question, and the rebuilding of a friendship and romance between Cate and Ash.

Most of Jim Morgan’s mercenaries play secondary and supporting roles including several soldiers who are battling with personal issues of pain and loss. Liam and Sully’s bromance struggles with misperceptions, and the possibility of preconceived notions. Sully and Liam’s return to the team is a welcome reception but the couple in question continue to struggle with the rift in their one-time friendship.

MIDNIGHT TARGET is a story of second-chances, of sorts, for two couples pulled apart by unrequited love. Ash tries to keep his distance from the woman he loves-a woman who happens to be the boss’s daughter and off limits in the eyes of her father. Cate is a strong, independent young woman whose over protective father has pushed our heroine too fast, and too far but her need to be included yet independent is the catalyst to much of the story line premise. Sully and Liam’s relationship struggles with their bi-sexuality, past indiscretions, Sully’s months in captivity and abuse at the hands of his captors, and the fear of rejection and judgment by family and friends. Jim Morgan’s mercenaries are willing to risk everything for the people they love but sometimes risking it all means not succeeding to survive.

Elle Kennedy is never afraid to step over the line as it pertains to the violence and blood shed that surround the former Special Ops, Marines and warriors. Some readers may have difficulty with the gruesome ‘images’ including a perceived lack of conscious in some ‘do or die’ situations. The requisite evil has many faces.

MIDNIGHT TARGET is a detailed and complex story line that follows several paths to fruition-two struggling relationships, the loss of family and friends, a hero’s battle for his life, and the take down of evil incarnate. The premise is intriguing, engaging and fascinating; the characters are colorful, animated, passionate and tormented; the romances are seductive and fated.

Copy supplied by Netgalley


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My 4.5 star review is up on Goodreads. It will be posted on blog and social media on release and links updated below.. UPDATED 4/25/17

4.5 stars
Well, we have come to the finale of the Killer Instincts series and we are finally going to see resolution for two couples that we have followed for several books. In what might be the team's most important and dangerous operation to date, it will require all hands on deck.

Cate Morgan and David "Ash" Ashton...
Cate has been in love with Ash since she was seventeen years old. And despite their eight year age difference, Ash has always had feelings for her as well. But she is the daughter of his boss, one of the baddest mercenaries around and a father-figure to him. So even if Ash really thought he was good enough for Cate, he respects her father too much to make a move and has hurt her by rebuffing her advances. Cate may be younger, but she is a vibrant, outspoken, free spirit. She won't let anyone else lock her away and keep her from pursuing adventure and the things she wants. But no matter how much her father and Ash want to see her safe, that might now always be possible.

Liam Macgregor and Sullivan Port...
These two men were best friends who shared everything. But when things got hotter than they expected and lines began to blur, they went running scared. And Sully has had some serious issues to recover from after an op went wrong. So they have not seen each other in a couple of years. But now they will have to finally face each other, their attraction, and their feelings once and for all.

When Cate finds herself in a precarious situation, the cavalry rides in. And it brings these star-crossed lovers back in the same vicinity once again. The explosions in this one are not just caused by bombs, but also explode between the sheets with two couples that have spent years dealing with sexual tension, unresolved feelings, and back and forth. Boom! Lust, longing, regret, fear, pain, and emotions are swirling around these couples in the middle of a treacherous op.

I adore these couples even when they frustrate me to no end! Ash has had his reasons for holding back and pushing Cate away, but it is still hard for him to resist her. And Cate has been disappointed by him and had her heart broken so does not trust it. Sully is so afraid of really being attached to someone and losing them that he has put up guards. He is good at avoiding, disappearing, and pushing people away. And Liam is still figuring out who he really is and what he really wants out of life. But neither men are sure of where the other stands and how their lives would be affected if they did take the risk. So in the middle of danger and chaos, there is plenty of romantic angst too.

This is a suspenseful, tense, emotional, action-packed, and painful ride. But there is also humor, steam. and romance. It brings back the entire team including some we have not seen in awhile, and it puts them right in the middle of one of their riskiest wars yet that becomes very personal. The team will be tested to its limits and there are no guarantees that everyone will emerge unscathed.

This finale had all the action, passion, danger, lust, love and drama that I was expecting. My only complaint was how a few things resolved that seemed a bit inconsistent of the characters and there was a situation I wished we got to witness first hand. I have been invested in these two couplings for so long that I was anxiously awaiting their stories. But their path towards finding their happy endings and redemption are not easy. There are plenty of frustrations, communication issues, hurt feelings, road blocks, and threats along the way. Not to mention all of the life threatening situations. But like with any of the novels in this romantic suspense series, it is worth the ride.

**4.5 Stars**

Midnight Target brings an explosive end to a beloved Romantic Suspense series with two different love stories that tie up all the loose ends. This book, as with the rest of the books in this series, brings intense action and romance together to tell the love stories of mercenaries and their feisty, badass counterparts. Kennedy created one final villian for Jim Morgan's team to battle and in it we get both Cate and Ash, and Sully and Liam (whom we've been looooong desperate for) as they risk everything for one another.

One thing I have admired about this series is the way that Kennedy has mixed, with such ease, the two couples in each book, easily playing and teasing one while showing us the full story of the other. It has constantly given us something to look forward to even while we're still in the current story. Even without that here, because it's the end, the interweaving story lines were done so well. And these final two are important enders. Sully and Liam, both fighting their inner demons, have been denying an intense attraction since dang near when the series started. Theirs is most bittersweet; the soul-deep kind of love that has suffered for too long and is dying to be released. Repressed and forgotten, it is not without its bitter spikes. But the main story really lies within Morgan's daughter, Cate. Stifled and overprotected, her yearning for freedom has quite the dire consequence. While you may want to throttle her at times, Kennedy expertly depicted her character and found her perfect complement, the guy to soften her edges and set her free, in Ash.

My one concession was that, maybe because the Sully/Liam lead-up had been coming for so long, I really wanted more of the story with them rather than with Cate and Ash. But I think that's a personal issue that not every reader will experience, mainly because I was so invested in them and didn't feel completely satisfied with their screen time... but they did get a lot of screen time in other novels, so, I guess what I'm saying is that I'm very selfish when it comes to those two men. Nothing against Cate and Ash, of course, because I still really loved them.

With the entire crew back together and a whole host of deadly problems, it felt like coming home upon opening the pages of Midnight Target. Kennedy, with her suspenseful twists and turns, managed to blend not only romance and suspense together and two very different love stories, but she brought a bittersweet and beautiful end to a great series. It's the kind of story that refuses to be put down and I expected nothing less.

4.5 stars

In the final installment of the Killer Instincts series, readers get two stories wrapped up in one. Cate & Ash and Liam & Sully all have stories readers have looking forward to for a long time. Part of me loves that both couples work towards their future at the same time, but the other part of me wishes each could have had the spotlight to themselves. The way these two couples’ stories weave together makes them natural to tell within one overall plotline.

Now that Cate is no longer under the thumb of her grandfather and building a relationship with her father, she is itching to feel like she has some control over her choices, which also means she is constantly battling with Jim about what her future will look like. Ash has stayed away, despite the close friendship that developed between them simply because of the age difference and in deference to Jim’s threats. But Cate is tired of being treated like a child by both her father and Ash, and she is determined to make her own choices.

Liam and Sully have avoided Jim’s team and each other for some time now. Only the emergency that pulls everyone in brings them back, and everyone knows they will each go their own ways when they are no longer needed again. But their friendship will never be the same, and even though time has passed, they haven’t dealt with the emotions that sent them each running.

I was really waiting for Liam and Sully’s story and while I loved their ending, getting there often felt like it took a backseat to Cate and Ash’s story and the danger they were facing with the cartel.

The op that this book focuses on was not a planned op, and the danger is ramped up because the guys can’t plan contingency upon contingency as they normally would. Cate isn’t prepared for the information she finds, nor is she prepared for the information to put her life and the lives of everyone around her in danger. Facing a situation Jim’s men had never faced before, everyone spends much of this book in a state of disorder and unbalance unlike any other op they’ve ever faced.

This was a fast paced read full of danger. There was great movement and action through the multiple story arcs that played out simultaneously. For as long as this book is (for two full couples) it didn’t read as if it were longer than a typical novel. The pages turned easily and quickly as I was pulled right alongside Cate and the rest of the characters as they worked to contain the danger to Cate.

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

Bullets and love go hand in hand…

I couldn’t wait for another instalment of Killer Instincts! Sully and Liam had me at the edge of my seat and my heart a mess. And then they just left me like that. Just left me! They’re back now though, along with Cate and Ash and the rest of this amazing family of the heart! A unique mix of suspense, nail-biting excitement and love means each story in this series has been a knock-out punch to the heart and the stomach… And this was stellar!

“He’d missed the camaraderie.”

And so had I. This series is all about family, loyalty and unconditional friendships. Even if individuals don’t agree – and they often don’t, quite loudly in fact – when the chips are down, everyone comes together for the sake of those unbreakable bonds. They curse, they laugh, and they squabble, just like any family or circle of friends. What makes them a little bit different is this may happen at home or within a life and death situation. To be so confident under pressure is a sign these men and women are special… And a bit crazy really – a good crazy though!

In this outing, more than double a standard book length, these two couples are dodging bullets while having a second chance to resolve their relationships. In some moments it is hard to tell which situation is more dangerous!

“She’d already offered him everything she had and he’d refused it. No, he’d spit on it…”

Cate and Ash are separated by a few years and even more by family ties. Loyalty and love go head to head when one can’t be separated from the other and the two aren’t on the same side. They are both determined to sway the other to their way of thinking so you know the banter and back and forth was going to get heated (in more than one way!).

If that turmoil wasn’t enough, Liam and Sully are back! WOOHOO! I may have yelled that a wee bit too loudly but it needed to be said! These two friends, lovers, brothers in arms have held a reserved spot in my heart for a while now and my heart needed to see their situation sorted out… They are strong and so vulnerable in ways that have made me fall for both of them. (Oh and I called dibs long ago so no trying to sneak them – they are my book boyfriends – MINE! Seriously, they are mine – don’t even think about it!

Strong personalities, quirks and talents, strengths and weaknesses. This was no-holds barred suspense, action and heart-felt emotion to pummel my heart one more time…

Favourite quotes…
“That’s it. I hate her.”
“You don’t even know her.”
“Doesn’t matter. I hate her. Anyone who hurts one of my best friends deserves to get punched.”

“Stop pouting, sweetie.”
“I’m not pouting,” he grumbled. But yeah, he kind of was.

*snicker* -Diane

Make sure you will be able to finish this in a day. There is so much action and danger you are not going to be able to put this down and actually go to sleep.

This is it, the final Killer Instinct story and Elle Kennedy certainly takes us out with a bang. Cate Morgan is now grown up and working as a photo journalist. She accidentally takes a photo of a drug king pin who is supposed to be dead. She gives in and contacts her father, who she isn’t getting along with, to verify the man in the photo. It is when Morgan reaches out to his contacts that all hell breaks loose. Men like Rivera have moles everywhere and it gets back to him that Cate has this photographic proof. Like any good drug lord, instead of being smart about it, locating Cate and stealing her camera and computer equipment, they burst in with guns blazing leaving a trail of bodies. But Cate has learned enough living on campus with mercs and manages to get away.

While this set up is important to the story, it really doesn’t make sense. If they could have gotten to Cate and her equipment before anyone found out she had that picture, okay, then killing her makes sense. But she has already sent the picture to Morgan, and he already sent it to his DEA contacts. Killing Cate really doesn’t accomplish anything but a drug lord having a very bloody, hissy fit. Damage is done, and his faked death is blown. If it was just Morgan with the picture, they could have kidnapped Cate to get the copies destroyed, but since the government already had proof that he faked his death, killing Cate accomplishes nothing except giving us a thrilling story plot.

Putting aside from that small flaw, Cate contacts Jim, because she might be pissed at her Dad but she’s not stupid, and Jim, Noelle and his team arrive to get Cate out. The team arrives at Cate’s location at the same time as the drug lord and several members of the cartel are killed in the cross fire, and Jim is critically injured. The drug lord is pissed off and wants to destroy Morgan’s team and Noelle is looking to destroy the cartel in retribution for Jim’s injury. When the cartel starts going after family members in order to flush out the team, the war turns into a blood bath.

Romancewise, we have not just one couple to get together but two: Cate and the rookie, Ash; and Liam and Sully.
For anyone still squeamish about a male/male romance, I have to tell you, the interactions and chemistry between Liam and Sully was much more fulfilling than that of Cate and Ash.

Cate was happy see to Jim arrive, but not Ash. Jim didn’t want his daughter hooking up with a merc and knew that Cate gravitated to Ash whenever they were both at the compound. Not wanting the disappoint Jim, Ash pushes away Cate hard, sometimes being very nasty and hurtful to her. While he regrets hurting her, he chooses Jim’s approval over Cate.

We have watched Liam and Sully doing the dance for the last few books. Their friendship abruptly changed after an impromptu passionate kiss which threw Liam into confusion over his feelings towards his friend. Liam grew up in a conservative Irish Catholic family and feared his parents’ and siblings’ reactions if he decided to be with a man. I was always sad for Sullivan Port, who grew up an orphan, and while he was always the life of the party, the only real friend he had was Liam. This kiss took away the only person who cared about Sully and it was heartbreaking. So for the last few books Liam and Sully danced around where they stood–do they stay friends? do they become lovers?

Sully was also shocked and disappointed that, after rejecting Liam in one of the prior stories and telling Liam that he wasn’t interested in helping Liam experiment with a man, Liam apparently found a lover to experiment with and Sully realizes he screwed up royally. This parallels Cate and Ash’s story where Cate wanted Ash to be her first but he tosses a naked Cate out of his room, she eventually loses her virginity to some random hook up and was quite disappointed by the whole experience.

Why I say there was more to Liam and Sully’s relationship than Cate and Ash is simply there was more passion and more play between them both in and out of bed while Ash was more of a “plow ’em as fast and hard as possible” kind of guy. There was little build up between them, while Liam and Sully built up the pressure until they could get the other begging for release.

Liam and Sully was the relationship I was looking to finally get a resolution on and I am happy the way it all worked out.

As far as a final story, Elle Kennedy didn’t disappoint. It was all action and excitement and certainly worth the read.

✦Spotlight, Review & Giveaway: MIDNIGHT TARGET (A Killer Instincts Novel) by Elle Kennedy http://wp.me/p3d0RZ-8xv
Publication Date: April 25, 2017
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Reviewed by: Reading in Pajamas/ Donna
Rated 4.5 Stars

Wow! What an action-packed finale to this series. It brought back all the players from the past, for an all-hands-on-deck mission. Since it was a rather tense situation, there wasn’t as much banter as usual, but enough to keep me happy. The story wasn’t just about the hot romance between Cate and Ash, it also pulled back the love affair with Liam and Sully. So, there is some M/M action – which I found was more romantic than Cate and Ash’s. I really enjoyed the drama, romance and happily-ever-after.

*Review copy provided by Penguin in exchange for an honest review.

~*~*~*~

I love this series and was eagerly anticipating this story. Maybe my expectations were too high but I felt disappointed by this book. It just didn't seem to have the same energy as her others. It seemed to move really slowly for the first half romantically. I love how all the other characters were involved but found myself more interested in them than Cate and Ash. I was very happy​ to read about Sully and Liam but it was frustrating how long it took for them to get together and how they each kept shutting down. I liked the epilogue but I can't imagine this group settling down into happily ever after

Midnight Target is the final book in the Killer instincts series; I haven't read all the ones before it, but you really can read it as a stand alone. However, once you do, you will want to read the rest of the series!

Midnight Target is a bit of a dual, second chance love story! Cate had a teenage crush on Ash when she met him at 17. Ash knew he could never be with Cate because he respected her father too much. So, he broke her heart. Now, Cate is a 21 year old photojournalist and is in grave danger in an unstable country. She calls her father for help and his team comes to save her. Yep, Ash is there too and he realizes that his feelings for Cate haven't cooled at all.

Liam has been in his hometown of Boston for a few years. He is dating a nice Catholic girl and pretending that he isn't still in love with his best friend Sully. Sully took off years ago after finding out about Liam's feelings. However, he misses his best friend. When they get a call that Jim is in trouble, they put aside their differences and fly to be with their team.

There is a LOT going on in this story. You have the danger of a politically unstable country, drug cartels fighting for control, and people in abject poverty because of it all. Then, you have the tension between Cate and Ash. Their chemistry is combustable and full of moments of caring followed by outbursts of anger. Then, you have the story of Liam and Sully. Reading their struggle with their feelings was heart breaking. I wanted to hug them both. So, with all that going on, this book reads quick! There isn't ever a time to put it down.

If you like a fast paced romance with elements that touch on real life issues in today's world, Midnight Target is the book for you. If you like second chance romance, you will fall hard for Cate and Ash. And if you like romance that triumphs over all the odds, Liam and Sully will steal your heat!
Link live on 4/25/17

I have loved every book in Elle Kennedy’s Killer Instinct series so far. It’s been a sexy, dangerous and intensely romantic ride. I was sad to learn that Midnight Target would be the last book in the series, but I was also ridiculously excited because I have been waiting for one of this book’s couple’s story for a long time. I was hoping that Elle Kennedy would wrap up this finale with a bang, but one of the main characters in the book, unfortunately, took away from some of my enjoyment.

I don’t know what happened between the last book and this one, but Cait has grown to become a very unlikeable character. Now, I’m usually one for flawed heroines, but I do need them to grow up, and maybe learn from their circumstances. Cait wasn’t that kind of heroine. In fact, she kept putting herself into these dangerous situations that not only endangered her, but also the people around her. Her actions actually get people killed here, and while she momentarily expresses regret and guilt, she jumped right back into dangerous situations, even defying her dad’s team of mercenaries. I was not a fan. I did like Ash better than I liked her, and I thought their romance together, was decent, though not to the usual level of Elle Kennedy’s books.

Now the couple that I was really excited about, Liam & Sully, were as great as I was hoping they would be. After the events of the previous book, there was a lot of hurt and angst between these two men, and damn if it didn’t break my heart a little. They danced around each other for quite a bit here, but it made sense given what they had gone through. They really find solace with one another in this final book and I could not have been happier with the progression of their romance. In fact, I kind of wish Elle Kennedy had chosen to wrap up this series by just telling their story because I felt like Cait’s arc took away from Liam & Sully’s. It was great to be back with the other side characters as well. I was worried there for a minute when it came to one of them, but was relieved when Elle Kennedy turned things around.

All in all, this series has been great, and even though I didn’t LOVE this book like I loved the previous books in the series, I will wholeheartedly recommend this series as a whole.