Brought to you by OBS reviewer Heidi

Rusty Kelly’s friend is in trouble. Zoe found out that her boyfriend was using her to get to her crime boss father. Sebastian thought that her dad would meet his demands when the life of his only child hung in the balance. Unfortunately, he didn’t know how little he cared for her. Zoe overheard Sebastian saying he was going to kill her now that his plan backfired, so she had no choice, but to flee. She went to her only friend, Rusty, for help. Rusty helped Zoe create a new identity and took her home to the Kelly compound to keep her safe. She hates lying to her family, but she won’t betray her friend either.

Joe Kelly is the “last man standing”, the only brother that hasn’t tied himself to a woman. He enjoys his bachelor status and has no plans to change it. But even he recognizes there is something about Zoe that draws him to her. She’s beautiful and sweet, but the fear he sees in her eyes gets his blood boiling. He would love nothing more than to painfully take out the person that put it there. But first he must gain her trust so he can find out who she’s running from. However, he just may run out of time before her past catches up to her.

I’ve really enjoyed the twins and was excited to read Joe’s book. It didn’t disappoint. It was a bit dull in the beginning when Zoe was first being indoctrinated into the Kelly clan. The book picked up once Joe started to make his interest clear! Unfortunately, she is one of the weaker women from this series. She has no value of self-worth and no self-esteem. I can understand why, but for a group that prides themselves on strong women, she just doesn’t fit the bill. Although most of the women, were pretty weak when you look back on how they were when they were rescued. So, I guess it doesn’t really matter.

I did have issues with this book, mainly just things I found unrealistic. For instance, Zoe is running from her ex and is always looking over her shoulder and has no interest in men. Why then, does she agree to go out alone with Joe for him to show her around? I’d think she’d at least take Rusty along with her. And, she completely freaked out when Joe kissed her and the very next day they’re having sex!?! It just doesn’t jibe for me.

However, this book had a sweet ending … well for Zoe and Joe anyway. It also built up to Rusty’s book, which I have to assume is coming soon! At least, I hope so! Part of me wants her to find someone else to be with to make Sean have to work that much harder to fix what he’s done.

Anyway, I enjoyed this book and look forward to the next installment!

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*

A new beginning…

I’m a die-hard Maya Banks fan so any new book is immediately pounced on! Joe and Zoe’s story is the eleventh in this series so I got more of the Kelly clan (who are dynamite!) plus another romantic suspense to sink my reading teeth into!

Zoe is on the run and Joe senses it immediately. How she got here and why is a mystery he is determined to figure out, even as Zoe does everything to hide it. They click right away but with all the murkiness between them, and family hovering, their tentative steps in romance are shadowed by all that is unsaid…

Zoe and Joe had sparks galore right from the start. While I may have struggled with the slam-dunk devotion, and the almost too flowery prose that accompanied it, their courtship was really beautiful. Joe was clear that his support was absolute and didn’t hinge on anything in return. Zoe struggled with self-esteem and self-worth throughout which was understandable given her past but was so repetitive that it took away from an otherwise stellar storyline.

Another solid read from a fave author who has tantalized with Rusty’s story – which I hope is next! ~3.5 stars

I enjoyed watching Joe fall. The last brother has seen his each and every of his brothers succumb to love but he has resisted. When Rusty brings home her friend Zoe, a skittish woman with secrets in her eyes, Joe can't help but fall. Admittedly things move fast, the Kelly men fall fast, but Joe's a sweetheart to Zoe. He wants to show her his favorite places, a fun time and that's she safe with him. Zoe is a sweet girl who had been taken in, her trust betrayed, and fearing for her life, she turns to the only person she can, her friend Rusty. The Kelly family is a revelation to Zoe, to think that there are so many people who love and look after each other.

While I liked Joe and Zoe's search for their happily ever after I thought the most intriguing element of the story was The Rusty and Sean Situation. A background character in the other books in the series Rusty has really grown into an interesting character. She's super smart - something she either keeps from her brothers or her brothers haven't bothered to learn about her - fiercely loyal and protective and in love with Sean. I admired her bravery, in going after what she wanted, but timing and harsh words demolish her heart, confidence, and causes her to take her life in a drastically different direction. I'm eager to learn what happens next.

For the most part, I've enjoyed the KGI series, but by this installment I find Banks is beginning to repeat elements of previous stories. A new identity is always an interesting springboard, but it's most compelling to me when there's a really good secret to warrant it. Zoe and Joe were interesting, but I wish Rusty wasn't so integral to the plot. Sometimes you just need your friend to make an introduction and then just get out of the way.

I've loved the KGI series but this was probably my least favorite. It was still a good book, but I really felt it was more of a vehicle to move along Rusty's story than anything else. That being said, I still enjoyed time spent with the Kelly clan and I can't wait for Rusty's book!

Maya Banks’ BRIGHTER THAN THE SUN, is Zoe and Joe’s story. The KGI series centers on the Kelly family and the company they started doing the jobs that the government prefers to stay away from including intelligence gathering and victim/hostage rescues. So the stories in this series have been fast paced adventure/romances that occur in the midst of one job or another. The romances are hot and heavy and the action is generally non-stop. BRIGHTER THAN THE SUN however, fails to produce the heat level or the strong KGI storyline that made some of the other KGI stories so riveting.

In an unusual twist, though the story is primarily about Zoe and Joe, the best parts of this story come from the lesser story of Rusty and Sean and the journey they are on towards their own happily ever after. Perhaps it is because Rusty and Sean have been around for several books and are very well developed and multifaceted characters and Zoe and Joe simply are not. Zoe is extremely cagey and Joe, for such an alpha male, is extremely into his feelings. Or perhaps it is the lack of any real action in the storyline. When her family finally catches up to Zoe, well…

In any case, readers who enjoy military romances will still enjoy BRIGHTER THAN THE SUN. This reader had simply hoped for less over the top gushing and more push back from the bad guys.

This book was a DNF. I couldn't get into it and had a hard time figuring out who was who.

Brighter than the Sun by Maya Banks features the last Kelly bachelor, Joe, on his quest to find true love. He’s fine with being on his own, even though his family is all coupled up a living it up with their children. The last person he thinks he’d be able to find this with is Zoe, the woman who’s currently on the run for her life but he falls fast for her despite the danger she has around her.


If you’ve followed the series you will enjoy the book, but it wasn’t the best I’ve read. There was a lot of information about the family, so it didn’t seem like the main couple was front and center the entire time. These two were a classic case of instalove, so there wasn’t the typical buildup that you get, especially since Joe is certain after a couple of meetings he wants to be with her forever. Despite that, they seemed to work, and I liked watching them together. The suspense was there, though a bit light, but overall it was a good addition to the series.

This is a great romantic suspense, the plot is brilliant, the tempo is fast and the characterisations superb. Great job by a great author.

i think im done with the KGI series. It has slowly devolved over the books to a bunch of cavemen. there was literally a few pages of action and the rest was just the main character mooning over how to make a woman his. i hated how it kept referring to "the wives". i just dont get how every character just now sees someone and decides that he is in love with them with no relationship.

Review: 2 out of 5 stars

I have been a fan of Maya Banks for as long as I can remember and the KGI series has always been one of my favourite romantic suspense series but this read nothing at all like the other books and unfortunately I was left quite disappointed.

With a new identity Zoe Kildare is on the run from her father and boyfriend for reasons I won’t mention to avoid spoilers, she is ready for a fresh start with the help of the Kelly family’s adopted daughter and sister, Rusty. Rusty has skills no one seems aware of and sets Zoe up with a new life and takes her back to the Kelly compound for refuge

Joe is the last single Kelly and is quite eager to stay that way until he sets eyes on Zoe, he sees that she is scared and needs protecting so takes it upon himself to be her saviour and asks her out on a date.

The relationship between Joe and Zoe progressed rapidly, I found that it was too much too soon and I didn’t quite get the connection. Zoe was broken and very down on herself and Joe was her knight in shining armour but he turned into an emotional mess.

What I did like about this book was the military aspects and interactions between the KGI teams, it’s nice to revisit past characters and their wives. This book had a more serious tone and the teasing between the brothers was noticeably absent.

I have never been a Rusty fan, I found her to be a bit of a pain in the past books but she was a real stand out in this book and I loved her page time; I couldn’t help but hope for more for her.

Everything was emphasized in this book, the emotion, the drama, suspense and angst and I found it all very frustrating! We don’t even get a glimpse of the bad guys, it was all very rushed and didn’t make sense at all. You have to suspend belief when reading this title because it was extremely far-fetched.

I thoroughly enjoyed the first few books in this series but the past few I didn’t enjoy at all; I think this might be a series that has run its course for me unfortunately.

Thank you to Berkley Books via Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.

It was a long time since I read a new book by Maya Banks.This one wasn't bad but it wasn't my favorite too.I find the story too simple for my taster, I would prefer if there was a little bit more suspense.Or generally something else,there were some parts I felt a little bit bored.

We finally got Joe Kelly's book with Brighter Than the Sun. While I'm a bit behind on the KGI series, I was so excited to finally get Joe's book. There has just always been something about him for me and I have to say I absolutely adored his heroine in Zoe.

I have to say when Rusty brought Zoe home to the Kelly compound to protect her; I was surprised at how quickly Joe started to fall for Zoe. I guess I shouldn't have been as it seems once a Kelly man meets his mate, it always seems to happen pretty fast. I loved how slow Joe worked to romance Zoe. Since Rusty couldn't really tell anyone much about Zoe without letting them know her real identity, she shared very little with Joe, but enough for him to know to take things slowly. I think I fell a little bit in love with Joe right along with Zoe.

Joe and Zoe had amazing chemistry and I absolutely loved seeing them spend time together. Their dates were super sweet, yet I could feel the chemistry between them even before Zoe was ready to admit her attraction. I loved that Joe really got Zoe and did everything in his power to show how much he cared and loved her.

Of course Zoe's past came back to bite both her and Rusty in the ass. I won't lie when I say I wanted to kick some of the Kelly brothers' asses for the way the treated Rusty as she revealed all about Zoe's past and all the steps she took to keep her safe as she created a new identity. Rusty has a skill set that would be such an asset to KGI and I was glad her brothers finally saw her for her talents. I'm from Tennessee and so I recognize most of the towns mentioned in the KGI books, but have to say the one bit of levity I found while dealing with Zoe's horrific kidnapping was the fact they took her to Bucksnort, TN. Yes folks, Bucksnort is a real town and it makes me giggle each time I drive past the exit. The KGI teams never fail to amaze me with how well they work together and have so many amazing talents. I fall more in love with this series with each new book.

Honestly, Brighter Than the Sun is absolutely one of my favorite books in the KGI series. Yes I went outside my comfort zone and read the books out of order, but I couldn't wait to read Joe's book, and will go back to read the ones I've missed. I now want Rusty's book more than ever, but it looks like we will be waiting a bit for it, as her book is not next in line.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (B+)

Zoe has one true friend and she needs her now more than ever. But seeing how life and family is supposed to be is harder for Zoe to accept than the death she narrowly avoids. Joe is happy being the last Kelly bachelor, until he sees the terror in Zoe’s eyes. Can he convince Zoe to trust in him and his family?
Brighter Than the Sun by Maya Banks is the latest installment in her KGI series. I loved this world and was happy to see Joe take a fall. Ms. Banks gave us an alpha male in Joe and paired him with a woman who needed him more than even he knows. Zoe feels tainted. She has done nothing wrong but those around her are not so innocent. I love the joy she took in doing the simplest things. She was innocent in ways that made you smile and laugh with her. I loved the patience Joe showed with Zoe, even as he knew he was not getting the whole story. Ms. Banks gave us a story that was action packed but also full of emotional depth. Joe and Zoe’s courtship was slow and fit their characters. Zoe wasn’t ready and Joe respected that even as he made sure she knew he was there for her. I loved seeing him woo and build Zoe up. This story is full of pain, laughter, joy and love. I so loved returning to this world and can’t wait to see where Ms. Banks will take us next.

Brighter than the Sun begins with the KGI team having some actual down time. The entire Kelly clan is home and things are quiet. It still amazes Joe that all of his brothers have settled down and the number of babies around is truly astonishing. He does know one thing though: he’s not ready to settle down and have a woman be his reason for being. Nope, not him…..



Rusty Kelly, Joe’s adopted sister, is contacted by her best friend from college, Zoe, who is on the run and needs Rusty’s help. That’s all it took for Rusty to set into motion a life changing series of events in order to keep Zoe safe and bring her to the Kelly home. Little did either of them know how truly life changing it would be.



Joe knows that Zoe is scared of something or someone. Even though she tries to present herself as self confident, he knows that she’s hiding something. He decides then and there to make it his mission to see if he can not only find out what’s going on, but to help her as well. As he gets to know Zoe, Rusty warns Joe not to hurt her. Joe tells Rusty that he knows Zoe is hiding something, but Rusty tells him it’s Zoe’s story to tell. Everyone in the family and KGI sees that Joe has claimed Zoe as his own, even if Zoe doesn’t know it yet. What follows is a heart wrenching story that will leave you turning the pages faster and faster.



I LOVED BRIGHTER THAN THE SUN!!!! I’m so glad we finally got Joe’s story. He is a straight up Kelly with his protective instinct when he finds the “one”. In my humble opinion, he fell harder than the others. There was just something about his thoughts that we were privy to that truly endeared him to me. Zoe is perfect for him. She’s kind and loving and just wants to “be”. Her childhood and background story will endear her to everyone who reads this story. The bonus with this story is we get to see a lot of Rusty and Sean. And, it’s not good. I can’t say too much as I don’t want to give anything away, but it had my heart breaking. HOLY HELL! If you’re a fan of Maya Banks and her KGI series, this one will not disappoint. As always, I want to be a member of the Kelly clan! Well done, Maya Banks! Very well done!

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆☆
M/F Romance
Triggers: Click HERE to see Avid Reader’s review on Goodreads for trigger warnings.

So, I have two things before you read this review:
1. You should read the previous book in this series so that the characters make sense, and,
2. I am biased. I absolutely love Banks, so I went in to this book expecting to like it. She didn't disappoint either.

I love all of these characters. They are developed, complex, loving, but not without flaws and it's those flaws that make them so awesome to read.

Joe is Nathan's twin. He has kind of been the odd man out because he loves his single status. While he doesn't hate that his brothers have found their forever women, Joe still maintains that he's happy and doesn't need to be with anyone.

Rusty is an amazing sister. Not only is she brilliant, but she's an amazing hacker as well! She has been living in the shadow of her brothers and their wives for so long that she decides that she needs to strike out on her own. But when her friend reaches out to her, she does the only thing she can think of – she saves her friend's life.

Zoe is sweet, innocent, and naive. She is running from people who seem to think that she has value – to her father. But Zoe knows that despite who her father is, she has never been a person of value. Rusty and her have devised a way for Zoe to hide, regroup, and, hopefully, never have to see the people in her life that she's running from again.

Joe is immediately intrigued by Zoe – not necessarily in a positive manner. But when he begins to see who she is, what she's about, and how much she has been hurt, his protective instincts kick in and he does all he can to make Zoe smile.

The entire Kelly clan has their hands in this book. Not only are they protecting their own families, but the entire family overall. When things go sideways, everyone pulls together to figure out how to move forward. Joe will stop at nothing to prove to Zoe that she's worth loving and Zoe will wish so hard for a happy ending.

I read this story in one sitting, because I just couldn't put the book down.

There is a side story that I can't wait to see more of – Sean and Rusty. Their story has been building and it made me laugh, cry, and feel so much sadness. I am so looking forward to seeing what comes next!

OK, I have loved the KGI series since the beginning. A family of security experts that are brothers...be still my heart. Each one falling one by one then there was branching to other members of their team. Unfortunately there was a shift in Maya Banks writing that had me taking a break from her recent books. Several books in this series were part of the problem, especially the last few. You see she puts the heroine on a pedestal making her virginal, sweet and very much a doormat to love. Then the hero is over protective, but not necessarily aware they are in love. Almost to a stalkerish level. The one that mostly sticks out in my mind is when the hero was willing to sacrifice the heroine for the greater good and she was fine with it, even giving him her virginity beforehand. See why I needed to take a break?

So I went into Brighter Than the Sun with much caution, ready to close it up and DNF if it ever swerved to martyr status. While I didn't see a total martyr scenario, I did see the obsessiveness of the hero with the heroine.

Joe is the last unattached Kelly. Within moments of meeting Zoe he is captivated by her, but knows right away she is hiding something. Being a Kelly, he can't avoid searching for what her secrets. He doesn't want to scare her off, so he goes the whole "let's be friends." Picnics, skipping rocks within a short time they are sleeping together with her secrets looming over them.

Zoe, and that's not her real name, is on the run. A mob boss father has told her how to live her live down to the length of her hair. When she overhears her boyfriend talking about taking down her father through her, she goes on the run fearing for her life. Her only friend is Rusty, adopted daughter of the Kelly clan, and Rusty has learned a lot from her older brothers. Hiding out on Kelly property is the greatest plan.

But you can't always run from your problems and they always find a way of finding you. Some of the details to the suspense plot were sketchy as you are told how much her life is controlled, but again how did she get involved with someone her father didn't approve first? Or become friends with someone her father didn't know about? And if she kept Rusty a secret, just how did the bad guys figure out where they were?

Joe is also the only Kelly not living within the compound which is secured. Yeah, this family is paranoid for good reason and have a very secure compound that they moved the entire family and some team members within.

The romance moves quick and I am not really sure it was much more than lust. That seems to be a common theme these days. The suspense was fast and furious. Left me feeling kind of confused. Silly heroine also has the inner confidence problems and goes into depression hiding away at one point. It was kind of cliche by the end. Very formulaic of other novels in this series.

Other former characters make lots of appearances, especially Shea and Nathan (Nathan is Joe's twin brother). Shea sees things and can take on the pain from others (yep, all of a sudden there were paranormal elements pushed into the series). Shea has a bond with Joe from when she was trying to save Nathan. She connects easily to Zoe, but also protects her privacy.

While you can read this book without the series, you won't understand the side story with Rusty and Sean or the connections of Shea, Nathan, Grace and others to the story. And there is a lot of Rusty and Sean's side story. Overall, this was a better story than the last few, but still I am not a fan of the all consuming lust/love story that seems to have become Bank's ongoing style. At least there wasn't a third of the book that was unnecessary, but there was also a lot of time spent in their heads. So if you are a fan of KGI, then it's worth a read. If you aren't reading the series, skip it.

This review was really hard for me to write. I spent more than a month contemplating what to even rate the book. On the one hand, there were some parts that I absolutely LOVED in this book! But there were other parts that had me double checking I was reading a KGI novel.
In most of the previous KGI books, and especially the ones involving the original Kelly siblings, there was a lot of action and danger involved in the storylines. I went into this book with that expectation, and that may be where I went wrong. I try really hard not to go into books with expectations, but I did with this book. Joe's book was not heavily littered with action throughout the book, but the threat of danger was always looming, so I was still intrigued. At times, while I truly enjoyed the storyline, I felt like this could be from a different series. While it carried the signature Maya voice, the style was closer to some of her sweeter series.
That being said, I still really liked the book, and enjoyed it even more on the re-read I did prior to writing my review, knowing the flow of the storyline. Joe is just as sweet, overprotective and loving as his brothers, and I really loved watching his "downfall" as the last standing brother. He was patient, kind and in tune with Zoe.
Zoe, while she may have her secrets, is not about to share them with Joe, causing some great tension while reading the book. (I love a good tension plot line.) A few times I just wanted to shout out to her to trust him with her secrets!
Another great aspect of this book was the setup for Rusty's eventual book. Tensions have never been higher between Sean and Rusty, and some parts, I felt the pages were ready to combust with the sexual tension! Maya has announced recently that Rusty will close out the series after another 3 books, so we all have a long time to wait!
Overall, I really liked the book, I would recommend it to any KGI or military romance fan, and I will be remembering Sweet Joe for a long time to come!

Confession time: I attempted a Maya Banks book a few years ago. I don't remember what it was called or even much about it, because I hated it and gave up pretty quickly. So, really, this is my first Maya Banks book. Brighter than the Sun was unexpectedly enjoyable since I wasn't sure I would be able to finish this book either.

"Zoe" is on the run from her mafia boss father and an ex-boyfriend who was using her for something. She enlists the help of Rusty Kelly, her BFF and hacker extraordinaire to create a new identity for her and help her escape. Rusty brings her home to the Kelly compound. The place is a fortress filled with her badass ex military brothers who now run a security/hostage rescue firm. If Zoe isn't safe there, its possible she will never be safe anywhere!

Joe is the only Kelly brother who isn't married and popping out kids. He is perfectly happy to keep his bachelor status! He sees Zoe as more than just a girl coming to visit her friend and recognizes the signs of fear and terror. He is determined to get to know her. Of course, you can imagine where this will lead!

The emotions are very well written and transverse the pages so much they had me in tears a few times. Once the story picks up, there is a lot of suspense and danger to keep you glued to the pages, and I really appreciated that. Lately I have been struggling with books that are straight contemporary romance with little action. Banks gives you PLENTY of action.

Now my dilemma? This was book 11 in the series. I have so much to go back and catch up on now that I realize I do, in fact, enjoy Maya Banks' books!