Garwood has written another winner. Allison's story and her connection to the Buchanan's make this a great read. Filled with plenty of romance, there is also just enough intrigue to keep the mystery aspect moving.

Full review to be published online in early August.

WIRED is the latest entry in Julie Garwood’s long running “Buchanan-Renard” series, and this series is still going strong. Allison Trent is a college student, model and hacker, but the chaos doesn’t begin until her grabby Uncle and Aunt start harassing her whenever her cousin gets into trouble. However, when she attends a seminar to support her friend, Jordan, they soon start to take over the seminar talking codes and ways to hack while everyone around them dissolves. Except one particular FBI Agent. Special Agent Liam Scott is desperate to find a hacker who can go undetected while finding a mole in the FBI; one who is currently releasing vital information on classified cases. When he goes to a seminar, he finds Allison Trent. However, she’s nothing like he expected, but everything he needs.

Allison makes a deal with Liam to find his culprit, but when physical attraction starts to make an appearance will these two be able to keep their emotions in check, or will someone's heartbreak before the deal is done and the bad guy cornered?

WIRED is a very nice addition to Garwood’s RS series; and I have to say it was exactly what I wanted. Liam Scott a down to earth guy, but also is a smooth talker and he knows it. His confidence throughout the book was completely sexy. Allison was also a fun character; even if though there are times she makes the reader want to bang their head against a wall in frustration with her. Her need for seeing the good in people is great, but also I found it a bit naïve, because there seemed be no limit when she needed to let go. However, Julie Garwood did remedy that, closer to the end of the book. The storyline was consistent and I did enjoy the whole book. WIRED can easily be read standalone; and is a recommended read.

A female hacker? Hell, yes! Finally a book where the hacker is a woman and a very smart one at that. Meet Allison, drop dead gorgeous with a brilliant mind. Julie Garwood has done an excellent job in giving Allison a wonderful character. A mix of nerd with a touch of dark humour and a quick wit. But also with a lot of insecurities, due to her past with her devilish uncle and aunt.

And then we have Liam Scott, a hunky dory FBI agent, who has been tracking down the leak in their midst. But he doesn't succeed. Certainly not because of lack of confidence, because the guy just oozes self esteem and sex appeal. (Did I already mention he is hot???). He needs help, and via his best friend he comes into contact with Allison. After he sees her in action, he really wants her on the team. But since Allison is hiding some facts, that would most likely put her on the Most Wanted posters of the FBI, she flat out refuses to work with him.

As the story unfolds, we meet the evil uncle and aunt, and Allison's protective big sister Charlotte. And slowly we begin to understand how Allison's mind works and what her capabilities really are. When Allison's home is being ripped apart and when scary things start happening to her, she realizes she may be in over her head. And not only in the code, but maybe also with Liam...

As a semi-nerdy girl myself, I could really relate to Allison and her need to prove herself to 'the guys'. I experience her struggles as my own. Even last week, at work at a customer, I received the comment to 'not busy my little blond head over the technical design of the datamodel. I should stick to the functional design...' I mean, really??? Of course my need to show of (just as Allison did with Brett) resulted in shocking the shit out of my colleagues by drawing them the total technical data design from the top of my head. So I'm not technical enough??

So yeah, you could say I'm an Allison-fan all the way! Five out of five stars for Julie Garwood for showing females (let's not forget about Jordan) can be masterminds as well. And since I discovered afterwards that this book is part of a series (part 13 to be exact) I reckon I have a lot of catching up to do! Thank you Berkley and Netgalley for this ARC.

***ARC Provided by the publisher via NetGalley***

Julie Garwood is a go to author for me, and has been from the first book I read of hers. So, when I got the opportunities to rad this one, I dropped everything else I had on my ever growing "to be read" and started this one.

What a pleasure to enjoy it as much as I did.

When you read one of Ms. Garwood's books, you know you will get a great story with interesting characters. And, for me, its the characters who keep me coming back. They are so balanced. The men are strong, whether they are FBI agents, or in a swamp, or running a hotel. They are complex, but not too much so as to be boring or cold.

Liam was exactly this. A man with a job to do, who was dedicated to this job, who would see it through... but so was also incredibly attracted to an "asset" in a current case.

Allison is a hacker, and the asset. I loved that she was both strong and vulnerable. I seriously disliked her family.

The plot of this book was so perfect. The way the development of the relationship so real that you believed it. Neither of them were the "all in right away" type. It wouldn't have worked if they were portrayed that way.

But, oh my did this work. Heat, chemistry, compelling characters and a story line that grabbed you from the start.

Yes, there was a bit of a wait to get this book. But, good things come to those who wait. And this book is one of the good things.

I recommend this book.

I was totally sucked into reading this one because of the description of the heroine: "behind her gorgeous face is a brilliant mind for computers and her real love is writing—and hacking—code." Unfortunately her brilliance was really the only thing about this story I found interesting.

While Allison's turbulent family history and dual identity as a model/computer hacking genius is interesting in theory, Garwood still falls into the trap of making her so neat and tidy - too perfect in my taste. Where's the messy psychological rage and insecurity that should've resulted from her emotionally abusive home? Maybe I just know too many people like myself who've grown up in this kind of environment to believe that you can come out of it as pristine as Allison.

Liam I just found kind of boring. There were definitely also his multiple moments of cringe-worthy dialogue; when she asks if he has someone significant in his life (not too long after they met): "Are you applying for the job?" Yikes.

2 stars.

*I received a review copy from the publisher/author via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.*

Not my favorite Garwood novel, but an enjoyable evening read. It's good to know she's back, as her books are some of my favorite comfort reads. I look forward to adding the print version to my personal collection.

I love all of Julie Garwood's books - and I have read them all. I was not disappointed with Wired. Just a good read. Loved the characters. Now its just sad that there is too long before another book.

I once spent an entire summer reading every book Julie Garwood has ever written. In fact the man at the checkout counter of my local used bookstore told me "I hope those work out for you" in the creepiest way when I purchased about 10 of them at one time. With this in mind, Wired was a good walk down memory lane for me. However, my tastes as a contemporary romance novel reader have evolved and something just didn't work for me. I understand the appeal of an alpha hero, but when a woman says no I want a man to listen. Even if he thinks he knows better. For that reason Allison and Liam's relationship was a huge turnoff to me.

If I had to pick one word for this book: tepid. The romance was tepid, the suspense was tepid. The whole thing was just tepid. Allison intrigued me, Liam intrigued. Together? Not so much.

Allison Trent is basically a genius. A walking computer. She can do a thousand piece puzzle in twenty minutes. Who does that? It takes me like two weeks. She’s a hacker that likes to help people. Allison doesn’t like breaking the law, but she does it out of the goodness of her heart. Please. Every time she would tell herself that, I would roll my eyes. That’s exactly what the judge would tell her as she was getting sentenced. It’s not surprising that she didn’t like it when the FBI came calling.

Liam Scott only sees Allison as an asset. At the beginning. It doesn’t take long for him to see under the surface. Allison can’t turn away the family that abused her when she was growing up. Not physically, but in every other way. She supports them financially when she is basically on a student budget. She signs a contract to work for the FBI to keep her cousin out of jail. Allison has a soft heart and she can’t say no.

Allison has plans and working for the FBI does not fall into those plans. She has a software program that is going to change the tech world. Problem with that? Someone stole it. Good thing about that? She has a safeguard built in. Between her family and someone trying to hurt her, she and Liam begin a non-relationship as she likes to call it. Allison is far from worldly, but even she can only watch him walk out the door so many times.

I just didn’t feel these two together. We got a ton of Allison’s backstory. Too much actually. Liam, not enough. Or maybe we did and I just skimmed it. I admit to some skimming. I was bored and wanted to jump ahead to some action. Liam was very protective of Allison, which was nice to read. I was just happy that the book ended.