ARC provided by the Publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
2 stars, I couldn't get into the story for Hard Justice.

I loved the characters and the storyline development of this book. It was absolutely one of my favorites so far and I can't wait to delve in to the next one that this author writes. The storyline was simple, enjoyable, and entertaining.

Well WHOOPEETEEDOOO! I pretty much ended up with my golden goose – especially when you put together a badass female and a broody alpha male together in a life and death situation 😀

Plus, the cover made me wanna jump in a tub of cold cold water – do ya get me? 😉

Vince Franklin *sighs* Vince. Vince was pretty much perfect in my honest unbiased opinion *grins*. He might be broody and heard – headed; but he is also loyal, faithful and the most protective of the lot!



Charlotte “Charlie” Sparks, on the other hand, I tried really hard to like her fully – she certainly is a badass, but she went too far in that badassery tht at times she became hypocritical (and I did not like that at all!!)

But together? Vince and Charlie pretty much steamed up my ereader and I ABS-FREAKING-LUTELY LOVED IT!!! They were brilliant together; though again, it was Charlie’s treatment of Vince at times but not enough for me not to enjoy this beauty!



And I adored that Vince and Charlie as a a couple, but most of all that I really enjoyed was that their togertherness did not overshadow the plot – a plot that kept me not only on my toes but also made me gasp, squeal and almost made me want to throw my e-reader to the wall and I enjoyed every single minute of it!

I can’t wait to see where April Hunt takes the rest of the gang!! 😀

The Story in 4 Sentences or Less: Charlotte “Charlie” Sparks is the first female operative at Alpha Security and being surround by so much testosterone means she’s got work to do to make sure she pulls her weight. When women start disappearing in Charlie’s hometown she’s willing to do anything to get answers, even work with her irritating co-worker Vince Franklin and pretend to be engaged to him. For his part, Vince knows how to handle himself in dangerous situations but the growing feelings he has for Charlie are something he’s not sure he knows how to handle.









Like It? Hate it? Love it? Why? I had more fun with Hard Justice than I thought I would and a big part of that was because of the hero Vince.

He’s delicious. There’s no other way to explain his appeal. He’s a rugged, confident, protective alpha with a quick wit and a dash of mischief in his personality. He’s a natural at protecting innocent people, he’s loyal and charming with his team. Except maybe with Charlie. Vince just can’t be in the same space with her for more than a minute before the snark and sass starts flying. He just has to annoy her and on principal she can’t let him get away with it.

Now Charlie I had a little trouble with on two fronts. One, I just didn’t buy into her being a member of an elite, professional group like Alpha. She’s recklessly impulsive, and naïve, which gives the impression that she doesn’t know how to do her job. The sight and/or feel of Vince’s arms easily distracted her, making her look incompetent, inexperienced and unprofessional. If she’s that easy to distract then she’s no use to anyone in a dangerous situation.

I also had a problem with her constant assumptions that Vince’s comments were coming from a misogynistic/sexist place. Vince NEVER gives the impression that he believes women aren’t capable of doing the same job he does. Never. But he does see the reckless, impatient side of Charlie that could get them killed and he calls her out on it. But Charlie is so hung up on proving herself capable as the only woman on the team that she makes everything into a gender thing instead of what it is: She clearly lacks the experience to do the job, period. Even if she was a man I’d say the same thing. Honestly it was dumb luck and Vince having her back that kept her alive. She really seemed like a little girl trying to play grown up.

The chemistry between Vince and Charlie was off the charts hot though! I loved the banter between them that went from competitive to flirty to down right sizzling snark. I do enjoy an enemies to lovers romance and despite my issues with Charlie as a stand alone character, she was a pretty good romantic match for someone like Vince.

Click It or Skip It? Click It.

This was a great story. I was immediately pulled in with the story and enjoyed every bit of it. From the moment you meet these characters and the situation they are in you know you’re gonna be in for a ride.

There are several events that keep pulling you in and connecting you more and more to the characters. You will end up with a little book hangover. I know I didn't want this book to end. Will read again. This was a full story with no cliffhangers, but that won’t stop you from wanting more and wanting another installment .
4.5

For a fast paced action paced romantic suspense, this book will deliver. Charlie is a spitfire. She also has a huge chip on her shoulder. There are valid reasons why she is so aggressive. It is because she is the only female on this private security team, Alpha Security. And when her past is revealed, it explains so much about her. Yet it makes me wonder why the rest of her team doesn't know about her past. Because seriously, they are a private security team. Don't they want to know the details of the people working for them?

I like the concept of this series, specifically with the Alpha Security and their mission. I also like the bar they have as an undercover base. It may not be practical but it is totally up my alley. It is the characters in this series that doesn't exactly work for me. I never grew to like Charlie. She is so contrary that it's like hugging a porcupine. Yet it works for her love interest, Vince.

The two of them are opposites in many ways. I don't see the attraction because usually opposites do not last long for a long term relationship. The constant strife is too much after a few years. For a hook up and to get the sex out of their system, I can totally see the two of these together. They can burn up the sheets just with their scathing snark towards each other. It is the kind of relationship I like to eat popcorn and watch to see what happens next. At times, they are brutal to each other. Not my kind of relationship, but whatever works for them.

This story is more than just a dysfunctional relationship with hot sex and a femi-nazi. Charlie and Vince can work as a team to figure out why women are being killed. The suspense part of this book does take a bit of a back seat compared to the relationship and Charlie's background. It does help tie everything together and make for a pleasurable read. This romantic suspense is recommended for readers who like antagonistic lovers who can work well together in and out of bed.

My Review:

I received a copy of this book from the publisher and netgalley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. This is the first book of April Hunts that I have ever read. And to be perfectly honest I read it for two reasons, 1) I really liked the summary on the back cover being that it seemed to involve mystery, action and romance and 2) the cover model. But back to my thoughts on the book... I thought that April did a great job of developing the characters in the beginning of the book and as you read she continued to give you snip its from their past to truly understand where they came from and the rational for their decisions.

When looking at the writing style that she used I thought she did a great job of having the point of views of the male and female characters. It really gave you insight to what the characters were thinking on each side of the scenes, rather than just one characters thoughts.

I think by far my favorite part of the book is really how she had a great mix of romance, mystery, action and humor all wrapped into one book. I as a reader liked to be able to laugh, cry and get mad at certain parts of a book because it keeps you on the edge of your seat well reading and makes you wanting to know more.

All in all this was a fantastic first book to read of Aprils and can't wait to read more of hers. I don't think that you need to read others in the series to understand this book but it might be helpful when she mentions other characters.

4 Stars

Hard Justice is the third title in the Alpha Security series and features Charlie Sparks, and Vince Franklin. Both characters have appeared in the previous titles, and I was quite eager to read their story.

April Hunt writes a romantic suspense with strong heroines and alpha heroes. Vince is a protective, sexy alpha. Whereas Charlie is smart, sassy, strong and fierce. She also has trust issues and is incredibly private.

The chemistry between this pair is hot and undeniable. The banter between Charlie and Vince is fun and flirty. The taunts and insults they lob at each other builds up the sexual tension, but also leads to few humorous interactions.

Although the start is a bit slower paced, the story line is full of twists and turns, that kept me guessing and on the edge of my seat with elements of action, danger and intrigue.

I will be eagerly anticipating future titles in the Alpha Security series.

A DATE WITH DANGER

As the first female operative at Alpha Security, Charlotte "Charlie" Sparks has her work cut out for her. Sure, she can wrestle a man to the ground and hit a target at 200 yards with the best of them. But sometimes, being surrounded by all that testosterone can drive a woman to distraction-especially when that distraction is six-and-a-half feet of cocky, confident, Alpha-trained muscle.

Ex-SEAL commander Vince Franklin has been on some of the most dangerous missions in the world. But pretending to be Charlie's fiancé on their latest assignment in Miami is his toughest challenge yet. Vince and Charlie are like oil and water; they just don't mix. And when their fake romance generates some all-too-real heat, Vince learns that Charlie is more than just arm candy. She's the real deal-and she's ready for some serious action.

Review:

Another great book that I was hooked on from page one!

This was an exciting romantic suspense story. Vince and Charlie's chemistry explodes when they go to Miami to help locate missing girls. As Charlie and Vince work together to find the girls, both have to deal with their pasts to move on and trust again. I won't give away any more of the plot, but I will say there are a lot of twists and turns, action and super sexy.

This is my second time reading this Author and I loved her style and writing in this one as much as the first I read. She wrote engaging and interesting characters. Vince and Charlie were both strong and caring, but had pasts which made them super appealing. The sexy scenes had the right amount of heat without being over the top. The story was fast-paced and there were no slow points. I loved the little surprise at the end of the book. Another exciting story and worth reading.
4.5Stars

*I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book provided by the publisher.*

Ohhhh, I loved Charlie and Vince. Their love/hate relationship made for some delicious sexual tension. This story had the perfect balance of romance and suspense with some humor thrown in. Will definitely be checking out more by April Hunt.

Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

4.5 Hearts I really really enjoyed this book. No it’s not perfect. There is a LOT that happens. I mean seriously what doesn’t happen in this book? I am not sure how the author will come up with more adventure for the next book.

Vince is all alpha and Charlie feels she needs to prove she deserves to be on the Alpha Team. But they have a connection from the start of the book. You just know it is going to be hot. But what I wasn’t expecting was the bit of fun and the emotional roller coaster and both were a lot of fun to read.

Charlie is a complex character. She has had so much happen in her life. And little by little she is finding out all the things that she didn’t really want to know even though she thought she did. Charlie is the type of woman I would want as my best friend. She is compassionate and yet can kick your butt or anyone that bothers you. Vince isn’t really that complicated. He has seen war and lost “brothers” on the battlefield and he is haunted by that. It isn’t a new angle but it is very well written.

I can’t imagine anyone who enjoys the genre not enjoying this book. Highly recommend!

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Lets face it who doesn't love sexual tension in books, TV and movies? I Whats better is when you add a feisty female who can physically take care of herself but emotionally is a wreak around the one man who can push her buttons and she pushes right back.
Hard Justice follows the characters of the Alpha Security series with hot sex scenes and great sexual tension that will keep romance readers hooked. Just like the other two books it can be read as a stand alone novel but will make more since if read as a series. The action is over the top which mean suspend you beliefs but if you read the other two you already know that.
The banter between Charlie and Vince is fun fast pace and will keep reader wanting more. Even after the couple figures out what they need you still are reward with a feisty Charlie who doesn't back down from a fight which she will win. Charlie has flaws she demands trust but gives non which comes from her childhood which readers will quickly learn.
There is a few surprising twist readers may or may not see coming but the suspense alone will keep readers on the edge of their seats devouring ever last work April Hunt writes on the page leaving reading wanting more.

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the advance copy.

Vince and Charlie have been dancing around each other for the better part of a year since he joined the Alpha Security team. The former SEAL definitely likes what he sees, but Charlie is no pushover and he values his man parts so he has to proceed with caution. Charlie is a valued member of the team, but as the only female operative, she feels like she has to work twice as hard to prove herself. Vince has been both a welcome and unwelcome distraction since he joined Alpha; she loves to look at him and the more she gets to know him the more she likes the man beneath the fine external package too. But that kind of distraction could destroy her credibility and the wall she has built around her heart, and she is not sure she is ready for that.

When her past makes an unwelcome reappearance in her present, she reluctantly agrees to help the Department of Homeland Security locate a group of missing girls who are being kidnapped from her former hometown of Miami. Their circumstances hit way too close to home, a fact that only Alpha’s man in charge Stone is aware of. When Stone orders her to take Vince with her to Miami or forget about taking the case altogether, she is left with no choice but to allow the hulking source of her fantasies to accompany her under the guise of being her fiance.

Charlie’s exit from Miami 12 years ago was not a friendly one when it comes to her blood relations and the last thing she wants is to give her crime boss uncle any reason to re-enter her life but if it means saving those girls from a horrifying fate then she is willing to take the chance. Vince only knows the basics of her past, and for a man who blames himself for the loss of his best friend and teammate on a mission overseas that still haunts him, having an incomplete picture is not an option. Charlie is unwilling to share, so he sets Alpha operative Logan to the task of digging into Charlie’s background in the hopes that being prepared can save both their butts when the time arrives.

Hard Justice has a little bit of something for everyone with twists and turns, family secrets, suspense, heat, a little humor and some emotional turbulence- oh and did I mention an undercover trip to a sex club? Forced proximity brings the UST between Vince and Charlie to the boiling point, and although they try to delude themselves into thinking they can just have a little fun to get each other out of their systems, it doesn’t take long before they both realize the last year has been a build up to a whole lot more. Now Vince just has to find a way to let go of the demons of his past and Charlie has to finally decide to trust someone with her whole heart.

I loved Charlie’s snark and wit despite her tendency to get bent out of shape over perceived slights a bit too easily, and Vince was a perfect mix of sexy alpha protector with a touch of vulnerability to keep him human. All in all, this was a really enjoyable read and my favorite of the series so far!

Another good read....

Book 3 in a sizzlin' series by April Hunt. The world she's created is very believable and I've enjoyed my visits there - all three. I liked that we've been able to see Charlie and Vince fight their attraction threw the 1st two installments only to finally succumb in Book 3. So looking forward to reast of series and very happy that they're being released relatively close together.

charlie and vince finally get their day in the sun in hard justice. their sexual tension has been racheting up since book 1 in the series, and finally, here they are assigned as partners on a mission and part of their cover is faking a relationship. and of course that relationship becomes something real. there is no other way for the tension between them to break.

in the meantime, they are also trying to figure out how charlie's family is involved or not involved in a human trafficking ring. a ring that might tie back to charlie's youth and a deep trauma she survived. so to say that charlie is motivated is to understate things. as the only female alpha team member charlie also has a bit of a chip on her shoulder. she feels like she has more to prove. and this butts up against vince's need to protect her.

the thing she doesn't fully understand is that vince respects her abilities as an alpha agent, but he loves her. and he can't just let someone he loves to come to harm. so he does things that get him in serious trouble with charlie, but he does them out of love. and once they sort out that it's not second-guessing, they're okay.

this was an enjoyable romantic suspense. figuring out who the bad guys are and getting out of danger is quite a thrill ride for these two characters. add in the steaminess and the bit of emotion as both charlie and vince face demons from their past and you've got the whole package.

The author’s Acknowledgements felt more like a thank you letter – please make sure to read it.

Charlotte “Charlie” Sparks likes playin’ with the big boys. And she certainly knows how to take them down – don’t laugh too loud in public now. I would want her in my corner if I ever needed someone with her talents. Vincent “Vince” Franklin loves to yank the chain of a certain little lady. He had me laughing too. But you don’t have to be an alpha in order to take someone down.

I got so lost in this story that I lost track of time. Which isn’t a good thing when you have to get back to work. If you love those types of book where you get so lost in what the author has written that you forget everything else than you have that here – in spades. Yes, you will have plenty of action and suspense to carry you through. But for me it was the interaction between Vince and Charlie. I wanted to see what else this author could come up with when it came to these two characters.

If you’ve never experienced this author before this is a great place to start. Even though this is the third in her Alpha Security series you don’t need to have read the first to books in order to enjoy this one. It is, however, a good incentive to go back and read the first two. And when you make it all the way to the end, which I loved by the way, she gives the reader a little incentive to at least read Heated Pursuit.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

It took me quite a while to read this book simply because my personal life was in shambles and this book started off slow for me. The blurb sounded interesting and I am a big fan of security romance novels, so it made perfect sense to give this book a chance. In this security novel, we have Charlotte, a computer bad ass, and Vince who is a retired navy seal. They dance around each other for half of the book while trying to solve an abduction case. This book starts out with Charlotte and Vince being put together to solve a case and it means uncovering the truth about Charlotte and her past. For the most part, I enjoyed the second half of this book because that is when the action starts. The one thing that threw me off was the function of Alpha Security and I did not know whether they were detectives or the CIA. I have read a lot of security romance novels and this story doesn't really tell their primary function. Are they body guards, private detectives, or undercover agents? Only the author knows because I sure didn't.

The romance aspect of this book was okay, but it could have used a little more chemistry and development. Charlotte was a bad-ass female lead and I felt like she was a little too much of a bad ass because her femininity did not show at all. I liked that she was British, but the only words that she even uses is "bloody". I am pretty sure that there are more words in their vocabulary. Vince was an ex-navy seal who lost his best friend to war and I loved that part about him. He had heart and I enjoyed watching him open up to Charlotte. One thing that I found cute and kinda strange is the nicknames that they have for each other. Charlotte calls Vince "Navy" and Vince calls Charlotte, "English" and I find it cute, but Vince never calls Charlotte by her name, which I was waiting for because it would have shown the progression of their relationship. Charlotte actually calls him Vince as their relationship progressed and I appreciated that little touch.

Though this book had a slow start for me, it picked up and took me for a ride with Alpha Security firm. I recommend this book most definitely.

A breathtaking, exciting, thrilling, sizzling romantic suspense with a mouthwatering hero and a feisty as can be heroine and one heck of a bad-arse story! Once again, April Hunt brings her A-game with her newest Alpha Security Novel. This one has two incredible characters a plot that is both action-packed and has the right mix of suspense and one deliciously HOT chemistry.

I LOVED Hard Justice! This book was AMAZING. I LOVED the action, the romance, the sex, and the heart-thumping plot. I can easily get lost in this book again and again, just because it was So. So. SOOOO. Good.

Hard Justice gets a HARD AND SASSY FIVE SHOOTING STARS! April Hunt brings a new thrill with this one!

4.5 Stars

I have really enjoyed the action in the Alpha Security series to date. April keeps us on our toes with Charlie & Vince's story. The crazy banter between them ring things to a new level.

We have watched Charlie struggle for her position on the team and the acceptance that she can look after herself. As we read on we now understand that need a little better. But what I loved the most was that she was more concerned with everyone else and willingly put herself in the list e of danger for strangers.

As much as they appear to dislike each other, Vince has a huge level of respect for Charlie and the hard work she has put into getting herself on the team. What he hasn't admitted to the others is that she might be getting under his skin. When he is partnered up with her on this job, he knows he has his hands full. Can he keep his distance and keep his mind on the job?

They are constantly put in situations they don't find comfortable, but as a team they don't back down. Disagree, he'll yes. Can they fight the attraction? If not, will it get in the way? Will there past cause them more issues?.

Looking forward to more Alpha Security.

*** Advanced copy provided in exchange for honest review ***

Entertaining read, with a few small problems. Charlie wasn't very consistent, and she wasn't a great team player for being part of such a strong team. Vince was very alpha-male, almost overboard. The plot was engaging and fast-paced, and held my attention.