This author just gets better and better with each and every book. I can not get enough of her well rounded and distinct characters.

I have thoroughly enjoyed Whiskey and Irish from the very first book. Their world just improves with each addition. Seeing Mel and Danny's part in the series just made my day reading. These two had so many marks against their getting together that it shouldn't have worked. But they were the perfect fit for each other. Danny's younger age and Mel's secrets worked to keep them apart but the author created the perfect combination to get these two together.

The book was amazing and I would definitely recommend it as well as the entire series. It is a must read for romantic suspense.

This fast paced Christmas novella hit all the right chords in my heart...and quickly enough to binge-read between lunch and dinner!

The action starts revving from Chapter 1, but it really hooked me when we got to see Mel strap on a K-bar knife on one hip, a gun on the other, and not even stop to take off her heels before she took out two enemies standing between her and her family. Reyne kept cranking the stakes and the tension right until the final second of the standoff.

For all the flawlessly written suspense that kept my heart pounding, though, what really struck home for me was the proposal flashback (I won't say more specifics, for fear of spoilers). I loved the vulnerability of this strong, capable woman who is struck low by the idea that someone might love her above all things despite her lack of domesticity.

And if all that wasn't enough, the family Christmas scene at the end was just cute a puppy wrapped up in a bow. This book was a great treat to get me out of my own head and to do list for an afternoon!

*~~*ARC kindly provided to me for an honest review *~~*

- Review to come

Review originally posted on my blog with added content on Mikku-chan / A world full of words

I think I could honestly say that the Agents Irish and whiskey-series is my favorite series in the ”Adult romance”-genre and I highly recommend it to everyone! The reason I love it so much is first of all the amazing characters! Both Aidan & Jamie are so precious, funny, stubborn and just 😏 And the second thing that made it into a favorite of mine was that its romance without being too ”cheesy”. Dont get me wrong, I love a really good romance, and there is nothing wrong with liking books thats just super romantic, cute and cheesy. Nothing wrong with that at all, but its just not what I prefer. I like a romance with more of a story surrounding it, and this definitely has that! And so many cliff-hangers, in the best ways possible. I also LOVED this 4th book about Danny and Mel (because that woman is 👌🏾💪🏾😏) Cant recommend all of Layla Reyne’s books enough times!

Danny and Mel are perfect together. I knew that in the original Irish And Whiskey books and was so excited to see that they were getting their own book. Action, love, mystery, and badassery, this book has all the things a person needs.

This may have been a short and sweet glimpse of Danny and Mel, but there was most definitely nothing lacking. I also made a point of tagging this one M/F Romance because the rest of the books in the series were all M/M and featured Mel's brother-in-law and Danny's brother. Although Aidan and Jamie played important roles in Tequila Sunrise, this book was all Danny and Mel's and I loved every minute of it. ;)

Readers were not only treated to a new story in this series, but they were given tidbits of Danny and Mel's history from the beginning of the series. It's kinda fun to see things that you didn't know were happening in the 'shadows' to other characters in the same time frame. The really great part about this holiday read was that it gave readers some extra time with characters that they may not have been quite ready to say goodbye to when the series ended.

Nothing's easy when it comes to this family, but the one thing that they never have to worry about is doing it alone. They always have each other's back and giving up isn't part of their mindset - even when the odds seem to be totally against them.

Getting to know Mel and Danny a little better was a great way to put the finishing touch on this great series. I can't wait to see what Layla Reyne has in store for readers next.

Don't be fooled that just because this is a novella that this isn't going to be a high stakes story. Because things HAPPEN. And you'll be on the edge of your seat reading this. I did like that there's flashbacks throughout this story (I think I'm a huge fan of flashbacks at the moment) and you can see the moments where Mel and Danny slowly start falling in love.

The present day storyline is that it is Christmas Eve and the Talleys are unveiling their latest ship, the Ellen, as the last ship by Danny and Aiden's father before his retirement. The greatest and best for last in a whole fleet of ships named after their mother. The party onboard the ship, made up of all the Talleys, their company employees, Mel (as head of security), and Jamie, everything should have been a grand celebratory night. Except, Mel gets held up at customs coming back into the United States from an international trip, and Aiden gets held up at another airport and all the dots put together makes the entire situation look very suspicious.

This novella is full of suspense and action, Danny being hilarious and sexy, and Mel being her usual kick-ass self. This is the first time we've seen the author with a M/F story, and I love Danny and Mel. Even though the story is short compared to the Agents Irish and Whiskey series, this has so much going on, that you don't really feel like you're missing out on anything to do with Danny and Mel's relationship. This is also a nice little look into Cam and Nic, the FBI agent and the lawyer, and gives you a taste of what their series will be like.

Overall, a very good holiday novella into these beloved characters getting their HEA!

***Thanks to Carina Press for providing me an ARC on NetGalley***

Tequila Sunrise is the final book in Layla Reyne’s fabulous Agents Irish and Whiskey series, and takes place a few months after the events of Barrel Proof. It’s also a neat bridge between this series and her next romantic suspense project which is going to feature Nic Price and Cam Byrne, who both appeared as important secondary characters in the earlier novels, and who both have key roles to play in this story. Tequila Sunrise is a quick, action-packed read in which Melissa Cruz, our favourite, kick-ass, ball-busting (ex)FBI agent, gets to shine in all her Ramboesque glory. Or maybe I should call her Jane McClane… *wink*

Not long after recovering from near fatal injuries inflicted by an explosion at the end of Barrel Proof, Special Agent in Charge Melissa Cruz of the San Francisco FBI decided to make a career change, and is now dividing her time between private investigative work (as a bounty-hunter of sorts) and head of security for Talley Enterprises, the shipping company run by her lover, Daniel Talley. Danny is the younger brother of Aidan (Irish) and has a reputation as a bit of a lothario; he and Mel began a relationship which ran in the background of the trilogy and by the end of the final book, they are well-and-truly an item.

The story opens on Christmas Eve as Mel is coming home from a job, wanting nothing more than to get back to Danny and for them to spend some time together. When she is held up the airport, and then finds out that Aidan, who is also on his way back to San Francisco, has been delayed, her instincts tell her something isn’t right.

The Talley family is hosting a massive holiday party that evening, to celebrate Christmas, John Talley’s upcoming retirement and the commissioning of Talley Enterprises’ newest ship, the Ellen, named after the Talley matriarch, Aidan and Danny’s mother. All the Talley ships are named for the Talley women and this, the final ship built by John Talley before he hands the company over to Danny, is the finest ship in their fleet and the envy of their competitors. With a large gathering of employees, family, investors and media on board, it’s an extremely high-profile event – and when Danny learns of the simultaneous delays that have affected both Mel and Aidan, he can’t help but be concerned.

Danny can’t wait to see Mel again; they’ve spent almost as much time apart as they have spent it together during the course of their relationship and both of them are eager to do something about that. At Danny’s side and just as eager to be reunited with the love of his life is Aidan’s fiancé, former FBI agent Jameson Walker, who has been eagerly embraced by the large Talley clan and whom Danny already thinks of as a brother.

Mel and Aidan are finally able to make their separate ways to the party, but before they can get on board, the Ellen is hi-jacked by a team of mercenaries. With the ship locked down and the family and guests held hostage, it’s up to Jamie and Danny to save the day, or at least buy everyone some time while a rescue can be effected. Danny may be a civilian, but he knows how to think on his feet and he’s proved his mettle by helping Aidan and Jamie in the past. Mel is on the outside, but she sure as hell isn’t going to sit and wait while the man she loves is in danger; with an arsenal worthy of Rambo and a sense of irony to rival Bruce Willis in a dirty vest, Mel sneaks aboard to lend much more than a hand in taking down the bad guys.

It’s true that the plot owes more than a little to Die Hard, but I love that movie, so I didn’t care. The action does, perhaps move a little too quickly at times, but Ms. Reyne also allows for slower moments of introspection, especially in the short flashbacks to Danny’s childhood with his brothers, Mel’s with Gabe and to various stages in Danny’s relationship with Mel. The little insights to his early family life are really poignant, and when it comes to Mel and Danny, I liked reading about these two people with demanding, high-powered jobs realising that they want more from life and deciding to do whatever it takes to make it work between them. I also appreciated that Mel, at forty-five, is an older heroine with a great sense of self, and no qualms about the fact that the love of her life is thirteen years her junior. Go, Mel!

On the downside, however, there is a slightly frenetic feel to the whole thing, and while I did enjoy the flashbacks, I can’t deny that they give the novella a slightly disjointed feel overall. And as happened in the novels, Jamie’s Mad Hacking Skillz are something of a deus ex machina at times; it’s likely I wouldn’t have understood what he was doing had Ms. Reyne elaborated, but even so, there’s a sense that they’re something of a get out of jail free card when there’s no other way out of a given situation.

I enjoyed meeting all the characters again, and seeing how things are working out for them a few months on. There’s a schmaltzy family Christmas scene at the end that somehow made me want to go ‘aww’ rather than lapse into a sugar-induced coma, and the glimpses we’re given of Cam and Nic’s seemingly combative relationship has well and truly whetted my appetite for the stories to come. Tequila Sunrise is a high-stakes, fast-paced and nicely steamy read that provides a great coda to the Agents Irish and Whiskey series.

Grade: B- / 3.5 stars

A great addition to one of my favorite series. I loved getting the back story on Danny and Mel. From how they began their relationship to what it is now!

There is so much action, suspense and feelings in this story! And any time I get to revisit Whiskey and Irish I'm there! I can't wait for the next book in this truly amazing series!

4.5 Stars!!!

Tequila Sunrise is Mel and Danny's story, is part of the Irish and Whiskey universe and as such, it can't be read as a standalone since there are a lot of recurring characters.

This was a fantastic addition to the series! I adored Danny in the first three books and while Mel wasn't my favorite because of how she handled things, well, there's no denying that Danny and Mel are explosive together and their chemistry is off the charts.

I loved catching up with Aidan and Jamie and now I'm even more eager for Nick and Cam's story after seeing them here.

The book was fast-paced and action-packed and kept me intrigued and on the edge of my seat until the last moment. I loved the secret Danny and Mel had managed to keep from the others and the flashbacks so we could witness firsthand how their relationship evolved. All in all, definitely a must-read for fans of the series! Very recommendable!

*** Copy provided to the reviewer via NetGalley by Carina Press, a review wasn't a requirement. ***

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Veronica – ☆☆☆☆
I was thrilled to be back in the Agents Irish and Whiskey universe. This is a fast-paced novella that centres around Melissa and Danny's relationship and a hijacking of the new Talley ship. I love that the author gives us an m/f romance in a universe where the original romance was m/m. As a reader, I want that variety.

So the story takes us from the present to the past to give us snippets of what has happened to the characters at different times in their lives. This is something I quite enjoy when authors do but in this case, the first few times it happened, I was annoyed because exciting things were happening in the now and I didn't want a trip down memory lane, no matter how relevant.

I has a great time reading this action-packed story and for me, it was over way too quickly. I was happy being with these characters again and while reading was secretly hoping the author would write Nic's story too. Lucky for me, the note at the end of the story said the author will be doing exactly that.


Sarah – ☆☆☆☆☆
They’re back! I was so sad when this series ended so I was thrilled to get my hands on this Christmas catch-up. And I love that it isn’t just a catch-up, it’s an action-packed thriller in its own right. With the Talley family and hundreds of party guests held hostage on a boat, it’s up to Mel, Danny, and Jamie to save them all.

The action is at the centre of this story. We already know all the characters, so little time is spent with introductions or scene setting (this isn’t a standalone, new readers need to start at the beginning of the series). I was pleased that the plot works perfectly in the novella format. It’s fast paced, complicated enough to be interesting, yet easily contained and quickly resolved.

I didn’t bother with the blurb, so the m/f focus took me by surprise. I’m always a little bit wary of m/f romance, but this is Mel. Aiden and Jamie’s kick ass FBI boss. And she is fabulous in her own story. This is a short, action-packed novella so we don’t get a huge amount of character development, but we get a little bit more background about her and Gabe growing up and a few of the gaps in hers and Danny’s romance are also filled in for us.

This isn’t a romance in the traditional sense. Mel and Danny are already a couple at the start of the story, but this is the first glimpse we’ve had of these two from their own perspectives. It isn’t necessarily a sexy story either, but there is definitely heat (and a little kink) between Mel and Danny.

This isn’t only Mel and Danny’s story. Jamie’s super computer skills come to the rescue and I really enjoyed Danny and Jamie working together. Oh – and Aiden is perfect as a shiny new FBI boss. This feels like the perfect way to catch up with characters I really wasn’t ready to say goodbye to. It’s a great Christmas adventure.


Angie – ☆☆☆☆
I generally don't read much M/F books anymore, but because I read the previous three books in the series and I really liked Mel, I decided to go for it. I am so glad I did. I usually don't like books that go from past to present, but it worked for me in this book. I also liked the dual points of view, you get to see and feel so much more when books have that. There was action and passion and just all around goodness to the book, I just wished it was longer.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the fourth in the series – and it diverts from focusing on Aidan and Jamie and gives Melissa and Danny the chance to tell their story. We get quick trips back in time to remind us how they met, and the convoluted way in which difficult truths came out and affected them. Not usually a fan of moving backwards and forwards in time, this worked well as it gave us a different perspective on events we knew from previous storylines.

The hijack plot works well at giving everyone a chance to shine and get their moment in the limelight. Mel and Danny have been hiding a secret from their family, which is definitely revealed during the evening. They make a lovely pair, that is for sure.

Very enjoyable novella in the series, and the perfect way to tell us more about side characters that we have come to know. Thank you, Ms. Reyne.

I'm a big fan of the Irish and Whiskey stories so when I found out that Mel and Danny were getting a story I jumped all over that! I love how cocky Danny is but we see so much more of his serious side (as well as the cocky!) in this story. And Mel, whoa, she does not disappoint with her bad-assery. I got a good laugh when she left her shoes behind--such a Mel thing to do.

The author did a super job with keeping the urgency of this story on full speed ahead while still conveying the strong love this family has for each other. I loved that previous characters made an appearance. And the back and forth flip from present to past was an awesome way to fill us in on the what we didn't
get to see happen in the previous books. There was never a skim and eye-roll part. But then again, there never is with these characters!

Tequila Sunrise is a M/F novella that follows three other M/M stories and can not be read as a standalone.

*I was given and advanced copy of this story through NetGalley. All thoughts and feelings are my own.

I really loved the Agents Irish and Whiskey series, so of course I was excited to read Tequila Sunrise. It really was wonderful to catch up with all of the characters again, especially Jamie and Aidan, even though they didn't have much 'together' time in this novella.

I loved getting a first hand look at how Mel and Danny's relationship turned out. They made such a lovely pair, and they worked so well together. It was great seeing what a long term relationship would be like between them. The flashback scenes were a nice way to fill in the gaps in Mel and Danny's relationship, but I have to admit that they pulled me out of the current story too often.

The hijacking plot brought a lot of danger and thrills to my favorite characters on Christmas Eve. I think this action packed story is a perfect addition to the series. I only wish it had been longer.

I'm looking forward to reading more of this series. I particularly need some Nic and Cam action!

I'm not sure what it was about this book, but I couldn't connect with it in any way.
Throughout the I&W series i loved Mel and Danny, so I was super excited they were getting their own story. The series was also very dramatic...but this book seemed overly so, As if they needed to top the villainary in all the other books.

The flashbacks seemed a bit unnecessary as well. I found that I could skip chapters and still know what happened just by those alone.

Needless to say, I love these characters, but this story did not hold my interest

This was a fantastic addition to the Irish and Whiskey series. The story is set during Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I normally do not like a lot of jumping back in forth from the past to present but it so worked out in this book. We get to see how they got to where they are today (not giving away any spoilers here). I didn't figure out their little secret. We do get a dose of Irish & Whiskey and I just love those boys! The presents at the end were perfect. Oh and along the way we get the whole "Die Hard" feel, which I absolutely adored.

Another great book by Layla Reyne! Suspenful, sexy all of the wonderful characters accounted for! Love the little,secret Mel and Danny were keeping. Would have liked for the book to be longer only because I can’t get enough of the characters! Hoping for a little Danny or Mel running around.

I am a huge fan of the Agents Irish and Whiskey series and made a not so quiet fact that I would love a story with Mel and Danny. Well, I got what I wanted and then it went above and beyond.

This was amazing. As one who adored Melissa and Daniel as a couple, I loved seeing how it all began.
I love how the story was told, through both POV’s of Danny and Mel as well as in the past and the present. We get the sweet and bittersweet from both their pasts with Danny and Sean, Aidan and Danny, Mel and Gabe and we get glimpses into what was going on with the couple during Aidan and Jamie’s books.

Assuming the norm with this group and their assured high profiled lives, it wasn’t too far-fetched to have the action in this novella match that of Agents Irish and Whiskey series. This starts off with Mel just trying to get home to Danny and Aidan trying to get home to Jamie so that they can all celebrate with the Talley’s aboard the newly named ship after their mother, the Ellen. But this group has the perchance for people wanting to harm them, so they are both detained yet but the bad guys forget who they are up against.

Boy but did this novella have my heart in a vice. I was on edge through all of it, knowing how much Danny and Mel have already gone through but when Mel whispers four words to a bad guy I was floored. Floored and so freaking happy that I can’t help but smile thinking of the secret they had been keeping. Though secrets between Mel and Danny have caused heartache before, this one is so very worth it.

There are plenty of opportunities in this Christmas novella to see Jamie and Aidan as well as Cam and Nic who I am strongly hoping get a book as well. There is too much between them already and just the thought of them together… *bites fist* yeah, those two will be off the charts hot and stupidly romantic.

But this, goodness me I adored it. The present is amazing, but the bits of Mel and Danny in the past hit me straight in the feels. Knowing the moment Danny admits he fell for Mel, knowing how much Mel needed to know Danny was hers completely… the author knows how to write romance and passion and have it come off the page so strongly it sets you on your ass. Too bad my ass wasn’t cuffed to a chair like Danny because that was so damn hot. Yeah, I love the power play with Mel and Danny so much. They just fit perfectly.

This is a fantastic addition to the Agents Irish and Whiskey series. Set over Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, we get a sort of Die Hard feeling (that I watch as a Christmas movie every year) all while ladling out passion and romance that borderlines epic. The presents at the end blew my mind and a few times I got teary eyed but it’s the best kind of reaction.

If you liked Mel and Danny in the Agents Irish and Whiskey series. You don’t want to miss this!