What the heck did I just read?
That is what I was wondering after reading Close To The Edge by Dawn Ryder, published under the St. Martin’s Paperbacks. This title is book #5 in Dawn Ryder’s Unbroken Heroes series. If I knew how to add a facepalm to this review I would.

I am going to give you a fair warning now. Don’t be confused like I was when I cracked open the book and Chapter One was missing. That is correct, chapter #1 and the introduction of what transpired before you read chapter two was gone. Without reading the first chapter it was like hearing a punchline to a bad joke. Close To The Edge had no character chemistry, meaning little to no romance. I was expecting what I read in the synopsis. Maybe if I read the synopsis twenty million times and wished upon a star, I would have gotten a better book than what I got.

What happened to the storyline. This story was written like it was a screenplay. You know chapter two take five. For instance, where one scene takes place then it was cut to another scene. An entire book made up of cutscenes does not make a book. It went on and on like that. Before you knew it, I was at the end of the book. Or so I thought! until I seen Chapter One on top of what suppose to be the last page of this book. I was so done with this book that I most certainly didn’t care by that point of what transpired to lead up to Jenna Henson being in Dare Servant so-called protective custody and why the elite to of men and women wanted to take down a Mafia Kingpin.

Will I recommend this book? I most certainly will not. Without purchasing this book, I don’t know if the issue with the chapter in the wrong place was ever corrected. I only hope that it was.

I'm one of those readers that needs that first chapter to understand the world of a book. The review copy didn't include one! As such, I didn't read past the first page of Chapter Two. I'm still interested in reading this though, I'm a true sucker for alpha military type men. I am a mindless drone I guess. But, I will be purchasing a kindle edition of Close to the Edge so as I can read that first chapter. Then, I'll review it all over the place.

CLOSE TO THE EDGE is the fifth instalment in Dawn Ryder’s contemporary, adult UNBROKEN HEROES romantic suspense series focusing on the men and women who work for an elite Special Ops Team made up of ex-SEALs and other special forces warriors. This is Agent Dare Servant, and combustion expert for the space program, Jenna Henson’s story line. CLOSE TO THE EDGE should not be read as a stand alone; I recommend reading the series in order for back story and cohesion as there is an on-going premise throughout the series.

Told from several third person perspectives including Dare and Jenna, CLOSE TO THE EDGE follows the building relationship between Special Agent Dare Servant, and combustion expert Jenna Henson. Trying to help her neighbor’s out of a bind Jenna Henson offers to help cater a party at pop-music sensation Kirkland Grog’s mansion only to find herself detained and in custody by a covert government Special Ops Team. Enter Agent Dare Servant, the man with whom Jenna will fall in love. What ensues is the tempestuous relationship between Dare and Jenna, and the potential fall-out as our leading couple have been targeted by the leaders of a human trafficking ring; and the man vying to be the office of president of the United States.

Jenna was only trying to help out her friends Sam and Paul whose ‘Joyful Occasions’ was hired to cater the pop-star’s high end party, only to find herself in witness protection, on the run, with no place to go. Falling in love with her captor aka handler was never her intention but too many mixed signals from Agent Dare Servant found our heroine unable to trust the man with whom she was about to spend a good amount of time.

The relationship between Dare and Jenna begins acrimoniously. Dare must take Jenna into custody unaware of what she knows or how she came to be at a suspect’s party. Dare doesn’t do relationships because of the demands of the job but something about Jenna calls to his heart. Jenna knows that to fall in love with Dare means losing her heart to a man who claims he doesn’t’ have time for love. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.


There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including, Scottish Agent Greer McRae; Team leader Kagan; agents Thais Sinclair and Zane Bowan: Colonel Bryan Magnus, Vitus Hale and his wife Damascus Ryland, as well as Damscus’ mother Miranda Delacroix. The requisite evil has many faces with close connections to Washington DC including Kirkland Grog, Mack, and Carl Davis, who has plans to dismantle the Special Ops Team.

Once again, similar to the previous story lines, the back and forth between numerous points of view is manic; the whip-lash affect may be too erratic for some readers as the story line relentlessly jumps between characters without so much as a break or introduction. It can be confusing and unsettling from paragraph to paragraph, several times throughout each each chapter, such that the reader may have to re-read the previous passages to follow the jump in perspectives.

CLOSE TO THE EDGE is a fast paced, action packed story of suspense and intrigue. The premise is engaging and complex; the characters are colorful, charismatic and dynamic ; the romance is edgy, provocative and intense. If you can get past the constant change in perspectives, I know you will enjoy the latest instalment in the author’s UNBROKEN HEROES.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley

THE READING CAFÉ: http://www.thereadingcafe.com/close-to-the-edge-unbroken-heroes-5-by-dawn-ryder-a-review/



GOOREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2106513892


AMAZON.COM: https://www.amazon.com/review/RPH6UETZDLLJ4/ref=cm_cr_srp_d_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B074DYDFCN


BOOKBUB: https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/2782158344

B&N: (Sandy_thereadingcafe): posted

CHAPTERS/INDIGO (Sandy_At_the_Reading_Cafe): posted

Google Play (Sandy S) posted

CLOSE TO THE EDGE is, as are all of author Dawn Ryder's Unbroken Hearts books, action packed, seductive, and suspenseful. Dare Servant does come off as a jerk at times, but as you read the book you get to know him better and the situations of his life that made him as he is are clearer. Jenna is smart, funny, and really gutsy. Once she accepts the danger she is in, she goes all out to stop the bad guys. Once Dare and Jenna get it into their heads to accept the fiery attraction between them, they blow up the pages.

There are a number of varied secondary plot lines to follow in this book. All of them are intriguing and heart pounding with a lot of twists and turns that lead you to wonder if the good guys have a chance at all. The team members, friends of Jenna, and other characters are perfectly fleshed out to fill the pages. There are believable and interesting situations, great conversation, camaraderie, and bad guys you really want to see get theirs.

If you want a romance of the sweet and steamy version, mystery, intrigue, and some really kicking action then get your hands on CLOSE TO THE EDGE by Dawn Ryder.

~~ Annetta Sweetko reviewer for Fresh Fiction

Complete review may be found at: http://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=65131

This is the 5th book in this series and I do recommend they be read in order. Jenna typically is the one to play it safe and was only trying to help out her friends when she ends up in danger and now has a sexy bodyguard. The chemistry between Dare and Jenna is steamy but Dare doesn’t do relationships because of his job in the Special Ops team. Will Jenna change is mind. Loads of drama and suspense, this is a fast-paced read and takes you on quite a roller coaster ride. Steamy chemistry and a great story. I really liked it!

This is an action packed romantic suspense, that intrigued me while also leaving me confused. I have not read any other books in this series, and I felt like I was being dropped off in the middle of the story. I liked Jenna, but found myself rooting for her to dump Dare at some points and had trouble relating to some of the secondary characters. I think that this is a book that definitely needed to be read in order with the rest of the series, but I don't think even that could have stopped from wanting Dare to get his butt kicked.

Well maybe it is my fault for starting the series with this book come to find out this the fifth. I love mystery, suspense action books, but this one just didn't do it for me I felt it all over the place and couldn't really get into it. Sorry folks just didn't win me over.

I just loved this book. This book was action packed and kept me reading until the very end. I just couldn't put it down.

I give this 5 out of 5

I want to start out by stating that I was given an ARC by NetGalley for my honest review. I will also state that I did not read the other books in this series and I think that hindered my ability follow along with those book for the most part. I felt like I was dropped in the middle of the plot without any knowledge of what was going on. Dare and Jenna were confusing to me and I didn't understand their dynamic at all. He seemed to push her away and she seemed to wilt all too quickly. Their back and forth didn't make much sense and, frankly, I didn't really care for either of them. I got lost multiple times in this book. There was no clear indication of who was speaking from one moment to the next. The book skipped along so abruptly that I felt for sure that I was missing sentences or something. It did not flow well at all for me. The synopsis for the story was strong but the execution was weak. I think if you read the other books in this series that this book might have been enjoyed much more by you than me. I can honestly say that I was disappointed at how confused I was throughout most of this book.

First, thank you for my fellow reviewer who reached out and gave me a heads up about the possible formatting issue with the eARC that could have affected into my enjoyment of this exciting, interesting, romantic suspense novel, a series where I jumped right in the middle of yet relished it.
The teams of Shadow Ops play without rules. They are the good guys who sometimes have to do bad things for the greater good of the mankind. The tension even within the team is a powerful force. It is obvious that the members of this elite team don't trust anyone completely, that they never let their guard down, that they always are prepared to the worst outcome, relationships are not an option and feelings are for the others.
Jenna was an innocent bystander who' life ended up being collateral damage in the war against human trafficking, greed, and power. She has spunk, she is brave, she can handle herself in any situation. It was easy to admire her and her tough spirit, loyalty, and honesty.
Agent Dare Servant, I liked him, I really did. I even understand why he was being such a jerk to Jenna, yet still, I don't like his actions. He is the best of the best, he is fierce, tough as nails, always on, never lets his guard down. Because of Dare's actions, the connection between Jenna and him is fragile, when the bond is tight. So many things are against them, from the circumstances to the people wanting them dead, so the odds for them to have any kind of future together are low.
The storyline was interesting, I was fascinated by the teams and the web of people surrounding them, the political implications of the Shadow Ops position are intriguing. The story is brutal, it is fierce, it has this scary kind of reality in it that makes you wonder if all this could be true if things like this could actually happen, does the world really have that rotten underbelly where human life has so little value to some in power.
A captivating and fascinating story, that really awoke my interest to the rest of the series
~ Four Spoons with a teaspoon on the side

It is ridiculous how much I enjoyed this story.
Dare is the typical alpha special ops jerk. You love to hate him. Jenna is no shrinking violet, when it comes to trying to take back control of her life. When their world become more entwined, it becomes harder for Dare to deny he actually can feel...anything!
This exciting, non stop rollercoaster will take you all the way to the top and then drop you to the bottom. I loved it!!
5 stars!

Jenna is a combustion expert who also enjoys cooking so when her friends ask her to fill in at a catering job in Malibu she never expected how her life would change. As she enters the kitchen to start preparing the food she comes across a masked man and is taken hostage.

Dare is an agent with Shadows Ops and his mission just became very complicated. A simple assignment to plant some listening devices has forced him to kidnap the witness until he finds out who she is and what she knows.

Dare is attracted to Jenna’s feisty personality but now he has placed her in danger and he will do whatever is necessary to protect her. As their adventure continues the connection between them increases but will they be able to keep their distance as getting involved could have disastrous consequences?

Both of these characters are strong and they have a way of challenging each other. This story is filled with suspense, twists and action that keep you guessing. I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.

Getting caught in the middle of ruthless power hungry men and the tough as nails group that’s trying to bring them down, Jenna finds herself thrust into a world of secret identities, death defying missions and harrowing getaways.

She was just a girl in the wrong place at the wrong time. Being an eye witness to a dangerous killer, Jenna is whisked away in protective custody but being kept in the dark makes it hard to trust anyone. Even the good guys. Developing a crazy crush on her rescuer is so wrong, especially when her whole life is falling apart around her, but Jenna believes in living in the moment and there’s no way she can resist him for long.

Dare is married to the job – he lives and breathes his work and doesn’t think he has it in him to settle down. Not until he lays eyes on Jenna. Her life is in danger and she’s crucial to their case but he can’t seem to see her as another faceless, nameless package. He sees her fear and he wants to erase it. When she smiles at him, he feels it in his chest. Emotions. Their a tricky land mine but Dare finds himself cautiously crossing them. The promise of Jenna something he knows he can’t resist for long.

What I liked:
I like a hero who has to eat his words when it comes to love and commitment and Dare goes from firmly believing he was all about work and anti-love. Watching him fight his own feelings was funny. These guys always put their foot in it and I loved that Jenna didn’t so easily take him back or forgive him when he realizes he messed up big time.

I did wish the story was a bit more centered around the romance story and less about the baddies and their POVs and the handful of other side characters that contributed, but overall it was a well-rounded romantic suspense.

Would I recommend?
The ongoing investigation and several main players do take precedence over the romance budding between Dare and Jenna. If you like your suspense taking a stronger lead than the love story, this one will fit the bill :)

*3* I'll be honest, I usually love books like these but this one felt really choppy to me unfortunately. Would I read another by this author? Yes, yes I would. I was interested, I wanted to see what was going to happen next and I liked that Jenna even though she was scared and way over her head she did what had to be done.

She wanted to help, she didn't just want to sit back and do nothing. Let's talk about Dare Servant the man that had to keep her under wraps. He never got involved with witnesses, until Jenna that is. He was having trouble keeping the lines where they always were, with him 2 steps behind the witness.

These two are hot together, they had some sexy times, I liked that he was starting to fall in love. It just needed that little bit of more to get it there for me.

Close to the Edge by Dawn Ryder is the Fifth book in the "Unbroken Heroes" series. This is the story of Dare and Jenna. I have read the previous books so that helped me with the enjoyment of this one. This does have a fantasy type story line I thought but also a good drama filled romance. Ms. Ryder write some exciting stories with some hot romances and this one didn't not disappoint. Loved reading their story.

Are you looking for a fast paced book that is full of action then one click Close to the Edge by Dawn Ryder!
Jenna sees something she really should not of have seen and now she has to do into protection.....like special ops protection so you know that means insert hot cocky military type manly man! Now with these two it totally isn't love at first sight! These two def have their share of butting heads before they let their guards down! And when they do look out for these two!!
I am a huge fan of this series so the fact that this was book 5 of 5 was very bitter sweet. But I know that I can expect a new amazing series from Dawn!

More action packed Shadow Ops intrigue. Along with Dare taking a fall for a beautiful Jenna. But of course Dare does act like a dick and throw her away. But with a little help from the boss, all will be well in the world of love. Why can't these bad guys all just die, already. I'm so sick of some of them. Loved seeing more of Thais. I really hope the next book is hers.

This is a fast paced highly enjoyable read, however I was a bit lost with the relation to some of the characters, I've not read the previous books to this, so that may have something to do with it but other than that I though Jenna and Dare quite likeable

I received an advanced copy from Netgalley and I am voluntarily leaving my own honest opinion

Despite the formatting issue with my early review copy, I was instantly pulled into this intriguing romantic suspense novel, which had me hooked from the first paragraph. The author is new to me, and even though this is the fifth novel in the series, it works well as a standalone without any issues.

Dare Servant has devoted his life to his work as a special ops agent simply because he doesn't believe living a normal domestic life can be compatible with his career. Even though colleagues are settling down and proving him wrong. That's until he meets Jenna Henson...

When Jenna Henson's friend asks her to assist him on a catering job at the last minute, she's happy to help out, only her arrival places her very much in a 'wrong time, wrong place' situation and straight into the arms of Agent Dare Servant…

This is a novel that kept me turning the pages as fast as I could turn them as Jenna gets dragged into a deadly situation, just as dangerous as her encounter with Dare. Neither the suspense nor romance overshadows each other as the pair are faced with decisions, causing them to question the people they are. The narrative is packed with twists, creating a thrilling backdrop as explosive expert Jenna boldly throws herself into the investigation as Agent Servant realises he's not immune to the woman who unintentionally became enveloped within their investigative mission.

A well balanced, fast paced, action packed novel with a combustible chemistry between the protagonists. The secondary characters are equally fascinating and offer mystery and some humour to the narrative. Overall, a highly entertaining romantic suspense leaving me with a desire to read the author's back-list.

4 stars

***arc generously received courtesy of St Martin's Paperbacks via NetGalley***