The very first rule in a murder investigation...don't fall for the suspect. Janie already makes that mistake. Is it going to cost her everything? Is she wrong to trust him?

This book definitely has me wanting to read the next novella because I need to know what happens! Kept my curiosity up for sure! Has a little bit of everything in it, a little insta, a little intrigue, a little suspense, etc....

This was my first book by this author and looking forward to more from her!

Shattered Fear by Tara Thomas (romantic suspense, St. Martins, February 2018, Sons of Broad series, novella #1): Shattered Fear is the first installment in a three part romantic suspense novel following the romance of cop Janie Roberts and the wealthy Brent Taylor. Janie is undercover at a gentlemen’s club, tending bar while looking for a serial killer. Brent is a suspect, but one that Janie can’t resist getting involved with. The two start dating and then the case heats up.



Shattered Fear is very short. It chronicles the beginning of Janie and Brent’s romance and introduces some important characters to the Sons of Broad series (ie The Gentleman). The books in the series (Shattered Fear, Hidden Fate and Twisted End make up one full romance) are connected by a larger suspense plot which is broken down into smaller pieces for each romance. This means that the series should be read in order. It is difficult to make a judgement about Shattered Fear without having read Hidden Fate and Twisted End as well. I was intrigued by the suspense plot enough to continue reading. We shall see how things work out.

I find novellas hard to rate. On the one hand, they’re short and to the point so I might expect to get my story without too much drama, and on the other hand, well, they’re short and to the point. Fast. I’m prepared to give the benefit of the doubt to novellas because their job is hard, to tell a story in limited page numbers, but sometimes I just can’t get over the fact that writing a novella for a particular kind of story is the wrong choice. And in this case I think it was. This was a suspense story as well as a romance so I expected some development in that regard.

Janie is a cop. After several women start to disappear only to be found dead in the end, she goes undercover in a club as the bartender to gather information and to keep an eye out for possible suspects.

My biggest problem in this book was with Janie.

For one, she didn’t act like a cop at all. She wasn’t professional in the least. She failed to properly stake out the bar she worked at, failed to keep it professional when it came to a handsome customer who fit the kidnapper’s profile to a T. Now, I’m not a cop so I can’t dictate this, but I think sleeping with one of your prime suspects is not good cop behavior. Plus, she wasn’t cool under pressure. As the police, I’d like to believe she should be prepared to handle tough situations like being shot at, but unfortunately she’s at the brink of tears instead, and finds relief in being in her one night stand’s arms. No taking charge or control of the situation. It wouldn’t be wrong if I said despite her being a cop, I didn’t see her policing at all during the little time we had with her.

Besides my problems with Janie’s character, this was short for a romantic suspense. I get it that the author continues this story with two following novellas, but I would’ve preferred if all three stories were compiled in one book. That way I could’ve gotten a sense of completion and perhaps I could be more attached to both the suspense and the romance.

I have the first book of the Sons Of Broad series as well, courtesy of the publisher, and I’m fully prepared to read a novel length story in this world. Though this one wasn’t my cup of tea-I just can’t get over the fact that the heroine was so inadequate- a novella and a novel are two different things and I want to have read one of each from this author.

I’m adding one spoonful of this story into my hodgepodge.

This the first of three novellas in the Sons of Broads series and it does end in a cliff hanger. We meet Janie Roberts who is an undercover Police Officer. She is working as a bartender in the club that is of interest to the police since women are disappearing from there. She meets Brent Taylor there and the chemistry is really quick to strike between them. This is a short book with a very fast pace from the first word. It was a very good book and we will learn more from the next book in the series since this does end in a cliff hanger. You learn just enough in this book to keep your interest for the next book. I can’t wait to read it. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book that I received from Netgalley

I did enjoy this book and debated back and forth about my rating between 3 stars and 4 stars. The beginning of this book just catches your attention immediately and it gave me the shivers. I thought the characters were enjoyable and relatable. The one hurdle I had was seeing Janie as a undercover cop. She just did not pull it off for me. The other problem I had was I felt the writing did not flow in a few places. I enjoyed the plot twists and the ending definitely makes you want more.

Shattered Fear is an intriguing introduction to the Sons of Broad, a murder, mystery, suspense romance.

Janie is working undercover as a bartender. She is trying to catch a serial kidnapper/murderer who sticks to a certain criteria for his victims.

Brent is a wealthy and popular figure of the community. He is charming, sexy and good looking.

Janie is being harassed by a rowdy customer whilst working behind the bar and Brent becomes her Knight in shining armour. They are instantly attracted to each other, but something about him nags at her. They go on a date and she realises that there is more to him than meets the eyes. After being subjected to an attack, Janie finds herself in deep trouble, but she isn’t about to give up easily. In the process, the persuer becomes the target and the danger increases with each passing day. The murderer is elusive and is always a step ahead. Could it be someone in their circle?

The insta love between Janie and Brent is fairly convincing. The murderer remains a mystery and it ends on a cliffhanger. A good incentive to pick up the next installment to find out what happens next. It's a short and easy to read introduction which kept me turning the pages.

I was kindly issued with an eARC and the views expressed are my personal opinion.

An exciting suspence story that captivated and intrigued me from the beginning, this novella is a start of a series

Shattered Fear by Tara Thomas is book 0.5 in the "Sons of Broad" series. This is the story of Janie Roberts and Brent Taylor.
Janie is a undercover detective working to catch a killer who has been targeting women. One of her suspects is Brent. Brent is rich and very popular figure among their area. Brent is also a popular figure at the gentleman’s club that Janie is working undercover at.
This is a novella that does end with a cliffhanger to start you on the next book called "Hidden Fate" that continues this story.

Danger lurks right behind her … but is it him?? With the suspenseful kick-off novella to her Sons of Broad series, Tara Thomas introduces us to an undercover cop, the criminals she is staking out, and the man who has caught her eye … but what we don’t know yet, is who the bad guys really are! It’s a short introduction, but it gives us a good footing into the mystery and danger that is yet to come in the series. A promising start!

Detective Janie Roberts maybe be undercover, but not many people know that. When a handsome stranger strikes up a conversation, she’s leery about his motive … but as time passes and conversation happens, she starts to believe he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time … he couldn’t be wooing her, yet also be the bad guy … could he?

Brent Taylor is handsome, rich and the ultimate man about the town … but is he more than anyone ever suspected?

This is the first of three prequel novellas that are being released as an introduction to the full-length novel Darkest Night. Things you should know:

1. It is not necessary to read the novellas before reading Darkest Night.

2. This novella ends on a cliffhanger, which I did not know before reading this.

3. The novellas seem to range in length from about 70-85 pages, and cost $2.99 each. In the end, it will cost $8.97 to read what I would consider to be on the shorter end of a novel.

In this novella, Janie is working undercover at a bar to find out why women are going missing. I enjoyed the suspense and liked the mystery behind The Gentlemen and am curious where this story will take us.

Janie’s friend, Tilly, who also works at the bar, will be the focus of the full-length novel, Darkest Night.

Honestly, while I thought this novella was OK, I would probably skip them and just go straight to the full-length novel, Darkest Night.

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley.

A suspenseful novella which I didn’t put down until I was done. This is my first book or novella by this author but look forward to reading more by her.

This is the author's first venture into romantic suspense and those that read erotic will be familiar with the name Tara Sue Me. I've never read any of her novels before but I'm hooked after reading this introduction to the new Sons Of Broad Series. Shattered Fear is a novella and a quick read, yet it kept me gripped the whole time and I can't wait for more. I'm not a fan of short stories, but this is a wonderful beginning to what promises to be a fabulous series.

Set in Charleston SC, we are introduced to the mysterious Gentleman, his identity hidden from the man he's blackmailing to conduct his wishes as payment for his gambling debts. Undercover cop Janie Roberts is working in the bar of a gentleman's club trying to collect leads and clues. Here, she meets Brent Taylor, the sexy playboy who fits the profile of the serial killer only she's falling for his charm…

This fast-paced teaser introduction was over far too soon but has left me craving for more.

If you enjoy romantic suspense, this series should be of interest to you.

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

Shattered Fear is the first of three short, intense novellas introducing the Sons of Broad series in a rather intriguing manner. Janie has been working undercover in a bar she believes is connected to the disappearance of several women. She’s a cop through and through and every instinct she’s ever trusted says that the handsome as sin Brent is a man she should be keeping an eye on… for more than one reason. He fits what she believes she’s looking for in her suspect. He also fits what she’d be looking for in a man completely for herself. Lines are drawn, and crossed.

The action of the story begins very quickly and I was tossed into a mystery and a very hot relationship immediately. Nothing wrong with either of those things – and even knowing this is one of three prequel novellas I was a bit surprised at the sudden dive right in feeling to Shattered Fear. Because this is such a short beginning there really isn’t much I could safely say without giving away something. So I’ll call this novella intriguing, it caught my imagination enough to want to move on to the next story to find out what is happening.

If you love Romantic Suspense, and enjoy an almost serialized beginning to a new series then I’d recommend that you get in on the beginning of the Sons of Broad series with Shattered Fear. It will definitely grab your attention.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

**3.5 stars** Shattered Fear is the first of three prequel novellas that sets up Tara Thomas’s new romantic suspense series Sons of Broad.

These novellas feature Janie Roberts and Brent Taylor. Janie is a cop who has gone undercover as a bartender at a “Gentleman’s Club” to try catch a serial kidnapper/murderer when women start disappearing from the club. There she meets sexy, wealthy businessman Brent Taylor. She’s immediately attracted to him, but he also could be a suspect in the case. She knows she shouldn’t get involved with him, but it’s also a way to find out more about him and if he could be the killer.

It doesn’t take long for these two to get together (a little faster than I expected), but Janie needs to be careful. She’s walking a fine line and her actions could cost her job. When another woman goes missing and attempt on her life comes into play, she’ll do whatever she needs to do stop a killer.

NOTE: This novella does end in a cliff-hanger, but I’m intrigued to find out what happens and continue the novellas!

The 3 novellas release a week a part from each other (2/6-Shattered Fear, 2/13-Hidden Fate, Twisted End-2/20) and the first full length book Darkest Night (different main characters) releases February 27th!

**I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

I am super excited about this series because the prologue novella did its job and did it well, in my opinion.
I knew before starting to read the novella that it is a prelude to what is to come and not even necessary to be read to follow the series. But since Tara Thomas is a new author to me, I wanted to test the waters, so to speak, and now I am enthusiastic about what's to come...
The novella definitely whets my appetite towards the series. There was a sizzling hot attraction between two intriguing characters, that I am looking forward to getting to know better. There were intense moments of suspense, action, and death. There were human interest aspects of the homeless man, drama at the workplace when Janie brakes the rules, and the budding relationship between Janie and Brent.
Janie is an established police officer and on an undercover assignment to solve the mysterious disappearance of several young women while she meets the town's notorious playboy, Brent Taylor. They are immediately drawn to each other, and even though Brent is the perfect candidate to be the kidnapper/killer, Janie can't resist the temptation of the attraction.
Brent and Janie's ardent hookup has consequences neither of them expected, and the story ends with a cliffhanger of murder, drama, and desire.
The novella is a scary, naughty, sweet, dramatic and intriguing start to the series. It might be a bit predictable, but it does set the scene for more excitement to come and does it well.
~ Four Spoons with the teaspoon on the side

Janie is an undercover cop working as a bartender while trying to catch a serial killer. She meets Brent in the club one night and, the attraction between them is immediate and intense. The problem is that Brent fits the profile of the murderer to a T. The other problem is that, in trying to find out more about him, Janie ends up breaking a cardinal rule and, becoming involved with a possible suspect. This was a great start to this series and, I can't wait for the next!

A quick and dirty introduction to the Sons of Broad series! Love the prequel introducing Janie and Brent and the serial killer on the loose. Can't wait to see where this series goes!

Tara Thomas est une auteur que vous connaissez sûrement étant donné qu'elle a déjà publié une saga érotique sous un autre pseudo , à savoir Tara Me Sue. Nous la retrouvons donc dans un nouveau genre et avant de découvrir le tome 1 de la saga Sons of Broad, nous avons la possibilité de découvrir les prémisses de cette saga avec trois nouvelles.



Cette première nouvelle pose donc les bases d'un récit qui va sans aucun doute nous tenir en haleine . Un serial killer opère dans la ville de Charleston et Janie Roberts est en charge de cette enquête très délicate. En couverture dans un bar, elle fait mine d'être serveuse dans ce bar où les jeunes femmes disparaissent. Pourquoi ce bar semble t-il focaliser l'attention de ce meurtrier qui enlève des jeunes femmes blondes et sans famille? Quel est son objectif? Janie est une flic hors pair mais qui va être troublée par l'arrivée d'un client pas comme les autres. Son enquête va la perturber et elle risque bien de commettre un impair qui pourrait lui coûter cher.



Brent Taylor est sans conteste l'atout charme de cette nouvelle. Nous sommes séduit dès les premiers instants et bien que nous nous posons des questions à son sujet, nous ne pouvons pas céder à nos doutes et la confiance sera de mise. Il troublera Janie au plus haut point mais j'ai hâte de connaître ce que nous réserve ce duo.



Nous avons aussi des personnages secondaires qui nous troublent, nous surprennent et dont on a forcément envie de découvrir , comme par exemple Alyssa , sa collègue que je n'ai pas encore réussi à cerner. De quel côté est elle? Saura t-elle la soutenir dans l'épreuve qui l'attend? Et évidemment nous avons The Gentleman et l'homme qu'il tient sous sa coupe. Comment l'a t-il recruté? Quel est son plan diabolique? Parviendra t-il à le mener à bien


Bref, j'ai été happée par cette première nouvelle qui a su instaurer une ambiance très tendue et très haletante. Nous doutons de tout et de tout le monde et nous attendons avec impatience la seconde manche qui ne saurait tarder. Qui remportera la victoire finale?

This is the first of three in a prequel and just when it gets started it is done. Janie Robets is an undercover officer working as a bartender trying to gather evidence and find the kidnapper and killer of women. She meets Brent Taylor, who I haven't figured out yet, and there is something about him Janie initially adds to her suspect list. Twists and turns and Janie ends up getting suspended and then fired...Lots happens in this first one and I'm starting to think I know whodunit but without any concrete evidence given will have to keep reading. Glad I have the next one up on my kindle...

**Received this ARC for review from the publisher via NetGalley**

I wasn’t sure what to expect from Tara Thomas’ Shattered Fear, since this is the first I have read by this author. However, it was a surefire page turner. The characters are developed as much as can be in an 80 or so page novella. Still there is much about Brent that I would like to know. Just like with Brent, there are many mysteries surrounding the case Undercover cop Janie Roberts is working. Also, the events take a strange twist, making me suspicious of most of the supporting characters.

Of course, I have my idea of who one of the bad guys is and how he relates to Janie. I think anyone reading this story would be trying to decipher the clues. Plus seeing inside of one of the villain’s mind is creepy with The Gentleman being just plain frightening.

Now I highly recommend this fast-paced action thriller. My only warning is that you will not want to stop reading when the novella finishes, it has a major cliffhanger. Hidden Fate the next in the novella series releases Feb. 13, 2018. I tell you that because you will want to get it as soon as possible to see what happens next!