Raw Power is the first in a new series by Jackie Ashenden. Her patented writing style with angsty, damaged characters and dark, gritty scenarios has once again given birth to Jack King and Callie Hawthorne. Ex-Marine turn security specialist is miffed when his first assignment with 11th Hour turns out to be babysitting a senator's daughter.

Callie hates everything to do with her father and his career. He is controlling and oppressive. When Jack is assigned to guard her 24/7 it is one more reason to defy and rebel against her father's wishes. But as he watches and protects Callie he comes to realize that there something more sinister going on that either Callie or her senator father is letting on. And he won't rest until he uncovers what is really going on. Great start to a new series.

I received an Advanced Reviewers Copy from #NetGalley for voluntary review consideration.

Jack King, ex-Marine, washes up at the headquarters of the 11th Hour at Mac's Bar in San Francisco, only to find it unimpressive and irritating. Everything has been that way since he left the Marines after being injured and declared unfit for duty. A card led him to this address and he figured it was better than nothing to follow up.

What was the 11th Hour? A group of ex-military like him who were fit for duty, but a duty outside the military: a duty to help people who needed their particular expertise. In this case, Jack is assigned to bodyguard duty on a particularly annoying young woman who has way too much money on her hands and way too much privilege, as far as he's concerned. After tracking her down at a nightclub, where she's run away from her parents for the night, he drags her back to her apartment. Only the situation is more complicated that he realizes: her father thinks someone is out to get the family, including his daughter, and Jack soon realizes that's exactly true, but is it an outside force or one inside the family?

By the time Jack gets Faith to a safe place, namely his boat, things heat up and they realize a lot more is going on other than being a bodyguard and client. But the bad guys don't take breaks for love or sexual tension; Jack has to be as tough on them as he can be in bed -- and reveal who is *really* after Faith.

This is a great beginning to a new series by Jackie Ashenden, and I'm looking forward to more 11th Hour books as we explore more of the characters that make up the group. If it's as hot and exciting as this book was, the next will be thrilling!

Jack King is struggling with life after his military career came to end because of an injury. Discharged from active duty, he has no idea what to do with himself until the 11th Hour -- former soldiers that are determined to keep on helping people -- come to him and make an offer he doesn't know whether he can refuse, especially since it'll give him purpose for his life instead of drinking it away. However, babysitting a politician's daughter isn't what he had in mind for his first assignment, but it seems he has no choice. Will he be able to keep Callie Hawthorne safe while doing his best to keep his hands off her, or will discovering the person responsible for the threats to her life make them both more of a target?

This was such an intriguing and thrilling tale, of which I loved how it started because the hero needs a purpose for his life instead of continuing to be stuck in the same rut he's been in since he was discharged from active duty. Will the 11th Hour be just what he needs to get his life back on track? However, it was from the moment the hero and heroine come face-to-face for the first time that had me smiling, as the heroine proves quite the challenge for the hero. Will he have to use the strong-arm tactics he threatens in order to get her to understand she's a target?

As for the dialogue, it was intense due to the main characters back stories that had me sympathizing with both of them, as the hero's injury forced him to leave the career he loved and he doesn't know what to do with himself anymore while the heroine wants freedom from her father and I could understand why she pushes the boundaries of what she should and shouldn't be doing because her dad is an arrogant jerk that expects her daughter to do what she's told when she's told. Will she ever fall into line with her father's plans?

With the main characters, I thought both were fantastic, as the heroine provides quite the challenge for the hero. Will she eventually give him a chance? Will she finally realize how serious the threat is to her life? Will the hero discover who is threatening the heroine? And if he does, what lengths will he go to in order to keep her safe? Moreover, the heroine is resilient, feisty, and courageous in standing up for herself because she doesn't need anyone. Yet, in saying that, I liked how she took a chance on the hero once he proves how determined he is to protect her. While the hero, he's been through tough times and I liked how working with the 11th Hour and protecting Callie gives him purpose for his life, which is something he needs. I also liked how protective the hero was of Callie, especially once they realize where the threat is coming from. No way was she going to continue to let someone try to have control over her life.

Overall, Ms. Ashenden has delivered a read that had me hooked from beginning to end because of the strong chemistry between this couple that spilled over onto the pages in really steamy sex scenes that showed how much Jack likes control; and the ending wrapped this story up wonderfully because the heroine finally has the chance to help the hero and herself. No longer does she need to worry about the person responsible for the threats to her life. I would recommend Raw Power by Jackie Ashenden, if you enjoy the sexy protector trope, the opposites attract trope, or books by authors Katee Robert, Katie Reus, Sharon Hamilton and Lindsay McKenna.

We meet Jake who was a marine, but once a marine always a marine. Jack had been hurt and scarred in his last mission and now is jobless and wondering what he is going to do. He gets approached by a company called the 11th hour and he is intrigued but in order to actually join the group he has to work on his first assignment which ends up babysitting a senators daughter. Callie was really rude to him, and he discovers that she gets bitchy because she is terrified, but of who is the question? It doesn't seem she is scared of her death threat more of someone. When he discovers who it is he runs away with her, but now who is on his side?

RAW POWER is the first instalment in Jackie Ashenden’s contemporary, adult 11th HOUR romantic suspense series focusing on the men and women who work for 11th Hour Security. This is former US Marine Jack King, and socialite Callie Hawthorne’s story line.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Callie and Jack) RAW POWER follows the building romance between former US Marine Jack King, and socialite/Senator’s daughter Callie Hawthorne. Hired to protect our story line heroine Jack King doesn’t want to babysit a spoiled socialite especially one who doesn’t seem to give a damn about her personal security. But an attempt against her, along with a number of hidden cameras found in her small apartment, find our heroine beginning to understand that Jack King is the least of her worries. What ensues is the building relationship between Jack and Callie, and the potential fall out when Callie’s life becomes fodder for the man in charge.

Callie Hawthorne has lived a life of sheltered abuse by a man whose public persona is matched by the evil that has become her life. Trying to get away places everyone, including Jack King, in danger, a danger she isn’t willing to risk for the man with whom she has fallen in love. Jack King is new to the personal security business, so new his first assignment goes all to h*ll when he isn’t willing to play by the rules in an effort to protect the woman with whom he is falling in love. No one, not even his new boss, is able to force Jack to give up on the woman he has been tasked to protect. Scarred both inside and out, our hero refuses to lose another soul to the evil that has followed him from most of his life.

The relationship between Callie and Jack begins acrimoniously. Callie comes across as a spoiled socialite, a role she has been groomed to perform from a very young age but a role she hides behind in the face of the truth at home. Jack’s immediate attraction to Callie is tempered by her willingness to place herself in a danger, a danger she believes comes from only one direction. The $ex scenes are intimate and erotic without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text. –Both Jack and Callie like it rough in the bedroom.

We are quickly introduced to the team at 11th Hour Security: Team leader Isiah Graham, Faith Beasley, Sabrina Leighton, former Navy SEAL Kellan Blake, and the money behind 11th Hour – the mysterious Mr. Night.

RAW POWER is an intense story line; a sexy, intriguing and spirited story of romantic suspense. The premise is edgy; the characters are sassy and energetic; the romance is provocative and dramatic.

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This is a new series called the 11th hour. In this series we are introduced to some members of this team that are hired ex-military that work under a Mr. Night. Jack King is the dark hero in this story, who made a bad decision a couple of years ago that caused emotional and physical damage. He has been out of work for the last 2 years. He is approached by a Ms. Beasley and given an opportunity to get back in action. Jack is tasked with protecting a Senator's daughter, Callie Hawthorne. Callie is a young 22 year old who also has her own trauma. Together the two of them are combustible and filled with so much dark passion. Jack has his work cut out for him, as on the first day of bodyguard duty, Callie gives him the run around, until there is an actual threat to her and she decides to take him and the threats to her life seriously. Due to numerous issues going on with Callie's upbringing, I could see how she would react to Jack being her bodyguard. Poor thing has gone through quite a bit. There is action, hot sex scenes, drama and suspense. Great start to a new series! 3.5 stars!!!

Jake and Callie electrify readers with passion and determination in the first book of the brand new 11th Hour series.

The characters are strong, compelling and easily hook readers on their story as they struggle to find their way through a roller coaster of emotional turmoil and conflicts which continuously plague Jake and Callie. Not only do they have to find a way to get a handle on the situation but they fight an undeniable attraction that has them engaging in some hot and steamy embraces.

This story is fast paced and full of surprising twists that keep readers on the edge of their seats with danger and thrills. Jake’s unhappiness with the assignment adds to the confusion of the situation and he tries to determine just where the danger to Callie is coming from and when he does, he faces a couple of major decisions that will impact both his and Callie’s future which adds to the suspense and anticipation of the story, ensuring that readers want to know every last detail of this explosive relationship.

Jackie Ashenden has a gift for creating powerful, raw and thrilling stories that are full of enthralling characters that grab my attention and refuse to let go. She brings her worlds to electrifying life which makes it easy for readers to imagine each and every scene and feel as if they are part of the story taking place. I was completely caught up in Raw Power from the very beginning and I can’t wait to read the next novel in the series.

I have not been a fan of the last few books I have read by this author so I was hesitant to request this book. However, the description intrigued me enough to forge ahead.

Jack King is scarred down the entire left side of his body from a grenade attack which earned him a medical discharge from the marines. It took 2 years to recover and spending the last 6 months unsuccessfully looking for employment has left him floundering. Faith approaches him one night as he’s heavily drowning his sorrows and offers him a job with the 11th Hour. He runs her off but she leaves her card. Two weeks later, still unemployed, he seeks her out.

The 11th hour special operations unit is staffed with ex-military men and women. They specialize in last resort efforts. The current members: Isiah, Kellan, Sabrina and Faith appear to be familiar with each other. The group is funded by the mysterious Mr. Night. We are told he is very powerful, rich and well connected. No one on the team has ever met him. I find it hard to believe that ex-military personnel of this supposed caliber would go to work for anyone in this type of setting without thoroughly vetting them first.

For his first assignment, Jack is offered a job of “protecting some politician’s socialite daughter.” With nowhere else to go, he reluctantly takes it.

Jack tracks Callie Hawthorne down at a nightclub. Their eyes connect across the room and boom, instant connection. Until they discover who the other is.

Callie starts off acting like a petulant, childish, pain in the rear. It really grated. We soon discover the reason for the attitude and behaviors. She is twenty two but acted more like a teenager in the beginning.

The story is told in dual POV. LOTS of talking in their heads. It was necessary to get a real feel for where they were both coming from. However, I also wanted more conversations between them. These two tortured beings had horrific childhoods with added baggage from their adult lives. They both tugged at my emotions and I was totally rooting for them to succeed. They were balms to the other’s soul. This is about acknowledging the past, healing, moving on and finding your place in the world.

I totally wanted to run over Callie’s parents with a steam roller and then back it up to make sure I didn’t miss anything. Despicable, vile, loathsome people.

A few steamy sex scenes with very mild BDSM. Domestic violence, emotional, physical and mental abuse.

The book moved along at a good pace until the end. It felt rushed and unfinished. I wanted more detail and explanations. While there are some predictable and unrealistic/unbelievable moments, but I didn’t care because I was so wrapped up in Jack and Callie’s stories, individually and together.

This doesn’t feel like a first book in a series. It feels more like a second or third in series and I missed important details by jumping in with this one without reading the previous books. I wanted more background filled in. One thing I always find annoying is when the cover model doesn’t look like the hero’s description. There are no scars on him anywhere and his tattoos are on the wrong side.

I am very curious about the secondary characters. And I want answers to the multitude of questions I was left with.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher.

First in a new series. Hero is Jack. Heroine is Callie .
Love this new series by the Author. Her stories are always intense and this is no exception. This one is not for the faint of heart.
There are intense moments and your always wondering what next steps Jack is going to do .
Jack took a gamble when he was in the military , it was the right step but he took it to soon . He lost the advantage because of his rush Years later he meet Callie
Callie is on the run from her father her father is powerful and nasty . She meets Jack and Jack wants to protect her . They go to a place where they think Callie’s father won’t find her . They are wrong. Callie’s father wants her back at all costs . Callie’s father finds her.
Why is Callie running. Does Jack find her ??

I was excited that Jackie Ashenden was starting a new series because she always creates compelling worlds with multifaceted characters. This is the first book in the 11th Hour series.

The hero Jack is from the marines and has been floundering since his discharge two years earlier for an injury. The heroine Callie is a sheltered and emotionally scarred daughter of a politician. After applying to work for 11th hour, Jack is assigned to protect Callie.

The story has a great romance between Calli and Jack who both have to work through their issues. I greatly enjoyed the suspense and mystery of finding out who is actually the bad guy in the story. The supporting characters are fascinating and I can’t wait to read more about Jacks colleagues in 11th hour and especially his boss the mysterious Mr. Night. This is a great start to what I’m sure will be a thrilling series.

I was given ARC in exchange for my honest opinion .
Jack King has an assignment to do in order to be able to join the 11th hour. And that job was to protect Miss Callie Hawthorne the daughter of Senator.

Callie Hawthorne is trying to live a secret life that her father doesn’t know anything about. However there are death threats against the family so Jack is hired to watch over Callie and she isn’t happy with that.

When Jack realized that Callie’s father is abusing her and controlling her life he take her away to protect her from her father.
Callie is grateful to be away from the life she was living until her father shows up.

Jackie Ashenden’s new series is so hot it’s a must read!!!!

OK let me take a breath here, what a story I am gobsmacked, this one is powerfully emotional, so very sensual the static between the hero and heroine could light up New York, Jack Knight is scarred physically and emotionally, Callie Hawthorne is so emotionally scarred it is a wonder she can get herself out of bed in the mornings, so what brings these two together and makes them fall in love? Jack needing a job and Callie supposedly needing protection. I can highly recommend this book first in The 11th Hour series woohoo.

Callie should be a happy healthy twenty two year old, she comes from a well to do family her father is a senator and they appear to be a happy family on the surface, but underneath lies a family controlled by an abusive father and husband. Callie learns to smile and do as her father wants but she also loves music and when she can she escapes to enjoy the nicer things in life and this is where she spots Jack across a dance floor he is scarred and gorgeous and she soon realizes that he wants her, he is her new 24/7 bodyguard assigned by her father.

Jack was in the marines until he was badly injured and discharged it has taken him years to heal and now he wants a job not some pen pushing job either so he is now in San Diego and applying to work for 11th Hour an unacknowledged company run by a very wealthy man Mr Knight, they are not so legal and are mostly ex-military, but for Jack to get this job he needs to prove himself and first job, protection of a wealthy senator’s daughter and from their first meeting Jack is feeling emotions that have been long buried and he sees in her things that he has kept from his past as well.

I loved this story from page one so many emotions flying off the pages it is compelling and mind boggling what both Jack and Callie have gone through, they are both from families where abuse was the norm, Callie has never known gentleness or love and when they come together their joining is dominant and rough but both are stunned by the heat and strength that they get from it. When Jack learns the truth about Callie he kidnaps her and all hell breaks out with her father and 11th Hour, but their love grows and Jack denies it at first he is convinced he is no good for Callie bit in the end it takes Callie, her music and some help from 11th Hour employees for the to find happiness, a beautiful HEA. I look forward to more in this series. MS Ashenden you rock a fabulous story.

3.5Stars
Jack is searching for new purpose after military and he finds an agency in which he gets an assignment as a personal bodyguard for Callie. She should be a rich spoiled senators daughter but after spending some time with her Jack finds fishy things and takes things into his own hands. Interesting love story intense and full of suspense. Callie is a little bit naive but she is strong and prepared to fight for her love. Jack is the one who thinks that is unworthy of her and let her go. But the connection that they have ist to strong. The interesting beginning of new series.
I volunteered to review an ARC of this book for NetGalley

Raw Power is book one in Jackie Ashenden’s new series, 11th Hour. This book is not for the faint of heart. It is gritty, emotional, dark and hot as heck.

Jack King is an ex-Marine. One decision, one bad call, and his military career was over with the scars, both emotional and physical, to remind him of what happened. After months of rehab, he’s ready for civilian life. But after six months of looking, he can’t find a job. His injuries make him undesirable. When he’s about given up hope, he is approached by someone from the 11th Hour. She said they deal in last resort type of scenarios. Not entirely legal, yet not entirely illegal either. It’s Jack’s chance to be a part of a team again and he wants in. His first job and sort of introductory way to prove himself is he is assigned to travel to Boston and provide 24/7 protection to the Senator’s daughter. Jack is not happy at all. He’s a marine and he gets assigned baby sitting duties?!

Callie Hawthorne is twenty two years old and has grown up in a very controlled environment. Controlled by her father. She has only briefly known freedom and it was yanked away from her as quickly as she found it. Her one avenue of escape that she keeps secret from her father is her music. It is what she lives for, both listening and dancing to it, and playing it on her guitar. It’s the only bright spot in her life. Her father is both emotionally and physically abusive, controlling every aspect of her life. Now he has hired her a body guard, claiming there have been death threats on her life. Now what little bit of freedom she finds will be gone. But when the new body guard, Jack, finally tracks Callie down, although she is angry with this new man, he makes her feel something else, something entirely new to her.

“There was something about Callie Hawthorne that got under his skin. She was small and fragile and yet there were those intriguing glimpses of stubbornness, of steel. They teased him, taunted him, and he couldn’t figure out why it felt like they reached inside him and twisted hard, but they did. Touching his heart.”

For the last two years, Jack has not touched a woman. First because he was healing, then because he just wasn’t attracted to anyone. What was it about Callie that called to him? But she was his assignment. She was off limits. With all Jack’s training, he was taught to recognize certain things, like fear. And he saw fear in her eyes, a fear he knew of himself of long ago secrets he kept buried.

Things just aren’t adding up. Jack senses there is something going on here. His assignment is to protect Callie, and when he realizes that the threat is closer than he thought, he needs to get her out of Boston, to take her back to San Diego where he can protect her from the real danger.

“There was a wildness in her that called to the darkness in him. That made him ache, that made him want…But he couldn’t want. And he couldn’t have.”

Jack and Callie discover similarities in their pasts. Something that binds them, a reason they understand each other. When they come together, it’s not soft and gentle, but rough and hard, both of them exorcising their demons. They fill something in each other, something long thought lost.

Like I said above, this book is not a violins and roses romance. It’s dark and gritty and emotional. These two are holding so much pain. Callie, though, is a tough one. She’s had enough and once Jack has gotten her away from her lifetime of darkness, she knows she will not go back, no matter what. For me, it was a little too dark. I think I wanted a little more softness in these two. But that’s just me because it really wouldn’t have fit who these two are. And the ending left me with one issue unresolved that bothered me a bit. Perhaps it will be addressed in future books in the series.

“Wounds always hurt when they heal, Callie. That’s how you know you’re getting better.”

“You saved me, Jack.”

Jackie Ashenden can write.....steamy love scenes that require reading with a fan, solid story lines, great character development.... Raw Power has all of that. I don't recap stories in my reviews, I just try to convey to a potential reader what I thought and/or whether I think its a good read. For Jackie Ashenden's Raw Power I will say this: I was so into the story that I lost track of the fact that I was reading on my kindle and caught myself reaching up to turn the page. Yes, it's that good.

As a longtime fan of Jackie Ashenden's writing, you'll find that most of my reviews for her books feature words like 'Intense!' and 'Steamy!'. This applies whether she's writing erotic romances like her Living In ... and Lies We Tell series or riveting romantic suspense like her Nine Circles series. I've come to expect a certain style from her, where dominant heroes straddle the line between good and bad and heroines range from self sufficient to younger, damsels in distress types. In Raw Power, the first of her new romantic suspense series 11th Hour, a wounded ex-military man finds purpose in working for a shadowy security agency though he inconveniently starts to care more about his client than the job at hand. Longtime fans will be happy with the result, and new ones will have a lot of backlist to add to their to-read shelf.

Ex-Marine Jack King is at loose ends. Wounded in action when he was unable to resist the siren call of women and children in danger in a trap set up exactly for men like him, he's been honourably discharged and is looking for somewhere he can apply his skills. When he's recruited by an under the radar security company, he's given the opportunity to 'audition' for a permanent position with them by taking on a bodyguard position for a senator's daughter. She's a party girl, a spoiled selfish young woman who needs protection from death threats. Jack's a professional, and he can handle anyone. But things aren't quite what they seem, and the more Jack learns, the more he wonders exactly where the threat lies.

Callie Hawthorne is used to being under the emotionally abusive thumb of her father, the man who controls everything in her life from her relationship with her cold and distant mother to her day to day activities. He's got plans for higher political appointments and expects her to appear as the perfect supportive daughter. Sneaking out from a charity event to escape her reality for a few hours at a nightclub, her first meeting with Jack, her new bodyguard, makes her keenly aware of how different he is from the other men in her life. Scarred face notwithstanding, he's a man who exudes power and confidence. He's also the enemy if he works for her father.

Forced to put up with Jack in her house 24 hours a day, the attraction between them simmers into a full boil. With it comes the real danger. Jack's job is to protect Callie from external threats, including those closer to home than others. When she becomes more than just a client, will he risk blowing his first assignment to keep her safe and in his life for good?

This is a good start to what looks to be an intriguing new series. I like the concept of a group of military veterans looking to find new meaning in their lives after leaving the service. Jack is described as having some serious facial scars (though the cover shows otherwise) and also limps due to a severe leg injury that he has covered with tattoos. He may not have the same level of physical adeptness as he used to, but he's quick witted, strong and motivated to prove himself still capable of assessing and removing threats. A bodyguard assignment seems pretty benign and boring but he'll do it if it means he gets an 'in' into the agency, where he'll presumably get better assignments once he's proven that he can handle a small job. It just doesn't turn out to be so small after all.

Callie is a young woman in her early twenties with very little power and control due to her abusive father. She lives on her own (though we soon find out that she doesn't have as much privacy there as she'd thought) and in her experience, showing any sort of caring or desire for something means it will be used against her. She comes across as snobby and unfeeling, looking out for herself because it's her way of protecting herself. She finds solace in one thing – her music. She has a guitar and composes melodies to express her emotions. Jack isn't like anyone she's ever met before, especially when he appears to actually listen to her and see past her spoiled brat act. The sexual chemistry between them startles her too. She pushes Jack into admitting his own desire for her and there are some hot and sexy scenes, consensual but bordering on rough sex as Jack tries to scare Callie off. It doesn't work. The more they spend time together, especially when Callie realizes that she can make Jack lose control around her, the more she can contemplate regaining control in other aspects of her life too.

While Callie has her problems, Jack is also dealing with childhood trauma. An abusive alcoholic father, the death of his sister, and his own personal revenge color his world with dark thoughts. Callie becomes someone he can confide in though he doesn't believe he is worthy of her love. She is able to convince him otherwise. The danger they face heightens the emotions between them. There are action packed and intense scenes in the second half of the story that lead them to their happy ending. If I have a complaint it's that there is not much time spent building the team dynamics for the 11th hour operatives. They are introduced at the start but don't seem particularly cohesive. This may be because Jack spends very little time with them while on his assignment. Unlike other series where one gets the 'I can't wait to read his/her story!', I'm left with a feeling of ambiguity about who I'd want to read about next. But no worries, I intend to pick up the next one because with a Jackie Ashenden romance, I can always be assured of an intense and steamy read.

This review has been posted at All About Romance and feedback updated with the link.

Raw Power by Jackie Ashenden begins a new series on the 11th Hour Agency. These guys are all former military, served their country well and paid the price by suffering injury. Now they are the ones called when there is no other hope. Not always following the rules, but making them up as they go along since they must make instant decisions. Jack King fit that description to a T as he protects a Senator’s daughter, Callie Hawthorne.

I have had mixed feeling about the characters in some of Jackie Ashenden’s books, simply because they do not always walk the ethical side of life. She has given the reader a character in Jack, who will get the job done but may use unconventional methods to do so. I found that I like him, understanding his motives as well as his actions. Callie Hawthorne came across as a strong, stubborn woman. I wasn’t sure if she was going to use common sense or not in the beginning. Still they are a well matched couple.

This is a series that I will want to read more of the books. These flawed heroes, who still have a sense of honor, in a must read plot makes great escape reading. I give a thumbs up on this new series starting with Raw Power.

The book is about a broken ex marine, Jack, who was injured in the line of duty and now can not serve his country and a presidential candidate’s daughter, Callie. Jack takes a position with a secret security team consisting of ex-military. His first assignment is to protect Callie because her family is receiving death threats. Nothing is what Jack expects of Callie and he finds himself having feelings he hasn’t had in years. Jackie can write an emotional, intense book that has her characters healing and finding themselves. Of course her sexiness is always there, too. I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy.

Just when I'm firmly convinced that Jackie Ashenden can't possibly write a novel that's better than her last one, she proves me wrong, and she did it again with this first novel in her new 11th Hour series, which gets a 5-star rating from this reader.

One of the things that drew me to her novels from the very first one I read, Hold Me Down, her entry in the Deacons of Bourbon Street series, is how completely she is able to immerse the reader into the minds, hearts and souls of her characters, as well as the drama, angst, fear and suspense of their stories, and Raw Power is no exception to that fact.

We first meet Jack King, in the prologue. He's a Marine in Force Recon, stationed in Afghanistan, and he's trying to rescue a houseful of women and children when it turns out to be a trap and literally and figuratively blows up in his face, as he's standing too close to an exploding grenade thrown by an insurgent.

We next catch up with Jack two years later. He's been medically discharged from the military, is wounded and scarred after the explosion, has had multiple surgeries and rehab, and he doesn't know what to do with himself. He's been unable to find a job that matches his skill set, and he certainly doesn't want to end up as a bouncer in a nightclub. But a chance meeting and a proffered business card lead him to Mac's Bar, a cover for an ex-military group known as the 11th Hour, operated by a mysterious figure known only as Mr. Night. He's offered his first mission, as bodyguard for the socialite daughter of presidential hopeful, U.S. Senator Hawthorne, against whom death threats have been made, and although babysitting is not something he wants to do, he soon learns that this bodyguard job is a test, and he'll only be allowed to join the team after he successfully completes his mission, and, since he has no other options, he accepts.

Jack finally catches up with his charge, Callie Hawthorne, in a nightclub, after trying all day to track her down. She's an elusive but beautiful, blonde, 22-year-old, and he's surprised that she's not put off by his orders, his scarred appearance, or his insistence that he's not leaving her side and that he's going to do his job with out without her cooperation. He can't help but be attracted to her feisty nature, and intrigued by the fear he sees in her eyes, but as a former Marine, he won't allow her to keep him from completing his mission.

Jack King embodies everything I love and want in a fictional hero--he's big, strong, protective, sexy and driven to succeed at whatever life throws at him, while at the same time being wounded, scarred and damaged, both physically and emotionally. But Callie Hawthorne is a surprise, since she isn't at all cowed by her new bodyguard--in fact, she's attracted to and intrigued by him, but it will take quite a while for her to understand why. When Jack finally gets her out of the nightclub, and her limo driver is called to pick them up, Jack's plans take on whole new aspect, when Callie accepts that the new driver is a last minute replacement for her usual driver, and jumps into the limo, ignoring Jack's order to wait. When the limo driver goes for his gun, Jack knocks him out, and all his previous plans change, as Jack breaks protocol to keep Callie safe, and that's just for starters.

Jack no longer trusts his team, Callie doesn't at first trust Jack, and from this point on the suspense and the heat these two generate ratchets into high gear, so prepare yourself for some fireworks and some tears, because these two characters are far more alike than they or the reader first realizes, and Ms. Ashenden's uncanny ability to make us feel and fully understand the depth of their pain, their uncertainty, and their damage is unparalleled. At this point, I must also mention that this novel contains scenes of rough sex with BDSM overtones, and that it is definitely for mature readers only.

While there's so much more I'd love to say about this novel, I don't want to spoil it for you. What I will tell you is that I absolutely loved every single word of it, was totally and completely engrossed in and moved by both the characters and the plot, and I cannot recommend it highly enough. While I wish Ms. Ashenden had given us more background information on the 11th Hour team, I'm sure that it will come in future novels, and I, for one, cannot wait to read them.

I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.

This is my first book by Jackie Ashenden and I like her writing. The hero, Jack was awesome. Exactly the kind of hero I love. Scarred, alpha, protective. Unfortunately, the heroine, Callie is a brat. A grade-A, temper tantrum throwing brat. Callie is young. She's twenty-two years old and under the thumb of a controlling father and she wants to break free. What she sees as her rebelling and grabbing some freedom for herself, I see as her having a bratty fit suitable for a two year old. I'm not that far into the story but so far there are death threats and her father has hired a bodyguard, Jack, to protect her. She's dodging Jack and when he finally catches up with her, she pitched an epic tantrum. Perhaps the danger is real, perhaps it's not. She thinks it's just her dad's way of controlling her because so far no one has taken a shot at her. She has no concept of self-preservation at all and she's intent on having her own way. I wanted to slap her across the head hard and tell at her to grow the eff up. Jack and Callie are instantly attracted to each other, but the way Callie behaves, I find it inconceivable that a man like Jack will overlook her petulant behaviour and fall for her unless she matures quickly as the story progresses. I dislike her so much I'm not even sure I have the patience to find out if she improves. She's such a clichéd spoiled rich kid pitching a fit because she's not getting her way.