Brynn Holloran is a tough as nails defense attorney working on the biggest case of her career when a serial killer she once helped put away escapes from prison and begins targeting all those who have wronged him. With the death of Jen Ballard, a local judge, mentor and friend Brynn’s boss, Reggie Gunn, hires Wolfe Security, one of the top personal security firms in the country as hired protection for his dedicated team. Brynn does not like the idea of a personal bodyguard, but she has no choice in the matter.

Erik Morgan is heading the team hired to protect Brynn and her co-council. Erik is a marine and former secret service Agent. He does not let distractions get in the way of his job performance. He holds himself to a higher standard and level of professionalism and takes his job in security very seriously, but Brynn is slowly chipping away at all of his defenses. Tasked with protecting Brynn is becoming a lot harder than he anticipated. Erik finds himself attracted to the pretty lawyer and a distraction like this could mean life or death. With a killer on the loose, Erik needs to keep his personal feelings out of the equation in order to keep Brynn safe.

With a budding romance on the horizon, will Erik’s defenses be compromised enough for a dangerous killer to get too close to Brynn?

Desperate Girls is the first book in the Wolfe Security series and so far, the series is off to a great start. I often times find stories in the Romantic Suspense genre to be either too much suspense with not enough romance or vice versa. I am happy to say the suspense and romance elements are done in equal measure and they are both done quite well. I really love the courtroom drama/legal aspect of the storyline too. However, it is not the focal point of the story. The suspense really keeps you guessing and there is a twist that was quite unexpected. I found myself glued to the story and never felt like any part was rushed. Laura Griffin really knows how to write a slow burn story that kept me engaged throughout and flipping the pages needing to find out what happens next.

I really loved the Brynn as a heroine. She is very put together and a beast in the courtroom, but her personal life is the direct opposite and in shambles. Her last relationship ended because of her dedication to her job and the long hours she put in to her workload often at the cost of her relationship. So, it was interesting to see how a budding relationship with Erik would turn out. Erik is the ultimate alpha hero. He is dedicated to his job, capable, and knowledgeable. He doesn't let anything stand in his way of getting the job done. I can see his dilemma with wanting Brynn knowing it can cause a distraction and as much as he tries to fight the feelings he has for her, he can’t help acting out on them. Other members of the Wolfe Security team we get to meet such as Jeremy, Hayes and Skylar are an added addition and although we don’t know much about them now, I, for one, can’t wait until their future stories are told.

Desperate Girls is a slow burn suspense that builds in momentum ending in a shocking twist I never saw coming. Laura Griffin’s writing style kept me glued to the pages as I craved to know what comes next. The suspense really kept me guessing up until the very end. Very well done start to a new series! I can not wait for more!

Laura Griffin writes fantastic romantic suspense book and this is the first in the new Wolfe Security series.
The book starts with the murder of a successful judge who used to be a prosecutor responsible for the conviction of a murderer who recently escaped prison. Brynn Halloran is a defense attorney who is currently defending someone who she feels is innocent. Brynn is shocked by the murder because she was also a prosecutor and worked on that case with the deceased judge.
Brynn’s boss is in fear for her life and hires Wolfe security to protect her and another of her colleagues. Erick is her new protector. Brynn and Erick have chemistry and it’s nice to see how the relationship develops while we are trying to figure out who the killer is. The story is told well and the supporting characters are all well done. It’s fun to see a character from the Tracers series. The ending is a twist and suspenseful. I am eagerly looking forward to the next book in this series.
I received this book in return for an honest review

This book draws the reader in at the onset with the murder of Judge Jen Ballard. It appears that Jen's murderer is an escaped convict named Corby whom Jen helped convict. If this premise is true, then everyone else who helped convict Corby is also in danger, including former prosecutor turned to the dark side (defense lawyer) Brynne Holloran. Brynne's boss arranges for protection from the Wolfe Agency for Brynne and her colleague Ross. Enter hot agent, Erik Morgan..... The story that enfolds is both a mystery as well as a romance. The pieces of the mystery when solved made sense and were satisfying. The romance element was pretty typical which is why I rated this story as 4 starts. This was an enjoyable light read but did feel a bit formulaic.

When a judge is murdered in her own home, the past rushes in to confront Brynn. The suspect is an escaped prisoner that Brynn helped convict and law enforcement has every reason to believe he may target her next. Now she’s got a team of bodyguards interfering in her daily routine and a trial that demands her undivided attention. Added into that stress is her attraction to Erik who refuses to act on his own desires due to his job to keep her safe.

Brynn was one tough heroine who had definite ideas and plans and no one was going to stop her. There were times I was afraid her choices were going to land her in deep water but fortunately that never happened. She was a bit brash and outspoken, a tough, experienced lawyer who fought for justice for her clients.

Erik struggled to keep his focus on the case, on keeping Brynn safe and not on what he wanted to do to her. He was intense and stoic, an alpha hero without the over the top alphaness. He knew that a break in his concentration could cost someone their life, possibly even Brynn.

This was a fast paced romantic thriller filled with suspense and mystery as well as a twist that was absolutely shocking. The characters were all well developed and the steam was what I would consider a medium heat. When they finally came together later in the story, it was pretty hot but there wasn’t a lot of build up to get to that place Secondary characters were everywhere and were important to the story.

I enjoyed this book and the thriller feel to it with plenty of chases and close calls. I did feel that this couple needed more time together to connect but that was almost impossible with a serial killer on the loose. It was missing a certain “humph” factor that made me know this couple would work out and would be together forever and I really, really wanted to feel they were a forever couple. Perhaps an epilogue a few years down the road would have eased my concerns.

However, I would definitely recommend this for the suspense/thriller elements as these plot points kept me riveted to the story.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book provided by NetGalley and Pocket Books. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Laura Griffin has always been one of my top authors for romantic suspense because she writes both sides of the genre so well. There have, of course, been times when I liked the suspense more or vice versa. But in this one, I was struggling to connect to both the suspense and the characters. Early on, I kept finding Brynn shallow and hard to connect to. I did find depth in her later in the story, but it wasn't enough to make up for the early moments. Erik was just there and not overly memorable. The action all seemed to come at the end, so there were a lot of moments where things dragged for me.

I still find Laura's writing itself to be engaging, even when I didn't connect to either plot or characters, so I know this is more of a one off for me. I still very much look forward to future books.

I really enjoyed seeing a different side of investigating a crime through this book. Usually, we view a crime through the police's eyes and this book gives us a lawyer's perspective. I think that Griffin had the perfect balance of personal relationships and action. It was a captivating read!

i love griffin's tracers series, so i knew i was in for a good thriller with desperate girls. it's also the start to a new series and i have to say the guys at wolfe security are super dreamy. there are enough twists and turns to the plot that laying it all out is no fun in a review.

but the story begins with a judge being murdered and the belief that it's revenge for how she handled a former case. brynn was an ada on her team and her boss believes her life is in danger and hires wolfe security. brynn is super independent and is not happy about the constraints of being watched over. this creates a lot of conflict and is also a personality trait that is somewhat frustrating for the reader. i get wanting to be independent. but sometimes you have to trust others.

and it felt like her insistence that the danger was being overblown was willful stubbornness that detracted from her being an actually highly intelligent, strong woman.

she frustrates her team leader, erik. who couldn't be more swoonworthy if he tried. he's the strong, silent type. but he actually respects brynn and he gets her. he understands why she fights so hard. he likes it. he just also needs to keep her safe. at first it's his job, and then it's more.

the way the author weaves romance and suspense together is always glorious, so if you are a fan, you will enjoy this one.

**desperate girls published on august 7, 2018. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/gallery, threshold, pocket books (gallery) in exchange for my honest review.

Fantastic read from Laura Griffin! I was hooked from the very first page. The story was well thought out and kept me interested until the very end.

Laura Griffin kicks off her new Wolfe Security series with a bang with DESPERATE GIRLS. It’s an addictive combination of romance and suspense, with great character development, exciting pacing and just plain ol’ great writing. There’s courtroom drama, a serial killer, pursuit of an escaped convict, and a killer twist at the end!

As a former Marine and Secret Service agent, Erik Morgan is accustomed to crazy hours and life on the road. It’s lonely, but his work is important and not something he ever dwells on. So when he meets Brynn Holloran, a defense attorney and his latest charge, she throws him for a loop. Brynn is confident and smart and fearless in the courtroom … but her personal life’s “a wreck.” She has trust issues, and after the murder of her friend and mentor, Judge Jen Ballard, Brynn is even more wary of ceding control to Erik’s team at Wolfe Security. Compounding Brynn’s stubbornness is the fact she’s beginning a new high-profile case in Dallas — and her current client (whom she believes is innocent) is depending on her to save his life.

Jen Ballard led the prosecution team that convicted and put away James Corby, a serial killer, a couple years ago. Too many facts overlap for Jen’s murder to have occurred on the same day Corby escaped from maximum-security prison for it to be a coincidence, so Reggie Gunn, Brynn’s boss, hires Wolfe Security to protect her and Ross Foley (who was also on Ballard’s team). It takes Brynn a long time to come around to the fact the threat is very real, and Reggie wasn’t being an overprotective drama queen. But the violence piling up around her makes it unavoidable: She’s receiving notes like Jen, her motorcade is shot at on the way to the courthouse, and Ross is stabbed by Corby. Remember: Brynn is skeptical, not stupid. Knowing she’s next on the retribution list is the ultimate wakeup call.

The longer Brynn and Erik are together, the stronger their attraction for each other grows. The forced proximity and dangerous situation push them together quicker than if they’d met by chance at the grocery store, but it also ratchets up their emotional responses. Brynn desperately tries to focus on the case she’s trying, because an innocent man’s life is at stake — but she’s drawn to Erik, who is a distraction. Erik is trying to keep Brynn safe in the courtroom and all points in between, but he’s also trying to pursue Corby, who continues to elude the U.S. Marshals and local law enforcement. The combination of everything is combustible, so much that he crosses the line and gives in to their mutual attraction for the first time in his career. It’s no slight blurring of his professional ethical line … it’s a magnificent obliteration of it.

Griffin’s background in journalism is evident in the tight narrative, snappy dialogue and efficient pacing of the story. This is going to be a great series!

*Originally published at USA Today's Happy Ever After: https://happyeverafter.usatoday.com/2018/08/09/dolly-r-sickles-romantic-suspense-rec-desperate-girls-laura-griffin/

I have been anxiously awaiting this new romantic suspense series, which is a spin-off from Griffin’s always dependable Tracers books. Instead of focusing on the Delphi Center or the police, we get to dig into Liam Wolfe’s private security firm. Liam was the hero of book 9 in the Tracers series, and while we don’t get to see him much we do get some brief glimpses of him and his profiler brother Mark. You definitely don’t need to have read any of the Tracers books to jump into Desperate Girls, though.

The cover copy for this book is really not an accurate portrayal of the plot, so let me try and summarize things a bit more precisely. (And that title is similarly meaningless. I can only assume the publisher is trying to cash in on the popularity of the “Girl” thrillers, even though this is not that kind of book. It is firmly a romantic suspense.) Brynn Holloran is a former prosecutor who is now a defense attorney. When it appears a case from her past has come back to haunt her and the others involved, her boss hires Wolfe Security to handle things. Erik Morgan is the lead for her security detail, and they quickly butt heads. Brynn doesn’t see the need for security and is simply focused on her big upcoming trial, but as the threats escalate she realizes the danger she’s in. Of course, she and Erik have an inconvenient attraction that complicates matters.

Probably my favorite part of the book is Brynn. She is a really, really good defense attorney, and it was fun to read about her legal strategizing. She is excellent at reading people, at seeing patterns and motives, and at telling a story for a jury. I particularly love the way she makes no apologies for her job or her tactics. She admits she’s not above using her looks to sway, impress, or intimidate. There’s a scene where she calls out Erik for his hypocrisy by pointing out his appearance is an important part of his job too, and I gave a silent fist pump at that. She is perhaps a bit ridiculous in her continued insistence that she doesn’t need so much security, but I could overlook that one blindspot.

I really enjoyed Brynn and Erik together, too. We never dig too deep into Erik’s story, which I would have liked, but we do get some time to see Brynn and Erik together. I appreciated that Erik likes her for her strength and her intelligence--he respects her job and how hard she works at it. They have some good physical and emotional chemistry, and I believed they would be a good long-term couple. This is a stereotypically fast-moving romantic suspense relationship, however, so YMMV depending on how you feel about that trope.

We meet some fantastic secondary characters in this book, too. I particularly enjoyed the police detective Lindsey, who seemed brilliant and not afraid to go her own way. I definitely want to hear more about the other Wolfe Security team members as well.

In my opinion, this is a solid start to this spin-off. This book was a bit more suspense and less police/forensic procedural than the Tracers series, but I appreciated the different vibe.

Grade: 4 out of 5

I am new to Ms Griffin’s books. I have to say that the tittle compared to the content of the book is slight confusing. There is really only one girl and I wouldn’t call her desperate. Really the first chapter was gritty and intriguing. You meet Brynn, who used to be a prosecuting attorney but now works for the defense. A man she helped convict has escaped and the detectives believe he is the one murding anyone who was involved with the case. She gets assigned a security detail and meets Erik who used to be ex military and secret service. Erik and his team are to keep her and her associate safe until detectives can catch this guy. This book had great pace and flowed nicely between POV of Eric, Brynn and a police detective. Around 80% I thought it kind of dragged on a bit and fizzled out. I did guess who I thought was actually behind the murders so it was no huge surprise. It had a good epilugue and was nice to see how these characters end up. I would read another book of hers again.

Laura Griffin is an author that writes gripping stories with complex plots and complex characters. The characters have many sides which is case for Brynn Holloran, a defense attorney, who is suddenly in danger. Desperate Girls is Brynn’s story along with Erik from Wolfe Security.

The plot is solid, blending the romantic suspense with legal thriller. The story has more than one thread as there is a case and there is danger seemingly from a different direction. There is also more than one POV. The romance is strong but natural between Brynn and Erik, based on respect as well as attraction. Often there are twist and turns in Griffin’s books with a major one in Desperate Girls that I didn’t see coming.

I haven’t read a Laura Griffin book that I didn’t like, In Too Deep is no different. I can recommend it to romance suspense readers everywhere.

I received an advanced copy of this book through Netgalley. This book had me from the very beginning. I love that it kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I would highly recommend this book to my fellow readers. Thank you for the chance to review this book!!!!

Desperate Girls by Laura Griffin.

Thank you NetGalley & the publisher for the ARC of this book. This book kept me interested from page one till the very last page. I don’t give spoilers but I liked how the characters were written and yes I found this book to be suspenseful which is a kind of book I like to read.

I definitely plan on reading more by Laura Griffin and recommend this book to my friends and anyone who likes suspense novels.

I wasn't sure what I was going to get when I saw the cover of this book, but the description intrigued me. I was NOT disappointed! This was my first Laura Griffin book and I now need to go and read her other books!

Brynn is a force to be reckoned with in court, but she needs help when the man she put away when she was a prosecutor escapes prison. Erik is one member of the security team that helps to protect her, and sparks fly when he meets Brynn.

I love the drama, suspense, the major twist at the end that surprised me, I couldn't put the book down, I didn't want to stop reading it. Cannot wait until the next book in the series comes out.

This review is based on a galley copy from netgalley, courtesy of the publisher. All opinions are my own.

A great start to a new series, Wolfe Security. This is a terrific romance suspense with great characters. I love this author’s writing and her wonderful storytelling. She’s created a fantastic heroine in Brynn with depth and layering. A heroine you can get behind and cheer for. Her latest case has her in jeopardy so enters her security specialist, Erik, a swoon worthy hunk from Wolfe. Lots of drama, suspense and romance. Can’t wait for the next story in the series.

When a killer escapes from prison, he seems to be on a quest to get revenge on those who put him in prison. Brynne, now a defense attorney was an ADA on his case. When the judge and a police officer are murdered, her boss hires an elite security firm to guard her and her coworker, Ross (also formerly an ADA on the case). Brynne doesn’t take this threat as seriously as she should, frustrating Erik, the head of her detail. The revenge issue is much more complex than it first appears. It is interesting how the author adds romance to this riveting thriller. I have just heard that this is the beginning of a series and if this book is an example, I will be reading them all!

I also reviewed this book at B&N and Kobo under the name IrishEyes430

Huge thanks to Gallery, NetGalley and Laura Griffin for providing me with a complimentary copy of Desperate Girls in exchange for an honest review.

Talk about excited about reading Desperate Girls. I love all the books by Laura Griffin and I couldn't wait to get my hands on this one. Even better, Desperate Girls is the first book in the Wolfe Security series (Yay! more swoony alpha guys to look forward to). Not that I didn't miss the Tracer series' characters and I'm selfishly hoping for more books in that world.

Desperate Girls begins with the murder of a prominent judge. This murder is linked to a known murderer and rapist who recently escaped from prison. The judge used to be a prosecutor and she was the one responsible for putting him behind bars.

Brynn Holloran is a defense attorney. She's ruthless in court and she's always prepared for whatever happens there. Her next case is extremely important to her. She believes the accused is actually innocent. She wants to do anything in her power to make sure he's a free man. When the news of the judge's death gets to her, she's shell-shocked. Brynn used to be a prosecutor and she worked for the demised judge.

Brynn's boss is convinced her life is in danger. He doesn't want Brynn or Ross, another lawyer in the firm, to be the next victims. He hires Wolfe Security to prevent any damage.

Erick is an ex-secret service agent. He now works for Wolfe Security. His job is to protect Brynn. It does bother him that he's attracted to her but he can't let himself get distracted by it or she could suffer the consequences.

Romantic Suspense, when done well, is a pleasure to read. Laura Griffin knows the exact combination of action and romance to inject into her books to make it work. She made Brynn a strong heroine. Although in the beginning, Brynn was not pleased with her security entourage and a couple of times she rebelled against it. Not very smart on her part. However, once she knew the threat was real, she followed their lead without questions.

Eric knew his job. He was a man of a few words but no one could say he was not the take charge kind of guy. He was secure in his ability to protect her and defend her from any threat. He tried to avoid falling for her but sometimes the heart wants what the heart wants.

Desperate Girls is written in three different points of views. Brynn and Erick have one. So does the female police officer investigating the case. There is one character crossover from the Tracers series and a couple of interesting male cops too. The twist at the end was unexpected but welcomed.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

Brynn and Erik were fantastic . The whole premise of this book had me riveted. I started reading it and I have such a hard time believing I just finished it. I loved the attraction, the chemistry, the strength and determination both main characters had. Every person in the book had an important part to play and it was amazing. Thank you for allowing me to read and write about this book.

This is my first book to read from a new arthur and wow is all I have to say. This story drew me in just from reading the blurb i knew i had to read and once I started I honestly didn't want to put it down. I was reading it at every chance i could.
Laura held me spellbound as she told this story about Brynn who is a Defense attorney who has just found out that a friend who was her mentor has been found dead and Cromby who they both put behind bars when they worked for the Prosecuting Attorney's office has escaped and is suspected of having done it i mean if you escaped a maximum security prison and there's been a manhunt issued to try and find him before somebody else ends uo dead I tried to figure out why wouldn't you just vanish instead of sticking around that's what I kept thinking, but as I read more into the story thing's start making sense.
Enter Wolfe Security and Eric who is to be Brynn's bodyguard and she's not to happy about it, but she has no choice if she wants to stay alive. They both realize they have an attraction for each other, but Eric has a code and is trying to stay away as much as possible but Brynn isn't making it easy.
Will Cromby be caught before somebody else dies? Will Eric be able to convince Brynn to take the death threats seriously? You just have to get this book to find out for yourself. This book was so good I would highly recommend it if you like suspense who done it's, twist and turns and romance thrown in there along the way then you need to read this book.


This is my unbiased opinion and my review.