This legal thriller, with romance thrown in for good measure, will keep you on the edge of your seat as defense attorney, Brynn Holloran, is scheduled to appear in three days for an out-of-town trial in Dallas when she receives two bits of news--the murder of Jen Ballard, her mentor/former boss/friend, and the escape of convicted criminal, James Corby, from a maximum-security facility. Not so coincidentally, Corby had been convicted by assistant prosecutor Brynn alongside Jen, who was the lead prosecutor. When Brynn's current employer hires full-time bodyguards to protect her and the assistant trial lawyer during the trial in Dallas until Corby is recaptured, sparks fly in more ways than one.

By the end, this well-written story will have the reader wondering just who can be trusted. This is a good read, and will look for more from this author.

Brynn and Eric, Eric and Brynn a match made in heaven. I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It kept you intrigued by the whodunit and by the romance. I could totally see this becoming a series and I want to know what happens next. Pleasantly surprised by this book and the author. Wonderful writing, intriguing and the ending was so good.

Well done, Ms Griffin! Good strong characters I'd love to have in my life especially if I was in trouble. The characters were slowly built as the story began to unfold. There were moments of intense intrigue and moments of pure happiness. Really good job of letting story build without giving away the whole plot. I didn't have an aha! moment until I was supposed to have it. And, great twist at the end!

This book was gifted to me by the publisher in return for an honest review.

The description of the book caught my attention, and the story itself didn't disappoint.

A convicted rapist/murderer escapes from the jail and now on the road for a very bloody revenge. Defense attorney Brynn Holloran is on his list. As US marshals keep counting and collecting new victims, Brynn realizes that she is a danger. However, the case she is working on is also a high priority and demands her full attention. While private Wolfe Security is trying to keep Brynn safe, they also discover the discrepancies with her old case. Unfortunately, newly discovered details are only a theory... until Brynn runs into an old college friend in a hall of the courthouse. One small irrelevant comment from her catches Brynn's attention, and after a quick look into her old files, Brynn realizes that there are two murders on a loose... and both are very very close to her.

Desperate Girls by Laura Griffin is a gripping thriller/romance novel that keeps the reader glued to its pages. I really enjoyed the story, events moved fast and each chapter had something new to discover. It's a super quick read. As I understood, this is Wolfe Security first novel, and I am looking forward to reading about their new cases. I loved the characters and would like to see them progress in the future novels. Thank you Laura Griffin and NetGalley for a wonderful journey thru this remarkable novel.

I love Laura Griffin’s books so I thought this was a no brainer I couldn’t clear my schedule fast enough. I liked this book but didn’t love it. It was in no way a waste of time but it also wasn’t a book I read the whole thing in a night. It was just ok. I look forward to reading her next book

I tried so hard to like the main character, Brynn but man she made it hard! There are strong and hard working women but she was so stubborn at times I wanted to yell at the book. I am so glad I stuck with it and kept reading because the ending was nothing like I expected at all. I also adored Eric- can we write a book about him next?! :)

This was the first book that I have read by Laura Griffin and I received an ARC from Netgalley. Brynn is a defense attorney who is being protected by the Wolfe Agency because a serial killer she helped put behind bars has escaped from prison. I enjoyed the romance/suspense theme but I didn't find the story so compelling that I couldn't put the book down. I liked the main characters, Brynn & Eric, but I wish their romance wasn't so predictable. I didn't think that the title of the book had anything to do with the actual story. I will check out some other titles by Laura Griffin.

Have you ever gone to the grocery store and not sure of what you want for dinner? You grab a cart and go up and down the aisles looking for something that hits you and say "now this looks good, I think I'll try it!" After what seems like an eternity, suddenly something that you've never had before catches your eye and you eagerly go home now excited for dinner.
Unfortunately, the reality of the meal isn't quite what you hoped for but it still turns out to be ok and you keep eating. Desperate Girls by Laura Griffin was that meal for me. The cover and book description gave me the thought that this was going to be a super spicy thriller. But what I got was something milder and not sure what flavor wanted to dominate more, the legal aspect, the case from the past or the relationship drama between the two main characters, Brynn and Erik.
The book kept me interested enough to keep reading and finish it but not love it. This "spicy-lite" book will leave you full but not completely satisfied.
I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley. #netgalley #desperategirls

Brynn is running for her life from a person she had put behind bars. He Is coming after each person who had any hand in putting him in jail. The vicious murder spree shows no ends. As she continues to run she is faced with how much of a mess her personal life really is. Will she survive?

This was my first time reading anything written by Laura Griffin and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The suspense kept me reading and I had a hard time putting the book down. I liked that the female lead was strong and not a damsel in distress There were some cliché lines but I think those are in every romantic suspense novel. I look forward to recommending this to my library patrons once it is released.

I desperately wanted to like this book much more than I did!

Brynn Holloran is a defense attorney who is forced to seek protection from a private security firm after a murderer she helped put behind bars appears to begin a killing spree targeting those who were involved in his capture and imprisonment. Brynn is good at her job but due to being so dedicated to her work, her personal life is negatively affected and makes it hard for her to be in a relationship.

Erik is a former secret service agent who is now assigned to protect Brynn and keep her safe. He is good at his job and leads a team in keeping her and her co-counsel safe. While keeping her safe, he begins to feel an attraction to her. He plays things by the book and is told by Brynn he comes off as a "robot"

Although I did enjoy this book, I didn't love it. I would have enjoyed this book more had it been just one thing - either a romance or a police procedural book. This book blended both genres and again, I did enjoy this book, but I hoped for more. This book is told through various points of view- Brynn's, Erik's and a police detective who is trying to solve the murder of a judge at the beginning of the case. Although, the reader is given several POV's I didn't feel as if I got to know any of the characters well enough to really care about them and if they would get together or solve the crime. I would have loved more character development in this book. I saw this book as having so much potential but left me feeling underwhelmed. I wanted more feeling, more emotion, more personality from each of the characters.

There is a twist at the end. The twist does seem to come out of left field, but then again, so many twists do. I really didn't mind the twist. Having said that, the book seemed to focus more on the attraction and the relationship than it did on the police procedures/investigation that by the time the twist came, it lacked some of its impact.

Thank you to Gallery, Threshold, Pocket books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Desperate Girls by Laura Griffin is the first book in the romantic suspense Wolfe Security series. The book is told from multiple points of view with the main Brynn who’s boss has insisted on protection, Erik one of the security team and then detectives working on tracking the killer.

The book begins with a judge coming home to prepare for a date that evening by putting some food in the oven and then going off to shower and dress. As she comes back to finish preparing dinner she notices glass on the floor and suddenly an intruder is there.

After that opening we find that the judge was murdered and that she had once been Brynn Holloran’s boss when she had worked for the prosecution side of the law. Now in a private practice Brynn has moved over to the defense and has a big case coming up but her boss has insisted on hiring security to look over her as it seems a killer that Brynn had helped put behind bars has escaped and is out for revenge.

Desperate Girls is a typical romantic suspense with the hero being called in to protect the damsel in distress and the pair growing a huge sexual attraction to one another. I would say the romance and suspense seemed well enough but I loved that in this one we got a side of legal thriller in the mix with Brynn being an attorney although some may not like the courtroom drama I’m always a fan.

When finished with this one I had a rather odd complaint in I’m not even sure why it was given the title it was seeing that it was centered around Brynn and her needing security but oh well, I guess we need to stick girl in the title of most thrillers these days. I'd give this opener 3.5 stars though and would be interested in seeing how the next book goes as it seems by the series title it will contain the security team protecting some else but I wondered if it will continue to contain the courtroom side.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Just when I thought Laura’s books could not get any better they do. I was hooked on this book from the first chapter. She has a style of writing that sucks you in and makes you forget everything but the story at hand.
The storyline was fantastic and the characters had depth to them. There was suspense, action and lots of emotions. Absolutely loved Erik and Brynn. There was such a connection and sparks between these two. A page turner for sure and I highly recommend this be on everyone’s must read list.

Release date: August 7, 2018
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Locale: Texas
My rating .⭐️ ⭐️⭐️ 1/2

First off I have no clue why this was titled Desperate Girls. It doesn’t do a thing for this novel either. If you did, or do know, please enlighten me. This is the first in a series about Wolf Security, a private company that employs ex-military forces, ex-secret service, you get it, high-testosterone males with tactical defensive experience. The team provides intensive security, incorporating current technology, firearms and muscle to any client that can pay for their costly services. Read the publishers description for details.

The opening scene was dynamic, a female judge slain in her own home while she prepares for a date, her first in a long while. This had so much potential, I thought Oh Boy! and couldn’t wait to cozy up in my bed and get into this, as I do my best uninterrupted reading before sleep. Alas, it left me underwhelmed. This is more romance than suspenseful thriller. It took me awhile to even begin to like the main character, beautiful but bossy defense attorney Brynn, though her hunky bodyguard Erik was interesting. We just get a peek at his backstory, but that whetted the reading appetite. Brynn doesn’t make his job easy, as her independent know it all attitude gets in the way of him keeping her safe. Her life may be in danger and there is a recently released convict that may be looking for revenge. Still, sparks fly between them, and you know just where it’s leading. There were several supporting characters that I would have liked to know better, but the character development was lacking.

I was interested enough to keep reading, but I didn’t love it. I would have liked it better as either a police procedural or a romance, but the merge of the two didn’t flow well for me here. The surprise twist at the end felt contrived as the character involved wasn’t fleshed out well enough for this reader to find it credible. I realize I’m in the minority here as it has good ratings, I just thought it could’ve been more intense, and I don’t mean in the bedroom, that base was covered.

Just because it lacked for me doesn’t mean I won’t recommend it for you fans of romantic suspense, especially if you like pages of sizzling attraction and graphic sexual scenes. Go for it.

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and give my honest and unbiased review.

This is book one of the author's new series, featuring the Wolfe Security team (hence the series title). Told in the third person, our two main characters meant under less than ideal circumstances.

Brynn Holloran is a lawyer, about to begin a high-profile case. Unfortunately for her and her co-workers, they are now believed to be targets of a serial killer seeking revenge for reasons unknown. Enter Erik Morgan, one of the members of the Wolfe Security team, who are hired to protect Brynn, and her co-worker Ross, as they begin their new trial.

This story itself shifts back and forth from Brynn's current court case, to the growing threats as the casualty count increases involving people who worked with Brynn on this serial killer's case. As the story-lines switched, I had mixed feeling about the heroine.

What I like about her:
I love a heroine that is smart and hard working. Brynn is both of those things and is why her firm is in demand. Despite everything happening around her, she tries to keep focused on her case, and believing in her client's innocence, makes helping him a priority.

What I didn't like about her:
At times, this dedication was also a negative, as she took some risks that weren't necessary. I'm not sure if she didn't think the threats to her life weren't credible, or she felt untouchable, but she definitely didn't make things easy for Erik and his team.

Despite my likes and dislikes, Brynn is best described as a strong heroine. She doesn't hole up and cower to the threats building around her. She fights to do her job and not let fear rule her, which is admirable

Like Brynn, Erik is also dedicated to protecting his client, in this case, her. And that similar mindset is likely a part of their attraction to one another. Add their close quarters 24/7 and the intense situations surrounding them, the sparks seemed inevitable.

Having read several books in the author's Tracers series, I'm familiar with her use of in depth technical details, adding authenticity to a fictional story, along with the element of romance woven within the story-line. This story is no different on the technical side and I thought the story was well thought out and unpredictable. As for the romance element, I thought this was one of the author's better story-lines. With the main couple forced to interact daily, the building sexual tension fit well with the overall plot, instead of being an afterthought.

For romantic suspense lovers, this is a well-plotted book with a good level of mystery to keep you engaged. Along with some heat between the main characters, desperate to rid themselves of the daily tension, this is a great beginning to a new series.

This is my first Laura Griffin book and I was instantly hooked !
Brynn Holliean is a spunky, tough, lawyer being protected from a serial killer she helped imprision . During this time she falls for Erik Morgan, one of her bodyguards and a former marine.
Twists and turns and engaging and interesting characters! I am now a Laura Griffin fan for life !

This was a well written and fast moving thriller. I enjoyed the characters and the plot grabbed me. I would definitely read this author again and would give the book 4 stars. My only negative feedback is that the title doesn’t fit with the book very well.

I'm a huge Laura Griffin fan and while I enjoyed this book it didn't quite live up to some of her other books which are on my favorite's list. This book was a bit lighter on the investigation aspect and a bit heavier on the romance (which I normally would like more) but I wasn't a huge fan of the heroine. The reader knows who the villain is from the beginning as he is an escaped convict who is killing anyone involved in him receiving his guilty verdict. Brynn is an attorney who worked for the lead prosecutor before she made the switch to being a defense attorney. She is currently in the middle of a huge case and can't just go into hiding so her boss hires one of the top security firms to provide bodyguards for her and her co-worker. Brynn is a hard character to like as she is quite self-absorbed and refuses to believe that she is really in danger for the first part of the book. While she isn't quite TSTL she is aggravating. We do eventually get a bit more on her background and while I never really loved her I did at least get to the point where I understood her a bit more and didn't dislike her. The other MC is Erik Morgan who is the lead bodyguard for Brynn. While I really loved his character I was a bit disappointed at how quickly he through his rule of not getting involved with a client out the window. It didn't really ring true for me and I thought it went against what I believed his character would do. The two fall in lust pretty quickly and act on quickly as well. While I didn't feel like this took to much away from the book I would have liked a slower burn and a bit more angst for Erik in breaking this rule. This book still has plenty of suspense and an interesting twist at the end that I did not see coming!. When I'm looking for a good suspense book with plenty of action and a romance I turn to Laura Griffin and this one lives up to that as well.

This was my first Laura Griffin book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I didn't get the title in relation to the book though. Brynn Holloran, a lawyer, is being protected by Wolfe Security to protect her from a serial killer who escaped from prison and is going after the legal team who helped put him there. During this time Brynn falls for Erik who is one of the hired bodyguards. This was more romance than suspense and was not as action packed as other thrillers that I have read, but it still held its own and does have a twist I never saw coming. I definitely would recommend it.

I received a copy of this book from Net Galley for my honest review.

Blowback is imminent when a serial killer seeks revenge…

This is the first book in the Wolfe Security series that can be read as a stand-alone.

Before she was a criminal defense attorney Brynn Holloran was a prosecutor and as such worked on a case that sent a serial killer to prison. When the man escapes the maximum security penitentiary he’d been in after three years of incarceration and kills a judge, a woman who was lead prosecutor on his case, Brynn has reason to worry about her safety. Her boss is leaving nothing to chance and hires a security firm to protect his two attorneys.

Brynn is tough, a woman with an intimidating personality to some and she hates the restrictions placed upon her by the security team. She fights them at every turn and then another person is murdered from the same old case and Brynn must accept the fact that those involved in sending the man to prison are now his targets. Law enforcement professionals know that blowback from a case they’d believed settled is always a distinct possibility, Brynn’s worst fears have now been realized. For this woman the job is everything and her personal life has suffered from a dedication that has been an exclusion of all else, she won’t hide as she has an innocent client going to trial in days.

Once a marine, then a member of the secret service, Erik Morgan is now the lead bodyguard of the security team assigned to protect Brynn. He’s an intense, highly controlled man and his frustration at a difficult client is evident, to make matters more complicated he’s attracted to the spunky woman and that he’ll have to manage. When the detectives tracking the killer fail to find him quickly they reach out to Brynn for assistance, she knows the man from her past dealings with him, putting Brynn in greater harm and making things more challenging for the team assigned as her protection.

This book was an interesting meld of genres: murder mystery, police procedural and romantic suspense, more action and suspense than romance though, it’s an offshoot of the Tracers series. The serial killer is motivated by his own righteous anger, he is definitely guilty and that leads to an unexpected twist that comes at you with little prior preparation. The story was told from multiple points of view, that of Brynn, Erik, and the detective seeking the escapee. Emotional depth was a bit lacking, the main characters were likable and relatable, they’d let their jobs define them until true danger showed them what had been missing from their lives. The title is a mystery to me, not sure how it ties into the story.

An advanced reading copy was obtained from the publisher via NetGalley.