Desperate Girls by Laura Griffin is a Mystery/thriller novel and the first in the Wolfe Security series.
When a murderer escapes a high security prison and starts targeting those responsible for putting him away, defense attorney Brynn Holloran is shocked to hear the man she'd helped convict 3 years ago could be potentially coming for her as well. As a result, Brynn’s boss hires a team of security to tag along with her and a fellow colleague as they head to Dallas for the biggest case of Brynn’s career. Not one for being told what to do, headstrong Brynn is making it difficult for the head of her security detail, former marine and secret service agent, Erik Morgan. With her life on the line, Brynn will need to put aside her stubborness and learn to trust Erik and his team to do their job and keep her safe as truths begin to unravel and the murderer begins checking off people on his list.
This was such a gripping story! It started out a bit slow but pulled you in once it started to get momentum. I don’t read many mystery/thrillers because I get easily freaked out and for some reason I started reading this at night when everyone was asleep. Foolish, foolish me. With shocking events happening at every corner, this book had me on the edge of my seat (er, bed?) right up until that INSANE twist at the end!

I really liked this one! It combined suspense & romance, two of my favorite genres! Brynn was very likable but relatable as the main character - and the chemistry between her & Erik was smoking hot. I enjoyed the storyline- it was more focused on the romantic relationship brewing between 2 main characters than I thought it would be, but I didn't mind it. I wouldn't consider this a thriller, there were some moments of suspense but I still enjoyed it. This was a fun, easy read that I would definitely recommend.

Laura Griffin’s Desperate Girls is a mix of thriller, legal and romance. This book is well written with engaging characters, and a twisting plot. Griffin keeps the reader guessing, however this is a fast and easy summer read. I enjoyed the legal thriller aspect of this book, unfortunately the romance portion was a bit of an unrealistic stretch but a nice addition regardless. If you are looking for a fast paced summer read give Desperate Girls a serious consideration.

On the edge of your seat, gripping 5 star read! I strongly recommend this book. It's a definite page turner!

I received Desperate Girls by Laura Griffin as an ARC from Netgalley in return for an honest review.
There's no need to go into a long drawn out dissertation here. I really enjoyed it. All of it. Nicely paced with believable characters. I was completely wrong on who I thought the "bad guy" was and that was a pleasant surprise.

Since I had an ARC digital copy I would be remiss not to mention the two editing errors I saw.
#1) Chapter 7, paragraph begins "It wasn't that she wanted Adam back....." there is an extra word that should be removed. [Her illusion *should could* have]
#2) Chapter 23, paragraph begins "Eric circled the block....." There is a missing period between the words overpass & Eric. [...cars on a nearby overpass Eric reached the six-story parking garage...]

Hopefully these errors can be fixed before the book goes to final print.

Thanks to @netgalley and S&S for the chance to read early.

This was my first experience with this author and I was pleasantly surprised. It was a great Sunday afternoon read. Griffin had excellent character development and did a superb job creating that “spark” between people. The plot was fluid in shifting between the different aspects of the story, so much so you are blindsided by the twist. Love to be surprised like that!

The story follows defense attorney, Brynn Holloran, who does not like people telling her what to do. She is one of her firms top defenders and is strong willed both inside and outside of the courtroom. She works long hours and lets her work consume her, which may be why relationships in her personal life are such a struggle. But everything changes for Brynn when she is forced to accept the protection of a private security firm after circumstances surrounding an old case start to present danger to her and those involved in the case. A ruthless killer that she helped prosecute and convict has escaped from prison and those intimately related to his trial are being murdered. Former Marine and Secret Service Agent, Erik Morgan, is put in charge of Brynn’s security detail but she is not making it easy on him. Brynn refuses to listen, follow his rules, and questions everything about her protection. Her constant talking and her lingering stares are making him crazy - in more ways than one. Brynn will have to learn to trust Erik and his team of muscle if she wants to survive. She will have to change her outlook on life and come to terms with under estimating the truth about those we’re closest to.

The book does not go into gruesome detail on crimes and did not get too explicit during the romantic scenes. It would be a good read for someone just getting into Romance/Crime/Mystery. Overall, a good read - I look forward to read more from this author.

I really liked this book! It was extremely fast paced and the story kept churning away and building. I liked both the strong female and male lead characters immensely and was rooting for them. This book had great intrigue, a "forbidden" romance, a sense of humor and a great final twist. There were also many secondary characters that give me great hope for another Wolfe Sec story in the future from Laura Griffin. This book was reminiscent to me of Suzanne Brockman's book series that I read years ago....military guy/strong girl/some sort of peril. All a very good combination. I will anxiously await another book surrounding these characters in the future!!!!

I enjoyed reading this book. There are two main storylines to the book revolving around the lawyer Brynn. Her life is being threatened by an escaped convict who felt he had been unjustly convicted and is out for revenge. Body guards are hired to protect her and the other lawyer she is working with. Brynn is also currently representing a young man accused of murder in a drug deal gone bad...and she is positive he is innocent and refuses to let her own drama interfere with his case. This all makes for a difficult job for around-the -clock bodyguards. Brynn is a very strong woman and does not like the idea of relying on others for her safety. However, she finds herself falling for one of the bodyguards who is trying his darnedest to keep her out of sticky situations. I found myself not wanting to put the book down....wanting to see what would happen next. On the down side...I’m not thinking the title best represents the book...and I thought a final plot twist was a little out of left field... but at the same time...didn’t see that coming! I received an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley and publisher for an honest review, which this is.

I received an ARC of this book for my honest review.
WOW, loved this book. It was a thrill ride from the first page. I could not put it down. I didn't figure it out till the reveal.

Brynn Holloran is a very successful defense attorney. When she goes to Court, she’s a vicious contender and fights for her client with passion. While working on a current case, she finds out that her mentor, Judge Jen Ballard, has been murdered. Her, boss, Reginald H. Gunn, isn’t taking any chances with his star defense attorney. He knows that both Judge Ballard and Brynn worked as prosecutors on a case that convicted, serial killer, James Corby. Corby has escaped from prison, and Reggie decides to hire a very reputable security firm to protect Brynn and her partner, Ross. The security firm is Wolf Security, and Liam Wolf hires nothing but the best, ex-Navy Seals, Special Ops, ex- Marines, and ex-Secret Service. Brynn isn’t exactly on board with her boss hiring bodyguards. She goes toe-to-toe with Liam and tells him what she will and will not do regarding security. However, she lost that fight and has to deal with the team leader, Erik Morgan. Erik is just as determined to do his job as Brynn is to do hers. Another individual that worked on the investigation had been murdered, and everyone thinks Brynn might be next. The Marshals or law enforcement can’t seem to find Corby. As Brynn starts reviewing the old case, she’s finding discrepancies in the crime pictures of the 4 women who were raped and murdered by Corby. Did someone plant evidence that shouldn’t have been used during the initial trial of Corby? If so, who could have done this, and why? Is this why Corby has become unhinged and is killing anyone who had anything to do with his prison sentence. Along with the pressure of the current case, Brynn finds herself attracted to her handler, Erik Morgan. He is also attracted to her, but tries to maintain a professional relationship with her. Will the two become involved? Will they find Corby before anyone else is targeted? Will Brynn find out why the discrepancies were not caught first? What a great book. I enjoyed the plot and didn’t want to put this book down. The character development was genius. The mystery continued throughout the book, until the very end. I didn’t understand the meaning of the title though. I think I would’ve chosen a more catchy title for this book; it is that good.

A defense attorney, Brynn Holloran, is working on defending a wrongly accused young man when a dangerous escaped convict out for revenge, targets all those involved in his conviction. Brynn and her co-worker worked on his case so her firm hires an elite security firm as bodyguards. Brynn isn't thrilled but as murders pile up, the manhunt is unsuccessful and the danger increases she begins to accept that there is a real danger. It also doesn't hurt that Erik, an attractive former military and ex-secret serviceman, is her bodyguard. This story has plenty of intrigue, suspense and romance. I enjoyed the mix of crime, police procedure, and courtroom drama. There is a big twist at the end and it is a doozy but it was believable and I liked it. Overall this was a light refreshing romance that was suspenseful and well written. The characters were well developed and there was plenty of action. I look forward to more from this author. The only criticism I have of the book is the title, Desperate Girls, does not fit this story at all.
I received ARC from NetGalley (Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books) in exchange for an honest and fair review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I loved this book. The storyline was intense. It kept me guessing what was going to happen next. With so many strong characters...I see many opportunities for great sequels! Bring it on!

Title and author: Desperate Girls by Laura Griffin
Publisher: Gallery Books
Releases: August 7, 2018
Purchase: https://tinyurl.com/ych4nj53
Genre: Suspense
Author website: http://lauragriffin.com/
Rating: 5 Stars

There are more questions than answers as DESPERATE GIRLS begins, and unexpected happenings cause the list of uncertainties to continually grow. I was immediately pulled into the intriguing premise of the story, and my fascination intensified with each new shocking event. Laura Griffin has created developments that grab your attention with their originality, where suspense builds because events are unanticipated. By the time the book had ended, I had experienced incidents packed with great peril and came to care about a spirited romantic couple.

Shortly after a convicted killer manages to escape prison, the prosecutor during his trial is murdered. Feeling that the criminal might be targeting individuals who were chiefly responsible for his incarceration, the law firm where Brynn Holloran is a defense attorney hires Wolfe Security to protect its employees. The team watching over her is headed by Erik Morgan, and since he was once a Secret Service agent, he is an expert at guarding someone. As he works out the details on making certain Brynn is fully protected at all times, she feels as though too much is out of her control. This leads to her not always following his advice. Erik quickly realizes he will have to be at the top of his game or Brynn could be the next one in jeopardy.

When Laura Griffin writes a story, I am never disappointed by the time the last word is read. All throughout DESPERATE GIRLS, threats are exceedingly real while the true-to-life personal challenges are also convincing. Although quite a few facts dealing with the murders in the book are unknown at first, hard work and diligent investigating provides much needed clues. I enjoyed seeing the methods which different individuals used to gather evidence plus come up with a theory, and several revelations were very startling. While a large part of the story is about the possible attack on those associated with the previous trial, there are also interesting details concerning the current case Brynn is working on.

As more was learned, my fears for Brynn and others working in the criminal justice system increased. The risk of being harmed was constantly looming over this lawyer, and some of the episodes that arose had me worrying over how things would ultimately conclude. Erik’s various career choices had him being a protector, but he has never before let his emotions become involved. The feelings Erik and Brynn have for one another grew stronger with each day they are together, but the circumstances they find themselves facing are certainly not ideal for a relationship to form. Yet sometimes the heart does not listen, and this added further drama to DESPERATE GIRLS, another spellbinding story from Laura Griffin.

I voluntarily reviewed the book from the publisher, and all comments are my honest opinion

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy in exchange for my review.
Desperate Girls is a fast paced romantic suspense novel that held my attention during the whole story. I enjoyed the different story lines through out the book. It gave you more of a real feel to the main characters. The budding romance, the court proceedings and twist at the end really made this a page turner for me. I enjoyed reading this and look forward to the next book in the series!

‘Desperate Girls’ isn’t a title I’d immediately associated with the blurb of the story and it became quite clear from the onset that the story is so much more than the rather irrelevant-sounding title. As a sort-of offshoot of Laura Griffin’s Tracers series, I was eager nonetheless to take a closer look into Liam Wolfe’s Security company staffed by supersized heroes and the different kind of romantic suspense revolving around security that Griffin was going to write.

The stoic bodyguard who eventually falls for his principal when they are paired up—typically reluctantly on the latter’s part—as a threat escalates isn’t a new idea, but Griffin’s take on it is a unique, intriguing one, going further than the usual bodyguard-type romance. The standout as always, is Griffin’s writing, her ability to juggle so many elements at once while revealing the intricate details about the security business that simply go beyond shadowing a principal. The complexity of the police case, the red-herrings, solid protagonists and the well-researched and fantastic writing made ‘Desperate Girls’ an entertaining read, even though my rather shallow way of measuring this had partially to do with the amount of sleep I had the past few nights at night as I got lost in Griffin’s writing.

My only gripes were the few TSTL moments early on, the courtroom drama that proved a bit of a lull (I was more caught up in the danger of a psychopathic, escaped convict and the slow, amping up of the action) and the final plot-twist feeling like a last-gasp attempt at drama that proved to be downers for me. I did feel that characterisation suffered a little under the hyper-focus on the court case and the overall suspense but these however, weighed against how much I enjoyed the developing action nonetheless, probably seem somewhat churlish to include. Still, the pulse-pounding moments, all leading up to the action-movie-type ending (complete with the exotic location) seemed to be over too soon, leaving me eager for the next book in this promising series and its fresh, new cast of characters.

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.

Laura Griffin is one of my favorite authors. I enjoy reading everything she writes and find her books hard to put down. What I love most about her stories is that they are well written and I can never figure out what will happen next. DESPERATE GIRLS is suspenseful with an intriguing storyline and engaging characters. It is a compelling story that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. This one has it all, a great story, wonderful endearing characters, romance and edge of your seat suspense.

This story revolves around Brynn and Erik. A crazy man is after Brynn and Erik has been hired to protect her. Brynn is an attorney and she worries about her safety while working on an important case and going to court every day. Brynn is smart, beautiful and also stubborn. She continually fights Erik because she likes to be in control and doesn’t like to be told what to do, even if Erik is trying to keep her safe.

Erik is dedicated and loves working in private security but he hates trying to protect uncooperative people like Brynn. Erik is the lead for the team protecting Brynn and he finds himself immediately attracted to her. Erik is the strong silent type and he is also fierce, loyal and protective. He takes his job seriously and he knows he should stay away from Brynn but finds it difficult to resist her.

I enjoyed all the sparks flying between Erik and Brynn. They argue and fight with each other but underneath, there is a smoldering attraction. They are both workaholics and have put work ahead of relationships. I highly recommend this suspenseful romance.

Received this arc from NetGallery....loved the book!
First book in a new series by Laura Griffin.
I was a bit confused with the title “Desperate Girls” 🤷🏼‍♀️ And how it fit into the story.
Mystery, murder, romance, suspense, a winner all around.
Loved the build up of romance between Brynn and Erik.
I never regret reading a book written by Laura Griffin!
Will be anxiously waiting for the next book in the series.

I really like the Tracers series and this was a good addition. The story moved quickly and had some steam!

I have read many book by Laura Griffin and while each one if different and unique she has the ability bring readers into her world of action, romance, mystery and suspense. The characters are human with their abilities to bring their lives front and center where readers began to care about what happens to them.



Desperate Girls is a mix of legal dialogue and police procedural that readers will drown in but than the action starts to pick up once again keeping readers hooked needing to know who and why.



The story is told from different points of view which doesn't pull away from the story and only adds to the mystery and action that will pack a punch. Filling readers of suspense with what they have been missing and romance readers enough to keep them wanting more.

Readers will want to yell at Brynn Holloran several times in the book trust me I did.



The lack of emotions from the male lead characters don't detract from the book but readers might have a hard time connecting with him. This might sound funny but this story I think would be a solid 5 if there had been a little humor added into the story.

The story has a large cast of characters that are introduced and the author did a great job of keeping everyone in a line and I can't wait to see where this series goes from here.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Gallery Books for the advance copy of Laura Griffin Desperate Girls