If you want to spend several hours in a relaxing way, then Deadly Games by Karen Rock is a pleasant choice.

The beginning sets the serious and quite terrific atmosphere any suspense story needs, but don’t be scared, the story is mostly a romance, not a gory suspense. Even if the danger remains a constant presence, the suspense is the second violin. Several clues and red herrings, possible more victims and the tension brought by the attempts for their salvation intertwine with the main thread of the story: the relationship between the main characters.

A relationship that starts in a somehow unorthodox way (that depend also on the readers’ opinion), but motivated enough in order to be plausible and acceptable. After the first meeting, it sways back and forward under the influences of their own past, expectations and, of course, of the activity of the sadistic killer. Until the end, the romance flows nicely and satisfactorily, its protagonists make a great couple, the "sweet & spicy" author fulfilling her scope.

That is the reason that I have my doubts boys and suspense aficionados will enjoy too much the story, because, even if there are present elements of the suspense and criminal investigation, Deadly Games is a book for girls, or in more general terms, for a romance reader.

I liked this book. Good fast read. The premise is interesting, the only thing that would have made it better is if it was longer. It seemed rushed especially the character development. I would be very interested in reading more from this author.

This is a story that grabbed me from page one, it is fast paced, action packed and I loved it, I met Nash in the first book in this series and loved getting to know him better in his book and bring on special FBI agent Katherine Bowden, who is married to her job, she has just been through a divorce and is after a serial killer, so let the fun begin as Nash and Katherine come together through danger and a sensual ride to a beautiful future.

Katherine never goes out and parties but her friend Megan has finally convinced her that it is time, time to put the past behind her and break out and have fun, and a night at the strip club Dallas Heat is the place to start and when she meets stripper Nash Hawkins well the sparks fly and maybe a one night stand is the remedy that will help her as she tries to find a killer and work through what happened years before.

Nash grew up on a reservation he comes from a big family but his father left years ago and he works as a dancer/stripper at Dallas Heat (a very sexy one) and also works as a PI but has always wanted to get into the police force, but when he connects with a Katherine at the dance club he feels it through to his heart like never before, could this be the start of something special for them both?

This story is fabulous, as Nash and Katherine get to know each other and help each other with the case that Katherine has been tasked with, to find the deadly serial killer who is picking young beautiful blonds of the street outside nightclubs, there is a lot of similarities from her past, they work so well together not only on the job but with their personal life the bond and sensual pull is sizzling. MS Rock knows how to join suspense and a romance that will shake the pages as you turn them, this one had me cheering the good guys on and just loving Nash and Katherine woohoo this is a story that I highly recommend. I am loving this series.

I really enjoyed Deadly Games. The prologue was heartbreaking but entirely gripping. As soon as I started reading, I just could not stop.

The balance between the love story and serial killer investigation was perfect. I really enjoyed seeing Katherine and Nash talk clues out and piece together the evidence. I predicted who the killer was pretty early but that didn't deter from my enjoyment of reading the book. I will say that there is some major insta-lust and then the insta-love follows shortly after, but I just didn't care. It didn't take away from the story for me. I loved Nash's character. He was strong, noble, smart, and honest. Katherine was awesome too. She could take care of herself and didn't let anyone walk all over her.

I was starting to feel the beginnings of a reading slump when I started Deadly Games and it totally squashed it for me. I will definitely be picking up book 1 in the near future (they can be read as standalones)!

Deadly Games is the 2nd book in the Dallas After Dark series though it can be read as a stand alone book. This book focuses on Nash Hawkins & Agent Katherine Bowden.

I loved this story & was hooked from the start. Katherine meets Nash at the club, when she is out with some girlfriends celebrating her divorce. Her ex complained that she was all business, too serious & only focused on her cases. Her girlfriends told her all about Nash, who has moved on from his dream of being a law enforcement officer after an incident in his past. The two grow closer as they work on a case together, their strengths & weaknesses complement the other's. I also loved Nash's Grandfather, a great man to look up to.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Kensington for the ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. This is the second book i n a series but you would never know it. I didn't read the first book and have no idea who the characters were. This is a romantic suspense and you might guess the bad person early on. For some this might be frustrating, I didn't mind. I liked the main characters they were interesting. I thought Nash was fun, and almost better at police work than Katherine. For an FBI agent she seemed pretty rash and lacking. I would have liked her to have been stronger in that role. It is a good fun read with just a hint of horror. I found it entertaining, although then epilogue is pretty over the top! I give it 4 stars.

4 1/2 STARS!

Riveting from the first page! With the second book in her Dallas After Dark series, Karen Rock takes us back to the sultry nights of the Dallas Heat male strip club. We recognize several of the characters from the first book in the series, and get down and dirty with Nash Hawkins fairly quickly! The start of the book draws us into the terror that is about to strike, then we're electrified with sexual tension when Nash and Katherine cross paths for the first time before joining forces to solve an intriguing case. The plot was developed well and the characters were pretty spot on in believability and interaction. My favorite in the series!

FBI agent Katherine Bowden didn't expect to find herself back home in Dallas at this point in her life, but here she is ... amidst the downtown party scene where she's least likely to belong! She's not one to typically be out partying, but when she reconnected with an old friend from school at just about the same time that her divorce was finalized, there was no turning down the invitation to hang with the girls at a strip club for the night!

Private investigator by day, stripper by night Nash Hawkins is used to the women ogling his well-defined body, and he's only too happy to flaunt it for them to bring a smile to their face. When his eyes meet a buttoned-up Katherine's during his routine, he's mesmerized. He draws her onto the stage with him, turns her on like nobody's business and then propositions her for the night. It's a night he'll never forget ... and he's disappointed to find her gone the next morning ... luckily for him, his most recent case seems to follow the details of the serial killer she's trying to catch!

Deadly Games is the second book in the Dallas After Dark series. If you haven't read the first book you will have no problem reading this one as a standalone. After enjoying all the action filled and steamy pages of this book you will definitely want to go back and read book one [book:Dangerous Moves|36302516]. In this book we meet Special Agent Katherine Bowden. She's a profiler and tends to get completely absorbed by her cases. That doesn't leave much time for any type of relationship. The she meets Nash Hawkins. What was suppose to be one night quickly turns into much more. Nash has always had a dream of being a police officer so he understands how consuming the job can be. When it turns out he has a small connection to her current case they work together to get to the bottom of everything.

Definitely a book I would recommend to anyone who enjoys a good romantic suspense.

This is a really enjoyable read.  I really thought that the author did a good job with the character development for both Nash and Katherine.  I enjoyed seeing Katherine loosen up - with Nash's help of course.

The pacing drove the story forward - there was no bogging down in detail or back story, and although you may have an inkling of who the bad guy/girl may be, even if you do work it out, I don't think that it detracts from the overall satisfaction that you get from reading a good book.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.

Deadly Games is the second in the Dallas Heat series by Karen Rock. The first book was Magic Mike meets drug kingpin and the majority of the action was inside the club. This book take Nash Hawkins – star dancer – outside the club and makes him an integral part of a major FBI serial killer investigation. His partner, FBI Agent Katherine Bowen, has a personal stake in the case, only she doesn’t realize how personal it really is. Nash and Katherine make a great team. It was fun to see Nash come into his own as a detective. Katherine deserves Nash who trusts her instincts and provides support, but never rescues her. I really enjoyed Katherine and Nash as a couple. I hope there are more installments in this series.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this novel.

WOW! As I'd suspected, this is a hot, dangerous romance, packed with suspense and intrigue. I had thoroughly enjoyed reading 'Dangerous Moves', the first book in this series, and couldn't wait to read this sequel, though for those of you who haven't read the first book, I believe it will work well as a standalone, too.  It is about learning to trust, dreaming big and striving to succeed despite the odds (and people) against you.

The hero had his dreams of being a policeman crushed whilst a teenager and is now working both as a male dancer and a private investigator. It is only when an unusual one night stand with the intriguing Katherine unexpectedly connects them to each other that those dreams reawaken as he works with her to discover a serial killer. . . . Can they work together to prevent any more murders and capture the killer? Will their mutual attraction lead to more or are dreams only for when you're sleeping?

All the characters in this story are well developed and easy to relate to. I particularly liked Nash's no-nonsense Grandfather and how he inspires his grandson through their sometimes humorous exchanges. The reader's suspicions are raised by hints and tips, so much so I felt like shouting out warnings to Katherine as the story draws to a close. There are some intense interchanges between Katherine and Nash as they compare the evidence and draw their own conclusions - which don't always match! There are also some exchanges of a more romantic nature between the two and these are heated in every sense. 

This is an enthralling, fast paced, thrilling romantic suspense and murder mystery that I have no hesitation in recommending to anyone who enjoys any of these genres. I requested and was given a copy of this book, via NetGalley. This is my honest review of the book after choosing to read it.

Katherine is a divorced FBI agent on the hunt for a serial killer. When she was in school, her best friend was taken and Katherine was attacked but saved by her friend. She’ll do anything to catch this killer. He is taking young, blonde, petite women. Her friends talk her into going to a strip club where she meets Nash. Nash is a private investigator and stripper. He wants to go to the police academy but failed the interview section years ago. When a friend of Nash’s goes missing he asks Katherine for help. Together they hunt for a killer and in the meantime fall for each other. Katherine is afraid of being cheated on again and Nash doesn’t think he’s good enough unless he gets into the academy. Can they find the killer before he kills again?
Sex, suspense, mystery and a good storyline that’ll keep you up until you finish. The only thing was Katherine’s see sawing between pulling and then pushing Nash away. That drives me nuts. The killer might surprise some of you but I figured it out right away. Still good story that kept me up way into the night reading.
* Voluntarily read and reviewed this for Netgalley *

This is the second book in the series and I can't wait for the third. Karen Rock has mastered the suspense genre here and I couldn't put it down. The chemistry between the characters is OFF THE CHARTS!!

Second installment in the Dallas after Dark Series by Karen Rock and just as enjoyable as the first!
While the bad guy and some aspects in the story can be predicted I still had a really nice time reading the book. I loved Nash, yes, he was very sexy but there was more to him than being man candy. His chemistry with the heroine Katherine was definitely hot and intense, so you can bet I was rooting for them and it was a pleasure to read how their relationship evolves.
I'd love to read more of these kind of storied from Karen, I think she's done wonderfully and no doubt I'd recommend this book.

Deadly Games is one fantastic story! It was full of suspense and the words were jumping off the pages. The intense story will pull you in right at the Prologue. The characters were excellent and believable. This one is my favorite so far.
I received a copy of this booth from Netgalley and Kensington Books.

Wow this story starts off with a bang. I couldn't help but be caught up in the story line. Trying to help the victim. This was an even better story than the first book in this series. I cant wait to read more.

I just found this series and am so glad I did. Deadly Games is a gripping tale of a serial killing in Special Agent Katherine Bowden’s’ home town of Dallas. This case is personal to Katherine and she vows to solve it – hopefully before another murder. When Katherine meets Nash, she sees him more than just a stripper at Dallas Heat, she finds the partner in solving this hideous crime. But will they be too late before another woman becomes the sociopath’s next victim.
Great writing from Karen Rock and a five star read.

I received a free copy of the book through Netgalley and am voluntarily reviewing it.

I really enjoyed the first Dallas After Dark book and started this one with high expectations. While Deadly Games is a great read, there sadly were a few things that didn't work as well for me. i did really liked Nash and the romance was well done too.

Deadly Games starts with a creepy prologue of a women captured in a dungeon by a serial killer who tortures her, the scene ends before you figure out if she makes it out alive. That's where my doubts about the book started. I am not a fan of gruesome scenes and this book definitely bordered on that for me. I am glad the author didn't provide too many details or graphic scenes, but it still was obvious that the serial killer tortured his victims, then killed them and dumped them somewhere to be found by the policy. It was a tad too dark for me and reading about the serial killer made me a bit uncomfortable. Luckily there are lots of scenes where they don't talk directly about the gruesome acts the killer performs, so i could still enjoy the book for the most part.

I don't think this happened to me before in a suspense or mystery book, but I figured out who the killer was very early in the book. The female main character Katharine is a criminal profiler and the profile she sketched of the killer was so good I figured out who the killer was before I was one third in the book. And I am talking about that moment where you're almost absolutely sure you're correct. I was. And every bit of information and hints that came to light after that just made me more sure my guess was right instead of shedding doubt. This totally removed any tension or mystery for me, except for the scenes with the killer in which I wondered if they would figure it out now. The mystery was almost boring to read now as it was so clear to me who the killer was, but the characters didn't see it. Which also makes sense as they are in the middle of it instead of looking at it from the outside. It just make it hard for me to be as engaged in the story as I had hoped.

Besides that I also felt some of the policy scene felt a bit unrealistic at times? They almost felt like amateurs sometimes. Katharine went after suspects based on hunches and there was very little evidence at times. I wouldn't have minded a bit more investigating and proof concerning the red herrings? While in cozy mystery featuring amateur sleuths I wouldn't have minded that behavior at all, but here we're talking about a policy investigation. Or maybe I just hope real investigations go better than this one.

I also would've liked a bit more descriptions at times, it was hard to visualize some scenes now as there were so little details given. The side characters also stay petty flat, except for a few that are fleshed out a bit. On the other hand, this did mean the focus is strongly on both the romance and the suspense plot line. The author did strike a great balance between the romance and suspense plot lines.

So those were the parts that didn't quite work for me, luckily this book has a lot of good parts tough. I really like Karen Rock's writing style and this book was no exception.The story and romance did flow well. And I really liked Nash. The romance also was well done. And the epilogue was great. I also liked the small cameo appearance from the two main character of the first book.

Katharine comes across as a bit cold when we first meet her, but I did warm up to her eventually. Nash tough I liked from the start. I thought Nash was a great character, I liked how he had some vulnerabilities, but also was very confident and capable. He trusted his intuition, cared about his family and was clear when he told Katharine how he felt about her, although he could be a tad overprotective. But with the dangerous case they're solving, that did make sense. I liked Katharine well enough and I think she was a great partner for Nash, although I never warmed up to her as much as Nash. I liked how much she believed in Nash and trusted him, especially how she encouraged him to follow his dreams of become a police officer.

I liked how these two met and how they started working together on the case. Their first meeting is in the strip club and they have a one night stand, which eventually turns into more one night stands and grows into something more. It made sense how and why they worked together on the case and it was a good way for them to slowly grow closer. I liked the romance plot line and how it was low on drama. Although I wouldn't have minded seeing some of the conflict worked out a bit more as now they had these reasons for not getting into a relationship, but they felt a bit thin and weren't as much of an issue at all. They were great together and I liked seeing how their instant attraction grew into something more.

While this book is book 2 in a series, it can easily be read as a standalone. There is only a very small tie in with book 1, namely that Nash works at the strip club that's the focus of book 1 and the strip club plays a role here as well, although way less than in book 1. There is one scene in which we meet the main character form book 1, but it's only a small cameo appearance. I actually would've liked to see a bit more of a connection between the books.

To summarize: This book had a lot of good parts, but I also had some issues with it. I wasn't able to get fully sucked into the story at times. The whole serial killer plot line was a bit too too gruesome and dark for me at times, although the author didn't provide too many graphic details it was still clear what happened to the victims. I managed to figure out who the killer was very early in the book, which kinda ruined the tension and mystery, as every clue just made me more sure of my suspects into of making me doubt it. The side characters stayed a bit flat, but a few of them got a bit fleshed out. I really liked Nash, he was caring and sweet, confident and also had some vulnerabilities. It took me a while to warm up to Katharine, but I did like her. The romance was great, low on the drama, but with some instant attraction that slowly turns into more. While part of a series it can easily be read as a standalone, as it only has part of the same setting as book 1, but that's mostly the only connection.

Deadly Games is part of a series called Dallas After Dark. The story starts off with sex between two strangers. Nash Hawkins decides that after seeing Katherine Bowden from a distance she is the woman for him. The story is very predictable from the romance to the killer at the end of the story.
The author repeats the line "Arrogant, Cocky, egotistical man" in different areas of the book even if the words are moved around it is the same line with the same outcome.
The killer is obvious from the second the person is present to readers leaving them hoping the romance keeps them hooked to the one sided characters.
In the end the story falls flat, predictable and I won't remember this story from the hundreds other I have read that are the same story line.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Lyrical Liaison for the advance copy of Karen Rock Deadly Games

Entertaining read, I love a good murder mystery and though I guessed who the killer was early on I still became invested in the story and the characters.