Sorry, the book didn’t work for me. For different reasons.
1. I thought it was a standalone (my bad), the first in the series.
2. Ending with a cliffhanger wouldn't have been a big issue, but I just didn't believe the plot/the characters/the pace...
I rolled my eyes too many times, sorry.
The whole story was just too cliché, too unbelievable, even for a fiction.
So, sadly, I won't be looking for the next books.
Since I didn't like the book, I'll wait AFTER the release to rate it out there.

Thank you for the ARC.

I like anything J.T. Geissinger writes. Some more than others. Ex Military hot alpha male (Naz) check. Strong, resilient wounded or abused female, (Eva) check. Suspense, not 100 percent sure what's coming next (check) some hot sex (check). Some of it was laugh out loud funny, some of the jokes were a little repetitive and because I do have a fat bottom, it kept pulling me out and made me think of my own body. I didn't want to be me, I wanted to stay in the story. And as everyone says, cliffhanger. I am disappointed in this cliff hanger, towards the end I saw it coming, I was thinking no, come on no. Will I get book 2? Absolutely, because I know J.T. will make it work my while. Thank you J.T. thank you Net Galley! All thoughts and opinions are my own and were unsolicited.

So it is <b>absolutely</b> my fault for assuming that 'book one' in the <I>Dangerous Beauty</I> series just meant another group of novels tied together, but not connected, like Geissinger's <I>Slow Burn</I> series. I'm here to tell you that it a totally wrong assumption and this is very much a same-couple-over-multiple-books series. So, brace yourself for what that might mean..

With that bit cleared up, I'm now more disappointed by the total quick-tumble-int0-feelings dive we took. It's not quite insta-pot-love but neither is it an eight-hour-crock-pot-simmer-build. Though it still sorta manages a slow burn? Confused? Sorry.

Anyway, I'm starting to wonder if the two books that made me a fan of the author might be the exceptions and not the rule because I wasn't really into this. I quite loved the heroine but everything else? It's very extra drama on the back story, the hero is fond of dumb jokes and unfortunately the heroine thinks he's adorable and the stupid jokes never quit (seriously, it becomes their thing and I cringed through it). Honestly the author does this bodyguard-and-subject trope fairly well, she addresses certain things that other stories in this vein do not, but at the same time it's not.. great? It's far from terrible but I was pretty unmoved. But it was a nice palate cleanser from my last read and I will read on because #completionist and also because I want Eva to get herself some revenge. Get it, girl.

2.5 stars

Evalina is on the run from her dark past. She's hoping to escape and start fresh in a new tropical location. Unfortunately, Nasir, ex-military and former bodyguard, has been hired by Eva's Russian mafia husband to secretly keep an eye on her and report back. The only problem is fate seems to keep throwing them together on the island of Cozumel in dangerous and tempting situations.

Honestly, I have already read this book TWICE. Twice I tell you! I enjoyed reading Naz and Eva so much that I had to backtrack and read Connor and Tabby's story in the Wicked Games series. After reading Wicked Games, I read Naz and Eva's story again. And it still held up the second time around! I still enjoyed every single twist, backstory bit, secret revealed and sexy scene!

I loved that this story took place in a tropical city and an urban city. It gave it a little different feel than previous series by the author. The atmosphere was written so well that the feeling of being in Cozumel really came across through the pages and just made me want to vacation with the characters.

The main characters, Eva and Naz, were such a good pairing. The chemistry between them had me flying through pages! The banter was toned down compared to the author's previous works, but it felt more natural and seemed more a result of the serious nature of the story. Eva's resilience and humor made me like her from the beginning. I did want to see a little more of her personality or habits other than those traits. I felt there was something missing there, but it could be that she was in survivor flight or fight mode so much that sometimes that's all I read. I did enjoy the bits of her backstory that came to light and hopefully even more of Eva will be revealed in the next stories! As for Nasir, I've loved him since the tiny glimpses of him in the Bad Habit series which is probably why I felt more connection with his character. I'm so glad he's getting his own story so that we can dive into his personality and background. His interactions between Connor and Tabby were highlights within the story for me and oftentimes hilarious!

The ending was a brutal cliffhanger and had me rushing to see when the next book in the series comes out! I still don't know if I can make it til then!

On a side note, you don't need to read the Wicked Games or the Bad Habit series first, but I highly recommend them in order to get more background on the side characters. I love the little tidbits and breadcrumbs JTG leaves for her obsessed readers to devour in other books. They're such a treat!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Montlake Romance for provided an ARC and the chance to read this enjoyable story in exchange for an honest review.

I was a huge fan of the Bad Habit series by this author, and so was incredibly excited to get my hands on this sort of spin-off to that series. The premise sounded right up my alley and it seemed like it should be a sure thing. Unfortunately, it just didn't work for me at all.

I tried to pick this up three separate times but in the end, I couldn't invest in the characters or the storyline here. The banter was off, it didn't resonate and didn't come across as chemistry to me and I felt completely disconnected to the characters. I just failed to connect with this story and thus it was a DNF at 30%.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review. Unfortunately, this one was not for me.

I love JT's writing and I especially love that she writes different genres -- not always doing the same thing over and over. This is my kind of read! She hit all the marks for me -- suspense, mystery, intrigue, sexy alpha hero and strong, brave heroine. And a real page turner from the getgo! Holy smokes, I couldn't put it down and now I'm counting the days until we get the second book in this series to see what the heck happens! I loved Naz (much better name than Barney -- Naz suits him perfectly) and Eva is his perfect match and together they certainly start a flame. The chemistry between these two is off the charts -- I loved everything about this book and can't wait to read the continuing story of Naz and Eva! I would definitely recommend this book if you like contemporary romance with a mysterious twist. 5+ stars. I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC for NetGalley.

The costs of taking a chance…

This is the first book in the Dangerous Beauty series, part one of the story, which ends in a cliffhanger.

Commencing a new job for Metrix Security, a firm based in New York, Nasir Mansouri’s first assignment is surveillance down in Cozumel, Mexico of the spoiled runaway wife of a Russian oligarch, providing the husband with weekly updates and pictures. This is a much different job than his last stint as a celebrity bodyguard in Los Angeles, an easy enough task that becomes complicated because of the intriguing woman in question, she’s gorgeous and keeps to herself. When she runs into trouble Nasir breaks protocol, making contact to save her life, she’s a distraction Nasir cannot resist getting to know. When he learns her truths it changes everything and the lies he’s told weigh him down.

Having finally escaped an abusive controlling ex-boyfriend, Evalina left Russia, the country of her birth, and now lives off the grid in Mexico under an assumed name. She’s alone, independent and paranoid about letting anyone too close. When she keeps running into the sexy man who rescued her from a dangerous situation she revels in the contact with another human being who makes her smile and understands her sense of wit. Feeling safe with Nasir she shows him trust and shares things about herself but trusting him could be the worst mistake of her life. Can she forgive his lies?

Two likable bad-ass protagonists who have reasons to remain unattached make a connection and decide to take a chance. Both have pains in their pasts that haunt them. Nasir never expected to want someone after the death of his wife but time does help heal such wounds, for Evalina trust was a huge issue and that she gives it to Nasir was a precious gift and one that soon backfires. Is it possible to hate someone and still want them too? Evalina has gone through hell and proved herself a survivor, she never lost her inner fire, the defiance she had against what was wrong in her life, she’s going to need that strength again for a cold-blooded Russian with mafia ties wants her back. Will Nasir and Evalina survive his viciousness? You’ll have to wait for the next books to find out.

The hero was previously seen in the Bad Habit series where he was known as Barney, a nickname he couldn’t escape and Metrix Security ties-in to the Wicked Games series. It’s not necessary to have read the previous series but you’ll have a better understanding of some characters if you have.

Considering this is romantic suspense the level of humor in the dialogue between the main protagonists though often amusing was overdone, needing to be toned down especially once the seriousness of the situation was revealed, humor is subjective and this reader didn’t always enjoy the depth of or type of humor displayed here, the amount of humor was a distraction, you shouldn’t always lighten the mood when it’s a matter of life and death, better to show the intense painful emotions.

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

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Arrg! It can't end there!!!! Dammit.

So so soo good. I was pulled in from the get go and couldn't stop reading. The snark, banter, and heat between Naz and Eva? Gah. Love it. I want more.

The only reason this is 4-stars and not 5-stars is bec the story ends on a bloody cliffhanger. I hate and love it. LOL.

Yet again I’m taken by surprise by a book because I failed to read a synopsis. I’ve read J.T. Geissinger before so I had certain expectations going into it, and I was quickly clued in to the fact that this book was going to be quite a bit different.

I don’t typically read suspense, drama type romances. I’m more of a hearts and roses, romcom kinda girl. I like low stress when I read, so I’m just not usually drawn to those books. But apparently when I unwittingly pick one up, I can end up quite enjoying it. Especially when it’s written by an author who I know to be great, and is still written with some of her same wit, banter, sweetness, romance, and steaminess. I can deal with a little drama and stress.

I found it to be a touch dramatic, a little James Bond movie over-the-top with the bad guys, the gadgets, the money, the flash, the action. I mean, who is in these kinds of situations? To be fair, there are all kinds of terrors in this world that hopefully I will never be privy to, so I could be naïve. But that may also be another reason why I tend to stay away from the genre. I’m big on needing a believability factor.

With that being said, for what it was, I did find the story as believable as could be. The story was well thought out, it was woven skillfully, and had intricate twists and turns that took me by surprise. I was thoroughly engaged the whole book, and I’m anxiously awaiting the second one.

The characters, Eva and Nasir, were wonderful. I loved their intricacies and getting to know them, but especially watching them get to know each other. Just beautiful. I can’t say much more than that, it just has to be experienced.

Connor is a bit of an odd character; he reminds me of someone out of a Kristen Ashley novel. And Tabby… I don’t know. She’s kinda weird. I’m supposed to like her (and I do), but the outfits and the personality, it’s all very childish and odd. It’s just strange and seems out of place. I tried to just skip the outfit descriptions and other oddities, because I really loved her personality.

I’m not sure why J.T. Geissinger is an author that continues to fly under the radar, but she is very talented and I highly recommend picking up her books. Whether you start with this book (knowing that it does end on a cliffhanger), or one of her others, I highly recommend her.

I absolutely adore her books! This author just does it for me. She is now on my auto buy list!
Definitely would recommend this book and all her books!

Nasir didn’t know what he was getting into, folks. What was supposed to be a piece of cake, fun in the sun assignment to ease him into a new private security position took a turn he never saw coming. Eva is just lucky this alpha protective, good guy hero does what is right, regardless of the consequences.

Eva played her role perfectly. She might be a damsel in distress, but this lovely leading lady wasn’t going down without a fight. She had beauty, brains, and enough sass to survive on the run from an evil, abusive Russian mobster. I loved the fact she was sweet but had a lot of spunk, as well.

This main couple completely caught each other off guard. With their instant chemistry and quirky, funny, back and forth banter, they soon became unlikely compadres in a beautiful, Mexican resort village. They just seemed to fit together perfectly. However, when secrets, lies, and the full truth get revealed, you can bet blame and blood are about to be spewed. There’s simply no way to avoid the murder and mayhem that’s about to be unleashed.

As always, this author’s writing flows and keeps me fully engaged. She did a great job of having this couple click and bond emotionally. I couldn’t help but chuckle with Naz’s impulsive, fake reason why they couldn’t be intimate.

However, there were two aspects interjected that just didn’t make sense. Sorry, but I just have to get this off my chest so I can let it go. The unnecessary, out of the blue, disrespect towards the doctor that saved one of this main couple’s lives. He barely said a word, when he was trying to bring them up to speed on the life-saving surgery, and the author immediately criticized him as a “know it all” peacock surgeon. He freaking saved a life here, people! How about some gratitude and respect! It happened again when he briefly returned to follow up on the surgical care. I didn’t find what he said or his actions worthy of being labeled like he was a spawn of Satan. I simply did not see the point for such animosity. If it was an attempt to be funny, it failed.

The “all the way” main couple smexy scene right after said surgery in the hospital bed. Who would do that? Answer: NOBODY! One of them is in pain, being sedated, and has internal injuries that nearly killed them (severed arteries). A quick sexual romp/tussle in the hospital sheets certainly would obviously not be a good idea, even to someone who is not an overly intelligent, peacock doctor. I felt they were cheated out of a meaningful, truly romantic moment here. There is something to be said about a well-scripted, lingering kiss, my fellow romance book loving friends. It can pack a heated punch and promise of the future to get them through to when they actually can physically take things to the next level.

I’ll end this review by pointing out this book ends in a cliffhanger. It does not end in a happy for now conclusion, so don’t consider it a stand-alone. It is just the first book of this series. Personally, I think it could have been wrapped up in one book, without compromising the eventual HEA. The solution has already been spelled out pretty specifically. At least I’ll get to spend more time with this heart melting main couple as they ultimately will have to fight for love and their very lives in order to stay together.

Title: Dangerous Beauty, Series: Dangerous Beauty (Book 1), Author: J.T. Geissinger, Pages: 264, ends in a cliffhanger, to be continued, very steamy scenes, some violence, alpha protective good guy hero, damsel in distress but sassy heroine, no cheating, no love triangle, no OW/OM drama (except evil villain after her).

(I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not given any payment or compensation for this review, nor is there any affiliation or relationship between this reviewer and the author/publisher/NetGalley.)

Eva is living a solitary life on the island of Cozumel. She looks around herself constantly to make sure she isn’t being followed. She is the hunted and her Russian hunter will never give up until he has her back in his own sick way. Naz has been hired by the Russian to keep his eyes on her. Naz is a man who knows how to be silent, protective and quick as he does his job the way the Russian wants it done. Eva stumbles across Naz but he never gives away his true reason for being on the island. Naz continues to watch and he and Eva “bump” into each other again and again, becoming closer and closer. Naz must tell her the truth, but he doesn’t want to lose the relationship that they have built. I was pleasantly surprised to enjoy this romantic, mystery/ thriller. In fact, I really enjoyed the story and cast of characters! This book gets four surprise stars from me!

This book will be available on March 26, 2019 from Montlake Romance. An egalley of this book was made available by the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

Nasir is amazing. I loved everything about Dangerous Beauty. Eva and Nasir have this chemistry you can feel from the very start. Eva is incredibly strong and a survivor. You understand as Dangerous Beauty goes on and the truth comes out about Nasir why she has trust issues. But there is no denying the bond between them. Danger is everywhere when you least expect it in this one. You will be glued to the pages with this one. This has an amazing cliff hanger. I can't wait to see what happens with Eva and Nasir. Such and incredible read.

Do you ever read one of those books and find yourself so lost in the story that you never look down to see how much is left in the book? Yeah, that was me with this BEAUTIFUL story! All of a sudden, I found myself gasping at the last page. Naz and Eva had me spellbound and I was completely wrapped up in their story. I LOVED the banter between this couple. They were fun and funny and truly enjoyed each other's company. Eva is a badass and I enjoyed the way her story was told. Naz has a job to do, but he soon learns things aren't the way they seem. This story was intriguing, action-packed, seriously sexy and combustible and I couldn't read it fast enough. J.T. Geissinger gave me ALL. THE. FEELS and left me with a book hangover of epic proportions. I'm so glad to know there are other books coming because just one wouldn't have been enough! Please do yourself a favor and preorder this beauty, which releases on March 26.

When I signed up for this one, I had absolutely no idea it was gonna end in a cliffhanger. Because if there is one thing I cannot stand...It's cliffy's. They annoy the hell out of me and test every single ounce of my patience. So imagine my surprise when I found out ...

Now I may hate cliffhangers but thankfully I didn't feel the same about this book. It was actually pretty great !! I might even forgive that cliffy....maybe.

Now I have another confession to make. I am not familiar with the Bad Habit series. Please don't throw fruit at me... I did, however, know Connor and Tabby from the Wicked Games series and I still love them just as much as I did when I read their book. It was great seeing them again. 

This book was a lot of fun. Naz is on an undercover assignment keeping an eye on Eva. he was never supposed to get close...but what can you do :P The the back and forth banter was pretty great. Eva was definitely my kind of heroine !! 

But Naz was not supposed to fall for his job....and they both carry some big secrets....

I can't wait to read the next book in this series... let's hope time flies !!!

ARC kindly provided to me, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

I saw this book on Netgalley and it sounded like something I would read, so I requested a copy and read it once I had the chance! I also haven't read any other books from this author, so I wasn't sure of her writing style and things like that! After reading this book though, I would say that I liked this book a lot, but I felt like it took a while for me to actually get into it! The first half of the book dealt with the characters meeting and starting a relationship, but I felt like it was a bit slow! The action and suspense aspects then started playing a bigger part of the plot! I preferred the plot when it had more action and suspense in it because it kept me wanting to read on and find out what was going to happen next! The plot did develop at a nice pace and I really enjoyed the characters and the romance between them! There were a few seriously hot scenes too that were pretty steamy! The characters were also very good and well-written! Evalina 'Eva' was the main female character, and in this book Eva had escaped a horrible 'relationship' and she was in a new place! I liked Eva a lot in this book! She was very funny and very sweet with her love interest! It was also easy to understand why Eva wanted to escape! She wanted freedom and to not be owned! Eva was also a strong character and I can see her becoming even stronger as this series progresses! Nasir 'Naz' was the main male character and love interest of Eva! I liked Naz a lot in this book! He did have to lie to Eva about the way they met and during their blossoming relationship, but he did this to protect her! Naz did feel very bad about keeping his secret, but he had to! It was also easy to see Naz's feelings for Eva develop and he was very protective of her and wanted her to be free to be with him! Naz was also really hot and very cute with Eva! I loved that this book was written from both Eva and Naz's point of views! I was hoping that it was going to be written from dual point of view before I started reading it and the synopsis kind of gives the impression that it's going to be, so I'm really happy that it was! It helped me connect and understand Eva and Naz more, especially as they both had secrets and were going through their own situations! It allowed for more things to happen in the plot too! I now can't wait to read the next book in this series! I'm not sure why I was expecting this book to be a standalone, even though I read that it's the first book in a series before reading lol! The ending was left at such an amazing ending, so I'm now desperate to find out what's going to happen next lol! I can't find any information on the next book, so I'm not sure when it's going to release! I really hope that it's this year! I still have all of this author's other books to check out too! The cover for this book is also stunning! I love it a lot and it really drew me to the book and made me check out the synopsis! The cover models/image also suits the relationship and characters of Eva and Naz! Big thank you to J.T. Geissinger, Montlake Romance, and Netgalley for an ARC of Dangerous Beauty!

It’s been a while since I dove back into a J.T. Geissinger, but I’m so glad I did. I absolutely love Dangerous Beauty! Naz is on undercover business to secretly keep Eva insight, however, when he helps her get out of a jam, he’s now in her line of sight.

As the story continues, so does the potential romance blooming between the two, but before anything can happen, Naz must uncover the real truth behind following Eva. When everything is disclosed, Eva will have to decide between logic and her heart.

Which one will win out?

Dangerous Beauty was a fun read as you uncover not only Naz’s secrets but the beauty herself. I loved the light humor played throughout the story and the way J.T. Geissinger was able to pull at heartstrings along the way. Though be forewarned, there is a cliffhanger. I wasn’t aware this there would be a cliffhanger, and I have to say, I want to know the ending! ASAP!

Dangerous Beauty could be mistaken for a sexy island romance as it first begins, with its fabulous and exotic location and tempting cocktails, but all is not what it seems. Danger and mystery are in abundance, with a healthy dose of suspense thrown in to keep readers on their toes.

I will warn you though that if cliff-hangers are not your thing, then you should remember that this is the first of a three part series; but please, don’t let that sway you from reading this exciting story. The world building is first class, and the characters are interesting and engaging. I can’t wait for the next instalment and only hope it’s not to far away!

Evalina Ivanova did the impossible. She escaped a monster, a man who did unspeakable things to her, a man who will never let her go. Living on the run, Eva is always looking over her shoulder, and she trusts no one. Until she meets a gorgeous ex-cop who makes her want things she never thought she could have. He makes her laugh and she feels safe whenever he is near... maybe her luck is finally changing...

Nasir Mansouri is working an easy job. Watch the spoiled runaway wife of his Russian employer, send pictures and updates, and never let her know she's being followed. Easy. Until Eva runs into a little trouble and Naz comes to her rescue. Now that she can pick him out of a crowd, watching her from afar just turned into a complicated friendship, one that starts to mean so much more... until she finds out what he is really there for...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dangerous Beauty went from heart pounding drama to light and entertaining in one magnificent sweep after another. Eva and Naz's slow burn romance is fraught with danger, deception and a once in a lifetime love that's worth fighting for...

Eva is done with the abuse she suffered at the hands of her ex. Doing the impossible and successfully escaping his clutches, she will stop at nothing to avoid being captured by him, ever again. Finding a rare connection with Naz, she cherishes any small amount of time she gets to spend with him. Desperate for human connection, or even a friendship, she will take Naz in any way she can have him.

Naz thinks he is working an easy and straightforward job, until the truth comes out of just the kind of relationship Eva is running from. It isn't long before he falls for her and finds that he is willing to risk everything to keep her by his side.

Eva was such an admirable woman, from the nightmare that she worked so hard to escape, to her determination to fight for herself, her strength spoke for her character from the very beginning. I loved how she never hesitates to say what is on her mind, she was always genuine and unabashedly straightforward.

Naz was sweet and incredibly protective. I was so happy that he tried to be as honest as he possibly could with Eva in the situation, and even when their relationship was progressing, he tries to keep things from becoming too entangled until Eva knows all the details that he has been keeping from her. 

With a fun banter that lightened the mood when things got too dark, while this book touched on some disturbing subjects, it would quickly veer back into a more entertaining  territory. Suspenseful, sexy and slow burning, Dangerous Beauty ended on a cliffhanger the left my heart in my throat and just a little bit of desperation for book two, Dangerous Desires.

I received a complimentary copy of this book for my honest and unbiased review.

I didn't expect this book to be this good but it is.

At first, I was hoping not to get approved.... not because I wasn't expecting this to be a great read, but because it ends in a cliffy and I don't normally read books where I have to wait that long for the installment since my memory is pretty bad.

However, I would like to say thank you to Ms. Geissinger that her main characters in this story weren't plenty so I only have to write a short detail on my personal note to serve as my reference while waiting for the next installment.

I am so glad that I enjoyed this book despite ending in a cliffhanger, because the story line was great, characters were strong and the betrayal part wasn't played out too long. To sum it up, this book was a real page turner because everything was laid out perfectly.

I ended up having a huge smile on my face for my first great read this year. This was actually my first book from this author and it certainly won't be my last.

If you don't mind having to wait for the next two books in this series, I highly recommend this.

This book is the first installment of a three part book and should be read in order.

ARC provided by Publisher in exchange for an honest review