Opposites attract, stiff and quirky. Frankie Strong, unusual, quirky, caring, afraid to show real self, hiding a secret, yet determined to impress. Evan Spears, focused, stiff, protective, hiding a secret, and determined to follow procedure. Independent of each other, Evan and Frankie are very interesting women with the same drive to capture the bad guys. As the story unfolds, the reader learns the secret and it is difficult to not feel for each of them and what they are and have gone through. There were some parts that were difficult to believe and stretched your imagination but the read was still entertaining.

Deceit leaves scars.

Evan is in charge of a team of US Marshalls. They recently had a botched mission and now Evan is afraid to do the field work needed to capture the fugitives that got away. And it is personal. Frankie is an undercover agent for the DEA and gets assigned to be a liaison to Evan's team because of her past experience with the fugitives they are looking for. Frankie is an enigma to Evan. All eccentric, outgoing, and constantly changing. A complete contrast to her strict and formal regimen. They will have to find a way to mix oil and vinegar in order to bring in the bad guys.

There were several mysteries and secrets to uncover throughout the story. And there was a certain confrontation I was looking forward to. I was always waiting for the next thing to happen. So that was exciting.

I liked the team of US Marshalls and how they interacted with one another. It would have been nice to get a little bit more background behind the guys on the team to show a deeper connection with Evan.

It is very shaky and contentious between Evan and Frankie in the beginning. But there is an instant attraction and Frankie's outgoing persona is able to chip away at Evan's defenses. There is definitely a forbidden feel to their relationship. Evan is sort of the boss. They are working together. And Evan is still reeling over a very humiliating breakup.

Overall, this was a really good book. The writing was high quality, there were things to uncover that kept me interested, and I enjoyed the will they/won't they aspect of the relationship between the two main characters.

I recommend this to people who like to read workplace romance, US Marshalls, the DEA, undercover work, chasing bad guys, and cigars.

<i>I received an ARC from the publisher for an honest review.</i>

Incognito – VK Powell

Just finished VK’s latest crime romance and it’s a cracker. Set in the US and Australia, a team of US Marshalls and a semi-feral DEA agent hunt for a crime boss and his sidekicks as they flee from arrest. It’s fast paced, action packed and keeps you glued to the page. The whole team are engaging characters and would definitely work as an ongoing series (pretty please VK?). It’s a classic “will they won't they” romance as the MC’s have a ton of baggage each, some ancient but inescapable, some very recent and raw. Great reading as always with VK Powell’s cop based romances.

Cool cover, the woman on the front is a serious dude. Meanwhile inside the cover is a great book about agents catching fugitives, going undercover, and of course falling in love. Knowledgeable and clever plot, with sharp dialogue this story works on many levels. It’s engaging too. Surely there should be a series.

This book started a tad bit slow for me, but within the first fourth, I started getting really into the story. I don't read a lot of suspense/mystery/cop drama etc. I really enjoyed the tension that built between the two characters as the story progressed. The main characters were likable and the internal issues they dealt with felt believable. I found myself really enjoying the secondary characters as well. They had a lot of personality and really added something to the book as a whole. The overall story minus the romance was engaging and I had a hard time putting it down.

My only major issue came with some of the dialog. There was a couple of times I had to backtrack what I was reading because I wasn't quite sure which character was speaking. that pulled me out of the moment a couple of times and certain scenes would lose their effect.

Incognito by V.K. Powell is the kind of intrigue/thriller novel that I enjoy. This story has all the elements of a good mystery. You have the main characters as federal agents with U.S Marshal Evan Spears and DEA Agent Frankie Strong. Frankie ends up joining Evan and her team as a liaison to help catch some criminals both agencies had been looking for. Add in an international setting and the help of Interpol when the criminals try to escape. Then top it all off with sizzling chemistry between Evan and Frankie, and you end up with a great action packed story.

I think the best part of the novel is the characters themselves. They really make the story. Both are well-developed, but I really was intrigued with Frankie. Ms. Powell could make a book simply from Frankie’s back story. Both characters have secrets from their pasts that causes problems with their work as well as with their budding relationship.
Needless to say, I enjoyed this book. If you enjoy a good mystery with interesting characters and a bit of romance, then try this book.

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.

Rainbow Reflections:
https://rainbowreflections.home.blog/

A lot of action in this one :) it was quite an entertaining book! Sometimes the action was unrealistic but I still enjoyed it..
what I liked most about the book was the insane chemistry between both MCs. Frankie, one of the MCs was my favorite, she’s hot, sexy and I loved her character. The supporting characters were very entertaining as well ! Evan, the other MC was too boring for me though, and at a certain point I couldn’t understand or believe the reason why Frankie would fall for her (apart from the fact that she dressed amazingly).
Overall the book was solid, i just wasn’t blown away with the “action” part of it (as I said some things were just not making sense to me) but other than that it’s a 3.4 for me!
I received an ARC for an honest review.

I've always enjoyed VK Powell books. I'm never disappointed. Incognito is is another well written book with a structured plot you can sink your teeth in. The characters are likable and keep you wanting more with their emotional tug mixed in with a little action. You can't go wrong with this read. I highly recommend.

This is my first time reading a book by Powell and I enjoyed it. DEA agent Frankie Strong has been working undercover for years. She is ready for a change after her last job and is teamed up to work US Marshall Evan Spears on a case that Frankie is familiar with. Frankie and Evan bump heads upon meeting and it mainly is because Frankie is more carefree and walks to the beat of her own drum. Evan is really uptight and I haven't decided if it was because of what happened when trying to catch 3 fugitives or if she is just uptight period. Either way, you can feel the chemistry with these two. Frankie for sure lets Evan know she is very interested in her.

Normally I don't read action type of romances. I prefer just romance, because I don't do well with suspense. Incognito actually has just the right amount of action where I thought it was good. Frankie was my favorite MC in this one. I liked Evan, but she was just a little too wishy washy. Even though she was uptight, I didn't mind that so much because it was a good balance with Frankie's more carefree/take chances personality. There were a couple of things I wish was different. I honestly didn't feel like the MC's got to know each other well enough to fall in love. Maybe a strong like. Also, I think that angst at the end was not truly angst. It just didn't seem like anyone should have the reaction that Evan has to Frankie's truth. Things just seemed a tad bit rush towards the end.

I rate this one 3.75 stars.

I enjoyed this book. It seems to be a slightly suspenseful romance book. There was a little bit of action and some steamy moments in it. I probably wouldn’t have chosen this book for myself normally but thought it would be great to expand a little especially for Pride Month! It is a fast paced read and I found myself wanting to know more as I read...which is always a sign of a good book! Definitely recommend!

I have been a fan of some of VK Powell's novels so I was excited to give this one a go. The characters and premise were lighter (in detail) than what I have come to expect and not overly believable.

Unfortunately, the 'fast love' is a lot more tell than show. I couldn't feel the deep connection with the characters.

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.


Evan is a US Marshal who in charge of a team of season agents. When the plan to capture fugitives goes wrong leaving one of her teammates injured because she trusted the wrong person who betray her and she carries that guilt to the point that she holds a tight leash on her team although her teammate Aaron doesn't blame her she still feels it was her fault.

When her boss Michael decide to bring on a liaison to help them capture the fugitives because of the Intel they have Evan isn't pretty happy about that but it's a done deal.

Frankie is DEA Agent who been undercover for the last couple of months is haunted by her past that she not proud of when she is ask to work with the US Marshal to help catch the fugitives while investigating a another case.

Evan and Frankie when first meet clash I wouldn't say their attraction was immediate but it grow over time I like that they didn't jump into bed right away and when did happen it was hot. They both have different ways of doing the job. Overall a good read.

Lots of action in this one, balanced out by a good deal of emotional push-pull between the two main characters. Most of the characters were fleshed out enough to almost see them, except for one. I couldn't really "see" him. As I said before, lots of angst, questions and will-they-won't they. The bad guys had lots of motive, the good guys had their share of frustration. The cover caught my eye right away, and I had to look twice to make sure Melanie Bardot wasn't on the cover! (Go look her up in Europe in 2018, you'll see what I mean)

All in all, a nice fluffy, escapist read. Just the thing for a rainy day!

3.5 Stars. I thought this was pretty good but I wasn’t blown away. I like reading Powell’s books. They don’t always wow me but I’m always excited when a new book of hers comes out. After decades working in law enforcement, before becoming an author, I know I will usually get a good police procedural or action-romance from Powell. I think the biggest problem for me was I didn’t find this book to be as gripping or exciting as I hoped.

US Marshall Evan Spears is the lead for a taskforce to hunt down the most dangerous fugitives. After an attempted fugitive apprehension goes really bad, Evan wants these criminals more than ever. When her boss tells her DEA agent Frankie Strong will be added to help their team, Evan balks at the idea. Frankie seems reckless and Evan doesn’t think she can trust her. Can the two of them work together or will their feelings get in the way?

This book was entertaining but I did feel that certain parts seemed unrealistic to me. I had a hard time turning off my brain and just having fun with the book instead of questioning everything. I think this is the kind of book you just need to go with the flow and don’t take it too seriously.

I did really like the character of Frankie. I thought she was well done and I liked that she was a little quirky. Evan was a little stiff for me. She has baggage that has really affected her past and I get that, I just wanted to get to know her a little better and beyond just that.

Actually I thought the best part of the book was the chemistry between the mains. They don’t start off on the right foot, but you can see those sparks building and they get brighter and brighter. Frankie could be quite the tease and I really enjoyed those parts of the book. The sex scenes where not as hot as I was hoping for, they were fine really but with all the chemistry I was hoping for a little more than just fine. The romance was not insta-love, but it did happen pretty quickly and some of the relationship angst I did roll my eyes at. So overall the romance had its ups and downs like the rest of the book did.

Not one of my favorites by Powell but it was entertaining enough. The character of Frankie and the chemistry she had with Evan is where the book shined. I wish there had been more excitement overall, but the book was still pretty good. I'm not sure if this book will appeal to everyone but I do think some people will enjoy it.