This post is going to take a look at Cabin 1 written by Amanda McKinney. It is the first book in a 3 book spin-off series (Steele Shadows Security) to McKinney's Berry Springs series. It was originally published in September 2019, and the Kindle edition came out December 2019. I received an eARC copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Cabin 1 introduces the reader to Niki Avery, a local, young prosecutor who is attacked while driving home from a yoga retreat. Two men run her Jeep off the road and attempt to sexually assault her, but in self-defense Niki is able to fight back, and kills one of her attackers. While the other one runs to his truck to grab a gun to kill Niki, she is able to escape and a chase through the dense woods of Berry Springs.

Niki runs and runs until she can't anymore, but what she doesn't realize, is that she's run onto the Steele family's property. The family of 4 former marine brothers head out onto the mountain in search of whatever, or whoever set off the security alarm.

Gage Steele finds her. Although at the beginning of the night he had only wanted to drink whiskey all night, and find a woman to take his mind off the fact that it is the one year anniversary of his father's death, he also wants to treat this woman right. He helps her get cleaned up, and becomes overwhelmingly protective of her.

Niki is assigned to Cabin 1, and Gage is assigned to be her security detail until they can end the threat to her life. Through their time together they become increasingly attracted to each other, and they build an intense relationship with lots of steamy scenes.

I really enjoyed this action packed romance novel and I will definitely be taking up the rest of this spin-off series, as well as keeping an eye out for the Berry Springs series by McKinney. I hope you'll pick up a copy yourself!

Happy reading :)

This is a fast-paced story that I liked, but I will say I had a hard time with the lack of compassion/empathy from the male characters (not just the main male character) towards Niki's regarding her assault, especially since they owned a personal protection/security agency. I liked Niki and her strength, but the speed that the two main characters fell in love was unrealistic.. I'm more intrigued by the story-line and will read more to find out where it go.

Cabin 1 Steele Shadow Security by Amanda McKinney

A prosecution lawyer is at a spa and on the journey home is run off the road and attacked. She manages to kill one of her attackers and flee into the woods running onto Steele Security land. Having set off their alarms she is found by Gage Steele and sparks fly!

Well it has been quite a time since I have read A romantic Suspense novel that starts so suddenly and drags you right in til the very last page! The twists and turns have you on the edge of your seat as you follow the race against time to find out who is trying to kill Niki before they actually do. Can’t wait for the next book in the Series!!!

This book was a great read. I was invested in the characters and the outcome of the story. I love a good romance and this hit the spot. Well written, great plot and believable characters. If the synopsis interests you then you won't regret picking this book up as it is so well written. I look forward to reading the next book in this three part series.

This is the first book on the Steele Shadow Security series. It leaves wanting more. The book ends with What?? moment and unanswered questions. I am going to be reading Cabin 2 to get the answers.
Amanda McKinney wrote a fast past romantic suspense that make you want to read more.
Blurb
Cocky, reckless, and die-hard playboy are just a few of the names Gage Steele has been called since he and his brothers left the Marines and moved back to the small, southern town of Berry Springs to take over their father’s personal security firm. On the one-year anniversary of his father’s death, Gage had only two things in mind—endless whiskey and endless women, but what he got was a battered, bruised spitfire stumbling through woods in the middle of the night.
Newly-appointed prosecutor and unapologetic workaholic, Niki Avery has spent her life working toward one goal—never to have to depend on anyone but herself… until the day she gets brutally attacked on the side of the road. Stripped of her Louis Vuitton and her dignity, the fiercely independent ADA must submit to being under the watchful eye of a former Marine, a loose cannon with a temper as scorching as his ruggedly handsome good looks.

As cracks begin to show in the Steele family, including newly discovered evidence that their father’s death was no accident, Gage wrestles with his growing feelings for his client, knowing not only that Niki is off-limits, but together, they were like gasoline and fire—an explosion he wanted nothing more than to ignite in the bedroom. But when a pair of bloody body parts show up at the compound, it becomes clear that Niki’s attacker hasn’t given up and Gage realizes he’ll do anything to keep her safe… even as his own family is spiraling out of control.

Cabin 1 is the first book in the 3-part Berry Springs spinoff series, STEELE SHADOWS SECURITY—Think of it as Berry Springs' darker, grittier, steamier, BAD BOY brother. Please note: You do not need to read the Berry Springs Series first.

Cabin 1 was my first time reading Ms McKinney and it's an enjoyable book that will appeal to many readers although it's not my particular cup of tea. The author quickly immerses the reader into the story so I was fully engaged from the first page. Using an alternating first person POV provides perspectives from both main characters: attorney Niki who is brutally attacked on the side of the road and Gage, a Steele brother and part-owner of Steele Shadows Security. Gage is dealing with the loss of his dad the year before. Niki's focus is on staying alive while Gage's is in deciding which random woman he'll take home from the dive bar.

To be honest and just my opinion fwiw, I struggled with the language that objectifies women early in the book. Gage and his brothers mostly redeem themselves in that regard as Cabin 1 progresses, but it was startling at the beginning. I'm all about the alpha protectiveness and brawn of former military men (seriously, I love it) but I've seen this written with a bit more balance. I did appreciate that Gage quickly jumped to the defense of the bartender who was groped, which made up a little for the reductive sexual thoughts he had about her 10-minutes prior. A few chapters later, he feels that he "has to test" Niki, though, which gave me the impression that he's all over the spectrum wrt respecting and trusting women. Also, at 230-pages Cabin 1 isn't a long book. While that limits the author's ability to draw out the main characters' journey to love, I don't think it's realistic for Niki to be physical with Gage just hours after being attacked. While it wasn't immediately clear exactly what happened to Niki on the side of the road, the author did clear that up later in the book which I liked.

In the plus category, I love a strong, take no crap woman and Niki is that in spades. The intimate moments are well-written. There's an investigation to be completed, a crime to be solved, an unexpected bad guy before the happy ending. I might be intrigued enough to read Cabin 2 because the brothers are growing on me, but I'm not there yet. Without spoiling anything, the last page of the book is what makes me want to read Cabin 2 rather than any attachment to Niki and Gage.

I thank HH Tisevich and NetGalley who gifted me with a copy of Cabin 1 in exchange for my honest review.

This was a great romantic suspense story. It grabbed me from the beginning, and didn’t let go. The heroine is very well written—smart, spunky, and sexy. The hero is appealing in the macho, alpha male, and not much else way. The suspense was well-written,and built nicely to a grand, if a bit rushed finish. Overall a great book, 4 stars because it felt like it could have a little more meat in it. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher. This is my freely given, honest review.

This was a good story with plenty of action. I liked the characters & would definitely like to read about the other Steele brothers.

The only let down for me is the insta love, just not believable that two people can truly fall in love within a couple of days

Action packed story with an insta-lust factor that turned too quickly to love for my taste. And I did like all the sexiness but it felt a bit rushed because of the trauma she had faced already. Guess that either makes her really strong emotionally or she's emotionless. And for a top notch security company their compound got breached too easily. Still an enjoyable story though.

Full review appeared at Reader's Edyn on 04/26/20

Niki has just survived a brutal attack. Blind-sided out of nowhere and set up by two masked men, she narrowly escapes and sets off into the woods. It’s by sheer will to survive that she makes it as far as she does and sheer luck that she stumbles onto the grounds of the elite Steele Shadows Security family. Knowing absolutely nothing about her attackers, if it was random or planned, and if they took off with all of her information from her vehicle, she stays put and under the protection of the Steele brothers. Technically under the protection of Gage, the super-hot brother she is strongly attracted to, despite his gruff demeanor. Sure, she’s narrowly escaped with her life, but the need to feel alive is also difficult to deny after such an experience. Besides the magnetic attraction, Gage is determined to protect her at whatever cost and together they fill in several blanks, which ultimately leads them toward the villain. But will they piece it together quickly enough, or will Niki get caught in the crossfire before Gage can save her? And with as much as Gage is dealing with outside of this protection detail, could he be anything more to Niki than a fling? So many questions and so few answers.

Gage has been in a tailspin for the last year. Well, all of his family has. The brothers all returned home from service after the news of their father’s death made it to them. Each of them has been dealing in their own way and neither in the right way. Gage’s vice has been booze and women and his reputation around town says nothing different. When Niki is thrust in his lap, he isn’t sure he can believe her given her family history, but he wants to trust that she’s being truthful. He feels it in his gut despite his brothers warning him to be cautious. They also warn not to hook up with their new client, but Gage is attracted to Niki in a way he never thought he would be. How do you deny that kind of pull? Between dealing with the anniversary of his father’s death, trying to find out who wants Niki dead and keep her safe, and wrapping his head around the fact that his brother has uncovered information that makes his father’s death look more like murder, Gage is about at his limit. If he can’t get a step ahead of the threats on Niki’s life and he ends up losing her, it’s doubtful he will recover. One more blow will likely do him in. He only has one choice. Fight and win.

What. The. Hell. Just. Happened??????? OMG! Where to begin … So I don’t remember getting this book or requesting it or anything. But I follow this author on Insta and always liked her posts. I started looking into her books and came across Cabin 1. It was then I discovered that I had it and was qued up to read it in about 5 more books or so. Well, that wasn’t working, so I moved it to the top. As my first experience with Ms. McKinney, I have to say I was spellbound. This book takes off and never quits – leaving the reader gasping at the gut-wrenching cliffhanger. Yes, folks. There is a cliffhanger. Gasp! Right? I do despise them after all. But damn if this one didn’t drag me in and make me foam at the mouth to find out what is happening next. For the first book in series, a lot is covered. Much is revealed while much more is assumed, yet remains unsubstantiated. The Steele brothers are all introduced, along with their pretty cool step-mother. The boys have been through the wringer in the last year and each has been flailing through life, trying to get their bearings after a devastating blow in the form of their father’s unexpected death. They each have their own way to cope and neither has it figured out just yet. Having left their military lives to pick up the pieces at home, finding their way has been difficult and remains a work in progress. Gage is the first brother we will be dealing with in CABIN 1 and falls into the responsibility of protecting Niki. But Niki has about as good a reputation in town as Gage does, so initially, trust isn’t something freely given. Even though Gage wants to believe her, given her family connection, his brothers manage to plant that seed of doubt. But Niki is no wilting flower and despite surviving, and narrowly escaping what should have been her rape and murder, Niki continues to fight back. She’s been clawing back from her childhood since day 1, so the fight instinct has always been much higher than the flight instinct. Gage is pole-axed by the spirited beauty and although he could be putting his career on the line, he falls to Niki’s charms. Not one to be led easily astray, there is something about the tantalizing vixen that draws him in. And Niki is just as affected by Gage. She’s had a couple of relationships, but nothing that has sparked the fierce desire she and Gage immediately feel. Even though she’s likely the target of an evil piece of crap, she cannot deny the desire she feels for Gage. Together they work out small details that gradually point them in the direction of the criminal, but as they get closer to the truth, the danger makes its way even closer to Niki. And through all of this, Gage is trying to support, yet remains unconvinced that his brother Phoenix has uncovered what might be the true reason for their father’s death – murder. So yeah … A LOT happening.

All of this occurs within the space of a few days and at just over 200 pages, there isn’t a ton of time to dig any deeper into any of the content we are presented with. That said, what is given works. While it seems like a lot to take in at the beginning, it ends up being a good amount of information. And the threads that remain untethered, searching for purchase, help to propel the reader into the next book. I, for sure, feel a need to continue with this series and find out more about what is going on. It’s clear that the Steel Patriarch was a mastermind at security and also clearly dove into some nefarious crap that pissed off the wrong person. The question will be if the brothers and heirs to the legacy will be able to get to the bottom of the mystery surrounding the unidentified murderer, or if they will have to sweep the discovery under the rug to protect what is left of their family and security business. You guys! Are you reading all of this? All of this within a couple a hundred pages? Holy crap! I’m still trying to recover from this rollercoaster. And dang if the wickedly seductive passion wasn’t something to experience. There is only one scene, but it’s fantastic. Also, with the militant background these boys have come from and their grief still very real and raw – so is the language. This isn’t a book – and more than likely not a series – for those who like fluff, sweet romance, and everything wrapped up into a pretty ribbon. You will NOT find that here. Instead, you will be taken on a crazy wild ride, constantly in motion, never knowing what is going to happen next. The level of suspense was perfect! Not quite nail-biting, but enough to keep me quickly thumbing through to each next page. In fact, for a good portion of the book, I was suspecting a completely different antagonist to surface. And while not much was revealed about the other brothers, I can see the makings of some great characters shaping up. Did I mention that Gage is a twin? Fun times. Gage and Axel. Yum! The two other brothers, Gunner and Phoenix, complete this rough and ready bunch of smoking hot men I’d love to have as my security detail.

If I were to have a complaint, it would be that this book feels just a bit incomplete. I don’t mean with the ending. I totally get that the book had to end somewhere to pave the way for the next installment and now that I have read it, it ended at a great point in which to pick things back up. But I feel like there should have been more in the beginning. Just a bit more about Niki and a whole lot more about Mr. Steele himself. I mean what the heck did he get himself into and how did he go about building his security empire? I was thinking it felt like there was a missing prologue, but now I’m thinking there could easily be a novella prologue that would help to shape this story up even more. Maybe just a bit about the security firm itself, but even more so about the information he was trying to uncover in his last few weeks of life, then ending with the boys being notified with his death. Does that make sense? Maybe at some point, that missing piece will come to life. I would love it if it did. And then, of course, the wrap up is rather quick in regards to Niki’s attacker. But again, only around 200 pages here, so keeping that in mind, I feel like Ms. McKinney did a good job in bringing about (at least this aspect) to a satisfying closure. But either way, I still enjoyed every minute spent within this book and look forward to each new book. For a fast-paced, jaw-dropping, thrilling read, this is the place to be! But make sure you have CABIN 2 cued up to jump into next because Axel is up next!

Kindle version provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for sending me a copy of this book to review.

Although a little problematic in places (a sexual assault victim wanting to immediately sleep with her knight in tortured armour the day after her assault - however, I am fully aware people deal with things in different ways so each to their own) I really enjoyed the story. I enjoyed the side story to do with the Steele brothers dad, Duke. And I did enjoy the romance between Gage and Niki. I also adore the brotherly love between Gage, Axel, Gunner and Phoenix.

I think Amanda's writing style is fantastic and my goodness does she know how to make sure you come back for more. That ending...

I'll definately be picking up the rest in this series. I need to know what happens next.

The first book in the Steele series was a great start! Gage and Avery were perfect for each other. They are both strong minded and attracted to each other. There is a secondary story that looks like it will be continued throughout the series.

Holy crap what a good book action from page 1! I seriously couldn't put it down!!! Such a page turner... I totally didn't expect it to end the way it did... Two strong willed people like Gage and Niki.. Sparks are bond to fly with these two...

I received an early release copy from #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Damsel in distress meets major alpha male. I won't rehash the synopsis.

I liked this book as it has a good pace to it. The male characters are a bit larger than life, but I am still excited to read the rest of the series.

Gage and Niki have several hurdles to overcome. The first being her assault and stalker who's still out to kill her.

The chemistry between them is great, and they challenge each other to be better than they currently are. Lots of give and take in the relationship.

Very steamy scenes and good suspense throughout the book.

OMG! This book was an emotional roller coaster that ended on a cliff hanger and I cannot wait to read the next one. This is the story of Nikki and Gage. Nikki is an attorney who gets attacked and Gage finds her running in the woods on his property. Gage is one of the Steele brothers behind Steele Shadows Security. As the brothers and police try to solve Nikki's attack, the oldest brother and Gage are looking into the death of their father the previous year. This story will have your adrenaline pumping and you won't believe the end.

Thank you, Netgalley and HH Tisevich for allowing me to read a copy of this book. I am hereby leaving my freely given opinion and all observations are strictly my own.

I did not know the author yet and was curious about the book. I will not repeat the blurb here, because everyone can read it himself in the description.
The story immediately captivated me - even if I sometimes would have wished for a little more time (i.e. a slightly longer book) to develop the individual characters better. Some of the plot was just too unbelievable (I don't believe that after a robbery you waste even a single thought on eroticism - you need a "healing process" first). But all in all the story was captivating (even if unbelievable - but it's fiction...) and I'm already waiting for Cabin 2.

Okay, so this started off with a bang -- Niki is fighting for her life during a near sexual assault and having slit the throat of one of her attackers in her attempt to escape. McKinney writes this scene with so much detail and emotion, capturing the scene in such a way that I could vividly picture the action scene in my head. But then, things go downhill writing-wise. The first scene with Gage was... off-putting. I get it -- McKinney's introducing him as a ladies' man with a heart of stone and a deep grief he's drowning out with alcohol. Point taken. However, Gage comes across as so unlikable that, when he and Niki meet, it was difficult for me to see them as a viable couple, nor did I really want them to. And it also seemed unlikely that he would suddenly change from an alcoholic hell-bent on a different woman in his bed each night to falling in love with Niki in exactly one day. I do like that she challenges him, but there's so little interaction with her and his family and the plot is incredibly rushed, leaving it riddled with holes and readers may feel left wanting. That ending, though -- what a cliffhanger! That alone has me looking for the sequel.

Short book full of brothers who fight like they hate each other, assassination plots and a lot of drama. I thought I was going to love it, and it was below average.

A fast paced, action packed, slow burn romance that I could not put down and wished was longer! The characters are detailed and real, the plot was well worked with twists and turns I didn’t see coming. I can’t wait to see what happens next and with the other Steele brothers!

I was On the edge of my seat the whole time. I like the chemistry between Gage and Niki. The Steele’s and their marines are so cool! I enjoyed the suspense, the chemistry and the setting. The characters in this book have me very excited got book two. I will now be looking out for this author in the future! Great cover too 😉