Ahhhh this was just such a great book. I just was entranced by this story and these characters. I look forward to seeing what happens next.

I started out reading this book and was so excited about it, given that I was reading it during COVID-19. But, sadly, the storyline and characters just fizzled out for me. I lost interest in what was going on....with everyone. I ended up skimming through through most of the book.

I loved this book, I had been waiting for this book and it was so completely worth the wait. Nail biting situations, fantastic characters, hot romance.

This review is my honest opinion!

This is a fantastic heart pounding suspenseful steamy romance with a heroine who knows how to take care of herself and a hero who has ptsd and a prosthetic leg and who has to use all his knowledge from the military to fight the bad guys. They are amazing together both as a team and as a couple.

It is the conclusion of the “Outbreak task force” and I think it was great!
We find out who helps the terrorist group The FAFO both by funding them and by spying within the CDC, FBI and Homeland Security and passing on very important secret information. Because the World is still not safe even though the Measles outbreak was stopped in the former book “Search and destroy”.
A new threat is waiting below the surface and to The CDC’s irritation they don’t know what the FAFO is planning so they have to act in blindness.
Ruby is Henry Lee’s assistant and she is chosen to follow him to help him secure the protected centers where the samples of the world’s deadliest diseases are kept. But when they are suddenly attacked by the FAFO they have to fight with the weapons they have at their disposal both to save each other but also the world from another deadly outbreak.
At the same time Ruby gets put in a huge predicament when her brother Nate is kidnapped and she has to decide between saving him or help the FAFO get to the diseases.
How will it all end?

I can definitely recommend this book and the “Outbreak task force” series if you love spies, great plot twists and a badass hero and heroine fighting against all odds to save the world from another deadly outbreak.

Julie Rowe has become one of my favorite authors, and I discovered her here on Netgalley! Her books are some of the most meticulously planned and executed stories that I’ve read. I know when I read one, the device isn’t leaving my hand until I’ve raced to the finish.

Ruby and Henry are perfect. What terrible choices Ruby faced! Excellent story. I can’t wait for the next one.

This authors books are the kind that keep you on the edge of your seat waiting to see what happens next. She’s never failed me! Ruby is a meek employee of the CDC. Her Boss, Henry, is grouchy, rude and down right disagreeable. When a terrorist group sets out to steal a deadly virus, it’s up to them to prevent that from happening


I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

If there is one book to read this year, it’s most certainly this one. It has absolutely everything—romance, suspense, emotional highs and lows, and the most perfect storyline. One of my favorite books by this fantastic author so far. Could not put it down at all. Ms Rowe owns me some sleep for this one. Definitely a re-read all day long and you could pick this book up again in a year and it will still be just as fantastic as the first time you read it. That’s how much I loved this one. Happy reading everyone

4.5 Stars - Her parents are NSA and her brother is some other three-lettered word. She a scientist, but her family needs her to be more. He’s short a leg he was born with, but more capable than anyone she’s ever met.

The threats are real, the danger is present and the future is f*cked if they can’t keep a deadly strain out of the hands off one domestic terroir who won’t seem to quite. It’s an action-packed, super sexy wonderful read!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I'm so excited that Julie Rowe returned to her terrific Outbreak Task Force series with HELL & BACK. In many ways, this is a ripped-from-the-headlines story, with the CDC in the hot seat, international intrigue, and a bio-engineered pandemic. Rowe always writes the most riveting and plausible scientific thrillers, and this one is no different. CDC Microbiologist Ruby Toth is being blackmailed by terrorists who kidnapped her brother, and she has to give up the deadly virus or else he perishes. Outbreak Task Force member (and ex-special forces badass) Henry Lee is tasked with rooting out the traitors—and keeping an eye on Ruby. There are a ton of twists and turns, and the resolution is supremely satisfying. If only Rowe could wrap up the current real-life pandemic as neatly, the world could keep on keeping on.

*Originally published at Frolic: https://frolic.media/must-read-romantic-suspense-for-fall/

Though it's a teensy bit disconcerting reading an Outbreak Task Force book during a legitimate global pandemic (Wait...*that's* not the head of the CDC right now! Hang on, since when do I actually *know* the head of the CDC? What have I become???), this was still a whole lot of fun, once I managed to get my news-of-the-day saturated brain to be quiet and let me read. Henry and Ruby are wonderful characters, and work really well together both while actually working and while doing...other things. Their relationship moved quickly (love how this one ended!) but the fact that they'd been working together for a bit before the story begins makes the timeline feel more doable than is often the case in romantic suspense.

As for the story timeline, though--OMG, it moved at breakneck speed! The chapters were labeled not just with the date, but the time of day, helping to underscore both the urgency of their mission and the speed at which everything was moving. Truly, reading this is a case of sit down, open book, and hang on for your life...

This is the fifth book in the series, but would probably work okay as a standalone as well (confession time--I've only read this one and the first in the series-- Viable Threat --so far, and I had no problem following what happened here. I absolutely plan on reading the rest, since I really did enjoy the two I have read, justt maybe once everything IRL has calmed down a bit? Or maybe not...patience isn't my strong suit ;) ). Two major antagonists are unveiled by the book's end, which probably means this is where Ms Rowe leaves us with this series, though not all of the terrorist group has been captured, so maybe not...

Either way, whatever she comes up with next? I. Am. Here. For. It. :)

Rating: 4 stars / A-

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

I’m a fan of the series and of Ms. Rowe’s writing Hell & Back continues from where the last book finished in terms of the overarching plot. This time its the grumpy Henry Lee with the sweet but feisty Ruby Toth as the main leads. And yes they’re still the bad guys targets and they need to solve the case while getting anhappy ending. It sounds really campy but its definitely not. Julie Rowe’s books are informative, fast paced, action packed with a lot of twists that you won’t see coming and Hell & Back delivers on all those. It’s a definite thrill ride with a sexy romance.

This series hits close to home with recent events but I was super excited to get Henry's story. So glad was able to read this early. We know his grumpy former Army guy, with tons of credentials, no time for idiots temper. Many said he was tough to work with but he's a one of the good guys, he cares that's why he's growly. He just had no time for all the crap that comes with his job. Ruby is his balance, calm, dependable, smart and knows how to handle his temper.

I love the CDC task force if only ly it really existed. Ruby and Henry are caught in a lab with deadly pathogens with mercenaries trying to break in. to steal samples. The simmering tension between them ramps up as they work together well to try and stop them. It was a touchy situation. Many underestimate Henry cause of his prosthetic but I wouldn't count him out. He's smart and cunning, clear headed in tough situations, has a sexy side to all that to boot.

This was thrill ride from start to end. Action packed and many twists. It went by too fast. I can only hope there's more of this kind of books cause this was fun. Betrayal, secrets, conspiracy and all that good juicy stuff. I like Ruby and Henry they built up in a short time, romance was fast, but the dangerous and crazy situation they were in moved things up. Love the medical science stuff along with suspense.

If you followed this series, all the previous characters have a role in this. The ending seemingly tied the series together but I really liked the characters so that was bittersweet. I really enjoy the science plus romance and suspense of this series.

Henry is a CDC virologist, but also a former medic in the Special Forces who lost a leg in combat. He’s self-confident in his work, but like many romantic suspense heroes he’s emotionally closed, and he’s sure his prosthetic leg is an obstacle to any relationship. He’s been attracted to the heroine since she began working under him, but he hides it under his usual grumpy behavior.

Ruby is a heroine who perplexed me at times. She seems strong, she has a strong personality, quick comebacks and some reflexes, but at times she crumbles under pressure in a much unexpected way. And she feels downhearted with the same dark thoughts for long after her decisions when her brother is kidnapped, while Henry has already told her it wasn’t such a big deal and he isn’t mad at her. She’s very attracted to the hero from the start too, but she’s sure he can’t stand her and she’s astounded when she learns the truth.

We see with pleasure main and secondary characters from the previous volumes, with the addition of Ruby’s family, especially her brother who’s a half-geek half-spy character I’d like to see again in his own book.
The plot is fast and there’s a lot of action as usual, but for once there’s much more material damage than victims (on the other side, the fourth volume was about a huge epidemic, it difficult to do worse lol). We can feel once again the author’s knowledge on the topics encountered, and I think she knows how to give information without losing the reader being too technical.

On the negative side, apart from the heroine regularly flogging herself almost till the end for her decision after her brother’s kidnapping, what I found strange was that in the middle of the action, when the couple is besieged by the terrorists, they decide to act according to their hormones and their desire. Okay it’s a romance, but I found this first sex scene happened like a fly in the soup, even as well written as it is.

However, it’s an excellent volume ending the investigation in a n enjoyable way, and I had a very good reading time with almost all the volumes. Good job.

I will admit I am a fan of Julie Rowe and her ability to mix medical, romance, mystery and suspense. Most of her books there is a pretty good balance and other times the romance will take over the story but in end will never disappoint.

Henry Lee is a characters readers have been waiting to read. He is a bit of a mystery that readers have come to adore in the series and hope he is finally able to find peace and love in his life. Ruby is a character who readers will be able to connect with at times and other will have them scratching their heads.

The author medical background gives this story a very honest and real feeling. The story can be read as a stand alone or part of the series. Either way readers will love this story !!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher the the copy of Julie Rowe Hell and Back.

This is a voluntary review of an advanced copy.

What a great series - I love the intrigue, drama, and romance as these couples work together to stop terrorists as they struggle with their attraction to each other. In this book, Henry and Ruby have been keeping things professional and business only as they fight their mutual attraction.

Ruby and her family are really into their work for their different "alphabet" agencies as they try to figure out what is going on with the terrorist group that is trying to steal deadly viruses from the CDC. You wonder how Ruby is going to get out of the terrible situation that she found herself in when her brother is kidnapped.

It is also great to see the whole gang from previous books and loved the group trip to Vegas at the end!!

I could not put this book down and had to read it straight through as it was such a good read!

I get so excited when there is a new Outbreak Task Force title and this one didn't let me down. The CDC is such a unique setting and the details about dealing with biological weapons provided are instructive and interesting. Plus, the characters are entertaining - who doesn't love DS?
The action was so exciting. I'm a sucker for ladies ultimately being rescued by their men.
The only part I felt was unnecessary was information about Ruby's family. She thought she was so close with her brother, but she believed he was as absent minded as everyone else when that was only a put-on. Or the description of their secure phones she and her parents share which allowed them to call her after her brother was kidnapped.
I was a little disappointed in how quickly they all finally figured out who was behind the FAFO. And even more quickly Ruby and Henry decided to get married. That seemed way too soon.

If this book wasn't prophetic to COVID-19! LOL!

While I really enjoyed the fast paced action in this book, I felt I needed to have read the other books in the series to thoroughly enjoy this final book in the series. I was left with questions, would this have seemed like a quick romance had I read the other books first? Would the identity of the conspirator have seemed to quickly revealed if I had read the other books first? So, my solution, go back and start at the beginning. Thanks Julie Rowe for writing a book that makes you want to go back and do that rather than chalking it up as not hitting you right. I look forward to starting this series from beginning.

Hell & Back is the fifth and final book in Julie Rowe’s Outbreak Task Force series. There is so much that happens in the previous books that feed into this one, I don’t see how you can really enjoy this one without having read the others. All of the previous characters are mentioned in Hell & Back which makes it that much more enjoyable to read. Considering where we are as a world due to the coronavirus, this book is more timely than I am sure the author could have ever imagined.

As with the previous books, Hell & Back focuses on two individuals who are members of the Outbreak Task Force which is part of the Centers for Disease Control. Henry Lee is a Senior Lab Tech who has played a pivotal role in trying to stop the terrorist group known as the FAFO from releasing different biological agents to kill Americans. Ruby Toth is also a lab tech who has been working alongside him but she has her own agenda that no one inside the CDC is aware of. Henry is also her mentor and secret crush. New and direct attacks on the CDC and its Task Force put Ruby and Henry in closer proximity than either of their hearts can handle. Of course, this leads to some very steamy action between the sheets and creates some awkward moments. Needless to say, there is a lot of action and explosives between hero and heroine as well as the Task Force and the FAFO. Everything happens really fast. There is nothing held back which makes Hell & Back such a fun read.

I really enjoyed the closure provided in Hell & Back and all of the characters seem to have received a fitting farewell. There were a lot of loose ends to tie up which I believe was done very well. I really loved this series and would love to say more but I don’t want to ruin it. I will just say that I felt this fifth and final book was necessary to wrap everything up in a nice bow. Henry and Ruby worked well together. More importantly, the Outbreak Task Force series really showed every woman as an equal to the man they fell in love with. They all fought as a team and there was never a time where the women were treated as weaker or less empowered. Kudos to Julie for creating a very intricate and believable world within this Task Force. I look forward to reading other books by her.

I've enjoyed this series and this book was a good read as well. There's tons of action and nail-biting situations. The attraction between Henry and Ruby is built up at a nice rate and it's fun to find these two coming together as a couple even if it's a bit improbably in the middle of an attack on the facility where they are working.

The book has real-world crises and builds on the mystery from the previous novels. While this book works fine as a stand-alone, it helped me to have read the previous books and know the bigger picture.

I like romantic suspense quite a lot so this book was a really very enjoyable.

Hell & Back is book number five in this author’s Outbreak Task Force series. The books are marketed as standalone titles. I’m a romantic suspense junkie and always on the hunt for new-to-me authors that I can add to my list of authors I enjoy, so I thought I’d give Hell & Back a try.

What I Liked Most About the Book: The fast pace of the action. If you’re looking for not a lot of backstory or slow build-up and heart-pounding action from the get-go, this book is going to be right up your alley. The mystery literally begins on the first page.

NICUnurse’s Rating: The books in this series are marketed as standalone titles, but there were many times throughout the story where I felt I was really missing out on a small but valuable piece of information. With that said, what I felt I was missing wasn’t so much that I couldn’t keep up with the story or the characters, so I wouldn’t say this book wasn’t worth the time I spent in it. The writing was good, the suspense kept me turning the pages, and I was surprised by the whodunnit at the end. For me, those are all the elements I look for in a satisfying romantic suspense read. Not everyone can write good suspense, but Julie Rowe certainly did with Hell & Back, and she did it well enough that I want to check out more of her books. I’m a series junkie, so at some point, I’ll most likely start with book one and read the entire Outbreak Task Force series for a better experience with this book. Bottom line: I’d start with book one.

I give Hell & Back by Julie Rowe 4 out of 5 stars!