After reading the last book, i was eager to see what the members of the Outbreak Task Force were going to be dealing with in this installment. Also, Henry intrigued me with his loner, no nonsense attitude and multifaceted personality. He was a scientist, a military man and he just became a sort of mentor to Ruby. I was definitely intrigued!

I didn’t know a lot about Ruby coming in, but as the story progressed I enjoyed her attitude, her directness and the way she handled herself against Henry and the situation they were faced with. I immediately picked up on their chemistry and how they balanced each other in different aspects, so it was extremely satisfying to see them come together.

As for the plot, Julie Rowe did an amazing job in keeping me on my toes throughout the story. After reading the books in the series back to back, I was eager to see were the story was going and how the author was going to keep all the elements together without it feeling disjointed. Thankfully, all the events that took place worked together seamlessly. The romance developed throughout with plenty of banter and candid moments that showcased Henry and Ruby’s connection, the chemistry jumped off the page when they found time to explore it and the plot ran smoothly with twists and turns here and there to keep me reading until the end.

This time around there wasn’t a lot of investigating that made it to the page, but there were plenty of suspenseful scenes and tying of loose ends. I thought that the resolution to the “who” and “why” that had been a permanent entity since the first book needed to be “shown” more on the page, but ultimately I got the answers I was looking for and a hot little romance to make this book worthwhile.

I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.

Rating 4.5/5*

With the current COVID-19 pandemic, the idea of bioterrorism seems even more possible at the moment and this is an edge of your seat read about the threat of just such an event.

Ruby Toth is working in the CDC with her mentor, ex-Special Forces medic Henry Lee on the Outbreak Task Force. She's attracted to the outwardly grumpy workaholic but she's actually undercover trying to discover just who is leaking sensitive information.What a dilemma she faces when her twin brother is kidnapped by terrorists who contact her and demand she gets them viable samples of Smallpox virus or they will kill him, piece by piece. This is just the evening before she's due to visit one of the few sites with Smallpox vaccine. How did the terrorists know she'd be going there? How did they know just what is stored there? Is there anyone she can trust to help her to save her twin?

This is a contemporary action-packed, fast paced story with medical science, mercenaries, danger and daring. Ruby's family are very involved with the fight against terrorism and I was particularly intrigued by her brother, Nate, and really hope there will be a future book in this series with him as a main protagonist. If you enjoy hot, romantic suspense where the characters keeping facing further hazards, look no further, this book is for you. It is an enthralling read which I didn't put down until I'd finished it and now I can't wait to read more stories in this fantastic series.

Thanks to Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for my copy of this book which I have read voluntarily and honestly reviewed.

Ex-Special forces are a the ones that wiggle my toes and in this one it is Henry whom gets with Ruby. These two will turn out to be a wonderful team too. You always know though when somebody if you pay attention is hiding something when you are close to them. That particular happen in this. The secret involves her brother. What to do or What to do! She does have a dilemma that we follow and get pulled into with the luxury on what she does do. We follow closely and get jazzed when things do happen and how they happen. We can not forget that heat that happens either because it is a good part of why in the reading also.

Ruby works for the CDC and her parents for the NSA the reason she works there is to find out who the moles are that are releasing dangerous bioweapons to terrorists. Everyone is a suspect even Henry who she is in lust with and is her superior at work.

Henry is a virologist and was previously in the military, he set of an IED and lost his leg to an IED. Also is in lust with Ruby.

The pair have been assigned to go to every biosafety lab to ensure that all of the bugs and viruses are still there and haven't been compromised.

The bad guys Free America From Oppression kidnap her brother Nate and will kill him if they don't get a sample of smallpox in 24 hours. This is when the real mission begins!

I have to say considering everything that's going on in the world right now I was excited and reluctant to read about diseases. I loved this book Ruby was the right amount of strong willed and vulnerable, she was likeable and relatable in her thought process.

Henry was in grumpy alpha mode from the beginning and became protective after people try to run Ruby off the road. He is on her side and wants to help because as he said in thea beginning, she's his.

This book takes place over 6 days and due to that the love story for some could feel a little quick. For me it was alright because we'd established that they'd been working together for two months, had that longing going on and had been wanting to act on it for a while.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher/author for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Happy Monday and release day to Hell and Back by Julie Rowe! And thank you so much to Entangled Amara and Netgalley for letting me read and review this book early! Hell and Back is the fifth book in the Outbreak Task Force series (and I really don't know how/why I keep doing this, but I've been reading so many books lately that are in a series but aren't like the first one, and normally it's not that big of a deal, but y'all, with this one, I think it's definitely a good idea to read the other 4 books of the Outbreak Task Force before reading Hell and Back, because while this was so good, there were some parts that built upon prior knowledge you should have- like everything with the terrorists and who they were).

Hell and Back 4/5 Stars

Summary from Goodreads: Racing to lock down the CDC's deadly virus samples from terrorists, ex-Special Forces medic Henry Lee partners with Ruby Toth on the Outbreak Task Force. But the terrorists always seem one step ahead. As they work side by side, Henry's taken with how Ruby accepts and respects him, instead of pitying him for all he lost overseas, including his leg. Ruby's hiding something, though, and Henry fears she's been leaking sensitive information.
Terrorists have kidnapped her brother, and now microbiologist Ruby Toth faces a horrible choice. If she doesn't give them a vial of Small Pox as ransom, her brother will die. She knows her prickly—yet very hot—boss, Henry, could provide the help she needs. But she joined the CDC to root out insiders plotting to unleash a bio-engineered pandemic, and she can't trust anyone. Not even Henry.

I love pathology and diseases and the CDC and if you add any aspect of like military romance into that, man you're talking about something amazing for me, so I was automatically super excited to read Hell and Back! It starts out talking about Ruby's parents working for the NSA and it hints at her brother being a spy (even though she's not supposed to know that) and she works at the CDC, all of which sounds incredibly interesting! I started out slightly confused because it felt like I was dropped into the middle of a really well developed world or the middle of a season of a TV show and I was slightly struggling to catch up, but that was 100% my fault for not doing my research and reading the other books first (or at least reading a synopsis of each of the other books to see what they were about). I liked Ruby and Henry as main characters and all of the secondary characters were so cool/interesting too! In parts of the book, the plot moved faster than I wanted it to and some parts were super over dramatic (like a Grey's Anatomy season where anything that can happen to Meredith will happen), but overall, it was a fun and enjoyable read. The balance of romance to action was great and I highly recommend it!

Well done!

Henry and Ruby have an insta-love story full of action, surprises and drama.

I voluntarily read an advanced copy.

Hell & Back is an emotional romance thriller with a hint of mystery. A  high-octane, medical-science thriller that, well, probably sits all too uncomfortable in this virus-ridden world at the moment. Hell & Back is a well-written and researched story with secondary characters that fill their roles more and more as the series goes on.

I Loved this book! It was packed with action right from the start. I liked how the author managed to write about the action and not have the romance overshadow it and vice versa. I wish I had read the previous books in the series. I think if I had that the reveal of who was helping and funding the terrorist would have been more a bigger reveal and shock for me then it was. But after reading this book it makes me want to read the others in the series as soon as I can.

Ruby and Henry were such great characters. I really enjoyed their story. Hell & Back is well-written and will grab you from the first.

This series has meant so much to me, and I have loved it so much, that I was so excited to read this final installment. Even in these crazy pandemic times, nothing could stop me from reading about this awesome task force, hot on the trail of a terrorist group trying to get their hands on a biological weapon!!

Ex-Special Forces medic Henry Lee, now part of the Outbreak Task Force at the CDC, is a bit of a workaholic. He lost his leg during his last deployment, but he doesn't let it slow him down. People might call him grumpy, or a taskmaster, but it doesn't bother him. He would rather work alone anyway. Until he gets assigned to mentor a new hire, a microbiologist joining their team. He can't believe how well they work together, and that his bear-like moods don't seem to affect her at all. He finds himself thinking of her all the time, and fighting his feelings toward her, especially since they work so closely together.

Ruby Toth is a microbiologist, and she loves the puzzle of investigating pathogens. But, she really came to the CDC to help find a traitor. Her parents both work for the NSA and wanted her help investigating info leaks that have led to terrorist attacks over the course of the series. She works directly with Henry, and spends most days trying to ignore her body's reactions to him. Ruby lives with her twin brother Nate, who is a rocket scientist, and a bit of an absent-minded professor type. When he is kidnapped and she is tasked by the kidnappers with stealing a pathogen from the lab, she doesn't know what to do. Should she risk stealing the virus? Will they just kill her brother, and her, anyway? How can she put so many other lives at risk? Can she trust Henry, or will she just be putting him in danger if she spills the truth? What's a girl to do??

Henry and Ruby had chemistry that jumped off the page, and I loved seeing our grumpy Henry, who has been a side character throughout the series, on the bumpy road to getting his HEA!! They both had trust issues, for varying reasons, but they both really wanted to trust each other. I loved watching them both struggle with the idea of actually taking the risk and being together.

Most of the side characters here were from the earlier books in the series and I loved seeing them again. It was especially nice to catch up with them, knowing that this was the final book, and our last chance to see a bit more of their HEAs. Often they provided comic relief, in addition to being awesome co-workers and friends, who always have each other's backs.

The suspense plot here was a bit of a continuation of the overarching plot of the series, the terrorist group FAFO is still trying to get their hands on biological weapons, and always seem one step ahead of our teams. How are they getting their inside info? Who is bankrolling them, and why? The team gets to the bottom of everything, with plenty of excitement in between!

Henry wasn't sure if he could ever really be close to anyone again, with all of his lingering issues from his time in the military. Ruby didn't know if Henry would ever be able to trust her enough to let her to get close. They both just LONGED for each other so much, and I was here for it. I really enjoyed this couple, and this entire team of awesome characters! I highly recommend this series (especially book 1, which is still my fave!) to any other fellow romantic suspense lovers! Every book has been so exciting, fast-paced, and enjoyable!

Hell & Back is the fifth book in Rowe’s Outbreak Task Force series. I was a bit nervous jumping into this book as I had not read the other books in the series but I didn’t need to worry. They story line did continue with the organization still fighting a terrorist group from the previous stories but Rowe did a great job of updating the reader so they did not feel like they missed any of the backstory. Henry and Ruby are the MC of this book and they are trying to stop the terrorist group from obtaining a virus that could kill millions and millions. This is a non-stop espionage, bioterrorism, and blackmail with some romance thrown into the mix, what’s not to like? I will now be going back and reading the Ms. Rowe's backlist.

I was provided with an electronic ARC through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This is a book I didn't think I needed to read, but I needed to read it.
Full of action and suspense. Just love it.
This is a book in a series, but loved that you can read it as stand alone

3.5 stars.

Hell & Back started a little slow for me, but honestly, I don't think it helped that I couldn't remember the events of the previous stories, as even though this is a stand-alone story with new central characters there is an ongoing story arc with the FAFO terrorist organisation continuing to target the entire Outbreak Task Force Team.

Yet, once the story got going I really enjoyed it and liked that it was a little different to the others. In that Henry and Ruby aren't going out to investigate an outbreak that has already happened, rather they are trying to prevent one by stopping the terrorists getting their hands on some of the worlds most dangerous and deadliest viruses. And with edge of your seat moments, plenty of action and a little dose of romance I was completely engaged. And more than one couple got to ride off into the sunset at the end, which was nice to see 😊

Would happily recommend.

This is the stunning conclusion to this series that is oh so relevant at the moment even if it was started before these crazy times we live in You have to wonder at the timing is Julie a Seer in another life

In this final stunning conclusion the battle against FAFO (Free America From Oppression)is heating up and the final protagonist will be Henry Lee we have met him in all of the previous book The ex special forces soldier who lost a leg and retrained as a virologist and who is the one that makes sure everything at the CDC runs smooth and that the workers get the answers they need. He is working with intern Ruby Toth and she is the first one who hasn't been driven away by his snarly manners in fact they work well together. It hasn't taken a genius to realise that the next thing that FAFO will go after is an even more deadly virus and they suspect it will be smallpox So Ruby and Henry head to the holding facility where the virus is held Henry has long suspected that this facility will be targeted and has increased security there So why when it is attacked do the attackers know all the code to get in and all the security measures taken The answers is that they have inside help could that help actually be Ruby because her brother has been taken by FIFO and if she doesn't get them the small pox they will kill him. This time though FIFO has miscalculated because her brother isn't the bumbling person he portrays and Henry is far more deadly then they expect and as he develops feelings for Ruby he will do whatever he needs to with the help of the Outbreak Task Force team to keep her safe. and finally the traitor will be revealed and he is much closer than they all realise.

Ready for a book full of suspense and edge of your seat adventure? Hell and Back is one of those books. A lot is going on in this book as Julie Rowe has written a story very close to our time in history. While I understood Rudy Troth’s character, I was hoping for a little more assertiveness while Henry Lee is everything we want in a hero.While this was my first book to read in the series, I didn’t have any problems picking up on the characters and will be going back and starting the Outbreak Task Force series from the beginning. I gave this book four stats because I felt there was too much dialogue and not enough descriptions of what was happening.

Hell and Back is the fifth book in the Outbreak Task Force series. I read it as a stand alone without reading the previous books! It has a fast passed suspenseful plot that takes the reader on a whirlwind of espionage, blackmail, bioterrorism and the war around it. While so much is going on, romance takes place between two very unlikely character in the middle of trying to protect the world against a bio-engineered pandemic.

This read fell short for me in so many ways. I liked it but didn't love it. The romance was too rushed for me and the person behind the whole conspiracy was obvious too early in the book.

WOW!!!! The action was intense in this book. The author really did a great job with the reality of what a man made pandemic could do, and the steps out CDC has taken to keep the world safe.

Ruby is attempting to gather information from the CDC for her parents, whom are investigating the recent biological pandemic out breaks. Ruby's parents work for the NSA and have been gathering Intel on the recent polio outbreaks. Ruby is a high level microbiologist who wants to keep the public safe, while still keeping her eyes and ears open to any evidence of someone stealing/selling bio -hazards. Ruby is forced / to attempt to steal a vial of Smallpox from the CDC storehouse to save her brother from being killed by mercenaries.

Henry designed the major CDC storehouse / lab from being penetrated by mercenaries intent on using biological warfare to gain power/riches. Henry is ex- special forces, who lost his leg to an IED in Afghanistan years ago. His friends and are tasked with keeping all the most dangerous virus out of the hands of evil. Only a handful of people know what the DEC building is made of, the security protocols and where the most deadly virus are housed.

What no one anticipated was that both Ruby, and Henry were willing to do to keep themselves and the world safe from a major pandemic.

I don't want to give the story away.. If you like the action of Suzanne Brockmann then this is a must read. I will be buying the first five books in the series this weekend.

P.S. this story resonated with me...I was vaccinated for small pic but my son wasn't. We need to keep the masses vaccinated against all virus that could pose a threat to society...Even if we believe that it has been eradicated.

Love this series. Julie Rowe writes with a fantastic passion that draws readers in and submerges them. The trope in and of itself in unique, incorporating science, action, romance all in one. Not only does Rowe make it work but provides wonderful, relatable characters all at the same time. Loved it!

Thank you to #NetGalley and @entangled_publishing for the ARC of #HellBack, which was read and reviewed voluntarily. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

#nerdalert #iheartscience #romancereads #bookstagram #booklover #bookblog #booktweets #kindlegoals #readreviewrepeat #gimmemorebooks

Another heart pounding story in this series. Ruby is at the CDC trying to find out who is still selling secrets to the terrorists. While there she there she is working with Henry, an Army vet. All through this they are also fighting their feelings for each other. It is a thrilling action filled page turner. Even in the midst of all this Ruby and Henry connect to steam up the pages as they fall deeper in love. You will love how the story wraps up and the couple finds happiness.

This was so good!!! Full with action and suspense! I absolutely loved it!
I also loved that you didnt really had to read the previous books to understand this one and yes!!!
Super enjoyable.