Strikethrough
Book One of the Strike Zone Series
by Louise Dawn

A fast paced book full of suspense intrigue action and all round bad guys.
Gage and his team have been hired to protect therapist Chantal daughter U.S. Ambassador in Sri Lanka from her friends crazies ex husband. A real page turner the story has you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. 4.5/5

When the world sees a political princess but in reality all you want is to step out into the world and do good, life is not simple. A diplomats daughter who saw her father murdered in front of her and her mother injured is now all grown up but still following her mother around the world but trying to do good at the same time. Out in Sri Lanka stalked by the assassin who killed her father as well as a twisted political figure who was once married to her friend, Chantal accepts reluctantly that she needs extra security little does she know her life will be changed forever.

This story about Gabe and Chantal goes like a rocket. The reader will be reeling from one event to another, with no time to get a breath. I’m not sure how realistic this is, but it’s definitely an attention-grabbing read.

What happens when the ambassador’s daughter becomes the target of extremists? This is the question that Chantal is forced to ask herself! When the threat becomes reality, it’s Gage and his teams job to keep her safe. But can he do that when there is another more dangerous player in the game?

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

What a book!! If you like well written, fast paced action, suspense, romance, twists & turns and all the feels then this book is for you!! Trust me you will be so engrossed & won’t want to put the book down. Gage Hendrix, MSD agent & his team are assigned to protect the daughter of US Ambassador of Sri Lanka, Chantal Durant. Chantal’s best friend comes to Chantal & her Mother, the ambassador with evidence leaving herself, her daughter & Chantal in danger. Gage is expecting a spoiled rich girl only to find a hard working woman dedicating her life to helping others. I didn’t care for how the ambassador treated her daughter but Chantal finally spoke up to her Mom. You will love this couple & will be rooting for their HEA that they both so deserve. You will be wondering who Jona is throughout the book, I was thinking it was another character, wasn’t predictable at all. Such a fabulous book & I can’t wait to read the next one (& the ones after for all the MSD team members)!! I received an arc from Netgalley and the publisher for an honest review.

Gage Hendrix has a job to do: keep the U.S. Ambassador's daughter safe.
This book started out great. The setting is Sri Lanka. Interesting. And the bad guys are, well, bad. The beginning of the book jumps right into the action and it is fast paced, and a page-turner. I enjoyed getting to know the characters. The heroine is likeable and someone I wanted to cheer on.

However, a few things kept me from giving this one a 4 star review. 1) The U.S. Ambassador behaves terribly toward her daughter. She is unlikable and her behavior is explained away because of the constant pain she experiences from severe injuries. The heroine was a doormat for her mother and it took away from the strong character I believe the author intended. 2) Gage, our hero, acts like it's his first time on a job. He not only gets involved with his principal, but he makes mistake after mistake putting himself and everyone on his team at risk. 3) When the assassin is revealed, this character reminded me of a bad guy from a Scooby-Doo episode. I found this character very unbelievable.

I don't mean to be too critical. There is plenty to like about this book. The author does a good job of building suspense that leads up to the next book in the series. I am actually looking forward to reading the next one and I did enjoy the author's style.

Strikethrough is the first in a new series by Dawn and it was quite a good start to the series. I was sucked in by the characters, the setting, and the trilling plot. This is a romantic suspense with a insta love connection between Gage, an MSD agent who is to protect is principal, Chantal, but how can he do that when he is falling so fast for her?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC to read for a an honest review.

Louise Dawn is an author whose life experiences make her as interesting as the plots she weaves. She’s super active online, and both responsive and supportive of her readers and emerging authors. Given how much I loved 'Jade in the Snow' and 'Kite on the Rocks,' it’s no surprise that her new Strike Zone series would grab me by the lady balls and strangle me with tension and emotion. Based in the world of diplomacy, which you know is backed up by some series badassery and brawn, STRIKETHROUGH is a winner. The pace is breakneck, the plot engrossing, and the characters explosive.

*Originally posted at Frolic: https://frolic.media/romantic-suspense-roundup-top-picks-for-february-2021/

Gage is a dedicated MSD Agent. He protects Diplomats throughout the world and has never crossed a line with any of them. But that may change with Chantal - she's technically not his charge, to begin with, but once she becomes his protectee can they keep their hands to themselves whilst the danger is near?

Chantal should be the epitome of privileged, snotty, and snobby but she is refreshingly down to earth. She knows exactly how lucky she has been through life and is dedicated to bringing some relief and healing to all those she can. But someone has it in for Chantal, her surgery, or Americans in general. Is it because her friend made off with her daughter and some evidence of her ex-husband's corruption with a little assistance from Chantal? Or does someone else have an axe to grind?

Sri Lanka is almost a character itself, the descriptions were so vivid and imagination capturing.
I'll admit I googled all the places to get a better idea of where the characters were LOL. Gage is Alpha to the core and does have a hard time letting Chantal do all she can to help her clients. But Chantal isn't a wallflower. She met not be military trained or a Federal Agent but she has a spine of steel and is not afraid to face danger if it means helping her clients.

The action is fast-paced, and reads like a movie in my head - which I loved! I loved learning about the work of Chiropractors and Prothecists in general. There are enough twists and turns to keep you on your toes and I got sucked into the story completely and read in one sitting!

Once again this author had me from the first page to the last and who knew there was another special team that rivals the skills and strength to any SEAL or Special Forces team.
Gage is an MSD team leader, a special team that protects Embassy personnel around the world and as is tasked to keep Chantal, a US Ambassador’s daughter in Sri Lanka safe. Chantal is nothing what Gage expected and is drawn to the beautiful, kind, hard working woman. As Gage and his team works with her security team to keep her safe, an unexpected turn of events leads to not just one threat but another from her past.
Holy Toledo !!!! LOVED this read, the steam, the build up, the characters, suspense, action, surprises and a twist I didn’t see coming....LOVED IT!! The story flowed beautifully without skipping a beat, the descriptions were spot on that made me feel like I was right in the middle of all the scenes, the characters were amazing and I didn’t want to stop reading about these two....KUDOS to the author for delivering another AMAZING read and I can’t wait for the next one!!!
*I voluntarily read an advanced copy and expressed my honest opinion*

Intense!

Action packed and some crazy twists! Chantal and Gage overcome great obstacles to find happy on the other side.

I voluntarily read an advanced copy.

4.5*
What a fantastic story! Filled with action, and rich with emotion. The book moves along at a steady pace and keeps you coming back for more. I had a pretty idea who the bad guy was, but still I was left guessing until the end.

My thanks to NetGalley and PennyBlox Press for the pleasure of reading and reviewing Strikethrough by Louise Dawn.

I loved Louise's Mobile Intelligence Team Series so when i saw she was starting a new series it was a no brainer for me Like all the work I have read of hers it was a well balanced mix of suspense and drama with a fait bit of angst and romance thrown in. We also get a wonderful look at Sri Lanka and the work done for victims of land mines there.

Chantel hasn't had the easiest life she saw her father gunned down and her mother shot when she was a child but she has built a life for herself working as a chiropractor and helping with the fitting of prosthetics She is currently in Sri Lanka where her mother is the Ambassador She is allocated a security team when she is the last person to see her friend before she fled her abusive ex and he is determined to find out where she is and will use Chantel to do it. Gage is the leader of that team they are usually allocated to the worlds hot spots so this should be an easy job for them but things becomes complicated when he starts to fall for Chantel and the feeling is mutual Can he keep her safe and do they have a future You will have to read to see

I had not read anything by this author and really enjoyed the story, the characters, the suspense and romance. When she was younger, Chantal Durant witnessed her father’s assassination and her mother being shot. Years later, her mother is the U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Chantal is a therapist working with those in need of medical aide. There have been threats on her life, but she now has a special security detail assigned to keep her safe. Gage Hendrix had not planned on babysitting the daughter of the ambassador, but when he spends time with Chantal, he doesn’t find a spoiled and pampered woman, but a woman of courage and ideals. His attraction to Chantal makes his job harder, especially as she returns his feelings. The husband of Chantal’s best friend believes that Chantal will lead him to his runaway wife as the danger may be closer than they realize. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

I really enjoyed Strikethrough, by Louise Dawn. The romantic suspense novel, which takes place in Sri Lanka, has the perfect balance of badass-but-gentle alpha male and strong, smart and compassionate woman. Gage and Chantal meet when Gage's emergency security support team are assigned to protect Chantal after she becomes a soft target of her friend's crazy ex husband. They fall fast and hard for each other (probably a little too fast, but I'm always willing to suspend my disbelief for romantic suspense), and the bulk of the novel is them dealing with multiple emergency situations and the whole I-love-you-but-how-can-we-possibly-make-this-work angst.

I found the story to be compelling and hard to put down. The plot is exciting and fast paced, though it does take time to introduce the reader to Sri Lanka. Chantal's work as a volunteer chiropractor (and budding prostheticist) working with Sri Lankan victims of land mines and war is fascinating. The characters were solid, and the author does an excellent job of pulling the wool over the readers' eyes. I guessed the twist almost immediately, but I'm preternatural that way. Even knowing what was probably going on, I still second guessed my theory on more than one occasion. So, good job, Ms. Dawn.

This book is the first in the series, and it includes a teaser chapter for the next book. I'm looking forward to it.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

ARC received for review

Well, it started out very interesting and them slowed down. Gage was being stupid multiple times that I wanted to Gibbs slap him upside the head. Chantal needs to learn the word, No, which she eventually did. The escape from bad guys several times but they do get caught. There is some romance, love and sex thrown in too. I knew the bad guy was....kinda.

Now, there's another book with her bestie who is on the run from the head bad guy. There are also a lot of hot guys on Gage's team.

3.75⭐

Strikethrough was a well-written and detailed story. That nicely mixed romance with action and suspense; and whilst I didn't necessarily feel the romance between Chantal and Gage I did enjoy the suspense a d action when it came. And it was that, that really kept me reading.

But I did find the story quite slow paced, and there were moments, especially early on where my attention did wander, but all in all I did enjoy it and I would certainly look out for the next book in the series.

Fast pace, action packed story.
Chantal's mom is an Ambassador for Sri Lanka, and Chantel lives and works there as a doctor trying to help those who lost limbs in the minefields. Her father was shot down 12 years ago, right in front of her, and she lives everyday to try to help her mother with her pain. Chantal's best friend, Pearl, was married to a powerful man. Her daughter accidentally found evidence of crimes he has committed and he is determined to get back the evidence and keep his daughter. Chantel has done everything she could to protect her friend, but now it is her life that is at risk. Gage and his team are hired to protect Chantel and her mom, but when sparks fly will Gage be too occupied to protect her?
Loved this story. The characters were great, and I could not put it down. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was just an okay read for me. I liked Gage and Chantal, but I didn't feel much of a connection between them, so the romance part fell flat for me. However, the story itself was well written and full of details that made it realistic. It's clear that the author did her homework and/or had the background knowledge needed to provide the realistic details of Gage's group and the setting of Sri Lanka. If you enjoy suspense/action books with a touch of romance (versus the other way around, which is my preference), then this will likely be a great read for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC for review.

Great book!! This book was filled with suspense , action , intrigue, and plenty of bad guys!! There was heartache and heartbreak! The storyline kept me on my toes through the whole book! I highly recommend this one! Its so worth reading! Can't wait for more! The next book sounds awesome!! Ill definitely be on the lookout for it! Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for sharing this book with me!