I like my suspense books to have a pretty strong thread of romance running through them, so Malicious Intent solidly fit the bill.

When Secret Service agent Gil Dixon is sent to Hedera to investigate some counterfeit $20 bills the company had deposited, he doesn't expect to find his childhood best friend, Dr. Ivy Collins, in the middle of being tortured by 3 goons. He and his team rescue her, but can they keep her safe when one of the men got away? Gil takes it on himself to safeguard Ivy, falling hard for the girl he never stopped loving. As the attempts to kidnap her get increasingly desperate, can they figure out the reason before one or both of them die?

I loved the backstory on this one. Gil and Ivy were best friends as children but Ivy's home life was a mess. She disappeared for ten years, coming back into his life as a teenager. They fell in love, and made plans for a future together, when once again, Ivy's messed-up mother got between them, taking Ivy away again. Gil's heart never got over her, which is obvious from their very first interaction in this story, and he only falls deeper the longer they are together. I liked so many things about this book. The characters are all well-developed, and the friendships are strong.

Readers who enjoy gripping suspense with a hefty dose of romance, should pick up Malicious Intent. This is Book #2 in Ms. Blackburn's "Defend & Protect" series, but I think it can be read as a stand-alone book. While many of the characters carry over from book to book, you don't need to read the first book (although I did) to understand what is happening in this one.

Dr. Ivy Collins is a successful engineer and now the CEO of an innovative prosthetics company, but when someone begins to try t undermine the work her company is doing she finds herself leaning on an old childhood friend.

A fast paced read, with an engaging plot and riveting backstory. I loved how Gil and Ivy reconnected through all of this and how his friends were encouraging him to pursue her. I was quickly drawn into this book, with it's winsome characters and original plot. I liked how this book had strong themes of overcoming through faith and forgiveness.

Overall, a page-turning read that I didn't want to put down. I have been loving this series so far, and can't wait to read the next one!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

3.5 stars

Malicious Intent was an enjoyable read, but not one that completely held my attention. I don't know what it was, exactly, but I had a difficult time staying invested and finishing it.

I liked the characters and the romance was sweet - I love second chance stories! The mystery of who was behind everything was good.

All in all, I liked Malicious Intent and do plan on reading the next book when I can.

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*

I absolutely love an action-packed romantic suspense story centered around a team and Lynn Blackburn never disappoints. I absolutely devoured her Dive Team series and now the Defend and Protect series is turning out to be top notch as well. This story kept my attention from beginning to end and kept me guessing. This story centers around Gil and Ivy who were childhood friends and are reunited under not so great circumstances. Romance can often be hard to find realistic in a suspense novel due to the action and timeline so it helped that they had a history. I appreciated Gil's protective nature and Ivy's intelligence and independence. I loved updates on other members of the team and also some surprise appearances from old friends from her Dive Team series. I can't wait for the next in the series which releases next year.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this story. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Book 2, can be read as a stand-alone or as book 2. I loved the first in this series almost as much as this one. You will also recognize many characters from the authors other series’. Amazing read. You won’t want to miss this one. Can’t wait to see how Zane and Tessa end up together in the third book of this series.

First of all, I have to say that I love this series so far. {No Spoilers!} I read the first book in the "Defend and Protect" series and really enjoyed it. The same goes for this one. I love that this book is a clean romance book with no bad language. There was lots of action, suspense and mystery along with romance of course! I read through it pretty quickly, as it had me hooked! I am ready for the 3rd book in this series. I recommend this book highly. This series is great...and although it is part of a series, the books don't have to be read in any particular order as each book starts out with a new story. You can grab this book on Amazon.

Malicious Intent by Lynn H. Blackburn, I struggled getting into this book, and it just didnt live up to its appeal for me. I do think others will enjoy. Thank you for giving me a chance with this book.

This book was really fun! It was really fast paced and the story moved rapidly. I read through the whole book fairly quickly and really enjoyed it!

I had some issue with the believability of the plot points: even though suspension of disbelief comes with the territory of Christian suspense, there were aspects of this book that were difficult to believe even with a certain amount of suspension of disbelief. For instance, someone like Ivy, who had MILLIONS of dollars at her disposal, would be unlikely to work with law enforcement and more likely to work with a security team/private investigators of some sort. I’m not convinced that wills just . . . give you 20 million dollars directly into a bank account, and furthermore, if you HAD 20 million dollars, you would have them in investments and not just . . . loose in a bank account?

Further things I have issue with: ransomware/computer experts/servers/etc, how smart people work???, research conferences, hospitals/medical work/injuries/physical trauma and such. I think my academic background is strong enough that some of the points that the author assumed the audience would gloss over don’t do it for me, and that took away quite a bit of the overall believability of the story for me to a point where I could not properly ignore it.

With that being said, there were also several things that I really did like! I LOVED the reunion story between Gil and Ivy as childhood best friends falling into each other’s lives. I thought that was so sweet, and their gradual shift towards their previous interrupted romance was so cute. Gil’s relationship with his sister Emily (and Emily & Ivy’s relationship) and his mom and the way they all acted was just so sweet and I really liked that a lot.

Gil and Ivy’s characters were basically perfect, but that gave them a chance to focus on their romance from their childhood. I think the amount of ~angst~ in this book was well done, but they are a little too perfect as people in general. I also liked the small thread of working through historical problems and the unanswered questions from when they were young. It seemed really healing to Gil and Ivy and the forgiveness and understanding that they had for each other was really good to read.

There was SO much packed into this story, and it only took place over the course of several days, which was a little wild. There was the counterfeit event, the ransom/hostage attack, the ransomware, the ex, the conference, the bomb, the house attack, and more. It become a little difficult to keep track of after a while, but simultaneously, the fast pace made the story move quickly so it was understandable.

I really liked the teamwork between Gil and his Special Agent team: it was so clear that they had each other’s backs, even Morris, who seemed gruff at first, but still worked cohesively as a group. The group completely trusted each other and would go out of their way to support each other and that work environment seemed so lovely!

All in all, I really liked this book! I’ll definitely be picking up more of Lynn Blackburn’s books in the future, and other than the slight unbelievability, this story was really enjoyable!

Malicious Intent by Lynn H. Blackburn is a high stakes novel with tons of suspense. I adored this romantic suspense novel. The characters were well crafted and had intriguing back stories that made the story even more interesting. Readers may recognize some of the characters from other books by this author, but this book can still be read on its own. Ivy and Gil’s story was captivating and I found her profession particularly interesting. I sincerely hope to see more books with this cast of characters in the near future. Their interactions work so well that it’s like catching up with old friends. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

I love Lynn H. Blackburn so much. Her books keep me on the edge on my seat from the first page to the last.
This book was no exception. It was heart pounding excitement, with some romance and faith artfully woven in.
The story flowed perfectly and I didn't want to put it down.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.*

I very much enjoyed this book. It was well written with well crafted characters. It was not formulaic and held my attention through till the end.

"I am always so excited to be able to read another book by Lynn H. Blackburn! While suspense is a genre I am cautious about, I always know she does not go overboard with chilling terror or gory details. I also know that her stories will be filled with faith that inspires.

Malicious Intent started with torture - thankfully without details shared - and a reunion. Wow! The action continued from there with narratives from Gil and Ivy's viewpoints, in addition to the unknown person maliciously seeking Ivy.

If I hadn't already loved Gil from what I learned of him in Unknown Threat, his heart toward Ivy would have sent me over the top. He is a strong, protective hero who loves intensely. Oh, and did I mention that he cooks? Ivy, Dr. Collins to her colleagues, was brilliant! It was a lot of fun getting to know her. I was a bit in awe of her strength, as well.

Both Gil and Ivy had strong prayer lives. I appreciated how they called out to the Lord when they were in need, even when they couldn't get any words out. They were examples of lives lived by faith.

Filled with action, intrigue, suspense, faith, and romance, Malicious Intent was difficult to put down! As a bonus, I now know the real reason to replace my windows with double-paned ones - as a hint, it doesn't have anything to do with energy efficiency! I recommend it highly to readers who appreciate clean and exciting stories.


I was given a copy of this book. I was not required to give a favorable review nor was any money received for this review. All comments and opinions are my own."

I’ve enjoyed every book by Lynn Blackburn, but this one tops them all! Intense drama, detailed investigation, and fabulous characters.

Malicious Intent
by Lynn H. Blackburn
Pub Date 01 Mar 2022
Revell
Christian


I am reviewing a copy of Malicious Intent through Revell and Netgalley:



Dr Ivy Collins, who is the founder and CEO of Hedera, Inc., is ready to begin clinical trials of her company's cutting-edge prosthetic. Everyone from medical, and advocacy groups is hopeful for the success of this new prosthetic. Well, almost everyone Someone is trying to sabotage Hedera and the launch, but to what purpose--and how far will they go to get what they want?





In the meantime U.S. Secret Service Agent Gil Dixon can't believe he's finally been reunited with Ivy, his childhood best friend. Now that he’s found her again, he hopes to spend the rest of his life with her. But it’s going to take all his skill to uncover the truth in time to save Ivy's life's work, her own life, and the innocent lives caught in the crossfire.



Malicious Intent has the perfect balance of chilling suspense and uplifting romance.




If you’re looking for an intense, suspenseful, romantic read, I highly recommend Malicious Intent!


Five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

Malicious Intent is a just as good, if not better than the first book in this series! Suspense, romance, high tech, and secret service agents are all components woven into this can’t put down book.
Dr. Ivy Collins has someone trying to get into the computers of her company and secret service agent Gil Dixon is there to help solve the case. They have history together and their characters are well developed. If you like clean, fast-paced, suspenseful stories, this book is definitely one you need to read! Can’t wait for the next story in this series!
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. The thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

The second book in the series and I loved it. Gil Dixon works for the Secret Service, he discovers his childhood best friend is back in town when he shows up at her house unexpectedly while working a case. Ivy Collins is an engineer and the CEO of her own company. They join forces when Ivy's life is put on the line. This story opens with action and does not stop until the end. My favorite part is the protection details for Ivy with everyone surrounding her just like the Secret Service would the President. It's full of action, intrigue, suspense, romance, and inspiration. I can't wait for the next book in the series.

Another great, suspenseful read by Lynn Blackburn! I enjoyed the fast pace and how the story moved along at a fast clip.

4.5 stars

Overall, a really well plotted story that kept me guessing about which of the suspects was actually responsible for the kidnapping and why they were going after Ivy. It was very intense to dive right into a torture scenario... I would have liked to have some sort of preparation for what I was going to start reading about, but at the same time I appreciated that details were kept matter-of-fact and not graphically described.

Gil was a great leading man and an enjoyable character to spend time with. I liked how he interacted both with Ivy and with his circle of friends, because it’s really nice to see healthy relationships between adults in books. He’s clearly a strong man, especially in character.

I’m looking forward to the next book in the series!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free reading copy. A favorable review was not required.

I LOVE LYNN BLACKBURN! I have been hooked since reading Beneath the Surface. She has such a unique writing style that is so captivating! Her characters are unique, yet believable, and I have preordered every book since that first read. From serious suspense scenes to playful humor/banter, she can do it all!

Imagine running into the long lost love of your life at work. Better yet, arriving at their home only to find them being tortured? When Gil Dixon, Secret Service Agent, arrives at Ivy Collins' home, he comes with questions about counterfeit money that her business deposited. What he finds is much more than that. Someone is after Ivy's business and her money, and Gil is getting a front row seat as it all unfolds. As they work to find who is targeting Ivy and Prosthetics company, they pick their friendship back up where they left off and feel their love begin to re-blossom.

I received a copy of this book digitally via NetGalley as well as purchased it from Baker Books. I read and reviewed this book voluntarily, and all opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Malicious Intent is at the top of my list for the year so far! Lynn Blackburn's Defend and Protect series follows a group of secret service agents in the Raleigh, NC office. This is the second book in the series but can be read as a stand alone. It is action packed with an intriguing plot. The main female character, Ivy, is a brilliant bioengineer with a PhD who is the founder of a company with cutting edge technology getting ready to launch. Someone is attempting to sabotage it before it gets off the ground but why and to what extent. The male lead, Gil Dixon, is a US secret service agent who knows Ivy from his childhood but hasn't seen her in 15 years. They have a lot to uncover from their past all while trying to stay alive and keep her company from being destroyed. If you have read Blackburn's previous books, you will recognize characters that are helping from other agencies. This romantic suspense has just the right amount of everything! And it leaves you looking forward to the next book in the series