Blackburn’s Malicious Intent is another page-turning rollercoaster ride with great characters and an explosive climax.

Blackburn’s Malicious Intent is another page-turning rollercoaster ride with great characters and an explosive climax.

My love for Lynn H. Blackburn’s books is largely rooted in her fantastic characters. Put these characters in an interesting plot, and I will be up late with very little regrets the next morning.

Gil and Ivy captured my attention in Unknown Threat, so of course I needed their story. Blackburn exceeded my expectations. Gil is a hero worth rooting for, and Ivy is strong in her own right. Their story reminds me somewhat of Adam and Sabrina’s, a strong, dedicated man and a genius heroine who can’t be classified as a damsel in distress when she holds her own just as much.

Add the high stakes, sizzling chemistry, and a puzzling mystery, and you have a book that’s impossible to put down.

As for the faith element, there’s great discussion about relying on God and His protection. It definitely gives you something to think about.

Overall, Malicious Intent is a gripping romantic suspense with great characters and an engaging plot.

Ivy, a brilliant prosthetic engineer, is brutally tortured until government agents stumble onto her. She's now protected by a Secret Service agent/her former high school sweetheart and his gang of agents. The true bad guy manages to remain a mystery until the final conflict--and anything else I could say would just be spoilers. I stayed up too late reading this one.

It's been awhile since I so thoroughly enjoyed a romantic suspense. Lynn H. Blackburn hits all the right buttons and I'm already starting on her backlist. I had so much fun reading this, and greatly appreciate the author's ability to stay in the genre so perfectly while managing to avoid feeling cliche. Extra points for including real faith, prayer, and a Christian lifestyle--the trend lately seems to be to strip out faith and just write "clean" fiction. While I don't mind those, this was a welcome change.

Ivy is fun to read with her genius intellect sometimes conflicting with her emotions. I also loved Sabrina's character--please write at least a novella/prequel/back story where she gets to be the star! She's priceless.

Kudos to the author for writing a story with violence, even torture, without including gory or unnecessary graphic details. Her ability to keep the reader's POV just a step removed from the violence works really well.

I'll be recommending this one to all my friends who, like me, grew up reading and rereading Dee Henderson, DiAnn Mills, and the like. Definitely a new favorite author for me.

For Ivy things are coming together for her. The dreams she had for her company and the work they do. The romance from the past, he wants it all, having found her again. With threats against her for everything she holds dear. A good thriller in this second book to read and enjoy.
Given ARC for my voluntary review and my honest opinion

I don't know how she does it but each book is better than the last!!!! Gil and Ivys story had me in tears at some points,,goosebumps at others and to top it off it was surprisingly funny!! I think Gil and Ivy are my favorite couple to date! Reading this has made me want to do a re read of all of Lynn's books. I'm greatly hoping that Zane and Tessas story will be told and SOON!!

Gil is a Secret Servicee agent in Raleigh. He is currently working on a counterfeit money case. In the course of the investigation he comes across Dr. Ivy Collins, head of a local corporation, and also a childhood friend of him and his twin sister. Someone is trying to do her harm so Gil and all his local law enforcement colleagues band together to protect her and try to solve the mystery. This is one of those nail biter -- why would I want to stop ready to sleep -- kind of stories. Highly recommend!

Love this author's work!

I have voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book that I received from NetGalley. All views expressed are only my own honest opinion.

Malicious Intent by Lynn H. Blackburn continues her thrilling action-packed Defend and Protect series with a very fast-paced romantic suspense. I couldn't wait to continue Ms. Blackburn's series, especially after reading the sneak peek of Malicious Intent in the back of her first book of the series Unknown Threat. Prior to this series, I was unfamiliar with Ms. Blackburn's writings; however, I plan on reading as many of Ms. Blackburn's writings I can manage to find. I truly enjoy Ms. Blackburn's writings as she brings her readers on thrilling adventures with her characters facing various complex and dangerous situations all in the midst of trying to keep each other alive. Needless to say, Malicious Intent does not disappoint. The shocking plot twists, excellently developed characters, as well as the intricate web of mystery and criminal investigation are only a few of the reasons I absolutely enjoyed Malicious Intent by Ms. Blackburn and highly recommend it.
Malicious Intent shifts the focus to US Secret Service Agent Gil Dixon as he investigates what seems to be a somewhat minor crime, a small amount of counterfeit currency being deposited from Hedera, Inc., a company that develops prosthetics. What makes Gil so curious about this situation is the fact that his childhood best friend and first love, Dr. Ivy Collins is the CEO and founder of Hedera, Inc. and Gil and her have not spoken in fifteen years. What begins as an investigation into Gil's former best friend's company turns into a wild chase full of sabotage, kidnapping, torture, multiple life-threatening situations, as well as guilt and betrayal from the past. Dr. Ivy Collins has kept herself busy with work, not allowing herself to develop close friendships or relationships ever since her life imploded over a decade ago. When Gil, Ivy's childhood friend and crush, rushes back into her life to rescue her from a terrible situation, Ivy is overwhelmed at how good it feels to have someone watch out for her and protect her. Ivy is determined to keep working on her company's latest development, despite the dangers she is facing. When Gil makes it his sole mission to keep her safe, Ivy isn't sure if she can keep herself from falling for Gil again. As Ivy and Gil work together to stay alive can they rekindle their friendship? Can Gil uncover the evil mastermind behind the threats to Ivy's company and Ivy herself? Can Gil and Ivy forgive each other for past hurts and betrayals? Will Ivy and Gil be able to restore their relationship in the middle of a nightmare of attacks and confusion? Can they both survive? Will they be able to prevent other innocent lives from being in danger? Read Malicious Intent to find out for yourself! Happy Readings!
Disclaimer: Revell graciously provided me with a copy of this book. All opinions are my own and part of an unbiased review.

Malicious Intent is the second book in the Defend and Protect series. I haven't read the first one, but I can say that I thoroughly enjoyed this romantic thriller. In fact, this is the first book I have read by the author. I found the book to be a page turner with plenty of action and swoon worthy romance. The book was filled with faith and inspiration as well. I will definitely be reading more books by Ms. Blackburn.
*I was given a copy of the book by Revell Publishers and this is my honest opinion.

This book made me want to forego all of my adult responsibilities and tear through the pages of this book! I loved the characters of Ivy and Gil. Ivy has so much strength amidst so much difficulty in her personal world. I also really enjoy the way the author portrays the strong relationship of the core group of characters! I can't wait until book three comes out!

Thanks so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc. The opinions are my own.



Unknown Threat book 1 review can be found here: https://kroosreadsandreviews.blogspot.com/2021/03/unknown-threat-by-lynn-h-blackburn.html

I am loving this new series from Blackburn. Solid plotting, character development, and lots and lots of action. Can't wait for more!

This is the second book in the Defend and Protect series, with some recurring characters, but you can read it alone!

Circumstances bring childhood sweethearts back together, they lost contact with each other by actions not their own. U.S. Secret Service Agent Gil Dixon ends up at the right place at the right time, and Dr. Ivy Collins is now in reunited with the boy who stole her heart, all grown up after fifteen years!

There are a lot of twist and turns here to get to the answers, but when I suspected whom was responsible, I wasn't really wrong, but I wasn't exactly right.

This is a great suspense page turner, with a bit of sweet romance thrown in!

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Revell, and was not required to give a positive review.

Engaging and exciting romantic suspense. Secret Service, FBI, and local police all work together harmoniously. Not the typical ego trips and challenges. A second chance romance, if both parties end up alive. Not always likely in this tale. It kept me turning the pages and guessing the wrong culprit. Clever mystery. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. I look forward to reading the next one and plan to read the first one.

This is a great read!
Suspense at its finest.
Dr. Collins is tortured in her own home but she refuses to give out information. Her childhood friend and sweetheart, now an US Secret Service Agent show up just in time to save her more pain.
Together, they must sort through the past while trying to keep Dr. Collins alive.
There are twists and turns. Multiple suspects will keep you guessing until the end.
The characters are well developed and make the storyline well rounded.

Another suspenseful page-turner from Lynn Blackburn! Dr Ivy Collins works in bioengineering to help amputees with quality prosthetics. When she’s taken hostage and tortured in her own home for information, her childhood friend agent Gil Dixon coincidentally shows up in time to stop it, but he has questions of his own.

Sorting out their wounded past takes time, that they may not have if they can’t figure out who wants Ivy and what their endgame is. Meanwhile, Ivy discovers the depth of friendship from Gil’s team, forgiveness from the shame that haunts her and to trust others when she doesn’t have it all figured out.

Add this one to your TBR list!

Malicious Intent is part of the Defend and Protect series and Lynn Blackburn is one of my new favorite authors. I enjoy how the characters interact with each other and always look out for each other. The background in this book was presented in a way that you knew and cared for Ivy and Gil since they were children. Can't wait for the next book in the series.

Ivy sat behind her desk and dropped her head
against the high back of her seat. Lord,
I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what to do.
It took her several minutes before she managed
to whisper, “...but my eyes are on you.”

Lynn Blackburn has a record of combining faith, suspense, and romance, into believable stories that will hold most reader’s interest from the first pages to the very last page of the book - while still leaving the reader wanting more. She has done it again.

From the pile of counterfeit cash found in chapter one to the grenades tossed in the final moments of the book, we get a glimpse of Gil Dixon and Ivy Collins working to discover who is trying to destroy her business and her life. In the process Ivy will need to rebuild a 15 year-old dead relationship with Gil that may or may not be refreshable.

This satisfying book is worthy of all five stars I am giving it.
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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.

The second in the Defend and Protect series proves to be action packed with numerous twists and turns. Readers will want to read the first in the series to get the full picture of most of the characters. The characters each have an uniqueness that adds to the story. What starts out to be a counterfeit operation in which the Secret Service will need to investigate turns out to be much more. Recommended.

It's another great romantic suspense from Lynn H Blackburn. Though it's the second in the Defend and Protect series, it can be read as a stand-alone. Lovable characters get their second chance with fast-paced action and an intricate plot with twists and turns. This book will grab you from the beginning and keep you captivated until the end.

Gil is a fantastic hero - calm, intelligent, protective, resourceful. Who won't love a Secret Service Agent who cooks gourmet meals and holds onto his first love? Ivy is a nice mix of eccentric genius and down-to-earth tenderness and loyalty. Their second chance romance is fraught with danger and reminiscence as Ivy and her family's convoluted past catches up with the present. I loved seeing the characters from the author's Dive Team Investigations series pop up in this book. Though he had a voice in the story, the villain's identity and motive were tantalizingly elusive until the end of the book.

If you enjoy romantic suspense, you don't want to miss out on this book and series. I received the book from the publisher and was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are solely my own.

This is an exciting book with lots of twists and turns. The language and romance is clean. It's not quite edge of your seat suspense, but it does keep you coming back for more. At about the last 10% mark, just count on finishing the book. The author drops hints throughout the book as to who may of been terrorizing Ivy, and maybe you can guess who it is before the end. But the "why" is somewhat of a shock.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC for an honest review.

This book is part of the Defend and Protect series. This book has lots of action and is full of twist and turns. The romance is great and there are strong characters who definitely know how to defend a person

2 stars
Ehh, It was an ok read. Very trite and predictable. I was not a fan of it at all. Thanks for the ARC.