Well, this was a fun read, though it could have gone better, I guess…

Leo Anderson and Olivia Mortier once shared a passionate moment at the battlefield, but were soon separated under the worst circumstances. Now he’s a treasure hunter looking for the mythical reaches of Santa Cristina, and she’s a CIA agent in desperate need of a diving crew to retrieve extremely dangerous weapons from the bottom of the ocean. Their reunion is breef, and cannot last long before they go their separate ways again. Can he convince her to give them a chance this time around before the clock runs out on them? Or will the danger she brings with her claim them first?

Honestly, this wasn’t a bad book. It had action and suspense and of course sexual tension, because I haven’t seen bigger simps than its lead couple in a looooong time! Seriously, they were pining for each other, HARD, and they kept dancing in circles for a big part of the book. I didn’t really mind that, as they had more important matters to focus on, and each had their reason for holding back. Besides, the sex scenes later on, or the stolen kisses, were hot enough to scorch the pages, so I’m not complaining, it was worth it.

What didn’t work for me was the pace. I was under the impression that they were running out of time fast, but only because Olivia or some other character would mention it. In fact, the pace moved really slow for something as dangerous and with as fleeting a time window as this mission was supposed to be, mainly because there were pages and pages every time of either Olivia’s or Leo’s thoughts for the other lead of the story. It made it hard to get into the heart-pounding mood the author wanted me to be, despite their inner monologues being fun.

All in all, I didn’t hate it, but I feel like better pace management would have worked wonders with it.

***I was given an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinion stated in this review is solely mine, and no compensation was given or taken to alter it.***

Hell or High Water was a fast-paced, exciting, action-packed page-turner! It was so entertaining with these great characters, fun dialogue, and fantastic wit. Awesome start to a new series!

I loved Leo and Olivia. Olivia was such a tough woman and I loved her strength. Leo was just so sweet. I enjoyed learning their history in the middle of all this crazy chaos that was happening. Seeing their building attraction grow and explode. And oh my! This sucker was hot! There's also a good bit of emotion and drama happening along with all the action.

I could totally picture this story as a movie. The characters were fantastic. They had this great internal dialogue and fun humor happening. The guys involved had an exceptional male bond and camaraderie that I really enjoyed. Each man had such distinct personalities making me want to know more about them. I loved that this was told from several different POVs and getting to see all these different perspectives. I enjoyed the banter between the couple that was introduced for the next book as well.

I loved the suspense element in play. It was lighter than I was expecting but I actually loved that. It wasn't too intense or stressful. It was just a great group of guys and one awesome chick seriously kicking some butt. Terrorist cells, double agents, and kidnappings oh my! It was all thrilling. I loved the whole buried treasure aspect and what the guys wanted for their future as well.

I really liked what was introduced and how the prologue and epilogue were set up talking about a past story that intertwined with the guys today. I was looking for a bit of fun adventure and got just that!

As a big fan of Julie Ann Walker's books, I was really excited to get to read this title, but for whatever reason when I attempted to read it back when I first was approved, I couldn't get into it. After putting it down and trying again a few times over the course of the time since then, that has still been the case. I absolutely adore her Black Knights Inc. series so I'm unsure as to why this title didn't work out, but I after a few good tries I think I need to let it go.

Sexy. Sweet. Unforgettable. I love this author and the stories she writes. Great chemistry. Undeniable attraction. Smoldering tension. Characters that make you feel everything. Highly recommended this book y'all!

A Romantic suspense with Navy SEALS, terrorists, and a story that promises to continue with future books!