Raw Redemption

by Tessa Bailey
Crossing the Line #4
Publication Date: June 13, 2016
Genres: Adult, Contemporary Romance, Entangled: Select Suspense

Purchase: Amazon | Paperback | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | B&N| Kobo | iBooks

Synopsis: Loving her might cost him everything…

Disgraced cop Henrik Vance is having a shit year. Banished to a derelict undercover squad, he’s been tasked with hunting down the daughter of Chicago’s most dangerous criminal. His obsession with saving the beautiful girl destroyed his career. And this time, it might cost his life.

Ailish O’Kelly doesn’t need a hero. She’ll save herself from her father’s violent criminal dynasty, thank you very much. Unfortunately, the sexy as sin cop who crashes her hideout isn’t hearing reason—especially not after the kiss that becomes much more.

His boss wants her as an informant. Ailish wants Henrik to keep whispering filthy things against her skin. But she knows too well the evil they’re up against, and when it comes down to protecting the man who owns her body and soul, she only has one choice…

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My Thoughts

*ARC provided by Publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review*

Holy Henrik hotness! This book about did me in. Not only did I love the storyline, disgraced cop, powerful criminal’s daughter, bring her in/bodyguard—YES PLEASE—, but the individuality of the characters, the depth of their emotions, made this an incredibly hot, fun, and exciting read.

Henrik is a hot, brooding mess of a man, and yet, his desire for Ailish consumes him, pushes him to do things he normally wouldn’t do, or even be tempted to do, and yet for her, he does them without thought. Without question. Without care of the badge he once wore so honorably.

Of course, Ailish isn’t quite the innocent he thought her to be, and yet, she does hold a certain naivety about her. It’s as endearing as it is contradictory, since she’s clearly a woman who has done things to survive in the world she lived in—and done even more to get out of that world.

Henrik and Ailish had some amazing chemistry in this, everything I wanted for them and more, in fact. The entire book was hot as hell, and a perfect ending to the Crossing the Line series.

If you’ve read Tessa Bailey before, you’re in for a huge treat with this book, and if you haven’t read this author before but want to, Raw Redemption is an excellent story to start with as it’s got a little bit of everything: romance, suspense, desire, intrigue, danger, excitement, strong alpha males, seriously kick-ass females, and some scorching-hot love scenes. This book is a master class in storytelling, depth of character, and individuality, blending all the elements romance and suspense readers love into one mega-hot erotic suspense tale.

Highly, highly recommend reading this one. It’s a keeper!

Final Analysis

Mega hot and amazing! Run don’t walk to get this book!

5 Stars

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Excerpt

Henrik’s sigh blew her hair back like a stiff gust of wind. “While I’m with you, Ailish, I’m working. There are lines I can’t cross.”

Even knowing it was a little evil, nothing could suppress the pop of excitement in her belly. She was alone with a man—a gorgeous man—who wanted her. But had to keep his hands off. It was a tease’s paradise, and they were both screwed. Or not screwed, depending on your point of view.  “We can’t sleep together.”

“No.” He dropped his needful gaze to her breasts again. “We can’t.”

She executed her best nonchalant shoulder shrug. “Oh.”

“You’re smiling again.”

Ailish couldn’t stifle her chuckle. Man oh man, she really liked this big ol’ man, and they’d only just met. He deserved a fair warning about what he was getting himself into. “Henrik, you should probably put as much distance between you and me as possible. I really like that you want me. And I probably won’t be able to help trying to keep it that way.” She drew a lazy circle on his abdomen with her index finger, watching in awe as the ridged muscle shuddered under her touch. “For instance, I’d love to tell you I’m wearing cheap white panties and you can see clear through them in the right light.”

His body did this kind of heave, right at Ailish, flattening her backside against the sink. Their mouths were suddenly so close, she could feel his hot puffs of breath on her lips, feel his chest lifting and falling where it met her breasts. “I don’t like hearing that you’ve talked to other men that way.”

“I haven’t,” she whispered. “I don’t. I usually just—”

“I do not want to know.”

Henrik made a subtle move, just a downward roll of his hips that dragged his erection over the crotch of her leggings. But it wasn’t really subtle at all because he stopped right over her clit and nudged forward. She nearly jumped out of her skin, it was so unexpected, her body’s deluge of need so extreme. “H’oh boy.”

His mouth sifted through the hair covering her ear. “Tease me as much as you want. Just don’t try to send me packing again. Are we clear?”

“I told you I don’t like being ordered around.”

He rasped the stubble of his jaw against her neck. “You’d love the way I do it.”

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ABOUT TESSA BAILEY

 

Tessa Bailey is originally from Carlsbad, California. The day after high school graduation, she packed her yearbook, ripped jeans and laptop, driving cross-country to New York City in under four days.

Her most valuable life experiences were learned thereafter while waitressing at K-Dees, a Manhattan pub owned by her uncle. Inside those four walls, she met her husband, best friend and discovered the magic of classic rock, managing to put herself through Kingsborough Community College and the English program at Pace University at the same time. Several stunted attempts to enter the work force as a journalist followed, but romance writing continued to demand her attention.

She now lives in Long Island, New York with her husband of eight years and four-year-old daughter. Although she is severely sleep-deprived, she is incredibly happy to be living her dream of writing about people falling in love.

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