• 3 Standalones slightly connected to the Stark world
New readers should/need to start with Nikki & Damien Stark's very first book #ReleaseMe ☺
Charismatic. Dangerous. Sexy as hell.
Meet the men of Stark Security.
Stark Security, a high-end, high-tech, no-holds barred security firm founded by billionaire Damien Stark and security specialist Ryan Hunter has one mission: Do whatever it takes to protect the innocent. Only the best in the business are good enough for Stark Security.
Men with dangerous skills.
Men with something to prove.
Brilliant, charismatic, sexy as hell, they have no time for softness—they work hard and they play harder. They’ll take any risk to get the job done.
But what they won’t do is lose their hearts.
With his lethal skills and criminal connections, former British agent Quincy Radcliffe has fast become a key asset at the newly formed Stark Security. But Quincy isn’t the man he appears to be.
When the woman whose body he once worshipped and whose heart he broke pleads for his help, Quincy knows he must either turn his back on her or risk revealing his dark secrets to the one woman who can—and will—tear open his old wounds.
For years, struggling actress Eliza Tucker has tried to forget the decadent weeks she shared with Quincy Radcliffe. His smoldering good looks had drawn her in, while his British charm had enchanted her. But it was the wildness of his seduction and the ferocity of his passion that captured her. She’d given herself to him—and he’d shattered her like glass when he’d walked away.
Now, he’s the only person who can help find her missing sister. She’ll use him because she has too. She’ll pay any sensual price he demands. But she won’t fall for him again.
Four years ago, for one amazing summer in London, Eliza and Quincy were each other's everything.
But something happened and he broke her heart. She never wants to see him again.
Too bad, because now they kinda have to work together.
Eliza is trying to find her missing private investigator sister. And she's doing that at this creepy, elite sex party in Hollywood - the same party Quincy and his Stark Security team are doing a secret agent mission thing that night.
Turns out they're 'working' the same case.
Let the fun times begin.
Because even through all the hate and heartbreak - the feelings are still very much there!
I really loved this!
I didn't exactly know what to expect. Well, I kinda expected a great romantic suspense - and I got that. But it also something different and more and ... no idea what I mean. But I really loved it.
The first few pages I was a bit torn. On the verge of being bored, because I didn't really know why I should care about a building in Hollywood. Even though it was interesting to read about it - but I was afraid the whole book would give me too many details about things that didn't really matter to the story. And then we go back in time a few times - to London - when they met - how they fell for each other. I usually don't like going back in time in books. But it was really okay here.
It was a very exciting and sexy and mysterious and Hot-British-Hero story.
We have the missing sister Eliza is looking for and we have the missing royal kid from Europe Quincy is looking for. Plus the problems in our two darlings pasts. Plus their relationship and break-up problems. All very exciting and heartbreaking!
I loved seeing Dallas and Ryan and Damien again.
Great Book!
It could've been a bit more of everything. It was all a bit rushed and not very detailed (even though I complained about too much detail in the beginning☺). I wanted more about their pasts, their relationship in London, the time between London and now. More about Stark Security and its people. More romance and fun and action. Just a tiny bit more. It felt like Julie was told to cut 100 pages of interesting stuff. BUT - it was also completely okay the way it was - I really loved reading it!
Can't wait to get my hands on Denny and Mason's story next!!!!
SHATTERED WITH YOU was a very exciting & sexy & heartbreaking romantic suspense! Run to your nearest amazon for your own hot British agent - this one is MINE! ☺
Ugh - another tiny little thing about the writing. As most of my followers know ... I HATE it when authors use AS in a non-comparing way. Like: I couldn't pick you up from school - as I was busy eating cake. Know what I mean?? I hate that. It's not used in modern-day conversations. British people use it but even then it sounds horrible to my ears.
And the other thing - SO LONG AS. We learned in school that it is AS LONG AS. Is this a local thing? I have no idea - I have never heard anyone say SO LONG AS in real life! I hate it.
But of course - that's all just me and my weird reading rules.
Carry on.
ARC received for an honest review
I love a second chance story.
I love everything related to the Starkiverse.
I adore Eliza and Quincy.
Full of action, suspense and oh so much sexual tension, Shattered With You had me hooked from the start.
I did feel though, that the end was a little rushed, and with all the build up I was expecting a bang at the end, and it felt more like a whimper. However that could just be me.
I loved seeing bits of the Stark men and their ladies.
I felt that this was a good and interesting start to the Stark Security spin off, and I am looking forward to what comes next.
♥ EXCERPT ♥
“I think it’s time we get you home.”
“Yes, please.” My pulse pounded in my throat. Hell, it
pounded between my thighs. With each moment that passed, I was more and more
turned on. I blamed the wine—it’s definitely my aphrodisiac of choice—but those
lovely grapes weren’t entirely responsible for this sweet longing. On the
contrary, that was all the man.
A man who took my hand and very gingerly helped me down the
narrow stairs to the street, where he hailed a cab. “I’ll have to remember
you’re a cheap drunk,” he said, his hand sliding down to cup my bottom. I bit
my lower lip and leaned into it, then moaned with satisfaction as he nuzzled my
neck. “That’s valuable information to store away.”
“If that’s the kind of information you want, I’ll tell you
anything. Just don’t stop doing that.”
“Ah, but I have to. Your chariot awaits.”
He stepped around me, leaving me bereft from the sudden lack
of contact. He opened the door like a perfect gentleman, then stepped back, as
if to close it, rather than sliding in beside me.
“Are you getting in on the other side? I can slide over.”
“You’re going home alone,”he said, and my entire body went
cold from the giant bucket of rejection he’d just dumped all over me.
“I—what? Why?” I frowned. “I thought you were buying me
breakfast. I thought we were going to—” I closed my mouth because under the
circumstances I really wasn’t going there.
“You thought I was going home with you. That I was going to
kiss you. That I was going to pull you so close your breasts were crushed
against me, and your ass was tight in my hands.”
“I—Quincy…” I shot a mortified look at the driver, who was
sitting like stone, his hands glued to the steering wheel as he looked straight
ahead.
“Hmm,”Quincy said, then leaned over and handed the driver a
ten-pound note. “Sorry to keep you waiting. This should cover the inconvenience.”And
then, as if the delay was the only thing odd about this situation, he turned
back to me and said, “That would be my very great pleasure, Eliza.”
“But. Wait. What?” I wasn’t sure if it was the wine or the
shock, but he was making no sense.
He put a hand on the roof and leaned in.
“You’re dangerous, Eliza. You and me, we’re a lot alike.”
“That’s bad?”
“I told you. It’s dangerous.”
“Oh. I see.” I swallowed. And told myself not to cry. I
didn’t know him well enough to cry. Which begged the question of why tears were
pooling in my eyes. “Well, it was—I mean, I had a nice day. Thank you. It, ah,
it was really nice to meet you.” Bastard.
His mouth twitched, and for a moment I feared I’d said that
out loud.
“Is that a brush off?”
“What, no. Wait—I thought you were brushing me off.”
“Do you want me to?” Again with that tiny smile.
“No, and you’re teasing me. What the hell, Quince?”At that,
he laughed outright. “Now I know.”
“What?”
“If you and I spend much time together—and I certainly hope
that we will—when you call me Quince it’s because I’m in trouble.”
I tilted my head and crossed my arms in a display of
irritation. And I was irritated. But I was also hopelessly, giddily relieved.
“Fine. You’re in trouble. Don’t scare me like that. You acted like you just
wanted to send me on my way.”
“I’ll tell you what I want,” he said, bending lower and
speaking softer. But not so soft the driver couldn’t hear.
“I don’t just want to go home with you. I don’t simply want
to fuck you. I want to claim you, Eliza. I want you to surrender completely. To
give me your trust entirely.”
“I don’t understand. I don’t know what that means.”
“I think you do. I want control.” He brushed my lips with
the pad of his free hand. “To take you how I want you. In the back of a cab
like this. In your bed. Tied down. On your knees. I’ll give you pleasure,
Eliza. More than you can imagine or have experienced.”
“You can’t know that.”
“I can,
and I do.” He hesitated a moment, his eyes burning into me. “I can’t promise to
save you from whatever darkness is inside you—only you can do that. But there
are shadows in your eyes, and I want to be the one to bring back some light.”
↓ LiNKS TO THE BOOK AND AUTHOR ↓
J. Kenner (aka Julie Kenner) is the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, Wall Street Journal and International bestselling author of over seventy novels, novellas and short stories in a variety of genres.
Though known primarily for her award-winning and international bestselling erotic romances (including the Stark and Most Wanted series) that have reached as high as #2 on the New York Times bestseller list, JK has been writing full time for over a decade in a variety of genres including paranormal and contemporary romance, “chicklit” suspense, urban fantasy, Victorian-era thrillers (coming soon), and paranormal mommy lit.
Her foray into the latter, Carpe Demon: Adventures of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom by Julie Kenner, has been consistently in development in Hollywood since prior to publication. Most recently, it has been optioned by Warner Brothers Television for development as series on the CW Network with Alloy Entertainment producing.
JK has been praised by Publishers Weekly as an author with a “flair for dialogue and eccentric characterizations” and by RT Bookclub for having “cornered the market on sinfully attractive, dominant antiheroes and the women who swopn for him.” A three time finalist for Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA award, JK took home the first RITA trophy awarded in the category of erotic romance in 2014 for her novel, Claim Me (book 2 of her Stark Trilogy).
Her books have sold well over a million copies and are published in over over twenty countries.
In her previous career as an attorney, JK worked as a clerk on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and practiced primarily civil, entertainment and First Amendment litigation in Los Angeles and Irvine, California, as well as in Austin, Texas. She currently lives in Central Texas, with her husband, two daughters, and two rather spastic cats.