Exposed
Series: Unguarded #1
Genre: Erotic Romance / Romantic Suspense
Author: Ivy Stone
Release Day: October 12, 2015
One explosive encounter brought them together.
One infatuation led to a love like no other.
One secret tore them apart.As head of the NYPD Organized Crime Control Bureau in Manhattan, Chief Detective Mason Cole walks in the line of fire every day. Between dodging bullets and braiding his daughter’s hair, Mason is tormented with haunting memories that refuse to relinquish control over him, no matter how hard he tries. After a bust gone wrong, he’s thrown for a loop by a woman who will fill his life with more chaos than ever before.
Lindsey Jenkins is a self-made woman. Bold and independent, she lives unapologetically in a life of deception. That is until her facade is threatened by a force stronger than anything she’s ever felt before—love.
Leaving their hearts unguarded could lead to destruction. Even worse, it could expose them both to a war they never saw coming.
In a city coerced by corruption and treachery, what happens when your greatest passion becomes your biggest weakness?
I am beyond excited to be able to share this book with you all. If you follow my reviews then you know that I love to discover new authors to love and boy was I blown away by Exposed! I have a feeling that I found myself a new favorite author to stalk and this is coming from one picky bitch. Read below for an exclusive excerpt, my review, and don’t forget to scroll down to enter the giveaway for a chance to win a paperback copy of Exposed or one of 2 ebooks!
EXLUSIVE EXCERPT!
I swallow a sigh. Where did this man come from? “You, Mason Cole, are a good man.”
Pushing his chair backwards, he steps out from the table and comes over to my side. His hands come out and he lifts me from under my arms before I know it’s happening. I’m pulled up, my body flush against his. My hands wrap around his neck and my legs naturally grip around his hips so I can steady us. Mason’s hands slide down to my ass and he walks with me in his arms, while piercing me with a perplexed stare I’ve seen before. He’s trying to do what others have attempted and failed. He’s trying to work me out. What he doesn’t realize is he already has me trapped in a fantasy where I can do nothing but imagine a different life, a different me, one where the heat burning within never disintegrates to ash. How does he do this to me? I can’t control it and it agitates me to no end that I can’t do a thing about it. I hear a lock click into place and he closes the door behind us.
“You don’t give much up, do you?” Mason’s voice trails off and his eyes narrow at me as he lays me down, my back hitting the soft cushioning of a bed.
“What do you mean?” I feign ignorance as my heart begins to thump rapidly in my chest. He grinds his hips forward and my body temperature shoots through the roof. How much longer can I hold out before giving into one temptation there may be no coming back from?
Mason shakes his head. “You’re a mystery, Lindsey Jenkins.”
My tongue darts out and I lick my lips, my mouth now drier than a desert because it craves a thirst only Mason can satisfy. “The best kind always are, Detective.”
I watch him search my face as heat pours off him in waves of desire.
“You’re not making this easy for me, you know.” I sigh.
“Life’s not easy. Relationships sure as shit aren’t either. You’re not the kind of woman to let anything or anyone get in her way, so why are you letting the shit in your own head mess you up so much you’ll let it keep you from something that could bring you happiness?”
I look away, not able to look him in the eye anymore. I don’t want to lie to him. “Because of you.”
Mason gently cups my face, bringing it back so he can see me. “I don’t understand.”
“It’s because you’re a good man, because deep down on some level I do trust you. It’s because of those reasons I can’t let myself fall for you.”
“It’s too late for that, sweetheart. You’ve already fallen, just like I have. Now let me catch you.”
My heart soars.
I lie. “Okay.”
I’m going to hell.
Fate. I never believed in it. Fate was a bitch I wanted to bury. But one chance meeting, one touch, it left me questioning everything.
You know how sometimes you read a book by a new author and you just know that this is someone that you’re going to be hooked on for a long time? Exposed by Ivy Stone was that book for me. It was a page turner I never wanted to set down. The writing was complex, enthralling, with a touch of grit and incredibly sexy. The characters were well developed and multi-layered. What truly hooked me was the author’s voice and writing style. I simply couldn’t get enough of it. If this book is anything to go by, Miss Stone has quite the career ahead of her and she certainly got herself a huge fan in me.
It’s been a few months since I found a book that kept me up well into the night reading. A romance with a deliciously slow burn that crackles with electricity until it finally explodes with so much sexual chemistry it scorches. A heroine that’s kick-ass and a hero that will protect her at any cost. A sinfully sexy romance set around secrets, suspense, and enough twists to set you reeling. I loved the absolute hell out of this book!
Lindsey Jenkins has been to hell and back. She’s lost everything and had to pick up the pieces not only for herself but her younger sister when she was just a kid herself. Now she’s older, stronger, and with enough secrets that may very well bury her.
Chief Detective Mason Cole has secrets and demons of his own. Working for the NYPD Organized Crime Control Bureau in Manhattan guarantees that he’s seen the evil that world has, but there’s one particular job that continues to haunt him.
One night changes the course of both their lives and brings them crashing together into a world of deadly secrets and undeniable chemistry.
I loved the complexity of both Mason and Lindsey. It’s refreshing to read about a heroine like Lindsey, and without giving anything away it’s a role reversal I enjoyed a hell of a lot. This is no sweet blushing virgin. This is one tough chick but not over the top tough. She has just that right amount of vulnerability to endear her to the reader while at the same time not losing the kick-ass intensity that she has. She’s fiercely protective of her sister and willing to sell her soul to the devil to keep her safe.
There’s another element to this story in the shape of her sister and Mason’s partner, Roamyn. I have to admit, I wasn’t sure if I’d like Ali at first. When you first meet her, she’s deep in the bowels of her addiction and barely functioning. But there’s also so much more to her than meets the eye. Roamyn was just the icing on the cake with his broody intensity.
It’s great how the author managed to introduce and hook you on the secondary characters without ever losing focus from the main couple and their romance. And let me just tell you, the story of Mason and Lindsey is a hell of a wild ride.
I loved the way that Mason pursued Lindsey and broke through all her carefully built barriers. This is not your typical manwhore hero and as much as I love me the manwhores, he was the perfect change of pace. He’s not just looking for a meaningless hookup. But at the same time, this is a man with secrets of his own. Demons that he still continues to fight.
There were a few things that left me with questions about both Mason and Lindsey. Things that I wished were fleshed out a little bit more. Things about Lindsey’s past and how she got into the life that she did that I wish we got more development on. I also found myself questioning a few decisions that Mason made as a cop that I had difficulty suspending my disbelief on.
However, it’s clear that there’s still much more to be told with both of them in the upcoming books so perhaps that will be something that’s addressed later on. And even while I can’t say that this book was perfect, I still found myself enjoying the story so much that I barely batted an eye lash at the minor issues.
One thing is for sure; I am completely and utterly hooked on this series and can’t wait for more. I’m already salivating for Roamyn’s story. If there’s one book you read this year, let it be this one. This is definitely an author that has some big things in her future. This is one debut you do not want to miss. Trust me on that.
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