Review – Midnight Alias by Elle Kennedy

Publisher: Berkley
Publish Date: February 5th
How I got this book: NetGalley

She’s smart, seductive, and in way over her head.
He’s her only way out.

An undercover DEA agent has gone off the radar. Suspecting an internal mole, the government needs Luke Dubois and his elite team of operatives to recover their man, and the New Orleans native thinks he’s found his way inside the dark underbelly of Manhattan: Olivia Taylor, the girlfriend of a mob boss and the sexiest woman he’s ever laid eyes on. His new mission objective? Get past Olivia’s defenses and convince her to take a chance—on him.

All Olivia wanted was to finish law school and live a normal life, but that dream was shattered when one dangerous night put her deeply in a mobster’s debt. Now Luke and his team will help her escape—in exchange for intel on the missing agent. But Olivia doesn’t anticipate her intense attraction to the reckless Louisiana charmer or that she’ll be forced to risk everything—including her heart.
*Blurb from Goodreads*

 

I discovered Elle Kennedy this past year, and I have to say I am so glad I picked up her book. There is so much I enjoy about her writing, and the second book in the Killer Instincts series is another romantic suspense goodie!

Olivia has not had an easy life, all she wants to do is finish school and move on to a life that is as normal as she can make it. But after paying for school and her mother’s health problems, Olivia has to strip in order to make enough money to make ends meet. Unfortunately for her, the nightclub owner where she works is obsessed with her. Unbeknownst to her, the club she works at is under investigation and she soons finds herself as a key player in the war against the New York mob.

Luke knew from the moment he saw Olivia that there was more to her than just a stripper. He is hesitant to use her to get more information on the mob, but Olivia is their only in. After a private dance, Luke is enamored with Olivia and is willing to do anything in his power to keep her safe, all while completing his mission. But as things continue to twist and turn with their mission, Olivia and Luke find themselves in hot water, and will have to risk it all to make it out alive.

I really enjoyed the premise of this book. I liked the sweet and somewhat naive presence Olivia brings, despite the fact that she is working as a stripper to scrape by. Add in the sexyness that is Luke and how quickly he is able to see past the facade that Olivia puts up with the ongoing suspense and Kennedy created magic. There were a few parts in the middle while dealing with Olivia and Luke’s relationship that slowed down the book a bit, and gave it a little of a dragging feel, but other than that, I felt like the action was packed and the story moved well.

I really enjoyed the romance between Luke and Olivia. Despite the fact that they had to deal with some negative vibes from Luke’s fellow teammates and sneaking around to avoid detection from Olivia’s psycho boss, I liked the way they found time for each other.  I enjoyed the way they were able to have time alone, to get to really know one another without the drama of their situation impacting their relationship.

One of my favorite aspects of this book was how much page time two of the supporting characters received. Trevor and Isabel were some of my favorites from the first book in the series, and getting the chance to see so much of them during this book was amazing as well. I can’t wait until we get their book and can see these two very damaged and yet incredible people FINALLY find love with one another!

Despite the lull in the action during the middle of the book, I felt the beginning and end packed a big punch. I loved the mobster storyline, and the twist at the end that really threw their case for a curve. I think that Kennedy is a wonderful storyteller, and I love the way she writes hardcore heroes and heroines to go with her hardcore story lines. The banter between the male teammates is so much fun to read, and reminds me of just how much I love series that focus on male oriented black-ops teams.

All in all I think Kennedy has another wonderful addition to the Killer Instincts series. Luke and Olivia were wonderful characters, and I adored Luke’s sweet take-charge attitude and Olivia’s determination. I am excited to see where the series goes next, especially since we get to see two of my favorite characters finally get their HEA.
I give Midnight Alias a B

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