Review – Thrill Ride by Julie Ann Walker

Thrill RidePublisher: Sourcebooks

Publish Date: Out Now

How I got this book: NetGalley

 

He’s Gone Rogue

Ex-Navy SEAL Rock Babineaux’s job is to get information, and he’s one of the best in the business. Until something goes horribly wrong and he’s being hunted by his own government. Even his best friends at the covert special-ops organization Black Knights Inc. aren’t sure they can trust him. He thinks he can outrun them all, but his former partner—a curvy bombshell who knows just how to drive him wild—refuses to cut him loose.

She Won’t Back Down

Vanessa Cordova hasn’t been the team’s communication specialist very long, but she knows how to read people—no way is Rock guilty of murder. And she’ll go to hell and back to help him prove it. Sure, the sexy Cajun has his secrets, but there’s no one in the world she’d rather have by her side in a tight spot. Which is good, because they’re about to get very tight…

*Blurb from Goodreads*

 

I’ve really enjoyed Walker’s Black Knights Inc book, and although Rock and Vanessa weren’t high on my radar, I was super excited to get into their story. For everyone who has been enjoying the motorcycle club books of late, if you also enjoy a good suspense book, these will be right up your alley.

Rock got his nickname for being just that: a rock. But when a series of murders are pinned on him, he tucks tail and runs to the jungle in order to find out who set him up. He is desperate to keep the Knights out of the crossfire, so he does everything he can to complete this mission solo.

Vanessa has had a soft spot for Rock than longer than she’d like to admit, and she knows that he didn’t kill all those people. When she finally finds him deep in the jungle, she knows that the Knights can help clear his name. As the bullets fly and they join with their team, secrets are revealed that will shock the Knights as a whole. Rock and Vanessa’s fragile relationship hangs in the balance and neither is sure they can make it out alive.

I adored Rock and Vanessa. They were a great match for each other. Both total badasses, and yet they gave each other the chance to be soft and relaxed. I liked that although the bullets were flying throughout most of this book, they also got a chance to work on their relatonship. There were a few times when I was a little skeptical about how they would be able to focus on their romance when they were running for their lives, but Walker did a wonderful job of balancing the two situations.

With all of Walker’s books, I love that the plot is twisted and so complicated in nature. The villain is never a typical “villain”, and instead is usually someone with warped views of country and honor and patriotism. It’s a treat to watch the Knights struggle to find out who the big bad is without stepping on the proverbial toes of everyone they suspect.

While I loved the romance between Rock and Vanessa, I also really enjoyed them as individuals. Vanessa was constantly trying so hard to be accepted by the Knights, trying to prove herself, and yet on the inside she was soft and sweet and sensitive. I loved getting to see that side of her, and that she still got the chance to be a badass all while doing it. Some of her backstory had me almost in tears, and I loved getting those details.

Likewise Rock was way more complex than I anticipated. His almost sixth sense when it came to reading people was so awesome to see inaction, especially when he used his interrogation techniques on certain people. 🙂 I loved that he was also a little bit of a ninja when it came to staying off the grid, especially while in the jungle. It was almost like he was a native survivalist, and I loved it!

With most romantic suspense series like this, I’m always drawn in by the secondary characters. I’m anxious to see more of Bill and Eve, as well as Shady and Ozzie.The supporting cast are all fun and quirky and I adore each and every one of them. I am keeping my fingers crossed that Bill is the next to get his HEA. I need to know what the deal is with his history with Eve!!!

All in all I really enjoyed this installment of the Black Knights Inc series. Vanessa and Rock had a wonderful romance filled with lots of intimate moments stolen between flying bullets. The action was packed and the overall mystery of who was setting up Rock was well done. I can’t wait to see what Walker has in store for the Knights!

I give Thrill Ride a B

 

3 thoughts on “Review – Thrill Ride by Julie Ann Walker”

  1. Pingback: Review: Thrill Ride by Julie Ann Walker | Smexy Books

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