Reviews
Pivot: Three Connected Stories of Romantic Suspense by Kat Martin, Rebecca Zanetti, Alexandra Ivy
jrv45's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
alyssakatherine's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
laneylegz's review against another edition
3.0
Read this because I like Zanetti's Deep Ops series. Shaken is the story which is 2.5 in the series. Michelle & Evan are the main characters who were in foster care years ago with Raider & Wolfe. The men are all former or current military & work in private or government sector. This short story weaves the relationship between Michelle and Evan reconnecting after years when Michelle's drug addles mother steals her work tablet and starts blackmailing dangerous people. The other two stories were OK. I've never read Kat Martin or Alexandra Ivy's books. The stories were OK & I didn't know much of what was happening because I didn't read their series of books
turophile's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This anthology was a good reminder that I am not a fan of most romantic suspense. There was some effort at the women protecting themselves, but for most part it is all about guys rescuing women from peril
redhairedashreads's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars
*Overall rating is the average of the following ratings.*
Against the Heart by Kat Martin: 4 stars
Mariweather Jones and her daughter, Lily, are trying to get as far away from Lily’s father as they can. He won’t stop harassing them and has taken all her money. When she reaches Spokane, she is out of money, gas, and in need of a job. Luckily, Ian Brodie sees her and hires her to help clean his father’s farmhouse. Ex-cop, Ian knows Meri plans to leave but the more he spends time with her the more he wants her, and her daughter to stay.
I really enjoyed this couple. Meri is a hardworking, dedicated single mother who will do anything for her daughter. Ian is protective, kind, and sweet. He knows Meri is in trouble and does everything he can to help her. I really liked his dad as well. He was grumpy at first but quickly came out of his depression. He learned to live again.
The romance between these two was tense but once they gave in it went from 10-100% in no time. It almost was too quick but I still enjoyed it.
Shaken by Rebecca Zanetti: 4 stars
Michelle Pamela Peach has been content in Portland until two men broke into her home, threatened her, and sent her drug addict mother on a blackmail spree. The last person she expects to help is her ex, Evan Bolden, a former marine turned sheriff. Together they work to find her mother, stop some drug dealers, and deal with their feelings.
Michelle is the friend Meri was supposed to go to when she ran from her daughters father. She is also a fellow foster kid of Miss A’s, just like Evan. I enjoyed this second chance romance and seeing these two come back together after years. Michelle was a smart, determined woman and I loved that she was a comic book creator.
I really enjoyed that Wolfe shows up in this story. Wolfe, Roscoe, and Kat are my favorite and I love when they pop up in side stories like these. I also love that we got a small scene with some characters from the Dark Protector series. It was a very nice surprise.
Echoes of the Past by Alexandra Ivy: 3 stars
When Melanie Cassidy spots two men trying to kidnap a young boy she tutors she responds by ramming them with her car and running. What she doesn’t expect is for the man she once loved, Detective Gray Hawkins, to come to her rescue. Now they have to work together to stop some dirty cops and deal with their past.
I liked Melanie. She was kind, caring, and a great teacher. She is the kind of teacher you would want to teach your kids. Gray is protective, determined, and an idiot. He left Melanie two years before and has regretted it ever since but never made a move to fix it. It was nice seeing him admit his stupidity and fix it finally.
Overall, I really enjoyed these three stories. I loved seeing how they all intertwined and seeing the connections to the Deep Ops unit. I actually wish there were more short stories in this because it was great seeing more of the characters and world.
*ARC provided by Netgalley for an honest review.*
This review was originally posted at Red-Haired Ash Reads.
*Overall rating is the average of the following ratings.*
Against the Heart by Kat Martin: 4 stars
Mariweather Jones and her daughter, Lily, are trying to get as far away from Lily’s father as they can. He won’t stop harassing them and has taken all her money. When she reaches Spokane, she is out of money, gas, and in need of a job. Luckily, Ian Brodie sees her and hires her to help clean his father’s farmhouse. Ex-cop, Ian knows Meri plans to leave but the more he spends time with her the more he wants her, and her daughter to stay.
I really enjoyed this couple. Meri is a hardworking, dedicated single mother who will do anything for her daughter. Ian is protective, kind, and sweet. He knows Meri is in trouble and does everything he can to help her. I really liked his dad as well. He was grumpy at first but quickly came out of his depression. He learned to live again.
The romance between these two was tense but once they gave in it went from 10-100% in no time. It almost was too quick but I still enjoyed it.
Shaken by Rebecca Zanetti: 4 stars
Michelle Pamela Peach has been content in Portland until two men broke into her home, threatened her, and sent her drug addict mother on a blackmail spree. The last person she expects to help is her ex, Evan Bolden, a former marine turned sheriff. Together they work to find her mother, stop some drug dealers, and deal with their feelings.
Michelle is the friend Meri was supposed to go to when she ran from her daughters father. She is also a fellow foster kid of Miss A’s, just like Evan. I enjoyed this second chance romance and seeing these two come back together after years. Michelle was a smart, determined woman and I loved that she was a comic book creator.
I really enjoyed that Wolfe shows up in this story. Wolfe, Roscoe, and Kat are my favorite and I love when they pop up in side stories like these. I also love that we got a small scene with some characters from the Dark Protector series. It was a very nice surprise.
Echoes of the Past by Alexandra Ivy: 3 stars
When Melanie Cassidy spots two men trying to kidnap a young boy she tutors she responds by ramming them with her car and running. What she doesn’t expect is for the man she once loved, Detective Gray Hawkins, to come to her rescue. Now they have to work together to stop some dirty cops and deal with their past.
I liked Melanie. She was kind, caring, and a great teacher. She is the kind of teacher you would want to teach your kids. Gray is protective, determined, and an idiot. He left Melanie two years before and has regretted it ever since but never made a move to fix it. It was nice seeing him admit his stupidity and fix it finally.
Overall, I really enjoyed these three stories. I loved seeing how they all intertwined and seeing the connections to the Deep Ops unit. I actually wish there were more short stories in this because it was great seeing more of the characters and world.
*ARC provided by Netgalley for an honest review.*
This review was originally posted at Red-Haired Ash Reads.
nikkisbooknook's review against another edition
5.0
MERI
Meriwether (Meri to her friends) & her daughter on the lam from L.A. But where they go trouble is sure to find them. That is until they reach the safety of Spokane and ex-cop Ian. He hires Meri to help out on his father's farm and Ian is falling fast...for mother and her cute toddler!
MELANIE
Melanie tutors at a local community facility for at risk children. When she sees one of her students being abducted she acts...by ramming the kidnappers car. Before she knows it she's involved with the man that she thought had left her behind. Gray thought he couldn't be in the same city as his brother and new wife..his own ex-fiancée! But he has undertaken an undercover op to catch dirty cops and Melanie has blown back into his life.
MICHELLE
Michelle lives a safe, peaceful little life in Portland. But when her home is invaded by her horrible mother and then by some really nasty characters, she turns to her former foster brother for help. But Raider is undercover and he dispatches another former foster brother Ethan to help. But Michelle and Ethan have a whole lotta history. But Michelle eventually let him go to his life in the Marines because she couldn't take the heartache of never knowing if he was coming back. But now Evan is the Sheriff in a tiny, friendly, very nosy town which seems to have adopted its newest lawman!
An absolute treat. Brilliant writing and all complement each other. I loved the way the characters and storylines are interwoven - they overlap in time so there is a real continuity to the flow of the overall story ARC. Bonus treat Michelle and Ethan meets a couple of...ahem locals in the middle of nowhere - Karys and Kyllwood are on the prowl. Also a great link to the Dark Ops series with Raider, Wolf, Kat and an ever thirsty alcoholic doggy!
Meriwether (Meri to her friends) & her daughter on the lam from L.A. But where they go trouble is sure to find them. That is until they reach the safety of Spokane and ex-cop Ian. He hires Meri to help out on his father's farm and Ian is falling fast...for mother and her cute toddler!
MELANIE
Melanie tutors at a local community facility for at risk children. When she sees one of her students being abducted she acts...by ramming the kidnappers car. Before she knows it she's involved with the man that she thought had left her behind. Gray thought he couldn't be in the same city as his brother and new wife..his own ex-fiancée! But he has undertaken an undercover op to catch dirty cops and Melanie has blown back into his life.
MICHELLE
Michelle lives a safe, peaceful little life in Portland. But when her home is invaded by her horrible mother and then by some really nasty characters, she turns to her former foster brother for help. But Raider is undercover and he dispatches another former foster brother Ethan to help. But Michelle and Ethan have a whole lotta history. But Michelle eventually let him go to his life in the Marines because she couldn't take the heartache of never knowing if he was coming back. But now Evan is the Sheriff in a tiny, friendly, very nosy town which seems to have adopted its newest lawman!
An absolute treat. Brilliant writing and all complement each other. I loved the way the characters and storylines are interwoven - they overlap in time so there is a real continuity to the flow of the overall story ARC. Bonus treat Michelle and Ethan meets a couple of...ahem locals in the middle of nowhere - Karys and Kyllwood are on the prowl. Also a great link to the Dark Ops series with Raider, Wolf, Kat and an ever thirsty alcoholic doggy!
allingoodtime's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars overall
I initially picked this book up to read the story by Rebecca Zanetti, Shaken. I’m a huge fan of hers and this story is a pit stop in her Deep Ops series. Usually, when I have a lot of other books waiting, I would only read the story I pick up the book to read. But this book said these stories are connected so I figured I should read all three since the Deep Ops story is the second in this book. I found that it wasn’t necessary to read all three, but there are some crossover characters so it was a nice connection.
Against the Heart
by Kat Martin
This book, overall, seems to be touted as a Kat Martin book with the other two author along for the ride. While it looks like she’s got an extensive back library, this is not an author that I’ve read or who has been on my radar. It also seems her story is the shortest. This was a short and sweet story. I enjoyed all of the characters, though the chemistry between Ian and Meri wasn’t as flammable as I’d like. It gave me enough to know I’d be interested in checking out some of her other books, and isn’t that the point of these types of compilations? The only issue I had, which was actually quite a large issue to someone like me that doesn’t like inconsistencies, was the geography. I’m not going to get into particulars because maybe if I don’t point out the specifics you won’t notice. I can say it was a big enough issue for me that I will probably stop reading if I come across such blatant inaccuracies in another book by this author.
3 stars
Shaken
by Rebecca Zanetti
Now this is what I came here for! As always, Rebecca Zanetti keeps me turning those pages. The story may be short, but it’s full of action and emotions. This story and the Kat Martin story do overlap, but if you came for the Deep Ops story like I did, you could skip the other story if you were low on time. Another side of the same coin, if you haven’t read the Deep Ops books you will still enjoy this one. In fact, I’m sure you’ll be quite curious to read more after meeting Wolfe, Roscoe, and Kat. I literally let out a little whoop when I realized Wolfe was making an appearance! I enjoyed Michelle and Evan’s backstory and only wish there had been more of that. Sometimes I found Michelle to be a bit too pragmatic, but due to her upbringing and past experiences I couldn’t really fault her for her caution. All in all, a great addition to the Deep Ops series.
4 stars
Echoes of the Past
by Alexandra Ivy
I just love when I read a compilation because of one author, and find another author to love. This story sucked me in and gave me all the feels. There’s great chemistry between Melanie and Gray. They are both such good people and only have to truly open up and talk to each other in order to heal some past hurts. There’s action, emotions, suspense, and heat. All the makings of an amazing story.
4.5 stars
You can find more of my reviews at All In Good Time.
I initially picked this book up to read the story by Rebecca Zanetti, Shaken. I’m a huge fan of hers and this story is a pit stop in her Deep Ops series. Usually, when I have a lot of other books waiting, I would only read the story I pick up the book to read. But this book said these stories are connected so I figured I should read all three since the Deep Ops story is the second in this book. I found that it wasn’t necessary to read all three, but there are some crossover characters so it was a nice connection.
Against the Heart
by Kat Martin
This book, overall, seems to be touted as a Kat Martin book with the other two author along for the ride. While it looks like she’s got an extensive back library, this is not an author that I’ve read or who has been on my radar. It also seems her story is the shortest. This was a short and sweet story. I enjoyed all of the characters, though the chemistry between Ian and Meri wasn’t as flammable as I’d like. It gave me enough to know I’d be interested in checking out some of her other books, and isn’t that the point of these types of compilations? The only issue I had, which was actually quite a large issue to someone like me that doesn’t like inconsistencies, was the geography. I’m not going to get into particulars because maybe if I don’t point out the specifics you won’t notice. I can say it was a big enough issue for me that I will probably stop reading if I come across such blatant inaccuracies in another book by this author.
3 stars
Shaken
by Rebecca Zanetti
Now this is what I came here for! As always, Rebecca Zanetti keeps me turning those pages. The story may be short, but it’s full of action and emotions. This story and the Kat Martin story do overlap, but if you came for the Deep Ops story like I did, you could skip the other story if you were low on time. Another side of the same coin, if you haven’t read the Deep Ops books you will still enjoy this one. In fact, I’m sure you’ll be quite curious to read more after meeting Wolfe, Roscoe, and Kat. I literally let out a little whoop when I realized Wolfe was making an appearance! I enjoyed Michelle and Evan’s backstory and only wish there had been more of that. Sometimes I found Michelle to be a bit too pragmatic, but due to her upbringing and past experiences I couldn’t really fault her for her caution. All in all, a great addition to the Deep Ops series.
4 stars
Echoes of the Past
by Alexandra Ivy
I just love when I read a compilation because of one author, and find another author to love. This story sucked me in and gave me all the feels. There’s great chemistry between Melanie and Gray. They are both such good people and only have to truly open up and talk to each other in order to heal some past hurts. There’s action, emotions, suspense, and heat. All the makings of an amazing story.
4.5 stars
You can find more of my reviews at All In Good Time.
jennie_reads's review against another edition
4.0
This book was a great and enjoyable read!
Meri, Melanie, and Michelle all grew up in foster care. Now, grown-up and living their own lives, they all have different challenges. In each of these novellas, one woman is in danger and has to rely on the one she loves to help her out of the situation.
Each of these novellas was great! I loved how each of them connected with characters. Each of the authors' styles went well together. The novellas felt like they were all part of one story and I enjoyed that. I felt like the reader gets to know all of the characters in a short amount of time. Sometimes, in novellas, I feel like the whole thing is rushed, but in these, I felt like I got the whole story. Each of these novellas could have stood alone, but they were great as a set. I'm looking forward to reading more from each of these authors!
*eARC provided in exchange for an honest review*
Meri, Melanie, and Michelle all grew up in foster care. Now, grown-up and living their own lives, they all have different challenges. In each of these novellas, one woman is in danger and has to rely on the one she loves to help her out of the situation.
Each of these novellas was great! I loved how each of them connected with characters. Each of the authors' styles went well together. The novellas felt like they were all part of one story and I enjoyed that. I felt like the reader gets to know all of the characters in a short amount of time. Sometimes, in novellas, I feel like the whole thing is rushed, but in these, I felt like I got the whole story. Each of these novellas could have stood alone, but they were great as a set. I'm looking forward to reading more from each of these authors!
*eARC provided in exchange for an honest review*
ofbooksncupcakes's review against another edition
4.0
In Pivot we have the works of 3 wonderful authors Kat Martin, Alexandra Ivy and Rebecca Zanetti in one book. Each story by said authors intermingles with each other, thus eventhough the stories are short it still feels like a full length book.
We have 3 heroines Meri, Michelle and Melanie, stories about them meeting their men and how it changed their lives. I enjoyed each of the stories, it is difficult for me to choose my ultimate favourite although I do have to point out that out of the 3 authors, Rebecca Zanetti is my favourite. The stories were all written, they are funny with a dash of mystery and sexy at the same time. I was never bored and feel like skipping pages when reading them.
I received a copy via Netgalley, as always my views above are all my own.
We have 3 heroines Meri, Michelle and Melanie, stories about them meeting their men and how it changed their lives. I enjoyed each of the stories, it is difficult for me to choose my ultimate favourite although I do have to point out that out of the 3 authors, Rebecca Zanetti is my favourite. The stories were all written, they are funny with a dash of mystery and sexy at the same time. I was never bored and feel like skipping pages when reading them.
I received a copy via Netgalley, as always my views above are all my own.