Unwrapping a Review of RUNNING HOT, a Bad Boys Undercover novella by HelenKay Dimon

I recently had the opportunity to talk to a new author at Avon/Harper Collins by the name of HelenKay Dimon. She visited the Avon Addicts – one of the perks, mind you – and my Avon sisters were very excited about her new series, Bad Boys Undercover. Well, I hadn’t had the opportunity to read the galleys of her initial novella, RUNNING HOT, and book one, PLAYING DIRTY but after talking with her, and discovering that the inspiration for this series was the HBO show, STRIKE BACK, I knew I had to read them. I love that show! I’m so glad I purchased RUNNING HOT for myself and am glad to share my thoughts with you.

***purchased for my personal reading and gladly sharing my honest and unscripted review.

Blurb for RUNNING HOT:

HelenKay Dimon kicks off her hot new romantic suspense series, Bad Boys Undercover, featuring the fierce men of Alliance—and the only women capable of taming their hearts.

Camped out at a resort bar in Fiji, CIA operative Ward Bennett may look like he's on vacation but he's really deep undercover, hunting a dictator on the run. Ward may be on the job, but that doesn't mean there isn't time for the sexy female bartender. That is, until she drugs him.

When Tasha Gregory discovers the hottie on the barstool isn't who he pretends to be, her MI6 training kicks into gear, and she has no choice but to take him out. Problem is, Ward's not an easy man to put down for long. More than once, his interference almost blows her surveillance operation—and her ability to keep her heart to herself.

As the situation heats up, these two must decide whether they can trust one another—and quick. Working together might just make everyone safer, but getting close enough for comfort … might just get them killed.

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Ward Bennett is CIA undercover on the island of Fiji, and whereas he’d much rather be enjoying all the delights the tropical scenery can afford plus the luscious sexual delights of the bartender he’s been schmoozing the past few days, waking up tied to a chair with a splitting headache wasn’t in his plans. Discovering the beautiful bartender isn’t what she was pretending to be wasn’t in the plan either but he can learn to appreciate her talents, and her deadly skills.

MI6 agent, Tasha Gregory would rather deal with the bad guys alone than put up with another misogynistic CIA operative who would prefer to have her see to getting coffee for him than take orders from a woman. When she discovers the gorgeous man she’s had to knock out and restrain is indeed, CIA, she wonders what she’s done to deserve him and isn’t about to let him get in her way.

Finally agreeing to work together, Ward and Tasha quickly learn they’re essentially working toward the same goal – to stop the bad guy with way too many stinger missiles. Soon their goal becomes more personal when they start worrying about each other beyond the mission.

If you’ve ever seen, and enjoyed, the HBO show, STRIKE BACK, you will love RUNNING HOT by HelenKay Dimon. Inspired by the show, HelenKay has done great justice to it. Ward Bennett and Ford Decker are very much like Damien Scott and Michael Stonebridge, and I love them. Fast talking, fast thinking, action-seeking and sexy as hell is what HelenKay has created in the Bad Boys Undercover series and RUNNING HOT is a fabulous jumping off point.

Hooked by RUNNING HOT immediately because Ward is so much like Scott, I couldn’t put this book down. Ward is sexy, he’s a smartass, he’s got sexy hot maleness pouring out of his veins. He’s very definitely an Alpha male hero but he can also appreciate a woman with skills, strength, and the know how to keep herself, and others around her, alive – an Alpha female like Tasha Gregory, in whom he’s very definitely met his match.

RUNNING HOT by HelenKay Dimon is an action-packed, sexy adventure in covert operations filled with danger, snarky dialogue, and enough steamy sexual tension, it nearly melted the cover off my e-reader. If you love action, smexy characters, and taking out the bad guys, I highly recommend RUNNING HOT by HelenKay Dimon.

With a teaser for PLAYING DIRTY, the first full-length book in the series at the end of RUNNING HOT, I’m chomping at the bit to read the next one, but have to wait until I clear a slot in my reading schedule. I am so dying for Ford’s story, or is that Stonebridge’s?

Happy Reading Everyone!

If by chance you’re not already acquainted with HBO's STRIKE BACK, I thought I’d treat you to a trailer. Enjoy, I always do!

RUNNING HOT, a Bad Boys Undercover novella by HelenKay Dimon, Avon Impulse, available now in print and ebook formats at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobobooks.

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