Publication Date: 11/05/2013
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Berkley Heat
Genre: Erotic Contemporary Romance
Pages: 384
ISBN-10: 0425268225
ISBN-13: 978-0425268223
(Received for an honest review from Berkley Heat)
Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, IndieBound
Shayla Black on the WEB: Website, Blog, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads
Books in the series:
Bound and Determined (2013), Strip Search (2013)
Coverart: Click on the image for a larger, clearer view of the covers in this series.
WARNING: This novel and excerpt are intended for adult readers only. It is not intended for those under 18 years of age.
Excerpt from Strip Search, courtesy of the author's website.
Synopsis:
The best way to go undercover…is to take it all off.
If the Feds want to nail a Mafia kingpin, they need a slick trap to catch him. Enter Mark Sullivan, who’s totally built for the job—to go undercover as a male stripper in the Vegas club where the mobster works. The perk? The club’s owner. Sure she’s got some unsavory connections, but how can anyone with those legs be all bad?
When it comes to business, Nicola DiStefano’s a pro. As for pleasure, she’s been out of commission too long to care. If anyone can strip her of her inhibitions it’s the new guy who’s stirring her wildest G-string fantasies. But Mark and Nicki have more in common than sizzling sexual chemistry. They each have their share of secrets and motives, and with the mob closing in, what gets exposed is as irresistible as it is dangerous.
Thoughts:
Berkley Heat is re-releasing one of Shayla Black's most sexy novels. Strip Search is the second book in the Sexy Capers series written under the pen name, Shelley Bradley. With a steamy new cover and just as much passion and romantic chemistry as before, this is a novel full of excitement and surprises. Black's trademark sexy banter and dialogue skills are at their peak. When Mark Sullivan goes undercover to nail a mafia kingpin, his new job as a stripper in a Vegas club has more than one perk. The super sophisticated owner Nicola DiStefano has a lot that could be exposed if she follows her heart. A great steamy novel just in time for colder weather.
Shayla Black is one of those writers that has a real knack for writing to a niche. She has created a career that focuses on the adult side of romance and readers flock to her books in droves. She allows readers to indulge in their own fantasies about sex and love, but she also adds an element of suspense to most of her novels that is both intriguing and central to the story. Readers get real 'double whammy' when reading one of Shayla's books, and her latest re-release is no exception to that rule. Strip Search is exactly what the reader ordered.
The protagonist in this novel is a man. And what a man he is. Mark Sullivan is an undercover agent with a body that is sexy enough for the stage. Black takes her time with this character letting readers warm up to him as he starts his new gig at a Vegas club. Readers get to see Mark at his worst and his best throughout the novel. He's a man who knows what he wants and he wants Nicola DiStefano. I liked the fact that Black makes him a take charge kind of guy, but also one with a heart. He has his vulnerable side and plenty of secrets of his own. A great hero for this type of novel.
Nicola is woman with a plan. She's a shrewd business woman. Sophisticated, worldly and her life is spent in the company of beautiful men and women, but there is just something about her latest hire that heats her blood and makes her think about possibilities she hasn't thought of in years. She is too busy for love, to invested in her business and her life. She doesn't have time to pursue these feelings that she is starting to realize she has for Mark. I liked the fact that Black made Nicola, a little less than perfect. She has dabbled in a darker side of business and has a lot of secrets of her own. I liked the fact that no one had really pushed her buttons for awhile and that Mark kind of came out the blue. She was a good heroine and perfect for the hero.
The suspense aspect of the novel was spot on. Mark is trying to take down a mafia kingpin, but he doesn't understand all of the affects that will have on those associated with him. The thug may be the target but the collateral damage may be more than Mark is willing to accept. It was an interesting scenario and Black did an amazing job of making every tense moment count. This book may be considered an erotic romance, but it certainly packs a punch. The characters find themselves in serious danger and Black pulls out all the stops to make it believable and realistic.
The romance in this one is HOT! Nicola and Mark are extremely attracted to each other despite the obstacles in their way or maybe because them. They are both very passionate characters who live their lives on proverbial edge, because of the work they do and the people they associate with. When they do come together readers are treated to a feast for the senses. From the sights and smells to the emotions coursing through them and leaping off the page. Black's gift for dialogue only makes the romance hotter. Readers who are looking for a novel that has both eroticism and suspense will love this one. It's definitely a five apple book!
Strip Search will be available TODAY from your favorite bookseller.
I'm giving this one 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag!
About the Author:
Giveaway Details:
The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway for one copy of Strip Search by Shayla Black.
~ You must be an email subscriber to participate.
~ US Addresses only.
~ The deadline to enter this giveaway is Midnight EST, November 19th.
1. Please leave a comment describing your thoughts on undercover agents and the kinds of things they have to do for the job.
2. Please fill out the FORM.
11 comments:
I think this would be a hard job to do. You are in danger every day. I would never want to do this job.
CABWNANA1@bellsouth.net
I think those agents that go under deep cover where they don't surface for years at a time are doing really dangerous work. Not only the circumstances but mentally and emotionally, what they have to endure. I would think they would almost lose a part of themselves.
I think their job is extremely dangerous and they have to risk their lives every day and they sacrifice alot. Thanks for the giveaway.
I would never want to be an undercover agent because of the danger.
lag110 at mchsi dot com
I couldn't imagine doing it for any length of time. The emotional things they are put through and the line between who you were and who you are could get blurred.
they probably do all kinds of things
Undercover agents have a hard life because they are almost always in danger, and are away from family and friends most of the time. I feel sorry for the people who do the job, but it is necessary and someone has to do it. Thanks for having the giveaway.
ayancey1974(at)gmail(dot)com
I don't know if I could do it. I think you have to have a true conviction about the situation.
I would think it would be a very isolating career --- hard to keep close friend or family ties.
I would tell you, but then I'd have to kill you. Buah ha ha ha. ;)
I think it is a dangerous job that I wouldn't be good at doing.
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