* REVIEW * - Wicked Games by AD Justice

Reviewer : Cheryl

Rating : 5 Stars

To say that this story is romance is accurate, but is only one fourth of what it really is.  I categorize it as a thriller, suspenseful, action packed, and fast paced romance!

When I first started I had no idea what I was getting in to.  The blurb made me hesitate to read it, but by the ending of the first chapter I was hooked.  I did not want to put it down until the very end.

Brianna was an investigative reporter before she had to go in to hiding after uncovering an underhanded operation that involved some people she thought she could trust.  After faking her death in order to protect the people she loved she comes out of hiding after three long years by force.  The man behind the reason she had to fake her death comes back in to the public eye and pushes Bri to find the evidence she hid to protect herself.  The last place she hid it was in the house she shared with the love of her life, Noah Steele.

Noah after three years still hasn't gotten over Bri and when she makes an appearance in his life again his foundation is rocked!  For so long he had wanted her back, but he distrusts her now because of her choices.  Noah left home and joined the military and found a band of men that he would call his brothers: Bull, Shadow, Judge, and Rebel.  These men have seen Noah also known as Reaper go through hell when he lost Bri and all this time she was alive and in WITSEC.  These Brothers bonded over trust and without trust, there is no bond.  What Brianna did is betrayal and it breaks the bond they had.

The characters of the story are strong! Brianna is not your typical female lead.  She is as strong as the men she is surrounded by and has a vulnerability that only a woman has.  Noah is a great guy and is as strong as Brianna, but is wired to be suspicious of people naturally. The supporting characters are swoon worthy, especially Bull. This story grips you from the beginning and edges you closer and closer to the end until you feel like you are about to tip over.  There are twists in the story that will keep your attention and the suspense of who betrayed Noah will be the foremost question.  Can Noah trust Bri again?  Can their love overcome the mistrust and lies that have come between them?  One Click this one to find out! 

Investigative reporter Brianna Tate has stumbled upon the story of a lifetime but she has no idea it will change her entire life. When the story thrusts her into a web of lies that puts her life in danger, she has to choose between seeing the man she loves destroyed or giving up her whole life to enter WITSEC. After three years of living someone else's life, everything changes when her true identity and location is discovered. She is forced to leave protective custody to save the man she still loves. 

Noah Steele owns a successful business with Steele Security, providing security escorts for the nations' top officials, wealthy elitists, and high-profile visiting dignitaries. What he keeps from everyone in his life is that he never fully recovered from losing Brianna. He shares a bed with other women but never his heart. Noah's life now revolves around his work until the night he stumbles upon an intruder in his house and learns that intruder is actually his long-dead love, Brianna. 

With her sudden reappearance, Noah discovers the passion that once fueled their relationship is still there, burning hotter than ever. However, even love can't erase the betrayal Noah experiences after learning that Brianna faked her death and has been in hiding this whole time. Noah must decide if he can accept that she betrayed him and caused him the worst pain in his life. Learning that she has been alive and seemingly fine without him may be more than he can take. 

Brianna's relationships with everyone at Steele Security is teetering precariously on a ledge. Loyalty and honesty is key with the men who once looked at her as a sister but now openly distrust her. Can they work together to identify the real threat, save his business and their own lives? Or will Noah lose the only woman he's ever loved, twice in one lifetime, in his fight against the tangled web of lies and betrayal that surround him? 

Recommended for readers 18+ due to language, violence and sexual content.