“Sahara?” Brand prompted.

She wished she hadn’t worn her hair in her usual clas­sic updo. With her nape exposed, the heat of his breath sent swirling sensations to riot in her belly.

Brazening her way through the awkward moment, she flapped a hand and admitted, “I might have been a little nosy.”

“And a little opinionated?”

“Maybe just a smidge.” His closeness made her edgy, so she again moved away, very casually in hopes that he wouldn’t know he had her on the run. “After that job, I was a lobby receptionist.”

“Fired from the elevator job, or was it a promotion?”

Damn him, did he really have such a low opinion of her? Maybe he didn’t like her. That was something she’d never considered. She got along great with the other bodyguards who were all friends with Brand.

Or…did they feel the same way, too? Did they humor her in person while resenting her the rest of the time?

Disliking that possibility, she paused near her desk and, doing her best to keep the frown off her face, said, “A lateral move, actually.”

“Uh-huh. Did Scott tell you that?”

Scott had told her to quit harassing the clients—but she didn’t feel like sharing that part. Although, seeing Brand’s expression, she’d bet he already assumed as much. He seemed to know her too well.

Better than anyone else, in fact.

“Scott told me he wanted me to experience every facet of the business.”

“But you were never a bodyguard.”

She took pleasure in saying, “Yes, I was.”

Now Brand frowned, and she loved how intimidat­ing he looked. He’d make an ideal bodyguard if only he’d realize it.

“Bullshit.”

She tsked at the crude language, her idea of a rep­rimand. “Scott taught me to shoot. I’m actually pretty good at it.”

“I’ve never seen you practice.”

“Here, with my employees? Of course not.” She had to maintain some mystique. “Scott owned his own range elsewhere and now it’s mine.”

“Where?”

She smiled. “It’s private.”

He countered with “Protecting a client isn’t always about shooting.”

“No, it’s mostly about intelligent decisions, good planning and quick thinking.” She let her gaze dip over him. “It’s one reason I thought you would do so well at the job.”

“Me, yes. But you?” His long strong fingers circled her upper arm. “You’re brilliant, Sahara, so no prob­lem there.”

The assurance that he didn’t consider her stupid would have been nice, except that the moment he’d touched her, her thinking faltered. So did her breath­ing. And her heartbeat.

“Fast Burn” is the fourth and final book in the romantic suspense series Body Armor by Lori Foster and it’s just amazing. Sahara and Brand, the two protagonists are both compelling as characters, with dominant personalities, tough, but they are full of passion and when they’re together in the same room sparks fly. Sahara is a real challenge for Brand and I loved their chemistry. Since her brother mysteriously disappear Sahara took his place leading his private security agency, making some changes, and choosing as bodyguards gourgeous former MMA fighters, prepared for every kind of situation when they must protect their clients from danger, but they also look very very hot. In the previous books we met Leese, Justice and Mikes and I really enjoyed their books. With Fast Burn, however, we are at the next level. It’s perfect. Sahara is one of the most intriguing female protagonists I’ve read about lately. Determined, always used to take charge of things and lead dictating the rules, she’s also fearless, smart and with nerves of steel in every situation. For some time she’s pursuing Brand, hoping to convince him to join her other men, but his answer is always “no thanks”. He is an excellent MMA fighter, with a sharp mind and hot, and has no intention of giving in to the temptation of Sahara’s job. Between them there is a strong attraction, they can’t hide it, they tease each other, but Brand prefers to keep control of the situation avoiding mixing together work and pleasure. For him, Sahara is special, he would like something more between them, but he is not so sure for Sahara it’s just a game to have her way with him and the agency. Then they should face the question “who-rule-who-and-when”. Everything changes when Sahara is kidnapped by a group of men and asks for Brand’s help. I really enjoyed this part of the story, the mystery about the disappearance of Sahara’s brother deepens even more, bringing to light a lot of questions about him. Even with her kidnappers Sahara doesn’t change attitude, she’s incredible, and surprises everyone with her skills, she’s a real MacGyver on heels, leaving Brand speachless. Protecting her will be a hard task for him. Because of their forced cohabitation it’s no longer possible for them to hide what they’re feeling and they have the chance to see aspects of each other they didn’t know, like discovering Brand’s past for Sahara. The plot is well written, skilfully alternating romance between the two protagonists and everything that happens around them, keeping a fast pace, thanks to the action scenes and the enigma about the identity of the kidnappers, but above all their motivations. It’s a wonderful series to read, engaging, and the beautiful covers are definitely eye candy!!! How can you even think Sahara to keep up with him? And yet she can do it, and they are great together!

Lori Foster’s FAST BURN – Review & Excerpt Tour Schedule:

March 19th

AC Squared Book Blog – Excerpt

Books, Coffee & Passion – Excerpt

CJR The Brit – Excerpt

Sweet Red Reads – Excerpt

The Smut-Brarians – Review & Excerpt

March 20th

RELEASE DAY!

March 21st

A British Bookworm’s Blog – Review

Fire and Ice Book Reviews – Review & Excerpt

Irene Chart Loves Books – Review & Excerpt

Panty dropping Book Blog – Review & Excerpt

Sofia Loves Books – Review & Excerpt

Thoughts of a Blonde – Excerpt

March 22nd

A Soccer Mom’s Book Blog – Review & Excerpt

Book Munchies – Review & Excerpt

Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews – Review & Excerpt

Jen’s Reading Obsession – Review & Excerpt

Kick Back & Review – Review

March 23rd

Adventures in Writing – Excerpt

Ever After Book Reviews – Excerpt

Oh My Growing TBR – Review & Excerpt

Reading Between the Wines Book Club – Excerpt

Reads All the Books – Review & Excerpt

March 24th

Booknerd1107 – Review & Excerpt

Crystal’s Book World – Review & Excerpt

Only One More Page – Review & Excerpt

Romance Reviews and More – Review & Excerpt

The Reading Cafe – Review & Excerpt

March 25th

Alphas Do It Better Book Blog – Review

Brittany’s Book Blog – Excerpt

Evermore Books – Review & Excerpt

Feel the Book – Review & Excerpt

Tfaulcbookreviews – Review & Excerpt

March 26th

Kari’s Book Reviews and Revelations – Review & Excerpt

OMGReads – Review & Excerpt

Rockchick Addiction Reviews and Blog – Review & Excerpt

Two Crazy Ladies Love Romance – Review & Excerpt

March 27th

Kitty’s Book Spot! – Review & Excerpt

Literary Misfit – Review & Excerpt

More Books Than Livros – Review & Excerpt

Reese’s Reviews – Review & Excerpt

StarAngels Reviews – Review & Excerpt

March 28th

All Things Dark & Dirty – Excerpt

Becca the Bibliophile – Review & Excerpt

ContemporaryCween – Review & Excerpt

Naughty and Nice Book Blog – Review

We Do What We Want Reviews & More – Review & Excerpt

March 29th

Books 2 Blog – Review & Excerpt

I’m A Sweet And Sassy Book Whore – Review & Excerpt

Jax’s Book Magic – Excerpt

MI Bookshelf – Review & Excerpt

One-Click Chocolate Chick – Review & Excerpt

The Book Maven – Review & Excerpt

March 30th

Ashleyz Wonderland – Excerpt

Curvy and Nerdy – Review & Excerpt

Moonlight Rendezvous – Review & Excerpt

Renee Entress’s Blog – Review & Excerpt

Shannon’s Book Blog – Review & Excerpt

About Lori Foster:

Since first publishing in January 1996, Lori Foster has become a USA Today, Publisher’s Weekly and New York Times bestselling author. Lori has published through a variety of houses, including Kensington, St. Martin’s, Harlequin, Silhouette, Samhain, and Berkley/Jove. She is currently published with HQN. Visit her online at LoriFoster.com.

Per la donna che è la sua compagna perfetta, è disposto a infrangere le regole …

Nel momento in cui Brand Berry incontra la bellissima e determinata Sahara la connessione tra di loro è folgorante. È anche qualcosa a cui lui non può cedere. Sahara lo vuole, certo… vuole che faccia parte della Body Armor, dove le sue abilità di combattente di MMA, la sua prestanza fisica e la sua attitudine arrogante lo renderebbero perfetto per il suo gruppo di guardie del corpo d’èlite. Per Sahara, l’agenzia viene sempre prima di tutto, e Brand vuole di più. Tuttavia, quando viene rapita da uomini alla ricerca del fratello scomparso, Brand non ha nessuna esitazione.

A un certo punto lungo la strada, flirtare con Brand per motivi di lavoro si è trasformato in qualcosa di più personale. Nonostante il suo rifiuto a unirsi alla Body Armor, è Brand a farsi avanti quando lei ne ha più bisogno. Adesso non c’è più tempo per giocare, e non ha senso negare il desiderio che provano entrambi. O riusciranno a fuggire insieme oppure niente. Ma se sopravviveranno, Sahara riuscirà finalmente a cedere il controllo e a rivendicare questa ardente passione?

“Fast Burn” è il quarto e ultimo libro della serie romantic suspense “Body Armor” di Lori Foster e ne è la conclusione strepitosa. Sahara e Brand i protagonisti sono entrambi due personaggi carismatici, con personalità dominanti, forti, ma sono anche molto passionali e quando sono insieme nella stessa stanza fanno sempre scintille. Sahara è una continua sfida per Brand e ho amato l’alchimia presente tra di loro. Sahara, da quando il fratello è misteriosamente scomparso, ha preso il suo posto alla guida della agenzia di sicurezza privata Body Armor, alla quale, però, ha voluto apportare alcuni cambiamenti, scegliendo di assumere come guardie del corpo ex lottatori di MMA, preparati a proteggere i propri clienti di fronte a ogni tipo di pericolo, ma che hanno anche la caratteristica di avere un aspetto molto, molto hot. Nei libri precedenti abbiamo incontrato Leese, Justice e Miles e mi erano piaciuti molto. Con “Fast Burn” però siamo a un livello superiore: la perfezione. Sahara è una delle protagoniste femminili più intriganti di cui abbia letto ultimamente. Determinata, sempre abituata ad avere il controllo delle cose e pronta a dettare le regole, sprezzante del pericolo, sempre molto lucida e fredda in ogni occasione che le si presenti. Da tempo sta facendo ” il filo” a Brand, sperando di convincerlo a unirsi agli altri suoi uomini, ma lui ha sempre pronto per lei un bel: no grazie. Anche lui è un ottimo lottatore di MMA, sveglio e molto sexy, ma non ha nessuna intenzione di cedere alle allettanti proposte di lavoro di Sahara. Tra di loro è presente una forte attrazione, si stuzzicano e si provocano, ma Brand preferisce mantenere il controllo della situazione, evitando di mischiare insieme lavoro e piacere. Per lui Sahara è speciale, vorrebbe qualcosa di più tra di loro, ma non è sicuro che Sahara provi la stessa cosa, teme che per lei sia solo un gioco per ottenere quello che vuole. Poi comunque dovrebbero affrontare la questione del “chi-comanda-quando”, visto che nessuno dei due è abituato a cedere. Tutto cambia quando Sahara viene rapita da un gruppo di uomini e chiede aiuto a Brand. Mi è piaciuta molto questa parte della storia: il mistero sulla scomparsa del fratello di Sahara si infittisce ancora di più, portando alla luce un sacco di domande su di lui. Anche di fronte ai suoi rapitori Sahara non cambia atteggiamento, è incredibile, e sorprende tutti con le sue capacità, tanto da sembrare una piccola McGuyver in gonnella, lasciando allibito lo stesso Brand. Per lui tentare di proteggerla sarà un compito molto duro. A causa di questa loro convivenza forzata non è più possibile nascondere quello che provano realmente, e con l’occasione hanno anche la possibilità di vedere e conoscere aspetti l’uno dell’altra che erano rimasti nascosti, come per Sahara scoprire il passato di Brand. È una storia scritta molto bene, che alterna in modo sapiente la parte romance tra i due protagonisti e tutto ciò che accade intorno a loro, mantenendo un ritmo incalzante, grazie alle scene ricche di azione e l’enigma legato all’identità dei rapitori, ma soprattutto alle loro motivazioni. È una bellissima serie da leggere, la consiglio e poi devo dire che anche l’occhio ha la sua parte con le splendide cover dei libri. Brand… come può anche solo pensare Sahara di tenergli testa? Eppure lo fa, e sono favolosi insieme!

Recensione:

Editing:

“Brand Berry is here to see you.”

Surprised, Sahara glanced at Enoch, her right-hand man and very good friend. “Brand is here?” She imme­diately felt flustered. Absurd. “I wasn’t expecting him. Did I miss a meeting?”

“No.” Enoch lowered his voice in a conspiratorial way. “He said he only needed a minute of your time when you were free, and since you’re free right now—”

“Yes, of course. Show him in.” Even as she said it, a tiny unfamiliar thrill ran through her.

She’d made a point of surrounding herself with some of the finest male specimens on the planet—professional fighters that she’d turned into prime bodyguards, each of them in high demand. It was her vision for Body Armor, to get rid of the stuffy Men in Black clones and offer in­stead real men, with real muscles, certifiable machismo and lethal ability with or without a weapon.

No, she didn’t fire the previously established body­guards; that would have been disloyal to her brother, who’d hired them. She simply reassigned them to the more boring cases, and overall they were happy with that.

Anything to do with a celebrity, a dignitary or a poli­tician her elite team now covered.

She desperately wanted to add Brand to that team.

Thinking she’d have a minute, she was just circling out from behind her desk when Brand stepped in around Enoch. Instead of waiting in the guest area, as a client would do, he must have been hovering right outside her door.

Her toes curled in her high heels.

Enoch was on the small side, five-two, slight of build, with average brown hair and eyes. It was his keen in­telligence and attention to detail that made him so per­fect at his job.

But his size didn’t really matter when he stood next to a man who made most everyone seem small, her in­cluded. Brand was a big and badass professional MMA fighter with a solid steel frame of muscle all wrapped up in a cocky attitude.

Faded jeans molded to his thick thighs, going well with his running shoes and an ancient Aerosmith T-shirt that stretched over his chest and broad shoulders. Re­flective sunglasses pushed to the top of his head made his golden‑brown hair messy. Darker brown eyes held her captive as he murmured, “Sahara.”

Leaning a hip against her desk, she drank in the rug­ged, virile sight of him. “Be still my heart.”

Wary exasperation rooted him to the spot.

Yes, she always spoke her mind. Why not? She was the boss and her employees knew her interest in them wasn’t personal. Of course, Brand wasn’t yet an em­ployee.

Putting her hands together, her fingers extended to frame him in a square, she remarked, “A photo of you looking just like that could launch my new line of ad­vertisement.”

He crossed his arms. “Advertisement for what?”

“Bodyguards with ability and sex appeal.” He’d look great on a billboard, maybe with a gun in his hand. She could already see it. Maybe she should ask Enoch to keep a camera at his desk for occasions like this?

When Brand just stood there, his expression amused, she smiled. “Tell me you’ve come to give me good news.” She’d been after him for a few months now to join the agency, constantly throwing out bait, trying to reel him in. He’d nibbled, but he wasn’t caught. Not yet.

“I came to talk about that, yes.”

Elation conflicted with disappointment. There were times when she hoped they could take a different path from employer and employee, one more personal, in­timate.

Even…sexually satisfying.

But in the end, the business came first. Always.

She hadn’t given up hope for her brother, and when he finally returned, he deserved to find the company thriving.

She’d put her heart and soul into making that happen. There was no time for anything else.

About Lori Foster:

Since first publishing in January 1996, Lori Foster has become a USA Today, Publisher’s Weekly and New York Times bestselling author. Lori has published through a variety of houses, including Kensington, St. Martin’s, Harlequin, Silhouette, Samhain, and Berkley/Jove. She is currently published with HQN. Visit her online at LoriFoster.com.

About Lori Foster:

Since first publishing in January 1996, Lori Foster has become a USA Today, Publisher’s Weekly and New York Times bestselling author. Lori has published through a variety of houses, including Kensington, St. Martin’s, Harlequin, Silhouette, Samhain, and Berkley/Jove. She is currently published with HQN. Visit her online at LoriFoster.com.