The Bad Habit series is one of my all time favourite series. It not only has a very hot and steamy group of rock stars as heroes but the heroines who tame them and steal their hearts are their equals in every way. J. T. Geissinger doesn’t just write sensual romances, she writes stories about broken souls who are able to mend with the help of their soul mates, stories that will stay with you long after you’ve put the book down. So it is no wonder that she has become one of my favourite romance authors.

In this equally amazing series we meet a group of men who go far and beyond to protect the women that they love.
Nasir was special-ops and is now a bodyguard who is working at a security firm who specialises in high danger operations. He has found himself in many dangerous situations but doing surveillance on a Russian mobster’s runaway wife is turning out to be one of the most dangerous operations he has had to do. And that is even before he finds out the truth about the life she left behind in Russia and the nightmare that still haunts her.

Eva has finally been able to runaway from the man who has enslaved her. Now far away from Dimitri and his influence, she has finally made a new life for herself while always keeping a safe distance from everyone. That is until she meets Naz, a man who is everything that she has ever wanted. A man who not only ignites passion but who also is a safe harbour for her.

But after everything she has survived, can she truly believe and trust any man? And is she truly safe from Dimitri? Or is she living in a fake secure bubble believing that she is finally free?

An exciting and sexy read by Geissinger! The only complaint I have is that it ended on a cliffhanger! Can’t wait to see what other obstacles will stand in Naz and Eva’s way before they are finally able to have their happily ever after!

Suspenseful story with an electric romance entwined. Kept me reading. Naz is an honorable hero. He jumps in feet first without thinking of the danger. He knows what is wrong and what is right. He has an electric chemistry with Eva. They are in a bind for sure and I am scared for Eva and can’t wait for the next book to see what will happen.

Received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

I've got quite a few favorites from J.T. Geissinger, so it was a no brainer for me to get my hands on Dangerous Beauty. I've been looking for the bodyguard romances and was overjoyed when I read the blurb for this one. But I couldn't get into this one at all, I definitely should have paid more attention because I thought this would be a standalone. Not that it's a dealbreaker for me, but Dangerous Beauty is part 1 in a trilogy. I'm not one to bow out of a series because I have to know what happens to Naz and Eva.

I couldn't connect with Naz and Eva at all and Naz was a hero that I didn't expect him to be in this story. Geissinger writes some of my favorite heroes and I was hoping to add Naz in that category as well. I liked that these two had a fun-loving relationship throughout the entire book, but it always felt just friendly with just a slight undertone of attraction between them. Nothing more.

With everything that Eva has endured with her ex, I definitely understand running away from him. She went through some extreme lengths to finally escape such a toxic and abusive relationship. I expected this to be a bit more on the emotional side while Eva tackles everything that has happened to her. I can only imagine what someone in that situation has going through their mind, so I guess I was hoping to see more of her trying to cope with that.

As far as the humor went and their constant joking, I didn't actually find a lot of quite humorous at all. In the beginning, it was kind of cute and had me chuckling, but it constant throughout the entire story. And some jokes I was just wasn't really a fan of.

It wasn't my favorite and I just wanted a bit of a connection with these characters and I wasn't getting it at all. I'll definitely continue this series because I want Eva to totally kick-a** and make her ex pay.

I was sucked in and hanging onto every word. Eva is running from her past and Nasir is hired to watch over her. But he has no clue what he for himself into! The chemistry between these two is strong but they don’t act on it right away. Knowing he should stay away but can’t seem to and battling the right thing to do. Book given to be on netgalley

Dangerous Beauty is the first book in the Dangerous Beauty series. If you read the Bad Habit series then you might remember the character Barney aka Nasir. I actually did not find J.T until after that series but I did read her Wicked Games series and that was where I met Connor and Tabby. His new boss. Anyway, I don’t want to spoil the story so I will make it fast.

Eva ran away from her life. Nasir was hired to watch her. For months he watched her from a distance until he had to step in. And in that moment he knew he was fucked. He already thought she was beautiful but up close, he saw that she was also a badass. He knew he should just walk away. Follow her and report to her husband his findings.

Eva was free but she knew one day that would change. It always did. But when she met Naz, it gave her hope. That she could have a normal life. One not in the shadows. Always running. But, can she trust him?

Well, that’s all I can say about that. I can say that I thought their banter was comfortable. The sarcasm between them was so much fun. The chemistry is there.

Overall...it’s an awesome start to a new series. It makes us get to know the characters on a real level. It was an exciting read with twists and turns along the way. It’s also sweet, flirty, and fun! I can’t wait for the next book!

Quotes:

She doesn’t try to draw attention to her looks in any way, but she moves like a poem and smiles like a sphinx, and draws eyes to her like moths to a flame. Because beauty will be noticed.

“I miss you. When can I see you?”
He groans. “Why can’t you be coy for once, woman? You’re killing me.”

“Call me ‘sweetheart’ one more time. I dare you.”

This is my first book by this author and I was really hooked! I really like the writing and I read this all in one afternoon. It’s a great storyline and I could totally see this as a movie. The story flowed and I was digging the characters. There’s another couple in here that I’m assuming is from another series and think I’m going to check it out. I didn’t feel lost but I’m super intrigued to read their story. This ends on a cliffy but I personally don’t think it’s a horrible one. I definitely want to check out the next one because I really want to know how it’s a going to shake out.

4 stars. This is a good book. But I should state from the start that this book ends on a cliffhanger. I was surprised and upset to get to the end and find that. There is no closure at all and it ends on a shocking cliffy. Nowhere in the blurb that I read on Netgalley is the words " ***Part one of a three part series.*** ", which is posted at the bottom of the Goodreads blurb, but also not posted in the Amazon blurb. I probably still would have chosen to read and review this book, but would have loved to know ahead of time so I didn't expect a full, standalone story. I actually really liked how the book was going and would have rated the book even higher without the unexpected cliffhanger.

This is the story of Naz and Eva. Eva is on the run from her ex, a Russian billionaire psycho who abused her. She is hiding out in Mexico, in disguise under an assumed name. Naz works for a security company who has been hired by her ex to find her and send in updates on her. He doesn't know who her ex really is and that he is in the wrong. But after observing Eva, he finds her in a dangerous position and steps in to to help her. Once they meet, these two find they have amazing chemistry, and despite their precarious situation, they can't stay away from each other. But that puts them both in danger and they must face the consequences of their actions.

I loved Naz and Eva. They had an amazing connection and adored each other so much. The story was very good. I found the book to be very romantic, sexy, and emotional with great adventure and suspense. I just really wanted these two to get an HEA, which I felt they deserved after going through so much.

While this was a great romantic suspense and had rich imagery and detailed characters I loved, I was left with a bad taste in my mouth from the ending. Cliffhangers are not that bad, for me, if I expect them. But I do think the publisher should have been more clear that this was not a standalone book. Still, I enjoyed this book enough, despite that, that I will continue with the series.

Dangerous Beauty is book one in a series and although it ends in a fairly dramatic cliffy, It is a complete story and really worth reading right away. It is a book that I will look forward to rereading.

“I blow out a shaky breath and close my eyes. “I won’t let my fear make the decisions.”

With exquisite tenderness, Naz brushes his lips against my temple. He whispers into my ear, “And that—my sweet, brave, beautiful girl—is the definition of courage.”

Naz is an ex-military man hired to trail the runaway wife of a Russian mobster. As soon as we meet his target, Eva, we realize that things are not cut and dried. Eva is an amazing strong and resilient heroine and I fell in love with her as quickly as Naz does!!

“Survival is simply the art of suffering gracefully when we’re up against forces out of our control.”

I loved the suspense of Dangerous Beauty. It had me on the edge of my seat but always softened by the humor sprinkled throughout the story.
-5 Stars!-

It's been a long time since I've read a book from this author...not because I don't love her but because my TBR has been just plain nuts. This book reminded me why I need to make time for everything she writes. This story is suspenseful and you will NOT get all the answers you want or need. What you will get is a beautifully crafted story of deceit, abuse, pain, chance meetings ( or not) love, lust and amazing chemistry. These two have it all in spades. The steam factor is right up there along with great banter that had me laughing out loud. Looking forward to seeing where she takes us next in this wonderful, intriguing story.

It has been a long time since I have read suspense. This book has me on the edge of my seat, I just couldn’t put it down!

Nasir is on a mission. He’s watching Eva but he’s never too close. Until one day Eva realizes someone is watching her and tries to lose him in the small streets on the island. Problem is, she finds herself surrounded with guys from a gang. Thankfully, Nasir helps her and soon they find themselves some sort of friends.

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer? More like keep your mission close. After all, that way Nasir can watch her without her being suspicious.

But Eva then tells him her secrets and he found out that his mission may not be that black and white as he thought he was. In order to escape the terrible game in which they starred as pawns, Nasir must risk everything if he wants Eva for himself.

This story is full of love, humor, and suspense and I strongly recommend it. Now, I was a little surprised when I found out on Goodreads that the story actually continues in the second book. I would appreciate if I knew that in advance when I requested in on NetGalley so I’ll give a half star less. But the book is truly wonderfully written and if I haven’t requested it I would never know this amazingly written story. I can’t wait for the second book, I’m really curious about what will happen next.

My first book by this author, by the way.

4.5 stars.

A bodyguard, hired to watch a Russian man's "wife" in Mexico, to make sure she stays out of trouble until "she" decides to return home. A beautiful woman, who is running from her past trying to stay as incognito as she can, little does she know who is watching her. When they meet, fireworks.

As much as I'm not fond of cliffhangers, I am very fond of J.T. Geissinger's books and writing style. The characters are well developed, the plot is intriguing, and the storyline keeps you on the edge of your seat. As I expected, I truly enjoyed this novel and can't wait for part 2 to be released! We need to find out what happens with Eva and Naz!

1.5 stars

A huge thank you to the early reviewers for the heads up about the cliff hanger. Dangerous Beauty is the first book in a trilogy following the same couple. I went into this book knowing it would end in a cliff hanger, so that’s not the reason why I’m giving it such a low rating. I’m beginning to think that J.T. Geissinger might be a hit or miss author for me. I’ve read 4 of her books so far and I’ve either hated them or loved them. I’m also thinking that J.T. Geissinger should probably stick to contemporary romance. This romantic suspense had all the right ingredients, but it just came across as super cheesy.

I’m really confused about the relationship development here: it’s insta-love…but a slow burn at the same time? Makes no sense to me. The writing is solid, as expected from Geissinger, but Dangeous Beauty gradually lost my attention because Eva and Naz were just so…bland and boring. I couldn’t bring myself to care about them at all, especially Naz, whose stupid jokes were so damn annoying. Shut the fuck up already, Dudley. I have no clue why Eva thinks he’s so funny. I spent so much time just rolling my eyes. It felt like the author was trying too hard with the banter, which is so weird because Geissinger is usually excellent when it comes to sexy banter.

Overall, I would say that this book is probably a case of it’s-not-you-it’s-me, with a dash of problematic representation. Like I said, I simply don’t care for Eva and Naz. But if I were to be completely honest, I’ve also been cheating on this book with Beth and Rio from the TV show Good Girls. The chemistry between the latter couple is currently my EVERYTHING – it lights me on fire. Beth and Rio are so sexy that they made this already bland romance novel even blander. I couldn’t totally focus on Dangerous Beauty, partly because Naz and Eva are such unappealing characters, and partly because I’ve been distracted AF because of Good Girls. I just wanted to put this out there because this part of my review is incredibly biased.

That being said, I do have some less subjective complaints about the representation of religion and Naz’s Arab ethnicity in Dangerous Beauty. Religion was a super weird theme in this book – it simply didn’t fit the story that Geissinger was trying to tell. I understand the significance of the Church, but all the Burka and celibacy comments just left a terrible taste in my mouth. The worst part: Naz being described as “exotic.” Listen, if this were a historical, I would have given it a pass. But this is a fucking contemporary. Do better. Finally, the whole climax just felt so convoluted and extra.

TL;DR thank u, next

What did I do? Tell me! What did I do to deserve this kind of torture!?!

Dangerous Beauty is a page turning, can't put down (except for potty runs) read. It's a runaway train that you can't help but be caught up in. Eva is the beautiful, smart, sassy target of surveillance. Nazir is the hired henchman doing the surveillance. Only he's not a henchman. He is also doing more than surveillance. He's falling for the target. It is going to be a hard and painful fall too. Even though I've finished the book, this isn't over. Hence my questioning whether this is penance...

Dangerous Beauty is a sexy, suspense thriller with a love story that will keep you flipping pages. But the unexpected show stealer is the witty banter between Thelma and Wilbur. I laughed out loud many, many times during this serious story. I was smirking and caught off guard by some hilariously inappropriate moments. I think the levity that J.T. Geissinger added makes it that much more. So enjoy the intrigue, the white knight, and the love story but try not to pee your pants when the humor unexpectedly sneaks up on you.

They say patience is a virtue. I'm clearly not virtuous because I'm already searching for book 2's release date!

4.5 stars

Oh man, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved this book. <i>Dangerous Beauty</i> is the story of Nasir (Wicked Games and Bad Habits series) and Evalina. Nasir is ex special ops and most recently a bodyguard. He has just taken the job of trailing the runaway wife of a Russian mobster. Evalina is trying to stay under the radar. It turns out the Russian mobster is her ex and she refuses to end up back in his clutches.
Nasir and Evalina keep running into each other. Naturally, Nasir’s plan to just watch Evalina and report to the evil Russian goes up in smoke. Evalina is lonely. She is extremely attracted to Nasir but she also likes being in his company. Nasir tries to keep her at arm’s length but Evalina is persistent. I was completely charmed by Evalina. I thought she was badass but I also found her endearing. I don’t blame Nasir for blowing up all his plans to help her. I also thought this was a very character driven story and I loved it. A huge selling point for me was the banter between these two. It was great.
Evalina and Nasir end up in a dangerous game trying to save Evalina’s life. The last 20 -30% of the book had me on edge. The bad guy and the abuse he inflicted reminded me of a Pam Godwin (one of my fave authors) book. This is good this for me because I like that vibe.
Yes, this does end on a cliffy and I cannot wait for book two.
I will note that I have read a couple of J.T.’s Slow Burn books. I have not read the Bad Habit series or Tabby and Connor in Wicked Games. I will be rectifying that soon.
<i>Copy provided in exchange for a voluntary review</i>

CLIFFHANGER WARNING: First off, I'm going to warn anyone contemplating reading this that there's a major cliffhanger at the end of this book. This is the first book of a true trilogy – not three loosely connected books, but rather three books about the same couple. If you're the kind of person who gets all bent out of shape about that kind of thing, I suggest passing this by or waiting for all three books to be released.

That being said, this was a very enjoyable read for me. I absolutely LOVED the banter between Eva and Naz and really felt that they connected as a couple, in spite of the circumstances. This is only the second book by this author that I've read and I felt like I might have missed a previous book about two of the supporting characters that play a major role in the book. Was it enough to detract from my enjoyment? No. But I'm a bit OCD about liking to read things in order whenever possible, so I'm now going to have to look through her other works to see if I have to go back and read their story at some point.

I'm a bit of a sucker for romantic suspense, so I really liked that aspect of the story and I felt that it was well done. I'm very much looking forward to reading the next two books to see what happens.

*Advance copy provided by NetGalley. All opinions are my own.*

This was not the book for me. I'm giving it 3 stars because I requested this book based on my love of Geissinger's Slow Burn series, and not so much the synopsis, so I feel like a jerk for not liking it.

I liked our heroine Eva well enough, but I just never really liked Naz. I didn't like the premise of how they met or the lies that he told her. I also didn't buy that Naz (and his bosses) had no idea that she had a legitimate reason to move to another country, change her name, get a job, stay completely to herself, and obtain a false identity. They just bought that she was an eccentric silly rich wife. Seriously, I couldn't buy that. I certainly have no security or law enforcement background, but I, like most people who are exposed to modern entertainment, have seen about a million movies and tv shows where women are forced to hid from psycho abusers.

This book does end in a cliffhanger, but I was just glad it was over so I didn't mind.

I can't really recommend this book.

DANGEROUS BEAUTY by J.T. Geissinger is book One in the Dangerous Beauty Series. This starts the story of Nasir 'Naz' and Evalina 'Eva'.
Naz a former military special ops, bodyguard and now investigator. Naz is working on a easy case to keep a eye on a mobster's wife who is in Mexico. Naz thinks this is gonna be a easy job but he quickly learns nothing is going to be easy. Eva has been on the run not trusting anyone but there is something about Naz that makes her want to trust him.
This does leave us with a cliffhanger and I can't wait for the next book 'Dangerous Desires'.

***4 Stars***

Hmmmm. Definitely didn’t expect all that.

Not that it’s a bad thing in any way, just...surprising.

But, I’m definitely intrigued enough to see how everything plays out for Naz and Eva.

Being a fan of the Bad Habit series, I’m already in love with Naz, who I’d previously known as Barney, and was thrilled when it was announced that he would get his own HEA (especially after all he went through) and I have to say I love the man even more now than I did then. Honorable, quick thinking and a little quirky, he kinda hit all the right buttons for me. Eva is a strong woman. After what she’s survived, one would expect her to have broken, but she hasn’t and has a positive outlook on life.

Their relationship, thus far, was a bit of a surprise, but a fun one that is an interesting mix of insta and slow burn. I loved their bantering and how they just seemed to flow together, even when they probably shouldn’t have. The crazy they go through definitely brings them closer and I’m more than curious to see what else is in store for them and how they will weather that storm.

If you haven’t guessed, this one ends on a cliffy of sorts. I didn’t know going in, and though I do prefer knowing that I’ll be getting a cliffhanger it wouldn’t have deterred me since I really wanted more of Naz and love the authors writing, so total no brainer. There were some things (non Nazand Eva things) that had me going hmmm, but not enough to mess with my enjoyment of their story or the need to see what will be coming for them in the next installment!

DNF at 33%.

Evalina flees her sadistic Russian mafia boyfriend Dmitri and runs away to Mexico. Naz is a former special ops soldier turned private security operative, his job is to follow a Russian mobster's runaway socialite wife and report on her movements - easy money! But when Eva gets attacked by a group of men in an alleyway Naz feels honour-bound to intervene. Unfortunately in such a small town they keep running into each other and soon overwhelming attraction threatens to jeopardise his mission.

I loved J.T.'s Slow Burn series so a new series from her was a no-brainer for me. Sadly this book just didn't work for me and when I start forcing myself to read a book I know I need to ditch it. What I loved about the Slow Burn series was the humour, that's here too but it just doesn't work in a romantic-suspense novel (in my opinion). Eva's story was too familiar from every other romantic suspense novel I've read, beautiful woman abused by wealthy powerful man, she escapes and falls in love with broken special ops guy, yadda yadda. The humour was great - just in the wrong book for me. This felt like a romantic comedy wedged into a military/special ops romantic suspense.

I still love J.T. as a writer but this was a did not finish for me. Luckily from early reviews I have seen everyone else loved the book.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

** This review may contain spoilers **

First of all, Dangerous Beauty has to come with a least one note for readers: This book contains a major cliffhanger and is not a standalone romance. There is no HEA in this book!

I would also suggest to have a trigger warning here for extended sexual, emotional, and physical abuse.

Now, let's get to the review part:
I’ve so longed for Naz’s story. I always imagined him in previous mentions to be a big bear type guy, all protective and full with gooey chocolate inside; a deeply emotional, passionate rock. He’s somewhat all that in this book but not as much as I’d hoped.
He also - at least for a few months - gets to be with the woman he comes to love - a strong woman called Eva who survived hell for years. She’s finally taken steps to start a new life.

I so wished for their story to be more emotional, and somewhat more connected and more sensical.
After all the horrific trauma she’s been through, it would have made more sense for her to be very reserved, deeply untrusting, and shying away from any sort of body contact, especially sexual contact.
So, for Naz to work diligently to gain her trust over a longer time would have been so much sweeter, and somewhat more sensical.

And for her to pursue him (!), openly and freely blurt out her feelings, and be so trusting of him from the very beginning is a bit disappointing. Knowing now, that the story goes over several books, I don't understand the rush of getting both characters together so quickly.

Disappointed also comes to mind when I think about what they said to each other to lighten the mood when things looked grey. I thought that humor in those situations is actually a good coping mechanism but what they said, I perceived as an easy way out and somewhat negative overall. With all the possible humours options, why go down the route of describing their obviously stunning bodies as something overweight or genetically disabled people look like? Or ask to be covered up in a burka or nuns outfit to cover up her beauty? Even though it’s said in a humorous way, it fell flat for me as it doesn’t honour people in all their diverse ways.

Overall, at about 3/4 through, this book came in at around 3-3.5 stars. When I realized that the assumed/promised romance wasn’t going to happen in this book, I dropped further points and this book.

I really routed for Naz & Eva, I just don’t think this story runs deep enough to honour either of what they’ve been through. They, more than any of the previous characters in J.T.’s books, deserve more now. To drag out their overly deserved happy ending is so disappointing! Expecting now to read another 2 books and knowing the horrendous things to come for either of them, I’m hoping that the actual real-life world is in a better state than it is right now when the next books are out. That way I could brace myself for what’s to come. I needed a positive outcome now!

As a dedicated romance reader who was led to believe a happy ending is at the end of Naz’s and Eva’s ordeal now, I’m super disappointed.