Until I was around 30, I had a nervous feeling in my stomach every time I held out my ID to very legally buy alcoholic beverages, and it was because people always told me that I looked much younger than my age. So it makes a lot of sense to me why I’m drawn to the romantic suspense genre, where nervous feelings are reserved for the most serious things, like having someone pull a gun on you, or performing a heroic rescue, or solving a case (or falling in love).

Katie Reus is a romantic suspense author I’d love to read more of. Her book Covert Games, which released on 01/22, really hit the spot for me. Smart, intense suspense that’s big on action but also big on those HEA feelings, Covert Games had me enthralled from the first page to the last.

Leighton and the rest of his Redemption Harbor Consulting crew want to take down major criminal Alexei Kuznetsov’s human trafficking operation, which is suspected of working out of a hotel managed by Luciana Carreras, Alexei’s niece. Leighton will do anything to rescue the victims, even if he’s not sure whether or not Lucy is involved in the trafficking operation or not…

But Lucy is not who or what Leighton expected. *puts finger on chin in classic contemplative pose.* How could the insane attraction between Leighton and Lucy possibly make the rescue more complicated?

Covert Games is a bold, gorgeous story about heroes and heroines, resourcefulness, and two beautiful people who fall in love. And it’s highly recommended, whether you’re an intrepid someone…or someone who’s brave solely when it comes to getting haircuts and reading romantic suspense.

**I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley, but all opinions provided are my own.

Since I already had read one other book in the Redemption Harbor Series, I requested this arc. However, it didn't matter if I had read the other stories, because you can read them perfectly stand alone.
Although we have a connection with the Redemption Harbor Consultancy bureau, that is pretty much it. The story is mostly about Lucy Carreras. She is working for her uncle at one of his luxurious hotels. What she doesn't know, is that her uncle is using the hotels to cover up his maffia activities. When she suspects that one of the hotel employees isn't working for her, but for her uncle, she meets a very charming man. Leighton is a customer at the hotel, who she finds very attracting. When he asks her out, she refuses, not wanting to mix business with pleasure. What she doesn't know, is that Leighton is undercover, trying to unmask her uncle. While she is a suspect to the criminal activities, Leighton tries to woo her in order to gain information and access to Lucy's uncle. When Lucy realizes that her uncle really isn't up to no good, she confides in Leighton. .Together they must try to find the truth, before things turn ugly for Lucy. Because in maffia world: you can get in, but you can't get out... Suspension and twists and turns. Four out of five stars from me and a special thank you to Netgalley for providing the arc.

Katie Reus is a “go to author” for me when I’m in the mood for an alpha protective good guy hero who will do anything for his lady love. Yeah, that includes putting his life and heart on the life, folks. To complete the package, she always throws in for free a sassy heroine worthy of such manliness. This go around we are given a criminal human trafficking backdrop that results in blood and bullets flying as these two team up with Leighton’s posse of Delta Force like mercenary buddies who try to right this terrible wrong.

Overall, I did really enjoy this stand-alone, sixth edition to the series, with one minor comment regarding something I’ve seen as a repeating pattern in these books. Maybe it’s because I read early ARC versions that may or may not be edited again before final release, but I felt a time or two the smexy scenes between these two could have used some conversational tweaking. No, I didn’t say twerking, because that would definitely be weird.

The first graphic intimate encounter in particular just felt..off. Honestly, it was because the conversation felt awkward and unnatural. You just wouldn’t blurt out what Leighton said as casually as if he just asked Lucy to pass him the salt. Instead of finding it shockingly sexy, it was a “say what?” moment. I actually reread some of my other reviews of the previous books and found I had made similar comments. I guess you could say I expect my characters to always stay in character. With these guys that means cool and classy all the time.

All that aside, because it may not even register on other people’s radar, I did stay completely riveted to the unfolding, perilous plot and didn’t really mind the romance time being shared with the crime stopping element. Afterall, these two lovebirds were in this together, folks.

Title: Covert Games, Series: Redemption Harbor (Book 6), Author: Katie Reus, Pages: 300, stand-alone but part of a series, alpha protective good guy hero, romance safe, human trafficking of women, some violence/shoot ‘em up scenes.

Book 1 - Resurrection (Skye & Colt), Pages: 250, 7/11/17
Book 2 - Savage Rising (Olivia & Savage), Pages: 250, 9/26/17
Book 3 - Dangerous Witness (Darcy & Brooks), Pages: 300, 1/30/18
Book 4 - Innocent Target (Axel & Hadley), Pages: 250, 5/22/18
Book 5 - Hunting Danger (Nova & Gage), Pages: 261, 9/25/18
Book 6 - Covert Games (Leighton & Lucy), Pages: 300, 1/22/19
Book 7 - Chasing Vengeance (Layla & Xavier), releases 4/9/19

(I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not given any payment or compensation for this review. There is no affiliation or relationship between this reviewer and the author/publisher/NetGalley.)

Book Six in the Redemption Harbor series, Covert Games by Katie Reus is an intensely hot, action-packed story. Not the first story that Katie Reus has given the reader with a casino/hotel as the backdrop. This one has a woman running it while being owned by one despicable villain.

Suspenseful with the first question being is Lucy Carreras aware or involved in her uncle’s other “businesses”. Then it becomes a how to catch her uncle before it is too late story. This is foremost the focus of the book with the romance coming in secondary. Still when Lucy and Leighton meet, the attraction is instant with love following on its heels. Of the two main characters, Leighton is the more complex. His past haunts him which made his instant decisions concerning his feelings concerning Lucy somewhat surprising.

It is quite satisfying to see the good guys win in stories, which does not always happen in the real world. Thank to Katie Reus for encouraging us to believe it is always possible, even if it does take the entire Redemption Harbor Consulting group to make it happen.

The latest installment for the men and women of the Redemption Harbor Consulting Team and while all of the previous characters are represented in this story set in New Orleans it is actually Leighton the founder of the companies story

Luciana (Lucy) Carreras is the niece of Alexei Kuznetsov and Leighton Cannon first sees her as a means to an end to destroy the evil crime empire her uncle has set up but as he spends more time with her he realises she is just a pawn in his evil empire Will Leighton the man with the sad eyes whos friends worry about him finally find the woman that will make him feel whole or is this ex marine to damaged to ever find love. Once again this is a brilliant story from an extremely talented author While each book can be read as a standalone I would recommend that you read the entire series in order so that you get the full benefit

I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to write this review since 2018 sadly ended with a thud. I found myself in a bit of a rut and turned to comfort reads to snap me out of it. Unfortunately, even that didn’t work at first. Then I snagged Covert Games, the next book in the Redemption Harbor Series. This series usually provides me the action I need with a good dose of romance. The last book wasn’t quite what I wanted it to be but was still a decent read, so I crossed my fingers and dove in.

The suspense started right away when Hazel, our favorite FBI agent, visited Leighton with a request. A young woman needed saving from a trafficking ring and she couldn’t help her because of an active investigation. This is the kind of plot I love but making things even more interesting was the head of this trafficking ring is none other than Kuznetsov, the Russian kingpin the Redemption Harbor crew has tangled with before.

This was a tricky operation since the Redemption Harbor crew had a shaky truce with this guy. If he found out they were working against him, it could be devastating for the group. But they couldn’t stand by and let innocent women be trafficked, so they dove right in.

Leighton was the only one who could go in undercover. This worked out perfectly since the bad guy’s niece, Lucy, pushed all his buttons in a good way and although she had great business sense, she was clueless to what her evil uncle was up to. And maybe I should italicize the word clueless because he was running a sex trafficking operation through her hotel and she never noticed (insert eye roll here).

But, since the rest of the story was working for me, I pushed it aside and kept on reading. A good call because it was such a good read. There was a lot of action with the whole crew involved which was fun—especially when Skye came onto the page. She not only can take care of business, she cracks me up while she’s doing it.

As much as I loved time spent with the whole crew, I think Leighton got short-changed a bit. I learned a lot about Lucy and I really liked her, but I felt like we only hit the surface of everything Leighton could have been. Granted, it was all good, but I wanted more.

Other than a couple of obvious situations that skirted TSTL, I thoroughly enjoyed Covert Games. It had the action and suspense I crave with the sexiness I adore, and humor to keep things even more interesting.

Rating: 4 Stars

I volunteered to read and review an advanced readers copy thru Netgallery of Covert Games . This is #6 in the Redemption Harbor series .
This story is a fast paced , suspenseful and intriguing story .
It has a very interesting and intense story line .
I really enjoyed reading this outstanding story . I was captivated from the start . I couldnot put it down . It pulled me right
in . I felt like I was part of the story .
I was on the edge of my seat . The characters are fantastic . Leighton is a total take charge alpha bad _ss! Oh yeah sexy the total package .
Lucy is a brave and kind soul not to mention beautiful . Together they struggle to build a relationship while with the support of the group to stop Alexei Kuznetsov . I highly recommend taking the time to read this story and enjoy .

I love Katie Reus’s series books, and the Redemption Harbor series is one of my favorites. This group of men and women, some whom have known each other for forever, and others who are newbies, don’t always play by the rules, but always have the best of intentions and do what they know is right to fight different crimes. By this time in the series most of the group have ended up paired up except for Leighton, a former marine, with a good heart but little emotional intuition, who learns from a CIA friend that a girl has been put into a prostitution ring in New Orleans. He wants to go save her, and the team agrees to go with him. Their target is Lucie, who runs the hotel where they think the group is working. Lucie is the niece of a mob guy and initially Leighton believes she is part of the plot. She isn’t, and once he knows that, he loses his heart. I thought all that was a little fairy tallish....but it’s a romantic suspense, so I just went with it. Their love story was pretty predictable, but I ALWAYS love her stories, and how she gets her characters in and out of trouble. This was a fun read for me, and quite enjoyable.

Another one knocked out of the park in this series! I truly enjoy all the characters and how the book came along. I’ve been waiting for Leighton’s story and was not disappointed! Lucy is a strong character in her own right and definitely fits in.

Covert Games is the sixth book in the Redemption Harbor series and the first one I have read but I don’t feel that spoilt my enjoyment of this book in any way or indeed gave away any spoilers about the previous ones that will stop me from now going and reading them.

The Redemption Harbor Consulting Team is in New Orleans on the trail of Alexei Kuznetsov, a Russian businessman who they know is responsible for the enforced prostitution of innocent young women. WhenLeighton goes undercover at Kuznetsov’s hotel he meets Lucy Carreras, the hotel manager and his niece. Now Leighton has to decide whether or not Lucy is involved in her uncle’s illegal activities or is just an innocent bystander.

I loved this book. The story is action packed and moves at a fast pace grabbing my attention right from the start. The characters are well written leaving this reader wanting to know more about them. The love aspect between Leighton and Lucy might have been a bit quicker than I usually like in a book but didn’t seem forced. I loved the rest of the team and the interaction between them and I’m looking forward to now going and catching up with the previous books in the series

Katie Reus writes another intriguing story between Leighton and Lucy. If you haven't read any of the previous books in this series, I would consider doing so first. I did not and felt like something was missing, and what it was was a better connection with Leighton and his teammates. That aside, I rated this 4 stars because everything that happened was a bit too perfect for my tastes, even the suspenseful scenes. Regardless, this is definitely worth reading.

My thanks to NetGalley and KR Press, LLC for the opportunity to read and review Covert Games by Katie Reus.

Six books in and Katie Reus seriously upped the anti for Leighton‘s story as he and pretty much all the ladies and gents from Redemption Harbor Consulting head off to New Orleans to play their part in the demise of Alexei Kuznetsov.

“...she was related to a monster.”

What Leighton doesn’t expect is to fall head over heels for the bad guy’s niece, Lucy Carreras which he soon does as the guys do what they do best, battling the bad guys, rescuing folk and blowing crap up.

“The one thing he knew without a doubt was that he would keep her safe no matter what it took.”

This is hands down my favourite of the series so far and with passion, feeling and humour, Katie Reus delivers a good dose of romance amongst the action as Leighton and Lucy grow closer. Looking forward to seeing what #7, Chasing Vengeance holds in store in the Spring.

4.5 stars.

By now, if you’ve followed my reviews for even a short amount of time, you’ve probably figured out that I’m a pretty big fan of Katie Reus’ writing. Romantic suspense is my top fave of the entirety of the romance sub-genres, and she does it so well! Her Red Stone Security series kept me up very late way too many nights, and the Redemption Harbor books are continuing that legacy.

Covert Games is Leighton & Luciana’s (Lucy) story. While each book can be read as a standalone, of course, I recommend reading them all, and in order, because they are more than worth it! Lucy’s uncle is a monster, but she has no clue that he’s not who he’s appeared to be to her for her entire life. Leighton is a man on a mission to save women from being enslaved in sex trafficking. Even when he’s pretending to be someone else, there is major chemistry between these two characters. Can they make it work when all secrets are revealed, or will forgiveness be beyond Lucy’s capabilities?

NICUnurse’s Rating: I honestly could go on and on about how much I love this series, all of the characters, and all of the storylines. Even before I was a reviewer, I loved Katie Reus’ books. And Leighton & Lucy are now one of my top favorite couples out of all of her books. So, just trust me on this. If you love romantic suspense, she’s an author that you most definitely want to 1-click! Covert Games gets 5 stars from me!

The Story in 4 Sentences or Less: The stakes are higher for the members of Redemption Harbor Consulting this time around because their number one enemy is in their sights but in order to bring Alexei Kuznetsov down, RHC co-founder Leighton is going to have to use his niece, Luciana. Only he doesn’t count on the attraction between them or the fact that Lucy might be innocent of her uncle’s crimes. Lucy on the other hand is close to discovering the truth and depth of her uncle’s crimes, putting her squarely on Leighton’s side.





Like It? Hate it? Love it? Why? It just hit me that this series has had quite a run! I’ve had so much fun with it and Covert Games has the same red hot romance as previous books in the Redemption Harbor series but there’s definitely more danger this time around.

Leighton and Lucy’s romance wasn’t an easy one but I’m glad that they didn’t complicate it more than it already was. Leighton isn’t as intense or brooding as say Savage or Axel but he carries his own scars and has that deep rooted need to protect innocent people. Even with Leighton dealing with his past, it didn’t stop him from falling headlong into love with Lucy and he’s got such a romantic soul, in a protective, intense way. He’s sweet but at the same time super sexy about how he treats Lucy. And Lucy is definitely one of the strongest heroines in the series. She’s lived her life believing her uncle is a decent human being only to find out he’s a monster and she’s caught up in the middle of a nest of vipers. She’s got nerves of steel, the intelligence to survive, and the wisdom to know when she needs help. She was such a good asset to the team and their mission without being completely unbelievable.


Covert Games brings the whole gang out in force to deal with Alexei. It was great to have them all in one book. With everything happening you would think that the entire book would be toned down and serious but the author made sure not to make readers feel weighed down with injected moments of humor. I mean, this group is so confident in themselves that they take the time to give each other a hard time. I love this group of dangerous misfits who take the time to make sure their makeshift family is happy and as adjusted as they can be. There’s such an easy among them all I kind of felt envious I wasn’t one of them.


Click It or Skip It? Click It. The suspense and action is balanced out nicely with Leighton and Lucy’s romance. It’s nice to see the gang all together again and Covert Games reminds me why I love not just this series but anything by Katie Reus.



Review to go live on 1/23

Covert Games by Katie Reus

6th book in the Redemption Harbor series. Romantic suspense.
This is Leighton’s story.
Not really best as a standalone, although it could be, because almost all the characters from the previous books are part of this rescue mission.

I love the writing style of this author. The action is fast, the characters have depth including secondary ones, and the sex and relationship building is hot and steamy.
You’ll never forget in this series, that Leighton is the one with the sad eyes.
Gallantry and dry humor abound.
Fair warning: lots of swearing.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley. I also purchased a copy to share.

Action, adventure and love! A great addition to the Redemption Harbor series Covert Games gives Leighton his happy in the form of their enemy’s niece. I liked that Lucy wasn’t kick a$$ but she was no shrinking violet either and she made the guy with the sad eyes smile. This is romantic suspense at its best.

COVERT GAMES is an edge of your seat, can't wait to turn the page read. Author Katie Reus knows how to do covert that seems so real, with a danger that will take your breath away and a romance that will have your heart pounding. There is a lot of intrigue, surprises, and action but it is also a team effort, so we get to get a look at other characters who make up Redemption Harbor Consulting and the sneaky things they work hard at to make the world better.

Annetta Sweetko, reviewer for Fresh Fiction

Complete review may be found at http://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=67629

Katie Reus is fast becoming a go to author for me and Covert Games book 6 in the Redemption Harbour Series did not disappoint. I haven’t read every book in this series but I still enjoyed Leighton and Lucy’s story and I will certainly be reading the previous books as soon as time permits.
This is book filled with action, suspense, intrigue, romance and passion, it’s certainly a page turner that will keep you on the edge of you seat from chapter one.
Leighton and his team are given a tip about girls being held and sent into prostitution in the local casino which is run by Lucy. The casino is owned by Lucy’s uncle and the team need to decide if Lucy is part of the ring or an innocent bystander.......
Looking forward to reading more from this author.

Book #5 in the Redemption Harbor Series was an engaging read. I have not read every book in this series and although it stands on its own, reading previous books would be helpful to understand the team's interconnected relationships.

I liked the characters but would have liked the deleted prologue to remain in the story as it gives background to Leighton's character and the reason for his "sad eyes".

Overall, a good read especially if you are a fan of romantic suspense.

Book 6 and a winning combination! Covert Games is a thrilling romantic suspense, Leighton and Lucy are engaging characters and the suspenseful storyline is well developed and written A great addition to this series and one I will be recommending to others