This was great!! I love when a novella jumps right into the action and really makes you interested about the story right from page 1. We also quick grow to love the characters, which is a huge component. The mystery and intrigue surrounding Leah's firing drew me right in, and I loved how Nate was so protective of her. They are a great match and really challenge each other. The plot moved quickly, and I loved the little twists throughout the story. There was just the right mix of mystery/suspense and romance. I also loved the ending!! 5 stars and can't wait for more in this series!

*I received an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

I had decided to stay away from holiday themed books this year after last year’s lineup left me feeling more bah humbug and less fa la la la la. But when I saw this novella available from my newest-author discovery I couldn’t help myself!

Leah Ellis found herself fired from her government contract job and stranded without money, a phone, a car, and with no place to go even if she did have any of those things. When she’s met by a man, holding her last name, standing next to a car after being escorted out of the building by military police, she doesn’t have much choice but to accept the ride.

Nate Sifuentes wasn’t happy about playing driver for his brother’s car service, but that turns out to be a lucky turn of events when he discovers Leah is being followed and framed for a series of crimes. He’ll need all his skills as a security expert to keep her safe and all his contacts to help prevent disaster.

Romantic suspense is one of my favorite genres, but it’s also the most difficult to please me because I want equal parts of both the romance AND the suspense. And giving a well-developed plot with adequate character development can be extra difficult given the confines of a novella. Yet Ms. Grant did an excellent job with both. The plot was fast-paced and kept me guessing who the bad guy was - which, with how much I read, is rare. I also liked the hero and heroine, but...I had a hard time with the insta-love aspect of their relationship. I like it better when relationships develop more realistically, and I just had a hard time buying this one. It WAS pretty hot though…

I’m definitely going to be reading more Rachel Grant. From what I’ve read of her so far, she nails the suspenseful action-packed plots, and delivers on the romance. I can’t ask for a better Christmas reading present than that!

* thank you to NetGalley and Janus Publishing for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Once again this author knocks it out of the park with another suspenseful read that I couldn’t put down and with amazing characters I couldn’t get enough of. Nate, a Raptor operative, ends up doing a favour for his brother and picks up an employee who has been fired from a contract with the military. Leah learns in a matter of minutes she has no money, no car, no home, no phone and no where to go when she is let go without warning....but she does have a ride with a handsome stranger and when an attempt on her lie is made....she couldn’t be in better hands as they try to solve who wants her gone.
An amazing read with steamy sensual scenes, suspense, and characters that draw you into their story. I have loved everyone of these authors books and this one is no exception. I love the no drama between the characters, getting through any hurdles like mature adults with no misunderstandings and honesty. The story flows beautifully and the suspense keeps you glued to the pages as does their blossoming relationship. Can’t wait for what this author has next up her sleeve.
*I voluntarily read an advanced copy and expressed my honest opinion*

This is my first book by this author and what an introduction! It is a longer nouvella than I’m used to but it is packed with action and drama. I loved that the main characters were older (40’s) and established. Leah is how I like my h’s. She is strong and sassy. Nate is a typical H – a protective, alpha. The chemistry between them is hot. I just not quite happy with the resolution of Nate’s promotion or the explanation of the bad guy’s agenda. Maybe because of the required shrinking to fit the nouvella size, these answers were too simplified for my comfort. But I’m definitely interested in more by this author!

I loved this novella, fast paced from the start such a great read. Well written, great pacing, action, romance, steamy and fun.

A wonderful quick read that made me want to go read other books in Rachel Grants work.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

Such a great short read with sassy Leah and Hawk. When Leah is shocked by the one phone call that rips her life to shred. She's been fired and by the way she can't go back to the company condo, use her, company car, or get her belongs from either until they have been totally searched. She is escorted off the base by the military police and has no idea where she's going or how she's going to get there. That's when she sees a driver with a sign that has her last name written on it and Hawk picks her up. He's taken a side job for his brother and is a driver for a couple of hours. He has no idea he is walking into a situation where his skills as a Raptor operator with be necessary to help Leah as it becomes extremely clear someone is trying to kill her.

As they navigate the next couple of days it becomes clearer that someone is trying to not just kill Leah but he friends and millions of Americans and using her as a scapegoat.

Read to find out how this couple goes from strangers to very attached and saves millions of Americans.

Leah is a computer coder and is working for the Navy. Her company is getting ready to release a new drone Leah developed. While working in the Navy yard, she is fired and left with no car, no money, and no house. The NSA has frozen everything until it can be searched. Nate is an employee for Raptor but his brother owns a car service and asks him to do a little favor. Pick up someone being fired at the Navy yard. He picks up Leah but someone is following them. When Leah is almost run down, Nate decides she needs protection. Nate’s buddy has a cabin and Nate and Leah head there to hide out. Can they find out who is trying to destroy Leah’s career and reputation?
Great story with action and sex. This is all happening a couple of days before Christmas. It may be short but it has a great story line.
* Voluntarily read and reviewed this for NetGalley *

Winter Hawk by Rachel Grant is a novella set in Ms. Grant's Evidence world. Being a novella the book was action packed from the first chapter.

Nate Sifuentes and Leah Ellis are the lead characters and are older than the traditional hero and heroine found in most romantic suspense. I really appreciated their more mature outlooks on life and their careers. There were sparks between Nate/Hawk and Leah from the beginning so this started off as "insta lust" but as they got to know each while trying to keep Leah alive and figure out what was going on it slowly developed into a love relationship. Twists to keep you guessing, drone programming that turns deadly, hot romance and a surprising reveal kept me turning the pages.

I have really loved Rachel Grant's Evidence series and when I saw this book I was so excited to read it.

This is the story of Raptor operative Nate Sifuentes and Leah Ellis. Nate has been asked by his brother to do a job on his first day of winter break. He has to drive fired military contractor home after she's been escorted off base.

Leah has lost everything she has no money, bed or phone all she has is a driver who might be after her military drone knowledge.

Nate's instincts kick in and he wants to protect Leah. She is being hunted and they need answers in order to stop a terror attack..

I really enjoyed this story it was a fast quick read for me. It was a great addition to the Evidence series and I can't wait to read the next.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley and here is my honest review. I planned on purchasing this book and would reccomend to friends and family.

Winter Hawk by Rachel Grant is part of the Raptor Security Agency series. It is an intriguing holiday romantic suspense story involving drones, revenge and just how far a psychopath would go. The one in the villains’ cross hairs is Leah Ellis, a brilliant computer code writer. Unexpectedly her hero is a Raptor operative, Nate Sifuentes. However, trust does not come as fast as the attraction between them does. The holidays are part of the background especially at big show down, but I would not call this a holiday story. Instead it is a suspense story that happens at the holidays. This works well.

With subplots and several personal agendas in play this is an intriguing read. Because of this the guilty party are not evident at the beginning so the reader discovers the answers along with the two main characters. Several other Raptor operatives come into the story, but the focus is on Nate and Leah. It was good to see the DC authorities as capable good guys in the story, so Nate is not a Rambo heading out on his own.

There is an instant lust that quickly turns to love factor between Nate and Leah with open door bedroom scenes as Nate and Leah get to know each other. I mention this because I did not remember Ms. Grant as being quite so explicit in the other books of hers that I had read.

An ARC of the book was given to me by the publisher through Net Galley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Winter Hawk is a romantic suspense novella in the Evidence series and a wild, thrilling Christmas/Hanukkah story to read during the holiday season. This is the first Rachel Grant story I've read but it certainly won't be the last. Her writing style is clear and concise, and manages to keep the reader on the edge of their seat while the action is happening. The romance between Nate and Leah was also very sweet, and while Nate may not have wanted to take on a new job on the first day of his vacation, he definitely wasn't complaining when he came into contact with Leah. From beginning to end, this story had me hooked and I'm so glad I got the opportunity to give this book a try.

Didn’t really connect with this book, maybe as it’s the first book I’ve read of Grants, but I constantly felt like I was missing something so it made it hard to enjoy the story

I think that it is probably a fairly universal truth that, while you can enjoy any book, any time, we all tend to feel most comfortable with books about people who are in our own age range. This novella (which is a pretty long novella) is about two people who are both in their 40s and are very serious about their careers and are NOT having a midlife crisis. I loved it.

Both Leah and Nate/Hawk are living their lives, focused on work, but both needing a better work/life balance. Leah is a truly badass programmer - at an almost genius level. But she is tough and career minded. I was so impressed with her overall character and strengths. She is a woman in a man's field who is conscientious, smart, and demanding - of her self and those around her. Nate is a longtime employee of Raptor - but has been held back because of his history with the company. He is good at his job, but was hired by someone who turned out to be a serious villain. When they meet - I can understand the insta-lust and quickly moving to love. I think this becomes a true case of, when you know, you know.

Nate and Leah are both adults and act like adults. Each has their own strengths (and weaknesses). They support each other and talk to each other. Even when Leah is trying to run - which is an understandable response in context - they still both act like adults. it was SO REFRESHING.

I have not read any of the other books in this series - and didn't feel left behind. I think you can 100% read this as a standalone.

I received this an an ARC from Netgalley, but these opinions are all my own!

If you liked my review and would like to read me more - check out more at http://thisbookthatlife.com

Nate Sifuentes is the marginalised Raptor operative sent to pick up fired employee and drone engineer Leah Ellis, in what looks like a simple assignment until it blows up in their faces. That in essence, is ‘Winter Hawk’ , a short holiday novella in Rachel Grant’s Evidence series that is classic romantic suspense—non-stop action, tension, a conspiracy to unravel, with hot boinks in the midst of escaping the bad guys while clearing one’s good name. Think Bond or Bourne, just more compressed, with breathier scenes.

What feels like secondary characters become the protagonists here—older, jaded, done anything and everything with a ton of sexual partners—though the suspense is in no way compromised just because both Nate Sifuentes/Leah Ellis hadn’t been at the forefront of Grant’s books.

But I thought the brevity of the novella however did the pairing little justice given the speed at which everything went down. There’s the meet and greet to the sex (with a near-stranger) that felt more like a one-nighter than a start to a meaningful relationship and then the resolution, all of which didn’t erase the instalove feel I got from this—more so because it felt adrenaline-fuelled rather than genuine chemistry, heartfelt connection and mutual dependence. At the end of it all, I didn’t get or like this pairing, nor could I properly get invested in them at all, seeing as much of this couple was literally ‘wham-bam-thank you ma’am/sir’ and then it was the happy ride into the sunset along with a few out-of-place TSTL moments at the start.

Oddly enough, I think I might have enjoyed this more without the romance as a result, since this felt like the only questionable element in the story that proved a little too distracting. So not quite a disappointment, but also not the stellar read that I’ve come to associated with Grant’s kind of calibre.

When Nate Sifuentes accepts a job from his brother’s car service to pick up and deliver a client to their destination, two hours tops, he should have known things would fall apart. He is a former Green Beret and should be able to handle anything, but that is before he meets Leah Ellis. Leah has just been fired from her job writing code for the government. Escorted from the building, her driver is Nate. When someone follows them and tries to kill Leah, Nate as well as his buddies at Raptor are all in. Non-stop action as Nate uses his skills to keep Leah safe, but when the timeline is pushed forward to save others as well, they know failure is not an option. A fun, sexy suspense story as Leah and Nate give in to the attraction between them while trying to stay alive. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

Mystery, action, romance and steaming sex in a quick and easy read. Well written with believable characters and dialogue, great plot and story.

Nate is slowly building up a real bitterness at being a Raptor Operative. Not because he hates the job, he's just fed up of being painted with the same brush as the despised Beck. It wasn't his fault his original boss was a horrid human being.

Taking over a driving job for his brothers business at the last minute, Nate realises it's a pretty sucky assignment too - some poor moob is getting canned right before the holidays. But when he sees the sexy Leah strutting towards him, head held high, he can't help but be turned on. But things quickly go pear-shaped when Leah seems to have become a target. Just what has Leah got involved in.

Leah is damn good at her job. She refuses to let a lesser coder take her job, just because she was better than she was and he's throwing the toys out of the pram. It's the first night of Hanukkah, the first Hanukkah without her mother and she has had her home, money, car and career taken away from her. She should be crying in a corner but she is coming out fighting. The plotter obviously doesn't know how tenacious she is!

With her new driver/bodyguard/hero in her corner Leah is determined to take on the saboteur.

Utterly fascinating, intensely passionate, fast and furiously paced but a really tight plotted story. Great to have some older leads for a change!