Sandy M’s review of by Enemy Lover (L.O.S.T. Series, Book 1) by Karin Harlow
Paranormal Romance published by Pocket Star 25 May 10

Well, I have another series I’m now hooked on and have to stay up to date with! But this one is worth it. Karin Harlow has started her debut series with a huge explosion with Enemy Lover. Betrayal, espionage, action, suspense, hot and smokin’ sex — and then she tosses vampires into the mix. This is one awesome read.

Being a cop is in her blood, she’s followed in the family footsteps of fighting for justice. But when she’s betrayed by those she works with, left to twist in the wind to save their sorry selves, and before she can even catch her breath or begin her jail time, she’s intercepted by a covert operation that exacts justice its own way. The Last Option Special Team, L.O.S.T., takes her under their wing, gives her a new identity as Jax Cassidy, and suddenly her entire life is starting over.

Jax’s first mission is to get as close to Marcus Cross – an assassin much too good at his job – as possible to find out what he knows concerning his mentor, Joseph Lazarus, and then eliminate Cross while also taking down Lazarus and his aspirations for the White House. Marcus is loyal to his boss. The man gave him a second chance at life after his platoon turned their back on him, left him to die in Afghanistan. He’s now a vampire and Lazarus’ soldier of death, taking care of threats against the country, all calculated to further Lazarus’ plan, unbeknownst to Marcus.

It’s not until he and Jax become more involved both personally and professionally that they both begin to see things differently on their side of the coin. Each has a strict code to finish the job, do it right, don’t get involved. It’s Marcus who comes up against a brick wall and has to make some difficult decisions.

I thoroughly enjoyed these two characters. Strong, lethal, loyal, and they sizzle like mad when together. Intense, explosive, and sexy love scenes, full of emotion, each different than the last, turn up the heat at the right moments, then lead right back into the action. They face their demons with honor and dignity, and there are demons to be faced.

Lazarus is one of those maniacs who always get what’s coming to them and you can’t wait to see his demise, hope it’s horrific and painful and he suffers a lot. There are some other terrific secondary characters who would be great heroes of their own books. I don’t know who’s up next in the series, but whoever it is, awesomeness will abound once again.

Grade: A+

Summary:

It’s Jax Cassidy’s first mission for L.O.S.T.—one that will give the former cop who went rogue a chance to prove herself. Her assignment: gain the trust of assassin Marcus Cross . . . eliminate him . . . then take down Marcus’s mentor, Joseph Lazarus, a man with a bold eye on the White House. But the woman who’s known by her team for being a femme fatale succumbs to passion, only to discover Cross’s deadly secret. He’s a vampire, and Joseph Lazarus is his creator.

Left for dead by his platoon in the violent hills of Afghanistan, special ops sniper Marcus Cross was given a second chance at life. His newly heightened skills make him the perfect killing machine, and as Lazarus’s right hand man, he’s quickly rising to the top of his dark empire, purging enemies with speed and precision. Only when dangerous beauty Jax Cassidy is sent to bring him in does he begin to question Lazarus’s motives and his own actions. But when Jax’s life is threatened by the one thing that can destroy them both, Marcus must make a bitter choice—her death or his.

Read an excerpt.