Hot Pursuit (A Hostile Operations Team Novel - Book 1)

It was good enough that I wanted to keep going but some parts needed some work. The main character reminds you about a hundred times that she's "just a chef" which gets old. Trying to rescue the little sister was dragged out too long and the sex scenes weren't that great. Probably wouldn't read another in this series.

This was one of the best books I've read in a long time! I live in Louisiana and could definitely relate to the scenes in the bayou! The story itself was awesome! Loved Evangeline and Matt's story! True love! Thanks for an awesome book!

I liked this book, there were some parts that I thought went on and on, but overall I enjoyed the book. I thought the ending could have been better I would have like to have know what happened to Evie and Matt.

I loved the pace of this book. It has romance, excitement, a military hero with a story and a strong willed lady. I have already gotten Hot Mess! I look forward to reading this series. I haven't read an entire book in less than five days in as long as I can remember.

I found the characters a little dithery --- either the hero and heroine kept shutting down the relationship just as the other one was warming up to being together --- but overall, a good read! Good action!

Loved this book from the beginning, the love,suspense,mystery and adventure. How others lives came into view and the importance of saving not just yourself but everyone else first really bought it home.

Action and romance... a little cliche, but isn't that the way all romance stories are? Girl falls for her childhood best friend who she had a falling out with in high school and later they find life brings them back home together

Absolutely love this story!!! The depth of the characters is riveting! All the danger and excitement and anticipation keeps you holding on the every scene! Matt and evie's story is simply amazing!! Story was very well written, you can actually picture every scene!

Fast paced joining of romance, childhood friendship and danger. A glimpse of special ops courage and insight into the mind set of saving lives at all cost. This was a great meshing of all elements worth reading!

Wanted to like this but couldn't. Hero was hot, heroine's stupidity was not. I think it was the plot also. SPOILER ALERT...

Sex with hot guy while your sister is missing, mom got hurt and dead body ? Seriously?! Really.

Absolutely love this story!!! The depth of the characters is riveting! All the danger and excitement and anticipation keeps you holding on the every scene! Matt and evie's story is simply amazing!! Story was very well written, you can actually picture every scene!

Fast paced joining of romance, childhood friendship and danger. A glimpse of special ops courage and insight into the mind set of saving lives at all cost. This was a great meshing of all elements worth reading!

Wanted to like this but couldn't. Hero was hot, heroine's stupidity was not. I think it was the plot also. SPOILER ALERT...

Sex with hot guy while your sister is missing, mom got hurt and dead body ? Seriously?! Really.

J: This could have been a really good story but it was slow and boring, too much talking. I had no connection with the main characters and their relationship seemed a bit too soon and illogical at times. The suspense wasn't very suspenseful and therefore disappointing. I am forcing myself to even finish the story. I hope the last few chapters will be worth it.

I took a chance on this book and I enjoyed reading it so much. Hate I got sleepy last night and had to finish it this am. Wonderful book! Fell asleep reading. I guarantee you won't be able to put it down. Now starting next one any that comes next!

The heroine has bad luck with men, her ex robbed her blind & her first love got her branded a slut & abandoned her to go off to become an elite forces leader. Now she's in for a rough week as her past & present get her dragged in life threatening situations, high speed chases, her family endangered all the while fighting her passion.

Hot Pursuit (A Hostile Operations Team Novel) Book 1
Written by Lynn Raye Harris
Narrated by Adien

He took her innocence, He broke her heart. He’s the only one who can save her life…

Ten years ago, Army Captain Matt Girard did something he shouldn’t. His best friend offered him her virginity- and he took it. Then he left town and he’s never looked back. Until Now.

Matt still makes Evie Baker’s heart pound, but she wants nothing to do with him- especially since he’s only home for a short visit. She’s had enough of men who lie and promise things they don’t deliver. But when her sister goes missing and her ex-boyfriend turns up dead, she’s in desperate need of Matt’s military black ops skills to save the day.

With time running out, Matt puts everything on the line-his career, his future, his heart. Even if it means sacrificing all he’s worked for, he won’t let Evie down this time. Because sometimes the reward is worth the price- especially when it’s the one woman he’s never been able to forget…

I really enjoyed this book. It was in no way what we were expecting as it didn’t have very much in way of “erotica” however it was a fun read and one that I couldn’t put down. This was your typical romance formula, however it was very enjoyable.

I enjoyed the characters, I feel that Ms. Harris is a great writer. Her characters are very well developed and her writing left me wanting more. I enjoyed the pace of the book, it flowed very well. I feel that the actions scenes were well written and paced along great. I literally couldn’t put the book down. I finished this book in one day and am ready to get the rest in this series.

I fell in love with these characters. I think that they were both such strong people and I loved the history that they had with each other (outside of the whole drunk virginity thing). Ms. Harris is able to develop characters very well and I truly enjoyed the banter that the characters had between each other.

The supporting characters were a hit as well. She did a great job in showing what “small towns” are like and I believe that she did a great job portraying them here. I really don’t have anything bad to say about this book. It paced well, characters well developed, and it left me wanting to read more. I would give this book 5 stars. I loved it!

Books in this Series:
(In Order)
Hot Pursuit (Matt and Evie)
Hot Mess (Sam and Georgie)
Hot Package (Billy and Olivia)
Dangerously Hot (Kev and Lucky)
Hot Shot (Jack and Gina)
Hot Rebel (Nick and Victoria)
Hot Ice (Garrett and Grace)
Hot and Bothered (Ryan and Emily)
Hot SEAL (Dane and Ivy)
Hot Protector (Chase and Sophie)

Lynn Raye Harris has many other series that if we go off this book they are probably worth checking out!

Wow! I absolutely LOVED this book! LRH is one fabulous writer! And what an imagination! Wow! The story that unfolds in this book is, in a word, riveting! I read the entire book in two days--well actually one, considering I didn't start reading it until Friday night, and finished it by Saturday afternoon. The hero, Matt "Richie Rich" Girard is the leader of his H.O.T. team, and he's pretty freaking hot to boot! LOL Anyhow, the Hostile Operations Team unit is a secret branch of the military whose members undertake deep covert operations. In the prologue we meet Matt and his team while they are out on a mission. Subsequently, the mission goes badly and Matt loses two of his team members, but not before the entire team is taken captive. Two months later, Matt is back in his hometown for his sister's wedding, while awaiting a hearing to determine his future with HOT. Matt is from a wealthy, privileged family; his family owns an oil company, and his father is a state senator...hence the team name "Richie Rich." LOL

Evie is back in town since going bankrupt and losing her restaurant, after all her money was embezzled by her accountant/lover. Nowadays Evie works as a shampoo girl in her mother's salon while sending out resumes in the hopes of getting a chef position--preferably somewhere far away from Rochambeau. Evie and Matt were childhood friends, ever since they met when Evie was six and Matt seven. Over the years the two hung out, until they hit their teen years when things started to change between them. Eventually the two drifted apart, but right before he left for West Point, Evie asked Matt to be her first, and he took her virginity. When Matt bragged about sleeping with Evie then departed for college, he left Evie's reputation in tatters, which made her senior year in High School pretty horrendous. I have to say that the more I heard about Matt as a teenager, the less I liked him...as a teenager that is. As a man I love him! Anyway, I wish Evie had called him to account for his bad behavior when they were teenagers. When she first lays eyes on Matt, for the first time in ten years, she thinks to herself that he had been "a self-centered, arrogant jerk with a giant sense of entitlement..." Yet when she does come face to face with him and he tries to apologize, she downplays his selfish behavior, even taking part of the blame onto herself! She tells him it was partially her fault because she shouldn't have asked him to be her first! I didn't like that. I wanted her to tell him he'd been a a$$hole. That's what she really thought, so that's what she should have told him. In any event, that was all in the past, and wasn't significant to the story.

The first time Evie and Matt come face to face, things are a bit awkward between them. Evie tries to keep Matt at a distance, but he's drawn to her and can't stay away. That first night, the two find themselves at the same party by the lake, which is where the action gets started. The book is chock full of excitement, what with shootings, a house bombing, high speed chases, a kidnapping, and organized crime. Wow! All the events take place over an intense 48 hour period, so as you might expect, the story moves at a really fast pace. Developing side by side with the organized crime aspect of the story is the relationship between Evie and Matt. Matt is determined to walk away from Evie after he helps her get her sister back and makes sure Evie is safe; he doesn't believe that his job is conducive to having a long-term relationship. There is also the fact that Matt's future is uncertain, as he has no idea what will happen when he attends the hearing regarding his career...there is the possibility that a court martial will be recommended, which could mean time spent in Leavenworth. And even if he is reinstated, Matt doesn't think it would be fair to ask Evie to live with all the uncertainty associated with his job every time he went out on a mission; not knowing where he was going, how long he'd be gone, and when or IF he'd be coming back.

My favorite part of the story is the end, where Matt finally claims Evie as his. I thought it was so romantic. I loved the fact that Matt came to the realization that no matter what, Evie was number one in his life. He realized it; he accepted it; he made it abundantly clear to Evie. Sigh! I read a few reviews where readers were annoyed by Evie's constant refusal to follow Matt's directions. Usually I too am annoyed by the idiotic female who is going to "save" the hero, even though she has no special training, not even in self-defense. However, in this book, for some reason, Evie's actions didn't bother me. Oh there was a time or two when I told her she really needed to stay put, but I could see her point. It was HER sister that was in trouble, and Matt was putting his life on the line to help her. I could understand why sometimes she'd go off half-cocked to make sure he was okay. When you're sitting around waiting, without any clue as to what is happening, five minutes can oftentimes seem like 50 or more. So even though there were times when I thought she was crazy, and maybe even a little annoying, I found her behavior realistic.

As much as I loved the story, though, there were a few times when I thought it tended to be a overly dramatic...one such example is the scene by the lake where the shooting takes place. Matt and Evie both thought it was just some crazy redneck that was probably drunk and shooting off his gun, yet Matt went into full blown covert operative mode. I had to laugh when he was smearing dirt over his face and arms--because he had no grease--and he was thinking that he should have rubbed dirt on Evie too. That was a mite crazy. I also couldn't understand why the house was blown up. That never made any sense to me...I figured it was just to add more drama to the story. It also got a little tiresome listening to Matt's inner dialogue about all the crazy things that were second nature to him because of his training as a Special Forces soldier. After a while I was like, "enough already! I get it! He's a well-trained military machine!" Sheesh

Nonetheless, aside from a few moments that seemed over the top--at least to me they did--and getting a little tired of hearing about how well trained Matt was, I really liked this book. I loved it, actually. As a matter of fact, I liked it so much, and I was so impressed with Ms. Harris' writing ability, that I immediately started book two, Hot Mess (A Hostile Operations Team Novella - Book 2). I read that book the same afternoon I finished this one, and then immediately started book three, Hot Package (A Hostile Operations Team Novella - Book 3), which I am currently reading. For someone like me, who never reads a series back to back, that's pretty amazing! I usually like to read other books in between the books in a series to mix things up a little and break up the potential for any "sameness." Well this series is so darn HOT that it's got me hooked! Speaking of hot, the love scenes are hot and graphic; furthermore there is some crude language in the story, for instance the f bomb is used quite a bit. Anyhow, that's my take on the story, it wasn't perfect, but I loved it, and I definitely recommend it as a worthwhile read. FYI, there are eight members on the HOT team, each of whom gets their own story. There are seven books in the series right now, and the eight book is due out some time this year. Hoo-ah!

After reading Consequences, this was honestly, like a breath of fresh air.

It was really interesting to see a woman, or a girl when it happened, go after the guy. You don’t really read about that in most books.

While it was intense, it was also funny and emotional. She took no crap from him, even if it was light-hearted, teasing crap.

There was also enough to keep it from getting boring, although with the chemistry from these two, I doubt it would have been even without the plot.

The plot was well thought out and shared space with the romance so instead of one taking over the other and putting it to the side, you get both at pretty much the same time with equal footing.

The chemistry between these two just jumped off the page to this reader, with the two trying to come to terms with their history, it was written so well that I could feel their connection.

A little bit repetitive but nothing I’m not used to.

I also really enjoyed the couples knowing each other when they were kids, it added to the connection I felt between them. Instead of the whole strangers meeting and that awkward phase, the readers have already got the familiarity.

A few twists, enough to keep you on the edge of your seat and a romance that they both fight against. A great little action packed romance that will leave your heart racing and making you want to reach through the book to smack someone if they don’t get their act together, a great read for adults looking for that sort of thing.

This was an amazing book. Matt and Evie are great characters, and I'm glad Matt redeems himself in this story after Reckless Heat.

I loved Evie, she is strong headed, stubborn and sassy. She loves to cook, and making recipes. She knows what heart break is, and hopes to never have it again.

I loved Matt, he is stubborn, protective and hard headed. He loves his career, but he will do anything to help those in need. Even if it could ruin him.

I loved this book, and highly recommend it.

Ten years ago Matt took her virginity and her heart and then made a fool of her before leaving town. Now he's back with a lengthy and mysterious military career under his belt and Evie's emotions are all over the place. She's still dealing with the emotional trauma of her ex boyfriend and partner who embezzled every dime from her restaurant, causing her to lose her business, leaving her broke and forcing her to move home where she is now a shampoo girl in her mother's salon. Matt's career and very freedom are on the line after 2 men on his team are killed in action under his supervision and he blames himself. He's home temporarily and told to lay low and stay out of trouble until his hearing. But he can't stay away from the girl he hasn't seen in 10 years and hasn't been able to get off his mind. Then trouble comes calling and no matter how hard he tries to obey his commanding officer he'll do what ever it takes to protect Evie, including pulling in his team. Suddenly this book takes off running and it doesn't slow down. Evie's little sister is kidnapped, her ex partner shows up in town demanding her help (as if) and Matt and Evie are trying to stay a step ahead of someone out to kill them and anyone else that gets in the way. Filled with action, drama and intrigue to the very end, I couldn't put it down.

Romantic suspense revolving around military heroes and heroines is one of my favorite genres, and I was so excited to learn about the new Hostile Operation Team series that Lynn Raye Harris has created and have the opportunity to review the first book, Hot Pursuit.

This first book introduces us to HOT, a new special ops force within the U.S. Army and centers on Captain Matt "Richie Rich" Girard's team. Matt is the hero of this book, and when the story opens, he is back in his hometown of Rochambeau, Louisiana, waiting for an upcoming hearing that will determine his future with HOT because of the team's last failed mission where two team members were killed. Matt is not in a good emotional place at this point. He's weary, worried, and I sense a deep loneliness within him.

When he walks into the local beauty salon for a haircut, I'm sure he doesn't expect to see the woman he hurt ten years ago. Evie Baker certainly doesn't want to face the handsome, wealthy, popular Matt in front of a bunch of gossips and especially now, when she thinks she's hit rock bottom. After losing her beloved restaurant because of scheming accountant and former lover, Evie has been forced to return home to try to start her life all over again while working in her mother's hair salon...the same one Matt enters.

Matt and Evie were close childhood friends, but then puberty hit, and Matt left her behind when he began to notice other girls. However, Evie developed a serious crush on Matt until he humiliated her and broke her heart after she gave him her most precious gift. To make the situation even worse, everyone in the town heard about the scandal. Matt leaves for college soon after, while Evie is left to deal with the swirling rumors and hurtful remarks.

In the opening scene, Evie is hiding out, hoping to avoid Matt, and just as she's about to slip out the back door, her mother instigates their awkward confrontation with the "Don't you remember my daughter?" line. I couldn't help but roll my eyes because that is just like something my mother would do to me. So, I connected with Evie right from the get-go.Whereas, I probably would have taken the easy way out--using the back door---Evie stands up straight, holds her head high, and approaches Matt in front of all those inquiring eyes. Go Evie!

Evie is an emotionally strong woman. I admire that even after losing everything, she isn't a "woe is me," victim. I also like that she doesn't totally blame Matt for the pain he caused. She acknowledges her part in the situation and, she is upfront with him about what really hurt her. When she realizes she needs Matt's help to find her missing sister, she puts the past aside without constantly harping on it. Moreover, Evie handles herself well in dangerous situations. One of the best scenes in the book is the intense car chase with Evie behind the wheel listening as Matt coaches her on how to outmaneuver their chasers. The scene is so vivid that I felt as if I were watching it take place. Overall, Evie isn't reckless, but she also doesn't hesitate to jump into the fray just in case Matt needs to be saved. I like her gumption!

Yes, I was disappointed in Matt for his thoughtless behavior, and, initially, I wasn't sure I was going to like him, but as his character developed and his painful past growing up in a dysfunctional family is revealed, I was able to empathize with him, even though what he did was absolutely wrong. Plus, he just melts my butter when he slips into using Cajun French to comfort and soothe Evie.

It's a challenge to smoothly incorporate a romance into an action-packed plot fraught with danger, but Harris does it well so that the romance is believable, and the intimate scenes between them are appropriate to the situation. I always struggle with plots where the couple temporarily forgets their lives are in danger, and even though the clock ticks away, they don't seem to have a problem getting into the mood for sex. Kudos to Harris for making it work.

I can feel the strong connection that still exists between Matt and Evie. The depth of their childhood friendship and their simmering sexual chemistry make it difficult for them to remain emotionally distant from each other. Over and over in the story, Matt shows Evie that he is no longer the self-absorbed, inconsiderate jerk she remembers, and she fears that being around the man Matt has become puts her heart in jeopardy of being broken again. However, both have issues to resolve before they can take their feelings for each other to the next level. Evie doesn't understand why Matt would choose to put his life in danger every day, and Matt doesn't feel he has anything to offer Evie since his future is so uncertain. For all he knows, he may end up being court-martialed for his recent actions.

Hot Pursuit has a well-written, unified storyline that brings readers full circle by its conclusion. The plot contains several surprises that I didn't foresee that raise the stakes and build to an exciting, suspenseful climax. Every scene contains a complication or conflict so there is never a lull in the action or drama, and I was eagerly turning the pages to see what would happen next.

To sum up, I am now a HOT fan and encourage all your romantic suspense readers to check out this hawt series!

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

In Hot Pursuit by Lynn Raye Harris, Evie is back in her home town trying to pull her life together. She lost her restaurant when her partner and lover managed to steal all of the money. Not only is Evie broke and jobless, she feels like it's the end of a dream. For now she is washing hair in her mother's salon while she looks for a job as a chef. It would be nice to have her own restaurant again, but she'll settle for just getting out of her home town again.

It was bad enough the ridicule and hurt she felt as a teenager after asking her friend Matt Girard to be her first lover, now there is this too. She was the poor little girl from the poor side of town...and after the humiliation she endured after Matt, she was only to eager to leave Rochambeau in the dust and make something of herself. Now she is back, living with her mother and younger sister again. The last person she wants to run into is Matt. Little does she know that within hours after seeing Matt again, he'll save her from a knife wielding attacker, and have Evie yearning to be touched by him again.

Matt is back briefly to Rochambeau for his sister's wedding and to wait out a hearing after his last operation as a top secret military group. He also feels he needs to find peace with Evie after the way he treated her years ago. He certainly doesn't expect to be saving her from the knife wielding attacker, finding a dead body on her porch, her mother injured, her sister missing, and finding out someone is after Evie for something she doesn't even know she has. It turns out Evie's ex has strong ties to organized crime...both he and they will stop at nothing to get what she doesn't even know she has back.

It's a race against time to help Evie and save her sister, and Matt uses whatever military ties he has to help, sanctioned or not. Evie will have to find courage and strength, and face some of her darkest fears if they are to survive. In the span of a few days, Matt and Evie are pulled together again like they've never been apart, only now they are grown ups who can't get enough of each other despite the lurking danger and knowing Matt will be leaving again soon. Matt's career is already threatened after the latest Op, but he will do anything to save Evie and her sister. Will that be enough for him, can he leave again without looking back? Evie knows she is losing her heart to Matt...will he have to choose between her and his career? Is it possible for them to both find the courage to take a chance with each other without the adrenaline rush of danger?

Hot Pursuit is a fast paced, action filled romantic suspense. Lynn will have you loving both Matt and Evie while at times wanting to shake them! Evie is honest, driven and independent...and she'll let Matt protect her and boss her around up to a point. But she has a big heart and can't stand the thought of anything happening to him either! Evie has not been comfortable in Rochambeau for a long time, but she's making the best of a bad situation. She's so busy focussing on finding a way back out of town though that she's missing a lot of what's there. Matt is one HOT military man!! He lives to protect and help people who need it. He has felt this way for years, since his Mother was sick and died. Since then he's never been close to his father and struggles to maintain a relationship with him. Now that he's back, even temporarily, he's determined to make amends with Evie...the girl who used to be his best friend. It might lead to more than that this time though!

Lynne takes us on a great adventure in Hot Pursuit. I had no problem getting immersed in this story. Her descriptions of the bayou will take you there and make you see it in your mind even if you've never been there. Although the entire book setting was only over a few days, it was fast paced, full of adventure - both the scary and the sexy kind! She really manages to pull you in and feel both Evie and Matt. Lynn infuses Hot Pursuit with bravery, the hope for a future, and peace with the past.

Highly recommend to anyone looking for a romantic suspense that will at times have you on the edge of your seat!

Her dreams in shreds, all hope lost and feeling pretty sorry for herself, Evie takes the only option she has and heads back to her home-town to work in her mother's salon until she can piece together again the pieces of her once near perfect life.

But she comes face to face with her past, I-want-you-naked-and-screaming-my-name Matt. She faces him head on all nerves of steal, but the hurt that Matt inflicted on her poor teenage heart is still there, simmering on the surface and ready to explode.

However her sexual attraction to Matt is far stronger than the hatred she knows she is meant to feel after everything his actions from the past did to her life.

Add in mad gunman, her sister being kidnapped, a series of bad-guys out to get her and Matt determined to protect her even if it costs him his job with the elite military team HOT and you have Evie on high alert and so not ready to expected the unexpected.

And when she finds herself pinned under delicious ripped muscle and being protected by the once hero to her heart she realises there is no where else she would rather be. But Matt is not planning on sticking around, he will leave yet again and she will be left to pick up the pieces of her heart again, only this time the pain will be far worse. Can she convince him that no matter what she will follow where he leads even if it means he never comes back to her?

The character of Evie was really neat, she has lost it all more than once, I totally loved that she comes back stronger every time. No matter the bomb that gets thrown her way she gets back and up and starts again. I adored that the author lets her evolve into a somewhat wonder woman with each situation coming her way, going from cooking in the kitchen to bring down a bad ass crook to his knees in one swift move is not a skill just any woman can learn in less than 24 hrs.

I particularly loved that she lets Evie lose her strength every now and then, it showed that the tough image she upholds can crack and crumble and that she is very much only human, a tough cookie but still just human.

The character of completely swoon worthy Matt was absolutely perfectly written. The author showed that he is a true hero out in and out of the field, always ready to face danger and take action. This to me made him more real, as we all know most reads contain a billionaire hero who does and says most things real men would never do, but Matt was very real with his actions towards Evie during their years of friendship, to the point of him breaking her heart and right up to the point where he shows what he is really made off. Brilliantly done Lynn!

I adored that the author showed him as still being in the war zone even whilst standing in a salon, proving he is a true soldier always alert and ready. Really loved that he was the target and Evie the incoming RPG ready to blow him out of his boots, and completely shatter his defences.

Matt was also the key character for me in this read as he is what ultimately brings it together, with his life blending in with the life of Evie so swiftly it is as if they never parted ways. He easily goes from apologetic to lets get naked in just a few pages, showing him as the definitely 'hero now forget about me tomorrow' type.

This might sound like he is a very un-likeable character and that you would rather hit him at the first given opportunity, but once the author gets into his mind she shows with vivid clarity what the work out the field can do to even the strongest of men, his actions and reasoning's become very clear and let me in to the mind of a damaged and tormented man, who simply needs the right push to let it all out.

The backdrop settings for the scenes were action packed, thrilling, exciting and totally awesome! From the deserts of Iraq to the gator infested waters, it all was incorporated with perfection. The dialogue was hot and oh so very, very sexy! Going from dangerous and sexy to revealing and shocking and back to thrilling and exciting with effortless ease.

I do need to mention that if you prefer your hero's more pure that you keep the following in mind when picking up this read.

Soldiers are in a completely different frame of mind at any given stage and they do tend to use swear words a lot to express their feeling, it comes with the adrenaline and that fact that they are in the zone at all times thinking only of the actions needed to get out and get out a alive, even if they are miles from the war their minds are still in it.

I advise that you keep in mind that this read is as close to real life as it gets and the characters, their words and actions are very realistic so the author adding in a large amount of swear words was necessary, to keep it real.

I am taking away a message of courage, risk and hope. You need to dare to believe that when you love someone and you let them go into the most dangerous of situations that they will always have you on their mind and this will make them strong and keep them fighting to make it back to your arms.

I highly recommend this read for fans of action romantic suspense military related reads, filled with enough action,suspense, mystery and romance it will leave you on the edge of your seat, and ready to go into any contact situation just to find a hero like Matt.

I am 100% certain this read will go to the top of the best sellers list. I have in my reading experience only found one other author able to offer up this kind of kick ass, action packed, keep me on the edge of my seat read, and I am very happy to announce that Lynn Raye Harris has definitely made the team to the elite world of romantic adventure suspense authors! Kick ass writing all around!

I very much look forward to the next instalment in this series, Lynn get writing I need the rest of the team and I need them NOW!

5/5 Star review
"Putting it all on the line in the name of love, is always worth the risk"

ARC Provided via Netgalley

Evie Baker is Chef who had her own restaurant, got betrayed by her partner and had to move home. Now she is her mothers shampoo girl in her salon while she waits for reply's to applications she had filled out. While at work one day who should walk in? None other the boy who broke her heart. Matt Girard, although Matt is not a little boy anymore. Evie tries to avoid Matt but things do not work that way and when Evie's sister comes up missing they have to work together to try and find her.

Matt is part of HOT. A special elite team. His teams last mission went very wrong and as the team leader it is on him. So while he is waiting to find out what they are going to do with him he goes home. While there he runs into Evie Baker. He has always regretted what he did to her. Now he has the chance to make it up to her. Then when a series of bad things start happening to Evie's family, including her sister coming up missing Matt can't just walk away. Even though he knows he will be risking his career if his boss was to find out he will do anything it takes to help Evie.

My opinion: I fell in love with Lynn Raye Harris's writing in the novella she wrote Hot Package in a Christmas box. I think it was one of the best stories out of the set so now reading this one I once again LOVED IT. I love these types of books and it seems that once I start reading one of this authors books I can't put it down. I definitely recommend reading this book. I look forward to reading more from this author and in this series.

' Read and Reviewed by LSK Sweetheart Reviews '

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Hot Pursuit by Lynn Raye Harris is a July 2013 release and is published by Victory publishing. I received a DRC of this book from the author/publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Evie and Matt were best friends as children. But, as teens, Evie and Matt 'hooked up' and things were never the same between them again. With her reputation is ruins, Evie leaves the small Louisiana town of Rochambeau to become a chef. She eventually runs her won restaurant until her partner's connection with the mob is discovered and all of Evie's assets were seized. Now with her tail between her legs, she returns home and begins work in her mother's beauty salon. Matt is a member of HOT or Hostile Operations Team. His last mission cost two of Matt's men their lives and now Matt blames himself and his military career may be over. Home for his sister's wedding, Matt needs a haircut and saunters into the salon. He isn't sure what Evie's response to him is going to be, but he's not surprised when she is less than friendly towards him. But, they run into each other again and this time guns are blazing. Matt's instincts kick in and he steps in to save Evie. Then Evie discovers her younger sister has not returned home after a date. When she goes to her mother's she finds her mother in terrible shape and her ex-partner is dead. There is no sign of her sister, Sarah. Matt and Evie have to figure out what the kidnappers want and get it to them to save Sarah. They just don't know what they are looking for. In the meantime, things heat up between Evie and Matt. Although they care about each other it looks as if the two of them may not be able to work out their issues. But, before they can even get to that point they will have their hands full trying to get Sarah back and stay alive. This is a fast paced romantic suspense novel. The characters are easy to relate to and feel a connection with. Matt has had an up and down childhood and his family is a little dysfunctional. His team is really his family and his job means everything to him. Evie is trying to put her life back together and start all over from square one. I think many people can relate to that predicament. We see both these characters learn what is important to them and they find out just what they are made of. There is lot of action and hot romance. Matt, in my opinion, is a nice mix of Alpha and Beta and Evie is a strong woman that never gives up. Lovers of romance, action, and mystery suspense will enjoy this novel. Well written with equal part romance and suspense. This one gets an A.

Er, excuse me a moment while I stare at that cover...

Evie has reluctantly returned home. Now she's biding her time until the she can stand on her own two feet again after a disastrous set of events that left her broke and untrusting of men. Then Matt walks into her mother's shop. Along with his sexy-as-hell body he brings to the surface an array of feelings she had thought forgotten.

Matt never forgot Evie, his best friend from a young age. He can deny his attraction to the beautiful woman in front of him. Now that he has found her again and with his determination to keep her safe from harm, he intends be with her for as long as he can. If only that could be forever.

This made for an interesting read. At first, I thought it would be the same old friends to lovers story, yet this one had that added element of mystery thrown into the mix, which made ir more enjoyable. Not only was the romance a great part of the story, but the mystery/suspense part of the story was riveting too.

I enjoyed how Evie and Matt re-connected. I understood why Evie was hesitant to be in Matt's company, but even more I loved seeing Matt struggle with his feelings for her and with his past in regards to Evie. It showed that he wasn't a total douche bag after all.

Lynn Raye Harris did an amazing job of drawing me into the story keeping the romance and suspense elements in the forefront of the story without them overwhelming each other. I wanted to get to the bottom of what was going on, see Evie and Matt resolve their issues and know how Matt's future would enfold.

Hot Pursuit is the first book in the Hostile Operations Team and a great start to the series. I can't wait to get know more about these guys and I'm certainly looking forward to reading Hot Mess, a novella due in September 30th.

I received this title through NetGalley in exchange of my honest opinion.

Hot Pursuit totally and completely swelters!! Lynn Raye Harris has created a wonderful world of Cajun loyalty, small town dysfunction and plain old fashioned steam!!

Evie Baker all but clawed her way out of her home town of Rochambeau.. but thanks to her creepy ex partner and his ties to the mob she has lost everything. What was left of her restaurant after he embezzled from her was taken by the courts because of his mob connections. Now she is back in Rochambeau as a shampoo girl for her mother no less. Her sister who is ten years younger can't stand her but has suddenly gone missing and Evie is at wit's end. Could it get any worse? Well of course it can.. sexy heart throb, rich boy and the former love of her teenage life is back in town. And since he couldn't wait to spill the beans about how they had sex back in the day, Evie really doesn't want anything to do with him. Too bad Matt Girard has a need to reconnect..

Matt Girard was the big fish in the little pond growing up. What no one realized is he really didn't want to be. He didn't want to be there, he didn't want to live his father's dreams and he most certainly didn't want to notice that his best friend, Evie Baker had grown up. And when he finally succumbed to her request for him to be her first.. he went and blabbed it all over town and then LEFT.. Leaving Evie to deal with the repercussions and gossip of small town life. But now they are back and he can make amends. It's obvious Evie needs him and he now has a black ops background, he knows he is the only one who can really help.

Ms Harris does a wonderful job reaching into our past, reminding us of that one love we just didn't handle right. The one where your mistakes hurt him/her.. The one where even if you are happy with your life now you truly regret. Evie and Matt had their past and it was more than a one night stand. Before they had that moment they had a shared childhood, he was the richest kid in town and she was from the opposite side of the tracks.. but she got him, even at 7 and 8.. That made his betrayal even worse.. you just don't betray your best friend that way.

Matt returns to Rochambeau for his sister's wedding and to wait and see if he still has a career in the army. After an OP gone bad no one is sure what is going to happen. When two members of your team die and the rest are captured of course the team leader needs to stand up and take responsibility. Of course the guilt has Matt questioning everything, even his skills. Now he is in town and Evie needs him desperately and Matt has to rely on all of his skills and resources to help her escape alive with her sister in tow.

This was a great suspense book! Kept me on my toes and made me wanna smack someone on a regular basis.. I loved it.. the gossip, the family ties, the old friendships, the desire to leave and the realization that coming home was way better than anyone could ever dream.. I can't wait until the next book in Ms Harris' Hostile Operations Team (HOT) Series.. I know this is going to be a series to pay attention to. After all.. Matt has an entire team that is gonna need some serious lovin.

Shauni

This review is based on the ARC of Hot Pursuit provided by netgalley

I reviewed this title at MustReadBooksOrDie with my good friend Shelley.

3.5 Stars rounded to 4

Shel: Evie and Matt have a long history together--they've been friends from childhood and then he crushed her heart and left town. Sure that was all back in high school and she's moved on...but something about those soul crushing high school loves are hard to get over.

Court: I'm going to be shameless and state for the record...I really was interested in this title when I read the blurb...but did anybody notice that cover!?! So did I..So did I!

Shel: Evie and Matt both find themselves back in their Louisiana small town and while Evie would love nothing more than to never run into Matt, that's just NOT going to happen. He actually seeks her out to apologize and then shows up at a party, knowing that she's there. Despite her best intentions and her repeated mantra that she wants nothing to do with Matt, Evie finds herself attracted to him. When all hell breaks loose at the party and Matt swoops in to save the day, their fate is sealed--they are most definitely going to hook up.

Court: I was really excited to discover that this story is dual POV. There is almost nothing better than being able to be in both of the MC's heads, and I fell in love with Matt really early. He is the hometown hero, but has a lot of guilt and trauma left over from his team's last mission. I really wish we could have delved a little bit more into that. After the party, the story is mostly non-stop action of trying to find Evie's sister, Sarah, with a few steamy + heartfelt moments in the mix. It was very enjoyable but my favorite moments were when Matt was vulnerable and opened up to Evie a bit!

Shel: As the drama unfolds--missing sister, douchebag ex-business partner, small town cops and gossip--Matt and Evie find themselves on a mission to save the day, each other, and maybe regain a relationship that was once lost. They keep pushing and pulling each other away and toward each other...the timing isn't right, they cannot possibly sustain a relationship, but boy oh boy do they want to! Just when you think they're going to throw it all away, one of them kisses the other...and just when you think they're finally going to get together one of them pushes away. GAH! Will these two find their happily ever after? Hmmmm.

Court: I definitely did not know right up until the end which way things were going! Way to make us sweat, Lynn Raye Harris!! The reality of the situation was hard for them. They had so much history, but neither wanted to make the other feel like they were giving up their entire life to be together. While somewhat noble, it was infuriating for me, who for once wanted roses and sunshine and happiness! Crazy Right!?

Shel: This was a high paced, action packed romance. It was fun to read a novel set in Louisiana since that's where I live; and while I don't live in Cajun country and speak with a thick accent, I do appreciate the way the beauty and mosquitoes (ugh) my home state were characterized.

Court: Hot Pursuit for me was very enjoyable. It was a solid plot, and was very well written and as is very important to us readers as well...edited! Ditto, on the action packed craziness that they found themselves dealing with the entire time...Like I said, I wish there had been a few more moments of vulnerability and emotion...but with this story taking place only over about 3 days, that might have been difficult to achieve!

Shel: It looks like Lynn Raye Harris will be adding more to this series and it'll be interesting to see where she takes it next.

Shelley: 3 1/2 Stars
Courtney: Also 3 1/2 Stars

The last person Evie wants to see walks back into her life, just as it is all falling apart.

She has lost her restaurant, home, money, lover, and self respect. She she is back home in the small Louisiana town with her family licking her wounds. Little does she know that her former best friend and crush, Matt is not the only person suddenly about to give her attention....and attention is not always a good thing.

She and Matt have a long history. They were best friends as kids, it turned into a crush, and then heart break. Ten years later, sparks still fly as soon as they are together. But unfortunately before they can really pursue them, bullets start flying too.

Evie's past is coming after her and it is up to Matt to keep her and her family safe. He is a great friend to have. He is a member of H.O.T. (Hostile Operations Team), a black ops Military group, but is home on leave and is supposed to stay out of trouble. He already is in a big mess due to an op gone bad and is waiting for the fall out. But he is not going to let Evie down again. He is a hot alpha with a sexy Cajun accent.

(Quote)He was definitely not the same boy he'd been ten years ago. She'd had a crush on that boy --that popular, gorgeous, unattainable boy.
But the man before her now was terrifying in ways that boy hadn't been. The man was empathetic, authentic--and far more appealing than the boy had ever been....And far more dangerous.

(Quote)She reminded him of who he was. Of the parts of himself he liked.

Evie has been beat down by recent circumstances and situations in the past, but she is still independent, feisty, and full of spunk. She has serious trust issues and she does not take orders well at all. But she will do whatever she has to do for her family and friends. So she picks herself up and plows head first into this wild adventure.

"I won't let anything happen to you, Evie. You're safe with me."

Together they sizzle, but they both know they could really have no future. But their chemistry cannot be denied. They find themselves on the run, dodging bullets, in car chases, going after bad guys, planning rescues, and trying to keep each other alive. It s non stop action and they have to rely on each other, learn to trust each other again, and hand on for the ride. There is suspense, danger, sexual tension, and people working against them from multiple sides.

"I'm pretty sure I'm not the kind of guy who can make you happy, Evie. I want to be, but I don't know that I can."

The H.O.T. team has his back: Kev, Billy, and Jack will risk what they have to for their team member. But that brings up a whole other threat.

It was fast paced, sexy, funny and sweet. I loved Evie and Matt together. They had so much to go through, such a history, and a great connection. And they had so much against them that it was hard to see anyway for it all to work out.

Can they make it of this mess alive and if they do can they find some way to merge their very different lives?

I look forward to more novels in this series. I already like his team members and their stories intrigue me. Lynn Raye Harris is a popular Harlequin author and this is her first self published romantic suspense book. I found it to be an easy read with likable characters, intrigue, and action that kept my interest. And can we just take a moment and admire the cover?

Thanks to Lynn Raye Harris, Victory Editing, and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Let us just take a moment to admire that gorgeous cover! Hot Pursuit was a thrilling read that thrust a down-on-her-luck chef and her childhood crush turned highly trained SF warrior into an action-packed adventure of life and death set in the Louisiana bayou.

I love stories with tough heroines, and I do feel that Evie fit right into that category. She appeared to be emotionally fragile at the very beginning of the story when we got some insight into her past with Matt when they were teenagers, and then the disaster of her relationship with her business partner and on again off again lover, David West. As the story progressed, she gradually became bolder and seemed less like the "loser" she claimed to be. I enjoyed the arc her character went through, especially when I found myself questioning some of the things she'd been thinking or doing and then she would question her outlook on those very issues. I prefer to be shown rather than told that changes were taking place, and the author delivered that for me.

Matt was a wonderful hero in this story, even if he was portrayed as a jerk in the beginning. In his defense, Evie's only memory of him was when he was a teenager with issues, and people change. He wasn't a flawed character per se. He was always as honest with Evie as he was able to be. What I loved about his character was his commitment to his team and his job, as well as his selflessness to help Evie even if it meant putting his career on the line and facing possible military jail time.

I enjoyed the action and the evade and counter tactics in this story. It gave me a very good picture of Matt's skills and gave Evie the opportunity to either step up or cower. There were multiple POVs in this story, six in all. I could have done without the villains' POVs though, to be honest. I didn't feel that their thoughts and conversations had any significant impact on the story except that they seemed like small fish or bumbling criminals. What did distract me during this story were the repetitive mentions of the repercussions Evie had to face in the wake of giving her virginity to Matt back in the day as well as the mention of the boat incident that led Evie to fear the bayou, or water and boats in general. Aside from that, grab this book if you love romantic suspense with tough heroes and females who grow to be their equals in every way.

I can't imagine whose story will be next, but whoever it is, I have to read it!

Favorite Lines:

His fingers slid into her hair. "If we didn't need to keep looking, I'd like to rock your world right about now."

"And I'd like to let you."

~*~

"Stay on my six," he said, nuzzling the hair at her ear and breathing deeply the sweet scent of her.

You remember what that is, right?"

"It's your ass."

~*~

Disclaimer: I received an ARC review copy from the author via NetGalley for the purpose of an honest review.

Oh dear lord, first of all look at that cover :O I mean drooling!

And then we start off with Matt and I literally purred like a kitty cat :P That man is HOT!!!

What do I love besides an actual story with a plot, some dramatic scenes, action and a swoon worth alpha male? The fact that I know many more are coming :D

Now that I'm a little calmer, yes because a team of super hot guys does that to me, let's go to Evie and Matt :P

That was AWESOME! :D

I couldn't be happier with this book, it had all of the elements I really enjoy when reading, and this author! Damn, the lady makes you tingle and desperate ;D And now let me explain why!

So you start reading about, what I thought was a slightly lost, but amazing women who's just fighting to get on her feet again. Then we're introduced to the story revolving around her and Matt. And the only thing I was saying was: Oh dear god kiss him or I'll crawl inside the book and do it myself!

After some dramatic events, she does :D and you go yeah for you girl!

And then that hot piece of man, just starts picking up the HOTNESS, and after a few fanning self moments, I started feeling my skin getting hot and tingly, so I start with the: come on do something, lick him, kiss him, work those ABS of him ( Yeah the sexual tension was making me crazy! ).

I was seriously hot, wanting more and more of Matt, so what does he do?

He becomes even hotter, doing some crazy ass moves, and caring so much about Evie, I was seriously jealous at some point ( who I'm I kidding I was jealous since the start! ).

My point is:

Dear Lady Harris, you are the master of creating sexual tension moments and action packed scenes, you make me crawl into a corner and wish Matt would come rescue me, so I could lick those ABS ( and yeah I admit it some other parts of his delicious body )!

This is totally your fault, I mean my desire to have these two back, even as secondary characters so I can keep having those delicious dreams with Matt ( coff coff ), I mean so I can see how their lives are going :P

My conclusion guys!

You want not only some delicious sexual packed tensed moments, but also a little bit of action that makes you swoon even more for the guy and have an unhealthy desire to get into trouble so he can come and kiss you, I mean help you?!

Read the damn book!

I've read many of Lynn Raye Harris's books before and loved many of them. This story about Captain Matthew Girard a member of the elite Rangers and Evie Baker was another great book by her.
Back home in their home town of Rochambeau is where Matt and Evie come face to face again since that disastrous night ten years before. Matt and Evie had been childhood friends, but as they grew older things changed between them. Evie started to have feelings for Matt that had morphed from friendship to something much more. But Matt still saw Evie as his best friend, in fact he treated her more like a sister. Matts betrayal ten years ago still affected Evie deeply. Until recently she had owned her own restaurant, then her partner David West had run off with the payroll leaving Evie with no other option but to close it down. Back home, working as a shampoo girl in her mothers salon, she's determined to sort out her life and get back on track. She knows Matt is back in town as well on leave and under investigation, avoiding him is going to be difficult. But when her ex-partner David West turns up dead on her mother's front porch, and her sister Sarah is missing. The only one who's willing to help her is Matt.

Loved this story, it ticked all the right boxes for me. With bags of sexual tension and chemistry between Matt and Evie. There is plenty of drama and action as well. I loved Matt he was a really sweet guy, he bitterly regretted his actions ten years ago and desperately wants Evie to forgive him. Evie finds it difficult to resist Matt he still evokes the same feelings in her, in fact they have become stronger.
Fast paced, exciting and hot this is a recommended read.
ARC courtesy of Lynn Raye Harris and NetGalley.

I enjoyed my Matt and Evie's story. It wasn't an easy tale of boy meets girl, they have crazy sex in crazy places, they run off into the sunset. These two knew each other in high school, and Matt broke Evie's heart.

Fast forward ten years, now Matt is a member of the top secret military HOT team, and Evie's sister is missing. Their romance is a major portion of the book, but they actually have to deal with their past.

I love when authors let you see the characters grapple with their feeling, and that's what Harris does so well.

I am not a huge romantic suspense fan, however, I am a Lynn Raye Harris fan. So after reading the synopsis of Hot Pursuit on NetGalley, I just had to read it. This is the first book in the new Hot Operations Team series and it is really good. It is a hot, suspenseful romance with lots of angst and well developed characters.

I was immediately drawn to the heroine, Evie Baker. She is a culinary school graduate and chef, down on her luck, after losing her restaurant to a shyster of a manager. Since Evie has no money or assets any longer, she is forced to move back to her hometown in Rochambeau, Louisiana. She now lives with her mother and distant sister Sarah, while earning money as a shampooer in her mother's hair salon. Evie is actively seeking employment in her field, but to no avail.

The hero of the story is Matt Girard. Matt is a special ops officer in the army. He is on leave to attend his sister's hometown wedding. Matt's future in the armed forces has become questionable, due to a prior mission going bad and subsequent pending investigation.

Evie and Matt grew up together, in fact, they were best friends. They shared many things together, including Evie's first time. Seeing each other after ten years invokes unresolved feelings and memories.

If you enjoy a well written, suspenseful romance, this book is for you.

Evie Baker feels like the world is against her when she looses her restaurant and comes back home to lick her wounds. She goes from being a chef to a shampoo girl at her mother's salon. The problem is the world isn't done with her, it proves that when Matt Girard walks back into her life.

Matt is home for his sister's wedding and is trying to keep his life low key, since he is facing a court martial from a mission gone wrong. The problem is Matt still has feelings for Evie. When her sister ends up missing and they find Evie's ex partner dead on her porch, Matt realizes that he can't walk away from Evie again....court martial or not.

This was was a great book. I cannot wait to read more books in the Hostile Operations Team series. Ms. Harris has another hit on her hands. The action in this book has you on the edge of your seat from the beginning to the end of the book. It also has the right amount of spice so that the book flows. You will not regret reading this book.