||| GUARDED SECRETS SERIES by Sara Schoen |||
Publisher: Limitless Publishing
Genre: Thriller | Suspense
Suicide Mission - Book 1
Covert Operations - Book 2
Left for Dead - Book 3 ~ NEW RELEASE!
Below each book's description you will find my reviews. What a great series! Each installment got better and better! If you love action-packed suspenseful novels, then you need to grab your copies of all 3 novels. There is a bit of romance between 2 characters, but I wouldn't categorize the books under romance genre - if that makes sense. That said, I still very much enjoyed every book in the series and can't wait for book 4! Scroll down to read my individual reviews. :)
SUICIDE MISSION - BOOK ONE
- SYNOPSIS -
Sara Night lost her family three years ago in a car crash…
She tried to continue living a normal life, going to school, spending time with friends, and even trying to be a part of the family that took her in. She had almost gotten the hang of it, and moved past the suicide attempt.
Almost.
Then she was torn away from her new family, her old life, and thrown into a world of guns, knifes, criminals, and where every mistake could get her killed. She was needed for what seems like an easy in-then-out mission.
That was until she got caught.
Sara then had to form an uneasy alliance with a cartel member to escape, which reveals her family’s car crash wasn’t an accident after all.
Is her new life worth more to her than revenge?
Or will she die trying to figure out why her family was targeted?
- PURCHASE -
- REVIEW: 4 STARS -
First of all, I want to begin by saying that I absolutely LOVED the dedication in this book. Truly beautiful and inspiring!
Suicide Mission was my very first novel by Sara Schoen and I must say I was intrigued! Right as the book started, I knew that there was going to be a lot of action coming my way as I turned the pages. Sure enough, I was right.
Sara had been - unknowingly - training to become a thief. Now, all fake, of course. You see, she'd be a part of a secret government group working undercover. Her position had been occupied by people that had either left or died while on the job, so those training her were a bit hesitant towards bringing her on this soon. Especially since she didn't even know she had been training to become a thief.
Once she's on board, the last thing anyone expected was for Sara to get caught on her very first mission. The things she has to do in order to survive lead her to discover things she thought she knew...like the truth behind her family's death. This, in turns, leads Sara to need more answers. She needs to know why her family had been targeted like that, and worse, killed.
Being undercover in the actual Cartel was even harder than anyone imagined. Hearing about the plans to kill other families didn't sit well with Sara.
A lot of twists and turns, ups and downs throughout this action-packed novel. While this is not my typical kind of book, it sure kept me hooked. FOUR STARS. Check out Suicide Mission by Sara Schoen!
COVERT OPERATIONS - BOOK TWO
- SYNOPSIS -
CIRA agent Jackson Reeves won’t be denied his revenge…
He’s hunted down and killed the men responsible for his family’s fatal “accident”—all except the mastermind, Ash Crest. The problem is someone beat him to it, and Jackson won’t rest until he finds out who, and why. His search is complicated, because he’s several years into an undercover operation to take down the Cardoza Cartel and can’t risk blowing his cover.
Jackson’s sister Danielle is in danger from the very organization he has to pretend to support…
Camden Cardoza intends to take over the Cartel from his father, but to do so he needs a wife, and he has his sights on Danielle. Jackson knows he has to bring down the Cardozas before they claim his sister.
CIRA sends in more agents, including the beautiful and mysterious Night Stripe, whose task is to befriend Danielle and infiltrate the Cartel. Jackson struggles to find a way to communicate without giving both of them away…and falls for her in the process.
Jackson and Night Stripe walk the thin line between their mutual attraction, conflicting missions, and the danger of discovery, as Jackson’s objectives threaten to overwhelm him, putting those he loves in danger.
Can Jackson defeat the Cartel, save his sister, find Ash Crest’s killer, and complete his revenge—without losing his heart, mind, or life in the process?
- PURCHASE -
PAPERBACK: http://amzn.to/1Svk8qr
- REVIEW: 5 STARS -
Yet again, I have to point out the amazing dedication this author has included in this second installment to the Guarded Secrets Series. Sara's words are not only very inspiring but eye-opening too. Great job! Loved it!
Having read book 1, I knew a bit about Jackson and Danielle's story. We got a glimpse of the fact that their parents died and that their survival was a problem for the Cartel.
Being a part of CIRA - Combat Intelligence and Reconnaissance Agency - meant Jackson had to cut ALL ties with his sister. Danielle couldn't even know Jackson was alive. It was that extreme.
Jackson was now working with the Cartel undercover. His years of training became more than handy, seeing as he was asked to do things to prove his loyalty/worth. Acting as Marco meant he had to kill if asked to, otherwise his cover would be blown and it would be his life at stake.
One thing I love about this series is how the characters intertwine. Once again, Sara Schoen delivered a page-turner full of surprises that kept my interest intact. Such a happy ending! The seeker of HEA's in me truly enjoyed seeing Jackson and Sara not only together, but re-united with their families again!
LEFT FOR DEAD - BOOK THREE
- SYNOPSIS -
Katya Petrov is supposed to be dead…
When Ash Crest can’t finish the job, Katya is targeted by her own father, Volodya Petrov. He decides to take matters into his own hands by killing Katya himself.
He never expected Night Stripe to interfere.
When Night Stripe killed Ash and shredded the files from his office, she hoped his hit list would die with him and the survivors would be able to live without fear.
She was wrong.
Renegade had been undercover with the Russian mafia. It was a dark, dangerous, and deadly mission, especially for those unfortunate enough to be in his way. Disbanding the Cardoza mafia took time. But now, with Renegade’s cover blown and other CIRA agents under protection, it’s only a matter of time before Night Stripe is exposed.
Leaving one man alive was his only mistake.
The goal is to remove Volodya from power and save Katya, but Night Stripe didn’t plan on going back to save her teammate—and being captured in the process.
She’s alone, trapped, and fighting to survive. Can Night Stripe save herself, protect Katya, and finish the mission she started so many years ago? Or will she be left for dead?
- PURCHASE -
PAPERBACK: http://amzn.to/1JWWX5G
- REVIEW: 5 STARS -
Now, every time I start a book by Sara Schoen I find myself swiping the pages quickly, anticipating the part of her dedication. Paulo Coelho made it this time around - love him. I swear this girl writes THE BEST dedications ever. Mind you, I almost always skip them, but not Sara Schoen's - that's for sure.
That prologue had me anxious. Oh, my! What a way to start off a book! The anticipation of what was going to happen had me holding my breath as I read. Katya's father was the leader of a Russian mafia and he did not take it well when people, his wife and daughter included, went against his will. If anyone dared to challenge his power, he'd end them...swiftly, without giving it a second thought.
In this third installment of the Guarded Secrets Series, our group of characters are back! This time, after rescuing Katya, they have to go back to get Natasha out of danger. But that would prove to be easier said than done. The mission is quite dangerous and full of page-turning events.
Having to go back and rescue Demon once Natasha is safe with Katya, and then in turn, getting herself caught, changed the entire game plan for Night Stripe and the rest of the team. Cue the little - not so little - surprise right after. I did not see that one coming!
Night Stripe and Renegade had a lot to sort out between them. Clearly they loved each other but their job made it nearly impossible for things to be even considered not-complicated. Lies being kept made things even worse, too.
To me, this is a series where the books get better and better with each installment. Can't wait to see where this series goes with the upcoming release of book 4! Eek! I'm sure we'll be seeing Spit Fire have a bigger role in that book. FIVE STARS!
||| ABOUT THE AUTHOR |||
Sara Schoen began writing in middle school, but did not officially dedicate herself to writing until high school when encouraged by her writing partner. Before then, Sara had not thought about trying to publish her works because it seemed unlikely that anyone would take a chance on someone so young. Despite her previous thoughts, she published her first book, Amber Alert, at the age of nineteen, and began rewriting and editing a spy series that she spent years writing when she was younger. With a lot of hard work and determination, now that same series, which is close to her heart, is a bestseller.
Sara is a Biology Major with a minor in Environmental Science and a minor in Spanish at James Madison University, and spends her time writing, studying, and ghost hunting. While writing is a great hobby that turned into a passion to share with others, school is her priority.
Throughout her publishing journey, Sara has had an amazing support system from her family, friends, and significant other, who were with her every step of the way. She hopes to continue to write, and wants to inspire others to reach for their dreams no matter how far they may seem. She truly believes that dreams can come true at any age, if you put in effort and chase after what you want.
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