Bulletproof & Double Vision Unknown Identities Book 1 & Book 2
Romantic Suspense
Getaway Reads, LLC
November 10, 2013 & October 8, 2013
285 & 93
Dual Review
Bullet Proof & Double Vision – Book 1 & a Novella
from Romantic Suspense series Unknown Identities – by Regan Black
Reviewers: She Said – Gloria Lakritz / She Said – Penelope Adams
Bullet Proof
A soldier is nothing without his honor.
To avoid a dishonorable end to his decorated military career, John Noble made a deal with the devil. He gave up his name, endured harrowing training, and accepted every mission thrown at him for one purpose: redemption.
When he accepts his latest orders, providing personal security for a reporter in trouble, he bargains hard to guarantee it will be his last job for the shadow agency he knows only Unknown Identities (UI).
An ambitious reporter, Amelia Bennett, is about to break the story of her career, if she lives long enough to tell it. Caving to her boss’s demand, she hires a bodyguard and soon it is obvious John Noble is the only obstacle standing between her and certain death.
Just when John believes he has found someone he can trust and love, who loves him unconditionally for who and what he has become, his orders are amended: Amelia Bennett is to be terminated.
3rd Place Winner for Best Urban Fantasy Novel
2013 PRG Reviewer’s Choice awards!
Gloria Lakritz – She Said:
Regan Black you have out done yourself!!! I have been on automatic pre-order for your stories since early 2010. YourJustice series world is unparalleled. Slick Mickey is still my hero. I found your switch into a little lighter read of the Matchmakerwith tons of paranormal fun wonderfully appealing; but this newest has put you into another league of its own. You are truly honing your skills, getting stronger and stronger and I am so glad to have gotten this copy early so I could sit back and savior this book.
Bulletproof is the start of a hard hitting new series, clearly for a hard core paranormal addict like myself that has quick paced strong story line. The story blurb says :
A soldier is nothing without his honor.
This is a story of John Noble… John Noble is his new name and identity today for ‘the job’. John is trying ‘to get out’ to possibly try to have a real life as we watch him make a deal with the man called ‘the Messenger’ who he doesn’t trust for a moment.
This is a story of enhancement testing of chosen men who become elite soldiers , who are used to do all the dirty work and bleed for their country. Can a man like him believe in a home and a white picket fence.? …Never till maybe now!!! John’s job if he accepts it is to keep a newspaper reporter alive and be her bodyguard. Amelia Bennett, is about to break the biggest story of her career and her life will be in danger.
Amelia is a woman’s woman living in a man’s world. She is beautiful and smart and sees this story going national. She is taking on a government official that has his hands in the underworld. Her boss and owner of the newspaper The Torch, is a friend. He has ordered her to hire someone to protect herself. His fear when this story breaks is only about her safety…In this new series Regan Black shows the reader a tougher side, these new characters have flaws, and a need to make their mark. The scenery takes place on the east coast in Boston and we get a rich flavor of the secluded coastline. I warn you when you start page one you will not put it down until you see THE END.
Regan, you have taken your story and writing to another whole level. You words and descriptions are crisp and flowing. The story was exciting, fast paced and the love scenes were sexy and loving and not gratuitous. As I was reading this story, I thought I was reading another whole new author… Your voice in this story was perfect!!!
From what I read, there is another book coming out called Double Vision for this series, and I can only hope it is soon… Thank you Regan for the ARC book release!
Review by Gloria Lakritz
Sr Reviewer and Review Chair for the Paranormal Romance Guild
Penelope Adams – She Said:
Regan Black is an author of many talents, first she gave us the urban fantasy series Shadows of Justice set in the future, then she gave us contemporary romantic fantasy with the Matchmaker series, now she flexes her muscles and brings us the first book in her romantic suspense seriesUnknown Identities.
John Noble is a man with no identity who sold his soul to a shadow group doing jobs no one else would touch, for the chance of redemption. Four years after his last job, he thinks he is out of the game. But is anyone really out of the game? John gets a visit from the “messenger” telling him he needs to do one more job to be free; he is to be a bodyguard for a reporter. If he successfully completes this job and the reporter lives, he will finally have bought his redemption and be free to live his life.
Amelia Bennett works as a reporter for a small Boston publication, she is known as a straight shooter, no topic that is off limits to her. Her present story is getting too close for comfort and someone is out to silence her, permanently. Amelia is not going to be scared off by a few threats and a trashed apartment, but when her boss is adamant she either take a bodyguard or she is off the story, she agrees.
Thrown together against both their wills, John fights to keep Amelia alive and Amelia fights to get her story told, and if she gets the story on the silent and dangerous John Noble, it will be a bonus.
Regan Black knows how to tell a story; in her Shadows of Justice series she gives us a tale of shadows, enhanced soldiers and special powers. In herMatchmaker series she gives us the world of things that go bump in the night. In this new series, she shows us her dark, gritty, dangerous, sexy side. Her characters are rich and full of shadows and light, she takes us from rainy Boston to a quaint historic secluded home on the coast, all the while weaving a story rich with danger and seduction.
John Noble is a flawed man; he has scars not only on his body but on his soul. He straddles the line between good and bad and there are times when he is not sure which side he will fall on. He is tired of the game, weary of not having an identity and his secrets are many. Amelia Bennett is his opposite, she knows what is good and will fight for it, she is determined and stubborn and doesn’t know the meaning of backing down.
Ms. Black has given us a story full of suspense, action, betrayal, heat and just a tiny bit of humor. Having read all the Justice and Matchmaker series, I feel confident in saying in this story she may have just penned her best work yet.
Review by Penelope Adams
Paranormal Romance Guild Review Team
Double Vision
A disavowed spy has his long-awaited vengeance in sight…
Framed as a traitor, Adam Maxwell opted to lend his expertise to Unknown Identities, with the understanding that someday he’d get a chance to get even with the man who set him up. An orphan, giving up his past proved easier than surrendering his normal vision to the UI research scientists.
To Selena Vaccaro, owner of a showroom in NYC’s Garment District, family is everything. So when her cousin is kidnapped, she agrees to trade a valuable watch for her cousin’s life, but what should have been a relatively simple exchange turns complicated in the blink of an eye.
Adam doesn’t know how or why Selena is connected to his nemesis, but he can’t let her involvement change his plan for revenge. Until he realizes she offers something far more valuable – a chance to be loved.
Gloria Lakritz – She Said:
A sequel to Bulletproof has come to us and I devoured it! Double Visionstill has the hard gritty edge, and steamy sexuality that stunned us inBulletproof… The new member of the Unknown Identities project we meet Adam Maxwell, who has been tied to our mysterious ‘Messenger’ we know as Gabriel. Adam was setup and kicked out of the CIA and would have gone to jail with hard time. He has for the last five years, taken this out and is working for UI to pay off his debt.
John Noble and Amelia and their mysterious sidekick Ben travel to NYC for the holidays and are enmeshed in this story line subtly…It is great to see them but this is all about Adam Maxwell and Selena Vaccaro.
Selena Vaccaro owns a designer clothing shop in the garment district. Her cousin Renata had been involved with a boyfriend Jeremy Galloway…It had been a whirlwind of dating for the past year. He has now contacted Selena and has asked her to go to Renata’s apartment wanting a watch back that he gave Renata. To sweeten the pot, he has shown her a photo that shows Renata tied up, blindfolded, and desperate.
Selena thought her cousin was away in Europe and safe, now she is not so sure. Selena has not lived under a rock. Coming from a Sicilian family, the family here in the states are straight but their contacts in Sicily are connected.
Adam Maxwell enhanced abilities are in his vision. Normally he can only see shades of grey, but he can switch his vision to night vision… He stands outside near Selena’s shop, acting as a food street vendor, watching for the man that Selena is to meet. Watching this beautiful girl, he has thoughts about what ifs and that he would never be so lucky.
Selena and Adam do not know it yet but their meeting is coming soon and it will be explosive. Again Ms Black uses this story of another strong woman and an alpha male. The meeting is exquisite and the courage and strength of both of these two are forefront.
There is a third novella being released for this series in a week or so and I will be on line to buy it …as I am Bought into this series already!
Review by Gloria Lakritz
Sr Reviewer and Review Chair for the Paranormal Romance Guild
Penelope Adams – She Said:
Regan Black continues her newest series, Unknown Identities, with a Christmas novella of sorts that is packed with the action, suspense, romance and slight humor that we fell in love with in the first book of the series, Bullet Proof.
Adam Maxwell has been tied to the UI program at the beck and call of the mysterious Messenger for the past five years, serving out the debt he owes after being setup and kicked out of the CIA. Revenge against the man who set him up is his goal and it looks like that goal is soon to be met.
Selena Vaccaro owns a boutique shop selling designer fashion in the garment district of NYC. Business is going well and her large Sicilian family is getting ready for Christmas when her cousin Renata’s latest boyfriend contacts Selena that he wants a watch he gave Renata or she will die. Selena and Adam will soon find their worlds collide when both of them are after the same thing, for different reasons. The clock is ticking, lives are in the balance and the two of them are heading for danger in more ways than one.
Ms. Black’s introduction to her new UIseries showed us her grittier, dark, sensual side and it blew us away. She continues hitting us right between the eyes with this new offering in the series. Adam Maxwell, not his real name, like the rest of the members of UI has enhanced abilities, he can switch his eyes to night vision but when not using his enhancement he sees only in shades of gray. Adam is not perfect, he has his flaws but he is a little softer around the edges than John Noble who we met inBullet Proof.
Selena is one tough woman, from a big family that has legitimate business in America but not so legitimate in Sicily, she can take care of herself and proves it time and again. Both are great characters and give us some kick butt action along with generating a good amount of steam between them as well.
John, Amelia, and their mysterious partner Ben, make appearances in the story and it was great to catch up with them. The Messenger – Gabriel is still stirring the pot and we are still trying to figure out his angle. Ms. Black has once again given us a great story with compelling characters, suspense and romance. I’m hooked and can’t wait for more.
Review by Penelope Adams
Paranormal Romance Guild Review Team
Now that the reviewers have read each other’s thoughts…
Penny, if Regan Black walked through that door I would give her a standing ovation… We both agree Bulletproof and Double Vision have got to be her best, Hands Down. We loved her Justice series. set in the year 2096 with Slick Mickey and the gang… Part of Bullet Proof seems to bring up a whisper from the Justice series, about enhancements to soldiers… This is said, to possibly be a pre-cursor to the Justice series… But Regan brings a very different voice here… stronger, sharper than anything we have read from her in the past…
I think if she walked in the door I would become a blubbering fan girl and be speechless. I agree, this is by far her best work to date, this was a completely different side of her and I loved it. I love this genre and I think she did a great job with it, her hero was so flawed yet he wasn’t one of those “oh whoa is me” kind of guys, he just did his job. Don’t get me wrong, I love the other two series and can’t wait to see what she has up her sleeves for those but this one stands far outside those.
I loved them both…John Nobel was my type of wounded hero. Strong, fearless as we see by his past and totally believing he is not worthy. I loved his grit, his tireless stamina of just keeping one foot in front of the other to ‘get the job done’.
Our heroine is adorable, also fearless to follow the story that she feels will bring a horrible man to justice and seeing that in doing so she might die in the process. Her trust in John goes with her gut feelings and their relationship is electric!!!
The second novella has Selena and Adam and another strong woman alpha male combo.
Both couples did have some great chemistry, which was another change in Ms. Black’s writing with this one. She ramped up the heat on this one, loved it. I look forward to more of this series, Ms. Black has set the bar high for herself, I have a feeling she is up for the challenge.
Good Night, Gracie.
Night Georgie
Q&A with Author Regan Black
1- Wow Regan, this story was outrageous…Where did this idea come from?
Bulletproof, the entire Unknown Identities series, sprouted from several ‘what if’ brainstorming sessions with the amazingly talented romantic suspense master Debra Webb. She’s been a fan of the Shadows of Justiceseries since the first book, Justice Incarnate (even giving me my first cover quote for that book).
Our first ‘what if’ session last summer was really about my career. At that point, I was caught like a deer in headlights, uncertain which project or direction to take with my writing. Deb helped me assess my strengths and develop a plan to boost my productivity and generate momentum. This new series is a big part of that plan.
John Noble and the Unknown Identities (UI) operatives are the preliminary ‘science experiments’ that eventually lead to Dr. Kristoff’s formulas for juicing soldiers in the 2096 Shadows of Justice series. While the UI series will stand on its own and remain rooted in contemporary settings, the ‘paranormal’ elements are a prequel of sorts to those in the Shadows of Justice.
2- Besides the story, loved the side characters…Will we see them in future books?
Of course! I love developing those side characters readers get attached to. You probably noticed Ben hanging out in the shadows… Well, to share a secret with you, he’s the ‘first draft’ of what becomes the stealth suit in 2096. Readers can look for Ben stepping out of the shadows as the hero in the fifth installment of UI.
In the meantime, John, Amelia, and Ben will be lending a hand when and where they can during Double Vision and Sandman, the next two stories in the UI series. Both of those stories will be available by the end of October 2013.
3- John, Amelia and Ben play a part in this second novella are they going to continue to be the tie that binds?
Readers can count on seeing plenty of John, Ameilia, and Ben as they try to unravel the dark secrets about the Unknown Identities program. Now that he is free of Messenger’s leash, John won’t want other operatives to suffer if he can make a difference. (He and Amelia are discovering that being declared dead is quite liberating.) I’m excited about what is in store for this fledgling team and the UI operatives who may or may not want out of the program.
3- Will you be continuing the Matchmaker and your Justice series?
Definitely! I love the lighthearted romance of the Matchmaker series and those characters are like a breath of fresh air to me after working on the dark, gritty stories that make up the Unknown Identities and Shadows of Justiceseries.
As for Shadows of Justice, I have much more I want to add, it’s a matter of getting the books that tie together worked into the production schedule. I want to share Julia and Lucas’ story with readers (both had supporting roles in Shadows to Light) and I am looking forward to what Lorine and Jim (In the Interest of Security) find as they go looking for the at-risk children of juiced soldiers in 2096.
4- Any idea when releases coming for those…?
At this point there are no hard dates for the 2014 novels and novellas I will release, beyond the UI short story that will be included in the My Evil Valentine anthology slated for February. Several bestselling authors will be a part of that project including Debra Webb, Vicki Hinze, Peggy Webb, Kathy Carmichael, Rita Herron, and V.R. Marks.
That being said, I am committed to releasing UI books 4 and 5, early next year along with more great adventures in both the Matchmaker series and theShadows of Justice universe.
I promise the reviewers at the Paranormal Romance Guild will always get first dibs!