Locked and Loaded by Mandy Baxter Pages: 352
Series: US Marshals #5
Genres: Romantic Suspense
Also in this series: At Any Cost
Also by this author: At Any Cost
Goodreads
With a rock-hard body and steel blue eyes, Mason Decker is about to become the U.S. Marshals’ newest recruit. But one last undercover job with a straitlaced attorney will test him to his limits . . .
Charlotte Cahill intends to take down an infamous diamond smuggler on the FBI’s Most Wanted list—and she intends to do it by the book. That won’t be easy with the cocky new temporary deputy on her task force. Mason Decker feels like trouble, especially when his cool gaze wanders across her hot body . . . After his time as a Customs officer, Decker has enough experience hanging out with criminals to know that working undercover means following your instincts, not the rules. It doesn’t take long for him to lock horns with Cahill. But when the sexy assistant U.S. attorney is accidentally dragged out of her orderly world and into the turn-on-a-dime tension of Decker’s deceptive games, she’ll find that nothing is as seductive as playing a new role . . . Praise for Mandy Baxter’s U.S. Marshals series
“A little bit of suspense and a whole lot of passion make this the perfect read for adventurous romance fans.” —RT Book Reviews, 4 Stars “Fast-paced and full of heat, this is romantic suspense done right!”—Julie Ann Walker “The perfect mix of steam and on‑the‑edge‑of‑your‑seat suspense. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.”—Tracey Garvis Graves “Page‑turning, rip‑roaring action.”—Publishers Weekly
I really loved book 4 in the US Marshals series so I am psyched to grab this book. Locked and Loaded gives us the story of Mason, a former border patrol agent who wants to be a marshal, and Charlotte “Charlie”, a US prosecutor looking to bring down a group dubbed “Faction Five”. The plan? Mason is going undercover as a double agent and this is believable because his dad is one of the most well known smugglers/forgers in the country (he is currently in prison).
Charlie and Mason have trust issues from the start. Both can admit that the other is hot, but they don’t think the plan will work. Then, Charlie ends up having to go under cover with Mason. Kieran puts them through a test to prove their loyalty. Charlie spends the whole time freaking out because she is a perfectionist. Mason spends the whole time struggling with his feelings for Charlie and his struggle with his father. Overall the book is fairly fast paced and the sexual tension between Charlie and Mason is hot. I did think the plot was a bit predictable and I didn’t find the humor that existed in the last book. Still, Locked and Loaded was an enjoyable read!
- POV: 3rd
- Tears: no
- Trope: police, enemies to lovers
- Triggers: none
- Series/Standalone: stand alone (seriously, none of the books are related except for that they all feature someone who is a US Marshal. Thats the only connection!)
- Cliffhanger: View Spoiler »
- HEA: View Spoiler »
High Sided by LP Dover, Anchor by Nicole Blanchard, His to Protect by Stacey Lynn…then you will probably like Locked and Loaded!
Locked and Loaded
I’ve heard good things about this author and her books though I’ve never tried them. This one sounds like it’s a good one, but I think I’ll pick up another book in the series if I ever get around to them.
I LOVED book 4. This one was good, but not my favorite. You should totally try book 4! The heroine in the story is so funny! She names her shovel Frank. Its great!