REVIEW: Fast Burn by Lori Foster

In Fast Burn (Body Armor #4) by Lori Foster, MMA fighter Brand Berry has been resisting joining Body Armor security agency where three of his friends–all former MMA as well–are now working. It’s not the job that’s the hang up. It’s Sahara Silver. The unbelievably beautiful woman who would be his boss. Not one to mix business and pleasure, Brand is left contemplating how to explore the explosive chemistry he has with Sahara without it getting too complicated. But things get messy all on their own when he finds himself acting as her bodyguard after threats against her escalate. Brand may not be trained like the rest of the Body Armor guys, but he trusts his instincts. And his gut is telling him two things: Sahara’s life is in danger until they find out the truth about her brother’s whereabouts, and that Brand will do everything in his power to keep her safe so they can see where their new relationship goes.

‘He understood now why his friends liked this security shit so much. For an alpha male, it fed every basic instinct.’

Sahara isn’t really sure why she keeps taunting Brand to come work for her at Body Armor. Yes, he’d do a damn fine job as a bodyguard. But her interest in him isn’t purely professional–and with attraction as intense as they share, it’s just asking for trouble if he joins the roster at her company. A more pressing concern, however, is figuring out what really happened to her brother Scott, who is believed to be dead. Sahara isn’t convinced. And when a crew attempts to kidnap her, demanding details of where Scott is, she’s not sure if it’s a way to get money out of her or if they know something she doesn’t. Surprisingly, it’s Brand who comes to her rescue, proving that he has what it takes to work in security and that she can trust him implicitly to protect her. And Sahara could certainly get used to that kind of focus and care. As long as she can maintain control over her life as she’s grown accustomed to.

As he leaned closer–to kiss her, she was sure–she said desperately, “Work for me.”
Without a single smidge of regret, he said, “No,” and then his mouth was on hers, his lips pressing, his tongue touching until she opened.

Say it isn’t over! Fast Burn is the fourth and reportedly final book in Lori Foster’s sexy and exciting Body Armor series. *sniffle* But in my humble opinion, she saved the best for last.

‘She was as feminine as a woman could be, with a unique strength and deep conviction. He loved her more than he knew was possible.’

If you’ve been following this series, I’m sure you’ve been just waiting to get to know Sahara Silver and Brand Berry a whole lot better. And boy did we ever in Fast Burn. The title really does say it all. Their romance was super hot, full of feisty dialogue while they battled for control, but it didn’t fizzle out. Nope, Brand and Sahara’s attraction remained strong through everything, and best of all, they had a shared respect for each other that I adored.

It was such fun to watch Sahara and Brand duke it out verbally. She was a force to be reckoned with, but she also had a huge heart. She was used to being the boss so it was tough for her to let Brand take over outside of work. It felt like he had her best interests at heart, though, when he let his alpha tendencies out–he *was* an MMA fighter, after all! I ended up admiring Brand’s loyalty and his need to do the right thing. He never wavered in protecting Sahara or in his bid to keep their personal and professional lives separate.

Aside from catching up with the rest of the cast from previous books in this series (LOTS of good things happened for the couples) this story really showed how complicated both Brand and Sahara’s family lives were. We finally got the details on what was going on with Brand’s mother *and* with the truth about Scott, Sahara’s brother. I’m not going to spoil it for everyone. But I can say that things were not as they seemed and it was difficult to determine until the end who Brand and Sahara could trust and exactly what was truly going on. Loved that!

Brand and Sahara were a perfect example of Lori Foster’s sexy badass heroes and the smart, lovely ladies who easily hold their own against the guys. It may be bittersweet to see this series end, but I think fans will love the way everything worked out.

Book Info:

Publication: March 20th 2018 | HQN Books | Body Armor #4

For the woman who’s his perfect match, he’s willing to break the rules…

The moment Brand Berry meets beautiful, driven Sahara Silver, the connection between them is electric. It’s also something he can’t pursue. Sahara wants him, sure—to join Body Armor, where his MMA skills, size and cocky attitude make him perfect for her elite crew of bodyguards. For Sahara, the agency always comes first, and Brand needs more. Yet when she’s kidnapped by men searching for her missing brother, he doesn’t hesitate.

Somewhere along the way, flirting with Brand for the sake of business turned very personal. Despite his refusal to join Body Armor, it’s Brand who steps up when Sahara needs him most. Now there’s no more time for games, and no point denying the hunger they both feel. They’ll escape together or not at all. But if they survive, can Sahara finally surrender control to claim this blazing passion?