REVIEW: Hard to Handle by Raven Scott

In Hard to Handle (Fortis, Inc #3) by Raven Scott, Samuel ‘Sam’ MacKenzie never thought he’d see Mikayla Stone-Clement ever again. So, when she comes to him looking to hire his services as a bodyguard, Sam isn’t sure he’s ready to forgive and forget how she deceived him. However, Sam can’t just walk away; especially not once he learns how serious the threats to Mikayla and her boss are.

“You can’t leave my sight like that ever again, Kaylee,” Sam finally said, now that he was calm enough to have the conversation. “Not for a second.”
“I know. I didn’t mean to. It all happened so fast.”
“It always does. So you need to always be in my line outside of any secure areas. That’s non-negotiable.”
“I get it. I know. It won’t happen again,” she vowed. “Do you think it was random?”

Mikayla Stone-Clement knows that Sam won’t be happy to see her, especially when she needs his help. But her desire to learn the truth of the investigation she’s pursuing isn’t going to stop her from asking the handsome Scotsman. Now, if only she can find the person responsible for turning her family’s world upside down, while finally making peace with Sam in the hopes that maybe he’ll give them a second chance at happy ever after.

Ever since reading the first book of this series, I’ve anxiously awaited for each book after it to be released, and this – so far – is the best of the Fortis series for Ms. Scott. Right from the beginning, this book was intense, fast-paced and highly entertaining due to the main characters history; the reason why Mikayla needs Sam’s help; and what the bad guys do to make the hero and heroine realize just how far they’re willing to make sure Mikayla doesn’t discover the answers she’s so desperately searching for.

As for the dialogue, it was well-written and kept my eyes glued to every word due to the edge-of-your-seat suspense as well as the fact that Sam and Mikayla have a complicated history. With her lying about her identity when they first met years ago and the complication her lies could have caused between him and one of his business partners if the man ever learnt the truth. However, there were some light-hearted moments between Sam and Mikayla about one of them having ninja skills that illustrate how right these two are for each other and that they shouldn’t let the past keep them apart. Can Sam forgive Mikayla for lying to him? Can he begin to trust her again?

”You mean like coercion?” he asked with a straight face. “I’m starting to see you would make a brilliant criminal mastermind.”
“Hmmm. Maybe that will be my next career move.”
“What is it that we’ll be asking him to do? Stop taking bribes? I can’t imagine he’s the only one, Kaylee. He might just be the tip of the iceberg.”
“I know that, but if he’s the one controlling my dad, then he’s the only one we need to take out of the game.”

I really liked both the main characters, as well as the secondary ones. The Fortis team always works impeccably together; always supporting each other when out in the field determined to take down the bad guys. Then there’s Mikayla, she’s strong, brave and tenacious. There is no way she’s going to allow whoever has turned her father’s life upside down to get away with it, no matter how dangerous things become for her. She’s also very intelligent with what she’s done to get the bad guy’s attention, although she never expected things to get as dangerous as they do.

While Sam, he’s charmed me right from the very beginning of this series, and was even better in this book where he’s one of the main characters. He’s confident when it comes to his job, going above and beyond to protect Mikayla. Then there’s the way I was taken completely by surprise by the hero’s family connections, and the fact that he could be amongst the big names of society without needing to assume another identity.

Overall, Ms. Scott has penned another incredible novel for her Fortis series where the sex scenes were scorching and illustrated the strong chemistry these two had perfectly. Sam needs to find a way to forgive Mikayla for deceiving him, and I enjoyed how they overcame that particular obstacle, as the hero and heroine are so right for each other and they shouldn’t let anything stop them from being together, not even the wrongs of their past. The way this story ended was wonderful, as Sam isn’t about to let Mikayla get away a second time. Not when she’s come to mean everything to him. I would recommend Hard to Handle by Raven Scott, if you enjoy romantic suspense and second chance romances.

Book Info:

Publication: August 30th, 2016 | Kensington Books | Fortis #3

A covert ops specialist, a cyber-surveillance expert, and an unmatched international security and recovery pro. These are the men of Fortis. When money is no object, discretion is essential, and the police are not an option, the wealthy and powerful call on this trio of former government agents with elite military training—not to mention charm and good looks…

Samuel Mackenzie has his hands full with Fortis’ latest assignment. Their client is a European real estate investor who is trying to close a multi-million dollar acquisition. But a competitor is attempting to block the deal by any means necessary, including threats and vandalism that quickly escalate to life threatening assault. For Samuel it’s all in a day’s work—except for one unexpected twist…

The mission requires protective detail for the client and his mistress, who is also his personal assistant. But the mistress is Mikayla Stone-Clement—the only woman Samuel has ever loved, and who always seems out of his reach. Yet things aren’t what they seem. Because Mikayla has a hidden agenda of her own, one that puts her directly in the crossfire. Now Samuel will have one chance to save her life…and make her his forever.