REVIEW: Taken by Lora Leigh

In Taken by Lora Leigh, We get a collection of six short stories, all following both of Lora Leigh’s popular Elite Ops and Tempting SEALS series. Get ready to meet some seriously sexy alpha men and the tender-but-tough ladies who know how to keep them in line.

‘Sleeping with Reno was tantamount to jumping from a plane without a parachute. It wasn’t just risky; it was suicide to her emotional well-being.’

Reno’s Chance is where this collection begins. In this story, we follow Reno as he finally makes a move on his best friend’s younger sister, Raven. They’ve been dancing around each other for years, flirting and stealing passionate kisses. Raven has been hung up on the fact that Reno decided to become a SEAL even though he knows how it tore her family apart. This was the big conflict in their romance, and one that I can see being quite relevant in real life. I loved the fact that Reno was so intent on making feisty Raven see how much he truly cared for her and was willing to do whatever it took to win her love. He was certainly dominant, but he let her see his emotions as well which I thought was a nice balance. And Raven was such a spitfire, I found it funny and endearing.

Next up was For Maggie’s Sake. This was a very tangled up love story between Joe and Maggie, former lovers who are now forced to hide when Joe must take Maggie into protective custody. Someone close to them both betrayed them and left them to find missing information to clear Maggie’s name. While they are in hiding, the truth about their past comes out and they have to decide how to proceed. I enjoyed the suspense thread that was woven into this particular plot as Maggie and Joe were solving the case. Plus there was a very apparent draw between these characters that was fun to read about.

“You know you’re going to break my heart.”
He jerked his head up, his eyes narrowing on hers. “I take care of what’s mine, Emerson. Every part of it. And whether you end up liking it or not, sweetheart, you’re mine.”

Atlanta Heat was story number three and one of my favorites of the bunch. Macey and Emerson’s romance was nothing short of explosive. They just couldn’t be near each other without flirting, touching or engaging in sexy bantering. Emerson was actually the goddaughter of Macey’s commander so their chemistry is something they both tried to downplay. But Macey comes to Em’s rescue when she is kidnapped and then he’s forced to take her into protective custody. Hot, hot, hot! He was such a good guy and he knew he would win Em’s heart. She sassed him every chance she got, which was humorous, but deep down she knew she was in love with Macey. I loved the fierce way he protected her all the way through to the end of the story. And what a great HEA. *sigh*

Night Hawk was another suspenseful story. Black Jack and Night Hawk are operatives whose feelings have been smoldering hotter and hotter for a few years, whenever they meet to trade intel. Everything changes the night they finally kiss. Their attraction is out in the open for once and for all, but trouble also catches up with them. Being put in a life and death situation brings out the depth of their emotions for each other and might just give them the edge to fight back for their lives. This was just as well written as the rest of the stories and I really enjoyed how their situation made them face their romance head on and admit what they were to each other. Very powerful.

Cooper’s Fall was my other favorite story. It started out a bit (okay, a lot) voyeuristic on Cooper’s part but was sexy as hell as he watched his neighbor Sarah in a compromising situation. There were a lot of secrets that played out in this particular plot that had me on the edge of my seat, trying to figure it all out. I knew Sarah was leery because of her past and Cooper noticed it as well, so he made it his mission to protect her. They were such a steamy couple who were completely taken with each other. Uber sexy.

‘Casey had to want more. No one had ever wanted just her love, and she couldn’t imagine Casey did either.’

Last but not least, is Sheila’s Passion. Talk about lustful! Lots and lots of super hot love scenes in this story. Sheila and Casey met when she picked up intel to take back to her father, Casey’s captain. Ever since that first night, they have been fighting where their romance is headed. Sheila had been hurt before, feeling used for someone’s personal gain. And Casey was used to keeping things casual. So the intensity of their feelings took them both by surprise. There was a bit of angst in this one with neither of them wanting to be the first to give in and admit their love. But I liked that there was also a nice amount of suspense here too. It kept the story moving, I thought.

If you’re already a fan of Lora Leigh’s different series, these short stories are sure to get your heart racing. And if you are new to her work, this is a great way to learn about the characters and types of plots she has created. I think you’ll find the overlapping storylines are intriguing and very provocative. Let me tell you, lust, secrets, and sex abound in this erotic collection, so you might want to make sure you have a fan or a cool drink handy. *whew*

Book Info:

Publication: July 22nd 2014 by St. Martin’s Griffin

#1 New York Times bestselling author Lora Leigh has captivated millions with her sizzling tales. Here, together for the first time, in a short story collection:

Reno’s Chance
Ever since she was a girl, Raven has longed for her friend’s brother, Reno, a Navy SEAL. What she doesn’t realize is that his true mission is to get into her heart.

For Maggie’s Sake
Maggie is in custody with Joe’s SEALs team. Joe, her ex-lover, thinks Maggie is hiding information. He plans to seduce her to get it, but when an enemy captures Maggie, only Joe can save her.

Atlanta Heat
Em has wanted Macey forever. But as a SEAL under the command of her overprotective godfather, Macey is off-limits…until a kidnapping attempt forces them to share close quarters—and a forbidden desire.

Night Hawk
For three years, Travis “Black Jack” Caine and Lillian “Night Hawk” Belle have been meeting, late at night. No names given. But tonight is different. An enemy has returned, and Travis and Lillian may never meet again. Are they brave enough to give in to desire and stand together?

Cooper’s Fall
Former ranger Ethan never expected to get an eyeful of prim Sarah Fox from his window. But now his blood is on fire for her.

Sheila’s Passion
As an ex-Marine, Nick’s been through some hard things. But when it comes to Sheila, he has his biggest challenge yet. Sheila has sworn off love, but when Nick tempts her into becoming friends with benefits, he intends to make her his forever.