Book Tour for Jagger: Steele Shadows Investigations by Amanda McKinney (REVIEW & GIVEAWAY)

It's an exhilarating tale of a woman suspected of murder who finds unexpected support from the local detective carrying demons of his own.  Keep reading to get a tempting taste of Jagger: Steele Shadows Investigations by Amanda McKinney, along with getting my impressions of this series starter, then discover even more about this book by visiting the other sites hosting this tour.  In honor of this first installment in the Steele Shadows Investigations series make sure to fill out the form below for the chance to win a $100 Amazon GC too!

He found her covered in blood.

She promises she’s innocent.

The question is…Can he trust her?

Feared just as much on the streets as at a crime scene, Homicide Detective Max Jagger has dedicated his life to one thing—speaking for the dead. Everyone and everything else be damned, including his own demons. During one of the most oppressive heat waves to hit the small, southern town of Berry Springs, the former Navy SEAL is called to a scene where a real estate heiress is found standing over a dead body, holding the murder weapon. The local cops immediately dub it a slam-dunk case, but if Jagg has learned anything from his days running special ops, it’s that nothing is as it seems…including this suspect.

Despite her name, Sunny Harper is as beguiling as a fallen angel. Clever, cunning, completely unwilling to cooperate, and, perhaps his least favorite quality—mind-numbingly intoxicating. When evidence from the scene suggests an accomplice, Jagg begins to believe that Sunny is both innocent and in danger, despite the towns’ uproar to lock her up. Torn between his growing feelings for his suspect, he takes Sunny to a secluded lake house where he discovers there’s much more behind those enchanting green eyes…including secrets that could take them both under.

With his career on the line and the clock ticking, Jagg must decide if he can trust Sunny…before they both get burned.

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MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

I didn't know what to expect when I first started this book, especially with not having read Ms. McKinney before.  What I ultimately got was a story full of twists and turns, a romance that was often on the back burner, as well as a cast of compelling characters who kept me constantly questioning the definition of good versus bad.  It's a solid series starter that kept me on the edge of my seat with each turn of the page and that has me greatly anticipating the next book in this series.

Max Jagger is a former Navy Seal who became a homicide detective.  His past is littered with emotionally painful moments and it's made him a man not easily defined now.  When readers first meet him they see a brooding man, someone with a lot of attitude and an aura of mystery, one who doesn't trust easily.  He's actually somewhat unlikable at the start, but as the story progressed glimpses of a kind heart and caring nature came through and I started to root for him.  He's clearly a man on edge though and with the death of his friend things are about to become even more complicated with a new murder.  Meeting the woman accused of the murder changes his life irrevocably and takes him on a journey full of secrets and danger, a journey with a slow burn romance that helps him to heal from his painful past.

Sunny Harper is a dog trainer (with an utterly charming collection of dogs surrounding her)...and now an accused murderer with blood literally on her hands.  The town wants her to pay for her apparent crime, but Max doesn't think things are as they appear and goes out of his way to protect her when it becomes clear that her life is next to be in danger.  Sunny's a sassy heroine with a strong will and a strong sense of loyalty.  She's got a lot of emotional baggage from a past that has left her life shrouded in mystery and seems older than her age suggests.  She's a person you can count on though too which is just what Max needs as his life continues to spiral out of control.  Their connection starts out as friends with the goal of solving a crime while slowly evolving into something more romantic which gave them time to build a strong foundation that had me cheering them on to HEA.

This was a satisfying series starter focused on the mystery and secrets found in a small town.  It's a tale full of action and suspense that kept me on the edge of my seat while crafting a romance that's clearly secondary to all else.  The main couple have both been hurt by the past, still struggle with it today, in a journey that made them all the stronger by being together.  Jagger's a man in pain at the start, a man about to implode, and it's only through his time with Sunny that he's able to stay sane.  Sunny too is made better by her time with Jagger and their strengthening bond put a smile on my face.  Surrounding this compelling main couple was an equally entertaining cast of secondary characters (from Lieutenant Colton to recent academy graduate Tommy Darby to Max's brother Ryder as well as a few others) who added their own personal issues to the storyline which made this an even stronger story.  Though I wish the romance between Max and Sunny had been more in the forefront, I still found this an exhilarating read with suspenseful twists and turns that kept me glued to the pages and hoping to revisit these characters soon!

My rating for this is a B+

*I got this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.

AUTHOR INFO:

Amanda McKinney is the #1 bestselling and multi-award-winning author of more than ten steamy romantic suspense and mystery novels. She wrote her debut novel, LETHAL LEGACY, in 2017 after walking away from her career to become a writer and stay-at-home mom. Set in small, southern towns, Amanda’s books are page-turning murder mysteries packed with steamy romance.

Her books include the HOT new bestselling series, STEELE SHADOWS SECURITY, the multi-award-winning BERRY SPRINGS series and BLACK ROSE MYSTERIES.

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