Hell on Wheels (Black Knights Inc., #1)

Mar 10, 2013 Blacky *YA/NA addict* marked it as did-not-finish · review of another edition

Shelves: of-course

DNF after 15 pages

The style of writing is the thing that bothered me. Every single thing in every sentence was described. I just don't feel like reading that sort of thing.

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Oct 15, 2012 UniquelyMoi *Dhestiny* BlithelyBookish rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: badass-biker-dudes, ex-military-black-ops, first-in-series, series-black-knights-inc, author-julie-ann-walker, publisher-sourcebooks-casablanca, covers-i-want-to-lick, books-for-review, 2012-reads, reviewed-by-me, reviewed-at-blithelybookish, reviewed-for-netgalley, 3-5-stars

Hell on Wheels is the first book in the Black Knights, Inc. series and author Julie Ann Walker’s debut novel. It’s fun, sexy, and fast paced, and kept me guessing as to the 'who, what, why and how' right to the very end.

He’s the bad boy she’s always wanted...

Nate “Ghost” Weller has loved Ali Morgan nearly half his life. But he’s done something so heinous he’s convinced she’ll never forgive him if she discovers the truth, so he keeps his feelings and his secrets to himself. Then she blows into t

...more
Hell on Wheels is the first book in the Black Knights, Inc. series and author Julie Ann Walker’s debut novel. It’s fun, sexy, and fast paced, and kept me guessing as to the 'who, what, why and how' right to the very end.

He’s the bad boy she’s always wanted...

Nate “Ghost” Weller has loved Ali Morgan nearly half his life. But he’s done something so heinous he’s convinced she’ll never forgive him if she discovers the truth, so he keeps his feelings and his secrets to himself. Then she blows into town with a mother lode of bad guys on her tail and Nate can’t deny she’s in serious trouble. Unfortunately, he’s the only one who can help her.

She’s the good girl he’s kept at arm’s length...

Ali knows Nate as the most solemn, aloof man on the planet. Sadly, he’s also the sexiest. For years she’s avoided him, unable to stomach his dark scowls and brooding silences… especially when she secretly yearns for his touch. Now she must rely on him to save her from the malevolent shadows ghosting her every move. When the bullets explode, so does their passion. But can love really conquer all? Or are some things just too terrible to forgive?

Overall I enjoyed this story but, as with most first books in a series, there was a quite a bit of time given over to world building and character introductions which caused things to move at a slower pace early on. However once things got moving, things really got moving and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. Corrupt or misguided politicians are not new to the romantic suspense genre, but the way this theme was woven into the story worked well for me.

I loved the entire cast of characters, even those secondary to the story, though sometimes I felt like they were being given too much page time, time I would have rather spent with Ali and Nate, who I adored. Ms. Walker did a fantastic job of showing us Nate’s pain over losing his best friend and feeling totally responsible for his death, almost to the point of being crippled by his guilt. In fact, there was one scene that was so heart-breaking, I had to stop reading because I couldn’t stop crying.

The bottom line: The writing isn’t perfect and as I mentioned earlier there are areas where things seemed to drag, but when it’s all said and done, I truly enjoyed this story and found it to be a pretty impressive debut novel. And, most importantly, I was left wanting… no, needing to read the next book in the series, In Rides Trouble, Frank “Boss” Knight and Becky "Rebel" Reichert’s story!

3.5/5 stars

My thanks to netgalley.com and Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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Jun 25, 2012 Jill rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-debuts, romantic-suspense

3.5 stars

She was thinking of gunshot wounds and blood and slugs, and he was thinking of boobs?

"You men," she grumbled with disgust as she backed away, moving toward the sink and the washcloths stacked there, "You really only have a few brain cells, don't you?"

"Yep," he chuckled, the sound low and intimate and still so totally foreign to her ears. "But they're committed."

Nate "Ghost" Weller and Grigg Morgan have been best buddies forever. They had gone through the Marine Corps and sniper training...more

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Jun 20, 2012 Kristen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: men-in-uniform, suspense-mystery, contemporary-romance, netgalley, 3-star, action-packed, brooding-hero, tortured-hero, violent, author-debut

2 1/2 to 3 stars

Debut book

Overall Hell on Wheels was a fast paced, action packed, and somewhat entertaining read. Unfortunately, however, there was just too much going on in this cliché-ridden book–one too many distractions.

For instance, there were too many secondary characters given a point of view. It seemed like every time I finally felt a connection to the hero or heroine, the author would change the scene and I would be give the point of view of a secondary characters involved in the overal...more

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Sep 12, 2012 Shawna rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: hero-bad-boy-playboy, heroine-good-girl-nice, unrequited-love-crush, im-a-cover-hottie-ho, romantic-suspense, cop-bodyguard-govop-merc-military, offlimits-bf-likekidsister-jailbait, rt-book-reviews-4-and-a-half-stars, military-romance, kindle, julie-ann-walker, series-black-knights-inc, bikers-sexy-as-sin, bikes-grease-monkey-hot-rods-racer, 2012-reads, 3-to-4-stars, action-packed, angsty-dark-heavy-lotsa-drama, brothers-sisters-cousins-family, childhood-ties-friends-sweethearts, enemies-to-lovers-opposites-attract, heartbreaking-gutwrenching-romance, hero-abused-scarred-tortured-angst, hero-alpha, hero-brooding, hero-cold-cruelbrute-dark-dangerous, hero-dark-scary-cool-dangerous-dude, hero-military-war-veteran, hero-recluse-loner-lonewolf, hero-silent-quiet-type-reticent, heroine-chaperone-governess-teacher, heroine-girl-next-door, heroine-in-pursuit, hh-disfigured-injured-scarred-ill, hh-on-the-run-in-hiding, hh-post-traumatic-stress-disorder, hh-resist-cause-im-no-good-for-you, hh-spy-agent-for-crown-and-country, hh-sweet-nice-paired-vs-gruff-cynic, hh-warrior, i-read-kindle, made-me-cry, mystery-intrigue-espionage-subplot, reunions-are-sweeter-second-chances, revenge-deception-secrets-lies, sizable-packages, steam-2-warm, villain-uber-bad-nasty, why-do-good-girls-like-bad-boys

3 ½ stars – Romantic Suspense

Thoughts Before Reading:

Bad boy biker and black ops soldier lusting after his best friend's good girl sister and a studtastic, yummy as sin hunk in a tight black t-shirt on the cover?!!! SOLD!!!!

Thoughts After Reading:

This is a pretty good romantic suspense debut and a promising start to a potentially exciting new series, but I didn’t really care for the lead H/h. I was also hoping for a bit more heat and steam to the love scenes, especially considering the yummy cov...more

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Oct 19, 2012 Rhayne rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, reviewed-for-guilty-pleasures

5 STARS

Well done Ms. Walker. You have given us a rousing novel full of secrets and suspense. I can’t wait to read the next book in this exhilarating series and see what you have in store for the Black Knights.
If you are looking for a fast paced read that keeps you hooked from the first to last page, a tale that will have you laughing out loud one moment and wiping tears the next, an inspired exciting love story, this book is a must for you!

Entire review posted here: http://www.guiltypleasuresboo ...more

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Sep 03, 2012 Angela rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: review-books, romance, suspense, net-galley, challenge-2012

Sexy black-ops operatives on motorcycles – I was sold! And the premise lives up to the promise, absolutely.

Unfortunately my problems have overshadowed the enjoyment I was hoping to get out of this book. The largest one was Nate’s dialect. His mashing of several words together into a single word not on was irritating to read, it was an effort in translation every time it happened – which was at least once a page. I know people talk with dialects, I hear them in my head clearly, but I don’t need e...more Sexy black-ops operatives on motorcycles – I was sold! And the premise lives up to the promise, absolutely.

Unfortunately my problems have overshadowed the enjoyment I was hoping to get out of this book. The largest one was Nate’s dialect. His mashing of several words together into a single word not on was irritating to read, it was an effort in translation every time it happened – which was at least once a page. I know people talk with dialects, I hear them in my head clearly, but I don’t need every single word typed with the lost ending if the goal is a southern accent. If typed out Scottish brogues irritate you, this is a warning that I found it much more distracting and irritating than that.

The second issue was a few logical fallacies that didn’t work for me. There is a lot of emphasis, throughout the book, put on how super-secret these guys are, and their work for the government is way off the books. They literally live in their compound, which is their cover as a custom motorcycle shop with all the accompanying surveillance and security. But let Ali walk up to the gate and ask to be let in, and she’s shown right in. Not just in the compound but in the building where they start wanding down her luggage – searching for bugs – she sees the computers that any NSA agent would die to have, and there in the corner is a fully equipped Blackhawk helicopter. Yeah, all that doesn’t raise any suspicions what-so-ever that they’re not what they seem.

And that leads me to my final problem. While Ali never truly strays into TSTL – to-stupid-to-live – territory, she comes very close. With all that evidence she still isn’t really sure until someone tells her that they’re black-ops.

One of the things I loved though was how it handled the ‘brother’s best friend’ trope. This is one of my favorite storylines – the friend in love with his best friend’s little sister, warned off, etcetera. This is really where Ali shined for me. She really gave it her all to get Nate to realize that they’re perfect together. While I’m not quite sure how their relationship is going to work in the future with her being a school teacher, and he still being in the Black Knights group, I do believe that they’ll find a way to do it.

Hell on Wheels is the sexy new start of a series, which has a whole host of characters to choose from for subsequent books. It did spend a decent amount of time on setting up future books, and I admit to curiousity on how some of these storylines tie up. If you’re looking for a quick, easy romantic suspense, Hell on Wheels might just hit the spot.

Review on my blog (less)

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Aug 01, 2012 Guilty Pleasures added it · review of another edition

Shelves: guiltypleasures-rhayne, publishersent

Rhayne's review posted on Guilty Pleasures

5 Stars

Julie Ann Walker is an incredible new romantic suspense author who has delivered in a big way with her Black Knight, Inc. series. This is the first book and it absolutely consumed me. I fell in love with the characters and her remarkable writing style.

Nate Weller is part of an elite team of Special Ops. They take the jobs to covert for anyone else to handle. Their headquarters are housed in a tricked out custom bike shop that they use as a front t...more Rhayne's review posted on Guilty Pleasures

5 Stars

Julie Ann Walker is an incredible new romantic suspense author who has delivered in a big way with her Black Knight, Inc. series. This is the first book and it absolutely consumed me. I fell in love with the characters and her remarkable writing style.

Nate Weller is part of an elite team of Special Ops. They take the jobs to covert for anyone else to handle. Their headquarters are housed in a tricked out custom bike shop that they use as a front to conceal the assignments going on between the US Government and the Black Knights.

Ali has been in love with Nate for years. In her opinion, he is cold, standoffish and has never wanted anything to do with her. She has done her best to stay away from him. It’s not always been an easy task as Nate is her brother, Grigg’s best friend. Nate has been secretly attracted to Ali since she was just a teenager. Grigg made it known that he is never to look at her or touch her. He has stayed distant from her in hopes that one day his feelings and secret desires would vanish.

When Ali’s life is in danger and she doesn’t know why or who is after her, she goes to Nate. He and his team are the only ones she can trust to help her figure out what is going on. As they are forced to work together the feelings they have for one another develop into more than either one is prepared for. Although the sexual chemistry is intense, Nate knows that any kind of a future with Ali is hopeless. He has too many secrets from his past that can never be revealed.

It is rare that I find a book that is packed with such electrifying emotion as this one. The humor sprinkled throughout the story was amusing. She gave her characters their own little quirks that made these people completely believable. The description that she writes of some of the gruesome experiences Nate had to encounter on previous missions paint a very clear and heart wrenching image as you read them. The passion, sexual tension and turmoil she is able to capture with Ali and Nate is breathtaking.

Well done Ms. Walker. You have given us a rousing novel full of secrets and suspense. I can’t wait to read the next book in this exhilarating series and see what you have in store for the Black Knights.

If you are looking for a fast paced read that keeps you hooked from the first to last page, a tale that will have you laughing out loud one moment and wiping tears the next, an inspired exciting love story, this book is a must for you!(less)

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Jun 25, 2012 Alexa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Alexa by: Goodreads First Reads winner

Shelves: adult, first-reads, 2012-reads, arc

My review can also be found on my blog Collections.

First off, I just loved the fact that some of the book was set in my hometown Jacksonville, NC. That was really neat!

Hell on Wheels was about the relationship between Ali and Nate and how they worked together to take down the person who killed Ali's brother and Nate's best friend. I really liked the premise, but I felt only half the book was about the main characters. I think part of the reason the perspective switched to other characters was to...more

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Sep 27, 2012 Kame rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-romance

The Book Queen suggested I read this book, since I love romantic suspense.

The four stars are for great characters and lots of suspense.

Nate “Ghost” Weller and his best friend Grigg left their careers as sharp shooters with the Marines after a rushed assignment resulted in the wrong man being killed. They found their place with the Black Knights Incorporated who use the front of a custom motorcycle shop to hide the covert missions they go on. Grigg and Nate are tortured during a mission, and Nat...more The Book Queen suggested I read this book, since I love romantic suspense.

The four stars are for great characters and lots of suspense.

Nate “Ghost” Weller and his best friend Grigg left their careers as sharp shooters with the Marines after a rushed assignment resulted in the wrong man being killed. They found their place with the Black Knights Incorporated who use the front of a custom motorcycle shop to hide the covert missions they go on. Grigg and Nate are tortured during a mission, and Nate is the only one to come home. He owns incredible guilt, and goes to see Grigg’s family. Grigg’s little sister, Ali, has always stirred Nate’s heart, but Grigg deemed her off limits. Even though Grigg never told her about his real job, Ali always thought he was involved in something covert. So when she has the overwhelming feeling she is being followed, she goes to Nate for help.

This is an intense book from start to finish. And I will be honest there were some scenes that were just too hard for me to read, but there were other scenes that I wanted to read over and over.
“he crushed her to his chest, seeking and finding her sweetly wonderful mouth with his own as his heart totally Grinched it and grew two sizes in an instant” Which leads to…

“Ali, would you…”
“Yes.”
“Ya don’t even know what I was gonna ask, woman.”
“It doesn’t matter, Nate. The answer is always the same…yes.”

Ali and Nate will have a HEA, even though through most of the book I had little faith Ghost would allow himself to ever be happy out of his perception of what his best friend would want. This is more of a suspense than a romance, and readers will not find detailed intimate scenes, and the first romantic scene between Ali and Nate comes over 100 pages into the book. I will admit to reservations to reading the rest of the series, only because the violent nature of some of the scenes. A friend has told me the next book is not as violent, and it is about two characters I thoroughly enjoyed from this novel, so I think I will give it a try.
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Aug 08, 2012 Jess rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: for_review, rom-suspense

Review posted: Happily Ever After - Reads
Blog rating: 3.5/5

I’ve always liked the setup of the hero being the best friend to the heroine’s brother. The story starts with the heroine, Ali’s, brother Grigg dead and Nate having to deal with the events that led to his death. Ali is now being followed and only has one place she can turn, to Nate and his Black Knights Inc. A group running a motorcycle shop as a cover but are really working secret ops headed by Frank Knight. Ali needs help and turns to...more Review posted: Happily Ever After - Reads
Blog rating: 3.5/5

I’ve always liked the setup of the hero being the best friend to the heroine’s brother. The story starts with the heroine, Ali’s, brother Grigg dead and Nate having to deal with the events that led to his death. Ali is now being followed and only has one place she can turn, to Nate and his Black Knights Inc. A group running a motorcycle shop as a cover but are really working secret ops headed by Frank Knight. Ali needs help and turns to Nate even though she hasn't seen him since the day he brought her family news of Grigg’s death and the comfort they found together. They haven't spoken since and Ali needs his help.

Nate and Ali start putting together the steps Grigg took prior to his death together and find out he was doing one ‘off the books’ job working security detail in DC. The clues aren't adding up but a file Grigg sent to Ali might have the answers. Nate and Ali take off to get the file and run for their lives when the man responsible for everything wants to keep them quiet for good.

I liked the set up the motorcycle cover and the men in the group, alphas all with different talents and personalities. A lot of time is spent on the supporting characters and we get a great idea about who they all are and their roles not only within the Black Kinghts but how the inner relationships are coming together. Nate and Ali are a nice couple to read about. I really enjoyed Ali even though some of her phrases (h-e-double hockey sticks) got old and felt way overused. She was still an overall sweet character who was still dealing with losing her brother and finding herself in the middle of something she knows nothing about. She's loved Nate for years but after a warning from Grigg to stay away from his sister, Nate never acted on his feelings. Ali is shattering his resolve though and while the romance takes a long time to build back up, it’s very emotional for them once it happens again.

“You want me?” she asked incredulously.

“I’d say that’s undeniably apparent.”

“But you don’t like me.” Inexplicably, she was still pressed against his pulsing, aching like a month of Mondays erection.

Not like her? Was she crazy? “Of course, I like you, Ali.”

(…)

“So that’s why you’ve been acting so…so surly and disagreeable all these years? She asked in disbelief. “Because you want me?”

Surly and disagreeable? He hadn’t been surly and disagreeable. He’d been noble and honorable. Jesus. Couldn’t she tell the friggin’ difference?

Nate is a man a few words, he rarely smiles and getting a laugh out of him is near impossible. Ali brings all that out in him slowly and my favorite scenes revolved around Nate retelling the past and his last moments with Grigg. He felt comfortable enough with Ali and knew she deserved as much of the truth as he was able to give her about what happened. The reality of his capture, which ultimately ended in Grigg’s death is heartbreaking and following along with Nate as he tells Ali the truth was very emotional; I loved seeing that side of him come out. Their storyline, along with the other members of the Black Knights, is what kept me into the story and invested. The suspense storyline surrounding Grigg’s death and the files with information he sent to Ali, it was ok, but it didn’t have me on the edge of my seat. The people drove the story for me and getting to know Nate, Ali and the supporting cast helped propel not only Nate and Ali’s story, but set up future books as well.

One of those future books (book 2) will be Frank and Becky. Talk about an explosive couple. Although calling them a couple would have Frank blowing a gasket. He’s 13 years older than Becky and the age difference bothers him a lot in this book. He’s attracted to Becky but just won’t let himself go there. Becky wants him to go there, 100%, but he cuts her down and at the end of the story this potential couple is going their separate ways. Becky has such a sharp personality, I can’t imagine her being gone for long and I’m excited to see her wear down Frank.

Even though Grigg has died prior to the story starting, it still felt like he was an additional supporting character. There is so much we learn about this man and to be honest, I went and checked the next books’ blurbs just to see if his name was mentioned as being a lead. I didn’t want him to be truly gone! He’s very present in this book, mostly living on through Nate and Ali’s memories, and I wanted him to a have a book. I wanted him to be that character that wasn’t really dead and showed up to surprise everyone. Yeah, not happening, but he ended up being one of the most interesting characters in this book.

This series has promise and I enjoyed and had fun reading book 1. Book 1s in any series are usually hit or miss for me, a lot of world building tends to pull them down. Once we get through who’s who and what’s what and the action and romance got going, the pace picked up quite a bit. Even though the suspense storyline didn’t really grab me, the relationship between Nate and Ali was interesting and I always have a soft spot for a guy who’s dealing with past pain and finally finding the person that allows him to let it all out. Nice start to this new series and I’m looking forward to seeing what’s next. (less)

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Aug 31, 2012 Amy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2readseries, fv-review, ng-arc

Originally posted at http://www.fictionvixen.com/review-he...

Quick Rundown: Ex-marine Nate Weller is haunted by the recent death of his best friend, Grigg Morgan. Friends since high school, Nate fell in lust with Grigg’s sister, Aly when she was seventeen but never acted on his feelings due to Grigg’s initial brotherly warning. Years have passed since their spark ignited but Nate refuses to give in to his feelings, fearing that if Aly learns the truth about her brother’s death, she would never f...more

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Sep 12, 2012 D.B. Reynolds rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I loved this book. Loved the set-up, the characters, the writing. It was full of realistic action, and wrenching flashbacks, and peopled with characters you quickly came to know and love. Walker doesn't flinch from the dark side of her story and I respect that. I'm hooked and waiting for book #2.

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Aug 07, 2012 Crystal ♥ RBtWBC rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: request-publisher, genre-romantic-suspense, rating-4-5-stars, length-novel, all-time-favorites, best-of-2012

4.5 Stars

BAM! Julie Ann Walker’s Hell On Wheels starts out with a bang and just keeps on rolling. An excellent read that I did not put down; it grabbed me from page one, threw me in the emotional wringer and refused to let go until the very last word.

Nate “Ghost” Weller is an ex-marine sniper, who along with his best friend, joined an elite and very covert special ops team, Black Knight’s Inc. Using a custom bike shop as a front, this team of alpha males take the government missions that no one...more 4.5 Stars

BAM! Julie Ann Walker’s Hell On Wheels starts out with a bang and just keeps on rolling. An excellent read that I did not put down; it grabbed me from page one, threw me in the emotional wringer and refused to let go until the very last word.

Nate “Ghost” Weller is an ex-marine sniper, who along with his best friend, joined an elite and very covert special ops team, Black Knight’s Inc. Using a custom bike shop as a front, this team of alpha males take the government missions that no one else can handle, off-the-books missions that are both dangerous and deadly.
When Nate’s best friend, Grigg Morgan, dies and his baby sister, Ali, shows up at the compound Nate’s world is turned upside down. Already fighting the grief and guilt from losing his best friend, now Nate must fight the desire he’s had for Ali since the first moment he saw her twelve years ago. Little does she know that the emotional distance he’s put between them was because of Grigg warning him off. But Ali needs his help and Nate’s not going to let Ali down like he let down her brother.
Someone is stalking Ali but she doesn’t get really scared until a mammoth of a man in a ski mask tries to mug her. Ali knows someone is after her and seeing as she’s an unassuming kindergarten teacher then it must have something to do with her brother so she turns to the one man she has left, Nate. As they puzzle through the mystery of her Ali’s shadow stalker Ali can’t deny that she feels something for Nate but despite his obvious attraction for her, Nate continuously pushes her away. Will she ever be able to break through his wall or will the secrets he hides end up breaking them both?

Hell On Wheels is an exhilarating and powerful debut for Julie Ann Walker and the Black Knight Inc. series! This book has everything a romantic suspense fan can hope for; heart-break, loss, humor, action, passion, romance, sex, need, intrigue, along with a tortured bad-boy hero on a kick-ass bike and a sweet but feisty heroine who can roll with the punches. I laughed, I cried, I got all hot and bothered, I cried some more; this novel covers all the emotional range.

The author’s writing style captured by attention from the get-go. I could literally hear Nate’s voice in my head and I loved it! The pages were brimming with the sexual tension between Ali and Nate. Nate has a lot of inner-demons to face and Ali doesn’t understand why he won’t let her in, he very obviously wants her if you know what I mean. ;) The action was non-stop, the dialogue captivated, the characters were believable, and the plot consumed. So why the 4.5 rating, instead of a perfect 5? A few things with the heroine got to be tad annoying after a while; the constant weak stomach and the ‘h-e-double hockey sticks’. Also, the world building at the beginning of the story jumped around some and it took me a little bit to catch up, but after that initial rough start the story quickly found it’s groove and I loved every minute of it.

If you think you’ve read ex-military special ops stories with sexy but tortured alpha men, well you ain’t read nothing yet! Pick up Hell on Wheels, you will not be disappointed! I am now an official Julie Ann Walker stalker….err…fan ;) and Hell on Wheels is, without a doubt, one of my favorite reads of the year.
Hell on Wheels would stand up to Lori Foster’s When You Dare (Men Who Walk The Edge Of Honor) and the first few books in Maya Bank’s K.G.I. series, it was that dang good!

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Aug 17, 2012 Visionary rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Julie Ann Walker is a new-to-me author. The prospect of harleys being in the book is what snagged me. Being the daughter of a Harley riding father I am considered a bike snob. I will not ride on any other bikes than that...

Seventy-two pages in: Really uncertain what to think of both Nate or Ali. Nate's working on that wanting Ali but keeping to his friend's wishes of staying away from her... Ali should have known that her brother would warn guys off her. C'mon!

Mm, having fun with the tension...more

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Aug 14, 2012 Sia McKye rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Julie Ann Walker writes a fresh suspense that touches your emotions and revs up your libido.

In the heart of the Windy City, is Frank Knight’s high tech custom motorcycle shop, Black Knights, Inc. It creates some tough bikes made to order. They do a good business. Since it’s a bad section of Chicago most people don’t think twice about ten-foot high brick wall topped with rolls of razor wire surrounding the huge compound. Pivoting cameras and a manned security gate are just precautionary protect...more Julie Ann Walker writes a fresh suspense that touches your emotions and revs up your libido.

In the heart of the Windy City, is Frank Knight’s high tech custom motorcycle shop, Black Knights, Inc. It creates some tough bikes made to order. They do a good business. Since it’s a bad section of Chicago most people don’t think twice about ten-foot high brick wall topped with rolls of razor wire surrounding the huge compound. Pivoting cameras and a manned security gate are just precautionary protection of highly expensive bikes, equipment, and tools. Most people see what they want to see. The roar of bikes going in and out and the sound of engines inside the walls merely facilitate that belief. However, while the compound does create some expensive custom ordered bikes, it also houses a highly secretive consulting group known only to a select few high up in the government, and handles the most clandestine operations.

In the three months since her brother’s tragic death in a freak accident while working at the factory, kindergarten teacher, Ali Morgan, has felt the elusive feeling of being watched and she’s picked up a shadow. She’s never seen his face, only felt his presence. A violent mugging attempt sends Ali to Chicago to Nate, her brother Grigg’s best friend and who also works at Black Knight Inc.

All hell breaks loose. Great suspense, lots of tension and action, hot sex on the run, and a great set of characters. I love Ali. She’s got a weak stomach (you’ll see what I mean), but she’s tough. I like the opposites in her character, her inner thoughts and dialog, her aversion to cussing but she’s highly creative in coming up with alternatives (she also doesn’t do well with Nate’s silence and tends to chatter when nervous). She made me laugh. A lot! Nate is tough but he has a heart and some tragic ghosts to deal with. The story made me laugh, brought tears to my eyes on more than one occasion, put me on the edge of my seat chewing nails, and left me smiling at the end.

You’ll love some of the other characters in the story, like Ozzie (geek warrior) who loves 80’s music and anything techie, Patti and Dan, Frank Knight, the boss, Rebecca (I think her middle name is Dammit) an ace mechanic, artist, and wannabe Black Knight. I can’t wait to read her story. And then there's Peanut, lol!

I'm really looking forward the reading the rest of this series!
(less)

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Aug 07, 2012 Nadine rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

Reviewed for http://www.mysecretromancebookreviews...

Hell On Wheels is intriguing, action packed, full of drama and deception.

Black Knights Inc., operating under the guise of a custom motorcycle shop, is a special group of covert operatives. Battered, bruised and heartbroken, Nate Weller just returned home from his last mission. His best friend, Grigg, didn’t make it back. Now Grigg’s sister, Ali, is in danger. Only Nate and the Black Knights team can help her. Racing against time, an assassin,...more

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Aug 22, 2012 Mia Searles rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-romance, romance, suspense-romance, motorcycles, alpha-heroes

This review and many more can be found on my blog at: The Muses Circle

My Review: First and foremost, before I even delve into this review, let's turn our attention for a moment to the cover and title of this book. Hot guy with a gun, wearing a sexy black tight v-neck t-shirt, and a bad ass motorcycle (later I would find out its name, Phantom) in the background. Hell On Wheels??? Oh, HELL YEAH! I really can't explain my joy when I came across this book. Maybe it's because I have a thing for biker...more

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Mar 12, 2013 Goldingurl rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: new-series-starts

The main character is a bit of a conundrum being that she’s so sweet and pure and yet can and will use a gun she has no delusions about her brother or the fact he was more than a mechanic so I found the innocent parts of her trying at the best of times but oddly it wasn’t enough to make me dislike her all together, the hockey sticks almost were.
She’s smart and won’t take no for an answer which is a good thing considering just how hot the water is getting

Nate promised his best friend that he’d s...more

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Jul 18, 2012 The BookWhisperer rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: series, favorites

What is so glorious about special ops military men? I don't know, but please give me more. I loved everything about this story from the characters all the way down to the chop shop. It was a rollercoaster of emotion with the added incentive of not only one steamy and intense romance, but the building of yet another. I must actually admit that I find myself more drawn to Becky's character a little more than Ali, but please don't let me miss lead she was a rocking character as well. She is far fro...more

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May 15, 2013 Nicole rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-dropped-everything-for, books-that-made-me-cry, pure-romance, rockers-tattoes-and-bad-boys, romantic-suspense, crime-fighting-men

Julie Ann Walker, you couldn’t have given me a better birthday present! This was everything I was looking. A romantic suspense book with a sexy alpha hero, fierce action, fiercer love story and minimal lameness. I must have discarded about 50 different books before settling on this and I am glad I did.

The Black Knights remind me of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, only they’re 100% human and more Hawaii 5-0/Burn Notice than Game of Thrones. So you can see how this felt like a big huge present.

Basic...more Julie Ann Walker, you couldn’t have given me a better birthday present! This was everything I was looking. A romantic suspense book with a sexy alpha hero, fierce action, fiercer love story and minimal lameness. I must have discarded about 50 different books before settling on this and I am glad I did.

The Black Knights remind me of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, only they’re 100% human and more Hawaii 5-0/Burn Notice than Game of Thrones. So you can see how this felt like a big huge present.

Basically, Nate “Ghost” Walker is ex-spec ops and he works for a completely loveable team of fellow ex-spooks known as the Black Knights Inc. The Black Knights Inc operate under the guise of a chop shop (though how no one suspects the truth is a little unbelievable) so you can add Harleys to the mix of guns, knives and hot men running around in this little devil.

Nate’s seen a lot of awful things in his career, but the incident involving Nate, his best friend and partner, Grigg and a bunch of sadistic terrorists takes the cake. Nate is a scarred, cloistered alpha male. His nickname is Mr Emotionless or Ice Man because he doesn’t let any of his feels out.

He only becomes a complete asshole around Ali Morgan though, Grigg’s little sister. In love with her and scared shitless of it, and her, he treats her pretty abominably at times. Ali was a great heroine – a tough cookie with a soft centre. She’s tough because she makes intelligent decisions, knows when to ask for help, speaks her mind, doesn’t let anyone walk all over her, and she knows how to handle a Colt .45. She’s soft because really, she’s just a kindergarten teacher. She’s never been shot at before. Hell, she didn’t even know her brother still works for the government.

The best part was that Ali’s reactions and behaviour was so realistic. She trembled, screamed, cried, broke down, threw up a million times. It was nice to see a heroine that doesn’t turn into freakin GI Jane the minute the bullets start flying.

And I loved how these two friends-turned-lovers didn’t immediately fall into each other’s arms. They had a lot of issues to battle through and Walker didn’t skimp on any of it. Walker also didn't skimp on any of the military terminology, slang or violence. She gave it to us straight and while I still have no idea what a Ka-Bar is or the difference between a sniper rifle and a .. what normal rifle? I can appreciate these little details. I also appreciated that Walker didn't sugar coat the violence and the pain, and the terrible toll it takes on those surrounded by it. That didn't make it any easier to read or handle, but I appreciated the honesty of it.

A brilliant start to this series. I will definitely be continuing!(less)

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Jan 31, 2013 Mackenzie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-romance

Black Knights, Inc is a motorcycle shop cover for a group of highly trained, specialized agents who does the jobs that the government wants to, but officially can't. Sniper partners, Nathan "Ghost" Weller and Grigg Morgan are captured during a mission and when Ghost is able to escape, Grigg has been tortured so severely that Grigg begs Ghost to kill him. Knowing Grigg is too injured to make it out, Ghost does just that, even though he feels like he is killing a part of himself.

They had been clo...more Black Knights, Inc is a motorcycle shop cover for a group of highly trained, specialized agents who does the jobs that the government wants to, but officially can't. Sniper partners, Nathan "Ghost" Weller and Grigg Morgan are captured during a mission and when Ghost is able to escape, Grigg has been tortured so severely that Grigg begs Ghost to kill him. Knowing Grigg is too injured to make it out, Ghost does just that, even though he feels like he is killing a part of himself.

They had been close for so long. Grigg even had Ghost at his family home a number of times. When Ghost tells the family, it's Ali, Grigg's younger sister that he feels for. Not only did Ali and Grigg have each other's back, but Ghost himself is half in love with her. But whenever she is around, he clams up, becomes aloof and barely even glances her way because he is afraid of showing his feelings for her.

In her grief, she turns to Ghost and they share an intimate moment before he leaves. A few months later, Ali can't shake the thought that she is being followed. Shen she is nearly mugged, she packs up and head to Black Knights. She KNOWS it is something more that it seems and when she sets off alarms, they discover she's been bugged.

With help of the Black Knights, Inc, the mystery begins to unravel and one of the pieces of the puzzle is a zip drive with photos that Grigg sent Ali before his last mission. She and Ghost retrieve the drive, but Ghost is injured and while they stop to tend to his wounds, they agree to give in to the chemistry between them and have a one night stand, only neither of them want just one night, but Ghost feels that if Ali knows he ended Grigg's life, she will never forgive him and as Grigg's younger sister, she is off limits.

Once all the smoke clears and all of Ghosts secrets are out, he feels as if he can't face Ali and all the horrible things she must think of him and he runs off into hiding. When he finally emerges weeks later, he walks around like his namesake- a ghost. Eventually Ali ends up back at Black Knights and she is going to insure that Ghost knows exactly how she feels. (less)

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Jan 04, 2013 Brenda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I picked up the first three books in the Black Knights, Inc. series before Christmas because I'd heard good things about them. I'm glad I did because they were great reading. The heroines are smart and tough. The guys are alpha males all the way, which does make a girl want to slap them silly, but they come around eventually.

In Hell on Wheels we meet most of the guys, but in the second book we really get the scoop on why they formed the Knights. This book focuses on Nate "Ghost" Weller, the calm...more

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Dec 13, 2012 Samantha rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fictional-men-i-love, i-want-one

Okay, where to start.... I LOVED this book. Spoilers may follow!

It was filled with so much emotion and action that I had to keep reading. The way that Nate was so choked up about the death of his friend was heartbreaking. What was worse was the flashback scene. I actually cried when I read that. It was heartbreaking knowing how much strength and courage was needed to help his best friend but also how much it must have broken him inside.

I loved Ali. I loved her ramblings especially around Nate!...more

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Nov 03, 2012 Liz rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What a perfect change of pace! I have been reading a never ending cycle of drama and angst...and it was so refreshing to move on to something new. Don't get me wrong...there is drama, but not your normal love drama. It is real life, sad but touching.

I am a sucker for stories about the H or h loving from afar, I especially love stories of crushing on the siblings friend. It is a 'used' formula, but never gets old in my book. (view spoiler)...more What a perfect change of pace! I have been reading a never ending cycle of drama and angst...and it was so refreshing to move on to something new. Don't get me wrong...there is drama, but not your normal love drama. It is real life, sad but touching.

I am a sucker for stories about the H or h loving from afar, I especially love stories of crushing on the siblings friend. It is a 'used' formula, but never gets old in my book. (view spoiler)

I enjoyed the fact that Ali looked all gumdrops and rainbows, but on the inside (after a few vomiting episodes) she is one strong damn woman! Nate, is Nate. There isn't a way to really categorize him. Broody, silent, guilt ridden...I just knew once this man opened himself up he would be amazing.

The story had a flow that kept me hooked, kept me guessing, and emotionally connected me with each and every one of the characters. I love how while reading this, you feel like you could close your eyes and literally be there. I haven't had a book in a while that even in sleep refused to leave my thoughts. Still, after finishing, I am thinking about it!

By the way, the secondary characters are almost as good as the H and h. I loved that we had the added bonus of a preview to Becky and Frank (aka Rebel and Boss), their story, with just the taste we got in this book, promises to be off the charts good.

I was a little eh about something...I still can't exactly decide "what" it was that bothered me. I think being the lead in the series there was a lot that needed to be said and accomplished in this story, it never felt rushed...but there was just something that bothered me. (real helpful there, huh?)

For the record...the ending...LOVE IT!!!!!

Looking forward to reading the rest of this series (and really hoping that we will see more of Ali and Nate in the next books, I am not ready to let them go)...I think I have found a new favorite author. (less)

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Oct 21, 2012 Sandy M rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, romantic-suspense

Oh, lord, just what I need, another new author to add to my list! But Julie Ann Walker had me hooked from page one. Her hero is a good-hearted alpha who has to keep his distance from the heroine, his best friend’s sister, for more than one reason. And that heroine? One smooth lady who keeps her cool and her smarts under the most dangerous and stressful situations.

We find right off the bat that Nate, a former Marine, is keeping something about his friend’s death from the man’s family. Especially...more Oh, lord, just what I need, another new author to add to my list! But Julie Ann Walker had me hooked from page one. Her hero is a good-hearted alpha who has to keep his distance from the heroine, his best friend’s sister, for more than one reason. And that heroine? One smooth lady who keeps her cool and her smarts under the most dangerous and stressful situations.

We find right off the bat that Nate, a former Marine, is keeping something about his friend’s death from the man’s family. Especially the sister who he’s been attracted to for years. But you don’t move in on your buddy’s sister, even more so when said buddy warns him to stay away from said sister. We learn the horrible circumstances of torture both he and Grigg endured when captured in the Middle East. But there’s more to the story and Nate doesn’t think about those dark days, let alone talk about it. Nate walked out of that hell. Grigg didn’t.

It’s only a few months since Nate came to their home to tell them about Grigg. Ali is trying to keep positive and move on, but it’s difficult. Then she realizes she’s being followed. After an attempted mugging, she knows something is going on and the only one who can help her is Nate. Since he doesn’t want much to do with her after their brief and disastrous beach interlude, Ali has to brave showing up on his doorstep unannounced. Which at first seems like a mistake. She’s missed him so and he’s a sight for sore eyes, though he’s not even close to welcoming.

Reasoning that Grigg somehow gave Ali information on his latest “rogue” case, Nate and his team struggle to put the pieces together, which eventually lead them to believe Grigg was working outside their strict and loyal lines. But Ali refuses to believe that. Going against the odds to retrieve the intel to finally discover all of Grigg’s secrets, they hop aboard Nate’s “Ghost” – and what a ride it is! – for the long trip to Ali and Grigg’s childhood home. All goes well until the return trip, and what a heart-pounding and subsequently tragic aftermath occurs just when it looks like all is finally going well.

When Ali finally learns the secret that Nate has been living with, all hell breaks loose. There’s confusion all around and they get their signals crossed. Ali thinks the exact opposite of what Nate truly does think. That leads her to believe something Nate would never feel; thus, they’re both miserable for a time. But this gives them time to process everything that’s happened, all the information that’s been revealed, including feelings and emotions they wanted to keep hidden. Coming together after that is that much sweeter.

There’s also a side romance with Nate’s boss, Frank Knight, and another co-worker, Becky, who, I believe, are featured in the next book. Which makes me happy because I was not expecting what happened between them in this book. I like these characters too and I look forward to their story.

I have only a couple of nitpicks, which wouldn’t have bothered me if they’d happened only once. A few times in Nate’s POV there’s things I just don’t see a man saying or thinking; i.e., she’s cute or adorable, that kind of thing. Especially when he is such an alpha the rest of the time, it just doesn’t add up when those thoughts happen. I’d rather have more of his emotions, even the reluctant tear, which are great scenes. The second thing is Ali’s weak stomach. There are some scenes where things are just too much for her and she vomits. Hurls. Throws cookies. And a number of other ways to say upchucking. I had enough with the first scene and all the description to go along with it. I didn’t need it another two or more times at such length. Leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

Otherwise, this is a fun, action-packed read that I thoroughly enjoyed. I’m definitely going to be reading Ms. Walker’s books from here on out.

See my complete review at http://www.goodbadandunread.com (less)

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Oct 12, 2012 Mara rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance

I'm not a standard romance fan. So keep this in mind.

I bought Hell on Wheels as a daily offer for the Kindle. It's not my usual read, but at my rate I often go for offers.

This is one of the worst books I have ever read outside some indies. Not as in misogynistic, or badly written or lacking world-building (my usual complains). This is the first time I actually realize a book hasn't any flaw (for me): it's simply, unbearably stupid. Not fluffy, mind you, stupid.

The setting is stupid and way unbe...more

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Oct 09, 2012 Susan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-books-read, romance, romantic-suspense

Excellent start to a new series. After her brother's death Ali has been experiencing some odd things. She is being followed, her home has been broken into, and she was mugged. Feeling as though it might have something to do with her brother, she goes to Chicago to talk to her brother's best friend Nate. Nate and his friends run a motorcycle shop that is a cover for a special ops team. Ali had always known that there was more to her brother's activities than he'd said and now that was confirmed....more Excellent start to a new series. After her brother's death Ali has been experiencing some odd things. She is being followed, her home has been broken into, and she was mugged. Feeling as though it might have something to do with her brother, she goes to Chicago to talk to her brother's best friend Nate. Nate and his friends run a motorcycle shop that is a cover for a special ops team. Ali had always known that there was more to her brother's activities than he'd said and now that was confirmed. As Nate, Ali and the rest of the Knights try to find out what is going on, Nate and Ali get closer. I loved both Nate and Ali. Ali has had a crush on Nate for years, ever since he started working with Grigg. When she went to Chicago she made it clear that she wasn't going anywhere until she knew what was going on. For a sweet kindergarten teacher I thought Ali had a lot of courage. She had no trouble standing up to Nate and the rest of the team and was able to (mostly) deal with anything that came along. I loved the way that she chattered when she was nervous. She also had a weak stomach that showed up at awkward times (especially at the end), but she worked around it. I really liked the way that she understood Nate and was able to get him to talk. Nate was a great hero and alpha male. He was definitely the strong silent type. He had loved Ali from the first time he met her, but as his best friend's little sister she was off limits. He found that the only way he could deal with his feelings was to stay away from her, but this made it seem as though he didn't like her. I loved the way that when he was around her he could hardly think or put words together in a sentence. When she came to him he knew he had to protect her. I loved the way that he tried so hard to keep his distance but she kept wearing him down. His biggest problem was dealing with the details of his friend's death and the guilt he felt. He was sure that if Ali knew what had really happened she wouldn't want anything to do with him. The final scenes of the book are fantastic and I loved the feelings that Nate was finally able to express. Ali's acceptance of Nate and the things he has done was just what he needed. Besides the main story of Nate and Ali, I loved learning about the other people of the Black Knights. Julie Ann did an excellent job of building their world. Each of the other characters was given life by her descriptions. I loved the set up of the next book with Frank and Becky. Their parts in this book were great and I was with Becky in wanting to smack Frank often and hard! I can't wait to start the next book.(less)

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Oct 08, 2012 Angela rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Alisa Morgan is dealing with the tragic loss of her Ex-Marine brother, Grigg. Shortly after learning of Grigg's death, Alisa starts having the feeling of being watched. After an attemped mugging, Alisa decides that there must be something going on - possibly related to Grigg and his death - so she seeks help from the one man she can't seem to forget.

Nate "Ghost" Walker was Grigg's best friend and fellow Marine. He also bears the weight of Grigg's death on his conscience. Both Nate & Grigg we...more

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Sep 17, 2012 B.E.Love rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a great start to a new series(Black Knight Inc.) by Julia Ann Walker, Nate has been best friends with Grigg for twelve years and was the last person to see him alive so it's his job to tell Grigg's parents the news of his death as well as Griggs sister Ali while trying to remember what Gigg said about staying away from Ali. fast forward to A few months later Ali is sure she is being followed and is pretty sure it has somthing to do with Grigg so she can't think of anyone else to turn to...more

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