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Hell on Wheels

(Black Knights Inc. #1)

Julie Ann Walker (Goodreads Author)

3.93 · Rating details · 13,552 ratings · 1,009 reviews

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. Unf ...more

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Mass Market Paperback, 349 pages

Published August 7th 2012 by Sourcebooks Casablanca (first published August 1st 2012)

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Aug 13, 2012 Val ⚓️ Shameless Non-Snowflake ⚓️ rated it did not like it

Shelves: mc-club, 1-stars, military-spec-ops

Spoilery Rant Fest Ahead...

....As Told by My Ever-Helpful Animal Friends.

***Enter at Your Own Risk***

In light of all the great reviews, this was disappointing and underwhelming on many levels.

description

I kid, I kid. But for realz though.

First of all, I know this is a romance novel and, in light of that, the tactical/military-istic aspects of any story like this are supposed to take a backseat to that romance.

BUT.

The Knights were super lame, dude.

I get that the whole "motorcycle operation" is su ...more

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Mar 09, 2013 Blacky *Romance Addict* marked it as did-not-finish

Shelves: read-contemp-modern-erotica, review, read-2013

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.

...more

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Jun 10, 2012 Kristen rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: romantic-suspense, contemporary-romance, didnt-feel-the-love, drama-became-tedious-and-tiring, long-and-drawn-out, mild-to-medium-steam, action-packed, 3-star, men-in-uniform, too-many-pov

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 overa ...more

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Jun 10, 2012 UniquelyMoi ~ BlithelyBookish rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: first-in-series-trilogy-duet, own-have-read, reviewed-by-me, books-for-review, reviewed-for-netgalley, 2012-reads, reviewed-at-blithelybookish, badass-biker-dudes, publisher-sourcebooks-casablanca, ex-military-black-ops

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

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.
...more

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Jun 10, 2012 Shawna rated it liked it

Shelves: hero-bad-boy-playboy-player, unrequited-love-crush, hero-cold-cruelbrute-dark-dangerous, heroine-good-girl-nice, im-a-cover-hottie-ho, 3-to-4-stars, hh-resist-cause-im-no-good-for-you, romantic-suspense, hero-brooding, villain-uber-bad-nasty

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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Nov 29, 2014 Carmen rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: Romance fans

Recommended to Carmen by: BookBub

Shelves: american-author, traditionally-published, fiction, romance, she-says, published2012

Ali's brother and best friend Grigg has been murdered. Ali knows it isn't just the simple accident she's been lead to believe it is - she knows her brother was involved in some clandestine government operation. She goes to Nate, Grigg's best friend and brother-in-arms. Nate has always had a huge crush on Ali - since he first met her at age 17 - but never ever acted on any of it out of loyalty to Grigg. Ali's always had a huge crush on Nate as well. You'd think now would be the perfect time for t ...more

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Mar 09, 2013 SueBee★bring me an alpha!★ marked it as to-read

Shelves: to-read-contemporaries, kindle, series-check-on-sequel, series-g-contemporaries, series-cr-stand-alone, g-contemporaries, to-read-cr-stand-alone, kindle-freebie, series-ready-4-me-2-read, own-but-not-read

FREE on Amazon US today (8/14/2015)

Stand-alone book 1.

BLURB:
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 ...more

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Jan 15, 2018 Sam (AMNReader) rated it it was ok

Shelves: military-types, romance, suspense, kobo, read-in-2018, sibling-best-friend, mng23, urr-challenge-2018

I said it was readable.

It almost went and made a liar out of me.

Okay to be honest, it was readable. But it also tried really hard not to be. from calling dollar bills “George Washingtons” (no.never) to referencing Ashton Kutcher on punked, it really read like someone trying too hard to stay current and failing like your 69 year old grandfather that wasn’t even current in his day.

I didn’t love reading paragraphs about their firepower.

I also didn’t enjoy when the hero, Nate, said to the heroine, ...more

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May 30, 2012 Niclitagent rated it it was amazing

LOVE this book! Julie Ann Walker introduces some of the sexiest, smartest characters I've read in years. Once you meet the men and women of Black Knights Inc., you'll be stomping your feet waiting for the other books in the series to release. Walker blends action, suspense, and some oh-so-delicious chemistry to craft stories that will hook you from page one and have you tearing through 'til the end. A must read.

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May 21, 2012 Cyndi Delia rated it it was amazing

Run don't walk, to preorder this fun sexy hell of a read! Walker ranks right up there with authors like Lori Foster, Maya Banks, and Lora Leigh. This exciting book has plenty of humor, heart, and steam. Brillant lovable characters and Walker s dynamic writing make this book one the best I've read this year!

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Jan 20, 2015 Lisa Kay rated it liked it

Shelves: genre-romance-suspense, challenge-2015-heac-blue-collar, challenge-2015-rlftci, theme-road-trip, authors-j, m-library-sf-e-book, authors-w, buddy-read-rlftci, new-2-me-author, setting-usa-kentucky

★★★½✩ The heroine threw up way, way too much; I didn't buy some of the plot; saw some things coming a mile away; and we didn't learn much about the hero. Nevertheless, all this made for a good "buddy read" discussion. Still, some nice scenes in a book by a first-time author; I'll continue the series.

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May 18, 2012 Rhayne rated it it was amazing

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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Jul 13, 2012 Angela rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, kindle, 2012-read, suspense, review-books-done, net-galley

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 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 ...more

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Jan 02, 2018 Heather K (dentist in my spare time) marked it as to-read

Shelves: book-lovers-con-2019, bought-but-haven-t-read-yet, free

Kindle freebie 1/2/18

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Jun 19, 2018 Alaina rated it it was ok

Shelves: contemporary, june-challenge-2018, kindle-unlimited, thriller, fiction, new-adult, romance, mystery

Hell on Wheels kind of annoyed me. Okay, it really annoyed me. This book was disappointing and definitely underwhelming in my eyes. I was expecting more since this is the opener for the Black Knights Inc. series.. but

The beginning did get me hooked.. but then it just fell so flat. I didn't really care about what was happening in this book and I also didn't connect to any of the characters. This book is basically about a secret ops team that rides motorcycles.. or whatever. It was weird and I co ...more

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Aug 27, 2012 D.B. Reynolds rated it it was amazing

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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Sep 17, 2012 B.E.Love rated it really liked it

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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Feb 16, 2017 Lover of Romance rated it really liked it

Shelves: genre-contemporary, genre-romantic-suspense, characters-military, topic-secrets, topic-motorcyle-bikes, trope-best-friend-sister, topic-ptsd, characters-bikers, topic-tears-and-emotion

This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance

Summary
Nate Weller also known as "Ghost" has loved Ali from afar but he knows she could never forgive him for what he had to do and withdraws from her. Ali Morgan, never thought that she would be going to the one man who practically ignores her. Her brothers best friend Nate. But when she gets mugged and being followed, she knows that her life is in danger. So she goes to Nate and the Knights for help. She knows t ...more

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Oct 01, 2016 ☼♎ Carmen the Bootyshaker Temptress ☼♎ rated it liked it

Shelves: z-2016-botb, romantic-romantic-suspense, z-nbrc-wobble, z-ammp-1000-reach, romance-contemporary-romance, contemporary, z-rrrc-2016-challenge, romance, war-military, z-2016-oct

This was just ok for me. I was a bit bored with Ali and Nate and Rebecca and Frank. It just seemed like he did everything he could to stay away from her because of his promise to her brother but also due to secrets he had. It was just too much of the back and forth bickering between them.

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Jun 11, 2012 Kaetrin rated it liked it

Shelves: romantic-suspense, ebook, netgalley

Why I read it: Jane from Dear Author tweeted the other day that she was enjoying In Rides Trouble, the second book in this series. I requested it and this one from NetGalley. Of course, being me, I started on book 1.

What it's about: (from Goodreads) 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 ...more

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May 25, 2018 Big Joe Rossi rated it did not like it · review of another edition

DNF @45%
Horribly edited. Multiple POVs that are hard to decide who is thinking.
Just could not get into flow of book. Liked the storyline.

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Oct 09, 2012 Susan rated it it was amazing

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

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. 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. ...more

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Jun 15, 2014 Lauren rated it liked it

Shelves: scarred-heroes, tortured-hero, kindle, romantic-suspense, huge-hero, flashbacks, covert-operative, bikers

Hell on Wheels
3 Stars

Nate Weller has been in love with Ali Morgan from the first, but he is determined to keep her at arms length to protect her from a secret that could destroy them both. Ali has other plans, however, and when she becomes the target of a shadowy conspiracy, she naturally turns to Nate and his fellow Black Knights for help.

The story has potential, but the plotting is problematic and the writing style is jarring.

The basic premise is solid with a group of former special forces o ...more

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Aug 11, 2012 Lindsay rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: reviews, military

Wow. I’m officially a fan of Julie Ann Walker and the Black Knights Inc. series.

I have to start off by saying, my heart completely broke for Nate. What he went through and what he had to do…it’s just unimaginable. I also really admire Ali for all she had to go through in the book. I don’t know how I would have handled what she went through. There were a few scenes between that brought me to tears. (view spoiler) ...more

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Nov 28, 2016 Cheesecake rated it it was ok

Shelves: sheesh-too-many-years-wasted, sheesh-just-not-romantic, ending-meh, story-ultimately-disappointing, hero-hides-emotion, author-isnt-my-cup-of-tea, sheesh-skimmed-parts-to-the-end, story-has-lame-action, story-depressing

I read this ages ago. Guess I forgot to star it. I don't remember much, except that the guys weren't good at their job, and were overly serious. The author killed off someone important and I hate that in a romance. The pseudo OW stuff was lame and Nate was an unromantic asshat. Oh yeah, and my biggest pet peeve... 10+ years wasted for no good reason! Never did pick up anything else by this author. Not my cup of tea I guess.

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Jun 10, 2016 Krista Hendrix rated it it was amazing

Wow! First time I've read this author. Always nice to find a new author I like.

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Apr 26, 2012 Jess rated it really liked it

Shelves: rom-suspense, for_review

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 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. ...more

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Jun 11, 2012 Sarah rated it really liked it

Shelves: books-i-own-kindle, netgalley, for-review-read, 2012-debut-author, read-in-2012

Julie Ann Walker's debut novel Hell on Wheels is a fast paced and exciting start to her Black Knights, Inc series that left me eager to read the next instalment. After several years of reading mainly paranormal stories I've recently rediscovered my love of contemporary romance and romantic suspense in particular. I can't seem to get enough of these alpha military heroes who are hunky, strong, protective and possessive but also surprisingly sweet and caring towards the women in their lives.

Nate i Julie Ann Walker's debut novel Hell on Wheels is a fast paced and exciting start to her Black Knights, Inc series that left me eager to read the next instalment. After several years of reading mainly paranormal stories I've recently rediscovered my love of contemporary romance and romantic suspense in particular. I can't seem to get enough of these alpha military heroes who are hunky, strong, protective and possessive but also surprisingly sweet and caring towards the women in their lives.

Nate is a perfect example of my favourite kind of alpha and of course I fell for him big time while reading his story. An ex-Marine Nate now works for Black Knights, Inc a group of ex-military specialists who do the kind of jobs that the government doesn't want anyone else to know about. His last mission went badly wrong and ended up with both Nate and his best friend Grigg being captured and tortured for days, Grigg didn't survive and Nate has been grieving and struggling with his guilt ever since. When Grigg's sister Ali thinks she is being followed she turns to Nate for help and they soon find themselves caught up in a web of secrets and lies surrounding a conspiracy that could be the death of them both.

It can be very hard to get the balance right in the first book of a new series, the author has to introduce the main characters, create a believable world, build interest for future books and at the same time give us the romance and action that we are looking for in a romantic suspense novel. Although at times there was slightly too much page time given to the next couple in the series overall I felt Julie Ann Walker did a good job of getting the balance right. I loved all of the characters at Black Knights, Inc and can't wait to see more of them as the series continues. I have to confess to having a particular soft spot for a hunky geek though so of course Ozzie was a favourite of mine and I was very excited to learn from the author that he will be getting his own book. I'm excited about all of these heroes though and have a feeling I'm going to love them all. It's always fun when you can get to know a group of characters throughout a series and I enjoyed the teams banter and the way they all look out for each other.

The main characters were almost complete opposites. Nate is very self contained, he is known as the ghost but is also a bit of an ice man who never shows any kind of emotion. He holds everything very close to his chest and this can make him appear cold at times but when you look past the surface he is red hot on the inside. Ali is soft and innocent, she is a kindergarten teacher who never swears and always tends to look on the bright side of things. She has a tendency to babble when she's nervous or scared and Nate makes her very nervous which leads to some very funny conversations between them. I did find her habit of being sick at pretty much anything got a bit tiresome after a while but in a way it was nice to read about a heroine who had a normal, horrified reaction to violence. What they say about opposites attract is certainly the case with these two, they make a perfect couple and I really enjoyed watching them grow closer throughout the story. What I really appreciated was Ali's reaction to Nate's secret but I can't say why without giving spoilers so you'll have to read the book yourself to see if you agree with me.

One of the things I loved most about the story was the humour, I laughed out loud several times while reading the story but I was also so emotionally connected that the author managed to bring tears to my eyes not just once but twice while I was reading. It's been a while since a book last made me cry and I can't think of a romantic suspense story that ever had that effect on me. Hell on Wheels is a very promising debut and I can't wait to read In Rides Trouble and Rev it Up. I think Julie Ann Walker is definitely an author to watch out for - I'm sure we'll be seeing great things from her in the future. ...more

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Aug 04, 2012 Crystal ♥ RBtWBC rated it it was amazing

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

...more

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Aug 01, 2012 Amanda rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-2012, romantic-suspense

I absolutely loved this book! The mix between romance and suspense was well done (by my standards - meaning there was a bit more romance than suspense, but it was not sex sex sex by any means at all). I was also really surprised by the level of emotion that Julie Ann Walker brought forth in this book - to the point where there was one scene that I was actually in tears and another where it almost happened again, something which is very rare for me.

I thought the premise of the book was really int I absolutely loved this book! The mix between romance and suspense was well done (by my standards - meaning there was a bit more romance than suspense, but it was not sex sex sex by any means at all). I was also really surprised by the level of emotion that Julie Ann Walker brought forth in this book - to the point where there was one scene that I was actually in tears and another where it almost happened again, something which is very rare for me.

I thought the premise of the book was really interesting - a group of secret commandos using a custom bike business as a cover is really clever, and actually pretty believable. I absolutely ADORED Nate/Ghost - and although the "in love with the best friends sister but refuses do to anything about it because of said best friend" trope is one of my favorites, this book did not quite go down that road which gave the trope a nice twist. Maybe that was his original reason for staying away, but it was not the main reason why he was staying away during the book (and let me tell you, his reason is pretty damn valid and heartbreaking). Nate is especially amazing because he is actually really sensitive - going so far as to even blush at one point in the book - but he is also by no means beta in any way.

I really liked Ali too - even her propensity for vomiting when upset. It made her more real in a way and I would have been really disappointed if she was able to handle being followed around by shady characters and later being shot at like it happened to her everyday. What she was able to handle was explained by the fact that she had a military trained brother who then taught her the basics of taking care of herself.

My only real gripe is that I would have preferred the book to only be written in Nate and Ali's points of view. Although I do really like Frank and Becky (and really look forward to their book!), I have never overly loved when books show other POVs other than the main hero/heroine. It reminded me a bit of Nina Bruhns books, or Stephanie Tyler with the other POVs (although I actually thought the plot was much less confusing as sometimes the other authors can get, and it didn't character hop nearly as much). I would say that if you are a fan of either Bruhns or Tyler that you will like this one.

So essentially, I loved this book and I am actually really sad that this is Walker's debut (meaning there are no backtitles to read to tide me over during the wait for the next book to come out!) I would definitely recommend anyone who likes romantic suspense to take a chance on this new author - you won't regret it! ...more

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YA Buddy Readers'...: Black Knights Inc Series by Julie Ann Walker -> Starting by June 6th, 2018	6	13	Jun 19, 2018 12:33PM
Romance Lovers fo...: Hell on Wheels (Black Knights Inc. #1) by Julie Ann Walker (Start Date : February 16, 2015)	121	50	Mar 22, 2015 04:06AM
Madison Mega-Mara...: Black Knights Inc. series by Julie Ann Walker	1	2	Jun 17, 2014 06:05PM
Romance Readers R...: Buddy Reads -Meet and Greet- Hell on Wheels-Starts Dec 1!	36	52	Dec 29, 2013 04:26PM
Reviews for the L...: Hell on Wheels - Julie Ann Walker	1	8	Feb 27, 2013 06:00AM
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About Julie Ann Walker

Julie Ann Walker

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Julie Ann Walker is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. She has won the Book Buyers Best Award, been nominated for the National Readers Choice Award, the Australian Romance Reader Awards, and the Romance Writers of America's prestigious RITA award. Julie loves to travel the world looking for views to compete with her deadlines. And if those views happen to come with a blue sky and ...more