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Steele Street #8
Cutting Loose
She's the unsuspecting beauty with something everybody wants.
He's the secret agent in so deep nobody can find him.
Until now...
CIA operative Zachary Prade made his name taking out world threats. But now he’s tracking a very different kind of danger and her name is Lily Robbins. Lily holds the key to a valuable encoded file that’s about to fall into the wrong hands. All Zach has to do is retrieve the key and forget the rain-soaked beauty who came to his Central American plantation seeking shelter from more than the weather.
Lily knows him as Alejandro Campos, the seductive drug lord who saved her life. They met when she traveled to El Salvador to film a documentary…and got caught in the middle of a nasty drug-and-guerrilla war. Now, back in the U.S., hunted by spooks and assassins, Lily has to trust Campos again. Except his name isn’t Campos, and he’s arousing a passion so hot it’s criminal. That is, if they can survive long enough to enjoy it…
He's the secret agent in so deep nobody can find him.
Until now...
CIA operative Zachary Prade made his name taking out world threats. But now he’s tracking a very different kind of danger and her name is Lily Robbins. Lily holds the key to a valuable encoded file that’s about to fall into the wrong hands. All Zach has to do is retrieve the key and forget the rain-soaked beauty who came to his Central American plantation seeking shelter from more than the weather.
Lily knows him as Alejandro Campos, the seductive drug lord who saved her life. They met when she traveled to El Salvador to film a documentary…and got caught in the middle of a nasty drug-and-guerrilla war. Now, back in the U.S., hunted by spooks and assassins, Lily has to trust Campos again. Except his name isn’t Campos, and he’s arousing a passion so hot it’s criminal. That is, if they can survive long enough to enjoy it…
405 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 26, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
March 18, 2009
Apart from a little slow down mid-book (too much technical info overload and too many bad guys to keep track of) this latest edition in the 'Steele Street' series was a rip-roaring good time! It felt like one of the earlier reads from the series--the first five are actually some of the best combinations of hot romance and gripping suspense that I've read. I felt like the series was tailing off though with the sixth and seventh books, sort of losing the romance and the plots becoming a bit more complicated. But I'm happy to say that I think Tara Janzen is back on track again with "Cutting Loose".
That being said, before you read this book it is very important that you read ALL the books before this one, or you will be hopelessly lost. Even if you've read them all, you may feel lost a time or two, especially if some time has passed since you've read the previous book (like me). This book picks up where the previous one left off, with schoolteacher Lily Robbins now back in Albuquerque, New Mexico, after a wild adventure at the El Salvador plantation of drug lord Alejandro Campos.
Lily doesn't know it, but the simple macrame bracelet that she came back with (given to her by a dying pilot from the CIA) is wanted by a bunch of bad guys, as well as her own government. It has an encoded message woven in it, some top-secret, foreign-policy-shaking intelligence linking Russia and Iran, and the CIA wants it back, and some various baddies want it for their own reasons, and there's a high market value for the bracelet for whoever retrieves it. So the CIA send agent Zach Prade to get it. The last time Zach saw Lily was 3 weeks ago, when he was still deep undercover as drug lord Alejandro Campos. Zach and Lily had some serious chemistry going on in El Salvador, and Zach has not been able to get Lily out of his thoughts. But his job is to retrieve the bracelet by however means possible. He's not expected to protect Lily from any bad guys gunning for her. But not long after he arrives in Albuquerque, and while staking out her house, he notices a couple of the bad guys breaking in. He's not going to let the baddies get that bracelet before him, and most importantly, he's not going to let anyone harm Lily. So isn't he surprised when Lily pulls out a gun, and blows one of the baddies away herself? Seems like Lily may know a little bit about defending herself. Quite a turn on for Zach.
Zach and Lily go on the run, dodging all kinds of baddies, and on the way Zach also hooks up with some people he hasn't seen in a long, long time--the SDF (Special Defense Force) guys from Steele Street. It seems that Zach was one of the original chop-shop boys from Steele Street when he was a teen, and he and the SDF's leader, Dylan Hart, share quite a past. Now Dylan (and his young wife Skeeter) are helping Zach and Lily find their way to Denver, helping them avoid all the people gunning for them. There's lots of high speed (120 mph) driving in a tricked out '68 Shelby Cobra, lots of murder and mayhem, and along the way, Lily and Zach find themselves unable to deny the chemistry going on between them.
What I liked most about this one was the relationship between Zach and Lily. Yes, Zach was this hardened agent with the CIA, used to going undercover for years at a time, yet underneath it all he was just a sweet guy looking for love. He just seemed like a guy who really needed to be loved, and had a lot of love to give. The author didn't go too deep into his past, but what she revealed was rather heart-breaking. I was so glad he found a woman like Lily, who although was totally innocent and unaware what the macrame bracelet contained, certainly was a smart cookie, able to put two and two together, and was even able to protect herself. I liked that about her, and was glad that even though she had people gunning for her, she didn't freak out and lose her head.
I also liked the little tidbits that the author gave about some of the Steele Street guys' pasts. I really wasn't expecting to hear about how the 'sorceress' Alazne was linked to some of the guys--verrry interesting.
I liked the two new characters that were introduced--Cherie Hacker (computer geek extraordinaire) and techno-nerd Dr. Gabriel Shore, who just happens to be Gillian ("Red Dog") Pentycote's younger brother. I predict hot times for these two characters in the future.
What I didn't like was when the author went into too much detail about the various computers, guns, hi-tech equipment, and even the muscle cars (which are almost characters themselves, complete with names like Charlotte, Charlene, and Roxanne). For me, a little bit of this is enough--too much and my mind starts to wander--I'd rather read about the romance aspects of the plot, which were very well done. It was hard to believe that Zach and Lily's romance took place in the space of one day. I totally bought into it, and I especially liked the little follow-up that basically happened after the action part of the story was resolved. It was very sweet and sexy. Zach was just a total sweetheart in my opinion, and I really wanted him to have a HEA--he deserved it. Tara Janzen has a real knack for making her alpha heroes sweetly vulnerable, and I like how they often come undone by a woman.
So, for those of you following the series, this was a mostly fast-paced, exciting read. I think the author is back on track with this one, and it has the flavor of the earlier books. It also helped that we got a nice glimpse of the guys and gals from Steele Street, and characters like Dylan Hart and Skeeter Bang actually played a pretty important role. I loved Zach and Lily, and thought their love scenes were sweet, sexy, and hot too. I will definitely start on the next one, Loose and Easy soon, and look forward to the release of Breaking Loose this summer. 4 1/2 stars.
That being said, before you read this book it is very important that you read ALL the books before this one, or you will be hopelessly lost. Even if you've read them all, you may feel lost a time or two, especially if some time has passed since you've read the previous book (like me). This book picks up where the previous one left off, with schoolteacher Lily Robbins now back in Albuquerque, New Mexico, after a wild adventure at the El Salvador plantation of drug lord Alejandro Campos.
Lily doesn't know it, but the simple macrame bracelet that she came back with (given to her by a dying pilot from the CIA) is wanted by a bunch of bad guys, as well as her own government. It has an encoded message woven in it, some top-secret, foreign-policy-shaking intelligence linking Russia and Iran, and the CIA wants it back, and some various baddies want it for their own reasons, and there's a high market value for the bracelet for whoever retrieves it. So the CIA send agent Zach Prade to get it. The last time Zach saw Lily was 3 weeks ago, when he was still deep undercover as drug lord Alejandro Campos. Zach and Lily had some serious chemistry going on in El Salvador, and Zach has not been able to get Lily out of his thoughts. But his job is to retrieve the bracelet by however means possible. He's not expected to protect Lily from any bad guys gunning for her. But not long after he arrives in Albuquerque, and while staking out her house, he notices a couple of the bad guys breaking in. He's not going to let the baddies get that bracelet before him, and most importantly, he's not going to let anyone harm Lily. So isn't he surprised when Lily pulls out a gun, and blows one of the baddies away herself? Seems like Lily may know a little bit about defending herself. Quite a turn on for Zach.
Zach and Lily go on the run, dodging all kinds of baddies, and on the way Zach also hooks up with some people he hasn't seen in a long, long time--the SDF (Special Defense Force) guys from Steele Street. It seems that Zach was one of the original chop-shop boys from Steele Street when he was a teen, and he and the SDF's leader, Dylan Hart, share quite a past. Now Dylan (and his young wife Skeeter) are helping Zach and Lily find their way to Denver, helping them avoid all the people gunning for them. There's lots of high speed (120 mph) driving in a tricked out '68 Shelby Cobra, lots of murder and mayhem, and along the way, Lily and Zach find themselves unable to deny the chemistry going on between them.
What I liked most about this one was the relationship between Zach and Lily. Yes, Zach was this hardened agent with the CIA, used to going undercover for years at a time, yet underneath it all he was just a sweet guy looking for love. He just seemed like a guy who really needed to be loved, and had a lot of love to give. The author didn't go too deep into his past, but what she revealed was rather heart-breaking. I was so glad he found a woman like Lily, who although was totally innocent and unaware what the macrame bracelet contained, certainly was a smart cookie, able to put two and two together, and was even able to protect herself. I liked that about her, and was glad that even though she had people gunning for her, she didn't freak out and lose her head.
I also liked the little tidbits that the author gave about some of the Steele Street guys' pasts. I really wasn't expecting to hear about how the 'sorceress' Alazne was linked to some of the guys--verrry interesting.
I liked the two new characters that were introduced--Cherie Hacker (computer geek extraordinaire) and techno-nerd Dr. Gabriel Shore, who just happens to be Gillian ("Red Dog") Pentycote's younger brother. I predict hot times for these two characters in the future.
What I didn't like was when the author went into too much detail about the various computers, guns, hi-tech equipment, and even the muscle cars (which are almost characters themselves, complete with names like Charlotte, Charlene, and Roxanne). For me, a little bit of this is enough--too much and my mind starts to wander--I'd rather read about the romance aspects of the plot, which were very well done. It was hard to believe that Zach and Lily's romance took place in the space of one day. I totally bought into it, and I especially liked the little follow-up that basically happened after the action part of the story was resolved. It was very sweet and sexy. Zach was just a total sweetheart in my opinion, and I really wanted him to have a HEA--he deserved it. Tara Janzen has a real knack for making her alpha heroes sweetly vulnerable, and I like how they often come undone by a woman.
So, for those of you following the series, this was a mostly fast-paced, exciting read. I think the author is back on track with this one, and it has the flavor of the earlier books. It also helped that we got a nice glimpse of the guys and gals from Steele Street, and characters like Dylan Hart and Skeeter Bang actually played a pretty important role. I loved Zach and Lily, and thought their love scenes were sweet, sexy, and hot too. I will definitely start on the next one, Loose and Easy soon, and look forward to the release of Breaking Loose this summer. 4 1/2 stars.
March 13, 2009
I was all set to give this book a solid five-star rating...then the last page came and went, leaving me feeling like one of the main dynamics of the story had been ignored. And it left me feeling rather unsatisfied so I bumped down my rating an entire point to four stars.
Cutting Loose is the eighth book in Tara Janzen's Steele Street series, and the second book in the "Loose" subset. It's important to note that this book is NOT a standalone. Events in this story are directly related to what happened in the previous book, On the Loose. It's basically a continuation of things that happened in "On the Loose." So you really should at least read that one first. It would help to read the others to understand character dynamics and the basic set up, but you could probably get by just reading "On the Loose" first.
In the previous book, schoolteacher Lily Robbins took a sabbatical from her job to travel to El Salvador where she planned to make a documentary on the nuns of an impoverished Catholic orphanage. But when she got there, all she saw was violence and death. She filmed the last words of a CIA pilot, shot down and tortured by rebel forces, and unknowingly accepted a top secret item from him. The only way she managed to escape the ordeal alive was from the help of local coffee grower/drug lord Alejandro Campos - a man who is actually a deep cover CIA operative.
Now, three weeks later, Alejandro - who is actually Zach Prade, one of the original Steele Street chop shop boys - has been called back to Washington. The CIA has realized that Lily Robbins is in possession of a macrame bracelet with a microdot code fiber embedded inside. Whether she has it on purpose or by accident, they don't know. They do know that they aren't the only ones to realize what she has. Lots of underworld people are now gunning for Lily. So it's Zach's job to get to Lily (a woman he hasn't been able to stop thinking about), get the bracelet and get out. Easier said than done. Someone gets to her before him and now the two are running for their lives...trying to get to Denver, and for Zach, trying to get home.
Right from the start I was hooked into this story. Alejandro - Zach - was such an intriguing character in the last book so I was very interested in his story. He's the last lost Steele Street boy, and I wanted to see how that played out, see how he returned to the fold and the reunion with his friends.
Plus, there was some great chemistry between him and Lily right from the start. There was an enjoyable dynamic between them that was fun to read. I liked Lily a lot. Very strong heroine material.
One of the aspects of this book that I enjoyed the most was ironically the thing that was lacking in the previous book for me - the Steele Street vibe. This book very much felt like a Steele Street story. It's fast paced, action packed, edge-of-you-seat suspense. The whole book takes place in only about a day, but you hardly notice it because the story is so interesting. And I loved that the Steele Street crew (or at least some of them) actually played a role in this book. Dylan, Skeeter and Gillian all played supporting roles (plus some face-time for Honey and the introduction of two new characters, Cherie Hacker and Gabriel Shore, Red Dog's brother). I just really enjoyed having Dylan, Skeeter and Gillian in the book. Skeeter is one of my all-time favorite heroines. But having them present gave the book a much stronger Steele Street/SDF feel. Oh, and the cars were back...I LOVE the Steele Street cars. Zach had a Shelby Mustang, which is just SO not fair ;)
So up until the end of this book, I loved everything about it. Then the end left me wanting. One of the main themes was that of Zach going back home, back to Steele Street and to his "family." There were scenes throughout the book between Zach and SB303 (Skeeter) that were great and Dylan telling Zach to come home so he could meet Dylan's wife. Plus the anticipated reunion of Zach and Dylan, which started at the end of the previous book. So I was really waiting for that. I really wanted to read that in-person reunion with Zach and his past.
And it never happened. He gets back to Denver at the very end, the plot resolves, he's unconscious when Gillian finds him. Then the story ends with 2 scenes...one of Zach in the hospital with Lily visiting him, then a final chapter four weeks later between Lily and Zach (the HEA). There was no face-to-face reunion with Zach and Dylan or Zach and any other of the SDF people, no meeting of Zach and SB303 (Skeeter - Dylan's wife). It was so disappointing. I was waiting the whole book for that and was left hanging. Sure, the plot was resolved, some threads were left for upcoming books, and there was an HEA for Lily and Zach, but having that one aspect left undone left me feeling unsatisfied when I finished. It was such a running theme throughout the story, and to not have it dealt with was just a big let down. Plus Zach's future was a bit sketchy. There's like a 3 sentence thing about how he'll now be doing jobs for General Grant and SDF and all I could think was, wait! That's all I get? How did this come about?
So yeah, I finished this book and all I could think about as I was falling asleep after was how annoyed I was with the ending and how disappointed that one of the things I'd looked forward to most in the book never happened. It leaves a bit of a sour taste and turns a five star book into a four star. The book is fantastic...up to the end. But I'd still recommend reading it for those that have enjoyed the other books in this series. I enjoyed it a lot, just wished that one issue had been dealt with at the end.
Cutting Loose is the eighth book in Tara Janzen's Steele Street series, and the second book in the "Loose" subset. It's important to note that this book is NOT a standalone. Events in this story are directly related to what happened in the previous book, On the Loose. It's basically a continuation of things that happened in "On the Loose." So you really should at least read that one first. It would help to read the others to understand character dynamics and the basic set up, but you could probably get by just reading "On the Loose" first.
In the previous book, schoolteacher Lily Robbins took a sabbatical from her job to travel to El Salvador where she planned to make a documentary on the nuns of an impoverished Catholic orphanage. But when she got there, all she saw was violence and death. She filmed the last words of a CIA pilot, shot down and tortured by rebel forces, and unknowingly accepted a top secret item from him. The only way she managed to escape the ordeal alive was from the help of local coffee grower/drug lord Alejandro Campos - a man who is actually a deep cover CIA operative.
Now, three weeks later, Alejandro - who is actually Zach Prade, one of the original Steele Street chop shop boys - has been called back to Washington. The CIA has realized that Lily Robbins is in possession of a macrame bracelet with a microdot code fiber embedded inside. Whether she has it on purpose or by accident, they don't know. They do know that they aren't the only ones to realize what she has. Lots of underworld people are now gunning for Lily. So it's Zach's job to get to Lily (a woman he hasn't been able to stop thinking about), get the bracelet and get out. Easier said than done. Someone gets to her before him and now the two are running for their lives...trying to get to Denver, and for Zach, trying to get home.
Right from the start I was hooked into this story. Alejandro - Zach - was such an intriguing character in the last book so I was very interested in his story. He's the last lost Steele Street boy, and I wanted to see how that played out, see how he returned to the fold and the reunion with his friends.
Plus, there was some great chemistry between him and Lily right from the start. There was an enjoyable dynamic between them that was fun to read. I liked Lily a lot. Very strong heroine material.
One of the aspects of this book that I enjoyed the most was ironically the thing that was lacking in the previous book for me - the Steele Street vibe. This book very much felt like a Steele Street story. It's fast paced, action packed, edge-of-you-seat suspense. The whole book takes place in only about a day, but you hardly notice it because the story is so interesting. And I loved that the Steele Street crew (or at least some of them) actually played a role in this book. Dylan, Skeeter and Gillian all played supporting roles (plus some face-time for Honey and the introduction of two new characters, Cherie Hacker and Gabriel Shore, Red Dog's brother). I just really enjoyed having Dylan, Skeeter and Gillian in the book. Skeeter is one of my all-time favorite heroines. But having them present gave the book a much stronger Steele Street/SDF feel. Oh, and the cars were back...I LOVE the Steele Street cars. Zach had a Shelby Mustang, which is just SO not fair ;)
So up until the end of this book, I loved everything about it. Then the end left me wanting. One of the main themes was that of Zach going back home, back to Steele Street and to his "family." There were scenes throughout the book between Zach and SB303 (Skeeter) that were great and Dylan telling Zach to come home so he could meet Dylan's wife. Plus the anticipated reunion of Zach and Dylan, which started at the end of the previous book. So I was really waiting for that. I really wanted to read that in-person reunion with Zach and his past.
And it never happened. He gets back to Denver at the very end, the plot resolves, he's unconscious when Gillian finds him. Then the story ends with 2 scenes...one of Zach in the hospital with Lily visiting him, then a final chapter four weeks later between Lily and Zach (the HEA). There was no face-to-face reunion with Zach and Dylan or Zach and any other of the SDF people, no meeting of Zach and SB303 (Skeeter - Dylan's wife). It was so disappointing. I was waiting the whole book for that and was left hanging. Sure, the plot was resolved, some threads were left for upcoming books, and there was an HEA for Lily and Zach, but having that one aspect left undone left me feeling unsatisfied when I finished. It was such a running theme throughout the story, and to not have it dealt with was just a big let down. Plus Zach's future was a bit sketchy. There's like a 3 sentence thing about how he'll now be doing jobs for General Grant and SDF and all I could think was, wait! That's all I get? How did this come about?
So yeah, I finished this book and all I could think about as I was falling asleep after was how annoyed I was with the ending and how disappointed that one of the things I'd looked forward to most in the book never happened. It leaves a bit of a sour taste and turns a five star book into a four star. The book is fantastic...up to the end. But I'd still recommend reading it for those that have enjoyed the other books in this series. I enjoyed it a lot, just wished that one issue had been dealt with at the end.
March 15, 2009
Cutting Loose is another great book in what has become one of my favorite series. While I have truly enjoyed each book in the Steele Street series, Cutting Loose was one of the best. The hero, Zach Prade, has been mentioned in several of the other books, and he played a prominent role in the last one in his undercover identity of Alejandro Campos, Salvadoran drug lord. I have been looking forward to his story, and I was not disappointed.
Alejandro Campos has been called to Langley for the first time in his eleven years undercover with the CIA. His eight years of deep cover as a Central American drug lord have ended after a fiasco that left the CIA missing a coveted bracelet containing an important encrypted key. The CIA is in a race to find the macrame bracelet before it lands in the wrong hands, and they believe that it must be in the possession of Lily Robbins. Lily is a teacher from New Mexico who inadvertently filmed the death of the CIA pilot who had the bracelet. Alejandro is given the task of recovering the bracelet from Lily, who sought refuge at his home when her trip to El Salvador took a frightening turn. After clandestinely liberating his 1968 Mustang from SDF headquarters in Denver, he heads to New Mexico, arriving at Lily's home to watch two men break and enter. Alejandro spirits Lily away, but not before she shoots one of the intruders. Soon Alejandro and Lily are on the run from the police, as well as more than one organization who desire possession of the encrypted key. While at his villa three weeks previously, Lily developed an unwilling attraction to this Central American drug lord, but she is frightened and angry when he first seizes her. Alejandro soon realizes that tracking and computer devices in the Mustang allow communication with SDF. Dylan Hart, lead agent of SDF, caught sight of Alejandro Campos when the drug lord helped Lily and SDF agent C. Smith Rydell back to the U.S. three weeks earlier, and he realized that the man was Zachary Prade. Zach/Alejandro decides that Lily will have protection if he takes her to Denver, so Dylan puts his resources into helping them reach SDF headquarters safely. As they travel from Albuquerque to Denver, Lily hears Zach's conversations with SDF and realizes that he is a government agent. The attraction flares between them and erupts into passion as they stop and hide away for most of the day. Back on the road, Zach again utilizes the help of his former associates as he finally tries to go back home to Steele Street.
It was nice to see that this book also features a few of the SDF operators from previous novels - Dylan Hart, Skeeter Bang, and Gillian Pentycote. The others are off on various pursuits during this story. Zachary Prade and Lily Robbins were both strong, likeable characters. Lily was very self sufficient and able to handle danger, but still sensitive enough that she was bothered afterwards. Zach and Lily fell for one another quickly, and once she realized that he was a government agent, neither of them tried to deny their strong emotional connection. This book is extremely fast paced and contains plenty of action. Most of the story takes place on one day. The backgrounds and connections between characters are so important to this series that I strongly recommend reading them in order. It would be hard to make sense of the Steele Street books if they were read out of the context of the series. I loved Zach's story, and I eagerly await the opportunity to read the next book.
Alejandro Campos has been called to Langley for the first time in his eleven years undercover with the CIA. His eight years of deep cover as a Central American drug lord have ended after a fiasco that left the CIA missing a coveted bracelet containing an important encrypted key. The CIA is in a race to find the macrame bracelet before it lands in the wrong hands, and they believe that it must be in the possession of Lily Robbins. Lily is a teacher from New Mexico who inadvertently filmed the death of the CIA pilot who had the bracelet. Alejandro is given the task of recovering the bracelet from Lily, who sought refuge at his home when her trip to El Salvador took a frightening turn. After clandestinely liberating his 1968 Mustang from SDF headquarters in Denver, he heads to New Mexico, arriving at Lily's home to watch two men break and enter. Alejandro spirits Lily away, but not before she shoots one of the intruders. Soon Alejandro and Lily are on the run from the police, as well as more than one organization who desire possession of the encrypted key. While at his villa three weeks previously, Lily developed an unwilling attraction to this Central American drug lord, but she is frightened and angry when he first seizes her. Alejandro soon realizes that tracking and computer devices in the Mustang allow communication with SDF. Dylan Hart, lead agent of SDF, caught sight of Alejandro Campos when the drug lord helped Lily and SDF agent C. Smith Rydell back to the U.S. three weeks earlier, and he realized that the man was Zachary Prade. Zach/Alejandro decides that Lily will have protection if he takes her to Denver, so Dylan puts his resources into helping them reach SDF headquarters safely. As they travel from Albuquerque to Denver, Lily hears Zach's conversations with SDF and realizes that he is a government agent. The attraction flares between them and erupts into passion as they stop and hide away for most of the day. Back on the road, Zach again utilizes the help of his former associates as he finally tries to go back home to Steele Street.
It was nice to see that this book also features a few of the SDF operators from previous novels - Dylan Hart, Skeeter Bang, and Gillian Pentycote. The others are off on various pursuits during this story. Zachary Prade and Lily Robbins were both strong, likeable characters. Lily was very self sufficient and able to handle danger, but still sensitive enough that she was bothered afterwards. Zach and Lily fell for one another quickly, and once she realized that he was a government agent, neither of them tried to deny their strong emotional connection. This book is extremely fast paced and contains plenty of action. Most of the story takes place on one day. The backgrounds and connections between characters are so important to this series that I strongly recommend reading them in order. It would be hard to make sense of the Steele Street books if they were read out of the context of the series. I loved Zach's story, and I eagerly await the opportunity to read the next book.
July 31, 2017
Actual Rating: 3.5 Stars
Cutting Loose still didn't feel like the reason why I ended up loving these Steele Street books, but it DID get right back into the heart of it's absurdly entertaining factor. There are guns, there are cars, and there's the hot and steamy sex... of which our couple seems to manage over a very long period of time. Whew! There's high speed chase from danger, but no gun fights or explosions.
And it wasn't until nearing the end of the book that I realized that the entire setting of this 400 page book takes place over the time frame of one day. Only the first couple and last couple chapters are not part of the one day. And so that's when I felt a slightly bit more impressed--because for a book that manages to drag out an entire day of cat and mouse chase between several players, the progression actually flew by pretty quickly.
I hadn't even been aware that things were happening, because I kept thinking that we weren't in the middle of the conflict yet... and yet we technically were. If that makes any sense.
These books don't make any sense.
So this review probably doesn't make any sense either.
Anyway...
While Lily and Zach were interesting characters, this wouldn't be the first time in this series where we didn't get enough of a chance to get to know the main couple. And so, while you learn a few things about them as the story progresses, we really barely skim the surface of these two character's biographies. Even Lily barely knows who Zach is until the end of the book. The two of them are running from danger together, with secrets as the giant pink elephant in the backseat of Zach's Shelby Cobra Mustang.
And yet, somehow, they managed to make this partnership work. Somehow, they develop a rather believable romance, even if most of it is based off of lust and adrenaline. Somehow, I found the two of them rather intriguing.
Meanwhile, we get to meet previous characters, which I love doing, because usually I end up loving previous books' main characters as side characters. They tend to be much more fun when they aren't center stage, ya know. Unfortunately, like some of the previous books in this series, you also get introduced to a random secondary couple who kind of also manages to hog some book time along with other side characters... and you'd rather just get back to the main couple and learn more about them.
Entertaining book. Lots of potential. Lots of crazy.
***
Free Friday #7:
Page Count: 405
Cash Award: +$10.00
Updated Bank Balance: $268.00
Cutting Loose still didn't feel like the reason why I ended up loving these Steele Street books, but it DID get right back into the heart of it's absurdly entertaining factor. There are guns, there are cars, and there's the hot and steamy sex... of which our couple seems to manage over a very long period of time. Whew! There's high speed chase from danger, but no gun fights or explosions.
And it wasn't until nearing the end of the book that I realized that the entire setting of this 400 page book takes place over the time frame of one day. Only the first couple and last couple chapters are not part of the one day. And so that's when I felt a slightly bit more impressed--because for a book that manages to drag out an entire day of cat and mouse chase between several players, the progression actually flew by pretty quickly.
I hadn't even been aware that things were happening, because I kept thinking that we weren't in the middle of the conflict yet... and yet we technically were. If that makes any sense.
These books don't make any sense.
So this review probably doesn't make any sense either.
Anyway...
While Lily and Zach were interesting characters, this wouldn't be the first time in this series where we didn't get enough of a chance to get to know the main couple. And so, while you learn a few things about them as the story progresses, we really barely skim the surface of these two character's biographies. Even Lily barely knows who Zach is until the end of the book. The two of them are running from danger together, with secrets as the giant pink elephant in the backseat of Zach's Shelby Cobra Mustang.
And yet, somehow, they managed to make this partnership work. Somehow, they develop a rather believable romance, even if most of it is based off of lust and adrenaline. Somehow, I found the two of them rather intriguing.
Meanwhile, we get to meet previous characters, which I love doing, because usually I end up loving previous books' main characters as side characters. They tend to be much more fun when they aren't center stage, ya know. Unfortunately, like some of the previous books in this series, you also get introduced to a random secondary couple who kind of also manages to hog some book time along with other side characters... and you'd rather just get back to the main couple and learn more about them.
Entertaining book. Lots of potential. Lots of crazy.
***
Free Friday #7:
Page Count: 405
Cash Award: +$10.00
Updated Bank Balance: $268.00
April 18, 2008
Another action packed, thrilling ride by Janzen!
I can't believe how she does it. She manages to combine all of my favourite things, hot, torqued-up muscle cars (my fave will always be Superman's 1971 Dodge Challenger R/T Hemi in Sublime Green (my parents own a 1973 Dodge Challenger Rally R/T in yellow with white leather seats), lots of action, steamy love scenes, complex characters and two points to the story - a) the 'why's-everybody-after-the-good-guys' point and b) the 'gorgeous-hunk-of-muscle-overcoming-his-past-and-falling-in-love-with-the-girl-whether-they-like-it-or-not' point.
Originally, you felt the attraction between Lily and Zack in Janzen's last novel, On The Loose (Book #7), only she knew him as Alejandro Campos, drug lord. It may have sort of been the truth, but for a point. Deep cover for the CIA is Zack's forte. Lily may be a schoolteacher, but she's far from naive, thanks to her Montana sherriff daddy. The pair was thrown together and I'm glad they fell hard for each other. After everything, they deserved their happy ending.
Great, well played out action scenes that get your heart pumping, terrific love scenes that leave you breathless and hot under the collar. Can't ask for better. I just wish I didn't have to wait until November 2008 for the ninth book, Loose and Easy.
I can't believe how she does it. She manages to combine all of my favourite things, hot, torqued-up muscle cars (my fave will always be Superman's 1971 Dodge Challenger R/T Hemi in Sublime Green (my parents own a 1973 Dodge Challenger Rally R/T in yellow with white leather seats), lots of action, steamy love scenes, complex characters and two points to the story - a) the 'why's-everybody-after-the-good-guys' point and b) the 'gorgeous-hunk-of-muscle-overcoming-his-past-and-falling-in-love-with-the-girl-whether-they-like-it-or-not' point.
Originally, you felt the attraction between Lily and Zack in Janzen's last novel, On The Loose (Book #7), only she knew him as Alejandro Campos, drug lord. It may have sort of been the truth, but for a point. Deep cover for the CIA is Zack's forte. Lily may be a schoolteacher, but she's far from naive, thanks to her Montana sherriff daddy. The pair was thrown together and I'm glad they fell hard for each other. After everything, they deserved their happy ending.
Great, well played out action scenes that get your heart pumping, terrific love scenes that leave you breathless and hot under the collar. Can't ask for better. I just wish I didn't have to wait until November 2008 for the ninth book, Loose and Easy.
August 1, 2020
Lily and Zach
These two briefly met in the jungle before she was flown back to the states on a private jet by the local drug lord.
Now in Albuquerque Lily is packing to drive to her parent ranch in Montana. She gets up in the morning, takes a shower and bam a man enters her bathroom whirls her around and shoots at another stranger that’s aiming a gun at her!!! What is going on??
What a slam bam 💥 opening!! The rest of the story is as adrenaline pumping right up to the Epilogue. Yes, there’s love along the wildest road trip in route to Steele Street in Denver.
We have a couple back stores, an introduction to two new characters and what exactly is going on with Red Dog? Fun stuff!
These two briefly met in the jungle before she was flown back to the states on a private jet by the local drug lord.
Now in Albuquerque Lily is packing to drive to her parent ranch in Montana. She gets up in the morning, takes a shower and bam a man enters her bathroom whirls her around and shoots at another stranger that’s aiming a gun at her!!! What is going on??
What a slam bam 💥 opening!! The rest of the story is as adrenaline pumping right up to the Epilogue. Yes, there’s love along the wildest road trip in route to Steele Street in Denver.
We have a couple back stores, an introduction to two new characters and what exactly is going on with Red Dog? Fun stuff!
September 1, 2023
I hadn't read this since it first came out in 2008. I remember thinking it wasn't as good as the others, but this time around, iI actually liked it better than the last few books! I'd give it a 4.5 out of 5.
I liked Alejandro Campos, aka Zach Prade actually being undercover CIA and a long-lost chop shop boy. He'd popped up in previous books, so it was cool seeing him utilized in this way. Lily was, of course, also introduced in the previous book, which is Ms. Janzen's m.o. I liked that her previous intro was simple, so we really got to know her in this book.
It does slow down a bit in the middle, with a lot of chapters devoted to bad guys and other characters in the book who aren't in scenes with the main couple. I'm not a fan of that.
The chapters that are devoted to Lily and Zach are great. There's good sexual tension and sexy times, good chase scenes, and character development.
Hopefully the next book is a good as this one!
I liked Alejandro Campos, aka Zach Prade actually being undercover CIA and a long-lost chop shop boy. He'd popped up in previous books, so it was cool seeing him utilized in this way. Lily was, of course, also introduced in the previous book, which is Ms. Janzen's m.o. I liked that her previous intro was simple, so we really got to know her in this book.
It does slow down a bit in the middle, with a lot of chapters devoted to bad guys and other characters in the book who aren't in scenes with the main couple. I'm not a fan of that.
The chapters that are devoted to Lily and Zach are great. There's good sexual tension and sexy times, good chase scenes, and character development.
Hopefully the next book is a good as this one!
April 4, 2011
Zachary Prade (aka Alejandro Campos) + Lily Robbins + Charlotte the Harlot = A Fantastic story that finally brings piece & love to the last lost Steele Street crew member. This story was such an amazing ride from the very first page to the last. The action was non-stop and the chemistry between Zach & Lily was explosive. The past few books have just been ok for me but this one made me remember why I fell in love with the series. Can't wait for the next installment!
November 19, 2011
This series is vey entertaining and I find myself repeatedly coming back for more. It just doesn't contain the depth and finesse that would rate it higher.
January 14, 2025
กรี๊ด กรี๊ด กรี๊ด
นั่นคือเสียงของแม็กซ์ขณะที่อ่านหนังสือเล่มนี้ และก็เหมือนกับทุกเล่มในชุดสตีล สตรีทของทาร่า แจนเซ่น (ออกเสียงอย่างถูกต้องว่า แทร่า เจนเซ่น อย่างที่ผู้รู้คนนึงบอกแม็กซ์มา) ที่แม็กซ์กรี๊ดไปกับตัวละครทุกตัวในเรื่อง ไม่ใช่เฉพาะพระเอกและนางเอก
เล่มนี้แตกต่างจากเล่มก่อนหน้า On the loose ที่แทบจะไม่มีหนุ่ม ๆ จากสตีล สตรีทโผล่หน้ามาให้เห็นเท่าไหร เล่มนี้อาจจะมีแค่ดีแลนที่เห็นหน้ากันในเรื่อง แต่เรื่องราวในอดีตของพวกสตรีล สตรีท ก็ถูกเล่าให้เห็นผ่านสายตาของสมาชิกก่อตั้งสตีล สตรีทคนสุดท้ายที่ในที่สุดก็กลับบ้าน
อเลฮานโดร แคมโปส หรือชื่อจริงในนามของแซคคารีย์ ไพร์ด (หรืออาจจะอ่านว่าพราเด แม็กซ์ไม่ค่อยแน่ใจนัก) ถูกเรียกตัวมาจากงานในเอล ซัลวาดอร์เพื่อตามหาเครื่องมือถอดรหัสที่บังเอิญตกไปอยู่ในมือของคุณครูผู้ ไม่รู้อิโหน่อิเหน่อย่างลิลี่ ร็อบบินส์ ผู้ที่เขาพบตั้งแต่ในเรื่อง OTL
ด้วยเหตุผลบางอย่าง (ที่เล่มนี้ไม่เฉลย) แซคเดินจากเพื่อนของเขาในสตีล สตรีท ออกไปทำงานให้กับซีไอเอ แต่ภารกิจในงานนี้ทำให้เขาต้องกลับไปหา "บ้าน" ของเขาอีกครั้ง
เนื้อเรื่องของเล่มนี้ก็ยังเดินตามสูตรนิยายทุกเล่มในชุด นั่นคือ เป็นเหตุการณ์อันน่าตื่นเต้นที่เกิดขึ้นภายในเวลา 24 ชั่วโมง ในเล่มนี้แซคต้องตามหาตัวลิลี่ และพาเธอไปสู่ความปลอดภัย ท่ามกลางการตามล่าของทุกฝ่ายที่ต้องการความลับที่ลิลี่ถือไว้อย่างไม่รู้ตัว
เหตุผลที่แม็กซ์ให้คะแนนเล่มนี้เหนือกว่า OTL ไม่ใช่เพราะเรื่องราวสนุกกว่าหรอกนะคะ แต่เป็นเพราะเล่มนี้แม็กซ์ได้เจอกับบรรดาเพื่อนเก่าอีกครั้ง
เมื่อดีแลนต้องนำทีมบรรดาสมาชิกสาว ๆ (ที่ได้มาจากการแต่งงาน) ในการทำภารกิจสนับสนุนแซคในงานของเธอ เนื่องจากสมาชิกคนอื่นติดภารกิจ และที่ฮาสุดก็คงเป็นคริสเตียนที่ติดภารกิจพาครอบครัวไปเที่ยวดิสนี่ย์แลนด์ (น่ารักโคตร)
ในเล่มนี้อาจจะเป็นครั้งแรกที่เราได้เรียนรู้เรื่องราวในวัยรุ่นของหนุ่ม ๆ แห่งถนนสตีล รู้ว่าผู้หญิงคนแรกในชีวิตของเขาเป็นใคร รู้ว่าครีดน่ากลัวขนาดไหนด้วยวัยเพียงสิบสามปี และรู้ว่าพวกเขารักเพื่อนอย่างไม่มีข้อยกเว้น
หนังสือเล่มนี้ไม่ใช่เล่มที่ดีที่สุดในชุด (สำหรับแม็กซ์มันเป็นครีดเสมอมา แต่เล่มนี้ก็ทำให้แม็กซ์รู้แล้วล่ะว่าทำไมตัวเองถึงกรี๊ดครีดมากกว่าคนอื่น -- นั่นเพราะในเล่มอื่น พระเอกและนางเอกจะเป็นคนที่รู้จักกันหรือปิ๊งกันมาก่อนแล้วทั้งนั้น แต่สำหรับครีด เขาและโคดี้เจอกันในตอนเริ่มต้นเรื่อง และเขาพร้อมจะละทิ้งทุกอย่างในชีวิตเพื่อเธอ) แต่เล่มนี้เป็นส่วนประกอบที่ขาดไม่ได้ของแฟนหนังสือชุดนี้ ไม่ควรพลาดอย่างยิ่ง
คะแนนที่ 80 แต่เมื่ออ่านเล่มนี้ในองค์ประกอบของความเป็นชุด คะแนนมันเหนือกว่านี้มาก มากนัก
July 20, 2019
CIA operative Zachary Pride has been working undercover as drug lord Alejandro Campos in Central America for most of his career. But after sheltering stranded photojournalist Lily Robbins during a torrential storm, Zachary is called home to the states.
It seems Lily may not have been an innocent looking for shelter from the storm. According to Zach's boss, instead of a documentary, Lily captured violent footage of the ongoing drug-guerilla war and she was the last person to see an agent that was killed, plus she could have a piece of evidence taken from the dead agent. It's up to Zachary to find out.
It's clear more than CIA agents are after Lily when she's accosted in her own home and she's leery of who to trust. She's definitely suspicious of Zach since he had both a different name and a different profession when they first met. Zach's busy thinking about the bad guys chasing Lily, his past with Lily and keeping the two of them alive for a future.
Surrounded by danger, the attraction between Zach and Lily that began in Central America but wasn't acted on because of Zach's undercover assignment fans into raging desire. But Zach knows there's safety in his Steele Street brothers. They'd have his back, never betray him because once a Steele Street boy always a Steele Street boy.
Unlike the majority of the series, this outing is a continuation of its predecessor. Cameos from previous series favorites welcomed the prodigal Steel Street bother home. But as a series fan, I was anxious and disappointed for one specific reunion that didn't happen here.
Rating 4stars
It seems Lily may not have been an innocent looking for shelter from the storm. According to Zach's boss, instead of a documentary, Lily captured violent footage of the ongoing drug-guerilla war and she was the last person to see an agent that was killed, plus she could have a piece of evidence taken from the dead agent. It's up to Zachary to find out.
It's clear more than CIA agents are after Lily when she's accosted in her own home and she's leery of who to trust. She's definitely suspicious of Zach since he had both a different name and a different profession when they first met. Zach's busy thinking about the bad guys chasing Lily, his past with Lily and keeping the two of them alive for a future.
Surrounded by danger, the attraction between Zach and Lily that began in Central America but wasn't acted on because of Zach's undercover assignment fans into raging desire. But Zach knows there's safety in his Steele Street brothers. They'd have his back, never betray him because once a Steele Street boy always a Steele Street boy.
Unlike the majority of the series, this outing is a continuation of its predecessor. Cameos from previous series favorites welcomed the prodigal Steel Street bother home. But as a series fan, I was anxious and disappointed for one specific reunion that didn't happen here.
Rating 4stars
March 29, 2018
Number EIGHT in this series? It was only ok. Solutions to conflicts seem to come out of Tara's tail. I want to read about "Red Dog", as she sounds tough. This book is after the author presumably had milked that character.
September 22, 2020
Have always loved her books
Rereading the Steel Street series and the second series of which this is one. Janzen writes a good suspenseful romance. Plenty of action and good characters. I recommend it.
Rereading the Steel Street series and the second series of which this is one. Janzen writes a good suspenseful romance. Plenty of action and good characters. I recommend it.
September 11, 2017
I read this entire series a while ago. I liked the writing style, setting and characters. Fun, fast reads - all of them.
July 3, 2019
Back!!! Yeah,!,
Loved this story. The humor in the early books is back yeah! I hope the rest of the series continues this Way!
Loved this story. The humor in the early books is back yeah! I hope the rest of the series continues this Way!
July 26, 2016
I'm a little torn on my rating for this book because I REALLY enjoyed it but there was one very important thing that was missing when I finished the book and it took my overall enjoyment down so I ended up at a 4 to 4.5 star rating. This is the 8th book in the Steele Street series and is a continuation from book 7. I wouldn't read this book without having at least read the previous book.
This book centered around Alejandro/Zach and Lily from On the Loose. I loved both those characters from the previous book and was looking forward to their story. Zach is the "last lost Steele Street boy" who Dylan had recognized from a quick scene in On the Loose. I was really looking forward to how that played into the story. The one thing I loved right off the bat about this book was that it involved the Steele Street Crew (On the Loose really didn't). Dylan, Skeeter, and Red Dog all played a significant roll in this book.
I liked both Zach and Lily and they had a great dynamic between them along with some really good chemistry. Lily was a tough, fun heroine who fit Zach. We found out more about Zach as a young Steele Street boy and his relationship with the rest of the guys. There was of course a tone of action and the cars were back! This entire book takes place in a very short time frame but the pace is so fast and the suspense keeps you on the edge of your seat so it almost feels like a longer time sequence. I don't usually believe in a romance that happens that quickly but I had no problem believing the feelings between Lily and Zach. We were introduced to two new characters (Cherie Hacker and Gabriel Shore who is Red Dog's brother) but they flowed into the story instead of taking away from it. (In fact some of my favorite scenes were when Dylan was commenting about the mating rituals of geeks.
So I loved this book right up until the end. It just ended without the moment I was waiting for. Oh, we got to see the HEA for Lily and Zach but we didn't get to see the reunion between Dylan and Zach. The book had really built this up for me. Dylan telling Zach to "come home" and telling him he'd introduce him to Skeeter. Zach remembering his time with Creed and Superman. I REALLY wanted to see his homecoming with the Steele Street gang. I love the action, suspense and even the romance in this book but the emotional bang was really between the guys and we didn't get to see that play out. Yes, there are some plot threads left to play out in further books and Zach will be joining the guys and working at Steele Street but I wanted to read about how that all happened just be told it did. So when I finished even though I loved the book I found myself a little bit disappointed.
Still this one is definitely a winner in this series and if you're a fan I highly recommend reading this book.
This book centered around Alejandro/Zach and Lily from On the Loose. I loved both those characters from the previous book and was looking forward to their story. Zach is the "last lost Steele Street boy" who Dylan had recognized from a quick scene in On the Loose. I was really looking forward to how that played into the story. The one thing I loved right off the bat about this book was that it involved the Steele Street Crew (On the Loose really didn't). Dylan, Skeeter, and Red Dog all played a significant roll in this book.
I liked both Zach and Lily and they had a great dynamic between them along with some really good chemistry. Lily was a tough, fun heroine who fit Zach. We found out more about Zach as a young Steele Street boy and his relationship with the rest of the guys. There was of course a tone of action and the cars were back! This entire book takes place in a very short time frame but the pace is so fast and the suspense keeps you on the edge of your seat so it almost feels like a longer time sequence. I don't usually believe in a romance that happens that quickly but I had no problem believing the feelings between Lily and Zach. We were introduced to two new characters (Cherie Hacker and Gabriel Shore who is Red Dog's brother) but they flowed into the story instead of taking away from it. (In fact some of my favorite scenes were when Dylan was commenting about the mating rituals of geeks.
So I loved this book right up until the end. It just ended without the moment I was waiting for. Oh, we got to see the HEA for Lily and Zach but we didn't get to see the reunion between Dylan and Zach. The book had really built this up for me. Dylan telling Zach to "come home" and telling him he'd introduce him to Skeeter. Zach remembering his time with Creed and Superman. I REALLY wanted to see his homecoming with the Steele Street gang. I love the action, suspense and even the romance in this book but the emotional bang was really between the guys and we didn't get to see that play out. Yes, there are some plot threads left to play out in further books and Zach will be joining the guys and working at Steele Street but I wanted to read about how that all happened just be told it did. So when I finished even though I loved the book I found myself a little bit disappointed.
Still this one is definitely a winner in this series and if you're a fan I highly recommend reading this book.
January 3, 2012
Four stars for action (Janzen is the queen of exciting action) , but negative four stars for the romance element. Like the past five books in this series, I'm so disappointed! Zach and Lily had such good chemistry in the last book, and my question is where the hell did it go? Seriously, they didn't have one personal conversation other than "Where did you learn to shoot?" Then, suddenly, inexplicably, Zach's making Lily stop crying by hooking up in a seedy hotel's bathroom. Then he says he's in love?! What?
That's a huge pet peeve of mine with Janzen: that she tells the reader that her characters are in love. "He was in love." Just like that. I hate that. There are ways to do that, and do them well, but having no personal conversations and barely any connection between the leads other than that they are riding in the same getaway car.... No. That does not work for me. As every creative writing student has heard over the years, "Show, don't tell."
Again, just like in the last book, too many alternate POVs. I don't care about the villains and their girlfriends! Go back to Zach and Lily and make them talk to each other about something other than that stupid macramé bracelet!
I'm really upset by the way this series is changing. I loved how we had overlapping story lines and interconnected plots. That was great, but these are shelved in the romance section, and I expect at least one regular conversation where the leads get to know each other before they get it on. Otherwise, the story just reads as lust (ESPECIALLY in Gillian and Travis's case) instead of love. If I wanted to read about guns, cars, and lust, I'll find a James Bond novel.
But since I've invested so much of my time in this series and I do love the characters (most of them anyway), I'll finish out the series. Hopefully the last ones will go back to their roots. The first three books were AMAZING and I don't get why TJ felt she had to mess with the recipe.
That's a huge pet peeve of mine with Janzen: that she tells the reader that her characters are in love. "He was in love." Just like that. I hate that. There are ways to do that, and do them well, but having no personal conversations and barely any connection between the leads other than that they are riding in the same getaway car.... No. That does not work for me. As every creative writing student has heard over the years, "Show, don't tell."
Again, just like in the last book, too many alternate POVs. I don't care about the villains and their girlfriends! Go back to Zach and Lily and make them talk to each other about something other than that stupid macramé bracelet!
I'm really upset by the way this series is changing. I loved how we had overlapping story lines and interconnected plots. That was great, but these are shelved in the romance section, and I expect at least one regular conversation where the leads get to know each other before they get it on. Otherwise, the story just reads as lust (ESPECIALLY in Gillian and Travis's case) instead of love. If I wanted to read about guns, cars, and lust, I'll find a James Bond novel.
But since I've invested so much of my time in this series and I do love the characters (most of them anyway), I'll finish out the series. Hopefully the last ones will go back to their roots. The first three books were AMAZING and I don't get why TJ felt she had to mess with the recipe.
November 3, 2014
This is my favorite romantic suspense series ever. Each book is about a member of the Steele Street chop shop gang and how they ended up serving their country as members of the Special Defense Force, SDF, and how they found the love that healed and completed their lives. The heroes, for the most part, are damaged men who walk the edge to keep our country safe. I just love this type of hero. Read these books in order. Each book has a complete love story, but some details are left hanging from one book to the succeeding books.
Zachary Prade is a deep cover CIA agent who was undercover as drug lord Alejandro Campos in the last book On the Loose. Lily is a high school teacher who was on an adventure in El Salvador when a CIA courier plane was shot down by rebels. Before the pilot dies he gives Lily a macramé bracelet. She is shaken by his death and hangs on to the bracelet. It is now 3 weeks later and the CIA has recalled Zachary to Washington D.C. and is ordered to get the bracelet from Lily at any cost. Zachary makes a stop at Steele Street in Denver and using a secret way in, steals Charlotte the Harlot, a 1968 candy apple red Shelby Cobra Mustang with white racing stripes. When he arrives at her house, he is not the only one after the bracelet. Lily and he kill one of the baddies and take off. The road trip turns up the heat to boil on the attraction that began down in El Salvador. The romance is hot to the man and the ending is edge of your seat suspense.
Zachary Prade is a deep cover CIA agent who was undercover as drug lord Alejandro Campos in the last book On the Loose. Lily is a high school teacher who was on an adventure in El Salvador when a CIA courier plane was shot down by rebels. Before the pilot dies he gives Lily a macramé bracelet. She is shaken by his death and hangs on to the bracelet. It is now 3 weeks later and the CIA has recalled Zachary to Washington D.C. and is ordered to get the bracelet from Lily at any cost. Zachary makes a stop at Steele Street in Denver and using a secret way in, steals Charlotte the Harlot, a 1968 candy apple red Shelby Cobra Mustang with white racing stripes. When he arrives at her house, he is not the only one after the bracelet. Lily and he kill one of the baddies and take off. The road trip turns up the heat to boil on the attraction that began down in El Salvador. The romance is hot to the man and the ending is edge of your seat suspense.
Want to read
January 21, 2014CUTTING LOOSE - STEELE STREET #8 - (C.Smith and Honey)
She's the unsuspecting beauty with something everybody wants.
He's the secret agent in so deep nobody can find him.
Until now...
CIA operative Zachary Prade made his name taking out world threats. But now he’s tracking a very different kind of danger and her name is Lily Robbins. Lily holds the key to a valuable encoded file that’s about to fall into the wrong hands. All Zach has to do is retrieve the key and forget the rain-soaked beauty who came to his Central American plantation seeking shelter from more than the weather.
Lily knows him as Alejandro Campos, the seductive drug lord who saved her life. They met when she traveled to El Salvador to film a documentary…and got caught in the middle of a nasty drug-and-guerrilla war. Now, back in the U.S., hunted by spooks and assassins, Lily has to trust Campos again. Except his name isn’t Campos, and he’s arousing a passion so hot it’s criminal. That is, if they can survive long enough to enjoy it…
She's the unsuspecting beauty with something everybody wants.
He's the secret agent in so deep nobody can find him.
Until now...
CIA operative Zachary Prade made his name taking out world threats. But now he’s tracking a very different kind of danger and her name is Lily Robbins. Lily holds the key to a valuable encoded file that’s about to fall into the wrong hands. All Zach has to do is retrieve the key and forget the rain-soaked beauty who came to his Central American plantation seeking shelter from more than the weather.
Lily knows him as Alejandro Campos, the seductive drug lord who saved her life. They met when she traveled to El Salvador to film a documentary…and got caught in the middle of a nasty drug-and-guerrilla war. Now, back in the U.S., hunted by spooks and assassins, Lily has to trust Campos again. Except his name isn’t Campos, and he’s arousing a passion so hot it’s criminal. That is, if they can survive long enough to enjoy it…
September 3, 2016
Another great continuation in the Steele Street series from Tara Janzen. We were introduced to Zachary and Lily in the previous book so for this to really make sense I recommend starting there. It may be a little confusing without that background. What I loved about this story was that Lily was just a teacher who found herself in the wrong place at the wrong time. When her quick trip to El Salvador follows her home to New Mexico Lily knows she has to somehow protect herself. She tries to make it to her father’s ranch in Montana but she’s waylaid by drug lord Alejandro, who is really a CIA operative. Being followed by unknown assailants Lily knows she needs to trust someone and Zachary seems to her best bet. As they race to the security of Steel Street in Denver Lily and Zach only have themselves to trust. I loved how these two connected, how they overcame their backgrounds and found some commonalities that they were able to build on. I loved how this built on the overall storyline and I’m excited to see where the story goes from here. Great read!
August 16, 2010
Steele Street is FINALLY back as the lost chop shop boy comes homes. With Cutting Loose, Janzen brings the central heart of the book, the original Denver boys' story, to the center with Zach's homecoming. Here we're back in the front seat of a bad ass car, eating up highway across country, and watching the dynamic of Steele Street as it grows and changes with new blood and love, but still remain the same base for some really fun characters with Dylan at the helm and Skeeter right beside him. This book will remind you why you love the series as you watch another one of the boys fall apart for the love of a girl that holds her own, as he drives his beast of a muscle car with awe-inspiring skill, and save the day the way only a chop shop boy can.
And to think Superman was at Disneyland.
And to think Superman was at Disneyland.
September 30, 2011
Lily and Alejandro/Zach had so much potential in the last book, but they fall into a lackluster plot here. Lily is given a bracelet by a dying man, and that bracelet leads both bad guys and the CIA down on her. The bracelet is full of superspy/information/topsecret/blahblah. Zach, formerly known as Alejandro Campos in his deep cover capacity as Colombian drug lord, is the CIA's man to retrieve the bracelet from Lily.
Oh Lily. So many roles, so little time. We've known her as a documentarian, a social studies teacher, and a cowgirl. But none of them really fit, as Lily is more of a receptacle for Zach's desires. Zach is more well-rounded. It isn't that Lily isn't worthy of him, it's just that she's a cipher.
Also.....desert sex witch? Is that a thing now? When did that become a thing?
Oh Lily. So many roles, so little time. We've known her as a documentarian, a social studies teacher, and a cowgirl. But none of them really fit, as Lily is more of a receptacle for Zach's desires. Zach is more well-rounded. It isn't that Lily isn't worthy of him, it's just that she's a cipher.
Also.....desert sex witch? Is that a thing now? When did that become a thing?
December 8, 2013
I love Tara Janzen's spin-off series to her Crazy... series!
When she released ON THE LOOSE in October, I was thrilled. But I'm even more so with her newest release, CUTTING LOOSE. Now that I know what happened to the final missing Steele Street chop shop boy, the Crazy...series is complete on my Keeper Shelf!
Janzen hit her stride quickly with the second book in her series. CUTTING LOOSE is fun, action packed, steamy hot, and chockablock full of delicious heroes, intriguing heroines you can relate to, and a muscle car some might consider trading for their firstborn. Throw some of my favorite guys and gals from Steele Street into the mix, as well as introduce some new, intriguing faces, and this reader is ready to run to the nearest bookstore for Janzen's next exciting novel in the series. Can't wait!
When she released ON THE LOOSE in October, I was thrilled. But I'm even more so with her newest release, CUTTING LOOSE. Now that I know what happened to the final missing Steele Street chop shop boy, the Crazy...series is complete on my Keeper Shelf!
Janzen hit her stride quickly with the second book in her series. CUTTING LOOSE is fun, action packed, steamy hot, and chockablock full of delicious heroes, intriguing heroines you can relate to, and a muscle car some might consider trading for their firstborn. Throw some of my favorite guys and gals from Steele Street into the mix, as well as introduce some new, intriguing faces, and this reader is ready to run to the nearest bookstore for Janzen's next exciting novel in the series. Can't wait!
December 17, 2016
OK story, but I did not like the writing style....particularly the dialogue.
August 29, 2015
Cutting Loose sees a welcome return to form for author Tara Janzen's Steele Street series. This one had all the key ingredients I felt were missing from the previous instalment On the Loose.
This was the non-stop, adrenaline-fueled road trip that no one writes quite as well as Janzen. We also got to spend time back at Steele Street with Dylan and Skeeter (love these two), Red Dog, and a couple of new characters (Cherie Hacker and Gillian's brother) who are bound to have their own book.
Cutting Loose has restored my faith this series and has me looking forward to the next instalment.
This was the non-stop, adrenaline-fueled road trip that no one writes quite as well as Janzen. We also got to spend time back at Steele Street with Dylan and Skeeter (love these two), Red Dog, and a couple of new characters (Cherie Hacker and Gillian's brother) who are bound to have their own book.
Cutting Loose has restored my faith this series and has me looking forward to the next instalment.
July 16, 2011
I'm not a big fan of books that focus on several characters, no matter how intertwined they are and this book does a great deal of that so that annoyed me a little but I will admit that the connections were smooth. Great plot with some good action. Lily's character was spunky with a good dose of real which was awesome and Zach was the good guy that had too many job secrets to keep from her. A definite positive for Zach's character was that he didn't fight the love he had for Lily as hard as a lot of authors make the tough guys do. He held back enough to be realistic but didn't stress it out until you point you were like "oh come on!" Great read if you don't mind the intrusion of other characters.
April 10, 2009
This isn't really a stand alone book. It's part of the new Loose series that is a spinoff of the Crazy Series about the Steele Street chop shop DOD guys. This is an average book. I didn't think the two lead characters had a lot of chemistry. The book is an extremely quick read and it has good pace. You get to see some of the other Crazy boys and get to know Red Dog's brother, Gabriel. I think it's a very average beach read and it does further the series however, I just couldn't get into the two leads.
May 16, 2011
What I really liked most about this book was learning more about Zach and the origins of the chop shop and the boys from back then. Some of the things that happened had me shaking my head, amazed that some of the things happened. It also makes me think better of the hoodlums that grew up to be good men.
The romance aspect of this book was ok, nothing spectacular. I had a hard time buying into Lily's reaction. She was so blase about everything. If it was most people they would be freaking out.
I also loved the side thoughts Dylan had about the geek love fest, super funny!
The romance aspect of this book was ok, nothing spectacular. I had a hard time buying into Lily's reaction. She was so blase about everything. If it was most people they would be freaking out.
I also loved the side thoughts Dylan had about the geek love fest, super funny!
October 15, 2012
I love a great action/suspense/mystery romance. Sometimes they can be a little on the unrealistic side and that's ok. This one just took it too far. I just couldnt believe the government would make a female civilian do their dirty work. I just couldn't believe it. Throw in way too many characters with latin names and I start spacing out while reading. Definitely not one of my favorites from her
October 10, 2012
This is another series that I love and have read twice! The muscle cars, the action and the romance. I like the way she builds the characters, people who may seem strange or stand-offish but are just like the rest of us once you get to know them. Again I read a book about every 3-4 days and don't know when the last time (thats right I have read this series twice so far) was that I read this.
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