Rough Edges

Edge #5

by Shannon K. Butcher

From the author of Edge of Betrayal—the Edge series returns with the climactic fifth novel, and an all-new explosive, romantic adventure...

In the world of covert operations, Bella Bayne knows how to get the job done. And with her work coming first, her personal life is coming in a distant second. Even though Bella would like nothing more than to ravish the rugged, handsome Victor Temple, she’s his superior so it’s a strictly hands-off affair.

When Bella gets a solid lead on the location of Dr. Norma Stynger—the twisted mind behind Project Threshold—she must team up with Victor if they are to finally bring justice to the madwoman. But when Norma’s daughter risks her life to help the team, Bella is faced with the impossible task of deciding who will live and who will die…
 

Genres: Romantic Suspense, Romance, Suspense, Contemporary Romance

362 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published August 4, 2015

About the author

Bestselling author Shannon K. Butcher, who now writes as Anna Argent, has written more than thirty titles since launching her career in 2007. She has three award-winning series, including the paranormal romance series The Sentinel Wars, the action-romance series The Edge, and the romantic suspense Delta Force Trilogy. Her alter ego Anna Argent also writes several series with a fresh and interesting spin on paranormal romance (The Lost Shards, The Taken and The Stone Men series) as well as a contemporary romance series set in a small town in the Ozarks. As a former engineer and current nerd, she frequently uses charts, graphs and tables to aid her in the mechanics of story design, world building and to keep track of all those colorful characters, magical powers and alternate worlds. An avid bead and glass artist, she spends her free time turning small sparkly bits into larger sparkly bits. She’s rarely on social media, so the best place to find out news about upcoming releases under either name is via her newsletter. You can sign up at AnnaArgent.com.

Reviews

[Stephine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bella Bayne is determined to bring Stynger’s reign of madness to an end and Victor Temple is a distraction when she is faced with the impossible task of deciding who will live and who will die in this thrilling romantic suspense.

Be prepared for thrills, chills and a rollercoaster ride of emotions as Bella and Victor race to discover the whereabouts of Dr. Norma Stynger and her lab. The chemistry between Bella and Victor is hot enough but the relationship is made up of sparks and explosions as both fight their attraction and to control each other and the emotional turbulence in this story goes from one extreme to the other and only some of it is due to Stynger’s interference. The characters are strong, hot and determined to have things their way including the reader’s enjoyment and the fast paced, smooth flowing plot thrills readers with lots of suspense, danger and romance.

Not only does Stynger have one of Edge’s operatives, she’s on the move and has decided that some loose ends need closing with Bella’s being one of those loose ends which brings lots of danger and excitement as Victor tries to keep her alive and to spice things up even more there are some conflicts and betrayals going on inside Edge which complicates things further. Vivid images capture the imagination and make it easy for the reader to become immersed in the story and the intriguing events ensure that there is never a dull moment.

If you followed the series so far then you are in for a few surprises and if not well the book could be read all by itself but really you would be missing the whole history of evil mayhem that has lead up to this point in the mission to bring about an end to Stynger’s madness.
- Eva

[Anna's Herding Cats · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ahhh so good. Non stop rom-suspense goodness. Full review to come.

~~~~~~~~~
Progress...

Pg 87--'You hid that from me for years. Lied to me. That's the kind of thing that deserves some raised voices. Possibly broken bones. You're going to sign a waiver stating you're okay with that."

LOL dayum. This is NOT the heroine to piss off. ::snort::

Page 1--Managed to get a lot of rom-suspense in my life this week. lol They were just all so hard to resist! Diving in...



Reviewing for herding cats & burning soup.

[Carla Krae · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.95 stars. Knocking a touch off just because I wanted a few more pages at the end.

Love this series and I'm sorry this is the last book. I hope, maybe, there could be a re-visitation in the future? Never say never!

[Marta Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the fifth book in the Edge series and quickly picks up from previous books. Those who work at Edge security trust their boss Bella implicitly but Bella is one of several children who were subjected to highly illegal experiments. She has always thought of Payton as a father figure but her world spins on it's axis when she finds out just how involved in all the testing he really was. Now Gage is missing and everything points to Norma Stynger and there's nothing Bella won't do to catch up with the evil doctor. Yet Bella has no idea that Threshhold ( the project that changed her life forever) still has her in it's sights. Now if only she could stop fantasising about team member Victor long enough to get a solid lead maybe Bella could finally get some payback for all those tortured by Stynger.
This was an interesting book and really allowed the reader to truly understand just what Threshold and Dr Stynger were capable of. This elite band known as Edge have slowly being getting closer to uncovering Styngers hideout but time is of the essence as it looks like a foreign party might be keen to utilise the twisted technology . Trained killing machines are only half the problem though as genetic manipulation is also something the evil doctor has been playing around with and it's about to get very messy very quickly.
What surprised this reader was the complicated relationship between Bella and Vincent. As his superior it's not right that Bella wants to climb him like a tree and besides when Victor finally gets his hands on Bella he fully intends to make sure she knows exactly who is in charge! Bella is unsure what the future holds but for her right now just for one night is fine but things get more twisted up and then of course there's the fact that Victor has responsibilities and that's just the tip of the iceberg. One things for sure if there's an iceberg nearby this couple could melt it!
I like that the secondary characters from previous books show up and there's more than one romance played out on the pages. Ms Butcher has written a fast paced action filled story that very imaginative. If you enjoy romantic suspense then this series could well tick all your boxes. Lots of sexual tension and a plot that thunders along. You will be on the edge of your seat at times and possibly even scream No! at one point but you will be entertained and completely engrossed
I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Eva Millien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bella Bayne is determined to bring Stynger’s reign of madness to an end and Victor Temple is a distraction when she is faced with the impossible task of deciding who will live and who will die in this thrilling romantic suspense. If you followed the series so far then you are in for a few surprises and if not well the book could be read all by itself but really you would be missing the whole history of evil mayhem that has lead up to this point in the mission to bring about an end to Stynger’s madness.

See my full review at:
http://paranormalhaven.com/2015/08/re...

[Kathy Davie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Fifth and last in the Edge romantic suspense series and revolving around the Edge Security firm and its manipulated operatives in Dallas, Texas. The couple focus is on Bella Blayne and Victor Temple.

My Take
I had to laugh — and Butcher snagged my attention with her opening paragraph. Ooh, baby…! It quickly descended into annoyingly dramatic melodrama, stupid statements, and stupider actions.

Bella spends more time whining about her rule on non-fraternization with the employees who work for her…and Victor is not an employee. He represents General Norland. Bella claims she wants a professional atmosphere, and she's calling everyone honey and sweetheart?

I admit it has been awhile since I read an Edge novel, but I do not remember Bella being such a major pain or so stupid! She's head of this security firm, and she acts more like a babe in the woods throughout the story. It's one thing to be a kick-ass, hard-driving operative, but all the good-guy operatives I've read about think first. Sure, they're emotional and desperately want to get someone back or get revenge. But they're not so danged S.T.U.P.I.D. Gag. She rushes, leaps, and jumps into situations without thinking. I'm surprised that every one of her employees hasn't quit or died.

The trope in which the character is too incredibly stupid to grasp that one needs to sleep and eat to operate at peak performance is widely employed in Rough Edges. Bella sounds more like a bratty child whose extremely rich father has been indulging her with her own toy security company. I can't possibly imagine that she's any good at protecting anyone or keeping her people safe.

It is quite possible that her actions are supposed to give you the impression that the sabotage done in her house is working, but Butcher does a lousy job of conveying that. In fact, I had no idea Bella had been taking showers at home.

LOL, oh, brother… Payton tells Victor that Edge will fall apart if Bella breaks. Please. It'd probably flourish. It'd be a better bet for Norwood and the powers that be without her.

I get that it's not Victor's fault that Butcher wrote him this way, and he does sound like a very effective man. But it's hard to believe that someone as successful as he is at his job would want Bella anywhere near him in the field.

I know I missed reading Edge of Betrayal , 4, and I've learned that, for some reason, Gage willingly gave himself up to Stynger. Would have been nice to have some idea why he'd do such a dumb thing. Yeah, Butcher says it's to save Adam, but from what I remember (and read) is that Stynger never gives up a man she's got trapped. So, if Adam wasn't in her hands, why would Gage put himself in her hands? Why wouldn't he have some kind of high-tech tracking device implanted?

It's interesting that Butcher sets us up for this conflict over what Victor's parents would expect, and there isn't one. Does Lila's baby have a name?

I agree with Victor. Payton was out of line blurting out her secrets in front of her, and then he suddenly retreats into oh, "no. That's too much of a breach of trust…" What?? He's already done all this damage? And now he decides he can't finish the job?

No, I'm sorry, it makes no sense to me that Payton could pay for what he's done by walking away from it. I think he's doing a better job of making up for it by trying to stop it. It's simply another stupid statement from Bella. What was Butcher thinking??

I do enjoy Butcher's description of Stynger's mouth as a red slash. It's one of those beautiful bits of symbolism that subconsciously tells the reader she's a mean woman. I also had to laugh at Victor's confusion about Bella wanting to use him. Is that a problem?

You know, her first three novels in this series were fun and full of romantic suspense. This one? Too incredibly lame. I can't recommend anyone waste their time on this. I know I kept wanting to put it down and do some projectile vomiting…

The Story
In the world of covert operations, Bella Bayne knows how to get the job done. And with her work coming first, her personal life is coming in a distant second. Even though Bella would like nothing more than to ravish the rugged, handsome Victor Temple, she's his superior, so it's a strictly hands-off affair.

When Bella gets a solid lead on the location of Dr. Norma Stynger — the twisted mind behind Project Threshold — she must team up with Victor if they are to finally bring justice to the madwoman. But when Norma's daughter risks her life to help the team, Bella is faced with the impossible task of deciding who will live and who will die…

The Characters
Bella Blayne has re-made herself into a kick-ass hardass. She's on the List. Payton Bainbridge, the man who'd been as a father to Bella, is doing his best to make up for what he did on Threshold. Dan is the abusive husband who's a cop.

Victor Temple is on loan from General Robert Norland, who is also trying to make up for his sins.

Edge Security is…
…a security firm started up by Bella and and funded by Payton Bainbridge. Gage Dallas (on the List) is a much-loved operative now in a hostage situation. Other employees include Clayton Marshall (on the List) hooked up with Dr. Leigh Vaughn ( Edge of Sanity , 3), the firm doctor; Riley Conlan; Lila, Bella's secretary; Mira Sage is the computer guru (on the List) and hooked up with Adam Brink (on the List) who had been working with Stynger — turned out that he's Gage's brother ( Edge of Betrayal ); Franklin; Sloane Gideon (on the List) and Lucas Ramsey ( Living on the Edge , 1); and, Razor who's hooked up with Tanner O'Connell ( Razor's Edge , 2).

Jake Staite, Razor's friend, is still being held by the government ( Razor's Edge ).

Threshold Project was…
…a series of highly illegal experiments done by the government. Dr. Norma Stynger is a mad scientist. In every sense of the word. She has no heart, no loving emotions. Jordyn is her entrapped daughter. Randolph was an Edge operative until Bella fired him for having no moral spine. Aaron is another operative. The White Room is a torture chamber Stynger enjoys using. Peter is one of the lab techs.

The List is a record of every person operated on in the Project. Charles O'Dell is head of security for some bigwig who wants to hire Edge. Senator Gregory Kerrington II was a loose end.

The Cover and Title
The cover uses a lit-up night sky in teal blues with a glowing yellow lower half with the city skyline edged in darker yellows, forming a backdrop for Victor's action stance. His blond buzz cut, black T and jeans, and the gun in his right hand definitely proclaim him as the action hero.

The title has got to be about Bella, for she is all Rough Edges.

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

****Spoilers*****


I liked this series for the most part. This one was good as well. Bella was such a bad ass not just for how she fought physically but how she fought back from her bad circumstances and made something for her something. It pisses me off that the author didn't have any epilogue or anything. We don't know anything that happened after Victor woke up and after 5 books if them trying to shut down Dr. Stynger I wanted to know what happened in everyone's life. I wish Gage and Jordyn could have had their own book too.

[Denise Kulesa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am sad this was last book in the series. These books are very intense but they draw you in and keep you engaged.

Bella is determined to bring down Dr Stynger once and for all. Victor is determined to help Bella no matter what.

With her team they are able to rescue their friend and bring down the doctor. Bella and Victor took heavy hits and almost didn't make it. However, through their determination and love they have for each other they made it.

[Sandy S · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars
About the book: RELEASE DATE: August 4, 2015

In the world of covert operations, Bella Bayne knows how to get the job done. And with her work coming first, her personal life is coming in a distant second. Even though Bella would like nothing more than to ravish the rugged, handsome Victor Temple, she’s his superior so it’s a strictly hands-off affair.

When Bella gets a solid lead on the location of Dr. Norma Stynger—the twisted mind behind Project Threshold—she must team up with Victor if they are to finally bring justice to the madwoman. But when Norma’s daughter risks her life to help the team, Bella is faced with the impossible task of deciding who will live and who will die…

•••••••••••••••••

REVIEW:

4.5 stars----

BACKGROUND: The EDGE is a group of elite, military trained personnel who have all been ‘conditioned’ and ‘trained’ as killing machines, and are somehow linked to a 20 year old experimental operation known as The Threshold Project. The Threshold Project was a failure that left many children, who are now adults, on the brink of psychological collapse and physical destruction. The Edge is a private security company backed by Payton Bainbridge (a former member of The Threshold Project), and owner Bella Bayne who search for the victims of Dr. Stynger and Dr. Sage. With the inclusion of female victims of The Threshold Project the Edge series is similar to the premise behind Christine Feehan’s Ghostwalker series.

ROUGH EDGES is the fifth installment in Shannon K Butcher’s EDGE series. This is US government operative Victor Temple, and Edge owner Bella Bayne’s storyline.

Told from third person point of view ROUGH EDGES follows Victor and Bella as they search for Gage Brink-Adam’s brother (Edge of Betrayal #4) –a man who volunteered to return to Dr. Norma Stynger’s labs but is currently MIA and has not checked in with his new employer. What ensues is the hunt for Stynger’s location and the desperate attempts to avoid the assassins sent to take down Bella Bayne.

Bella’s prime directive is to destroy Norma Stynger for the abuse, torture and experiments she performed for close to twenty years in an experiment known as The Threshold Project. Bella is one of Stynger’s victims and she hopes to give assistance to all of Stynger’s former and current subjects. Victor Temple is a member of an elite group of trained personnel who has been contracted to both protect and aid Bella in her search for Gage and other victims of The Threshold Project.

The relationship between Bella and Victor is one of forbidden romance-Victor is on loan from the US government and Bella is technically Victor’s new employer. Their physical and sexual attraction to one another is palpable but Bella is a strong willed, independent and alpha heroine whose history with men is dark, damaged and heartbreaking. Bella refuses to submit to any man’s demands-both in and out of the bedroom. While Bella likes to be in control out in the field, Victor likes control in the bedroom. The $ex scenes are seductive and captivating.

There is a secondary storyline building as it focuses on Gage Brink. Gage has been imprisoned at Stynger’s compound but becomes enamored with Jordyn Stynger-Dr. Stynger’s daughter-and a victim of her mother’s torture and abuse. When Jordyn offers Gage an opportunity to escape it comes with one demand-Gage must take Jordyn with him.

The world building continues to focus on the men and women who have been victimized by Norma Stynger. As Bella searches for the people whose lives have been destroyed by the evil doctor, Bella herself becomes the target of betrayal and revenge. Her relationship with Payton Bainbridge is strained since the revelation of his involvement with the original Threshold Project and his presence continues to eat away at Bella’s calm and in control façade.

ROUGH EDGES is an intense, fast paced and action packed storyline focusing on an experimental project that all but destroyed the lives of everyone involved. The now adult victims must relive the nightmare time and time again but with Bella’s assistance there may be hope to stop the cycle of pain and torture. The premise is suspenseful and will keep you on the ‘edge’ of your seat. The characters are colorful, animated, impassioned and inspiring; the romance is emotional and dramatic. The intrigue and thrilling final scenes are tense and dramatic. Reserve your seat for the next installment of Shannon K. Butcher’s THE EDGE.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley.

www.thereadingcafe.com

[Krissys · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rough Edges (Edge #5)by Shannon K. Butcher

In the world of covert operations, Bella Bayne knows how to get the job done. And with her work coming first, her personal life is coming in a distant second. Even though Bella would like nothing more than to ravish the rugged, handsome Victor Temple, she’s his superior so it’s a strictly hands-off affair.
When Bella gets a solid lead on the location of Dr. Norma Stynger—the twisted mind behind Project Threshold—she must team up with Victor if they are to finally bring justice to the madwoman. But when Norma’s daughter risks her life to help the team, Bella is faced with the impossible task of deciding who will live and who will die…


My Review:
Although I've missed out on most of the Edge series the author made it easy enough to slide in without reading previous installations without too much confusion. I have to sat that Rough Edges has easily become one of my current favorite reads. Although the author follows a similar idea as a few other books I've read in the past she manages to maintain her own unique spin on the test subject soldier theme. There are plenty of first and secondary characters that are quite active that play an important role in Rough Edges and each of them stand out no matter how minimal the role. Its a trait that speaks of the kind of thought Miss Butcher puts into her work. Her imagery and her character building are things of beauty that I always enjoy being a part of any time I read her work. Rough Edges is exciting, its adventurous, its passionate, its emotional, and everything you would expect from a fantastic writer.


My Rating:
5 Stars

Reviewed By: Krissy's Bookshelf Reviews
http://kkmalott.booklikes.com/


Note: I received a print copy in exchange for an honest review from Berkley Publishing

[Daphne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The last instalment of the Edge series, it's definitely worth the wait for this book. I loved how Bella who's the owner of the Edge security is the main target and the female lead of this series. Bella who puts work first was faced with a huge distraction, Victor Temple who's on loan from the government to help bring down Stynger's operations. I always loved how Shannon Butcher adds spice to her characters that will riled up your emotions and unable to put down the book.

I am hoping there would be at least a 0.5 series of Gage and Jordyn after this series, even though there was only snippets scenes of Gage & Jordyn, it did not feel like they were any less than just cameos. I feel that the author have a very well planned plots which did not seem to falter as the story goes along, it just gets better in every chapters.

I loved how the leads are mutually attracted but due to the fraternization policy which is put in place by Bella comes to bite her when Victor Temple came into the picture. I loved the tension between them and definitely love Victor Temple to bits; definitely calm and cool.
To sum up, this book did not disappoint and I'll definitely be looking forward to new books by Shannon Butcher.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series was very intriguing to me, and I enjoyed reading all of the books. I did however find this one to be a bit slow to start in comparison and I wasn't drawn into the characters as quickly. I also felt that the ending was a bit abrupt for the series and I'm hoping for at least a novella or something as it looks like this is the finale.

I would still recommend this to anyone who likes the sort of "military romance" type of genera.

I would give it a 3.5/5... I considered a 4/5, but it lost a 1/2 point at least in my eyes due to the abrupt ending of the series that was included. If this was not the final book of the series I would have given it a higher rating I think.

[K.A. Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! The end of the Threshold Project is just within their grasp. Bella Bayne finds herself faltering at the very moment she needs her strength most. And Victor's distracting presence isn't helping matters. While they both know they need to find the mastermind of Threshold, Dr. Stynger, they can't ignore the tension building between them. Bella is forced to come to terms with her past, with betrayals and with her secret hopes for a future. Add to all this her overwhelming need to find Gage and rescue him before Dr. Stynger can put her plans into place, and you have a fast moving, steamy story. Glad I found this series!

[Annette Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was powerful and emotional. I'm not sure if it was the last book in this series, but I sure hope not. Shannon Butcher created a great crop of characters and I'd like to see more of them. She carried two plots at the same time and wove them together seamlessly. I would recommend the Edge series to anyone who likes stories with strong heroines, sexy heroes, and bad guys you hope will get theirs.

[Wingsong · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have really enjoyed the series so far, but this was disappointing. Bella's character as portraied in the other books never came through. She was deminished into a lesser being in order to give Adam sexual dominance. And Ms. Butcher's literary style also suffered. Maybe the pressure to produce superceded the quest for quality in writing?

[Darcy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one would have been better has Bella not been such a bitch! It also didn't help that I had a hard time buying into the romance between Bella and Victor. I found myself more interested what was going on between Gage and Jordyn. With how this one ended it seems like the series could be done. If so, it comes at a good end.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted more about Gage and Jordyn. There definitely wasn't enough about them even though they were a more interesting story than Bella's. I would love a follow up story about them, if only to see what happens with the baby. And I would like to see Gage and Adam have an actual relationship.

[Jez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bella is a bad ass! And I like when authors let a bad ass woman be a bad ass woman not make them into wilting flowers when the alpha man is on the scene. Victor knows who he's dealing with and doesn't want to change who Bella is. These two make a kick ass team in the field and in the bedroom!

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Characters: head of mercenary agency, government liaison
World Building: continuing, laboratory of evil genius
Plot: rescue of kidnapped mercenary, recovery of children, kidnapping, experimentation
Sex: medium
Read another: Yes

[Nibrock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great story. Couldn't put it down. Lots of action, betrayal, reveals, twists & turns. So love the relationships between all the characters.

[Glenda Bettin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series, sometimes I sure want to smack Bella, holy crap she can be annoying. I am looking forward to the next one

[Mina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gage... I love you.

[Mya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am just happy this is over and the wicked witch is dead. But honestly I really hate Bella. I'm sorry but I do.

[Lois Alston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book

Full of excitement and adventure. Romance and love were included also. A really good story has a little bit of everything.

[Aly · Rating 3 out of 5]

3. 5 star

[Lynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good series. Ready for the next one!!