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Hard Targets #3
Hard to Stop
From acclaimed author Wendy Byrne, comes the conclusion to the Hard Targets trilogy...
Max Shaw is a wanted man. He hasn’t figured out how or why there’s a price on his head, but after the third attempt on his life, he realizes this isn’t going to go away any time soon. Forced as a teenager to work as a covert assassin, he's no stranger to dangerous situations. But he thought he left that life behind him long ago.
To keep his former profession under wraps, Max is forced to team up with sexy Detective Gianna Collini. But can he trust her? Or does she have an agenda of her own? When the case becomes personal for them both, Max finds himself struggling to keep his past secret, his feelings for Gianna professional, and put his closet full of skeletons to rest once and for all...before a killer catches up to them both.
ABOUT THE HARD TARGETS TRILOGY:
Goren Petrovich was an infamous KOS agent in war-torn Yugoslavia, know for his ability to turn orphaned children into highly trained government assassins. One of his most notable protégées was Anya Danielovich (from the novel PLAY NICE by Gemma Halliday). But after the KOS disbanded and Petrovich fled to the U.S., he continued his training "academy"—this time for personal profit. Three of his talented U.S. pupils: Sabrina, Jake, and Max Shaw. But when the siblings break from his grasp and attempt to start over, living normal lives that have nothing to do with guns, death, or lies, they learn that you can never really escape your past...
Hard to Kill (book #1)
Hard to Trust (book #2)
Hard to Stop (book #3)
What readers are saying about the Hard Targets trilogy:
"A heart poundingly great romantic suspense read!!!"
"This book was so action packed, it kept me on the edge of my seat until the end. I could not put it down."
"So much works in this Romantic Suspense that will keep readers going until they find they finished the book in the middle of the night and want to start back over in the morning."
Max Shaw is a wanted man. He hasn’t figured out how or why there’s a price on his head, but after the third attempt on his life, he realizes this isn’t going to go away any time soon. Forced as a teenager to work as a covert assassin, he's no stranger to dangerous situations. But he thought he left that life behind him long ago.
To keep his former profession under wraps, Max is forced to team up with sexy Detective Gianna Collini. But can he trust her? Or does she have an agenda of her own? When the case becomes personal for them both, Max finds himself struggling to keep his past secret, his feelings for Gianna professional, and put his closet full of skeletons to rest once and for all...before a killer catches up to them both.
ABOUT THE HARD TARGETS TRILOGY:
Goren Petrovich was an infamous KOS agent in war-torn Yugoslavia, know for his ability to turn orphaned children into highly trained government assassins. One of his most notable protégées was Anya Danielovich (from the novel PLAY NICE by Gemma Halliday). But after the KOS disbanded and Petrovich fled to the U.S., he continued his training "academy"—this time for personal profit. Three of his talented U.S. pupils: Sabrina, Jake, and Max Shaw. But when the siblings break from his grasp and attempt to start over, living normal lives that have nothing to do with guns, death, or lies, they learn that you can never really escape your past...
Hard to Kill (book #1)
Hard to Trust (book #2)
Hard to Stop (book #3)
What readers are saying about the Hard Targets trilogy:
"A heart poundingly great romantic suspense read!!!"
"This book was so action packed, it kept me on the edge of my seat until the end. I could not put it down."
"So much works in this Romantic Suspense that will keep readers going until they find they finished the book in the middle of the night and want to start back over in the morning."
217 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 26, 2015
10 people are currently reading
43 people want to read
About the author
Wendy Byrne
36 books144 followersWendy has a Masters in Social Work and worked in the child welfare field for twelve years before she decided to pursue her dream of writing.
Between teaching college classes, trying to get her morbidly obese cat to slim down, and tempering the will of her five-year-old granddaughter, who's determined to become a witch when she turns six so she can fly on her broom to see the Eiffel Tower and put hexes on people—not necessarily in that order—somehow Wendy still manages to fit in writing. She spends the remainder of her days inflicting mayhem on her hero and heroine until they beg for mercy.
Between teaching college classes, trying to get her morbidly obese cat to slim down, and tempering the will of her five-year-old granddaughter, who's determined to become a witch when she turns six so she can fly on her broom to see the Eiffel Tower and put hexes on people—not necessarily in that order—somehow Wendy still manages to fit in writing. She spends the remainder of her days inflicting mayhem on her hero and heroine until they beg for mercy.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 28, 2015
HARD TO STOP- WAS HARD TO PUT DOWN AND EVEN HARDER TO SAY GOODBYE
once again Wendy Byrne has written a fast paced story that has murder, mystery, romance and suspense i was waiting eagerly for this book and it did not disappoint - this time around the story is all about max the eldest of the shaw siblings- he too was an assassin trained by goren but when he came to america he changed his occupation and made a fortune working on wall street --unlike jake and sabrina max does not work the the alliance - the shadowy govt agency that takes on cases the cia can't handle- --- his perfectly normal life suddenly changes when a friend filling in for him at a charity function is killed- he goes home and finds someone has been there and plans on killing him- dodging a few attacks brings him in contact with dectective gianna collini whose young brother mick might have clues to who is stalking max and why --- things really start to get out of control when mick is kidnapped and max finally uses the alliance's resources - while trying to stay focused and ignore the simmering attraction between him and the sexy ny detective- i am sad that this is the end of the hard target trilogy - i really loved meeting and getting to know all of the shaws- and am hoping that some time in the future wendy will write a story with all of the siblings and their significant others working a case together (((hint hint)
once again Wendy Byrne has written a fast paced story that has murder, mystery, romance and suspense i was waiting eagerly for this book and it did not disappoint - this time around the story is all about max the eldest of the shaw siblings- he too was an assassin trained by goren but when he came to america he changed his occupation and made a fortune working on wall street --unlike jake and sabrina max does not work the the alliance - the shadowy govt agency that takes on cases the cia can't handle- --- his perfectly normal life suddenly changes when a friend filling in for him at a charity function is killed- he goes home and finds someone has been there and plans on killing him- dodging a few attacks brings him in contact with dectective gianna collini whose young brother mick might have clues to who is stalking max and why --- things really start to get out of control when mick is kidnapped and max finally uses the alliance's resources - while trying to stay focused and ignore the simmering attraction between him and the sexy ny detective- i am sad that this is the end of the hard target trilogy - i really loved meeting and getting to know all of the shaws- and am hoping that some time in the future wendy will write a story with all of the siblings and their significant others working a case together (((hint hint)
March 28, 2015
More suspense and action than you can keep up with.
Max Shaw has a date with destiny and her name is Gianna. Can a man with his past have a normal life? Not with the price on his head and no police that can help. Not sure where the Shaw's will go from here but it has been an interesting trip. If you missed Sabrina and Jake's books get them now.
Max Shaw has a date with destiny and her name is Gianna. Can a man with his past have a normal life? Not with the price on his head and no police that can help. Not sure where the Shaw's will go from here but it has been an interesting trip. If you missed Sabrina and Jake's books get them now.
August 19, 2016
My Review:
This book was a fabulous, adventure, adrenaline-filled read. From the opening page, the action is non-stop.
Max is a financial wizard who works in NYC, but he has a very different history than one would expect from a financial trader. Before he moved to the US, he was an assassin. Now someone wants to dismantle his carefully constructed new world and attacks are coming at him from every angle. He doesn't know who's behind it, but the 16 yo Mick is the key to figuring that out. This issue...Mick's older sister in a NYC Detective and she's doing everything she can to protect her younger brother. (Note: this isn't the first time that Max has seen Gia and I love that there was an attraction for him long before they ever met...it was a neat little detail.
Gia is doing the best she can to raise her 16 yo brother, but he's rebelling and getting mixed up in things that he really shouldn't. When he becomes the number one suspect in the murder of Max's best friend, she's doing everything she can to keep Max away from Mick because Max is stalking her little brother. The only thing she knows is that Max isn't as innocent in all this as he acts. He's hiding something...and as she gets deeper and deeper, she realizes that what he's hiding is something big.
I liked the way that the story played out. It's much more suspense than romance, although those undercurrents are there. The thing is, neither of them can afford to trust the other although they have to work together to get to the bottom of this. And while I'm usually much more excited about the romance, the suspense in this one was so good, I didn't even notice that the romance was a bit less than I normally enjoy. And like I said, the undercurrents were there...they were just more subtle than I normally like.
This is the first book I've read by Wendy Byrne, but I'd definitely read her again. In fact, I really need to go back and read the other two books in the series about Max's brother and sister. While this is a series, this book definitely worked as a stand-alone.
This book was a fabulous, adventure, adrenaline-filled read. From the opening page, the action is non-stop.
Max is a financial wizard who works in NYC, but he has a very different history than one would expect from a financial trader. Before he moved to the US, he was an assassin. Now someone wants to dismantle his carefully constructed new world and attacks are coming at him from every angle. He doesn't know who's behind it, but the 16 yo Mick is the key to figuring that out. This issue...Mick's older sister in a NYC Detective and she's doing everything she can to protect her younger brother. (Note: this isn't the first time that Max has seen Gia and I love that there was an attraction for him long before they ever met...it was a neat little detail.
Gia is doing the best she can to raise her 16 yo brother, but he's rebelling and getting mixed up in things that he really shouldn't. When he becomes the number one suspect in the murder of Max's best friend, she's doing everything she can to keep Max away from Mick because Max is stalking her little brother. The only thing she knows is that Max isn't as innocent in all this as he acts. He's hiding something...and as she gets deeper and deeper, she realizes that what he's hiding is something big.
I liked the way that the story played out. It's much more suspense than romance, although those undercurrents are there. The thing is, neither of them can afford to trust the other although they have to work together to get to the bottom of this. And while I'm usually much more excited about the romance, the suspense in this one was so good, I didn't even notice that the romance was a bit less than I normally enjoy. And like I said, the undercurrents were there...they were just more subtle than I normally like.
This is the first book I've read by Wendy Byrne, but I'd definitely read her again. In fact, I really need to go back and read the other two books in the series about Max's brother and sister. While this is a series, this book definitely worked as a stand-alone.
May 10, 2015
Please say it's not over with the Shaws! I'm not ready to let them go. Where will I find an assassin if I need one? With Max's story ending this trilogy, I'm hoping there's a way to stir a demand for more volumes to continue this series, like maybe there's a long-lost cousin or a step-sibling. How about a prequel? Anyway, Max is always so put-together, so it was a nice change to see his transitions when paired with Detective Gianna Collini. As his past haunts him & with a price on his head, will he call in his siblings or continue to protect them? Is romance on the horizon for the 'spiffiest' assassin ever? If this series isn't a plot line for a the series, I don't know what is. Let's lobby Wendy Byrne to give us more Shaw tales & adventures.
March 20, 2015
Wow! This is romantic suspense at it's best. This is book 3 in the Hard Targets series and they just keep getting better. This begins with someone threatening to kill Max. The threat has him fearful, which increases when his friend is murdered. As he tries to stop the threat, he forms an unlikely alliance. What follows is non stop action in a tightly woven tale.
While this is book 3, it is a stand alone novel - though the whole series is so good you'll probably want to read all three.
Thank you to the publisher for providing a complementary ARC in exchange for an honest review.
While this is book 3, it is a stand alone novel - though the whole series is so good you'll probably want to read all three.
Thank you to the publisher for providing a complementary ARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 21, 2015
This was the third in a trilogy - but the first for me. I LOVED it! And now I have the pleasure of still having the first two to go back and discover. What fun for me. As for this one, it grabbed me from the first page - and kept me waiting to find out all of Max's story, just like Gia. And ... Gia had a secret or two of her own to share - so we finally got to learn them by the end. Both the hero and heroine of the story are independent and competent, but oh-so-better together. Romantic suspense is alive and page-turning.
March 27, 2015
While I enjoyed the others in this series, I thought this one was even better! And although this was a great ending to the series, I really hope there are more books! It's a great mix of action, mystery, suspense, and a little romance! I'm so glad that I gave this series a chance because it turned out to be very entertaining!
**I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**
**I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**
April 11, 2015
Another great book by Wendy Byrne. I love romantic suspense and this was excellent, lots of suspense, romance and a few laughs. It will keep you on the edge of your seat. The characters are so well developed and at times wanted to hit Mick upside of the head. Max and Gianna are perfect for each other.
Read this book you will love it. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Read this book you will love it. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
March 23, 2015
Hard to Stop by Wendy Byrne: Very good book from the first page on. It just got better and better.
Max was a wanted man and did not now who was after him. They had tried three times to kill him.
Glanna Colline was a detective with NYPD.Her and Max teamed up to see what they could find. If you like a mystery you will like this book.
Max was a wanted man and did not now who was after him. They had tried three times to kill him.
Glanna Colline was a detective with NYPD.Her and Max teamed up to see what they could find. If you like a mystery you will like this book.
March 26, 2015
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Max's story was awesome! I'm very glad we got to hear it, but I'm a little sad that this series has come to an end. I hope that the author decides to keep going with the series since I'm sure there are many more employees of the Alliance that could have some potentially great stories. Definitely worth the read!
Max's story was awesome! I'm very glad we got to hear it, but I'm a little sad that this series has come to an end. I hope that the author decides to keep going with the series since I'm sure there are many more employees of the Alliance that could have some potentially great stories. Definitely worth the read!
August 30, 2015
Hard Stop review
Hard Stop is another great book in the Hard Targets series written by author Wendy Byrne. I would love to see more stories.
Hard Stop is another great book in the Hard Targets series written by author Wendy Byrne. I would love to see more stories.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews