Stripping Her Defenses

by Amanda Adams

Regret is a strange thing…sometimes it drops a man to his knees. But sometimes it’s more like a slow drip poison. I’ve only ever regretted two things in my life. Walking away from her was one of them...

Duty? Honor? Love? After ten years in the military, they all mean nothing to Daniel, nothing but pain. He's home now, but war—and the secrets that followed him—hold him in an unrelenting grip. It’s dangerous to fall in love, dangerous to believe the past will stay buried where it can’t hurt the people around him, where it can’t hurt her.

But one look at Chloe and all he's determined to strip every single one of her defenses and win back her heart. He'll use any means necessary to seduce her. And when the past comes calling, he’ll stop at nothing to protect her. Because when he's on a mission, he always gets his mark.

Secret Maneuvers -- an exciting new series: A mission gone wrong. Betrayal. Lies. Secrets they will keep, not matter the cost. These heroes are coming home from war, but some secrets refuse to remain hidden, and sometimes, the only way to truly be free is to risk it all.

230 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 15, 2017

About the author

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Amanda Adams writes super-sexy, new adult and contemporary romance. A full time author, Amanda spends her days trying to walk more and type less. If she eats a salad for lunch, she makes sure to reward herself with chocolate after (as any reasonable woman would do.) Amanda believes in true love, love at first sight, and every other cliché because lightning struck her in high school and she’s been happily married to her sweetheart ever since. Her books are free of cheating--with a guaranteed HEA--but hold on tight...it’s going to be one hell of a bumpy ride.

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E-mail: amandaadamsauthor ( at ) gmail.com
Web: www.amandaadamsauthor.com

Reviews

[Valeen Robertson (Live Thru Books Blog)]

Stripping Her Defenses is a nice sort of second chance romance. Chloe and Daniel shared a hot kiss when she was 19 but he coldly rejected her and told her to find someone her own age. Since then, she's lived her life, even marrying (and becoming a widow) but she's never forgotten her friend Sara's older brother. So when Sara tells her that her brother is coming home and she'd like Chloe to start looking for a home for him to buy, she isn't sure she wants to even see him again. But, she's a professional realtor and she doesn't want Daniel to think he still affects her, so off they go.



Daniel is home now after having served in the military. Something happened on his last mission that he and his friends don't talk about. He's living with regrets, survivor's guilt and a whole host of other issues. But, when he sees grown up Chloe, he's remembering their kiss and how, for her own sake, he had to reject her, and he's regretting it. Being around her brings him a sort of peace, and he can't ignore how beautifully she's grown up. Soon, he's managed to convince Chloe how good they can be together, and they're steaming up the sheets (and the homes she takes him to view). I was hoping their relationship would have a bit more tension, she forgave him awfully quickly. But the biggest letdown was that the danger implied in the blurb was not present. There was one meeting with a friend of Daniel's that had a little suspense, but that's it. After a little while, whatever happened on Daniel and Josh's last mission seemed to have been forgotten, and there was definitely no danger for Chloe. I felt as if the author forgot there was supposed to be a big danger to Chloe, and the story just took off into solely the romance aspect, forgetting the suspense part.



The romance aspect is good. It's sexy and Daniel and Chloe are a likable, engaging couple. I wish their relationship had more time to develop fully, but for the most part I enjoyed it. The secondary cast of Sara and Josh are also interesting. I'm hoping they get their own story soon.

I wish the blurb hadn't been so misleading, because I went into reading this with certain expectations. If the blurb had been more accurate - just that it was a second chance romance between Daniel and Chloe, I would have had different expectations and would have enjoyed it more. But, aside from the misleading blurb and my disappointment in that, and the not completely fleshed out romance, I enjoyed Stripping Her Defenses because it was sexy and Chloe and Daniel are both interesting, likable characters.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Tracie Simister]

I gave this Book a rating of 5 ✩’s
Title: Stripping Her Defenses
Series: Secret Maneuvers Book 1
Genre: Bad boy romance
Author: Amanda Adams
Format: Kindle Edition
Published on: Sep 15, 2017

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
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Character’s Descriptions:
Daniel owes a debt to a man named Ghost
Chloe is a widow and she has been in love with her friend’s older brother Daniel for a long time
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Summary Paragraph:
Daniel and Chloe share a tiny bit of a past they kissed when she was 19 but he told her to go find someone her own ae. She did, even married one her own age but now she is a widow.
Daniel has secrets ones that could be deadly to him and anyone he loves.
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What I liked/Didn’t Like: Twists and turns angst and love are all to be had in this enticing story. I loved it and was hooked right from the beginning.

[MJM]

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. This was a fun, fast paced read by Amanda Adams that was well worth taking the time to read. Chloe and Daniel had known one another when they were much younger and he broke her heart. This story is set 10 years later when she has been married and widowed to a marine. They encounter one another and the sparks still sizzle between them but Daniel isn't going to break her heart this time. this time it is obvious that he is hoping to play for keeps. The only problem is that the FBI are watching them and there is a rogue CIA agent lurking around. In Stripping her Defences, Amanda has penned a clever story that has several layer to it. It isn't a book of great "depth" so it's not too "heavy" a read but a more than a beach read if you see what I mean. I liked her characters and the twists within the story so there were some surprises. I will be looking for more of Amanda's stories as I enjoyed this one so much.
DEFINITELY RECOMMENDED

[Laila Viking]

A very well written book. It is a short and easy but very enjoyable read. I like the story line and plot. I was captivated from first to last chapter.
It is about Daniel and Chloe. They are neighbors and Chloe has had a crush on Daniel since she was eight years old. She tried once to seduce him. He was on leave from the military. She was 19 and he was 22. But it did not work. Now she is a widow and has also lost her mother. She has learned a lot from life. He is back and they meet again. Will they have a second chance? They have both got things from the past they have to deal with but one of them comes and threatens to break things.
This story has a great chemistry, suspence, romance and second chances. The emotional ups and downs and twists makes the reader keep reading just to find out what happens next.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Tracey]

*This ARC was received in exchange for an honest review*

After reading Amanda Adams Walker Brothers series, I was quite excited to read her new series “Secret Maneuvers” and it didn’t disappoint. It had the right amount of suspense and the chemistry between Daniel and Chloe after ten years apart, but Daniels past has followed him and the FBI are are watching them both as they are after a rogue CIA agent.
In this Daniel wants to protect Chloe from his past, but when it comes knocking on her door she can protect herself and even though at one point Chloe didn’t trust Daniel as she though he had betrayed her she still protected him.
This was a really good story and I can’t wait to read what happens with the next couple in this series.

[Viper Spaulding]

This is a sweet second-chance romance for Chloe and her best friend's older brother, Daniel. Daniel thought walking away from her years ago was the best for both of them, but now he's rethinking his attraction to her and trying to make their second chance work out. This is more of a heartwarming love story than an angsty one, but it does have its suspenseful moments. It's well done with believable characters and plenty of chemistry between the two. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book through Booksprout.

[Tiffany Wittman]

Reunited Romance
by Tiffany Austin
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Regrets can lead to a love that soothes a wounded warrior's heart. The reunion of Daniel and Chloe does just that. When Daniel takes his sister's advice and hires her best friend Chloe as his realtor, old feelings start a spark that kindles an old flame. When Daniel sees the woman Chloe has become, he makes it his mission to make her his. But does he get past her defenses? Do his kisses make up for lost time?

[Cathy Riordan]

I enjoyed this book - it is well written, with engaging characters and a good background plot. I found it a little unbelievable that Chloe waited until the next day to tell Daniel about her encounter with Troy (don't worry, no spoilers), as that was key information and she knew it. I was also a bit frustrated to find Troy's story is unresolved at the end, and we have to read on in the series to find out more. Having said that, this is a complete story for Daniel and Chloe, so there is no cliffhanger in that sense.

[A.BookNerd.Bookseller&Bibliophile.Blog]

If you had a second chance at being with the one you let get away, would you take it? What if doing so put her in danger?

Daniel and Chloe reconnect after years apart, but they are both damaged; physically and emotionally.

I enjoyed reading this book, I have a thing for military romances and add in some suspense and I'm sold!

I look forward to reading more in the series.

[Z]

A beautiful story of second chance romance. It was well written story though a little predictability in the plot . There were elements of suspense to the story. Both Chloe and Daniel's characters were very believable and well developed. Once I started I couldn't put it down . It was a nice easy read .
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Natasha]

This is a well written book with a great storyline. The characters were well described and they just pulled you into their story. I loved their chemistry and interaction. This is a must read story and I would recommend it to anyone. I couldn't put it down. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Heather]

Having read and enjoyed the Walker brothers series, I was excited to see a new series starting for author Amanda Adams. This was a fun second chance romance with the added bonus of a touch of suspense from Daniel's military past. Looking forward to more of this series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Gladys]

Stripping Her Defenses (Secret Maneuvers Book 1) by Amanda Adams is a good read. This second chance romance is a light but enjoyable read. Daniel and Chloe are a good couple and have a nice chemistry. A good plot and interesting story make this an entertaining read. I am posting an honest review after reading an ARC copy of this book.

[Vivian Chrisman]

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Second chances don't always come along. When they do, you should make the most of them. Daniel and Chloe are given that second chance but will a threat from the past keep them apart? Looking forward to further books in this series.

[P]

I really enjoyed this story! The story development was well written with a good pace. It was steamy w/great chemistry and a storyline that includes intrigue and danger. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Rebecca]

Oh my goodness, this is such an amazing book. I absolutely love it. Two souls, both damaged, find love. How awesome is that. This book is so well written. It just sucks you right in and makes you feel like you are right there. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book in exchange for a free copy.

[Charmaine Nouwen]

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review..Great Read,hot and sexy military man second chance romance,well written story, the characters is good with great chemistry,loved it!

[Carol]

This was a good read. I enjoyed the characters and the storyline. It was fast paced and interesting. I recommend it to all. I received it as an arc and voluntarily reviewed it.

[Louise H's Book Thoughts]

3.5 stars

This is a well written and enjoyable read, if a touch predictable. I liked both main characters and also felt they were believable. Whilst the hero, Daniel, may have been a little cliched, both he and the heroine Chloe were well developed and consistent personalities. The story moves at a good pace and there are a few unexpected plot twists.



The suspense elements started out with a lot of promise, but I do somewhat wonder where the implied threat to Daniel and Chloe disappeared. At one point he doesn't want to get involved with Chloe, as he is worried that will place her in a dangerous position, or put her at risk. However this seemed to have been forgotten within a chapter or two.

And when the past comes calling, he’ll stop at nothing to protect her. Because when he's on a mission, he always gets his mark.

The above is a direct quote from the blurb, but I never felt that Chloe was in any danger or that she required any protection. The suspense elements were also reduced in the latter stages of the story, though I did get the impression they would continue in future books featuring other couples.

Now I like a good steamy read but some of the sex scenes in this felt unnecessary and almost as though they were put in the book because the hero and heroine happened to be alone together. The whole book had a fairly light on the drama 'beach read' feel to it. That's not a criticism as sometimes you don't want a heavy read full of angst and pain. I've read the author's "Walker Brothers" series and this didn't have quite the same emotional depth to it, perhaps because the author was concentrating more on adding the suspense/mystery element to the plot line.

I found the story easy to follow, the writing has a very natural feel to it and certainly helped keep my interest. I enjoyed this enough to want to read future books in the series and would recommend it if you are looking for an easy read with more to the story line than just romance.

[Reads & Reviews]

This is a DNF for me.

[&#x1f48b;Meme Chanell Book Corner&#x1f48b;]

Daniel is home from a military assignment gone wrong he lost two of his best friends.
Does not want to talk about it he's moved back home with his sister until he finds a place to stay. Two of his military friends who also got out will be staying at his sister's also.

Chloe was in love with Daniel when she was a teenager but he rejected her. She is grown up and is not that girl anymore. She lost her mother to cancer and is a widow after losing her husband. She put herself through school and is now a top real estate agent. I loved her character. She was a strong female need and was exactly what Daniel needs.

Daniel thinks he is broken, Chloe is the woman to help fix him and maybe get him to open up. I also liked Daniel's character he was a straight up guy who served his country and he only rejected Chloe cause he thought he was doing what was right for her.

Will Daniel and Chloe get their HEA or will danger from Daniel's military past strike?
I give this book four stars Amanda did an awesome job writing this book and I can't wait to read the rest of this series.

Pick up your copy now available on all retailers.

Xoxo,
Meme a Chanell Book Corner

[Crystal Viverette]

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

I stayed glued to my tablet through this whole book. OMG This is the best Amanda Adams book to date. Is is full of passion, action, suspense and very entertaining. I would say this book is one of the best this year.