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Smithson Group #1
The Bane Affair
Christian Bane is a man of few words, so when he talks, people listen. One of the Smithson Group's elite force, Christian's also the walking wounded, haunted by his past. Something about being betrayed by a woman, then left to die in a Thai prison by the notorious crime syndicate Spectra IT gives a guy demons. But now, Spectra has made a secret deal with a top scientist to crack a governmental encryption technology, and Christian has his orders: Pose as Spectra boss Peter Deacon. Going deep undercover as the slick womanizer will be tough for Christian. Getting cozy with the scientist's beautiful goddaughter, Natasha, to get information won't be. But the closer he gets to Natasha, the harder it gets to deceive her. She's so alluring, so trusting, so completely unexpected he suspects someone's been giving out faulty intel. If Natasha isn't the criminal he was led to believe, they're both being played for fools. Now, with Spectra closing in, Christian's best chance for survival is to confront his demons and trust the only one he can . . . Natasha . . .
Note: Brava reissued THE BANE AFFAIR in June 2008 as a Wal-Mart exclusive entitled AT RISK. (Click URL below to view the cover.)
Note: Brava reissued THE BANE AFFAIR in June 2008 as a Wal-Mart exclusive entitled AT RISK. (Click URL below to view the cover.)
340 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2004
839 people are currently reading
836 people want to read
About the author
Alison Kent
129 books643 followersI often read of or hear about authors who knew they were meant to tell stories from the time they left the crib. Me? I didn't decide what I wanted to be when I grew up until I was thirty years old - and then sold my first book at thirty-four. Still, it was obvious that I always knew I was going places.
Like so many other authors, I was a voracious reader from day one, devouring everything from Nancy Drew to My Friend Flicka, which I remember sitting hovered over the heater vent in the kitchen floor to read while my father made his coffee.
I moved on to my mother's Phyllis Whitney, Dorothy Eden, and Mary Stewart gothics before discovering my first true romances written by Lucy Walker and set in the Australian Outback. And then, at last, when I was 18 I found 'The Flame and the Flower'. (My son almost spent his life as Brandon because of that, but I spared him and named him Casey instead!)
Why write romance? Because love stories have always been a major part of the books I've loved. Father Ralph and Meggie Cleary. (I did name my daughter Megan after reading The Thorn Birds! Do you see a trend here?) The aforementioned Brandon Birmingham and Heather Simmons. Wolf Mackenzie and Mary Potter.
Even more so, it's because I love writing romance heroes. The men who sweep both heroines and readers off their feet - not to mention their authors, too!
I've spent several years happily writing action adventure romance for Kensington Brava along with hot and sexy series romances for Harlequin Blaze. Now I'm thrilled to be a launch author for Vows.
Like so many other authors, I was a voracious reader from day one, devouring everything from Nancy Drew to My Friend Flicka, which I remember sitting hovered over the heater vent in the kitchen floor to read while my father made his coffee.
I moved on to my mother's Phyllis Whitney, Dorothy Eden, and Mary Stewart gothics before discovering my first true romances written by Lucy Walker and set in the Australian Outback. And then, at last, when I was 18 I found 'The Flame and the Flower'. (My son almost spent his life as Brandon because of that, but I spared him and named him Casey instead!)
Why write romance? Because love stories have always been a major part of the books I've loved. Father Ralph and Meggie Cleary. (I did name my daughter Megan after reading The Thorn Birds! Do you see a trend here?) The aforementioned Brandon Birmingham and Heather Simmons. Wolf Mackenzie and Mary Potter.
Even more so, it's because I love writing romance heroes. The men who sweep both heroines and readers off their feet - not to mention their authors, too!
I've spent several years happily writing action adventure romance for Kensington Brava along with hot and sexy series romances for Harlequin Blaze. Now I'm thrilled to be a launch author for Vows.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
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Blurb:
A deadly sexy game of cat-and-mouse...
Christian Bane is an expert at deception. It's part of his job as a Smithson Group agent. But having been left to die by a woman he thought he loved means a calculated seduction–even under the guise of work–has him wanting to get in and get out without getting involved.
Natasha Gaudet loves hot-bodied cars, so when she arrives at her godfather's estate to find a sexy Italian import–and an even sexier stranger waiting in the shadows–she's intrigued. But things aren't what they seem, and soon Natasha is caught up in a dangerous web.
The closer Christian gets to Natasha, the harder it is to deceive her. He knows he's been fed faulty intel; Natasha's not a criminal any more than he is which means only one thing: They're both being played.
Now neither will survive without the other, no matter the trust–and intimacy–working together requires.
Blurb:
A deadly sexy game of cat-and-mouse...
Christian Bane is an expert at deception. It's part of his job as a Smithson Group agent. But having been left to die by a woman he thought he loved means a calculated seduction–even under the guise of work–has him wanting to get in and get out without getting involved.
Natasha Gaudet loves hot-bodied cars, so when she arrives at her godfather's estate to find a sexy Italian import–and an even sexier stranger waiting in the shadows–she's intrigued. But things aren't what they seem, and soon Natasha is caught up in a dangerous web.
The closer Christian gets to Natasha, the harder it is to deceive her. He knows he's been fed faulty intel; Natasha's not a criminal any more than he is which means only one thing: They're both being played.
Now neither will survive without the other, no matter the trust–and intimacy–working together requires.
September 21, 2014
It had all the requirements of a good read but didn't click real well for me. I liked it but felt it lacked something. I'll continue to check out more in the series, though.
June 5, 2017
Disappointing
I read book number three before I went back to the beginning . Number three was so good I was so disappointed in this one I just couldn't get invested in the characters. Christian buying is sent to figure out what Natasha's godfather is doing . He is up to no good and it's Christians job to get proof . He takes on a different character . A womanizing scoundrel basically and sleeps with Natasha under this assumed name in disguise . Have sex with her not one but several times . She forgives him to quickly and the book treats him basically like a good guy who had carte blanche to do anything because her godfather is a criminal . I wasn't impressed .
I read book number three before I went back to the beginning . Number three was so good I was so disappointed in this one I just couldn't get invested in the characters. Christian buying is sent to figure out what Natasha's godfather is doing . He is up to no good and it's Christians job to get proof . He takes on a different character . A womanizing scoundrel basically and sleeps with Natasha under this assumed name in disguise . Have sex with her not one but several times . She forgives him to quickly and the book treats him basically like a good guy who had carte blanche to do anything because her godfather is a criminal . I wasn't impressed .
August 18, 2015
i like this series of "spys", but i have to agree with Wick that Peter doesn't act like he should; he's more into the girl than into the progress of what he's there to buy. bad spy! i also very much want to know what happened to Wick!! the story "wrapped up" too quick -- what happened with the stuff they found, how did they get Natasha "cleared" since Wick had set her up to take the fall, etc. and Christian needed to get on his horse and giddy-up to get back to Natasha. i didn't like his lack of confidence/determination at the end.
August 1, 2011
This was more romance than actual suspense, but that is good. I was in the mood for that this time around.
Kent is a new author to me even though this series is about 7 years old. I look forward to reading the rest.
Kent is a new author to me even though this series is about 7 years old. I look forward to reading the rest.
January 24, 2020
This was an interesting read, the first chapter was all over the place and I continually had to reread it to understand what was going on but after that I could follow along. It just made me almost want to stop reading.
You have Christian who is ex-military working as a sort of mercenary going undercover to stop the company that 7 years ago almost killed him. He is expecting to gain information from Natalie, the goddaughter of a scientist who is potentially trying to intercept data encrypted used by the US Government. However he finds that Natasha doesn't really know much about her godfathers work.
At first Christian thinks he is using Natasha to stop the bad guys but when he realizes he actually cares for her and she is being used as well, he tries to protect her while still taking down her godfather.
Steamy, drama filled read where you cheer on the good guys!
You have Christian who is ex-military working as a sort of mercenary going undercover to stop the company that 7 years ago almost killed him. He is expecting to gain information from Natalie, the goddaughter of a scientist who is potentially trying to intercept data encrypted used by the US Government. However he finds that Natasha doesn't really know much about her godfathers work.
At first Christian thinks he is using Natasha to stop the bad guys but when he realizes he actually cares for her and she is being used as well, he tries to protect her while still taking down her godfather.
Steamy, drama filled read where you cheer on the good guys!
January 22, 2020
The unexpected
Natasha wasn't anything Christian thought he knew through his research. He was in a mission, undercover, to free a scientist who was taken prisoner. Talk about a falling Intel. This scientist was a willing participant to sell national secrets. Natasha godfather, a renown professor, went over his head, his beliefs when he found out he was dying,, a possible cure was found but he needed lots of money he didn't have. He forgot about loyalties. A tale of lies, intrigues, game of mirrors and a hot attraction binding together Natasha and Christian. The ending is unclear regarding the godfather. It doesn't take away the gist of the story. Thanks.
Natasha wasn't anything Christian thought he knew through his research. He was in a mission, undercover, to free a scientist who was taken prisoner. Talk about a falling Intel. This scientist was a willing participant to sell national secrets. Natasha godfather, a renown professor, went over his head, his beliefs when he found out he was dying,, a possible cure was found but he needed lots of money he didn't have. He forgot about loyalties. A tale of lies, intrigues, game of mirrors and a hot attraction binding together Natasha and Christian. The ending is unclear regarding the godfather. It doesn't take away the gist of the story. Thanks.
September 18, 2018
This only has two stars because it he second one is out of pity. This book was such a rough read that I only made it to chapter four in the futile hope it would get better.. it never did. The dialogue and writing are choppy with unnecessary details that don’t add to the character or the scene. The heroine comes off as annoying and not plausible. The hero isn’t sexy just tormented. If you want a book in the same genre read Sherrilyn Kenyon or Lora Leigh for your dose of bad boys but stay away from the author because all you will accomplish is a waste of your time.
January 19, 2020
Forget
This one unless you enjoy pages and pages of sex! Oh and foul language! This book started out interesting, then came the sex and foul language, so I skipped most of the book and read the ending of the story. Books should have a rating on them like movies I will not be reading anything else from this author, thankfully this was a free download because it is not worth much more .
This one unless you enjoy pages and pages of sex! Oh and foul language! This book started out interesting, then came the sex and foul language, so I skipped most of the book and read the ending of the story. Books should have a rating on them like movies I will not be reading anything else from this author, thankfully this was a free download because it is not worth much more .
August 31, 2017
A very wild adventure
This book is full of surprises and unexpected twists and turns. The characters are realistic and so so easy to love. A little humor, some mystery, plenty of adventure, and sprinkled with some steamy moments, this book is a must read. Can't wait to get my hands on the next book in the series.
This book is full of surprises and unexpected twists and turns. The characters are realistic and so so easy to love. A little humor, some mystery, plenty of adventure, and sprinkled with some steamy moments, this book is a must read. Can't wait to get my hands on the next book in the series.
September 4, 2017
I just discovered this author and I thought this book was a really great read. It has a smart and sophisticated storyline that drew me in and kept me guessing and the attraction between Christian and Natasha is instantaneous and oh-so deliciously sexy. I stayed up way past my bedtime and I can't wait to read the rest of the books in this series.
May 15, 2018
This is a very slow moving story, since it's a spy romance there are a lot of details. Sometimes it was hard to follow. As for Christian he is a really bad spy, he met Natasha and he was lost. Natasha and Christian were hot from the start, that was fun. In my opinion this is not one of Alison Kent's best works, but I will continue to read the series to see if it gets any better.
December 18, 2019
There are several holes in this book that are hard to let go of and the ending is a bit abrupt.
It was an interesting read but also a bit slow at the start to get to the point.
Action was at a zero until the end and then only topped 2/10 (extremely unsatisfying).
Also the romantic development felt forced and didn’t really make a lot of sense.
It was an interesting read but also a bit slow at the start to get to the point.
Action was at a zero until the end and then only topped 2/10 (extremely unsatisfying).
Also the romantic development felt forced and didn’t really make a lot of sense.
August 19, 2022
Christian Bane is operating under diguise as Peter Deacon a wealthy sleazy man. Christian still suffers from the time he was held in Thailand. While working under cover on the latest project Christian meets the god daughter of the man he is trying to find bring down. There is a lot of suspense and Christian is focused on her rather than his mission. It was a good read with twists and turns
June 16, 2017
Average
In the first part of the book it was difficult for me to pay attention. I don't know if I got bored with the sex or if the story was too boring. The last part was better.
In the first part of the book it was difficult for me to pay attention. I don't know if I got bored with the sex or if the story was too boring. The last part was better.
July 23, 2017
Tension in every word
Within the first two paragraphs, I was hooked; and I never stopped reading until the final word. It was spy drama, it was psychological thriller, it was erotic romance. This book is worth reading!
Within the first two paragraphs, I was hooked; and I never stopped reading until the final word. It was spy drama, it was psychological thriller, it was erotic romance. This book is worth reading!
July 29, 2017
Not for me
I have read 3 other books in this series which I enjoyed. I just couldn't get through this one with so much graphic sex in it. I read the first 100 pages and gave up and went to the last 25 pages to see how it ended. Just not a book for me.
I have read 3 other books in this series which I enjoyed. I just couldn't get through this one with so much graphic sex in it. I read the first 100 pages and gave up and went to the last 25 pages to see how it ended. Just not a book for me.
August 15, 2018
red hat queen
This book was amazing. I loved the story. So much drama and sex. I loved the characters,all of them. You are a great romance writer. Can't wait to read more of your books.
This book was amazing. I loved the story. So much drama and sex. I loved the characters,all of them. You are a great romance writer. Can't wait to read more of your books.
January 18, 2020
When love survives
This is an exciting story with lots of suspense. I liked the intrigue and dama. The only thing I didn't like was the bad language and graphic sex. Not the type of book I usually read because of that but the story was touching.
This is an exciting story with lots of suspense. I liked the intrigue and dama. The only thing I didn't like was the bad language and graphic sex. Not the type of book I usually read because of that but the story was touching.
January 21, 2020
Steamy and suspense!
Christian Bane has a backstory in his past that makes the reader root for him from start to finish. There's something sinister in Natasha's godfather, and Christian shows up to figure it out, or so the reader hopes!
Christian Bane has a backstory in his past that makes the reader root for him from start to finish. There's something sinister in Natasha's godfather, and Christian shows up to figure it out, or so the reader hopes!
July 4, 2017
What a start for a series!
Action pack love story that keeps you on the edge wait to drop! I love book one the things Bane went through is amazing and then to find true love. WOW!
Action pack love story that keeps you on the edge wait to drop! I love book one the things Bane went through is amazing and then to find true love. WOW!
August 4, 2017
I loved the start to this series. An alpha male with a past that threatens to complicate his future and the strong woman who will see him through. ❤️
August 6, 2017
4.5 Stars
Decent beginning to a series. I look forward to the the next in the series. Recommend to all readers of romantic suspense!!
Decent beginning to a series. I look forward to the the next in the series. Recommend to all readers of romantic suspense!!
August 8, 2017
What a wonderfully exhilarating read. Great adventure for the beach or a quiet day by the pool. This was a great start to the series.
freebies
October 28, 2019"Brilliant Disguise" - new title?
January 28, 2020
Epic
Great read full of intrigue. adrenaline packed with a great love story to boot. I loved reading Christian and Natasha's story. So many emotions
Great read full of intrigue. adrenaline packed with a great love story to boot. I loved reading Christian and Natasha's story. So many emotions
March 25, 2020
Slow read
I couldn't really get into this book. It was a little slower than most I've read. Usually I can catch up after a few chapters this book I couldn't.
I couldn't really get into this book. It was a little slower than most I've read. Usually I can catch up after a few chapters this book I couldn't.
April 13, 2020
Enjoyed this. Felt a little stilted, but liked the excitement and suspense, in both the plot and the romance. Definitely sticking with the series.
July 8, 2020
2 stars. Skimmed a lot. Boring. No chemistry + where is the suspense?
July 18, 2020
Good read.
I chose this book because of the cover. Like everything about the book. I would recommed this book for Lindsey Kurmis.
I chose this book because of the cover. Like everything about the book. I would recommed this book for Lindsey Kurmis.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews