Title: Exposing the Heiress
Series: Once A Marine #3
Author: Jennifer Apodaca
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published: August 4, 2015
Publisher: Entangled Ignite
My Rating: 5 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:
This Marine will protect her at all costs…
When wealthy heiress Alyssa Brooks finds out her stepfather has been paying her fiancé to marry her, she’s humiliated and betrayed. She quickly breaks the engagement, only to be blackmailed by her now ex-fiancé, who threatens both Alyssa and the son she gave up for adoption. With nowhere to go, she turns to the one man she can trust.
Former Marine sniper Hunter Reece’s lethal skills could save Alyssa’s life. But his little sister’s best friend has turned into a woman, who is an irresistible mix of secrets and sexiness. And while Hunter can trust himself to protect her, he can’t trust himself to keep his attraction hidden…or even pretend to be the man that Alyssa remembers.
Because the only way to keep the lovely heiress safe is to become the one thing he knows she could never love…a killer.
Read on for my thoughts on Exposing the Heiress. No true spoilers, promise.
While Exposing the Heiress is the third novel in the Once A Marine series, it can be read as a stand alone novel in my opinion. So if you are the least bit hesitant to read this because you haven’t checked out the earlier novels, don’t worry – you can catch up later, but don’t miss this one in the meantime.
Hunter Reece left the military when he became too good at his job, when parts of his soul went missing and he made the decision to save himself. His work now also involves dangers, but he can live with this. Until his sister’s childhood best friend comes to him for help. When the past collides with the present in a very grown up woman with a load of trouble on her tail, Hunter realizes he will do anything to keep Alyssa safe.. maybe even from himself.
Alyssa has enough guilt in her life to last a lifetime. The ultimate humiliation comes when she realizes that her stepfather has paid her now former fiance to marry her. Even though Alyssa has called off the wedding, that won’t stop this scumbag from demanding she go through with the marriage or he will harm the son she gave up for adoption years ago. A simple choice in his arrogant opinion – never in hell in Alyssa’s opinion. She turns to the one man she knows she can trust with her life and her son’s… Hunter Reece.
Exposing the Heiress is such an emotional, intriguing and satisfying story to fall into. Two wounded people, wounded in ways not physically obvious but there nonetheless will find their way into each other’s hearts – but not without some time, issues and fighting each other along the way. It was a joy to watch them expose their hearts, thoughts and feelings in ways that eventually brought them closer.
This is a love story at its finest. The story is so well told and realistic that you will not have one moment to think outside of the story. It draws you in and doesn’t let you go until the final word. And that is what a good love story does. It consumes you.
I highly recommend Exposing the Heiress (and the earlier novels in this series) for any reader that simply desires a very good love story. You will find that in this one.
*I received an e-ARC of Exposing the Heiress from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. That does not change what I think of this novel.*
(Just an aside for anyone new to Jennifer Apodac’s writing, she also writes paranormals under the name Jennifer Lyons – we who read paranormals know her Wing Slayer Hunters series – but you might not so this is just an FYI that if you enjoyed her writing in contemporary romance you might want to check out her paranormals too. )
Available for the Kindle
