BOOK REVIEW- DARK COVER

A traitor's brother, an undercover fiancée--and a terrorist's deadline...
Nick Markos has inherited the burden and shame of his brother's dealings with terrorists, who demand he return the millions he skimmed. Hoping to uncover a plotted attack, the Feds install DARK Officer Vanessa Wade undercover as Nick's glamorous fiancée.
Despite her expertise, Vanessa has grown to dislike undercover work. Under orders to make sure the sexy and tortured tycoon is no traitor, she soon realizes that instead he's determined to regain his family honor--and his own. She tells herself to stay detached, but this man's kisses make her emotions spin out of control. As they work together amid gala social events and terror threats, Nick and Vanessa cannot deny their mutual attraction, but her deception makes Vanessa feel as false as the rock on her finger.
Is their relationship only a charade? One that could explode--along with a terrorist bomb? 
AMAZON  4 STARS


I liked the idea of this plot and that is what made me want to read it.   Both Nick and Vanessa were interesting people and were set up in an awkward situation.  So you can understand why they did a lot of dancing around each other.  They each had their own focus and their own purpose in this charade.   They just weren't sure of each other and how far or if they could extend trust.  Vanessa was quite the experienced undercover agent even though she was tiring of it.  She had a nickname, The Confessor and as you read along you begin to see why.
 As she got to know Nick, being undercover became even more wearing to her. She just wanted to be herself, someone she was sure that Nick would not be attracted to at all.   Her model-like sister and his real fiance Danielle were more the type of woman she figured he was attracted to. 
She was used to being seen as the cute girl next door or a '' pal'' to the guys.  It helped in her interactions with her fellow agents but it was tough on her confidence as a woman.   
Nick had his own troubles, he had also been "used" by people.  Usually women wanted to be with him because of his money or status.  The author clearly shows that he is a handsome man, with a powerful persona.  So he is unlikely most times to trust a woman. That makes this assignment even more difficult.   He becomes attracted to Vanessa of course making it even worse.  He has doubts about her wondering if he is seeing the real "Vanessa" or if she is using him too.  Add to that the past drama of a botched military op that he was a part of.  The weight of responsibility weights pretty heavy on him still.
That's all going on in the emotional side as they are being threatening by the terrorist group, the New Dawn.  
Around the 40ish % on my kindle, the story slowed down a bit more than I liked.   But I think another way to look at it is that we are caught up in what the M.C's were.   When, were and how  the next time New Dawn was going to strike.  I could feel that part of it too, the waiting; the tension of it.  But it didn't last too long because at about 50-51% mark, it started to pick up again.   There are twists and turns and action scenes as the M.C.'s are chased and attacked.  Those parts are sprinkled throughout the book. Not one constant steady diet of it, like some books, but the threat is there. 
There was no cliffhanger, there was a HEA ending, this book could stand well all on its own.  It does have several sex scenes. But can I say that I remember them as tastefully done. No 3 hours of detailed sex here and I appreciated that. 

There is an excerpt of another book in the Series, with one of the people who was in this book.  Dark Rules is the name of it and has Simon Byrne as the main man of the book. 

“I received a copy of this book in exchange for a review”.