This book was decent, but I just found myself not quite blown away. It was a good action/romance, but I just couldn't get fully invested in the read. For some reason, it just felt like there was something missing

VK Powell's real life police experience leads to some exciting police procedural drama. Then there's the scorching chemistry between the leads. The book is fast paced and the characters are easy to identify with.

ARC received in return for a review.

Totally in love with this!!!

Evan meets her match when wayward DEA agent Frankie is assigned to her team. With past demons haunting Evan she is determined to catch the criminal masterminds that keep alluding her and she doesn’t want anything messing that up. It is quickly clear she is going to stand in Frankie’s way if she dares put a foot out of line, but defiantly, Frankie manages to get up to a few of her old tricks. Whilst well and truly getting under each other’s skin, both Frankie and Evan have to come to understand one another, compromise and work as a team if they are to be successful in completing their mission.

I am completely blown away with how much I loved this book and although the story was very gripping and thrilling, I have to tip my hat to VK Powell for the amazing characters. They were the ones who I really engaged with and made this story the brilliant crime/mystery/thriller it is. To have characters that are strong willed but vulnerable all in one is one of my most favourite things in a story, but to have a character with the flaws and insecurities to level Frankie has and to make her so strong and admirable at the same time was something truly special.

As soon as I started reading this story I could feel that tension between these two, and it remain consistent throughout, building to a huge crescendo when they actually figured out that their irritation, ok Evan’s irritations, was actually attraction. The plot really tested their character, but also their emotions and in turn cleverly tested yours as a reader. There is a lot of history here with each character, it’s moulded and shaped them into who they are today and although both flawed in a brilliant way, they were totally perfect for one another. A partner who challenges you isn’t always a bad thing. And Frankie, she really knows how to test Evan’s patience!

Trying to describe how I felt about Frankie and her story is totally overwhelming. I cried and I laughed. I really want these two to have another adventure and a more of them, because I have only had the slightest taste and they are brilliant. This was my first VK Powell novel and definitely won’t be my last. I absolutely adored the story, the characters, and that book cover is so very alluring! I really would recommend this story to any crime/mystery fans, but also to anyone who loves a great, deeply emotional love story. Your heart will be filled, I promise!

3/5

This book was just ok. I really expected to like it but instead I had a hard time trying to finish it. I couldn't engage with the characters nor could I feel the chemistry between the main characters. However, this is all my personal opinion. I am sure there are many people that would really enjoy it and love this book. Unfortunately I am not one of those people.

This ARC was provided by Netgalley for an honest review

Incognito is about a U. S. Marshalls’ task force that is trying to apprehend fugitives who previously evaded capture and in doing so injured one of their own. The lead marshal is Evan Spears. She is a rule follower and does everything by the book. Unfortunately, she was betrayed by someone close and that resulted in the aforementioned sting operation. Evan feels responsible for the failure and the injury to a member of her team. As a result, she is micromanaging everything the team does.

Frankie Strong, a DEA agent, is assigned to Evan’s team. For more operations than she would like to count, Frankie has been assigned undercover assignments. She has been on her own for years and has lost her true identity. She has had to rely on her instincts to survive. Frankie is beginning to wish she could just settle down and stop functioning undercover.

When Frankie is assigned to work with Evan, there are immediate sparks. Evan can’t believe that she has to have this free-spirited DEA agent involved with her team. Although Evan is not Frankie’s boss, she is supposed to work with the team to capture the international fugitives who slipped through the previous sting.

I have always enjoyed V. K. Powell’s books. She has thirty years of law enforcement experience and uses that wealth of information to write a story that is very realistic. This book is well written, fast-paced and gripping. I thoroughly enjoyed the main characters as well as the supporting characters. Ms. Powell could certainly write a sequel to this book with these characters.

As one can guess, Evan and Frankie do become romantically involved, but I found the constant on again off again attraction a little tiring. My impatience was probably due to the fact that I wanted the story to progress so I could learn how the fugitives would be found and captured.

I certainly recommend Incognito to anyone who is looking for a suspenseful, believable story. I rate this book 4-1/2 stars out of 5.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I received an arc from NetGalley and I appreciate the opportunity I was given to read this story.

I enjoyed some aspects of the story but it just fell a little flat for me, unfortunately. It that’s a really great concept but there wasn’t s huge plot twist or anything to really make the story exciting. The romance was sweet but seemed a bit forced at times and felt like it only occurred because they both happened to be queer, not because of a connection. There where also some things that characters said that sat wrong with me and weren’t really addressed.

Some of the messages from this book were conveyed well but the overall plot and execution didn’t quite hit the mark.

I like Powell's books a lot, and this was no exception. I liked everything about this book and I will tell you why. The book is about tow strong agents one in the DEA and one a US Marshall. The book details their lives as they have to team up in order to Cath a criminal. Frankie is looking to amend the wrongs of her past, and Evan is looking to make things right with her team after a failed mission. There was so much to love both main characters were excellent. The one thing I did not like was how quickly they had fell in love, it was super instantaneous and it was cool only because it made the tension better.

There were parts of the boom that felt uneven, like how Frankie was rebellious one minute and then basically throwing herself at even the next, her mood swings were hard to follow. As I write this I find it difficult ton tell the characters apart, sometime their voices sounded so similar and that was hard to follow. I liked Evan from the beginning because I love butch women characters in my lesbian books. I thought the story and the romance were sweet and well written and I will continue to read Powell's books.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review from bold strokes books and netgalley.

Well, I can say that the case and the capture bits of this book were interesting. I'm not quite sold on the romance and relationship of the two MCs.

I kept relating it back to the movie "Speed", where the characters become interested in each other so quickly because of heightened events, but does that really make a great relationship? It was more surface based than I prefer. Even I, the reader, barely knew much about Evan and Frankie. I was especially interested in Frankie and all the undercover work. I wish there had been more of that.

Overall, it was an ok read. I'd rate it 3 1/2 stars if I could, but rounded up because structure was solid.

This is part of a multi-book review on C-spot Reviews.

If you're in the mood for a fast paced romantic intrigue novel with action, romance and humour, this might be one for you.

A team of US Marshals, led by Evan Spears, have been hot on the heels of a dangerously smart fugitive when their latest operation goes off the rails in such a way that the fugitive escapes and the team is sidelined due to a serious injury of one of the members and the departure of another. Despite the setbacks, they are determined to get their man - even if it means having to work with a liaison from the DEA, Frankie Strong, who may have critical information to share. From that point, its a fast paced investigation as they track the bad guys down.

I found myself rooting for Frankie throughout the story - she's a bit of a rebel with a rather irreverent sense of humour and a tendency to strip naked at the drop of a hat and engage in serious discussions. When she joins the team, she's at the point of nearly being burned out - living undercover on a string of operations and having had to shoot a fugitive has taken a toll and she's wondering if it is time to come in our of the cold and settle into a "normal" kind of job. Despite this, she jumps in feet first and is pretty much running circles around the established team, using her unorthodox methods to move the case forward. Her skills at uncover work have come at a price and Frankie struggles with the morality of what she's done in her past and how to make amends.

Evan, on the other hand, I had a harder time rooting for. Opposite of Frankie, she's buttoned up and a bit of a control freak. Oddly enough, she's the angsty one as she's carrying a fair bit of guilt and regret over the last mission that landed one team mate in a wheelchair and how she got played by an informant. Based on the events of that mission, I had a hard time she'd be allowed to remain on the case due to conflict of interest. Obviously, she isn't immune to Frankie's charm - hell, how do you maintain eye contact when someone's dropped a towel - and softens up as she sees the results that Frankie's street smarts and methods are achieving and how vital she is to the team tracking down the bad guys.

This is more of a light intrigue/action novel with a bit of smolder and spark added to keep the momentum going. The investigation rolls along at a good pace and the characters get plenty of action as they close in on the bad guy and his partners. As a romance, this is almost too fast paced and is built on the old adage that opposites attract - the two meet, antagonize one another (aka foreplay), have a strained discussion or two while one is in the nude, kiss a few times, sleep together and are in love. If the story line hadn't been so compressed (l think it was spaced over a week or ten days), the intrigue and romance could have more time to grow and develop. As it is, everything moves at a lightening pace - which is great for an action oriented book, but an be a bit of a detriment to building a romance plot line.

Frankie felt very realistic. I really liked the buildup to the romance. I had difficulty connecting to the plot at times, but overall it was enjoyable.

While not ground-breaking, this book is exciting and fast-paced and the chemistry between the two main characters is great.

Evan Spears is a by-the-book US Marshall whose last mission ended in disaster, making her more cautious than ever. She’s forced to include to her team DEA agent Frankie Strong, who has been working mostly undercover and unsupervised for the last six years. At first they go head to head, each trying trying to assert her standing. As they start working together, Evan trying to plan for everything and Frankie ad-libbing, they get to know and respect each other. The growing attraction between them is just one more hurdle they have to overcome.

I’ve read three or four books by V. K. Powell before but they didn’t make much of an impression. This one, on the other hand, I really enjoyed., despite the back and forth between Frankie and Evan being slightly repetitive. I also wish one of the villains didn’t bear my name, but I'll get over it.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoy VK Powell’s work. I think she is an excellent storyteller and I like that her books are crime/mysteries rather than just standard girl meets girl, they fall in love, happy ever after. There is a good plot in here especially with Frankie the DEA agent who has spent too much of her life undercover. Evan is specific in her rules and in how she wants her team to act so when Frankie is seconded to her team, Evan is not happy. There are excellent secondary characters - I liked Aaron - and the team dynamic was well captured. No spoilers here but if you like Ms Powell’s work, you won’t be disappointed.

Recommended if you want something light but engrossing for a summer evening.

I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley in return for an honest review.

V.K.Powell is building on her reputation for writing really gripping lesbian crime romance novels, her stories are engaging, her characters are believable and she shows an impressive knowledge of the way security forces work in our modern world. This book covers the story of Evan who is giving herself a hard time after an arrest goes tragically wrong, when she is forced to take on a new partner Frankie an expert is living and working undercover. Naturally Evan is suspicious and reluctant to have a new receipt but over time she comes to respect Frankie's work and off course envelops feeling for her. Facing an attempt to right her wrongs with the extra complication of an ex who screwed her over, Evan is defensive, hyper self critical and emotionally closed. Frankie helps her to open up. The crimes parts are exciting and enthralling and this is an engaging read and a must for any lesbian crime enthusiast.

With thanks to net galley for the ARC in exchange of an unbiased review.

This was just an okay read for me. I don't read a lot of V.K. Powell because, even though they are romantic suspense, a lot of her writing isn't super intense in regards to the suspense parts. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy the interplay between the leads and some of the secondary characters, and the to leads here are a great dynamic, but the case is not super great. There is a lack of urgency even though the good guys are trying to catch fugitives that seem to have gone international. There's also a couple of extra dramatic bits thrown in at the end to ratchet up the stakes, but I thought it was just a little too late for that.

The strongest part of the book was the interplay between leads, Evan, a US Marshal who is a huge control freak and is still reeling from a botched arrest that's connected to a pair of fugitives her and her team are currently running down, and DEA liaison Frankie, a deep undercover operative that has a past. Both women learned to keep people at arms' length, Frankie with her abilities to become almost anyone, and Evan with her almost obsessive need for rules and order. They clash, because Frankie's often mischievous behavior is so out of what Evan thinks she needs. But they are attracted to each other, and it does blow up their world view a bit.

Evan and Frankie are very good characters on their own, but I wish I could see them in action a little more. The handling of the case was just way too slow. There was a lot of buildup for the characters, but without the urgency of their case, it just felt like they were floating through it. Other, than that, the book was okay.

Evan Spears commands a federal Task force whose job is to track down fugitives but the mission doesn’t always go the way it should. The last one left one of her agents badly hurt and Evan devastated because it turns out someone she trusted was not who Evan thought she was. The whole experience has left her questioning everything. What did she do wrong and now her only thought was how, when her team is on an assignment, how to keep them safe. The idea of working with someone new wasn’t something she wanted to do but when her supervisor ordered her to do just that she really had no choice.
Frankie Strong works with the DEA and for the last few years she went undercover gathering information on the people responsible for not only dealing drugs but murdering anyone who got in the way. When she’s asked to join US Marshall Spears task force she has no choice but to agree. It seems the task force was trying to apprehend the same guys Frankie spent the last few years shadowing. But she’s tired and needs a break so the only way she would agree was when she was given permission to work on another case known only to her and her DEA supervisor.
Ms Powell does an excellent job telling stories about the inner workings of law enforcement. Fast paced with lots of action and of course a romance kept me turning the pages. Simply another great read. Very, very enjoyable.
ARC via NetGalley/Bold Stroke Books

VK Powell is an excellent author, she has a wonderful way of describing the scenes and characters. Incognito though, isn't one of her better books. I felt like the story dragged a bit. There's good meat to it though and is worth the time to read about Frankie and Evan, a U.S. Marshal and a DEA agent, respectively,working together on a case.

I went into this loving what I was reading. The story line was so different and interesting. The DEA and US Marshalls. Undercover officers. But wow it got tedious fast. I can't be with you...oh I have to be with you. I can't get involved....Oh how can I help myself? It was over the top for me. It sucked quite a bit of enjoyment from the book. I initially felt the chemistry between the MCs, but then it quickly died for me. The book could have easily stood alone without the romance...and honestly probably would have been better.

I recevied and ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A story about a US Marshall supervisor who gets a liaison forced on her team in the form of an independent, headstrong former undercover agent of the DEA while her team is chasing 3 fugitive sounds like it is right up my alley. And I liked the book, it just wasn't great. I can't really say what's the matter..the story moves along, there's some trauma in Evan's past that explains her not wanting to form a connection, Frankie has trouble with showing her real self after all that time doing undercover work and the pacing of the chase is also well written.

I could have used a better developed Evan to establish a connection I guess, not really sure what Frankie sees in her. And Frankie was a bit annoying with her pushing for sex almost from the beginning. Yes you could see the sparks were there, but let's give the romance a build-up period with the main characters getting to know each other. Anyways, I would not not recommend this book, but it's also not going on my re-reading pile and the characters didn't stay with me after the last page.

This author is a good one in action novels, with law enforcement characters of all kind. In this case a US Marshal team and one DEA agent get joined to find some fugitive drug dealers. This join is not completely accepted by the leader of the US Marshal team, Evan Spears, a woman with high standards in rule follow. Because the DEA agent, Frankie Strong is used to be in her own, going undercover in her assignments, blending in her sorrounds to be unnoticed. But when Frankie meet Evan all she wants is to be noticed.
Really the plot is a bit nonsensical, because there is a mix of professional and personal stuff between Evan and the fugitives and Evan is a bit troubled and traumatized because said personal involvement caused a mislead during the operation to catch the bad guys that had some bad consequencies in one of her agents.
But not being very picky, the story is quite entertaining and figuring out Frankie is even fun.
I've missed more one on one Evan and Frankie time, although there is some good moments they are too quick and done. I'm always greedy for interaction between strong women, one of my debilities, I never have enough.
All in all this has been a pretty entertaining read that I recommend if you like action and romance without too much pretense.

Federal agents, international chase scenes, sexy lesbians... HELL YEAH! I thought going in that this would be a can't miss for me, but unfortunately, I just wasn't blown away. I enjoy Powell's novels, but this one didn't come close to wow-ing me.

In all fairness, I read this while out of town this past week at my wife's family reunion, so my reading time was fraught with distraction. I usually read in massive chunks, but this book was more of a chapter here, chapter there type of read for me and I always find myself not quite so engaged when I read that way. Keep that in mind while you're making your own decision on picking this one up!

This book was decent, but I just found myself not quite blown away. It was a good action/romance, but I just couldn't get fully invested in the read. For some reason, it just felt like there was something missing... the excitement wasn't quite up to par, the romance wasn't quite exciting enough, just... something missing. The MCs Frankie and Even were well fleshed out, but I still found myself crossing up their names multiple times, which rarely happens to me. That may have had something to do with my distraction while reading, but in all honesty, I think I just wasn't invested enough in the book to care. I enjoyed Frankie's character quite a bit, but still... Just couldn't truly connect to either of them.

The book was entertaining, but it just felt like it was lacking to me. I wish there had been a bit more excitement, or a bit more... something for me to truly enjoy it. This one came in at 3.5 stars for me.

**Many thanks to BSB for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.**