‘Locke and Key’: a soldier hurt by a tenacious reporter collide with a fiery passion

Synopsis

Locke is a military man who lost a group of his men in Iraq years ago. To him, there is one person solely responsible for the tragic night 26 soldiers were killed.

Cassidy is the reporter Locke blames for the fateful night in Iraq. After that night, Cassidy lost her place has a high standing reporter and is working to make her way back to the top.

Several years later Locke and Cassidy collide when Locke is on a Titan rescue mission in Russia. The two butt heads, but soon discover there is an explosive chemistry between them. Locke and Cassidy soon find temselves working together and uncover Russian mobsters putting together a sex trafficking network.

Locke and Cassidy must work through their differences to help uncover the truth, save lives and find love.

Thoughts on the Book

                Ever since I started the Titan series, I have loved each new book Cristin Harber has released. “Locke and Key” is no exception.

Locke is a sexy sweetheart! The man knows how to make a girl swoon. I am one of those girls who loves when a guy comes up with nicknames, and Locke comes up with not one, not two, but several. I won’t reveal all of them, especially the one he sticks to for Cassidy (you’ll have to read the book to find that one out), but a few include Red, Flamethrower, Riding Hood and Strawberry Shortcake. See a theme here? Cassidy is a red head with a fiery personality and Locke roles with it.

When these two get together for a hot and steamy scene, Cristin Harber definitely went all out. The entire book was great, but the scenes where Locke and Cassidy got a little down and dirty were wow. Harber does a fantastic job of conveying the passion and chemistry between the two in the process. Take a look at the below snippets from “Locke and Key,” provided by Cristin Harber and her publicist Tara Gonzalez, to see what I mean.

 

Trust me, it gets better as you read. This is only a taste of what occurs between Locke and Cassidy when they are together.

Throughout the entire book, I was on the edge of my seat. My heart was constantly going crazy throughout the entire book, as well. Between the chemistry Locke and Cassidy have, the steamy sex scenes, and the stomach clenching fear induced from interactions with Russian mobsters, you won’t be able to get off the rollercoaster ride that is “Locke and Key.”

One thing within the book that I questioned was how fast Locke flips from hating Cassidy to lusting after her. It seemed all of a sudden to me. I get that he didn’t have all the facts before his “intel-therapy” on the night in Iraq where 26 of his men died, but I felt there could have been a smoother transition. Maybe it also felt this way to me because I had to pause in my reading a few times. I’ll have to read it again to see if that is the case, but for this first round, it felt like it needed a smoother transition from a hate relationship to a love relationship. However, I did like that they resolved their issues from that night and that there was a build up before they jumped into bed together. The build up aspect wasn’t rushed and seemed to flow just right.

Overall, I would definitely recommend you read “Locke and Key.” Honestly, I would recommend you read the whole series if you are looking for an amazing military romance series. You won’t regret it. No two stories are ever the same, and you just can’t help falling in love with each and every one of the sexy and strong men that make up Titan.

Check out my book cover reveal post for “Locke and Key” to see the official synopsis for the book and my release day post to read a full excerpt from “Locke and Key.” Also check out my review post on “Garrison’s Creed,” the second book in the Titan series, to see what other Titan books are like and to find links to free books to get you started on the series.

 

Release Day of ‘Locke and Key’ by Cristin Harber

The day has arrived! Cristin Harber’s newest addition to the Titan Series, “Locke and Key,” is out and available for purchase. If you’ve been following Head Stuck in a Book lately, you know I have done a review of one of Cristin Harber’s Titan books, “Garrison’s Creed,” and a cover reveal with book description for “Locke and Key.” Now, I have an excerpt for you lovely readers so you can get a taste of the sexy Locke and the hot chemistry between him and the fiery Cassidy.  Check back here May 3rd for my review of the book. Hint: Hot, steamy, and makes your heart beat like crazy for so many reasons.

For now, here is the excerpt from “Locke and Key” to peak your interest.

Locke ducked close to her ear, purposefully rasping a five o’clock shadow against her neck, and again asked, “Do we know anything new?”

She whimpered. He had to have heard the quiet groan, and he swayed them together and— damn, she felt him. Cassidy’s eyes went wide as he held her backside against his crotch.

Was Locke turned-on? Locke was turned-on. And he wanted her to know. The realization was as potent as a narcotic. It hit her blood, and she was high.

But he’d asked about work. What was she supposed to do? She tried to recover. Shaking and stupidly pretending this wasn’t a thing, she turned. Eye to eye, she couldn’t read him!

He didn’t move. Didn’t touch her. Was the ball in her park? He’d asked about Alex, twice. But he had a hard-on!

Cassidy was so confused and turned on that she couldn’t trust her instincts. She needed to do what she did best— work. Focus on the job.

“He’s in there.” Cassidy, failing to regain her composure, was still breathless.

Locke smiled. “Good to know.”

She’d made the right choice in focusing on work. She was there for Alex. If Locke wanted to… pursue something, he could do it when she wasn’t busy. He had her number.

“Cass…” His eyebrows challenged her to admit their tension escalating.

There was Cass again. She hated nicknames— until they flowed from his mouth. They needed space, but she didn’t trust her legs. They were weak as her mind was wild. She tried to swallow, shifting away—

“Don’t go.” He was holding her, hugging her. Locke cupped her cheek and let his fingers slide along her jaw. She was drowning in him as Locke’s hand moved down her neck, letting the thump of her pulse jump against his fingertips. “I—”

“Excuse me,” a woman snapped as she bustled in, grabbing her shawl, and she sneered on the way out.

“Oh, God.” Cassidy jumped, her cheeks hot and her embarrassment swallowing her alive. She choked on the knot in her throat and covered her face, backing away from him. “I’m so sorry.”

“Cassidy.” Locke reached for her.

“So, so sorry.” She tilted to face him, and they stood in the dark shadows. She was the reporter; he was the protector.

His voice rumbled, not judgmental or embarrassed. “You have nothing to say sorry about. To anyone.”

“We might disagree on that.” She’d staked the rebound of her career on Alex, but when Locke came around, she always seemed to forget.

“I don’t try to upset you.” The pregnant pause hung heavy. “Not on purpose anyway— maybe for fun, playing around, but I won’t do that again.”

“Okay…”

He was playing down their moment of intimacy. Maybe for him it had been nothing but an erection and a tease, while for her it was the stuff of nightly fantasies. How foolish was she? Embarrassment made her stomach drop.

But still.

Again, they were almost stomach to stomach. Too close. Too intimate. Too… much. “I’m not upset.” But that wasn’t true.

“You’re something,” he said.

“Something,” she agreed. “True.” Something she’d never, ever admit to. Tugging her bottom lip between her teeth, she couldn’t map out his intentions—

“Don’t do that.”

“Do what?” Cassidy froze, wondering what she’d done wrong.

His gaze lasered on her lips. “That.”

Finally, she saw the same desperate hunger on his face. The authority in his command made her shiver. Unquenched lust boiled in his eyes, and Cassidy didn’t know how to handle this Locke— the uncontrolled and unscripted one. “Oh… um. I…”

In a tailspin, she couldn’t decide whether to fight for what she could finally read on his face or pull her act together and act like they were working together. She did neither, standing there, still unsure.

“You keep biting that lip, Cass.” Locke lifted an eyebrow and scorched her panties. “Don’t do that.”

“Okay.” The devil on her shoulder whispered, Bite your lip again. Or bite his. Maybe they could kiss and work.

Locke lifted his chin, his gaze falling past her. “Alex is leaving.”

Wait— what? Damn it.

What do you think? Comment below in the comments section!