* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.Originally posted on Adria's Romance ReviewsAfter his wife’s brutal murder, Special Agent Levi Lazaro walked away from his job and his life in favor of tracking down the people responsible. Going from an all American straight shooting man to a vengeance driving machine, Levi has made a home for himself in the grey areas between following the rules and breaking them. Finally, after looking for nearly two years, Levi has finally gotten the names he needs to get revenge and he won’t let anything stop him. Not even an NSA agent with her own reasons for looking out for him.Special Agent Selene Wolfe is the perfect combination of guts and brains which made her an obvious choice for the NSA. Deadly and brilliant, when Selene hears that a deadly terrorist cell might have ties to the murder of Levi’s wife, Selene knows it’s only a matter of time before Levi tries to bring them down on his own. She agrees to be part of a mission to stop the terrorist cell before they can carry out their next attack in order to try and help Levi and keep him from doing something he might regret, or that might get them both killed in the process.It’s not official until the series is over but I do think Shattered Duty just might be my favorite Deadly Ops novel. There was just so much going on in this book and so much to love about it too!The story line was something out of a Grade A action movie, there was the distraught man out for revenge, the villain who is as ruthless as he is cruel and the edge of your seat action and suspense. But what Shattered Duty had that most action movies don’t have was a kick ass woman who was as much a hero as the man.I loved how competent Selene was. She knew her worth, she knew her skills and she was confident enough to go toe to toe with Levi whenever she felt she had to. Author Katie Reus delivers what she promises and that’s a strong female character throughout the whole book. None of this turning her into a damsel in distress after she meets the hero. I’ve become way more selective in my romantic suspense because of authors like Katie Reus who don’t sideline female characters when things get dangerous. Instead, women like Selene are often depended on to carry out some of the most important parts of the missions or are even the ones who come in, guns blazing, ready to save the day. Damn straight I’m only going to read romances like that because what good is a limp, lifeless, cowardly female in a romantic suspense anyway? They just drag the hero down and make him look more like a caveman.I honestly think that because of Selene, Levi was a better hero. She was a capable woman that Levi didn’t have to save or protect. Not that he didn’t want to protect her but he didn’t have to. He could depend on her to watch his back and not hesitate to put a bullet in an enemy’s head. Levi was a natural protector of women and children but that was only part of why he was such a good character. It was his belief in Selene, that had me falling for this guy. At the beginning of Shattered Duty Levi was nothing more than a rage fueled machine and it took awhile and a bit of an internal struggle before he was more man than machine.. He didn’t want to feel anything and he hadn’t for the longest time. With the return of emotions like doubt, concern and affection for another human being, Levi became less of a machine and more of a man. One thing that never changed was Levi’s need to take down evil. I loved how noble he was despite losing his wife and breaking a few rules. Everyone loves a little bad in their man right?Shattered Duty for me had more emotion behind the characters and in general the entire plot than previous books. I guess that’s part of what made it such a good read for me. The rage and sorrow in Levi’s soul was just too much to ignore. Plus, the way Katie Reus threw in a past connection between Levi and Selene was pretty neat. There were some pretty yummy secondary characters in this one that were so mysterious that I couldn’t help but notice them more. I do hope they’ll come out in future books. I can’t help but love the dark, dangerous, mysterious men that Reus writes because I know that when they meet that one woman, it’s going to be one hell of a sexy ride!Final Verdict: Katie Reus makes danger look sexy!
Originally Reviewed For: Tea and BookWhen Katie Reus started her Deadly Ops Series, there was one character that immediately captured my attention. I just knew he had more to tell us and I am thrilled to see that in book 3 of the series, Ms. Reus obviously had plans in the works all along. And she didn't insist on making us wait. So thank you!! Shattered Duty is one of those books that makes you just grateful to have those you love around you. It's also a fast paced, intense ride of a book. Special Agent Selene Wolfe has had an intense childhood. The death of her parents checked her world. Then she was held hostage and saved by an amazing man who changed her life. From there she went to work with the NSA both on the computer and in the field. But she's always remembered the man who saved her. Years later, when she's on an assignment she's stunned to run into that man. Only this time he's a widower on a vengeance stalk. Selene needs to know if she can play a part in his life. Special Agent Levi Lazaro gave everything for his career, including his wife. Knowing his wife and child died has all but destroyed him. For two years he has been playing the shady character doing all he can to find the man who killed her and more importantly, the man who called the shot.. Now that he's so close he's appalled to realize that he has taken his eye off the goal and has finds himself falling for the agent that has been sent in to do a similar job... Guilt and lust combine to create a combustible event.Watching Levi and Selene fall together was a delight. Levi has a past that is hard to forget and even harder to accept. He adored his wife and never really got why she was killed (and tortured) she wasn't on any assignment that he knew of and when the agency didn't do enough, Levi was lost. Yet Selene has been bringing him out of his personal deep freeze. Emotions reign and yet the action thrives as well. The desire to complete their mission, save the scientist and bring down the villain. Ms. Reus has a gift when it comes to infiltrate the underbelly of society. Her characters are three dimensional scary.. just fabulous!Once again Katie Reus delivers!!Shauni
What do You think about Shattered Duty (2015)?
Initial Thoughts: I think this this my favorite Deadly Ops so far. I really enjoyed the slow burn romance between Levi and Selena. The antagonist storyline was gripping and the drama was addicting. The ending was passionate and surprising emotional. Really well done and I look forward to the next one in the series. This continues to be a solid military romance/suspense series - great vacation/escape read. Please click on the link to the full review by myself and my review partner Gikany posted at That's What I'm Talking About blog: http://twimom227.com/2015/06/review-s...
—Molly Smith
Revenge doesn’t care if you are a good or bad guy….Levi Lazaro is stoic and determined to avenge the brutal death of his wife. Burning bridges with the covert ops team they both had been part of, he finds himself at odds with a team agent whose own mission has the same target. Selene Wolfe is smart as a whip, so knows that partnering with Levi is in both their best interests. They have a common enemy and the shared attraction they feel will only get in the way. Love is funny that way though – it just doesn’t care as much about the obstacles as the people involved do.Be prepared for intrigue, tension, action and a love story that lurks between bullets and espionage. Levi is still grieving and Selene is fighting just as hard against the strong attraction they have for each other. Both characters are off-the-chart strong and smart which makes them the best in their field but, like every other person before them, love makes them vulnerable.She made him feel again. It was disturbing and confusing, but he couldn’t deny the truth of it.Levi and Selene seem to skirt around each other so cautiously but when they come together, they just combust. From one intense scene to the next, the danger is high and so is the heat between the two of them. Levi was so what I pictured a real life James Bond could be – well, if he committed to one girl, of course. I loved this spy-filled romance and am out looking for the rest in this series now! ~ Diane, 4 stars
—Give Me Books
Coming To Life!!!Levi Lazaro lost his wife and when he wanted help from his NSA family in catching her killers they let him down with no one having his back (so he thought), he took it upon himself to seek justice for his late wife.Special agent Selene Wolfe was very good at her job but even she knew when to ask for help....She was ready to take down a terrorist cell led by a terrorist named Lasev but she couldn't do it without the help of "rogue" NSA agent Levi Lazaro.Though Levi didn't want to get involve with whatever Selene and the NSA were up to, he couldn't bring himself to walk away without helping her.....She made Levi feel again, something he never thought possible after his late wife's demise.When Selene got into trouble, Levi had a tough decision to make, the way Wesley Burkhart's team worked always felt like a family having each other's backs no matter what.Katie Reus left me wanting more, Shattered Duty was more than I'd expected....It had me on the edge of my seat, loved the dynamic between Selene and Levi....Looking forward to the next installment in this mind-blowing series.P.S : Loved the introduction of Levi and Selene first meeting a few years back.
—ZETTER
