Malicious Intent by Lynn H. Blackburn: Book Review

 **I received a complimentary copy for consideration. All thoughts are my own. 

Dr. Ivy Collins, founder and CEO of Hedera, Inc., is ready to begin clinical trials of her company's cutting-edge prosthetic. Her work has been heralded by government, medical, and advocacy groups and everyone hopes the device will be a success. Well, almost everyone. Someone is trying to sabotage Hedera and the launch, but to what purpose--and how far will they go to get what they want? 

Meanwhile, U.S. Secret Service Agent Gil Dixon can't believe he's finally been reunited with Ivy, his childhood best friend. Now that he's found her again, Gil intends to spend the rest of his life with her. But it will take all his skill to uncover the truth in time to save Ivy's life's work, her own life, and the innocent lives caught in the crossfire.

Perfectly balancing chilling suspense and uplifting romance, award-winning author Lynn H. Blackburn delivers a story of revenge, greed, and overcoming that you won't want to put down no matter how late it gets.

Lynn H. Blackburn is the award-winning author of Unknown Threat and the Dive Team Investigations series. She believes in the power of stories, especially those that remind us that true love exists, a gift from the Truest Love. Blackburn is passionate about CrossFit, coffee, and chocolate (don't make her choose) and experimenting with recipes that feed both body and soul. She lives in Simpsonville, South Carolina, with her true love, Brian, and their three children. Learn more at LynnHBlackburn.com.

Malicious Intent is the second book in the Defend and Protect series. While reading the previous book would certainly help to know many of the characters and the team dynamic better, I would say this could also be read as a standalone just fine as well. You'll definitely see some familiar characters not just from the previous book in this series, but from some of the author's previous series as well.

Right from the start, this one drew me right into the action of the story. As the story progressed, it seemed that the bigger action moments came in waves. Still, it maintained a quick and enjoyable pace throughout all the same. Within romantic suspense, there are some stories that are more suspense driven with the romance not taking as much prevalence, and others where the romance is every bit as prominent. I definitely felt like this one fell into the latter category. The relationship between Gil and Ivy was definitely a major focus. Personally, I love more romance, so I really enjoyed that but if you are one that prefers it to take a backseat, this might not be your cup of tea! 

Overall, I really enjoyed this one and cannot wait to see what comes next in this series!