Thrifty Thursday: Assassins in Love series by Tawna Fenske #TawnaFenske #ThriftyThursday #KindleUnlimited @TawnaFenske

The purpose of Thrifty Thursday is to read a book which was free (at some point).

Kindle freebie on March 14, 2022  (no longer on Amazon as of writing this post)

Overall rating 4.08 with 355 ratings and 112 reviews

I enjoy these rom-com stories by Tawna Fenske.  This Assassins in Love series  has a prequel and a trilogy. It is a bit ridiculous in its mix of death and romance.  It makes “good guys” out of criminals but who doesn’t love a bad boy?

They’re hitmen. Trained assassins. If they nail this job, there’s a payoff. Possibly cookies.

But first, the bad stuff. Dante’s done with hitman life, but there’s one last job to do. A favor to the Duke of Dovlano targeting brutal gun runners. Dante calls on comrades, Matteo—brilliant, brooding, lethal—and charming Sebastian “The Dentist” LaDouceur. Each has skills he’s honed to take out threats at all costs. They’ve also got soft spots for family, lost loves, baby farm animals, and iambic pentameter.

But when the job falls apart, their carefully laid plans go up in smoke. Can three killers with a conscience stick together, or is it every man for himself?

Killer Looks is a novella introducing us to the three guys in the next three books of the trilogy. It’s short and just gives us the scenario where things go poorly as they are trying to go straight.

It was nice to have the foundation incident but none of the characters was very well developed and aspects of the plot were completely unbelievable.

Kindle freebie on April 28, 2023  (currently $5.99 and in KindleUnlimited as of writing this post)

Overall rating 4.10 with 1,611 ratings and 221 reviews

He’s a hired gun. A hardened killer. So how’d he end up bottle-feeding lambs for his best friend’s sister?

Dante didn’t set out to deceive. His favor for a pal in prison got him this farmhand job, and Jen needs help guarding more than her blueberries. Someone’s set on hurting her, and he’ll make damn sure they don’t. She can’t know who sent him or why he’s handier with a handgun than a hoe. But none of that matters more than keeping Jen safe.

To save the girl, he’ll have to pair old skills with new. A princess tea party and an old-fashioned gunfight? Why not. Grape stomping and grenades? Sign him up.

Dante is the first assassin we get to know more in depth.  We don’t get a lot of his background. He’s an orphan.  He was also in the military at a young age.  So he has skills but that’s not his focus.  He goes to the winery and farm to help Matteo’s sister Jen, because he feels it’s his fault Matteo is in prison.

Killer Instincts is the first of the trilogy.   It seems like everyone from her cheating ex-fiance Johnny, to the neighbors to land developers and unknown others are after Jen.  She’s had vines poisoned, a shed burned.  Dante is there to help Matteo but he finds himself attracted to Jen and concerned about all the problems.  I thought it was horrible that the ex thought he should get her multi-generational family land or money; they weren’t married or even together for more than a couple years.

Jen finds herself at ease with Dante who is handy in many circumstances and very supportive with brainstorming on ideas of how to raise some money.  Dante also runs an investigation in the background on who might be causing her trouble, utilizing the third of their trio to help.   I would have been depressed or anxious by all the bad things that happened but Jen has a strong spirit. Jen is the youngest of her siblings.

This was a fun enough romance and gives us much more insight to Jen’s family. Her brother Matteo, who has worked with Dante, and Sebastian the dentist before.  We also meet her sister.     Again, many of the events don’t feel quite realistic but I enjoyed it anyway.

Kindle freebie on February 29, 2024  (currently $5.99 and in KindleUnlimited as of writing this post)

Overall rating 4.29 with 742 ratings and 132 reviews

He’s a hacker. A high-tech hitman. And now…a daddy?

When Matteo skips prison with a clean record, his conscience is anything but. Guilt hits him like a sack of marbles when he spots the woman he jilted. The clincher? A child who looks like him.

Renee’s son may have Matteo’s eyes, but she won’t say who fathered AJ. She’s also mum on what sent her into hiding or why guys with guns are after her. But when Matteo blocks an attack, he persuades Renee to appoint him their protector.

Keeping them safe means faking they’re a normal family road tripping with s’mores and snuggles and possibly a sniper rifle. Toss in a potty-training toddler and temptation from the woman he still craves, and it’s officially Matteo’s toughest mission.

Well I am certainly glad I kept reading in the series to Killer Moves because it’s my favorite so far. I don’t know if it is because it is Matteo’s book, the one who has been in prison. Or if it is because Matteo is a computer genius hacker.  Maybe it’s because I already know and appreciate his sisters and how he raised them, after their parents died, and their grandmother traveled.  But it’s probably because when he goes back to the girl he’s fallen for, Renee, she has a three year old son.  Matteo has been in prison a bit more than three years.

Matteo is now out of prison, exonerated. He’s come back to Oregon where Jen has the vineyard farm, Nic has the bungalow, and he got the beach house from their grandmother.   Dante and Jen are doing well together.  Nic runs a daycare for children of abused or stalked women or those running from domestic violence. Matteo comes to meet his sisters there and runs into Renee and his unknown son.

I love how Matteo jumps right in to protect them.  Also, he slides right into the parenting role since he raised his sisters.   Someone has been after Renee, which is why she has been at Nic’s special daycare.   When she starts seeing men stalking her, and other things happen.  Matteo, Renee and AJ take off to the beach house.  Sadly, they are found quickly and they leave in his grandma’s camper.   They try to stay out of sight while Dante and Seb research things to figure out why anyone is after her.

I enjoy their new little family and the bigger found family,  and their relationship growth. It’s suspenseful with the stalking. I won’t spoil the HEA .  I don’t know if I will ever get on to the last book since I don’t have it as a freebie.

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Anne - Books of My Heart

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I can't really remember any time when I wasn't reading. I LOVE books and what they give me. It's an opportunity to learn new things, see new places,live different emotions in a "safe" way. It lets me live in a new world.

I read all types of books but my favorites are urban fantasy and romantic suspense.I like some romance and some action / adventure / mystery in everything.I like sex in my books but please, only between TWO people.Intimate conversation is equally important to the sex in a book.It lets me see the characters.The other thing I enjoy is humor.

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