Title: Stripping Her Defenses (Ex Ops, #2)
Author: Jessie Lane
Released Date: October 31, 2014
Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/qmRmh30oAl0
Riley Sullivan and the Ex Ops Team are headed to Miami undercover… as bikers. Following up a lead, the men will perform their investigation acting as members of the Regulators Motorcycle Club with the club’s permission. Surrounded by hardcore bikers and investigating missing strippers, Riley finds the last person he ever expected to see again—his ex-wife.
Kara Sullivan left the man she loved after a tragic accident cost them their unborn son. After years of therapy, she’s come to grips with the loss and has re-emerged from the pain a brand new person. That doesn’t mean she’s ready to face the man who inadvertently broke her heart, and who she’s hurt in return.
Riley has never stopped loving her and he never will. He’s ready to fix their marriage and move on with their lives, however Kara’s reluctance to renew their relationship isn’t their only problem. Danger lurks just around the corner… and there’s a chance she could disappear permanently.
Stripping Her Defenses (Ex Ops, #2)
Secret Maneuvers (Ex Ops, #1)
So, in preparation for this review, I went back and looked at all the other reviews we've done and realized that we've never written a joint review for a book by Jessie Lane.
We haven't?! Wow, that's insane!I know, right! That's totally unlike us! But I should also point out that you discovered her first and consequently, started her books first. I only recently read Big Bad Bite. But we're not here to talk about that series. Today, we're talking about her newest book, Stripping Her Defenses!
Woo! I've been looking forward to this book since I finished the first in the series, Secret Maneuvers! (click on link for Nikki's review)
LOL. OMG. Not me. I've lived in fear of this book since Secret Maneuvers! Don't get me wrong, I was also looking forward to it, but still...I was scared of it! (click on link for Lindsay's review)
Lol I know you were! Let's start with overall impressions. For me, I really enjoyed the book as a whole. There were some things that I liked better than others, but overall I thought it was a great addition to the series.
LOL. Wow. You really want to go there...Ok. So...Uh...I loved parts of it.
Lol. We may as well get it started!
Ok. So...I did love parts of this book (particularly Riley), but true to this series, I had issues. I'm talking wanting to knock some sense into some characters.
Lol I can see where this is going... Before you start, I'd like to say that I loved Riley and while Kara made some decisions I didn't quite understand, I could see why she made them. *
here we go...*
or should I say 
Before I start my ranting and all that fun stuff (and you know it's fun ), I did love Riley. I'm talking adding him to my book boyfriend his, wish he were real type of thing. And I know that he's been claimed by author Chelsea Cameron, but we're seriously gonna have to fight her for him because he firmly belongs with us. I would have to agree that maybe if the two of us team up we can take Chelsea (shhh!) And yes, Riley was a great hero. He was hot, built, alpha and he had that tortured hero edge going on.
Yeah we can! Let's do this!
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| *no authors were harmed in the making of this review or the Riley recovery op* |
Ok.As for Kara....Well...I could be coy and just say we didn't get along too well but there's not much fun in that. Like you said, I didn't agree with her choices. I felt for her and what she went through. It was awful, and due to the nature of his job, she went through it alone. But I didn't agree with her actions after she went through that trauma and especially after she and Riley found each other again. I won't get into lots of details, but I really had issues with the way she treated him and got angry with him when he was still mourning and demanding answers that she legitimately owed him.
I agree that she could have handled that situation better. But I can't even imagine what she went through, and yes Riley was going through it too, but Kara was also dealing with depression which is a serious affliction. Like I said, I can't say I'd make the same choices she did if I were in her place, but I can see why she did.
I do agree that Riley was jipped as well. He didn't really get a chance to grieve their loss on top of his wife leaving him. But, he made some poor choices in their marriage as well.
Oh, I don't disagree that Riley was stupid in his choices during his marriage. But I chalked it up to him being a man, and men are idiots. And you're right, she was suffering with depression, but I really hated how she shut him out after he came home from his mission and wouldn't even talk to him, or see him. She chose to make the break from him. She moved on. She got help. She grieved. He never got any of that. And as much as we talk about wanting to torture various fictional characters and joke about Dexter and such, what she did was torture him for 8 years. And I'm not down with that. He was a good man and if she didn't want him and wanted to be done (which was fine) she should have given him closure and let him mourn and move on with his life.
I hear what you're saying about Kara. But the way I see it, she wasn't a strong woman in the beginning. She was suffering from several different issues that are all intense on their own, but combined can cripple a person, metaphorically speaking. I agree that had Riley and Kara had better communication before the split, they more than likely wouldn't have split at all. Although, then we wouldn't have this book...
True, but sill, I don't like her
. I just realized something. Riley and Kara never talked about why he didn't come home when she was in the accident and how he didn't find out about it until he got home. Even with the way she moved on, she was still angry with him and I'm surprised she didn't throw that in his face, setting the scene for a conversation about that.Now that you mentioned it, you're right. It was said that the Red Cross message never got to Riley while he was away on his mission. But they never brought that up so he could explain why he didn't return sooner.
Exactly. I'm just surprised it wasn't brought up in their whole conversation about how things went wrong and her running from him. I do have to bring up something else...I absolutely loved Bobby and Declan in this book! The way they went after the bad guy....OMG! ♥♥♥♥
Oooo Declan
and Bobby! Oh yes that was one of my favorite scenes! 
I really can't wait for Declan's book! We should go ahead and claim him now before Chelsea tries too Yes! Did you hear that Jessie Lane!? WE'RE CLAIMING DECLAN!!!! That Declan/Bobby scene was definitely one of my favorite scenes too (probably my absolute favorite since it made made my day)... Hey Nikki, our inner vampire is showing
Lol I think you've rubbed off on me Lindsay!
I don't recall being this bloodthirsty with books before you came along! 
Awe! I inspire your blood lust. *wiping tear away* I'm so proud! Lol uhh... are we sure this is something to be proud of?! Either way... as far as Stripping Her Deffenses goes, I really enjoyed this and it's been a while since we've had such a great book to debate about!
Yes, yes it is something to be proud of! And you're right, it's been a long time since we've really debated on a book. Lol. And I know I drove you crazy with all my arguments. So...what's your final rating? I gave it a solid 4 stars. I really love this author and her style and the story was a great addition to the series!
I totally agree with you. I also give it 4 stars!
Jessie Lane is the best selling author of The Star Series, Big Bad Bite Series and the Ex Ops Series. She lives in Kentucky with her two little Rock Chicks in the making and her over protective alpha husband. She has a passionate love for reading and writing naughty romance, cliff hanging suspense, and out-of-this-world characters that demand your attention, or threaten to slap you around until you do pay attention to them. Jessie writes Adult Paranormal and Contemporary Romance & Upper YA Fantasy/Paranormal Romance.
Giveaway!
Coming Soon from Jessie Lane and Chelsea Camaron
![Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000040_00014]](http://www.readlovelust.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/JL_bikercover_front-1.jpg)
ICE (Regulators MC, #1)
Release Date: December 8, 2014
Model: Shawn Dawson
Photographer: Golden Czermak/Furious Fotog
Cover Designer: Mina Carter
Loosely attached to Chelsea Camaron's Hellions Series and Jessie Lane's Ex Ops Series.
She's an investment banker. He's an outlaw biker. A little bit of heaven is about to meet a whole lot of hell. Morgan Powell was raised to be perfect, to set an example for her sisters to follow. Her life has been dedicated to making something of her career, so she wouldn’t know what to do with a man even if you gave her an instruction manual. Brett 'Ice' Grady spends his days trying to keep up with his teenage daughter, his nights consumed in Regulators’ MC business. He has no time for anything more than a casual hookup. Two worlds collide when the dangers of his life crash into the calm of hers. Can she go beyond her own boundaries and chip her way through to the man known to be as cold as ice?
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