REVIEW - CAGE (Corps Security #2) by Harper Sloan:

Title: Cage
Series: Corps Security
Series Placement: #2
Author: Harper Sloan
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: September 8, 2013
Published by: SPA
Format: eBook and Paperback
Pages: Approx. 282 Print

My Goodreads Review Link
Rating: 3.5 Stars!
Cliffhanger: No (But the Corps crew's stories continues with each book/read in order...)
HEA: Yes

Book Blurb:
**Warning** This book is intended for a mature reading** 

Greg Cage was born to protect. While growing up, he was his mother and sister's shield against the world... until he failed. For the last decade, he has carried that guilt and need for vengeance around... until it was stripped from him. 

Now, with his best friend getting married and no longer needing his protection, he is even more lost, completely adrift, and desperate for some control. All he has ever known was how to protect: his family, his friends, and his country. Can he go against everything he has ever known, and give up that control? 

Melissa Larson will never let anyone hold the reins in her life. She has been the rock in her family for more years than she can remember, and the fight to keep them together is her main priority right now. She has always been fiercely independent and proud. The last thing she will ever do is ask for someone else's help. But when that choice is out of her control, forcing her to rely on others to save her and her family, and pick up the pieces that are left, will she be able to let someone else be her strength? 

The second Greg locks eyes with Meli, he knows that she is someone he needs. Someone he craves. Meli knew the second she met Greg that he would be nothing but trouble and heartache. Her life takes an unexpected turn, and that bitch Fate is back to wreak more havoc on another member of the Corps family. All hell breaks loose, leaving Greg no choice but to call in a favor. He hooks back up with his old friend Braxxon Breaker from the Breakneck MC. Together, they make sure that nothing threatens anyone Greg loves again.

3.5 “Dont Hate”, Protective, Brotherly Stars!

Totally Liked This Book, Just Didn’t Find The Love, Not Like I Did For Axel! 

The Review: 

I really liked this one but I just wasn’t in love with it. It had a good story and some noteworthy angst and plenty of hot, steamy sex scenes but I was floored by how different Greg Cage was in this book versus the first book, Axel. Yes, he’s still the “good ol’ boy with an edge”, alpha protector and the adorable big daddy bear we fell in love with in the first book, but I wasn’t to in love with his disregard for Mandy right off the bat. When this book opens up, they are having some sexy, rough and rowdy sex but then he just tosses her aside and makes sure to tell her how much she doesn’t mean to him. Now, this might have been going on for some time and maybe she had shown her true colors as a disturbed stalker BEFORE she went psycho later in the book, but we, the reader hadn’t seen any of that until AFTER the disturbing throw away scene. Greg Cage, protector of women, tossing aside a woman like a broken condom, even a disturbed one, set me off on a bad note. 

Granted, that bitch got what she deserved later on, but that was AFTER I realized she was a flaming torch of crazy. I know.. semantics. But it set a wrong tone right from the start and gave me a view of Cage I wasn’t expecting nor did I like.

And the romance...

There just wasn’t enough build up to the romance between Melissa and Cage. There was an insta-connection I love in my romances but that insta-connection turns into insta-love and I'm not too fond of steamrolled love stories. It all happened way too fast. In fact, just when things were starting to get good, we skip three month ahead and they are at the “ILY’s”. We never see that slow build that I enjoy so much in romances. Also, there are two big climaxes that take place in this one (no I don't mean the ones in the bedroom for which there were several.. huge ones! Yummy Cage has THREE surprises for us readers! Wowza). But during those moments when the story is supposed to get intense and there’s conflict between, first Melissa and Greg then later toward the end when things go bad for all of them, I just didn’t get the emotion I was expecting, considering I was a ball of boo-hoo while reading Axel and Izzy’s story. 

I just wanted more, I guess. More slow build. More emotion. More fun. More.. everything. 

Dont get me wrong, the story was good and I loved Greg in the first book, but if I hadn’t already adored him from Axel’s story, I probably wouldn’t even remember his name after I hit the last page. 

In fact, my biggest thrills were scenes of Locke and Emmy. They have some serious angst going on in the background and I can’t wait for their book.

I did really enjoy Melissa’s character though. She was tough and she didn’t take any crap from Cage’s stalker, Mandy... that chick needed more than bipolar meds to calm her shit! Melissa took those events in stride and even when things got bad, she never became a shrieking banshee, set on destroying her life as well as Cage’s. She stood up for herself, was independent and she loved and supported her family. I love strong women and she definitely was one. 

The Wrap Up: 

Regardless of how much I wished for more from Cage, I have been told that the next book, Beck is an emotional train wreck waiting to happen, so I'm super excited to read that one. Also, just a note... I love Harper Sloan and just because this book didn’t rank as high as the first one did with me, doesn't mean I like her writing any less. This author is talented beyond words and she’s really building a huge fanbase with her fun and exciting stories and I count myself lucky to be a part of that fanbase! 

SHOUT OUT! I have to give a HUGE shout out to Baby Nate, or as Dee calls him, “Baby Alpha”. OMG! That whole scene where shes telling the story about Victoria Secret was so damn funny! Nate really is Axel’s boy! “MINE!” I can see a future Corps Crew in the making with Nate and Cohen already!

Buy the Book!

  

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