Book Review-Hidden Away by Maya Banks

This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.

About The Book

A man who shoots first and asks questions later…

Most people would take an all-expenses-paid trip to the beach in a heartbeat. Garrett Kelly only accepts to keep tabs on Sarah Daniels, who’s in hiding after witnessing a murder by Marcus Lattimer, her half-brother—and a personal enemy of KGI. This gig may be beneath a disciplined soldier like Garrett, but if he gets a shot at Lattimer, it will all be worth it…

…and the ultimate moving target.

But Garrett hadn’t counted on falling for Sarah. He’d considered seduction as a tactical maneuver, but when he glimpses Sarah’s dark past, he feels an urgent desire to keep her safe—even after she disappears on him. Garrett doesn’t know exactly who, or what, Sarah’s running from, but whatever it is, she’s running for her life…

It’s been my experience that fear doesn’t have a set of parameters. We can’t turn it off just by realizing we shouldn’t be afraid.

My Review

First Impressions

Hidden Away is the third book in the KGI series and I am slowly working my way through this series and learning to love this family more and more. Their fun bantering and the way that they fight and stand by each other, is just delicious. I really love how they all interact with each other and seeing their close bond to each other. We get plenty of fun times with the family, the parents, and the two previous couples from the first two books in the series. Hidden Away is a story that starts off with a wild kick, as we see a man get murdered and the heroine is now on the run as her life is in danger and then we have the hero, who is Garrett, who has been sent to go undercover, protect her and draw her brother out in the open. So I just love a snappy mistaken identity romance and this is the perfect BEACH read, as it’s set on a island with beach and surf and plenty of warm weather. There is a cozy feeling to this book and I really enjoyed seeing the romance blossom and the way they have to work to overcome the conflicts and Maya Banks did a brilliant job with this installment,.

Summary

Sarah Daniels is a witness to her brother murdering a high profile man who also raped and abused her. She knows why her brother took the action he took but also knows she is not safe. She goes on the run and settles on an island in the middle of nowhere and has a cozy beach house, just wanting to feel safe for the first time in a while. Then Garrett is pulled aside for a mission, to go undercover and sweet talk Sara and draw her brother out in the open. Her brother is Marcus Lattimer, and the nemesis to Garrett and his family, and he is determined to bring him down. What he doesn’t expect though is to be so drawn to Sarah and be connected to a woman that lives a life in fear and working to overcome what is obviously abuse and PTSD from a sexual assault. Garrett is determined not to just complete his mission, but protect Sarah at all costs. But when the truth is revealed, will Garrett be able to win Sarah’s heart and prove to her of his genuine care for her?

You don’t look like you’ve ever been scared of anything.” “Crying women scare me,” he admitted. She laughed. “Lucky for you I used up all my tears months ago.” “Plenty of things scare me. Pregnant women scare me.” She turned to face him again, her lips twitching. Some of the wildness had faded from her eyes. “I’m getting the impression that women, in any form, scare you.” He shrugged. “They’re the more violent species. And unpredictable. I’d rather take on a wild boar. You can’t shoot women.

What I Loved

This was such a kick-ass romance and I had such a blast with this one here. I just couldn’t get enough of this one and even though it wasn’t quite a five-star read, it was still a wonderful installment that I had so much fun with. I have always loved Garrett since the first book, he is the “brooding” brother and yeah I love the broody males. We see a different side to his personality when he is around Sarah and in a more tropical setting, he allows himself to relax and let all the stress go that has been pressing hard on him. Then we have Sarah, who has been through hell and back. Not only is she working through a rape and trying to work through that emotionally, but she is on the run as well. She knows that there is a connection between herself and Garrett, and instinctively she knows he is a man she can trust, but she is also a fighter. I really loved how she handles Garrett and stands on her own when she needs to. The way that the conflict works out while I would have preferred Garrett to be honest with her earlier in the story, I knew that it probably wouldn’t happen that way, haha but I did like seeing how Garrett has to grovel a bit for Sarah. I enjoyed seeing them interact and the way they overcome their challenges as a couple. And we get to see some fun players be more involved. We also get to witness the first birth in the family which was fun and how Garrett plays such a distinctive role in that.

And what she knew was that she had fallen and was still falling for the badass with the big heart and gentle soul.

What I Struggled With

So the real big issue that kept this from a five-star read is the ending, I so wasn’t a fan. It ended so abruptly like I wish that there had been at least a couple more chapters and it just felt so rushed and I was expecting more and it was the ending and I was like huh?? haha

Overall View

I found Hidden Away to be a powerful installment in the KGI series and this book has me eager to continue on. Hidden Away is a fiery hot edgy novel, that portrays emotional dilemmas, a sexy relationship being built, and some swoony moments that will bring a level of heart and poignancy to the surface!

Love was a gift, but it was up to the recipient to accept and cherish or to reject the offering. All she could do was give unreservedly. And for the first time since her assault, she realized that she could give something she’d never thought to give again. Her trust and her love.

Title: Hidden Away

Author: Maya Banks

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Format: eBook

Source: Library

Length: 336 Pages

Book Links

Amazon| Barnes and Noble| Kobo| Goodreads| LibraryThing| StoryGraph| Literal Club

Trigger Warning

Sexual Assault, Abuse, Psychological Stress, Murder

Series Order

About Maya

Maya Banks is the #1 New York Times and #1 USA Today bestselling author of the Breathless trilogy and more than sixty novels across many genres, including erotic, contemporary, historical and paranormal, all with a happily ever after.