Review: 5 blue ribbons from Romance Junkies
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 19, 2012
Sandy Hallquist works as the executive assistant at Hauberk Protection.  At work she is coolly efficient and handles all business matters with the seriousness they deserve.  Her personal life is a completely different story.  Contrary to some opinions she isn't looking for a wedding ring, white picket fence and a dog.  If she wanted that kind of scenario she would have remained in Minnesota and gone along with her marriage-minded mama's plans for her life.  Sandy wants a life full of excitement and fun without the messy commitments - and she believes that Troy fits that bill perfectly.Troy McPherson is wildly attracted to Sandy but believes her milk & honey demeanor to be a good indication that they would be all wrong for each other.  Troy is 100% bad ass.  He works for Hauberk Protection Agency but he's also a highly qualified assassin - and he makes no apologies for that either.  He didn't have a traditional upbringing and not even his name is real.  As far as he's concerned Sandy is off-limits - and not just because of the risk of a sexual harassment suit either.Despite Troy's best efforts to maintain his cool where Sandy's concerned he slips and allows himself a moment of pleasure after preventing her from leaving a club with another man.  The impulsive kiss they share in the parking lot spirals into a soul stirring sexual experience that Sandy longs to repeat - only Troy doesn't seem to share her feelings.  Thanks to Jazz, Sandy's friend and roommate, she decides to take matters into her own hands and corners him at work for a little extracurricular sexual activity - along with a few downhome truths about what she truly desires.  What neither of them expects is for their hook up to lead to so much emotional turmoil or soul searching.  When the `L' word is mentioned it looks like Sandy might call a halt to their relationship, but is that really what she wants - a future without Troy?Leah Braemel continues her utterly charming HAUBERK PROTECTION series with its newest release HIDDEN HEAT.  Sandy and Troy complement each other beautifully.  They're headstrong, trustworthy, adventurous, and emotionally detached - or at least that's how they are with most people.  Together they're combustible.  If you've read the other titles in the series you're well aware of the unique friendships, inner office romances and sometimes dangerous situations that are such a driving force throughout this series, but with HIDDEN HEAT there's a deeper element that caught my attention - the inner turmoil Sandy and Troy face while trying to come to grips with their pasts and what could potentially be a happy future.  Once again Ms. Braemel pens a brilliant storyline that incites many emotions in the reader - including laughter and some serious head shaking.  HIDDEN HEAT is a powerful and fun story full of all the emotion, sensuality and suspense that I've come to really enjoy in Ms. Braemel's writing.HIDDEN HEAT is the fourth title in Leah Braemel's HAUBERK PROTECTION series.Other titles:PRIVATE PROPERTYPERSONAL PROTECTIONDELIBERATE DECEPTIONSChrissy Dionne (courtesy of Romance Junkies)