Book Review for THE CONSPIRACY by Kat Martin

Harper Winston’s brother has disappeared. Pursuing his dream of sailing the Caribbean, Michael hasn’t responded to texts or emails in days. When even the Coast Guard can’t find him, Harper is forced to take desperate measures. Which means going to Chase Garrett, once her brother’s best friend, now the only man she can trust…or so she hopes.

As the successful owner of Maximum Security, Chase has learned to trust his gut. He knows Harper’s father is mixed up in a deadly business, and suspects there’s more to Michael’s disappearance than meets the eye. Getting involved again with the Winstons goes against everything he stands for, yet old loyalties die hard. As the case draws him closer to Harper and deeper into the Winstons’ snarled crime family, he is forced to put everything on the line to keep Harper safe…and both of them alive.

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With fast-paced rough, tough, and deadly action and suspense and lust-filled romance, the new series by Kat Martin centering around the Maximum Security is introduced to the readers. 
I'm a long time fan of the author, I especially liked the books from Alaska, the unforgiving nature as part of the romantic suspense giving it another dimension. I liked The Conspiracy, even enjoyed the second half of it immensely, it was entertaining and engaging with the unpredictable suspense and savage scenes where the action is up close, and personal combat where no one is safe. I do have some conflicting thoughts about some things, and I have been rewriting this review now too many times. 
The book has multiple of sub-storylines, even a secondary romance happening on the sidelines. The point of view changes from the protagonists to the culprits to the secondary characters and so on. Yes, that kind of storytelling gives a well-rounded view of things happening, yet it can also be a bit chaotic at times as well and take away from the intensity of the main focus. 
The romance between Harper Winston and Chase Garrett was intriguing, a former best friend's little sister type of attraction in between them. In the first half of the book, the lust-filled sexual thoughts didn't feel truly natural, instead, those inner monologues came off even a bit awkward at times. (Now, I read an e-arc from NetGalley, so there might have been more editing after that copy was released). Chase is lusting after Harper's body, but he is not fond of her family and has no plans to have any kind of relationship with her. There are some things said and mentioned at the beginning about Harper's and Chase's current and past relationships that were a bit cringe-worthy, yet that kind of mentality is dropped soon after, and (thankfully) there's no follow up on those issues either. 
The first half of the book it felt at times like the author was searching for an edgier way to write, filling the thoughts of the protagonists with erotic type longing, that didn't quite feel fitting in. There's even a scene at the half point that nearly had me dropping the whole book, yet I'm glad I didn't since things smooth out in the second half, and really picks up, the suspense being intense with twists in the plot, and revenge been sought from the past actions. 
The Conspiracy introduces the main characters of the new series. I liked the bond between the Garrett brothers, their love and support of each other is a palpable force in the story, saving the day, and lives, several times. The exciting life Garrett's are living, and their connections to the law enforcement enticed my mind and I am looking forward to the next installment in the series. 
Druglords, kidnappings, fighting for the justice, and family drama invite the readers to the alluring world of the Maximum Security, yet it is the character and reputation of the Garretts and the seductive, desire-filled romance that will make me want to come back for more. 
~ Three Spoons with a teaspoon on the side

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Kathleen Kelly was born on 14 July 1947 in the Central Valley of California, USA. She obtained a degree in Anthropology and also studied History at the University of California in Santa Barbara. She was a real estate broker, when she met her future husband, Larry Jay Martin. A short time after the two became acquainted, Larry asked her to read an unpublished manuscript of an historical western he'd written. Kat fell in love with both the book and the author! Then, after doing some editing for him, she thought she'd try her own hand at writing. She moved on to become a full time writer.

Published since 1988, she singed her books with her married name, Kat Martin, but she also used two pseudonyms: Kathy Lawrence for a book in collaboration with her husband Larry Jay Martin, and Kasey Mars for her first contemporary romances. The New York Times bestselling writer, among her many awards, has won the prestigious RT Book Review Magazine Career Achievement Award. To date, Kat has over eleven million copies of her books in print. She has been published in seventeen foreign countries, including England, South Africa, Spain, Argentina, Germany, Italy, Greece, Norway, Sweden, Russia, Bulgaria, China, and Korea.

Currently residing with her husband, a Western-writer and photographer, in Missoula, Montana, USA. But when they are not writing, they also enjoy skiing and traveling, particularly to Europe. 

"I've always loved books. I was an avid reader, with any number of my own stories rolling around in my head. Writing them down seemed a logical step."

"I love anything old," Kat says. "I love to travel and especially like to visit the places where my books are set. My husband and I often stay in out-of-the-way inns and houses built in times past. It's fun and it gives a wonderful sense of a by-gone era."