Books & Spoons Review for UNDER PRESSURE by Lori Foster

He can protect anything except his heart

Leese Phelps’s road hasn’t been an easy one, but it’s brought him to the perfect job — working for the elite Body Armor security agency. And what his newest assignment lacks in size, she makes up for in fire and backbone. But being drawn to Catalina Nicholson is a dangerous complication, especially since it could be the very man who hired Leese who’s threatening her.
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What Catalina knows could get her killed. But who’d believe the sordid truth about her powerful stepfather? Beyond Leese’s ripped body and brooding gaze is a man of impeccable honour. He’s the last person she expects to trust — and the first who’s ever made her feel safe. And he’s the only one who can help her expose a deadly secret, if they can just stay alive long enough...

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If you are regular followers of the website, you might have caught on the fact that I read about 90% of my books 'blind', not knowing how the cover looks like and who wrote the book, just open the file with the book's name and get going. This said to explain that I had no idea this was Lori Foster's work at the beginning, but soon recognized the characters from the MMA series, that this is a spin-off, and silently cheered with high expectations of the coming events.
I loved the characters, they had a rare originality to them, distinct qualities, that were easy to recognize and relate to. Leese Phelps, who's story started in the previous series, is tough, protective, capable, and intimidating as a bodyguard, yet caring, loving, and so tender when it came to Catalina Nicholson. 
Cat was a bit more complex character to know. She is in a tough spot, her life is in danger, the culprits after her are merciless and brutal. She managed to hide for six weeks on her own, and now, just in time, Body Armor security agency steps in to help. Yet she is aware of the fact that one wrong move and her loved ones are in danger for their lives, as well. Trust is hard to come by in that situation, it is a tightrope she has to balance on, she is exhausted after her run and hiding on her own, yet to let lose and give up all the information she has could put everyone around her in danger. In this situation, in my mind, she had a lot of room to be difficult, whiny, or clingy, yet she shows a backbone and desire to stand for herself, and fight for the justice to be done. All her life she has been told she is different and doesn't fit in, and finally, she finds people who accept her, embrace her, and care for her just as she is. 
Cat's attraction to Leese is immediate, she is burning for him and not about to hide it. The temptation is great to Leese since his adoration toward Cat has been just growing inside of him the more he gets to know her. The connection, understanding, the awe between them is palpable and glowing with heat, the love scenes between them are scorching hot yet filled with tender, loving warmth. 
The secondary characters were drawn with distinct lines, especially Justice. There were intrigue and humor to them in just the right doses to wake the interest and have me craving to find out about their destinies. 
The suspense builds up through the tale, with surprising twists taking the plot into new directions. The crescendo at the end is filled with fierce, cruel, and ruthless, on the edge action that comes to a heroic, sudden ending. 
This story is a delightful mix of intense suspense, deadly action, and cherished romance with a compelling plot with curious twists, and fascinating characters that allured my mind, promising an energized and exciting series to come! 
~ Four Spoons with a teaspoon on the side

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Under Pressure at KOBO

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