I am excited to share my review of BACK IN BLACK by Julie Ann Walker! It’s new, and the first in a brand-new series, Black Knights, Inc: Reloaded–a spin-off of the Black Knights Inc series – check it out and grab your copy today!
A secret identity mixed in with forced proximity on top of red-hot chemistry? What could go wrong? I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.
Title: Back in Black
Author(s): Julie Ann Walker
Series: Black Knights Inc: Reloaded #1
Also in this series: Black Hearted
Published by Limerence Publications LLC on August 29, 2023
Pages: 345
Genre(s): Romantic Suspense
Source: Publicist
Format: eArc 
Purchase: Amazon|B&N|Kobo|ITunes
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The Black Knights are back and better than ever!
FBI agent Grace Beacham is on the run. After an operation to bring down a Russian disinformation campaign goes sideways and ends in her partner’s death, the Kremlin has sent its most notorious assassin to kill her. Not knowing who to trust inside the Bureau, Grace is forced to call on the one man who might be able to save her. The one man she hasn’t been able to forget.
BKI operative Hunter Jackson walked away from Grace Beacham three years ago. And he hasn’t looked back. But when his cell phone suddenly jangles to life with Grace on the other end begging for his help, he doesn’t hesitate to ride to her rescue.
Grace is no stranger to men like Hunter. Men who are devastatingly attractive and in love with their perilous professions and no-strings-attached lifestyles. As the two of them go off-grid to uncover the truth behind what happened on her last assignment, she fears her life might not be the only thing on the line. With Hunter, her heart could be in danger too.
Back in Black introduces fans to new members of the covert organisation Black Knights. It was fun returning to this world where danger, action, suspense, humour and romance reign.
In this instalment, we meet FBI agent Grace Beacham and BKI operative Hunter Jackson. From the beginning, readers are made aware that Grace and Hunter knew each other in the past, but haven’t been in contact with each other for the past three years. They shared a moment then, however, but uncertainties kept them apart. Now Grace faces a dangerous situation and the one person she can count on for help is Hunter. Soon both were on the run, not only from the FBI but also from the Russian assassin tasked to put an end to Grace’s life.
Back in Black, delivered as expected. The story hidden between the pages was fast-paced and nail-biting, so be prepared to pull an all-nighter with this one.
The portrayal of Grace and Hunter added depth to the story. Both were strong individuals who had experience pain in the past. Of the two, Hunter’s past was the most heartbreaking. So despite how he felt about Grace, feelings of inadequacies plagued him.
A few of the characters from the previous series made cameo appearances. It was lovely catching up with them and their families. Readers also get a glimpse of the couple whom will feature in the second book.
The story featured more than one villain, however, not all were dealt with. The one pulling the strings, known as Bishop, is waiting in the wings to continue his path of destruction. So while Grace no longer faced a dangerous situation, the Black Knights’ job is far from over.
The story delivered a fabulous blend of romance, suspense and political intrigue, making it suitable for fans of romantic suspense
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Coming Soon to Black Knights, INC: Reloaded:
Black Hearted – September 26th
Man in Black – May 28th
About Julie Ann Walker
Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Julie grew up in a house full of women – she has three older sisters. As you can imagine, there was no lack of drama… or romance. Her mother enrolled her in a book club as soon as she began to read and it was the small spark that ignited her voracious appetite for the written word. Because of Julie’s early immersion in literature, she found writing came quite naturally. In high school, she won multiple writing contests and was the proud senior editor of The Tiger’s Tale – her school newspaper. During her college years, however, she longed for a challenge. “Reading and writing felt like second nature to me, so I looked for a way to flex my mental muscles,” she recalls. After receiving a Bachelor of Science degree, Julie began teaching advanced high school mathematics. “I loved working with the students and facing the challenges of the classroom, but I longed for the occasional snow day when I could race to the local book store, buy two or three new novels, and curl up in front of the fire to read.” It wasn’t until a fortuitous move to Chicago that Julie once more returned to her first passion. Now Julie loves to travel the world looking for views to compete with her deadlines. When she’s not writing, she enjoys camping, hiking, cycling, cooking, petting every dog that walks by her, and… reading, of course!
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
I do enjoy romantic suspense so this sounds appealing to me. Wonderful review, Nadene!
I love a good romantic suspense novel; this series looks like one I would enjoy. 😀
Oh neat that she’s writing more in the Black Knights world. Exciting series!
I’ve read a good chunk of the original series. Some of them I liked better than others. I like romantic suspense depending on how realistic it is or isn’t. I think I’d finish up the first series before I read this one.
Oh I think I may have to get this one because it sounds like a book I would like. Thanks for the great review.
Sounds like an interesting series. Great review, Nadene. I’m not sure about the steamy scenes though.
Great review. I’ve enjoyed the first BKI series and I’m excited that it’s continuing.