Black Hearted is the second book in Julie Ann Walker’s Black Knights Inc Reloaded series. This installment gives readers Samuel Harwood and Hannah Blue, whom readers met in Back to Black, story. Sit back and prepare for a story filled with action, suspense, humour and steamy moments.
He’s everything she ever wanted. She’s everything he never knew he needed. Can she convince him she’s the one? 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: Black Hearted
Author(s): Julie Ann Walker
Series: Black Knights Inc: Reloaded #2
Also in this series: Back in Black
Published by Limerence Publications LLC on September 26, 2023
Pages: 346
Genre(s): Romantic Suspense
Source: Publicist
Format: eArc 
Purchase: Amazon|Audible
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The Black Knights are back and better than ever!
Samuel Harwood has spent his entire career working in the black and gray areas of international intrigue. Living in the shadows for so long has made him forget who he was and where he came from. Then a blast from the past, in the form of his ex-girlfriend’s kid sister, arrives on the front steps of Black Knights Inc, reminding him of everything he left behind. Except, she’s no longer a kid. And she’s in serious trouble.
Hannah Blue has been in love with Sam Harwood since she was in braces. When someone sabotages her entire life, he’s the first person she turns to. She has critical information about a potential cyber-attack on the U.S. power grid that could end in catastrophic financial damage and loss of life. But the FBI thinks she’s a traitor. And now she’s on the run to save herself and the fate of the entire nation.
Who does Samuel trust? The smart, sexy woman he’s known since he was a teenager? Or the government authorities who give him his orders and cut his paychecks? He’ll make one desperate play to find out. A play that could cost him everything…including his heart.
After experiencing the sexual tension and explosive chemistry between Samuel and Hannah, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on their story. I wondered if Sam will finally see that Hannah was no longer a kid, but a full grown woman who knew what she wanted and she wants Samuel Harwood.
Black Hearted picks up two weeks following the conclusion of Back to Black. Samuel is obsessing over the fact that he hasn’t heard from Hannah since she assisted the team two weeks ago. He attempted to contact her multiple times but received no reply. When he got a text from her, he reluctantly understood that their reunion two weeks ago was a onetime occurrence.
Fast forward six months later, Hannah finds herself in deep trouble. A situation which sees her facing serious jail time. She has no choice but to call on the one person who could provide her with the resources needed to clear her name. The man whom she was in love with throughout her teen years into adulthood. When she called, Sam willingly risked everything with the help of the team to come to her rescue.
I enjoyed every moment of Black Hearted. The dialogue, Sam and Hannah’s relationship, and the suspenseful situation all helped to make the story enjoyable. Now, even though the threat seen here differed from that which occurred in book one, a connection existed between them. The top villain from the previous installment plays a major role in this threat.
Hannah’s hacking skills are top notch, and it’s the one thing that can clear her name. I loved how she had the support of not only Sam but also the members of the Black Knights. I enjoyed seeing how Sam came to terms with his feelings for Hannah. One can understand his hesitancy in the initial stages, after he used to date her sister. It didn’t matter that they dated in their teen years.
The story arc relating to the threat against Hannah and ultimately the United States had me on the edge of my seat. It had me flipping the pages as I looked forward to see how it would play out. Overall, Black Hearted delivered a page turning read. Readers who enjoy romantic suspense featuring wonderful characters.
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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’m glad you enjoyed this one! I’ve not read this series yet but I loved her Deep Six series so I need to check it out! Great review, Nadene!
I have yet to finish her Deep Six series, but I have enjoyed the ones I have read.
I still have a couple books to read in the original series but I read quite a few. Not sure how I got stopped.
Sounds like a good one! 😀 But it also sounds like I should probably read the previous novel first?
It works well as s stand-alone. However, it does help if the books are read in order.
This sounds like such a good book.
Glad you’re enjoying this series. Thanks for sharing
You are welcome.
I’m so excited for this new series. I enjoyed the first one. I still have to get started with this series. Glad you’re liking it.
I don’t know why I like a character with great hacking skills but I really do. This sounds great.