seriously romantic: rogue by brynley blake

rogue kicks off the phoenix rising series, where it seems like the central mystery will be a through line throughout the whole series, so just be prepared for that. i was at 80% of the novel and realized that there was no way we would learn the truth about liam prescott and his bucket list. but that's okay, because it just means i get to spend more time in this world with these characters.

mckenzie prescott was always the kind of girl who played it safe. she let her big brother liam be the risk taker. so when he dies on a mission in afghanistan she decides to complete his infamous bucket list as a way to honor his memory and as a way to stay close to him.

little does she know that her brother may not have been on the up-and-up. he'd apparently brokered an arms deal with noah payne, former navy seal and current mercenary for a drug lord. with the drug lord out thousands of dollars with no guns to show for it, noah is asked to track down the shipment. figuring that mckenzie is the person most likely to have intel on what liam might have done with the guns, noah is tasked with getting close to her.

having lost his family due to his career as a seal, the last thing noah intends to do is fall for a mark. but mckenzie has a way of getting under his skin. and the chemistry between them is explosive. he tries to keep her close and at a distance, but when this doesn't work he gives in to the magnetic pull between them. somehow he will get his job done and protect her. and the best way of doing that is staying close.

but noah is keeping too many secrets and the gun shipment is too valuable a prize to keep mckenzie out of other bad guy's sights. when things go haywire and the truths start to reveal themselves it will take a lot of explaining and leaps of trust for noah and mckenzie to figure everything out. the suspense and intense sexual chemistry keep you on the edge of your seat throughout the novel. and when there are as many questions as there are answers at the end, you can't help but wish for what ever comes next to publish quickly!

**rogue will publish on may 15, 2017. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/entangled publishing (brazen)  in exchange for my honest review.