Hardwired
Andrea Bills
Publication date: September 1st, 2018
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense

When Navy Seal Operative Luke Kiersey is finally granted leave after five years, he finds himself driving to a house he doesn’t recognize in a town he’s never been to. The house is home to a beautiful woman and a little girl with big blue eyes. Day after day, he drives back only to hide in the shadows and wonder why he can’t seem to walk away from them.

His therapist says is PTSD.

His handler tells him he’s just not cut out to be part of the civilian world.

Luke can’t help but feel like it’s more.

The dog tags that once hung proudly around his neck, now feel like a collar; leashing him to a life that he fears he didn’t choose. After the terrible things he’s done in the name of freedom, could he possibly be worthy of something as precious as the woman and child he continues to watch?

When the two worlds collide, Luke needs his mind to be stronger than the implant the government placed in his back. They’ve told him he can’t survive without the implant they use to control him, but Luke’s wondering if he can survive without the little girl with big blue eyes and the gorgeous woman she calls mamma.

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My Review

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Hardwired, the latest release from author Andrea Bills. This military romance/suspense (with a bit of sci/fi) is about Navy Seal Luke Kiersey, who according to his wife Jen and her family, was killed 5 years ago in what should have been his last mission. Having amnesia since an accident years ago that resulted in an experimental surgery to save his life, Luke is granted a short leave where he finds himself in a rented beach house in N.C. Moreover, he finds himself powerfully drawn to the woman and her daughter that live next door. When he finds himself coming to her rescue more than once, his new life suddenly collides with the past bringing unimaginable joy, confusion, and danger.

After receiving this ARC and beginning this novel, I almost didn’t continue much past the first few chapters because of the sci/fi elements of Luke’s story, simply because it’s typically not my thing. However, I am so glad I saw this one through because it turned out to be a fast-paced, suspenseful, and romantic novel that I loved!

So, I was saying, the sci/fi element just seemed a bit too impossible for me at first, however, despite the huge role that this “chip” played in the novel, the stars of the story were Luke, Jen, Bella and all their experiences from beginning to end. I’ve found that I typically enjoy military romance (as you probably know if you regularly read my blog) but Hardwired has a unique edge to it that sets it apart from other military romances that I have read. There are a variety of complex characters and Bills’ carefully walks the reader through the events and emotions that are so powerful throughout the novel. On a lighter note, there is a lot of love and laughter among Jen, Bella, Luke, Jen’s parents, and Dean. Hardwired also includes a huge amount of suspense that kept me guessing and wondering what would happen next several times. Yes, this novel includes a very happy ending, but it kept me on the edge of my seat wondering and hoping from beginning to end.

This was my first opportunity for reading and reviewing for Andrea Bills, but it certainly will not be my last. This is an author to check out if you haven’t already. Her writing style and characterization will grip you from the beginning and I can’t wait to read more from her in the future.

*Thanks to the author and Xpresso for providing this arc in exchange for my honest review!

Author Bio:

Andrea is a wife, mother and writer from small town West Virginia. She spends her time while she’s not dreaming up lovers and villains alike chasing after her two kids and husband.

Her overactive imagination and her husband’s wacky dreams attribute to her love of the written word. Guilty pleasures include reading all night and Reese Cups

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