CIA deputy director Kelly has authorized Operation Cujo in order to wipe out everyone in team Topaz, including Hunter Wright, her one-night situation a year and a half ago, thinking that they have gone rogue! Hunter, on the other hand, thinks that Kelly has betrayed him and the whole Topaz unit, and ferociously determines it’s time to confront her in order to get an answer to clear his name and Topaz unit’s!
Juno Rushdan has cleverly plotted this intriguing, suspenseful and action-packed FUGITIVE HEROES : TOPAZ UNIT that flows smoothly and merges seamless throughout the whole series.
I would like to thank Juno for all the ARCs which I truly am satisfied reading them, and I definitely enjoyed this adrenaline-driven ride! ( )

An Operative’s Last Stand by Juno Rushdan
Book 4 of Fugitive Heroes: Topaz Unit. Harlequin romantic suspense. Can be read as a stand-alone but better as part of the series.
Hunter and the rest of the Topaz team once again beat the odds and escape the kill team that has targeted them. They head to Virginia and their team handler, Kelly, to get answers on why they’ve been betrayed and targeted.

Intense, thrilling and explosive.
I didn’t want to like Kelly. She’s hard and cold. Until she’s persuaded to ask more questions.

A passionate series that was gripping, entertaining and well written.
I’m putting this author on my auto-buy and making sure I’ve not missed any along the way. ( )

Terrific conclusion to the series. For the last eighteen months, the members of the Topaz Unit have been on the run. Accused of betraying their country for money, they know they are innocents of the charges and are desperate to clear their names. Meanwhile, the powers-that-be at the CIA have sent hit squad after hit squad to silence them. Hunter Wright, Topaz's team leader, has done his best to protect his teammates who have barely escaped their pursuers. All of them and their significant others have joined Hunter on his sanctuary island, where they decide it is time to return to the US and get the answers they need.

Two years earlier, Hunter and the team's handler, Kelly Russell, grew very close. After one passion-filled night, Kelly pulled back, insisting on returning to a professional relationship. Not long after that, Topaz Unit was sent on the mission that started their troubles. They suspected something was off but carried out their orders, only to discover that they had killed the wrong person. When they were declared traitors, Hunter believed that Kelly had set them up, and when he learned of her promotion, he was sure of it. In previous books, we have seen Kelly's determination to exterminate the team vehement in her characterization of them as traitors. Hunter is understandably hurt and angry that she could believe him capable of such heinous behavior.

Thanks to discovering a tracking device at the end of the previous book, the team knows their days on the island are numbered. As the story opens, they await the next attack. I was on the edge of my seat as they lay in wait, trap baited. I loved watching them kick butt while Kelly and the others followed the events in horrified disbelief. Kelly's frustration is palpable, and her frustration with her coworker is evident. That was my first inkling that everything might not be what it seemed. I loved seeing the team make a clean getaway, and advance their plans to discover the truth.

The story's suspense built from event to event, chapter to chapter, as the team grew closer to uncovering the truth. Hunter's first step was a confrontation with Kelly, and I loved how he set that up. Face-to-face for the first time since that fateful mission, their exchange was heartbreaking and satisfying. Though she was skeptical of Hunter's claims, he raised just enough doubt that she promised to look into it. Those inquiries stirred up a hornets' nest, and the team worked hard to protect themselves and, eventually, Kelly. Bombs, snipers, mass shootings, made for non-stop action as Hunter and Kelly raced to uncover the who and why of the set-up. Just when I thought I knew who was behind it, an unexpected twist proved me wrong. The final confrontation was a nail-biter with Kelly caught in the clutches of the mastermind. The motivations behind it all shocked me, and the steps taken to ensure success were horrifying. I was glued to the pages as Hunter, the other Topaz members, and some of John's SEAL friends arrived in time to save the day.

Much of the relationship between Hunter and Kelly happened off-page at the beginning of the book. Despite her being his boss, their time together deepened the attraction that grew between them. I was as frustrated as Hunter was at Kelly's lack of faith in Hunter's honor. I'm not sure I could be as forgiving as he was. I could feel Hunter's pain when he kidnapped Kelly and tortured her to get her to listen. Kelly's guilt was evident as she uncovered the manipulations that made her believe in Hunter's treachery. Once she saw the truth, she allowed herself to pursue her growing feelings for him. The epilogue was terrific with finding out the results of their work and seeing the happiness of the four couples. I loved the twist in the big moment between Hunter and Kelly.

#netgalley ( )