Customer Reviews

Jaded (Hot Cops, Book 3)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Jade Devereaux is the manager of the exclusive club Callahan's. The clientele were once the cream of the crop--rich, connected, debonair men who wanted to enjoy the company of a beautiful woman without any romantic entanglements. Jade, and her harem of sultry employees fit the bill, but there was nothing else on the table but conversation and some helpless flirting. Jade is neither a madam nor a prostitute--much to the chagrin of her clientele. When Callahan's is purchased by a less discriminating proprietor, the membership takes a turn for the worst, and Jade's comfort zone is challenged by the gritty, low class gropers who are now given free reign in her club. Jade has everything that men want--brains, beauty, and sex appeal--but she doesn't let any man get close to her--let alone sleep with her. When one of the new members won't take no for an answer, Jade threatens to cut off his baby-makers and shove them down his throat. Accordingly, she's the first suspect when he's murdered in that exact manner.

Jase Vaughn is a hardened cop who is smart enough to know a dirty establishment when he sees it. When he walks into Callahan's to investigate the murder, he knows the manager is giving up more than polite conversation to her customers, and the very idea makes him angry. He wants a sexy, alluring woman like Jade, who exudes class and culture, to be more than just a prostitute. But she's the number one suspect in his investigation and he refuses to let personal attraction get in the way of doing his job. The more time he spends at Callahan's--and in the company of the lovely Miss Devereaux--the more he begins to suspect that she's not what she seems. And as new murders keep occurring, all killed in the same manner, and all members of Callahan's who rubbed Jade the wrong way, Jase is determined to get to the bottom of things.

Jaded is romantic suspense with a bit of erotic romance. It was also a bit tedious to read and almost a waste of my time. Jade is a walking contradiction--a woman who oozes sex appeal yet is cold as ice, yet turns into a warm puddle in the vicinity of the hero. There was no slow build to the melting of her icy exterior, and it comes back up when convenient, which was difficult to tolerate. I liked her in theory. What's not to like about a strong heroine who knows that men want her, knows that she's sexy, and isn't afraid to use it to her advantage? It's the fact that she lacked a spine at some times and was so rigid at others that I found hard to tolerate. Then there's Jase. (I won't even get into how annoying it is that the hero and heroine's names are only one letter apart, which makes for some confusing reading to say the least). Again, in theory I liked him. I like alpha heroes. I like his protective nature. But I don't buy that any cop worth his salt who thinks that a woman is a prostitute--and abhors her for it, thinks she is the lowest of low creatures--would then turn around and sleep with the same woman, no matter how smoking hot she is. I just can't suspend disbelief that way. And the fact that he tells her that he thinks she's doing this vile, disgusting thing, and she takes it and hooks up with him anyway was a problem for me. I liked each of these characters separately. Together, they didn't do it for me.

If you want spicy romantic suspense where the hero and heroine work well together, check out something by Lisa Marie Rice or Cynthia Eden if you're into paranormals. But this book had too many problems for me to forgive, and it took a lot of effort to make myself finish it.

i LOVE THIS BOOK!
It's so engaging and suspensful! I couldn't put it down, this author is so amazing. I must say though, after having read her other books, A good girl gone bad and skin. Some of the sexual stuff seemed like it was too similar to the other books. Dont get me wrong, doing it in the living room and the table was different. And admiring his toes was nice, but the moves and descriptions were the same as the others.
Still I love the hot cops. Ordered book #4 last week.

Fantastic characters, hot love scenes and a story that had me from the 1st page. I loved Jaded; it has now been added to my book collection.

this one is another hit for me by karin tabke! skin is still my favorite but this one is high on my fav list

Karin's latest erotic suspense was surprising flat and boring. I was expecting more after her dark, gritty Good Girl Gone Bad. Jaded was more mainstream romantic suspense and as such, all the erotic talk and atmosphere was more hindrance than anything else.

May not be Karin's fault but her publisher's for giving this book an erotic romance-type cover. Covers ARE important as they influence our idea of what the book is going to be about and hence, our buying decision.

But even if Jaded had a less erotic cover and was marketed as a mainstream romantic suspense, it still falls short. It isn't erotic if it was meant to be an erotic thriller because all the sex talk and surroundings were mere props and never quite followed through. As a romantic suspense, it wasn't gripping or stylishly done.

For a truly erotic suspense with romance, get Nikita Black's Slave To Love. That one's a scorcher.

In Montrose in Silicon Valley, highly regarded men's club Callahan's changed ownership two months ago and consequently watered down the entry fee. It used to be old money, but now crass nouveau riche has changed the place into what is becoming a whore house instead of just female companionship.

Manager Jade Deveraux would quit if she did not need the money to support her sister Tina attending college. The latest affront is from Andrew Townsend who assumes she is a hooker. She warns him she will slice his balls off if he did not back away. The next morning a cop walking a beat finds Andrew's corpse with his balls stuffed into his mouth; he asphyxiated on his maleness. Police Detective Jase Vaughn leads the inquiry, which takes him to Callahan and the enticing Jade. He and his partner Ricco Naza interview people and observe the activity especially when Otis Thibideaux from Louisiana accuses Jade of being trailer trash Ruby Leigh. Jase knows Jade is hiding something, but he believes it relates to Townsend's murder instead of Bayou Country; however his biggest regret is that she is a hooker who he falling in love with.

This romantic police procedural is a terrific thriller starring two likable protagonists who neither want love in their respective lives, but cannot prevent the attraction. The story plays out on two subplots: first the whodunit and second what happened in Louisiana years ago. Fans will appreciate JADED even though the Silicon Valley serial killer and the motive are over the top of the Sierras.

Harriet Klausner

I enjoyed this book very much. I loved the hero and heroine, they were both likeable characters. The sexual chemistry was hot, and exciting. For a change I did not figure out who the bad guy was until it was revealed.

This is my 1st book by this author and definitely not my last. I loved Jase, he just sounded so sexy and real...if that's possible. Hot cop indeed....

After a brutal murder occurs just outside gentleman's club Callahan's, Detective Jase Vaughn turns to manager Jade Devereaux for answers. He can tell she's hiding something. At once beautifully seductive as well as aloof, Jade allows no man near her, which is a challenge to the playboy cop who distrusts women. Jade is either killer or victim and Jase is determined to find out which. What neither of them expected to discover in each other was a kindred spirit and soon, they find themselves going down the unfamiliar path of passion and love.

Tabke writes an incredible story that has it all: suspense, intrigue, corruption, passion, shadowed pasts and new starts. Jase and Jade come together in unfortunate circumstances but each realize they have more in common than they'd care to admit with darkened childhoods and created defenses of emotional barriers. The depth of these characters and the searing heat of their intimacy, combined with the suspense of murder and Jade's past results in a delicious, roller coaster ride from start to finish. Highly recommended!

Jaded This another book filled with romance. Hot and Juicy. So if you like romance this is for YOU.