Karissa Knight – The Cliff Diver

Today, I’m hosting author Karissa Knight’s latest release The Cliff Diver, book three in the Mina’s Choice series, a romantic suspense. Be sure to read my reviews of the three books. Check out the .99 cent sale. And don’t forget to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway.

“How far would you go for love?”

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Title: The Cliff Diver
Series: Mina’s Choice, Book 3
Author: Karissa Knight
Genre: Romantic Suspense

“A perfect blend of sexy romantic suspense and heart-pounding action, The Cliff Diver delivers thrills galore. The characters are heroic, but human. The settings are frighteningly exotic. Most of all, the book offers entertaining, but profound insights about what people need most of all. The overall package is five-star-worthy, and headed, I’m sure, for the big screen.” —Saralyn Richard, author of the Detective Parrott Mystery Series

Blurb: Determined to protect Mina at all costs, Jonathon ventures to Greece, into the heart of danger to stop his enemy and ex-lover, Rory Bradford. Using his unlimited resources, he orchestrates the interception of a fentanyl shipment destined for the streets. When he disappears without a trace, Mina refuses to sit idly by as the man she loves faces peril.

Mina races to Greece, where she embarks on a relentless quest to find Jonathon. With unwavering determination, she delves into Rory’s dark past, and uncovers her secret identity. Rory is the daughter of a transnational crime leader, and she has captured Jonathon. As Mina navigates the treacherous waters of international crime, she joins forces with a team of Jonathon’s highly trained, and resourceful friends. Together they fight against weaponized drones, guerilla attacks and time to rescue Jonathon from Rory’s prison.

In a perilous quest to secure a future with the man she loves, Mina discovers that she has the strength and fortitude to face her demons and bring Jonathon home.

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That afternoon, we took a taxi to the Venetian Fortezza Castle and climbed steep stone steps to the ruins. The domed Sultan Ibrahim Han Mosque was one of three lonely structures left of the fortress. Sidewalks and sandy paths wound away from the entrance of the ancient tourist attraction to five-foot-high stone walls protecting the structure. Beyond the walls, the view of the Mediterranean Sea was breathtaking.

Although, the chance I’d soon come face-to-face with Rory was likely, Alex had given me hope with his offer to help. Jonathon was alive. Alex promised to take me to him. Greg and my gut said be wary. After witnessing the bombing of The Dragonfly, I had no other mindset. Alternatively, if I didn’t find Jonathon, if he was dead, would I be able to go home? To start again? Would I be able to return to my Lincoln Park condo to a normal life?

I didn’t know what normal meant anymore. It seemed like I’d been looking for Jonathon for months. In actuality, I arrived in Athens less than a week ago.

Michael looked at his nautical Rolex watch. “We’re right on time.”

It was hot this time of day, and I had my hair up. A sundress with spaghetti straps kept me cool and the smell of coconut-scented sunscreen wafted from my bare shoulders. I looked past the mosque to the smooth, pale wall about a hundred yards away. A few cactuses dotted the dry, desertlike terrain. Tourists wandered the dusty grounds in small groups of two, three, and four.

Keeping an eye out for Alex, I peered into the ancient circular mosque. The walls were made of large stones and thick white clay. The air inside the round tiled room seemed much cooler. Arches framed windows and prayer portals, and the domed ceiling was inlaid with faded tiles that must have once been vibrant and colorful. People inside whispered, their soft voices echoing in the hollow chamber.

I didn’t stay long because I worried I’d miss Alex.

Heat radiated off the bare clay earth. Far beneath the fortress wall, cars drove along the coastal highway. I looked out at the sea or watched couples pushing strollers. I took photos for geriatric travelers with the scenery behind them, while we waited for nearly an hour. Michael and Emilya leaned into each other, their elbows on the fortress wall, talking quietly about private matters with their backs to me. Sweat dripped down my neck and I fanned myself with a brochure and sipped a bottle of water.

Through the dust and glare, I saw two men strolling our way. The mirage effect rising off the hot terrain distorted them, so I couldn’t make out their features. The first had a confident stride and wide shoulders. As he drew closer, I made out he was burly and bald. He wore black slacks and a bright red short-sleeved shirt.

The muscular Black man behind him stopped about ten yards away and assumed an at-ease stance. Dressed in camo cargo pants and a fitted black T-shirt, he appeared to be military, but something about him made the hairs on the back of my neck stand at attention.

Something was wrong.

I raised my hand to shade the glare.

As the man approached, he tucked his hand behind his back. Prickles scattered up and down the back of my neck as he looked right at me.

“Mina?”

“Alex?” Be wary. Greg’s voice echoed in my mind.

He was right in front of me, and as I went to shake his hand, I saw his gun pointed at my chest. “I’m Alex Buccino. Jonathon was right. You are easy on the eyes.”

I took a breath. “Where’s Jonathon? You promised to take me to him.” I suspected he was with Rory, but the hope he would lead me to Jonathon blinded me. He didn’t know we were ready for this.

Alex was about to answer, but his gaze flicked to my left.

“What’s going on here?” Michael was at my side with Emilya behind him. “Are you Alex?”

“Who’s this?” Alex asked.

Michael pushed away the barrel of the gun and stepped between me and Alex. He spun swiftly and using a martial arts move I recognized, he slipped underneath Alex’s arm. He gripped the hand holding the gun. As they struggled for control of the weapon, Emilya grabbed my arm. The military dude lunged forward at a frightening speed.

“Run!” Emilya shouted.

Michael knocked Alex’s weapon high into the air and it landed on the ground in a cloud of dust as Emilya and I took off across the rock-strewn field, through the ruins, and past the temple.

I looked back and saw Michael shove Alex to the ground. The military guy raced after me and Emilya. I ducked beneath a few straggly pines, and we fled downhill toward an amphitheater where a group was setting up band equipment on the stage. The rapid-fire gunshots behind me sprayed the ground nearby with bullets. I kept running.

“What about Michael?” I shouted to Emilya.

“Don’t worry about him!” Several paces ahead of me, she maneuvered the amphitheater steps with speed and agility. She darted between tourists and headed toward the parking lot.

When we reached the bottom of the hill, we ran with traffic along the coastal road. I glanced over my shoulder just as Michael emerged from the stone walkway to our right. “This way!” He pointed toward an intersection a few hundred yards away.

The Black man closed quickly as we ran past cars parked in the street and toward the populated avenue. The covered sidewalk near the beach was packed with tables and chairs belonging to local eateries. Slow traffic blocked our escape as we ducked between tourists and pedestrians. The man was gaining on us.

The oceanside straightaway had no turnoffs, no side streets that I could tell. Emilya quickly took the lead and Michael stayed behind me. “Keep running!”

We zigzagged between cars, and at the end of the strip we crossed a courtyard and slipped down an alley. Emilya ran into a tourist shop where postcards and chachkas lined the shelves. I knocked over a spinning sunglasses display and stooped to stand it back up.

Michael took me by the arms and pushed me forward. “Don’t stop!”

Emilya held the back door open for us and closed it after we burst through.

“Wait!” Michael held the door closed.

I saw what he was looking at and picked up a broom. Black wrought iron security bars covered windows on either side of the alley door. I jammed the handle of the broom behind the bars and across the door. Someone on the other side tried to open the door and we ran.

“I know where we can hide for a few hours,” Emilya said over her shoulder.

As we came through the alley and stepped back into the sun, a man yelled, “Stop them!”

“It’s Alex. Keep going!” Michael pushed me forward. We dashed between scooters and bicycles where tourists crowded the one-way road. We ran against traffic and ducked between buildings. Emilya led the way down a brick, one-way alley.

My legs and lungs burned as I inhaled the scent of grilled seafood and savory dishes along the way. But I became winded. Alex was right on our heels.

“This way.” Emilya waved us onward. We slipped down another alleyway lined with fig trees and palms, and she took a sharp left into a small grocery store. She ran all the way through, pushing shoppers out of the way until she reached a swinging door at the back of the produce section.

“Theítsa?” she called. “Catherine?”

A woman emerged from the back room carrying a crate of red ripe persimmons. “Emilya?”

I have no idea what Emilya said, but she quickly conveyed our situation.

Michael kept looking over his shoulder. Someone at the front of the store yelled, “Where did they go?”

“Hurry!” I said.

“This way.” Catherine set the crate down and lead us to a trapdoor. She pulled it open, and we scrambled down to the cool basement. She shut the door and locked it. A moment later, Catherine yelled at someone. Their argument grew in volume as we looked up at the ceiling and trapdoor. Footsteps stomped overhead then it all became quiet.

My heart pounded against my rib cage as I tried to catch my breath.

“She told him no one came through. She told him to get out of her store.” The whites of Emilya’s eyes shone in the dark. “She told him she’s calling astynomía. Sorry. The police.”

After several tense minutes in the dark, we all relaxed.

Emilya pulled the chain on a single bulb and smiled.

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The third and last book in the series picks up where the previous novel left off. As stated in the blurb, Jonathan is missing and it’s up to Mina to find him.

I must say I enjoyed this novel. It’s different from the other two since it is nothing but romantic suspense. The hero and heroine spend the entire novel apart until the end. But the author does give some flashbacks of the two together before their separation. Mind you, I didn’t think this was necessary and sort of slowed down the pacing. I preferred being in the here and now because I already had an excellent idea about their relationship since the author did a fabulous job of creating their romantic story in the first two books.

There are also some new secondary characters I very much enjoyed, especially Michael and Emilya.

In this book, Mina is truly the courageous one. I’m not saying that Jonathan isn’t, but it’s Mina who is tested at every turn, and her determination comes through when she’s thwarted again and again, but barrels onward. The one scene with Jonathan (I won’t give it away or I’ll spoil it for readers), kind of hinted that he needs Mina’s strength since he did something he doesn’t do when he’s left alone with his enemy, ex-girlfriend Rory.

I also enjoyed meeting Rory’s parents. Just by her actions with them, and their own behaviours, this provides a great backstory into why she is the way she is and what motivates her. Great job, author. This impressed me because Rory never gets a POV, but through the author’s great writing, she shows us what Rory’s made of and who shaped her into the person she’s become.

It’s pure action. With lots of cliff-hanging scenes that kept me reading. Honestly, I read the first 200 pages in one shot LOL.

The ending gives us a great glimpse into Mina and Jonthan’s relationship, too. And there is a HEA. This is a wonderful series that explores guilt, atonement, suffering, and secrets with a very strong heroine who loves being a submissive. Do yourself a favour and get a copy.

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Title: The Contract
Series: Mina’s Choice, Book 2
Author: Karissa Knight
Genre: Romantic Suspense

Blurb: Chicago’s hottest legal star is the lawyer of choice for wealthy offenders, but Mina’s courtroom victories increasingly conflict with her sense of right and wrong. When she can’t ease her guilt with her self-punishing extreme sport, she seeks to relieve it in other ways. Billionaire Jonathon Thomas Heun is happy to oblige as they take their relationship to the next level with Mina surrendering control and embracing her dark, dangerous desires.

As their lives intertwine in and out of the bedroom, past deeds haunt them both, catapulting them into the perilous territory of the Russian mob, money laundering, and blackmail. When Mina’s life is threatened, Jonathan’s secrets shake Mina’s trust in him, putting their relationship on uneasy ground.

Even if her enigmatic lover proves his loyalty and saves her, can Mina forgive him and accept his growing affection?

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This is the second book in the series and it starts off where The Contract ends. Mina and Jonathan are still exploring their relationship when they enter into a contract. There is also a new case for Mina when a man begs for her help. He’s been set up as the fall guy in a criminal organization that spans all the way to Russia, and it’s Jonathan’s old crony who’s responsible.

I must say, I enjoyed the exploration between Mina and Jonathan regarding their contract. Mina seeks to atone for her “sins” at the hands of Jonathan. Does Jonathan see through her disguise? Does he want more than to wield out punishment to a guilt-ridden woman? This is wonderfully written, and I enjoyed the complexity of their relationship as the novel continued on. The author did a great job exploring the dynamics between the two and what motivated them.

The plot also thickens thanks to Janko who wants oodles of money. For the suspense plot, the author did great with what motivated Janko, and there are some mysteries in the previous novel that are addressed. Another old friend from Jonathan’s past also makes an appearance and reveals why he’s so insistent on a contract between him and Mina.

With the love story aside, I enjoyed the fast-paced part of the suspense plot. But a new enemy emerges that results in a cliffhanger type of ending, but there is an HFN for the two lovers.

It’s a well-written novel, and a great addition to the series, especially the progression of Mina and Jonathan’s relationship. I will now be reading book three, so another review is to come.

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Title: The Client
Series: Mina’s Choice, Book 1
Author: Karissa Knight
Genre: Romantic Suspense

Previously published as Elements of Submission by Karissa Knight.

My new client has the wealth and power to make his own rules. As I’m drawn into his secret world of dark fantasies I must know: Is he a killer, or the man of my dreams?

Blurb: Wilhelmina Green is the lawyer of choice for Chicago’s wealthy offenders. Mina’s latest victory, the acquittal of a U.S. senator, has made her a media sensation. To the outside world she appears to have it all, but she’s still searching for a man with the strength to bring her dark fantasies to life.

CEO Jonathon Thomas Heun, a suspect in the death of his personal assistant, hires Mina to represent him. He slowly draws her into his seductive world of wealth and power as they investigate the murder. Despite her attraction to him Mina holds back, sensing Jonathon is keeping part of himself closed off from the world. And from her.

As the passion of their affair intensifies, Mina soon realizes her desires were just the beginning of an erotic dive into Jonathon’s lifestyle.

**ONLY .99 CENTS!!**

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I enjoy a good mystery, and Carissa Knight has it in The Client, the first book in the Mina’s Choice series. After reading the blurb, I wanted to read and review this book.

Wilhelmina Green, or Wil to her friends, or Mina to Jonathan, is a fiercely independent woman who’s more than proven how smart she is. As a criminal attorney, plenty of her clients are sketchy, but she enjoys working for the powerful firm, and representing these sketchy clients has made her one of the best attorneys in Chicago.

Then there’s Jonathan (who doesn’t get a POV). He is Chicago’s most eligible bachelor, rich, powerful, handsome, and enigmatic. And he’s in a lot of trouble because his assistant has gone missing, and when her body turns up, all fingers point at him as the culprit.

Mina agrees to take him on as a client, but she’s in for more than she bargained for. From the get-go, she’s drawn to Jonathan. His presence is well-drawn in the book, capturing Mina’s body and soul. Being so strong, though, she does her best to resist.

Not only is this book a game of cat and mouse with the killer, it’s also a seductive game with the romance as Jonathan tries to “capture” her, well aware of her secret that not even Mina understands. I found the introduction of BDSM complemented the harrowing plot. Everywhere Mina turned, she smelled danger.

The author did a great job with the mystery element. As for the BDSM exploration, this added depth to Mina’s character, and allowed her to grow as Jonathan took her through the paces of punishing her (she demanded this) that she felt she deserved for the “sins” she committed as a lawyer.

Since I could only about Jonathan’s characteristics through Mina’s POV, I sometimes couldn’t’ grasp what she did to capture his attention from the get-go. It would have been nice to get a glimpse into his brain. Still, this is a great read. The pair made a great team, and by the novel’s end, I believed they belonged together in and out of the bedroom. I am looking forward to reading the second book.

It has the dark elements of vampirism since both are fascinated with vampires. The dark vibe went hand in hand with the mystery and their relationship. It’s a great read. Do yourself a favour and get a copy.

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Karissa Knight loves to write sultry stories packed with dangerous characters and thrilling climaxes. She is a serial artist, an avid gardener, a classical musician, and author who lives in Wisconsin.