Hot Storm by Lynn Raye Harris

Stars: 3/5
Steam: 3/5
Tropes: Friends to Lovers; Hidden Identity; Protector
Series: Hostile Operations Team-Strike Team 2 Book 4
POV: 3rd Person
Put Out Percentage: 52%

Going into this book I have only read the first book of this series, and while there were a few little nuances that missed out on I did not feel lost in knowing the characters. There are some details that I wish I knew about, but you do not need the other books. Mal and Scarlett meet when Mal gets injured on an op. He has to go through surgery and therapy because of this and they start a friendship. Malcolm has this misguided notion that he is in love with someone else because of a moment that he had. But he will never act on this notion because of who she is. Scarlett is running scare from a past that hurt her. She is hiding her true identity so that she can stay hidden. These two feel an attraction right away, but Mal is confused and Scar is scared. What follows is the naturally insane notion that the two of them can become friends with benefits. They are adorable together, and Mal realizes rather quickly, after Scarlett gives him a dose of reality, that he has true feelings for Scar. She has feelings for him, but fear takes hold and the fact that he told her multiple times he loved another. These two were perfect together, and a good blend of light and steamy. I love the fact that Mal and his entire team came together to protect her when she needed, and the secrets between them once Malcolm found out the real truth were not an issue. I haven’t read a lot of Lynn Raye Harris, but each and every time I read one of her books, I question that decision.