Review of Forged In Steele (KGI #7) by Maya Banks

Forged In Steele is the seventh book in the series KGI.

Steele, a team leader in the organization KGI, has the nickname Ice Man because he's cold and hard, emotionless and steady.

But the one thing that gets under his skin is Dr. Maren Scofield, a woman who runs a free clinic in Central America and frequently treats the members of KGI when they're injured in the line of duty in her region of the world.

Surprises lurk for them after they finally unleash their passions, and when Maren is in danger, Steele can no longer hold that icy demeanor he's existed under for so long.

I was simultaneously excited to see that Steele was getting a book, and that Maren was getting a book, since I'd loved her from the time she was introduced in book one. However, I couldn't picture Maren and Steele together.

Steele for me, in this book, didn't match up to the Steele from the previous six books. Mostly because the dialog he spouted with Maren was really, really cheesy. It was not realistic and didn't match what I pictured for his character. At all. His determination when it came to rescuing Maren matched what I already knew of him, but the way he behaved with Maren didn't. I guess that was kind of the point, but for some reason it just didn't work for me. Probably because of the dialog. Though seeing what he thought of his team was pretty great.

Maren, however, I loved. She was intelligent and shrewd yet kind with her patients and stern with the KGI operatives when she treated them. And when the time came, she kicked some serious ass in her own way. I loved her ferocity and the love she shared with the people who'd earned it, and the loyalty she showed those who earned it. I loved seeing the world through her eyes, and she was the strongest part of the book for me.

The plot itself was exciting, tense, and action-packed with twists and turns, as it always is with Maya Banks. Having read her historical romance and erotic romance, I think she excels the most with romantic suspense. These are the books of hers I enjoy the most.

Descriptions with Maya Banks are always great, and this book was no different. I wanted to go to Steele's house so badly once she described it--it seemed so peaceful. The only thing I wanted to know was who cared for the horses she described.

Because of Steele, this book just didn't work very well for me. Everything around him was awesome, but Steele as portrayed just didn't work for me. This is probably my least favorite book in the series thus far.

Photo Credit: Mariusz Prusaczyk

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