TOO HARD TO HANDLE is book 8 in Julie Ann Walker's Black Knights, Inc. series. The Black Knights are covert government operatives who run their blacker-than-black ops behind the front of a motorcycle shop. All of the Black Knights are larger-than-life manly men who can operate any gun or explosive device made and look hot while doing so. It's a rough and tumble brotherhood of smack-talking and lively snark, with slang slung about at high speeds. While the series has been a mixed bag for me, Walker seems to have now found her consistent voice for this series.

Dan "The Man" Currington is just coming back to life after his wife was gunned down in front of him two years ago by criminals who were attacking the Knights' business. Dan sank into a bottle, drinking everything he could get his hands on to in order to escape his anguish. His brothers stood by him as he entered AA, and he's slowly regaining his equilibrium. Dan has been with a fellow operative in Peru for the last 3 months trying to track down a rogue CIA agent selling classified government secrets, when in walks Penni DePaul, the one woman he hasn't been able to get out of his mind. Dan is an utterly sympathetic character. I love how honorable he is, and what a steadfast hero he shows himself to be.

Penni DePaul has just retired from the Secret Service. Penni and Dan shared one hot night three months ago in Malaysia on a disastrous mission, and Peru is the last place Dan expects to run into Agent DePaul. Now he finds that protecting Penni is the most important part of his mission, no matter what hell is raining down around them. And Penni has a lot to live for in her new civilian life, depending on how Dan feels about her secret. While Penni's motivations are a little more opaque due to the secret she's hiding, she stirs my heart as well.

Penni and Dan have great chemistry, and the pages positively crackle with the sexual tension generated. They also have wonderful repartee, and their interactions while chasing the bad guys are spirited and witty. The rapport Dan has with his fellow operatives is laced with sophomoric innuendo and good-natured razzing, with plenty of banter to keep things flowing when the bullets aren't flying. Walker's TOO HARD TO HANDLE is a lively read with plenty of heart-stopping action and a sigh-worthy romance.