Loose and Easy

by Tara Janzen/Glenna McReynolds

Book Cover - Loose and Easy (Steele Street Series Book 9 of 12) by Tara Janzen
  • The Steele Street Series Book 9 of 12
  • ISBN-10: 1983350222
  • ISBN-13: 978-1983350221
  • Publisher: Independent Author
  • Publication date: August 26, 2008
  • Print length: 416 pages

Genres:

  • Romantic Suspense (primary; high-stakes art recovery/heist, pursuit, stolen art/artifacts, and intense personal danger blended with passionate romance)
  • Contemporary Romance (modern Denver streets/LoDo district setting with steamy, character-driven love story and high-tension chemistry)
  • Action-Adventure Romance (fast-paced chases, cons, undercover work, and survival tension involving criminal underworld figures)
  • Military/Black-Ops Romance (Steele Street operative on a semi-off-the-books job with crew support and black-ops ties)
  • Additional overlapping tags: Romantic thriller, erotic suspense, art-recovery/heist romance, and some light humorous/escapist vibes from banter and clever cons

Tropes:

  • Thief / con artist heroine Esmee Alden: clever, quick-witted art-recovery expert/con woman with a moral code, skilled at pulling off impossible retrieval jobs.
  • Bad boy / reformed rogue hero Johnny Ramos: battle-hardened Special Ops soldier with lethal skills, a raw edge from his Afghanistan tour, and a protective streak that surfaces when he reunites with his high school crush.
  • Second chance / high school crush reunion Johnny Ramos harbored an unspoken, one-sided crush on Esmee Alden in high school—she was the smart, unattainable valedictorian he admired from afar; those buried feelings resurface when they reunite as adults on opposite sides of a high-stakes job (her recovering stolen art, him protecting/recovering), leading to reluctant alliance and attraction.
  • Forced proximity / team-up Thrown together for a dangerous retrieval involving stolen art, powerful criminals, and double-crosses.
  • High-stakes heist / art theft plot Central MacGuffin is a valuable stolen piece of art (WWII-era painting), with cons, chases, and criminal underworld players.
  • Opposites attract / complementary skills Her clever, rule-bending cons paired with his physical, tactical strength—brains and brawn in sync.
  • Steamy / erotic romance Intense, passionate scenes—heat that builds from tension, banter, and the thrill of the job, often noted for being playful and urgent.
  • Redemption / trust-building arc Both confront past choices and learn to rely on each other amid betrayal and danger.
  • Found family / team loyalty Steele Street crew provides backup and banter, reinforcing the series’ unbreakable bonds even in a more personal story.
  • Witty banter / playful tension Sharp dialogue and teasing chemistry that lightens the stakes without undercutting the danger.

The Books of the Series:

Book Cover - Crazy Hot (Steele Street Series Book 1 of 12) by Tara Janzen
Crazy Hot (Book 1 of 12)
Book Cover - Crazy Cool (Steele Street Series Book 2 of 12) by Tara Janzen
Crazy Cool (Book 2 of 12)
Book Cover - Crazy Wild (Steele Street Series Book 3 of 12) by Tara Janzen
Crazy Wild (Book 3 of 12)
Book Cover - Crazy Kisses (Steele Street Series Book 4 of 12) by Tara Janzen
Crazy Kisses (Book 4 of 12)
Book Cover - Crazy Love (Steele Street Series Book 5 of 12) by Tara Janzen
Crazy Love (Book 5 of 12)
Book Cover - Crazy Sweet (Steele Street Series Book 6 of 12) by Tara Janzen
Crazy Sweet (Book 6 of 12)
Book Cover - On the Loose (Steele Street Series Book 7 of 12) by Tara Janzen
On the Loose (Book 7 of 12)
Book Cover - Cutting Loose (Steele Street Series Book 8 of 12) by Tara Janzen
Cutting Loose (Book 8 of 12)
Book Cover - Loose and Easy (Steele Street Series Book 9 of 12) by Tara Janzen
Loose and Easy (Book 9 of 12)
Book Cover - Breaking Loose (Steele Street Series Book 10 of 12) by Tara Janzen
Breaking Loose (Book 10 of 12)
Book Cover - Loose Ends (Steele Street Series Book 11 of 12) by Tara Janzen
Loose Ends (Book 11 of 12)
Book Cover - Crazy Hearts (Steele Street Series Book 12 of 12) by Tara Janzen
Crazy Hearts (Book 12 of 12)

The Steele Street Story:

CRAZY HOT (Book 1 of 12) (2005)

Paleontologist Regan McKinney tears across the desolate West in a desperate hunt for her missing grandfather, crashing into the ghost town of Cisco, Utah—and straight into Quinn Younger, the sun-bleached ex-fighter pilot with a criminal past redeemed by her own grandfather years ago. When deadly danger roars in on her tail—terrorists hunting hot dinosaur bones—Quinn steps up as her fierce protector, repaying an old debt with high-octane chases, bullets flying, and an irresistible spark igniting amid the chaos. Engines roar, hearts race, and love burns crazy hot in this wild ride of survival and second chances.

CRAZY COOL (Book 2 of 12) (2005)

Katya “Bad Luck” Dekker returns to Denver for a glittering high-society art auction, only to have the night explode—literally—into gunfire and chaos. Thirteen years after Christian “Superman” Hawkins saved her life on prom night—and paid for it with two years in prison for a murder he didn’t commit—the ice-cool Steele Street operative steps in again. He kidnaps her for protection, and they rocket through the city in his muscle car, dodging assassins, unraveling a powerful conspiracy, and finally confronting the white-hot passion and old wounds that never faded. Fire and ice collide—crazy cool and dangerously close.

CRAZY WILD (Book 3 of 12) (2006)

Creed Rivera, haunted by his recent shadows in the Colombian jungles, stakes out prim librarian Cody Stark in a Denver library—suspecting she’s a lethal nuclear arms broker. When thugs crash the scene, the mission flips: Creed becomes her protector on a high-speed urban escape, battling terrorists, betrayal, and a conspiracy that could ignite global chaos—while forging an intense, raw bond amid gunfights, secrets, and undeniable attraction.

CRAZY KISSES (Book 4 of 12) (2006)

Nikki McKinney, the prodigious young artist with a fearless wild streak, heads to Panama City to finally close the door on the man who keeps breaking her heart—Steele Street operative Kid Chronopolous. After a brutal revenge mission in South America leaves him hunted and patched up, Kid returns to his Panama City bungalow for R&R, only to discover a familiar bikini bottom in his bathroom: hers. Their scorching, sultry nights of passion reignite instantly, but old patterns threaten to repeat—until assassins crash in, putting Nikki squarely in the crosshairs of Kid’s enemies. With a bounty on his head and killers closing in, Kid unleashes every lethal skill to save the only woman he’s ever loved, turning a goodbye into a fight for survival and a chance at something real amid betrayal, danger, and undeniable heat.

CRAZY LOVE (Book 5 of 12) (2006)

Skeeter Bang—the team’s punk-genius hacker and car customizer in Day-Glo pink and black leather—lands in the crosshairs when old enemies hunt her razor-sharp skills. Steele Street commander Dylan Hart, haunted by years of unspoken tension with the bad-girl fantasy under his command, must protect her on a high-stakes D.C. mission: infiltrate a senator’s mansion, steal a top-secret file, and bury it before chaos erupts. When a black-tie soiree explodes into bullets, duty and desire collide fast—hearts pound, passion ignites, and two guarded souls finally burn through the night amid high-tech intrigue and relentless danger.

CRAZY SWEET (Book 6 of 12) (2006)

Gillian “Red Dog” Pentycote—battle-scarred, memory-shattered survivor turned lethal hired gun—burns for revenge against the madman who stole her past and injected her with oblivion. Travis “Angel” James, the elite SDF operative who once loved her fiercely, tracks the same monster but refuses to use her as bait. When their paths collide in a storm of old flames and new threats, old enemies close in, forcing them together on a razor-edge chase from Central America’s shadows to Denver’s high-stakes showdowns. Bullets fly, scars ache, and buried passion erupts raw and urgent—two damaged warriors healing each other amid betrayal, loyalty, and a second chance that could save them both.

ON THE LOOSE (Book 7 of 12) (2007; also published as Steele Street: Loose)

Honey York-Lytton, a privileged D.C. socialite with a secret past, is blackmailed into a high-risk mission in El Salvador: retrieve a lost CIA file from a downed plane, deliver goods to a drug lord’s guerrilla camp, and rescue her missing nun sister—all in 48 hours. C. Smith Rydell, the ex-DEA SDF operative who once caught her smuggling cash and shared one unforgettable night with her, is reassigned as her reluctant bodyguard. As threats from rebels, assassins, and old enemies close in across Panama and the jungle, their charged chemistry reignites amid survival chases, betrayal, and raw passion—turning a dangerous job into a shot at redemption and real love.

CUTTING LOOSE (Book 8 of 12) (2008)

Lily Robbins, the quiet schoolteacher who once survived El Salvador’s chaos, returns to Albuquerque with a stolen macramé bracelet hiding a priceless encoded CIA file—unaware it’s made her the target of assassins and spooks. Zachary Prade, the elite operative who saved her life as drug-lord Alejandro Campos, is yanked from deep cover to retrieve the key and keep her alive. But when the past crashes into the present, old sparks ignite into raw, urgent passion. Hunted across New Mexico highways in his roaring 1968 Shelby Mustang Cobra, they race toward safety, lies unraveling, trust hanging by a thread, and two guarded souls discovering that the most dangerous thing isn’t the killers on their tail—it’s the fire they never quite escaped.

LOOSE AND EASY (Book 9 of 12) (2008)

Esmee Alden, sharp-witted con artist with underworld ties, dives into a high-stakes art-recovery job to settle her father’s debt—retrieving a stolen WWII painting from ruthless thieves. Johnny Ramos, the battle-hardened Special Ops soldier nursing a long-buried high school crush on her, shadows her in disguise and ends up as her reluctant partner. Sparks fly fast as they weave through Denver’s shadows, pulling clever cons, dodging dangerous players, and racing against bullets and betrayal. Heat simmers, trust builds, and old feelings roar back to life in a wild ride of chases, chemistry, and moral gray zones.

BREAKING LOOSE (Book 10 of 12) (2008)

Suzi Toussi, the stunning art dealer turned secret government weapon, dives into Paraguay’s lawless border city to snatch back the legendary Memphis Sphinx—an ancient relic with whispers of otherworldly power. But Dax Killian, the rugged ex-special ops agent with his own agenda, is already closing in on the same prize. What starts as fierce rivalry in the shadows of Ciudad del Este erupts into a reluctant alliance when assassins close the net. Amid high-speed chases, black-market double-crosses, and the pulse of danger, their sharp edges clash—and then catch fire—turning enemies into lovers in a sin-soaked, adrenaline-fueled adventure where trust is the rarest treasure of all.

LOOSE ENDS (Book 11 of 12) (2009)

J.T. Chronopolous (alias Conroy Farrel), presumed dead and returned with amnesia, gets drawn into a final reckoning involving international threats and unresolved vendettas. Paired with Jane Linden, the story ties up lingering threads with high-octane action, betrayals, and hard-won resolutions.

CRAZY HEARTS (Book 12 of 12) (2020)

In the long-awaited finale, the core team confronts a massive, multi-layered threat that tests every alliance and skill they’ve built. Amid global stakes, personal crises, and explosive finales, old favorites find closure, new bonds form, and the Steele Street legacy roars to a close with signature speed and passion.

The Series:

The Steele Street series by Tara Janzen (Glenna McReynolds’ pseudonym) follows the high-octane exploits of a tight-knit crew of elite operatives based out of a custom-car garage called Steele Street in Denver, Colorado. These guys—mostly reformed juvenile delinquents, car thieves, and street-smart bad boys turned Special Defense Force (SDF) agents—handle black-ops missions for the U.S. government, taking on terrorists, international threats, stolen tech, and shadowy conspiracies with fast cars, firepower, and unbreakable loyalty. Led by the enigmatic Dylan Hart and featuring a rotating cast of alpha heroes (like Creed Rivera, Kid Chronopolous, Travis James, and others), the series blends pulse-pounding action, high-stakes chases (often in souped-up muscle cars), global intrigue, and steamy, passionate romance that develops amid danger and banter. Over the 12 books (from Crazy Hot in 2005 to Crazy Hearts in 2020), the overarching arc tracks the team’s evolution from ragtag Denver crew to one of America’s most elite covert units, while individual stories resolve personal demons, rekindle old flames, and confront escalating enemies—culminating in massive threats that test every bond and skill they’ve built.

It’s escapist romantic suspense at its most fun and over-the-top: think explosive car culture, military-grade ops, witty dialogue, and couples who fall hard while dodging bullets and bad guys. The early “Crazy” books introduce the core team and Denver roots, while later “Loose” titles expand the scope with more international flair and wrap up lingering vendettas, making the whole run feel like one long, adrenaline-fueled ride with heart.

Cybernet Book gnomes Review:

Loose and Easy by Tara Janzen/Glenna McReynolds (Steele Street Book 9 of 12)

🌟🌟🌟🌟 (dusted off the adventure shelf, tucked next to boookwyrm’s favorite lamp)

We Cybernet Book gnomes have been rustling through the action aisles again, ears perked for stories that hum with clever twists and old sparks. boookwyrm hasn’t opened Loose and Easy yet, but we’re nudging it toward her stack. This one’s like a sly fox in the henhouse, full of clever dodges and stolen glances.

Esmee Alden is the nimble-fingered con artist we gnomes envy: quick-witted, heart of gold-plated brass, dressed to kill in red lace and leather, out to recover a stolen painting and settle her father’s debts before the bad guys catch wind. Johnny Ramos is the soldier who tumbles into her scheme—fresh from Afghanistan’s sands, all coiled muscle and quiet fire, the kind of hero who can spot trouble a mile away and still walk straight into it with a grin.

But what tickles our gnome whiskers is how Johnny recognizes Esmee instantly as his high school crush—the valedictorian he admired from afar, never spoke to, never told. That unspoken, one-sided longing sat quietly in him all those years, and now, when they’re thrown together on a high-stakes art recovery job gone gloriously sideways, it wakes up. Esmee didn’t know it was there back then, but she feels the echo now—the way he looks at her, the way he protects her, the way old admiration turns into something fiercer and more adult. It’s not angsty or tragic; it’s sweet, layered, the kind of crush that makes their chemistry feel like it’s been waiting for the right moment to catch fire.

The plot moves with the snap of a good lockpick: stolen art, powerful criminals, double-crosses, chases through Denver streets, and the ever-present danger of getting caught. It’s not the noisiest book in the series—no jungle fever, no tech fireworks—but the cons are sharp, the banter is crisp, and the stakes feel personal without tipping into heavy drama.

We gnomes like how it fits the collection: Steele Street loyalty hums in the background without stealing the spotlight, and the cars get their moment when the road opens up. The pacing builds steadily to a satisfying rush, and the ending snaps shut neatly, leaving the whole shelf feeling a little more complete.

The Wordsmith: Glenna McReynolds/Tara Janzen

Author Image - Tara Janzen/Glenna McReynolds

Glenna McReynolds, born Glenna Jean McReynolds on March 25, 1953, in Lewiston, Idaho, is an American author celebrated for blending romance, adventure, and fantasy. Raised in various U.S. regions with a special affection for the Rocky Mountain West, she studied graphic arts and photography at Colorado Mountain College, where she met her husband, Stan. The couple settled in Colorado, raising two children while Stan became an English teacher and Glenna pursued writing. She belongs to groups like Romance Writers of America, Colorado Romance Writers, and Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers. Her work has earned a RITA Award from Romance Writers of America for Avenging Angel (1994), multiple Romantic Times awards (including Best Loveswept for Shameless in 1993 and a career achievement in Romantic Adventure in 1994), and other recognitions. McReynolds writes under the pseudonym Tara Janzen for her contemporary romantic suspense series, particularly the high-octane Steele Street books. She favors organic storytelling without rigid outlines, allowing plots to unfold naturally, and conducted on-site research in England and Wales for her medieval-inspired works.

Her Books (under Glenna McReynolds; publication order, focusing on key titles and series):

  • Loveswept Category Romances (13 titles for Bantam, 1987–1990s): Includes Thieves in the Night (1987), Scout’s Honor (1987), Stevie Lee (1989), Dateline (1990), Blue Dalton (1990), Outlaw Carson (1991), Moonlight and Shadows (1991), The Courting Cowboy (1993), Avenging Angel (1993, RITA winner), Shameless (1993), The Dragon and the Dove (1994), Dragon’s Eden (1995), and others like A Wulf’s Tale.
  • The Chalice Trilogy (epic medieval fantasy/romantasy): The Chalice and the Blade (1997), Dream Stone (1998), Prince of Time (2000/2001).
  • Standalone/Other: River of Eden (2002, contemporary romantic adventure set in the Amazon rainforest, often regarded as a genre classic).

Books under the pseudonym Tara Janzen (primarily the Steele Street series of romantic suspense/action-adventure, with New York Times bestselling titles):

  • Steele Street Series (12 books, Dell/Bantam, 2005–2020): Crazy Hot (#1, 2005), Crazy Cool (#2, 2005), Crazy Wild (#3, 2006), Crazy Kisses (#4, 2006), Crazy Love (#5, 2006), Crazy Sweet (#6, 2006), On the Loose (#7, 2007; aka Steele Street), Cutting Loose (#8, 2007), Breaking Loose (#9, 2008), Loose and Easy (#10, 2008), Loose Ends (#11, 2009), Crazy Hearts (#12, 2020).

Her output as Glenna McReynolds focuses on adventurous, sensual romances and fantasy, while Tara Janzen’s work shifted to fast-paced contemporary suspense. No new books have appeared in recent years under either name.

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