Mini-Review: Hot Shot

Hot Shot (Hostile Operations Team #5)

by Lynn Raye Harris 

Blurb:

Cool under pressure… Until now.

Hostile Operations Team sniper Jack “Hawk” Hunter is cool, methodical, and utterly lethal. Nothing rattles Jack’s calm. But that was before he learned he fathered a child three years ago—a child who has just been kidnapped.

Gina Domenico is a superstar, a pop sensation with a string of hit records. But deep inside, she’s still the lonely girl she’s always been. When Jack saved her from an arms dealer, they spent three unforgettable days together waiting for rescue—and Gina fell hard for the sexy soldier before he walked away forever.

But now she needs his help and she’ll do anything to get it. Though Jack can never forgive Gina for keeping his child from him, he’ll do everything in his power—and HOT’s—to bring their son home safely.

Nothing is what it seems, however, and their fates hang in the balance as someone else pulls the strings…and brings them ever closer to an explosive confrontation that could either save their son—or cost them everything.

Themes: military, contemporary

Rating: 4.25 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

Well that was quite a story of two different worlds clashing.  Harris takes us back into the world of the HOT team and the women that stand behind their men in this tale of forbidden attraction, love overcoming obstacles, and learning to trust in the emotions that drive us all.  I loved seeing Hawk healing from the loss of his previous wife with Gina’s help and the honest love of his new son.  I was very surprised to see Harris take this approach, as others I’ve read along the same vein usually have the woman come back when they are pregnant for the “surprise, you’re a daddy” moment, but in this case the timing was crucial, especially in that the truth may never have come out had the danger not arisen.  The overall story was interesting, but the core of this story was definitely each of the main characters overcoming their pasts in order to have a future together, free of the ghosts that have long haunted them.  Another great HOT story with passion, drama, danger, and the sizzle of two opposing forces coming together to find love.

While I have always enjoyed a good “insta-family” story as much as the next girl, I almost always have doubts about the total package working out well, but with Gina and Hawk I believed they would find a way from the very beginning, even if they didn’t.  The strength of Hawk’s character is what I knew would make him a great husband and an even better father.  He would never allow anyone he cared for to remain in danger for long, much less the first woman he has connected with since his late wife, and sure as hell not the child they created together.  I loved that the story began in the past, allowing us to see the beginning of their courtship instead of just getting a prologue and then boom there’s a baby—which has been a peeve of mine in previous similar stories.   Once Gina enlists Hawk and his team’s help, there is no doubt in my mind they will win the war and find a way to keep everyone safe, even if there are a few dark and twisted moments. 

Hawk and Gina were both interesting characters, and the meshing of those personalities was enough to keep the pages burning up, even without the extra drama they were dealing with.  A whirlwind romance is an understatement and it was interesting to see how they each dealt with the circumstances and pitfalls that were inherent to each of their lifestyles.  I have enjoyed each installment of this series very much, and am thrilled to find out what is coming next in HOT Rebel.  Harris had taken the often overworked “mercenary” angle and turned these men and women into rich, deep, and lively characters that are easy to fall in love with.  But I wonder if we will see any more lady warriors stepping into the void left by Hawk, which would be amazing.

*eARC provided by publisher (via netgalley) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.