ARC Review: The Way Home

The Way Home (One-Eyed Jacks #2) 

by Cindy Gerard

Blurb:

 A heartwarming Christmas story from the New York Times bestselling “true master of romantic suspense” (Romantic Times).

Four years ago Jess Albert got the news that her husband Jeff was killed in action in Afghanistan, and a painful void entered her life. The more time passed, the more acutely she felt that emptiness. But when Tyler Brown, former military hero and all-around alpha male, shows up a year after she’d last seen him, Jess gradually begins to realize there is one thing that can make her feel whole again—love.

As they’re planning their wedding and new life together, Jess receives shocking news: her husband is alive, under the care of a young Afghani woman hiding him from the Taliban. Even as he sees their happily-ever-after slip away, Ty arranges for the One Eyed Jacks and Black Ops, Inc. teams to make a daring and dangerous rescue mission to bring Jeff home. The hardest thing Ty or Jess has ever done is to let the other go.

When Jeff returns to Jess, broken physically and emotionally and with no memory of their history, they try to heal their marriage and each other. But as time brings them together more as friends than lovers, an unexpected development helps them see the true way home, to the people they love.

Review:

Every once in a while an author that you know and love offers you something completely unanticipated and out of the normal realm of your expectations; this story was just such a story. I went into this story knowing it might be a bit different since the blurb gave a bit away, but this was even more surprising and enjoyable than I thought it would be. If you have read any of the Black Ops series or the first book in the One Eyed Jacks series you will enjoy seeing some familiar characters, but Gerard definitely took this book into an entirely new direction.  There was intense emotional drama and psychological trauma, which leads four people into new territory and teaches them the true meaning of love and commitment. With ups, downs, laughs, tears, and the action inherent in any spec ops or military drama, The Way Home is a spectacular read that will leave you breathless.

The story actually takes place simultaneously in two different settings and about two different couples. First we have Jess and Ty.  Ty exploded into Jess’s life a year or so earlier when he and his brother were on a small mission that required some firepower and they instantly had a connection.  But when Ty never contacted Jess again, she’d given up hope of ever hearing from him or experiencing that zing again, though she’s never gotten him out of her mind.  When he finally reappears, ready to explore their feelings and perhaps have a chance to be together.  As they spend time together and work together to overcome the tragedies they’ve both been dealing with these last few years, Ty and Jess realize that they are meant to be together and their love develops into a deep and abiding bond that will allow them both to find all the happiness they’ve been seeking.

Meanwhile in Afghanistan, Jess’s husband, presumed dead for over three years, has escaped his captivity and is receiving shelter from a young afghan woman and her father.  He’s been tortured, broken physically and psychologically, but with the help of Rabia he is finally digging out of the hole he’s lived in.  Starved emotionally and bodily, he needs Rabia's help to find himself again so that he can return to the man he once was, but things are never as simple as they should be.  Rabia and Jeffery slowly begin to develop feelings for each other and when his memories return, reminding him what he has been through the last three years, she offers him the solace he needs more than anything else.  But as their time comes to an end, they both realize their feelings are deeper than just captive and rescuer, something that seems remarkably close to love.  But when Jeffery is returned to the US and learns he has a wife, his life and emotions are thrown into turmoil.

Ty is such a sweet guy, even though he is an alpha, sexy military guy.  It was great to see him chasing after Jess and making sure that she understands just how far he is willing to go to convince her to give him a chance.  Jess is a woman that has been living an empty life, coming to terms with herself now that she is a widow and running her family’s general store.  Ty is sexy beyond belief and when Jess finally gives in to him and they take their relationship to the next level, the love between them is so deep and sexy that I find myself wanting to read a whole second book about this couple just so I can see more of their loving.  Rabia and Jeffery’s love is different, forbidden and dangerous, but one that becomes just as deep and fulfilling.  Jeffery has certainly had more than his share of misery and sorrow, as has Rabia, but the connection between them is one that comes to mean more to both of them than the dangers inherent to their relationship.  Jeffery is a character that is definitely one that reminds you that no matter how bad your life is, there are some that have it so much worse.  Rabia is a cool lady too, one that leads an underground rebellion for afghan women’s rights, rescues men in danger, and generally puts her life in danger repeatedly just to insure that no one is ever mistreated or taken advantage of, she is for sure true to her title of heroine. 

When I began this story I had an idea that things would be different than normal, but I never expected just how heartwarming and heart-wrenching this story would be by turns.  I cried often seeing all the trauma and fears that the two couples had to overcome.  Circumstances and their own decisions led both couples to make unexpected decisions, but in the end everyone found their happiness and were able to embrace this new idea of their new family.  Jess, Ty, Rabia, and Jeffery were all wonderful characters, full of depth, intensity, and all the emotional confusion that lead both couples to find their bliss in unexpected ways.  It was great to get to see some of the characters from previous books and catch up with them, but the beauty of this story was definitely in the emotions between these couples. The best lesson we can take from this story is that love can come in many forms and at any time, if only we open ourselves to the emotions and embrace those that would offer the chance at love.  I cannot wait to see where this series goes from here, but I honestly don’t know if this story can be topped. If you’ve never read a story by Cindy Gerard I suggest you go and buy this one now and read it immediately! You can’t find a better story to begin with, but just understand that this is different from most of her work. Thank you Ms. Gerard for one of the best stories of the year, but you owe me a few boxes of tissues now. :)

Rating: 5 stars 

Rose Rating:  

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

ARC Review: Born Wild

Born Wild (Black Knights Inc. #5)

by Julie Ann Walker

Blurb:

She's got three rules:

1. Trust no one… Eve Edens has been abandoned, used, or manipulated by almost everyone she's ever met. Born into ridiculous wealth, she's dealt with the petty jealousies and sordid little resentments for nearly thirty years. But after three botched attempts on her life, she can no longer ignore the truth. Someone wants her dead.

2. Avoid the bad boys at all costs… William "Wild Bill" Reichert, the wonderfully sexy boy who abandoned her years ago, is back in town. Only he's no boy. Now he's a covert operative - and he's all man. When Eve hires Bill to help her discover who is behind the attacks, Bill soon comes to suspect it's someone much closer to Eve than she dares to believe.

3. And never fall for the same ruse twice… The search for the killer takes Bill and Eve deep into the dark secrets and strange world of the rich and famous, and into the heart of red-hot passion re-ignited by the peril that threatens to consume them both. But does Eve dare risk her heart on Bill a second time?

Review:

Well that was a trip! Betrayals, uncovering decades old secrets, finding lost love and dodging killers all in a period of less than a week will leave you breathless as you journey with Wild Bill and Eve as they try to make sense of the new drama in their lives. I have loved this series since the very beginning and as more and more Knights fall under the spells of the ladies who enchant them, I find myself wishing I could take a trip to Chicago just to see if these guys might really be hiding out there somewhere. Ms. Walker writes her characters with such depth and her settings with such vivid imagery, that I find myself seeing every second of the story in my mind as it unfolds in perfect Technicolor radiance. If you haven’t found yourself riding on the back of a tricked out chopper, wrapped around a sexy biker/secret agent these novels will make you feel like you are right there experiencing it all for yourself. 

Born Wild begins with Even Edens finally accepting that her life is in serious danger, but since none of the cops she has reported her many “accidents” to have helped, she resorts to the only option left to her, though she despises her desperation.  She must seek help from her friends at Black Knights Inc. and hope that the one man she’s always loved and whose heart she broke over a decade ago will believe her and help her save her life. Though her fear is evident, Bill is reluctant to get involved because he knows he won’t be able to keep his distance while he helps her.  But as more and more dangers come to light, proving to everyone that Eve is indeed a target, Bill can’t bring himself to deny his feelings any longer.  When the danger leads them to uncover long held secrets to their own personal past, both Eve and Bill must decide if they can forgive and forget so they can build a new life together or if they have lost too much over the years to move past it and find their hearts.  I can honestly say for the first time in ages, I didn’t see the bad guy's true identify until almost the same time the characters figured it out, which is very rare for me.  The suspenseful aspect of the book was extremely well done and didn’t leave me disappointed in the least.

Wow, I can tell you for sure that the dynamics of this relationship have been driving me crazy for several books as I learned snippets here and there about their pasts. Bill certainly has his reasons for doubting in Eve and even hating her at times, but his feelings go so much deeper and they are complicated beyond belief. While I felt badly for Bill, I could see his inner heart and knew that in the end his forgiveness would change his entire outlook on life.  He is a strong alpha male, but his gooey heart was encased in ice after Eve left him the first time.  I knew that the passion that still burned between them would one day melt that ice into a pool of lust that would lead them down an interesting road to be sure. Though we saw glimpses of the shy and terrified girl that Eve was most of her life, thankfully we meet her at a time when she is ready to change her life and she accomplishes it in spades. When she’s kidnapped by pirates (yes real pirates) she uses that as an impetus to dig deep and bring her inner strength to light.  She decides to embrace that strong independence and finally coming to terms with her past will Billy is one of the things she has to face.  I loved how she continued to surprise Billy and the Knights with her skills, strength, and sometimes misguided courage.

The passion between Billy and Eve has been bottled up and pushed deep in their minds and hearts for over a decade. Every time they are forced together you can see the heat between them, mostly in the barbs fired by Bill as he tries to fight his desires and of course in the way that Eve can’t keep her eyes from connecting with him.  Faced with the threat to Eve’s life, Billy slowly begins to come to terms with their past and see that he can’t handle losing her again.  Eve, on the other hand knows that she has ruined any chance she had with Billy a decade ago, but she is determined that she will get her one night, the night that she denied them so long ago, and won’t let a little thing like impending death stop her pursuit of the one man she’s ever loved.  Their one night together is definitely worth every second of waiting and the heat they produce could light the world on fire.

By and large, Born Wild was one of the best romantic suspense novels I’ve read so far this year.  Well written, full of drama, action, laughs and love, you will enjoy every second of reading Wild Bill and Eve’s story of love, loss, and forgiveness.  The plot is rich and filled with twists, turns, overlaps, and discovery of betrayal and secrets that change lives and teach that trust is something that should never be taken for granted.  Bill and Eve are a perfect couple and experiencing the resurgence of their love and their rediscovery of one another was a heart-wrenching and heart-warming event by turns.   I am so glad that Eve and Bill finally found their way back into each other’s arms and earned their HEA.  Seeing all that Eve went through and knowing that she never gave up and never surrendered to hopelessness gives me a new outlook on relationships and hope for finding my own inner strength.  I cannot wait to find out more about the Knights and I suspect that Mac will soon have his turn in the hot seat.  Another great work of art Ms. Walker, thank you.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Rose Rating:  

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

Review: Hinter's Heat

Winters Heat (Titan #1)

by Cristin Harber 

Blurb:

 A WOMAN ON A MISSION

After putting her life on the line to protect classified intelligence, military psychologist Mia Kensington is on a cross-country road trip from hell with an intrusive save-the-day hero. Uninterested in his white knight act, she’d rather take her chances without the ruggedly handsome, cold-blooded operative who boasts an alpha complex and too many guns.

AND THE MAN SENT TO STOP HER

Colby Winters, an elite member of The Titan Group, has a single objective on his black ops mission: recover a document important to national security. It was supposed to be an easy in-and-out operation. But now, by any means necessary becomes a survival mantra when he faces off with a stunning woman he can’t leave behind.

MUST PARTNER TO SURVIVE

When Titan’s safe houses are compromised, Colby stashes Mia at his home, exposing his secret—he’s the adoptive father of an orphaned baby girl. Too soon, danger arrives and Mia lands in the hands of a sadistic cartel king with a taste for torture. As hours bleed into fear-drenched days, Colby races across the globe and through a firestorm of bullets to save the woman he can’t live without.

Review:

 I honestly want to be able to say that I loved this story, but I can only say that I was a bit underwhelmed with it overall.  There was so much potential in this storyline and I just love a good PMC (Private Military Company)  story, because honestly is there anything hotter than a sexy merc and his men kicking ass? Though there was some good points the overall feel of the book was a bit blah and I just never felt connected to any of the characters.  I will say I enjoyed the witty diatribes between the characters and there were a few good action sequences. I am willing to keep an open mind and continue with the series, but if I don’t feel more of a connection with the next set of lovers I may have to bail. 

The story begins with Titan operative Colby Winters on a mission to retrieve a package his client has hidden in a random airport.  His mission is complicated by not one, but two different adversaries that are also after the package, one of which retrieves it first.  When he first sees Mia Kensington with the package he wants to believe she is a trained operative, but quickly discovers she’s more of a damsel in distress.  Through a series of unfortunate kidnappings, rescues, attacks, and explosions, Colby and Mia become intimate quickly while on the run from a killer who has sent goons to retrieve the package and Mia along with it.  When they arrive back at Titan HQ, Colby puts Mia in his house to keep her safe while he reports in, but through another amount of bad luck she is again put into danger and the whole Titan team has to rescue her. Sadly once they are physically out of danger, Colby begins to rethink his choices and puts his future with Mia in jeopardy.  There was just a bit too much going on and the transitions from action to intimacy and back to normalcy were a bit awkward.  I enjoyed a few of the scenes with Colby kicking ass and of course the love scenes were well-written, but overall I was never really pulled into the story.

Colby is an okay guy, extremely bossy and alpha to the extreme, but he has a softer side on occasion.  He has an interesting family life that one would think makes him seem more human, but he just seems like a tough-guy who’s playing at being a family guy, there was too much discomfort in his familial and intimate interactions.  I will say he was passionate in all things he did, but I wanted so badly so many times to smack him upside the head that I could never really find myself liking him. Mia was to me an even more unlikable character.  She was extremely flighty, thoughtless, and weak minded.  She dives right into a sexual relationship with a guy that she’s known all of twenty-four hours and has been fighting to escape the majority of that time? Yeah a bit hard for me to believe.  When they did finally start to build a more emotional connection, she immediately starts pulling back, unwilling to let him past her walls and starts questioning her choices. And then when there is danger all around she decides to question the more experienced fighters and try to throw herself into danger, which puts her too close to the TSTL category of heroine for me.

I have read a lot of stories similar to this one, with danger and battles lurking in the love stories, but this one was not one of my favorites.  My biggest issue was how Colby kept putting Mia into danger and then having to rescue her while she in turn got pissy and made stupid decisions that put them both in danger.  At one point I just had to put the book down because Colby was making too many mistakes.  Being from a military family and a student of tactics I can say that Colby and his team made so many mistakes that I don’t really know how they didn’t all end up dead.  Though the plot had a great back-story and could have gone far there was too much ineptness for me on the parts of all the characters.

Overall I was a tad confounded with this first novel in the Titan series. While I enjoyed the overall direction the plot took, the finer details were disappointing for me and I wish there had been more romance and less fighting.  Colby and Mia formed a strange connection that never seemed deep enough to me until in the end they admit their undying love.  The bad guys were many and varied and watching Colby battle them to protect Mia had its interesting and funny moments. This series looks to be very promising, but I’m reserving judgement on the rest of the stories until I can read them, though I will say I did like many of Colby’s teammates. I wish I had enjoyed this story more, but I just never got pulled in and didn't really form a connection to any of the characters like I normally would.  I hope to enjoy Garrison’s Creed more and look forward to reading it. 

Rating: 3 stars

Rose Rating:   

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