Review: Beyond the Limit (Valkyrie Ops #1)

Beyond the Limit (Valkyrie Ops #1)

by Cindy Dees

Blurb:

Sherri Tate, former Miss Congeniality, is a media officer for the Navy, but she itches to get on the field—and she can prove she has what it takes. But convincing others that she can become one of the first ever female Navy SEALs? That might be tougher than the agonizingly brutal training.

Griffin Caldwell and his teammates in his Navy SEAL platoon, the Reapers, are tasked to secretly train women candidates to become the first female SEALs. But when he meets Sherri Tate, it's friction—and lust—at first sight. Griffin can't believe the former pageant queen has what it takes, and Sherri can’t believe his arrogance. But when one deadly mission goes wrong, it's up to Sherri and Griffin and their unprecedented bond to save the day.

Themes: Contemporary

Rating: 3.5 stars

Heat Rating: 3

Review:

A new series begins with an amazing premise and I think it will be one for the record books; I have been a fan of Cindy Dees for many years and I was looking forward to this series for a long time when I finally learned of its release and go the chance to read and review. The series begins with three young women that are being given the chance of a lifetime, the chance to train with and possibly become SEALs themselves.  It is an unprecedented chance and all three women are willing to give their all in the training and the fight to become the very best.  Sherri has been fighting to be the best her entire life, and excels and pretty much everything she has tried, so when she begins her training she isn’t surprised she is doing well, but she is amazingly surprised by the attraction and passionate draw she has to the lead SEAL that is heading up her trainers.  Griffin is pissed he and his team have been pulled into the circus of training some powder-puff girls into fake-SEALs, but the sexy Ms. Tate is eye-candy enough for him to keep most of his anger passive-aggressive. But as Griffin learns more and more about Sherri and watches her work her ass off to prove herself his attraction to her become undeniable.  When they give in to the draw between them, the passion is more than just sexual attraction and soon their emotional connection is almost too much to handle for either of them, and that connection is put to the test when Sherri’s life is on the line and Griffin has to come to her rescue.  Sherri was the quintessential overachiever, but I enjoyed getting to know her because her reasons for pushing were interesting and knowing her made me love her more.  While I wanted to hate her simply for how sexy and accomplished she was, she was genuinely an amazing and good person with a strong will and determination to make the world a better place. Griffin is a hero in every sense of the word and I liked learning more about him too.  While he was a butthead in the beginning, he was undoubtedly one of those Alpha men who just didn’t think a woman belonged in the boys club, but once he began to see the light I realized how much I liked him.  He was sexy of course, and I was right there with Sherri salivating over him every second, but he was also smart, sweet, and brave, making him a wonderful complement to Sherri and a guy that any woman would want.  The heat and pull between Sherri and Griffin was a flashfire and when they let it burn it was amazing, but the sweetness and support they offered one another were truly the best part of their relationship. I am dying for the next book in this series, which I hear is coming in 2020, but I am not sure just what it might entail though I certainly hope we get to hear the rest of Sheri’s story on her trail to be a SEAL. 

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