Bookish Thoughts: Word of Honor

 

Description

FBI Special Agent Lynda Culter is investigating an ecoterrorist organization in the Alaskan wilderness when her partner is taken captive and murdered before her very eyes. The only person who can identify the key players, Lynda gets assigned to take part in a joint operation in Istanbul to take the organization down.

As a woman in a Muslim country, she'll find it much easier to move around undetected with a fake husband. Unfortunately for her, the man assigned to play the role is none other than US Army weapons specialist Bill Sanders--the man who crushed her heart into a million pieces back in college.

With a cargo bay's worth of hurt and baggage between them, these two consummate professionals must play their parts perfectly if they hope to stop those responsible for bombing oil pipelines, killing innocent civilians, and threatening to destabilize the oil markets. But love long buried has a way of resurfacing at the most inopportune times--and protecting Lynda has become Bill's primary focus.

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About the Author:
Hallee Bridgeman is the USA Today bestselling author of several action-packed romantic suspense books and series. An Army brat turned Floridian, Hallee and her husband finally settled in central Kentucky, where they have raised their three children. When she's not writing, Hallee pursues her passion for cooking, coffee, campy action movies, and regular date nights with her husband. An accomplished speaker and active member of several writing organizations, Hallee can be found online at www.halleebridgeman.com.

My Thoughts:

This is the second book in the series and it picks up right where the first one left off, though you don’t have to read the first to keep up with the story.  I really enjoyed the first book and was very excited when this one arrived in the mail.  My reading time is getting more and more limited, it seems, so I wasn’t able to rush through it as I usually do.  That said, it was really nice to take my time and savor the story a little more.  Though I was more than a bit impatient when the suspense picked up and I had to keep putting it down when life demanded. 

I read the back cover description and was under the impression that Bill and Lynda’s “marriage” would be a larger part of the story.  I’m always a sucker for the “forced proximity” or “marriage of convenience” tropes, so I was very intrigued.  In all actuality, it didn’t have as large of a role as I had anticipated.  I did really enjoy how their relationship changed more gradually.  Though the timeline for most of the story is fairly short, the romance didn’t feel rushed or unrealistic.  I loved how natural it felt, amidst the suspense and mystery happening around them. 

I so enjoyed getting to know Bill and Lynda, as well as revisiting some other characters from the first book.  I’ve also seldom read a book set in Turkey, so I found the cultural things fascinating, especially the things Bill and Lynda learned for their undercover roles.

Overall, I greatly enjoyed this book and am looking forward to Ozzy’s book next month!

Bookish Thoughts: Dangerous Beauty

 

Description:

What is the price for freedom?

Liliana Vela hates the term victim. She's not a victim, she's a fighter. Stubborn and strong with a quiet elegance, she's determined to take back her life after escaping the clutches of human traffickers in her poor Mexican village. But she can't stay safely over the border in America--unless the man who aided in her rescue is serious about his unconventional proposal to marry her.

Meric Toledan was just stopping at a service station for a bottle of water. Assessing the situation, he steps in to rescue Liliana from traffickers. If he can keep his secrets at bay, his wealth and position afford him many resources to help her. But the mysterious buyer who funded her capture will not sit idly by while his prize is stolen from him.

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About the Author:
Melissa Koslin is a fourth-degree black belt in and certified instructor of Songahm Taekwondo. In her day job as a commercial property manager, she secretly notes personal quirks and funny situations, ready to tweak them into colorful additions for her books. The author of Never Miss, Melissa lives in Jacksonville, Florida, with her husband, Corey. Find more information on her books at www.MelissaKoslin.com

My Thoughts:

I’m honestly not entirely sure how to rate this book.  I loved the suspense!  I raced through the story in around 2 days, which is quick for me.  It started off abruptly and seldom let up.

I loved Liliana’s character and quickly settled in to learn her story.  I found Meric much harder to like/know.  I understand that’s part of his character - he’s severe, controlled, private.  But for most of the book I really struggled to like him, beyond how he cared for Liliana.  Seeing him through her eyes made him slightly more human, but I ended the book very conflicted over their relationship.  I think the fact that the story is primarily told from Liliana's perspective also added to the disparity in how well I felt I knew him.   

Also, looking back, I was super engrossed as I was reading, but the story itself didn't actually have that much action. It was well dispersed, but somehow the author kept the suspense building to the end. Though I do have to admit, the ending seemed rather anticlimactic after everything that had been said and done. It was a bit unsatisfying for me. 

So I enjoyed it, but I'm not sure I'd rush to read it again.

I will add, I was very curious about the "marriage of convenience" trope. What is your favorite trope?

Bookish Thoughts: Honor Bound

 

Description:

It may seem odd to seek peace by moving to a war-torn African country, but for medical missionary Dr. Cynthia Myers, it provided a way to escape a shallow life of unearned wealth, a philandering fiancé, and a father now square in the public eye as vice president of the United States. At least here she knows her work and life have meaning. But all that is thrown into chaos when she fails to save the life of a local warlord's mortally wounded son.

As part of the Army Special Forces "A-Team" on a mission to capture and subdue the warlord, Captain Rick Norton is compelled to use deadly force to save Cynthia's life. Enraged at the violence she witnessed and riddled with guilt that men died because of her, Cynthia tries to hold on to her anger--but an unwanted attraction is taking hold.

With two members of his team badly injured and rebels in hot pursuit, Rick will have to draw upon all his strength and cunning to get her out alive . . . because he's beginning to think they just might overcome their differences and be able to make a life together.

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About the Author:

Hallee Bridgeman is the USA Today bestselling author of several action-packed romantic suspense books and series. An Army brat turned Floridian, Hallee and her husband finally settled in central Kentucky, where they have raised their three children. When she's not writing, Hallee pursues her passion for cooking, coffee, campy action movies, and regular date nights with her husband. An accomplished speaker and active member of several writing organizations, Hallee can be found online at www.halleebridgeman.com.

My Thoughts:

I’ve long been a fan of Ms. Bridgeman’s work and was super excited to learn she has a whole new series releasing!  This one is the first in a new series about an Army Green Beret special forces team and I couldn’t wait to dive in.  First, I had to free the book from my toddler’s curious hands, as she loved the cover. 

I honestly wasn’t sure what to think when I first started the story.  I liked Rick from the beginning.  With Cynthia, it took a little more time for me to warm up to her character, though I did really like her by the end!  I really enjoyed the suspense and getting to know the entire team.  I found the number of characters, names, and their team call-signs a little overwhelming at the beginning, but quickly settled into the rhythm.  The pacing and “feel” of the story is a little different from the author’s other novels, so that took a little adjustment for me, but I found that while I greatly enjoyed her other books, I liked this slightly different style as well.  

One of the things that I found very interesting is Cynthia’s perspective on war.  She’s a pacifist put in the middle of combat with a group of special forces soldiers.  So while she disagreed with their methods, she was forced to assist them to help her village.  I enjoyed learning about her opinions and beliefs on the subject, as well as how Rick perceives his role in warfare.  I appreciated how the author handled the conversations on the subject.  

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and am excitedly awaiting the opportunity to read the next one!

Question to ponder:

Do you tend towards agreeing more with Cynthia in her pacifist beliefs, or with Rick being a military SF soldier? Have you ever taken time to consider the other side?

Bookish Thoughts: Crossfire

 

Description:

FBI special agent Julianna Jameson is a top-notch negotiator who has never lost a hostage. Surely she can manage to take care of her much younger sister, Dottie, who showed up unannounced to live with Julianna while she finished her senior year of high school.

A former sniper with the 75th Ranger Regiment, Clay Fox left the army after a tragic incident that he can't get past. Now he's working as a high school resource officer until he can figure out what to do with the rest of his life.

Their paths cross when Julianna is called in to negotiate a courtroom hostage situation involving Clay's sister. Impressed and a bit intimidated by the calm, capable woman with the dark hair and blue eyes, Clay invites her to speak at his school. Dottie's school.

But as the anniversary of a school shooting from Julianna's past approaches, it becomes clear that her perfect record is about to be tested and that Dottie is at risk. If Julianna and Clay can't figure out who's behind the attacks, more innocent people will die--and Dottie is next in line.

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About the Author:

Lynette Eason is the USA Today bestselling author of Life Flight and Crossfire, as well as the Danger Never Sleeps, Blue Justice, Women of Justice, Deadly Reunions, Hidden Identity, and Elite Guardians series. She is the winner of three ACFW Carol Awards, the Selah Award, and the Inspirational Reader's Choice Award, among others. She is a graduate of the University of South Carolina and has a master's degree in education from Converse College. Eason lives in South Carolina with her husband and two children. Learn more at www.lynetteeason.com.

My Thoughts:

When I saw this book was offered for a review opportunity, I jumped at it!  Lynette Eason has long been an auto-read name for me, so I didn’t even think about it.  Then I remembered . . . I never finished the first book in the series.  The villain was just too vivid for me.  So then I was a little trepidatious going into this one, because what if I didn’t like it?  What if I couldn’t finish it?  I love this author.  I didn’t want to write a negative review for any of her books.  But (thankfully, there’s a “but”), I loved it!  And I’m excited to talk about it!

So much to say!  But no spoilers!  Those are dreadful.  I loathe reading a review and finding out a plot twist that ruins the book for me.  And there was a twist that I definitely did not see coming!  Kudos to Ms. Eason!  She’s one of the few authors who can surprise me on a pretty regular basis.  I loved Julianna and Clay, obviously, along with their siblings, Reese and Dottie.  The suspense kept me up reading far too late one night, which I should know better by now, right?  The munchkins always wake up early when I stay up late.  But it totally felt worth it at the time.

 I really appreciated the focus on redemption, forgiveness, and the dangers of allowing bitterness to take root.  There was one perspective that really drove these points  home.  Though I do confess that I didn’t understand why she was involved for the longest time.  Once I figured that out, I really enjoyed the focus on healing and forgiveness, a light amidst the darkness of the villain’s perspective.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it to anyone who is a fan of suspense!

What about you? Have you ever picked up a book by a favorite author and panicked that you might not enjoy it as much?