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Showing posts with label Catherine Mann. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Catherine Mann. Show all posts
Friday, September 14, 2012
Review: Guardian by Catherine Mann
Guardian
Author: Catherine Mann
Release Date: Sept. 4, 2012
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Dark Ops #5
ISBN: #978-0425250990
Genre: Military/Suspense romance
Format(s): Paperback (304 pgs), e-book
Book Source: Publisher
About the book:
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THEY’D DO ANYTHING FOR COUNTRY.
AND EVERYTHING FOR EACH OTHER.
After a dark ops malfunction, Major David Berg finds himself dead center in a military trial. It’s a race against time to root out the truth, and Major Sophie Campbell isn’t making that any easier. The hot JAG wants to bring down David’s unit and fast. His testimony is crucial to winning a case that will make her career. All Sophie has to do is ignore this witness’s unflappable charm, his unnerving good looks, and a strong, solid presence that commands her attention.
It’s not easy for David, either. His attraction to this take-charge beauty is turning him inside out. But these adversaries have more in common than secret, mutual desire. There’s a traitor somewhere in the dark ops and now, to find him, David and Sophie must work together—relentlessly, tirelessly, and so intimately it could be damn near fatal.
What B is talking about:
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As a member of the group of men responsible for creating and testing new military technology with the hope of shortening dangerous missions for all members of the armed services, Major David “Ice” Berg has plenty of burdens to shoulder. As a single father, he’s looking forward to being promoted to another assignment that will let him spend more time with his daughter. But, when one of his own men is put on trial for a horrible accident, he’s determined to discover the truth, no matter where it leads.
Determined to find justice for a young boy who was wounded during a test flight, Major Sophie Campbell is ruthless in her pursuit of those responsible. As a widow with a son of her own, she’s fighting to hold on to the life she and her son still have after the death of her husband, but is finding it increasingly difficult to resist the comforting strength of the gentle test pilot who’s vowed to protect her as the danger surrounding the case begins to escalate. Working together might be their only chance to solve the case, but winning could cost them both more than they have to give.
As a newcomer to the Black Ops series, I was relieved that Guardian read very well as a standalone novel. While characters from previous novels make an appearance in the story, their roles are peripheral, letting the plot unfold in its entirety without my having had to do extensive digging in order to follow along. Guardian is an intriguing whodunit, and although I had an idea about the outcome by the midpoint of the story, I never felt inclined to give up on Sophie and David. The story’s resolution could easily have been achieved too tidily, but instead of doing so by sacrificing truly good storytelling, Ms. Mann does so with emotion, action, and the undeniable sexual chemistry that exists between her two main characters.
Sex between Sophie and David is often more passionately determined than sweet, but it works well with the ghosts they both carry from their respective pasts. While Sophie does most of the taking, David seems more than happy to do the giving, and the result is a progression of erotically charged collisions that are very pleasurable to read. Though these moments become more emotionally satisfying as the story continues, it is the moments when Sophie and David open up and talk to one another that provide the necessary connection to make their relationship credible.
Having been reintroduced to military ops stories fairly recently, I was glad to have the chance to read an exciting story with characters I can believe in, and Guardian certainly fits the bill. Part romance, part suspense, this story kept me engaged until the end, and although some moments were perhaps a little overly sweet, I enjoyed the happiness Sophie and David eventually find with each other. Even though Guardian felt complete on its own, I am looking forward to the next novel in the series, and would like to go back and read the previous stories as well.
B’s Rating:
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Liked it - recommend (B+)
Purchase Info:
Labels:
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Sunday Snippets #109
Author: Catherine Mann
Elite Forces #3
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Released: May 1, 2012
REVIEW HERE
Rachel tipped her face into the stinging spray, needing to melt away the hellish tension from carrying around the burden of what she knew. Finally, she had someone who was willing to listen to her, to help her. And not just anyone.
Liam.
Her skin tingled with a heat beyond anything coming out of the shower head. The bathroom steam was so thick it almost muted the avocado green tile of the outdated bathroom. Rivulets streaked down the brown striped shower curtain. Everywhere around her, she confronted reminders of Liam, packing her brain with images of him standing in this shower.
The scent of his aftershave clung to the air. Reminders of Liam greeted her eyes no matter which way she turned - his shaving gel, razor, shampoo, and sport body wash. The space was as clean as the rest of the neatly kept house.
A crack of thunder split the air, startling her. Maybe she should have just stood out in the rain and let it wash her clean. She'd certainly done so in the past on SAR missions - rain, storms, waterfalls.
Thunder pounded again. Louder. So close it sounded nearly on top of her. She shrieked in surprise before she could finish registering it was only someone knocking. Knocking mighty hard.
"Liam?" she called out as the door exploded open. His broad shoulders filled the door, his dark blond hair backlit by illumination from the hall. "Are you okay? You screamed."
She yanked the shower curtain to her body and said again, "Liam!"
Disco head-butted the back of Liam's leg, whining. He moved deeper into the bathroom.
Her hands fisted around the brown vinyl curtain. "I screamed because you scared the crap out of me."
"Sorry. Here." He yanked an oversized towel from the rack and tossed it to her. "You need to get dressed."
She snagged the towel with one hand while her other still clutched tightly to the shower curtain. "I'm almost through. I'll be out soon."
"We don't have any more time-" He stopped in his tracks. His eyes went wide, the sea green tint going stormy deep. His throat moved in a slow swallow before his gaze shot back up to her face.
She been attracted to him before, more than any man since her fiance. But Liam had mentioned that love word back in the Bahamas. Such a beautiful, pain-filled word. Although he could have only been half serious about the whole love thing, she couldn't go there again, not even partially. She'd resisted the sensual draw during the three weeks they'd worked together on the earthquake relief. Although right now, with her defenses stripped even barer than her body at the moment, she found it almost impossible to resist stepping into his arms again.
"Liam?" Clutching the towel to her breasts, she swayed.
He scrubbed a hand over his square jaw, his eyes locked on her face. "Someone blew up your town house."
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Review: Under Fire
Under Fire
Author: Catherine Mann
Release Date: May 1, 2012
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Elite Force #3
ISBN: #978-1402245015
Genre: Military Romance
Format(s): Paperback (384 pgs), e-book
Book Source: Publisher
About the book:
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No Holds Barred, In Love or War...
A decorated hero, pararescueman Liam McCabe lives to serve. Six months ago, he and Rachel Flores met in the horrific aftermath of an earthquake in the Bahamas. They were tempted by an explosive attraction, yet parted ways. Still, Liam has thought about Rachel every day—and night—since.
Now, after ignoring all his phone calls for six months, Rachel has turned up on base with a wild story about a high-ranking military traitor. She claims no one but Liam can help her—and she won’t trust anyone else.
With nothing but her word and the testimony of a discharged military cop to go on, Liam would be insane to risk his career—even his life—to help this woman who left him in the dust.
What G & U are talking about:
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Under Fire is the third book in the Elite Forces series by Catherine Mann. In this novel, we see the PJ’s leader, Liam McCabe finally reunite with Rachel Flores after their energized meeting in Hot Zone during an earthquake rescue.
Gikany and Una enjoyed Under Fire; it was a fast read. The action/mystery/drama progressed quickly as did the romance. In contemporary romances, and considering that Gikany and Una are more fantasy fans, the development of the romance often seems to progress a little too quickly for us. However, what we really did enjoy is that the romance for our main characters started in the previous book. We were already introduced to them and felt their chemistry. Therefore, their romance in this book had a stronger feel. Watching them reunite, because of the conspiracy Rachel finds herself in, was very touching. The witty banter between Rachel and Liam lightened the novel.
There is a very sweet side romance in Under Fire between Catriona, a dog sitter, and Brandon, a military police officer suffering from PTSD and Rachel’s patient. This side romance was a wonderful addition to the story. Their interactions were heartfelt and tender and we enjoyed the richness they added to the overall story. We aren’t sure if they will play a role in the next novel since it felt, at least to Gikany and Una, that their story was fairly well resolved. We hope that Ms. Mann continues to introduce the main characters for the next novel as a little side story in the previous Elite Forces novel. We prefer having our main characters share a past, giving them more time to let their relationship develop. This seems to be lacking in many contemporary romances.
As we’ve said, although this really isn’t our primary preferred genre, we did enjoy Under Fire. As the novel concluded, it is not clear what is next in this series, but if you enjoy a steamy, action-packed romance pick up the Elite Forces series, you might enjoy it.
Their Rating:
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Liked it - recommend (B+)
Purchase Info:
Reviews for books in the series:
Friday, December 16, 2011
Review: Hot Zone
Hot Zone
Author: Catherine Mann
Release Date: Dec. 6, 2011
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Elite Forces series #2
ISBN: #978-1402244988
Genre: Military Romance
Format(s): Paperback (316 pgs), e-book
Book Source: Publisher
About the book:
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Days full of danger…
For Pararescueman Master Sergeant Hugh Franco, it’s all about saving other people’s lives. Then he moves on. But when he pulls beautiful Amelia Bailey and her adopted nephew from the rubble of a catastrophic earthquake, he finds himself entangled in their lives in ways he could never have imagined…
For Pararescueman Master Sergeant Hugh Franco, it’s all about saving other people’s lives. Then he moves on. But when he pulls beautiful Amelia Bailey and her adopted nephew from the rubble of a catastrophic earthquake, he finds himself entangled in their lives in ways he could never have imagined…
And desire-filled nights…
Amelia’s trip to the Bahamas to help with an international adoption has been no vacation, but the hardest part is yet to come. As Amelia and Hugh are pulled unawares into a deadly smuggling scheme, simmering beneath their growing need to protect each other is a compelling attraction they’re both determined to deny…
Amelia’s trip to the Bahamas to help with an international adoption has been no vacation, but the hardest part is yet to come. As Amelia and Hugh are pulled unawares into a deadly smuggling scheme, simmering beneath their growing need to protect each other is a compelling attraction they’re both determined to deny…
What G & U are talking about:
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Hot Zone is the second novel in the new Elite Forces series by Catherine Mann. Although contemporary is not Gikany and Una’s typical cup of tea, we found Hot Zone to be a wild and enjoyable action-adventure-romance.
This story revolves around Sergeant Hugh Franco, a PJ who takes terrible risks since losing his wife and child in a horrific plane crash. He lives only for his job and for those that he saves. However, when he meets Amelia while rescuing her from a collapsed building, he thinks that maybe he could have a second chance at a real life.
We enjoyed the interplay between Amelia and Hugh. Although she doesn’t think of herself as courageous, Amelia is able to do what is necessary. She has a very earthly and realistic feel in some aspects. However, she comes across a little stronger than we expected from the pictures that her job and flashes of her life in Alabama gave. The contrast was interesting as it shows you can’t truly know yourself until you are truly tested. We feel the pairing of Hugh and Amelia was a good one; they balance each other and are very respectful of each other.
What truly enthralled us, however, was the plot line. The story of the earthquake and those who take advantage of the most vulnerable at a time like that sucks you in. We just wished there was a little more to it. This seems to be a reoccurring sticking point for us: the romance is good and woven pretty well into the main plot line, which is what really grabs us, but we feel like we want more. We will say that we enjoy that although the attraction that takes place is overwhelming; the characters still try to take their time. The romance isn’t necessarily rushed; the sex may be, but not the emotions between them, which saves Hot Zone for us.
In general we are enjoying the Elite Forces series, which is surprising since we, as stated numerous times, are not big contemporary romance fans. Despite that, we really enjoy this military angle. In some ways, the storylines and characters feel like we are watching the story play out on the big screen. We recommend Hot Zone for your guilty pleasure reading. It’s really like having G.I. Joes to fantasize over (*Una fans herself*). The next book in this series, Under Fire is due out early next year and we look forward to reading it!
Their Rating:
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Liked it a lot - recommend (B+)
Books in the Series:
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Sunday Snippet #67
Cover Me
SourcebooksJuly 5, 2011
…”Are you crazy?”
“No, ma’am,” a gravelly voice boomed back at her, “although I gotta confess I’m cold. But don’t tell my pal Franco I admitted as much. My buddies can’t fly close enough to haul us out of here until the storm passes.”
“And who are these buddies of yours?” She looked up fast.
No one else fell from the clouds. She relaxed her arms around her dog. He must be some branch of the military. Except his uniform wasn’t enough to earn her automatic stamp of approval, and she couldn’t see his face or read his eyes because of his winter gear and goggles.
He sheathed his knife. “Air Force pararescue, ma’am. I’m here to help you hunker down for the night to ride out this blizzard safely.”
All right, then. That explained part. It was tough to question the honorable intentions of a guy who would parachute into the middle of a blizzard – on the side of a mountain – to rescue someone.
Still how had he found her? Old habits were tough to shed.
“Um” – she squinted up at the darkening sky again – “are there more of you about to parachute into here?”
He shifted the mammoth pack on his back. “Do you think we could have this conversation somewhere else? Preferably after we find shelter and build a fire?”
That much she agreed with.
Staying out here to talk could get them killed. For some reason this hulking military guy thought he needed to save her. She didn’t understand the whys and wherefores of anyone knowing about her presence in the first place. However simply walking away from him wasn’t an option.
Easing to her feet, she accepted the inevitable, sheathed her knife, but kept her hand close to it. Just in case.
She would not be spending the night in a warm shelter, curled up asleep with her dog. She would have to stay awake and alert. With too many secrets, she couldn’t afford to let her guard down around anyone, and sprinting away wasn’t exactly an option.
Her uninvited hero was already taking charge. “We need to find the best location to minimize the force of the wind, then start digging out a snow pit.” He had some kind of device in his hand, like a GPS. “I’ll keep the instructions simple, and you can just follow my lead.”
“Excuse me, but I’ve already located shelter. A cave only a few yards away.” She knew every safe haven on this pass. She had a GPS too, although it hadn’t come out of her case since she left her small mountain community this morning. “But you’re welcome to work on that pit if you prefer.”
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Review: Cover Me
Cover Me
Author: Catherine Mann Release Date: July 5, 2011
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Elite Forces Book #1
ISBN: #978-1402244957
Genre: Military/Suspense Romance
Format(s): Paperback (344 pgs), e-book
We received a copy of this book from the PUBLISHER for the purposes of an honest review.
From the author’s website:
It should have been a simple mission… Pararescueman Wade Rocha parachutes from the back of a helicopter into a blizzard to save a climber stranded on an Aleutian Island, but Sunny Foster insists she can take care of herself just fine…
But when it comes to passion, nothing is ever simple… With the snowstorm kicking into overdrive, Sunny and Wade hunker down in a cave and barely resist the urge to keep each other warm… until they discover the frozen remains of a horrific crime…
Unable to trust the shady local police, Sunny and Wade investigate, while their irresistible passion for each other gets them more and more dangerously entangled…
What Gikany & Una are talking about:
Cover Me is the debut novel in the new Elite Forces series. For a first novel in a series, it was pretty good. The world-building, what little there is in a military/suspense romance, was easily crafted into the story. The novel begins with our hero, Wade, who is a somewhat stereotypical military persona; dedicated to saving others, tough, stubborn, independent….you get the picture. Even though he does have a soft heart, it is what drives his need to save others, even against their will. Enter our heroine, the fiercely private and independent (did I mention stubborn) Sunny. Now, Gikany and Una both thought, how on earth would the author have these two come together without sacrificing the initial characterization. She didn’t. That is what makes Cover Me a fun and adventurous read.
First, Una must state, that this may have been her first military/suspense romance novel. As we have said before, Gikany and Una do not tend to read much contemporary romance (which we consider military/suspense to be a part of). Most of the military/suspense we read have a paranormal or fantasy twist to them. So, at least Una was surprised at how much she enjoyed this novel, more so than she expected. We really enjoyed the fact that Sunny is a capable and independent female who doesn’t need her military man to constantly save her. She does just fine on her own, thank you. Gikany and I feel that Sunny was a wonderful character simply because she stayed true to herself and yet these two were still able to have their “happily-ever after.” Even though their relationship starts off quite physical and moves really fast, the satisfying part of the ending is that it isn’t permanent “happily-ever after,” but “let’s see how it goes.” Which gave it a more realistic feel, and as Gikany says, “If you have read the Stepsister Scheme, you know that HEAs don’t truly exist.
The plot and twists of the suspense portion of the storytelling flowed well and had a few surprise twists. However, we didn’t feel the transitions to our bad guy were very smooth. It felt a bit jumpy and we found him, which is good, to be really annoying, insane, and truly evil. (Gikany does say, “I did like his wife…point for him”). We really found the addition of his wife to be very refreshing and she is a great character, even though she is a minor character. The overall story was well balanced between the romance and the suspense, which made it quite entertaining.
This series seems to revolve around the aspect that this group of pararescuemen are ill-fated for having long-term and fulfilling relationships. I enjoyed the added obstacle of the personalities between Sunny and Wade. (However, Una found our hero and heroine’s names a little off-putting). Reading the except for the next book, Hot Zone, due out later this year, I wonder how the characters will present themselves in the next installment. We did overall enjoy Cover Me and look forward to reading Hot Zone when it comes out.
Their Rating:
Liked it a lot - recommend (B+)
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