Black Ops, Inc. operative Luke –Doc Holliday– Colter is taking some much needed down-time, making his way across the Peruvian Andes via rail, when banditos attack the moving train in the midnight hours. It soon becomes apparent that robbery is not their intent but the abduction of super model Valentina, who is traveling incognito while recovering from a public scandal involving her ex-husband, high profile US Senator, Marcus Chamberlin.

Luke whisks Valentina off the train in a daring escape but the two of them become the targets of a relentless manhunt. Enlisting the aid of Luke's BOI teammates, they soon discover that Val’s intended abduction is linked to a plot put in play by an international gun smuggling alliance. The BOI team led by Luke, with Val along as a necessary pawn, must race halfway around the world to thwart a ruthless attack that would not only result in a devastating loss of life but destroy a tenuous peace the US and her allies have established in a vastly unstable part of the world.

Title: WITH NO REMORSE
Author: Cindy Gerard
Series: Black Ops Inc., book 6
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Pocket Books
Year of release: 2011, July 19
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Source: Received an ARC from author for review at RWA Nationals in NYC

First line:
Luke Colter's number one rule of self-preservation: Don't ignore the itch.

Memorable Scenes:
- Luke and Val's escape from the bad guy shooters on the mules > I was holding my breath and at the same time thinking 'Doc makes a sexy cowboy'

Luke 'Doc Halliday' Colter is charming, gentle, protective and witty.
Lately he’s been questioning his job, whether he should keep doing what he does (coincidentally Wyatt was thinking the same in the previous book.). Then on the way home from his holiday during his one break per year, he runs into trouble and cannot stop his protective instincts from kicking in.

Hollywood star actress Valentina (Val) is sarcastic, tenacious and sassy. She’s trying not to depend on or need men for her happiness and safety as all they've done is hurt and use her but circumstances drive her right into the arms of knight in shining armor, Luke. Colter Good thing he's a good guy and a former Navy SEAL. When Luke prevents the kidnapping of Valentina during a train ride on one of the last days of his 2-week leave from BOI, they escape to Buenos Aires where the other BOIs join in to find out who is after Val and why.

The love scenes are hot and I love how Cindy Gerard keeps them original and fresh in every installment and how every romance is unique to the main characters at hand. I also liked the element in the romance where Val is the big movie star Luke had a crush on when he was younger. It gave the romance something extra, making it yet again different from the other romances in the series.

In this book there are some introductions of interesting secondary characters that were added to the original BOIs and with this series ending after the next book I'm hoping Cindy Gerard is going to start a new series with these men. My interest was definitely piqued by not only former naval pilot Brown but also the guys assigned to protect Val, Santos in particular.

The plot of WITH NO REMORSE takes us from Peru via Argentina to the USA and Sierra Leone and takes place almost a year after the end of RISK NO SECRETS and within 10 pages I was in the middle of exciting action and ready to enjoy Doc's story to the fullest. If there were things that should be noted in the less positive column of this review it would be that the references to movies/TV shows were cute but I'm not sure it doesn't date the book and Val's constant references to Luke as Indiana Jones started to become bothersome at one point.

Again Cindy Gerard created a different, unique plot for an installment of this great series. I also suspect the plot of the next book has it’s origin in the end of this one and I also think the overall wrapping up of a story line that started in SHOW NO MERCY (book 1) and was deepened out a little bit in the previous book (RISK NO SECRETS), was being geared up in this one for the next book as well. I love that!

Though I'm normally not quick to figure out the plots I must say the one in this book I had my finger on it from the start, knowing who was involved and why. And because I'm not the best at guessing these things in the romantic suspense books I read I think it's safe to say Cindy Gerard took the predictable and easy road there. However, despite the predictability the suspense still kept me at the edge of my seat as reading how the BOIs take down the bad guys is still a sight to behold and in the end there were some twists I didn't totally see coming. Those last 60-80 pages were breathtaking and awesome and totally in line with what I'm used to in this series.

Cindy Gerard writes mesmerizing romantic suspense. The balance in the mix between the suspense and romance is perfectly done and once I start reading a BOI book I just can't stop because when it's not the plot keeping me on the edge of my seat, it's the romance making me keep reading on thinking 'just one more page, one more chapter.'

WITH NO REMORSE is another great installment in this series and I'm sad to know that the next book is the final one. I've truly fallen in love with this series and Cindy Gerard's writing. I'm running out of words to describe how much I love the romantic suspense that Cindy Gerard writes. She blends mind-blowing military stuff with edge-of-your-seat suspense and hot, satisfying romance together so well, her books are highly addictive and impossible to put down once you start them. When I think Romantic Suspense I think Cindy Gerard!

Favorite Quotes:
And when he undid the buttons of his shirt, then whipped it off and handed it to her with a clipped, “Cover up with this”, her argument lost its steam.
That wasn’t all she lost when she was suddenly face to face with the lean, muscled breadth of his chest. Her power of speech took a hike as she sat like a mute and stared.

Luke took a moment to grieve for his balls, which were taking a hammering on the boniest backbone he’d ever had the misfortune to straddle. But when a barrage of automatic weapon fire cracked across the ground beside them, the state of his balls took a backseat to the danger to Valentina’s life.

Luke was going insane.
Break-out-the-anti-psychotic-drugs, dust-off-the-lobotomy-kitts, and lace-up-the-straitjackets insane. All this lush, sexy woman pressed against him was more than he could take.

Well, hell. He wasn’t gone yet. To make certain she understood that, he strode straight to the bed, leaned down, cupped her nape in his palm, and pulled her up to him. Then he kissed her like tomorrow might not come and he wanted to experience every nuance, every sigh, every sweet wanton response from the mouth that he wasn’t sure he could ever get enough of.

He made love to her with a tenderness he hadn’t known he was capable of expressing. With a reverence that he hoped showed her that this wasn’t about sex. This was about communion. This was about seekers who hadn’t even known they’d been searching. About lost souls who had defied fate and found themselves in each other.

Everything had seemed clear in the intimacy of the night, in the heat and intensity of the most profound emotional and sexual experience of Luke’s life.
Then morning, the bitch, showed up and muddied the waters again.

“Now let’s try that again. Ask my wife nice,” Reed ground out, butting his chest against Luke’s, “and maybe I’ll let you sleep in the same bed as your teeth tonight.”

“You’re my heartbeat, Val. You’re my reason for being the man I need to be. With you, anything’s possible. Without you…without you, I’m not the man I want to be.

A RED-HOT ATTRACTION…
Twelve years of chasing bad guys didn't erase beautiful Sophie Baylor from Wyatt Savage's memory. If he had another chance, he'd never let her leave. So when she tracks him down from El Salvador and begs for help, he doesn't ask questions -- he just goes.

...STARTS WITH A TERRIFYING THREAT...
Sophie is grateful her daughter survived a kidnapping attempt, but she won't forgive herself until the girl who was mistakenly abducted is safe. Wyatt is the only man brave enough to take on the mysterious terrorists behind the crime; and the one irresistible man she wishes she had never let go.

...AND UNLEASHED AN UNFORGETTALBE ADVENTURE
Sophie knows Central America's steamy jungles and sticky politics better than anyone. Yet she refuses to hide in fear. Then she becomes the enemy's number-one target. Wyatt lost her once, and he won't lose her again -- even if he has to fight, kill, or die to save her.

Title: RISK NO SECRETS
Author: Cindy Gerard
Series: Black Ops Inc., book 5
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Pocket Books
Year of release: 2010, May 25
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Source: Bought via The BookDepository

First line:
The old cargo van caught Sophie's attention the moment she stepped outside the Baylor Middle School's double front doors.

Memorable Scenes:
I seem to have developed a habit of not writing down memorable scenes in this series. I guess I’m too engrossed in reading to write stuff down. *headdesk*

But I do remember without notes the scene in this book where Sophie, Wyatt and the other BOIs go to some bars in a shady area of San Salvador to ask some questions. Sophie and Wyatt get outnumbered and in trouble and the BOIs come barging in the bar…guns blazing > That scene was so freaking awesome! And the epitome of what the BOIs stand for! (I’ve included a quote from that scene in my fave quotes too)

Sophie Baylor Weber is middle school principal. Sophie is decisive and compassionate but also tough and tenacious. Once she makes a decision she sticks by it and tries to make the best of it, even if she knows deep down, she could have made a different choice. Her love and commitment to her daughter is praiseworthy.

Wyatt 'Papa Bear' Savage is one of the BOIs. Lately he’s been feeling restless and doesn’t know how long he’ll be able to do the work he has been doing for his entire professional life. Wyatt is take-charge, solid and levelheaded, but he also has a soft, charming, seductive side that comes out with the woman he’s loved forever.

Wyatt and Sophie have a history of 12 years and their romance is a complicated one. Sophie was married to Wyatt's former best friend Hugh (a CIA operative turned private contractor turned mercenary). Though Wyatt set sight on Sophie first, it was Hugh, with his overwhelming personality, who snatched her up. However, the marriage is rocky and ends after several years, leaving Sophie with no other options than to contact Wyatt when trouble comes knocking on her door in the form of a failed attempt to kidnap her daughter.

I love how every couple in this series has their own story rife with unique to them complications. Sophie and Wyatt's story is not one of the simple boy-meets-girl in the midst of the danger that brings them together. They have a past in which Sophie chose the other guy (Wyatt's best friend) over him so to speak and then later finds out she made the wrong choice. And for Wyatt, though he accepted her choice, there hasn't been a single woman who could hold a candle to Sophie or make him forget her. This made for a romance filled with tension, sizzling sexual chemistry and their HEA was a hard-earned one.

Again the banter between the BOIs and their women hit full-force the moment several of them got together on the page. It's one of the elements of this series I enjoy immensely. I also love that the couples from the previous books come back, some books focus on some couples more than others, and play a part in the plot or you catch a glimpse of how they are doing after their HEA.

The plot in RISK NO SECRETS centers on child abduction and street gangs. The plot was a little predictable as in I figured out who the villain mastermind’s helper was pretty quickly. However the predictability was blown away by the awesome action it packed (will get back to that later) and the way the suspense plot was set up and executed.

Cindy Gerard writes action, gunfights like nobody's business. While reading her books I can almost see and feel the bullets fizzing by. Seriously, I'm not a violent person but I'm definitely in awe of the way she describes the gunfight and shoot-outs with the bad guys scenes, they are exciting and as breathtaking as any of the sexy scenes. Combine the vivid action images with some sizzling heat and chemistry between the main couples and there you have the essence of romantic suspense in a nutshell and Cindy Gerard captures that essence perfectly.

RISK NO SECRETS is a romantic suspense novel filled to the brim with action, suspense, romance and heat. To counteract the sometimes gruesome action, the suspense-filled plot and the evil villains, there is love: impossible love, puppy love, lost love, new love, old love and found-again love…all from both the main couple and the secondary characters.

Favorite Quotes:
Fried chicken. Peach pie. Meddling.
Yep, Wyatt thought as he spotted the dust trail of another vehicle bearing down on the Savage place. He’d hit the Margaret Savage trifecta.

Wyatt reined in a sharp twist of jealousy. Only years of practice in covert ops kept him from showing the slightest reaction while he contemplated the pain he could inflict by driving his knee full force into the Latin Casanova’s cojones.

Wyatt knew she had never been aware of the effect she had on him. If she had she’d be running scared, because that simple action –so alluringly female, so unconsciously sensual– had his gut clenching and his mouth going bone-dry.
It had always been that way when he was around her. His sense viscerally alert, his emotions raw to the point of bleeding, He wanted to lunge across the room, yank that wet dream of a dress above her waist, and bury himself hard and deep inside her. No finesse. No romance. Just lust. He wanted to consume and overwhelm and possess. And then, only then, did he want to settle her, gentle her, and make her achingly aware of how much he loved her.

“I know a way that you could make me smile.” He tilted his head and grinned his best come-hither grin.
Her fingers continued to fly over the computer keys.
“That’s because you’re easy.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
She turned to look at him then, graced him with an indulgent smile. “Darling man, right time, right place, it’s a wonderful thing.” She kissed the air in his direction. “But for now, put it on ice, loverboy. […]” (Reed and Crystal, my fave BOI couple!!)

Then in charged the cavalry, with Green leading the way, an AR-15 assault rifle rammed against his shoulder, his finger jammin’ on the trigger. Joe dropped to his knee, clearing the path for Mendoza, Jones and Doc to burst in behind him, firing a couple of M-4s and a lone AK.
Jesus! They were a sight.
[…]
“I ever tell you guys how pretty y’all are?” he asked with a tight grin as the tension started to uncoil from his chest by slow turns.
“Only every time we save your sorry ass.”

“I need you,” she mouthed against his skin.
She needed him? Christ. He was the one in need. Deep need. Dark need. Insatiable need of everything about her that made her woman, and wanton and willing in his arms.
He groaned when her warm mouth opened against his throat trailing long, lingering kisses that were as much suction as consumption, as much greed as giving.
Lord God above, she was eating him by inches, and he was powerless to do anything but lie there and et her feed until there was nothing left of him but memory.

She was fire. Burning, licking heat. He was steel. Forged, unyielding strength. Together they were hot, molten, unappeasable.

Note from Reviewer: There is no specific blurb for the individual stories so I’ve included a small summary paragraph in the verdict. This is the blurb of the Anthology:

THESE HEROES ARE 100 PERCENT RAW, DANGEROUS, AND... UNDENIABLY SEXY.
New York Times bestselling authors Sherrilyn Kenyon, Dianna Love and Cindy Gerard and rising romance star Laura Griffin mix seduction and suspense in three irresistible romantic adventures.

From sultry international jungles to the rugged terrain of the American southwest, join the larger-than-life, scorching-hot alpha heroes of the Bureau of American Defense, Black Ops Inc., and the U.S. Navy SEALs for the pulse-pounding, heart-racing, toe-curling excitement. They’re cool under pressure, steamy under the sheets, and when the enemy strikes, there’s not a lethal mission these gorgeous men can’t handle...

Title: LEAVE NO TRACE (found in Anthology DEADLY PROMISES)
Author: Cindy Gerard
Series: Black Ops Inc, book 5.5
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Pocket Books
Year of release: 2010, September 28
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Source: Bought via The BookDepository

First line:
It had become too much about the scotch, Cav admitted with brutal honesty.



QuickScore-Verdict:
This story opens with David 'Cav' Cavanaugh on the verge of leaving the CIA, literally on the night before he's going to give notice. His former partner Wyatt Savage calls in his help to find Wyatt's family friend Carrie Granger who's gone missing in Myanmar. The novella tells the story of this rescue mission

LEAVE NO TRACE is a nice addition to the series with two earlier minor secondary characters as the main couple. Cindy Gerard's trade-mark action-packed and fast-paced writing style shines through on every page. Though the characterization, romance and emotional intensity had to give way to the plot/suspense it was a good read.

Favorite Quotes:
“Why is it that every time the phone rings and I hear your voice, I feel a knee-jerk reaction to say ‘wrong number’ and hang the hell up?”
“I need your help.”
“Ah. That would be the reason.” (David and Wyatt)

“Sorry,” he gritted out again and tried to shift some of his weight off her while reaching between them and making a careful adjustment to his package.
Bad move.
Very bad move.
The warm naked flesh of her belly pressed against the back of his forearm. The heat of her mons and the sweet cleft between her parted thighs cradled the back of his hand. With only the most minor of adjustment he could be there. Right there. Inside her. And his stupid dick was totally on board with the idea.

“So be warned, Carrie Granger. The next time I kiss you, you’re going to end up naked and flat on your back, and it’s going to take an army to keep me from making certain you never feel the need to say sorry again.”

A RACE FOR SURVIVAL...
Bold, blonde Defense Intelligence officer B. J. Chase isn't exactly thrilled when she's summoned from personal leave to investigate an alarming national security breach -- until the suspicious death of a government official blows her covert mission sky-high.

TURNS INTO A PULSE-POUNDING ADVENTURE...
Gorgeous Black Ops bad boy Raphael Mendoza always feared his family's dark history would haunt him. But he never expected it might hold the key to dismantling a rogue weapons system. Now with cool B. J. Chase posing as his hot babe fiancée, he returns to his uncle in Colombia to convince him he can be trusted with the family's dirtiest business secrets.

...AND IGNITES A PASSIONATE FIRE.
Carrying out a deception among ruthless killers brings Rafe and B.J. too close to ignore the smoldering heat between them. Now, they must work together as the closest of partners as the countdown to international catastrophe closes in....

Title: FEEL THE HEAT
Author: Cindy Gerard
Series: Black Ops Inc, book 4
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Pocket Books
Year of release: 2009, September 23
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Source: Bought via The BookDepository

First line:
B.J Chase had worn her black tank top and khaki shorts for too many hours to count in the Venezuelan climate, where the heat and humidity were often measured in terms of ripe, riper and for God's sake, take a shower."

Memorable Scenes:
Once again review notes with no memorable scenes written down. I’m sure this is because I read this book on vacation in June. I have very little review notes to go on as it is… I suspect I was too immersed in the story while basking in the sunshine to take the time to write extensive notes. And believe me, I am now fiercely regretting that.

B.J. Chase is headstrong, tenacious and a spitfire. She’s also sarcastic, self-reliant and sharp. She’s weary of friendships and trusting others, which made her seem cold-hearted and a tough cookie but deep down there’s vulnerability to her despite her hard-ass attitude. She has this one-of-the-guys vibe about her, which she pulls of splendidly with the BOIs.

Raphael 'Rafe' Mendoza has had a tough childhood but instead of falling into the lure of crime, he’s sided with the good guys. Rafe is smooth and charming but don’t let that fool you because he is also commanding and direct. He is intriguing because there’s so much more to him than meets the eye. And I have a soft spot for Latino heroes (especially when they start spewing the Spanish endearments *melts*) so Rafe had me at ‘hola’!

If there’s a romantic suspense author who never fails to please me with her books (especially the ones in this series) in both romance and suspense, it’s Cindy Gerard. In FEEL THE HEAT the plot takes you from Venezuela to the US, to Colombia and back to the US in the span of almost 400 pages and I loved the trip. The plot is that there’s a suspected traitor at NSA and B.J. is sent in to uncover it. When they discover Rafe's family might be an in, Rafe and B.J. go in undercover posing as an engaged couple.

In FEEL THE HEAT I was treated to not one but two romances and I loved both. The primary romance was hot and sizzling with restraint chemistry. BJ and Rafe start out on a bit of the wrong foot but the attraction between them in undeniable and inevitable. Their romance sizzled and having to play an engaged couple under the scrutinizing eyes of Rafe’s family absolutely contributed to the sensual tension between them.

I’m not going to say too much about the secondary romance because it would be too spoilery but it was sweet and endearing, a tentative testing of the waters before jumping in headfirst. I adore Cindy Gerard for giving me these lovely multiple romances in one book that never get in each other’s way but rather complement one another.

FEEL THE HEAT is another installment in this series that is was awesome to read. It had all the things I like of this series and in my romantic suspense reads: the heat, the action, the great characters, the camaraderie among the BOIs, the glimpses of the former couples, the introduction of new intriguing secondary characters and a suspense plot that was tight.

If you’re looking for something fast-paced, action-packed and sizzling hot, you can’t go wrong with this 4th installment of the BOIs.

Favorite Quotes:
This guy had the look –they all did– the skills, and the “no one can touch me” attitude. And if not CIA, then a close equivalent: badasses with a license to kill, thrill and wreak havoc wherever they decided havoc needed to be wreaked.

Her scent lingered. So did the mental image of her standing where he was now standing, naked under the shower spray with clouds of steam fogging up the small room.
Het got hard just thinking about it. So hard that he ached. Hard. For an ice princess who would rather have busted his balls than, well, than do other, much more pleasurable things involving those same balls.

When he backed her up against the wall and pressed his hips deeper into her she made a sound in her throat that damn near buckled his knees.
It was a sound of total submission, without restrictions. A sound of pleasure and invitation and of a longing so desperate and demanding it stole his breath.

“All right, cara. I’ll respect your boundaries.”
She eyed him warily. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. But so you know, when we get out of this, if we get out of this. I’m going to blow so many holes in that wall you’ve built around your heart that you’ll have no choice but to let me in.”

Since these guys never did anything halfway, they’d all shown up dressed to the nines. In camo and face black they were imposing. In jeans and T-shirts they were hot. But in white tie and black tux, the lot of them were beyond description.

Jacket Copy:
AN INDECENT PROPOSAL . . .
When a high roller at the Vegas casino where Crystal Debrowski manages security makes a scandalous proposition, she flat-out refuses, especially given rumors of his shady overseas connections. But then counterfeit bills mysteriously flood the gaming tables, and her reputation—and her life—are on the line.

REVEALS A SIMMERING DESIRE . . .
Despite his big, flirty grin, Texas heartbreaker Johnny Duane Reed can’t get sassy Crystal off his mind. When she asks him to help her defend herself from an international crime lord with a threatening obsession, he takes a leave from Black Ops, Inc., to pursue a dangerous mission of his own.

. . . WITH DEADLY CONSEQUENCES.
Between Crystal and Johnny burns a scorching flame, but as they trace her relentless stalker to a remote hideaway on the other side of the world, they uncover a malicious arms trafficking and slavery ring. Together, they must destroy the tyrant’s wicked enterprise or face his reign of terror themselves. . .

Johnny Reed and Crystal Debrowski have been dancing around each other since TAKE NO PRISONERS when they both were round up to help Sam and Abby. Since then they’ve been having some sort of sexual relationship. Whenever Johnny's in town he looks Crystal up for a quick romp in the sack and then leaves again to go do what he does. Crystal is okay with it since she is just as not ready to commit as Johnny is. Things change when some creepy Chinese rich guy propositions Crystal at the casino where she works as a gaming manager. She turns him down politely but adamantly. After that the trouble starts for Crystal: counterfeit chips and money during her shifts, theft from the casino vault and disappearing security footage. Crystal is arrested and bailed out by Yao. Not long after that she is abducted from her apartment and finds herself a victim of human trafficking by Yao who is the head of a vast crime syndicate. Johnny and the Black Ops Inc. (BOIs) come to the rescue and save her and a few others. They set out to take Yao completely out of business and a lot of things happen before they can safely set foot on Las Vegas grounds again and even then, Crystal is not safe.

Johnny is something else. He is the embodiment of a womanizing charmer with a glib tongue. He has this "pretty boy" image but don't let that mislead you. He is dedicated, competent and intense. Nothing seems to faze him but when he gets in gear and the action starts he shows his professionalism and capabilities. If you thought you'd read all about heroes who are so much more than they seem, wait till you meet Johnny Reed! From the beginning I knew there was more to Johnny than I was led to believe. When these suspicions were confirmed I met a complicated man behind the suave, blonde womanizer he pretended to be. In the beginning I couldn't totally figure him out but I was sure Cindy Gerard would provide some insight along the way, and behold, by chapter 8 it began to unfold. As with many heroes the driving force behind his tormented youth and his incorrect self-image was his abusive father and indifferent, selfish mother. Johnny is convinced he has nothing to offer a woman. That's why he makes sure they have fun while it lasts and never let's feelings come into play. He learned at an early age how to hid his true feelings and pain.

Crystal is such a great heroine. She is one of my favorite characters/heroines that I've read so far; I almost loved her more than Johnny and that is some feat because I really, really liked him. Crystal is brave, outspoken, resilient, resourceful and stubborn. She is the perfect woman to bring slick playboy Johnny Reed to his knees. She is a woman with guts and she knows how to handle herself in dangerous situations. She isn’t fearless which would be unrealistic but she does everything to look beyond her fear and do what she has to do. Where she ended up in the end of the book, career wise, was absolutely no surprise to me and I loved this development in the series.

It’s not only Johnny who is good at masking his emotions. Crystal is also very adept at it. Both Johnny and Crystal are commitment phobic. Crystal has a problem with trusting men because of her track record with them. Johnny has a problem with intimacy. But they both turn out to be the cure for each other's phobias. The attraction and chemistry between Johnny and Crystal is scintillating. Their encounters both sexual and intellectual are heated and fiery. Neither of them wants to show vulnerability or admit their feelings for the other. Feelings that are most definitely simmering beneath the surface, just waiting to erupt.

Next to Johnny and Crystal there's an impressive cast of secondary characters that the book couldn't have done without. The secondary cast consists of bad guys Yao and Wong and of course the BOI-team sent to Jakarta: Nathan Black, Luke “Doc” Colter, Wyatt “Papa Bear” Savage and Joe Greene. Sam Lang and Gabe Jones (heroes of the two previous books) also make important appearances and as Crystal’s best friend, Abby Lang Hughes couldn’t stay absent. It was great to see how the couples from the previous books were doing. I always appreciate that in ongoing series.

All these supporting characters provide the stage for Crystal and Johnny to shine on. The BOIs are getting tighter and closer with every installment in this series and with every HEA each one finds, the heroine adds to the mix and dynamics. Their camaraderie, their support to each other is matched by their bantering, even in dire situations they don't stop jabbing at each other. But they are always there for each other, emotionally and professionally. The bond between the BOIs is growing in every installment and I love it.

The bad guy Yao and his sidekick Wong Li are so good at being bad it's almost over the top. But fortunately Cindy Gerard has a writing style and a way of setting up the suspense plot that this doesn't happen, for which I’m extremely thankful. The scenes with them in it, especially Yao gave me the creeps and isn't that just the point of the suspense part of a romantic suspense? She really has a knack for writing some seriously messed up bad guys who meet their fate at the hands of either hero or heroine in an incomparable way.

Cindy Gerard never fails to entice, entertain, arouse and even educate. I know exactly how to arm C4 with blasting caps, the differences between all types of guns and how to make lethal weapons with just a giant-sized perfume bottle and a framed mirror. What I liked is that it is never annoying or intrusive on the plot or the romance. And yet, she never gets too descriptive. She uses quite some abbreviations and military jargon and a lot of what I call tough-boy talk, but strangely it is never distracting from the story, as I have experienced with other authors. The abbreviations are immediately explained either explicitly or by the surrounding context, so there's no interruption by having to look things up and she doesn't overdo it. And the tough-boy lingo fits the situations and the characters. Some authors (not mentioning names here) should follow her example. Cindy Gerard has found the right way to balance the mix and offers extensive background without overdoing it.

With Cindy Gerard's BOIs you just can't go wrong. She writes believable but nail biting suspense, hot romance and awe-inspiring characters that are very easy to like and to root for. This was another great book. Fast-paced and filled with action, including horrific bad guys and suspense that is so realistic and current, it's really scary. The romance and characters are just as excellent, if not more. I loved the entire book but I must say that the second part of this book just blew me away. The pace picked up at warp speed, the action was unstoppable and it was, both literally and figuratively, explosive.

WHISPER NO LIES took me from the Las Vegas Strip to the sweltering Jakarta and back and when you think you have had all the plot twists Cindy Gerard could come up with, she throws another one at you to keep you glued to the pages not wanting to stop reading for fear of missing something. The chemistry between Crystal and Johnny is sizzling, Crystal is on my favorite heroines list and Johnny has made the alpha heroes list. That should say plenty. A while ago I thought Johnny's book would be the closing book of a trilogy but I was very pleased to find out that there will be more installments in this series, number 4 (FEEL THE HEAT) is scheduled for October 2009.

For me this was the best Black Ops Inc. book of the bunch so far. Everything worked for me and was right up my romantic suspense alley: Johnny, the bad guys, the action, the romance, the love scenes and especially Crystal, my super heroine!


Quotes:
Crystal's newly adopted motto was: Men. Can't live with 'em. Can't tie 'em to a train track and wait for Amtrak to do the deed.

He needed to think. He needed to think really, really hard. And he needed to do it without the distraction of a certain green-eyed pixie who glanced up at him and smiled a smile that made him melt and want to swallow her whole and get out the old vampire cross at the same time to ward her away.

The cowboy cleaned up good.
Johnny Reed wearing faded jeans, bed-head hair and a scruffy beard was enough to give a woman heart palpitations. But Johnny Reed in a suit and tie, blond hair perfectly styled, and clean-shaven was cause for a full-blown heart attack.

Back Cover
A DANGEROUS ATTRACTION . . .
Abbie Hughes no longer trusts men, but despite her cool indifference, her long legs and showgirl face still draw plenty of advances. Between working as a Vegas blackjack dealer, going to school, and keeping an eye on her younger brother, Cory, there’s no time for romance—until the night a sexy, mysterious stranger places a wager at her table.

SPURRED BY REVENGE. . .
Sam Lang left Black Ops, Inc. when tragedy struck his family. Although he’s determined to retire his M-16 rifle and K-bar knife to lead a quiet life on his ranch, a vengeful quest will send him on a dangerous manhunt for the ruthless international crime lord who murdered his sister.

. . . REVEALS A SAVAGE THREAT THEY CAN'T IGNORE.
Though Sam suspects Abbie is in on a lucrative gem-smuggling deal her brother made with the enemy, their attraction is undeniable. Now Cory is missing, and together they search the wild backcountry of Honduras to find him. With evil on their trail and bearing down, they must trust each other completely or face certain death alone. . .

Sam Lang has been after a notorious arms- and drug dealer ever since he can remember. He hunted him when he was part of the Task Force and continued when he joined the Black Ops. He lives and breathes his chase of Frederick Nader until it consumes his life. Until his sister is killed in order to get him to stop his hunt. He gives up and retreats at his family's ranch to avoid more danger for his family.
Abbie Hughes lives a quiet uneventful life until her brother Cory gets mixed up with some shady people and ends up fighting for his life in South America in the hands of the same man Sam hunted for years: Frederick Nader. The connection between Cory, Abbie and Nader leads Sam to Abbie and he decides to get involved in one last attempt to catch Nader. But when Cory, unwillingly, drags Abbie into his troubles Sam has no choice but to help the woman he is developing deep and intense feelings for, regardless that they are unwanted feelings.

Abbie is strong, loyal, giving but careful and who has no qualms about diving head first into a situation she has no control over just to save a loved one.
Her childhood wasn't pleasant and her brother is still suffering from the consequences of it. It has made her cautious and she doesn't trust easily.

Sam is the confident, silent type but underneath all that silence and brooding is a man who yearns to give and receive love from the woman who is able to steal his heart. He goes through life with icy resolve and doesn't let his emotions get in control. But with Abbie he discovers his grasp on control is slipping. Until Abbie his life was first and exclusively about revenge and obligation to his family.

The romance between Abbie and Sam progresses naturally and gradually despite the heart pounding situations they find themselves in. Cindy Gerard did a great job in letting both Abbie and Sam come to grips with their emotions towards each other and the place these emotions take in their lives.

In the secondary cast of characters names from SHOW NO MERCY (book 1) pop up and some are expanded a bit, others stay the same. I was a bit disappointed in not seeing a particular storyline from book 1 continued in this book but hopefully Gerard will pick it up in a future installment.

What I loved about both books was the bond between Sam and his fellow operatives, especially with Johnny Duane Reed (the hero of the next book). The camaraderie and subtle bantering was heartwarming and so much fun to read. From their interactions you can feel how much they trust in each other's abilities and how much they depend on each other.

Next to Sam's buddies there are also some secondary characters linked to Abbie: her brother Cory who plays a big role in the plot and her friend Crystal who will be the heroine of the next book and therefore is partnered up with Reed...their story starts at the end of this book with two intriguing scenes that have left me wanting more, much more

From the very first page I was immersed in the genial plot with breathtaking suspense and thrilling action, in the perfectly written characters and the heartwarming romance. Once I read the first few pages I just couldn't stop reading and I knew I was in for an amazing trip. On the journey I saw the lively Strip in Las Vegas but also the wonderful landscape of Honduras. I had fun, I was afraid, I felt anger and I got hot and bothered, all in the span of 363 pages of superb storytelling.

The whole book was fast-paced, action-filled and masterfully plotted. It was written so realistic and vivid it felt like watching a movie. I could just picture it all and see the bullets flying.
Cindy Gerard's extensive knowledge and/or research of South America, weapons and covert operations make her books rich in background and a true joy to read. I haven't read that much in the romantic suspense genre but I do know Cindy Gerard is climbing fast to the top of my favorite list thanks to this great Black Ops series.

Cindy Gerard has delivered again! She gave me a perfect mix of romance and suspense with characters that nestled themselves deep into my book loving heart and she pulled me into a story filled with action, suspense, romance, great characters and wonderful scenery.

Quotes:
"Go forth and orgasm," Crystal ordered
"Orgasm is not a verb," Abbie pointed out with a laugh
" Oh, sweetie, it is if it's done right."

Some things were worth waiting for.
Some things were worth praying for.
Sam Lang's kiss, she decided, was worth dying for.

This book was released on September 23rd and I reviewed it for REALMS ON OUR BOOKSHELVES







The sultry heat . . .
Only two things can compel journalist Jenna McMillan back to Buenos Aires after terrorists held her captive there just months before: a rare interview with a shadowy billionaire and the memory of the dark and dangerous man who saved her. . . .

Hides the deadliest threats . . .
Bad guys, bombs, and bullets are Gabriel Jones’s way of life. But he’ll never forget the brash redhead he rescued not so long ago . . . or the passionate kiss they shared before he sent her packing.

And exposes the deepest desires. . . .
Now, forced together by a bombing at the National Congress, Jenna and Gabe confront the urgent longings that simmer between them. But this surprise meeting is no coincidence. A ruthless enemy stalks them with deadly precision. The question is . . . if they make it out alive, will Gabe turn his back on Jenna . . . again?

A horrible experience in Argentina brings undercover operative Gabriel Jones on journalist Jenna McMillan's path when they expose and dismantle a terrorist organization. After going their separate ways Jenna tries to deal with the traumatic experience as best she can. Gabe has never been far from her mind and when Jenna has the chance to go to Argentina again for a story she seizes the opportunity. It’s a chance for her to get back into the game but also a chance to possibly see Gabe again
Their first encounter is literally explosive when the man Jenna is supposed to interview and Gabe is trying to protect is attacked by a gunman and a bomb explodes. Nothing is what it seems and no one can be trusted.

Intense and fierce are descriptions that fit Gabe perfectly. He needs to be in control of every situation, both in tactical operations and emotionally with Jenna. Guilt ridden because of things that happened in his past he tries to shut himself off from his feelings but he fails miserably where Jenna is concerned. He seems harsh on the exterior but there's much more to him than that.

Jenna is defiant, sassy, witty and intelligent. All beneath a thin veil of vulnerability that takes away the sharp edges. She's tough and although the experience in Argentina left her a bit shaken she's determined to get into the game. Same thing goes for her relationship with Gabe. She keeps trying even when he pushes her away but when he pushes her too far, she picks herself up and goes on with her life accepting that he doesn't want her.

Sparks fly of the pages when it comes to Jenna and Gabe. Their dialogue and every scene together sizzles with tension - either sexual or otherwise.
The chemistry between Jenna and Gabe is palpable, believable, intense and pulls on your heartstrings. They are both dealing with their own issues and weaknesses that come from previous events and experiences in their past. They both struggle with the budding feelings between them, especially Gabe. Jenna soon accepts her feelings and then has to deal with Gabe's rejection of them.

Cindy's writing skills enable her to write in a way that is never annoying or boring. She gives motivations and explanations for every action taken by either Jenna or Gabe and makes it logical. This is what I truly like in books. In my opinion this is one of Cindy Gerard's strongest qualities. Her ability to write characters with depth, motivation and development that you can easily relate to and sympathize with despite the decisions they make sometimes. Her characters have an immense emotional impact on the reader.

The cast of secondary characters is extensive and they fit into the plot and romance perfectly. They are true additions to the story that complement Jenna and Gabe’s characters. They are supportive but also crucial in some plot-developments.
There's an intriguing beginning of a small romance between two of the secondary characters. I hope Cindy Gerard will continue this storyline in the following books because I'm very curious to see where it will lead.
Gabe and Jenna's enemy is formidable. Small amounts of information about him are revealed in little tantalizing doses throughout the story. Not knowing who he was and why he was doing what he did, kept the suspense at an amazing high until the end.

The dialogues are sparkling and vivid and they portray the overall feel of the book. I was just as entranced by them as by the suspense plot, the characters and the emotional avalanche which poured out. Though I didn't experience the incredibly intense emotional rollercoaster I did have with the first Bodyguards book, TO THE EDGE, it proved to be just as great a book.

With Cindy Gerard's eye for detail and her vast knowledge of the subjects touched in the story, she gave me a thrilling and heart-in-your-throat read. This combined with her descriptive talents for both plot and characters, especially on the suspense and the emotions, elevate her books to a very high level in the romantic suspense genre.
The way she builds up the plot, both romantically and suspense-wise is excellent. Slowly and clearly, creating a string of tension that leads to a mind shattering and titillating conclusion. The pace is just right, not too fast and not too slow. I really enjoyed the whole book but truly loved the last part when the answers to all the questions were given, topped of with a satisfying ending.

This is a book that acquires concentration to read so you don't miss a thing. It's is definitely not a light read but intense, mind-blowing and doesn't allow your attention to lessen for a second. It has a well-rounded plot, with well-developed main characters and suspense that so thrilling it takes your breath away.

Cindy Gerard delivers top-notch romantic suspense with this first book in her new BLACK OPS series. It holds a promise for the rest of the series and brings all the components I long for in romantic suspense together in a great way. I can't wait to go back to reading the Bodyguards while waiting for the next two installments in this series about Sam Lang and Johnny Reed.