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.

UNSTOPPABLE
Forensic anthropologist Kelsey Quinn goes to a remote Texas border region to dig up ancient bones, but ends up unearthing a deadly secret. When Kelsey’s discovery jeopardizes not just her dig, but her life, she turns to US Navy SEAL Gage Brewer, who may be the only person brave enough—and lethal enough—to help.

Title: UNSTOPPABLE (found in Anthology DEADLY PROMISES)
Author: Laura Griffin
Series: Tracers, book 2.5
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Pocket Books
Year of release: 2010, September 28
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Source: Bought via The BookDepository

First line:
Sometimes they went in with a flash and crash, but Lieutenant Gage Brewer always preferred stealth.



QuickScore-Verdict:
UNSTOPPABLE reminded me of the TV show Bones, with Kelsey being a forensic anthropologist and big hunky Gage sent to protect her. I loved Kelsey and Gage and their romance. The suspense plot was perfect for the length of the story and though it only partially wrapped up, I am sure it will be completely wrapped up in Mia's story (UNFORGIVABLE) who had a small but crucial part in this one.

As usual Griffin writes awesome suspense with subtle romance and the short length of this novella didn't bother me at all. It was well-rounded and well-written and I can't wait to read the next installment in the Tracers series.

Favorite Quotes:
Her pulse skipped as the feel of him, the smell of him permeated her brain. A jolt of raw sexual awareness zinged through her, and she scrambled away.

Gage needed a woman. Soon. Didn’t it figure that the one woman to stir his interest after months and months of celibacy would be the niece of his CO, a woman completely off-limits for some quick-and-dirty fun?

Growing up poor on New Chicago’s meanest streets, Ava Sans had two options: be the predator, or be the prey. No contest. Now, working for Alien Investigation and Removal, she’s been ordered to capture the biggest, baddest warrior of all—a vampire too beautiful to be real, with the ability to manipulate time. Once the leader of the entire vampire army, McKell has been deemed savage and unstable, spurned even by his own kind.

To McKell, humans should be nothing more than sustenance. Yet the petite, golden-skinned Ava is a fascinating contradiction—vicious yet witty, strong yet vulnerable, lethal but fiercely loyal. Against his better judgment, McKell craves that loyalty, and much more. When the chase leads to seduction, McKell and Ava will race to discover the truth about his past. But the answers will come at a price, even for a woman who thought she had nothing left to lose. . .

Title: ECSTASY IN DARKNESS
Author: Gena Showalter
Series: Alien Huntress, book 5
Genre: Futuristic Romance, Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Pocket Books, Simon and Schuster
Year of release: 2010, October 26
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Source: Bought via The BookDepository

First line:
"And I thought you were rough. Those girls are..." Dallas Gutierrez shuddered.

Memorable Scenes:
-McKell stopping time to punch Johnny in the face repeatedly > hilariously funny
-scene in the car while going to Noelle's house with their captives > McKell and Ava set that car on fire!
-the bargaining and rule-setting when McKell decides to move in with Ava > typical Gena vibe and humor


Ava Sans is young, stubborn, fearless and witty. She’s an AIR (Alien Investigation and Removal) trainee. She’s also tough, crude, grew up on the streets and not the damsel in distress type. She can handle anything thrown at her. But she also has a loyalty and vulnerability that prevent her from being a harsh bitch of a heroine.

Victor McKell is a ruthless and proud vampire warrior. He’s possessive, unstable and psychotic. He has the ability to stop time and freeze people in time, in short bursts. He's as tough and rough as Ava and they're perfectly matched for each other.. He too, has this thin veil of vulnerability that endears him and makes him a hero I utterly enjoyed reading.

There were a few moments in the book where I feared the secondary cast would take over the focus of the book. For example I found it weird that the book started in a POV that was neither Ava’s or McKell’s but Mia Snow's, now head of AIR. Also, the stuff surrounding secondary character Dallas Gutierrez seemed to hold my attention more than the main characters at a certain point. Then again, this might be me.

And there was a scene in the story where McKell's time-stopping ability confused me as I didn't understand the logic behind it that time and I couldn't explain how the time had elapsed for the characters other than McKell. This puzzled me and took me out of the story for a minute. Fortunately these moments didn’t linger and I enjoyed the interactions and chemistry between McKell and Ava that were excellent.

It had been a while since I read the last Alien Huntress book, SEDUCE THE DARKNESS, and though the details of the overall ongoing plotline had turned a bit fuzzy in my memory, I very quickly caught on again after the first few chapters of ECSTACY IN DARKNESS. Although I absolutely enjoyed this installment of Gena Showalter's Alien Huntress series the end had me frowning a bit. IMHO it was too much of an easy and quick way out. The resolution to the part of the ongoing plot featured in this installment was just not what I would have liked to see, it was too convenient.

However, my faith in Gena is firm as a rock and I know she’ll come back with a vengeance and make up for it in the next installment, which I am definitely looking forward to. I know the last word hasn't been said and the last unexpected twist hasn't played out yet in this ongoing overall plot.

Gena Showalter writes make-out scenes like few other authors do. They're sizzling hot, unintrusive to the plot and a joy to read, and one of the reasons she's in the league of my favorite authors, on the auto-buy list from the moment I read my first book written by her. She also has the ability to infuse heat into her books without having actual sexy scenes. I was almost at page 400 (of a total of 502) when Ava and McKell finally did the deed but strangely this didn't bother me at all whereas in other romance novels the lack of ...let's call it consummation detracts from the romance and occasionally frustrates me. And the consummation scene itself was awesome and sizzling hot and worth every page read waiting for it. McKell outdid himself :)

Though a little lacking in the execution of the ongoing plot in this installment, I must say the main couple, the sizzling sensuality and the secondary characters all contributed to my utter enjoyment of yet another entertaining book in this series. The Alien Huntress series is another example of Gena's talent to write great individual romance within an ongoing plot that gets more intriguing with every new installment. I’m so ready for the next one!

Favorite Quotes:
He had pale skin and a face that proved God had an A game. And why the good Lord would have chosen to deviate from that formula and create other faces, she would never know. If everyone looked like this man –like fevered whispers in the dark, forbidden chocolate, and sin it its most tempting incarnation –crime would have ceased long ago. Or maybe never even started.

Her voice…as close to sex as a man could get without actually removing his clothing. Sure he’d considered it “sweet” before. After lying in his cave all day, replaying their interaction through his head over and over again, however, he’d realized that sweet obviously equaled dirty to his body.

He let their tongues continue to play, to duel, to roll and thrust, sipping, feeding, driving them closer and closer to a ledge they might later wish they’d never built. For it was a ledge of their own making, one that promised a torturous fall, a fatal landing.

“Where’s Sans?” the handsome brother asked with a leering grin. “At home in bed?
The ugly one punched him in the back of the head.
Noelle offered the speaker a deadly grin. “One day, Dear John, you’re gonna wake up, and your penis is gonna be resting on the pillow next to you. Not that you’ll notice its absence, small as it is.”

(Ava to McKell) “Thank you,” she said, fighting those stupid tears again. “Even though I understand where you’re coming from, I’m still asking you to heal him. Not because he deserves it, but because it’s the right thing to do. And because, if he gets better, we can take turns kicking him in his man junk without any feelings of guilt.”

Back Cover:

ALEX LOVELL MAKES PEOPLE DISAPPEAR. TURNS OUT, SHE'S NOT THE ONLY ONE.

Private investigator Alexandra Lovell uses computer skills and cunning to help clients drop off the radar and begin new lives in safety. Melanie Bess, desperate to escape her abusive cop husband, was one of those clients. But when Melanie vanishes for real, Alex fears the worst, and sets out to discover what happened. Using every resource she can get her hands on — including an elite team of forensic scientists known as the Tracers, and a jaded, sexy Austin PD detective — Alex embarks on a mission to uncover the truth.

As far as homicide cop Nathan Deveraux is concerned, no body means no case. But as much as he wants to believe that Alex's hunch about Melanie's murder is wrong, his instincts — and their visceral attraction — won't let him walk away. As a grim picture of what really happened begins to emerge, Nathan realizes this investigation runs deeper than they could ever have guessed. And each step nearer the truth puts Alex in danger of being the next to disappear....

Private investigator and computer expert Alexandra Lovell is specialized in aiding people who don't want to be found. Let's call it a civilian (cyber) witness protection program. She is very good at it but when she finds out one of her clients, Melanie Bess, has really disappeared she suspects foul play, especially when she finds out Melanie came back to Austin, where danger lurks around every corner for her. Alex calls in the help of Nathan Deveraux, a detective with the Austin Police Department, whom she met in the line of duty about 7 months earlier. He promises to help her and look into it but his promise complicates things more than it facilitates them since the main suspect in Melanie's disappearance is a fellow policeman who is well-liked and respected. Alex only has suspicions and very circumstantial evidence to go on and there Nathan’s hands are pretty much tied. When she enlists the service of the Delphi Center, a privately funded forensics lab and base of "the Tracers", things come to the surface that put both Melanie and Alex' lives in danger and Nathan must act quickly to save them.

Next to the suspense in UNTRACEABLE, which was great as always in Laura Griffin's books, the characters of Alex and Nathan are on the top of my list of what I liked most in this book. Alex is sarcastic, tough and sharp-tongued, but underneath the outer sharpness there's caring and warmth too, especially for those less fortunate than her. Nathan is rugged, cynical, straightforward and unapologetic. And together they create both sensual and verbal sparks that I really liked. Their road to a HEA was complicated not only by Melanie's case but also by their different backgrounds and their expectations of themselves, each other and their relationship.

Both Alex and Nathan first made their appearance in Laura Griffin's Glass Sisters series. At the end of book 1 (THREAD OF FEAR) of that series I really thought Nathan was going to be Courtney Glass' hero in book 2: WHISPER OF WARNING but reading that book I soon discovered I'd been totally off-base with my speculations. When Griffin put Nathan and Alex together in WHISPER OF WARNING secondary characters I didn't dare to speculate again but I was thrilled to find out they were the first hero/heroine couple in this new series, The Tracers. I loved their chemistry in WHISPER OF WARNING and in UNTRACEABLE, which takes place about 7 months after WHISPER OF WARNING, Griffin combined that chemistry with some top-notch suspense. As with all Griffin books the suspense is extraordinary good. The first page of this book grabbed me by the throat and never let go until I reached the end.

By chapter three I was completely immersed in the suspense. The set-up in the first two chapters promised all the intrigue, twists, complications it delivered on in the rest of the book and the chemistry between Nathan and Alex was definitely tantalizing and promising too. This is the third series of Laura Griffin I'm reading and yet again she surprises and amazes me with a totally unique vibe. Even if this series is sort of a spin-off from the Glass Sisters series and set in the same world with the many known characters and the same police department, Griffin manages to deliver a first installment of a series that definitely stands on it's own as far as the suspense plot arc is concerned. Where the focus in the Borderline series was on drugs and drug trafficking and the focus in the Glass Sisters series is on murder investigations, The Tracers series is very much into forensics and corrupted law enforcers. Despite the emphasis on different aspects of law enforcement, in all three series the romantic story arc is always subtle and intense, fitting the main characters and their development throughout the books. The romance in UNTRACEABLE was subtle and sprinkled with some complicating elements which were linked to both Nathan and Alex' backgrounds and personalities.

I really love this new series and I am definitely ready for more as there were some secondary characters who certainly spiked my curiosity and interest with their roles in UNTRACEABLE, for example: Troy Stockton, John Holt and Mia Voss. I hope future books in this series will feature them at least.

At almost every page turn there was a surprise waiting for me. The suspense plot was unpredictable and excellently put together. Griffin kept me speculating and guessing constantly and right till the end. Something I liked in Griffin's writing of the other books made this one great for me too: Dosed bits of plot information and stuff that seems unrelated come together to form a great suspense plot. Once you're in the flow of the story it's hard to tear yourself away from it. I just had to keep on reading and speculating on the information given. Trying to decide if the suspect was truly the bad guy, what the motives were and how it all connected. The conclusion was one I didn't quite see coming, which of course is a very good thing, as I don't like predictable suspense novels. And even though the wrap-up felt kind of rushed and I expected more information on some things, which now leave me with lingering questions, I still very much liked the twist given to the plot.

Again Laura Griffin did NOT disappoint me. I love her crisp, clean and smooth writing and I love anything to do with forensic science and law enforcement. This made UNTRACEABLE an absolute winner for me.

Quote:
And then it was all good, only good, only pleasure, as they moved together in a blissful rhythm, his hands stroking up her back, then down again. They were together, completely, and with that wonderful friction, she felt the knot of loneliness deep inside her start to come loose.

Rating: 8.7 out of 10
(ROOB-rating: 4 stars)

Jacket Copy:

The Blood Sword Legacy: Eight knights bound by a brotherhood forged in hell claim their legacies the only way they can: by right of arms, by right of victory, by right of conquest.

Most of England has submitted to King William, but Wales refuses to yield. The King's trusted Blood Swords are unable to prevail, and while Stefan de Valrey is left unconscious on the battlefield, his sworn brothers are captured. Despite terrible injuries, Stefan vows to liberate them. Even rescuing a delicately beautiful -- and naked -- maiden from peril cannot deter him, for the silver-eyed Arianrhod is a Welsh princess, a hostage Stefan can exchange for his brothers...so long as Arian remains as pure as when he met her. But that is a constraint Stefan finds harder to honor with every passing day.

When the scowling knight slings her across his saddle, Arian knows she should fix all her thoughts on escape. But Arian has never before experienced the deep, soul-changing desire that Stefan arouses with merely a glance. Breaking their vows could set two kingdoms ablaze -- can they control the sweet, terrible burning between them?

Since the blurb on the cover of the book summarizes the story adequately I am not doing that in this review and will get right to the heart of the matter.

Stefan de Valrey is one of William the Conqueror’s Blood Swords. The Blood Swords are William’s elite and most trusted black knights. Stefan is scarred both emotionally and bodily. And he’s a merciless loner who is proud, honorable, quiet and serious.

Arianrhod (Arian) of Carmarthenshire is a Welsh princess. She is not one to whine or complain and her pragmatic mentality gets her a long way. She is a brave, determined, stubborn, bold , proud and courageous social creature.

Arian and Stefan have their love for horses and their strong objections to falling in love (even if their reasons differ immensely) in common. As Arian and Stefan get to know each other and fall in love, the reader follows their journey both literally and emotionally. I admired Karin Tabke’s ability to evoke my empathy for both Stefan and Arian in their differences of opinion. She made me see where Arian’s anger towards Stefan was coming from but at the same time I also understood why Stefan did some of the things he did regarding Arian and what he thought of her choices.

The secondary cast is ample but the supporting characters are never overwhelming or distracting. Each player in this play has his or her role in the plot or the romance between Arian and Stefan. There are Normans, Welsh, Vikings who all form small pieces of the great picture. Among the more important ones is Arian’s betrothed, Magnus Tryggvason. He is a character with different sides to him and his motives aren’t entirely disclosed from the beginning. All I can say is that he gets what he deserves.

Again I enjoyed another installment of this series immensely. I don’t have a vast collection of historical romances from the medieval/William the Conqueror time-period but I am definitely glad Karin Tabke’s Blood Sword Legacy is part of that small collection. The series is not unique in it’s setting. I do realize that, but the writing, characters and romance justify my fondness of these books, next to Karin Tabke’s ability to give each book and romance something special through its own vibe and uniqueness. She combines gruesome scenes of battle/torture with frank dialogues, emotional anguish and heart wrenching romance and does this with seemingly effortless skill. Her talent for painting a romance against a medieval background sprinkled with historical facts and fiction definitely takes this series above the average medieval romance.

One minor thing kept this book from a 4,5 or even 5 star rating. As I was nearing the end of the book (less than 100 pages to go) I realized the marriage between Magnus and Arian was going to take place regardless because Arian realized she had to put duty before love. I was truly wondering how it was going to work out and how Karin Tabke was going to bring this to a satisfying end because after the marriage Stefan intervenes in a way that was sudden and confusing for me. The resolution seemed too convenient and in my opinion Karin Tabke took the easy way out a bit at first, even if it was a unique and original solution and one I haven’t come across before. Had this solution been approached differently I am sure this installment would have replaced MASTER OF TORMENT as my favorite of the series, as all the other elements of MASTER OF CRAVING worked perfectly for me and the ending of the book was one that will stick with me for a long time.

The story of Stefan and Arian is one that has been written in many romances before: the warrior who kidnaps the princess in order to get what he wants. Yet, with her thorough, historically founded and lifelike writing style Karin Tabke’s delivery of it was very refreshing for me. And even thought I questioned part of the resolution, it is a keeper for me and I am looking forward to the next installment of this series.

Quotes:
Arian to Stefan (she thinks he is a Saxon, and Stefan decides let her):
Be sure, Saxon, to sleep with one eye open, lest you find your sword in your other eye.”

Longing twisted with a desperate need for the woman he could not have. Emptiness filled his soul, and he felt as if there was no reason to take his next breath. For Arian was his life, and without her, ‘twas as if he had no sustenance. And though he would ride, and battle, and see to his king’s needs, the most vital parts of him would be missing. His heart and soul.

A primal possession overcame him with such a force he wanted to throw his head back and howl at the moon, to let all who heard it know that he had claimed his life mate and would fight any man or beast who tried to take her from him.

Jacket Copy:

SHE HAS A BODY MADE FOR TEMPTATION…AND A KISS TO DIE FOR.
The war between otherworlders and humans changed Earth beyond recognition. It also saved Bride McKells’ life. Before, the gorgeous vampire was a target for every fanatic with a stake and a crucifix. Now she’s free to roam the streets—and desperate to find others of her kind. One man claims to have the answers she seeks. Devyn, King of the Targons, is a warrior and a womanizer, and he makes no secret of how much he wants Bride—and how dangerous he could be to her in every way.

An avid collector of women, Devyn easily seduces human and otherworlder alike. Until now. Not only does Bride resist him, but she leaves Devyn feeling something entirely new . . . a bone-deep need bordering on obsession. Her blood is the key to curing a vicious alien disease, but helping Bride uncover her origins will compel her to choose between electrifying passion and a destiny that could tear her from Devyn’s side forever.

It seemed like forever since I was blown away by SAVOR ME SLOWLY, the book preceding SEDUCE THE DARKNESS and so when it fell on my doormat I couldn’t finish the book I was reading fast enough so I could dive into Devyn’s story. Devyn intrigued me from the moment he made his appearance in the second book of the Alien Huntress series and I was anticipating his book something fierce. One thing I am extremely happy about is the fact that Gena Showalter has continued in the third person narrative. Even though she was the first and one of the few authors who made me appreciate first person narrative I prefer books written in 3rd person. I liked the first two installments, which were in 1st person, very much but loved SAVOR ME SLOWLY and SEDUCE THE DARKNESS more because of the preferred narrative.

SEDUCE THE DARKNESS is a paranormal romance in a futuristic setting. Earth has survived a great war between humans and otherworlders and is now populated by both of them. The otherworlders come in all races, forms and shapes. However, disaster is looming when a deadly disease that turns humans in raving cannibals reaches Earth. The infection is initiated by a race called the Schön and they must be stopped. AIR (Alien Investigation and Removal) agents captured one of them once but he has escaped and now he must be found and imprisoned again before the Earth suffers an epidemic that could destroy it. Devyn, King of the Targons, works for AIR and is trying to find the escaped prisoner. In their efforts to capture the Schön again Devon and his AIR colleagues run into Bride McKells, a vampire who proves indispensable in the battle against the disease that’s threatening Earth.

The prologue immediately set the tone for a book I just couldn’t put down. I got acquainted with Devyn in the previous 2 installments of this series and was intrigued by the bits of information given in those books and by the raw and in-your-face sensuality he exuded. I also wondered back then, who would be the heroine to catch his devotion and tame him by taking down his arrogance a notch. In the prologue I met her and knew she would be the perfect woman to match him in every way.

Devyn is a formidable warrior; he has skills that come in handy with his job at AIR. He is shamelessly sexy and flirtatious. He collects women as other men would collect objects like stamps or cars. He is the embodiment of seduction and he doesn’t even have to work for it, it comes to him as naturally as breathing. This also makes him cocky and arrogant. He truly thinks he’s God’s gift to women. Fortunately meeting and falling in love with Bride changes this. As I’ve described Devyn here, he might seem unlikable but for me that really was not the case. I loved him! He may seem self-serving and narcissistic but it comes from the way he was brought up and how he vowed to do as he pleased once he had the freedom to do just that. Despite his arrogance he genuinely cares for the people he considers his friends, like Dallas and the other AIR agents, even if he doesn’t acknowledge the emotion.

As I’ve said before Bride was perfect for Devyn. She doesn’t melt into a puddle at the sight of him and gives him hell every time he pulls the arrogance card on her. She definitely falls for him from the start but she does not let him in on that. He’s cocky and conceded enough as it is. She is straightforward, loyal and smart-mouthed. She is used to being a loner even though she doesn’t like to live that way. She covets family and to belong, to have someone who cares about her and takes care of her. Bride is more than a simple vampire. Soon in the book it is clear there is something special about her but I will not reveal what that is. Those who read the book will want to find out for themselves.

There were quite some secondary characters that played their part in SEDUCE THE DARKNESS. Some played big and significant parts, some just had a very small cameo appearance. And those who haven’t had their own book yet are definitely in the running for it, especially AIR agent Dallas Gutierrez, but his fellow-agent Hector Dean has some things up his sleeve as well.

SEDUCE THE DARKNESS was both character and plot driven. The characters that are important to the story are compelling and engaging. They are fleshed out exactly right with enough background to get to know them, but not taking away from the pace or the plot, a plot that started in SAVOR ME SLOWLY and was expanded in this installment. And even though there was a partial wrap-up of the plot in this book I am sure it is definitely ongoing in the next books. I am sure of that, especially after reading Dallas’ plotline. He is the other character, next to Devyn, that has intrigued me since the beginning of this series and some things happen around and with him that make me want his book right now. I can’t wait!

Romance and plot are nicely balanced, neither taking over the book. That’s how I like it best. There were two things in the plot I saw coming very early in the book but still the way Gena Showalter had them play out in the course of the story was mind-blowing and refreshing. I don’t like seeing things coming in a plot way in advance but if the author manages to surprise me with how she works them out, I cannot object to it.

It’s no secret I am a big fan of Gena Showalter’s books and with SEDUCE THE DARKNESS she nailed it again with the humor, the fast pace, the great plot, the interesting secondary characters and the undeniable attraction and heat between the hero and the heroine. Her writing style is one that is hit or miss. If you like it, it captivates and enthralls and if you don’t you will not enjoy her books. Fortunately for me her writing resonates with me in a very big way, which is why I welcome everything that comes from her with great enthusiasm and SEDUCE THE DARKNESS was no exception.

SEDUCE THE DARKNESS is the kind of book you can’t stop reading but at the same time you don’t want it to end. This meant that I wanted to read it really fast because of its compelling plot and appealing characters but at the same time I wanted to savor it and read it very slow, wishing it would never end and I could go on reading it forever. But I did and now I am willing to confess that I’m not too proud to beg Gena Showalter for Dallas’ story next.

(No quotes with this review because there were just too many good ones to choose from. I couldn't do it and will post a Quote-Blogpost soon instead)

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.

Jacket Copy:
In Las Vegas, Jason Cage is known as "The Beast Master." But his onstage feats of magic are nothing compared to the abilities he keeps hidden from human eyes. Jason is Prime of his vampire family, and once used his telepathic skills to tame wild werewolves. It's a talent that leads him to beautiful, sensual Sofia Hunyara, who instantly triggers all of Jason's primal urges. Sofia is destined to be his bondmate, but keeping her alive long enough to convince her of that fact will not be easy.

Sofia has no reason to trust Jason, or to believe his story about her family's secret history as Wolf Tamers. The only thing she's sure is an overwhelming attraction that quickly develops into a scorching affair. If Jason's claims are true, can Sofia embrace her legacy - when it means walking away from a soul-searching desire that's deeper than any she's ever known?

Jason Cage, the star of a magical animal show and known as the Beast Master, is summoned to an unknown location to repay an old debt to a family he hasn't seen in over sixty years; the Hunyara.
The Hunyara family comprises werewolves who aren't naturally born but turned by having been bit instead. This makes them outcasts in both the mortal and the supernatural world. However, a threat to both these worlds have lead to needing the help of the Hunyara's Wolf Tamers, the only ones, human or werewolf, who can control the feral, bitten werewolves. Sofia Hunyara is the next great Wolf Tamer of her people but she is not aware of it. Jason is brought in to train her for this task and help her save mankind, both human and supernatural.

Sofia is sassy, stubborn and outspoken. She is yearning for a harmonious life and a family, a sense of belonging. Her dislike for dogs, wolfs and those alike is rather ironic since she is supposed to be a Wolf Tamer and the one to train her to do so, Jason, is known as the Beast Master. Sofia is very hesitant at first about all that is happening to her, especially about her newly discovered werewolf family and her role in it and her blossoming feelings for Jason, a vampire of all things. Despite her hesitations, once she accepts things, she becomes very dedicated in both aspects.

Jason is a true Prime: cocky, self-assured and a bit arrogant. In short, he's alpha to the core and doesn’t apologize for it. I really liked his character. He had just enough of that self-deprecating humor I like to see in my heroes and his attitude towards Sofia was endearing despite the little bouts of cockiness now and then, but well that comes with being a Prime.

When I was looking at the TBR-mountain for books for the reading challenge, PRIMAL DESIRES was one of the first ones I picked because it really had been a while since I left the Primes' world and I did enjoy the previous books. I read Susan Sizemore's first five books in the Primes series a very long time ago and liked them. It was when I just started reading English romance novels and when I first discovered the paranormal romance genre. I didn't do reviews back then so there are no reviews of those first five books. (Maybe one day...but I wouldn't count on it). Now, having read PRIMAL DESIRES and ready to review it, I must say I am a bit disappointed with the book. I can't recall having these feelings with the other books but this one really didn't do it for me. It wasn't that I didn't like the book or the plot; it's just that I wasn't overwhelmed by it either.

It's difficult to name exactly what bothered me but I will give it a try. For example I would have loved to have a more in-depth look into Sofia and Jason's characters and lives and the Hunyara's background instead of the extensive general and repetitive descriptions of the Clan and Family's customs and traditions. The story was entertaining and definitely had potential but especially in the plot and main characters it stayed too much on the surface of things, never diving deep into the intriguing world it seems to be.

Also, the focus on Jason and Sofia is often interrupted by storylines and POVs of two other, secondary characters in the book. Admittedly the two side stories are tightly linked to the main plot and they were definitely interesting storylines leaving me curious how they will work out in future books but still I would have liked to see more focus on Jason, Sofia and their story. Related to this was the fact that the build-up of the relationship between Sofia and Jason was too shallow for my liking. They went from total strangers to feeding and lovemaking in roughly 60 pages and Sofia was dealing with a lot of other stuff besides her attraction to Jason. Not that I mind instant chemistry and attraction but it was just a bit too much to be believable and more importantly I didn't feel it fitted the rest of the story.

Finally, there were parts of the book that just couldn't hold my attention, especially the parts where Sizemore fills the pages with lengthy descriptions of the hierarchy, customs and traditions within the Clans and Families. In those parts the pace slowed considerably from the faster paced action and love scenes, they took me longer to read and those were the points in the book where my mind would stray off and I'd stop reading and go do other things. This is never a good thing when I'm reading; I like to be enthralled by a book to the point of not being able to stop reading it.

When I combine all of the above with the little plot and character inconsistencies I found, I can only come to the conclusion that PRIMAL DESIRES is an nice addition to the Primes series but didn't blow me off my socks, not by a long shot.

Quotes:
Sofia and Jason:
"It actually happened --sixty years ago."
"Over sixty."
"How old are you?"
"Obviously over sixty." He flashed a bright white smile at her. "Well preserved, aren't I?"

Sofia and Jason talking about Tolkien/LOTR:
"The council is actually my favorite part of The Lord of the Rings."
"Mine too," he answered. "I was never fond of Tolkien's anti-technology stance but I love his world-building and the history and mythology--"
"Keep talking sexy to me like that, and I'm going to throw you on the bed and have my way with you." She grinned.

Jacket Copy:
She never planned to get involved with her ex again. Especially not in his murder…

But that’s just what happens when Celie Wells has an encounter with her former husband, and he turns up dead an hour later. Now, after working hard to distance herself from his crooked ways and shady connections, she finds she’s smack dab in the middle of his murder investigation. And it isn’t just the police who have their eye on her, but an enraged drug lord who is seeking payback.

The only person who seems to be on her side is old acquaintance John McAllister. But the sexy reporter has a nose for news, as well as a reputation as a playboy. Is he helping Celie out because he wants a story or a one-night stand? She knows John’s interest is potentially hazardous to her heart. But not accepting his help could put her life at even greater risk—and she can’t afford one wrong step.

John McAllister is a reporter who is the embodiment of the charming playboy who can talk any woman into his bed. He is confident and enjoys the company of women. That is until he crosses paths again with Celie Wells, his former colleague's (Feenie from ONE LAST BREATH) best friend. She evokes feelings in him he has never experienced before and trying to stay professional while he writes a story on her ex-husband's murder proves to be difficult.

Celie is resilient and brave. She is compassionate and an open book for everyone. Before she found out the trouble her ex-husband was in, she had the life of a perfect suburban housewife. Now she's divorced, longing for a family and a suspect in the investigation of her ex' murder. And on top of that she has to deal with her attraction to John, the reporter out to get the dirt on her.

The attraction between Celie and John is apparent but they both fight it. John doesn't want to commit himself to a woman in that way. Celie fights the attraction the most because she thinks they're only compatible on a sexual level. She literally tries to keep her distance physically but about half way through the book there's a change in her feelings. She makes a U-turn and suddenly stops fighting the attraction and gives in. The suddenness of this change of heart is the only little (very, very little) thing that bothered me in character development, but I soon forgave Griffin because the love scene that followed it was by far the best and hottest one I've read in Griffin's books so far. It was beautifully written, sweet and sensual. McAllister definitely scored points in that scene.

Essentially this story sort of continues from ONE LAST BREATH that's why it I think it's important to read these two books in sequence. Celie's ex-husband who was involved in some shady business in book 1 ends up dead after a strange visit to Celie, who has moved on with her life. Both Celie and John were secondary characters in the first book. When I met them in that book I was immediately intrigued by John and Celie also definitely caught my attention.
But even though many aspects of the storyline of ONE WRONG STEP find their origin in the other book of the duology, still it is anything but predictable.

The first few pages of the prologue of this book had my heart pounding in anticipation of another great Laura Griffin story to come. And my anticipation was met yet again. It was realistic, fast-paced, undiluted, the humor was subtle and the suspense was superb. I can't praise Laura Griffin enough for the way she writes suspense plots. It was thrilling, unpredictable and perfectly set up, keeping me reading and wanting to know the next development in the story. Players are introduced, clues are revealed, pieces fall into place and even though I received a lot of information along the way, the wrap-up was still surprising and original. As I've grown used to from her, with ONE WRONG STEP she has delivered a book with a lovely romance, excellent suspense, great characters and a wonderful ending. At a certain point I thought the plot had been wrapped up but because I still had about 80 pages to go I knew that couldn't be it. And luckily it wasn't. The last 80 pages were action-filled and extremely fast-paced, tying loose ends and the book ended with a lovely and tear-jerking epilogue.

The combination of the blossoming and touching love story and the compelling suspense is one that Laura Griffin masters skillfully and she has delivered on it with every book I've read by her hand. This combination is the backbone of each story and yet at the same time every story is amazingly unique. The dynamics between the main couple are different in every book, which is logical due to their different personalities. It gives each book its own vibe even when they're linked.

Combining brilliant suspense with romance that is excellently put together emotionally and the slightly more sensual tone proved to be a winning formula for me. ONE WRONG STEP is my favorite Griffin book to-date. WHISPER OF WARNING comes really close and I've rated them equally but this one definitely tops the list. And with this book my stack of Laura Griffin books has been read and I'm eagerly awaiting her next masterpiece. News of a new series starring two secondary characters from WHISPER OF WARNING has reached me and I can't wait.

Quotes:
He had that long, tall Texan thing going on, and even in a state full of Texans, he stood out. He was well over six feet, athletically slender, and had just enough drawl in his voice to charm the pants off of even the most clear-thinking woman.

She took a deep breath. This was crazy. She was crazy. She was going to spend the night with him in his cozy little house and have incredible, decadent, no-strings-attached sex. With her luck, she'd probably fall in love with him before the burgers came off the grill.