Havoc by M.L. Buchman (Spotlight, excerpt, and review)

 

 

 

 

 

Havoc

by

M.L. Buchman 

Miranda Chase—the heroine you didn’t expect. Fighting the battles no one else could win.

 

When one of their own is threatened—the nation’s #1 air-crash investigation team enters a race to survive.

An airliner downed on a Pacific atoll. A CIA covert strike team sent in to “clean it up.” An old enemy seeks revenge. This time, the NTSB’s autistic air-crash investigator, Miranda Chase, and her team are in the crosshairs. The action races around the globe as US military airbases become shooting galleries and their lives are placed on the line.

And hidden from sight? A treacherous plan to grab political power and start a new war with Russia in the Middle East. Only Miranda’s team stands in their way, if they can survive.

 

 *****************

 

 

EXCERPT

 

39,000’ over the South Pacific

Aboard a badly damaged Airbus A330

 

“Okay if I place a call?” Holly buckled into the cockpit’s jump seat.

“You’d need a sat phone from here to—” Dani glanced back.

Holly pulled out her satellite phone and waggled it at the pilot who nodded reluctantly.

She dialed.

“This is Miranda Chase. This is actually her, not a recording of her.”

“Hey, her.” Holly could feel herself relaxing, even if Miranda was three thousand miles away in Seattle, it made Holly feel better just to hear her voice.

“Where are you? Passing over Johnston Atoll? Can you see it? I’ve always wanted to go there.”

“Funny you should mention that. I expect that I’ll be seeing it real soon now—up close and personal like.” Holly proceeded to describe what she’d seen of the engine breakaway and the wing it had battered so badly as it broke free.

“The runway on Johnston Atoll is not authorized for use. Not even for emergency landings.”

“Good, they can come arrest me if we survive. Warm cell, three squares a day, bolted solidly to terra firma—I could get down with that. Besides, that’s part of the fun of an emergency, you get to break all sorts of rules.”

“I was never particularly good at breaking rules.”

“Are you with the pilots?” Holly could hear the fast rush of computer keys.

“Yes.”

“Speakerphone.” Miranda was also never one for the niceties of conversation.

She continued as soon as Holly had switched over and called for Dani and Quint’s attention.

“Temperature at Johnston Island Airport is eighty degrees; winds are east-northeast at seventeen so you’ll be landing on Runway 23 with an elevation of two meters above mean sea level. Barometer is currently 29.96. Visibility is reported at ten miles in light haze.” She continued with their best rate of descent for minimum wing-loading stress, proceeded to tell them what landing configuration to select right down to flaps and airspeed, and might have told them every detail of the approach if Holly had let her.

“If I don’t die, Miranda, I’ll give you a shout on the mobile to let you know.”

“I’ll get the team in motion.” Because, of course, Miranda would want to investigate the cause of the crash, whether or not they died. “If it’s going to be a water landing, call me and we’ll mobilize the Coast Guard.”

Which was surprisingly thoughtful for Miranda. Holly knew that Miranda’s ASD—autism spectrum disorder—made it extremely hard for her to think about people.

“Though I wouldn’t hold out much hope for recovering the aircraft if it does go into the ocean. The abyssal plain comes within a few kilometers of the atoll and is principally below the four-thousand-meter mark. Recovery from those depths is exceedingly difficult.”

So much for thoughtful. Thoughtful about the plane anyway.

Miranda’s parents had died in the 1996 crash of TWA 800, which was recovered from a hundred and thirty feet of water just off Long Island, New York—not thirteen thousand feet off a remote Pacific atoll. She’d have been sure to remain very well-educated on the complexities of deep-water recovery operations.

“That’s an extremely unlikely type of double event, breakaway and then an uncontained turbine failure in the same engine. If anything, the opposite would be more typical, but an ES is an exceedingly rare event. That’s remarkably interesting. It is difficult without a more recent inspection of the skin buckling, but based on your initial description…” there was another sharp rattle of a computer keyboard. “Models are projecting a nineteen percent chance of losing the wing on gear-down and an eighty-two-point-five percent chance of losing the wing during the landing.”

“Thanks. I’ll hopefully be in touch soon, Miranda.”

“Okay. Bye.” And she was gone.

“Who the hell was that?” Dani snapped out, but Holly noticed that she was flying exactly on the profile Miranda had recommended.

“She’s the NTSB’s top air-crash investigator.” Holly considered what a lame statement that was to describe her. “She’s…unusual. But she’s also rarely wrong.”

Miranda, despite all her oddities, was also her friend.

It was going to really suck if she herself died, because neither she nor Miranda had a whole lot of those.

 

 

 

Miranda Chase series

 

iTunes

Barnes & Noble

Kobo

 

 

AUTHOR BIO

USA Today and Amazon #1 Bestseller M. L. "Matt" Buchman has 70+ action-adventure thriller and military romance novels, 100 short stories, and lotsa audiobooks. PW says: “Tom Clancy fans open to a strong female lead will clamor for more.” Booklist declared: “3X Top 10 of the Year.” A project manager with a geophysics degree, he’s designed and built houses, flown and jumped out of planes, solo-sailed a 50’ sailboat, and bicycled solo around the world…and he quilts. More at: www.mlbuchman.com.

 

ML "Matt" Buchman -USA Today / Amazon #1 Bestseller
action-adventure thrillers/romance/SF&F
Sign up for my newsletter at: 
http://www.mlbuchman.com

 

 

LINKS (series pages)

            https://www.miranda-chase.com

 

 

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My review:

I love Miranda and her team, and each exciting book adds to the rising tension of this series. I wasn't thrilled by some of the creepy scenes in the earlier stories, and I have missed some of books in the series, but there is no problem reading each tale as a stand-alone, although one savors the developments much better if one starts with the very first story in the series.

4.5 stars

 

I've been anxious to read "Havoc" ever since reading the excerpt in the back of the previous story. It did not disappoint. Holly-centric story, revealing more of her background and showcasing her remarkable skills. Delicious twists, exciting action, much-desired character development. The Miranda perspective is always fascinating, and I enjoyed the ending so much that I've read it over and over. Warning to the squeamish, there is a lot of violence, and although one probably could read this as a stand-alone, this exciting tale will be much more appreciated if previous stories in the series have been consumed. As always, this author has penned an exciting tale with vivid and engaging characters that evokes global high-stakes chess games and reminds one of the exciting early Clive Cussler tales or the various incarnations of the James Bond adventures.

 

 

A copy of this title was provided for review

The entire series (including the title that is going to be released in June!)

 

Drone by M.L. Buchman (Spotlight, excerpt, and review) ADULT title

Drone

(NTSB Military technothriller)

Miranda Chase series

by 

M.L. Buchman (aka Matt Buchman)

ADULT title

"Tom Clancy fans open to a strong female lead will clamor for more." - Publishers Weekly
“Superb!” – Booklist starred review
“The best military thriller I’ve read in a very long time. Love the female characters.” – Sheldon McArthur, founder of The Mystery Bookstore, LA

 

Blurb:

A US Air Force C-130 transport plane, bearing top secret cargo, lies shattered in the Nevada desert at Groom Lake. China’s prototype fifth-generation jet fighter goes missing.

Far above, a US supersonic, stealth drone flies a very lethal Black Op. The CIA, the US military command, and the secretive National Reconnaissance Office are all locked in a battle for control of the nation’s future.

Miranda Chase, the National Transportation Safety Board’s air-crash savant, lands in the center of the gathering maelstrom. Burdened with a new team and a polarizing personality, she must connect the pieces to stay alive. And she must do it before the wreckage of her past crashes down upon her and destroys US-China relations forever.

***********************



Excerpt:



Miranda turned very slowly; she’d never faced a weapon before.

She could shoot one well enough, though she’d never enjoyed it particularly. Living in a very isolated area as she did between assignments, it was occasionally necessary to put down an injured animal herself. It still made her cry every time. So beautiful and free in life, then—bang!—gone forever. Just like every victim in a plane crash she’d been unable to prevent.

“I said no goddamn photographs. Now give me that thing.” General Harrington tipped the weapon slightly to indicate her tablet.

The pumping adrenaline made her even more hyperaware of details than normal. Every bit of grit shifting under the sole of her boots was a moment of individual assessment until she came face-to-face with the tiny black hole at the end of the barrel, which seemed to expand until it filled the world.

Now her heartrate was escalating toward panic and her palm went sweaty holding the tablet.

She glanced over the barrel at the scowling general’s face. This time when her eyes refocused on the tip of the barrel, the black hole had returned to its normal size—small, black, and utterly void of feeling.

Before she could decide on the best course of action, a tall blonde came toward them from the landed helicopter—slightly behind the general’s field of view. She could have blindsided him easily. Instead, she scuffed her boot loudly by kicking a thorny scrub brush.

The general flinched and redirected his aim at the newcomer, which caused the blonde to do little more than arch an eyebrow.

“Now isn’t this just so interesting.” Her accent was thickly Australian. She remained at perfect ease as she circled around to stand close beside Miranda.

The handgun tracked her closely.

“Now general, I don’t want to be telling you your job, but is this really the best course of action? First, if you do manage to shoot me, there will be a whole mess of paperwork just pilin’ up higher than Uluru—that’s the big red rock at the center of Australia, by the by, just in case you’re not from around about there—which is a lot of paperwork. Shooting a civilian is very bad form. Even worse, firing on the IIC of the NTSB Go Team investigating your crash would make your motivations appear maybe a tiny bit suspect to people. People you probably don’t want suspecting things about you. However, far more importantly, me former mates in the SAS—that’s the Australian Special Air Service, not my Brit brethren—would be sorely disappointed if I was to let either of those scenarios happen.” She stood as casually as if she was chatting with a friend.

Miranda inspected her more closely.

She was five-ten and looked remarkably fit. Which would be appropriate for coming from the SAS. Australian Special Operations might not be Delta Force, but they were very elite military. Miranda had no idea what she was doing here, but the woman appeared far better prepared to deal with a weapon-bearing general than she herself was.

Her hands—Miranda always noticed hands—were strong and had a wide variety of calluses. The most prominent were on the webbing between thumb and forefinger. Miranda tried flexing her own hand through several positions that different tasks might require, but none of them seemed likely to create such a mark. Unless…

Miranda formed her hand as if she was firing a pistol. Yes, each shot would make the weapon buck against the webbing between thumb and forefinger, which matched the observed data. Just how much did someone have to shoot to create a callus there? Obviously, this woman could answer the question.

“So, mate. I’m asking myself, ‘Holly’—that’s my name, so it’s how I typically address myself—‘Holly, should you break one or both of the general’s hands as you take his weapon?’ For the moment, you may consider that an idle question while you consider the next part. As an extra add-on service, I’d be glad to shoot you with it after I rip it from your bleeding fingers. Just a graze, mind you, so that you could claim you struggled manfully before a Sheila took away your personal weapon and spanked you with it.”

The general’s expressions shifted through a wide range during Holly’s speech. The anger appeared to dissipate, replaced by suspicion and several other emotions that Miranda couldn’t identify. But at Holly’s final threat, the anger had definitely returned.

Miranda looked at her watch.

Her motion had the general returning his aim to her own chest.

Not her best move.

But she saw that they’d already wasted eleven minutes since she should have started her investigation—which would never do. She pushed the barrel aside and stepped into his personal space. He stumbled back.

She’d have to remember this tactic.

He snapped off the safety with a sharp click as if that was somehow more threatening than the black hole at the end of the barrel.

It was.

She began swallowing compulsively.

Maybe this wasn’t her best idea after all.

But, damn it, there had to be limits. She ignored the weapon and followed through with the initial impetus that had sent her forward. Bending down, she photographed an object that she’d spotted when looking down at her watch. It had been partly under the general’s boot.

“What’s that?” He didn’t lower his aim, so it was now pointed where her head had been. Failure to track her as a target? Reverting once more from aggression to confusion. She really didn’t understand people. Or perhaps he was just a pile of inconsistencies, shifting before she could analyze one moment from the next.

Miranda selected a pair of needle-nose pliers from her vest and delicately lifted the disk of metal, shaking it lightly to clear the dirt. Then she held it up in the general’s face, just inches away.

“Hey!” he stumbled back another step, his weapon swinging down to point at the ground.

“This is the dial card for an aircraft’s analog compass.”

The helicopter that had delivered the blonde former SAS soldier and a man who remained in the background took off again, forcing Miranda to shout.

“Normally I would ask myself what force could possibly move such an object so far from its point of impact. However, now that you’ve stepped on it, I must ask if it was bent by the force of the crash and thrown this far. Or, if your interference with the site has misplaced and damaged what may have been a key piece of evidence in my investigation. Now move your vehicle back fifty meters and leave me alone. And tell your pilots to stop flying over my crash site.”

She turned away and carefully bagged the compass dial.

It took her three tries as her hand was still shaking with a fury she was unused to. The fear…had been too familiar; an emotion she’d worked very hard to leave behind. Apparently not.

The fact that the dial face had come from a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk and had been sitting in the desert for at least fifteen years based on the scaling and edge corrosion was of little relevance to her. It made her point. Besides, she didn’t have one of this generation in her collection—bent or otherwise.

 ***********************

 (Note from ELF: Be advised that this is much darker than some of the other series by this author. I have been informed that things have been toned down slightly from the version I read, but please be aware of possible triggers)

My review:

4.25 stars

Drone by M.L. Buchman is an intense thriller that introduces Miranda Chase in the debut novel for her series. A mysterious aircraft crash in a very restricted area is Miranda’s newest assignment, but not only is she stymied at every turn in her quest to perform her duties, she is also saddled with a new team. There are mysteries underlying the mysteries, but careful analysis may be the clue to uncovering a shocking revelation that will reverberate around the world.

I will start by offering a trigger warning. Those who are sensitive to scenes of sexual abuse should be aware that there are multiple references sprinkled through the story. Personally, I had to step away from the book a couple of times, but I AM glad that I finished the story because it is an entertaining and compelling tale, and I like Miranda and would like to read more of the series. I was disturbed by the initial allusions of abuse that set up the background for a couple of the women, and although I understood that some of this was to lay the groundwork for motivation…I was sickened by the multiple descriptions of power inequity.

Fortunately, I did continue. As usual, this author introduces complex characters who are adept at confounding and fascinating both one another and the reader. There are multiple points of view, with a glimpse of the power games that nations play, and a thought-provoking demonstration of the price that many pay for machinations that may be part of a very long game. There is a nicely contained mystery that unfolds even as we come to know the major players in this particular story but there are also dangling threads that undoubtedly will come into play in subsequent stories. Those who enjoy intricate and intense spy thrillers as well as wonderfully competent and insightful heroines should definitely give this book a try and get pulled into an entertaining new series.

A copy was provided for review

Off the Leash by M.L. Buchman (review)

Off the Leash 
White House Protection Force, Book 1
by
M.L. Buchman


Blurb:


The White House Protection Force Saves the Day! Come meet the behind-the-scenes specialists who keep our White House safe—even while they lose their hearts.

White House Chocolatier Clive Andrews takes pride in the subliminal messages hidden in his State Dinner showstoppers. But there’s more than sensual sweets at risk when his heart begins to melt.

Sergeant Linda Hamlin left the Army after a decade of service. As the newest member of the U.S. Secret Service K-9 Team she expected flak. She didn’t expect to be paired with a misfit mutt named Thor. Together they face down bombers, master spies, and a teenage genius.

All of which might be manageable, if not for the handsome chocolatier who teaches her that a little indulgence can be a very good thing.


 Amazon link

Author Bio:

M.L. Buchman started the first of over 50 novels and as many short stories while flying from South Korea to ride across the Australian Outback. All part of a solo around-the-world bicycle trip (a mid-life crisis on wheels) that ultimately launched his writing career.

Booklist has selected his military and firefighter series(es) as 3-time “Top 10 Romance of the Year.” NPR and Barnes & Noble have named other titles “Top 5 Romance of the Year.” In 2016 he was a finalist for RWA's RITA award. He has flown and jumped out of airplanes, can single-hand a fifty-foot sailboat, and has designed and built two houses. In between writing, he also quilts. M.L. is constantly amazed at what can be done with a degree in geophysics. He also writes: contemporary romance, thrillers, and SF. More info at his website.

(Note from ELF: 

 Don't forget to sign up for the newsletter, there's a short story provided every month!)

 ************************

My review:

5 out of 5 stars

Off the Leash by M.L. Buchman is the first story in the ‘White House Protection Force’ series and introduces ex-Ranger Sergeant Linda Hamlin as she tries out for the Secret Service’s canine team. White House chocolatier Clive Andrews is an unexpected observer to her initial trial and their subsequent encounters deepen their relationship until their goals diverge. Finding a way to deal with the danger to her charges and her heart will take ingenuity, determination, and assistance from both four-footed and two-footed allies, she just has to be smart enough to accept the aid that is given.

This romantic suspense novella is a delicious addition to a series of novellas that give unique insights into those who serve in the White House. This particular story was really fun for me both because it focuses on the chocolatier Clive Andrews (and I was fascinated by the glimpses of this position and the delightful Advent calendar seen in “Daniel’s Christmas”) AND it includes the various canine teams that are responsible for security. I love this author’s stories because they vividly depict aspects of security that are not something I know anything about and they feature larger-than-life folks with incredible responsibilities who manage to find love, help protect those in high places, and blend danger, romance, and humor.

This is the beginning of a new series about the canine teams that protect the White House. Even better, it connects this group with the Henderson’s Ranch folks, since this particular story features a dog trained by ex-SEAL Stan Corman. I love the underestimated ‘floppy-eared’ canines with their specialized training and brilliance that is balanced by their love of play. It was great to have cameos by some of the key figures in the ‘Night Stalkers’ series and the effervescent Dilya was a great foil for Linda. The enigmatic Ms. Watson and her surprising secrets is a wonderful element to this story and I hope to see more of her in future stories, and yum, the elegant use of chocolate and the new terms I learned such as couverture were a definite bonus (although I needed my own chocolate fix before I was done!). I adore the bond between the canine and handler and I can’t wait to read about more of these fantastic teams.

A copy of this delicious title was provided to me for review

Nathan's Big Sky by M.L. Buchman (review)

Nathan's Big Sky
by M.L. Buchman



Blurb:
-a Henderson’s Ranch romance-

When Emily Beale and Mark Henderson retire to the family ranch in Montana, they enter a whole new world. Meeting all new people.

Chef Nathan Gallagher’s escape from New York City lands him in the most unlikely of places: Montana. With his past dumped and his future unknown, he seeks something new. If only he knew what.

Julie Larson, former rodeo star and born-and-bred cattle rancher, loves the prairie and the horses. The cattle ranch work with her three brothers? Not so much. The local cowboys labeling her as a Grade-A Prime catch? Even less. When she rescues Nathan from a near-death experience, her future and her heart alter past all imagining.
The only place a New York chef’s future and a Montana cowgirl’s heart can thrive? Under Nathan’s Big Sky.



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My review:

4.75 out of 5 stars

Nathan's Big Sky by M.L. Buchman is part of the “Henderson’s Ranch” series and details the challenges of Cordon Bleu chef Nathan Gallagher, who has made a radical change in his life and fled from his prestigious job in New York and retreated to rural Montana, ostensibly to visit his brother. His determination to find a niche for himself is complicated by his attraction to the heroine who ‘saves’ him from a longhorn cow named Lucy. Can this city boy make a home for himself in the wilds of Montana?

I loved the contrasts in this story, and the way perception is so deftly portrayed by the author. The opening scene is priceless, with the juxtaposition of Nathan’s desperate attempt to defend himself with a tire jack against the ‘vicious’ animal, let alone deal with the unfamiliar weather and confusing geography, and the ‘heroic’ rescue by a beautiful and capable but disdainful cowgirl. As with most of M.L.’s stories, the action starts immediately with characters who catch one’s attention and the more the tale unfolds, the more fascinating it becomes.

Nathan’s first encounter with Ama, whose striking appearance is…enhanced…by her bunny slippers, Lucy’s sometimes dangerous propensity to be somewhere she doesn’t belong (causing Mark’s showoff piloting to be extra exciting), and, best of all, Mark’s version of fly fishing as complicated by the eoose/melk/mook family unit kept me enthralled (and laughing maniacally) throughout the story. The beautiful romance that slowly flourishes is icing on the cake and of course, it was delightful as always to get glimpses of Mark and Emily and their remarkable capacity to excel and enjoy life. This was another excellent story from an impressively prolific author who never fails to entertain, and I look forward to reading other stories in this series!

 

I received a copy of this story for review

(and yes, I DID ask why it was Henderson's Ranch rather than Hendersons' Ranch, lol)

Amazon link

 

Damien's Christmas by M.L. Buchman (review)

Damien's Christmas
by M.L. Buchman

-a Night Stalkers White House romance-

NAME:Damien Feinman
JOB:Marine Corps Situation Room Duty Officer

NAME: Cornelia Day
JOB: White House Chief of Staff

After ten years, Damien’s duties as Sit Room watch officer let him see it all: the good, the bad, and the disastrous. But nothing prepared him for the beauty and power of the new Chief of Staff.

Cornelia’s new role as White House Chief of Staff leads her to the Situation Room where every crisis comes home to roost. A dozen years of assisting the now-President-elect never prepared her heart for what awaits her there.

Only together can they save Christmas in the nation’s capital. Only together can they discover Damien’s Christmas.

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My review:

4.75 stars

Damien’s Christmas by M.L. Buchman is a novella that is part of the ‘Night Stalkers White House’ series and follows Cornelia Day as she begins to deal with becoming Chief of Staff for President-elect Zachary Thomas. Complicating her life is cocky Damien Feinman, the head of the Situation Room duty watch who uses his talents as both a librarian and Marine to continue to efficiently perform his unprecedented tenure. The sparks that fly between them provide great entertainment for the powerful people who surround them, but a mysterious warning about an upcoming event could derail the new administration before it can even truly begin, and may prove fatal to the budding romance.

This contemporary story blends romance and suspense in a compelling tale that provides plenty of ‘aw’ moments with exciting action scenes even as it gives a unique glimpse of some of the complicated maneuvering accompanying the installation of a new president. Unfortunately, I have not read the other stories in this particular spinoff of one of my favorite military romance series, but that does not detract from my enjoyment of this particular tale. As usual, the author creates larger-than-life characters who are appealing for both their intellect and their physical prowess, even more impressive considering the familiar characters who already people this compelling series, some of whom popped in for their own cameos. I loved the tour of the lesser known areas of the White House and drooled over the description of the chocolatier’s creations, and my appetite is definitely whetted to visit the areas of D.C. so vividly described. This was a great way to armchair travel while enjoying a quick exciting tale.

A copy of this title was provided to me for review, a version of which was provided to Night Owl Reviews

Season's Greetings (updated)

I wish you and those who are important to you a wonderful holiday season filled with happy times and wonderful goodies to eat. Try to let tension and bad feelings go and enjoy the positive aspects of the season.



I am TRYING to catch up on some of my reviews, as well as enjoying the new releases from so many of my favorite authors. Naturally, I read things much quicker than I get them written up so the following are either part of my recently read or are near the top of the pile (0;  Maybe you'll find a title or two to spend your new GCs on!


(Please note: I am an Amazon affiliate, so clicking on the titles and buying ANYTHING during that visit may provide me with a small stipend...so thank you (0;)


Update: I have been told by someone who gets my posts by e-mail that NONE of the covers showed up! I promise, my life has been really hectic...but I really did put covers in. Who knows what happened to them?

I will try again, at least putting actual titles in...and hope that they go through. My apologies!

Some of these are ADULT titles




The Night Stalkers White House: Books 1-3
M.L. Buchman




Rejoice, Dammit
Kaje Harper




Den of Wolves
Juliet Marillier




Vicky Peterwald: Rebel
Mike Shepherd




As I Am
A.M. Arthur




Dragon Spawn
(fair warning, this ended on a CLIFFHANGER!)
Eileen Wilks




At Close Range
Laura Griffin




The Night Stalkers Whitehouse (Books 4-6)
M.L. Buchman

Way of the Warrior (fundraising anthology) Review

 4.5 out of 5 stars

Way of the Warrior is a fund-raising anthology of eight sizzling military romance stories penned by some of the top authors of the genre.  “NSDQ” by M.L. Buchman details the importance of the motto, ‘Night Stalkers Don’t Quit’ as it follows U.S. Army Captain Lois Lang as she comes to terms with the injury that ends her career as a Black Hawk pilot involved in combat search and rescue (CSAR).  “Beauty and the Marine” by Tina Wainscott (Jaime Rush) explores the actions of Griff Tate who is coping with both survivor’s guilt and the scarring that makes him wary of interacting with model Kristy Marsden.  “War Games” by Lea Griffith is a thrilling tale of Olivia (Vivi) Bentwood who sees beyond the reputation that prisoner Anthony “Rook” Granger and is willing to go to extraordinary lengths to help him and honor her fallen brother.  Suzanne Brockmann’s “Home Fire Inferno” gives a quick look at a SEAL with the unusual sobriquet of HoboMoFo, plus some of his teammates, as they go from ‘mission ready’ status to taking care of a mission that is all too far away yet just as vitally important as any they are used to handling.  “Torn” by Kate SeRine centers on Joe Dawson as he tries to pick up his life after being seriously injured and finds that he has to put aside his doubts to protect the woman he’s admired for years, and trust in his abilities and training.  Anne Elizabeth’s “SEALed With Passion” presents Lt. Cmdr. Jonah Melo and Alisha Winters, who need to learn to get beyond the past and truly communicate.  “Hot as Hell” by Julie Ann Walker showcases southern girl Harper Searcy whose life is endangered when the embassy she is serving in is attacked, but she has faith that SEAL Michael “Mad Dog” Wainwright will save the day, although no idea how she’s going to protect her heart.  Catherine Mann’s “In Plain Sight” features Stacy Currie who is struggling to survive being stalked by her ex-husband and finds she has to depend on Gavin Novak, who has been through many changes since he refused to comply with her ultimatum when they were both much younger, and fears to rekindle what they once shared.

Military romance stories have ready-made heroes inherent in the genre but their fascination lies in the contrast between the kick-ass capabilities displayed and the vulnerability of letting one’s guard down and allowing someone else to become essential for happiness and a sense of security.  This collection of stories has a delicious combination of scenarios that provide a look at the extreme sacrifices made by those individuals brave enough to put their lives on the line to keep the rest of us safe, even as it shows the extreme loyalty and camaraderie that develops between them.  I was delighted to revisit some of my favorite series with their iconic characters, including Buchman’s exciting Night Stalkers and Brockmann’s eclectic combination of SEALs, FBI agents and a movie star from the ‘Troubleshooters’ series even as I found exciting new series to explore.  The poignant and gutwrenching situations that result in scars that are both seen and unseen are balanced by the sensual interactions as each soldier finds someone who truly sees him or her, no matter what the outside packaging looks like.  This is a delicious and mesmerizing collection of stories that was difficult to put down, so don’t start this book unless you have a fair amount of time to devote to it!

© Night Owl Reviews 

I received a copy of this title in return for an honest review.  


Amazon link
 

Pure Heat by M.L. Buchman (review)

                                           



Pure Heat by M.L. Buchman is the exciting introduction to the ‘Firehawks’ series that is loosely connected to the impressive ‘Night Stalkers’ series. Steve (Merks) Mercer has retrained after a horrific accident ends his career as a well-respected smokejumper but he is still dealing with the aftermath when he joins the close-knit company that includes the remarkable Carly Thomas, known as the ‘Flamewitch’. Merks’ facility with handling the relatively new drones to help identify various aspects of the fires he is drawn to fight may give him a chance to impress Carly but her own painful history makes it difficult for him to get close to her. Fortunately, having Majors Beale and Henderson (retired Army SOAR pilots) as part of the company will provide plenty of opportunity for Merks to expand his skills as well as get to know Carly better...but he may not be ready for all of the challenges thrown his way, or is he?

This enthralling novel gives glimpses of the challenges and dangers of fighting wildfires even as it sets the framework for another intriguing series by this talented author. It is wonderful to get a chance to see a beloved couple from a previous series settle seamlessly into new roles which utilize their well-honed skills and the unexpected developments in this story promise even more adventures to come. The poignant and heartwrenching experiences that each of the main characters has undergone make this an emotional read even as the heartpounding adventures escalate with every fire that they fight. The heat sizzles between Merks and Carly as well as in the forests around them, but fortunately, moments of levity lighten the tension that escalates as the story unfolds. Another great tale that provides a thrilling and entertaining story and whets one’s appetite for more information about all of these characters.

© Night Owl Reviews 

I received a copy of this title in return for an honest review. 


                          


I haven't had a chance to read the other books in the series, but I definitely want to!  If you like great military adventure stories with fantastic heroes, make sure you look for the Night Stalkers series by this author.