Justice: A Choose a Hero Romance™ by Tracy Tappan (Spotlight, excerpt, and review)

 

Justice

A Choose A Hero Romance™
by
Tracy Tappan

 

 

 

Now, more than ever, don’t you want choice and control in your life?

Get your hands on the new trend that’s taking the romance world by storm!
 

Tracy Tappan’s Choose A Hero Romance™
Where the reader controls the ending!

JUSTICE:
A Choose A Hero Romance™

A star athlete with a notorious reputation, Justine “Justice” Hayes is offered the chance to join the United States’ elite Special Operations Forces. SOF is standing up three new units called “Special Missions,” and Justice’s past as a master thief makes her perfect to lead one of these intelligence-gathering teams.

But an impossible condition stands between her and her dream job.

She has to survive the Navy’s most intensive and grueling SPECWAR training program: BUD/S.

Despite opposition, Justice soon finds herself wearing the rank of a Navy ensign and competing with some of America’s toughest men. Two of these SEAL candidates will come to test her mind and her heart, as much as her will to keep business and pleasure firmly separate. Temptations multiply when she crosses swords with the cocky helicopter pilot who commands her Special Missions flight crew.

Her vow to maintain a professional distance is finally shaken when an unorthodox training exercise goes terribly wrong. In the brutal aftermath, she needs a man who cares about her to help her fully heal.
But which hero will ultimately win her...?

The gentleman? The leader? The bad boy?

YOU CHOOSE!

In this unique Choose A Hero Romance™, the reader decides which hero will earn a happily ever after with Justice Hayes.

Love every hero in his own way?

You can have as many happily-ever-afters as you want!

When you’re finished with one ending, simply choose another and keep reading.

All endings are available NOW

* Every Choose A Hero ending is different, complete with a distinct mission, individual character arcs, and exclusive story secrets.

Choose one book or all…a unique story waits for you in every one!

Content guidelines: This book contain profanity, some violence, and adult content. There is one scene not suitable for gentle readers, but the specifics of the scene are outlined before it occurs, allowing the reader to easily bypass it and skip ahead.
Please note the following:

• This is NOT a ménage romance. One ending equals one true-love hero.
  
• This is not a love triangle. In the main story, the heroine will be drawn to all three heroes in different ways, but she will only truly love the one man you choose for her.
  
• This is not a cheating lovers story. The heroine isn’t cheating on one hero when you choose another for her; rather, she goes on to live a different romance along a unique timeline.

** Now’s your chance to have your cake and eat it too—to make three different life choices vicariously through the heroine, and so earn herself multiple happily-ever-afters.

IMPORTANT: THIS IS NOT A COMPLETE NOVEL. This is the first part only of a Choose A Hero Romance™. Each ending is available on a separate bookseller page and contains between 140 and 160 pages of additional content. Readers may enjoy as many endings as they choose.

And please don’t forget to come back here and tell everyone what you think of the heroes!

 

 

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Excerpt: 

When the day was secured, Justice stalked over to the enlisted barracks and planted herself at the flagpole outside, waiting with her temper on high boil.

A few minutes later, Ziegler and Sniper Kilgour strolled by.

Ziegler’s eyes rounded on her. “Whoa, Hayes. Your head looks like a plum.”

She compressed her lips into a flat seam. Yes, she’d seen it, thank you. Her temple was swollen into a healthy knot, the flesh of the wound staining into the kind of dark bruising that made it look like a squid had taken a dump on her head. “Could you tell Petty Officer Knight I’d like to speak with him, please?”

“Uh, okay.” Ziegler bolted inside, Kilgour following.

Ziegler must have warned Knight about her eat-shit-and-die expression. When he stepped outside his face was already set.

Well. Since he was braced for it… “Do you realize how close I came to a medical rollback today, and all because you couldn’t mind your own damned business?”

He crossed his arms and spoke with an edge. “I didn’t realize the welfare of my boat team wasn’t my business.”

There was enough sarcasm in his tone to make her want to rip it out of his larynx. She gave him an acid glare. “You need to learn to pay attention when I say I’m good.”

A muscle jumped in his jaw. “A flap of your skin was hanging down.”

“I don’t give a damn!” she yelled.

“I do!” he thundered back. “It would’ve been grossly negligent of me not to send you to medical.”

She clenched her teeth, nausea bubbling at the back of her throat. The length of her esophagus felt like it was covered in road-rash. How awesome would it be if she puked, then fainted in the middle of this argument?

Keith shook his head. “Look at you, Justice. You’re gray.”

She thrust a tautly knuckled fist against her lips. Get through this…get through this… “Before I lose my mind,” and consciousness, “I need to make sure you understand something. On my completely hosed journey to BUD/S, I almost didn’t make it out of PTRR. If I’m rolled back there a second time for an injury, I might not ever escape. So I need you to stop being an overprotective jerk and treat me like a regular candidate—like we agreed—and I need you to do it right now—like I told you yesterday.”

He regarded her flatly. “No.”

“No?” Her head pounded so hard, she saw double for a second. She was getting really sick of this man acting like her basic human rights were optional. “You can’t say no. I’m not asking you to pass the fruit salad. I’m telling how I want to be treated as a human being.”

“If I see you wavering, I’m not walking by. If I see you on the ground, I can’t just step over you. That’s not the man I am. So the thing that needs to happen right now is for you to chill out.”

She dragged air through her teeth. The pigheaded dick wasn’t even making a pretense of caring about her needs. She stood in place, bile in her brain and anger in her throat—or something like that. “Now I really need you to pay attention. Are you, Knight? Listening? Carefully?”

He gave her a burning look.

“If you end up sabotaging my career out of some misguided notion that your chauvinistic pampering is actually leadership, then I will hack into all your accounts and destroy your life. Do you understand that?”

“We’re done here.”

Are we? My, how the wrangler did enjoy bossing her around. “If you say so. You’re the boat team leader.” She cut around him, circumnavigating a bush. Her legs were trembling. This fight with Keith was definitely a fight-fight. There wasn’t a single sexual underpinning to how she felt right now—like she wanted to smash his face and bash his head and feed him his own balls.

“By the way,” she threw back at him, “pudding is for girls. Be a man and eat a candy bar for once, you pussy.” Storming across the grounds to the officers’ barracks, she thundered into her bedroom and slammed the door.

Amazon link

NB: This book is FREE, but ends on a cliffhanger that is resolved when one purchases the ending that features the hero(es) that the reader is interested in following.

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My review:

 

 

4.5 stars

 

Enthralling free military romance story. Well-written cliffhanger with a twist...the reader chooses which hero's story to purchase and follows the story to its romantic conclusion. Each of the three heroes' journey is individualized and provides a different ending to this unique tale.

 

I love capable and kick-ass heroines, and Justice has insane courage and determination. The different perspective of BUD/S training for SEALs is intense and gritty and not for the faint of heart. Those with triggers or who are squeamish should be aware that there are definite physical and emotional obstacles that these warriors face.

 

This author always does a great job of immersing the reader in the challenging world of those who serve in the military, and this story is no exception. I loved the way this particular tale was heroine-centric even as it provided glimpses of three very different alpha males. This is one of those books that grips the reader in the action and makes one stay up far too late, just to see how things turn out...but...in this case one doesn't get a resolution until a particular hero is selected.

 

I think it's going to be fun to see which hero readers fall in love with, and I hope to read more of these types of stories.

 

 

 

A copy of this story was provided for review

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Man Down by Tracy Tappan (review) ADULT title

Man Down
by Tracy Tappan



Man Down by Tracy Tappan is Book 3 in the ‘Wings of Gold’ series, that is first and foremost military fiction, with some romance interspersed. This particular tale focuses on Lieutenant Commander Jason Vanderby as he tries to survive after being blindsided by a horrific attack. He is joined in his arduous journey by his estranged former best friend, Shane Madden, and Dr. Farrin Barr. They have to depend on each other through a crucible of challenges, and survive long enough to work through their past and present traumas in order to have any kind of meaningful future.

This is a thrill-filled, suspenseful tale that starts with a description of the intense challenges faced to become a SEAL and ratchets up higher and higher throughout the story. Told through three points of view, this glimpse of the stamina and courage required to survive in a war zone is full of violence and savagery yet is leavened by the emotion and complicated relationships shared by the three main characters. The history between the two males, Jason and Shane, is revealed gradually in a counterpoint to the revelations of Farrin’s past while the intense action accompanying their struggle for survival keeps the reader invested in their story.

I love the realism this author brings to her stories even as I ache at the experiences that form the framework for her repertoire. The ability to draw the reader in and allow insight into the daily tragedies and heartbreak that is compartmentalized to allow these brave soldiers to continue fighting for our freedom and safety is a remarkable gift that she shares unstintingly. Those who have triggers should be forewarned that there is considerable grisly violence, including a heartwrenching execution of a family pet.

This is a story that you want to start only if you have plenty of time, because once you start, you will be immersed in a thrilling and vivid adventure that will keep you up late at night while you cheer, groan, and bite your nails, willing things to turn out positively. Those unfamiliar with the series will have no problem reading this as a stand-alone story, but will undoubtedly be gladdened to discover there are more alpha males to read about when this book is finished. Enjoy the adventure, I am sure there are plenty more to look forward to!


A copy of this story was provided to me for review, a version of which has been offered to Night Owl Reviews


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Allied Operations by Tracy Tappan (spotlight, excerpt and review + GIVEAWAY opportunity) ADULT title

Allied Operations

by Tracy Tappan

Note from the author: Some years ago, a good friend of mine (who was in the same naval helicopter squadron as my husband) suffered through a horrific helicopter crash. This book depicts some of the real events of that accident. Please be forewarned that, although the story is ultimately one of triumph, it is heart-wrenching in spots.

Blurb:  Compelled to join an operation by an admiral with a personal agenda, Lieutenant Kyle “Mikey” Hammond finds himself thrust into the harsh desert terrain of northern Pakistan. Four American engineers have been kidnapped, and Kyle is tasked to work with Samantha, a civilian authority on Pakistan, whose expertise in terrorist negotiations is the hostages’ only hope. However, this is just one part of Kyle’s assignment. He’s also operating off a set of top-secret orders that could ruin his military career.

From the outset, Samantha’s negotiations with the terrorists walk the sharp edge between life and death. But she is an expert at such shrewd tactics…tactics that soon begin to mirror her personal dealings with the enigmatic Navy lieutenant. Determined to unearth the true Kyle, Samantha engages in a cat-and-mouse game with him that ends up peeling away some of her own carefully concealed layers. Once both their masks are lowered, love blossoms between them. But when the daring hostage rescue finally gets underway, a horrifying accident nearly shatters everything they’ve worked to attain. Their survival will hinge on the strength of their love…and if the man she’s certain can save the day will become the hero he’s convinced he’s not.

Content warning: contains profanity and adult situations.

Author's website

Excerpt:

“Dammit.” Kyle moved over to Samantha’s cot and sat down. “I hate doing nothing.”

“Me, too.” She picked up a small, locally made purse off the top of Kitty’s bookshelf and ran her thumb over the colorful Sindhi patchwork design. “But we don’t have a choice. It’s out of our hands.” 
 

Kyle hefted a large breath and glanced outside the tent door. “Nothing to do around this Deliveranceville aid station, either,” he mused. “I never thought I’d get a hankering for a steel beach barbeque.” 
 

She laid the purse down. “What’s a steel beach barbeque?” 
 

“It’s a like a picnic we have sometimes on the ship while we’re underway,” he said, bringing his attention back to her. “We clear the flight deck and put out barbeques, cook up dogs and burgers, maybe set up a basketball hoop in the hangar.”

She smiled. She could imagine Kyle doing all of that. Maybe in a pair of shorts…? “Sounds like a kick.”

He shrugged. “Kills time when we’re not working.”

“I think there’s a movie tonight in the mess tent,” she offered.

“Eleven hours from now,” he complained.

She grabbed a deck of playing cards off Kitty’s second shelf and held it up.

“We could play cards.”

Kyle glanced at the cards, then his gaze moved up to her face, holding there for two beats before slipping to meander down her body. One corner of his mouth lifted. “I think I’ve got a better way to chase off some boredom.” He languidly stretched out on her bed, crossing his legs at the ankles and folding his hands behind his head. The pose displayed a set of wide lats and his beautifully formed biceps to perfection. Not to mention that his crossed legs bunched up the sizable bulge at his crotch. “Let’s have sex.”

She hiked a single brow at him as she lay down the card deck. “Because you’re bored?”

“Because it’s fun,” he countered, his voice softening to a velvety rasp, a teasing light dancing into his eyes.

Hello. The seductive predator from the Jebel Ali Club was back. She sighed to herself. This time, however, she knew what waited for her on the other end of Kyle’s charm. How to let him down easily…? She ran her fingers through her bangs as she considered options. She was a firm believer in truth-telling, but she didn’t want to hurt Kyle’s feelings with an outright, No, thank you, it wasn’t enjoyable for me statement. Because beneath this smooth operator, she’d discovered a man with a lot of heart. I seem to be making a nasty habit of killing people on deployments. She’d never forget the hurt confusion she’d seen flicker over his expression when he’d said that.

He grinned. “You’re not going to start playing shy on me now, are you?”

“No. Just…”

His grin turned into a knowing chuckle.

Oh, boy. “I’m just not a casual hookup woman, Kyle. I’d never had a one-night stand before you, so…” She broke off. Drat. She hadn’t wanted to spill that.

“You are trying to play shy,” he said, his words interwoven with continued laughter. “Look, honey, I know you had a good time with me.”

Er…

“A guy can tell these things, especially a man like me whose equipment is…hmm, how shall I put it?” His hands whipped out from behind his head and he shot up onto his elbows, his eyes narrowing down to tight slits.

“What the hell?”

She startled. “What?” Talk about a sudden mood change. “What’s what the hell?”

“You did something with your mouth.”

I did? “My mouth?” What had she done?

“You grimaced.”

“I…”

He swung up to a sitting position, his boots hitting the floor with a solid wump. “Did I hurt you?”

Mayday, mayday. Hard collision with his male ego imminent. “No. It was, uh, a little uncomfortable at first, but then—hey!”

He’d just slammed to his feet, his eyes on fire with a mixture of emotions. Pissed off was a prominent one, but she was reasonably sure she also saw mortified in there.

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My review

4.5 out of 5 stars

“Allied Operations” by Tracy Tappan is part of the ‘Wings of Gold’ series and features Lieutenant Kyle (Mikey) Hammond, who has been assigned to a mission to help with hostage release negotiations from terrorists in Pakistan.  Forced to work with a civilian he reluctantly finds himself attracted to, Mikey must face both physical and emotional dangers as he tries to find a way to complete his mission successfully, but things don’t always go as expected, no matter how carefully plans are laid.

One of the key elements to presenting a compelling story is the ability to create a vividly realistic story that grabs the reader and immerses him or her in the action.  This author excels at providing an exciting roller coaster ride that combines danger, passion, emotionalism, and a glimpse of the crucible that hones those who serve to defend and protect.  I am appreciative of the myriad of details that give only a small portion of the military experience even as I ache for the sacrifice and steep price paid by these loyal and brave men and women.  The very first story in this terrific military romance series drew me in, and they have continued to enthrall me even as I am saddened by various revelations about the characters, who seem determined to prove the adage, ‘that which does not kill us makes us stronger’.  Be warned, both tissues and a strong stomach will undoubtedly be required for this exciting story, as well as enough time to savor a tale that will be hard to put down.  I look forward to more tales about these imperfect, yet loyal and courageous folks!

A copy of this story was provided to me for review purposes.

If you like my review, a vote at this link would be appreciated!


Other titles in this series:

 

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Beyond the Call of Duty by Tracy Tappan (Excerpt, review and GIVEAWAY) GFT (ADULT title)

Beyond the Call of Duty

by Tracy Tappan

ADULT title

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GENRE: Military romantic suspense

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BLURB:

Eric “LZ” O’Dwyer, a senior lieutenant stationed out of San Diego, is in command of his own helicopter detachment out of the HSM-75 Wolf Pack. Deployed off the coast of South America on a counterdrug operation, Eric jumps at the chance to take down a ruthless drug lord. But to do it, he’ll have to join forces with badass DEA Agent Nicole Gamboa. Infiltrating the drug lord’s mansion is crucial to the mission, and to pull it off, Eric and Nicole have to play out an intimate scene together that leaves them both reeling.

In the aftermath, Eric wants to foster something real with Nicole, but there is a secret part of Nicole’s life that makes a relationship impossible. The mission erupts again, and Nicole and Eric end up relying on each other in ways they’d never predicted. The stakes are raised to their highest when the drug lord gains the upper hand, and living or dying hinges on a final showdown between Nicole and her past…and whether Eric can get to her in time!

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EXCERPT

Her DEA partner, Ryan, was at her side in two paces. “You’ve got the wrong idea about what just happened, Nicole.”

Nicole squared her chin and walked faster, nearing the doorway into the Air Traffic Control tower.

“Would you stop—” Ryan grabbed her arm—“and let me talk to—?”

She whirled, and with a hard downward chop of her hand, crashed his hold off her.

Ryan barked in pain.

“I have two black belts in martial arts!” she shouted into her partner’s face. “Do you ever bother to remember I’m more than a pair of tits?”

“Hey, what’s going on?” Eric jogged up to them, hauling off his flight helmet. “Are you two okay?” Behind him, the helicopter’s rotors were still turning.

Aagaard kept his eyes on her. “That wasn’t about your ability to fight. It was about distraction. The target was going to blow us to Kingdom Come. There weren’t any other options I could see for handling the situation other than what we did. You either, or you would’ve mentioned them. I knew it would work. And it did.”

“Congratulations.” Her voice came out of a dark pit in her stomach. “You’ve seen my breasts now, Ryan. Maybe you—”

“What?” The one word cracked out of Eric like a bullet from a gun.

“—finally stop being such a jerk.”

Ryan’s face flushed a strangled shade of red. “You’re out of your skull if you think that’s what this was about.”

“Right. Then why do you keep blushing?” Nicole reached for the door handle to the tower.

A hand grabbed her arm again. Eric’s.

“Everyone needs to stop touching me.”

“I’m sorry,” Eric said, dropping his hand. “I just want to make sure you’re okay.”

“No, Eric, I’m not okay.” She turned to face him fully. “I haven’t been okay since we pretended to have sex together.”

Buy links:

BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY:

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Tracy is the bestselling and award-winning author of gritty romance, her books spanning genres across paranormal (The Community series), military romantic suspense (The Wings of Gold series), and medieval historical (The Baron’s War trilogy). During nearly twenty-five years spent as a naval aviator’s wife, she lived all over the United States and in Europe, enjoying seven years overseas in the diplomatic community, first in Rome then in Madrid, until she settled back in San Diego. Tracy holds a master’s degree in Marriage, Family, and Child Counseling (MFCC), loves to play tennis, is a volunteer puppy raiser for Guide Dogs for the Blind, and enjoys a good glass of wine. To learn more, please visit her website at www.tracytappan.com  

Social networking:

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Eightball Two-Three:

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My review:


4.5 stars



Beyond the Call of Duty by Tracy Tappan is part of the ‘Wings of Gold’ series and gives a glimpse of the lives of senior lieutenant and pilot Eric O’Dwyer and DEA agent Nicole Gamboa as they join forces to try to take down a drug lord. Their forced proximity causes them to become far more intimate than either would normally have pushed for so quickly, but multiple factors interfere with the development of any ‘normal’ relationship—including family drama, high-risk vocations, residences in different countries, and danger looming. Good thing each believes in fighting for what is important!

This tension-filled military romantic suspense story is filled with excitement, realism, and plenty of larger-than-life characters. I love women who are warriors in their own right and Nicole is definitely a capable and deadly operative, and the cocky and self-assured Eric makes a great match for her. I thought the original scenario that brought them together was a bit lame and couldn’t believe that anyone seriously thought their mission was going to succeed, but I realize that one really had to suspend disbelief in order for the rest of the story to spool out. Despite that, the action was intense, and I loved the realism provided by all of the genuine terminology scattered throughout the story, and I appreciate the glossary in the back for those of us who are curious. There are multiple threads dangled throughout the story, some of which are resolved, and others that make me curious about what is going to happen next, but not so much that this is a cliffhanger. I have not read the other stories in the series and was just fine reading this as a stand-alone story but I really enjoyed the author’s style and am anxious to read more adventures featuring these remarkable folks.

(Update:  I was informed that the footnotes that distracted me so much were a function of my reading the story in the pdf format and aren't an issue in the other e-versions...that is definitely a relief!)

A copy of this title was provided to me for review