~REVIEW of Cindy Gerard's TO THE EDGE~

To the Edge (Bodyguard, #1)
 

Opening Line: "Even among the masses populating West Palm Beach, Florida, Nolan Garrett found hundreds of places to be alone."

Jillian Kincaid is a TV anchor and the daughter of a wealthy businessman. Because of her father she grew up in the continual presence of bodyguards and hated it. Now when she begins to receive death threats Jillian is more then a little hesitant to except the bodyguard/hired thug that her father has secured for her.

Recently retired special Ops soldier Nolan Garrett has only been out for three months when his brothers and sister (of E.D.E.N security Inc) grow tired of his continuous drinking and depression and force him to take on one of their clients. He doesn't want the case and Jillian sure as hell doesn't want him in her apartment and shadowing her every move.

However Jillian soon proves not to be the spoiled princess Nolan was expecting and despite himself he starts to care even if she is super frustrating. Why won't she just leave him alone, why do they have to talk about...stuff? And how is it that she's not repelled by his back off, tough guy (I am an island) image? As Jillian's stalker gets closer and events turn deadly Nolan is willing to lay his life on the line and now possibly his heart too. Gah I just love these tortured heroes.

After 5-star-ing every book in Cindy Gerard's Black Ops series I was very excited to go back and read her Bodyguard series which I'd somehow missed before. However in saying that I think my love for her BOI's may have caused me to go into this with (unrealistically) high expectations because while this was good it never quite hit the great mark that I'd been expecting.

TO THE EDGE is definitely a slow burning romance And while I appreciated tough guy, bodyguard Nolan's "don't get involved with a client" ethics and especially his "you don't want to get involved with someone as damaged as me" (love those tortured heroes) I reached the point with them where I was like, enough, get it on already. Stop with the meaningful looks and double talk and just get it out of your systems.

That said once the sex (finally) got thrown in the mix and the stalker upped their game things really took off. Gerard managed to keep me guessing about the stalkers identity with several well placed suspects and Nolan and Jillian's chemistry was smoking hot. I also loved the fact that Jillian wasn't your typical spoiled damsel in distress and let's face it she had potential to go that way. Instead she fought for her man and managed to keep her head above, TSTL. Then we have Nathan's adorable (I don't need anyone but really I do) guilt complex, PTSD issues and that fantabulous ending on the boat, sigh. I really don't have anything to complain about here and I'll definitely be returning for the rest of this series and a croquet game or two from the looks of things.

~REVIEW of Cindy Gerard's WITH NO REMORSE~

With No Remorse (Black Ops, #6)


Opening Line: "Luke Colter's number one rule of self-preservation: Don't ignore the itch."

How great is it to be back with the BOI’s of Black-Ops Inc? I’ve seriously missed this series, as its been over a year since the last book and I think its one of the best romantic suspense's running right now. With this 6th instalment Cindy Gerard doesn’t disappoint either because we finally get Doc’s story and it's oh SO good.

I knew this fun loving cowboy medic would steal my heart I just didn’t expect to fall quite so hard or be given such candour into his fears and “ghosts”. Who knew that behind that sexy smile and sense of humour he was suffering so much? I loved getting to know the real Luke Colter (Indy fedora and all) and watching him find purpose with the woman of his dreams (literally).

WITH NO REMORSE is filled with non-stop action, adventure, passion and clever writing. Gerard whisks us away to yet another exotic South American location where we engage in shootouts, train robberies, kidnappings, explosions, donkey rides, the occasional pesky potato and some wicked arms dealers as our bad guys.

The romance is sweet, steamy and believable and with the entire wise cracking team showing up at about the half way mark I couldn’t have been happier. Yup, everyone makes a reappearance for the final show down including the ever lovable Johnny Reed, my boyfriend Gabe, Crystal and BJ (who kick serious ass) and even team leader Nate. It was fantastic catching up with everyone and seeing them in action. I should also mention that we get an intriguing look at Joe Green here and jeez does his upcoming story LAST MAN STANDING (*sigh* last in the series) ever have me excited.

We join our man Luke on a train in Peru. Its about a year since he was injured in the last book RISK NO SECRETS and he’s just coming off a much needed reprieve. Luke's body may be mended but his head still isn’t in the game and for the first time in his career he’s doubting his ability to still function as a valued team member. When bandits board the train and attempt to kidnap a “young boy” Doc’s training takes over, forcing him reluctantly back into hero mode.

With the bad guys in full pursuit it takes about a minute for Luke to realize he hasn’t rescued a boy but the woman of his teenaged fantasies. Just what the hell is supermodel philanthropist Valentina doing on a train in the middle of Peru? And who are the armed and very pissed off men hunting them down? More importantly though is how exactly is he going to not come across like a bumbling, star crazed stalker as he attempts to get her to safety?

I liked this romance a lot. Valentina although beautiful (she looks like Angelina Jolie, puleese) had a great back story and when it came right down to it was able to man up and well… save her man.  Together they had some fantastic moments evoking such memorable lines as “You had me at potato” and “We’ll always have Peru” I also loved that she called him Indy (the fedora was awesome and gave a nice visual aspect to Doc) Of course then there was the tear jerking secret goodbye at the limo, and damn that man knows how to grab a reader where it hurts.

I can’t say enough good things about this series, it captured me from book 1 SHOW NO MERCY and never let go. Each instalment is excellent; with hot alpha men falling hard for their lady loves. These guys are funny, endearing, good in bed and manage to give us quite a few sigh worthy moments while still packing a big gun and kicking major ass. The storylines are always exciting, expertly written and with a nice balance between the action and romance. I never find myself going “yeah right” with this series its just always amazing. Cheers

-And Rohg the last photo's for you babe :)

~REVIEW of Cindy Gerard's RISK NO SECRETS~

Risk No Secrets (Black Ops, #5)

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

Yippee kiy yay… Welcome to the fifth instalment of Cindy Gerard’s fast paced and thrilling Black-Ops series. Fans won’t be disappointed as this is another great ride, filled with action, adventure, passion and top notch writing. Gerard whisks us away to yet another exotic South American location where we engage in ridiculously exciting shootouts, multiple explosions and the occasional kidnapping. Oh and then theres that little helicopter thingy. Somehow our newest couple; Sophie and Wyatt “Papa Bear” Savage also get time for some sweet loving, and with their substantial back story (complete with flashbacks) you’ll feel particularly invested. Of course the entire wise-cracking team is back for this mission (loved catching up with them) and with a charming secondary romance taking root there was plenty going on here to hold my interest.

After twelve years of chasing bad guys around the globe Wyatt Savage is bone tired and beginning to get a little worried about his humanity. However when the woman he loved, lost and was never able to forget tracks him down from El Salvador he doesn’t hesitate to jump the first flight and rush to her rescue. Now why her husband isn’t the one doing the rescuing is a question Wyatt probably should have asked before he left, but he’s never been able to resist Sophie, so answers will have to wait.

Sophie is grateful it wasn’t her daughter taken in the kidnapping, but she won’t be able to rest until the girl who was mistakenly abducted is returned. Calling Wyatt though may have been a mistake because his arrival has made her realize that she never should have let him go in the first place and with an outrageous ransom demand to pay, unknown terrorists and the entire BOI’s team using her living room as a bachelor pad/mission headquarters, life just got mighty complicated.

This is another great read from a fantastic series that I can’t recommend enough. Wyatt as our hero is lovely, closing ranks as another one of my literary boyfriends with his honourable, angsty and believable character. Even with the amount of special ops stuff going down he never goes OTT and Gerard never gets too technical either even though it’s obvious she knows her guns. I also liked her less obvious choice of having the kidnapped child not be Sophie’s as it allowed for a more believable romance to develop. The flashbacks were another fun aspect; seeing Sophie make the choice between Wyatt or Hugh, then witnessing Wyatt’s heartache as he steps aside and watches his best friend marry the woman he loves. Sigh. And even though you’ll guess the bad guy early on the actual outcome still surprised me. All completed here of course with Gerard’s signature poker playing ending.

Now though with only 2 single BOI’s left I’m starting to get a little antsy. Hopefully we’ll see some hunky new men introduced to Black-Ops soon or maybe Gerard will thrill us with another awesome spin off?

"He'd been in the country for roughly 2 hours. So far he'd gotten caught in a terrorist attack, killed 2 men, saved a mother and a child and bled all over his favourite shirt. And it was still more than an hour before noon. A typical day in the life of Wyatt Savage."

~REVIEW of Cindy Gerard's -FEEL THE HEAT~

Feel the Heat (Black Ops, #4)

Opening 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."

FEEL THE HEAT is the forth instalment in Cindy Gerard’s fast paced and super-sexy Black-Ops series and fans won’t be disappointed. This is yet another great ride, filled with action, adventure, exotic locations, sweet lovin and top notch writing. Although for some reason I never felt as connected to B.J and Raphael as past couples I still enjoyed their story and with the entire wise-cracking team back for this particular mission (loved catching up with them) and a sweet secondary romance there was plenty going on here to hold my interest. My only gripe would be that about halfway in it all started to feel very familiar and I realized with disappointment that I had already read this exact plotline in KILLER SECRETS one of Lora Leigh’s better Tempting Seals books. However I still enjoyed Cindy’s version and she remains a definite auto-buy for me.

B.J Chase is a brash, somewhat emotionally cold Defence Intelligence Officer who first meets bad boy Raphael Mendoza while they’re both undercover in Venezuela. It’s not a great meeting for our future couple what with the guns they have pointed at each other but it does however leave a lasting impression.

Back in the States B.J is assigned to work with the Black Op’s and she’s not exactly thrilled, these boys are a very tight team (see below) who play by their own rules and B.J is used to working alone. Of course this book starts out with a bang and just keeps going, with multiple shoot outs, car chases and a general feeling of suspense. Gerard gives us a clever storyline, oozes the sexual tension and in the second half manages to put our couple in close quarters as they pose as a newly engaged couple and go deep undercover in Columbia.

This is where Rafe gets reacquainted with his long lost (drug cartel) family and in BJ’s case she takes on the hilarious alter ego of ‘Brittany.’ A fluffy, gum cracking, money digging, true blonde that Rafael can‘t keep his Latin lovin hands off (I actually preferred Brittany to B.J) Anyways, from here things really start to steam up and emotions neither of them expected come out to play. Along with some serious explosions, a runaway train and several more hair raising shootouts where BJ proves her worth to the team, they try to stop an armed submarine and Raphael finally learns what B.J (!) stands for.

All in all this is another great read, complete with Gerard’s signature ending and while it could be read as a stand alone I highly recommend the entire romantic-suspense filled series. Now the wait begins for the next instalment (RISK NO SECRETS) Cheers.

~REVIEW of Cindy Gerard's WHISPER NO LIES~

ANOTHER FAST PACED, SEXY READ FROM THE BOI's

Whisper No Lies (Black Ops, #3

Opening Line: "It was business as usual at Bali Hai Casino on the Vegas strip, which meant that every nut job and wacko who could arrange bail was on the prowl."

WHISPER NO LIES is another thrilling instalment from Cindy Gerard’s Black-Ops series and with each book better than the last this is a great ride. Skilfully whisking us away to yet another exotic location Gerard gives us a kick butt heroine this time to go along with the daring roof top rescues, shootouts, explosions and boat chases. We also get the sweetest of love stories between a couple that never expected to find it especially with each other. Of course the entire team turns up so there’s also some great secondary characters who when tied together with an international crime lord and human trafficking give you everything you could possibly want in romantic suspense.

Crystal and Johnny as our heroes were first introduced to us in TAKE NO PRISONERS and have in fact been sleeping together ever since which is part of what makes this story so interesting. I’ve never read a romance before where the couple is already together and wondered how the author was going to make it exciting without the usual build up to “the deed” Well let me tell you Gerard manages and then some. This is one exciting couple and watching them try to keep things casual when emotions take over is a lot of fun. The first time they do ‘it’ with feeling there are tender looks and words and then when each subsequently freaks out you’ll laugh but your heart strings will give a little tug too.

When a wealthy Asian man propositions Crystal at the Vegas casino she manages she flat out refuses and immediately puts the strange man and his cronies out of her mind. I mean it’s not like men don’t hit on her all the time besides right now her hands are full with Texan heartbreaker Johnny Reed. His mystery job has him out of town again which suits Crystal just fine because as good as the sex is and as much as she likes him she knows Johnny will never be anything more than just a fling. That night however sees Crystal getting kidnapped and when she wakes up in Jakarta Indonesia, branded and a prisoner in Yao’s white slavery ring she knows she‘s in serious trouble. Now if she only knew someone who could rescue her, someone with say military training and a whole team to back him up.

Despite his flirty grin and playboy ways Johnny can’t get Crystal off his mind, damn if that little pixie hasn’t found a way into his closed off heart. When she goes missing its up to Johnny to get the BOI’s together and lead a potential suicide mission into Yao’s lair to rescue her and likely ruin his carefree heartbreaker act in the process.

This is a fantastic series that I can’t get enough of and Gerard’s not so happily-ever-after endings continue to leave me guessing until the last moment before providing a glimpse of our couples future and updates on past characters. Cheers

-As you can guess Lost's Sawyer is my perfect Johnny Reed

~REVIEW of Cindy Gerard's TAKE NO PRISONERS~

Take No Prisoners (Black Op's #2)

Opening Line: "A gecko, low slung, forked feet flying, skittered across the sill of an open window, hauling ass as if it actually had somewhere to go."

I'm loving this series! TAKE NO PRISONERS is another WOW read from Cindy Gerard’s fantastic Black-Ops BOI’s. This cleverly written story starts off with a bang and just keeps on going. Filled with action and suspense a-plenty Gerard whisks the reader to exotic locations filled with car chases, shootouts and several wicked bad guys all trying to out smart each other over a damn big diamond. Somehow our couple still manages to get in some passionate yet tender love scenes and with a whole team of interesting secondary characters this is everything you want in romantic suspense.

Ever since her divorce and a few subsequent bad dates Abbie Hughes no longer trusts men, besides between going to school, worrying about her wayward younger brother and working nights as a Vegas blackjack dealer who has the time? Her one vice would have to be her wild girlfriend Crystal but even she can’t persuade Abbie to let loose. All that changes the night Sam Lang sits down at one of her tables, On the outside he appears to be a shy rancher who just happens to look mighty fine in a pair of Wranglers but Sam Lang is much more.

Sam, a recently retired member of Black-Ops Inc is on a vengeful quest to find the international crime lord who murdered his sister. His leads have brought him to Abbie and her brother Cory who he suspects are involved in a lucrative gem smuggling business and working with Nader, the man responsible. To find Nader Sam is going to have to use Abbie however the more he gets to know her the less convinced he is that she’s involved and the harder its getting to fight the growing attraction between them. When Cory goes missing in Honduras Sam and Abbie are forced to work together to locate him and on Sam’s end obtain his ultimate goal, revenge. Together with the entire Black-Ops team they head into the Honduran backcountry using Abbie as the bait and with Sam now willing to lay down his life to protect her revenge may just have to wait.

I will admit that I didn’t fall for our hero Sam nearly as hard as I did for Gabe from book #1 SHOW NO MERCY however as a whole this story is much tighter and could easily be read as a stand alone. I should also mention how much I’m loving the ending chapters in this series, Gerard doesn’t just tie the story together into a neat little happily-ever-after, she leaves you hanging until the very last minute then follows through providing us with a glimpse of our couples future and I love that. Here we also get an update on my boyfriend Gabe from the last book (he’s doing fine now thanks)

~REVIEW of Cindy Gerard's SHOW NO MERCY~



~WOW THIS ONE'S A KEEPER~



Show No Mercy (Black Ops, #1)

Opening Line"Tracer rounds zipped across the murky darkness, lighting up the night sky in brilliant slashes of red, yellow and green~

WOW THIS ONE'S A KEEPER~ Did I mention Wow? I absolutely loved this book it's got everything you could possibly want in a romantic suspense; uber alpha-male hero, exotic locations, suspense, drama, explosions, gunfights, hot sweaty jungles, passionate love scenes, psychotic villains, movie-worthy action scenes and some of the most touching dialogue I've read (gotta love those tortured heroes.) There's also a sweet secondary romance and best of all a whole team of Black Ops just waiting to have their stories told next.

Usually a book is somewhat entertaining or nice to read before bed, well SHOW NO MERCY gave me actual emotions. At times my heart was racing, I was tense, sad, angry, and found myself swearing with surprise. Then just when I thought everything was going to be all wrapped up nice and happily-ever-after Gerard twisted the ending, briefly left me hanging and created a lifelong fan. This is one of those books that will stay with me for a long time and I've just ordered the rest of the Black-Ops series.

Only two things could take journalist Jenna McMillan back to Buenos Aires after being held captive by terrorists months before: a rare interview with reclusive billionaire Maxim and the memory of the tough and oh so sexy man who saved her before. Gabriel Jones is a warrior and after a lifetime in the military and profound personal loss he is scarred both inside and out. Missions and combat are his way of life now.

He and the other members of Black-Ops have just been hired to protect Maxim which is a happy coincidence because they're also watching him for presumed terrorist connections. So when a bomb explodes at Jenna's interview Gabe is right there to save her life although he's badly injured in the process. When it becomes apparent that Jenna not Maxim is the target she's forced to join Gabe and the mercenaries. However this is no coincidence and a ruthless enemy is now stalking them both.

THEN things really heat up and man there's a lot going on. With Gabe and Jenna fighting for their lives (and Gabe briefly turning into Rambo) their growing feelings take center stage and the sexual tension is almost as fantastic as the fast paced action. Jenna is strong yet vulnerable and Gabe is filled with so much guilt that he may never let her into his heart, turning his back on her just when he needs her most.

I will admit in the beginning my mind wandered as we got a very detailed back story and introduction to a huge cast of characters however things picked up rapidly and chapter 25 nearly put me over the edge...I'll be back for TAKE NO PRISONERS. Cheers!