To the Edge

This is the first book I have read from this author and actually really enjoyed it. I can't wait to find some more of Cindy's books. ( )

TV anchor and media mogul daughter, Jillian Kincaid is receiving death threats. Her father wants her protected at all costs. Who better to serve as her bodyguard than an ex Special Ops Army Ranger, Nolan Garrett? Nolan expects a spoiled, privileged princess but he gets anything but. She's smart, sexy, fiercely independent and stubborn to a fault. As the stalker ups the ante, can Nolan keep her safe while keeping her at an emotional distance or will he lose Jillian before he can figure out what he knows in his heart is true?

I immediately liked Jillian. She may be privileged but she's anything but a spoilt little rich girl who thinks the world owes her based on her bloodline. Even in the face of danger, she rarely crumbled and faced her fears head on. Jillian is the kind of heroine that I find lacking in quite a few books. When her attraction to Nolan starts to flare, she's neither pushy nor insecure, she just knows what she wants.

Nolan has many scars both physical and emotional that are seeded in his time in service in both Afghanistan and Iraq. He has regrets and guilt over some things that happened there and he doesn't feel worthy of a woman like Jillian, social status aside. I couldn't really blame him for his brooding nature.

The mystery was good. I had the wrong person pegged from beginning to end and didn't see the surprise coming when all was revealed. Darin Kincaid was let off the hook a little too easily by his family. His wife fell into a deep depression from dealing with multiple miscarriages and he felt lonely so he sought comfort in a one night stand. Real stand-up guy, not. The fact that he fathered an illegitimate child that set the events for this story in motion just shows that some people aren't away of the repercussions of their selfish actions.

I also liked how the heroine was the one to go after the hero in the end instead of the other way around.

( )

To the Edge
4 Stars

Similar premise to Kill Me Twice by Roxanne St.Claire but the focus is more on the romance and less on the suspense.

While the stalker plot is decent and has some disturbing moments, the seriousness of the threat lacks substance and the action is subdued. Although the climax is exciting and the resolution satisfying, the numerous red herrings and lack of sufficient clues make it difficult to pinpoint the culprit - I had it narrowed down to two and it turned out to be neither, which caught me by surprise (in a good way).

The romance is the real highlight. Jillian and Nolan have tangible chemistry and the build up of sexual tension is slow and intense, and contributes to their increasing emotional bond so that the eventual "I love yous" are completely believable and not based solely on sex.

The characters are well-developed and compelling. Nolan is a complex and realistic hero. Recurring episodes of PTSD and feelings of guilt following his experiences as a Ranger make it difficult for him to reconnect with civilian life until Jillian forces him to acknowledge that some things are worth fighting for. Jillian is a very likeable heroine - she is down to earth despite her wealthy background and, if anything, cares too much about people. She is smart and stubborn but knows her limitations and, thankfully, has no TSTL moments.

Nolan's family are endearing and I look forward to continuing with the series, which focuses on the rest of the Garrett siblings. ( )

3.5 stars ( )

This was a pretty suspense novel that had a lot of angst about not being good enough for each other. There was a small about of romance and one steamy sex scene the rest was the mystery. I liked the characters, the scene setups, plot moved along at a fairly good clip. There just wasn't andy heat, no wanting to go sit in the freeze so you could cool off. I will probably read some of Ms. Gerard's other books to see if she adds anymore heat to them. ( )