Cindy Gerard just proved again why she is on my "must get" list. I loved all the the Bodyguards books and this first book in the Black Ops series makes me think I am going to love them, too.The first couple of chapters are a basic setup to the hero and heroine. A little background on Black Ops, Inc. and Gabe and background on who Jenna is. Once you get past this, the book speeds along! (I read this in a day--in amongst doing lots of other things, so it was a very fast read.) Jenna is quick to realize her feelings for Gabe, but he is unwilling to accept his or her feelings. The tension between the two is hot and it is obvious to all the others that these two need to be together. I love her spunk and his brooding...it works well together. :)The story was very good. It was well developed and it didn't have any major holes or leave me feeling like something was lost (this has happened far too much lately). I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series...way to go Cindy! ( )

"Show No Mercy", the first book in the Black Ops trilogy, is a fast paced romantic suspense with plenty of action and lots of sizzle. Gabe Jones is a troubled member of the Black Ops team, haunted by the violent death of his girlfriend. Jenna McMillan is a no nonsense reporter who storms into his life and won't be daunted by his demons. A great read, sexy and smart. ( )

This book features two characters dealing with various emotional scars, who are forced to team up to combat not only external forces, but also their own inner demons.

Jenna is a hotshot, globe-trotting reporter who is struggling to come to terms with an event that left her questioning, on very fundamental levels, who is she and if she'll ever be able to reclaim her sense of self.

Gabriel is a man scarred both physically and emotionally. A true alpha male in every sense of the term, he is take charge and intensely focused and skilled in matters of combat. He is also dealing with a profound loss, and extreme guilt and anger that have left him closed off emotionally.

While less capable authors would take the aforementioned factors and use them to create a novel that is little more than unrelieved melancholy and characters who are (voluntarily or otherwise) self-centered, Gerard allows her characters to be very real, in terms of being simultaneously flawed and honorable, grief-stricken and truly funny and snarky.

As Jenna and Gabe grow closer (whether they like it or not), their romance does not in any way take away from the action and danger, and the almost palpable suspense, and the reverse holds true, as well. What the reader is left with, then, is a novel that is equal parts action and romance, which is a rarity this day and age, as all too often authors allow one aspect or the other to languish undeveloped or virtually ignored while the other receives most of the attention.

Fortunately, Cindy Gerard has proven that she is adept at handling everything from explosions and gunfights, to passionate love scenes and intensely emotional conversations. This is a very well-written book that is a truly great kickoff to what promises to be a fantastic new series. ( )

Rating: ***** Excellent

Back Cover Excerpt: Only two things can compel Journalist Jenna McMillan back to Buenes Aires after terrorists held her captive there just months before: a rare interview with a shadowy billionaire and the memory of the dark and dangerous man who saved her... Bad guys, bombs and bullets are Gabriel Jones's way of life. But he'll never forget the brash redhead he rescued not so long ago.. or the passionate kiss they shared before he sent her packing. Now forced together by a bombing at the National congress, Jenna and Gabe confront the urgent longings that simmer between them. But this surprise meeting is no coincidence. A ruthless enemy stalks them with deadly precision. The question is... if they make it out alive, will Gabe turn his back on Jenna ... again?

Show No Mercy is the first in a new romantic suspense series with lots of suspense, drama and action as well as passion. If you read any of her Bodyguard Series, this new Black Ops series is along the same caliber. Gabe and Jenna were introduced in Into The Dark (Bodyguards # 6). The story is well done with the just the right balance of action and romance. I don't want to give any of the story away, so go read it for yourself. I highly recommend it.