Cindy Dees

Terrific book that dropped me into the middle of intense action and didn't let up until the end. Nissa is a CIA analyst working with a SEAL team to locate and capture an elusive Russian operative. She is not a trained field agent and spends much of the book scared spitless, but she does what needs to be done.

Cole is the SEAL team leader, code name Frosty for his ability to bury his emotions and get the job done. He's been a SEAL for many years and is a few months from retirement. show more Unfortunately, Nissa proves to be an unexpected distraction to his determination to capture Petrov.

The book opens with Nissa and the team attempting to board a ship that Petrov is reportedly escaping on in the middle of a hurricane. But when they get aboard, they discover the ship is deserted and about to capsize in the storm seas. They barely managed to escape and had to beat the hurricane back to land if they wanted to survive. I was glued to the pages as they struggled to find shelter and then wait out the storm.

The intense suspense of the story continued as Nissa, Cole, and the rest of the team continued their search for Petrov. Nissa's brilliant detective work brings them closer to their goal and puts a target on her back. The danger intensifies when Nissa uses herself to bait a trap, and an unexpected twist puts them all at risk. The final puzzle piece led to a confrontation that had me glued to the pages until it was done. Cole and the team were great, but Nissa was amazing.

I enjoyed watching Cole and Nissa's relationship develop. The sparks between them are immediate and explosive, which freaks out Cole. He's never had this kind of reaction to a woman, and he doesn't know how to deal with it. Colw is especially worried because he feels it is a distraction that he can't afford if he is going to keep Nissa safe. He also has trouble believing anyone could love him knowing what he's done. Nissa's reaction to his insecurities and vulnerability was fantastic, and I loved seeing the effect on Cole. Cole's big moment at the end was lovely. show less

This book pulled me in and kept me hooked from start to finish - though Harlequin's titling department blew it on this one. Brett is not a Navy SEAL and never has been. He was in the Army's Special Forces, a Ranger. Nor did he have a deadly secret.

After his last disastrous deployment, Brett returned to his hometown and his family's ranch. Hurting in mind, body, and soul, he can't remember the events leading up to the event that left him and the dog Reggie as the only survivors. Fighting show more survivor's guilt and PTSD, Brett has holed up in a cabin on the ranch, drinking too much and only leaving the cabin once a month for supplies. Everything changes during his latest trip to town when he saves a waitress from an armed robber.

Anna left town right after graduation, along with the town's golden boy, Eddie. Both had Hollywood dreams that turned into a nightmare for Anna. She gave up her dreams to support them while Eddie drank and drugged his life away. Eddie became an abusive husband, and her time with him was heartbreaking. Her escape from him left her with deep-seated feelings of guilt and a belief that she didn't deserve to live. That belief is front and center when a drugged-up armed robber takes her hostage when he attempts to rob the café where she works.

I enjoyed reading about the ups and downs of the relationship between Brett and Anna. Brett was a reluctant hero when he saved her from the robber. He couldn't stop himself from intervening, but it was a subconscious reaction, not something he wanted to do. He was stunned to realize that Anna expected to die and wouldn't fight it. Stopping the robber was, as Anna described it, "A totally one-sided smackdown." Anna and Brett parted ways, but Anna later drove to Brett's cabin to return something to him. He wasn't wholly welcoming, but an accident formed an unexpected connection between them. Brett found himself visiting Anna the following day to find out if she was okay and ended up helping her with her house project.

The events that haunt Anna and Brett have each trying to escape the memories. Because they understand each other's pain, their time together gives them some of that escape. As their feelings for each other grow, they discover that the pain begins to fade. I liked how they were sensitive to each other's triggers and took care with what they said and did. I liked how their support of each other helped further their healing, but that each knew there was still work to be done.

The suspense was excellent. After her husband's death, Anna returned to her hometown but could not escape the memories. She also had to deal with Eddie's family, who blamed her for his failures in California and his death. Brett's protective instincts are aroused when unexplained things happen, like a brick through her window and someone running her off the road. Nasty confrontations with the exes add stress, and matters are complicated by the creepy store owner who provides Anna with her home renovation supplies. When Anna disappears, it's up to Brett and the sheriff to figure out what happened. I was glued to the pages until the final confrontation ended, and Anna was safe.

I felt for Brett, his fear for Anna, and how his flashbacks fought with his efforts to find her. Combined with Anna's flashbacks about Eddie's death, this was a very emotional section of the book. I liked how some good came out of the ordeal, including Brett and Anna admitting their feelings. show less

Good book that started with a rush and kept me hooked to the end. Nick is a government black ops operator tracking a fellow operative who went rogue. He used to work with this operative, and the betrayal he feels has made the search personal. After following Gray to an art gallery and planting a tracking device on the man's limo, Nick walks casually away. A few minutes later, he is attacked by a man who is easily as good, if not better, at hand-to-hand fighting as he is.

Alex is a CIA agent show more whose job is to go after operatives who have gone bad. Gray and his team are suspected of stealing valuable international artifacts and murdering US military personnel. His first impression is that Nick is one of Gray's men, and he wants to capture and question him. He did not expect to encounter someone who could fight him to a stalemate.

Alex and Nick agreed to a wary truce as they worked out who each other was and why they had a mutual interest in Gray. These men have worked in the shadows for so long that neither of them trusts easily. It was sad and amusing to see how each was constantly looking for signs of betrayal, even once they figured out they were on the same side. Deciding to work together was logical, but there was still some struggle for control until they got past their trust issues.

Matters are complicated by the attraction Nick and Alex feel for each other. Each tries to ignore it while concentrating on their mission, but it is always there, simmering under the surface. I enjoyed seeing them get to know each other and discover their differences and similarities. I found it interesting that Alex, the "fixer" who has dished out so much death, has dreams of a peaceful retirement. Nick expects to die in the line of duty which lends itself to some reckless behavior on his part. I liked Alex's determination to get Nick to stop seeing himself as expendable.

I enjoyed seeing the relationship between Nick and Alex develop. It was fast, helped along by the intensity of their situation. Each felt protective of the other, which had the potential to create some problems while they were working. There were some fun parts, such as their differing views on Christmas. I loved watching Alex try to bring a little Christmas spirit into Nick's life, from the Christmas tree with its unique decorations to the snowball fight. Alex's sensitivity is unexpected, given his vocation, and I enjoyed seeing it come out in his desire to help Nick. Both have some insecurities regarding relationships, but their love for each other overcomes them in the end. I loved the ending and their plans for the future.

The suspense of the story kept me turning the pages. The backstory of Gray and what he did are explained as the story goes on but can be read in more detail in the previous book in the series (Her SEAL Bodyguard). The tension remained steady as Nick and Alex looked for clues about what Gray had stolen, then planned ways to draw him into a trap. The intensity ramped up when they found the stolen crate and what was in it (WOW!). I was glued to the pages as they prepared their trap and set the bait. The final confrontation was a nail-biter as Nick and Alex were significantly outnumbered.

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Terrific book that sucked me in from the first page and kept me hooked to the end. The story opens as Gia provides surveillance support to a special operations team on the ground in the Middle East. As the op concludes, she witnesses some suspicious behavior, but before she can report it to the team, her secure location is breached, her computer stolen, and her life threatened.

When next we see her, she is hiding in a small Montana town while her boss tries to figure out what is happening show more after she barely escaped two attempts on her life. She works as a manicurist at the local salon and takes fly-fishing lessons. Her enthusiasm exceeds her skill, and she hooks another fisherman instead of a fish. Marcus, her "giant trout," turns out to be a Navy SEAL, staying with a friend and recuperating from an injury. Marcus is intrigued and attracted to the unusually fit woman, even more so when he senses a hint of fear and wariness. With his protective instincts aroused, he follows her and notices that he's not the only one doing so. Her evasion skills pique his curiosity, as do her non-answers to his attempts to get to know her.

Gia is initially leery of Marcus, unsure if he is one of the men trying to kill her. I liked seeing how she figured out he was okay and her tentative trust when she needed help. In the face of Marcus's probing questions, she struggles to keep secret her identity as a member of the Medusas, an all-woman, top-secret special operations unit. When they decide to look for the man following her, it's all she can do to keep quiet during Marcus's somewhat condescending instructions. I laughed out loud as she more than kept up with him.

The action and suspense heat up as Gia and Marcus, along with his friends, come together to lay a trap for her pursuer. There were some tense moments as things didn't go entirely to plan. I ached for the person they caught and the reasons for his presence. The intensity ramped up as Gia, and the others realized they needed help to carry out the next step. Some lighter moments relieved the tension as Marcus's SEAL friends were introduced to Gia's Medusa teammates and learned their capabilities the hard way. The team they built was fantastic. The final confrontation was intense, though the outcome was never in doubt. There were a couple of threads left hanging that I hope will be addressed in the next book.

I loved watching the development of the relationship between Gia and Marcus. I loved some of the scenes between them, as Gia gives as good as she gets in their interactions. Marcus isn't used to women who push back, and he loves it. The sparks between them were instant and intense, but both tried to resist them. They are aware of the dangers of being emotionally involved with someone you work with and the distractions it can cause. Despite their initial unwillingness to take that step, the results are explosive when they do. With their determination to continue their careers, I wondered how they would make it work. I hope to see them in future books.

Though this is the third book in the Runaway Ranch series and related to the two Medusa series, it worked fine as a standalone. It did, however, make me want to read those books as soon as I get a chance.

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