Lisa Childs (1)

Fast-paced suspense with nearly nonstop action that kept me glued to the pages well past my bedtime. I could not put it down until I had finished reading it. This book has two targets. Rory, as a member of the hotshot team experiencing attacks by a saboteur, and Brittney, a reporter determined to unearth the truth behind the plane crash that only Rory and Ethan (Hotshot Hero in Disguise) survived. The book opens with Rory in a coma because of an attack at the firehouse, followed by Brittney show more receiving threats to stop her investigation.

Brittney is like a dog with a bone in that she refuses to back down. Despite the threats, she heads back to Northern Lakes to try to talk to Rory and Evan again. She is shot at and wrecks, ending up in the hospital just as Rory is being released. Instead of avoiding her like he intended, Rory is talked into watching over her until her brother arrives. That includes keeping her from haring off to investigate her crash. Rory has good reason to avoid Brittney. He has secrets that could get him killed if they come out. He also can't deny the unexpected and unwelcome need to protect her.

I loved watching Rory and Brittney team up. Initially, there is some distrust between them. Brittney knows Rory is hiding something big and won't give up until she uncovers it. Rory believes that Brittney would sell her soul for a story without regard for its consequences. As they worked together to identify the attacker, Brittney and Rory became closer and protective of each other. The attacks escalated in frequency and intensity, leading Rory to take desperate measures to keep them safe. Rory's confession was not what I expected and added to my respect for him. The final confrontation was intense and had me on the edge of my seat until it was over. I could feel Rory and Brittney's fear for each other's safety as they faced their unexpected foe. I loved the ending and seeing them admit their feelings for each other.

The book begins and ends with scenes involving the saboteur targeting the hotshot team. It is now clearly a fellow member, but we must determine which one. The pool of possibilities is shrinking, and I can't wait to discover who it is and why they are doing it.

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Very good mix of romance and suspense. The story opened with a bang, as the firehouse stove exploded when Ethan turned it on. He is injured and taken to the hospital, where he finds out that his long hair and bushy beard have protected his face from severe burns. However, the flames have destroyed said hair and beard and need to be trimmed/shaved. Ethan only trusts one person to do it.

Tammy owns the only salon in town. She isn't surprised when Ethan shows up to have his hair and beard taken show more care of, and she doesn't expect to recognize the face under all that hair. Why is the heir to billions hiding out in the backwoods of Michigan and using someone else's name?

I liked Ethan and Tammy. Ethan has been the quiet one in the previous books in the series. He works as a forest ranger in the deep woods when he isn't fighting fires. When unexplained accidents happen to the hotshots, Ethan wonders if the team is the target or if someone has figured out who he is. We learn that Ethan walked away from a plane crash that killed other hotshots and used the chance to make the world believe he was dead. He'd had several close calls in suspicious accidents and thought someone was trying to kill him. If he can remain undercover for a few more weeks, his family can declare him dead, and he will be clear to live on his terms. But when a journalist in town recognizes him and publishes his picture, Ethan's life becomes much more complicated.

Tammy is a popular and vivacious woman with a reputation as a flirt. After years of bullying at school because of her looks, she took control and is now happy with who she is. She flirts because it's fun, but she has no interest in any relationships, preferring to protect her heart. Ethan is one of her favorite targets because he plays along. Tammy refuses to admit that she has had a crush on him for years, insisting they are just friends. But her heart feels otherwise when she hears of his injuries.

I enjoyed seeing the relationship develop between Ethan and Tammy. Discovering his true identity threw her for a loop and made her question his motives. When Ethan discovers she knows who he is, he fears that she will expose him. Instead, the sparks of attraction that have simmered under their flirting burst into flame. But there are obstacles to any chance of a future for them. Now that she knows who he is, Tammy feels that he's way out of her league. Ethan fears that being around him puts Tammy in danger. But both feel stronger when they are together than when they are apart. Matters become even more complicated when Ethan's family shows up in town. I fully understood why Ethan put distance between them and himself. There were some interesting interactions, many of which fed the idea that one of them was behind the attacks on him. I liked that Tammy had an outsider's perspective and helped Ethan look at them differently. I was pleasantly surprised by the scene with Ethan's mom and Tammy and laughed out loud at their antics.

As the attacks on Ethan escalated, Tammy could no longer deny her feelings for him, but she still believed nothing could come of them. I wanted to shake her when she tried to push him away, hoping to protect her heart and his life. Ethan worried that being around him was dangerous for her, but he couldn't stop wanting to protect her. I ached for his hurt when she tried to send him away and was glad that he didn't give up on her. When everything was over, Ethan had to decide whether to stick with what and who he loved or return to his old life. It was no surprise to see which one he chose.

The suspense of the story kept me turning the pages. The stove explosion was one more unexplained accident in the litany that has plagued the hotshots for months. After an anonymous note claimed that one of them "wasn't who you think they are," hotshot captain Braden worries that the saboteur is one of them. But when Ethan's identity emerges, the attacks are suddenly more focused. One episode after another makes it clear that Ethan's life is in danger, but who is behind it? There are several prime candidates, and the tension ramps up as Ethan and the others try to figure it out.

The final confrontation comes when the bad guy abducts Tammy as bait to finish Ethan off for good. I cheered as Tammy didn't wait around for rescue and took things into her own hands. The resolution was well done and solved the mystery of the attacks on Ethan. However, the problems plaguing the hotshots are still unsolved, and the crew is left waiting for the next shoe to drop. I can't wait for the next book to see if the mystery is finally solved.

I'm intrigued by the tv reporter whose arrival in town kicked off Ethan's troubles. She did not make a very good first impression with her pushiness. Someone has been feeding her information about the attacks, and she is determined to learn more. However, as the book went on, her attitude softened a little. Her support of Tammy surprised me and earned a little respect. She plays a vital role in resolving the attacks on Ethan, but the initial story has her staying around. She has an unexpected connection to the hotshots outside whoever her source is, and it will be interesting to see what comes of that.

I loved the closeness of the hotshot team. Because of the danger of their work, there is a special feeling of family among them. I loved the teasing that goes on between the various members. The revelation of Ethan's deception could have torn them apart, but they had his back instead. But they are all on edge because of the sabotage and wondering who it could be.

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This was an excellent, fast-paced suspense story with the added benefit of a husband and wife finding their way back to each other. In the previous book (Hotshot Hero Under Fire), Luke was a secondary character. Separated from his wife, his misery is evident, and his actions are questionable. His fellow Hotshots look at him askance as evidence points to him having an affair with a fellow Hotshot's wife and the attempted murder of another. At the start of this book, we find Luke isolated from show more his friends, missing Willow, and questioning the state of his life. After he leaves the bar where he had dinner, Luke crashes his truck when he's forced off the road by another vehicle. When he regains consciousness, he discovers he reeks of alcohol, and the local trooper is ready to arrest him for drunk driving. It's only through the efforts of EMT Owen that Luke ends up at the hospital instead. To top matters off, he catches a glimpse of Willow, who appears to be pregnant.

After suffering two miscarriages which she blamed on the stress of Luke's job, Willow threw her husband out of their home. Then she heard the rumors of his affair and possible involvement in the attacks against Owen. Now she wonders if she ever knew the man she married. She never thought he'd be capable of such actions and questions her judgment. She also feels guilty about her treatment of him and that she hasn't told him about the baby. Willow is torn over whether to believe Luke's claims of innocence.

The suspense of this story had me glued to the pages from start to finish. Though the person who carried out the attacks on Owen was caught at the end of the previous book, there was some question as to whether a second person was involved. The public has latched onto Luke as the most likely suspect. But with this "accident" that happened to him, Luke finds a new purpose in proving his innocence. The reader also gets several sessions from the viewpoint of the real accomplice, who is determined to set Luke up to take the blame. The tension increases as several more attempts are made on Luke's life, and we see the bad guy's growing frustration and desperation. I had several possibilities as suspects though I didn't figure out the truth until shortly before Luke did. The final confrontation was a nail-biter as Luke knowingly entered a trap to save Willow. I was on the edge of my seat until it was all over.

I liked seeing Luke and Willow find their way back to each other, though I spent a fair share of the book wanting to knock their heads together. When Willow suffered two miscarriages, she shut Luke out rather than turn to him for comfort. She also couldn't see that he was grieving the loss of those babies, too. She was all over the place in her attitude toward him also - glad he was gone but mad that he left, hurt that he'd had an affair but reluctant to believe that he'd cheated on her. Even when they started working together to prove his innocence, she continued to hold on to her anger and distrust.

Meanwhile, all Luke wants is for Willow to be happy. If that means staying away from her, that's what he will do. I was frustrated with him because he walked away without trying to talk to her about his feelings and what the miscarriages meant to him. When it became evident that his accidents weren't accidents, Luke was determined to keep Willow safe.

I liked seeing Luke's steadiness chip away at Willow's fear and distrust. With some distance from the turmoil of emotions caused by the miscarriages, Willow slowly begins to see the mistakes she made. I was happy to see them finally talk about their problems. I ached for Luke as he made the only decision he thought possible to save his marriage. I cheered when Willow realized she loved Luke for who and what he was. I hope to see more of them when the series continues.

There is still a question left unanswered. Throughout the series, there have been several unexplained accidents or equipment malfunctions. Chief Hotshot Braden received a warning that someone in his group isn't who they claim to be. Is this the person causing the trouble, and why? It hurts to realize that there may be someone on his team that he can't trust, but until he finds out who it is, he can't trust any of them. I can't wait to see where this goes.

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An action-packed book that kept me hooked from start to finish. Aubrey and her twin brother Jasper own Gemini Ranch, a guest ranch in Colorado. As the story opens, Aubrey is dealing with an ex-boyfriend, Warren, who won't accept that she's done with him. There is also a blizzard headed their way, and they have cattle to move in closer. Aubrey plans to call on some of her siblings to help when ranch guest Luke Bishop offers to help, claiming to have ranch hand experience. Aubrey, whose trust show more in men has been damaged by Warren, is wary of accepting his offer. Something about him rings warning bells in her head.

Luca Rossi, or Luke Bishop as he is known here, is an investigative journalist on the run from an Italian mob called the Camorra. After writing an exposé that sent most of the organization to jail, he's spent the last months running from the assassins sent after him. He just gets settled in a new place when they find him again. He hopes that by leaving Italy, they will have lost the trail. Even here, he keeps to himself and avoids the main lodge and groups of people. His only relief from growing boredom and restlessness is solitary rides around the countryside. When he hears Aubrey talk about moving the cattle, he immediately offers to help.

Aubrey's trust issues lead her to do something stupid, letting herself into his cabin when she thinks he's away. Instead, she sees something that rouses her suspicions more, just before Luke shows up from the shower. The sparks that fly between them are intense, Luke lays on the flirtatious Italian charm, and Aubrey finds herself agreeing to let him help. I loved watching them work together. The sparks are still there but take a backseat to their teamwork. The storm isn't their only danger; shots fired nearby make Luke think he's been found again, while Aubrey believes it's another rancher. When she expresses her concern to her FBI agent brother, Dominic, the results of his research ramp up his worry for her safety.

The intensity continues to build as further attacks on Luke occur over the next few days. The question is, who is behind them? Aubrey's ex wants her back and is none-too-happy at Luke's presence in her life. We also see that a hitman is on-site and has the determination and opportunity to carry out his mission. Meanwhile, Luke does his best to keep Aubrey safe while feeling guilty for putting her in danger. The final confrontation with the hitman was a nail-biter but left Luke hoping that maybe it was all over. However, he's unaware of the arrival of a new player in the game, one he's just started to suspect. There's an interesting twist to that confrontation, though its result wasn't much of a surprise.

I enjoyed seeing the relationship develop between Luke and Aubrey. The chemistry was intense right from the start, but both tried to resist it. Luke didn't want to expose Aubrey to the danger that followed him but staying away from her seemed impossible. Aubrey's trust issues kept her wary of getting too close, but the attraction was hard to resist. I loved Luke's protectiveness. Not only did he want to keep her safe from the trouble that followed him, but he also stepped in when Warren was being a jerk. When they gave in to the heat that burned between them, they realized that they were in deeper than they expected. I ached for Aubrey's heartbreak after that last confrontation. I loved the ending and the surprise waiting for Aubrey. show less