Another great series in the making by one of my favourite "comfort-read" authors. My real only complaint? I want more... ( )

3.5
Good action espionage military story, liked it even more than the first in the series ( )

‘Last Marine Standing' is the second book in a series that is fast becoming one of my favorites by RJ Scott. This novel is exciting, oozes danger from every page, and captured my attention on page one, not letting me go until the very final page. Military men and the guys they fall in love with fascinate me, but wounded (internally as well as externally) ex-Marines like Mac just get to me on a whole new level. Pairing him with Sam, the forest ranger from book one, and giving me more about his background, was a stroke of genius. This may look like a mystery at first glance, and it certainly contains enough “meat” for any conspiracy theorist to rub their hands in glee. But, on top of that, what I liked even better is the psychology between Mac and Sam. They, like Aiden and Viktor in book one, have a history, and it is not an easy nor a happy one—not because of them, but due to the circumstances that brought them together ten years before the beginning of this book.

Mac, as it says in the blurb, has secrets. A ton of them, and if he isn’t careful, they will kill him. Or rather, someone who believes he might spill them, is about to kill Mac anyway. Not that Mac would ever think of telling anyone the truth—he is far too loyal. Once a Marine… and all that. Personally, I think he is too loyal to a command structure part of which clearly betrayed him, but then, I am not a Marine. I have to respect Mac for what he believes, and the lengths to which he goes to stay loyal. Even he has limits though, and when members of his team are targeted and killed, and Sam wants to help him and is in danger as well, suddenly Mac’s priorities shift.

Sam is an amazing man. Kidnapped when he was fourteen, abused horribly, and finally saved by Mac and his team, he still struggles to deal with the aftermath ten years later. Physical and mental scars remind him of what happened on a daily basis, but he is determined to finally put it all behind him. All he wants to do is thank the Marines who saved him, only to be pulled into danger right along with them. What he discovers would fell a lesser man, but not Sam! He stays right by Mac’s side, much to the former Marine’s aggravation, and is as determined as Mac, maybe more, to make things right.

Both Max and Sam are tough guys, and God forbid they cross the line into “mushy” territory, but boy, are the feelings between them intense. Not that they would admit it under threat of death. So, get ready for tough guys denying their true feelings, threats to everyone’s lives, and explosive action all over the place – both in and out of the bedroom!

If you like conspiracies with deadly consequences, if two men who are too tough to admit they love each other sound like an exciting addition to all the action going down while they try to save each others lives, and if you’re looking for a suspenseful, emotionally charged read that is as action-packed as it is psychologically fascinating, then you will probably like this novel. I certainly look forward to the next installment!


NOTE: This book was provided by the author for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
( )