With No Remorse by Cindy Gerard {review}

With No Remorse
{Black Ops Inc #6}
by Cindy Gerard

Mass Market Paperback, 360 pages
Published July 19th 2011 by Pocket Star

Black Ops, Inc. operative Luke – Doc Holliday – Colter is taking some much needed down-time, making his way across the Peruvian Andes via rail, when banditos attack the moving train in the midnight hours. It soon becomes apparent that robbery is not their intent but the abduction of super model Valentina, who is traveling incognito while recovering from a public scandal involving her ex-husband, high profile US Senator, Marcus Chamberlin. Luke whisks Valentina off the train in a daring escape but the two of them become the targets of a relentless manhunt. Enlisting the aid of Luke's BOI teammates, they soon discover that Val’s intended abduction is linked to a plot put in play by an international gun smuggling alliance. The BOI team led by Luke, with Val along as a necessary pawn, must race halfway around the world to thwart a ruthless attack that would not only result in a devastating loss of life but destroy a tenuous peace the US and her allies have established in a vastly unstable part of the world.

First Line: Luke Colter's number one rule of self-preservation: Don't ignore the itch.

My Review: I love, Love, LOVE this series!

Cindy Gerard can write like no one's business! She nails the characters, she nails the setting(s)in her stories... she nails the story of the men in the Black Ops Inc series!

Bravo! Bravo!

Cindy Gerard never wastes a single page, paragraph sentence... it's all gold and With No Remorse you get it all!


Luke Colter is a deep sexy man who is dealing with a whole lot of BS from his past... things he is uncertain he can overcome but this does not stop him from being a stand up man and doing what is right when it comes to an innocent person... Valentina!

Valentina was a very believable character to me and she too has things from her past that are haunting her. I enjoyed how she was a strong when it would have been so easy for her to crumple.

With this book ( and the whole series) you get action, sexiness, and believable story lines. I dare you to put these books down once you start this series. While With No Remorse could stand alone I would suggest reading this series in order only because Cindy Gerard brings a lot (most) characters back in each story.

My Rating:


Until next time...Happy Reading!

Slow Heat by Jill Shalvis: { Review}

Slow Heat

(Pacific Heat #2)
by Jill Shalvis

Paperback, 315 pages
Published February 2 2010 by Berkley

characters: Wade O'Riley, Samantha McNead

setting: Santa Barbara, California (United States)

After a woman claims she's pregnant with Wade O'Riley's love child, Major League Baseball's most celebrated catcher and ladies' man is slapped on the wrist by management and ordered to improve his image. His enforcer is the team's publicist, the tough and sexy Samantha mcNead.

When Wade needs a date for a celebrity wedding, Sam steps up to the plate as his "girlfriend". But given her secret crush on him and that one awkward night a year ago in a stalled elevator with too much Scotch, the whole thing is an exercise in sexual tension.

Wade is thrilled when the pretense turns into an unexpected night of hot passion. But the next day Sam is back to her cool self. As a catcher, Wade's used to giving the signals, not struggling to read them. Now, to win the love of his "pretend" girlfriend, he needs a home run--even if it involves stealing a few bases...

First Line: She'd read somewhere that the way to a man's heart was through his stomach, but Samantha McNead knew better than that-- in certain men the stomach was aiming a bit too high.

Favorite Line(s): n/a

My Review: Batter Up!

Jill Shalvis brings back the hot and sexy boys of summer in Slow Heat and she does not disappoint!Slow Heat was a fun, sexy read, filled with sexual tension.
Slow Heat had everything I enjoy in a contemporary story--fast pace, strong character development, and a believable plot. Jill Shalvis has a way to make you feel for her characters and remember them long after you put the story down, that is not any easy task.
I will say that this book could have used a few more chapters to help tie some story lines up but maybe Jill Shalvis has plans to re-visit these story lines in future books??

My Rating:

I am sorry for the short and to the point review but I am still behind about 12 book reviews and it is kinda giving me anixety so I need to hammer them out!

HA HA HA!

Until next time...Happy Reading!

Double Play by Jill Shalvis: { Review}

Double Play

(Pacific Heat #1)
by Jill Shalvis

Paperback, 282 pages
Published July 7th 2009 by Berkley

Pace Martin is the ace pitcher for the Pacific Heat. He's got the arm, the experience, and the wins. He's also got the pain, the pressure, and the possible end of his career looming over him. The last thing he needs now is a distraction, even if it comes in the form of a tough, beautiful, tell-it-like-it-is writer who sees past his defences.

Holly Hutchins knows a good story when she sees one, and the tall, dark, and slightly attitude-challenged Pace Martin fits the bill. But when she realizes there's more at stake than just a win, shouldered jock in a different light.

Pace and Holly begin a seductive game, but in the face of unexpected betrayal and challenges, they'll have to find the courage to swing for the fences...

First Line: If Pace Martin had the choice between sex and a nap, he'd actually take the nap, and wasn't that just pathetic enough to depress him.

My Review: What attracted me to Double Play was it was a sports themed romance novel ( and I am looking to finish my 2011 Men in Uniform Challenge) and of course it being written by Jill Shalvis. Of course the yummie cover didn't hurt my decision, yum-o!

Double Play's story did not disappoint me, it was a fun, sexy, witty and fast read. Score!Jill Shalvis writing in Double Play was funny and light till the last page, which made this a light and enjoyable read. The relationship between all characters was funny and down to earth... real. I love when the characters just seem like your everyday people, makes them very appealing and real to me. While this story was witty and fun in also had depth, Jill Shalvis gave us a perfect look into the characters background history before we met up with them.

I also love that Jill Shalvis used an area that I am familiar with and wrote of the area so beautifully, makes me want to pile into the car for a quick weekend giveaway, maybe I can run into Pace... ha ha ha!

I could have gone for a bit more steamy action but the amount given was just enough to get the engine roaring and your imagination to kick in. I really enjoyed Double Play.
My Rating:


Stay turned for Slow Heat, the second installment in the Pacific Heat series!


Until next time...Happy Reading!

Smart and Sexy by Jill Shalvis { Review}

Smart and Sexy

(Sky High Air #1)
by Jill Shalvis

Mass Market Paperback, 288 pages
Published April 1st 2007 by Brava

Noah Fisher has worked for months to make Sky High the most prestigious charter airline in California. He's long overdue for a break - something involving ski slopes, cold beers, and hot ski bunny babes, not necessarily in that order. The itinerary doesn't include being hijacked by Bailey Sinclair, gorgeous widow of one of Sky High's wealthiest (ex-) clients. But here they are, and being crammed in a cockpit with the scared, stubborn, unbelievably sexy former model he's been fantasizing about invokes Superman tendencies that could get Noah in serious trouble. Bailey is desperate to find the stash of money hidden by her conniving, thieving late husband - before the bad guys he owed find her. It's a long shot, but nothing compared to the gamble she's taking by being so close to Noah. Every minute in his company has Bailey thinking about doing crazy, reckless things like touching, grabbing, kissing...and oh wow, being kissed right back. Suddenly, seat-of-your-pants seems like the only way to fly, and maybe it's the altitude playing tricks, but this is one trip she never wants to end...

First Line: Noah Fisher needed a double diamond ski slope, a hot ski bunny babe, and a beer, and not necessarily in that order.

Favorite Line: “Hey,” Shayne said through the door. “You going to stay in there all night, because we’re getting tired of trying to eavesdrop from out here. Can’t hear a damn thing.”

My Review: Okay we have already discussed that Jill Shalvis is one of my new ( to me) favorite authors!
Smart and Sexy is the first in a trilogy about three men who own and run a private airplane business. This book was good and this just might be the first book/series I have ever read where the main hero is a pilot. It worked for me, I get it, pilots = sexy! Smart and Sexy is one of Shalvis’ earlier books and it is more on the suspense side of things, but don't fear she still works the sexy into it perfectly.
All Shalvis' books have witty storylines and entertaining fun characters. I adore the way Shalvis writes and I am both happy to have started reading her books and bummed it took me this long to find her.

It was nice to read one of Shalvis older pieces and to see how she writes suspense, it worked for me!

My Rating:

Have you read Smart and Sexy? Would love to hear your thoughts? If you haven't read it, will you now?

Until next time...Happy Reading!

Men on Fire: Book Review

Men On Fire
by Rachelle Chase,

Susan Lyons,

Jodi Lynn Copeland

Pub. Date: November 2009
Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corporation
320 pages

Synopsis:

Brave, bold, and dangerously sexy, firefighters are every woman's fantasy. Meet three hot heroes who take scorching desire to a whole new level...

"Too Hot to Handle," Susan Lyons

Executive Jade Rousseau needs to find a fake fiancé to parade around her company's social events. When her friends bid on red-hot firefighter Quinn O'Malley at a benefit auction, Jade bids higher. The man has to be hers—and she can't wait to feel the passion...

"The Firefighter Wears Prada," Rachelle Chase

When fashion designer Delta Ballantyne asks firefighter Evan Marshall to model her sexy line of men's underwear, she can't stop the sizzling fantasies running through her mind, beginning with sophisticated foreplay...and ending with the ultimate climax...

"Playing With Fire," Jodi Lynn Copeland

Ever since Erica Donelson's ex-husband left her, his former best buddy, firefighter Lincoln Gabriel, has been there for her. But before long, their warm friendship heats up to a burning lust that won't be denied...

Okay this review is going to be broken into 3 parts ( one for each story) and than given an overall rating at the end.

Too Hot to Handle:

First Line(s): "What the hell is wrong with my image?"

My Review: I wanted more! More! MORE!! I feel this story line and characters had what it takes to be a full length story. Jade adn Quinn feeled very real to me, like neighbors or people I would see in my town everyday. They were endearing. I was bummed when I got to the end of this short but steamy story.

My Rating: 4 stars

"The Firefighter Wears Prada"

First Line(s): Oh. My. God. There he is.

My Review: This was another solid story. I loved how Evan and Delta called each other out from the first moment they met. Made me think of hubby and I because we hold nothing back. But that was it for my love for these two characters. I just didn't feel a connection with them. The story line was awesome and new and refreshing but since I failed to connect with Delta and Evan I was okay with the story ending when it did.

My Rating: 3 Stars

"Playing with Fire"

First Line(s): The acrid smell of smoke rolled through the cracked, second floor window of Lincoln Gabriels townhouse.

My Review: Out of the 3 stories this was probably the hottest of the lot ( who doesn't want hot sex scenes) but this story tried to pack too much in to a short story. Therefore I feel it needed to be a full length book just to get the story out. It felt rush and choppy.

Favorite Line(s): Fighting fires is my passion, but you're my calling."

My Rating: 3 stars

Overall Rating for Men on Fire: 3 stars

Until next time...

Happy Reading!

Ride the Fire {Review} by Jo Davis

Ride the Fire

{The Firefighters of Station Five Series}

by Jo Davis

Paperback: 320 pages

Publisher: Signet; Original edition
(December 7, 2010)

After he lost his wife and children to tragedy, Capt. Sean Tanner drowned his pain with alcohol. Now, fresh from rehab, he wants to regain the trust of his team and begin again. The last thing he needs is to have feelings for beautiful firefighter Eve Marshall. But even as they dare to explore their growing desire, Sean learns that his family may have actually been murdered. And that a shadow from his past has returned to finish off Sean-and anyone he loves.

First Line(s): On the night the world ended,

Blair Tanner had told her husband to go to hell.

My Review: Ride the Fire is the last book in the Firefighters of Station 5 series and it is nice to finally have the main hero being Sean. We learn Sean's story throughout the whole series, including Eve's feelings about him. In this steamy read the love between Eve and Sean is finally realized.

Sean is haunted by the awful death of his wife and two children. In a downward fall, he becomes an alcoholic to escape the pain. With help from friends he hopes to kick his habit. Sean is troubled by his intense attraction to Eve who works under him at Station 5. She is a constant distraction and an unwelcome strain on his already torn emotions. The attraction between Eve and Sean is unavoidable and a sudden night of passion has Sean running for the hills. Sean has already lost those he loved before and he isn't sure if he can do it all over again. He feels it is best to cut his losses rather than hurt Eve and himself. But Sean finds he can't stay away from Eve even if he tried and a vengeful danger lurks, Sean is forced to make some tough decisions.

I believe fans of this series will be happy with Ride the Fire. While it was still a steamy romance I did feel it was probably the least hawt story in the series. Jo Davis chose to stir this couple in a different direction by putting the main focus on the huddlers Eve and Sean faced rather their the sex scenes. It worked! I found myself both loving Sean and hating him, which made him an extremely believable character. I loved how Eve stood her ground on many things in this story without making her come off as a uncaring woman.

This book had something for everyone

My Rating: 4 stars

Until next time...

Happy Reading!

2011 Men in Uniform: Reading Challenge

Men in Uniform Reading Challenge hosted by The Book Vixen

Details:
Runs January 1, 2011 through December 31, 2011(books read prior to 1/1/11 do not count towards the challenge). You can join at anytime – Sign up on The Book Vixen’s blog.

The goal is to read as many novels that involve men in inform as you’d like. It can be a policeman, firefighter, paramedic, Army, Navy, Marine Corp., etc. – As long as the leading man wears some sort of uniform, it counts. See the different levels below and pick the one that works best for you. Nothing is set in stone; you can change levels at any time during the challenge.

Books can be any format (bound, eBook, audio).

Re-reads and crossovers from other reading challenges are fine.
You can list your books in advance or list them as you read them. It is not required that you review the books you read for this challenge but feel free to do so.

Post this reading challenge on your blog so you can keep a list of the books you’ve read for this challenge. Please include a link back to this post so readers can join the challenge too.

You do not have to be a book blogger to participate. You can keep tabs on books you’ve read for this challenge on Goodreads or LibraryThing if you’d like (maybe make a shelf for “Men in Uniform Reading Challenge”). If you are not on either of those sites then you can list the books you read for this challenge in the comments on my wrap-up post, which will be up at the end of 2011.

Levels:
Sergeant – Read 1–5 men in uniform novels

Lieutenant – Read 6–10 men in uniform novels

Captain – Read 11–15 men in uniform novels

Chief – Read 16+ men in uniform novels

ETA: Erica found this list of Military books on Goodreads.

My List:

1. 
   
   Ride the Fire: Jo Davis


2. 
   
   Men on Fire: Rachelle Chase, Susan Lyons, Jodi Lynn Copeland


3. 
   
   Smart and Sexy by Jill Shalvis


4. 
   
   Double Play by Jill Shalvis


5. 
   
   Strong and Sexy by JIll Shalvis


6. 
   
   Slow Heat by JIll Shalvis


7. 
   
   Superb and Sexy by Jill Shalvis

Are you going to join?

Until next time...Happy Reading!