Summary from Goodreads:
"When Special Forces
Captain Landon Donovan is picked for an assignment with the Department
of Covert Affairs, he’s stunned to find his new partner is a beautiful
woman who looks like she couldn’t hurt a fly, much less take down a
terrorist.
Ivy Halliwell isn’t your average covert op. Her feline
DNA means she can literally bring out the claws when things get dicey.
She isn’t thrilled to be paired with yet another military grunt, but
Landon is different. He doesn’t think she’s a freak and he’s smokin’
hot.
Soon they find themselves facing a threat even greater than anyone imagines...and an animal magnetism impossible to ignore."
My Thoughts:
I can honestly say that I waited way too long to start this series because I really enjoyed this one! Fast-paced and filled with suspense, I couldn't and didn't set my kindle down hardly at all while reading it. I say this a lot with romantic suspense but I really don't read enough from this genre. What I liked about this book was that it was romantic suspense combined with paranormal romance. And what a combination it was! From the very beginning I found myself caught up within the pages of this book and that didn't end until the very last page. I found myself reading as fast as I could because the suspense at times just wouldn't let up. And then add in that chemistry between Ivy and Landon and you will know why I had such a hard time putting this book down.
One of the things that I liked best about this book was the fact that Ivy had paranormal abilities while Landon didn't. This gave Ivy an edge over Landon when it came to her abilities and that isn't something you always see in romance books but especially in romantic suspense. That isn't to say that Landon couldn't hold his own but it was in a different way and I just really appreciated that Ivy was the one with the special skills. This book was one of those books that was just so completely readable and I flew thru the pages. While it was the action scenes that caused me to read as fast as I could, it was the developing relationship between Ivy and Landon that I loved the most. I liked that it wasn't instantaneous but the chemistry between the two was hot! I couldn't help but get behind hoping for their happy ever after. The ending left me intrigued as although this ended nicely there was enough left open to leave me very excited to get started on the next book! Which I couldn't help but go ahead and load on to my kindle.
Overall, this was a great beginning to this new romantic suspense/paranormal romance series (I really don't know how to classify it) and left me eager for more! I love books that pull me in so easily that I just don't want to stop reading and that is exactly what this book did to me. The tension and chemistry were both well done. I really can't complain at all other than to say I want more! I want more books just like this that cause me to lose track of time and just read. Easily recommended!
Bottom Line: A nicely done romantic paranormal suspense that left this reader unable to set it down!
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book courtesy of the publisher and Netgalley. Thoughts are my own!
Summary from Goodreads:
"Temporarily assigned to
the Shadow Squadron in a troubled region of Afghanistan, Chief Warrant
Officer and pilot Leah Mackenzie is no stranger to conflict—even if most
of her physical and emotional scars are courtesy of her vicious ex.
Still, she's got a bad feeling about picking up a team of stranded
SEALs. A feeling that's all too justified once enemy fire hits their
helicopter and all hell breaks loose…
SEAL Kell Ballard's goal
was to get the injured pilot out of harm's way and find shelter deep in
the labyrinth of caves. It's a place of dark intimacy, where Leah finds
unexpected safety in a man's arms. Where prohibited attraction burns
brightly. And where they'll hide until the time comes to face the enemy
outside…and the enemy within their ranks."
My Thoughts:
Romantic suspense is one of those genres that I always want to read more of but hardly ever do. I love when it is done right and I cannot stop turning the pages. While I went into reading this book assuming that it was going to be that type of read, what I found was a more slow burning romance that I couldn't help but appreciate for other reasons. Running Fire throws the two main characters into a tough and intense situation where they are relying on only themselves to survive and get out of enemy territory. Almost instantly they realize that there is also a deep attraction between the two of them. But it isn't the danger that is keeping them apart from exploring their feelings. Instead, it was Leah's past and emotional scars that they are forced to deal with right away. The author did a really great job of not glossing over all of the horrific things that Leah went through with her first marriage. For me it made what was growing between her and Kell all of the better. At first I struggled with their instant attraction/feelings. But then as I thought about it, it was really the intensity of their entire experience that brought those feelings out and they both couldn't help but to given in a little bit to their feelings for one another. Sigh! I liked that and I liked what they found together with one other. It took its' time building as Leah needed for them to take it slowly and you don't see that enough in romance books in my opinion. I liked that they didn't just jump right into a relationship even though they both wanted to.
I did have a few issues connecting to this book at times. I think it was mainly because I wanted Leah to stand up for herself. I don't even know if that is realistic with everything that she had gone through but I wanted it all of the same. (The quirks of the reader, I know). She left her ex-husband which shows she had some strong grit to her but she didn't always show it in the book. I would have liked to see more of her stronger side and I think this caused me to not quite connect to the story like I had hoped. I also expected this to have a bit more suspense to it which for me even despite the dire circumstances they found themselves in didn't happen until later in the book. And then it really was a page turner and I needed to know what was going to happen.
Overall, I thought that this was a good read even though I had a few issues with it. I definitely want to continue on with this series and see what happens next. I would love to see if Kell and Leah are included in future books as it would be nice to get a peek at their relationship as it continues to grow. I think that romance readers will probably enjoy this one. Recommended with a few hesitations.
Bottom Line: A good read and I will be reading more by this author.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher for a TLC book tour. Thoughts are my own!
