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Protectors #1
Into the Crossfire
Former Navy SEAL Sam Reston keeps to himself. His world is dangerous, uncertain, violent…and there is no room in it for the helpless and weak. Then the most beautiful woman in the world moves in next door to him�
Nicole Pearce’s life is complicated enough—with an ailing father and a new business to worry about—and the last thing she needs is to get involved with a secretive, hard-bodied, hardheaded neighbor. Yet Sam leaves her breathless—her body tingling with erotic desire—and it takes every ounce of her fabled control to resist offering herself to him, no strings attached. What she doesn’t know is that Sam Reston is on an undercover assignment . . . and she’s about to step into the crossfire.
Never has Sam ached for a woman so badly, and he’s never fallen in love before. Now that Nicole is in grave danger, he will become her shield, and guard the tempting body he longs to touch and taste. Because a terrorist plot hatched half a world away is heading to their doorstep—and it can only be derailed by one man and one woman.
Nicole Pearce’s life is complicated enough—with an ailing father and a new business to worry about—and the last thing she needs is to get involved with a secretive, hard-bodied, hardheaded neighbor. Yet Sam leaves her breathless—her body tingling with erotic desire—and it takes every ounce of her fabled control to resist offering herself to him, no strings attached. What she doesn’t know is that Sam Reston is on an undercover assignment . . . and she’s about to step into the crossfire.
Never has Sam ached for a woman so badly, and he’s never fallen in love before. Now that Nicole is in grave danger, he will become her shield, and guard the tempting body he longs to touch and taste. Because a terrorist plot hatched half a world away is heading to their doorstep—and it can only be derailed by one man and one woman.
304 pages, Paperback
First published July 9, 2010
92 people are currently reading
3,451 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Marie Rice
69books1,607followersLisa Marie Rice is eternally 30 years old and will never age. She is tall and willowy and beautiful. Men drop at her feet like ripe pears. She has won every major book prize in the world. She is a black belt with advanced degrees in archaeology, nuclear physics, and Tibetan literature. She is a concert pianist. Did I mention her Nobel Prize? Of course, Lisa Marie Rice is a virtual woman and exists only at the keyboard when writing erotic romance. She disappears when the monitor winks off.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 289 reviews
July 27, 2010
Intense--that's the first word that comes to mind about LMR's latest. And definitely OMG erotic! Fans of Lisa Marie Rice know what to expect with her books--the alpha hero who becomes obsessed with having the heroine, even if he's only known her for a few minutes. And former Navy SEAL Sam Reston fits the mold--he knew he wanted the heroine, Nicole Pearce, the moment he laid eyes on her. He thought she was the most beautiful, classiest woman he'd ever seen, and he was determined to get her.
****possible spoilers ahead***
A little background here: the heroine of the book, Nicole Pearce, is a gorgeous, dark haired 28 year-old businesswoman. She's taking care of her beloved 60-ish father, a former U.S. Ambassador, who is suffering from brain cancer and doesn't have long to live. Nicole had been working as an interpretor/translator in Geneva, living a good life, but abides by her father's last wish and moves home with him to San Diego to take care of him in his final days. She decides to start her own business (Wordsmith) that specializes in translating documents into various languages. Nicole's growing business is located in the same highrise (right across the hall) as Sam Reston's security business...
Our 30-something hero, Sam Reston, is a former Navy SEAL who's now the owner of his own lucrative security business. Sam is not described as handsome, but he's tall, dark, buff, and has a dangerous, sexy air about him. Sam has had a brutal childhood in an abusive foster home, and those memories have propelled him to use his energies and finances towards helping women and children escape abusive situations. Sam has a couple of foster brothers who he is close to--Mike, a former Marine and now a SWAT officer for the SDPD, and Harry, an Army vet who was severely wounded in Afghanistan, and who is now working with Sam while he's recuperating. Sam has been working undercover infiltrating a gang involved in smuggling goods and human trafficking, and he's not at his physical best when Nicole first notices him. He's greasy, grungy, bearded, and pissed off with having to hang out with lowlifes. In fact, Nicole thinks of him as a lowlife, and wonders why a guy looking like him is hanging out at Reston Security.
Sam bides his time for a couple of weeks before he introduces himself to Nicole--he has to wait until his undercover case is over. Well the case is over now, and look who is having trouble finding the keys to her locked office? Time for Sam to make his move...if he can get Nicole's door opened, will she have dinner with him?
Okay, you know where this is headed. Sam cleans up really well, Nicole is attracted, and they head out for a fabulous dinner. Sam does something very bold with Nicole's hand at dinner (I was like..."Whoa!")...and soon the dinner turns into a loooong, erotic night of passion, where Sam and Nicole go at it over and over and over again...oh my, have a cold drink handy because you're going to need it! Sam is just one intense, passionate, insatiable guy! Nicole can't believe how she acted so out of character, but she couldn't help herself! Now she's trying to avoid him while she gets her head together about her feelings for Sam.
Meanwhile, across the ocean, a terrorist plot is brewing. Plans to create havoc in NYC with some dirty bombs are being finalized, and the suicide bombers are on their way. But a man known to Nicole sees what's about to happen, and sends a frantic message to her company hidden in a file due to be translated. Now Nicole is unknowingly caught in the crossfire of a terrorist plot, and an assassin is after her...will Nicole and Sam figure out what's going on before it's too late?
****end spoilers****
Okay, there's nothing really new here. LMR's stories are a bit predictable and follow a pattern of the big strong guy obsessed with the pretty heroine, becoming ultra-possessive and intensely passionate. The heroine usually is in some sort of danger, and the hero saves the day in the nick of time. There's suspense, plenty of intense, primal love-making, and the ILYs happen pretty quickly. But that's okay with me--I know what to expect from LMR and I enjoy it! This story took place over the course of just a few days, and a lot happened in that time. You may have to check your disbelief at the door if you want to enjoy this one fully (or if you're a doubting Thomas), but I have no doubt that if you are already a fan of LMR, you're going to love this one. In fact, if you loved , you'll love this one too--lots of similarities.
Sam and Nicole were each very likable characters. I liked the vulnerability that Sam showed regarding his feelings for Nicole. He was never cocky, he always was worried if he somehow physically hurt her with his passionate lovemaking...I found his worries endearing. You knew he would do anything for Nicole, even put his life on the line. I liked his relationship with his foster brothers, and I liked his values--he was a great catch for Nicole. I appreciated Nicole's devotion to her dying parent, and I thought LMR got the emotions regarding that plot just right. Of course Sam and Nicole's passion was off-the-charts--that's always a given in a LMR book. I'm happy to say we get a decent epilogue in this one (I guess LMR has learned her lesson not to leave the reader hanging!) and Sam says something really, really sweet (and sigh-worthy) to Nicole in that epilogue...
So, fans looking for a gripping suspense plot that could be taken-from- the-headlines, and a fast moving, intensely erotic romance will be happy with this hard-to-put-down read. Although this book was over 300 pages long, I could've easily read another 100. Since this book is the first of a series, I'm assuming we'll see Sam and Nicole again--at least I hope so! I'm guessing there will be stories about Sam's attractive 'brothers', Mike and Harry. I just hope we don't have to wait another year before that happens. For this book? 5 stars
****possible spoilers ahead***
A little background here: the heroine of the book, Nicole Pearce, is a gorgeous, dark haired 28 year-old businesswoman. She's taking care of her beloved 60-ish father, a former U.S. Ambassador, who is suffering from brain cancer and doesn't have long to live. Nicole had been working as an interpretor/translator in Geneva, living a good life, but abides by her father's last wish and moves home with him to San Diego to take care of him in his final days. She decides to start her own business (Wordsmith) that specializes in translating documents into various languages. Nicole's growing business is located in the same highrise (right across the hall) as Sam Reston's security business...
Our 30-something hero, Sam Reston, is a former Navy SEAL who's now the owner of his own lucrative security business. Sam is not described as handsome, but he's tall, dark, buff, and has a dangerous, sexy air about him. Sam has had a brutal childhood in an abusive foster home, and those memories have propelled him to use his energies and finances towards helping women and children escape abusive situations. Sam has a couple of foster brothers who he is close to--Mike, a former Marine and now a SWAT officer for the SDPD, and Harry, an Army vet who was severely wounded in Afghanistan, and who is now working with Sam while he's recuperating. Sam has been working undercover infiltrating a gang involved in smuggling goods and human trafficking, and he's not at his physical best when Nicole first notices him. He's greasy, grungy, bearded, and pissed off with having to hang out with lowlifes. In fact, Nicole thinks of him as a lowlife, and wonders why a guy looking like him is hanging out at Reston Security.
Sam bides his time for a couple of weeks before he introduces himself to Nicole--he has to wait until his undercover case is over. Well the case is over now, and look who is having trouble finding the keys to her locked office? Time for Sam to make his move...if he can get Nicole's door opened, will she have dinner with him?
Okay, you know where this is headed. Sam cleans up really well, Nicole is attracted, and they head out for a fabulous dinner. Sam does something very bold with Nicole's hand at dinner (I was like..."Whoa!")...and soon the dinner turns into a loooong, erotic night of passion, where Sam and Nicole go at it over and over and over again...oh my, have a cold drink handy because you're going to need it! Sam is just one intense, passionate, insatiable guy! Nicole can't believe how she acted so out of character, but she couldn't help herself! Now she's trying to avoid him while she gets her head together about her feelings for Sam.
Meanwhile, across the ocean, a terrorist plot is brewing. Plans to create havoc in NYC with some dirty bombs are being finalized, and the suicide bombers are on their way. But a man known to Nicole sees what's about to happen, and sends a frantic message to her company hidden in a file due to be translated. Now Nicole is unknowingly caught in the crossfire of a terrorist plot, and an assassin is after her...will Nicole and Sam figure out what's going on before it's too late?
****end spoilers****
Okay, there's nothing really new here. LMR's stories are a bit predictable and follow a pattern of the big strong guy obsessed with the pretty heroine, becoming ultra-possessive and intensely passionate. The heroine usually is in some sort of danger, and the hero saves the day in the nick of time. There's suspense, plenty of intense, primal love-making, and the ILYs happen pretty quickly. But that's okay with me--I know what to expect from LMR and I enjoy it! This story took place over the course of just a few days, and a lot happened in that time. You may have to check your disbelief at the door if you want to enjoy this one fully (or if you're a doubting Thomas), but I have no doubt that if you are already a fan of LMR, you're going to love this one. In fact, if you loved , you'll love this one too--lots of similarities.
Sam and Nicole were each very likable characters. I liked the vulnerability that Sam showed regarding his feelings for Nicole. He was never cocky, he always was worried if he somehow physically hurt her with his passionate lovemaking...I found his worries endearing. You knew he would do anything for Nicole, even put his life on the line. I liked his relationship with his foster brothers, and I liked his values--he was a great catch for Nicole. I appreciated Nicole's devotion to her dying parent, and I thought LMR got the emotions regarding that plot just right. Of course Sam and Nicole's passion was off-the-charts--that's always a given in a LMR book. I'm happy to say we get a decent epilogue in this one (I guess LMR has learned her lesson not to leave the reader hanging!) and Sam says something really, really sweet (and sigh-worthy) to Nicole in that epilogue...
So, fans looking for a gripping suspense plot that could be taken-from- the-headlines, and a fast moving, intensely erotic romance will be happy with this hard-to-put-down read. Although this book was over 300 pages long, I could've easily read another 100. Since this book is the first of a series, I'm assuming we'll see Sam and Nicole again--at least I hope so! I'm guessing there will be stories about Sam's attractive 'brothers', Mike and Harry. I just hope we don't have to wait another year before that happens. For this book? 5 stars
June 9, 2015
This book is so boring I have no words. I lasted to about 70% and I applaud my own brain for managing so much.
And the sex. Sweet Jesus, I swear I don't want to see the word "juices" ever again in my life!!!
She has juices flowing from her, he has juices flowing into her, their combined juices are flowing from her, her juices again all over her, his juices making a lake inside her, she's wondering if she got her period maybe? No, it's their JUICES!!!!!! I swear. Yuck.
August 5, 2010
3 ½ stars � Romantic Suspense/Erotica
This was a pretty good erotic romantic suspense read, but I didn’t love it and found it overall...forgettable.
The previous books I’ve read by Lisa Marie Rice didn’t wow me. I read and it just didn’t work for me, and I tried to read and ended up putting it on hold. I enjoyed this quite a bit more, but I still didn’t like that the intermittent terrorist POV disrupted the flow of the story, which was one of my main issues with , too.
I found the internal musings of the hero very repetitive at times...“Sam is tough, Sam is a SEAL, Nicole is the most beautiful woman and makes me hard as steel, Sam doesn’t hurt woman, Sam is lethal, blah, blah, blah�, and I wish there had been a little more actual dialogue between the H/H.
Sam and Nicole have one meaningful conversation over dinner at a Lebanese restaurant with some sharing of their sob stories followed by a wild night of hot, nonstop sex ‘cause Sam sports a constant hard-on and puts the Energizer Bunny to shame in bed. There are a couple of attacks on Nicole’s life and subsequent rescues by Sam with some sporadic terrorist plotting and villain POV thrown in. There’s also a heartbreaking side story involving Nicole’s father suffering from brain cancer that is very sad and brought tears to my eyes a few times.
Sorry to my GR friends who love LMR *dunks to avoid airborne tomatoes*, but this still didn’t make a big LMR fan out of me. But I did “like� it, so I’ll give her Midnight series and a try at some point since I’ve heard good things about them from my GR pals in the LMR posse. 3 ½ stars.
This was a pretty good erotic romantic suspense read, but I didn’t love it and found it overall...forgettable.
The previous books I’ve read by Lisa Marie Rice didn’t wow me. I read and it just didn’t work for me, and I tried to read and ended up putting it on hold. I enjoyed this quite a bit more, but I still didn’t like that the intermittent terrorist POV disrupted the flow of the story, which was one of my main issues with , too.
I found the internal musings of the hero very repetitive at times...“Sam is tough, Sam is a SEAL, Nicole is the most beautiful woman and makes me hard as steel, Sam doesn’t hurt woman, Sam is lethal, blah, blah, blah�, and I wish there had been a little more actual dialogue between the H/H.
Sam and Nicole have one meaningful conversation over dinner at a Lebanese restaurant with some sharing of their sob stories followed by a wild night of hot, nonstop sex ‘cause Sam sports a constant hard-on and puts the Energizer Bunny to shame in bed. There are a couple of attacks on Nicole’s life and subsequent rescues by Sam with some sporadic terrorist plotting and villain POV thrown in. There’s also a heartbreaking side story involving Nicole’s father suffering from brain cancer that is very sad and brought tears to my eyes a few times.
Sorry to my GR friends who love LMR *dunks to avoid airborne tomatoes*, but this still didn’t make a big LMR fan out of me. But I did “like� it, so I’ll give her Midnight series and a try at some point since I’ve heard good things about them from my GR pals in the LMR posse. 3 ½ stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 29, 2010
Into the Crossfire was good but not great. It seemed almost like a watered-down, not-quite-as-good-as version of Midnight Man, Midnight Angel and Dangerous Passion. I didn’t connect with the main characters as much as I normally do in her books. I think the main problem was the background suspense story took over too much of the book and put the romance in the background sometimes. I was also uncomfortable with the very sad storyline of the heroine’s father dying slowly from cancer, it was such a heavy issue for a book like this.
There were parts I really did like. It was action packed and some parts of the story were really good. But then I would have to deal with the side stories mixed in between it. I also did not love the overall villain she chose, it was just too easy in this day and age and hit way too close to home considering world events.
Sam was a slighter gentler version of her uber alpha military heroes. He falls completely for Nicole at first sight and has trouble even functioning at first in front of her because he wants her so much. I did like his relationship with his brothers, it was nice to see their comradery and friendship with each other � plus I think we get their stories next and I am looking forward to them. Nicole was the typical gorgeous, gentle selfless LMR heroine but I like the fact that she ran her own business. She thought of Sam as “the lowlife� before they met, which was pretty funny actually, because she had only seen him dirty and unkempt at first due to his job. Her life was taken over by her father’s disease, actually sometimes the story was taken over by it which is why I am not sure it should have been so prominent. But when she meets Sam she finds happiness in her life despite the sadness, which was really nice to see. She appreciates the loyal and protective man that Sam is, while Sam pretty much worships the ground she walks upon (almost to a disturbing level � this dude would so be a stalker if he wasn’t the hero).
The romance, when it was onscreen, was very fast paced but it was nice. Of course Sam gets a “blue steeler� all the time when he even glances at Nicole, so naturally there is some hot loving going on. The timeline in the book is very short, only a few days for them to fall in love and deal with the bad guys. It was a bit too short, it seemed like only two days to me. But if I just go with the flow, their scenes together were nice.
One thing I thought was hilarious and I am pretty sure I never saw in a romance novel before. LMR actually included this in the book, Sam’s brother Harry is talking to him and Sam thinks: “He waved the air in front of him as if someone had just let rip a massive fart.� Yes folks, I just saw the words massive fart in a romance novel after reading them for 16 years. I am not sure this is a good milestone.
So overall, a good LMR book if you are looking for a fix of her writing. I think I will like this book even better the next time I read it, mostly because I will just skip the “villain� parts and read the romance. If you are looking to try her out for the first time, I would recommend Midnight Man or Dangerous Passion instead of starting with this one. Midnight Angel and Port of Paradise are also very high on my list.
There were parts I really did like. It was action packed and some parts of the story were really good. But then I would have to deal with the side stories mixed in between it. I also did not love the overall villain she chose, it was just too easy in this day and age and hit way too close to home considering world events.
Sam was a slighter gentler version of her uber alpha military heroes. He falls completely for Nicole at first sight and has trouble even functioning at first in front of her because he wants her so much. I did like his relationship with his brothers, it was nice to see their comradery and friendship with each other � plus I think we get their stories next and I am looking forward to them. Nicole was the typical gorgeous, gentle selfless LMR heroine but I like the fact that she ran her own business. She thought of Sam as “the lowlife� before they met, which was pretty funny actually, because she had only seen him dirty and unkempt at first due to his job. Her life was taken over by her father’s disease, actually sometimes the story was taken over by it which is why I am not sure it should have been so prominent. But when she meets Sam she finds happiness in her life despite the sadness, which was really nice to see. She appreciates the loyal and protective man that Sam is, while Sam pretty much worships the ground she walks upon (almost to a disturbing level � this dude would so be a stalker if he wasn’t the hero).
The romance, when it was onscreen, was very fast paced but it was nice. Of course Sam gets a “blue steeler� all the time when he even glances at Nicole, so naturally there is some hot loving going on. The timeline in the book is very short, only a few days for them to fall in love and deal with the bad guys. It was a bit too short, it seemed like only two days to me. But if I just go with the flow, their scenes together were nice.
One thing I thought was hilarious and I am pretty sure I never saw in a romance novel before. LMR actually included this in the book, Sam’s brother Harry is talking to him and Sam thinks: “He waved the air in front of him as if someone had just let rip a massive fart.� Yes folks, I just saw the words massive fart in a romance novel after reading them for 16 years. I am not sure this is a good milestone.
So overall, a good LMR book if you are looking for a fix of her writing. I think I will like this book even better the next time I read it, mostly because I will just skip the “villain� parts and read the romance. If you are looking to try her out for the first time, I would recommend Midnight Man or Dangerous Passion instead of starting with this one. Midnight Angel and Port of Paradise are also very high on my list.
February 14, 2019
Reread on: 6/29/17
Solid 4.5 Stars!!!!
There are tons of great reviews on this book, so again I'm not going to attempt writing one. But, I have to say I really loved this book and I'm definitely looking forward to reading more of this series. Can't wait to read Harry & Mike's books!!!!
Solid 4.5 Stars!!!!
There are tons of great reviews on this book, so again I'm not going to attempt writing one. But, I have to say I really loved this book and I'm definitely looking forward to reading more of this series. Can't wait to read Harry & Mike's books!!!!
August 27, 2010
I'm a huge fan of LMR's books and I loved everything she's written... until this book. Not that it was bad, it was just far below of what I've learned to expect from her and I can't but feel very disappointed.
I'm not going to write a plot summary or a full review, as many of my friends have already done a great job with that. I'm just going to keep it simple and short:
What I liked: Sam and Nicole individually, the action scenes (OTT sometimes, but this is fiction and I'm OK with that) and the epilogue (beautifully sad but hopefull).
What I didn't like: Sam and Nicole together (their love scenes were hot, but I didn't feel any real connection between them) and the excessive number of scenes featuring the villains' POV.
Overall, this was an OK read, but LMR can do much better. Hopefully, the next book will be up to par with her previous releases again.
I'm not going to write a plot summary or a full review, as many of my friends have already done a great job with that. I'm just going to keep it simple and short:
What I liked: Sam and Nicole individually, the action scenes (OTT sometimes, but this is fiction and I'm OK with that) and the epilogue (beautifully sad but hopefull).
What I didn't like: Sam and Nicole together (their love scenes were hot, but I didn't feel any real connection between them) and the excessive number of scenes featuring the villains' POV.
Overall, this was an OK read, but LMR can do much better. Hopefully, the next book will be up to par with her previous releases again.
May 23, 2015
3,5 Stars - a lot of steam, suspence and, as always, a tough, adorable and very hot "L.M. Rice hero" - but I missed something this time.
This is a quite okay suspense romance, but not nearly as good as many others by this author. I loved all the three books in the and liked the two I read from the . But most of all I love her adorable, always horny and wistful alpha men.
Ms. Rice style with the large, hard and tough alpha heroes, including the hot heat, we recognize also in this novel - and that's nice. But I still want some more and perhaps this story becomes a little too much suspense-thriller for my taste. I would had like more of the romantic interplay between the two main characters - but then it maybe isn't a suspense romance...
Nicole Pearce runs a translation business and have just moved into a new small office. The successful security company across the hall, run by the former Special Force Soldier (a Navy SEAL) Sam Reston. When Sam sees the new neighbor, he knows immediately that this is the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, the woman he wants, his Princess.
At the same time, with the growing new attraction and Sam's single-minded approach to catch Nicole, makes preparations for a terrorist attack. A terror drama that Nicole by coincidence becomes involved in through a secret message in a document she'll translate.
What I always appreciate in this authors books is that it's pretty "bang on" and not much hassle, anxiety and suspicion. The hero knows exactly what he wants and the heroines are usually enchanted pretty soon. The author also has an ability to invite us in sexy romances, but always with a twinkle in her eye. I have always many laughs and reads with a smile on my lips.
This story is hot, fun to read and I really like this two main characters. The parts with the steam and the interaction are really good. I always love these heroes “simple� brain activity when they have their woman in sight. It is about protecting, come in, take care of, enter, securing up, get into... They have it tough - but a huge stamina!
Overall, I like what I'm reading, but it's not enough this time - a little more is needed for four stars. Enjoying for a moment reading, but not more. I know that novels by this author can be so much better - read them first.
I Like - just okay...
This is a quite okay suspense romance, but not nearly as good as many others by this author. I loved all the three books in the and liked the two I read from the . But most of all I love her adorable, always horny and wistful alpha men.
Ms. Rice style with the large, hard and tough alpha heroes, including the hot heat, we recognize also in this novel - and that's nice. But I still want some more and perhaps this story becomes a little too much suspense-thriller for my taste. I would had like more of the romantic interplay between the two main characters - but then it maybe isn't a suspense romance...
‘Oh God, there he was, long and broad and dark and grim. And frightening as hell.�
Nicole Pearce runs a translation business and have just moved into a new small office. The successful security company across the hall, run by the former Special Force Soldier (a Navy SEAL) Sam Reston. When Sam sees the new neighbor, he knows immediately that this is the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, the woman he wants, his Princess.
‘A second after that amazing, womanly smell chock-full of pheromones went straight to his d~k, he saw her, and his entire body seized up. He was unable to move, unable to breathe, for a second or two.�
At the same time, with the growing new attraction and Sam's single-minded approach to catch Nicole, makes preparations for a terrorist attack. A terror drama that Nicole by coincidence becomes involved in through a secret message in a document she'll translate.
What I always appreciate in this authors books is that it's pretty "bang on" and not much hassle, anxiety and suspicion. The hero knows exactly what he wants and the heroines are usually enchanted pretty soon. The author also has an ability to invite us in sexy romances, but always with a twinkle in her eye. I have always many laughs and reads with a smile on my lips.
This story is hot, fun to read and I really like this two main characters. The parts with the steam and the interaction are really good. I always love these heroes “simple� brain activity when they have their woman in sight. It is about protecting, come in, take care of, enter, securing up, get into... They have it tough - but a huge stamina!
Overall, I like what I'm reading, but it's not enough this time - a little more is needed for four stars. Enjoying for a moment reading, but not more. I know that novels by this author can be so much better - read them first.
I Like - just okay...
February 7, 2017
I loved how Sam was dead set on having Nicole and keeping her. The big bad heroes that are so extremely attracted that they can barely contain themselves...just love it. Pure sexy..all the way . add in major seat gripping suspense and heartbreaking moments and I couldn't put this down. Lisa knows how to write an Alpha.
totally safe
totally safe
July 18, 2011
Into the Crossfire was an ok read. But I think I’m reaching my saturation point with regard to this author. After her Midnight Trilogy and Woman on the Run, I feel I’m reading the same story again and again and again. I had high hopes for this new series, that maybe she would make an effort to step out of her comfort zone and give us something different this time. But no. She didn’t. Her approach probably is “if the recipe is successful, you just keep repeating it.�
So what do we have here? Well, what we had in her previous books (at least in the Midnight Trilogy and Woman on the Run, which I’ve read so far) down to the tee:
� A super-über-mega-alpha male in his early or mid-thirties, hugely built, dark, not very handsome but oozing sex appeal and raw passion, a former navy SEAL who has been honourably discharged (usually because of a minor health problem) and now runs a very successful personal security company, i.e. he has loads and loads of money;
� A stunningly-breathtakingly-words-cannot-describe beautiful heroine in her late twenties (28 seems to be the author’s favourite age), elegant, classy, intelligent, independent and mildly successful but with a lot of potential at what she does for a living, with an impeccable taste in clothes and accessories (half the time also in decorating), who has travelled a lot (half the time she was born and raised abroad) and is single (naturally);
� The super-über-mega-alpha male sees the stunningly-breathtakingly-words-cannot-describe beautiful heroine and has to have her because she unleashes the animal in him, his primordial sexual urges;
� At first, the stunningly-breathtakingly-words-cannot-describe beautiful heroine is intimidated by this super-über-mega-alpha male who looks at her like a lion at his prey but she also can’t deny her raw sexual attraction to him. Also, it’s the first time she’s attracted to this kind of male, her usual dates are more classy and attract her on an intellectual not on a carnal level;
� The hero understands how the heroine may not trust him so he uses some very important people (like, say, the mayor or the chief of the naval staff) to provide references and reassure her it’s ok to go out with him, he won’t bite (but never, ever, play poker with him). Needless to say he has all those important people on speed dial;
� They have passionate sex; no foreplay because the hero can barely control himself and without protection but it’s ok because the heroine is on the pill and neither of them is worried that the other has any sexually transmitted diseases (also, the author has a liking for the term “bareback�);
� The hero is worried he physically hurt the heroine because he was too rough when he jumped her, but he hasn’t;
� The hero can go on and on and on in bed (even after the heroine is about to go unconscious from the hours and hours he has been nailing her) and also has a constant boner because that female just has this effect on him; also even looking at or fantasizing about this woman feels way better than having sex with anyone else so he decides this one’s a keeper;
� The hero is obsessed to the point of psychosis with locks and alarms and security in general. He feels he has to keep his woman safe at all times even though there is no imminent danger (yet!);
� The hero is a good driver and the heroine admires him for that;
� The hero is a former navy SEAL, not a marine or any other kind of Special Ops. A marine? Puh-leez! He was a soldier not a sissy!
� The hero is best friends or closely related to a police officer of a very high rank;
� Someone in the book likes to drink Calvados brandy;
� Someone in the book owns or plans to own or wishes they owned a beach house in some Caribbean island or Central/South America;
� Due to a major case of bad luck or being in the wrong place at the wrong time, the heroine becomes the target of very dangerous people (like hired assassins or mobsters) who want her dead;
� The hero has to protect his woman at all costs (naturally) and he practically abducts her, taking her to his high-end flat, his cabin in the woods (which by the way has a state of the art security system with thermal detectors, motion detectors and all that paraphernalia), a motel in the middle of nowhere, you get the picture;
� They have more unprotected rough sex there. The hero has still very little control over his urges but he hopes that sometime in the future he’ll become sated and be able to relish the heroine, like she deserves;
� The story climaxes with the hero annihilating the enemy (by himself because he either doesn’t trust the authorities or the authorities are just not capable of doing it right) and saving the heroine but not without cost to himself because, in his panic to save his woman, he forgets all about his training and controlling your heart beat and gets tunnel vision, yada yada yada...and nearly gets killed;
� After that, the couple declare their love for each other (even though their sexual relationship spans just a few days but having gone through such an ordeal has made them realize they love each other really quickly);
� The super-über-mega-alpha male puts a diamond ring the size of a pigeon egg on the finger of the stunningly-breathtakingly-words-cannot-describe beautiful heroine and they live happily ever after.
So there you have it. I could be describing any book by Lisa Marie Rice. That doesn’t mean I won’t be reading any of her books ever again. Just that, for the time being, I’ll be taking a break from her stories.
So what do we have here? Well, what we had in her previous books (at least in the Midnight Trilogy and Woman on the Run, which I’ve read so far) down to the tee:
� A super-über-mega-alpha male in his early or mid-thirties, hugely built, dark, not very handsome but oozing sex appeal and raw passion, a former navy SEAL who has been honourably discharged (usually because of a minor health problem) and now runs a very successful personal security company, i.e. he has loads and loads of money;
� A stunningly-breathtakingly-words-cannot-describe beautiful heroine in her late twenties (28 seems to be the author’s favourite age), elegant, classy, intelligent, independent and mildly successful but with a lot of potential at what she does for a living, with an impeccable taste in clothes and accessories (half the time also in decorating), who has travelled a lot (half the time she was born and raised abroad) and is single (naturally);
� The super-über-mega-alpha male sees the stunningly-breathtakingly-words-cannot-describe beautiful heroine and has to have her because she unleashes the animal in him, his primordial sexual urges;
� At first, the stunningly-breathtakingly-words-cannot-describe beautiful heroine is intimidated by this super-über-mega-alpha male who looks at her like a lion at his prey but she also can’t deny her raw sexual attraction to him. Also, it’s the first time she’s attracted to this kind of male, her usual dates are more classy and attract her on an intellectual not on a carnal level;
� The hero understands how the heroine may not trust him so he uses some very important people (like, say, the mayor or the chief of the naval staff) to provide references and reassure her it’s ok to go out with him, he won’t bite (but never, ever, play poker with him). Needless to say he has all those important people on speed dial;
� They have passionate sex; no foreplay because the hero can barely control himself and without protection but it’s ok because the heroine is on the pill and neither of them is worried that the other has any sexually transmitted diseases (also, the author has a liking for the term “bareback�);
� The hero is worried he physically hurt the heroine because he was too rough when he jumped her, but he hasn’t;
� The hero can go on and on and on in bed (even after the heroine is about to go unconscious from the hours and hours he has been nailing her) and also has a constant boner because that female just has this effect on him; also even looking at or fantasizing about this woman feels way better than having sex with anyone else so he decides this one’s a keeper;
� The hero is obsessed to the point of psychosis with locks and alarms and security in general. He feels he has to keep his woman safe at all times even though there is no imminent danger (yet!);
� The hero is a good driver and the heroine admires him for that;
� The hero is a former navy SEAL, not a marine or any other kind of Special Ops. A marine? Puh-leez! He was a soldier not a sissy!
� The hero is best friends or closely related to a police officer of a very high rank;
� Someone in the book likes to drink Calvados brandy;
� Someone in the book owns or plans to own or wishes they owned a beach house in some Caribbean island or Central/South America;
� Due to a major case of bad luck or being in the wrong place at the wrong time, the heroine becomes the target of very dangerous people (like hired assassins or mobsters) who want her dead;
� The hero has to protect his woman at all costs (naturally) and he practically abducts her, taking her to his high-end flat, his cabin in the woods (which by the way has a state of the art security system with thermal detectors, motion detectors and all that paraphernalia), a motel in the middle of nowhere, you get the picture;
� They have more unprotected rough sex there. The hero has still very little control over his urges but he hopes that sometime in the future he’ll become sated and be able to relish the heroine, like she deserves;
� The story climaxes with the hero annihilating the enemy (by himself because he either doesn’t trust the authorities or the authorities are just not capable of doing it right) and saving the heroine but not without cost to himself because, in his panic to save his woman, he forgets all about his training and controlling your heart beat and gets tunnel vision, yada yada yada...and nearly gets killed;
� After that, the couple declare their love for each other (even though their sexual relationship spans just a few days but having gone through such an ordeal has made them realize they love each other really quickly);
� The super-über-mega-alpha male puts a diamond ring the size of a pigeon egg on the finger of the stunningly-breathtakingly-words-cannot-describe beautiful heroine and they live happily ever after.
So there you have it. I could be describing any book by Lisa Marie Rice. That doesn’t mean I won’t be reading any of her books ever again. Just that, for the time being, I’ll be taking a break from her stories.
July 19, 2010
Lisa Marie Rice has a specific formula to most of her books. Her heroes are very alpha males who have had horrible pasts and are usually retired from the Navy or Army. They end up going undercover to take down very evil bad guys who would torture someone's grandmother to get what they wanted. The hero becomes fixated on the heroine so much so that he can't think of anything else and he's sexually frustrated 24/7. He keeps watch over the heroine, who he feels the need to protect and take care of. He always comes to her rescue, feeds her and then takes her back to his place in under a twenty-four hour period for some hot, messy sex that turns the heroine's muscles to mush where she still wants more even though she's now Gumby.
Into the Crossfire, the first book in Lisa's Protectors series, has this strange sense of déjà vu because of this LMR formula. Sam Reston is a former Navy Seal who works undercover, taking down sex traffickers, drug cartel thugs, you name it. Sam "made his living as a soldier leading hard men, and now as a civilian he made his living being tougher than most." Sam is hard and tough all over (another LMR trademark hero) and has no room for any softness in his life. But, that all changes when he spots Nicole Pearce, the most beautiful woman in the world and his "personal wet dream". Everything about Nicole screams class and elegance, the very opposite of what Sam is. Nicole has an office in the same building in downtown San Diego as Sam does, but she keeps her distance from him because she thinks he's shady.
An opportunity arises for Sam to meet Nicole and talk to her. He helps her out of a sticky situation and explains who he is, why he's dresses the way he does and that he's the owner of a security company. Nicole changes her opinion about Sam very quickly and because she's strangely attracted to him, she accepts his dinner invitation.
Nicole has given up so much to come back home and take care of her dying father. She once lived a life of privilege with loving parents who worked at the UN in Geneva. She's now trying to make her fledging translation business a success. She barely has the time or money to go out on dates, but since Sam makes her so aroused, she decides, why not have a nice meal and some romance?
Sam isn't necessarily the type to wine and dine a woman. He has very underused courting skills. But over dinner he and Nicole connect, and then she accepts another invitation. This one is to go back home with him for a night of hot loving. Nicole is overwhelmed by the way her body responds to Sam, so much so that she almost passes out from the intense pleasure of it all. Sam wants to beat his chest and scream his happiness to the sky because Nicole is the one. But first he has to convince her that they should be together forever as well as keep her safe from a group of dangerous terrorists who are headed to New York with radioactive bombs. Nicole is sent these plans by no choice of her own and is then marked for death. It's up to Sam and his two foster brothers to keep her and her father safe and to stop a massive terrorist attack.
Into the Crossfire occurs over a very short time; only a few days. In that time period there's a lot of sex and violence. Sam is a man any woman would wish by her side. He's the dark silent type who is always in control of every situation, no matter how dangerous it may be. But when a slip of a woman, he's so far gone over, enters the picture, his whole world is turned upside down. Nicole seems fragile at first but is very strong and intelligent. She is also loyal and caring, mainly in regards to her father.
The attraction Sam and Nicole have for one another is intense, fast and semi-erotic. I've said this before, but Lisa writes some of the hottest missionary sex I've ever read, although this time she takes it one step further with the way Sam enjoys giving pleasure to Nicole with his mouth. Also, I must note that not once do these two wear any protection. Nicole mentions in passing how she's on the pill, and even though she has just met Sam, who she did think was a thug, she doesn't mind wrapping her legs around his waist and ride him for all he's worth as he tears off her panties in a fit of lust.
The bad guys and so very eviillll� (insert Dr. Evil from Austin Powers here) and I was more concerned with the dynamics of how Nicole and Sam would work things out between them versus the whole, let's destroy the world plot.
Some of the actions and description are borderline silly including the way Sam constantly wants Nicole too the point of near madness. But yet, I wanted more. I can't get enough of Lisa Marie Rice. Her books are like a big gooey chocolate bar that makes you moan as you eat it. Into the Crossfire fed my need for brooding heroes who worship their angel like heroines with respect and hot, sweaty sex. Lisa Marie Rice is my guilty pleasure reading that always has me wanting more.
Into the Crossfire, the first book in Lisa's Protectors series, has this strange sense of déjà vu because of this LMR formula. Sam Reston is a former Navy Seal who works undercover, taking down sex traffickers, drug cartel thugs, you name it. Sam "made his living as a soldier leading hard men, and now as a civilian he made his living being tougher than most." Sam is hard and tough all over (another LMR trademark hero) and has no room for any softness in his life. But, that all changes when he spots Nicole Pearce, the most beautiful woman in the world and his "personal wet dream". Everything about Nicole screams class and elegance, the very opposite of what Sam is. Nicole has an office in the same building in downtown San Diego as Sam does, but she keeps her distance from him because she thinks he's shady.
An opportunity arises for Sam to meet Nicole and talk to her. He helps her out of a sticky situation and explains who he is, why he's dresses the way he does and that he's the owner of a security company. Nicole changes her opinion about Sam very quickly and because she's strangely attracted to him, she accepts his dinner invitation.
Nicole has given up so much to come back home and take care of her dying father. She once lived a life of privilege with loving parents who worked at the UN in Geneva. She's now trying to make her fledging translation business a success. She barely has the time or money to go out on dates, but since Sam makes her so aroused, she decides, why not have a nice meal and some romance?
Sam isn't necessarily the type to wine and dine a woman. He has very underused courting skills. But over dinner he and Nicole connect, and then she accepts another invitation. This one is to go back home with him for a night of hot loving. Nicole is overwhelmed by the way her body responds to Sam, so much so that she almost passes out from the intense pleasure of it all. Sam wants to beat his chest and scream his happiness to the sky because Nicole is the one. But first he has to convince her that they should be together forever as well as keep her safe from a group of dangerous terrorists who are headed to New York with radioactive bombs. Nicole is sent these plans by no choice of her own and is then marked for death. It's up to Sam and his two foster brothers to keep her and her father safe and to stop a massive terrorist attack.
Into the Crossfire occurs over a very short time; only a few days. In that time period there's a lot of sex and violence. Sam is a man any woman would wish by her side. He's the dark silent type who is always in control of every situation, no matter how dangerous it may be. But when a slip of a woman, he's so far gone over, enters the picture, his whole world is turned upside down. Nicole seems fragile at first but is very strong and intelligent. She is also loyal and caring, mainly in regards to her father.
The attraction Sam and Nicole have for one another is intense, fast and semi-erotic. I've said this before, but Lisa writes some of the hottest missionary sex I've ever read, although this time she takes it one step further with the way Sam enjoys giving pleasure to Nicole with his mouth. Also, I must note that not once do these two wear any protection. Nicole mentions in passing how she's on the pill, and even though she has just met Sam, who she did think was a thug, she doesn't mind wrapping her legs around his waist and ride him for all he's worth as he tears off her panties in a fit of lust.
The bad guys and so very eviillll� (insert Dr. Evil from Austin Powers here) and I was more concerned with the dynamics of how Nicole and Sam would work things out between them versus the whole, let's destroy the world plot.
Some of the actions and description are borderline silly including the way Sam constantly wants Nicole too the point of near madness. But yet, I wanted more. I can't get enough of Lisa Marie Rice. Her books are like a big gooey chocolate bar that makes you moan as you eat it. Into the Crossfire fed my need for brooding heroes who worship their angel like heroines with respect and hot, sweaty sex. Lisa Marie Rice is my guilty pleasure reading that always has me wanting more.
April 28, 2011
4 1/2 stars. Wow! I read this series out of order and this book was better than the second one. Two strong characters, lots of thrills and some smokin hot sex, especially the very descriptive scene towards the end of the book...I'm still fanning myself. The "brothers" back story was very intriguing and explained the intense camaraderie between the 3 of them. The only thing missing, it needed more verbal interaction with the characters, especially the H and h. Thoughts and description are good, dialogue makes it even better. I'm looking forward to Mike's story...he has piqued my interest...in other words, I'm lusting for him! Nothing like a man in a SWAT uniform.
August 12, 2019
.
I feel bad not giving this a higher rating because there were parts I just loved! ...and the sex was HOT. kinda pornographic really.
Nicole meets Sam in passing after she opens up shop in the office across from his. He runs a security company with one of his two brothers. She is starting a translation agency.
She is drop dead gorgeous but not vain or shallow. After her father got terminally sick, she returned to live with him and be with him til the end. Her first impression of Sam is NOT a good one. He, of course, is obsessed from the get go.
So we begin with their meeting and first date (HOT!) and then we jump to the terrorists. Nicole becomes the target of terrorists through a fluke connection.
I am not a big fan of suspense, and this isn't particularly good suspense. At least I wouldn't say so because you are never unsure as to what is going to happen before it happens... because the bad guys tell you in their thoughts ahead of time. I thought LMR does her homework for the espionage etc. But listening to the inner thoughts of the villains is ugly, and I found myself skimming through these parts.
...Thank goodness Sam is so good at his job!
The ending and epilogue are wonderful.
So my problems were to do with the time spent in the villain's heads, the lack of intrigue and the repetitive thoughts in the MCs heads. Too much head time in general I guess.
I would still recommend the book, but I have read better by the author too.
Safety is good
I feel bad not giving this a higher rating because there were parts I just loved! ...and the sex was HOT. kinda pornographic really.
Nicole meets Sam in passing after she opens up shop in the office across from his. He runs a security company with one of his two brothers. She is starting a translation agency.
She is drop dead gorgeous but not vain or shallow. After her father got terminally sick, she returned to live with him and be with him til the end. Her first impression of Sam is NOT a good one. He, of course, is obsessed from the get go.
So we begin with their meeting and first date (HOT!) and then we jump to the terrorists. Nicole becomes the target of terrorists through a fluke connection.
I am not a big fan of suspense, and this isn't particularly good suspense. At least I wouldn't say so because you are never unsure as to what is going to happen before it happens... because the bad guys tell you in their thoughts ahead of time. I thought LMR does her homework for the espionage etc. But listening to the inner thoughts of the villains is ugly, and I found myself skimming through these parts.
...Thank goodness Sam is so good at his job!
The ending and epilogue are wonderful.
So my problems were to do with the time spent in the villain's heads, the lack of intrigue and the repetitive thoughts in the MCs heads. Too much head time in general I guess.
I would still recommend the book, but I have read better by the author too.
Safety is good
March 15, 2013
My Sam
My Nicole
I have been wanting to read this story forever. It has sounded good and even been downloaded to my kindle for months now. I was not disappointed.
When Sam and Nicole first meet, Sam is working undercover and he has gone total lowlife for his assignment. Hair and beard total grown out, filthy clothes, skipping on the shower, he is living his assignment. So he knows there is no way the gorgeous Nicole will ever pay him any attention. Nicole is scared as hell at the lowlife working in the office across the hall from her. Not only does he slack on being clean, he has huge muscles that he could easily take her with and a menacing scowl every time she sees him. But when Sam's assignment is completed he decides its time to make his move on Nicole. And she makes the task easy. One morning she has locked herself out of her office and Sam comes to the rescue. He makes her a deal, he'll open the door if she will have dinner with him. She really needed in that door so she agrees.
Clean, shaved, and dressed in an expensive suit Sam takes Nicole off guard. She had found out that morning that Sam isn't the lowlife she thought but in fact the owner of the Security company across the hall from her. She finds out on her date that he had been working undercover, but she also finds out that the man she has been afraid of is this sexy beast of a man that she is 100% attracted to. Nicole has no time for romance though, so she lays it out to him that things can't go any further than dinner. After Nicole spills her beans Sam realizes she's different than other women and he decides it's time he stakes his claim. Next thing, Sam and Nicole are speeding away from the resturant heading to Sam's bed. After a full night of romping and a godzillion orgasms both parties realize they feel something for the other, but that freaks Nicole out and she sneaks out the next morning leaving Sam asleep in bed.
All at the same time trouble is heading right for Nicole, and its a lot scarier that Sam.
I loved Sam's character. As a undercover Seal, he is ruthless. He even had to endure listening to one of the men he was spying on talk about taking a 12 year old little girls virginity by rape. That is why when Nicole first met him he was so pissed. He had to act like he was okay with that in order to get the proof he needed to bust the bad guys. He has lived a hard life and his main goal is to protect the weak, especially women and children. He falls in love hard with Nicole and fast. When he woke up with out her his worse fear was that he scared her or hurt her. The people that he cares for he will give up his life to protect, but if you are against him or trying to hurt someone that he cares about he will stop at nothing to stop them.
Nicole also was a great character. She had a life she absolutely adored but dropped it all to take care of her dying dad. She will stop at nothing to make sure that her dad has the best of everything until the moment he passes on. Her life was devoted to him no matter what the costs and even though she had lived a life of luxury previously, when it came to it, she worked hard started a company from the ground up, and provided for her family the best she could when times got tough. She made sacrifces and I loved her with Sam.
This was a really good story. I feel like I'm repeating myself so, I'm not going to drag it out much longer. It was an intense read with drama, love, and lots of danger. I can't wait to read the next book.
My Nicole
Source: via on
I have been wanting to read this story forever. It has sounded good and even been downloaded to my kindle for months now. I was not disappointed.
When Sam and Nicole first meet, Sam is working undercover and he has gone total lowlife for his assignment. Hair and beard total grown out, filthy clothes, skipping on the shower, he is living his assignment. So he knows there is no way the gorgeous Nicole will ever pay him any attention. Nicole is scared as hell at the lowlife working in the office across the hall from her. Not only does he slack on being clean, he has huge muscles that he could easily take her with and a menacing scowl every time she sees him. But when Sam's assignment is completed he decides its time to make his move on Nicole. And she makes the task easy. One morning she has locked herself out of her office and Sam comes to the rescue. He makes her a deal, he'll open the door if she will have dinner with him. She really needed in that door so she agrees.
Clean, shaved, and dressed in an expensive suit Sam takes Nicole off guard. She had found out that morning that Sam isn't the lowlife she thought but in fact the owner of the Security company across the hall from her. She finds out on her date that he had been working undercover, but she also finds out that the man she has been afraid of is this sexy beast of a man that she is 100% attracted to. Nicole has no time for romance though, so she lays it out to him that things can't go any further than dinner. After Nicole spills her beans Sam realizes she's different than other women and he decides it's time he stakes his claim. Next thing, Sam and Nicole are speeding away from the resturant heading to Sam's bed. After a full night of romping and a godzillion orgasms both parties realize they feel something for the other, but that freaks Nicole out and she sneaks out the next morning leaving Sam asleep in bed.
Source: Uploaded by user via on
All at the same time trouble is heading right for Nicole, and its a lot scarier that Sam.
I loved Sam's character. As a undercover Seal, he is ruthless. He even had to endure listening to one of the men he was spying on talk about taking a 12 year old little girls virginity by rape. That is why when Nicole first met him he was so pissed. He had to act like he was okay with that in order to get the proof he needed to bust the bad guys. He has lived a hard life and his main goal is to protect the weak, especially women and children. He falls in love hard with Nicole and fast. When he woke up with out her his worse fear was that he scared her or hurt her. The people that he cares for he will give up his life to protect, but if you are against him or trying to hurt someone that he cares about he will stop at nothing to stop them.
Nicole also was a great character. She had a life she absolutely adored but dropped it all to take care of her dying dad. She will stop at nothing to make sure that her dad has the best of everything until the moment he passes on. Her life was devoted to him no matter what the costs and even though she had lived a life of luxury previously, when it came to it, she worked hard started a company from the ground up, and provided for her family the best she could when times got tough. She made sacrifces and I loved her with Sam.
This was a really good story. I feel like I'm repeating myself so, I'm not going to drag it out much longer. It was an intense read with drama, love, and lots of danger. I can't wait to read the next book.
August 1, 2010
The first in a new series and I was thrilled to read it. Typical Lisa Marie Rice characters and writing style. Hero locks on to a female with instant physical attraction and commences to "seek and bed." While the heroine has a very good heart, no game playing, very direct and frank and has a life of her own. :-)
Why not 5 stars? I didn't like the terrorist theme. I didn't get pulled in with the two main characters as much I have did with the characters in the "Midnight" series. A family member dieing of cancer was very depressing. I thought the heroine was too stupid to live for renting that expensive office space, quitting her well paying job with the health benefits that she desperately needed because her father WANTED to be in the states, and for the stupid thing she did at the end of the book. The way she handled their first night of love making was disappointing, too. Yeah, I guess she bugged me.
Why, was she wearing suits that were 7 and 8 years old when she quit her job a year ago? Did she not have any friends in her other job? I was stressing about the failure to translate that bank job for the heroine. Ugh. Yep, TSTL Shelf.
The hero was okay, but he went from one extreme to the other and wasn't able to think around what was between his legs when the heroine was around. All those desperate phone calls made him look silly. And, because the book only encompassed a handful of days, the ending just left me feeling at odds. I'm happy for the H/h, but hey....
Finally, there was too much retelling of what I just read throughout the story! Jiminey Cricket don't retell me what I already read. Chapter 14 was a total bust with recapping. Filler?
Why not 5 stars? I didn't like the terrorist theme. I didn't get pulled in with the two main characters as much I have did with the characters in the "Midnight" series. A family member dieing of cancer was very depressing. I thought the heroine was too stupid to live for renting that expensive office space, quitting her well paying job with the health benefits that she desperately needed because her father WANTED to be in the states, and for the stupid thing she did at the end of the book. The way she handled their first night of love making was disappointing, too. Yeah, I guess she bugged me.
Why, was she wearing suits that were 7 and 8 years old when she quit her job a year ago? Did she not have any friends in her other job? I was stressing about the failure to translate that bank job for the heroine. Ugh. Yep, TSTL Shelf.
The hero was okay, but he went from one extreme to the other and wasn't able to think around what was between his legs when the heroine was around. All those desperate phone calls made him look silly. And, because the book only encompassed a handful of days, the ending just left me feeling at odds. I'm happy for the H/h, but hey....
Finally, there was too much retelling of what I just read throughout the story! Jiminey Cricket don't retell me what I already read. Chapter 14 was a total bust with recapping. Filler?
July 31, 2010
A solid 4 star LMR book and a great start to a new series! It is not my favorite of her books - I liked Dangerous Passion and some of her EC books better, but I am NOT complaining. I enjoyed the H and h, but just wish there had been more time devoted to them rather than the build up of the terrorism plot that will continue in the next two books. LMR has a template that works for her and you will find it in this book. (Again, not a complaint - if you like her previous works, you will find those same elements in this one.)
Eagerly looking forward to the next installment of this series.
Eagerly looking forward to the next installment of this series.
September 6, 2018
I have read only one by Lisa Marie Rice - - and I wasn't impressed. Unfortunately, it wasn't much better this time.
What I didn't like about , was the insta love idea. And in Into the Crossfire it is used again. Nicole and Sam fall in love in two days(!) (okay, four days but two of them they spend in a hospital hardly talking to each other). And on the fourth day she agrees to marry him (sic!). They hardly know each other, except for the information they find on the net, one short conversation in the restaurant and a night of passion they spent mostly on sex and not talking. What kind of relationship can be built on such a fragile base? It's hard to believe that what they feel is love. Fascination - maybe, desire - I can believe in that, but love - I don't think so.
And, of course, Nicole, like so many other heroines in romantic suspense before her, does some really stupid things when in comes to the suspense part. Otherwise being quite a smart and educated lady.
Again, like in , I generally liked the characters and I cared about them. It's the plot that bothers me. Still, I liked Sam's brothers - Mike and Harry, enough to read the next books in the series. Hopefully, those without the love on the first sight idea.
What I didn't like about , was the insta love idea. And in Into the Crossfire it is used again. Nicole and Sam fall in love in two days(!) (okay, four days but two of them they spend in a hospital hardly talking to each other). And on the fourth day she agrees to marry him (sic!). They hardly know each other, except for the information they find on the net, one short conversation in the restaurant and a night of passion they spent mostly on sex and not talking. What kind of relationship can be built on such a fragile base? It's hard to believe that what they feel is love. Fascination - maybe, desire - I can believe in that, but love - I don't think so.
And, of course, Nicole, like so many other heroines in romantic suspense before her, does some really stupid things when in comes to the suspense part. Otherwise being quite a smart and educated lady.
Again, like in , I generally liked the characters and I cared about them. It's the plot that bothers me. Still, I liked Sam's brothers - Mike and Harry, enough to read the next books in the series. Hopefully, those without the love on the first sight idea.
August 29, 2015
3.5 stars
I think I probably would have enjoyed Into the Crossfire a whole lot more had I not read the author's Midnight series first. It's for that reason that I've rounded up rather than down.
Unfortunately, Into the Crossfire read like a poor man's version of . There's no doubt (at least based upon my limited reading of her) that the author has a formula. And it's a formula that I actually quite like - take one tough, ex-special forces alpha hero who does whatever it takes to protect the beautiful heroine from the dangerous baddies, and add plenty of steam.
The problem with Into the Crossfire is that it doesn't bring anything remotely new to the table. There is no point of difference. And so, while it was definitely still an entertaining read, it was also largely forgettable.
If you're looking for an author who writes good erotic romantic suspense, Lisa Marie Rice definitely fits the bill, but for a better example of her work, I would suggest you start with her Midnight series before this one.
I think I probably would have enjoyed Into the Crossfire a whole lot more had I not read the author's Midnight series first. It's for that reason that I've rounded up rather than down.
Unfortunately, Into the Crossfire read like a poor man's version of . There's no doubt (at least based upon my limited reading of her) that the author has a formula. And it's a formula that I actually quite like - take one tough, ex-special forces alpha hero who does whatever it takes to protect the beautiful heroine from the dangerous baddies, and add plenty of steam.
The problem with Into the Crossfire is that it doesn't bring anything remotely new to the table. There is no point of difference. And so, while it was definitely still an entertaining read, it was also largely forgettable.
If you're looking for an author who writes good erotic romantic suspense, Lisa Marie Rice definitely fits the bill, but for a better example of her work, I would suggest you start with her Midnight series before this one.
July 15, 2013
This was a good suspense romance and my first from this author.
I was looking for steamy but not kinky and that is exactly what I got. The guys in this series and in particular your main hero are all alpha, protective and sexy as hell. I love that in a man.
My issue with this book was the weird villain, who was sort of in the background, but never really did anything. Will he be in the next book? It seemed to be building to something and then nothing.
The changing pov's sometimes confused me also. I couldn't tell who I was listening to as it went from the hero, heroine, to several different bad guys.
Once I got used to this though, I really enjoyed it and I will look for more from this author.
I was looking for steamy but not kinky and that is exactly what I got. The guys in this series and in particular your main hero are all alpha, protective and sexy as hell. I love that in a man.
My issue with this book was the weird villain, who was sort of in the background, but never really did anything. Will he be in the next book? It seemed to be building to something and then nothing.
The changing pov's sometimes confused me also. I couldn't tell who I was listening to as it went from the hero, heroine, to several different bad guys.
Once I got used to this though, I really enjoyed it and I will look for more from this author.
December 7, 2012
For the genre, Into the Crossfire fits the bill. It is fast paced and exciting, albeit a little predictable. But what is memorable is the incredibly hot first sexual encounter between the two characters. Yikes! I'm still fanning myself after reading that...I kept asking, "is that really possible?" I'm giving it a four star rating because I found Sam to be a little jarring. I wish he were even more likable. Still, this is a fun, fast read with plenty of hot steam.
November 8, 2010
I don’t recommend it unless you’re a rabid Rice fan who wants to devour her every book. This was weak.
STORY BRIEF:
Sam is a former Navy SEAL who owns a security firm. His recent job was being undercover as a smelly, street thug. Two weeks ago Nicole moved into the office across the hall from Sam’s office. Each time she saw him he was dressed undercover. She was frightened and avoided him. Nicole forgets her office keys and needs to get inside quickly for an important phone call. Sam offers to pick the lock for her if she will go to dinner with him.
Nicole has a translating business. She moved to San Diego when her father became ill. He is dying from brain cancer and wants to live his remaining days there. Nicole’s is working to support her father’s medical bills and takes care of him.
The bad guys: a ship containing at least forty Islamic terrorists (with radioactive bombs to be strapped to them) is on its way to New York City. A shipping agent in France accidentally sees them and sends an email message to Nicole hidden within a document he sent for translation. He only had a moment to do it before the terrorists came for him and killed him. A hit man is then hired to destroy her computer files and kill Nicole.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
This was a letdown. It started out great. It was like her other books. She has a good recipe. I enjoy her recipe: smart, tough, turned-on alpha guy and a beautiful woman with wonderful qualities. Neat first date and a very hot first night. He’s so turned on he needs to be hosed down. But I was really let down when it got to the bad guy plot. Heroine is TSTL (too stupid to live). She has this great smart Navy SEAL protector Sam. Yet she stupidly rushes off to do the killer’s bidding (without telling Sam). I was angry. And I was also disappointed that Sam went to a meeting which left her alone. It was out of character for him. He knew the killer was a “professional� who could get into anyplace he wanted. She wasn’t safe alone anywhere. It felt like the author couldn’t think of something better.
Then the rest of the story about the nuclear terrorists was briefly told and not shown. No details. No feelings of revenge or justice. Also, throughout the story there was too much pondering by Sam and Nicole about their feelings and worries. It felt like the author used pondering as a way to lengthen the book.
I don’t mind the author’s formulaic books. I just want each one fully developed. This felt like a rush job. It could have used more conversation, relationship development, and character development.
I wanted to see more action with Creepy and Creepier � maybe getting inside their heads showing some fear. I wanted to see Mike and Sam doing more to deal with them. They were a secondary story threatening Nicole.
DATA:
Story length: 304 pages. Swearing language: strong, including religious swear words. Sexual language: strong. Number of sex scenes: 5. Approximate number of sex scene pages: 16. Setting: current day mostly California, France, and New York. Copyright: 2010. Genre: erotic romantic suspense.
STORY BRIEF:
Sam is a former Navy SEAL who owns a security firm. His recent job was being undercover as a smelly, street thug. Two weeks ago Nicole moved into the office across the hall from Sam’s office. Each time she saw him he was dressed undercover. She was frightened and avoided him. Nicole forgets her office keys and needs to get inside quickly for an important phone call. Sam offers to pick the lock for her if she will go to dinner with him.
Nicole has a translating business. She moved to San Diego when her father became ill. He is dying from brain cancer and wants to live his remaining days there. Nicole’s is working to support her father’s medical bills and takes care of him.
The bad guys: a ship containing at least forty Islamic terrorists (with radioactive bombs to be strapped to them) is on its way to New York City. A shipping agent in France accidentally sees them and sends an email message to Nicole hidden within a document he sent for translation. He only had a moment to do it before the terrorists came for him and killed him. A hit man is then hired to destroy her computer files and kill Nicole.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
This was a letdown. It started out great. It was like her other books. She has a good recipe. I enjoy her recipe: smart, tough, turned-on alpha guy and a beautiful woman with wonderful qualities. Neat first date and a very hot first night. He’s so turned on he needs to be hosed down. But I was really let down when it got to the bad guy plot. Heroine is TSTL (too stupid to live). She has this great smart Navy SEAL protector Sam. Yet she stupidly rushes off to do the killer’s bidding (without telling Sam). I was angry. And I was also disappointed that Sam went to a meeting which left her alone. It was out of character for him. He knew the killer was a “professional� who could get into anyplace he wanted. She wasn’t safe alone anywhere. It felt like the author couldn’t think of something better.
Then the rest of the story about the nuclear terrorists was briefly told and not shown. No details. No feelings of revenge or justice. Also, throughout the story there was too much pondering by Sam and Nicole about their feelings and worries. It felt like the author used pondering as a way to lengthen the book.
I don’t mind the author’s formulaic books. I just want each one fully developed. This felt like a rush job. It could have used more conversation, relationship development, and character development.
I wanted to see more action with Creepy and Creepier � maybe getting inside their heads showing some fear. I wanted to see Mike and Sam doing more to deal with them. They were a secondary story threatening Nicole.
DATA:
Story length: 304 pages. Swearing language: strong, including religious swear words. Sexual language: strong. Number of sex scenes: 5. Approximate number of sex scene pages: 16. Setting: current day mostly California, France, and New York. Copyright: 2010. Genre: erotic romantic suspense.
April 9, 2012
3.5 Stars
This story is about Sam Reston, an ex-Navy SEAL and now a Security Expert and Nicole Pearson who is a language expert who has just set up her new business in an office down the corridor from Sam’s. Unfortunately for her, just before he is murdered, one of Nicole’s foreign contacts sends her an encoded message and the killers track down the email destination and pay a contract killer to retrieve it and kill her.
I had to laugh many times at this book. It really should have been a PNR because as soon as he saw her he wanted her and knew she was the woman for him and was constantly thinking about her and had a hard on. There was one scene where Sam was said to be struggling to think and reason things out. To be honest I am not surprised as his brain must have been suffering from lack of oxygen & blood as he it was always in another part of his anatomy!
They had sex almost immediately and no matter how many times they did so in an evening he was still always hard and like a battering ram! I also think it was a good job that she was also wet and ready for him as I am not sure he even knew what foreplay was. I would call this Erotic and I would call it Suspense but I definitely wouldn’t call it a romance as for me there was none there. There was a hell of lot going on, the action was fast paced but it all happened over a period of 3-4 days and by the end of it they both declared undying love.
Having said all this I still enjoyed the book as it was in typical style for Ms Rice in that it was a naughty read �
This story is about Sam Reston, an ex-Navy SEAL and now a Security Expert and Nicole Pearson who is a language expert who has just set up her new business in an office down the corridor from Sam’s. Unfortunately for her, just before he is murdered, one of Nicole’s foreign contacts sends her an encoded message and the killers track down the email destination and pay a contract killer to retrieve it and kill her.
I had to laugh many times at this book. It really should have been a PNR because as soon as he saw her he wanted her and knew she was the woman for him and was constantly thinking about her and had a hard on. There was one scene where Sam was said to be struggling to think and reason things out. To be honest I am not surprised as his brain must have been suffering from lack of oxygen & blood as he it was always in another part of his anatomy!
They had sex almost immediately and no matter how many times they did so in an evening he was still always hard and like a battering ram! I also think it was a good job that she was also wet and ready for him as I am not sure he even knew what foreplay was. I would call this Erotic and I would call it Suspense but I definitely wouldn’t call it a romance as for me there was none there. There was a hell of lot going on, the action was fast paced but it all happened over a period of 3-4 days and by the end of it they both declared undying love.
Having said all this I still enjoyed the book as it was in typical style for Ms Rice in that it was a naughty read �
March 20, 2016
Into The Crossfire es el primer libro de la trilogia The Protectors de la autora Lisa Marie Rice y narra la historia de Nicole y Sam.
He leido varios libros de la autora y ademas tambien he leido varios libros con esta tematica en concreto por lo que tenia una idea bastante clara de que esperar con esta lectura : escenas de accion, suspence y algunas escenas romanticas entre los protagonistas. Si hay algo que me gusta de la forma de escribir de la autora es su manera de desarrollar a los personajes, ya que no solo desarrolla a " los buenos ", en sus libros tambien hay escenas desde el punto de vista de " los malos " y eso es un soplo de aire fresco, al menos para mi.
Si te gusta el genero de suspence pero tampoco quieres leer algo demasiado oscuro , este tipo de libros te gustara.
3.5 Estrellas!
February 13, 2013
3.78 Stars
I enjoyed this book. I liked the characters and the plot felt well researched. I thought the Alpha male went a little beta in the middle, but when he was thinking about wanting to get her pregnant, he totally won me back. The sex is sexy but sparse. The POV is written a lot like a BDB novel, even rotating in the bad guy's POV. Good read if you like Suspense with a dash of sex.
I enjoyed this book. I liked the characters and the plot felt well researched. I thought the Alpha male went a little beta in the middle, but when he was thinking about wanting to get her pregnant, he totally won me back. The sex is sexy but sparse. The POV is written a lot like a BDB novel, even rotating in the bad guy's POV. Good read if you like Suspense with a dash of sex.
December 25, 2010
Lisa Marie Rice’s books are all about larger than life heroes that literally makes the pages come alive with their sheer masculinity and uber-alpha protectiveness. And her heroines are always ultra-feminine with a mighty fierce protective nature of their own that can surprise the reader a time or two. And her books always deliver the most sensually well done love-scenes that you can’t help but want more of where that came from. Into The Crossfire is done in classic Lisa Marie Rice style and the 1st book in The Protectors series was definitely a huge hit with me.
Likes:
1- Sam Reston. I don’t even know where to start with what he made me feel all throughout the book. Ms. Rice has done a splendid job in creating Sam as a fierce hero who wouldn’t hesitate to die for those whom he loves. His sheer masculinity just leaps at you from the pages making you want to rub your hands all over him. His utter focus on Nicole and the way she calls to that elusive something deep inside of him and because Sam doesn’t hesitate to claim her as his and treat her right, Sam earns all the love reserved for romance heroes and then some deep within my heart. ^_^
2- I loved the sensations that coursed through me as I read through each and every encounter between Sam and Nicole. I don’t know how Ms. Rice does it but I practically forgot to breathe through Nicole and Sam’s first encounter of the against-the-wall variety as Sam blazed through and Nicole urged him to put to an end the sensory overload that had begun in earnest right from the very beginning of the novel. I think the name Sam has something to do with hot-as-sin against-the-wall-encounters. Brings back good memories of Sam and Jaine going at it in Mr. Perfect by Linda Howard. ^_~
3- Nicole Pearce. She is beautiful, classy and down-to-earth as they come. Her fierce love for her father and her undying loyalty towards him during his last couple of painful days left made her one of the most endearing heroines that I have read about. Totally loved her! And yes, she is perfect for the silent and strong Sam in every way!
4- Tthis story left me begging for Mike and Harry’s story to be told. Harry’s story “Hotter than Wildfire� is to come out next March and I literally am rubbing my hands together in glee at the mere thought of it!!
Dislikes: Sometimes the numerous references to Nicole’s dying father and the circumstances that had forced her to give up her wonderful life and come to her father’s aide gets to be a bit too much. Yes, we all know that Nicole’s father is sick, terminally ill and that she had given up everything to come take care of him. Repetitive explanations of the circumstances gets a tad tiring after a while.
Full review with quotes:
Likes:
1- Sam Reston. I don’t even know where to start with what he made me feel all throughout the book. Ms. Rice has done a splendid job in creating Sam as a fierce hero who wouldn’t hesitate to die for those whom he loves. His sheer masculinity just leaps at you from the pages making you want to rub your hands all over him. His utter focus on Nicole and the way she calls to that elusive something deep inside of him and because Sam doesn’t hesitate to claim her as his and treat her right, Sam earns all the love reserved for romance heroes and then some deep within my heart. ^_^
2- I loved the sensations that coursed through me as I read through each and every encounter between Sam and Nicole. I don’t know how Ms. Rice does it but I practically forgot to breathe through Nicole and Sam’s first encounter of the against-the-wall variety as Sam blazed through and Nicole urged him to put to an end the sensory overload that had begun in earnest right from the very beginning of the novel. I think the name Sam has something to do with hot-as-sin against-the-wall-encounters. Brings back good memories of Sam and Jaine going at it in Mr. Perfect by Linda Howard. ^_~
3- Nicole Pearce. She is beautiful, classy and down-to-earth as they come. Her fierce love for her father and her undying loyalty towards him during his last couple of painful days left made her one of the most endearing heroines that I have read about. Totally loved her! And yes, she is perfect for the silent and strong Sam in every way!
4- Tthis story left me begging for Mike and Harry’s story to be told. Harry’s story “Hotter than Wildfire� is to come out next March and I literally am rubbing my hands together in glee at the mere thought of it!!
Dislikes: Sometimes the numerous references to Nicole’s dying father and the circumstances that had forced her to give up her wonderful life and come to her father’s aide gets to be a bit too much. Yes, we all know that Nicole’s father is sick, terminally ill and that she had given up everything to come take care of him. Repetitive explanations of the circumstances gets a tad tiring after a while.
Full review with quotes:
January 3, 2012
'Into the Crossfire', the first in the 'Protectors' series, follows Rice's typical formula:
A dominant, tough, and intense (former) man-in-uniform sees knock-out dame who makes him a walking hard-on. After little preamble they advance to the horizontal (or vertical) tango without much foreplay because he wants it so bad he can't think straight - no worries though because when it comes to his classy broad he can go all night like a werewolf doing the mating dance during the full moon. Shortly thereafter, the lady's life is in jeopardy and Mr. Hard-on steps in to take care of her. This inevitably leads to him saving her life, and a subsequent poorly worded, yet heartfelt, marriage proposal to which she, of course, accepts. Epilogue and then... The End.
Now, predictable as it may have been having read some of Rice's stuff before, I did for the most part like this story. Yes, her work may be formulaic, but that's ok if (a)that kind of story works for you and (b)it's done well. However, I did find this story maybe a teensy bit too reminiscent of 'Midnight Man' (which IMO is some of her best work)... and, while this is touted on the spine as being an "erotic romance" it was a bit tamer than some of her other works I've read and I wouldn't classify it as such.
If Rice had of skipped the frou-frou descriptions of interior design, and incorporated more panty-melting "I-have-to-have-you-NOW" scenes then this may have been a 4-star book for me. As it stands though, it's a solid "liked it" GR 3-stars, and I'll be checking out the next books in the 'Protectors' series!
A dominant, tough, and intense (former) man-in-uniform sees knock-out dame who makes him a walking hard-on. After little preamble they advance to the horizontal (or vertical) tango without much foreplay because he wants it so bad he can't think straight - no worries though because when it comes to his classy broad he can go all night like a werewolf doing the mating dance during the full moon. Shortly thereafter, the lady's life is in jeopardy and Mr. Hard-on steps in to take care of her. This inevitably leads to him saving her life, and a subsequent poorly worded, yet heartfelt, marriage proposal to which she, of course, accepts. Epilogue and then... The End.
Now, predictable as it may have been having read some of Rice's stuff before, I did for the most part like this story. Yes, her work may be formulaic, but that's ok if (a)that kind of story works for you and (b)it's done well. However, I did find this story maybe a teensy bit too reminiscent of 'Midnight Man' (which IMO is some of her best work)... and, while this is touted on the spine as being an "erotic romance" it was a bit tamer than some of her other works I've read and I wouldn't classify it as such.
If Rice had of skipped the frou-frou descriptions of interior design, and incorporated more panty-melting "I-have-to-have-you-NOW" scenes then this may have been a 4-star book for me. As it stands though, it's a solid "liked it" GR 3-stars, and I'll be checking out the next books in the 'Protectors' series!
October 26, 2013
LOVE!!
review to come :)
review to come :)
November 30, 2010
Okay, here goes nothing. This one was a tad too similar to 's writing style for comfort. Though they're both the same author, I like LMR stories better. This one was a bit too EJ for me.
It was rather slow moving, compared to the Dangerous series, it was too similar to EJ's , and I didn't like the couple Sam and Nicole were. Sure they made fire together, but I didn't "feel" the connection between them. I loved Sam, despite his two almost TSTL moments when Nicole was in danger - that was a bit unbelievable for an ex-SEAL - but his protective nature, his single-minded attention (and devotion) to Nicole is something every woman secretly desires.
Now, Nicole was a completely different "animal". I absolutely hated her. Her prejudice toward Sam in the beginning (just because he looks like a thug doesn't mean he is one), her superiority-complex toward Sam at the beginning, her indecisiveness when they were finally together (I simply didn't get it), her hiding behind her father's illness, using it as a shield against everything and everyone...I found her hypocritical and vain. And her "worldliness" was belied by all the stupid mistakes she did throughout the novel.
I actually felt sorry for Sam for ending up with a chick like this.
I find that in RS stories I usually have a strong reaction to the villain - sometimes I even like him - and that depends entirely on the author's depiction of him. In this case, he was just bland. There was no depth, just a plain, blank, blind following of orders that was idiotic, had no content, and was utterly disappointing.
Even the main plot, which I assume will be the series' arc, about middle-Eastern terrorists, which could've been a great premise and move the entire plot, fell short, slowing the already slow story even further.
So, beside Sam (in his good moments), this story has nothing good working for it, I'm afraid.
It was rather slow moving, compared to the Dangerous series, it was too similar to EJ's , and I didn't like the couple Sam and Nicole were. Sure they made fire together, but I didn't "feel" the connection between them. I loved Sam, despite his two almost TSTL moments when Nicole was in danger - that was a bit unbelievable for an ex-SEAL - but his protective nature, his single-minded attention (and devotion) to Nicole is something every woman secretly desires.
Now, Nicole was a completely different "animal". I absolutely hated her. Her prejudice toward Sam in the beginning (just because he looks like a thug doesn't mean he is one), her superiority-complex toward Sam at the beginning, her indecisiveness when they were finally together (I simply didn't get it), her hiding behind her father's illness, using it as a shield against everything and everyone...I found her hypocritical and vain. And her "worldliness" was belied by all the stupid mistakes she did throughout the novel.
I actually felt sorry for Sam for ending up with a chick like this.
I find that in RS stories I usually have a strong reaction to the villain - sometimes I even like him - and that depends entirely on the author's depiction of him. In this case, he was just bland. There was no depth, just a plain, blank, blind following of orders that was idiotic, had no content, and was utterly disappointing.
Even the main plot, which I assume will be the series' arc, about middle-Eastern terrorists, which could've been a great premise and move the entire plot, fell short, slowing the already slow story even further.
So, beside Sam (in his good moments), this story has nothing good working for it, I'm afraid.
August 4, 2010
The storyline is a little predictable, ex-Seal turn security specialist saves girl in trouble. I like the characters. Sam has it all, alpha male with a sweet protective side and Nicole is the beautiful woman with the equally beautiful heart. As the reader, I enjoyed escaping into their world.
My only problem, there is little to know dialogue between the characters. You can go several pages and there isn't a single quote. I don't know if anyone else noticed this or not. There are paragraph after paragraph of telling the reader what the characters are thinking or feeling, but not much actual verbal exchanges between the characters themselves. I mean the H would ask the h a question and it wouldn't be answered until two pages later (I'm embellishing a little, but not by much) I know the H is wild about h and vice versa, but how the heck would they know unless they can read each others minds, other then there amazing sexual connection these two didn't actually exchange that many words with each other. I like my characters to talk more.
My only problem, there is little to know dialogue between the characters. You can go several pages and there isn't a single quote. I don't know if anyone else noticed this or not. There are paragraph after paragraph of telling the reader what the characters are thinking or feeling, but not much actual verbal exchanges between the characters themselves. I mean the H would ask the h a question and it wouldn't be answered until two pages later (I'm embellishing a little, but not by much) I know the H is wild about h and vice versa, but how the heck would they know unless they can read each others minds, other then there amazing sexual connection these two didn't actually exchange that many words with each other. I like my characters to talk more.
March 7, 2017
Into the Crossfire
3 Stars
Former Navy SEAL, Sam Reston runs his own private security company and is used to consorting with the darkest members of society’s underbelly. For this reason, he is caught completely off guard by his new neighbor, the beautiful and intelligent Nicole Pearce. After doing her a service, Sam manages to wrangle a date from Nicole, but little do they know that a dangerous threat from across the world is about to derail their budding romance.
Sam and Nicole are both likable characters and their romance is exceedingly spicy. The terrorist plot has potential and there are some intense and exciting scenes, but something is definitely missing.
Perhaps it is the fact that the basic storyline is very similar to Pursuit written by Rice's alter ego Elizabeth Jennings. In both books, the heroes are Navy SEALs, the heroines are targets of an assassin, and the killers are highly trained military rejects. Consequently, it all feels too familiar and might have been more enjoyable if I hadn’t read the two books so closely together.
3 Stars
Former Navy SEAL, Sam Reston runs his own private security company and is used to consorting with the darkest members of society’s underbelly. For this reason, he is caught completely off guard by his new neighbor, the beautiful and intelligent Nicole Pearce. After doing her a service, Sam manages to wrangle a date from Nicole, but little do they know that a dangerous threat from across the world is about to derail their budding romance.
Sam and Nicole are both likable characters and their romance is exceedingly spicy. The terrorist plot has potential and there are some intense and exciting scenes, but something is definitely missing.
Perhaps it is the fact that the basic storyline is very similar to Pursuit written by Rice's alter ego Elizabeth Jennings. In both books, the heroes are Navy SEALs, the heroines are targets of an assassin, and the killers are highly trained military rejects. Consequently, it all feels too familiar and might have been more enjoyable if I hadn’t read the two books so closely together.
April 9, 2015
Sometimes you just need to read a book that requires nothing on your part...just some free time to sit and enjoy. is that type of book. Macho hero Sam Reston falls for beautiful heroine Nicole Pearce and has to rely on his Navy Seals training to rescue her from some bad people who want to blow up a nuclear bomb in NYC. This book is predictable, but then again, sometimes that is just what the doctor ordered.
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