AJ Quinn

This was cool. A thriller and a romance all rolled into one.

Emma is an NSA Agent who has been tasked with creating a team of cyber warriors to combat hackers that pose a threat to the US and US Security.

Her boss is Catherine Winters, the current President of the United States, and she gives Emma a direct order, put Paxton James, a grey hat and humongously good at it, hacker, on her team.

Of course, even that's not easy for Emma because Paxton is stuck in an Indonesian jail after being set up for drug possession.

Emma and Paxton are attracted to one another right away, but they don't totally trust each other for quite awhile (and have some other things going on as well).

At some points the romance story seemed a little off balance towards Paxton, but overall it was an enjoyable story.

The characters were all super unique (and I'd love to see another thriller with them or some of them in it) and the thriller parts of the story definitely kept me on the edge of my seat!

I got this galley via Netgalley on behalf of Bold Strokes Books.… (más)

Kellen is the head of a Search and Rescue operation in Haven, CO in the Rockies. Dana is a doctor who gets invited to start a Medical Triage Center (with a side of Community Medicine as well).

Kellen hasn't had the easiest life, but she has chosen a family (Cody, Ren, and Annie) and she's really, really, really good at rescuing people.

But a year before Dana arrives Kellen had gotten shot and badly hurt and those scars as well as those from even farther in the past.

I liked the characters. They were all unique and had mysteries about them that were slowly peeled away as the story unfolded.

I did find the progression of the relationships between Kellen and Dana a little rushed here and there.

And honestly at a whole lot of points during the story I thought that Kellen was a total idiot. A well-written idiot, but one none the less.

I also thought that the ending and denouement was a little too rushed too.

Still, it was a story that kept me engrossed and I definitely didn't want to put it down until I finished it.

I got this advanced galley through Netgalley on behalf of Bold Strokes Books.… (más)

This book is a cut above the usual romance/thriller genre lesfic being put out by BSB, etc. All the requisite elements are here: hot & sexy leads, sizzling chemistry, dangerous missions, thrilling finish--what we normally expect from this genre. What surprised me was the depth of emotion the author imbues the characters with. From their very first scene together to the very last page, I could feel their passion for each other and for their work. From the pinnacles of ecstasy to the depths of sorrow/despair and everything else in between, this book takes our characters (and me) on a rollercoaster ride of emotions. I don't want to go into more detail as the ride is best enjoyed without knowing where the author will take the plot. There was one point when I worried a bit about the tragic turn of events and I had to remind myself this is genre lesfic. :)

Overall, most of the plot was believable and realistic. No superheroes or superspies here (we have the Elite Ops for that). And some chapters were a bit slow (and somewhat painful to read) because the author chose not to gloss over the emotional aftermath of the characters experiences. But they make the characters richer, their journey more compelling, their love more affirming and the whole book more rewarding than just a quick and forgettable afternoon read.
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I was apprehensive when I saw the synopsis state that part of the plot was a terrorist group bringing down three passenger jets. But, I was relieved that it turned out in the book that the violence was well done, in that there was a ton, but, it wasn't just willy nilly violence, every bit of it had a distinct point in the book.

Still, all that said, it was a hard read. Not because of the craft of the novel, I thought that it was well crafted and well written, but because of the topic. I even had to take breaks in between some of the parts because of how super intense it was.

It's the story of Darien, a covert operative, who's brought onto a team that also contains Jessie, a CIA threat analyst. They're brought together to figure out who took down the planes and stop those people from doing something worse. And of course since this book is more than just a thriller, but also a romance, Jessie and Darien's relationship shifts and changes during the novel as well.

The only thing that sorta drove me crazy about the novel was Darien. I never, even at the end, totally warmed up to the character. I think that the character was supposed to grow on me as the story went on. Maybe I'm stubborn, but, although I liked Darien a tiny bit more by the end, for the most part I just don't think I wound up liking her as much as I was supposed to.

On the other hand I especially loved all the stuff the author had in regards to Maine. I feel like Maine doesn't always get enough love from writers, it's so much different stuff, from attitudes to landscapes, etc., within its borders. And Quinn's use of Maine was almost a full half star all by itself.

I got this advanced galley through Netgalley on behalf of Bold Strokes Books.… (más)