Book Review and ARC #Giveaway: Free Fall by Catherine Mann

An okay read, but not as good as the other books in the series.
Free Fall (Elite Force)
by Catherine Mann

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (March 5, 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402274963
• ISBN-13: 978-1402274961

Genre: Military Romance, Romantic Suspense

My Rating: 3.75 of 5.0

Book Description
Release date: March 5, 2013 | Series: Elite Force: That Others May Live

"Catherine Mann writes an amazing combination of keen suspense, unique characters, and heart-stopping romance. I'm a fan!"—Lori Foster, New York Times bestselling author of Savor the Danger

On This Mission, There Are No Accidents...

Pararescueman Jose "Cuervo" James is the guy they call for the most dangerous assignments. He lives for his job.

On a high-risk rescue deep in the African jungle, Jose encounters sexy, smart Interpol agent Stella Carson. They'd once had an affair that burned hot and fast, but family is everything to Stella, and Jose just can't go there.

Fate has thrown them into the deadly hot zone together, and sparks will fly...but only if they can live to tell about it.

Review:
Stella is a smart, sexy Interpol agent who specializes in codes. She meets Jose Cuervo pulling him and his PJ team out of the water on a dangerous mission. Jose pretty much sweeps her off her feet but Stella has the white picket fence and family in mind while Jose has hot nights with no kids in mind. Jose has his issues with family, and especially children, because of his own background. Although the two care for each other they split because of their different life goals.

Stella’s mother went off to missions work in Africa leaving the family behind when Stella was a vulnerable teen. Stella is determined to find more about her mother’s death while she is on duty in Africa. Stella is undercover with a group of students who are all caught by brutal warlords.  She is able to get a message out and Jose becomes part of the rescue team. Barely getting out, they stumble on an assassination plot against the First Lady who is about to arrive for a visit. There is a threat of biochemical attack and the author reveals a mole but it takes a while for Stella to uncover him.

The story started with great promise as it jumped right into intense action and then a teasing peek of anticipated romance. A good bit of the romance was told through an interesting technique of flashbacks as the couple thought back to how intense it was yet things didn’t work out.  The romance scenes were rather detailed encounters though not vulgarly graphic. I did like that “the lovemaking [was] a process rather than a goal.”

I have enjoyed other titles by this author but was a little disappointed by this one. The plot line seemed a bit scattered to me with many unrealistic pieces. I figured out the traitors but there was little depth to how the younger one got involved and the primary one was completely lame in the end. It really bothered me that Jose and Stella seemed at times too loose and distracted for their duties in spite of being fiercely dedicated to their intense jobs.  There was too much repetition on Jose’s issues and the difficulties in the relationship. The issues were realistic but the conflict became more annoying than tension building. The warmth of the comradery of the other team members seemed weaker in this book too. The whole book felt a little rushed to me resulting in an okay, but not wonderful, read.

I received this book from Sourcebooks for an honest review.

ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY FOR ARC COPY.

ENTRY FORM HERE

For 3 Extra Bonus entries Visit the author's website and tell me something you find of interest.

* This contest is open US and Canada Only.
* This contest will close 10 PM (Central) on April 5, 2013.
The winner will be randomly selected from all entries.
WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED on April 6, 2013.
Winners are asked to respond by email or the linked winners form within 72 hours of the announcement.

Book Review and ARC Giveaway: Wait Until Dark by M.L. Buchman

This is an author I can trust to deliver entertaining action and romance.
Wait Until Dark
by M.L. Buchman

• File Size: 554 KB
• Print Length: 384 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (February 5, 2013)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B009RXJ2HS

Genre: Military Romance
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

Book Description
Release date: February 5, 2013 | Series: The Night Stalkers
Praise for I Own the Dawn:
"A rousing mix of romance and military action thrills...Buchman blends tender feelings with military politics to keep readers riveted."—Publishers Weekly
"I can't wait for the next book."—RT Book Reviews, 4 Stars
"Filled with action, adventure, and danger."—Booklist Starred Review
Name: Big John Wallace
Rank: Staff Sergeant, Chief Mechanic and Gunner
Mission: To serve and protect his crew and country.
Name: Connie Davis
Rank: Sergeant, Flight Engineer, Mechanical Wizard
Mission: To be the best...and survive.
Two Crack Mechanics, One Impossible Mission
Being in The Night Stalkers is Connie Davis's way of facing her demons head-on, but mountain-strong John Wallace is a threat on all fronts. Their passion is explosive, but their conflicts are insurmountable. When duty calls them to a mission no one else could survive, they'll fly into the night together—ready or not.

Review:
Connie Davis is a tough SOAR mechanic and technician. Her brain is nearly photographic and she can spin out facts and details as well as think quickly on her feet. She never knew her mother who died when she was three. She grew up as a military ‘brat’ moving from base to base with her father teaching herto work on the big Huey helicopters as a young girl. Then one day when she was 14 her father didn’t return from a mission.  These losses, on top of her ‘geeky’ smarts, created demons that keep her apart from others.  As a SOAR crew member she has earned respect even if she still doesn’t always feel like she fits in. Most importantly, she recognizes that she might not be returning from the next mission so there is no room in her life for romance and commitment.

Big John Wallace has never worked with a mechanic as sharp as Connie. He may not have realized it at first but he soon sees that she has an awesome ability to function, especially under pressure. Then he suddenly sees her as a woman - sexy, brilliant and competent. A combination that is hard to resist as a gentle friendship begins to grow.

The team is being prepared for a secret mission. First they are sent for downtime and John and others are thrilled with the prospect of maybe getting to visit home through Christmas. John asks Connie to join him when he realizes she has no where to go. Connie reluctantly agrees and she finds a whole family of warmth at John’s home farm. In addition to Mom and Paps, there is quiet, comfortable Grumps who lets her tear into his 1938 John Deere tractor. Noreen, John’s sister, isn’t thrilled at first but soon is sharing secrets with Connie.

John and Connie give in to their blazing passion but Connie is still holding back. He has plenty of friends and history; she has none. The warmth of family and a crisis overwhelm her and send her running back to base leaving John to face grief on his own. John is furious but doesn’t have time to try to resolve his anger before they are assembled for their mission.

John and Connie have to work past their emotions to carry out their crucial tasks for the safety of the team.  They have to face a nuclear threat as well as their own emotional turmoil.

I really enjoy the intensity that M.L. Buchman brings to his stories. Although this book in the series seems a bit more focused on the relationship and emotions of the characters, there is still plenty of action and technical details woven in to keep a high pace and interest. I enjoyed the interaction of characters from prior books as they watched the relationship develop, falter and carry through the mission. If you haven’t tried this series yet, I highly recommend it for romance action fans.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Connie has trouble with feeling emotions:

There was no one left alive to care about her feelings, so why did John?
Without feelings, the requirements of performance were much easier.  Page 149.

John is surprised by the impact Connie has on him:

He knew her kiss blew his knees into butter, and her smile blew his brain into next week. Page 166.

I received this books from Sourcebooks for an honest review.

Partially set in Oklahoma for my 2013 Where in the World Are you Reading Challenge.

ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY FOR ARC COPY.

ENTRY FORM HERE

For 3 Extra Bonus entries Visit the author's website and tell me something you find of interest.

* This contest is open US and Canada Only.
* This contest will close 10 PM (Central) on March 1, 2013.
The winner will be randomly selected from all entries.
WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED on March 2, 2013.
Winners are asked to respond by email or the linked winners form within 72 hours of the announcement.