ARC Review: Under Fire

Under Fire
Catherine Mann
Romantic Suspense
Elite Force/Book 3
Sourcebooks/May 1, 2012  

A decorated hero, pararescueman Liam McCabe lives to serve. Six months ago, he and Rachel Flores met in the horrific aftermath of an earthquake in the Bahamas. They were tempted by an explosive attraction, yet parted ways. Still, Liam has thought about Rachel every day—and night—since. 

Now, after ignoring all his phone calls for six months, Rachel has turned up on base with a wild story about a high-ranking military traitor. She claims no one but Liam can help her—and she won’t trust anyone else. 

With nothing but her word and the testimony of a discharged military cop to go on, Liam would be insane to risk his career—even his life—to help this woman who left him in the dust.

This is team leader and commanding officer of the pararescuers Liam McCabe's story.  I've been curious about him since book one.  Three times divorced, Liam loves to fall in love.  Which is unusual for a hero.  But Liam is not your usual hero.  He is alpha when needed but he's also an easy going, fun loving guy.  He's not that dark, brooding hero that you might expect as the leader of these brave men.  He's also thirty-eight and ready to give up his military career after just one more mission. 

Liam McCabe is an adorable mix of playful puppy and serious military man.  He's got this vibe going that makes you want to be friends with him, knowing that you'll have a good time but that he's also got your back.  When Liam met Rachel Flores in the Bahamas six months ago, he was thoroughly smitten and a little in love with her.  Yes, he falls fast, very fast!  But one thing about Liam is he is aware of his propensity to fall in love quickly.  And I found that I liked that about him.  I thought it would bother me but it didn't because he was so honest with himself.  He also knows this scared Rachel since she is the opposite when it comes to love.

Rachel Flores loves her dogs and her work but burnout is a reality when you're under the pressure of search and rescue missions.  Knowing your ability to find someone quickly could mean the difference between life and death takes a heavy toll on the spirit.  After working in the aftermath of the earthquake in the Bahamas, Rachel was burnt out and needed a change.  So she moved to Florida, leaving search and rescue behind for training and working with therapy dogs.  Rachel isn't into long term relationships which is why she never returned Liam's calls after returning from the Bahamas.  But that doesn't mean she didn't think about him.  I liked how Rachel's feelings for Liam conflicted with her beliefs about relationships.  Liam is all about the love and marriage and Rachel wants none of that but, she wants Liam. 

The romance worked on a certain level with definitely chemistry between Rachel and Liam.  Rachel has to remind herself that she came to Liam for help and protection, not hot sex on the run.  Liam has to stop himself from saying the L word.  I did like how Rachel's dog Disco plays chaperone for the couple.  The pup likes to sleep close by to Rachel which gave Liam an interesting challenge in getting her alone without interference from Disco. 

There is also a secondary romance that was sweet and I did like these two together.  I do wonder if it wasn't the situation that had the man wanting the woman and if the situation had been different, would he have taken the initiative and gone for it or would he have faded into the background?  I'm not sure if his motivation was at all realistic or just heroine worship.  

The suspense begins well, with Rachel running from someone whom she thinks want her dead.  Turns out she's right.  Liam is drafted as the hero and he's more than willing to play the role but also a little skeptical about Rachel's story.  Which made sense since it was a little far-fetched.  Then the bullets start flying and Liam's a believer!  The traitor was a bit of a nut-job with quite a few incompetent underlinings.  It wasn't easy to take this guy seriously and it surprised me that he had gotten as far as he did. 

In the end Under Fire was a solid addition to the Elite Forces series.  I do wish the traitor had been more believable and the pacing had flowed better with fewer stops and starts.  I did enjoy Liam and his different take on love and romance.  I'm not sure who the next hero will be but I'll be there to see what  new adventures await these brave men.

Rating: B

Elite Force Series

Cover Me
Hot Zone
Under Fire

ARC Review: Hot Zone

Hot Zone
Catherine Mann
Romantic Suspense
Elite Force/Book 2
Sourcebooks Casablanca/December 1, 2011

From the author's website ~

Days full of danger…
For Pararescueman Master Sergeant Hugh Franco, it’s all about saving other people’s lives. Then he moves on. But when he pulls beautiful Amelia Bailey and her adopted nephew from the rubble of a catastrophic earthquake, he finds himself entangled in their lives in ways he could never have imagined…

And desire-filled nights…
Amelia’s trip to the Bahamas to help with an international adoption has been no vacation, but the hardest part is yet to come. As Amelia and Hugh are pulled unawares into a deadly smuggling scheme, simmering beneath their growing need to protect each other is a compelling attraction they’re both determined to deny…

The second book in Catherine Mann's Elite Force series about a group of Pararescuemen pulls you in tight and never lets go. It takes place in the beautiful Bahamas but this time it's more deadly than beautiful after an earthquake shatters the region. The team is sent to help in the recovery after the devastating earthquake, risking their lives in the unstable environment.

Hugh Franco doesn't mind the more dangerous jobs, he volunteers for them. Some might say he has a death wish, and they might be right. Hugh takes his job very seriously but feels he has nothing to keep him here and everything waiting for him on the other side. Mann does a good job conveying Hugh's feelings of longing for his deceased wife and daughter and his hope that he will be with them again in death. He's not a reckless, loose cannon type rather he feels that he's the one who should take the most dangerous missions since he has no one waiting at home for him. The people he loved most are dead.

Amelia Bailey went to the Bahamas to help her sister and her husband with the adoption of their son. She never expected to be fighting for her life and the life of her nephew. It's in those desperate hours that she meets her hero and the man who will have a far greater impact on her life than she ever imagined. Amelia is a prosecutor back in Alabama so her expertise is in the courtroom, not trying to keep herself and her nephew alive while buried underneath the rubble of a building. The way Amelia reacts to her situation was very realistic. She tries to be calm and in control but has her moments of panic like anyone would. I do think a lot of that calmness was because she was also responsible for her nephew. She's a fighter and doesn't give up.

The scenes when Amelia and Hugh first meet during the rescue are amazing. Seeing Hugh's training at work, how not only his physical abilities but his mental abilities all play a part in the rescue was fascinating. Trying to stay calm and in command while keeping a civilian calm and knowing that any moment they could be crushed made for some very stress-filled scenes. Of course I knew they would live through it, occurring as it did at the beginning of the book. But I still felt that tension as each moment passed as their lives were still in jeopardy.

After the rescue neither Amelia or Hugh can put the other out of their thoughts. Amelia is recovering from her injuries and needs to find her sister and her brother-in-law. Hugh is still part of the rescue team but finds time to check on Amelia. It's that pull towards each other that finds them together again in dangerous circumstances. This is definitely an action oriented novel and even during the slower scenes, you could feel the energy of the surroundings just below the surface. It's a story where I liked all the plots and sub-plots but I did enjoy Amelia and Hugh's the best. I liked them together as they fought for their lives and still found those little moments to learn about each other. Their romance may start as gratitude on Amelia's part and fascination on Hugh's but it becomes much deeper the more they know of each other.

There is a flirtatious second romance blooming between Major Liam McCabe and a rescue worker. They were a fun pair - him a total player and her not falling for his lines. Which makes him change his plan of attack and stop the BS with this woman who has captured his interest. I liked this pair a lot and hope they get their own story. We also see an established couple dealing with the stress of the dangerous situation and loss. Mann does well showing how they must rely on each other through the crisis.

Ms. Mann does a wonderful job showing all the different emotions played out during a crisis. I enjoyed the tropical setting coupled with the danger and instability running through the story. The obstacles Amelia and Hugh had to overcome were huge and at times held a dose of implausibility to them but in the end Hot Zone proved to be a spectacular ride.

Rating: A

Elite Forces series ~

Cover Me
Hot Zone
Under Fire (May 2012)

ARC Review: Cover Me

Cover Me
Catherine Mann
Romantic Suspense
Elite Force/Book 1
Sourcebooks/July 5, 2011

From the back cover ~

It Should Have Been A Simple Mission...

Pararescueman Wade Rocha fast ropes form the back of a helicopter into a blizzard to save a climber stranded on an Aleutian Island, but Sunny Foster insists she can take care of herself just fine...

But When It Comes To Passion, Nothing Is Ever Simple...

With the snowstorm kicking into overdrive, Sunny and Wade hunker down in a cave and barely resist the urge to keep each other warm... until they discover the frozen remains of a horrific crime...

Unable to trust the shady local police force, Sunny and Wade investigate, While their irresistible passion for each other gets them more and more dangerously entangled...

First off - Air Force Pararescue. I don't think I've ever read a novel where the hero was a pararescueman. Can I just say, it's about time! I found the whole life of the pararescueman fascinating. They live this type of nomadic lifestyle, having to be on-call and in Wade's case, never really putting down roots. Add in the striking Alaskan location and you have an enticing story.

Wade Rocha is surprised and a bit confused when he rescues what he thinks is a stranded hiker in the Alaskan wilderness. It turns out the woman is more than capable of taking care of herself and her dog Chewie. Wade's a good guy and tries to help this odd woman who doesn't want his help. It was an interesting dynamic - having this military superhero attempt to rescue someone who could actually teach him a thing or two about survival. Wade tries to draw Sunny out but he knows she hiding something.

Sunny Foster is not happy to see a man falling out of the sky during a blizzard. She wants to get rid of him but for now, she's stuck with him. Sunny has too many secrets and the last thing she wants is the military finding them out. Sunny is a character that is really smart when it comes to wilderness and survival but not so much when it comes to dealing with men and the world outside her small, isolated community. She had a couple of TSTL moments that showed not only how desperate she was to keep her secrets but how sheltered her life has been.

Wade and Sunny together burn up the sheets, and rather fast. I was a little surprised at how fast they fell for each other, especially when Sunny wants so desperately to keep her secrets. A number of things make it impossible for Sunny to go home quickly and instead she ends up at Wade's. With temptation so close at hand, is it any wonder they give in. The romance was fairly predictable but sweet and sexy.

I did like the camaraderie that Wade and the men of his team had. They have that teasing, brotherly feel that is so common among those that risk their lives on a nearly daily basis. You feel the respect they have for each other and for the work that they do. I really do like military heroes. :)

The suspense and action of the story kept a decent pace, giving the reader a few twists and turns, ending with a fast paced action filled conclusion. Some of it was a little over the top with the villain so very villainy that I had to laugh at some of his actions. Sunny's family also make appearances, complicating matters and filling in some of her back story, giving a glimpse of her life growing up.

Cover Me is an action filled romance with a hero and heroine who don't always see eye to eye, who face difficult, dangerous situations and over come them to find their HEA. Catherine Mann also has an extensive back list of single title and category romances to dig into while waiting for the next book in the Elite Forces series.

Rating: B+

Books in this series ~

Cover Me
Hot Zone (December 2011)