Dana Marton

Jess Taylor had been in love with Derek Daley most of her life, but when he finally saw her for the woman she'd grown into, the two of them were kidnapped. Derek had to watch for three days as Jess was raped and tortured. Once they escaped, Jess ran to California and eventually found a career as a stunt woman and Derek joined the Navy and became a SEAL. After finding success as an author, Derek came home to Vermont to live permanently. Jess came back to take care of her injured mother, but had a hard time dealing with the memories, especially since it appeared that her kidnapper had struck again.

Threat of Danger is a compelling romantic suspense novel that draws the reader in from the very first page. The intense history of the two characters adds angst early on that runs throughout the story. However, the clues to the mystery don't lead to the culprit until the kidnapper is revealed near the end of the book, making it seem like the solution comes out of the blue. While there is a love triangle aspect to the plot, it is never really developed. Overall, Threat of Danger is a captivating mystery with and emotional romance.… (mais)

Ecotherapist Annie Murray is hoping that she can have success with her newest patient, Cole Makani Hunter. Cole is dealing with PTSD as well as physical limitations including deafness. Annie's job is to help Cole relax, but little does she know that Cole has been assigned to the Hope Hill facility to find out who there has been selling military secrets. Their attraction to each other grows as Annie is dealing with the escalating attentions of a stalker, and Cole becomes protective of her.

Silent Threat is a good introduction to the Mission Recovery series. The romance takes center stage in this novel that includes several mysteries that enhance the story. By the end of the book, there have been enough clues that the reader is able to determine the solution to all of the questions that have been raised throughout the story. While several deeper issues are intelligently handled, some of the challenges of being deaf aren't as well developed. Annie and Cole are likable characters, but the chemistry between them is lacking. Overall, Silent Threat is a good read that could have had better execution.… (mais)

Former career military officer, Miranda Soto's first mission for the Civilian Personnel Recovery Unit is her first love, Glenn Danning. After being tortured for months, Glenn escapes captivity and is on his way out of Venezuela, when Miranda finds him, but now they are both in the jungle and as suspected spies, are on the run from the military police. Their time together rekindles their attraction for one another, but secrets from their past threaten to derail their budding relationship.

Forced Disappearance contains both strengths and weaknesses as a romantic suspense novel. It is tricky to balance romance and realism during a run through the jungle, and there are some aspects in this book that are not plausible. Due to the length of the novel, chunks seem glossed over or left out all together, causing unnatural time jumps, and the character development is thin. However, the torture scenes at the beginning are engrossing, and the ending of the book is very sweet. Overall, Forced Disappearance is a good introduction to the Civilian Personnel Recovery Unit series, but with more length, it could have been outstanding.… (mais)

In the first Broslin Creek novel, Kate Bridges is the only person who can identify the number one person on the FBI’s Most Wanted List, so that man is determined to find and kill her. She only stays in one place for a few months at a time, and she’s currently renting a house from someone who doesn’t own it. When the real owner unexpectedly returns home, she’s knows she’s in trouble.
After an eight-month deployment in Afghanistan, US Army Reserves officer Murph Dolan returns home injured (physically and mentally) and only wants to get back to his old life. When he finds a sexy redhead asleep in his bed, he thinks she’s a welcome home present, at least until she starts screaming and pulls a gun on him. As it turns out, his brother rented the house to her. Murph can tell she’s in trouble—he’s a former cop and his instincts are on high alert—but he can’t help her unless she confides in him.
Kate and Murph are wonderful characters. Kate has lived a hard life growing up in foster care, but she lucked out with her wonderful adoptive family. She’s a tough, smart woman who’s had to make some tough choices to keep her family safe. Murph had a rough childhood, too, but he fared better than Kate did. He has PTSD and serious guilt about his friends and comrades dying overseas, which he thinks is his fault. They’re both broken people, but their trust in one another helps them heal.
This is a really good book. There are a lot of twists and turns, but I did guess who the villain was right away. Still, I enjoyed the way Kate and Murph tried to uncover the identity of the second assassin and how to trap him.
The ending of the book surprised me. There’s a HEA, but there’s also a loose end. I’m hoping this will be tied up in the next book, but I don’t think it will be due to certain things happening in this story, which I don’t want to spoil for readers.
Overall, I liked the book and will check out more books in the series.
4 Stars… (mais)