Jacquie Johnson

Angela's just buried her father, who supposedly died of heart trouble. What's troubling her is that he was perfectly healthy--no heart trouble before--and the medical examiner decided not to conduct an autopsy based on a doctor's recommendation, a doctor Angela knows did not treat her father. When she begins looking for answers, she finds herself making enemies with her father's business partner and even the FBI. A loyal friend of her father sends the hunky ex-SEAL Chase Romero to protect her, and the plot thickens as she finds herself the target of a dangerous search for a computer program that controls the world's economy.

This is an easy read, and the story has a lot of potential. For me, the main problem is that it lacks suspense. Angela is being chased by a desperate man who owes money to the Russian mob, and she's been identified as a suspect by the FBI, which should combine to make this a fast-paced thriller reminiscent of the Ludlum's Bourne Trilogy. It falls flat, however, when the "bad guy" is obvious in his first appearance, and the fact that I had figured out the computer program's location long before Angela ever did. She's not the most intelligent character, even though Chase claims it's one reason he fell in love with her. She falls prety to a classic problem with many books that feature the damsel-in-distress-being-saved-by-alpha-male plot line, which is that she puts them both at risk by making ridiculous mistakes. (For example, she tries to ditch Chase early on and go on her own, even though she knows her life is in danger.)

Chase is described as a strong, hunky lead, but their romance leaves something to be desired. It's a little hard to believe that a man as adamant as he is about not being the relationship type (and even admitting he's more of a one-night-stand kind of guy) would fall in love in such a short time (a week or two?)and be willing to leave the career that is his life. One has to wonder if their attraction is more a question of circumstance rather than compatibility. He's absolutely animalistic and possessive in many ways, which may appeal to traditional romance readers. The story has lots of potential, but I can't help but feel it could have been so much more interesting if so many pieces were not revealed so early. With a bit of tweaking, this has potential to be a 4-star read.… (mais)

ANGEL ON FIRE is a thriller loaded with sexual tension without being too overtly about the sex. Angela is glad to have Chase on her side, especially after he saves her life several times from the start. She’s also wildly attracted to him. He tries, and succeeds for quite awhile, at suppressing his attraction to Angela because she’s his bosses goddaughter and his assignment. Both make her off limits. Another good reason not to get involved? Oh yeah, maybe the people trying to kill them. Of course, the heart wants what the heart wants and they fall hard for each other. They are on the run and searching desperately for clues since they have no idea who’s after them or why. Angela was a bit mild for an FBI analyst but she is capable with a gun and smart. Chase is anything but mild and, befitting the current hot theme of Navy SEALS, he’s extremely capable and sexy! Together they’ve got the brains necessary to figure out the situation they find themselves in and to take out the bad guys. I loved the tension between Angela and Chase and the mystery/thriller portion of their story left me hanging until the end. They are surrounded by despicable bad guys and wonderful friends. I recommend this book to anyone, especially if you, like me, need more of a story with the romance.

This book was received for the purpose of an honest review.
Heat Rating: MILD
Rating: 4
Reviewed By: Jeanne Stone-Hunter for My Book Addiction and More… (mais)