SUNNY: BOOK REVIEW - "Under Fire" by Rita Henuber

The Characters:
Olivia Carter
Rico Cortez

Summary:

Coast Guard Commander Olivia Carter is a kick-ass, spunky, controlled and smart helicopter pilot who is determined to find the killer of her twin brother, a cop who is killed in the line of duty while undercover investigating a major drug kingpin. Olivia meets Rico Cortez as an informant who might help her get information on her brother's death. What she doesn't know at the time is that he's also an undercover DEA agent. When his cover is blown, they engage in an off-the-books ops that has consequences for both of them. 

Review: 

This book surprised me. I didn't expect to like it as much as I did. I like books that feature smart, competent, courageous, strong, skilled women as lead characters. You can find them in abundance in paranormal and in science fiction but less so in military stories. Often times women in these books have some sort of weakness or fatal flaw that require the male lead to rescue them or they have been brainwashed to become sociopathic assassins. Not in this case. 

     Things that had me smiling:

• Their initial meeting is flirty and scorching hot 
• Although, Rico is as alpha as the best of them, he also has a lot of "sweet" in him. His "sweet" is tender
• Olivia's determination- she decided she wanted to be a pilot as a kid and let nothing get in her way; in preparation of applying for an elite flying unit, she enrolled herself in a month-long mercenary course to learn how to employ aggressive flying techniques
• Thank God Olivia does NOT have any TSTL moments and she darn well holds her own in the fight scenes. 
• There is a ton of hold-your-breath action!
• Finally, there are lots of nice little surprises along the way. 

    Things that left me thinking:

• This could definitely be the start of a series. I hope the author has more planned. Whether we follow the stories of some of the other characters, Hunter perhaps, or learn more about Olivia and Rico this story screams for MORE! 

 
Memorable Quote: 

“(Rico) “What’s it going to take to get you to dance with me?”
She crooked her index finger and motioned him to come close. “A million in your bank account and seven inches in your pants.”
Without missing a beat he replied, “The million I have, but even for a woman as beautiful as you, I won’t cut off three inches.”
Olivia’s eyes went wide and she burst out laughing.”

In A Nutshell:

It is not always easy to balance to alpha characters in a Team Commando/Team Lawman story. Rita Henuber does with ease and finesse resulting in a heart-satisfying read.