ARC REVIEW: "Chasing Danger" by Katie Reus

Chasing Danger 

by Katie Reus

Chief Nursing Officer Hannah Young is accustomed to working under pressure, but even she’s still reeling in the aftermath of a horrific terrorist attack on Miami. And things only get worse after a knife wielding maniac tries to kill her. Desperate for help, Hannah must turn to the one man she never thought she’d see again.

After spending an intensely passionate night with Hannah, NSA Agent and former Delta Force operative Dax Costas fell off the face of the earth. He got called away for a two week mission with no way to contact her. Now he can’t get the smart, sexy woman out of his head. She might be angry at him, but when it appears she has a stalker, Dax moves her under his roof and into his protection.

Unfortunately, whoever wants Hannah dead will stop at nothing. And if Dax can’t identify the perpetrator in time, it could be too late to discover if there is more between him and Hannah than just heated passion…

Short and to the point, I think Chasing Danger is my favorite Katie Reus novella to date.  I’ve always loved Hannah’s character and am thrilled that she gets her own story.  And no less than what I expected, it is spicy like kim-chee.

I would be lying if I didn’t say I have a certain affinity for this Korean girl.  I get her.  I get her background and history.  I understand her family pressures and pain.  I know her motivations.  I appreciate that Katie Reus points out the stereotype of Asian woman and how it can impact their dating life:

“Because of her smaller stature, and in large part, her ethnicity, men always thought she was this fragile, submissive creature.”

Asian women are often perceived as lotus flowers or dragon ladies.  Dax, however, sees beyond that bias: “He treated her like an equal in and out of the bedroom and had seemed to really be impressed by her intelligence. By her.”

Dax Costas, sigh.  First I love that name.  It’s very mysterious and perfect for an alpha.  I love that he is a relationship virgin, never having a girlfriend before.  I love that he is completely honest with his feelings, even if he could not be honest with Hannah until now.  I love that he is not satisfied with earthshaking sex, and wants more with Hannah.  He has to convince her to give him a chance.

This story is not so much about the mystery because that is solved early on, but it did give the narrative an edge, not to mention a reason for keeping Dax around. However, although takes place in the world of Deadly Ops, it doesn’t have the same level of suspense as the books before it.

IN A NUTSHELL:

If you want a hot little contemporary romance or if you are Deadly Ops fan, you will definitely want to put Chasing Danger on your To Be Read List.

Katie Reus is the New York Times, USA Today, & IndieReader bestselling author of the Red Stone Security series, the Moon Shifter series and the Deadly Ops series. She fell in love with romance at a young age thanks to books she pilfered from her mom's stash. Years later she loves reading romance almost as much as she loves writing it. However, she didn't always know she wanted to be a writer. After changing majors many times, she finally graduated with a degree in psychology. Not long after that she discovered a new love. Writing. She now spends her days writing dark paranormal romance and sexy romantic suspense.

SUNNY: BOOK REVIEW - "Free Fall" by Catherine Mann

CHARACTERS:
Jose James
Stella Carson

SUMMARY from Goodreads:

Pararescueman Jose "Cuervo" James can't imagine committing to anything other than his job. But when he parachutes deep into East Africa to rescue wounded Interpol agent Stella Carson—a woman from his past—he finds himself ensnared in more ways than he can count. Racing through the jungle to stop separatists from attacking the U.S. embassy, Jose and Stella must call upon their training to survive. Could this be their second chance at passion…or will the rebels end their future before it begins?

REVIEW:
I love a good second chance story.  And oh my, this is Catherine Mann at her best. Free Fall is book four in the Elite Force series, and these stories just keep getting better with each successive book.  

After a whirlwind global romance, Jose James and Stella Carson are broken up.  Their stressful jobs, their emotionally damaging pasts, their conflicting dreams, all conspire to keep them apart.  However, there is this one thing....the are in love with one another and they can't seem to give that up no matter how many times they keep hurting each other.  

I love the parity between the characters. Stella is a kick-ass  Interpol agent trying to stop criminal activity in Africa.  He is a USAF Pararescue jumper whose mission is to recover downed and injured crew members in austere and non-permissive enviornments (yup, that's from their website)  He is medically and military trained. I love that it is her job to put her life on the line as much as it is his. 

The tension in the relationship is not whether to love or not, but rather, do they love one another ENOUGH.  Sometimes, people have different values, dreams for the future. Stella, growing up in a broken home, wants a family.  This is non-negotiable.  Jose is from an alcoholic family and doesn't want to risk the possibility of passing on that sickness.  
 
The relationship dilemma is tightly woven around the story of a terrorist group looking to raise havoc by obtaining and releasing the names of operatives around the world. There are some nice surprises regarding Stella's history that works well to enhance the drama.  And I enjoyed the use of flashbacks to give us the background of Jose and Stella's love affair.  

My little critique is that there are one too many times where the characters resolve to never let the other go and then proceed to do things that drive each other away.  It doesn't overwhelm the overall story, but I did take notice. 

IN A NUTSHELL: If you are a fan of romantic suspense or of Catherine Mann, this is a not-to-be-missed installment of the Elite Force series. 

Thank you to Sourcebooks for the ARC via Netgalley. 

SUSAN: BOOK REVIEW "I'll Be Your Drill, Soldier" by Crystal Rose

SUMMARY:
Ryan Gracin had a good life until he told his parents he was gay. Since they yanked their support for college he had to find a way to pay for it. Little did he know that joining the Army was going to change his life forever. Especially when he was introduced to a Drill Sergeant who was nicknamed 'Big Daddy'. Phillip Grabowski had joined the Army to follow in his father's footsteps; by the time Ryan entered, he had already made a name for himself. He was a soldier's solider, but Ryan was making it really hard for him to remember that.

REVIEW:
Ok, let’s just deal with the elephant in the room:

I am, indeed a 15-year old boy…at least I feel like I am every time I giggle at this title. Kekekeke.

This book is just silly. It called on every generic trick in the book. When it tried to be funny and “banter”ful, it fell flat. When it tried to be serious, I rolled my eyes. When it tried to be hot…well…I gotta admit, it was hot. 

Still, it read like a book written by a Writing 101 student…whose reader has never read a book before and needs to be spoken to in short sentences w/o any conjunctions to keep it simple. Don’t patronize…

Honestly, I did like the characters. Ryan and Phillip are attractive…if not entirely unbelievable. But I just couldn’t get past the writing…

…and, *giggle* *giggle*…the title.

IN A NUTSHELL:
Pass.