Book Review: The Reader by M.K. Harkins

I enjoyed this paranormal suspense.
The Reader
by MK Harkins

File Size: 934 KB
Print Length: 260 pages
Publication Date: August 17, 2016
ASIN: B01IM9A6KY
Genre: Paranormal, YA
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0

Hunted, shot, and without her memory, eighteen-year-old Ann Baker wakes in shallow water on a deserted Pacific Northwest island. She is soon approached by two young men claiming to be her friends. Something isn’t right, but when gunshots sound, Ann is left with little choice but to allow Devon and Archer to help her escape. Soon she finds herself in their North Bend mountain compound, where the higher evolved humans claim to be mind-readers. While Ann heals, she realizes they believe her to be one of the last and most powerful of all – The Lost One.
She’s welcomed by most with opened arms, but not everyone is happy about her arrival. A jealous adversary has plans for Ann, which spirals the entire Reader community into chaos.
As lies, murder, and betrayal threaten to rip apart the once harmonious mountain dwellers, Ann is thrust into making a decision that could save or devastate not only The Readers, but all of mankind. But there’s just one glitch: by doing so it may require her to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Review:
Ann wakes up on a beach in pain and under gunfire. Two gorgeous men sweep in to hustle her to safety. She has no memory of events or even her name but going with them seems better than being shot… again.

Devon and Archer are “Readers” who believe that Ann is ‘the Lost One’ who can save their race of Readers according to an old prophesy. They are saving her from the ‘enemy’ clan of Hijackers or “Jacks” who are also seeking her as the key element to power under the prophesy. Devon and Archer bring Ann to the Readers’ secret compound where she is helped by a kind doctor and welcomed by almost everyone. It soon is clear that Devon and Archer are attracted to Ann even as she is conflicted by her feelings.

Ann finds peace in the Reader community but also feels she must escape to discover who she really is and what happened to her parents. Her attempted escape has consequences that lead to the beginning of the war between the Readers and the Jacks. Ann discovers her parents are being held captive and she is betrayed by someone she trusted.

The story is told by Ann in first person and got my attention from the very beginning. I enjoyed the conflict of Ann’s emotions and feelings. I especially liked the twists that kept the danger and excitement moving until the end. Although this story has YA elements it has more plot and intrigue than YA angst – which I think is a good thing. The settings and emotions are portrayed with good realism and blend well with the paranormal element. I appreciated that the story was “clean” with no foul language or sexual descriptions beyond kissing. I found the story engaging and would look for more by this author.

I received this from the publisher through NetGalley. It qualifies for my NetGalley Challenge and was part of my November Sci Fi reading.

Book Review: The Soul Summoner by Elicia Hyder

This is a fast-paced, entertaining paranormal. Not ghosts as I mistakenly thought but ‘soul readers’.
The Soul Summoner
by Elicia Hyder

File Size: 881 KB
Print Length: 311 pages
Publication Date: November 4, 2015
ASIN: B015ZS7DSS
Genre: Paranormal Suspense, Psychics
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0

Blessed or cursed with a connection to the souls of others, Sloan Jordan can see the best in people…and the worst. With nothing more than a glance at a photograph, she can judge the living from the dead and the good souls from the evil ones. For twenty-seven years, she's kept her ability a secret, but eleven young women have been murdered in the mountains of North Carolina, and Sloan may be the only hope of finding their killer.

She has just agreed to help Detective Nathan McNamara with the case, when a stranger—who is as alluring as he is terrifying—shows up at her doorstep with a dark past and another puzzling mystery: she can't see his soul at all.

Now Sloan is on the hunt for a deadly psychopath with two irresistible men. One of them would die for her, and the other would kill to keep her safe.

Review:
Sloan has known she was different since grade school but she tried to hide her abilities so she wouldn’t be considered a freak. After all, it is not normal to be able to look at people and know if the person is good or evil, or look at a picture and know if the person is alive or dead. Sloan can also summon people by thinking about them, although she hasn’t really tried to develop that skill.

Sloan works as the Public Information Officer for Buncombe County in North Carolina. When one of the newest detectives, Nathan McNamara, brings a release about a missing person to Sloan she slips by blurting out “he’s dead”. Now Nathan is curious why Sloan said that and what other spooky skills she has.

Nathan coerces Sloan into helping him find a kidnapped child. Then Nathan brings a stack of folders on missing young women who may be victims of a serial killer. Although she tries to resist, Sloan begins to realize that she can use her ‘gift’ to help bring closure to others. Besides, she likes working with Nathan even if he has a girlfriend who happens to be Sloan’s high school nemesis.

Things get even more tense when Sloan and her best friend attend a festival and Sloan spots a man whose ‘soul’ she can’t read. The man shows up at her house that night and Nathan rushes over to protect her. It turns out that Warren, a handsome ex-marine, has a lot in common with Sloan. His ‘gift’ is slightly different and sometimes more lethal. As the two men vie for Sloan’s attention the three begin to work together as pieces of the murder cases begin to fall into a pattern. Can they track the killer before Sloan accidentally summons him and ends up in trouble?

I immediately liked Sloan’s character and the chemistry between her and first Nathan, then Warren. I liked how the author included Sloan’s family and best friend to develop her history and values. The author shares some philosophy of good and evil through the primary characters. The story moves along at a quick pace with mystery, tension and suspense that build to an exciting ending.

I will be picking up more in this series and I am very glad that I have The Detective (a Nathan McNamara’s story) available to read soon. I highly recommend this to readers who like a fast-paced paranormal read.

I had this as a free Kindle book from 2015 plus it was offered this summer as a free book from the Author. It qualifies for my Mount TBR Challenge.

Audible Book Review: The Undead Pool: The Hollows, Book 12 by Kim Harrison

Rachel Morgan is a great character and I really enjoy listening to this series.

The Undead Pool: The Hollows, Book 12

Written by: Kim Harrison

Narrated by: Marguerite Gavin

• Length: 16 hrs and 13 mins
• • Series: The Hollows, Book 12
• Format: Unabridged
• Release Date:02-25-14
• Publisher: HarperAudio

Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal
My Rating: 4.75 of 5.0

Publisher's Summary
Number-one New York Times best-selling author Kim Harrison returns to the supernatural adventures of Rachel Morgan in the penultimate book of the Hollows series.
Witch and day-walking demon Rachel Morgan knows magic - earth, ley line, even the forbidden demon magic - and that knowledge has saved her life more than once. But now something - or someone - is attacking Cincinnati and the Hollows, causing spells to backfire or go horribly wrong while living vampires attack humans and Inderlanders alike.
The pressures build when the city is quarantined to contain the unreliable magic, and Rachel must stop the attacks before the undead vampire masters who keep the rest of the undead under control are lost and it becomes all-out supernatural war.
The only way to do so is through the ancient elven magic, but that carries its own perils - for magic always has a price, and gods do not come lightly when called.
©2014 Kim Harrison (P)2014 HarperCollinsPublishers

Review:
This is an intensely active series - always danger. There are strange waves of wicked magical energy reeking havoc in Cinncinnati and the Hollows. These are causing magical spells to backfire resulting in physical damage around the city. Strangely the waves seem to be following Rachel Morgan. Meanwhile the undead vampire masters, who control the younger living vampires, have all disappeared and the living vampires are beginning to attack humans and Inderlanders, including some of Rachel’s werewolf pack. Rachel isn’t a werewolf but she is a powerful witch and day-walking demon with a tie to the werewolves through her friend, David, the true Alpha leader.

Rachel has been working as security for Trent while Quinn is away with the girls, Lucy and Rae. Rachel and Trent have enjoyed working together as they dance around their mutual attraction. Trent wants one night with Rachel on a date instead of as security employee. Dangerous but tempting. They are clearly drawn to each other but Trent is expected to marry one of his own kind, a high elven society member, Elsbeth, the mother of Lucy.

As Rachel tries to help the authorities control the chaos in the community, elven leaders arrive with Elsbeth at Trent’s home. The elven leaders suspect that the wild magic may be coming from an elven goddess who is seeking to make contact through Rachel. The tension increases as one of the elven leaders betrays Trent by lying to Rachel, talking her into a ritual that turns out to allow the goddess a partial possession. Tiny bits of sentient energy move into Rachel threatening to drive her mad unless she can find a way to communicate and control them and stop the goddess from more destruction.

This is what I call a ‘high octane’ series! Rachel seems to be a trouble magnet but somehow, with the help of her friends - vampire Ivy, pixie Jenks, David and Trent - she manages to save the city and come out alive. I love the action intensity and the romantic tension that is finally developed in this book between Rachel and Trent. I wonder how Kim Harrison keeps coming up with great plots and I will look forward to the next adventure.

Audio Notes: Marguerite Gavin is a fixture for me with this series. She does such a good job and makes the series more enjoyable listening entertainment.

I purchased the latest installment of this good series with my Audible subscription.

Audible Book Review: Fifth Grave Past the Light: Charley Davidson, Book 5 by Darynda Jones

This is another good installment of mysteries and action as Charley and Reyes try to resolve their issues.
Fifth Grave Past the Light: Charley Davidson, Book 5
    UNABRIDGED
    by Darynda Jones
    Narrated by Lorelei King
        Series: Charley Davidson, Book 5
LENGTH  8 hrs and 52 mins
RELEASE DATE  07-09-13
PUBLISHER  Macmillan Audio
Genre: Paranormal, Mystery, PI
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

Publisher's Summary
Never underestimate the power of a woman on a double espresso with a mocha latte chaser high. (T-shirt)

Charley Davidson isn’t your everyday, run-of-the-mill grim reaper. She’s more of a paranormal private eye/grim reaper extraordinaire. However, she gets sidetracked when the sexy, sultry son of Satan, Reyes Farrow, moves in next door. To further complicate matters, Reyes is her main suspect in an arson case. Charley has vowed to stay away from him until she can find out the truth... but then dead women start appearing in her apartment, one after another, each lost, confused, and terrified beyond reason.

When it becomes apparent that her own sister, Gemma, is the serial killer’s next target Charley has no choice but to ask for Reyes’ help. Arsonist or not, he’s the one man alive who could protect Gemma no matter who or what came at her. But he wants something in return. Charley. All of her, body and soul. And to keep her sister safe, it is a price she is willing to pay.

Charley Davidson is at it again in Fifth Grave Past the Light, the sexy, suspenseful, and laugh-out-loud funny fifth installment of the New York Times best-selling series by Darynda Jones.
©2013 Darynda Jones (P)2013 Macmillan Audio

Review:
Charley is worrying that Reyes may be responsible for several building fires. Although no one has been injured she recognizes the locations have a connection to Reyes’ past. While she is trying to avoid Reyes he is busy remodeling the apartment at the end of her floor to move in!

One morning Charley discovers a dirt covered blond little girl under her bed. The ghost is clearly frightened and Charley is unable to get her to speak. Soon there are a multitude of dirty, blond female ghosts cowering in every corner of Charley's apartment.

Meanwhile Charley has a visit by the spirit a nurse who claims there is a body under an old bridge out of town. As Charley follows this line she is surprised when she meets the nurse who is actually alive but has a history of prophetic dreams. As a serial killer begins to be revealed Charley gets frightened that her own sister may be the next target.

There is plenty of mystery and action to keep this moving along and interesting. There is also renewed contact between Charley and Reyes for those who crave the romance elements. There are still the fun chapter headings - snarky t-shirt and bumper sticker sayings. There is also good interaction among the regular characters, Charley's team of friends. There is some rough language but it passes quickly. This is a fast listen in a fun series and I look forward to more adventures.

I have been enjoying this snarky, fun series - from my own Audible library.

Book Review and Giveaway: Sisterhood by Deleyna Marr

This is a unique and exciting read.
Sisterhood 
by Deleyna Marr

• Paperback: 292 pages
• Publisher: Heart Ally Books (June 25, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0983513392
• ISBN-13: 978-0983513391

Genre: Romantic Suspense, Paranormal
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

Book Description
Publication Date: June 30, 2012
A single gunshot shattered Dana's perfect life. Now she's starting over with a new life, new rules and an old flame to chase all her demons away. But Dana’s demons have other ideas. They want her—and her sisters—at any cost.

Fans of Dean Koontz will delight in Deleyna Marr’s first novel which takes the reader on an around the world adventure filled with industrial espionage, human trafficking and three very powerful sisters.

Marie works for SciTech, an international mega corporation that battles terrorists and industrial espionage. She loves the risk and adventure, the private jet, and the whirlwind her life has become. At least she did, until someone decides the world would be much better off without her.

Lara hides behind a smoke screen of witchcraft to disguise the strength of her enhanced psychic abilities. Working with the man who once tortured her to develop those abilities, she is developing the next generation of psionics, and keeping a close eye on her sisters.

Dana lives a seemingly quiet life, protected from outside stress, until an assassination attempt on Marie triggers her dormant psionic abilities. Now she'll have to escape her marriage and find her sisters in order to unravel the mystery of the corporation that claims to own them.

Kevin has finally escaped SciTech’s control and there is nothing that would make him return to that nightmare. Nothing except his love for the woman who was created to be his soul mate.

Review:
This story follows three young women who have extraordinary powers - not quite psychic but enhanced senses. They are known as psionics and knew each other in college where they were able to connect through telepathy. They also knew two young men, Leonard and Kevin, who seemed connected with similar, but not as powerful senses. In college Leonard tortured Lara trying to force the improvement of her sensory skills. Kevin stepped in to protect Lara, destroying Leonard’s senses and creating a bitter enemy. Kevin was growing close to Dana but those who secretly manipulated the girls wanted them separated.

Dana was wooed away by a man whom she believed “got” her and accepted her. It took years of betrayal, infidelity and mental abuse for her to realize that he was not the man she thought he was. Even then she didn’t realize the full extent of his manipulations until she broke free of the drug haze he kept her in and escaped to find her friend Marie.

Marie went to work for the company SciTech which uses her skills to help fight criminal activity. Recently Dana sensed that Marie was in danger so Dana escapes her home and flies to Paris to find Marie. Marie wants to convince Dana to come to work with her at SciTech, under the big boss, Thomas.

Dana is shocked to discover that Kevin is alive as she thought he had died. The more she learns of the manipulations that directed her live since college the more betrayal and anger she experiences. Dana and Marie face danger as someone seeks to kidnap them to experiment further with their powers. Although Kevin swore he would never work for SciTech again he is committed to protecting the girls. That includes trying to rescue Lara from her situation.

Marie, Dana and Kevin are sent on assignment to use their skills to locate pockets of humans held by a slave trafficking ring. The undercover efforts are almost discovered but they still help the authorities to save many lives and round up some of the criminal leaders.

Finally a confrontation brings all three women together as they learn more of their twisted past. As their powers increase they are exposed to a shadowy world of grigori, fallen angels, many of whom are demon-like creatures who relish pain and occasionally a few gentler ones who give comfort.

I really liked the psionic personalities and loved the protective nature of Kevin. It was good to watch Dana recover her strengths after being pushed down by her husband. I found the story premise interesting and enjoyed the action. I also liked the efforts against the sex trafficking which I find to be an important and timely subject. Unfortunately, the story had a little bit of a choppy, disfointed flow for me and I was left with a feeling that some facts were unclear. Still the overall effect was really engaging and I do recommend this to those who like romantic suspense with paranormal elements.

This is another book I received from Heart Ally Books at EPICon 2013 in March.

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(Audible) Book Review and ARC Giveaway: Illusion by Frank Peretti

Peretti has a gift for creating characters who draw you in and a story that engages your emotions and keeps you turning pages.

Illusion

by Frank Peretti

• Paperback: 576 pages
• Publisher: Howard Books (October 23, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1451669305
• ISBN-13: 978-1451669305

Genre:  Paranormal, Christian Fiction

My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0

 Book Description
Publication Date: March 6, 2012
Dane and Mandy, a popular magic act for forty years, are tragically separated by a car wreck that claims Mandy’s life—or so everyone thinks. Even as Dane mourns and tries to rebuild his life without her, Mandy, supposedly dead, awakes in the present as the nineteen-year-old she was in 1970. Distraught and disoriented in what to her is the future, she is confined to a mental ward until she discovers a magical ability to pass invisibly through time and space to escape. Alone in a strange world, she uses her mysterious powers to eke out a living, performing magic on the streets and in a quaint coffee shop.

Hoping to discover an exciting new talent, Dane ventures into the coffee shop and is transfixed by the magic he sees, illusions that even he, a seasoned professional, cannot explain. But more than anything, he is emotionally devastated by this teenager who has never met him, doesn’t know him, is certainly not in love with him, but is in every respect identical to the young beauty he first met and married some forty years earlier.

They begin a furtive relationship as mentor and protégée, but even as Dane tries to sort out who she really is and she tries to understand why she is drawn to him, they are watched by secretive interests who not only possess the answers to Mandy’s powers and misplacement in time but also the roguish ability to decide what will become of her.

Frank Peretti has crafted a rich, rewarding story of love and life, loss and restoration, full of twists and mystery. Exceptionally well written, Illusion will soon prove another Peretti classic.

Review:
We are introduced to Dane in a hospital struggling with the death and charred image of his wife of 40 years.  They were broadsided in a car accident and Dane was unable to get Mandy out and had to watch as the car was engulfed in flames.  Not knowing what else to do, Dane continues on their interrupted journey to purchase their new home in Idaho where they dreamed of a perfect retirement spot. He doesn’t know how he will continue his life without Mandy who was not only his companion but also his partner in their popular magic act. After all, “She was the dream. The house was just a frame around the picture.” Page 61.

While Dane suffers through his grief, Mandy wakes up as a nineteen year old girl 40 years into her future. She remembers the first 18 years of her life in Idaho but it should be 1970, not 2010. Her confusion gets her taken to the hospital and after examination and questioning they put her in the mental ward. Suddenly she discovers a way to slip out of the hospital as if invisible.

Mandy has always loved magic tricks and she begins to do small magic acts to make money. Dane spots her on the street and then again in the local coffee shop. The first time his grief may have made him think he was seeing a young Mandy but the second time he begins to wonder what is going on.  Mandy is thrilled to have Dane help train her and she quickly becomes adept at doing amazing tricks that seem to have extra hands.

It becomes clear that some manipulated experiment is going on. Slowly the secrets of the technology are revealed as certain participants decide that the moral ethics out way the possible benefits of trying to control human lives.

The story has definite Twilight Zone elements but is so much fuller of emotion. It is a roller coaster for Dane as he runs the gamut from deep grief of loss to the apparent joy of discovering that which was lost, then sinking again realizing the dream can not be. Mandy is on her own ride as she tries to figure out who she is, what her past means and how she manages her magic. The doves that she befriends are a sweet addition.

The story shows that man is not omnipotent; not in control. The handlers loose control of the project as Mandy’s soul overpowers the system to seek out its own path, seek its true identity, and seek those she loves and trusts even though she doesn’t know why.

This is different from his first novels, This Present Darkness and Piercing the Darkness, which were spiritual warfare presentations that absolutely gave me a new view of demons and changed my prayer life.  The story moves along quickly and I found this story lovely in the way that Peretti quietly weaves God and faith into the story more as a life-style acknowledgment. I think this story could have a broader readership as it seems more paranormal to me than Christian Fiction although the recognition of God’s hand is pretty steady throughout. If you have read Peretti before I think you will enjoy this although don’t expect the same as his earlier writings. If you have never read this author I highly recommend this story as a introduction to his entertaining talent, captivating characters and emotional fullness.

Audible Comments:
When I saw that the Audible version was narrated by the author I decided to listen to this rather than just read.  The pacing is good and the reading was emotionally engaging. I really enjoyed the author's emphasis as the narrator.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Two passages I really liked.

19 year old Mandy reminds Dane of the day they met on the sidewalk where she was doing tricks as a gypsy:

“It was a God thing. Don’t you think it was a God thing?”
....
“I think . . . I think it sure seemed like it. Of course, when you trust God with your life, most everything is a God thing, so sure. It was a God thing.” Page 234.

Dane reflects on the life he has to live without Mandy:

Since when did God choose only painless lessons for his children? Page 270.

Thank you to Handlebar Marketing for the chance to review this book and to and host a giveaway!

This story is based primarily in Idaho for the Where Are You Reading challenge. I will also add it to my ARC challenge and Audio challenge.

The publicist has made one extra ARC copy (with the cover to the left) available for giveaway.  
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Book Review: The Storm that is Sterling by Lisa Renee Jones

This story sizzles with action and romance.

The Storm that is Sterling

Lisa Renee Jones

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca; Original edition (November 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402251599
• ISBN-13: 978-1402251597

     Genre: Paranormal Romantic Suspense
     My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

Book Description
Publication Date: November 1, 2011
Award-winning, bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones is breaking out of series romance success into single title with her fast-paced, paranormal romantic suspense series full of dark danger and sizzling hot passion.

Sterling Jeter, Renegade Super Soldier, is fearless, powerful, and wildly unpredictable. His life-threatening mission is to save the beautiful, brilliant astrobiologist Rebecca Burns from ruthless villain Adam Rain. But their immutable mutual attraction threatens to put them in the path of death... or worse...

Review: This is steamy, fast paced and intense.
Sterling had a rough childhood that left him alone and a dedicated soldier/warrior. He is one of the soldiers secretly infected with the alien DNA that created a GTECH group of super soldiers. Those soldiers have split into two groups under twin brothers. Adam leads the Zodius band seeking to gain control over the weak humans.  Caleb leads the Renegade band of which Sterling is a part.  The Renegades are in an uneasy alliance with the government to stop the Zodius.

Adam and his men have developed a system of dealers to distribute a highly addictive drug called ICE.  He hopes to gain control of the population but humans are dying from the ICE doses and the race is on to stop the Zodius threat.

Rebecca is a super scientist who may be able to help find a way to fight the addiction. Adam is hunting her to either use her skills for his own evil plans or to eliminate her. Sterling is assigned the mission to rescue and protect her.  Then he discovers that this is the girl he knew 14 years ago when the government showed up at his door preventing their first date.  Rebecca is smart enough to exercise caution when it comes to trusting handsome men.  She has a strong attraction to Sterling but can she trust him?

There is action from the get-go and lots of twists. After Rebecca is kidnaped by Adam and forced to take ICE Sterling doesn’t know if he can trust her. Plus Sterling questions the loyalty of his long time friend and team mate, Damion. 

There are new “skills” revealed.  Rebecca gets some interesting powers that seem to be brought on by the ICE addiction. Tad, Adam’s second in command, is exhibiting some very interesting skills as he continues to fret about his position and work a bit at odds with Adam. Adam too has a new secret weapon that comes as a surprise.

I really like the characters - the heroes are smart, sexy and loyal and the villains are devious and evil. The storyline has plenty to keep me interested. There is intensity in the fast pace action and in the romance. The romance is steamy but not offensive. There is some use of swear words but it is not excessive. I enjoyed this second book of the series and look forward to more.

  ~~~~~

Thank you to Sourcebooks for this book to review. Please see the Author's Guest Post to comment for a Giveaway of a bag of books and yummy holiday treats! Thank you Ms. Jones.

Book Review and ARC Giveaway: The Legend of Michael by Lisa Renee Jones

An entertaining read where Super Soldiers battle for control of the world -- and individually.

The Legend of Michael: Sin and Satisfaction (Zodius) by Lisa Renee Jone

• Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (May 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402251564
• ISBN-13: 978-1402251566

Genre: Paranormal Suspense
 My Rating:  4.25 of 5.0

Product Description

"Jones scorches the pages...the result is seductive and volatile!"
-RT Book Reviews
HE IS A LETHAL WEAPON...
One of an army of human soldiers injected with alien DNA, Michael is a legend within this new race, split between good and evil. Untamable, he has walked on the dark side and returned to the light. Feared and misunderstood, he leaves everything behind, including the one woman destined to be his mate.
HE IS HER ENEMY...AND HER DESTINY...
Cassandra holds the key to Michael's power, and his pain. With loyalties divided and against insurmountable odds, Cassandra's heart propels her to Michael's side-but can her love do anything but destroy him...

No ordinary woman can control a creature such as Michael, and only one thing is clear-the world will never be the same...

Review:  This is fast paced, sexually charged, action.
Cassandra is a beautiful psychologist who has been brought into the top-secret facilities at Area 51 to evaluate the recently created hi-tech soldiers known as GTECHs. These are Super Soldiers who were created by injection of alien DNA. The secret Project Zodius is headed by Cassandra’s father, General Powell. Although Cassandra believes her father’s claims that he is trying to protect and help the Zodius soldiers, sometimes she has doubts.

Michael is one of the top Gtech Soldiers with his super human strength, his dedication to the mission and his special abilities to not only wind walk, like all the GTECHS, but his newly developing ability which he is keeping secret.  Michael knows that getting involved with Cassandra could expose her to danger but he can’t resist the attraction.

Cassandra knows better than to get involved with a man whose life is soldiering and who is also a “patient” in her program. When she decides that one dinner can’t hurt she has no idea how the magnetic pull between them could lead to bonding them together — in trouble.

A group of the GTECH soldiers, led by Adam and helped by Michael, escapes from the government control to establish their own colony. Adam is darkly evil and plans to take over the world with his super human Zodius race. The remaining GTECH soldiers, the Renegades, are being led by Adam’s twin brother, Caleb.  It is the Renegades goal to protect humans from the brutal Zodius soldiers.

While the two soldier factions gather their resources, General Powell and his scientists are creating a new weapon which is developed from a red alien crystal. Although use of Red Dart has been fatal to humans, Powell hopes to use it to trace, torture and control the GTECH soldiers.

When Michael returns after being with the enemy soldiers for two years Cassandra doesn’t know who she can trust. Michael claims he was undercover for the Renegades and he tells her of her father’s real plans to use Red Dart to gain control of the Renegades as well as the Zodius soldiers.  Cassandra doesn’t want to believe her father is so ruthless. Can she really trust Michael? Can Michael keep her safe when she is a target for Zodius to either kill or use as a hostage?

I liked the characters of Cassandra and Michael who are both strong yet have a vulnerability and need for each other.  I especially liked the very good story line which has lots of creativity and action.  I liked the chemistry among the characters and there are other characters who also have some good chemistry and banter.  I wasn’t totally enthralled with the plentiful romance scenes which are pretty edgy - “scorching” as the book blurb says.  I think I would like to continue the series to see how the battle goes and I can hope the heat level won’t get any hotter.

xxx

Thank you to Sourcebooks for the book to read and review.

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