A-
Title: Hot Zone
Author: Catherine Mann
Publication Info: Sourcebooks 2011
ISBN: 978-1402244988
Genre: Romantic Suspense
This review was written by Jessica. This story was nominated in the Best Romantic Suspense category.
The summary:
The haunted eyes of pararescueman Hugh Franco should have been her first clue that deep pain roiled beneath the surface. But if Amelia couldn't see the damage, how could she be expected to know he'd break her heart?
Amelia Bailey's not the kind of girl who usually needs rescuing…but there are anything but usual circumstances.
Alternate summary:
Master sergeant Hugh Franco lives only to save others, until he plucks beautiful attorney Amelia Bailey from the wreckage of an earthquake and finds himself embroiled in ways he never expected. On the run from kidnappers, Hugh must call on all his training to protect them. But Amelia's fiery touch threatens to crack his world—and his heart—wide open.
And here is Jessica's review:
I enjoy reading Catherine Mann’s books. I find her stories well researched, full of intrigue, and full of real human characters (flaws and all). Hot Zone is no exception.
I was explaining this book to my mom, who had wondered if I thought she would like it. As I was giving her a basic plot summary, I realized that there was nothing basic about this plot.
This plot has so many twists and turns and side stories that it was hard to keep track of them all in the retelling. As I was reading the story, I never thought of how convoluted it was, which is rare because complicated plots are one of my pet peeves, but somehow I got so wrapped up in the characters the plot just seemed to fit.
Mann’s characters are one of the best aspects of her writing. Her characters are real, meaning they have flaws, and baggage, but also convictions, emotions and dreams. When Hote Zone’s plot finally comes to its ultimate HEA, the baggage the characters carry doesn’t magically disappear, but rather the hero and heroine accept each other as well as all the baggage and work to move past it.
In the end, I think the hero and heroine will make it because they want to work at it and not because their baggage and issues magically went away. Mann created characters that I rooted for and developed a bond with and that is the reason I enjoy reading romance novels.
This book is available from Goodreads | Amazon | BN | Sony | Kobo | All Romance eBooks.
I have this one as well as the next two in the series in my TBR pile. This is one I bought twice by accident. One of the “problems” with my Sony is that it lets me shop at multiple stores so I don’t get the handy dandy message telling me I’ve already purchased a book if I’m at a different store. I try never to let a great sale price sway to me to click without checking Calibre, but this one snuck through.
Totally agree with your review. Catherine Mann is one of my favorite authors. Right up there with Nora Roberts, Susan Mallery, and Julia Quinn. (a few of my favs).
I love her characters and storylines. You sit on the edge of your seat waiting for what happens next. I always Pre-order her books.
This has been on my tbr pile for a while – since last fall actually, since I got it as a freebie at SBSarah’s book signing at Anderson’s. Based on your review, I’d better move it up the piles And I do mean piles I reorganized and there are now two stacks flanking the bedside lamp. Both of them are taller than the lamp. And then there’s the library stack on the coffee table.
I liked the review so I tuned in for a sample on my Kindle … got hooked on the sample and have now purchased for my Kindle. Have too many waiting on my Kindle, but like Bnbsrose, I think I’ll move it up to the top.
This is one of the free books I got from Discover A New Love club. It’s on my ereader. I’m not really a fan of suspense-romance but I’ll have to give it a try.