What do you think?
Rate this book
Small Town Romance #3
Fatal Heat
Former Navy SEAL Max Wright is out of the SEAL Teams forever after being almost killed by an Afghani RPG. He retreats to his former XO's beach house to lick his wounds. He wants to snarl at the world but finds it hard to snarl at his new neighbor, his XO's beautiful goddaughter, Paige Waring, who also comes with a ridiculously likable, totally undisciplined dog.
As a plant geneticist, Paige has always been focused on her work, but when she and her dog run into Max, she recognizes the lonely, shattered man behind the rugged exterior. To her mind, sexiness always comes with a white lab coat, not with acres of tanned muscle and a tough mind-set.
When Paige's work becomes the target of criminals and she's abducted, Max springs into action. Though still terribly wounded, this tough as nails SEAL goes on his last mission - stopping at nothing to save the woman he loves.
As a plant geneticist, Paige has always been focused on her work, but when she and her dog run into Max, she recognizes the lonely, shattered man behind the rugged exterior. To her mind, sexiness always comes with a white lab coat, not with acres of tanned muscle and a tough mind-set.
When Paige's work becomes the target of criminals and she's abducted, Max springs into action. Though still terribly wounded, this tough as nails SEAL goes on his last mission - stopping at nothing to save the woman he loves.
94 pages, ebook
First published October 4, 2011
66 people are currently reading
625 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Marie Rice
61 books1,610 followersLisa Marie Rice is eternally 30 years old and will never age. She is tall and willowy and beautiful. Men drop at her feet like ripe pears. She has won every major book prize in the world. She is a black belt with advanced degrees in archaeology, nuclear physics, and Tibetan literature. She is a concert pianist. Did I mention her Nobel Prize? Of course, Lisa Marie Rice is a virtual woman and exists only at the keyboard when writing erotic romance. She disappears when the monitor winks off.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews
October 3, 2016
4.25/5
Paige and her funny, hyperactive dog—hell, yes, they were worth fighting for.
Yes, please! Just give me Max and I will never ask for more!
This was much better than my expectations. Lisa Marie Rice has delivered another winner with Fatal Heat, a scorching hot, engrossing, and action-packed short story. The author did a great job of mixing romance and heart-pounding action and I was pleasantly surprised by how good the book was.
Max Wright is my real hero. He's smart, strong, brave, determined, and caring. But most of all, he loved Paige’s dog!
Paige Waring is another awesome heroine. She’s not only intelligent, but she’s also brave and true to herself.
Despite the fact that they knew each other for just a short time, I felt that the chemistry between them ran deeper than physical attraction. The sex scenes in this book were smoking hot though there weren’t many of them as I expected.
I was very excited, yet overwhelmed with fear when Max the human and Max the dog went together to save Paige. And they made a great team! No fear. No hesitation. Only one thought to bring back the most important woman in their lives. Wow, that was just wow! That dog should really get a medal for all his courage.
And it was the image of Paige, the memory of her kissing his shoulder before falling asleep, how she'd instinctively slow down to accommodate his let, how she sleepily smiled at his touch first thing in the morning without opening her eyes...those were the things that kept him going when his body quit.
He was going to get out of this alive and he was going to bring Paige home.
By the way, this was an enjoyable read. Too short but fantastic. I need to read more of this author’s books!
Paige and her funny, hyperactive dog—hell, yes, they were worth fighting for.
Yes, please! Just give me Max and I will never ask for more!
This was much better than my expectations. Lisa Marie Rice has delivered another winner with Fatal Heat, a scorching hot, engrossing, and action-packed short story. The author did a great job of mixing romance and heart-pounding action and I was pleasantly surprised by how good the book was.
Max Wright is my real hero. He's smart, strong, brave, determined, and caring. But most of all, he loved Paige’s dog!
Paige Waring is another awesome heroine. She’s not only intelligent, but she’s also brave and true to herself.
Despite the fact that they knew each other for just a short time, I felt that the chemistry between them ran deeper than physical attraction. The sex scenes in this book were smoking hot though there weren’t many of them as I expected.
I was very excited, yet overwhelmed with fear when Max the human and Max the dog went together to save Paige. And they made a great team! No fear. No hesitation. Only one thought to bring back the most important woman in their lives. Wow, that was just wow! That dog should really get a medal for all his courage.
And it was the image of Paige, the memory of her kissing his shoulder before falling asleep, how she'd instinctively slow down to accommodate his let, how she sleepily smiled at his touch first thing in the morning without opening her eyes...those were the things that kept him going when his body quit.
He was going to get out of this alive and he was going to bring Paige home.
By the way, this was an enjoyable read. Too short but fantastic. I need to read more of this author’s books!
August 31, 2016
BEFORE WAS DARKNESS AND SOLITUDE.
AFTER WAS WARMTH AND LIGHT
Max is at the beach, recuperating from an injury. Paige lives in the house next door.
Bought this book a while back, must have been going through a Lisa Marie Rice phase – I see I paid nearly four bucks for it which is kind of a rip of as it is quite short. It is down to $2.05 now. I liked it. I like her heros, they are usually tough, grough, injured guys. Heroines are usually dainty, intelligent women. It works.
Fairly quick attraction and jumping into bed. Nice dog. Bit of a mystery behind the scenes. Quick read.
October 9, 2011
It pains me to say this...but this is not one of LMR's best. It started out really good, in typical LMR fashion. Our hero, injured SEAL Max Wright, is recuperating at a California beach house (belonging to his commanding officer) from injuries that nearly took his life and left him with a mangled leg. Next door to him lives a pretty plant geneticist (Paige Waring, who just happens to be the god daughter of Max's CO). The relationship starts out with Paige offering Max some cookies, then develops further when Max offers to watch Paige's rambunctious dog (coincidentally named 'Max'--and a character in his own right in this book) while Paige is at work. Next thing you know Paige invites Max to dinner, and before the evening's over Max is saying "I want you" and Paige is saying Yes... Cue some intense love making...
Max...
So everything's fine and dandy up to this point. We get enough backstory about Max and how he received his career ending injury, we learn about his sexual dry spell and his despondency over his injuries. We learn about Paige's job (her company, GenPlant Laboratories is developing a type of super-corn using human growth hormones which could triple the crop's yield), her own sexual dry spell and the kind of men (nerds) she usually dates. We get Max and Paige in several hot sexual encounters. And Max is like all LMR's intense heroes--when he's finally found "the one", he's locked on and ready to never let go. Paige is it for Max.
But then there's trouble relating to Paige's research. Paige's fellow worker and good friend goes missing, but is able to inform Paige about some bad news involving the super-corn that could cost the company millions of dollars if they pull the plug on their research. And once Paige learns the truth, her life is in danger. Before she can bring her findings to the FBI or at least tell Max, she's kidnapped--and with death right around the corner. Can Max figure out what happened to Paige? Will he somehow be able to save her?
The other 'Max'...
This suspense part of the book was what weakened it. Yes, an interesting idea, but as villains go, just not that scary. And I found too many plot holes regarding the rescue of Paige. Even though Max was making progress rehabing his injured leg, he was barely able to walk and could swim about one mile. I don't know, something about this whole suspense plot just seemed preposterous to me. LMR has written way better suspense plots and has had a lot scarier villains--this one just didn't live up to her standard.
High marks for the intense sexual relationship between Max and Paige, even if they sounded like all LMR's past couples. She writes her heroes a certain way, and if you like it, that's great. If not...don't expect anything new. They're big and strong, intense and alpha, and once they've found their woman, they'll do anything to protect her. Including swimming three miles with just one functioning leg... And not so high marks for the rest of the story. It was okay, just didn't blow me away. I'm hoping the upcoming Nightfire will put LMR back on track. 3 1/2 stars
Max...
So everything's fine and dandy up to this point. We get enough backstory about Max and how he received his career ending injury, we learn about his sexual dry spell and his despondency over his injuries. We learn about Paige's job (her company, GenPlant Laboratories is developing a type of super-corn using human growth hormones which could triple the crop's yield), her own sexual dry spell and the kind of men (nerds) she usually dates. We get Max and Paige in several hot sexual encounters. And Max is like all LMR's intense heroes--when he's finally found "the one", he's locked on and ready to never let go. Paige is it for Max.
But then there's trouble relating to Paige's research. Paige's fellow worker and good friend goes missing, but is able to inform Paige about some bad news involving the super-corn that could cost the company millions of dollars if they pull the plug on their research. And once Paige learns the truth, her life is in danger. Before she can bring her findings to the FBI or at least tell Max, she's kidnapped--and with death right around the corner. Can Max figure out what happened to Paige? Will he somehow be able to save her?
The other 'Max'...
This suspense part of the book was what weakened it. Yes, an interesting idea, but as villains go, just not that scary. And I found too many plot holes regarding the rescue of Paige. Even though Max was making progress rehabing his injured leg, he was barely able to walk and could swim about one mile. I don't know, something about this whole suspense plot just seemed preposterous to me. LMR has written way better suspense plots and has had a lot scarier villains--this one just didn't live up to her standard.
High marks for the intense sexual relationship between Max and Paige, even if they sounded like all LMR's past couples. She writes her heroes a certain way, and if you like it, that's great. If not...don't expect anything new. They're big and strong, intense and alpha, and once they've found their woman, they'll do anything to protect her. Including swimming three miles with just one functioning leg... And not so high marks for the rest of the story. It was okay, just didn't blow me away. I'm hoping the upcoming Nightfire will put LMR back on track. 3 1/2 stars
February 20, 2016
¿Viste cuando querés leer algo corto porque estás ajustada de tiempo, lo encontrás, lo empezás a leer y luego revisas tu biblioteca digital y encontrás otro libro que es más corto y lo empezás también y luego te fijas y ¡milagro! tenés un libro más corto que el anterior que estabas leyendo y lo terminas leyendo?
Bueno, así.
Este vendría a ser el libro n° 2 que no debería haber leído pero who cares. Está hecho. Lo mejor de este libro: Max, el perro.
Bueno, así.
Este vendría a ser el libro n° 2 que no debería haber leído pero who cares. Está hecho. Lo mejor de este libro: Max, el perro.
October 8, 2011
Ninety-four pages and I enjoyed every page. There were actually three main "characters" in this little story. Paige Waring, Maxwell Wright, and Maximilian. :-)
Paige was a plant geneticist and worked for a company called GenPlant Laboratories. Max was a former SEAL recovering from a very bad mission that ultimately forced him out of the military. Max (the four legged) was an 8-month old adorable addition to the tale and played a key role.
This story could have easily been expanded.
At the end there are three excerpts from other LMR books. The first one, "Nightfire" I could have sworn I read it already. But it shows a release date of 2012. Just when I started to get into it, it was cut off.
The other two were "Hotter than Wildfire" and "Into the Crossfire" both of which were excellent books, imo.
Psst, It's "Al-Qaeda."
Paige was a plant geneticist and worked for a company called GenPlant Laboratories. Max was a former SEAL recovering from a very bad mission that ultimately forced him out of the military. Max (the four legged) was an 8-month old adorable addition to the tale and played a key role.
This story could have easily been expanded.
At the end there are three excerpts from other LMR books. The first one, "Nightfire" I could have sworn I read it already. But it shows a release date of 2012. Just when I started to get into it, it was cut off.
The other two were "Hotter than Wildfire" and "Into the Crossfire" both of which were excellent books, imo.
Psst, It's "Al-Qaeda."
October 7, 2011
Story Rating 4 stars
Character Rating 5 stars
Romance Rating 5 stars
Heat Level 4 stars
Action 4 stars
Overall Rating 4 stars
For a short story I must say for me it was a VERY good read. I was kept interested all the way through.
Loved the H&h, plus the dog, hahahaha.
Lot's of nail biting action too.
The love scenes were hot and sensual.
The only thing I could have wanted was for this story to be full length. It definitely had the bones to do it.
Character Rating 5 stars
Romance Rating 5 stars
Heat Level 4 stars
Action 4 stars
Overall Rating 4 stars
For a short story I must say for me it was a VERY good read. I was kept interested all the way through.
Loved the H&h, plus the dog, hahahaha.
Lot's of nail biting action too.
The love scenes were hot and sensual.
The only thing I could have wanted was for this story to be full length. It definitely had the bones to do it.
March 24, 2016
Como pueden notar me estoy dando un maraton leyendo todos los libros que encuentro de Lisa Marie Rice, creo que fatal Heart es el cuarto que leo esta semana, no puedo evitarlo, me encantan las historias de esta autora y si ademas le añades un protagonista SEAL, se convierte en un must read para mi.
Fatal Heart narra la historia de Max, un ex-SEAL y Paige, una cientifica. Tenia ganas de leer una novela entretenida pero que no fuera demasiado larga, solo por una tarde mas o menos y este libro fue perfecto, si te gusta la forma de escribir de la autora estoy segura de que te gustara este libro, eso si, no esperes una historia demasiado profunda, es mas una novela corta.
3 Estrellas!
October 26, 2012
3 1/2 stars (rounded up to 4 stars because I loved Max, the dog - not that I'd kick Human Max out of bed for eating crackers, I must say)
June 15, 2025
This is the first Lisa Marie Rice book I’ve read and overall it was decent. Novellas are always a bit of a hit-or-miss for me because with so few pages, either the relationship between the hero and heroine, or the plot always seems to end up suffering. I think LMR did a decent job with this one, though.
January 1, 2012
Though just a short novella, this is typical Lisa Marie Rice. Though I don't think I could read a steady diet of her books, they are very fine. Her heroes are very protective, very alpha types, the kind of hero who would do anything for their women. And Max Wright is like all her heroes. Severely injured in his last mission, former SEAL Max is recuperating by the ocean at the home of his former CO. He is mourning his former life since even if he does recover most of the use of his leg, he will never be a SEAL again.
Paige is his neighbour and niece of his CO. She notices her sexy scary neighbour and offers him a plate of cookies (yes, I know that sounds kind of silly but it works). Paige and Max bond over the cookies and her dog also named Max. They are very drawn to each other and almost instantly enter into an intense relationship. When Paige is kidnapped due in part to her job, a still very much wounded Max must rescue her.
As I said this is a short story but it wets my appetite for her next release and makes me want to reread one of her previous books while I wait.
Paige is his neighbour and niece of his CO. She notices her sexy scary neighbour and offers him a plate of cookies (yes, I know that sounds kind of silly but it works). Paige and Max bond over the cookies and her dog also named Max. They are very drawn to each other and almost instantly enter into an intense relationship. When Paige is kidnapped due in part to her job, a still very much wounded Max must rescue her.
As I said this is a short story but it wets my appetite for her next release and makes me want to reread one of her previous books while I wait.
May 26, 2021
Fatal Heat is A Navy SEAL Novella. Starts with the hero working out and the neighbor bringing him cookies. Max was injured in the line of duty and is staying at his CO's beach apartment. He meets his neighbor, Paige, and is instantly attracted.
Since this is a novella the story was forced to speed things up and they connect in one day. Still it was exciting and entertaining. I just wish it had about another 50 pages or so added to get to know the characters more.
Since this is a novella the story was forced to speed things up and they connect in one day. Still it was exciting and entertaining. I just wish it had about another 50 pages or so added to get to know the characters more.
November 12, 2012
Good story, abrupt ending. Definitely wanted more of an epilogue. Loved how driven Max was to get to Paige. He fought the pain and won. I even had to smile a little when they collapsed after the rescue because neither ones legs would hold them. Cute.
May 17, 2020
4 solid ***
I listened to the audio version. It was short and typical of LMR. It was about Paige, a plant geneticist, her dog Max and ex- SEAL Max, who's recovering from severe injuries and Paige's next door neighbor. Insta attraction then lust. Lots of hot sex, Paige is kidnapped then Max the man and Max the dog single handed save the day. It was perfect for a few hours distraction.
I listened to the audio version. It was short and typical of LMR. It was about Paige, a plant geneticist, her dog Max and ex- SEAL Max, who's recovering from severe injuries and Paige's next door neighbor. Insta attraction then lust. Lots of hot sex, Paige is kidnapped then Max the man and Max the dog single handed save the day. It was perfect for a few hours distraction.
October 4, 2011
Former SEAL Max Wright is still recovering from a devastating RPG attack. Spending a long time in a rehab facility to regain the use of his leg, he can now walk, but it is painful and slow. His commander has given him use of a beach house to relax, and further recuperate. Physically he is exhausted, but mentally he is still reeling from the fact he is no longer a SEAL and what that means for his future. Let’s just say Max is not in a very good mood.
His next door neighbor happens to be the god daughter of his commander. Paige is a plant geneticist. She normally dates fellow scientists, but when she bakes cookies for her new neighbor and gets a glimpse at the big, surly, strong Max, she can barely control her lust. He intimidates her, until she realizes how gentle and caring he is towards her dog (also named Max).
Paige is working on an Argentina research project involving splicing a human growth hormone gene into corn, making corn crops grow at a very fast rate. But something is fishy. Her work partner Sylvia and project leader, who is in Argentina overseeing the project has not returned Pagie’s phone calls for days. And soon Paige will find out why.
I love Lisa Marie Rice books and those written under her pen name, Elizabeth Jennings. She writes suspense books filled with over the top, crazy hijinks, and smoldering sexual tension. They are just really fun to read. And the first 30% of this book lives up to that. The sexual tension between Max and Paige is really well done.
Quote: There was no air in his lungs, just a burning sensation. Heat suffused him, inside and out.
They stared at each other. She had the most amazing eyes, a light blue with green streaks, shimmering as if the ocean were at her feet and reflected in her eyes.
He breathed in a gasp. Said words that were wrenched straight from his chest without any prior thought at all. “I want you.”
Oh fuck. The words were out there, stark and simple, and he couldn’t call them back. He barely recognized his own voice – low and guttural, as if the words came from somewhere deep inside him. And they had. They came from his very core./Quote
Oh Lisa Marie Rice! I hear dramatic music playing, don’t you too? How can you resist a hero that speaks from his very core?
So everything is great, and I’m soaking up the sexual goodness and bracing myself for the crazy suspense that I know is coming. And it does come, but with a big WTF. The WTF comes in the form of a dog – Pagie’s dog also named Max. I’m just going to call him dog here so we don’t get the two Max’s confused. Paige loves dog. He is an 8-month old border collie mix breed. The dog is hyper and crazy and the love of Pagie’s life. Heading into spoiler territory so click if you want to see what bothers me about dog. But again – it is spoilery to the plot.
Spoiler:
Bad guys come in to kidnap Paige, and they shoot dog in the head. Dog is laying there unconscious in a pool of blood. Paige gets dragged away. Max comes home and dog wakes up and after weaving for a minute or two starts barking and runs out towards the beach! After Max has his friend hack into NSA satellites (which I believe much more than dog) they realize there is a secret island out there . So Max and dog start swimming
Quote: The dog wanted Paige back as much as he did. He was wounded – he’d been shot in the head – and yet he was unwavering. He’d jumped into the inflatable without hesitation and had remained utterly still while, underwater, Max towed him. Dogs don’t have good eyesight; the way they make sense of their world is through their noses.
For the dog, Max had suddenly disappeared, and the inflatable dinghy with the uncertain footing simply began moving. It must have been terrifying, but Max saw no sighs of fear in the dog, only determination./Quote
Really? The dog antics go on for more than just this. It just made the story too silly to enjoy for me./Spoiler
The superhero dog kind of killed this story for me. I also want to mention that at least in the arc I received on my kindle, the story is done at 69%. The remaining 30% are just excerpts from other books. I wasn’t ready for the story to be done so early!
Rating: C
His next door neighbor happens to be the god daughter of his commander. Paige is a plant geneticist. She normally dates fellow scientists, but when she bakes cookies for her new neighbor and gets a glimpse at the big, surly, strong Max, she can barely control her lust. He intimidates her, until she realizes how gentle and caring he is towards her dog (also named Max).
Paige is working on an Argentina research project involving splicing a human growth hormone gene into corn, making corn crops grow at a very fast rate. But something is fishy. Her work partner Sylvia and project leader, who is in Argentina overseeing the project has not returned Pagie’s phone calls for days. And soon Paige will find out why.
I love Lisa Marie Rice books and those written under her pen name, Elizabeth Jennings. She writes suspense books filled with over the top, crazy hijinks, and smoldering sexual tension. They are just really fun to read. And the first 30% of this book lives up to that. The sexual tension between Max and Paige is really well done.
Quote: There was no air in his lungs, just a burning sensation. Heat suffused him, inside and out.
They stared at each other. She had the most amazing eyes, a light blue with green streaks, shimmering as if the ocean were at her feet and reflected in her eyes.
He breathed in a gasp. Said words that were wrenched straight from his chest without any prior thought at all. “I want you.”
Oh fuck. The words were out there, stark and simple, and he couldn’t call them back. He barely recognized his own voice – low and guttural, as if the words came from somewhere deep inside him. And they had. They came from his very core./Quote
Oh Lisa Marie Rice! I hear dramatic music playing, don’t you too? How can you resist a hero that speaks from his very core?
So everything is great, and I’m soaking up the sexual goodness and bracing myself for the crazy suspense that I know is coming. And it does come, but with a big WTF. The WTF comes in the form of a dog – Pagie’s dog also named Max. I’m just going to call him dog here so we don’t get the two Max’s confused. Paige loves dog. He is an 8-month old border collie mix breed. The dog is hyper and crazy and the love of Pagie’s life. Heading into spoiler territory so click if you want to see what bothers me about dog. But again – it is spoilery to the plot.
Spoiler:
Bad guys come in to kidnap Paige, and they shoot dog in the head. Dog is laying there unconscious in a pool of blood. Paige gets dragged away. Max comes home and dog wakes up and after weaving for a minute or two starts barking and runs out towards the beach! After Max has his friend hack into NSA satellites (which I believe much more than dog) they realize there is a secret island out there . So Max and dog start swimming
Quote: The dog wanted Paige back as much as he did. He was wounded – he’d been shot in the head – and yet he was unwavering. He’d jumped into the inflatable without hesitation and had remained utterly still while, underwater, Max towed him. Dogs don’t have good eyesight; the way they make sense of their world is through their noses.
For the dog, Max had suddenly disappeared, and the inflatable dinghy with the uncertain footing simply began moving. It must have been terrifying, but Max saw no sighs of fear in the dog, only determination./Quote
Really? The dog antics go on for more than just this. It just made the story too silly to enjoy for me./Spoiler
The superhero dog kind of killed this story for me. I also want to mention that at least in the arc I received on my kindle, the story is done at 69%. The remaining 30% are just excerpts from other books. I wasn’t ready for the story to be done so early!
Rating: C
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 6, 2011
2.5/5 stars, Review posted: Happily Ever After - Reads
Max is on leave to recuperate from a devastating injury on a mission that left him needing major surgery to save his leg, and a long road of recovery ahead of him. Max didn’t accept his diagnosis that he’d never walk again, and worked hard to prove all the doctors wrong. He’s moved into a beach house to continue his rehab, at least the physical recovery. He’s in a very dark place mentally, knowing that he’ll never be able to go out into the field again and his life as a SEAL is over.
When his neighbor, Paige, leaves cookies for him one night, his mood starts lifting slowly. They talk the next day when her dog, also named Max, tackles human Max into the ocean. It’s a cute meeting that leads to a dinner invite for that night, which then leads to hot sex and Max and Paige getting closer throughout the week.
There was a connection there between him and Paige that was bone-deep, blood-deep, a connection that, if severed, would be like severing an artery.
And it was the image of Paige, the memory of her kissing his shoulder before falling asleep, how she’d instinctively slow down to accommodate his leg, how she sleepily smiled at his touch first thing in the morning without opening her eyes…those were the things that kept him going when his body quit.
There’s something shady going down related to Paige’s work and when she gets a desperate call from her friend who’s uncovered damaging information about what’s going on, she sends Paige the details and needs her help to get back in the country. As soon as Paige hangs up with her friend, she’s taken hostage, but manages to leave a very important clue to Max that helps lead him to her.
I feel like sometimes novellas try to cram too much into a short amount of space. The story is broken into basically two parts, Max and Paige’s relationship takes up the first half, the action and suspense of Paige’s abduction takes up the second part. The suspense portion almost felt tossed in. I would have loved to have gotten more about their relationship, more about how Max is dealing with the major changes in his life, going from a strong, confident SEAL, to a man who still has the confidence, but lacks the physical strength he once had. And for a SEAL, being able to push his body and do what he needs and wants it to do was such a huge part of his life, to have that taken away is a major adjustment – I would have liked to have their story told more fully, as the suspense portion of the book really didn’t do much for me.
I’m a sucker for an alpha male, and Max is that and then some. He’s had a tough year and with the help of a woman and her dog, he starts to live again; that portion of the novella, I really enjoyed reading about. I haven’t read Rice’s Protector’s series, but after getting a glimpse of Max, I’m curious how alpha her other males in the series are. I’m planning to give the first book, Into the Crossfire, a read very soon.
Max is on leave to recuperate from a devastating injury on a mission that left him needing major surgery to save his leg, and a long road of recovery ahead of him. Max didn’t accept his diagnosis that he’d never walk again, and worked hard to prove all the doctors wrong. He’s moved into a beach house to continue his rehab, at least the physical recovery. He’s in a very dark place mentally, knowing that he’ll never be able to go out into the field again and his life as a SEAL is over.
When his neighbor, Paige, leaves cookies for him one night, his mood starts lifting slowly. They talk the next day when her dog, also named Max, tackles human Max into the ocean. It’s a cute meeting that leads to a dinner invite for that night, which then leads to hot sex and Max and Paige getting closer throughout the week.
There was a connection there between him and Paige that was bone-deep, blood-deep, a connection that, if severed, would be like severing an artery.
And it was the image of Paige, the memory of her kissing his shoulder before falling asleep, how she’d instinctively slow down to accommodate his leg, how she sleepily smiled at his touch first thing in the morning without opening her eyes…those were the things that kept him going when his body quit.
There’s something shady going down related to Paige’s work and when she gets a desperate call from her friend who’s uncovered damaging information about what’s going on, she sends Paige the details and needs her help to get back in the country. As soon as Paige hangs up with her friend, she’s taken hostage, but manages to leave a very important clue to Max that helps lead him to her.
I feel like sometimes novellas try to cram too much into a short amount of space. The story is broken into basically two parts, Max and Paige’s relationship takes up the first half, the action and suspense of Paige’s abduction takes up the second part. The suspense portion almost felt tossed in. I would have loved to have gotten more about their relationship, more about how Max is dealing with the major changes in his life, going from a strong, confident SEAL, to a man who still has the confidence, but lacks the physical strength he once had. And for a SEAL, being able to push his body and do what he needs and wants it to do was such a huge part of his life, to have that taken away is a major adjustment – I would have liked to have their story told more fully, as the suspense portion of the book really didn’t do much for me.
I’m a sucker for an alpha male, and Max is that and then some. He’s had a tough year and with the help of a woman and her dog, he starts to live again; that portion of the novella, I really enjoyed reading about. I haven’t read Rice’s Protector’s series, but after getting a glimpse of Max, I’m curious how alpha her other males in the series are. I’m planning to give the first book, Into the Crossfire, a read very soon.
November 7, 2014
4.0 RATING- Spending the morning reading a LMR story is like hanging out with an old friend, it just never gets old and feels good. As a lover of LMR I can't believe I didn't read this novella story earlier but it was so great to have something left from this author to read. I loved both characters, especially Max, and loved the dog too! A great fun read. Just wish it was longer!
Note: At the time this review was posted, this book was available to borrow through SCRIBD Subcription Service.
To see other books available to borrow through Kindle Unlimited or SCRIBD, check out the Subscription Addiction group
https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
Note: At the time this review was posted, this book was available to borrow through SCRIBD Subcription Service.
To see other books available to borrow through Kindle Unlimited or SCRIBD, check out the Subscription Addiction group
https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
Read
October 14, 2011Fatal Heat is a true to form LMR title, if you're a fan, you'll like this one, if you're not, this isn't going to change your mind.
As far as novellas go, I did think too many pages were spent on tracking the bad guys down. I mean it was exactly what I'm used to from Lisa Marie Rice titles, but with the constraint of fewer pages, I'd have liked even less focus on going after the bad guys.
ButI enjoyed this one, I think she did a great job telling a whole story, in fewer pages then a lot of other authors have.
of course, now I am cursing the fact that we've gotta wait a few more months for her next book, lol.
3.5 stars
As far as novellas go, I did think too many pages were spent on tracking the bad guys down. I mean it was exactly what I'm used to from Lisa Marie Rice titles, but with the constraint of fewer pages, I'd have liked even less focus on going after the bad guys.
ButI enjoyed this one, I think she did a great job telling a whole story, in fewer pages then a lot of other authors have.
of course, now I am cursing the fact that we've gotta wait a few more months for her next book, lol.
3.5 stars
October 17, 2011
A surprisingly heart-tugging story. While recovering from career-ending injuries, Navy Seal Max meets Paige, a female scientist and her dog, named Max. There's an immediate attraction and sparks begin to fly between the two when Paige is kidnapped and held hostage on an island. Both dog and SEAL work together to find and rescue her. Lisa Marie Rice has written this short novella extremely well. The pain and suffering Max goes through in his recovery is so touching and tears at your heart. The relationship starts full throttle and doesn't lose its power but it's believable. Everything seems hurried; after all it's a novella and a short one at that. I really enjoyed reading this book.
January 22, 2013
I liked this one, loved that Max and Paige just went for things right away. I did chuckle when these two meet in person, the dog Max, jumped the human Max in the surf, the confusion with the same name for the two of them was a big calamity.
One issue I did have was I found it hard to believe that Max went to the big rescue he didn't call any police, FBI, his SEAL buddies, or even Paige's uncle.
One issue I did have was I found it hard to believe that Max went to the big rescue he didn't call any police, FBI, his SEAL buddies, or even Paige's uncle.
May 25, 2013
This is not only a review but also a rant! I liked that the hero is not perfect but disabled, I liked that the sex scenes are not cut-and-paste from other LMR's books. BUT the ending? Seriously? It's frustrating!
October 17, 2011
Typical for an LMR book and that ain't bad! Max was great, the man and the dog both! Paige was beautiful, compassionate and smart. Max, the man, had it bad for Paige. They fell into bed and then right into love. Ring any bells? I only wished it was longer...
Finished 10.8.11, date cleared so it doesn't count in reading challenge total.
Finished 10.8.11, date cleared so it doesn't count in reading challenge total.
April 21, 2012
I am so excited to read this one! And it's priced so well I can't pass it up, despite how I've not read her recent titles because the Kindle pricing is just outrageous. Love LMR's yummy heroes.
January 16, 2015
This was the first erotic story I read. I remember being round-eyed. Haha! I still enjoy this short story. Suspense, action, sex, and love.
November 18, 2015
A typical great Lisa Marie Rice book. Honestly, there's not a lot of writers who can write alpha males like she does. They are always tough, strong and dominant, but never jerks, which I just love.
November 7, 2011
Joint Review with Has and Lou originally posted here: http://thebookpushers.com/2011/11/07/...
Has: I am a huge fan of Lisa Marie Rice, although I do find her books tend to be a bit formulaic, I do love her alpha heroes who never cross the line top alphaholeville. I also love the fact, that her romances are intense emotionally and they are very comfy to get sucked into. Fatal Heat lived up to that.
Lou: I don’t think I’ve read a Lisa Marie Rice novel before (my memory is terrible), but after this I know I’ll be picking up her back-list titles, and future releases. I enjoyed Fatal Heat, and it’s a quick easy read that draws you in very quickly though unfortunately whilst it started out great for me, it ended on a whimper that left me disappointed. But it’s a really addictive read, and the way in how they are introduced was super cute. Max is recuperating after a life-altering attack whilst he was on mission two years back in Afghanistan. He’s felt as if he’s been living in a deep black hole with his crippled leg, and when his ex XO lets him stay in his beach house to recuperate to try and find some semblance of peace, he meets Paige and her hyperactive and adorable dog called Max. At first, he doesn’t want to be bothered by the Cookie Lady, but after an incident in the sea where Max, the dog, brings them closer together with Max, the human, Max tells Paige he’s more than happy to look after Max whilst she’s at work as a plant geneticist. From there, their attractions grows strongly, but soon enough things are shattered when Paige is abducted and it’s up to both human and dog to find her.
MinnChica: I’m a Lisa Marie Rice virgin, but whoo-hoo did she pop my cherry in a great way! I’m a big romantic suspense fan, and I was really excited to read this book. I absolutely loved it, and enjoyed that Rice spent just as much time cultivating the romance as she did the suspense plot. I was immersed in the story from the first page and wanted to tear up when it was done!
Has: Oh you guys – you have to read her Midnight series which is one of my favourite Romantic Suspense romances. I loved the beginning of the novella. The build-up with Max and Paige was great and I loved Max the dog. I just wished that more time was spent on the suspense plot. I totally agree with Lou about the ending too. I loved the beginning, and the romance but there was too much going on. And I found the ending a bit anti-climatic and it was a bit of a departure from the original tone in the beginning. I think if the story just concentrated on the romance – It would have been a much stronger story. I just couldn’t believe that Paige would get caught up with her romance with Max and not really worry about what happened with her friend which was much later on.
Lou: I agree Has. The beginning and middle was great, and I really liked Max’s and Paige’s interactions, and they both had strong character development. Max was super grumpy at first, and in a lot of pain physically and emotionally, but Paige really brought lightness into his life, and their love scenes were quite erotic, and full of passion. I thought Paige was full of life, and I found her scenes with her dog Max were hilarious because anyone who has a dog knows how dogs will act when they want their own way. I found it really strange that she neatly forgot about her friend who seemed to be in serious trouble, just because she got caught up in smexy times with Max.
MinnChica: Max the dog was one of my favorite aspects of the story. He was great! And I do agree to a certain extend about the suspense not living up to the awesomeness that was the build up of the romance. But at the same time, I didn’t feel like the suspense plot needed to be too over the top. For what Max (the man and the dog) were capable of doing despite their injuries, I thought everything unraveled in a way that stayed true to the story and the characters. I’ll agree that I was a little surprised that Paige was not as concerned about her friend as she should have been, however it didn’t seem like she really had time to between the working and the sexy times. One of the things that I found a little cliched was the epilogue. I thought the book would have been just as wonderful without it. I didn’t need that last little bit, it just wrapped everything up TOO perfectly.
Has: I think the epilogue ended like the way that most of Lisa Marie Rice’s books end – so it didn’t really bother me and it was cute. But despite the flaws, it was a cute and fun romance although outlandish but I have to say I enjoyed this more than her last full book. I think if this was a longer book, with the suspense plot developed with more time, I think it would be a really good Romantic Suspense. But this was an engaging and quick read to while away a rainy afternoon and it helps with the wait for her next book. I give Fatal Heat a C+
Lou: I didn’t have a problem with the suspense part of the book, but the way in which it was executed made me roll my eyes a little as it really was too hard to believe. I love dogs, but that was too much like Lassie for my liking lol. I think overall it’s a really good story and despite the ending, I would definitely recommend it as a light enjoyable read. The main strong points for me are Max and Paige and their romance which was lovely. I give Fatal Heat a B.
MinnChica: Yes, the romance between Max and Paige was great, and totally believable in my opinion. I loved the beginnings of their relationship and how it progressed. All in all I enjoyed my first Lisa Marie Rice read. I thought the suspense was well done, the romance believable and the action and down times well spaced. I will definitely pick up more books by this author. I give Fatal Heat a B+
Has: I am a huge fan of Lisa Marie Rice, although I do find her books tend to be a bit formulaic, I do love her alpha heroes who never cross the line top alphaholeville. I also love the fact, that her romances are intense emotionally and they are very comfy to get sucked into. Fatal Heat lived up to that.
Lou: I don’t think I’ve read a Lisa Marie Rice novel before (my memory is terrible), but after this I know I’ll be picking up her back-list titles, and future releases. I enjoyed Fatal Heat, and it’s a quick easy read that draws you in very quickly though unfortunately whilst it started out great for me, it ended on a whimper that left me disappointed. But it’s a really addictive read, and the way in how they are introduced was super cute. Max is recuperating after a life-altering attack whilst he was on mission two years back in Afghanistan. He’s felt as if he’s been living in a deep black hole with his crippled leg, and when his ex XO lets him stay in his beach house to recuperate to try and find some semblance of peace, he meets Paige and her hyperactive and adorable dog called Max. At first, he doesn’t want to be bothered by the Cookie Lady, but after an incident in the sea where Max, the dog, brings them closer together with Max, the human, Max tells Paige he’s more than happy to look after Max whilst she’s at work as a plant geneticist. From there, their attractions grows strongly, but soon enough things are shattered when Paige is abducted and it’s up to both human and dog to find her.
MinnChica: I’m a Lisa Marie Rice virgin, but whoo-hoo did she pop my cherry in a great way! I’m a big romantic suspense fan, and I was really excited to read this book. I absolutely loved it, and enjoyed that Rice spent just as much time cultivating the romance as she did the suspense plot. I was immersed in the story from the first page and wanted to tear up when it was done!
Has: Oh you guys – you have to read her Midnight series which is one of my favourite Romantic Suspense romances. I loved the beginning of the novella. The build-up with Max and Paige was great and I loved Max the dog. I just wished that more time was spent on the suspense plot. I totally agree with Lou about the ending too. I loved the beginning, and the romance but there was too much going on. And I found the ending a bit anti-climatic and it was a bit of a departure from the original tone in the beginning. I think if the story just concentrated on the romance – It would have been a much stronger story. I just couldn’t believe that Paige would get caught up with her romance with Max and not really worry about what happened with her friend which was much later on.
Lou: I agree Has. The beginning and middle was great, and I really liked Max’s and Paige’s interactions, and they both had strong character development. Max was super grumpy at first, and in a lot of pain physically and emotionally, but Paige really brought lightness into his life, and their love scenes were quite erotic, and full of passion. I thought Paige was full of life, and I found her scenes with her dog Max were hilarious because anyone who has a dog knows how dogs will act when they want their own way. I found it really strange that she neatly forgot about her friend who seemed to be in serious trouble, just because she got caught up in smexy times with Max.
MinnChica: Max the dog was one of my favorite aspects of the story. He was great! And I do agree to a certain extend about the suspense not living up to the awesomeness that was the build up of the romance. But at the same time, I didn’t feel like the suspense plot needed to be too over the top. For what Max (the man and the dog) were capable of doing despite their injuries, I thought everything unraveled in a way that stayed true to the story and the characters. I’ll agree that I was a little surprised that Paige was not as concerned about her friend as she should have been, however it didn’t seem like she really had time to between the working and the sexy times. One of the things that I found a little cliched was the epilogue. I thought the book would have been just as wonderful without it. I didn’t need that last little bit, it just wrapped everything up TOO perfectly.
Has: I think the epilogue ended like the way that most of Lisa Marie Rice’s books end – so it didn’t really bother me and it was cute. But despite the flaws, it was a cute and fun romance although outlandish but I have to say I enjoyed this more than her last full book. I think if this was a longer book, with the suspense plot developed with more time, I think it would be a really good Romantic Suspense. But this was an engaging and quick read to while away a rainy afternoon and it helps with the wait for her next book. I give Fatal Heat a C+
Lou: I didn’t have a problem with the suspense part of the book, but the way in which it was executed made me roll my eyes a little as it really was too hard to believe. I love dogs, but that was too much like Lassie for my liking lol. I think overall it’s a really good story and despite the ending, I would definitely recommend it as a light enjoyable read. The main strong points for me are Max and Paige and their romance which was lovely. I give Fatal Heat a B.
MinnChica: Yes, the romance between Max and Paige was great, and totally believable in my opinion. I loved the beginnings of their relationship and how it progressed. All in all I enjoyed my first Lisa Marie Rice read. I thought the suspense was well done, the romance believable and the action and down times well spaced. I will definitely pick up more books by this author. I give Fatal Heat a B+
February 26, 2022
Outstanding
I read this book in 1 day. The writing flows easily and effortlessly. The characters are well developed and likeable. This book is fast moving and exciting. It is always great when a dog is center stage. The lovemaking is off the charts. You will love this book because the imperfect will win.
I read this book in 1 day. The writing flows easily and effortlessly. The characters are well developed and likeable. This book is fast moving and exciting. It is always great when a dog is center stage. The lovemaking is off the charts. You will love this book because the imperfect will win.
April 6, 2019
I love Lisa Marie Rice's books, but this one was too short. I'm a fan of her alpha heroes, I always want more.
That said, this was a good novella. The story was a bit farfetched, but still enjoyable.
3.75 Stars
That said, this was a good novella. The story was a bit farfetched, but still enjoyable.
3.75 Stars
September 11, 2020
翻訳決定との事で再読。Theリサマリ先生✨な短編で好きな作品。元Navy SEALと元駄犬🐶のコンビが素敵で、リサマリ先生のエッセンスがギュッと閉じ込められててエピローグもクスっとさせてくれます。 二見さんのデンジャラスシリーズの番外編２つ（←これも面白い♬）とあわせて『運命の愛にふれて』と言う邦題で近々発売だそう。 ちなみに、リサマリ先生の作品をまだ読んだことがない人には「闇を駆けぬけて」やデンジャラス・シリーズや真夜中シリーズがお勧めです♡
July 23, 2022
This is a quick novella packed with insta-love and adventure. I did enjoy my time with it. The characters were fun and had great chemistry. I don't really have much else to say about it. I would recommend this one.
November 14, 2017
Great short story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews