Meant for Her

Love and Danger #1

by Amy Gamet

A code that only she can break...
A man that only she was made for...

Ordered to the scene of a fiery homicide, Navy officer Hank Jared wants nothing more than to wrap it up and get to his sister's wedding. His sense of duty won't let him walk away from a case, even if he can't figure out why his boss insisted he handle this one personally.

When the key to a safe deposit box is found among the ashes, Hank finds himself staring at two pieces of paper--on one is a coded message, on the other, a name that will change the course of his entire life.

Julie Trueblood wouldn't trust a Navy man if he handed her a life jacket on board a sinking ship. Her father was a cryptologist for the Navy, who went into hiding a decade earlier to avoid charges of treason. In his absence, Julie was harassed and interrogated by Naval officers who believed she was a traitor, just like her father.

Hank tracks Julie down and confronts her with the cipher. She can't stand what he represents and sends him away, insisting she knows nothing about the message. But when she realizes someone is after her, Hank is the only person she can ask for help. He finds the perfect place to hide Julie, right by his side, pretending to be his girlfriend at his sister's wedding. Now he just needs to remember their relationship is all an act.

The coded message brings Hank and Julie together, but its secrets hold the power to tear them apart. Guided by her generous and quirky Aunt Gwen, Julie will gather the courage to unravel the cipher that was meant for her to decode, as she learns to trust the man she was meant to love.

Genres: Romance, Romantic Suspense, Mystery, Military Fiction, Suspense, Contemporary, Fiction

156 pages, Paperback

First published August 16, 2012

About the author

Amy Gamet is the USA Today bestselling author of romantic suspense and contemporary romance. She's best known for her HERO Force series, where military romance meets thrilling action and intrigue.

HERO Force
Book 1: Stranded with the SEAL
Book 2: Sheltered by the SEAL
Book 3: Harbored by the SEAL
Book 4: Married to the SEAL
Book 5: Justice for the SEAL
Book 6: Targeted by the SEAL
Book 7: Kidnapped by the SEAL
Book 8: Forever with the SEAL
Book 9: Defended by the SEAL

HERO Force: Shattered SEALs
Book 1: Protecting his Witness
Book 2: Resisting his Target
Book 3: Holding his Hostage
Book 4: Engaging his Enemy
Book 5: Fighting his Fate
Book 6: Reclaiming his Honor

Love and Danger - Books should be read in order.
Book 1: Meant for Her
Book 2: The One Who Got Away
Book 3: Artful Deception
Book 4: Meghan's Wish

Love on the Lake - Books should be read in order.
Book 1: Treasure on Moon Lake
Book 2: Fortune on Moon Lake
Book 3: Return to Moon Lake

Reviews

[s · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF @ 13%

I am confused as to whose POV the story is told from since it the POV constantly changes. I'm also not really paying much attention to this and am confused over the names? I still don't know who is who and who died and what's really going on. It's boring for me and I'm losing interest. The characters and plot are confusing and boring. I simply don't care as to what's going on and don't want to continue reading this. So, it's a DNF.

[Mairi Swan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved it. I loved the action and the rush. For some reason as soon as I read Navy I pictured Tony and Ziva from NCIS. And the twists weren't anything extraordinary but they kept you on edge.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got a free copy of this on Librarything in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. The writing was great, descriptions were great, the characters were good. My absolute favorite quote from this book is:


“For your sister, I picture Nora Roberts playing the cello on the back of one of her books.”

“Who’s Nora Roberts?”

Julie looked at him like he had blasphemed. “Just one of the best romance authors of all time, thank you very much.”

When I read this, I laughed so hard. I have totally done this to my husband! How can he NOT know who Nora Roberts is?! This is such great writing, because its so realistic. The storyline is good with enough unexpected twists in it to keep me reading. The author also leaves an opening for a second book.

I can’t wait to continue reading this series when the second book comes out. I definitely enjoyed this one!

[Danielle Gypsy Soul · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really loved the first half of this book and then the second half started and I just liked it, then there were the last couple of chapters which I didn't really like. I didn't like the way the heroine "dumped" the hero in the hospital, it just didn't make a lot of sense. I liked both the Hero and the heroine but the heroine had some major trust issues. Another pet peeve of mine is that the military details were off - she obviously didn't have anyone with a military knowledge read it or she would have been told simple things like you don't have "enlisted officers" etc. I also wasn't crazy about the "Psychic bit" it the book as I thought it took away from the story and didn't really fit with this book. I like stories about psychics but it just didn't add anything to this story and in fact IMO it took away from it.

Still I liked the storyline and the action in the story. There were some good twists and turns and the author didn't take the "obvious road". The romance was pretty good although I didn't really believe that they were in love with each other since they weren't together very long and several misunderstandings due to trust issues.

It was a quick read and I think the author has a lot of potential and I would read more by this author.

[Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Romantic suspense
No cliffhanger (worth mentioning for other cliffhanger protesters)

I'll keep it short since its been said before.

My grump is in the detail. It slowed the pace and bogged down the story because there was simply too much of it that was unnecessary.

One example:

'Julie wrapped the sky blue terry bathrobe around her warm, damp body and walked out of the bathroom, a cloud of steam following her into the much cooler bedroom. Her wet hair was piled on her head and wrapped in a pale yellow towel, just like the one she used to dry herself off out of the shower'

To be brutally honest I couldn't care less the colour towel she uses or when she uses it, it's superfluous information that adds nothing to the plot and as a reader I'm inclined to skip through until I find the real action and thankfully there was a lot of it in this novel.

Despite the grumble I liked it and I liked the main characters.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meant for Her is a perfect blend of action and romance, without the extensive sex scenes that clutter up a lot of romance novels. The romance felt just right and left me with that feeling I was looking for, while the plot was intriguing and full of twists and with characters who weren't purely good or bad. The story is short, but feels just the right length. While I probably wouldn't pay for it (since I only buy about one book per month), it's definitely worth a download during its current free period.

[Sara Aouichi · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was fun , julie may of ennoyed me at some points but i still loved the story

[Sadie Mazzola · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hate cliffhangers!

Yes there is a story, however it is jumbled. June when you think it is getting interesting., it stops. Sorry.

[The Book Junkie Reads . . . · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ended too soon . . .

I wanted so much more than just the run of the mill and I got it. There was action drama intensity romance . . . Julie Trueblood, a woman who is not what she seems and a secret that only she can decipher. She has been left to face the consequences of life for too long. Now she no longer has the option of separating from it all. She has to face it if she wants a future not looking back. Hank becomes a shadow to her, for her, with her. There was just so much and not enough. I was wanting more with each page turned.

[Shelby · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yeah so much of this was just a nope for me. There's no real development between the characters. It's meet, oh wait you're the one. But then I must flip flop every opinion every other paragraph to cause artificial tension and angst between the two leads. So many stupid decisions and random choices that just didn't build to anything. I was frustrated through the entire story, what there was of one. But the lack of any sort of development was the most annoying. Heck these two were still swinging wildly from I'm in love with you to I can't believe you said that in the final pages.

[Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read this before, I still loved the story and thankfully I had read it so long ago it was like reading it all over again and again it dragged me in and held onto me until I was finished, I was addicted... Again. Now for me that doesn't happen often so when it does it's good writing for me.

Hank Jared, I thought he was an arrogant officer who was purely looking to do his job, but when he saw Julie's vulnerability he softened in front of our eyes, he showed compassion and even empathy. He went above and beyond his duty to protect her by entwining her within his real life and the lines between work and home blurred for him although he continued to do his job. I loved how they were together the sexual chemistry that the author portrayed within scenes was really felt and displayed well in the writing.

The family, now I'd love to mention all their names but I don't feel I have to Jared's family seemed a well knit and close family celebrating together, love care and I love how easily Julie slotted into the family helping out without being awkward about it, the pretence of the girlfriend just seemed natural to her.

Julie, now she was a closed book and she had absolutely every right to be, she had experienced really traumatic situations after losing her mother and her father running from her, I would have been worried about trusting people, keeping myself to myself and locking myself up from the world. I did enjoy watching her learn to trust Hank even though she didn't want to at all, you could tell she wanted to hate everything he stood for and she did at first but then she learnt more about him the more she felt for him even if she still held some doubts about him, as the book progressed you saw her open up more and more and really started to see her come out of her fathers shadow.

Overall again I really enjoyed this book all over again.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really disappointed with Julie. She was just too wishy washy. Nate was fine. I'm not going to read the next book to see what happens to Gwen

[Jordan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I absolutely loved the plot idea! I'm in love with Hank and I fully supported his relationship with Julie!

However, everything felt really disconnected. Julie and Hank's emotions towards each other were like a flip switch and seemed to change on a whim. They moved so unrealistically fast then would go back to torturously slow. There were a couple things that were hinted at throughout the book too that weren't really ever explained.

The killer really wasn't much of a threat throughout the book, just kind of faded into the background until the end. I didn't really get any lurking sense of danger. I didn't really fully understand her father's character either as one second he was the bad guy, then the bad guy with good intentions, then the bad guy who was selfless?

The plot had a lot of potential but it was just too disconnected and rushed for me. This would've read better as a longer novel so the plot and the relationship had more time to develop. Hank is one of my favourite characters I've ever read and he was the saving grace for me, so to speak.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the cryptology storyline in this wonderful story of mystery and intrigue written by Amy Gamut. It's the first book of hers I have read and I definitely plan to read many more of her books in the future. The storyline was fresh and inventive and the ramifications of this thriller were both sobering and chilling and that kept me on the edge of my seat to the very last page. Hank, the Navy man with a white knight complex and Julie, the damaged daughter of a traitor to his country are both multifaceted characters, but I have to say, Julie's difficulty with staying and trusting Hank made me want to throttle her when she kept running away. If you like a multilayered plot and enjoy reading while your heart races, you will love this book. I sure did!

[Paula Legate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a free book, but this is a book I would have paid for.

Julie has not seen her father in 10 years. He is labeled a traitor. He had a hand in sinking a Navy ship. The book starts out with Hank who is a Navy investigator giving Julie the news that her father has passed away. He needs her help in decoding a message that her father has left. Hank also needs a date to his sister's wedding. I love the chemistry simmering between Julie, and Hank. I also really enjoyed the suspense, and action of this story. the plot was well thought out, with twist and turns. If you enjoy a good suspense with romance I would recommend this book to you.

[Bona Caballero]

Como me ha gustado lo que he leído de Amy Gamet (su serie H.E.R.O. Force), me lancé a leer cosas anteriores, empezando por lo más antiguo que estaba disponible en KU. Y vaya chasco. La historia va de Hank, un oficial de la Armada que tiene que investigar el asesinato de un traidor, y la hija de este, Julie, criptógrafa. Ella está en peligro. ¿Es cómplice o víctima?

Se sienten atraídos el uno por el otro, aunque Hank desconfía porque no sabe si Julie estaría de alguna forma conchavada con su padre... Por necesidades del guion, Hank acaba llevando a Julie a la boda de su hermana (la de Hank, no la de Julie), junto con Gwen (tía de Julie) y sus perros (los de Gwen, no de Julie), ¡ah!, y Julie finge ser su novia (de Hank, no de Gwen).

Fui leyendo y la cosa no me atrapaba. Me dejaba fría, pero se podía leer. Ahora, llegó un momento magufo de premoniciones que supuestamente tiene Gwen, y ahí ya paré. Al 32 % lo dejé porque en cuanto hay cosas de esas paranormales siento que me toman el pelo.

Leeré más de Amy Gamet, pero con cuidado de que sea el tipo de suspense que me va, sin magufadas.

[Holly Kailani · Rating 3 out of 5]

Suspense, twists, abrupt ending

When, oh when, will authors realize that readers hate these abrupt endings with so many unanswered questions?
Meanwhile the suspense and twists. Julie’s father was branded a traitor before his disappearance/death? She is raised by her aunt Gwen, the most interesting and level headed character in the tale. Gwen, and maybe Julie are somewhat psychic, which plays a part in how things go along the way, and how Julie saves herself. At the beginning, Julie is notified that her father has just died in a hotel room fire and left her a cryptic message. Enter the hero, Hank, a Navy officer sent to help Julie decipher the message. Someone doesn’t want that to happen, and tries to kill Julie. All through the tale, Hank acts completely unlike a Navy officer. To the point that a knowledgeable reader knows he would be court marshaled for his overt disobedience of his senior officer’s orders. Is the senior officer on the up and up or one of the bad guys? The end wraps up abruptly with questions unanswered.

[Teri · Rating 2 out of 5]

I tried this book because the blurb looked like it would be a great read but it kinda got lost in translation. While the premise of the book is good unfortunately the story comes out kinda choppy with no real character development. I mean no I am not a big fan of insta love but the things this author has happening in the name of love just didn't wash. Let's also talk about the h and her being easily turned against the man she is so in love with after a 5 minute conversation with someone she didn't trust but after this 5 min conversation she's his biggest fan. While we read to escape the realness of life this type of story needs to have more reality than this author gave it for it to work. I will try more of this author's work probably in hopes that while this one wasn't for me who knows the next one could rock my socks off.

[Ellen White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gwen took Julie in and raised her, her father disappeared after being labeled a traitor. He was a cryptographer in the service saying he didn’t realizing it was a coded message against US. A body is found, saying it was her father, leaving a coded letter for her. Hank was.called in to find Julie and have her break the code. Danger comes into it, when Julie and Gwen are not safe. Going to the wedding of Hank’s sister open so many doors. Love couldn’t be good for his career, with the famous traitor as they call her father. The ending didn’t quite fit, I thought, otherwise good story, and of interest how it played out.

[★¸. • * ° *Jillie* ° *•.¸☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars for Meant for Her

There were some issues for me with this book mostly with my own expectations. The book blurb sounded so good and the possibilities were endless. There was not enough action in this book. Since this is the first book I read by Ms Gamet I have a feeling that this is her writing style. I’ll have a better feel after the next three books.

The plot was good but there were events that happened that didn’t really belong in the story line. I guess I wasn’t feeling this book. There was a psychic aunt, an enlisted officer?, and the middle of the book slowed down.

Well that’s it.

[Trudi Jorda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A female code breaker, her father, A naval Officer and his commanding officer are all somehow involved in serious criminal activity and two of them are in love! There are many twists and turns in this tale of espionage that it is hard to sort out who the good guys are and how this can become romantic and deadly at the same time. It is hard to trust anyone until you grab a thread or a bit of the yarn and begin to unravel it! I will not give any spoilers to this because I want you to be confused and in the dark as I was! If you have the chance and really enjoy a good mystery give this a shot!

[Margaret Watkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast-paced and suspenseful, this novel finds Julie not knowing whom to trust and finding that those closest to her could be her enemies. The attraction between Julie and Hank is strong, one that turns to love and as such Julie knows she has to put distance between them. I love the main characters in this book. Hank is a man doing his job but is battling to make sense of the situation he finds himself in. Julie is confused and doesn't know who to trust. Gwen is a shelter in the storm of life. Together they blend to make this an exciting and romantic novel.

[Crislee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much better than expected. I've had this book a while on my kindle. I get many from authors wanting me to review for them. But to be honest I'm not sure how I got this one.
But it was a pleasant surprise. I couldn't sleep one night so I picked this up and finished it in a few hours of non-stop reading. It held my interested and was exciting and sweet.
It's always nice when you don't expect to like one and you end up liking it.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

New author for me. I can only give this three stars because the plot was good but it was really vanilla and it appeared as though it warranted some sizzling scenes that were not granted. The passionate scenes were truly non-existent. I purchased this book in a four book series. all four books in the series had the same problem and the last book even though it was again very good with the plot oh, that book was way too short and again everything was too vanilla.

[BookCoverLover · Rating 2 out of 5]

The plot had such potential but the author never delivered with the follow through. No real depth to the main characters. Are we to believe that after meeting and knowing each other for a total of hours, they are in love? Romance was nonexistent between the lovers. So many side characters, I felt I had started a series in the 3rd book. A slight plot mystery was the only part that made me want to finish the story.

[Denise Vasak · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book started out strong and I was all for it. Then it escalated quickly, changed course escalated again and then changed course again. I'm not sure why it had to be done the way it was. It was a good story on its own. It also ended at 65% on my kindle and that is unforgivable! It's a shame too because the main characters were strong, the story just didn't support them properly.

[Laurel · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I started reading this book I was excited. It looked like just the book to get my mind off of personal issues of yesterday. Unfortunately, this started out good, got more and more difficult to follow, then bam, it ended. The next eleven chapters were for the next book. Not interested in buying next book, just for ending.

[K B · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars
I received a free copy of the novel Meant for Her { Love and Danger book 1} by Amy Gamet and this review was given freely.
A dramatic and suspenseful romance set around Christmastime but not focused on the Holiday. This story is action packed and at times emotional containing greed,a murder, a traitor,a military coverup, a coding genius, and a family wedding. The serious aspects are balanced by moments of humor.
Navy Officer Hank Jared becomes embroiled in a murder mystery involving Director of Technology for Systex Corporation in Boston, Julie Trueblood while also to make his sister's Christmas wedding in the Adirondacks.

[Jessica Mohundro · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise of the story and the story itself was exciting. I wanted to know what was going to happen. So why the 3 star rating? Well it is supposed to be a romance and well the romance was lacking. The author needs to describe their feelings more in depth that way we as readers feel that love and attraction.

[Angieluila Bradley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a nice catching story to it. I couldn't put it down. I did enjoy it and I would have given it more stars had it not had so many cuss words in it. I don't care if that is the way people talk, I don't want to read it.