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Elite Force #1
Cover Me
"Nobody writes to-die-for military heroes like Catherine Mann!" - Suzanne Brockmann, New York Times bestselling author of Tall, Dark and DevastatingIt should have been a simple mission...Pararescueman Wade Rocha fast ropes from the back of a helicopter into a blizzard to save a climber stranded on an Aleutian Island, but Sunny Foster insists she can take care of herself just fine...But when it comes to passion, nothing is ever simple...With the snowstorm kicking into overdrive, Sunny and Wade hunker down in a cave and barely resist the urge to keep each other warm... until they discover the frozen remains of a horrific crime... Unable to trust the local police force, Sunny and Wade investigate, while their irresistible passion for each other gets them more and more dangerously entangled..."When you read Catherine Mann you... get nonstop action, nail-biting suspense, and heart-stopping romance." -The Romance Studio
352 pages, ebook
First published May 28, 2011
119 people are currently reading
3134 people want to read
About the author
Catherine Mann
603 books1,251 followersUSA Today bestseller Catherine Mann has written women's fiction, romance, and romantic suspense for Lake Union, Harlequin, HQN, Berkley, Tule, and Sourcebooks, with titles released in more than 30 countries. Catherine’s novels have won numerous awards, including a RITA Award, the Romantic Times Magazine Reviewer’s Choice Award, and the Bookseller’s Best Award.
A South Carolinian at heart, after years of moving around the country Catherine has settled back in her home state with her Harley-riding husband. Empty nesters, they have a blended family of nine children, nine grandchildren, two dogs, and three feral cats, who all provide endless inspiration for new novels. For more information, visit: http://catherinemann.com
A South Carolinian at heart, after years of moving around the country Catherine has settled back in her home state with her Harley-riding husband. Empty nesters, they have a blended family of nine children, nine grandchildren, two dogs, and three feral cats, who all provide endless inspiration for new novels. For more information, visit: http://catherinemann.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 229 reviews
February 19, 2013
Just a heads up kids! If you live here in the states and get the NatGeo channel, check out the six-part special that starts tonight about this amazing branch of the military. I knew very little about them until I started reading these books, and when the elite need rescuing, these are the guys who do the job. I know these books are fictional, but these men are real...they are amazing heroes. It's the first time a camera crew was allowed to imbed themselves with the Air Force's Pararescuemen, or PJ's, as they are known. Pay homage and watch, I've seen some of the trailers, and I don't think you will be disappointed. Okay I'm done preaching, and thanks for listening.
Inside Combat Rescue ~ NatGeo channel, 10pm Eastern.
http://channel.nationalgeographic.com...
4 1/2 Stars! I found a new author to love and a great appreciation for a branch of the military I knew very little about!
Land, sea, or mountain, military missions or civilian rescue. With his brothers in arms, he walked, talked, and breathed their motto, “That Others May Live.”
What did I love about this book?
The setting-Alaska
The Hero-Tech Sergeant Wade "Brick" Rocha or as Sunny calls him "Airborne Abominable Snowman", or as I like to call him...Sergeant Scrumptious!!
The Heroine-Sunny Foster, tough girl extraordinaire, except when it comes to Wade, then she’s all melty and swoony…just like I was!
The Hero Dog-Chewie, malamute-husky, woman’s best friend and the one I’d like by my side in the Alaskan wilderness!
The branch of military it focuses on-Air Force Pararescue...say what?? Yes, very, very cool!!!
This is a well-written captivating suspense filled book, with great dialogue, wonderful characters, some sweet sexy times, and not one, but two couples who find love! What more could you ask for…oh, maybe more books featuring these amazing heroes!! Oh lucky me, there are two more in the series! Off to read Master Sergeant Hugh "Slow Hands" Franco's book, Hot Zone! I like it already!
July 21, 2011
I really enjoyed this one. It had a good combination of suspense and surprisingly hot romance. I liked the remote Alaskan setting--that was something different--and the way Catherine Mann described things made you feel the chill. The villain--and his reasons for doing what he did--seemed a bit "out there", but I went with it and enjoyed it. The hero--Air Force Pararescueman Wade Rocha? Smokin' hot, honorable, incredibly brave--what's not to like? I had never heard of a pararescueman before reading this book and the author does a wonderful job educating the reader all about these unsung military heroes. Their motto alone (That Others May Live) tells you that these guys are something special. The heroine--survival guide/gym owner Sunny Foster? Equally brave, smart, independent and passionate---and very likable.
Tech Sergeant Wade Rocha...
The plot? Not too hard to follow, and quite suspenseful. It starts out with Wade rescuing Sunny (in a spectacular way) and her dog "Chewie" during a blizzard on one of Alaska's Aleutian islands, although Sunny is quite capable of taking care of herself, thank you very much. Sunny and Wade have to spend the night in a cave, resist the sparks flying between them, and the next day stumble upon a horrific crime. Sunny needs to warn the people from her remote, off-the-grid village about what she's found--there might be a serial killer on the loose, targeting their town, but she can't do that with Wade insisting on protectively staying close to her side and asking probing questions. Sunny has her reasons for not wanting Wade to know too much about her life, but how can she resist when there seems to be so much chemistry between them? Can she trust Wade with her secrets? Can Sunny and Wade trust the local authorities to handle the crime, or are they somehow involved?
Sunny's remote village...
Chewie...
This developed into a pretty hot page-turner. Never once was I bored or tempted to put it down. I thought it was pretty fascinating how Sunny and the hundreds of townfolk were able to live and managed to be self-sufficient without a connection to the outside world--who could live that way? Who would want to? There was also always something interesting going on. If there wasn't something romantic brewing between Sunny and Wade (look for a hot tub scene under the aurora borealis sky), there was an equally compelling story about Sunny's younger sister Misty and her estranged love-of-her-life, Flynn. I loved Misty's story, and at times it almost upstaged Wade and Sunny's! And Misty and Flynn's 'big moment' brought tears to my eyes...
Northern Lights...
I thought the writing was first rate. Educational and entertaining. Sexy and suspenseful. Some nice twists and turns. Characters to care about. Plenty of atmospehere to make you feel like you were out there with Sunny and Wade, feeling the snow on your face and the cold wind in your bones. A harrowing conclusion, where the heroine shows she's got what it takes and doesn't always need the hero to save her butt. And a believable, satisfying epilogue that left me with a big smile on my face. Loved it.
If you enjoy military romantic suspense in the style of Suzanne Brockmann, Marliss Melton, or Cindy Gerard, give Catherine Mann a try. Cover Me is one of her better efforts, and is book number one in her Elite Force series. I can't wait to read more about Wade's buddy Hugh Franco (and maybe revisit Wade and Sunny again) when the next book Hot Zone comes out in December. 4 1/2 stars
For a look at just what a pararescueman does, click on the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4vO-U...
Tech Sergeant Wade Rocha...
The plot? Not too hard to follow, and quite suspenseful. It starts out with Wade rescuing Sunny (in a spectacular way) and her dog "Chewie" during a blizzard on one of Alaska's Aleutian islands, although Sunny is quite capable of taking care of herself, thank you very much. Sunny and Wade have to spend the night in a cave, resist the sparks flying between them, and the next day stumble upon a horrific crime. Sunny needs to warn the people from her remote, off-the-grid village about what she's found--there might be a serial killer on the loose, targeting their town, but she can't do that with Wade insisting on protectively staying close to her side and asking probing questions. Sunny has her reasons for not wanting Wade to know too much about her life, but how can she resist when there seems to be so much chemistry between them? Can she trust Wade with her secrets? Can Sunny and Wade trust the local authorities to handle the crime, or are they somehow involved?
Sunny's remote village...
Chewie...
This developed into a pretty hot page-turner. Never once was I bored or tempted to put it down. I thought it was pretty fascinating how Sunny and the hundreds of townfolk were able to live and managed to be self-sufficient without a connection to the outside world--who could live that way? Who would want to? There was also always something interesting going on. If there wasn't something romantic brewing between Sunny and Wade (look for a hot tub scene under the aurora borealis sky), there was an equally compelling story about Sunny's younger sister Misty and her estranged love-of-her-life, Flynn. I loved Misty's story, and at times it almost upstaged Wade and Sunny's! And Misty and Flynn's 'big moment' brought tears to my eyes...
Northern Lights...
I thought the writing was first rate. Educational and entertaining. Sexy and suspenseful. Some nice twists and turns. Characters to care about. Plenty of atmospehere to make you feel like you were out there with Sunny and Wade, feeling the snow on your face and the cold wind in your bones. A harrowing conclusion, where the heroine shows she's got what it takes and doesn't always need the hero to save her butt. And a believable, satisfying epilogue that left me with a big smile on my face. Loved it.
If you enjoy military romantic suspense in the style of Suzanne Brockmann, Marliss Melton, or Cindy Gerard, give Catherine Mann a try. Cover Me is one of her better efforts, and is book number one in her Elite Force series. I can't wait to read more about Wade's buddy Hugh Franco (and maybe revisit Wade and Sunny again) when the next book Hot Zone comes out in December. 4 1/2 stars
For a look at just what a pararescueman does, click on the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4vO-U...
November 19, 2012
Wow, this has the perfect balance of suspense, action and hot steaminess. Catherine Mann sure knows how to write a great suspense. Her knowledge of the military world if fantastic and really gives a great feel for the book setting and plot.
This is one of the best romantic suspense I've read in a while. Loved it! If that's not enough to tempt you maybe this will?
Wade.
Enjoy!
This is one of the best romantic suspense I've read in a while. Loved it! If that's not enough to tempt you maybe this will?
Wade.
Enjoy!
August 2, 2013
Ok, so my "Currently Reading" shelf is full of books i've started and hate, but i didn't want to give a low rating so i've just allowed them to let them sit there making it appear as though i'm reading fifty books at once. Well, you know what?, it's time to face the fact that i'm not going to read some of them, so it's time to clean house dammit!!
I didn't get too far off into this book because my eyes threatened to kill me in my sleep if i rolled them just "one more goddamn time". They said that! And i was only a few chapters in...if that many. Anyhoo, let's get this over with. Not much in the old 'pro' column, but we'll start there anyway.
What i didn't hate:
* i'd say Wade, but i really didn't get enough of him. I did like that he brags about his friend/team rather than himself...but that's clearly not reason enough for me to force myself to read the entire book. I'd rather fall off a cliff and freeze.
* the dog!! i love a four-legged friend/companion. Some of my fav movies/shows/games involve someone having a dog right there with you. Two against the world! Provided nothing bad happens to the dog, of course.
What i did hate (or rather, who):
* the heroine
* being told how smart the heroine is but then being treated to a heaping helping of her stupidity. She's soo smart she can teach a survival class, huh? Ok. She didn't have a great plan the first time she tried to run away from Wade, but at least she thought he was asleep and, at the very least, would need time to get dressed before he could come after her. Wrong, and wrong. Then she went back for seconds and tried to run again, but this time she was tired and possibly hurt (i can't remember) and just hopped up and took off running. Riiiiight. Smart. I was like wasn't he just on top of her...literally. What'd he do let her have a head start? He could've reached up and grabbed her pant leg. Done. Chase over! So, naturally, she fell into a crevasse or whatever. You can just tell how interested i was, right? I had so hoped she'd fallen right off the face of the earth but no such luck. Wade went after her and they kissed. Oh, did i forget to mention that her mouth had been filled with blood two seconds before that because she bit her tongue when she, well, 'bit it'? I expect that sort of thing in a vampire book (still don't like it, i just expect it), but um...wouldn't it kinda hurt to kiss somebody after something like that? Seriously y'all, few kisses have meant less to me. I felt nothing, i didn't see the attraction. After he found out she was ok, I wanted him to leave her out there and keep the dog. The end!
What? She didn't need his help to survive, anyway, so don't 'look' at me sideways. Oh, the whole 'taking her dog' thing. Gimme a break ppl, he couldn't leave that baby out there with a murderer walking about. Her? She'd be fine, she had a knife. What do you want from me?!?!
I didn't get too far off into this book because my eyes threatened to kill me in my sleep if i rolled them just "one more goddamn time". They said that! And i was only a few chapters in...if that many. Anyhoo, let's get this over with. Not much in the old 'pro' column, but we'll start there anyway.
What i didn't hate:
* i'd say Wade, but i really didn't get enough of him. I did like that he brags about his friend/team rather than himself...but that's clearly not reason enough for me to force myself to read the entire book. I'd rather fall off a cliff and freeze.
* the dog!! i love a four-legged friend/companion. Some of my fav movies/shows/games involve someone having a dog right there with you. Two against the world! Provided nothing bad happens to the dog, of course.
What i did hate (or rather, who):
* the heroine
* being told how smart the heroine is but then being treated to a heaping helping of her stupidity. She's soo smart she can teach a survival class, huh? Ok. She didn't have a great plan the first time she tried to run away from Wade, but at least she thought he was asleep and, at the very least, would need time to get dressed before he could come after her. Wrong, and wrong. Then she went back for seconds and tried to run again, but this time she was tired and possibly hurt (i can't remember) and just hopped up and took off running. Riiiiight. Smart. I was like wasn't he just on top of her...literally. What'd he do let her have a head start? He could've reached up and grabbed her pant leg. Done. Chase over! So, naturally, she fell into a crevasse or whatever. You can just tell how interested i was, right? I had so hoped she'd fallen right off the face of the earth but no such luck. Wade went after her and they kissed. Oh, did i forget to mention that her mouth had been filled with blood two seconds before that because she bit her tongue when she, well, 'bit it'? I expect that sort of thing in a vampire book (still don't like it, i just expect it), but um...wouldn't it kinda hurt to kiss somebody after something like that? Seriously y'all, few kisses have meant less to me. I felt nothing, i didn't see the attraction. After he found out she was ok, I wanted him to leave her out there and keep the dog. The end!
What? She didn't need his help to survive, anyway, so don't 'look' at me sideways. Oh, the whole 'taking her dog' thing. Gimme a break ppl, he couldn't leave that baby out there with a murderer walking about. Her? She'd be fine, she had a knife. What do you want from me?!?!
July 3, 2011
Cover Me is the start of series and I am intrigued enough to read the next few books.
It's based in a new world, Wade is a pararescueman. He is totally military, with parents who served. He was a hell-raiser in his teens but has changed. He still carries guilt over his mother getting injured and loves what he does and saving lives. In Alaska, he jumps on a rescue mission and finds Sunny, who seems not happy to see him and more than capable of looking after herself. He thinks she is a stranded climber but she is not.
Sunny stays in an off the grid community, where once people leave, they are not allowed back. She also has a brother who is a deserter(the reason they left everything behind) and a younger sister who lost her hearing capability and wants to leave.
I enjoyed the book, Sunny does not want to divulge much about herself and tries to get away from him as soon as she can, he gives chase, she kisses him just for the heck of it and then finds the dead bodies of the two people that were leaving and then they are shot at by a deputy.
They are rescued and taken to the military base where Sunny asks to stay with Wade, since she wants un-monitored communication to warn her town people through the web.
But more bodies are recovered and Sunny needs to go back and asks Wade to come along. I enjoyed the book, Sunny was totally kick-ass and independent. I enjoyed Wade as well though when it came to Sunny's brother he did make some comments.
I also loved the storyline with Misty(Sunny's sister) and her ex-boyfriend(he cheated on her, but I still loved it). I was more invested in this story than the main one.
Wade and Sunny's relationship seemed based more on sex though they didn't rush into anything. I didn't adore it but I liked the whole banter between Wade's fellow PJs.
Rating 3.5
It's based in a new world, Wade is a pararescueman. He is totally military, with parents who served. He was a hell-raiser in his teens but has changed. He still carries guilt over his mother getting injured and loves what he does and saving lives. In Alaska, he jumps on a rescue mission and finds Sunny, who seems not happy to see him and more than capable of looking after herself. He thinks she is a stranded climber but she is not.
Sunny stays in an off the grid community, where once people leave, they are not allowed back. She also has a brother who is a deserter(the reason they left everything behind) and a younger sister who lost her hearing capability and wants to leave.
I enjoyed the book, Sunny does not want to divulge much about herself and tries to get away from him as soon as she can, he gives chase, she kisses him just for the heck of it and then finds the dead bodies of the two people that were leaving and then they are shot at by a deputy.
They are rescued and taken to the military base where Sunny asks to stay with Wade, since she wants un-monitored communication to warn her town people through the web.
But more bodies are recovered and Sunny needs to go back and asks Wade to come along. I enjoyed the book, Sunny was totally kick-ass and independent. I enjoyed Wade as well though when it came to Sunny's brother he did make some comments.
I also loved the storyline with Misty(Sunny's sister) and her ex-boyfriend(he cheated on her, but I still loved it). I was more invested in this story than the main one.
Wade and Sunny's relationship seemed based more on sex though they didn't rush into anything. I didn't adore it but I liked the whole banter between Wade's fellow PJs.
Rating 3.5
March 16, 2012
Incredible story! INCREDIBLE ALPHA HEROES! I've never read about pararescuemen before, and now I'm entirely fascinated. I'll read the whole series.
Catherine Mann is a fabulous storyteller. The heroes are modern, edgy, real - and so are the heroines. Highly recommended to anyone who likes action and adventure with their romance. :-)
Catherine Mann is a fabulous storyteller. The heroes are modern, edgy, real - and so are the heroines. Highly recommended to anyone who likes action and adventure with their romance. :-)
July 7, 2011
3 ½ stars. It has some good ingredients for romantic suspense. It was ok but I wasn’t wowed.
STORY BRIEF:
In the Aleutian Islands (in Alaska near Russia) is a village of people living “off the grid” (no credit cards, no utilities, no tax returns). They grow their own food in hot houses. The sun and volcanic heat provide energy. When Sunny was a teenager her family moved there because her brother Phoenix went AWOL from the military, and they wanted to keep him out of jail. She has a younger sister Misty. Sunny is now 27. She runs an exercise club, does survival training, and performs guide services. Occasionally village members leave. Anyone who leaves is asked not to return to protect the secrecy of the village. Ted and Madison left. Sunny was their guide taking them through the mountain pass. As she was returning, a blizzard temporarily stranded her.
Wade is a pararescueman with the U.S. Air Force. His team rescued some hikers who were stranded near Sunny. They noticed Sunny and sent Wade to stay with her until the weather calmed enough to allow a pickup. Sunny doesn’t need him or want him there. She won’t tell him about her village. She tries to sneak away from him and falls into a ravine. He follows her and they discover the dead bodies of Ted and Madison. Then someone starts shooting at them but runs off when the rescue helicopter arrives. Sunny is forced to go with Wade to the authorities where an investigation discovers more dead bodies in the ravine.
The main bad guy is taking money from the Russian mob. He brings in terrorists and weapons and has them live in the village temporarily until moving on into other parts of the U.S.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
This was pretty good for romantic suspense. I had no major problems with it. Sunny and Wade are drawn to each other but the odds are against a relationship. She needs to return to her village which must to be kept secret from him and the authorities. He will be sent on a four-month mission to Afghanistan. Knowing they couldn’t be together was the main conflict between them for much of the book. During the bad-guy-crisis Sunny and Wade have a fight. It didn’t fit. It felt unnecessary. I suspect some editor or other person advised the author to include a fight, so she added it after the fact. Oh well. On balance, if you’re looking for romantic suspense and have nothing else to read, go ahead and try it.
I had a logic problem but it wasn’t major. Someone warns the military that some bad guys are going to blow up a nuclear power plant. The military goes there to catch the bad guys and find the bombs. Why did they take three civilians with them? I saw no reason. Of course something bad happens to one of those civilians.
I was disappointed that the author never finished the story about Sunny’s brother Phoenix. There were a couple of bad guys living in the village. I wanted to know more details about those guys. I also wanted to know more about the traveling terrorists who would come into the village for a while and then leave. How did they interact with the locals? Why would the local accept these “foreign strangers” and trust them to keep their secrets.
DATA:
Story length: 322 pages. Swearing language: moderate. Sexual language: mild. Number of sex scenes: 5. Approximate number of sex scene pages: 16. Setting: current day Alaska. Copyright: 2011. Genre: romantic suspense.
STORY BRIEF:
In the Aleutian Islands (in Alaska near Russia) is a village of people living “off the grid” (no credit cards, no utilities, no tax returns). They grow their own food in hot houses. The sun and volcanic heat provide energy. When Sunny was a teenager her family moved there because her brother Phoenix went AWOL from the military, and they wanted to keep him out of jail. She has a younger sister Misty. Sunny is now 27. She runs an exercise club, does survival training, and performs guide services. Occasionally village members leave. Anyone who leaves is asked not to return to protect the secrecy of the village. Ted and Madison left. Sunny was their guide taking them through the mountain pass. As she was returning, a blizzard temporarily stranded her.
Wade is a pararescueman with the U.S. Air Force. His team rescued some hikers who were stranded near Sunny. They noticed Sunny and sent Wade to stay with her until the weather calmed enough to allow a pickup. Sunny doesn’t need him or want him there. She won’t tell him about her village. She tries to sneak away from him and falls into a ravine. He follows her and they discover the dead bodies of Ted and Madison. Then someone starts shooting at them but runs off when the rescue helicopter arrives. Sunny is forced to go with Wade to the authorities where an investigation discovers more dead bodies in the ravine.
The main bad guy is taking money from the Russian mob. He brings in terrorists and weapons and has them live in the village temporarily until moving on into other parts of the U.S.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
This was pretty good for romantic suspense. I had no major problems with it. Sunny and Wade are drawn to each other but the odds are against a relationship. She needs to return to her village which must to be kept secret from him and the authorities. He will be sent on a four-month mission to Afghanistan. Knowing they couldn’t be together was the main conflict between them for much of the book. During the bad-guy-crisis Sunny and Wade have a fight. It didn’t fit. It felt unnecessary. I suspect some editor or other person advised the author to include a fight, so she added it after the fact. Oh well. On balance, if you’re looking for romantic suspense and have nothing else to read, go ahead and try it.
I had a logic problem but it wasn’t major. Someone warns the military that some bad guys are going to blow up a nuclear power plant. The military goes there to catch the bad guys and find the bombs. Why did they take three civilians with them? I saw no reason. Of course something bad happens to one of those civilians.
I was disappointed that the author never finished the story about Sunny’s brother Phoenix. There were a couple of bad guys living in the village. I wanted to know more details about those guys. I also wanted to know more about the traveling terrorists who would come into the village for a while and then leave. How did they interact with the locals? Why would the local accept these “foreign strangers” and trust them to keep their secrets.
DATA:
Story length: 322 pages. Swearing language: moderate. Sexual language: mild. Number of sex scenes: 5. Approximate number of sex scene pages: 16. Setting: current day Alaska. Copyright: 2011. Genre: romantic suspense.
January 10, 2012
This is the first book I've read by this author and, to be honest, I'm not sure how it ended up on my Kindle. Another impulse buy? However it got there, I'm glad it did. This was a solid 4.5 for me with good characters and chemistry, an interesting location, and suspenseful, exciting moments.
This is the first book in the "Elite Ops" series about Air Force pararescuers. The setting of this book is Alaska, but the next one will be set somewhere else. This story concerns Wade Rocha and Sunny Foster. She's part of an off-the-grid community in the Aleutian Islands in Alaska and he's been sent to rescue her. Only she doesn't need rescuing since she knows the terrain like the back of her hand being a wilderness and survival guide herself. However, the going is treacherous and they save each other a couple of times on the way to falling in love.
Wade's team will be future heroes and they're introduced nicely. Not too much, never taking over the story from the leads, but intriguing all the same.
Since I didn't remember purchasing the book and I was unfamiliar with the author, I looked her up and found that she has quite a back list. Lucky me! And even luckier me, she's not agency priced. That's a sure way to make Beanbag happy. :D
This is the first book in the "Elite Ops" series about Air Force pararescuers. The setting of this book is Alaska, but the next one will be set somewhere else. This story concerns Wade Rocha and Sunny Foster. She's part of an off-the-grid community in the Aleutian Islands in Alaska and he's been sent to rescue her. Only she doesn't need rescuing since she knows the terrain like the back of her hand being a wilderness and survival guide herself. However, the going is treacherous and they save each other a couple of times on the way to falling in love.
Wade's team will be future heroes and they're introduced nicely. Not too much, never taking over the story from the leads, but intriguing all the same.
Since I didn't remember purchasing the book and I was unfamiliar with the author, I looked her up and found that she has quite a back list. Lucky me! And even luckier me, she's not agency priced. That's a sure way to make Beanbag happy. :D
July 11, 2017
Writing: The story was confusing for a while because of the way Catherine Mann revealed information. The writing style was also odd. I’m not sure if all of it was mistakes or just weird sentence structures. Also, I really disliked all of the POVs. There were too many.
Characters: Sunny and Wade could have been written better. The connection wasn’t solid enough. There was more of a heartfelt connection between Flynn and Misty.
Storyline: After I got over being confused, I began to enjoy the storyline. But I was frustrated by that point because while some of it was eye rolling worthy, it had a pretty good premise. The action was good too although there was room for more suspense and danger.
Intimacy Scenes: Flynn and Misty was believable and I was invested in their connection. Not so much with Sunny and Wade. I read through their intimacy scenes quickly.
Overall: It was an okay read. The action is what kept me invested.
Characters: Sunny and Wade could have been written better. The connection wasn’t solid enough. There was more of a heartfelt connection between Flynn and Misty.
Storyline: After I got over being confused, I began to enjoy the storyline. But I was frustrated by that point because while some of it was eye rolling worthy, it had a pretty good premise. The action was good too although there was room for more suspense and danger.
Intimacy Scenes: Flynn and Misty was believable and I was invested in their connection. Not so much with Sunny and Wade. I read through their intimacy scenes quickly.
Overall: It was an okay read. The action is what kept me invested.
August 1, 2014
Opening Line:"It was a cold day in hell for Tech Sergeant Wade Rocha--standard ops for a mission in Alaska."
I struggled through this and ultimately gave up about half way in. It's not that it's all that terrible, it just that it was so average on all accounts and I couldn't have cared less about the romance between Sunny & Wade. Honestly I just I couldn't be bothered to finish, I knew it was only ever going to be a 2 star read, very meh.
I've read lots of Catherine Mann stuff before and she always seems to hook me in with a great opening before settling into mediocre-ville.
I struggled through this and ultimately gave up about half way in. It's not that it's all that terrible, it just that it was so average on all accounts and I couldn't have cared less about the romance between Sunny & Wade. Honestly I just I couldn't be bothered to finish, I knew it was only ever going to be a 2 star read, very meh.
I've read lots of Catherine Mann stuff before and she always seems to hook me in with a great opening before settling into mediocre-ville.
January 9, 2013
First of all, this book automatically got one star for being Air Force special ops! I have been looking for hot AF books forever and I found this one by accident! Finally!
Now this story was a little different than some of the novels I normally read...
Sunny, (yes that is her name), lives in a totally remote town in Alaska. The freaky kind where the residents are told that if they wanted to leave the village they could never come back. What the citizens did not know what that people could not return because they would be murdered should they try to leave...
No it is not a cult... It is actually a very elaborate, and confusing, conspiracy to bring in Russian terrorists to the U.S. through this village. Yeah... I agree, odd. Add that to their attempt to blow up a power plant, its all just an odd plot.
Wade, God I wish he had a better name, *sigh*, came into the picture when his pararescue team found Sunny on a snowy mountain during an Alaskan Winter and just assumed she was a lost tourist. As soon as he got to her he realized that he couldn't be more wrong. While "rescuing" her they realized that they were being targeted by a killer. He can think about now is trying to protect her and the softness of her hair when it was in his hands with that sexy blue streak... wait, what?? Yes of course there is sexual tension! Would I read it if there wasn't??? I think not.
Totally random, but still necessary... Sunny, girl I know you are from Middle-of-nowhere-Alaska, but to throw away a snickers bar! What is wrong with you! Blasphemy!
Ok, problem I had. Make that major problem. The brother...
So you're telling me her whole family "fell off the face of the Earth" because her brother was too much of a coward to be deployed while in the Army so he went AWOL?!?! Then his whole family ran so he wouldn't go to jail!??! Seriously? I kept thinking the whole time that there had to be more to that story, but no. It only got worse...
...Try not viewing the spoiler now ;)Though this is a pretty intense book, there is a HEA. Sunny learns to bend. Thank God for that. And all is good in the world. Brett is in prison. But because I like to play Devil's advocate... What do you think happened to Andrea?... Food for thought :) Happy Reading.
December 29, 2011
4.5 Stars
High altitude danger, riveting suspense and scorching romance, Cover Me was a book that I couldn’t put down!
Pararescue Jumper, Wade Rocha, is in Alaska on a training mission when his team gets the call to pick up a stranded group of climbers. When he parachutes down towards the last figure he sees Wade finds the beautiful Sunny Foster and her dog Chewie, who do not want nor need his help. But when somebody takes a shot at them and a lot of the woman’s story just doesn’t seem to add up, Wade decides to stick close to her no matter what she wants. And if he gets to explore the chemistry he feels sizzling between them then all the better.
Sunny Foster does not plan to get close to the handsome PJ who is an outsider to her town and a threat to her whole way of life ‘off the grid’. She is torn between the attraction she feels for Wade though and a duty to her brother. When they stumble upon a frozen grave of former town’s people Sunny knows that she must put her trust in Wade and his military team to discover the culprit behind a sinister plot, even if that means revealing the skeletons in her own back yard.
Wade lives by the PJ motto, “That Others May Live.” Strong, honorable, sexy and determined, author Catherine Mann brings this hunky hero to life from the pages. His character instantly grabbed my attention from the first page; his past demons grabbed at my heart and his heroism made me want strand myself on a freezing cold mountain in hopes that a sexy PJ would come rescue me! Sunny is a guide for her town, living off the grid has made her fiercely independent and protective of her family and town, and very untrusting of outsiders. However, she’s not stupid and knows when she needs help. I really liked Sunny’s personality and her ability to take care of herself for the most part but not being too stubborn to accept help. Sunny and Wade’s relationship developed quickly but it was all very open and upfront, which was refreshing to read. Together they sizzled and I was certain that they would melt the icy mountains around them!
The murder plot added some great tension and though you knew right away who most of the villains were, the story still kept you on the edge with what they would do next and who would come out ahead. Sunny’s secrets did hinder the expectation a little bit and slowed the story down somewhat. Still, Cover Me had the perfect mix of suspense and romance with detailed and authentic world-building for the icing on the cake.
Also, there was a secondary storyline with Sunny’s sister, Misty, and her ex, Flynn, that was quite captivating and a bit of an emotional rollercoaster in itself. I really felt for the pair. The dynamics between Wade’s pararescue team was great with the banter and little jibes between them entertaining, I can’t wait to read more about each team member!
A fabulous start to the Elite Force series that is now on my must-read-series list! You can definitely tell that the author puts her heart and soul into her writing and knows what she is writing about.
High altitude danger, riveting suspense and scorching romance, Cover Me was a book that I couldn’t put down!
Pararescue Jumper, Wade Rocha, is in Alaska on a training mission when his team gets the call to pick up a stranded group of climbers. When he parachutes down towards the last figure he sees Wade finds the beautiful Sunny Foster and her dog Chewie, who do not want nor need his help. But when somebody takes a shot at them and a lot of the woman’s story just doesn’t seem to add up, Wade decides to stick close to her no matter what she wants. And if he gets to explore the chemistry he feels sizzling between them then all the better.
Sunny Foster does not plan to get close to the handsome PJ who is an outsider to her town and a threat to her whole way of life ‘off the grid’. She is torn between the attraction she feels for Wade though and a duty to her brother. When they stumble upon a frozen grave of former town’s people Sunny knows that she must put her trust in Wade and his military team to discover the culprit behind a sinister plot, even if that means revealing the skeletons in her own back yard.
Wade lives by the PJ motto, “That Others May Live.” Strong, honorable, sexy and determined, author Catherine Mann brings this hunky hero to life from the pages. His character instantly grabbed my attention from the first page; his past demons grabbed at my heart and his heroism made me want strand myself on a freezing cold mountain in hopes that a sexy PJ would come rescue me! Sunny is a guide for her town, living off the grid has made her fiercely independent and protective of her family and town, and very untrusting of outsiders. However, she’s not stupid and knows when she needs help. I really liked Sunny’s personality and her ability to take care of herself for the most part but not being too stubborn to accept help. Sunny and Wade’s relationship developed quickly but it was all very open and upfront, which was refreshing to read. Together they sizzled and I was certain that they would melt the icy mountains around them!
The murder plot added some great tension and though you knew right away who most of the villains were, the story still kept you on the edge with what they would do next and who would come out ahead. Sunny’s secrets did hinder the expectation a little bit and slowed the story down somewhat. Still, Cover Me had the perfect mix of suspense and romance with detailed and authentic world-building for the icing on the cake.
Also, there was a secondary storyline with Sunny’s sister, Misty, and her ex, Flynn, that was quite captivating and a bit of an emotional rollercoaster in itself. I really felt for the pair. The dynamics between Wade’s pararescue team was great with the banter and little jibes between them entertaining, I can’t wait to read more about each team member!
A fabulous start to the Elite Force series that is now on my must-read-series list! You can definitely tell that the author puts her heart and soul into her writing and knows what she is writing about.
September 22, 2014
Wow I pleasantly surprised by this book. I have tried to read another book by this author and it didn't fare so well. But this sounded promising so I have it a go. Yep I liked it a lot.
Wade is a pararescueman. Which leads to to rescuing Sunny who he thinks is stranded in the Alaskan wild. Nope not really whats happening. lol Thing is that Sunny has secrets and she doesn't want to get to close to this super hot dude. Things heat up when dead bodies are found and someone is trying to hurt Sunny. I really like Sunny she was so sassy and I don't need help kinda women. Wade was more in your face Im the boss , get your ass over here and do as I say , Oh and very hard headed which is why he is nicknamed the "Brick". But seriously there was a moment or two when I wanted to smack him upside his head. I mean the secret Sunny is hiding is something not good. But this was what she grew up with . As a child it was instilled in her not trust outsider and my god its her family. Yeah what someone did was wrong but Wade gave off the vibe when he found out that she wasn't right as well because she was still protecting (it). I just felt like that was so unfair. He made snide remarks and she would get mad but then be understanding because well she lied to him so much in the beginning. Don't get me wrong I mean Wade has serious loyalties and all and that makes him who he is and why he has such strong emotion and reactions to the secret. I just thought that he should have been a little bit more open-minded when he had time to cool off. After all she didn't ask to be part of it.
Lots of sexual tension and lots of hot lovin. So good. But there many POV's, but also it about midway through became almost two stories in one. Sunny's little sister has a side story in here as well which at first I was kinda like huh?? But when I got further into it I really liked it. It was very sweet.
So the ending was nice and I am really excited that the next book will be about Franco. After hearing what happened to him I cant wait. Then there is Phoenix.Where oh where are you man?? That was left so wide open that I can only hope that means he will have his own book as well.
Wade is a pararescueman. Which leads to to rescuing Sunny who he thinks is stranded in the Alaskan wild. Nope not really whats happening. lol Thing is that Sunny has secrets and she doesn't want to get to close to this super hot dude. Things heat up when dead bodies are found and someone is trying to hurt Sunny. I really like Sunny she was so sassy and I don't need help kinda women. Wade was more in your face Im the boss , get your ass over here and do as I say , Oh and very hard headed which is why he is nicknamed the "Brick". But seriously there was a moment or two when I wanted to smack him upside his head. I mean the secret Sunny is hiding is something not good. But this was what she grew up with . As a child it was instilled in her not trust outsider and my god its her family. Yeah what someone did was wrong but Wade gave off the vibe when he found out that she wasn't right as well because she was still protecting (it). I just felt like that was so unfair. He made snide remarks and she would get mad but then be understanding because well she lied to him so much in the beginning. Don't get me wrong I mean Wade has serious loyalties and all and that makes him who he is and why he has such strong emotion and reactions to the secret. I just thought that he should have been a little bit more open-minded when he had time to cool off. After all she didn't ask to be part of it.
Lots of sexual tension and lots of hot lovin. So good. But there many POV's, but also it about midway through became almost two stories in one. Sunny's little sister has a side story in here as well which at first I was kinda like huh?? But when I got further into it I really liked it. It was very sweet.
So the ending was nice and I am really excited that the next book will be about Franco. After hearing what happened to him I cant wait. Then there is Phoenix.Where oh where are you man?? That was left so wide open that I can only hope that means he will have his own book as well.
January 30, 2012
I really enjoyed this book. Alaska was an interesting choice of local, the characters were fun, and Wade the para-rescue man was hot! I'll be reading the rest of the series, for sure.
May 28, 2012
The Alaska and off-the-grid angle was a nice change of pace.
August 17, 2025
This was intriguing. I appreciate the fact that Sunny at least admit when she was being stupid and making stupid decisions, if only to herself. Sunny and her family live on a remote island in Alaska and if you leave their village, you aren't allowed to come back. A lot of it has to do with her brother who is AWOL, but a lot also has to do with the fact that the people living there want a peaceful, quiet life. Wade and his crew are called into help find a lost hiking party and when he finds Sunny, he thinks she's part of the group that they found. She lets him think that at first, but then things start happening that make it hard for her to lie about things because she is not getting caught up in the crossfire. This book has so much going on, but it is very captivating.
August 5, 2011
My Synopsis:
Wade Rocha and his fellow team members of pararescueman have just completed a grueling training session when they are called in to rescue some stranded climbers on Mount Redoubt. Mount Redoubt is located on the Aleutian Islands of Alaska and his known as "the place that God forgot".
Sunny Foster is stranded in a snowstorm after seeing her friends safely off the mountain and transferred to the safety of Sheriff Rand from the mainland. While trying to seek shelter with her dog Chewie she is caught off guard by a man landing close to the edge of the cliff she is at in a parachute.
Wade's team was successful in rescuing the stranded climbers. The climbers were so out of it they weren't able to let the team know if there are any others still out there so when the equipment picks up the body heat of another person Wade makes the daring jump to rescue said victim.
Little does he know that Sunny doesn't need any rescuing. Sunny and her family have been living off the grid. They disappeared long ago into the wilderness of Alaska to protect her older brother who went AWOL prior to deployment when she was a teen. Her family has been living in a community that has no outside contact to the world and they basically live off the land. The community is very private and protective that once a member decides to leave they can never come back and they are not allowed to talk about the community.
Wade and Sunny are instantly attracted to one another. Wade insist on sticking with Sunny and bringing her back to the military base and Sunny is insistent that she can take care of herself and is fine. As they spend the night together in a cave Wade discovers that Sunny is hiding something from him and he doesn't like it. He's determined to rescue her and she's determined to get rid of him once the storm lets up.
In her attempt to ditch Wade, Sunny ends up needing him to rescue her when she falls into an embankment. They both make a chilling discovery while down there that will cause Sunny to have to spill the secrets on her community of all she knows to stop a sinister plot in her own backyard.
My Thoughts:
Wade Rocha our hero is a pararescueman. He comes from a long line of military family. He was a wild child growing up but during an air show as a teenager he witnessed a plane crashing and felt helpless not being able to jump in and help. His mother later in life was injured in a roadside bomb and because there was not help available she now lives in a rehab center staring in to space. All these things shape Wade and makes him live and breathe the motto "That Others May Live" that he and his brothers and arm follow. These are the things about Wade that made me absolutely love his character. Catherine gave such a great picture of what drives Wade and makes him the sexy and stubborn man he is today. He is instantly attracted to Sunny but knows that she's hiding things and that doesn't sit well with him. His stubbornness comes in handy because he refuses to give up until he knows what she is hiding.
Sunny is secretive and protective of those she love. She is a self sufficient heroine. She trains and runs a gym in her community. She is the mountain guide and is usually one of the people who helps guide any of the community members safely from the mountain if and when they decide they would like to join the outside world. Sunny is quirky. I love that she can take care of herself for the most part. She is loyal and protective to those she love and it's a very admirable trait at times.
Really love that they both feel the attraction and don't fight it. They both go for it and there is no games where their feelings for one another are concerned. The whole murder sinister plot part of the story was entertaining. You know up front who the responsible parties are but the storyline was still fascinating and kept me on my toe wanting to know how it will all end. There were some slow parts here in there where the action kind of stalled for me. And sometimes Sunny's protective instinct and wariness to share details about her community got annoying. I get where she was coming from but come on when bodies of people you thought were safely living out in the world are found you need to give up some detail. Anyway for the most part both characters were level headed.
There was a secondary romantic storyline woven through all of this between Sunny's sister, Misty and an ex-boyfriend, Flynn that was really good. I really enjoyed that storyline a lot. I actually enjoyed that storyline a bit more than the leading couple. Their story was sweet and about second chances. I can't wait to find out more on the rest of the team member of Wade's pararescue team. The camaraderie between the guys was adorable. I love the little banter and joking the men did with one another.
Cover Me was a great start to Catherine's Elite Force series. Lots of action, sexy honorable men in uniform, self sufficient heroine, mystery, steamy loving and action to keep me turning the pages on this book. This book starts off with an exciting training rescue mission that puts the reader right in the thick of things. Catherine's very knowledgeable background in the air force and her research was very evident in this book. The Alaskan backdrop with it's wild, untamed and beautiful land definitely added to the story and brings it all together for this sexy action pack story.
Wade Rocha and his fellow team members of pararescueman have just completed a grueling training session when they are called in to rescue some stranded climbers on Mount Redoubt. Mount Redoubt is located on the Aleutian Islands of Alaska and his known as "the place that God forgot".
Sunny Foster is stranded in a snowstorm after seeing her friends safely off the mountain and transferred to the safety of Sheriff Rand from the mainland. While trying to seek shelter with her dog Chewie she is caught off guard by a man landing close to the edge of the cliff she is at in a parachute.
Wade's team was successful in rescuing the stranded climbers. The climbers were so out of it they weren't able to let the team know if there are any others still out there so when the equipment picks up the body heat of another person Wade makes the daring jump to rescue said victim.
Little does he know that Sunny doesn't need any rescuing. Sunny and her family have been living off the grid. They disappeared long ago into the wilderness of Alaska to protect her older brother who went AWOL prior to deployment when she was a teen. Her family has been living in a community that has no outside contact to the world and they basically live off the land. The community is very private and protective that once a member decides to leave they can never come back and they are not allowed to talk about the community.
Wade and Sunny are instantly attracted to one another. Wade insist on sticking with Sunny and bringing her back to the military base and Sunny is insistent that she can take care of herself and is fine. As they spend the night together in a cave Wade discovers that Sunny is hiding something from him and he doesn't like it. He's determined to rescue her and she's determined to get rid of him once the storm lets up.
In her attempt to ditch Wade, Sunny ends up needing him to rescue her when she falls into an embankment. They both make a chilling discovery while down there that will cause Sunny to have to spill the secrets on her community of all she knows to stop a sinister plot in her own backyard.
My Thoughts:
Wade Rocha our hero is a pararescueman. He comes from a long line of military family. He was a wild child growing up but during an air show as a teenager he witnessed a plane crashing and felt helpless not being able to jump in and help. His mother later in life was injured in a roadside bomb and because there was not help available she now lives in a rehab center staring in to space. All these things shape Wade and makes him live and breathe the motto "That Others May Live" that he and his brothers and arm follow. These are the things about Wade that made me absolutely love his character. Catherine gave such a great picture of what drives Wade and makes him the sexy and stubborn man he is today. He is instantly attracted to Sunny but knows that she's hiding things and that doesn't sit well with him. His stubbornness comes in handy because he refuses to give up until he knows what she is hiding.
Sunny is secretive and protective of those she love. She is a self sufficient heroine. She trains and runs a gym in her community. She is the mountain guide and is usually one of the people who helps guide any of the community members safely from the mountain if and when they decide they would like to join the outside world. Sunny is quirky. I love that she can take care of herself for the most part. She is loyal and protective to those she love and it's a very admirable trait at times.
Really love that they both feel the attraction and don't fight it. They both go for it and there is no games where their feelings for one another are concerned. The whole murder sinister plot part of the story was entertaining. You know up front who the responsible parties are but the storyline was still fascinating and kept me on my toe wanting to know how it will all end. There were some slow parts here in there where the action kind of stalled for me. And sometimes Sunny's protective instinct and wariness to share details about her community got annoying. I get where she was coming from but come on when bodies of people you thought were safely living out in the world are found you need to give up some detail. Anyway for the most part both characters were level headed.
There was a secondary romantic storyline woven through all of this between Sunny's sister, Misty and an ex-boyfriend, Flynn that was really good. I really enjoyed that storyline a lot. I actually enjoyed that storyline a bit more than the leading couple. Their story was sweet and about second chances. I can't wait to find out more on the rest of the team member of Wade's pararescue team. The camaraderie between the guys was adorable. I love the little banter and joking the men did with one another.
Cover Me was a great start to Catherine's Elite Force series. Lots of action, sexy honorable men in uniform, self sufficient heroine, mystery, steamy loving and action to keep me turning the pages on this book. This book starts off with an exciting training rescue mission that puts the reader right in the thick of things. Catherine's very knowledgeable background in the air force and her research was very evident in this book. The Alaskan backdrop with it's wild, untamed and beautiful land definitely added to the story and brings it all together for this sexy action pack story.
December 19, 2015
Review copy provided by publisher
3½ stars
Why I Read this Book: This book had me at romantic suspense and ‘pararescue jumpers’. I’m reading everything labeled 'romantic suspense' I come across that strikes my fancy. This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I was checking out the author’s backlist and it seems she writes quite a bit of military toned romantic suspense – my cup of tea!
What I Liked: I liked both Sunny’s and Wade’s characters. Sunny is extremely independent, self-sufficient and smart. It’s difficult for her to rely on others and with Wade it’s no different. Wade is an alpha hero and in the military. He’s determined, perseverant, strong and smart.
I liked the secondary story arc surrounding Misty (Sunny’s sister) and Flynn. I was interested to find out if they were going to rekindle their relationship.
The ending was really suspenseful. I didn’t want to put this book down until I found out how everything unfolded.
What I Didn’t Like: There wasn’t enough foundation was set up in regards to Sunny’s past or her family history. The story behind the village she lives in and the reasons why she and her family are living there off the grid aren’t thoroughly explained. I got a bit of reasoning later on in the story but it wasn’t enough for me to empathize with Sunny’s character.
There were some other holes in the story that weren’t filled in as well. We don’t know what happen to Sunny’s brother; he just up and disappeared. The ending in regards to her brother was rather inconclusive.
There was a bit of inconsistency regarding Sunny’s age. (I usually don’t catch small stuff like this but I’m always trying to pin down a main character’s age when I’m reading.) On page 25 (of the ARC), Sunny says she's 27 years old. However, back on page 11, Sunny’s dog Chewie is described as a “seven-year-old malamute-husky mix” that she got as a puppy on her 18th birthday. That would make Sunny 25 years old. The math doesn’t add up. Again, this was in the ARC of Cover Me so it could very well be that this error was caught in final edits and therefore is not a problem in the final draft.
Overall Impression: Because of the bumps in the road mentioned above, it took me a while to get into Cover Me. While I didn’t love this book, I enjoyed the story enough to want to read Hot Zone, the next book in this series. In fact, after reading the first chapter of Hot Zone (included at the end of the Cover Me ARC), I’m really looking forward to reading it. It was on my mind for days – and that was just from reading one chapter!
3½ stars
Why I Read this Book: This book had me at romantic suspense and ‘pararescue jumpers’. I’m reading everything labeled 'romantic suspense' I come across that strikes my fancy. This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I was checking out the author’s backlist and it seems she writes quite a bit of military toned romantic suspense – my cup of tea!
What I Liked: I liked both Sunny’s and Wade’s characters. Sunny is extremely independent, self-sufficient and smart. It’s difficult for her to rely on others and with Wade it’s no different. Wade is an alpha hero and in the military. He’s determined, perseverant, strong and smart.
I liked the secondary story arc surrounding Misty (Sunny’s sister) and Flynn. I was interested to find out if they were going to rekindle their relationship.
The ending was really suspenseful. I didn’t want to put this book down until I found out how everything unfolded.
What I Didn’t Like: There wasn’t enough foundation was set up in regards to Sunny’s past or her family history. The story behind the village she lives in and the reasons why she and her family are living there off the grid aren’t thoroughly explained. I got a bit of reasoning later on in the story but it wasn’t enough for me to empathize with Sunny’s character.
There were some other holes in the story that weren’t filled in as well. We don’t know what happen to Sunny’s brother; he just up and disappeared. The ending in regards to her brother was rather inconclusive.
There was a bit of inconsistency regarding Sunny’s age. (I usually don’t catch small stuff like this but I’m always trying to pin down a main character’s age when I’m reading.) On page 25 (of the ARC), Sunny says she's 27 years old. However, back on page 11, Sunny’s dog Chewie is described as a “seven-year-old malamute-husky mix” that she got as a puppy on her 18th birthday. That would make Sunny 25 years old. The math doesn’t add up. Again, this was in the ARC of Cover Me so it could very well be that this error was caught in final edits and therefore is not a problem in the final draft.
Overall Impression: Because of the bumps in the road mentioned above, it took me a while to get into Cover Me. While I didn’t love this book, I enjoyed the story enough to want to read Hot Zone, the next book in this series. In fact, after reading the first chapter of Hot Zone (included at the end of the Cover Me ARC), I’m really looking forward to reading it. It was on my mind for days – and that was just from reading one chapter!
July 24, 2011
A dangerous enemy with an agenda, a heroine with a secret, and a hot hero trying to deal with both.
MY THOUGHTS: This is the type of book you don’t want to put down once you start it. It’s a well-written suspense.
What I particularly enjoyed about the story is the fact that Alaska is a character of sorts. Sunny and Wade aren’t just dealing with one unforgiving enemy but two, Alaska in the winter and a murderer. Both enemies are capable of killing Sunny and Wade if they make a wrong move—and come close more than once—which notches up the danger and tension in the story.
Ms. Mann weaves in a seemingly doomed romance, a closed community with secrets to keep, a villain whose motivation starts out with love—skewed but believable—terrorists, a cache of frozen bodies, a corrupt police department, and a tough team of military men who live their motto, So That Others May Live.
Sunny and Wade are both tough and knowledgeable enough to take on the frozen elements of Alaska and their romance is hot enough to melt the ice.
I like Sunny Foster. She has a strong code of honor, intensely protective of her family, while not necessarily agreeing with their choices, and the ability to take care of herself. She can kick some serious butt. She also has a cool Malmute husky named Chewie.
Wade is career military and like many in the service of their country, he comes from a military family. Being a para jumper is not just a job; he believes in the importance of what he’s doing—So That Others My Live. Strong and tough? Yes. But he is also Apple Pie American, with the touch of the boy next door. He’s funny, loving, and sexy.
I loved this team! They’re full of life but have had their share of tragedy. Close knit and have each other’s back. Ms. Mann portrays a realistic team in their execution of duty situations and the gallows humor used in the face of danger.
The intensity remains tight right to the end with a few surprises I didn’t see coming.
If you enjoy a solid suspense with hot military heroes, this is a story for you. I’m looking forward to the HOT ZONE featuring as hero a character I liked a lot in this story.
MY THOUGHTS: This is the type of book you don’t want to put down once you start it. It’s a well-written suspense.
What I particularly enjoyed about the story is the fact that Alaska is a character of sorts. Sunny and Wade aren’t just dealing with one unforgiving enemy but two, Alaska in the winter and a murderer. Both enemies are capable of killing Sunny and Wade if they make a wrong move—and come close more than once—which notches up the danger and tension in the story.
Ms. Mann weaves in a seemingly doomed romance, a closed community with secrets to keep, a villain whose motivation starts out with love—skewed but believable—terrorists, a cache of frozen bodies, a corrupt police department, and a tough team of military men who live their motto, So That Others May Live.
Sunny and Wade are both tough and knowledgeable enough to take on the frozen elements of Alaska and their romance is hot enough to melt the ice.
I like Sunny Foster. She has a strong code of honor, intensely protective of her family, while not necessarily agreeing with their choices, and the ability to take care of herself. She can kick some serious butt. She also has a cool Malmute husky named Chewie.
Wade is career military and like many in the service of their country, he comes from a military family. Being a para jumper is not just a job; he believes in the importance of what he’s doing—So That Others My Live. Strong and tough? Yes. But he is also Apple Pie American, with the touch of the boy next door. He’s funny, loving, and sexy.
I loved this team! They’re full of life but have had their share of tragedy. Close knit and have each other’s back. Ms. Mann portrays a realistic team in their execution of duty situations and the gallows humor used in the face of danger.
The intensity remains tight right to the end with a few surprises I didn’t see coming.
If you enjoy a solid suspense with hot military heroes, this is a story for you. I’m looking forward to the HOT ZONE featuring as hero a character I liked a lot in this story.
April 24, 2015
This book is terrible. I'm only about 10% in but it's a DNF for me. First, he's an incompetent hero, and for that i blame the author. She knows nothing about the wilderness or emergency rescue. He makes a bunch of decisions that are not at all what a PJ would make because they're not logical nor are they in line with any emergency-worker ideology. Also, the decisions he makes are in response to situations that are just not logical. He's rappelling on a rope in an ice cave but he has no backup? He's evacuating a victim but everything's spinning (literally) as they're being hoisted up? The whole first scene is what someone would write if they knew NOTHING about these techniques, jobs, and environments. So zero points there.
In addition to his technical incompetence, he's incapable of commanding the situation when he gets to her. There is a whole bunch of conversation missing when he realizes she isn't one of the victims he's looking for but he just lets her take over and slinks back to the cave she directs him to pretty much with his tail between his legs. That's ridiculous--he's a professional rescuer: there is no need to apologize for showing up when you find someone in the wilderness during an intense storm. You don't say "Whoops, wrong victim. How embarrassing!"
Then there's this whole scene of how they have to "stay warm" by taking off most of their clothes and huddling together. First of all, he's going to initiate that stuff, at least for himself, since HE'S THE PROFESSIONAL, and DUH, even I know what to do. So second, they do stupid stuff here that makes no sense and vacillates between urgency (wow, let's get our clothes off before we get hypothermia!) and lack of urgency (let's wander back to the cave, think about a fire, oh, and p.s., maybe you could tell me your name now? No? You're going to be feisty and secretive? Okay, sure, that's normal. I'll just back off because I'm the totally-lacking-confidence kind of Pararescuer). His actions (and hers, too) are completely amateurish, but maybe could pass for the naive reader. That's no excuse for the WRITER to be so ignorant, though!
Terrible, terrible book. This is when I just sigh and decide I could write one 100 million times better than this.
In addition to his technical incompetence, he's incapable of commanding the situation when he gets to her. There is a whole bunch of conversation missing when he realizes she isn't one of the victims he's looking for but he just lets her take over and slinks back to the cave she directs him to pretty much with his tail between his legs. That's ridiculous--he's a professional rescuer: there is no need to apologize for showing up when you find someone in the wilderness during an intense storm. You don't say "Whoops, wrong victim. How embarrassing!"
Then there's this whole scene of how they have to "stay warm" by taking off most of their clothes and huddling together. First of all, he's going to initiate that stuff, at least for himself, since HE'S THE PROFESSIONAL, and DUH, even I know what to do. So second, they do stupid stuff here that makes no sense and vacillates between urgency (wow, let's get our clothes off before we get hypothermia!) and lack of urgency (let's wander back to the cave, think about a fire, oh, and p.s., maybe you could tell me your name now? No? You're going to be feisty and secretive? Okay, sure, that's normal. I'll just back off because I'm the totally-lacking-confidence kind of Pararescuer). His actions (and hers, too) are completely amateurish, but maybe could pass for the naive reader. That's no excuse for the WRITER to be so ignorant, though!
Terrible, terrible book. This is when I just sigh and decide I could write one 100 million times better than this.
July 21, 2011
Full review reposted from my blog, Smitten with Reading...
My Review:
I really loved the premise of this book. Coming from an Air Force background, I love that Catherine Mann is starting a series about PJ's (Air Force pararescue jumpers.) While in theory, this book had a great premise, the whole story behind Sunny's hidden off-the-grid community was such a foreign idea that the details (no one can come back once they leave, but new people can come in, etc.) just didn't make sense to me. Unfortunately, the way that the community is set up is HUGE to the entire story line of the book, so that left me feeling dissatisfied overall with the book. And as a reviewer, that seems totally unfair because everything else about this book was fine or even really good, but it is what it is.
So what did I like about this book?
*LOVE that Wade is a PJ and that Sunny runs a guide-service/gym. They are both really outdoor oriented careers which means that they will be really compatible just for hanging out, not just when in peril.
*LOVED the entire PJ crew and their relationships amongst themselves. They are a very close group of guys and react accordingly with ribbing.
*Loved, LoVeD, LOVED Flynn & Misty's sub-story. I could have been happy with an entire novel just about their romance. So sweet, heartbreaking, and romantic.
*Loved that Sunny's gym is built into the natural springs which made for a really great scene later in the book!
*Loved Wade's bear rug. Great writing here for the scenes on that rug with all the sensations.
*the action of this book was great! Lots of danger and hot sex- a great combo!
*the Alaskan/Aleutian Island setting was awesome! So brutal while still breathtaking during the winter.
The overall writing of this book was really good. Like I said, there were just details about this particular story line that impacted my enjoyment of the novel. I fully plan to keep reading this series and am excited about the next release, Hot Zone, coming in December.
My Review:
I really loved the premise of this book. Coming from an Air Force background, I love that Catherine Mann is starting a series about PJ's (Air Force pararescue jumpers.) While in theory, this book had a great premise, the whole story behind Sunny's hidden off-the-grid community was such a foreign idea that the details (no one can come back once they leave, but new people can come in, etc.) just didn't make sense to me. Unfortunately, the way that the community is set up is HUGE to the entire story line of the book, so that left me feeling dissatisfied overall with the book. And as a reviewer, that seems totally unfair because everything else about this book was fine or even really good, but it is what it is.
So what did I like about this book?
*LOVE that Wade is a PJ and that Sunny runs a guide-service/gym. They are both really outdoor oriented careers which means that they will be really compatible just for hanging out, not just when in peril.
*LOVED the entire PJ crew and their relationships amongst themselves. They are a very close group of guys and react accordingly with ribbing.
*Loved, LoVeD, LOVED Flynn & Misty's sub-story. I could have been happy with an entire novel just about their romance. So sweet, heartbreaking, and romantic.
*Loved that Sunny's gym is built into the natural springs which made for a really great scene later in the book!
*Loved Wade's bear rug. Great writing here for the scenes on that rug with all the sensations.
*the action of this book was great! Lots of danger and hot sex- a great combo!
*the Alaskan/Aleutian Island setting was awesome! So brutal while still breathtaking during the winter.
The overall writing of this book was really good. Like I said, there were just details about this particular story line that impacted my enjoyment of the novel. I fully plan to keep reading this series and am excited about the next release, Hot Zone, coming in December.
April 28, 2012
Ok...I'd say we have a decent start to this Elite Ops series. I have to admit that this is my first Military Romance by Catherine. I have read all of her Harlequin Romances, but I thought it would be a great idea to venture out, maybe meet a sexy military hero or two or three!!
I truly enjoyed watching our hero, Wade "Brick" Rocha, in action as a Pararescue Jumper (PJ). Catherine writes the scene as if she is right there, next to Wade as he scales the mountain side...So realistic and fascinating.
Then he meets Sunny Foster, when he parachutes in to rescue her and instead of a thankful heroine, he gets a girl with an attitude and an escape plan. I was cracking up during their first meeting, with the bantering back and forth...Wade had no idea what he was getting himself into...certainly more than he bargained for.
Let's just say that Sunny has some secrets that she isn't supposed to talk about, but when two bodies, that she helped escape a secret town where she grew up, are found dead on the mountain, Sunny is forced to start talking.
I have to be honest and say that the "love story" fell short for me. I didn't see too much of a budding relationship, or any connection between the hero and heroine. I think we had more of a love story between Misty, Sunny's sister and her long ago boyfriend, Flynn.
The suspense part of it was what kept me going, and I honestly kind of liked the Villain. I know he was the bad guy, but he had a reason for doing what he did, be it a bad reason, he just loved someone SO MUCH that he would do anything to make their life better. Can't blame him for loving his wife.
So all in all, it was a decent start to the series. I wouldn't say don't read it, but I tend to need more of a romance in my romance suspense, so if you are like me, be forewarned!!
I will be moving onto Hot Zone, with Master Sergeant Hugh Franco...Yum!!
I truly enjoyed watching our hero, Wade "Brick" Rocha, in action as a Pararescue Jumper (PJ). Catherine writes the scene as if she is right there, next to Wade as he scales the mountain side...So realistic and fascinating.
Then he meets Sunny Foster, when he parachutes in to rescue her and instead of a thankful heroine, he gets a girl with an attitude and an escape plan. I was cracking up during their first meeting, with the bantering back and forth...Wade had no idea what he was getting himself into...certainly more than he bargained for.
Let's just say that Sunny has some secrets that she isn't supposed to talk about, but when two bodies, that she helped escape a secret town where she grew up, are found dead on the mountain, Sunny is forced to start talking.
I have to be honest and say that the "love story" fell short for me. I didn't see too much of a budding relationship, or any connection between the hero and heroine. I think we had more of a love story between Misty, Sunny's sister and her long ago boyfriend, Flynn.
The suspense part of it was what kept me going, and I honestly kind of liked the Villain. I know he was the bad guy, but he had a reason for doing what he did, be it a bad reason, he just loved someone SO MUCH that he would do anything to make their life better. Can't blame him for loving his wife.
So all in all, it was a decent start to the series. I wouldn't say don't read it, but I tend to need more of a romance in my romance suspense, so if you are like me, be forewarned!!
I will be moving onto Hot Zone, with Master Sergeant Hugh Franco...Yum!!
November 22, 2011
First and foremost, isn't the cover guy hawt!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.
Wade Rocha just finished up a training exercise when his team got a call to help a stranded group of hikers on a mountain in Alaska. After picking up the disoriented group of hikers, Wade sees one more hot body still down there but not where the group was. Not being able to get an answer if one from their group was missing, he parachutes down to the figure. And that's when everything in his world was turned completely upside down.
Just trying to get back home from escorting two people out of her community, she notices the storm getting worse and was just thinking that she would have to find a cave and hunker down for the night when her dog, Chewie, starts growling at the sky. When Sunny looked skyward, she did not expect to find someone strapped to a parachute coming right for her. After meeting the wildly attractive PJ, she is torn between her crazy lust for this man and the terror of him finding out about her brother. When her world goes to complete hell, the person she trusts the most is Wade. She just hasn't figured out if that's a good thing yet.
Catherine Mann has now taken the #3 spot on my favorite authors list. Having only read two of her books, I absolutely think they are so well written and have the right amount of suspense and steamy romance to have me absolutely mesmerized. I wish I was rich so I would have the money to invest in all of Catherine Mann's books. They are just that good!!
Wade Rocha just finished up a training exercise when his team got a call to help a stranded group of hikers on a mountain in Alaska. After picking up the disoriented group of hikers, Wade sees one more hot body still down there but not where the group was. Not being able to get an answer if one from their group was missing, he parachutes down to the figure. And that's when everything in his world was turned completely upside down.
Just trying to get back home from escorting two people out of her community, she notices the storm getting worse and was just thinking that she would have to find a cave and hunker down for the night when her dog, Chewie, starts growling at the sky. When Sunny looked skyward, she did not expect to find someone strapped to a parachute coming right for her. After meeting the wildly attractive PJ, she is torn between her crazy lust for this man and the terror of him finding out about her brother. When her world goes to complete hell, the person she trusts the most is Wade. She just hasn't figured out if that's a good thing yet.
Catherine Mann has now taken the #3 spot on my favorite authors list. Having only read two of her books, I absolutely think they are so well written and have the right amount of suspense and steamy romance to have me absolutely mesmerized. I wish I was rich so I would have the money to invest in all of Catherine Mann's books. They are just that good!!
March 1, 2013
I think this is a solid 3 from me. Mainly for the suspense part. I honestly didn't buy the romance part :( Maybe I am in the minority, but it just felt off.
Wade doesn't trust Sunny from the get go, but he wants to nail her. He keeps telling himself she's hiding something, but still wants to nail her. Sunny is the same. She doesn't trust Wade (or anyone outside her off the grid community), but she wants to nail him. She won't tell him her secrets even though he knows she has them, but she still wants to nail him. HOW is that good? I get the whole "Me man you woman me want sex" thing men tend to have, but you're trying to save a woman from danger and you are thinking in your head how bad you want to nail her? Hot or not, there's a time and a place.
The suspense was what had me hooked. I read it in one sitting because I wanted to know who all was involved. I NEEDED to see who was involved.
For me though there were unanswered questions:
Wade doesn't trust Sunny from the get go, but he wants to nail her. He keeps telling himself she's hiding something, but still wants to nail her. Sunny is the same. She doesn't trust Wade (or anyone outside her off the grid community), but she wants to nail him. She won't tell him her secrets even though he knows she has them, but she still wants to nail him. HOW is that good? I get the whole "Me man you woman me want sex" thing men tend to have, but you're trying to save a woman from danger and you are thinking in your head how bad you want to nail her? Hot or not, there's a time and a place.
The suspense was what had me hooked. I read it in one sitting because I wanted to know who all was involved. I NEEDED to see who was involved.
For me though there were unanswered questions:
May 18, 2013
I have to say, I love that the series is about PJ's. I think they're amazing.
Anyway, aside from that, I can't say much good about the story between Wade and Sunny. She drove me absolutely insane. CRAZY INSANE. I wanted to push her off a cliff. Wade's perfectness didn't bother me, but I do think he put up with way too much from Sunny.
Flynn was a more rounded character. I really fell into the parts with Misty, but I was impatient and skimming through the parts with Sunny and Wade. I wish it had been written the other way around - with Misty and Flynn getting more of the page time.
I would be willing to try another story by her.
Anyway, aside from that, I can't say much good about the story between Wade and Sunny. She drove me absolutely insane. CRAZY INSANE. I wanted to push her off a cliff. Wade's perfectness didn't bother me, but I do think he put up with way too much from Sunny.
Flynn was a more rounded character. I really fell into the parts with Misty, but I was impatient and skimming through the parts with Sunny and Wade. I wish it had been written the other way around - with Misty and Flynn getting more of the page time.
I would be willing to try another story by her.
June 5, 2012
She's returning home from escorting some friends on a dangerous trip through the mountains in winter. He's just completed a dangerous mission to rescue some stranded skiers. When this woman who's living off the grid meets this pararescueman who's mistakenly thinks she needs rescuing, will their sizzling chemistry be enough to keep them warm? And when they discover the dead bodies of the two friends she thought were safe buried in the ice in a deep chasm, will they be able to discover the identity of the murderer before they become his next victims?
September 21, 2013
Couldn't finish this one! I was on a romantic suspense kick, but I may be done now. When you learn to write, or edit, you learn to show, not tell. So the entire time I was reading this, I wanted the author to shut up and give me a chance to figure out that metaphor for myself, to understand--on my own--that this character was sad, to use my own wits to identify the criminal mastermind, etc. If you've a better tolerance for obvious storytelling and clunky writing, then you might like this book!
July 12, 2011
i liked the book well enough, but i was puzzled by the heroine's brother and sister-in-law's part in this story. i don't feel like they were either explained very well. and in this day and age, can any place, especially in the US, be off-the-grid to that extent? i did like the hero and heroine, as well as the heroine's sister
July 5, 2011
It pained me to give this book only 2 stars b/c I have loved all the other military books written by Catherine Mann. But this one...it just never grabbed me. I am going to have to mull it over to see if I can figure out exactly what didn't work for me but I think I just got annoyed with the whole "our town must stay a secret" thing. It just didn't ring true for me.
October 13, 2011
A bit of an eye-roller.
This felt very freshman to me and It lacked character development.
Sunny was inconsistent and Uhhh, I already can't remember the hero's name. Anyway, his narration was bland and repetitive. The villain? same thing.
However,
I did like that the setting was on an Aleutian island.
This felt very freshman to me and It lacked character development.
Sunny was inconsistent and Uhhh, I already can't remember the hero's name. Anyway, his narration was bland and repetitive. The villain? same thing.
However,
I did like that the setting was on an Aleutian island.
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