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McClouds & Friends #5
Peligro extremo
JUGAR CON EL PELIGRO…
Nadar desnuda en la piscina de tu vecino —un individuo al que no conoces— es una acción temeraria para la correcta Becca Cattrell. Pero la casa elegida para su aventura nocturna acaba de cambiar de propietario y la inofensiva travesura hace que Becca se vea inmersa en una organización letal y maquiavélica que no dejará con vida a ningún testigo.
PUEDE COSTARTE…
La mujer más hermosa que Nick Ward ha visto en su vida puede ser también una maldición para él. La presencia de Becca en el lugar equivocado —donde se va a producir un encuentro confidencial— no solo pondrá en peligro la misión secreta en la que lleva meses trabajando, sino que los dos pueden perder la vida. Aunque, para su sorpresa, Becca no se acobarda ante el peligro… ni ante él…
TODO
Becca sabe que debería estar aterrada, pero descubre lo audaz que puede llegar a ser cuando hay vidas en juego y un ardiente deseo corre por sus venas. Y va a necesitar todo ese coraje cuando Nick y ella tengan que enfrentarse a un enemigo más poderoso y despiadado de lo que nunca hubiera podido imaginar…
Nadar desnuda en la piscina de tu vecino —un individuo al que no conoces— es una acción temeraria para la correcta Becca Cattrell. Pero la casa elegida para su aventura nocturna acaba de cambiar de propietario y la inofensiva travesura hace que Becca se vea inmersa en una organización letal y maquiavélica que no dejará con vida a ningún testigo.
PUEDE COSTARTE…
La mujer más hermosa que Nick Ward ha visto en su vida puede ser también una maldición para él. La presencia de Becca en el lugar equivocado —donde se va a producir un encuentro confidencial— no solo pondrá en peligro la misión secreta en la que lleva meses trabajando, sino que los dos pueden perder la vida. Aunque, para su sorpresa, Becca no se acobarda ante el peligro… ni ante él…
TODO
Becca sabe que debería estar aterrada, pero descubre lo audaz que puede llegar a ser cuando hay vidas en juego y un ardiente deseo corre por sus venas. Y va a necesitar todo ese coraje cuando Nick y ella tengan que enfrentarse a un enemigo más poderoso y despiadado de lo que nunca hubiera podido imaginar…
560 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2008
69 people are currently reading
1596 people want to read
About the author
Shannon McKenna
125 books1,449 followersAlso wrote five category romances under the penname Shannon Anderson
::From The Author's Website::
HOW IT ALL BEGAN
I started writing my first romance novel in secret. I was working a temp job in an insurance office in Manhattan at the time, and the office manager had made it clear that even if there was nothing to do, I still had to look busy-- never one of my big talents. I felt bad about the wasted time, though, and I needed something to round out my other chosen career, which was singing. Yeah, that's right. Most artists choose a more practical Plan B to back up their improbable Plan A. Me? No way. "Long Shot" is my middle name.
So I sneakily set up a Document 1 and a Document 2 with a spreadsheet on it. If my Boss du Jour walked by I could quick-like-a-bunny switch screens, and whenever the coast was clear, I went back to my story. Not that I was slacking, mind you. If there was work to be done, I did it. The sneakiness felt familiar, though, because I've been teased about reading romances since I was a kid. I think the day I finally grew up was the day I stopped trying to cover up what I was reading on the bus, train or subway. Let people think whatever they like.
It wasn't until I moved to Italy (details of that Long Shot provided later on) that I got serious about writing, though. I found myself with many long, quiet days alone with nothing to do, so I slogged my way bravely to the end of the manuscript and sent it out. Everybody rejected it-except for Kensington. I wrote for them for a few years, and then made a bid for an erotic novella for the new Brava imprint, and oh joy, they accepted it. Then I wrote BEHIND CLOSED DOORS. And so on, and so forth.
That's how I started. I can't think of anything I'd rather do. I never knew it would be so scary, and so hard . . . all that solitude and silence, a blank computer screen, and no one to blame. But still. It's worth it. It's great.
::From The Author's Website::
HOW IT ALL BEGAN
I started writing my first romance novel in secret. I was working a temp job in an insurance office in Manhattan at the time, and the office manager had made it clear that even if there was nothing to do, I still had to look busy-- never one of my big talents. I felt bad about the wasted time, though, and I needed something to round out my other chosen career, which was singing. Yeah, that's right. Most artists choose a more practical Plan B to back up their improbable Plan A. Me? No way. "Long Shot" is my middle name.
So I sneakily set up a Document 1 and a Document 2 with a spreadsheet on it. If my Boss du Jour walked by I could quick-like-a-bunny switch screens, and whenever the coast was clear, I went back to my story. Not that I was slacking, mind you. If there was work to be done, I did it. The sneakiness felt familiar, though, because I've been teased about reading romances since I was a kid. I think the day I finally grew up was the day I stopped trying to cover up what I was reading on the bus, train or subway. Let people think whatever they like.
It wasn't until I moved to Italy (details of that Long Shot provided later on) that I got serious about writing, though. I found myself with many long, quiet days alone with nothing to do, so I slogged my way bravely to the end of the manuscript and sent it out. Everybody rejected it-except for Kensington. I wrote for them for a few years, and then made a bid for an erotic novella for the new Brava imprint, and oh joy, they accepted it. Then I wrote BEHIND CLOSED DOORS. And so on, and so forth.
That's how I started. I can't think of anything I'd rather do. I never knew it would be so scary, and so hard . . . all that solitude and silence, a blank computer screen, and no one to blame. But still. It's worth it. It's great.
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July 7, 2023
Extreme Danger by Shannon McKenna is a trainwreck of a book. It is dripping with crazysauce.
I like Shannon McKenna’s books. I’m always a little embarrassed that I like them because they are so over the top, but I’m completely unable to defend having this book in my library.
Becca Cattrell is a typical McKenna heroine. She’s thirty and nearly virgin. Sort of goofy and clueless. Says “um” a lot (I will get to this in a minute.)
After her fiance is caught Tiger Woodsing her with a hussy who was giving him a blowjob in the car, she decides she’s going to start being more adventurous. She starts by skinny dipping in a neighbor’s pool. Nick Ward, some sort of ex-commando, is watching the place for some mysterious people. He doesn’t know they are Ukrainian mafia. Or as McKenna spells it: mafiya.
Nick sees Becca swimming – naked – in the pool and thinks she’s an assassin. He ends up feeling her up, then fingering her to a mind-blowing orgasm, before he crassly says, “Blow me. Let’s see if you’re any good.” This triggers poor Becca’s horrible pathology about blowjobs, seeing as her fiance got one and well… Becca flees, naked, like a scared virgin.
I will pause here and expound on this virgin fascination a bit. The woman is thirty years old and through-out the novel, McKenna does her best to make Becca virginal. For instance:
This is a text exchange. Becca writes:
Got virginal lingerie 2 go with glasses…
And Nick writes back:
cannot fucking wait.
Even her language is juvenile. She says “um” a lot, like here when she asks if Nick “um, likes that” (meaning blowjobs).
This virgin obsession just a weird tic that modern writers have, and McKenna is particularly guilty of it. I do not pretend to understand this, but it is particularly egregious in this book.
Nick is described as someone who just seems flat out gross to me. He’s tall and muscular, is covered in tattoos, has long greasy hair, a gnarly beard. He’s wearing a black singlet, and black utility pants that are cut off to the knees. If this doesn’t sound like a douche to you, I don’t know what will. Yet Becca thinks he’s the hottest thing she’s ever seen, which just goes to show you that even airheads need love.
Next day, Becca returns, clothed this time, because she forgot her glasses when she was skinny-dipping. She arrives just as the mafiya thugs arrive, and Nick quickly covers by saying she is there to cook for them.
This sounds outlandish but up until this point, this is straight up typical McKenna. I didn’t bat an eye. Until… the mafiya thugs decide they want to fuck Becca. Nick tries to talk them out of it, saying she is just there to cook for them. The mafiya thugs decide that they’ll be satisfied just watching Nick fuck her on the video screens. Nick takes her upstairs and they pretend to fuck up against the wall. Then Becca falls down beside the bed, and he starts to help her up, and she ends up guiding his penis into her.
Of course, like all of McKenna’s heroes, he is hung like a baseball bat. He is so insanely large that no woman can possibly fuck him without having at least two orgasms to make her super-slick and soft. Yet Becca takes it, though she must be in pain. And of course, she has another otherworldly orgasm. While mafiya thugs are downstairs. Threatening to rape and kill her. This is the least sexy circumstance I can think of, but whatever. That’s not the worst thing that happens in this book.
Back downstairs, the mafiya thugs make Becca serve dinner in just a shirt, which shows both her tits and her muff. Gratuitous nudity is pretty common in McKenna’s books but this is just absurd.
Nick kills four of the thugs and then escapes with Becca. Now the primary thug, Zhoglo, is after them. Why don’t they go to the police? Who knows.
Nick comes to Becca’s place and demands sex for saving her life. I quote: “Are you going to give me what you owe me or are you going to dick around?” Great guy, no?
Here’s a clue for the gentlemen: this doesn’t work. It will get you kneed in the balls. Unless you happen to score a major babe like Becca who has no self esteem whatsoever.
Nick and Becca are crazily attracted, and end up having sex numerous times, even though Nick is always a classic douche and is surly and rude to her after they have sex, followed by him storming out. Becca keeps taking him back because she’s a simpleton.
In addition to being a douchey greaseball, Nick is always on the verge of tears. Who knows why. He’s always just so overwhelmed with Becca’s femininity. Later, they compare bad backgrounds and he comes off sounding like a douchey greaseball crybaby.
Furthermore, McKenna, who expends lavish details on the acts of sex, rather coyly implies buttsecks, but doesn’t have the courage of her convictions to just spell it out. She writes at one point that Becca’s “posterior” was sore, and so were her sex organs.
What?
None of these really explain why I’m so disgusted with the book. I think I’m just trying to avoid the real issue. Here goes.
The mafiya thug basically kills children for their organs. Okay, pretty evil, but McKenna also throws a couple of child rape scenes in with the action – and then switches to Becca and Nick’s sex.
It is like eating fish for breakfast. Culturally wrong. When Nelson Demille wrote The General’s Daughter, about the rape and murder of a female Army captain, he intentionally left out sex scenes between his two protagonists because he understood that most people, when confronted with rape, are not all excited to go get boned.
McKenna, tone deaf to this, has a fourteen year old girl in a whore house, then switches, four pages later, to Nick lapping at Becca’s clit and bringing her to another shivering, juicy orgasm.
It’s nauseating, and somehow the virginal stuff and the rape stuff… it really bothers me.
In the end, Nick misunderstands something and thinks that Becca is actually a mafiya thug. He chains her up in a warehouse and goes off to save the children. Of course, he realizes his mistake, and goes back to save her but the real mafiya thugs have kidnapped her. His heroic rescue is marred only by a bullet in the lung.
Of course he doesn’t die. Six weeks later, he shows up at Becca’s place of work, takes her into her office, and fucks her. The fact that he thought she was a mafiya assassin is forgiven. After he ejaculates, he asks her to marry him again (he asked previously – you know, before he thought she was a mafiya assassin) and she says yes.
Because she’s a moron.
I like Shannon McKenna’s books. I’m always a little embarrassed that I like them because they are so over the top, but I’m completely unable to defend having this book in my library.
Becca Cattrell is a typical McKenna heroine. She’s thirty and nearly virgin. Sort of goofy and clueless. Says “um” a lot (I will get to this in a minute.)
After her fiance is caught Tiger Woodsing her with a hussy who was giving him a blowjob in the car, she decides she’s going to start being more adventurous. She starts by skinny dipping in a neighbor’s pool. Nick Ward, some sort of ex-commando, is watching the place for some mysterious people. He doesn’t know they are Ukrainian mafia. Or as McKenna spells it: mafiya.
Nick sees Becca swimming – naked – in the pool and thinks she’s an assassin. He ends up feeling her up, then fingering her to a mind-blowing orgasm, before he crassly says, “Blow me. Let’s see if you’re any good.” This triggers poor Becca’s horrible pathology about blowjobs, seeing as her fiance got one and well… Becca flees, naked, like a scared virgin.
I will pause here and expound on this virgin fascination a bit. The woman is thirty years old and through-out the novel, McKenna does her best to make Becca virginal. For instance:
This is a text exchange. Becca writes:
Got virginal lingerie 2 go with glasses…
And Nick writes back:
cannot fucking wait.
Even her language is juvenile. She says “um” a lot, like here when she asks if Nick “um, likes that” (meaning blowjobs).
This virgin obsession just a weird tic that modern writers have, and McKenna is particularly guilty of it. I do not pretend to understand this, but it is particularly egregious in this book.
Nick is described as someone who just seems flat out gross to me. He’s tall and muscular, is covered in tattoos, has long greasy hair, a gnarly beard. He’s wearing a black singlet, and black utility pants that are cut off to the knees. If this doesn’t sound like a douche to you, I don’t know what will. Yet Becca thinks he’s the hottest thing she’s ever seen, which just goes to show you that even airheads need love.
Next day, Becca returns, clothed this time, because she forgot her glasses when she was skinny-dipping. She arrives just as the mafiya thugs arrive, and Nick quickly covers by saying she is there to cook for them.
This sounds outlandish but up until this point, this is straight up typical McKenna. I didn’t bat an eye. Until… the mafiya thugs decide they want to fuck Becca. Nick tries to talk them out of it, saying she is just there to cook for them. The mafiya thugs decide that they’ll be satisfied just watching Nick fuck her on the video screens. Nick takes her upstairs and they pretend to fuck up against the wall. Then Becca falls down beside the bed, and he starts to help her up, and she ends up guiding his penis into her.
Of course, like all of McKenna’s heroes, he is hung like a baseball bat. He is so insanely large that no woman can possibly fuck him without having at least two orgasms to make her super-slick and soft. Yet Becca takes it, though she must be in pain. And of course, she has another otherworldly orgasm. While mafiya thugs are downstairs. Threatening to rape and kill her. This is the least sexy circumstance I can think of, but whatever. That’s not the worst thing that happens in this book.
Back downstairs, the mafiya thugs make Becca serve dinner in just a shirt, which shows both her tits and her muff. Gratuitous nudity is pretty common in McKenna’s books but this is just absurd.
Nick kills four of the thugs and then escapes with Becca. Now the primary thug, Zhoglo, is after them. Why don’t they go to the police? Who knows.
Nick comes to Becca’s place and demands sex for saving her life. I quote: “Are you going to give me what you owe me or are you going to dick around?” Great guy, no?
Here’s a clue for the gentlemen: this doesn’t work. It will get you kneed in the balls. Unless you happen to score a major babe like Becca who has no self esteem whatsoever.
Nick and Becca are crazily attracted, and end up having sex numerous times, even though Nick is always a classic douche and is surly and rude to her after they have sex, followed by him storming out. Becca keeps taking him back because she’s a simpleton.
In addition to being a douchey greaseball, Nick is always on the verge of tears. Who knows why. He’s always just so overwhelmed with Becca’s femininity. Later, they compare bad backgrounds and he comes off sounding like a douchey greaseball crybaby.
Furthermore, McKenna, who expends lavish details on the acts of sex, rather coyly implies buttsecks, but doesn’t have the courage of her convictions to just spell it out. She writes at one point that Becca’s “posterior” was sore, and so were her sex organs.
What?
None of these really explain why I’m so disgusted with the book. I think I’m just trying to avoid the real issue. Here goes.
The mafiya thug basically kills children for their organs. Okay, pretty evil, but McKenna also throws a couple of child rape scenes in with the action – and then switches to Becca and Nick’s sex.
It is like eating fish for breakfast. Culturally wrong. When Nelson Demille wrote The General’s Daughter, about the rape and murder of a female Army captain, he intentionally left out sex scenes between his two protagonists because he understood that most people, when confronted with rape, are not all excited to go get boned.
McKenna, tone deaf to this, has a fourteen year old girl in a whore house, then switches, four pages later, to Nick lapping at Becca’s clit and bringing her to another shivering, juicy orgasm.
It’s nauseating, and somehow the virginal stuff and the rape stuff… it really bothers me.
In the end, Nick misunderstands something and thinks that Becca is actually a mafiya thug. He chains her up in a warehouse and goes off to save the children. Of course, he realizes his mistake, and goes back to save her but the real mafiya thugs have kidnapped her. His heroic rescue is marred only by a bullet in the lung.
Of course he doesn’t die. Six weeks later, he shows up at Becca’s place of work, takes her into her office, and fucks her. The fact that he thought she was a mafiya assassin is forgiven. After he ejaculates, he asks her to marry him again (he asked previously – you know, before he thought she was a mafiya assassin) and she says yes.
Because she’s a moron.
January 9, 2020
I was kind of meh about Nick as a character, but dang. I loved this book. It was intense from page 1. I really love romantic suspense books where the couple meets under dangerous circumstances, and that's this one in a nutshell. Nick is undercover in a criminal organization when he meets Becca. Becca is a quiet, unassuming caterer who ends up in the wrong place at the wrong time. They are surrounded by a bunch of psychopaths, literally the scum of the earth, who think nothing of selling children for their organs. Nick has to stay in character but keep himself and Becca alive, and no surprises when they are both in extreme danger, as the name implies.
Nick has issues to the degree that I wasn't even expecting. He's pretty messed up, if I'm honest. He can't seem to get out of his own head, and along with the fact that he's sort of kind of on a mission that seems to be a dead end to him, he has so much baggage, he's a terrible candidate for a stable relationship. And yet, he can't seem to let Becca go.
The chemistry was scorching and fantastic. There are plenty of really great sexy times. I definitely could believe they were in love with each other, but Nick was tripping near the end of this book. Like seriously tripping. I wouldn't have blamed Becca for telling him to go to hell and stay there.
Having said that, I did really fall for Nick, as damaged as he was, and I hoped that he could get out of his own head and realize that Becca was the right woman for him, and learn how to treat her and how to engage with her in an emotionally healthy fashion.
Becca was really, really sweet, and I really rooted for her happy ending. I admired her as a person, how she committed herself to taking care of her brother and sister. Of course, she was crazy about Nick, but if Nick didn't stop tripping, I was ready for her to kick him to the curve. And I was even happier that Nick got his act together in the end.
I'm really glad my sister got me interested in this series. It's really great. Very romantic, lots of action and thrills/suspense, truly horrendous bad guys who you cheer for getting their comeuppance and very steamy, sexy love scenes. It's also great that the books are written to incorporate past characters in a natural way.
Nick has issues to the degree that I wasn't even expecting. He's pretty messed up, if I'm honest. He can't seem to get out of his own head, and along with the fact that he's sort of kind of on a mission that seems to be a dead end to him, he has so much baggage, he's a terrible candidate for a stable relationship. And yet, he can't seem to let Becca go.
The chemistry was scorching and fantastic. There are plenty of really great sexy times. I definitely could believe they were in love with each other, but Nick was tripping near the end of this book. Like seriously tripping. I wouldn't have blamed Becca for telling him to go to hell and stay there.
Having said that, I did really fall for Nick, as damaged as he was, and I hoped that he could get out of his own head and realize that Becca was the right woman for him, and learn how to treat her and how to engage with her in an emotionally healthy fashion.
Becca was really, really sweet, and I really rooted for her happy ending. I admired her as a person, how she committed herself to taking care of her brother and sister. Of course, she was crazy about Nick, but if Nick didn't stop tripping, I was ready for her to kick him to the curve. And I was even happier that Nick got his act together in the end.
I'm really glad my sister got me interested in this series. It's really great. Very romantic, lots of action and thrills/suspense, truly horrendous bad guys who you cheer for getting their comeuppance and very steamy, sexy love scenes. It's also great that the books are written to incorporate past characters in a natural way.
June 8, 2009
When I heard that this book would be about Seattle FBI agent Nick Ward, a relatively minor character in the previous McCloud Brothers books, I wasn't sure what to expect. To me he just seemed like an arrogant jerk, and I was curious what kind of story the author would come up with for him. Well, I was not disappointed! Shannon McKenna gave Nick a fully fleshed out backstory (including a heartbreaking childhood) that explained why he acted the way that he did. And while he still acted like an arrogant jerk sometimes, he was a vulnerable, lovable, arrogant jerk, afraid of being hurt and disappointing others. And Ms. McKenna paired him with the perfect heroine: bold, loving, understanding, and gutsy Becca Cattrell.
Basically, the plot is that Nick, no longer working for the FBI, is working on his own trying to infiltrate the organization of notorious, vile Russian mobster Vadim Zhoglo. Nick wants to avenge the death of Sergei, a Russian undercover agent who was working with him on a case, and who Zhoglo had brutally tortured and killed. Sergei has a young 12 year old daughter, Sveti, who was also abducted by Zhoglo, but for what purpose--was it child slavery, or something even more sinister? Nick vows to avenge Sergei's death, find Sveti, and reunite her with her mother.
Becca, an events coordinator at a local hotel, has an embarrassing breakup with her fiancee, and retreats to a friend's house on a secluded Seattle island to lick her wounds. She's told that she can use the neighbor's pool, and it's when she decides to take a midnight skinnydip that she runs into Nick.
Nick has managed to infiltrate Zhoglo's organization, working security at his island retreat. He spots Becca trespassing, and it's lust at first sight (for both of them!) When Zhoglo arrives the next day, finding Becca there, he assumes Nick brought her there for his (Zhoglo's) sexual pleasure. Nick has to think fast and bring Becca in to his plan, or risk blowing his cover. But can he protect her from Zhoglo, who clearly wants to use her for his own enjoyment, without getting them both killed?
Nick and Becca spend the rest of the time on the run from Zhoglo and his henchmen, while stumbling upon the real reason why Sveti and other children have been abducted. This subject matter involving the children is upsetting and sometimes gruesome, but it plays a key part in Nick and Becca's budding relationship.
Once again the McCloud brothers, spouses, and friends make appearances. There's a big wedding scene where everyone appears (including Tamara). Also, there are some suspenseful scenes at the climax where everyone is involved trying to save the children from a terrible fate that awaits them.
I loved this story--it was a one day read for me--I simply could not put it down! Nick and Becca sizzle as a couple; the love scenes are frequent, hot, and memorable (especially a hot tub scene!) Of course. Nick almost blows it with Becca at the end, showing a real lack of faith in the relationship. Nick is a typical McKenna hero: alpha, agressive, arrogant, but also sweetly vulnerable. Becca was a good match for him: sexy, brave, and takes no guff. The suspense was intense, the villains disgusting. McKenna gets better and better with each book--this one was 5 stars all the way!
Basically, the plot is that Nick, no longer working for the FBI, is working on his own trying to infiltrate the organization of notorious, vile Russian mobster Vadim Zhoglo. Nick wants to avenge the death of Sergei, a Russian undercover agent who was working with him on a case, and who Zhoglo had brutally tortured and killed. Sergei has a young 12 year old daughter, Sveti, who was also abducted by Zhoglo, but for what purpose--was it child slavery, or something even more sinister? Nick vows to avenge Sergei's death, find Sveti, and reunite her with her mother.
Becca, an events coordinator at a local hotel, has an embarrassing breakup with her fiancee, and retreats to a friend's house on a secluded Seattle island to lick her wounds. She's told that she can use the neighbor's pool, and it's when she decides to take a midnight skinnydip that she runs into Nick.
Nick has managed to infiltrate Zhoglo's organization, working security at his island retreat. He spots Becca trespassing, and it's lust at first sight (for both of them!) When Zhoglo arrives the next day, finding Becca there, he assumes Nick brought her there for his (Zhoglo's) sexual pleasure. Nick has to think fast and bring Becca in to his plan, or risk blowing his cover. But can he protect her from Zhoglo, who clearly wants to use her for his own enjoyment, without getting them both killed?
Nick and Becca spend the rest of the time on the run from Zhoglo and his henchmen, while stumbling upon the real reason why Sveti and other children have been abducted. This subject matter involving the children is upsetting and sometimes gruesome, but it plays a key part in Nick and Becca's budding relationship.
Once again the McCloud brothers, spouses, and friends make appearances. There's a big wedding scene where everyone appears (including Tamara). Also, there are some suspenseful scenes at the climax where everyone is involved trying to save the children from a terrible fate that awaits them.
I loved this story--it was a one day read for me--I simply could not put it down! Nick and Becca sizzle as a couple; the love scenes are frequent, hot, and memorable (especially a hot tub scene!) Of course. Nick almost blows it with Becca at the end, showing a real lack of faith in the relationship. Nick is a typical McKenna hero: alpha, agressive, arrogant, but also sweetly vulnerable. Becca was a good match for him: sexy, brave, and takes no guff. The suspense was intense, the villains disgusting. McKenna gets better and better with each book--this one was 5 stars all the way!
August 28, 2017
This is one of the most intense suspense books I've ever read!
The bad guy is horrible!
The romance is awesome, hot and extremely un-mushy!
The suspense... Jesus! Uber exciting, intense, edge-of-the-seat reading material.
I can't recommend this enough! Wow!!
February 21, 2009
I really liked this book, and I would´ve given it a 5-star rating if not for the insights into the villains´s minds. I´m not squeamish about reading violence, but I felt that they were over the top in this book. They were just too much for me to take, and I had to speed read most of the scenes that described their hideous actions.
But I loved Becca and her sassy mouth, and Nick and his caveman attitude (all for show, because even he knew that Becca had him wrapped around her finger).
But I loved Becca and her sassy mouth, and Nick and his caveman attitude (all for show, because even he knew that Becca had him wrapped around her finger).
October 9, 2016
I gave this book a B+ for the narration and B- for the story at AudioGals.
Narrated by Nelson Hobbs
If you love your romantic suspense with a big serving of erotic romance, then Extreme Danger may just be what you’re looking for. I must admit that I hadn’t previously listened to any other books by Ms. McKenna, so the heat level of this romance caught me off guard, which definitely affected my enjoyment of this title. In the past, my experience with romantic suspense had been limited to authors who focused on the suspense with a touch of romance (think Sandra Brown), but Ms. McKenna’s books definitely seem to follow a different recipe: lots of steamy erotic scenes with a suspense plot layered in. On the plus side, the narration by Nelson Hobbs is above average making this a good choice in audio format if it fits the type of romance you are looking for.
See the full review at AudioGals.
Narrated by Nelson Hobbs
If you love your romantic suspense with a big serving of erotic romance, then Extreme Danger may just be what you’re looking for. I must admit that I hadn’t previously listened to any other books by Ms. McKenna, so the heat level of this romance caught me off guard, which definitely affected my enjoyment of this title. In the past, my experience with romantic suspense had been limited to authors who focused on the suspense with a touch of romance (think Sandra Brown), but Ms. McKenna’s books definitely seem to follow a different recipe: lots of steamy erotic scenes with a suspense plot layered in. On the plus side, the narration by Nelson Hobbs is above average making this a good choice in audio format if it fits the type of romance you are looking for.
See the full review at AudioGals.
September 15, 2009
Extreme Danger presents us with Nick Ward’s story. He’s Conner McCloud’s ex Fed partner. Nick had a role in Conner’s book and he was kind of jerk, and I didn’t think much about him. He is a serious bad ass, as all the men are in this series, with a horrible past. Aside from his own rough childhood, he cannot get over his last case. He was in deep cover when his Russian partner, Sergei, was murdered. Sergei’s’ young children were taken and held for who knows what atrocious crimes.
He’s no longer with the FBI, and cannot get this case out of his head, so he’s going to try to find the children and bring down this Ukrainian mob. These are some serious bad guys, here. Nick is on security detail at a mansion while waiting for the men to show up. Becca is vacationing at the house next door and was told she could use the pool at the neighbor’s house since the man is never man. She doesn’t know Nick is there. She strolls up naked and drunk in the middle of the night to use the pool and Nick doesn’t know if she has been sent to kill him or if she is really just an innocent.
The experience Becca is put through at the hands of the mob is really scary. So as not to blow Nick’s cover, he tells them she is the cook for them. However, they feel she is there to service them in whatever fashion they wish. Nick is trying to protect her and cover, not to mention his own life.
True to McKenna form, the sex scenes are plentiful and hot. Nick is an alpha but I never got mad at him like some of the other McClouds. He is so likeable and wanting love so badly that I just fell for him. Oh, did mention he’s got a perfect body with long hair and tattoos?
I’m so engrossed in this series; I cannot wait to get my hands on the next one even though it is Tamara’s story. She is a villain in the first two books and was surprised to find she’d changed into one of the McCloud’s closest allies. I was disappointed there was no mention of Kev McCloud in this book. Hoping for an up date in the next one!
He’s no longer with the FBI, and cannot get this case out of his head, so he’s going to try to find the children and bring down this Ukrainian mob. These are some serious bad guys, here. Nick is on security detail at a mansion while waiting for the men to show up. Becca is vacationing at the house next door and was told she could use the pool at the neighbor’s house since the man is never man. She doesn’t know Nick is there. She strolls up naked and drunk in the middle of the night to use the pool and Nick doesn’t know if she has been sent to kill him or if she is really just an innocent.
The experience Becca is put through at the hands of the mob is really scary. So as not to blow Nick’s cover, he tells them she is the cook for them. However, they feel she is there to service them in whatever fashion they wish. Nick is trying to protect her and cover, not to mention his own life.
True to McKenna form, the sex scenes are plentiful and hot. Nick is an alpha but I never got mad at him like some of the other McClouds. He is so likeable and wanting love so badly that I just fell for him. Oh, did mention he’s got a perfect body with long hair and tattoos?
I’m so engrossed in this series; I cannot wait to get my hands on the next one even though it is Tamara’s story. She is a villain in the first two books and was surprised to find she’d changed into one of the McCloud’s closest allies. I was disappointed there was no mention of Kev McCloud in this book. Hoping for an up date in the next one!
September 28, 2010
Wow. Another winner in sex, fear and suspense. I love this author.
During much of the reading of this book, I felt scared. The villian Zhoglo was evil. The things he threatened to do and actually did were horrendous. He was into rape, torture, murder and kidnapping children and young adults, who were imprisoned to be used later for organs to transplant. He would kidnap children, siblings and spouses of people as a way of blackmailing those people into doing what he wanted.
True to McKenna's form there were a lot of graphic, erotic sex scenes. I loved the characters. Tam had a wild and surprising role toward the end. She has had minor but important roles in other McKenna books as well. I had only one complaint which I will decribe below, but it wasn't enough for me to bring down the 5 star rating.
CAUTION SPOILER:
Becca lied to Nick about something toward the end which caused a big problem. I saw no reason for her to lie. It was out of character for her to do this, and I didn't like it. This lie annoyed me. It was a weak plot point. I wish the author had used a different method to create the problem. But, in spite of this weakness, I still loved the book.
Sexual language: strong. Number of sex scenes: eighteen. Setting: current day U.S. Copyright: 2008. Genre: romantic suspense thriller.
For a list of my reviews of other Shannon McKenna books, see my 5 star review of “Ultimate Weapon” posted 11/15/08.
During much of the reading of this book, I felt scared. The villian Zhoglo was evil. The things he threatened to do and actually did were horrendous. He was into rape, torture, murder and kidnapping children and young adults, who were imprisoned to be used later for organs to transplant. He would kidnap children, siblings and spouses of people as a way of blackmailing those people into doing what he wanted.
True to McKenna's form there were a lot of graphic, erotic sex scenes. I loved the characters. Tam had a wild and surprising role toward the end. She has had minor but important roles in other McKenna books as well. I had only one complaint which I will decribe below, but it wasn't enough for me to bring down the 5 star rating.
CAUTION SPOILER:
Becca lied to Nick about something toward the end which caused a big problem. I saw no reason for her to lie. It was out of character for her to do this, and I didn't like it. This lie annoyed me. It was a weak plot point. I wish the author had used a different method to create the problem. But, in spite of this weakness, I still loved the book.
Sexual language: strong. Number of sex scenes: eighteen. Setting: current day U.S. Copyright: 2008. Genre: romantic suspense thriller.
For a list of my reviews of other Shannon McKenna books, see my 5 star review of “Ultimate Weapon” posted 11/15/08.
April 28, 2008
I had a really hard time getting into this book. Usually I enjoy McKenna's stories, but this one just didn't grab me for whatever reason. It could have been the way the book began, with the super nasty Zhoglo plying his evil, or maybe it was Nick's over-the-top "I am MAN, hear me roar" attitude. I'm a fan of dominant alpha males, but every so often while reading this book I kept thinking that McKenna may have trying too hard to push Nick's super macho image. Whatever it was about the book, I just kept putting the it down every few chapters to go do something else. Once I got to about halfway through, it wasn't as bad, but the first half took me forever to finish. So yeah, not one of my favorites by McKenna, but I won't say it downright sucked.
July 23, 2011
My first book by this author and I really enjoyed it. I loved Nick, how he lets Becca start to see his tender and sweet-guy side, and how he lets his need for her really show through. I thought they were a great pairing and while I had read some people's comments about Becca being annoying, I didn't find her to be - and I'm pretty harsh when it comes to some of these heroines. I didn't like her snapping out comments and was annoyed that she didn't tell him something that then led to a Misunderstanding, but despite these things I still enjoyed her.
The connection between them is instant and attraction-based, but I knew that going in and for me that makes all the difference. If I had been expecting a romance-romance, I would have been disappointed, but I had read enough reviews to know how the relationship would play out, so I was able to relax, enjoy it, and not worry overmuch about my usual need for a deep emotional / intellectual connection (does this sentence sound odd to anyone else?!). Becca and Nick are a good pair and the attraction between them feels real, with sizzling chemistry.
In the second half, the relationship moves a little too quickly for me and is a little unbelievable - they've only known one another for a few days and they haven't exactly been a regular couple of days - but oh well. I mean, what exactly about this book was believable?!
The suspense subplot was a good one and I liked that the reactions by the leading characters were so realistic (for the most part) throughout. Becca's life is at risk and she's threatened with rape - so guess what, she reacts like a normal person was and is afraid! Wow, how unusual! I hate in romances where the danger(s) that the leading characters face does not elicit any type of normal reaction on the fear-scale; it makes the threat feel completely ridiculous and pointless to the reader. That didn't happen here, which I appreciated.
It is part of a series (Book 5), but I didn't feel out of the loop. I had read reviews for the other books, so had somewhat of a sense of the connections between them and who people were, but not much. Doesn't detract from the experience if you read this as a stand-alone, though there are some events that happened in the past that I definitely did not completely get - they impact Nick, so they're important - and I think those things occurred in previous books, so that was a little annoying. Nothing major though.
Overall, great read. Look forward to exploring this author's other books.
{ Funny Quote }
(Written July 23, 2011)
The connection between them is instant and attraction-based, but I knew that going in and for me that makes all the difference. If I had been expecting a romance-romance, I would have been disappointed, but I had read enough reviews to know how the relationship would play out, so I was able to relax, enjoy it, and not worry overmuch about my usual need for a deep emotional / intellectual connection (does this sentence sound odd to anyone else?!). Becca and Nick are a good pair and the attraction between them feels real, with sizzling chemistry.
In the second half, the relationship moves a little too quickly for me and is a little unbelievable - they've only known one another for a few days and they haven't exactly been a regular couple of days - but oh well. I mean, what exactly about this book was believable?!
The suspense subplot was a good one and I liked that the reactions by the leading characters were so realistic (for the most part) throughout. Becca's life is at risk and she's threatened with rape - so guess what, she reacts like a normal person was and is afraid! Wow, how unusual! I hate in romances where the danger(s) that the leading characters face does not elicit any type of normal reaction on the fear-scale; it makes the threat feel completely ridiculous and pointless to the reader. That didn't happen here, which I appreciated.
It is part of a series (Book 5), but I didn't feel out of the loop. I had read reviews for the other books, so had somewhat of a sense of the connections between them and who people were, but not much. Doesn't detract from the experience if you read this as a stand-alone, though there are some events that happened in the past that I definitely did not completely get - they impact Nick, so they're important - and I think those things occurred in previous books, so that was a little annoying. Nothing major though.
Overall, great read. Look forward to exploring this author's other books.
{ Funny Quote }
Sometimes he wondered how men lived to adulthood, let alone old age, with that much concentrated stupidity dangling between their legs. (p. 17)
(Written July 23, 2011)
September 18, 2011
To get away from the fallout of her fiance’s ugly betrayal, Becca Cattrell takes up her boss’s offer of a secluded vacation spot- only to find herself in the middle of a deadly game of cat and mouse.
Nick Ward has no idea who the naked babe is dipping in his pool but he knows she shouldn’t be there. Initially thinking she’s a gift from the scumbag he’s trying to kill, he soon realizes she’s at the wrong place, wrong time and scares her off. But when she returns to get something she left behind- at the worst possible time, the game changes and now he must blow his cover in order to get her out.
Now the Russian mafiyosa boss Nick is after has set his sight on Becca and will stop at nothing to get her- and the man who betrayed him.
In the midst of all the danger the heat between Nick and Becca intensifies and it doesn’t let up- even when Nick knows he should let her go. But the game has gotten bigger and the only way out is to stick together until he gets his man.
The plot starts off as typical romantic suspense-altho the H/h's interactions and initial situation was anything but typical. It gets even deeper when Becca’s family gets sucked into the badness. The bad guys are over the top evil but that’s ok with me because I like a baddie I can really hate- and you are gonna hate these guys.
Nick Ward is one tough number. His life has made him hard but naturally Becca brings out the softness- and when he finally gives in to his desire for her, he burns up the pages. Becca is sweet and yes I loved her too. She’s all feminine and likes her comfort, but she also had the strength to raise her siblings when her parents died. She feels damn real and that’s something I always like about Mckenna’s characters. She makes it easy to get them
Like most of Mckenna’s Mccloud Brother’s series this is one hot number. Startling steamy scenes interposed with tense romantic suspense and you get a page turner that ranks right up there with some of my favorites in the genre.
Mckenna’s heroes are demanding and sometimes mean but they always get their man- and their HEA. I love ‘em.
Even as a re-read, a good way to while away a rainy day.
4.5 out of 5 from me!
Nick Ward has no idea who the naked babe is dipping in his pool but he knows she shouldn’t be there. Initially thinking she’s a gift from the scumbag he’s trying to kill, he soon realizes she’s at the wrong place, wrong time and scares her off. But when she returns to get something she left behind- at the worst possible time, the game changes and now he must blow his cover in order to get her out.
Now the Russian mafiyosa boss Nick is after has set his sight on Becca and will stop at nothing to get her- and the man who betrayed him.
In the midst of all the danger the heat between Nick and Becca intensifies and it doesn’t let up- even when Nick knows he should let her go. But the game has gotten bigger and the only way out is to stick together until he gets his man.
The plot starts off as typical romantic suspense-altho the H/h's interactions and initial situation was anything but typical. It gets even deeper when Becca’s family gets sucked into the badness. The bad guys are over the top evil but that’s ok with me because I like a baddie I can really hate- and you are gonna hate these guys.
Nick Ward is one tough number. His life has made him hard but naturally Becca brings out the softness- and when he finally gives in to his desire for her, he burns up the pages. Becca is sweet and yes I loved her too. She’s all feminine and likes her comfort, but she also had the strength to raise her siblings when her parents died. She feels damn real and that’s something I always like about Mckenna’s characters. She makes it easy to get them
Like most of Mckenna’s Mccloud Brother’s series this is one hot number. Startling steamy scenes interposed with tense romantic suspense and you get a page turner that ranks right up there with some of my favorites in the genre.
Mckenna’s heroes are demanding and sometimes mean but they always get their man- and their HEA. I love ‘em.
Even as a re-read, a good way to while away a rainy day.
4.5 out of 5 from me!
December 27, 2014
Extreme Danger
3.5 Stars
Nick and Becca's romance is very engaging (up until the moment he behaves like an asshat). Becca is another of Shannon McKenna's naive yet strong willed heroines who have no problem coping with the alpha male heroes. Nick has an excessive amount of testosterone but manages to come across as endearing despite his overbearing attitude and terrible deductive skills.
While McKenna is skilled at writing truly despicable villains (Zhogolo is up there with the worst of the worst), the storyline revolving around human trafficking for the purpose of illegal organ harvesting is exceedingly far fetched and the climax and resolution are rushed. Moreover, there is an overabundance of sex scenes that overshadow both the characterization and the plot, which would have been better served with fewer orgasms and more action scenes.
Despite its problems, this is a fun series and I look forward to the next book in which cold and calculating Tamara apparently meets her match.
3.5 Stars
Nick and Becca's romance is very engaging (up until the moment he behaves like an asshat). Becca is another of Shannon McKenna's naive yet strong willed heroines who have no problem coping with the alpha male heroes. Nick has an excessive amount of testosterone but manages to come across as endearing despite his overbearing attitude and terrible deductive skills.
While McKenna is skilled at writing truly despicable villains (Zhogolo is up there with the worst of the worst), the storyline revolving around human trafficking for the purpose of illegal organ harvesting is exceedingly far fetched and the climax and resolution are rushed. Moreover, there is an overabundance of sex scenes that overshadow both the characterization and the plot, which would have been better served with fewer orgasms and more action scenes.
Despite its problems, this is a fun series and I look forward to the next book in which cold and calculating Tamara apparently meets her match.
November 19, 2014
I'm not a fan of romantic suspense but this was rated well by a reviewer I follow. Unfortunately I found it unbelievably dumb. The MC's were dumb, the plot was dumb and I felt dumb while I was reading it. I didn't finish but what I read is probably around the 2 star mark for me.
October 27, 2013
Ugh. Ugh, ugh, and triple ugh. I read this after reading a glowing review on a romance review site. I am not normally a big romantic suspense reader but I figured hey, let's branch out. UGH.
In no particular order, here's why this book did not work for me:
- The vocabulary between the two main characters was vulgar. As in, not occasionally crass, or using some dirty words during sex, but ALL THE TIME. Tits. Muff. Uh, is this a 1980s 14-year-old boy's fantasy? Who says "muff"? Really? Not just vulgar but dated.
- The heroine - a class-A bubblebrain - allows the hero to fondle and finger her the minute she meets him (which, might I add, she does buck-naked, having been skinny-dipping in his pool for the hell of it. Einstein, she is NOT.) and instead of feeling terrified/revolted/violated/upset she is TURNED ON. This is pretty much the pattern for the entire book between the two main characters.
- Both of these airheads are turned on by being "in danger"; what this actually means is, they have uncontrollable urges to have sex during every conceivable opportunity whether this is horrendous timing or not. House full of monsters downstairs ready to kill us? Let's get it on. Mobsters at large, ostensibly hunting for us, and our siblings are coincidentally missing and not answering their phones? Sexytimes ahoy. Hours, or even minutes, before unknown numbers of children are slaughtered for their organs? Could not possibly want you more. Sorry I'm NOT sorry: about 85% of the sex in this book was of the most ill-timed, selfishly gratuitous, unromantic kind possible. And it is sandwiched in between scenes of torture, murder, pedophilia, child rape, etc etc etc. Because what else gets you in the mood for sex like child rape and torture? Amiright?
- The hero is, of course, OBSCENELY large. Your average female could not possibly accommodate his prodigious girth and length. The heroine must have a magic hoo-ha then because not only can she handle him, she can do it repeatedly and for hours. Sigh. Yeah, right. It's probably a bad sign when you flip past every single sex scene....
- The heroine is dumber than a box of rocks. She has no intuition, no common sense, and no brain cells, that I could tell. She can cook a gourmet meal at the drop of a hat and be a BJ champion despite only ever having READ about it, but she willingly seeks out a guy who fondles her within seconds of meeting her, tells a mobster her real name, bungles the hero's investigation at every turn, screams at him when she should be silent and is silent when she should be screaming. YES, the hero is a douchecanoe of the first order. But the heroine was a bimbo extraordinaire. Just goes to show you that if you possess a pretty face and a great pair of airbags it doesn't matter how much air you've got between your ears. Sigh.
- Apparently the main bad guy gives our heroine a "paper cut" of sorts... on a certain sensitive area... with his *fingernail*. Which incapacitates our fair lady for a day or two. And which the hero has to "work around." !!!!!!!!! SERIOUSLY??!?!?!!??!?!!?!?!?
Based on the enjoyment factor of pure WTFery, I was tempted to rate this book higher. However, I just can't do it. Apparently, this book has a 4.19 (at the time of this review) rating. Am I missing something? I didn't find this book romantic (AT ALL), I didn't find it sexy (AT ALL), and it wasn't all that suspenseful (it was obvious, at least to me, that nothing was going to happen to any of "the good guys").
I will leave the rest of this author's works for those who like it. As for myself, I will pass.
In no particular order, here's why this book did not work for me:
- The vocabulary between the two main characters was vulgar. As in, not occasionally crass, or using some dirty words during sex, but ALL THE TIME. Tits. Muff. Uh, is this a 1980s 14-year-old boy's fantasy? Who says "muff"? Really? Not just vulgar but dated.
- The heroine - a class-A bubblebrain - allows the hero to fondle and finger her the minute she meets him (which, might I add, she does buck-naked, having been skinny-dipping in his pool for the hell of it. Einstein, she is NOT.) and instead of feeling terrified/revolted/violated/upset she is TURNED ON. This is pretty much the pattern for the entire book between the two main characters.
- Both of these airheads are turned on by being "in danger"; what this actually means is, they have uncontrollable urges to have sex during every conceivable opportunity whether this is horrendous timing or not. House full of monsters downstairs ready to kill us? Let's get it on. Mobsters at large, ostensibly hunting for us, and our siblings are coincidentally missing and not answering their phones? Sexytimes ahoy. Hours, or even minutes, before unknown numbers of children are slaughtered for their organs? Could not possibly want you more. Sorry I'm NOT sorry: about 85% of the sex in this book was of the most ill-timed, selfishly gratuitous, unromantic kind possible. And it is sandwiched in between scenes of torture, murder, pedophilia, child rape, etc etc etc. Because what else gets you in the mood for sex like child rape and torture? Amiright?
- The hero is, of course, OBSCENELY large. Your average female could not possibly accommodate his prodigious girth and length. The heroine must have a magic hoo-ha then because not only can she handle him, she can do it repeatedly and for hours. Sigh. Yeah, right. It's probably a bad sign when you flip past every single sex scene....
- The heroine is dumber than a box of rocks. She has no intuition, no common sense, and no brain cells, that I could tell. She can cook a gourmet meal at the drop of a hat and be a BJ champion despite only ever having READ about it, but she willingly seeks out a guy who fondles her within seconds of meeting her, tells a mobster her real name, bungles the hero's investigation at every turn, screams at him when she should be silent and is silent when she should be screaming. YES, the hero is a douchecanoe of the first order. But the heroine was a bimbo extraordinaire. Just goes to show you that if you possess a pretty face and a great pair of airbags it doesn't matter how much air you've got between your ears. Sigh.
- Apparently the main bad guy gives our heroine a "paper cut" of sorts... on a certain sensitive area... with his *fingernail*. Which incapacitates our fair lady for a day or two. And which the hero has to "work around." !!!!!!!!! SERIOUSLY??!?!?!!??!?!!?!?!?
Based on the enjoyment factor of pure WTFery, I was tempted to rate this book higher. However, I just can't do it. Apparently, this book has a 4.19 (at the time of this review) rating. Am I missing something? I didn't find this book romantic (AT ALL), I didn't find it sexy (AT ALL), and it wasn't all that suspenseful (it was obvious, at least to me, that nothing was going to happen to any of "the good guys").
I will leave the rest of this author's works for those who like it. As for myself, I will pass.
March 6, 2011
Wow!!..i think it was last summer that i started reading this series and they were such intense books that i had decided to give myself a break and come back to the rest...i am NOT remembering incorrectly when i say these are intense, both sexually and storyline wise...holy cow!! They really are such enjoyable books though..talk about getting you worked up in every way possible!!
In this 5th book of the series we finally get Nick's story..he was featured in the 2nd through 4th books...he was one of Conrad McCloud's former colleagues in the FBI. Talk about a piece of work! I would say that he could definitely challenge Seth Mackey, from the 1st book, for the position of over the top, pig headed, pushy alpha male! Sadly, he became that way over time because of all the "hard knocks" he'd endured but STILL...he was lucky that he stumbled upon Becca who was able to see past his stubborn male attitude..or i guess i should say that it was Becca that stumbled upon HIM!!..and what a first impression they BOTH made!!...there was no easing into this story..it started right off with a bang!! I really liked Becca...she wasn't over the top anything...and with everything that she was put through she still remained very sweet and normal...and def. tough enough handle any situatation she was put in..including handling Nick!!
I loved that all of the past characters were very present in this book..the McCloud brothers and their spouses, Seth and Raine..they're all such great characters and it's really nice that they haven't been left in the dust just because they've already gotten their HEAs..they're all very close and it seems that they will always have each other's backs...at least that's the way it has been so far and i'm hoping that that will continue with the rest of the books in this series!
Shannon McKenna writes such crazy horrific villains for her books..very creepy!..and her story lines just suck you right in...making it very hard to put the books down...which is the reason i'm hopping right on into the next book! Was i really thinking that i was going to stop at just one!?...i'm a little bit on an adrenaline high right now from reading this book and i don't really feel like coming down from it just yet! Tam's book is up next and i'm sure, knowing how she is and has been in all of the past books, it's bound to be just as action packed and intense as all the others..if not more so because she is one wild and dangerous lady!! I'm excited to see who she is going to be paired up with...I can't wait! :)
In this 5th book of the series we finally get Nick's story..he was featured in the 2nd through 4th books...he was one of Conrad McCloud's former colleagues in the FBI. Talk about a piece of work! I would say that he could definitely challenge Seth Mackey, from the 1st book, for the position of over the top, pig headed, pushy alpha male! Sadly, he became that way over time because of all the "hard knocks" he'd endured but STILL...he was lucky that he stumbled upon Becca who was able to see past his stubborn male attitude..or i guess i should say that it was Becca that stumbled upon HIM!!..and what a first impression they BOTH made!!...there was no easing into this story..it started right off with a bang!! I really liked Becca...she wasn't over the top anything...and with everything that she was put through she still remained very sweet and normal...and def. tough enough handle any situatation she was put in..including handling Nick!!
I loved that all of the past characters were very present in this book..the McCloud brothers and their spouses, Seth and Raine..they're all such great characters and it's really nice that they haven't been left in the dust just because they've already gotten their HEAs..they're all very close and it seems that they will always have each other's backs...at least that's the way it has been so far and i'm hoping that that will continue with the rest of the books in this series!
Shannon McKenna writes such crazy horrific villains for her books..very creepy!..and her story lines just suck you right in...making it very hard to put the books down...which is the reason i'm hopping right on into the next book! Was i really thinking that i was going to stop at just one!?...i'm a little bit on an adrenaline high right now from reading this book and i don't really feel like coming down from it just yet! Tam's book is up next and i'm sure, knowing how she is and has been in all of the past books, it's bound to be just as action packed and intense as all the others..if not more so because she is one wild and dangerous lady!! I'm excited to see who she is going to be paired up with...I can't wait! :)
February 4, 2013
These books make me feel tired. They also give me a raging inferiority complex. Why don't I know how to take out deadly assassins and consciousless mad killer scientists? I can't hot wire a car. I don't know martial arts. And I don't have any sneaky weapons that I made myself stashed in my bra. And it turns out, my friends are equally dull. They don't know any of these things either. How boring is my life?
But the $64,000 question: if the love of your life is a real jerk because he's under a lot of stress while he masquerades as a mobster and then is an even bigger jerk because he thinks you betrayed him, then realizes he was wrong and is real, real sorry, should you take him back? I'm going with no.
But maybe that's because I'm boring.
But the $64,000 question: if the love of your life is a real jerk because he's under a lot of stress while he masquerades as a mobster and then is an even bigger jerk because he thinks you betrayed him, then realizes he was wrong and is real, real sorry, should you take him back? I'm going with no.
But maybe that's because I'm boring.
March 10, 2014
Hated every second of it !! This book made me nauseous .. I'm not even sure from where to start .. the skinny dipping had dumb all over it .. Becca's reaction to Nick was abnormal .. any normal human being would have screamed loud enough to burst some ear drums .. the mob thing was disgusting and very off turning .. the harassment .. the conversations .. it was a torture to read and the camera scene *gag* unforgivable !! I was disgusted by both Becca and Nick .. they're sick and then there's the children and the organs .. the torture .. the abuse .. the whole thing is just brutal , dark and disturbing .. but Becca and Nick still managed to be in the mood. No just no.
February 24, 2012
Wow, wow, wow!! This book was awesome. The bad guy was scary as hell( does it get worse than organ thestealing little children?) He was the devil himself, my heart was in my chest whenever he was in a scene. Nick, my my my, he is such a wonderful Alpha male character, cold, damaged, horrible past but with a huge protective instinct and a feeling of responsibility, like he has to fix the world. I loved him. Becca and him together were an explosive, passionate pair. Sex scenes were amazing !!! Anyway I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I advise you all go read it. Great romantic thriller!
February 22, 2011
My first Shannon McKenna book; therefore, a stong reason for placement on my 'favorite' shelf. It made her an auto-buy for me. It is full of non-stop action and a truly EVIL villain. Creep-oid. But the hero is swoon-worthy. There is a part where the hero does something to the heroine’s hair because she doesn’t realize the danger she is in…and I just gasped out loud. OMG! It was so good I have given it as a gift to a few people.
December 18, 2009
I really enjoyed this book from start to finish. Great story, fantastic action, HOT love scenes and really bad to the bone villians. To me this series gets better and better with each book.
So, I am going to read the last book that is out in this series now, Ultimate Weapon. Tamera's story is sure to be action packed too.
So, I am going to read the last book that is out in this series now, Ultimate Weapon. Tamera's story is sure to be action packed too.
March 29, 2009
Once again - I love Shannon.
December 10, 2014
Not my cuppa.
September 11, 2022
I felt like one of those stress balls with the bulging eyes
One minute I was enjoying the banter, relaxed, carefree
The next my chest was tightening, fearful -
How were they/them (a lot of souls fighting to survive) going to find a way out of this mess?
Flip the page and...
deep breath they got this
Flip again...
Holy hades the chemistry *fanning myself*
And then...
Yep you got it
Next Flip and everything was F×UB=AR
I wasn't sure during the first couple of chapters if this was for me. However, once things got rolling I was a lost cause
Prepare for a Book hangover - the kind brought on by an emotional rollercoaster of frayed nerves, laughter, suspense, and smoking chemistry
One minute I was enjoying the banter, relaxed, carefree
The next my chest was tightening, fearful -
How were they/them (a lot of souls fighting to survive) going to find a way out of this mess?
Flip the page and...
deep breath they got this
Flip again...
Holy hades the chemistry *fanning myself*
And then...
Yep you got it
Next Flip and everything was F×UB=AR
I wasn't sure during the first couple of chapters if this was for me. However, once things got rolling I was a lost cause
Prepare for a Book hangover - the kind brought on by an emotional rollercoaster of frayed nerves, laughter, suspense, and smoking chemistry
June 21, 2018
This is my favorite in the McCloud series. There is just something about the hero Nick that makes me melt. He's tactless, foul mouthed, a complete downer, and sinfully sexy with just the right number of tattoos and aura of danger. Becca, the love interest, is sweet, a dynamite cook, and sassy as hell. The combo is electrifying.
Nick is a side character in the previous books and an excepted member of clan McCloud, an honorary brother if you will. He meets Becca under pretty bad circumatances and let me tell you, those circumstances go from bad to worse. The author manages to paint an incredible picture of Nick and Becca by thrusting them into an unbelievablely bad situation where they only have each other.
I was very impressed by the authors realistic portrait of a vunerable woman in a bad situation. By the end of the first quarter of the book I was a huge fan of Beccas. Nick shows his true colors when he too is put into a situation with no real out. This book was an utter thrill ride from chapter one.
The middle of the book slows down as Becca and Nick learn about each other and try to build on their current "relationship". Where exactly do a couple go after they've learned to trust each other in a life or death situation but are virtual strangers in every other way? Read this book and find out! I promise you'll enjoy it!
Nick is a side character in the previous books and an excepted member of clan McCloud, an honorary brother if you will. He meets Becca under pretty bad circumatances and let me tell you, those circumstances go from bad to worse. The author manages to paint an incredible picture of Nick and Becca by thrusting them into an unbelievablely bad situation where they only have each other.
I was very impressed by the authors realistic portrait of a vunerable woman in a bad situation. By the end of the first quarter of the book I was a huge fan of Beccas. Nick shows his true colors when he too is put into a situation with no real out. This book was an utter thrill ride from chapter one.
The middle of the book slows down as Becca and Nick learn about each other and try to build on their current "relationship". Where exactly do a couple go after they've learned to trust each other in a life or death situation but are virtual strangers in every other way? Read this book and find out! I promise you'll enjoy it!
January 13, 2015
Nick and Becca's story was great. Nick is a lost soul who grew up with an abusive father and a mother who died young. He's given up on living and decides that the least he can do is go on what amounts to a suicide mission to rescue the daughter of a fellow undercover agent (now dead) from a vicious, unscrupulous international crime boss who's out to harvest and sell her organs. Then there's Becca, whose fiancé just cheated on her in a humiliating and public way. She just wants to get away for a bit, goes skinny dipping in Nick's pool (thinking it belongs to her boss's boyfriend's kindly neighbor) and finds herself embroiled in Nick's deadly mission.
This book was a huge leap forward from McKenna's previous McCloud books. There was tension and suspense almost from the beginning when Becca is caught in Zhoglo's cross-hairs. I also liked how this particular villain didn't have a far-fetched scheme that tested the limits of possibility. Stealing kiddos and harvesting their organs? Horrifying, but it happens. I liked the character of the surgeon who did Zhoglo's dirty work and Nick's confrontation with the surgeon's wife. Just little things that gave this novel some depth. Nick and Becca's relationship is later marred by a misunderstanding, as usual, and contrived though it was, I enjoyed it for the angst factor and the dramatic irony.
All in all, enjoyable read.
This book was a huge leap forward from McKenna's previous McCloud books. There was tension and suspense almost from the beginning when Becca is caught in Zhoglo's cross-hairs. I also liked how this particular villain didn't have a far-fetched scheme that tested the limits of possibility. Stealing kiddos and harvesting their organs? Horrifying, but it happens. I liked the character of the surgeon who did Zhoglo's dirty work and Nick's confrontation with the surgeon's wife. Just little things that gave this novel some depth. Nick and Becca's relationship is later marred by a misunderstanding, as usual, and contrived though it was, I enjoyed it for the angst factor and the dramatic irony.
All in all, enjoyable read.
October 22, 2016
Title: Extreme Danger
Series: McClouds & Friends #5
Author: Shannon McKenna
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 426
Heat Level: 4 out of 4 flames
Overall Star Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Kay Book Snitch
This is an oldie but goodie for me. I read it at the beginning of my romance stage, so this author will always have a special place in my heart.
Nick is an ex-Fed trying to live down a string of professional bad calls. They eat away eat him terribly. He's a man whore and has never had a meaningful relationship. When he's undercover, he runs into a beautiful woman who fastly becomes his whole entire world.
Becca is a self admitted good girl. She doesn't rock the boat at all. After her ex's betrayal, she tries to take a small trip to get away from it all. She stumbles into the middle of an undercover situation that's truly monstrous. The only person she can trust is a man who may be every bit as bad as the monsters.
Shannon McKenna was at the top of her game when this series first started. She went off the deep end with the mind control drugs and I stopped reading her. If you love humor, suspense, blistering sex scenes and filthy mouthed alpha males, read McKenna. She knows how to get it done.
Series: McClouds & Friends #5
Author: Shannon McKenna
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 426
Heat Level: 4 out of 4 flames
Overall Star Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Kay Book Snitch
This is an oldie but goodie for me. I read it at the beginning of my romance stage, so this author will always have a special place in my heart.
Nick is an ex-Fed trying to live down a string of professional bad calls. They eat away eat him terribly. He's a man whore and has never had a meaningful relationship. When he's undercover, he runs into a beautiful woman who fastly becomes his whole entire world.
Becca is a self admitted good girl. She doesn't rock the boat at all. After her ex's betrayal, she tries to take a small trip to get away from it all. She stumbles into the middle of an undercover situation that's truly monstrous. The only person she can trust is a man who may be every bit as bad as the monsters.
Shannon McKenna was at the top of her game when this series first started. She went off the deep end with the mind control drugs and I stopped reading her. If you love humor, suspense, blistering sex scenes and filthy mouthed alpha males, read McKenna. She knows how to get it done.
January 27, 2015
Still so good on a reread!!
The five star read, but thoughts of demotion to four stars are only because of the subject matter (no children were permanantly harmed...but burtal concept)...
Becca had a bitch of a day and finding her man and his mistress cracked up in her car with said mistresses connected to his private parts...yikes...that one just drives the day into the shitter.
Enter her lovely friend offering up a vacation home, a neighbours pool and some time off! Awesome, hit the grocery store for some fattening food, gourmet cheeses and loads of wine and take of on a lovely sojourn.
Ahhh...sounds lovely doesn't it??? Well...things go crazy from there and don't let up especially when Nick is involved. LOVE him!
This ride was brutal, bumpy and fully of breath taking action! I loved these two together and I loved Tam's bits and bites in this story. She digs into Nick unlike any other! Check it out.
The five star read, but thoughts of demotion to four stars are only because of the subject matter (no children were permanantly harmed...but burtal concept)...
Becca had a bitch of a day and finding her man and his mistress cracked up in her car with said mistresses connected to his private parts...yikes...that one just drives the day into the shitter.
Enter her lovely friend offering up a vacation home, a neighbours pool and some time off! Awesome, hit the grocery store for some fattening food, gourmet cheeses and loads of wine and take of on a lovely sojourn.
Ahhh...sounds lovely doesn't it??? Well...things go crazy from there and don't let up especially when Nick is involved. LOVE him!
This ride was brutal, bumpy and fully of breath taking action! I loved these two together and I loved Tam's bits and bites in this story. She digs into Nick unlike any other! Check it out.
Want to read
December 21, 2015I liked this one more than all the others. For some odd reason, I didn't like ANY of the previous books even though so many people were raving about them I tried reading Standing In Shadows twice and still couldn't get past half of it.
Nevertheless, I found that the previous book, Edge of Midnight, was okay (meaning I finished it) so I bought Extreme Danger. What a pleasant surprise! I loved Nick and the plot was the way I like my romantic suspense - edgy and fast-paced.
I was hooked by Tam, a secondary character, and she's exactly my idea of a RS heroine - able to kick the hero's ass and slit the villain's throat, if need be. McKenna's website says Tam's book is next so I guess Ultimate Weapon (out October 08) is that book. I can't wait!
Nevertheless, I found that the previous book, Edge of Midnight, was okay (meaning I finished it) so I bought Extreme Danger. What a pleasant surprise! I loved Nick and the plot was the way I like my romantic suspense - edgy and fast-paced.
I was hooked by Tam, a secondary character, and she's exactly my idea of a RS heroine - able to kick the hero's ass and slit the villain's throat, if need be. McKenna's website says Tam's book is next so I guess Ultimate Weapon (out October 08) is that book. I can't wait!
April 24, 2009
I love McKenna, and this high-voltage offering certainly did not disappoint. However, I do see a certain "formula" emerging to her books, and I'd like to see her change things up a bit more. She delivered in the book that follows this one, "Ultimate Weapon," and I hope she continues to do that. The heroine in this book, Becca, is one of my favorites out of all of her heroines, but I really struggled a lot with her relationship with the hero. Stockholm syndrome is actually mentioned in this book b/c it's such an issue that's right there beneath the surface as they walk that line. But what a fun walk it is!
February 27, 2015
Nick Ward is determined to infiltrate the gang that is responsible for the death and disappearance of his friend and his young daughter. Almost having his cover blown by a sexy naked intruder, he has to figure out if she is out to destroy him, or destroy his heart.
Becca Cattrell could not imagine her need to escape from her cheating ex-fiancé would end up with her finally taking risks. A little skinny dip ends up sending her life in to turmoil. Finding herself fished out of the pool, and in to the middle of a deadly mess is not what she was thinking of when she wanted to break loose.
Excellent.
Becca Cattrell could not imagine her need to escape from her cheating ex-fiancé would end up with her finally taking risks. A little skinny dip ends up sending her life in to turmoil. Finding herself fished out of the pool, and in to the middle of a deadly mess is not what she was thinking of when she wanted to break loose.
Excellent.
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