Investigating the bombing of her father's mercenary school and his subsequent disappearance, Josie McCall, trained as a soldier, teams up with her father's partner, Daniel Black Eagle, to find the truth, a dangerous alliance that leads to explosive passion. Original.
I write spicy romance books that end in an HEA. Contemporary romance, historical romance, paranormal romance…I write it all. The two things my books all have in common is lots of emotion and spice. Last year, I fell in love with a new subgenre: mafia romance. Since I write what I love to read, I started a new standalone series, Syndicate Rules where you’ll meet over the top alpha heroes in the Italian and Greek mafias as well as the Irish mob. There are arranged marriages, forced marriages, enemies to lovers, stalkers, forced proximity and lots of mafia intrigue. Morally gray is my new favorite color.
I’ve been published a while and most of my 90+ books have hit the Nielson Bookscan bestseller list, a few ended up on the USA Today bestseller list and some even hit national bestseller lists in the UK and Australia. My books have been translated into numerous languages and are for sale in dozens of countries around the world. I’ve won awards and been published with most of the big houses in New York, but my greatest achievement is touching readers’ hearts. When I hear from a reader who got caught up in one of my books, I know I’m doing what I’m meant to do.
I love writing emotionally deep stories with snappy dialogue and solid plots. I’m more grateful than I’ll ever be able to express that so many readers have taken my stories into their hearts and put my books on their reread and keeper shelves.
These Mercenary books by Monroe are very enjoyable to read, and this is only the 2nd book! I think I enjoyed Josie and Nitro as a couple more than I did Wolf and Lise, but I liked the story in the first book a bit more than the plot of this 2nd one.
Book 2 features Josie and Daniel, "Nitro", who were introduced in book 1. There was an obvious sizzle between them but their ways of holding back their feelings made Josie think Daniel hated her. When this book starts, Daniel has just become a partner in Josie's Dad's mercenary training school - of which Josie is no longer a part of. She's decided after spending her whole life as a mercenary, it's time to do something normal. But then her Dad's school is blown up, almost killing him, and then he disappears. Josie has to team up with Daniel in order to find out what happened, and in the process she learns that what Daniel actually felt for her was a burning lust, not hate.
Josie and Daniel were fun to read. Josie is definitely not your typical heroine. Her Dad started training her to be a solider at six years old. All she's ever known is that life. And Daniel...something about his dark broodiness was really appealing. They fit together very well. And the sex was yummy ;)
The one thing that bugged me about this story was that in the previous book, Ready, there's serious intimation that Josie perhaps has some kind of sixth-sense which she used to help dismantle a bomb...and there seemed to be some disgust on Daniel's part that she had such a "gift." So I was anxious to read this book to see what was up with that...and then nothing came of it. At all. There was absolutely no reference to Josie's special abilities working with bombs (if she indeed had any...and I honestly thought she did after reading book 1). It was a bit of a let down. And annoying in the sense that it makes the story feel a little incomplete because it was never dealt with (or just completely dropped).
Otherwise, I really enjoyed this one, maybe a little bit more than the first book.
((On a side note...I thought the choice of cover model for this edition sucked. Actually, all three of the cover models for these new releases of this series are awful. The guys all look way too suave for the type of characters they are))
Willing is the second book in Lucy Monroe’s Mercenary Trilogy. It’s a steamy romantic suspense read about sexy, brooding alpha mercenary Daniel “Nitro” Black Eagle. Nitro is very fitting ‘cause it’s hot, HOT, hawt! The heroine, virgin mercenary Josette “Josie” McCall, is cute and adorable, but I found her utter naivety a tad unbelievable. My main complaint is the same that I had with Ready, which is that there’s just something about Monroe’s writing that bugs me. I don’t think she writes tough, alpha males in a realistic way, and the dialogue between the H/H is cheesy, sentimental, and clichéd. I didn’t find Nitro’s 100% character turnaround convincing or realistic either. Still, it’s a fairly good romantic suspense and worth reading for the hotness. Oh, and it has one of the sweetest, steamiest deflowering scenes that I’ve read. 4 stars.
Excellent bit of romantic suspense but with lots of focus on the couple and not just the bad guys. Better than the first in the trilogy even if it isn’t as “imaginative” ;)
Daniel/Nitro and Josie sizzle from the get go. Both are strong characters and won’t let the other get the upper hand. They both think the other hates them but when they find out what the real low down is sparks begin to fly and sky high too! The sex scenes will leave you gasping and Daniel is the consummate lover (!) This is more “restrained” erotica than a regular romance –pass the ice please 8-)
AAH! It was so good! I loved Nitro, or Daniel's, story. We first met Josie and Nitro in Ready and there somewhat of a spark that they both denied. This one starts out with Josie leaving the mercenary life and planning to start a new career. Daniel has just purchased half of her dad's mercenary training school. In the beginning, both are hot for each other, but are blind that the other one actually likes them. There is action, mystery, romance and HOT SEX. *Fanning face*....
I'm very interested in 'and Able', the conclusion to the series.
Josie McCall grew up in a world not many people get to live in, much less see. Since before she was ten years old she's been immersed in the life of a solider and now that she's twenty six, she's tired of it and wants to finally experience a normal life. She turns down her father's offer of a partnership in his mercenary school and he in turn offers it to Daniel Black Eagle, aka Nitro, the man Josie has been in lust with since the moment she met him. Nitro, on the other hand, seemed to despise her the moment he met her and so she's been secretly carrying a torch for the handsome merc in what she thinks is a one sided obsession. When her father's mercenary school gets blown up, she turns to her father's new partner for help. Nitro comes rushing to her aid and when Josie's father all but leaves her in his care, he steps up and confronts both her enemies and his desire for her. Being around her is wreaking havoc on his control and control is the one thing that Nitro strives for. Josie innocently inflames his obsession for her and the next thing she knows, the man who she thinks can't stand her, is all but throwing himself at her. She rejoices in his desire and revels in her new found femininity and when the two aren't rolling around in the sack, Nitro and his friends, Hotwire and Wolf all join up to help investigate the explosion. With her father MIA and reporters camped out on her doorstep, Josie needs Nitro more than ever and while he's refusing to promise her forever, he can promise her today, and all the days he can get after that.
This was kind of blah. I mean it was okay, but it was missing something. That spark of chemistry or that hint of magic, what ever it was, I just felt like something was missing. There was good flow, good interactions with both Josie's father, her roommate and some nice cameos from Wolf, Lise and Hotwire. Everything was in it's place, yet I didn't enjoy this one as much as I wanted to.
Josie grew up tough as nails. She's on the small side of average and so she's always had to work harder at bringing a man down. Her skills at being a mercenary have all but squashed any hints of womanly softness so when she decides to give up the life of a soldier of fortune, she's eager to embrace whatever femininity she has. Unfortunately, she's completely clueless when it comes to seduction or even simple male anatomy. While she may notice a male erection, most notably Nitro's, she just assumes it's a sign of male virility and has nothing to do with her. WTF? Male virility? Please, gimme a break. Her rationale was just silly and while I normally like cute, ditzy behavior in a heroine, this was just too stupid for words. When she does realize that Nitro's erection is because of her, she eagerly jumps in the sack with him and vice versa. Nitro is adamant that he give her a wonderful night and he's determined to make her first time as memorable as possible. I'm just going to say that I thought he went a little overboard with the whole wining and dining thing, but you can be the judge of that when you read it.
The plot of this story was practically non existent. Josie's father nearly dies in an explosion that levels the mercenary school and when he suddenly goes AWOL on her, Josie and Nitro are forced to look for clues in the rubble and in a bunch of old journals. There are some interesting glimpses in the psyche of a paranoid Vietnam war vet but ultimately the bad guys are never named or fully explained. Maybe I missed it but I don't think Lucy Monroe even gives a reason as to why the bad guys blew up the school. The only theory that was bandied about was just too stupid for words and I guess I blocked it from my memory.
Daniel Black Eagle, a.k.a Nitro, was an interesting mix of obsessed alpha male and tortured little boy. He's still letting the past dictate his future and of course, he has to let Josie know right away that there is no future with him and his obsession with her is only physical. So as soon as he sates himself on her body, he's just going to be the first notch on her belt. But he immediately marks his territory whenever someone with testicles looks her way and he seems to enjoy letting everyone know that she belongs with him. That's a lot of mixed signals and since Josie is clueless to begin with, no wonder the poor girl was confused.
I could go on and on about the little things in this story. One thing I really enjoyed was that there was some humor in the book and even though Nitro states his obsession for her is only physical, when she's put out of commission due to her "monthly" he becomes as worried, sweet and tender as only a romance hero can be and it was very "awww" worthy.
All in all, I am recommending this book. It was okay, not great, but enjoyable only if one was interested in and committed to this series. Unfortunately, what hooked me on to this series was the whole gimmick with the titles, Ready, Willing and Able, and I started reading without really knowing what the books were about. With the amount of books I have available to read, I guess I was just upset I chose to invest my time in these. I would read this book and this series only when you have nothing left to read from your top tier of authors. I'm placing Lucy Monroe's Ready and Willing firmly in the 'B' category. It's not good enough for the A list but nor is it junk to be consigned to the C list. Willing was a good, solid B for effort.
Three stars (tops) for this sweet , sexy, and intriguing romantic suspense involving a heroine trained from childhood to be a warrior, and the horny alpha who's always loved her. Together, with the help of characters from book 1 (Ready), they take down a paramilitary cult.
I guess I just don't get moved by Lucy Monroe's writing. This is the second book I have tried -- both in this series -- and I just didn't feel the magic. No sizzling chemistry, no breathless hopeful anticipation. Lots of fairly graphic sex, and it started early in the book, but no relationship development to make the sex emotional for me, because Josie and Daniel / Nitro have been in love for a few years, even though they didn't know it.
Okay, so they have known -- wanted -- each other for years. That doesn't mean I can immediately feel their emotions. Monroe needed to develop their relationship before dumping them into bed.
Josie's characterization was a bit odd. For a 26-year old "little warrior" she was just too clueless and naive about sex and Daniel. She asked him some pretty dumb questions about a hard-on, for example.
Something about the language is off, too. Expressions like "man alive" and "for crying out loud" (I don't like lots of profanity, so I appreciate it, but yet it sounded weird).
But not bad. Some scenes were great. An intriguing mystery, and some good secondary characters.
I was so moved by Nitro's single-minded passion for one woman only. He was so loving and giving to her and possessive as well. It left me with a wonderful feeling and I continue to think about Nitro even after reading other books. The plot was a little too simple for me, but the feelings to and from Nitro made up for it.
DATA: Sexual content: not evaluated. I read this book before I began counting sex scenes and describing the language. As I recall, it was probably strong. Setting: current day U.S. Copyright: 2006. Genre: romantic suspense.
OTHER BOOKS: I've reviewed the following Lucy Monroe books. 5 stars. Ready. Copyright 2005. My review posted 2/21/07. 5 stars. Willing. Copyright 2006. My review posted 2/21/07. 4 stars. And Able. Copyright 2006. My review posted 2/21/07. 3 stars. 3 Brides For 3 Bad Boys. Copyright 2005. My review posted 5/26/07. 1 star. Tempt Me. Copyright 2006. My review posted 5/26/07. 1 star. Deal With This. Copyright 2007. My review posted 6/14/08.
This is book #2 in the Mercenary Trilogy, but the author started another called the Goddard Project Series and it has interaction(s) with the characters from the Mercenary Trilogy.
I enjoyed this entire series (Mercenary and Goddard). Modern spy stuff with hot romance to boot! The books are large paperbacks, too. I think it is neat how she did the titles for this trilogy: Ready, Willing and Able.
Here's the series, so far. 1. Ready 2. Willing 3. and Able 4. Satisfaction Guaranteed (Goddard Project, Book #1) 5. Deal with This (Goddard Project, Book #2)...
First: This is a horrible, ugly and uninteresting cover. If I was not a fan of Lucy Monroe's work, I would not have picked it, Monroe's covers are never the best but this was ever worse than her usual.
Now that that is off my chest on to the book. I liked Nitro and Josie's relationship and I liked them. The first book, Ready, had a better story line but Willing had the more interesting couple. Their relationship was more equal and they understood each other better. Daniel (Nitro) was so romantic at times yet he was still a very alpha male. Josie is also a warrior but wants more from life. I loved their journey to self-awareness. I enjoyed the heat of their relationship.
Ahhh, a perfect book to relax with after a hectic week!
Daniel Black Eagle, aka Nitro, has just invested as a partner in an Oregon coastal mercenary training facility. When a bombing hits the school and his friend and new partner disappears, Nitro and Josie (the sr. partner's mercenary soldier daughter) are swept into the investigation.
A nice mix of suspense, relationship development and romance. I liked this! #3 And Able is on tap as a December read :-)
The plot didn't quite work. It wasn't really a suspense. It was as if a suspense plot was written in because a book about a mercenary needs a suspense plot. But, that's all ok when you read about Nitro. He's a sigh-worthy hero. I love how intense he was and how he treated Josie. He was wonderful!
Looking forward to starting the final book of the trilogy this week!
Enjoyed this one just as much as the first...there's just something about a mercenary who doesn't want to turn out like his abusive father. It makes you want to hug them and convince them they're the good guy! Looking forward to Hotwire's story!
Another hot one from Monroe, loved it. Can't wait to read Hotwire's story next. But I must say the covers for this trilogy are definitely off-base. Who chose them????? They're not bad, they just don't say "this hero is special-ops and a mercenary".
This book was okay. There wasn't anything particularly exciting about it but it was a easy read. The plot build-up was better than the actual climax of the story.
A different setting for erotic fiction. Not exactly erotic just excessively sexual. The girl's father runs a private mercenary training school. She is trained to be one too. So her life experiences of feminine likes and wants are ZERO. Goes without saying that she is an untried virgin.
The hero is daddy's business partner. A brooding reticent ex-soldier, who has had the hots for the girl since eternity. But has always been aggressively concealing it in front of her. However, except her the entire set of support characters seem to know he is desperately in lust with her, including daddy dear.
A mission crops up. A group of revolutionaries , ex students blow up the mercenary school. Daddy gets hurt. Girl rescues him. Daddy vanishes from hospital to uncover the plot. The hero is now responsible for tracking daddy, figuring out the plot, and of course taking care of the girl. The last part , he sets about doing promptly. He immediately informs her that he is going crazy not being able to DO IT with her. She readily echoes similar thoughts.
And he sets about giving the virgin a truck load of sex ed lessons. In all contrived positions and circumstances !
The investigation goes on in parallel, a little lame and not sufficiently nail biting, for a crime plot. As it takes back seat to the sex scenes. I guess that was intentional, but it looked contrived and frankly exhausting !!!! How much of sex can you read about , at a time !?!?!?!?
Finally daddy dear emerges. Plot uncovered. Hero changes his tune from lust to love. HEA.
Since its a story series, there are support characters who play the leads in other parts. Here they are just friends of the guy and girl. And useful for OM and OW jealousy tropes.
Ok read. Nothing scintillating. Rather excessive on the sex front. But the lead characters are likeable.
The 2 people being introduced more in depth brought me sooo much satisfaction! I love reading about 2 people having uncontrolled/unexplained/unintentional emotions for each other! All the bickering and teasing and then to come to a compromise to settle both ends! It brings a stir of satisfaction for me to know I wasn’t the only one that struggled! There were times I wanted to slap the doof from them but I had to keep telling myself they don’t know what I know! I always end up talking to myself out loud my kids say or husband questions! That must mean the author did her job on bringing me into the story!
Tyler McCall – Vietnam vet who saw atrocities… began a training camp for mercenaries, had a wife he loved and a child he feared for. When his wife died when his daughter (Josie) was six, he raised Josie to be a little soldier – then a full soldier – so that she could always defend herself… he wanted her to join him in training, but she joined Cordell’s group and went on actual missions – specializing in explosives. Josie – 26 years old… shot when on a mission, and her father came to her – and she fully realized that her father loved her, not the soldier he trained, not the son he never had, and it freed her to take steps to move away from being a soldier. She is getting a degree in computer programming. She has not had a normal life, being raised with and working with mercenaries, and is ignorant of male/female relationships.
Daniel / Nitro raised on an Indian reservation – his father, an artist, was abusive when he drank… Nitro joined the army at 16 (lied) to get away from him, and to take away the main reason his parents fought… he did not return home after his first tour, and his father killed his mother (by accident) in a fit of drunken rage – and is in prison. He swore to never love, to never be vulnerable like his mother, and he feared the anger he carried (though self control mastered under Sergeant Cordell) would make him too much like his father – and therefore a potential threat to a wife and children.
And there is attraction between Josie and Daniel – but Josie doesn’t understand it, and Daniel can’t read her mixed signals – and Daniel can think of (or be with) anyone but her… they crossed the country together in the last book, as Wolf and Lise, and when Daniel finally gave into his impulses and kissed her, she thought it was part of the cover and walked away…
And now Daniel is buying into her father’s training facility as a partner, since Josie does not want it… (and because her father sees their attraction). The facility is between trainings, and Josie spends the night there (after spending the day with her father and Daniel – having completed placing his files on computer)… and Josie can’t sleep (thinking about Daniel)… and she goes for a walk, when she feels the ground shake, and knows that a bomb has exploded… she rushes back to the complex, rescues her father from his secret room where a portion of the wall fell on him, and drags and unconscious Tyler to her jeep, and into town to the hospital (calling the forest service about the fire)… he wakes, but seems to have some memory loss – they take him to a room, he insists she call Daniel, he asks for some privacy to clean up – she goes to him 30 minutes later, and he is gone, leaving her a note to read his journals.
So Daniel, and Claire, and Hotwire, and Josie are working hard to figure out what is happening… and in the lulls Daniel and Josie are learning about each other… some very touching scenes as they learn to communicate – to understand and vocalize their own feelings and to understand the others… and to make love… and to have fun…
Ultimately, a white supremist group who have isolated themselves came up with a plan to send some of their men to the camp to be trained, then to destroy the records and kill the trainer… Josie, her father and the rest go into the camp – take the 4 men & their data and deliver them to the FBI… Josie is in charge of retrieving the data, and is interrupted by a 6 year old boy who wants to join his father on guard duty, and shoots her in the leg… and Daniel scoops of the kid, takes the gun, returns him to his mother (after restraining him so he can’t sound the alarm) – and realizes if he could treat this child so gently after he shot his love, he can take care of children…
So 4 weeks later, Dad is married to a gardener he met on the plane and he’s giving up his training camp… Daniel is joining Hotwire & Wolf in a security business – where he engineers whole buildings (like his and Wolf’s) for security and optimal use of the environment… and Daniel and Josie are married… ahhhh
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
"They're the good guys fighting the bad guys. They'll get the job done - if the price is right and so is the cause. Meet three sexy men who individually are READY, WILLING, AND ABLE to got the distance - and together, are unstoppable..."
Daniel Black Eagle is a man whose past has made him a man incapable of loving and protecting a woman. He had the chance once and failed her in the worst way possible. he is a man with a temper that has taken years to learn how to control. Daniel joined the Army at the age of 16, lying about his age so he had the chance to join. He later joined the Army Rangers where his commander disciplined Daniel and his temper. He also met up with Wolf and Hotwire in the Rangers and earned his own nickname of Nitro.
Josie McCall has been trained in the art of soldiery since the age of five. Her father, Tyler McCall, is a veteran of the Vietnam War and wanted to raise his daughter to be able to take care of herself in such a cruel world. What Tyler couldn't have guessed is that to young Josie her father's love was dependent on her abilities as a solider. Over the years Josie has become one of the best mercs out there. She thought being a merc was the only option available to her. Now she's quit the mercenary business and is taking college classes in computers.
Tyler is wanting to semi-retire and wants to take on a partner for his mercenary training school. His first choice was his daughter, Josie. Josie is leaving the merc world behind so his second choice is Daniel "Nitro" Black Eagle. Soon after all the legal paperwork is put into place and Daniel is a partner, the merc school is blown to smithereens and it was no accident. Luckily, Josie was staying overnight at the school and able to pull her father to safety and drive him to the emergency room. Tyler sneaks out of the hospital leaving a note for Josie to go through his journals. Now it is up to Josie and Daniel to figure out where Tyler went and who would want him dead.
I'm glad that I decided to continue with the series. Willing was so much better than Ready. Don't get me wrong, there were still a few eye rolling moments but far less than I was expecting. The plot line was better too. For most of the book I had no clue who had caused the explosion or why and I think that helped to hold my interest. Overall, Willing was a good read. I plan to finish off the series with And Able.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
WILLING is sensitive, suspenseful, and a very sexual and sensational love story. I was ready for READY, but WILLING?....."Be still my heart"! This story was exceptional as both characters came from such interesting backgrounds. Josie was raised to be a soldier and knows nothing about relationships or love. Daniel is a hot and passionate man afraid to become involved with anyone due to his past upbringing, being raised in an abusive home full of violence. This book so touched my heart and is just another example of Lucy Monroe's gifted story telling. Book
Book Description:
Josie McCall has been raised to be a soldier, and she could be the best-if she wanted it. Instead, she left her dad's mercenary school behind for a normal job in computers. But now that someone has torched the school and her dad is MIA from the hospital, Josie's going to use every bit of her merc training to find him and hunt down the culprits who took him. Josie knows a lot about explosives, hand-to-hand combat, and tracking. What she doesn't know about is sex.
She has no idea what to do with the volcanic attraction she feels for her dad's new partner, Daniel Black Eagle. And that feels more dangerous than any bomb... Daniel knows exactly what he'd like to do about that attraction. The brooding explosives expert can't get within five feet of Josie without wanting to touch, taste, and protect her-even if he's sure she would happily drop-kick him if she knew one sizzling moment of his fantasies. But he'll save it for later. Right now, he's got his hands full figuring out who set that bomb and took Josie's dad. Daniel's sure of one thing, though-he's not letting Josie McCall out of his sight for a single second. Convincing the cutest, most desirable trained soldier he's ever met that she needs a bodyguard isn't going to be easy. But if she'll let him, he'll show her he's willing to do whatever it takes to keep her safe, and along the way, he'll make her feel every inch a woman...
Josie feels attraction towards Daniel (Nitro), but she thinks he hates her. However, she will soon learn that is not the case, when her dad’s mercenary camp blows up and he goes missing. Will they be able to figure out who is trying to kill her dad? And will they both be willing to face their passionate feelings for each other?
For this series and book, the plot is kind of normal for a romantic suspense novel. But like in the previous book, it had everything it needed to make it unique from being too normal. I still love the descriptions, events, and the personalities of the characters. :D
There are also a few scenes with Josie and Nitro interacting with Lise, Hotwire, Josh (Wolf), and it is still amusing and a little funny when they interact with each other. I find it interesting how Hotwire and Wolf try to ruffle Nitro’s feathers and his temper by using Josie, especially when Hotwire does it. ;)
Another thing I like is how the suspense in the novel makes Nitro realize his feelings for Josie. Also, this book seems to have more “feelings” issues than the first book, mostly because of Nitro’s past.
One more interesting thing is that, like the last book, it has condom scenes, which not many romance books (that I have read) mentions putting on a condom. Also, the smut scenes are very yummy, and the ending is pretty good.
This is the second book in this series, however, there are some connected stories. The connected stories are not apart of this series time-line, but they do mention the characters in this series a little bit. The connected stories are here.
There are a lot of books out there that have a strong male lead. The male protects the female no matter the circumstances but it’s not every day you read a series that has such a strong male lead & female lead. My favorite is that even though the mercenary men are strong, sexy, and protective (in that very, very sexy way) they are also very humble, sweet and sensitive. I love that even though they are all of that, the women are just as strong and vibrant in their own way. They prove countless times that they are strong enough to be own their own, to be independent, (and stubborn lol) but at the same time they need that male to counteract them. The silliness & smart-alecky interactions between the characters makes me laugh, and cry!
It’s hard to pick a favorite but if I really had to choose I would pick ‘Willing’. I love Josie and how stubborn, strong headed, independent & loving she is, at the same time so inexperienced in the matters of love, lust and sex. I love the way her and Daniel are together. They are both so much alike and yet complete opposites. He is just as stubborn as her and yet so protective, and patient when it comes to other matters.
Lucy Monroe’s writing is just so amazing, and it draws you in within seconds. I have re-read this series at least a dozen times and it never gets old.
I like to call myself a writer. I have written over 200 poems and I’m currently working on my first book. It is extremely hard and I constantly find myself on Lucy’s page[s] & my nose in her books to get inspiration.
I would defiantly recommend this series, excuse me, this author to anybody who loves to read just as much as I do.
Unfortunately my fear at the end of the first book in this trilogy, Ready, wasn't unfounded. As promising as this one started, it quickly turned out into a rather mediocre romance with a very, very, very subtle suspenseful undertone. I'm a sucker for romantic suspense where the thrill of danger intertwines with the romance and the two compliment each other and not one overshadowing the other. Unfortunately in this series the romance greatly overshadows the suspense, which, if the romance were gripping and "involving" wouldn't be such bad news, but I just can't seem to relate not to the characters not to the budding relationship between them.
At least the heroine in this book was consistent with how she was portrayed at the very beginning and not changing at the blink of an eye into a complete stranger (to the reader and to the hero). The hero was an almost carbon copy from the guy in the first book, only with a lot more emotional baggage...And sorry, the the fifth member of Il Divo on the cover sure didn't channel a monosyllable-loving, brooding mercenary.
How many books can you write with a brooding, commitment-phobic ex-mercenary and an emotionally immature, highly insecure, boring inner-monologue and self-doubt prone heroine? The answer appears to be three.
But since I'm a stubborn chick, I'll read the third, too...And hope for the best.
This is the story of Josette McCall (Josi) who is the daughter of a Vietname vet who now spends his time doing freelance training of mercenaries at his school in Oregon. After losing her mother at a young age, Josi was raised solely by her father and taught all the skills he knew in his determination to never have his daughter at anyone's mercy or have her endure some of the horrors he saw through his tours of duty.
In her mid-twenties and after a serious injury, Josi has at last decided to leave the mercenary way of life and explore a career in computers. Her father had just taken on a partner in his business in the person of brooding and dark explosives expert Daniel Black Eagle (Nitro).
When her father's compound is torched and her father disappears from the hospital she had taken him to, Josi finds herself partnering up with Daniel in an effort to discover who had destroyed the merc school and just where her MIA father has disappeared to.
Josi was a very strong heroine and Daniel was a very caring but possessive alpha male. The sex scenes were a great balance of hot and detailed without being overly technical - I didn't need to get out the Barbie and Ken to visualize what was going on.
I really enjoyed Josi going through the effort to enjoy "girlie" things and her childlike delight in them at the same time Daniel is trying to convince himself that he's not a fit long-term companion for her.
Josie McCall, raised by her soldier father after her mother died, earns her living as a mercenary. Wanting more out of life, she leaves her missions and her dad's training school behind, to get a computer science degree. She's good with computers and swaps programming ideas with HotWire, a friend and former teammate. Life's good until someone blows up the school just after another former teammate, Daniel "Nitro" Black Eagle, becomes her dad's partner.
When her dad disappears from the hospital and Daniel comes under suspicion in the blast, he teams up with Josie to track down the culprit. Trouble is that Josie's under the impression Daniel doesn't like him, but she's attracted to him. She's surprised when passion erupts on their cross country chase, but is Daniel willing to keep "his woman" if they survive the outcome?
As with the first of the trilogy, Lucy Monroe maintains the heat, romance, and suspense throughout an action packed adventure you can't put down until the last explosion.
I liked this book. I think the key to reading this trilogy is to read them apart from one another. I read the first book about 2 or 3 months ago. Then I read this one. A lot of people are complaining about this book being a lot like the first book, Ready. Well they are, but you'll enjoy them more if you put some time between them. I'm not going to go into the plot because so many already have. I just felt that the characters could have been explored more fully. I agree with a previous poster that Josie fell into bed too fast and too easily. I wanted her to stand up to him more and be the way her character is explained in the beginning. I'm tired of weak female characters that need a man to "save" them. It's crap. I thought the ending wrapped up way too fast and way too easy. The first one of the series was better. Let's hope that the final book in the trilogy is better. I'll get to in a month or so. I would recommend it as a good middle book in the trilogy.
It was OK. You can definitely feel Ms Monroe's harlequin background in the writing. Daniel is supposed to be all alpha but doesn't have any idea how to talk to a woman. Josie has had a completely weird upbringing (her father was just stupid) but I still had a hard time with how much she supposedly didn't know. I haven't read the first book but you get enough of an idea about Daniel and Josie relationship before the story starts. They have the hots for each other but each thinks the other doesn't like each other. Of course after her dad's school is blown up and he goes missing is the perfect time to start an affair. Eventually Daniel tells her about his awful childhood with an abusive dad. Reading her dads journals helps Josie realize that he really loved her even with the super soldier training that started when she was 6. Cause that's real normal. Anyway the two of them hopefully will get some professional counseling to go with their happily ever after.
Another great book from Lucy Monroe!! The second in this series. This books is about Josie McCall who has been trained by her father to be a soldier. She is good at explosives, hand-to-hand combat, tracking, even saving lives if needed. But she is ready to give it all up for a normal life. She doesn't want to train anymore mercernaries. So she has told her father to find another partner. This is where Daniel Black Eagle comes into play also known as Nitro. He will be her father's new partner.
Well someone torch's the school almost kills her father. And he is MIA from the hospital. So Josie and Daniel team up to find out what is going on.
Great book. Great series!! Look for READY, WILLING, and ABLE