Storm Force

Omega Force #1

by Susannah Sandlin

As leader of the elite counter-terrorism team Omega Force, former army ranger Jack “Kell” Kellison is always focused on getting the job done. So when a Houston high-rise is bombed and the governor killed or missing, Kell’s mission is clear: infiltrate the group suspected of the bombing and neutralize the threat by any means necessary. But once Kell meets beautiful chief suspect Mori Chastaine, he realizes there’s more to this case than meets the eye. And more to Mori than any man—any human man—could imagine.

Mori Chastaine is running out of options. Suspected for a crime she didn’t commit, forced into a marriage she doesn’t want, she sees no escape—until Kell walks through her door. A lifetime hiding her true nature warns her Kell might not be who he seems. But he could be the only one able to help save more innocent humans from becoming pawns in an ancient paranormal power play. If Mori reveals her secret, will Kell join her fight? Or will she become his next target?

NOTE: To be released first as a Kindle Serial beginning March 19, 2013. Print and audio and full digital editions to be released on July 9, 2013.

Genres: Paranormal, Romance, Paranormal Romance, Military Fiction, Shapeshifters, Audiobook, Urban Fantasy

343 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 19, 2013

About the author

Pseudonym of Suzanne Johnson

Suzanne Johnson writing as Susannah Sandlin is the author of romantic suspense and paranormal romance, often set in the Deep South, where there are always things that go bump in the night! She is the author of the Penton Legacy series (REDEMPTION, ABSOLUTION, OMEGA, ALLEGIANCE and STORM FORCE (spinoff), The Collectors series (LOVELY, DARK, AND DEEP and DEADLY, CALM, AND COLD) and the upcoming romantic suspense series Wilds of the Bayou, which began with book one, WILD MAN'S CURSE (April 5, 2016) and continues with the release of BLACK DIAMOND on Oct. 18, 2016.

Awards include the 2015 Holt Medallion for Romantic Suspense (Lovely, Dark, and Deep), the 2015 Booksellers Best Award for Romantic Suspense (Lovely, Dark, and Deep), the 2013 Holt Medallion award for ABSOLUTION; a 2014 RT Book Reviews Reviewers Choice Award Nomination for ALLEGIANCE; a 2013 RT Book Reviews Reviewers Choice Award Nomination for OMEGA; and the 2014 Linda Howard Award of Excellence for ELYSIAN FIELDS (written as Suzanne Johnson).

Suzanne Johnson, writes the Sentinels of New Orleans urban fantasy series: ROYAL STREET; RIVER ROAD; ELYSIAN FIELDS; PIRATE'S ALLEY, and BELLE CHASSE (coming November 8, 2016). A novella and story collection from the Sentinels world, PIRATESHIP DOWN, was released in 2015.

Reviews

[Trish R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a solid 4 star read overall, the story was good, the characters were wonderful BUT I had a problem with a part or two. Michael Benedict was simply evil and here’s what he did: He bombed a high-rise killing more than 200 people and kidnapping the governor (Michael admitted it to Mori). Then when Mori went to Michael in order to save Kell (another stupid heroine who thinks the hero needs her to save him) Michael branded her in the middle of her back with a “B” and threw her in the attic of his mansion without food until she “begged” him to fuck her. Then when she was rescued by Kell he was ordered to offer Michael a deal to stop all this crap, so as not have the world know there was such a thing as a shifter. Now, keep in mind that Michael is a shape-shifting Dire wolf, about 6 feet long from muzzle to tail and standing waist-high to a human, and they sent Kell in to meet Michael ALONE to make this offer, and Kell is just a human. Needless to say, a fight broke out and just as Michael was about to chomp down on the unconscious Kell’s throat Mori showed up and she and Michael fought, since she was a Dire wolf, too. Now, here Michael is unconscious and Mori is about to chomp down on his throat and Kell wakes up and yells at her not to! She’d never be able to live with herself. OMG, really? It shouldn’t have mattered who or how someone killed him as long as someone did. Oh, well, it took a while but he got what he deserved. The last 2 chapters were so exciting I couldn’t read it fast enough. The battle between Kell, Mori, and Michael was awesome.

I liked that Kell was a Ranger working for a really black ops organization, along with the vamps of Penton Alabama. I liked his team too: Robin, the eagle shifter, Nik, the one with the Touch, Archer, the cougar shifter, Gadget, the tech-guy, and Colonel Rick Thomas. They were all great secondary characters. I’m looking forward to the 5th book, due out July 11th.

Kell and Mori had sex at about 27% and then again at about 86% but I never felt any real chemistry between them so I skimmed the sex parts.

And the F-bomb was used 83 times.

As to the narration: First of all, my apologizes to Alexander Cendese for the 2 stars I gave him for his narration the first time I listened to this. I hadn’t listened to too many audios at that point so I was all wrong in my ratings. I listened to him narrate this book AGAIN and he really was wonderful. I rated him on his women’s voices ONLY the first time and that wasn’t right. He absolutely did suck at women’s voices but his men’s voices and his emotions were incredible. Now that I have almost 700 books in my audible library and I can tell you without a doubt that I’d much rather have a deep voiced woman than a man with a soprano voice. I can listen to a book with the awful voice for a woman but if a man has a girlie voice I almost always stop listening. There’s nothing worse than a hero described as 6’ tall, 6’3,” 6’6,” or 6’8” with a deep sexy voice and when he opens his mouth he sounds just like a girl. Ugh!

[Ezi Chinny · Rating 3 out of 5]

This should be an audiobook that I enjoy but I found myself zoning out quite a bit. This plot was foreshadowed in so I was expecting the same kind of story or a continuation of that story. It kind of wasn’t the same bad guy etc

Mori Chastaine was part of organization accused of terrorism. They did just blow up a building with government officials and now Mori is the prime suspect thanks to her past rhetoric.

Jack "Kell" Kellison leds the investigation because he has some extra senses thanks to his shapeshifter abilities. As Kell gets to know Mori, he sees there is more to her than meets the eye. And it’s looking like someone is framing Mori.

I chose this book because I normally enjoy this author but It just didn’t keep my attention. I think the author was trying to merge a UF with a romantic suspense type storyline which was okay, but the characters didn’t really connect with me.

I like that this vampire series (Penton legacies) gave birth to one with werewolves join the fight. I just wanted more of the same gang. Mori was a tough shifter who knew what she wanted and she gave Kell all he could handle. I will try this book again in a few months and hope I can appreciate it more.

[CD {Boulder Blvd} · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wanted to like it as I have liked other books by this author and I like her writing voice. However, although I'm not a shifter fan, I found this shifter world a little underdeveloped.

[Terisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book after reading the books that started it all. It was a kindle series book so each time a new episode was released I wold get an email. Great plan if you like that sort of thing but I myself hated so I stopped reading it until the whole series was complete and then started over from the beginning. I did enjoy getting it at a lower price though so I will buy a series book again but just wait to read it.

Now for the book. I Loved it! The characters were great and the villain was someone I couldn't wait to see dead. Kell is the leader of the Omega Force team which is made up of humans, shifters and a psychic. They are looking to find a killer and are led to believe that the killer is Mory. Mory has her secrets but it has nothing to do murder.

The plot was good and I liked everything plays out in the end. I can't wait to read more from this author! 4.5 stars

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this audio from start to finish, the author gives wonderful characters with mystery you just can’t put your finger on. Oh the secrets are wonderful when you get them worked out. There are characters you are going to love and some you will hate so much you wish you could take them out yourself. You know you have a wonderful audio when you are talking and yelling to the characters. One man has it all, and he demands more by pulling Mori into the bomb he set off, you will be shocked to the reasoning and how her family deals with it all. One man stands between her and the justice she deserves. He walks in to her place of business that she has given her life to protect those animals who need protection. He isn’t what he seems but does seem to have her back. It is a guessing game as to who is behind this bombing but one thing for sure is Kell is sure it isn’t Mori now he has to prove it since the world is hunting her down. Two people on the run trying to get justice with one dangerous man at the head who demands to have it his way. Time is short, and he knows she is hiding something never in his wildest dreams did he think it was what it is. Now he has a mad man hunting the women he wants and the women going off half cocked taking the man on by herself. What is she thinking she is about to get herself killed. His hands are tied as he calls in his friends who have secrets of their own. What a delightful action packed listen that takes you to another level leaving you on the edge with your mouth hung open.

Mr. Cendese is a wonderful narrator who pulled me away from the first page, with his wonderful characters, emotions, tones and the way he laid this story out for me. I really loved his character voices as much as I did his normal voice. He has a voice you could never get tired of listening to. He bought the action alive making me hold my breath, guessing to the outcome as he threw in the surprises and twists and turns the author gives us. There were no background noise, no volume changes, no repeating of words just one amazing audio I got lost in. I could not tell where he took breaks it was just a very smooth audio that is very clear and clean. I had no trouble picturing the scenes in my mind along with the danger and suspense. He really bought the story and the characters to life for me. I have not listened to his narration before but is sure is one I want to listen to again and again. I honestly feel he is worth more than a five star, he truly did an outstanding job. I do plan on listening to this audio again I totally loved it. It is well worth your time you are in for one heck of a treat. I can’t wait to listen to more of his work.

There was nothing I didn’t love about this audio from the plot to the wonderful characters and their abilities. It is well-thought-out with lots of action, thrills and a few chills. There were times I laughed, chuckled as well as times my heart beat fast from the thrill of the excitement the characters were going through. There were times I was very upset and mad at a few characters and other times when my heart just broke for what some had to deal with. At times my mouth dropped at the shock of people and what they are willing to do for money and how her parents were. I loved the buildup of the romance as well as how they dealt with the issues at the end. The twists and turns are exciting as the author pulls you in with wonderful characters and humor that will make you laugh. I have not read anything by this author but wow just wow I can’t wait to read more of her work. She is very talented knowing how to pull you in, holding you on the edge, I couldn’t wait to see what she had planned next. It was an audio that I couldn’t put down and had to find things to do, so I could listen longer. I know Walmart is happy I didn’t plan on spending as much money as I did, but I was so into this story I just grabbed this and that. Oh I will use the items just didn’t need them when I bought them. It truly is well worth your time to give this narrator and author a chance. I bought the book and got the audio at a very good price. It is well worth the money plus more. You are in for a treat that will stay with you long after you put the book down. Ms. Sandlin you have me hooked I sure hope this is a series, I can't wait for more.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story held my interest. I liked the characters. Overall, the main storyline completed. The villain's actions were over the top. People who supported his agenda, were mentioned once or twice, but their support had no consequences. I felt there should have been some closure on the fiancé who supported the villain's plan for the heroine. I also thought the heroine's parents should have had some type of fallout for their actions. This is showing as first in a series, so maybe some additional closure will be background in another story.

[Deb B · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story and liked the concept. great characters and even though it was a stand alone it could obviously continue into a series. Listened to it in audio format and sadly this is not a narrator that i like listening to so it somewhat dulled the impact of the story

[joan johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good

I enjoyed reading this book. It has some interesting characters in it. I'm wondering if there is any more books about the other people in this book.

[Shelly L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy read

Was engaged throughout entire book. Characters exciting, relatable. Highly recommend and will be continuing the series. Can’t wait to see what’s next

[Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

[Betty Washington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a bad read

[Donna Cathey · Rating 5 out of 5]

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[Sam · Rating 1 out of 5]

Could not get into the book

[Natalie T · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kell and Mori

I really enjoyed this book and it is a shame there are no more books in this series. Loved this spin off from Penton Legacy.

[She-Wolf Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

**A review copy of the first four episodes of this serial was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. The complete serial was purchased by the reviewer for this full review.**


Susannah Sandlin is one of my favorite authors. I was borderline obsessed with her Penton Legacy series and I’m in love with her Sentinels of New Orleans series, which she writes as Suzanne Johnson. Pretty much any book this woman writes, under whatever name she chooses, I will read. When I was given the opportunity to review the first four episodes of her new Amazon serial, STORM FORCE, I was thrilled to get a taste of something new from her. I enjoyed it so much that I purchased the remaining installments so I could finish what started out as a very promising new series. For those of you who read that first review, did you wonder what I thought of the rest of the story? Well, here goes: As expected, I loved it.



First of all, STORM FORCE introduces us to a compelling cast of characters. Central to this cast are Jack Kellison, an injured ex-Army Ranger and leader of the special ops team called Omega Force; and Mori Chastaine, an environmental activist accused of committing an act of domestic terrorism – the bombing of a Houston office building. Jack is sent undercover to investigate her and sparks fly. These two have chemistry but they also have secrets. What I love about Jack is he’s this kind of lone wolf character, not many friends, not much family, never wanting to ask for help but does when he needs to; he’s strong but vulnerable, not wanting to reveal his physical pain from an injury that could put his life in danger given his line of work. Mori is also a great character though she could get a bit frustrating. She’s hiding a big secret and I just wanted her to trust Jack. She thinks she’s protecting him but she’s not. When you find out her secret, it’s not hard to understand her trust issues but I still wanted her to get over her stuff and take a leap of faith. Also, the bad guy in this story is a real ass and Mori tended to frustratingly underestimate just what an ass he could be. But what was great about her arc is that, in the end, Mori became pretty kick ass and I loved her transformation from appeasement to kickassery.



I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the rest of Omega Force. This special ops team is special in more ways than one. They’re skilled and trained but more importantly, Omega Force is made up of both human and supernatural operatives. The supernatural half of the team includes Robin, an eagle shapeshifter, and Archer and Adam, brothers who are shapeshifting jaguars. We also have Nik, Jack’s closest friend, who is human but with a special gift - he can touch an object or a person and get images that tell their history; and finally, there’s the tech genius, Garrett. The interactions between the team members are spot on. I especially like the awkwardness between Robin and Jack. They respect one another but may not like each other. Robin is full of sass and I would love to see another story that focuses on the budding romantic relationship between her and Nik.



Atmosphere and a sense of place. These are the things that always stand out to me in Sandlin’s work. You can feel the humidity of the Bayou, the danger of a brewing storm coming for Houston, the streets, the river, the land…I always feel firmly placed in the environment of her characters. And she always writes from what feels like an insider’s knowledge. With STORM FORCE, there’s a pivotal scene in which Mori and Jack are trying to get to his cabin before a monumental hurricane hits and Sandlin did a great job of describing this race against the storm. There was a palatable sense of tension that doesn’t really give up, even when you think they've made it.



STORM FORCE is a great new series with endless possibilities. I’m looking forward to seeing where Sandlin decides to go next with this team. The book ends with the opening for a new mission, but also with some heartache. I hope I see more from these guys because I need to know what happens next to this motley cast of characters.

**A review copy of the first four episodes of this serial was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. The complete serial was purchased by the reviewer for this full review.**

This review is courtesy of the site She-Wolf Reads.

[Marlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published at Reading Reality

Let me say up front that I had two problems going in to my read of Storm Force. I really, really, let me emphasize this, really wanted this to be Cage’s story. Frankly I wanted it to be his HEA in Omega, and it wasn’t, so I want to see his story pretty badly at this point, and it looks like I’m waiting until sometimes in the fall. Color me annoyed on that score, especially since I bought the book.

The plot also had some similarities to another military romance I read not that long ago, in that the hero was having a difficult time dealing with having been forcibly discharged by injury, and couldn’t figure out whether this private contract thing, with or without the paranormal aspect, was what he really wanted. The villains in both cases also have a “bwahaha” aspect.

Let’s just say that Storm Force turned out to be way better than that other book, superficial resemblances aside.

Storm Force does take place in the world created by Sandlin’s Penton Legacy series. It’s kind of a side-sequel. All of the Penton Legacy has taken place, but those characters don’t appear. At the end of Omega, Randa Thomas’ military (and still human) family creates a joint human/vampire paramilitary task force as part of the deal that resolves the story.

The hero of Storm Force is the leader of one of those joint teams, but in the couple of years after Omega, more than just vamps have joined the strike teams. The all-too-human Jack “Kell” Kellison has both eagle and panther shifters on his team.

Which makes it a bit unbelievable that he doesn’t even guess that the person-of-interest his team is sent to investigate is also a shifter, even if she’s a shifter of a species that everyone believes is extinct.

What the FBI (and everyone else) does believe is that she is either responsible for a downtown Austin bombing, or being framed for it. The question are why would a known, non-violent environmentalist suddenly turn extremist? Or who would hate her so much that they would kill over 200 people just to get her attention?

The answers require more shifts in his thinking than Kell could have ever believed possible.

Escape Rating B: As I said, this book had to win me over, because I wanted it to be something other than it was. It’s a lot different in tone Sandlin’s Penton Legacy series, with more of a military romance layer on top of the suspense. It’s also a glimpse of the rest of the world that the vamps and shifters live in post-epidemic.

Kell and his unit are definitely an interesting group. Robin, is the star of the show, she’s an eagle-shifter and absolutely snark-tastic. She loves pushing everyone’s buttons, not just because she’s the only woman, but also because she’s different in other ways. She’s the only bird-shifter in the group too. She lives to defy expectations.

Our hero, Kell, fits the wounded warrior to a “T”. He’s on the fence about having surgery to repair what can be repaired in his spine. He’s going to have to make changes in how he fights. He has to recognize that his best contribution to a team that includes shifters (all of whom are stronger than he is!) is his tactical brain and not his brawn.

He’s never risked his heart before, but the first time he meets the heroine, he knows that she can’t be the bomber. Which doesn’t mean that she’s not the focus of whatever is going on.

Mori is the heroine, and she is the focus of events. I had a bit of a problem with her. She’s trying to be both Alpha female and Omega shifter at the same time, and those signals mixed. Also she doesn’t seem to realize that the villain is psycho, and could not be reasoned with. He just bombed a building to get her attention, which should have spelled it out for everyone!!!

There were one too many final battles to get this one resolved. It took a ton of resolution for Mori and Kell to figure out not just that they loved and needed each other, but how their relationship was going to work. And then they had to have a second epic battle with the big crazy. In the middle of a hurricane on a remote island. And he should have been put down a lot sooner with a whole helluva lot less fuss.

But I still read Storm Force by carrying my iPad around the house because I couldn’t put it down. I just hope Robin’s story is coming up next.

[Sara · Rating 1 out of 5]

It was an interesting read at the beginning. But then the story shifts to a story about animal shifters. I got this as a free book, as the blurb sounded interesting. The story is anything but (in my opinion).

While I am a fan of paranormal, I am not a fan of paranormal fiction. I did not enjoy this at all. Not my genre.

[Aurian Booklover · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mori’s 25th birthday is coming up, and her time is running out. Her parents sold her in marriage when she was born, and that pact will have to be honored on her 25th birthday. Mori doesn’t want to marry the man as she can’t stand him, but she is the last female shifter of her species of childbearing age. If she does not want to doom them to extinction as their animal counterpart is, she will have to comply. All her attempts to reason with Michael Benedict have been for naught though, he will have her as his wife, and more importantly, the mother of his children, or he will destroy her and her parents.

The bombing in Houston is horrible, and Mori has lost one of her co-workers when the building fell on part of the highway. They were protesting the governor’s negotiations with foreign chemical concerns about starting a factory in the north of Texas. It is an important wild life preserve, but for the governor, the human needs are more important. The animals will just move on.

Just before Mori is taken in for questioning by the FBI and Homeland security, a gorgeous retired soldier wants to volunteer at their organisation. Reluctant at first, Mori agrees to have him help out, especially now they are being pointed at as the ones behind the bombing. People who have pledged donations are withdrawing their support en masse, and she needs to keep track of who owns them what.

The retired soldier is Kell, head of the Omega Force counter terrorism team, and he has been send to find out the truth. Is this group guilty of bombing the high rise, killing the governor of Texas and his foreign business men in the process, or are they framed. And if so, why. Kell needs to gain their trust and snoop around in the offices. And if necessary, he will get op close and personal with Mori. This is not a hardship for him, as he finds her very attractive and it has been a long time since he felt anything for a woman. He will do anything to keep his country safe, and if this woman really is a terrorist, breaking her trust doesn’t matter. But the attraction soon grows to more, and he wants to protect her, especially when he sees the nasty bruise on her face.

When Mori finds out that Michael is behind the bombing, as a special message to her, she is horrified. She cannot reveal her knowledge without revealing the reason behind it, and the fact that they are shapeshifters. The world doesn’t know they exist! She can turn to Kell for comfort for one night, but she knows she will give in to Michaels’ insane demands to prevent him from doing the same in New Orleans next week …


I am a fan of Susannah Sandlin’s Penton Legacy vampires, but I think this is her best book so far. I really enjoyed the set up, the characters and the story. At times Mori was naïve and way too trusting, but I did like her honesty and her efforts for the environment.
It was kept hidden a very long time what kind of shifter they are though, and I was surprised by the revelation. She did not really have a predatory nature, or an alpha vibe as is more usual in shapeshifters I read.

The Omega Force was a nice surprise, as it is made up of a normal human (Kell, a former Ranger), a human psychic, a human computer wizz, and some shapeshifters, including a female eagle. Robin was a great secondary character and loved teasing Kell, who had a hard time accepting that they are stronger and faster and just better than he is.

Kell fell for Mori like a log, he so did not see that coming. Now he had to choose between his mission of finding the terrorist who levelled a high rise in Houston, and being honest to Mori. Someone pointed the finger to Mori and her environmental group, and Kell did not want to believe her guilty of being able to kill so many people. But she clearly knew something, and he needed to find out what she was hiding.

As this book first came out as a serial novel on Amazon, it is fast paced and filled with action. I fell for the characters fast, and I really hope there will be more books in this series.

9 stars.

© 2013 Reviews by Aurian

[Michelle's Paranormal Vault of Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

UPDATED, I read the whole book now. Below the first review is the update.


Storm Force Review of Episode One

I can’t give a full review right now, but will give my thoughts on it so far, I will add to the reviews as I read the episodes.

For the first part of this serials book, I am very pleased. Its written very well, and I love Susannah’s work already. The first part is just enough to really get your interest up. Jack “Kell” Kellison is a very interesting character who I really like, He does seem to have a bit of a complex working with some shifters who make him feel a little bit of a lesser person I guess, lol. Especially Robin, a female shifter who is really strong.

Mori Chastaine is a very mysterious character, she had me wondering what she is, as I was getting that feeling she was more than human. But this first episode leaves us with a big question on that. I am anxious to read on.

I recommend this serials ebook for sure. It’s an interesting way to get the book.

5 out of 5 for the first episode for me.

Here is some teasers for this, I used for my Teaser Tuesday:

“Don’t eagles hunt down rats and eat them, tail and all? I bet she has ratass breath.”Nik laughed. “I’ll not tell her you said that. Why don’t you like her?”Kell shook his head. “I like Robin fine. But a hundred-pound woman who can out do me on the bench press threatens my manhood, and I’m man enough to admit it.”

And this one:

“You’ve met someone. I figured as much.” Her mother’s voice dripped with disgust. “You’re sleeping with him, I guess. At least tell me you aren’t pregnant. Do I need to remind you the child won’t be allowed to live?”Mori stared at the woman who’d given birth to her and wondered who the hell she was.

(Note: I will add to this review as I read the episodes)



5 out of 5 for the first episode for me.

Review of Episodes 2-5
Wow, this just gets better and better. I wont say anything to spoil the good stuff, no worries!

I love where this story seems to be going. Its hard to do a proper review at this time, as I only have read 1-5 so far on the episodes. Once I get the rest that are out I will update this. I should be getting them soon.

I love what I have learned of Mori, (not gonna tell you, lol,) as episode one left us hanging to know what she is. But now I know, and love it.

Boy, I sure do not like Michael, what a controlling evil bastard he is. I sure hope Mori finds a way out of the mess she is in.
I love Kell even more, he is a great guy, and I hope things work out.
I really recommend you getting these, its fun to have the serials come, and highly recommend them.

Still 5 out of 5 stars for me.

UPDATE

Ok, read the whole book now, and LOVED it!! Dang, I an so hooked now. I still think Kell is amazing, and still hate Michael, lol. I think Mori is a great female main character, still strong, and amazes me. I sure was worried at one point on what Michael was trying to do to Kell, I wont say what, but yikes. lol

This really is a great book for the Paranormal lovers out there. If you like the supernatural with shifters in it, and a strong HUMAN male hottie then you will love this. Give it a try. I still stand by my 5 out of 5 stars rating. I sure can't wait for the sequel!!

Still 5 out of 5 stars for me.

I was provided episodes from the author, then was sent the entire book, finished it all now. She sent to me for my honest review.

[Maghon Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am going to start with this... Ms Susannah, how the hell do you come up with your bad guys!! I mean seriously! This one pretty much tops the scariest one you've written so far- and you know I stalk you and all your books!! Ok, back to the review. This one is quite the interesting story. I think my favorite part is the fact that there is a lonely human surrounded by all kinds of shifters. This is really competing for one of my favorites written by this author! I also think I have a new book boyfriend... which I will now have to explain to Jake and Will :) HA!

The two main characters are Kell and Mori. I'll go with Kell first. Jack Kellison is an elite Ranger veteran. He's been on tours to the "Sand Box" and lead teams on special missions. So, when he gets the chance to lead a "special" elite team, along with his best friends from his former team, and not be put on desk duty after a serious injury, he jumps at the chance. Except... he so did not bargain for everything that came with this mission, especially Mori!

Mori is a head of an environmental activist group. All of a sudden her life is turned upside down when someone implicates her as a terrorist and bomber and kidnapper. It's crazy the things this poor girl has to go through. She has the absolute WORST family in the world. I would love a chance of some alone time with them :) Plus, she's got some serious secrets, and even though Kell knows she isn't guilty of the bombing, he certainly knows she's guilty of something- he just has NO idea what. That was my favorite part. Kell is quite the over protective caveman, Mori is a slight martyr... It made for a whirl wind ride of fantastic.

My entire favorite part of the book was the side characters. Nik is going to be MINE!! Since I somehow can't have Jake or Will... *SIGH*.... I will try really hard for Nik.... I really don't think I stand a chance with Archer after that ending as well :) Robin is my all time favorite character! She has me crying I was laughing so hard. She has my favorite attitude, with a kick ass heroine confindence, and an all time sense of humor. Plus, her "other" is just cool ;) I REALLLLLLY hope that this is not going to be the end, as I want a WHOLE lot more from this series!!

Ms Sandlin is a FANTASTIC author. She puts the perfect amount of action, romance, mystery and paranormal in all of her books to allow it to be in each category. It's also well planned. The bad guys are stunningly scary!! I mean seriously, you made your bad guy DO THAT!!!! I am still shivering from that moment. Wow. I was open jawed, shocked! You are a serious mastermind of bad guys! HA! I am not sure how else to tell you that she is a wonderful writer, other than to tell you to get her books! This one especially! :) A MAGNIFICENT WOLFISH SCARY 5 PAWS!!!

[Melliane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mon avis en Français

My English review

Susannah Sandlin has two different and very interesting series and I admit that I was curious to read this new one. I think this new book is very different from what she has written so far and although we have some supernatural aspects here, it was intriguing to have it in the background over the story. I found it interesting to have for once a human hero in the midst of creatures of all kinds. Despite his lack of powers, our hero is great to meet and discover. And like for her other books, this one does not disappoint and it was a real pleasure to read it. But what about the story exactly?

Kell is a ranger who leads a rather unusual team. I must say that it is not always easy to be at the head of shapeshifters when he is not one himself. Yet he controls everyone the best he can, with his years of experience. But the new mission will change his life. Infiltrated in a suspected organization they think as a terrorist group because of a bomb exploded in the governor’s place, our hero did not expect to fall in love with their leader: Mori Chastaine. Yet he is convinced that it has nothing to do with her, but he also knows that Mori has a big secret, and Kell will have to see through to understand what is really happening.

I admit that I was curious to understand what was really going on with Mori. She is a very private woman who has trouble to open herself up to others and yet she could use some help. We discover her gradually throughout the novel, as well as her many secrets. I confess that I did not expect about some of them. Our heart breaks while thinking about everything she undergoes to help innocent people at risk. Kell quickly falls in love with this girl … and I admit that this has bothered me a little but Susannah leads perfectly her story and allows us to quickly forget this fact. I waited to see how far he was ready to go to charm her and what he would do to save her because it was really not an easy task.

It was a good story and for once it is not really based on the extraordinary abilities of the characters of the novel. Full of action, love and evil, this is an enjoyable read.

[☕️Kimberly (Caffeinated Reviewer) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 I love Sandlin's Penton series and was excited to read Storm Force the first book in her new Omega series. Take one part shifter, one part human, and an ex-Army Ranger and shake - creating a secret elite-counter terrorism team. The results a dynamic team that you cannot help but fall in love with.

I immediately liked Jack "Kell" Kellison the leader of this elite group. He is one hundred percent human and completely swoon-worthy. He is new to the idea of shifters and the paranormal world in general and this created some great banter and a little humor. The shapeshifting side of the team consists of brothers Archer and Adam who are jaguars, and Robin a snarky eagle shapeshifter. The human side of the team are Kell the leader, Garrett a computer/techie geek who is pure genius and Nik who has the unique ability to touch objects or people and get images and history. Nik is Kell’s best friend and I loved how they had each other’s back. The brothers are yummy but my favorite character was Robin. She is snarky, smart and fearless. The interaction between her and Kell was hilarious. Sandlin gave us a fantastic villian with his own elite team and they kept me on edge.

When a building is bombed and the mayor assumed dead, the team is called in to investigate. An anonymous tip steers them towards Mori Chastaine the head of an environmental protest group. Kell goes undercover as a volunteer and quickly realizes there is something more going on. The tale that unfolds is suspenseful and action packed with a side dish of romance. Mori is complex and I enjoyed learning about her secrets, and seeing her grow throughout the novel. The romance was sweet, and felt genuine. I enjoyed the pacing, and the dynamic characters. Sandlin quickly had me invested in this elite team and its members; I cannot wait to dive into the next book.

riginally published @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's pretty rare to read an urban fantasy where the female lead is the supernatural and the male is human. I'm a big fan of the author (who also writes the Sentinels of New Orleans series under the name Suzanne Johnson), but had to wait to read this because it was originally released in serial format which I'm not a fan of. Reading the book as a whole, though, it is cohesive, and you'd never guess it was released as a serial.

The story was fast-paced with a suspense filled plot centering around a special quasi-governmental team of both humans and supes that is trying to find out who bombed a building, while also trying to prevent a second attack. The hero, Kell, falls hard for the lead suspect, Mori, but although she's not the bomber, she's got plenty of secrets of her own. The book has a little bit of everything, a suspense plot, government operatives, shape shifters, and romance, but the elements are all pretty equally balanced and I could not put it down. Although the book is relatively short, there's good character development, and I liked that Mori, who starts out as a fairly weak character, finds the mental strength to go with her physical strength as the story goes on. Meanwhile, Kell, who is has a Special Forces background, but is fully human, has to come to grips with the fact that although he is mentally strong and well-trained, physically, he's not a match for the paranormal beings that he finds himself fighting against.

There's plenty of room to write more stories about the team, but I don't think there are any in the works at this time (more's the pity, since I really want to see more of the other members, and the ending was very open for more). I'd recommend the book to anyone who likes paranormals, romantic suspense, action adventures, or straight romance.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this Kindle Serial, but it was really hard to wait for each episode to arrive every week! I thought this was a well-written PNR, and while at the beginning of the book I wanted to strangle the heroine, Mori, because of her behavior towards the villain, the last episode more than made up for that (she becomes more of an agent in her own rescue/defense). This ends with a very plausible HFN between the Hero/heroine, and I like how the romance developed over the course of the book. Storm Force had the feel of a paranormal romantic suspense. Usually I'm not a fan of RS because it's difficult to get a good balance of romance and action/suspense, but I like this mix of action and romance, even if the villain was a bit over the top at times.

I'm wondering how all the episodes will work together as a whole - if this will read as a cohesive novel in the future, now that all the episodes are completed. I believe that it will, but I think the cliffhanger endings might make for rougher transitions between chapters. I'm going to have to re-read this in the future to see what I think. The worldbuilding suffered a bit from the episodic nature of the book (length of the episodes no doubt played a part in that), but hopefully that will be more developed in future books of the series.

I enjoyed the experience so much that I will definitely read future serials in the series, and I pre-ordered another serial by a favorite author. Prior to reading Storm Force, I really wasn't sold on the idea of the serial, but I think in the right hands it can be very well done. Definitely recommend this one to readers of PNR.

[Kristin L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this story for my Kindle, and was pleasantly surprised. The author has added a few new twists on the supernatural story of shifters. I enjoyed her take on shifter politics and hierarchies. The story itself is action packed, but adds a dash of romance that adds to the storyline.

The story starts off with an elite squad of soldiers called the Omega Force team, a "collective of new human-paranormal special operations units." The team includes human ex-Army Rangers Jack Kellison (aka Kell), Gadget and Nik, who also is an telepath/empath as well as shifters Robin, an eagle, and a pair of cougar shifter brothers. They are on a case investigating suspected terrorist, Emory Chastaine. Mori is the head of the Co-Op, an environmental activist group, whose goal is to clean up the environment, not blow it up or hurt people. Soon, Kell learns that although she could never be a terrorist, that she is hiding a dark secret.

You will have to read the story for yourself to see how it unfold. Mori discovers that she is stronger than she ever knew, and Kell discovers that showing weakness does not make you a weak link. And through it all, they discover each other as well, and a love that never thought was possible. My only "complaint" (if you can call it that) is that the ending of the story just does not tie things up well. I understand there is probably a sequel, but the romantic in me wishes for a more "happily ever after" for Kell and Mori. Still, overall a good read!

[Ashleyjo · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a decent read, especially considering it was free on Amazon.

From what I understand, this book is a spin off from a different series but I read this solo and didn't have any problems following the characters or story. However, the conclusion was open-ended, like a preamble for the next step in the character's lives, but wasn't a cliffhanger or anything horribly angsty. I don't see anything else in line to make this a series... So those that like neat bows to end things might not like this book?!?

I didn't like:

The story could've been laid out better as there wasn't a lot of mystery for the reader the way the plot points were presented- bombing, shifters, bad guys/good guys, etc.

The romance was a little, uhm... Dull, lacking heat, & reluctant. The MCs themselves were even so 'meh, whatever happens' about their relationship that it was kinda hard to get into as a reader.

I did like:

The human/ shifter task force concept.

The individual character voices. Romance aside, there were several convos that had me laughing at the dry humor & visuals the author weaved into the story.

The characters were crafted to blur the stereotypes. A cocky, badass, handsome male MC that's also physically limited/flawed & maintains his moral compass. The female MC has every reason to be badass... Tall, athletic, supernatural, but her spirit has been battered and bruised by betrayals from all those near to her that she struggles to figure out how to stand up for herself.

[PepperP0t · Rating 5 out of 5]

Actually 4.75starsFor their first official outing, the Storm Force has to resolve the questions around a domestic terrorism act. Environmental crusader, Mori Chastaine is the prime suspect. Meanwhile Mori finds herself in the middle of not only the investigation but a romantic triangle that very much resembles a see-saw and not much of a safe harbor as she's betrayed on several fronts.

Team Leader, Jack "Kell" Kellison, goes undercover to find out if Mori or her organization are innocent or responsible for the terrorism and quickly comes to a conclusion but can't prove it. Circumstances draw them closer as Kell has to put on his tough alpha armor to protect Mori from the betrayals threatening to turn a comparatively minor mistake into a huge catastrophe.

Mori's got secrets and her secrets have secrets. What Mori doesn't know is the team is good at investigation. Mori also doesn't realize is by the time she's decided on Kell, he'd had already decided on her and brought friends in the persona o his team along to stand behind her as well. The villain of the piece was decadently sociopathic and portrayed bada**ery even when he wasn't on the page.

Overall this was a fun read. There was romance, adventure, shifting, mystery and drama. The leads and supporting cast had enough chemistry in any configuration to make their threads interesting. I'm looking forward to the next installment.

[Annie Slasher (Booked & Loaded) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an original review from http://bookedandloaded.com. I personally purchased this title and all opinions are my own.

Storm Force by Susannah Sandlin was originally released in episodes as a Kindle Serial. Storm Force is now available as a complete book. I personally purchased Storm Force as a complete book.

Sandlin can always pull me into a story, and Storm Force was no exception. With a diverse cast of unique characters and one über terrible villain, Storm Force was a great paranormal page turner. Jack “Kell” Kellison added a new element to her writing. With all of her previous books many of the characters have had some type of power, but now we get to see a hero that is a recent veteran injured during active duty. Jack has a great loyal and moral compass. I loved the spark he brought to this story and brought to a team that was soooo not in his comfort zone.

Mori might be a shifter, but when she finds herself accused of a heinous bombing it is her world that begins shifting. Her conflicts between her family and certain other obligations takes her down a dangerous path. I am going to admit that I enjoyed the conflict in her life and the history of her situation. Jack and Mori’s story was a nice read with plenty of action and fascinating secondary characters.

I rate Storm Force 4 out of 5 Bullets!

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Storm Force is episode one of a serial.

A terrorist attack starts Kell and his paranormal team, Omega Force on a new assignment. He’s new to the job and new to the reality of shifters inhabiting the world along with humans. The team members are feeling their way and gradually growing into a cohesive force.

Mori Chastaine is part of an environmental action group who are suspected of the terrorist attack. Kell arrives to join the group and hopefully learn the truth from the inside. Meanwhile the FBI arrest Mori.

This first episode introduces us to a lot of characters, both human and paranormal, plus the aftermath of the terrorist attack. There’s a lot happening in a short time. The last chapter really shook things up, raising my curiosity. I ended the serial thinking, “What????” so the author did her job well. She’s made me ponder what happens next. How will Omega Force handle the situation? What happens to Mori, to Kell? I’m presuming that there might be a romantic connection between Mori and Kell, but so far it’s not hinted at. I’d definitely like to read the next episode.

This serial was provided by the author in exchange for a honest review.

[Busybeth76 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shifters, Rangers and Terrorists

This well paced suspenseful fantasy special forces military novel keeps you involved and interested. Kell is a Ranger feeling his way to a new stage of his career with a special Omega team. His team is combines Ranger specialists and shape shifters, he' s still trying to wrap his head around that idea. On his latest mission he meets Mori, she's the director of a environmental protection group thrust into the middle of a terrorist bombing. She soon becomes more than a mission to him. I enjoyed the interaction between Omega team members. I also appreciated that not everything goes perfectly on missions, changes and unexpected turmoil give this book a gritty feel. Kell is a man trying to find his way through strange circumstances. And he doesn't do change well. But the plot is thorough, details are valuable and followed through in a complete way. I found this book very good, and I'm disappointed there is no book 2. I hoping & looking forward to. Nik's, Robin's, Gadget's or Archer's story next.