To the Limit

by Jo Leigh

Captain Sam "Jaws" Brody

Test his limits…and push hers!

Air force pilot Sam Brody's posting at Holloman AFB is a new start…and a brutal reminder that he'll never fly again. The bright side? It's the same town as teacher (and widow) Emma Lockwood�the woman he's always had a major thing for. The woman who married his best friend….

For years, Emma ignored the spark between her and Sam. Now that he's in town, the spark has turned into full-on electrical overload! She tells herself to stay grounded. She doesn't want another hotshot flyboy, no matter how sexy. But with every night of wicked passion with Sam, she finds herself closer to the point of no return…. 

Uniformly Hot!  The Few. The Proud. The Sexy as Hell.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Harlequin Blaze, Military Fiction, Harlequin, Hqn

221 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

aka Samantha Beckett

Jolie Kramer began her career in 1975 as a reader in the Comedy Development department for 20th-Century Fox. She left Fox in 1977 to go on location with THE DEER HUNTER. She then worked as an auditor, associate producer and producer on such projects as WHEN SHE SAYS NO for CBS, BEULAH LAND for NBC, GREAT AMERICAN TRAFFIC JAM for NBC and CLAN OF THE CAVE BEAR for Jozak Productions. In 1987 she became head of development for the McCarran Film Corp., overseeing a roster of twelve feature films. As a screen writer, she’s had a series idea purchased by Cinemax, and has worked as a script consultant on more than 50 screenplays. Currently, her screenplay APACHE TEARS was optioned by Northern Lights Productions in Canada.

Jo Leigh's first Silhouette novel, SUSPECT, was awarded BEST FIRST SERIES BOOK by Romantic Times Magazine, garnered the 1994 ROMANCE WRITER OF THE YEAR award from Pike’s Peak RWA, and was a finalist for BEST ROMANTIC SUSPENSE NOVEL OF 1994 by Romance Writers of America. Her first Temptation novel, ONE WICKED NIGHT was a finalist for BEST SHORT CONTEMPORARY NOVEL OF 1998 by Romance Writers of America. She was invited to write one of the launch books for the Harlequin imprint, Blaze, with her book GOING FOR IT! Her 2006 Blaze RELENTLESS was a RITA finalist for BEST ROMANTIC SUSPENSE.

She also ghost-wrote GREAT BIG BEAUTIFUL DOLL – THE ANNA NICOLE SMITH STORY for Barricade Books.

Jo teaches writing at workshops across the country and on-line, and is a frequent guest speaker at writing conferences. Her tape on Advanced Plotting from the Dallas Romance Writers of America conference is the best selling tape in RWA’s history.

Jo lives in an incredibly rural area of Utah where her many rescue dogs have room to run and play and her rescue cats are determined to win the International Shedding Award. She spends an inordinate amount of time reading about how the brain works, listening to music and trying not to kill the basil.

Jo's husband died of cancer on 13 June 2008, three years after they married, and whose medical bills are astronomical. Authors, editors, and bloggers have all donated a mess of items, from books to critiques to mentoring sessions to offer an item for the auction to benefit author Jo Leigh.

Reviews

[Alaina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really cute book!

After meeting Sam and Emma, I just knew that we hit it off. Heck, I enjoyed the whole second chance at romance for them because it honestly seemed like it should've been them to begin with. Of course, they had their fair share of drama but they also really hit off rather quickly. I mean after hours of catching up they end up sleeping together.

I honestly read this for a challenge and I'm actually surprised that I ended up liking it. Maybe it's because these two had such great chemistry or that I kept wanting them to be together from the very beginning. Screw Gary.

[Aly · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an okay read. The characters were cute and there were a couple steamy scenes, but it was very predictable and didn't have any real drama. Sam and Emma have a history, but it wasn't mentioned too much and they didn't have much build up before they got together. They are also both passive and it made the story kind of boring. I wanted fights and making up and passion!

I also didn't love the narrator, she has kind of a boring voice but the material wasn't intense either so *shrug*

[Katie_la_geek · Rating 3 out of 5]

For this review and more visit my blog

To my surprise I really liked To The Limit. I thought it was a very sweet and very charming romance. I have to admit I was drawn to this book by the cover (I am a perv after all) but I didn’t expect to like it as much as I did.

Romance is at the centre of this book there is little else going on apart from Sam and Emma’s relationship. It was a risky move because if the romance didn’t work then this book would have massively failed. Luckily, that was not a problem and I found their relationship to be very cute and believable.

There were several reasons that the romance worked. Firstly the nature of their relationship really worked for me, Sam and Emma have always been attracted to each other but she was married to his best friend whom they both loved dearly. There was nothing nasty about their previous relationship and they would have never had acted on the spark of attraction between them. A few years after Emma’s husband dies she reconnects with Sam and they slowly explore the attraction that had always been there. It was tentative, sweet and realistic.

Another thing I liked was their willingness to adapt to each other. Sam is not a protective jerk and is more than willing to walk away from the woman he loves if she wants him to. He does not tell her what to do and he doesn’t stop her from talking to other guys, he just wants her to be happy. It makes such a change to have a lead male that isn’t all brawn and possessiveness.

Emma is prepared to adapt as well, she doesn’t want Sam to fly in the air force, doesn’t want him to be away but she knows that it makes him happy so is prepared to deal with her fears. She doesn’t over react, she doesn’t put road blocks in their way and she isn’t self-destructing.

To The Limit is a very sweet romance and very sensible and realistic. But it is just about a romance and even though I enjoyed the romance and liked the way everything went (I did not want more drama) I wondered if there was anything else that could have been added to give it a little more, other characters or sub plots could have given this book more impact and made it more memorable. I would love to rate this book higher than I am going to but there was just not enough there to earn it.

To The Limit gets one star because I finished it, one star for a sweet romance that really worked for me, one star for sensible characters that I really love, and a half star because I cannot bare to give it three stars. That gives it a total of 3.5 stars.


The publisher provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Flying became the entire life of Air Force pilot Captain Sam Brody, when his best friend married Emma, the woman Sam was secretly in love with.
A few years after Emma's husband dies in a tragic flying accident Sam is posted to the AFB in the town where Emma lives. They reconnect slowly, their attraction undeniable. They face many obstacles together, the emotions almost crippling at times.
Can Emma chance loving this risk taking flyboy/fighter pilot or will history repeat itself?
The author, Jo Leigh, gives us an emotionally charged romance in "To The Limit" and I look forward to her other novels.

[Jo-Ann Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do like this series, but as they are not linked up, you can read or not read them in order which is ok.

The hero and heroine do seem like normal people. However, some of the story seems like it doesn't fit in with the back story. I do like how the writer is trying to get the pilots to change from the old style of flying to the newer style, but its a huge jump.

I normally love the reunited lovers, friends, or buddies, but this time I just don't think the whole story line worked. Yes, the hero and heroine had hot chemistry, but the back story of her husband and his friend I just didn't buy.

Jo is usually a great writer, but I think she was just having an off time with this book. Keep on flying Jo - this one hit a bit of turbulence.

[Liz Ellyn]

This is a great story to read if you ever had a Top Gun, Tom Cruise fantasy. Does it get any better than a fighter pilot? Answer, yes it does. A fighter pilot that has wanted a girl for years and is grounded from flying due to an eye injury. That’s a whole lot of frustration and energy to get out between the sheets. The ultimate question is what is the measure of love: what are you willing to give up for it?

[Dorel · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is the 1st book I read by Jo Leigh. I'm sorry I stopped reading this story 📖 at chapter 6 because it didn't grab my interest.

[Jillian Stein · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can also read my review on my blog:
http://www.read-love-blog.com/2013/08...

To The Limit is part of the Uniformly Hot Series and the first book of Jo Leigh’s that I have read and I was hooked after just reading the summary….I mean, really, who doesn’t love a sexy fighter pilot?

Even though Sam Brody has had a year to get used to the idea that he’ll be in the classroom rather then a cockpit, it still isn’t getting any easier to swallow. Now, it seems the only bright spot is that his assignment takes him to the same town that Emma hopefully still lives in. Emma had married his best friend but that didn’t stop him from loving her from afar since they all met years ago while the guys had been in flight school. However, after his best friend Danny died in a tragic accident, she had asked for space and he hadn’t seen her in almost three years. Faced with an uncertain future, he is hoping she can be the friend he desperately needs…and secretly he hopes for more.

Emma Lockwood, widowed three years earlier, has made a life for her here in Alamogordo, NM, and is content teaching and volunteering…well, as content as one can be as a young widow. Sure, she knew the risks marrying a fighter pilot, but she really never thought her late husband was anything but invincible. She missed him, and the life she had with him and his brother-like best friends and thought of them all from time to time but knew they had respected her wishes for space after the funeral. That was three years ago. Imagine her surprise when she gets a call from Sam, completely out of the blue, and learns he’s moved here and wants to know if they can meet. She’s kept hidden the attraction she’s always felt for Sam, but now? Now there wouldn’t be anything to keep her from exploring it…but that would never happen. She couldn’t allow it. Besides, Sam only thought of her as his best friend’s widow…..little did she know that was so far from the truth.

Together, the obstacles they face are great and many. Not only does seeing one another open old, unhealed wounds, but the attraction they feel is undeniable. The emotions that come with that attraction are almost crippling at times…the guilt, uncertainty and fear of history repeating itself. Will they be able to put their past behind them and learn to live with the chance they’ve been given?

This story was so emotionally charged from the first pages and was amazing. I loved every second of it. Sam, while being a modern day warrior fighter pilot has one of the biggest hearts and his not being able to fly hurt in a way that was tangible. He is loyal and kind and thought so much of the feelings of others before himself…I lost count of how many times I said “oh, Sam” with a pout while reading. I adore him! Emma is equally big hearted and a great match for Sam. I loved her strength and willingness to take a chance. Their story is one that was told beautifully…especially the last two chapters. I was literally biting my nails! No spoilers from me but I promise you, you will love how it ends just as much as I did!

Thank you, Jo, for giving us Sam and Emma’s story!

[Book Binge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Romance novels featuring the military in one form or another have become more and more popular as the United States has been involved in the armed conflict in the Middle East over the past decade and beyond. One of the saddest of ramifications of sons, brothers, nephews, fathers, uncles going overseas is that many are destined never to return. The fear that one’s special someone may be next is an ever present reality for spouses and families. This story highlights the fallout and the emotional baggage for a woman whose husband was not only killed, but who frequently chose the adrenaline rush of fast planes and fast women over her long before his death. Her determination to never again become a kind of victim of an adrenaline junkie is put to the test in this story where her hubby’s best friend, also a fighter pilot, is now assigned in the town where she is now living. The only thing, though, is that because of a glitch with his eyesight, he is now grounded. That makes him far more available. Add in the fact that these two have had “sparks” for one another for years, and you have the makings of a sizzling romance that is definitely loaded with tons of emotional baggage. There is real fear here, on the part of Emma. And there is serious disappointment and a sense of loss for Sam. How do these two work this all out?

This is a beautifully written novel that is serious, edgy, and built around characters that smack of the reality many families and left-behind spouses face when their men go to war or are engaged in war-related professions. Like all good fiction, the story has the feel of reality and is a fictional look at people who deal with the realities of a nation engaged in armed conflict and how that affects lives here at home as well as overseas. It is a story that will educate as Sam is involved in some serious ground-related training that well may save many lives, a new slant on his life that he could come to appreciate more than he ever realized. It is also probing the emotions of a woman who not only lost her husband violently but who knew that his profession of love for her was never enough for him, even before he was permanently out of her life.

Romance lovers, especially those who like it hot and sizzling, will like this story. And since guys in uniform are really sexy–trim, fit, and raring to go–who doesn’t like a novel like this? I think this will be entertaining for anyone who appreciates a really good romantic read.

I give it a rating of 4 out of 5.

This review was originally posted on Book Binge by Judith.

[Tina "IRead2Escape" · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are looking for a great, emotion packed read To The Limit by Jo Leigh is the perfect book for you. This story has a lot of heat, witty banter and substance.

Sam Brody is grounded. As a fighter pilot he could never imagine doing anything else, but flying the jets that would scare the average person. Due to a vision problem he is being relocated to Holloman Air force base. Teaching the next crop of fighter pilots is a noble job, just not one he ever thought he would have. To make matters more complicated, his best friend's wife lives in that very town. He's always had an attraction to Emma that couldn't be ignored, but he would never have acted on it. After his best friend died in the line of duty, Emma asked for distance to get her life together and he gave it to her. Reasoning that it's the right thing to do, Sam looks Emma up and quickly finds that the attraction is not only as strong as it was, it's stronger.

Emma Lockwood is finally recovering from the death of her husband. She loved him, but sometimes love isn't enough. No one ever knew that she had planned on serving him with divorce papers when he was back from his mission, including him. He never made it back from that mission, so why let anyone know that she couldn't handle his high risk, adrenaline craving life. She vowed that she would never fall for the type, again. Now, Sam has popped back into her life and she realizes that you can't always dictate the type you fall in love with. Sure Sam seems to be less reckless than her husband was, but he's still a fighter pilot at heart. Now, she has to decide if it's worth the risk of her heart, again. After all, Sam is grounded and unable to fly.

The way this couple dealt with and navigated through such weighty matters as the loss of a loved one, dating one another with so much history and old fears gave this book so much depth. The sexy fighter pilot working his magic made this book so hot!

Thank you to NetGalley.com for the loan of this book in exchange for my honest review.

You can find this review and others at http://riverinaromantics.blogspot.com and http://tinar1121.blogspot.com

[Phe · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars – To the Limit is an adult contemporary/military romance by Jo Leigh, and part of the Harlequin Blaze Uniformly Hot! series. The Few. The Proud. The Sexy as Hell!

Being a fighter pilot is all Air Force Captain Sam Brody has ever wanted. He’d worked hard for the privilege of strapping himself into an F-16, but lost his wings after he suffered complications from corrective eye surgery, no longer meeting the requirements to fly. His posting at Holloman AFB as a drone instructor is a new start for him … and a brutal reminder that he’ll never climb into a fighter jet again. The only good thing about moving to this small military town is that Emma Lockwood, the woman who married his best friend—the woman who he’s always had a major thing for—lives there.

After her fighter-pilot husband was killed, Emma never thought she’d be happy again. But in the three years since his death she’d built a life for herself. She loves her job teaching English at the community college, has made some good friends, and has recently decided to try dating again. But when Sam calls, she’s not sure she wants to meet him for dinner. She refuses to be one of those women who keep being drawn to the wrong man over and over again. And she doesn’t want another hotshot flyboy with a need for speed, no matter how sexy he is. So, she has one job. One. Don’t get romantically involved with Sam Brody. But their mutual attraction has been simmering for years and with every passionate night with Sam, she finds herself closer to the point of no return…

I just love a man in uniform! To the Limit is a sweet, sexy, steamy read with a satisfying HEA, perfect for the beach or a lazy afternoon.

Content: graphic language, explicit sex, and oral.

[Jac (For Love and Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Romance reads are a guilty pleasure of mine, and every so often I go back to the old standby of HQN romances, one day when surfing Netgalley, I found To The Limit and it caught my eye! (How could it not??? I mean, look at it!!) So a huge thank you to Harlequin and Netgalley for letting me read and review this one!!

One of my favorite things about living in the Colorado Springs area is the Airmen!! So this book was right up my alley – Sam? Is a fantastic hero! Holy wow, do I love him!! He is a fighter pilot who has been sidelined due to his eye-sight, and he’s just been transferred to the base where his best friends widow lives!

This romance was sweet, quick and steamy! Everything I love about HQN romance reads! But I have to admit, Emma drove me slightly crazy. I am not a fan of women who are so afraid to tell the man their fears/secrets/whatever – and boy is she that way! Sam thinks she’s disappointed that he can’t fly, she is secretly glad – and when there comes a time when his status might change? It takes her WAY too long to speak up!

That minor annoyance aside? I love this one!! If you’re looking for a quick, romantic book? To The Limit is the perfect book for you!! In fact, I dare you to not fall in love with Sam!!

[Hsiau Wei · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book tells the story of Sam who seek Emma out when he relocate to the town where Emma is staying after her husband died. He was a fighter plane pilot but due to his eye sight problem, he failed the test to fly a plane. He is now assigned to teach the young pilot at the army base. Since he is in town, Sam seeks Emma out to reconnect since they have not seen each other after the death of her husband. Both of them have always been attracted to each other but they never give in to their attraction for each other. Even after the death of her husband, both of them have kept their feeling secret and hidden. Now that Sam is staying so close to her, it evoke the feeling again and it is burning even more fiercely than before.

I like the way Sam is protective and caring towards Emma. He is also honourable too by keeping his feeling from Emma when Daniel was still alive. Now that they met again, I could not have fault him in seeking a second chance with Emma. Emma has issues about flying pilot. Yet she didn’t stop Sam for taking the corrective surgery. It’s showed just how much she care she cared for him too. This book is a sweet and charming read to me ;)

[Judith · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a really very readable and engaging story of two people who can't seem to get away from one another--they really aren't trying--yet they are both hampered by the past. Emma is a widow of a pilot who always chose the adrenaline rush over her; his best friend (who has always been a bit in love with Emma) must deal with a physical condition that has grounded him, but his greatest delight is flying. How do they get around this? It is a story that is filled with questions and with the baggage of the past, yet there is that tension throughout when people who are truly seeking to find a relationship that is positive and fulfilling bump up against the realities of life. How they work this out is the meat of this story. It is so well written and keeps the reader on a bit of an edge throughout. There is definitely a crisis here, but somehow these two will have to "find their groove" in spite of all the challenges. A really fine read.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Captain Sam Brody loved to fly. He had lived it. That feeling of rising from the runway to above the louds. Now he was permanently grounded. His life ended. Not like Danny's. But he would never fly again. So he was transferred to Alamogordo, New Mexico to be an instructor. The best part was knowing someone before he arrived. Just thinking about her drove him crazy. But she was the reason he never married.

Emma Lockwood was in a tizzy. She never expected to see Sam again. Now that she had, Emma could think of nothing else. Yet her conscience had to be clear. So she told Sam the big secret. And he understood. But could Emma live with another pilot who loved the thrill and speed?

Sam and Emma are natural characters. True to life, they seem real in their desires. And the combination lights up the pages as Leigh reunited two old friends.

Harlequin Blaze
August 2013
9780373797646

--the bookworm

[N. Kuhn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a sweet romance reed. I can see why Harlequin signed this writer. Her sweet story has a flick of spice, and one hot man! Sam Brody will be in my fantasies for some time. Fighting a battle within himself, he wants the woman who married his best friend. Though the best friend is dead, can he get over it enough to finally be with the woman of his dreams?

Emma is worried about being with an adrenaline junkie. That's basically what pilots are. Jocks with a need for speed. But, when she realizes her dead husbands best friend has loved her since they met, what happens? Just read the book! It's definitely sweet and spicy, perfect for anyone.

The only thing keeping it from 5 star status? It's just a sweet romance, there's no WOW factor. It's your basic heat level, and sap. But it's still a good way to pass a Saturday!

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jo Leigh has written a sweetly sensual romance that touched my heart. This novel was the story of a second chance love, and I am a sucker for a happy ending involving the one that got away. The characters are well drawn, both the primary couple and the secondary characters. They are multi-dimensional characters with a story that engages the reader emotionally and keeps you reading to make sure that they reach their happily ever after. The pacing was good, the dialogue witty, the sex scenes sensual and passionate - well worth the read.
*I received my copy from NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

[Wanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sam and Emma’s Romance is at the heart of this book. The storyline is all about their relationship past and present. Yes it is a sweet, heartfelt story, but I did find it seem long. You can pretty much tell exactly what will happen at the end of the story. Yes there is a time you might think “ooh wait” but really you can tell the ending. It was just missing the impact, I felt like something more needed to be going on in the story.


ARC provided by NetGalley

[Christa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very sweet contemporary romance. Air Force pilot Sam Brody has loved Emma Lockwood for years, but she married his best friend. Now back in the town where widowed Emma lives, the sparks are flying between the two. After losing one man to a risky career, Emma has to decide if she is willing to take a chance on Sam.

This one had great characters, an interesting storyline, and sizzling chemistry between the main characters. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

To the Limit by Jo Leigh is another great read in Harlequin Blaze’s Uniformly Hot series. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Sam and Emma have a past they have to deal with before they can build a future together. Their attraction leaps off the page. I love Ms. Leigh’s writing and this book continues that love.

4 stars = a good read

Note – I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Edie Semchee · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was kind of cute. I felt like Sam barely had a personality. It was hard for me to like him or not like him. The struggles they went through were pretty tiny things that happen in relationships so this book was just kind of boring for me.

[D.C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Review coming soon

[Saly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating 3.5 stars

[Harlequin Books]

Miniseries: Uniformly Hot!
Category: Passion

[Roz ~ My Written Romance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review to come.

[Lyn Barton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I'm in love with Sam Brody! Where do you get a guy like him; I want one!
Surprisingly great!

[Elizabeth Mckernan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book