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Winter Rescue #2

Off the Map

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Scott Richardson is one superstitious bastard.

After a decade of training rescue dogs to weather the worst storms, Scott has seen it all. Good luck, bad luck — he knows that a large part of survival is being in the right place at the right time. Which is why he’s determined to stay in the right place...as far away from his cursed ex-girlfriend as possible.

Carrie Morlock is a disaster waiting to happen.

An inveterate risk taker and skilled helicopter pilot, Carrie lives life on the edge. It’s her job to push boundaries and take chances — and it’s a job she does well, even if her ex fails to appreciate it. Too bad Scott won’t have much of a choice when one of his beloved dogs goes missing on a rescue mission. As danger rises and their luck runs out, she’s the only one willing to risk her life — and her heart — to save them.

(41,000 words)

120 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 6, 2014

9 people are currently reading
120 people want to read

About the author

Tamara Morgan

39 books216 followers
Tamara Morgan is a contemporary comedy romance author. Ninety-nine percent of her information comes from television, movies, books, and all other pop culture activities that limit the amount of time she has to spend in polite company.

Her long-lived affinity for romance novels survived a B.A. degree in English Literature, after which time she discovered it was much more fun to create stories than analyze the life out of them. She lives with her husband and teen in the Inland Northwest, where the summers are hot, the winters are cold, and coffee is available on every street corner.

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5 stars
26 (17%)
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55 (37%)
3 stars
52 (35%)
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10 (6%)
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
Profile Image for namericanwordcat.
2,440 reviews439 followers
December 3, 2016
This was off the map in terms of strangeness. The hero and heroine are mean to each other. Mean but oh so funny. The heroine is beyond quirky and I love that and just will not take crap. The hero really resists emotions. Really.

They bowl each other all time. And then there are dogs and snark and great friends and while I wish we got much more time in the HEA to make up for the punches in the face these two gave to each other I believed in this romance and I laughed.
Profile Image for Mandi.
2,356 reviews733 followers
November 12, 2014
This book starts with Scott and Carrie recently broken up. They have that, “I hate you but I still lust after you and I secretly probably love you but let’s focus on the hate right now” vibe going on, and the author makes it really cute. Carrie and Scott both work for the same search and rescue squad – Carrie is a helicopter pilot and Scott trains the rescue dogs. Besides breaking up with Scott, Carrie isn’t sure if her license will get revoked with the FAA due to the fact she did an unauthorized flight, and crashed her helicopter. Carrie seems to always be involved in one disaster after another. Scott is an extremely superstitious person, so when he was dating Carrie, after she broke his mirror, erased a ten-year old ballgame from his dvr and washed his lucky vest, Scott had had enough. Secretly, he was too upset about her crash and couldn’t handle his emotions towards her, but the excuse that she washed his lucky vest is nice to run in her face.

Five years he’d gone without washing it. Five years he’d gone without losing a single rescue dog. Every animal he’d trained was alive and accounted for, either working the field or happily retired with all the bones and open fields they could wish for.

It was silly to be superstitious – Scott knew that. He was a grown-ass man with grown-ass beliefs about the origin of the universe, and he knew on an intellectual level that the amount of grime on his vest has little to do with whether or not the dogs he trained lived or died. But after spending five perfectly content years with his dirty clothes and his full-length mirror propped up against the bathroom wall and his heart lodged firmly in his chest, he had to believe that something had happened to change his luck so drastically.


When Scott finds out one of his beloved (and I mean BELOVED) rescue dogs is lost in a bad winter storm, Carrie puts asides her difference with him and they go out to look for her. This being a romance book, let me say there is a pretty decent chance they get back together, but I don’t want to be the one to spoil anything.

Tamara Morgan writes really fun hate/lust in this book. Carrie loves to get under his skin, as much as possible. Like when Scott knocks on Carrie’s door:

“What’s our secret code?”

The sound of his forehead hitting the door in a gesture of exasperation was unmistakable. “We don’t have a secret code, Carrie. Just open the door.”

“Oh, we have a code. Maybe if you try very hard, you’ll remember it.”

Pause. “You mean that one?”

Yes She meant that one – the one they’d come up with on playful night with a pair of handcuffs and two of Carrie’s silk scarves. The one they’d never actually had to put to use, because neither one of them was all that good at being submissive.

It was a mistake to introduce the subject, though, because the moment she let her thoughts wander down that path, there was no retrieving them. Her thoughts were uch too independent for their own good. They frolicked and remembered. They tingled to think of Scott pretending to lose the key to the handcuffs and vowing to keep her chained to his bed forever.

He groaned, sending a jolt of desire through her. He must have been remembering too. “Banana Nut Muffins.”

She snickered in spite of herself. “What’s that? I couldn’t hear you.”

“Banana. Nut. Muffins.” His words were no louder than before, and she could almost feel him tensing up through the solid walnut door.

“Nope. I didn’t quite catch that. Once more? For old time’s sake?”

“Banana nut muffins!” he practically roared.


Carrie and her girlfriend even find a Ken doll that is wearing a vest and make a voodoo doll of Scott, so they can inflict their anger on the doll, cursing it and hoping for rotten things to happen to Scott. But then this happens:

She shifted and felt the roll of a spherical object move from the top of her waistband to the small of her back. It was his head – and it was definitely detached from the rest of his body.

She murdered him. Real-Life Scott was on top of her, gazing at her with a look of longing, willing and hot and hard where his erection pressed against her thigh, and she’d murdered the voodoo doll that controlled his future.

Since he didn’t appear to have any intention of moving, she twisted her back and managed to fish out the rubbery ball that contained his fate. Holding it between her fingers like a bingo counter, she brought it to his attention with a groan.”This is bad.”


For a novella, this feels like a full story. I also really enjoyed the first book in this series, In the Clear – both can be read as stand alones.

Rating: B
Profile Image for Kanoko.
294 reviews2 followers
November 7, 2014
4.5 stars

Scott was one superstitious dude. He was a little to the extreme side of things when it came to superstitions and his dogs. It was actually pretty adorable, although he almost read like a teenager for his quirks (that is, I was really confused with his age because of his juvenile tendencies). Carrie, though, I highly enjoyed reading from beginning to end. Her situation with her previous job was upsetting. It was not resolved in a way I would've liked, but I understood the consequences if the truth got out, and I admired her determination to solely take the fall. Like she said, even if she gave off the impression she was a reckless free spirit, she made good decisions.

There was that pesky twist of my heart whenever she thought her value as a person in relation to another had expired. Her resignation over her perceived uselessness was painful to see. The point was that Scott abandoned her when she needed reassurance and a good companion, and it was heartbreaking to watch as Scott finally realised that they detonated over more than the stupid red vest, and the results were so much more than hurt ego and pride.

For all those tragic parts, Off the Map was actually a fun novella with some seriously funny moments. Great dialogue. And once you got Scott and Carrie together, there was no telling how things would go.

Their chemistry was more than sparks—it was a whole pyrotechnic event, and I dug the energy of their banter so. Freaking. Much. They were explosive together in more ways than one, and their interactions were entertaining like no one's business (or, really, everyone's business, because they didn't seem to care who heard their, erm, bawdy arguments in their little episodes of one-upmanship).

I enjoyed this offering from Morgan a lot. Highly recommended if you're looking for a short, sweet, poignant, and funny read for the holidays.
Profile Image for Shannon.
92 reviews3 followers
November 11, 2014
Let me start off by saying that IN THE CLEAR, book 1 of the Winter Rescue series, was, hands down, one of my favorite reads of 2013.

I was warned by the author prior to reading OFF THE MAP that there would be no delicious beta hero in this novella. No worries!

Morgan's characters especially her women are all realistically flawed, but endearing, beyond unique and exceptionally written.

I did, however, have my doubts about Scott. He is the living embodiment of a superstitious, emotionally closed off hero. For reasons, of course.

I enjoyed the tension and humor surrounding the very thin line between love and hate in this story. Morgan places Scott in direct contact and conflict with the "distract and awe"someness of helicopter pilot and ex-girlfriend Carrie, who has emotional and professional issues of her own.

And, I'm a sucker for an animal rescue story! ;)



Profile Image for Puspita Sanri.
58 reviews46 followers
January 7, 2015
I really like how Carrie was portrayed. she was so carefree and get along just fine with everyone but Scott, whom still in love with her and vice versa. all the denials and the bickering are so funny xD specially the voodoo part lol such a light, enjoyable and happy ending reads:)
"Scott Richardson believes in magic and fairies. Scott Richardson will cross the street rather than step on his own shadow. What a silly fool. But what you don't understand is that it's the only thing I can do. It's the only option I have when I watch you walk out the door to go to work, not knowing if it's the last time I'll ever see you alive."

bawwww <3 haha it wasn't supposed to be funny but it was, he's so adorable admitting his fears x)
Profile Image for LPJ.
581 reviews30 followers
November 30, 2014
I'm a Tamara Morgan fan mostly because she does such interesting things with her characters. Here we have a really unique relationship between two people that I never really liked, but the story worked for me all the same. I didn't like Scott because he was mean to Carrie. Really mean. And I didn't like Carrie because while she was no pushover and gave as good as she got in her battles with Scott, she was always so ready to forgive him.

There are, of course, reasons for all of the meanness, and well-earned redemption is on the horizon. Morgan makes the journey from enemies to frenemies to loverenemies (that's a thing here) make perfect sense. These are characters you don't see every day and I liked that about them. A great, quick read!
Profile Image for Karen.
1,451 reviews110 followers
October 17, 2014
This is a nice story to gear up for the winter season. Morgan never fails to impress me with her ability to take people I'm not so sure of at first and make me fall in love with them.

I was sure I wouldn't be able to get on board with this couple considering their open hostility in the beginning but was 100% convinced of their HEA.
Profile Image for Megan.
1,166 reviews71 followers
Read
July 19, 2018
Kinda ridiculous at times, even for a Tamara Morgan romance--and I say that lovingly--and the hero's dickishness seemed too magically cured (I didn't mind the dickishness itself, really), but I loved the heroine, and if you don't mind some serious meanness and bickering between protagonists, it was a good enough read.
Profile Image for Jenny.
243 reviews31 followers
June 2, 2016
It was..awkward. Jumbled, with no exact storyline. I didn't expect this from the author of In the Clear.
Profile Image for Cindy.
1,884 reviews13 followers
July 22, 2021
Book 2 in the series. Can be read as a stand alone. Novella length. This was a $2 deal on Amazon back in 2015. I'm just getting around to reading it. Wish I would have kept my $2!

Review of the first 5 chapters:
So, I get really annoyed with those "she TOLD me, she didn't SHOW" amateur literary critics. Saying that - this is what TM TOLD me - the male lead, Scott is a complete dick. He dumps his girlfriend, Carrie because she's a "walking disaster & bad luck". He's incredibly superstitious, so when she crashes her helicopter during a transport (she's a pilot) he dumps her while she's in the hospital. She also washes his lucky vest & breaks a mirror in his apartment. When one of his favorite search & rescue dogs goes missing during a rescue she's the one who "killed" his dog (because she washed his favorite vest). He's brutal to her every time they meet. This is because of his tragic backstory in which his mom walked out when he was a kid & turned his dad into an alcoholic because he LOVED HER SO MUCH. He's not going to turn into his dad. NO WAY!

Carrie is an army brat who manages to shake off Scott's venom & give sass back to him. Her heart's broken, but she's not going to let him see that. Scott shows up at her apartment all apologetic & starts kissing her & telling her he misses her so much. Then tells her he needs her to do this favor for him. Fly your chopper into a raging blizzard so I can find my dog (!!!!!). It's ok that you're whole career is on the line & I've treated you like crap. Do it because you can't resist me. So, she agrees. No one else is stupid enough to help him. She's his last resort.
More to come.

Chapters 6-10 + epilogue. Chapter 6 has Carrie playing with her Scott/ken voodoo doll in the hall before the mission. She also makes a dog out of her hair. Chapter 7-10 the rescue. Scott's redemption & apology to Carrie. Having sex in a tent when it's 10 degrees outside. HEA.

Just not feeling it.
Profile Image for Dana.
163 reviews1 follower
April 10, 2024
I read this on Wattpad, got sad when it was taken down, went on a deep dive, contacted the author and now I can read it again

THIS IS MY FAVE OF THE SERIES DON'T ASK WHY COS I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO TELL YOU I JUST DO
Profile Image for Simply Love Book Reviews.
7,046 reviews870 followers
November 5, 2014
Slick‘s review posted on Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews

4 STARS

Review copy provided for an honest review


I never know what to expect when I pick up a book by Tamara Morgan because she always manages to surprise me and did she ever in Off The Map the second book in her Winter Rescue series. Two people who it would seem would rather fight the f*ck make for a very volatile, crazy, and sexy story. Another action packed story about this elite winter rescue team but this time the drama is pretty much contained between the hero and heroine as they battle their feelings in an effort to save one of their own.
Honestly I can’t remember the last time I read a romance book where the hero and heroine were at such odds for a good part of the story, but in this case it worked because it only made it more obvious how much they really did care about one another. Scott Richardson is not only superstitious he’s a man who fears he loves so much that it will ruin him. Watching his father fall apart after his mother left he can’t help but realize that losing Carrie will turn him into the same type of man as his father.
Some might say that Carrie Morlock is a ticking time bomb because it often appears she has no fear but what they don’t understand about Carrie is that she is just the confident in her abilities. That and she has a heart of gold and will go out of her way to help anyone who needs her help. She fully admits she likes the adrenaline rush she gets when she flies her helicopter in and out of dangerous places but she also knows when it is safe and when it is not.
Scott and Carrie really are the perfect example of why co-workers probably shouldn’t date but they did and they were a thing until Scott ended it. Now Carrie is just trying to maintain her friendship with the people on their team and hope that the FAA won’t suspend her license for her latest flight that got her fired from her full time job. All I can say is Scott and Carrie both share a lack of filter as they engage in some of the most outrageous arguments in front of their co-workers who have a hard time keeping a straight face. There were some seriously funny moments when these two squared off and it was pretty obvious to everyone but them that they reason they did was because they harbor some deep feelings for one another but you can’t tell them that because they will deny it or at least try to. Yet when Scott asks Carrie for help to find one of his rescue dogs that is in trouble she can’t say no.
It was interesting watching these two come to terms with their feelings for one another and realizing that the things that drove them kind of nuts about one another was also the things that made them who they were and who they loved. All the while they were still calling each other out and driving one another crazy and saying the most inappropriate things but again that’s what made them work and I for one loved every minute of their outrageousness.
An entertaining plot, crazy characters, amusing dialog, and a unique love story make Off The Map a fine addition to the Winter Rescue series.
Profile Image for Nicole Helm.
Author 308 books498 followers
Read
October 16, 2014
Morgan never fails to write unique and quirky (w/o being twee) characters that are so fascinatingly and realistically motivated. Both Scott and Carrie were so well drawn, fascinating from beginning to end.

Profile Image for Megan.
181 reviews28 followers
December 4, 2014
Cute. 3.5/4 stars. Quick read.

For those who are genuinely concerned, they do save Mara in the end. :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Cintia.
28 reviews13 followers
February 14, 2016
This was an entertaining read, but a bit creepy. He smells like a dog and she howls when having an orgasm!? o_O No, just.. no! That's just wrong. A disappointing sequel to In The Clear.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews

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