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Silent Warrior #2
Tactical Deception
One tormented soldier. One haunted woman. Eight snipers. Someone’s going down… The fallout from the team’s failed mission to Lebanon is unraveling Lt. Col. Roger Weston and his team at the seams. God help them all if the world gets wind of the real story. With guilt eating Roger alive, he steps into the void to protect Mari Dalton and her unborn child from an extremist and her radical family. If it wasn’t for the decision he made, Mari’s husband would still be alive. Keeping Mari safe was his top priority. Falling in love with her was out of the question. Mari is certain God is punishing her. She loved the man who rescued her from a windowless cell in Afghanistan, and never betrayed their marriage. But she has never forgotten the day she met Roger or the way her heart pounded when his arresting blue gaze settled on hers. What did that make her? When she becomes the target of terrorists bent on destroying the heart of America, Roger lays his life on the line to protect her. As they uncover a plot already in motion to assassinate the President, the world teeters on the edge of chaos. Any hope for a future rests in Roger’s already bloodstained hands…and the quietly faithful woman who now holds his heart.
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First published March 13, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
April 4, 2012
Choices we make determine who and what we become.
Hot Special Ops Men + Great action + Great Story + Fantastic characters + Hot Smexin' + Romance = 5 Stars!
Hot Special Ops Men + Great action + Great Story + Fantastic characters + Hot Smexin' + Romance = 5 Stars!
March 14, 2012
First of all guys, giveaway happening NOW. J.L. Saint is giving away an e-copy of Tactical Deception to ONE lucky commenter. Hurry on over! Giveaway ends on March 16, 2012
Review:
It feels like I have spent ages pining for the release of this much awaited second book in the Silent Warrior series by J.L. Saint. Book 1 in the series Collateral Damage was an eye opening novel filled with drool inducing yummy military heroes and depicts the constant battle that they and the world at large fight in combating terrorism and its ill effects on the whole world. J.L. Saint is one of those authors who gets the details right, someone who doesn’t ‘judge’ in the way she presents a story that is bound to be gone over with a fine-tooth comb by those that would have a hard time believing that any author would be able to paint ‘terrorists’ in a way that doesn’t offend someone who is a Muslim. Having read book 1 in the series, I trusted J.L. Saint to handle the story of Lt. Col. Roger Weston and the beautiful Maryam Dalton (Mari) with the same grace and poise as she did for Collateral Damage and she did just that, leaving me wanting more of the same as I read through the last pages.
39 year old Roger Weston is still paying the price for the hit his team had taken in Lebanon, the guilt of what had gone down and rendered 24 year old Maryam Dalton (Mari) a pregnant widower something that Roger can’t shake himself loose from. Making the situation doubly dangerous is the fact that he desires Mari above and beyond any reason, something that he berates himself for over and over again knowing deep in his heart that if Mari were ever to find the truth behind her husband’s death, she would never look at him in the same way again.
Mari might be pregnant and devout in her faith that had been her way of life even long after she had escaped the land where she had grown up in driven to escape the injustice of being blamed for something she had no power over, but the fact that she desires a man she has no right over is one that continues to taunt her. Mari would like nothing better than to bury her head in the sand and forget that Roger Weston exists, but it seems easier said than done as Roger and his piercing blue eyes continue to haunt her in dreams of the vivid and erotic variety, and it doesn’t make things any easier when Roger sticks by her side to protect her from an enemy who is relentless in his need to see Mari take her last breathe in this world.
When shit hits the fan in more ways than one, Roger and his team are scrambling left and right trying to make sense of a series of sniper attacks which occur simultaneously at different locations in the US, leaving an abject terror gnawing deep inside of everyone. Amidst all the attacks and confusion, Mari’s estranged family makes an appearance, throwing both Roger and Mari into a situation that is fraught with danger from all sides, and it is through sheer luck, God’s will and a whole lot of prowess on Roger’s side that these two find themselves free from their captives, ready to surrender to the desire that is always such a visceral part of their relationship.
Tactical Deception is a complex novel comprised of multiple layers and characters that lend a richness to the story that just begs you to keep on reading. There are few authors in my eyes who can juggle so many characters effectively without the book sounding like a narrative of each and every single attribute of the multi-faceted characters that are introduced and play a vital role in the story. And I believe J.L. Saint to be one who is able to deliver on all accounts and I couldn’t get enough of each and every character that I came across and learned to love as I was pulled deeper into a story that was filled with action, angst and red hot loving till the very last page.
Tactical Deception is not just the story of how Roger and Mari, two very different people in their upbringing as well as their beliefs and culture find that special someone in each other to spend the rest of their lives with. It is a story that shows the true meaning of the word “terrorism”, the terror that one can instill in your heart if you plan that carefully, if you let hate encroach and encompass the whole of your heart until it is just sheer madness that controls all your actions and emotions. It is a realistic portrait of the condition that J.L. Saint creates so vividly that I always found myself holding my breathe in, unable to believe what was happening, but at the same time knowing deep inside of me that this could indeed turn out to be the reality of tomorrow.
I would say this now and I would say this tomorrow, but I do appreciate how well J.L. Saint paints the picture of a devout Muslim who is torn between her beliefs towards Allah and her desires for a man that goes completely against the teachings of a religion that preaches modesty of the self above everything else. But reality in life is that even the most devout when tempted beyond anything they have ever faced before succumbs, and there was a beauty in the way that Mari gives herself over to Roger, a man who above everything else respects the woman he would lay down his very life for.
Roger is a hero that would be hard NOT to fall in love with. He is a warrior with a deep sense of always doing the right thing ingrained in him that it is with a heavy heart that he faces his unrelenting desire for the very last woman he should be lusting after. Even when Mari and the way she covers her beauty from him drives him crazy, I fell irrevocably in love with him the moment Roger showed just how much he respected the woman he loves above anything else in this world. Roger recognizes the woman who hides herself in the shrouds of her abaya, her wants, needs and the desire that burns deep inside of her to embrace freedom, to give her unborn babies all that she had been deprived of when she had been growing up.
Woven into the story of such complex emotions is plenty of action to pump up one’s adrenaline levels and J.L. Saint pulls no punches in delivering scenes that practically explode all over the page, that drives you to the edge of your seat time and yet again and I loved and reveled in every single minute of the experience.
As much as I loved Roger and Mari’s story, I absolutely adored the secondary romance that took place between Angie and Rico that burned up a few pixels on my iPad and a few of my brain cells while they were at it. Their explosive chemistry, the way Rico could not think straight whenever Angie was around, and the bittersweet ending that Angie and Rico faced at the end of this novel just made me want to cry and howl at the injustice of it all. I don’t think I can adequately put into words just how much I want their story next, and yes this goes out as a plea to you Ms. Saint to hurry along and give readers their story before we all get into a tizzy from all the anticipation and waiting around.
As I said earlier, so many fascinating characters that I have a feeling would make for unbelievable stories of their own and I can’t wait to see the journey that Ms. Saint would take us on in a series which I hope and pray would continue to have a lot more books than just these two. With non-stop action, red hot scorching passion that revs up your engines unlike anything else, there is nothing more you can ask from a novel such as this one.
Tactical Deception is a story that goes straight to your blood. Its chills, curdles, pumps and revs it up in equal doses and you just wont get enough!
Rating=4.75/5
Original review posted on MBR's Realm of Romance
Quotes included below the review!
Review:
It feels like I have spent ages pining for the release of this much awaited second book in the Silent Warrior series by J.L. Saint. Book 1 in the series Collateral Damage was an eye opening novel filled with drool inducing yummy military heroes and depicts the constant battle that they and the world at large fight in combating terrorism and its ill effects on the whole world. J.L. Saint is one of those authors who gets the details right, someone who doesn’t ‘judge’ in the way she presents a story that is bound to be gone over with a fine-tooth comb by those that would have a hard time believing that any author would be able to paint ‘terrorists’ in a way that doesn’t offend someone who is a Muslim. Having read book 1 in the series, I trusted J.L. Saint to handle the story of Lt. Col. Roger Weston and the beautiful Maryam Dalton (Mari) with the same grace and poise as she did for Collateral Damage and she did just that, leaving me wanting more of the same as I read through the last pages.
39 year old Roger Weston is still paying the price for the hit his team had taken in Lebanon, the guilt of what had gone down and rendered 24 year old Maryam Dalton (Mari) a pregnant widower something that Roger can’t shake himself loose from. Making the situation doubly dangerous is the fact that he desires Mari above and beyond any reason, something that he berates himself for over and over again knowing deep in his heart that if Mari were ever to find the truth behind her husband’s death, she would never look at him in the same way again.
Mari might be pregnant and devout in her faith that had been her way of life even long after she had escaped the land where she had grown up in driven to escape the injustice of being blamed for something she had no power over, but the fact that she desires a man she has no right over is one that continues to taunt her. Mari would like nothing better than to bury her head in the sand and forget that Roger Weston exists, but it seems easier said than done as Roger and his piercing blue eyes continue to haunt her in dreams of the vivid and erotic variety, and it doesn’t make things any easier when Roger sticks by her side to protect her from an enemy who is relentless in his need to see Mari take her last breathe in this world.
When shit hits the fan in more ways than one, Roger and his team are scrambling left and right trying to make sense of a series of sniper attacks which occur simultaneously at different locations in the US, leaving an abject terror gnawing deep inside of everyone. Amidst all the attacks and confusion, Mari’s estranged family makes an appearance, throwing both Roger and Mari into a situation that is fraught with danger from all sides, and it is through sheer luck, God’s will and a whole lot of prowess on Roger’s side that these two find themselves free from their captives, ready to surrender to the desire that is always such a visceral part of their relationship.
Tactical Deception is a complex novel comprised of multiple layers and characters that lend a richness to the story that just begs you to keep on reading. There are few authors in my eyes who can juggle so many characters effectively without the book sounding like a narrative of each and every single attribute of the multi-faceted characters that are introduced and play a vital role in the story. And I believe J.L. Saint to be one who is able to deliver on all accounts and I couldn’t get enough of each and every character that I came across and learned to love as I was pulled deeper into a story that was filled with action, angst and red hot loving till the very last page.
Tactical Deception is not just the story of how Roger and Mari, two very different people in their upbringing as well as their beliefs and culture find that special someone in each other to spend the rest of their lives with. It is a story that shows the true meaning of the word “terrorism”, the terror that one can instill in your heart if you plan that carefully, if you let hate encroach and encompass the whole of your heart until it is just sheer madness that controls all your actions and emotions. It is a realistic portrait of the condition that J.L. Saint creates so vividly that I always found myself holding my breathe in, unable to believe what was happening, but at the same time knowing deep inside of me that this could indeed turn out to be the reality of tomorrow.
I would say this now and I would say this tomorrow, but I do appreciate how well J.L. Saint paints the picture of a devout Muslim who is torn between her beliefs towards Allah and her desires for a man that goes completely against the teachings of a religion that preaches modesty of the self above everything else. But reality in life is that even the most devout when tempted beyond anything they have ever faced before succumbs, and there was a beauty in the way that Mari gives herself over to Roger, a man who above everything else respects the woman he would lay down his very life for.
Roger is a hero that would be hard NOT to fall in love with. He is a warrior with a deep sense of always doing the right thing ingrained in him that it is with a heavy heart that he faces his unrelenting desire for the very last woman he should be lusting after. Even when Mari and the way she covers her beauty from him drives him crazy, I fell irrevocably in love with him the moment Roger showed just how much he respected the woman he loves above anything else in this world. Roger recognizes the woman who hides herself in the shrouds of her abaya, her wants, needs and the desire that burns deep inside of her to embrace freedom, to give her unborn babies all that she had been deprived of when she had been growing up.
Woven into the story of such complex emotions is plenty of action to pump up one’s adrenaline levels and J.L. Saint pulls no punches in delivering scenes that practically explode all over the page, that drives you to the edge of your seat time and yet again and I loved and reveled in every single minute of the experience.
As much as I loved Roger and Mari’s story, I absolutely adored the secondary romance that took place between Angie and Rico that burned up a few pixels on my iPad and a few of my brain cells while they were at it. Their explosive chemistry, the way Rico could not think straight whenever Angie was around, and the bittersweet ending that Angie and Rico faced at the end of this novel just made me want to cry and howl at the injustice of it all. I don’t think I can adequately put into words just how much I want their story next, and yes this goes out as a plea to you Ms. Saint to hurry along and give readers their story before we all get into a tizzy from all the anticipation and waiting around.
As I said earlier, so many fascinating characters that I have a feeling would make for unbelievable stories of their own and I can’t wait to see the journey that Ms. Saint would take us on in a series which I hope and pray would continue to have a lot more books than just these two. With non-stop action, red hot scorching passion that revs up your engines unlike anything else, there is nothing more you can ask from a novel such as this one.
Tactical Deception is a story that goes straight to your blood. Its chills, curdles, pumps and revs it up in equal doses and you just wont get enough!
Rating=4.75/5
Original review posted on MBR's Realm of Romance
Quotes included below the review!
March 15, 2012
You need to read the first book Collateral Damage before reading this one
This was another insanely high intense book. You are on the edge of your seat for the whole book. This continues the story of Roger and Mari, Rico and Angie and Jack and Lauren. The bad guys are home grown terrorist and international terrorist both killing many people here on American soil.
I loved Roger (an American Lt Col) and Mari (who is from Afghanistan) in the first book and couldn’t wait to see how the author was going to tell their story and she didn’t disappoint. Her father who sentenced her to death plays a big role in this book.
Rico and Angie who were both kidnapped along with Lauren's children in the first book also get plenty of face time in this book. Rico is still not healed physically from his ordeal in Lebanon, the mission that has affected all the men involved deeply. There story does not end with a HEA so I am hoping the next book is about them.
We also go to see the start of what I hope is a future romance between Col Dekker and Airman Holly Gear. We learned more about Beck who is of Native American decent and seems to have an interesting past that the author still just gave us little glimpses of.
Some treads were wrapped up in this book from the first one but many more were started and of course home grown terrorist Frank Dugar is still out there somewhere. I am looking forward to the next installment in this series.
This was another insanely high intense book. You are on the edge of your seat for the whole book. This continues the story of Roger and Mari, Rico and Angie and Jack and Lauren. The bad guys are home grown terrorist and international terrorist both killing many people here on American soil.
I loved Roger (an American Lt Col) and Mari (who is from Afghanistan) in the first book and couldn’t wait to see how the author was going to tell their story and she didn’t disappoint. Her father who sentenced her to death plays a big role in this book.
Rico and Angie who were both kidnapped along with Lauren's children in the first book also get plenty of face time in this book. Rico is still not healed physically from his ordeal in Lebanon, the mission that has affected all the men involved deeply. There story does not end with a HEA so I am hoping the next book is about them.
We also go to see the start of what I hope is a future romance between Col Dekker and Airman Holly Gear. We learned more about Beck who is of Native American decent and seems to have an interesting past that the author still just gave us little glimpses of.
Some treads were wrapped up in this book from the first one but many more were started and of course home grown terrorist Frank Dugar is still out there somewhere. I am looking forward to the next installment in this series.
August 8, 2012
This is a second book in a series. Other reviewers have given the outline of the story, so I am not repeating that.
I read this book to give this author a second chance. I am glad I did!
This novel/story was much better (thank goodness there was just a mere mention of anything dog related!).
Yes, there is a lot going on. The continuation of the main characters lives after the first book is fairly smooth. And, I am already looking forward to the other supporting characters stories.
I read this book to give this author a second chance. I am glad I did!
This novel/story was much better (thank goodness there was just a mere mention of anything dog related!).
Yes, there is a lot going on. The continuation of the main characters lives after the first book is fairly smooth. And, I am already looking forward to the other supporting characters stories.
July 12, 2018
I do not like that Rico and Angie have no finished ending .... will there be a book for them!!!??!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 27, 2014
This book is absolutely amazing. I encourage everyone to give it a go.
This is a romance suspense novel. It is a masterpiece. Both the heroine (Muslim) and the hero (husband's boss) are wonderful original characters and the story is action packed (terrorism), passionate, intricate, with humor in just the right places.
He walked straight in, scooped Mari up from the bed, then went to the couch in the great room and sat down.
Mission accomplished. His body shuddered and he broke out in a cold sweat.
He could not, would not, register how good she felt in his arms and on his lap.
He could not, would not, think about the silk of her hair brushing his arm or the penetrating warmth of her body against his.
He could not, would not… Shit, he was beginning to sound like Dr. Seuss and Green Eggs and Ham.
And he knew how that ended.
I think the humor makes the story.
Although this book is in a series, I did not have to read any of the other books to understand the plot or the charterers. There is one scene, the bathroom scene in the store ,that readers may want to read in the previous book that deals with the hero and heroine, but it is not absolutely necessary to do so.
This is a romance suspense novel. It is a masterpiece. Both the heroine (Muslim) and the hero (husband's boss) are wonderful original characters and the story is action packed (terrorism), passionate, intricate, with humor in just the right places.
He walked straight in, scooped Mari up from the bed, then went to the couch in the great room and sat down.
Mission accomplished. His body shuddered and he broke out in a cold sweat.
He could not, would not, register how good she felt in his arms and on his lap.
He could not, would not, think about the silk of her hair brushing his arm or the penetrating warmth of her body against his.
He could not, would not… Shit, he was beginning to sound like Dr. Seuss and Green Eggs and Ham.
And he knew how that ended.
I think the humor makes the story.
Although this book is in a series, I did not have to read any of the other books to understand the plot or the charterers. There is one scene, the bathroom scene in the store ,that readers may want to read in the previous book that deals with the hero and heroine, but it is not absolutely necessary to do so.
July 31, 2018
I've had this series of books for years and have finally read them. I really liked the characters and the story - but there is a couple who we don't get a happy ending and a bad guy who is still out there - I want to read their story. I really hope Jennifer writes their story someday.
January 31, 2018
A thrilling ride. Mari and Roger had to be brave enough to move past actions in their past to a future full of love.
July 27, 2019
There were too many POVs. Too much detail. I skimmed through the book. Wouldn't say the book was bad , just not my cup of tea.
April 23, 2012
Kimber's review posted on Guilty Pleasures
4.5 Stars and a Recommended Read
J.L. Saint did it again, she pulled me into her story and I could not and did not want to put the Kindle down. The end of each chapter left me hanging even yelling NOOOOOOO at the screen, leaving me no choice but to keep reading to find out what happened next. Yes, I am completely sleep deprived, but it was SO worth it.
Most of the characters are back from Collateral Damage, Book 1 in the series, and picks up where it left off. Roger and Mari are our main focus and their story was beautiful and at times broke my heart. You know the characters are well written when you hurt along with them, pull for them to finally get together, fantasize about and even love them.
Tactical Deception has everything I look for in a military romantic suspense novel. You’ve got integrated story lines with LOTS of action, climactic suspense, heart tugging romance, evil villains, kick-ass military dudes, and steamy sex with to-die-for heroes all rolled together to make one heck of a thrilling and sometimes chilling story. There are several different story lines which help move the story along at a perfect pace. Being from the south and familiar with the Atlanta area, I particularly enjoyed the settings of the story, recognizing names of places and even streets. It adds to the mental picture and knowing exactly where a park is located or having eaten at one of the restaurants, makes it all so real. Though, the thought of terrorists in and around those areas was unnerving.
As a warning, this book is not for the faint of heart. There is violence of the terrorism sort and the viciousness is well portrayed, so you’ve been warned.
I am continuously impressed with how Ms. Saint magically brings together all the chaos and manages to wrap it all up, not so much with a HEA but a satisfying HFN knowing we’ll get more in the next book, which I’m wondering if it’s ready for release? Sorry, I know, I’m being a little too impatient.
Thank you J.L. Saint for an amazing, heart-stopping, and emotional story of healing and love that will stick with me for days to come.
REVIEWER’S NOTE: For better understanding and background, I would definitely read the first book in the Silent Warrior series, Collateral Damage.
4.5 Stars and a Recommended Read
J.L. Saint did it again, she pulled me into her story and I could not and did not want to put the Kindle down. The end of each chapter left me hanging even yelling NOOOOOOO at the screen, leaving me no choice but to keep reading to find out what happened next. Yes, I am completely sleep deprived, but it was SO worth it.
Most of the characters are back from Collateral Damage, Book 1 in the series, and picks up where it left off. Roger and Mari are our main focus and their story was beautiful and at times broke my heart. You know the characters are well written when you hurt along with them, pull for them to finally get together, fantasize about and even love them.
Tactical Deception has everything I look for in a military romantic suspense novel. You’ve got integrated story lines with LOTS of action, climactic suspense, heart tugging romance, evil villains, kick-ass military dudes, and steamy sex with to-die-for heroes all rolled together to make one heck of a thrilling and sometimes chilling story. There are several different story lines which help move the story along at a perfect pace. Being from the south and familiar with the Atlanta area, I particularly enjoyed the settings of the story, recognizing names of places and even streets. It adds to the mental picture and knowing exactly where a park is located or having eaten at one of the restaurants, makes it all so real. Though, the thought of terrorists in and around those areas was unnerving.
As a warning, this book is not for the faint of heart. There is violence of the terrorism sort and the viciousness is well portrayed, so you’ve been warned.
I am continuously impressed with how Ms. Saint magically brings together all the chaos and manages to wrap it all up, not so much with a HEA but a satisfying HFN knowing we’ll get more in the next book, which I’m wondering if it’s ready for release? Sorry, I know, I’m being a little too impatient.
Thank you J.L. Saint for an amazing, heart-stopping, and emotional story of healing and love that will stick with me for days to come.
REVIEWER’S NOTE: For better understanding and background, I would definitely read the first book in the Silent Warrior series, Collateral Damage.
July 17, 2015
When is the next book coming out? I need to know like.. yesterday. That is how good this book was. From the first book which started the chain of events with Jack and Lauren and the set up for Mari and Rodger.. just oh my goodness!! Never once did the plot lose me or change, so much was going on in this book that entertwined together so beautifully(if you get offers to turn this into a movie or show happily decline because they will ruin it) that I never once was lost or confused. This book had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. And the couples so far.. I was crying for Mari, I am still sniffling just thinking of her story. And when Mari and Rodger came together it was touching even though Rodger felt guilt about Neil and what happened in the mission, him and Mari connected. But moving on Angie and Rico.. like what?!?! I mean do not get me wrong I pegged them to be together but damn now that is a do or die couple. And I hope their story is next because I saw how some things weren't completely wrapped up in a bow at the ending of this book which leaves me excited for the next book. There will be a next book... right?
September 21, 2012
Ms. Saint's skill and talent in writing are matched only by her stringent research, which is validated by the accuracy of many of the details in the book, and her deftness when it comes to presenting the story from an objective POV. The elements of suspense and romance, sense of urgency and distress, terror and hope, and love and hate were perfectly blended together to create story that sucked me in from the very first page to the last. She wove a complex story, in terms of both the overlaying plot that deals with the war on terror and the relationship between the two protagonists. And she wove it so well that she made me follow every thread that made up her canvass so that I was able to better appreciate the many layers that made up the entire picture.
August 27, 2012
I don't think I could ever love a book more than I do this one. Holy crap this book and this author man let me tell you let me tell you. Talk about a huge ass clusterfuck of shit to go down and just this author is amazing. I just need her to come out with the third installment like now because I REFUSE to believe this is the end. REFUSE!!! Amazing book man.
September 27, 2013
I liked the first book in this series but this one not so much. The two messed up story lines of Dugar and Mari's dad were just too much for me. I suspected Bean all along and I knew he wasn't dead but I would have never guessed Slayer. Then nothing is really resolved at the end of the book.
April 23, 2012
4.5
See Full Review
http://www.guiltypleasuresbookreviews...
Thanks.
Kim
See Full Review
http://www.guiltypleasuresbookreviews...
Thanks.
Kim
December 10, 2012
Ummmm huh?! I really feel after finishing the book that it was not complete. Idk left me a bit confused and like I was missing something
March 25, 2012
I really like this series!
March 23, 2012
So much better than the first one! Still a little too convoluted on the storyline but a good read.
July 28, 2012
I end joyed This book a lot. Lots of different points of view. Normally dot like the but I enjoyed knowing what everyone was thinking. Hope book two is as good or better.
February 19, 2013
Another awesome, action packed read with fantastic characters.
April 11, 2014
I want more of Rico
March 26, 2012
amazing, full review @http://www.sizzlinghotbooks.net/2012/...
November 25, 2012
reviewed for the RT February issue
March 11, 2013
LOVED IT!!!
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews