Danger Zone: Tales of Military Passion

by Marie Harte

Demolishing the enemy, then blowing up the bedroom…they’re the commanding alpha heroes we all love best, and nine of your favorite romance authors have brand-new stories featuring them. This very special box set is available for a limited time only, with all profits donated to Hope For The Warriors. Novellas in this limited edition set include:

A MAJOR CONNECTION by NYT Bestselling Author MARIE HARTE: All’s fair in love & discipline… When their roles are reversed, this time it’s the major taking orders from a tough Marine with no problem giving her what he knows she needs. A firm hand is only the beginning…

THE STRONG, SILENT TYPE (An East Coast 8 Prequel) by ELLE KENNEDY: Resistance is futile… One look at sinfully sexy Shane Heron, and Jill Marshall is determined to coax the intense SEAL out of his shell—by any seductive means necessary.

INNOCENCE BURNED (An Outlaw Justice series prequel) by NYT Bestselling Author ELIZA GAYLE: Houston Reed returns home from serving his country with no intention of rejoining the motorcycle club that is his legacy. But a random encounter with a beautiful woman changes everything and he’s thrown back into the life he never wanted but must now accept.

MISSION CONTROL by DESIREE HOLT: Krista (Kris) Gauthier and Mason Rowell are like oil and water from the moment they meet. He never expected the team from Mission Control, the security agency made up of former military, to send a woman to lead the team he hired to fix his problem: find out who is helping smugglers cross his land from the border. Their antagonism is only heightened by the sexual attraction that keeps blazing out of control. Neither of them is happy about the fact they keep falling into bed together and Mason, who values his unattached existence, can’t wait for the team to be finished and Kris to be gone. But when the bad guys are identified and caught and Kris is wounded in the process, the thought of losing her nearly destroys him, and makes him take another look at their relationship.

CHAMPAGNE AND BULLETS by OLIVIA JAYMES: Almost thirteen years ago, Sebastian joined the Army and called off his society wedding to Amanda just days before the event. Now circumstances have thrown them together again and Seb wants a second chance with the woman he’s never stopped loving. But first he has to tell her the truth of why he really left.

STARR’S AWAKENING by KENNEDY LAYNE (Red Starr HRT, Prequel): From the same author who brought you the passionate adventures of the CSA Case Files comes an exciting new military romance series. “Red Starr HRT”. The story features Catori Starr, who must decide if she’s willing to set aside a years-old grief to begin a new life filled with the potential of fated dreams…or deadly peril.

EMBATTLED HEARTS by J.M. MADDEN: ‘Combat Modified’ vet John Palmer doesn’t expect he’ll ever find love, but office manager Shannon Murphy appeals to him more than any other woman ever has. When she has to deal with a vengeful stalker, he’ll be right there protecting her, proving to her he is the man she needs.

ANIMAL ATTRACTION by USA Today Bestseller ANGEL PAYNE: Opposites attract–sometimes in all the best and worst ways… A pheromones experiment gone awry means Dr. Charlotte Sinclare has just landed herself the hottest MP officer on the base–until she and Kaden Tiernan remember how much they hate each other.

HOLD THE LINE (Inked # 1) by SE JAKES: Holding on loosely has never been such a challenge… What happens when a tattoo artist and a Delta Force soldier keep a promise and take a cross-country trip together? Quinn and Con are about to finally meet and find out. Quinn thinks he’s the responsible one, but he quickly learns that he needs to loosen up if he’s got any shot of holding onto Con.

Genres: Anthologies, Military Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, M M Romance, Erotic Romance

1151 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 14, 2014

About the author

Important:: Marie Harte is NOT active on GoodReads, so to contact her, please use her website at marieharte.com.

Caffeine addict, boy referee, and romance aficionado, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Marie Harte has over 100 books published with more constantly on the way. She’s a confessed bibliophile and devotee of action movies. Whether hiking in Central Oregon, biking around town, or hanging at the local tea shop, she’s constantly plotting to give everyone a happily ever after. Visit http://marieharte.com and fall in love.

Reviews

[Lou~❧Powerless Over 1-Click❧ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always postpone reading the books I think I'll enjoy the most. Call it Lou's delayed gratification syndrome. The only story I read from this anthology (also the only M/M story) is Hold the Line by SE Jakes, or as it is also known, Inked #1. I'll probably never go back and read the rest of this book, and I still don't regret spending the money. First, because it was for a good cause. Second, because the opportunity to read this one story was worth the price of admission.

Quinn and Con are my new favorite couple. I got all emotional and gooey as these two tough-guy, emotionally vulnerable alpha heroes found it impossible to resist falling in love with each other. I loved the way they brought out the best in each other. There's just something compelling to me about watching two strong men form a romantic bond based on caring and tenderness.

I did have one problem with Hold the Line: Eighteen chapters was too short. I want, no, I need more Quinn and Con. And so I begin yet another exercise in patience, tolerance, and wait - ting for the continuation of their love story. My consolation? Misery loves company. I know I'm not suffering alone.

[Sheryl C. Nash · Rating 5 out of 5]

So far, I've read A Major Connection by Marie Harte and Champagne and Bullets by Olivia Jaymes and have LOVED them... Will get around to the other stories soon...

[Kaetrin]

I've read The Strong Silent Type by Elle Kennedy so far. 3.5 stars - cute and fun. Really looking forward to more stories from SEAL Team 8. The boxset is worth it for this novella alone.

[OJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this for SE Jakes Inked 1, and let me tell you that it was way worth it. Inked 1 is SE Jakes at her best with the angsty alpha dudes and the smokin hot BDSM and D/s she writes so well.

If this is any indication of a forthcoming series the I'm in for the ride, and what a ride Inked 1 is. The two main characters, Quinn and Con, on a cross country trip for their friend and brother come face to face with each other's demons, fantasies, and hopes and we're treated to some spectacular writing, character development and incredibly hot scenes.

Quinn is the consummate Dom, but not in a cruel, sadistic way, but in a true sensual Dom fashion that's awesome. His need to care for people comes to the forefront when he meets Con who has been running his whole life from his abusive, neglecting father and so desperately needs someone to feel safe with - oh man! What an explosive combination.

This is an extremely emotional read at times and I must warn you that I actually shed tears when Quinn finally comes clean with Con about his life and his past love - excellent! Add to that the ultimate markings of Quinn tattoos and I'm totally hooked.

Go ahead, take a bike ride down this path, you won't regret it.

[Nicole]

So far I've read:

Elle Kennedy's The Strong, Silent Type - I can't wait for more in this new series that spins-off from the Out of Uniform books.

Innocent Burned by Eliza Gayle - Be warned!! This is a prequel novella that does NOT - I repeat - does NOT have a HEA. My advice: don't read until the first book comes out, because waiting WILL be a bitch. :)

[Angela]

17 October 2014: $0.99 on Kindle

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed Marie Harte's, Elle Kennedy's and Eliza Gayle's (cliffhanger!) short stories the best.

[Shaly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A MAJOR CONNECTION by Marie Harte:
(4th book in series)

3 Stars
Three stars because this is the fourth book in this series and I didn't read the first three as this is an Anthology and didn't realize beforehand. So I have no idea if there are any previous characters or background information from prior books. Enjoyed the quick and spicy romance between Bobby and April though. They seemed a good fit for each other and the light master/submissive element added to the story was quite engaging as well. Not crass nor crude.

THE STRONG, SILENT TYPE by Elle Kennedy:
An East Coast 8 Prequel

4 Stars
Nice start to what seems to be an interesting, funny and somewhat similar to the Out of Uniform Series, also by Ms. Kennedy. Though it doesn't look like these men enjoy sharing their women...lol. I really liked Jill's character, she was very headstrong, independent, loyal, sexy and so very funny. I liked how she went after what she wanted but she wasn't annoying nor abrasive about it, just completely honest. Shane, super hot, but too damaged. He certainly knew how to please in the bedroom but he was too damn stubborn when it came to his relationship...

INNOCENCE BURNED by Eliza Gayle:
Sultan's of Wrath (Outlaw Justice) Prequel

2 Stars
I want to say this was a great start to a promising new MC series, but in reality it wasn't. We don't get enough background information on any of the characters nor the MC for this to be a good prequel, plus we get stuck with a HUGE CLIFFHANGER! The author did a good job with the sexual chemistry between Houston and Isabella, but that's about it. We get a bout of insta-love, which isn't bad and sets up Houston for his albeit reluctant return to the MC world, all to save Izzy, who he's known all of 24 hours, but hey who am I to judge? There's a ton of animosity between him and his supposed BFF, which is strange as Axel showed none of that disgruntlement at the beginning of the story, so that was just confusing as hell. For a prequel, there were just too many damn setups and no answers...hence the horrid cliffhanger, according to the author, book one is a full length novel...we shall see...

MISSION CONTROL by Desiree Holt:

3 Stars
This was actually a really good read, the setup was done very nicely as was the background information on both Mason and Kris. It was great having multiple POVs, including the bad guys. The sexual tension and chemistry between Mason and Kris was pretty hot as well. What disappointed me was the execution of the entire setup of the book, we get this great story line and then BOOM, there's a five second shoot out scene, from there it jumps to Kris getting shot and being flown to the hospital, then its three weeks later and Mason and Kris have gone from not wanting any kind of relationship to discussing marriage! Its like the author just wanted to hurry up and finish the book so she rushed the ending...that just sucked!

CHAMPAGNE AND BULLETS by Olivia Jaymes:
Military Moguls; Book One

1 Star (DNF @ 85%)
I know at about 85% of the story I might as well just have finished it but I couldn't. I just didn't like anything at all about this story, not any of the characters, not the story line, nothing. I couldn't relate to anyone. I'm sorry but being a woman, if the man of my dreams leaves me at the altar with a ludicrous excuse and then 13 years later shows up with an even more ludicrous excuse for leaving me at the altar, that is not a man I can count on, let alone fall into bed with. So not only was Amanda stupid enough to fall for Sebastian again, she was stupid enough not to realize that Darby was in love/obsessed with her...sighs..I can't condone a female lead that has her head so far up her ass like that.

STARR'S AWAKENING by Kennedy Layne:
Red Starr, The Prequel

4.5 Stars
This was an excellent start to Ms. Layne's new series. It gives us a brief glimpse into each characters background, enough to get us started. Gavin Crest made a few appearances so its safe to say Red Starr will probably be similar to CSA but will also most likely turn to CSA for help or a joint effort at some time during the series. Its not clear yet who Catori, excellent name BTW, is going to fall for as she is still grieving for her husband, but I think her and Kane will make a very nice couple...you never know!

EMBATTLED HEARTS by J.M. Madden:

4.5 Stars
This was my very first read by this author and I must say that I enjoyed it a lot! The story line was good, the buildup was a bit slow at times, what with the whole soda can, I wouldn't have made a big deal about something like that, but I guess military men are trained to think and see things differently than us civilians. In any case, the execution of the story line was good as well, it wasn't over in seconds, like authors tend to do, they give us a huge buildup and then boom...nothing. This book wasn't like that, oh and just when I thought I had the answer figured out..I was wrong! I also loved the whole concept of the wounded soldiers, still being in the game, so to speak. I love that Shannon fell for John despite his disability, she saw past it and loved him for him, that's awesome! I wanted to give this read five stars but didn't for two reasons:
1) Shannon was annoying as hell with her crying! I swear she spent like 85% of the book crying! Everything made her tear up and cry, everyone made her tear up and cry! It was frustrating and I felt like slapping some backbone into her, but that would have only made her cry more....sighs!
2) I hated John's hot and cold attitude. One minute he's treating Shannon like a princess and then the next minute he's treating her like she's a piece of dog crap that he can't be bothered with! All because of his own insecurities! She loves you, grow a pair and man up!
Overall very good read and I look forward to continuing with this series!

ANIMAL ATTRACTION by Angel Payne:

4 Stars
WOW! Talk about 'off the wall' sexual chemistry in this book! Though it was induced through some crazy experiment, I have to wonder, does the intensity of the sexual chemistry not only stem from the experiment but also from the attraction that Kaden and Charlotte both felt for one another since they first met? Just a theory... Both were good characters, strong and independent. The secondary characters were interesting as well, it would have been nice to delve into them a bit more. We get to read from both Kaden and Charlotte's POV, which gives us a better insight into what both of them went through during their 'pheromone induced' experiment. Good read, though very confusing in the beginning and some parts throughout, as the characters spoke and the book read as if there are other books before this one. Attractions between two colleagues, the whole Sparta experiment, etc.. I did look, but it seems as though this is a standalone, which is a shame because this would make for an interesting series!

HOLD THE LINE by SE Jakes:
Inked, #1

3 Stars
I normally enjoy Ms. Jakes books, they're filled with hot, sexy, alpha men who have amazing sexual chemistry and this book was no different, except the story seemed choppy to me, not the writing, that was perfectly fine, it was the story itself. I don't understand the point of it all, the reasoning behind the road trip to begin with. It was implied that Quinn's brother, Scott would have originally made the trip, we know his brother was injured while in the service but don't find out until the very end the extent of those injuries. What I don't get is why the road trip? Why do Quinn and Con have to do it? All they did was drive, eat, sleep, hustle pool, fight and fuck...again what was the point? It was also confusing at times to know who was talking between the two men, I didn't fully comprehend what Quinn's issues were, aside from the fact that he lost his long time mentor, friend and lover. Seemed to me that he was angry at his family for absolutely no reason at all, which just baffled me. Con's issues were more easy to understand as was his tendency to just act out, hustle and fight all the time. Overall it was a pretty good book, it would have been better if all my questions had been answered, yet and still I wouldn't mind reading another book in this series..hot guys and tattoos...that's so sexy!

NOT BAD AS ANTHOLOGIES GO, I ENJOYED SOME STORIES BETTER THAN OTHERS BUT HEY FOR $.99 BEGGARS CAN'T BE CHOOSERS!

[Abra · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were only a couple disappointments in this anthology balanced out by several good novellas, which is why I gave this anthology four stars.

-1 A Major Connection by Marie Harte: A good, solid story.
-2 The Strong, Silent Type by Elle Kennedy: A fun story and just what you'd expect from Elle Kennedy. It's a prequel to her next series.
-3 Innocence Burned by Eliza Gayle: This is a runaway bride/motorcycle book teaser. I hate the motorcycle club genre because of the ownership of women and lines like "don't let her be a whore." The alternative is for her to be only a servant to the men of the club, which is definitely the better alternative, but apparently not up to the heroine. Anyway, this story ends on a cliff hanger.
-4 Mission Control by Desiree Holt: One night stand couple meet again unexpectedly. It's a solid story with equality between the hero and heroine.
-5 Champagne and Bullets by Olivia Jaymes: This is a second chance story after the groom leaves the bride a few days before the wedding to join the army. As usual for these stories, he never tells her he's going, never tells why he left and doesn't try to see her until they are thrown together years later.
-6 Starr's Awakening by Kennedy Layne: I guess it wasn't that memorable, because I honestly don't remember if I liked it or not.
-7 Embattled Hearts by J.M. Madden: Don't remember.
-8 Animal Attraction by Angel Payne: This one I remember because I couldn't finish it. The heroine is possessed by waking dreams of a super sexy man in the midst of having sex with her. These completely overwhelm her to the point she can barely keep from masterbating in public. Apparently she had something chemical happen to her two weeks ago that is causing heightened senses. She gets to her research lab and follows his overwhelming, super sexy sent to find him in her office. I gave up at "Her hands fell to her thighs and scraped their way toward her needy core, though another anguished cry fell from her." She's just standing in the room with him for goodness sake.
-9 Hold the Line by SE Jakes: This is a really nice m/m story about a couple of tough men on a road trip to the wedding of the wounded brother of one and best friend of the other. It just edged out the Elle Kennedy as my favorite novella in the book.

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Marie Harte - A Major Connection.
I enjoyed this tale of ex-female marine officer and male marine enlisted. Good enough that I bought the rest of the series.

Elle Kennedy - The Strong, Silent Type
Shane & Jill. So good. Sexy, sweet and hot. Great hero and heroine. Just the right amount of angst.

Eliza Gayle - Innocence Burned, outlaw justice #0.5.
CLIFFHANGER ALERT. No warning on this story, although with the epic plot that unfolds in this introduction to a series (I assume), it wasn’t a surprise. MC story, some violence, expecting there will be more. Not sure if I will seek out more in the series. Hmph.Just checked - there is no release date for the next book. Grrrrr.

Desiree Holt - Mission Control.
Eh. Ok story of a f ex-military/now security specialist and m rancher who needs help shutting down a drug and people smuggling op happening on his property. I found the hero annoying, worth his constant need to remind himself to focus around her. At least he respected her skills and authority.

Olivia Jaymes - Champagne and bullets.
Meh. Heavy-handed style marred this second chance romance. The token villains were token cartoons. The hero and heroine were yes/no/yes, with no nuances.

Kennedy Layne - Starr’s Awakening, Red Starr the prequel.
Not a romance. Starts with the main character mourning her dead spouse, takes her through the start up of her next life chapter. A setup for lots of action to come.

J.M. Madden - Embattled Hearts. Can I just say that I am a little tired of the heroine being stalked trope? Yeah. Having said that, this is an engaging story about ex-military who run a private investigation agency. The hero is one of them, and has a ton of issues. The heroine is sweet and understanding and they fall in love. Etc.

Angel Payne - Animal Attraction.
Well this one was interesting. Wacky plot involving pheromones and an evil North Korean scientist (I kid you not). A hero and heroine, opposites attract, who fight, fall in lust, then love. I can't decide if this was meant to be a straight up suspense or campy. It kept my attention though. And the sex scenes were good.

SE Jakes - hold the line, inked #1. Lovely m/m romance with two mature guys who've been through a lot. The chemistry is smoking, and the way they fall in love is slow and sweet. Well done.

Bought from iBooks.

[Wai · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is ONLY for S.E. Jake's story. Which, by the way, is M/M. Yes, S.E. Jake's "Hold the Line" is M/M.

And oh man, did I LOVE this. I loved the dynamic between Quinn and Con.

Con is a Delta Force soldier who served with Quinn's brother. He has a thing for playing pool and hustling people at pool.

Quinn is a tattoo artist and a Dom. But Quinn admitted that he only scened with subs who don't attract him and he didn't seem to find joy in it anymore. Well, until Con, that is.

This was kinky, this was hot but what I loved the most was the feelings, OK? These two started out on a road trip per Scott's orders. Scott being the younger brother of Quinn and the buddy of Con. Scott was injured during one of his tours and since he wasn't able to go on this road trip with Con, asked Quinn to take his place.

Scott was the one who gave these two guys their itinerary for this trip. He also gave them each an order. To one, it was bring back his brother, to the other it was bring back his best friend.

That was the HOW of the road trip. The WHY came later.

The road trip took about two weeks but I never got the feel that it wasn't enough time for these two to bond. There was definitely a feeling of deadline with their relationship, because they were heading towards Scott who was getting married.

I wish I could write a more coherent review but It's 2:55AM and I've been hit with all these feels. From the title page this looks to be part 1 of a new series. I'm really hoping that we'll see more of Quinn and Con.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot say enough about this anthology. The key word in the title is definitely Passion. There is tons of it. In different forms. These writers have made this anthology something to be cherished. Not only are they giving a portion of the proceeds to Hope for Warriors, they have given us NINE new stories.

I would love to review each and everyone of these stories for you, but I can't ... there was just so much GOOD about all of them. Each of them touched me a different way. I chuckled out loud at A Major Connection. I got goosebumps with The Strong, Silent Type. Innocence Burned brought in an MC to the mix, and Mission Control brought in some cowboys. Hmm.. motorcycles, military men (AND women)and cowboys? The anthology is JUST getting started with these stories. Champagne & Bullets brings in good old fashioned re-kindled romance... *sigh*. Kennedy Layne brings us the start of a new series, Starr's Awakening that will leave you hungry to know what happens next. Embattled Hearts.... I cannot tell you how much this one touched me. J.M. Madden takes the military man returned home to the next level with this story. The beginning of a new series, it's sure to hold your heart and wheel away with it. Animal Attraction is going to make you want to growl & purr. And lastly, but certainly not the least, Hold The Line is SEXY SEXY.

I will leave you with that and hope that you want to read it. Because you won't be disappointed if you do.

[Jez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Obviously its hard to really review an anthology. I bought this strictly for SE Jakes Hold the Line (the only M/M story). I figured the price was right, the money went to a good cause and it would just be a bonus if the other stories were good. SE's Quinn and Con are my new loves. SE makes me love all her characters. She is so good at creating rough, tough alpha males who become stronger together while also showing their softer vulnerable side. This one story made it well worth the price. But the other stories were definitely a bonus. Some more than others but definitely worth the price.

[↜ƈɦǟռ☂ɛℓℓɛ↝ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hold the Line (Inked #1) SE Jakes

Of course I loved it, but it was rushed. A few spots had me going back thinking I must have missed something to make jump, but nope the story's just too short. Can't wait to see what will happen in Inked #2.

[Kendra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only read The Strong, Silent Type by Elle Kennedy.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating for The Strong, Silent Type (Elle Kennedy) only.

[Julianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This had a little bit of a mix of everything. Wonderful compilation!

[Bellefleur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only read the SE JAKES STORY INKED --loved it!

[Lynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Elle Kennedy's contribution to this book was the best! I can't wait until this series comes out.

[Eunice Fuller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great bundle but did not read last book. It was an alternative lifestyle which is not my thing

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed all the stories.