Thane's Redemption

The Song #1

by Nina Crespo

The one night she'll want to remember, she'll be forced to forget.

It's been almost a year since Celine's fiancé's death and she's still struggling to move on. But when she meets Thane, the super hot lead singer of Thane’s Redemption, she finds her desire reawakening, and her heart opening. Soon one kiss leads them straight into a night of heated passion…

Thane’s unexpected connection with Celine only leaves him wanting more of her—but his life makes it impossible. For Thane's Redemption is just a cover for a deeper secret: A former Army Ranger presumed dead, Thane is really a time-traveling, covert operative charged with saving the world from disaster. Each jump through time forces those around him to forget he ever existed—and Celine would be no exception. But can time work in their favor to give them a second chance at love? Or will a choice Thane makes in the future put Celine in mortal danger?

Genres: Romance, Time Travel, Paranormal, Contemporary Romance, Fantasy, Military Fiction, Contemporary

82 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 3, 2015

About the author

Nina Crespo lives in Florida where she indulges in her favorite passions -- the beach, a good glass of wine, date night with her own real-life hero and dancing. Her lifelong addiction to romance began in her teens while on a "borrowing spree" in her older sister's bedroom where she discovered her first romance novel. Let Nina's sensual contemporary stories and steamy paranormal tales satisfy your own craving for love, romance, and happily ever after.

Reviews

[Carole (Carole's Random Life) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life.

4 Stars!

When I saw the cover, I knew that I would have to read this story. I have always had a thing for rock stars and musicians in general. I am pretty sure that I was a groupie in a past life because there is nothing sexier than a hot musician. Once the cover got my attention, I read the blurb about the story and was even more excited to read this story. I actually read it the same day it made its way to my kindle and since some books have sat there for years unread, that says a lot.

Thane was awesome as any smokin' hot-time traveling-rock star-secret agent should be. He was all of those things and he proved he had a heart. He has all of the makings of a perfect man in my opinion. I like Celine and hated everything she had to go through in her life but in my opinion this was Thane's story.

This story had a whole lot that happened in just a few short pages. While I am not a fan of the ever popular insta-love, I think it worked in this story. These two characters were drawn to each other literally across time and their fates were interwoven so falling in love without ever knowing what really happened didn't bother me as it usually does.

The story wasn't perfect. I really wanted more and wish this would have been a full length novel because there was so much of the story that could have been expanded on and developed. I finished the story and still had a few unanswered questions.

I would recommend this story to anyone who thinks the synopsis is appealing. I thought that everything worked well and I really ended up enjoying this story. This is the first work by Nina Crespo that I have had a chance to read. I look forward to reading future books by this author including future installments in this series. I can't wait to read more about the member of Thane's Redemption.

I received a copy of this book from Kensington Press - Lyrical Books via Net Galley for the purpose of providing an honest review.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 - Could have been so much more. Stars.

I really like Nina Crespo’s writing style, and Thanes Redemption is no exception. As I have come to expect with her books; we are given interesting characters, an unusual plot and plenty of scope for development.

But that is where my issues lie with this novella, this may be the start of The Song series, but reading this 80ish page installment felt like a full book that had been cut back to fit into a novella. There was so much happening in the story a lot of it was never really given any kind of level of development that it deserved. This is definitely something that needs to be read in close succession because of it, but with no release date forthcoming for the next book in the series I would worry that most readers would need to revisit this part to actually remember what has happened.

There are a lot of loose ends as well, which because of it being a series, and no forthcoming date for its follow-up leaves everything pretty much hanging in the air.

I have read several novellas by this author now; I always enjoy her writing style, story line and characters I just always feel that something is lacking due to the length of the book. The same can be said for Thane and Celine so much happened in such a short space of time, I just wanted them to be given the length of book their story actually deserves.

ARC generously provided via Netgalley, in exchange for the above honest review.

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC kindly provided by NetGalley on behalf of the publisher

I quite enjoyed this one, who doesn't love a time travelling rocker/soldier?!?!

For someone so anti-men, Celine sure gives in quickly to Thane! but I guess it's a mutual thing that the other is the one person that can "fix" them. & the fact that she "remembers" him adds weight to this being a truth.

The only bit I don't understand at all, and can't as yet see it's relevance in the story, is the string of blonde clones that arrived in Celine's shop. I can only assume that this will be explained/fit's into events in books to come...

[Juliette Cross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Original paranormal elements and fast-paced action. While this is only a taste of the new world in The Song series, it's quite a sweet taste. Crespo's writing is engaging and even eloquent. Her hero is alpha all the way and sexy as hell, just the way I like them.

If you're looking for a quick, sexy read in a kickass paranormal world, you definitely want to pick this one up.

[Coco.V]

FREE on Amazon today (9/17/2017)!

[iamGamz · Rating 3 out of 5]

An ok start for series with an interesting concept. Just couldn't find a connection with the characters. I tried but it just didn't click for me.

Giving it 2.5 stars for not boring me to death.

[Nicola · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some stories shouldn't be novellas. Not even to tease or tempt a reader into reading a new series. Thane's Redemption is one of these stories and should have been a full length novel. My reasoning?

1) Too much happened.
2) Too much has been left unanswered.
3) There's a strong possibility I'll need to do a re-read when #2 is released.

I liked it. My 3 star rating is nothing to do with Nina Crespo's writing style, character likeability or the storyline. These all impressed me. It comes down to the fact that I'm sat here, somewhat scratching my head over what has happened and the lack of any particular answers. There are simply too many loose ends and to me, this is a "look what you could've won" book, in that it tempts you and then it's over without any prizes being given. And I know that many readers will be put off by that despite the promise of more.

I want to know more; without a doubt I shall be reading the next book in the series and am hoping that it's not a novella. The potential is absolutely there for this to be a great series; I just need the chance to get my head into the story before the last page arrives.

This review will appear on Read Your Write Book Reviews.

Copy received courtesy of NetGalley for an honest and unbiased opinion.

[Monique · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novella of a time-jumping warrior was pretty cool. The fact that he was also a hot, guitar-playing singer doing his best to save the world and get the girl made this a nice romantic read, even though it could have been developed more.

[Amanda [Novel Addiction] · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good but... there's a heck of a lot that's going on here, and too few pages to fit it all in. Everything happened too quickly, and the relationship between the hero and heroine felt forced since they were pushed together so fast.

There's definitely a lot of potential in this series, it just needs to be given the space to really develop.

[Khulood · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5-4 stars.

The story is quite interesting. Our main characters are:

Celine, a woman who lost her fiance in Afghanistan. A year later, and she is still struggling to move on.

Thane, a super hot time traveling/rock star/secret agent who gave up the chance to live a normal life in order to save the world.

The concept is different, and I really enjoyed it. My only disappointment is that I really hoped it was longer! The plot has so much potential. I'd be interested to know what happened next as it did end up on a cliffhanger.


*This arc was kindly provided by Kensington Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

[Rashida · Rating 3 out of 5]

***ARC via NETGALLEY***

The synopsis sounded good but the actual final product didn't live up to the dream.

The overall story was cute and a lil choppy at times. Thane came off as sexy and so did the the rest of his crew. Celine was missing something---I can't put my finger on it but I didn't feel the connection.

This seemed like the beginning of a possible good story but it's not there yet.

[Dolorianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the set up of the book, and I think the longer novels following this novella will likely fill in some of the blanks due to the time travel aspect of this series. But I enjoyed the characters, and I loved how the author dealt with grief. Also, there is a strong friendship thread.

As for the romance and suspense balance ... the couple didn’t have a lot of time together, but they made the most of the time they had. And the set up of the pandemic threat was weirdly appropriate given what we are going through right now ... though, as I mentioned above ... I think we need a lot more information before I really know what’s going on there.

Overall, it was a good, quick read that seems to set up a much bigger story in future books.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was well written. The characters were unique. Sometimes the time travelling aspects through me off. I really loved that the pull between the two main characters was strong regardless of what "time" they were in. I will be reading the other books in this series because I am very interested in exploring this world. Good job!

[Lorna · Rating 3 out of 5]

When a blurb mentions rock singer, I am probably going to be ordering the book, or in this case, novella. So when I saw this on Net Galley, I immediately requested it in exchange for a fair and honest review. It really wasn’t what I was expecting. Yes, it was a romance, but it also had a science fiction component to it, one that made the read really different for me.

Through a series of occurrences, Thane, and a group of his buddies that were aboard a helicopter that crashes in a war zone, end up working for a secret and supernatural agency, in exchange for not dying in the crash. The group is able to travel forward in time or back to the time they live in, but not further back. They do this to change events that will keep the world safe. When they are not saving the world, they play in a band at a local club. Celine is a heartbroken woman, after losing her fiance to death. Her best friends drag her to the club that Thane’s band are playing at. When the two meet, sparks begin flying all over the place.

Celine was a good character that owned her own business, but who had run away from life after the death of her fiance. When she falls into lust with Thane, she is just as surprised as Thane is when the same is true for him, about her. The major problem, was that Celine would forget she ever knew him after their night together. All it takes is for Thane to jump forward in time once and Celine’s memories would be erased of only Thane. I have to say, that part didn’t make a lot of sense to me. The group plays in a band, wouldn’t people forget about them from one night to the next, after a jump forward? But in this read, they are a popular local band. Or when living in a house, wouldn’t the neighbors forget them from one day to the next? Or the owners of the club they play at and employ them. It really didn’t make sense to me. I like the unusual in a read, the paranormal, or the science fiction aspects, but it has to make some sense, and this just didn’t. At one point, the statement, “time-jump rules didn’t make sense” is actually used in the book. Huge plot hole for me.

I did like the characters of Celine and Thane. I liked their chemistry together and the romance aspects of the story. The main part of the premise was interesting and different as well. I think it could have been a much better story if it had been longer, and the premise better thought out and explored. Everything just happened super fast, and the story lacked cohesion for me.

I really wanted to love this story. I think it was very readable, and the author does know how to write. The romance was good, but the science fiction element was lacking. I would say that adult romance readers would enjoy this read, if they don’t care about the science fiction plot holes.(PureTextuality.com)

[WTF Are You Reading? · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 3.5

To say that Staff Sergeant Nathaniel James Eckhart hasn't been quite himself since his death, would be an understatement...to put things mildly.
Now, known simply as Thane. He and the members of his squadron, with him when their helicopter went down, have become an elite team of another sort. Given the power of immortality, as well as the ability to navigate within the time stream. Thane and his men have been charged with stopping those who would with whatever means, or for whatever reason destroy the world.

The problem.

Neither Thane, nor his men are ever remembered once they time jump.
Forcing them to live lives filled with introductions, first meetings, and one night stands.
The only relief from their solitary existence...
Their music.
Playing as Thane's Redemption. Thane and his band mates are able to use their music to hold on to the human connection that they all crave, find the peace they require, and just maybe (in Thane's case,) find the love that will make him whole.

Leading lady, Celine, is still grieving the tragic loss of her fiancé Dominic. Though she admits to being more than ready to try her luck at love. The pitying stares and patronizing platitudes spouted by her would be suitors; when they learn of her past. Rips the already ragged scab covering her tender heart anew at each encounter. Leaving Celine a mess of unresolved emotions, and just that much more reticent about trusting anyone.

Until the night when fate and the supernatural collide, putting Thane and Celine on an immutable path toward each other and their joined destinies.

Reading Thane's Redemption is the equivalent of getting a nibble of your boyfriend's Filet Mignon. After having doomed yourself to the dreaded baked chicken plate; in the name of girlish figure preservation. Knowing all the while, that Pavlov's dogs have nothing on the ravenous bitch you harbour on your insides, and the absolutely obscene things you would be willing to do; to be alone with said morsel of succulent cow.

That is to say that the scant 82 pages comprising this read is in no way up to the challenge of housing the story found beneath its spectacular cover. So, what readers get is a series of brilliantly rendered scenes, working in concert to try to convey the breath and depth of a full length novel in something akin to a Twitter post.
An occurrence that when weighed against the attention to detail, plot craft, and depth of emotion expressed here, is enough to make one want to howl in frustration.

Though in all fairness, concessions can be made to flagship book status, authoress format choice, and publisher input. The fact still remains that Thane's story is one that will always leave it's readers desperate for more.

Reviewer's Note: I received a copy of the referenced literary work, in exchange for the honest review provided.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thane's Redemption was definitely a unique read that held my attention and left me wanting more. I mean, a time traveling rock star? What's not to love?!

On the brink of death, Thane and his crew were given the opportunity to trade death for a chance to save the world. The catch? Every time he goes on a new mission the people around him will forget him. Which basically leaves him with tons of one night stands and no hope for meaningful relationships... Until Celine.

Celine is struggling to get her life back on track after the death of her fiancee when her friends stage an intervention and force her out for the night. A chance encounter bring Thane and Celine face to face and after a smoking night together both are looking for more... Only Thane is sent on a new mission and Celine is forced to forget all about him.

There were a few twists and turns along the way that had me on the edge of my seat while trying to figure out how Thane and Celine could possibly get their HEA. And their second chance encounter? Loved it!

While I really enjoyed Thane's Redemption, I wish it were longer. I was somewhat satisfied with the end but I was still left with so many questions and I'm really hoping there's another book to tie up all the loose ends. Overall, it was a great read and I can't wait to see where Ms. Crespo takes this series next.

*ARC kindly provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Jessica Alcazar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm gonna be honest and tell ya'll that the reason I even asked for a copy of this book was for the cover LOL I'm a huge rocker romance lover so I was SOLD with this one. When I was approved to read the ARC and downloaded it is when I read the blurb. OK, so paranormal is not ever my prefered genre. The few paranormals I ave read have been from authors that are already established with me (meaning I have read their work and loved it). But the story wasn't very long so I read it. And I'm glad. DId I enjoy the whole time travel thing? Not really, but it didn't take away from enjoying the romance of Thane and Celine. Their chemistry was HOT and they made for a good pair. I enjoyed the writting style and story telling of Nina Crespo as well. So overall, I'd say it was a really good read.

ARC provided by Kensington Books via NetGalley for an honest review

[Zoe Forward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nina Crespo sure does know how to heat up the pages and doesn’t disappoint in this quick read! What a fascinating PNR concept with time shifting – unique and complex.
The relationship between Thane and Celine escalated a bit faster than I expected, but the chemistry between the super hot time-traveling covert ops hero, Thane, and the recovering from her dead war hero fiancé heroine, Celine, scorches the pages. And, ugh, she leaves us on a cliffhanger. I admit to finding this frustrating, but the stage is set for a super series. I can’t wait to read the next installment.

*This arc was kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've never read anything by this author before and I the cover drew my attention. This was a novella and I thought it had some fresher ideas like the special ops time jumping. Celine is still mourning her fiance and then she meet's Thane who is in a rock band. Even though it's supposed to be a one night fling, they make a connection. Unfortunately, memory loss occurs to those the time-jumpers meet. Good start to a new series.

I was given an ARC by NetGalley for an honest review

[Rinou · Rating 3 out of 5]

Histoire courte assez agréable pour introduire une nouvelle série, dommage que l’auteur ait choisi ce format car du coup il y a pas mal de détails qui auraient mérité d’être développés.
Avis complet

[TJ *Book Twins Reviews* · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has so much potential, but unfortunately didn't wow me. It felt rushed and a bit disjointed. The storyline is really intriguing, but was lacking background information. I assume more details will be revealed over the course of the series. Overall, just an okay read.

[Shae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting Characters

So this was my first Nina Crespo read and it will not be my last. I plan to read the rest of this series for sure.

I am not really into reading time travel romances, but I liked the cover and the blurb. It is a short read as well, so I decided to give it a try. The story is well written, the characters are very well developed.

Thane and Celine are two interesting characters going through their own personal grief, but they have a strong attraction to each other.

Reasons I enjoyed this book:

Easy-to-read, Entertaining, Original, Unpredictable, Wonderful characters

[Chasny Dove Nichols · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!

This was a great short story. The writer kept us wanting more. I can't wait to read more by Ms. Crepso.

[Bev Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome!

Loved it! Thane is too cool! I can't wait to read more! I want to see what happens with Celine and the future missions!

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Confused

While it had potential I was left very confused. Former army rangers ancient carrier time traveling band playing guys. No clue what I read.

[Fedora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thane’s a time traveling warrior who plays the guitar in his downtime. Celine’s a bereaved jewelry designer.

[Sophia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hot time-traveling military guys moonlighting as a rock band? I couldn't pass that one up. This was a shorter piece and dove in with both feet. It got out to a quick start and raced to a cliffhanger happy for now finish, but it still managed to engage me and make me feel for the romance pair who both know loss and seem to have very little chance again.

This one opened with Thane and his team of Army Rangers flying out for their next mission only to have their helicopter take a hit and go down. Right before they crash something amazing happens. They are given the option to finish out as dying heroes and it all ends there or becoming a unique elite time-travel team that will go in and stop epic disasters before they happen. They will forever be alone because any time they leap out of the present in time memories of them will be cleared. Thane and his men choose the life of time-travel warriors and use their music talents as a rock band as cover.

Celine lost her fiance' one year before when he was killed in action and her friends have forcibly dragged her out to a club to get her out of the house since all she does is work these days. She never expects it to happen, but a chance encounter with the lead singer proves that she may be ready to get back into land of the living again. Or not.

Thane is usually so careful to keep it casual, but it doesn't take him long to realize that Celine is a danger to him. He understands her pain and cares about helping her heal. And he really shouldn't. One night and several shared words later leaves him hollow when he must leave her for his mission knowing that he will always remember and she'll forget he even existed.

Alright, this story tackles a lot in its few pages making this ideal for someone who needs a quick sizzler with a little depth. Everything is explained briefly and launches right in. Transitions are rough, moving on fast and not letting the situation and emotions spin out to their fullest. The action story line had some mission stuff, but there is still more to come with the world pandemic plot they're working on. As to the romance, it was an insta-love situation, but was not entirely lacking in development since there is a strong connection made through painful pasts that were similar.

By all rights, I shouldn't have like it since I'm one that prefers good transitions and a well-developed story, but for some reason I really got into this one and enjoyed the spark of attraction, flirting, hot sexy times, poignant moments and the possibilities created by time travel for Thane and Celine. I sighed when he sang his new song to her, when she shared her dream date and he tried to make it happen, and when there was that connection through time thing going on. I really wanted more with the romance and maybe there will be. I'm not sure of what's coming for the rest of the series like I don't know if it continues on with Thane and Celine's story or if it moves on to another member of the team getting his romance. Or both? Don't know. I think with any of those combos, I would be fine.

To wrap it up, I was not disappointed in the story concept, but I would have loved to have had it more teased out. I look forward to what comes next. This is for those who need something quick and are down with some mission action, a hot romance, the heady combo of warrior and rocker hero, and a heroine in need of healing.

My thanks to Net Galley for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Miriam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every now and then, I come across a book with a synopsis that's intriguing enough for me to want to read it even if the genre isn't one I indulge in often enough. And every now and then, I'll pick that book and sink into it.

This was that kind of book. It's short but completely captivating. Thane's past isn't as shrouded by mystery as I thought it would be. Instead, Ms. Crespo offers it to the reader on a silver platter. Who he was, what he is now, how he became who he is now. The truth is only hidden from Celine and for good reason. After all, would you want anything to do with a guy who phases from one location to another? That ability defies logic and the rules of science.

Thane and Celine's first meeting was terrific. And she was paired with the perfect man. He was military, former and current, so he understood her grief over losing her fiance a year ago. To his credit, he put Dominic's decision to leave in perspective for her, helped her see how leaving her was the hardest thing to do. In grief, we sometimes don't understand the other person's reason. Their decision is seen as selfish when, in truth, it isn't. He had a job to do, just like she did. His took him overseas into war zones while hers took her to a store front. Yes, his job was dangerous but she could have died just easily on her way to her job.

I loved, loved, loved Celine's meltdown over Thane's phasing. It caught her by surprise and her freakout was totally epic. For the first time in a long time, I didn't want to slap a heroine who was being irrational! But then, it totally made sense for her to be that way!

Can you imagine finding someone you totally connect with then find out you'll forget him when he phases into the future? That...would suck. Knowing that before it happened had to have been hard for Celine. How do you deal with that knowledge? What're you supposed to do after everything you've experienced in the arms of such an incredible person?

Thane and Celine didn't have a choice. He had a job and the consequences would wipe him from her memory. But Fate was kind and gracious and gave them a chance to meet again.

Oh, man. And that touch the second time they met? Well written, Ms. Crespo. I was blown away by how accurately you described what Celine was feeling in just a few short sentences, and how quickly she realized that this man and these feelings were okay.

Grief can bind a person to the past, keeping them still while the world moves on. Sometimes it takes someone special to jump start that person into moving. Thane was Celine's jump start, and she was, indeed, his redemption. Though she couldn't remember him, he remembered her and found a way to reconnect with her in the future. Their love was undeniable and it was obvious nothing would keep them apart, not even time.

4.5*
(Received from NetGalley via Tasty Book Tours for an honest review)

[Jody · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a fan of the paranormal genre I'm always looking for a story that sets itself apart from the crowded field and Thane's Redemption succeeds in its uniqueness. Combining time travel with an otherworldly entity equals a complex storyline that isn't always clear but moves at a fast pace keeping readers guessing every step of the way. It also leaves readers on edge with a conclusion the ends in a bit of a cliffhanger, though there's the promise of a HEA on the horizon.

Thane and his fellow soldiers were on death's door when an otherworldly entity offered them life in exchange for keeping the world safe by traveling through time trying to make things right. He's a lonely man, a mad full of sadness for all he lost in his mortal life. His new life is full of danger and one-night stands that leave him empty as he's forgotten as soon as he jumps into a new time. Meeting the equally lonely Celine has him hoping for more as he goes against all he's taught to keep her safe from their enemies. Thane is a sweet and sexy man who's a musician in his current lifetime which presents him with lots of woman, but Celine intrigues him like no other and he'll do anything to keep her safe.

Celine's lonely and depressed after the death of her soldier boy fiancée. She's closed herself off but feels alive for the first time in many months once she sees Thane. Their connection runs deep which time can not erase as seen by her dreams and acknowledgement of him through the different timelines. Celine is truly hurting at the start of the story which hurts her relationships with her friends, turning them catty. Being with Thane brings her joy and pushes her to finally deal with her grief and move on, which improved my opinion of her.

This was an intriguing story that's a bit confusing at times. It's suspenseful too with one villainous group still on the loose to affect the next installment. We get a brief glimpse of the other men working and playing with Thane, but not near enough. Though they're just sexy and compelling enough to make me want to read more about them. There was a sweet romance with one intensely sexual scene that burned up the pages and cleansed Thane and Celine of their painful past. This was ultimately a good start to a series that leaves a lot of questions unanswered. It's an intriguing premise though, one that leaves me wanting more.

[Book Binge · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Army Ranger Thane’s helicopter starts going down, he knows he and his whole team are going to die. He isn’t wrong. But it turns out death is just the beginning. The entire team is offered a deal they can’t refuse; Die now or live forever as immortal time-jumpers who are sent out on missions to stop bad guys. They won’t be able to make lasting connections, but they’ll be saving the world. None of them thought very hard before accepting.

5 years later Thane meets Celine at a show they’re playing. He’s immediately drawn to her and decides he has to have her. But Celine isn’t the usual groupie. She’s been hurt, badly, by the death of her fiance a year before and still isn’t recovered. He wants her, but he also wants to heal her. They end up spending a night together and connect deeper than Thane ever expected…but the side effect of his time-jumping is that no one remembers him as soon as he moves forward in time. When he gets called out on a new mission the next morning, Celine’s memories of him disappear.

I’m not going to lie, the premise intrigued me and scared me at the same time. With a time – jumping rock star solider it could have been terrible, but the author made it work. I bought into the premise behind it and got caught up in the story. Unfortunately it felt half-formed. There was a lot going on and too much wasn’t explained. This may be the introduction to a series, but at 80 pages it frustrated more than intrigued.

Thane’s background – including a fiance that may? have broken up with him – was eluded to, but not explored. The plot they have to foil to stop a chemical bioagent from being released onto the world – which was the mission he got called away from her for – could have been interesting, but it was just kind of brushed aside in favor of a resolution between Celine and Thane. Which really wasn’t much of a resolution at all.

I would be interested in reading a full-length story about the same couple, but I’m on the fence about starting a book set in the same world featuring a new couple. I liked the author’s voice, but there were too many threads left unraveled for this to truly satisfy. I couldn’t find any information about future releases, so I have no idea what the author has in mind. I’m reserving judgement until I see what comes next.

3 out of 5