รักที่หวนคืน

The Bodyguards #3

by Cindy Gerard, พิชญา (Translator)

ชีวิตของเธอแขวนอยู่บนเส้นด้าย...

เมื่อดาร์ซี่ เพรสคอตต์ เจ้าหน้าที่สถานทูตสหรัฐฯประจำกรุงมะนิลาบังเอิญไปรู้เรื่องที่
ไม่ควรรู้เข้า เธอก็ตระหนักว่าเธอกำลังตกอยู่ในอันตราย แต่เธอยังมีสติพอที่จะขอ
ความช่วยเหลือไปยังอีธานก่อนที่จะถูกลักพาตัวไปจากถนนอันเงียบสงัดในคืนที่ร้อน
ระอุ

ชายเพียงคนเดียวที่จะช่วยชีวิตเธอได้...

เพียงได้พบดาร์ซี่เป็นครั้งแรก อีธาน การ์เร็ตต์ นายทหารหน่วยรบพิเศษก็มั่นใจว่าเธอ
คือสตรีที่เขาต้องการแต่งงานด้วย และเมื่อชีวิตแต่งงานของทั้งสองล้มเหลว ความ
เจ็บปวดนั้นก็ไม่เคยสร่างซาไปจากใจอีธานเลยแม้ว่าจะผ่านมาหลายปีแล้วก็ตาม
บัดนี้ เมื่อดาร์ซี่ถูกลักพาตัวไป เขาจะต้องช่วยเธอกลับมาให้ได้แม้จะต้องแลกด้วย
ชีวิตของเขา

คืออดีตสามีที่เคยจากกันด้วยความเจ็บปวด...

อีธานพร้อมด้วยทีมของเขาตามรอยดาร์ซี่เข้าไปในป่าอันรกทึบของฟิลิปปินส์ ทุก
นาทีที่ผ่านไปหมายถึงความเป็นความตายของดาร์ซี่ ความรักของเขาที่มีต่อเธอ
ท่วมท้นขึ้นมาอย่างแรงกล้า ทว่าเมื่อเขาทราบเหตุผลที่แท้จริงของการลักพาตัว มันก็
อาจจะสายเกินไปที่จะช่วยชีวิตเธอ...หรือชีวิตของเขาเอง...

Genres: Romantic Suspense, Romance, Suspense, Contemporary, Military Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Military Romance

407 pages, Paperback

First published December 27, 2005

About the author

The only thing Cindy had in mind when she started writing her first book was finishing it. The issue of actually selling it came much later. Only after she made that life-altering first sale did she realize that one book would never be enough. Now, over 20 books and numerous awards later, Cindy laughingly admits that she can barely remember life before...well, was there life before writing?

Actually, yes there was, and still is. A professional career woman, Cindy is a trainer for the Iowa Department of Human Services, a position she states is both challenging and rewarding. "Human Services is a front-line, real-life event. Everything about the job is immediate, from serving families in crisis, to assisting staff with difficult situations, to meeting tension-fraught deadlines."

Cindy's career has taught her much about the human condition, its frailties, its strengths, and its spirit. The evocative emotions that pour from the pages of her books are a reflection of some of her work experiences. Her writing celebrates life's richness and trials, offering a wide range of emotions — hope and elation, anger and indecision, laughter and, of course, love. And, according to her readers, her powerful love scenes run the gamut from steamy to tender to lusty to just plain fun.

Cindy's writing has netted her spots on bestseller lists, numerous RT nominations and awards, the Colorado Romance Writers Award of Excellence, a National Reader's Choice Award and two RITA nominations.

Between writing and working full time you wouldn't think Cindy would have much time for anything else. And while she does find her work and her writing rewarding, there does have to be more. Cindy has more. Much more. She is happily married to the perfect man. Tom's a cowboy, ladies!

Yes, even Iowa has its share of that saddle-straddling, Wrangler-wearing species who love their horses almost as much as they love their women. As a matter of fact, recently a whole herd of Texans gathered at the Gerard "Ranch" to treat their little ones to real horseback rides. Go figure.

Cindy has a passion for pink depression glass — she always has her eye out for the special piece to add to her collection. Cindy's down time often takes the form of the classic "busman's holiday." She loves to read and most of all, she loves to read at their summer place, a cabin in the woods on Lake Kabetogama in northern Minnesota.

Both Tom and Cindy enjoy gardening and have recently expanded their annual beds into a perennial garden. Cindy says she can hardly wait for spring and the promise of all that reawakening and the colorful blooms.

In addition to the horses, the Gerards have two dogs, Ellie and Boomer, who pretty much get anything they want. Tom and Cindy have one son, Kyle, who, after years of keeping them in suspense, found Eileen, the perfect woman.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/cindyg...

Reviews

[Blacky *Romance Addict* · Rating 5 out of 5]

*re-read 19.07.2013.*

Cindy Gerard =>



The Bodyguard Series =>



This book =>




I am completely obsessed. I probably need some medical treatment but hey, don't tell anyone, at least not until I finish this series. No, until I finish the Black Ops series, because that's what I'll be reading next



The story

Right after she phones her ex-husband and tells him she's in bad trouble, Darcy finds herself followed and kidnapped.
Ethan (the ex) wastes no time and together with his brothers and a friend, they go to the rescue
Now, this one was very intense! And I totally loved it!
Darcy was being held by some extremist bunch of blood-thirsty idiots, treated very badly and almost raped.
Ethan and his hero-bunch were going through the jungle in search for her, and attempting a rescue way above their odds.
So yeah, it was all full of action and in a very difficult situation. Absolutely loved it :D
There were flashbacks to Darcy/Ethan history... NOT very fond of flashbacks in general, but they worked for me here :) It would be very difficult to read the rescue without any insight in their past, and this just added to their emotional relationship and it was believable to see them still in love after all this time
Didn't really care much about the main bad guy, but I still wanted the hero-bunch to kill all of those extremist bunch of idiots!
The ending yeah, loved it, even though (AGAIN) there was a proposal.


The characters

Darcy and Ethan were great, and I just felt bad seeing their history, and why it didn't work out. My heart just broke for them. And later, I felt bad for her, what she went through, but then again, I felt worse for Ethan, he was still in love with her, and knew there was little chance he'd get her out alive. So yeah, I rooted for them, and was happy with how it all turned out.

Amy and Dallas
If I could, I'd give 5 stars just for their part of the story! Not many scenes between them, but enough to fall in love with the couple <3
Dallas is one of the brothers and Amy is another imprisoned woman who was held by the idiots for months, and you can imagine what terrible things they did to her. Just love the way Dallas was so protective of her, and she learned to trust him even with all she went through. Love love love love them.



Anyway... This is a definite sign I've gone mental :D I'm skipping book 4 and 5, to go straight to #6 - Amy and Dallas' story
Yes, I know, skipping is terrible, kill me now, but I simply HAVE TO DO IT.
Whatever, I'll just get some medication after I'm finished.

[Jonetta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Darcy Prescott works for the State Department and is currently assigned to the embassy in Manila. When she realizes on a trip to Zamboanga City that the co-worker who slipped her a package before she left is now dead, she gets that she's now in trouble once she reads the contents. Darcy reaches out and leaves a message with her ex-husband, Ethan Garrett, a former Special Forces officer. By the time he gets it, she's already missing.

My complaint about this series to date was it's been more romance than suspense. This story shifted that balance significantly. From the first chapter, this was non-stop tension and action. Ethan's covert operation to rescue her was downright exciting and well researched. I felt I was in that jungle, definitely not somewhere I wanted to be.

I loved everything about this story, especially how the author expertly transitioned between past and present to offer insight about Darcy and Ethan's past relationship and what led to their divorce. I literally couldn't put this book down. It was frightening and chilling stuff.

[Buggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Opening line: "Ethan. Um. Hi. It's...Darcy."

Wow this was fantastic, probably up there as one of my top 5 romantic suspense’s ever. I was completely wrapped up in this story and had trouble putting it down for anything. It actually reads more like an action movie then romantic suspense, the thrills are just non-stop, with a retired Special Forces soldier trying to extract his ex-wife from terrorist kidnappers.

The jungle rescue (which takes up most of the book) goes from bad, to worse, to FUBAR and really had me wondering how the hell are they going to get out of this mess? Yet somehow between all the bullets, bad guys and blood loss Cindy Gerard also managed to completely suck me into the romance aspect. (Sigh) Yes, with a few well placed cherry lifesavers she created a balance between the two and by the end gave me a couple that I was genuinely cheering for.

I’ll admit though I’m a bit of a sucker when it comes to the reunited lovers theme and Gerard does a brilliant job here with Ethan and Darcy. I loved their love story. And unlike some of the other reviewers really enjoyed seeing their failed marriage played out in flashbacks throughout the book. For me this gave an added element of suspense because while we get to see the beauty of their initial meeting and falling in love we also know from the onset that it ends in divorce. I was morbidly curious about its unravelling; I mean they were so in love what happened?

“Eight days. She’d know him eight days. And she said yes without hesitation."

When he reached her, he touched a hand to her face. Smiled. “Important. That’s one word. Everything. That’s another. Loved,” he said, adding the most important word of all. "God Darcy you are so loved”

Darcy Prescott is working for Diplomatic affairs in Manila when she realizes she’s in big trouble. It may have been 5 years since her divorce but the first and only person she can think of to save her is Ethan Garrett. Moments before she’s taken Darcy places the call to her ex-husband and then disappears.

Ethan may have left the military behind but he’s never been able to fully let go of his wife. A plea on his answering machine see’s Ethan assembling a rogue rescue team from within his family’s bodyguard business (EDEN) and hitting the fast track for the Philippians. Armed with a pocket full of cherry life savers and a big gun Ethan easily slips back into combat mode. He’s extracting his wife and taking her home if it’s the last thing he ever does.

“Wake me up in a few hours and keep your eyes on the rearview”
“What am I looking for?” She asked glancing into the glare of headlights shining in the mirror
“The bad guys, babe. The bad guys.”
“They’ll be carrying signs right?”

To The Brink is the 3rd instalment form Cindy Gerard’s Bodyguard series however to me it read more like one of her Black Op BOI's books, especially when you compare it to the first two from this series which were just kind of average and didn’t have any exotic locations or crazy combat scenarios. Anyways I cannot recommend this one enough. Cheers.

[Shawna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread (listened to the audiobook) 5/13/21 -- Still 5 stars!

5+ stars – Romantic Suspense

If I ever get in too deep with some corrupt, unofficial foreign embassy matters and wind up getting kidnapped and held captive by terrorists in the jungles of the Philippines, I hope like hell that I have a former Special Forces soldier ex-husband, who’s still head over heels in love with me even after five years apart, like Ethan Garrett to come rescue my ass!

Whew, what an intense, edge-of-your-seat, nail-biting romantic suspense thriller! Ethan Garrett is an absolute dream romantic hero. He’s sexy, confident, strong, tender, loyal, protective, and heartbreakingly tortured by things he’s done in his past as a soldier. The passion between Ethan and Darcy is scorching hot, and they share a deep love and a powerful, lasting connection that remains unbreakable, even after divorce and a five year separation.

The secondary storyline involving the unexpected, tentative friendship, respect, and attraction that develops between Darcy’s fellow captive Amy Walker and Ethan’s brother and fellow rescuer Dallas is sad and touching, and I loved their story, which continues in Into the Dark.

This is my favorite story in Gerard’s awesome Bodyguards series! Big 5 stars!

[Yomi M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed it, it had the right amount of suspense and romance and that is always a good thing. It was a story of second chance romance and I always love reading about those so that was a plus. The heroine was a bit frustrating at times, thinking that she didn't need the hero at all but thankfully this only happened a small amount of times. There was also the thing where the author added hero's brother's point of view and his love interest, so people might like that in stories but I'm just not one of them. I want to read a story that is about one couple, if I wanted to read their story I would go and read their book. Now, I'm a BIG fan of epilogue's and even though this one had one and I liked it I would have liked for there a be a larger time lapse than there was. I just wanted to see more into the main characters future other than that I really enjoyed the book.

[Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG WOW

If there was a 6 star rating then I would definately give it to this book.

I was gripped from the beginning right to the end and kept me up until the wee hours of the morning. Despite being tired and requiring matchsticks for my eyelids I just couldn't put this book down.

Ms Gerard doesn't write long hot steamy sex scenes in this series and if I am honest I will say that I do like a bit of steam in my romances but I didn't really miss it in this book.

I fell for Ethan pretty quickly into the story and even more so when he went of rushing in aid of his ex wife who he still loved and found it hard to live without despite them being apart for 5 years. We follow his mission to find Darcy and we also keep flitting back in time to find out how they met and what happened in their relationship. Ms Gerard doesn't give us all that information straight away we are made to wait and the flitting back between the past and present continues through 2 thirds of the book which initially I did find a little annoying but this just kept the suspense building and wanting to know their history and for him to find and rescue her in the present.

This is an extremely well written book and I would recommend it to anyone who likes RS.

[Jane Stewart · Rating 3 out of 5]

4 stars for the action scenes: kidnap, rescue, fight, and flight. 2 stars for romance, relationship, and her stupidity.

REVIEWER’S OPINION:
I don’t know how to recommend this. I really liked part, but I really disliked part.

WHAT I LIKED:
The action part of the story. Well done, some neat ideas. I felt like I was there. More than half the book was this action and suspense. I also enjoyed the secondary story about Amy and Garrett. They meet in this book, and their story is told in the sequel: “Into The Dark.”

I DID NOT LIKE THE FLASHBACK METHOD:
The author kept switching back and forth between current day and 8 years earlier when the couple first met. This was done in a cliffhanger style. I felt like each story was repeatedly interrupted. After several of these annoying flashbacks, I went through the entire book and read all of the flashback scenes first which made one complete story (68 pages). Then I went back and read all the current day scenes. Below is a summary of the flashbacks during the first 50 pages (but flashbacks continue until page 227).
FB = flashback, C = current day, POV = point-of-view.

C: she is kidnapped
FB: Ethan attends a party and sees Darcy for the first time (his POV).
C: She is forced to walk through the jungle with her captors.
FB: Darcy attends the same party and sees Ethan for the first time (her POV).
C: The captors line up to rape Darcy, but something delays it happening.
FB: Ethan and Darcy talk to each other at the party.
C: Ethan is walking through the jungle trying to find Darcy.
FB: Ethan and Darcy leave the party together.

Note: Another reviewer LIKED this flashback method. So, how to predict if you will like it? Have you felt like the following? I have never liked flashbacks, but I’m ok with limited use (maybe once or twice in a book). I’m also ok with two different current day stories being told back and forth as long as each scene is completed, i.e. no dangling cliffhangers.

OTHER THINGS I DID NOT LIKE:

She does two STUPID things. She has evidence that will hurt the bad guy. The bad guy arranged for her to be kidnapped and killed. Ethan rescues her. She won’t tell Ethan anything about who the bad guy is or why he wants her dead. Instead she plans to run away from Ethan to be on her own. Her reason is she doesn’t want to put Ethan at risk. (What? He’s like the best bodyguard in the world. She thinks SHE can handle killers? She’s already proven that she can’t.) Besides, she already put him at risk by her own stupid earlier behavior. She called Ethan because she feared for her safety and then she went out walking ALONE on the street at midnight – when she believed someone else had been killed for the same evidence. A suggestion: have them kidnap her out of her hotel room - chloroform her and sneak her out. It’s not that hard to figure out a way to kidnap her without making HER do something stupid.

The relationship was ok, but could have been more interesting. She sees him kill a mugger. Ethan sees a look of fear in Darcy’s eyes and starts acting differently. Then she divorces him because he won’t talk about his feelings about killing. Later she knows she loves him, so she wants to leave him to keep him safe from the bad guys. Could have been better.

There are some sex scenes which are standard for the genre. Some were told and not shown. They were fine and showed love, but don’t read for that reason. Read for the action and suspense.

STORY BRIEF:
Darcy gets a divorce after a short marriage because Ethan is not emotionally open with her. Five years later Darcy is working for the US consulate in the Philippines. Ethan is still in the military – Special Forces. Darcy’s coworker Amanda accidentally receives evidence about a bad guy. She gives it to Darcy. Amanda is killed. Darcy is afraid and leaves a message for Ethan. She then goes to the post office to mail the evidence to the US. She is kidnapped on the way back to her hotel. She is taken into the jungle by a group of terrorists. Ethan and three others plan a mission to find and rescue Darcy.

DATA:
Story length: 337 pages. Swearing language: strong, including religious swear words. Sexual language: strong. Number of sex scenes: 10. Estimated number of sex scene pages: 10. Setting: current day Philippines, Peru, Israel, Alaska, Florida, and Washington DC. Copyright: 2006. Genre: romantic suspense.

[Lyndi W. · Rating 1 out of 5]

I kinda hated this story. For the first half of the book, we go back and forth between present day and the past. I really dislike that because it takes me out of the story and throws me back into the past that I don't care about. But whatever, I dealt with it.

What made me really unhappy was Darcy. She thinks she might be in Big Trouble, so much trouble that she calls her Army-ex for help and then goes for a fucking stroll - alone, in the middle of the night in a third world country where Americans are kidnapped for ransom on the regular. She's got some sort of moron trigger that gets flipped whenever it's time to make a decision. And it goes on and on. "I'm going to run away and handle this international terrorist incident myself with nothing more than the clothes on my back because I have to keep my ex, who is a soldier, safe from the bad guys I didn't know how to handle before but now suddenly think I can outmaneuver with no plan!"

What the everliving fuck. Garbage. I can't get into this story because I refuse on MORAL AND ETHICAL GROUNDS to put myself in the headspace of somebody making such stupid decisions. This character is a crime against women.

Darcy is Big Dumb. Too Stupid To Live doesn't even touch this girl's level of idiocy. I hate it.

[Quynh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ethan and Darcy were married eight years ago, love at first sight, they couldn't get enough of each other, but a marriage has to work outside of the bedroom as well. When they divorced three years later, Ethan and Darcy went separate ways. Ethan, an ex-Special Force soldier, is now working in his own family made security organization E.D.E.N. Darcy is stationed in the Philippines working as one of the ambassadors employees.

When Ethan gets an urgent call from Darcy that meant life or death, he dropped everything to come to her rescue. With Ethan and his brothers help, Darcy tries to figure out what made her a target to begin with as she is not yet out of danger territory.

This series is definitely getting better with each book. The plot is better and so is the suspense factor. I liked the flashbacks to Ethan and Darcy's history, as you get to see why their marriage fell apart and why they still love each other. There's also a minor story of Amy and Dallas, which should prove interesting when we see them again.

Overall, very enjoyable book, and so far, my favorite out of the three.

[jenjn79 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4.5 / 5

Of the 3 books I've read in this series so far, this one is by far my favorite. The story and the romance really sucked me in and had me wanting to keep coming back and reading.

Series Note:
This series is best read in order.

Summary:
Darcy Prescott and Ethan Garret have been divorced for about five years - after a blazing love affair turns into a tumultuous marriage - when Darcy, an employee in the Philippines US Embassy, finds herself in danger. Her first instinct is to call Ethan, and ex-special forces soldier and now private security expert. When Ethan finds out Darcy has been kidnapped, he'll stop at nothing to rescue her. He's never stopped loving her, never stopped wanting her. And for Darcy, it's much the same.

Ethan and his makeshift team travel the jungles of the Philippines to rescue Darcy. But even after they find her, the danger isn't past. Ethan will have to keep Darcey safe while they try to figure out who wants her dead and why. An all the while, the chemistry between them reignites and both will have to face the reasons their marriage didn't work the first time around.

Review:
I was a little wary of this book at first. I'm not typically a fan of stories that involved trekking through the wilderness. It's just not a storyline that appeals to me. But I didn't mind it in this book. Probably because those parts were broken up by flashback scenes to how Darcy and Ethan met, fell in love, then divorced. It kept the early part of the book from being too monotonous. Plus, I thought it gave a really good insight into the relationship between Darcy and Ethan.

Also, I liked the overall suspense plot. It was simple, yet logical and realistic. I thought the author did a good job of adding enough twists to keep it interesting without making it too complicated. And it kept me reading. I wanted to know how it was all going to work out.

And the storyline involving Amy, and by extension Amy and Dallas, was intriguing. I know they return in book 6 and I'm really looking forward to seeing what the author does with those two. And especially with Amy. Poor girl. I can imagine how damaged she is.

As for Darcy and Ethan...definitely some great chemistry there and a pair you could really feel loved each other. I have two criticisms of the book, though, and one is that I felt like there needed to be more time devoted to them working through the problems they had. The resolution to the relationship was squished into the last little bit of the book and it felt rushed. For something so major, something that had kept them apart for five years, I just thought it needed more development.

And my second complaint was just that I thought the ending was rather anti-climatic. I was expecting this big finish and instead got a little bit of fizzle. It didn't have enough bang or drama. I just wanted something a little more.

But on the whole, I really enjoyed this book. It was solid all the way around. I look forward to reading the next in the series.

[Quinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading the first two books in Cindy Gerard's Bodyguard series, I was really looking forward to reading Ethan's story. Then I discovered that it wasn't stocked at any of the libraries in my consortium. Oh no! That meant I would have to buy it. That would be OK, but then of course it would mean that I would have to buy every book in the series because I can't possibly have a book on my shelves that's part of a series, without having the rest. You see my dilemma.

Luckily, I beseeched my local library to hunt it down for me, and swallowed the fact that it would likely take months. Well, more than four months later, it finally arrived, and it was worth it! This was some great romantic suspense.

I love rescue plots and jungle treks in my RS, and this one was a goodie, with the heroine being held by terrorists in the Phillipines jungle, and the hero and his brothers undertaking a nail-biting, dangerous extraction, that of course went far less smoothly than planned. This was a great piece of adventure and suspense from the author.

The ordeal that the heroine, and more importantly, her fellow captive underwent was very realistically portrayed. I was very impressed with how the author dealt with their time in captivity, the rescue, and the immediate aftermath. I really loved that this made up more than half of the book, rather than just a couple of chapters. That's my kind of RS.

So, the suspense element gets a big tick, what about the romance? That also gets a nice big tick. This was a second-chance romance, with the hero and heroine having been estranged and divorced for several years. When Darcy realises she is in serious trouble, who does she call but the only man who could possibly help her - her ex-husband and ex-Special Forces soldier, Ethan.

I loved Ethan and Darcy, and I really enjoyed the way the author allowed us into the halcyon days of their early relationship, before revealing its devastating decline and ultimate demise. I think the author did a great job of making the reader believe that they both still loved and wanted each other, while understanding and accepting the reasons that their marriage failed.

There was also a very compelling component of the story involving the second captive, Amy, and the final Garrett brother, Dallas. I can't wait to see more of them. This was the best of the Bodyguard series so far, and has left me really looking forward to the next book. Fingers crossed that I don't need to wait another 5 months!

[Riverina Romantics · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy hell!!!

Seriously???? I'm kinda drunk right now - so all my emotions are heightened, but Cindy Gerard is the SHIT!!! She literally is the SHIT!! Well not literally, obviously, but this lady seriously has me by the short and curlies.

The first book I read by Cindy Gerard was the first book in this series and I loved it - rated it 4.5 stars. The second book I rated 5 stars and stated that Cindy had elbowed her way into my top 10 favourite authors. Third book???? Christ! I LOVE THIS LADY!! If I could grow a penis and impregnate her with my babies I would. Cause I want to take 50% of everything this lady has - her heart, her mind, her writing....Ahhh she just ROCKS!!!

To The Brink was fan-fu*king-tastic. I had heart palpitations, I had sweaty palms, I got a lovely warm tingle in the nicest of places and I also wanted to cry. It was perfection.

Cindy wove a highly dramatic story together for Darcy and Ethan. The chapters switched from past to present, fitting all the pieces of the puzzle slowly together which had me continuously on the edge of my seat. I was completely captivated.

And the best part? Ethan and Darcy were both adorable. I fell in love with both of them. Ethan was gorgeous. A protective, tortured hero who would kill for the woman he loved. Darcy was equally as gorgeous with her compassionate nature and love for Ethan.

And let me tell you - I will NEVER look at a lifesaver again without thinking of this book.

Another added bonus was the side story of Dallas and Amy. Ohhh boy, their book is going to sizzle and make me explode.....but it's book 6!!! Not fair Cindy Gerard. Not fair at all!

Favourite Quote:

"Just how much time do you plan on spending in Lima, Lieutenant Garrett?"

She could see it in his eyes. His beautiful, expressive blue eyes. He knew he had her, he had to know, yet the only indication he gave was a subtle shifting of his body closer to hers. "How much time do I need?"

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

To The Brink
4 Stars

When Darcy Prescott inadvertently learns a dangerous secret related to her diplomatic work, she knows the only person she can turn to for help is her ex-husband, former Special Forces, Ethan Garrett. Although their whirlwind romance ended in divorce, Ethan's love for Darcy is as intense as ever, and he does not hesitate to mount a rescue after realizing that Darcy has disappeared without a trace into the jungles of Venezuela. Can he save her before it is too late?

The plot transitions between the past detailing Darcy and Ethan's initial meeting and romance, and the present focusing on Darcy's kidnapping and Ethan's rescue. While this format has the potential to undermine a story, in this instance it is very effective as the reader is quickly immersed into the intensity of their prior relationship, which increases the excitement for their eventual reunion.

While Darcy and Ethan's chemistry is intense and their characters very appealing both as individuals and as a couple, the suspense elements are weaker mainly due to the overuse of military jargon. Nevertheless, the rescue sections are exciting (if somewhat overly descriptive), and realistic.

The secondary romance involving the unexpected and emotionally fraught attraction between Ethan's brother, Dallas, and Darcy's fellow captive, Amy, is another highlight of the book. It will be difficult to wait until book #6 for their story.

In sum, To The Brink is the best installment in Gerard's series thus far. Although the books have been more miss than hit for me, this story has renewed my motivation for continuing.

[Eastofoz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would've liked to have had a little more "action" between the h/h but it was a good story and the author did a nice job with jumping from past to present without irritating the reader. Because the characters were married before there wasn't much tension building but more falling back into the familiar which is fine but I prefer the tension. Sometimes the language gets strangely formal or a bit too crass so it didn't always match up but for the most part it was worth the read. The next character's story (Dallas) is also set up well to make you want to pick it up asap.

[Glamdring · Rating 5 out of 5]

So far this is definitely my favorite in the series.

Even though the plot was pretty obvious, the story was cleverly told.

As for books 1 and 2 of the series, the main characters were awesome and I really liked how Cindy Gerard used the flashbacks.

I loved both the primary and secondary story. I can’t wait to read Dallas book!

[SheLove2Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-read.

For me Cindy Gerard is golden. I have yet to read a bad book by her. To the Brink, book 3 in her Bodyguards series is (to me) by far in the top 3 novels she has written.

This is the story of Darcy and Ethan. Once upon a time married and passionately in love. They met in Peru when Darcy was on assignment with the American Embassy and Ethan was in Peru for the US Army Rangers. After a wild, incredibly romantic, make you sigh and want to cry, whirlwind romance, they married. Ethan's job kept them apart more than it kept them together and when Darcy moved with the Embassy to Tel Aviv, Israel it slowly fell apart until they divorced. At issue: Darcy's refusal to return to America and a "safer" job.

Ethan loved Darcy to distraction. She was the most beautiful, incredible woman he had ever met and he married her within 8 days of meeting her. He respected her intelligence and her job but being a soldier, feared for her safety in unsafe places, such as when she moved to Tel Aviv, Israel. Ethan knows the evil in the world, having fought it all his adult life. After a truly horrifying incident in Tel Aviv involving Darcy, Ethan blows his lid and the two fight. Divorce happens shortly thereafter.

NOW we start the story! Darcy is now in The Phillipines and still working for the American Embassy. She unknowingly comes into contact with some highly secret and explosive information. Once its known that she is aware, she is kidnapped by the islamic extremist group Abu Sayyaf and taken into the jungle, supposedly to ransom her but really to kill her. Darcy manages to get off a quick phone call to Ethan just before she is kidnapped, realizing something is very very wrong.

Ethan has never forgotten Darcy and told her if she ever needed him, he would be there. He has kept tabs on her for the last 5 years - the only way he knew how to deal with the demise of his marriage and stay sane. Ethan immediately assembles a team of 2 of his brothers and a good friend (all military) and they set off on an unsanctioned rescue mission to find Darcy. The odds are against them, they know, but Ethan will die trying to find her.

Anymore and I will give away the entire story. Let me just say this book is 5+ stars and on my desert island keeper shelf.

One of my favorite lines in the book is from Ethan to Darcy: "Want some candy, little girl?" ;-)

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

3rd book down in this series and I'm finally getting a feeling for this author and it's just "ok". While the action/storylines are great, the sex and connection between the H/H is just so-so. I'm constantly comparing her to Pamela Clare (the I-team series) who KNOWS how to write action AND sex.

Ms. Gerard just isn't doin it for me. lol I've got the entire series and will read them but will NOT be keeping this series in my library. Do not like them enough to keep them. Feeling sad.......had high hopes for this series too.

The one thing I REALLY like about this series tho, is the epilogue when they're ALL at the Garret family estate playing croquet and having a Bar-B-Q. Kinda brings the books full circle and closes the storyline nicely.............

I know she has a spin off series the "black ops" which I have on my to read list but am taking all of them off. Just not thrilled w/ the writing, lack of connection/sex etc to read another of her series.......

[Val ⚓️ Shameless Handmaiden ⚓️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This, Show No Mercy and Take No Prisoners have actually been languishing on my kindle for quite some time now. I don't know why I put them off or why I suddenly decided to crack this one open, but I'm glad I did. I really enjoyed this one and I'm looking forward to reading more from this series. I probably should have started them in their correct order, but screw it, I think I'll just jump right ahead to Dallas and Amy's story. Oh, the beauty of discovering a series late - no waiting!

[Fran P. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook and it was funny to hear the narrator try to speak Tagalog (Filipino language). LOL

[Aղցela W. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was book 3 in "The Bodyguards" . This was a pretty good book. Ethan Garrett meets Darcy Prescott at a gathering at the U.S. embassy in Peru. They fall wildly in love and decide to get married. Although the marriage starts very promising the relationship Ethan's work related changes his behavior he becomes introverted he has seen a lot as a Special Force operator he asks Darcy to leave her position. Darcy refuses because she worked very hard for her career and can't accept that Ethan has become so narrow minded. This becomes a very serious issue for them. Ethan has joined Darcy on her assignment in Israel. She is attacked by a man Ethan steps in saves her but kills the attacker. This becomes the death of there marriage. Eight years later Darcy is again on an assignment in the Philippines, where a murder has occurred in the U.S. embassy. Darcy knows that only Ethan can help her. She calls him and leaves a him a message. Ethan goes to the Philippines but he is too late she gets abducted before he gets there. Ethan will do anything to get her back. This was a good edition to this series. I am looking forward to listening to the next book in this series.

[Alex is The Romance Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

To the Brink is the 3rd book in Cindy Gerard’s Bodyguard series. Ethan Garrett is one of the owners of E.D.E.N., the family security company and has never got over losing Darcy.
Darcy has worked in various US embassies around the world and following her heartbreaking divorce from Ethan, is now working in the Philippines and finds herself in a very dangerous situation.

She calls the only person she can trust – her ex-husband Ethan. She leaves a message for him begging for his help and before he can get back to her, she disappears.

Ethan, with the help of his brothers and friend, Manny, discover where Darcy is being held and do everything possible to rescue her. I loved the whole tension and suspense in the jungle and in the kidnapper’s camp. There’s more to just Darcy being kidnapped by the rebels….geez…Darcy, wish you could trust Ethan a bit more with your information!!!!!!! Did he not do everything for you when you needed him???? Oh, if I tell him anything, he will be in danger!!! Plzzzzz….that really got to me at times…..in fact I wanted to do something drastic to Darcy at certain times!!!!

This is an awesome man……..the flashbacks we get from the time they first met and fell in love….he has been such an incredible guy…loving…vulnerable….yes a bit domineering….I need to protect her stuff….but all in all he is something hot and sexy and totally in love with her. And Darcy…wow she was such a doll then and now …sassy adventurous, tough, smart, funny….loved the scene where they first make love, a few hours after meeting at some embassy bash in Lima…

“So, Rocketman … is there more where that came from?”

Strong, well-developed characters even the secondary ones like Dallas and Amy.

A fast paced and compelling story filled with intrigue, action, romance, sexual tension, gorgeous and sexy men, strong and independent women….such likeable characters.

This is definitely my favorite so far in this series.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! The thrills in this fun, action packed story was extremely fast paced and so exciting! I couldn't put it down and I was completely engrossed in the current story between Ethan and Darcy and Dallas and Amy. I was even interested in the poor kid who was swept up into the life of terrorism. I can't remember his name but he helps to save the day and I wish him well in his fictional future. Also surprising, I was equally interested in Ethan and Darcy's flashbacks. Normally I am the type of person who would get impatient at this type of format but I just plowed through this book, soaking everything up like a sponge.

Ethan was a very well rounded and engaging character. His angst was completely believable and I felt for him very much. I completely sympathized with his inner turmoil and the breakdown in his and Darcy's marriage broke my heart. Darcy was also a very likable character and her despair during her kidnapping was very palpable and real.

The sex in this book mostly occurs during Ethan and Darcy's flashbacks and the retelling of the beginning stages of their romance was so wonderful and emotional. *sigh* Everything about this story was done so perfectly, especially the telling of Amy's captivity. There was no unnecessary fat in this story and everything was kept as trim as possible.

My first Cindy Gerard book was Show No Mercy, the first offering in her Black Ops series and there were a lot of things going on in that book that I had no clue about. In this book I had a lot of "Aha" moments so that probably added to my enjoyment, but regardless, I really recommend this book as a highly engaging and fast paced novel. Ethan and Darcy were flesh and blood characters that came alive for me and their backstory was heartbreaking and I'm so glad they pulled through. :)

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

After being given some highly sensitive information that has already left one person dead, Darcy Prescott fears she will be next. After a quick call to the only man she can trust, ex-husband Ethan Garrett, Darcy is plucked off the streets and marched into the jungle by a group of terrorists. When Ethan receives Darcy's message and can't contact her, he pulls together a rescue team and starts searching. Their search leads them to the jungles of the Philippines and a race against time.

This is the third book in Cindy Gerard's Bodyguards series and it contains many of my favorite themes.
We have a kidnapping, a dangerous trek through the jungle, reunited lovers, and a budding secondary romance. The story moves back and forth from the present day to eight years earlier when the couple first met, fell in love, and the eventual disintegration of their marriage. My only real problem with the story was the heroine's reasoning for ending her marriage. It just didn't ring true to me. Otherwise, this is an excellent romantic suspense story and a great addition to the series. My rating: 4 Stars.

[LaFleurBleue · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not like so much the constant back and forth between Ethan and Darcy's previous history and the present time at first. And then it started to really make sense, not so early in the story but when reading while their previous marriage had disintegrated so quickly. And then this book was almost impossible to put back on the table.
It's a romantic suspense, with a rather good suspense, but the love story is really really good.
I so want to read Dallas and Amy's story (and was so disappointed at the first line of the following instalment to see it was not it that I started reading something else).

[Jennifer☠Pher☠ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great installment to this series. I thought for sure I wasn’t going to enjoy this one. I am not a big fan of long separations, in this case, an actual divorce of 5 years. Add to that the going back in time and I just was sure it was going to just be a 3★ read for me. I was wrong. This was one of my favorites of this series so far. The story was pretty intense and I really liked it, a lot. The way it was written was done very well. I still hated the 5 year separation but I loved where it ended up. Once I understood their history it made sense. This is a series I will continue to read until the end. Well done. Read.

[Keri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good romantic suspense book. The wording was tight and Darcy never crossed over the TSTL line...she just got close to it. :-) Ethan was funny with his candy offers, heck by the time this book was over, I was jonesing for cherry lifesavers. I can't to read the rest in the series. Going to go back and pick up the first two before I read Dallas and Amy's story.

[Sonia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trepidante aventura de rescate en la selva intercalado con la historia de como se conocieron los protagonistas, se enamoraron y se separaron. Muy buen ritmo. Inicio del romance muy precipitado pero buena resolución.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Want some candy, little girl?”

I will always think of this book when I see a pack of Lifesavers—
well written story with great characters—lots of suspense and action—am totally becoming a Cindy Gerard fangirl

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great mix of suspense and romance. Really enjoyed the story and characters. This definitely keeps you turning the pages.

[Thenia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another second chances story, this time starring a divorced couple who never quite got over one another.

Ethan and Darcy had a whirlwind romance, where they fell in love nearly at first sight, spent a few amazing days together and decided to get married before Ethan's Special Forces team would get deployed again.

At first things were fine, despite the distance making things hard for them, but soon Ethan's worry over Darcy's safety combined with the stress of his job that he never found a way to share with her, got between them and eventually led to their divorce.

When Darcy unexpectedly reached out to Ethan, however, leaving him a message that she thinks she's in trouble and could use his help, before disappearing, Ethan drops everything and with the help of his badass brothers and an equally badass friend, rushes to her rescue.

Getting her and another captive of the bad guys out of the jungle, isn't the end of Darcy's trouble, though, since the main bad guy is still out there and very much put out that his plans to get rid of her were foiled. The corrupt ambassador who had been doing all sorts of shady things and has more than a little blood on his hands, is determined to see her dead, but Ethan is not about to let something happen to her.

I liked seeing how their romance bloomed and then what went wrong in their marriage, but I didn't like the flashbacks that brought us back and forth in the story's timeline all that much, since I generally become impatient when stories change points of view or timelines just when I get invested in the one I'm reading.

Anyway, the two finally get the chance to resolve the issues that broke them apart, and eventually find their way back together, giving us a satisfying happily ever after.

The series continues with one of Nolan's friends we met in the first book, Jason, in Over the Line.

Previous book reviews:
✦ To the Limit (The Bodyguards, #2)
✦ To the Edge (The Bodyguards, #1)