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Brothers in Arms: Retribution #2
The Pregnancy Plot
Mills & Boon Intrigue series brings you stories filled with secrets & seduction...
An undercover agent has one assignment: protect a pregnant woman who may know a lot more than she’s telling...
Nina Moore has no idea her life — and the life of her unborn child — is in danger. She only knows she’s grateful for the handsome handyman helping her restore her bed-and-breakfast. But Jase Bennett isn’t the average jack-of-all-trades — he’s a special ops agent assigned to protect Nina from Tempest, the organisation responsible for Nina’s ex-fiancé’s death.
Getting close to the vulnerable beauty is easier than Jase expected…too easy. And when ‘fake fiancé’ is added to his job description, the jaded agent is in over his head. But with the body count rising, what will Jase have to do to save Nina and her baby from Tempest’s twisted plan?
235 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 21, 2015
8 people are currently reading
79 people want to read
About the author
Carol Ericson
339 books127 followersBest-selling, award-winning romance author, Carol Ericson, has written more than 65 books, mostly romantic suspense for Harlequin Intrigue. Also indie pubbed, Carol is working on a spicy popstar romcom series about five members of a boyband. A California girl and graduate of UCLA, Carol lives near the beach with her husband and their giant dog. For more information about Carol’s books, please visit her website at www.authorcarolericson.com and follow her on Instagram @author.carol.ericson
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
February 14, 2020
Book Two of Brothers in Arms: Retribution, this is the first book I'm reading by Carol Ericson ad I can't wait to read more books written by her. The Cast of Characters itself has me thrilled. This was an impulse buy after the blurb (and the cover) captivated me at a second-hand book sale.
As the nurse hands over her unborn baby's first picture, who at eighteen weeks is not really distinguishable, Nina Moore wonders if she would even find her baby's father in time. Simon Skinner had dropped off from the face of the earth after she broke off their engagement some four months ago, and she had the sneaking suspicion that he was following her stealthily. She wants to leave LA for the bed and breakfast run by her late stepfather in Puget Sound, Washington in order to feel safe.
What cements her decision to move to the fictitious Break Island is a broken-down car and when she clearly saw someone following her. Jason Bennett manages to reach the island on his boss Jack Coburn's orders. A Prospero agent, he's there to protect that (crazy) pregnant lady and to get more information on Skinner, if possible. Especially since her fiancé's body hasn't turned up yet. He introduces himself to Nina as a writer, Jase Buckley, who needs to earn some money on the side and is there to help her renovate Moonstones, her B&B business. Simon was an ex-Navy SEAL, just like her stepfather was an ex-Navy, which led to him joining Tempest as one of their agent/spies, not that Nina knows about it, but Jase does. She has a shotgun, so his theory of her craziness is proven as is his respect for the strong lady.
Jase even inveigles his way into staying at Nina's B&B even though Nina is still paranoid. There's another cause of concern in the form of Louise, her addict troublemaker stepsister. Even though Nina hasn't told Jase about her pregnancy, because of that Jase is in an overprotective mode. Every little perceived danger raises his hackles. But there is ongoing uncertainty and the author unravels everything bit by bit.
Lou is a really nasty piece of work. And then there's a redhead who Nina spots quite a few times, possibly following her. Was it Simon? It was a story of Jase's Prospero of the CIA vs Simon's Tempest of the CIA. I was over the moon when Jase calls Nina Nancy Drew. She's my favourite girl detective and Nina does seem like her, all strong and independent even though she did lean on Jase a few times. Even though quite a few dead bodies turning up will spook anyone.
In spite of being a Harlequin Intrigue, which is known to be shorter than your average mystery stories, this one packs quite a punch! It has an old-world charm to it, the mystery element in a seemingly quiet island, even though the storms can get quite tempestuous. Though the ending was a bit hurried and being a book in a series meant that we couldn't know who is the rogue head of The Tempest. If you love thrilling romantic suspense then you should definitely give this a read!
As the nurse hands over her unborn baby's first picture, who at eighteen weeks is not really distinguishable, Nina Moore wonders if she would even find her baby's father in time. Simon Skinner had dropped off from the face of the earth after she broke off their engagement some four months ago, and she had the sneaking suspicion that he was following her stealthily. She wants to leave LA for the bed and breakfast run by her late stepfather in Puget Sound, Washington in order to feel safe.
What cements her decision to move to the fictitious Break Island is a broken-down car and when she clearly saw someone following her. Jason Bennett manages to reach the island on his boss Jack Coburn's orders. A Prospero agent, he's there to protect that (crazy) pregnant lady and to get more information on Skinner, if possible. Especially since her fiancé's body hasn't turned up yet. He introduces himself to Nina as a writer, Jase Buckley, who needs to earn some money on the side and is there to help her renovate Moonstones, her B&B business. Simon was an ex-Navy SEAL, just like her stepfather was an ex-Navy, which led to him joining Tempest as one of their agent/spies, not that Nina knows about it, but Jase does. She has a shotgun, so his theory of her craziness is proven as is his respect for the strong lady.
Jase even inveigles his way into staying at Nina's B&B even though Nina is still paranoid. There's another cause of concern in the form of Louise, her addict troublemaker stepsister. Even though Nina hasn't told Jase about her pregnancy, because of that Jase is in an overprotective mode. Every little perceived danger raises his hackles. But there is ongoing uncertainty and the author unravels everything bit by bit.
Lou is a really nasty piece of work. And then there's a redhead who Nina spots quite a few times, possibly following her. Was it Simon? It was a story of Jase's Prospero of the CIA vs Simon's Tempest of the CIA. I was over the moon when Jase calls Nina Nancy Drew. She's my favourite girl detective and Nina does seem like her, all strong and independent even though she did lean on Jase a few times. Even though quite a few dead bodies turning up will spook anyone.
In spite of being a Harlequin Intrigue, which is known to be shorter than your average mystery stories, this one packs quite a punch! It has an old-world charm to it, the mystery element in a seemingly quiet island, even though the storms can get quite tempestuous. Though the ending was a bit hurried and being a book in a series meant that we couldn't know who is the rogue head of The Tempest. If you love thrilling romantic suspense then you should definitely give this a read!
July 14, 2015
3.5 stars
February 27, 2016
I really enjoyed this book. Nina pulled me into the story right away. Nina Moore broke up with her ex - fiancé Simon. She had asked him to get help for his PTSD, and when he refused, she broke up with him. Now she found out she is pregnant with his child. Nina tries to find him, but it's like he fell off the face of the earth. Nina knows someone is stalking her. She thinks it may be Simon, but why would he stalk her? She no longer feels safe, so she packs up and moves to Break Island Washington. Her parents had left her a B&B when they passed away. She has plans of doing some work on it, so she can open it back up for business. Nina grew up on the small island, and knows most of the towns people.
She hires Jace Bennett as a handy man. He said he was writing a book, and wanted to work for room and board. Jace is really a secret agent sent to the island to protect Nina. Simon was a agent also, but who he was working for, was attempting to turn him into a super agent. Now that Simon can't be found, his fellow agents wants Nina, and her unborn baby. Will Jace be able to stop them?
The chemistry between Jace and Nina was perfect. I loved how protective he was. Yes it was his job, but he also cared for Nina. When Nina introduced him to her sister as her fiancé, he took it in stride, and played the part.
The book had twist and turns, and great suspense. People died, and it looked like accidents, but was it really a accident, or were they murdered?
March 9, 2018
Big Bag o' Fluff #13
I kind of want to go back and re-rate all my other books so that when I give this book one star it will really mean something. I'm a sucker for books where they fix up an old house and fall in love, so this one seemed promising. And the beginning is quite atmospheric which also seemed promising -- islands, imminent storm, etc. But the hero saws a couple of boards and that's it for fixing up the house and the next thing you know, you're knee deep in genetically engineered mutant babies. And I don't even know what to say about the weird Shakespeare references. The bad guys are Tempest, led by shadowy super villain Caliban, and the good guys are part of Prospero which was all just so annoying and... unbelievable? I can't believe I'm complaining about verisimilitude in a book like this.
Maybes: 1 cowboy single father cook, 1 cowboy PI cook, 1 former Marine bodyguard, 1 cop, 1 seal
Donations: 1 cowboy, 1 cowboy cop, 1 martial arts instructor bounty hunter, 1 undercover cop, 1 PI, 1 cop with PTSD, 1 cop, 1 secret agent
I kind of want to go back and re-rate all my other books so that when I give this book one star it will really mean something. I'm a sucker for books where they fix up an old house and fall in love, so this one seemed promising. And the beginning is quite atmospheric which also seemed promising -- islands, imminent storm, etc. But the hero saws a couple of boards and that's it for fixing up the house and the next thing you know, you're knee deep in genetically engineered mutant babies. And I don't even know what to say about the weird Shakespeare references. The bad guys are Tempest, led by shadowy super villain Caliban, and the good guys are part of Prospero which was all just so annoying and... unbelievable? I can't believe I'm complaining about verisimilitude in a book like this.
Maybes: 1 cowboy single father cook, 1 cowboy PI cook, 1 former Marine bodyguard, 1 cop, 1 seal
Donations: 1 cowboy, 1 cowboy cop, 1 martial arts instructor bounty hunter, 1 undercover cop, 1 PI, 1 cop with PTSD, 1 cop, 1 secret agent
June 29, 2025
I’m giving this book a 6/10. This for me is an average rating. This is the second book in the new Brother in Arms spin off series that follows the agents of fictional covert agency known as Prospero. This is a good entry in the series. Better than some, but not as good as some of the others in the series.
Like most Harlequin Intrigue books it follows a lot of the same types of tropes that books like this utilize. We have Nina who is pregnant by her ex-finance. He has been killed by a rival agency and Prospero agent Jace is sent to keep Nina and her unborn child safe. The book uses the pregnancy trope, although the baby isn’t are MMC’s, it also uses a hidden identity trope. As Nina believes that Jace is only a handyman trying to help her help her fix up her families bed and breakfast.
It’s a fun entry, in a fun series, and if you’re looking for quick fun romantic read then check out this series. You don’t technically need to start with the original series to understand this one, but you should start with the first book in this series as it does have an overarching plot that connects them all together.
Like most Harlequin Intrigue books it follows a lot of the same types of tropes that books like this utilize. We have Nina who is pregnant by her ex-finance. He has been killed by a rival agency and Prospero agent Jace is sent to keep Nina and her unborn child safe. The book uses the pregnancy trope, although the baby isn’t are MMC’s, it also uses a hidden identity trope. As Nina believes that Jace is only a handyman trying to help her help her fix up her families bed and breakfast.
It’s a fun entry, in a fun series, and if you’re looking for quick fun romantic read then check out this series. You don’t technically need to start with the original series to understand this one, but you should start with the first book in this series as it does have an overarching plot that connects them all together.
February 5, 2023
An enjoyable read, but also really forgettable. I had to read the reviews to remember what it was about (this review was written a month after completion).
July 25, 2015
The “Brothers in Arms: Retribution” series from author Carol Ericson continues with Book Two, “The Pregnancy Plot”. After the deaths of her mother and step-father, and the disappearance of her ex-fiancé, Nina Moore leaves behind her life in Los Angeles and heads to remote Break Island, Washington to take over the Bed & Breakfast her parents left behind. On her own, and pregnant, Nina begins the daunting task of restoring the B & B to an operable condition. She has no clue that danger is hovering over her life and the life of her unborn babe. Special Ops agent Jase Bennett grumbles over his assignment to protect Nina Moore from “Tempest”, the evil covert ops agency responsible for the fate of her ex-fiancé. However, once Jase meets Nina, and his protector instincts kick in, his undercover stint as a helpful handyman doesn’t seem so bad. A complicated family issue arises and causes Nina to announce that Jase is her fiancé. Moving into the B & B, working to repair the place, and pretending to be engaged to Nina all works very well for Jase, until his heart becomes involved. Having Jase so close by makes it easy for Nina to fall for his good looks, solid physicality, and his strong presence. Eventually, though, circumstances force him to reveal all, and she wonders if the feelings between them have just been part of his job duties. Can Jase keep Nina and the baby safe from Tempest? Will she find a way to trust him again and accept the realities of their relationship and their lives? Is love the one true thing they can both count on? “The Pregnancy Plot” is another terrific romantic suspense thriller from author Carol Ericson.
Review Copy Gratis Author
Review Copy Gratis Author
July 21, 2015
The continuation of the Brothers in Arms: Retribution series kept the intensity high with The Pregnancy Plot! This was a quick read because I was too tied up in to seeing what happened next and didn’t put it down much in between chapters.
It picks up in Los Angeles with letting us meet Nina Moore, the ex-fiance of Simon Skinner who was the gunman responsible for the lab destruction in the prior book in the series, Under Fire. Nina gets scared because she thinks someone is stalking her, possibly Simon, so she moves back home to Washington to fix up the Bed & Breakfast her Mother and Step-father ran prior to their deaths. She had tried to locate Simon after they broke up because she found out she was pregnant, but was not able to find him. She can’t shake this feeling of being watched and when strange things start happening around her, she is quick to pick up and go home.
Back in Washington, she quickly meets Jase Bennett, former Marine currently working for Jack Coburn as a Special Ops Agent at Prospero. He passes himself off as Jase Buckley, a man just out of the military looking for a quiet place to write a book about his experiences. His true objective is to keep Nina safe in case Tempest is after her while Jack investigates Max Duvall’s intel to see if there’s any truth to his stories of what happened with Simon.
With bodies accumulating around town, will Jase be able to keep Nina safe? Who is connected to who, and what truth will come out?
It picks up in Los Angeles with letting us meet Nina Moore, the ex-fiance of Simon Skinner who was the gunman responsible for the lab destruction in the prior book in the series, Under Fire. Nina gets scared because she thinks someone is stalking her, possibly Simon, so she moves back home to Washington to fix up the Bed & Breakfast her Mother and Step-father ran prior to their deaths. She had tried to locate Simon after they broke up because she found out she was pregnant, but was not able to find him. She can’t shake this feeling of being watched and when strange things start happening around her, she is quick to pick up and go home.
Back in Washington, she quickly meets Jase Bennett, former Marine currently working for Jack Coburn as a Special Ops Agent at Prospero. He passes himself off as Jase Buckley, a man just out of the military looking for a quiet place to write a book about his experiences. His true objective is to keep Nina safe in case Tempest is after her while Jack investigates Max Duvall’s intel to see if there’s any truth to his stories of what happened with Simon.
With bodies accumulating around town, will Jase be able to keep Nina safe? Who is connected to who, and what truth will come out?
July 21, 2015
Nina’s ex-fiance is missing and she’s pregnant with his child. Someone is stalking her in Los Angeles so she moves back to Break Island in Washington, where she grew up. Her parents had a B&B there and she has decided it would be a great place to raise her child. The people there would nuture her and her little family and she could run the B&B.
Enter in Jace – the secret Ops agent from the same agency as her ex-fiance. He’s there to protect Nina and her unborn baby from another secret agency. Jace doesn’t want to ‘babysit’ as he calls it, but as soon as he meets Nina, he’s smitten. I didn’t like that there wasn’t a lot of chemistry between the two of them, but there was enough to keep both of them interested in the other. As soon as Jace enters Nina’s world, things start happening. Her boat sinks, her crazy step-sister and her latest loser boyfriend are everywhere. Lou, the step-sister is mad because HER father willed the B&B to Nina (the step-child) and not to his own daughter. Lou wants the money from it. Then Nina’s ex-fiance’s long-lost brother appears and more things happen. Bodies turn up, a monster storm confines everyone to the Island for the duration.
There was plenty of action to keep me turning the pages, would just have liked a bit more heart-thudding romance between Jace and Nina. All in all, a good read and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for some cloak-and-dagger suspense.
Enter in Jace – the secret Ops agent from the same agency as her ex-fiance. He’s there to protect Nina and her unborn baby from another secret agency. Jace doesn’t want to ‘babysit’ as he calls it, but as soon as he meets Nina, he’s smitten. I didn’t like that there wasn’t a lot of chemistry between the two of them, but there was enough to keep both of them interested in the other. As soon as Jace enters Nina’s world, things start happening. Her boat sinks, her crazy step-sister and her latest loser boyfriend are everywhere. Lou, the step-sister is mad because HER father willed the B&B to Nina (the step-child) and not to his own daughter. Lou wants the money from it. Then Nina’s ex-fiance’s long-lost brother appears and more things happen. Bodies turn up, a monster storm confines everyone to the Island for the duration.
There was plenty of action to keep me turning the pages, would just have liked a bit more heart-thudding romance between Jace and Nina. All in all, a good read and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for some cloak-and-dagger suspense.
July 13, 2015
I really enjoyed this second book in the Retribution series. Even if you haven't read the first book, you could still read this book and understand what is going on. Nina is pregnant and her ex-finace' is nowhere to be found. However, Nina keeps feeling like she sees him but can't be sure....it's creepy and she feels like she's in danger so she leaves Los Angeles and goes to Washington to a small island where she has a B&B that she inherited. Jase is a special ops agent who is assigned to protect her from a secret organization that was responsible for Nina's ex-fiancé's death but he can't tell Nina that! For now, he's just her handyman at the B&B. All kinds of weird happenings begin to take place and "interesting" people show up on the island. Nina and Jase don't know if it's a coincidence or if they are connected. I love Carol's books. They are fast-paced and keep you guessing. I always have a hard time putting them down! I really like Jase's character. Although he was a tough special ops character, he was so thoughtful and caring to Nina & her pregnancy. Because of a past experience, he wanted to be extra careful and caring to her. Sometimes she didn't like it though! Nina was a strong person!
*** I received this book from the author for an honest review.
*** I received this book from the author for an honest review.
September 5, 2015
The Pregnancy Plot by Carol Ericson takes place right after Under Fire ends.
From the back cover:
Nina Moore has no idea her life and the life of her unborn child are in danger. She only knows she's grateful for the handsome handyman helping her restore her bed-and-breakfast. But Jase Bennett isn't the average jack-of-all-trades—he's a special ops agent assigned to protect Nina from Tempest, the organization responsible for Nina's ex-fiancé's death. Getting close to the vulnerable beauty is easier than Jase expected…too easy. And when "fake fiancé" is added to his job description, the jaded agent is in over his head. But with the body count rising, Jase must risk it all to save Nina and her baby from Tempest's twisted plans…
My thoughts: Loved Nina and Jase. Jase gives Nina room to be strong while still protecting her, A fast moving plot with many creepy surprises. This was a great story that I really enjoyed. Looking forward to the next book in this wonderful series.
From the back cover:
Nina Moore has no idea her life and the life of her unborn child are in danger. She only knows she's grateful for the handsome handyman helping her restore her bed-and-breakfast. But Jase Bennett isn't the average jack-of-all-trades—he's a special ops agent assigned to protect Nina from Tempest, the organization responsible for Nina's ex-fiancé's death. Getting close to the vulnerable beauty is easier than Jase expected…too easy. And when "fake fiancé" is added to his job description, the jaded agent is in over his head. But with the body count rising, Jase must risk it all to save Nina and her baby from Tempest's twisted plans…
My thoughts: Loved Nina and Jase. Jase gives Nina room to be strong while still protecting her, A fast moving plot with many creepy surprises. This was a great story that I really enjoyed. Looking forward to the next book in this wonderful series.
November 22, 2015
The Pregnancy Plot by Carol Ericson. Nina Moore moves to an island to restore a bed and breakfast house left to her by her stepdad. She is pregnant by a guy she no longer could trust or loved. Her step-sister shows up wanting the bed and breakfast that she felt should have been hers. She is on drugs so her dad didn't leave it to her knowing she would sell it. Jase Bennett shows up wanting to help her fix up the building. Jase is really an undercover agent there to protect her from people who are trying to kidnap Nina. You want intrigue then you have it in this book. A very good read. A storm comes to the island, people are killed and drugged. Interesting.
February 11, 2017
This was another book I previewed in another book and it intrigued me and got me started on a this Series..other than trying to fiqure out which is the next set of four books, hopefully I don't totally mess up the order!
This was non-stop for me! Hard to believe how some of it turned out and how many people are ending up dead - but with the storm coming - they're not sure who they can trust other than each other and even that is proving hard!
This was non-stop for me! Hard to believe how some of it turned out and how many people are ending up dead - but with the storm coming - they're not sure who they can trust other than each other and even that is proving hard!
July 20, 2016
Nina is in trouble but she doesn't know that...She has left LA to go back to open a B and B that was left to her by her stepfather..Jase goes to ask to be her handyman but he is more than that..He is going to be her bodyguard as Tempest is after her but she doesn't realize it...People are dropping dead around her too...Finally Jase has to tell her he works for Prospero and they are watching her...They go on a wild chase to get away from the Tempest...A great page turner
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January 12, 2016"With great chemistry and an ace storyline, this series takes a step in the right direction" (RT Book Reviews, 4 1/2 stars).
Miniseries: Brothers in Arms: Retribution
Miniseries: Brothers in Arms: Retribution
June 11, 2015
I am so glad that this bookcame he d I finished the previous book in the series. Kept me glued to the pages. The next book in the series comes in the Fall.
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January 12, 2016received 4 1/2 stars @ RT Book Reviews
Miniseries: Brothers in Arms: Retribution
Miniseries: Brothers in Arms: Retribution
September 15, 2015
The plot was excellent.I found this in a Walmart next to a shitload of romance novels, so I didn't expect it to be all that great. But I was pleasantly surprised.
May 20, 2016
Eh. This wasn't too great.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews