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Black Ops: Automatik #3
Seconds to Sunrise
Readers of Maya Banks’s KGI series will love the adrenaline-fueled, pulse-pounding suspense of Nico Rosso's SECONDS TO SUNRISE
She thought she’d lost everything…
April Banks thought her website crashing was just a glitch. Starting the online forum for war widows has been the only thing keeping her together since her husband died, and she won’t let anything interfere with her work. But this is no technical malfunction—cyberterrorists have targeted the information locked in April’s website and they’ll do anything to get it. Even if that means removing April. Permanently.
He’ll make them pay…
Automatik gave former SAS agent James Sant a way to protect the innocent again. He thinks life in the shadows is all he deserves…until he meets his newest assignment. April is everything James has never let himself want and he knows she’s already had too much heartbreak in her life to risk feeling for him. But keeping things professional while hunting the hackers with the gorgeous widow is going to be the hardest job he’s ever taken on.
This book is approximately 75,000 words
One-click with confidence. This title is part of the Carina Press Romance all the romance you’re looking for with an HEA/HFN. It’s a promise! Find out more at CarinaPress.com/RomancePromise
She thought she’d lost everything…
April Banks thought her website crashing was just a glitch. Starting the online forum for war widows has been the only thing keeping her together since her husband died, and she won’t let anything interfere with her work. But this is no technical malfunction—cyberterrorists have targeted the information locked in April’s website and they’ll do anything to get it. Even if that means removing April. Permanently.
He’ll make them pay…
Automatik gave former SAS agent James Sant a way to protect the innocent again. He thinks life in the shadows is all he deserves…until he meets his newest assignment. April is everything James has never let himself want and he knows she’s already had too much heartbreak in her life to risk feeling for him. But keeping things professional while hunting the hackers with the gorgeous widow is going to be the hardest job he’s ever taken on.
This book is approximately 75,000 words
One-click with confidence. This title is part of the Carina Press Romance all the romance you’re looking for with an HEA/HFN. It’s a promise! Find out more at CarinaPress.com/RomancePromise
200 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 16, 2017
7 people are currently reading
57 people want to read
About the author
Nico Rosso
45 books59 followersNico Rosso was a writer in search of a genre until his wife, Zoë Archer, brought romance into his life in more ways than one. He’s created sci-fi and post-apocalyptic romance worlds, as well as working with his wife on the steampunk Ether Chronicles series. His paranormal Demon Rock series brought you satyr rock stars and the Muses who fed them. With the romantic suspense Black Ops: Automatik series, he takes you into the deep dark world of secret operations designed to protect the innocent.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
October 25, 2016
ARC received for review
Great action adventure story with a HEA and no cliffy. The romance part of it just felt a little forced. One really, long arse sex scene. The woman hasn't been abused or neglected or hurt, but boy does she act like it during that scene. He's almost as bad. To those who've read the first two (which I hadn't, but this one is a stand alone so you don't need to) both of those couple make appearances in this book.
Just a thought...this is a male author whose wife (Zoe Archer/Eva Leigh) is also an author maybe she could give him some tips
Great action adventure story with a HEA and no cliffy. The romance part of it just felt a little forced. One really, long arse sex scene. The woman hasn't been abused or neglected or hurt, but boy does she act like it during that scene. He's almost as bad. To those who've read the first two (which I hadn't, but this one is a stand alone so you don't need to) both of those couple make appearances in this book.
Just a thought...this is a male author whose wife (Zoe Archer/Eva Leigh) is also an author maybe she could give him some tips
January 13, 2017
Link to full review below! overall good if you are okay with less believability in your romantic suspense! See full review on The Book Disciple
February 7, 2017
Synopsis
Readers of Maya Banks’s KGI series will love the adrenaline-fueled, pulse-pounding suspense of Nico Rosso's SECONDS TO SUNRISE
She thought she’d lost everything…
April Banks thought her website crashing was just a glitch. Starting the online forum for war widows has been the only thing keeping her together since her husband died, and she won’t let anything interfere with her work. But this is no technical malfunction—cyberterrorists have targeted the information locked in April’s website and they’ll do anything to get it. Even if that means removing April. Permanently.
He’ll make them pay…
Automatik gave former SAS agent James Sant a way to protect the innocent again. He thinks life in the shadows is all he deserves…until he meets his newest assignment. April is everything James has never let himself want and he knows she’s already had too much heartbreak in her life to risk feeling for him. But keeping things professional while hunting the hackers with the gorgeous widow is going to be the hardest job he’s ever taken on.
This book is approximately 75,000 words
What a cleverly written, fast-paced, suspense romance!
The hero, James Sant is a retired SAS operator who worked as a contract mercenary after leaving the military and before He was recruited by the Automatik organization.
He believes the only way he can repay the debt he owes to society from working as a mercenary is to help as many people he can through Automatik.
The heroine, April Banks created a website called foundation.com as a project to help mourn the loss of her husband.
Her website ended up helping a lot of women who had also been married to military men, and who were all now widows.
When April's website falls victim to a cyber attack and the data from the site is stolen, Automatik starts an investigating to try and catch the hackers.
James and his partner have had April under surveillance to ensure her safety.
This is where the story gets good, and all of this happens in the first chapter.
This story is well written, the characters well-developed, and the story full of action, suspense and of course romance.
I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read the next book in this series!
About the Author
Nico Rosso was a writer in search of a genre until his wife, Zoë Archer, brought romance into his life in more ways than one. He’s created sci-fi and post-apocalyptic romance worlds, as well as working with his wife on the steampunk Ether Chronicles series. His paranormal Demon Rock series brought you satyr rock stars and the Muses who fed them. With the romantic suspense Black Ops: Automatik series, he takes you into the deep dark world of secret operations designed to protect the innocent. (less)
"A copy of this book has been provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review "
March 21, 2017
Nico Rosso’s Seconds to Sunrise, the third in his
Black Ops: Automatik
series, felt very much like a book of two halves. But I don’t mean in that terms of the pagination; I’m talking about the difference in the successful (or not) treatment of the two plot elements, because one worked well and the other… didn’t. A good romantic suspense novel has to work in both areas, and while the suspense plot is fairly effective, the romance is stilted, with a lot of telling rather than showing and a singular lack of chemistry between the two leads.
April Banks’ husband, Mark, was killed during a tour in Afghanistan four years earlier. Utterly devastated, she has gradually re-built herself and her life, even though she is still living quietly in the shadows. She doesn’t have close friends or family, but she has a large support network she has built up through her website foundafter.com, a forum for women who are similarly circumstanced. The site has been a real lifeline for April, so when she discovers it’s been hacked, she feels as though she has been personally violated and exposed – but she isn’t going to give up without a fight. Her own computer skills are a match for the hackers, who have yet to break through her deeply encrypted security protocols. But she fears it’s only a matter of time before whoever is behind the hack breaks through and is able to steal all the personal and financial information belonging to the thousands of forum members.
Former SAS operative James Sant was at a loss when he left the army and did some things he’s not proud of. Joining Automatik offered him a way back into helping people again, and he’s never looked back – even though he is still haunted by the years he spent at the bottom of a bottle when he wasn’t running operations for a former colleague who wasn’t very discriminating about the jobs and clients he took on.
I haven’t read the other books in this series, but that’s not a hindrance, because the story in this one is self-contained, and the author includes enough information about Automatik for the reader to be able to work out that it’s a secret organisation made up of former military and special services operatives who now work to solve problems that nobody else can. They fly under the radar and won’t hestitate to use any means necessary to ensure the success of their missions.
Automatik is aware of what’s happened to April’s website and has quickly taken steps designed to protect her – and it’s just as well, because only days after the hack, she is attacked in the supermarket car park by two hired thugs and saved only by the fact that James and one of his colleagues are keeping an eye on her and are able to act quickly to deal with the attackers and get April away. Even though she’s scared and has no experience of what she’s unwittingly become a part of, she needs to find the people who have done this to her. James wants to get her to safety while Automatik does its job, but she quickly convinces him that her computer skills are necessary if they’re going to track down the hackers. Together they head out to follow the leads April has gathered so far.
As I said at the outset, the action/suspense side of the story is handled well for the most part, and the incorporation of the element of cybercrime gives it a really up-to-the-minute feel. There are some well-written set-pieces; car chases, shoot-outs, a dramatic helicopter escape… and with the end approaching, I was looking forward to finding out why April’s site had been targeted and by whom. The bad guys get caught, and – epilogue. Huh? I thought I’d missed something but no, no explanations. I’d have thought that given the lengths the hackers went to in order to protect themselves, we’d have been told that some major crime/espionage syndicate was responsible and told why they had targeted April’s website specifically. Even if those details are contained in one of the earlier books, or one that’s still to come, it’s a pretty major omission in terms of the plot resolution and it was a big let-down.
Unfortunately, the same is true of the romance, which feels forced and almost as though it’s been tacked on. I was constantly told (rather than shown) that April and James are attracted to each other but I never felt there was any emotional connection between them at all. There’s a lot of back and forth between them, by which I mean that as soon as they find themselves feeling comfortable around each other, one of them will think of something – usually for April, it’s Mark and for James it’s his murky past – and close themselves off, which the other interprets as meaning they can never be together. Even during the book’s single sex scene, April is on/off – she wants James, but then feels it’s wrong… she’s been a widow for four years and hasn’t had a relationship (or sex) since her husband’s death, so I could understand why she would feel nervous. But if she really felt as though she was somehow betraying her husband’s memory – which is what I inferred – then a high-adrenaline, high-stakes situation probably wasn’t the best time to be trying to work out whether she wanted to have sex with someone else or not.
I also had a big problem with the writing style, which may or may not be something that bothers others. One thing I really dislike in a body of writing is having lots and lots of short sentences all running one after the other. It’s fine to do it occasionally for effect, but when it’s the norm, it quickly becomes annoying as it breaks the flow of the words and makes the whole thing feel really choppy. It had a big impact on my reading and broke my concentration frequently. And there were some really odd turns of phrase; one that sticks in my mind is “… the kiss parted”. Surely, that should be “… the kiss ended”. Or “… their lips parted”? Another is “her tumult fell into place again” – what does that even mean? (Of course, I know what is meant, but it’s a very strange phrase.)
The reviews for the previous books in this series have been fairly positive, so perhaps this is a case “it’s not you, it’s me.” But the non-resolution to what is an otherwise intriguing suspense plot and the poorly executed romance make Seconds to Sunrise a book I can’t recommend.
April Banks’ husband, Mark, was killed during a tour in Afghanistan four years earlier. Utterly devastated, she has gradually re-built herself and her life, even though she is still living quietly in the shadows. She doesn’t have close friends or family, but she has a large support network she has built up through her website foundafter.com, a forum for women who are similarly circumstanced. The site has been a real lifeline for April, so when she discovers it’s been hacked, she feels as though she has been personally violated and exposed – but she isn’t going to give up without a fight. Her own computer skills are a match for the hackers, who have yet to break through her deeply encrypted security protocols. But she fears it’s only a matter of time before whoever is behind the hack breaks through and is able to steal all the personal and financial information belonging to the thousands of forum members.
Former SAS operative James Sant was at a loss when he left the army and did some things he’s not proud of. Joining Automatik offered him a way back into helping people again, and he’s never looked back – even though he is still haunted by the years he spent at the bottom of a bottle when he wasn’t running operations for a former colleague who wasn’t very discriminating about the jobs and clients he took on.
I haven’t read the other books in this series, but that’s not a hindrance, because the story in this one is self-contained, and the author includes enough information about Automatik for the reader to be able to work out that it’s a secret organisation made up of former military and special services operatives who now work to solve problems that nobody else can. They fly under the radar and won’t hestitate to use any means necessary to ensure the success of their missions.
Automatik is aware of what’s happened to April’s website and has quickly taken steps designed to protect her – and it’s just as well, because only days after the hack, she is attacked in the supermarket car park by two hired thugs and saved only by the fact that James and one of his colleagues are keeping an eye on her and are able to act quickly to deal with the attackers and get April away. Even though she’s scared and has no experience of what she’s unwittingly become a part of, she needs to find the people who have done this to her. James wants to get her to safety while Automatik does its job, but she quickly convinces him that her computer skills are necessary if they’re going to track down the hackers. Together they head out to follow the leads April has gathered so far.
As I said at the outset, the action/suspense side of the story is handled well for the most part, and the incorporation of the element of cybercrime gives it a really up-to-the-minute feel. There are some well-written set-pieces; car chases, shoot-outs, a dramatic helicopter escape… and with the end approaching, I was looking forward to finding out why April’s site had been targeted and by whom. The bad guys get caught, and – epilogue. Huh? I thought I’d missed something but no, no explanations. I’d have thought that given the lengths the hackers went to in order to protect themselves, we’d have been told that some major crime/espionage syndicate was responsible and told why they had targeted April’s website specifically. Even if those details are contained in one of the earlier books, or one that’s still to come, it’s a pretty major omission in terms of the plot resolution and it was a big let-down.
Unfortunately, the same is true of the romance, which feels forced and almost as though it’s been tacked on. I was constantly told (rather than shown) that April and James are attracted to each other but I never felt there was any emotional connection between them at all. There’s a lot of back and forth between them, by which I mean that as soon as they find themselves feeling comfortable around each other, one of them will think of something – usually for April, it’s Mark and for James it’s his murky past – and close themselves off, which the other interprets as meaning they can never be together. Even during the book’s single sex scene, April is on/off – she wants James, but then feels it’s wrong… she’s been a widow for four years and hasn’t had a relationship (or sex) since her husband’s death, so I could understand why she would feel nervous. But if she really felt as though she was somehow betraying her husband’s memory – which is what I inferred – then a high-adrenaline, high-stakes situation probably wasn’t the best time to be trying to work out whether she wanted to have sex with someone else or not.
I also had a big problem with the writing style, which may or may not be something that bothers others. One thing I really dislike in a body of writing is having lots and lots of short sentences all running one after the other. It’s fine to do it occasionally for effect, but when it’s the norm, it quickly becomes annoying as it breaks the flow of the words and makes the whole thing feel really choppy. It had a big impact on my reading and broke my concentration frequently. And there were some really odd turns of phrase; one that sticks in my mind is “… the kiss parted”. Surely, that should be “… the kiss ended”. Or “… their lips parted”? Another is “her tumult fell into place again” – what does that even mean? (Of course, I know what is meant, but it’s a very strange phrase.)
The reviews for the previous books in this series have been fairly positive, so perhaps this is a case “it’s not you, it’s me.” But the non-resolution to what is an otherwise intriguing suspense plot and the poorly executed romance make Seconds to Sunrise a book I can’t recommend.
January 2, 2017
3.5 Stars - 3 Flames
Have I mentioned how much I really like the concept of Automatik and the different members of the team? Well, I do. So much so that I don't even read the blurb anymore. I just know that I want to read it. And it's a good thing I picked this one up. I'm always down for a good suspense thriller with nonstop action and mystery. And this doesn't disappoint.
Computer savvy? April is. In fact, not only has she created a website to help widows of fallen soldiers, she's created an encryption within the program that so difficult to get in to that the hackers or her site are now hunting her down. It's a good thing someone other than the hackers have been spying on her, because if not for Automatik, she never would have made it out of that grocery store parking lot. Now if she can only snap out of the nightmare shock she's in.
James is a member of Automatik. He was specifically tasked to tail April and protect because Automatik has been on to the hackers ever since they targeted April's site. Unfortunately, they have no leads as to who or where they are in order to stop them. Which only means one thing. They're still bait and need to find out as much information as possible before they're caught by the hackers themselves. But the chemistry between James and April builds quickly while on the run and emotions become part of the mission, unbeknownst to James.
This isn't exactly my "favorite" in the series, but it was still very entertaining. Like I said before, I'm a sucker for suspense mystery thrillers with some romance thrown in there for good measure. So...duh...yeah, I liked this one. As usually, I'm already chomping at the bit to see what Mr. Rosso has in store for us next time. Until then....
*I received this book from the Jeep Diva in exchange for my honest opinion.
Have I mentioned how much I really like the concept of Automatik and the different members of the team? Well, I do. So much so that I don't even read the blurb anymore. I just know that I want to read it. And it's a good thing I picked this one up. I'm always down for a good suspense thriller with nonstop action and mystery. And this doesn't disappoint.
Computer savvy? April is. In fact, not only has she created a website to help widows of fallen soldiers, she's created an encryption within the program that so difficult to get in to that the hackers or her site are now hunting her down. It's a good thing someone other than the hackers have been spying on her, because if not for Automatik, she never would have made it out of that grocery store parking lot. Now if she can only snap out of the nightmare shock she's in.
James is a member of Automatik. He was specifically tasked to tail April and protect because Automatik has been on to the hackers ever since they targeted April's site. Unfortunately, they have no leads as to who or where they are in order to stop them. Which only means one thing. They're still bait and need to find out as much information as possible before they're caught by the hackers themselves. But the chemistry between James and April builds quickly while on the run and emotions become part of the mission, unbeknownst to James.
This isn't exactly my "favorite" in the series, but it was still very entertaining. Like I said before, I'm a sucker for suspense mystery thrillers with some romance thrown in there for good measure. So...duh...yeah, I liked this one. As usually, I'm already chomping at the bit to see what Mr. Rosso has in store for us next time. Until then....
*I received this book from the Jeep Diva in exchange for my honest opinion.
January 16, 2020
A half-Korean widow in fear for her life. A mysterious British Indian ex-military operative sent by the secretive security group Automatik is determined to protect her. Gotta love that April and James are both Asians when Asians in romantic suspense are usually relegated to either evil villain or nerdy sidekick status. Oooh, I thought, this is gonna be good. Then I saw the cover and cringed.
The chemistry between April and James was instant and fantastic, heightened by the tension as they ran around seeking answers or seeking refuge from the baddies. If a dark-eyed man with military skills and a British accent suddenly saved my life from hired assassins, you better believe I'd have a major case of insta-lust.
But my real pet peeve was the cover. James is a dark-eyed, broad-chested, bearded fully Indian man but the dude on the cover looks like my Cuban-American personal trainer. Publishers, you can't just Photoshop some shadow over some random dark-haired guy and fool readers into thinking that's a desi guy. C'mon. There's no shortage of good-looking Indian guys that could have modeled for James. Hello, has no one seen Dev Patel or Raza Jeffrey? I really couldn't get past this cover.
After all, James is such a dutiful desi son. One of the best scenes is when James has to retrieve emergency weapons he hid at his parents' home and his father believes James is a "bad guy" operating on the wrong side of the law. James' exasperation is so plain to see.
The chemistry between April and James was instant and fantastic, heightened by the tension as they ran around seeking answers or seeking refuge from the baddies. If a dark-eyed man with military skills and a British accent suddenly saved my life from hired assassins, you better believe I'd have a major case of insta-lust.
Had it only been three days? Four? Barely any time. But also so much time. In danger. Thrown together. Fighting. Searching. And finding each other.The problem was I never fully understood why April or her website supporting military widows was targeted by the bad guys. Or why she couldn't just take down the site and personal identifying information they were seeking. Plus, the tension started to ebb when April and James spent endless chapters just hiding out in motel rooms idly chatting to kill time waiting for his Automatik contacts to call them.
But my real pet peeve was the cover. James is a dark-eyed, broad-chested, bearded fully Indian man but the dude on the cover looks like my Cuban-American personal trainer. Publishers, you can't just Photoshop some shadow over some random dark-haired guy and fool readers into thinking that's a desi guy. C'mon. There's no shortage of good-looking Indian guys that could have modeled for James. Hello, has no one seen Dev Patel or Raza Jeffrey? I really couldn't get past this cover.
After all, James is such a dutiful desi son. One of the best scenes is when James has to retrieve emergency weapons he hid at his parents' home and his father believes James is a "bad guy" operating on the wrong side of the law. James' exasperation is so plain to see.
His demeanor pulled taut and ready. She prepared to meet efficient, capable special operators when he pulled up to a medium-sized two-story house on the middle of the block. "Another Automatik soldier?" she asked, slipping the mercenary's phone in her coat pocket and pulling the heavy fabric around her for protection.Turns out I have another Automatik book waiting patiently in my TBR, One Minute to Midnight. Hoping no cover issues with that one, and looking forward to a badass female former sniper as the love interest.
James answered, barely audible. "My parents."
December 7, 2016
This is one seriously great series!
After April Banks' website for the widows of soldiers was hacked, she's taken right back to the days of the darkness that engulfed her when her husband died. After she's saved from an attack by former British military Corporal James Sant, April has to quickly decide whether James is someone she can trust to keep her safe.
James and his organization Automatik have been keeping a close eye on April since they realized the scope of sophistication involved in her site's hacking. When he learns there's a hit out on her to get her to back off, James and April go on the run to try and stay one step ahead of the hackers. But these guys don't play nice…who's the hunter and who's the prey?
I can't even tell you how much I love the Black Ops: Automatik series by Mr. Rosso, and the third installment, Seconds to Sunrise, did not disappoint! The palpable chemistry between April and James was absolutely something to see. It was real and raw and, at times, heartbreaking. April was still broken inside from the death of her husband and the destruction of the website that helped her heal. James' past choices left a scar on his soul he never thought he would recover from.
Their first (and only) sex scene was über hot, but also so sad as April struggled with the memory of her husband and whether she should put herself out there for this man she barely knew. The storyline was fast paced, suspenseful and totally topical with all the hacking going on IRK these days. I loved every minute of this romantic suspense and can't wait for more!
Bottom Line: No OM/OW or sharing; condom use; no BDSM/kink; no sexual assault; violence/murder. - See more at: http://www.theromancereviews.com/view...
- See more at: http://www.theromancereviews.com/view...
After April Banks' website for the widows of soldiers was hacked, she's taken right back to the days of the darkness that engulfed her when her husband died. After she's saved from an attack by former British military Corporal James Sant, April has to quickly decide whether James is someone she can trust to keep her safe.
James and his organization Automatik have been keeping a close eye on April since they realized the scope of sophistication involved in her site's hacking. When he learns there's a hit out on her to get her to back off, James and April go on the run to try and stay one step ahead of the hackers. But these guys don't play nice…who's the hunter and who's the prey?
I can't even tell you how much I love the Black Ops: Automatik series by Mr. Rosso, and the third installment, Seconds to Sunrise, did not disappoint! The palpable chemistry between April and James was absolutely something to see. It was real and raw and, at times, heartbreaking. April was still broken inside from the death of her husband and the destruction of the website that helped her heal. James' past choices left a scar on his soul he never thought he would recover from.
Their first (and only) sex scene was über hot, but also so sad as April struggled with the memory of her husband and whether she should put herself out there for this man she barely knew. The storyline was fast paced, suspenseful and totally topical with all the hacking going on IRK these days. I loved every minute of this romantic suspense and can't wait for more!
Bottom Line: No OM/OW or sharing; condom use; no BDSM/kink; no sexual assault; violence/murder. - See more at: http://www.theromancereviews.com/view...
- See more at: http://www.theromancereviews.com/view...
April 5, 2017
DNF....3% of the way in and I couldn't get into the book.
April had a website where military widows could come together and support one another (financially and otherwise). The website gets hacked and credit card information is stolen.
Seems like something that happens pretty much every day (except the military widow part); websites are constantly hacked. Yet we're led to believe that April's website is hacked and now people have been hired to kill her or injure her. Why? What made her website so special?
The beginning of the book is weird...she references feeling like people are stealing from her, but no one can see them and that she must go on with her life knowing people are stealing from her. Honestly, this made her sound as if she had mental health issues.
I gave up reading the book, it just seemed too far fetched.
** ARC received from Netgalley **
April had a website where military widows could come together and support one another (financially and otherwise). The website gets hacked and credit card information is stolen.
Seems like something that happens pretty much every day (except the military widow part); websites are constantly hacked. Yet we're led to believe that April's website is hacked and now people have been hired to kill her or injure her. Why? What made her website so special?
The beginning of the book is weird...she references feeling like people are stealing from her, but no one can see them and that she must go on with her life knowing people are stealing from her. Honestly, this made her sound as if she had mental health issues.
I gave up reading the book, it just seemed too far fetched.
** ARC received from Netgalley **
February 8, 2017
Reviewed by Gemini
Seconds to Sunrise is the third book in Nico Rosso’s Black Ops: Automatik series. The series itself is about a secret paramilitary organization that helps good people get out of dangerous situations and they usually take down a criminal organization while they are at it. I would look at them as a well-funded, modern-day A-Team. The second book, One Minute to Midnight, focused on a male and female pair of operators that ended up falling in love during their mission. In this sequel, website designer/host April Banks has a website that has been hacked. Her website is a great support system for military spouses that have lost someone in battle. Automatik has sent in James Sant to protect April as the hackers have sent in thugs to prevent her from trying to stop them from using the personal information that they have obtained from the hack. In fact, her encryption is so good, they have not actually been able to access the truly personal and important information yet.
James is former British SAS which is an elite military unit. He has also done a few not so commendable ops in his time so he is trying to atone for those acts by helping people through Automatik. April’s husband was killed by an IED while serving in the military so she has a personal connection to her site and the people that have been affected by the hack. James and April decide to track down the hackers. This sends them on a dangerous trek across the Western United States. All of the time that April and James spend in close quarters draws them close together. Consequently, they end up having a steamy tryst which brings them even closer together and gives them both hope for the future. They find themselves in some life threatening situations that take all of James’ training and resources to keep them safe.
I really enjoyed all of the action that was laced throughout the book. There was a good balance of romance and suspense. I especially liked the fact that they didn’t spend the entire book on defense. At some point, they took the fight to the hackers and that made them an admirable team. The more and more I learn about Automatik and its members, the more I look forward to reading another sequel. I must also mention that the Nico Rosso does a great job of showing a diverse group of people throughout this series. I’m always impressed when an author doesn’t forget to include different ethnicities in their books. It’s not only very inclusive, it makes the books more realistic.
**Received a copy from the publisher and voluntarily reviewed.**
Seconds to Sunrise is the third book in Nico Rosso’s Black Ops: Automatik series. The series itself is about a secret paramilitary organization that helps good people get out of dangerous situations and they usually take down a criminal organization while they are at it. I would look at them as a well-funded, modern-day A-Team. The second book, One Minute to Midnight, focused on a male and female pair of operators that ended up falling in love during their mission. In this sequel, website designer/host April Banks has a website that has been hacked. Her website is a great support system for military spouses that have lost someone in battle. Automatik has sent in James Sant to protect April as the hackers have sent in thugs to prevent her from trying to stop them from using the personal information that they have obtained from the hack. In fact, her encryption is so good, they have not actually been able to access the truly personal and important information yet.
James is former British SAS which is an elite military unit. He has also done a few not so commendable ops in his time so he is trying to atone for those acts by helping people through Automatik. April’s husband was killed by an IED while serving in the military so she has a personal connection to her site and the people that have been affected by the hack. James and April decide to track down the hackers. This sends them on a dangerous trek across the Western United States. All of the time that April and James spend in close quarters draws them close together. Consequently, they end up having a steamy tryst which brings them even closer together and gives them both hope for the future. They find themselves in some life threatening situations that take all of James’ training and resources to keep them safe.
I really enjoyed all of the action that was laced throughout the book. There was a good balance of romance and suspense. I especially liked the fact that they didn’t spend the entire book on defense. At some point, they took the fight to the hackers and that made them an admirable team. The more and more I learn about Automatik and its members, the more I look forward to reading another sequel. I must also mention that the Nico Rosso does a great job of showing a diverse group of people throughout this series. I’m always impressed when an author doesn’t forget to include different ethnicities in their books. It’s not only very inclusive, it makes the books more realistic.
**Received a copy from the publisher and voluntarily reviewed.**
December 30, 2016
Seconds to Sunrise (Black Ops: Automatik #3) by Nico Rosso
4 stars
M/F Romance
I was given this book for an honest review by Wicked Reads.
This is the first that I've read in this series and I believe that I would have understood more if I had read the previous books in the series. However, that being said, I could infer a lot and what I didn't really understand only slightly detracted.
James is working for "the good guys" and hoping to stop mercenaries from hurting his charge. His past is colored and he is somewhat ashamed - at least it seems that way. He has a great team, but you really only learn about his past because it comes back to bite him a little. His mentor, the one who he was in business with before he joined the good side is the hunter - James is supposed to protect his charge from his mentor. When he gets his charge, April, things begin to change in his mind. Not only is April brave, she's mentally tough and doesn't take a lot of crap from anyone.
April is trying to protect all of the women who were using her website to gain a support community - those women who have lost military husbands/partners to IEDs or any other awful way that those in the military are injured. She has created a website that was hacked. Despite knowing how good her security is, she is distraught that the women who trusted her to protect their information might be at risk. This is where, potentially, reading the previous books might have come in handy. I have no idea what type of information April is trying to protect or why the hackers are so interested in the information - other than monetary gains. However, this hunt seems to be motivated by a lot more, but I never quite figured out what.
The story was faced paced, but I thought that it lacked chemistry between the two main characters. There was a lot of hot and cold within their relationship and you never really knew why they denied what could have been. Despite the lack of chemistry, I thought that their relationship was fairly organic - charge to friend, friend to love interest. Overall, this was a good mystery with a lot of action, but the resolution was somewhat tame.
4 stars
M/F Romance
I was given this book for an honest review by Wicked Reads.
This is the first that I've read in this series and I believe that I would have understood more if I had read the previous books in the series. However, that being said, I could infer a lot and what I didn't really understand only slightly detracted.
James is working for "the good guys" and hoping to stop mercenaries from hurting his charge. His past is colored and he is somewhat ashamed - at least it seems that way. He has a great team, but you really only learn about his past because it comes back to bite him a little. His mentor, the one who he was in business with before he joined the good side is the hunter - James is supposed to protect his charge from his mentor. When he gets his charge, April, things begin to change in his mind. Not only is April brave, she's mentally tough and doesn't take a lot of crap from anyone.
April is trying to protect all of the women who were using her website to gain a support community - those women who have lost military husbands/partners to IEDs or any other awful way that those in the military are injured. She has created a website that was hacked. Despite knowing how good her security is, she is distraught that the women who trusted her to protect their information might be at risk. This is where, potentially, reading the previous books might have come in handy. I have no idea what type of information April is trying to protect or why the hackers are so interested in the information - other than monetary gains. However, this hunt seems to be motivated by a lot more, but I never quite figured out what.
The story was faced paced, but I thought that it lacked chemistry between the two main characters. There was a lot of hot and cold within their relationship and you never really knew why they denied what could have been. Despite the lack of chemistry, I thought that their relationship was fairly organic - charge to friend, friend to love interest. Overall, this was a good mystery with a lot of action, but the resolution was somewhat tame.
January 14, 2017
Seconds to Sunrise by Nico Rosso
Black Ops Automatik #3
April Banks, military widow, has clawed her way back from the darkness creating a website to help and support other military widows. Her site has been hacked and Automatik, fearing trouble for her, are keeping a protective eye on her. James Sant and his partner are on the scene when thugs accost her and save her from a thumping. Then, James talks her into leaving with him. She worms her way into the operation and becomes a member of the team rather quickly and then there are road trips to potential sites the hacker might be hiding, meet-ups with a friend of hers and some of his, some action scenes with baddies and an eventual location of and taking out of the hacker.
I kept thinking this book did not grab me quite as much as the first two books in the series – ones I rated highly at five stars. I am sitting here thinking about why I am going to give this book a three and have decided it is because this book didn’t feel quite as believable, didn’t have the character development of April that I needed and the romance between the April and James didn’t flow as easily and warmly as I had hoped. I guess I didn’t FEEL the connection for some reason.
That said, the story is well written, action scenes are intense and gripping to read, interaction with the teammates was fine and it was fun to see them again. Perhaps with a bit more fleshing out of April’s backstory and a bit more chemistry before the bedding I would be able to rate this higher than a three but it was still a good story and fun to read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Carina Press for the ARC. This is my honest review.
3 Stars
Black Ops Automatik #3
April Banks, military widow, has clawed her way back from the darkness creating a website to help and support other military widows. Her site has been hacked and Automatik, fearing trouble for her, are keeping a protective eye on her. James Sant and his partner are on the scene when thugs accost her and save her from a thumping. Then, James talks her into leaving with him. She worms her way into the operation and becomes a member of the team rather quickly and then there are road trips to potential sites the hacker might be hiding, meet-ups with a friend of hers and some of his, some action scenes with baddies and an eventual location of and taking out of the hacker.
I kept thinking this book did not grab me quite as much as the first two books in the series – ones I rated highly at five stars. I am sitting here thinking about why I am going to give this book a three and have decided it is because this book didn’t feel quite as believable, didn’t have the character development of April that I needed and the romance between the April and James didn’t flow as easily and warmly as I had hoped. I guess I didn’t FEEL the connection for some reason.
That said, the story is well written, action scenes are intense and gripping to read, interaction with the teammates was fine and it was fun to see them again. Perhaps with a bit more fleshing out of April’s backstory and a bit more chemistry before the bedding I would be able to rate this higher than a three but it was still a good story and fun to read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Carina Press for the ARC. This is my honest review.
3 Stars
November 14, 2016
This is a really good book. It is fantastic on the action side, emotional, and steamy. The single thing missing for me was background on April. Which may be included with the published version, just not the ARC of this book.
April is a military wife whose husband's life was taken in an IED explosion. She has lost herself a bit an in trying to find herself again she has set up a web site for those like her who need continued support. Unfortunately, it's been hacked and that is dangerous. She is hunting down the hackers and they are now hunting her even though she doesn't know it yet.
James has a job and that is to protect April Banks, military widow and founder of a website for the same. She has been hacked and he and his partner from Automatik have been tasked to protect her while the agency finds the hackers. He was supposed to be invisible unless there is an emergency and that time has come. As April is leaving the grocery store two guys decide to jump her and he and Raker have to interfere to keep her safe. Now he has to get her to trust him and after telling her who he is and why he's there she is determined not to be sidelined and to find the hackers with him.
The journey that they travel together helps them both in ways they had no idea it would. It is dangerous and scary and beyond eye opening. It helps them both see that maybe there is something more than the past.
I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
April is a military wife whose husband's life was taken in an IED explosion. She has lost herself a bit an in trying to find herself again she has set up a web site for those like her who need continued support. Unfortunately, it's been hacked and that is dangerous. She is hunting down the hackers and they are now hunting her even though she doesn't know it yet.
James has a job and that is to protect April Banks, military widow and founder of a website for the same. She has been hacked and he and his partner from Automatik have been tasked to protect her while the agency finds the hackers. He was supposed to be invisible unless there is an emergency and that time has come. As April is leaving the grocery store two guys decide to jump her and he and Raker have to interfere to keep her safe. Now he has to get her to trust him and after telling her who he is and why he's there she is determined not to be sidelined and to find the hackers with him.
The journey that they travel together helps them both in ways they had no idea it would. It is dangerous and scary and beyond eye opening. It helps them both see that maybe there is something more than the past.
I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 10, 2017
I was given a copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.
This was an exciting whirlwind adventure. With a little suspended disbelief, I loved James and April’s story. Full of fantastic chase scenes, fights, shootouts and great sex, I enjoyed every moment.
April is a great character. The army widow who created a social network to support other military widows, she is a strong and talented woman. There aren’t many men writing romance and I loved the strength and complexity this author put into April’s character. She is a worthy heroine.
James is a Bourne-like shadow operative. I don’t know whether I loved his muscles, his weapons or his tortured soul more - but he was a great lead and his chemistry with April was fantastic.
The romance in this book is a little instalove - it reads more like an action film than a romance. The sex is very hot. The relationship does work, but there were some eye roll moments when April and James find time to get naked or confide their deepest secrets while simultaneously racing to save their lives and kill the bad guys.
This is a fun, fast adventure with great sex and a little romance. There’s not much substance but I really enjoyed the characters and their story.
This was an exciting whirlwind adventure. With a little suspended disbelief, I loved James and April’s story. Full of fantastic chase scenes, fights, shootouts and great sex, I enjoyed every moment.
April is a great character. The army widow who created a social network to support other military widows, she is a strong and talented woman. There aren’t many men writing romance and I loved the strength and complexity this author put into April’s character. She is a worthy heroine.
James is a Bourne-like shadow operative. I don’t know whether I loved his muscles, his weapons or his tortured soul more - but he was a great lead and his chemistry with April was fantastic.
The romance in this book is a little instalove - it reads more like an action film than a romance. The sex is very hot. The relationship does work, but there were some eye roll moments when April and James find time to get naked or confide their deepest secrets while simultaneously racing to save their lives and kill the bad guys.
This is a fun, fast adventure with great sex and a little romance. There’s not much substance but I really enjoyed the characters and their story.
January 14, 2017
This book had a great premise. A widow who has worked hard to build an online support forum/website for military widows is a victim of a heinous hacker invasion. She works hard to save and protect the personal information and identities of these woman when a mysterious former mercenary, now member of a secret organization, is suddenly there to protect her from these attackers out to get her.
While I enjoyed this novel, I felt like the story was very very rushed and their initial meeting was out of nowhere. Things jumped around so much that it also left me very confused. In addition, I did not feel the chemistry between the hero and heroine AT ALL. All in all, this was a nice book with an intriguing storyline but it left me more confused than satisfied. 3 stars!
I would like to thank NetGalley and Carina Press for an advanced copy of this novel for review.
While I enjoyed this novel, I felt like the story was very very rushed and their initial meeting was out of nowhere. Things jumped around so much that it also left me very confused. In addition, I did not feel the chemistry between the hero and heroine AT ALL. All in all, this was a nice book with an intriguing storyline but it left me more confused than satisfied. 3 stars!
I would like to thank NetGalley and Carina Press for an advanced copy of this novel for review.
January 16, 2017
She thought she’d lost everything…
April Banks thought her website crashing was just a glitch. Starting the online forum for war widows has been the only thing keeping her together since her husband died, and she won’t let anything interfere with her work. But this is no technical malfunction—cyberterrorists have targeted the information locked in April’s website and they’ll do anything to get it. Even if that means removing April. Permanently.
He’ll make them pay…
Automatik gave former SAS agent James Sant a way to protect the innocent again. He thinks life in the shadows is all he deserves…until he meets his newest assignment. April is everything James has never let himself want and he knows she’s already had too much heartbreak in her life to risk feeling for him. But keeping things professional while hunting the hackers with the gorgeous widow is going to be the hardest job he’s ever taken on.
Review:
Cyber hacking makes this a very interesting, timely and exciting back drop for this story.
What I liked the most about this story was the fast pace, it really gave the feeling of running for your life. Even though they are running you get to both characters. Though I have to say, I felt I got to know James better and especially about his past. I can't really say the same for April, I mean we learn about her past, but I felt much more connected to James. I have not read the other titles in the series, though I did not feel like I missed anything by reading out of order. I liked this one and Mr. Russo's other works to go back and catch with the series.
3.5Stars
*I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book provided by the publisher.*
April Banks thought her website crashing was just a glitch. Starting the online forum for war widows has been the only thing keeping her together since her husband died, and she won’t let anything interfere with her work. But this is no technical malfunction—cyberterrorists have targeted the information locked in April’s website and they’ll do anything to get it. Even if that means removing April. Permanently.
He’ll make them pay…
Automatik gave former SAS agent James Sant a way to protect the innocent again. He thinks life in the shadows is all he deserves…until he meets his newest assignment. April is everything James has never let himself want and he knows she’s already had too much heartbreak in her life to risk feeling for him. But keeping things professional while hunting the hackers with the gorgeous widow is going to be the hardest job he’s ever taken on.
Review:
Cyber hacking makes this a very interesting, timely and exciting back drop for this story.
What I liked the most about this story was the fast pace, it really gave the feeling of running for your life. Even though they are running you get to both characters. Though I have to say, I felt I got to know James better and especially about his past. I can't really say the same for April, I mean we learn about her past, but I felt much more connected to James. I have not read the other titles in the series, though I did not feel like I missed anything by reading out of order. I liked this one and Mr. Russo's other works to go back and catch with the series.
3.5Stars
*I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book provided by the publisher.*
November 4, 2016
3.5 Stars Seconds to Sunrise is the third book in the Black Ops: Automatik series. I enjoyed reading this book it is another sound addition to this series.
Book generously provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Book generously provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
November 25, 2017
I reviewed this for RT Book reviews be sure and check out my review there
November 3, 2019
A fun, action packed romance.
library
July 30, 20210
September 6, 2025
I have really enjoyed this romantic suspense series.
March 2, 2017
Looking for something a little different in the romance genre? Seconds from Sunrise is a thrill ride of suspense, anxiety, and, yes, romance.
April is a war widow whose husband was killed by an IED. To help herself find a purpose April learned to code and set up a website about her experiences as a widow. Other women in the same position found support and encouragement on the site until unknown hackers used her servers as a mirror site to hide their own information and steal the widows’ personal data and their finances. When April discovered the ruse and shut down her site she unwittingly set up a chain of events that has her on the run for her life.
James is a black ops quasi-military man who works for a shadow organization called Automatik. His goal is to be invisible as he watches April and quietly protects her from the mercenaries who are involved with the hackers. What James doesn’t expect is to fall in lust and then in love with his target. Once they are on the move across the country, running and hiding from those who want to kill April, it’s just a matter of time until they find themselves in bed with each other.
The final third of the book is one of the most electrifying, spine-tingling chases I’ve ever read. Seconds to Sunrise is the third book in the Black Ops: Automatik series by Nico Rosso, but it is easily a stand-alone novel. I loved this book so much I am ready to read the first two books in the series and look forward to whatever comes next. Nico Rosso’s style of writing is an adventure a minute and a pure pleasure to read.
April is a war widow whose husband was killed by an IED. To help herself find a purpose April learned to code and set up a website about her experiences as a widow. Other women in the same position found support and encouragement on the site until unknown hackers used her servers as a mirror site to hide their own information and steal the widows’ personal data and their finances. When April discovered the ruse and shut down her site she unwittingly set up a chain of events that has her on the run for her life.
James is a black ops quasi-military man who works for a shadow organization called Automatik. His goal is to be invisible as he watches April and quietly protects her from the mercenaries who are involved with the hackers. What James doesn’t expect is to fall in lust and then in love with his target. Once they are on the move across the country, running and hiding from those who want to kill April, it’s just a matter of time until they find themselves in bed with each other.
The final third of the book is one of the most electrifying, spine-tingling chases I’ve ever read. Seconds to Sunrise is the third book in the Black Ops: Automatik series by Nico Rosso, but it is easily a stand-alone novel. I loved this book so much I am ready to read the first two books in the series and look forward to whatever comes next. Nico Rosso’s style of writing is an adventure a minute and a pure pleasure to read.
February 25, 2017
4.5 Star Review Posted at HarlequinJunkie.com
April Banks hasn’t had the easiest of times since losing her husband to the dangers of military life. But she’s been doing better, ever since she started an online forum to help other war widows come together to aid each other in dealing with their loss. Now though, someone is targeting her site and if she doesn’t find the people responsible, then all her hard work will be for nothing. Luckily, she has Automatik agent, James Sant, to assist in finding the bad guys, otherwise she could find herself in danger that she can’t get herself out of. Read More
January 11, 2017
April Banks survived the death of her husband by starting a website for that supported military widows. The site grew and eventually there was a financial component so that if the need arose, and people wanted to help those in need, they could. Now a hacker has crashed her site and is trying to get all of the financial information off of the site. If successful, thousands of women would have their credit cards and identities revealed. April tries to stop them but can’t get a lead on who is behind it all.
Enter James Sant. He is an ex-SAS agent who now works for a group called Automatik. They help those who can’t help themselves and April is one of them. He and his partner are assigned to just watch her but soon it becomes obvious that the hacker has hired out people to get April out of the picture. Instead of just watching, James ends up partnering with April and they head out to check out leads when they get them and are attacked time and again. During it all April and James become closer and April starts to see that maybe there is life after tragedy.
Seconds to Sunrise is the third book in the Black Ops: Automatik series. I didn’t read the first two books in the series but this was a decent stand alone novel.
I thought the book had a good premise and I liked the characters for the most part. I did find that I wanted to get to know them more by the end of the story, however. I think I was supposed to feel more emotional toward April due to the loss of her husband but I never really felt that. Did I think it sad and tragic? Absolutely, but I didn’t have an emotional reaction to it. Because of this I couldn’t fully grasp April’s hesitance in going after James and I believe that put a damper on the entire story for me. I couldn’t even get into the sex scene because I wasn’t feeling the connection between the H/h (and it was a long scene!).
That being said, there were some things I definitely liked about the book. The action scenes were great. I’ve always loved Rosso’s action scenes as they’re written so well that I feel that I’m there in the middle of it all. I also liked the aspect of the story that pertained to James and his issues with his past. He wasn’t proud of them at all and had hidden the information from everyone. Meeting April made him realize that he couldn’t live with the guilt and secrecy and he came clean to her and his coworkers. That was a wonderful part of the book which I liked a lot. Overall it was a good suspense novel…I just wasn’t feeling the romance part of it.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Enter James Sant. He is an ex-SAS agent who now works for a group called Automatik. They help those who can’t help themselves and April is one of them. He and his partner are assigned to just watch her but soon it becomes obvious that the hacker has hired out people to get April out of the picture. Instead of just watching, James ends up partnering with April and they head out to check out leads when they get them and are attacked time and again. During it all April and James become closer and April starts to see that maybe there is life after tragedy.
Seconds to Sunrise is the third book in the Black Ops: Automatik series. I didn’t read the first two books in the series but this was a decent stand alone novel.
I thought the book had a good premise and I liked the characters for the most part. I did find that I wanted to get to know them more by the end of the story, however. I think I was supposed to feel more emotional toward April due to the loss of her husband but I never really felt that. Did I think it sad and tragic? Absolutely, but I didn’t have an emotional reaction to it. Because of this I couldn’t fully grasp April’s hesitance in going after James and I believe that put a damper on the entire story for me. I couldn’t even get into the sex scene because I wasn’t feeling the connection between the H/h (and it was a long scene!).
That being said, there were some things I definitely liked about the book. The action scenes were great. I’ve always loved Rosso’s action scenes as they’re written so well that I feel that I’m there in the middle of it all. I also liked the aspect of the story that pertained to James and his issues with his past. He wasn’t proud of them at all and had hidden the information from everyone. Meeting April made him realize that he couldn’t live with the guilt and secrecy and he came clean to her and his coworkers. That was a wonderful part of the book which I liked a lot. Overall it was a good suspense novel…I just wasn’t feeling the romance part of it.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
June 10, 2024
Four years ago, April lost her husband, Mark, due to an IED while he was deployed. Through her grief and heartbreak, she created a website where other military widows could talk, offer support, and as needed, any financial assistance. It became a safe haven for those living with loss. Until someone hacked it, unable to resist the lure of the information stored there. As she's struggling with the loss of that connection, she's attacked in broad daylight.
James, former military, freelancer, and current employee of Automatik, has been quietly watching over April for a week. His employers are aware of her website, the good it does, and since the cyber attack also know how dangerous the information she had could be if it got out. When he sees April, the woman he's protecting, being accosted he immediately steps in to help. What was supposed to be a simple surveillance job just became more complicated.
April is understandably wary of James, but he's able to convince her he's who he claims. They realize, after his company's cyber team agrees, that April needs to be with him because she has the skills to reverse what was done, plus, the hackers haven't broken her encryption...yet.
As James and April work together, they can't escape the attraction that simmers around them. April hasn't felt this way in years, believing she lost that ability along with her husband. James doesn't believe he's worthy, that he hasn't earned the redemption he craves, giving him the chance to be the man he wants to be. Though both mistakenly feel they aren't want the other wants, they are exactly what each needs.
How long will James and April be able to resist acting on their desire for one another?
What happens when James's past and April's present collide? Can April convince James that his past doesn't define him? Can James and April uncover who was behind the hacking and attempts on her? Will April go back to her previous life or will she find a new purpose? Will James and April get a HEA?
One-click now and follow along as two emotionally wounded people find love and peace where they least expected it. This was such a good book and I highly recommend reading it. While this is book three in the series, I was able to read it without feeling lost.
On a side note, I loved seeing my hometown in Ohio mentioned. Unfortunately, it was because one of the bad guys was from here, but still...LOL
**I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.**
James, former military, freelancer, and current employee of Automatik, has been quietly watching over April for a week. His employers are aware of her website, the good it does, and since the cyber attack also know how dangerous the information she had could be if it got out. When he sees April, the woman he's protecting, being accosted he immediately steps in to help. What was supposed to be a simple surveillance job just became more complicated.
April is understandably wary of James, but he's able to convince her he's who he claims. They realize, after his company's cyber team agrees, that April needs to be with him because she has the skills to reverse what was done, plus, the hackers haven't broken her encryption...yet.
As James and April work together, they can't escape the attraction that simmers around them. April hasn't felt this way in years, believing she lost that ability along with her husband. James doesn't believe he's worthy, that he hasn't earned the redemption he craves, giving him the chance to be the man he wants to be. Though both mistakenly feel they aren't want the other wants, they are exactly what each needs.
How long will James and April be able to resist acting on their desire for one another?
What happens when James's past and April's present collide? Can April convince James that his past doesn't define him? Can James and April uncover who was behind the hacking and attempts on her? Will April go back to her previous life or will she find a new purpose? Will James and April get a HEA?
One-click now and follow along as two emotionally wounded people find love and peace where they least expected it. This was such a good book and I highly recommend reading it. While this is book three in the series, I was able to read it without feeling lost.
On a side note, I loved seeing my hometown in Ohio mentioned. Unfortunately, it was because one of the bad guys was from here, but still...LOL
**I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.**
January 26, 2017
Seconds to Sunrise by Nico Rosso is full of action and danger.
I had a difficult time really getting into Seconds to Sunrise. I found the suspenseful plot to be somewhat unrealistic and a bit confusing at times. April finds her life in danger from the hackers of her website. They want all the information on there and will apparently stop at nothing to get it. I couldn't wrap my head around that idea, that they would go so far, and keep pushing even as April tries to stop them. But why her? Why her site? Why did they keep pushing? I had some unanswered questions that I felt would help me understand the whole plot more. Just as physical danger finds April, Automatik agent James, who has been covertly watching her since the hack was discovered, steps in to save the day...because he knows this is just the beginning. Suddenly they are together, on the run from determined killers. James and his team will have to work hard and fast if April is to stay safe, and live to tell about it.
I liked the main characters, James and April. I like what April is doing with her life, how she's trying to help others even as she moves on from the death of her husband. James has dark secrets in his past, and he doesn't feel deserving of someone like April. But through this mess they have found each other. I liked how they were with each other and way they connect despite the speed, and the risks they are faced with. I felt like a future relationship between them would be so good for both of them, even if the road to it is not an easy one.
Seconds to Sunrise is the third book in Nico Rosso's Automatik series, but can be read as a stand alone. My difficulty with the plot was entirely within this book. I felt like he laid a good background of what Automatik was, and gave me a good sense of who April and James were, but the complete unbelievability of the plot and unanswered questions made it slightly less enjoyable for me.
I had a difficult time really getting into Seconds to Sunrise. I found the suspenseful plot to be somewhat unrealistic and a bit confusing at times. April finds her life in danger from the hackers of her website. They want all the information on there and will apparently stop at nothing to get it. I couldn't wrap my head around that idea, that they would go so far, and keep pushing even as April tries to stop them. But why her? Why her site? Why did they keep pushing? I had some unanswered questions that I felt would help me understand the whole plot more. Just as physical danger finds April, Automatik agent James, who has been covertly watching her since the hack was discovered, steps in to save the day...because he knows this is just the beginning. Suddenly they are together, on the run from determined killers. James and his team will have to work hard and fast if April is to stay safe, and live to tell about it.
I liked the main characters, James and April. I like what April is doing with her life, how she's trying to help others even as she moves on from the death of her husband. James has dark secrets in his past, and he doesn't feel deserving of someone like April. But through this mess they have found each other. I liked how they were with each other and way they connect despite the speed, and the risks they are faced with. I felt like a future relationship between them would be so good for both of them, even if the road to it is not an easy one.
Seconds to Sunrise is the third book in Nico Rosso's Automatik series, but can be read as a stand alone. My difficulty with the plot was entirely within this book. I felt like he laid a good background of what Automatik was, and gave me a good sense of who April and James were, but the complete unbelievability of the plot and unanswered questions made it slightly less enjoyable for me.
January 11, 2017
April runs a website for military widows. She has a typical life, with typical routines, until her website is hacked. All of that data compromised, and she wants to track it down before her encryption is cracked. She encounters James at the supermarket, but it is not your typical meet-cute in the produce aisle. April is attacked in the parking lot, and James jumps in to help. After the attack, she discovers that James and his group Automatik have been looking out for her since her husband's death. James is convinced that April will be attacked again, and together they decide to solve the problem of the missing data.
I didn't know what to make of this book. I thought it was well written, and I liked the characters, but I had a really hard time buying that a woman smart enough to write her own data encryption software would voluntarily let an armed stranger she just met take her out in the desert in an unmarked car. Sure, he saved her from an attack in the parking lot. Still, it just didn't make sense to me, especially when James adopts three different accents and personas to fool people not even a quarter into the book. Honestly, I'd be trying to get away from this guy, no matter how hot he was!
Once I set all that aside and just focused on the story, though, I enjoyed the book. As April and James got closer to solving the problem, it definitely got more interesting. Overall, I would give this book 3 stars.
I was given this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
January 22, 2017
Is this the way forward? April is so mad that someone has hacked her site and she is afraid that all her members will be made public. Her site is for widows of military men that have been killed and she is doing a really good thing. This has been her saving grace after she lost her husband Mark, she is still learning to cope everyday and now she is thrust into a nightmare world.
Can James keep his head in the game and keep her safe? He is very attracted to April but his past is very colorful and full of darkness, he can't allow that to fall on April.
Can April find the hackers and shut them down for good and hopefully before they kill her as there is a contract on her life and only her & James can stop it.
April is one amazing woman that has made a big difference to so many others but she is still cut of from everyone and James is missing out on so much, he has friends but no life really. Can they both find what they are missing and can they both be able to work for the same organization if this go bad between them? What a action packed book great to see of the other characters from the previous books. Really enjoyed it. Can't wait for another one. I received a copy via Netgalley & the publishing house in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Can James keep his head in the game and keep her safe? He is very attracted to April but his past is very colorful and full of darkness, he can't allow that to fall on April.
Can April find the hackers and shut them down for good and hopefully before they kill her as there is a contract on her life and only her & James can stop it.
April is one amazing woman that has made a big difference to so many others but she is still cut of from everyone and James is missing out on so much, he has friends but no life really. Can they both find what they are missing and can they both be able to work for the same organization if this go bad between them? What a action packed book great to see of the other characters from the previous books. Really enjoyed it. Can't wait for another one. I received a copy via Netgalley & the publishing house in exchange for my honest thoughts.
March 7, 2024
I have really enjoyed all of Nico Rosso's books so far. I do not have any kind of Special Forces training, but even I have to cringe at some of the blatant errors in some books. There may be nitty gritty details that are off in Black Ops: Automatik, but nothing that throws me out of the story or makes me laugh in 'not intended to be humorous' scenes.
The couples always come across as more realistic than a lot of other erotic romance novels as well, which I appreciate. Yes, their relationships develop super-fast, but they are in high pressure situations and at least they are *talking* to each other. Their inner and outer dialogues include self awareness of the unusual circumstances, hesitation, doubt and none of them go bouncing off into the happily-ever-after sunset without recognising that change and work will be involved to keep the relationship going.
The plotlines are fairly realistic, as long as you happy to run with the base of idea of Automatik itself. Fast-paced and entertaining.
The couples always come across as more realistic than a lot of other erotic romance novels as well, which I appreciate. Yes, their relationships develop super-fast, but they are in high pressure situations and at least they are *talking* to each other. Their inner and outer dialogues include self awareness of the unusual circumstances, hesitation, doubt and none of them go bouncing off into the happily-ever-after sunset without recognising that change and work will be involved to keep the relationship going.
The plotlines are fairly realistic, as long as you happy to run with the base of idea of Automatik itself. Fast-paced and entertaining.
February 7, 2017
3.5 Stars!
Intriguing, suspenseful and deliciously steamy!
This is the third book in the Black Ops: Automatic series, and once again Nico Rosso has written a novel full of danger, deception, mystery, attraction, chemistry, dirty talk and romance.
The writing is clear and fluent. The characters are intelligent, strong, damaged and lonely. And although the plot in the first half of the novel is a little slow, the second half is definitely more exciting, compelling and action packed.
Overall, I would have to say that this is a fun, easy read that is certainly enjoyable and entertaining.
Thank you to NetGalley, especially Carina Press, for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
All my reviews can be found on my blog at http://whatsbetterthanbooks.com
Intriguing, suspenseful and deliciously steamy!
This is the third book in the Black Ops: Automatic series, and once again Nico Rosso has written a novel full of danger, deception, mystery, attraction, chemistry, dirty talk and romance.
The writing is clear and fluent. The characters are intelligent, strong, damaged and lonely. And although the plot in the first half of the novel is a little slow, the second half is definitely more exciting, compelling and action packed.
Overall, I would have to say that this is a fun, easy read that is certainly enjoyable and entertaining.
Thank you to NetGalley, especially Carina Press, for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
All my reviews can be found on my blog at http://whatsbetterthanbooks.com
January 14, 2017
Seconds to Sunrise (Black Ops: Automatik #3) was a good book to enjoy. I thought this book was a lot of fun to read for the author did not disappoint with the story and the characters. I liked Seconds to Sunrise better than the previous book for this one I enjoyed the characters more in it. April runs a website that helps military widows she was computer swavy and smart I liked her character a lot. James is part of the Automatik group which has a lot of great guys that make up a great team. These books in the Automatik series will keep you entertained for the author does not disappoint with hot characters and great story telling.
*** I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this book via netgalley ***
*** I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this book via netgalley ***
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