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Foreign Affairs #3
The Russian Obsession
*Special Pre-Order Price*
Christabel Orlova remembers nothing before the night she woke in a Turkish bazaar with two passports, two governments on her tail, and no knowledge of her shadowy past. Armed only with keen wits, survival instincts and mad skills in the research lab, Christa has three goals. Stay alive. Stay one step ahead of her hunters. And find a cure for the Ebola bioweapon whose secret is locked in her brainbox—before it wipes out the human race. Gypsy, loner and wild child, her first rule of survival is never to trust.
Ex-Russian fighter pilot Max Vasylko is a gun-for-hire smuggler who’ll fly Contraband cargo anywhere in the world, no questions asked. But he can’t fly far enough to forget the wife and daughter who died in an Ebola outbreak. When a bioweapon from a rogue U.S. program is to blame, Max’s mission turns personal. Find the scientist responsible for designing the super virus — and make her pay. The last villain he expects is Christa: a smart, sexy, scrappy survivor in hiking Boots who’s lost her own brother to the virus.
Now Max is flying high above the African jungle with enemy agents in his six and a sweet redhead he’ll risk his backside to protect. Christa’s tempted to trust this hot-as-hell jet jockey with his wildcat courage and Mafia past. But the vaccine isn’t the only secret locked in her head. To uncover the truth, Max and Christa must win their toughest battle yet. The battle of hearts between them.
"Meet Max Vasylko, pilot-for-hire: he'll rocket you to forty thousand feet, blow your mind at zero gravity, and plummet your heart to the ground...and that's all before you step inside his plane. From the jungles of Juba to the mountains of Corsica, Nikki Navarre's latest breathless adventure straps you into the jump seat of a black-market cargo plane piloted by a hot Slavic hero with regular stops for high-octane escapes, machete-wielding baddies, and more sex-laced intrigue than you can handle."
~ Jamie Michele Award-Winning Romance Writer
Christabel Orlova remembers nothing before the night she woke in a Turkish bazaar with two passports, two governments on her tail, and no knowledge of her shadowy past. Armed only with keen wits, survival instincts and mad skills in the research lab, Christa has three goals. Stay alive. Stay one step ahead of her hunters. And find a cure for the Ebola bioweapon whose secret is locked in her brainbox—before it wipes out the human race. Gypsy, loner and wild child, her first rule of survival is never to trust.
Ex-Russian fighter pilot Max Vasylko is a gun-for-hire smuggler who’ll fly Contraband cargo anywhere in the world, no questions asked. But he can’t fly far enough to forget the wife and daughter who died in an Ebola outbreak. When a bioweapon from a rogue U.S. program is to blame, Max’s mission turns personal. Find the scientist responsible for designing the super virus — and make her pay. The last villain he expects is Christa: a smart, sexy, scrappy survivor in hiking Boots who’s lost her own brother to the virus.
Now Max is flying high above the African jungle with enemy agents in his six and a sweet redhead he’ll risk his backside to protect. Christa’s tempted to trust this hot-as-hell jet jockey with his wildcat courage and Mafia past. But the vaccine isn’t the only secret locked in her head. To uncover the truth, Max and Christa must win their toughest battle yet. The battle of hearts between them.
"Meet Max Vasylko, pilot-for-hire: he'll rocket you to forty thousand feet, blow your mind at zero gravity, and plummet your heart to the ground...and that's all before you step inside his plane. From the jungles of Juba to the mountains of Corsica, Nikki Navarre's latest breathless adventure straps you into the jump seat of a black-market cargo plane piloted by a hot Slavic hero with regular stops for high-octane escapes, machete-wielding baddies, and more sex-laced intrigue than you can handle."
~ Jamie Michele Award-Winning Romance Writer
ebook
Published February 21, 2017
15 people want to read
About the author
Nikki Navarre
3 books137 followersDOSSIER FOR NIKKI NAVARRE
DECLASSIFIED
Subject: Nikki Navarre
Assignment: Double Agent
Cover: Diplomat. Playgirl. Author of the Foreign Affairs series.
Nikki Navarre is the author of the award-winning Foreign Affairs series and the sinister twin of unsuspecting historical romance author Laura Navarre. In her other life, Nikki is a diplomat who’s lived in Russia and works on weapons of mass destruction issues. In the line of duty, she’s been trapped in an elevator in a nuclear power plant and has stalked the corridors of facilities churning out nerve agent and other apocalyptic weapons. In this capacity, she meets many of the world’s most dangerous men.
Inspired by the perilous realities of her real life, Nikki writes romantic suspense set in glamorous international locales and laced with political intrigue. Her literary credentials are suspiciously similar to those of her innocent twin. A member of Romance Writers of America’s Published Author Network (PAN), winner of the Pacific Northwest Writers Association award for romance and many other awards, Nikki holds an M.F.A. in Writing Popular Fiction from the University of Southern Maine, an M.A. in National Security Policy from The George Washington University, and other alarming credentials.
Based in an island compound in the Pacific Northwest with her screenwriter husband and two Siberian cats, she divides her time between her writing career and other adventures for government clients. Her notorious exploits in the world of diplomacy will get her in trouble one of these days.
The Russian Attraction may be the last mistake she ever makes.
Nikki’s Coordinates:
http://www.nikkinavarre.com
http://www.facebook.com/NikkiNavarreA...
http://www.twitter.com/Nikki_Navarre
DECLASSIFIED
Subject: Nikki Navarre
Assignment: Double Agent
Cover: Diplomat. Playgirl. Author of the Foreign Affairs series.
Nikki Navarre is the author of the award-winning Foreign Affairs series and the sinister twin of unsuspecting historical romance author Laura Navarre. In her other life, Nikki is a diplomat who’s lived in Russia and works on weapons of mass destruction issues. In the line of duty, she’s been trapped in an elevator in a nuclear power plant and has stalked the corridors of facilities churning out nerve agent and other apocalyptic weapons. In this capacity, she meets many of the world’s most dangerous men.
Inspired by the perilous realities of her real life, Nikki writes romantic suspense set in glamorous international locales and laced with political intrigue. Her literary credentials are suspiciously similar to those of her innocent twin. A member of Romance Writers of America’s Published Author Network (PAN), winner of the Pacific Northwest Writers Association award for romance and many other awards, Nikki holds an M.F.A. in Writing Popular Fiction from the University of Southern Maine, an M.A. in National Security Policy from The George Washington University, and other alarming credentials.
Based in an island compound in the Pacific Northwest with her screenwriter husband and two Siberian cats, she divides her time between her writing career and other adventures for government clients. Her notorious exploits in the world of diplomacy will get her in trouble one of these days.
The Russian Attraction may be the last mistake she ever makes.
Nikki’s Coordinates:
http://www.nikkinavarre.com
http://www.facebook.com/NikkiNavarreA...
http://www.twitter.com/Nikki_Navarre
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
February 27, 2017
When Christabel Orlova wakes up alone and without remembering even her name, she has to trust her instincts in order to survive. Fast forward 2 years and she finds herself in Russia working at a lab and slowly patching up her past life until she discovers the FSB (former KGB) and the Americans are all after her and something they call the cookbook.
Max Vasylko is a gun for hire currently working as a muscle for the American Embassy in Moscow. He’s got his eye on Christa since he first saw her, but the doc seems to be out of his league…until he first saves her life.
This is a high octane story, full of passion, mystery and adventure. I felt I was watching an action movie all through the book and really, really enjoyed it. Christa and Max are both survivors, nomads who won’t stay anywhere too long and who know the key to stay alive is to not trust anyone, but the time comes in which they will have to trust one another in order to ensure their survival.
I liked the storyline and how engaging it was, but I felt at times it was a little slow for my taste. Still, The Russian Obsession filled my expectations of the globetrotting adventures of a sexy mercenary/smuggler pilot and a lab rat lost in the labyrinth of her own mind.
4 stars
*An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review*
Max Vasylko is a gun for hire currently working as a muscle for the American Embassy in Moscow. He’s got his eye on Christa since he first saw her, but the doc seems to be out of his league…until he first saves her life.
This is a high octane story, full of passion, mystery and adventure. I felt I was watching an action movie all through the book and really, really enjoyed it. Christa and Max are both survivors, nomads who won’t stay anywhere too long and who know the key to stay alive is to not trust anyone, but the time comes in which they will have to trust one another in order to ensure their survival.
I liked the storyline and how engaging it was, but I felt at times it was a little slow for my taste. Still, The Russian Obsession filled my expectations of the globetrotting adventures of a sexy mercenary/smuggler pilot and a lab rat lost in the labyrinth of her own mind.
4 stars
*An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review*
January 31, 2017
Christabel must remember her mission and fight for safety while trying to remember to secrets locked in her head. Enter Max, a fly for hire ex Russian fighter pilot, who was to find the scientist responsible for the tragedy in his family and winds up with having to protect Christabel. These two have a journey to trust and love in the midst of danger and intrigue.
Find a comfortable seat because the reader is drawn in from page one and the ride doesn't end until the last page is turned.
Ebook from Netgalley and publishers with thanks. Opinions are entirely my own.
Find a comfortable seat because the reader is drawn in from page one and the ride doesn't end until the last page is turned.
Ebook from Netgalley and publishers with thanks. Opinions are entirely my own.
February 27, 2017
3.5 stars
The Russian Obsession is the third book in Nikki Navarre's Foreign Affairs series and a standalone novel.
Amnesia blocks part of Christabel (Christa) Orlova's past from her memory, a fact since waking up in an Istanbul hotel with two passports and a message to run. She ends up in Moscow, working in a lab trying to find a cure for Ebola...work that's second nature to her. She's plagued with migraines and each attack releases a fragment to a memory from her past, reminding her that enemies are watching and waiting to pounce. After a six foot five man with a Brooklyn accent comes to her rescue, she's instantly attracted to him. However, can she trust him? Is he the enemy too?
Max Vasylko, ex-French Foreign Legion and now a high paid mercenary, flying contraband goods around the world. When his grandfather tips him off about a scientist responsible for the deaths of his wife and child in West Africa, Max goes all guns blazing for revenge, only the person who's supposed to be responsible for his family's deaths doesn't match the intel he's received or the woman he got to know intimately.
Convoluted...difficult to follow. I was ready to give up between 10-20% because my brain was struggling to juggle and comprehend the narrative. Yet, I carried on because I love a challenge and the blurb really made me want to read this book and I'm so glad that I persevered. Once I got past this mark, the pace quickened as the plot takes us from Moscow to South Sudan, West Africa and Corsica. I think it is definitely a huge advantage for readers to be from the US because they're many colloquial terms I wasn't familiar with, making the task of absorbing the text even greater in an already too wordy narrative littered with unfamiliar acronyms and scientific language.
Overall, I loved the suspenseful plot and the protagonists Ms Navarre crafted. Max and Christa make a great team together and I enjoyed the build-up of their romance and interactions. The pair share similar heart-breaking backgrounds which created a bond, although trust was something that had to earned from both sides. What I didn't care for were the heroine's inner thoughts.
***Arc received courtesy of the publisher via Tasty Book Tours***
The Russian Obsession is the third book in Nikki Navarre's Foreign Affairs series and a standalone novel.
Amnesia blocks part of Christabel (Christa) Orlova's past from her memory, a fact since waking up in an Istanbul hotel with two passports and a message to run. She ends up in Moscow, working in a lab trying to find a cure for Ebola...work that's second nature to her. She's plagued with migraines and each attack releases a fragment to a memory from her past, reminding her that enemies are watching and waiting to pounce. After a six foot five man with a Brooklyn accent comes to her rescue, she's instantly attracted to him. However, can she trust him? Is he the enemy too?
Max Vasylko, ex-French Foreign Legion and now a high paid mercenary, flying contraband goods around the world. When his grandfather tips him off about a scientist responsible for the deaths of his wife and child in West Africa, Max goes all guns blazing for revenge, only the person who's supposed to be responsible for his family's deaths doesn't match the intel he's received or the woman he got to know intimately.
Convoluted...difficult to follow. I was ready to give up between 10-20% because my brain was struggling to juggle and comprehend the narrative. Yet, I carried on because I love a challenge and the blurb really made me want to read this book and I'm so glad that I persevered. Once I got past this mark, the pace quickened as the plot takes us from Moscow to South Sudan, West Africa and Corsica. I think it is definitely a huge advantage for readers to be from the US because they're many colloquial terms I wasn't familiar with, making the task of absorbing the text even greater in an already too wordy narrative littered with unfamiliar acronyms and scientific language.
Overall, I loved the suspenseful plot and the protagonists Ms Navarre crafted. Max and Christa make a great team together and I enjoyed the build-up of their romance and interactions. The pair share similar heart-breaking backgrounds which created a bond, although trust was something that had to earned from both sides. What I didn't care for were the heroine's inner thoughts.
***Arc received courtesy of the publisher via Tasty Book Tours***
February 25, 2017
This is the first book I’ve read of this author’s work. It’s book three but reads fine as a standalone.
Max Vasylko is a mercenary on a quest for revenge when he learns the Ebola outbreak that killed his wife and daughter originated from a U.S. scientist testing a new strain of the virus. Aided by his grandfather in the Russian FSB, he’s given the mission to find the scientist responsible and obtain her notes. After that, he can take his revenge however he sees fit, and he has extraordinarily painful ideas how to carry that out.
Christabel woke up in a strange bed, in an unfamiliar hotel, with no friends, no money, and no memory of her life before awakening. When she struggles to clean a wound on her shoulder, she sees a one-word message…Run. The only thing she knows is that she has incredible skills in a science lab.
From the very start, this book was an incredible read. Romantic suspense is my favorite genre and this book holds an equal measure of each, wrapped up in a complicated, twisting, plot. Christa is a complicated young woman, strong, very self-reliant, even though grieving and hunted by two different governments.
Max was equally strong, drool-worthy, and true to life from beginning to end. His pain was so real and heartfelt; I couldn’t put the book down.
I loved the way the author took us around the world, from concrete jungle to the wilds of Africa. Each scene left nothing to the imagination in a wonderfully orchestrated plot. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series.
Max Vasylko is a mercenary on a quest for revenge when he learns the Ebola outbreak that killed his wife and daughter originated from a U.S. scientist testing a new strain of the virus. Aided by his grandfather in the Russian FSB, he’s given the mission to find the scientist responsible and obtain her notes. After that, he can take his revenge however he sees fit, and he has extraordinarily painful ideas how to carry that out.
Christabel woke up in a strange bed, in an unfamiliar hotel, with no friends, no money, and no memory of her life before awakening. When she struggles to clean a wound on her shoulder, she sees a one-word message…Run. The only thing she knows is that she has incredible skills in a science lab.
From the very start, this book was an incredible read. Romantic suspense is my favorite genre and this book holds an equal measure of each, wrapped up in a complicated, twisting, plot. Christa is a complicated young woman, strong, very self-reliant, even though grieving and hunted by two different governments.
Max was equally strong, drool-worthy, and true to life from beginning to end. His pain was so real and heartfelt; I couldn’t put the book down.
I loved the way the author took us around the world, from concrete jungle to the wilds of Africa. Each scene left nothing to the imagination in a wonderfully orchestrated plot. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series.
May 8, 2017
From the opening sentence of the first paragraph of this book, I was hooked and from there on I was firmly glued to my Kindle, right on the edge of my chair. This exciting drama is fast paced with exciting and unexpected surprises around every corner with such high tension that it is only the witty script that allowed me to laugh, keeping me from losing my breath altogether. Christabel is known by various names, Christa, C, Gretel (opposite to her brother Hansel), Gypsy and Wild Child. Max's favourite names for her are Trouble or Doc. No matter what you call her, she has guts and determination to elude those who would use her to their own ends. Ultimately the only person she can marginally trust is Max, the ex-fighter pilot, French Legionnaire and bad boy turned smuggler. Max knows exactly where he comes from and it's not nice. Christa can't remember her past but knows that it is buried in death and destruction. She goes on the run, but finds that Max is always just half a step behind her, which is fortunate as he keeps on having to bail her out of trouble. Despite the potential for all out warfare, this book ends on a positive note, one that has you cheering the couple on into their new future. I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily post this review. This is my honest review.
May 4, 2017
3.5/5.0
Fans of deception, espionage, and betrayal will love this novel.
Read full review in the 2017 May issue of InD'tale Magazine.
Fans of deception, espionage, and betrayal will love this novel.
Read full review in the 2017 May issue of InD'tale Magazine.
June 16, 2017
Really enjoyed this story -- great leads, complex plot, tons of exciting action and exotic locales. And of course, some major steam between Max and Christa!!!!
This series is a true treat for me, and I hope there are more books coming.
This series is a true treat for me, and I hope there are more books coming.
March 18, 2017
Best yet
I couldn't put the book down! I loved the story line! and terrific sex scenes. I can't wait for more.
I couldn't put the book down! I loved the story line! and terrific sex scenes. I can't wait for more.
May 18, 2017
Fast paced good read.
I loved this book, half Russian half American Christa has amnesia which is a bit of a problem when people are trying to kill you. The only way to deal with it is to trust no one, even if, like Max, they save your life.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from eBook Discovery. I was not compensated for my review, and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinion expressed here is my own.
March 3, 2017
I was given this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
4 Stars!
Imagine waking up in a strange place, in a strange country, with a bullet wound and a cryptic message on the bathroom mirror, and no memory of how you came to be there and injured. This is the situation that Christabel Orlova wakes to find herself in. Who can you trust when you have no memory? How do you retrace your steps in order to discover who you are? The mercenary pilot that you can't seem to shake, that's who: Max Vasylko, ex-Russian fighter pilot turned smuggler. Now it's a race against time and a couple governments to discover the truth. Who will win?
I enjoyed the twists and turns in the book and the lessons imparted: teamwork and trust. I loved how independent and tough Nikki made Christa. A woman alone, without a memory, who stood on her own and still met life head on. Which made the internal gooey center of Max all the better! A kick-ass mercenary with a soft center is hard to pass up. This was the third book in the series, but works well as a standalone, as I didn't feel lost at any point.
4 Stars!
Imagine waking up in a strange place, in a strange country, with a bullet wound and a cryptic message on the bathroom mirror, and no memory of how you came to be there and injured. This is the situation that Christabel Orlova wakes to find herself in. Who can you trust when you have no memory? How do you retrace your steps in order to discover who you are? The mercenary pilot that you can't seem to shake, that's who: Max Vasylko, ex-Russian fighter pilot turned smuggler. Now it's a race against time and a couple governments to discover the truth. Who will win?
I enjoyed the twists and turns in the book and the lessons imparted: teamwork and trust. I loved how independent and tough Nikki made Christa. A woman alone, without a memory, who stood on her own and still met life head on. Which made the internal gooey center of Max all the better! A kick-ass mercenary with a soft center is hard to pass up. This was the third book in the series, but works well as a standalone, as I didn't feel lost at any point.
February 28, 2017
In the opening scene, Christa wakes up in a run-down hotel room, healing from a gun shot and having no idea who she is. Taking stock of what is in the room with her, she finds an unfamiliar passport. When she looks in the mirror, though, she sees a reflection that matches the picture in the passport...and a yellow post-it with the word "RUN" on it. She doesn't know what she is running from, but her survival instinct kicks in and she runs.
Still running two years later, she finds herself in Russia. She still doesn't know she is, but she knows she is a scientist working on finding an Ebola vaccine. Christa has moved from lab to lab, trying to stay under the radar while working on her goal. Her past has finally caught up with her, though, and she is faced with a choice: throw her lot in with a mercenary pilot named Max, who is offering to get her out of the country, or be captured by the Russian authorities.
What a roller coaster ride! This book kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I loved it. It wasn't until after I read this book that I realized it was the third in a series. It did a great job as a standalone, but I'd love to read the rest of the series. I give this book 4.5 stars.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
Still running two years later, she finds herself in Russia. She still doesn't know she is, but she knows she is a scientist working on finding an Ebola vaccine. Christa has moved from lab to lab, trying to stay under the radar while working on her goal. Her past has finally caught up with her, though, and she is faced with a choice: throw her lot in with a mercenary pilot named Max, who is offering to get her out of the country, or be captured by the Russian authorities.
What a roller coaster ride! This book kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I loved it. It wasn't until after I read this book that I realized it was the third in a series. It did a great job as a standalone, but I'd love to read the rest of the series. I give this book 4.5 stars.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
March 2, 2017
The Russian Obsession is the third book in Nikki Navarre's Foreign Affairs series. Since I'm late to the series I would say this can be read as a standalone and still be fully enjoyed.
The action starts with the very first page. I was immediately intrigued with Christa's amnesia. And then Max enters the story. Both have secrets they are holding close with an undeniable attraction. There is so much happening in this story that you'll feel like something might slip past.
I'll be picking up the first two books in Nikki Navarre's Foreign Affairs series. I can't wait to see what I was missing out on.
The action starts with the very first page. I was immediately intrigued with Christa's amnesia. And then Max enters the story. Both have secrets they are holding close with an undeniable attraction. There is so much happening in this story that you'll feel like something might slip past.
I'll be picking up the first two books in Nikki Navarre's Foreign Affairs series. I can't wait to see what I was missing out on.
February 21, 2017
I enjoyed this book i just loved Christabel and Max this book will grab you right from the beginning and does not let you go this is the first book i have read by this author and it wont be the last cant wait to try more.
March 31, 2017
My review has been posted on Shelly's Book Corner
www.goodreads.com/review/show/1926562630
www.goodreads.com/review/show/1926562630
March 29, 2017
Sexy pilot, high-octane action, wild jungle chase, a rapid spreading virus, blank spots in memory, . . .
Sexy pilot, high-octane action, wild jungle chase, a rapid spreading virus, blank spots in memory, killer skills, deadly results, two people on the opposite side of the equation. Or are they? Christa and Max have lots to uncover including the truth about each other in this race for answers, cure, and to stay alive. All that with love closing in on them just as fast as the enemy on their trails. Survival was the game and winning at all cost was the price that needed to be paid. Hot sexy red-head scientist with gaps in her memory and a sexy hot pilot that has an ax to grind team up to some explosive action and romance.
Looking for some action, intrigue, drama, and romance in a foreign country through jungle, sky and more for a weekend read try The Russian Obsession.
Sexy pilot, high-octane action, wild jungle chase, a rapid spreading virus, blank spots in memory, killer skills, deadly results, two people on the opposite side of the equation. Or are they? Christa and Max have lots to uncover including the truth about each other in this race for answers, cure, and to stay alive. All that with love closing in on them just as fast as the enemy on their trails. Survival was the game and winning at all cost was the price that needed to be paid. Hot sexy red-head scientist with gaps in her memory and a sexy hot pilot that has an ax to grind team up to some explosive action and romance.
Looking for some action, intrigue, drama, and romance in a foreign country through jungle, sky and more for a weekend read try The Russian Obsession.
April 22, 2017
Having read one other book by this author, I was eager to read a second and a little disappointed that it did not leave me with the same reading glow the other book did. Both books are well done but I did not like the amount of slang language used by both of the main characters in this book and had trouble relating to the degree of extreme danger and violence, which was a regular part of the lives of a hunted virologist and a Mafia-type smuggler. The intense relationship between these two characters is powerful, hot, and appealing. The story line is interesting and the setting intrigues with its international aspects and flavor, polyglots being people I admire. Overall I do recommend any of Nikki Navarre's books--she is a good writer with an interesting background that lends to good books.
I received a copy of this book from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review.
I received a copy of this book from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review.
April 24, 2017
I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review."
I enjoyed reading the different medical acronyms and scientific language utilized within my expertise.
It's a lot I would like to say about this book but I don't want to give any plot points away, So this review isn't going to go into anymore than this.
I did enjoy the characters (Max and Christa), also the side characters really added something to the story line. I just felt it was drawn out some. The writing was flawless for a book this size. The words flowed well.
I enjoyed reading the different medical acronyms and scientific language utilized within my expertise.
It's a lot I would like to say about this book but I don't want to give any plot points away, So this review isn't going to go into anymore than this.
I did enjoy the characters (Max and Christa), also the side characters really added something to the story line. I just felt it was drawn out some. The writing was flawless for a book this size. The words flowed well.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews