Night Hush

Duty & Honor #1

by Leslie Jones, P.J. Ochlan (Narrator)

Length: 12 hrs and 22 mins

In this gripping and action-packed debut, an Army Intelligence officer and a Delta Force soldier must race against the clock to stop a catastrophic terrorist attack …

When Army Intelligence officer Heather Langstrom's military convoy is ambushed and she's taken prisoner, she knows she'll need all her strength and courage to survive, escape her captors, and report the whispers of unrest brewing in the Middle East.

Delta Force Captain Jace Reed isn't one to throw caution to the wind, but when his team stumbles upon beaten and weak Heather fleeing the terrorist training camp they've been dispatched to destroy, he'll risk everything to get her to safety.

Once back on base, they learn her convoy's ambush was no accident … she'd been targeted. As the evidence of an impending attack mounts, Jace and Heather uncover a deadly terrorist plot that could kill hundreds of civilians.

But Jace's protective instincts and Heather's fierce independence put them at constant odds. And as they close in on the extremists, they must learn to trust one another in order to save innocent lives … even if it means sacrificing their own.

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

Audible Audio

First published January 20, 2015

About the author

Leslie Jones has been an IT geek, a graphic designer, and, much like her heroine, an Army Intelligence officer, bringing her firsthand experience to the pages of her works. She's lived in Alaska, Korea, Belgium, Germany, and other exotic locations (including New Jersey). She is a wife, mother, and full-time writer and splits her time between Scottsdale, Arizona, and Cincinnati, Ohio.

Reviews

[Tammy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I realize the author worked in intelligence but I would say she still needs to do some research. Someone that has been beaten, tortured, and starved for days in addition to having a retroperitoneal bleed would not be able to walk let alone escape. I couldn't imagine a special forces team letting someone slow them down because they wanted to walk out independently. An I.V. on a dehydrated patient would be extremely hard to get in the hand while on a helicopter (very unsteady). Saline wouldn't be used. The nurse wouldn't leave the patient and buckle herself in for the rest of the hour and half flight. A "relatively quiet helicopter"? Really? She obviously hasn't watched any Combat Rescue documentaries.



I know this is fiction but at the same time I like to read something that has accurate descriptions whether it is medical or military. The dialogue between characters didn't flow. The story line jumped around a bit and was difficult to follow but that might have been because I just wasn't interested in the story.

I sadly could not get through the entire book so maybe it got better after the midway point. There's better books out there :-)

[Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a debut novel and first in a proposed series about a female army intelligence officer. Our protagonist is Heather Langstrom. Her military convoy is ambushed and she is taken prisoner. She escapes and is rescued by a Delta Force patrol whose officer is Captain Jace Reed. When they return to base they discover the attack was deliberate; they set out to find out why.

The book is well written and action packed. The character development is good, and there are some interesting supporting characters. The story turns out to be a romance story rather than the usual military action novel. The military and medical parts of the story are not realistic for someone familiar with either. This is not my type of story. I will give it three stars because it is an average book and not punish the author because I do not like this type of story.

P. J. Ochlan does a good job narrating the story. Ochlan is an author, actor, voice-over artist and a multi-award winning audiobook narrator.

[Philomena Callan Cheekypee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Military reads are not my preferred genre. However the odd military books I've read I have enjoyed. This is one of them books.

I found this to be an action packed story. The balance between military life and romance was really good. The main characters came across as real which I loved. I loved the storyline.

I've got to admit that when I started this book I wasn't sure how far Id get. I thought the military words would confuse me. However the author didn't write it in a confusing way. I found myself literally gripped to this story & I read it in one day. I'm looking forward to book two.

[Jenny Jo Weir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story! Wonderful cast, great plot, fantastic build-up. Incredibly well written and diverse. It has action, intrigue, suspense, drama, and ROMANCE! What more could you ask for? It’s a wonderful start to the series and I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book.

[Rinou · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very gripping beginning, some kind of slackening in the middle for the couple to get to know each other, but over all a great story

[Anne Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic read! If you're a fan of Suzanne Brockmann, you'll love Leslie Jones. Great writing. Suspenseful. This is a debut author to watch!

[Carolane · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5

[Ronin118 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do not usually read military fiction. As a former soldier, I find the portrayals of military personnel often to trite and stereotypical an lacking the depth of knowledge necessary to make it believable. This is not the case for Night Hush. Leslie Jones clearly not only pulls upon her own experiences and understanding to portray our nation's heroes in a worthy yet realistic light, she brings a meticulous and detailed eye to interactions, descriptions, conflict scenes, combat scenarios, and hand-to-hand combatives that you don't find anywhere except in a handful of best selling authors (Brad Thor and the late Tom Clancy come to mind). As a martial artist I walked throught the hand to hand scenes and was amazed at the meticulousless and a veracity of the moves; Ms. Jones either did an extensive amount of research or is hiding some mad skills herself. As a forme military officer, I found myself playing mental chess with the author in trying to figure out how I would go about resolving seemingly intractable problems and in figuring out what the hell the bad guys were really up to; sometimes I got it right, but most times Ms Jones out thought me and I found myself smiling as her characters found the clues that I had missed. And once again, her knowledge and detail of the subject matter and the conclusions reached were flawless.

My only criticism of the book (and the reason it is only a four-star book for me) is that the tone of book seems bifurcated at time. While I don't mind romantic elements in my adventure/suspense books, there were places where those elements were a bit over-the-top for me. At times I could not tell if this was a romance novel with heavy military elements or a damned fine military thriller with heavy romantic elements. While never having read romance novels, I suspect that Night Hush is one of those rare books that easily straddles both genre and does so with credibility in each.

Military Thriller readers: Night Hush is definitely worth your time. Skim over the handful of "heavy breathing" parts if that bothers you, and keep an eye out for this author's next book (which I have now preordered :) )

Romance Readers: If you want detailed and engaging military characters with realistic attitudes/outlooks to cheer for versus over-the-top, inaccurate stereotype, you're cheating yourself if you pass on this book.

[Laura Hannaway · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very very good. This was a well written story that kept me absorbed until the very end.

I thought the balance of romance v plot was exactly right. I often find that in many military romances the story devotes a bit too much time to the romantic elements which can make the leads seem less than professional, here it was obvious that Heather and Jace were both passionately devoted to their careers, but over time they also became passionately devoted to one another and this made their story resonate more powerfully.

I was particularly impressed by Jones's handling of the issue of Heather's imprisonment. At no time were we made to feel that Heather was less able than a male soldier to deal with the aftermath, on the contrary we are shown direct parallels with Jace's past experiences and several other character note her fortitude.

The plot was absorbing and well thought out and the character arcs set out for other couples have me eagerly awaiting future books in the series, starting with Bait which I have already put on my Want To Read list. Highly recommended.

[Mandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings on this one but as a whole I enjoyed it and I'd be willing to read more by this author.

[VJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written Military Romance...

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intelligence officer, Heather Langstrom is taken captive and tortured, but in a lucky break, a Delta Force team led by Captain Jace Reed intercepts Heather as she is escaping during their mission. Once Heather begins to recover from her injuries, she and Jace along with a counterterrorism team, work together to ferret out a plot that might involve a death threat to the President on his upcoming visit or to innocent victims in the vicinity. While their attraction to each other builds, Jace and Heather have to figure out how to work together to overcome this threat.

Night Hush is the first book in the Duty and Honor series. While there are romantic elements to this plot, the number of characters and the amount of political discourse, makes this seem more like a Tom Clancy novel rather than a romance. However, there are points in the story when the romance between the protagonists takes center stage, but those moments are almost like a separate story. There is a lot of military speak in this book, but since the author has a military background, it seems authentic, if not overdone. Overall, Night Hush is a good beginning to the Duty and Honor series, introducing many characters and plot lines for future books. 3 1/2 stars

[Dawn Livingston · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings on this one but as a whole I enjoyed it just because I've never read a military romance so it was different, a welcome change of pace. Unfortunately, I'm not sure military and romance should go together. Military should be gritty and realistic. Romance can be gritty but it is not realistic. There were some unrealistic moments, at least a few, that were more jarring because of the military element. I enjoyed the book but I wouldn't buy it and I'm not sure I'd read another of the author's books in the series.

[Sherri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alpha Male meets Strong Female

This is great action packed story with a few strong female characters. Captured army intelligence officer Heather is the main heroine and Jace recognizes her strength when he runs into when she escapes her captors. Jace has to battle Heather’s emotional walls. He slowly shows her that he is strong enough to stand by her side to support her in her career. Together they work to help prevent an international terror act that would lead to a great loss of lives. Jace has to balance his protective instincts with his love for her. It is a great read.

[Eli · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. DNF.

The writing made me cringe too many times to tolerate it any more. It feels written like a fanfic, the romance is pushed to the point of annoyance.

The Hero and Damsel complex gave me the ick severely.

The tactical portions were alright up until I pulled out my bookmark but… no. I just couldn’t deal with the forced romance, and the completely unrealistic multiple hour and kilometre long trek of a woman who is bleeding internally. Not a great debut.

[My_every_day_chilling · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to the audio for this one and I enjoyed it.
The narrator was fabulous, I thought he got all the arabic accents wonderfully, plus all the other different tones with different characters.
The story itself was all action, no stop. Kept me on my seat and I didn't want to stop listening.
Definitely a page turner.

[Colbert L. Boyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strong storyline

Smooth transitions from scene to scene made the book exciting, interesting and a consistent storyline. The characters were realistic and memorable. Excitement without unrealistic acts of courage.

[Alisa Lawry · Rating 1 out of 5]

So much going on its switching to too many characters each chapter. I can't keep up with all the characters every page is a new name.

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

The opening of this book was so well done I thought I might actually have stumbled on my first 5 star read in this genre. Sadly the rest of the book was so flawed, I almost quit half way through and seriously considered abandoning it at the 80% point.

The first few chapters were gritty, entirely believable and utterly gripping. The book began to have pacing issues almost as soon as the romantic elements were introduced. The all too common romantic suspense trope of sexual attraction in the midst of life and death situations rarely works well and inserted into what was otherwise a very realistic military operation made it particularly jarring.

Less then a quarter into the book the military maneuvering comes to an end and we are thrown into endless meetings featuring way too many named characters, most of whom have no distinctive personality, but are obviously meant to be featured in future books. There are several - as if one won't be enough - men in charge who are bumbling fools, there to get it in the way of our competent heroes. There are also way too many inappropriate relationship conversations awkwardly inserted into the midst of strategic meetings that are supposed to be about safeguarding the POTUS's life.

Every chapter begins with a date and time as we count down toward an important event. It is obviously meant to increase the sense of impending disaster but bizarrely the author has the characters behave in a cavalier fashion towards what is possibly a threat to the POTUS's life. The lack of urgency on the part of the characters, coupled with ill timed romantic elements, undermined what little sense of suspense the book managed to generate. Conversations involving highly classified information are held in a public cafe and alarming, time sensitive information is not passed on because it is evening, as if the military punches a 9-5 clock. On top of that there were continuity errors in which characters incorrectly indicate how much time has elapsed as well as several crucial days towards the very end that went missing.

The romance itself was just OK. Heather, the romantic lead, reasonably wants to steer clear of romantic entanglements with fellow soldiers but annoyingly spends the entire book loudly proclaiming her opposition followed by her throwing herself at the hero. Sadly, she is the equivalent of the "no" means "yes" stereotype that is so damaging to women. Her love interest Jace, was a stock alpha male who doesn't do relationships until the moment he decides to settle down with the perfect women he has met seconds ago. The resolution to the problems inherent with two people pursuing military careers was utterly distasteful to me and destroyed the integrity of Heather's character. I simply didn't buy it, especially since there was a more palatable and realistic option. Spoiler: Heather is a West Point graduate, totally devoted to her dream of becoming a 3 star general and yet when TRUE LOVE strikes she agrees to resign her commission to work as a civilian alongside her future husband. WTF? A better solution would be for them to marry and put in for duel assignments in which the military would attempt to keep them close together as much as possible. They could have both continued to do exactly what they were doing.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always admired the brave men and women who protect and fight for our freedom. This book gives us a small glimpse into their world: the good, the bad, and the ugly. NIGHT HUSH is a story that focuses on two main characters: Army Intelligence Officer Heather Langstrom and Delta Force Captain Jace Reed. At the very beginning of the story, Heather is being tortured as a captive of the local military activists. Her convoy was ambushed and she was taken prisoner, a target as a result of what she might or might not know. When Jace and his team are on a mission, Heather literally stumbles into their hide out and it is a race to survival to elude the enemy. When they are safely back to base, it is a slow recovery process for Heather, allowing her mind, body, and heart to begin healing from such a terrible ordeal. Heather and Jace begin to grow closer and sparks fly. More pieces to the puzzle begin to emerge, ones that are connected to Heather’s capture and Jace’s mission, and they must stop an attack before it is too late.
If you love action stories, military stories, romance, or just a good book, then this one is for you. NIGHT HUSH was an incredible story and I loved every single word! This book was entertaining, suspenseful, and enlightening. It opens the reader’s eyes to the military world in a realistic way. I appreciated how the hard situations and emotions were not glazed over. Instead we struggle with Heather through the trauma she has experienced and cheer her on to take steps to full healing. We see the characters make hard choices and attempt to do what is right, no matter the consequences.
Heather and Jace were paramount to this story. These two characters were well written and authentic, which makes this book top notch. Heather is a strong female character, one who is reliant only on herself and no one else. When she is held captive, she hits a breaking point and saves herself from the captors, only to be saved in return. She is a feisty woman who knows what she wants and will do whatever it takes to get it. She is smart, kind, and vulnerable. She is never weak but sometimes the strongest will eventually break. Jace is the wonderful hero of this story who saves Heather. He is strong, reliable, and brave. He longs to protect her but must learn what she can handle on her own and what she needs help with. Their relationship is a partnership of give and take, in which both are on equal ground.
The story itself is high action and intense. When reading NIGHT HUST, you see the ugly side of war and humanity but you also see the heroes and the beauty of courage and hope. I loved this story and I cannot wait to see what is in store for the Duty & Honor Series! If this book is any indication, it is going to be amazing!

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since I really like a good novel that involves characters that have special ops and mix that with a bit of romance I thought I would give this a go. Right away I notice that this author is very detailed leaving nothing to chance on where you are and what is going on which is good in action novels. So often it starts out ok then but because of the interaction between characters the author will jump to quickly sometimes forgetting to take the reader with them. Not so in this novel. Every time a scene changes or there are interaction with characters you know exactly where and whom making the flow easy to go with especially when this author really picks up the pace. She brings you right to the edge right away because of the female captured giving you a glimpse into Heather's character. Jace is next a man on a mission but also him and his team are in a position that regardless of the odds they must succeed. All the while the author is building you up because she shows he too knows about Heather but not where she is. Anticipation is what is given and this author has it down pat. You are hoping but not quite sure how it will turn out. Having snared you good you sit back and begin in earnest to read one of the most intense, action packed with many a detail with characters that each have their role. She makes you want to smack the enemies yourself because they are bad. The war in the middle east is real and she does give a realism in what could very well be a scenario for someone. On to one of the reasons though I read this so not to forget it is the romance part. Heather has made it a rule as she goes in her career not to be involved with military men but with Jace she will find that a very hard one to stick to because of the chemistry between them combined with the time they have to spend together. What I like about Jace though even though he wants to protect her he still works well with her not squeezing her out when she is needed. Very intense high impact novel that would even interest both genders to read because of the detail. I was also quite satisfied with how things will proceed for Jace and Heather even with all their trials that they will come to have a very successful reward. As for the title if she wanted to give a clear picture of duty and honor she did succeed in that also. Received a copy for a honest review.

[Dakota Storm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story has it all. Action, suspense, mystery and lots of sizzle. I loved the characters I thought Jace is one bad ass guy, he is a total warrior that nothing can keep him down, he's hot as hell and such a sweet and caring guy. Heather went through hell and back but like Jace nothing will keep her down, she's amazing, tough as nails, smart and so damn tough but thinks that because she's a women she has to work twice as hard to get recognized. I thought these two characters were perfect together. The way they meet and then progress in their relationship was so well written, I kept turning pages wanting to know what happens next. The author wrote a unique and interesting story which she took great care with the language and the details throughout (which I loved). Jace and Heather light the sheets on fire (so damn sexy) and then their relationship turns to a amazingly written HEA. I really enjoyed this story from page one to the end. My only mention is we kind of lost track of the poor sister who put her life on the line to give the Army information, we heard a little towards the end but wish we knew more. 4-4.5 stars review upallnightreadallday.blogspot.com

[RedRedtheycallmeRed · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first 20% of the book was really good, exciting and action packed. As was the last 20% of the book. The middle of the book sometimes got dragged down by military detail and Jace and Heather's sexcapades.

Heather's indecisiveness over getting into a relationship with Jace quickly grew tiresome. Her reasons for not getting involved were totally valid, but her constant waffling was annoying. Equally annoying were all of Jace's frat bro moments. "I know she's been tortured and held captive, but her boobs are just so awesome!" We get it, you really want into her pants. Grow up.

There were a couple of things that made me pause. 1) Jace's mother visited him in the Middle East, while he was deployed? 2) Jace drives a BMW around the base? Minor things, but they didn't make sense to me.

My favorite storyline in the book involved Aa'idah (a young Muslim woman) and the misogynistic terrorists she was unfortunate enough to be related to. She was all kinds of awesome and I wish there had been more to her story.

[Destiny Battaglia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting, well written, and suspenseful book. I had a hard time though figuring out just exactly where this was supposed to reflect because the author has then obviously overseas, but it seems like such a dangerous place if their convoy is hit and the main character is taken hostage. Yet, they're on a base that has family and children. It seemed to me that this is supposed to be a restricted duty tour - not one where you have families come with you. I think it made it a little more unrealistic to me. But the way that the author wrote everything, the way that things were explained, I really did like it and I liked everything that they brought into it. I always liked the military stories too where it's not just American's, but you have different variations of branches within the military and then are allies. The story was compelling and interesting, the romance didn't seem rushed or forced. Very good, and I'll be looking for this series in the future.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I started reading this book I wasn't sure how far I would get. Lt. Heather Langstrom is being tortured and questioned about her knowledge of an terrorist cell in the Middle East. Captain Jace Reed helps her escape and together they start piecing together the knowledge they have to avert an attempt to kill the US President. These two strong leads react like oil and water but the romance sparks can't be stopped. The only problem will be if they can live long enough to find out. 1st in a new series, I can't wait for book two where it appears a member of Jace's team will be the hero. Great military action and romance combine for a fantastic story.

[Sue Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one action packed - "can't put it down" - Awesome story! Heather was one gutsy - kick-ass soldier and I admired her right from the start. The brutality that soldiers endure while captured is truly hard to grasp. Leslie Jones did a great job of making Heather's ordeal very believable - it's all about Power and Control!!!!

"Jace! Holy shit, Christ, Jesus." That pretty well sums up all my thoughts concerning him. Would follow him into battle anytime!!!! His demeanor and military expertise and spot on perception really added the edginess to the storyline!

Great series - Can't Wait to read Bait.

[Debbie D · Rating 5 out of 5]

AWESOME BOOK.
I met Leslie at the Tuscon Book Festival as she was sitting next to an author I had just heard talk. I decided to take a chance on a debut Novel. Once I started reading it was hard to put down. The charactors become real life people, with honest emotions. The descriptions of the action and scenery were great. I could really see the pictures she described. I hated that the story had to end. Also, I can't wait to see how she tells the story of a couple of the other charactors. You don't often find this in a debut novel. Great Job Leslie. Keep up the good writing, I am anxious to read the next novel in the series

[Sophia Sasson · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's rare to find true romance thrillers that include a well developed romance arc and action packed plot line. I found Night Hush to delivery on that promise and debated between 4 and 5 stars because it's such a well written book. The only part I didn't like is the end conclusion, I felt that the heroine's final decision (will not spoil it for those who haven't read it) were not well built up and a little out of line with her character.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great debut novel

With this story you're introduce to Jace and Heather who are trying to stop a terrorist from releasing a bomb on a military bases. But first Heather who has been kidnapped must be rescued as she was taken when her convoy had been taken after it was attacked. This is a very fast paced story, so hang on cuz it's a bumpy ride

[Carol and Gary Curtis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent story. First in the series and , hopefully the other books will be as good. Major characters, including the villians, were well crafted and believe able. The plot itself was well formed and exciting. The book could be divided into sections, the mission/rescue, the romance, the plot and the conclusion, all of which worked well. Very pleasant reading experience.