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Mission Recovery #1
Silent Threat
“This suspense is romantic, timely, and different. Great pacing, great characters…just great storytelling all around.” —USA Today’s Happy Ever After
A former Navy SEAL, Cole Makani Hunter has returned home from a disastrous black ops mission without his best friend, his hearing, or the use of his right arm. So when his ex–commanding officer assigns him to an undercover mission at a rehab center for vets to discover who leaked sensitive military information to an enemy, he’d rather be anywhere but there. Almost immediately, Cole finds himself at odds with Annie Murray—a peace-loving ecotherapist whose dream is to open an animal sanctuary out of her home. While the two seemingly have nothing in common, their spirited arguments soon fuel a passion for each other.
But just as things begin to heat up between therapist and patient, dangerous complications arise. So does the past—and a shocking revelation that puts Cole and everything he now holds dear in the path of a murderous traitor.
A former Navy SEAL, Cole Makani Hunter has returned home from a disastrous black ops mission without his best friend, his hearing, or the use of his right arm. So when his ex–commanding officer assigns him to an undercover mission at a rehab center for vets to discover who leaked sensitive military information to an enemy, he’d rather be anywhere but there. Almost immediately, Cole finds himself at odds with Annie Murray—a peace-loving ecotherapist whose dream is to open an animal sanctuary out of her home. While the two seemingly have nothing in common, their spirited arguments soon fuel a passion for each other.
But just as things begin to heat up between therapist and patient, dangerous complications arise. So does the past—and a shocking revelation that puts Cole and everything he now holds dear in the path of a murderous traitor.
311 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 2, 2018
1625 people are currently reading
921 people want to read
About the author
Dana Marton
146 books837 followers Dana Marton writes fast-paced action-adventure romances that take her readers all over the globe. She is a Rita Award finalist and the winner of the Daphne du Maurier Award of Excellence. She loves writing stories of intrigue, filled with dangerous plots that try her tough-as-nails heroes and the special women they fall in love with. Her books have been published in seven languages in eleven countries around the world.
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Sign up for Dana's newsletter and never miss a new release, sale or giveaway. You’ll receive a free copy of her #1 Amazon bestselling book DEATHSCAPE (Broslin Creek #2) for signing up, and you can unsubscribe at any time. Your email will never be used for any other purpose.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 292 reviews
April 21, 2018
Really decent story let down by the fact that the author built combustible sexual tension between the H/ h and then neglected to write a decent sex scene for them to work it out in.
Perv that I am, I wanted the sex, and not just a couple of finger bang sessions.
Perv that I am, I wanted the sex, and not just a couple of finger bang sessions.
June 23, 2024
Former Navy SEAL Cole Hunter has returned from captivity after being tortured and maimed by the enemy. He has lost most of his hearing and his right arm is weak from his injuries. Cole has been given an undercover assignment to stay at Hope Hill Rehab Center and learn who is passing military secrets to the enemy. There he meets therapist Annie Murray who uses ecotherapy to treat patients with PTSD. She takes Cole on walks through the woods and talks about his problems. Cole doesn't think he needs therapy. But when he learns that someone is stalking Annie, he knows he must help her.
This story was so boring. The pace was so slow. I had to keep setting the book down. I guessed the villain when he was introduced. I thought he was obvious. The romance was lackluster. The couple had no chemistry. The heroine was a nitwit. Annie kept denying that there was danger from her stalker. After someone has broken into her home and ran her off the road, she decides it is a good idea to go for a walk in the woods by herself. Annie hears footsteps behind her but doesn't see who is following her. She decides a deer is stalking her. Really?? A deer?? How dumb can she be? My rating: 1.5 Stars.
This story was so boring. The pace was so slow. I had to keep setting the book down. I guessed the villain when he was introduced. I thought he was obvious. The romance was lackluster. The couple had no chemistry. The heroine was a nitwit. Annie kept denying that there was danger from her stalker. After someone has broken into her home and ran her off the road, she decides it is a good idea to go for a walk in the woods by herself. Annie hears footsteps behind her but doesn't see who is following her. She decides a deer is stalking her. Really?? A deer?? How dumb can she be? My rating: 1.5 Stars.
July 4, 2018
3.50 stars
Cole Makani Hunter is a former Navy SEAL who was severely wounded during his last black ops mission. He is sent undercover to a Hope Hill, a rehab center, to find out who is leaking out top secret information. Even though this is a mission for him, he is still involved in rehab and is attracted to the ecotherapist, Annie Murray. The attraction is instant.
Annie Murray just returned to her hometown and is working at Hope Hill. She is a nature lover and wanted to incorporate her love of nature to help others. She also has a stalker that is getting closer and more aggressive. Only her new found friend, Cole, makes her feel safe, but she is his therapist, so a relationship is out of the question.
It definitely took me a while to get into this one. I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator was very monotone at times. Once I got used to that, the mystery of the story pulled me in. There is very little sex in this one, but I didn’t miss it because of the push/pull of the relationship.
All in all, a great little story, but I think I would have enjoyed this one a little more if I was reading it as opposed to listening to it
Cole Makani Hunter is a former Navy SEAL who was severely wounded during his last black ops mission. He is sent undercover to a Hope Hill, a rehab center, to find out who is leaking out top secret information. Even though this is a mission for him, he is still involved in rehab and is attracted to the ecotherapist, Annie Murray. The attraction is instant.
Annie Murray just returned to her hometown and is working at Hope Hill. She is a nature lover and wanted to incorporate her love of nature to help others. She also has a stalker that is getting closer and more aggressive. Only her new found friend, Cole, makes her feel safe, but she is his therapist, so a relationship is out of the question.
It definitely took me a while to get into this one. I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator was very monotone at times. Once I got used to that, the mystery of the story pulled me in. There is very little sex in this one, but I didn’t miss it because of the push/pull of the relationship.
All in all, a great little story, but I think I would have enjoyed this one a little more if I was reading it as opposed to listening to it
January 6, 2018
Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) provided by the Author and Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an fair and honest review.
This is my first book by Dana Marton and I was pleased to find another author who writes what I want to read. The plot was inventive and I really loved the wounded warrior hero, Cole, and the ecotherapist heroine, Annie.
Annie Murray is an ecotherapist at Hope Hill, a rehab facility for recovering veterans. She firmly believes in the power to nature to heal, she is living proof. She also runs an animal sanctuary out of her house. When she is assigned a former Navy SEAL, Cole Makani Hunter, she knows from the start that he is going to be a very hard nut to crack. When a stalker starts escalating, Cole goes from patient to protector who will do anything to keep Annie safe.
Wounded Warrior, former Navy SEAL Cole Makani Hunter, has been to some very dark places and now he is on an undercover assignment at the request of his former commanding officer at Hope Hill to discover who is leaking secrets to the enemy. With near total hearing loss and limited mobility in his right arm, Cole has a boatload of issues and really needs Hope Hill, even if he doesn't want to outright admit it. The last thing he thinks he needs is a tree-hugging, animal rescuing ecotherapist, but he finds himself drawn to her warm spirit and optimistic outlook. Soon their clashes turn to passion and when she finds herself in danger, Cole becomes her warrior protector.
This is my first book by Dana Marton and I was pleased to find another author who writes what I want to read. The plot was inventive and I really loved the wounded warrior hero, Cole, and the ecotherapist heroine, Annie.
Annie Murray is an ecotherapist at Hope Hill, a rehab facility for recovering veterans. She firmly believes in the power to nature to heal, she is living proof. She also runs an animal sanctuary out of her house. When she is assigned a former Navy SEAL, Cole Makani Hunter, she knows from the start that he is going to be a very hard nut to crack. When a stalker starts escalating, Cole goes from patient to protector who will do anything to keep Annie safe.
Wounded Warrior, former Navy SEAL Cole Makani Hunter, has been to some very dark places and now he is on an undercover assignment at the request of his former commanding officer at Hope Hill to discover who is leaking secrets to the enemy. With near total hearing loss and limited mobility in his right arm, Cole has a boatload of issues and really needs Hope Hill, even if he doesn't want to outright admit it. The last thing he thinks he needs is a tree-hugging, animal rescuing ecotherapist, but he finds himself drawn to her warm spirit and optimistic outlook. Soon their clashes turn to passion and when she finds herself in danger, Cole becomes her warrior protector.
January 8, 2018
How have I not read Dana Marton before now?!? I loved this book and the story. It made me so very happy. I was even happier when I realized I have some books in her Broslin Creek series that I picked up as Kindle freebies a while back. :) :) That's a good thing as the next book in this series, "Threat of Danger , isn't out until June. :( This series appears to be a spin-off, or at least related to the Broslin Creek books but I had no trouble reading it as a stand-alone.
What I Liked:
1) Our hero, Cole Makani Hunter, is not the standard white, abled hero. He's mixed race, Hawaiian Pacific Islander and Caucasian. How about that, an MC who's not lily white. That was a nice change. He has limited mobility in one arm and deafness due to injuries sustained while on active duty. He does pretty well reading lips but he doesn't get it right a hundred percent of the time which seems to be true to life. I appreciated that our heroine, Annie, was always careful to look right at him or otherwise place herself so he could see her lips easily to read them. While being deaf came with certain challenges, it wasn't a main part of the story, and there was more to Cole than being deaf or having limited arm functionality. They were part of who was, like his dark eyes, his impatience, and his love for his pickup truck. Neither his ethnicity nor his physical challenges were the focus of the story, but simply aspects of the character.
2) Annie Murray was a wonderful character even if her name gave me fits. Every time her whole name was on page, I thought of country singer Anne Murray. I even visualized Annie as Anne Murray. Yeah, I know. I'm showing my age. But hey, I listened to some Anne Murray songs while typing this up and that was good. :D
Anyway, Annie Murray, our heroine, loves animals, nature, and helping. She's a nurturer and a caretaker. She runs an animal rescue out of her garage with dreams of expanding into proper facilities. Meanwhile, she works as an ecotherapist. In Annie's words, "Ecotherapy is basically ecopsychology. We use nature to connect to our inner nature...Ecotherapy is about healing both people and their environment." I was a little unsure of ecotherapy at first and so was Cole. He was resistant at first but over the course of the book he starts to see its benefits and accept it as a legitimate and useful form of therapy.
While Annie is a lover and a healer, she's not weak. She can does take care of herself, both emotionally and physically, but also asks for and accepts help. Okay, she had trouble with the latter but she was able to do it. She seemed like someone I would want to be friends with and I'd happily help with the animals. Even the skunks.
3) The story. Cole is undercover at the rehab center and that means therapy sessions in a variety of fields while he investigates. Several times, he wonders if there really is a mission or if the commander tricked him into getting help, and I admit, I had the same doubts. But there are mysteries, yes, more than one. Marton reeled me in, kept me reading, and kept me guessing. I had so many guesses and eventually I was right, lol. She provided lots of clues and hints, you just had to decipher them correctly.
The story grabbed me from the first page and I read it in one sitting. The pacing, the characters, the settings, the details, it all worked for me. The story flowed and was a good balance of action, dialog, humor, and romance. I had one qualm and that was that Cole and Annie were therapist and patient when they met and their relationship developed. Annie is hyper aware of this and tries to restrain to keep things professional. I didn't completely buy Marton's workaround to the ethical problem but it did ease my mind. I liked the gradual development of their feelings, the slow burn, and that they didn't rush into things emotionally or physically. The payoff was worth the wait.
"Silent Threat" was 4 solid stars, a wonderful blend of mystery and romance, with wonderful characters, both human and animal. Bring on book two!
What I Liked:
1) Our hero, Cole Makani Hunter, is not the standard white, abled hero. He's mixed race, Hawaiian Pacific Islander and Caucasian. How about that, an MC who's not lily white. That was a nice change. He has limited mobility in one arm and deafness due to injuries sustained while on active duty. He does pretty well reading lips but he doesn't get it right a hundred percent of the time which seems to be true to life. I appreciated that our heroine, Annie, was always careful to look right at him or otherwise place herself so he could see her lips easily to read them. While being deaf came with certain challenges, it wasn't a main part of the story, and there was more to Cole than being deaf or having limited arm functionality. They were part of who was, like his dark eyes, his impatience, and his love for his pickup truck. Neither his ethnicity nor his physical challenges were the focus of the story, but simply aspects of the character.
2) Annie Murray was a wonderful character even if her name gave me fits. Every time her whole name was on page, I thought of country singer Anne Murray. I even visualized Annie as Anne Murray. Yeah, I know. I'm showing my age. But hey, I listened to some Anne Murray songs while typing this up and that was good. :D
Anyway, Annie Murray, our heroine, loves animals, nature, and helping. She's a nurturer and a caretaker. She runs an animal rescue out of her garage with dreams of expanding into proper facilities. Meanwhile, she works as an ecotherapist. In Annie's words, "Ecotherapy is basically ecopsychology. We use nature to connect to our inner nature...Ecotherapy is about healing both people and their environment." I was a little unsure of ecotherapy at first and so was Cole. He was resistant at first but over the course of the book he starts to see its benefits and accept it as a legitimate and useful form of therapy.
While Annie is a lover and a healer, she's not weak. She can does take care of herself, both emotionally and physically, but also asks for and accepts help. Okay, she had trouble with the latter but she was able to do it. She seemed like someone I would want to be friends with and I'd happily help with the animals. Even the skunks.
3) The story. Cole is undercover at the rehab center and that means therapy sessions in a variety of fields while he investigates. Several times, he wonders if there really is a mission or if the commander tricked him into getting help, and I admit, I had the same doubts. But there are mysteries, yes, more than one. Marton reeled me in, kept me reading, and kept me guessing. I had so many guesses and eventually I was right, lol. She provided lots of clues and hints, you just had to decipher them correctly.
The story grabbed me from the first page and I read it in one sitting. The pacing, the characters, the settings, the details, it all worked for me. The story flowed and was a good balance of action, dialog, humor, and romance. I had one qualm and that was that Cole and Annie were therapist and patient when they met and their relationship developed. Annie is hyper aware of this and tries to restrain to keep things professional. I didn't completely buy Marton's workaround to the ethical problem but it did ease my mind. I liked the gradual development of their feelings, the slow burn, and that they didn't rush into things emotionally or physically. The payoff was worth the wait.
"Silent Threat" was 4 solid stars, a wonderful blend of mystery and romance, with wonderful characters, both human and animal. Bring on book two!
December 18, 2017
Dana Marton’s books tend to stand out for me particularly since they tend to involve unusual and unlikely pairings with protagonists who aren’t the most good-looking or the usual types that conform to the stereotypes of romantic suspense. Throw this unbalanced relationship—whether it’s convincing or not depends on the book and the kind of characters Marton chooses to portray—into a plot that’s generally tight and unpredictable enough to keep you guessing and Marton has become one of the authors I’ve come to realise I want more of.
‘Silent Threat’ is no different in this way: a disabled ex-SEAL who’s undercover seeking a traitor and an ecotherapist who dreams of having her own animal rescue sanctuary facing a stalkerish (and very creepy) threat provide more than enough intrigue for the suspense to be built on. Marton sets up 2 apparently separate threats, though there are hints that they are from one and the same source, in a more elaborate twist of the tale that I didn’t see coming.
Marton’s characters however, so obviously flawed and so far beyond the traditional definitions and appearances of what we think of when the terms ‘hero’ and ‘heroine’ pop up, may not always appeal.
In ‘Silent Threat’ as in a few of other Marton’s books, Cole and Annie take some time to warm up to, though Cole was easier to relate to as a protagonist than Annie’s softer and more fickle tree-hugger ways. Like Cole, I was too sceptical of Annie’s Ecotherapy—the things she stood for and her earth-mother motivational sayings just sounded too flaky and naive to me with her trite and overused phrases like ‘deep cleansing breaths’—but admittedly this is my jaded, cynical self talking along with the other SEALs under her care who rolled their eyes at this form of treatment. It was harder to like her as well, as I thought she simply needed to grow a spine when all she did was push away and run without working things out like the adult she was while she hid behind the excuse of preserving therapist/patient boundaries.
Cole and Annie’s relationship however, isn’t rushed, the build-up is slow-going with some amount of push-pull between them, with an equally slow burn until past the halfway mark, flowing well with the suspense that amps up toward the end.
In short, while ‘Silent Threat’ didn’t quite stun me like Marton’s other books have, which isn’t to say that it isn’t a decent read. It’s a series that I’m going to continue with in any case, if only just to see what Marton has up her sleeve the next time around.
*ARC by the publisher via Netgalley
‘Silent Threat’ is no different in this way: a disabled ex-SEAL who’s undercover seeking a traitor and an ecotherapist who dreams of having her own animal rescue sanctuary facing a stalkerish (and very creepy) threat provide more than enough intrigue for the suspense to be built on. Marton sets up 2 apparently separate threats, though there are hints that they are from one and the same source, in a more elaborate twist of the tale that I didn’t see coming.
Marton’s characters however, so obviously flawed and so far beyond the traditional definitions and appearances of what we think of when the terms ‘hero’ and ‘heroine’ pop up, may not always appeal.
In ‘Silent Threat’ as in a few of other Marton’s books, Cole and Annie take some time to warm up to, though Cole was easier to relate to as a protagonist than Annie’s softer and more fickle tree-hugger ways. Like Cole, I was too sceptical of Annie’s Ecotherapy—the things she stood for and her earth-mother motivational sayings just sounded too flaky and naive to me with her trite and overused phrases like ‘deep cleansing breaths’—but admittedly this is my jaded, cynical self talking along with the other SEALs under her care who rolled their eyes at this form of treatment. It was harder to like her as well, as I thought she simply needed to grow a spine when all she did was push away and run without working things out like the adult she was while she hid behind the excuse of preserving therapist/patient boundaries.
Cole and Annie’s relationship however, isn’t rushed, the build-up is slow-going with some amount of push-pull between them, with an equally slow burn until past the halfway mark, flowing well with the suspense that amps up toward the end.
In short, while ‘Silent Threat’ didn’t quite stun me like Marton’s other books have, which isn’t to say that it isn’t a decent read. It’s a series that I’m going to continue with in any case, if only just to see what Marton has up her sleeve the next time around.
*ARC by the publisher via Netgalley
May 13, 2020
I'm in the minority...
I was extremely bored through most of this book. At about 35%, I began skim reading. The story seemed to drag with a ton of filler Most of the characters felt underdeveloped and much of their actions felt like standard romance cliche. The undercover plot felt like a side plot that barely gained any traction. The undeveloped bad guy was obvious as was the overly sappy HEA. Lots of eye rolls.
At the end of the day, this is probably on me. I need more action and more believable dialogue.
I was extremely bored through most of this book. At about 35%, I began skim reading. The story seemed to drag with a ton of filler Most of the characters felt underdeveloped and much of their actions felt like standard romance cliche. The undercover plot felt like a side plot that barely gained any traction. The undeveloped bad guy was obvious as was the overly sappy HEA. Lots of eye rolls.
At the end of the day, this is probably on me. I need more action and more believable dialogue.
December 30, 2017
Three and a half stars.
This started really well, Cole Makani Hunter is a former SEAL, partially deaf and with his right arm non-functioning, he has been sent undercover to a new age rehab centre for vets to discover who (staff or patient) is transmitting military secrets to someone in the Yemen.
Annie Murray is an ecotherapist working part-time at the Hope Hill rehab centre in Broslin Pennsylvania. Her treatment consists of helping vets get back in touch with nature through barefoot walks in the woods and drawing analogies between the men with their issues and nature. Whilst at first Annie was a bit new-age hippy dippy for my taste, and Cole wasn't wrong when he called her a tree-hugger, she grew on me. Brought up by a single mother, ostracised and criticised by her maternal grandfather - who she nevertheless continues to care for - and with unresolved issues with her cousin Kelly, Annie tries to make life better for everyone around her and runs an animal sanctuary in her yard.
Annie and Cole have a LOT of back story, it made me wonder whether they had featured in previous books by Dana Marton in different series. Either way, it was good that both had histories and experiences which moulded their lives but didn't overrun them - in other words it wasn't all angst-angst-angst like a YA/NA novel.
Annie has a stalker. I liked the suspense of not knowing who the stalker was and guessing at each character, I also liked the way in which the two stories: Cole's traitor and Annie's stalker wove together. I liked the development of the romantic relationship and the way in which Annie's therapy methods helped Cole deal with his issues whilst not being a miracle cure-all. I even liked the extended epilogue. My only gripe was that the climax felt a bit rushed, I even reread it this morning to see whether I had been mistaken when I read it last night but I remain slightly disappointed that the ending felt rushed rather than the steady build up of tension that usually happens with a romantic suspense.
Overall, I like Dana Marton's novels, she writes interesting characters who aren't all traditionally beautiful and perfect, Cole's initial description of Annie is WAY less than flattering. Also, its funny which is unusual in romantic suspense. Cole and Annie have some really nice banter going on between them, I especially liked when Annie was able to laugh at herself.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
This started really well, Cole Makani Hunter is a former SEAL, partially deaf and with his right arm non-functioning, he has been sent undercover to a new age rehab centre for vets to discover who (staff or patient) is transmitting military secrets to someone in the Yemen.
Annie Murray is an ecotherapist working part-time at the Hope Hill rehab centre in Broslin Pennsylvania. Her treatment consists of helping vets get back in touch with nature through barefoot walks in the woods and drawing analogies between the men with their issues and nature. Whilst at first Annie was a bit new-age hippy dippy for my taste, and Cole wasn't wrong when he called her a tree-hugger, she grew on me. Brought up by a single mother, ostracised and criticised by her maternal grandfather - who she nevertheless continues to care for - and with unresolved issues with her cousin Kelly, Annie tries to make life better for everyone around her and runs an animal sanctuary in her yard.
Annie and Cole have a LOT of back story, it made me wonder whether they had featured in previous books by Dana Marton in different series. Either way, it was good that both had histories and experiences which moulded their lives but didn't overrun them - in other words it wasn't all angst-angst-angst like a YA/NA novel.
Annie has a stalker. I liked the suspense of not knowing who the stalker was and guessing at each character, I also liked the way in which the two stories: Cole's traitor and Annie's stalker wove together. I liked the development of the romantic relationship and the way in which Annie's therapy methods helped Cole deal with his issues whilst not being a miracle cure-all. I even liked the extended epilogue. My only gripe was that the climax felt a bit rushed, I even reread it this morning to see whether I had been mistaken when I read it last night but I remain slightly disappointed that the ending felt rushed rather than the steady build up of tension that usually happens with a romantic suspense.
Overall, I like Dana Marton's novels, she writes interesting characters who aren't all traditionally beautiful and perfect, Cole's initial description of Annie is WAY less than flattering. Also, its funny which is unusual in romantic suspense. Cole and Annie have some really nice banter going on between them, I especially liked when Annie was able to laugh at herself.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
April 11, 2018
Preamble:
Not gonna lie—a part of me was really hoping Silent Threat would be about farts. The threat was in fact silent but deadly! There could’ve been a killer Dutch oven! Alas for my inner 10-year-old, there was no fatal flatulence. Which is a shame, because this book required a suspension of disbelief so high the author might as well have gone there, if only to spice things up a little. (And by that I mean chili surprise out the ass! …Okay I’ll stop now.)
Things I liked:
The hero, former Navy SEAL and POW Cole, was a relatively down-to-earth guy who treated people with kindness and respect…with a few notable exceptions I’ll get to later. Throughout the book, he attends therapy and grows as a person, recognizing and accepting his new disabilities with the help of Annie, the heroine and his eco-therapist. Though he’s initially skeptical of Annie’s tree-hugging ways, he’s never an asshole about it and keeps an open-enough mind that he eventually benefits from the therapy. He’s also of Polynesian descent, which added some nice diversity to the cast of characters. I imagined him as a Dwayne Johnson look-alike (rowr).
Me:
I also liked Annie. She’s a total earthy-crunchy hippie who somehow manages to be sincere without being preachy—a major feat anyone who knows somebody like this in real life will recognize.
Cole’s your typical walking slab of beef (who looks like The Rock—squee!) while Annie looks closer to an ordinary woman who becomes beautiful in Cole’s eyes as he gets to know her, which is a nice dash of realism.
Speaking of realism…
Things I didn’t like:
Though the book takes place in Small Town America in and around a rehab center, there were some details I had a hard time suspending my disbelief on, which kept yanking me out of the story.
The entire story takes place in the span of about nine days (save the HEA epilogue). Since nine days need to fill roughly 310 pages, we get a whole lot of mundane details about the protagonists’ mundane daily activities (ex: Annie goes to the store. Annie buys food. Annie goes home. Annie thinks about Cole. Annie makes dinner. Etc.). The result is that everything seems to happen too quickly, while also somehow dragging.
So Annie loves to take in stray animals, which is a pretty typical romance heroine pastime but still consistent with her nature-loving character. However, she doesn’t just have a few lovable cats and dogs; she has a donkey, a couple llamas, a pig or two, a litter of baby skunks, and some other random animals, all in her garage-slash-barn.
Whenever the story featured her animals, which was nearly every chapter, I kept wondering: wouldn’t a vet need to be there, like, all the time? And animal control? And a health inspector? And wouldn’t it cost a fortune to care and feed all these animals, and also be her full-time job? The story glosses over the logistics of maintaining a full petting zoo of animals in your house, but I just couldn’t get on board.
Another thing: Cole is a wounded warrior because he was captured by insurgents (in Afghanistan maybe? It’s not totally clear) and tortured for months, leaving him deaf and crippled in his right arm. The tortured military hero is another typical romance trope, but I know for a fact Americans captured by insurgents are killed almost immediately. However, the good news is you don’t hear about it because American soldiers are almost never captured. The vast majority of deaths in conflict zones are caused by accidents, IEDs, or friendly fire from local allies who turn hostile, called “green-on-blue” attacks. The relatively low American death toll is how we can keep grinding away for decades on a war with no real strategy, achievable long-term goals, or end in sight—
Anyhoodle, I digress. The point is, Cole’s backstory could have been set up such that, for instance, he was shot in the back by an Afghan special forces member he’d worked with every day for over a year, and now he has trust issues, which would have been more realistic and more compelling. Instead, we get the generic “I was tortured by bad people” shtick to manufacture some angst for Cole without making it personal—a missed opportunity, in my opinion.
Also, Cole spends a good portion of the book stomping around the rehab center like a bull in a China shop looking for clues to the identity of a traitor who’s been selling military secrets to Yemen. He’s on a covert mission…despite the fact he has no counterintelligence training and sends updates to his boss using, ironically, his unsecured personal cell phone.
Seriously, if there was even a hint someone in the rehab center was selling national security secrets, the FBI would toss the shit outta that place immediately, not send in some clueless dope who only discovers the bad dude at the end through total chance—
Okay, okay, maybe I’m overthinking this. I’m guessing most readers don’t give two flying fucknuts about animal care logistics, or realistic warfare, or national security scenarios. If all you want is the image of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson adorably feeding baby skunks and cavorting with his lady friend on a (notably clean!) bed of hay, then up the grade of this book from two and a half stars to a solid three.
Petticoat or Pantsuit?
From a feminist standpoint, I had a few issues with this story. The first is while Annie is a relatively independent woman, she’s also passive throughout the story, working hard to force herself to stay calm and pretend her problems aren’t that bad, instead of actually facing her problems—chief among them being she’s used and abused by nearly every male she comes in contact with.
REVIEWED BY NOTORIOUS
http://bitchesbecritics.com/2018/04/0...
Not gonna lie—a part of me was really hoping Silent Threat would be about farts. The threat was in fact silent but deadly! There could’ve been a killer Dutch oven! Alas for my inner 10-year-old, there was no fatal flatulence. Which is a shame, because this book required a suspension of disbelief so high the author might as well have gone there, if only to spice things up a little. (And by that I mean chili surprise out the ass! …Okay I’ll stop now.)
Things I liked:
The hero, former Navy SEAL and POW Cole, was a relatively down-to-earth guy who treated people with kindness and respect…with a few notable exceptions I’ll get to later. Throughout the book, he attends therapy and grows as a person, recognizing and accepting his new disabilities with the help of Annie, the heroine and his eco-therapist. Though he’s initially skeptical of Annie’s tree-hugging ways, he’s never an asshole about it and keeps an open-enough mind that he eventually benefits from the therapy. He’s also of Polynesian descent, which added some nice diversity to the cast of characters. I imagined him as a Dwayne Johnson look-alike (rowr).
Me:
I also liked Annie. She’s a total earthy-crunchy hippie who somehow manages to be sincere without being preachy—a major feat anyone who knows somebody like this in real life will recognize.
Cole’s your typical walking slab of beef (who looks like The Rock—squee!) while Annie looks closer to an ordinary woman who becomes beautiful in Cole’s eyes as he gets to know her, which is a nice dash of realism.
Speaking of realism…
Things I didn’t like:
Though the book takes place in Small Town America in and around a rehab center, there were some details I had a hard time suspending my disbelief on, which kept yanking me out of the story.
The entire story takes place in the span of about nine days (save the HEA epilogue). Since nine days need to fill roughly 310 pages, we get a whole lot of mundane details about the protagonists’ mundane daily activities (ex: Annie goes to the store. Annie buys food. Annie goes home. Annie thinks about Cole. Annie makes dinner. Etc.). The result is that everything seems to happen too quickly, while also somehow dragging.
So Annie loves to take in stray animals, which is a pretty typical romance heroine pastime but still consistent with her nature-loving character. However, she doesn’t just have a few lovable cats and dogs; she has a donkey, a couple llamas, a pig or two, a litter of baby skunks, and some other random animals, all in her garage-slash-barn.
Whenever the story featured her animals, which was nearly every chapter, I kept wondering: wouldn’t a vet need to be there, like, all the time? And animal control? And a health inspector? And wouldn’t it cost a fortune to care and feed all these animals, and also be her full-time job? The story glosses over the logistics of maintaining a full petting zoo of animals in your house, but I just couldn’t get on board.
Another thing: Cole is a wounded warrior because he was captured by insurgents (in Afghanistan maybe? It’s not totally clear) and tortured for months, leaving him deaf and crippled in his right arm. The tortured military hero is another typical romance trope, but I know for a fact Americans captured by insurgents are killed almost immediately. However, the good news is you don’t hear about it because American soldiers are almost never captured. The vast majority of deaths in conflict zones are caused by accidents, IEDs, or friendly fire from local allies who turn hostile, called “green-on-blue” attacks. The relatively low American death toll is how we can keep grinding away for decades on a war with no real strategy, achievable long-term goals, or end in sight—
Anyhoodle, I digress. The point is, Cole’s backstory could have been set up such that, for instance, he was shot in the back by an Afghan special forces member he’d worked with every day for over a year, and now he has trust issues, which would have been more realistic and more compelling. Instead, we get the generic “I was tortured by bad people” shtick to manufacture some angst for Cole without making it personal—a missed opportunity, in my opinion.
Also, Cole spends a good portion of the book stomping around the rehab center like a bull in a China shop looking for clues to the identity of a traitor who’s been selling military secrets to Yemen. He’s on a covert mission…despite the fact he has no counterintelligence training and sends updates to his boss using, ironically, his unsecured personal cell phone.
Seriously, if there was even a hint someone in the rehab center was selling national security secrets, the FBI would toss the shit outta that place immediately, not send in some clueless dope who only discovers the bad dude at the end through total chance—
Okay, okay, maybe I’m overthinking this. I’m guessing most readers don’t give two flying fucknuts about animal care logistics, or realistic warfare, or national security scenarios. If all you want is the image of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson adorably feeding baby skunks and cavorting with his lady friend on a (notably clean!) bed of hay, then up the grade of this book from two and a half stars to a solid three.
Petticoat or Pantsuit?
From a feminist standpoint, I had a few issues with this story. The first is while Annie is a relatively independent woman, she’s also passive throughout the story, working hard to force herself to stay calm and pretend her problems aren’t that bad, instead of actually facing her problems—chief among them being she’s used and abused by nearly every male she comes in contact with.
REVIEWED BY NOTORIOUS
http://bitchesbecritics.com/2018/04/0...
June 19, 2018
I struggled to connect with these characters - the whole plot felt more like a version of Beauty and the Beast somehow and that was not what I expected when I started reading.
January 4, 2018
You can find this review in English below.
La señora Marton es una de mis escritoras favoritas de suspense romántico. Su serie Broslin Creek tiene algunas historias que me encantaron. Esta nueva serie es un spin-off de Broslin Creek, con la aparición muy breve de alguno de mis personajes favoritos, aunque se puede leer sin necesidad de leer la anterior.
En este caso volvemos a tener unos protagonistas que no son perfectos. Esto siempre es un plus. Cole sufre un severo trastorno de estrés postraumático debido a torturas sufridas durante su cautiverio en manos enemigas, que también lo dejó sordo. Y Annie también ha pasado por varios eventos traumáticos a una edad temprana que la han marcado y convertido en lo que hoy es, una eco-terapeuta.
Este también ha sido un ángulo original. Siempre he conocido de los beneficios de los animales y la naturaleza en las personas con traumas, pero este giro tan terrenal que nos muestra la autora ha sido nuevo para mí. La pena es que se ha quedado en un par de clichés y no ha profundizado en el asunto, pero ha sido original.
La trama principal de la historia gira en torno al ex de Annie, que se ha vuelto un acosador desde que lo dejaron, y alrededor de la misión encubierta que Cole lleva a cabo en el centro de rehabilitación donde Annie trabaja y donde él ha sido admitido como paciente.
Esta es la fuente principal de estrés entre la pareja. La relación médico-paciente que hace que el romance sea muy inadecuado.
Pero esta vez la historia no ha fluido como debería. Ha habido inconsistencias, o al menos, improbabilidades. Me ha costado creer que una persona con un trastorno tan severo como Cole sea la más adecuada para realizar ese trabajo encubierto. Añade a esto que va a tener que investigar y espiar hasta dar con el malo con el hándicap de la sordera. La autora nos muestra en más de una ocasión lo difícil que es para él realizar este trabajo adecuadamente, pero nunca llega a explicar porqué es el elegido para llevarlo a cabo.
El problema de la relación médico-paciente era un problema real. A pesar de que Cole no estaba ingresado realmente como paciente, eso no quita que lo necesitase realmente y que su doctora era Annie, así que me ha chocado esa relación. Y me ha chocado que nadie tuviera nada que decir acerca de la poca profesionalidad de Annie.
Y por último tenemos la trama del suspense, (desgraciadamente) con punto de vista del malo, que esta vez, ha sido una caricatura, un personaje sin fondo y con las tan manidas obsesiones de someter sexualmente a la protagonista. Pero en ningún momento vemos cómo hace y consigue todas sus fechorías. Ha sido uno de esos casos en los que el malo hace y deshace y los buenos no tienen ni la más remota idea de qué está pasando.
Y el epílogo ha sido muy empalagoso. Todos completamente felices sin hablar ni solucionar esos problemas tan graves que arrastraban. Me ha costado mucho creer ese final feliz.
En fin, que no ha sido lo mejor que he leído de esta autora. Esta historia no ha sido original y tampoco realista, le ha faltado profundizar en personajes y trama, se ha quedado en la superficie.
ARC kindly provided by Montlake Romance via Netgalley.
Ms. Marton is one of my favorite writers of romantic suspense. Her Broslin Creek series has some stories that I loved. This new series is a spin-off of “Broslin Creek”, with brief appearances of some of my favorite characters, although it can be read as a stand alone.
In this instalment, we have MC´s who are not perfect. This is always a plus. Cole suffers a severe PTSD due to torture suffered during his captivity at enemy hands, which also left him deaf. And Annie has also gone through several traumatic events at an early age that have marked her and make her become what she is today, an eco-therapist.
This has been an original angle. I've always known about the benefits of animals and nature in people with traumas, but this turn so earthy that the author shows us has been a new one for me. The pity is that she has left it at a couple of clichés and has not deepened into the matter, but it has been original.
The main plot revolves around Annie's ex, who has become a stalker since she ended things with him, and around Cole's undercover mission in the rehabilitation center where Annie works and where he was admitted as a patient.
This is the source of stress between the couple. The doctor-patient relationship that makes the romance highly inappropriate.
But this time the story has not flowed as it should. There have been important inconsistencies, or at least, improbabilities. It has been hard for me to believe that a person with a disorder as severe as Cole is the most appropriate to perform that covert job. Add to this that he will have to investigate and spy until he finds the bad guy with the handicap of deafness. The author shows us on more than one occasion how difficult it is for him to carry out this work properly, but she never explains why he is the one chosen to do it.
The doctor-patient relationship´s issue was a real one. Even though Cole was not really admitted as a patient, that does not mean he doesn´t really needed it and that his doctor was Annie, so that relationship has shocked me. And I was shocked that nobody had anything to say about Annie's lack of professionalism.
And finally, there is the suspense, (sadly) with the POV of the bad guy, who this time, has been a caricature, a character without a background and with the hackneyed obsessions of trying to sexually subdue the heroine. But at no time do we get to see how he does all his misdeeds. It has been one of those cases in which the bad guy does and undoes at his heart content and the good guys do not have a clue of what is going on.
And the epilogue has been so cloying. All the characters living their HEA without solving all the problems they were carrying. I couldn´t buy it.
So this is not the best I have read by this author. The story has felt underdeveloped and unrealistic. It has lacked depth in its characters and plot. There were some original elements but it hadn´t been enough.
La señora Marton es una de mis escritoras favoritas de suspense romántico. Su serie Broslin Creek tiene algunas historias que me encantaron. Esta nueva serie es un spin-off de Broslin Creek, con la aparición muy breve de alguno de mis personajes favoritos, aunque se puede leer sin necesidad de leer la anterior.
En este caso volvemos a tener unos protagonistas que no son perfectos. Esto siempre es un plus. Cole sufre un severo trastorno de estrés postraumático debido a torturas sufridas durante su cautiverio en manos enemigas, que también lo dejó sordo. Y Annie también ha pasado por varios eventos traumáticos a una edad temprana que la han marcado y convertido en lo que hoy es, una eco-terapeuta.
Este también ha sido un ángulo original. Siempre he conocido de los beneficios de los animales y la naturaleza en las personas con traumas, pero este giro tan terrenal que nos muestra la autora ha sido nuevo para mí. La pena es que se ha quedado en un par de clichés y no ha profundizado en el asunto, pero ha sido original.
La trama principal de la historia gira en torno al ex de Annie, que se ha vuelto un acosador desde que lo dejaron, y alrededor de la misión encubierta que Cole lleva a cabo en el centro de rehabilitación donde Annie trabaja y donde él ha sido admitido como paciente.
Esta es la fuente principal de estrés entre la pareja. La relación médico-paciente que hace que el romance sea muy inadecuado.
Pero esta vez la historia no ha fluido como debería. Ha habido inconsistencias, o al menos, improbabilidades. Me ha costado creer que una persona con un trastorno tan severo como Cole sea la más adecuada para realizar ese trabajo encubierto. Añade a esto que va a tener que investigar y espiar hasta dar con el malo con el hándicap de la sordera. La autora nos muestra en más de una ocasión lo difícil que es para él realizar este trabajo adecuadamente, pero nunca llega a explicar porqué es el elegido para llevarlo a cabo.
El problema de la relación médico-paciente era un problema real. A pesar de que Cole no estaba ingresado realmente como paciente, eso no quita que lo necesitase realmente y que su doctora era Annie, así que me ha chocado esa relación. Y me ha chocado que nadie tuviera nada que decir acerca de la poca profesionalidad de Annie.
Y por último tenemos la trama del suspense, (desgraciadamente) con punto de vista del malo, que esta vez, ha sido una caricatura, un personaje sin fondo y con las tan manidas obsesiones de someter sexualmente a la protagonista. Pero en ningún momento vemos cómo hace y consigue todas sus fechorías. Ha sido uno de esos casos en los que el malo hace y deshace y los buenos no tienen ni la más remota idea de qué está pasando.
Y el epílogo ha sido muy empalagoso. Todos completamente felices sin hablar ni solucionar esos problemas tan graves que arrastraban. Me ha costado mucho creer ese final feliz.
En fin, que no ha sido lo mejor que he leído de esta autora. Esta historia no ha sido original y tampoco realista, le ha faltado profundizar en personajes y trama, se ha quedado en la superficie.
ARC kindly provided by Montlake Romance via Netgalley.
Ms. Marton is one of my favorite writers of romantic suspense. Her Broslin Creek series has some stories that I loved. This new series is a spin-off of “Broslin Creek”, with brief appearances of some of my favorite characters, although it can be read as a stand alone.
In this instalment, we have MC´s who are not perfect. This is always a plus. Cole suffers a severe PTSD due to torture suffered during his captivity at enemy hands, which also left him deaf. And Annie has also gone through several traumatic events at an early age that have marked her and make her become what she is today, an eco-therapist.
This has been an original angle. I've always known about the benefits of animals and nature in people with traumas, but this turn so earthy that the author shows us has been a new one for me. The pity is that she has left it at a couple of clichés and has not deepened into the matter, but it has been original.
The main plot revolves around Annie's ex, who has become a stalker since she ended things with him, and around Cole's undercover mission in the rehabilitation center where Annie works and where he was admitted as a patient.
This is the source of stress between the couple. The doctor-patient relationship that makes the romance highly inappropriate.
But this time the story has not flowed as it should. There have been important inconsistencies, or at least, improbabilities. It has been hard for me to believe that a person with a disorder as severe as Cole is the most appropriate to perform that covert job. Add to this that he will have to investigate and spy until he finds the bad guy with the handicap of deafness. The author shows us on more than one occasion how difficult it is for him to carry out this work properly, but she never explains why he is the one chosen to do it.
The doctor-patient relationship´s issue was a real one. Even though Cole was not really admitted as a patient, that does not mean he doesn´t really needed it and that his doctor was Annie, so that relationship has shocked me. And I was shocked that nobody had anything to say about Annie's lack of professionalism.
And finally, there is the suspense, (sadly) with the POV of the bad guy, who this time, has been a caricature, a character without a background and with the hackneyed obsessions of trying to sexually subdue the heroine. But at no time do we get to see how he does all his misdeeds. It has been one of those cases in which the bad guy does and undoes at his heart content and the good guys do not have a clue of what is going on.
And the epilogue has been so cloying. All the characters living their HEA without solving all the problems they were carrying. I couldn´t buy it.
So this is not the best I have read by this author. The story has felt underdeveloped and unrealistic. It has lacked depth in its characters and plot. There were some original elements but it hadn´t been enough.
December 29, 2017
This latest book of romantic suspense from author Dana Marton features former Navy SEAL Cole and Annie Murphy. Cole is on an undercover operation at a veterans rehab facility, while Annie is one of the ecotherapists that works at the facility. While Annie is very much aware of the ethical dilemma keeping her from getting involved with a patient, Cole finds little reason to avoid Annie when she falls victim to a stalker. But when the danger escalates, will Annie continue to push Cole away?
This novel had a great balance of suspense and romance even if at times you just wanted Annie to stop fighting her feelings and go after Cole. This is the first novel I have read that featured a deaf hero, Cole lost his hearing and the use of his right arm while fighting overseas. It was interesting how the deafness intersected with Annie's ecotherapy programs and ideas. Or even the difficulties of undercover work without the benefit of hearing. A great read and I look forward to what might come next in the series.
This novel had a great balance of suspense and romance even if at times you just wanted Annie to stop fighting her feelings and go after Cole. This is the first novel I have read that featured a deaf hero, Cole lost his hearing and the use of his right arm while fighting overseas. It was interesting how the deafness intersected with Annie's ecotherapy programs and ideas. Or even the difficulties of undercover work without the benefit of hearing. A great read and I look forward to what might come next in the series.
May 5, 2021
The heroine is an eco therapist and the hero is at Hope Hill undercover and to receive therapy.
It has suspense/mystery but it is very tame. All of it was too obvious.
The heroine irritated me.
The romance felt forced.
It did not work for me.
You may love it. Reading is subjective.
The writing style was not for me. Third person. I know many readers love that so good luck.
It has suspense/mystery but it is very tame. All of it was too obvious.
The heroine irritated me.
The romance felt forced.
It did not work for me.
You may love it. Reading is subjective.
The writing style was not for me. Third person. I know many readers love that so good luck.
February 19, 2018
Loved it! What a great hero. Some incredibly tender and touching moments, yet jam-packed with action and danger. But I love Dana Marton's romantic suspense, so I'm not surprised. Already ordered the next book in the series.
March 21, 2018
Silent Threat by Dana Marton
Romantic suspense. Fast. Immediately engaging. Well written. A stand alone but takes place within the town boundaries where the series takes place.
I understood the ethical issues of the heroine but hated that she had to make that choice, especially because the timing. Cole was so patient with her. He deserves major kudos for handling her back and forth signals. Plus his lip reading was outstanding. I’m not sure it’s like that in real life but hope for the best. The heroine was always good about making sure she was facing Cole and her empathy for him in the group scene was touching and educational for me.
A great read. I will have to go back and finish the series as I’ve only read the first.
Romantic suspense. Fast. Immediately engaging. Well written. A stand alone but takes place within the town boundaries where the series takes place.
I understood the ethical issues of the heroine but hated that she had to make that choice, especially because the timing. Cole was so patient with her. He deserves major kudos for handling her back and forth signals. Plus his lip reading was outstanding. I’m not sure it’s like that in real life but hope for the best. The heroine was always good about making sure she was facing Cole and her empathy for him in the group scene was touching and educational for me.
A great read. I will have to go back and finish the series as I’ve only read the first.
May 3, 2018
Silent Threat was such an amazing audio book to listen to today. I was constantly changing my mind on who was the "villain" throughout the book. I was surprised when the unveil happened and still enjoyed the book so much while at work today. I'm just a tad bit slow at finally writing the review because I just HAD to finish ACOFAS. Trust me, it was amazing.
Back to this review!!
I loved both Annie and Cole. Heck, I shipped the living shit out of them from their first encounter. Which trust me, it was super hard. They met at a gas station people!! That's like the least romantic meeting area ever! Heck, I still loved them and was so happy for their ending. They definitely deserved it.
The mystery was so freaking good. The villain was always from the POV called "The Good Guy" - which of course he obviously wasn't. Hell, I have no idea if I know any good guys who love to kill animals for fun in their free time?!?! Or ya know want to kill people for fun.. or kidnap their "mom". Trust me, "Good Guy" was fucking crazy as shit. I honestly kept flipflopping that this guy (who just happened to be her stalker too) was either a patient or a co-worker.
I kept thinking patient.. but then when my favorite character outside of these two suddenly died.. I definitely threw that option out the window. Hell, this book took my through a never ending adventure with some pit stops due to emotions. I enjoyed the crap out of it. I'm mad that I didn't really solve the whole thing until it was revealed.
Overall, I loved this book. I seriously can't wait to dive into the next one. So far this is my favorite couple but I definitely want and need more from this series. I can't wait to see what the second book will bring me.
Back to this review!!
I loved both Annie and Cole. Heck, I shipped the living shit out of them from their first encounter. Which trust me, it was super hard. They met at a gas station people!! That's like the least romantic meeting area ever! Heck, I still loved them and was so happy for their ending. They definitely deserved it.
The mystery was so freaking good. The villain was always from the POV called "The Good Guy" - which of course he obviously wasn't. Hell, I have no idea if I know any good guys who love to kill animals for fun in their free time?!?! Or ya know want to kill people for fun.. or kidnap their "mom". Trust me, "Good Guy" was fucking crazy as shit. I honestly kept flipflopping that this guy (who just happened to be her stalker too) was either a patient or a co-worker.
I kept thinking patient.. but then when my favorite character outside of these two suddenly died.. I definitely threw that option out the window. Hell, this book took my through a never ending adventure with some pit stops due to emotions. I enjoyed the crap out of it. I'm mad that I didn't really solve the whole thing until it was revealed.
Overall, I loved this book. I seriously can't wait to dive into the next one. So far this is my favorite couple but I definitely want and need more from this series. I can't wait to see what the second book will bring me.
January 17, 2019
I immensely enjoyed every little thing about this story.
Every tiny detail.
It was beautiful and moving and I felt it in my heart.
Their chemistry was amazing, the heroine's personality was refreshing, and her character was so easy to fall in love with. I had never heard of ecotherapy before this book, but it's officially become a new interest of mine. The animal sanctuary had me both laughing and aww-ing.
The book was different, while still managing to feel like a staple alpha male romance (is it cliche to say he's not your "typical alpha male", though? Because he wasn't).
I loved everything about it, and I'm so glad I found this book out of the blue.
Dana, if you're somehow reading this - thank you you very much for writing and sharing this story with the world. I devoured it in one night, and it very easily crawled up into my list of favorites.
Every tiny detail.
It was beautiful and moving and I felt it in my heart.
Their chemistry was amazing, the heroine's personality was refreshing, and her character was so easy to fall in love with. I had never heard of ecotherapy before this book, but it's officially become a new interest of mine. The animal sanctuary had me both laughing and aww-ing.
The book was different, while still managing to feel like a staple alpha male romance (is it cliche to say he's not your "typical alpha male", though? Because he wasn't).
I loved everything about it, and I'm so glad I found this book out of the blue.
Dana, if you're somehow reading this - thank you you very much for writing and sharing this story with the world. I devoured it in one night, and it very easily crawled up into my list of favorites.
January 3, 2018
Cole Hunter is a tattooed, muscled, protective, alpha male, combat injured, medically retired Navy Seal. He is deaf and has minimal use of his right arm. His former CO calls and asks him to go undercover at Hope Hill to find who is leaking confidential military information to the enemy. Hope Hill is a healing place for recovering vets with psychological and/or physical injuries.
Annie Murray is an average looking ecotherapist with dreams of opening her own animal sanctuary. While I believe alternative therapies have a place in modern medicine, she came across as an over the top, sappy, Mary Poppins. She has not had any positive male relationships to date and currently has a stalker.
Cole signs himself into Hope Hill and begins his introduction into the different types of therapies available to him. When he meets Annie, he is rolling his eyes at her tree hugger ways. While he doesn’t officially sign up for her therapy, he finds himself taking frequent nature hikes with her. Cole is surprised when Annie’s unconventional nature therapy helps him unwind and relax.
While Annie finds herself attracted and drawn to Cole, she staunchly uses the no therapist/patient relationships allowed as an excuse to keep Cole at arms length. Yet, she continues to seek him out, goes with him when he seeks her out, and takes him to her house to help feed her animals.
There are several “no way would this happen or be allowed IRL” moments. If you can get past those, it’s a good interwoven romantic suspense. Annie and Cole’s relationship is slow developing for most of the book. I figured out early who the stalker was, and was pretty sure who the traitor was.
I struggled with Annie’s character and never came to really like her. I really liked the concept of Hope Haven, intermingling modern medicine with alternative therapies.
This my first book by this author and an ok read. I’d be interested in seeing where the author takes this series next.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher.
Annie Murray is an average looking ecotherapist with dreams of opening her own animal sanctuary. While I believe alternative therapies have a place in modern medicine, she came across as an over the top, sappy, Mary Poppins. She has not had any positive male relationships to date and currently has a stalker.
Cole signs himself into Hope Hill and begins his introduction into the different types of therapies available to him. When he meets Annie, he is rolling his eyes at her tree hugger ways. While he doesn’t officially sign up for her therapy, he finds himself taking frequent nature hikes with her. Cole is surprised when Annie’s unconventional nature therapy helps him unwind and relax.
While Annie finds herself attracted and drawn to Cole, she staunchly uses the no therapist/patient relationships allowed as an excuse to keep Cole at arms length. Yet, she continues to seek him out, goes with him when he seeks her out, and takes him to her house to help feed her animals.
There are several “no way would this happen or be allowed IRL” moments. If you can get past those, it’s a good interwoven romantic suspense. Annie and Cole’s relationship is slow developing for most of the book. I figured out early who the stalker was, and was pretty sure who the traitor was.
I struggled with Annie’s character and never came to really like her. I really liked the concept of Hope Haven, intermingling modern medicine with alternative therapies.
This my first book by this author and an ok read. I’d be interested in seeing where the author takes this series next.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher.
December 5, 2017
A slow moving story along with a hard to relate to heroine made this first book in a new series a struggle to get through. Being a huge fan of the authors other romantic suspense series maybe my expectations were too high but all the things I've liked about her other series - fast-paced action-adventure romances – was missing in this book.
Even though Silent Threat didn’t wow me I still look forward to the next in the series.
Even though Silent Threat didn’t wow me I still look forward to the next in the series.
December 28, 2017
Great mystery. Kept me guessing. Cole and Annie, the mother of skunks, are adorable together.
You know that I love my wounded and imperfect heroes. In Silent Threat, I got my imperfect hero in Cole Makani Hunter, former Navy SEAL who lost his hearing and most of the use of one arm after an attack and several months of torture at the hands of insurgents. His description made me picture, Dwyane "The Rock" Johnson and it just fit the characters. He is a very large, muscled and very imposing man. Several times he slumps and tries to make himself appear non-threatening to Annie or others that he meets because he knows that he is a big scary guy. As a SEAL, that was great, but back in civilian life, it is not always such a great thing.
Cole has been sent to Hope Hill, a rehab center for veterans, because someone intercepted a message to Yemin with sensative military information which appears to have come for the facility. He needs to find out if the traitor works at the center or is a patient there and stop him. Since Cole was badly injured after his last mission, and spent some time as a POW before escaping, he goes in as a new patient.
Hope Hill features the normal rehab psychiatrist and therapists, but also has several more creative therapies, including Annie Murray who teaches ecotherapy. Annie feels that connecting with nature helps bring an inner peace to the vets, especially those suffering PTSD. While Cole calls her a tree-hugger, her therapy is more planting plants or just going for a walk and enjoying the sounds of the leaves rustling and birds singing. I liked that manly-man Cole tried to intimidate Annie into letting him out of her tree-hugging program, and that Annie wouldn't back down to him until he gave it a try. After a barefoot walk through the woods and his first nap without drugs since he returned to the States, big guy Cole gives a reluctant, I guess it's okay and becomes a begrudging believer in Annie's work.
There is a quiet calm about Annie which seems to be her biggest problem. Annie is the focus of several enthusiastic suitors--you might call them stalkers--but men seem to have a big problem walking away from Annie. Unlike most stalker novels where the heroine is so beautiful that all men must have her. Here, Annie is attractive but the men focus on her because she is just a kind-soul who has a strong inner peace. Annie's calm demeanor and gentle touch are a beacon to all these damaged souls and they all need to be with her.
It is the soldier in Cole that realizes that one of her stalkers is escallating. He then insists on accompanying Annie to take care of her rescued animal (part of her soft-heartednesss). Unfortunately, while Cole is sticking by Annie for protection and his own obsessive need to be with her, his presence is sending the stalker into fits and creating more problems for Annie.
I can't help my own obsession with trying to figure out who the bad guy is in any mystery, but Silent Threat kept me guessing and bouncing around the possible suspects and oddly, that makes me very happy.
Overall, Silent Threat was an enjoyable story with strong characters, a believeable storyline and a perfect amount of tension to keep you reading.
You know that I love my wounded and imperfect heroes. In Silent Threat, I got my imperfect hero in Cole Makani Hunter, former Navy SEAL who lost his hearing and most of the use of one arm after an attack and several months of torture at the hands of insurgents. His description made me picture, Dwyane "The Rock" Johnson and it just fit the characters. He is a very large, muscled and very imposing man. Several times he slumps and tries to make himself appear non-threatening to Annie or others that he meets because he knows that he is a big scary guy. As a SEAL, that was great, but back in civilian life, it is not always such a great thing.
Cole has been sent to Hope Hill, a rehab center for veterans, because someone intercepted a message to Yemin with sensative military information which appears to have come for the facility. He needs to find out if the traitor works at the center or is a patient there and stop him. Since Cole was badly injured after his last mission, and spent some time as a POW before escaping, he goes in as a new patient.
Hope Hill features the normal rehab psychiatrist and therapists, but also has several more creative therapies, including Annie Murray who teaches ecotherapy. Annie feels that connecting with nature helps bring an inner peace to the vets, especially those suffering PTSD. While Cole calls her a tree-hugger, her therapy is more planting plants or just going for a walk and enjoying the sounds of the leaves rustling and birds singing. I liked that manly-man Cole tried to intimidate Annie into letting him out of her tree-hugging program, and that Annie wouldn't back down to him until he gave it a try. After a barefoot walk through the woods and his first nap without drugs since he returned to the States, big guy Cole gives a reluctant, I guess it's okay and becomes a begrudging believer in Annie's work.
There is a quiet calm about Annie which seems to be her biggest problem. Annie is the focus of several enthusiastic suitors--you might call them stalkers--but men seem to have a big problem walking away from Annie. Unlike most stalker novels where the heroine is so beautiful that all men must have her. Here, Annie is attractive but the men focus on her because she is just a kind-soul who has a strong inner peace. Annie's calm demeanor and gentle touch are a beacon to all these damaged souls and they all need to be with her.
It is the soldier in Cole that realizes that one of her stalkers is escallating. He then insists on accompanying Annie to take care of her rescued animal (part of her soft-heartednesss). Unfortunately, while Cole is sticking by Annie for protection and his own obsessive need to be with her, his presence is sending the stalker into fits and creating more problems for Annie.
I can't help my own obsession with trying to figure out who the bad guy is in any mystery, but Silent Threat kept me guessing and bouncing around the possible suspects and oddly, that makes me very happy.
Overall, Silent Threat was an enjoyable story with strong characters, a believeable storyline and a perfect amount of tension to keep you reading.
April 25, 2018
Annie is an eco-therapist at a local clinic that seems to cater to war veterans. Her latest patient (Cole) is a former navy seal who has some PTSD and also lost his hearing and mobility in one arm when he was injured. Cole is intimidating to say the least. Not only is he huge and intense, but he has to watch Annie's mouth in order to lip read what she is saying. He doesn't buy into her therapy at first, but there seems to be a connection between them.
I went into this one thinking it was just going to be another cheesy romance, but it was much more than that. The mystery of the identities of the traitor and the stalker had me guessing until nearly the very end. I even got a little cheesy romance epilogue at the end too - so expectations met, and exceeded.
I went into this one thinking it was just going to be another cheesy romance, but it was much more than that. The mystery of the identities of the traitor and the stalker had me guessing until nearly the very end. I even got a little cheesy romance epilogue at the end too - so expectations met, and exceeded.
September 23, 2019
A very interesting new book that is the beginning of a new series from this author. We see hints of previous books interwoven into this new one. For example it is set in Broslin which is the town that the authors Broslin PD series is set. In that book you follow the different officers of the PD as they interact with the town, solve crimes and fall in love. In this series, a few of the people from the Broslin PD and town members make an appearance as once again there is something sinister brewing in town at the therapy center that many wounded veterans go to rehabilitate and recover from PTSD and other issues. The book has multi-layered plots that give the story depth and interest. You have a traitor to the country, a stalker, a serial killer and more interwoven throughout. Add an interesting and multi-faceted plot to great character development and you have a great read. I'm really looking forward to seeing where this series goes next.
January 19, 2018
This first book in a new series (Mission Recovery) by Dana Marton has a new take on the therapist who tries to help an alpha wounded warrior. I think it would be a good book for a group read discussion for those who like this genre.
Ecotherapy (or nature therapy) is an interesting topic, some of which I can recommend, other parts of which I would not try myself....
The author throws in a few red herrings, so I was trying to guess who the bad guy was, or whether there were more than one bad guy after the heroine.
I think I might like to try the next book in this series. I've read Dana Marton before, but it's been years. She can write!
Ecotherapy (or nature therapy) is an interesting topic, some of which I can recommend, other parts of which I would not try myself....
The author throws in a few red herrings, so I was trying to guess who the bad guy was, or whether there were more than one bad guy after the heroine.
I think I might like to try the next book in this series. I've read Dana Marton before, but it's been years. She can write!
June 10, 2018
Dana Marton happens to be one of my favorite romantic suspense authors. She got that way by writing fast paced stories that are filled with suspense, but don’t short-change the die-hard romantic in me. Silent Threat didn’t disappoint me in either the romance or the suspense, and took things up a notch this time with a unique heroine and hero.
I read a lot. Last year it was 163 books. So it’s hard to impress me by having a unique heroine - one who isn’t like anyone else I’ve ever read. And even the hero was a unique twist on the often-cast Navy SEAL. So hats off to Dana Marton for creating Annie Murray and Cole Hunter!
Cole Hunter is a former Navy SEAL, recovering - physically and mentally - from a mission gone bad. He gets to know Annie when he is sent to Hope Hill - an alternative-therapy rehab center that caters to former members of the military - on an undercover mission to discover who is sharing sensitive information with the enemy in the Middle East. However, Cole also happens to be in need of the therapy that Annie specializes in. As an ecotherapist, Annie helps people use nature and animals to treat anxiety, stress and PTSD.
As you can imagine, Annie’s hippy-dippy ways don’t go over well with the macho, manly, alpha-male that Cole happens to be. Cole is gruff and cranky, and Annie - despite having a pretty rough past - is very zen and upbeat. In fact, their personalities couldn’t be more different. But it’s what made this book so fun to read.
As Cole works on his mission, he also becomes protective of Annie, who is dealing with a stalker. His unique injuries added an extra depth to his character, and there was plenty of suspense going on throughout this story that made it hard for me to put my Kindle down! Even though I think I like Cristin Harber’s method of telling the reader who the bad guy is right up front (and not making us guess who it is!), I really like Dana Marton’s writing style and the way she gives us an equal amount of romance and suspense. It makes for a completely satisfying read!
* thank you to NetGalley and Montlake Romance/Lake Union Publishing for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review
I read a lot. Last year it was 163 books. So it’s hard to impress me by having a unique heroine - one who isn’t like anyone else I’ve ever read. And even the hero was a unique twist on the often-cast Navy SEAL. So hats off to Dana Marton for creating Annie Murray and Cole Hunter!
Cole Hunter is a former Navy SEAL, recovering - physically and mentally - from a mission gone bad. He gets to know Annie when he is sent to Hope Hill - an alternative-therapy rehab center that caters to former members of the military - on an undercover mission to discover who is sharing sensitive information with the enemy in the Middle East. However, Cole also happens to be in need of the therapy that Annie specializes in. As an ecotherapist, Annie helps people use nature and animals to treat anxiety, stress and PTSD.
As you can imagine, Annie’s hippy-dippy ways don’t go over well with the macho, manly, alpha-male that Cole happens to be. Cole is gruff and cranky, and Annie - despite having a pretty rough past - is very zen and upbeat. In fact, their personalities couldn’t be more different. But it’s what made this book so fun to read.
As Cole works on his mission, he also becomes protective of Annie, who is dealing with a stalker. His unique injuries added an extra depth to his character, and there was plenty of suspense going on throughout this story that made it hard for me to put my Kindle down! Even though I think I like Cristin Harber’s method of telling the reader who the bad guy is right up front (and not making us guess who it is!), I really like Dana Marton’s writing style and the way she gives us an equal amount of romance and suspense. It makes for a completely satisfying read!
* thank you to NetGalley and Montlake Romance/Lake Union Publishing for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review
October 2, 2018
Silent Threat was GREAT! I have been a fan of Dana Marton for years and I think this is her best book yet! The book longer some of the others which is a big plus for books I love. The characters are outstanding! I like that neither is traditionally gorgeous but that doesn't really matter since I create my own image. They were intelligent and acted according to their characters with no magic switches. The suspense part almost drove me trying to figure out the villain although went I guessed about halfway through the book, I was right. I like that too; I am not a fan of villains coming out of left field in a case like this one. There are so many elements and details Ms. Marton created that I liked and appreciated but it is easiest just to say, I LOVED it.
I was fascinated by the ecotherapy concept but do have trouble believing that soldiers start buying in to the magic of nature quickly but maybe it can happen in a short span of time. I know standard methods of treating PTSD and the mental and emotional devastation of war are not working very well so I love the idea.
I was fascinated by the ecotherapy concept but do have trouble believing that soldiers start buying in to the magic of nature quickly but maybe it can happen in a short span of time. I know standard methods of treating PTSD and the mental and emotional devastation of war are not working very well so I love the idea.
July 31, 2018
Good story
The book Kept you hooked through the mystery.. though some parts could have been skipped.. overall an average and quick read.
The book Kept you hooked through the mystery.. though some parts could have been skipped.. overall an average and quick read.
February 26, 2018
"Silent Threat" is the first book in Dana Marton's "Mission Recovery" series. According to other reviews this book is somehow a spin off of another series with some previous characters popping up. I wouldn't have guessed this, I never felt lost, or that I was missing something. It reads perfectly well as a stand alone.
This is the first time I have read Dana Marton and I LOVED it. It really had a little bit of everything I wanted. Romance, suspense, action, and interesting characters.
I loved Cole so much. He had been through a life changing accident while on duty, losing his hearing and partial use of his arm. He had already been through a bitter phase and was starting to heal mentally. He had somewhat come to terms with his new life but was still floundering. His CO gave him the undercover job of seeing if something was afoul at this rehab center. I think he just knew Cole needed this chance to be involved in the world again. I liked watching Cole grow throughout the series and realize that while he was at a bit of a disadvantage he could still be productive. He was a tough alpha male but had a sweet side to him, I loved him falling in love with Annie and for the animals in her care.
I really liked Annie as well. She could have been one of those characters that got on my nerves with some of her more unconventional ideals and ideas, but she was just so honest and unapologetic about what she believed, not over the top weird about it. At the same time I read this book my father was at a rehab center and quarantined to his room for 10 days due to a virus. He said the only thing that kept him from going crazy was a bird feeder outside his window where a bunch of cardinals came to feed. I do think there can be a definite correlation between nature and the recovery process for patients. I liked Annie's herd of rescue animals. Sometimes in books with rescues, especially when there are a lot of them like Annie has, it can take over the story and makes it feel as though the whole book is one big advertisement for shelter animals. Nothing wrong with that, I have a rescue myself, but I do not need someone forcing the idea down my throat for 300 something pages. Which happens a LOT. Luckily there was a nice balance here, and the animals were just a part of who Annie was at heart. A loving, caring, person. Plus they added quite a bit of comic relief. I loved Cole's reaction the the skunk babies! Cole and Annie were great together. They meshed well and really brought out the best in each other. I loved how they grew together throughout the book. I could feel the chemistry between them.
The suspense part of the story, the mystery of what was happening to the patients and Annie's stalker, and if the two were related, was a great twist. It kept me guessing and wondering, and I enjoyed how that all came together. the pace of the book was swift and had me quickly tuning pages to see what happened next.
I definitely can't wait for the next book in the series. I have heard the "Broslin Creek" series by this author is really good so I'll be picking up those to pass the time until the next book comes out. I'm happy to find a "new to me" author I like.
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
This is the first time I have read Dana Marton and I LOVED it. It really had a little bit of everything I wanted. Romance, suspense, action, and interesting characters.
I loved Cole so much. He had been through a life changing accident while on duty, losing his hearing and partial use of his arm. He had already been through a bitter phase and was starting to heal mentally. He had somewhat come to terms with his new life but was still floundering. His CO gave him the undercover job of seeing if something was afoul at this rehab center. I think he just knew Cole needed this chance to be involved in the world again. I liked watching Cole grow throughout the series and realize that while he was at a bit of a disadvantage he could still be productive. He was a tough alpha male but had a sweet side to him, I loved him falling in love with Annie and for the animals in her care.
I really liked Annie as well. She could have been one of those characters that got on my nerves with some of her more unconventional ideals and ideas, but she was just so honest and unapologetic about what she believed, not over the top weird about it. At the same time I read this book my father was at a rehab center and quarantined to his room for 10 days due to a virus. He said the only thing that kept him from going crazy was a bird feeder outside his window where a bunch of cardinals came to feed. I do think there can be a definite correlation between nature and the recovery process for patients. I liked Annie's herd of rescue animals. Sometimes in books with rescues, especially when there are a lot of them like Annie has, it can take over the story and makes it feel as though the whole book is one big advertisement for shelter animals. Nothing wrong with that, I have a rescue myself, but I do not need someone forcing the idea down my throat for 300 something pages. Which happens a LOT. Luckily there was a nice balance here, and the animals were just a part of who Annie was at heart. A loving, caring, person. Plus they added quite a bit of comic relief. I loved Cole's reaction the the skunk babies! Cole and Annie were great together. They meshed well and really brought out the best in each other. I loved how they grew together throughout the book. I could feel the chemistry between them.
The suspense part of the story, the mystery of what was happening to the patients and Annie's stalker, and if the two were related, was a great twist. It kept me guessing and wondering, and I enjoyed how that all came together. the pace of the book was swift and had me quickly tuning pages to see what happened next.
I definitely can't wait for the next book in the series. I have heard the "Broslin Creek" series by this author is really good so I'll be picking up those to pass the time until the next book comes out. I'm happy to find a "new to me" author I like.
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
January 20, 2018
Cole Makani Hunter was injured badly in the mission that cost him his best friend. So, in order to start healing and get back to living his life the best he can, he's assigned an undercover operation by his boss in order to find the person responsible for leaking sensitive military information. However, nothing is ever simple, especially when he finds himself falling for peace-loving ecotherapist, Annie Murray; a woman that has her own troubles with a stalker. Will Cole be able to find the information he needs and keep Annie safe, or will he lose Annie before their relationship has a chance to grow into something more?
I've only read a couple of books by Ms. Marton, but I've got to say that I loved this opening book of her new Mission Recovery series, and can't wait to see what comes next for it. Really, there was everything I love in a romantic suspense within this book such as enthralling characters that are so opposite that it makes things extremely interesting; compelling dialogue that was a fantastic combination of suspense and romance; and an entertaining storyline that had me wanting to know whether Cole and Annie would get their happy ever after, especially with everything they go through. Will Annie be able to forgive Cole once she learns his secret? Will Cole discover who Annie's stalker is before it's too late? Will Annie and Cole survive the danger I know was coming towards the end of the book?
With the main characters, both entertained me from start to finish with their back stories and their interactions that had me laughing at the times Cole mocks Annie's therapy methods when it comes to tree-hugging. Moreover, the hero and heroine are both resilient in being able to overcome everything they've gone through in their pasts that's made them the independent and hard-working people they are determined to help others. I also liked how determined the hero was to protect the heroine, even though it's not easy because he can't tell her his secret. While the heroine, I liked how good she is at her job and that she would do anything to help a patient, especially when it comes to handling grief due to what happens to one of the secondary characters.
Overall, Ms. Marton has delivered a really good read in this book where the chemistry between Cole and Annie was powerful; the romance showed how good these two are together; and the ending had me worried for the main characters because of the danger, but had me liking how things work out for the best for this hero and heroine. However, it was the last chapter that wrapped this story up perfectly, because Annie's family curse has finally been broken, which is proven by her being with Cole and their wonderful surprise. I would recommend Silent Threat by Dana Marton, if you enjoy romantic suspense or books by authors Laura Griffin, Zoe Dawson, Lynn Raye Harris and Katie Reus.
I've only read a couple of books by Ms. Marton, but I've got to say that I loved this opening book of her new Mission Recovery series, and can't wait to see what comes next for it. Really, there was everything I love in a romantic suspense within this book such as enthralling characters that are so opposite that it makes things extremely interesting; compelling dialogue that was a fantastic combination of suspense and romance; and an entertaining storyline that had me wanting to know whether Cole and Annie would get their happy ever after, especially with everything they go through. Will Annie be able to forgive Cole once she learns his secret? Will Cole discover who Annie's stalker is before it's too late? Will Annie and Cole survive the danger I know was coming towards the end of the book?
With the main characters, both entertained me from start to finish with their back stories and their interactions that had me laughing at the times Cole mocks Annie's therapy methods when it comes to tree-hugging. Moreover, the hero and heroine are both resilient in being able to overcome everything they've gone through in their pasts that's made them the independent and hard-working people they are determined to help others. I also liked how determined the hero was to protect the heroine, even though it's not easy because he can't tell her his secret. While the heroine, I liked how good she is at her job and that she would do anything to help a patient, especially when it comes to handling grief due to what happens to one of the secondary characters.
Overall, Ms. Marton has delivered a really good read in this book where the chemistry between Cole and Annie was powerful; the romance showed how good these two are together; and the ending had me worried for the main characters because of the danger, but had me liking how things work out for the best for this hero and heroine. However, it was the last chapter that wrapped this story up perfectly, because Annie's family curse has finally been broken, which is proven by her being with Cole and their wonderful surprise. I would recommend Silent Threat by Dana Marton, if you enjoy romantic suspense or books by authors Laura Griffin, Zoe Dawson, Lynn Raye Harris and Katie Reus.
January 5, 2018
A good start to a new series.
This review is a first for me… It's the first time that I've reviewed a book that I switched back and forth between listening to the audio version and reading the Kindle version. Whispersync really is pretty cool.
I loved this book – while I was reading it – so 5 stars for Dana Marton's writing; it's what I've come to expect of her books. Descriptive prose, a strong male lead and a strong female lead, although not someone who is physically strong.
I'm sorry to say that I didn't enjoy listening to this story very much. When I switched to audio my attention drifted from the book and I had to go back and read the part I'd just listened to. I can't really put my finger on it but I think I would have enjoyed this story more if the narrator had been male instead of female. I think the voice was almost too soothing. When reading the story, in my mind the story felt more suspenseful and I kind of fell in love with Cole. Hearing his words in a deep female voice just didn't really work for me that well. So, I have to give the narrator 3 stars.
I think the story starts out in kind of an unusual way – describing what happened to someone an hour before he died. I was a tiny bit confused at first but loved the way it ended up making sense later in the story. I also think that Dana did a great job of hiding the identity of the villain until she wanted us to know who it was.
The story had my heart pounding in places, breaking in others and ultimately brought it all together. Silent Threat was a thoroughly satisfying and enjoyable story to read. I'm happy to know that there will be another book in this series.
A review copy of the ebook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley but this did not influence my opinion or rating of the book.
***Reviewed for Xtreme-Delusions dot com***
This review is a first for me… It's the first time that I've reviewed a book that I switched back and forth between listening to the audio version and reading the Kindle version. Whispersync really is pretty cool.
I loved this book – while I was reading it – so 5 stars for Dana Marton's writing; it's what I've come to expect of her books. Descriptive prose, a strong male lead and a strong female lead, although not someone who is physically strong.
I'm sorry to say that I didn't enjoy listening to this story very much. When I switched to audio my attention drifted from the book and I had to go back and read the part I'd just listened to. I can't really put my finger on it but I think I would have enjoyed this story more if the narrator had been male instead of female. I think the voice was almost too soothing. When reading the story, in my mind the story felt more suspenseful and I kind of fell in love with Cole. Hearing his words in a deep female voice just didn't really work for me that well. So, I have to give the narrator 3 stars.
I think the story starts out in kind of an unusual way – describing what happened to someone an hour before he died. I was a tiny bit confused at first but loved the way it ended up making sense later in the story. I also think that Dana did a great job of hiding the identity of the villain until she wanted us to know who it was.
The story had my heart pounding in places, breaking in others and ultimately brought it all together. Silent Threat was a thoroughly satisfying and enjoyable story to read. I'm happy to know that there will be another book in this series.
A review copy of the ebook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley but this did not influence my opinion or rating of the book.
***Reviewed for Xtreme-Delusions dot com***
January 3, 2018
**I received a copy of Silent Threat from Net Galley and Montlake Romance in exchange for a honest and voluntary review**
Silent Threat by Dana Marton is the first book in her Mission Recovery series. The book was a bit slow at first in how both Cole and Annie learned to trust each other as well as the type of work that Annie does at Harmony Hill. I could see a possibility of a Eco Therapist working and helping out Wounded Warriors but it did seem a bit out there. I'd give the book a 3.7 stars for suspense and romance.
Annie Murray works at Harmony Hill an alternative therapy rehab center as a Eco Therapist who loves nature and her little animal sanctuary in her garage with skunklets, donkey, and a few others. She's also agreed to help her cousin Kelly with her new home flipping business. She's dealing with not one but a second stalker who has very dark ideas of how women should act. But I think what bothered me was her grandfathers lack of love for her and her childhood trauma that her mother didn't know about. But she'll have accidents that will have Cole offering to be her bodyguard and the local police not really taking her serious. Will she be able to keep her attraction between Cole and escape from the dark stalker when he escalates?
Cole Makani Hunter is a former Navy SEAL who was sent to Harmony Hill to investigate someone leaking information to Yemen and learn how to deal with his PTSD after his team was killed by a IED. But when accidents happen to Annie he offers to be her protector even taking a shift bottle feeding the skunks. However, when his friend Trevor dies of suicide Cole seems to know its linked somehow with his investigation. Can he keep Annie safe and will she stay after he tells her of his job?
#SilentThreat #NetGalley
Silent Threat by Dana Marton is the first book in her Mission Recovery series. The book was a bit slow at first in how both Cole and Annie learned to trust each other as well as the type of work that Annie does at Harmony Hill. I could see a possibility of a Eco Therapist working and helping out Wounded Warriors but it did seem a bit out there. I'd give the book a 3.7 stars for suspense and romance.
Annie Murray works at Harmony Hill an alternative therapy rehab center as a Eco Therapist who loves nature and her little animal sanctuary in her garage with skunklets, donkey, and a few others. She's also agreed to help her cousin Kelly with her new home flipping business. She's dealing with not one but a second stalker who has very dark ideas of how women should act. But I think what bothered me was her grandfathers lack of love for her and her childhood trauma that her mother didn't know about. But she'll have accidents that will have Cole offering to be her bodyguard and the local police not really taking her serious. Will she be able to keep her attraction between Cole and escape from the dark stalker when he escalates?
Cole Makani Hunter is a former Navy SEAL who was sent to Harmony Hill to investigate someone leaking information to Yemen and learn how to deal with his PTSD after his team was killed by a IED. But when accidents happen to Annie he offers to be her protector even taking a shift bottle feeding the skunks. However, when his friend Trevor dies of suicide Cole seems to know its linked somehow with his investigation. Can he keep Annie safe and will she stay after he tells her of his job?
#SilentThreat #NetGalley
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