JADE

Blue-Link #5

by Maureen A. Miller

Carolyn Kerr is working on her first major assignment for BLUE-LINK as a marketing manager for the Sacred Stones Tour, a Maori jade exhibition. It doesn't begin well. In the first city, a stranger kisses her and then disappears into the night. On the second stop of the tour, she falls under gunfire.

Running from the spray of bullets, Carrie sees a car pull up to the curb. The passenger door opens, offering her an escape. But the man behind the wheel is no refuge. He is the same man who brashly kissed her in New Zealand. One hot kiss that replayed in her head over and over.

Is the exhibition cursed...or just her?

Ned Barlow is chasing an art thief. Working undercover, he is forced to think fast to preserve his cover in New Zealand. Kissing a beautiful woman prevents detection, but the effect of her kiss lingers.

Now the lines of his mission are blurred. Protect the art or protect Carrie?

226 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 16, 2023

About the author

USA TODAY bestselling author Maureen A. Miller worked in the software industry for fifteen years. She crawled around plant floors in a hard hat and safety glasses, hooking up computers to behemoth manufacturing machines. The job required extensive travel. The best form of escapism during those lengthy airport layovers became writing.

Maureen’s first novel, Widow's TALE, earned her a Golden Heart nomination in Romantic Suspense. After that, she became hooked on the genre. As hooked as she was, childhood fantasies still danced around in her head––little voices calling for her to write the young adult science fiction BEYOND series. To her, it was still romantic suspense…just on another planet!

Maureen is a wife. A mother of a crazy Corgi. A lover of mozzarella. And she truly believes there is a portal to outer space somewhere in her house.

Reviews

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first book I read for this series, and even though there are four others that came before it, I had no problem enjoying this book. In fact, I'm looking forward to reading the others.

Jade was a great romantic suspense read that I feel like I flew through. Once I started turning the pages, I couldn't stop. The brief history between Ned and Carrie was interesting, and did a great job setting up the chemistry between the two. I love that he is so gosh darn sweet, and she's not a damsel in distress. I couldn't get enough of their banter.

If you are looking for a fast romantic suspense with an entertaining cast of characters, some sizzling chemistry, and a plot that keeps you guessing, check this one out. Odds are good that you'll want to check out the rest of the series too.

I received an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, but I also already had it pre-ordered. I didn't want to miss this one.

[Penelope · Rating 4 out of 5]

MY RATING GUIDE: 3.5 (rounded up). Satisfied and worth my time, but not a favorite. JADE was my fifth (and final) book in Maureen A Miller’s Contemporary Suspense Blue-Link series. I like the supporting characters in this series but I wasn’t as captivated by JADE as with previous books in this series. I’m not sure whether this is partly due to my mindset coming into the busy holidays or not. I have very much enjoyed other titles by Miller including a few books with gothic tones.

1=DNF/What was that?; 2=Not for me; 3=Ok; 3.5=I ENJOYED THIS; 4=I really liked; 5=I really loved this! (5 is rare for me).

Carolyn Kerr, 33, is on her first important assignment for her new employers Blue Link, a global investigative company headquartered in London. As Blue Link’s marketing director, Carolyn is accompanying an ancient jade exhibit while it tours selected cities in NewZealand, Australia and the US. When an artifact disappears and Carolyn is later caught up in the crossfire of shots, she begins to comprehend that trouble plagues their tour.

Ned Barlow, 36, is a former British Intelligence and business consultant who focuses on the security and legalities of valuable art exhibits. Although it is unknown by his clients and the art community, Barlow also works for Interpol by gathering evidence & identifying art thieves who target such collections. The Jade tour Carolyn Kerr currently travels with has had 2 items stolen. While she is furious, Barlow is concerned that her presence may put her in harm’s way before evidence can be gathered to arrest the thieves. A willingness to kill is new in this business.

Comments ~
1) I have read nearly all of Maureen Miller’s novels. She’s found a niche in my reading queue. :D. I appreciate her action/adventure/mystery content and her slow-burn romances, a refreshing change from most Romance Suspense books I run across today. JADE, published in 2023, is bk5 of a 5bk series, Blue Link. It can be read out of order, as I did.
2) I am not a fan of main characters (particularly female) who take impulsive & unnecessary risks. Carolyn was stubborn but thankfully she also had common sense so I wasn’t caught rolling my eyes over her actions. (I was waiting for her supposed martial arts abilities to kick in, however). ;)
3) Danger/Proximity is one of my favorite tropes. I especially like remote settings with water and/or isolated hazards. Couple it with strong characters who fight to the last breath, pooling their strengths in the face of adversity and I am in for the ride! JADE is set in major cities and I just didn’t feel the tension and the excitement that was present in the previous books I’ve read by Miller. Although JADE read quickly, finishing it in a couple days (along with 2 other books), I simply wasn’t as caught up in the story. That being said, I enjoyed JADE more than one of the other books I was reading at the same time.
4) Although JADE wasn’t an absolute favorite, I do recommend Maureen Miller’s Contemporary Suspense novels to readers who enjoy:
> Action.Adventure, Intrigue.Suspense Romance. novels with settings in wild and remote places.
> Proximity Danger trope novels.
> Novels with minimal relationship angst.
> Novels with plenty of action.
> Strong and independent male and female characters.
> Slow Burn Romances with HEAs & minimal/no sexcapades.
> Quick reading fiction (possible to complete in a day or two).
> Seasoned male and female characters who have persevered through life’s obstacles to get to the other side.
> Characters with specialized skills & training, ie., former Special Forces.

READER CAUTIONS ~
SEXUAL SITUATIONS - No. Slow burn. (Plenty of sexual tension which fades to closed door on 2? occasions).
PROFANITY - Yes. Strong language is used on occasion.
VIOLENCE - PG-13.

[MammaDi3Gatti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jade is that first book I've read by this author; it's also part of a series. I'm not sure if the setup for this novel is teased in the previous one, but the first encounter--a pivotal one--between Carrie and Ned doesn't actually happen in this book. Apparently, the two met in New Zealand prior to the start of this novel and shared a very hot, memorable kiss. The circumstances behind why Ned kissed Carrie (a stranger) are revealed early on, with more context added as Carrie and Ned hash it out. Over and over again. It's fun for the most part, but after a while, it gets a little old. Ned clearly feels something for Carrie; he even tells her what the kiss meant to him, but she doesn't really seem to hear it. All that aside, the two are really adorable. I love how Ned is outwardly so Britishly debonair but is really a nervous dork underneath when it comes to Carrie. (A James Bond/Maxwell Smart hybrid?) Carrie projects sophistication with a core of majestic awkwardness inside as well. It makes them both so much more relatable.

Anyway, their relationship is important to the story, but it isn't the only thing. There's also some mystery relating to shots fired at Carrie and someone stealing items from a Maori jade exhibit. To be honest, the thievery part gets a little dull after a while because nothing really happens. And I found myself a little confused about what Carrie does for Blue-Link (and what Blue-Link does for that matter) and why she's part of this whole exhibit thing. Ned's role is murky too. He wears a lot of hats, but I'm not really sure which ones he's wearing here. I'm not explaining it will, but perhaps that explains it?

Overall, the story seems to lose momentum and focus in the second half, and while I enjoyed the characters and were rooting for them, I found myself understanding less and less the longer I read.

I received an ARC of this book for free from the author and BookSirens. I'm writing this review voluntarily, and it reflects my honest opinion. Thanks!

[Margaret Yelton · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a new author for me, and although I found this to be a good read in my opinion it wasn't a great read. There was some chemistry between Carrie and Ned, but not as much as I have come to expect in most books. This was not a book that kept me turning the pages from start to finish like I enjoy books doing. Having said that I would still recommend this book to others because I realize not everyone is looking for the same thing in a book.

I received and ARC of this book free from BookSirens, and I am writing this review voluntarily and is my own personal opinion.

[Avid Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great romantic suspense story. Carrie is looking after the marketing for a priceless exhibition and is still trying to prove she deserves her job. Need works for the auction house managing the exhibition. A fast paced action packed book full of twists and turns as a game of cat and mouse plays out with stolen art pieces and feelings get in the way of focus! I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Sewanee Kracalik · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this great read from BookSirens. Although this was my first read in this series, i had know trouble keeping up with the story. In fact it caught me in its web of heart pounding hijinks right from the beginning to the very explosive ending. Or maybe just the whole new beginning for Carolyn and Edward and Blue-Links? I plan on going right back to the first book and reading each one. This one was that enjoyable for me and I’m gladly volunteering this review.

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

What fun! Carolyn Is on her mission and along the way with the heart stopping action, she gets to have a sizzling kiss from Ned!! He might be undercover and just doing it for a distraction technique, but I loved how much chemistry it ignited between them. As with the previous book in the series, this one keeps you guessing on the plot while also having fun romance scenes mixed in. I really enjoyed it.

I received an advanced review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

[Corinne Dewey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advanced reader copy of this book and am reviewing it voluntarily

I throughly enjoyed this read a very different world exists where we don’t usually travel to

I loved hearing about the treasures and never realised what goes behind the scenes in exhibitions fascinating

The underlying loves story added to it

A great read

[Rach3l · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was okay. I never really got into it. Nothing drew me in to keep my attention. It had a decent storyline but I didn’t connect with the characters.

Side note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't want the book to be over. I loved the suspense, both with the art and with the relationship between the protagonists. The story was engaging and the pacing was superb. Looking forward to more from this author.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.