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Mercenary/Goddard Project #10
Close Quarters
From the bestselling author of "Ready, Willing, and Able" comes a sizzling, action-packed novel in which opposites attract--and may just combust.
OPPOSITES ATTRACT.
IF THEY DON’T COMBUST FIRST.
To some, he is an assassin. To others, he’s merely the man who gets the job done when no one else can. Now politico-military black-ops leader Roman Chernichenko has to take out the leak in an espionage plot that could destabilize all of Africa. Nothing will distract him from his mission. Not even the deliciously appealing blonde who’s awoken his deepest desires—and just happens to be his target...
Tanya Ruston is a beautiful and brainy do-gooder—and now Roman is supposed to dispose of her when all he really wants to do is seduce her. Soon it’s clear Tanya’s no information agent—and now that his conscience has gotten the better of him, he and Tanya are on the run from the good guys and bad. If they’re going to make it out alive, Roman will have to act fast—and stop thinking about how he’s going to get his feisty new charge down the aisle...
OPPOSITES ATTRACT.
IF THEY DON’T COMBUST FIRST.
To some, he is an assassin. To others, he’s merely the man who gets the job done when no one else can. Now politico-military black-ops leader Roman Chernichenko has to take out the leak in an espionage plot that could destabilize all of Africa. Nothing will distract him from his mission. Not even the deliciously appealing blonde who’s awoken his deepest desires—and just happens to be his target...
Tanya Ruston is a beautiful and brainy do-gooder—and now Roman is supposed to dispose of her when all he really wants to do is seduce her. Soon it’s clear Tanya’s no information agent—and now that his conscience has gotten the better of him, he and Tanya are on the run from the good guys and bad. If they’re going to make it out alive, Roman will have to act fast—and stop thinking about how he’s going to get his feisty new charge down the aisle...
284 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2010
18 people are currently reading
819 people want to read
About the author
Lucy Monroe
608 books1,568 followersI write spicy romance books that end in an HEA. Contemporary romance, historical romance, paranormal romance…I write it all. The two things my books all have in common is lots of emotion and spice. Last year, I fell in love with a new subgenre: mafia romance. Since I write what I love to read, I started a new standalone series, Syndicate Rules where you’ll meet over the top alpha heroes in the Italian and Greek mafias as well as the Irish mob. There are arranged marriages, forced marriages, enemies to lovers, stalkers, forced proximity and lots of mafia intrigue. Morally gray is my new favorite color.
Follow me on BookBub for alerts on my next release: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lucy-...
I’ve been published a while and most of my 90+ books have hit the Nielson Bookscan bestseller list, a few ended up on the USA Today bestseller list and some even hit national bestseller lists in the UK and Australia. My books have been translated into numerous languages and are for sale in dozens of countries around the world. I’ve won awards and been published with most of the big houses in New York, but my greatest achievement is touching readers’ hearts. When I hear from a reader who got caught up in one of my books, I know I’m doing what I’m meant to do.
I love writing emotionally deep stories with snappy dialogue and solid plots. I’m more grateful than I’ll ever be able to express that so many readers have taken my stories into their hearts and put my books on their reread and keeper shelves.
Follow me on BookBub for alerts on my next release: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lucy-...
I’ve been published a while and most of my 90+ books have hit the Nielson Bookscan bestseller list, a few ended up on the USA Today bestseller list and some even hit national bestseller lists in the UK and Australia. My books have been translated into numerous languages and are for sale in dozens of countries around the world. I’ve won awards and been published with most of the big houses in New York, but my greatest achievement is touching readers’ hearts. When I hear from a reader who got caught up in one of my books, I know I’m doing what I’m meant to do.
I love writing emotionally deep stories with snappy dialogue and solid plots. I’m more grateful than I’ll ever be able to express that so many readers have taken my stories into their hearts and put my books on their reread and keeper shelves.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
August 10, 2010
Close Quarters by Lucy Monroe
Contemporary Romance- Aug. 31, 2010
4 ½ stars
Close Quarters is the 5th in the wildly popular Goddard Project series. This series is known for its: action, suspense and steamy romance. The amazing men and women who risk their lives to protect our country and have the extra time to find love, too! Although many characters from prior books are referred to, this book can easily be read by itself.
Lines are blurred as Roman, a member of a special ops team is assigned to plug a leak. By killing the person who is distributing highly sensitive information. But all the evidence seems to point to a relief worker in S. Africa. Someone who Roman knows and is very attracted to. A woman named Tanya. Tanya and Roman met at his sister's wedding. But nothing comes between Roman and his job. He accepts that he may need to ‘quiet’ her. But soon Roman feels that Tanya is not capable of being a spy however, he uses ruthless means to discover the truth. But if Tanya isn't the one leaking important government information, who is?
When Tanya immediately recognizes Roman and feels his cold exterior she is puzzled but wants to pursue the attraction she felt with him in the states. But her friendly overtures are rebuffed. Suddenly Roman changes and their desire spirals out of control but when she finds out he has an ulterior motive what will happen to their budding relationship? Can she trust a man who is so ruthless?
This mystery and passion between the 2 main characters makes for some HOT reading. There is also a member of the Goddard team who wants to protect Tanya and has his own love interest which was very poignant to read. The tension between the characters makes for steamy reading. The only problem I had was that while Roman is doing his job, his single-minded and cold efficiency made it more difficult to warm up to initially. But he does have a huge amount of sex appeal. In contrast, Tanya is like every woman, she was very human and easy to relate to.
The plot was very clever and I enjoyed the discovery of how information was leaked. Can Tanya forgive Roman for his ruthlessness? This was a wonderful story about love and how 2 people fight for what they believe in.
If you are already an avid fan of Lucy Monroe the latest installment in the Goddard series will not disappoint! If you are a new reader her easy and fast paced books are the perfect summer read when you want romance that sizzles!
Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club
Contemporary Romance- Aug. 31, 2010
4 ½ stars
Close Quarters is the 5th in the wildly popular Goddard Project series. This series is known for its: action, suspense and steamy romance. The amazing men and women who risk their lives to protect our country and have the extra time to find love, too! Although many characters from prior books are referred to, this book can easily be read by itself.
Lines are blurred as Roman, a member of a special ops team is assigned to plug a leak. By killing the person who is distributing highly sensitive information. But all the evidence seems to point to a relief worker in S. Africa. Someone who Roman knows and is very attracted to. A woman named Tanya. Tanya and Roman met at his sister's wedding. But nothing comes between Roman and his job. He accepts that he may need to ‘quiet’ her. But soon Roman feels that Tanya is not capable of being a spy however, he uses ruthless means to discover the truth. But if Tanya isn't the one leaking important government information, who is?
When Tanya immediately recognizes Roman and feels his cold exterior she is puzzled but wants to pursue the attraction she felt with him in the states. But her friendly overtures are rebuffed. Suddenly Roman changes and their desire spirals out of control but when she finds out he has an ulterior motive what will happen to their budding relationship? Can she trust a man who is so ruthless?
This mystery and passion between the 2 main characters makes for some HOT reading. There is also a member of the Goddard team who wants to protect Tanya and has his own love interest which was very poignant to read. The tension between the characters makes for steamy reading. The only problem I had was that while Roman is doing his job, his single-minded and cold efficiency made it more difficult to warm up to initially. But he does have a huge amount of sex appeal. In contrast, Tanya is like every woman, she was very human and easy to relate to.
The plot was very clever and I enjoyed the discovery of how information was leaked. Can Tanya forgive Roman for his ruthlessness? This was a wonderful story about love and how 2 people fight for what they believe in.
If you are already an avid fan of Lucy Monroe the latest installment in the Goddard series will not disappoint! If you are a new reader her easy and fast paced books are the perfect summer read when you want romance that sizzles!
Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club
did-not-finish
October 3, 2010I just couldn't finish this book. I'm not going to rate this book since I didn't finish it but I don't recommend it unless you are a die hard Lucy Monroe fan. She's really lost me with her most recent contemporaries. They just don't interest me.
I didn't like the hero or the heroine and could really care less about their relationship. Plus, the whole description of nipples as "eraser nubs" (even if it was saying "they looked more like frozen raspberries than eraser nubs" - WTF??) was the end for me. I just couldn't take the love scene seriously.
To end, I have other books I would rather read than waste my time on one that couldn't keep my interest.
I didn't like the hero or the heroine and could really care less about their relationship. Plus, the whole description of nipples as "eraser nubs" (even if it was saying "they looked more like frozen raspberries than eraser nubs" - WTF??) was the end for me. I just couldn't take the love scene seriously.
To end, I have other books I would rather read than waste my time on one that couldn't keep my interest.
November 15, 2010
Excellent romantic suspense - action driven plot with great characters and lots of sexual tension. Some of the characters from previous Goddard Project books are linked to this one - the heroine is the sister of the hero in The Spy Who Wants Me and the hero is the brother to the heroine. Unfortunately, he and his highly specialized group of assassins have been sent to kill her [wouldn't that make for awkwardness at holiday dinners?] but they refuse to follow orders blindly and decide to find out if she is REALLY guilty...
Set in Africa, there are a host of interesting characters: Ben, who looks like an State Department cypher but is actually a Goddard Project agent; Fleur, the Tutsi doctor who heads up the the travelling clinic sponsored by Sympa-Med; Kadin, the Atrati second in command [and I'm guessing the star of the next book]; and, of course, the uber-hot Roman Chernichenko and his target, Tanya Ruston, who may be an informant, a dupe or an entirely innocent medical worker. I found the relationships in this one particulary compelling. Tanya and Roman have powerful chemistry, one that they both have trouble recognizing as love. The secondary romance between Dr Fleur and Ben is deeply moving as he helps her break the bonds of her past while moving toward a future neither of them had expected.
Goddard Project
1. Satisfaction Guaranteed (2007)
2. Deal With This (2007)
3. The Spy Who Wants Me (2009)
4. Watch over Me (2009)
5. Close Quarters (2010) [Atrati Book 1 according to the author's website]
Set in Africa, there are a host of interesting characters: Ben, who looks like an State Department cypher but is actually a Goddard Project agent; Fleur, the Tutsi doctor who heads up the the travelling clinic sponsored by Sympa-Med; Kadin, the Atrati second in command [and I'm guessing the star of the next book]; and, of course, the uber-hot Roman Chernichenko and his target, Tanya Ruston, who may be an informant, a dupe or an entirely innocent medical worker. I found the relationships in this one particulary compelling. Tanya and Roman have powerful chemistry, one that they both have trouble recognizing as love. The secondary romance between Dr Fleur and Ben is deeply moving as he helps her break the bonds of her past while moving toward a future neither of them had expected.
Goddard Project
1. Satisfaction Guaranteed (2007)
2. Deal With This (2007)
3. The Spy Who Wants Me (2009)
4. Watch over Me (2009)
5. Close Quarters (2010) [Atrati Book 1 according to the author's website]
June 30, 2024
1.5 ⭐ This was an incredibly shallow read, and every action taken in their relationship after the half way mark was done without any sort of rationality, it all only happened because we were expected to be rooting for the couple.
April 12, 2011
This is a Quickie Review. For the full review, please visit The Romanceaholic.
Expected Release Date: Available Now!
Publisher: Kensington
Imprint: Brava
Author’s Website: http://www.lucymonroe.com
My Source for This Book: Amazon.com
Part of a Series: Yes, Book 5 of The Goddard Project series
Series Best Read In Order: Yes, but works well as a standalone.
Steam Level: Hot
Yes, I know, I’m on a Lucy Monroe kick. I can’t help it! I just love her writing. This is Book 5 in The Goddard Project series, which is a wonderful series full of Special Ops super soldiers who are the best of the best. One thing I love about this series is that her characters aren’t just soldiers — they’re almost all brilliant scientists and technophiles as well, which the geek in me really loves.
Overall, it was classic Lucy Monroe. There was a hero unwilling to let emotions rule him, a heroine who gave herself over to the hero without recognizing that she was in deeper than he was, and some lovely alpha-male groveling. The heat level was just right, the mystery of the conspiracy and treason was intriguing, and there was a very satisfying secondary romance to boot. A very solid 4/5 Stars.
Expected Release Date: Available Now!
Publisher: Kensington
Imprint: Brava
Author’s Website: http://www.lucymonroe.com
My Source for This Book: Amazon.com
Part of a Series: Yes, Book 5 of The Goddard Project series
Series Best Read In Order: Yes, but works well as a standalone.
Steam Level: Hot
Yes, I know, I’m on a Lucy Monroe kick. I can’t help it! I just love her writing. This is Book 5 in The Goddard Project series, which is a wonderful series full of Special Ops super soldiers who are the best of the best. One thing I love about this series is that her characters aren’t just soldiers — they’re almost all brilliant scientists and technophiles as well, which the geek in me really loves.
Overall, it was classic Lucy Monroe. There was a hero unwilling to let emotions rule him, a heroine who gave herself over to the hero without recognizing that she was in deeper than he was, and some lovely alpha-male groveling. The heat level was just right, the mystery of the conspiracy and treason was intriguing, and there was a very satisfying secondary romance to boot. A very solid 4/5 Stars.
September 21, 2012
When I started Close Quarters I had no idea that it was part of a series, yet there were things that had me confused and thinking I was missing something from the beginning. The references to other characters and the organizations were brief and were written as if assuming prior knowledge, which I didn’t have. Then there was the two part beginning – a prologue about the Goddard Project and then the first chapter introducing the Atrati had me confused as well – who would be the focus and why? I wasn’t even sure what the Goddard Project was, or even what the Atrati was. So, I kept reading hoping to find out.
I am a fan of Lucy Monroe and have read many of her books prior to this one, but this book sadly is not one of her best. I found the story line to be a tad too close to unbelievable. I mean honestly, the male lead – the black ops leader, assassin and hunk of the story is supposed to go to Africa to plug the leak which could destabilize all of Africa if it isn’t stopped. That leak everyone is convinced is his sister in law. He recognizes her name in the briefing and says that he does. Despite this family connection they still keep him on the job. His job is to kill her to plug the leak. Also, even though they are related by marriage Tanya Ruston and Roman Chernichenko really don’t know each other that well. Tanya is an EMT for an aide agency and she works in the field for Dr. Fleur Andikan, a beautiful African doctor who has a painful past. Living with the doctor is her adopted daughter.
Add to this a weird set up road block where something was obviously supposed to happen to the heroine, but which was nixed by our black ops leader who happened to be along for the ride after being invited to go by the heroine. There is something fishy going on and it is up to Roman to find out what. He decides to seduce the heroine to find out what he needs to know.
Argh, good move – seduce her to find out something and then have to back pedal later to get her back once you find out that you love her – and his words were “I’ll give her more pleasure that she knows what to do with.” Arrogant much?? It seems that logic wasn’t Roman’s strong point at that moment obviously and his brain definitely wasn’t switched on.
Then, add to that the fact that Tanya decides that Roman can scratch her itch any time. In this respect, I suppose they were using each other to get what they wanted. Roman and his team’s cover is to protect Bennett Vincent, a diplomat who in turn is also undercover. He's an agent of The Goddard Project, and his investigation of slavery at local mines bleeds into Roman and his team's sleuthing to determine whether or not Tanya is guilty of anything. There were a few too many people undercover for my liking!
Roman does however suspect that Tanya is not the leak and he doesn’t relish the idea that an innocent may be sacrificed to protect someone else’s butt – this was his feeling from the outset, but he is still going to seduce her just to be sure! Kadin one of his team isn’t so sure that this approach will work and sees Tanya as Roman’s chance to have a normal life, to not be an Atrati assassin. Will Roman blow his chance by seducing Tanya? He doesn’t think he deserves this normal given the things he has done.
Add to this the added confusion of the relationship that develops between Tanya’s supervisor, Dr. Fleur Andikan and the diplomat, Bennett Vincent. Fleur has her own secrets and horrors to deal with – her family killed in front of her and she was raped.
The darkness surrounding the hero's black-ops past and current assignment works well, as does much of his relationship with the heroine - his assassination target - but some of Monroe's clunky writing and a secondary relationship that tries too hard for poignant and becomes gooey in the process are problematic.
Roman Chernichenko's task is to plug an informational/technological leak that could further destabalize the African continent. He suspects going in with his team that the target, aide worker Tanya Ruston, to whom he is related (by the marriage of her brother to his sister), may in fact not be guilty of anything and he does not relish the idea of her assassination simply to cover somebody else's ass.
Roman's cover is. Tanya and Roman are mightily attracted to each other, and she decides she'll scratch the itch with him, knowing from the start that it'll lead to nothing permanent. Roman, on his part, is more than willing to scratch that itch, but "sleeping with a mark" might also help his investigation. Meanwhile, there are no hidden agendas where Fleur and Ben are concerned. They two fall in love at first sight and each begins to mentally map out a life with the other, regardless of their own current careers. The idea of Ben and Fleur worked for me, but their coming together is so dream-like that it simply doesn't fit the reality of their situation, and the fact that Ben is actually a trained killer makes this lack of fit all the worse. Prince Charming rescuing and thawing an Ice Princess does not compute in an Africa filled with pain.
Roman comes clean with Tanya only in fits and starts. It's one thing to discover your lover is a black-ops agent doing undercover work and lying to you...it's another to learn that you were having sex with a man sent to kill you, and still another to find out that during the best sex of your life, he was actively doing undercover work. But Roman's task changes when he realizes with certainty that she's an innocent, and as the danger ramps up outside the camp, he and his team devise a plan to ferret Tanya to safety. This is the part of the book I liked best. It's a road romance with danger, small children who will break your heart are involved, and Roman's team do their best to convince Roman and Tanya that they belong together. Tanya holds on to the justifiable anger of her betrayal just long enough to make Roman suffer. By the time they make love again I was able to overcome the squeamishness that developed during their first love scene, filled with some of Monroe's most egregiously clunky writing, in which Tanya reveals her large nipples and Roman revels in their raspberry-esque beauty. In her best books Monroe's purple tendencies show just slightly, but in her less good work, they stand out like beacons in the night - scratch that - like large raspberry-esque nipples.
Reviewed for Manic Readers at http://www.manicreaders.com/index.cfm...
I am a fan of Lucy Monroe and have read many of her books prior to this one, but this book sadly is not one of her best. I found the story line to be a tad too close to unbelievable. I mean honestly, the male lead – the black ops leader, assassin and hunk of the story is supposed to go to Africa to plug the leak which could destabilize all of Africa if it isn’t stopped. That leak everyone is convinced is his sister in law. He recognizes her name in the briefing and says that he does. Despite this family connection they still keep him on the job. His job is to kill her to plug the leak. Also, even though they are related by marriage Tanya Ruston and Roman Chernichenko really don’t know each other that well. Tanya is an EMT for an aide agency and she works in the field for Dr. Fleur Andikan, a beautiful African doctor who has a painful past. Living with the doctor is her adopted daughter.
Add to this a weird set up road block where something was obviously supposed to happen to the heroine, but which was nixed by our black ops leader who happened to be along for the ride after being invited to go by the heroine. There is something fishy going on and it is up to Roman to find out what. He decides to seduce the heroine to find out what he needs to know.
Argh, good move – seduce her to find out something and then have to back pedal later to get her back once you find out that you love her – and his words were “I’ll give her more pleasure that she knows what to do with.” Arrogant much?? It seems that logic wasn’t Roman’s strong point at that moment obviously and his brain definitely wasn’t switched on.
Then, add to that the fact that Tanya decides that Roman can scratch her itch any time. In this respect, I suppose they were using each other to get what they wanted. Roman and his team’s cover is to protect Bennett Vincent, a diplomat who in turn is also undercover. He's an agent of The Goddard Project, and his investigation of slavery at local mines bleeds into Roman and his team's sleuthing to determine whether or not Tanya is guilty of anything. There were a few too many people undercover for my liking!
Roman does however suspect that Tanya is not the leak and he doesn’t relish the idea that an innocent may be sacrificed to protect someone else’s butt – this was his feeling from the outset, but he is still going to seduce her just to be sure! Kadin one of his team isn’t so sure that this approach will work and sees Tanya as Roman’s chance to have a normal life, to not be an Atrati assassin. Will Roman blow his chance by seducing Tanya? He doesn’t think he deserves this normal given the things he has done.
Add to this the added confusion of the relationship that develops between Tanya’s supervisor, Dr. Fleur Andikan and the diplomat, Bennett Vincent. Fleur has her own secrets and horrors to deal with – her family killed in front of her and she was raped.
The darkness surrounding the hero's black-ops past and current assignment works well, as does much of his relationship with the heroine - his assassination target - but some of Monroe's clunky writing and a secondary relationship that tries too hard for poignant and becomes gooey in the process are problematic.
Roman Chernichenko's task is to plug an informational/technological leak that could further destabalize the African continent. He suspects going in with his team that the target, aide worker Tanya Ruston, to whom he is related (by the marriage of her brother to his sister), may in fact not be guilty of anything and he does not relish the idea of her assassination simply to cover somebody else's ass.
Roman's cover is. Tanya and Roman are mightily attracted to each other, and she decides she'll scratch the itch with him, knowing from the start that it'll lead to nothing permanent. Roman, on his part, is more than willing to scratch that itch, but "sleeping with a mark" might also help his investigation. Meanwhile, there are no hidden agendas where Fleur and Ben are concerned. They two fall in love at first sight and each begins to mentally map out a life with the other, regardless of their own current careers. The idea of Ben and Fleur worked for me, but their coming together is so dream-like that it simply doesn't fit the reality of their situation, and the fact that Ben is actually a trained killer makes this lack of fit all the worse. Prince Charming rescuing and thawing an Ice Princess does not compute in an Africa filled with pain.
Roman comes clean with Tanya only in fits and starts. It's one thing to discover your lover is a black-ops agent doing undercover work and lying to you...it's another to learn that you were having sex with a man sent to kill you, and still another to find out that during the best sex of your life, he was actively doing undercover work. But Roman's task changes when he realizes with certainty that she's an innocent, and as the danger ramps up outside the camp, he and his team devise a plan to ferret Tanya to safety. This is the part of the book I liked best. It's a road romance with danger, small children who will break your heart are involved, and Roman's team do their best to convince Roman and Tanya that they belong together. Tanya holds on to the justifiable anger of her betrayal just long enough to make Roman suffer. By the time they make love again I was able to overcome the squeamishness that developed during their first love scene, filled with some of Monroe's most egregiously clunky writing, in which Tanya reveals her large nipples and Roman revels in their raspberry-esque beauty. In her best books Monroe's purple tendencies show just slightly, but in her less good work, they stand out like beacons in the night - scratch that - like large raspberry-esque nipples.
Reviewed for Manic Readers at http://www.manicreaders.com/index.cfm...
August 1, 2017
he is sent to assassinate her (or at least to neutralize the threat to national security)... she is an EMT trained health official in Africa, dispensing medical care to various villages - and has been embedded with a chip that is carrying secret military information...
She doesn't know she is being used... after he determines her innocence (after seduction) and the hows, he must now protect her from the next crew sent in to assassinate...
she forgives him, they adopt a boy whom they rescued from slavers, they're going stateside...
She doesn't know she is being used... after he determines her innocence (after seduction) and the hows, he must now protect her from the next crew sent in to assassinate...
she forgives him, they adopt a boy whom they rescued from slavers, they're going stateside...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 2, 2023
Good Repeat Read
I enjoyed the TGP series very much. The ebook has some editing errors, but it didn’t really detract from the overall story. It was nice to see two new families come out of the storyline.
Plus, Lucy is a favorite author.
I enjoyed the TGP series very much. The ebook has some editing errors, but it didn’t really detract from the overall story. It was nice to see two new families come out of the storyline.
Plus, Lucy is a favorite author.
October 24, 2014
2 stars.
This was both fun and ultimately a disappointment. The A-plot revolves around Roman, a secret agent assigned to assassinate Tanya, a medical aid worker in Zimbabwe (who also happens to be his sister-in-law... no really. In a world filled with billions of people, he's assigned to travel to another country to kill a woman who just so happens to be related to him?) who is believed to be involved in selling military secrets. If that seems like a really thin plot, that's because it is. The B-plot involves a TGP agent named Ben who falls in love at first sight for Tanya's supervisor, Fleur, a woman who is understandably wary of love. The B-plot didn't interest me much because honestly, it was a little too simplistic -- probably because I don't believe in love at first sight, and there was very little conflict for Fleur and Ben. The A-plot interested me... sometimes, and at others, I kept thinking about the next book on my list.
For the record, only the B-plot gets this book on my "Irresponsible Sex" shelf. I've noticed in last year or so the prevalence of irresponsible behavior when it comes to sex (not using condoms, whether or not you're on the Pill) in romance novels is really starting to bother me. It always sort of bothered me but I could overlook it in the past. As a result I'm starting to note it in a lot of my reviews. The A-plot uses condoms every time, which is pretty smart. The B-plot, with its love-at-first-sight trope, does not. I get that they were in love, but seriously, any random guy can come up to me, declare his undying love for me, promise to marry me next week, and then still give me a serious life-long STD. Who wants to chance that for the may-or-may-not-be-true declarations of a guy who admits that he can lie like a rug? Does that make me a cynic?
Sorry, this subject makes me pretty ragey and I digress.
Ultimately, the book was a disappointment. Roman sleeps with Tanya because he needs to determine if she's the traitor. When Tanya finds out, she is understandably hurt. I was hoping for a blow-out, but what follows is basically a book full of Roman wearing Tanya down and once he finally does, only then does he realize he's in love with her. My inner Angst Whore wanted a big blow out and I was pretty disappointed I didn't get one. (The rest of this needs to be hidden by a spoiler tag.)
I haven't read many of Monroe's TGP series books (I think I might have read the first one a long time ago but I don't remember much about it) and honestly this one doesn't make me want to go back and read the others. I don't know that I'd recommend this to anyone. There is some angst to it, but not nearly enough for the issues going on.
This was both fun and ultimately a disappointment. The A-plot revolves around Roman, a secret agent assigned to assassinate Tanya, a medical aid worker in Zimbabwe (who also happens to be his sister-in-law... no really. In a world filled with billions of people, he's assigned to travel to another country to kill a woman who just so happens to be related to him?) who is believed to be involved in selling military secrets. If that seems like a really thin plot, that's because it is. The B-plot involves a TGP agent named Ben who falls in love at first sight for Tanya's supervisor, Fleur, a woman who is understandably wary of love. The B-plot didn't interest me much because honestly, it was a little too simplistic -- probably because I don't believe in love at first sight, and there was very little conflict for Fleur and Ben. The A-plot interested me... sometimes, and at others, I kept thinking about the next book on my list.
For the record, only the B-plot gets this book on my "Irresponsible Sex" shelf. I've noticed in last year or so the prevalence of irresponsible behavior when it comes to sex (not using condoms, whether or not you're on the Pill) in romance novels is really starting to bother me. It always sort of bothered me but I could overlook it in the past. As a result I'm starting to note it in a lot of my reviews. The A-plot uses condoms every time, which is pretty smart. The B-plot, with its love-at-first-sight trope, does not. I get that they were in love, but seriously, any random guy can come up to me, declare his undying love for me, promise to marry me next week, and then still give me a serious life-long STD. Who wants to chance that for the may-or-may-not-be-true declarations of a guy who admits that he can lie like a rug? Does that make me a cynic?
Sorry, this subject makes me pretty ragey and I digress.
Ultimately, the book was a disappointment. Roman sleeps with Tanya because he needs to determine if she's the traitor. When Tanya finds out, she is understandably hurt. I was hoping for a blow-out, but what follows is basically a book full of Roman wearing Tanya down and once he finally does, only then does he realize he's in love with her. My inner Angst Whore wanted a big blow out and I was pretty disappointed I didn't get one. (The rest of this needs to be hidden by a spoiler tag.)
I haven't read many of Monroe's TGP series books (I think I might have read the first one a long time ago but I don't remember much about it) and honestly this one doesn't make me want to go back and read the others. I don't know that I'd recommend this to anyone. There is some angst to it, but not nearly enough for the issues going on.
April 9, 2011
This book may be Book 5 in The Goddard Project series, but it’s also Book 1 in The Atrati series (another series I’m looking forward to checking out). I’ve read all the books in the TGP series, but don’t really have a favorite. The things I liked:
The setting – Took place in Africa. Tanya was an EMT and traveled with her team to different villages within Africa to administer medical care. The story touched on several plights this country currently suffers: a huge AIDS epidemic, malaria, human-trafficking, malnutrition, child slavery, the fact that 80% of the population is unemployed, and the 20% that are working are doing so in unsafe conditions. Daunting, to say the least. That Ms. Monroe could work a hot and steamy romance around all that suffering is truly amazing.
The men of Atrati – Atrati. I like saying it and I like how it looks on the page. Actually, I don’t know how you pronounce it (At-rat-i? At-raw-ti? A-trat-i? A-traw-ti? Where does the accent fall?), but it sounds all sci-fi-ish to me. This organization is as top secret as The Goddard Project and I enjoyed being introduced to Roman, Kadin, Neil and Drew. Ms. Monroe gave you just enough information about Roman’s team mates to make you intrigued. They all sound gorgeous and I can’t wait to read more about them in the upcoming books (however many there will be).
Secondary love story – I like when a romance novel doesn’t always focus on the relationship between the main hero and heroine. This book was not only about Roman and Tanya, but it was about the burgeoning love between TGP agent, Bennet Vincent and Tanya’s friend and boss, Dr. Fleur Andikan. I liked it even more that it involved an interracial couple. Dr. Andikan survived the Rwandan genocide attacks but not without the emotional scars that went along with it. The relationship between her and Ben, and how he carefully cultivated the relationship, was perfectly interwoven with the rest of the plot.
Learning a new language – I’ve always been teased for my love of adult romance books, but what people don’t realize is that it’s not always about fucking. You really can learn something. Like a new language. You don’t become fluent, mind you, but you always get the important stuff: cuss words and words of endearment. Roman is Ukranian, so I learned how to say “sweetheart” and “son of a bitch” in his native language. Seriously. And Tanya understood—and spoke–the African language of Shona. Although I would’ve loved to have seen how that looked on the page, I’m sure that’s not translatable into something a reader would be able to understand.
I liked this book and hope there’s more to come in The Goddard Project series. While it claims to be number 5, Bennet, the TGP agent, was a secondary character. This was definitely more about introducing The Atrati.
Score: 3.5 wet panties
The setting – Took place in Africa. Tanya was an EMT and traveled with her team to different villages within Africa to administer medical care. The story touched on several plights this country currently suffers: a huge AIDS epidemic, malaria, human-trafficking, malnutrition, child slavery, the fact that 80% of the population is unemployed, and the 20% that are working are doing so in unsafe conditions. Daunting, to say the least. That Ms. Monroe could work a hot and steamy romance around all that suffering is truly amazing.
The men of Atrati – Atrati. I like saying it and I like how it looks on the page. Actually, I don’t know how you pronounce it (At-rat-i? At-raw-ti? A-trat-i? A-traw-ti? Where does the accent fall?), but it sounds all sci-fi-ish to me. This organization is as top secret as The Goddard Project and I enjoyed being introduced to Roman, Kadin, Neil and Drew. Ms. Monroe gave you just enough information about Roman’s team mates to make you intrigued. They all sound gorgeous and I can’t wait to read more about them in the upcoming books (however many there will be).
Secondary love story – I like when a romance novel doesn’t always focus on the relationship between the main hero and heroine. This book was not only about Roman and Tanya, but it was about the burgeoning love between TGP agent, Bennet Vincent and Tanya’s friend and boss, Dr. Fleur Andikan. I liked it even more that it involved an interracial couple. Dr. Andikan survived the Rwandan genocide attacks but not without the emotional scars that went along with it. The relationship between her and Ben, and how he carefully cultivated the relationship, was perfectly interwoven with the rest of the plot.
Learning a new language – I’ve always been teased for my love of adult romance books, but what people don’t realize is that it’s not always about fucking. You really can learn something. Like a new language. You don’t become fluent, mind you, but you always get the important stuff: cuss words and words of endearment. Roman is Ukranian, so I learned how to say “sweetheart” and “son of a bitch” in his native language. Seriously. And Tanya understood—and spoke–the African language of Shona. Although I would’ve loved to have seen how that looked on the page, I’m sure that’s not translatable into something a reader would be able to understand.
I liked this book and hope there’s more to come in The Goddard Project series. While it claims to be number 5, Bennet, the TGP agent, was a secondary character. This was definitely more about introducing The Atrati.
Score: 3.5 wet panties
October 14, 2010
CLOSE QUARTERS is part of a connected series surrounding the Goddard Project – a military group in charge of protecting information. You don’t have to have read any of the previous books to enjoy CLOSE QUARTERS.
In the beginning of this book I was a little confused. In the prologue the head of the Goddard Project is putting one of his men on a case and hoping that he will fall in love at the same time. I took this to mean that Bennet Vincent was the main character of the book, but that isn’t so. He is an important secondary character, but the main character is Roman Chernichenko.
After I figured that out I really started to enjoy the book. Tanya Ruston works in Africa at a traveling clinic bringing medication to small villages. At the same time someone is transporting top secret military intelligence along the same route. Roman is sent in to eliminate the problem, even if that means eliminating Tanya.
These two have amazing chemistry from the moment the recognize each other. Having met at the wedding of Tanya’s brother to Roman’s sister, they know that they have serious attraction. Roman uses this attraction to get closer to Tanya so he can decide if she is guilty or not.
There is a lot of action in this book. Tanya’s life is threatened and there are several different groups out to get information or to eliminate her. She only has Roman and the others on his team to protect her from death.
I loved the way the relationship between Tanya and Roman almost instantly changes his outlook on life. He goes from a loner to someone who wants family around him almost overnight. It isn’t very believable, but was fun to read.
The secondary romance between Bennet and Dr. Fleur Andikan is very sweet, but I wish there had been more to their relationship. Fleur’s past would have made the romance between her and Bennet very interesting to read. I wish they had had their own book.
There was one scene in this book that I did not like. It was a sex scene that just pushed it too far for me. Here is a bit of the scene:
Her smile was as sensual as an incubus’s. “Okay.” Then she leaned forward and licked him from the bottom of his dick right up to the head, where she tasted his pre-cum. She licked her lips. “Sweet.”
“I drink lots of juice.” It was a good source of electrolytes, but it was common knowledge that the side benefit was less bitter ejaculate.
“Lucky me.” She licked his head like a lollipop, over and over again.
“No…” he groaned out. “Lucky me.”
“Pre-come is sweeter than ejaculate in most me,” she whispered seductively, her breath blowing over his now spit-slip penis tip.”
This scene was so not sexy. I don’t think a romance novel should talk about the taste of bodily fluids in anything but an abstract sense. This pulled me out of the story and grossed me out a little.
All in all this is a fun romantic suspense with lots of hot (and some not hot) sex!
In the beginning of this book I was a little confused. In the prologue the head of the Goddard Project is putting one of his men on a case and hoping that he will fall in love at the same time. I took this to mean that Bennet Vincent was the main character of the book, but that isn’t so. He is an important secondary character, but the main character is Roman Chernichenko.
After I figured that out I really started to enjoy the book. Tanya Ruston works in Africa at a traveling clinic bringing medication to small villages. At the same time someone is transporting top secret military intelligence along the same route. Roman is sent in to eliminate the problem, even if that means eliminating Tanya.
These two have amazing chemistry from the moment the recognize each other. Having met at the wedding of Tanya’s brother to Roman’s sister, they know that they have serious attraction. Roman uses this attraction to get closer to Tanya so he can decide if she is guilty or not.
There is a lot of action in this book. Tanya’s life is threatened and there are several different groups out to get information or to eliminate her. She only has Roman and the others on his team to protect her from death.
I loved the way the relationship between Tanya and Roman almost instantly changes his outlook on life. He goes from a loner to someone who wants family around him almost overnight. It isn’t very believable, but was fun to read.
The secondary romance between Bennet and Dr. Fleur Andikan is very sweet, but I wish there had been more to their relationship. Fleur’s past would have made the romance between her and Bennet very interesting to read. I wish they had had their own book.
There was one scene in this book that I did not like. It was a sex scene that just pushed it too far for me. Here is a bit of the scene:
Her smile was as sensual as an incubus’s. “Okay.” Then she leaned forward and licked him from the bottom of his dick right up to the head, where she tasted his pre-cum. She licked her lips. “Sweet.”
“I drink lots of juice.” It was a good source of electrolytes, but it was common knowledge that the side benefit was less bitter ejaculate.
“Lucky me.” She licked his head like a lollipop, over and over again.
“No…” he groaned out. “Lucky me.”
“Pre-come is sweeter than ejaculate in most me,” she whispered seductively, her breath blowing over his now spit-slip penis tip.”
This scene was so not sexy. I don’t think a romance novel should talk about the taste of bodily fluids in anything but an abstract sense. This pulled me out of the story and grossed me out a little.
All in all this is a fun romantic suspense with lots of hot (and some not hot) sex!
June 19, 2012
I received this novel as an ARC from Kensington Publishing.
In Close Quarters by Lucy Monroe, Tanya Ruston, our heroine, is a trained EMT working as a relief worker in Africa. She is suspected of leaking sensitive US military technology to volatile African nations. Roman Chernichenko, our hero, is a former Army Ranger now working as an operative of a black-ops organization called ATRATI. He and his team have been given orders to assassinate Tanya. As Roman and his team investigates Tanya, he begins to suspect that she’s innocent, but he is afraid to trust his feelings because he’s been burned in the past by letting his emotions get in the way of his job. Once Roman finally does accept that Tanya is innocent, he realizes she is in danger from both the good AND the bad guys. For her safety, he and Tanya go on the run together. As you would expect, they fall in love along the way.
Close Quarters is the fifth book in Ms. Monroe’s Goddard Project Series. I had no idea this book was part of a series while reading it and feel that it can definitely be read alone.
I liked the character of Tanya. She was compassionate, caring and stood up for what she believed in. I admired her for her dedication to helping the African people. I found Roman to be rude, arrogant and cold. We find out that there were reasons for his demeanor, but overall I just didn’t like him. I found the love scenes between Roman and Tanya to be hot, but overall the chemistry between them was only lukewarm. I just didn’t feel the ‘sizzle’ I was hoping for.
Tanya’s boss, Dr. Fleur Andikan, and Ben Vincent, an operative of the Goddard Project also in Africa to investigate the Intel leak, shared a love story as well. I found their romance to be very unrealistic. They fell deeply and madly in love with one another way too quickly to be believable.
There were also a number of secondary characters in this book. I really enjoyed Roman’s teammates and the camaraderie between these ‘super soldiers’. I especially liked Kadin and his protective nature. I’m hoping he gets his own book and HEA in the future.
I found the suspense part of the story to be interesting. It held my attention and ultimately led me to like this book despite the fact that I felt the love stories were lacking. All things considered, Close Quarters was an enjoyable read
In Close Quarters by Lucy Monroe, Tanya Ruston, our heroine, is a trained EMT working as a relief worker in Africa. She is suspected of leaking sensitive US military technology to volatile African nations. Roman Chernichenko, our hero, is a former Army Ranger now working as an operative of a black-ops organization called ATRATI. He and his team have been given orders to assassinate Tanya. As Roman and his team investigates Tanya, he begins to suspect that she’s innocent, but he is afraid to trust his feelings because he’s been burned in the past by letting his emotions get in the way of his job. Once Roman finally does accept that Tanya is innocent, he realizes she is in danger from both the good AND the bad guys. For her safety, he and Tanya go on the run together. As you would expect, they fall in love along the way.
Close Quarters is the fifth book in Ms. Monroe’s Goddard Project Series. I had no idea this book was part of a series while reading it and feel that it can definitely be read alone.
I liked the character of Tanya. She was compassionate, caring and stood up for what she believed in. I admired her for her dedication to helping the African people. I found Roman to be rude, arrogant and cold. We find out that there were reasons for his demeanor, but overall I just didn’t like him. I found the love scenes between Roman and Tanya to be hot, but overall the chemistry between them was only lukewarm. I just didn’t feel the ‘sizzle’ I was hoping for.
Tanya’s boss, Dr. Fleur Andikan, and Ben Vincent, an operative of the Goddard Project also in Africa to investigate the Intel leak, shared a love story as well. I found their romance to be very unrealistic. They fell deeply and madly in love with one another way too quickly to be believable.
There were also a number of secondary characters in this book. I really enjoyed Roman’s teammates and the camaraderie between these ‘super soldiers’. I especially liked Kadin and his protective nature. I’m hoping he gets his own book and HEA in the future.
I found the suspense part of the story to be interesting. It held my attention and ultimately led me to like this book despite the fact that I felt the love stories were lacking. All things considered, Close Quarters was an enjoyable read
September 24, 2011
The story was well written and interesting but I didn't like the hero at all. He was an arrogant pr**k.
He used her and had sex with her for the job. It doesn't matter that he was attracted to her and was wanted to have sex with her anyway. In a way that makes it worse that he could be so selfish and manipulative with some he has some feelings for AND he was not at all sorry or apologetic for what he did. Then she is mad for a little while but then forgives him because she loves him even though he does nothing to earn her forgiveness - including being at all remorseful. WHY would she love him??? Great sex does NOT equal love and to me that was all they had and even that was ruined by the fact that he used the great sex to manipulate her. How can she love some who shows her no respect and shares nothing of himself with her. BOO! She should totally have dumped his ass and gone for Kadin.
He used her and had sex with her for the job. It doesn't matter that he was attracted to her and was wanted to have sex with her anyway. In a way that makes it worse that he could be so selfish and manipulative with some he has some feelings for AND he was not at all sorry or apologetic for what he did. Then she is mad for a little while but then forgives him because she loves him even though he does nothing to earn her forgiveness - including being at all remorseful. WHY would she love him??? Great sex does NOT equal love and to me that was all they had and even that was ruined by the fact that he used the great sex to manipulate her. How can she love some who shows her no respect and shares nothing of himself with her. BOO! She should totally have dumped his ass and gone for Kadin.
August 23, 2012
Three and a half stars.
There was a real story; a real mystery. Interestins and well developed supporting characters. I have not read the other books in this series, but this one does well standing alone. Roman and Tanya have met before and were attracted to each other. They did not act on that attraction. Now Roman has been ordered to kill Tanya because she is suspected of selling government secrets. Roman and his team feel their are problems with the prior investigation. Based on the actural wording of their assignment, they are able to investigate on their own. Roman and Tanya have some sizzling interactions includeing sexual. I like them both. He is arrogent but tender also. She is dedicated and courageous. Ben and Fleur share some beautiful moments. He shows understanding. Yes they fall in love fast, but it is good for both of them. Enjoyed this book. I plan on reading the others in the series.
There was a real story; a real mystery. Interestins and well developed supporting characters. I have not read the other books in this series, but this one does well standing alone. Roman and Tanya have met before and were attracted to each other. They did not act on that attraction. Now Roman has been ordered to kill Tanya because she is suspected of selling government secrets. Roman and his team feel their are problems with the prior investigation. Based on the actural wording of their assignment, they are able to investigate on their own. Roman and Tanya have some sizzling interactions includeing sexual. I like them both. He is arrogent but tender also. She is dedicated and courageous. Ben and Fleur share some beautiful moments. He shows understanding. Yes they fall in love fast, but it is good for both of them. Enjoyed this book. I plan on reading the others in the series.
May 3, 2013
So I started reading this book and after the first couple chapters of thinking "gee, this story sounds familiar" I realized I have read this book before. Now that should tell you something about the book! It's good, but not great and definitely not memorable. That being said, it is a relatively quick read. I had a hard time really relating to the characters. Roman may have the body of a god, but he has the personality of a wet dish rag. He's a ruthlessly hard man. I get he lost his best friend, but seriously as these stories go, who hasn't? Get OVER IT and go on with your life. I'm sorry but his actions were not heroic or even commendable where Tanya was concerned. However, we are supposed to just accept that in the last 2 chapters of the book he turns into this good guy and everything is alright in the world? REALLY???? Like I said it was an okay read, but there are so many other books in this genre that are so much better and well .... memorable.
January 2, 2011
There's a very tenuous thread connecting this story to The Goddard Project as it mostly involves men from a mercenary group named Atrati which seems to specialize in assassinations. Oh yeah, besides the GP guy they send on the mission---we get a two-fer in this romance---the lead assassin turns out to be Elle's brother and the target's brother-in-law.
In this case, Tanya is suspected of passing military secrets to the bad guys in her position as a medic in an African medical outpost. An Army colonel who screwed up wants Tanya taken out to CYA...but the evidence appears circumstantial. The doctor in charge, Fleur, comes under suspicion as well.
The events taking place in Africa took me back to my own two years there---kudos to the real people who do volunteer to help there.
Very enjoyable characters and I think Monroe is setting up for another series based on the Atrati guys
In this case, Tanya is suspected of passing military secrets to the bad guys in her position as a medic in an African medical outpost. An Army colonel who screwed up wants Tanya taken out to CYA...but the evidence appears circumstantial. The doctor in charge, Fleur, comes under suspicion as well.
The events taking place in Africa took me back to my own two years there---kudos to the real people who do volunteer to help there.
Very enjoyable characters and I think Monroe is setting up for another series based on the Atrati guys
April 12, 2015
This was a pulse pounding thrill ride of a book. Roman Chernichenko is the team leader of a group of covert operatives sent to Africa to eliminate an information leak. He didn't plan on having to deal with Tanya Huston, an aid worker whose brother is married to Roman's sister. And he sure didn't anticipate the intense attraction they feel for each other.
Although this book is part of a series, it is totally stand-alone. I never felt like I missed anything because I hadn't read the earlier books in the series.
I found the prologue to be a little confusing, and I think it could be removed without in any way affecting the rest of the book.
I received this book in a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.
Although this book is part of a series, it is totally stand-alone. I never felt like I missed anything because I hadn't read the earlier books in the series.
I found the prologue to be a little confusing, and I think it could be removed without in any way affecting the rest of the book.
I received this book in a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.
March 13, 2015
I am not really a contemporary reader. Mostly because I do not like that most seem to be centered around romance and don't have other characteristics. This book however was very interesting. The romance aspect is there but it isn't the main focus. Tanya is a very strong character. She is very stubborn and loyal. Roman is very stubborn and does not really care for people's feelings so it is hard to root for them. Overall I did enjoy the book but I wish the conspiracy would have been more in depth.
October 28, 2014
Contemporary romance with protected sex.
Roman's story, he's on assignment in Africa. He has a kill order on Tanya, but she's also the sister of his new brother-in-law. His team urges him to investigate further before acting. They uncover a deeper plot & Roman of course falls for Tanya.
There's a secondary romance involving Tanya's Doctor friend & another agent working the case. Very touching, if not rather quick.
All in all a good story.
Roman's story, he's on assignment in Africa. He has a kill order on Tanya, but she's also the sister of his new brother-in-law. His team urges him to investigate further before acting. They uncover a deeper plot & Roman of course falls for Tanya.
There's a secondary romance involving Tanya's Doctor friend & another agent working the case. Very touching, if not rather quick.
All in all a good story.
February 25, 2013
Really enjoyed this book, not just the sexual attraction between Roman and Tanya, the main characters but for the exciting story. Tanya is a medical worker in Africa who is suspected of treason and Roman and his team are ordered to 'eliminate' that threat. What follows is a story that held my attention throughout the book.
July 28, 2011
Nice, easy read. A bit too easy though, which is why I gave it 3 stars. Not enough description to get the know the characters all that well. I can't REALLY get into a book unless I can get into the characters. However, not a bad story.
October 6, 2012
This book was recommended by a friend. Not my usual reading area. Found entertaining, well written & now will add this author to my To Be Read List. Found characters believable thus enhanced reading experience.
didnt-finish
January 15, 2016I made it partway through the first chapter. That's how long I could endure the author's clunky writing. The dialogue was almost painfully awkward. I see there are a lot of positive reviews for this book (and author), but it didn't work at all for me.
August 1, 2011
I didn't love this book. I didn't really feel the connection between Roman & Tanya. Some of the dialogue was juvenile and it wasn't very romantic or sexy.
May 29, 2012
Yet another amazing book by Lucy Monroe!
August 25, 2012
So I am accidentally reading this series in the reverse order but I am enjoying it
July 8, 2012
Another surprise in this genre. Not just a girlie romance. Plenty of action for even we action lovers. Some folks may find too graphic-skip those sections & enjoy a well written story.
September 24, 2012
my first book by this author. but, i enjoyed the book very much! will definately be looking for more!
October 27, 2013
I may have liked the Goddard Project books more if I hadn't read the mercenary trilogy first
August 5, 2014
Uncomplicated romance...perfect for vegging!
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