If Looks Could Chill

Passion For Danger #2

by Nina Bruhns

A kick-ass Yankee cop and her special-ops Cajun guide search the Louisiana swamp for a deadly virus, but succumb to a fever of a very different sort.

Mysterious deaths stalk the bayou. No-nonsense Louisiana State trooper Tara Reeves reluctantly enlists the aid of Marc Lafayette, a too-sexy-for-his-own-good Cajun heartbreaker, to guide her on her search for evidence so she can bring down those responsible. But the source of the deaths is more dangerous than Tara could ever imagine. A foreign terrorist cell, plotting an attack on U.S. soil, is testing a deadly biological weapon in the remote wilderness of the swamp.

But the terrorists aren’t the only ones with secrets…

What Tara doesn’t know is that her sexy guide is part of a covert special ops team sent to destroy the terrorist threat, and Marc is not happy about having to babysit a nosy cop—even one as temptingly beautiful as Tara. But as they search the Louisiana swamp for a deadly virus, they succumb to a fever of a very different sort. Both of them know that love and work don’t mix, a harrowing showdown with the enemy will make their steamy passion boil over…and change their lives forever.

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

355 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

New York Times and USA Today best selling author Nina Bruhns is an avid world traveler and adventurer with two graduate degrees in archaeology -- all great fodder for her stories, giving them broad dimension, vivid settings and characters that are out of the ordinary. In addition to hitting both the NY Times and USA Today bestseller lists, her novels have earned two RITA nominations, and won numerous other awards, including three prestigious Daphne du Maurier Awards of Excellence for Overall Best Mystery Suspense Novel of the Year, five Dorothy Parker Awards, several RT BookClub Awards and a National Readers Choice Award.

A native of Canada, Nina grew up in California and currently resides in beautiful Charleston, South Carolina.

Reviews

[Alp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, things got more intense in this book. We got love, hate, infatuation, danger, madness, cruelty, heartbreak, betrayal, and lots more here.

In this installment, the story focused on STORM Corps's mission—to catch the terrorists before innocent people were killed by their bioweapon. So much happened that I felt like I never had enough time to catch my breath or even process my thoughts. As the team got closer to finding out the terrorists’ hideout, the situations became more and more intense, and so did the romance between the (secondary) couples. Even in the midst of lethal situations, it was obvious that their sexual tension was through the roof.

I found the plot a little far-fetched, but thankfully, the entire story moved along at a brisk pace. The main characters, Marc and Tara, were not as appealing or entertaining as the other secondary characters. I had zero connection to Marc and Tara’s characters whatsoever. Their romance did me nothing. It’s probably because I couldn’t feel any spark or chemistry between them.

However, aside from my problem with the main couple, this was a good and enjoyable read overall.

On to the next book!

[Dina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Based on Shoot to Thrill, the 1st book in the series, I knew I had to suspend disbelief to enjoy this read. I had no problem with that - in fact, this book wasn't as far-fetched as the previous one. :)

Ms. Bruhns knows how to write action scenes. As far as I can tell, she's got the military lingo right - but I'm no expert - and even though I knew the good guys would win in the end, she's kept me on the edge of my seat. The torture scenes were nasty but less cringe-worthy than the ones in the 1st book - not that I'm complaining. Overall, I really enjoyed the suspense in this book.

Now, the romance... I'm sorry to say, it didn't work that well for me. It wasn't the lack of it; on the contrary, there were three romances going on in the book: Marc/Tara, Quinn/Darcy and Alex/Rebel/Wade - the last one was a love triangle, not a ménage. It was all too much and none of them had enough "screen time" to be developed the way they should have been. Based on the book description, Marc and Tara were the H/h, but that's not the impression I got while reading the book because the other romances had as many pages/scenes as theirs. The way it was, Ms. Bruhns couldn't make me connect with any of the characters. Sure, I wanted them to find their HEA, but I can't say I was devastated when one of them didn't.

The love/sex scenes were hot as expected, but I skimmed though the last ones. Come on, with three couples doing it whenever they got the chance, there were times I wanted to tell them to stop and give me a break - after all, this isn't erotica/romantica, LOL.

Besides the three romances, there was also another storyline going on: Gina's. Her story started in the 1st book and it wasn't finished in this 2nd book, so I guess I'll have to read the next book to find out how it will end.

All in all, this wasn't a bad read. It was too busy and crowded, which prevented me from getting to know and understand the characters well enough to love them, but it has its fun moments.

[Shawna · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars – Romantic Suspense

Merde!...What is it about a roguishly, ruggedly sexy alpha hero spouting Cajun words and phrases that’s just so damn fan yourself, smokin’ hot?!?!

This is the second installment in the thrilling Passion for Danger romantic suspense series that began with Shoot to Thrill, and it’s another steamy, gripping, and action-packed read! I loved it! I can’t wait for the third and final book, A Kiss to Kill, to come out in April’2010!

If you’re a fan of intense and exciting military themed romantic suspense with strong heroines, sexy alpha heroes, heavy action, and scorching hot love scenes, then I highly recommend this awesome series! Big 5 stars!

[UniquelyMoi ~ BlithelyBookish · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5 stars

I’m so happy I finally gave this author a try! Thanks Shawna, for pimpin' these books!

This is the second installment of the Passion for Danger trilogy and while the basic storyline is continued from the first book, this story focuses on a different H/h, with appearances by previous characters, as their story lines continue to develop. Reviewing these books is very difficult because they are so closely connected that I can’t say much about the plots of any one of the books without giving away too much information and ruining it for the rest of them.

Tara is a Louisiana state trooper investigating the mysterious deaths of animals in the bayou that appear to have either succumbed to disease, been poisoned, or the most horrific possibility – the animals are the victims of a terrorist cell, testing a biological agent before unleashing it against American’s, on U.S. soil . Unfamiliar with the bayous, she enlists the help of special agent Marc Lafayette, an employee of STORM Corps: Strategic Technical Operations and Rescue Missions Corporation – a non-governmental special ops type organization that takes on the jobs the government doesn’t want to be connected to.

As I said, this is a continuation of the last book, but the difference is that this time, the terrorist attack is planned to take place here in the US. I’m impressed by how well this author can have so many romantic relationships developing, so many plot twists and turns, and do it all without confusing the hell out of me. I love it when an author can take me from one book to the next with the characters becoming more and more important to me, and being so invested in them, I really want to see solve the mystery and find their happily ever afters.

There is action, drama, sex, intrigue, heartache, sex, suspense and more sex. And again, though there are moments where I had to “check my believability at the door,” it was still a fast paced, exciting and highly entertaining read. So, if Romantic Suspense is “your thing” and you demand characters you can believe in and like lots of well written heat with your story, you really should read this trilogy.

Edited to add that to really enjoy these books, they really need to be read in order.

The books in this trilogy and their reading order are:

1. Shoot to Thrill
2. If Looks Could Chill
3. A Kiss to Kill

[Kathrynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy Moly! What a ride. If Looks Could Chill picked up right where Shoot to Thrill left off, so be sure to read this series in order. As with the first in this series, there were three/four stories running along in this one:

The primary story involved Tara Reeves (Louisiana State Trooper) and Marc Lafayette (introduced in Shoot to Thrill). Most of the book was set in Louisiana. Some funny scenes between these two as Marc tried to order Tara around--not.

There were three/four secondary stories packed between the cover that--mostly--started in Shoot to Thrill, and I was on the edge of my seat reading about Gina Cappozi (scientist kidnapped in Shoot to Thrill) and her ordeal. Some really intense moments and more than a few times I became annoyed when the scene shifted to something else. What about the mysterious Gregg van Halen? You'll have to read and find out. ;-)

SAC Wade Montana (FBI), Rebel Hayward (FBI), Alex Zane (STORM) and Helena were all back and I was surprised by how their stories unfolded. Didn't see THAT coming.

Finally, the other two characters that had a lot of time in this book were Bobby Lee Quinn and Darcy Zimmerman--both members of STORM. They had been in an "affair" (sex only and maybe not entirely exclusive) for the past 5 years until one of them realized they cared more for the other... which one? ;-)

I was on the edge of my seat reading this excellent book, set in 2009. Fast paced and not everything was resolved which had me starting (and almost half finished) with #3 in this series before I stopped and took a moment to write this review. Whew!

Very hot. Intense. Great writing. Suspense is A+ and I'm still not sure who the real bad guy is.

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in the series and follows on from the first one so they really do need to be read in order. We follow the team from Strategic Technical Operations and Rescue Missions Corporation (STORM) who are still hunting down a terrorist group who are developing a Biological weapon to use against the USA. The Bioterrorists have kidnapped Dr Gina Cappozi to develop an easy delivery method of the chemical which will enable them to achieve optimum results when released into a crowd.

Although this story primarily features Marc and Tara we also closely follow other stories too like Quinn & Darcy and the love triangle going on between Rebel, Wade & Alex. As if enough wasn't going on we also got to read about how Gina was treated and tortured during her time with the terrorists which had me cringing at times and was relieved when they finally rescued her. I immediately had a bit of a soft spot for Marc which turned into pure love and had me in tears towards the end of the book when he thought he might lose Tara In the hospital Tara was fading away and against doctor's orders Marc climbed onto the bed and held her. With tears rolling down his face he begged her not to leave him - this was such a moving scene and although I knew she would obviously recover it literally had me blubbing like a baby!

I wasn't a huge fan of the first book and wasn't that excited about continuing on and although I already had all three of the series I wasn't in a rush to pick the next one up and went off to read other books for a few weeks. I did find the beginning a little slow, it was full of sex but the story didn't seem to be going anywhere but by about a third of the way in the pace really picked up and I was gripped and started to enjoy it. After I finished I immediately started on the third and final book A Kiss to Kill which primarily follows Gina & Gregg but I am sure we will be reading about at least two other couples!

[Buggy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Opening line: “She seems young"

Another great addition to the Passion For Danger series, I sure do like Nina Bruhns style of writing, it’s filled with clever often witty dialogue, tons of action/suspense and to die for alpha heroes. This time around we even get a heartbreaking, Cajun, spouting enough Creole French to charm the pants off of just about anyone.

Thankfully with this addition the storyline is more grounded then it was in Shoot to Thrill(book #1) and doesn’t require quite the suspension to of reality to get through. It does however give us too much of a good thing when it comes to secondary romances and I found myself bogged down by the over abundance of characters, subplots, and evolving 3rd and 4th party love stories. All of whom are vying for attention.

At times I lost track of our main couple who in the midst of things get completely forgotten about while we follow Quinn & Darcy (loved them) and Alex, Rebel &Wade. Of course then there’s also Gina’s evolving drama. All of this was just too much and subsequently nobody got the page time and character development they deserved. I am however now completely invested in this series and can’t wait to see where things go next for… (This is where I’m supposed to say Gina and Gregg) the H/h from A Kiss to Kill but I have a feeling it will also be a multiple storyline read so I’ll just say for everyone. Cheers

Louisiana state trooper Tara Reeves is on the hunt for the cause of the mysterious animal deaths that have been plaguing the Louisiana bayou. She thinks she might be onto a meth lab but what she finds is even scarier. A foreign terrorist cell is plotting an attack on US soil and they’ve been testing their deadly anthrax/bird flu agent with catastrophic results. Their next target is for sure going to be human. Enlisting the help of local (supposed) swamp guide Marc Lafayette the pair enters the murky waters of the bayou. In the cramped quarters of this Cajun bad boys kayak it isn’t long before they can’t keep their hands to themselves and Marc’s guide ruse is so busted. He’s got an agenda of his own and is actually part of a covert special ops team sent out to destroy the terrorists. Now he’s also going to have to baby-sit an interfering, beautiful cop. Non merci.

This is of course only one of the four running plotlines. We also have Gina who’s been kidnapped by the terrorists, Agents Bobby Lee and Quinn who until now had been having a strictly sexual relationship… (Yikes the L word) and Rebel and Alex who kind of like each other more then the people they’re involved with.

[❤️ Dorsey aka Wrath Lover Reviews ❤️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

WOW!!! Really, really good!! Action packed with plenty of lovin' going on!!! Love (Cajun) Marc...just thinking about that accent gives me chills. Tara is a strong heroine and gives him plenty of headaches because he "needs" a meek woman to take care of, the thought of being with a strong willed woman goes against everything he's conditioned to believe in.

Really looking forward to Gina's book (A Kiss to Kill) next!!!

[Jacqueline J · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was okay, But... According to the back cover, the book was supposedly about Marc Lafayette and Tara Reeves but there were so many characters that their story was not given justice. Not even a third of the book, I would guess, was about them. It was difficult to say whether the book was about Marc and Tara or Bobby Lee and Darcy or Rebel and Wade or Alex.

There were too many abrupt scene/character changes. You were just getting into one aspect of the story when you were jerked into another persons story. Lots of minnie cliff hangers, I guess to make you keep reading. There was never enough time given to a character to really delve into their motivations. I didn't feel that I ever really knew where any of the characters were coming from other than brief stereotypes. For example Bobby Lee grew up poor. Marc has 5 sisters. Tara's father was a stern military type who convinced her she had no worth and her mother died of pollution caused cancer and for some reason Darcy feels unlovable. That's about it for background and there was little description of the characters. Also, inexplicably Alex stays in his engagement with Helene when he seems to want Rebel, etc. Other reviewers mentioned Alex and Rebel as an item but I didn't care about Alex in conjunction with Rebel. As the situation is presented, he needs to man up. Cloudy unexplained motivations all around. I believe the author is trying to write a series similar to Suzanne Brockman's where characters and story line carry over from book to book which is fine but I need to know the characters a little more in depth in order to care.

The supposed heroine, Tara is a bit too wussy. She's a state trooper supposedly good at her job, (which we never see her doing at all), but she lets herself be pushed around. Also, she has sex with the hero less than 24 hours after she meets him (in a bit of a demeaning scene which made me cringe, where she basically lets herself be treated like a piece of meat)for your first romantic encounter, you want a man to respect you it might not be a good idea to let him push you to your hands and knees on a dock in the bayou and f**k you from behind less than 24 after you meet. Total 'I'm a 'ho' fibe. and is madly in love within 3 days. This didn't ring true for me which might have been why I liked Bobby Lee and Darcy's story much better since they had known each other for 5 years.

Finally as to the terrorist threat that the whole story supposedly revolved around, there was no real sense of urgency. The author told us we should care but the suspense was just not there.

So final verdict is that I didn't hate it, didn't love it. May or may not pick up the next one. Might flip through another one to find out what happens with Rebel and Wade. Might not. But I won't be giving it to my sister and reading buddy as a must read.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Make that 4 1/2 stars. I did love this book but I don't feel it Amazed me. The story was packed with action and heat. Nina has a way with making me emotionally involve with her characters and let me tell you that is not easily done in a book like this because there was 3 different romances going on at all times and everyone of them was really good. They all tied into the on going story line and the characters were all working together to catch the terrorists. I'm finding it hard to explain so I will just say, yep, I loved this book well enough to start on A Kiss To Kill because I just have to read on about this story and the characters in it.

[Awilk -never sleeps- · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nina Bruhns once again wrote a romantic suspense that perfectly blended story time with steamy time.
There was a few different couples coming together, or taking their relationship further. I found them all interesting.
My only concern was the fact that Marc used Cajun speech quiet a lot, and I couldn't translate it all, so I was annoyed a little. Plus there was the usual lack of concern for non-American readers, who would not completely know all of the law and military like terms used.
This was book two in this series, and there was enough questions left to make the next book a must read for me.

[jenjn79 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 4.5 / 5

I'm really enjoying this series a lot and am so glad I decided to give it a try! I liked this book almost as much a the first one. Just a thoroughly engaging read.

Summary:
After nearly being killed on the Sudan mission (from the previous book) STORM agent Marc Lafayette is determined to find the remaining terrorist leader before he unleashes a deadly bioweapon. The mission takes him back to his home territory, the bayou's of Louisiana where he encounters Louisiana State Trooper Tara Reeves. Tara is working off the clock on some mysterious animal deaths she believes may be the result of toxic pollution. She never could have dreamed the real reason.

Marc knows he has to neutralize the sexy Trooper before she interferes with the mission, but he didn't bargain for falling for her. The last thing he needs is romance messing with his head when he has a terrorist to catch. But the two can't resist each other. Now they must team up to help save their country.

Review:
That summary doesn't really do justice to all that goes on in this book, but I didn't want to give too much away. But it is a very busy story. There are a lot of threads to this story...a lot of characters, a lot with POV scenes, running series arcs, multiple romances, etc. And some readers won't like that...this is a series for those of you who like very connected books with multi-book storylines (think Suz Brockmann). For me, I loved this aspect of the book. Especially since Bruhns does an excellent job of keeping all the various threads feeling connected. It would be easy for this book to have felt disjointed with the way it jumped around, but everything felt very cohesive, to me.

There are actually two HEA romances in the story: Marc and Tara, and Bobby Lee Quinn and Darcy Zimmerman. I enjoyed reading about both of them. Great characters, some hot scenes. Both were just likable couples. There are also parts dealing with what I believe will be the two romances for book 3 of the series: Alex and Rebel, and Gina and Gregg (though how that one will work out, I don't know!) and I'm really looking forward to finding out how things go. Especially for Gina...poor woman. Her life is forever changed and I can't wait to see how Bruhns write her character for the next book. Alex, too, after all he's been through. So much to look forward too!

** note: this book does have some erotic overtones and may not appeal to those of you who don't like that kind of thing **

Plot-wise, I think this book was more realistic than the first one. It didn't seem so far-fetched. This was also one of those storylines (bio-terrorism) that you really don't want to think too much about because it's something that could really happen at any time. Freaks you out if you think too much about it.

My one criticism of this book (both books 1 & 2, really) is that the main characters could use some more fleshing out with regards to their pasts. There are a lot of references in this book to the characters' pasts but I felt the issues needed more attention and detail. I never really got a full sense of what made these characters who they were. And I wanted these issues to be something that came up with their love interest...just a little talking about it to help built that emotional bond between them. It just seemed a bit like the story was so much in-the-now that the past was a little neglected.

Otherwise, I had no other complaints about this book. It was a solid romantic suspense that I think will appeal to those of you who enjoy Suz Brockmann's "Troubleshooters" series. I'm dying to read the next book in the series and hate that I have to wait for April to do it!

[Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm really getting into this series. I enjoyed book 1, but book 2 was simply amazing. There are a lot of characters to keep up with and a lot of them were first introduced in the first book, so you do need to read them in order.

This one is about Marc Lafayette (who we met in book 1) who works for a non-governmental special ops unit named STORM. Terrorists are believed to be in the State of Louisiana (his home state) brewing up some nasty bio-chemical warfare with the forced help of Dr. Gina Capozzi (who was kidnapped in book 1). Marc is on the team looking for these terrorists (and Gina) when he runs into LA State Trooper Tara Reeves. His assignment - babysit Tara to keep her from finding out what's really going on.

Obviously, things heat up, but not just between Marc & Tara, but there are other secondary characters involved as well. There is Bobby Lee and Darcy (also STORM ops), Kick and Rainie (from book 1) are in this one as well, FBI agents Rebel Haywood and Wade Montana have larger roles as well as Alex Zane (from book 1 too). The story lines are twisted around all the different characters, but the author does a fantastic job of keeping facts straight and the story lines are easy to follow. I never felt cheated when Marc & Tara's storyline dropped off and another character's began - the author did a great job of making me fall interested in ALL of the characters & their stories.

I cannot WAIT for the next book in the series to come out. I so want to know what happens with Gina, Rebel, Wade and Alex (and a few other characters too).

[Trish · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a book full of alpha men that seem to have their world turned upside down by the heroine. I was a little sad when this one ended. Marc Lafayette is still following the bad guys from book 1 Shoot toThrill and is not looking for any distraction. Tara Reeves happens to distract him by way of investigating mysterious threats in the bayou that his team is assigned to and by way of instant attraction. Tara is a kick ass state trooper that is determined to stay on the case and prove that she is tougher than anyone gives her credit for. Marc is a gritty alpha man that struggles with being over protective and trusting Tara's skill as a trooper. Suspense, page turning read.

I absolutely loved reading about Wade, Rebel, and Alex. Talk about sexual tension and hot steamy connections.

[Laurie Garrison · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars

This book is good in the way of suspense, but when it comes to staying with the main Characters Mark and Tara it did not. A few pages your reading about Mark and Tara then all the sudden when it gets good it changes to, Darcy and Bobby Lee same here a couple pages it gets good, then you reading lets say about Gina now this one lady is special to the book she has a big roll with her kidnapping, she goes through a lot of abuse, but just as it gets good you change again to Rebel and Zane a few pages then it’s Rebel and Wade This back in fourth goes through the whole book. If you can get past this it’s a good read full of excitement, sadness, romance and steamy sex.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Am I ever glad I stumbled upon Nina Bruhns.

This was a great book with wonderful characters and tons of smoking hot sex scenes! What more could you ask for?

Also much to my surprise there are several stories going on at once. For me, I really liked this. I know from some reviews that not everyone loved this, but I sure did.

I cannot wait for Gregg and Gina's book…April 6th 2010 I think. It should be fantastic because the author has spent the last two books setting up their story.

[Pamela(AllHoney) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second book in the Passion for Danger series by Nina Bruhns. Overall a satisfying and enjoyable read. I did have an issue with the multiple romances and got confused as to who the main H/h were. I prefer my romances to concentrate on one couple with possibly a minor romance on the side. It was still good enough that I kept reading to the end.

[Regina · Rating 1 out of 5]

Two stars. I liked the interaction between the main characters, but they backround story line was unbelievable and not well developed. I found my self skipping parts. Also, the character development was superficial. I will likely read the sequel, just to find out what is happening.

[Keri · Rating 2 out of 5]

The back of the book tells you that this book is about Marc and Tara's romance, but in reality it is about several couples. They are all competing for face time and that is why the book doesn't work very well. I think Zosia said that NB should have wrote 6 books and I totally agree with that. In fact I would have probably liked the book a lot better.

Going from couple scene to couple scene got confusing. Also this book absolutely cannot stand alone. You also need to have read the first book. In fact I would collect them all three and read them back to back.

Frankly at some points I am not even sure that some of these couples liked one another. Then they were hopping into bed with one another so fast, who had time to form a relationship. In the end I just tried to roll with it. I got so caught up in what Gina was going through, that I resented when it was somebody else's chapter. Had to fight just skimming to get to her parts. How can she ever forgive Gregg for what he did? I don't see how that could be turned into a positive and them still work as a couple.

What was up with Alex thinking that he had any hold on Rebel while engaged to her perfect best friend? I would have liked this book a lot more it it hadn't been so busy and at time Quinn's and Marc's actions had me rolling my eyes. I expected at any time they were going to break out in the WoO's Scarecrow's song, Oh If I only had a brain. They were too stupid sometimes.

Also why is it so easy to write a review about a book that didn't work very well for you, as opposed to a great book you feel like you have to chisel a review out of stone and hate that you didn't do it justice. At least that is how I feel. I want to finish the series just to see how Gina and Gregg work it out.

[Cindi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am new to Nina Bruhns, and was a bit leary of starting the PFD series due to some so-so reviews, but now I am a fan! Her spec ops teams are truly a joy to read about; they are peopled with the kinds of men and women who will gladly give it all to save America. Her men are hot and hard and somewhat enlightened - the women working with them are competent and smart and the men know these women can take care of themselves . . . so long as that woman is not THEIR woman. Oh well, no alpha male is perfect, right?

The main H/H in this book are Marc Layfette, a sweet-talkin' Cajun who works for STORM, and transplanted New Yorker, Tara Reeves. Tara is a Louisianna highway trooper and one smart cookie. She learned from watching her mama always be a distant second to her military,globe-trotting husband that she wants a man who'll be there for her. Unfortunately, love doesn't always listen and Tara makes a connection with Marc that makes for a wild ride in this story.

Nina also builds wonderful secondary (I hate to even say that, as their stories are given so much prominence) characters, some of which appear to continue thruout the books. Its almost like reading three novellas that are tied together. She does a good job of tying up most of the loose ends, giving the plots enough attention that I never felt disappointed at the conclusions as I have in many other books where the end gets tied up too neatly right before the book is finished; she has left a big string for the next book to follow, however. I am anxious to read it!

[Melissa Wehunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

If Looks Could Kill is an exhilarating romantic suspense that has plenty of goings-on in the Bayou of Louisiana. When several odd deaths occur, state law enforcement officer Tara Reeves is on the case. She hires Marc Lafayette as her swamp guide, but is unaware of his undercover status as a Special Ops agent searching for a terrorist. [return][return]Needless to say, Marc is not so enthusiastic about being side tracked with Reeves except for the fact that he is wildly attracted to her. This love story however, is not just about Tara and Marc, but simultaneously follows the lives (and love stories) of several other agents in the field. As all of the stories begin to converge together, so does the heat. Bruhns does a great job of making sure you read this one all the way to the end. And leaves enough hanging that you will definitely need to read the next installement.

[Dee Haddrill · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second in the series, this one focuses more on Mark and Tara, Darcy and Quinn, and a love quadrangle with Alex, Rebel, Wade and Helena. I thought I would be annoyed that there were so many relationships going on in one book, but I actually liked it. I think, had the book been totally focussed on one couple, it wouldn't have been as good and it would have dragged. Especially if the couple in question were Marc and Tara. I understand he's Cajun, but the constant thinking in Cajun was driving me up the wall coz I don't know Cajun!!! The sex scenes were hot and explosive, and I especially loved the relationship between Darcy and Quinn. I'm hoping Rebel and Alex work it out in the next book, coz I just don't think Wade is the right man for Rebel and Helena is DEFINITELY not the woman for Alex.

Still, a good book!

[Nina Bruhns · Rating 5 out of 5]

Passion For Danger, book 2

If Looks Could Chill continues the suspense adventure begun in Shoot To Thrill. Readers will meet several of the same characters in this story, as well as be introduced to a few new ones. Two hot romances explode, and the suspense plot deepens when terrorist from al Sayika come to Louisiana to escalate their plot for revenge, and STORM Corps must prevent the worst from happening.
For more info and an excerpt, check out my website www.NinaBruhns.com

Good Reading!!!
Nina

[Anne OK · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would give it 10 stars if I could! Superb book. Chills and Thrills along with characters and dialogue that grip you from page 1. This series by Bruhns is as good as it gets for me. I simply was unable to put this book down. "Shoot to Thrill", the first book was fabulous but as the plot thickens and more characters are introduced, the second book steps up a notch. Beware - there are some major cliffhangers and you'll be left with unanswered questions until the third book comes out in April 2010. One of the best books I've read this year -- definitely a keeper series!

[Joanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

special -Ops...check

special op-s hot guys...check

special-ops hot strong guys....check

specials-ops hot strong guys with guns....check

special-ops hot strong guys with guns that engage in a lot of sex....check

special-ops hot strong guys with guns that engage in a lot of sex sometimes in very random and public places.....CHECK

all in all....great book when compared to others of its kind. :)

[Shireen Hakani · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

[♥ Vonda M. Reid ♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 // Action: 5 / Emotion: 5 / Romance: 5 / Sensuous: 5 / Intrigue: 5 / Humor: 6 / Tears: 5

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[STORM Corp. has been contracted by Homeland Security to find kidnapped Dr. Gina Cappozi and stop the al Sayika terrorist leader, Abbas Tawhid, who is using her skills to create a biochemical weapon. That search has led them to the swamplands of Louisiana, Marc Lafayette's home stomping grounds.

Louisiana State Trooper Tara Reeves has been tramping through the swamp looking for the corporation who is polluting the water that is causing the death of animals. His team leader, Bobby Lee Quinn, has assigned Marc to keep Tara out of their investigation.

The team also consists of Kick Jackson (sniper), Darcy Zimmerman (operative and computer tech), Rand Jaeger (communications specialist); J.C. Kowalski (bio-terror expert). Legendary STORM Commander, Kurt Bridger also becomes involved in the operation.]

Have such a difficult time rating any book five stars. Nina Bruhns' If Looks Could Chill (Book Two of The Passion For Danger Trilogy,) deserves that rating. Why? Because she wrote a romantic suspense novel that gave the reader five-star amounts of action, emotion, romance, sensuality, intrigue and did it while keeping the reader enthralled during the entire reading process. Furthermore, once you close the cover of this book, that emotional entanglement remains.

This Passion For Danger Trilogy draws the reader in and will not let go. Several matters should be taken into account before reading this series.

First. Leave yourself plenty of reading time when picking up the first book of this series, Shoot To Thrill . After completion, you will not want to wait to see what is going to happen to Marc Lafayette (and, hopefully, "Pig"). Then after finishing If Looks Could Chill , the desire to pick up Book Three, A Kiss To Kill , is insurmountable. This review will further explain, but all three of these books are very closely tied together in one great big long, entertaining story. That story involves many different heros and heroines as they search for the traitor who is responsible for the atrocities that they have encountered (and must stop) during their pursuit of the terrorist cell, al Sayika.

Second. If you are not drawn into the suspenseful, action-filled story of how all these STORM-team heros and heroines track down and overcome members of the al Sayika terrorist cell, you will surely be drawn into the unrequited love story of Alex Zane and Rebel Haywood. "Pig" dreamed of a naked red-haired woman all through Book One, Shoot To Thrill . Red-headed Rebel dreamed of being with Alex all through If Looks Could Chill . Therefore, one is just driven to see how Bruhns is going to fix Alex and Rebel's unrequited love story in the final book of the trilogy.

Maybe it would be better served to write three mini-reviews as there are three mini-romances in If Looks Could Chill . One: Marc Lafayette and Tara Reeves. Two: Bobby Lee Quinn and Darcy Zimmerman. Three: a triangle (if you will): Alex Zane, Rebel Haywood and Wade Montana.

Have to admit that the time span between Chapter One (Five Years Ago in The Dumani Embassy, Istanbul, Turkey) and Chapter Two (Present Day, Lower St. Martin Parish, Louisiana) was frustrating. In a very informative, entertaining manner, Marc bore witness to the STORM-CIA joint operation in which Bobby Lee met Darcy. Could not believe Bruhns just left the reader on that cliff -- wondering what in the world happened to Bobby Lee, Darcy, and Marc when they were caught trying to steal al Sayika's terrorist information. Thankfully, those repercussions were revealed during the course of the book. What a talented, unique way to keep the reader in suspense and absorbed in the story.

Although not billed as the hero and heroine of this novel, Bobby Lee and Darcy do share the romance spotlight. Bobby Lee and Darcy have been lovers since they met. They had an uncommitted arrangement because of the danger and distance that was an inherent part of their careers as STORM Corp. operatives. Problems arose because Darcy had somehow fallen in love with the globe-trotting "dawg" and didn't know how to cope with this non-relationship status any more.

Since Bobby Lee was sent by Command to replace Darcy as the lead on the "Dr. Cappozi case," it is pretty easy to guess that the assignment is going to be complicated with emotional issues. Bobby Lee is having difficulty keeping his mind on the search for the terrorist cell holding Dr. Cappozi captive (and to eliminate the threat of a biochemical release) because he has no earthly idea why Darcy (all the sudden) wants nothing to do with him.

Bruhns does a fantastic job of interjecting these suspenseful action scenes with emotional considerations. While Bobby Lee and Darcy are capably performing their jobs of searching for Abbas Tawhid (terrorist cell leader), they are repeatedly forced to deal with the emotional issues facing them regarding their intense feelings for one another. Bruhns writes wickedly hot, "gotta find me a man"-feeling love scenes when Bobby Lee and Darcy can no longer keep their hands off one another. And Bobby Lee and Darcy seem to have great difficulties when it comes to keeping their hands to themselves.

Top billed-Marc is the exact opposite of Bobby Lee. Having been raised with five sisters, Marc has a more respectful, protective nature towards women. Marc is atypically attracted to the strong and self-reliant Louisiana State Trooper. He is assigned to keep Tara from interfering with the team's terrorist search. Tara has been searching the swamps to find evidence to stop the corporation who is contaminating the waters (resulting in animal deaths). Marc hires on as Tara's swamp-country guide to redirect her search as necessary.

The emotional barriers thrown in Tara's path are varied. She feels she has never measured up to the unbending, stringent rules imposed by her father, a military man who was never there for her mother. Although Tara flourished because of her mother's unconditional love, she tends to repel men. Her attraction to her guide (who may be on the wrong side of the law) is uncharacteristic. Bruhns does a wonderful job of tweaking events (to preserve the secrecy of the operation) so that it becomes necessary for Tara to remain in the custody of Marc.

Marc and Tara ultimately give in to their mutual attraction. Bruhns does not disappoint. Not only do Marc and Tara experience the magic of a hot and spicy encounter, but they cannot get away from the strong emotional connections that are developing. As Marc deals with his issues of bringing a woman into his dangerously insecure world, Tara fights being attracted to a man like her father (absent military man).

The triangle. Alex wants Rebel. Rebel wants Alex. Alex is engaged to "perfect" Helena (who makes one brief appearance in the book). Wondered through the entire book why Alex wouldn't dump Helena. (Puh-lease! Nobody is that perfect and no man is that honorable.) Bruhns never reveals why! What a marketing tool. Have to get the third book of the trilogy because Bruhns is bound to answer the questions that arise; like {1} why did Helena stay with Alex? {2} What is Helena up to? (She cannot be the "goody-two-shoes" she is portrayed to be.) {3} How is Bruhns going to get Alex and Rebel together?

Oh yeah, the third member of the triangle. Charming, debonair, Special Agent in Charge, Wade Montana. Wade has somehow managed to get himself transferred to the New York office to head the FBI team looking for Gina Cappozi. FBI Agent Rebel Haywood has been investigating this case and knows that this action is highly inappropriate since Wade used to be engaged to Gina. Wade calls Rebel aside and basically asks her to work with him to solve the case.

Rebel vacillates between trusting and fearing Wade. Rebel is so conflicted about Alex (and having to be the maid of honor at his wedding) that she is losing too much sleep. She is so emotionally exhausted, she falls into bed with her boss. Wade is not lacking in providing the reader with hot, intense, stimulating love making. It is easy to understand Rebel's need to try and find a man who will help her get over Alex, but Wade doesn't seem to be the right man for that job.

Bruhns has made Wade's character so enigmatic that it's easy to understand Rebel's indecisiveness. Another reason presents itself to force us to read A Kiss To Kill . How does Wade tie in to this whole story? Is he the traitor or just the unlucky-in-love boy toy to two of the series heroines? Wade and Rebel's visit to the Zero Unit during their investigation into Gina's disappearance, has me leaning towards fearing Wade.

Some readers may have difficulties with the way this story was developed -- revolving the plot around three romances and one captive's point of view. Bruhns, however, seemed to use this tool to enhance the suspense and emotional involvement with all the characters of the book. Even though each character was not given a long, well-developed background, each hero and heroine's history was touched upon enough to let the reader know why he or she had their respective hangups.

The multiple-protagonist concept also promoted a tight-knit sense of camaraderie between the members of STORM Corp. This sense of unity enhanced the depth of involvement the reader felt with the men and women who were trying to save the world from terrorists.

It may have been frustrating to become intensely involved in the search for Dr. Cappozi and Abbas Tawhid, only to be interrupted to read about what is going on from another point of view -- but it sure kept one tied to the book. You just had to keep reading to find out what was going to happen next (and to which members of the cast).

Not too many authors seem to do this in their series books, but loved that Bruhns interwove members from the previous book into this story line and made them an integral part of the plot. It is so wonderful to get to read more about the people that had become part of my emotional thought processes. It is interesting to see: {1} how Kick and Rainie are dealing with Kick's new job. {2} What happened to Gina after she was kidnapped. {3} How "Pig" is recuperating from being an al Sayika captive.

There were a couple of instances that it would have been interesting to see what kind of entertaining and unique dialogue Bruhns could have created between the characters instead of later revealing what had happened as an afterthought. (But that would have meant changing the format of the plot to focus on only one couple instead of three.) For instance: {1} What did Marc and Tara say when he took her into custody (when found dead bodies). {2} How did Gina recognize the undercurrents when Rebel, Wade and Alex were part of the FBI's interview of Gina.

A clever (and extremely entertaining) writing technique that Bruhns utilizes is to spout the actual thoughts of characters. This delivery is so realistically on-target. These zingers support all the irreverent thoughts we all think (but don't say). For instance, when Marc told Tara that Homeland Security was on the way, she thought: "Oh sure. Like she really bought that."

All-in-all If Looks Could Chill was an amazing read. It had {1} multiple, hunky, sexy, alpha heros; {2} multiple hot, smart, self-reliant, brave heroines; {3} incredible amounts of romantic thoughts flowing through the heads of those heros and heroines; {4} lots of thrilling action sequences; {5} "are they going to get there in time" suspense; {6} amazingly hot, sensual love scenes; {7} the heroine is just as instrumental in saving the day as the hero; {8} two happily-ever-afters. It will definitely find its way on the "to be re-read" list.

Later! Have to go read book three!

[lily bookscation · Rating 2 out of 5]

it's suppose to be Marc & Tara story right? but but there are several couples in this book too..

I am more interesting in Rebel/Alex story tbh

[Olivia Kononiuk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Told my bf I was reading a sexy book and he asked what it's about exactly so I said "terrorists"

[Darcy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, this book really ramped things up. There was so much going on, 3-4 different couples, who's stories we were following, and with all of them you aren't quite sure how things ended.

I'll start out with Kick and Raine from the last book, they are the only ones that seem happy and settled.

From this first couple we can to to Raine's BFF, Gina. All we knew from last time is that she was betrayed. She finds herself in a bad place within this book. The super smart Gina is fighting the only way she can right now, she does her best to not make the weapon they want. Her actions come at a high price to herself. I don't think this will be the end to this part.

From Gina we will go to her ex-fiance, Wade. The last time around I liked him at times and hated him. With this book I am not sure what to think of him. I felt some of the same reservations that Rebel did about him and still do. I don't think we have seen the last of him.

And speaking of Rebel....I just want to shake some sense into her. The big reveal of the last book with her being Alex's angel, makes her playing the martyr here all the worst, especially when we find out all she has done for Alex and Helena. It makes me mad, but Alex really doesn't tell her everything either. I don't know what to think of her little fling with Wade.

Quinn and Darcy are fantastic together, but they sure do have their own issues. I love their chemistry and I hope they are able to work things out. Their fights were so much fun to read about.

And the last couple, Marc and Tara, were fun to read about too. Tara has more than enough personality to go toe to toe with him. Even Marc's doing everything he could to scare Tara away didn't faze her at all.

The whole terrorist plot tied all of these people together. Some of that part of the story was a little boring, but it did make sense that it would need to be there to connect all of these people.

I also really liked that this time we got to learn more about STORM, especially Bridger, who seems to be a legend in the organization.

I am looking forward to the next book as the cast of characters is large and I would like to see some of the stories left hanging from this book resolved.