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McClouds & Friends #8
Blood and Fire
Restless and impulsive, Bruno Ranieri has the temperament to fit right in with the McClouds. And just like the McCloud brothers, Bruno has a dangerous past to contend with - one that's about to come crashing back into his life...
Bruno Ranieri has always lived at a chaotic pace, and that goes double lately. Since his uncle's untimely demise, Bruno is working himself to the bone, trying to keep his nose clean and save the family business. Not easy when the nightmares that plagued his childhood are hi-jacking what little rest he gets.
So when exotically beautiful Lily Parr sashays into his all-night restaurant, claiming to be on the run from mysterious assassins, Bruno starts to wonder if sleep deprivation is finally getting to him. Especially when Lily implies that Bruno is involved. But the violence that accompanies her arrival is no illusion. Nor is the blisteringly hot, completely inconvenient desire that explodes between them.
Lily Parr has been a fugitive ever since her father's death a month ago in a mental hospital. Officials claimed it was suicide, but Lily's gut - and the savage murder attempt she barely escaped afterwards - say different. Snippets of information led Lily to Bruno's door...and his magnetic charisma compelled her right into his bed. But there are cold-blooded killers on her heels, with resources as limitless as their cruelty.
Running won’t help, not when the biggest threat is the terrifying secret lurking in Bruno and Lily’s pasts. A secret their mysterious enemy will gladly destroy them to protect—unless they can uncover it first…
Bruno Ranieri has always lived at a chaotic pace, and that goes double lately. Since his uncle's untimely demise, Bruno is working himself to the bone, trying to keep his nose clean and save the family business. Not easy when the nightmares that plagued his childhood are hi-jacking what little rest he gets.
So when exotically beautiful Lily Parr sashays into his all-night restaurant, claiming to be on the run from mysterious assassins, Bruno starts to wonder if sleep deprivation is finally getting to him. Especially when Lily implies that Bruno is involved. But the violence that accompanies her arrival is no illusion. Nor is the blisteringly hot, completely inconvenient desire that explodes between them.
Lily Parr has been a fugitive ever since her father's death a month ago in a mental hospital. Officials claimed it was suicide, but Lily's gut - and the savage murder attempt she barely escaped afterwards - say different. Snippets of information led Lily to Bruno's door...and his magnetic charisma compelled her right into his bed. But there are cold-blooded killers on her heels, with resources as limitless as their cruelty.
Running won’t help, not when the biggest threat is the terrifying secret lurking in Bruno and Lily’s pasts. A secret their mysterious enemy will gladly destroy them to protect—unless they can uncover it first…
503 pages, Trade Paperback
First published September 27, 2011
96 people are currently reading
1181 people want to read
About the author
Shannon McKenna
124 books1,448 followersAlso wrote five category romances under the penname Shannon Anderson
::From The Author's Website::
HOW IT ALL BEGAN
I started writing my first romance novel in secret. I was working a temp job in an insurance office in Manhattan at the time, and the office manager had made it clear that even if there was nothing to do, I still had to look busy-- never one of my big talents. I felt bad about the wasted time, though, and I needed something to round out my other chosen career, which was singing. Yeah, that's right. Most artists choose a more practical Plan B to back up their improbable Plan A. Me? No way. "Long Shot" is my middle name.
So I sneakily set up a Document 1 and a Document 2 with a spreadsheet on it. If my Boss du Jour walked by I could quick-like-a-bunny switch screens, and whenever the coast was clear, I went back to my story. Not that I was slacking, mind you. If there was work to be done, I did it. The sneakiness felt familiar, though, because I've been teased about reading romances since I was a kid. I think the day I finally grew up was the day I stopped trying to cover up what I was reading on the bus, train or subway. Let people think whatever they like.
It wasn't until I moved to Italy (details of that Long Shot provided later on) that I got serious about writing, though. I found myself with many long, quiet days alone with nothing to do, so I slogged my way bravely to the end of the manuscript and sent it out. Everybody rejected it-except for Kensington. I wrote for them for a few years, and then made a bid for an erotic novella for the new Brava imprint, and oh joy, they accepted it. Then I wrote BEHIND CLOSED DOORS. And so on, and so forth.
That's how I started. I can't think of anything I'd rather do. I never knew it would be so scary, and so hard . . . all that solitude and silence, a blank computer screen, and no one to blame. But still. It's worth it. It's great.
::From The Author's Website::
HOW IT ALL BEGAN
I started writing my first romance novel in secret. I was working a temp job in an insurance office in Manhattan at the time, and the office manager had made it clear that even if there was nothing to do, I still had to look busy-- never one of my big talents. I felt bad about the wasted time, though, and I needed something to round out my other chosen career, which was singing. Yeah, that's right. Most artists choose a more practical Plan B to back up their improbable Plan A. Me? No way. "Long Shot" is my middle name.
So I sneakily set up a Document 1 and a Document 2 with a spreadsheet on it. If my Boss du Jour walked by I could quick-like-a-bunny switch screens, and whenever the coast was clear, I went back to my story. Not that I was slacking, mind you. If there was work to be done, I did it. The sneakiness felt familiar, though, because I've been teased about reading romances since I was a kid. I think the day I finally grew up was the day I stopped trying to cover up what I was reading on the bus, train or subway. Let people think whatever they like.
It wasn't until I moved to Italy (details of that Long Shot provided later on) that I got serious about writing, though. I found myself with many long, quiet days alone with nothing to do, so I slogged my way bravely to the end of the manuscript and sent it out. Everybody rejected it-except for Kensington. I wrote for them for a few years, and then made a bid for an erotic novella for the new Brava imprint, and oh joy, they accepted it. Then I wrote BEHIND CLOSED DOORS. And so on, and so forth.
That's how I started. I can't think of anything I'd rather do. I never knew it would be so scary, and so hard . . . all that solitude and silence, a blank computer screen, and no one to blame. But still. It's worth it. It's great.
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September 28, 2011
I love, love , love Shannon McKenna's writing, have read everything she's written and her McClouds & Friends series is an auto-buy for me and is probably in my top 3 romantic suspense series. I just love her heroes' crazy male POV, love their dialogue with their heroines, love how they fall hard for the heroines like they've been pole axed, love their fearlessness and protectiveness, and love the affection they show their family and friends. Blood and Fire is the 8th book of the McClouds series, and by now these characters have become so real to me it's not hard to imagine what they'll say, think, or how they'll react to certain situations. Blood and Fire is not a McCloud story, although there is a close tie to the McClouds. It's about 32-year old Bruno Ranieri, the 'adoptive' brother of Kev (Fade To Midnight) McCloud. The book blurb explains his story better than I could:
*Beware, some spoilers ahead...
We met Bruno Ranieri in FADE TO MIDNIGHT, the story of Kev McCloud, the last of the indomitable McCloud brothers. Bruno is Kev’s restless, hotheated, ass-kicking younger adopted brother from the loud and chaotic Ranieri family. With the help of Bruno and his other brothers, Kev has finally faced the monsters from his past, and emerged victorious--but Bruno’s got his own monsters to deal with, and lately, they’ve been circling around, closing in. And they’re hungry for blood.
Bruno...
Bruno’s been trying to keep it all together since his adopted brother Kev’s life exploded, leading to Bruno’s Uncle Tony’s untimely death. He’s been working hard at his business, keeping his nose clean, making money, trying to save his uncle’s restaurant—all while functioning with virtually no sleep, since the dreams from his childhood are back—terrifying nightmares that practically tear him apart, night after night.
Then Lily Parr sashays into the all night restaurant, wearing a black wig, a low cut dress, and a fifty pound chip on her shoulder, and blows his mind, in more ways than one. Like it wasn’t enough to be pole-axed by her ethereally seductive beauty, she’s also on the run from mysterious assassins, and she’s convinced that Bruno is somehow involved. Problem is, the second he touches her, he is involved—up to his neck, whether he wants it or not. And when violence explodes around them almost as quickly as the raging desire explodes between them, Bruno has to start wondering, weird as it seemed, if there’s something to her wild story—or if he’s just being used.
Lily Parr is desperate. She’s been a fugitive ever since her father’s death a month before in a mental hospital—ostensibly a suicide, but Lily knows in her heart that it’s murder. Her father tried to tell her the secret that had broken his mind right before his death, tried and failed, and right afterwards, Lily barely escaped a savage murder attempt outside her own New York City apartment. All her father had been able to give her was a name: Magda Ranieri, a woman who’d been murdered by her mafioso boyfriend twenty years before. It seemed like a dead end, but Magda had a son. Bruno Ranieri.
Lily has finally hunted him down, hoping for clues, but didn’t bargain for what she actually finds. The sexiest guy she’s ever seen. Volcanically hot. Magnetic. Protective. Charming. Funny. She does not need such a stupid distraction, not with rabid killers hot on her heels. But she cannot resist him. Not for a second.
Lily...
Bruno has left the heartbreak in his past behind him. The last thing he wants is to reopen those old wounds, but Lily ignites a hunger inside him that he’s never felt before, and he can’t turn his back on her desperate plight. Nor can he stop touching her.
But a terrifying and unseen foe is right behind them, an enemy with seemingly endless power and resources. The faster they run, the harder they fight, the worse things get. Because there is a terrifying secret hidden in Bruno and Lily’s pasts, a secret that only the two of them working together can unearth—and their mysterious enemy will do anything to stop them from finding it. Passion rages unchecked as they race against time to unravel the mystery, but passion is not enough. They need trust to find the key, or the evil from their past will overtake them . . . and destroy them.
So how did I feel about this one? Well, despite treading on what felt like familiar territory regarding the villain in this story (didn't Sean's story also have a mad scientist villain using mind control?) I loved it! It started out a bit confusing for me because I couldn't remember too much about Bruno from the previous book, and I was a little confused about what his dreams meant, but gradually the story started to make sense and I could see where SM was going with it. And I had my own theories about how Bruno and Lily were connected to the villain (and I was right, for once!). I love how this played out, even though it took until about page 400 for all to be revealed. I absolutely loved how SM included all the McClouds in this book, and especially how she had Kev and Sean helping Bruno--this gave Kev and Sean some time together where they could reconnect as twins and brothers. I enjoyed getting updates on Davy & Margot, Connor & Erin, Sean & Liv, Kev & Edie, Miles (Cindy got a mention, but wasn't in the story), Tam and Val, Rachel and Sveti (who may get a future story with a young detective, Sam Petrie?), a mention of Seth & Raine (but not in the story), and a pretty big role for Alex Aaro, the hero of the next book. McKenna managed to work all these characters in seamlessly, even giving Tam a small storyline that helped to move the plot along at a crucial point. SM also included a character from Fade To Midnight--Bruno's Zia (aunt) Rosa--and what a character she was! She had some of the funniest lines in the book, and I loved how she insinuated herself into the (grandmotherless) lives of the McCloud family.
There was plenty of action in this book, since Lily and Bruno were on the run from people who wanted them dead. I loved how Lily, Bruno, and the McClouds constantly were able to outwit and out-muscle the bad guys. I don't want to say any more about the bad guys and their "leader" and how the leader was connected to Bruno and his late mother (since that would be a big spoiler)...I have a feeling that most readers will figure it out before the big reveal, but it is rather gripping when Lily and Bruno finally find out what they've been up against.
Now, the romance between Bruno and Lily? Well, it was hot, in that all-consuming McCloud way, but honestly? I think the suspense plot overshadowed the romance a bit, which was okay with me. I liked Lily (who could be snarky, sarcastic, and a bit defensive--I could hardly blame her though for the life she had to lead). I loved how she finally had someone to look out for her in Bruno. And of course I adored Bruno. I love all McKenna's heroes, especially when they're being overprotective asses-- there's always an underlying sweetness about them. While I knew Lily and Bruno were mad for each other, I was kind of caught up in the whole mad scientist and his robot minions plot. I wanted this horrific, twisted creep brought down...and the way it finally happened? Let's just say that scene lived up to the title of the book!
Lily and Bruno...
If you've been following this series (and enjoying it), you'll want to add this to your must-read list. There's plenty of action, a worthy H/h to root for, some hot sex, some funny dialogue, a healthy chunk of McClouds, and a suspenseful, heart stopping, gory conclusion. I will say that after all Lily (and especially Bruno) had to endure, I'm surprised they don't need intensive therapy! 5 stars
*Beware, some spoilers ahead...
We met Bruno Ranieri in FADE TO MIDNIGHT, the story of Kev McCloud, the last of the indomitable McCloud brothers. Bruno is Kev’s restless, hotheated, ass-kicking younger adopted brother from the loud and chaotic Ranieri family. With the help of Bruno and his other brothers, Kev has finally faced the monsters from his past, and emerged victorious--but Bruno’s got his own monsters to deal with, and lately, they’ve been circling around, closing in. And they’re hungry for blood.
Bruno...
Bruno’s been trying to keep it all together since his adopted brother Kev’s life exploded, leading to Bruno’s Uncle Tony’s untimely death. He’s been working hard at his business, keeping his nose clean, making money, trying to save his uncle’s restaurant—all while functioning with virtually no sleep, since the dreams from his childhood are back—terrifying nightmares that practically tear him apart, night after night.
Then Lily Parr sashays into the all night restaurant, wearing a black wig, a low cut dress, and a fifty pound chip on her shoulder, and blows his mind, in more ways than one. Like it wasn’t enough to be pole-axed by her ethereally seductive beauty, she’s also on the run from mysterious assassins, and she’s convinced that Bruno is somehow involved. Problem is, the second he touches her, he is involved—up to his neck, whether he wants it or not. And when violence explodes around them almost as quickly as the raging desire explodes between them, Bruno has to start wondering, weird as it seemed, if there’s something to her wild story—or if he’s just being used.
Lily Parr is desperate. She’s been a fugitive ever since her father’s death a month before in a mental hospital—ostensibly a suicide, but Lily knows in her heart that it’s murder. Her father tried to tell her the secret that had broken his mind right before his death, tried and failed, and right afterwards, Lily barely escaped a savage murder attempt outside her own New York City apartment. All her father had been able to give her was a name: Magda Ranieri, a woman who’d been murdered by her mafioso boyfriend twenty years before. It seemed like a dead end, but Magda had a son. Bruno Ranieri.
Lily has finally hunted him down, hoping for clues, but didn’t bargain for what she actually finds. The sexiest guy she’s ever seen. Volcanically hot. Magnetic. Protective. Charming. Funny. She does not need such a stupid distraction, not with rabid killers hot on her heels. But she cannot resist him. Not for a second.
Lily...
Bruno has left the heartbreak in his past behind him. The last thing he wants is to reopen those old wounds, but Lily ignites a hunger inside him that he’s never felt before, and he can’t turn his back on her desperate plight. Nor can he stop touching her.
But a terrifying and unseen foe is right behind them, an enemy with seemingly endless power and resources. The faster they run, the harder they fight, the worse things get. Because there is a terrifying secret hidden in Bruno and Lily’s pasts, a secret that only the two of them working together can unearth—and their mysterious enemy will do anything to stop them from finding it. Passion rages unchecked as they race against time to unravel the mystery, but passion is not enough. They need trust to find the key, or the evil from their past will overtake them . . . and destroy them.
So how did I feel about this one? Well, despite treading on what felt like familiar territory regarding the villain in this story (didn't Sean's story also have a mad scientist villain using mind control?) I loved it! It started out a bit confusing for me because I couldn't remember too much about Bruno from the previous book, and I was a little confused about what his dreams meant, but gradually the story started to make sense and I could see where SM was going with it. And I had my own theories about how Bruno and Lily were connected to the villain (and I was right, for once!). I love how this played out, even though it took until about page 400 for all to be revealed. I absolutely loved how SM included all the McClouds in this book, and especially how she had Kev and Sean helping Bruno--this gave Kev and Sean some time together where they could reconnect as twins and brothers. I enjoyed getting updates on Davy & Margot, Connor & Erin, Sean & Liv, Kev & Edie, Miles (Cindy got a mention, but wasn't in the story), Tam and Val, Rachel and Sveti (who may get a future story with a young detective, Sam Petrie?), a mention of Seth & Raine (but not in the story), and a pretty big role for Alex Aaro, the hero of the next book. McKenna managed to work all these characters in seamlessly, even giving Tam a small storyline that helped to move the plot along at a crucial point. SM also included a character from Fade To Midnight--Bruno's Zia (aunt) Rosa--and what a character she was! She had some of the funniest lines in the book, and I loved how she insinuated herself into the (grandmotherless) lives of the McCloud family.
There was plenty of action in this book, since Lily and Bruno were on the run from people who wanted them dead. I loved how Lily, Bruno, and the McClouds constantly were able to outwit and out-muscle the bad guys. I don't want to say any more about the bad guys and their "leader" and how the leader was connected to Bruno and his late mother (since that would be a big spoiler)...I have a feeling that most readers will figure it out before the big reveal, but it is rather gripping when Lily and Bruno finally find out what they've been up against.
Now, the romance between Bruno and Lily? Well, it was hot, in that all-consuming McCloud way, but honestly? I think the suspense plot overshadowed the romance a bit, which was okay with me. I liked Lily (who could be snarky, sarcastic, and a bit defensive--I could hardly blame her though for the life she had to lead). I loved how she finally had someone to look out for her in Bruno. And of course I adored Bruno. I love all McKenna's heroes, especially when they're being overprotective asses-- there's always an underlying sweetness about them. While I knew Lily and Bruno were mad for each other, I was kind of caught up in the whole mad scientist and his robot minions plot. I wanted this horrific, twisted creep brought down...and the way it finally happened? Let's just say that scene lived up to the title of the book!
Lily and Bruno...
If you've been following this series (and enjoying it), you'll want to add this to your must-read list. There's plenty of action, a worthy H/h to root for, some hot sex, some funny dialogue, a healthy chunk of McClouds, and a suspenseful, heart stopping, gory conclusion. I will say that after all Lily (and especially Bruno) had to endure, I'm surprised they don't need intensive therapy! 5 stars
March 2, 2012
This is how I pictured "my" Bruno:
He'd tried to convince Zia Rosa to take down that cover of the Portland Monthly she'd put up in the diner after the mag had done that 'most eligible' article about him. It embarrassed him now. But Zia Rosa liked his dimples in that picture, and Zia Rosa could not be reasoned with.
Yeah, I like his dimples too, and I can't be reasoned with either, LOL.
He'd tried to convince Zia Rosa to take down that cover of the Portland Monthly she'd put up in the diner after the mag had done that 'most eligible' article about him. It embarrassed him now. But Zia Rosa liked his dimples in that picture, and Zia Rosa could not be reasoned with.
Yeah, I like his dimples too, and I can't be reasoned with either, LOL.
October 3, 2011
Story Rating 5 stars
Character Rating 5 stars
Romance Rating 5 stars
Action Rating 5 stars
Heat Level 4 out of 5 stars
Overall Rating 5 stars
This story was AMAZING right from the start and kept me in aw of Shannon McKenna's talent as I writer. As I've said before in my reviews for SM book's, the woman sure does have a fantastic imagination to come up with the stuff she writes.
LOVED Bruno and Lily, they were fabulous character's and I would not have changed a thing about them.
You want action in your reads, well Shannon sure knows how to make her readers sit at the edge of their seats and hold on, totally exhilarating.
You want heat, Shannon adds that too making you wish it was you under her hero's, LOL.
Let's not forget how she writes the most evil of villain's. That is where her imagination really comes front and center. As with all of her book's the villain here was a real piece of work.
If that's not enough, she has thrown all the McCloud clan into full force to help Bruno and Lily through this terrible situation. Things are never dull with those hunky McClouds on the scene. Let's not forget Tam and the McCloud woman either. I just love that we got to see what has been going on in all their lives along with this new and exciting story.
Just when you think Shannon can't make things any better, she add's a happy ending that really satisfied me. I guess the only thing I have to say is that I LOVED every moment of this book and now I just have to wait another year for the next book.
Character Rating 5 stars
Romance Rating 5 stars
Action Rating 5 stars
Heat Level 4 out of 5 stars
Overall Rating 5 stars
This story was AMAZING right from the start and kept me in aw of Shannon McKenna's talent as I writer. As I've said before in my reviews for SM book's, the woman sure does have a fantastic imagination to come up with the stuff she writes.
LOVED Bruno and Lily, they were fabulous character's and I would not have changed a thing about them.
You want action in your reads, well Shannon sure knows how to make her readers sit at the edge of their seats and hold on, totally exhilarating.
You want heat, Shannon adds that too making you wish it was you under her hero's, LOL.
Let's not forget how she writes the most evil of villain's. That is where her imagination really comes front and center. As with all of her book's the villain here was a real piece of work.
If that's not enough, she has thrown all the McCloud clan into full force to help Bruno and Lily through this terrible situation. Things are never dull with those hunky McClouds on the scene. Let's not forget Tam and the McCloud woman either. I just love that we got to see what has been going on in all their lives along with this new and exciting story.
Just when you think Shannon can't make things any better, she add's a happy ending that really satisfied me. I guess the only thing I have to say is that I LOVED every moment of this book and now I just have to wait another year for the next book.
November 9, 2011
Review posted: Happily Ever After - Reads
With BLOOD AND FIRE, the McCloud and Friends series continues, this time it’s Bruno’s turn – the little brother Kev grew up with when he couldn’t remember his own brothers, including his twin, Sean. Bruno is an interesting hero; he’s a very emotional guy, most times wearing his heart right out there on his sleeve. He’s tortured by his past through nightmares that won’t go away and he’s drawn to Lily, a woman who comes into his diner specifically to find him, but he ends up wondering if the tales she’s telling are the truth or the ramblings of a crazy person.
Lily knows crazy. Her father snapped when she was a young girl and she’s been forced into blurring the ethical line with her job, writing papers and theses for college students earning her much needed money that she uses to pay her father’s huge monthly bills for his room at a private clinic. He needs medical professionals around him to make sure he can’t kill himself, which he’s tried to do for years. He’s not very coherent with Lily, but during one visit he starts telling Lily about the past, things that Lily thinks may have driven him to drink, use drugs and mentally crack. The words he speaks don’t make much sense, but when Lily has to run for her life and later finds out that her father is dead, she does what she can with her dad’s last words and heads in Bruno’s direction.
The story connects Bruno and Lily’s pasts through their parents, and leads them to the bad (and I mean BAD) guy King, who has strong ties to both Lily’s father and Bruno’s late mother. King is a creepy psycho. He uses people, starting with most of them at a very young age, and basically brainwashes them to be robots that do his bidding. They’re conditioned to respond to specific passages and commands and he bends them all to his will, as they really don’t know any better. When Bruno kills a few of King’s “subjects” after they attacked him and tests are run on the bodies, the connection to Bruno becomes even more bizarre and the real truth about what King has been doing all these years starts to come out as Bruno, Lily and all the McClouds put the pieces together.
Shannon McKenna writes with such detail in all the scenes, it keeps the pace fast and when you’ve got a 500 page book, keeping the pace up and the pages turning is a must. McKenna doesn’t hold back with anything, scenes with the bad guys can be stomach churning, as we find out quickly in the prologue when a young Lily is being videotaped very inappropriately, to the intense scenes between Bruno and Lily and even a much needed confrontation between Kev and Sean.
Bruno and Lily were very entertaining characters. Lily’s sarcastic, and a little rough around the edges, but she sees in Bruno a person who’s finally in her corner. Someone that wants to help her figure everything out and she’s never had that kind of support in her life. Bruno’s life is a little uncertain when Lily comes barging into it. For years Kev was his “brother” – he grew up with Kev there, but now Kev’s found his McCloud family and Bruno’s feeling completely shut out. Much of it by his own doing, and Kev doesn’t let him get away with it for long. I really liked how emotional Bruno was. He still struggles with his mom’s murder and has a hard time processing everything that’s happening in his life. He and Lily lean on each other and grow closer because of it.
He cupped her head, stared into her eyes, and kissed her. A kiss to draw her soul out of her body, but he gave her his own in return. And the possessive, obsessive chorus of mine, mine, mine with each frenzied stroke – it was coming from her now, too. He was hers. All hers.
The action and fight scenes are just as detailed in the story as the emotional scenes between the characters. The final fight takes place over many pages, and involves not only King, but his humans. Quite a bit got thrown at our hero and heroine at the end: captures, gun fight, fire, but I was cheering for all the bad guys to get what was coming to them and counting down until Bruno and Lily could find their HEA.
I’m a big fan of all the McClouds, and Tam, and now I’m on board with Bruno and Lily. We get caught up on all the past characters, with many of the McClouds getting a good amount of page time, but Bruno and Lily never take a backseat to anyone. They have a relationship I believed in and it was a fun ride, start to finish.
With BLOOD AND FIRE, the McCloud and Friends series continues, this time it’s Bruno’s turn – the little brother Kev grew up with when he couldn’t remember his own brothers, including his twin, Sean. Bruno is an interesting hero; he’s a very emotional guy, most times wearing his heart right out there on his sleeve. He’s tortured by his past through nightmares that won’t go away and he’s drawn to Lily, a woman who comes into his diner specifically to find him, but he ends up wondering if the tales she’s telling are the truth or the ramblings of a crazy person.
Lily knows crazy. Her father snapped when she was a young girl and she’s been forced into blurring the ethical line with her job, writing papers and theses for college students earning her much needed money that she uses to pay her father’s huge monthly bills for his room at a private clinic. He needs medical professionals around him to make sure he can’t kill himself, which he’s tried to do for years. He’s not very coherent with Lily, but during one visit he starts telling Lily about the past, things that Lily thinks may have driven him to drink, use drugs and mentally crack. The words he speaks don’t make much sense, but when Lily has to run for her life and later finds out that her father is dead, she does what she can with her dad’s last words and heads in Bruno’s direction.
The story connects Bruno and Lily’s pasts through their parents, and leads them to the bad (and I mean BAD) guy King, who has strong ties to both Lily’s father and Bruno’s late mother. King is a creepy psycho. He uses people, starting with most of them at a very young age, and basically brainwashes them to be robots that do his bidding. They’re conditioned to respond to specific passages and commands and he bends them all to his will, as they really don’t know any better. When Bruno kills a few of King’s “subjects” after they attacked him and tests are run on the bodies, the connection to Bruno becomes even more bizarre and the real truth about what King has been doing all these years starts to come out as Bruno, Lily and all the McClouds put the pieces together.
Shannon McKenna writes with such detail in all the scenes, it keeps the pace fast and when you’ve got a 500 page book, keeping the pace up and the pages turning is a must. McKenna doesn’t hold back with anything, scenes with the bad guys can be stomach churning, as we find out quickly in the prologue when a young Lily is being videotaped very inappropriately, to the intense scenes between Bruno and Lily and even a much needed confrontation between Kev and Sean.
Bruno and Lily were very entertaining characters. Lily’s sarcastic, and a little rough around the edges, but she sees in Bruno a person who’s finally in her corner. Someone that wants to help her figure everything out and she’s never had that kind of support in her life. Bruno’s life is a little uncertain when Lily comes barging into it. For years Kev was his “brother” – he grew up with Kev there, but now Kev’s found his McCloud family and Bruno’s feeling completely shut out. Much of it by his own doing, and Kev doesn’t let him get away with it for long. I really liked how emotional Bruno was. He still struggles with his mom’s murder and has a hard time processing everything that’s happening in his life. He and Lily lean on each other and grow closer because of it.
He cupped her head, stared into her eyes, and kissed her. A kiss to draw her soul out of her body, but he gave her his own in return. And the possessive, obsessive chorus of mine, mine, mine with each frenzied stroke – it was coming from her now, too. He was hers. All hers.
The action and fight scenes are just as detailed in the story as the emotional scenes between the characters. The final fight takes place over many pages, and involves not only King, but his humans. Quite a bit got thrown at our hero and heroine at the end: captures, gun fight, fire, but I was cheering for all the bad guys to get what was coming to them and counting down until Bruno and Lily could find their HEA.
I’m a big fan of all the McClouds, and Tam, and now I’m on board with Bruno and Lily. We get caught up on all the past characters, with many of the McClouds getting a good amount of page time, but Bruno and Lily never take a backseat to anyone. They have a relationship I believed in and it was a fun ride, start to finish.
July 24, 2012
3.5 stars. Typical McKenna formula, perhaps a little lighter on the sex than usual. The villains' comeuppance is nicely done.
October 5, 2011
3 ½ stars. It was superficial but fun. Bad guys have listening devices everywhere and keep finding and fighting the good guys.
STORY BRIEF:
Several previous books were about the McCloud Brothers. In one of them, Bruno was a best friend to Kev McCloud. This book is Bruno’s story. His mother Magda was killed when Bruno was 12. He lived with his Uncle Tony and Great Aunt Rosa after that. He never knew who his father was.
Lily’s mother died giving birth to Lily. She was raised by her father Howard who was an in-vitro fertility specialist. When Lily was in her teens, her father became mentally unstable. He drank too much and tried to commit suicide. Lily dropped out of college and earns big bucks by researching and writing papers for rich college students. With that she is able to pay $11,000 per month to keep Howard in an institution with enough guarding so he cannot commit suicide. On one of her visits to Howard, he tells her “They’re always listening. They’ll kill both of us. Magda Ranieri warned me. They killed her. We were trying to get proof. Find her son, and tell him. He has to lock it. With the key. Her son will know when he sees it.” Nurse Miriam shows up and forces Lily to leave the building. Then Miriam kills Howard making it look like suicide. Other bad guys follow Lily and attack her, but she escapes. Lily finds Bruno, Magda’s son. They are attracted to each other. Bad guys attack them, and they go on the run. Bruno and Lily don’t know who is after them or why.
King is a wealthy scientist-megalomaniac. He breeds humans, and then uses drugs and psychological programming to turn them into fighting drones who do whatever he commands. Those who aren’t strong enough are killed off before they reach adulthood. He calls this culling. He has listening devices that current day bug sweeping technology cannot detect. These listening devices are planted in the homes, cars, and work locations of Bruno. They are also in Howard’s room and the McCloud vehicles. Bruno’s great aunt Rosa is spending time with the McClouds. King’s drones plant a listening device in Rosa’s purse, so King hears everything the McClouds say when Rosa is around, which is most of the time.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
I loved most of the books published by this author from 2001 to 2008. But sadly her last book (Fade to Midnight – Kev’s story, 2010) and this book are weak.
The McClouds have cameos in this book. Kev is getting married. The others are either pregnant or have little kids running around. I’m not sure why Rosa is there. She’s living with them, acting like everyone’s grandmother, doting on the little ones, nagging others to have babies, and cooking lots of food for everyone. This was ok in a holday-reunion-reminiscing way, but I think the author should consider taking a break from the McClouds and create some new characters and plots.
The Bruno and Lily story was mostly being on the run and hiding, but the bad guys keep finding them because everything is bugged. So they have to fight and flee repeatedly. This was fun for a chase story, but there was nothing special. No new thinking. It felt like a formulaic copy of her previous books including the typical bad guy monologue at the end where he tells all the evil things he’s been doing. There was nothing creative, special, or different in the plot and events. It felt TV-ish.
I was annoyed with Rosa’s stupid and pushy ways. She trusts a stranger to give her a bugged phone. But someone’s got to be stupid to help the plot along, so in this case it’s her.
I don’t want my heroes and heroines (h/h) doing stupid things to cause conflicts. And the author complies by having listening devices everywhere. This way h/h can avoid stupidity, but the bad guy continues to find them. That was too easy. I would rather have more interesting reasons for finding the h/h. I also would like some interesting or clever things being done by the h/h. Although, Lily did do something neat with red dots on a card (drugs).
I found the bad guy’s motives inconsistent. Howard knew what King was doing, so why would King allow him to live for so long? King’s explanation was he’s not into killing people. Yet he killed off many of his drones over the years. And, as soon as Howard tells Lily about Magda, he has Howard killed. That didn’t fit.
I was annoyed with Lily’s weak reason for breaking up with Bruno. King told a lie to Bruno which Bruno believed. But Lily was mad because she felt Bruno should have trusted her rather than King. They had just met. I have trouble with the concept of demanding immediate trust. It was an excuse to have argument, separation, and some make-up sex. I was also disappointed in the lack of relationship development. Bruno says I love you way too soon. He had been on a magazine cover as most eligible bachelor. Why does he fall in love with Lily? Why so quickly? Why does she fall for him?
I will say the author writes excellent sex scenes. There were two that were very entertaining with fun and different dialogue. My favorites started on pages 193 and 265.
DATA:
Story length: 503 pages. Swearing language: strong, including religious swear words. Sexual language: strong. Number of sex scenes: 10. Estimated number of sex scene pages: 23. Setting: current day Oregon and New York. Copyright: 2011. Genre: romantic suspense.
STORY BRIEF:
Several previous books were about the McCloud Brothers. In one of them, Bruno was a best friend to Kev McCloud. This book is Bruno’s story. His mother Magda was killed when Bruno was 12. He lived with his Uncle Tony and Great Aunt Rosa after that. He never knew who his father was.
Lily’s mother died giving birth to Lily. She was raised by her father Howard who was an in-vitro fertility specialist. When Lily was in her teens, her father became mentally unstable. He drank too much and tried to commit suicide. Lily dropped out of college and earns big bucks by researching and writing papers for rich college students. With that she is able to pay $11,000 per month to keep Howard in an institution with enough guarding so he cannot commit suicide. On one of her visits to Howard, he tells her “They’re always listening. They’ll kill both of us. Magda Ranieri warned me. They killed her. We were trying to get proof. Find her son, and tell him. He has to lock it. With the key. Her son will know when he sees it.” Nurse Miriam shows up and forces Lily to leave the building. Then Miriam kills Howard making it look like suicide. Other bad guys follow Lily and attack her, but she escapes. Lily finds Bruno, Magda’s son. They are attracted to each other. Bad guys attack them, and they go on the run. Bruno and Lily don’t know who is after them or why.
King is a wealthy scientist-megalomaniac. He breeds humans, and then uses drugs and psychological programming to turn them into fighting drones who do whatever he commands. Those who aren’t strong enough are killed off before they reach adulthood. He calls this culling. He has listening devices that current day bug sweeping technology cannot detect. These listening devices are planted in the homes, cars, and work locations of Bruno. They are also in Howard’s room and the McCloud vehicles. Bruno’s great aunt Rosa is spending time with the McClouds. King’s drones plant a listening device in Rosa’s purse, so King hears everything the McClouds say when Rosa is around, which is most of the time.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
I loved most of the books published by this author from 2001 to 2008. But sadly her last book (Fade to Midnight – Kev’s story, 2010) and this book are weak.
The McClouds have cameos in this book. Kev is getting married. The others are either pregnant or have little kids running around. I’m not sure why Rosa is there. She’s living with them, acting like everyone’s grandmother, doting on the little ones, nagging others to have babies, and cooking lots of food for everyone. This was ok in a holday-reunion-reminiscing way, but I think the author should consider taking a break from the McClouds and create some new characters and plots.
The Bruno and Lily story was mostly being on the run and hiding, but the bad guys keep finding them because everything is bugged. So they have to fight and flee repeatedly. This was fun for a chase story, but there was nothing special. No new thinking. It felt like a formulaic copy of her previous books including the typical bad guy monologue at the end where he tells all the evil things he’s been doing. There was nothing creative, special, or different in the plot and events. It felt TV-ish.
I was annoyed with Rosa’s stupid and pushy ways. She trusts a stranger to give her a bugged phone. But someone’s got to be stupid to help the plot along, so in this case it’s her.
I don’t want my heroes and heroines (h/h) doing stupid things to cause conflicts. And the author complies by having listening devices everywhere. This way h/h can avoid stupidity, but the bad guy continues to find them. That was too easy. I would rather have more interesting reasons for finding the h/h. I also would like some interesting or clever things being done by the h/h. Although, Lily did do something neat with red dots on a card (drugs).
I found the bad guy’s motives inconsistent. Howard knew what King was doing, so why would King allow him to live for so long? King’s explanation was he’s not into killing people. Yet he killed off many of his drones over the years. And, as soon as Howard tells Lily about Magda, he has Howard killed. That didn’t fit.
I was annoyed with Lily’s weak reason for breaking up with Bruno. King told a lie to Bruno which Bruno believed. But Lily was mad because she felt Bruno should have trusted her rather than King. They had just met. I have trouble with the concept of demanding immediate trust. It was an excuse to have argument, separation, and some make-up sex. I was also disappointed in the lack of relationship development. Bruno says I love you way too soon. He had been on a magazine cover as most eligible bachelor. Why does he fall in love with Lily? Why so quickly? Why does she fall for him?
I will say the author writes excellent sex scenes. There were two that were very entertaining with fun and different dialogue. My favorites started on pages 193 and 265.
DATA:
Story length: 503 pages. Swearing language: strong, including religious swear words. Sexual language: strong. Number of sex scenes: 10. Estimated number of sex scene pages: 23. Setting: current day Oregon and New York. Copyright: 2011. Genre: romantic suspense.
February 26, 2016
Blood and Fire
4 Stars
When her father dies under suspicious circumstances and she finds herself on the run from shadowy assassins, Lily Parr follows a set of mysterious clues right to Bruno Ranieri. As a friend of the McCloud brothers, Bruno is no stranger to violence and danger, so when the beautiful, enigmatic and terrified Lily arrives on his doorstep, he knows trouble isn’t far behind. Soon Lily and Bruno are knee deep in a conspiracy that has its roots in both their childhoods. Can they uncover the truth before the past catches up with them?
Series note: This is book 8 in the McClouds & Friends series and although each book features a different couple, it is recommended to read them in order for the characters’ backstories.
An action packed if rather far-fetched plot with diabolical villains and a sexy as sin romance.
While Bruno is not as alpha and domineering as some of the other heroes in the series, he is wickedly charming and fiercely loyal. Lily is an intelligent and resourceful heroine who copes very well with the dangerous situation that she finds herself in. She and Bruno have sizzling chemistry and their romance is believable despite their circumstances.
The suspense plot is similar to that of the other books in the series with a villain who may actually be even more of a megalomaniac than the previous baddies but not by much. Consequently, readers expecting something different from the usual formula may well be disappointed.
The cameo appearances by the McCloud brothers and their wives and cohorts is icing on the cake. The sense of family and belonging that they instill is one of the aspects that make reading this series so entertaining
In sum, a fun addition to the series and I look forward to reading Aaro’s book soon.
4 Stars
When her father dies under suspicious circumstances and she finds herself on the run from shadowy assassins, Lily Parr follows a set of mysterious clues right to Bruno Ranieri. As a friend of the McCloud brothers, Bruno is no stranger to violence and danger, so when the beautiful, enigmatic and terrified Lily arrives on his doorstep, he knows trouble isn’t far behind. Soon Lily and Bruno are knee deep in a conspiracy that has its roots in both their childhoods. Can they uncover the truth before the past catches up with them?
Series note: This is book 8 in the McClouds & Friends series and although each book features a different couple, it is recommended to read them in order for the characters’ backstories.
An action packed if rather far-fetched plot with diabolical villains and a sexy as sin romance.
While Bruno is not as alpha and domineering as some of the other heroes in the series, he is wickedly charming and fiercely loyal. Lily is an intelligent and resourceful heroine who copes very well with the dangerous situation that she finds herself in. She and Bruno have sizzling chemistry and their romance is believable despite their circumstances.
The suspense plot is similar to that of the other books in the series with a villain who may actually be even more of a megalomaniac than the previous baddies but not by much. Consequently, readers expecting something different from the usual formula may well be disappointed.
The cameo appearances by the McCloud brothers and their wives and cohorts is icing on the cake. The sense of family and belonging that they instill is one of the aspects that make reading this series so entertaining
In sum, a fun addition to the series and I look forward to reading Aaro’s book soon.
March 5, 2012
3.5 out of 5.
Bruno Ranieri is tormented by the death of his mother at the hands of an abusive boyfriend. However he doesn’t know the true reason behind her death - and what he doesn’t know is about to get him killed. Lily Parr is on the run because of unknown factors involving her own parentage-but what she does know is that Bruno has a key to unlock the mystery. Their pasts are intertwined- just as their present and future is about to be. Funny thing is, they may end up being perfect for each other- if they can stay alive.
Typical McKenna- smoking hot romance mixed with a twisted evil psychopath bent on making the H/hs' lives hell. This one is particularly over-the-top on that end and, frankly I skimmed much of the psycho cloning bullshit going on, till towards the end when the big reveal occurred.
I did like Bruno and Lily an awful lot, however the book didn’t really take off for me till Bruno’s adopted brother Kev McCloud- and Kev's real brothers- showed up. The McCloud bros showdown with Kev is what I'd been waiting for since the last book and it didn’t disappoint. (I laughed thru a knot in my throat through some of it.) I also loved seeing the ladies. For those reasons alone the book gets a bump in review.
Another plus for the book is of course Bruno. Handsome, charming, compassionate and loyal, I really enjoyed getting to know him. He wasn’t as “alpha male” as the rest of the McClouds, but he sure makes you sit up and take notice. ::bobbing eyebrows::
McKenna, please don’t stop writing- but can we find a better plot device next time?
Bruno Ranieri is tormented by the death of his mother at the hands of an abusive boyfriend. However he doesn’t know the true reason behind her death - and what he doesn’t know is about to get him killed. Lily Parr is on the run because of unknown factors involving her own parentage-but what she does know is that Bruno has a key to unlock the mystery. Their pasts are intertwined- just as their present and future is about to be. Funny thing is, they may end up being perfect for each other- if they can stay alive.
Typical McKenna- smoking hot romance mixed with a twisted evil psychopath bent on making the H/hs' lives hell. This one is particularly over-the-top on that end and, frankly I skimmed much of the psycho cloning bullshit going on, till towards the end when the big reveal occurred.
I did like Bruno and Lily an awful lot, however the book didn’t really take off for me till Bruno’s adopted brother Kev McCloud- and Kev's real brothers- showed up. The McCloud bros showdown with Kev is what I'd been waiting for since the last book and it didn’t disappoint. (I laughed thru a knot in my throat through some of it.) I also loved seeing the ladies. For those reasons alone the book gets a bump in review.
Another plus for the book is of course Bruno. Handsome, charming, compassionate and loyal, I really enjoyed getting to know him. He wasn’t as “alpha male” as the rest of the McClouds, but he sure makes you sit up and take notice. ::bobbing eyebrows::
McKenna, please don’t stop writing- but can we find a better plot device next time?
December 6, 2022
Shannon McKenna continues to ensnare the reader in this series by her intriguing and creative plots. Bruno Ranieri has been adopted into the McCloud clan. When trouble comes to find him in the form of Lili Parr he turns to them for help. The author has created characters that are interesting and memorable. In this installment the high octane action continues as Bruno and Lili search for answers on how their life intersects. We get more insights on the family as we are entertained with wit, heat, and hilarity. The aunt is an especial delight throughout the entire story. It is a wonderful story that sees another happy couple getting together and I can’t wait for the next installment.
March 9, 2012
First review in a while...let's see if I can still write one!
Series Note:
8th book in Shannon McKenna's "McClouds & Friends" series. There's a whole lot of backstory between these books, especially between this one and the last one so I would recommend reading the series in order. But that's just me.
Summary:
Bruno Ranieri has been struggling a bit since his adopted brother Kev McCloud returned to the bosom of his birth family. Though he's loathe to admit it, he's jealous of the McClouds getting Kev back while he's losing his best friend. But Bruno's life takes a strange turn when Lily Parr walks into his aunt's diner. And he'll be lucky if he lives through the day.
Why? Because Lily Parr has brought nothing but trouble with her. She's gotten on the bad side of a psycho narcissist who think he can brainwash people and create a superior breed of humans. And now he's send his super warriors after Lily, bringing them right to Bruno's doorstep. What neither really know is that Bruno is already deeply entrenched in this mystery.
Things get complicated when Bruno and Lily can't seem to stay away from each other (physically). And even more complicated when everywhere they turn someone is trying to kill them. It seems like their foe knows their every move. It'll take all their wits to stay alive and find out if they were meant to be with each other.
Review:
I've been reading this series since close to the beginning. So it's safe to say that I enjoy it. I like the way Shannon McKenna tells a story. She's raw and gritty and doesn't paint things over with pretty words. Which I like. It comes off more real...it's drives me nuts when I read a book where characters say ridiculous things to refer to body parts and fake swear. People generally don't do that. So I appreciate that McKenna keeps is real, in that sense.
On a more specific level about this book I thought it started off rather slow. Or maybe it's because the early part of this book focuses more on Lily, a completely new character to this series. There's a little bit of a lack of connection and things just seem to kind of plod along a bit.
For me, the book didn't really pick up until Aaro and the McClouds get involved. Then everything really just seems to jump into place. The action picks up, there's a greater connection to the characters and everything just gets more interesting.
I really liked that McKenna gave us so much of the McClouds (& Friends). You get to see what going on with all of them, especially Tam and Val, and it's a nice continuity from the past books. McKenna also addresses one of the things I didn't like from the last book - which was that you never really felt the reunion between Kev and his brothers, but in this book you get to read about them together and see that there's still some tension between them over what Kev went through.
The storyline is a bit out there. An evil mastermind raising people to brainwash them and create a superior breed of humans. Toss some other extreme details in there and you just have to kind of shake you head at it and accept it's fiction and anything's possible. It does take some of the realism away but I didn't mind it. McKenna wrote the plot well and the action was great.
And the romance...starts off really great. There's some serious heat between these two and they really seem to connect. The action and suspense of the story kind of get in the way for a chunk of the book. The romantic conflict between the two at the end didn't quite work for me (Lily was a bit unreasonable, in my opinion) but otherwise I enjoyed reading about these two.
On a random note...I hated the cover to this book. It was so ill-fitting for a gritty, raw romantic suspense. It looked more like a picture that would be on the cover of a Lisa Kleypas historical romance than a Shannon McKenna romantic suspense. It annoyed me the entire time I was reading.
WARNING, this book contains: explicit language and sex, lots of violence, some disturbing imagery of an underage girl being stalked
Series Note:
8th book in Shannon McKenna's "McClouds & Friends" series. There's a whole lot of backstory between these books, especially between this one and the last one so I would recommend reading the series in order. But that's just me.
Summary:
Bruno Ranieri has been struggling a bit since his adopted brother Kev McCloud returned to the bosom of his birth family. Though he's loathe to admit it, he's jealous of the McClouds getting Kev back while he's losing his best friend. But Bruno's life takes a strange turn when Lily Parr walks into his aunt's diner. And he'll be lucky if he lives through the day.
Why? Because Lily Parr has brought nothing but trouble with her. She's gotten on the bad side of a psycho narcissist who think he can brainwash people and create a superior breed of humans. And now he's send his super warriors after Lily, bringing them right to Bruno's doorstep. What neither really know is that Bruno is already deeply entrenched in this mystery.
Things get complicated when Bruno and Lily can't seem to stay away from each other (physically). And even more complicated when everywhere they turn someone is trying to kill them. It seems like their foe knows their every move. It'll take all their wits to stay alive and find out if they were meant to be with each other.
Review:
I've been reading this series since close to the beginning. So it's safe to say that I enjoy it. I like the way Shannon McKenna tells a story. She's raw and gritty and doesn't paint things over with pretty words. Which I like. It comes off more real...it's drives me nuts when I read a book where characters say ridiculous things to refer to body parts and fake swear. People generally don't do that. So I appreciate that McKenna keeps is real, in that sense.
On a more specific level about this book I thought it started off rather slow. Or maybe it's because the early part of this book focuses more on Lily, a completely new character to this series. There's a little bit of a lack of connection and things just seem to kind of plod along a bit.
For me, the book didn't really pick up until Aaro and the McClouds get involved. Then everything really just seems to jump into place. The action picks up, there's a greater connection to the characters and everything just gets more interesting.
I really liked that McKenna gave us so much of the McClouds (& Friends). You get to see what going on with all of them, especially Tam and Val, and it's a nice continuity from the past books. McKenna also addresses one of the things I didn't like from the last book - which was that you never really felt the reunion between Kev and his brothers, but in this book you get to read about them together and see that there's still some tension between them over what Kev went through.
The storyline is a bit out there. An evil mastermind raising people to brainwash them and create a superior breed of humans. Toss some other extreme details in there and you just have to kind of shake you head at it and accept it's fiction and anything's possible. It does take some of the realism away but I didn't mind it. McKenna wrote the plot well and the action was great.
And the romance...starts off really great. There's some serious heat between these two and they really seem to connect. The action and suspense of the story kind of get in the way for a chunk of the book. The romantic conflict between the two at the end didn't quite work for me (Lily was a bit unreasonable, in my opinion) but otherwise I enjoyed reading about these two.
On a random note...I hated the cover to this book. It was so ill-fitting for a gritty, raw romantic suspense. It looked more like a picture that would be on the cover of a Lisa Kleypas historical romance than a Shannon McKenna romantic suspense. It annoyed me the entire time I was reading.
WARNING, this book contains: explicit language and sex, lots of violence, some disturbing imagery of an underage girl being stalked
September 4, 2016
Bruno Ranieri lost his mother years ago and he closed that part of himself off or at least he thought he did. When Lily Parr walks into his restaurant, she brings a lot of drama. The one person who could help her is Bruno. Lily’s father is murdered but not before he tells her a painful secret he has been carrying…one that leads her into the arms of Bruno.
Lily is prepared to fire off questions at Bruno but she didn’t expect him to be so handsome and strong. The two have little time to explore the attraction because some powerful enemies are tracking Lily down. Bruno is thrown for a loop and his survival skills kick in as he tries to help Lily. He does call in for a little reinforcement…the McClouds.
I won’t lie my favorite part of the book is to catch up with old characters. I am slightly disappointed that the women seem to have lost the spark that I loved about each one of them. I think the women are used as props to pump out babies at this point but I really don’t expect them to have much of a role in the later books.
If you have ever read a Shannon McKenna novel then you already know the males are super Alpha and Bruno is no different. He fits right in with the rest of the McCloud brothers and friends. It has been a while since I last read one of her books but reading Blood and Fire reminds me of why I love this series. The tension and steamy scenes are extra bonuses. Even though there are plenty of reasons why I love the series, it is sad to say that there are reasons why I’m starting to get bored as well.
I admit that sometimes the plot is a bit far fetched and I’m starting to believe that the author’s writing is formulaic. The characters all act the same. I can’t tell the difference from one man to the next. The villain is the same in every book...sure his name is not the same but his whole make-up is the same as every villain in the series. I also felt that McKenna put too much attention on the bad guys and less focus on Bruno and Lily.
I recommend this for fans of the McCloud series. This series should be read in order to really get to know the characters
Lily is prepared to fire off questions at Bruno but she didn’t expect him to be so handsome and strong. The two have little time to explore the attraction because some powerful enemies are tracking Lily down. Bruno is thrown for a loop and his survival skills kick in as he tries to help Lily. He does call in for a little reinforcement…the McClouds.
I won’t lie my favorite part of the book is to catch up with old characters. I am slightly disappointed that the women seem to have lost the spark that I loved about each one of them. I think the women are used as props to pump out babies at this point but I really don’t expect them to have much of a role in the later books.
If you have ever read a Shannon McKenna novel then you already know the males are super Alpha and Bruno is no different. He fits right in with the rest of the McCloud brothers and friends. It has been a while since I last read one of her books but reading Blood and Fire reminds me of why I love this series. The tension and steamy scenes are extra bonuses. Even though there are plenty of reasons why I love the series, it is sad to say that there are reasons why I’m starting to get bored as well.
I admit that sometimes the plot is a bit far fetched and I’m starting to believe that the author’s writing is formulaic. The characters all act the same. I can’t tell the difference from one man to the next. The villain is the same in every book...sure his name is not the same but his whole make-up is the same as every villain in the series. I also felt that McKenna put too much attention on the bad guys and less focus on Bruno and Lily.
I recommend this for fans of the McCloud series. This series should be read in order to really get to know the characters
November 17, 2011
I have been waiting to read Blood and Fire, the 8th book in the McCloud series for a while and it didn't dissappoint! Actually, I think it's one of the best and I love all 7 previous books. Shannon McKenna just has a way of writing that pulls you in, tenses and twists you all up and promptly spits you out again - to only pull you in once more.
This story not only revolved around the main characters who are Bruno Ranieri, Kevin's "brother" and Lily Parr, it also resolved issues regarding the McCloud Brothers and Bruno and by this I mean "jealousy" for each other. For me to elaborate on this, I would have to write a really long review so you will need to read the series if it interests you enough and all will be clear. Both Bruno's mom, Magda and Lily's dad, Howard are murdered and their lives are somehow intertwined. I wont divulge how suffice it to say it involves a wicked and evil man named King. There were also a few shockers for me and I love that I can't always guess who the evil one turns out to be or what's going to happen! Bruno and Lily's lives are in danger, enter the McCloud brothers and all hell breaks loose. As always with a series, it makes me happy when an author continuously brings back previous characters. I always want to know what's happened to them and how life is treating them.
Blood and Fire was suspenseful, nail biting and dark at times with romance added in for good measure. A book that can shock me, make me tense, make me laugh and even cry, is a very good book! Wonder when the 9th will be available!
This story not only revolved around the main characters who are Bruno Ranieri, Kevin's "brother" and Lily Parr, it also resolved issues regarding the McCloud Brothers and Bruno and by this I mean "jealousy" for each other. For me to elaborate on this, I would have to write a really long review so you will need to read the series if it interests you enough and all will be clear. Both Bruno's mom, Magda and Lily's dad, Howard are murdered and their lives are somehow intertwined. I wont divulge how suffice it to say it involves a wicked and evil man named King. There were also a few shockers for me and I love that I can't always guess who the evil one turns out to be or what's going to happen! Bruno and Lily's lives are in danger, enter the McCloud brothers and all hell breaks loose. As always with a series, it makes me happy when an author continuously brings back previous characters. I always want to know what's happened to them and how life is treating them.
Blood and Fire was suspenseful, nail biting and dark at times with romance added in for good measure. A book that can shock me, make me tense, make me laugh and even cry, is a very good book! Wonder when the 9th will be available!
October 14, 2015
I've read most of Ms. McKenna's books and this seemed a little too boilerplate/formulaic to enjoy. The standard formula seems to be: girl is in trouble, girl meets boy (who's having his own set of problems), and both wind up running from bad guys that seem to have more toys available than James Bond. There's an intense sexual attraction that seems to lead to "love" by the end of the book after dealing with all of the drama caused by said bad guys. It's not that this was a bad book per se, but I simply couldn't get into it and/or enjoy it.
June 22, 2018
What an improvement on the last two books! Looking forward to reading the next one.
March 25, 2012
Setting - Manhattan and Portland. The diner, the MacCloud homesteads, Tony's mountanin cabin, Manhattan complex, New York streets, Italian neighborhood, King's compound/DeepWeave mindcontrol labs.
Themes - love, trust, family, strength, control
Images - "pissing on their disassembled bones until the day of the second ascension of Cristo Santo"
Characters –
Uncle Tony Ranieri – though dead before this story – he was from Italian Mafioso & special forces vet. He took in Bruno at age 12, and blackmailed his uncle into keeping Bruno safe from King – and when 3 men came to kill Bruno & Kev had stopped them, Tony took them out to the cabin site, killed & buried their bones (cutting of a finger of each to send to his uncle as warning), and he & Kev & Bruno would piss under the tree when they went to the cabin – though the boys did not know about the bodies.
Zia Rosa – enamored of the MacCloud babies, and abandoned the restaurant for the month to help new mom. She knows more of Bruno and his mother’s past, though not enough but enough to help them find the clues they need. She gets the dramatic confrontation with her sister, who stole her betrothal 60 years earlier.
Magdalena – Bruno’s mom. Had sex with Neil King, but when became pregnant and realized his craziness she left without telling him she was pregnant. After he found out, and she got her son back, she spent the next 5 years trying to infiltrate and stop him, taking up with one of his henchmen to get -information. She placed what she knew on floppy disks hidden in her jewelry box, and when she was compromised, placed the key in her locket and put it around 12 year old Bruno’s neck, and sent him on a bus to his Uncle Tony – and then was murdered by Rudy/King.
Neil King – Bad guy supreme. He had been experimenting with genetics (surgically removing one ovary from Bruno’s mother for further, albeit, test tube babies with her) and mind control when his 7 year old bastard son comes to his awareness, taking him down new paths of mind control. He kidnapped and had him for a month, putting him in the DeepWeave programming before the Ranieri’s took him back. He test tubed 16 more embryos with Magda’s eggs & his sperm for offspring, and culled a few, and DeepWeave / drug regiment programming to make them his agents. The last two are approaching 2 years of age and almost ready to start with the programming.
Zoe – one of King’s operatives. Crazy. He uses sex – real sex as well as ‘programmed’ sex – where he utters lost language phrases that he has programmed her to respond to with orgasms. Ewwww.
Detective Sam Petrie on the case of what happened in the alley behind Tony’s Diner. He gets caught up, puzzling out the genetic testing that showed that the men Bruno killed were his younger siblings, even though Bruno’s mother was dead. He is attracted to Sveti – the young woman Tam and Val rescued from the organ harvesting – a beautiful woman, bent on making her own way in the world. Future story?
Alex Aaro - support again, when Bruno calls him for help when first on the run… and warns Petrie at the end he is now also under the MacCloud curse – homes getting blown up, psycho whores that try to kill him, etc.
The MacClouds – pregnant wives, toddlers, chaos, there to help at the drop of a hat. The brothers, especially Kev’s twin Seth, and Bruno have some jealousy issues to work through, and do so in a manly, exchange punches and kicks, to exchange of verbal abuse, kind of way.
Dr. Howard Parr – fertilization specialist, who realized the evil he was helping to promote, especially through one patient, Magda. But King regularly sent him video tapes of his daughter, taken when she didn’t know (bed, shower, etc) showing how easily he could kill her. Parr reacted with drinking, drugs, and suicide attempts, leaving his daughter, from age 10 on, assuming role of caretaker.
Lily Parr - Twenty years of caring for her father, finally placing him in an expensive psych facility (where he was ‘nursed’ by one of King’s operatives). She has few friends, and makes money by selling academic papers – qualifying others for the masters and doctorate degrees she cannot herself attain. She is strong, resourceful, smart, independent, lonely, soldiering on. -
Bruno Ranieri – Kev’s adopted brother. The one whose incessant talking brought him back from his mind cave. Kev helped him ward off the nightmares (the DeepWeave combat programming) with mind control/self hypnosis. They are business partners, with Bruno taking Kev’s ideas for educational toys and making them millions of dollars. He has no memory of the programming, little understanding of his mother’s behavior, taking up with thug Rudy who then kills her. He is keeping Tony’s Diner running in Tia Rosa’s absence, working the night shift & baking the pies – as well as his other job. He is having the nightmares again, fighting off multiple Rudys.
Plot =
Finally, at one of Lily’s visits to dad, he tells her Magda Ranieri’s son has the locket and when he sees the key he will know. She leaves after the mean nurse sedates her dad, gets tired of waiting for cab, so walks to station. Nurse is really King’s agent, she kills dad, starts off after Lily with 2 others. Lily gets the news that her father killed himself with glass, she knows he was murdered, just as her feared, because he hated blood. 3 of Kings guys try to take Lily, but Lily gets away with a cut on her arm. 6 weeks later she is in Bruno’s diner having researched things. And thus starts their partnership. There is, of course, an immediate, overwhelming passion between them… they go to Tony’s apartment to have sex, and as they are leaving to go to his penthouse, 3 King thugs show up. They have instructions to kidnap them, but Bruno’s training, enhanced unconsciously by his nightmare bouts lead to their deaths – shaking up Bruno really bad.
Lily talks him into understanding they need to run, disappear, not contact anyone he knows because ‘they’ are monitoring them. Aaro (not on bruno’s list, but a MacCloud friend) helps get them to the cabin. Seth shows up to get them out – though already traced by King, but Bruno sees them coming, so they defend against – very creatively. They do not realize until the end that Zia Rosa’s phone is the compromise – it being bugged when she was in conversation at the baby store with one of the operatives. The get to the bosom of the MacClouds. Kev & fiancé show up, returning early from their trip – and they hash things out… figure out dad Parr’s ‘lock it’ meant locket… the locket Bruno’s mother put around his neck when she sent him off… the locket was in one of the thugs pockets… where did tony hide the body… of the tree where they always pissed… retrieve locket, find small key to jewelry box… split as Bruno goes east to new York, and Lily ends up in emergency waiting room with bleeding, pregnant tam, and operative posed as nurse gets her alone, drugs her and takes her away. Bruno, Seth and Kev find the jewelry box, though crazy operative Zoe shows up and shoots family…
In mean time, Bruno gets message from King (through another brother) to come to Lily… Lily is in cell looking at videotapes that had been sent to father, she ‘lifts’ drug patches from crazy Zoe,. King plays mind games with Bruno, with altered footage, so he believes Lily was always King’s operative… he is bound and locked up. Lily uses patch to kill another operative sent in to take her to King, and she props operative in corner to look like she is still in room (cameras)… she finds other children being mind programmed, finds 2 babies, finds Bruno & rescue s him.. he is dazed, drugged, thinks she is the bad guy, but he loves her… she takes him to programming room, bringing memories back for him, they disconnect the children and send them out… King shows up with bother that looks like him… they fight a bit… Lily realizes part of Bruno believes she set him up and is hurt. Crazy Zoe shows up (with brothers following her) and she starts the building on fire, throwing her burning self on King, killing him… Lily & Bruno go to rescue babies, brothers show up to help, she walks away…
6 weeks later, Kev’s wedding, Lily shows up… Bruno is adopting the babies, he corners Lily, he explains a bit, he loves her, she loves him, she is pregnant…. And ahhh. They agree to love each other. ahhhh
Themes - love, trust, family, strength, control
Images - "pissing on their disassembled bones until the day of the second ascension of Cristo Santo"
Characters –
Uncle Tony Ranieri – though dead before this story – he was from Italian Mafioso & special forces vet. He took in Bruno at age 12, and blackmailed his uncle into keeping Bruno safe from King – and when 3 men came to kill Bruno & Kev had stopped them, Tony took them out to the cabin site, killed & buried their bones (cutting of a finger of each to send to his uncle as warning), and he & Kev & Bruno would piss under the tree when they went to the cabin – though the boys did not know about the bodies.
Zia Rosa – enamored of the MacCloud babies, and abandoned the restaurant for the month to help new mom. She knows more of Bruno and his mother’s past, though not enough but enough to help them find the clues they need. She gets the dramatic confrontation with her sister, who stole her betrothal 60 years earlier.
Magdalena – Bruno’s mom. Had sex with Neil King, but when became pregnant and realized his craziness she left without telling him she was pregnant. After he found out, and she got her son back, she spent the next 5 years trying to infiltrate and stop him, taking up with one of his henchmen to get -information. She placed what she knew on floppy disks hidden in her jewelry box, and when she was compromised, placed the key in her locket and put it around 12 year old Bruno’s neck, and sent him on a bus to his Uncle Tony – and then was murdered by Rudy/King.
Neil King – Bad guy supreme. He had been experimenting with genetics (surgically removing one ovary from Bruno’s mother for further, albeit, test tube babies with her) and mind control when his 7 year old bastard son comes to his awareness, taking him down new paths of mind control. He kidnapped and had him for a month, putting him in the DeepWeave programming before the Ranieri’s took him back. He test tubed 16 more embryos with Magda’s eggs & his sperm for offspring, and culled a few, and DeepWeave / drug regiment programming to make them his agents. The last two are approaching 2 years of age and almost ready to start with the programming.
Zoe – one of King’s operatives. Crazy. He uses sex – real sex as well as ‘programmed’ sex – where he utters lost language phrases that he has programmed her to respond to with orgasms. Ewwww.
Detective Sam Petrie on the case of what happened in the alley behind Tony’s Diner. He gets caught up, puzzling out the genetic testing that showed that the men Bruno killed were his younger siblings, even though Bruno’s mother was dead. He is attracted to Sveti – the young woman Tam and Val rescued from the organ harvesting – a beautiful woman, bent on making her own way in the world. Future story?
Alex Aaro - support again, when Bruno calls him for help when first on the run… and warns Petrie at the end he is now also under the MacCloud curse – homes getting blown up, psycho whores that try to kill him, etc.
The MacClouds – pregnant wives, toddlers, chaos, there to help at the drop of a hat. The brothers, especially Kev’s twin Seth, and Bruno have some jealousy issues to work through, and do so in a manly, exchange punches and kicks, to exchange of verbal abuse, kind of way.
Dr. Howard Parr – fertilization specialist, who realized the evil he was helping to promote, especially through one patient, Magda. But King regularly sent him video tapes of his daughter, taken when she didn’t know (bed, shower, etc) showing how easily he could kill her. Parr reacted with drinking, drugs, and suicide attempts, leaving his daughter, from age 10 on, assuming role of caretaker.
Lily Parr - Twenty years of caring for her father, finally placing him in an expensive psych facility (where he was ‘nursed’ by one of King’s operatives). She has few friends, and makes money by selling academic papers – qualifying others for the masters and doctorate degrees she cannot herself attain. She is strong, resourceful, smart, independent, lonely, soldiering on. -
Bruno Ranieri – Kev’s adopted brother. The one whose incessant talking brought him back from his mind cave. Kev helped him ward off the nightmares (the DeepWeave combat programming) with mind control/self hypnosis. They are business partners, with Bruno taking Kev’s ideas for educational toys and making them millions of dollars. He has no memory of the programming, little understanding of his mother’s behavior, taking up with thug Rudy who then kills her. He is keeping Tony’s Diner running in Tia Rosa’s absence, working the night shift & baking the pies – as well as his other job. He is having the nightmares again, fighting off multiple Rudys.
Plot =
Finally, at one of Lily’s visits to dad, he tells her Magda Ranieri’s son has the locket and when he sees the key he will know. She leaves after the mean nurse sedates her dad, gets tired of waiting for cab, so walks to station. Nurse is really King’s agent, she kills dad, starts off after Lily with 2 others. Lily gets the news that her father killed himself with glass, she knows he was murdered, just as her feared, because he hated blood. 3 of Kings guys try to take Lily, but Lily gets away with a cut on her arm. 6 weeks later she is in Bruno’s diner having researched things. And thus starts their partnership. There is, of course, an immediate, overwhelming passion between them… they go to Tony’s apartment to have sex, and as they are leaving to go to his penthouse, 3 King thugs show up. They have instructions to kidnap them, but Bruno’s training, enhanced unconsciously by his nightmare bouts lead to their deaths – shaking up Bruno really bad.
Lily talks him into understanding they need to run, disappear, not contact anyone he knows because ‘they’ are monitoring them. Aaro (not on bruno’s list, but a MacCloud friend) helps get them to the cabin. Seth shows up to get them out – though already traced by King, but Bruno sees them coming, so they defend against – very creatively. They do not realize until the end that Zia Rosa’s phone is the compromise – it being bugged when she was in conversation at the baby store with one of the operatives. The get to the bosom of the MacClouds. Kev & fiancé show up, returning early from their trip – and they hash things out… figure out dad Parr’s ‘lock it’ meant locket… the locket Bruno’s mother put around his neck when she sent him off… the locket was in one of the thugs pockets… where did tony hide the body… of the tree where they always pissed… retrieve locket, find small key to jewelry box… split as Bruno goes east to new York, and Lily ends up in emergency waiting room with bleeding, pregnant tam, and operative posed as nurse gets her alone, drugs her and takes her away. Bruno, Seth and Kev find the jewelry box, though crazy operative Zoe shows up and shoots family…
In mean time, Bruno gets message from King (through another brother) to come to Lily… Lily is in cell looking at videotapes that had been sent to father, she ‘lifts’ drug patches from crazy Zoe,. King plays mind games with Bruno, with altered footage, so he believes Lily was always King’s operative… he is bound and locked up. Lily uses patch to kill another operative sent in to take her to King, and she props operative in corner to look like she is still in room (cameras)… she finds other children being mind programmed, finds 2 babies, finds Bruno & rescue s him.. he is dazed, drugged, thinks she is the bad guy, but he loves her… she takes him to programming room, bringing memories back for him, they disconnect the children and send them out… King shows up with bother that looks like him… they fight a bit… Lily realizes part of Bruno believes she set him up and is hurt. Crazy Zoe shows up (with brothers following her) and she starts the building on fire, throwing her burning self on King, killing him… Lily & Bruno go to rescue babies, brothers show up to help, she walks away…
6 weeks later, Kev’s wedding, Lily shows up… Bruno is adopting the babies, he corners Lily, he explains a bit, he loves her, she loves him, she is pregnant…. And ahhh. They agree to love each other. ahhhh
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 19, 2014
I originally won this from the publisher but before I could read it, my brother gave it away (he was "helping" me clean *eye roll*) but I still wanted to read it. It took me a while to get around to it but I finally got it from the library.
Once I started reading it, I enjoyed it although it was definitely over-the-top and the author has some odd word choices and an unfortunate tendency to indulge in purple prose. There were two word choices that pulled me right out of the story - early on the hero, Bruno, refers to his penis as a prong. WTF? That was an uncomfortable and disturbing image. I shared on facebook and someone commented that she thought it might be an old British term but still, eewwww. The other odd word choice was 'bimbo' used in reference to a toddler. The character speaking is originally from Italy, speaking the Calabrese dialect, and I thought child was bambino but an Italian acquaintance, when I asked for her input, replied
As for the word "bimbo", that's italian (sic), not a particular dialect, and it's short for "bambino", which is "child". "Bimbo" is male, singular, "bimba" is female, singular, "bimbi" is male (or if there are both males and females), plural, "bimbe" is female, plural. I have no idea if in Calabrese they often use "bimbo", but I think the Calabrese term for it would be something along the way of "picciddo" or "picciriddo": these are Sicilian terms, and Sicily is very close to Calabria, but as I said every region has its own dialect, so the Calabrese equivalent could be very similar or completely different.
Still, while it may be linguistically correct, it's a skeezy word choice and hearing a grandmother refer to a toddler as a bimbo took me right out of the story. I did pick it back up again several hours later and continued reading. Things happen quickly and it's action packed; the book never feels padded despite being 503 pages long.
Lily has had a hard life; her mother died giving birth and she's spend most of life, starting in her teens, parenting her father who is suicidal. Bruno's mother was killed when he was young and twenty years later he still has nightmares. He's made a successful life for himself and he is close to his aunt, Zia Rose, and his adopted brother Kev. Kev has recently found and reconnected with his biological family, the McClouds, and now Bruno feels left out. Lily and Bruno meet when Lily's father dies after babbling nonsense about people named Magda and Bruno. Bruno of course is our hero; Lily hares off to find him and things heat up quickly between them. Although the sex is great, Lily's tale sounds crazy to Bruno and he thinks she needs psychological help. Then they are attacked and the pace really picks up.
I haven't read any of the previous books in this series and at times, I was a little confused. There are a lot of McCloud brothers, most of whom have apparently had a book already. The book works as a stand alone but I think it might be best to read in order. The villain in this book is over-the-top and judging by references to other characters and their stories, over-the-top would seem to be McKenna's norm. However I enjoyed the storyline and would have liked to see it continued in future books but that seems unlikely now given the ending, which also over-the-top.
The story has insta-love, a big misunderstanding (though it occurs late in the story), a diabolical villain who needed more fleshing out but was interesting, a hot hero, a gutsy heroine, lots of purple prose, sexy love scenes, occasionally gory action, humor, interesting and fun secondary characters, a slightly implausible sci fi plot and it's all lots of fun. I was a bit disappointed in the ending, even though it was telegraphed early on, but overall I enjoyed the book and will probably pick up more in the series.
I borrowed this from the library.
Once I started reading it, I enjoyed it although it was definitely over-the-top and the author has some odd word choices and an unfortunate tendency to indulge in purple prose. There were two word choices that pulled me right out of the story - early on the hero, Bruno, refers to his penis as a prong. WTF? That was an uncomfortable and disturbing image. I shared on facebook and someone commented that she thought it might be an old British term but still, eewwww. The other odd word choice was 'bimbo' used in reference to a toddler. The character speaking is originally from Italy, speaking the Calabrese dialect, and I thought child was bambino but an Italian acquaintance, when I asked for her input, replied
As for the word "bimbo", that's italian (sic), not a particular dialect, and it's short for "bambino", which is "child". "Bimbo" is male, singular, "bimba" is female, singular, "bimbi" is male (or if there are both males and females), plural, "bimbe" is female, plural. I have no idea if in Calabrese they often use "bimbo", but I think the Calabrese term for it would be something along the way of "picciddo" or "picciriddo": these are Sicilian terms, and Sicily is very close to Calabria, but as I said every region has its own dialect, so the Calabrese equivalent could be very similar or completely different.
Still, while it may be linguistically correct, it's a skeezy word choice and hearing a grandmother refer to a toddler as a bimbo took me right out of the story. I did pick it back up again several hours later and continued reading. Things happen quickly and it's action packed; the book never feels padded despite being 503 pages long.
Lily has had a hard life; her mother died giving birth and she's spend most of life, starting in her teens, parenting her father who is suicidal. Bruno's mother was killed when he was young and twenty years later he still has nightmares. He's made a successful life for himself and he is close to his aunt, Zia Rose, and his adopted brother Kev. Kev has recently found and reconnected with his biological family, the McClouds, and now Bruno feels left out. Lily and Bruno meet when Lily's father dies after babbling nonsense about people named Magda and Bruno. Bruno of course is our hero; Lily hares off to find him and things heat up quickly between them. Although the sex is great, Lily's tale sounds crazy to Bruno and he thinks she needs psychological help. Then they are attacked and the pace really picks up.
I haven't read any of the previous books in this series and at times, I was a little confused. There are a lot of McCloud brothers, most of whom have apparently had a book already. The book works as a stand alone but I think it might be best to read in order. The villain in this book is over-the-top and judging by references to other characters and their stories, over-the-top would seem to be McKenna's norm. However I enjoyed the storyline and would have liked to see it continued in future books but that seems unlikely now given the ending, which also over-the-top.
The story has insta-love, a big misunderstanding (though it occurs late in the story), a diabolical villain who needed more fleshing out but was interesting, a hot hero, a gutsy heroine, lots of purple prose, sexy love scenes, occasionally gory action, humor, interesting and fun secondary characters, a slightly implausible sci fi plot and it's all lots of fun. I was a bit disappointed in the ending, even though it was telegraphed early on, but overall I enjoyed the book and will probably pick up more in the series.
I borrowed this from the library.
September 6, 2012
What to say about this book? Anyone who's ever read a book by Shannon McKenna will know that she writes over-the-top romantic suspense plots with uber-alpha heroes who zero in on their heroine almost immediately and stay locked on better than any guided missile developed by the US military. Like this: When the chick with the black pageboy sashayed into Tony’s Diner, no matter how blitzed from lack of sleep he was, his glands promptly pumped a substance into his body that made him want to break into an oldtime movie dance number. An incredible rush. A tingling sense of infinite possibility combined with a mega-boner. A huge, awestruck “wow” from the depths of his being.
When Bruno Ranieri first spies Lily Parr, he's hooked. I am a sucker for that concept of a hero being so blinded by love, lust and passion for his woman that he just about doesn't even see any other lady. Once Bruno and Lily joined up on p40 of the book, I mentally rubbed my hands together with glee. The first portion definitely satisfied, with lots of hot sex and over the top action but, even for a McKenna, the suspense portion of the book was on the eyebrow raising side of OTT. Think clones. There were a few plot holes as well - Lily is holed up at Tam Steele's impegnable fortress at one stage. In order for the bad guys to get her, she has to leave. So I get that the plot needed that, but the reason Val gave for insisting that everyone leave was thin to say the least. The thing which least satisifed is that Bruno and Lily were apart for a fairly large portion of the book IMO - that's not my thing generally and it meant that for me, the tension didn't ratchett quite so well as in other McKenna books.
Still, it was a fun ride and I'm looking forward to reading Alex Aaro's story - it's going to be hilarious to watch his no-women-except-for-sex policy go up in flames. He also has the best line in this book: “It comes from hanging out with the McClouds,” Aaro said. “When I took up with them, my cars started blowing up. My house. These days, I sleep with a girl I meet at a bar, and pow, she explodes in front of me." :D
http://kaetrinsmusings.blogspot.com.a...
When Bruno Ranieri first spies Lily Parr, he's hooked. I am a sucker for that concept of a hero being so blinded by love, lust and passion for his woman that he just about doesn't even see any other lady. Once Bruno and Lily joined up on p40 of the book, I mentally rubbed my hands together with glee. The first portion definitely satisfied, with lots of hot sex and over the top action but, even for a McKenna, the suspense portion of the book was on the eyebrow raising side of OTT. Think clones. There were a few plot holes as well - Lily is holed up at Tam Steele's impegnable fortress at one stage. In order for the bad guys to get her, she has to leave. So I get that the plot needed that, but the reason Val gave for insisting that everyone leave was thin to say the least. The thing which least satisifed is that Bruno and Lily were apart for a fairly large portion of the book IMO - that's not my thing generally and it meant that for me, the tension didn't ratchett quite so well as in other McKenna books.
Still, it was a fun ride and I'm looking forward to reading Alex Aaro's story - it's going to be hilarious to watch his no-women-except-for-sex policy go up in flames. He also has the best line in this book: “It comes from hanging out with the McClouds,” Aaro said. “When I took up with them, my cars started blowing up. My house. These days, I sleep with a girl I meet at a bar, and pow, she explodes in front of me." :D
http://kaetrinsmusings.blogspot.com.a...
December 30, 2011
I raced through this book, partly because it was due at the library and partly because it was pretty entertaining. It did remind me at various times of The Boys from Brazil and Brave New World (while the complete details of the nefarious plot were not yet revealed) and then Star Wars while the final surprises were being unveiled, but on the up side there seemed to be a touch less of the gory sadistic details of what the bad guys were up to than what you usually get in McKenna's books. In fact, I actually read the whole book, instead of skipping/skimming the villain sections as I usually do.
As usual, the plot and romance take place over a very short period of time, so if you're into lots of relationship-building, this is not the book for you (and from my perspective, given how long the book is, it seems like the romance aspect could either be given more development, or the reader's credulity could not be so strained by the denouement
And if you haven't read the rest of the series, you probably won't care very much about the big chunks of the book dealing with characters and conflicts carrying over from previous books in the series.
It was the final denouement that probably kept this from being a 4-star read for me - I won't say exactly what happens but in terms of the basic structure , it's way too similar to the ending of another McKenna book, which I'm too lazy to look up for a specific title.
So, on the whole, quite entertaining, but minus 1-star for pacing and recycling an ending.
As usual, the plot and romance take place over a very short period of time, so if you're into lots of relationship-building, this is not the book for you (and from my perspective, given how long the book is, it seems like the romance aspect could either be given more development, or the reader's credulity could not be so strained by the denouement
And if you haven't read the rest of the series, you probably won't care very much about the big chunks of the book dealing with characters and conflicts carrying over from previous books in the series.
It was the final denouement that probably kept this from being a 4-star read for me - I won't say exactly what happens but in terms of the basic structure , it's way too similar to the ending of another McKenna book, which I'm too lazy to look up for a specific title.
So, on the whole, quite entertaining, but minus 1-star for pacing and recycling an ending.
June 9, 2012
As per usual I have loved another Shannon Mckenna book.
They seriously hook me in. The villains make my heart pound. The hero's ... also make my heart pound but in a totally different way.
As per usual the banter that is between the Mcloud brothers and Friends is awesome. They always have brilliant lines that make me laugh out loud.
Favourit of this book would have to be this one of Bruno's
"Leave my wife out of this," Sean said " Mounthy punk".
"I thought we had established that I've moved beyond punkdom," Bruno retorted. "I've graduated to total asshole. Now I'm going for my advanced degree in raving shithead. So why don't you all just fuck off?".
Brilliant!!
These men are all wonderful, I am sad that they don't have more of Val. He was my favourite of all the men (I know, he's not a Mcloud, but he is great!) and he needs to get in there a kick some ass!!
If you love romantic suspense books and you haven't tried any of this series, I advise you to pick one up. They are really enjoyable!!
I truly do thank the day that amazon had a group of them on special and I took a gamble on them.
They seriously hook me in. The villains make my heart pound. The hero's ... also make my heart pound but in a totally different way.
As per usual the banter that is between the Mcloud brothers and Friends is awesome. They always have brilliant lines that make me laugh out loud.
Favourit of this book would have to be this one of Bruno's
"Leave my wife out of this," Sean said " Mounthy punk".
"I thought we had established that I've moved beyond punkdom," Bruno retorted. "I've graduated to total asshole. Now I'm going for my advanced degree in raving shithead. So why don't you all just fuck off?".
Brilliant!!
These men are all wonderful, I am sad that they don't have more of Val. He was my favourite of all the men (I know, he's not a Mcloud, but he is great!) and he needs to get in there a kick some ass!!
If you love romantic suspense books and you haven't tried any of this series, I advise you to pick one up. They are really enjoyable!!
I truly do thank the day that amazon had a group of them on special and I took a gamble on them.
August 30, 2016
The eighth book in Shannon McKenna's popular McCloud & Friends series. I have enjoyed the novels in this series and this one is no exception. However, I didn't really care for the hero and heroine too much. They both have issues. Issues are fine but these two just rubbed me wrong. Still, the story was fast and exciting and hot and I was able to get through it regardless of my feelings for the main couple. There was unresolved isssues and I'll have to continue this series for that.
November 5, 2011
Due out 9/27/11
August 23, 2011
Now that's what I am talking about!!! McKenna is back with Blood and Fire...check out my review on www.nocturnereads.com!
March 1, 2012
How did I miss out on this one?
November 28, 2022
I love the McCloud series and I’m happy Shannon McKenna has included Bruno Ranieri, Kevin McCloud’s adopted brother, from the last book “Fade to Midnight”. I love how these stories always have suspense, drama, and romance. I especially love seeing some of our favorite people in each story as the whole McCloud family and their close friends help the fugitives on the run, placing themselves in danger, as many secrets and deception are revealed. (Usually, one involving a madman or mad scientist). Bruno is instantly attracted to the beautiful dark and lonely Lily Parr, she’s on the run for her life, and she needs Bruno’s help her solve the mystery with the clues her father left her before he was murdered. Things quickly turn dangerous when they’re attacked and they’re running for your life and leaving dead bodies everywhere, he needs help and reaches out to a friend of the McCloud’s. This a captivating story with so many twists and turns it’s totally fascinating to see everything come together. We’re given a glimpse into Bruno’s past, his kidnapping at age six, his mother’s murder, and his nightmares as we eventually see all the puzzle pieces fall into place. Will they survive being hunted by the madman? Can the McCloud’s save Bruno and Lily in time? I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
November 29, 2022
Bruno’s mother was killed when he was a little boy and sent to live with his great aunt and great uncle. He is the adopted brother to Kev McCloud and still a little jealous that he found his biological brothers.
Lily has been working herself to death to pay for her father’s living at a facility. He has tried to commit suicide many times and this place was supposed to watch him. When she gets the call, she knows they are lying and goes looking for Bruno.
Together they run from someone who is determined to catch them. The people after them are almost like robots and will stop and nothing to find and retrieve them.
I’ll be honest I didn’t care for Bruno or Lily. They argued too much and they drove me crazy. But I still loved the story. Action. Sex. Almost non human beings. Fast paced edge of your seat thriller.
* Voluntarily read and reviewed this for Booksprout *
Lily has been working herself to death to pay for her father’s living at a facility. He has tried to commit suicide many times and this place was supposed to watch him. When she gets the call, she knows they are lying and goes looking for Bruno.
Together they run from someone who is determined to catch them. The people after them are almost like robots and will stop and nothing to find and retrieve them.
I’ll be honest I didn’t care for Bruno or Lily. They argued too much and they drove me crazy. But I still loved the story. Action. Sex. Almost non human beings. Fast paced edge of your seat thriller.
* Voluntarily read and reviewed this for Booksprout *
February 11, 2019
Whoa, Nelly. This one got to be super-weird and dipped its toes into paranormal more than I was expecting (or was used to). It wasn’t all bad, so I just went with it. I liked Bruno and Lily together. He was a great character who understood his limits. He was not over the top, like most of the McCloud clan and I was ok with that at this point in the series. The ending was very good and I loved the epilogue.
April 15, 2023
So her books have been slow starting off and some harder to get through, but I wanted to finish out the series. This one I liked though. I wasn’t going to read another one after I read Kev’s story, but I really came to like Bruno’s character in Kev’s book so I wanted to read Bruno’s. Surprisingly, this one didn’t start off slow and kinda jumped right in to the action. Out of all the books in this series, this one is probably my fav. I love Bruno and I’m glad I wasn’t let down by his book.
July 21, 2018
I don't think i have ever DNFed a Shannon McKenna book. I don't know if it's just been too long since I've read a book in this series that i couldn't really get into it or what, but I just didn't CARE. I couldn't fall in love with Bruno and could not relate to Lily at all. I gave up 1/3 of the way through.
Very disappointed.
Very disappointed.
December 6, 2022
I loved getting Bruno's story. It was better than I could have hoped for. Lily was unique and their chemistry is steaming hot. There is action, suspense, humor, steamy romance and all the characters fans have come to love. This is one of my favorite series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
November 23, 2022
Another fantastic story by Shannon McKenna. We get a glimpse of the lives of the McClouds and friends as we share the story of love and adventure. Very well written and kept my attention until the end.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
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