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Silent Warrior #1
Collateral Damage
Let a terrorist take her? Not over his dead body and damned soul… Silent Warrior, Book 1 One thing makes Jack Hunter invaluable to his Delta Force Team. The same trait that makes him suck at relationships. Single-minded focus on his career—and honing his ability to never miss a kill. After a terrorist missile devastates his team and leaves him with only partial memory of a FUBARed rescue mission, he retains only one clear picture no one the last face in his gunsight belonged to a prestigious American businessman. The man’s wife has to know something, but the only way to get to her is go AWOL. After her husband trades his family to tango with double-Ds, Lauren Collins decides her dogs are better judges of character. She’s unaware how far her soon-to-be-ex’s web of deceit reaches—until the only thing between her, her sons and a killer is a wounded Delta soldier who activates her sorely neglected X-chromosome like nobody’s business. Their instant attraction is kryptonite to Jack’s injury-dulled edge. Thrust into a world of peril, political treachery and treason, Lauren has no choice but to trust Jack with her life. Even if she and her sons survive, she’s not sure her heart will… Contains a warrior who doesn’t hesitate to lay his body on the line, more than one emotional love story to tug at your heart, and chaos at Chuck E. Cheese.
296 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 14, 2010
72 people are currently reading
1793 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
December 23, 2010
A 4.5 star romantic suspense!
Like any reader, I am a bit apprehensive when it comes to trying out new authors, though that doesn’t stop me from trying out books on authors that I have never heard of because just sometimes, delving into the unknown certainly pays off when you find a book such as this one where the pages literally turn themselves with the fast paced action, romance and adventure that this one delivers – in spades.
Likes:
1- Jack Hunter. He is broody, tortured and hot as sin!! I always love myself a tortured hero who knows what to do with his God given talents in pleasing a woman! And that’s not the only thing that drew me to Jack. He is loyal and wants to do right by what is his though he has had a hard time of things for the last couple of years. And on top of all that, he is black ops military. *sigh* Jack is utterly swoon worthy ladies, I solemnly swear by this! *swoons*
2- Lauren Collins. She is perfect heroine material for the rough and tough Jack Hunter. With her sons she is the fierce mother tigress protecting her cubs, with Jack she is vulnerable and strong at the same time and what makes her unique is she doesn’t stand down and let Jack take all the control but rather she is an equal partner where she and Jack are concerned. Loved Lauren to bits.
3- This story opened up my eyes to a lot of things that can go wrong with the precariously balanced “peace” that we take for granted in this world. Just add to it bad guys who are unscrupulous enough and have the means to manipulate the West and the Islamic world as that happened in this story and you would have a global catastrophe of major proportions on your hands. Being a Muslim myself, I was a bit apprehensive when I started out reading and encountered the scene where Muslims had kidnapped the daughter of the Israeli prime minister. And I thought to myself, please don’t let this story be something where Muslims are portrayed as less than human and I was really glad of the sensitivity with which Ms. Saint handled the issue. There is no overly judgmental stuff going on in the story which brings home the hard truth of a war that was started by the Bush administration which has already cost the common man a lot more just a pretty penny from his pocket. Kudos to Ms. Saint for pulling this off so well.
4- I liked the secondary stories that were taking place as the story unfolded. I liked how Ms. Saint didn’t overly make the story about the secondary characters, which is sometimes what happens when an author tries to juggle too many characters and their stories in one novel. She has laid the foundation nicely for this new series the rest of the books which has already landed on my auto-buy list. I am really looking forward to reading the story of the Delta Team commander Lt. Col. Roger Weston and Mari, the Muslim widow of Neil who dies in the op that is the starting point of this series and story.
5- The cover. Believe it or not, the cover was what drew me to the story in the first place. I make it a point to surf through Samhain Publishing at least once a month to find out titles that might interest me. And when I looked into the eyes of the guy on the cover, I was baited enough to read through the synopsis and I have since then been looking forward to its release date which was earlier this month. This one definitely ends up on the fabulous cover list! ^_^
6- The creepy villain and his ever more creepy chimpanzee. Gives me the shivers of the bad kind even thinking about his warped mind. But he was a villain who certainly delivered enough to label him as one of the creepiest villains ever and lends the story the edge that it so well receives from him on the danger and adventure front.
Dislikes: As always the lack of a proper epilogue does rankle but not overly much since I hope I would be getting to see a bit of Jack and Lauren in the next couple of books in the series. ^_^
Full review with quotes: http://bit.ly/hNTNCL
September 18, 2011
Wow - I am paying the price this morning for loving this book. I stayed up til the wee hours of morning because I had to know what happened. This book had it ALL, amazing Hero, smart heroine, romance that actually made sense despite the circumstances. Incredible secondary characters that I can't wait to read about in book #2 and hold on ..... The absolute craziest/strangest villains you could imagine!
I've never read anything by this author (AKA Jennifer St. Giles) but will definitely take a look at her other work.
For my Austin club friends - Weird Rating of 4 (one of the villains has to be read to be believed!) LOL
I've never read anything by this author (AKA Jennifer St. Giles) but will definitely take a look at her other work.
For my Austin club friends - Weird Rating of 4 (one of the villains has to be read to be believed!) LOL
June 24, 2012
2.5 stars
I had a difficult time with this book - it wasn't completely terrible, but there were several things that just didn't work for me. But first I'll outline the good...
What I liked:
1) The cover - As bad as this is to admit, I totally bought this book based on the cover (*hangs head in shame*). I really dig this cover though - hot military dude set against a backdrop of intense sky and ruins (all in sepia) totally works for me.
2) Mari (and Roger) - I was pretty drawn into Mari's tragic story and how things were unfolding with Roger. Their burgeoning relationship is secondary in 'Collatoral Damage' but they totally stole the show IMO. Their book is up next and Saint has set the stage for a very unique and touching romance.
Now, what I didn't like:
1) Not enough dialogue! I found 'Collatoral Damage' just didn't have enough dialogue to keep things entertaining - a lot of events seemed to unfold via a quick description, when I would have appreciated reading about the characters actual interaction.
2) There were too many points of view! From hero/heroine, side story hero/heroine (who get their own book next), to minor and then major bad guy, it was all too much. Although, I cannot stress enough how incredibly thankful I am that the chimp didn't end up having a POV! These multiple perspectives were distracting when trying to keep track what was happening with the main couple. The multitude of POVs also meant there wasn't a lot of mystery/suspense - I knew pretty much immediately who isn't on the up and up, what their motives are, and what they were doing.
3) "Collateral damage". This phrase was used one too many times for my tastes. Every time it popped up I kept thinking: "I get it, already!!" In fact, I got and understood its implications from reading the title of the book!
It's too bad - the premise of this book was actually pretty interesting and I felt it had a lot of potential. If we had of been treated to more dialogue and the story would have focused more on what was happening with the main couple it could have been really good.
I had a difficult time with this book - it wasn't completely terrible, but there were several things that just didn't work for me. But first I'll outline the good...
What I liked:
1) The cover - As bad as this is to admit, I totally bought this book based on the cover (*hangs head in shame*). I really dig this cover though - hot military dude set against a backdrop of intense sky and ruins (all in sepia) totally works for me.
2) Mari (and Roger) - I was pretty drawn into Mari's tragic story and how things were unfolding with Roger. Their burgeoning relationship is secondary in 'Collatoral Damage' but they totally stole the show IMO. Their book is up next and Saint has set the stage for a very unique and touching romance.
Now, what I didn't like:
1) Not enough dialogue! I found 'Collatoral Damage' just didn't have enough dialogue to keep things entertaining - a lot of events seemed to unfold via a quick description, when I would have appreciated reading about the characters actual interaction.
2) There were too many points of view! From hero/heroine, side story hero/heroine (who get their own book next), to minor and then major bad guy, it was all too much. Although, I cannot stress enough how incredibly thankful I am that the chimp didn't end up having a POV! These multiple perspectives were distracting when trying to keep track what was happening with the main couple. The multitude of POVs also meant there wasn't a lot of mystery/suspense - I knew pretty much immediately who isn't on the up and up, what their motives are, and what they were doing.
3) "Collateral damage". This phrase was used one too many times for my tastes. Every time it popped up I kept thinking: "I get it, already!!" In fact, I got and understood its implications from reading the title of the book!
It's too bad - the premise of this book was actually pretty interesting and I felt it had a lot of potential. If we had of been treated to more dialogue and the story would have focused more on what was happening with the main couple it could have been really good.
Want to read
May 7, 2015Kindle Freebie 5.07.15 (Thanks for the heads up Hbeebti!!)
Want to read
May 14, 2015Free on Amazon!!
http://www.amazon.com/Collateral-Dama...
http://www.amazon.com/Collateral-Dama...
August 12, 2011
more like a 4.5. I really liked this book. The writing was GREAT! See full review at www.wtfbookreviews.blogspot.com
December 28, 2010
A 4.5 star romantic suspense!
Like any reader, I am a bit apprehensive when it comes to trying out new authors, though that doesn’t stop me from trying out books on authors that I have never heard of because just sometimes, delving into the unknown certainly pays off when you find a book such as this one where the pages literally turn themselves with the fast paced action, romance and adventure that this one delivers – in spades.
Likes:
1- Jack Hunter. He is broody, tortured and hot as sin!! I always love myself a tortured hero who knows what to do with his God given talents in pleasing a woman! And that’s not the only thing that drew me to Jack. He is loyal and wants to do right by what is his though he has had a hard time of things for the last couple of years. And on top of all that, he is black ops military. *sigh* Jack is utterly swoon worthy ladies, I solemnly swear by this! *swoons*
2- Lauren Collins. She is perfect heroine material for the rough and tough Jack Hunter. With her sons she is the fierce mother tigress protecting her cubs, with Jack she is vulnerable and strong at the same time and what makes her unique is she doesn’t stand down and let Jack take all the control but rather she is an equal partner where she and Jack are concerned. Loved Lauren to bits.
3- This story opened up my eyes to a lot of things that can go wrong with the precariously balanced “peace” that we take for granted in this world. Just add to it bad guys who are unscrupulous enough and have the means to manipulate the West and the Islamic world as that happened in this story and you would have a global catastrophe of major proportions on your hands. Being a Muslim myself, I was a bit apprehensive when I started out reading and encountered the scene where Muslims had kidnapped the daughter of the Israeli prime minister. And I thought to myself, please don’t let this story be something where Muslims are portrayed as less than human and I was really glad of the sensitivity with which Ms. Saint handled the issue. There is no overly judgmental stuff going on in the story which brings home the hard truth of a war that was started by the Bush administration which has already cost the common man a lot more just a pretty penny from his pocket. Kudos to Ms. Saint for pulling this off so well.
4- I liked the secondary stories that were taking place as the story unfolded. I liked how Ms. Saint didn’t overly make the story about the secondary characters, which is sometimes what happens when an author tries to juggle too many characters and their stories in one novel. She has laid the foundation nicely for this new series the rest of the books which has already landed on my auto-buy list. I am really looking forward to reading the story of the Delta Team commander Lt. Col. Roger Weston and Mari, the Muslim widow of Neil who dies in the op that is the starting point of this series and story.
5- The cover. Believe it or not, the cover was what drew me to the story in the first place. I make it a point to surf through Samhain Publishing at least once a month to find out titles that might interest me. And when I looked into the eyes of the guy on the cover, I was baited enough to read through the synopsis and I have since then been looking forward to its release date which was earlier this month. This one definitely ends up on the fabulous cover list! ^_^
6- The creepy villain and his ever more creepy chimpanzee. Gives me the shivers of the bad kind even thinking about his warped mind. But he was a villain who certainly delivered enough to label him as one of the creepiest villains ever and lends the story the edge that it so well receives from him on the danger and adventure front.
Dislikes: As always the lack of a proper epilogue does rankle but not overly much since I hope I would be getting to see a bit of Jack and Lauren in the next couple of books in the series. ^_^
Full review with quotes: http://bit.ly/hNTNCL
April 27, 2012
This book snuck up on me. I didn’t have any expectations because J.L. Saint was a new author to me and I didn’t know much about this book. I was strangely drawn to the cover. I couldn’t decide whether the model was scary or heroic (I’ve decided that that particular picture is a bit of both.) Both the book and the main character, Jack Hunter, were a nice surprise.
Jack Hunter is a Delta Force sergeant recovering from injuries sustained from a rescue mission gone awry in the Middle East. He is left with confused memories and suspects that a missing business man from Atlanta (Bill Collins), purportedly killed in South America, is the same terrorist he killed in Lebanon. He tries to investigate this mystery “off the books” starting with the businessman’s ex-wife, Lauren Collins. This begins the action, adventure, and intrigue that involves murder, mayhem, kidnappings and conspiracies. There is a lot of story, but it is never overwhelming.
The highlight of this book is the relationship between Jack and Lauren. Lauren is betrayed on so many levels by her ex-husband. As a suspected terrorist, she and her sons run the risk of being branded the family of a traitor. They also become the target of her husband’s ex-boss looking to avenge Bill’s theft and betrayal of the bio-fuel formula. Jack tries to protect Lauren and her family. He feels drawn to her and his relationship with Lauren and the twins makes him reflect on the kind of husband and father he has been in the past. Jack’s vulnerability is very attractive. Though he starts with the confidence to protect the family, he soon understands that he is in over his head both physically and emotionally. I appreciate J.L. Saints development of this character. He’s not your typical Über Alpha Male. He is redeemed
Since this is the first book in the Silent Warrior series, there is a compelling sidestory with Jack’s boss, Lt. Colonel Roger Weston and Mari Dalton. We are also introduced to several of Jack’s team from Delta Force, who I suspect will show up again in future books -- of which I am enthusiastically looking forward to reading
Jack Hunter is a Delta Force sergeant recovering from injuries sustained from a rescue mission gone awry in the Middle East. He is left with confused memories and suspects that a missing business man from Atlanta (Bill Collins), purportedly killed in South America, is the same terrorist he killed in Lebanon. He tries to investigate this mystery “off the books” starting with the businessman’s ex-wife, Lauren Collins. This begins the action, adventure, and intrigue that involves murder, mayhem, kidnappings and conspiracies. There is a lot of story, but it is never overwhelming.
The highlight of this book is the relationship between Jack and Lauren. Lauren is betrayed on so many levels by her ex-husband. As a suspected terrorist, she and her sons run the risk of being branded the family of a traitor. They also become the target of her husband’s ex-boss looking to avenge Bill’s theft and betrayal of the bio-fuel formula. Jack tries to protect Lauren and her family. He feels drawn to her and his relationship with Lauren and the twins makes him reflect on the kind of husband and father he has been in the past. Jack’s vulnerability is very attractive. Though he starts with the confidence to protect the family, he soon understands that he is in over his head both physically and emotionally. I appreciate J.L. Saints development of this character. He’s not your typical Über Alpha Male. He is redeemed
Since this is the first book in the Silent Warrior series, there is a compelling sidestory with Jack’s boss, Lt. Colonel Roger Weston and Mari Dalton. We are also introduced to several of Jack’s team from Delta Force, who I suspect will show up again in future books -- of which I am enthusiastically looking forward to reading
May 19, 2012
I'm pretty open minded and ready anything as long as it peaks my interest. I have several problems with this book.
1. The main warrior heals too quickly from life threatening injuires, in my opinion because the storyline was a little weak.
2. Story is a lose web of emails and a typical bad guy. I predicted a lot of the action, and they get eaten by a jungle cat? Really? I mean, really? A little too neat for my liking.
3. Very little dialogue, and too much internal dialogue of the characters. More dialogue between characters/bad guys would have made the reading a lot less dry, where as the internal dialogue should have been worked into the storyline to keep it tight and suspenseful. Everytime I read a large peice of internal dialogue, I knew the author was giving away too much foreshadowing and I could hear the imaginary B movie soundtrack, 'dun dun dun dun' going off in my head.
4. Sex scenes were fine, but cliche. Though the dialogue between the two main characters, Lauren and Jack is good.
Overall, I won't be picking up any others of her work. There were some editing issues as well, misspelled words, and editoral no-no's (as an editor myself I suspect this was a small press print, or vanity press re-release), and it would have benefited from a thorough once over by an editor for spelling, grammatical, and storyline errors.
1. The main warrior heals too quickly from life threatening injuires, in my opinion because the storyline was a little weak.
2. Story is a lose web of emails and a typical bad guy. I predicted a lot of the action, and they get eaten by a jungle cat? Really? I mean, really? A little too neat for my liking.
3. Very little dialogue, and too much internal dialogue of the characters. More dialogue between characters/bad guys would have made the reading a lot less dry, where as the internal dialogue should have been worked into the storyline to keep it tight and suspenseful. Everytime I read a large peice of internal dialogue, I knew the author was giving away too much foreshadowing and I could hear the imaginary B movie soundtrack, 'dun dun dun dun' going off in my head.
4. Sex scenes were fine, but cliche. Though the dialogue between the two main characters, Lauren and Jack is good.
Overall, I won't be picking up any others of her work. There were some editing issues as well, misspelled words, and editoral no-no's (as an editor myself I suspect this was a small press print, or vanity press re-release), and it would have benefited from a thorough once over by an editor for spelling, grammatical, and storyline errors.
September 15, 2012
Me ha costado conectar con esta novela, pasan muchas cosas en poco tiempo y no he sentido conexión con los protagonistas, falta emoción en favor de la acción, la cual sin embargo está bien estructurada.
Otra pega (grande) es que no solo un psicópata lleva la batuta, ni siquiera 2, ¡la autora necesita 3! lo que es OVERKILL lo mires por donde lo mires.Se apoya en razones médicas (¿será por deformación profesional, siendo ella enfermera?) para poner en marcha las motivaciones de los villanos de turno. Todos tienen una disfunción mental que resta veracidad a lo que nos cuentan, y le da un tono caricaturesco a la novela.
Una pena porque la idea es buena (no hay más que leer la prensa estos días) y el desarrollo está logrado, pero a punto he estado de ponerle 2*.
Lo resolutiva que resulta la prota (que no espera a que la rescaten a cada momento) y lo sencillo y creíble del desarrollo y la conclusión del caso principal le dan un empujón que me compensa lo chapucero del caso "acosador" y lo forzado del HEA.
Otra pega (grande) es que no solo un psicópata lleva la batuta, ni siquiera 2, ¡la autora necesita 3! lo que es OVERKILL lo mires por donde lo mires.Se apoya en razones médicas (¿será por deformación profesional, siendo ella enfermera?) para poner en marcha las motivaciones de los villanos de turno. Todos tienen una disfunción mental que resta veracidad a lo que nos cuentan, y le da un tono caricaturesco a la novela.
Una pena porque la idea es buena (no hay más que leer la prensa estos días) y el desarrollo está logrado, pero a punto he estado de ponerle 2*.
Lo resolutiva que resulta la prota (que no espera a que la rescaten a cada momento) y lo sencillo y creíble del desarrollo y la conclusión del caso principal le dan un empujón que me compensa lo chapucero del caso "acosador" y lo forzado del HEA.
February 14, 2014
Too many points of view here and it got me confused at times and it felt like reading a military report. I couldn't connect with the characters and the end was unsatisfying just ending in the middle.
I expected more, it wasn't bad but it was kind of strange and not very easy to read.
It was a debut novel so I hope it will get better with each book as the series continues.
I expected more, it wasn't bad but it was kind of strange and not very easy to read.
It was a debut novel so I hope it will get better with each book as the series continues.
February 5, 2011
This took a little while to get going but once it did, I didn't want to put it down.
The storyline with the couple of bad guys got a little convoluted, but overall I liked it. Hope there is a book 2 to tie up some loose ends with more military hotties!!
The storyline with the couple of bad guys got a little convoluted, but overall I liked it. Hope there is a book 2 to tie up some loose ends with more military hotties!!
September 24, 2015
Pretty good. It almost seemed like two books in one. Looking forward to the next book.
January 15, 2022
I borrowed this book from the library because of the cover and figured it would be an action adventure — which it is. However our librarian stuck a pink heart on the spine denoting a romance — which it is.
So we have a tough macho special ops guy helping out a yummy-mummy who's husband is mixed up in some very dodgy business indeed.
You have to pay attention because baddies abound and you don't want to mix them up.
The story occasionally bogs down with unnecessary dialogue when the kids make cameos.
Otherwise the action pumps along punctuated with a few rude bits (female authors just love their rude bits).
'Collateral Damage' is an enjoyable straight forward action/romance which doesn't pretend to be anything else, so just enjoy the ride.
p.s. It's astonishing just how many books are titled 'Collateral Damage'.
So we have a tough macho special ops guy helping out a yummy-mummy who's husband is mixed up in some very dodgy business indeed.
You have to pay attention because baddies abound and you don't want to mix them up.
The story occasionally bogs down with unnecessary dialogue when the kids make cameos.
Otherwise the action pumps along punctuated with a few rude bits (female authors just love their rude bits).
'Collateral Damage' is an enjoyable straight forward action/romance which doesn't pretend to be anything else, so just enjoy the ride.
p.s. It's astonishing just how many books are titled 'Collateral Damage'.
February 5, 2019
This book had great potential. However the biggest negative for me was this book was way and I mean way too busy. What I mean by that is author had to me subplots/characters fighting for attention. I understand wanting to lure readers into reading other books but this was simply overdone and took away from the main characters. It frustrated me so much I had to force myself thru certain parts of the book.
January 28, 2018
Wow the story took do many turns I couldn't put it down.
July 27, 2019
You did that hungry!! I loved it, every twist and turn caught me by surprise!! I can’t wait to read more of your books....
June 29, 2015
Actual Rating would be 4.5 stars.
This book had most everything that I like to see in action/military reads. The romance wasn't to aggressive, and there was more then one story going on at the same time.
The plotline, although complex, was fairly easy to follow. The author did a great job not over-loading the audience with information right away but instead gave up enough to grab interest while allowing an amount of intrigue to sneak by as well. Stories like this (multiple plots) are fairly risky, they are generally hard to explain touroughly and because of that alone, they are usually harder to capture the audience. Again, author did a great job bringing everything to life in here.
The working leads in this story had definite chemistry crackling on the pages. I wish the author would've let that play out a little more as the story progressed but overall I think she had a nice balance.
Our H was smart and ruthless in his pursuit to prevail and what started out as a means to an end for him became something so much more near the end. The amount of character growth we witnessed for this soldier was astounding. I LOVED her ability to make him seem almost inhuman in how he overcame much of what happened in this story but at the same time she kept him believable and realistic, reminding me again and again of not only the risks he was taking but his mortality and what it could eventually cost him.
Our h was equally impressive in character development and relatability but in a much more distinctly feminine way. I just loved this author's ideas and the way in which she represented these characters. Our h was not only resourceful but also not too quick to trust and intelligent despite the circumstances. I'm not sure I could go through what she went through and remain as calm and collected. I like that her character was strong but feminine and even before the action started she never resorted to hysterics and always had her friends and children's best interests in mind.
Supporting characters were already well-developed and interesting. The author has developed a plethora of intriguing back story for the next book (which I have no doubts I will be reading...in fact, I may go buy it right now). Setting was continually changing and the atmosphere was electric.
Overall, a fantastically developed and well written, action-packed and exciting read perfect for anyone who enjoys a heady but tasteful balance of romance, politics, terrorism, combat and action. I say again...this book is not for those who enjoy "light-reading", the story here is easy to follow for an advanced reader but it is very complex.
This book had most everything that I like to see in action/military reads. The romance wasn't to aggressive, and there was more then one story going on at the same time.
The plotline, although complex, was fairly easy to follow. The author did a great job not over-loading the audience with information right away but instead gave up enough to grab interest while allowing an amount of intrigue to sneak by as well. Stories like this (multiple plots) are fairly risky, they are generally hard to explain touroughly and because of that alone, they are usually harder to capture the audience. Again, author did a great job bringing everything to life in here.
The working leads in this story had definite chemistry crackling on the pages. I wish the author would've let that play out a little more as the story progressed but overall I think she had a nice balance.
Our H was smart and ruthless in his pursuit to prevail and what started out as a means to an end for him became something so much more near the end. The amount of character growth we witnessed for this soldier was astounding. I LOVED her ability to make him seem almost inhuman in how he overcame much of what happened in this story but at the same time she kept him believable and realistic, reminding me again and again of not only the risks he was taking but his mortality and what it could eventually cost him.
Our h was equally impressive in character development and relatability but in a much more distinctly feminine way. I just loved this author's ideas and the way in which she represented these characters. Our h was not only resourceful but also not too quick to trust and intelligent despite the circumstances. I'm not sure I could go through what she went through and remain as calm and collected. I like that her character was strong but feminine and even before the action started she never resorted to hysterics and always had her friends and children's best interests in mind.
Supporting characters were already well-developed and interesting. The author has developed a plethora of intriguing back story for the next book (which I have no doubts I will be reading...in fact, I may go buy it right now). Setting was continually changing and the atmosphere was electric.
Overall, a fantastically developed and well written, action-packed and exciting read perfect for anyone who enjoys a heady but tasteful balance of romance, politics, terrorism, combat and action. I say again...this book is not for those who enjoy "light-reading", the story here is easy to follow for an advanced reader but it is very complex.
February 2, 2014
This is a fast paced, action packed thriller with a few MF romances thrown in for good measure.
It is a really great story with so many different stories lines that converge and then separate as the overall story is told.
The story is introduced with the usual military operation gone wrong and then the ripple effect takes place, but this rippling brings the shadowy bad guys into action and their global reach is played out in a world on the brink of anarchy and ideological and political warfare.
I think this is brilliant because it manages to weave together good guys, bad guys, greedy guys, children, women, dogs and a ghastly ex husband, and still remain sane. Bit by bit the conspiracies make sense and the heroes battle against the enemies in the shadows and those who are openly hostile.
It is a book that manages to bring turbulence, romance and a thrilling mystery together and make it gripping.
Of course the story wouldn't be complete without the main hero 'Sergeant First Class Jack Hunter' and also his boss Lt Col. Roger Weston. Both of them are hunky heroes and although the story largely focuses on Jack we also get a good dose of Roger. Buy one hunk get one free *sigh*.
In any case these are the kind of men that you need to save you when the world goes to pot and your foolish ex husband has gotten himself involved and killed in some kind of terrorist activity (before the divorce is even final!!!), AND left you with two kids, two dogs and a whole bunch of shadowy men with murder in mind.
Thankfully the main woman in this story is pretty tough, vulnerable at the right moments, tough at others and able to run and fight back when she needs to - my kind of gal. I wouldn't have read this if she had been swooning all over the place and she added to the action in the story.
This is a really good story if you like unrelenting action and thrills with your romance.
I liked this.
I would like it even more if Sergeant First Class Jack Hunter swept into my life to rescue me from the baddies.
Alas I shall have to content myself with his brooding picture on the front of the book and my dreams. *sigh*
It is a really great story with so many different stories lines that converge and then separate as the overall story is told.
The story is introduced with the usual military operation gone wrong and then the ripple effect takes place, but this rippling brings the shadowy bad guys into action and their global reach is played out in a world on the brink of anarchy and ideological and political warfare.
I think this is brilliant because it manages to weave together good guys, bad guys, greedy guys, children, women, dogs and a ghastly ex husband, and still remain sane. Bit by bit the conspiracies make sense and the heroes battle against the enemies in the shadows and those who are openly hostile.
It is a book that manages to bring turbulence, romance and a thrilling mystery together and make it gripping.
Of course the story wouldn't be complete without the main hero 'Sergeant First Class Jack Hunter' and also his boss Lt Col. Roger Weston. Both of them are hunky heroes and although the story largely focuses on Jack we also get a good dose of Roger. Buy one hunk get one free *sigh*.
In any case these are the kind of men that you need to save you when the world goes to pot and your foolish ex husband has gotten himself involved and killed in some kind of terrorist activity (before the divorce is even final!!!), AND left you with two kids, two dogs and a whole bunch of shadowy men with murder in mind.
Thankfully the main woman in this story is pretty tough, vulnerable at the right moments, tough at others and able to run and fight back when she needs to - my kind of gal. I wouldn't have read this if she had been swooning all over the place and she added to the action in the story.
This is a really good story if you like unrelenting action and thrills with your romance.
I liked this.
I would like it even more if Sergeant First Class Jack Hunter swept into my life to rescue me from the baddies.
Alas I shall have to content myself with his brooding picture on the front of the book and my dreams. *sigh*
May 11, 2015
I enjoyed reading this book. The title seemed as if it was aiming for a male/or the type that likes action packed military suspense audience, but the man on the cover drew me in as a female. The synopsis and overall ratings finally won me over and I was definitely not disappointed. Honestly, this is not a typical read for myself, I have read Western romances before with guns, but to actually read about specific military jargon was educational; including weaponry, acronyms for departments with the government and tactical fighting. Throughout the book, I felt at times I was indeed reading a book intended for men or women who are entertainment with the rough dialogue and action packed scenes. Yet in other areas as the story played out, there were the scenes that were hints of the sexual tension or acts demonstrating the love starting to blossom. Don't get me wrong: in my opinion the author did well mixing the two: action packed scenes as well as the steamy sex scenes romance readers expect. Even though J.L.Saint initially introduced the readers to the main hero/heroine-Jack & Lauren in this book, she branched off to other soldiers in the Delta team that had potential sparks with strong civilian woman-leading me to believe there will no doubt not one single man left in that unit. Which only means more follow up sequels!If they are written just as good or even better that Silent Warrior...(Happy Dance!!!)
October 22, 2011
As my rating says, it was ok. Without repeating the synopsis of the book, I read it because I like fast paced semi-mystery novels. Having some romance thrown in for good measure makes my reading day!
Likes: The premise of the story and the background stories. The main characters and the sub-characters. Even the evil ones. The pace of the plot and sub-plots was just right for me.
Dislikes: The authors use of White American Shepherds. Give me a break! They are German Shepherds with a white coat, period. I don't care that they have their own following in other countries. With all the action the author puts these dogs in, they would be EASY targets to shoot at and kill! Really poor choice of use in this setting.
Not enough connection except for maybe the sex between the two main characters. I thought there were too many assumptions on both the main characters parts about the other person, which of course turned out to be true, but the timing was too short for me. The ending was too tidy. The bad guy and his "son" get off too easy and dying by getting killed by a jungle cat? Too neat.
I try to read at least two in a series before I give it either my "I'll read this author again, or my never again" rating. Right now, I may consider reading the next in the series.
Likes: The premise of the story and the background stories. The main characters and the sub-characters. Even the evil ones. The pace of the plot and sub-plots was just right for me.
Dislikes: The authors use of White American Shepherds. Give me a break! They are German Shepherds with a white coat, period. I don't care that they have their own following in other countries. With all the action the author puts these dogs in, they would be EASY targets to shoot at and kill! Really poor choice of use in this setting.
Not enough connection except for maybe the sex between the two main characters. I thought there were too many assumptions on both the main characters parts about the other person, which of course turned out to be true, but the timing was too short for me. The ending was too tidy. The bad guy and his "son" get off too easy and dying by getting killed by a jungle cat? Too neat.
I try to read at least two in a series before I give it either my "I'll read this author again, or my never again" rating. Right now, I may consider reading the next in the series.
August 12, 2014
Este libro me ha dejado helada. Me ha resultado extrañísimo que a pesar de tener muchas referencias militares que parecen muy realistas, y a pesar de describir escenas en zona de guerra y decisiones también muy realistas y polémicas, para poder "meter" el romance en la historia y tener una trama lo tira todo por la borda porque lo único que hacen los protagonistas son tonterías, es imposible creerse la historia de lo irrealista que es.
¿Porqué un militar cualificado arrastra a una civil con él durante la investigación?
Pues eso, tonterías y estupideces hasta el mismísimo final...ah...y otro caso más de insta-lust...de roces con las manos y descargas eléctricas...que flojo...
Al final de la historia no hay muchas explicaciones de porqué los malos eran tan malos y porqué hacían lo que hacían y algunas de las historias no terminan...serán para el próximo en la serie...
¿Porqué un militar cualificado arrastra a una civil con él durante la investigación?
Pues eso, tonterías y estupideces hasta el mismísimo final...ah...y otro caso más de insta-lust...de roces con las manos y descargas eléctricas...que flojo...
Al final de la historia no hay muchas explicaciones de porqué los malos eran tan malos y porqué hacían lo que hacían y algunas de las historias no terminan...serán para el próximo en la serie...
September 19, 2014
This was on my Amazon wishlist for a while - I'll admit mainly for the cover, although I think it looks more like a gladiator than a modern soldier. Anyhoo, I was too mean to buy the book based on cover alone until someone told me about the 75% discount code on Kobo books. Ship it in!
This was a pretty well-executed thriller-romance. There was a little preaching and telling rather than showing but overall I enjoyed it. I thought the "clues" were blindingly obvious from the get-go (although I didn't make the necessary leap because I didn't have the pertinent facts .
I liked Jack, he was a man who listened and didn't go all alphahole. And the heroine was not TSTL - she came up with good ideas.
Like a lot of this genre the actual ending was a bit sudden and contrived, in fact I had to reread it the following morning because it was over so fast I had forgotten how it happened. There were some clichés (ok more than some) but they weren't blatant and when you've read as many of this genre as I have there are very few truly 'new' character types anyway.
This seems to be a lead in to a series and I will definitely buy the next one.
This was a pretty well-executed thriller-romance. There was a little preaching and telling rather than showing but overall I enjoyed it. I thought the "clues" were blindingly obvious from the get-go (although I didn't make the necessary leap because I didn't have the pertinent facts .
I liked Jack, he was a man who listened and didn't go all alphahole. And the heroine was not TSTL - she came up with good ideas.
Like a lot of this genre the actual ending was a bit sudden and contrived, in fact I had to reread it the following morning because it was over so fast I had forgotten how it happened. There were some clichés (ok more than some) but they weren't blatant and when you've read as many of this genre as I have there are very few truly 'new' character types anyway.
This seems to be a lead in to a series and I will definitely buy the next one.
September 17, 2012
Some books are like looking thru a scarf and seeing light. Others are like a tapestry, forcing you to look over or around it to see what's behind it.
This book was multi-layered and (to me) each part built upon the other as the story unfolds.
The 'survivor's guilt' suffered by Jack Hunter, the team leader, his team grieveously wounded, one dead, after a hostage rescue goes wrong.
The type A personality, fighting back in physical therapy, to get 'back in shape' in order to get some answers about things HE remembers in flashbacks of the mission. Reminds me of Clancy's hero 'John Clark' in Without Remorse.
Jack releases himself against medical advice and heads South after the wife of a hazily remembered 'tango' he met during the terrorist takedown.
Gunfights, escape and evasion, a little bit of tradecraft and now Jack, Lauren and her two children are desperately trying to piece together cryptic passages that her ex husband sent Lauren.
Some great fight scenes, strong secondary characters (coming in the next novel) and a little bit of globetrotting add up to a great read.
Well done, IMHO.
This book was multi-layered and (to me) each part built upon the other as the story unfolds.
The 'survivor's guilt' suffered by Jack Hunter, the team leader, his team grieveously wounded, one dead, after a hostage rescue goes wrong.
The type A personality, fighting back in physical therapy, to get 'back in shape' in order to get some answers about things HE remembers in flashbacks of the mission. Reminds me of Clancy's hero 'John Clark' in Without Remorse.
Jack releases himself against medical advice and heads South after the wife of a hazily remembered 'tango' he met during the terrorist takedown.
Gunfights, escape and evasion, a little bit of tradecraft and now Jack, Lauren and her two children are desperately trying to piece together cryptic passages that her ex husband sent Lauren.
Some great fight scenes, strong secondary characters (coming in the next novel) and a little bit of globetrotting add up to a great read.
Well done, IMHO.
April 29, 2012
Jack Hunter is part of Delta special op team and just completed a mission that didn't quite go as planned. Lauren Collins is in the middle of a divorce and a mother of two identical twin boys. Her ex seems to have involved her and their kids in a lot more than they can handle. This is my first read from J.L. Saint and from a Delta special forces type hero. Although I love military men, this book just didn't do it for me. I struggled to finish thus book multiple times. The writing style wasn't bad but thr constant character POV change drove me nuts. IMO it was just too many different characters. I can think of at least 6 character POVs off the top of my head. The beginning of the book changed character every chapter and made it hard to really get into the book. Overall, once I got over that I enjoyed the book well enough. I think if it was forced more on the romance the book might have been better. Saint has set up the next book already with Roger and Mari, haven't decided whether I will try that one.
May 25, 2015
This book had everything plus the kitchen sink in it. I will admit it was a slow start for me but the more I read the more I could not seem to stop myself from continuing. The characters had some traumatic layers to them(the soldiers) and I felt their struggles including the commanders, I just wanted to reach in and give him a hug. Then the woman, the fact that you started three different stories in this one story and you have intertwined them so well that I am looking at the next book in this series as just a continuation which it is. It is like the next episode of the show, and the show gets deeper and deeper. But back to the women of the book, Mari had me in tears point blank. From when she was introduced to when she got the idea to distance herself from the commander to keep him safe. Mari's pain just kept dragging me in. And then Lauren her roller coaster of emotions never failed to keep me with her. When she had tears I felt it and when she was ready to kick ass I was yelling at her to grab a weapon. I can not wait until the next book in the series is ready.
Read
January 12, 2011What worked for me
Characters - Jack was definitely alpha male material and he spoke it and acted it with everything he did. He carry that broody thing they all do so well but overall he had a conscience and I absolutely loved the fact that he knew how to listen and take advise when you least expected it.
Lauren was not kick ass chick but neither was she a TSTL girl either, she was a mother who knew what winning again the odd was all about, she was a home owner who had just about lost the only stable thing she had in her and her children's life - believe me you don't want to mess with a woman who had lost her home. She also knew when to get on the ride and hang on for dear life.
The support cast were really strong, so strong that there was a moment or two there that I almost forgot that Lauren and Jack were the headliner of this show.......
Read the full review HERE
Characters - Jack was definitely alpha male material and he spoke it and acted it with everything he did. He carry that broody thing they all do so well but overall he had a conscience and I absolutely loved the fact that he knew how to listen and take advise when you least expected it.
Lauren was not kick ass chick but neither was she a TSTL girl either, she was a mother who knew what winning again the odd was all about, she was a home owner who had just about lost the only stable thing she had in her and her children's life - believe me you don't want to mess with a woman who had lost her home. She also knew when to get on the ride and hang on for dear life.
The support cast were really strong, so strong that there was a moment or two there that I almost forgot that Lauren and Jack were the headliner of this show.......
Read the full review HERE
February 19, 2011
Loved this book! Author J.L.Saint does a wonderful job pulling the reader into the story. Jack Hunter is the perfect hero and leading man. He's damaged both physically, mentally and emotionally but that doesn't stop him from doing everything to help protect a women he doesn't know and her two children.
Lauren, an almost divorced mother of twin boys is thrust into a world she doesn't know, for reasons that leave her reeling. She is a mother that'll do anything to keep her boys safe...and she is glad she isn't alone. Jack's military training comes in handy when Lauren is attacked from all sides, but there is more going on then either of them realize!
Author J.L.Saint does a wonderful job of weaving multiple story lines seemlessly and keeps the reader engaged at all times. This is the type of story I love to read...I highly recommend it!!
Ursula Gorman- Author of Old Acquaintances
Lauren, an almost divorced mother of twin boys is thrust into a world she doesn't know, for reasons that leave her reeling. She is a mother that'll do anything to keep her boys safe...and she is glad she isn't alone. Jack's military training comes in handy when Lauren is attacked from all sides, but there is more going on then either of them realize!
Author J.L.Saint does a wonderful job of weaving multiple story lines seemlessly and keeps the reader engaged at all times. This is the type of story I love to read...I highly recommend it!!
Ursula Gorman- Author of Old Acquaintances
February 8, 2011
Collateral Damage has everything you look for in a romance/suspense/military book.. You have your hunky angst driven hero, a strong heroine mom who doesnt cower in the face of so many dangerous situations.. You have strong supporting characters which you become just as interested in as you do the H and H... I really liked that you got so many POV in this book.. You not only get the H and H but also the many villians plus some of the secondary characters which for me really helps you understand everything that is going on in the book. Sometimes when you only get the H & H POV you dont always understand the story. This book sold me on the description alone months before it ever came out and it didnt disapoint once I finally got my hands on it. :)
October 11, 2012
This book was interesting: it had awesome, conflicted characters and great character-chemistry, but the plot-conflict was a bit too complicated, which made it difficult to follow. (Possibly easier for people who are more in-touch with current, world affairs than me. But then, the author made up the crisis-situations, so I should have been able to follow better.) Also, the ending felt a bit rushed. Overall, though, it was a complete story with hot romance and it was a fun read. I am waiting not-so-patiently for the printed-version of the sequel, since I don't e-read (the sequel is already out in e-format).
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