And Able [Paperback]

Lucy Monroe (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2006

Claire Sharp trusts few people and relies on no one. But after her life is threatened, ex-mercenary Brett Adams blows into her self-contained world, full of southern charm, rugged good looks, and enough sexual experience to write a how-to manual...experience he makes it clear he'd like to use on Claire. She wants help fighting the bad guys, but she's not about to fall into Brett's bed. For one thing, the guy has a no-commitment clause that would stump most big-shot attorneys, and for another, despite her response to his sensual kisses, in Claire's experience sex isn't exactly fireworks and brass bands. Definitely not worth getting too excited over...Brett plans to prove her wrong. He's never felt such a powerful combination of lust and friendship with a woman. He'll give her a white-hot pleasure like nothing she's ever known and she'll realize that some things in life are worth every risk. When the threat to Claire grows dangerously close, pitting them against deadly odds, Brett will do whatever it takes to save her. Because Claire Sharp has just found herself a man who's ready to bring it on, willing to do what it takes, and able to go the distance...

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Award winning author Lucy Monroe sold her first book in September of 2002. Since then she has sold more than 30 books to three publishers and hit national bestsellers lists in the US and England. She's a passionate devotee to the romance genre and her emotionally charged, sensual stories touch on the realities of life while giving the reader a fantasy story not easily forgotten. Whether it's a passionate Harlequin Presents, a sexy single title for Kensington or a steamy historical or paranormal for Berkley, Lucy's books transport her readers to a special place where the heart rules and love conquers all.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Kensington; First Kensington Trade Paperback Printing, May 2006 edition (May 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0758211767
• ISBN-13: 978-0758211767
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,098,302 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

With more than 6 million copies of her books in print, USA Today bestseller Lucy Monroe has published more than 50 books and had her stories translated for sale in dozens of countries. While she writes several subgenres of romance (paranormal, historical, single title and short contemporary) for multiple publishers, all of her books are sexy, emotional and show that love will conquer all. She's a passionate devotee of romance and shares her love for the genre with her readers through her books and a policy of open communication. You can find Lucy on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/LucyMonroe.Romance) her blog (http://lucymonroeblog.blogspot.com), her official website (http://lucymonroe.com).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book by an author at the top of her form!, April 29, 2006

By 

C. Farley "seafaire" (Bakersfield, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: And Able (Paperback)

This book completes a trio but is very much the best of the lot and can stand alone as a marvelous read. It takes a skilled writer to create an alpha male with a deep ability to express caring and love as well as action. It happens here because the character comes from a background of strong Southern women. We believe this and it gives him a balance for his almost saintly behavior. He is swoon-worthy! To have a female lead with enough conflict to bring a quality level of tension to the story plus have brains and personality plus creates a power couple that we care about. This book came to me at the perfect time.
I had just discovered I "inherited" a construction clean-up project I hadn't know about that will take about three weeks of hot sun work to finish. Knowing that I can come back to this world with my feet up and a cold beer to be swept away into this wonderful story really helped.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Plot eclipsed by the romance., May 1, 2006

By 

Jennifer L. Hart "Author" (Concord, NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: And Able (Paperback)

Overall, this was the best book of Lucy Monroe's Mercenary trilogy. The characters we have met in the past two books, Ready and Willing, Claire Sharp and Brett "Hotwire" Adams are the most intriguing and realistic couple, with a more true kind of relationship. Brett has vowed to never fall in love and Claire resists the idea of an uncommitted sexual liaison. The chemistry between the two is highly combustible and carries the reader steadily to the last page.

The plot is a different matter. Claire is attacked in her own bed, despite Brett's safety measures, and even though Brett is supposed to be the best at security detailing and tracking criminals, he is unable to do either successfully. The book would also benefit from a thorough copy editing, especially in chapter three when Claire asks a man in his eighties about his involvement in World War I. It may have been a typo, or just a misunderstanding, but I found it distracting. Some of the other time line stuff didn't seem to ring true either, which can bother us detail oriented readers.
The villain, who isn't revealed until the end, seemed superhuman, capable of even more than the Mercs, and his final act of tyranny was rather far fetched.

In conclusion, a very worthwhile read and I believe the characters will stick with you long after the inaccuracies and mediocre plot fade away.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Tied for the Best of the Series, September 21, 2006

By 

Novelistic Reviews - See all my reviews

This review is from: And Able (Paperback)

I'd never read a Lucy Monroe book until I picked up the 1. Ready 2. Willing 3. and Able trilogy. Having read them, I can safely say that I'll be picking up more of Ms. Monroe's books. The first in the series, Ready, was a little weak in the proofing department but the characters were great. It was in this book that readers were introduced to Wolf, Nitro and Hotwire, three really hot Mercs.

In the second book, Willing, readers were introduced to Josie's best friend and house-mate, Claire. It was soon evident that things were already starting to simmer in a subtle way between Hotwire and Claire. Fortunately for my peace of mind, I wouldn't be left hanging because Ms. Monroe had plans for these two...Brett Adams, a.k.a. Hotwire would soon play a pivotal part in protecting Claire Sharp's life in the third book, and Able.

In the plot for -- and Able

We find that Claire Sharp has few friends and major trust issues. She thinks she's unattractive and that sex is overrated. However, her feelings haven't stopped her from behaving like a love struck teenager whenever Brett "Hotwire" Sharp is around. What makes matters even worse is that Brett seems to be aware of Claire's feelings for him because he's gone to extremes to make sure that everyone within hearing distance is aware his "no commitment" policy with women.

Brett is equally attracted to Claire and just as determined to avoid her. However, Brett's struggle to stay away from Claire comes to an abrupt end when Claire is attacked. Thus, the ex-mercenary takes it upon himself to protect and care for Claire. Soon the two begin butting heads with each other but their passion for one another quickly overcomes their irritation with each other as Brett and Claire fall headlong into a deep well of desire.

Meanwhile waiting in the background is an unknown assailant, an enemy who will stop at nothing to get what he wants, even if it means a couple murders along the way.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading "and Able."

While the plot may not have been super exciting it was well within the norm for the Contemporary Romance genre.

The dialogue in "and Able" showed much improvement over the first book in the trilogy, "Ready." It was realistic in that the conversational tones between the characters were in keeping with any given situation the characters found themselves in.

The character development in "and Able" was fairly three dimensional, particularly, Claire's. Claire had an extremely hard life growing up and it showed not only in her inability to trust people with intimate details about herself, but also in the fact that she made few friends and trusted few people, particularly those in places of authority.

Brett was super sexy and downright devilish at times. When he wasn't being ornery, he was being protective, and when he wasn't being one or the other, he was usually trying to lure Claire into bed, which was usually all the time. (Grin) Brett, too, suffered his share of heartache, thus his commitment policy. That attitude is easy to identify with if you've ever lost a loved one. Unfortunately the loss of a loved one often leads many individuals to swear off ever loving another individual again.

Josie and Nitro make an appearance as do Lise and Wolf. It's nice to be able to revisit with each couple and I hope to be able to revisit with each of these fascinating couples in future books.

If you haven't already ready, 1. Ready 2. Willing 3. and Able, then you should. You'll find that each book is better than the previous, although, personally, I have a really hard time choosing between the second, Willing and the third, and Able, because I like the primary characters in both books so much.