Call of Duty [Paperback]

Merline Lovelace (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 1998

The rigid lifestyle of the Untied States Air Force is no place for a free-spirited woman, but when Captain Jennifer Vargas attempts to resign, her superior officer refuses to let her go, insisting she stick to her commitment. And when she discovers some discrepencies in the personnel record indicating a secret illegal training operation, she places her life in jeopardy to expose the truth!

• Over 1 million copies of Merline Lovelace books in print • Compares to the fiction of Barbara Parker and Nancy Taylor Rosenberg • Merline Lovelace has 23 years United States Air Force experience, having served in Vietnam, the Pentagon, and as commander of Elgin Air Force Base • Line of Duty received excellent reviews in Publishers Weekly, Romantic TImes, and Rendezvous magazine • We have much more coming from Merline Lovelace

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Lovelace's military romances (her last was Duty & Dishonor) have garnered a justifiably large following. It may be that there's still something special about a guy (and gal) in uniform, but this is good writing, too. Computer specialist Captain Jennifer Varga is targeted by a secret paramilitary group when she innocently backs up the files of a co-worker who'd dropped dead of a heart attack. The man was on the group's payroll, and the files contain incriminating evidence of clandestine activity, some of which has been taking place on military bases. Adding to Jennifer's troubles is her boss, handsome, strictly-by-the-rulebook career airman Lieutenant Colonel Mike Page, who's trying to keep Jennifer in the service while fighting his powerful sexual attraction to her, his subordinate. Fascinating, behind-the-scenes details of military life and the serious consequences of falling into forbidden relationships makes this fast-paced thriller both a gripping as well as a timely read. If you're a sucker for An Officer and a Gentleman or JAG, you'll eat this up.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

Jennifer Varga wants out of the Air Force. Now. She loves the chance to work with computers, but she was never cut out for the rigid rules and regulations the military insists upon. She uses every opportunity to try to convince her boss the best thing he could do- for both of them- is let her out of her remaining commitment. But Jen will soon have something else on her mind to keep her busy. And she will turn to her boss for help. Lieutenant Colonel Michael Page would like nothing better than to get the pesky Captain Varga out of his hair. But Mike can't do that. He sees a lot of potential in Jen and he's not going to turn his back on her and let her ruin a promising career. But when Jen stumbles across some secret files in her job at the Air Force Personnel Center, Mike is pulled into the web of intrigue and danger that might get both of them killed. Merline Lovelace takes readers on a fast-paced, suspenseful ride that doesn't let up until the very last page. Jen and Mike seem like a mismatched pair- she is a rebel with wild hair and messy habits, he is a military man right down to the knife sharp creases in even his casual clothes, and his uncompromising sense of right and wrong. But these two find themselves working together and fighting an attraction that could get them both in a lot of hot water- if the bad guys don't kill them first. If you love romantic suspense, don't miss Ms. Lovelace's latest tale!Hold on for the ride of your life! Merline Lovelace will keep you on the edge of your seat! Call of Duty is nail biting suspense at its very best! Ms. Lovelace's writing shines! Merline Lovelace will keep you turning pages well past bedtime! One of the best romantic suspense novels of the year! Kristina Wright -- Copyright © 080198 Literary Times, Inc. All rights reserved -- From Literary Times

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Onyx (August 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451406737
• ISBN-13: 978-0451406736
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,560,236 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

As an AF brat I lived in France and Newfoundland, both of which I loved, and at least half of the fifty states. As an AF officer, I served tours in Taiwan, Vietnam, the Pentagon, and the rest of the fifty states!

Now I'm having a blast putting all those adventures into my books.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The queen of military romance does it again!, July 1, 1999

By 

Jo Manning (Miami Beach, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Call of Duty (Paperback)

Lovelace makes the military come alive with her fast-paced, timely plots and well-conceived characters. The romance is always hot and the protagonists believable and appealing. Jennifer and Mike don't seem to be well-matched, but when they're together, the heat's turned on high. Readers will enjoy the suspense and the romance both...neither lets up!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another brilliant romantic military intrigue, June 24, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Call of Duty (Paperback)

U.S. Air Force Captain Jennifer Vargas admits that she does not always follows procedures and is one of the most disorganized people in the military. She wants out of the military, but needs her superior officer, Lieutenant Colonel Mike Page to approve her request. Mike knew the feisty officer would be a handful, but he never anticipated falling in love with her.

Neither Jen or Mike expected to become involved in a dangerous investigation that leads to them dodging bullets, being kidnapped, and arrested on trumped up charges. Their drama begins when one of Jen's co-workers dies and she downloads his computer files on floppies for back up. She finds one cryptic program on one of the files, which lead to their investigation that brings them to the attention of a very powerful person. This individual does not want anyone interfering with his plans and will do whatever it takes to eliminate anyone who dares try, including a pair of aviators who have fallen in love with one another.

Merline "The Magician" Lovelace is a master at scribing an exciting, disturbing, and plausible military romance. The believable story line provides insight into the military way of life, but does so in a very interesting, up-close way. CALL OF DUTY examines the potential danger of civilians stepping over the line and misusing the military, a scenario that seems all too plausible. Ms. Lovelace writs thrillers that rival the best of Dale Brown and John Gilstrap.

Harriet Klausner

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Cross Genre Novel, January 28, 2000

By 

Northeast Texas Reader (Northeast Texas, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Call of Duty (Paperback)

Without a doubt, this is one of my favorite books. It is one of those cross genre novels incorporating romance, suspense, and computer technology. I loaned it to a male friend, who enjoyed the military subplot aspects. All of Col. Lovelace's "Duty" novels should be enjoyable to men who like military suspense novels but shy away from those "mushy" romance novels.