Chain Reaction [Kindle Edition]

Zoe Archer (Author)

Book Description

Elite 8th Wing pilot Celene Jur was taken captive after a mysterious device temporarily disabled her ship's controls. Three solar months later, when Celene receives intel on the man who built the device, she's ready to get the bastard. Only problem is, the higher-ups think her mission partner should be Nils Calder, a tech-head who can understand the disabling device. The attraction between them is electric, but Celene needs a soldier who can watch her back as she exacts her revenge.

Nils knows his department is nicknamed NerdWorks. Pilots like Celene think the closest tech geeks come to combat is all-night Nifalian chess tournaments. But behind the NerdWorks insignia on his sleeve Nils is an able fighter, ready to prove himself and gain Celene's trust.

The desire between them is unexpected, but with the fate of thousands hanging in the balance, the hotshot pilot and the tech genius must succeed in their mission—no matter the cost.

43,000 words

Product Details

• File Size: 347 KB
• Print Length: 139 pages
• Publisher: Carina Press (January 9, 2012)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B006BVTC5G
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Not Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #160,836 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Excitement Comes In Many Forms January 12, 2012

By Upstate New York Reader

Format:Kindle Edition

Chain Reaction was described as "FICTION - ADULT: Science Fiction & Fantasy: Science Fiction" - I certainly did not understand that "Adult" meant explicit sex. If I had known that Carina Press was an imprint of the Harlequin romance line, I probably would not have chosen to read the book - but I had chosen it and did read it. Do use caution if you choose to read this book.

The description was of a Science Fiction thriller - and that it was. As Celene and Nils attempt to discover the Disrupter that almost cost Celene her life, the also discover a great deal about each other. The apparent strengths and weaknesses of these two main characters are not what they appear. Each brings a combination of abilities to the job that lies ahead. Traveling through unknown parts of space in search of this new weapon on the verge of being sold to PRAXIS, the sworn enemy of the 8th Wing to which both Celene and Nils belonged, they encounter pirates, insects, and coniverous animals before finally encountering Marek, its inventor. A battle to the death insures that Mareks machine will never again be a danger to Celene or the 8th Wing.

The excitement does not stop - well it did stop, but for a different kind of excitement. Though not Jules Verne or Edgar Rice Burroughs, the book is an exciting read.

This review is based on a free electronic copy of the book provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Spread the geek-love! February 5, 2012

By Rhianna Walker VINE™ VOICE

Format:Kindle Edition

A legendary pilot rescued from a fate as a slave when her ship was disabled by a mysterious device. An engineer from the aptly nicknamed 'NerdWorks' with the skill to aid her in her mission to destroy the device. Both with something to prove and a need to get revenge against the man behind the 8th Wing's greatest threat. But Celene Jur, with her stainless reputation, doesn't want a tech geek weighing her mission down and Nils Calder is the best man for the job. Sparks fly and not all of them good as the pair fight the sensual tension building between them and their mutual sense of duty.

CHAIN REACTION flew by fast, even for a novella. I have a serious weakness for geek heroes and Nils is a smolderingly well-built example of the hawt-geek. He's almost too darned perfect. Handsome, intelligent and romantic. Blah, watch me melt into an oozy little puddle of reader goo. It's pathetic. Meanwhile, Celene is maddeningly B.A. in all the right ways. Is she a little too cool? Yep, she just pushes over the line between being awesome and too cool. Her redeeming quality is that being a legend has kind of made having a relationship impossible. Men are either intimidated by her or they want to hook-up with her for the status, finding a guy who likes her for her isn't easy until Nils comes along.

The actual plot is a little shaky. It's dull during the traveling bits but when action happens it's pretty fun. Once they reach the villain it hits a bit of a hurdle. I felt like them getting to him was too easily resolved considering all the preparation but this is a romance so I shouldn't have expected the 'boss fight' to be the highlight of the story. The conclusion was well done, I didn't want the characters to not stay true to their 'duty first' personalities. Once they return from the mission the actual ending made me grin. It's a romance and I wanted the geek to get the girl so I loved it.

While not without a few areas that didn't fully sell me I think the only big issue I had was that I had somehow not read COLLISION COURSE beforehand so I was confused at the beginning. I could have sworn I had read it already but I guess not. I think this can stand alone really but readers would benefir greatly from reading this second. Overall, I loved the sexy geeky spacey romance of CHAIN REACTION and can't wait to read more from Archer!

**ARC received via NetGalley

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A story for fans of sci-fi, romance, nerdy heroes, and strong heroines May 12, 2012

By Kimberly

Format:Kindle Edition

Lieutenant Celine Jur is a legend even among her fellow Black Wraith pilots. But even legends can be captured and Celine was only recently rescued from captivity after a device disabled her ship. Now the man who created the device has been located and Celine is ready for revenge. The only problem? Command wants her to take engineer Nils Calder along on the mission. Celine has no desire to bring a guy from NerdWorks with her. If she needs a partner, she'll take one trained for combat. But tech geek Nils has a few surprises in store for Celine. He isn't just a brain and he's ready to prove to Celine he's more than capable of being her partner...in more ways than one.

Zoë Archer's second 8th Wing story is even better than the first! Chain Reaction is a sexy, fun, clever story that'll keep you entertained from the first page to the last. I love how Celine's strength was complimented by her femininity. So often when we see tough heroines the authors have them act masculine as a way to prove their strength - something I find unnecessary. Ms. Archer excels at creating a strong female protagonist who is relatable as well. I adored Celine and wanted her to find happiness with someone who sees her as more than a famous pilot. Nils is exactly the right man for her. He's a total geek (which I love), but he's also a skilled fighter. I admit, I was slightly envious of Celine because I'd love to have Nils show up on my doorstep ;) Still, Nils and Celine complement one another perfectly, which is what makes Chain Reaction such an excellent story.

I'm very picky about science fiction stories and I'm not too keen on a lot of the sci-fi romances out there. However, since I enjoy Ms. Archer's work I decided to give her 8th Wing series a try. I'm so glad I did. No matter the genre, Ms. Archer delivers a great story with excellent world building and characters readers are sure to become invested in. If you haven't read the first 8th Wing book, Collision Course, you can read Chain Reaction as a standalone. However, fans of Collision Course will undoubtedly be delighted that Kell and Mara play strong supporting roles in Chain Reaction.

Whether you like sci-fi, romance, nerdy heroes, strong heroines, or all of the above, Chain Reaction is a solidly entertaining read you'll no doubt enjoy. I finished Nils and Celine's story a well-satisfied reader and I can't wait to read Ms. Archer's next book!

Kat
Review courtesy of Wit and Sin

More About the Author

Zoe Archer is an award-winning romance author who thinks there's nothing sexier than a man in tall boots and a waistcoat. As a child, she never dreamed about being the rescued princess, but wanted to kick butt right beside the hero. She now applies her master's degrees in Literature and Fiction to creating butt-kicking heroines and heroes in tall boots. She is the author of the acclaimed BLADES OF THE ROSE series and the paranormal historical romance series, THE HELLRAISERS. She and her husband, fellow romance author Nico Rosso, trade off writing the books in the steampunk romance series THE ETHER CHRONICLES. June 2013 will see the launch of her new gritty Victorian romance series, NEMESIS, UNLIMITED for St. Martin's Press. Zoe and Nico live in Los Angeles. Please visit her on the Web at http://www.zoearcherbooks.com/