Customer Reviews

Defender (Berkley Sensation)

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Despite the crazy cheesy looking dude with shades on the cover, this book rocked my military suspense lovin' world.

When I first read the excerpt I giggled. The nicknames seemed silly. Pulling a USO entertainer out of the water and falling for her? I dunno. We meet Jimmy 'hotwire' who is in the middle of searching for his friend/team member when he is distracted by orders to help keep the USO entertainers safe. One of those, is classical musician prodigy Chloe.

They suffer several attacks, Jimmy and his team continue the quest for the missing man, and of course Jimmy and Chloe feel growing attraction. The plot takes many twists and turns and I was impressed with how the author satisfied me while leaving the door open for me to enjoy the next book in this series.

The heroine is one of the best heroines I've read in a long time. She has some physical limitations (medical issues) but that does NOT make her weak, simpering, cowering behind her big tough military man, or lame. NO! This heroine kicks villain A$$ and doesn't apologize for living her life the way she wants. She doesn't cower in the corner and take orders - and I respected her and this talented writer all the more.

The ending is very satisfying, and I was so thrilled to see something that doesn't wrap it all up and spell out 'happily ever after' that insults the characters intelligence. Instead the author gives us a pleasing and happy end to the adventure without buckling to 'insta-marriage' and so many other plot clichés enjoyed by romance authors especially in suspense.

well played!

In Afghanistan, with his mentor and partner Major Nathan "Socrates" Breuer unconscious and his C-12 nose diving with smoke coming from the tail, Captain Jimmy Gage knows he must land the plane safely and pray for help to arrive fast. He succeeds in getting them to the ground, but his prayer is answered by insurgents who execute Breuer on the spot and take Jimmy prisoner. Tortured by the enemy, his only regret is he left his fallen comrade behind; vowing never again.

Three years later, Jimmy, who escaped from the enemy, is escorting a boat filled with USO performers when the vessel explodes. Jimmy rescues several survivors including beautiful Chloe Nelson. She had joined the troupe to pay homage to the late soldier who donated a kidney that saved her life. As their respective hearts hotwire love, the pair finds themselves struggling to survive while on a dangerous mission.

This exciting first Darks Ops military thriller hooks the audience from the opening suspense laden scene and never loosens the tension until the end. The key to this taut story line is the lead couple whose attraction can light up the country, but keep their romantic inclinations in check as survival and mission come first. Fans who relish an exciting military thriller with a romantic subplot will want to fly with Jimmy and Chloe.

Harriet Klausner

Catherine Mann's first book in the brand new Dark Ops Defenders series is jam-packed with action, suspense, and her trademark to-die-for characters. The military suspense is unique, current, and all too possible, yet the romance between Jimmy and Chloe sizzles, making DEFENDER a book at the top of my romantic suspense recommended reading list. Can't wait for HOTSHOT coming up next!!

Catherine Mann's Defender is a fast paced ride of suspense and action.

Captain Jimmy "Hotwire" Gage has enough on his plate trying to locate a missing crew member. He isn't all that happy to have to fish out the USO performers from the Mediterranean Sea after their ship exploded. His first look at performer Chloe Nelson gets all his engines revving.

Orchestra conductor Chloe Nelson decides performing for the USO is a great way to give back. A young female soldier saved her life many years ago by giving her a kidney after she died. Chloe wasn't expecting to be thrust in the center of a terrorist attack overseas. With the tour in danger her rescuer Jimmy Gage and his tem are assigned to protect the tour members. Chloe's first tempting kiss from Jimmy has her wanting more then just a quick fling.

When the terror strikes closer and closer it puts Jimmy and Chloe's new found relationship in jeopardy.

Catherine Mann does military romance with the best of them. The military jargon and missions is top notch and pulse pounding. The romance of Chloe and Jimmy seamlessly flows and adds a deep dimension to a already spectacular story. You will devour her books and keep them in your heart.

What a fabulous book! I couldn't put this down from the first page! I have a weakness for alpha heroes, and DEFENDER delivered in spades. I can't wait to get my hands on the next book in the series.

I like romantic suspense, and this book perfectly balanced the love story and the action. I will definitely buy HOTSHOT.

From page one, Catherine Mann's dangerous Dark Ops warriors explode onto the page to command your attention and hold your heart, refusing to let go until that last satisfying page when you finally get your breath back.

This is a wonderful book from a skilled author who has a talent for creating deep characters and drawing strong emotion in the midst of exciting scenes - just what every romantic suspense reader is looking for.

NYT best selling author Dianna Love

Some parts of this book I really enjoyed. The characters Jimmy and Chloe were a great couple. I loved how their relationship developed and the insight into their pasts. They certainly were not your cookie-cutter romance h/h. The secondary characters were also interesting and quite unique. However, I thought there were way too many characters thrown into the mix, obviously setting up for future books in the series. The switching points of view also bothered me. There was Chloe's, Jimmy's, Mike's, Anya's, Marta's (I think that's all.) It made it hard to really connect with any of the characters.

Very good military romantic suspense. Black ops test pilots were a believable extrapolation. Sometimes authors make stuff/black ops groups up in order to tell their stories and some of them work better than others. This one worked well. The action was believable. Bad guys were well drawn with clear motivations. I like both the hero and the heroine. He was a tortured soul without wallowing in it. She was a gutsy girl trying to live life to the fullest. The dialog was good. The romance was believable. The love scenes were integral to the plot and not just extraneous sex like in some of these types of books. Good clear cut action without excess wordiness or wallowing around in the characters thoughts. Plenty of guys in the crew for future books and an interesting subplot that should be a book later. The subplot was well rounded without distracting from the main story/romance.

OMG!!! I so needed this book. This was my first Catherine Mann book and it will NOT be my last! I just ordered the next book, Hotshot, for my Kindle. As soon as I'm finished with this review, I'm diving in! I am the wife of a United States Marine so I loved the military action in this book and was so happy to see that Ms. Mann had done her homework on the details. Both of the main characters, Chloe and Jimmy, are very well rounded and have such emotional pasts. Jimmy embodies the title of this book "Defender". The romance in this book is passionate, loving, steamy, full of yearning, and even healing. Chloe and Jimmy are perfect for each other for several special reasons that I cannot write here. I refuse to rob the potential reader of the opportunity to discover them herself!

Chloe Nelson is trying to give back something. As a kidney transplant survivor, she owes her entire well-being to the man that died so that she might live. Because of this, she has signed up to be a backup singer on an USO tour overseas. When the boat she is on explodes, Chloe thinks it is ironic that her death will be just when she is getting over being sick and finally happy. Rescued and pulled out of the water, Chloe instantly realizes that the man who is holding her doesn't want any part of this rescue operation.

Jimmy Gage is irritated. Instead of looking for their missing comrade, he and his team have been sent to rescue civilian personnel. Coming into contact with Chloe Nelson and her lack of clothing, Jimmy reacts like any other red blooded male - he wants her. However, he has more important things to do, like find his missing team member and get to the bottom of why Chloe and her USO troupe are being targeted by insurgents.

Defender by Catherine Mann is definitely a page turner. From one scene to the next, readers are taken on a roller coaster ride of suspense, action, and emotions. Jimmy and Chloe fight their attraction to each other but soon realize that their battle with themselves is a battle meant to be lost. Both Jimmy and Chloe are strong, independent, and worthy of the other. Defender by Catherine Mann is simply one of the best military/romantic suspense novels I have ever read.


Talia
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed