Customer Reviews

Hot Zone (Elite Force: That Others May Live)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

My Review:
What an incredible, action-packed, emotional book. OMG, I absolutely adored this book featuring another of Catherine Mann's incredibly sexy and courageous Air Force PJ, Hugh Franco.

This book is about Amelia, a lawyer who is in the Bahamas helping her brother and sister in law with their adoption when an earthquake strikes. Amelia is with baby Joshua when the earthquake flattens their hotel and after 2 days, they are finally found and rescued by Hugh. Amazingly, this is just the start of their life-threatening and life-changing adventure together. This book definitely keeps you at the edge of your seat, but not only in the adventure and action of it all. The romance is absolutely fantastic too.

Hugh lost his wife and 4 yo daughter in a plane crash 5 years ago. Since then, he has thrown himself body and soul into his work as a Pararescue Jumper. He is not comfortable around kids anymore because they remind him of all that he lost when that plane crashed. As a result, being around baby Joshua is bringing up all sorts of emotions that he has worked really hard to not deal with. Honestly, he never wants to fall in love again...it hurts too much.

Agreeing with that philosophy is Amelia. She had a horrible divorce and a pain-riddled relationship with her father that has left her more than a little leery about getting attached too. But there is a connection between Hugh and Amelia that is undeniable. Luckily fate steps in to push them together so that they have a chance to realize that and each other and to make their connection.

In addition to the wonderful romance and adventure happening between Amelia and Hugh, there are a couple of other side-stories that are just as riveting in this book. There is Amelia's brother, Aiden and his wife Lisabeth, who are dealing with the stresses of their missing baby, Joshua. Aiden is also dealing with lots of doubts about his becoming a father because his own father was such scum. Aiden doesn't want to do anything to hurt another child the way that his father hurt him. Both Aiden and Lisabeth are medical pros so they are also working triage on the island, which adds stress. There is a ton of things pulling at this couple, but their story was really interesting. I don't tend to like getting distracted by side-stories, but this one totally worked and I enjoyed it within this book.

There is also a new romance blooming between Liam, Hugh's commander, and a rescue dog handler, Rachel. That story line wasn't completed, so I am hoping that there is a book to come featuring those two. As friends, there could be a real romance blooming which would be fun to read esp. with Liam's history with women.

Overall, this was an amazing book. It had action. It had adventure. It had life-threatening situations. It had a riveting story line. It had a fabulous romance. It had a super-sexy military hero and one super-strong heroine. It had characters that I fell in love with. It truly did have it all and it was all tied up in wonderful writing. It was definitely a fantastic book!

We met Hugh Franco in the first book Cover Me. We know that he lost his wife and daughter and likes taking the most dangerous missions. When Hot Zone starts out we find our heroine Amelia and her newly adopted 13 month old nephew Joshua under a hotel after an earthquake has ravaged the Bahama island. After a search and rescue dog points to there location Hugh manages to climb down to them. In this tiny space trapped under a bld Hugh starts to feel something for this woman with the blue eyes. Its not something he wants but yet he is drawn in. Amelia has a few of her own demons. She had been in a crappy marriage and her father turned out to be a pedophile who killed himself rather than go to prison. As more aftershocks trap Hugh below with Amelia the two form a bond but both think it can go no further than what they are feeling at that moment.

Once they are rescued Amelia and Joshua are taken to a makeshift hospital where she hopes to find out news on her brother and his wife. Hugh goes back to his team to clean up and get a little sleep before starting on more searching for survivors. But he cannot get Amelia and the little one out of his head. So he continues to go and visit them at the hospital.

There are also two secondary relationships and a baby stealing plot going on.

The first is Amelia's brother Dr Aiden Bailey and his wife Lisabeth who is also his nurse. They have both worked for Doctors without Borders and now with Operation Smile. They had come to the Bahamas to finally there adoption of Joshue when the earthquake hit and separated them from Amelia and Joshua. Aiden never wanted any kids of his own due to having a pedophile for a father but Lisabeth convinced him to adopt. As Dr's and nurses are needed they end up volunteering even though both are extremely worried about the fate of Amelia and Joshua.

The second is Major Liam McCabe (Hugh's boss) He has had 3 marriages and 3 divorces. He know's he falls to fast for women and again cant help himself when he meets the replacement USAR (Urban Search and Rescue) Rachel Flores. Rachel just came out of a bad relationship and it not looking for another even though Liam is very persistent.

Now back to Amelia and Hugh... Amelia catches a person posing as a nurse trying to take Joshua and tries to stop her and ends up getting herself kidnapped along with the baby. Hugh hears Amelia's screams and rushes to try and save her..

We go back and forth between the 3 stories and also with the leader of the baby snatching ring called The Guardian who things she is doing the world a favor by taking children who have no parents and placing them with good families.

I really like angst driven books and watching how each of the characters get over there deeply traumatic issues.

Hugh has to overcome his deeply rooted sorrow over losing his wife and daughter.

Aiden has to overcome is never wanting any blood children of his own when his wife tells him she is pregnant.

I liked the first book and was really looking forward to this book from the teaser that was at the end of it. It did not disappoint. We get to experience so many characters overcoming tragedy in this book. It was a none stop thrill ride until the very end.

Entertaining if somewhat unfocused and ultimately over the top.

Master Sergeant Hugh Franco rescues trapped Amanda Bailey from the wreckage of her hotel in earthquake ravaged Bahamas only to land in the middle of a black market kidnapping ring. Now, he must use all his skill as an elite pararescueman in order to keep them alive.

Let me start with gushing about the beginning of this story. The rescue from the hotel wreckage was nail-biting, awesomesauce, amazing. More than once, I was tempted to peak at the end, just to ensure that characters had lived and what a payoff when that rescue is completed. Even in the lull aftermath of the rescue, this story held the intensity and surprised me with the romantic tension despite the devastation of the surroundings.

It simply worked. The characters were likeable and their reactions to the situation felt real. Even the shag in the closet was appropriate (and trust me, I'm ubber critical about inappropriate/tacked on smut scenes).

However... Once the story moves away from the earthquake rescue and into the black market kidnapping ring, it felt like a completely different book. Like a sequel to a great story that doesn't quite match up to the emotional intensity of the original. This part of the story (I do consider it a mash-up of two linked stories) starts off with a bang of Rambo vs. van chase.

The problem is not in the chase itself, but that it comes in the heels of an emotionally intense first part. This makes the chase and subsequent second rescue feel way over the top. Add that to the intrusion of secondary and tertiary story-lines (and their accompanying POVs which includes the - sympathetic? - 'villain') and suddenly the emotional impact of the beginning starts to fray, losing its impact.

Had the rescues, earthquake vs. kidnapping ring, been completely separate, both would have ultimately had more cohesion and rated higher for me.

As it stands, Hot Zone is a solid story with very likeable characters that starts out with an amazing bang and, although it loses its intensity, remains an entertaining read.

Reviewed by Calisto
for The Romance Reviews

Hugh Franco lives life on the edge as a PJ (Pararescue Jumper), running from his past and saving lives to make up for the ones that he lost so long ago. When an earthquake sends Hugh and his team to the Bahamas, he is the first one crawling through the rubble. Trapped underneath feet of debris Hugh finds Amelia Bailey and is instantly drawn to her bravery and cool head, earning his respect and starting a fire in his blood even before he can tell what she looks like. Once free from the fallen building Hugh can't seem to let Amelia and her young nephew go but before they can explore their attraction further they are swept up into an abhorrent scheme of kidnapping and human smuggling. Can Hugh extract Amelia and her nephew from the evil clutches they find themselves in before the kidnappers realizes that they're on to them? And if he can, will their new attraction survive past the devastation they've found on the ravaged island?

Catherine Mann weaves heated romance with nail biting suspense in the second installment in her captivating and intense Elite Force series. If you've read Cover Me then you will remember the daring Hugh Franco from the PJ team in Alaska, but if you haven't then that is okay because the author has set Hot Zone up perfectly to read as a standalone.

Hugh is a tortured soul, living through the loss of his wife and child he is easily relatable to any reader and his story tugs on your heartstrings. Having nothing left to lose he feels that it is his job to take on the most dangerous assignments and spare his team mates. Brave, honorable, self-sacrificing, sexy as all get-out with a soft spot for children...Hugh Franco is a dream boat. ;)
His story was well written and paired with the feisty Amelia they gave each other balance in all the right places. Together they sizzled and the story intrigued.

I didn't find Hot Zone wasn't as fast-paced and riveting as the first novel, Cover Me, but it definitely made my must-read list of 2011 and the series in general is on my must-read series list so I am eagerly anticipating the next novel, Under Fire (May 2012) which features Liam McCabe, Rachel Flores and Disco, who we see a bit of here in Hot Zone.

Grade: B+

This was an extremely intense, emotional and fast paced novel. I'm glad that I gave Catherine Mann another chance. I didn't like "Cover Me" at all {The first book in this new series), and I was ready move on, but I saw Hot Zone listed on Netgalley, and after reading the blurb, decided I would give it one more go. I'm glad I did because Hot Zone delivered a romantic suspense novel that was fantastic.

Hugh Franco is living life on the edge after past tragedies have left him bereft of reasons for living. He now lives for his job as a pararescueman or PJ, and has been called to the site of an earthquake disaster in the Bahamas.

Amelia Bailey is an attorney who is vacationing on the Island with her brother and sister in law, and aiding in their adoption of a little boy named Joshua, who is 13 months old, when disaster strikes and her hotel is demolished during an earthquake--with her and Joshua inside. She has no idea if her brother and sister in law are alive or dead.

I've got to stop and interject right here, that this novel totally made me cry. I have a 16 month old son and this just hit home for me. When Joshua and Amelia are trapped under the rubble...My god. I can't even begin to imagine. The readers will be tossed right in there with them, and will feel the strength, love and admiration for Amelia immediately. Though she is not his mother, her fierce protectiveness and bravery will attract you to her like a bear to honey.

Hugh Franco is tasked with channeling under the rubble to save her. When he finds her, her spirit calls to him, but he doesn't believe Joshua is alive and is trying to stabilize Amelia and keep her panic at bay. All the while, Hugh is trying to keep himself sane, because the last thing he can deal with is a dead child. Hugh has secrets of his own, an intense, and consuming grief that I don't want to imagine.

Together they make it out and continue on their journey.

Hugh and Amelia have an instant connection, but it didn't feel wrong when reading. These two emotional and strong characters need each other and it was beautiful to witness. Hot Zone will have you on the edge of your seat, and fanning yourself with the sexual tension.

Another interjection here, to tell you that there is a side story involving Amelia's brother and sister in law, and how they are dealing with Joshua and Amelia missing. They both have pretty strong issues, and their story was heart breaking and intense as well. I didn't feel their storyline detracted from the overall story at all. It made it all the more real. So Kudos Catherine Mann.

In addition to this, we read a little bit about the commanding officer Liam. I'm not exactly sure why he needed his own small storyline, I can only guess that maybe him and Rachel are going to be playing cat and mouse through the next books. Sort of like Sam and Alyssa from Suzanne Brockman's Romantic Suspense series, but this is only my speculation.

Overall, the plotting was well done, and suspenseful, with Hugh and Amelia battling not only nature, but a baby smuggling ring, it doesn't really leave the reader much time for rest. I read Hot Zone from start to finish in a few hours, it kept me clicking "next" just to see where they would go and what they would do

My dog woke me up at 1:30 in the morning because he had to go outside. While waiting for him to come back, I started this book. I had a real hard time putting it down. After the dog came back inside, I returned to bed. I did not return to sleep. I kept reading the book. I had to know if the baby would be ok. I was finally able to put it down after chapter 5. I figured ok the baby is now safe and it would turn into a romance. Wrong. When I woke up, I started on Chapter 6 and now there is a kidnapping. Oh geez...how am I supposed to get any work done in my house when I have my nose glued to the book?

I bought this book as something to read over Christmas. I just never got a chance to read it until now. I'm sure I read a review before buying but I totally forgot what the book was about prior to starting to read it last night.

If you want a good action packed thriller with some romance thrown in, here's the book for you.

...to make another winner for you to read. One of the books you don't want to put down until you have finished it so you can find out what happens and why.

Amelia was a strong woman that is a lawyer who was there to help her brother and sister in law with the adoption of an orphaned child (Joshua) in Haiti when it was hit by the earthquake that affected so many people in different areas and cultures and still is. Being found and rescued by Air Force Elite PJ Hugh created a relationship that if it went the right way would grow and become stronger than many others would. But both were hesitant because of what had happened in their past, Amelia through divorce and Hugh through losing his wife and a child during a plane crash. There was suspense and mystery when Amelia was kidnapped with the child and Hugh wasn't left behind. But why were they taken? Who was the person behind these children disappearing? Who was the contact at the base? The story all came together in the end with the mystery solved and done in the right away.

Amelia's brother (Aiden) and sil (Lisabeth) had no idea if they were alive or not but it didn't stop them from doing what they could to help those especially since he was a Doctor and she was a Nurse. Standing side by side they helped a lot of people and in many ways found each other, especially since it was discovered why Lisabeth was a little more emotional than usual and why Aiden was worried about becoming a parent. They were not the only ones finding romance again as you could see the signs of where some new books in the series could possibly go in the future as a relationship was starting between two other characters in the book.

Catherine Mann delivers another thrilling elite force story in Hot Zone.

Pararescueman Master Sergeant Hugh Franco has dedicated his live to serving and saving others. No risk is to great for him to tackle. But nothing touches his heart that is until he saves Amelia Bailey and her precious nephew for a devastating earthquake. Something about this woman captures him like nothing has in years.

Amelia Bailey travels to the Bahamas with her brother and his wife to help facilitate their international adoption. Her occupation as a lawyer should be an added tool to move the process along. None of them planned on an earthquake throwing the country into turmoil.
After she and baby Joshua are rescued their real trouble begins. Seems there are smugglers that are dealing in children just like her nephew and they will stop at nothing to get what they want.

Amelia and Hugh are thrust into the middle of a dangerous situation and must relay on their wits and each other to survive. In the middle of running for their lives they discover an attraction that they can not ignore. Will they be able to outwit the danger and grasp a love that neither has knows?

Hot Zone pulls you right into the peril of the earthquake from page one. You can feel the terror of the unknown and how it affects everyone. Amelia and Hugh struggle with their past but it doesn't keep them from realizes what they have found is worth keeping. Catherine Mann is on my must read list. Looking forward to more exciting books in this series.

Hot Zone is book two of the Elite Force series, and I must admit I hadn't read book one. But this one can be read as a standalone because it didn't read like it was picking up from previous events.

Hugh rescues Amelia and her nephew from an earthquake and then again from kidnappers. Along the way Hugh and Amelia manage to fall in love. I didn't really buy the love, lust yes, but love not so much. I did genuinely believe that they both cared strongly for Joshua, Amelia's nephew, throughout the whole ordeal.

The side story of Amelia's brother and sister-in-law, I became enthralled with. It was interesting to watch him open up to his wife about his fear of having biological children. He truly was a good man burden down by the sins of his father.

Overall I liked both Amelia and Hugh as individuals. It did however feel that by the end of the book I knew Hugh more than Amelia.

Strong characters that never falter in their determination to serve "that others may live" make Hot Zone an adrenaline-pumping journey through hellish experiences and emotional upheavals.

Amelia Bailey, a tough, no-holds-barred county prosecutor, entombed under a collapsed hotel, tamps down hysteria and claustrophobia. By wiggling her arm through a small hole, she can touch thirteen-month-old Joshua, her adopted nephew whom she had told her brother and sister-in-law she would take care of. She vows to do whatever it takes to keep him alive until help arrives. The ensuing dangers that Amelia meets and overcomes are hair-raising, yet read as if they are late-breaking news.

Master Sergeant Hugh Franco, a pararescueman, truly does serve "that others may live". He has found no other reason to live since the death of his wife and daughter. He seems to work at the most dangerous assigns as if they are getting him one day closer to joining them.

When his involvement with Amelia and Joshua doesn't end when he rescues them from the rubble, Hugh has a personal battle to fight. He balks again and again at the long-dormant emotions coming alive and making him vulnerable, making him care, maybe even love. He is somewhat of a Superman at rescues, but afraid of caring emotions.

The earthquake demolished city, the looting and crimes, the human trafficking, the jungle dangers, and human depravity keep the reader in a breath-holding mode much of the time. Amelia, so out of her depth and dependent on Hugh, creates an anxiety that keeps the reader turning pages to see how in the world they escape the many perils.

The secondary characters like three-time divorced Major Liam McCabe and the rescue dog handler Rachel Flores should have a book all their own. They are a unique couple that deals with the horrors of their jobs in ways that give the reader insight into two complex personalities that have a special connection.

Other characters that struggle with personal problems are Amelia's brother Dr. Aiden Bailey and his nurse wife Lizabeth. They help save as many as they can in the make-shift hospital, as they look for and inquire about Amelia and Joshua in their down time from doing surgeries. But the family issue they much come to terms with threatens to derail their marriage.

Of course, the antagonists, especially the Guardian and crew are a despicable lot that ramps up the action to the max. How their twisted minds justify human trafficking is abhorrent.

The sex scenes to "decompress" and the sex scenes with love create a wrinkle in time. They help block out the horrors and terrors of that has happened. These scenes also enhance connections that help get the characters on the road back to normalcy and to a life with hope for happy-ever-afters.

Catherine Mann's powerful writing style sweeps the reader into pulse-pounding dangers, gripping suspense, and spine-tingling passion. Moreover, she creates super heroes that send the heart racing. The women she creates have their share of flaws but are strong, intelligent, passionate and worthy of love. Hot Zone assails the senses, offers up an-off-beat sort of humor, and stirs emotions from the very depths of one's being--a transporting read.

Originally posted at The Long and Short of It Romance Reviews