Customer Reviews

The Mercenary (Harlequin Temptation)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

"The Mercenary" is Adair's debut novel written in 1994 and published as a Harlequin Temptation series romance.

This is the story of T-FLAC operative Marc Savin and his partner's sister Victoria Jones. T-FLAC (Terrorist Force Logistical Assault Command) is an elite government unit, a cloaked counterterrorist force beyond even the CIA.

When Victoria (Tory) realizes that her brother is being held prisoner, she enlists the help of Marc Savin to rescue him. Tory and her brother are twins and they have a special ability to communicate with each other telepathically. For this reason Marc needs Tory to help him locate his partner and he takes her along on the rescue mission.

This story held my interest because of Adair's ability to produce an exciting read when it comes to action, adventure and suspense. But the romance portion of the story was disappointing. There was no indepth character development. Other than their mission together and some background info on their past lives, I feel I didn't get to know Marc and Tory too well. Their relationship followed a stilted and dated format but you will find some steamy sex scenes in this story. Another slight problem in this story was that I found it difficult to believe the mental telepathy conversations between Tory and her brother.

I would have liked a longer, more indepth story, but even with these distractions, I feel that Ms. Adair did a good job with this short format series title. This title is currently out of print and very hard to find at used book stores. Copies are available through amazon.com auctions and zshops.

Let me start off with saying I love Cherry Adair. I've read most of her books and I held off on reading this book until it was republished. It was not worth the wait. This is Adair's first novel originally written 14 years ago. Most of the actions of the hero and heroine make absolutely no sense at all. Tory travels by herself to a violent, terrorist-controlled country to find her brother who is missing. She is captured and held hostage for a few weeks and is repeatedly beaten. They release her and escort her to the airport. When she arrives back in the States she calls upon Marc, who was her brother's partner, to help get him out. Marc has been retired from T-FLAC for over two years, he believes Alex dead and initially does not even believe her. At this point in the story, Tory is basically afraid of her own shadow, she is immensely afraid when Marc even so much as looks in her direction. Marc threatens Tory in an attempt to get her to leave and she faints! Is this the same woman who traveled by herself half way around the world to take on evil terrorists? Any woman experiencing what she did would walk away with major Post Traumatic Stress, but not Tory even though she is a self-proclaimed coward.
Once Marc is convinced that what Tory is telling him is the truth, he decides to go and to take Tory with him since she and Alex have a psychic connection. So at this point my question is...why is Marc the only T-FLAC agent going in the rescue Alex? I have a hard time believing T-FLAC would send only one man in to rescue one of their own, even more so when the man going in has been out of commission for over two years. Throughout the story there are several moments where you just want to scratch your head. For example,Tory has saved her virginity for 27 years only to give it to a man whom she has only known for a few days and he has been nothing but a bully to her, on top of that, she is scared of him.
There is a scene where the Tory pulls a gun on about 7 armed men, she tells them all to drop their weapons and they comply! These 7 armed dangerous terrorist are just so stunned to have a woman stand up to them that they all actually surrender. LOL

(**SPOILER** Another peeve about this book is that Tory never tells Marc that she is pregnant at the end of the novel. Sure they decide to get married and all so his knowledge about the pregnancy is a given but there is no moment in the book when he finds out. I kept reading expecting her to tell him at anytime and it never happened.)

I could go on but won't. This book is technically book 1 in the T-FLAC series but I recommend starting with Kiss and Tell instead. Actually none of the books need to be read in order, except the Edge books. All of Adair's T-FLAC books tend to have unbelievable plots but they are still fun to read, The Mercenary just takes it too far; that combined with weak character development but that can be expected in a first novel. Cherry Adair has come a long way since 1994.

Despite being separated most of their lives, Tory and her twin Alex have a psychic connection and she just knows that her brother is in trouble. Alex is a counterterrorist agent and has disappeared from his latest assignment. When Tory lands on the doorstep of Alex's mentor Marc Savin, she pleads for his help. Marc left T-FLAC after his lover was murdered in a botched assignment and now lives a solitary life on a ranch. He wants no part of the rescue, but relents and finds himself in Italy searching for Alex and attracted to his friend's sister.

This is Adair's first T-FLAC novel, which she revisited and expanded. Unfortunately, it still falls short of her later writings and missed the boat on plot and character development. And as usual we have a virginal heroine who succumbs to a man who treats her like dirt within days of meeting. It is just an average novel and does nothing to display Adair's talent at writing fast-paced romantic suspense. Had it been my first my Adair novel, I probably would not have read the rest of her fantastic T-FLAC series.

Marc Savin is retired, or so he keeps telling himself and other former colleagues. He is so retired he has put himself in exile and, in a way, a personal mental hell. The fact that he killed the last person he loved was the sign he needed to get out of the business. But when his former partner Alex tells him he was set up by that former love, he is infuriated. If that was true then the hell he has put himself through was for naught. When he refuses to go on a mission with Alex and Alex is killed, Marc further hardens his heart.

Victoria Jones is a self-confessed coward. But there is one thing she will risk everything for and that is to save her twin. Victoria knows Alex is still alive, no matter what T-FLAC or the authorities say. In fact, she even went to the island where he was to have died, and after she is captured and tortured, she is certain he is alive. Now she will go to the one man Alex always told her was the best. No matter how scary she personally finds him.

When Victoria shows up at Marc's house, he is surprised and not too amused. Especially at her insistence that Alex is alive. Since he sent Alex on the mission alone, he feels compelled to get him out. But he is also more than a little attracted to Victoria and her prim and proper ways, though they are so far from his norm it is stunning.

Hot Mediterranean nights, stressful situations, and physiques to die for will lead the reader into one spicy story.

The Mercenary - the one that started it all, in reprint, finally. If you love the men to T-FLAC created by Cherry Adair but, like me, missed this first story, then run to get this one. While I feel that her characters have grown stronger, as has her writing, during the subsequent novels, this one is still a keeper. I loved how prim and proper Victoria talks to herself and wants to do all that is correct and be in the background, but has a backbone of steel that some might miss. And Marc...what can you say about a secret operative with long black hair, an earring and a physique to die for, other than send me one now? Want to see how it all started? Then you need to find a copy of The Mercenary soon!

Tanya
reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

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The T-FLAC Series:

The Mercenary
(This is the 2008 re-release of the original book that began the series in 1994. This newly published version has about 100 new pages added to the story.)

Kiss And Tell

Hide And Seek

In Too Deep

Out Of Sight

On Thin Ice

Hot Ice

Edge Of Danger

Edge Of Fear

Edge Of Darkness

White Heat


This book was worth waiting for! Months age, I learned that this re-release was coming out. I've wanted to read the T-FLAC series, but I made myself wait for this first book to be republished so that I could start from the beginning. I'm hooked.


Marc Savin, AKA "Phantom", retired from his position as a T-FLAC (Terrorist Force Logistical Assault Command) spy two years ago. Painful memories have caused him to hide himself away on a country ranch ever since. Nothing and nobody could convince him to return to spy work, until a strange woman showed up at his home in need of help.

Victoria's twin brother, a T-FLAC spy, has gone missing. She believes that Marc may be the only one who can help find and save him. Tori and her brother have shared a psychic connection since birth. Using the connection, she has located her brother in Italy. Marc is reluctant to come out of retirement. Seeing Tori's suffering, he caves. He has no choice but to take Tori with him. She is the only one who can point Marc to her brother's prison. Knowing herself for a coward, Tori tries to convince him to go without her. In the end, although neither is happy about going, both are willing to risk all to find Tori's brother.

For several days, Marc and Tori hide- out in a cavern while executing the search. As much as they try to avoid it, they find themselves attracted to one another. Marc knows he needs to keep a cool distance. He also needs meek Tori to become fighting- angry so that she can toughen up in case there is trouble ahead. When Tori is captured by the same criminals who hold her brother, the rescue mission becomes twice as critical. When Marc is injured, the mission grows even more dangerous. Now Marc and Tori must keep both themselves and one another strong for the battle. Mark will learn that he has a heart, and Tori will learn that she has mettle.


Cherry Adair gave " The Mercenary" everything you want in a romantic action/ thriller: Great love scenes, a building emotional connection between the hero and heroine, powerful villains, and fast- paced action. I couldn't put this book down.



Interested in the whole series? Here are the links for the sequels to date:

Kiss and Tell (The Men of T-FLAC: The Wrights, Book 2)

Hide and Seek (The Men of T-FLAC: The Wrights, Book 3)

In Too Deep (The Men of T-FLAC: The Wrights, Book 4)

Out of Sight (The Men of T-FLAC: The Wrights, Book 5)

On Thin Ice (The Men of T-FLAC: The Wrights, Book 6)

Hot Ice (The Men of T-FLAC, Book 7)

Edge of Danger

Edge of Fear (The Men of T-FLAC: The Edge Brothers, Book 9)

Edge of Darkness (The Men of T-FLAC: The Edge Brothers, Book 10)

White Heat (The Men of T-FLAC, Book 11)

FYI, this book is being re-issued (probably March 2008) with about 100 added pages.

This is per an email from Cherry Adair.

If you expect a thriller out of this book you'll be disappointed. If you expect a great love story you'll be despondent. The heroine make such blunders that you'll laugh... and the hero ditto.

OK, I actually started reading this series (T-FLAC) out of order with the 'Edge' books, Edge of Danger, ...Fear, ...Darkness and liked it so well, that I had to go back to the beginning. This first book was not near as good as I was hoping it would be, but sometimes the first in a series is not. Yet you know it has the potential to become an awesome series, which this one has become. I thought the main character, Victoria Jones was a bit of a wimp, she read more like a 'romance novel' female character and Marc was the usual brooding male. This book does fall way short of later books. I don't think you'd necessarily have to read it to understand the series, unless you are like me and have to read them in order! But I agree with another reviewer, if I had read this one first I don't know if I would have continued in the series, I am so glad I read these out of order because this series is great!

Alas, a too obvious amateur first offering that simply hints at future writing talent ... at times. Get it at the library as it is certainly not a keeper. The main characters are so inconsistent and undeveloped that you will be shaking your head at their thier sudden changes in personality and actions.

I Could not put down Hide and Seek and Kiss and Tell so I fugured it would be worth spending a little extra cash to get this book in an ebay auction. I am so glad that I spent the $9.00. It was so WORTH IT. This story was great. She always leaves you wanting more! I have been hoping that she will continue to write about the other brothers from Hide and Seek and Kiss and Tell - Now I am hoping that one day she will come back with a story about Tory's brother....