Customer Reviews

Standing In The Shadows (The McCloud Brothers, Book 2)

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Oh my! Whew!! Standing in the Shadows is one very steamy yet very well written book. It's not often that we see both of those important facets in the same book. We are provided with real life characters - not the paper cutouts that represent so many of the same old, same old, overwritten contemporary leads of today's romances. This couple also comes with a history - they have known each other for years and have secretly harbored an attraction for one other. That, in addition to the background created in McKenna's first romance suspense novel, Behind Closed Doors, provides the reader with a solid base and allows us to be totally immersed in the story from page one.

Connor McCloud is an ex-government agent who has been badly injured carrying out his duties more than once. During the last episode, partially played out in Behind Closed Doors, Connor is so severely wounded that he will probably never be able to completely recover physically. He is now working with his brothers in their own private investigation agency. Connor is disillusioned with life, very depressed, and mourns the betrayal of his former FBI boss, Ed Riggs. Connor played a large part in bringing down Riggs and more than one of his friends died due to his boss's betrayal. But still, Connor is left feeling empty and somewhat guilty. Bringing down Ed Riggs was the right thing to do. However, Riggs left behind a family ? a family Connor had gotten to know very well over the ten years he worked with him. Now Connor is haunted by his former boss's daughter, Erin Riggs. Connor had always hoped for an eventual relationship with Erin. He has waited since she was 17 - knowing her to be too young at the time. Now that she is 26 and definitely available, Connor does not believe Erin can ever be interested in him after his active involvement in bringing down her father. But not all the bad guys from Behind Closed Doors stay conveniently imprisoned. When the meanest villain around, Novak, escapes prison, Connor instinctively knows he will come after both him and Erin Riggs.

Connor approaches Erin for the first time since her father's betrayal to inform her that Novak has escaped and that she needs protection. Erin is living on a very tight budget and laughs at the thought of replacing the locks on her doors much less paying for protection. Connor gives her no choice in the matter and sets himself up as her bodyguard and protector. Both Erin and Connor are ecstatic to be near one another. Neither blames the other for her father's downfall. Soon, they have acknowledged their attraction to one another and the fireworks begin. The verbal interaction between the two is vastly entertaining. Connor is basically a gentle natured guy - you think - but has this really big alpha male hidden beneath his gentle exterior. He is a considerate man and very sexual as well. Connor and Erin's relationship is a huge battle of wills at times but the alpha male always ends up holding the edge over the forthright female. The sensual scenes are interwoven throughout the story and are every bit as erotic as many other interviewers have stated. They rate a solid 5.0 out of 5.0 (see More About Me for rating guidelines). It is some delicious reading as we see the leads' relationship mature further as friends, develop as lovers, and progress to commitment.

Connor is lovingly overbearing at times. He wants Erin for his own and makes no secret of it. Erin has a couple of TSTL (too stupid to live) moments that make you want to shout "Think! Don't be so foolish!". But overall, both characters are very likable. This is not a book that relies on the misunderstanding theory of romance writing. The leads are too truthful with each other - if anything. The secondary characters are interesting reading - not just there to fill the holes as seems to be so often their fate. The villains are a little too mean for my comfort level and a few of the scenes were too gruesome for me to do anything but skim over them.

This is Shannon McKenna's second novel. The first, Behind Closed Doors, was a tremendous hit and is the prequel to Standing in the Shadows. Both can be read as stand alone books but you will probably enjoy them more if you can read them in order. The two books are very entwined and I would not be surprised to see another book or two added to this series. There are at least two single guys left from this group of mighty men. Although others have said it - I must as well comment on McKenna's talent. Her writing abilities are superb! She has the ability to combine many lusty scenes with very well rounded characters and even writes the suspenseful portions skillfully. It is difficult to find an author that can master all four of the following components for such a tremendous reading adventure:
1. Good flowing story line.
2. Well-developed characters.
3. Detailed sensual scenes that are an intricate part of the plot.
4. Suspense situations that warrant the substantial pages given to them.
McKenna has a rare talent that blends all of these elements into such a well-written book that you will remember long after you have sadly finished it. This is a definite book to keep and read again if there ever was one...

We last saw Connor McCloud in Shannon McKenna's sensational debut Behind Closed Doors rushing to save Erin from the grasp of one of his nemesis Kurt Novak's henchman Georg. Standing in the Shadows continues from the prequel, focusing on the romance between ex-FBI agent Connor and Erin Riggs.

McKenna's protagonists are as usual brooding and tortured. Connor nearly died from a fatal explosion masterminded by his nemesis Novak; he is betrayed by his corrupted boss Ed Riggs who is now put behind bars when Connor testified against him. He feels guilt towards Riggs' daughter Erin and dare not find her despite his deep-seated crush for her. Erin is scandalized by her father's misdeed and is saddled with unemployment. Her mother Barbara is afflicted with depression while her sister Cindy is led astray by new-found lover Billy.

When Novak escapes from jail, all hell breaks loose. Connor is determined to protect Erin and emotions run high. Erin and Connor are forced to acknowledge their passion but with Connor's scarred childhood and regimental father - Erin is not sure whether Connor's fierce protection and jealousy stems from his past history of mental depression. Erin learns from his colleague Nick that Connor is afflicted with paranoia. Frustration also comes in when Connor hinders her job as a curator for Celtic-antique owner Mueller.

McKenna's sophomore effort pulsates with sizzling tension and passion but her debut was more focused. The exquisite emotional intimacy found in Behind Closed Door is sorely missed. Behind Closed Door was shorter but was leaner and held much more impact in its balance of romance and thriller. Despite this, Standing in the Shadows isn't a disappointment. It is enriched by McKenna's blisteringly intense hero who gives the tale a tantalizingly dark, shadowy edge.

I loved Behind Closed Doors, because it was so original. Steamy sex, alpha-male/malleable female who were three-dimensional, great suspense -- that book offered something most romantic suspense is missing. Standing in the Shadows had that too, but that's the problem. This book was almost a complete replica of BCD. Especially the sex scenes, where the insecure alpha male repeatedly uses aggressive sex to control the heroine. Throughout the book, I kept thinking, "been there, done that." Also, although I loved the graphic, steamy sex scenes, I agree with other readers that the amount of sex didn't make sense in the context of the book. I mean, Connor knows that an insane, evil, maniacal man is out to kill Erin, and could come around the corner any minute, and yet Connor and Erin engage in 72 hours straight of sex, in her house, which is the first place the killer would come looking for her? It made the book seem silly. Don't get me wrong, even with it's faults, this book is head above other stuff in this genre. And I look forward to reading stories featuring Connor's brothers, Davy and Sean. I just hope that the author will take a new approach with those books, perhaps making the men a little more sensitive, and the women a little more assertive.

Connor McCloud was seriously injured in the last book, and has injuries to his body as well as betrayal to overcome in this story. He has always loved Erin Riggs, but now feels he must protect her from the threat that took her father. Very sensual and dark erotic scenes will steal your breath. This well written thrilling story continues.

Connor McCloud is a former FBI agent who was almost killed when an investigation went bad. He spent two months in a coma and still suffers from the burns and a leg injury he sustained in the explosion. Since leaving the FBI six months ago, he's been wallowing in depression and self-pity until he learns that the man responsible for his injuries and the death of his partner - his nemesis, Kurt Novak - has escaped from prison. Though his former FBI co-workers assure him that Novak is in France, Connor cannot shake the feeling that Novak is closer to home and a threat to Erin Riggs, the daughter of Connor's former FBI boss. Ed Riggs, unbeknownst to his family or co-workers had been corrupt for years and his corruption contributed to the death of Jesse and wounding of Connor. He was also blackmailed (with the threat of Erin's abduction) into working for Novak, but failed in his task contributing to Novak's incarceration. Connor is sure Novak will want revenge and decides that if the authorities will not protect Erin, he will. After all, he's been silently in love with her for years. But since it was his testimony that put her father in prison and brought her family ruin, will she even accept protection from him? Man, she must hate him!

Erin Rigg's life could not get much worse. After all the mess with her father, she lost the job she loved in the Celtic antiquities section of a museum, her sister has begun to run wild, basically dropping out of college and she fears that her mom is losing her mind. If it weren't for the couple of freelance jobs authenticating Celtic artifacts for millionaire philanthropist Claude Mueller, she'd have no income at all. She's finally going to meet the reclusive Mueller in person on a job out of state, so maybe things are finally looking up. But when Connor McCloud shows up at her place, the ground shifts under her feet. She's adored Connor since she was 17, never showing it or acting on it and especially not after learning of her dad's corruption and involvement in Connor's near-death. Man, he must hate her!

The ground shakes again when Connor tells her that Novak is again on the loose and that he has appointed himself her bodyguard. Of course she balks at this, especially since she's set to meet Mueller at a resort for her latest job. Connor smells a rat and shows up at the airport to meet her flight and refuses to let her out of his sight. Spending so much time in close proximity unleashes their deep, passionate feelings and they finally become lovers after all those years. But as days pass, Erin is persuaded to think that Connor is obsessed with Novak and that he sees threats that are not really there. Especially when it comes to Mueller who has now offered Erin the job of a lifetime that will put her family and life back together - and Connor questions why. Is Connor's obsession making him a little crazy or is he the only one who recognizes the true threat?

This sequel to Behind Closed Doors is more of the same dark, complex and compelling storytelling with a really creepy, psycho villain and a really steamy love story. We get a bit more background on the McCloud brothers and their unorthodox upbringing by their unstable, Vietnam vet, survivalist dad and I would bet that stories will be forthcoming for Davy and Sean and I look forward to them! And I have to wonder about Connor's former FBI co-worker Nick Ward - is he a good guy or a bad guy? I still can't decide. Ms McKenna really knows how to write believable male characters who are as flawed as they are smart and sexy. She's an author to keep your eye on! Highly recommended.

I have been very impressed with Shannon's other work and was really looking forward to Standing in the Shadows. I expected it to be very well written with fascinating characters, lots of tension, great suspense, and hot sensuality. What I was not prepared for was just HOW good this book was. It was SO good, that I read it while waiting for my late plane to take off, and was so wrapped up in the story I couldn't have cared less. Anyone who has ever had to wait for a late plane will understand just what high praise that is.

The hero is wounded in both body and soul and is on the verge of giving up when circumstances throw him back into the heroine's life. She is having difficulties with money and her career, and is also at the end of her rope. They have loved each other from afar for years which has created almost unbearable tension between them. When it is finally released, the results are truly explosive.

Don't let the trade size discourage you from buying this book. In my opinion, it was well worth it.

Following up from Behind Closed Doors, the reader is again introduced to Connor McCloud, the quiet and brooding man that we were curious about in BCD.

Connor has spent the last year in a slump, which is putting it nicely. After the murder of his partner, Jesse, and then the downfall of his boss, Connor has lost faith in just about anything. And he's lost the girl. He has loved Erin Riggs since she was seventeen and he was twenty six, but he knew she was way too young. She is also his bosses daughter and considered off limits. While he has many fantasies with her involved, he just waits for the day that he can make them reality. Then he is part of the team that puts her father behind bars for murder, among other things. Suddenly Erin is looking at him with betrayal in her eyes, and Connor makes a strategic retreat.

Erin Riggs' life is falling apart around her ears. The only good thing is the work she is doing for Claude Mueller who is a collector of celtic artifacts. When Connor McCloud suddenly shows up at her door and tells her Kurt Novak has broken out of prison, Erin is skeptical about Connor's claims that he will come after her.

Standing in the Shadows is exactly what I have come to expect from Shannon McKenna. I waited for this book since last year when BCD came out and I was not dissapointed. With the steamy sexuality and dark eroticsm, you will be hooked by this book from the first page. We finally get a conclusion of Novak who is one creepy guy. I'm also wondering if McKenna will bring back Mara as a heroine. Who knows!

Don't miss it!!

To begin with, you must get the first book by Mckenna called Behind Closed Doors which happens 6 months prior to this story. You will understand who the characters are and the situations better in Standing in the Shadows.
With that said, McKenna is becoming a rising star with her blend of suspense and erotica. In the next few years, she will become a true star in the book industry if she continues to write in the same manner.
We first met Conner who was recovering from a coma and the death of his partner in Behind Closed Doors. The reader finds out that his arch enemy Novak, an insane mental case who was responsible has broken out of prison and maybe after the woman Conner has loved secretly for over ten years.
Erin Riggs is practically falling apart at the seams. Her mother is seeing things and near to having a breakdown, her sister is failing out of college and her father is in prison for helping Novak. Conner is about to enter her life again, which just adds to her problems. The problem is that she has been in love with Conner since she was 17 and can't get over it. Conner wants to protect her because he thinks Novak will harm her.
At points Conner is overbearing, stubborn and hopelessly gone when it comes to Erin. He thinks of her as his mate and soul, Almost to the point of obsession.
Conner and Erin get to the point where they can no longer deny their feelings any longer. The sex scenes are so steamy and hot that you can fry an egg on the pages. This is true erotica that is tastefully done. Also along the way, the reader will meet many diverse secondary characters, including Conner's brothers and Erin's mother and sister as well as villians so over the top that they will make you laugh.
Conner and Erin are true soulmates and the suspense is thick and tense.
McKenna has found a true following with this series and can she write incredible sex scenes! Run and get this book...

Katiebabs

Behind Closed Doors
Hot Night
Edge of Midnight

A long way from his job as an FBI agent, Connor McCloud investigates unfaithful spouses these days. When an investigation with the FBI went badly wrong, resulting in his partner's death and his own near fatal injuries, Connor spent two months in a comma. Now only his morose reflections keep him company when he refuses to answer his brothers' calls. That is, memories that includes thoughts of Erin Riggs, the daughter of the man who had set him up to die. Now his nemesis, Kurt Novak, has escaped prison and only Connor understands the dire threat the madman poses for Erin.
Her father's arrest led to the downward spiral of Erin's family. Her mother's psychotic break and her sister's self destruction all stem from her father's corruption. Now she struggles to pay her mother's bills and save her sister even as Novak closes his trap. He considers Erin's escape from a kidnapping attempt to be a personal insult. Now Novak poses as a collector of La Tene period Celtic artifacts, appealing to Erin's professional skills and knowledge to lure her into his trap.
Neither Connor nor Erin have acknowledged the passion they share. First he had been much too old for her, then her father's arrest occurred before he could ask her out. Now her father's legacy silently keeps them at a distance. Only Connor's conviction that she is in danger forces him out of seclusion to protect her. But Erin's independent nature does not take easily to his determination to become her bodyguard. Worse, Erin comes to believe that Connor sees nonexistent threats.
In BEHIND CLOSED DOORS, author Shannon McKenna established her gift for combining daring sensuality with tension filled danger. Her sequel, STANDING IN THE SHADOWS, once again proves her rising star vibrant, terrifying prose interlaced with sensuality. Specifically, the sexual tension between Connor and Erin sizzles, even as their passion echoes the deadly passion of a madman. A novel impossible to put down, STANDING IN THE SHADOWS earns the WordWeaving Award for Excellence.

Connor's been lost in a fog since putting Erin Rigg's father in jail, along with a host of other bad guys. Erin's just been trying to keep her head above water and keep her sister and mother floating with her. (Though I didn't understand why she didn't just move into her mother's house, since money was so tight and her own apartment was so awful) When Novak breaks out of prison, Connor's sure Erin's in trouble and appoints himself her guardian. Close proximity, as well as a method Connor uses at the airport, forces them to confront nearly 10 years of suppressed emotions.

I really liked this book. If you can't handle gritty sex scenes and "bad" language, move on by. But if you like characters who seem a little more real (faults and all) than your average stock romance characters, pick this one up. Yeah, they're not always nice and the way they deal with their problems may not be all sugar and sweetness but real life isn't either. And while I may never need to be protected from a ruthless psychopath, I like to think it's possible to meet men who can sweep us off our feet, or even that the sweeping will be mutual. And since I'm not perfect, a perfect guy would drive me nuts.

I reallly disagree with the reader who said it was nasty that Connor had wanted Erin since she was 16. It would have been nasty if he had actually made a move on her at that age, but instead he waited. To the reader who said that, honestly, go down to the neighborhood park or High School and look at the Seniors. What makes them so different from what they'll be in a year or two? What's in their head, that's what, not their bodies. Connor understood and respected that.

One last point, I also found myself wondering why Novak didn't just kill Erin the first time she came to the house. Or have her killed on the first two consulting assignments....