Customer Reviews

Take No Prisoners (Black Ops, Book 2)

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

 

 

Sam Lang, ex-Delta Force sniper, is on a mission to find the man responsible for the death of his sister and her husband. When Cory Hughes's name repeatedly comes up as a mole for the deadly Frederick Nader, Sam goes after Cory's sister, Abbie, for information. Sam and Abbie hit it off immediately, making it that much more painful for Abbie to know that she has been used by Sam for information. Abbie claims to know nothing about Cory's involvement with Nader, but admits that she is extremely concerned for him. It doesn't take long for Sam to realize that Abbie is much stronger than she looks and when she insists on being part of the search for Cory in Honduras, the danger level rises significantly.
Abbie should have known from the get-go that Sam Lang was too good to be true. Good looks, subtle charm and gentle hands - how could she resist? When she discovers that his interest in her was feigned in the search for her brother, she is crushed. That is, until she got mad. When she joins forces with Sam in the search for Cory, she's introduced to a way of life that she never even knew existed, and has no choice but to put her life in Sam's capable hands.
The quality of romantic suspense by Cindy Gerard can be matched by few. Abbie and Sam are both damaged and so desperately in need of each other's love. The suspense is intense, as is the romance. Sam is out for vengeance, but doesn't let it blind him against how perfect a future with Abbie could be. I highly recommend this book to all who love the excitement and intrigue of well-written romantic suspense.

I have just recently discovered Cindy Gerard and ever since, I have steadily gone through all of her books. The easy banter, the feeling and the pacing all make these books great.

And even though this might sound strange, one of the things I like about these books is that she doesn't sugar coat combat. The men in these books suffer both physically and mentally and I think that realism is a bigger tribute to our men and women in service them books that portray them as killing machines or impervious superheros. (although there is a little of the impervious superhero bit in some of the books.)

As for this particular book, I loved Sam and Abbie. The ending is a bit too neat regarding Cory but it works and I enjoyed the "happily ever after."

Dena

This is my first book by this author, and I liked it. I was torn between giving it "3" stars or "4" stars. Then I ended up deciding on "4" stars because I feel the the pros outweigh the cons, for the most part.

Abbie Hughs is a blackjack dealer working in one of the casinos in Vagus. She has been divorced for two years (cheating ex-husband), and she is now studying and working, so as to rebuild her life. She is also waiting to hear from her brother Cory, worried because she hasn't heard from him in two days (he contacts her every day), and has no idea why or what's going on.

Sam Lang used to work for Black Ops, but now he is living in seclusion on his ranch after the death of his sister and her husband by the hands of a terrorist organization, as a warning to Sam. Sam can't shake the guilt he feels about his sister's death. Getting a new lead, brought to him by Reed, one of the Black Ops operatives, Sam can't pass this opportunity to catch his sister's murderer, Nader. But this new information leads directly to Cory Hughs. Finding Cory's sister in Vagus, Sam decides that the best way of action is to seduce Cory's sister (whom he is convinced knows of her brother's shady dealings), and gain her trust so that she would tell him everything she knows.

And so the story starts, as Sam seduces Abbie and then breaks her heart. Then Abbie convinces Sam to take her with them (using the stolen diamonds as leverage, after she finds out that her brother had mailed them to her). So she will help Sam and the group to catch Nader (because he wants those diamonds badly), if they help her rescue her brother to safety.

I liked how Sam was protective of Abbie. I really liked how Abbie and Sam were serious about each other, (Abbie has been celibate ever since her divorce, and Sam hasn't been with a woman for a long time). I liked that it didn't take Sam the whole book to realize that Abbie meant a lot to him, and that he loved her. I admired that he risked his life to keep his word to her, so as to gain her trust again. Both Sam and Abbie were likable h/h.

But while this is an enjoyable read, it lacked the emotional punch that should have been there in several parts of this story. One example is when Abbie found out that Sam had used her. I saw her pain, but I couldn't feel it, it's like the author told me but didn't really show me. Also Abbie's friend Crystal (while I admired her loyalty and good friendship to Abbie) came off as slutty. Also, there was one gross scene with "Fox" another vile villain, which I thought was really unnecessary and just icky.

In conclusion, I enjoyed this book. Despite those things that bugged me, a good read.

STORY BRIEF:
Sam is part of a U.S. Black Ops group after bad guy Nader in Honduras. Nader arranges for a car bomb to kill Sam's sister back in the States. Sam retires from the group in grief and now works with his dad on a horse ranch.

Abbie is a blackjack dealer in Las Vegas and a part-time college student. Her younger brother Cory has been buying Honduran knick-knacks and shipping them to Abbie to store for him. He plans to start a business selling them. Somehow he got roped in to carrying drugs for Nader. Cory wants to quit, but Nader won't let him. Cory's friend Derek stole a necklace from Nader (who had stolen it from a museum). Derek manages to give it to Cory before he dies. Cory goes into hiding, knowing Nader will think he is guilty and kill him.

The Black Ops group discovers that Abbie may be linked to Nader through Cory. Sam starts dating Abbie for the purpose of getting information. They sleep together. Then she discovers his true purpose and is furious, hurt, and hates him. Next she receives an email showing that Nader has been torturing Cory. Nader tells Abbie to bring him the necklace in return for Cory's life. Sam and Abbie go to Honduras with the Black Ops group.

REVIEWER'S OPINION:
I'm pleased. This did not use the overused devices of conflict caused by heroine stupidity and conflict between the couple based on vague communication and inaccurate assumptions. I could enjoy the story. However, I had issues with a couple of things in Spoilers below. This is typical Black Ops romantic suspense. I feel like I've read the story many times before. And that's ok if that's your mood, but it could have used some surprise and the unexpected. The characters and relationship development also were like others I've read before - ok, but nothing unusual or different. The sex scenes were fine.

I compliment the author on the conflicts between Sam and Abbie in the beginning. I enjoyed watching Sam dating her "undercover." I also enjoyed the way she arranged things later to force Sam to help her. That was smart.

I loved M. Junkins' comment in her Amazon review. "It wasn't the best book I've read but it beats whats on TV." Yes!

DATA:
Story length: 363 pages. Swearing language: strong, including religious swear words. Sexual language: strong. Number of sex scenes: 5. Estimated number of sex scene pages: 37. Setting: current day Honduras, Nevada, and Virginia. Copyright: 2008. Genre: romantic suspense.


CAUTION SPOILERS:
In this type of story I expect the Black Ops guy to kill Nader the first chance he gets - maybe a sniper shot. I don't expect him to act like a good ole' U.S. cop and read someone their rights or bring them in for trial. Nader was into drugs, arms, and supporting terrorist enemies of the U.S. So why was Sam reluctant to kill Nader when he had the chance? All of a sudden he is not going to kill him in cold blood. He later shoots when Nader pulls a gun making it self-defense. This didn't feel right to me. I thought Black Ops were guys who did NOT follow the rules. Killing Sam's sister confused the issue. If that's all Nader did, then I might see reason for hesitation. But Sam's objective had been to stop the guy, which meant kill him. I suppose it's possible the U.S. government wanted Nader alive, but that should have been made clear in order to justify Sam's hesitation. But if so, I didn't see any evidence that would put him and keep him in a U.S. jail. Ok, I'm going way too far with this. On balance, this was muddled for me.

Another scene was a little off. Sam has a gun on Nader and could easily kill him. But instead they talk until a distraction happens and Nader is able to get away. Ok, a little campy James Bondishness going on here.

I liked the two strong characters and the story line was decent. It wasn't the best book I've read but it beats whats on TV.

So far I have yet to be disappointed with any of Cindy Gerard's books! They just seem to get better and better and this book is no exception. I won't go into detail about the story because other reviewers have, just giving my opinion. I loved Sam and Abbie and thought they were great together! This was a fast pased adventure from beginning til end and I couldn't put it down (read it in one day)! Cindy Gerard is a fantastic writer and definitely one of my favorites. I can't wait to read Crystal and Reed's book next and hope there are much more to come!!

Wow!! Take charge, built men with a soft spot for the one woman in their life. Lots of action, both military like and bedroom like. The women are strong and opinionated but love their men!! If you like Lora Leigh's seal books, this one is right up your alley.

I picked up this book because of all the people here who liked it. You were all correct - this is a great read. The characters were likeable and the relationship was believable. I completely agree with the other reviewer who mentioned that they understood why the h/h were attracted to each other. It was fun to watch their relationship develop.

The action was exciting and I had a hard time putting this book down. I'll read more by this author.

The first book I read by this author was Show No Mercy, and while I certainly enjoyed it, I cant say that I was sold on Gerard at that point. I can say after this book that I am definitely sold on her! And shockingly surprised at what a great book she wrote start to finish. Both main characters were likeable and well sussed out. But the best part was that so was there relationship. You could see why they liked eachother and how it wasnt only physical. She didnt overly drag out the conflict between them which I felt was the case in Show No Mercy, and that can get a little old fast! Both characters were ready and willing to admit there errors and move on which I liked a lot. I am looking forward to reading more books by Gerard and to the next in this series, whoever it is about.

This was a great book and held me captive. It was much better than the first book in the series (Show No Mercy) and I can't wait to get started on the third: Whisper No Lies. Her female lead (Abbie hughes) was strong and a perfect match for the male lead (Sam Lang). Ms. Gerard sets up the next book at the end of this book and it promises to be just as exciting as this read. Bravo!