Customer Reviews

Trace of Fever (Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor)

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I've only written a handful of reviews, however, this book was so RIDICULOUS I felt the need. I did not read the first book in the series, and certainly have no desire now.

That being said, Priss (female character), was such a contradiction--none of which worked. She's a virgin; she's a porn shop owner; she's going to single-handedly take on her human-trafficking, sadistic father and his lecherous and unstable GF. Priss is mortified that she was subjected to a body search and horrified to have had to try on skimpy clothes in front of others, yet tells anyone and everyone she comes across that Dare has seen her near naked and has a picture of her. Most of the book is spent describing her body, her being naked, and her unwillingness to...ahem...groom in certain areas. I admit to reading the entire book (and would never review one unless I had), but mainly due to it being a train wreck and my curiosity to find out how on earth it got the high ratings it did. Really boggles my mind.

I read a lot of books in this genre, and generally enjoy them. In fact, I read Foster's entire Buckhorn series and thought it was really decent. I would recommend that series and thought it was cute and entertaining. However, after this one...I'm not sure if I'm willing to read Foster again. Trace of Fever was just so juvenile! I teach high school and kept thinking this is what my teenage boys would be inclined to write if I assigned them romantic suspense as a story genre.

Anyway, my recommendation would be to stay away from this one. My favorite authors in this genre tend to be Suzanne Brockmann, Laura Griffin, Julie Garwood, Cindy Gerard, and maybe even Shannon McKenna who's a bit edgier. Their books are extremely well written and I don't find myself rolling my eyes as I did, frequently, with this one.

I won't give a synopsis since that's been done. After the first book I was excited to get to the second. The main characters are fun and well written. The story starts off fast so I didn't feel like I was trudging through background information. It's well paced. It stands alone but reading the first one introduces you to most of the characters. Another interesting character, Jackson, is introduced. But about 2/3rds of the way through the book the story seems rushed. Then suddenly it's two months later. We get all the adrenaline pumping action and sexual chemistry. But then it falls flat. It's a decent fun read but taking more time in the last third of the book would have made it more satisfying.

Trace of Fever is the second book in the Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor series.

Trace Rivers is working undercover trying to earn the trust of a well known and corrupt businessman, Murray Coburn when he meets innocent Priscilla Patterson claiming to be the long lost daughter of Murray but with a hidden agenda and secrets of her own.

Trace has spent quite some time trying to infiltrate Murray's business, to gain his trust so that he could eventually put a stop to the human trafficking he was dealing in. He saw Priscilla as a distraction he didn't need, it was a time when he couldn't afford to lose focus.

Priss has lived a sheltered life and after the death of her mother had set her sights on seeking revenge on the man she believes ruined her mothers life as well as her own by association; she was focused and determined much to Trace's dismay.

I absolutely loved Trace and had been looking forward to reading his story after learning bits and pieces about him in book 1 When you Dare. His sister had been kidnapped by traffickers so he has a personal vendetta against the illegal trade of women and was out to seek justice; I thought his actions were admirable. I wasn't a huge fan of Priss, she seemed to run hot and cold for me and at times acted quite immature and stubborn, I found her to be quite irritating.

The slow build-up to their relationship worked well with me, although they were attracted to each other physically from get-go they held back; I liked the possessive streak Trace showed toward her.

The bad guys were just horrible! From Murray to his girlfriend Helene (Hell) as well as the henchmen that seemed to be lurking everywhere, they were evil nasty people. I am glad they got what they each deserved.

I enjoyed the secondary characters, Dare and Molly make an appearance, Matt the stylist was great & I adore Chris! I am looking forward to reading Jackson & Alani's story in Savor the Danger.

I liked the pacing of the story; the mystery/suspense held my interest and I enjoyed the resolution. I enjoy Foster's writing style.

What I didn't like: Priss was innocent sexually and was quite modest; I found the searches she had to endure to be quite humiliating, especially considering Trace's view on the ways women should be treated; it seemed to contradict him as a character and was demoralizing for Priss. The way her size was constantly mentioned also grated on my nerves.

Although I wasn't a fan of Priss, I found the story entertaining and I loved alpha hero Trace. It was a satisfying HEA.

Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy Trace of Fever as much as When You Dare but it is still a well written and enjoyable read.

Lori Foster is a talented storyteller, but that talent is missing in Trace of Fever. The only thing the book has going for it is the character of Trace, the book's hero.

Main character Priss, who probably has more too-stupid-to-live moments than any other gal in the genre, is off-the-charts annoying and unbelievable. As, frankly, are the other supporting characters: Murray, the father she's never met before, who not only traffics in human flesh but exhibits a bizarre sexual interest in his own daughter; and his side-dish Helene, a psychotic nymphomaniac who takes up way too much space in this book.

Other reviewers have laid out the plot, so I won't go into that again, but I highly recommend that you don't start Foster with Trace of Fever. It's sophomoric and unbelievable.

Places to start with a fun Foster tale: the Winston brothers short stories, Say No to Joe?, and even Causing Havoc. I think Foster is better at short stories than full-length novels, and her lighter books succeed much better than those dealing with murder and mayhem.

From the second I opened Trace of Fever I was drawn in. Trace Rivers is the kind of dangerous man a girl dreams about. He's oh-so-sexy, confident, and will do whatever it takes to take down a bad guy! And let me tell you, the bad guy in this book is E-V-I-L. After Trace's sister, Alani, was kidnapped by human traffickers in When You Dare (book #1 of this series), he's made it his mission to take down other traffickers. In particular, Murray Coburn. I give Ms. Foster kudos for delving into such an intensely uncomfortable subject. She has obviously done her homework on it and the affects survivors endure afterwards.

Priscilla Patterson knows all too well what being kidnapped, raped, and completely disregarded as a human being can do to someone. Priscilla's mother spent years in fear after fleeing from captivity. As a result, Priss grew up in a very sheltered life. After her mother's death, Priss becomes focused on ridding the world of Coburn, the man responsible for taking her mother years ago and who could very well be her father. Priss is gutsy! I love that about her. She is out of her element many times in the book, but she doesn't let it stop her. Instead, it fuels her desire to keep moving with her plan.

It isn't coincidence that Priss and Trace are thrown together on the same path. Never before have I read characters so completely RIGHT for each other! Each of their strengths complements the other in ways I've not seen done in other books. The chemistry between them is immediate and very hot!

There are so many good scenes in this book that I couldn't put it down. I had to know what would happen next! Helene, Murray's lover, is one psychotic woman! My stomach dipped, my teeth clenched, and I thought I'd snap my Kindle in half every time Hell (boy does that nickname fit her) showed up on the page! One of my favorites, though, was when Priss meets Jackson for the first time. I couldn't stop laughing at their predicament!

My only complaint is the teaser epilogue featuring Jackson and Alani. I already know Alani will be the character I relate to most in the series. I've looked forward to her scenes in both books, and simply cannot wait for Savor the Danger to be released! Jackson will need to be one special guy to make it work with her. Reading the epilogue was torture for this very reason! He makes his interest for Alani quite clear. Talk about a cliffhanger!

Thanks for another keeper, Ms. Foster!

*Reviewed for Under Covers*

It's never good when you get to the end of a book and think "Thank God that's over!" It took me a long time to slog through it. I have enjoyed Ms. Foster's contemporaries but I personally do not at all like her attempts at romantic suspense.

This was a revenge story. The heroine was out for revenge on the bad guy for something that did not really need revenge. She was going to kill the man who had kidnapped, raped and shared her mother. I realize that's a bad thing but...Her mother had kept her off the grid her whole life to keep her away from the bad man. (A man who didn't remember or care anything about the woman or what happened to her.) So the first thing you do after that upbringing is go straight to the bad guy to kill him? "I had a sucky upbringing so I'm going to go kill some man who may or may not be my father?" Is it that easy for a normal person to decide to go and murder someone? Didn't buy it at all. Maybe if the mother had pounded into the daughter that "it is your destiny to revenge me!" But the mother had been trying to protect her for the whole of her life. I wonder why the mother even admitted who the bad guy was in that case. She had no training and only a lame ass plan involving some strange cartoon weapons.

The hero was some sort of mercenary who was undercover to bring down the bad guy's white slavery operation. His sister had been kidnapped in an earlier book so at least he had a valid reason to be working against this. And he had training. But... he was the most trusted henchman of the bad guy after being there 3 weeks? Yeah...nope.

The whole thing took place in about 3 days and the heroine managed to be too stupic to live throughout most of it. And the hero just kept admiring her gumption every time she did exactly the opposite of what he asked her to do to keep her safe.

The characterization was weak. The only part I really enjoyed was when one of the other good guy operatives had to rescue the heroine while she was naked in the shower.

My point I guess is that Ms. Foster should stick to comedy where she is a very strong writer and leave suspense to others more suited to it. YMMV

There's something about the bad boy image of a mercenary that gets me all stir crazy. Muscular, manly and alpha; calm, smooth and protective. Lori Foster creates the perfect blend of tough guy and nurturing lover. And despite having a lot of the same qualities Trace and Dare stand alone as characters in their own books.

This is the second book in the "Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor" series and from what I have read, it's the most intense and dark of the series. With a personal vendetta against human traffickers, Trace forges his way into the darkest recesses of humanity. Having read the first in the series (When You Dare), it almost felt like I, as a reader, had a personal interest in his mission as well. The undercover element of his mission made it a tense and exciting read.

Of course, no bad boy novel would be complete without the complications of a sexy distraction thrown into the plot. But Priss is not just your standard distraction. She is strong, independent and has a personal vendetta of her own. And despite being slightly naive and a little sheltered, she thinks on her feet and even surprised me at a few points in the story.

I loved the extra elements that Lori Foster threw into the story. Murray Colburn was awful enough, but throw in his psychopath girlfriend with a warped obsession with Trace, and the story is suddenly even more intense.

You can find my full review here: [...]

This book is the second full novel in the series Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor. This story continues where the first one left off, addressing the issue of domestic sex trafficking. Lori Foster introduces a cast of truly despicable characters who engage in trafficking women and of course there are good men and women who are dedicated to bringing the bad guys down.

The book introduces a new female character Priscilla Patterson, or Priss. I have read other reviews of this book and it appears some reviewers did not care for Priss - I disagree, I liked her. Priss had an extremely sheltered background, she was raised to live in fear and as a result was not exposed to society in general. The choices Priscilla makes are consistent with how she was raised and the situations that the hero puts her in. Ms. Foster writes the heroine as a woman who is struggling with her past and trying to reconcile what she learned growing up with what has become her current reality. She encounters a man - the hero (Trace!) who does not really want to help Priscilla accomplish her goals but is thrown in with her lot and they have to struggle on together. There is some interesting encounters and struggles between the two main characters - Trace and Priscilla. Trace is a man who walks the edge of honor, so his choices are not always the ones that Priscilla would want. In the end, I found Priscilla likeable, the tension between Trace and Priscilla very real, and their romance (no surprise here!) enjoyable. Trace is an interesting hero and worthy of a book focused on him, I think ultimately that I liked Dare more than Trace, but reading about Trace was enjoyable.

Readers get to see Dare, Molly, and Chris from the first book When You Dare. I enjoyed When You Dare a little bit more than Trace of Fever, however both are great books, filled with good character development and an interesting story line. If you enjoy romantic suspense, contemporary romance or Lori Foster I think you will like this book.

After reading When You Dare (Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor) (which I loved) I immediately began reading "Trace of Fever". I was a bit disappointed in the dialogue and thought the storyline was a bit unbelievable. I found the female character's somewhat annoying as well as their names "Priss" and "Hell". Trace and his friends however were quite yummy alpha males! I do plan on reading the third book Savor the Danger (Hqn) in this trilogy.

Trace goes undercover to infiltrate a human trafficking operation. Trace runs into trouble as he gets closer to the head of the operation. That trouble is name Priscilla and she has her own dangerous vendetta against the very same man Trace is trying to take down.

Just as the previous story, When You Dare, it was a light and entertaining read.

The cover had me at hello. Love it.

Would I recommend this to a friend? No. The story was just okay and there are better stories out there.