Unleashing the Storm (ACRO, Book 2) [Paperback]

Sydney Croft (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 26, 2008

Feel the heat. Hear the roar.
The fever has begun...

There’s a storm rising. Electricity crackles in the air. For Kira Donovan, it’s that time of year again: when the need floods her flesh, when almost any man—the bigger and the stronger the better—will do. For Kira, an animal psychic, the heat is a matter of life and death, and this year it has come at just the right time. Tom Knight, a natural-born predator, has arrived at her isolated Idaho farm—for reasons all his own. . . .

At first Kira isn’t interested in Knight’s motives. She only needs him—his body, his hands, his scent. But soon, through a daze of desire and distrust, Kira discovers Knight’s world—the world of a covert operative, one man among dozens of secret agents waging an astonishing global war. Knight’s mission is to bring Kira—kicking and screaming if necessary—into the Agency for Covert Rare Operatives and harness her extraordinary gift. He never expected the powerful emotions she would ignite in him, or the fierce desire to keep her safe from harm. For as darkness gathers around them, Kira is feeling the heat once again, leading them both on a wild ride of delicious thrills . . . and terror beyond imagining.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Intense intrigue, action, eroticism, and a fascinating world combine to create an enthralling winner." -- New York Times bestselling author Cheyenne McCray

"Red-hot romance and paranormal thrills from the first page to the last! Sydney Croft writes the kind of books I love to read!" -- Lara Adrian, bestselling author of Midnight Awakening

"This erotic romance delves deep into the paranormal world of ghosts and humans with special abilities. Croft's current heroine is an animal psychic with a few animal tendencies of her own. The duo writing as Croft moves this story along by building on and expanding relationships from their previous novel, Riding the Storm. Each page is filled with attitude, danger and sex that heats up fast and goes well beyond the norm... " -- Romantic Times Magazine

About the Author

Sydney Croft is the pseudonym for two other authors who each write under their own names.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Delta (February 26, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385340818
• ISBN-13: 978-0385340816
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.7 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #395,473 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Sydney Croft is the alter-ego of Larissa Ione and Stephanie Tyler, who came together to blend their very different writing interests into adventurous tales of erotic paranormal fiction. Though they love to write together as Sydney Croft, they also write individually.

Larissa Ione currently lives a nomadic lifestyle with a menagerie of pets, her young son, and her U.S. Coast Guard husband. An Air Force veteran, she has been a meteorologist, an EMT, and a professional dog trainer, often all at the same time - yet she never gave up on her dream of writing fiction. very mobile military career. In addition to the Sydney Croft books, she writes steamy contemporary romance for Red Sage, emotional romance for Samhain, and sexy, dark paranormal romance for Grand Central Publishing. The first of her Demonica series, PLEASURE UNBOUND, will be available in July.

Stephanie Tyler has long since given up trying to control her characters, especially the Navy SEAL alpha males, and today she writes military romance for both Harlequin Blaze and Bantam Dell. Her romantic suspense SEAL trilogy, beginning with HARD TO HOLD, has a tentative release date of early 2009.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great addition to the ACRO series, February 28, 2008

By 

iheartjackbauer - See all my reviews

This review is from: Unleashing the Storm (ACRO, Book 2) (Paperback)

Kira Donovan has long since accepted the overwhelming urge to mate that comes once a year. Having decided that being pro-active is best, Kira makes sure she has men available to see to her needs. Working on an isolated farm in Idaho (seriously), Kira has found a measure of peace in taking care of animals that no one wants but her. As an animal psychic, Kira is able to bond with animals in ways that few other people can. When Tom Knight shows up at her doorstep looking for work, Kira can't afford to let him leave. Not only does she need the help, but the more men around means the easier things will be for Kira.

Tom "Ender" Knight has a very simple mission. Bring Kira onboard with ACRO within 48 hours or kill her. Ender knows that the reason he was brought in was because he is just about the only agent that would kill an innocent woman if necessary. Soon after arriving, Ender learns that he's not the only one after Kira. What he does know is that he has to get into Kira's confidence, and fast. When her "heat" begins, Ender is more than happy to see to her needs...for the first 24 hours. It's not until he finds himself having feelings for Kira that he wonders what he has gotten himself into.

Soon Ender and Kira are on the run from Itor, the other agency that wants Kira. The difference between ACRO and Itor is that ACRO will teach her to help where Itor will force her to hurt. Even with his growing feelings for Kira, Ender still knows that he would have to kill Kira before letting her fall into Itor's greedy hands.

I highly recommend paranormal lovers give this series a try. You won't regret it!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thrilling Addition to the ACRO Series, October 21, 2008

By 

LeaF (Toronto, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Unleashing the Storm (ACRO, Book 2) (Paperback)

Kira Donovan, an animal psychic living on an Idaho farm animal reserve comes to ACRO's attention because of her ability to speak to and control animals. Kira's character is fascinating in that she actually has a `heat' once a year when she requires her sexual needs to be satisfied or she suffers unfortunate side effects. Kira has suffered ridicule and revulsion from others her entire life because of her gift and yearly needs but has eked out a comfortable existence on the farm caring and nurturing a large cross section of abused and abandoned animals.

ACRO agent Tom "Ender" Knight's mission is to bring Kira in at all costs because the bad guys want her and if she were captured her gifts would be used against the world. Ender is an awesome character, a former Army Delta Force Covert Operative sniper; he is conflicted, powerful and focused on one thing - the completion of his mission. Ender has a dark rapier wit that took me by surprise and had me laughing out loud. However, he is also a lethal predator who doesn't hesitate to use deadly force when required.

Kira and Ender are perfectly matched with respect their base, sexual needs. They share a connection to the animal kingdom in an elemental way that enhances their remarkable sensuality. Ender is however a solitary individual who resists his growing involvement with Kira, she is "a mission" after all. I have to say the authors penned a conclusion to their love story that was both surprising and sweet. Kira and Ender's story tugged at my heartstrings until the last page.

As with all the ACRO stories, the action had my heart thumping and the suspense was thrilling.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book, Writes as Larissa Ione as well, October 21, 2008

By 

Joy (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Unleashing the Storm (ACRO, Book 2) (Paperback)

If you're interested in paranormal romance books (Kresely Cole, J.R. Ward, Christine Feehan, etc.),then you should give this book a chance. I really enjoyed the world that Sydney Croft created and the various secondary and minor characters. Also, if you didn't know she also writes under the name Larissa Ione and has a book out call "Pleasure Unbound," another paranormal romance (but not an erotic romance), which was great as well.