I received this book for free from the library in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: the library
Take No Prisoners
by
Cindy Gerard
romantic suspense in a paperback edition that was published by Pocket Star on October 21, 2008 and has 363 pages.
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Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Deadly Promises, Show No Mercy, Whisper No Lies, Feel the Heat, Risk No Secrets, With No Remorse, Last Man Standing, To the Edge, To the Limit, To the Brink, Over the Line, Under the Wire, Killing Time, The Way Home, Running Blind, Taking Fire
Second in the Black Ops, Inc. romantic suspense series revolving around a group of ex-soldiers who joined their ex-commander in his private mercenary group. Too many botched operations caused by political “concerns” have angered the men and they’d prefer to operate on their own. And actually accomplish something without armchair strategists.
My Take
Gerard’s books have that great combination of action, suspense, and romance with a real-life sense of interaction — dragging us in immediately with her endearing characters and their snark. I always love those mildly insulting exchanges between the men and Crystal certainly brings a humorous tune with her teasing Abby about her lack of a romantic life.
Gerard is not as real as her first installment, Show No Mercy, just in that the conflict between Gabe and Skylar is rather over the top and their reasons for not falling in each other’s arms are somewhat contrived. Then again, I do have a view into both of their thought processes…and, lord knows, we humans do hurt easy and get prideful!
The Story
Abbie just wants to get her degree, save her brother, and get a job. Romance is so out the window after her jerk of an ex, but that cowboy who’s comin’ on to her causes Abbie to change her mind. And Abbie is falling in love. He’s real. A real cowboy, a real gentleman, someone Abbie can trust. Until she finds she can’t.
It’s not just Abbie’s romantic dreams that come crashing down. It’s also the terror when Cory is kidnapped and the price of his ransom is the diamond necklace one of Nader’s mules intercepted. And that’s when our clever Abbie eludes both the good and the bad guys…
The Characters
Abbie Hughes is a blackjack dealer in Vegas to pay for her college accounting classes. Cory is her dyslexic brother with a lot of get-rich-quick schemes. This latest one will land him in one hell of a lot of hot water. Crystal Debrowski is her best friend. Don is her jerk of an ex-husband.
Sam Lang (Delta) retired from Black Ops, Inc. when Nader killed his sister Terri and brother-in-law, B.J., leaving Tina as their surviving child. Sam still has family left back on the family ranch, Rancho Royale, and he wants to keep them alive. Tom Lang is his father, and Tom wants Sam to get back out there and get revenge.
The BOIs
His fellow operatives were Johnny Duane Reed, Nathan Black is their CO, Gabe Jones, Raphael “Choirboy” Mendoza, Luke “Doc Holliday” Colter (SEAL and team medic), Wyatt “Papa Bear” Savage (CIA), and Joe Greene. The BOIs want Sam back. Ann and Robert Tompkins are the surviving parents of one of the BOIs; they have “adopted” them and consider the BOIs family.
Frederick Nader is a German arms dealer, drug distributor, and bioterrorist. Derek Styles is one of Nader’s mules with a too-big ambition. Rutger Smith is Nader’s right-hand torturer. Desmond Fox is the Honduran equivalent of Nader. They have their own particular rivalry. One that first Cory, then Sam are determined to exploit.
The Cover and Title
The cover is shades of lavendar and a faded-in man. We see a three-quarter profile of his five-o’clock-shadowed face and a grey-flecked tank undershirt before his shoulders merge with the background.
The title is apt as Sam Lang intends to Take No Prisoners.
