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
Risk No Secrets
by
Cindy Gerard
romantic suspense in Paperback edition that was published by Pocket Books on May 18, 2010 and has 388 pages.
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Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Deadly Promises, Show No Mercy, Take No Prisoners, Whisper No Lies, Feel the Heat, 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
Fifth in the Black Ops, Inc. romantic suspense series revolving around Nathan Black and his BOIs. The couple focus is on Wyatt Savage and Sophie Baylor with a minor focus on Nate and Juliana’s relationship.
My Take
Gerard manages to create such different scenarios to introduce her romances. Each of the BOIs has a different background, a different history. Their one commonality is the loyalty and support each man receives from the others. They go all out to protect. Brutal men when needed, gentle and teasing when they can. The world needs more men like them. And fewer of the Hughes.
As the spirited Sophie says: Wyatt’s friends are focused, driven, and capable. With heart. She would never say that about her husband’s men. Once Hugh and Wyatt were alike. Now, they couldn’t be more unlike.
Gerard is good at hiding and teasing us, leading me down the garden path. Making me wonder who had planned this kidnapping. Enough that I suspected and still was surprised at the end.
No end of action and hot, heavy jungle trekking. And more than one rescue. Nice handling when Hugh and Wyatt finally confront each other. Kind of hard to handle a man walking into his [old] bedroom only to find his best friend in bed with his [ex] wife.
The BOIs wreak havoc on Bonilla’s operation, completely and totally and I’m surprised they didn’t stop to consider the consequences of what they were doing. I can’t believe the BOIs spent all that time in the military and never picked up basic first aid. The way they panicked was just not believable.
Omigod!! Mean Joe Green is softening up! He cracked TWO jokes!!
Okay, the tension Gerard is trying for with Montoya isn’t working. It’s merely irritating as it’s too obvious as to Sophie’s reaction. To make it believable, Gerard has to have Sophie participating to some extent and Gerard tipped her hand much too early for this to work.
The Story
A call out of the blue from a former girlfriend in big trouble. Savage has always loved Sophie, but she chose Hugh Weber, his best friend, a brother, and he can only respect her wishes. He hasn’t seen her since he left the CIA and joined Black’s BOIs. Hugh, too, has left the CIA and begun his own protection and security service.
Meanwhile, Sophie has also achieved her dream — a quality school providing a good education to poor children in El Salvador. But now someone has kidnapped Lola thinking she was Hope. And Sophie can’t find Hugh.
Wyatt is her last hope.
The Characters
Sophie Baylor Weber started by teaching Spanish for the State Department where she met Wyatt and Hugh. She slowly worked her way through the educational system until she understood the infrastructure and proved her own abilities so she could achieve her dream of educational parity. Hope is Sophie’s adopted daughter and Lola Ramirez is Hope’s best friend. Ramona is Lola’s mother and works for Sophie. Maris Hoffman is the vice-principal at Baylor.
The 37-year-old Wyatt “Papa Bear” Savage was CIA before he joined the BOIs. He’s never been married as no women has ever measured up to his memories of Sophie. His family home is in Adel, Georgia and it’s been two years since he’s been home to visit his momma and daddy — and Margaret Savage is determined to make up for lost time. Annie is his kid sister, married to Jed Cooper and they have a terror of a toddler, Will. Carrie Ginger is an old girlfriend of Wyatt’s and momma’s got matchmaking on her mind.
Nathan Black commands Black Ops, Inc. They work off the books for the U.S. government. He’s friends with Dr. Juliana Flores even as he dreams of more. Johnny Duane and Crystal Reed will be Hope’s protection detail to Argentina; Rafe and BJ Mendoza; “Mean” Joe Green is still seeing Stephanie Tompkins, Luke Colter, and Gabe Jones are the rest of the BOIs in this installment.
Diego Montoya is a “handsome coffee baron”, wealthy, and very interested in Sophie. He will do anything for her and donates generously to the Baylor School. Vincente Bonilla is absolute scum *naturally!* and is in cahoots with someone who placed the order for the Weber girl’s kidnapping. He also heads up one of the biggest criminal gangs in Salvador. Jorge Vega is secretly with Guerrilleros Nacionales and the assistant to the director of San Salvador’s Primary Education Board with news for Sophie.
The Cover and Title
It’s a pinky purple sheer overlay of Wyatt Savage from cheekbones to waist. And all sorts of hard, chiseled muscle concealed and revealed by his white tank top. He’s in profile with his head turned towards us. Serious. Intent. Yup, it’s Papa Bear all right.
I’m clueless about the title. It’s not so much that there are secrets at risk as there are secrets buried in their own subconscious.
[…] Nate was a U.S. Marine (married to Dr. Juliana Flores); and, Wyatt Savage (married to Sophie; Risk No Secrets) had been CIA along with […]
What I want to know is when did Nate marry Juliana?