OVER THE LINE -- a summary and opinion

So today I was looking at my NetGalley account, and saw that Emmy's PUSHING THE LIMIT hit the ARC list (I'd been waiting too, because I've been fan-girling Emmy's homepage and know that it releases in November). Put in my request, went to double check that I've crossed all my Ts and dotted my Is where Emmy's books are concerned...

 

...and couldn't find my review for OVER THE LINE.

 

It. Was.Nowhere (yes, I know the appropriate phrase is 'it wasn't anywhere')(yes, I'm 'that girl' who corrects your English in my head). There wasn't even a draft for it.

 

It wasn't on my list of books to blog, it wasn't in my (fancy dancy Erin Condren) planner to blog about it, it wasn't on my 'this releases this week, you best write about it' list... For all intents and purposes... I thought it was written.

 

But it wasn't.

 

And that makes me really sad, because it's definitely a book y'all should have had on your 'Pre-Order List', but no worries, now you can put it on your 'Order and Read Now' list.

 



 

*I received a copy of OVER THE LINE via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

 

Publisher: Forever Yours (10/7/2014)

Series: Alpha Ops, book 1

Genre: Romantic Suspense

 

Synopsis:

 

JUST HOW FAR WILL HE GO . . . Army Special Forces Sergeant Beth Garcia owes James Walker big-time for saving her life in Afghanistan. So the least she can do is agree to be his rock-climbing partner. After a year of physical therapy, she's finally eligible for deployment again, and what better way to celebrate than a weekend with a sexy Air Force hero? She's prepared to kick his ass at climbing-until James reveals what he really has in mind...

Pretending to be engaged wasn't the most brilliant idea James ever had. Neither was dragging Beth to his sister's wedding. The competitive tomboy is a far cry from the type of woman his family usually pushes on him. Yet Beth is more exciting than anyone he's ever met, and James has a feeling that if he can get her in bed, she'll blow his mind. They're just supposed to be acting-but as the wedding weekend wears on, Beth and James have a fighting chance at something real and much more lasting...

Review:

I knew while reading DANGEROUS TERRITORY that I'd love James and Beth. Said so right in my review --

I'm extremely excited to look into what other books Emmy Curtis has put out; I'm even more excited for Beth and Walker's story in the next Alpha Ops book. And because Beth became semi-close with Grace (they need to go out for a drink...!) and Walker is like a big brother flashing around Grace's articles, I'm hopeful that we'll see more of Josh and Grace. Maybe not, but maybe still.

So we don't see Josh and Grace, but eh, that's ok. I'll forgive Emmy this time ;) Because really? Josh and Grace were the furthest people from my mind while reading about these two.

Right from the get-go, the reader gets to see James' personality. As bullets are flying (in a scene that is first introduced in DANGEROUS TERRITORY) and he's crouched next to Beth, he jokes, "Alone at last". Then, shortly later when putting a tourniquet on her leg, he jokes about seeing her panties. Understandably, jesting and keeping lighthearted is sometimes a coping mechanism in these circumstances, but I think it also shows character, and James has it in spades.

'Walker threw himself down again, this time lying between her legs, face about five inches from her wound. Which meant it was seven inches from her...

'Well, this is awkward,' he murmured. It worked, and in relief he heard her gasp a laugh.

'Next time... buy me dinner... first, all right?' she said between pants of Lamaze-type breathing.'  

Don't need to ask James twice. He wants to take Beth out on a date; he doesn't keep it a secret. When he finally catches up to her after recovering, they make plans for a hiking weekend away.

'"It’s been hell, just sitting behind a desk. But”— she waved the [deployment] papers with teeth marks on them—“ I got them today. Maybe you’re my good luck charm.”

“So what are you doing to celebrate?” he asked, hoping the answer was “nothing.”

“Not much. I guess I hadn’t really thought about it.” She put on her sunglasses when they rounded the corner to the parking lot. Inexplicably, his heart started beating faster, and he knew he had to get this right. He had a sneaking suspicion that a guy only ever had one chance with Garcia. If you fucked it up, you were over.

“Can I take you out for dinner tonight, or maybe tomorrow?”

She was silent for a few seconds, and he wished he could see her expression behind her glasses. Should he have been more casual? More subtle? Should he let her ask him out? Oh please, let me have got this right.

“Sure. The army has a long weekend. Friday’s off, do you want to go tomorrow?”'

However, as family always manages to do, the plans get thwarted when his sister's wedding is becoming a bit of a spectacle -- and not in the way his Oh-High-Almighty family is accustomed to (in other words... there's some additional stalking going on).

Beth agrees to go as his girlfriend, and the story becomes tangled a bit and they're suddenly "engaged", but James is ok with that. Beth plays along fabulously, as well.

Beth is surprised to find that James comes from money; more than that, she's shocked to find out who his father is. If Senior Walker finds out about this farce, Beth is sure she can kiss her future plans goodbye -- but she keeps on the show for James' benefit. She enjoys being with him, and as the weekend progresses, she falls a little more for him.

I really enjoyed being inside of James' head. His personality is a riot.

'...and frankly, this wasn't his first rodeo. It was his eighth.'

I can just hear him thinking that in a flippant way. I just love him.

And Beth... I love that James helps her 'let go'. She has a 'tude, but many hard females in the military do -- it's how you stay afloat in a male-dominant field. She starts to crave his touch and the way he makes her laugh. I love that they get playful and silly with one another (playful biting? pillow fight?), especially with all the hardness they've both lived through.

...and I especially love when Beth stands up for James to his family, putting a serious kibosh to what they think of his 'kooshy' job, even though James doesn't want them to know the truth.

But mostly, I love the epilogue. I love the giddiness of James in the epilogue. I love him. I just do.

Don't be like me and read the epilogue first. It's a seriously bad habit of mine. Or maybe you should. Goodness knows I read the epilogue, a couple of chapters... the epilogue... a couple more chapters... the epilogue, the epilogue, the rest of the book... another book.......

....the epilogue. ;)

It's a good one.

The book, too. The book's a good one too. It's a 5-star-er, if you didn't catch on.

Buy Now:

Amazon | Kindle | BN | NOOK