early review || RISK OF EXPOSURE by Emmy Curtis

Forever | May 3, 2016 | Military Romance
Alpha Ops, book 6
★★★★★

SOURCE: BARLCAY PUBLICITY

He is a trained professional—but nothing can prepare him for the hottest mission of his life. Assigned to protect his boss’s daughter, British former SAS operative Malone Garrett breaks the first rule of covert surveillance—don’t make contact. And especially don’t take your mark out to dinner, then agree to a rooftop quickie. But now that Mal has Abby in his arms, he has no intention of ever letting her go.

Abby Baston told herself it was a hit and quit, a one-nighter with a hot, handsome stranger whose hands were trained to take action. Working undercover for the CIA, she can’t risk anything more. But when an international crisis ignites, Abby must make a call: trust Mal with her secret—and her heart—and partner up, or lose everything in a split second . . .

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review || COMPROMISED { promo tour } by Emmy Curtis

Forever Yours | March 1, 2016 | Military Romance
Alpha Ops, book 5
★★★★

SOURCE: BARCLAY PUBLICITY

It was supposed to be the happiest day of her life. But when her wedding erupts in gunfire, Sadie Walker realizes this is not the life she wants - her fiancé’s work with Delta Force will always cast a shadow over their relationship. After leaving the hard-muscled hero at the altar, she thinks she’ll never see him again . . . until a chance encounter reveals that he still has a strong grip on her heart.

On a covert assignment overseas, Simon Tennant is shocked when he spots Sadie with another man. Jealousy flares, as does an irresistible urge to keep her protected. Amid a dangerous game of international espionage, he’ll have to convince Sadie just how perfect they’ve always been together. This time, nothing will take precedence over winning her back, no matter the cost to his cover - or his life . . .

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review || BLOWBACK { blog tour } by Emmy Curtis

Forever Yours | November 3, 2015 | Military Romance
Alpha Ops, book 4
★★★★

SOURCE: BARCLAY PUBLICITY

One year ago, David Church kissed a beautiful, brilliant woman on an airfield in Iraq—and hasn't stopped thinking about her ever since. Now, the military veteran gets a chance to rekindle that fire when he sees his lost love again—looking sexier than ever—at an international conference in Athens. David yearns to take her in his arms, to hold her close and never let go. But when the bullets begin to fly, it's not just his heart on the line. It's his life.

When Molly Solent agreed to deliver intelligence for the U.S. government, she didn't realize she'd be caught in the crossfire of a surprise ambush—and underneath the hard-muscled body of David Church. Shielding her from harm and swearing to protect her, the elite bodyguard reignites a searing passion that Molly can't resist. But with unforeseen danger around every corner—and unquenchable desire in every embrace—falling in love could be the greatest risk of all…

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review || PUSHING THE LIMIT { launch day blitz }

 

Pushing the Limit by Emmy Curtis

Publisher: Forever Yours (11/4/2014)

Series: Alpha Ops, book 2

Genre: Military Romance

Source: InkSlinger/NetGalley

Buy It For Your Kindle | BN&Nook | iTunes | GooglePlay || Goodreads

My Rating: ★★★★

After their one-night fling at a wedding, archaeologist Henrietta "Harry" Markowitz thought she'd never see war hero Matt Stanning again. So when they're paired up to investigate a military plane crash in Iraq, she's not sure if the three-month reunion is serendipitous or cursed. What she does know is this gorgeous man lights her body on fire-and incredible sex is always a welcome distraction. Air Force Sergeant Matt Stanning has been called a hero, but he feels nothing like one when he realizes the sexy blonde in his bed is the widow of his fallen brother-in-arms. Even worse, he actually has to work with her, and she's unearthed evidence that points to a military conspiracy. If they dig deeper, they'll put their lives in danger. If they don't, they'll never know the truth-not only about the mysterious plane crash, but about each other. 

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{ excerpt }

 

Matt heard her sharp intake of breath and wondered if he’d misjudged his attempt at lightening her mood.

 

There was a second in which he opened his mouth to explain, when there was a shifting in the air around him, and just as his lightning instinct had him reaching for his weapon, a soft projectile thwomped into his face, knocking him backward and off the bed.

 

“No one makes fun of my pain without incurring the wrath of the pillow ninja,” she hissed.

 

Relief and outrage vied for pole position as he immediately planned his revenge. He let out an agonized groan.

 

“Oh my God.” He heard her scrambling over the bed to the foot where he’d fallen from. “I’m so sorry, did you hurt—”

 

He reared up, wrapping his arms around her legs, and launched her back onto the bed. She bounced like a rag doll as he grabbed the cushion he’d taken from the lobby and swiped at her as she tried to right herself.

 

“Ooff,” was the only thing she managed to say.

 

Victory is mine. “Truce?” he asked from a safe distance.

 

“My hand is caught in the headboard.” She giggled. “I swear it’s not a trap. I’m an honorable foe, unlike you. Look, or feel.”

 

Still keeping his distance, he put out his hand where he thought her shoulder should be. It was soft. Heat rose in his body.

 

“Okay, airman, it’s not my breast that’s trapped, it’s my hand,” she said with a totally audible grin.

 

“Sorry.” He thought he would run his hand up to her shoulder, then her arm to find her trapped hand, but it seemed all his appendages had minds of their own. He hesitated on her breast, feeling it swell beneath his palm. Shit. He stretched his hand out so just the center of it was touching her, and he circled it around her nipple. Its hardness tickled his palm. He meant to move it to her shoulder, but he swore he heard her groan. The sound sealed the deal.

 

His other hand found her flat stomach. He ran his fingers over her skin, making her shiver. “Does your hand hurt?”

 

“No,” she whispered. It was a tacit yes to everything else.

 

He lowered his lips to her stomach and kissed her, feeling it undulate beneath his lips. Kneeling on the bed now, he ran his hands up and down from her waist to her legs, legs to waist, and then with the same motion, he hooked her shorts around his

fingers and yanked them down. She gasped. He grinned in the dark.

“You’re kind of at my mercy now, aren’t you?” he said.

 

In an instant she wrapped her legs around his waist and tipped him over onto his side. Before he could recover, she rolled him over and sat astride him.

 

“I’m sorry? What did you say?” In the shadowy darkness she whipped off her tank. He could barely see her in the dark. No way. Nakedness or death? He grabbed her waist and held her as he sat up and pushed her down toward the foot of the bed. He

used the few seconds he was upright to flick open one side of the curtain covering the small window. A faint blue light lit the room. Just enough to see her in.

 

“I guess you weren’t really that trapped, then?”

 

“Not that trapped.” She smiled up at him, and he was gone.

 

He ripped his shirt off over his head and was about to undo his jeans when Harry beat him to it.

 

Her delicate fingers played with his fly, flickering touches on his hard dick through the denim. Grazing her nails along his length until he was desperate to feel her friction. As if she read his mind, she flattened her hand and pressed hard against him, making him groan and push himself against her.

 

She undid his fly, and when the heat of her fingers touched his flesh he closed his eyes and allowed his whole body to feel her.

 

Enough. He wanted her, right now. Stripping off his jeans, and managing to extract a condom from his wallet without fumbling, he retook the bed. He slid his whole body across hers touching every part of her with every part of him. She fit him perfectly. In every way.



- - -

About Emmy Curtis

Emmy Curtis is an editor and a romance writer. An ex-pat Brit, she quells her homesickness with Cadbury Flakes and Fray Bentos pies. She's lived in London, Paris and New York, and has settled for the time being, in North Carolina. When not writing, Emmy loves to travel with her military husband and take long walks with their Lab. All things considered, her life is chock full of hoot, just a little bit of nanny. And if you get that reference...well, she already considers you kin. 

- - -

Connect with Emmy || Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook | Website

- - -

I really, really wanted this book (side note: that excerpt? One of my favorite parts in the book). I 'tweeted' with Emmy about it, I requested it, I emailed her publicist about it... I really wanted my hands on this book.

You know how sometimes when you want something really, really badly, and it doesn't quite turn out how you envisioned it? This was kind of like that. Do not get me wrong -- it was a good read, a great story, it had lovely characters... I just found it a bit choppy at times. Matt ran hot and cold throughout the beginning, but so did Harry. However, when I think of archaeologists, I think of Brennan from Bones, so I gave her a bit of leeway in my opinion of her.

About 60% through, though, I became completely engrossed -- as in, don't/can't put the book down engrossed. That is, after all, where the brunt of the action was. And because of the lengthiness of the story, I hardly minded that the whirlwind of a semi-non-romance was truly only a span of a few days. Some people have reviewed the book and stated that the lack of sex/romance and the high amount of action/dig are what turned them away from this book... I actually appreciated it more.

Harry and Matt had already gotten to the down and dirty of everything in OVER THE LINE -- I appreciated that their relationship, after that point, wasn't about sex. It was more about each of them sorting their feelings for one another currently, and how they could live with their pasts and make way for the future. That said, I do feel that I am rating this book a bit harsher than I have the novella and book 1.

... I will likely (ok, so I will, no question) revisit this book when I have some downtime. Emmy has yet to disappoint me -- so Matt and Harry aren't my two favorites in the series; there are worse things. You can't love all of the characters :)

*this is one of those books that my Kindle app when ka-perk on me, and all of my notes and highlights disappeared :( Hence, the lack of anything other than the excerpt.

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

DANGEROUS TERRITORY -- a summary and review

This is my problem with novellas & Harlequin sized books (I may have mentioned this problem in other novella-length book reviews) -- the author has a limited number of pages to give the reader character description and development, emotional context, and a decent plot. Most novellas feel rushed, and at the end of the book, which typically only spans a few days, BAM! they're engaged.

In real life? Yeah, not so much.

What Emmy has done right in this story of Josh and Grace? Introduced them in the prologue, three years before the meat of the story.

Josh and Grace meet in D.C. one Christmas Eve, both stating they're in the city for a limited amount of time. Granted, Grace is going by her psuedo-name of Sally, but regardless, they meet in the city when they're both their for a limited amount of time. Josh sees her sadness, Grace needs someone to lose herself in -- the perfect combination for a no-emotions-required one night stand.

Three years pass.

Whenever Grace is feeling low and trying to go over her mantra to not get attached to people in her chosen profession (reporter of the war, but reporting of the military men and women, the innocent civilians... everyone affected by the war so that the picture the media paints oh so well, doesn't wash over the true happenings that involve the men and women serving and living in it) -- her mind falls back to Christmas Eve, three years past, and to Josh.

Likewise, Josh goes back to that night because she's the 'one who got away' -- not that he wants or needs any emotional entanglements in his lifestyle. Josh is a pararescueman and that is his life -- it is what he strives for. Being a PJ is more than a job for him -- it is the whole of Josh.

Grace, who has spent the last 4 years in Afghanistan, is with her current embedded assignment when things go wrong and they need to be rescued. Unfortunately, while the team is rescued, Grace manages to be left behind. When the PJ's hear they've left someone behind, true to their creed, they turn around to pick up said person.

When the downed team mentions that the one left behind is a reporter, Josh has serious doubts and wants nothing to do with going back. It would serve the reporter well.

In war, reporters are disliked by the men and women serving their country. Reporters are a hindrance, as they slow the troops down, but beyond that, they paint pretty pictures that couldn't be farther from the truth. Once they get to the proper area to rescue said reporter, Josh takes his mark and begins his flight down -- at which time, the helicopter he's attached to becomes target practice and he needs to drop the remaining 8 feet from his rope.

Eventually finding his rescue, he reluctantly follows her to the 'safe' cave she has found; it is only after he has deemed it safe does he realize that his 'Sally', the woman and the night his mind goes to when he needs a moment of peace, is the reporter to which he needed to rescue.

Dangerous Territory follows Josh and Grace as they battle their way to getting rescued, and battle their feelings toward one another. Neither thought they'd see each other again -- Grace cannot afford, mentally at this point, to get attached to another person she could lose to war. Josh wants nothing to do with a reporter (which he makes clear again and again whenever he asks if something is on or off record, and with his paranoia that their time together will become public knowledge, which further aggravates him because they've broken rules by being together and he is not a rule breaker).

I loved every moment of this novella. At times, sure I became annoyed with Josh and his anti-reporter-shtick; granted, I understood where he was coming from, but I really wanted him to take his times with Grace and realize them for what they were. Guys are really good at the on-off switch, and Josh was no exception.

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.