Author: M.L. Buchman
Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Expected Release Date: February 1, 2012
ISBN1402258100
First in a thrilling military romantic suspense series based on the real-life elite helicopter pilots who transport Navy SEALs and Delta Force teams in and out of combat and covert missions.
Buchman’s heroine flies the most dangerous military ops and tries to find the one man who can be a hero in her own life. Ace-pilot Captain Emily Beale goes undercover as bodyguard to the First Lady, with her rugged commander, Major Mark Henderson, who is determined to cover her back. Can she learn to keep her desire at bay before her covert mission implodes?
About The Author:
M.L. Buchman, or Matthew Lieber Buchman, is an ‘East Coast refugee’ who has worked in several different fields (fast food management, theater, construction law, computers, publishing, and light manufacturing). After a huge changing point in his life, he sold his belongs and spent 18 months riding a bicycle around the world. He has seen fifteen different countries. He has penned novels in several different genres: Romantic Suspense, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, and Contemporary Fiction. He currently resides in the San Juan islands of the Pacific NW.
Book Review
I have read a ton of military romance and familiar with common military jargon. However, I must admit the first part of the book was a bit overwhelming with technical details and lacked what I would classify as a “Hook”-- It did not grab me right away and I struggled through the first part of this book (On the plus side, I have learned quite a bit about Blackhawks, Little Birds, and Chinooks, lol) and I found myself wanting to skim parts of the book.
Another downer for me in the book is the unbelievable heroine, Emily Beale. Is there anything that she can’t do? She cooks delectable, mouth-watering meals using Aluminum foil and the blazing desert sun. She flies her Blackhawk in almost impossible scenarios escaping by a thread, and then ALMOST loses her sight with a bright explosion while flying. For me, a much better story would have been her losing her sight and coming to grips with a more daunting future. Oh, and she kicks ass like nobody’s business…even one massive man in the Secret Service, embarrassing him in front of his team. Emily Beale is perfectly perfect, which makes her a tee-tiny unbelievable. The one time we see Emily at her most vulnerable—eyes bandaged, unsure of her future, lying in the hospital bed in the dark—played a pivotal part of this story and cracked Emily’s perfect façade.
To be honest, if I wasn’t reviewing this book, it may have been a DNF. Only after reading almost seventy percent of the book, I started to sink into the story, looking forward for the next page. There were some truly wonderful developed scenes that stole my breath and had my heart thudding heavily in my heart.
I’m all for second chances, Mr. Buchman—so I’ll look for your books in the future.
