The Master by Kresley Cole
Publisher: Gallery Books
Published: February 2015

 

Catarina Marin needs money now. Enough money to start again on the other side of the country. A random sighting of her estranged husband has her on edge and ready to run. Forced to live under the radar and deal with aplenty of people willing to exploit her, she decides to escort to make some quick cash. Her first "client" is a “drop dead gorgeous” Russian billionaire with mafiya connections. The one problem is she is not the girl he requested from the agency. She doesn't even work for the agency and fulfilled her friend's booking.

Cat only has the most basic idea about escorting and would really be doing anything other than catering to snotty rich dude. Max did not get the woman he booked but decides to go outside his comfort zone.  When Max thinks Cat is trying to trap him, he goes full mafiya on her. Now that she has a husband hunting her and a billionaire mad at her, we get a little more of Cat's back story and see how she ended up in her current situation.  We also learn more about Max and his family and why he reacts to her the way he does.  Gradually, we see them growing on each other and realizing that they have feelings for each other.

The Master was an enjoyable read. It gets sexually explicit very fast. Even though the book is called The Master, it isn't really any bondage or BDSM - basically it's not a 50 shades clone.  Compared to the pacing of the rest of the book, the ending seemed a little rushed. Granted the main male character being a billionaire helped the action along as he would have money to get all the loose ends tied up quickly.

Just a note, this is actually the second book in The Game Maker series and has spoilers of the first book in the series. You might want to read the first book to avoid being spoiled and have a full scope of the series.  Although based on the snippet in the book, the first book seems like a pretty good story of its own.

This review copy was provided by the publisher.

Review: Targets of Opportunity by Jeffrey S. Stephens

Targets of Opportunity by Jeffrey S. Stephens
Publisher: Gallery Books
Publish Date: August 30, 2011








When a senior member of Iranian military group defects, the CIA is wary but hopeful.  Asking for Agent Jordan Sandor does nothing to set the CIA at ease.  Abu Jaber intimates knowledge of a new terror plot afoot. When a plane blows up followed by the takeover of a French surveillance site in the Caribbean, every one starts to take him a little more seriously.  Now everyone is scrambling for the merest inkling of the plot.  Coming up with a plan is difficult when you barely know your opponent and can't ascertain his point - especially when he is a master strategist.

Jaber's wife is picked up by the Iranians and offered the option of finding her husband and turning him over to Iranian authorities.  Not knowing whether he has abandoned her or has a larger plan at work, she jumps at a chance to leave Iran and confront him.  Caught in the crossfire, Jordan and his team begin to ascertain the real puppet master for this plot.  A mystery man from South America renowned for his philosophy and economic theories but rejected for the extreme actions needed to fulfill his ultimate goal.  Once they figure out who is behind the plot all the pieces start coming together and the team is able to aim their limited resources in the most appropriate manner.  The realization that a nuclear weapon is spurs the team into furious action. On a dark and stormy night, everything came to a head.  Only the extremely brave and skillful action s of some Navy Seals avert major disaster.

Having never read a Jordan Sandor novel, I had no idea what to expect.  I got a fast paced action thriller that incorporates ripped from the headlines facts.  Even though the book is over 400 pages, the action was continuous and constant making the story seem way shorter.  The basic plot, a terrorist anti-US alliance between two countries is scarily realistic.  All that being said this book was ridiculous in some ways.  The bad guys all die in really theatrical ways.  Jordan is able to muscle his way out of one of the most surveilled and controlled countries pretty much spur of the moment.  He's always going according to his own plan.  The finale is the perfect storm literally, but everything works out.

**This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.**

Review: The Keepers of the Rose

 

Title: The Keepers of the Rose by D. J. Dalasta
ASIN: B004U2VCII
Available via Amazon Kindle Store


    Hidden for three centuries on Oak Island off the Canadian coast, Captain Kidd's bounty has taunted treasure evaded treasure seekers.  Captain Kidd failed to hide the treasure prior to his capture for piracy.  He was able to pass the mission on to his son Captain Robert Ryder.  Ryder assembled a crew of architects and workmen to build a enclosure to ensure the treasure remained hidden from humans until the year 2012.  Why  2012?  Part of the treasure is vital to humanity's fate.  Several organization -- the CIA, Delega Corporation, and the Keepers of the Rose -- would love to be people with the knowledge and thus the most powerful on earth.  A path of bloodshed, betrayals, and clues that span centuries lead to the point where we begin to understand the secrets of the rose.
    I'm sure you've heard of the ancient Mayan predictions regarding the year 2012.  Rock and his crew realize that the bounty has clues to what the Mayans really meant with their 2012 predictions.  The immense power of the knowledge is further reinforced by the lengths the three groups go to secure the knowledge for themselves.  Who should possess the information that decides the future of humanity?
     If you like suspense and mystery with a touch of  Mayan prophesy lore, this is the book for you.  The book delves into Mayan prophesy and origins and gives an interesting idea of what could be if we were able to understand and harness the Mayan prophesy.  Makes you think.
  
*This book was provided by the author in exchange for my honest opinion.  *