Leverage - Janie Crouch (HI #1579 - July 2015)

Series: Omega Sector (Book 4)

He'd been hired to transport precious cargo--and it put a beautiful twist in his solitary life

Computer game developer Shelby Keelan has a gift: a photographic memory of anything concerning numbers. When she inadvertently discovers a code linked to terrorist attacks within a popular Internet game, she's called in by the government to help piece together what she knows.

.

Pilot Dylan Branson finally has his life the way he wants it: simple, quiet and alone - as far from his covert operation past as he can get. He knows when he's asked by his previous boss to deliver one tiny package to Omega Sector headquarters that his answer should be no. Especially when that tiny package ends up being a cute and quirky redhead he's instantly drawn to.

.

But what should've been a routine trip turns into a desperate fight for their lives when someone is determined to see that Shelby and Dylan don't make it anywhere alive and that the codes in her head are destroyed along with her.

Terrific book and conclusion to the initial Omega Sector series. I loved the romance between Dylan and Shelby, and the buildup of suspense was excellent. Dylan used to work for Omega Sector, just like his siblings, but left when his wife and unborn child were murdered. Now he runs his own chartered flight business, lives out in the boonies, and spends as little time with people as he can. He's not happy when his former boss asks him to deliver some computer codes to DC, but he gives in.

Shelby is a genius at anything having to do with numbers. She has a photographic memory for them, no matter how many there are. She develops computer games for kids, and when she discovered some terrorist-linked code in a game, she called on her friend Megan Fuller-Branson, who works at Omega. She needs to get those codes to DC, where Megan can decipher them, and that means leaving her safe haven and depending on someone else.

I loved both Shelby and Dylan. Shelby is very much an introvert and always has been, which made her childhood with an extrovert mother miserable. She needs her space, and being around other people and (gasp!) having to talk to them, freaks her out. She isn't much for social chit-chat and tends to be very direct when she does talk. She is also pretty insecure about her ability to relate to other people. I loved being able to get to know Dylan better. He has appeared in earlier books, usually in support of one of his siblings, even though he's no longer an operative. His love for his family is obvious, but so is his reluctance to let anyone else get close to him.

I loved the development of the relationship between Dylan and Shelby. There were sparks between them from the start. During that first dinner at the diner, their connection was obvious. Shelby found it amazingly easy to talk to Dylan, something that never happens to her. Dylan enjoyed talking to her, even indulging in a little flirtation, thinking that she would be gone in a couple of hours, after giving him the codes to deliver. His dismay at finding out that the codes were in her head, and he had to take HER with him, caused a sudden chilling of his attitude. I ached for Shelby, who was certain she had done something to deserve it. He knows he's being a jerk, but can't seem to help himself. This happens several times throughout the book, as they draw closer, then he pulls back again. Shelby's frustration with him is understandable, and I wanted to shake him senseless. In spite of his conflicted feelings, Dylan's protectiveness was pretty sweet. I loved how he understood her quirks and stepped in whenever he saw her begin to be overwhelmed. I ached for Shelby as her feelings for Dylan grew, and he continued to fight his. He was unintentionally cruel at one point near the end but redeemed himself quite nicely. His big moment at the end was super sweet and romantic in his way.

The suspense of the story was great. The idea of terrorist codes embedded in a computer game doesn't seem far-fetched these days, so that felt real. Shelby's gift of a photographic memory for numbers also seems quite possible. The tension began quickly with the two attempts on Shelby's life before she even got to Dylan. His quick thinking over her stay in the motel gave added impetus to their need to get to DC. With the sabotage of the plane, Dylan's suspicions about a mole at Omega appeared to be confirmed and reinforced by what happened a short time later. I loved the way the Bransons and their other halves banded together to get Shelby where she needed to be. I was on the edge of my seat as she and Megan worked to solve the puzzle, all the time wondering about the mole. The final confrontation was intense, as was the threat to Shelby and Megan's lives. I loved Shelby's role in saving them both. Though the mole's identity wasn't a surprise, some of the details were pretty amazing.

I loved having all of the couples from the previous books involved in this one. The friendship between Megan and Shelby was great. They are so different, and yet their understanding and acceptance of each other was beautiful. The love and respect between the siblings was strong, yet none of them had any trouble calling each other out when they were being idiots. Dylan (deservedly) was the focus of that most often in this book. The best scene with any of the siblings was the one between Sawyer and Megan as he left to help get rid of the bomb. It was one of the most romantic things I've seen in any book.

Navy SEAL Six Pack - Elle James (HI #1672 - Nov 2016)

Series: SEAL of My Own (Book 4)

For a SEAL undercover on a top conspiracy, attraction could be dangerous…

Raised on a ranch and trained as a Navy SEAL, Benjamin "Montana" Raines has a work ethic that's unshakable -- even in the midst of a beautiful and jaded CIA operative. A dangerous conspiracy threatens the United States, and Benjamin has a new case. And a new partner.

Kate McKenzie has been burned before. And now she is paired with someone she's supposed to trust against her deeper instincts. In the cutthroat world of millionaires and politicians in Washington, DC, Kate and Benjamin must go undercover to prevent an attack. But as the risks to their safety heighten, so does their undeniable attraction to one another…

Excellent conclusion to a series that began with four SEALs on vacation stumbling onto a human trafficking ring, followed by foiling an assassination and discovering a conspiracy of murders. Each book has solved its immediate problem, but the questions have continued to build about who is behind it and why. In this book, our sexy SEALs have joined with the men and women of the Stealth Operations Specialists to figure out the connections among a bunch of diverse murders. Montana has been paired with CIA operative Kate to infiltrate the upper reaches of Washington society while protecting a valuable asset.

I really liked Montana and Kate. Montana is an honest-to-God cowboy, raised on a ranch, with bone-deep cowboy values. He's a hard worker, honest, and a true gentleman in all circumstances. I loved the way he credited his mama for his manners, especially when it would help make his point. Kate is a kick-ass CIA agent who was recently burned when her partner and lover turned out to be a double agent. Because of it, she's wary of trusting Montana right away.

Both Montana and Kate have been picked for this mission because they are good at blending in with those around them. I loved watching the two of them bounce off each other as they work out their balance of power. Montana is naturally protective, but he is also aware of and impressed by Kate's skills. It was fun to watch him fall a little more under her spell with each new talent exposed. I especially enjoyed the scene with the motorcycle. As good as she is at her job, Kate's confidence in her judgment was shaken by what had happened with her partner. I liked the way that Montana's treatment of her restored that confidence. I loved how their feelings become crystal clear in the midst of danger. The ending was pretty sweet as they shared those feelings.

The action and suspense of the story were fantastic. I loved the teamwork of the group as they bent their minds to figure out the connections. When they deciphered the code from the end of the last book, the intensity amped up even further as they went to work to prevent any more murders. The scene at the gala, with Kate impersonating Mila, was a real nail-biter as I waited to see what was going to happen. The fear and confusion at the end of the evening, topped off by the chase, had the team scurrying to make sense of what had happened. As some of the information started to come together, a very scary picture began to emerge. The final confrontation had a couple of twists and turns before it came to a very James Bond-ish ending. 

Curious Minds - Janet Evanovich and Phoef Sutton (Bantam - Aug 2016)

Series: Knight and Moon (Book 1)

Emerson Knight is introverted, eccentric, and has little to no sense of social etiquette. Good thing he’s also brilliant, rich, and (some people might say) handsome, or he’d probably be homeless. Riley Moon has just graduated from Harvard Business and Harvard Law. Her aggressive Texas spitfire attitude has helped her land her dream job as a junior analyst with mega-bank Blane-Grunwald. At least Riley Moon thought it was her dream job, until she is given her first assignment: babysitting Emerson Knight.

What starts off as an inquiry about missing bank funds in the Knight account leads to inquiries about a missing man, missing gold, and a life-and-death race across the country. Through the streets of Washington, D.C., and down into the underground vault of the Federal Reserve in New York City, an evil plan is exposed. A plan so sinister that only a megalomaniac could think it up, and only the unlikely duo of the irrepressibly charming Emerson Knight and the tenacious Riley Moon can stop it.

Very fun book to read, with classic Evanovich humor and hijinks. Riley is an ambitious young woman who isn't too happy when her dream job at a big bank turns into a job babysitting one of its biggest customers. Emerson is rich and eccentric, as well as brilliant and handsome. He is also somewhat clueless when it comes to dealing with people.

The first encounter between Riley and Emerson sets the tone for the book. All she wants to do is let him know his money is safe after some banking glitches. She doesn't quite know what to do when he insists on accompanying her back to the bank so that he can "see his own gold." At that point, the discovery that his usual bank contact has been missing for a month and is accused of embezzling from the company gives Emerson the brilliant idea that he and Riley should investigate Gunter's disappearance. Her boss tells her to keep an eye on Emerson and report back.

I thoroughly enjoyed Emerson's antics. The man is scary smart but doesn't have a cautious bone in his body. He comes up with wild plans that Riley tries, unsuccessfully, to talk him out of. Strangely enough, they nearly always work out, usually thanks to Emerson's refusal to believe that they won't. Riley is often left scrambling to keep up with Emerson, though she does have some shining moments of her own.

There is also some chemistry buzzing around Emerson and Riley. The first thing that she notices about him is how good looking he is. This frequently causes some distraction on her part. Emerson's lack of social skills become more evident in these situations as he blurts out occasional comments that could be offensive if Riley chose to take them that way. Nothing really comes of it, but the potential is there for the future.

The suspense of the story is pretty good. Emerson's missing gold leads them to uncover a plot that would wreak havoc on the world's finances. There are multiple twists and turns as our duo discovers fake gold bars, evades a sadistic NSA agent, is chased across the country to Area 51, and escapes death before saving the day. The bad guys' plot occasionally seems over the top, but parts of it are scarily realistic, especially the megalomaniac tendencies of the bad guys.

I also really enjoyed the secondary characters. Emerson's Aunt Myra was a trip with the way she treated Emerson. She certainly has her hands full dealing with him and his menagerie. She's no simple housekeeper though, as she proves several times throughout the book. I especially enjoyed the story of her encounter with some of the goons. Her son Vern comes across as a good ole boy, but he too is more than he appears. I liked the little bit we saw of Riley's family, and how close and supportive they are of each other. I hope to see more of them in the next book.