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Killer Instincts #1
Midnight Rescue
Dangerous. Ruthless. Savage. And she's the good guy.
Abby Sinclair had a desperate childhood until she was rescued and adopted by a retired army ranger who molded her into a master of self-defense. Now, she's a cunning and fearless assassin thrust into assignment after dangerous assignment, using everything she has-nerve, resilience, strength, sex-to come out on top. Her only rule: trust no one.
Abby's latest assignment is in Columbia: go undercover and snuff out a dangerous arms dealer active in the underground sex trade. But when Abby purposely blows her cover in a last-ditch attempt to free the helpless victims, deadly mercenary Kane Woodland is recruited as back-up. His mission: get Abby out of that hell hole.
The last thing Kane expects is to feel a primal attraction for Abby. But when she convinces him to join her on her perilous mission, their newfound passion could put the lives of their whole team at risk.
Abby Sinclair had a desperate childhood until she was rescued and adopted by a retired army ranger who molded her into a master of self-defense. Now, she's a cunning and fearless assassin thrust into assignment after dangerous assignment, using everything she has-nerve, resilience, strength, sex-to come out on top. Her only rule: trust no one.
Abby's latest assignment is in Columbia: go undercover and snuff out a dangerous arms dealer active in the underground sex trade. But when Abby purposely blows her cover in a last-ditch attempt to free the helpless victims, deadly mercenary Kane Woodland is recruited as back-up. His mission: get Abby out of that hell hole.
The last thing Kane expects is to feel a primal attraction for Abby. But when she convinces him to join her on her perilous mission, their newfound passion could put the lives of their whole team at risk.
354 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 1, 2012
About the author
Elle Kennedy
196 books70.4k followersA New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Elle Kennedy grew up in the suburbs of Toronto, Ontario, and holds a B.A. in English from York University. From an early age, she knew she wanted to be a writer, and actively began pursuing that dream when she was a teenager.
Elle currently writes for various publishers. She loves strong heroines and sexy alpha heroes, and just enough heat and danger to keep things interesting!
Elle currently writes for various publishers. She loves strong heroines and sexy alpha heroes, and just enough heat and danger to keep things interesting!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 441 reviews
March 25, 2018
3.5 Stars
Midnight Rescue was a pretty good read for me. There were some things I didn't like, but a lot I did like. Abby was hard to warm up too as she was so closed off and cold. Kane was great, sexy and protective! I also really liked the plot! I think if I would have connected to Abby more I would have loved this book! On to the next one!!!!!
Midnight Rescue was a pretty good read for me. There were some things I didn't like, but a lot I did like. Abby was hard to warm up too as she was so closed off and cold. Kane was great, sexy and protective! I also really liked the plot! I think if I would have connected to Abby more I would have loved this book! On to the next one!!!!!
April 29, 2012
Looking for some exciting, Cindy Gerard's BOI's-type romantic suspense? Check out Elle Kennedy's latest, the first in her promising new Killer Instincts series.
Not only do you get a team of super-bad, super hunky mercenaries (who only take out the bad guys) much like Gerard's BOIs, but as an added bonus, you are introduced to a team of female assassins, led by the beautiful and mysterious Noelle (that's her on the cover). That's right, kick-ass heroines in this one as well as some sexy bad boys.
Midnight Rescue's plot is about saving a group of young Colombian girls who are about to be auctioned off by a sleazy arms dealer/ human trafficker. The heroine of the story, Abby Sinclair, is a 27-year-old , red-headed, golden-eyed assassin, known for using everything in her arsenal--brains, nerves of steel, mad fighting skills, and even sex--to get the job done. Abby has a horrific past that she's still trying to deal with, is a loner with some major trust issues, but does have a soft, vulnerable side when it comes to young girls who are being victimized. That's why she's hell-bent on making sure that the young girls she saw being held prisoner while she was undercover trying to bring down the arms dealer/pervert are rescued before they are auctioned off.
That's where Jim Morgan's team of mercenaries comes in. "Morgan" and his men (led by his second-in-command, former SEAL Kane Woodland) were involved in rescuing a brutalized Abby from the arms dealer's sadistic right-hand man (Devlin) when her cover was blown. But Abby insists that she must go back and rescue the girls. Kane is attracted to Abby and reluctantly agrees to help, even though the mission will be dangerous and far from a slam-dunk. Will Kane helping Abby put his life and the lives of his teammates, at risk? Do they have a chance of saving the girls, or is it a suicide mission? Can Kane get Abby to open up to him, or will she continue to hide behind the walls she has in place, refusing to trust or let anyone get close to her?
Jim Morgan...
Kane...
Oh yum, loved this story! It was easy to read, with no complicated, convoluted side plots to follow. And as first books in a series go, it didn't suffer from the info-dump that you sometimes get. Yes, Ms. Kennedy had to spend some time setting up the gist of the series, introducing us to Morgan and his men, and "queeen of assassins" Noelle (that's her on the cover) and a few of the women who work for her, but it never seemed to get bogged down or confusing. All the men had separate and distinct personalities, some with baggage (Trevor, who suffered a heartbreaking loss and Kane, with a fear of commitment due to his past). There's charming Cajun Luke, the ladies' man; tattoed and terrifying "D"; nice guy Ethan; computer genius Holden; and Aussie Sullivan. We only meet two of Noelle's assassins--Abby, and her friend Isobel (who helps out--big time-- in the rescue mission) but a few more are mentioned and I'm sure they'll pop up in later books.
Besides the romance between Kane and Abby (which by the way was pretty hot, considering Abby's past and all her trust issues), there was also plenty of chemistry between "in-mourning" Trevor and Isobel (I'd love to see something develop between them!) and something definitely is going on between Noelle and Morgan. Despite their animosity you just know they have a past together, and I can't wait until EK explores it!
What I really enjoyed about the book was Ms. Kennedy's way of revealing the characters' pasts. She gives just enough details to make you get a real feel for the characters, and really brought them to life for me. While Abby relived her past and all the brutal, terrible things that happened to her, I felt awful for her, and wondered how she was able to go on with her life. No wonder she had trust issues! And Kane, he had some baggage of his own to deal with (though not quite as severe as Abby's, but devastating to him). I wasn't sure that these two damaged souls could make a life together, but I sure was hoping they'd try.
I thought the mix of romance and suspense was just right, and EK certainly delivered in the final, brutal confrontation between Abby and psycho Devlin. That was one nail-biter of a fight scene!
So all in all, I was very pleased with this one. A decent plot, smooth, believable dialogue, plenty of details (some graphic), a little hot romance and a couple of budding, but complicated future romances, and plenty of kick-ass action. What more could a romantic suspense fan want? Except for stories for Trevor, Luke, "D", Ethan, Morgan... 4 1/2 stars
Not only do you get a team of super-bad, super hunky mercenaries (who only take out the bad guys) much like Gerard's BOIs, but as an added bonus, you are introduced to a team of female assassins, led by the beautiful and mysterious Noelle (that's her on the cover). That's right, kick-ass heroines in this one as well as some sexy bad boys.
Midnight Rescue's plot is about saving a group of young Colombian girls who are about to be auctioned off by a sleazy arms dealer/ human trafficker. The heroine of the story, Abby Sinclair, is a 27-year-old , red-headed, golden-eyed assassin, known for using everything in her arsenal--brains, nerves of steel, mad fighting skills, and even sex--to get the job done. Abby has a horrific past that she's still trying to deal with, is a loner with some major trust issues, but does have a soft, vulnerable side when it comes to young girls who are being victimized. That's why she's hell-bent on making sure that the young girls she saw being held prisoner while she was undercover trying to bring down the arms dealer/pervert are rescued before they are auctioned off.
That's where Jim Morgan's team of mercenaries comes in. "Morgan" and his men (led by his second-in-command, former SEAL Kane Woodland) were involved in rescuing a brutalized Abby from the arms dealer's sadistic right-hand man (Devlin) when her cover was blown. But Abby insists that she must go back and rescue the girls. Kane is attracted to Abby and reluctantly agrees to help, even though the mission will be dangerous and far from a slam-dunk. Will Kane helping Abby put his life and the lives of his teammates, at risk? Do they have a chance of saving the girls, or is it a suicide mission? Can Kane get Abby to open up to him, or will she continue to hide behind the walls she has in place, refusing to trust or let anyone get close to her?
Jim Morgan...
Kane...
Oh yum, loved this story! It was easy to read, with no complicated, convoluted side plots to follow. And as first books in a series go, it didn't suffer from the info-dump that you sometimes get. Yes, Ms. Kennedy had to spend some time setting up the gist of the series, introducing us to Morgan and his men, and "queeen of assassins" Noelle (that's her on the cover) and a few of the women who work for her, but it never seemed to get bogged down or confusing. All the men had separate and distinct personalities, some with baggage (Trevor, who suffered a heartbreaking loss and Kane, with a fear of commitment due to his past). There's charming Cajun Luke, the ladies' man; tattoed and terrifying "D"; nice guy Ethan; computer genius Holden; and Aussie Sullivan. We only meet two of Noelle's assassins--Abby, and her friend Isobel (who helps out--big time-- in the rescue mission) but a few more are mentioned and I'm sure they'll pop up in later books.
Besides the romance between Kane and Abby (which by the way was pretty hot, considering Abby's past and all her trust issues), there was also plenty of chemistry between "in-mourning" Trevor and Isobel (I'd love to see something develop between them!) and something definitely is going on between Noelle and Morgan. Despite their animosity you just know they have a past together, and I can't wait until EK explores it!
What I really enjoyed about the book was Ms. Kennedy's way of revealing the characters' pasts. She gives just enough details to make you get a real feel for the characters, and really brought them to life for me. While Abby relived her past and all the brutal, terrible things that happened to her, I felt awful for her, and wondered how she was able to go on with her life. No wonder she had trust issues! And Kane, he had some baggage of his own to deal with (though not quite as severe as Abby's, but devastating to him). I wasn't sure that these two damaged souls could make a life together, but I sure was hoping they'd try.
I thought the mix of romance and suspense was just right, and EK certainly delivered in the final, brutal confrontation between Abby and psycho Devlin. That was one nail-biter of a fight scene!
So all in all, I was very pleased with this one. A decent plot, smooth, believable dialogue, plenty of details (some graphic), a little hot romance and a couple of budding, but complicated future romances, and plenty of kick-ass action. What more could a romantic suspense fan want? Except for stories for Trevor, Luke, "D", Ethan, Morgan... 4 1/2 stars
January 3, 2016
You probably recognize Elle Kennedy’s name from her hit New Adult books, The Deal and The Mistake, but she’s also the writer of fabulous romantic suspense novels. I read Midnight Action (book 5) and really enjoyed it so I jumped at the chance to start this action packed series from the beginning! Midnight Rescue was full of suspense, danger, and of course, a sexy romance.
Abby is one of Noelle’s Chameleons, elite female assassins/operatives, and Abby is one of the best. As a teenager she was rescued from a horrific situation by an army ranger who then adopted Abby and trained her to take care of herself in every deadly way imaginable. Abby’s put those skills to use working for Noelle. I do so love a lethal woman, only when she’s killing bad guys, of course! On assignment Abby comes across a group of girls held captive and set to be auctioned off as sex slaves. The only way to gain access to their location is to blow her cover, and allow herself to be captured.
When Noelle realizes Abby’s been captured she enlists the help of Jim Morgan and his impressive team of mercenaries. As second-in-command to Morgan, Kane takes point and when they rescue a bruised and battered Abby, Kane can’t help the protective urges or the attraction she stirs up in him. It is evident Abby’s tough and guarded, but Kane yearns for her trust and confidence. Will she let him in?
While the subject matter of sex slavery trafficking and Abby’s past made parts of this book difficult to read, the majority was thrilling, fast paced, and sexy as heck! Kane teaches Abby to let someone in and let go, and Abby is the first woman Kane has cared in many years (yes, there is a tragic story there).
What I love about this type of romantic suspense is the fact there’s no languishing in angst or melodrama. There’s no time when you have much more important things to worry about, like rescuing teenagers from being sold into sexual slavery or possibly getting shot!
Midnight Rescue had a thrilling end with some loose romantic ends left open for Trevor and Isabel, but I have to wait until book three for their romance! Dang it. Luke, the sexy Cajun better deliver is all I have to say because his romance is next.
A copy was kindly provided by Signet Eclipse in exchange for an honest review.
Abby is one of Noelle’s Chameleons, elite female assassins/operatives, and Abby is one of the best. As a teenager she was rescued from a horrific situation by an army ranger who then adopted Abby and trained her to take care of herself in every deadly way imaginable. Abby’s put those skills to use working for Noelle. I do so love a lethal woman, only when she’s killing bad guys, of course! On assignment Abby comes across a group of girls held captive and set to be auctioned off as sex slaves. The only way to gain access to their location is to blow her cover, and allow herself to be captured.
When Noelle realizes Abby’s been captured she enlists the help of Jim Morgan and his impressive team of mercenaries. As second-in-command to Morgan, Kane takes point and when they rescue a bruised and battered Abby, Kane can’t help the protective urges or the attraction she stirs up in him. It is evident Abby’s tough and guarded, but Kane yearns for her trust and confidence. Will she let him in?
While the subject matter of sex slavery trafficking and Abby’s past made parts of this book difficult to read, the majority was thrilling, fast paced, and sexy as heck! Kane teaches Abby to let someone in and let go, and Abby is the first woman Kane has cared in many years (yes, there is a tragic story there).
What I love about this type of romantic suspense is the fact there’s no languishing in angst or melodrama. There’s no time when you have much more important things to worry about, like rescuing teenagers from being sold into sexual slavery or possibly getting shot!
Midnight Rescue had a thrilling end with some loose romantic ends left open for Trevor and Isabel, but I have to wait until book three for their romance! Dang it. Luke, the sexy Cajun better deliver is all I have to say because his romance is next.
A copy was kindly provided by Signet Eclipse in exchange for an honest review.
August 18, 2016
AAAAAAAAAND SHE'S DONE IT AGAIN!!!!!!! So here we have another Elle Kennedy book that I think was hella fantastic.
Don't get me wrong, this wasn't without its flaws (eyes were described in super vivid detail far too frequently, "dark-skinned" was used, the "bad guys" and "victims" were all POC). I'm really prickly about these things, I'm always going to notice them, and I doubt I will ever find a book that I don't find problematic. Perhaps I'm getting desensitized - or I'm coming to accept the fact that everything annoys me - but I find myself more able to look beyond these things.
Much like The Outlaws Series, Midnight Rescue has strong women and bad ass dudes. In this case, we have a little "gender-role"-reversal with Kane being tender, and Abby being emotionally closed-off. If you found The Outlaws Series to be a little too sexual or outside your comfort zone, I found that Midnight Rescue was a little more "conventional" (I'm using that term loosely).
The story is action-packed. I'm not a mercenary or assassin, but if I was I'd probably be pissed off that Elle Kennedy is revealing all our tricks of the trade. Basically, this felt very well-researched, and well-developed. I felt that the execution was believable. I enjoyed that the story was told in the third-person with abrupt transitions to different perspectives, I was constantly wanting more, AND I GOT MORE. I found that I enjoyed each "perspective" equally, which is a rare feat.
Although Abby and Kane's relationship is significant, plenty of other characters were important to the story and they were equally well-crafted. They didn't feel like background noise, do you get what I mean?
This wasn't a light-hearted read by any means, but neither was it completely dark. I want to call this a "dim-read", and I'm not using the word dim with the connotation that this was dumb, I'm trying to convey that this falls in the middle-ground of being neither light-hearted nor dark. Am I failing miserably? Probably. Give me an A for effort. The fact that this falls in the middle-ground is something I am really happy about, because it gives me substance and action without all the emotional attachment that comes with reading a super-heavy book, like I do not have the energy to be emotionally moved by a book right now ok.
Anyway, I'm excited to see how the rest of the books in this series pan out. If I had to describe this book I'd say it's like a muted (/less intense) version of Nenia Campbell's The IMA Series and Greg Iles' Turning Angel. Just to reiterate: YOU SHOULD GIVE THIS BOOK A WHIRL IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT ME AT ALL.
Don't get me wrong, this wasn't without its flaws (eyes were described in super vivid detail far too frequently, "dark-skinned" was used, the "bad guys" and "victims" were all POC). I'm really prickly about these things, I'm always going to notice them, and I doubt I will ever find a book that I don't find problematic. Perhaps I'm getting desensitized - or I'm coming to accept the fact that everything annoys me - but I find myself more able to look beyond these things.
Much like The Outlaws Series, Midnight Rescue has strong women and bad ass dudes. In this case, we have a little "gender-role"-reversal with Kane being tender, and Abby being emotionally closed-off. If you found The Outlaws Series to be a little too sexual or outside your comfort zone, I found that Midnight Rescue was a little more "conventional" (I'm using that term loosely).
The story is action-packed. I'm not a mercenary or assassin, but if I was I'd probably be pissed off that Elle Kennedy is revealing all our tricks of the trade. Basically, this felt very well-researched, and well-developed. I felt that the execution was believable. I enjoyed that the story was told in the third-person with abrupt transitions to different perspectives, I was constantly wanting more, AND I GOT MORE. I found that I enjoyed each "perspective" equally, which is a rare feat.
Although Abby and Kane's relationship is significant, plenty of other characters were important to the story and they were equally well-crafted. They didn't feel like background noise, do you get what I mean?
This wasn't a light-hearted read by any means, but neither was it completely dark. I want to call this a "dim-read", and I'm not using the word dim with the connotation that this was dumb, I'm trying to convey that this falls in the middle-ground of being neither light-hearted nor dark. Am I failing miserably? Probably. Give me an A for effort. The fact that this falls in the middle-ground is something I am really happy about, because it gives me substance and action without all the emotional attachment that comes with reading a super-heavy book, like I do not have the energy to be emotionally moved by a book right now ok.
Anyway, I'm excited to see how the rest of the books in this series pan out. If I had to describe this book I'd say it's like a muted (/less intense) version of Nenia Campbell's The IMA Series and Greg Iles' Turning Angel. Just to reiterate: YOU SHOULD GIVE THIS BOOK A WHIRL IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT ME AT ALL.
June 17, 2015
RATING: 4 Hearts!!! <3 :D
There is no better proof for readers that an author has exceptional writing skills than said author showing versatile dexterity in various genres. Elle Kennedy is one such author – excelling not only in New Adult with her Off-Campus series, but also in romantic suspense with Midnight Rescue, a gripping start to the Killer Instincts series.
Midnight Rescue reaches out and grabs hold from the very first page, thrusting us into a dark and gritty world where mercenaries and assassins tangle in high stakes games, the whizzing of bullets and flicking of knives is routine, and torture, child abuse, and child sex trafficking merely breach the surface of an edgy and thrilling storyline. And yet, even with the lethal action, this tale is made dynamic and light with sizzling passion and a heartfelt love story.
Abby is one of Noelle’s Chameleons, an assassin, scarred by a horrific past. As deadly and badass are her skills, and admirable her selflessness and loyalty to rescue a group of girls from being sold as sex slaves, Abby initially, albeit understandably, is cold, ruthless, and distrusting of everyone. As the story progresses however, we are delighted with her development as a solid heroine and her emotional healing, the latter due in part to her desire for Kane. Kane is not as complex a character as Abby even with his own tragic past, yet nonetheless, his protective urges, caring attitude, attraction for Abby, and off-the-charts sex appeal make him a likable and strong hero; his vulnerability not at all a deterrent, rather honing him to be every bit as lethal as Abby.
The two of them together are all kinds of sexy, their relationship steadily progressing with scorching chemistry and touching emotions as Kane teaches Abby to feel and Abby learns to trust. As their relationship grows and the suspense unfolds, we’re also introduced to the other members of Kane’s team (Jim Morgan’s mercenaries) and Noelle’s assassins – Jim, Trevor, Ethan, D, Luke, Holden, and Isabel – characters we’re anxious to learn more about in future books, especially after the intertwined plot threads we get of some of them in this.
Overall, Midnight Rescue is a fast-paced (though a bit too fast with the ending, romance wise), heart-pounding read from start to finish, the romance and suspense wonderfully balanced as a result of Kennedy’s skillful writing. After this enjoyment, I cannot wait to binge through this series!
Posted: June 16, 2015
July 8, 2015
I think that I would love to see this book and the rest of the Killer Instincts series as a TV series. The international settings, the handsome and brawny men, the beautiful women... I can just imagine Jim Morgan's crew - D, Trevor, Ethan, Kane, Luke, swaggering around their safe house (think very large estate). These are ex-military off-the-grid lethal warriors - professionals. And Noelle's crew of female operatives - beautiful, efficient, and deadly. The teams work together when one of Noelle's operatives is held by a Colombian drug lord.
Midnight Rescue takes place in Colombia and Mexico and the teams must work together to break up a human trafficking ring. It's an action-packed, thrill a minute read. Not only will the action keep you on your toes, the romance is swoon-worthy. Kane and Abby are a wonderful couple and while the attraction is immediate, it takes time to develop into a romantic relationship. And whoa, these two have chemistry.
While I loved the lead couple Abby and Kane, Abby struck me as a little too impulsive for a trained assassin.
This is an addictive series. I'm off to read the next book in the series Midnight Alias.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for a review copy of this book.
Midnight Rescue takes place in Colombia and Mexico and the teams must work together to break up a human trafficking ring. It's an action-packed, thrill a minute read. Not only will the action keep you on your toes, the romance is swoon-worthy. Kane and Abby are a wonderful couple and while the attraction is immediate, it takes time to develop into a romantic relationship. And whoa, these two have chemistry.
While I loved the lead couple Abby and Kane, Abby struck me as a little too impulsive for a trained assassin.
This is an addictive series. I'm off to read the next book in the series Midnight Alias.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for a review copy of this book.
May 1, 2017
Midnight Rescue
3 Stars
Rescued from an abusive foster home and raised by an Army Ranger, Abby Sinclair is a ruthless killer with only one rule: Trust no one. But when her assignment in Columbia goes wrong, Abby must put her faith in the team of mercenaries sent in to rescue her. One in particular, Kane Woodland, a former Navy SEAL, forces the beautiful assassin to re-evaluate her priorities, and take the chance that working with others may just be the only way to save herself as well as the girls kidnapped by a sex slaver.
While the story is well-written, the plot action packed and the secondary characters very intriguing, these cannot really compensate for the cold and unlikable heroine and the colorless beta hero.
The author goes out of her way to present Abby as a cold, clinical and unemotional killer incapable of feeling true affection for anyone. Consequently, it is difficult to believe that such a woman would meet a man, feel instant lust and melt into a puddle of undying love at his feet (which is more or less exactly what happens). Moreover, for a trained and skilled operative, Abby makes some really idiotic TSTL decisions.
Kane's hero status is questionable. Yes, he meets all of the physical requirements - tall, muscular, gorgeous and former special forces to boot. However, these do not a hero make, and Kane is under the misconception that helping (i.e., forcing) Abby into sexual situations will "cure" her reluctance and difficulty bonding - not cool!
The secondary characters are much more appealing, especially Trevor and Isabel who have excellent chemistry as well as Jim and Noelle whose past history is very intriguing. The rescue mission storyline is suspenseful with some truly evil villains, and the climax and resolution are gripping.
In sum, the romance requires too much suspension of disbelief and the primary couple are not my cup of tea. Nevertheless, the hints at couples and stories to come are compelling enough to continue with the series.
3 Stars
Rescued from an abusive foster home and raised by an Army Ranger, Abby Sinclair is a ruthless killer with only one rule: Trust no one. But when her assignment in Columbia goes wrong, Abby must put her faith in the team of mercenaries sent in to rescue her. One in particular, Kane Woodland, a former Navy SEAL, forces the beautiful assassin to re-evaluate her priorities, and take the chance that working with others may just be the only way to save herself as well as the girls kidnapped by a sex slaver.
While the story is well-written, the plot action packed and the secondary characters very intriguing, these cannot really compensate for the cold and unlikable heroine and the colorless beta hero.
The author goes out of her way to present Abby as a cold, clinical and unemotional killer incapable of feeling true affection for anyone. Consequently, it is difficult to believe that such a woman would meet a man, feel instant lust and melt into a puddle of undying love at his feet (which is more or less exactly what happens). Moreover, for a trained and skilled operative, Abby makes some really idiotic TSTL decisions.
Kane's hero status is questionable. Yes, he meets all of the physical requirements - tall, muscular, gorgeous and former special forces to boot. However, these do not a hero make, and Kane is under the misconception that helping (i.e., forcing) Abby into sexual situations will "cure" her reluctance and difficulty bonding - not cool!
The secondary characters are much more appealing, especially Trevor and Isabel who have excellent chemistry as well as Jim and Noelle whose past history is very intriguing. The rescue mission storyline is suspenseful with some truly evil villains, and the climax and resolution are gripping.
In sum, the romance requires too much suspension of disbelief and the primary couple are not my cup of tea. Nevertheless, the hints at couples and stories to come are compelling enough to continue with the series.
August 12, 2012
Did not care for the Abby's character at all. She was too everything. The entire group of "elite" female assassins seemed hokey to me. Abby's character got on my last nerve and it was a struggle for me to finish this book, but I did. Slowly.
Felt a lot of potential, but really had to suspend belief (too much) for this one to work. Abby made my too stupid to live shelf. Pronto. Then preceded to ring that bell several times throughout the book. She was an IDIOT. How was she going to go swimming with a broken wrist? There were so many things that bothered me that the entire book became silly.
She took the calls? Really? So much for being a trained operative. She was going to rescue the girls in her condition? What an idiot! Can't even type that without chuckling.
This did not work for me.
1 1/2 stars from This Reader.
Felt a lot of potential, but really had to suspend belief (too much) for this one to work. Abby made my too stupid to live shelf. Pronto. Then preceded to ring that bell several times throughout the book. She was an IDIOT. How was she going to go swimming with a broken wrist? There were so many things that bothered me that the entire book became silly.
She took the calls? Really? So much for being a trained operative. She was going to rescue the girls in her condition? What an idiot! Can't even type that without chuckling.
This did not work for me.
1 1/2 stars from This Reader.
October 9, 2013
A major disappointment. I was looking forward to this new series with former special forces heros, but too much is too much.
The whole series relies on a fatal attraction between one after the other men belonging to Jim Morgan's operations with one after the other women belonging to Noelle's operations. I already know (and knew it as soon as I met Noelle) that by the end of the series those two operations will be merged and each and every one happily paired. And the ending is not even written or at least published yet.
Second thing that also brought out quickly my exasperation: all characters for which we have been provided a glimpse into their past had a few absolutely traumatic experiences. Try that, among 5 that we learnt something about, there was already 2 suicides that the left person felt guilty about, a cancer death, 2 histories of sexual assault during childhood, an accidental murder of a spouse, a family mob environment leading to death or imprisonment of family members, a history of prostituting oneself repeatedly and systematically. Yes that makes more than 1 huge trauma per person, and I'm sure we do not know everything there is to know about the 3 that were only supporting and not lead characters in this opus.
In any case, I like special forces characters, but only when I get to see them as human beings and not merely as cold blood-letting and bad guys killing machines. Moreover the story accumulated over the top anecdotes or abilities that only reinforced that feeling. The heroine, especially, fell perfectly into this category and I really had trouble to like her. Her change of heart and salvation did not seem real to me at all. The hero was extremely one dimensional and more of a recruiting poster than a portrait of a real person.
Last thing (there might be others but I'll stop my ranting there) about one third of the book is a premise for the next one, as if the two characters chosen for lead in this one did not deserve a full attention and a complete book. I might agree with that unfortunately.
1.5 stars downgraded to 1 to make up for the over-inflated rating.
I already have the next book that I'll probably read as it finishes the story of the secondary couple who was slightly nicer. But I have huge doubts regarding my willingness to procure and read the followings.
The whole series relies on a fatal attraction between one after the other men belonging to Jim Morgan's operations with one after the other women belonging to Noelle's operations. I already know (and knew it as soon as I met Noelle) that by the end of the series those two operations will be merged and each and every one happily paired. And the ending is not even written or at least published yet.
Second thing that also brought out quickly my exasperation: all characters for which we have been provided a glimpse into their past had a few absolutely traumatic experiences. Try that, among 5 that we learnt something about, there was already 2 suicides that the left person felt guilty about, a cancer death, 2 histories of sexual assault during childhood, an accidental murder of a spouse, a family mob environment leading to death or imprisonment of family members, a history of prostituting oneself repeatedly and systematically. Yes that makes more than 1 huge trauma per person, and I'm sure we do not know everything there is to know about the 3 that were only supporting and not lead characters in this opus.
In any case, I like special forces characters, but only when I get to see them as human beings and not merely as cold blood-letting and bad guys killing machines. Moreover the story accumulated over the top anecdotes or abilities that only reinforced that feeling. The heroine, especially, fell perfectly into this category and I really had trouble to like her. Her change of heart and salvation did not seem real to me at all. The hero was extremely one dimensional and more of a recruiting poster than a portrait of a real person.
Last thing (there might be others but I'll stop my ranting there) about one third of the book is a premise for the next one, as if the two characters chosen for lead in this one did not deserve a full attention and a complete book. I might agree with that unfortunately.
1.5 stars downgraded to 1 to make up for the over-inflated rating.
I already have the next book that I'll probably read as it finishes the story of the secondary couple who was slightly nicer. But I have huge doubts regarding my willingness to procure and read the followings.
February 28, 2016
4 All-round baddassery stars
I’ve been meaning to dive into this series for a while now, and I’m so excited I’ve finally made a start! Featuring strong, alpha heroes, strong, equally badass heroines, a bit of drama, a bit of humour, some suspense and heaps of action, this book had me hooked from start to finish and I loved it.
After a horrific upbringing, Abby was adopted by a neighbour when she was a teenager - a neighbour who just happened to be a badass military man and who taught her self-defence and set her on the path to becoming a highly skilled assassin. Now she’s all grown up, a ruthless killer who trusts no-one and only gets up close and personal if it’s for a job – using sex as a weapon and never letting anybody close. Abby has been deep undercover on a mission in Columbia, and it’s all just gone horribly wrong. She is supposed to be bringing down a dangerous arms dealer who runs a sexual slavery ring, but in order to save a group of young girls she blows her cover and ends up being taken captive.
And then along comes Jim Morgan and his team of badasses, who are brought in by Abby’s employer, Noelle, to go in and get her out. But her rescue is only the start of this story - ex-SEAL, Kane, is the man who pulls Abby out of her imprisonment, and he’s the one she begs to go back with her to save the girls who remain trapped. It’s a dangerous mission with little chance of everybody coming out of it alive, but reluctantly Kane agrees to help her, and the team soon rallies behind them and then it’s all happening!
And then, of course, there’s the romance. From the very beginning there is a spark between Abby and Kane. He is shameless in his smutty flirting, and though Abby may think she wants nothing to do with the sexy badass, her body has different ideas. But there are issues to overcome – they’ve both had difficult pasts and are wary of becoming involved, but Kane is willing to follow his heart (as well as other body parts) and is determined to get through Abby, and I loved watching him coax her into opening up to him.
I really enjoyed Abby and Kane together. You can see the issues there, but you can also see them both desperate to build something together and the love story is a nice blend of emotional development and smokin’ hot sexy time. But can they deal with the possibility of a relationship after all that they have been through, and when factoring in the realities of their jobs? And how will their new-found closeness impact them in the field when they, and their friends, are facing danger and possible death?
I really enjoyed this book. Abby and Kane are great characters, their story is well told, and though there are some twists and turns along the way, I really liked the way it all played out. The storyline is fast moving, exciting and reads like an action movie, and the book is written in multiple POV, so we get a good introduction to some of the members of Morgan and Noelle’s teams, and the set-up is there for some fantastic books coming up! The dynamics between certain characters are established really well , and with the UST already simmering nicely, I can’t wait to see where the series is going to go!
I loved it – 4 stars.
I’ve been meaning to dive into this series for a while now, and I’m so excited I’ve finally made a start! Featuring strong, alpha heroes, strong, equally badass heroines, a bit of drama, a bit of humour, some suspense and heaps of action, this book had me hooked from start to finish and I loved it.
After a horrific upbringing, Abby was adopted by a neighbour when she was a teenager - a neighbour who just happened to be a badass military man and who taught her self-defence and set her on the path to becoming a highly skilled assassin. Now she’s all grown up, a ruthless killer who trusts no-one and only gets up close and personal if it’s for a job – using sex as a weapon and never letting anybody close. Abby has been deep undercover on a mission in Columbia, and it’s all just gone horribly wrong. She is supposed to be bringing down a dangerous arms dealer who runs a sexual slavery ring, but in order to save a group of young girls she blows her cover and ends up being taken captive.
And then along comes Jim Morgan and his team of badasses, who are brought in by Abby’s employer, Noelle, to go in and get her out. But her rescue is only the start of this story - ex-SEAL, Kane, is the man who pulls Abby out of her imprisonment, and he’s the one she begs to go back with her to save the girls who remain trapped. It’s a dangerous mission with little chance of everybody coming out of it alive, but reluctantly Kane agrees to help her, and the team soon rallies behind them and then it’s all happening!
And then, of course, there’s the romance. From the very beginning there is a spark between Abby and Kane. He is shameless in his smutty flirting, and though Abby may think she wants nothing to do with the sexy badass, her body has different ideas. But there are issues to overcome – they’ve both had difficult pasts and are wary of becoming involved, but Kane is willing to follow his heart (as well as other body parts) and is determined to get through Abby, and I loved watching him coax her into opening up to him.
“It makes you feel powerless, doesn’t it? You want me, you can’t fight it, and it makes you crazy.”
… “Maybe I just don’t treat sex as casually as you do.”
“Oh no, it’s all about control.” He dipped his head so that his breath tickled the bridge of her nose.
She didn’t know where he was going with this, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to. “Kane.”
“Control can be a very good thing to have, but sometimes you need to let go. Why don’t we try to see if you can let go, Abby?”
…
“I won’t hurt you,” he said quietly. “For once in your life, lower your guard and let yourself feel something, damn it.”
I really enjoyed Abby and Kane together. You can see the issues there, but you can also see them both desperate to build something together and the love story is a nice blend of emotional development and smokin’ hot sexy time. But can they deal with the possibility of a relationship after all that they have been through, and when factoring in the realities of their jobs? And how will their new-found closeness impact them in the field when they, and their friends, are facing danger and possible death?
I really enjoyed this book. Abby and Kane are great characters, their story is well told, and though there are some twists and turns along the way, I really liked the way it all played out. The storyline is fast moving, exciting and reads like an action movie, and the book is written in multiple POV, so we get a good introduction to some of the members of Morgan and Noelle’s teams, and the set-up is there for some fantastic books coming up! The dynamics between certain characters are established really well , and with the UST already simmering nicely, I can’t wait to see where the series is going to go!
I loved it – 4 stars.
October 6, 2016
★★★½
Midnight Rescue was an emotional, sexy, and action-filled romantic suspense novel. It features two couples, one more primary than the other, but I felt thoroughly engaged/invested in both. I am really enjoying this author because she doesn't just write sex without story. In this book, although there are moments of heavy romance, the story is the focal point and I liked it that way. Actually, I wished there was even less romance but that's not necessarily a criticism. Themes of substance include recovering from sexual abuse, the human trafficking trade, and the wonderful ability that women possess to be completely badass. I always love books about women who can kill with the best of them ;)
My favorite quote:
"If there's one thing I've learned in my life, it's that shitty things happen. You can't always stop them. They just happen. And yeah, you can let them destroy you, but what's the point? Might as well learn to deal with all those shitty things and move on."
Elle Kennedy's Killer Instincts series includes the following installments as of October 2016:
#1-Midnight Rescue
#2-Midnight Alias
#3-Midnight Games
#4-Midnight Pursuits
#4.5-After Midnight
#5-Midnight Action
#6-Midnight Captive
#7-Midnight Revenge
#8-Midnight Target
Midnight Rescue was an emotional, sexy, and action-filled romantic suspense novel. It features two couples, one more primary than the other, but I felt thoroughly engaged/invested in both. I am really enjoying this author because she doesn't just write sex without story. In this book, although there are moments of heavy romance, the story is the focal point and I liked it that way. Actually, I wished there was even less romance but that's not necessarily a criticism. Themes of substance include recovering from sexual abuse, the human trafficking trade, and the wonderful ability that women possess to be completely badass. I always love books about women who can kill with the best of them ;)
My favorite quote:
"If there's one thing I've learned in my life, it's that shitty things happen. You can't always stop them. They just happen. And yeah, you can let them destroy you, but what's the point? Might as well learn to deal with all those shitty things and move on."
Elle Kennedy's Killer Instincts series includes the following installments as of October 2016:
#1-Midnight Rescue
#2-Midnight Alias
#3-Midnight Games
#4-Midnight Pursuits
#4.5-After Midnight
#5-Midnight Action
#6-Midnight Captive
#7-Midnight Revenge
#8-Midnight Target
June 13, 2012
I found this to be a promising start to a new military series, the premise is really good, a bunch of kick-ass female assassins run by Noelle, drop-dead gorgeous and totally cool and a bunch of mercs(all former military), run by filthy rich Jim Morgan, their team specializes in extraction.
The characters are all very interesting and the book moved really fast. Morgan's team is hired by Noelle to extract one of her own Abby. Morgan and Noelle don't seem to like each other but when Morgan hears that it is Jeremy's kid in danger he agrees to extract her.
The main story is about Abby and Kane. Kane is a former Navy SEAL who joined Morgan's team eight years ago, the pay was good with less strictures and now he enjoys the life and the bunch of people he works with.
The team...
Holden- The married tech guy.
Luke- the woman loving, laid-back Cajun
Derek "D" Pratt- the really scary dude, with a possible abused past as Abby.
Sullivan- The Australian guy who falls in and out of love easily.
Ethan- the youngest team member, ex-Marine, considers Morgan a father and really innocent.
Trevor- the team member with a death wish, grieving the loss of his fiancee who died a year before.
Sam- their pilot
Lloyd- the housekeeper and former Mob enforcer
Jim Morgan- the mysterious boss who is searching for someone..
When the book starts the heroine Abby is being tortured by her captors and though she may be in pain, she is not out and has an escape plan ready but somehow is not making use of, the same way she didn't assassinate her mark she could have easily killed.
Kane and his team rescue her when Abby has just ripped off a man eyeball, the reason he was trying to rape her and rape is something Abby will never submit to again, in her trade sex is a weapon she uses when she needs to, but she doesn't enjoy it or like it. For her sex is tainted and she never feels a thing.
She isn't happy about being rescued and makes that very clear, she blew her cover for a reason. Kane and his team don't understand her and follow orders and bring her to their compound. Abby is a true survivor and warrior and emotionally barricaded, she cannot trust people, she trusted two people in her life, Jeremy, her savior and adoptive father who taught her how to protect herself and her prostitute mother who let a seven year old Abby be raped by her boyfriend and didn't believe her daughter. Abby truly has a horrific past, betrayed by her mother and then the system, until at the age of 15 Jeremy saved her from her abusive foster father.
She has a hard time letting anyone in and plays things close to her chest but she has to tell her boss why she screwed up the mission. She did it to save a dozen teenagers who were to be sold as sex slaves and that is something Abby won't abide by, but her boss tells her she will think about it, so even though Abby is loath to do it she asks Kane for his help.
Kane ropes in his team, but not everyone is happy especially not D, who doesn't trust Abby, both of them recognize the damage in each other.
This book doesn't feature a sweet sugary romance and I didn't expect it to, Abby is a warrior, damaged and she doesn't understand what normal is and Kane doesn't want to settle down, but he still manages to show Abby a different part of herself, one that can let go of control and enjoy her sexuality. We don't get a quick fix to her trust issues, she doesn't tell Kane things sometimes like why she talks to that psychopath Devlin whose eye she ripped out, which annoys him but a lifetime of habits are hard to break. She opens up to him slowly and so does he by telling her about his high-school sweet-heart Emily and her insecurities and how Emily killed herself and his chances of being with someone. And the moment when she reflects back on her past and the things she had done for her mission and feels dirty, how Kane shows that she is beautiful, was also something I really liked.
To me the book was about team. Noelle's team of assassins are referred to Bailey, Paige, Juliet, Isabel. We only meet Isabel who joins the team and goes undercover with Trevor as a buyer. Isabel is former FBI and a mafia princess and a pro at disguises and she intrigued me and I am sure we will get to see her and Trevor together, after all by the end of the book she had made Trevor see that death wasn't what he wanted.
This is a terrific military romance novel and I really loved that even at the end Abby was kick-ass when spilling her guts and feelings to Kane. The next book can't come soon enough for me.
The characters are all very interesting and the book moved really fast. Morgan's team is hired by Noelle to extract one of her own Abby. Morgan and Noelle don't seem to like each other but when Morgan hears that it is Jeremy's kid in danger he agrees to extract her.
The main story is about Abby and Kane. Kane is a former Navy SEAL who joined Morgan's team eight years ago, the pay was good with less strictures and now he enjoys the life and the bunch of people he works with.
The team...
Holden- The married tech guy.
Luke- the woman loving, laid-back Cajun
Derek "D" Pratt- the really scary dude, with a possible abused past as Abby.
Sullivan- The Australian guy who falls in and out of love easily.
Ethan- the youngest team member, ex-Marine, considers Morgan a father and really innocent.
Trevor- the team member with a death wish, grieving the loss of his fiancee who died a year before.
Sam- their pilot
Lloyd- the housekeeper and former Mob enforcer
Jim Morgan- the mysterious boss who is searching for someone..
When the book starts the heroine Abby is being tortured by her captors and though she may be in pain, she is not out and has an escape plan ready but somehow is not making use of, the same way she didn't assassinate her mark she could have easily killed.
Kane and his team rescue her when Abby has just ripped off a man eyeball, the reason he was trying to rape her and rape is something Abby will never submit to again, in her trade sex is a weapon she uses when she needs to, but she doesn't enjoy it or like it. For her sex is tainted and she never feels a thing.
She isn't happy about being rescued and makes that very clear, she blew her cover for a reason. Kane and his team don't understand her and follow orders and bring her to their compound. Abby is a true survivor and warrior and emotionally barricaded, she cannot trust people, she trusted two people in her life, Jeremy, her savior and adoptive father who taught her how to protect herself and her prostitute mother who let a seven year old Abby be raped by her boyfriend and didn't believe her daughter. Abby truly has a horrific past, betrayed by her mother and then the system, until at the age of 15 Jeremy saved her from her abusive foster father.
She has a hard time letting anyone in and plays things close to her chest but she has to tell her boss why she screwed up the mission. She did it to save a dozen teenagers who were to be sold as sex slaves and that is something Abby won't abide by, but her boss tells her she will think about it, so even though Abby is loath to do it she asks Kane for his help.
Kane ropes in his team, but not everyone is happy especially not D, who doesn't trust Abby, both of them recognize the damage in each other.
This book doesn't feature a sweet sugary romance and I didn't expect it to, Abby is a warrior, damaged and she doesn't understand what normal is and Kane doesn't want to settle down, but he still manages to show Abby a different part of herself, one that can let go of control and enjoy her sexuality. We don't get a quick fix to her trust issues, she doesn't tell Kane things sometimes like why she talks to that psychopath Devlin whose eye she ripped out, which annoys him but a lifetime of habits are hard to break. She opens up to him slowly and so does he by telling her about his high-school sweet-heart Emily and her insecurities and how Emily killed herself and his chances of being with someone. And the moment when she reflects back on her past and the things she had done for her mission and feels dirty, how Kane shows that she is beautiful, was also something I really liked.
To me the book was about team. Noelle's team of assassins are referred to Bailey, Paige, Juliet, Isabel. We only meet Isabel who joins the team and goes undercover with Trevor as a buyer. Isabel is former FBI and a mafia princess and a pro at disguises and she intrigued me and I am sure we will get to see her and Trevor together, after all by the end of the book she had made Trevor see that death wasn't what he wanted.
This is a terrific military romance novel and I really loved that even at the end Abby was kick-ass when spilling her guts and feelings to Kane. The next book can't come soon enough for me.
January 28, 2013
This is an extremely rape- and child sexual abuse- heavy book. I found it extremely difficult to read as the book continually dwells on and brings up the most traumatic events in every characters' life.
I found it very difficult to be open to any romance/sexual interest between the hero and the heroine as it is very literally sandwiched between more revelations of childhood SA and ongoing emotional torture by the main villain. I just can't get into that. It quite literally made me queasy.
The "hero" and I use quotes here for a reason, doesn't seem to realize that forcing kisses on an unwilling woman is still sexual assault. Good job asshole!
After all this, my final annoyance with this book is the repeated introduction of the same character and his nickname several times. I'm not an idiot, and worse, there is no actual reason for me to care what Derek, aka D's, full name is. At all. It is also not a hard nickname to remember. At all.
After my previous issues with this book, the final point seems a bit frivolous, but I think it speaks to an overall weakness in technical skill. The action scenes are well choreographed, but I still think that there is a sensitivity that is lacking in this book.
Too much titillation, not enough heart.
I found it very difficult to be open to any romance/sexual interest between the hero and the heroine as it is very literally sandwiched between more revelations of childhood SA and ongoing emotional torture by the main villain. I just can't get into that. It quite literally made me queasy.
The "hero" and I use quotes here for a reason, doesn't seem to realize that forcing kisses on an unwilling woman is still sexual assault. Good job asshole!
After all this, my final annoyance with this book is the repeated introduction of the same character and his nickname several times. I'm not an idiot, and worse, there is no actual reason for me to care what Derek, aka D's, full name is. At all. It is also not a hard nickname to remember. At all.
After my previous issues with this book, the final point seems a bit frivolous, but I think it speaks to an overall weakness in technical skill. The action scenes are well choreographed, but I still think that there is a sensitivity that is lacking in this book.
Too much titillation, not enough heart.
April 24, 2015
Fancy a little romantic suspense? Adore ex military types who are all protective? Then this new to me series will be a must read as Ms Kennedy starts with a bang and keeps the tension and pace right until the end . Add in top notch female ( yes female!) assassins and this author seems to have hit on a winning formula as who doesn't love seeing those big butch guys taken down a peg or two but the fairer sex?
Abby is our heroine and as the story starts she's in deep undercover on a mission but has plans of her own. Her boss has no idea just what's going on and pulls a few strings to get Morgan to send his team in and perform an extraction. Abby is dreadfully wounded and should be grateful but that's the last thing she feels! Abby kicks off and demands to go back because she's uncovered a plot to sell children as sex slaves and there's no way she will ever turn her back on that kind of depravity.
Kane is Morgans right hand man and even though Abby is badly beaten he still finds her very attractive. He senses the barriers she has in place and as he tries to get to know more about her Kane reluctantly agrees to help her save the girls. Abby is a stone cold killer and her past has made her stay detached from everyone but she really feels the need to rescue the kidnapped girls . Unfortunately with her injuries it looks as if she just might have to trust Kane and his badass boys to save the day. Plans are made but Abby is about to do something that could compromise the mission putting them all in even greater danger!
If you enjoy lots of action coupled with moments of relationship building then this book will no doubt tick a lot of boxes. I've previously enjoyed Black Ops type books and enjoy the kind of bond that these military types share with the mixture of teasing and yet at the same time a deep sense of loyalty. What was really interesting here is that we are treated to two sets of heroes to cheer for. On one hand the team that Morgan has built with it's tough males that you just know have faced heartache and then on the other side the female assassins who work for Noelle and it's very intruiging trying to discover just why they have been drawn to this particular type of work. In this story, although it's essentially all about the romance brewing between Abby and Kane we see an awful lot of Isabel and her undercover stunt with Trevor that really allows the plot to develop and I'm quite keen to learn more about them both. That being said the introduction of Noelle and the obvious animosity between her and Morgan clearly needs to be addressed as well and I suspect it's going to be a bumpy ride for all concerned. Sparks definitely fly there!
So in conclusion there's lots going on with action aplenty. A romance that sees the hero Kane giving Abby exactly what she needs even if she doesn't realise it! I loved that Kane didn't want to rush things but was prepared to just give Abby time but she's not perfect and makes mistakes. Yes she's kick ass and the sexual tension needed addressing but luckily it wasn't at the expense of a good story. This is my first book by this author but most definitely not my last!
I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review
Abby is our heroine and as the story starts she's in deep undercover on a mission but has plans of her own. Her boss has no idea just what's going on and pulls a few strings to get Morgan to send his team in and perform an extraction. Abby is dreadfully wounded and should be grateful but that's the last thing she feels! Abby kicks off and demands to go back because she's uncovered a plot to sell children as sex slaves and there's no way she will ever turn her back on that kind of depravity.
Kane is Morgans right hand man and even though Abby is badly beaten he still finds her very attractive. He senses the barriers she has in place and as he tries to get to know more about her Kane reluctantly agrees to help her save the girls. Abby is a stone cold killer and her past has made her stay detached from everyone but she really feels the need to rescue the kidnapped girls . Unfortunately with her injuries it looks as if she just might have to trust Kane and his badass boys to save the day. Plans are made but Abby is about to do something that could compromise the mission putting them all in even greater danger!
If you enjoy lots of action coupled with moments of relationship building then this book will no doubt tick a lot of boxes. I've previously enjoyed Black Ops type books and enjoy the kind of bond that these military types share with the mixture of teasing and yet at the same time a deep sense of loyalty. What was really interesting here is that we are treated to two sets of heroes to cheer for. On one hand the team that Morgan has built with it's tough males that you just know have faced heartache and then on the other side the female assassins who work for Noelle and it's very intruiging trying to discover just why they have been drawn to this particular type of work. In this story, although it's essentially all about the romance brewing between Abby and Kane we see an awful lot of Isabel and her undercover stunt with Trevor that really allows the plot to develop and I'm quite keen to learn more about them both. That being said the introduction of Noelle and the obvious animosity between her and Morgan clearly needs to be addressed as well and I suspect it's going to be a bumpy ride for all concerned. Sparks definitely fly there!
So in conclusion there's lots going on with action aplenty. A romance that sees the hero Kane giving Abby exactly what she needs even if she doesn't realise it! I loved that Kane didn't want to rush things but was prepared to just give Abby time but she's not perfect and makes mistakes. Yes she's kick ass and the sexual tension needed addressing but luckily it wasn't at the expense of a good story. This is my first book by this author but most definitely not my last!
I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review
April 25, 2016
3.5 stars.
This story was a typical romantic suspense but with a set of lady special op agents to go with the trained men.
Abby Sinclair was a member of Noelle’s chameleons. A team of female operatives trained to do deep undercover for some years to take down criminal enterprise all over the world. In this story, Abby was deep undercover to take out a Columbian arms and drug dealer named Blanco, but will on duty, she got sidetracked by a personal mission. She unsuccessfully attempted to free other captives being held by the Columbian criminal and was in danger of having her cover blown. So her team leader Noelle, was forced to hire an extraction team had to do an unexpected withdrawal of Abby from the cage where she was imprisoned.
Noelle went to an extraction specialist group lead by Jim Morgan. Kane Woodland was part of the Jim Morgan’s extraction team and he was the one who rescued Abby. While nursing her to health, Kane immediately drawn to Abby’s strength. When Abby regained consciousness, she asks Kane to help her return to Columbia and finish what she started, Kane agrees to help her if she stands down and lets him handle it. Abby had become an obsession for
Blanco’s sadistic clean-up man, Devlin. Devlin had traced Abby back to the states, and was bent on reacquiring his “chew toy”.
Abby, Kane and their respective teams began working together to defeat Blanco and destroy his criminal empire. Abby and Kane also began exploring their physical attraction and that lead to the opening of some past wounds. A subplot saw Abby’s teammate Isabel working together with Kane’s teammate Trevor Woodland. So there was a main couple and a secondary one. I actually found Isabel and Trevor more compelling because they were working some variables that made their partnership less predictable. I hope the next book focuses on them.
I found the story moved a good pace and was interesting. It just felt like a topic explored over and over again in this genre. This story may have triggers for some as it includes discussion on kidnapping, abuse, on child sex abuse, sexual slavery and trafficking.
Special thanks to Tantor Audio for the audiobook, which was given in exchange for an honest review
This story was a typical romantic suspense but with a set of lady special op agents to go with the trained men.
Abby Sinclair was a member of Noelle’s chameleons. A team of female operatives trained to do deep undercover for some years to take down criminal enterprise all over the world. In this story, Abby was deep undercover to take out a Columbian arms and drug dealer named Blanco, but will on duty, she got sidetracked by a personal mission. She unsuccessfully attempted to free other captives being held by the Columbian criminal and was in danger of having her cover blown. So her team leader Noelle, was forced to hire an extraction team had to do an unexpected withdrawal of Abby from the cage where she was imprisoned.
Noelle went to an extraction specialist group lead by Jim Morgan. Kane Woodland was part of the Jim Morgan’s extraction team and he was the one who rescued Abby. While nursing her to health, Kane immediately drawn to Abby’s strength. When Abby regained consciousness, she asks Kane to help her return to Columbia and finish what she started, Kane agrees to help her if she stands down and lets him handle it. Abby had become an obsession for
Blanco’s sadistic clean-up man, Devlin. Devlin had traced Abby back to the states, and was bent on reacquiring his “chew toy”.
Abby, Kane and their respective teams began working together to defeat Blanco and destroy his criminal empire. Abby and Kane also began exploring their physical attraction and that lead to the opening of some past wounds. A subplot saw Abby’s teammate Isabel working together with Kane’s teammate Trevor Woodland. So there was a main couple and a secondary one. I actually found Isabel and Trevor more compelling because they were working some variables that made their partnership less predictable. I hope the next book focuses on them.
I found the story moved a good pace and was interesting. It just felt like a topic explored over and over again in this genre. This story may have triggers for some as it includes discussion on kidnapping, abuse, on child sex abuse, sexual slavery and trafficking.
Special thanks to Tantor Audio for the audiobook, which was given in exchange for an honest review
July 22, 2014
Ergh. Everything about this book made me angry. Everyone has been abused, suffered some great trauma in their lives, blah blah (and don't get me wrong, I love me some damaged characters, but you've got to handle it well - this felt more like one-upmanship. "Oh, I see your trauma, and I raise you my trauma"). Way too much violence against women, women who survived horrific circumstances but still require men to save them from themselves, men who tell said women that its different with them, even though they're blatantly manipulating the women and NOT LISTENING WHEN THEY SAY NO - GAHHHH!!!
And don't get me started on the women who use sex as a tool/weapon who then get guilt-shamed when they meet THE man. Even though the women in this story are supposedly kickass assassins-for-hire, this book is fundamentally flawed, spouting the same old misogynistic crap in the guise of "strong" women - who actually need men to tell them what to do and reveal to them everything they've done wrong in their lives.
Not sure why I'm giving this two stars, probably only because I managed to finish the book.
And don't get me started on the women who use sex as a tool/weapon who then get guilt-shamed when they meet THE man. Even though the women in this story are supposedly kickass assassins-for-hire, this book is fundamentally flawed, spouting the same old misogynistic crap in the guise of "strong" women - who actually need men to tell them what to do and reveal to them everything they've done wrong in their lives.
Not sure why I'm giving this two stars, probably only because I managed to finish the book.
December 9, 2017
Reviewed for herding cats & burning soup. (on blog 2/2/18)
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2AHNP2V
This series, yall, it's something. A band of female assassins heading off against a team of male mercenaries. And their bosses...who cannot stand one other. Damn inconvenient when their operatives start meeting and falling in love. Damn it all!
The Gist: Abby blew her cover. Got herself thrown in a torture chamber and well and truly fucked. But she had her reasons. 13 of them in fact--young girls about to be sold into sex slavery. She just needed to get close enough to them to mount a one woman rescue. Which got all blown to hell when her boss tapped a group of mercenaries to rescue her. Oy! Now they'll all have to figure a way to get back and save the young ladies before it's too late.
Abby and Kane. Goodness these two. Abby's life has been hell and it's left her dead inside. She doesn't form connection, emotion doesn't factor into things, doesn't trust. She's an assassin and damn good at using any means necessary to eliminate a target even if it's her body. It was hard watching her realize that maybe she needed more and how uncomfortable she was in regular situations with people. Seeing choices she made because of fear.
And Kane. He's a good guy. All alpha yumminess and patient as all get out. I enjoyed him and that he pushed back when needed but was also gentle and understanding with Abby and her issues.
There's some steamy sex scenes, some heartbreaking admissions, painful betrayals. They go through a lot of turmoil in their short time together. They're a good couple but the romance does take a back seat to the mission and getting to know the teams as a whole.
And the mission. Gah! Yeah, it had my hands sweating a couple times. It's ugly and gritty and Kennedy didn't hold back from showing the damage all the way around. Or the struggles each of the characters has gone through and continued to go through due to their past demons.
All in all, excellent romantic suspense. It was fun getting back to the beginning-- I started mid series-- and meeting all of the characters for the first time. Seeing where they started. A good time was had. My only issue-- other than no condoms, really yall?-was I personally prefer a little more romance in my rom-suspense. But really it still worked out quite well.
May 16, 2012
4.5 stars
Abby Sinclair
Kane Woodland
Isabel Rosa
Trevor Callaghan
Midnight Rescue is the first in the Killer Instincts series. This is the kind of adrenaline-inducing, heart-melting story I love. It is fun and fast paced, and I was hooked from page 5. I’m used to reading romantic suspense books with alpha male Black Ops characters but this one stands out for the strong female mercenaries that more than hold their own with the men.
Abby Sinclair is a assassin who works for the mysterious Noelle - queen of assassins. Abby comes from a abusive background which has helped create the a stoic, focused, do-whatever-it-takes successful operative she is. She is tasked with killing a Luis Blanco, Columbian drug dealer, gun runner and all around bad guy, who is involved in the sex trade. She is deep undercover until she discovers a group of young girls that are about to be sold and she resolves to rescue them...by getting caught.
Jim Morgan runs a group of highly trained ex-military operatives who specialize in extractions. Kane Woodland is his second in command. Abby and Kane are irresistibly drawn to one another, but both their troubled pasts hinders their growing relationship and their ability to trust one another. The main storyline revolves around the relationship between Abby and Kane whilst trying to free the captured girls. Secondarily, we are introduced to Isabel, another one of Noelle’s “chameleons” who is partnered with the wounded Trevor Woodland. There are definitely sparks between these two characters. Their relationship is the focus of the next installment.
Jim Morgan’s crew: Kane Woodland, Derek “D” Pratt, Trevor Callaghan, Luke Duboise, Holden McCall, Sullivan, Ethan Hayes
Noelle’s Chameleons: Abby, Isabel, Juliet, Paige, Bailey
Elle Kennedy gives us hints about future books… just enough to peak our interest, but not enough to for it to be distracting. One thing is clear - there are lots of stories waiting to be unravelled.
Abby Sinclair
Kane Woodland
Isabel Rosa
Trevor Callaghan
Midnight Rescue is the first in the Killer Instincts series. This is the kind of adrenaline-inducing, heart-melting story I love. It is fun and fast paced, and I was hooked from page 5. I’m used to reading romantic suspense books with alpha male Black Ops characters but this one stands out for the strong female mercenaries that more than hold their own with the men.
Abby Sinclair is a assassin who works for the mysterious Noelle - queen of assassins. Abby comes from a abusive background which has helped create the a stoic, focused, do-whatever-it-takes successful operative she is. She is tasked with killing a Luis Blanco, Columbian drug dealer, gun runner and all around bad guy, who is involved in the sex trade. She is deep undercover until she discovers a group of young girls that are about to be sold and she resolves to rescue them...by getting caught.
Jim Morgan runs a group of highly trained ex-military operatives who specialize in extractions. Kane Woodland is his second in command. Abby and Kane are irresistibly drawn to one another, but both their troubled pasts hinders their growing relationship and their ability to trust one another. The main storyline revolves around the relationship between Abby and Kane whilst trying to free the captured girls. Secondarily, we are introduced to Isabel, another one of Noelle’s “chameleons” who is partnered with the wounded Trevor Woodland. There are definitely sparks between these two characters. Their relationship is the focus of the next installment.
Jim Morgan’s crew: Kane Woodland, Derek “D” Pratt, Trevor Callaghan, Luke Duboise, Holden McCall, Sullivan, Ethan Hayes
Noelle’s Chameleons: Abby, Isabel, Juliet, Paige, Bailey
Elle Kennedy gives us hints about future books… just enough to peak our interest, but not enough to for it to be distracting. One thing is clear - there are lots of stories waiting to be unravelled.
July 24, 2015
When I finished reading Elle Kennedy's The Mistake, I was going through some major Elle Kennedy withdrawals, so I decided to look further into her other books. Now, I'm usually one to shy away from romantic suspense novels with killer main characters, but I knew that if there was one author who could handle the subject matter, then it would be Elle Kennedy. Turns out, I was absolutely right! Midnight Rescue was one heck of a dark, gloomy and uncomfortable read at times. After all, it did handle a sex slavery ring and human trafficking. It's hard not to feel uncomfortable with that kind of story line, especially one as descriptive as in Midnight Rescue. The villain was an absolute scumbag who deserved to have his nuts pulled out. He's the kind of villain you love to hate because he makes you fear for the life of the characters. Speaking of characters, I loved both Abby and Kane, the main couple featured in this book. Abby is a part of a group of assassins and Kane belongs to a group of military operatives. Abby was a feisty, strong, badass and resilient heroine, who wasn't afraid to fight back no matter what situation she was in. At the same time, she had a more vulnerable side to her that made her very humane despite being a cold-blooded assassin. Kane, her love interest, was a little warmer than Abby because of how sweet and supportive he was. But he wasn't always a softie though. When necessary, he too could be absolutely badass. His and Abby's relationship was romantic and so very swoony. You can't help but root for these two characters to find their happily ever after together. While not without its obstacles, their relationship had me sighing in happiness! I was also engaged in a secondary couple's romance, Trevor and Isabel's and I couldn't wait to get my hands on their book. Overall, this was a fantastic start to a new series. I'm beyond excited to get to the rest of the books!
May 21, 2019
Abby is an assassin in a bind of her own making. Abandoning her latest mission when she discovers that her target plans to sell more than weapons, she deliberately gets herself captured in order to rescue the helpless girls her target intends to auction off.
Her team leader is concerned by the lack of communication and reaches out to a group of tough as nails mercenaries to extract her. Kane is part of the team sent to get her out, and second in command of Jim Morgan's mercenaries. He gets to babysit Abby while she recuperates from her injuries and is surprised by the attraction between them. She's unlike any woman he's ever met and he can't help but be drawn to her. Abby, however, is more surprised, never having experienced it herself, after her traumatic past, and Kane has to be patient and take baby steps with her.
In the meantime, the two teams plan the extraction mission, that to Abby's frustration she can't be a part of due to her injuries. As luck would have it, .
Abby has to work through her issues before the two of them can get to their happy ending, but thankfully she does before it's too late.
Engaging plot, dark atmosphere and interesting characters whose stories will follow, starting with Luke's next in Midnight Alias.
Her team leader is concerned by the lack of communication and reaches out to a group of tough as nails mercenaries to extract her. Kane is part of the team sent to get her out, and second in command of Jim Morgan's mercenaries. He gets to babysit Abby while she recuperates from her injuries and is surprised by the attraction between them. She's unlike any woman he's ever met and he can't help but be drawn to her. Abby, however, is more surprised, never having experienced it herself, after her traumatic past, and Kane has to be patient and take baby steps with her.
In the meantime, the two teams plan the extraction mission, that to Abby's frustration she can't be a part of due to her injuries. As luck would have it, .
Abby has to work through her issues before the two of them can get to their happy ending, but thankfully she does before it's too late.
Engaging plot, dark atmosphere and interesting characters whose stories will follow, starting with Luke's next in Midnight Alias.
February 7, 2016
3 1/2 to 4. A very determined kick-ass assassin, Abby “I can take care of myself. I’ve been doing it since I was eight years old and I’m pretty damn good at it. I can kill a person in a hundred different ways. I’m perfectly fine with being alone—it’s what I’ve always preferred.” .......Is the main female character.
Kane is a hired ex navy SEAL hottie who works for the "good guys".
The shit goes down and people need to be rescued. Enter Abby and Kane.
It's a lot more than sounding that simple. Because, both Kane and Abby have such "Gung-Ho" and strong attitudes/personalities that they are destined to clash... Or are they?
I wanted more from Elle Kennedy's Killer Instincts, only because I've enjoy her "Out of Uniform" series. Maybe, I've been spoilt! ;) That said, If you want a moderately steamy suspense romance, then this might be for you!
Kane is a hired ex navy SEAL hottie who works for the "good guys".
The shit goes down and people need to be rescued. Enter Abby and Kane.
It's a lot more than sounding that simple. Because, both Kane and Abby have such "Gung-Ho" and strong attitudes/personalities that they are destined to clash... Or are they?
I wanted more from Elle Kennedy's Killer Instincts, only because I've enjoy her "Out of Uniform" series. Maybe, I've been spoilt! ;) That said, If you want a moderately steamy suspense romance, then this might be for you!
April 23, 2015
Man, what a ride! For the first time in a long time I actually think I fell more in love with the heroine than the hero. Abby was kick-ass! And I totally got where she was coming from with her fear of relationships and commitment. It made sense to me, and I have to say, it was a nice change from the typical. And the story was just as awesome as the characters. I am completely on board with this new series and can't wait to read the next one.
June 2, 2015
"Dangerous. Ruthless. Savage. And she's the good guy."
This is just the beginning of the synopsis of Midnight Rescue by Elle Kennedy. Sexy thriller, is what I would call it. Hot women, even HOTTER MEN ready to take on the criminals. Saving those who can’t save themselves.
Abby Sinclair is an assassin by trade. Non-feeling, ever thinking and doing the job that needs to be done. Kane Woodland isn’t much different that Abby; a deadly mercenary who does anything needed for the mission.
I’m a huge fan of crime/thriller type books and movies. Elle did an amazing job with this book. There is just enough sex for me to keep the heat level up, and the adrenaline level is high also! I’m in love with the power struggle between Abby and Kane, and with the way the story unfolds. This isn’t your ideal love affair between two tortured souls. This is so much more! ~ Heather, 4 stars
This is just the beginning of the synopsis of Midnight Rescue by Elle Kennedy. Sexy thriller, is what I would call it. Hot women, even HOTTER MEN ready to take on the criminals. Saving those who can’t save themselves.
Abby Sinclair is an assassin by trade. Non-feeling, ever thinking and doing the job that needs to be done. Kane Woodland isn’t much different that Abby; a deadly mercenary who does anything needed for the mission.
I’m a huge fan of crime/thriller type books and movies. Elle did an amazing job with this book. There is just enough sex for me to keep the heat level up, and the adrenaline level is high also! I’m in love with the power struggle between Abby and Kane, and with the way the story unfolds. This isn’t your ideal love affair between two tortured souls. This is so much more! ~ Heather, 4 stars
July 8, 2022
משהו בין 3.5 ל-4 כוכבים של הנאה-סתמית לחובבות הז׳אנר.
אין ספק שאל קנדי יודעת לכתוב רומנים מכל מיני סוגים.
במקרה הזה, למרות שהעטיפה נראית כמו משהו שלקוח מז׳אנר האורבן-פנטזי, הרי שמדובר ברומן עכשווי, מותחן עם אקשן וגיבורים בד-אס יוצאי צבא וגיבורות שהן מתנקשות קשוחות וכל הג׳אז הזה.
אבי סינקלייר היא מתנקשת, רוצחת שכירה קרת רוח, מדויקת ומקצועית להפליא. לכאורה, מרוחקת וחסרת רגשות, אבל למעשה מכסה פגיעות עבר קשות. כשאבי נלקחת בשבי על ידי הארגון שאליו הסתננה במסווה, הבחורים של ג׳ימי מורגן הם היחידים שיכולים להציל אותה.
קיין הוא אחד הבחורים הנ״ל, נייבי סיל לשעבר וכעת אחר מתוך צוות של כמה גברים קשוחים, יוצאי יחידות עילית, שפועלים מחוץ לחוק, שכירי חרב שמאוגדים יחדיו תחת הנהגתו של ג׳ימי מורגן.
כשקיין ואבי נפגשים קשה להכחיש את הכימיה ביניהם והם מתחילים להתקרב. אבי נחושה בדעתה לחזור לקולומביה כדי להציל נערות צעירות, שעומדות להימכר כשפחות מין. קיין מוצא את עצמו נענה לאתגר ואיתו שאר אנשי הצוות.
במקביל, מתחילים להתוודע לעוד סיפורים של שאר חברי הצוות, שיתפתחו בהמשך לספרים הבאים, כמו די (דרק), מקועקע ומפחיד ובעל עבר קשה משלו שפשוט שונא את כולם, טרבר קלאהן, שאיבד לפני כשנה את ארוסתו ועכשיו מחפש כל דרך להרוג את עצמו, לוק הצ׳ארמר של החבורה ואפילו ג׳ימי עצמו, שברור לכולם שיש איזה קטע בינו לבין נואל, מנהיגת ה״קמליונז״, אותה חבורה קטלנית של נשים מתנקשות.
חמוד, צפוי, אך מהנה. אין יותר מדי הפתעות וזו בהחלט קריאה מהמה ממש.
מבחינתי השבר הכי ״מאכזב״ היא הסוף הלא מספיק דרמטי - לגמרי אפשר היה להכניס שם איזה משהו קצת יותר מורט עצבים והייתי מתרגשת הרבה יותר.
אין ספק שאל קנדי יודעת לכתוב רומנים מכל מיני סוגים.
במקרה הזה, למרות שהעטיפה נראית כמו משהו שלקוח מז׳אנר האורבן-פנטזי, הרי שמדובר ברומן עכשווי, מותחן עם אקשן וגיבורים בד-אס יוצאי צבא וגיבורות שהן מתנקשות קשוחות וכל הג׳אז הזה.
אבי סינקלייר היא מתנקשת, רוצחת שכירה קרת רוח, מדויקת ומקצועית להפליא. לכאורה, מרוחקת וחסרת רגשות, אבל למעשה מכסה פגיעות עבר קשות. כשאבי נלקחת בשבי על ידי הארגון שאליו הסתננה במסווה, הבחורים של ג׳ימי מורגן הם היחידים שיכולים להציל אותה.
קיין הוא אחד הבחורים הנ״ל, נייבי סיל לשעבר וכעת אחר מתוך צוות של כמה גברים קשוחים, יוצאי יחידות עילית, שפועלים מחוץ לחוק, שכירי חרב שמאוגדים יחדיו תחת הנהגתו של ג׳ימי מורגן.
כשקיין ואבי נפגשים קשה להכחיש את הכימיה ביניהם והם מתחילים להתקרב. אבי נחושה בדעתה לחזור לקולומביה כדי להציל נערות צעירות, שעומדות להימכר כשפחות מין. קיין מוצא את עצמו נענה לאתגר ואיתו שאר אנשי הצוות.
במקביל, מתחילים להתוודע לעוד סיפורים של שאר חברי הצוות, שיתפתחו בהמשך לספרים הבאים, כמו די (דרק), מקועקע ומפחיד ובעל עבר קשה משלו שפשוט שונא את כולם, טרבר קלאהן, שאיבד לפני כשנה את ארוסתו ועכשיו מחפש כל דרך להרוג את עצמו, לוק הצ׳ארמר של החבורה ואפילו ג׳ימי עצמו, שברור לכולם שיש איזה קטע בינו לבין נואל, מנהיגת ה״קמליונז״, אותה חבורה קטלנית של נשים מתנקשות.
חמוד, צפוי, אך מהנה. אין יותר מדי הפתעות וזו בהחלט קריאה מהמה ממש.
מבחינתי השבר הכי ״מאכזב״ היא הסוף הלא מספיק דרמטי - לגמרי אפשר היה להכניס שם איזה משהו קצת יותר מורט עצבים והייתי מתרגשת הרבה יותר.
June 15, 2022
This was decent, but I get really annoyed when authors blatantly set up the couples for future books in their series. I feel like almost as much of the book was spent setting up Trevor and Isabel as a future couple as Kane and Abby. Too many POVs for my liking.
August 4, 2015
4.5 stars
I read Off-Campus books by Elle Kennedy and loved her since then. And as soon as I heard about this series I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. My expectations were more like Off-Campus writing but it is totally different and just as great.
There are two teams of assassins, Noelle's Chameleons, female assassins and Jim Morgan's Mercenaries. And both the teams together kicks some asses in this series.
Abby Sinclair, our female protagonist, she is one of the best assassins from Noelle's team. She is working a undercover job and she comes across the sex trade operation and to save those girls she blows her own cover and gets captured. She is brutally abused there but she tries to keep it together to save those girls. She cares a lot about these girls and wants to save them bad, as a result of her being brutally assaulted in her childhood.
Here Noelle is worried that Abby is gone off radar means she has been captured and to find her, she comes to ask for help to Jim Morgan. And there you meet our male protagonist, Kane. Kane was patient, head of the team in the absence of Jim and he handles everything well, patiently. And the team goes on a rescue mission of Abby. They find her in a very bad state, yet she has taken on some goons single handedly. And Kane is right to be aware of her assassin abilities. Yet he can't help but be intrigued of this stranger.
Now that Abby is back safe, she can't rescue the girls from the safe place. She has to do something, convince people and let her go on this suicide, rescue mission. and so does everyone after a lot of discussion agrees to help Abby and in comes another Noelle's Chameleons Isabel to help them.
We meet a lot of Jim's men by this point too. And at this point, I was more excited about Trevor and Isabel's story and Abby and Kane's story kind of bland here. Understandably Abby has built those walls around her, cause she has a horrific past. But Kane, he can be patient and helps her bring down her own walls.
I loved the end. The fighting, Kane and Abby coming together. It was amazing.
Check out my blog for more reviews at A Booklion's Hideaway : http://booklionshideaway.blogspot.in
I read Off-Campus books by Elle Kennedy and loved her since then. And as soon as I heard about this series I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. My expectations were more like Off-Campus writing but it is totally different and just as great.
There are two teams of assassins, Noelle's Chameleons, female assassins and Jim Morgan's Mercenaries. And both the teams together kicks some asses in this series.
Abby Sinclair, our female protagonist, she is one of the best assassins from Noelle's team. She is working a undercover job and she comes across the sex trade operation and to save those girls she blows her own cover and gets captured. She is brutally abused there but she tries to keep it together to save those girls. She cares a lot about these girls and wants to save them bad, as a result of her being brutally assaulted in her childhood.
Here Noelle is worried that Abby is gone off radar means she has been captured and to find her, she comes to ask for help to Jim Morgan. And there you meet our male protagonist, Kane. Kane was patient, head of the team in the absence of Jim and he handles everything well, patiently. And the team goes on a rescue mission of Abby. They find her in a very bad state, yet she has taken on some goons single handedly. And Kane is right to be aware of her assassin abilities. Yet he can't help but be intrigued of this stranger.
Now that Abby is back safe, she can't rescue the girls from the safe place. She has to do something, convince people and let her go on this suicide, rescue mission. and so does everyone after a lot of discussion agrees to help Abby and in comes another Noelle's Chameleons Isabel to help them.
We meet a lot of Jim's men by this point too. And at this point, I was more excited about Trevor and Isabel's story and Abby and Kane's story kind of bland here. Understandably Abby has built those walls around her, cause she has a horrific past. But Kane, he can be patient and helps her bring down her own walls.
I loved the end. The fighting, Kane and Abby coming together. It was amazing.
Check out my blog for more reviews at A Booklion's Hideaway : http://booklionshideaway.blogspot.in
August 24, 2016
This isn’t the first Elle Kennedy that I’ve tried. She co-wrote Him and Us with Sarina Bowen, and those are two of my favorites. I also tried reading Claimed from the Outlaw series and really didn’t like it. I thought maybe it was only because I just couldn’t do erotic Dystopia. Killer Instincts has decent ratings, people seemed to like it. I thought it was a good lead, at least. (Be forewarned, there are small spoilers ahead.)
Unfortunately this was a bad avenue to attempt. I’ve realized that it’s not a specific book, it’s Elle Kennedy’s writing style that just isn’t for me. Her style is too heavy handed, and I get that other people may like that aggressive style but I’m not one of them. Here’s an example, at the resolution of the story, Kane and Abby have reconnected and it’s the big kiss. Should be stars and glitter and romance, right? Elle writes, that they kiss and Kane even ‘slips her the tongue’. Slipping someone the tongue implies that the recipient doesn’t want it. It’s the unwelcome advances of a drunkard at the bar, not thee kiss between the hero and heroine at the end of a romantic novel. It was such a turn off. I also felt like the story had way too many plot holes. I recognize that I compare all romantic suspense novels to Troubleshooters but for the story to be believable I can’t notice the stupidity of these so called world class assassins/mercs. On what planet is it a good idea, when trying to rescue a group of children, to get yourself caught and tortured on purpose. For days. So tortured that you can’t even stand anymore. It’s not. It’s insane.
I also had a hard time with the perspective of the children. I’m all for breaking up a sex trafficking ring. What I don’t need is to read from the perspective of a 13 year old being sexually abused. I felt dirty. We all have good imaginations, I can surmise the horrors they’re facing.
So, overall, this was a bad choice and I don’t think I’ll be picking up another Elle Kennedy novel, sadly. We can’t all be fans, I suppose.
For this and other reviews, visit us at Badass Book Reviews!
Unfortunately this was a bad avenue to attempt. I’ve realized that it’s not a specific book, it’s Elle Kennedy’s writing style that just isn’t for me. Her style is too heavy handed, and I get that other people may like that aggressive style but I’m not one of them. Here’s an example, at the resolution of the story, Kane and Abby have reconnected and it’s the big kiss. Should be stars and glitter and romance, right? Elle writes, that they kiss and Kane even ‘slips her the tongue’. Slipping someone the tongue implies that the recipient doesn’t want it. It’s the unwelcome advances of a drunkard at the bar, not thee kiss between the hero and heroine at the end of a romantic novel. It was such a turn off. I also felt like the story had way too many plot holes. I recognize that I compare all romantic suspense novels to Troubleshooters but for the story to be believable I can’t notice the stupidity of these so called world class assassins/mercs. On what planet is it a good idea, when trying to rescue a group of children, to get yourself caught and tortured on purpose. For days. So tortured that you can’t even stand anymore. It’s not. It’s insane.
I also had a hard time with the perspective of the children. I’m all for breaking up a sex trafficking ring. What I don’t need is to read from the perspective of a 13 year old being sexually abused. I felt dirty. We all have good imaginations, I can surmise the horrors they’re facing.
So, overall, this was a bad choice and I don’t think I’ll be picking up another Elle Kennedy novel, sadly. We can’t all be fans, I suppose.
For this and other reviews, visit us at Badass Book Reviews!
May 11, 2012
This review was posted at Under the Covers
My first thought when I saw this cover was "Oh yay another team of ex-military badass guys to follow!" but I was pleasantly surprised to see there's more to it than that. Of course we do get the badass guys we all want to drool over, my favorite being the boss, Jim Morgan. I confess to have a thing for hard-asses. So while my crush develops on that bad boy, I also liked the hero of this story a lot. Kane. He's sweet and not so tortured as you would expect a guy in his line of work to be. Had an almost perfect childhood, was in the military, and now is happy to work for Jim.
Their team of mercenaries is hired by, get this, the worlds top female assassin, Noelle, to go in a rescue one of her girls. And by girls I mean there's a group of female assassins. I love kick ass heroines so this is shaping up to be a great series full of strong female characters and bad boys!
So Abby was undercover and she was captured. While undercover she found a group of girls that had been kidnapped by the bad guy she was trying to bring down. Her past comes into play with this story as she has gone through a lot herself, growing up with foster parents until she was taken in by a great guy.
Jim's team goes in to rescue her and then on her request go back in to rescue the girls. But things are not so simple since the enforcer for the bad guy has it in for Abby.
It was a nice change to see the tortured heroine with the sweet hero that can bring her out of her protective shell. She had a lot of stuff to figure out how to get past but Kane slowly broke through her barriers. I'm excited to read more in this series and from this author.
Now if only I could find out if Jim will end up with Noelle, because there were definite sparks flying there.
*ARC provided by publisher
My first thought when I saw this cover was "Oh yay another team of ex-military badass guys to follow!" but I was pleasantly surprised to see there's more to it than that. Of course we do get the badass guys we all want to drool over, my favorite being the boss, Jim Morgan. I confess to have a thing for hard-asses. So while my crush develops on that bad boy, I also liked the hero of this story a lot. Kane. He's sweet and not so tortured as you would expect a guy in his line of work to be. Had an almost perfect childhood, was in the military, and now is happy to work for Jim.
Their team of mercenaries is hired by, get this, the worlds top female assassin, Noelle, to go in a rescue one of her girls. And by girls I mean there's a group of female assassins. I love kick ass heroines so this is shaping up to be a great series full of strong female characters and bad boys!
So Abby was undercover and she was captured. While undercover she found a group of girls that had been kidnapped by the bad guy she was trying to bring down. Her past comes into play with this story as she has gone through a lot herself, growing up with foster parents until she was taken in by a great guy.
Jim's team goes in to rescue her and then on her request go back in to rescue the girls. But things are not so simple since the enforcer for the bad guy has it in for Abby.
It was a nice change to see the tortured heroine with the sweet hero that can bring her out of her protective shell. She had a lot of stuff to figure out how to get past but Kane slowly broke through her barriers. I'm excited to read more in this series and from this author.
Now if only I could find out if Jim will end up with Noelle, because there were definite sparks flying there.
*ARC provided by publisher
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