Lights Out

 

Back Cover

CIA analyst Brynn Taylor developed a new program to combat terrorism, and she invited members of foreign intelligence agencies to America to foster cooperation between countries. Now one of them, Egyptian spy Remon Riad, is missing.

Jack Hudson has been working for the Strategic Neutralization and Protection Agency for almost nine years and takes the lead in hunting down the missing spy. But he isn't at all pleased to find out Brynn is involved. It's hard to trust a women who's already betrayed you.

Every lead they follow draws them dangerously deeper into an international plot. Kidnapping, murder, explosions, poisoning - the terrorists will do anything to accomplish their goal of causing a digital blackout that will blind a strategic US military communications center and throw the world into chaos.

Can Brynn surrender control to a man who doesn't trust her? And can Jack ever get over what she did to him? The fate of the world - and their hearts - hangs in the balance.

Review

Oh. My. Goodness. If you read any book this year, Lights Out has to be the one. It is SO good! It's literally jam-packed with edge-of-your-seat action following an intricate plot that keeps you guessing on how all the pieces are going to fit together. It is also a story that appears incredibly plausible given how much our world relies upon technology. From communications, banking, work, travel, housing, etc., many aspects of our lives are connected and maintained through the use of technology. Chaos would ensue should any of those systems go down. And Natalie Walters imagines what that could possibly look like in Lights Out.

The character choices and development are perfect for the story. I loved the unique personalities of each member of the SNAP Agency (along with the heroine, Brynn, of course) and look forward to getting to know each one better in future novels in this series.

Smartly-executed, Lights Out takes readers on a thrill ride they won't soon forget!

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.  

The Spice King

Back Cover

Gray Delacroix has dedicated his life to building an acclaimed global spice empire, but it has come at a cost.  Resolved to salvage his family before they spiral out of control, he returns to his ancestral home for good after years of traveling the world.

As a junior botanist for the Smithsonian, Annabelle Larkin has been charged with the impossible task of gaining access to the notoriously private Delacroix plant collection.  If she fails, she will be out of a job and the family farm in Kansas will go under.  She has no idea that in gaining entrance to the Delacroix world, she will unwittingly step into a web of dangerous political intrigue far beyond her experience. 

Unable to deny her attraction to the reclusive business tycoon, Annabelle will be forced to choose between her heart and loyalty to her country. Can Gray and Annabelle find a way through the storm of scandal without destroying the family Gray is fighting to save?

Review

I'm always eager for Elizabeth Camden's novels.  Her passion for history just glows through each of her stories with rich descriptions and intriguing plots and her characters often face a moral dilemma that elicits the turning point and climatic event in the story.  

The first book in Elizabeth's Camden's new series, "Hope and Glory", The Spice King, takes readers on a journey into the world of the spice trade, modified foods, and the international tensions between America and Cuba in the early 1900s.  Annabelle Larkin, while simply on a pursuit of finding more specimens for the Smithsonian plant collection, finds herself caught between a rock and a hard place when she has asked to become a spy for the U.S. military to determine whether Gray Delacroix is part of an insurgents' group party to the rebellion against the Americans in Cuba.  Annabelle is at loathe to spy on anyone, but agrees to assist - partly out of patriotic duty and partly to clear Gray's name.  While she fully expects Gray to be innocent, she does not anticipate falling in love with the colourful businessman, a revelation that would completely tip her world off its axis.  As her feelings for Gray develop, it becomes harder to spy on him, as Annabelle is keenly aware her actions would be viewed as a betrayal of the trust Gray has given her.  With the undercurrent of relationship tensions threatening to surface and added political intrigue, Elizabeth Camden has penned a fascinating story that I will re-read again and again.  I will be hard-pressed to wait for the next instalment, due out later this year!

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

 

A Perfect Ambition

Back Cover

As the firstborn son of an old and powerful family, William Jennings Worthington VI knows what it’s like to be under pressure.  Groomed from birth with the relentless message that he was destined for greatness, Will has always pushed himself to succeed—nearly as much as his never-satisfied financial tycoon father pushes him. Becoming CEO of the world’s largest and most adventuresome oil company seems the next logical step on the success ladder.  But when circumstances turn, Will finds himself staring down a road that leads to Capitol Hill.  Can he trade the board room for the Senate floor?  Or will family secrets keep him from his destiny?

Review

I don’t normally reach for political novels.  Amidst the never-ending back-biting, under-handed deals, two-faced politicians, endless talk of polling, and votes, etc., I often find them rather dull and depressing read. Perhaps partly due to being centralized in a world that I’m quite foreign in, (legal thrillers on the other hand…haha), or the story just doesn’t move along fast enough; and I rather read suspense novels wherein the characters pursue justice – not a place on a pedestal. 

However, A Perfect Ambition doesn’t restrict itself to politics, campaigning, and back-room deals.  Its battles are not only waged on Capitol Hill, but also in the boardrooms of billion dollar oil companies, on the Arctic Ocean’s waters between the Navy and environmentalist groups, and even around the dinner table amongst the prestigious Worthington family members.  A Perfect Ambition sheds some light on how these battles are won and lost, and what a person stands to gain or lose. 

Another prominent theme throughout the story was the characterization of Will, Sean, and Sarah amongst their “birth order”.  The author carefully paints their motives and actions based upon the birth order theory in which your position amongst your siblings can dictate or influence your personality traits.  It was quite interesting to read.  Being one of three siblings, I can attest to some truth to the descriptions while others I disagree with.  But it’s intriguing nonetheless, and I may have to pick up Dr. Kevin Leman’s The Birth Order Book to learn more about the theory. 

While at times I found the writing a little stilted (a problem I’ve often noticed with a book that is co-authored – it’s like a battle as to whose “voice” is going to come out on top!), the story  moves along at a fairly fast clip, and various suspenseful moments kept me intrigued.  To sum it up, A Perfect Ambition is a multi-faceted, interesting novel that is more than meets the eye – and may make me a fan of political novels yet!

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.