Review ~ NIGHTFIRE (Protectors #3) by Lisa Marie Rice

Chloe Mason's childhood memories consist of seemingly endless hospital stays. Now all grown up and healthy, her determination to fill the gaping holes in her past leads her to her long-lost brother, Harry . . . which brings Harry's friend and business partner, Mike Keillor, crashing into her life and her heart. Former Marine Force Recon sniper and SWAT officer--a martial arts expert and owner of a successful security company--Mike can deal coolly and efficiently with any threat . . . until he's blindsided by something he never expected: fierce, fiery passion . . . and love. But when Chloe inadvertently crosses the Russian mob, Mike realizes that evil is darkening his world once again. He has already lost his family; he will not lose the woman who enflames him, who makes him whole. Failure is not an option.

As you can see, NIGHTFIRE is the third book in the Protectors series. I would call this more of a companion to the series, able to be read as a stand-alone, which is what I did. There is some background from the first two books that is peppered in to keep you in the loop. I will definitely be going back and reading the first two books. From the bits I picked up, they sound as good as NIGHTFIRE.

And that's exactly how I'd classify NIGHTFIRE; very good. It's a fairly typical adult romance, but with more action. You have your alpha male hero in Mike. He's damaged, very damaged. And he is living his life in a extremely destructive manner. But his reasoning is valid. He's simply lost. Mike is also a successful businessman, friend, and works hard to secure the protection of abused women. So that automatically scores him 10k awesome points. Chloe is somewhat a typical heroine, but better. She had a horrific childhood. She's alone and vulnerable.. Chloe has a genuine heart of gold and was easy to root for.  The chemistry between them is instantaneous, but it wasn't in an annoying way. Sometimes sparks fly immediately. I've seen it happen.

Even though Mike and Chloe have only known each other a few hours, they are on the fast track to sexy-time city. Circumstance, however, and some bad decisions on Mike's part, put a grinding halt to the festivities. Mike and Chloe, once potential lovers, are left hovering in the friend zone. But a dangerous new threat pushes them back together and Mike will risk all to keep his lady safe.

So like I said, good book. I had an excellent time reading it. There were some nice steamy bits, though I actually expected more of them. The familial, comfortable vibe amongst all the characters was charming. I was surprised by how big a role the (what I thought was) secondary story played. I actually learned more than I ever wanted to know about human trafficking and sexual slavery. Such a sad issue, but I appreciate that the author was shedding light on it. And in the end, it serves as the impetus for the primary story, Mike and Chloe.

NIGHTFIRE is perfect you are itching for an adult romance that also has some kick-butt action. It was a nice break from my norm.


Favorite Quote:

"And then Mike said three words he had never said to any human being before. Three words he never thought he could say, three words he'd worked his whole life not to have to say.

'Chloe.' His voice was hoarse, the words painful to get out. 'I need you.' "

Published February 7th 2012 by Avon Red
 

You can purchase NIGHTFIRE at:
Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Book Depository


Source: Received from publisher for review.