NIGHT IS MINE is the first book in an exciting military romantic suspense series by M. L. Buchman. I'm generally not a big fan of military romance, and definitely like more romance than military in those I do read. Buchman has managed to make me re-think my preferences. Equal parts romance and military adventure, NIGHT IS MINE is a compelling and exciting read.

Captain Emily Beale is the first and only female pilot to qualify to fly helicopters for the Special Operations and Aviation Regiment (SOARS), the teams that transports Navy SEALs and Delta Force in and out of combat and covert missions. Emily is one of the best, excelling at getting in and out of dangerous military operations with her helicopter and team intact. Currently, she's right where she wants to be; flying with the elite 160th Air regiment under the command of Major Mark Henderson.

A CNN profile of Emily (focusing on her cooking rather than her flying!) brings her to the attention of the First Lady of the United States. Suddenly, Emily finds herself stateside acting as Chef and secret bodyguard to the First Lady, a woman married to the one man Emily has loved since childhood. Major Henderson is furious that his best pilot, and a woman he secretly desires, has been reassigned without warning. When Mark sees news reports that show Emily in danger, he can't help himself and he ends up in D.C. on leave and masquerading as Emily's globetrotting boyfriend. They soon find themselves embroiled in a dangerous and deadly plot that puts everyone at risk.

I was really drawn in by everything about this story. I found the details about the military operations fascinating. I thought Emily and Mark made a great team, both as pilots and as a romantic couple. Emily is strong, smart, and more then holds her own in her male-dominated world. Mark displays a nice balance of alpha-male and emotional maturity. The plot was a page-turner, with some unexpected twists and turns. I'm definitely looking forward to the next book in this series.