Emma Wright, the assistant to the wife of the US
ambassador in the Philippines, is accompanying her boss
on a humanitarian mission when they are force to make a
crash landing in the middle of the jungle. The pilot
barely had time to send a distress signal, he is still
barely alive, and Emma feels she has no choice but to try
to find help somehow. The Alpha Crew -- an elite and
secret SEAL team -- had received the SOS, and they're on
it. The Crew were already investigating shady dealings in
the area, and they could proceed quickly. Team leader
Ryan Owen had seen a picture of Emma, and like every
other man, thought her very fetching but it was the
determination he saw in her eyes that captured his
attention, and he didn't know how right he was!
ALPHA CREW: THE MISSION BEGINS is an ebook reprint of the
first two instalments in the Alpha Crew series,
and I think it was a great idea to have them in one book,
as book 2 THE EDGE OF SURRENDER is a direct continuation
of AT THE EDGE. I can hardly imagine how it must have
been for readers to have to wait for the second
instalment, as book 1 had a cliffhanger that could be
interpreted two ways. For this review, I will not
necessarily distinguish between the two books unless
relevant.
THE MISSION BEGINS is as action-packed as romantic
suspense novels come. The story unfolds quickly, while
being chockfull of pertinent details, and Laura Griffin
doesn't rehash anything. I love it when an author deems
her readers intelligent enough not to repeat herself
needlessly. I loved Emma! She is so easy to relate to:
she's a beautiful, but ordinary woman: fit, but not
Ironman fit; resourceful and quick-thinking; an ideal
heroine for a romantic suspense. Ms. Griffin paints a
vivid picture of the jungle, the heat, the humidity, the
rain, and I felt I experienced the whole adventure
vicariously. Some details were truly inspired, such as
when Emma and Ryan have to resort to creatively get
things done with little money. Ryan's muscles are not for
titillation either: we are shown that those muscles serve
very real purposes; his fit person is not simply
convenient eye candy to have the female lead drool
endlessly.
In AT THE EDGE, obviously Ryan and Emma meet amidst
danger and they are not out of the woods, so to speak,
but in EDGE OF SURRENDER, the Crew and Emma are still
looking for what really happened with the plane crash,
and this is a riveting story indeed. Ryan and Emma also
realise that their attraction owes to more than the
danger they faced together previously. I loved that the
romance itself was relatively drama-free; Ryan and Emma
behaved like the adults they are, and the sex scenes were
just right and did not intrude on the suspense. The
dialogues are easy and natural, the story is solid and
tightly plotted, and the writing is smooth and polished.
I had several books waiting for me, and for some reason
this book seemed to be calling to me. Laura Griffin was a
new author to me, and ALPHA CREW: THE MISSION BEGINS was
a fantastic introduction!
The first two Alpha Crew installments of scorching hot
romance between Emma and Ryan are together for the first
time in a bundle of sexy, suspenseful
adventure!
AT THE EDGE
When Emma
Wright’s government plane goes down over the Philippine
jungle, she’s forced to survive alone until an ultra-elite
SEAL team goes in after her. As the leader of Alpha Crew,
Ryan Owen is no stranger to challenges, but he’s never
tackled anything quite like this sexy, smart, and
resourceful woman. The mission is to get Emma home safely,
but danger is everywhere, and Ryan’s unexpected desire for
Emma could be a deadly distraction.
Back home in
California, Ryan’s mission is over—but Emma’s has just
begun. She knows her plane crash was no accident, and she’s
determined to uncover the truth about what happened—even if
her quest for answers puts her at risk. Torn between duty
and desire, Ryan searches for a way win Emma’s heart while
protecting her from an invisible enemy who wants her
dead.
EDGE OF SURRENDER
Ryan had one
job: keep Emma safe at all costs. But after a night of
passion, Emma takes off and Ryan soon realizes he’s not the
only one looking for her. Can he figure out who’s after the
beautiful government aide, and why, before she falls into
the wrong hands…if she hasn’t already?
Emma’s
fighting to get justice for her fallen comrades, but she
can’t do it alone. She needs Ryan’s help, but that means
trusting him—and dealing with the out-of-control desire
blazing between them. Can there be any future for a marked
woman and a man trained to kill? She hopes they live long
enough to find out…