MIDNIGHT SECRETS

Former Navy SEAL Joe Harris nearly died—twice—on a medevac helo after being blown up by an IED. He’s not moving too great these days, but if there was ever a woman designed to jump start a man’s hormones, it would be his new neighbor.

Meeting Isabel—loving Isabel—brought Joe back to life.

Isabel Delvaux came from one of America’s foremost political dynasties, until the greatest terrorist attack since 9/11 killed her entire family. She barely survived the Washington Massacre, only to become prey for rabid reporters. Fleeing to Portland and changing her name was a way out, a way to start over. The only way.

She knows she’s safe with Joe Harris. Not just because he's big and strong, not just because he's part of a security team that obliterates threats on the regular, but because he’s been to the abyss and back.

But as they help each other heal--through talk, through touch, through spectacular sex—the past comes back to play. When Isabel’s memory starts to return and a mysterious stranger sends Joe emails indicating she’s in imminent danger, he'll do anything to help her uncover the truth. Even if that truth is the most terrifying thing of all…

Release Date: June 8, 2015

Carina Press

Midnight series book 6 Men of Midnight #3

Review copy provided by the publisher

Nikki’s Review:

I love romantic suspense novels. Hot, swoon worthy alpha males and a little mystery or perhaps a thriller plot? Sounds perfect right? I wanted to love this book. It started off so promising but then it just lost momentum.

Isabel Delvaux is absolutely broken. Torn to shreds is probably more accurate. She's lost her entire family to a horrific act of terrorism. Her family was American political royalty, her father being pegged for the next President. She's the only survivor of the massacre. Imagine the guilt and loneliness that would come with that? She has it in spades. Suffering from memory loss, emotional and physical trauma, she can hardly leave her house. I liked the way the author wrote Isabel. I could really believe that this woman's life, her foundation, was not only rocked, but destroyed. The desolation and despair is heavy. Believable. She's weak in every sense.

Joe Harris is a former Navy SEAL. Sigh...why do SEALs make me all fluttery? He's coming back from his own battle. He's been shot up, blown up and sewn back together. He's taken his recovery by the balls and pushed through. No wallowing for him. Again, a true description of what I imagine a SEAL would be like. I kinda fell in love with him. Of course he's surrounded by fellow Navy hotties. Joe takes it slow with his new skittish neighbour. He fixes stuff for her and makes himself available should she need him. There's that flutter again.

Isabel is scared out of her wits one night, and well, what happens when you're scared by a creepy peeping Tom? You hope into bed with the hunk from next door...finally! I totally loved these two souls together. They were each fighting their own battles. They needed each other. Isabel needed to feel something other than despair and Joe needed to feel grounded. The love scenes weren't over the top. Certainly not erotic. Just ok. I could have used a little more imagination with their encounters. Nothing crazy. But there was never even any foreplay. Ladies, we like foreplay right?! Right?! Joe was typically blowing like a 14 year old who just got his hands on his daddy’s dirty magazine. Seriously, every time that happened I winced! I was like, oh poor Isabel! But of course she managed to climax right at the same time, despite his complete lack of finesse.

Politics...I hate politics. So when I have to read several pages to a whole chapter about dirty politics, my freaking eyes glaze over. The parts with the antagonist and his plotting and scheming were drawn out and just too much. I couldn't wait for those parts to be over.

My favorite part in this book was Joe and his buddies hanging out. The banter was great and I got a real sense of friendship between them. They really had each other's backs.

Ok, the most unbelievable part of this book? Isabel is like this meek and weak lost soul. She can barely leave her house. And in the span of less than 48 hours, she hops into bed with Joe, has unprotected sex from the get go, embraces his horde of friends and their ladies, and then becomes GI Jane with revenge on the brain. I would have liked to see a more natural progression in this. I know, I know, stuff is sped up in a fictional world. But this was bloody warp speed!

I have read many books by this author in the past. I've enjoyed them. So I would be interested in picking up a Ms. Rice novel again. But this book just didn't do it for me.