Gwen’s review of Wild Card (Elite Ops, Book 1) by Lora Leigh
Contemporary romantic suspense released by St. Martin’s 26 Aug 08

This is a new series for Leigh and is related to her Tempting SEALs books, but starts a new series of heroes and heroines.  There are overlapping characters and storylines, but not to the point that you’ll have a tough time following the story if you’ve never read another Leigh book.  This was a very satisfying read – emotional, sexy, action packed, and romantic.  I really loved it. 

Leigh’s writing is dependable.  You can depend on alpha heroes.  You can depend on generally capable heroines who don’t have too many TSTL moments.  You can depend on very steamy sex and almost animalistic attraction between the heroes and heroines.  You can depend on good villains.  We get all of the dependable Leigh features in this book.  Almost as dependable in her writing is some biting and growling from the hero, the occasional bout of buttsecks, Brazilians (non-native-speaking), and assorted kink (spanking, light bondage, group sex, etc.) – some of which we get in this book.

I may have a short memory, but the hero in Wild Card, Nathan/Noah, seems to be a refreshing change from the typical Leigh hero.  No doubt he’s alpha – he totally maxes out the alpha-o-meter – but more than that, he is emotionally insecure through much of the book.  And it’s refreshing to have a Leigh hero doubt if he’s approached “his woman” correctly.

Leigh’s heroes are normally very unapologetic about how they bulldoze thru a heroine’s defenses.  Nathan/Noah isn’t like that – he certainly plows (heh) the heroine down, however he doubts himself the whole way.  He hooks up with her not because he must have her (though that is certainly the case), but because he can’t imagine breathing without her in his life.

Another interesting element in this book was how Leigh let her hero and heroine realize that their marriage wasn’t perfect.  You’ll have to read the book to understand, but suffice to say that Nathan/Noah and the heroine, Sabella, were separated for six years after marrying young and only being together two years.  They both grew up quite a lot in the intervening six years.  Nathan arguably had a rougher time than ‘Bella, but they both matured.

Had Nathan and Bella remained together in those six years, they may have realized that they were both holding their true selves back from the other in an attempt to give the other what they thought they needed.  But perhaps not.  This nation is chock-a-block with divorced couples who never figure that out – whose relationships fail for reasons that completely escape them.  They just grow apart.  Their unintentional separation and reunion forces our hero and heroine to confront some home truths about each other and their relationship – it also makes them realize how much they really love and need each other.

All this to say that Leigh has crafted an emotionally complex and very satisfying book with Wild Card.  Of course there’s some good villains, great action, and stupendous cross-your-legs-it’s-so-hawt sex.  But what I liked the most was the emotional side of the story.  And I loved the epilogue and how Nathan/Noah and Bella negotiate their relationship – not your typical couple this one and it is great.

I highly recommend this book to fans of Leigh.  I heartily recommend it to fans of romantic suspense.  If you like an emotionally rich story, this is the book for you.  If you just want a darn good read, this is the book for you.

Grade: A

Summary:

It was supposed to be simple. All Navy SEAL Nathan Malone had to do was rescue three young girls from a Colombia drug cartel, then allow himself to be captured just long enough to draw out a government spy. That was before his mission went disastrously wrong…and before his wife, Bella, was told that Nathan was never coming home.

Bella’s mourned her husband’s death for three long years. But she has no idea he’s still alive. Forced to assume a new identity, the man Nathan was is now dead. If he can get back to his wife, can he keep the secret of who he really is…even as desire threatens to consume them? And as danger threatens to tear Bella from Nathan’s arms once more?

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Book2, Coming March 2009

Speaking of Brazilians, watch this.