Laura C’s review of With No Remorse (Black Ops Inc., Book 6) by Cindy Gerard
Romantic Suspense published by Pocket Star 19 Jul 11

Cindy Gerard is one of my favorite paramilitary romantic suspense authors. She always gives you plenty of action and adventure, and With No Remorse is no exception. Her Black Ops, Inc books take you on a ride that–while sometimes less than plausible–is always fun. The books are ensemble rather than strictly series, so you can read them out of order if you like–each member of the BOIs gets his own book and, although the other members of the team have cameos, you don’t need to know their backstories to enjoy the books.

In this book, team medic Luke “Doc” Colter is paired with international supermodel Valentina, whom he meets on a train in Peru. The train is boarded by men with guns, and, although Luke is disillusioned with himself and unsure whether he has it in him to be a hero any longer, he cannot stop himself from helping her escape. She has no idea why she is being pursued, and Luke must solve the mystery while protecting and, eventually, getting them both back to the USA.

It’s an unlikely relationship and one that, I am afraid, doesn’t get any more believable as the book goes on. The heat is certainly there, and there’s plenty of good sex (as always with Gerard), but the emotional depth is lacking. It’s hard to believe that these two will make it as a couple in the long term.

Part of the problem is Valentina herself. The character isn’t particularly fleshed out. We know she is gorgeous (after all, she’s a supermodel) and she proves that she has grit, but we’re never shown her intelligence or strength of character. In fact, several times I wanted to smack her. She’s not TSTL, she doesn’t get herself into terrible fixes and expect others to get her out, but you can’t imagine her at, say, the family barbeque chatting with various relatives about sports, politics, anything of any import.

This is a hard book for me to review and it comes down to having to split the review into two sections: readability and romance. I would give the thrill, the ride, the enjoyability of the book while actually reading it high marks. But the romance should be the payoff, the thing that keeps a story with you long after you close the book, and that’s ultimately unsatisfying.

Grade: B-

Summary:

His quiet vacation in the Peruvian Andes turns deadly when a Black Ops, Inc. operative rescues a stunning stranger from a mysterious train robbery and discovers she’s the target of a vengeful manhunt.

A DANGEROUS MAN
For Luke Colter, down time is an illusion. He should know better than to ever leave his gun behind. Especially since he risks his life to save world-famous supermodel Valentina.

A REBELLIOUS WOMAN
Val thought traveling incognito through the mountains would be the perfect cure for her bruised heart . . . until someone tries to kill her. Without knowing who is after her—and why—does she dare trust her irresistible protector?

A PERILOUS MISSION THAT COULD SEAL THEIR FATE
Luke’s elite military training offers little defense against his feelings for Val. When his BOI team links her ruthless enemy to the cutthroat global weapons trade—and to a man from her troubled past—he’ll do anything to save her.  So when Val offers herself as bait, will he make the right call . . . or surrender to the hold she has on his heart?

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series: