Stevie‘s review of Under Fire by Beth Cornelison
Contemporary Romantic Suspense published by Samhain Publishing, Ltd. 17 Mar 15
I’ve been wanting to read this book for a good long while, and its reissue gave me the perfect excuse. The idea of a firefighter heroine paired with a scientist hero really appealed to me, and I had high hopes for the rest of the plot elements too. For the most part, the heroine doesn’t disappoint.
However, I really couldn’t find anything to like about the hero. Jackson is a single father, whose police officer wife was killed in the line of duty. They hadn’t been getting along too well before that, and he blames her for dying, partly because he believes that she’d gone out that day without full protective equipment just to spite him. I don’t hold with that for a minute; not only is he making her death all about him, but I can’t see any officer going into a potentially dangerous situation without taking the necessary precautions either. On the other hand, Jackson seems to genuinely love his daughter and will do anything to keep her safe, so when they’re kidnapped by terrorists keen to use Jackson’s research against the US government, he caves in to their demands quite readily rather than see his daughter hurt or worse.
Meanwhile, the forest around the terrorists’ hideout catches fire, and Lauren and her team are parachuted in to control the blaze. Unluckily for them, they land adjacent to where Jackson and some of his kidnappers have been halted in their journey back to Jackson’s lab by the same fire. Having dealt with the bad guys, and with the rest of Lauren’s team incapacitated, she makes the decision to team up with Jackson and go for help. So far, so good, and when Jackson lets Lauren be competent, it all reads very well to me. However, as the story progresses, we see more and more examples of his being a controlling wanker, even interfering with Lauren’s chain of command once they reach base, because he believes that the bad guys still out there will get to him by hurting her.
Lauren really doesn’t call him enough on this behaviour, in my opinion.
The scenes centred around the other members of Lauren’s team read really well to me, and I wish they’d been given a book to themselves. I also like one, in particular of the terrorists, who seems to have been dragged into their plot mainly because of her family connections to the ringleaders.
Overall, I can’t fault the writing, but this just isn’t the right story for me by any stretch of the imagination.
Grade: D
Summary:
A terrorist plot puts their lives—and hearts—on the line.
When Jackson McKay and his daughter are kidnapped, their captors demand his research files on a devastating chemical weapon—or they’ll kill his little girl. Jackson searches desperately for a way to save his daughter and also protect his country from the terrorists. No risk is too great. His daring escape sets in motion a deadly game of cat and mouse.
Arriving at the scene of a wildfire, smokejumper Lauren Michaels and her crew are caught in the crosshairs of Jackson’s nightmare. Lauren is the only one who can lead Jackson off the burning mountain and to the police. In order to prevent a national crisis and save a child’s life, they embark on a treacherous journey—one step ahead of a sniper!
But more than their lives are at risk, because an unexpected heat flares between them that may cost them their hearts…
This book has been previously published.
Warning: This title contains sex, strong language, some violence, smart men, courageous women, and heart-pounding action. Possible side effects of reading include racing pulse, missed sleep, and nail biting.
Read an excerpt.
