~~The Hot Shot by Kristen Callihan

(Game On #4)

Let me be honest here, I don't read a lot of mysteries, but I'm really glad I gave this one a try.

Talba Wallis is my kind of girl! She's super smart, good at computers, just got her PI license, and just landed herself a pretty decent job working for Eddie Valantino (an old school, renowned PI). Talba is also a Baroness Poet.

I liked how the mystery unfolded, but what I really enjoyed was how the story took on New Orleans, and it became a character in the story itself. It just oozed of dialect, food, music, spirituality, fashion, and poetry. Now, I really can't wait to go on this trip and experience it first hand!

Many thanks to RedThaws for the recommendation. I will continue to read the rest of the series for sure.

21/8 - Fantastic! Loved it! Read between 9 pm and 1:30 am. Peyton's life is in danger because she has a recording of the CEO-to-be (or so he thinks) of a large magazine company sexually harassing her and threatening to rape her. Finn was the boy-next-door who saved her from drowning when she was little, now he's all grown up and has lived an amazing life - gold medals for swimming, awards for his work with the FBI as their top interrogator, saving people everywhere he goes. Finn is captivated with Peyton from his first look at her as an adult, even before he remembers who she is. Peyton has worshipped Finn ever since he rescued her from her backyard pool. Now Peyton needs Finn's help and he wouldn't have it any other way.

I've read a number of books that feature the 'over-protective, police/FBI/etc.' type of hero, but the heroine usually tends to be the type who is too stupid or too stubborn to take the advice of the over-protective man. He tells her to stay put as there is a killer (or whatever) out there just waiting for her to make an appearance, but she would rather get killed than listen to the man (usually it comes pretty close to her getting killed before she's willing to listen to reason). Thank God Peyton was nothing like the typical heroine in these kinds of books. When Finn told her to stay put she understood why and found stuff to do within the secure (not counting the constant appearance of cousin Debi) confines of Bishop Cove. I loved that about her. Between Finn and Peyton there was only a small conflict that was quickly resolved, the drama between them wasn't drawn out to ridiculous lengths just to provide the tension of will they or won't they (which I always find silly as the book's a romance, so of course they will).

I do have one small quibble. How is this related to the previous book, Mercy, from the Renard-Buchanan series? The only anything that has continued from that earlier book (the only other one from this series that I've read) is that characters in both books are with the FBI. There's no mention of any Renard or Buchanan relatives, which considering the series name, I was expecting. Why bother naming the series after particular characters, if they (or some distant relative) isn't going to feature in all of the books? The series would have been better named something along the lines of 'The FBI' series, as that's the only connection they seem to have. Fortunately, the lack of a Renard or Buchanan didn't alter my enjoyment of the story, it's just a little confusing.

Opening Line: “Major Vince “Vapor” Deluca didn’t need to ask if there were Harleys in heaven.”

Hotshot was an okay read for me. I’d been looking forward to it after enjoying the first book in the series so much, and of course I was intrigued by our pilot hero Vince Deluca, who is described as a tattooed, former bad boy biker, now part of the Air Force’s top secret squadron of test pilots (AKA Dark Ops) I mean yum.

Unlike (Defender) this book has no real military action or exotic locations which are what I’d been anticipating and enjoyed so much about the 1st book. Hotshot takes place entirely on US soil, with our hero on leave. I also had a hard time getting into the whole plot line involving troubled youth and gangs which then somehow segued into terrorism. And while there was nothing wrong with our couple de jour I just never felt “it” between them and was actually more interested in the secondary romance going on between the heroine’s father and his FBI co-agent. For me they upstaged the main romance (complete with hot, breaking the furniture love scenes) and when that happens you know it’s not a good sign.

When Major Vince “Vapor” Deluca receives a message from his former mentor (the man responsible for getting him into the Air Force and turning his life around) he doesn’t ask too many questions he just does. Before he knows it he’s responsible for protecting the man’s daughter. Trouble is, the daughter is someone from his shady biker gang past, someone he’s never been quite able to forget. And while it has been 17 years he can’t believe that she’ d now be involved in terrorist activities which is what the FBI thinks. She’s also getting ready to testify in a congressional hearing involving the recent escalated gang activity so she’s in deep do-do because the gangs aren’t going to sit by and let that happen.

Shay Basset is a nurse volunteering in her spare time at a youth center in a not so nice part of downtown Cleveland. Manning the suicide hot line is a job she takes very seriously, having had issues herself growing up she can relate to her callers. Vince is the absolute last person she ever expected to see walking in the centers doors and seeing him again just brings back everything from her painful and desperate past on so many different levels. But damn he looks good with a shaved head. (loved the reason why he had a shaved head) and just maybe it’s time they put their unresolved past behind them. Before long Shay is dodging multiple attempts on her life and her and Vince are on the run.

I have to say this did get better as things went along but all in all a completely forgettable story with an over-the-top ending. And what was up with the spy cameras in the bees and spiders? Really!