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review 2017-08-25 02:32
Brief Thoughts: Behind the Scenes
Behind the Scenes - Natalie J. Damschroder

Behind the Scenes
by Natalie J. Damschroder

 

 

Kennedy Smyth's firm provides security for companies and charities in seriously dangerous countries.  She doesn't usually take on "frivolous" jobs, but when an old friend asks her to protect his son's movie shoot, she finds it hard to refuse.  Also hard to resist is the film's charismatic star, Rogan St. James.  The handsome actor piques her interest, while the strange actions of the terrorist threatening the set raise her suspicions.

Even though he's a successful actor, Rogan wants more--a real woman to love, the type he doesn't think exists...until he meets Kennedy.  She intrigues him with her confidence and passion for her work, and frustrates him with her refusal to let him get close.

But Kennedy finds herself in a vulnerable position when she discovers that the terrorist isn't actually out to derail the film.  She's the real target--and if he finds out how much Rogan means to her, he could be next...



I wasn't sure what I was expecting when I went into this book, but the truth is, I'm not even sure if the book met my expectations anyway.  Behind the Scenes is enjoyable and well written, and the characters are all quite unique in their own ways.  I liked Kennedy's independent spunk, and her ability to take care of herself.  I also loved that she wasn't created to be flawless, but was also able to recognize her own weaknesses so she could work on them.  She wasn't cynical about her own worth either, and knew exactly what she was capable of without being overly arrogant.  In comparison, Rogan was also Perfect Boyfriend material, being quite... well, perfect in many ways.

These people are all good people, but to be honest, it also makes them a little flat and boring, especially when the story does a lot of small time skips here and there.

Nonetheless, the semi-investigation and the security set-up that took place in the book was outlined really well.

This is, at best, a mediocre, yet quite enjoyable read.

If I had to complain about something, I think it would have to be the romance.  Kennedy and Rogan seem to fall in love and start talking serious relationship much faster than I liked.  On top of that, people start mentioning how the two of them seem to have something going on.  And yet, as the reader, I'm not entirely sure when and where their unofficial courtship began.  One moment, they were discussing the terror attacks.  One moment, they monologue about their intense attraction.

But then the very next moment, they're talking deep feelings and "meant to be" and stuff like that.

When their relationship starts up for real, though, it was pretty sweet.

The identity of their mysterious terrorist is rather predictable, but probably only because subtle hints were thrown out here and there.  Maybe.

Anyway, enjoyable as it is, this isn't a book I'd reread, but since I DID find it entertaining, I'm not complaining.

 

 

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quote 2015-05-29 05:43
“She was strength and power and so many things he’d pretended for twelve years he didn’t miss, didn’t need.”
Hearts Under Siege (Entangled Ignite) - Natalie J. Damschroder

~~ Hearts Under Siege, by  Natalie J. Damschroder

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text 2014-08-04 16:04
Get Your Super On: Heroine Style
Even Villains Fall In Love - Liana Brooks
Sunroper - Natalie J. Damschroder
Temptress - Lola Dodge
Equal Parts - Emma Winters
To the Fifth Power (Powers, #1) - Shirin Dubbin
Blindside - Jayden Alexander
Seduced by the Storm - Sydney Croft
Chain - Viola Grace
Shadow Touch - Marjorie M. Liu
Super Bad - Vivi Andrews

Guardians of the Galaxy released in theaters this weekend.  The film features a bevy of great Super Heroines!

 

Gamora is an orphan from an alien world who was raised by the mysterious Thanos to become the perfect weapon. As Thanos personal assassin, Gamora has earned a reputation as a formidable warrior. Gamora now seeks redemption for her past crimes.

 

Nebula is a blue-skinned deadly assassin, Nebula is a loyal lieutenant in Ronan and Thanos employ. Her advanced skill set and cybernetic enhancements make her a valuable asset but her resentment of Thanos adoptive daughter Gamora may prove to be her Achilles heel.

 

Nova Prime Irani Rael is in charge of Nova Corps operations throughout the galaxy. From her base of operations on Xandar, the principled and efficient Nova Prime leads her forces with confidence. She defines her mission above all to protect the citizens of Xandar and keep peace.

 

Bereet is a female Krylorian techno-artist. 

 

Maybe we will get the the Wonder Woman Standalone Film sooner than later! 

 

In the meantime, here are some wonderful Superpowered Heroines from Romanceland!

 

 

1.  Even Villains Fall in Love by Liana Brooks  

 

A super villain at the top of his game must choose between the world he wants and the woman he loves.

If you believe the rumors you know that Doctor Charm, the wickedly sexy super villain, retired in shame seven years ago after his last fight with the super hero Zephyr Girl. The fact that the charming Evan Smith—father of four and husband of the too-beautiful-to-be-real Tabitha—bears a resemblance to the defeated Doctor is pure coincidence. And, please, ignore the minions.

Everything is perfect in the Smith household, until Tabitha announces her return to work as a super hero. Evan was hoping to keep her distracted until after he rigged the 2012 presidential election, but—genius that he is—Evan has a backup plan. In his basement lab, Evan has a machine whose sole purpose is keeping Tabitha hungry for him.

But children and labs don’t mix. The machine is broken, and Tabitha storms out, claiming she no longer knows him. World domination takes a back seat to meeting his daughters’ demands to get Mommy back right now. This time his genius isn’t going to be enough—he’s going to need both his evil alter-ego, and the blooming super abilities of his children to save his wife. But even his most charming self might not be enough to save their marriage.

 

2. Sunroper by Natalie J. Damschroder 

 

Marley Canton is done being a victim. A year and a half has passed since she discovered her ability to nullify power in those who aren’t supposed to have it. She’s now on a quest not only to stop the brats who’ve become addicted to goddess power, but also to find the source of their addiction.

 

Like Marley, Gage Samargo is tracking down the goddess who went rogue decades ago. Insane with too much power from the sun, she’s selling that energy to Gage’s younger brother and his friends, who are no longer content to come into power naturally. While they work to find a way to neutralize the goddess, Marley discovers that every time she nullifies someone, she takes on some of the goddess’s insanity.

 

Gage falls for Marley’s sharp wit and intense desire to right wrongs. But once he discovers she’s turning into her enemy, is it too late to back away?

 

3. Temptress by Lola Dodge 

 

Kidnapping a super-powered suspected felon from a Vegas bachelor party is another day at the office for Jenny Ray, alias Temptress. With one kiss, any naughty supe’s powers are hers. Except this time she’s caught by her mark’s boss, who’s no ordinary superhero.

 

It’s Thinktank, leader of the toughest hero crew around. One destroyed men’s room and near-toilet-drowning later, Jenny’s forced to steal an innocent hero’s powers.

For a super brain, Tank’s feeling pretty idiotic. First, he let Jenny close enough to get to him. Second, he’s helpless against the tide of desire that rises in him every time he kisses her. Which he’s doing a lot, since she’s trying to give him back his power—only it’s not working. As he shadows her on her various freelance casino security jobs, he realizes she’s no she-demon—she’s a time bomb. Her acquired powers are shredding her, body and soul.

 

As they give in to desire, a shadowy figure from Jenny’s past surfaces with a kidnapping plan of his own. Jenny will do anything—even level Las Vegas—to rescue the man she loves. But there may not be anything left of her when the dust settles.

 

 

4. Equal Parts by Emma Winters  

 

Nobody knows happiness better than nineteen-year-old Felicity Eastwood. For years now, she’s been ‘gifted’ with the ability to collect and transfer happiness to anyone at will. Well, everyone except herself.
That is until Achilles - renowned criminal mastermind with a face painted like Death and enough charm to cause hormonal riots – crashes into Felicity’s world and her feel … something.

Determined not to let such a coveted superpower slip beyond his reach, Achilles kidnaps Felicity, hoping to use her ability to brave his own skeletons. Felicity is only a half-unwilling prisoner though, forgoing escape to learn more of the man behind the mask and pursue the inexplicable spark between them.

As the lines between hero and villain begin to blur, Felicity finds herself wondering if Achilles might be the key to her own happiness at long last. Is it possible to be so happy with someone so dangerous?

But Achilles isn’t the only villain in the town, and the pursuit of happiness can be a deadly hunt…

 

5. To the Fifth Power  by Shirin Dubbin 

 

Three years ago, Zola Noite's nemesis killed her sidekick and forced her to watch. The guilt drove her to hang up her cape. Zola knows one thing for certain. She will never be a superhero again.

 

Psychologist Dr. Arturo "Fort" Forte specializes in super-powered mental health. He’s the only reason Zola can once again call herself sane—although, truth be told, the heat between them is slowly driving her back to mad.

 

When three mega-villains escape the prison Fort oversees, all Zola's best laid plans go up in flames. Fort asks her for help, and she can't turn down the man she's secretly come to love. As battles ensue and clues add up, the one thing Zola trusts is called into question: Fort's true agenda and which side he’s on.

 

6. Blindside by Jayden Alexander 

 

Once a masked superhero, Mac Gamble is a cage fighter using his infamy to attract a crowd, until the cop who ran him out of town asks him to track down a dangerous vigilante. 

Once an ambitious cop determined to continue in her brother's footsteps, Lana Rossini craves vengeance. The abilities she acquired in the same explosion that killed her brother allow her to hunt the streets at night for those who betrayed him. Yet, during the day she is a helpless invalid, unable to stand the thinnest light. 

She doesn’t expect the man sent after her to be the one whose powers she somehow stole, a man she thought abandoned her to blindness, a man she can't allow herself to love. 

 

7. Seduced by the Storm by Sydney Croft 

 

They met in a steamy Florida bar—then spent a night of mind-bending passion. Two secret agents who each possess unique telekinetic gifts—and whose combined sexual powers leave neither of them unscathed. For ex-Navy SEAL Wyatt Kennedy, assigned by the Agency for Covert Rare Operatives to the most treacherous mission of his career, the woman in black leather and lace has just become more than a one-night stand. Because Faith Black is the sole barrier to the success of his mission—and not even Wyatt’s legendary seduction skills can penetrate her deep cover.

Faith’s psychic gifts make her one of the world’s most dangerous women—but she hides a secret pain she shares with no one. Until Wyatt. And Faith has an agenda of her own: using her unique powers to save someone close to her—a move that pits her against a man she thought she’d never see again. For as a deadly hurricane is unleashed across the eastern seaboard, desire reignites between Faith and Wyatt, exposing secrets that thrust them both into harm’s way. With the hurricane sweeping closer—and their erotic hunger for each other growing—these two wary hearts must come together to heal, to trust . . . and to harness the power of a storm that could consume everything in its path.

 

8. Chain by Viola Grace 

 

Estelle is a logistical expert, show her a problem and she can solve it. When she is drugged and enslaved, she looks for a way out, sending messages with every outgoing slave and hoping that one will get her plan to the Alliance in time. The escape is on, but she has been shackled to her breeding partner that very evening, linked by a chain they lead the escape until one partner goes on alone. Survivors are offered a place on an Oefric colony world. The shape shifters have a separate town from the arena survivors, and that is where their hospitality ends. Steel leads the charge to design a working village, and since she conveniently made it into the survivors and not the Alliance specialist designation when she landed, let the fun begin. Wyanic is eventually persuaded to look in on the growing village, and imagine his surprise when his true mate greets him when he thought her dead on the ship.

 

9. Shadow Touch by Marjorie M. Liu 

 

Elena Baxter, a psychic trying to do good in her local hospital, has a healing touch. Literally. And her life is forever altered when she's kidnapped by an organization out to exploit her powers. She learns that she's not the single irregularity she believed; others have been captured. Shape-shifters, fellow psychics, and Artur, an ex-Russian Mafia agent now working for the secret detective agency Dirk & Steele and a man who can see into a person's soul. But what she sees in him is far more precious, something she is willing to risk her life for.

 

10. Super Bad  by Vivi Andrews

 

Ever since her supervillain father experimented on her as a child, Mirabelle “Mirage” Wroth has been able to project unbreakable illusions into the minds of those around her. But when a run-in with an evil Mind Bender snaps a delicate thread in her psyche, she loses control of her gift and can no longer tell where reality ends and illusion begins. Only sanctimonious superhero Captain Justice is immune to her gift and can help her find the truth again – if Mirage can trust another man to define her reality. 

Justice is sick of saving damsels in distress–he just wants someone to look beyond the cape to see him–but he can’t turn away from the hauntingly vulnerable Mirage. Suddenly Justice is helping her hide from the police, willing to be downright villainous to be her hero. But as they work to save Mirage from herself, other forces are circling to threaten them both. Tangled in illusions and mind games, can love be real?
 
Did I miss your favorite?  Let me know!
 
Vote for the best of the best on the Goodreads list: Get Your Super On: Heroine Style.
 
Check out my Pinterest Board: Superlove!
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review 2014-03-20 00:00
Soul of the Dragon
Soul of the Dragon - Natalie J. Damschroder I really wanted to love this book, however there was a lot left to be desired. I felt that there were quite a few plot holes and that there was some lacking character development that I thought would make this story exceptional, however personally I felt the author left it out which left the story feeling rushed. It has a lot of potential and I hope that the author adds more to it in future revisions.
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review 2014-02-26 14:13
Hearts Under Siege by Natalie J. Damschroder
Hearts Under Siege - Natalie J. Damschroder

I'm not usually a fan of military style romance, but I love Natalie Damschroder's other books and I'm so glad I took a chance on this one. SIEGE is a super secret spy agency - the type where the people working there don't even know who else is working there. Brady is out on assignment when news comes that his brother has died. No one can reach him but Molly, another agent of SIEGE and Brady's best friend from childhood. So the adventure starts with her tracking him down, but it doesn't stop there - something is odd about the death and they both set out to find out just what it is. 

Hearts Under Siege is full of action, but throughout it all Brady is trying to come to grips with realizing that he might just be falling in love with Molly. There were a few times it was a little predictable, but in the end Natalie had a few surprises up her sleeve for me that I never saw coming. Both Molly and Brady were incredible characters. Their strengths and weaknesses complimented each other and neither of them was completely perfect, but very lovable in their imperfections. 

The agency itself only came into play as a prop to get the story started and a few times to keep it moving in the right direction. It never overshadowed our characters but hummed along nicely in the background helping to hold the storyline together. 

*This book was received in exchange for an honest review* 

Source: www.bittenbyromance.com/2014/02/review-hearts-under-siege-by-natalie-j.html
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