Tinderbox is the first book in this fast paced series.  A struggle in a foreign country, where water is rare to nonexistent and corruption reigns. This story moves forward wrapping the two main characters together as part of the solution, in a place where small victories make the only difference. Very intense, romance with steam. Excellent read. 

“There’s a fine line between evil and desperation. One easily leads to the other."

Holy hell was this fascinating, entertaining, hot at times, and plain absorbing. I didn't really take notes to write a review but want to alert anyone looking for a rom suspense that's high on the suspense, this is an absolute go to. 

Quickly, our heroine is an archaeologist sent to Djibouti to survey land that wants to be developed by both China and U.S. There is a butt load of politics involved with secondary characters trying to maneuver to place them or their country in power. It is, as the title suggests, a tinderbox situation. Morgan meets a Special Forces soldier who she ends up having mad chemistry with and they battle it along with the elements of the country. 

I have to be honest, the romance was a pretty far second to the overall suspense, political, anthropology, and people of Djibouti setting the author magnificently created. Morgan and Pax had chemistry but his stop and go, feet dragging on not wanting to be together came off even more slow paced in comparison to the suspense of shady country dealings, double agents, and people fighting for survival. I also thought the issues Morgan had with her Dad were, eh; made her come off still kind of childish and wrapped very easily up to make her whole issues even more, eh.

Loved this line about the hero: She’d pulled back her blonde hair in a neat French braid, the kind his little sister made him learn how to do when she was eight because she couldn’t braid behind her head herself.

He learned to French braid his little sisters hair! You know how I thirst for building blocks of characters, this was a majorly sweet one that gives a great insight into the hero.

There really was no end to fascinating and intriguing tidbits in this story:  She picked up a triangular rock and jogged back to his side to press it in his hand. She wrapped his fingers around the warm stone. “You’re holding in your hand a tool that was made by either Homo ergaster or Homo habilis around one-point-five-million years ago.”

I spent hours at the computer intermittently looking up new anthropological finds and the current situation in Djibouti. Personally, I felt like the author did an amazing job giving us enough solid facts weaved in with some plausible fiction, without technically overloading or stunting with "look at all the research I did!" facts, to create one heck of an interesting story. 

Like I said, the romance was more three stars for me as I liked the couple's banter but they got pretty lusty right away (thoughts more than actions in beginning). I'm also nerdy enough though, that the author's fascinating inclusion of threads, facts, and plausible sounding anthropology, archaeology, world geography, military, and political talk, the main couple could have been anyone. 

She caught his smug grin. She rolled her eyes and hoped he didn’t notice her heart was still in overdrive. “Not a bad bit of rescuing,” she said as nonchalantly as she could muster.

He laughed. “Sometimes I even amaze myself.” It was her turn to laugh. A guy who could quote Han Solo might just be her catnip.

This was my catnip. If looking for some really interesting, intriguing, heartbreaking, make you feel incredibly lucky where you were born, action, and some sexy time romantic suspense, you will really want to read this. I'm delighted there are more books to discover in this series.

She caught his smug grin. She rolled her eyes and hoped he didn’t notice her heart was still in overdrive. “Not a bad bit of rescuing,” she said as nonchalantly as she could muster.

He laughed. “Sometimes I even amaze myself.”

It was her turn to laugh. A guy who could quote Han Solo might just be her catnip.

Not only would he be taking her beyond the gates and into what amounted to a war zone tomorrow, but also his damned CO had just made him her bodyguard for the duration of the time she was in Djibouti. While his A-Team was out doing the job they’d been sent here to do—molding the locals into guerilla fighters—he was going to be Indiana Jones’s fucking sidekick.

Have to go to bed but great so far, addictive story. 

Wow!  This has never been one of my favorite HC Andersen stories.  Even I, who enjoy a bit of grit and gore with my fairy tales and certainly don't demand a tidy moral, have always found this story more than just a bit squirm-worthy.  This book changed my mind completely! 

It is still a wacky, brutal, immoral story, but I LOVE it.  I would say that it's due almost entirely to the illustrations which are beyond fantastic - somehow making the three huge eyed dogs both grotesque and adorable at the same time. 

However, I think much of the appeal also has a lot to do with Stephen Mitchell's retelling.  I love Andersen, really I do, but some of his stories really can be a drag.  Mitchell somehow made this story fun and lighthearted and I really don't know how he did that given how much bizarre and unnecessary violence takes place.  Ah, the power of words!

A little sample of Ibatoulline's awesomeness:

Check out more at his official website: http://www.bagramibatoulline.com/