After an accident that nearly put an end to his smokejumping career, Hunter Buchannan is ready to get back to his training. But while his body has healed, he’s having panic attacks and only one person calms the tension and stirs a hunger in him to deal with just about anything in order to be the man she needs. She’s been hiding from a violent man in her past, but a dangerous encounters convinces Charlie that the worst isn’t behind her and she’ll have to decide if she’s strong enough to accept Hunter’s Help – and his love.

Both characters in this Smokejumper story are strong, captivating characters who are both vulnerable for different reasons and easily draw readers to them and ensuring that readers want to know their stories. The chemistry between Hunter and Charlie sizzles with lots chemistry, but this relationship is sweet but more a slow burn romance that builds the heat to inferno proportions with lots of gripping emotions that grip the heart.

The plots is steady paced and keeps readers glued to the pages with suspense and excitement as Charlie gets targeted with a series of attacks that convince her that her past has come back to haunt her. But this story has some unexpected twists that keeps the readers guessing and some additional adrenaline pumping thrills as Hunter finds various was to help him with his problem. Readers can’t tear themselves away from the pages of this heartfelt, heartwarming and suspenseful romance.

 The Smokejumpers #2, This can be read as a standalone. The two main characters in this book have quite a bit of baggage and throw in the suspense and you have a good read. It didn't jump out and catch my attention like I hoped it would but it wasn't bad. It went along at a steady pace the suspense and action were very good the romance is what got me. Dak and Heidi's attraction was pretty much instantaneous but Heidi moved to Oregon to escape her past, her ex and all the grief that relationship caused so she's pretty hesitant to get involved with someone again especially someone who such a high risk job. Dak has family drama up the wazoo, back home for the first time after ten years and the first time he sees his father it's only because his father needs him to do something and thinks he can manipulate Dak, he's very wrong about that. The romance, it was pretty hot and heavy at times but Heidi's wishy washy, back and forth actions got old quick, after the second time you just want to smack her upside the head and say, "it's a good thing".

Dak is a smokejumper he gets roped into acting as a liaison between the reservation and the forest services. Heidi is new to the arson investigator position here and she doesn't know a lot of people when first assigned a liaison she's a bit put off but the hottie ends up really helping her by introducing her to people who could actually help her. For Dak the series of fires happening on the reservation is personal and even though he knows who might be behind this he tries to fix it himself instead of informing Heidi and the local authorities. Which in the end causes a big rift between him and Heidi.

Overall, this was a good read. I really enjoyed the climactic conclusion to the events and when Dak and Heidi were together and she wasn't running scared I liked them together.   

***ARC provided by publisher through NetGalley***

Dak Parrish has family issues. That's what he'd jumped at the opportunity to come back to Oregon to fight fires—his father, mother and little brother live on the reservation nearby. While his mother appears not to want to have anything to do with him, his father makes an impromptu visit, blackmailing Dak into helping an arsonist investigator look into suspicious fires...A prickly female investigator that quickly gets under Dak's skin...


Like its predecessor this story also didn't bring much to the table. The characters were bland (although the heroine was slightly too bitchy for my taste), the suspense had its moments, but the final reveal (without much motive behind it, or a worthy resolution) left everything to be desired, the pacing was plodding...

Another puffed-rice-cake equivalent.

Ten years ago, the lives of two families imploded. Two men died in a fire, one was blamed for both deaths and friendships crumbled.

Lance Roberts is back in Redmond, Oregon. First, to get his father's old job and second, to uncover the truth about the death of his and his best friend's father, his father was also blamed for. He doesn't really expect a warm welcome, but he also doesn't expect threats and sabotage...Or falling (again) for his ex-best friend's sister who also happens to be his trainer.


I liked the blurb of this book...But that's pretty much all I liked. Let me put it this way. This book was the reading equivalent of puffed rice cakes. Bland, tasteless and odorless.

The characters were bland, the story was bland, the pacing was poor, the suspense lacked any oomph, the villains were one too many, the romance was lackluster at best (I preferred the angst before they got together)...

It failed to capture my attention and I was bored by the time I got to chapter 4. I admit to only skimming the rest of it, because I kept hoping something would click.

It didn't.

Since a brain-altering drug killed most of Luke Kincaid’s town—including his father—and left him telekinetic, he’s determined to stop the fanatic who stole the drug to create his own super-powered army. That means working with scientist Dr. Beth Jenkins, whose graphic tees and beautiful smile are some of Luke’s biggest distractions.

A science prodigy, Beth works with the FBI and solves the toughest crimes, but she can’t figure out what caused her mother’s early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. The drug that ravaged Luke’s town is volatile, and the mortality rate is still high, yet Beth is convinced it holds the key to saving her mother, even if sexy and tortured Luke doesn’t believe it should be adapted for commercial use. 

When bodies start to pile up, though, the two loners must decide if the goals that tie them together are greater the fears that would tear them apart.

Thrills, superheroes and supervillains keep readers on the edge of their seat throughout this exciting Altered book.

Beth and Luke are strong, dynamic characters that draw readers in and refuse to let go as they chase bad guys and work through their issues in order to embrace the attraction that pulls them together despite their differences which has sparks flying and the readers easily becoming enamored with the couple. The romance is sweet, full of angst and steamy heat while the fast paced plot keeps readers on edge with lots of twists, turns and thrilling suspense as well as exciting action as they try to get ahead of the bad guys and stop the carnage that they are causing in a diabolical grab for power.

I haven’t read the first two books in this series but I will definitely be remedying that as I was completely captivated by the characters and fascinated with the world. Marnee Blake created an exciting world that is the stuff of comic book heroes, with wonderful characters and some unique elements that add spice to her story and she brought it all to picture perfect life with well written words that make it easy for readers to imagine every last detail. So, I will be reading the ones I missed and looking forward to reading more from Marnee Blake.

Absolved is the 3^rd book in the Altered series.

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