Viper's Kiss

Jul 23, 2011 Crystal ♥ RBtWBC rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: request-netgalley, reading-challenge-sizzling-summer

Quicky Arc Review

Viper’s Kiss is an exciting and quick tale of who-done-it with a dash of romance.

I really liked this novel; I enjoyed all the characters and found even the secondary characters interesting. The plot flowed quickly and smoothly with no potholes, a few light twists to keep you guessing. The romance was pretty light as well; it was there but not too intense. Well, there was that one scene against the fence… ;)
The attraction between the two main characters sparked quickly but progre...more

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Jul 24, 2011 Jess rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Review posted: Happily Ever After - Reads

Maggie Kincaid leads a fairly boring life as a librarian at the University of Washington. Her mom is losing her battle to cancer and Maggie is struggling to pay the bills, keep a roof over their heads and be there for her mom during her final days. After being mistaken as “The Viper” who stole sensitive information from a partnership between the Department of Defense, TekIntel and the University, the worst day of Maggie’s life begins. She’s arrested at he...more Review posted: Happily Ever After - Reads

Maggie Kincaid leads a fairly boring life as a librarian at the University of Washington. Her mom is losing her battle to cancer and Maggie is struggling to pay the bills, keep a roof over their heads and be there for her mom during her final days. After being mistaken as “The Viper” who stole sensitive information from a partnership between the Department of Defense, TekIntel and the University, the worst day of Maggie’s life begins. She’s arrested at her job, in a car wreck, watches the 2 agents who arrested her get shot and killed, is taken again this time by really bad guys, gets beaten for information she doesn’t have, escapes only to be caught by Luke Fletcher – who’s working to catch the Viper – she finds out her mom was rushed to the hospital, so she escapes Luke’s custody and rushes to the hospital to be with her mom. Ok, deep breath. The sadness and craziness of her day doesn’t end there. Between the back and forth with Luke, will he believe she’s innocent or not, she escapes again to prove her innocence only to be caught in another showdown between the good and bad guys. I wanted to call a time out half way through just so Maggie could catch a breather and maybe deal with all the important things that happened throughout the day, the biggest being with her mom.

Luke Fletcher works for a security company hired by TekIntel and his first mission with the company is to recover the item stolen from the Viper, a suit with the potential to cause horrible damage if found in the wrong hands. What he doesn’t count on is Maggie. All the clues point to her guilt, but the evidence slowly piles up in her favor and he realizes too late that she’s a completely innocent party to everything going on. By this time, Maggie’s taking matters into her own hands and Luke has to rush to find her yet again as she sets out to prove who the bad guys really are.

There was so much action packed into the story that every scene Maggie made it through got lost in the overall story because it felt like so much was going on. Maggie has so much thrown at her in such a short period of time, hours really, and she holds it together through it all. She’s strong but the scenes with her mom showed how vulnerable she really is. It was heartbreaking to read those scenes, but again the emotion of it was so powerful and could have been even more so if we weren’t tossed back into the action along with Maggie. I also missed having more between her and Luke, seeing their relationship grow suffered because they were constantly dealing with outside forces.

For a book that’s a little on the shorter side, the action was just too much for me. Had the book been a little longer, and we had more development for Maggie and Luke’s relationship, it would have helped balance out the story. It had a lot of potential to be an interesting story for a quiet girl who busts out of her shell and into a crazy new world, but it didn’t really hit the mark. (less)

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Dec 24, 2012 Book Chick City rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance-paranormal

Reviewed by Laura for Book Chick City. 7/10 on the blog.

When I first began 'Viper's Kiss', I wasn't sure if I was going to like it. I thought that the heroine Maggie was going to irritate me. But luckily she grew on me very quickly. She has spunk and ingenuity. A librarian with a reasonably quiet life, Maggie gets caught up in the worst case of mistaken identity. Arrested and charged with espionage, Maggie gets attacked, kidnapped and arrested all in one day.

Our hero Luke is a security expert c...more Reviewed by Laura for Book Chick City. 7/10 on the blog.

When I first began 'Viper's Kiss', I wasn't sure if I was going to like it. I thought that the heroine Maggie was going to irritate me. But luckily she grew on me very quickly. She has spunk and ingenuity. A librarian with a reasonably quiet life, Maggie gets caught up in the worst case of mistaken identity. Arrested and charged with espionage, Maggie gets attacked, kidnapped and arrested all in one day.

Our hero Luke is a security expert charged with bringing 'The Viper' to justice and retrieving the last item, an important military weapon she stole. If I'm honest there's nothing remarkable about him, he's your typical romantic hero. Tough, brawn, brave and handsome, oh and super clever. But I liked him never the less!

Perhaps one of the harder plot points is that it takes a very long time for Luke to trust Maggie and at points of the story, after some very sad developments with Maggie's poorly mother, this is actually quite heartbreaking. I wanted someone to route for Maggie and be in her corner. Just when you think Luke's there, he takes a few steps backwards again.

The chemistry between Maggie and Luke is fantastic, virtually palpable. And despite Luke's annoying trust issues they were a couple I really routed for. Which made this a great, sizzling read.

You do have to suspend your disbelief a little as the plot is perhaps a little far-fetched. It's quite a short book, not quite a novella, but not really a full novel either. And the story is completely, non-stop, action packed. Blink and you might miss something. It's one of those books that whizzed by as the pages just keep on turning.

One comment... I'm not sure what's going on with the book cover? Hunky man yes, but I think given the plot the publisher could have easily come up with something much more fun. But I do have a few issues with romance covers in general!

VERDICT:

This was an entertaining read, I enjoyed the story and how despite being a slightly conservative librarian, Maggie is brave, tough and feisty. The romance had plenty of sparks and the plot kept you guessing.(less)

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Jan 06, 2012 Felicia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-read

Requested from NetGalley by me
Overall Rating 4.00
Character Rating 4.00
Action Rating 4.25
Romance Rating 3.75

NOTE: I am really beginning to like what I dub the "action-romance" novels. Viper's Kiss by Shannon Curtis was no exception--it was full of thrills, spills, romance, and chills. I really enjoyed it!

What I Loved: Viper's Kiss was full of intrigue and action right from the beginning and never let up! I was blown away by the doppelganger storyline and how it played out. The fact that it was a...more

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Jul 02, 2011 Jess the Romanceaholic rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: beautiful-heroine, mistaken-identity, contemporary, contemporary-virgin-heroine, romantic-suspense, on-the-run, law-enforcement, spy, betrayal, brainiac, steam-level-steamy

This is a Quickie Review. For the full review, please visit The Romanceaholic.

Expected Release Date: July 25, 2011
Publisher: Harlequin
Imprint: Carina Press
Author’s Website: http://www.shannoncurtis.com/
My Source for This Book: Netgalley
Part of a Series: No
Series Best Read In Order: N/A
Steam Level: Steamy

This book started out with a bang and didn’t slow down until the very ending. We open with dowdy Maggie Kincaid, librarian for a large university, having to sneak into work so that she won’t be m...more

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Jul 01, 2011 Maldivianbookreviewer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arcs, bookish-heroine, brooding-hero, captive-heroine, contemporary-romance, creepy-villian, endearing-hero, endearing-heroine, emotional-wrangler, ex-military-hero, explosive-passion, fabulous-cover, haunted-by-the-past-heroine, heroine-on-the-run, hot-as-sin-hero, kidnap-theme, larger-than-life-hero, netgalley-reads, on-the-run-for-their-lives, opposites-attract, romantic-suspense, sizzling-sexual-tension, spinsterish-heroine, virgin-heroine, librarian-heroine

Who in the world wouldn't want to read a title with a cover as this one? I fell completely for it and though Shannon Curtis is a totally new author for me, within the first chapter itself I knew that in this instant judging the book by its cover had been the right thing to do.

Margaret Elizabeth Kincaid is the Information Services Librarian at the University of Washington whose wildest nightmares couldn't have shown her the turmoil her life could turn into. Arrested and taken into custody for eco...more Who in the world wouldn't want to read a title with a cover as this one? I fell completely for it and though Shannon Curtis is a totally new author for me, within the first chapter itself I knew that in this instant judging the book by its cover had been the right thing to do.

Margaret Elizabeth Kincaid is the Information Services Librarian at the University of Washington whose wildest nightmares couldn't have shown her the turmoil her life could turn into. Arrested and taken into custody for economic espionage and murder, Maggie's orderly life is turned upside down when being arrested with the whole university looking on is just the tip of the iceberg.

When the squad car in which she is held is stopped by gun-toting vicious looking goons who have no problem with killing two federal officers whilst they are at it, Maggie undergoes the goons' vicious onslaught whose only aim is to retrieve the research of the world-altering kind she supposedly has stolen for their boss. Being called the 'Viper' when she she has no clue as to who she is, Maggie is at a loss which doesn't stop her from fighting for her right to survive.

Maggie narrowly escapes being manhandled to death by one set of goons only to run smack-dab into the arms of Luke Fletcher who is Ex-Special Forces and works for the McCormack Security Agency who has been entrusted with the task of retrieving the sensitive information stolen by the notorious and vicious Viper.

What Luke doesn't comprehend happening is that he would screw up his first solo assignment so royally by lusting after the notorious Viper, almost believing the lies that comes out of her delectable mouth. Tall, blonde and too dangerous for her peace of mind is what Luke is to Maggie who has never been so tempted to break her own ninety day rule before. The fact that he almost makes her forget the reason for their acquaintance is reason enough for Maggie to be wary of the man whose rough and hard kisses stir her to her very soul.

And just when it seems like things may finally work out for Luke and Maggie, reality intervenes making Maggie take matters into her own hands to prove once and for all that she is not the infamous Viper whom everyone thinks she is.

For me, Viper's Kiss turned out to be a surprisingly enjoyable read. I liked both Maggie and sexy as hell Luke and the chemistry between the two. Luke surprisingly is the only ex-military hero that I have encountered who actually has plans of settling down and what scares him is the fact that Maggie is the one he wants to do that with whilst still thinking her to be Viper.

The adventure aspect of the novel was fast-paced with plenty of action and thus never a dull moment in the story. And I enjoyed Drew Michaels and Noah Samuels entry into the story, the two other agents sent in who lend the story something extra with their presence. Would love to see more stories about the rest of the guys at MSA and I definitely look forward to reading more from Shannon Curtis.

Rating=4/5

Original review posted on MBR's Realm of Romance (less)

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Jun 24, 2011 Sharon Tyler rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Viper’s Kiss by Shannon Curtis is a romance novel due to be released on July 25 2011. The story revolves around one librarian that is having a rough time and a security expert that is charged with finding her and the top-secret project that the world believes her to have stolen. Maggie Kincaid is an information technology librarian caring for her terminally ill mother and just trying to make ends meet. She might have wanted a more exciting life, but a look-a-like that models and being accused of...more

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Sep 18, 2011 Tracy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romantic-suspense, arc, netgalley

Strained My Willing Suspension of Disbelief
Maggie Kincaid isn't having a good week. She's been forced to disguise herself as an old woman to sneak past a throng of fans just to get to her library job at the University of Washington. They're not her fans, per se, though they don't know that. It's just her rotten luck that a woman bearing enough resemblance to Maggie to be her doppelganger posed nude as Miss April Hotrod in a popular...and apparently well-circulated calendar.

Her mother certainly w...more

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Aug 29, 2011 Kari rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, kindle, novella

Viper's Kiss involves a librarian who is accused of being a spy and stealing secret technology. While I liked the overall story idea, I'm not sure this one really worked for me. I know I would have liked this one had it been a bit longer and there was more time to get t know both Maggie and Luke. Their relationship just seemed forced and not believable. I didn't really like Maggie or Luke. Maggie kept contradicting herself and that got annoying. First, she says she won't sleep with someone until...more

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Jul 24, 2011 Cleffairy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Reviewed at : Over A Cuppa Tea
Review date: 25 July 2011
Review link: http://cleffairy.wordpress.com/2011/07/24/vipers-kiss/

Viper’s Kiss is a very hot, tantalizing and breathtaking read It’s very engaging and mesmerizing.

I like how the things starts off with the main characters and how they developed from not friendly with each other to lovers.

I also like the element of danger and forbidden love in this story, and who would not like a hero to call their own?

One would have to have a heart of stone...more

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Jul 21, 2011 Alaiel Kreuz rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book had me since the first page, is not only funny but also incredible clever. We start with Maggie, our main character, trying to get to her work without being noticed. Why you ask? Well, turns out that a woman that looks exactly like her, a model, just posed nude for a car calendar... And now Maggie has lots of "unwanted" attention.
But she doesn't have time for this, she wants to arrive in time to her work as a librarian and she is also worried for her mom that has a terminal illness.

But...more

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Jul 01, 2011 Tara Chevrestt rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-release, netgalley, kindle

This is the first book by Carina I have sat down and thoroughly read and didn't like. Oh, I haven't loved them all, but I can normally tell in the very beginning whether a book is for me or not. If it's not, I normally mark it dnf and move on with my life. This one sorta tricked me, however, and by the time I realized it wasn't for me, I had read over half of it.

A sexy librarian is mistaken for a tough woman spy named Viper and accused of stealing an amazing secret. Some hot covert op guy captur...more

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Sep 19, 2011 Laura Summers rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: bccebooks, ipad-ebooks-i-own, bcc-reviewed, paranormal, read-in-2011, summer-romance-2011-challenge, romance, bcc-received

Reviewed for www.BookChickCity.com (7 out of 10 on the blog)

When I first began 'Viper's Kiss', I wasn't sure if I was going to like it. I thought that the heroine Maggie was going to irritate me. But luckily she grew on me very quickly. She has spunk and ingenuity. A librarian with a reasonably quiet life, Maggie gets caught up in the worst case of mistaken identity. Arrested and charged with espionage, Maggie gets attacked, kidnapped and arrested all in one day.

Our hero Luke is a security exper...more Reviewed for www.BookChickCity.com (7 out of 10 on the blog)

When I first began 'Viper's Kiss', I wasn't sure if I was going to like it. I thought that the heroine Maggie was going to irritate me. But luckily she grew on me very quickly. She has spunk and ingenuity. A librarian with a reasonably quiet life, Maggie gets caught up in the worst case of mistaken identity. Arrested and charged with espionage, Maggie gets attacked, kidnapped and arrested all in one day.

Our hero Luke is a security expert charged with bringing 'The Viper' to justice and retrieving the last item, an important military weapon she stole. If I'm honest there's nothing remarkable about him, he's your typical romantic hero. Tough, brawn, brave and handsome, oh and super clever. But I liked him never the less!

Perhaps one of the harder plot points is that it takes a very long time for Luke to trust Maggie and at points of the story, after some very sad developments with Maggie's poorly mother, this is actually quite heartbreaking. I wanted someone to route for Maggie and be in her corner. Just when you think Luke's there, he takes a few steps backwards again.

The chemistry between Maggie and Luke is fantastic, virtually palpable. And despite Luke's annoying trust issues they were a couple I really routed for. Which made this a great, sizzling read.

You do have to suspend your disbelief a little as the plot is perhaps a little far-fetched. It's quite a short book, not quite a novella, but not really a full novel either. And the story is completely, non-stop, action packed. Blink and you might miss something. It's one of those books that whizzed by as the pages just keep on turning.

One comment... I'm not sure what's going on with the book cover? Hunky man yes, but I think given the plot the publisher could have easily come up with something much more fun. But I do have a few issues with romance covers in general!

VERDICT:

This was an entertaining read, I enjoyed the story and how despite being a slightly conservative librarian, Maggie is brave, tough and feisty. The romance had plenty of sparks and the plot kept you guessing.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Nov 27, 2011 Bree T rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, crime, kindle-version, netgalley, women-s-fiction, romance

Maggie Kincaid is a librarian who struggles to make ends meet and cares for her terminally ill mother full time. Working for a university doesn’t provide much in the way of danger and excitement, until Maggie is mistaken for Viper, one of the world’s most notorious and wanted spies. Viper has used Maggie’s codes for a secret project that she was working on (only as a small time technical component regarding the database and network) and stolen the prototype. And the FBI, the police, a private se...more Maggie Kincaid is a librarian who struggles to make ends meet and cares for her terminally ill mother full time. Working for a university doesn’t provide much in the way of danger and excitement, until Maggie is mistaken for Viper, one of the world’s most notorious and wanted spies. Viper has used Maggie’s codes for a secret project that she was working on (only as a small time technical component regarding the database and network) and stolen the prototype. And the FBI, the police, a private security company and the owners of the company responsible for the prototype are all looking for Maggie. And they all find her at the same time.

Whilst in police custody, Maggie is kidnapped by a rogue gang who want nothing better than to torture her for information regarding the whereabouts of the prototype and how to get it back. Despite being, well a librarian and with no real violent tendencies, Maggie escapes using little more than a knitting needle in her bag – only to run headlong into Luke Fletcher.

Luke is a private security expert hired to track down the mysterious Viper and find the prototype. When Maggie starts stressing that she isn’t Viper, Luke is skeptical. After all, Viper has been around for some time and they’re one of the best in the business. Of course if caught, they would deny everything. And what better cover than that of a meek and mild librarian? But the more Luke delves into Maggie’s life, the more she pleads with him that she’s not this Viper, the more doubts he starts to have. After all, he’s seen Maggie’s bank accounts. He sees the small flat where she lives with her terminally ill mother. And with all the money Viper would have, from all the jobs they’ve pulled before, they would be able to afford the best care for someone so important to them. And there’s no doubt that Maggie’s mother is important to her as she risks everything to see her when she is hospitalised due to stress from the publication of Maggie’s arrest and subsequent escape (really kidnap) from police custody.

When Luke’s back up arrives, they are determined to find the truth about just who Maggie is and if she is really just who she says she is – an unassuming librarian who was caught up in the middle of a theft executed by a mastermind. Luke believes in her, much to his colleagues chagrin, who think he’s thinking with a part of his anatomy that is not his brain. However when Luke hears something that causes him to doubt her, she disappears again, shattered by his lack of trust in her and determined to track this Viper down herself and prove once and for all that she had nothing to do with the theft.

Viper’s Kiss was another easy, quick read on my Kindle that has helped keep me reading through the month. And this was a fun, if silly and light-hearted read riddled with some romantic action cliches, such as Luke, the handsome mysterious private security man who after an armed services past, is on his first solo assignment. Maggie herself is another stereotype – the quiet, shy unassuming lady who is wrong place, wrong time. Except that in real life, anyone else would’ve been tortured to death by the first rogue gang that grabbed her, rather than manage to overpower two of them (armed with a mere knitting needle) and do a runner!

Luke is possessed of all sorts of interesting technology and gadgets that helps Maggie in her quest to convince him that she’s not the notorious Viper but Luke still isn’t clever enough not to board up the window to the bathroom in the safe house he takes her to, which means that Maggie high-tails out of it when she hears her mother has been hospitalised, but that’s not the most laughable part of the plot. Oh no, the most laughable part is that she manages to escape in this fashion not once, but twice, the second time evading not just Luke but also his two colleagues. For private security men, Luke and his fellow employees aren’t really that clever. Or good at their jobs.

And once Maggie escapes she makes the decision to go after the notorious Viper herself, just to prove to Luke that he was wrong about her and that she was telling the truth all along. Oh she also wants to clear her name, which has been publically dragged through the mud, but mostly it’s just about Luke. So armed with well, nothing, she goes to find Viper (which proves to be alarmingly easy for a mastermind spy). And given what sort of novel this is, the outcome isn’t too difficult to predict. It’s not about the ending with this book, it’s more about the journey there.

Both Maggie and Luke are likable enough and Maggie has the added incentive of a broken home and incident from her past that makes it doubly likely that she’d never steal anything in her life. I’m a huge wuss though, so I can never quite get behind the main characters that take matters into their own hands. Even though Luke and co were relatively inept most of the time, by the end they manage to get their act together and assist quite awesomely so I’d have been happy to just let them do it! Of course I wouldn’t have bothered jumping out any bathroom windows either! But Maggie, for all her mellowness, is definitely no chicken, although it is sort of unlikely that proving her innocence is best accomplished by charging off to the meeting place where Viper is attempting to sell the prototype to the highest bidder.

Viper’s Kiss is readable enough to get you through a lazy afternoon quite easily and it was an enjoyable way to pass the time. But ultimately the plot is a bit thin (both what the prototype is and how easily Maggie’s identity is swiped and used against her and how swiftly everyone assumes it is her, despite the fact that any cop worth their salt could tell that she has basically no idea what they’re all talking about). The romance is cute, but like the plot, a bit lacking in plausibility and not quite as well fleshed out as I would have liked.(less)

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Aug 05, 2011 Judith rated it 4 of 5 stars

A riveting story that keeps the reader on the edge of the seat almost from the first. We've all heard about identity theft. Well this is a big-time case of mistaken identity and one that puts the heroine in a pretty difficult position and one that brings out inner strength she doesn't seem to realize she has. It is a crime novel that is well-written, and one that has the reader cheering for every achievement the heroine makes in her quest to clear her name and find the real criminal. Just a real...more

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Jul 19, 2011 Rebecca rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed, romantic-suspense

You can also read this review at Reflections on Reading Romance

In college, I worked at the library in the circulation department as part of my financial aid, and as a result I’ve always enjoyed reading about librarians. So when I saw that the heroine of Shannon Curtis’ Viper’s Kiss was a librarian, I had to read it, and when I realized that said librarian was accused of being a spy, I was hooked. After all, what librarian doesn’t dream of being a spy? Viper’s Kiss will be released on July 25 an...more You can also read this review at Reflections on Reading Romance

In college, I worked at the library in the circulation department as part of my financial aid, and as a result I’ve always enjoyed reading about librarians. So when I saw that the heroine of Shannon Curtis’ Viper’s Kiss was a librarian, I had to read it, and when I realized that said librarian was accused of being a spy, I was hooked. After all, what librarian doesn’t dream of being a spy? Viper’s Kiss will be released on July 25 and is available at the Carina Press webpage and on Amazon. The novel’s a short romantic suspense, only about 53,000 words, so it’s a quick read and a fast-paced adventure. And the hottie on the cover isn’t hard on the eyes, either! This was a fun read, and I’m looking forward to seeing more in the future from Ms. Curtis.

Maggie Kincaid is a librarian at the University of Washington, and her life has suddenly grown much more exciting than she would like. Miss April HotRod, aka Kandy Karamel, is a dead ringer for Maggie, and suddenly the demure librarian is being hounded by people mistaking her for the pin-up girl. Shortly after dodging a herd of horny male students outside the library, two men in black arrive and arrest her for espionage. She’s been working with the Department of Defense and tech company Tek-Intel on a top secret invention, and they’re accusing her of stealing the prototype. To make matters worse, as soon as she and the detectives pull out into traffic, they’re rammed by a van, the detectives are murdered, and Maggie’s dragged off by some truly frightening villains. Just like the detectives, they’re convinced that she’s a female spy working under the codename Viper. Maggie is barely pulling together an escape attempt, when Luke Kincaid arrives and whisks her away to safety on his motorcycle.

Luke is a security expert with McCormack Security Agency, and he’s tasked with recovering the Visi-suit prototype that Viper’s stolen. He can’t quite believe that Maggie Kincaid is guilty, but all the evidence points in that direction. Too bad that the first job he’s in charge of involves a female spy he finds really appealing. Maggie finds Luke attractive as well, but every time he starts to believe in her innocence, evidence surfaces that convinces him that she’s not trustworthy. In the end, she’s the only one who can uncover the truth and recover the visi-suit, clearing her name in the process.

Viper’s Kiss is non-stop action, with poor Maggie escaping from one dangerous situation only to find herself in another. The plot progresses quickly, and just when you think that she can calm down and relax, the action picks up again. It’s a fun ride, and Ms. Curtis introduces two supporting male characters, Derek and Noah, whose presence makes me believe that she has sequels planned for the two of them, which would definitely be good news for us readers!

Maggie is a likeable character, and despite the danger and trouble she finds herself in, she manages to escape each time, thanks to her own actions. That makes her really appealing, since she’s had a tough time of it for the last few years, but instead of being overwhelmed and complaining, she acts to resolve the situation herself. She’s also always one step ahead of the so-called security experts, figuring out a way to escape them and solve the mystery surrounding the true Viper while recovering the Visi-suit prototype.

While there are definitely sparks between Luke and Maggie, their romance feels a bit rushed. They’re clearly attracted to one another, but from the beginning of the novel Maggie has been cautious about men, insisting on a 90 day probationary period before sex with all dates, which has resulted in her still being a virgin in her mid-twenties. This caution is blamed on a bad relationship her mother had with a boyfriend when Maggie was 16 (more about that later), so it seems somewhat inconsistent with her character that she would choose to act on her attraction as quickly as she does with Luke. I prefer romances that develop over time, but the novel is so short that it’s difficult to see how Ms. Curtis could have maintained the fast pace of the action and included the romance in any other way. I would love to see a longer work from her, which would give her more room to develop the relationship between the characters.

Because I thoroughly enjoyed reading the novel, I hate to criticize but I do have two complaints, although the first is somewhat minor. Given how the action unfolds, I have to think that McCormack Security Agency must hire the most inept employees in the world, because every time Maggie needs to escape, she asks to use the bathroom and wiggles out of a window, with the so-called experts none the wiser. First, how many bathrooms have windows, and second, how could this trick work on them more than once? Seriously, she’s portrayed as an innocent and naïve librarian, yet she’s easily able to escape the security experts and goons who try to force her to reveal the location of the Visi-suit.

The second complaint I have is about a plot point that bothered me so much it actually lessened my enjoyment of the novel. ***Warning: Spoilers Ahead*** We learn that when Maggie was 16, her mother had a boyfriend named Andy who tried to sexually assault Maggie. When her mother learned of the attempted assault, she kicked Andy out, and he retaliated by robbing their house and wiping out her checking account. This forced Maggie to have to work to help support them, plus required her to work to pay for her college education. Later, her mother falls seriously ill, and Maggie has to find a way to pay her mother’s overwhelming medical bills. So when Luke looks into Maggie’s finances as a way to prove that she is the spy they’re looking for, he’s stunned to see that she’s barely eking out a living and lives in a one-bedroom apartment with her mother. What drives me crazy about this is that I don’t understand why her mother didn’t go to the police when their house is robbed and the bank account is wiped out! She just sits back and does nothing, allowing her daughter to work like crazy to pay for her education. This seems inconsistent with Maggie’s behavior at the very least, since throughout the novel Maggie acts to clear her name rather than remaining a passive character. It seems so odd that there was absolutely nothing her mother could have done, and it felt completely contrived.

Despite this, the rest of the novel was a fun, quick read with a likeable hero and heroine and lots of action. I definitely enjoyed it and can’t wait to see future books by this author, because her writing drew me in quickly and I loved her choice of heroine.
This book was provided for review by the publisher through NetGalley.(less)

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Jul 18, 2011 Christi Snow rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Fabulous, fabulous book! OMG, I loved this great suspense. I hope that this is the start to a series...

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. It is releasing on July 25th and the following review will post on my blog, Smitten with Reading, that day.

My Review:
Wow! This book was a suspenseful, fun romp from the absolute beginning of the book. Maggie is a smart, resourceful librarian at the University, with a Wonder Woman fetish, who has definitely had a weird twist of fate take hold of her...more Fabulous, fabulous book! OMG, I loved this great suspense. I hope that this is the start to a series...

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. It is releasing on July 25th and the following review will post on my blog, Smitten with Reading, that day.

My Review:
Wow! This book was a suspenseful, fun romp from the absolute beginning of the book. Maggie is a smart, resourceful librarian at the University, with a Wonder Woman fetish, who has definitely had a weird twist of fate take hold of her life. First, she has a double in the world who just posed naked for a Miss April centerfold. As if that hasn't made her life crazy enough on campus, she was just arrested for spying and espionage. She has no idea what's going on...simply that everything has to do with a visi-suit that is being developed and obviously stolen by someone pretending to be her. She is certainly not a spy...just a resourceful librarian working on the outskirts of the project through the University.

Suddenly, people are dying all around her and she is on the run...straight into gorgeous Luke Fletcher's arms. Luke is a contract security guy working for the company out to catch Viper (codename for the spy that stole the visi-suit.) He's holding her captive also, but the difference is, he doesn't appear anxious to kill her or convict her without proof like everyone else has been.

Luke is a computer savvy tech guy in charge of his first mission. He can't decide whether to trust Maggie or if she is just a really amazing actress. All he knows is that she is extremely sexy and he feels incredibly protective of her. Not a good combination when he is supposed to be bringing her into protective custody. I liked the way that he would get totally flustered and then make himself step back and think everything through. This is a guy used to using his brain before his brawn and it was incredibly sexy.

Maggie is amazing. To say that her day/week/month has been bad is putting it mildly, but she doesn't break down into a pity party. She realizes that the only one that may be able to get her out of this mess is herself so she sets to using her brains to do just that. Maggie reacts to adversity the way that we ALL hope that we will react when things go bad. She continues to think things through and gets proactive in finding a solution, no matter how bad it gets.

There were things about this book that probably pushed the limit of believability, but I was having so much fun reading it and following along with Luke & Maggie's adventure, that I decided to simply accept it all at face value. The suspense was great. I had no idea who the really bad guy was until right before it was revealed. The sexual tension was perfect. I loved Luke & Maggie together. They really made an incredible team. I loved how Luke would just randomly need to kiss Maggie, much to the surprise of both him and her. It ended absolutely perfectly and had me in tears.

I am really, really hoping with the way that the book ended in Chicago and with Reese (Luke's boss) that this is the beginning of a series. I definitely want to see more of this team!!!(less)

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Jul 23, 2011 Kelly rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: secrets-reviewed

I liked the plot idea and overall theme of this story. Unassuming librarian is mistaken for a dangerous spy, librarian must prove her innocence to the agent who's after her, librarian and agent fall in love, librarian is cleared of all charges and they live happily ever after. It's a good concept, but I feel like it was poorly executed in this book.

First, I'd like to say that I could have liked these characters. They were fun to read about. But there were so many things that bothered me that I h...more

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Jun 30, 2011 Tam Herra rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, cinderella-theme, june-11, virgin

Oh this book was a hilarious, ridiculous, circus of a plot. But it was well constructed.

This is a case of mistaken identity and has a really strong heroine who is sort of believable, I mean, if anyone was ever to get into her situation.

The missing item was a bit strange but the whole plot was out there so the missing item being a bit off the wall seemed fitting.

This is a great Romantic suspense that will keep you turning the pages looking for what is next. The characters were also well developed...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jul 26, 2011 Sharon rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, romance-suspense

http://obsessionwithbooks.blogspot.com

Viper's Kiss was kindly provided to me by Netgalley for Carina Press

Margaret Kincaid is an Information Services Librarian at the University of Washington, living a seemingly peaceful existence working and caring for her terminally ill mother, her life is definitely one we would classify as ‘normal’ until unwanted attention falls on her for her uncanny resemblance to a nude model.

Trying to avoid the attention she is now receiving, she is shocked when two agen...more

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Aug 06, 2011 Asche rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Right from the beginning this book throws you into a story full of action and suspense! I first loved the idea of the main character being a librarian and then throw in the fact that she is being charged on suspicion of espionage and murder, and you get an awesome story! And talk about the romance between Maggie and Luke...sexy!!! Its kind of sad when Luke refuses to believe her when she tries her best to prove it to him, but you'll just have to read it to see how that ends. I also liked the two...more

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Aug 24, 2011 Ruth rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: covers-i-want-to-lick, mystery-thriller-spies-suspense, net_galley, slightly-smutty-beach-fluff

I really enjoyed this little romantic suspense provided to me by netgalley. It had a few bits which were a tad irritating, but on the whole this is a lovely little beach read.

- The heroine is a librarian. It's a normal job, and the way the author writes about it is convincing, but not intrusive. The heroine is also a nice person. She has some hang-ups that I just couldn't get behind, though. I didn't get why she, a librarian/researcher, would be more concerned about the safety of the hero, an ex...more

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Jan 01, 2012 Sian Milne rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Maggie has always wished for a more exciting life.....well its true when they say be careful what you wish for, as she is having the worst 24 hours of her life. Well...apart from meeting Luke that is. Luke is an ex-military man and he think he has his spy in Maggie aka The Viper and he also thinks that she has stolen some top secret weapon to sell on the black market. Well as it turns out it’s pretty obvious Maggie has no idea what’s going on and she has been set up.

This was a very short and swe...more

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Jul 21, 2011 Kerry sullivan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: thriller-suspence-mystery

This novella is a rip roaring ride that will leave you breathless. The ride starts from the first page and last till the last. This little story packs enough action in it for a story twice it 's length and dose it with grace and style. Who knew being a librarian was so much trouble!!

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Aug 12, 2011 Helen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really enjoyed this book filled with lots of action and a great romance between Luke and Maggie. Librarian Maggie is swept into a world of danger and suspense through no fault of her own and Luke is there to save her.
Thank you Shannon for hours of reading pleasure I look forward to more of your stories

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Jul 21, 2011 Sylvia rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A cute romance with an amusing (and not stupid!) heroine. It kind of dragged me in against my will and kept me until it was done. And the last couple pages made me want to read more of what I hope is a series.

Thanks to netGalley for giving me access to this title.

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Jul 02, 2011 Kate rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

I find this book really good. The personalities of the character's are humorous and I find some parts of the book funny, espacially the ending.

This story revolves around a librarian, Maggie, who get's mistaken for 'Viper' and a security expert.

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Apr 18, 2012 Selena Lang rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance

So-So book. It could have been good I think, but the characters were shallow. And who falls in love in 24 hours? Lust yes, love no. I thought the relationship a bit too quick, too shallow and too unrealistic. The book needed about 200 more pages at least to flesh out the characters and the story.

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Aug 04, 2011 Nocturne Romance Reads rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: suspense

Viper's Kiss by Shannon Curtis is a great read!

Read the full review by April
http://nocturnereads.com/Viper-s-Kiss...

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Jul 22, 2011 Jane Litte rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a fun spy caper book with a great and very competent heroine. Be prepared to totally suspend disbelief in order to enjoy. c+

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