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Blood and Fire (McClouds & Friends #8)

3.97 of 5 stars 3.97 · rating details · 552 ratings · 77 reviews

Restless and impulsive, Bruno Ranieri has the temperament to fit right in with the McClouds. And just like the McCloud brothers, Bruno has a dangerous past to contend with-one that's about to come crashing back into his life. . .Bruno Ranieri has always lived at a chaotic pace, and that goes double lately. Since his uncle's untimely demise, Bruno is working himself to the...more

ebook, 320 pages

Published September 27th 2011 by Kensington Publishing Corporation

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Nov 09, 2011 Jess rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: rom-suspense, for_review

Review posted: Happily Ever After - Reads

With BLOOD AND FIRE, the McCloud and Friends series continues, this time it’s Bruno’s turn – the little brother Kev grew up with when he couldn’t remember his own brothers, including his twin, Sean. Bruno is an interesting hero; he’s a very emotional guy, most times wearing his heart right out there on his sleeve. He’s tortured by his past through nightmares that won’t go away and he’s drawn to Lily, a woman who comes into his diner specifically to find h...more Review posted: Happily Ever After - Reads

With BLOOD AND FIRE, the McCloud and Friends series continues, this time it’s Bruno’s turn – the little brother Kev grew up with when he couldn’t remember his own brothers, including his twin, Sean. Bruno is an interesting hero; he’s a very emotional guy, most times wearing his heart right out there on his sleeve. He’s tortured by his past through nightmares that won’t go away and he’s drawn to Lily, a woman who comes into his diner specifically to find him, but he ends up wondering if the tales she’s telling are the truth or the ramblings of a crazy person.

Lily knows crazy. Her father snapped when she was a young girl and she’s been forced into blurring the ethical line with her job, writing papers and theses for college students earning her much needed money that she uses to pay her father’s huge monthly bills for his room at a private clinic. He needs medical professionals around him to make sure he can’t kill himself, which he’s tried to do for years. He’s not very coherent with Lily, but during one visit he starts telling Lily about the past, things that Lily thinks may have driven him to drink, use drugs and mentally crack. The words he speaks don’t make much sense, but when Lily has to run for her life and later finds out that her father is dead, she does what she can with her dad’s last words and heads in Bruno’s direction.

The story connects Bruno and Lily’s pasts through their parents, and leads them to the bad (and I mean BAD) guy King, who has strong ties to both Lily’s father and Bruno’s late mother. King is a creepy psycho. He uses people, starting with most of them at a very young age, and basically brainwashes them to be robots that do his bidding. They’re conditioned to respond to specific passages and commands and he bends them all to his will, as they really don’t know any better. When Bruno kills a few of King’s “subjects” after they attacked him and tests are run on the bodies, the connection to Bruno becomes even more bizarre and the real truth about what King has been doing all these years starts to come out as Bruno, Lily and all the McClouds put the pieces together.

Shannon McKenna writes with such detail in all the scenes, it keeps the pace fast and when you’ve got a 500 page book, keeping the pace up and the pages turning is a must. McKenna doesn’t hold back with anything, scenes with the bad guys can be stomach churning, as we find out quickly in the prologue when a young Lily is being videotaped very inappropriately, to the intense scenes between Bruno and Lily and even a much needed confrontation between Kev and Sean.

Bruno and Lily were very entertaining characters. Lily’s sarcastic, and a little rough around the edges, but she sees in Bruno a person who’s finally in her corner. Someone that wants to help her figure everything out and she’s never had that kind of support in her life. Bruno’s life is a little uncertain when Lily comes barging into it. For years Kev was his “brother” – he grew up with Kev there, but now Kev’s found his McCloud family and Bruno’s feeling completely shut out. Much of it by his own doing, and Kev doesn’t let him get away with it for long. I really liked how emotional Bruno was. He still struggles with his mom’s murder and has a hard time processing everything that’s happening in his life. He and Lily lean on each other and grow closer because of it.

He cupped her head, stared into her eyes, and kissed her. A kiss to draw her soul out of her body, but he gave her his own in return. And the possessive, obsessive chorus of mine, mine, mine with each frenzied stroke – it was coming from her now, too. He was hers. All hers.

The action and fight scenes are just as detailed in the story as the emotional scenes between the characters. The final fight takes place over many pages, and involves not only King, but his humans. Quite a bit got thrown at our hero and heroine at the end: captures, gun fight, fire, but I was cheering for all the bad guys to get what was coming to them and counting down until Bruno and Lily could find their HEA.

I’m a big fan of all the McClouds, and Tam, and now I’m on board with Bruno and Lily. We get caught up on all the past characters, with many of the McClouds getting a good amount of page time, but Bruno and Lily never take a backseat to anyone. They have a relationship I believed in and it was a fun ride, start to finish.(less)

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Mar 01, 2012 Dina rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romantic-suspense, ebook, to-review, series-mcclouds

This is how I pictured "my" Bruno:

He'd tried to convince Zia Rosa to take down that cover of the Portland Monthly she'd put up in the diner after the mag had done that 'most eligible' article about him. It embarrassed him now. But Zia Rosa liked his dimples in that picture, and Zia Rosa could not be reasoned with.

Yeah, I like his dimples too, and I can't be reasoned with either, LOL.

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Nov 17, 2011 Sandra Valente rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: have-read, romantic-suspense, 2011

I have been waiting to read Blood and Fire, the 8th book in the McCloud series for a while and it didn't dissappoint! Actually, I think it's one of the best and I love all 7 previous books. Shannon McKenna just has a way of writing that pulls you in, tenses and twists you all up and promptly spits you out again - to only pull you in once more.

This story not only revolved around the main characters who are Bruno Ranieri, Kevin's "brother" and Lily Parr, it also resolved issues regarding the McCl...more

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Sep 22, 2012 Pingle McCloud rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: action, contemporary, feisty-heroine, fiction, alpha-hero, ibuk, kick-ass-heroine, likable-heroine, mcclouds-friends-series, romantic-suspense, scifi, shannon-mckenna, suspense, tortured-hero, thriller, favorite-author, favorite-series-01, cant-wait-to-read-the-new-release, keepers, reviewed

Whoaaaaaa solid 5+++++ stars from me
Absolutely awesome story and fulfill my expectations from this series.
After a long waiting from this series finally I can read another book,
this time is Bruno's story, Kevin McCloud adopted brother :D...

What makes Blood and Fire soooo special is because in this story you can meet the McCloud brothers plus Tam and Val again... hoorayyyy...*dancing* and their kids too...:D...
I'm sooooo happy finally I can read about them again..*handkerchief*..
And this time the...more

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Mar 05, 2012 Zeek rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorite-author, rom-suspense, romance, suspense-thriller

3.5 out of 5.

Bruno Ranieri is tormented by the death of his mother at the hands of an abusive boyfriend. However he doesn’t know the true reason behind her death - and what he doesn’t know is about to get him killed. Lily Parr is on the run because of unknown factors involving her own parentage-but what she does know is that Bruno has a key to unlock the mystery. Their pasts are intertwined- just as their present and future is about to be. Funny thing is, they may end up being perfect for each o...more

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Dec 31, 2011 Samantha rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, romantic-suspense

Bruno Ranieri lost his mother years ago and he closed that part of himself off or at least he thought he did. When Lily Parr walks into his restaurant, she brings a lot of drama. The one person who could help her is Bruno. Lily’s father is murdered but not before he tells her a painful secret he has been carrying…one that leads her into the arms of Bruno.

Lily is prepared to fire off questions at Bruno but she didn’t expect him to be so handsome and strong. The two have little time to explore the...more Bruno Ranieri lost his mother years ago and he closed that part of himself off or at least he thought he did. When Lily Parr walks into his restaurant, she brings a lot of drama. The one person who could help her is Bruno. Lily’s father is murdered but not before he tells her a painful secret he has been carrying…one that leads her into the arms of Bruno.

Lily is prepared to fire off questions at Bruno but she didn’t expect him to be so handsome and strong. The two have little time to explore the attraction because some powerful enemies are tracking Lily down. Bruno is thrown for a loop and his survival skills kick in as he tries to help Lily. He does call in for a little reinforcement…the McClouds.

I won’t lie my favorite part of the book is to catch up with old characters. I am slightly disappointed that the women seem to have lost the spark that I loved about each one of them. I think the women are used as props to pump out babies at this point but I really don’t expect them to have much of a role in the later books.

If you have ever read a Shannon McKenna novel then you already know the males are super Alpha and Bruno is no different. He fits right in with the rest of the McCloud brothers and friends. It has been a while since I last read one of her books but reading Blood and Fire reminds me of why I love this series. The tension and steamy scenes are extra bonuses. Even though there are plenty of reasons why I love the series, it is sad to say that there are reasons why I’m starting to get bored as well.

I admit that sometimes the plot is a bit far fetched and I’m starting to believe that the author’s writing is formulaic. The characters all act the same. I can’t tell the difference from one man to the next. The villain is the same in every book...sure his name is not the same but his whole make-up is the same as every villain in the series. I also felt that McKenna put too much attention on the bad guys and less focus on Bruno and Lily.

I recommend this for fans of the McCloud series. This series should be read in order to really get to know the characters
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Oct 07, 2011 Zury rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Fantastic Book, worth every month spent waiting for it!
Yes, it was a bit long and she went pages and pages giving us inside of the character’s mind, but it was interesting and engaging.
We got to see lots of the McCloud boys Action, along with their wives and children, Tam and Val were there as well as Aro and a new character that is promising, Detective Pietre (sp?).

Bruno and Lily were fantastic; I loved how he managed to become an honorable man, despite his screwed up childhood and his recurri...more

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Oct 05, 2011 Jane Stewart rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romantic-suspense

3 ½ stars. It was superficial but fun. Bad guys have listening devices everywhere and keep finding and fighting the good guys.

STORY BRIEF:
Several previous books were about the McCloud Brothers. In one of them, Bruno was a best friend to Kev McCloud. This book is Bruno’s story. His mother Magda was killed when Bruno was 12. He lived with his Uncle Tony and Great Aunt Rosa after that. He never knew who his father was.

Lily’s mother died giving birth to Lily. She was raised by her father Howard who...more

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Sep 29, 2011 Bookaholics rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Blood and Fire by Shannon McKenna
Romantic Suspense – Sept. 27th, 2011
4 star

Blood and Fire is part of the McCloud series and can be read alone but I would suggest reading at least Fade to Midnight. Fade to Midnight features the hero’s best friend, Kevin McCloud and will allow reader to better appreciate this steamy romance.

Lily’s father Doctor Parr did something he deeply regrets. It has driven him to drink and even attempt suicide to protect his young daughter from his dangerous knowledge.

Lily...more Blood and Fire by Shannon McKenna
Romantic Suspense – Sept. 27th, 2011
4 star

Blood and Fire is part of the McCloud series and can be read alone but I would suggest reading at least Fade to Midnight. Fade to Midnight features the hero’s best friend, Kevin McCloud and will allow reader to better appreciate this steamy romance.

Lily’s father Doctor Parr did something he deeply regrets. It has driven him to drink and even attempt suicide to protect his young daughter from his dangerous knowledge.

Lily Parr gave up a promising future to take care of her ailing and suicidal father. Now she works to keep him in an expensive home to be supervised around the clock. But on her last visit her father confesses to a terrible wrong he has committed and the name of a woman who tried to help him but was murdered. Lily is doubtful of her father’s ravings but cannot get his last plea out of her mind. When he suddenly and mysterious dies right after his confession, Lily begins her crusade to find the truth. She believes the woman he mentioned, Magda Ranieri, maybe the key to her father’s death. She is determined to hunt down the woman’s son and discover the truth. But she soon finds herself in danger and on the run.

Bruno Ranieri was traumatized by the death of his mother by an abusive boyfriend. But he has become a successful businessman. Troubled by dreams of his violent past he is happy to help is aunt at his dead uncle’s diner. There he meets one of the most attractive women he as ever seen. Her name is Lily but she brings danger and secrets that he may not be able to face. Attacked by strange agents commanded by a mysterious mastermind they must stay alive and find the truth, even if it kills them.

As with all Shannon McKenna’s books this story was super sexy and steamy. This novel also features cameos of previous characters in the author’s prior books which fans will enjoy. Bruno is a hidden alpha, unlike many of the author's full blown alphas. He can bake desserts and at the same time cut down deadly agents. I liked how considerate but strong Bruno was. He seems to be able do anything but I liked how he doesn’t flaunt his skills and even down plays them. Lily is the all American girl caught up in terrible circumstances by a weak father. Enduring and determined she has fought against the odds all her life and quitting is not in her nature. Together they felt like an underdog team I couldn’t help but root for. In fact, the villain is utterly mesmerizing. Even as I despised him I was caught up in his evil plans. He reminded me of the depraved, diabolical and power hunger geniuses in the James Bond films. I loved to hate him even when I was shocked by him his actions. I liked that this story had a lots of twists especially because the assassins bears a striking resemblance to Bruno and her mother Magda. The only thing that bothered me about the plot was why didn’t the villain just kill Doctor Parr in the first place?

A Renaissance hero, sexy scenes and a diabolical villain you will love to hate make for an exciting romance.

Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club
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Oct 03, 2011 Kathleen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Story Rating 5 stars
Character Rating 5 stars
Romance Rating 5 stars
Action Rating 5 stars
Heat Level 4 out of 5 stars
Overall Rating 5 stars

This story was AMAZING right from the start and kept me in aw of Shannon McKenna's talent as I writer. As I've said before in my reviews for SM book's, the woman sure does have a fantastic imagination to come up with the stuff she writes.

LOVED Bruno and Lily, they were fabulous character's and I would not have changed a thing about them.

You want action in your r...more

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Dec 06, 2011 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adult-romance-x, reviewed

I really enjoyed this book as I have with the other books in the series. I love Brunno's character and I love the sarcastic bravado that Lily possesses. I really enjoyed the male bonding scenes out at Tony's place in the woods. I also, appreciated the depth added to all of the new characters like Zia, Aro and Svetti and the introduction of Petri.

On a side, I can barely keep up with all these babies! They need to start their own nursery school!

At the end I was so very happy to learn (view spoiler ...more

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Jan 09, 2013 July rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: home-library

Awesome book, I couldn't imagine what the author would do with a whole book for Bruno because I liked him but I wasn't wow'd by him in Kev's book. But boy this book was fantastic. Bruno had a lot more to his childhood than we all knew of. This book goes into detail of what Kev did for him when he was a boy. Lily Parr is a beautiful girl that is on the run from people who want to kill her and she knows that killed her father and killed Bruno's mother years before. Now she must earn his trust to f...more

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Sep 05, 2012 Kaetrin rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ebook, erotic-romance, romantic-suspense

What to say about this book? Anyone who's ever read a book by Shannon McKenna will know that she writes over-the-top romantic suspense plots with uber-alpha heroes who zero in on their heroine almost immediately and stay locked on better than any guided missile developed by the US military. Like this: When the chick with the black pageboy sashayed into Tony’s Diner, no matter how blitzed from lack of sleep he was, his glands promptly pumped a substance into his body that made him want to break...more What to say about this book? Anyone who's ever read a book by Shannon McKenna will know that she writes over-the-top romantic suspense plots with uber-alpha heroes who zero in on their heroine almost immediately and stay locked on better than any guided missile developed by the US military. Like this: When the chick with the black pageboy sashayed into Tony’s Diner, no matter how blitzed from lack of sleep he was, his glands promptly pumped a substance into his body that made him want to break into an oldtime movie dance number. An incredible rush. A tingling sense of infinite possibility combined with a mega-boner. A huge, awestruck “wow” from the depths of his being.

When Bruno Ranieri first spies Lily Parr, he's hooked. I am a sucker for that concept of a hero being so blinded by love, lust and passion for his woman that he just about doesn't even see any other lady. Once Bruno and Lily joined up on p40 of the book, I mentally rubbed my hands together with glee. The first portion definitely satisfied, with lots of hot sex and over the top action but, even for a McKenna, the suspense portion of the book was on the eyebrow raising side of OTT. Think clones. There were a few plot holes as well - Lily is holed up at Tam Steele's impegnable fortress at one stage. In order for the bad guys to get her, she has to leave. So I get that the plot needed that, but the reason Val gave for insisting that everyone leave was thin to say the least. The thing which least satisifed is that Bruno and Lily were apart for a fairly large portion of the book IMO - that's not my thing generally and it meant that for me, the tension didn't ratchett quite so well as in other McKenna books.

Still, it was a fun ride and I'm looking forward to reading Alex Aaro's story - it's going to be hilarious to watch his no-women-except-for-sex policy go up in flames. He also has the best line in this book: “It comes from hanging out with the McClouds,” Aaro said. “When I took up with them, my cars started blowing up. My house. These days, I sleep with a girl I meet at a bar, and pow, she explodes in front of me." :D

http://kaetrinsmusings.blogspot.com.a...(less)

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Dec 29, 2011 Cecilia rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: library-books

I raced through this book, partly because it was due at the library and partly because it was pretty entertaining. It did remind me at various times of The Boys from Brazil and Brave New World (while the complete details of the nefarious plot were not yet revealed) and then Star Wars while the final surprises were being unveiled, but on the up side there seemed to be a touch less of the gory sadistic details of what the bad guys were up to than what you usually get in McKenna's books. In fact, I...more

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Nov 29, 2011 Dabney rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It’s safe to say I don’t want to live in Shannon McKenna’s fictional world. The bad guys are Machiavellian and ubiquitous, and way too much gruesomely horrifying stuff happens to reasonably good people. But, man, she’s fun to read. I had plans — big plans including a trip to Costco and Trader Joe’s (I needed some peppermint Jo-Jo’s) — before I started reading this book. A day later, I hadn’t done a thing but (briefly) sleep and read. From start to finish, Blood and Fire is a wild ride full of se...more

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Mar 09, 2013 Vicky rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: alpha-male-steamy, favorites, suspense-romantic-erotic, amazon-loanable, supernatural, series, cop-bodyguard-seals-merc

Blood and Fire

This is the 8th book in this awesome series. The McCloud and Friends series continues with Kev's little brother. Bruno has such a tortured past that he can't remember, but get's glimpses of them during his nightmares.

As uaual with http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/... McKenna
McKenna's books - they are smoking HOT suspenseful romance mixed with a twisted evil psychopath bent on making the they're lives hell.

Highly recommend all of the books in this series. Anxiously awaiting for...more

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Nov 10, 2012 Elle rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was my first Shannon McKenna book and I must say I absolutely devoured it. I loved the edge, the grit, the hard-core banter between Lily and Bruno. King was the ultimate bad guy...twisted, jaded, out and out pure evil. Zia Rosa tugged at my heart and had me laughing out loud! I'd love to sit in her kitchen for a day. The action kept me on the edge of my seat. The romance was atypical, hot and frantic. Blood and Fire was an escape for me. It took me on an adventurous trip full of danger, sex...more

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Nov 07, 2011 Kristina rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is not my typical genre so i have to say I was diving in blind. The story was rather good..kept me rivited to the pages i found myself wondering if things were just a little far fetched at times. There is a lot of bcak story about each chracter in the book, and while normally I love that in a book, this time I think it went a little too long in places. Still if you like romantic suspense i have to say this is definately a book you want to check out. It was funny(although i'm not sure if it...more

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Oct 09, 2012 Vivian rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've read most of Ms. McKenna's books and this seemed a little too boilerplate/formulaic to enjoy. The standard formula seems to be: girl is in trouble, girl meets boy (who's having his own set of problems), and both wind up running from bad guys that seem to have more toys available than James Bond. There's an intense sexual attraction that seems to lead to "love" by the end of the book after dealing with all of the drama caused by said bad guys. It's not that this was a bad book per se, but I...more

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Nov 24, 2011 C.C. Galloway rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The last few books in this series, starting with Tam's book in "Dangerous Weapon," have really lagged for me. The pacing is too slow, the prose way too verbose, and the plots are getting increasingly far-fetched, even for me to believe. I couldn't even finish this book. It's just slow and dull and I'm starting to feel that every hero (in this case, Bruno) is the same as all the other McClouds and the heroine (Lily) the same as all the others (Liv, Tam, Edie...)

This book was incredibly slow and v...more

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Mar 25, 2012 Kathy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: action, enhanced-human, sexy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Setting - Manhattan and Portland. The diner, the MacCloud homesteads, Tony's mountanin cabin, Manhattan complex, New York streets, Italian neighborhood, King's compound/DeepWeave mindcontrol labs.

Themes - love, trust, family, strength, control

Images - "pissing on their disassembled bones until the day of the second ascension of Cristo Santo"

Characters –
Uncle Tony Ranieri – though dead before this story – he was from Italian Mafioso & special forces vet. He took in Bruno at age 12, and blackm...more

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Nov 05, 2011 Elizabeth rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romantic-suspense-read

Due out 9/27/11

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Jun 09, 2012 Jill rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance-suspense, sexy-domineering-types, sexy-cop-type, sexy-army-types, assassin, troubled-hero

As per usual I have loved another Shannon Mckenna book.
They seriously hook me in. The villains make my heart pound. The hero's ... also make my heart pound but in a totally different way.
As per usual the banter that is between the Mcloud brothers and Friends is awesome. They always have brilliant lines that make me laugh out loud.
Favourit of this book would have to be this one of Bruno's

"Leave my wife out of this," Sean said " Mounthy punk".
"I thought we had established that I've moved beyond pu...more

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Mar 20, 2012 Margaret rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

If you have read "Fade to Midnight" you will know that Bruno Ranieri is Kevin McCloud's adoptive brother. He has known Kevin for just as long as his biological brothers have.

Bruno is working as restaurateur at Tony's diner in Portland, Oregon, while his great aunt Zia Rosa is in Seattle being super gran to the McCloud's children.
Lily Parr brings a nightmare to his door when after their instant intimacy together he is defending himself and Lily outside the diner, and ends up having three bodies...more If you have read "Fade to Midnight" you will know that Bruno Ranieri is Kevin McCloud's adoptive brother. He has known Kevin for just as long as his biological brothers have.

Bruno is working as restaurateur at Tony's diner in Portland, Oregon, while his great aunt Zia Rosa is in Seattle being super gran to the McCloud's children.
Lily Parr brings a nightmare to his door when after their instant intimacy together he is defending himself and Lily outside the diner, and ends up having three bodies on his hands. He wants to do the right thing and get the cops involved but Lily manages to change his mind and instead he enlists the help of Alex Aaro, Davy McCloud's Army Ranger buddy. Its not long till all the McCloud brothers get involved, plus Detective Sam Petrie of the Portland Police Bureau who needs answers to the three homicides and yet another body who resembles Bruno and has same DNA. When Lily tells Bruno the story of her father being murdered 6 weeks previously, just after he gives her a cryptic warning about Bruno and his mother Magda who was killed when Bruno was only 12, she needs to know why shes running for her life and also what connection her father had to Bruno's mother that lead to him being murdered. This the reason she first needed to get to know Bruno. At first Bruno thinks she is as crazy as her father was. Lily's father used to be a IVF specialist, he was in an institution because he had tried to take his own life for past 18 years, same length of time since Magda's death. This the plot of the story with as Kev calls em The Butthead Brigade.

I am sure that many reviewers like me want a change to the plot and villains. Please, please Shannon enough of the mind controlling and I wasn't too keen on reading about embryos, especially as these children were born only for the purpose to turn them into monsters. I have to say also that the layout of the book is looking more like a carbon copy of previous books.
The good points in this book were the confrontation or show down on the bluff while Bruno and McClouds are digging up bones looking for a locket which Bruno's mother gave him. The bonding of all the guys which I wanted to see in "Fade to Midnight" finally takes place and was one of special moments in the book. I love the quirky humor through out the book, even if its silly at times. While getting to know Bruno I thought ok her is another Sean, he had all the mannerism that was portrayed in Sean character but one difference he doesn't come across as being
as macho or full of as much arrogance as the McClouds, who have to be said are the most arrogant even obnoxious bunch I have come across, but its the dept of their feelings which they find hard to disclose that makes them the most captivated guys & gals you love to read about.Lily is one real tough women, who knew how to handle herself and take no BS from any of the guys.
This book 503 pages long but it very fast read as it has constant dialogue that has you turning pages rapidly.

Last thing is it Alex's book next or no doubt there will be book for Sam now that his joined the McCloud fold and has his eye on Sveti? Just please change the plot!

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Mar 31, 2013 Bea rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, romance, thriller-suspense, won, 2013-bcc-100-books-challenge, 2013-gr-reading-challenge, mystery, read-in-2013

I originally won this from the publisher but before I could read it, my brother gave it away (he was "helping" me clean *eye roll*) but I still wanted to read it. It took me a while to get around to it but I finally got it from the library.

Once I started reading it, I enjoyed it although it was definitely over-the-top and the author has some odd word choices and an unfortunate tendency to indulge in purple prose. There were two word choices that pulled me right out of the story - early on the h...more I originally won this from the publisher but before I could read it, my brother gave it away (he was "helping" me clean *eye roll*) but I still wanted to read it. It took me a while to get around to it but I finally got it from the library.

Once I started reading it, I enjoyed it although it was definitely over-the-top and the author has some odd word choices and an unfortunate tendency to indulge in purple prose. There were two word choices that pulled me right out of the story - early on the hero, Bruno, refers to his penis as a prong. WTF? That was an uncomfortable and disturbing image. I shared on facebook and someone commented that she thought it might be an old British term but still, eewwww. The other odd word choice was 'bimbo' used in reference to a toddler. The character speaking is originally from Italy, speaking the Calabrese dialect, and I thought child was bambino but an Italian acquaintance, when I asked for her input, replied

As for the word "bimbo", that's italian (sic), not a particular dialect, and it's short for "bambino", which is "child". "Bimbo" is male, singular, "bimba" is female, singular, "bimbi" is male (or if there are both males and females), plural, "bimbe" is female, plural. I have no idea if in Calabrese they often use "bimbo", but I think the Calabrese term for it would be something along the way of "picciddo" or "picciriddo": these are Sicilian terms, and Sicily is very close to Calabria, but as I said every region has its own dialect, so the Calabrese equivalent could be very similar or completely different.

Still, while it may be linguistically correct, it's a skeezy word choice and hearing a grandmother refer to a toddler as a bimbo took me right out of the story. I did pick it back up again several hours later and continued reading. Things happen quickly and it's action packed; the book never feels padded despite being 503 pages long.

Lily has had a hard life; her mother died giving birth and she's spend most of life, starting in her teens, parenting her father who is suicidal. Bruno's mother was killed when he was young and twenty years later he still has nightmares. He's made a successful life for himself and he is close to his aunt, Zia Rose, and his adopted brother Kev. Kev has recently found and reconnected with his biological family, the McClouds, and now Bruno feels left out. Lily and Bruno meet when Lily's father dies after babbling nonsense about people named Magda and Bruno. Bruno of course is our hero; Lily hares off to find him and things heat up quickly between them. Although the sex is great, Lily's tale sounds crazy to Bruno and he thinks she needs psychological help. Then they are attacked and the pace really picks up.

I haven't read any of the previous books in this series and at times, I was a little confused. There are a lot of McCloud brothers, most of whom have apparently had a book already. The book works as a stand alone but I think it might be best to read in order. The villain in this book is over-the-top and judging by references to other characters and their stories, over-the-top would seem to be McKenna's norm. However I enjoyed the storyline and would have liked to see it continued in future books but that seems unlikely now given the ending, which also over-the-top.

The story has insta-love, a big misunderstanding (though it occurs late in the story), a diabolical villain who needed more fleshing out but was interesting, a hot hero, a gutsy heroine, lots of purple prose, sexy love scenes, occasionally gory action, humor, interesting and fun secondary characters, a slightly implausible sci fi plot and it's all lots of fun. I was a bit disappointed in the ending, even though it was telegraphed early on, but overall I enjoyed the book and will probably pick up more in the series.

I borrowed this from the library.
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May 03, 2013 Dyllan, The Brazuca Ekaterina rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I started this book a few months ago, but couldn't go on, maybe for the fact that I read the previous 7 books in about two weeks lol
Now, here I'm again with this incredible series.

Lily and Bruno met under very strenuous circumstances, and they are forced to literally, run for their lives. Lily is convinced, the same people that killed her father, are after her. Bruno just thinks she's a bit crazy. However when life keeps throwing death attempts at their feet, he's convinced she may be right. The...more

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Mar 09, 2012 Isis FG rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Isis FG by: continuation of a series

Shelves: published-2011, series-mcclouds, bought-barnesnoble, condition-new, format-trade-pb, info-full, genre-romance-suspense, 2012, reviewed, stars-4

First review in a while...let's see if I can still write one!

Series Note:
8th book in Shannon McKenna's "McClouds & Friends" series. There's a whole lot of backstory between these books, especially between this one and the last one so I would recommend reading the series in order. But that's just me.

Summary:
Bruno Ranieri has been struggling a bit since his adopted brother Kev McCloud returned to the bosom of his birth family. Though he's loathe to admit it, he's jealous of the McClouds gettin...more

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Sep 28, 2011 Auntee rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fans of the series; romantic suspense fans

Shelves: romantic-suspense, part-of-a-series, 2011_reads, brothers-sisters

I love, love , love Shannon McKenna's writing, have read everything she's written and her McClouds & Friends series is an auto-buy for me and is probably in my top 3 romantic suspense series. I just love her heroes' crazy male POV, love their dialogue with their heroines, love how they fall hard for the heroines like they've been pole axed, love their fearlessness and protectiveness, and love the affection they show their family and friends. Blood and Fire is the 8th book of the McClouds ser...more

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Oct 19, 2012 Emmi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorite-author, on-kindle, genre-romantic-suspense

This was a great story line, but that kinda took the focus away from the relationship between Bruno & Lily. Shannon McKenna is a favorite author of mine and I enjoyed it, but it wasn't my favorite of the series... even though it probably had the best "bad guy" ever! If you've been following the series, you HAVE to read it, it'll be a compulsion. If you haven't read this series start at the beginning!!

From Auntee's research:

We met Bruno Ranieri in FADE TO MIDNIGHT, the story of Kev McCloud, t...more

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Nov 14, 2011 Sandy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Blood and Fire is the story of Bruno Ranieri and Lily Parr. It begins not long after Kev's story ends. Bruno has been Kev's best friend for the past 18 years, which is where his story comes in. Lily Parr is a down-on-her-luck girl who writes term papers for money to support her father and herself. She finds trouble when her father is killed after revealing some secrets for why he has been so broken and scared all these years. She is lucky to escape but manages to research the names her father ha...more Blood and Fire is the story of Bruno Ranieri and Lily Parr. It begins not long after Kev's story ends. Bruno has been Kev's best friend for the past 18 years, which is where his story comes in. Lily Parr is a down-on-her-luck girl who writes term papers for money to support her father and herself. She finds trouble when her father is killed after revealing some secrets for why he has been so broken and scared all these years. She is lucky to escape but manages to research the names her father has given her which leads her to Bruno. Bad shit goes down. Bruno manages to save his and Lily's life after fending off and killing three attackers who have pursued them. They go on the run but not without Bruno bringing in reinforcements (McCloud & Co.).

The danger Lily finds herself in is connected to Bruno but he does not believe her, yet sticks to her in spite of what she says because he is undeniably attracted to her, and she him. But everywhere they go, they are pursued as the bad guys manage to be one step ahead of them all (problem is they don't know how). Some time later, they hole up at Tam and Val's place for safety and to use the McCloud's help in tracking down the enemies.

The enemy mastermind behind it all (aka the Butthead Brigade) is Neil King, a middle-aged psychopath who breeds humans from birth to use as machines ingrained to perform every task asked of him. They are like mindless robots so loyal it's practically sickening. He has a personal agenda to fulfill, which involves tracking Lily and Bruno down. So far he has underestimated the McClouds, who have eliminated almost every agent King has sent after them. He wants Lily and Bruno captured and brought to him; they just don't know why exactly.

Blood and Fire is the 8th installment in this series. It's a good story - you have your protagonists, your antagonist, the setting, cast, and the plot. The book follows the outline of the other books McKenna has written so it is predictable. I think the last book I enjoyed was Tam's story (it was also nice to revisit them here). I've started to lose excitement with this series. They really don't seem to distinguish themselves in any fresh, original way. It's the same recipe: a guy and a girl fighting against some evil maniac, they encounter a lot of action and then eventually defeat their enemies and live happily ever after. I'm kind of disappointed with Blood and Fire but I didn't expect anything differently prior to reading so it wasn't a let down for me. It's a bit on the boring side (as it's really long). All in all, I'll probably forget about this book in a few days. I give it 3/5 stars.

On a side note: I am interested in reading who the heroine will be in the next McCloud & Friends series. The hero is Alex Aaro..but I am guessing who is HEA will be with. Edie's sister Ronnie perhaps? Probably going to be a new character?(less)

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About Shannon McKenna

Also wrote five category romances under the penname Shannon Anderson

::From The Author's Website::

HOW IT ALL BEGAN

I started writing my first romance novel in secret. I was working a temp job in an insurance office in Manhattan at the time, and the office manager had made it clear that even if there was nothing to do, I still had to look busy-- never one of my big talents. I felt bad about the waste...more

More about Shannon McKenna...

Books by Shannon McKenna

Behind Closed Doors (McClouds & Friends #1)

Standing in the Shadows (McClouds & Friends #2)

Edge of Midnight (McClouds & Friends #4)

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Quotes from Blood and Fire

“Aaro's mouth tightened. "I knew it," he said. "I knew, as soon as I saw who was calling, that this would be another massive goat-fuck with international implications. It always is, with you McClouds."
"I'm not a McCloud. I share no genetic material with those freaks!” — 5 people liked it

“Oh, shut the fuck up," Sean snapped. "I love you, man, OK? I missed you. Is that so hard to take? Does that scare you so damn bad?"
Kev looked away. "No," he said quietly. "It doesn't scare me. I missed you, too. All of you. It was a really long eighteen year."
Bruno looked at all four men in turn. Seconds passed. Nothing.
His disbelief grew. That was it? That was all? Oh, for the love of Christ. These guys were emotional retards, every last one of them.” — 5 people liked it

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Blood and Fire (McClouds & Friends #8)

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