Under Fire (Elite Force, #3)

Nov 20, 2012 Karla rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: awesome-alpha, exciting, kidnapping, military-heroes, scrumptious-hero, sizzling-romance, strong-willed-heroine, sweet-romance, terrific-dialogue, wonderful-secondary-characters, yummy-men

3 1/2 Stars! Not quite the oomph I was hoping for...but still worth reading.

This third book doesn’t quite live up to the first two in the series, Cover Me and Hot Zone, and I can’t really pinpoint one reason, but I will say that reading this right on the heels of the other two might have something to do with it. This didn’t ooze with excitement like the other two books, and some of the scenes felt pieced together. An over-the top rescue situation for our hero Liam, which could have been an exci...more

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Apr 23, 2012 Jess rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: for_review, rom-suspense

Review posted: Happily Ever After - Reads
Blog Rating: 3.5/5

Just these few hours together made her [Rachel] accept that the move to Florida hadn’t been coincidental. The attraction to Liam was magnetic, to say the least. His eyes locked with her only for a second, but this man packed more in an instant than most put into a lifetime.

This ended up being a book that had three different storylines that grabbed my attention for different reasons. The main romance between Liam and Rachel; a supporting...more Review posted: Happily Ever After - Reads
Blog Rating: 3.5/5

Just these few hours together made her [Rachel] accept that the move to Florida hadn’t been coincidental. The attraction to Liam was magnetic, to say the least. His eyes locked with her only for a second, but this man packed more in an instant than most put into a lifetime.

This ended up being a book that had three different storylines that grabbed my attention for different reasons. The main romance between Liam and Rachel; a supporting storyline with Brandon and Catriona and the suspense plot that all four of these people find themselves in the middle of. Liam and Rachel met 6 months earlier in a rescue mission following a devastating earthquake in the Bahamas (HOT ZONE). They had some serious chemistry, but both ended up going their separate ways, Rachel more so when she didn’t try to get in touch with Liam after he tried contacting her after the mission. Liam’s been married three times and Rachel just sees a guy that falls into love way too easy. There’s always more to the story and once she gets to know the man, she finds herself falling in love fast.

Brandon is a Lieutenant who’s suffering from PTSD and is having a rough time of it. Rachel works with dogs in all various forms of rescue; she took her dog into the rescue mission during the earthquake to help find survivors and lately she’s working more with therapy dogs and she gives Brandon a dog Harley, to help him find some calm as he tries to put his life back together. During one visit, Brandon opens up about intel he overhead when he was on active duty that looked like a high ranking official was selling secrets. Brandon’s not exactly taken seriously, people using his PTSD condition as an excuse to write his claims off as crazy talk. But Rachel listens, and the bad guy also finds out that Brandon and now Rachel are starting to make noise about Brandon’s claims and sets out to eliminate them. Rachel turns to the one man she knows can protect her, and Liam jumps right into the middle of it all.

The suspense portion of the story really didn’t feel like it picked up steam until the end when the final fight happened, and even then it was a bit anticlimactic. If you’re looking for high action and suspense, this might not be for you. What drove the story and kept me into it were the relationships, both Liam and Rachel and Brandon and Cat.

Liam and Rachel take awhile to finally give in to their attraction, both of them skittish at the start, but that of course doesn’t last long. I liked the vulnerability that Liam shows, he’s not that guy, the one who gets married and divorced and is able to put it behind him. The failed marriages really weigh on him, and he knows that getting into a relationship with Rachel is risky and he doesn’t know if he has it in him to go through it again and he can’t bare the thought of having it fail with Rachel. Rachel’s tough and I found her to be a very likable character. This is a very small thing, but I loved that she worked with dogs. The dogs aren’t a large presence in any way, but they’re a part of her life, and they are included throughout the story and it’s a small detail that I enjoyed reading about.

Pleasure slicked through him [Brandon] like lightening cleaving him in half.

So much.

Almost too much, the good so good, it almost hurt until he collapsed on top of her [Cat]. He didn’t even have the strength to lever off of her. He just buried his face in her neck, twitching in the aftermath.

For how long? He didn’t know. Another zone-out? Or a micronap? Either way, not how he wanted to end this encounter. He rolled to the side and pulled her against him.

He knew sex wouldn’t fix everything, and already the myriad of complications ahead of them was weighting on his shoulders like an M1 main battle tank. Although for right now, he planned to savor this night, this moment in time with an amazing woman who’d just given one incredible gift.

He hadn’t solved all his problems. But he was going to give thanks that life could still surprise him with something so beautiful in this long trudge through hell to get back to normal.

It’s good and bad when a supporting storyline overshadows the main one, but this happened a bit for me with Brandon and Cat’s story. I loved Brandon from the minute he was introduced; here’s this guy trying to put his life back together after suffering through a horrible situation when he was on duty and now he finds himself jumping at doors being slammed, dealing with nightmares and relying heavily on Harley and the calm that he gets from simply petting his dog. Cat owns a doggy daycare that Brandon uses and she’s had her eye on him since their first meeting. However, she’s a bit shy, lacks a little in self-confidence but something about Brandon helps her go out of her comfort zone and she takes a chance. She sees in him a guy that’s struggling and she starts to be the calming presence in his life. They don’t have a ton of page time, but it’s enough to give them a really nice story and I’d have loved to have had an entire book for them.

I'm splitting the difference for my rating but I really want to give this book two: 3 stars for a lackluster ending with the bad guy and the resolution to the suspense storyline, but 4 stars for the romance that followed both the lead characters and the supporting roles for Brandon and Cat - I enjoyed getting to know both couples very much. This story does pick up Rachel and Liam’s relationship that started in book two of this Elite Force series, but it reads well as a stand alone. UNDER FIRE was nice, fast read and we get enough details about Liam’s team that make me definitely want to pick up the next book.(less)

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Jul 23, 2012 Crystal ♥ RBtWBC rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: request-publisher, request-netgalley, best-of-2012, rating-4-5-stars, length-novel, genre-military-romance

4.5 Stars

Pararescueman Liam McCabe is not so lucky in the love department; he has a tendency to fall hard and fall fast but when the dust settles he always finds himself alone. He has no intentions of there ever being a 4th Mrs. McCabe but that doesn’t mean he can’t have a little fun. Liam first met Rachel Flores on a SAR mission in the Bahamas, they shared one hot kiss and then he never heard from her again. Until six months later when he finds her wet, tired and scared to death in the back of...more 4.5 Stars

Pararescueman Liam McCabe is not so lucky in the love department; he has a tendency to fall hard and fall fast but when the dust settles he always finds himself alone. He has no intentions of there ever being a 4th Mrs. McCabe but that doesn’t mean he can’t have a little fun. Liam first met Rachel Flores on a SAR mission in the Bahamas, they shared one hot kiss and then he never heard from her again. Until six months later when he finds her wet, tired and scared to death in the back of his jeep.
After listening to a seemingly crazy tale of conspiracy from a soldier who suffers from PTSD, Rachel finds herself on the receiving end of threatening phone calls and now she is being followed, into a guarded military base no less! Nobody wants to believe Rachel that this wild tale could be true, she even doubts it, but she knows that she needs to find somewhere safe and that the only person who might be able to help her is Liam McCabe. But Rachel also knows that he spells trouble for her heart and has been trying to hold thoughts of him at bay for the last six months with little success. Can she find some way to protect her heart while he protects her body or will they both loose in the end?

Catherine Mann wows with the third installment in her Elite Force series, Under Fire! Fast paced, sizzling hot and exhilarating, I loved every moment of Liam and Rachel’s story.

Liam has been burned too many times in the past and can’t trust his feelings for Rachel or those she might have for him. Rachel is intimidated by Liam’s past but once she learns more about it she can slowly set that aside and see the man beneath the wall he has erected around him, she just has to prove to Liam that she isn’t like all the rest which is a huge job. Woven into their romance are political intrigues that can prove deadly to them. With many twists and turns, the plot will keep you guessing as well as turning the pages to find out what’s going to happen next and whodunit. There is also a very touching side story about a soldier who suffers PTSD, his trials with that and overcoming it as well as finding love.

The pararescueman group that Mann has brought to life in these books are sexy, intriguing, and fantasy inspiring. I look forward to each of their stories and this series became a must-read for me after the first book, Cover Me. Romantic suspense fans are sure to love Under Fire; which is set up well to read as a stand-alone but better as part of the series. Another fantastic read from Mrs. Mann, I’m keeping my eyes peeled for the next book!
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Aug 05, 2012 Tracy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, romantic-suspense, netgalley

Under Fire Brings the Heat
Staring down the end of his career as a pararescueman, Major Liam McCabe is feeling his years and thinking of retirement. At thirty-eight, his body just can't do what it used to without feeling punishing pain, and he won't put his team at risk should he start to slow because of it. In two weeks he and his elite force will be providing external security at an international summit, then he's done. Though that cold reality isn't exactly a comfort.

Neither are Liam's memorie...more

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Jun 17, 2012 Kelly % Books-n-Kisses rated it 4 of 5 stars

LOVED this book!!! Liam is such a great guy!!!!

Review:
WOWZA!!!! Okay I have to tell you this is my first Catherine Mann book and I am now totally in love with her and her Elite Force team Now while Under Fire can easily stand as a read alone book, I am going to go back and read book 1 and 2. I want to know more about the team!!

Liam McCabe, is...well not very lucky in love. Oh he loves to be in love, three marriages prove that. But the three divorcees provide that he is very unlucky when it co...more

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Apr 29, 2012 Guilty Pleasures added it

Shelves: guiltypleasures-rhayne, publishersent

Rhayne's Review posted on
Guilty Pleasures

4 Stars

Under Fire is the third book in the Elite Force series by Catherine Mann. Even though it is not necessary to read the previous books to understand this one, you really should just so you don’t miss out on a great series.

The main focus of this book is on Liam and Rachel. They have a past together and have to work together to overcome a lot of obstacles to have any kind of a future. There are people shooting at them, buildings blowing up, military c...more

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Apr 23, 2012 Eva rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romantic-suspense, military, contemporary, netgalley-read

Hot military men! What's not to love? Hot military men in life threatening situations? Oh my! Throw in a hard-headed yet likeable heroine and you have the makings of a fabulous read.

Under Fire is the 3rd installment in Catherine Mann's Elite Force Series. This book centers around Liam and I have been waiting for Liam's book since the first installment in the series. I knew from the last book that the heroine would be Rachel -- and they certainly steam up the pages!

What I really like about this...more

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Sep 21, 2012 Dark Faerie Tales rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-by-kiwi

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: Hot military heroes. Read it.

Opening Sentence: “Kill one. Screw one. Marry One.”

The Review:

This book was a good one. And, like all good military-action-thriller-romances, this story contains just enough death, danger and hot bedroom scenes. Also, as an added bonus, it features not just one lethally sexy man, but we are presented with two of them and some friends. Plus, the more humanizing element of canine companionship, complete with puppie...more

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Jun 20, 2012 Sandy M rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary

I am loving this Elite Force series by Catherine Mann. Military mysteries with sexy heroes and intelligent and equally sexy heroines, these stories keep you turning the pages, keep you guessing, and keep your emotional upheaval on uneven ground until the very last page. Get ready for a wild ride!

We met Liam and Rachel in Hot Zone, the second book of the series. While searching for earthquake victims in the Bahamas, there was an attraction between them. Liam was upfront with Rachel about wanting...more I am loving this Elite Force series by Catherine Mann. Military mysteries with sexy heroes and intelligent and equally sexy heroines, these stories keep you turning the pages, keep you guessing, and keep your emotional upheaval on uneven ground until the very last page. Get ready for a wild ride!

We met Liam and Rachel in Hot Zone, the second book of the series. While searching for earthquake victims in the Bahamas, there was an attraction between them. Liam was upfront with Rachel about wanting her and while Rachel wanted him too, his past marriage record, along with her own past, held her back. Now her life has become one frightening place, and the only one she can turn to is Liam. But after refusing to return his phone calls over the past six months, will he be too angry to help? She’s about to find out.

With retirement as a pararescueman on the horizon, Liam is not looking forward to life outside the service, on the one hand, but on the other, he knows it’s for the best now that his body is showing its age. He’s a career man, and though he’d stay longer if he could, he knows his days are numbered. Then out of the blue he gets the surprise of his life – Rachel and her service dog have stowed away in his Jeep on base. The woman couldn’t bother returning a phone call and now she’s here like this? But seeing her again is pleasurable and he’ll take her any way he can get her.

Burnout finally getting to her, Rachel quit her search and rescue missions to take on training therapy dogs for wounded soldiers. That’s where she met Brandon, a military cop suffering from PTSD. While introducing and then working with Brandon and his dog, he tells her of a treasonous plot involving high-ranking military officials. But when they try to get help from the service and then local law enforcement, no one believes the story because it comes from a soldier with mental issues. That’s when things begin to happen that tell Rachel she’s being watched and someone wants her out of the picture. And why she ends up in Liam’s Jeep.

Not once does Liam not believe Rachel when she tells him her story. He vows to help her find out what the hell’s going on. He has friends in high places, but first he calls on his team, who help out no questions asked. Then when he gets his superiors involved, things are not what they seem. So the only solution at this point is to run – long and far. His team steps up to the plate again, all of them hiding out in the Florida Keys while trying to figure out who the traitor is. That’s when things really heat up, the villain gets his hands on those who have screwed up his plans. And he doesn’t pussyfoot around when it comes to getting those who are in his way out of his way. All I can say is good thing he’s an egomaniac.

We get a nice secondary romance with Brandon and Catriona, the lady who takes in dogs to train for service. She’s the only one, besides Rachel, who looks at Brandon as the man he is and not some unbalanced sissy everyone else wants to get rid of. Cat overcomes her shyness and surprises Brandon big time, sticking by him through thick and thin. We also get to catch up with Liam’s team, the featured players from the two previous books. It’s nice to see how they’ve balanced their lives together to make their relationships work.

Liam and Rachel are terrific together. They get to know one another under cover of fear and the unknown. Their attraction becomes full-blown passion, a longing that never died from their first meeting. They both have issues to get through. Liam has decided not to marry again after three failures, and he even tries to do the right thing, in his mind, by leaving Rachel to find someone who truly deserves her. She’s having none of that. Especially since she’s also had to face her past and come to grips with perhaps losing love again if she jumps back into the fire. They don’t have it easy no matter what in this book – well, except for the burning-up-the-pages lovemaking – but they talk and work things out, after a fashion anyway. It’s nice when everything comes together as it should.

I hope this series goes on for a few more books at least. Though I haven’t read any other of Catherine Mann’s military series – only one other book, Protector from Dark Ops, and it just doesn’t compare to the stories in this series – I have a feeling the characters and stories of the Elite Force are always going to be my favorites. They’re going to be hard to beat, but I will give her other series a chance!

See my complete review at http://www.goodbadandunread.com (less)

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Jun 19, 2012 Elizabeth marked it as dnf-did-not-finish

Shelves: contemporary-romance

I tried, but I could not get into this book so I am giving up at about page 70.

Several reasons:

Internal conflict. The conflict between the characters did not capture my interest. Both admit to themselves from the beginning that they are really attracted to each other. The only thing that appears to be keeping them apart is that Rachel, our heroine, is still hung up on her fiance who was killed a decade ago. Even then, they quickly advance to compromising positions. Even in chapter six, we find...more I tried, but I could not get into this book so I am giving up at about page 70.

Several reasons:

Internal conflict. The conflict between the characters did not capture my interest. Both admit to themselves from the beginning that they are really attracted to each other. The only thing that appears to be keeping them apart is that Rachel, our heroine, is still hung up on her fiance who was killed a decade ago. Even then, they quickly advance to compromising positions. Even in chapter six, we find Rachel, when confronted with a potential rival for Liam's affection, comforting herself with her observations on his actions that demonstrate his affection. I don't feel any anticipation or tension.

External conflict. Completely illogical. The premise is that Rachel, a dog trainer, has been helping a soldier suffering from PTSD adjust by providing him with a service dog. The soldier, Brandon, confides in her that there are bad things going on at the base with someone in the chain of command selling secrets and no one believe him because of his PTSD. Soon thereafter, someone tries to poison Rachel's dog, so she turns to Liam. Things quickly escalate and her townhome is blown up and she is shot at.

If this is such a bad secret, why are they going after Brandon and not Rachel? She's a civilian. She has no evidence of anything except the words of someone suffering from PSTD. If these unseen enemies were serious, why not kill Brandon and make it look like a suicide? Even if Rachel were to try to follow-up then, it would likely be ignored because she had no proof. Sorry, but if these spies are smart enough to be selling secrets and desparate enough to harm to cover it up, I can't believe they'd approach it in such an illogical manner.

Dialogue - internal and external. The character's dialogue was plodding. I did find one moment of humor when Rachel thought to herself "Liam was her last choice, last chance. Her last hope." I thought she should start calling him obi wan kenobi. (less)

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Jun 10, 2012 Saly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: single-titles, romantic-suspense, read-in-2012, cops-law-enforcement-security

I really enjoyed this book, in this we meet characters we met in the last book thrice divorced Major Liam and Rachel, who works with dogs.

These two met six months ago in an earthquake zone but Rachel never called him back, the reasons several, one he was divorced three time, two she wasn't ready for a relationship since she had lost her mother then her soldier fiancee ten years ago and being vulnerable again and the feelings Liam made her feel, were something that scared her but now she doesn't...more

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May 19, 2012 Rjsmommy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: all-s-fair-in-love

The third book in the Elite Forces series. I really enjoyed Liam's story; a soon to be retired 38 yr. old pararescueman with a history of bad marriages. This book picks up six months after the last one and continues with the relationship between Liam and Rachel Flores the search and rescue dog handler...well, not really continues since Rachel has refused to return any calls from Liam in the six months since they returned from the Bahamas earthquake mission. Liam is surprised whne he suddenly fin...more

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May 16, 2012 Judith rated it 4 of 5 stars

4.5 out of 5. He's a SEAL, but he's at the point where his body is threatening to give up the fight; she's beautiful, committed, passionate about helping people, and willing to stand in the gap even for those who have been left out in the cold, forgotten, considered too needy to worry about. Liam and Rachel are like so many individuals whose paths cross during crisis, whose attraction for one another flares and never has time to morph into something lasting and of value. Yet their days together-...more

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Apr 19, 2012 Bookaholics rated it 4 of 5 stars

Under Fire by Catherine Mann
Romantic Suspense –May 1st, 2012
4 stars

Under Fire continues the author’s pararescuemen series. In this book, the budding romance between dog trainer, Rachel Flores and pararescueman Liam MaCabe comes to a heated conclusion as both race to find a corrupt official.

Rachel Flores trains dogs to search for missing victims and to aid those traumatized for therapy. One of the men who has a therapy dog for his PTSD is Brandon, who is a military cop. He has confided in her tha...more
Under Fire by Catherine Mann
Romantic Suspense –May 1st, 2012
4 stars

Under Fire continues the author’s pararescuemen series. In this book, the budding romance between dog trainer, Rachel Flores and pararescueman Liam MaCabe comes to a heated conclusion as both race to find a corrupt official.

Rachel Flores trains dogs to search for missing victims and to aid those traumatized for therapy. One of the men who has a therapy dog for his PTSD is Brandon, who is a military cop. He has confided in her that he believes that there is a military traitor but knows one believes him due to his ‘incapacitated’ state. Rachel tries to help Brandon reach the authorities but without any success. When she starts getting mysterious threats over the phone, she runs to the one man who has dug into her heart, Laim MaCabe. Liam and Rachel worked together to find people during a devastating earthquake. While she was highly attracted to him, she was also wary of his history -three failed marriages. For months she has ignored his calls, but now she knows he is the only one who might be able to help her.

At first Liam is shocked to see Rachel hidden in his jeep. But shock soon overcomes gladness -he has missed her. However, when she comes to him with a crazy conspiracy theory, he is doubtful until he finds out on the news that her town house and the entire street she lived on has been decimated by an explosion. Soon they are on the run to save their lives and find the traitor.

Readers won’t need to read the prior book to enjoy the romance between Rachel and Liam, but I certainly felt that it added to the story. The author really portrays the characters with emotion and depth and pulls you into the story. Liam is very sympathetic. He really wanted his marriages to work but needed to mature to find a relationship that finally worked. He has a real connection with Rachel and I am happy that he found someone who matches him. Rachel is a little less developed but still an enjoyable character. This book also had another romance between Brandon who is wildly attracted to his dog sitter/caretaker, Catriona. They make a sweet couple as both like each other but are very insecure about themselves. Brandon feels that his PTSD makes him less attractive. This was a solid romance thriller, and I look forward to reading more in the series.

The men are hunky, honorable heroes but what I like best about this series are the genuine emotions and down to earth characters.

Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club
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Apr 19, 2012 Kat Latham rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-romance

4.5 stars

The pararescuemen usually handle dangerous rescue missions - in Catherine Mann's December release, Hot Zone (aka, the novel I wish I wrote myself!), they dug through the rubble to find earthquake survivors in the Bahamas.

On that mission, Liam McCabe met Rachel, a seemingly fearless woman who trains dogs to sniff out people who are lost...or buried under earthquake detritus. Working under appalling, exhausting, dangerous conditions, Liam and Rachel were incredibly attracted to each other...more 4.5 stars

The pararescuemen usually handle dangerous rescue missions - in Catherine Mann's December release, Hot Zone (aka, the novel I wish I wrote myself!), they dug through the rubble to find earthquake survivors in the Bahamas.

On that mission, Liam McCabe met Rachel, a seemingly fearless woman who trains dogs to sniff out people who are lost...or buried under earthquake detritus. Working under appalling, exhausting, dangerous conditions, Liam and Rachel were incredibly attracted to each other but nothing happened.

Now, months later, Liam is preparing for the last mission he'll lead his pararescuemen on before he leaves active duty: handling the security for an international summit at NASA. He's totally unprepared for a terrified Rachel to find him with a story of someone selling military secrets and threatening her life after she told the authorities.

Under Fire is romantic suspense at its best. Tense and gripping, it never loses sight of the emotion that cranks up the heat.

This is a novel about rediscovering yourself when you think you're lost. Rachel suffered exhaustion and burn-out after the Bahamas quake, so much so that she changed the focus of her job and moved. She was fearless then, but in Under Fire she's a target.

Liam is facing the end of his career - at least, the end of his career as he knows it. And as much as he loves Rachel, he also knows that he's been married three times (yes, three), so he's not a great bet for any woman.

They both see so much to love and value in each other, but they have to regain their confidence in themselves first.

Under Fire also takes a long, hard look at the difficulties in military relationships. One of my favorite passages comes not from the main characters but from one of the pararescuemen, Cuervo:

"Seriously, I get that it's tough to stay in this profession, to screw over the ones you love again and again because the mission calls. I see that grief with the other guys in the unit over busted relationships. At what point does a guy go from being an altruistic serviceman to becoming a cold bastard ignoring the needs of his family?" He frowned. "God knows, I don't have the answer."

This is a novel that features more than sexy characters fighting for their lives; it asks questions that a lot of families will be able to relate to. It will speak to a lot of hearts.
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Mar 23, 2012 Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, non-erotic, suspense-mystery

Originally posted at: http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.c...

Wild rides, pulse-pounding danger, gripping suspense, and simmering, sizzling, spiraling passion keep Rachel and Major Liam McCabe on full alert as they frantically work to save themselves and others while trying to foil an attempt to cause an international incident that could endanger the nation. WOW!

Rachel Flores and Major Liam McCabe, who met during the aftermath of the Bahamas earthquake, are complex, strong intelligent characters...more Originally posted at: http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.c...

Wild rides, pulse-pounding danger, gripping suspense, and simmering, sizzling, spiraling passion keep Rachel and Major Liam McCabe on full alert as they frantically work to save themselves and others while trying to foil an attempt to cause an international incident that could endanger the nation. WOW!

Rachel Flores and Major Liam McCabe, who met during the aftermath of the Bahamas earthquake, are complex, strong intelligent characters who have a special connection, but also have tons of emotional baggage. Back in Florida, Rachel, while on hiatus from search and rescue, is working with PTSD veterans using therapy dogs. Liam trains with his pararescuemen to be ready for an assignment not in their usual purview.

After one of Rachel’s patients tells her about suspicious activity in high military echelons, her life is suddenly in danger but no one believes her. Out of options and scared for herself and her patient, she and her search and rescue dog, Disco, seek Liam’s help even though she’s avoided all his overtures since they returned from the earthquake mission.

Both Liam and Rachel have issues about “love” that impedes their having a relationship, but true love doesn’t give up easily. Their slow but steady rise above past heartaches while they maneuver to stay alive and stop a horrific international situation makes for page-turning, breath-holding read.

UNDER FIRE throbs with sweet and sensual love, danger, greed for power, and with super heroes who have a unique humor that belies the perilous lives they live.

Sub plots enrich this story. Brandon, the veteran with PTSD, and Catriona, who owns a special dog sitting business, creates a story that is captivating. The machinations of the antagonist, who feels that the end justifies the means are scary as can be. His firm belief that he should be in charge and anybody in the way of his plan is expendable, creates adrenaline-pumping action.

Catherine Mann once again gives the reader a spellbinding story with special super heroes whose motto is: “These things we do that others may live”. She weaves together humor, love, alligators in the Everglades, murder in the military, dogs undaunted by danger, and an amazing, diverse group of characters that sweep the reader into the actions and emotions with a climax that is mind-blowing.(less)

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May 04, 2012 E. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: suspense, romance

“Under Fire” by Catherine Mann is part of her ‘Elite Force: That Others May Live’ series about pararescuemen and the important people in their lives. Major Liam McCabe is contemplating a radical change in his life because he fears that his aging yet toned body with its damaged knees will no longer be able to function enough so that he can be counted on to continue to effectively lead his tightly knit team. He still thinks about Rachel Flores six months after they met while performing search and...more “Under Fire” by Catherine Mann is part of her ‘Elite Force: That Others May Live’ series about pararescuemen and the important people in their lives. Major Liam McCabe is contemplating a radical change in his life because he fears that his aging yet toned body with its damaged knees will no longer be able to function enough so that he can be counted on to continue to effectively lead his tightly knit team. He still thinks about Rachel Flores six months after they met while performing search and rescue after a severe earthquake in the Bahamas. Rachel still works with dogs but has taken a break from the emotionally draining search and rescue assignments, instead working as a dog trainer as well as matching up wounded service personnel with therapy dogs. A frightening story of corruption and treason related by Lieutenant Brandon Harris plunges Laura into a frightening world of danger, despite the concern that his PTSD is behind his accusations. Her absolute conviction that Liam would help her despite her rejection of his overtures leads her to his side. Liam has not had success with his personal life as demonstrated by the three ex-wives he has but he is still inescapably drawn to the feisty and capable Rachel. Liam calls upon his considerable resources and skills to keep Rachel safe but the question remains whether the threat is credible and if so, how will they survive long enough to expose it?

An action-packed and sensual tale highlighting the exclusive environment of the well-trained and fearless men who perform unsung sacrifices to protect freedom around the world. The incredible toll on both their bodies and emotional lives is touched upon even as a suspenseful story is unfolded around the charismatic heroine and hero. The canine secondary characters provide a nice foil for the loyalty or disloyalty displayed by the humans around them. There are quite a few fantastical situations including an encounter with a swamp denizen that highlight the advantages of combining skill and grace under pressure. An enjoyable read sure to attract new fans and delight already established ones.(less)

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May 26, 2012 Beanbag Love rated it 2 of 5 stars

Between two and three.

This book starts out well. Liam's infatuation with Rachel was introduced in the last book of the series: Hot Zone. They're good characters with interesting backgrounds. Dogs are involved, so that's always a plus.

The problem is with the story. The setup is great. I was all in. By half-way through I felt like we were in a rut with padded inner monologues and little progress on contrived obstacles.

Romantic suspense often has a frustrating section like this. From about 50% to...more

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May 22, 2012 Sara rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: military-heroes, romantic-suspense

There really wasn't much going on in this book-- It wasn't as fast-paced as the previous one and I didn't really care for the characters.
Catherine Mann took the strong female character,Rachel, from her previous book, Hot Zone, and turned her into a cowering shell of a girl who had to run to some guy for protection. Mann took Rachel's take-charge attitude that drew me to her in Hot Zone and changed it to a little girl running towards a man to solve her problems.
Although I gotta admit that the o...more

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Apr 17, 2012 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Wow i think this is my first full fledge Catherine Mann book. Talk about exciting. This book takes off with the action right from the beginning. A Pack of hot and sexy in shape pararescue guys swimming miles and miles and all the while playing a somewhat dirty word game. What a way to open a book. Liam or Major McCabe is thinking about retiring. He's not that old at 38 but for what he does he's getting to be ancient. Rachel Flores met Liam 6 months ago in Bahamas rescuing people after a earthqua...more Wow i think this is my first full fledge Catherine Mann book. Talk about exciting. This book takes off with the action right from the beginning. A Pack of hot and sexy in shape pararescue guys swimming miles and miles and all the while playing a somewhat dirty word game. What a way to open a book. Liam or Major McCabe is thinking about retiring. He's not that old at 38 but for what he does he's getting to be ancient. Rachel Flores met Liam 6 months ago in Bahamas rescuing people after a earthquake. She and her dog were part of team sent there to work with Liam and his team of pararescue men. They had a big attraction for each other but Rachel was afraid of getting hurt so she held off. Back stateside she ignored his calls and him for 6 months until something happened and she needed his help. Rachel is training therapy dogs because she is burned out on the rescue jobs right now and that's how she meets Lieutenant Brandon Harris a wounded vet with PTSD who has a secret that could get them all killed. He shares part of that secret with Rachel and when she tries to help she finds out that people don't believe them and someone is out to silence them. That's where Liam comes in. She goes to him for help and that quickly launches them in a race to survive and find out who is after them. In the middle of that they try to figure out what's between then which leads to some funny and some really hot sexy moments. I loved Liam and his team and Rachel is pretty kick ass tough. Both Liam and Rachel have to work through some pretty intense issues in the story as where they are with each other and with the threat against them. One thing i didn't care for was how many times it was brought up that he'd been married 3 times. At one point he tells Rachel about each one and why he married etc. It seems to stick out like a sore thumb. Rachel finally gets past that and has some big realizations of her own. This book was intense with some humor and romance thrown in to balance the whole thing out nicely. 4 out of 5 Modokker Book Pick Stars for Under Fire by Catherine Mann. This book is part of a series but can stand on it's own if you have not read the first two. For myself though I am getting and reading book 1 and 2 soon.

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Jun 21, 2012 Susan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-books-read, 2012-men-in-uniform-challenge, military-hero, romance, romantic-suspense

Very good book. Liam and Rachel had met and worked together in the Bahamas after an earthquake. She was attracted to him, but he had been married three times and she didn't feel he was able to commit. After returning home she was burned out on her rescue work and switched to working with therapy dogs and PTSD veterans. Liam tried to contact her, but she ignored his calls. Then Brandon, one of the veterans she worked with, told her of a high-ranking officer who was planning to give military secre...more Very good book. Liam and Rachel had met and worked together in the Bahamas after an earthquake. She was attracted to him, but he had been married three times and she didn't feel he was able to commit. After returning home she was burned out on her rescue work and switched to working with therapy dogs and PTSD veterans. Liam tried to contact her, but she ignored his calls. Then Brandon, one of the veterans she worked with, told her of a high-ranking officer who was planning to give military secrets to the enemy. After trying unsuccessfully to get someone to listen to them, she went to Liam for help. He was skeptical until several attempts were made on her life, at which point he went to his team and they started trying to find out what was happening. I always liked both Liam and Rachel. Rachel was cautious about getting involved, since she had suffered so much loss already, but she couldn't deny her attraction to Liam. Liam hadn't been able to forget Rachel, but after three marriages he figured that a family wasn't in his future. As they spent more time together, I loved the way they learned about each other. Rachel discovered that Liam had been searching for love, but had simply picked poorly. He also feels that he is too old to continue doing his job and plans to retire soon. Liam learned that Rachel is even stronger than he had realized. Both of them show their vulnerabilities, and each is able to see the other for who they really are. There is also a secondary romance involving Brandon and the dog-sitter he and Rachel use. I love the way that Catriona stays calm and helps him through his PTSD episodes. The suspense itself is excellent, as the story moves along and the official is revealed and we try to figure out who is working for him, against him and who knows what is going on. The final stages of taking the bad guy down were fantastic, and also showed Liam that he still had a lot to give. I loved the way that Rachel also didn't let Liam get away with trying to protect her from his issues. Overall a fantastic book.(less)

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May 27, 2012 Lynelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Liam is the Team Leader for his pararescue unit and his body is reaching the point where it is slowing him down. He seems to be a romantic guy and wants the whole wife and kids scenario, but with 3 failed marriages he has come to the conclusion that being married to his job doesn’t leave room in his life for a family outside of his teammates. Rachel and Liam met in book 2 Hot Zone while helping out during an earthquake in the Bahamas. This book takes place 6 months after they have returned home...more Liam is the Team Leader for his pararescue unit and his body is reaching the point where it is slowing him down. He seems to be a romantic guy and wants the whole wife and kids scenario, but with 3 failed marriages he has come to the conclusion that being married to his job doesn’t leave room in his life for a family outside of his teammates. Rachel and Liam met in book 2 Hot Zone while helping out during an earthquake in the Bahamas. This book takes place 6 months after they have returned home and even though Rachel hasn’t returned any of Liam’s phone calls during this time, he just can’t get her out of his head.

Rachel trains service dogs and therapy dogs. This is when she meets Brandon who suffers from PTSD and uses one of her therapy dogs. During a particularly bad episode, Brandon reveals some delicate information that implies treason. Rachel is very passionate about helping people and very committed. She tries to help Brandon be heard but no one takes them seriously and even makes attempts on their lives. Even though Rachel has tried to keep her distance from Liam she finds herself turning to him desperate for his help and believes he is the only one she trusts.

This story has an interesting villain and what he’s willing to do to move up in the ranks of the military. We find out pretty quickly who the villain is and at first I wasn’t sure if that was a good idea to disclose that information, but as it went on, the real suspense was deciding who is working for or against him. There are a couple people that play the double roles well and I was trying to figure it out what side they were really on until the end.

Rachel and Liam have a lot of obstacles to overcome and it’s amazing the lengths that they will both go to see things right and to attempt at a future together. I felt this story moved and flowed felt believable. I really enjoyed getting to see some of the team members again from the previous books and I love the connection between them all and what they are willing to do for each other. Under Fire is the third book in the Elite Force series and even it would be easy to follow this book without reading the previous ones, I highly recommending reading them all as they are all fantastic.

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Jun 10, 2012 Ronna rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adult-romance

3.5 stars rounded up.

Under Fire is Book 3 in Catherine Mann's Elite Force series, and features the story of Major Liam McCabe, leader of the series featured Pararescue (PJ) Unit. Liam met his love interest Rachel in Book 2 during search & rescue operations following a devastating earthquake in the Bahamas. He as a PJ doing his thing and she as part of a canine rescue unit (with her dog Disco). They shared an immediate connection but Rachel, who feared being hurt after losing both her mother...more 3.5 stars rounded up.

Under Fire is Book 3 in Catherine Mann's Elite Force series, and features the story of Major Liam McCabe, leader of the series featured Pararescue (PJ) Unit. Liam met his love interest Rachel in Book 2 during search & rescue operations following a devastating earthquake in the Bahamas. He as a PJ doing his thing and she as part of a canine rescue unit (with her dog Disco). They shared an immediate connection but Rachel, who feared being hurt after losing both her mother and a fiance, ran in the other direction from Liam (a 3 time loser in the marriage department) once the S&R op was over. She was afraid he was someone who couldn't commit long term, that he would eventually lose interest in her, and she did not want to risk her heart being broken again. So after the Bahamas, she ignored Liam's repeated efforts. However, when she finds herself in the midst of a potential high-level treason conspiracy to which she has direct knowledge and therefore is literally being hunted and running for her life, where even the law offers no help and their protection is not assured, she runs to the one person she thinks can handle it and will help her - Liam. From even the short time she spent with him, 3 weeks of time 6 months prior, she knows he will help. While I found this particular story, even with a lot of action from the get-go, to be slow to pick up speed and even contrived and predictable at times, I still enjoyed it. I am a sucker for a great hero, and this team is full of them. After all, their motto is "that others may live". With a great sense of humor, compassion, humility and abs that could probably repel a bullet, Liam is a perfect hero. Many reviews I have read fault Rachel for going from fearless in the Bahamas to a cry baby in this book. That is nonsense. Risking your life to save others gives some measure of control. When powerful people are trying to kill you, you're on the run and your life taken away from you, I think being a little afraid and yes even crying, after almost dying or hurting people, is justified. She was brave when it counted and made a formidable match for Liam. I also loved the secondary couple featured, Brandon and Cat. While things developed a little too rapidly between them for my taste, I did enjoy their characters and the reasoning behind why they connected so well. Ms. Mann's writing is effortless and has a nice flow. I love the action and thriller components of each book, including this one. Again, it was a little predictable, but it did not lessen my overall enjoyment of the book or the series, and I do recommend reading this book - especially if you have enjoyed the series so far. I can't wait to learn which PJ is up next. No sneak peeks at Book #4 at the end of this one. (less)

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Jun 13, 2012 Debbie rated it 2 of 5 stars

2.5 stars
Normally I really enjoy romance books revolving around special forces but this one just never took off for me. I actually took about 3 breaks from it to read other books because it just did not hold my attention. Maybe it’s because I didn’t read the first two books in the series, I didn’t realize it was a part of a series, that it fell flat for me. Liam’s infatuation with Rachel and being so in love with her after what seems like so little time actually spent together seem unbelievable...more

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May 04, 2012 Cari rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: catherine-mann, elite-force, military

Loved it! Fast paced book right from the start. Liam and Rachel are compelling characters. You root for them right from the start. They are people with huge hearts who serve because they are called to serve. Brandon and Catriona have a sweet secondary story. Brandon is recovering from PTSD and Catriona has a peace about her that is just what he needs. I can't forget the dogs as they are an intricate part of the story. Catriona runs a doggie daycare. Brandon has a therapy dog that helps him more...more

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Aug 23, 2012 Jacquelynn Fritz rated it 4 of 5 stars

Rachel and Liam met in the Bahamas after an earthquake where both were on search and rescue. Rachel with her dog Disco and Liam with his pararescue team. Now six months later Liam is protecting Rachel and her client Brandon. Brandon is suffering from PTSD and got a therapy dog from Rachel. Brandon told Rachel about overhearing location of satilites being sold. He didn't know who was selling the information. Rachel and Brandon tried to tell the authorities but they didn't take them seriously beca...more

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Jun 18, 2012 Rachel Kall rated it 5 of 5 stars

I am now officially addicted to Mann's books. This is now the third book I've read of hers and I keep coming back for more. This book has absolutely everything I want in a romantic suspense. Liam is the "old guy" on the PJs team, all of 38 years old. He hasn't had luck with his three marriages, but he still is a romantic at heart. And he's hot:) And Rachel, is a wonderful heroine. She's dealing with her own past and the pain of losing her first love. And she's a dog trainer! There are so many do...more

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Jun 18, 2012 Michele rated it 5 of 5 stars

I absolutely loved this book! Catherine Mann has become one of my must-read authors. Her books are full of action, suspense, romance and hot, sexy heroes. This one is no exception. Under Fire is the third book in Ms. Mann’s Elite Force series that revolves around a team of Air Force pararescuemen. We first met Major Liam McCabe and Rachel Flores in the previous book, Hot Zone. Liam and Rachel met while working search and rescue in the aftermath of an earthquake in the Bahamas. Despite the strong...more I absolutely loved this book! Catherine Mann has become one of my must-read authors. Her books are full of action, suspense, romance and hot, sexy heroes. This one is no exception. Under Fire is the third book in Ms. Mann’s Elite Force series that revolves around a team of Air Force pararescuemen. We first met Major Liam McCabe and Rachel Flores in the previous book, Hot Zone. Liam and Rachel met while working search and rescue in the aftermath of an earthquake in the Bahamas. Despite the strong attraction they shared, Rachel has not returned any of Liam’s calls in the 6 months following their meeting. Now Rachel is in trouble and turns to the one person she knows she can trust to help: Liam.

Liam is one hot hero. Not only is he good-looking, but he is funny, charming, smart, and a great leader. I loved him. I loved how he believed in Rachel and how much he respected her. Rachel is compassionate, confident, fearless and tenacious. I admired all those things about her and more. She made for an awesome heroine.

The chemistry between Liam and Rachel is combustible and when they finally come together, it is hot, hot, hot! Of course, the road to their HEA is a bumpy one. They both have some pretty big issues to work through, but Ms. Mann handles it very well and it is very believable.

There is also a secondary love story that plays out over the course of the book. Brandon Harris and Catriona Whittier meet when Brandon leaves his therapy dog at her doggie day care business. He is suffering from PTSD and is struggling. Catriona comes into his life and is his calm in the storm. In her he finds a peace that he so very much needs. I loved their romance as much as Liam’s and Rachel’s.

We get to see some of Liam’s teammates again, which I loved. It was like seeing old friends. I’m hoping that the rest of Liam’s team will each get their own book in the future.

Under Fire was an absolutely awesome book! I could not put it down and am now anxiously waiting for the next book in the series to come out. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for an action-packed, romance-filled, hot and sexy read. Pick it up, I promise you will not regret it!
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Apr 15, 2012 Trish rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romantic-suspense, romantic-suspense-military

This was my first Catherine Mann book-and boy, am I glad I picked it up! I love the Romantic Suspense/Military genre. It holds a special place in my heart.

That being said, this book is a great one to sink your teeth into-it has all that I love about the genre in it: Great romance, action-oriented plot, and strong secondary characters.

My only complaint is that I thought the secondary character, Brandon, was a much better hero than Liam in some respects. Brandon is suffering from PTSD and had su...more

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Jun 21, 2012 Brenda rated it 5 of 5 stars

The third book in the series, and it was worth waiting for! I loved the hero and heroine. Liam is tired, worn down and thinking of retiring from the military career he loves. He's also given up on love after three failed marriages. Rachel is attracted to Liam from the start, but doesn't plan on falling for a hunk who's been married three times and doesn't call him back for six months until she needs someone she can trust. She may be weary of romance with Liam but she trusts him and he makes her...more

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Under Fire (Elite Force #3)

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