One Wrong Move (McClouds & Friends #9)

Aug 25, 2012 Becs - Sinfully Sexy Book Reviews rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: net-galley-for-review, review-copy, abused-heroine, alpha-hero, contemporary-romance, romantic-suspense

4.5 stars high calibre, high-octane romantic suspense.

This really is classic Shannon McKenna. If you’ve enjoyed the McCloud books up until now, you really won’t be disappointed. The plot is, as always, highly implausible and far-fetched but that’s what we’ve come to expect from Shannon McKenna and she really does do highly implausible and far-fetched better than anyone else in this genre, in my humble opinion. This book hits the ground at a sprint with action right from the very first page and d...more

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Sep 06, 2012 BamaGal rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romantic-suspense, suspense-thriller, netgalley-edelweiss

Shannon McKenna has become the Queen of the over-the-top, far fetched plotline; and this one is no different. Once you get that idea in your head, settle in for a wild ride and enjoy the show. The books in this series can be read standalone for the plot; but the characters often carry on from book to book, so the reader misses some background on a given character when his turn for a main storyline comes up.

This time around, it’s the mysterious Alex Aaro’s turn; and his damsel-in-distress is Nina...more Shannon McKenna has become the Queen of the over-the-top, far fetched plotline; and this one is no different. Once you get that idea in your head, settle in for a wild ride and enjoy the show. The books in this series can be read standalone for the plot; but the characters often carry on from book to book, so the reader misses some background on a given character when his turn for a main storyline comes up.

This time around, it’s the mysterious Alex Aaro’s turn; and his damsel-in-distress is Nina Christie. Nina’s scientist aunt (Helga) has been forced to work for villain Sergei, as he is holding Helga’s daughter Lara hostage to ensure her compliance. Helga has injected Nina with an enhanced version of a psyche-enhancing drug and gives her a message in her native Ukrainian, a message Nina has managed to record on her phone. Nina needs someone to translate the message; so enter Alex Aaro, an operative for the McCloud’s. When the message is translated, they discover that Nina must get the dose B of the drug, or she will die in a matter of days. Part of the message leaves cryptic clues on how to find the dose B.

Helga’s ‘boss’ Sergei, is also after the dose B of the drug, thinking this improved version will give the user further enhancement of the telepathic and mind probing abilities. Aaro and Nina are not only searching for the 2nd dose; but are on the run from Sergei’s thugs, who want to ‘lift’ the info directly from their minds and then kill them.

Nina And Aaro’s relationship moved at warp speed in this book. Aaro has a lot issues; and comes off at first as a bit of a Neanderthal with sarcastic humor. Nina is not as well drawn or defined. She has had a difficult, abusive past; but not much else about her is really given to the reader other than a physical description. As a couple, they engage in a lot of (often funny) sexy bantering, bickering, and dirty talk. There is an instant attraction between them; but not a lot of trust. The sex scenes are what the reader has come to expect from SM, hot and plentiful.

This a well-paced, fast moving story, really picking up the pace after Aaro and Nino go on the run. Once you get past the far-fetched plotline, it is a very interesting and intriguing story. Nina and Aaro were a quite enjoyable couple; and the sexual attraction between them was off the chart combustible and steamy. Recommended read, and if you are a fan of the series, a “don’t miss” read.

I’m thinking McCloud operative Miles and Lara (Helga’s captive daughter) for the next book, perhaps?

ARC provided by NetGalley and Kensington(less)

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Apr 15, 2013 Pingle McCloud rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of Shannon McKenna

Shelves: favorite-author, favorite-series-01, action, adventure, cant-wait-to-read-the-new-release, contemporary, explicit, fiction, giveaway, graphic-language, in-english, mafioso, mcclouds-friends-series, military, mobster, own-a-copy, arc, tortured-hero, thriller, suspense, supernatural, steamy-love-scenes, steamy, shannon-mckenna, series, romantic-suspense, paranormal, drugs-enhance-people, fast-paced-story, page-turner, scifi, ukranian-mafiya, family, alpha-hero, uber-alpha-hero, likable-heroine, feisty-heroine, bad-attitude, mystery, reviewed

I also posted this review on my blog

Honestly after reading this book, I need some time to rest my mind first before I made this review, because this book left me speechless. Phew! Yeah, a lot of things going on in this book, with all those actions, suspense, mystery, mind control, sc-ifi, and the paranormal stuffs along the book, it took a while for me to take a breath first and wondering just how am I supposed to tell you how much I loved this book and the series. The story is about drugs which...more

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May 19, 2013 Pamela(AllHoney) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: my-4-star-romances, challenge-2013, challenge-dhasghero, dangerous-or-bad-boy, rs-mystery-thriller, paranormal-elements, the-habanero-shelf, hiding-or-on-the-run

The ninth book in Shannon McKenna's exciting McCloud & Friends series. Nina Christie is a social worker who dresses to be invisible. Issues from her past have caused her to be wary of being noticed. One day she is being followed and grabs her phone and calls 9-1-1. At that moment, a woman jumps out of a car and injects her. Alex Aaro is back in town to see his dying aunt. She is the only one in his family that he cares about. But Bruno Ranieri needs Aaro to do one tiny favor. He refuses. His...more

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Mar 02, 2013 Mitzi marked it as to-read

Shelves: a-own-tbr-k2

Put on 'price watch' today and will wait till it is affordable. It cost #11.04 for ebook edition on Kindle @ 8/28/12 (yet the paperback edition is less at $10.20). Her books are pretty good...but I refuse to pay more for the ebook copy than the print copy....And IMO the print copy is way to expensive. In the meantime, there are lots of great books to read that cost a whole lot less...KA here I come!...And just maybe in 6 months or so I'll remember this author's new book...But Probably NOT...It w...more

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Sep 24, 2012 Wminbc rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: coming-soon-from-nrr

My review is up today!

http://www.nocturnereads.com/2012/09/...

Check it out! me

Thank you to my girlies at www.nocturnereads.com for hooking me up with my RS idol Shannon McKenna...and for hooking me up with another ARC...the book arrived in the mail last night and the cover is lush! Happy reading for me this weekend in our heat wave!

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Oct 05, 2012 Jen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fv, mckenna

Nina and Aaro

Good installment to this series. Aaro has a dirty mouth. Me likey.

Full review on Fiction Vixen Book Reviews

Right before I started One Wrong Move I got an email from fellow FV reviewer, Amy, asking about the book. She said Mandi had told her the hero was a dirty talker. Of course this peaked my interest. I quickly found out that Aaro is a dirty thinker AND talker, to the extreme. I lurve him.

“If we play now, then when I get you to the hotel room, you’ll be ready,” he said. “What I wa...more

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Sep 11, 2012 Sandra Valente rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, have-read, romantic-suspense

Copy received from publishers, Kensington via NetGalley. Review will only be posted on blog tour date, which is 11 September 2012.

Needless to say, it did not disappoint!

REVIEW

Page turning stuff... but then, nothing less is to be expected from this author considering that this is the 9th book in the McCloud and friends series. I must admit though that at first I wondered about the paranormal/telepathy/mental ability premise this book revolved around. I wonder no more. It was fabulous, imaginative...more Copy received from publishers, Kensington via NetGalley. Review will only be posted on blog tour date, which is 11 September 2012.

Needless to say, it did not disappoint!

REVIEW

Page turning stuff... but then, nothing less is to be expected from this author considering that this is the 9th book in the McCloud and friends series. I must admit though that at first I wondered about the paranormal/telepathy/mental ability premise this book revolved around. I wonder no more. It was fabulous, imaginative and can I say eerie! For those who haven't read any of Shannon's books, honestly, I don't know what you're waiting for. Just a note though for those faint of heart, this is in your face reading. And, I mean everything. Fabulous! Some authors get it right and some don't... no worries here. It all comes together as it should.

We finally get inside Alex Aaro’s head. Boy, has he got issues. As you will see from the quote in the end, 'assholic' seems to describe him to a 'T'. However, he redeems himself substantially throughout the book. He's really not a bad guy, he only periodically suffers stupidity attacks. You'll still like him - trust me. I do love Nina though - gives as good as she gets, and puts him firmly in his place on more than one occasion. Tsk, tsk. How wonderful to see someone such as Aaro who comes across as untouchable literally being crushed to dust by a smart-mouth-take-no-nonsense woman! I’m sitting here with a big smile on my face. I loved it.

Aaro is kicking himself on a regular and daily basis for majorly stuffing up his last operation, which nearly got Lily killed (Bruno’s soon-to-be wife - MC's in Blood and Fire). He’s just landed and is on his way to see his crazy aunt Tonya who is dying, when he receives a call from Bruno asking for a favour in the form of translating a tape apparently recorded in Ukranian. Aaro doesn’t have time for this, has enough on his plate, refuses to even contemplate getting involved and ultimately have to babysit one of Lily’s friends. He owes Bruno though, but still, aunt Tonya must come first. Prideful man that he is, never wanting others to feel either pity or sorry for him, he chooses not to mention to Bruno why he can’t take this on. This leaves him with Bruno clambering down his throat, and then Lily. Tough – nothing he can do.

Nina, after a shocking encounter with her 'aunt' Helga who forcefully injects her with something or other and was thought to have been dead for the past three years, now finds herself in hospital. This is when things become interesting. She’s been told by both Bruno and Lily that a man by the name of Alex Aaro will be meeting her to translate the tape. In the meantime, she starts hallucinating when a couple of people who are dressed as doctors enter her room asking her to follow them for further tests. Something’s up. She questions them, but they placate her with noneties in the form of learning more about what she was injected with. She knows they’re lying and makes a run for it. What does she see? These very people have turned into zombies! Yes, really. What on earth has Helga done? What’s wrong with her. Not only does she see zombies, she now hears people’s thoughts? Does it sound interesting enough to you? That’s because it is. Well... I apparently think so.

Now, Aaro, loner that he is, gets a desperate call from Bruno that Nina is on the verge of being killed and is hiding out in her house with said killers searching for her. If Aaro does not get his arse to her location pronto… he very colourfully cusses, but ultimately has no choice. Intervene he must, and honestly how much more guilt can one guy carry around? I’m not going to dish out any spoilers, suffice it to say, they eventually meet after Nina survives being shot at a couple of times, Aaro is her hero and they’re on the run. It all culminates in a handful of evil forces who are after an injection: psimax, which is what Helga injected into Nina. The years Helga was supposedly dead turned out to be years she’d basically been kept hostage, as well as her daughter Lara, while she perfected this dose. You see, where previously popping a tab here and there was enough to afford those who craved it some incredible mind power - it's now not nearly as good as having the real thing, because with an A dose the effect would be permanent. What Helga did though, was create a B dose unbeknownst to Rudd, a wannabe presidential candidate and arsehole to boot. Not only do you contend with all of this, but Aaro is really Oleg Orbatov’s son. Mafia should tell you enough regarding his father and family. There are so many evil forces operating and pushing from all sides, it’s a wonder anyone survived at all. I barely did – anxious seems too mild a word for what I felt reading this book. Again, I’ve read this whole series and every single book has made me trudge through a plethora of emotions. I'm surprised I'm not a nervous wreck by now.

I loved that although mention was made of one or two of the McCloud brothers, Miles played quite a big part in this book. It's impossible not to like him, and this goes hand in hand with feeling so, so sorry for him. If you haven't read the back issues, Cindy Riggs is the girl of his dreams. But dammit, she’s played with his emotions more than once and I'm not liking it one bit! I want to give her a stern talking to, and believe me, I can be quite... convincing! Females can be so bitchy and downright hurtful at times. He’s really come into his own now, something I've enjoyed being a part of and he’s become quite the force to be reckoned with. I do believe that this book ended on a cliff hanger for me, and he will not give up on Lara. They may yet become an item. And pray tell, should this happen, will Cindy start pouting and want what she can't have anymore? Only time will tell, or rather, the next book. I hope.

Let’s see if these words will summarise this book for you: gripping, fabulous, imaginative, suspenseful, riveting, thrilling, at-times-drove-me-insane, and of course the awesome love story between Alex and Nina. Perfectly suited to and for each other! Shannon McKenna does romantic suspense as it should be done… no holds barred whether you’re reading about the suspense/sex/thrills or dark descriptive scenes. The only thing that is bothering me is that I'll have a long wait for the next one. But, it must be. Fabulosity isn’t achieved overnight. I'm a fan, for the ninth time!(less)

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Nov 30, 2012 Ruty B rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, blog-tour, for-review, from-the-publisher, paranormal, romance

One Wrong Move is a refreshing and amazing reading. For the cover and the synopsis you might wait for one of those romance novels with a damsel in hurries and a hero saving her every five minutes. Well, you are so wrong!

This book presents us Nina, a social worker, who is attacked by an old friend who injects her with a mysterious drug. Her friends Lily and Bruno sent a guy to help her. Aaro is a totally hot guy, bad-ass, with a bad temper, at first he didn’t wanted to help her but a series of ev...more

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Aug 27, 2012 Elizabeth rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook-read, ebook-netgalley-read, romantic-suspense-read

One Wrong Move is great romantic suspense!!

Alex Aaro, heir apparent of his Ukrainian mafia family, has made a life for himself separate from the chaos and pain his father's business causes. However, he returns to New York upon hearing that his beloved Aunt is dying, if only to be able to say goodbye. As soon as he lands, he finds himself in the midst of a call-out for help from Bruno Ranieri. Bruno's wife's best friend is in dire straits and needs Aaro's help immediately. Torn between family and...more One Wrong Move is great romantic suspense!!

Alex Aaro, heir apparent of his Ukrainian mafia family, has made a life for himself separate from the chaos and pain his father's business causes. However, he returns to New York upon hearing that his beloved Aunt is dying, if only to be able to say goodbye. As soon as he lands, he finds himself in the midst of a call-out for help from Bruno Ranieri. Bruno's wife's best friend is in dire straits and needs Aaro's help immediately. Torn between family and a request for help from a friend, Aaro eventually gives in and heads straight into a life and death adventure with social worker Nina Christie. Along the way, he discovers a passion that is not easily denied.

Social worker Nina Christie has been injected with an unknown drug, most disconcertingly by a close family friend. In addition, there are ruthless criminals tracking her every move who will stop at nothing to get rid of Nina. She is desperate and reaches out to her best friend for help. Now, the frightened but determined social worker not only has a group of mind-enhanced and murderous criminals after her, but Alex Aaro as well. The only difference? Alex is on her side, and is the only thing standing between her and certain death. The surprising passion she feels for him takes her breath away. But, while she trusts him to protect her, can she trust what she feels for him as well?

This is a fun, sexy, fast-paced, exciting read from one of my favorite authors, Shannon McKenna! The characters are well developed, and the story, as usual, is very interesting and well written. Alex Aaro is a fabulously sexy, brooding alpha male, and Nina Christie, as his counterpart, is smart, sassy and a little bit vulnerable. They are a terrific combination, and the sparks leap off the page from their first encounter. These two have quite an adventure together throughout the course of this book, in bed and out!

Shannon McKenna always delivers with her trademark sensuality, suspense and just the right amount of edge. This book is certainly no exception!

4 Stars!

**The release date for One Wrong Move is September 25, 2012.

***My thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the opportunity to read this early. (less)

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Oct 13, 2012 ~V~ rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romantic-suspense

**3 1/2 stars**

This one was just alright for me. It definitely had Shannon McKenna's signature steamy sex scenes, yummy alpha male hero, likeable heroine, and creepy villain(s), which i love! I just didn't care for the storyline this time around...it was kind of uninteresting to me and i felt that the "falling in love" happened WAY too quickly (as in a couple days), it felt a little rushed. I was also kind of sad that we didn't get any of the past characters in this one..there was a little bit o...more

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May 08, 2013 Cocktails and Books rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: cnb-reviewers

One Wrong Move is an edge of your seat suspense that will have you frantically turning the pages trying to find out what happens next. From the very beginning, the book dives right in to the action, setting up a thrilling ride. As the characters work against the clock, they develop an intense relationship, creating the perfect scenario for love. And while some of the plot is a tad bit unrealistic, the author takes these elements and makes them believable and exciting.

All of the characters in the...more

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Nov 10, 2012 Sara marked it as flounced

Once upon a time I loved reading any and all erotica. I wasn't very picky, just looking for likable characters and graphic scenes. It's how I found Lorelei James, Slyvia Day, Susan Johnson, Lori Foster, Sarah McCarty, and Shannon McKenna.

I read McKenna's Return to Me and got hooked on her books, proceeding to read them all. The plots were often scary and somewhat far fetched, but at the time I wasn't really reading for plot.

Now my tastes have changed, and while I still enjoy reading graphic sc...more

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Oct 14, 2012 Suzie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, blog-tour-book, net-gallery

I started reading this book while waiting on someone during traffic court, over 3-hours later still sitting in court and I had read almost half the book. Does a fast reading book mean that it is not worth reading? No, not to me, it means that the book is well written and has captured my attention refusing to let go. If you are looking for a book with a little more charge, a little more characters and plot that will capture your attention then grab a book by Shannon.

Shannon starts this book out s...more

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Sep 24, 2012 Sabrina rated it 3 of 5 stars

What I enjoyed most about this book is that you are left without any doubt that the hero and heroine of this book totally belong together. While both Nina and Aaro are self-proclaimed "damaged goods" they find their perfect counterpart in each other.

From the way Nina can laugh off all the extremely rude and crude sexual advances Aaro sends her way, to how he can get her past her paranoid craziness, they just work. That working together as characters means we readers get some insanely hot but gr...more

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Sep 12, 2012 Emily Alburns rated it 4 of 5 stars

One Wrong Move is a romance thriller and ninth in the McCloud series. Nina is comfortable being invisible. In fact she strives to blend in, wearing bland colors and keeping her hair in a simple braided bun. So when she is followed from her home on her way to work, she knows something bad is about to occur. An emaciated woman accosts her on the street, injecting her with an unknown drug and leaving her a garbled message on her phone in a language she doesn't know. Even more confusing, Nina recogn...more One Wrong Move is a romance thriller and ninth in the McCloud series. Nina is comfortable being invisible. In fact she strives to blend in, wearing bland colors and keeping her hair in a simple braided bun. So when she is followed from her home on her way to work, she knows something bad is about to occur. An emaciated woman accosts her on the street, injecting her with an unknown drug and leaving her a garbled message on her phone in a language she doesn't know. Even more confusing, Nina recognizes the woman as Aunt Helga, a family friend who had supposedly died in a fire years ago. Nina may not know what she was injected with, but someone does, and they want Nina badly. Fleeing the hospital, Nina begins to guess what the drug may have done to her...she can read the minds of those around her. With her attacker in a coma, Nina's only hope relies on her friends' colleague, Aaro, to translate the recording and reveal what has been done to her.

Aaro is the alias of Sasha Arbatov, the son of Oleg Arbatov, leader of the Ukranian mafia. He never wanted to follow in his father's footsteps, so at seventeen he ran away from that life, with only one regret, his Aunt Tanya. Aunt Tanya was special, some would say crazy, but she was like a mother to Aaro. Rushing from the airport to reach her bedside before she dies, Aaro has no time to babysit a woman and translate a recording for her. No matter how much guilt Bruno heaps on him. His plans change when Bruno calls in a panic because Nina is in her closet hiding from at least three armed men. After driving to her rescue, he grudgingly agrees to protect her until the bodyguard arrives. When Aaro translates the message, Nina discovers her time is limited. If she doesn't get the second dose of whatever drug was injected into her system within 3 days, she will slip into a coma and die. In a race against time, Nina and Aaro have to unravel the cryptic message, find the drug, and evade three different people who are after them. All this while fighting an electric magnetism to one another.

I have not read the previous books in this series, so some references to previous plot lines were lost on me; however, the references served more as character background for Aaro, not plot building. After reading One wrong Move, I definitely want to check out Shannon McKenna's previous books because I loved this one. I liked how it starts out feeling like a mystery thriller, then bam! She throws in a wonderful paranormal twist. I couldn't stop turning the pages because I had to know what would happen next and couldn't wait to discover what other surprises Shannon had in store for me. Also, the sex scenes were fan your face, fall gracefully on the fainting couch, hot! The foreplay, both verbal and physical, was killing me! Masterfully written, and as I said, can't wait to read the other books in the McCloud series. (One Wrong Move is #9)

*Releases on September 25!* Be sure to pre-order your copy now!

I requested this e-ARC for review on NetGalley.com(less)

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Aug 31, 2012 Crystal rated it 5 of 5 stars

This story is different from anything I’ve ever read. Suspense, thrillers are not my thing, but I figured mixed with romance that it would all balance out! Let me just say I don’t think I knew what I was getting into. After the initial first chapter, where a lot happens; I mean Nina is followed, drugged, and hospitalized all before the second chapter. Then from there on out it gets crazier. I will admit that for a short while I was a little confused. But once I got back on track with the plot I...more This story is different from anything I’ve ever read. Suspense, thrillers are not my thing, but I figured mixed with romance that it would all balance out! Let me just say I don’t think I knew what I was getting into. After the initial first chapter, where a lot happens; I mean Nina is followed, drugged, and hospitalized all before the second chapter. Then from there on out it gets crazier. I will admit that for a short while I was a little confused. But once I got back on track with the plot I was more than intrigued.

The action started from the beginning and then got more intense as the story continued. Nina is just walking to work one day when she notices someone following her. She instantly thinks the worst, but while trying to call 911 the mysterious person following her calls her name. Turns out it’s her aunt Helga and she’s speaking Ukrainian, and before they can get reacquainted Helga injects her with an unidentified drug. This is where Alex comes in he is need to translate the message. Turns out, if she doesn’t get dose B in a few days, she will die. So she and Alex are a race to get Dose B, all the while trying to stay away from Sergei, the man that is out to kill her. Did I mention this drug gives the person mind abilities? Yea, sit and think about that one. This plot is all kinds of unique, and crazy.

The characters are Nina and Alex. Nina is sassy. She hides her insecure with wit and drab clothing. Alex is a great alpha male, he is rough and tough and super sexy. I fell in love with him from the beginning; I mean who doesn’t love a man with a gun! And them, together is blazing Hot!

I think the reason I really enjoyed these characters were because the author gives them a great back story. They are flawed; they didn’t have the best childhoods or relationships.Trust doesn’t come easy.Alex with is crime family, and Nina with her past relationships.
You also get a great supporting cast. My favorite character was Miles!I enjoyed Lily and Bruno also!

Overall, this story was a pleasant surprise! It’s got me thinking about reading more suspense stories. At the very least it put Shannon McKenna on my list of authors to watch! I will be reading the previous books from this author.

If you are looking for a book with basically every genre then this is the one for you. You get action adventure, suspense, romance, and comedy all in one!
(less)

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Aug 13, 2012 Meagan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley, suspense, romance, fiction, series

I'm going to save some people some time here: If you don't like over-the-top, overexaggerated, high-octane, kind of crazy stuff in your romance novels, then please skip the rest of this review and move on. Shannon McKenna is not, I think, for you. There are plenty of romantic suspense series for you. Nora Roberts has some good ones. Start there.

Still here? Me too. I can't explain why, but Shannon McKenna's particular brand of crazysauce just does it for me. Her heroes are so alpha it's amazing t...more I'm going to save some people some time here: If you don't like over-the-top, overexaggerated, high-octane, kind of crazy stuff in your romance novels, then please skip the rest of this review and move on. Shannon McKenna is not, I think, for you. There are plenty of romantic suspense series for you. Nora Roberts has some good ones. Start there.

Still here? Me too. I can't explain why, but Shannon McKenna's particular brand of crazysauce just does it for me. Her heroes are so alpha it's amazing they can form sentences, and yet they are beyond head-over-heels for the heroine. The heroine is perfectly imperfect. She's smart, kind of tough (not too tough, with the exception of Tam, but tough enough that you don't want to slap her for being useless), beautiful in a quiet way that somehow the rest of the world manages to miss until the hero comes along. Usually. And the villains! The villains are absolute evil. No redeeming qualities there. Which is good, because it would defeat the purpose if you felt sad when the alpha hero (again, usually) destroyed him in some way that has you bugging your eyes out and asking "seriously!?!"

There's lots of cursing. Lots of brutal violence. Lots of explicit sex. This book, and indeed all of Shannon McKenna's writing, is not for the faint of heart. These books are not sweet. These books are not subtle. That is exactly the point.

As for this book in particular, McKenna is in fine form. This installation reminds me most, of all the books, of my favorite: Extreme Danger. The heroine has been dragged unsuspectingly into some crazy Russian mafia/crazy drug dealer insanity involving mind reading, and the hero is off to save her life. Thanks, of course, to her association with the McCloud team. The enforced closeness allows the sexy sexing to start off early, while the crazy Russian mafia allows for the messed-up, eyeball-exploding violence. And they're off. Fans of McKenna should be well pleased. I was.

Does this review make me sound completely unevolved? I think it does. Hmm. Oh, well. I had enough fun to make it worth the hit to my cred.

**A free copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley.(less)

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Dec 04, 2012 B.E.Love rated it 4 of 5 stars

4 1/2 stars
The only thing that would bring Alex Aaro(who is on the run from the Ukrainian mafia) home was to hear that his favorite aunt was very sick, but coming home isn't safe or smart. Nina Christie never though her life would bring her where she is now but finding her aunt hurt brought her into the path of Alex. Alex got a call from his friend Bruno and now his life is in more danger than before as he try's to keep Nina safe as their feelings grow towards one another. Now both Alex and Nina...more

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Mar 31, 2013 July rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: home-library

WOW! This is a rollercoster of a read. So much happens right away. Nina is walking home when she feels like someone is following her. She dials 911 and gives her location when a car pulls up a ragged when a woman gets out a hollers her name. This woman runs up to her, Nina quickly puts the phone on speaker while she is talking to her in a foreign language when she grabs her phone and then injects her with a drug. Nina remembers who this woman is, but then she is passing out.
When she wakes up sh...more

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Nov 21, 2012 Aliaa El-Nashar rated it 4 of 5 stars

*Warning, the book contains a lot of profanity and adult content*

So yeah, this is book nine in the series. And yes, as you must have guessed, no I have not read any of the previous one. HOWEVER this book can work as a standalone story so honestly, it doesn't effect the story much. I didn't know it's the ninth in the series - story of my life really - but I was drawn by the synopsis. And strangely enough, I find the cover befitting.

I loved Shannon's writing, I loved the development of the charact...more

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Oct 25, 2012 Tracy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-romantic-suspense, netgalley-arc

My Wrong Move Was Not Picking Up This Series Sooner
Nina Christie has had bad days before. Who hasn't? She never expected to have the concept quite so thoroughly redefined for her, however. Then she was accosted on the street in the predawn hours, a crazed, beaten, and bloody woman calling her name, stealing her phone, stabbing a needle into her arm...

As the world goes dark, confusion and horror clamor viciously inside her. Nina recognized the woman who injected her with whatever was in that need...more

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Sep 04, 2012 Karen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley, book-tour

This review is also posted on my blog, along with an interview with Shannon McKenna here : http://cheerfulreviews.blogspot.com/2...

Thanks to Kensington for allowing me to read this book on NetGalley !

Okay, wow! I was very surprised at this book, and in a good way! When I first went into it, I wasn't completely sure- only because I had just recently finished an adult book that I didn't find myself liking very much. However, I was completely proved wrong by how good this book really was!

When I...more

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Sep 25, 2012 Jess rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: for_review, rom-suspense

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

The story starts right out with a bang. Nina is cornered by a friend and injected with a drug that enhances mental abilities. She’s given part one of a two dose drug, the catch is now she has to find the location of the second dose or she dies within 4-5 days. Her best friend Lily has connections to the McClouds, who in turn are owed a favor by Aaro, who happens to be in Nina’s town on his way to visit his dying Aunt. The last thing he w...more Review posted: Happily Ever After - Reads
Blog rating: 3.5/5

The story starts right out with a bang. Nina is cornered by a friend and injected with a drug that enhances mental abilities. She’s given part one of a two dose drug, the catch is now she has to find the location of the second dose or she dies within 4-5 days. Her best friend Lily has connections to the McClouds, who in turn are owed a favor by Aaro, who happens to be in Nina’s town on his way to visit his dying Aunt. The last thing he wants to do is get in the middle of this and refuses at first, but he gets drawn in none the less and tries to piece together clues to find the second dose for Nina.

If there’s one thing that you’re guaranteed to get with this series, it’s the over the top characters, both good and bad guys and a crazy plot, but I always enjoy it no matter how out there it gets. One Wrong Move is no different, especially when it comes to the pairing of Aaro and Nina. Aaro is crude, dirty, harsh, an ass, and I really don’t know why I ended up liking this guy, but I did. Ultimately, his attitude was a just a big cover, hiding the guy he truly is, but also…he really is just a dirty talking, rude at times, hero. He doesn’t apologize for it either, unless it’s to Nina. Nina is his polar opposite. Suffering abuse as a girl from her step dad, she hides herself in baggy clothes, long boring hair, big glasses and her goal is always to blend in. They are the ultimate odd couple, but they don’t waste time denying their attraction to have hot, crazy sex. All the time. They’re a sexy couple, but a few times I kept thinking, ok Nina is down to two days left before the drug kills her and they’re more interested in sex against a wall instead of working the clues, trying to find their next break. That aside, I liked Nina coming into her own and she does it with Aaro’s help. She goes from a shell of a woman to someone fierce who uses her abilities (more on that later) to her advantage. Aaro, he’s a tough one. I liked him for how raw he is, he says what he thinks, he’s mean about it even, but Nina gets under his skin and I always like seeing a guy fall hard because of one woman.

Bruno let out a sharp sigh. “How’d you do it, man? I thought…I thought you guys were dead meat. I thought we’d killed you.”

“I didn’t.” Aaro said.

“Huh?”

“They kicked my ass,” Aaro said. “I got rolled in duct tape and shoved into the trunk of a car. Nina did it. She got me out of there.”

“But she…but how…?”

“I don’t know. All I know is, she is the wild warrior goddess with the flaming sword of righteousness. Do not mess with her, man, or she will fuck you up.”

The bad guys, there are multiple to choose from this go around, made my skin crawl. There’s something about how McKenna writes her baddies that are equally intriguing and disgusting, yet I can’t stop reading, needing more. It’s a crazy combination, but we have men and a woman hopped up on drugs that give each of them different mental enhancements from mind reading to putting suggestions in other people’s heads and all aspects of mental persuasion. Poor Nina goes through the ringer, being threatened with rape, being held at gun point half naked, the bad guys are insane, their actions are outrageous at times and while you know you’re getting an HEA, there’s still always a question about who’s going to die and who’s going to get caught in the middle. Poor Miles was that character in this one.

Miles has been in the background for many books and I was shocked to hear what’s happening with his love life, or lack thereof. I feel so bad for this guy and he ends up in a horrible place at the end of this one. But, I think the ground work has been laid for him to finally get his own story and his (potential) heroine needs his help. At least I hope all signs are leading towards this for him. He needs some goodness after all he’s forced to endure in this one.

As I already mentioned, there is an element of supernatural abilities that some of the characters have. It’s mainly centered around mind reading, or mind raping in the case of the bad guys. Nina can make herself literally go unnoticed while Aaro has abilities that he’s never allowed himself to tap into. The story had so much going on be it the suspenseful plot or intense hero/heroine sex that the mental enhancements tended to blend in with everything else and didn’t stand out so much in a bad way that sometimes happens for me when these elements are added in to a contemporary story.

Overall I liked this story but it was at times very over the top and the romance is the definition of a whirlwind, spanning about two days, which isn’t usually something that works for me. I enjoyed Nina from the start and seeing her come into her own as the story went along. Aaro took longer for me to like. He’s a little too crude and mean at the beginning for me to really get him, but I did like him more as the story unfolded and as Nina started to work her way into his life. Fans of the McCloud Brothers series will enjoy this one and I’m left looking forward to getting more about Miles.(less)

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Apr 27, 2013 Kathleen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Story Rating 4 Stars
Character Rating 4 Stars
Romance Rating 4 Stars
Heat Level 4 Stars
Overall Rating 4 Stars

WOW what a wild ride that was. It was a very interesting but somewhat crazy story line, that kept me very entertained. Of course this was a HOT one in the heat category, it's Shannon McKenna after all. Loved that Shannon added some of the other characters from this series to this book and let us know what is going on in their lives too. The ending was not as good as I wanted it to be despite...more

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Feb 23, 2013 Carisa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: g-contemp, 5-stars-romance, hero-type-warrior, s-hot, t-action-fights, ts-series-mcclouds, hero-type-loner

Great action-packed and steamy love story, great writing, excellent H/h characterization. Loved the H/h and their banter, and maybe because of all that they went through, it seemed believable their falling in love in such a short time. I’m addicted to this series :)
HERO is a Loner and a Warrior, rude, smart, intense, hiding from his notorious family, who recently became a cyber-security expert after having failed some friends in a mission, friends who ask him to perform his former job to tempora...more

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Sep 19, 2012 Chrystina rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: romantic-suspense, netgalley-arc

Absolutely loved it! Romantic Suspense at it's best, throw in a little paranormal and it had me completely hooked! I couldn't for the life of me stop reading it! There is action from the very first pages and it doesn't stop until the very end.

Nina's life completely changes when she's accosted on the street and injected with an unknown drug by an old family friend. Her best friend sends Alex Aaro to help her, even though he resists being drawn into Nina's mess at first. I loved Nina, she is a wo...more Absolutely loved it! Romantic Suspense at it's best, throw in a little paranormal and it had me completely hooked! I couldn't for the life of me stop reading it! There is action from the very first pages and it doesn't stop until the very end.

Nina's life completely changes when she's accosted on the street and injected with an unknown drug by an old family friend. Her best friend sends Alex Aaro to help her, even though he resists being drawn into Nina's mess at first. I loved Nina, she is a wonderful character. A survivor of childhood abuse, she has perfected the art of going unnoticed. She is smart and resilient, and doesn't put up with any of Aaro's crap.

Alex Aaro is without a doubt my new favorite alpha-type male, and he's got bad boy down to an art. He started the book out pretty much being a jerk, but the farther you read into the book the more you see why he's so messed up, his back-story was so heartbreaking. On top of all that, he was incredibly sexy and funny, and it doesn't take too long to see through all his tough guy talk.

The romance between Aaro and Nina is perfect, yeah it happens fast, but with all of the near-death experiences they have together I think it was completely believable. Not only do they immediately click but it is apparent throughout the book that they just "get" each other better than anyone else. I think it's the sign of an excellent author when they can make something that would normally be unbelievable into something completely understandable and realistic.

There is a paranormal aspect to this book which I thought was really cool, a new drug that enables the user to have different psychic abilities which vary depending on the user's natural abilities. It brought a creepy aspect to the book and made the villains even scarier.

I really loved this book, and although I hadn't read any of the other books I didn't have any problem jumping right in. I didn't realize that this was a series until after I started reading it, so now I'm looking forward to reading all of the previous titles. This book had me engaged in the story throughout and I would thoroughly recommend any lovers of romantic suspense (or even paranormal/contemporary) to read it! (less)

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Sep 15, 2012 Mandi Schreiner rated it 3 of 5 stars

I’m not sure how I’ve missed out on Shannon McKenna’s books. As I sat down and started reading One Wrong Move, I was totally sucked in by the hero Aaro. He is an asshole. I mean really. And if he was standing here he would totally agree with me. He actually admits it several times in the book. But, he is a very likable asshole, and you know deep down he only acts that way because he is extremely vulnerable. But on the outside he is tough. And can talk dirty in the bedroom like no one else.

I foun...more I’m not sure how I’ve missed out on Shannon McKenna’s books. As I sat down and started reading One Wrong Move, I was totally sucked in by the hero Aaro. He is an asshole. I mean really. And if he was standing here he would totally agree with me. He actually admits it several times in the book. But, he is a very likable asshole, and you know deep down he only acts that way because he is extremely vulnerable. But on the outside he is tough. And can talk dirty in the bedroom like no one else.

I found the blurb a little misleading because it doesn’t mention that this book will have characters with Psi ability. There is a new drug on the market that gives people super human skills, like telepathy, or being able to go about unnoticed. Nina is a social worker going about her business, when her Aunt Helga shows up out of the blue and stabs her with a needle, injecting her with an unknown substance. When she wakes up, she is at the hospital and Nina starts hallucinating, seeing people as zombie figures. While she has no idea why or what was injected into her, she realizes bad guys might be after her now for some reason. What she doesn’t’ know is that the drug she was injected with is a very powerful, addictive substance, which is in high demand on the black market.

All Aaro wants to do is visit his dying, estranged aunt before she leaves this world. But he owes a big favor to his friend (which also happens to be Nina’s friend) so instead of going to hospice, he goes to play bodyguard for Nina. When he realizes she has fled the hospital with bad guys in pursuit, he kicks it up a gear and gets her to safety.

Once they are together and on the run, they sort of develop this, seize the day type mentality. When the adrenaline wears off, they look at each other with lusty gazes. Oh the sex in this book is dirty and erotic. As I mentioned earlier, Aaro is a dirty, dirty boy. The things that come out of his mouth made me blush! And some of it is so over the top it made me roll my eyes and laugh. But either way I was thoroughly entertained with these two in the bedroom.

One of my favorite things is that Nina doesn’t cower when Aaro goes all alpha on her. He can be mean, and wicked in the things he says to her. Instead of getting offended or breaking down in tears, many times Nina just laughs at him. Which totally baffles Aaro, but also breaks down his asshole shield that he has so carefully constructed allowing someone else to slowly work their way into his heart.

I didn’t love the Psi angle in this one. A drug giving regular people superpowers, plus hints that Nina and Aaro were born differently. It’s just not a favorite storyline of mine. I prefer to keep books like this straight contemporaries. I found the beginning of the book to be a little slow and confusing, but once Aaro and Nina take off together, it really picks up.

I’ll definitely be checking out Shannon McKenna’s back list. I enjoyed her voice.

Rating: B-(less)

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Sep 23, 2012 Diane rated it 5 of 5 stars

Love those McCloud brothers and friends! I recommend this enstallment in the series as its steamy and suspenseful like prior McCloud books.

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Dec 10, 2012 Bananaink rated it 4 of 5 stars

I am a fan of Shannon Mckenna. I am always excited when there is a new book release from her and I might add I have never been disappointed. Her plots are out of this world, they are over the top but that is what I like. One Wrong Move was full of action, as what you would expect from her. However, I wasn't too thrilled with how this book turned supernatural. I mean, yes we have come across it in little bits and pieces from her previous books. For example, the book with Kevin and Sean McCloud. B...more

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One Wrong Move (McClouds & Friends #9)

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