Operation: Endgame (When the Mission Ends, #1) by Christi Snow

Jun 26, 2012 Felicia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-read, kindlepurchase2012, 4-wine-glasses

Read for Review
Overall Rating 4.00
Character Rating 4.25
Story Rating 3.75

First Thought when Finished: I seriously lived in the wrong part of West Texas growing up!

What I Loved: Friends to HEA's are always a delight to read! That doesn't happen very often in Romantic Suspense but I think in this case it worked out perfectly. Cassie and Jake have sizzling chemistry that just smolders off the page! I love that we meet them as younger children and see the wonderful friendship that their attraction is...more

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Sep 28, 2012 Mariana Bezerra rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 1st-in-a-series, format-mobi, from-author, read-blog, uniform, romances

Read this review on my blog! --> Book Travels

I love a good Romance when there’s some action on the background, it makes things more real and the present always sounds like the best time to act and reveal the feelings for another character.

This book was on my wishlist simply because I follow the author blog and after seeing this gorgeous cover for the first time, he managed to became interesting, but after Christi asked me if I wanted a review copy, we can all guess I jumped on the opportunity...more

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Nov 11, 2012 Cathy rated it 4 of 5 stars

I loved this book. I have been addicted to this book since I picked it up. The action and suspense were great. Since I have boy/girl twins I loved that aspect of the story and the dynamic between them. The story was believable and easy to follow. It was so unpredictable that I couldn't figure out who the stalker was until he was revealed.

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Aug 05, 2012 Angie rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved it! I cannot wait to read the next book! I was hooked at the beginning.....

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Jan 13, 2013 Marran rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult-content, romance

this book has mainly 4 or 5 star rating (granted that they are not that many but still) and I really don't understand how/why

This is not a very good book..there is A LOT of typos and stuff that doesn't add up like the fact that she's broken her collarbone and has her arm in a sling and still manage to move both her hands up in the air and to use both her arms/hands on occasion...

the storyline is..... I don't know what to say other that that it is so unbelievable and juvenile and stupid..the susp...more

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Dec 14, 2012 Musing rated it 4 of 5 stars

Operation: Endgame by debut author Christi Snow was the first book in a Contemporary Romantic Suspense Trilogy, set in Lubbock TX. All three books feature former active duty Air Force officers and the women they love. This was an excellent opener to what should be a fabulous series.

Establishing character credibility and history adeptly is always a plus in a series. Christi Snow, accomplished this brilliantly, shifting through time, allowing the reader to become familiar with Colton, Cassie and...more Operation: Endgame by debut author Christi Snow was the first book in a Contemporary Romantic Suspense Trilogy, set in Lubbock TX. All three books feature former active duty Air Force officers and the women they love. This was an excellent opener to what should be a fabulous series.

Establishing character credibility and history adeptly is always a plus in a series. Christi Snow, accomplished this brilliantly, shifting through time, allowing the reader to become familiar with Colton, Cassie and Chris Robertson, who from an early age were orphaned through the death of their parents. Endgame primarily focuses on Cassie, twin of Fighter Pilot Chris; enduring his tragic death, and her traumatic experience with a crazed stalker. We also met the supporting characters, Jake, the hunky best friend of Cassie and Chris, vivacious, highly intelligent Penelope, and sweet, serious Julie.

You cant but love a heroine who is intelligent, beautiful, sassy and fiercely independent! Cassie, a Military Professor is someone used to control. She maintained a full, busy life determined to keep her fears at bay for her ‘boys’, all involved in active duty. Due to her proficiency as a Military Strategist, she drew the attention of a nefarious stalker, hell bent on making her, his. Cassie grew up knowing she was loved and cared for by her men, but one man in particular held her heart, and had for a long time.

Honorable, luscious and delectable Jake Madsen had been friends with the twins for 20 years. With grief constricting their hearts on the night of the funeral, and dormant passion stirring, a night of sex realised a fantasy for Cassie, and caused Jake to become assuaged with guilt, risking their easy friendship.

Jake was extremely likeable. He was sexy, gorgeous, courageous and a wonderfully tactile man. He needed to overcome many obstacles to restore peace to his mind. Admirably moral, almost to his detriment, his life has come to a crossroad in both his career as a Pararescue Jumper (PJ) and his relationship with Cassie. He knew he loved her, but until her life was at risk, had not acknowledged the true depth of his feelings. Was it lust, love or guilt motivating his actions?

You will definitely want to see Jake and Cassie become a couple, but i wont give away secrets....

Endgame was what I would call a light suspense. There were twists and turns, which kept you guessing, funny interchanges, and enough sizzling chemistry to keep you panting. It read like a Television mini series, with all the characters, wicked and virtuous being introduced, and the perpetrator easily identifiable. Despite being a little predictable, the pace was good, the characters strong, each adding significant dimension to the book, and the action/suspense, arresting. The author balanced the intensity between the mystery and the romance effortlessly. I feel there could have been more probing into the dreams Cassie experienced, and a less conspicuous villain, but otherwise, it was an engaging, promising start to an excellent series. Just wait till you read the second book Operation: Endeavor……

I received a complimentary copy for an honest review.(less)

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Oct 10, 2012 Marlene rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reading-romances-challenge

Originally published at Reading Reality

Operation: Endgame is a marvelous friends-into-lovers romance which manages to have both an alpha male military hero and a kick-butt heroine who not only rescues herself in the end, but also rescues the hero of one of the later books in this When the Mission Ends series. Not a bad day's work, all things considered.

There's a reason that the friends-into-lovers trope is a tried and true one. When it's done right, it gives the love story a whole lot more depth...more Originally published at Reading Reality

Operation: Endgame is a marvelous friends-into-lovers romance which manages to have both an alpha male military hero and a kick-butt heroine who not only rescues herself in the end, but also rescues the hero of one of the later books in this When the Mission Ends series. Not a bad day's work, all things considered.

There's a reason that the friends-into-lovers trope is a tried and true one. When it's done right, it gives the love story a whole lot more depth than the insta-love connection that's much too common in romance these days. Operation: Endgame does a terrific job at filling in the long story of Jake and Cassie's childhood bonding. Along with Cassie's twin brother Chris, they were the neighborhood's Three Musketeers. Those ties still run deep, even though adult responses have put a little distance between Cass and Jake, they are still best friends. They're both too afraid to let their attraction to each other ruin the most important relationship in their lives.

But Chris' death behind enemy lines changes all that. Chris and Jake are both in Air Force Special Operations, but Chris' job was to infiltrate, and Jake's duties are in the Pararescue Jumpers. Jake gets soldiers out after everything goes pear-shaped. But because bad weather moved in, he wasn't able to rescue Chris. The Air Force declares Chris dead based on his dog tags, his uniform, and not much else.

One thing this reader has learned after many too many of the right (or wrong) kind of books--if the body is burned beyond all recognition, it's never the right body. So when Cass starts having "twin dreams" that Chris is being tortured, it was obvious foreshadowing that he was alive and being tortured.

Two things happen in the wake of Chris' death. Jake and Cass finally spend one glorious night together. Which Jake, being an idiot, believes is the result of him taking advantage of Cass in her grief. He leaves in the middle of the night.

And someone starts stalking Cass, naming himself after the main villain in the military strategy video game that Cass consulted on (Cass is an expert on military strategy). As the stalking escalates, Jake realizes that he has to come back home to protect Cass, no matter how he feels. He thinks she deserves better than the man who wasn't able to save her brother.

Of course, he never asks her what she wants, or what she thinks she deserves. And that stalker has some pretty fixed ideas of his own on that score. Potentially deadly ideas.

Escape Rating B+: I loved the friends-into-lovers part of the story. Jake and Cass' relationship, and the twists and turns in how they got from childhood friendship to adult partnership, were very well done. While I referred to Jake as an idiot, his idiocy was completely understandable within the context of the story.

On the other hand, while the suspense was fun, I found it fairly predictable. As soon as it was revealed how Chris' body was identified, I knew he was still alive. That plot device has been used many too many times, including last week's NCIS episode.

Likewise, it was blindingly obvious who Cass' stalker was from the first moment the character was introduced. I will admit that his reason for stalking her turned out to be a surprise. Also a bit "over-the-top". Someone that completely unbalanced would have had a hard time maintaining the kind of extensive criminal enterprise this guy was running.

But the mix made for a terrifically fun story. I had a fantastic time reading it and I can't wait for book two in the series, Operation: Endeavor.(less)

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Jul 18, 2012 Vanessa theJeepDiva rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook, request, romance

I enjoy friends to lovers romances. There is a little more with Jake and Cassie’s friends to lovers romance but I’m not going to spill. You need to read to find out. Jake and Cassie don’t have an easy road to happily ever after though. He has a case of survivor’s guilt, and he feels guilty about taking advantage of Cassie after her brother’s death. Cassie has mixed feeling about how Jake reacted after their one night of passion, she’s being stalked by an unknown predator, and she’s feeling off w...more

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May 17, 2013 Sara Luck rated it 3 of 5 stars

Eh... this book was just okay for me. Mainly because it was too predictable. I figured out who the stalker was way before it was revealed, although the accomplices were a nice touch. I figured out the whole War/ Derrick thing, it was pretty obvious. I figured out the camera...duh. I also knew her dreams were real, although how it all tied together was a little whacky, but good. I liked Cassie and Jake's characters, but I thought it was a little ridiculous how long they let it go on...I mean 20 y...more

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Jul 23, 2012 Shirley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Have you ever just kind of stumbled upon a book? I was flipping through my updates on Goodreads last week and saw a comment about a review on Operation: End Game and it really peaked my interest. After doing a little bit more stalking… um.. snooping…. uh research, I discovered that this is the first book in Christi Snow’s When the Mission Ends Trilogy. After congratulating her on her new book, she thanked me and then offered me a copy for review. I was more than a little excited because the syno...more Have you ever just kind of stumbled upon a book? I was flipping through my updates on Goodreads last week and saw a comment about a review on Operation: End Game and it really peaked my interest. After doing a little bit more stalking… um.. snooping…. uh research, I discovered that this is the first book in Christi Snow’s When the Mission Ends Trilogy. After congratulating her on her new book, she thanked me and then offered me a copy for review. I was more than a little excited because the synopsis sounded intriguing. Let’s just say, I wasn’t disappointed. Once I loaded the book onto my Kindle, I couldn’t resist sneaking a peek at the prologue. Before I knew it, I was on Chapter 3… yeah, I was hooked – it honestly happened that fast. *sigh*

The prologue begins 20 years in the past. It introduces the main characters as children on the day that they met. It was a perfect beginning. When characters grab you and make you laugh out loud before the book even starts, you know you’re in for a treat. The story just kept getting better from there.

The relationship between Jake and Cassie isn’t forced at all. The fact that they have been as close as they have for most of their lives makes the inevitable love that grows between the two of them perfectly natural and at the same time, extremely intense. I loved these two together. Jake’s need to protect Cassie and his unspoken guilt pull him in different directions. That combined with Cassie’s misconception about Jake’s feelings and her crush that began years ago fuel the sexual tension that drives their relationship.

I only had one moment in the entire book that made me scream. At that moment Cassie did something so incredibly stupid that I honestly think I ‘yelled’ at her. It was just like one of those moments in a horror film when you yell at the character for doing something that you know is going to put them in danger but you can’t stop them AND you KNOW that they know better. It was minor and for the story to progress it needed to be done, but while I was reading the scene it just seemed ‘un-Cassie-like.’ Beyond that (and in all honesty, it may have been just me) the rest of the book was flawless.

The additional relationships between the supporting characters in Endgame were great. These characters were well developed and by the end you felt like you not only knew but could relate to them all. There were twists and turns, plenty of action, mystery and lots of romance. Basically, this book wasn’t lacking in any department. Christi’s writing flows well and was very easy to read and her dialog flows as flawlessly as the text. All of these points made Endgame a book that was very hard to put down. The climax takes you by surprise and even if you think you have the ‘who’ figured out, the ‘why’ will blow you away.

The next book in this trilogy comes out in January, and I can’t wait to read it. There is a description of each of the books on Christi Snow’s Blog. Cassie’s older brother Colton and her friend Penelope are the featured characters in Operation: Endeavor. Even though I’m looking forward to their story, I hope we haven’t seen the last of Cassie and Jake. (less)

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May 08, 2013 Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebooks, contemporary, read-in-2013

What is it about big, strong military men who try to do the right thing but the right thing isn't really the right thing and when they eventually see the light things come together in a glorious explosion of heaving body parts and danger?

*blisses out on the thought* Man, does it work!

Jake-y boy definitely *thinks* he knows what the right path is for him and Cassie. Good thing Cassie's stalker forces his hand and puts the two of them back in revolution around one another. Because those two have s...more

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Nov 04, 2012 Sabrina rated it 5 of 5 stars

Page turning excitement.

Chris and Cassie are twins along with their best friend Jake they grow up as the Three Muskateers. Chris & Jake take dangerous missions in the Air Force, Cassie is a Professor of Military History. It's her knowledge of Military History that gives her a chance to consult for a web military game. She gets acknowledge for her area of expertise, but unfortunately she also attracts a stalker. Now it's up to Cassie and Jake to find out who is the stalker. Jake has fallen in...more

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Sep 26, 2012 Barb rated it 4 of 5 stars

I loved, loved, loved that Cass didn't need to be rescued, she kicked ass and took names! The ending made up for all the stupid moves she made earlier in the story. I'm looking forward to the sequels.

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Jun 26, 2012 Amy rated it 5 of 5 stars

I love a good steamy romance with a Kick A$$ heroine and lots of suspense. Operation:Endgame has all of this in spades, plus more. It's a friends to lovers story that grabs you by the throat from the first page. It's so important to me when reading a romance that the heroine can hold her own and the author definitely does not disappoint on this score. Jake, our hero, is absolutely lickable and a strong Alpha who, of course, has a weakness named Cassie. The romance and heat between these too is t...more

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Feb 16, 2013 Candice rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle

Loved this. Loved Cassie and Jake!

Excited to jump into Colton's story.

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May 05, 2013 J.A. Howell rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-reading-list

I really enjoyed this book. Jake and Cassie were instantly likeable characters for me, both going through a hard loss and conflicting emotions.
Cassie has always been crazy about Jake, and Jake promised her twin brother he would never cross the line of being friends with her. Now that he is dead, Jake is battling with these wants as well as guilt that he couldn't save him.
The chemistry between these two characters is great and I liked that it went back and forth between them. At a couple points...more

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Jan 26, 2013 Donna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-books-read, 2012-ebooks-read, 2012-new-authors

I love Romantic Suspense so I was pretty excited to read this. And I am glad to say it did not disappoint.

We start out seeing Cassie, Jake and Chris when they first meet at children. Then fast forward years later when they are adults and settled in their chosen careers. Which is when tragedy strikes and Chris' plane goes down while on a mission. Jake is there for her and the heat between them flares up in one night they will never forget. Feeling he betrayed his best friend he goes back to acti...more

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Mar 01, 2013 Lee Anne - Give me a Good Romance rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2013, borrowed-2013, erotic, friends-to-lovers, romance, soldier, suspense

I'm a little conflicted about this book. On the one hand I really liked it. On the other handI got a little frustrated.

I liked the friends to lovers aspect with Jake and Cassie growing up together. They've been friends forever and they're finally getting together. Maybe. They hook up one night when dealing with the death of Chris, Cassie's brother. But now it's 6 months later and Cassie needs help. Jake comes back to town to keep an eye on her since she has a stalker.

Christi Snow did an amazing...more

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Dec 24, 2012 Michelle (MsRomanticReads) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: review-request, 2012, worth-re-reading, a-keeper, heroes-you-want-for-yourself, favorite-series, book-cover-stud, contemporary, december-2012, favorites, friends-to-lovers, romance, stalkers, suspense, tortured-hero-and-heroine

This review can also be found on my blog.

Operation: Endgame was my first read by author Christi Snow, and I can say with certainty that it won't be my last. I like the (best) friends-to-lovers trope. There's already as established relationship that just needs the right catalyst to push them that extra step. In the case of Jake and Cassie, it's the news of her brother's death and later on, her problem with a stalker.

Cassie was my type of heroine – fiercely loyal and devoted to her family, intelli...more
This review can also be found on my blog.

Operation: Endgame was my first read by author Christi Snow, and I can say with certainty that it won't be my last. I like the (best) friends-to-lovers trope. There's already as established relationship that just needs the right catalyst to push them that extra step. In the case of Jake and Cassie, it's the news of her brother's death and later on, her problem with a stalker.

Cassie was my type of heroine – fiercely loyal and devoted to her family, intelligent, and a gamer geek. As a child she was a tomboy; running around playing war games with her brothers and Jake. Since all the boys later joined the military, she became a military history buff and military tactics expert which led her to being called upon to help develop a military themed game called Endgame. In short, she was the type of girl that any hot-blooded guy would fall for.

Jake's life changed the day he fell out of a tree and met the twins Cassie and Chris. From that day on, they were the Three Musketeers. When Chris is killed in combat, Jake is there to help Cassie deal with her grief, but he also feels tremendous guilt for not being able to save his friend, even though he was in the vicinity. When Cassie begs him to make her pain go away, he gives in, but it only serves to make them both feel even worse. He had promised Chris years ago that he would stay away from Cassie. All these years he had kept his promise, difficult as it may have been. I loved that he tried to honor that promise for so long. It showed how much he genuinely cared for the siblings who had effectively become his family. For the man whose childhood was less than loving until the Robertsons came into his life, I absolutely understood why he tried so hard to keep Cassie in the best friend corner.

I really enjoyed the suspense and danger that surrounded Cassie constantly mainly because it served to land Jake under the same roof as Cassie, and in the path of seduction. Watching him crumble was so much fun!

As she climbed the chair and reached to place the star at the top, Jake groaned internally. Her luscious ass was front and center and looking absolutely delectable. Luckily, it didn't take long to get the star up, but unfortunately, that wasn't the only thing getting up.

I had my suspicions about the villain, but kept getting turned around which kept me guessing until the mystery unfolded. I also liked the flashbacks at key moments in the story. They gave the reader a more in-depth understanding of the bond between the main characters or the meaning behind certain gestures and symbols. The most touching flashback had to do with certain scars. That was so cute. If there was one thing I didn't like, it was Cassie's carelessness. When it becomes obvious that her stalker has been watching her, she throws caution to the wind and leaves herself vulnerable to attack more than once. Aside from that, I highly recommend this book. I'm looking forward to starting book number two which is Colten's story. The poor guy deserves some happiness.

Disclaimer: I received a review copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.(less)

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Dec 28, 2012 Valerie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads, adult, cont-romance, e-books, series, with-review, romantic-suspense, family

Oh my God! This was no light reading.

The story trapped me from page one thinking this would be an adorable love story between Jake and Cassie. Those two--with their hot and sweet chemistry--won me from the beginning. I was rooting for them to reach their HEA. But holy mother, this was more than a love story.

The mystery behind the stalker kept me plastered to my kindle until the every end. Especially those last chapters! My heart couldn't stop beating fast (in a nervous way) because I didn't kno...more

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Oct 28, 2012 Amy at bookgoonie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult, contemporary, ebook, own, publisher, series-f, 2012-read

The Three Musketeers grow up together playing war games. Chris, Cassie and the neighbor, Jake. They terrorized the neighborhood of their Texas town. This practice led them to their careers as adults. Cassie is a professor of military strategy at Texas Tech, Chris a pilot and Jake a parajumper in the Air Force. And that friendship is the strongest and most lasting thing in all their lives.

The death of Chris during a mission gone wrong in Columbia devastates Cassie and Jake. Jake feels the guilt t...more The Three Musketeers grow up together playing war games. Chris, Cassie and the neighbor, Jake. They terrorized the neighborhood of their Texas town. This practice led them to their careers as adults. Cassie is a professor of military strategy at Texas Tech, Chris a pilot and Jake a parajumper in the Air Force. And that friendship is the strongest and most lasting thing in all their lives.

The death of Chris during a mission gone wrong in Columbia devastates Cassie and Jake. Jake feels the guilt that his crew couldn’t get to Chris fast enough. Cassie is haunted by nightmares of Chris’ torture in Columbia. She can’t really move on with a constant reminder and a nagging feeling. When these two look to each other to console their grief, is it right or wrong? This night of passion threatens to tear apart even their friendship.

Six months later, Cassie isn’t her self. She has a stalker and the love of her life is back in town. Jake has been sent by her older brother, Colton, to go check on her. Forced to be with each other night and day, Jake struggles with a promise he once made to Chris–”hands off his sister.” Jake, if anything, is honorable. These two walk through a daily tango of keeping Cassie safe and trying to figure out where their relationship is. There is action, suspense and twists and turns before it comes to an end.

This book had me endeared to these three kids that grew up together. And it had me crying in the first 20 pages. The characters are strong, independent and lovable. Cassie is a smart and passionate expert in military strategy. She commands attention without giving up her femininity. Jake is strong, sensitive, tortured and had me melting like butter with “darling” spoken in a Texas drawl. You can’t help but love Chris through the eyes Cassie and Jake’s love for him. It was a one seat read for me. I couldn’t put it down. I love friendships that turn romantic. And Christi Snow knew just how to torture me, by teasing and delaying my gratification.

Their childhood love of things military and their grown up commitment to it made a very interesting backdrop. The stalker is pulled to Cassie, because of her work on the Operation: Endgame video game. It creates ample anxiety to keep Cassie and Jake bound together and see them in action using their knowledge.

Sometimes a girl has to save herself and the man she loves. (less)

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Jan 11, 2013 Julija rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-romance-is-not-for-me, friends-to-die-for, handsome-heartthrob, hot-and-steamy, manwhores-and-playboys, spies-special-ops-and-military, when-she-is-off-limits, this-body-deserves-some-drooling, loving-secondary-romance, side-character-awesomeness, spirited-energetic-babbly-girls, sweet-caring-non-creepy-guys, romantic-suspense

3.5 stars

On the enjoyability level, this book deserves almost five stars. Just as the synopsis says, Operation: Endgame tells a story of Jake and Cass, two best friends who just lost their other best friend. Said friend just happens to be Cassandra's overprotective twin brother who had warned Jake before that if he ever as much as touched Cass, he won't survive to see another sunrise, best friends or nor. Unfortunately, as Jake is comforting Cass after the funeral, things get out of hand, lust o...more 3.5 stars

On the enjoyability level, this book deserves almost five stars. Just as the synopsis says, Operation: Endgame tells a story of Jake and Cass, two best friends who just lost their other best friend. Said friend just happens to be Cassandra's overprotective twin brother who had warned Jake before that if he ever as much as touched Cass, he won't survive to see another sunrise, best friends or nor. Unfortunately, as Jake is comforting Cass after the funeral, things get out of hand, lust overpowers reason and the 20-year-old friendship takes a serious blow. Jake, guilty and slightly unstable, runs away, Cass is left grieving and in denial. Six months later, she finds herself being stalked by a total psycho and Jake takes the role of a knight in shining armor. Needless to say, sparks fly, sexual tension reaches its peak and both characters have to decide whether their relationship could survive something more than just a friendship most people would die to have.

Pretty much all of the characters made this book extremely enjoyable. This book is not one of those miserable cases where the main characters have only themselves and the rest of the world does not exist. They have friends, family and rivals. They are realistic and alive. They have distinct personalities, they have their quirks and they are extremely likable. And I'm not talking about main characters only, because people surrounding them shine just as much.

The romance also turned out to be wonderful. It's not overly dramatic, but it's not completely smooth either. Jake and Cass care for each other, understand each other, and love each other on many different levels. A very refreshing change from possessive, obsessive jerks and girls who are too stupid to live so often seen in romance. Sure, Jake gets jealous all the time seeing as Cass likes to flirt innocently with pretty much all of her friends, but it's all sweet and funny. Seriously, the guy even goes through Christmas shopping for her! These two often act like a married couple and for the whole duration of the story, they stay in perfect harmony. They don't misunderstand each other, they confront all of their issues right away and they actually talk. That's what a healthy relationship should be like. It's not about sex and attraction at first sight, contrary to the popular belief of most romance novel characters.

However, my issue with the book is the writing style. It was a bit too simple for my liking, but that's totally okay. Not everything should be poetry. But quite often sentences and paragraphs were a bit clumsy, I guess, with lots of repetitions. At times, it felt like I was reading fanfiction (and not a very well written one), not a published book. Many flashbacks done in the wrong way, many sentences describing characters' actions in the wrong way... Maybe it's just me, but it really bothered me.

Another thing is predictability. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed the plot, much more than I suspected I would. However, it all was pretty clear. Although there is supposed to be a great doze of suspense, the villain was pretty obvious and so were other things. Sure, I enjoy good foreshadowing and piecing together clues given by authors, but in this book I had no doubt about the villain, who is amazing, btw. The epilogue felt rushed, too, compared to the overall pace of the book. Still, a very enjoyable read that left me craving its sequels, so 3.5 stars it is.

(less)

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Sep 18, 2012 Julie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

Posted at Yummy Men & Kick Ass Chicks

Operation: Endgame is the first book in debut author Christi Snow’s When the Mission Ends series. It is a contemporary romantic suspense story and yes, it’s true, I don’t read many books of this genre but you know what?…I really enjoyed it.

The characters are what did it for me. They are well developed and very likable. Cassie, the main heroine, was smart, sassy and a thorough joy. I liked how passionate she was about her job, her friends and her family....more Posted at Yummy Men & Kick Ass Chicks

Operation: Endgame is the first book in debut author Christi Snow’s When the Mission Ends series. It is a contemporary romantic suspense story and yes, it’s true, I don’t read many books of this genre but you know what?…I really enjoyed it.

The characters are what did it for me. They are well developed and very likable. Cassie, the main heroine, was smart, sassy and a thorough joy. I liked how passionate she was about her job, her friends and her family. She was definitely a chick I would want to hang out with in real life. In fact, I would want to hang out with all three of main women, Cassie, Julie and Penelope – who will all end up getting their own book and HEA by the way…but more on that later.

Jake was a great hero. A bit wounded because he blames himself for his friend’s death but not so wounded that you want to shake him and tell him to get over himself. He is a fantastic match for Cassie and I love how he handles her ‘situation’. He’s all alpha because he loves her yet tactical because he’s military. His reactions really suited his character and how he was with Cassie once he made his feelings known suited him too.

We get a glimpse of Cassie’s BFF’s Penelope and Julie and of her brother too. Even though we don’t spend an enormous amount of time with these characters, they leave their mark. They will be the focus of the rest of this trilogy and, just from what I saw in book one, I am thoroughly pleased. I have already created a bit of a bond with these people and I can’t wait to know more about them and to watch their stories unfold. That is pretty impressive writing when an author can create a connection with her readers using secondary characters in such a short amount of time.

A few things in this book are explained via flashbacks. Now, for those of you who just moaned a bit and muttered “boo, flashbacks” do not fret. They are very well done and fit the story perfectly. They truly help the story along and not just pretend to.

The suspense part of the book was really well done. Cassie is well known after being interviewed about her role in the development of a war-based video game and has gained an extra passionate admirer. Yup, she has a stalker. A creepy one at that. Not like there is such a thing as a non-creepy stalker but I think you know what I mean. While I was reading, I could have sworn I knew who the stalker was. In fact, I thought Christi made it too obvious! But just when I was really thinking that, she threw in a couple of other suspects and suddenly I’m starting to second guess myself! Eventually she had me convinced that any of these three guys could be the culprit! Well, it turned out that… As if I’m going to tell you which one was the ultimate bad guy, but I will tell you that (even if you are a smarty pants and think you have it all figured out from the get go) there is no way you will ever guess the why behind it. With that part I was all “wha’?!” in a good sort of way.

Speaking of “wha’?!”…the twist near the end!!! Holy jumpin’!

There is a bit of repetition here and there and I did wish that Cassie took her situation a little more seriously at times and stopped putting herself in harm’s way but neither of these issues bothered me enough to truly damper the story for me. The overall pacing was great and I really enjoyed Christi’s writing voice. I feel it suited the genre very well.

Overall, I quite enjoyed Operation: Endgame. I found the story engrossing and the characters well written. The story, even though it was suspense based, was sweet and I found this book read exceptionally well. Christi is a voice to watch and I can’t wait to read more.(less)

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Jul 22, 2012 Ashley rated it 5 of 5 stars

I read a lot of romance but not usually Romantic Suspense and the reason I'm going to start reading more is Operation: Endgame. There was a lovely balance of action and romance. I loved both the main characters, Jake and Cassie. They were both strong, well developed, and likable. The combo of these two was something I found myself rooting for. I enjoyed the fact that they had a long history that showed that great romance can blossom over time. I find the whirlwind love stories in most romance no...more

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Jul 20, 2012 Brooke rated it 5 of 5 stars

Fabulous read! The author kept me guessing throughout the book... just as I thought I had it all figured out... there was a new twist to the story or a new character that came into play and had me second guessing my theories. I loved the sizzling chemistry between Cassie and Jake... even though they kept trying to deny their love for each other... admiting only to friendship... the reader could tell their bonds ran much deeper than being just life long friends. There were some surprises along th...more

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May 12, 2013 Gina Ceballos rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Five stars worthy. This book has it all... The perfect alpha male, the amazing chemistry, the military aspect and a happy ending.

The one thing that I didn't get was why such a strong persona as Cassie, was so bad judging characters. Seems like anyone can lie to her.

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Jan 31, 2013 Christi rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was a definite page turner. I loved the characters and plot of this book. There was humor, romance and some sadness. I tried to figure out who the stalker was but Christi Snow surprised me toward the end! I cannot wait to read the next book.

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Apr 02, 2013 Tracy rated it 3 of 5 stars

It started our slow for me but by the end it had some redemption. I liked the characters and think this author will become better with each book that she writes. I will read the 2nd book in this series and let you know.

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Sep 03, 2012 Mia Downing rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-romance, m-f

This story has a little bit of everything-suspense, intrigue, sexual tension and love! It was great that I wasn't sure who the bad guy was until the very end, and I kept having to change my mind over and over. Can't wait for book two!

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Sep 12, 2012 Lhenry rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: dumb-but-i-liked-it, exciting-finsh, heroine-takes-a-beating

Not bad, but the middle part really dragged. How many times was Cassie goiong to do something that put her at risk from her stalker anyway? But the beginning and the end were pretty exciting. The situation involving War and Derek was a surprise and that was a turning point where I got interested again.

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title link	preview: Operation: Endgame
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Operation: Endgame (When the Mission Ends #1)

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