Rebel Heart

by Lizzy Ford

After nuclear strikes cripple the East Coast in the year 2135, security expert Lana is alone with a secret she must protect at all costs, even if it means placing her life – and her heart – in the hands of Brady, the compelling, dangerous leader of the rebellion.

As a member of the lower class, Brady serves two masters: the rebellion and the regular army. It will take all his connections and strength to protect Lana and keep from falling in love with her.

Genres: Romance, Science Fiction, Dystopia, Fantasy, Paranormal, Fiction, Futuristic

254 pages, ebook

First published May 24, 2012

About the author

I breathe stories. I dream them. If it were possible, I'd eat them, too. (I'm pretty sure they'd taste like cotton candy.) I can't escape them - they're everywhere! Which is why I write! I was born to bring the crazy worlds and people in my mind to life, and I love sharing them with as many people as I can.

I'm also the bestselling, award winning, internationally acclaimed author of over sixty titles and counting. I write speculative fiction in multiple subgenres of romance and fantasy, contemporary fiction, books for both teens and adults, and just about anything else I feel like writing. If I can imagine it, I can write it!

I live in the desert of southern Arizona with a pack of spoiled dogs and Tubbs, the Godfather cat who rules them all.


Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LizzyFordBooks
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/LizzyFord2010
Email: LizzyFord2010@gmail.com
Radish: LizzyFord
Wattpad: LizzyFord

Lizzy’s books include:

Lost Vegas – young adult post-apocalyptic
Aveline
Tiana
Arthur
Black Wolf

Spell Realm Series (coming summer 2017) – young adult fantasy
Water Spell (2017)
Dragon Spell (2018)
Moon Spell (2018)
Sword Spell (2019)

History Interrupted – time travel romance
West
East
North (2017)
South (2018)

Omega Beginnings Series
Alessandra
Mismatch
Phoibe
Lantos
Theodocia
Niko
Cleon
Herakles

Omega Series
Omega
Theta
Alpha (2017)

Theta Beginnings Miniseries (novelettes)
Silent Queen
Mercenary
Shadow Titan
People’s Champion

Non-Series – 2014 - 2017
Black Moon Draw (about a reader sucked into her book)
White Tree Sound (2017)
Highlander Enchanted
The Door
The Fall of Esme (2017)
Sons of War – contemporary military romance
Semper Mine
Soldier Mine
SEAL Mine (2017)

Super Villainess
It’s Not Easy Being Evil
It’s Not Easy Being Good

Starwalkers Serials (with Julia Crane) – new adult science fiction serial
Severed
Trapped
Exiled
Revealed
Escaped
Ascended
Starwalkers – complete (#1-6)

Heart of Fire – sexy dragon shifter
Charred Heart
Charred Tears
Charred Hope

Incubatti – Buffy meets 50 Shades
Zoey Rogue
Zoey Avenger

Rhyn Trilogy – new adult paranormal with demons
Katie’s Hellion
Katie’s Hope
Rhyn’s Redemption

Rhyn Eternal – Death finds love
Gabriel’s Hope
Deidre’s Death
Darkyn’s Mate
The Underworld
Twisted Fate
Twisted Karma (2017)

War of Gods – paranormal with gods, guardians and exceptional humans
Damian’s Oracle
Damian’s Assassin
Damian’s Immortal
The Grey God

Damian Eternal
Xander’s Chance
The Black God

Hidden Evil – paranormal with angels and four horsemen
Hear No
See No (TBD)
Speak No (TBD)

Unnamed Series
Unnatural (TBD)
Unmade (TBD)

Omega
Omega
Theta
Alpha (2017)

Anshan Saga – new adult science fiction romance
Kiera’s Moon
Kiera’s Sun

Santa’s Ninja Elves (short stories)
Natasha & Hunter

Non-series titles – 2011 - 2013
Star Kissed
A Demon’s Desire
The Warlord’s Secret
Maddy’s Oasis
Rebel Heart

Witchlings – young adult paranormal
Dark Summer
Autumn Storm
Winter Fire
Spring Rain

Broken Beauty Novellas – new adult dramatic fiction
Broken Beauty
Broken World

Voodoo Nights - young adult paranormal
Cursed

As SE Reign, erotica writer
101 Nights Box Set (Serials 1-7)

Reviews

[Bukcrz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book knowing it's a little off the usual romance books I used to pick and glad I did.
The heroine is a joy to get to know as a character. She has her own skill in which she more than excels and yet we are shown her own flaw. In a world where knowledge is power, she remained incorruptible despite the weapons available at her disposal. That being said, she never appeared or sounded like a too clean character because the author did a good job in showing why she has that integrity. I love that her flaw was not emphasized as a major issue and did not became annoying as most stories did.
The hero is just as interesting, he is a typical alpha male without the major weight of a chip on his shoulder to make him hard to like. What I like about him is that his honor has value/weight on every decision he made yet they did not made him a robot-like character especially when it came with decisions regarding the heroine.
The characters' development is believable to me and even the conflicts in the story are very plausible. Of course I am not an avid futuristic romance reader so my comparisons are very limited. Still, the book pulled me in and made me care what happens to the characters, not just the main ones since three secondary characters held my attention as well.
One thing I also liked about the book is that an issue or a problem between the characters appear and are solved within a chapter or two in a believable way. What I mean is that problems are not stretched so thin just to have conflicts between characters, great pacing too.
Overall, this is a book that held my attention from beginning to end with believable characters, intriguing world, and great plot. I will definitely read more of this author's books.

[Mara · Rating 1 out of 5]

Indie/self pubb

An interesting plot intrigued me into giving this book a chance. I had already read a few of Ms Ford's book and I had found some of them good enough.

Rebel Heart was confusing in its background story, meaning you know there's one but it's just beyond your reach. (It may not be a problem for you, it was a minor one for me.)

I didn't like the heroine at all. She is beyond weak, she is whimpering and waiting to be saved. Her sheltered life is at odds with the world described and, above all, with her job description. Her relationships with Mr Tim and her Guarding are unbelievable, as much as her naivete.

I found the writing flat and couldn't get myself interested in what was going on. To me the characters sounded cardboard. I kept reading most of it, then simply I couldn't do it any more.

[Goddess Of Blah · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5* or may be 3*

A DYSTOPIAN SOCIETY

The Plot:
The plot was GREAT - not unique but definitely engrossing and one of the best in the SciFi/ futuristic genre. Based in the year 2135 AD, the wealth gap between the rich and the poor has expanded to the extent that there is no middle class. Only laborers and the elite 1%.

NOT QUITE THE HUNGER GAMES...
The Story:
Unfortunately this is where the book suffers. There are far too many gaps in the story. There is a lack of detail, description and history, which combined with the characters that didn't make much sense - it left a lot to be desired. I think so much could have been done to elevate this into a brilliant story.

Length of Story:
I think the story suffers (perhaps predominantly) due to it's SHORT length - because this type of plot is generally an Epic. I've read a few short stories that are SET WITHIN a futuristic revolution/apocalypse, etc - but the protagonist in those stories have a small part to play (within the dynamics of this setting).

THE RICH CONTROL THE POOR

Background of Story:
As mentioned above - LACK OF DETAIL, gaps and concepts that have not been well thought out.
The story starts during an attack (a civil war had erupted prior to this) and the world was in chaos. Most of the Army is in Europe - but it doesn't help that there is a Regular Army and an Elite Army (the Elite 1% have their own army made up with their own people). The political and economical issues are not fleshed out.
We understand there is a 1% - I'm assuming this 1% consist of corporate entities - but where do they live? What is the gorvernign situation? Clearly not a democracy - but is it back to feudal laws? - We notice there are politicians - but whom do they represent (yes I know the 1%) but how and in what capacity - same as today?

NEW WORLD ORDER

Gaps to the story:
1. if this is the future where Scientist have discovered medicine to treat radiation, than surely there ought to be efficient and quick means of transport that will allow armies to relocate quicker than the pace it takes here.

LACK OF CREDIBILITY

2. There appears to be very little difference between the Regular Army and the Elite Army. Both seem to posses similar literacy levels - if the divide between rich a poor was so great - this ought to be reflected in speech, manners and so forth.
In fact - there is a member of the Elite Army (Elise) who appears to be far more "common" in speech and deportment than the Regular Army (I appreciate she's in the army but it's an Elite army - one can expect a little class).

3. The fighting style doesn't make sense. There are weapons which resemble drones but why are the Elite army not using these to control the rebels?
And the rebels appear to have (in their possession) fancy weapons considering their poor man status. Even with their sympathsiers within the Elite - it just seemed too contrived.

4. Mr Tim appears to have far too much power. The 1% would be better monitored I'd imagine but the protagonist Lana and Mr Tim appear to control everything or have access to everything. What happened to the CIA or any other monitoring govt agency?

5. Brady (the hero) doesn't seem to be that concerned about the secret Lana (the protagonist) is hiding - despite his position as a commander of a large rebel branch. By this year I would imagine there would be extremely creative means of coercing this information from a hostage.

6. If the 99% have become so poor as to become labourers - I am assuming taxes aren't raised to provide an education and hence this ought to be distinguishable (in speech, knowledge etc), however, the difference between the 1% and 99% isn't very visible.

There are many other gaps - but those are a few examples.

The Characters :
Lana - the heroine - is a bit of a wet blanket - the damsel in distress cliche. She's extremely intelligent but has been sheltered. Very sweet and delicate. There are things that i admired about her - such as her intelligence. However, I think it would have been better if in the story she was more robot like - serving the 1% blindly until she becomes aware of the truth from her sheltered bubble.

Brady - the hero - is very much the hero type. A bit too cliched (tall, dark and handsome Knight/ Warrior saves damsel in distress). He's also meant to be part of the 99% however, surely the gap between him and Lana would be far more distinguishable in their speech, education and knowledge? Considering the remaining 99% have gone so far down to labourer status - it doesn't really make sense that he's just as articulate as her.

Mr Tim - is a sleazy politician who is a 99% sympathiser despite being part of the 1%. He doesn't make much sense and the revelations about him are seriously stupid. Just too contrived and predictable.

Dan & Elise - Dan is a solider of the Poor Man's Front (and part pf the regular army) while Elise is part of the 1% Elite. However, Dan appears far more gentlemanly and one would assume part of the 1% than Elise. However, Elise is a bada$$ and it would have been nicer if the author spent more on their story as they were a lot more interesting than our moody hero and our sap of a heroine.

The Romance:
The was a bit cringe worthy. I think it would have been better if Lana wasn't so bowled over by the hero, chasing him around. And the whole bargaining thing was vomit inducing sappy and silly. It was immature and embarrassing to read.

There were in fact a few cringe worthy silly moments such as Lana's grandparents story. Grandfather was part of the Elite who gives it all up for his labourer wife (because they have so much in common) and they die holding hands and still in love. I kid you not.

Anyway - not an overall terrible read but I would read it again.

[Cat Urbanski · Rating 2 out of 5]

http://fiercebookblogger.blogspot.com/
This post will be on Rebel Heart by Lizzy Ford. I am going to be straight up about this. I hated it. The story made no sense, the characters were dull, and the setting was plain.
Plot: The problem with the plot was that there wasn't one. I had no idea who the bad guys were, who the heroine and hero were running from and what was so damn bad about them. I can't say anything besides that because that was all i got.
Characters: Lana was boring and was a coward. She hid behind people, let people die, and wouldn't tell people who were trying to help important information. She was stupid and has no personality. Brady was a bit better in the personality department but has too much personality. Like he was two different people. One second he is nice the next he ismad and killing things. No exaggeration. The whole story was silly and pointless. I see why it was so cheep on my Kindle.
My final say is don't read this. I personally give it 0 stars. It was that bad. Also this story contains sex but there is no graphic recounting or happening of it. They say it happen and that's that. I'll go with 14+ to read this one, but as i said before don't waste your time or money.
~Cat
To get a summary of the book here is the link:
http://www.amazon.com/Rebel-Heart-Liz...

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is 2135 and after violent nuclear attacks on the east coast of America, it is security expert and analyst Lana’s job to assess the damage and to rebuild all critical infrastructure systems. Lana has no one in her life except guardian, the alluring mysterious man she has never met but who has helped her through the confusion of the attacks. At first the nukes seem to be caused by the rebellion against the government but Lana uncovers startling information that causes her to flee from safety with a devastating secret straight into the arms of her guardian and the rebellion. Lana might just have to learn to trust and love those she fears to prevent more destruction.

I really enjoyed this book; I loved how smart Lana was whilst at the same time being so innocent as to the truths of the world. Brady is such a strong, sexy and swoon-worthy character many readers will totally wish that he was real. The relationship between the characters could have been a tad more developed but I still thought it was very good and well-written. I loved that despite this being a romance, quite a lot of action occurred. The storyline and plot is very strong which is something I find lacking in many romances. Overall I found the romance sweet and the action incredible, and the plot kept me hooked until the very end. Lizzy Ford writes excellent romances that prove the plot of a book doesn’t have to suffer to show the romance between the characters.

reviewed for readers favourite.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had some issues getting into this book at first because I typically boycott anything about war, military, etc. When I say military andn war, its the normal type, not the paranormal type, where there are men in different color uniforms fighting using titles like Major, Liuetenant,ect. I tend to lose track of who is who and what is going on. But after about a chapter or two, the story heated up and ended up loving it. In true Lizzy style, hot guy, smart girl, get together and so on, and I love that she doens't stray too far from the formula. Her imagination amazes me that she can come up with so many differt type of stories. If you are a fan of Lizzy, this won't disappoint!

[Tory Michaels · Rating 4 out of 5]

God, I wish they had a 4.5 star. This isn't quite flawless, but easily 'the' best self-pub book I've read, and I was reading the latter 1/3rd during work hours, and kept having to put it down, being highly annoyed at having to work when I wanted to be reading. Love love LOVE this book. Great futuristic book, and I truly hope there is another book in this series! Please! (got this free from Amazon, and wasn't expecting much so.....WOWEE!)

[Ginelle Blanch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really loved this book, quite possibly my favorite by this author! I'm nowhere near a fan of scifi books but, I LOVED this!!!! A lot of action, hope, betrayl, and LOVE!!!! I'd really love a second book, I'd like to know more about Lana and Brady's life TOGETHER and more about Dan and Elise and more about Mr. Tim!!!! The world Ms. Ford had created in this novel is very believable and the characters are VERY likeable!!!! PLEASE, Ms. Ford, MORE of this world!!!!!

[Caroline · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an ok read. I did struggle slightly with the world that the story was set in; as although it was based in America it was a very different America to the current one and I don't think the author did a very good job of making the reader aware of what had happened. But none the less it was an interesting read and certainly an author I'd potentially read again.

[J.L. Dobias · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rebel Heart by Lizzy Ford

I enjoyed this novel and that was quite a surprise all things considered. Though I usually try not to let a cover influence me the cheesy love story cover was a bit of a put off. I was expecting a major romance novel. And that might be a problem for some because the romance is not so much the major part. The story idea was interesting and though the plot plodded along at the beginning there was a break point partway through where it picked up and became interesting.

I'll issue my usual warning that there are grammar issues in this novel. The upside is that there are less than a handful that I found. So if there are any more than that the story does a fair job of hiding it. It could be argued that the character of Lana (Angel) was not well fleshed out but I think that would be in error. She really is well fleshed out and she's just not the heroin that some might expect from today's enlightened media. She's a bit unprepared for battle, but that's what makes her what she is and it's fairly consistent though she does improve near the end, which is all you can really ask of the author.

Brady(Guardian) is the opposite and is everything that we want in a male protagonist although we waffle between his loyalties enough to make protagonist a questionable title. It's mostly amusing to see the dance that goes on between guardian and angel as they fall for each other. (There is one place where Lana might lose some respect from the readers during this romantic battle.)

I will agree that this novel needed more to help flesh it out and that it does suffer a bit in the plot with lack of extensive world building. But it's not hard to follow and the story is pretty linear and though somewhat economic it tracks well enough with the length that it does have. The romance doesn't distract too much though in one place I might have called it a bit cheesy, it mostly adds to the conflict a bit as they do their little dance.(Over all it's more a style decision that makes this a light suspense and if it had been fleshed out more I would have expected more from the suspense and romance and the world building.)

Mr. Tim although mostly a good guy is a big villain here in that he didn't help Lana much by shielding her life to the point that she actually needed the guardian, but at least knowing that, he did make plans. I think once parts of the plot begin to clarify it's easy to see why he trained her for what he trained her for and that puts her in a position of importance and unfortunately one of great danger.

The world of the future has a strange precarious balance between the East and West of the country and everyone is freely blaming the rebels for everything that goes wrong. But the PMF militia are possibly the only people who can save things when someone begins strikes across the east coast.(Even though they have to bear the brunt of the blame.)

While Mr. Tim and the president head west he leaves Lana with the VP. Lana is the main controller of resources throughout the east and it's that position that places her in the right place to find out what is really happening. With nothing but the will to survive she strikes out across a war torn nation to deliver vital weapon control to responsible hands. But she soon has to question who those responsible hands might be.

This novel is for those who like their suspense novels just a bit light and only a marginal amount of romance. There is even the element of Dystopic future here for those who enjoy that genre.

A great light suspense novel with light romance and an entertaining read.

J.L. Dobias

[NebulousGloom (FK) · Rating 4 out of 5]

In general, a good read.

Good points: while the main characters were sometimes bizarre in their behavior, the supporting characters were great. The plot was just fine.

Bad points: the female lead was such a spoiled baby. That, though, was in character. However, she was supposed to be smart, and sometimes was stupid. She repeats constantly that she is surprised by certain situations, even though she has had enough time to get used to them. If she learns quickly, she shouldn't be that surprised. The male lead was strangely confrontational when there didn't seem to be a reason. Lastly, this book could have used a bit more "show, don't tell" when it comes to tech (and other future elements). There were a few bizarre word choices, but nothing awful.

I would read another book by this author.

[K.K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. I loved the characters. The only problem with it was the same with many Lizzy Ford's books. The end wasn't the end. The conclusion was not at all complete. Too many things left going on. and since I loved the book, I wanted to know more of the end, the villains, the characters. everything. Sadly, I didn't get what I would have love to read about.

4 stars

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rebel Heart by Lizzy Ford is a very different type of read for me. It is my first book I have read that is an adult romance novel with the dystopian backdrop. While this book took me quite a long time to read I enjoyed Lana and Brady's story!

[Danelle Griffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Futuristic America after 2 wars that have all but destroyed America. Once I got through the first v couple of chapters couldn't put it down. First time reading this author. Will be reading more by her.

[Alarna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good. This story was interesting and I liked the charters. The writing was a bit confusing at times tho and the ending felt very cut off and abrupt. So yeah overall it was good. :)

[Lizzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow this was good.

I bought this book for my daughter. Because of her pickyness, I often read the books first. This one was a good surprise. I really liked the premise of the story. It's different, and now, with the new president, definitely possible.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was free on Amazon when I got it, and it was free the last time I checked. I have in fact read a book by this author before, so I wasn’t taking a giant leap into Indie Author-sphere without some thought that I would probably enjoy the writing. It is edited well so not a lot of typos (if any, I just can’t remember to promise that it is perfect).

When the story began I was a little confused, but I just kept reading and eventually everything was explained and made sense. This story takes place in the future and 60 years ago the United States was split East and West with a civil war. Now, 60 years later, there is an uneasy truce but there is still the PMF (Poor Man’s F____) to worry about. There were just too many factions to keep track of at first: East vs West, elite vs poor, elite vs “regular army types”, regular army types vs PMF. Eventually it all worked out.

So the story starts up with the reader meeting Lana/Angel. She is a genius with technology and has all the skills needed…well for anything technical. But absolutely zero skills with anything physical or related to survival. Her boss connects her to a guy named who calls himself Guardian but his real name is Brady who helps her get out of the city and to a command center. From there Lana discovers a secret and needs to flee (with her zero survival skills you can see where this is going right?) and she gets captured by PMF. Brady/Guardian is a double agent and due to damage to his vocal cords when they first meet face to face, he recognizes Lana/Angel but she doesn’t recognize him. That is all I am saying because I feel the rest of the summary would border on spoilers.

It was a great read and for $0.00 dollars it is definitely worth it. I enjoyed the development of characters and the twists that the plot brought about. I liked that Lana was able to prove herself and that she got her dog back. At the beginning, I feel like the plot would have been better served with we got more snippets of Angel and Guardian’s conversations via phone than of the confusing back history. At some points I was unsure of the timeline and at others I am pretty sure that there were discrepancies.

If you would like more book suggestions, visit my blog at: www.bibliobibulireviews.blogspot.com

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't lie. I'm a fan of Lizzy Ford. Every book of hers that I've read (and I've read many of them) have been intriguing, with characters that drag me into their story and don't let go until the climatic end scene. I am pleased to say that this book was no exception. The world we're thrust into from page one is dark and deadly and things just get darker the more we learn.

I liked Lana and Brady. I liked that they found a rapport before they ever met one another face to face. She trusted him. He liked her sweetness. Then things happen and Lana's trust is broken. Good thing she's not one to hold a grudge. I guess when bombs are raining down and people are dying all around you, you need to grab life by the hand and jump into bed with it. Amirite!?!?! Okay. Okay. That's not quite how it happened. Still, she has to figure out who she can trust when she comes into possession of some very important information. Good thing Brady's there for her.

Probably my only complaint (and it's not really a complaint so much as an observation), is that I don't know if I can see Brady stepping out of the fight in the long run. He knows how bad things are. Is he really going to be content to live quietly in the country while his brothers in arms are fighting the good fight? I would love to see a sequel with him dragging his hot bod into the thick of things. Of course, Lana would come with him and work her computer magic on the bad guys. Because that's the way these things work! Okay. So, there's my vote for a sequel.

Right. Liked the book. Want more. That is all.

-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast-paced action set in a no non-sense future where the world is scarred with nuclear attacks and government power is fractured and corrupted. A war is raging, but allies and adversaries are not too distinct.

Lana, a Fed analyst and a skilled technician, uncovers a dangerous conspiracy. She runs away with a device that can wipe out a country. Now everyone's out to get her, for what she's stolen or for the prize money on her head. Brady, a military specializing in counter insurgency and counter terrorism, is after Lana, too, but he is after her heart. Brady goes through hell and high waters to keep his promise to an old friend and protect Lana, and hopefully to keep her in his life before it's too late.

The plot here is well-thought out, pumping high in action scenes worthy of a cinematography. But Brady is too stereotypical for me, and Lana is weak-- thank goodness she has brains! Lana and Brady --Angel and Guardian to each other, are opposite poles: one sheltered and one roughed-up; one big and one small; yet the attraction is strong. It's not the most romantic of love stories, but yes, it softens the hard edges of this book--what with all the explosion, manslaughter and disaster surrounding the narrative. The setting, with it's disturbing probability, is realistic, as is the treatment of events. The writing style has zest, urgency, and fluidity. I like the distinct voice given to each character. Oh, and I have to mention Dan and Elise, they're the kind of solid characters I would love to have by my side. Rebel Heart, you merit 4 stars!

[Cat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd really like to give this 3.5 stars, but it's not possible..

What I liked about this book
- the setting (both in time and location), including the history
- the chemistry between characters
- the details and explanations of who's who and what's what, especially the military stuff

What I didn't enjoy as much
- how easily everything came together for the heroine, Lana
- how quickly Brady gave in
- lack of character growth in general
- lack of side story! I could have done with more Dan and/or Elise action.

Unfortunately, the negatives in the book were just unforgivable. Aside from the ending of the book Lana is taken care of almost every step of the way. Even when she faces adversity she is unable to fend for herself (minus one instance). In fact, I kept thinking that one of the people helping her would eventually be a mole and turn her in. (SPOILER AHEAD) Thankfully for her, that didn't happen. (END SPOILER). I suppose this keeps her innocent, fragile, etc...but I just felt like she could have grown much more.

I also felt that the author wrote in so much potential material and didn't capitalize on it. Maybe in another book?

Overall I still liked this book. There was military stuff, some romance, mystery, etc. The set up is great - I guess I just wanted more? Still, I would recommend this book :).

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read nearly all of Lizzy's books and am a huge fan. This book is not part of a series and set in the future where the country is unsettled and there are still wars occurring in the US. Although there are obvious enhancements, it shows how human greed and lust for power can still destroy a society.

Lana and Brady don't meet until later, but are secretly working together from the start, where they begin to fall in love (without actually meeting each other in person). I couldn't wait for them to meet and although they had issues because of his dual identities and her loyalties, at the end she knew she could rely on her guardian no matter what. There where times where I would have done things differently if I had written the book, but all in all a very good story. Note, I'm no writer so although I would have expected some things to be different....at the end I think it worked as is. For example, thinking her guardian had died and having the courage to continue on by herself knowing how much danger there was showed strength I wasn't sure she had and was what bothered me a little during the first half the book. She was kind of sheltered and in that future world, seemed kind of hard to believe. Brady commented on that a lot too so maybe that is why it worked at the end...it was intended to be that way.

[Td · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rebel Heart by Lizzy Ford
5 stars

I have a soft spot for military related books, and this definitely connected with me enough to drag me in. I LOVED this book!! It is one of my top 5 favorites of Lizzy's, and I've read them all to date.

Lana is the brainy nerdy type, and finds that she can dig deep within to try and survive all that see is suddenly thrown into. Growing up sheltered, taken, provided for, and given upper class advantages did not really prepare her for all the challenges she had to fight to survive. She is not a weak heroine, rather one that is having to quickly adapt.

Brady is not all that he seems on the surface. He is definitely the strong military hero type, with a definite sense of right and wrong.

As Lana and Brady are first thrown together, they start a friendship, a level of trust, and a bond. When they are finally face to face they find a chemistry to support and enhance all they'd already built. It was great to watch the relationship grow from friendship first.

I appreciated that this was not a total lust-filled romance that overtook the surrounding story of an Armageddon type world. I could re-read this and catch new things each time. This is a stand-alone book, but I definitely would read any sequels if Lizzy ever decided to add more to the story.

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't really understand some of the reviews on here. I thought this book was great. I really enjoyed getting to know Lana, sure she is a bit weak but she grows into a much stronger character in the end. I honestly don't even see her as weak. I see her as being sheltered and when she finally gets out and sees what is going on she knows what she has to do no matter what.
Angel and Guardians relationship I loved. Reminded me of other relationships that Lizzy has wrote about but different too. The other minor characters Elise, and Dan I thought enhanced the story. Added a comic relief as well as a friendship.
I would really like to see more about Dan and how him and Brady are connected.
Mr. Tim was an interesting character. I was surprised by some of the twists in this book. I would like to see what happens with Mr. Tim and Lana.
I have never been disappointed by Lizzy and this book didn't. It had energy, passion, war, relief, and suspense. I hope Lizzy writes another to this book. I would really like to see more about what happened after.
Another note I could not put this book down. I had to know what happened and what was so special about Lana. Really great read and would recommend it.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rebel Heart takes place in the future when the country has been split by a civil war and once again war is imminent. As nuclear strikes cripple the East Coast Lana is whisked away to a federal bunker to help coordinate the efforts of defense and preserve the countries resources.

In the course of her duties she has been given a guardian, Brady, to keeps in contact via radio transmission, who helps keep her grounded and fills the emotional need for contact she can trust. Lana learns a terrible secret and strikes out on her own to reach a safe place constantly hunted.

There is plenty of adrenalin pumping action, surprises, betrayals, and a little taste of smexy thrown in for good measure. This was a fun read, although I will admit that the beginning of the book seemed a bit abrupt with Lana thrown right into the fire and I would have liked a little more buildup and world building, but I will say that by the end of the tale I was hooked and came away feeling very satisfied.

I would recommend this book to those who enjoy a lot of action with a dystopian flare of the possibility of what if and a little romance thrown in the mix. I purchased this book from Amazon.

[Merissa (Archaeolibrarian) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lizzy Ford takes you straight into the action with the start of this story as Lana is whisked away to a compound as the world descends once more into chaos. Her boss is taken to another location but he tells her about someone who will be contacting her who will help and she can trust.

You move forward and Lana is secluded from the outside world by working at the compound but enjoys her daily talks with "Guardian". She is finding out information about what might or might not be happening and investigates further. At the same time you travel with Brady aka "Guardian" as he travels the world outside and deals with the dangers and circumstances that Lana only knows about through him.

This story is full of action and well paced. There are trials and tribulations but all seem necessary and are not just padding out the book. The characters develop nicely and both Lana and Brady have realisations to meet. Lana in particular has to grow up in this book as she was so protected that her reactions show just how far she can swing from one emotion to the next. The plot is complex so this is not something to be read quickly but to be enjoyed and digested at leisure.

[Luli · Rating 1 out of 5]

Flojísima.
Durante todo el libro he tenido la sensación de que me estaba perdiendo algo. Es como si la historia hubiese empezado por la mitad. No he conseguido hacerme una idea clara del mundo en el que viven los personajes, simplemente saber que los ricos son muy malvados y los pobres muy buenos, pero poco trasfondo, pocas explicaciones de por qué son las cosas como son y cómo se ha llegado a ese punto…
El romance ha sido otro caso descarado de insta-lust, salvo por un par de conversaciones cuando aún no se conocían, en cuanto se ven saltan al catre, y eso que no queda claro si se odian o no… y para colmo de males ella es virgen…Oh sí!...Y sin miedos ni ataduras comercia con su cuerpo! Esto también ha sido de ciencia ficción…
Personajes que cambian en cuanto el guión lo necesita y de repente son duros y decididos como supermán o dulces como el algodón de azúcar y sobre todo los protagonistas sólo comparten un par de capítulos, el resto de la historia están separados, que podríamos suponer que ya sería suficiente separación, pero no, hay que cumplir el guión y volverlos a separar al final, que cansino.
Decepcionante.

[Theresea Wasson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taking place in the future after a nuclear strike cripples much of the United States, Lana, a young woman who was trained as a technical specialist for one of the top leaders of the country crosses the country in order to help save it. Guided initially by an unknown voice known as her guardian, and then finally meeting him, she has to learn to survive in a world of battles and deceit. Brady is a soldier who isn't sure of his *Angel* who he is supposed to guide, but as they talk initially, and then finally meet, he discovers there is more to this young elite cast woman who he has been asked to protect than he thought.

This book is very different from Lizzy Ford's regular books, but I found the action and romance to be engaging and thought provoking. I don't know if it was the author's intention, but the things that happened in the book could very well happen in today's world. I truly hope that Mrs. Ford chooses to continue this story. There is more to be told I feel.

[Kami · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is the year 2135 and Lana has been called in by her boss to assess the damage in the aftermath of a nuclear attack. The genetically altered, Brady has been charged with protecting Lana. Brady is a solider hunting down insurgents and Lana is a fed analyst and member of the Vice President's staff. This book was a little slow to get into but by chapter 6 it started getting really good and I couldn't stop reading it. There is a war but it isn't perfectly clear who is good and who is bad. The lines are blurred. The rich. The poor. The PMF, insurgency rebellion. Feds. The people and the government. It isn't entirely clear who is right and who is wrong. Lana uncovers a conspiracy and Brady turns out to be different than who she originally thinks he is. Everything Lana believes to be true is shaken as she learns to love her Guardian. A very well written, romantic, futuristic adventure.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a little bit of a book hanger.
I just loved the story!!

We meet Lana in the year 2135 - after the war, in a different world.
the action start right from the beginning with Lana needed to be relocated with the help of a stranger code name Guardian in charge of keeping her safe.

Brady as a double agenda in the war and also in charge of keeping Lana code name Angel safe from a distance. its an easy task until computer smart Lana with no survival skills is put in danger.

I like that there is not pages and pages of explanations to describe the new world, but at some place I do wish there was a bit more information given.

It the kind of book you just can't put down, the story had me from the first page until I finished it.

definitely a book a would recommend if you like some action and mystery with your romance.

[Jenny Delandro · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so realistic!
It draws you in and sucks you down a rabbit hole!
Lana is working in Federation office as special assistant to the Vice President... she considers herself a small cog in a larger machine but everything revolves on her.
She is sent to a secure facility ... panic ensures ..
How she works out what is truth and what is lies is amazing!
Throughout it all she is in contact with a solider called Guardian whom she relies on heavily...
Who can she trust?
Who is the enemy?
Who started this war?
How did they drop some many miles on US soil without detection?
How can she stop it escalating??
This is a great book!
It seems to be a stand alone..
(isn't it funny that we expect more from authors these days?)
I loved this book and would like to read more about the characters in it but I am happy with a single brilliant story!