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One-Eyed Jacks #1
Killing Time
An exciting new series featuring Mike "Primetime" Brown, a character from her popular "Black Ops, Inc." series.
For the seven years after Operation Slam Dunk went south, Mike Brown got drunk on each anniversary. The eighth year was no different--until he was drugged by a woman and woke up to her questions about what had happened eight years ago in Afghanistan. CIA attorney Eva Salinas has her own theory behind what happened to Mike's team--which included her husband--in Afghanistan eight years ago, and she's determined to prove foul play. Though she doesn't trust him, Mike is the only person she can turn to for help. Under an assumed name, Eva convinces Mike to assemble a new team and go after the traitor who screwed up both their lives. As they track down the rogue who started it all, Eva and Mike discover they can't live without each other. But can they stay alive while an enemy is still on the loose?
For the seven years after Operation Slam Dunk went south, Mike Brown got drunk on each anniversary. The eighth year was no different--until he was drugged by a woman and woke up to her questions about what had happened eight years ago in Afghanistan. CIA attorney Eva Salinas has her own theory behind what happened to Mike's team--which included her husband--in Afghanistan eight years ago, and she's determined to prove foul play. Though she doesn't trust him, Mike is the only person she can turn to for help. Under an assumed name, Eva convinces Mike to assemble a new team and go after the traitor who screwed up both their lives. As they track down the rogue who started it all, Eva and Mike discover they can't live without each other. But can they stay alive while an enemy is still on the loose?
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 22, 2013
120 people are currently reading
3678 people want to read
About the author
Cindy Gerard
156 books1,622 followersThe only thing Cindy had in mind when she started writing her first book was finishing it. The issue of actually selling it came much later. Only after she made that life-altering first sale did she realize that one book would never be enough. Now, over 20 books and numerous awards later, Cindy laughingly admits that she can barely remember life before...well, was there life before writing?
Actually, yes there was, and still is. A professional career woman, Cindy is a trainer for the Iowa Department of Human Services, a position she states is both challenging and rewarding. "Human Services is a front-line, real-life event. Everything about the job is immediate, from serving families in crisis, to assisting staff with difficult situations, to meeting tension-fraught deadlines."
Cindy's career has taught her much about the human condition, its frailties, its strengths, and its spirit. The evocative emotions that pour from the pages of her books are a reflection of some of her work experiences. Her writing celebrates life's richness and trials, offering a wide range of emotions — hope and elation, anger and indecision, laughter and, of course, love. And, according to her readers, her powerful love scenes run the gamut from steamy to tender to lusty to just plain fun.
Cindy's writing has netted her spots on bestseller lists, numerous RT nominations and awards, the Colorado Romance Writers Award of Excellence, a National Reader's Choice Award and two RITA nominations.
Between writing and working full time you wouldn't think Cindy would have much time for anything else. And while she does find her work and her writing rewarding, there does have to be more. Cindy has more. Much more. She is happily married to the perfect man. Tom's a cowboy, ladies!
Yes, even Iowa has its share of that saddle-straddling, Wrangler-wearing species who love their horses almost as much as they love their women. As a matter of fact, recently a whole herd of Texans gathered at the Gerard "Ranch" to treat their little ones to real horseback rides. Go figure.
Cindy has a passion for pink depression glass — she always has her eye out for the special piece to add to her collection. Cindy's down time often takes the form of the classic "busman's holiday." She loves to read and most of all, she loves to read at their summer place, a cabin in the woods on Lake Kabetogama in northern Minnesota.
Both Tom and Cindy enjoy gardening and have recently expanded their annual beds into a perennial garden. Cindy says she can hardly wait for spring and the promise of all that reawakening and the colorful blooms.
In addition to the horses, the Gerards have two dogs, Ellie and Boomer, who pretty much get anything they want. Tom and Cindy have one son, Kyle, who, after years of keeping them in suspense, found Eileen, the perfect woman.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/cindyg...
Actually, yes there was, and still is. A professional career woman, Cindy is a trainer for the Iowa Department of Human Services, a position she states is both challenging and rewarding. "Human Services is a front-line, real-life event. Everything about the job is immediate, from serving families in crisis, to assisting staff with difficult situations, to meeting tension-fraught deadlines."
Cindy's career has taught her much about the human condition, its frailties, its strengths, and its spirit. The evocative emotions that pour from the pages of her books are a reflection of some of her work experiences. Her writing celebrates life's richness and trials, offering a wide range of emotions — hope and elation, anger and indecision, laughter and, of course, love. And, according to her readers, her powerful love scenes run the gamut from steamy to tender to lusty to just plain fun.
Cindy's writing has netted her spots on bestseller lists, numerous RT nominations and awards, the Colorado Romance Writers Award of Excellence, a National Reader's Choice Award and two RITA nominations.
Between writing and working full time you wouldn't think Cindy would have much time for anything else. And while she does find her work and her writing rewarding, there does have to be more. Cindy has more. Much more. She is happily married to the perfect man. Tom's a cowboy, ladies!
Yes, even Iowa has its share of that saddle-straddling, Wrangler-wearing species who love their horses almost as much as they love their women. As a matter of fact, recently a whole herd of Texans gathered at the Gerard "Ranch" to treat their little ones to real horseback rides. Go figure.
Cindy has a passion for pink depression glass — she always has her eye out for the special piece to add to her collection. Cindy's down time often takes the form of the classic "busman's holiday." She loves to read and most of all, she loves to read at their summer place, a cabin in the woods on Lake Kabetogama in northern Minnesota.
Both Tom and Cindy enjoy gardening and have recently expanded their annual beds into a perennial garden. Cindy says she can hardly wait for spring and the promise of all that reawakening and the colorful blooms.
In addition to the horses, the Gerards have two dogs, Ellie and Boomer, who pretty much get anything they want. Tom and Cindy have one son, Kyle, who, after years of keeping them in suspense, found Eileen, the perfect woman.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/cindyg...
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November 5, 2016
re-read 09.09.
“We will finish this,” he whispered, then dove back for one final taste. “When this is over, we will figure this out and we will finish it.”
This book was amazing! The story was great, the characters were excellent, the writing! OMG I can't believe I never read a book by this author! I'm an idiot! Well, enough to say that after reading this one, I'll be definitely reading the Black Ops series
So here's to this book and author <3
The story
Eight years ago, there was a mission in Afghanistan that went wrong. A lot of operatives died, and Mike Brown was the one who took the fall for it.
Now, Mike is a disillusioned man, a recovering alcoholic, except for that one time a year he gets dead drunk - the anniversary of the failed mission. Only this year's different, he hooks up with a hot piece of ass
who drugs him, ties him to a bed and threatens to kill him if he doesn't spill everything he knows about Operation Slam Dunk.
That woman is Eva Salinas, who is the widow of one of the men who died, and wants to see justice when she finds out that the whole operation was a big cover-up from someone high up in the government.
They have no alternative but to work together when a hired killer tries to off them.
The story was excellent! It gripped me from the beginning, and I was making all kinds of gasps while I was reading it :D Some things were unexpected, some not, but the most important thing was that it was SO interesting to read! Just brilliant!
Mike
Baba's pic is THE BEST possible for Mike, and I imagined him in my head by that picture! Just YUM
I didn't know it was possible to fall in love with a character right at the beginning at the book, and he did it with one sentence.
“The hell I did.”
I know this doesn't mean anything to those who haven't read the book, but believe me. It does. My heart broke for him. And it was insta love
and how the story went on, I just loved him more and more. He is just
One of those guys you wish could be real
Mike is troubled by his past, and is basically hiding from it. Nobody believed when he said he was innocent, and he took the blame to protect the rest of his unit.
Now Eva comes and drags all those skeletons out of the closet
He doesn't want to help her, but has to, and soon after they discover that there was indeed a spy in their unit, he decides it's time to stop running from the past and finally make everything right.
Eva
Eva wants revenge for her dead husband. Well, more justice than revenge. She knows Mike is the only man who can tell her exactly what happened, so she sets out to kidnap and force him to tell her everything.
What she didn't expect is to be so attracted to him, or to feel sorry for what happened to him all those years ago.
But, the more they dig for information, the more this something between them grows
I absolutely adored that woman! One of the best heroines ever!
She is kick ass, very intelligent, and actually makes very smart moves throughout the book :) She's brave, and isn't intimidated by Mike :) She does what needs to be done to reach her goal, and man! Did I say how much I love her? Because I really, really do. It's so weird, because usually the heroines get on my nerves. This one didn't! So she alone deserves 5 stars!
There is just one tiny thingie that bothered me in this book
It was pretty much insta-love here. Very short time period in which it all happens. But that is not what bothered me at all (and it usually does, yeah, I'm freaky). The sexual attraction/tension was done really well,
I totally believed, and I can't blame Eva for wanting to jump Mike's bones at all! What really bugged me was the ending...
Still, I kinda looked past that XD The book is too great for me to be bothered with that one teeny tiny fact :D
So I've developed another addiction
Another genre and another brilliant author 
And just one more time for good measure: Mike
*ARC courtesy of Pocket Books via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review*
“We will finish this,” he whispered, then dove back for one final taste. “When this is over, we will figure this out and we will finish it.”
This book was amazing! The story was great, the characters were excellent, the writing! OMG I can't believe I never read a book by this author! I'm an idiot! Well, enough to say that after reading this one, I'll be definitely reading the Black Ops series
So here's to this book and author <3 
The story
Eight years ago, there was a mission in Afghanistan that went wrong. A lot of operatives died, and Mike Brown was the one who took the fall for it.
Now, Mike is a disillusioned man, a recovering alcoholic, except for that one time a year he gets dead drunk - the anniversary of the failed mission. Only this year's different, he hooks up with a hot piece of ass
who drugs him, ties him to a bed and threatens to kill him if he doesn't spill everything he knows about Operation Slam Dunk.
That woman is Eva Salinas, who is the widow of one of the men who died, and wants to see justice when she finds out that the whole operation was a big cover-up from someone high up in the government. They have no alternative but to work together when a hired killer tries to off them.
The story was excellent! It gripped me from the beginning, and I was making all kinds of gasps while I was reading it :D Some things were unexpected, some not, but the most important thing was that it was SO interesting to read! Just brilliant!
“The hell I did.” It came out on a whisper this time, his voice broken, his defenses destroyed.
Mike
Baba's pic is THE BEST possible for Mike, and I imagined him in my head by that picture! Just YUM
I didn't know it was possible to fall in love with a character right at the beginning at the book, and he did it with one sentence.
“The hell I did.”
I know this doesn't mean anything to those who haven't read the book, but believe me. It does. My heart broke for him. And it was insta love
and how the story went on, I just loved him more and more. He is just
One of those guys you wish could be real
Mike is troubled by his past, and is basically hiding from it. Nobody believed when he said he was innocent, and he took the blame to protect the rest of his unit.
Now Eva comes and drags all those skeletons out of the closet
He doesn't want to help her, but has to, and soon after they discover that there was indeed a spy in their unit, he decides it's time to stop running from the past and finally make everything right.
"Her brown eyes were almost black with conviction, and damn if he didn’t fall a little deeper into whatever mess he was falling into that he refused to give a name."
Eva
Eva wants revenge for her dead husband. Well, more justice than revenge. She knows Mike is the only man who can tell her exactly what happened, so she sets out to kidnap and force him to tell her everything.
What she didn't expect is to be so attracted to him, or to feel sorry for what happened to him all those years ago.
But, the more they dig for information, the more this something between them grows
I absolutely adored that woman! One of the best heroines ever!
She is kick ass, very intelligent, and actually makes very smart moves throughout the book :) She's brave, and isn't intimidated by Mike :) She does what needs to be done to reach her goal, and man! Did I say how much I love her? Because I really, really do. It's so weird, because usually the heroines get on my nerves. This one didn't! So she alone deserves 5 stars!
There is just one tiny thingie that bothered me in this book
It was pretty much insta-love here. Very short time period in which it all happens. But that is not what bothered me at all (and it usually does, yeah, I'm freaky). The sexual attraction/tension was done really well,
I totally believed, and I can't blame Eva for wanting to jump Mike's bones at all! What really bugged me was the ending... Still, I kinda looked past that XD The book is too great for me to be bothered with that one teeny tiny fact :D
So I've developed another addiction
Another genre and another brilliant author 
And just one more time for good measure: Mike
*ARC courtesy of Pocket Books via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review*
December 21, 2012
Review completed December 22, 2012
Do you love to read about a gorgeous specimen of a miracle man? Do you love to read a superb romantic suspense novel? If yes, what are you waiting for? Just read it. This is Cindy Gerard at her very best! Prepare yourself to be gushed upon.
Daniel is my Mike. Too long hair, handsome, and cool shades
Dear Mike,
Ever since Operation Slam Dunk had gone awry in Afghanistan eight years ago, you get rat-ass drunk on each anniversary. Eight years ago you had to face a tribunal, and all you got then was a less than honorable discharge, your career went down the drain, your life has been stolen. To top everything off, your friends are gone too. You were living a rather lonely and secluded life.
Afghanistan
Well, my dearest Mike, something is about to change fundamentally. Thank goodness there's still some sense of justice. Justice in the person of Eva Salinas, a spicy and hot little number, a kick-ass road warrior as well as a CIA attorney. Eva lost her husband in Afghanistan and is determined to find out what happened to him and your team. She wants to prove foul play but she needs you to put her plan into action.
It had been a long time since a woman had needed him. A long time since he'd wanted one to. But he wanted to be important to her, strong for her, and even weak for her so she would understand how much she was giving him in return.
Uh, I think Eva can be very convincing, right? Don't scowl at me now, Mikey boy, it was not my fault that she hurt your ego. It was on you. Whatever. Let's get this show on the road.
Seriously, it was such a pleasure to see Gabe Jones again. My Gabe…squeee…yeah, I'm so sorry but I've had a little fangirl moment. Oh, Baba, get over it already. *nods head vigorously* Done. See? Where was I? Mmmm…while we're on it, I will shamelessly admit that I have a little crush on you too, Mike. You look so deliciously gorgeous, sexilicous as all get out. You don't believe me? Have you ever looked into a mirror, my dear? Holy smokes! I know, I know you are taken by now and I am just teasing. Physical attributes like tall, dark and too long hair, handsome, cool shades, a little rough around the edges work for my any day, though. You have presence as all get out and a smart mouth; you are caring, protective, tender and yet you are full of passion and need, but at the same time I loved your little touch of vulnerability. Mike, you are such a cool dude. *Le sigh* Love is not easy, huh? Eva makes you feel gutless, panicked and scared. You feel like you are in over your head. But don't worry, darling, everything will work out all right. Have a little faith in you and Eva.
What's not to love about you, Eva or the story itself? Cindy outdid herself, that's for sure. Oh, Mike, give Cindy my best. The plot is very well thought out and engaging, there are likable and sexy characters and the witty dialogue and banter are the icing on the cake! Without a shadow of a doubt it was a fabulous and compelling ride. There is great action that made my heart throb and had me at the edge of my seat, there is the thrill of anticipation when you kissed Eva for the first time. And this incredibly delicious road I had the pleasure to come along when your love-making ended up in a fiery ball of emotion that made me want to combust was…I don't know…just wow! This is a fabulous build-up. This is chemistry as all get out and sexual tension at its very best. This is what I need to feel when I'm reading a romantic suspense novel or any other novel for that matter.
With a low groan, he deepened the kiss, drew her tighter against him, and took things to a different level. Tentative and sweet shifted to demanding and dark as desire outdistanced tenderness. They both fed from it, built on it, until his leg was wedged between her thighs, her hands tunneled under his shirt, and their mouths devoured each other's.
Yeah, look at you, Mike. I am swooning over you, darling. Correction: I am in a puddle at your feet.
I love your sense of humor, Mike. You are pretty priceless. *grin*
"I wasn't joking. Well, not about sleeping on top of you."
She expelled a deep breath. "All right. You know what? Let's just do this. How's that for an engraved invitation? Maybe it'll relieve the tension and we can finally get some sleep."
"You want a tension reliever, take a Valium."
"Seriously? You're turning me down?"
"You haven't asked me nice yet."
Needless to say that Cooper and Taggart are a sight for sore eyes too, and their sense of humor should not be missed either:
"Fine. But if she loses one freaking hair, I'm going to make you all wish you were never born. Especially you," he told Eva, just before he dragged her against him and kissed her.
"Aw." Taggart's teeth glowed white in the dark.
"Group hug?"
"I'm in." Cooper opened his arms.
"F*ck you both," Mike grumbled. "Let's just get this done."
Oh well, I won't beat around the bush here, I'm looking forward to reading Cooper and Taggart's stories and I have a feeling that Cooper will give you a run for your money. I really, really like this guy. *hint hint* I don't know how she does it but Cindy creates so incredibly scrumptious heroes, it should be labeled as a crime. Indeed. I feel like a drug addict who can't get enough of those guys. Yes, my darling Mike, you especially.
Well, I think I made my point. Er…what's wrong with you, Mike? Your jaw just dropped. Hence, I suggest you shut your mouth otherwise you're going to catch flies and that's so not yummy.
I am done with my glowing review, however, if you think that I've forgotten anything important, feel free to call me--you have my number. MWAH!
I wish you the very best, Mike. Always.
Take care.
Baba
P.S. Eva by morning? Yes, Mike, indulge yourself coz you really deserve it, but at the same time be nice to your buddies--they need some TLC too. You know what I mean...
Expected publication date: January 22, 2013
ARC kindly provided by Pocket Books via Edelweiss. Thank you very much--I appreciate it.
Hey, Mike, would you like to check out my sexilicious coefficient? Nothing to be ashamed of, darling. You handled yourbuddy…er…woman well. Here we go…
Chemistry 5 (Yeah, the sparks were flying, very palpable, excellent!)
Sensuality 3.5
Steam 3
Eroticism 3
Do you love to read about a gorgeous specimen of a miracle man? Do you love to read a superb romantic suspense novel? If yes, what are you waiting for? Just read it. This is Cindy Gerard at her very best! Prepare yourself to be gushed upon.
Daniel is my Mike. Too long hair, handsome, and cool shades
Dear Mike,
Ever since Operation Slam Dunk had gone awry in Afghanistan eight years ago, you get rat-ass drunk on each anniversary. Eight years ago you had to face a tribunal, and all you got then was a less than honorable discharge, your career went down the drain, your life has been stolen. To top everything off, your friends are gone too. You were living a rather lonely and secluded life.
Afghanistan
Well, my dearest Mike, something is about to change fundamentally. Thank goodness there's still some sense of justice. Justice in the person of Eva Salinas, a spicy and hot little number, a kick-ass road warrior as well as a CIA attorney. Eva lost her husband in Afghanistan and is determined to find out what happened to him and your team. She wants to prove foul play but she needs you to put her plan into action.
It had been a long time since a woman had needed him. A long time since he'd wanted one to. But he wanted to be important to her, strong for her, and even weak for her so she would understand how much she was giving him in return.
Uh, I think Eva can be very convincing, right? Don't scowl at me now, Mikey boy, it was not my fault that she hurt your ego. It was on you. Whatever. Let's get this show on the road.
Seriously, it was such a pleasure to see Gabe Jones again. My Gabe…squeee…yeah, I'm so sorry but I've had a little fangirl moment. Oh, Baba, get over it already. *nods head vigorously* Done. See? Where was I? Mmmm…while we're on it, I will shamelessly admit that I have a little crush on you too, Mike. You look so deliciously gorgeous, sexilicous as all get out. You don't believe me? Have you ever looked into a mirror, my dear? Holy smokes! I know, I know you are taken by now and I am just teasing. Physical attributes like tall, dark and too long hair, handsome, cool shades, a little rough around the edges work for my any day, though. You have presence as all get out and a smart mouth; you are caring, protective, tender and yet you are full of passion and need, but at the same time I loved your little touch of vulnerability. Mike, you are such a cool dude. *Le sigh* Love is not easy, huh? Eva makes you feel gutless, panicked and scared. You feel like you are in over your head. But don't worry, darling, everything will work out all right. Have a little faith in you and Eva.
What's not to love about you, Eva or the story itself? Cindy outdid herself, that's for sure. Oh, Mike, give Cindy my best. The plot is very well thought out and engaging, there are likable and sexy characters and the witty dialogue and banter are the icing on the cake! Without a shadow of a doubt it was a fabulous and compelling ride. There is great action that made my heart throb and had me at the edge of my seat, there is the thrill of anticipation when you kissed Eva for the first time. And this incredibly delicious road I had the pleasure to come along when your love-making ended up in a fiery ball of emotion that made me want to combust was…I don't know…just wow! This is a fabulous build-up. This is chemistry as all get out and sexual tension at its very best. This is what I need to feel when I'm reading a romantic suspense novel or any other novel for that matter.
With a low groan, he deepened the kiss, drew her tighter against him, and took things to a different level. Tentative and sweet shifted to demanding and dark as desire outdistanced tenderness. They both fed from it, built on it, until his leg was wedged between her thighs, her hands tunneled under his shirt, and their mouths devoured each other's.
Yeah, look at you, Mike. I am swooning over you, darling. Correction: I am in a puddle at your feet.
I love your sense of humor, Mike. You are pretty priceless. *grin*
"I wasn't joking. Well, not about sleeping on top of you."
She expelled a deep breath. "All right. You know what? Let's just do this. How's that for an engraved invitation? Maybe it'll relieve the tension and we can finally get some sleep."
"You want a tension reliever, take a Valium."
"Seriously? You're turning me down?"
"You haven't asked me nice yet."
Needless to say that Cooper and Taggart are a sight for sore eyes too, and their sense of humor should not be missed either:
"Fine. But if she loses one freaking hair, I'm going to make you all wish you were never born. Especially you," he told Eva, just before he dragged her against him and kissed her.
"Aw." Taggart's teeth glowed white in the dark.
"Group hug?"
"I'm in." Cooper opened his arms.
"F*ck you both," Mike grumbled. "Let's just get this done."
Oh well, I won't beat around the bush here, I'm looking forward to reading Cooper and Taggart's stories and I have a feeling that Cooper will give you a run for your money. I really, really like this guy. *hint hint* I don't know how she does it but Cindy creates so incredibly scrumptious heroes, it should be labeled as a crime. Indeed. I feel like a drug addict who can't get enough of those guys. Yes, my darling Mike, you especially.
Well, I think I made my point. Er…what's wrong with you, Mike? Your jaw just dropped. Hence, I suggest you shut your mouth otherwise you're going to catch flies and that's so not yummy.
I am done with my glowing review, however, if you think that I've forgotten anything important, feel free to call me--you have my number. MWAH!
I wish you the very best, Mike. Always.
Take care.
Baba
P.S. Eva by morning? Yes, Mike, indulge yourself coz you really deserve it, but at the same time be nice to your buddies--they need some TLC too. You know what I mean...
Expected publication date: January 22, 2013
ARC kindly provided by Pocket Books via Edelweiss. Thank you very much--I appreciate it.
Hey, Mike, would you like to check out my sexilicious coefficient? Nothing to be ashamed of, darling. You handled your
Chemistry 5 (Yeah, the sparks were flying, very palpable, excellent!)
Sensuality 3.5
Steam 3
Eroticism 3
November 19, 2015
Full review now posted:Mike "Primetime" Brown
Fast paced, action packed and very sexy, Killing Time is the perfect start to Cindy Gerard’s new One Eyed Jacks series! This spinoff of the Black Ops Inc. series opens with Mike “Primetime” Brown’s anxiously awaited story.
Still tortured by the deaths of his team members during a mission dubbed Operation Slam Dunk - a mission gone horribly wrong - Mike is physically scarred and mentally and emotionally tormented. The memories of that clusterfuck, and his guilt over the decisions he made, haunt Mike every day of his life, but the anniversary of the horrific event is the worse, one, even eight years later, Mike spends trying to drink away the memories.
CIA Attorney Eva Salinas lost her husband in Afghanistan, a casualty of that same OSD clusterfuck. The military trial ended before it even got started when one of the surviving team members accepted full responsibility. Eva has tried to put it all behind her, but after receiving a file from an anonymous source, Eva is wondering if justice has truly been served. Armed with this new information, she is more determined than ever to find out what really happened, and what better place to start than with Mike Brown, the man thought to be responsible for her husband's death?
Though they get answers to some of their questions, more are being raised, and Mike and Eva find they have a common enemy. With their passion for one another growing, they work together to bring down the bad guys and avenge the men who died in the crossfire of arrogance, greed and ambition.
The bottom line: Time and time again Cindy Gerard delivers romantic suspense the way it should be written - with the perfect balance of action, excitement, romance and steamy goodness! Her characters are people we can't help but connect with and care about, and their happily ever afters are sweet, satisfying and well deserved! Killing Time truly is a great start to this new series, one I'll definitely be following, start to finish!
My thanks to Pocket Books, a division of Simon Schuster Publishing, for providing me with a copy of this book for review, via Edelweiss. It was such a pleasure!
February 14, 2024
Killing Time
by Cincy Gerard combines romance, action, suspense, and the search for the truth into a gripping novel. It's the first book in the One-Eyed Jacks romantic suspense series. Every year after Operation Slam Dunk went south, Mike Brown gets drunk on its anniversary. However, this time he’s drugged by a woman and wakes up to her questions about the operation in Afghanistan. CIA attorney Eva Salinas has her own theory about what happened to the team which included her husband. Although she doesn’t trust him, Mike is the only person she can turn to for help in proving what really happened and why.
Mike and Eva are both likeable characters. There is immediate chemistry between them despite the lack of trust. Humor is also sprinkled through the story providing some relief from the tension and suspense. The entire story takes place during a relatively short time frame which made the romance a little too fast for my tastes. Additionally, the antagonist was a little too easy to identify. Despite this, I enjoyed the novel. The plot has a few twists to it and the suspense was extremely high at times. The narrative flows well with a thought-provoking story line and good characterization.
Overall, this was a great premise that delivered more than I expected. I want to read more novels by this author. This is the first book in a spin-off series.
I purchased a copy of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date was January 22, 2013.
--------------------------
My 4 star review is coming soon.
Mike and Eva are both likeable characters. There is immediate chemistry between them despite the lack of trust. Humor is also sprinkled through the story providing some relief from the tension and suspense. The entire story takes place during a relatively short time frame which made the romance a little too fast for my tastes. Additionally, the antagonist was a little too easy to identify. Despite this, I enjoyed the novel. The plot has a few twists to it and the suspense was extremely high at times. The narrative flows well with a thought-provoking story line and good characterization.
Overall, this was a great premise that delivered more than I expected. I want to read more novels by this author. This is the first book in a spin-off series.
I purchased a copy of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date was January 22, 2013.
--------------------------
My 4 star review is coming soon.
December 23, 2012
*ARC courtesy of Pocket Books via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review*
first I gotta say that MIKE YOU WON MY HEART!
this would be my Mike :) ok a bit older but you get my point :)))
THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING! 5 HUGE STARS!
I usually don't read that much romantic suspense, because usually the story is not that wow to me when I focus on the main couple, and I always want more, but this one... this one won me from the first page!!!!!!
I loved the story, loved the writing, loved the characters, I loved everything about this book!!!!
Eva and Mike were awesome!
Blurb from Bookadda:
For the seven years after Operation Slam Dunk went south, Mike Brown got drunk on each anniversary. The eighth year was no different until he was drugged by a woman and woke up to her questions about what had happened eight years ago in Afghanistan.
Though she doesn't trust him, Mike is the only person she can turn to for help. Under an assumed name, Eva convinces Mike to assemble a new team and go after the traitor who screwed up both their lives. As they track down the rogue who started it all, Eva and Mike discover they can't live without each other. But can they stay alive while an enemy is still on the loose?
Eva
I just love kick-ass heroins!!!! One of my best heroins ever!
Eva lost a husband in Afganistan. He was in Mike's team. She knows that something went wrong and she blames Mike for it, so she uses her charm and "kidnaps" him, ties him to bed and start to interrogate him!If I was in that situation I would stop the interrogation and just jump him there :D
She will do anything to find out the truth and she will put her fear aside until everything is over... but she didn't know that she would be falling for the one guy who she is supposed to hate....
MIKE
I don't even know what to say... how to say it...
but I can say one thing for sure... you're gonna love him from the first page!
Mike wants to forget, he left everything, lost his friends, and the ones that survived don't want to hear about him because they think he betrayed them...
My heart just broke for him... He thought he was making a right decision but that cost him everything, his name and his honor.
I did want itsy bitsy more of them togetherunder sheets, because I love those parts, and the sexual tension was killing me, but in the end I did not miss it that much because the story was very interesting and it pulled you in and you wanted to know what really happened and whose fault was it.
But those parts.... oh men... Mike seriously... come to me...
out of body. out of mind. hurry. deep . harder. nothing mattered.
So to sum it up!
A great story! Great characters! Steamy! Action packed! And the only important detail -------> MIKE!
first I gotta say that MIKE YOU WON MY HEART!
this would be my Mike :) ok a bit older but you get my point :)))
THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING! 5 HUGE STARS!
I usually don't read that much romantic suspense, because usually the story is not that wow to me when I focus on the main couple, and I always want more, but this one... this one won me from the first page!!!!!!
I loved the story, loved the writing, loved the characters, I loved everything about this book!!!!
Eva and Mike were awesome!
Blurb from Bookadda:
For the seven years after Operation Slam Dunk went south, Mike Brown got drunk on each anniversary. The eighth year was no different until he was drugged by a woman and woke up to her questions about what had happened eight years ago in Afghanistan.
Though she doesn't trust him, Mike is the only person she can turn to for help. Under an assumed name, Eva convinces Mike to assemble a new team and go after the traitor who screwed up both their lives. As they track down the rogue who started it all, Eva and Mike discover they can't live without each other. But can they stay alive while an enemy is still on the loose?
Eva
I just love kick-ass heroins!!!! One of my best heroins ever!
Eva lost a husband in Afganistan. He was in Mike's team. She knows that something went wrong and she blames Mike for it, so she uses her charm and "kidnaps" him, ties him to bed and start to interrogate him!
"we can do this easy," she whispered close to his ear as he groaned in agony, "or it can go real hard on you"
She will do anything to find out the truth and she will put her fear aside until everything is over... but she didn't know that she would be falling for the one guy who she is supposed to hate....
MIKE
I don't even know what to say... how to say it...
but I can say one thing for sure... you're gonna love him from the first page!
Mike wants to forget, he left everything, lost his friends, and the ones that survived don't want to hear about him because they think he betrayed them...
"the crash...
the explosion...
the fire...
the stench of blood and burned flesh.
the tribunal where he'd lost everything."
My heart just broke for him... He thought he was making a right decision but that cost him everything, his name and his honor.
I did want itsy bitsy more of them together
But those parts.... oh men... Mike seriously... come to me...
out of body. out of mind. hurry. deep . harder. nothing mattered.
"You need to be horizontal. You need to rest."
"Chica, if i get horizontal, it will be with you. And trust me. We won't be resting."
"What is wrong with you?
-You. You're what's wrong with me. You're shutting me out, chica. I'm scared to death that I'm losing you."
So to sum it up!
A great story! Great characters! Steamy! Action packed! And the only important detail -------> MIKE!
September 15, 2013
First time reading this author and she sure started off with a
Holy, hell, it was non-stop all the way.
Loved the 2 Main Characters, great chemistry between them. Plenty of action, adventure – not a lot of sex actually but who cares when the storyline is interesting and intriguing.
Mike, another tortured soul – love those guys….
“We will finish this,” he whispered, then dove back for one final taste. “When this is over, we will figure this out and we will finish it.”
Halfway through reading this one, I thought to myself, “I have read this already …” There is definitely another book out there that has a similar theme running through it
”How will I know she’s the one, Master? The final one. The only one I’ll want to be with.
“Well, Grasshopper, when the top of your head blows off and your heart explodes along with it, you can pretty much bet your sorry ass that you’ve entered dangerous, new territory.”
Went through a phase of reading a lot of Romantic Suspense about a year or two ago and then I sort of stopped…. WHY? These stories are brilliant… Cannot wait to read some more.
I see the next in the series is about Mike’s brother, Tyler and some lucky ducks have already received the ARC for this one.
Holy, hell, it was non-stop all the way.
Loved the 2 Main Characters, great chemistry between them. Plenty of action, adventure – not a lot of sex actually but who cares when the storyline is interesting and intriguing.
Mike, another tortured soul – love those guys….
“We will finish this,” he whispered, then dove back for one final taste. “When this is over, we will figure this out and we will finish it.”
Halfway through reading this one, I thought to myself, “I have read this already …” There is definitely another book out there that has a similar theme running through it
”How will I know she’s the one, Master? The final one. The only one I’ll want to be with.
“Well, Grasshopper, when the top of your head blows off and your heart explodes along with it, you can pretty much bet your sorry ass that you’ve entered dangerous, new territory.”
Went through a phase of reading a lot of Romantic Suspense about a year or two ago and then I sort of stopped…. WHY? These stories are brilliant… Cannot wait to read some more.
I see the next in the series is about Mike’s brother, Tyler and some lucky ducks have already received the ARC for this one.
October 6, 2012
A huge stonking 5 stars
I was trying to work out the best way to let others know what I felt about this book until I could leave a full review closer to the publication date:
I could either gush and say, it was great to read more about sexy Mike Brown. We had met him several times in the BOI series and I knew I definitely wanted to read more. I could also say that I thought that kick ass Eva was a great character too and that she is very well matched with Mike. I could even go on further and gush and say that I am in heaven as I got to catch up and say hello to my old time fave of the BOI series, the sexy and stunning Gabe Jones.
Or I could simplify it even more and just say:-
It’s a romantic suspense written by Cindy Gerard! – Enough said!!!
Full review to follow closer to publication date.
ARC supplied by Pocket Books via Edelweiss
I was trying to work out the best way to let others know what I felt about this book until I could leave a full review closer to the publication date:
I could either gush and say, it was great to read more about sexy Mike Brown. We had met him several times in the BOI series and I knew I definitely wanted to read more. I could also say that I thought that kick ass Eva was a great character too and that she is very well matched with Mike. I could even go on further and gush and say that I am in heaven as I got to catch up and say hello to my old time fave of the BOI series, the sexy and stunning Gabe Jones.
Or I could simplify it even more and just say:-
It’s a romantic suspense written by Cindy Gerard! – Enough said!!!
Full review to follow closer to publication date.
ARC supplied by Pocket Books via Edelweiss
December 23, 2012
Final review posted…
“Nothing fixes a thing so intensely in the memory as the wish to forget it.” ….Michel de Montaigne
Military Romantic Suspense at its best!
The story starts off with a whammy and from the first few pages I became immersed in the mystery, suspense and the life of the characters. Mike “Primetime” Brown is a to-die-for sexy hero and he’s met his match with the incredible lovely Eva Salinas!
Mike Brown is a hero that’s easy to love. Tall, handsome, sharp and with a sense of humor, women are drawn to him. I also loved the heroine. She’s impressive in her abilities and uses her keen intelligence to get what she wants. I was pulling hard for their HEA.
An added bonus is getting to know a little of the other two survivors, Bobby Taggart and Jamie Cooper. Now, I can hardly wait to get their books.
Killing Time is a stellar RS and one that I highly recommend. It’s a spin-off from the BOIs series. The many fans will be delighted to catch up on the news of Gabe Jones and his family.
If you enjoy Romantic Suspense, mark your calendar for January 22, 2013, the expected release date. Cindy Gerard's first addition to her One Eyed Jacks series is impressive. You’ll not want to miss this one! Just make sure you have plenty of time when you start because it’s a hard one to put down.
My Rating: 4/5 stars
My sincerest thanks to Pocket Books via Edelweiss for the opportunity to read this ARC. It was a pleasure!
“Nothing fixes a thing so intensely in the memory as the wish to forget it.” ….Michel de Montaigne
Military Romantic Suspense at its best!
The story starts off with a whammy and from the first few pages I became immersed in the mystery, suspense and the life of the characters. Mike “Primetime” Brown is a to-die-for sexy hero and he’s met his match with the incredible lovely Eva Salinas!
Something went terribly wrong and Operation Slam Dunk ended in disaster leaving only Mike and two other survivors. The blame falls on Mike and to protect his comrades, he takes the deal offered that cost him his soul. Now, eight years later, we find him killing time in a bogus business in SA with no true direction or purpose in his life.Killing Time has all the elements needed to make it a winner! Cindy Gerard is a very talented author and gives the reader plenty of witty dialogue, action/suspense and a couple who is sizzling hot for each other. This one kept me on the edge while also mixing in a sultry love story. I enjoyed this couple so much that I wished for a little more time given to their romance.
CIA Attorney Eva Salinas lost her husband in this mission. She’s smart, beautiful and determined to find the traitor responsible for his death. Needing Mike’s help, she convinces him to form another team and go after the rogue who changed their life.
Mike Brown is a hero that’s easy to love. Tall, handsome, sharp and with a sense of humor, women are drawn to him. I also loved the heroine. She’s impressive in her abilities and uses her keen intelligence to get what she wants. I was pulling hard for their HEA.
An added bonus is getting to know a little of the other two survivors, Bobby Taggart and Jamie Cooper. Now, I can hardly wait to get their books.
Killing Time is a stellar RS and one that I highly recommend. It’s a spin-off from the BOIs series. The many fans will be delighted to catch up on the news of Gabe Jones and his family.
If you enjoy Romantic Suspense, mark your calendar for January 22, 2013, the expected release date. Cindy Gerard's first addition to her One Eyed Jacks series is impressive. You’ll not want to miss this one! Just make sure you have plenty of time when you start because it’s a hard one to put down.
My Rating: 4/5 stars
My sincerest thanks to Pocket Books via Edelweiss for the opportunity to read this ARC. It was a pleasure!
November 5, 2013
I'm lazy...not much of a review, just wanted to give a couple of thoughts.
I kind of wish that she had written Mike's story later in the series. After reading about him in a couple of the BOI books, I was expecting a little more from him. Not sure why exactly his character fell a bit flat for me, but it did.
This one was just okay up until the very end, during the really exciting part. The backstory of the One Eyed Jacks was here, but there are very few scenes with them actually in it. I wanted more one on one...more, I suppose, of the same as her previous series. Instead, these boys are all estranged from each other because of their tragic past. The remaining One Eyed Jacks do come together eventually, but not much of their individual personalities comes through so I was disappointed in that.
The romance was nice. Sexual tension, as always, was well done. Sex was hot but not over the top.
The story itself became much more interesting when the plot finally, finally comes to the point. The resolution was too quick, in my opinion...the villain(s) dealt with way too easily. Maybe I'm just becoming vindictive the more I read, but I always want the bad guy to suffer :/ Can't torture in real life, no matter how bad I want to. The least I can do is read about it. Kidding, kidding. Or am I? :D:D
This is when my ninja skills would come in handy...
I kind of wish that she had written Mike's story later in the series. After reading about him in a couple of the BOI books, I was expecting a little more from him. Not sure why exactly his character fell a bit flat for me, but it did.
This one was just okay up until the very end, during the really exciting part. The backstory of the One Eyed Jacks was here, but there are very few scenes with them actually in it. I wanted more one on one...more, I suppose, of the same as her previous series. Instead, these boys are all estranged from each other because of their tragic past. The remaining One Eyed Jacks do come together eventually, but not much of their individual personalities comes through so I was disappointed in that.
The romance was nice. Sexual tension, as always, was well done. Sex was hot but not over the top.
The story itself became much more interesting when the plot finally, finally comes to the point. The resolution was too quick, in my opinion...the villain(s) dealt with way too easily. Maybe I'm just becoming vindictive the more I read, but I always want the bad guy to suffer :/ Can't torture in real life, no matter how bad I want to. The least I can do is read about it. Kidding, kidding. Or am I? :D:D
This is when my ninja skills would come in handy...
December 20, 2012
4.5 Stars
Once again drunk on the anniversary that Operation Slam Dunk went bad eight years ago, Mike Brown woke up drugged, being interrogated by a woman with questions about the old op in Afghanistan. Eva Salinas is a CIA attorney and determined to prove foul play in the operation eight years ago, which killed most of Mike's team and included her husband. With pressure from Eva, Mike is convinced to gather a new team and try to bring to justice the very traitor who destroyed both of their lives. Along the way, Mike and Eva discover feelings for each other which might just heal them both.
This is another fantastic romantic suspense read from Cindy Gerard! I think she just can't help but write a good book in this genre. Though, I've always thought, if you love what you do--and, it's pretty apparent that this author does--you probably can't go wrong. The suspense, as usual, is exciting and action-packed. Cindy Gerard excels writing thrilling adventures, and this is no exception. She definitely shines in her element!
The only nitpick I have is that I would like to feel just a smidge more chemistry and heat between the main characters, to explore the relationship for a bit longer. And, normally, it's not an issue for me, but I do feel we come to the point of heartfelt declarations a little bit too fast in this book.
All that said, however, this is romantic suspense, and, by its nature, it doesn't really allow for these things if we want our HEA by the end of the book. So, in that way, I understand and accept the book exactly as it is. And, it is AWESOME!!
I've realized lately that my reading preferences are changing somewhat. I used to devour romantic suspense, but I've begun to grow away from it. So, it's almost funny that I leapt at the opportunity to request an ARC of this book when I saw it available on Edelweiss. But, when it's Cindy Gerard?? I just don't doubt that I'm going to get a top-notch book that I'll enjoy. No matter what you feel your reading preferences are, if there is someone out there who *hasn't* read Cindy Gerard, give this book a try. It's a wonderful example of everything that's great about this author!
**ARC courtesy of Pocket Books via Edelweiss
Once again drunk on the anniversary that Operation Slam Dunk went bad eight years ago, Mike Brown woke up drugged, being interrogated by a woman with questions about the old op in Afghanistan. Eva Salinas is a CIA attorney and determined to prove foul play in the operation eight years ago, which killed most of Mike's team and included her husband. With pressure from Eva, Mike is convinced to gather a new team and try to bring to justice the very traitor who destroyed both of their lives. Along the way, Mike and Eva discover feelings for each other which might just heal them both.
This is another fantastic romantic suspense read from Cindy Gerard! I think she just can't help but write a good book in this genre. Though, I've always thought, if you love what you do--and, it's pretty apparent that this author does--you probably can't go wrong. The suspense, as usual, is exciting and action-packed. Cindy Gerard excels writing thrilling adventures, and this is no exception. She definitely shines in her element!
The only nitpick I have is that I would like to feel just a smidge more chemistry and heat between the main characters, to explore the relationship for a bit longer. And, normally, it's not an issue for me, but I do feel we come to the point of heartfelt declarations a little bit too fast in this book.
All that said, however, this is romantic suspense, and, by its nature, it doesn't really allow for these things if we want our HEA by the end of the book. So, in that way, I understand and accept the book exactly as it is. And, it is AWESOME!!
I've realized lately that my reading preferences are changing somewhat. I used to devour romantic suspense, but I've begun to grow away from it. So, it's almost funny that I leapt at the opportunity to request an ARC of this book when I saw it available on Edelweiss. But, when it's Cindy Gerard?? I just don't doubt that I'm going to get a top-notch book that I'll enjoy. No matter what you feel your reading preferences are, if there is someone out there who *hasn't* read Cindy Gerard, give this book a try. It's a wonderful example of everything that's great about this author!
**ARC courtesy of Pocket Books via Edelweiss
March 2, 2013
Cindy Gerard never disappoints. (At least she hasn't yet!) Looking for a sure thing in Romantic Suspense? A good plot with a decent amount of suspense and fabulously drawn characters who provide plenty of heat? Then Cindy's your author.
This is the first book in her new series (One Eyed Jacks), which is a spin-off from her Black Ops, Inc series (BOIs). Do you have to read that series first? Um...not totally necessary, but you will be tickled pink when you find out that Gabe(!) (Show No Mercy)has a rather prominent role in it.
This one is about former Navy pilot Mike "Primetime" Brown (who we were introduced to in the last two Black Ops books). Mike's been kicking around in South America for the last 8 years (running his own air cargo business) after he was made the scapegoat in a black ops mission gone horribly wrong. Mike's been living with the guilt of his part in the mission that was supposed to be a slam dunk--but wasn't--and has been killing time (hence the title). Until one day a fiery, sexy, fierce Latina operative with connections to the mission forces him (quite lierally) to take a hard look at himself and the mission that he'd rather forget. Of course, once this happens, danger follows. Someone is out to kill them before they find out the truth about what went down on that mission. They retreat to the US, where they get some much needed assistance from Gabe and his resources, devise a plan to infiltrate a white supremacist group in Idaho and expose a traitor, fall in love, and expose the bad guys and why they made Mike their patsy. All good stuff, with plenty of intrigue and a super hot, super sexy romance.
Mike...
I loved Mike (I knew I would)--loved his wise cracks, his sexiness, his vulnerability. But the revelation was his heroine, Eva Salinas. This woman kicked butt! Smart, sexy, fearless. Totally loved her. A heroine to be proud of. And ummmm, the heat between Eva and Mike...sizzling.:)
The book also introduced two former teammates of Mike (Taggart and Cooper) so I expect we'll see their books in the near future. I loved their interaction with Mike--lots of chemistry here, just like the BOIs have, and it seems like each have an interesting story to tell about what they've been doing for the past 8 years. Looking forward to it! So, off to an excellent start for this series. A solid 5 stars.:)
This is the first book in her new series (One Eyed Jacks), which is a spin-off from her Black Ops, Inc series (BOIs). Do you have to read that series first? Um...not totally necessary, but you will be tickled pink when you find out that Gabe(!) (Show No Mercy)has a rather prominent role in it.
This one is about former Navy pilot Mike "Primetime" Brown (who we were introduced to in the last two Black Ops books). Mike's been kicking around in South America for the last 8 years (running his own air cargo business) after he was made the scapegoat in a black ops mission gone horribly wrong. Mike's been living with the guilt of his part in the mission that was supposed to be a slam dunk--but wasn't--and has been killing time (hence the title). Until one day a fiery, sexy, fierce Latina operative with connections to the mission forces him (quite lierally) to take a hard look at himself and the mission that he'd rather forget. Of course, once this happens, danger follows. Someone is out to kill them before they find out the truth about what went down on that mission. They retreat to the US, where they get some much needed assistance from Gabe and his resources, devise a plan to infiltrate a white supremacist group in Idaho and expose a traitor, fall in love, and expose the bad guys and why they made Mike their patsy. All good stuff, with plenty of intrigue and a super hot, super sexy romance.
Mike...
I loved Mike (I knew I would)--loved his wise cracks, his sexiness, his vulnerability. But the revelation was his heroine, Eva Salinas. This woman kicked butt! Smart, sexy, fearless. Totally loved her. A heroine to be proud of. And ummmm, the heat between Eva and Mike...sizzling.:)
The book also introduced two former teammates of Mike (Taggart and Cooper) so I expect we'll see their books in the near future. I loved their interaction with Mike--lots of chemistry here, just like the BOIs have, and it seems like each have an interesting story to tell about what they've been doing for the past 8 years. Looking forward to it! So, off to an excellent start for this series. A solid 5 stars.:)
January 27, 2013
FIve flaming hot stars for Mike "Primetime" Brown!!
I love this book! It captured me from the start and didn't let go! It was nonstop action and suspense and I loved it! I also loved seeing Gabe Jones make an appearance from the Black Ops Series, love that man as well! And I love the heroine Eva Salinas, the woman can kick some ass, and she is calm under pressure I was impressed by her.
The story starts with Mike in a bar in South America, getting drunk and trying to forget the 8th anniversary of his last military mission, when Operation Slam Dunk went terribly wrong and most of team mates died. He got an dishonorable discharge, the military blaming him for what went wrong. While getting drunk and trying to forget he sees a beautiful hot woman dancing and looking at him. He decides to make a play. Well she ends up taking him into the alley, shooting him with drugs and he passes out. Mike wakes up tied to a bed and Eva pointing his own gun on him. oops!
The story was exciting, and i was never bored. The heat level was low on this book and at first I thought I would miss it, but very soon into the book It didn't matter at all. The chemistry between Mike and Eva was intense! So while there was not a lot of sex between these two, the heat and chemistry was more then satisfying.
And of course with Mike and Gabe and two of Mikes friends there was plenty of kick ass fighting, which I loved. What also made this a top notch story for me was the humor, I found myself laughing quite often in this book.
Overall, a very good book and one I will read again someday. And I can't wait for the next book with Mike Primetime Brown! YAY!
July 17, 2014
3.5 stars
Full review now posted.
A broken mirror may cause seven years of bad luck, but Mike's period of misery originated in something far less well known. Operation Slam Dunk. The name, irony-the definition. Mike "Primetime" Brown would do anything to forget the mission that has left him without a calling, reputation and friends, and he was blamed for the whole thing. The process of forgetting, in his case, includes booze, women and loneliness, but Mike's got it under control. Really! Completely. Frigging. Handled. Until he follows a beautiful vixen and ends up handcuffed to the bed and interrogated by said beauty. Yeah, maybe not that in control, after all.
Eva Salinas has lost her husband in Operation Slam Dunk seven long years ago. She has let it all go. Mostly. But, when someone leaks the confidential file to her after all these years, she sees things are not as she thought them. And when someone starts chasing her soon after she decides to get to the bottom of the mystery. Her way to it-Mike Brown, the pilot said to have taken caused it all for money. So she entraps him, only to have the ground shift from underneath her yet again, as she finds she... likes him. And believes his innocence. But if he's not at fault... Who is?
Together Eva and Mike risk their lives trying to find truth... And revenge. After all, who could have predicted they'd find love on the way?
Mike... You are flat-out cool. Alas, you are taken AND fictional. The injustice! Eva is kind of cool, too. And yet... *sigh* I don't know what exactly bothered me in this book. Nothing I can pinpoint exactly.
The love came fast... But not too much so to believe.
Eva and Mike were all commando/Rambo at times... But not to the point of exasperation.
So, what is the elusive "it" that was missing for me? I guess it was just the intensity, the emotional investment that should've been there. Yet, unfortunately, was not for me. What I did like, however, was that another side was shown. It's not just Big Bad Foreign Terrorists fighting Captain America like soldiers, as it is in some books of the genre. These men are human and prone to mistakes and good and bad like everyone else.
All in all, I liked this book, just didn't cross the threshold into LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! And I kind of feel bad, like I always do when a book everyone loves just doesn't do it for me that way.
ARC courtesy of Pocket Books via Edelweiss
Full review now posted.
A broken mirror may cause seven years of bad luck, but Mike's period of misery originated in something far less well known. Operation Slam Dunk. The name, irony-the definition. Mike "Primetime" Brown would do anything to forget the mission that has left him without a calling, reputation and friends, and he was blamed for the whole thing. The process of forgetting, in his case, includes booze, women and loneliness, but Mike's got it under control. Really! Completely. Frigging. Handled. Until he follows a beautiful vixen and ends up handcuffed to the bed and interrogated by said beauty. Yeah, maybe not that in control, after all.
Eva Salinas has lost her husband in Operation Slam Dunk seven long years ago. She has let it all go. Mostly. But, when someone leaks the confidential file to her after all these years, she sees things are not as she thought them. And when someone starts chasing her soon after she decides to get to the bottom of the mystery. Her way to it-Mike Brown, the pilot said to have taken caused it all for money. So she entraps him, only to have the ground shift from underneath her yet again, as she finds she... likes him. And believes his innocence. But if he's not at fault... Who is?
Together Eva and Mike risk their lives trying to find truth... And revenge. After all, who could have predicted they'd find love on the way?
Mike... You are flat-out cool. Alas, you are taken AND fictional. The injustice! Eva is kind of cool, too. And yet... *sigh* I don't know what exactly bothered me in this book. Nothing I can pinpoint exactly.
The love came fast... But not too much so to believe.
Eva and Mike were all commando/Rambo at times... But not to the point of exasperation.
So, what is the elusive "it" that was missing for me? I guess it was just the intensity, the emotional investment that should've been there. Yet, unfortunately, was not for me. What I did like, however, was that another side was shown. It's not just Big Bad Foreign Terrorists fighting Captain America like soldiers, as it is in some books of the genre. These men are human and prone to mistakes and good and bad like everyone else.
All in all, I liked this book, just didn't cross the threshold into LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! And I kind of feel bad, like I always do when a book everyone loves just doesn't do it for me that way.
ARC courtesy of Pocket Books via Edelweiss
May 19, 2025
This is a well-written, entertaining military romance novel. It is fast paced with likable and engaging characters, sizzling chemistry, mystery, suspense, twists and turns, and a satisfying conclusion. I am looking forward to reading the other entries in this series with great anticipation. Ms. Gerard's loyal readers will appreciate the appearance of characters from her Black Ops Inc. series. I listened to the audio book, and the narrator, Ms. Carol Monda, has a lovely voice and does an excellent job voicing the characters. I also own a paperback copy of this fantastic novel.
January 17, 2013
Where to start? This is my first novel from this author and what a way to start? Cindy Gerard, thank you! Thank you for writing a romantic suspense book the way its supposed to be! Great plotline, great characters. Plus you managed to add something else into the mix that was just perfect and that was the humour. I don't think I have had this much fun reading a romantic suspense book ever!! Usually I am on the edge of my seat, biting my nails with no relief until the end. Well I was still on the edge of my seat, however, Mike (amazing character) was there to balance things out for me.
"So", he said, wanting to move her out of that place,"want to talk about the elephant in the room?" He glanced at the bed, then at her, then wiggled his eyebrows.
Mike Primetime Brown, equals damaged, caring,funny, smart mouthed, protective. He was just a little different I think from the usual alpha, carrying a gun and telling the girl what to do.
However that could be because of Eva, she was not your average heroine. She was great, smart, ballsy,definitely not a break down in the face of danger kinda gal. I loved her. The interactions between these two were addictive, they had real chemistry and that is something that stepped this book up from good to awesome and memorable.
"I'm going to go out on a limb here, he whispered against her hair " and guess that was good for you".
She weakly punded once on his chest"Shut up. You know you destroyed me"
He cupped her head in his big hands and kissed her hair,"In a good way, right?"
She found the strength to push up on an elbow. "You can't help yourself. You have to gloat don't you?"
This book is so quoteable, so many brilliant lines.
I know I am going on and on about the humour in this book, but that doesn't mean it wasn't serious and emotional. My heart broke for Mike at the beginning. A man who has lost everything. A career Navy man, patriotic, made into a scapegoat, made to shoulder the blame. Leader of the One Eyed Jacks, he carries the guilt of his fellow brothers deaths and also feels the anger and loathing of those who lived.
" The hell I did These four words whispered by our MC about broke my heart. So yes, emotional.
Eva and Mikes dangerous struggle to find the truth and justice is a good one. Having to rely on each other,begrudgedly to begin with, trust one another, it was lovely to watch their relationship bloom. And through doing that, Mike come out of his shell and heal.
You scare me to death Eva. You ..... make me feel things and want things.... and realize that I need things I've never let myself need before.
It is wonderful to watch these two crazy kids fall in love.
I am really looking forward to seeing where this series will go. Taggart and Cooper, Mikes brothers in arms are interesting characters should make for great books.
Thank you again Cindy Gerard, I will be making my way throw your others books quite soon, I think :)
I recieved this book as an Arc from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
My Mike "Primetime" Brown down to the diamond stud in his ear. Nice!
"So", he said, wanting to move her out of that place,"want to talk about the elephant in the room?" He glanced at the bed, then at her, then wiggled his eyebrows.
Mike Primetime Brown, equals damaged, caring,funny, smart mouthed, protective. He was just a little different I think from the usual alpha, carrying a gun and telling the girl what to do.
However that could be because of Eva, she was not your average heroine. She was great, smart, ballsy,definitely not a break down in the face of danger kinda gal. I loved her. The interactions between these two were addictive, they had real chemistry and that is something that stepped this book up from good to awesome and memorable.
"I'm going to go out on a limb here, he whispered against her hair " and guess that was good for you".
She weakly punded once on his chest"Shut up. You know you destroyed me"
He cupped her head in his big hands and kissed her hair,"In a good way, right?"
She found the strength to push up on an elbow. "You can't help yourself. You have to gloat don't you?"
This book is so quoteable, so many brilliant lines.
I know I am going on and on about the humour in this book, but that doesn't mean it wasn't serious and emotional. My heart broke for Mike at the beginning. A man who has lost everything. A career Navy man, patriotic, made into a scapegoat, made to shoulder the blame. Leader of the One Eyed Jacks, he carries the guilt of his fellow brothers deaths and also feels the anger and loathing of those who lived.
" The hell I did These four words whispered by our MC about broke my heart. So yes, emotional.
Eva and Mikes dangerous struggle to find the truth and justice is a good one. Having to rely on each other,begrudgedly to begin with, trust one another, it was lovely to watch their relationship bloom. And through doing that, Mike come out of his shell and heal.
You scare me to death Eva. You ..... make me feel things and want things.... and realize that I need things I've never let myself need before.
It is wonderful to watch these two crazy kids fall in love.
I am really looking forward to seeing where this series will go. Taggart and Cooper, Mikes brothers in arms are interesting characters should make for great books.
Thank you again Cindy Gerard, I will be making my way throw your others books quite soon, I think :)
I recieved this book as an Arc from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
My Mike "Primetime" Brown down to the diamond stud in his ear. Nice!
November 20, 2012
Absolutely mind boggling!
Never have I read a more fun and giggly romantic suspense book before. Then again, never has a military suspense book be any entertaining than this.
Mike Brown has officially become my #2 Top Hottest Hero now (Tack will always be my #1, before you ask). His POVs was just so entertaining. His thoughts and feelings were not like any other heroes' I've came across before. Absolutely cray cray that man.
"Do you want me to sleep on the floor?" he asked into the dark.
"No."
"Do you want me to sleep on you?"
I loved everything about this book. I loved Mike, Eva, their sidekicks, the banters, the actions, the bad guys, the mystery but mostly the sexual tensions. Mike and Eva were insanely attracted to each other from the first moment they laid eyes on each other. Could actually feel the sizzle between these two. And I loved them together.
Wonder whom book #2 will be about, doesn't matter much really. I will enjoy either Cooper or Taggart very much also.
Never have I read a more fun and giggly romantic suspense book before. Then again, never has a military suspense book be any entertaining than this.
Mike Brown has officially become my #2 Top Hottest Hero now (Tack will always be my #1, before you ask). His POVs was just so entertaining. His thoughts and feelings were not like any other heroes' I've came across before. Absolutely cray cray that man.
"Do you want me to sleep on the floor?" he asked into the dark.
"No."
"Do you want me to sleep on you?"
I loved everything about this book. I loved Mike, Eva, their sidekicks, the banters, the actions, the bad guys, the mystery but mostly the sexual tensions. Mike and Eva were insanely attracted to each other from the first moment they laid eyes on each other. Could actually feel the sizzle between these two. And I loved them together.
Wonder whom book #2 will be about, doesn't matter much really. I will enjoy either Cooper or Taggart very much also.
January 23, 2013
Scorching hot, sexy and just flat out "adrenaline" rush of a read! Fabulous!
January 15, 2013
Posted on Under the Covers
Cindy Gerard is a premier author of this genre. Each book she writes is better than the last. I shall try to refrain from fangirling so much but I only have so much restraint. KILLING TIME exceeded my expectations (and they were quite high). Mike “Primetime” Brown was introduced in the BOI series and made a definite impression, making me very eager to read this new series, the One-Eyed Jacks. Gerard’ s setup for this series is spectacularly planned. Even as she is weaving together a romance between Eva and Mike and riddling readers with action-packed scenes, she is still building towards the greater goal of introducing the One-Eyed Jacks as individuals and not just as a team.
Gerard starts KILLING TIME with an explosive start. The first chapter infuses sexual tension (and frustration) with exotic locales and a little spark of forbidden danger. It works so well in capturing reader’s attention that they are helpless but to dive right in.
Eve Salinas is a CIA attorney with the intent of exacting revenge. Eight years ago, her husband Ramon was killed in the same event that caused Mike to lose his team. As Eva corners Mike, a not-so-simple back-and-forth ensues. What I love about Gerard and her writing is that she is so good at writing male POVs. She has the unique talent that I don’t think a lot of female writers have of getting inside a male character’s head and simply letting those unfiltered thoughts through. I love that she lets the sarcastic humor rip through the pages. In dire times, it definitely lightens the mood and keeps readers invested in the characters as well.
The one thing I should note is that while I liked Eva, I wasn’t completely enthralled by her either. I enjoyed seeing her strength and determination, but I don’t think she is my favorite heroine that Gerard has introduced us too. That honor still goes to Jenna.
Speaking of Jenna…Gabe Jones has some great page time in this book and I simply fell in love with him all over again. SHOW NO MERCY is my favorite book by Gerard and revisiting the Archangel was great for me as a reader. I love how Gerard was so readily able to go back to the BOI and not have it feel forced. Together, the guys really make for a great time.
Then there is Cooper and Taggart who made a good impression on me. Gerard creates this brotherhood between the guys so well that even though there’s bad blood between them, you know that they have each other’s backs no matter what. It melts my little heart when I see loyalty like that in anything.
In this opening installment to the One-Eyed-Jacks, Gerard not only took me on a wild ride of my life, but she also introduced me to my future book boyfriends, made me laugh and suck in shocked gasps, and of course, made me fall in love.
*ARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss
Cindy Gerard is a premier author of this genre. Each book she writes is better than the last. I shall try to refrain from fangirling so much but I only have so much restraint. KILLING TIME exceeded my expectations (and they were quite high). Mike “Primetime” Brown was introduced in the BOI series and made a definite impression, making me very eager to read this new series, the One-Eyed Jacks. Gerard’ s setup for this series is spectacularly planned. Even as she is weaving together a romance between Eva and Mike and riddling readers with action-packed scenes, she is still building towards the greater goal of introducing the One-Eyed Jacks as individuals and not just as a team.
Gerard starts KILLING TIME with an explosive start. The first chapter infuses sexual tension (and frustration) with exotic locales and a little spark of forbidden danger. It works so well in capturing reader’s attention that they are helpless but to dive right in.
Eve Salinas is a CIA attorney with the intent of exacting revenge. Eight years ago, her husband Ramon was killed in the same event that caused Mike to lose his team. As Eva corners Mike, a not-so-simple back-and-forth ensues. What I love about Gerard and her writing is that she is so good at writing male POVs. She has the unique talent that I don’t think a lot of female writers have of getting inside a male character’s head and simply letting those unfiltered thoughts through. I love that she lets the sarcastic humor rip through the pages. In dire times, it definitely lightens the mood and keeps readers invested in the characters as well.
The one thing I should note is that while I liked Eva, I wasn’t completely enthralled by her either. I enjoyed seeing her strength and determination, but I don’t think she is my favorite heroine that Gerard has introduced us too. That honor still goes to Jenna.
Speaking of Jenna…Gabe Jones has some great page time in this book and I simply fell in love with him all over again. SHOW NO MERCY is my favorite book by Gerard and revisiting the Archangel was great for me as a reader. I love how Gerard was so readily able to go back to the BOI and not have it feel forced. Together, the guys really make for a great time.
Then there is Cooper and Taggart who made a good impression on me. Gerard creates this brotherhood between the guys so well that even though there’s bad blood between them, you know that they have each other’s backs no matter what. It melts my little heart when I see loyalty like that in anything.
In this opening installment to the One-Eyed-Jacks, Gerard not only took me on a wild ride of my life, but she also introduced me to my future book boyfriends, made me laugh and suck in shocked gasps, and of course, made me fall in love.
*ARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss
March 2, 2013
I think I loved this book BUT I definitely really really liked it! (If you've read Primetime's book, you'll know exactly what I mean!)
Cindy Gerard is amazing and she never ever fails to surprise and entertain. She's one of the best of the best and keeps on getting better and better. Her first book in the "One-Eyed Jack" series included each and every detail I look for in a off-the-chart romantic suspense. Great characters and character building, marvelous support cast, snarky and witty dialogue, and a detailed and well-developed storyline. It just doesn't get any better. And with Michael "Primetime" Brown in the hero position, my heart fluttered, pitty-pattered, and fell in love. And Eva Salinas was a perfect fit for our hero. Strong, smart and capable of giving as good as any of the other ops.
I'm completely hooked and can't wait for the next "One-Eyed Jack" book! Highly recommend Gerard's new series.
Cindy Gerard is amazing and she never ever fails to surprise and entertain. She's one of the best of the best and keeps on getting better and better. Her first book in the "One-Eyed Jack" series included each and every detail I look for in a off-the-chart romantic suspense. Great characters and character building, marvelous support cast, snarky and witty dialogue, and a detailed and well-developed storyline. It just doesn't get any better. And with Michael "Primetime" Brown in the hero position, my heart fluttered, pitty-pattered, and fell in love. And Eva Salinas was a perfect fit for our hero. Strong, smart and capable of giving as good as any of the other ops.
I'm completely hooked and can't wait for the next "One-Eyed Jack" book! Highly recommend Gerard's new series.
September 6, 2016
Killing Time will take you on a thrilling, non-stop action ride with lots of twists, sexy alpha men, evil villains, and a very steamy romance. Cindy Gerard has started off her new One Eyed Jack series (a spin-off of her Black Ops Inc. series) with a BANG!
For eight years, Mike “Primetime” Brown has been living with the guilt for losing his team members on a mission that went terribly wrong. Since then, he’s left the Navy as a helicopter pilot, started up an air cargo business in Peru that may or may not be legit, and has cut himself off from his former life. He used to drink heavily but now he is sober. Except for every year on the day of the mission that went wrong. On that day he drinks himself into oblivion. Highly intoxicated and out of his mind with grief, he lets his guard down when Eva Salinas walks through the door of the bar where he is drinking. Within moments of seeing this beautiful woman, Mike falls in lust with her.
CIA attorney, Eva Salinas lost her husband eight years ago. He was one of Mike Brown’s team members and one of the casualties of the mission that went bad. She’s determined to uncover the truth behind her husband’s death after receiving a file where all the evidence points to Mike Brown for being the reason she lost her husband.
When Eva finds Mike in a bar drunk, she seduces him and then talks him into going somewhere “private.” She guides the drunken Mike into an alley and then sticks a needle full of Ketamine in his neck that immediately knocks him unconscious. To say Mike is pissed off when he wakes up, handcuffed to a bed with an angry Eva hovering over him, is a big understatement.
This interesting meet and greet turns into something more between them. As Mike tells Eva his story as to what really happen on the mission, they unite to find the truth behind the disaster mission that destroyed Mike’s career and killed Eva’s husband.
Eva and Mike not only have incredible chemistry but once they learn to trust one another, they work great together. The mission they go under requires them to work closely together. And the way they dance around their attraction with flirty banter is so very fun and sexy. During this mission, Mike and Eva not only discover the truth of what happened eight years ago, but they also learn to move on from the past that haunts them. They also find love and companionship in one another.
“We will finish this,” he whispered, then dove back for one final taste. “When this is over, we will figure this out and we will finish it.”
I had my doubts about the story at first. But once I finally connected with the story and the characters, I couldn’t put the book down. I should’ve never doubted the talented Ms. Gerard. This story is fast paced and smartly written. Mike Brown’s snarky humor cracked me up. The romance is hot and steamy. And, we also get a little page time with my favorite Black Ops man from Show No Mercy, Gabe. You do not want to miss this fantastic, steamy, action-packed, suspenseful story!
Rating: B+
Heat: Warm
-- A Romantic Book Affairs Review
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August 21, 2014
1.5 Stars...Rounded Down...
I can't believe I am rating this - a Cindy Gerard book - so low, but this is honestly how I felt about it. It took me over 2 months to get through this thing when I usually blow through a Gerard book in 2-3 hours at most.
I was bored stiff through pretty much 90% of this story and I can't really put my finger on why exactly. The writing was awesome and I loved all the BOI books, but this one just felt flat to me.
After reading about Mike "Primetime" Brown in previous books, I thought his story would be super exciting, but it just wasn't for me. It started off okay enough (especially the way Eva captures his attention at the bar).
But the fact that Eva's whole reason for meeting Mike at all was to avenge her dead husband (who turned out to be ultimately un-avenge-worthy) left a sour taste in my mouth from the onset. And the fact that she married Ramon after barely knowing him for several months made her come off as kind of flighty to me, making her supposed transition to badass chick feel not so authentic.
And perhaps for that reason, I didn't feel any chemistry between Eva and Mike and could have honestly cared less if they hooked up or not. In a ROMANCE novel. *shakes head*
Also, something else pretty major seemed to be missing from this One-Eyed Jacks book...
The damn One-Eyed Jacks.
This book was ALL Mike and Eva. With the exception of a brief (and super weak I might add) cameo from Gabe (who's not even a One-Eyed Jack, he's BOI) early on in the story, the other Jacks don't show up until the last 50 pages of this 400 page book.
Thus, this was hugely disappointing to me being that what brings me back again and again to the proverbial well that is Gerard military romance is the MEN.
And their badass military action sequences.
Their inhuman and completely unrealistic ability to withstand and fight through severe injury and circumstance.
And most of all, their endlessly entertaining macho-badass banter.
*SIGH*
In short, this military book was missing my military men and without them and their shenanigans I found this book to be incredibly boring.
I can't believe I am rating this - a Cindy Gerard book - so low, but this is honestly how I felt about it. It took me over 2 months to get through this thing when I usually blow through a Gerard book in 2-3 hours at most.
I was bored stiff through pretty much 90% of this story and I can't really put my finger on why exactly. The writing was awesome and I loved all the BOI books, but this one just felt flat to me.
After reading about Mike "Primetime" Brown in previous books, I thought his story would be super exciting, but it just wasn't for me. It started off okay enough (especially the way Eva captures his attention at the bar).
But the fact that Eva's whole reason for meeting Mike at all was to avenge her dead husband (who turned out to be ultimately un-avenge-worthy) left a sour taste in my mouth from the onset. And the fact that she married Ramon after barely knowing him for several months made her come off as kind of flighty to me, making her supposed transition to badass chick feel not so authentic.
And perhaps for that reason, I didn't feel any chemistry between Eva and Mike and could have honestly cared less if they hooked up or not. In a ROMANCE novel. *shakes head*
Also, something else pretty major seemed to be missing from this One-Eyed Jacks book...
The damn One-Eyed Jacks.
This book was ALL Mike and Eva. With the exception of a brief (and super weak I might add) cameo from Gabe (who's not even a One-Eyed Jack, he's BOI) early on in the story, the other Jacks don't show up until the last 50 pages of this 400 page book.
Thus, this was hugely disappointing to me being that what brings me back again and again to the proverbial well that is Gerard military romance is the MEN.
And their badass military action sequences.
Their inhuman and completely unrealistic ability to withstand and fight through severe injury and circumstance.
And most of all, their endlessly entertaining macho-badass banter.
*SIGH*
In short, this military book was missing my military men and without them and their shenanigans I found this book to be incredibly boring.
December 19, 2015
This book has everything I could ever want in a fantastic read. We have a mystery that kept me guessing until the revel, a scorching hot romance and characters with a sense of humor. Add to all that a plot that has several twists and you have a great start to this new series. About reading in order... It would add to your experience if you had read her previous series, however, this book stands well on its' own.
Mike is drowning the memory of an op gone terribly wrong eight years ago. Eva lost her husband in that same op and is looking for answers and payback from Mike, who ended up as the scapegoat for the op failure. Eva set out to get her answers any way she can until Mike turns the tables on her. Then they both dive for their lives as an assassin opens fire on them both. It seems that Eve has been asking questions in the wrong places about Operation Slam Dunk (OSD) the op gone wrong and someone wants her silenced, permanently.
Mike's feelings about OSD are complex and he has run from them for eight years. Eva has brought all that back to him as well as opening him to deeper feelings for Eva. Together they determine to find out what really happened and who covered it all up.
Mike is drowning the memory of an op gone terribly wrong eight years ago. Eva lost her husband in that same op and is looking for answers and payback from Mike, who ended up as the scapegoat for the op failure. Eva set out to get her answers any way she can until Mike turns the tables on her. Then they both dive for their lives as an assassin opens fire on them both. It seems that Eve has been asking questions in the wrong places about Operation Slam Dunk (OSD) the op gone wrong and someone wants her silenced, permanently.
Mike's feelings about OSD are complex and he has run from them for eight years. Eva has brought all that back to him as well as opening him to deeper feelings for Eva. Together they determine to find out what really happened and who covered it all up.
July 5, 2015
4.25/5
Romantic suspense isn’t normally my first choice of genre because it always seems like too much excitement for me to handle. But the synopsis sounded so promising, enough for me to give it a go, and it didn't fail me. Cindy Gerard did a great job creating an exceptionally intense story. Once I got into a book, I didn't want to put it down! I liked the flow of this story, it was fast paced and appealing.
The action scenes were exciting and imaginative. My heart was racing like a high speed train when Mike, Eva, Taggart, and Cooper tried to break out. Oh, my!!
By the way, I enjoyed this book. It was the right mix of action, suspense, and romance.
Romantic suspense isn’t normally my first choice of genre because it always seems like too much excitement for me to handle. But the synopsis sounded so promising, enough for me to give it a go, and it didn't fail me. Cindy Gerard did a great job creating an exceptionally intense story. Once I got into a book, I didn't want to put it down! I liked the flow of this story, it was fast paced and appealing.
The action scenes were exciting and imaginative. My heart was racing like a high speed train when Mike, Eva, Taggart, and Cooper tried to break out. Oh, my!!
By the way, I enjoyed this book. It was the right mix of action, suspense, and romance.
January 16, 2013
3.5 stars
After reading numerous 5 stars reviews my friends wrote, I was really intrigued about this book. Lately, I'm not a big fan of Romantic Suspense books with black ops agents. You know, all the running around in foreign countries, hiding from terrorists. Give me a good sadistic killer on the loose, hot cops searching for him and I'm happy as a clam. But, I made an exception, thinking there's gotta be something to it. And there was, but tastes do differ. Anyway, what is it all about?
Mike Brown can't believe he fell for it. He let his guard down around a beautiful woman and woke up handcuffed to the bed. Like that's not bad enough, the crazy woman is picking on old wounds, accusing him of betraying his country. Now, he does feel guilty about certain things, but she is still way off line. If only he could get free...
Eva Salinas hates Mike. After all, he is the reason she's became a widow. But she's got to admit that his story makes sense (unfortunately). That means that somebody high in the Navy ranks buried the truth. And she's just itching to uncover it all. The revenge will be hers.
Now all they have to do is to catch the bad guy, and of course, stay alive long enough to celebrate it.
I really like Mike. He is the amazing alpha, black ops, I know fifty ways to kill you with a spoon kind of guy. But he does have the gentler side that he doesn't show often. For the last eight years he has been miserable, trying to ignore the guilt, and now Eva shows up offering him a chance at redemption.
Eva is a swell character. She is tough and strong, and willing to fight for what's right.
Neither of them is ready for a relationship, and yet resisting each other is near impossible.
I like them as a couple, but I have hard time buying that they fell in love. I know, I know the adrenaline and near dying brought them closer together, but it's not all that satisfying to me.
Other than that, I have no real misgivings with the book, it's just that my general dislike of the genre made it hard to actually enjoy the book. I did enjoy the genre earlier (I have fond memories of Suzanne Brockmann's Troubleshooters), but I kind of grew out of it.
Putting that aside, the book is truly well written. All of the characters are amazing, and the future heroes of this series are incredibly yummy.
I would honestly recommend the book to readers who love this genre.
ARC received from the publisher via Edelweiss.
After reading numerous 5 stars reviews my friends wrote, I was really intrigued about this book. Lately, I'm not a big fan of Romantic Suspense books with black ops agents. You know, all the running around in foreign countries, hiding from terrorists. Give me a good sadistic killer on the loose, hot cops searching for him and I'm happy as a clam. But, I made an exception, thinking there's gotta be something to it. And there was, but tastes do differ. Anyway, what is it all about?
Mike Brown can't believe he fell for it. He let his guard down around a beautiful woman and woke up handcuffed to the bed. Like that's not bad enough, the crazy woman is picking on old wounds, accusing him of betraying his country. Now, he does feel guilty about certain things, but she is still way off line. If only he could get free...
Eva Salinas hates Mike. After all, he is the reason she's became a widow. But she's got to admit that his story makes sense (unfortunately). That means that somebody high in the Navy ranks buried the truth. And she's just itching to uncover it all. The revenge will be hers.
Now all they have to do is to catch the bad guy, and of course, stay alive long enough to celebrate it.
I really like Mike. He is the amazing alpha, black ops, I know fifty ways to kill you with a spoon kind of guy. But he does have the gentler side that he doesn't show often. For the last eight years he has been miserable, trying to ignore the guilt, and now Eva shows up offering him a chance at redemption.
Eva is a swell character. She is tough and strong, and willing to fight for what's right.
Neither of them is ready for a relationship, and yet resisting each other is near impossible.
I like them as a couple, but I have hard time buying that they fell in love. I know, I know the adrenaline and near dying brought them closer together, but it's not all that satisfying to me.
Other than that, I have no real misgivings with the book, it's just that my general dislike of the genre made it hard to actually enjoy the book. I did enjoy the genre earlier (I have fond memories of Suzanne Brockmann's Troubleshooters), but I kind of grew out of it.
Putting that aside, the book is truly well written. All of the characters are amazing, and the future heroes of this series are incredibly yummy.
I would honestly recommend the book to readers who love this genre.
ARC received from the publisher via Edelweiss.
June 17, 2016
4.5 stars
3.5 hotness
My life revolves around Cindy Gerard book releases and I’ve been looking forward to Killing Time since the first mention of the nummy nummy Primetime.
All Cindy’s stories are packed with page upon page of addictive storyline. Every paragraph, every sentence, every single word is like a hit to my destructive reading disease.
Killing Time was an intense story which starts the series off with an almighty bang. Not only is Mike fighting against the men who destroyed his career many years ago but he is still dealing with the way it ruined the relationship with his two best friends. Automatically my attraction to him from previous books grew into something four dimensional...Wow, that sounded poetic, almost intellectual. What I really mean in “Jodie Lingo” is that he moved from my casual fantasies to my full-time spank bank.
Although Eva and Mike start out on opposing teams –with Eva detesting Mike with a passion that sees her drug and abduct him – there is still the immediate seductive goodness that comes hand in hand with a Cindy Gerard story. I swear that lady could make the Virgin Mary fall in love with the devil.
There is so much heat, so much tension, so much drama that you will not be able to put this book down until the final page. And when you do, you will want to read it again.
I can’t wait to read about the other One Eyed Jacks.
3.5 hotness
My life revolves around Cindy Gerard book releases and I’ve been looking forward to Killing Time since the first mention of the nummy nummy Primetime.
All Cindy’s stories are packed with page upon page of addictive storyline. Every paragraph, every sentence, every single word is like a hit to my destructive reading disease.
Killing Time was an intense story which starts the series off with an almighty bang. Not only is Mike fighting against the men who destroyed his career many years ago but he is still dealing with the way it ruined the relationship with his two best friends. Automatically my attraction to him from previous books grew into something four dimensional...Wow, that sounded poetic, almost intellectual. What I really mean in “Jodie Lingo” is that he moved from my casual fantasies to my full-time spank bank.
Although Eva and Mike start out on opposing teams –with Eva detesting Mike with a passion that sees her drug and abduct him – there is still the immediate seductive goodness that comes hand in hand with a Cindy Gerard story. I swear that lady could make the Virgin Mary fall in love with the devil.
There is so much heat, so much tension, so much drama that you will not be able to put this book down until the final page. And when you do, you will want to read it again.
I can’t wait to read about the other One Eyed Jacks.
August 27, 2013
*Spoiler free review*
A thing I really like with Cindy Gerard's books is that so far her characters hold their promises.
We met Mike "Primetime" Brown in the Black Ops series, (mostly in Last Man Standing) and he didn't disappoint.
8 years ago, after a mission went awfully wrong, Mike (who used to be a hot-shot chopper pilot) and his only two surviving team mates were discharged from the army. Since then, trying to forget the past, he's running an air cargo business in South America and occasionally helps the BOI. That is until Eva Salinas, a CIA attorney determined to stir the past, crosses his path.
Like in her other books the heroes are awesome (did I say that Mike held his promises?), the story is fast paced and action packed from the very beginning and icing on the cake we got to have bits of Gabe awesomeness.
September 13, 2023
From Cindy Gerard`s website... "I'm working on a brand new series right now - One Eyed Jacks. Sounds like we're looking at a February 2013 pub date for book one, KILLING TIME, that features Mike - Primetime - Brown
February 24, 2013
I liked this one -- the first in a new series! Gerard has a nice turn of phrase and includes humor in her dialogue, like when Mike said, "In a pig's eye" upon seeing the boxes labeled PORK. Haha!
Killing Time is character driven. The suspense is not quite as solid as the development of Mike's character. Mike won my heart over completely. I found him to be a lovable and sympathetic protagonist. His shame and despair were tangible, and totally credible. It felt so real, when he roared, "The hell I did!" in the sleazy hotel room in Lima. Awwwww! His pain over his lost friendships with Taggart and Cooper was also tangible.
I also liked Eva. She's sexy, smart, courageous, compassionate, and cool headed. Almost a Mary Sue, but not quite, for the tables turned on her more than once. She made some mistakes in life, and in this book, making her more human. Lovely. Eva is perfect for Mike. Perfect.
BUT I wish they hadn't made love so soon. It didn't feel like they were emotionally ready. (By the end their relationship felt more real.)
The most moving scenes:
The scene where Mike decided he had been a coward. He decided to stop running. His angst and renewed determination felt authentic. Loved the scene when some guys suddenly appear. Again....awwww! Well written! Also, I was moved by the scene where Mike feels caught on the horns of a dilemma -- stand and fight, risking it all -- or flee, risking his self-respect and his nation.
The suspense parts of the plot were decent all the way to about 80%, when Gerard pulled a lame one. Grrrr. I wish authors who write romantic suspense would craft the suspense as carefully as they do the romance. I am referring to the BIG SPOILER scene where Up until that suspenseful point in the plot I was captivated, then I suddenly felt deflated, because the villain's decision was both improbable and out of character.
Some minor quibbles:
1--The small amount of money at stake. Big-time crime lords don't take huge risks for such small sums: $2m in expected sales - $800k in costs / 2 people = $600k per person (total includes the 4th truckload).
2--I also wasn't crazy about how easily they suddenly learned the identity of Deep Throat, and I'm not sure I agree with Mike's decision regarding him. But that's not a big deal, and time will tell.
3--Gerard rehashed old books, explaining who Gabe is, who Joe is, and going into detail on their backstory, from prior books in the Black Ops series. Each of these parts felt like a digression, and like advertising.
Nonetheless, Killing Time is a (fairly) decent suspense and a poignant, sweet and sexy romance, with some fun and likable secondary characters. I will read book 2.
Content: Explicit sex, lots of F-bombs (about 50, according to my search function), some indiscriminate religious profanity (but only 5 times), plenty of violence, but not too gory, torturous, or horrendous.
Killing Time is character driven. The suspense is not quite as solid as the development of Mike's character. Mike won my heart over completely. I found him to be a lovable and sympathetic protagonist. His shame and despair were tangible, and totally credible. It felt so real, when he roared, "The hell I did!" in the sleazy hotel room in Lima. Awwwww! His pain over his lost friendships with Taggart and Cooper was also tangible.
I also liked Eva. She's sexy, smart, courageous, compassionate, and cool headed. Almost a Mary Sue, but not quite, for the tables turned on her more than once. She made some mistakes in life, and in this book, making her more human. Lovely. Eva is perfect for Mike. Perfect.
BUT I wish they hadn't made love so soon. It didn't feel like they were emotionally ready. (By the end their relationship felt more real.)
The most moving scenes:
The scene where Mike decided he had been a coward. He decided to stop running. His angst and renewed determination felt authentic. Loved the scene when some guys suddenly appear. Again....awwww! Well written! Also, I was moved by the scene where Mike feels caught on the horns of a dilemma -- stand and fight, risking it all -- or flee, risking his self-respect and his nation.
The suspense parts of the plot were decent all the way to about 80%, when Gerard pulled a lame one. Grrrr. I wish authors who write romantic suspense would craft the suspense as carefully as they do the romance. I am referring to the BIG SPOILER scene where Up until that suspenseful point in the plot I was captivated, then I suddenly felt deflated, because the villain's decision was both improbable and out of character.
Some minor quibbles:
1--The small amount of money at stake. Big-time crime lords don't take huge risks for such small sums: $2m in expected sales - $800k in costs / 2 people = $600k per person (total includes the 4th truckload).
2--I also wasn't crazy about how easily they suddenly learned the identity of Deep Throat, and I'm not sure I agree with Mike's decision regarding him. But that's not a big deal, and time will tell.
3--Gerard rehashed old books, explaining who Gabe is, who Joe is, and going into detail on their backstory, from prior books in the Black Ops series. Each of these parts felt like a digression, and like advertising.
Nonetheless, Killing Time is a (fairly) decent suspense and a poignant, sweet and sexy romance, with some fun and likable secondary characters. I will read book 2.
Content: Explicit sex, lots of F-bombs (about 50, according to my search function), some indiscriminate religious profanity (but only 5 times), plenty of violence, but not too gory, torturous, or horrendous.
May 24, 2016
Mike “Primetime” Brown is along way from home, depressed, drunk and in trouble. He just doesn’t know it yet, as he makes his way to the beautiful lady giving him the come do me daddy eyes. All was good until he wakes up handcuffed to the bed with his clothes still on and oh yes a gun on him in the hands of his beautiful warden. Eva lost her husband 8 years ago and like everybody else she blames Mike. She is demanding answers from him of what went down with him and his team 8 years ago. This is time in his life that he wants to forget the most, when he lost his team, his honor and even himself. But Eva isn’t given up and she isn’t going to let Mike give up now that they both have a purpose to find out the truth. The trick is to stay alive long enough, learn to trust one another and keep their hands off the other in the process. I liked Mike and Eva as a couple and this was a strong entry for Gerard, as we now have a new team, the One-Eyed Jacks to look forward to. While it was a good solid read, the entire story took place within a very short period of time, so the romance felt rushed to me.
October 9, 2012
Cindy Gerard...thank you, thank you, thank you for Mike Brown.
I've officially staked him as mine...ALL MINE!
If you liked Gerard's Black Ops series, it will be a no-brainer that you'll love the One-Eyed-Jacks. So good...so much testosterone. Yummylicious.
Full review to be posted in December...
I've officially staked him as mine...ALL MINE!
If you liked Gerard's Black Ops series, it will be a no-brainer that you'll love the One-Eyed-Jacks. So good...so much testosterone. Yummylicious.
Full review to be posted in December...
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