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Course of Action #1
Course of Action: Out of Harm's Way / Any Time, Any Place
TWO HIGH-OCTANE, PASSIONATE MILITARY STORIES FROM BESTSELLING AUTHORS LINDSAY McKENNA AND MERLINE LOVELACE…
OUT OF HARM'S WAY by Lindsay McKenna
After Madison Duncan is kidnapped, Navy SEAL Travis Cooper must bring her back home. He deftly recovers her from a dangerous force, but never expects such a strong attraction…and a love he never saw coming.
ANY TIME, ANY PLACE by Merline Lovelace
Duke Carmichael, an Air Force combat controller, takes on an assignment to smoke out a terrorist. His cover is to be the husband of his new partner, gorgeous operative Anna Solov. When they receive conflicting orders, can they trust their own instincts—and each other?
OUT OF HARM'S WAY by Lindsay McKenna
After Madison Duncan is kidnapped, Navy SEAL Travis Cooper must bring her back home. He deftly recovers her from a dangerous force, but never expects such a strong attraction…and a love he never saw coming.
ANY TIME, ANY PLACE by Merline Lovelace
Duke Carmichael, an Air Force combat controller, takes on an assignment to smoke out a terrorist. His cover is to be the husband of his new partner, gorgeous operative Anna Solov. When they receive conflicting orders, can they trust their own instincts—and each other?
282 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2013
10 people are currently reading
94 people want to read
About the author
Lindsay McKenna
359 books2,500 followersI've lived six lives in one and it all shows up in the books I write, one way or another.
I was always a risk taker and broke mustangs at thirteen years old in Oregon. I learn to break them with love, not threat or pain.
At 17 years old, I picked night-crawlers (worms) out in our Oregon orchards from 9pm to midnight, every night. I earned enough money to buy my school clothes and book. I also plunked down $600 to a flight company at the Medford, Oregon airport and asked them to teach me...a girl...to fly. I soloed in 12 hours, which is average. From that time until I left for the US Navy at 18, I had accrued 39 hours of flight time in my Cessna 150 single engine airplane.
I was in the US military and was an AG3 (weather forecaster). There was no airplane club, so I couldn't fly when I was in the Navy. But I could look at the clouds in the sky ;-).
Later, I flew in a B-52 bomber for a day and night mission (18 hours total), a T-38 Talon jet, USAF, where I was riding in a "chase plane" on a test flight in a Dragonfly jet.
I was one of the first AFLA (American Fencing League of America) women fencers to fence with epee and sabre. These weapons were closed to women because they were too 'heavy' for a female to handle. I said baloney and fought the males and won half my bouts. I was part of a surge of women fencers on the East Coast in the 1970's to push for equality in the sport. Together, we changed the sport and changed the mind of the men. Today? In the Olympics? Women now fence in foil, epee and sabre, thanks to what we did as a vanguard showing the world it could be done.
I then became a volunteer firefighter when I was a civilian once more, the first woman in an all - male fire department in West Point, Ohio for three years. I became a local expert not only in firefighting, driving the engine and tanker trunks, but also had training in hazardous material (Reynoldsburg Fire Academy, Columbus, OH).
My books always reflect what I experienced. If you like edgy, gritty, deeply and emotionally intense love stories with sympathetic heroes and heroines, check out my newest series that will be available mid-Oct. 2015, and it incorporates much of what I have lived.
I was always a risk taker and broke mustangs at thirteen years old in Oregon. I learn to break them with love, not threat or pain.
At 17 years old, I picked night-crawlers (worms) out in our Oregon orchards from 9pm to midnight, every night. I earned enough money to buy my school clothes and book. I also plunked down $600 to a flight company at the Medford, Oregon airport and asked them to teach me...a girl...to fly. I soloed in 12 hours, which is average. From that time until I left for the US Navy at 18, I had accrued 39 hours of flight time in my Cessna 150 single engine airplane.
I was in the US military and was an AG3 (weather forecaster). There was no airplane club, so I couldn't fly when I was in the Navy. But I could look at the clouds in the sky ;-).
Later, I flew in a B-52 bomber for a day and night mission (18 hours total), a T-38 Talon jet, USAF, where I was riding in a "chase plane" on a test flight in a Dragonfly jet.
I was one of the first AFLA (American Fencing League of America) women fencers to fence with epee and sabre. These weapons were closed to women because they were too 'heavy' for a female to handle. I said baloney and fought the males and won half my bouts. I was part of a surge of women fencers on the East Coast in the 1970's to push for equality in the sport. Together, we changed the sport and changed the mind of the men. Today? In the Olympics? Women now fence in foil, epee and sabre, thanks to what we did as a vanguard showing the world it could be done.
I then became a volunteer firefighter when I was a civilian once more, the first woman in an all - male fire department in West Point, Ohio for three years. I became a local expert not only in firefighting, driving the engine and tanker trunks, but also had training in hazardous material (Reynoldsburg Fire Academy, Columbus, OH).
My books always reflect what I experienced. If you like edgy, gritty, deeply and emotionally intense love stories with sympathetic heroes and heroines, check out my newest series that will be available mid-Oct. 2015, and it incorporates much of what I have lived.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
December 10, 2013
Out of Harm's Way - Lindsay McKenna
After Madison Duncan is kidnapped, Navy SEAL Travis Cooper must bring her back home. He deftly recovers her from a dangerous force, but never expects such a strong attraction…and a love he never saw coming.
Madison was part of a group talking to Afghanis about their horsebreeding when she sneaked out to look at the horses. She was kidnapped and Travis was assigned to rescue her. He wasn't thrilled about it because it meant giving up on an assignment he'd been working on for two weeks, but he gets the information he needs and heads out. I liked Madison even though she had been really stupid to go off on her own. When she was taken she didn't go into hysterics but tried to think of a way to escape. I loved the way that, as terrified as she was, when Travis killed her captors she held it together. Besides her thankfulness that she had been rescued, she was very attracted to Travis, just as he is attracted to her. Travis had been impressed with her strength of will, what he called "Texas steel". I liked that he was so sure of his own feelings but wanted her to be sure of hers. I loved the way that he didn't take advantage then, but asked if he could come see her when he got back to the States. It was great to see them take the time to get to know each other properly before making any kind of commitment.
I loved the descriptions of the area in Afghanistan where the story took place. It was easy to picture the caves and feel the heat and dust. Madison's feelings of shame over her stupidity were there, as well as the effects her captivity had on her. I liked the way that Travis explained things to her so that she knew what was going on. I also loved the way that he helped her deal with the PR person once she arrived back at the base. He gave her the confidence to stand up against the pressure.
I enjoyed Travis's description of himself and his friends from high school and how they all ended up doing the same line of work. It gave a good background/setup to this series of stories. I'm looking forward to reading about all of them.
Any Time, Any Place - Merline Lovelace
Duke Carmichael, an Air Force combat controller, takes on an assignment to smoke out a terrorist. His cover is to be the husband of his new partner, gorgeous operative Anna Solov. When they receive conflicting orders, can they trust their own instincts--and each other?
This story was pretty much non-stop action from the beginning. Duke and Anna were coworkers at a conference when they were assigned to track down a terrorist in the Ukraine. Anna's family is from the area and she is fluent in the language. Duke is less so, but his special forces abilities are needed to help keep Anna safe. Their cover is that of a honeymooning couple. There is a lot of action as they spot the bad guy, lose him, and then he finds them.
Anna is not impressed with Duke when she first meets him. He is very sure of himself and his appeal to the ladies and he tries flirting with her. She is still grieving the death of her fiance three years earlier and isn't interested. She can't deny his physical appeal though. She's not very happy to have to pose as a couple during the operation. It doesn't take her too long to realize that it's because he appeals to her too much and that threatens the emotional safety she has developed since then. I loved seeing her fight the feelings that were growing between them until she could no longer deny them. Anna also had a great deal of courage. Her ability to keep her head both times she encountered the bad guy seriously impressed Duke.
Duke has always been one of the top Sidewinders at getting in good with the ladies. He is drawn to Anna right away and tries his usual flirtatious methods, and gets shot down quickly. I love how he doesn't let it get him down for long. When he and Anna are assigned to work together on the op I like how he gives her the respect due her abilities but also makes sure she knows to listen to him when he needs her to. I had a great deal of fun watching him milk the whole honeymooning couple cover. It was also interesting seeing him start to think of making their cover real and how much that surprised him at first. I loved his intensity and focus during that final scene and how it brought home to him just how much he cared. In the epilogue I loved his conversation with his friends, and the scene with Anna's Aunt's quilt was hysterical!
After Madison Duncan is kidnapped, Navy SEAL Travis Cooper must bring her back home. He deftly recovers her from a dangerous force, but never expects such a strong attraction…and a love he never saw coming.
Madison was part of a group talking to Afghanis about their horsebreeding when she sneaked out to look at the horses. She was kidnapped and Travis was assigned to rescue her. He wasn't thrilled about it because it meant giving up on an assignment he'd been working on for two weeks, but he gets the information he needs and heads out. I liked Madison even though she had been really stupid to go off on her own. When she was taken she didn't go into hysterics but tried to think of a way to escape. I loved the way that, as terrified as she was, when Travis killed her captors she held it together. Besides her thankfulness that she had been rescued, she was very attracted to Travis, just as he is attracted to her. Travis had been impressed with her strength of will, what he called "Texas steel". I liked that he was so sure of his own feelings but wanted her to be sure of hers. I loved the way that he didn't take advantage then, but asked if he could come see her when he got back to the States. It was great to see them take the time to get to know each other properly before making any kind of commitment.
I loved the descriptions of the area in Afghanistan where the story took place. It was easy to picture the caves and feel the heat and dust. Madison's feelings of shame over her stupidity were there, as well as the effects her captivity had on her. I liked the way that Travis explained things to her so that she knew what was going on. I also loved the way that he helped her deal with the PR person once she arrived back at the base. He gave her the confidence to stand up against the pressure.
I enjoyed Travis's description of himself and his friends from high school and how they all ended up doing the same line of work. It gave a good background/setup to this series of stories. I'm looking forward to reading about all of them.
Any Time, Any Place - Merline Lovelace
Duke Carmichael, an Air Force combat controller, takes on an assignment to smoke out a terrorist. His cover is to be the husband of his new partner, gorgeous operative Anna Solov. When they receive conflicting orders, can they trust their own instincts--and each other?
This story was pretty much non-stop action from the beginning. Duke and Anna were coworkers at a conference when they were assigned to track down a terrorist in the Ukraine. Anna's family is from the area and she is fluent in the language. Duke is less so, but his special forces abilities are needed to help keep Anna safe. Their cover is that of a honeymooning couple. There is a lot of action as they spot the bad guy, lose him, and then he finds them.
Anna is not impressed with Duke when she first meets him. He is very sure of himself and his appeal to the ladies and he tries flirting with her. She is still grieving the death of her fiance three years earlier and isn't interested. She can't deny his physical appeal though. She's not very happy to have to pose as a couple during the operation. It doesn't take her too long to realize that it's because he appeals to her too much and that threatens the emotional safety she has developed since then. I loved seeing her fight the feelings that were growing between them until she could no longer deny them. Anna also had a great deal of courage. Her ability to keep her head both times she encountered the bad guy seriously impressed Duke.
Duke has always been one of the top Sidewinders at getting in good with the ladies. He is drawn to Anna right away and tries his usual flirtatious methods, and gets shot down quickly. I love how he doesn't let it get him down for long. When he and Anna are assigned to work together on the op I like how he gives her the respect due her abilities but also makes sure she knows to listen to him when he needs her to. I had a great deal of fun watching him milk the whole honeymooning couple cover. It was also interesting seeing him start to think of making their cover real and how much that surprised him at first. I loved his intensity and focus during that final scene and how it brought home to him just how much he cared. In the epilogue I loved his conversation with his friends, and the scene with Anna's Aunt's quilt was hysterical!
September 13, 2013
My Review: Course of Action
Out of Harm's Way by Lindsay McKenna
3 STARS
Out of Harm's Way is a short novella. If you want a book you can read fast this one works. The characters are strong, both from Texas and ride horses.
Madison thinks she can be safe to go look at the horses by herself and gets kidnapped. She is hit. tied up with her legs tied together under the horse and a hood over her face.
Travis is a Navy Seal. He has a place where he can watch the border and is a sniper. His orders are to rescue her because they are coming his way.
They are attracted to each other right away.
Their is one love scene that I skipped over. I wish it was longer.
Any Time, Any Place by Merline Lovelace
31/2 stars
Any Time, Any Place has more meat to the story. I liked the characters. Especially Anna's family. Their is a couple of love scenes that I skipped over.
Anna and Duke are undercover in Ukraine as a married couple and she recognizes some relatives from when she was 10 visiting with her Grandparents. So the whole village comes to meet them.
Lot of history, humor, action, romance as they try to stop a terrorist attack.
I was given this ebook to read and in exchange of a honest review from NetGalley and Harlequin.
11/05/2013 PUB Harlequin Harlequin Romantic Suspense ISBN 9780373278459
January 9, 2018
First in the Course of Action trilogy, this features two stories about six friends, dubbed the Sidewinders, Texans who all end up in divisions of special forces.
Out of Harm's Way by Ms McKenna is the story of Travis Cooper, a Navy SEAL tasked with rescuing kidnapped Madison Duncan. I think that while Madison initially made a choice that may have been foolish, Ms McKenna handles her character and arc well. Their attraction seems possible, and there isn't an immediate rush to an HEA so it feels as if their chemistry has some plausibility in which to grow.
Any Time, Any Place by Ms Lovelace is Duke Carmichael and Anna Solov's story. They are co-operatives tasked with tracking a terrorist in Ukraine. Anna and Duke make a great team, even if Duke's usual flirtation gets him nowhere. Enjoyable story about partners on the field who are able to make the leap to partners elsewhere.
Great start to the series!
Out of Harm's Way by Ms McKenna is the story of Travis Cooper, a Navy SEAL tasked with rescuing kidnapped Madison Duncan. I think that while Madison initially made a choice that may have been foolish, Ms McKenna handles her character and arc well. Their attraction seems possible, and there isn't an immediate rush to an HEA so it feels as if their chemistry has some plausibility in which to grow.
Any Time, Any Place by Ms Lovelace is Duke Carmichael and Anna Solov's story. They are co-operatives tasked with tracking a terrorist in Ukraine. Anna and Duke make a great team, even if Duke's usual flirtation gets him nowhere. Enjoyable story about partners on the field who are able to make the leap to partners elsewhere.
Great start to the series!
January 30, 2014
I didn’t notice when I bought this book, that it had two stories for the price of one. Really nice surprise. I enjoyed both books, but the first story was my favorite
I loved the first book – Out of Harm’s way.
There was so much about this book that I loved, and could relate too. My husband and I both from Texas. Also my husband served in the military and was deployed to Afghanistan. That is where this story started out. It was nice hearing about some of the same places my husband traveled too. I loved the characters of this story. Travis the Navy seal, and Madison the strong lady from Texas. They made this story wonderful. ***********************
Madison traveled to Afghanistan to work with horses. She was told never to go anywhere alone. Madison could see the horses, and thought it was ok just to go take a peek. She got kidnapped. Navy seal Travis Cooper was closer to her location, so it was his mission to save her. I loved the fact the two had an instant attraction to one another. The two waited to act on that attraction. Only allowing their feelings to grow stronger. They were both from Texas. This is the kind of book that leaves you smiling. It was just a really wonderful romance, which started with a rescue from a handsome Navy seal.
Book two – Any time, and Place
This was another military related romance. Duke Carichael, and Anna was assigned to work together to bring down a terrorist. They had to pose as husband and wife. Duke liked Anna and wanted to get to know her better. Before they were assigned the mission, Duke flirted with Anna. Every chance she got, she would shot him down. Anna had some things in her past she had to work through. I think the suspense was the best part, so I won’t ruin the book for you. It was a good book, just not as good as the first book in my opinion.
I loved the first book – Out of Harm’s way.
There was so much about this book that I loved, and could relate too. My husband and I both from Texas. Also my husband served in the military and was deployed to Afghanistan. That is where this story started out. It was nice hearing about some of the same places my husband traveled too. I loved the characters of this story. Travis the Navy seal, and Madison the strong lady from Texas. They made this story wonderful. ***********************
Madison traveled to Afghanistan to work with horses. She was told never to go anywhere alone. Madison could see the horses, and thought it was ok just to go take a peek. She got kidnapped. Navy seal Travis Cooper was closer to her location, so it was his mission to save her. I loved the fact the two had an instant attraction to one another. The two waited to act on that attraction. Only allowing their feelings to grow stronger. They were both from Texas. This is the kind of book that leaves you smiling. It was just a really wonderful romance, which started with a rescue from a handsome Navy seal.
Book two – Any time, and Place
This was another military related romance. Duke Carichael, and Anna was assigned to work together to bring down a terrorist. They had to pose as husband and wife. Duke liked Anna and wanted to get to know her better. Before they were assigned the mission, Duke flirted with Anna. Every chance she got, she would shot him down. Anna had some things in her past she had to work through. I think the suspense was the best part, so I won’t ruin the book for you. It was a good book, just not as good as the first book in my opinion.
January 15, 2018
HRS #1775
May 31, 2021
The first story in the book was great, but the second story I found myself skipping through just to finish it.
May 13, 2018
A very very fast paced romance book with two very good Authers.
July 20, 2014
These were some really seriously fun stories. First of all they were super intense, but under that intensity was just two beautiful stories. Both of these take place literally on the battle field, and I think that makes them even hotter, because these men were so dedicated to protecting the women who they were charged with protecting. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is looking for some military action and some really hot scenes as well. I look forward to more of these double headers from Harlequin.
January 18, 2015
This book was a pleasant surprise! I wasn't expecting two separate stories. It was great! I loved getting to know these tough boys, and the women they fell in love with were both strong, independent, smart woman. That's one thing I enjoy in a book. Both stories follow a different boy from the same small town. I would love to see more about some of these guys! Short, sweet and semi sexy, this was a pleasure to read.
January 8, 2014
Passion, military men, beautiful women, danger, action romance....what more do you need? TWO books! From 2 very accomplished authors. Lucky readers! Wonderfully complex characters, fast pacing, beautifully drawn settings and non stop action make these fast enjoyable romances. Both stories were well plotted and easy to follow.
*I received my copy from NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
*I received my copy from NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
May 25, 2015
This is a two story book and I liked both. I preferred the second story more because the relationship seemed to develop more naturally. I didn't completely buy the first one because of the circumstances and speed in which the two fell in live, but it was written in such a way that it's possible. Overall, good romance.
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December 29, 2014"Strong storytelling and heated passion within a world of military ops are at the heart of these stories. Add to that four strong, sympathetic main characters and you wind up with one great read." RT Book Reviews, rated 4 stars
June 9, 2016
I only finished the first book, but I don't really have any interest in the second one.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews