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Smoke and Mirrors

(Outbreak Task Force #2)

Julie Rowe (Goodreads Author)

4.15 · Rating details · 176 ratings · 72 reviews

Someone scratched a death threat in the paint of CDC nurse Kini Kerek’s rental car. She’s in Utah researching Hantavirus, but damaging rumors about the CDC have left residents suspicious and uncooperative. Thank goodness for hot, sexy, former soldier Smoke, a man of few words, who’s assigned to protect and help her navigate the isolated desert town as she races to identify ...more

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ebook, 402 pages

Published February 26th 2018 by Entangled Publishing, LLC (Amara)

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Feb 26, 2018 ♥ WishfulMiss ♥ rated it really liked it

Shelves: action, awesome-hero, insta-love, safe, awesome-lady-lead, triggers, books-i-loved-and-need-to-own, military, scientist-mc, virus-outbreak

Quick Summary:
Kini is in town trying to gather information for the CDC for the early stages of a possible vaccine for the highly contagious and often deadly hantavirus. When people start arriving in droves to the local hospital with hantavirus-like symptoms, the locals begin to panic and rumors fly that the CDC is somehow behind this sudden outbreak. When threats to her start to escalate, she’s charged with gathering as much information as possible and reporting back to headquarters ASAP to ...more

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Mar 02, 2018 N.N. Light rated it it was amazing

Shelves: romance, reviews-by-mrs-n, romantic-suspense, action, medical-thriller

Julie Rowe is back in another smokin’ hot romantic suspense dealing with a biological warfare e-market where innocent men, women and children are the victims and Homeland Security is caught unaware.

Smoke returns home to Small Blind after years in the combat zone but there’s no escaping his guilt. He tries to bury his demons and act normal, but he can’t outrun his own traitorous heart. Fate throws CDC nurse Kini in his arms but when someone blows up her car, he steps in as bodyguard. He calls hi ...more

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Feb 06, 2018 Beth rated it it was amazing

Shelves: own, netgalley, kindle, mystery, romantic, romantic-suspense

Talk about your smoldering, scarred, uber alpha, military leading man! Rowe writes a nail biting novel that is sure to pull the reader in hook, line and sinker.

I received this ARC copy of Smoke and Mirrors from Entangled Publishing, LLC. This is my honest and voluntary review. Smoke and Mirrors is set for publication Feb. 26, 2018.

My Rating: 5 stars
Written by; Julie Rowe
Print Length: 304 pages
Publisher: Entangled: Amara
Publication Date: February 26, 2018
Sold by: Macmillan
Genre: Contemporary Rom ...more

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Feb 08, 2018 Dísir rated it really liked it

Shelves: contemporary-romance, arc, netgalley, smutty, military, romantic-suspense, law-enforcement

Romantic fiction that brings biological warfare to the forefront is rare and Julie Rowe’s suspense series about soldiers, invisible but scary threats and doctors/nurses fighting to stop an outbreak always stood out because of their unique subject matter. Well, that and how the first few chapters of her recent books actually have the ability to tip the reader straight into a mystery waiting to be solved and a thrilling ride that pulls together conspiracy theory, medical science and law enforcemen Romantic fiction that brings biological warfare to the forefront is rare and Julie Rowe’s suspense series about soldiers, invisible but scary threats and doctors/nurses fighting to stop an outbreak always stood out because of their unique subject matter. Well, that and how the first few chapters of her recent books actually have the ability to tip the reader straight into a mystery waiting to be solved and a thrilling ride that pulls together conspiracy theory, medical science and law enforcement.

From the very start when Smoke first glided into the series as a mysterious, near-silent soldier, I knew I wanted his story. Yet Smoke barely lost his enigmatic cover and with a tragic past that was only briefly mentioned, ’Smoke and Mirrors’ started out as a straight up terse, tension-filled ride as Smoke and Kini rushed to uncover how widespread an infection had become in a claustrophobic and hostile small town. Still, a potent, deadly mix of hysteria and confusion that eventually turned into bloodlust made for engrossing reading, and like Kini and Smoke, the confusion and apparent connections between the seemingly unrelated incidents in town didn’t come together for me until the very end when the true monsters emerge. While I liked the action however, it seemed inconceivable that the crazy, superstitious town people leaped to any kind of conclusion (inexplicably ending up with fingers pointed at Smoke) like medieval folk to the point where it almost didn’t make logical sense.

There’s no doubt that Rowe handled the suspense superbly and the twists and turns in the narrative were sufficient hooks to keep the pages turning. The connection between Kini and Smoke however, was harder to get into (with some instalove going on as everything took place within a few days), despite the huge zing of attraction that Rowe wrote into the very bizarre first scene of them waking up together in bed. How believable is it for someone to climb into bed not noticing another person already in it? In any case, with a romance built on this weird foundation and growing too quickly in a short time—Kini and Smoke literally spent the whole time changing vehicles, zipping from place to place—the pairing looked like an incidental feature of the suspense, and the sex that happened down in the bare, hard dirt when Kini was badly injured and fatigued to the point of passing out felt more far-fetched than bedsheet-scorching (there weren’t even any).

That said, I did like both protagonists however; Kini was, quite literally, a ball-buster and Smoke was so cool and deadly—who catnaps in jail after being falsely convicted of murder?—that they could have been a solid pair if they’d been given more time for the burn between them to sizzle apart from the constant flurry of action that gave no one any time to literally breathe.

‘Smoke and Mirrors’, like the rest of Rowe’s books, is only loosely connected to the rest of the series, and functions perfectly as a standalone. I did miss seeing the other couples who’d found their HEA in previous books though, despite some familiar characters turning up, but there really little for me to stand on here, especially when Rowe always leaves me dazzled but chilled by the end of her story.

*ARC by the publisher via Netgalley ...more

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Mar 06, 2018 Elaine rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2018, mobster, adult, contemporary, contemporary-romance, favorites, romance, mystery, netgalley, suspense

WOW! I recommend you grab yourself a copy of this book to read if you enjoy well written, hot, romantic suspense. There is a touch of humour, too - I mean, fancy waking up in your own bed only to discover a beautiful stranger is sharing it with you! This is an enthralling story dealing with many different issues involved, from misinformation, prejudice, biological warfare, racial tension, PSTS and so much more!

It is a story to keep you on the edge of your seat as CDC nurse Kini Kerek tries to ca ...more

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Feb 11, 2018 Kristy K rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2018, netgalley, contemporary, romance, arc

I feel like I’ve read this story a hundred times before. Brooding, ex-military alpha male who say one to two word sentences. And an intelligent, independent woman who all of the sudden needs a savior. And of course some really weird times for romance (when I'm running from my life and hiding, I am not thinking of getting hot and heavy with my fellow runner; I am thinking of survival).

I didn’t feel like these characters were fleshed out at all. They were very cookie cutter to the genre and tropes ...more

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Jan 22, 2019 Robyn rated it it was amazing

Kini Kerek is in Small Blind, Utah to collect patient histories and blood samples for local residents, most especially those of Native American Descent. Kini is a CDC nurse and member of the Outbreak Task Force and she has been tasked to track the incidence of infection and the development of antibodies for the Hantavirus. There is some weird pneumonia going around town and people are showing up at the hospital sick. Rumors start to escalate and Kini finds herself in a dangerous situation when t Kini Kerek is in Small Blind, Utah to collect patient histories and blood samples for local residents, most especially those of Native American Descent. Kini is a CDC nurse and member of the Outbreak Task Force and she has been tasked to track the incidence of infection and the development of antibodies for the Hantavirus. There is some weird pneumonia going around town and people are showing up at the hospital sick. Rumors start to escalate and Kini finds herself in a dangerous situation when the townspeople think she is the cause of it.

Lyle Smoke, known as Smoke to everyone that knows him is back home in Small Blind, Utah after spending eight years in the army. He was once a soldier that could track ghosts and capture boogeymen, but now he is no one. He just wants to get away from it all and have a quiet week in the desert, but after meeting Kini he vows to keep her safe from harm. He garners a job with the Outbreak Task Force and together Kini and Smoke to to piece together what is exactly going on with people coming to the hospital in droves with symptoms like the Hantavirus. But, someone will stop at nothing to make sure that Kini is silenced forever. Will Smoke be able to keep Kini alive long enough to stop the outbreak from decimating the town?

Wow! Where have I been hiding that I have not read anything from Julie Rowe before? Smoke and Mirrors is absolutely amazing and everything that I look for in a Romantic Suspense book - tortured brooding hero and kick ass heroine blended into an action packed, edge of your seat storyline that had me completely hooked right from the beginning. The romance and suspense were meshed so well together and I never felt like one tried to outdo the other. I quickly found myself thrust right into the action and was non stop right from the start. It almost felt like I was watching an action movie.

Lyle Smoke is the ultimate Alpha hero. He is a man of few words and uses his talents he learned in the army to keep Kini safe. Smoke has a tragic past that still haunts him to this day and does not feel as if he is deserving of a woman’s love because he is broken. He learns a lot about himself with help from Kini and although, he feels an attraction to her he knows their relationship can not last as something permanent. He is not built for forever and his past keeps him from getting to close emotionally. I absolutely LOVE Smoke and he is my new boyfriend so hands off ladies he's all MINE!

Kini is a strong and capable heroine who has a few tricks up her sleeve and can hold her own against men bigger and stronger than her. She too has a tragic past that keeps her from getting involved with men like Smoke. But, she comes to quickly learn that Smoke is not like other men and she soon finds herself wanting forever when she knows forever may not be possible. Kini moves around a lot for her job and even though she would like to settle down and have a family, her career does not afford her those kinds of opportunities, but is there hope for Kini and Smoke when she finds herself warming up to the big strong man?

Smoke and Mirrors is an intense, action packed story filled with wonderfully drawn characters, a sexy steamy romance, and a mystery that will keep you guessing all the way till the end. This is definitely a book that you do not want to miss. Trust me!
...more

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Feb 13, 2018 Marta Cox rated it really liked it

Shelves: my-reviews, netgalley

Well I wasn't expecting a romance with biological weapons to keep me so interested. Yes I saw the cover ( fanning myself !) and thought it would be a typical contemporary story with alpha former military guy who jumps in to save the heroine and ironically I think she kind of saves him . Ok I'm getting ahead of myself here but I really liked this story with its Native American hero who isn't afraid to tap into his heritage.
Smoke isn't exactly chatty but Kini doesn't seem to have much trouble und ...more

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Feb 16, 2019 Bea rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, kindle, read-in-2019, action-mystery-thriller, ebook

Finally, Smoke's story. Took long enough. *dives in*

ETA: I didn't love it, the story didn't make much sense and there were loose threafs such as Nathan, and the deputies who were shot. I did like the romance. Henry Lee needs to get his own book, and Dover and Rodrigues need a story.

Also, changing publishers did not improve the quality of the proofreading or reduce the number of typos.

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May 13, 2019 Kim Reads (Read Your Writes Book Reviews) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: gemini-2019

Smoke & Mirrors is the second book in Julie Rowe’s Outbreak Task Force series. There are some characters that carry over from the first book, Viable Threat, but this can be read as a standalone. Just as with the first book, Smoke & Mirrors is about a viral outbreak that happens somewhere unexpected in the United States and the CDC gets involved.

Lyle Smoke has just been discharged from the Army after serving 8 years. He returns to his hometown of Small Blind, Utah with a whole lot of baggage. Th Smoke & Mirrors is the second book in Julie Rowe’s Outbreak Task Force series. There are some characters that carry over from the first book, Viable Threat, but this can be read as a standalone. Just as with the first book, Smoke & Mirrors is about a viral outbreak that happens somewhere unexpected in the United States and the CDC gets involved.

Lyle Smoke has just been discharged from the Army after serving 8 years. He returns to his hometown of Small Blind, Utah with a whole lot of baggage. The sad part is that not all of that baggage comes from his time in the Middle East. While serving, his son and the mother of his son were killed in an auto accident. Lyle blames himself because he feels like he let his son down. Outside of that, Lyle is quiet but deadly. He shows up at his parents’ house unannounced, goes to bed, and wakes up with a woman laying on top of him. Her name is Kini Kerek and she is a nurse for the CDC doing a survey in town regarding the hantavirus. His parents had offered up his room while she was in town and he didn’t know about it. Coincidentally, Lyle had received a call from his former Army buddy offering him a job with the CDC handling protection for an investigation team. Lyle’s need to protect and an attraction to Kini makes it easy for him to accept the job and immediately start working with Kini to keep her safe.

Kini had been encountering a lot of unexpected animosity from the townspeople. This is mainly because people have been getting sick right around the same time she shows up asking them to provide blood samples for the CDC survey. This illness ends up being an outbreak with origins leading some to think that it may be terrorist related. As Lyle and Kini investigate, it becomes apparent that there is something sinister going on. There is a lot of action involved and Lyle’s superb training is very much showcased as he does whatever it takes to keep Kini safe while they fall for each other. Kini has her own baggage when it comes to military men so she has to reconcile those feelings with her attraction to Lyle. In addition, Kini is no weak woman so she gives Lyle a run for his money as he tries to play the white knight.

Smoke & Mirrors seems to be much more sexually charged than Viable Threat. Lyle and Kini really turn the heat up in the bedroom. They are truly meant to be together in every way. There is also some great messages about family as Lyle’s father and grandfather also take part in the action when the stakes get much higher than anticipated. All in all, I really enjoyed Smoke & Mirrors. It was very well balanced and draws you in from the beginning. I am looking forward to reading Sleight of Hand, the next book in the series.

**Received a copy of the book from the publisher and voluntarily reviewed.** ...more

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Feb 26, 2018 Book Lover rated it really liked it

Lyle Smoke served 8 years in the Army and is returning to his hometown of Small Blind, Utah. Two years ago his son, Liam and Liam’s mother, Lacey were killed when she drove home drunk from a party with him in the car. This is his first time back since the funeral. He’s going home to figure out how to be a civilian again.

Kini Kerek is a Public Health nurse with the CDC, assigned to collect patient histories and blood samples from rural areas of Utah, especially Native American descendants to tr Lyle Smoke served 8 years in the Army and is returning to his hometown of Small Blind, Utah. Two years ago his son, Liam and Liam’s mother, Lacey were killed when she drove home drunk from a party with him in the car. This is his first time back since the funeral. He’s going home to figure out how to be a civilian again.

Kini Kerek is a Public Health nurse with the CDC, assigned to collect patient histories and blood samples from rural areas of Utah, especially Native American descendants to track the incidence of diabetes, heart disease and the incidence of hantavirus. She is well versed in self-defense moves. She is totally kickass. She refuses to take a back seat to her life, speaks her mind and stands up for herself.

Smoke arrives at his parent’s home after one in the morning. He quietly strips to his boxers and slips into his bed. He awakens with a mostly naked Kini draped over him. Some ninja warrior/spec ops he is not to have noticed she was already in the bed.

Smoke is a man of few words but seems to be able to communicate so much with so little. He is definitely alpha - dominant, over protective, stoic, take charge.

Conveniently, Smoke’s Army buddy, River, just happened to have offered him a job with the CDC on his way home. He accepts the job so he can be Kini’s constant companion to protect her (from the angry townspeople who think she brought the disease to town with her) as well as to be involved in the investigation. Smoke and Kini spend most of their time in the car (several different ones actually because they keep getting destroyed) trying to track down the rapidly spreading disease taking over the small town.

The story takes place over a few days. The insta-love needed more time to develop believably. The fast paced, action packed story draws you in quickly and holds your attention to the end.
I easily read this as a standalone and look forward to more from this author.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher.
...more

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Jan 19, 2019 Hannah rated it really liked it

ARC REVIEW

Outbreak Task Force #2, Another great book. In this one the romance plays a more prodomainte part. The outbreak isn't in full force yet and the characters have sometime to build up their relationship before all hell breaks loose. Sergeant Lyle Smoke was just discharged from the Army, his buddy and fellow former Special Forces soldier offer him a job with the joint task force between Homeland Security and the CDC, the Outbreak Task Force, but before Smoke makes any decisions he needs t ...more

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Feb 26, 2018 Cindy rated it really liked it

This author knows how perfectly blend suspense, deadly infectious diseases, sizzlin romance.

This series like its predecessor blends Military and CDC personnel. Kini Kerek is a CDC health care nurse who was sent to Utah to gather blood samples and research for a cure for the Hantavirus. She is running into resistance and getting death threats when she finds out there are current cases of people dying at the hospital from the Hantavirus.

Lyle Smoke recently discharged from Special Forces after 8 ...more

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Jan 08, 2019 Christy rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Not great, some bright spots.

The plot didn't hang together well enough for me, particularly the first half of the novel. I didn't feel much suspense until the end. The writing was uneven, competent in some places and badly in need of editing in others. This book had a lot of melodrama - lots of clenched fists and angry glares and everybody who was not Kini and Smoke was either an idiot or an asshole.

I found the dialog exchanges between the two lovers somewhat exhausting. Generally the less dia ...more

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Feb 14, 2018 ShinyObject rated it it was ok

I received a copy of Smoke & Mirrors by Julie Rowe from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was intrigued by the summary and really wanted to like this novel, but the storyline could have been pulled together better and the characters developed more (less flat). It was a struggle to continue reading several times.

Unfortunately, this book just missed the mark for me. ...more

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Apr 16, 2018 Rinou rated it it was ok

Shelves: 3-stars-good, 2018, suspense

2,5/5
Not as good as the previous one, the plot doesn't really seem to move forward for along time, and sex scenes when one of the characters passed out from exhaustion and multiple wounds not two hours before are not enjoyable.

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Feb 16, 2018 Ayekah rated it it was amazing

Holy hell what a book. Wow Wow Wow! This book was crazy, in the very best way. It's a must read.
Romantic suspense can be a tough one but this book packed a serious punch and kept me flipping those pages like a loon!

Lyle Smoke comes home to Utah after his stint in the Army in over. He's been gone a long time, he's different now, he knows that yet some things don't change. In the small town he calls home, obvious home to other Native Americans as well the story pulls a little of that it, it's inh Holy hell what a book. Wow Wow Wow! This book was crazy, in the very best way. It's a must read.
Romantic suspense can be a tough one but this book packed a serious punch and kept me flipping those pages like a loon!

Lyle Smoke comes home to Utah after his stint in the Army in over. He's been gone a long time, he's different now, he knows that yet some things don't change. In the small town he calls home, obvious home to other Native Americans as well the story pulls a little of that it, it's inherent in Lyle along with his Special Forces training. Smoke is hella hot and when he meets Kini the sparks fly.

Kini Kerek is on assignment for the CDC in a small town in Utah, sent to take blood samples, ask a few simple medical questions and a swab, she's been t-boned in her car, had her car keyed, beaten, had her car blown up and it's endless. There's an outbreak on Hanta virus in the town and people are dropping like flies. The people of the town are convinced that Kini is to blame when she's simply there to ask questions. Smoke has a friend at CDC and he calls him, River we met in book one. Smoke signs on with the CDC and swears to protect Kini. Kini has been staying at Smokes parents home since she came to town, they're good to her and protective as is Smoke. Getting Grandad involved too now we have the three Smoke men, an overcrowded, taxed hospital with no relief in sight, people are dying and when the chief of staff refuses to call in the CDC their hands are tied. Fortunately he dies and the next day the town's retired Dr says yes and even though help is on it's way there is something much more sinister going on here.
That's all you get from me. This book is a must read. The twists and turns how many times I said,
Didn't see that coming " I lost count. You think you know the bad guys, some are pretty obvious, some are not so much and there's a whole nut load of crazy going on here too. I loved when Smoke fell back on his childhood upbringing relying on his senses and knowing the canyons and where to hide. Smoke was a great character, Kini I adored.
Julie Rowe you knocked me out with this one and I loved it!! It's an absolutely fantastic read. I look forward to the next book!

*advanced reader copy from NetGalley and Entangled in exchange for an honest review. My review contains my own opinions and thoughts.** ...more

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Mar 10, 2018 The Romance Book Disciple (Samantha) rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc-s

Smoke and Mirrors is book 2 of the outbreak task force; however, its not related at all to the events in book 1, so you can read them in any order. An ex special forces soldier is home but he is far from okay. Chased by the demons of what he had to do in the military and the death of his son while he was deployed have turned him into a shell of a man. When he finds a nurse from the CDC sleeping in his bed, he realizes he isn't quite as dead as he thought.

Kini is interviewing local Native A ...more

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May 01, 2018 Heather 123 rated it really liked it

GREAT book! Full of suspense but also romance.

This is the first book in this series I've read and I believe it can be read as a stand alone.

First off Lyle's story is absolutely heart breaking. What he went through and continues to struggle with will just break your heart. He tries to protect his own heart from getting torn out again, but somehow Kini manages to break through his walls even if that wasn't her intent.

Kini is only trying to do her job, but people in the town aren't happy about h ...more

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Dec 11, 2018 Marija rated it it was amazing

Great romantic suspense that kept me awake and almost late at work in the morning. The story and characters are well built with a nice depth. I just enjoyed reading it and had me sitting on the edge, no I lie I was laying in my bed but kept me interested all the way to the end. Beautifully written with enough suspense, hotness, mystery and action...I almost forgot to say that I really love to read about people in uniform, I can't help it, it is stronger than me. Can't wait to read the next book ...more

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Dec 19, 2018 Pelusa Rivera rated it liked it

We have some crazy situations out there and I have to say that when I thought of the CDC I used to think about them in the small situations like figuring out some diseases not the outbreaks like this, I know that was small minded of me and has opened my eyes, has given me some fear to because a lot of things could happen with some pretty crazy radical folks out there. So in this segment we meet Kini Kerek and she is nurse who is working for the CDC. She is searching for antibody to assist with a ...more

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May 11, 2018 Mella rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: ebook-library, audience-adult, criminal-national-security, law-enforcement-blackops-navyseals, action-and-adventure, genre-action, genre-romance, science-and-technology, romance-sex, science-and-technology-biology

Well this was full on. Action packed to the extreme. I think in some ways I liked the first book more than this one. Kini was both stronger and less knowledgeable and I think I would've liked her better had she been a doctor with proper authority. On the other hand, she was more gungho than Ava which made her a bit more interesting. The plot was fast paced and full of action and not quite as realistic as the first one - but still very entertaining. I liked Smoke and his family. The romance betwe ...more

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Feb 22, 2018 Dolly Sickles rated it it was amazing

The second installment of Julie Rowe’s Outbreak Task Force series, SMOKE & MIRRORS, reinforces my opinion that science is sexy. Intelligence reigns in this thrilling race to find the source of a hantavirus outbreak in a rural corner of Utah. Only, the source of this outbreak isn’t of the typical rodent variety.

A week after Lyle Smoke is discharged from the Army, he heads home for a little R&R and family time. Arriving late and not wanting to wake up his parents, he stumbles into his childhood be The second installment of Julie Rowe’s Outbreak Task Force series, SMOKE & MIRRORS, reinforces my opinion that science is sexy. Intelligence reigns in this thrilling race to find the source of a hantavirus outbreak in a rural corner of Utah. Only, the source of this outbreak isn’t of the typical rodent variety.

A week after Lyle Smoke is discharged from the Army, he heads home for a little R&R and family time. Arriving late and not wanting to wake up his parents, he stumbles into his childhood bedroom and crawls in the bed. He wakes up the next morning with a beautiful, naked woman plastered against him … with terrible black eyes and bruises on her face. Kini Kerek is a nurse with the CDC’s Outbreak Task Force and is in town, publicly, doing a health study of the local population. Privately, she’s “attempting to track the incidence of infection and the development of antibodies in the same population for the hantavirus.” She is an unwelcome entity in a part of the country where folks “didn’t like the government sticking its nose into their business.” Over the course of the story, her car is keyed and T-boned, death threats are issued, she’s beaten, kidnapped and shot. Someone is clearly trying to sabotage her.

Given all this, however, Kini is no shrinking violet. She’s a badass nurse with a spine of steel, a brilliantly sharp mind and courage out the wazoo. She’s also a dirty fighter. All things that call to Smoke, who hasn’t returned home since he buried his son, Liam, and Liam’s mother two years ago. The ghosts of his loved ones collude with the ghosts of his time in the service, creating a constant battle with Smoke and his yearning to move forward — both for himself and with this incredible woman.

Shortly after his discharge, an old Army buddy of Storm offered him a position with the Outbreak Task Force, which is made up of people with different backgrounds. As a soldier, his strength is in keeping the scientist he’s partnered with safe and able to do the job at hand. He mostly had a passing interest in it, until he realized Kini was part of the Task Force and needed the safety and protection only he could provide.

One phone call later, he’s on the team and officially watching her back. As Smoke and Kini race toward the unexpected source of the outbreak, fighting a cadre of forces with a seemingly endless supply of replacements and intricate consortium of bad guys, learning (and believing) they’re worthy of love is one of the hardest challenges they face. Because both have known love and loss.

I spent several years working in HIV prevention and education, and my team worked with the CDC. These people are not playing around when tracking down deadly pathogens and communicable diseases. I think the aspect that most draws me in with Smoke & Mirrors isn’t the exciting suspense or the believable, romantic romance, but the insider glimpse of following Rowe’s breadcrumbs that track the biology of the spread of disease. There are so many scary things out there in the world, and one of the scariest might be mice.

*Originally published with USA Today's Happy Ever After: https://happyeverafter.usatoday.com/2.... ...more

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Feb 28, 2018 Bec rated it it was amazing

Shelves: book-magic-reviews, harlequin-junkie-reviews, netgalley, march-2018-reads, march-2018-recommendations

CDC Nurse Kini Kerek has her work cut out for her, especially when she finds herself being targeted and rumors are flying around town about what she's really there for. Luckily though, she has former Special Forces soldier Lyle Smoke to help her out and protect her from any other threats that she may face while continuing her research into Hantavirus. However, as the danger closes in, will Lyle be able to keep Kini safe, or will they lose their chance at happy ever after?

This is the first book I
CDC Nurse Kini Kerek has her work cut out for her, especially when she finds herself being targeted and rumors are flying around town about what she's really there for. Luckily though, she has former Special Forces soldier Lyle Smoke to help her out and protect her from any other threats that she may face while continuing her research into Hantavirus. However, as the danger closes in, will Lyle be able to keep Kini safe, or will they lose their chance at happy ever after?

This is the first book I've read by this author and I've got to say that I've been missing out on some fantastic and compelling reading if the rest of Ms. Rowe's books are as good as this one. Really, this book had everything I love in a romantic suspense including a perfect combination of suspense and romance; highly entertaining dialogue that drew me in from the very beginning and just kept getting better the further Kini and Smoke got into their investigation; and the fast-paced storyline had me intrigued and determined to discover how far the bad guys were willing to go to stop Kini from continuing her research. However, it was from the moment the hero and heroine came face-to-face for the first time that had me smiling because Kini definitely knows how to make a good first impression, especially when it puts her in the hero's personal space.

Both the main characters are relatable, likeable and I loved their back stories because the hero has been through so much as a special forces soldier and the harshness of people that believe he's the bad guy because of things that happened in his past that he feels such guilt about. Will he ever realize that what happened in this past wasn't his fault? Moreover, the hero is confident in his skills in protecting the heroine; doesn't speak more words than he has to, which is quite amusing; and I loved how the hero won the heroine over. While the heroine, she's resilient, courageous and I liked that she didn't scare easily, even though the incidents become more and more harrowing. I also liked how good the heroine was at her job and that she would do anything to try and help people in need, even though all hope seems lost.

Overall, Ms. Rowe has delivered a thrilling and well-written read in this book where the chemistry between this couple was intense; the romance delightful; and the ending had me worried for the main characters, but had me liking how far the hero is willing to go to protect the heroine, even if it means breaking a promise that he made to Kini. Yet, in saying that, I liked how things worked out for this couple, as they're really good together and shouldn't let anything keep them apart. I would recommend Smoke and Mirrors by Julie Rowe, if you enjoy romantic suspense or books by authors Christina Elle, ST Young, Kaylea Cross and Katie Reus.

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Feb 15, 2018 Teresa rated it it was amazing

**I received a copy of Smoke and Mirrors from Entangled Publishing and Net Galley in exchange for a voluntary and honest review**

I've read all but one of Ms. Rowe's Biological Response Task Force and now two of the Outbreak series and I have only 3 words for this addition: Oh.My.God. this was a fantastic book!! Plus with the epilogue the author brings back one of my favorite characters DS is back (Plus Rivers and Henry Lee) and hopefully he'll eventually get his own story.

Lyle Smoke is home in **I received a copy of Smoke and Mirrors from Entangled Publishing and Net Galley in exchange for a voluntary and honest review**

I've read all but one of Ms. Rowe's Biological Response Task Force and now two of the Outbreak series and I have only 3 words for this addition: Oh.My.God. this was a fantastic book!! Plus with the epilogue the author brings back one of my favorite characters DS is back (Plus Rivers and Henry Lee) and hopefully he'll eventually get his own story.

Lyle Smoke is home in Small Blind, Utah for the first time since the death of his girlfriend and son and has the nightmares that comes from being in the Special Forces. But there is something going on in small town people are falling ill with a mysterious kind of pneumonia that kills within 24-30 hours. Since its early morning he crawls into bed but wakes up a few hours later with a naked woman draped over him. Little doesn't he know that his parents have given his room to Kini Kenek who's in town a visiting nurse for the CDC. Since Smoke is well know for saying everything that needs to be said in two words a sassy nurse from the CDC shouldn't be a probably especially one who's being harassed and goes through rental cars like candy. When River offers him a job with the newly created Outbreak Task Force he accepts to make sure that Kini stays safe and out of trouble.

Kini Kenek is a snarky nurse who has been sent by the CDC to talk to the residents of Small Blind to track incidents of Diabetes and heart disease but since the residents don't trust anyone from the government she's been run off by dogs, shot at, her car keyed, t-boned and blown up perhaps she does need Smoke to guard her. But Kini has her own demons to fight because of her late father who tried to fight his own but ended up taking his rage out on his wife and daughter. Somehow both Smoke and Kini manage to take on the gossip mongers of the Post Office, the surly doctor in the local hospital ER (who doesn't want to admit there's a Hantavirus outbreak), and crooked lawmen who are cooking up something awful outside of town. Whether they win or lose will come down to Smoke, Kini, his father Jim and grandfather who both use two word sentences. Can they and the CDC save the town from something that could make a terrorist a very happy person? ...more

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Mar 03, 2018 Book Reading Gals rated it really liked it

Title: Smoke and Mirrors

Series: Outbreak Task Force Book #2
Stand Alone Title: yes
Author: Julie Rowe

Genre: Romance, Romantic Suspense

Blurb: Someone scratched a death threat in the paint of CDC nurse Kini Kerek’s rental car. She’s in Utah researching Hantavirus, but damaging rumors about the CDC have left residents suspicious and uncooperative. Thank goodness for hot, sexy, former soldier Smoke, a man of few words, who’s assigned to protect and help her navigate the isolated desert town as she rac Title: Smoke and Mirrors

Series: Outbreak Task Force Book #2
Stand Alone Title: yes
Author: Julie Rowe

Genre: Romance, Romantic Suspense

Blurb: Someone scratched a death threat in the paint of CDC nurse Kini Kerek’s rental car. She’s in Utah researching Hantavirus, but damaging rumors about the CDC have left residents suspicious and uncooperative. Thank goodness for hot, sexy, former soldier Smoke, a man of few words, who’s assigned to protect and help her navigate the isolated desert town as she races to identify a deadly virus before more people die.

Memories from the combat zone leave ex-Special Forces soldier Lyle Smoke in a constant state of battle readiness, and he finds no solace, even after returning home to Small Blind. When he meets Kini Kerek, he discovers his heart isn’t entirely dead. But, that might not last long, because this outbreak is no mistake, and he’ll need to use all his survival skills gleaned from the military and his Native American upbringing to keep him and the beautiful, but secretive, Kini alive.

Thoughts: Those who take a quick glance and the cover and offer up a few moments to read the blurb are likely to write Rowe’s books off as standard ‘military romance’ fare, and be quick to write it off as one of the many books out there in this genre. I urge you to take a second look, particularly if you’re looking for something with a little more meat to the story. Julie Rowe really differentiates herself from all the other authors in this genre, focusing on biological and chemical weapons/warfare as the main theme in her books. The books are heavy on the suspense, light on the romance, and it is vastly different than your other romantic suspense novels. I can still remember reading the first book in this series, Viable Threat, and how pleasantly surprised I was to find something so different from everything else out there.

With that being said, while I enjoyed Smoke and Mirrors, I enjoyed Viable Threat so much more. The story was still there, but for me it came down to the characters. I just didn’t enjoy Kini and Lyle’s characters as much, and they fell kind of flat to me. Still a good addition to the series though, and I look forward to more from Julie Rowe!

Rating: B
Review by: Sarah
http://www.thebookreadinggals.com ...more

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Feb 06, 2019 Sarah rated it really liked it

Shelves: giveaways-arc

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review

Thought and Plot

Kini is trying to gather information for the CDC to help with a possible vaccine for the deadly Hantavirus when threats against her start to rise. Kini is thrown into a race against time as more and more people start arriving with the early symptoms of this highly contagious virus and the mortality rate starts to rise. It’s obvious that someone is behind the outbreak and is trying to use Kini (and therefore the C I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review

Thought and Plot

Kini is trying to gather information for the CDC to help with a possible vaccine for the deadly Hantavirus when threats against her start to rise. Kini is thrown into a race against time as more and more people start arriving with the early symptoms of this highly contagious virus and the mortality rate starts to rise. It’s obvious that someone is behind the outbreak and is trying to use Kini (and therefore the CDC) as a scapegoat.
Enter ex-military man sergeant Smoke. Smoke has endured several tours and knows that he’s getting to old to play soldier. But he has been avoiding his hometown and the memories of his son. So in order to do that, he decides to grab some supplies and head out into the desert to attempt heal. But those plans go out the window almost instantly when he lays eyes on Kini. This is the ultimate ‘love at first sight,’ I think. In fact, the author even goes so far as to point it out, which gave me a chuckle and allowed me to forgive her a little bit because I’m not usually one for insta-love.

”When the hell did you have time to fall in love with her? You only met her three days ago.”

“About thirty seconds after I met her.”

Smoke is…the ultimate romance hero just about. He immediately decides to help Kini. He’s willing to shield her from everything negative that is directed at her. Keeping her safe and helping her figure out what is really going on is his prime mission. He doesn’t talk overly much, but Kini can read him like a book. Their connection is probably what made the book for me (and I love action). Plus their humor…yeah. They were what made the book.

In Conclusion
While this book did have the dreaded insta-love within it, I mostly forgave the author because a) she pointed it out in a humorous way, b) it worked. This book is pretty action packed and the two love birds were adorable. I would definitely recommend this book and read more like it! ...more

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Mar 05, 2018 Elizabeth Neal rated it really liked it

Shelves: no-om-or-ow-scenes, celibate-hero, no-om-ow-drama, safety-gang-approved, entangled-arc-review, celibate-heroine

Kini, a CDC nurse, is used to working with things involving life or death because of her job, but that's in a controlled environment. However, when a death threat is left on her car, she's understandably scared. She's currently researching a virus in Utah, and rumors are being spread that damage not only her job and now her life, but also the reputation of her employer. As she works to uncover the deadly virus, she knows her safety is also a concern, and thankfully, a chance meeting leads her to ...more

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Feb 26, 2018 Niken Widyastuti rated it it was amazing

I always love Julie Rowe’s romance suspense books, and I always wait for the next one, which not often. As a romance-suspense genre big fan, I’ve read countless romance-suspense novels. However, Julie Rowe’s books always stand out for me (well, with few other RS authors as well to be bluntly honest). This one is no different.

As a health personnel myself, infection or disease outbreak is a close-to-home topic for me. Although not always this thrilling, outbreaks always require fast and on point a ...more

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Feb 16, 2018 Diane rated it it was amazing

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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About Julie Rowe

Julie Rowe

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Julie Rowe’s first career as a medical lab technologist in Canada took her to the North West Territories and northern Alberta, where she still resides. She loves to include medical details in her romance novels, but admits she’ll never be able to write about all her medical experiences because, “No one would believe them!” A double Golden Heart finalist 2006, Julie’s writing has appeared in severa ...more