Crossfire

Saint Squad #3

by Traci Hunter Abramson

Special Agent Vanessa Lauton is living a lie. For the past year she has been posing as a member of one of the Caribbean's most powerful terrorist organizations. When her CIA contact has a heart attack, he's replaced by U.S. Navy SEAL Saint Squad member Seth Johnson--the man Vanessa nearly married six years before. And suddenly the heat is on in more ways than one.

Vanessa and Seth uncover a terrorist plot, one aimed for American soil. Together they have to find when and where before it's too late while making sure they don't get caught in the crossfire.

Genres: Lds Fiction, Romance, Lds, Suspense, Fiction, Mystery, Audiobook

239 pages, Paperback

First published January 28, 2010

About the author

Traci Hunter Abramson was born in Arizona, where she lived until moving to Venezuela for a study-abroad program. After graduating from Brigham Young University, she worked for the Central Intelligence Agency for several years, eventually resigning in order to raise her family. She credits the CIA with giving her a wealth of ideas as well as the skills needed to survive her children's teenage years. She is a eight-time Whitney Award winner and has written more than forty bestselling novels. For more information about Traci, click here: https://linktr.ee/traciabramson

Reviews

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the tension & anxiety this book caused for me! So much shooting!! This was very aptly titled!! The pacing was great too! So far this is my favorite read of the series. Seth & Vanessa's story was an adventure!

[Katie (hiding in the pages) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book by Traci Hunter Abramson! Vanessa is living undercover, trying to figure out how to capture a drug lord and a terrorist. Her contact goes out of the picture so they send in Navy SEAL, Seth, whom she used to be in love with, to contact her and they are off on an adventure. Traci writes in a way that made me feel as though I was a part of the story. I was on the edge of my seat, filled with nervous tension, wondering how I was going to get out of the situation--oh wait--I wasn't a part of the story. I was a nervous wreck!!! And I was sooo scared they were going to be discovered at every turn. I was even dreaming about being an undercover spy. Anyway...although it does mention the LDS church, it's not a major part of the story, and the romance is simple and clean.

[Kathy * Bookworm Nation · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a hard time getting into this one and a hard time pushing myself through it. I didn't think there was that much chemistry between Seth and Vanessa, maybe because they didn't get much page time. The POV jumped around A LOT, too many "cooks in the kitchen" for my taste. If this had been my first Abramson book I probably wouldn't read the others, I have enjoyed her other books though so I'll still check out the rest of her books.

[Aimee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoy books by this author. Love and action is a good combo. Yea! for a good read.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author crafts a great story of suspense and rekindled love. It was great to listen to as an audio book as well.

[Vicki · Rating 3 out of 5]

My rating 3.5
This book is part of a series that I am slowly reading, but enjoying as I do. The plots are LDS based and just sophisticated enough to be thrilling, while at the same time, I enjoy the characters. This book was about one seal team member and a CIA agent he formerly knew. Between the romance and the thrill, it was a fun read.

Summary:
Special Agent Vanessa Lauton is living a lie. For the past year she’s been posing as a member of the Dominican Republic’s most powerful crime family in order to infiltrate a Caribbean terrorist organization. When her CIA contact has a heart attack, he’s replaced by U.S. Navy SEAL squad member Seth Johnson — the man Vanessa nearly married six years earlier. And suddenly the heat is on, in more ways than one.

Terrorist kingpin Akil Ramir sequesters Vanessa and Seth in his Nicaraguan fortress, where they learn of an impending attack on American soil. The Saint Squad is dispatched to calm the storm, but even their heroic efforts can’t stop multiple threats from escalating. Adrenaline rises as the squad confronts enemies who will stop at nothing to sabotage national security — and Vanessa finds herself caught in the crossfire.

[L.O.V.E.D.A.R.C.Y · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seth and Vanessa, are fighting for a love they once shared and fighting to protect a Country they both love. I thought it was touching that Vanessa decided to wait for a temple marriage and stuck to her beliefs, even though she desperately wanted to be with Seth. That is true strength. I would have loved for a little bit more background for Seth and Vanessa... but I suppose that would have made the book a little longer... I just couldn't stop reading 😊 I have only good things to say about this book. A wonderful read, filled with adventure, action, and a little bit of romance (which is just how I like it).🤓

This book is Christian Romance with some kissing scenes. It is the third book in the Freefall Series by Traci Hunter Abramson. I am so excited to see what the next book has in store!

The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

P.S ... You might fall in love with Seth... Just a heads up 😉

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorites in this entire series! I loved the complexity of the romance, and the action was so good!

[Darla · Rating 3 out of 5]

(LDS fiction/action/adventure) Abramson always writes a fun story and this one is no exception. CIA undercover agent Vanessa is surprised when her former boyfriend Seth (now a Navy SEAL) becomes her contact point in an undercover investigation that she is pursuing in the Dominican Republic. Terrorism, drug running, an illegal arms trade, and her former romanic relationship with Seth are all parts of the puzzle, and it made for a fun and quick read. I am not sure that I would ever re-read this one, though. I had a hard time believing that Vanessa could pull off the deception that her cover required--especially when they went to her former home in Nicaragua. I really felt that someone would recognize that she was not who she claimed to be. And while all these types of novels require one to accept the far-fetched, I had a harder time getting to a place where I could happily do that. I also couldn't relate to Vanessa very well.

[Mindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first saint squad book. Really enjoyed it. Though I had a hard time at first keeping track of all the characters...
Very fast paced, exciting, and action packed. I liked the switching of situations, made me keep reading to see what would happen next.

[Donna Weaver · Rating 5 out of 5]

I forgot how much this story is on the edge of your seat! I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did great.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I guess March is a good time to read this book. I find I can get a lot of "listening" done when I'm walking on the treadmill! I'm really enjoying this series again.

[Amy S · Rating 3 out of 5]

Action adventure with a romance in there somewhere.
The premise of this one is that the CIA woman looks like, sounds and acts like another woman enough to pass as this woman to her family which might work if they didn't talk about how close the family ties in the crime family were. I tried to suspend my disbelief on that one but it kept bothering me. The relationship between the male main character and female main character was explained as something from years previous so they didn't have to work at making a connection. I just didn't see the sparks. They were both doing a job and didn't seem to make any emotionally vulnerable connecting moments so the romance just felt very bland and forced into the story by flashbacks and narrative instead of dialogue and interactions.
Violence, no sex, mild language.

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was great. Introduced the character Vanessa - an undercover CIA operative going undercover in Nicaraguan as a niece to a drug cartel leader. The Saint Squad's involved to be able to get more information and to bring down the drug cartel, but there are many other underlying problems that make this difficult. There's a rekindle romance that takes place, pulling Seth and Vanessa out of the fortress before they are discovered, worry about another terrorist problem on American soil - a lot of action, suspense, new beginnings and healing of old relationships. I really enjoy getting to know each member of the Saint Squad and their significant other and how they come together. Worth the read or listen to - but I don't want to spoil all the intense excitement that comes with this story.

[Kim Dennis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great read from Abramson. Because of a conversation with some of my family members, I thought about some different aspects of these books than I had before. One of the thing I really enjoy is that her heroines are strong without pushing the men in their lives aside like they think that women don't need men. While the women do get help from the men in the Saint Squad, they aren't helpless damsels in distress. There is a really good balance between the male and female partnership. It's a great example of how men and women can be different, work together, and play off each others strengths -- neither one has to be "superior".

I really enjoyed Seth and Vanessa's story. I look forward to the next book in the series.

[Nancee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Again, this is one of those books that I read as a break from some heavier material. It’s a clean, romantic, adventure novel. It is fairly predictable, but a quick, light read.

There is a girl who is an undercover agent, pretending to be the niece of some drug lord. There is also a guy who is a member of the saint squad, which is basically the swat team that this series of books is based on.

These two of course went to high school together and we’re in love, but he did not believe in her religion of the time so she dumped him. They have not seen each other for six years. This mission put them on a course together and she finds out he actually converted to her religion years ago. You can predict the rest from him

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vanessa is undercover as a resort manager. She discovers that the cartel is planning a bombing of a power plant along the Mexican/USA border. The secretary (unknowing Mole) was giving information to her 'boyfriend' through their evening phone conversations. Vanessa's handler is her former boyfriend (who had converted while they were apart) and they rekindle their romance. They are kidnapped and held hostage at the compound, but manage to escape. They foil the plan to take out the power plant.

[Tabitha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dangerous undercover romantic suspense. As good as I expect from Traci Hunter Abramson. You get it all, drugs, spies, secret meeting places, spy devices and tracking. I love that Vanessa and Seth knew each other as teens and this just brings them together.
Clean romantic suspense, exciting moments and times when you might need to keep reading to see how things turn out.
Thoroughly enjoyed, highly recommend.

[Jolene · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75. This was a fun enough read but not one of my favorites. Mostly because Vanessa is this strong female character who works for the CIA who has been undercover for a year with a terrorist group. But the minute Seth comes on the scene, she becomes this damsel in distress. It just didn’t fit her character. Supposedly she was the tough girl who helped Seth feel accepted as a teen and now she’s in the CIA, but by the end she’s all whimpering and waiting for Seth to come save the day. Meh.

[Sara Cardon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was dying over the undercover assignment Vanessa has taken on. So dangerous and risky. The way the SEAL team needs to make contact with her - without knowing how to find her - seemed impossible. It's one hard situation that just gets tougher - keeping trust, a convincing cover story, finding secrets, getting out, and stopping threats. The plot is face-paced and takes a lot of turns.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great terrorist thriller. This time Seth and Vanessa were actually in the fortress with the terrorists who were planning the attack. All the twists and turns the author takes you through of what the seals do to get out of trouble or rescue someone kept me on the edge of my seat. Another book in the series that I didn't want to put down.

[Berkley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book, and it was probably my second favorite in the Saint Squad series. I really liked all the characters, and their individual personalities. I felt like it was super interesting how Traci Hunter Abramson wrote the ending, I felt like it added to the book really well. Overall a great read, hope the next one is just as good.

[Karolee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great spy story with true love found!

I enjoy
Joy spy and national intrigue and this series definitely has it along with family time and finding true love. I don't normally read romance stories but it fit in well with friends and family involvement along with
CIA and seal team escapades.

[Ashley Lavering · Rating 4 out of 5]

What to go undercover? It might not be as glamorous as one might think. Vanessa is undercover and while she is bought everything she could possibly want from the terrorist and arms dealer who thinks she is his niece, she really just wants to go home. Seth and Vanessa's story is full of danger and walking that fine line between truth and lies. Clean romance.

[Camilla · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Seth and Vanessa quite a lot, but they're both basically fully developed people. Their only seeming personal trial was being hung up on each other for too long. Otherwise, they didn't really have character arcs. But the story was exciting and dangerous and entertaining, and I loved seeing the seal team work together to conquer all the trials at the end.

[Liesl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have just recently been reading her books. I have enjoyed them a lot. They are a good LDS fun read. Kept me turning the pages and kept me looking for more of her books to read. I am on the next series now.

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book a lot. It was quite different from the first two Saint Squad books. It is packed with more action. It had several different points of view, so the main story with Vanessa and Seth didn't get as much focus. I like how Abramson keeps her stories unique.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crossfire - good LDS read- lots of action but you can pretty much guess the ending

A feel good love story! Her other books are fun to read also! Good clean reading for the not too mushy type of reader!

[Emily F - Seriously Sweet Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved learning about Seth and Vanessa's history! There were minor elements of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: prayers and references to temple recommend and temple marriage. This was a sweet and clean read, I'd rate it PG for kissing and thematic violence.

[Marilee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This may be my favorite book of the series so far! Loved the international intrigue and the suspense from Seth and Vanessa's situation undercover. I am quickly becoming a major fan of this series and definitely plan on reading the rest as soon as I can get my hands on them!