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Suspense #3

No Turning Back

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CIA communications expert Samarra Wallace is on the run from a faceless enemy when she learns terrorists have kidnapped and threatened to execute her cousin. She will do whatever it takes to free her, including breaking cover to contact the former teammate she is dangerously attracted to. Now all she has to do is convince him she's not working for the bad guys. Ex-Army Ranger Ben Sinclair isn't sure he can trust Sam, but he can't turn her away. Lives are at stake and she may be the only way to capture the terrorist mastermind his team is hunting. Despite his reservations, he finds himself falling for her. But when Sam's innocence is questioned again during a botched operation in the remote mountains of Afghanistan, the team pays a terrible price for trusting her. In the wake of that staggering betrayal Ben must decide if she's the innocent woman he fell in love with, or if she's a traitor who'd set them up to die.

354 pages, Paperback

First published March 18, 2010

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1028 people want to read

About the author

Kaylea Cross

99 books1,802 followers
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Kaylea Cross writes edge-of-your-seat military romantic suspense. Her work has won many awards and has been nominated for both the Daphne du Maurier and the National Readers’ Choice Awards. A Registered Massage Therapist by trade, Kaylea is also an avid gardener, artist, Civil War buff, Special Ops aficionado, belly dance enthusiast and former nationally-carded softball pitcher. She lives in Vancouver, BC with her husband and family.

Kaylea loves to hear from readers, so please feel free to drop me a line and say hello.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
Profile Image for Baba  .
858 reviews3,997 followers
December 30, 2012
Re-read December 2012****Review completed December 30, 2012

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I'll be honest, even though I love to read a series out of order, I'm sure this book works best if you have read Cover of Darkness first, since No Turning Back picks right up where Cover of Darkness left off. My synopsis is rather simple which leads me to tell you that there is definitely more to it than meets the eye. All the more, as I don't intend to spoil your reading experience.

Samarra Wallace and Ben Sinclair are our main protagonists. Sam is a communications expert for the CIA; she has an Electrical Engineering and Computer Science degree from MIT. Ben is a former Army Ranger, and both of them are working for Luke's team. Luke is a former Navy SEAL who went on to work for the CIA's paramilitary ops. Luke trained the teenage Tehrazzi in the Afghan mountains back during covert operations in the Afghan-Russian war. Now Luke is back to accomplish his most important mission: to kill the prodigy because Tehrazzi had evolved into a lethal threat against the USA. No Turning Back starts off with Sam believing she is either being targeted by a terrorist cell or the CIA. Sam's behavior sets off a chain of events that made Luke's team believe that she could be a traitor. Is Sam trustworthy?

"You want me to trust you, Sam?"
She frowned. "Of course I do."
"You're a bright girl, so I'm sure you can understand why that's not going to happen. But if you want to try to earn my trust, I'm game." He tilted his dark head, pale eyes glittering a challenge in the lamp light. "You can start by taking off all your clothes."


Tehrazzi knew that Luke hired Sam. Tehrazzi was in Cairo for a meeting the same time Sam and Nev were there. Also, he knew about Sam and Nev being cousins and how much Nev meant to Sam. He saw Sam as a way to get to Luke and Sam being a woman meant that she was the team's weakest link. The timing of Neveah being in Afghanistan for Doctors Without Borders played right into his hands as well. Tehrazzi kidnapped Nev and is using her life as a bargaining chip, and he is sure that Sam would do whatever is needed to get Nev out of this life-threatening situation. At the same time Tehrazzi knows that Luke will step in to help. Also, he is sure that Luke would never let Sam go on her own, just like he knows that Luke wants him dead once and for all.

Granted, I LOVE Luke but the guy can be one cold SOB, I'll give him that.

"Bottom line, Sam, Tehrazzi is using you to get to me. Beauty of that is, it also means I can use you to get to him."

or this…

"You want me to seduce information out of her."


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Flaws ---> plot holes
I've had some issues with the plot. Sam does not have any military training, she cannot even shoot a gun for Pete's sake, but when she believes that she is being followed she is fleeing. She is on her own for six days and she does not hide out in Paris or London. She is on the run in Baghdad. Yep, I wouldn't want to be in her shoes. Another situation that I found a bit elusive happened at 43 %. I can't judge if the scene was too far-fetched but I, for one, had a hard time to believe that Well done, my old sexy man! Granted, I found that pretty strange, although I have to admit that I got a real kick out of this scene. Another far-fetched aspect of No Turning Back was Sam--the physically untrained female--hiking in the Hindu Kush. Long story short, I believe that the characters and the suspense/action made up for the shortcomings.


"God, you are such a pain in the ass."
"Yeah." He handed her a bottle of water while she took three tablets. "And you're way to tightly strung." The glint in his eyes turned wicked. "I'll work on your knots later." Leaning close enough so his chest brushed her shoulder with an electric tingle, he murmured, "I'm going to love unraveling you, sweetheart."


WARNING
At 60 % there is a heinous scene when Assoud Neveah and her colleagues are forced to look at the It's definitely readable, however, if you are a queasy reader then I'd advise you to skip this scene.

"Yeah. See? My anal retentiveness does come in handy sometimes."
"In this instance, yes, but the rest of the time? You gotta loosen up." He waggled his eyebrows. "Stick with me, sweets. I'll teach you how."
(…)
"Could take a long time. Years, maybe forever."
His eyes gleamed. "I got time. Maybe you haven't noticed, but I can be pretty determined when it comes to getting something I want."


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Read this story for the sake of the very interesting characters as well as the really good suspense. Needles to say that I loved the action scenes. Despite the plot holes No Turning Back is a fast-paced and thrilling RS. Sam and Ben's chemistry is very palpable and I enjoyed his easy-going manner. You can imagine what happens when a control-freak and meticulously organized person like Sam meets a gorgeous hot-head like Ben. On the other hand, Ben is a real sweetheart, very protective and affectionate as well as humorous and he loves to needle our dear Sam. Yeah, I'm sure that Ben will put a smile on your face more than once. Also, Ben is a loyal brother and friend. With that said Rhys, his fraternal twin, means the world to him.

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Ben had the other half in the same spot on his left side. When they stood shoulder to shoulder, the two halves became a whole. The infinity symbol represented their eternal bond as twins, and the dagger their service in the military(…)


The smexy times are well-written and pretty steamy. After the Sam needed some extra TLC and Ben provided exactly that and then some.

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Luke, thanks for a word of wisdom!

"Apologies that size only work if they're delivered in person."
"Is that right. You an expert or something?"
"Nope. Only done it once. But I've been practicing the most important one for over twenty years. If I ever get the chance to give it…Believe me, I'd do it in person."


Another great aspect of the story is the epilogue. Sam is having a serious case of OCD (P-touch, anyone?), and Ben would not be Ben if he wouldn't rile her now and then. It goes without saying that Ben is a sly old dog.

She found more labels on her trip to the back of the apartment. Hall light switch. Picture of weird-ass dude, stuck to her Van Gogh print on the wall. Across the subject's forehead was Step 1 in OCD recovery: Admit you have a problem.
Oh, he was so in for it. (…)
Then, above the light switch at the bedroom, helpfully labeled as Bedroom light switch, was the coup de grace. OCD Helpline: 1-800-NT-FREAK.
He was so dead. Her hand made contact with yet another label when she went to open the door. She glanced down. Stuck to the knob was Gateway to sexual ecstasy. Must be 18 years or older to enter.
(…)
"Got one more label you might be interested in."
Oh, she could just imagine. "Yeah? Where is that?"
"It's a surprise."
(....)
"What's it say? Give me a hint."
His boyish grin melted her before he raised his head to whisper against her ear. His warm breath brushed over her skin, sending a delicious ripple of pleasure down to between her thighs. "It's the name of a famous clock in London."
Sam burst out laughing.


Ben f@@@ed it up with Sam in a major way but he was groveling and made it up to her. Yeah, Ben, I love you.

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Overall I enjoyed No Turning Back very much. In addition, I liked the different setting. The whole story--except for the epilogue--is set in Iraq and (mostly) Afghanistan and the Hindu Kush. If you are a RS fan and haven't read anything written by Kaylea Cross, then you might want to check out her books. She is worth a try. Enjoy!
Profile Image for Jane Stewart.
2,462 reviews964 followers
August 2, 2011
1 ½ stars. Too many stupid actions by heroine and others. Too many illogical events. Too much pondering.

REVIEWER’S OPINION:
Too much telling after the fact instead of showing things as they are happening. This felt like going through the motions of romantic suspense – predictable things, done-before things. I was not pulled in. I had no feelings for anyone. I didn’t care about what was happening. I just wanted it to be over. I read the first three books in this series wanting to give the author a try. By this book I was tired of her style and didn’t want to read anymore.

There is a lot of action, but it felt like run, shoot, get hit, survive, flee, repeat. It wasn’t full writing. She doesn’t show enough into settings, feelings, motivations, conversations.

One of my pet peeves is the couple breaks up because one assumes incorrect things about the other. Yes that happens here, but I was so troubled by the rest of the writing, that the break-up-reason was less important than it usually is for me.

A few examples of illogical events follow.

A’s major goal in the book is to kill B. A also wants to kill C. B and C are shooting at each other. A comes up behind B. A could easily shoot both of them, but instead A only shoots C and then leaves. His goal was to kill B. Why didn’t he? So the story could continue in a sequel – I assume.

D arrives in a helicopter to rescue E and F. D helps E to the helicopter. Then D helps F to the helicopter. E then gets off the helicopter to travel somewhere by foot. The helicopter leaves. Taking E to the helicopter was a waste of time. Bad guys were in the area.

Some military guys rescue a victim. The victim is now safely on a helicopter being flown away. The guys need to return to the fight to continue their mission, but one of them decides to stay with the victim because the victim “finds him comforting.” So the others return to the fight with one less man.

STORY BRIEF:
Sam (female) is a computer/electronics expert working for the CIA in Iraq. Her cousin Neveah is a member of Doctors Without Borders. Neveah goes to Afghanistan and is kidnapped. The kidnappers send a computer message to Sam telling her to go to Afghanistan. Luke is CIA and in charge of the group that goes with Sam to rescue Neveah. Ben is a member of the group. Ben and Sam are attracted to each other.

DATA:
Story length: 344 pages. Swearing language: strong, including religious swear words. Sexual language: strong. Number of sex scenes: 4. Estimated number of sex scene pages: 15. Setting: current day Irag, Afghanistan, and Virginia. Copyright: 2009. Genre: romantic suspense.
Profile Image for Kathy.
190 reviews26 followers
October 18, 2011
I'm so unsure how to rate this book. Just like the previous book in the series, I enjoyed it a lot and couldn't put it down, but at the same time I was annoyed by all the stupid combat situations the heroine, Sam was forced to face. None of them made sense to me and they just seemed like they were contrived to put the untrained in any form of combat, Sam in danger so that hero, Ben could rescue her (after he put her in danger in the first place). There is a great grovel scene at the end that I loved but I wish Sam would have held out a little longer than she did- Ben was a major a$$ towards her and he deserved to suffer longer than he did- oh who am I to judge. If I had a gorgeous, ex-special ops soldier groveling to me, I would have crumbled before he even had a chance to spit out his first "I'm sorry."

With that said, I will now be downloading the next in the series because I can't get enough of these sadly incompetent CIA contractors.
Profile Image for Glamdring.
508 reviews111 followers
February 8, 2013

I really liked this book.

The story starts at the end of the previous book, so we have a little overlap from Sam point of view and in this book the story mostly takes place in Afghanistan.

Once again, the author knows how to give life to the different places she chooses to install her story and I really love how she develops her different character but here again there was a point or two in the plot that didn't made much sens for me.
Profile Image for Lady Heather .
1,312 reviews772 followers
May 29, 2012
Amazing read!
Ms. Cross has an exceptional gift of describing the environment & setting (this story takes place in Afghanistan, Iran and parts of Syria) in which the story takes place.
The writing, characters,and storyline where 'top-notch', and the Author captured my interest right from the beginning straight through to the end.
I'm starting the next story in the series....NOW!
Profile Image for Katie Reus.
Author 164 books3,244 followers
September 7, 2010
It's so hard to find (romantic) military suspense that I enjoy but Kaylea Cross definitely delivered with this one. It's very fast-paced and there were a few times when I wanted to throttle Ben b/c of his lack of trust but he came through at the end :)
Profile Image for Mojca.
2,132 reviews168 followers
July 17, 2017
After receiving surveillance photos of herself, Samarra Wallace grabs her tech, and disappears into the streets of Baghdad, no knowing who to trust. But when she receives a photo of her cousin, bound and surrounded by terrorists, Sam knows she needs to contact someone, unfortunately it's the man she turns to who doesn't know whether to trust her or not.


This is officially getting ridiculous. This series now exists only for the series sake. The main suspense arc could (and should) have ended in the previous book, but guess what, we still have two hot guys, and the big honcho, Luke, to cover, so let's stretch the terrorist plot as far as it can go.

There were holes in the plot you could drive a truck through (its predecessor was no better, mind you), the chemistry between the leads was non-existent, the heroine was rather incompetent for a CIA analyst, and the hero more or less an asshole. The final straw was how easily Sam forgave Ben for what he said in the hospital.

I don't mind suspension of disbelief, but this one was asking too much of me.
Profile Image for Mareli.
1,034 reviews32 followers
March 27, 2017
I loved this book very much, even if I wanted to pick Ben and bit his head very hard. He was horrible to Samarra since the very start of the story. And I thing all of them were very unfair to her. All those horrible suspicions about her and in the end, she found herself alone.

When Ben came back to her, for a little while, I hoped she didn't take him back... or at least, she would made him suffer as he did for most of the story!
Profile Image for Dicina.
451 reviews24 followers
July 14, 2021
4 stars

At the end of book 2, there was casualty among our team and Sam disappeared leading the men to believe she was in on the attack. Ben has a hard time believing she could have betrayed them, especially since he felt a bond between them and a serious attraction.
Sam has been threatened by Terazzhi's men and when she sees the attack against her team she runs scared, not knowing who to trust anymore. After a few days on the run and scared out of her mind she finally reaches out to Ben, only to be treated like a traitor.
When she explains her situation and that the terrorrists have captured her cousin Neveah as leverage to make her do their will, Ben and his team accept to help her out. But Sam is not trained as the others for this kind of mission, she is a civilian contractor, IT expert and genius hacker.
While the others still have betrayal in the back of their heads, both sides will have to try and trust each other to fulfill their mission and save Neveah from a certain death.

I enjoyed this book a lot. I felt sorry for Ben in the previous book because he was such a sweetheart and in love with Bryn for so long. I love his easygoing manner, he is a giant teddy bear, always in for a good laugh and to lighten to atmosphere. But when danger is coming his past as an elite Army Ranger comes to the surface and he is as badass and dangerous as they come. Ben was the whole package: fun, smart, IT genius, medic, badass, and hot as sin.
I really loved Sam as well and I felt for her, all she had to go through to help save her cousin, and to convince the others of her innocence. She was this civilian contractor in the middle of it all, trying her best not to impose on the others with her inexperience on the field, and I really loved her and Ben together.
Profile Image for Mandi.
2,355 reviews733 followers
May 24, 2011
I think the blurb does a nice job setting up this story. No Turning Back is a very intense, action-packed military romantic suspense that is really well done. Heavy on the suspense, Kaylea Cross doesn’t hold back on the violence and gives us a really gritty book. Sam is only a communication technician, not any kind of Special Op soldier. So at the beginning when she is running for her life, having no idea who to trust, it comes across as very real. Due to some coincidences, her team doesn’t know if she has started playing for the other side, and it takes a good while to build up that trust. Actually, it is an issue through the entire book. There is always that underlying suspicion, no matter what Sam does to prove she is innocent. There is not only the external conflict of a terrorist kidnapping, but internally, this team is rife with stress and suspicion. How far would she really go to save her cousin? Ben must comes to terms with that answer.

Sam is mentally strong, holding up to rescue her cousin, but she also comes across very believable. Physically she has issues keeping up. She is insecure, and just downright scared. It is such a huge relief when Ben gives in a little to that trust and he just holds her for a few minutes. Of course, that first hug eventually leads to a romantic relationship. I really like how the relationship progresses throughout the book. The adrenaline of being hunted and being the hunter play into some of their romance. But it never seemed forced or out of character for this love to bloom. And while the love scenes are not plentiful, they are very impactful. They match the pace of the story.

Ben is intense. He is a soldier all the way and while Sam has fierce loyalty to her cousin, Ben and his twin brother Rhys couldn’t live without the other. I love how he protects Sam as much as he can, but there are times where she has to go into situations alone so they can eventually catch the terrorist, and he doesn’t let his alpha status interfere. He may not like it, but he is a professional. There is a nice balance between his mission oriented focus, and keeping Sam safe and out of harm’s way. With that being said, there are a few times where Sam in thrust into very dangerous situations, and with no firearms training and I can only assume, lack of other combat training, I questions why she had to be the one to go. But it did make for some very tense, memorable moments in the book.

As I said earlier, this book isn’t a light read. There is violence, one scene in particular absolutely brutal. But I think it is necessary to show who they are really up against. Besides Sam and Ben, we meet Rhys, Ben’s twin brother, Luke, the leader, and Neveah the cousin everyone is so desperately trying to save.

This book caught me by surprise. I was sucked in from the very beginning and held my breath on more than one occasion. I will definitely be checking out more from Kaylea Cross.
Profile Image for Simply Love Book Reviews.
7,046 reviews870 followers
February 23, 2012
This review posted at
Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews

RECOMMENDED READ

Samarra Wallace’s organized life has taken a turn for the deadly when she is contacted by a terrorist organization who has set her up for the attempted deaths of her teammates. The bargaining chip they are using is her cousin, Neveah, a surgeon who has been admitted into the country with a group of doctors donating their time. The group of doctors have been taken hostage and are about to be killed one by one. Neveah is the closest thing to family Samarra has and inexplicably will do anything to save her.

Ben Sinclair has spent the last few years loving a woman he has just learned will never love him back. Deciding to take a job working with his twin, Rhys, he is brought in contact with Samarra Wallace. The two of them enjoy spending time together and have an easy friendship. That is until she is framed for the attack on her teammates.

Not sure who she can trust, Sam goes on the run, only contacting Ben when she feels as if she’s at the end of her rope. Ben knows that she needs help, but isn’t sure she’s telling the truth. As the team brings her back into the fold to try and save her cousin from the claws of terrorist, Tehrazzi, he is asked to keep an eye on Sam. While keeping an eye on her, he is drawn to the attraction that the two of them feel for each other. However, he still isn’t sure he should trust her.

As the hostage extraction looms near, Ben and Sam struggle with their feelings for one another - especially in such a heightened state of awareness. With time running out and fighters getting closer, the whole team is in a race for their lives. I found myself yelling at the characters a couple of times just to let them know that they were in danger!

When Sam makes a mistake involving Rhys, harsh words are spoken between her and Ben. Emotions are high and I found myself crying as I read the exchange between the two of them. My heart literally broke for them and I could feel the pain that both of them felt.

Will Sam and Ben get their HEA? You’ll have to find out by reading No Turning Back.

Kaylea Cross is a name you probably don’t know in the world of Romantic Suspense, but you should know. I highly recommend every one of her books. If you like edge of your seat Military Ops and hot romance. This is the book for you!

Profile Image for Nikki.
179 reviews58 followers
September 29, 2011
4 stars.

I had originally rated No Turning Back 4.5 stars but have since knocked it down to 4. I had a few frustrations with some situations (just as I knew I would), but ultimately it was another brilliant RS from Kaylea.

Poor Sam just couldn't catch a break. I think she was probably one of the most unlucky people I've ever read about. She was being set up in a major way and when you're in the middle of a freaking warzone, that can lead to all sorts of suspicions arising. Her team (including the hero, Ben) couldn't trust her completely because of this. I just wanted to give her a big cuddle through it all because people were shutting off from and generally walking all over her.

Ben - the fiend - with his South Boston accent, stunning dark looks and gorgeous green eyes was way too delicious for his own good. I loved him but wanted to headbutt him at the same time. Of course he has every right to be suspicious considering the shitty situations that seemed to engulf Sam, but it was frustrating at times with the way he treated her. Alas, I still love him so.

This was a totally different ballgame to Cover of Darkness (Suspense Series, #2), even with the objective still mostly the same - get Tehrazzi. I really felt for Sam because although she was wicked smart with awesome IT communications skills, I wanted her to be able to "kick ass" as well. I know we can't all be awesome black belts like Bryn, but Sam could have really used some self defence strategies throughout this book.

It was action packed and incrediby well-written. The edge of your seat aspect was just as high as Cover of Darkness. I really want Tehrazzi to die a slow and torturous death. Oh and Luke needs to get over his hero complex... it's driving me crazy!
Profile Image for Cathy M..
264 reviews70 followers
February 6, 2013
The suspense elements were OUTSTANDING. The last 30% alone had me on the edge of my seat, I COULD NOT put it down!
Profile Image for Edna.
313 reviews20 followers
May 4, 2019
Didn't really like Sam or Ben very much. Don't know why.
Profile Image for The Romance Reviews (Carole).
56 reviews45 followers
January 26, 2011
It just keeps getting better. NO TURNING BACK, the third book in Kaylea Cross’s romantic suspense series has even more suspense, action and emotion packed in. Again, I was hooked from the very beginning of the book. Ms Cross writes a captivating story of intrigue with characters that the reader feels an instant connection to. Her books are well crafted, thoughtful and truly the best romantic military suspense series available. Her flair for imagery is also well documented in this book as her scenes nearly leapt from the page as they surged with intensity and action.

Opening immediately in the midst of action, the book spotlights its heroine, CIA communications expert Sam Wallace. She is in hiding from an unknown enemy and unsure whom she can trust because of a cryptic message she receives. Within the first fifty pages, there is a bombing and firefight that keep Sam running for her life. Though not a field operative, her resourcefulness is incredible, easily providing the reader a glimpse of her inner strength and brains, and leaving no doubt that Sam is a force to be reckoned with. Her own strengths, though not necessary of a physical nature, will allow her to stand side by side with the strong alpha males with whom she works.

When she finds out that the terrorist they’ve been hunting has kidnapped her cousin Neveah, Sam breaks cover to contact one of her former teammates, ex-Army Ranger Ben Sinclair, in hopes he will help. (If you’ve read the previous book, you know she has been developing feelings for him already.) The problem Sam has is that Ben doesn’t trust her. The problem Ben has is that he can’t turn Sam away. He knows about her cousin’s kidnapping and recognizes that Sam may be the key to capturing the terrorist their team has been hunting.

They have been tracking the terrorist mastermind, Tezharri, responsible for Nevaeh’s kidnapping for a while already without any luck. Tezharri is a true psychopath with no redeeming qualities. The excerpts that take the reader inside his mind are ominous and set a tone of alarm which ramps up the suspense.

As Ben and Sam work together on the mission, more questions arise and Ben has to work against his instincts ingrained by years of military work to trust Sam. And despite his doubts, he can’t stop himself from falling for Sam especially when she professes her love for him. Ben is an imposing alpha male whose commanding and yet fun nature captures Sam. The attraction between them is there from the first time they are together and grows more intense as the book progresses. The beautiful love scenes exemplify the relationship development and are important to the story, not simply a second thought. They also help to offset the more action-packed excerpts.

During the final mission, Ben questions Sam’s innocence again when things go terribly wrong and it could appear that Sam was at fault, perhaps even working for the terrorists. Ben doubts his own judgment for trusting her and turns his back on Sam. When Ben confronts his doubts and Sam feels the defeat press in on her, it is gut wrenching. I can count on one hand the books that have brought me to tears and now this is one of them.

I love romantic suspense because the conflict and action, or the subplot, makes the book that much more intense. I was stunned and felt my heart clench as Sam and Ben dealt with their issue of trust, uncertain of the resolution.

NO TURNING BACK has an original plot with so many twists and turns that though the reader expects a happy ever after because it is a romance, the suspense leaves the reader guessing. This is my favorite thing about this book – heck, about the whole series. I was on the edge of my seat because there were no parts of the story where I could be certain what was to come. Ms Cross created a strong storyline with the military/suspense aspect of the plot as strong as the romance aspect, providing a realistic story while still giving romantics-at-heart the ending they need.

Reviewed by Rebecca
for The Romance Reviews
http://www.theromancereviews.com/view...
Profile Image for Mrs. Badass.
566 reviews226 followers
June 30, 2011
This book was really, really good. Kaylea Cross is a fantastic Romantic Suspense author. This book was conflict personified. It was intense. From page one, until the epilogue it had me on the edge of my seat, gripping my kindle tight.

Book two COVER OF DARKNESS should be read before this one. Book one would be helpful for getting some back story on Luke, but it's not necessary to the story ARC.

Was it a perfect novel? No. Are there really any perfect novels? Nah.

It is gripping, intense, emotional, intriguing, speculative and secretive though.

Ben is a former Army Ranger turned private contractor. He is aiding Luke in searching for Terrazhi, after the events that took place in book two. He is having such a hard time trusting Samarra (Sam) who disappeared at the end of book two with no word to anyone. This novel starts out with her on the run, and what happened congruently at the end of Cover of Darkness.

Samarra is a CIA operative, but not a combat operative. She is a communications expert. When coincidences fly off the hook, her team, and Ben, look at her with suspicion. Is she guilty? Did she betray them all in order to save her cousin who was kidnapped?

Even the epilogue kept me guessing. Dam I need something light and fluffy right now, but I'm fighting the urge to buy the next two in the series and continuing right now!!

You won't be disappointed if you buy these!

They are heavy on the suspense, and a bit lighter in the romance, but it was still very good. Very dark. I was strung out reading this one lol. I felt so bad for Samarra. And Ben. And Rhys. And Luke. Oh God, I want to know how Luke is fairing. I'm still not exactly sure what happened to him out on that mountain!
Profile Image for  ~V~.
1,069 reviews
March 20, 2012
**4 1/2 stars**


Loved this one!! For me, No Turning Back had the most action, suspense, romance and emotional moments so far in this series. Really liked Ben and Sam a lot...their romance was very sweet but heart wrenching at times because of his issues with trusting her. This book also had an epilogue (the 1st two did not)...i LOVE epilogues!! It was very cute and very funny..again..love Ben!

The last 25% of this book was very intense...so much stuff went down and some of it involved Rhys, Ben's twin brother, and Nev...the American hostage they were sent in to rescue. Their book is up next...i can't wait! :)

Profile Image for Anne OK.
4,103 reviews553 followers
October 27, 2011
Great suspense in this military series and I'm loving each book I read more and more. Kaylea Cross does an exceptional job keeping you on the edge of your seat with believable characters you really grow to love, dialogue that puts you in the conversation as if you were chatting along with the group, and very good romantic scenes.
Profile Image for MountainKat.
2,336 reviews107 followers
December 1, 2011
*4.5 Stars*

I really enjoyed this book! It had a wonderful level of tension of the real and sexual kind. The hero did something stupid, so there was a lovely grovel scene. And I loved the epilogue!
Profile Image for Jess.
1,075 reviews158 followers
September 22, 2011
Probably more like 4.5/5 - the series gets stronger with each book and I love how we have basically the same set of characters moving through each story with the next couple being set up for their turn. I'm already so excited to get to Luke and Emily's book, but Nev and Rhys next :)
Profile Image for AliciaJ.
1,332 reviews113 followers
Read
April 10, 2014
I'm not rating it since I DNF'd it. The heroine was just too freaking annoying for me to continue on. I was starting to get super pissed off, which is never a sign that you're enjoying a book, especially one that's supposed to be for fun. Life is too short, so I moved on to something else.
Profile Image for Sherron.
411 reviews22 followers
June 3, 2010
If you like Suzanne Brockmann or Marliss Melton, you need to try Kaylea Cross. Can't wait for her the next one. She has a fan with me.
Profile Image for Yvonne.
969 reviews82 followers
June 27, 2012
This series is fantastic!
Great for fans who want steamy romance with their military action adventure!

Profile Image for Angela.
233 reviews2 followers
April 13, 2020
I loved this book. When the first book of this series was one of Ms. Cross's weakest (and I've read ALL of her books), I was hopeful that things would get better. I was right. Book two was great but the suspense seemed to turn up a notch in this one.

Samarra and Ben - along with team leader Luke, Ben's twin brother Rhys and Davis - are on another op due to Sam's cousin being kidnapped by Luke's arch nemesis, the leader of a terrorist regime. Luke knows it's him that's the real target but decides to use Sam to draw Tehazzi out. And Sam is more than willing since it's her cousin that's been taken. Ben, having feelings for Sam is definitely going to be a part of the op but hasn't decided if he can fully trust Sam since she went MIA on their last op. What follows is high paced back and forth action in both the romance and suspense.

Read this book. One doesn't necessarily have to read the first two in order to understand what's going on in this novel. The drama was high action and I found myself wondering how everything could possibly end in a happily ever after. But I knew it would. Can't wait to move on to book 4!
155 reviews2 followers
July 29, 2021
This Hero Sucked

I'm so upset with how this supposed bad-ass guy was portrayed. I'm proud of Sam for being the first to lay it out there by saying I love you . But Ben just rubbed me the absolute wrong way. His character should have been better and it was so messed up at the end spouting off that he loved her...after her reputation it restored. The author clearly showed Ben didn't love Sam at all. Instead it turned into emotional blackmail, basically abuse. It ended so horribly, with no major heart reveal on his part. It was just convenient to use and pull at her heart strings. Sam deserved a better hero than Ben. Sam had absolutely no one on her side thru the whole damn book. I wish the author would rewrite the whole thing. Now, the plot was great, and I even had hope for Ben to evolve, but alas he didn't. Plots are great, but these main characters just ruined it for me. I mean why didn't Nev show more emotion about Sam. It was Sam relentlessly pushing for her to be found. Ugh, it's up to you to buy the book or not.
Profile Image for Dewey.
2,054 reviews1 follower
May 18, 2023
1.5 stars really. Not sure skimming half the book counts as an actual 'read'. I read #2, also 1.5 stars, and decided to read #3, to see if they ever get the terrorist bad guy. This time, I got confused by the final action scenes, didn't care enough to try to sort it all out. Ben flips out, again, on Sam, with terrible accusations of mistrust and that she betrayed the team, deliberately causing his twin's injuries. He says horrible things to her. He comes to his senses later and returns to grovel and beg her forgiveness. Frankly, I don't think she should have taken him back. Even the love scenes are repetitive, unimaginative. I have read several of this author's books, and think I am done with her.
Profile Image for Carmen.
2,777 reviews
March 12, 2018
"No turning back" continues the story that remains unfinished in the previous book "Cover of darkness". This time the protagonist is Sam, the techie who went missing at the end of book two. As in the previous book, the plot continues with a lot of incongruities and implausible facts that make it little credible. Maybe this time, I liked the romantic story between Sam and Ben a little more than Dec and Bryn's, but without ignoring that Ben treats Sam badly, and she seems willing to endure everything.
2.5 * it would be my accurate rating
1,117 reviews17 followers
March 25, 2019
Wow that was intense. I loved the idea of Sam and Ben! He definitely needed someone just for him. I loved the entire storyline....except I’m extremely annoyed and disappointed with Luke! It seems he’d sacrifice any woman he could to benefit his cause! You’re mister super seal, capture the bad guys yourself! Without holding women as bait....so annoying! Anyway back to Sam and Ben, and I also see Ben will need to invest in knee pads for all the groveling he’s gonna have to do. Oh boy does he know how to put his foot in his mouth! Smh..... I loved it and I’m on to Rhys book! Exceptional read.
Profile Image for Anja.
1,257 reviews8 followers
April 4, 2021
My o my. That series is absolutely... Wow. Sam is on the run and scared out of her mind, but her team - especially Ben - is having a very hard time putting trust in her. What neither of everyone is able to figure out, is her being a mascot in a game Therazzi is playing to get to Luke. Unfortunately, Luke is still fighting his health-issues - concussion - that he got from that last op.
Very awesome story, that has you on the edge of your seat.
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