Sharon Wray

Let me just say to start that this a very different book from other books I have read. It is a hybrid novel, part suspense/mystery, part romance/ erotica. I was a little thrown at first because this is a second book in a series. Since I didn’t read the first novel in the series, I was a little thrown off. The storyline of a mysterious group of former Green Berets, who find themselves mixed into a centuries old mystery about an unsolvable cipher that may point out the location of hidden rooms buried under the cemetery, is a complicated one. At the middle of it is the hapless, fearless historian Sarah, and Nate, a disgraced Green Beret on a temporary hiatus from a twenty year sentence in a secret military hospital. Nate already served 3 years and it left him with memory loss and crippling seizures. Sarah wants to solve the cipher, and correct the wrongs of the past, when Nate steps into her path and throws all her plans into chaos. There are a lot of players involved in the story, and I’m not completely sure if I understand the role of everyone involved. If there is any downside to this story it is the fact that there are numerous storylines and they aren’t all fully explained. I will say that if we were all having the kind of sex described in this book, nothing would be getting done. Kinda jealous actually. The storyline does have promise and I would continue the series. It may be too complicated for some people to really get into. Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy.… (mer)

One Dark Wish by Sharon Wray

Complex espionage romantic suspense with twists and depths that are slowly revealed.
2nd book in the Deadly Force series. Because of the background, I’m going to say that the first book should be read before this one. I didn’t read the prior book because of timing and felt a bit lost in the former Green Beret stories and twists. But if you read in the moment and don’t worry about too much backstory, you can read it as a standalone.
In summary, it’s all about political maneuvering and power.

Sarah and Nate are the focus of the romance but it was tense throughout because you know from the beginning the Nate is soon leaving for the military prison for a long sentence. All due to political machinations and not because he’s guilty of anything. Its frustrating that this hangs over his head yet they all must accept it and continue with the unknown.

Very much a connected arc over several books. You can enjoy the romance in the single book but the series will tell the story in full.
I will look for the next book because I want to know more about these military heroes and see them through to the win in the end. I have to have faith they will be successful and they won’t be puppets for much longer.

I won a copy of this book from the publisher in a random contest.… (mer)