Book description:
Keeping cool under pressure is the credo C. Smith Rydell lives by. That’s why he was handpicked by the Special Defense Forces for a mission few men survive. So why has the ex–DEA superstar been reassigned to Panama City, playing bodyguard to a blond in a black string bikini? Except Honey York isn’t your average pampered socialite. She’s the woman Rydell caught smuggling cash into El Salvador four months ago. And now she wants him to take her back.
All Honey has to do is find the guerrilla camp, deliver the goods, and get the hell out of the jungle—all in forty-eight hours. Only one man is up for the job. But sharing an unforgettable one-night stand was nothing next to being stranded with Rydell on some third world mountaintop. And with bullets flying and all hell breaking loose, now is not the time for passion. As if these two could possibly resist it….
The plot of this book is so unbelievable it borders on ridiculous. That obviously didn’t effect me, b/c I started reading it and could not put it down. All the sub-plots that were happening really should have detracted from the “real” plot of the book, but somehow they didn’t. To be honest, I’m not sure I really get what the real plot of the book even was.
Basically, this is what we have (when it comes to sub-plots):
-A lover thought long-dead, who now wants to kill Rydell b/c he knows a secret about her that she thought died when he died (yes, they both think the other is dead).
-A nun pregnant by the (evil) leader of the CNL.
-A drug lord who actually seems to have a conscience.
-A teacher from Albequerque, NM who headed to Panama City with big dreams of making a difference.
This is addition to the main plot, which is somewhat confusing as it is, so bear with me.
Honey York-Lytton never thought she’d see C. Smith Rydell again. After their passion filled night and his subsequent help with delivering money to her sister, Julia (a nun), Honey went home thinking that was that. The end. That all changes when the CIA threatens to charge her with treason (for taking money to her sister in Panama City, which they have photographs of) unless she undertakes a mission. Her mission? Meet Smith, recover a flash drive in a plane that crashed, taking five Louis Vuitton suitcases full of who-knows-what along with a briefcase to Alejandro Campos. Alejandro Campos would be the drug lord with a conscience.
Oh and she must do it in 48 hours. If she fails to accomplish her mission, she’ll be forever exiled from the United States and Smith will be arrested for treason.
As for Smith himself, he is dumbfounded by what has happened to get him to Panama City. After finding out that the lover that tried to kill him is really not dead, Smith has his own set of problems without taking on Honey. He’s not surprised to find out that Honey’s agreement to come to Panama City really has nothing to do with the CIA and everything to do with Julia.
I really enjoyed this book. After reading the cluster that was Crazy Sweet, I really didn’t know if I would like On the Loose. Honey and Smith’s story started in Crazy Sweet and for me, that’s what saved that book. Without them it would have been completely awful instead of just kind of awful.
I loved that there was more to Honey than met the eye. Usually people took Honey at face value. I’m sure the name Honey didn’t help. Smith was really the only person that ever looked past her physical attributes to see what lay beyond. Their banter was highly amusing. I loved the story of what the “C” stood for in C. Smith Rydell. I also loved how Honey teased Smith about it (I would have too).
There was a lot of action and hot sex in this book. Definitely worth the read.
4 out of 5.
She does have a way of making the ridiculous sounding work doesn’t she? Although I have this one, I don’t know why I haven’t read it yet since I loved the first of the Crazy books and from what I’ve read, this one goes back to those ones. Must. Get. To. It.
She really does. Even with all the eye-rolling plotlines, this book was really good.
Did you like Crazy Sweet (Red Dog and Travis)?
I haven’t read that one yet. I have it – but not read. I was kind of disappointed in Skeeter and Dylan’s story – thus the dragging of feet.