It was supposed to be simple. All Navy SEAL Nathan Malone had to do was rescue three young girls from a Colombia drug cartel, then allow himself to be captured just long enough to draw out a government spy. That was before his mission went disastrously wrong…and before his wife, Bella, was told that Nathan was never coming home.
Bella’s mourned her husband’s death for three long years. But she has no idea he’s still alive. Forced to assume a new identity, the man Nathan was is now dead. If he can get back to his wife, can he keep the secret of who he really is…even as desire threatens to consume them? And as danger threatens to tear Bella from Nathan’s arms once more?
I love Lora Leigh. She’s my book crack. When I emailed Holly to tell her I got this book, she asked “What is it with you and Lora Leigh? Don’t they all just blend into one book after awhile?”. The answer to that is, I lurve her and sometimes, yes. Do I care? Not so much. I can’t help it, I love her.
Wild Card is book one in LL’s Elite Ops series. This series basically branches off her Tempting SEALs series. I’m not sure if the SEAL series is over or if she’s going to be writing both series now. Either way, I’m a happy girl b/c I loved this book. I want to say it’s my favorite book in the series, but since it’s a new series, I really can’t say that, can I?
Nathan Malone was first introduced in the SEAL series b/c he was a SEAL. After going on a mission, he was captured by Diego Fuentes, evil villain extraordinaire. After being held captive for nineteen months, Nathan is far from the same man. One thing remains the same…his love for his wife. Fuentes knew how desperately Nathan loved his wife so he figured if he could get Nathan to break his marriage vows, he could get him to reveal state secrets. To do that, Nathan was given a drug that would make him want to have sex with anyone. He always knew that the women brought in weren’t his wife and he didn’t break his vows once in the nineteen long months he was held. I was really looking forward to this book b/c parts of Nathan’s hellish journey were told over the past few books. Plus it’s a reunion book and I love reunion books.
Six years later, Noah Blake has risen from the ashes that were Nathan Malone. Doesn’t that sound so freakin’ dramatic? Noah still loves his wife, Sabella, more than anything but he doesn’t think that Sabella could handle the man he has become; dark, dangerous, and even more deadly than ever. Not the man she married six years before. Not the man she fell in love with. Noah was determined to stay away from Sabella. Then her safety is threatened by a militia group who wants the business Sabella took over when he “died” for their base of operations. Noah’s mission is twofold. Protect Sabella and bring the militia group down. All while making sure no one guesses who he really is.
For six years, Sabella has grieved for her husband. After three years of barely being able to function, Sabella has worked hard to pull her life back together. Her life now revolves around keeping Nathan’s garage open. She rarely dates and only has a few friends, but she feels better w/ each day. Her sense of peace is ruined when Noah Blake walks into her garage like he owns it. She wants nothing more than to get this man out of her life, yet he won’t leave. Sabella wants nothing to do w/ the dark feelings that Noah invokes in her. The last man she had feelings for like that died and she barely recovered.
I liked this book for many reasons. Sabella was only 18 when she and Nathan got married and only 20 when he “died”. So there she grew up after Nathan was gone and became a person he didn’t recognize. I liked what a strong heroine Sabella was. Noah really underestimated her and her ability to accept the man he had become. He realizes that as soon as he’s around her again. So now the reason he’s not telling her he’s alive is different. He doesn’t think she’ll forgive him for staying away. He underestimates her yet again, which may or may not cost him the woman he loves. I was really amused when Noah would get jealous about himself. I especially loved his amusement over that b/c it was so ridiculous.
As in all LL’s books, there was lots of hot sex and danger. The suspense fit in well with the book. Holly will be proud to know that I figured out the “spy” fairly early on in the book. Then again, it seemed obvious.
You can start with this book even if you haven’t read the Tempting SEALs series, yet you might be more appreciative of what Nathan has gone through if you read Dangerous Games, Hidden Agenda, and Killer Secrets.
4.25 out of 5.
This book is available from St. Martin’s Press. You can buy it here.
I’ve never read an LL book, never thought I wanted to until I read this review and I really didn’t need another book on my list to buy lol. Thanks. Great review.
I read one LL book, a breed book, and when the descriptions of sex started to remind me too much of my cats, I vowed no more.
But maybe I would like this book (now knowing its SEALS and not seals) — you’re review certainly makes it tempting! And I love a “fake” death plot.
I have been looking forward to this book for forever and it STILL hasn’t shipped :-(. Minor spoiler-ish question: I know Nathan stayed faithful while he was imprisoned – do they both stay faithful in the later years? I would think ‘yes’, but you never know these days.
I cannot wait to read this one, i love LL!!!