Heart Strike by M.L. Buchman Series: Delta Force #2
Published by Sourcebooks Casablanca
Publication Date: August 2nd 2016
Genres: Romantic Suspense
Pages: 359
Source: Publisher
Format: eARC
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Disclaimer: I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely mine.
SERGEANT RICHIE “Q” GOLDMAN: The smartest soldier on any team
SERGEANT MELISSA “THE CAT” MOORE: Newest on the team, determined to be the best
Rescued from an icy mountaintop by a Delta operative, Melissa Moore has never met a challenge she can’t conquer. Not only she will make Delta Force, she will be the best female warrior in The Unit, and woe to anyone who says otherwise. Technical wizard Richie Goldman is Bond’s “Q” turned warrior. A genius about everything except women, he takes point on the team’s most dangerous mission yet. When the Delta Force team goes undercover in the depths of the Colombian jungle, surviving attacks from every side requires that Richie and Melissa strike right at the heart of the matter…and come out with their own hearts intact.
Review
Adorable warrior-geek and movie references? What’s not to love about that? M. L. Buchman’s writing is addictive and every book is exciting and engrossing in its own way while building on the familiar. I always enjoy how he perfectly balances the technical data with the actual action and romance.
Richie Goldman is the geek of his Delta team and aptly nicknamed ‘Q’ for the Bond movies tech wizard but he’s also a highly trained warrior, a fact that is sometimes overshadowed by his big brain. And he’s got no game when it comes to the ladies so it’s understandable when he falls all over the new addition to the team. But she’s as skilled as she’s gorgeous and they find a rhythm that he’s never found with anyone else on or off the job.
In her previous life, Melissa Moore was a museum curator and an extreme sports enthusiast. Until she lost her brother on a mountain climb and was rescued by a military officer and the course of her life was changed. Now she is only the second woman in Delta but she is determined to be the best. For a woman whose life was originally on a different track, she fit in with the rest of the operators very well. She’s smart and both mentally and physically strong, and her strength lies in her ability to make split-second assessments of situations and people, a skill that would be highly needed on their assignment.
The team has been tasked with taking down a South American drug lord and his operation and as the only two pilots on the team, Richie and Melissa find themselves spending a lot time together as they brush up on their skill in prep for their assignment. The immediate connection between Melissa and Richie does not sit so well with the rest of the team for many reasons. With the only two women in Delta on the same team, there is the understandable friction between them until they reach an understanding. For the rest of the team, concern for Richie is a driving factor and Melissa’s skills pose a threat to their structure. Their resentment of her puts pressure on the team dynamics, but they’ll need each other and their wits to survive the Colombian jungle.
The first half of this book was slow going as it focused on team building and the training Melissa and Richie underwent, but it was balanced out by the action-packed second half of the story. Melissa’s even temperament made her a major asset to the team due to the circumstances of this particular assignment and she brought out the best in Richie with the effortless way she understood him, challenged him and encouraged him to be his best. I liked how Richie embraced both the geek and warrior sides of him and grew into his potential.
HEART STRIKE lacks the fireworks of the first book but it was a solid and satisfying read and the main characters were just as lovable. M. L. Buchman is an auto-read for me and I’m looking forward to more from him.
About M.L. Buchman
M. L. Buchman has over 40 novels in print (and an ever-expanding flock of short fiction that seems to be breeding on its own). His military romantic suspense books have been named Barnes & Noble and NPR “Top 5 of the Year,” nominated for the Reviewer’s Choice Award for “Top 10 Romantic Suspense of 2014” by RT Book Reviews, and twice Booklist “Top 10 of the Year” placing two of his titles on their “The 101 Best Romance Novels of the Last 10 Years.” In addition to romance, he also writes thrillers, fantasy, and science fiction.
In among his career as a corporate project manager he has: rebuilt and single-handed a fifty-foot sailboat, both flown and jumped out of airplanes, designed and built two houses, and bicycled solo around the world.
He is now making his living as a full-time writer on the Oregon Coast with his beloved wife. He is constantly amazed at what you can do with a degree in Geophysics. You may keep up with his writing by subscribing to his newsletter.
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