Heart of Danger audiobook

I think it’s fair to say that I didn’t get the novel I expected after I read the blurb but I did really enjoy it, all the same. I had kind of expected a fairly standard military style romantic suspense but what we got was a slightly paranormal, slightly futuristic, fairly steamy romance. It’s based around a community of ex-military outlaws living a very high-tech existence outside of the law and regular society after an Op went bad a few years ago and they were all branded criminals.As this is the beginning of a new series there’s a lot of character-establishing and world-building going on. In fact, this is slightly futuristic, set some 11 years after the death of Osama Bin Laden, a world of e-cars, iPhone 15’s and iPad 8’s. There’s a lot of interrupted, introspective narrative as the characters reflect on the past to help establish the background that brought the characters to where we join them now.It all takes quite a while to get going - the romance between Catherine and Mac takes a very long time to warm up although there’s a simmering attraction constantly running through the story but, despite all this, every time Max reached out to steady Catherine or worried about her in just the smallest way, my stomach did flip-flops and my insides pretty much liquefied. He’s quite the hero but really not classically handsome, he’s burned and scarred but he’s a big, built man, he’s alpha, growly and protective and I melted into a puddle every time he walked onto the page. Lisa Marie Rice has always given good hero and this one is no exception.Catherine is a great heroine – she’s earnest, honest, driven, highly intelligent and has great integrity and she’s also something of an empath. She’s able to tap into people’s emotions by touching them. She regards this as both a gift and a curse and it is this skill which lies at the heart of the story leading the men of the community and herself into an Op which will have your heartbeat racing as the suspense switches up several gears.I think it’s fair to say that the first half of the novel is a slow burner as there is so much to set up but both the suspense and the romance intensify tenfold in the second half as the novel builds towards its pulsating conclusion by which point I was reading at breakneck speed, totally unable to put it down. I really did enjoy the emotional intensity of the relationship between Mac and Catherine when they finally succumbed to that overwhelming mutual attraction and they have some very passionate and steamy sex scenes. It’s a very promising start to what I expect will be a very good series and I'm very much looking forward to Book 2.4 stars romantic suspenseARC courtesy of Avon Books via EdelweissFor more reviews, please visit Sinfully Sexy Book Blog

I first read this book back in 2010 and thought it was ok. It was a solid contemporary romance and held my attention.. At the time I rated it a 3 star, it was good but not much stood out to me.. As I continued on in the series I was surprised by the twist the storyline took and delighted because of the original and interesting series plotline I am changing my rating to a 5 star for a whole series rating.

Really enjoyed this story! It was interesting and suspenseful. I loved the MCs.

Ahhhh... So nice to read a good story written by someone with a decent command of the English language. As near as I can tell, this is a futuristic, though not far into the future (they have some very advanced tech).The h, as you come to find out, reads people by touch. She's also a scientist and is doing research - she thinks - on dementia patients. Only, one of the patients is not exactly what he seems, and she picks this up.The story starts out with her stranded on the side of a mountain, her electronics all taken out by an EMP, and a blizzard outside. She's on a mission to find the H. Shortly after this, the H collects her and takes her to his secret community. Over the course of the next however many pages (and 3 days) they get to know each other as well as plan a rescue mission for said patient...who was the leader of the H's group prior to a mission that went sideways.They do successfully get him (and the other 3 of their team they thought were dead) out of the lab, the h is killed by a stunner...and in a bit of weird woo woo, brought back by the H.Really, this reads more like the Elizabeth Jennings type of writing than of LMR. There are moments where you get male hysteria (LMR has an odd way of writing heroes as if they're hysterical about their ding dongs in relation to the heroines.) but they're a lot briefer than I'd expect. And the woo woo bits were...out there. Still very readable.

Heart of Danger is the first book in Lisa Marie Rice's new Ghost Ops series and is a great introduction to the characters and the world they're living in. The Ghosts were an elite military group who carried out dangerous and secret missions but their last job went horribly wrong after they were betrayed by their commander. Only Mac, Jon and Nick survived the mission and after being set up to look like terrorists they are on the top of the government's most wanted list. The three of them are determined to prove their innocence and find out exactly how they were set up but in the meantime they have created an underground Haven for themselves and others who are in danger. The Haven is a top secret lair hidden within a mountain and Mac and the others will protect its inhabitants with their lives, they have built a small but thriving community where they can be self sufficient and remain under their enemies radar.Dr Catherine Young works for a pharmaceutical company that is trying to find a cure for dementia and she works closely with patients who are taking part in a new drug trial. Thanks to her gift (or curse as she sees it) and her ability to feel people's emotions by touching them Catherine quickly realises that all is not what it seems with one of her patients. She risks everything when patient 9 asks her to track down Mac and his men and go to them for help. Mac is shocked at how easily Catherine finds the Haven, she should never have been able to get that close to their compound and he immediately suspects that she has been sent by their enemies to spy on them. The more he finds out about her the more he comes to believe her story and the Ghosts realise that everything they believed about the mission that went wrong was a lie and their former colleague is in great danger. Can Catherine help them to rescue patient 9 before he is killed by their enemies?I'm going to admit that it was the cover that first brought my attention to Heart of Danger (well who wouldn't be drawn to it?!) but it was the blurb that convinced me I needed to read the book. I love this kind of series where you have a group of undercover military / ex-military alpha heroes who are trying to uncover who betrayed them. I can never resist an alpha hero but one of the things I love most is the sense of community that develops as you get to know the characters better throughout the series. The Haven is a great community, most of the inhabitants are civilians who found themselves in trouble by being brave enough to stand up against various forms of corruption. As a group they are wary of letting anyone new into the group but once they accept someone they become part of the family. Everyone brings their own unique skill set to the group and I'm looking forward to learning more about the inhabitant's stories in future books.To get back to our main characters I have to say how much I loved Mac, he is smart, strong and incredibly protective of the community and those he cares about. He doesn't have to think twice before risking his own life to keep others safe and although he didn't want to be the group's leader he has stepped up to the role because they needed him to. When he falls for Catherine he falls hard and I love watching a growly alpha type who gets turned into a mushy teddy bear by his woman. I admired him for wanting to protect Catherine and keep her safely at Haven while he went to rescue patient 9 but I admired him even more for respecting that she was intelligent enough to be an asset to him and his team and to realise that they wouldn't be able to complete the rescue without her. It goes against all his instincts to take Catherine into a danger zone but he does it because he knows it is the only option. Catherine is a worthy heroine for Mac. She has always been isolated by her gift, even her family thought she was a freak and she has never really had any friends or close relationships. Her career means everything to her but she doesn't think twice about risking it all to help patient 9. She is compassionate, warm and loving and deserves to have someone who doesn't make her feel like a freak, someone who loves her for who and what she is and that is what she finds with Mac. I loved the way their relationship developed and you can expect to go on a sexy journey with them because their chemistry is combustible.Overall Heart of Danger is a great start to the series and the story has everything you could wish for from this kind of romantic suspense - a group of swoonworthy alpha males (I can't wait for Jon and Nick's stories!) with access to all the guns and explosives they could possibly need, an action packed storyline, great romance with fab sexy times, interesting side characters that you want to learn more about and an evil villain who will turn your stomach with his horrible deeds. I can't wait to get my hands on I Dream of Danger and see what happens to the Ghosts next and I'd highly recommend this book to any fan of romantic suspense.

Kitty's review posted on Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews I was enthralled by “Heart of Danger” from page 1. Lisa Marie Rice grabs you with the first page and doesn’t stop – not even at the end of the book and I am really looking forward to where she is bringing this story. The first novel of the Ghost Ops brings together Mac and Catherine. Two people who are the most unlikely to ever get together. She’s a beautiful scientist. He’s a tough and rough soldier. She has a special gift. He doesn’t trust anyone. She is employed by Arka Pharmaceuticals. He was betrayed during the raid of Arka Pharmaceuticals. How can he trust this beautiful woman who he found freezing in her car while looking for him? How can she gain the trust of a man who has had nothing but betrayal in his life? Now, she must depend on the gift that she tried to suppress her whole life. But, will he believe all that she is about to tell him? “Heart of Danger” is set in the future with a beautiful city built into a mountain. The city is filled with people who are being hunted or have been betrayed. They look to Mac as their leader, their savior – the one person who they can depend on. Working with Mac are Jon and Nick, the other two survivors from the explosion. They have vowed to protect all that they have left and the people of Mount Blue. No matter the cost. Mac feels that all the people who are living in this utopia that he as created, have been brought there for a reason. Was Catherine sent to them as well? I seriously do not want to give away too much of this story. A lot happens with several different characters playing key roles with many surprises and twists and turns in the book. Ultimately, Catherine and Mac do fall deeply in love and he realizes that she was sent to him for a reason – to get him to trust again – to get him to believe in more than himself. I love that Mac is and alpha male, but not one that we are used to. His insecurities with himself, the way he looks, has him believing that someone as beautiful and talented as Catherine could never want someone that looks like him. I fell in love with Mac and totally admired Catherine for looking beyond his looks and into his heart. And, the ending – WOW! I ended the book with a huge smile on my face – so happy for the both of them and wondering what is in store for them in the future. While reading “Heart of Danger”, I was awed with the way Ms. Rice had the story flowing. It was fast-paced and very well written. And the way she described Mount Blue and it’s residents were wonderful. You felt you could see the city, feel the energy and the love that everyone had for their home and their leader. She brought you into the story and didn’t let you out.Review copy provided for an honest review.

I have had Heart of Danger (and this whole Ghost Ops series) in my TBR pile for a while now, and am so glad I was finally able to delve into it! Heart of Danger by Lisa Marie Rice is a book that once I started I couldn't put down!I loved the characters, the pace and the plot of Heart of Danger. I really liked that Catherine and Mac were both mature, strong characters. Their attraction to each other is intense and the development of a relationship is fast, but it is believable because fast happens in real life too! When you know you know! I liked the trust they developed and the honesty in their relationship. Despite all that they each have going on, the risks, the threats, the past and present dangers, there were no games or angst. I felt like these two were meant to be together, and their relationship fits well with the plot of Heart of Danger. I liked the secondary characters Nick and Jon who are part of Mac's team. The relationship between them is well written, and it was easy to see how close they were.The suspenseful plot is riddled with intrigue, twists and turns, and the possibilities of the future! Lee is a strong, relevant part of this part of the plot. He is the evil to Mac and Catherine's good, and the balance of this works well with the plot. I liked that I could actually envisioning what is happening in this book happening in the future...it was scary and mesmerizing at the same time. I never really knew what was going to happen, and this made for an entrancing read.The paranormal aspect of Heart of Danger is woven into the plot well and believably. I liked this part of the plot, the extra edge it gives the overall book is amazing!A futuristic, romantic suspense with a paranormal twist, Heart of Danger had elements that filled my heart up, had me on edge, and had me thinking that all of this just might be possible in the future. I really liked how Lisa Marie Rice ends Heart of Danger - no cliffhanger, but an easy move into the next book in this series (I Dream of Danger). This is one book I couldn't put down and would highly recommend!!