Shoot to Thrill : All About Romance

Shoot to Thrill

Grade : B

I can see why Nina Bruhns is developing quite a fan base. Honestly, this sort of relentlessly non-stop action kind of book, usually isn’t my thing, but I enjoyed this one. Quite a bit.

The set up is complicated. Nurse Rainie Martin meets ex CIA agent Kick Jackson at a singles gathering for medical professionals. They hit it off. They have sex. Only after does Rainie learn that his real purpose in attending the party is to get the help of a medical professional in order to undergo a controversial and dangerous rapid detox program. Kick is in need of fast help to get off pain meds because his ex-agency bosses are trying to pressure him into taking on a dangerous job. To put it mildly, Kick is not interested.

Rainie and Kick (and, yep, I rolled my eyes every time) soon enough find themselves taken hostage by the agency and on their way to the Sudan. Raine’s purpose is two-fold: To tend Kick medically and, equally important, as a means of pressuring Kick into rescuing a friend and fellow agent held hostage by terrorists.

In her single title debut, the author does a great job of keeping the tension high, while also delivering likable, deeply flawed characters. While it worked for the most part, I had a quibble with Raine. Apparently, she suffers from PTSD to the point that she can’t get into any vehicles at all. Like a car. I found myself distracted wondering just how the New York City nurse managed to live a life in which her sole mode of transportation was her feet. Pretty limiting, wouldn’t you say?

Still, the strength of this book is the author manages to tell a riveting, occasionally moving story without ever allowing the characters – as they so often do in books like this – to degenerate into cartoons. Kick and Raine never do and, it’s fair to say, neither do the likable cast of secondary characters who add interest to the book without distracting from the main story.

If you’ve enjoyed Nina Bruhns in the past, then definitely pick up Shoot to Thrill. If you’re a fan of action-packed romances with a human touch, then I’d also recommend this one. I’m certainly glad I took a chance on it.

Reviewed by Sandy Coleman

Grade : B

Book type : Romantic Suspense

Sensuality : Hot

Review Date : July 17, 2009

Published On : 2009/08