Sharpshooter (Harlequin Large Print Intrigue, #1437) (Mills & Boon Intrigue) (Shadow Agents)

by Cynthia Eden

"Two years ago Gunner Ortez saved Sydney Sloan's life on a mission gone wrong. And ever since then, he's been watching her back. Now a hostage-rescue mission is about to blow the Elite Ops agents' lives apart once again. Working side by side back in the jungles of Peru, the heat between Sydney and Gunner is hotter than ever--and so are the threats to their lives. With the danger escalating, Sydney knows Gunner is her only hope at successfully completing their assignment. But the ex-SEAL who arouses passion she'd only dreamed about also poses the greatest risk to the secret she carries in her heart ... and in her belly"--Cover verso.

• ISBN10: 037369704X
• ISBN13: 9780373697045
• Publish Date: 23 July 2013 (first published 1 January 2013)
• Publish Status: Out of Stock
• Publish Country: CA
• Imprint: Harlequin Intrigue
• Edition: Original ed.
• Format: Paperback (US Mass Market)
• Pages: 224
• Language: English

Reviews

There were parts of this story that I didn't love. One main part really - Did Sydney's ex-lover/fiance have to be Gunner's brother? But for the most part this was really good. The last two books had these two dancing around each other and it was great to finally be able to delve into their history and see them resolve things.

Gunner annoyed me at times with his conflicted nature - I understood it but I didn't like it. Sydney was better but I felt she didn't make things as clear as she could've with Slade. I mean she didn't go back to him but I also felt she wasn't as clear and honest with either him or Gunner as she could've been. I wanted her to explicitly say - I'm in love with Gunner. Or we are not getting back together. We're over, etc, etc.

I enjoyed the mystery and their investigation. Some parts were a bit more difficult to figure out, but most of the twists and turns were pretty obvious - to those that read the genre avidly anyway. The action was rapid and kept me glued to the page. There were some amusing lines/scenes. The romance was a bit more developed owing to the fact the characters and their friendship have been introduced over the last two books.

Overall enjoyable read, 4 stars. And Cale's book is up next - I can't wait!

[EBookObsessed]

When Gunner Ortez and Sydney Sloan went into Peru, against orders, to rescue Gunner’s Brother and Sydney’s fiance, Slade Ortez, they barely made it out alive. Slade was not so lucky.

Since then Gunner has watched out for Sydney. He has always been there for her. Because he wants to protect her. Because he loves her. He has from the moment he met her, when she was engaged to his brother. But Gunner knows she could never be his, ever. She wanted Slade and now he’s gone. Yet for the last two years, Gunner and Sydney have leaned on each other, supported each other, and feelings have been changing and growing.

Gunner has always been…standoffish seems too gentle a word, but now that he and Sydney has grown so close, she knows that there is more to Gunner than the hard eyes and the cool demeanor that he shows the rest of the world. Now that she knows him, really knows him, Sydney wants Gunner even more than she ever wanted to be with Slade, and she can’t be wrong about Gunner’s feelings for her, can she?

It’s been two years since his death and as a member of the Elite Operations Division (EOD) Sydney knows how precious life can be and how quickly things can be taken away from you. She is tired of waiting for Gunner to make a move. She is planning on grasping for all the wants in life, and the first thing she wants is Gunner Ortez.

When another rescue mission to Peru turns their world upside down, Sydney will need to fight for the man she wants against the ghost of the man she lost.

THOUGHTS:

Whoo hoo! This story combines my favorite tropes, the friends to lovers as well as the damaged hero. Although I can’t say that Gunner is truly damaged, he has led a very hard life as an special agent for the government. He has been captured and tortured. He has been on death’s door more than once. He is scarred and hardened, and he appreciates all that Sydney means to him, even if that means he doesn’t feel worthy of her. That qualifies him enough in my book.

Gunner has come to mean everything to Sydney, much more than Slade ever did, and Sydney wants to move their relationship from friends to so much more but Gunner keeps the ghost of his brother firmly between them. At least he does until Sydney declares that she is ready to move on with her life and she’s ready to find a new lover, and if Gunner doesn’t want the job, she’ll find someone else how does. As you can imagine, that declaration gets Gunner moving in the right direction.

Problem is that they work together in a very dangerous field. They are both part of the EOD that goes into dangerous territories and situations for hostage rescue. Their lives are both at risk and when their relationship finally becomes more, they are finding it harder to do their jobs when the life lost could be either of them.

They end up going back to Peru for a hostage rescue and come back with more than they bargained for, a prisoner who will change everything and who might just rip them apart.

This was a enjoyable story full of excitement and romance and definitely is my favorite of the series. This story will definitely bring some changes to the EOD team and the tiny foreshadow presented for the next book looks like it will shake things up further.

Great story from Cynthia Eden as always.

See more at http://ebookobsessed.com.

[Nadz@Totally Addicted to Reading]

This was an exciting, explosive and enjoyable read. Cynthia Eden knows just how to grab her reader's attention. For the full review visit Romancing the Book Blog.
http://romancing-the-book.com/2013/07/review-sharpshooter-by-cynthia-eden-2.html