Cover Me (Elite Force)

by Catherine Mann

[Ing Cruz]

My Synopsis:
Wade Rocha and his fellow team members of pararescueman have just completed a grueling training session when they are called in to rescue some stranded climbers on Mount Redoubt. Mount Redoubt is located on the Aleutian Islands of Alaska and his known as "the place that God forgot".

Sunny Foster is stranded in a snowstorm after seeing her friends safely off the mountain and transferred to the safety of Sheriff Rand from the mainland. While trying to seek shelter with her dog Chewie she is caught off guard by a man landing close to the edge of the cliff she is at in a parachute.

Wade's team was successful in rescuing the stranded climbers. The climbers were so out of it they weren't able to let the team know if there are any others still out there so when the equipment picks up the body heat of another person Wade makes the daring jump to rescue said victim.

Little does he know that Sunny doesn't need any rescuing. Sunny and her family have been living off the grid. They disappeared long ago into the wilderness of Alaska to protect her older brother who went AWOL prior to deployment when she was a teen. Her family has been living in a community that has no outside contact to the world and they basically live off the land. The community is very private and protective that once a member decides to leave they can never come back and they are not allowed to talk about the community.

Wade and Sunny are instantly attracted to one another. Wade insist on sticking with Sunny and bringing her back to the military base and Sunny is insistent that she can take care of herself and is fine. As they spend the night together in a cave Wade discovers that Sunny is hiding something from him and he doesn't like it. He's determined to rescue her and she's determined to get rid of him once the storm lets up.

In her attempt to ditch Wade, Sunny ends up needing him to rescue her when she falls into an embankment. They both make a chilling discovery while down there that will cause Sunny to have to spill the secrets on her community of all she knows to stop a sinister plot in her own backyard.

My Thoughts:
Wade Rocha our hero is a pararescueman. He comes from a long line of military family. He was a wild child growing up but during an air show as a teenager he witnessed a plane crashing and felt helpless not being able to jump in and help. His mother later in life was injured in a roadside bomb and because there was not help available she now lives in a rehab center staring in to space. All these things shape Wade and makes him live and breathe the motto "That Others May Live" that he and his brothers and arm follow. These are the things about Wade that made me absolutely love his character. Catherine gave such a great picture of what drives Wade and makes him the sexy and stubborn man he is today. He is instantly attracted to Sunny but knows that she's hiding things and that doesn't sit well with him. His stubbornness comes in handy because he refuses to give up until he knows what she is hiding.

Sunny is secretive and protective of those she love. She is a self sufficient heroine. She trains and runs a gym in her community. She is the mountain guide and is usually one of the people who helps guide any of the community members safely from the mountain if and when they decide they would like to join the outside world. Sunny is quirky. I love that she can take care of herself for the most part. She is loyal and protective to those she love and it's a very admirable trait at times.

Really love that they both feel the attraction and don't fight it. They both go for it and there is no games where their feelings for one another are concerned. The whole murder sinister plot part of the story was entertaining. You know up front who the responsible parties are but the storyline was still fascinating and kept me on my toe wanting to know how it will all end. There were some slow parts here in there where the action kind of stalled for me. And sometimes Sunny's protective instinct and wariness to share details about her community got annoying. I get where she was coming from but come on when bodies of people you thought were safely living out in the world are found you need to give up some detail. Anyway for the most part both characters were level headed.

There was a secondary romantic storyline woven through all of this between Sunny's sister, Misty and an ex-boyfriend, Flynn that was really good. I really enjoyed that storyline a lot. I actually enjoyed that storyline a bit more than the leading couple. Their story was sweet and about second chances. I can't wait to find out more on the rest of the team member of Wade's pararescue team. The camaraderie between the guys was adorable. I love the little banter and joking the men did with one another.

Cover Me was a great start to Catherine's Elite Force series. Lots of action, sexy honorable men in uniform, self sufficient heroine, mystery, steamy loving and action to keep me turning the pages on this book. This book starts off with an exciting training rescue mission that puts the reader right in the thick of things. Catherine's very knowledgeable background in the air force and her research was very evident in this book. The Alaskan backdrop with it's wild, untamed and beautiful land definitely added to the story and brings it all together for this sexy action pack story.