Wild Card (Elite Ops, #1)

by Lora Leigh

[Cocktails and Books]

4.5 stars. It was a tough one, but very good.

After reading the last word of this book and closing it's cover, I can honestly say that Lora Leigh has found a new fan. While not an easy read, it was emotionally gut-wrenching and the storyline drew me right into the middle of he emotional tug of war between Nathan/Noah and Sabella.

Nathan Malone knew the moment he met his wife that she was the woman that held his soul, just like his grandfather told him. He loved his dainty, pixie of a wife but he also loved his job as a Navy SEAL. But his world shattered with his capture, torture and subsequent death. He now saw himself as a man who had no emotions, broken...a killer. Going back home on a mission proved that Noah wasn't who he thought he was. He purposefully pushed his emotions into a tiny container because he couldn't deal with what had been ripped from his life. But every interaction he had with his brother, Rory and Bella proved that despite what Noah thought, he was still, at his core, the man he always was. It took a lot for Noah to finally realize that, while definitely changed by what happened to him, he was still the man who loved his brother, his grandpop and most definitely his wife.

Bella had it rough. She was devastated by the loss of her husband and let life pass her by while she despaired. When she finally was dragged back to the land of the living, it was to find herself about to lose the things she holds near and dear to her (Nathan's business and their home). But in the six years since Nathan's been gone, she grown into a woman who is strong and unwilling/unbending when it comes to who she is and what she wants. She lets the real Bella show, rather than the one she thinks everyone wants to see. She doesn't hold back and she'll be in your face if she needs to be to prove a point. Noah's entrance into her life throws her for a loop, because she feels that instant connection to him that she only had with Nathan. But he also drives her insane because he tries to cram her into the pretty girl box she never really belonged in. Ultimately, Bella proved she a formidable foe to Noah's misconceptions about himself and her.

There was a terrific suspense storyline that played throughout Noah and Bella's story, but it took a backseat to the interactions between Noah and Bella. I wanted to know who was involved with the Militia and why they were doing what they were doing (and there was a HUGE shocker about who was involved) I was emotionally invested in Noah and Bella and would have gladly substituted other storyline for 428 pages of just them.

This was my first Lora Leigh book and I will definitely be looking for more with the members of the Elite Ops.