Operation: Endgame, Book #1 of When the Mission Ends (by Christi Snow)

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Book Release Date:  June 20, 2012

Operation: Endgame rating: 4 out of 5 stars

When the Mission Ends series rating:  4 out of 5 stars

"Operation: Endgame" is book one of the When the Mission Ends series

See Maddie's review of book two, Operation: Endeavor

How are the sex scenes?

The sex scenes were salacious, descriptive and I wanted more!

How are the story lines?

Interesting, fast paced and mostly believable.

Would you read it again?

Yes.

  

Back of the Book

It’s been six months.

Six months since Jake Madsen let Chris Robertson die.

Six months since the passion between Jake and Cassie, Chris’ sister, stepped over the line.

But now Cassie’s being stalked and it’s time for Jake to swallow his guilt, grief, and lust so he can save her life, even if it’s a life without him. He owes it to his dead friend and he owes it to Cassie. Can he overcome these challenges to be a part of his best friend’s life?

Review

Operation: Endgame by debut author Christi Snow is the first book in a Contemporary Romantic Suspense Trilogy, set in Lubbock, Texas. All three books feature former active duty Air Force officers and the women they love. This is an excellent opener to what should be a fabulous series.

Establishing character credibility and history adeptly is always a plus in a series. Christi Snow accomplishes this brilliantly, shifting through time, allowing the reader to become familiar with Colton, and Cassie and Chris Robertson, who from an early age were orphaned. Endgame primarily focuses on Cassie (twin of Fighter Pilot Chris) enduring her brother's tragic death and her traumatic experience with a crazed stalker. We also met the supporting characters: Jake, the hunky best friend of Cassie and Chris; the vivacious, highly intelligent Penelope; and sweet, serious Julie.

You can't but love a heroine who is intelligent, beautiful, sassy and fiercely independent! Cassie, a Military Professor is someone used to control. She maintains a full, busy life determined to keep her fears at bay for her ‘boys’, all involved in active duty. Due to her proficiency as a Military Strategist, she draws the attention of a nefarious stalker, hell bent on making her his. Cassie grew up knowing she was loved and cared for by her men, but one man in particular held her heart, and had for a long time.

Honorable, luscious and delectable Jake Madsen had been friends with the twins for 20 years. With grief constricting their hearts on the night of the funeral, and dormant passion stirring, a night of sex realized a fantasy for Cassie, and caused Jake to become assuaged with guilt, risking their easy friendship.

Jake is extremely likeable. He is sexy, gorgeous, courageous and a wonderfully tactile man. He also needs to overcome many obstacles to restore peace to his mind. Admirably moral, almost to his detriment, his life has come to a crossroads in both his career as a Pararescue Jumper (PJ) and his relationship with Cassie. He knew he loved her, but until her life was at risk, had not acknowledged the true depth of his feelings. Was it lust, love or guilt motivating his actions?

As a couple, Jake and Cassie are very believable. Having been friends for such a long time, their familiarity made for easy lovers. When passion took hold, it was delicious.

“He softly worked the petals of her core and felt her falter as she stroked him. Slowly he inserted one finger, then two into her….He lowered himself to his knees in front of her and slowly inched her sides of her dress up her hips until he could see the tops of her garter and the matching bright red lace thong that made his mouth water……He grasped her clit between his tongue and his lip and sucked.” Just a sneak peek…

Endgame is what I would call a light suspense. There are twists and turns, which keep you guessing; funny interchanges; and enough sizzling chemistry to keep you panting. It read like a Television mini series with all the characters, wicked and virtuous, being introduced and the perpetrator easily identifiable. Despite being a little predictable, the pace is good, the characters strong - each adding significant dimension to the book, and the action/suspense is arresting. The author balances the intensity between the mystery and the romance effortlessly. I feel there could have been more probing into the dreams Cassie experienced, and a less conspicuous villain, but otherwise, it was an engaging, promising start to an excellent series. Just wait till you read the second book Operation: Endeavor…

Learn more about Christi Snow and upcoming titles on her website, Facebook and Twitter.

This review provided by: Musing Maddie

Published by Christi Snow

Disclaimer:  No compensation was received for this review.  

ARC received from author in exchange for honest review.