into the crossfire.

Former Navy SEAL Sam Reston keeps to himself. His world is dangerous, uncertain, violent...and there is no room in it for the helpless and weak. Then the most beautiful woman in the world moves in next door to him . . . .

Nicole Pearce's life is complicated enough—with an ailing father and a new business to worry about—and the last thing she needs is to get involved with a secretive, hard-bodied, hardheaded neighbor. Yet Sam leaves her breathless—her body tingling with erotic desire—and it takes every ounce of her fabled control to resist offering herself to him, no strings attached. What she doesn't know is that Sam Reston is on an undercover assignment . . . and she's about to step into the crossfire.

Never has Sam ached for a woman so badly, and he's never fallen in love before. Now that Nicole is in grave danger, he will become her shield, and guard the tempting body he longs to touch and taste. Because a terrorist plot hatched half a world away is heading to their doorstep—and it can only be derailed by one man and one woman.

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The short version: I didn't like it. I don't read erotica because I don't like it. So, if you're a fan of it, maybe you won't have the same issues that I had. If you're wondering why I read this, it was based on a recommendation from a good friend who did enjoy it.

Ok, the positives. I thought Nicole was a great character. The reasons behind her actions were clear, her love for her father came through the pages easily. I also really liked the villain here. It was the most believable part of the book. I thought it was sneaky, but could've been better executed.

Now for the rest. I can’t say any of the same character type things for Sam. He didn’t come across as genuine to me. I found it unbelievable that these two people fell in love over the course of the book. I thought the sex scenes were unfeeling. That wouldn't be a problem except you're trying to get me to believe that they are somehow falling in love. I couldn't get with that. On the other end of things, it took a long time for the author to actually introduce the danger to Nicole.

The writing itself also left a bit to be desired. Something was off about it and I found myself being more distracted by that than into the story itself. At least I can tell my friend that I read it and it's not my cup of tea.