Cover of Darkness

I found this book exciting and spine-tingling, capturing my attention from the first word to the last. The scenes are so descriptive I was able to picture them readily; in fact, I suffered in the heat right along with Bryn, felt her terror rappelling down a clifside, and her pain when she is hurt. The author put me right in the delicious love scenes, which I didn't want to end. The characters are so well done that you're certain they're real. You want, right along with Declan and Bryn, to see that Tehrazzi gets the punishment he deserves. Declan comes off as a true hero, a capable but very caring man. His struggle to remain professional while falling in love is poignant and beautifully described. The author also makes clear Bryn's difficulty understanding Declan's mixed signals. We struggle with her all the way through, until the final battle with Tehrazzi. The pace is astounding, and the author keeps us in suspense until the end. I loved this and will look for more from this author. - Jaye Leyel

This is the first Kaylea Cross book I read, and my first thought was, "Why doesn't this author have more exposure"?! Bryn is a Lebanese-American who is abducted along with her father in Beirut. They are kept captive for some time before being rescued by Navy SEALs. One of those SEALs is Declan, and over the course of the rescue, and the ensuing dramas, Bryn and Dec develop a relationship. There are plenty of people out there who want Bryn dead, but it is part of a bigger picture that involves Islamic extremists in a number of Middle Eastern countries. This is an author who really knows what she's writing about. There are some writers whose books are classified as `military romance' who don't seem to have the faintest idea what it is like to be a Navy SEAL or other Special Forces soldier. Kaylea Cross knows. For me it is extremely important to have the military aspect as strong as the relationship part of the story. I loved this story from start to finish. I could go on about Cross all day, because - to quote a cliché - her writing `ticks all my boxes'. As with Cindy Gerard and Suzanne Brockmann, she really gets what military romantic suspense should be about. The relationship is crucial to the action, and the action crucial to the relationship. As with my other favourite authors in this genre, one aspect never, ever, gets in the way of the other. As much as I love Dec, the hero of the next book - Ben - plays a big part in this one. I fell completely and utterly in love with him here, and you absolutely must read on with his story No Turning Back. Though these books stand up perfectly on their own, they are part of a series, and you definitely will not regret reading all of them.

I will not go into a rehash of the story since the previous review did that all ready. IF you love military romantic suspense then you really do owe it to yourself to read this story. THIS IS MY favorite genre and I would put this story up against Melton or Brockmann any day. I can't wait to get more from her. I hope she has plans to write more around the characters that were in this one. Declan was one seriously hot alpha male, take charge of any situation. He was solid. There is not one thing I would change about him. Bryn was an awesome female lead. Very strong physically and emotionally considering all that happens in this book. The bad guy Tezharri was freaky scary. I can picture him out there exacting his next plot...... Again I am so glad I found Ms. Cross. I look forward to reading more and waiting for her next installment.....I have added this one to my military ops list of books to keep!

Originally posted at [...] As current as today's news, Cover of Darkness is scary as all get out at times. Bryn McAllister of American/Lebanese heritage, a social worker in Oregon, visits her politically powerful father in Beirut. After his death and her captures by longtime enemies of her father, Bryn's life becomes entangled with Navy SEAL Lt. Declan McCabe (Dec) and with Luke Hutchinson's (the ex-husband and father of Bryn's friend Emily and her son Rayne). Farouck Tehrazzi, a religious zealot, a Harvard graduate, and American trained fighter, has sworn jihad until all infidels are destroyed. His warped mind makes him determined to capture his old enemy's daughter--Bryn. The testosterone level all but sucks the oxygen out of the room after Dec's SEAL team rescues Bryn then has to hole up to wait out a sandstorm. Their male protective energy is palpable. They watch Bryn, under difficult conditions, keep moving even when it seems her last ounce of strength is gone, and when the fighting starts, she proves to be a good one to have on their side. She calls up every skill and instinct she has to survive even when things look hopeless. She is feminine, gentle by nature, but incredibly tough when she needs to be. Even when Luke puts her at great risk, she "sucks it up" and does her part even though it is degrading and disgusting. Dec, a born leader, loves the adrenaline rush of the action Navy SEALs engage in, but he questions the advisability of doing it for too long after he sees how Luke Hutchinson operates. His attraction to Bryn makes him rethink his priorities. The many intriguing secondary characters and their motivations, the subterfuge, hate, and the love make Cover of Darkness a breathtaking and a heartbreaking story of life in a war zone and what it takes to survive. The price is sometimes high. The excitement, fear, and horror keep the adrenaline pumping at top speed as the story unfolds. How love survives and even thrives in such times is a mystery and a miracle. Kaylea Cross' writing style plunks the reader down into the middle of the action, traitorous deals, and the horrors of war as she mines the best and the worst of human nature to create a phenomenal love story.