Mercenary: The Savage Seven

"Ms. Garbera once again demonstrates her ability to create chilling, intriguing, and hard-to-put-down suspenseful romances laced a high level of sensuality. The Mercenary is a fast paced adventure wrapped in an exciting plot and all built around a dynamic hero and heroine along with a group of secondary characters that are quite interesting. Ms. Garbera paints a realistically vivid picture that allows readers to understand the danger of the diamond mines, the unrest in Africa, and the danger that stalks the heroine. Every single scene, along with the characters' conflicts and reactions, are perfect and believable. Kirk and Olivia are characters who come from different worlds united by the deeply emotional bond that exists between them. Olivia is a strong, enchanting, and courageous heroine placed in a part of the world where she is challenged at every turn. Kirk is a delicious hero who is honorable, intelligent, and a whole lot dangerous! Together these two characters create magic and a deep sense of completeness for the reader to enjoy. Throughout the story the mounting sexual tension along with the clever y twisty turns add dimension to the story keeping the reader sitting on the edge of their seat." "Readers should be delightfully warned; once you start reading The Mercenary you won't be able to put it down until the last word is read! Truly captivating!" - Shannon

Protection is the name of the game in THE MERCENARY, Katherine Garbera's first installment of a brand new romantic suspense series titled The Savage Seven. Kirk Mann has been given the assignment of protecting pretty girl Olivia Jenner - something that he is definitely not looking forward to doing. Olivia Jenner has moved to South Africa to live with her fiancé. Pampered, elegant, and the ultimate arm candy, Olivia is slowly becoming aware that things aren't exactly what she expected. Her fiancé is gone more than he is home, and his dealings seem shady at best. When he calls demanding she bring him a folder he needs for work, Olivia doesn't think twice about the request. It isn't until she sees him kill a man and then aim the gun at her that Olivia's senses kick in, and she knows she has to get away. Calling one of her best friends, Olivia is given a way out - she is to meet the agent sent to protect her at the airport and do precisely what he says. Kirk Mann is an ex-marine and a member of Savage Seven. Given the duty of traveling to South Africa to find and protect Olivia Jenner is definitely not his idea of a good time. He has a feeling that he and the pretty and pampered party girl will clash at every turn. His intuition is correct - on that aspect at least. However, Olivia's strength and fortitude in the face of tremendous danger makes Kirk rethink his opinion of her. Striving to keep Olivia safe without letting his blossoming feelings emerge, Kirk has his work cut out for him. Katherine Garbera is an automatic read for me no matter which type of book she releases. Whether she is releasing a straight contemporary or a romantic suspense novel like THE MERCENARY, I know that I am going to be engulfed and swept away by each and every word. THE MERCENARY is exactly this type of book. Olivia, at first glance, is a pampered princess. She doesn't work. She parties and plays and sleeps. But the further you look into her psyche, the more you realize that everything that she does is almost an illusion and defense mechanism. She is comfortable being what people expect - she is not comfortable being herself. Kirk Mann is having none of it. He wants Olivia. He wants Olivia to admit she wants him. The rest is gravy. Densely packed suspenseful action with a killer plot that engages the reader from the first page, THE MERCENARY is remarkable. I am on pins and needles waiting for the second installment of this exciting and addicting new series by one of my favorite authors! Natalie S.

In South Africa, affluent socialite Olivia Pontouf and diamond-mine manager Ray Lambert are engaged. However, their wedding plans die when she accidentally uncovers evidence he commits business murder and fraud. When he realizes what his fiancée has learned, Ray plots her death. The Savage Seven mercenaries are hired to protect Olivia. However, by the time second in command Kirk Mann lands in Johannesburg, Ray has kidnapped Olivia. The ex-marine is all action and few words as he leads the counteroffensive to rescue the wealthy heiress. He succeeds, but has a new more lethal problem that neither his marine nor his Savage Seven training helps solve; he is attracted to his client and worse she reciprocates never feeling safer than when she is with Kirk. This opening act is more a thriller than a romantic suspense though there is a major romance subplot. That feels out of place and would have been better suited to have had overly spoiled Olivia in a role similar to that of Erika Eleniak in Steven Seagal's movie Under Siege. Still the story line is fast-paced and filled of furious action as Kirk and company kick butt in the terrific South African backdrop. Katherine Gabera provides an overall exciting first magnificent Savage Seven tale. Harriet Klausner