Mercenary's Honor

Fiona Macmillan is tired of covering fluffy stories in LA. She wants a chance to do real, investigative work so she heads to Bogota, Columbia to try and discover something newsworthy. There she and her cameraman Tony Torres witness the execution of a top Revolutionary leader by Ramon Montoya, the head of Columbian National Security. Luckily, they get the execution on tape, unluckily, Tony is shot and killed in the process and while he lies dying, he urges her to run and get to a mercenary named Angel for protection. Angel Castillo is exhausted and all he wants is for the alcohol to take his nightmares away. He's still mourning the loss of his irrepressible fiancee and when Fiona walks into his bar, the similarities are painful. When he finds out about the death of his friend, he shakes off his funk and takes on the job of protecting Fiona and getting her and the tape out of Columbia. It's just a job he tells himself, and he'll be damned if he gets involved with another reporter. Angel drags Fiona all over Columbia, zig zagging their way through enemy territory, mercenaries and the military. Her resolve to do the right thing impresses him and his admiration and lust for her grows. At first Angel tries to hold himself back and stay aloof, but he remembers the last time he let something wonderful slip through his fingers and he vows not to make the same mistake again. This was a surprisingly exciting, thrilling and sexy read! I was really impressed by this little gem. Angel was extremely sexy and competent and Fiona was a brave and intelligent woman. I liked how she did what Angel told her to do, too. Sharon McClellan didn't rely on Fiona making stupid, reckless decisions to further the story along and when Fiona was able to help, she did so quickly and assertively. These were two well adjusted and intelligent people stuck in a deadly situation. Let's put it this way, if ever I was in such a situation, I would want to be on their team because these two were survivors. They used their wits and their brains and were able to not only get out alive, but were able to find love along the way. The love that these two found was a little abrupt but Sharon McClellan made it work and it wasn't intrusive. The whole story flowed naturally, and she was able to work a believable romance throughout all the action and it was just enough to make all the thrills worthwhile. There is a lot of crazy action in this fun story. Lots of memorable characters and also a lot of humor. While Angel is a quiet and steady merc, he and Fiona do share a few laughs that helped to relieve some of the tension. This was a perfect blend of romance, action and sexy thrills and I wouldn't mind hunting down some other books by Sharon McClellan. Enjoy!!

Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques Sharron McClellan makes her Silhouette Romantic Suspense debut with a thrilling adventure in Mercenary's Honor. Fiona Macmillan is a television reporter in Bogotá with her camera man Anthony Torres looking for a big story that can be the break their career needs when the story falls into her lap. Spying on the corrupt head of Columbian National Security, Ramon Montoya, they get the shock of their life when they get on tape Montoya killing Revolutionary leader Maria Salvador in cold blood, shooting her in the back. Next thing Fiona knows, Tony is shot and dying and makes her swear to find mercenary Angel to help her get the tape out of Columbia and show the world what Montoya is capable of doing. Angel is nothing like Fiona imagined when she hunts him down and he is reluctant to aid her, afraid of failing yet another woman in his care. However, Fiona's passion to break the story draws him in, even while he is convinced she is a foolish woman who cares more about her career than reporting the truth. However, Montoya knows what Fiona has and he will do anything to prevent her from sharing that tape with anyone. Now, in a race against time, Angel and Fiona are travelling across Columbia with enemies all around to get her to safety. Angel and Fiona never imagined their greatest fight would be against their own hearts. Excitement begins on the very first page and does not let up until the very end in Mercenary's Honor. Angel and Fiona have many enemies and few friends as they try to escape certain death at the hands of the ruthless Montoya. Between gang members, corrupt law enforcement and revolutionaries who believe Fiona killed Maria (the story Montoya released) there is no safe haven for Fiona and Angel. Sharron does a fantastic job of portraying the sense of imminent danger facing our couple, really making us sweat it out as we wonder what will happen next. Fiona and Angel both have their own issues, especially with guilt, to overcome. Angel punishes himself for not being able to save his former lover, who also happened to be a reporter hoping for her next big story, when she got in too deep and swears he will never end up in such a situation again. He doesn't want to help Fiona but knows he has to and through his relationship with her, he finally finds what he needs to recover from his past. Fiona feels guilty over Tony's death, especially since he'd have never been there to get the damning video footage if Fiona hadn't pushed him into it. With Angel's rather blunt and sometimes unappreciated help, Fiona gradually manages to put her guilt aside and accept that he knew what he was getting into and that by blaming herself, she's not seeing the full picture. Fiona and Angel need each other and their blossoming love to reach their full potential. One of the things I liked best about Mercenary's Honor is that Fiona is just an ordinary woman overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds. She has absolutely no skill