Title: Deadly Strain
Author: Julie Rowe
Genre: Romantic Suspense, Military Romance
Book Blurb:
Book one of Biological Response Team
Major Grace Samuels, a trauma surgeon deployed to Afghanistan, spends her life helping her fellow soldiers overcome disease and combat injuries. But her own wounds are harder to heal. Wracked with guilt over the death of a fellow soldier, she finds comfort in her only friend and appointed bodyguard, weapons sergeant Jacob "Sharp" Foster.
Sharp feels more for Grace than a soldier should, more than he wants to admit. When the team discovers a new, quick-to-kill strain of anthrax, he tries to focus on the mission to find its source. He knows he can help Grace defeat her demons, but first they must defeat the deadly outbreak.
Sharp is Grace's most loyal ally, but in close quarters, he starts to feel like more. She can't watch someone else she cares about die—but she might not have a choice. The closer they get to finding the source of the strain, the closer it gets to finding them.
My Review:
Dr. Grace Samuels is a hero in the eyes of this civilian. She's a trauma surgeon in Afghanistan and her job is to treat combat soldiers. She's brave, tough and wracked with guilt over the death of a fellow soldier. She buries her feelings and soldiers on (so to speak).
When there's a threat of a deadly strain of anthrax, Grace and Sharp must work together to discover the source of the strain before it's too late. Someone is using anthrax as a weapon and a whole town is dead. Time is against them and the more they work together, the closer Grace and Sharp become. Grace pushes him away, fearing his death more than her own safety. Filled with twists and turns I didn't expect, this book reads like a blockbuster movie.
I'm a huge fan of romantic suspense and this book didn't disappoint. I loved the premise and the medical/military background information is peppered throughout the story. While I know this is fiction, it reads like reality, as if it came straight from the headlines.
That being said, I loved the slow-building of romance between Grace and Sharp. Grace is a hard person to get close to and yet the author shows the soft side of her. Sharp, on the other hand, is what many call an Alpha male. He's strong, sexy and shows Grace it's not life-threatening to love him.
I can't wait to read the next installment!
Favorite Character: I loved Grace for many reasons but one of them is her humanity. She's been through the wars and seen it all. She knows she shouldn't "feel" for Sharp yet she can't help herself. My aunt is a nurse and I remember her telling me the hardest part in medicine is not dying every time a patient dies. For Grace, it's the soldiers she's surrounded by.
Favorite Quote:
How were they going to stay out of jail long enough to prove they weren’t the crazy ones?
Marshall had lost his mind. Ordering his men to fire on them—how was murder an acceptable response to soldiers following orders, even if they were someone else’s?
My Rating: 5 stars
Buy it now:
Author Biography:
Full-time author, freelance writer and workshop facilitator, Julie Rowe’s debut novel, Icebound, was released by Carina Press on Nov 14, 2011. Ten novels and eight anthologies have followed. Her most recent titles are the MEN OF ACTION boxed set and VIRAL JUSTICE book #3 of the Biological Response Team series. Julie’s articles and short stories have appeared in numerous magazines, such as Romantic Times Magazine, Today's Parent magazine and Canadian Living. Julie facilitates business writing and communication workshops at Keyano College in her home city, and has presented writing workshops at conferences in the United States and Canada. She’s also a strong supporter of life long learning and moderates a free announcement loop for the promotion of online classes, workshops and webinars. You can find her at www.julieroweauthor.com , on Twitter @julieroweauthor or at her Facebook page: www.facebook.com/JulieRoweAuthor.
Reviewed by: Mrs. N