Hover by Anne A. Wilson

First Line: Frigid water fills the cockpit.

Helicopter pilot Lieutenant Sara Denning can be a mass of contradictions. She wants to be the absolute best that she can be as a U.S. Navy pilot, but she doesn't want to stand out in any way. She's a Naval Academy graduate who's deathly afraid of the water. She's a lonely hermit who's a total contrast to her very feminine and outgoing best friend and roommate, Emily Wyatt. Sara is buried under so many defensive layers that she's lost herself.

But that's all about to change. She's the pilot of choice for a Navy SEAL team led by Lieutenant Eric Marxen. This blatant favoritism causes Sara all sorts of problems with her fellow pilots, and although she wants those problems to disappear, she can't deny that Marxen is making all her defenses begin to crumble. Soon the training missions become the real thing, and Sara's life is on the line. Is she going to have what it takes to not only survive but to become the person she was meant to be?

If you want to know what it's like to be a woman in a male-dominated world like the U.S. Navy, read Anne Wilson's Hover. If you want to know about the technology and training that goes into being a Navy helicopter pilot, read Anne Wilson's Hover. If you want to feel as though you're participating in secret Navy SEAL missions, read Anne Wilson's Hover. And if that's not enough for you, throw in a toe-curling romance.

As I've already stated, Sara Denning is a mass of contradictions. The words she uses to describe the sea can make a person's skin crawl-- and I love the ocean. It definitely made me wonder why on earth she would deliberately choose to join the Navy. Readers aren't left to wonder for long: Sara is carrying a boatload of guilt over her brother's death. She's thrown up so many defensive walls to help her cope-- and even excel-- at something she's petrified of that it's a wonder she's still sane. Hover is a character study of Sara Denning, and it's a fascinating one even though it has more romance in it than I would prefer.  I do have to say that yes, I did find the romance annoying from time to time, but it is essential to the growth of Sara's character, so I just sat back and dealt with it.

Dealing with it wasn't all that difficult because there were so many other facets of the book that I enjoyed-- what some readers might call the Tom Clancy elements of military technology and training, those training missions, being part of a carrier strike force, and Sara's being groomed for a top secret mission. These elements shouldn't be too over-the-top for most female readers because of the focus on-- yes-- that romance, and on Sara's relationships with her best friend, her fellow pilots, and her superior officers. Throw in some shore leave in Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates, and Hover is a book that kept my attention from first page to last. If this is a first novel (and it is), I'm really looking forward to Anne Wilson's next book! 

Hover by Anne A. Wilson

ISBN: 9780765378491
Forge Books © 2015
Hardcover, 320 pages

Thriller, Standalone
Rating: A
Source: Amazon Vine 

Bloodline by James Rollins

First Line: They once called her a witch and a whore.

Author James Rollins brings us the eighth adventure of Sigma Force, an elite covert arm of the Defense Department composed of former Special Forces officers who've been trained as experts in various scientific fields.

Once again that fascinating organization of old, the Knights Templar, provide background for a novel. Of the nine original members of the Templars, only one is not known by name-- and that is the member Rollins weaves his story around. In the eleventh century, this Knight Templar uncovers the Bachal Isu-- the staff of Jesus Christ-- deep within an ancient citadel. This priceless object contains a power capable of changing humankind forever.

One thousand years later, Somali pirates kidnap a young pregnant American woman. Gray Pierce of Sigma Force is enlisted for a covert rescue mission because the young woman is not your average rich tourist: she is Amanda Gant-Bennett, the daughter of the President of the United States. For this mission, the help of two new operatives is enlisted because of their special talents. On board for this rescue are former Army Ranger Captain Tucker Wayne and his military war dog, Kane.

What soon becomes clear is that the kidnapping of the President's daughter masks a much larger and more complex plot. Gray and his fellow Sigma Force operatives are facing a shadowy group which has been manipulating events throughout history... and now they have plans for the presidency.

If you feel the need to devour an occasional high-octane thriller that contains large doses of cutting edge medicine, genetics and technology, you're going to love this book. If you like the occasional read about power-mad thugs who believe they are entitled to carry out any insane scheme they can concoct because you love to grind your teeth and feel your blood pressure spike, this is the book for you. If you have obtained enjoyment from people not following the old actors' adage to never work with children and animals because they always steal the show, you're going to love Kane the war dog. (He's an absolute treasure.) If you like a bit of comic relief, then Kowalski's your man.

Were there any huge surprises in the plot for me? No, unless you count the fact that these characters are much more developed than the characters in most thrillers. Did I feel as though I were missing something by joining this eight-book series with the most recent adventure? Not at all. This book hit the ground running and the action never let up. I will admit that I'd like to check into previous books in the series because I enjoyed some of the characters so much and would like to know more about their backstories.

Was the plot always plausible? No, but-- if you really think about it-- isn't that part of the fun with thrillers like this? Lots of action, lots of things blowing up, you get to root for the Good Guys and hate the Bad Guys, and you even get to learn a few things along the way. Result: a good time was had by all... at least in this house!

Bloodline by James Rollins

ISBN: 9780061784798

William Morrow and Company  ©2012

Hardcover, 464 pages

Genre: Thriller, #8 in the Sigma Force series

Rating: A

Source: Publisher