Title: True Peril
Author: Veronica Forand
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Release Date: March 7, 2016
Publisher: Entangled Select Suspense
Format: Paperback and Digital
ISBN: 9781633755772
Series: True Lies #3
She's this assassin's toughest assignment ever...
Socialite Trista Patterson has turned her back on her life of privilege and dedicated herself to helping others. Her mission to protect the world’s children often takes her into the bleak and violent underbelly of third world countries. When a kidnapping attempt goes wrong, Trista quickly finds herself running for her life...and married to a man she just met...as she’s placed at the top of the Cartel’s most wanted list.
Some days no good deed goes unpunished.
Dane O’Brien has spent his life in the shadows. Once a lethal assassin he grew tired of losing his soul with every hit, trading his gun and missions for a conference table and office politics as an undercover operative for the CIA. But when visiting his humanitarian sister turns deadly, Dane finds himself swearing to protect her beautiful and passionate friend Trista no matter the cost...even if it means stepping back into the world he swore never to return to. Although falling for the tough-hearted Trista is easy, keeping her alive is hard.
Get a Sneak Peek at True Peril!
Copyright © 2016 by Veronica Forand
“Trista?” he called out through the trees.
No answer.
“I’m Jenny’s brother. It’s safe.”
He called to her several more times and then started back to his car to gather supplies to hike a mile or two farther to try to find more evidence of her presence. The swish of a branch behind him caught his attention. Whoever was hiding had emerged.
Relief turned to caution as Trista walked out of the jungle with a layer of mud covering her and a handgun aimed at his head.
“Trista?”
She didn’t speak. Her eyes remained focused on him, and her legs seemed poised to take off at the slightest threat.
“Are you hurt?” he asked.
Hovering in the area between the road and the forest, she shook her head. “You’re Jenny’s brother?”
Her voice sounded stronger than her faltering body appeared. Some of the mud that covered her looked more like blood that had dried on her shirtsleeves and part of her pants.
“Yes. I’m Dane O’Brien.”
“What’s Jenny’s middle name?” Her eyebrows furrowed as they had in the pictures.
“She doesn’t have one.”
She took a tentative step forward. She observed Dane’s movements and fixed her eyes on his like a panther ready to pounce. “What’s her favorite drink?”
“Chocolate milkshakes. Or a margarita if the bar carries fresh limes.”
The tension in her face melted away. She pointed the gun to the ground and walked over to him. His arms opened automatically—after all, the woman had been through hell. She probably needed a hug or a shoulder to cry on.
She crossed her arms over her chest, the gun dangling from her hand. Her breathing pattern switched from a heavy sigh to a shivery exhale. He put his arms down and observed her.
“Are you okay?”
She nodded. “I’ll survive.”
“Let me rephrase. Do you need medical attention?”
“No.”
“Where are the men who took you from the village?”
“Dead.”
“You killed them?”
She nodded. Her gaze dropped to the ground. Most people never recovered from such a nightmare. Yet she’d not only lived through the ordeal, she emerged from the jungle healthy and armed.
Impressive.
He’d placed the odds against her, but now that he saw her in person, he’d have changed his bet. He approached her with caution. Her finger rested just outside the trigger, in a position a skilled shooter would feel comfortable with.
She peered up at him. “I’m glad you’re here. I didn’t know how I’d get down from the mountain. Is Jenny all right?”
“Worried about you.”
“What about Natalia?”
“I don’t know anything about her, except she’s probably alive thanks to you. Did they hurt you?” He placed a calming hand on her shoulder and slipped the gun out of her hand.
“No.” She eyed the weapon, but didn’t reach for it. Not that she’d be capable of taking it back from him.
“I’ve been listening to the group’s radio all night. They’re coming back. For me.” A tear rolled down her cheek. She ignored it and looked toward the hut. “I didn’t mean to kill them.”
“Kill or be killed.” He urged her toward the Land Cruiser with a soft hand still on her shoulder, trying to ease the wretched emotions that would brand her view of the world forever—the same emotions that tortured his soul every night. “You survived a kidnapping by two moronic men. Don’t feel guilty.”
“You’d have killed them?”
More than killed them. That’s why he hid away in an office now. If anyone had threatened to rape a young girl in his presence, he would have flayed their skin and stuffed it down their throats before ripping their hearts out. “I wouldn’t have been as merciful as you.”
After meeting Dane O'Brien in True Deceptions, I've been looking forward to reading more about this intriguing guy who's CIA cover is selling drones in California!
All Dane intended was a quick visit to the volatile Columbian jungle to check up on his little sister Jenny. Since the death of her husband, her work protecting and educating at-risk children has taken her to many dangerous places. San Stefano is no exception. On arrival, Dane is alerted to trouble and sets off to find his sister's missing friend. It wasn't part of his plan; he prefers a quieter life nowadays, and it isn't long before circumstances require him to name drop “Simon Dunn” to talk himself out of a tricky corner with a Columbian drug baron! All for a woman!
Trista Patterson, a socialite who trained as a police officer much to the disapproval of her parents, moved away from her privileged upbringing to help at-risk children in rural Columbia. After a raid on the village where she works, she allows herself to be taken hostage to save the life of a young teenage girl. Her training serves her well as she successfully defends herself against her two captors but then has to somehow make her way back to the village and her colleague Jenny Bloom. Whilst hiding out, she's surprised that someone is out looking to rescue her. A feat which proves to have life long consequences attached to it.
The plot moves effortlessly along as the two protagonists are thrown together courtesy of a quick thinking decision Dane makes on behalf of Trista. Now enter Simon Dunn, who's not happy about getting involved in his friend's “problems,” But ever the opportunist, the “rough around the edges” tough guy seizes the opportunity to manipulate the situation to further his own gains. He has plans for Dane O' Brien...if only he'd listen and accept!
Ms Forand's writing is impeccable as always as she leads on a journey from South America to rural England and back again. The plot twists as the protagonists struggle to understand each others motivations due to misunderstanding and false presumption...all whilst Simon Dunn plays them both to his advantage. Thus, the suspense is the strongest link in True Peril, while Dane and Trista's relationship is secondary resulting in a lower than a 5-star rating.
This Third book in the True Lies Series and can be read as a standalone, although I highly recommend reading Untrue Colors and True Deceptions to gain a greater character insight into Dane, Simon and Cassie. There is a more than welcome cameo from Henry and Alex too. Ms. Forand is one of my go-to authors and that status isn't going to change any-time soon.
4 Stars
***arc generously received courtesy of Entangled Publishing via NetGalley***
All Dane intended was a quick visit to the volatile Columbian jungle to check up on his little sister Jenny. Since the death of her husband, her work protecting and educating at-risk children has taken her to many dangerous places. San Stefano is no exception. On arrival, Dane is alerted to trouble and sets off to find his sister's missing friend. It wasn't part of his plan; he prefers a quieter life nowadays, and it isn't long before circumstances require him to name drop “Simon Dunn” to talk himself out of a tricky corner with a Columbian drug baron! All for a woman!
Trista Patterson, a socialite who trained as a police officer much to the disapproval of her parents, moved away from her privileged upbringing to help at-risk children in rural Columbia. After a raid on the village where she works, she allows herself to be taken hostage to save the life of a young teenage girl. Her training serves her well as she successfully defends herself against her two captors but then has to somehow make her way back to the village and her colleague Jenny Bloom. Whilst hiding out, she's surprised that someone is out looking to rescue her. A feat which proves to have life long consequences attached to it.
The plot moves effortlessly along as the two protagonists are thrown together courtesy of a quick thinking decision Dane makes on behalf of Trista. Now enter Simon Dunn, who's not happy about getting involved in his friend's “problems,” But ever the opportunist, the “rough around the edges” tough guy seizes the opportunity to manipulate the situation to further his own gains. He has plans for Dane O' Brien...if only he'd listen and accept!
Ms Forand's writing is impeccable as always as she leads on a journey from South America to rural England and back again. The plot twists as the protagonists struggle to understand each others motivations due to misunderstanding and false presumption...all whilst Simon Dunn plays them both to his advantage. Thus, the suspense is the strongest link in True Peril, while Dane and Trista's relationship is secondary resulting in a lower than a 5-star rating.
This Third book in the True Lies Series and can be read as a standalone, although I highly recommend reading Untrue Colors and True Deceptions to gain a greater character insight into Dane, Simon and Cassie. There is a more than welcome cameo from Henry and Alex too. Ms. Forand is one of my go-to authors and that status isn't going to change any-time soon.
4 Stars
***arc generously received courtesy of Entangled Publishing via NetGalley***
Check out the other books in the True Lies series!
UNTRUE COLORS, True Lies #1
“A briskly paced romance featuring breathless suspense.”—Kirkus Reviews
TRUE DECEPTIONS, True Lies #2
A Golden Pen winner in romantic suspense and a triple finalist in the Daphne Du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense, Veronica Forand is an attorney and a novelist. She's lived in Boston, London, Paris, Geneva, and Washington, DC and currently resides near Philadelphia. An avid traveler, she loves to roam across continents with her husband and kids in pursuit of skiing, scuba diving, and finding the perfect piece of chocolate.
Read more about her upcoming releases and appearances at http://veronicaforand.com/.
Read more about her upcoming releases and appearances at http://veronicaforand.com/.
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