Ready

Lise Barton has just become a character in one of her books.

After finding success with hard hitting, kick butt heroines who always come out on top, Lise Barton has settled into her writing career. Things are going well for her family—her brother and his wife have a marriage with the love of a lifetime, their little girl is the apple of Lise’s heart and she’s moving along just fine on her latest book. That is until a stalker known only as Nemesis begins turning her peaceful, well-organized life upside down. At first, there are only nasty emails, a few crank calls, prompting a move to Seattle. But Nemesis is on the move as well. Is Lise being knocked into traffic and almost being hit by a car an accident or an intentional act by a man growing more out of control? Determined not to drag her family into her personal drama, Lise decides she is not going back to the family ranch in Texas for Thanksgiving.

Her brother and his friend Joshua have something else in mind. Joshua Watt isn’t just a good looking guy with a body Lise can barely keep her hands from. He’s a former Army Ranger turned mercenary and his mission becomes protecting Lise. Along with his friends Nitro and Hotwire, Joshua aka the Lone Wolf embarks on the mission of his life, saving Lise. Nemesis is a step ahead of him, almost like he can read Joshua’s mind. But, can Lise and Joshua put aside their feelings for each other, ones that aren’t exactly warm and fuzzy to behind with, to save Lise’s life?

In READY, the first of her Mercenary series, author Lucy Monroe tackles a subject that may niggle at the back of most authors minds: what happens fan adoration hits a little too close to home. Or what happens when someone starts to think that their book is about them and the author is exposing their world? Lise tries to do the right thing by going to the police who don’t seem to think she has much of a case. He’s just a fan, right? While reading READY this reviewer wondered what she would do in a similar situation. Ms. Monroe certainly gives her readers something to think about.

Since the early 2000s, Ms. Monroe has written in a variety of genres from historical to contemporary to romantic suspense. Having had the opportunity read several of her books this reviewer can tell you each genre has a unique and interesting voice. One can easily see how deeply immersed the author is in her writing.

One problem with READY, however, is the considerable amount of head hopping. While some can make for an entertaining story and, in a fast, action packed book like READY, move the action along, in this case there was just too much. There were any number of times this reviewer had to go back and track the sentences to figure out who was saying what.

Most of the story takes place in Lise’s apartment in Seattle, but when the team moves to Vermont, Ms. Monroe creates a very special world that is a feast for the reader’s imagination. Joshua can build this reviewer a house any time he wants!

Each book in the Mercenary series is a stand-alone and can be read out of order. Despite the point of view shifts in READY it is a definite “must add” to the reader’s “too be read” pile. It is a unique, and perhaps personal look into an author’s life that entertains and holds the reader’s attention throughout.

May 2007