Title: Ricochet: Locked and Loaded (Ricochet, #1)
Author: Heather C. Leigh
Releasing March 29, 2015
Rick "Ricochet" Brennan
served eight years as an elite Marine special ops Force Recon soldier. After an
injury, and the terrible memories from that night, he retires and goes to work
for his former Command Officer, Howard "Mack" McEvoy, at his training
center in Atlanta.
Sanctum MMA appears on the surface
to be a normal gym, training elite fighters to be the best. Except each
trainer, hand-picked by Mack, possesses a special background that allows Mack
to run one of the best-kept secrets in the country.
When twenty-four year old Quinn
Wallace finally escapes her abusive husband, she turns to her father’s old
Marine Corps buddy, Mack, for help. Broken and skittish, Quinn finds herself
surrounded by large, intimidating men— men who could easily overpower her. She
avoids them the best she can, but when Rick turns out to be more than just a
rough fighter with bruised knuckles, she finds herself wondering if she can
allow herself to trust again.
Ricochet is a full-length novel to
be released as three parts.
***This book contains hot sweaty
men, sexy scenes for those over 18, and uncomfortable, sometimes violent
scenes.***
3.5 Stars
This quick read got me interested
in the series quickly. It’s full of angst, unexpected love, steamy melt your
panties moments, and a fun cast of characters.
Rick “Ricochet” is a former marine,
forced to get out when he was wounded in battle. Now, he trains at an MMA gym…sometimes.
Mostly, he is part of an elite task force run from within the gym. He’s a playboy,
a charmer, and a sexy as hell fighter. Who could resist? But, it’s not those
traits that make him irresistible, no, it’s the man he chooses to become when
he meets Quinn.
Quinn is deeply scared by her past.
For the first time in her life, she is out from under a controlling man, first
her father, and then her abusive husband. However, she is still hiding from
that past. She isn’t looking for a relationship, she isn’t ready for one. But,
Rick creeps under her skin and she begins to see that there are men out there
who are trustworthy, loving, kind, and a gentleman. And yet, she lets the
wounds underneath the scars fester and the burn makes her skittish and ready to
run.
Splitting this novel into three
parts was very smart in my opinion. I read through this book very fast and it
kept it from any chance of getting tedious and long. In the end, I was so curious
to see where the cliffhanger would lead, I jumped right into the next one. I
like the cast of characters and would definitely be interested in reading about
some of their stories as well. There was definitely some chuckling out loud
from time to time.
There were a couple of things that
pulled the rating down for me. I have to WARN you, there is a rape scene. It’s
between a wife and her abusive husband, but none-the-less, it is still rape. However,
I was able to get through it (which is saying a lot for me), but I would rather
it had been inferred than described. Its right at the beginning, so I suggest
you either power through and move on, or skip over it and keep reading. But,
keep reading.
The military stuff can be a tad dry,
but it’s not very often and most of the information is pretty interesting.
For a woman who was treated like
Quinn was for two years, I found her resilience, when it comes to a physical
relationship, to be a little bit unbelievable. It lingered in the back of my
mind throughout the book, however, the story kept me going and it was fairly
easy to ignore and enjoy the book anyway.
Overall, I liked Rick and Quinn as
characters and want to get to know them better and continue their story in the
next book. It was well written, the characters and plot were pretty developed,
and the story kept me interested. I think you’ll enjoy these two and their
friends.
“Tucker? What the fuck are you
doing up here? Where’s Quinn? Is she sick?”
The wiry man pushed his glasses up
on his nose, glancing at Rick from behind his computer screen. “In back.” He
stabbed his thumb over his shoulder in the direction of the main gym. “I’m just
watching the door for her while she trains.”
“Trains?” Rick growled. “What the
fuck does that mean?”
Tucker sat up straight and crossed
his arms, giving Rick his full attention, something the socially challenged man
almost never did. “What’s it to you, Ricochet?”
Rick scowled at Tucker’s use of his
nickname, knowing that the man was baiting him. Tucker might look small and
geeky and love computers, but he was a fifth degree black belt in Shotokan
karate. He had held his own in a spur of the moment karate match with UFC
welterweight champion George St. Pierre.
“Nothing. Forget it.” Rick huffed,
storming past the front desk and the smirking Tucker. He swiped his badge,
irritated at himself for letting Tucker get under his skin. Hell, he was
irritated at himself for letting Quinn get under his skin. Rick was even too
pissed to call the small guy “big man” like he usually did.
Twenty-eight
fucking years without a single person to worry about except myself. Less than a
month after Quinn walks through the front door and I barely recognize the guy
in the mirror or the thoughts in my own head anymore.
Rick marched into the training area
in a cloud of anger.
Fucking
Tucker, messing my head all up.
When he reached the edge of the mat
covered floor, his world stopped spinning and came to a screeching halt. He
blinked, certain that his mind was playing tricks on him. Nope. It wasn’t.
Across the gym, standing in front of the heavy bag wearing a tank top and those
damn miniature shorts, was Quinn. She was barefoot, punching and kicking the
bag with a jab-front kick combo.
Quinn all sweaty, wearing next to
nothing, was a sight to see. But what made the hairs on the back of his neck stand
up, what Rick immediately zeroed in on, was Xavier’s fucking hands on Quinn’s
hips, touching what belonged to Rick.
Belong to
me? Quinn doesn’t belong to me.
Rick shook the thoughts from his
head, squeezing his eyes shut until the angry red haze cleared. When he opened
them back up, he saw Xavier and Quinn staring at him, their lesson interrupted
by his odd behavior.
“Hey man.” Xavier held up a wrapped
hand in greeting. “Good to have you back.”
Rick’s furious scowl surprised his
friend, causing Xavier’s dark eyes to narrow suspiciously. Rick flicked his
gaze over to Quinn. She stood next to Xav, unmoving, her face blank as she
waited for her lesson to continue. It made Rick feel as if he were a mere
annoyance.
Already pissed and now embarrassed
on top of it, Rick spun on his heel and stomped down the hall. He swiped his
badge and punched in his code, opening the door to an empty Mission Control.
Rick paced the room, raking his hands through his hair in frustration. He
wanted to tear the room apart, but knew he’d face everyone’s wrath if he
destroyed the expensive equipment.
What the
fuck is wrong with me?
These unfamiliar feelings were
messing with his head. Rick couldn’t define them, couldn’t explain them, and
had absolutely no idea how to deal with them. The only way he knew how to
release frustration was fucking or fighting. Right now, he was way too volatile
to fuck.
Fighting it
is then.
Ricochet: Locked & Loaded (Ricochet, #1)
Releasing April 5, 2015
Pre – Order ….
Releasing April 12, 2015
Pre – Order ….
I grew up in New England and currently live outside Atlanta, GA with my husband, two kids, a French Bulldog and a pug. I'm a full-time procrastinator and a part-time everything else. I love the Red Sox, chocolate, and traveling. When I'm not writing, I'm dealing drugs legally as a pharmacist.
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