Entertaining racy romance book with a cocky ( for good reason) female character and a current day story arc. Perfect read for a plane ride or vacation. ( )

Okay probably one of my top 5 favorite books/series!

Loved the storyline and all they had to endure. As cool as it wold of been for her to be with peter, so glad it worked out this way!!! So glad they had a kiss to find out one way or the other!!
She always knew it was him....even in the hospital!

Loved that he followed her half way around the country to follow the girl & a kiss he couldn't get out of his mind!


My favorite nightstalker so far!!! ( )

I just finished reading this book for the second time. The first time through I couldn’t believe a man wrote this book. But Matthew Buchman has nailed a Romantic Suspense style usually only evident from female writers. Lucky us, because the action and the suspense are great. Man-action Great. And the romance is fine – romantic, convincing.

But the first time through, I also thought the waiting-around-time before the final action scene was too long, too grindingly slow. Waiting, waiting, waiting.

The second time I read the book I realized I had been wrong. The timing, the pace are prefect. I think Buchman’s suspense is so finely written that it felt interminable. It was supposed to. I was supposed to feel stretched on a rack with waiting – that if the suspense didn’t end soon, my last nerve was going to snap. Boing!

Both times through I found it amazing that I like Emily Beale. On the surface she’s tall, slender, blonde, beautiful and smart – a full 10 on anyone’s I-Hate-Her meter. She can drop a Secret Service agent on his butt before she outshoots him. She’s a perfect over-achiever. Is that a tautology? She flies helicopters. She was valedictorian at West Point, she finished Army Ranger school. She’s made herself into a SOAR pilot, flying DAP helicopters on dangerous night missions over Afghanistan, heads up a three-man crew, was an Army Ranger and she’s an excellent chef. The biggest fly in her torte della nonna is her CO, Major Mark Henderson, whose laconic praise makes Jack Reacher look talkative. Oh, yeah, her mom would trade all Emily’s achievements for a wedding ring. Her dad – classic workaholic.

What makes her likable? First of all, she’s merely one over-achiever in a book-full of them. Her mother, her father, Maj. Mark Henderson, her hunky three man crew who are the best at what they do, even the boy next door– every one of these people has accomplished so much I’m ready to make a paper airplane out of my college degree. And they’re all fascinating, because expertise and competence are.
Secondly, she’s likable because she is a nice person. She knows who she is, who she has made herself into. And she likes that person.

When, at the President’s request, Emily is transferred from Afghanistan to be the First Lady’s Chef at the White House, we worry right along with Emily about her position with SOAR. Will Maj. Henderson replace her? What about that kiss? Will he replace her because of the kiss? Can she go back to her unit after that kiss? What about that KISS?

When Emily trades her helmet for a chef’s apron, I was afraid the action was over – and I like action. But be warned, Matt Buchman is one sneaky writer – the action and suspense are just beginning when Emily moves into the White House. Lucky us.

Bravo! ( )

This review contains MAJOR spoilers, so be forewarned.

When I read the premise of this at Netgalley, it really caught my attention because I wondered how can there be a romance with the heroine’s commander without both loosing their positions and getting in trouble? The start of The Night is Mine was really strong, and I really enjoyed reading about the military aspects of the Night Stalkers, and it was great seeing a strong powerful female featuring in such a male dominant workplace as the Captain.

But what started out so strong turned into a unbelievable plot that honestly had me double taking at what I was reading. Emily who pilots and goes into special forces missions is summoned from her station, and is ordered to become the First Lady’s special chef and bodyguard after the First Lady sees a television interview where Emily is shown cooking. All of Emily’s abilities as a pilot and being the only woman there are not mentioned. First off, that plot about only showing her as a cook I DOUBT very much would happen because it practically screams sexism so much that the insult given to the heroine when she’s putting her life on the line for her country, no TV station would do that. And secondly, the TV station in question is CNN. So that I found hard to believe. But please be warned, there are many things I find hard to believe in this book.

Secondly, that the First Lady has the power to remove Emily from her position to become her personal chef had my eyebrows raised so high I thought they’d be soon in my hairline. You see, the First Lady has had an assignation attempt on her life, and she doesn’t trust the secret service so when she sees Emily on that insulting TV interview, she tells them she wants Emily to guard her whilst cooking for her. And this is also allowed to happen because Emily mother’s and Father are important in scheme of politics with her Mother being a federal judge and Emily’s father as the Director of the FBI.

Oh, and within all this Emily has to deal with her attraction for her Commander, Mark, where before she leaves, he kisses her. Just like that. He kisses her and risks his job and hers. We’re told they have an attraction to one another, but there was no connection or chemistry between them. And it becomes even more unbelievable when Emily at The White House flies a helicopter with the First Lady in it, and a missile is launched at them from the unseen enemy and hits the helicopter, temporarily blinding and injuring Emily. And Mark, her commander, is on mission when someone casually over the radio informs him when he’s currently ‘blasting the enemies’ that Emily was in an accident….

Now I couldn’t believe what I was reading, so I emailed E and asked her is this at all realistic. And she reliably informs me and I quote, “OMGWTFBBQ?!?!?!?”. Also, I’ve been told it’s extremely unlikely that a female pilot would ever be allowed in SOAR. So while I take in that this is fiction, the way it’s played out I find to be quite insulting in the sense of the ridiculousness of the plot in a military setting where it goes beyond the pale of real military life. I was expecting a heroine in serious military combat, and got the most ridiculous plot.

The book also has long periods of where nothing happens, and when something does happen, it’s so over the top that I couldn’t believe what I was reading. Whilst Emily is laying in the hospital bed after the missile attack, her and Mark do the dirty (without going all the way) in the room. It was so sudden and so unsexy that I really had a hard time believing in any sort of believable romance between them. And having the hero really ogle the First Lady is so unromantic to the point where he’s aware of her is just slimy. Yet the smile of Emily in the next instance wipes all thoughts of the First Lady from his brain. Nice.

This is a quote where Mark sees the First Lady:

“The First Lady was Hot. With a capital H! She packed a one- two punch of raw sexuality that maybe Beale had missed, but it hit his testosterone head on. This was a mature woman with a body built to last. Long, flowing red hair and cream skin right out of any man’s fantasy. And tall . Almost as tall as Beale. With powerful curves that strained and pressed against the imagination.

“Is this him?” Katherine Matthews closed in until they were inches apart and her perfume filled his brain. Not some spicy new scent from JLo or the decadent luxury of Chanel. This was warm woman. One who knew exactly how good a woman and a bit of lavender soap could smell without any additions.”

OK, nothing wrong with admiring the opposite sex, but this was just overboard. Needless to say, more WTF am I reading carries on with the First Lady nekid on the floor in the throes of passion with the Chief of Staff. I kid you not, this almost reads like a Jackie Collins novel.

The books ends with a big bang and I won’t spoil you with the big reveal on the end regarding who the baddie is because it’s so funny in a ‘are you kidding me’ way that I do believe this book can be reads for the LOLs. Oh, and towards the end, we’re led to believe that Emily and Mark are the hero and heroine, but then Peter, The President, kisses Emily two days after the WTF ending, and I quote Emily’s reaction, “Then he took her in his arms, there in the elegant boudoir of the Hay- Adams suite, and gave her the kiss she’d been craving with body, mind, and soul since before she could remember.”.

But it’s OK, in the next few sentences she realises they are just friends, and Mark and Emily live happily ever after and never get into trouble for fraternising with one another.

So if you’re expecting a decent romance with a serious story in the military, don’t pick up this book.

I give this a D- for the ridiculousness of the plot. Yes I’m harsh, but I expect better of a publisher to publish this when it’s so far off base regarding the military lifestyle where the heroine is taken off duty to become a personal chef/bodyguard. No matter how crazy the plot, it’s quite insulting. ( )

I loved this book! I had read a couple reviews and I was on the fence, but I was desperate for a new author to like/love. So far I am definitley in like and if book 2 is as enjoyable headed for in love.

Emily was Superwoman but the author pretty much flat out tells you that. She is gorgeous, a genius, and can kick butt. Pretty great combination, (at times a little hard to believe ALL of her accomplishments) but I loved her character so much that I did not care, which is surprising because normally it is one of my pet peeves.

The story had really phenomanal action scenes (especially for this genre) some of the helicopter details were really top notch. You could really visualize what was happening when Emily was brining the chopper down to rescue Michael.

And the chef to the first lady, I was wondering at that point if the story was jumping the shark, but the author totally pulls it off. I loved Frank Adams, too bad he was married, I would have liked his story.

How crazy is this that I am this far in a review and have not even mentioned Mark the Hero who was ::sigh:: pretty perfect! LOVED HIM. He is the perfect man :).

As stated as soon as I finished I purchased the next book, crossing my fingers I love it as much. This book is worth the price. It is very action oriented the romance is there, but is is more an underlying tension in the book. Not super graphic. So if you like action with a side of romance this one is for you.