Jillian David – Fallen Comrade

Today, I’m hosting author Jillian David’s latest release Fallen Comrade, book one in the Project Morpheus series, a romantic military suspense. Be sure to read my review. And don’t forget to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway.

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Title: Fallen Comrade
Series: Project Morpheus, Book 1
Author: Jillian David
Genre: Romantic Military Suspense

Blurb: Ex-Green Beret Jake Zimmerman’s Georgia mountain seclusion is shattered when the one woman he should never have left, pregnant Kiera McNeill, shows up on his doorstep. Her life is in danger, thanks to a botched Morpheus Squad mission. If the nature of her baby is discovered, evil forces will stop at nothing to capture Kiera. When Kiera learns of Jake’s top-secret Morpheus Virus running through his veins, she realizes that her protector is the deadlier threat.

Kiera knows the secrets of Fallen Comrades, a billion-dollar “charity” which siphons donations away from wounded veterans and into the pockets of power-hungry CFO Beau Lequire. Now her sadistic ex-boss, Lequire, wants revenge. Her only chance of escape rests in the lethal hands of the man who once rejected her: Jake. All she needs to do is suppress her feelings for Jake long enough to destroy Fallen Comrades, stay alive, and save her baby.

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Thanks to his tree-mounted security cameras that made the system guarding the crown jewels look amateur, it took less than ten seconds for Jake Zimmerman to identify the vehicle creeping to a stop in front of his remote Blue Ridge, Georgia, cabin. Silver Hyundai Accent, five years old, brand-new tires. No registration.

He cocked his head to the side. No whumps of an incoming government helo.

Sparks of adrenaline fired up his nerves, lasering all of his senses on the intruder.

He ran the pad of his index finger over the rough grip of the Sig nestled in his shoulder holster. How could anyone find him? He’d buried his personal intel deeper than a black ops mission file.

With minimal concentration, Jake could detect the ever-present multitool tucked away in a pocket and ready to go for any occasion.

He peered at the … occasion … on the computer screen.

He kept the house lights off. Control, dammit. Drawing a hand over his face, he took several deep breaths. The muscles in his neck clenched, refusing to loosen. The damned virus had started to take over his brain again until his entire world narrowed down to one mandate: destroy.

No, damn it. He was not this … monster.

Thanks to the top-secret Project Morpheus he had volunteered for almost two years ago in Special Forces, the darkness within Jake thrived on the anarchy that was his virally corrupted soul.

Add in an uninvited visitor, and it looked like tonight would bring even more fun for one of the U.S. Army’s best-kept secrets.

Did the person want to rob him? Jake had no material items of value.

Well, he had a locket with a clip of smooth auburn hair he should have thrown away long before now. Yeah, he was a bastard for preserving the keepsake, despite being technically faithful to his then-wife who did not have auburn hair. Could explain why he was no longer married.

So. What to do about the person outside his house?

Wiping his hands on his black cargo pants, he unholstered the Sig and crept to the front door.

The one person who knew he lived here was Mateo, and Jake hadn’t seen his Special Forces buddy since Brady McNeill’s funeral.

Brady’s funeral. And one particularly fucked-up night. Not in small part because of seeing Brady’s sister, Kiera.

Seen? A bland word for the silky skin sliding over him and around him during their sweaty, heated reunion.

Since that night, nothing besides Jake’s own misery mattered. Not his best friend’s death, not the Morpheus Squad, his own emotional baggage. Nothing.

Which was exactly what he had now, wasn’t it? Nothing.

Well, not completely. He had someone casing his house.

He licked his lips.

The virus crackled through his nerve endings. Mental processes turned to sludge. As unnatural strength and acuity of his senses grew, his sanity ebbed.

What a time to skip an antidote dose.

Too late now.

He rolled his shoulders, upper back, and arms. Each muscle popped as poorly contained rage swept through him, turning him from Dr. Jekyll into Mr. Hyde.

Sweat broke out on his forehead as the shaking began.

On second thought, he could use a good brawl. Stuffing the Sig back in his holster, he flexed his hands. Mr. Hyde would much rather do this the natural way.

The hunched figure in the baggy jacket trudged up the gravel driveway, halting gait a little short on one leg. He couldn’t make out any other details with the hood casting a shadow.

Pressing his back to the wall next to the front door, he listened. The virus strained like a chained dog tempted by a wounded rabbit.

Jake became a metal spring, coiled and ready.

At a knock on the door, he didn’t move.

The spring inside of him tightened. Tick, tick, tick. His body ratcheted down as tight as he could go.

A tap on the electronic keypad outside. What the hell? The bolt turned and the door cracked open.

The coil released.

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Kiera McNeil is pregnant and on the run. She’s running straight to her ex-boyfriend, the very man who is famous for dumping her not once but twice! Boy, I tell you, Kiera showed a lot more patience with Jake Zimmerman than I would have.

I must say, this book was non-stop action and romance, with plenty of suspense. You’ve read the blurb, so I’ll get straight to the review. First off, the author is an excellent writer. I really enjoyed her voice throughout the novel, especially how she let the two lead characters, Kiera and Jake, take the reigns and narrate this story for readers. Well done. She really brought these two alive and they jumped off the pages.

Kiera is a heroine readers can relate to. I adored this woman and was rooting for her right up until the end of the novel. Not only is she strong and courageous, but she is no runner and faces problems head-on, unlike her ex-boyfriend who, well, isn’t that courageous and tends to run away from what life throws at him.

Yeah, I’ll admit I had a very hard time with Jake. But he did begin to grow on me. He has a tough backstory, so I did try my best to give him some leeway. Plus, I enjoyed how Kiera didn’t take his crap but pushed right back. You go, girl!

The cast of characters was also enjoyable. As a matter of fact, I hope Stumpy gets his own story. Jake’s buddies in the Morpheus program added a dash of humour, reality, assistance, and some cheerleading for the estranged couple. They weren’t the least bit intrusive, but blended wonderfully into the plot, and not once did they overpower the starring couple.

As for the villain, I will say he was a bit Snidely Whiplash. I enjoy villains, and I wished he would’ve been a bit more human with some good qualities, as well. Still, this did not deter me from enjoying the novel, or the excessive description. The author did her research well, and she used it in the novel to bring the words to life.

The novel does not end on a cliff-hanger for the couple, but something tells me there will be a sequel to how the story concluded.

Jillian David is new to me, and as I said, I love her writing. She is an excellent writer, creating realistic dialogue, three-dimensional characters, strong descriptions, and a rollercoaster ride plot.

I recommend you give Fallen Comrade a read. It’s a great story with not only a great starring couple, but wonderful secondary characters who are deserving of their own novels.

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Jillian David lives near the end of the Earth with her nut of a husband and their bossy cats. To escape the sometimes-stressful world of the rural physician, she writes while on call and in her free time. She enjoys taking realistic settings and adding a twist of “what if.” Running or hiking on local trails often promotes plot development.