Mini Reviews: At the Edge and The Edge of Surrender by Laura Griffin

At the Edge (Alpha Crew #1) by Laura Griffin

Blurb from Goodreads:

When Emma Wright’s government plane goes down over the Philippine jungle, she’s forced to survive alone until an ultra-elite SEAL team goes in after her. As the leader of Alpha Crew, Ryan Owen is no stranger to challenges, but he’s never tackled anything quite like this sexy, smart, and resourceful woman. The mission is to get Emma home safely, but danger is everywhere, and Ryan’s unexpected desire for Emma could be a deadly distraction.

Back home in California, Ryan’s mission is over—but Emma’s has just begun. She knows her plane crash was no accident, and she’s determined to uncover the truth about what happened—even if her quest for answers puts her at risk. Torn between duty and desire, Ryan searches for a way win Emma’s heart while protecting her from an invisible enemy who wants her dead.

The thrilling conclusion to this Alpha Crew romance is just weeks away! 

My Review:
 

After reading Rachel's review from Waves of Fiction, I decided to give this series a try.  I love romantic suspense and other series involving SEALs are some of my favorites.  I hadn't read anything by Laura Griffin prior to these books but I am definitely going to check out her backlist now!  These books are both super short and make really good companions for a sort of seamless story.  In book 1, Emma is rescued by Ryan and his team of SEALs but neither can stop thinking about each other even weeks after the rescue.  And, at the same time, Emma has serious questions about what caused the plane she was on to crash . . . cue Emma and Ryan's second meeting state-side. And the sparks flew!  Even though this was fast paced, it never felt like insta-love!  Ryan is totally swoony and I was definitely rooting for both Ryan and Emma to figure out their feelings for each other, and quick!

She stared up at his dark silhouette, wishing she could see his eyes. Maybe it was adrenaline or the prospect of death.  She put her hands on his neck, but she didn't stop there.  She slid her fingers into the thick softness of his hair and did what she'd been dying to do all night.  

She kissed him.

 Edge of Surrender (Alpha Crew #2) by Laura Griffin

Blurb from Goodreads:

Ryan had one job: keep Emma safe at all costs. But after a night of passion, Emma takes off and Ryan soon realizes he’s not the only one looking for her. Can he figure out who’s after the beautiful government aide, and why, before she falls into the wrong hands… if she hasn’t already?

Emma’s fighting to get justice for her fallen comrades, but she can’t do it alone. She needs Ryan’s help, but that means trusting him--and dealing with the out-of-control desire blazing between them. Can there be any future for a marked woman and a man trained to kill? She hopes they live long enough to find out…

My Review:

I'm so glad I had both books to read back to back because book 1 ended on a major cliffy.  In book 2, the suspense kicks up as does the connection between Ryan and Emma.  While I almost feel like the entire story was a bit too short and wrapped up too quickly, I appreciated the fast paced nature and there was no lack of chemistry and steamy scenes.  I'm curious to read other books by this author because these two were so seamless and fun to read!  

His mouth crushed down on hers, cutting off all words, all thought.  There was only him, and his lips and his taste and the perfect feel of his body pinning her.  He braced her there, keeping her on her feet even when her legs felt like limp noodles and her head felt so dizzy she didn't know her own name.

These books are easy to devour and now that they are both out, you can do so!  I definitely recommend to fans of romantic suspense/military romance.  I was slightly reminded of one of my favorite books, Out of Control by Suzanne Brockmann, while reading this -- it's the fourth book from her Troubleshooters series (also involving SEALs) but definitely can be read as a standalone.  For more romance with a jungle rescue, I also recommend Midnight Rainbow by my favorite Linda Howard.  For more special ops romance, the T-FLac series by Cherry Adair is awesome.  The Edge of Surrender came out this week on March 28, 2016 while At The Edge came out earlier this month, and I definitely loved both!