EXIT STRATEGY by Shirlee McCoy

Okay, so I think I have a problem. Every time I read an amazing romance, I want to write one in that same genre. Read FIVE DAYS IN SKYE, felt the pull to write an inspirational romance (I had already started one, and it just fueled by fire). Read A HOPE REMEMBERED, wanted to write a historical romance.

And now I've read EXIT STRATEGY by Shirlee McCoy, and I want to try my hand at a romantic suspense! See? A definite problem.

Let's take a closer look at EXIT STRATEGY: Lark Porter thinks she'll find answers about her husband's death when she returns to their former home, but someone doesn't like the questions she's asking. She's quickly taken captive, and all that stands between her and certain death is a mysterious stranger telling her to trust him if she wants to get out alive. 

Hostage Rescue and Extraction Team member Cyrus Mitchell marvels at Lark's strength and determination to survive. The closer they get to freedom, the more dangerous the situation becomes. Once free, though, it takes all the skills and training Cyrus has to outmaneuver the deadly killers on their trail.

I got this book from NetGalley, as it doesn't come out until next week. I would definitely recommend buying this book, and I just discovered that it's the second book in a series, so I've purchased the first Mission: Rescue title, Protective Instincts.

My thoughts:
1. Lark is multi-faceted. Strong, yet scared. Capable, but vulnerable. I really liked her as a heroine--someone who obviously needs the help of someone with more training and expertise, but someone who has a goal of their own.

Cyrus is equally as dimensional. I really liked that he had a past that drove some of the decisions that he made in the present. I liked his strength, smarts, and sincerity. At the same time, he had flaws, which is hard to do with a protector hero.

2. The suspense was suspenseful -- and believable! I've read some books that are supposed to be thrillers or suspenses, and they feel so far from reality that I'm not scared or kept in suspense. But EXIT STRATEGY keeps the tension on the page, the thought that Lark and Cyrus are just moments from being found, constant.

If you've never tried out a romantic suspense novel, give EXIT STRATEGY a spot on your list. You won't be sorry!

What have you read lately that has inspired you to write?