Title: Ultimate Weapon
Author: Shannon McKenna
Publishing Date: November 2008
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Rating: A-
Sensuality: Hot
Ultimate Weapon is book six in the McCloud brother series. Finally, readers get to witness Tamara Steele’s story. She mysteriously appeared in Standing in the Shadows as Novak’s mistress. In the end she ultimately helps Erin escape by killing Novak. Well Daddy Novak over the years has been nursing a grudge the size of Texas. It comes to his attention that Tamara is alive and he seeks to abduct her and torture her. Val Janos who once worked for Novak has been sent to bring Tamara to Daddy Novak. Val who wants absolutely nothing to do with Novak is in a rock and a hard place because Novak is holding his dear friend and mentor Imre captive. If Val doesn’t do as Novak demands, then Imre will be slowly tortured to death. Sounds like fun, doesn’t it?
When McKenna writes a bad guy, she really writes a bad, evil, totally f---ed up psychopath. She leaves nothing to the imagination. Novak is completely sick and twisted leaving the reader cringing with fear and desperation for Tamara and Val. Ultimate Weapon has lots of very graphic action. For more sensitive readers, it might be much for them to read.
I found this book to be quite different from the other books in the series. For one thing there wasn’t as much sex and it wasn’t as graphic as past books. McKenna has toned down the use of crude sex words in her love scenes. Also Janos is a European man, with English not being his first language. McKenna did a fabulous job of making this very believable right down to the way he talked and handled Tamara. He was more sophisticated than her past heroes. I was really worried with Tamara being such a ball buster of a woman that no man could stand up to her. I needn’t have worried. Janos was an even match for her without completely overpowering her. Tamara stayed true to the character readers have come to know and love. For me, this story really worked and I am glad that McKenna has taken a different approach to her writing.
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4 comments:
Hmmm... I can totally see Tamara ending up with a European guy. McKenna is one of my favorites. Everything she writes is just so against what I love - TSTL heoines (OK, Tamara definitely doesn't fall into that category, but still), overly macho heroes that border on the caracaturishly ridiculous, crude, nasty sex scenes, unbelievable plots, yet everything she does works for me every time, in a way that nobody else can ever get away with. I just dig her. Can't wait to read this one.
I've never read this series at all or this author. What is the premise of the series? Can you tell me a bit about it?
Lori, I was really surprised by this one. It really ventures away from McKenna's usually standard. I hope you read it and let me know your thoughts.
Nath, I will try my best to fill you in. The first book in this series is Behind Closed Doors. It is about a man who is trying to infiltrate a corrupt man through his daughter. Just think something along the lines of 'good vs evil' theme.
As far as the series goes, the men are very alpha and defnitely not politcally correct. The women are normal, sweet everyday people, definitely not out to kick ass. The sex is descriptive and crude.
The series itself is that these men are brothers who were raised to be warriors by their "weird" father. There are bad guys that they are fighting. I am doing a terrible job summarizing this series, so if anybody wants to step in and summarize, feel free :)
What I like about Mckenna's writing is that she really breaks down the emotional barriers between the Hero and heroine. I love how she does conversations and that her relationships are always well developed and that the sex is integrel to the relationship. I hope this helps Nath.
Thank you! So glad to hear that Tam stayed true to character. And that the crude language in the sex scenes has been toned down. Sometimes it got to be a bit much. Now I can't wait to read this!
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