Review: When the Mission Ends Prequel
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 02 19, 2013
NOTE: The story description explains that the book takes place before the trilogy, but having read book #1 - Operation: Endgame, I strongly suggest you read that first before reading this "prequel" because events in Operation: Endgame could ruin the experience for you. However, the author recommends that this novella be read between books #2 and #3.Julie has a little accident in her kitchen which sets her townhouse on fire. Luckily, her best friend Cassie had to go out of town on business for a few days, so Julie gets to house sit while her kitchen undergoes renovations. When she wakes up to find a warm, male body pressed up against her, she's aroused until the shock sets in. Guess who?Julie and Chris have known each other for years. Julie is one of his sister's best friends and therefore off limits. Not that he had really noticed the quiet and shy woman. Until now.Julie has lusted after friend's playboy brother for years. He's never noticed her because she always blended in with the background, and trying to hook up with someone like him would just lead to awkwardness. Right? When Chris asks her not to mention his visit to his sister, she thinks it's the perfect opportunity to ask for a favor of her own. Time to lay all the cards on the table and see where the chips fall.I still can't wipe the goofy smile off of my face after reading this novella. It was nice to catch a glimpse of Chris before the events in Operation: Endgame. Julie was such a relatable and likeable character. Her OCD and tendency to make lists for everything has helped her stay in control of her life. That is until her lists caused her kitchen to go up in flames. Her sister insists it's time for her to make some changes in her life, and that's exactly what she does. Gone is the shy, mostly invisible woman from before, and in her place is a motorcycle riding, colorful character. To use Julie's words, "If I look bad ass, I feel bad ass". I liked how she gathered the courage to make the first move on Chris, as well as her ability to just say what she was thinking in the moment.Chris was an absolute sweetheart! Despite having a typical male response to Julie's proposition, he truly cared about her feelings of not wanting to hurt her, physically or emotionally. I loved his ideas for how to spend his last 24 hours with her before his imminent deployment and making the effort to learn a little bit more about her.Their chemistry may have started out a little luke warm at first, but the progression from that stage to steamy felt natural. I attribute that to her past and her fears and Chris being mindful of that. Overall this was a very sweet, enjoyable read. Probably more so because I like the writing and the plot of the series so far, or at least where it's heading.Disclaimer: Review copy provided by the author. A review in exchange was not promised or expected.