Review: It was over too soon!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 26, 2013
The best part about the 3rd installment of the IMA series is that it looks like it's not going to be a trilogy! The ending definitely sets things up for a continuation and that means more of my favorite fictional couple!Locked and Loaded picks up exactly where Armed & Dangerous left off; right in the middle of Michael and Christina's first fully consensual moment of intimacy. It's nice to see the development in their relationship. Christina is still growing into her sexuality and sorting out her feelings for Michael. Michael is feeling somewhat vulnerable having confessed his love and now believing that Christina "has him right where she wants him" which makes him somewhat defensive. Or as Christina describes him "Michael was like a half-tamed dog, as likely to turn on you as he was to snuggle up against you and lick your face, and just as slow to trust". Their relationship isn't easy, but it is realistic and the characterization as usual is spot on. It is gratifying to see the emotion and trust grow between them; and Michael's sharing of his sexual fetish says as much about their individual growth as it is simply...rather titillating.The story is equally divided between relationship building and plot, suspense and intrigue. Christina finds that her plan of joining the BN to be trained as a hacker doesn't work out exactly as she had anticipated; and Michael still has the IMA and the psychotically evil Callaghan to contend with.The story ends on a Happily for now note. My only complaint is that it was too short. I want more excitement, more intrigue, more wonderfully enjoyable dialogue and more realistically portrayed emotional growth from my 2 all time favorite characters. (More hot sex and detailed fetish exploration would not be remiss either.)