Into the Crossfire by Lisa Marie Rice

Narrated by Charles Constant

Into the Crossfire is the first book in Lisa Marie Rice’s Protectors trilogy. Years ago I found Lisa Marie Rice (LMR) recommended on a Linda Howard forum on heroes like Dream Man’s Dane Hollister. I quickly found LMR’s style of alpha heroes a guilty pleasure (especially the Midnight Man series). LMR’s alphas are unapologetically testosterone-fueled, estrogen-clueless, and hot. He falls hard when he meets gorgeous, kind, artsy heroine. Protective to a fault, he will stop at nothing to keep her safe.

In Into the Crossfire, the heroine is Nicole Pearce, fine and beautiful in the way of Snow White, and her art is languages (she’s a translator). Hero Sam Reston is a former SEAL who runs his own security company with an office next to Nicole’s. He falls in lust at first sight, and alpha that he is, moves quickly and is relentless going after what he wants. It’s no surprise gently-bred Nicole, though no doormat, succumbs to his attraction. Her own life is at a low point: she quit a well-paying job and a fancy life to care for a dying parent, and a sensual romance with Sam brightens her life.

Meanwhile, a mysterious break-in of Nicole’s office puts Sam’s protective instincts on overdrive. As is typical in LMR novels, the conflict is external. There’s a terrorist plot that inadvertently involves Nicole, and there’s no mystery for the reader/listener as to the villain’s identity. Of course, Sam and his band of former military foster brothers end up saving the day (and America).

The key to enjoying LMR stories is a matter of expectations—as is true with much of life! Once you know what to expect, LMR hardly ever disappoints. Stay away if you’re expecting a clever suspense or are not in the mood for a ripped and hung warrior rescuing a modern-day damsel. The elements in LMR novels are cliché, some plot points improbable, and the characters’ internal monologues can get repetitive. Yet, once you’ve set expectations, LMR entertains consistently in her style of sexy romantic suspense. (An aside: LMR also publishes under pseudonym Elizabeth Jennings.)

On the other hand, as this was my first listen to narrator Charles Constant, I had no expectations. My first thought when I hit play was, “He sounds like Kaleo Griffith! Perfect.” (I have a voice crush on author Pamela Clare’s go-to narrator.)

Mr. Constant’s modulated deep voice definitely sounds like an LMR alpha hero. His delivery is matter-of-fact, which is great at reflecting Sam’s serious demeanor. The vocal style does tend to minimize the contrast of Sam’s toughness with Nicole’s girly moments (e.g. when she’s deciding what dress to wear on their first date).

I know it’s important to most listeners that they are able to distinguish multiple characters in the dialogs, and Mr. Constant differentiates all of them well. I also appreciate how Mr. Constant didn’t use a falsetto for Nicole, just a lighter tone, actually reflecting her optimistic personality. He also pauses and enunciates in the right places.

There were a few production issues, though these did not affect my rating. My copy of the audiobook had sudden changes in volume and resonance, probably from a break between recordings or moves away from the microphone. The vocal shifts were noticeable, but didn’t detract from my enjoyment.

Pick this up when you’re in the mood for a listen to sensual romantic suspense featuring an alpha hero. Sam Reston is not as fully realized as others LMR has created, but Into the Crossfire is still more entertaining than most RS titles out there.

Megan

Narration: B+

Book Content: B

Steam Factor: For your burning ears only

Violence: Fighting

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Into the Crossfire was provided to AudioGals for review by Tantor Audio.