review can be found here:

https://nordie.wordpress.com/2015/12/15/book-review-forged-in-fire-by-trish-mcca...

review can be found here:

https://nordie.wordpress.com/2015/12/15/book-review-forged-in-fire-by-trish-mcca...

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW

i found the audio version of this book difficult to finish. In fact I would have sent it back for a refund if Audible had not changed the.rules.

Although the narrator gave reasonably different voices to the different characters her delivery became monotonous because of her pitch which seemed to follow the same pattern of rise and fall for every sentence.

When you are listening to a book over 11 and a half hours, rather than reading it yourself in maybe three to four hours, things that you might have skipped over or not noticed can destroy the credibility of the story,

For example the bulk of the book takes place over 24-48 hours. In that time the main female character, Beth, is subjected to a huge amount of stress including prophetic dreams, attempting to stop a hijacking, attempts on her life, and fearing for the lives of her best friends and their young son. In the midst of all this she keeps getting distracted by bouts overwhelming lust. In about a minute she goes from realising that her closest friend has been kidnapped and may be dead to passionately kissing the main male character whom she has known for a couple of hours. This is not the only example of such unbelievable behaviour.

Profanity also becomes much more noticeable when you are listening. There are f-bombs galore in this book, growing in frequency as the story progresses and ultimately adding blasphemy to it. I realise that some will argue that such language is ‘realistic’ and (sadly) commonplace. It is also commonplace for people to be inarticulate and to lack a wide vocabulary. A book written in that style would be tedious if not unreadable. ( )

I received a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. The story begins with Beth having a rather detailed dream that she tries to cast off as just a dream, until she has moments of déjà vu. She tells someone about what she’s seen…the man she sees die in her dream, drop dead gorgeous Zane Winters! He has love at first sight; she’s attracted but fights it with everything she’s got. Will they fall in love or has Beth pushed too far? Will they survive the danger that they have now encountered? This book had me riveted from the very beginning. It’s filled with action and the sexual tension throughout the book pretty much has you screaming at Beth to see what is right before her. A fantastic read, very hard to put down. ( )

Forged in Fire
4 Stars

Synopsis
Lieutenant Commander Zane Winters, a Navy SEALs commander, and Beth Winters have never met but they have something in common - both witness a brutal terror attack on a commercial airliner before it happens. When Beth decides to act on her prophetic dream, she meets Zane in person and together with his SEAL team, they work to thwart the hijacking and uncover the secret cartel behind the event.

Review
The plot is exciting and progresses at a thrilling pace with a gritty 24-like feel to it. It should be noted that there are numerous violent scenes and a couple of disturbing moments including one rape scene.

The writing is good and the research well done, especially with regard to the SEALs. Nevertheless, some of the abbreviations need further explanation for those readers who are less familiar with this branch of the US military (HQ1, BUD/S). In addition, there are some unusual transitions between scenes, i.e., a scene ends with one POV and the next begins with a short recap of the previous moments from a different character's POV. While this does not really distract from the flow of the story it is noticeable and unnecessary. Moreover, the ending is VERY abrupt with no resolution to any of the major plot points. Despite this cliffhanger, it looks like there are exciting things to come and it is a good thing the next book will be published as the end of this year.

The PNR elements are implausible and the story would be better as straight romantic suspense as the psychic bond plot device detracts from rather than enhances the romance. It is as if the hero would not have given the heroine the time of day without it. That said, the main couple is engaging and have sizzling chemistry. The hero is honorable, tough and sensitive and did I mention HOT, and the heroine is strong-willed with a good head on her shoulders.

The secondary characters are fleshed out well with a really nasty villain and several sexy Navy SEALS who will apparently be getting their own books - yay! On a side note, there is one important character who was less than appealing to me Mac's misogynistic attitude and his weird attraction for a rape victim is very sleazy and off-putting.

Overall, an excellent debut by an Indie and self-published author. I will definitely be on the look out for the next installment. ( )