No Regrets

Shannon K. Butcher

Noelle Blanche is a cryptologist who also in an expert in mathematics. She can put the two together in ways that other people don't see. The United States military wants her to work on a special project. But her own idealism and ethics won't allow her to accept the project or the money associated with it.

Her mind is quickly changed when someone breaks into her home looking for her. The only reason the men don't kidnap her is that another man, a military special force operative, follows them in and rescues her before the others can take her. David Wolfe takes her to a military safe house to protect her. She continues to refuse to take on the project until she realizes the reasons to take it on are greater than her personal ideals to refuse. She also realizes that she has a sharp attraction to the dangerous operative even though he is the epitome of everything she detests.

When the safe house is attacked, David takes Noelle to a cabin hidden deep in the mountains. David is dealing with the guilt at the death of his wife two years earlier. She had been tortured and killed just because she was his wife. He agrees to take the job protecting Noelle because the same group who kidnapped his wife are the ones after the genius cryptologist. Can he protect Noelle from the fate that happened to his wife? Can he ignore the surprise attraction he feels for this woman? He could not let history repeat with Noelle - even if he has to die protecting her.

The description of No Regrets caught my attention and I knew I wanted to read and review this new book for the publisher. When I read the dedication, I was hooked. The author is Jim Butcher's wife. I really like his Dresdon Files novels, so I was anticipating an enjoyable novel. Shannon K. Butcher delivers.

No Regrets is fast paced, pulling the reader right along through the story. It's not deep, but the characters are developed nicely, both in David's angst and in Noelle's slow acceptance of the danger she really is in as well as her excitement as she works through the cyrptology puzzle. I've read enough romantic suspense that I knew what would happen with few surprises but I still wanted to know for myself.

The book is not for everyone - the violence can get uncomfortably explicit. The same is true of the sexual tension and scenes. The story is an average, easy read despite this and I thoroughly enjoyed watching David and Noelle as they work through an exceptional situation and come together.

Notice: Explicit sexual content, Graphic violence, Strong indecent language

Publicist provided for review

No Regrets
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