5 Wine Glass #Audio #Review of Tinderbox by Rachel Grant

Title: Tinderbox
Series: Flashpoint #1
Author: Rachel Grant
Narrator: Greg Tremblay
Format: Unabridged Audiobook (9 hours and 57 minutes)
Published: February 14, 2017 (Audible Studios)
ISBN: ASIN: B01MTDLEAF
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Audible
Reviewer: Linda
Source: Author
Rating: 5 out of 5 Wine Glasses

In the volatile tinderbox of the Horn of Africa, Morgan Adler has made the paleoanthropological find of a lifetime. The discovery brings her to the attention of a warlord eager to claim both Morgan and the fossils, forcing her to make a desperate dash to the nearby US military base to beg for protection.

Master Sergeant Pax Blanchard has orders to intercept Dr. Adler before she reaches the base, and in so doing saves her life. After a harrowing afternoon he safely delivers her to his commanders, only to find his responsibilities toward protecting the obstinate archaeologist have only just begun.

Morgan and Pax are forced to work together in the Djiboutian desert heat, but it is the fire that ignites between them that threatens to combust them both. For the Green Beret, involvement with the woman he must protect is a threat to his career, while for the archaeologist, the soldier is everything she never wanted but somehow can’t resist. When Morgan uncovers a mystery surrounding Djibouti’s most scarce and vital resource, the danger to her reaches the flashpoint. For Pax, protecting her is no longer a matter of following orders, and he’ll risk everything to bring her back alive.

Linda's  Thoughts:
One exciting thrill after another…

Tinderbox marks the thrilling debut of Rachel Grant’s military romantic suspense Flashpoint series with an emphasis on adventure in dangerous locales. Rachel’s books are original, fast-paced, educational and highly entertaining all while dealing with serious issues. The tale is gripping from the onset and I was kept on the edge-of-my seat throughout with barely enough time to gather my wits and breathe before another deadly peril ensued.

I have enjoyed this series out-of-order. Each book stands well on its own. They do share characters and a setting. I can assure you that you won’t want to miss out by not reading them all in whatever order you choose. They are all fantastic reads.

This is the story of Green Beret Master Sergeant Pax Blanchard and Dr. Morgan Adler, a paleoanthropologist and daughter of a general. It is set in the politically unstable climate of the Horn of Africa. As the story opens we meet Morgan who is under contract with the Djibouti government to complete an archaeological survey of the proposed route of a new railway. But, when she and her site are threatened by a local powerful warlord, she flees her site with the discovery of a lifetime. She seeks refuge at the nearby Cape Citron military base where she is intercepted by Pax, who literally saves her life, despite Morgan’s best efforts to deter him from doing so. Fireworks are guaranteed when Pax is assigned as the head of her protection detail so that she can continue her work.

The characters are well-written, likeable, nerdy and realistic. Pax is an alpha, career-oriented, protective and puts up a robust fight to the strong attraction he feels to Morgan. Having been stung before, he’s extremely averse to having a relationship with a general’s daughter. Morgan, on the other hand, is quite open to a fling and doesn’t make it easy for Pax to ignore her. She’s a badass, knowledgeable, tenacious and has a love/hate relationship with her father, determined to succeed despite her father’s standing. Their hot chemistry is off-the-charts.

Following please find a few of my favorite lines from Tinderbox:

“His type was the shy, bookish nerds, which was exactly what he’d been until he joined the Army. He’d been a late bloomer, hitting a second growth spurt after nineteen, when he’d shot up six inches in two years and packed on the muscle that made it possible for him to do his job. But the external changes hadn’t changed who he was inside, and he was still the sci-fi and fantasy loving guy who read scientific journals for fun.” 
---  

“He couldn’t tell her that he’d been fighting a losing battle against falling in love with her from the day they met. That all his crazy, caveman possessiveness was because his heart had known – even when his head was too damn stupid to catch on – she was his and there was no going back to his solitary, single-minded existence.” 
--- 

“You're a bad girl, Dr. Adler."
--- 

 “Why would I want balls?”

Greg Tremblay provides the truly exceptional narration. His voice is clear and easy to understand. He voices both sexes equally well. I was blown away by his performance voicing a sultry female in a bedroom scene and shortly after a gravelly strong alpha. He perfectly and consistently differentiates between the multiple characters to where I had no issue at all knowing who is speaking at any time. His pacing is right-on and the end product is polished and professional. Tinderbox a great listen and I didn’t want to put it down!

I laughed, swooned, shuddered, and hyperventilated while listening. There’s a multitude of surprising twists and turns and an unexpected reveal near the end that took me completely unawares. I found the archaeological and paleoanthropological discussions to be fascinating and mesmerizing. The author makes those subjects interesting and not boring at all! I feel like I learned something while being highly entertained! I would highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys their romantic suspense flawlessly-plotted, fast-paced, action-packed, and paired with intrigue, humor and sizzling sex scenes!



Suggested Reading Order: 
Tinderbox (Book #1)
Catalyst (Book #2)
Firestorm (Book #3)