J.L. Hammer resides in California and enjoys the relaxed pace of small-town life with her husband and two children. She is a member of the International Thriller Writers and Romance Writers of America. This is her second novel. Visit her website at www.JL-Hammer.com

REVIEW: BLUE HORIZON BY J. L. HAMMER

J.L.

Hammer

ISBN Number: 

978-161885688

Genre: 

Suspense/Thriller

 

Ever have a bad day on the job? Elena Davidson’s day went from a fun adventure in a foreign country to a nightmare. Being kidnapped by terrorists who want the top secret info she has about her job is bad, but what’s worse is they are willing to do anything to get it from her. She knows that “Blue Horizon” is a secret she has to keep even if it means death, because it could put the entire world in danger. Secret missions are never easy, but this one may prove to be the hardest mission Beckham Connors has ever been on. Rescuing Elena Davidson is hard enough, knowing that if she can’t make it out or if she refuses to get out, he will have to kill her, makes this one crazy job. Add the fact that every time he turns around the enemy finds them - someone doesn’t want either of them to get out alive.

 

Can Beckham convince Elena that he is there to help her, will this wild adventure bring them closer or be the very end of them both? J.L. Hammer has given readers a sandy adventure through the desert, with a secret ops type mission in “Blue Horizon”. Readers will find themselves on a roller coaster ride of emotions, from happiness, to terror, loneliness, excitement, anxiousness to love. The emotions alone are a journey, but only a part of a well- written book that leaves no stone unturned.  The book was a little slow at times and it was too short to completely satisfy, but that didn’t stop this book from being very captivating!

 

Melody Prat

 

Book Review: Blue Horizon by J.L. Hammer

at 4/15/2013 12:01:00 AM 

Back in March, I was so excited for several things: my birthday, spring break, and the SoCal RWA! Unfortunately for me I got only 2 out of the 3, but thanks to my trusty best friend, DG, he brought the SoCal RWA to me. :D Loves you, DG! 

Part of a secret government project, Elena Davidson's life is in serious jeopardy when she is kidnapped by terrorists. Safeguarding 'Blue Horizon' isn't just a mission to Elena. She knows that if its purpose is revealed and if it falls into the wrong hands, it could be dangerous for the entire world.

Beckham Connors has a simple mission: the retrieval of Elena Davidson, no matter what the cost. He has orders to rescue Elena from her captors and to send her home to America, or if necessary--kill her. Whatever happens, she cannot be left alive on Iranian soil.

Forced into a whirlwind adventure, she can depend on no one. Elena must decide if she can trust the ruggedly handsome Beckham--or if he poses a greater danger than the terrorists.

This book was part Jason Bourne, Mission Impossible with a bit of romance, along with a teeny tiny bit of torture and we're not talking about the good kind. J.L. Hammers, descriptions are vivid and emotionally driven. I felt like I could relate to Elena, who I might add, has the same names as 2 of my favorite heroines from 2 other series. Can you guess? :)

The hero of this story is Beckham Connors, who is for lack of a better word, a retriever. Someone who gets into a hostile territory undetected and retrieves the person or peoples being held hostage. Should he fail to retrieve them from the territory, his instructions is to kill them. As cold and heartless as that is, it's how Beckham sees his job. His current assignment is to retrieve Dr. Nigel Berry and Elena Davidson from Iranian soil. From Beckham, we switch over to Elena's POV. She recounts how the kidnapping happened and her subsequent experiences while being held hostage. I gotta be hostage, I cringed and felt physically ill. The words were vivid enough to paint a pretty detailed picture; it was like I was watching it unfold like a movie in my head. Elena finds solace from her hellish situation in her memories of her mom, dad, and brother.

Beckham reaches Elena and sneaks her out of the kidnapper's hideout. This is just the start of their dramatic courtship and fight for survival. What I liked most about Elena's character is her strength. After her awful experience at the hands of her kidnappers, she still finds enough strength to survive the trek home, though there were instances when I thought she would break down and cry. Look at me! I'm talking like she's a real person! I could not stop reading this book, despite the fact that I had a paper due and a test first thing Monday morning. I highly recommend anyone who's looking for a good read. I give this book a rating of.....(drumroll)....

Beckham entered the house, shutting the door behind him. A glance through the doorway revealed that the once filled bed now lay empty. He headed toward the bathroom and stopped at the closed door. Listening, he heard the faint sound of running water and knew Elena must be taking a shower.

He stood there, unsure how to proceed. She was in poor shape, and he wondered if she would be okay in there alone. But he wasn’t a stupid man and the last thing he wanted was a hysterical woman on his hands. It would be wise to leave her be. Beckham turned on his heel, but then he heard her crying.

The sob was loud, and without a second thought he was in the room and staring down at her nude, crouched figure. The small shower didn’t have a door, and she had her arms wrapped around her shivering body. Her back was to him, and he could barely make out a patch of her golden skin that wasn’t bruised, welted or scratched. A pain shot through his chest as he watched her weep. He felt helpless.

He wished he knew what to do. Usually Beckham could handle any situation. For the life of him, he didn’t know how to console her. He knew he should leave, but he wasn’t able to walk away.

Beckham knelt next to her and whispered, “Hey…hey what’s wrong?”

She didn’t acknowledge him, just continued to weep.

He touched her shoulder. “Elena, tell me why you are crying?”

Turning her head to look up at him, Elena blinked as the water droplets flowed down her skin. The anguish on her face angered him, and for the first time in his life he felt possessive.

“Everything’s going to be okay. The worst part is over.” Beckham hoped his words were true and was surprised he’d said such a thing. Encouragement was not in his nature, and he wondered where it had come from.

“I-I can’t even wash my hair,” she sobbed.

Arching a brow, he stared at her. He heard the words but couldn’t make sense of them. She couldn’t wash her hair? That was not quite what Beckham expected to hear her say. Maybe that she was hurt or afraid, but hair washing was hardly something to cry over. Well, he figured the good news was that this was a problem he could solve.

“Here, let me help you.” He leaned into the cold spray for the soap, and the sleeve of his black shirt soaked through. He squeezed soap into his palm and began to lather her hair. The dark strands slid through his calloused fingers.

Elena closed her eyes. Her lips parted slightly as he massaged her scalp. The running water cascaded down the curve of her neck, and even though she was battered and bruised, Beckham couldn’t help but find her beautiful. He gently leaned her head into the cool spray, rinsed her hair, and then turned off the shower.

He grabbed a thin navy colored towel and draped it over her shoulders. Once lifted to her feet, Elena leaned against him for support. Beckham kept his eyes forward while he wrapped the towel around her, and then he pulled her back up against him. He was almost as wet as her, and although she was shivering, heat rushed straight through him.

As she clung to him, Beckham held her even tighter and kissed the top of her wet head. “It’s okay. Everything will be okay. The worst is over.”

He lifted her into his arms. He felt a surge of anger and wished he could beat the crap out of the bastards who had hurt her. These foreign feelings were baffling, and he wondered what this woman was doing to him. This made no sense. He was a trained assassin!

He strode into the bedroom and laid her onto the bed. Elena wrapped her arms around herself. Beckham pulled the sheet up to her neck and found her trusting eyes looking up at him. Shifting his body, he leaned closer. He brushed his thumb against her delicate jaw and then outlined her lush lips. He could feel the warmth of her breath on his skin. He drew her to him. She didn’t resist, just watched him. Beckham pressed his mouth against hers. Her lips opened, and he fought the need to crush her against him. Then just as quick as the kiss, he moved away. What in the hell am I doing?

He cleared his throat. “I’ll rinse out your clothes and bring them back when they’re dry.”

“Th-thank you.”

Beckham retreated out of the room, cursing under his breath.