#Review: Midnight Action by Elle Kennedy - 5 Wine Glasses

Title: MIDNIGHT ACTION
Series: Killer Instincts #5
Author: Elle Kennedy
Format: Paperback (384 pages)
Published : Signet (November 4, 2014)
ISBN-10:0451465709
Links:  Goodreads | Amazon | B&N
Reviewer: Linda
Source: Library
Rating: 5 out of 5 Wine Glasses

She’s got a broken heart...
and a fully loaded arsenal....

Ex–army ranger Jim Morgan leads a team of elite mercenaries, but eighteen years ago in Paris, he was part of a black ops unit whose mission was to hunt down a rogue operative. In order to trap the criminal, Jim seduced Noelle, the man’s daughter—a ruthless act that cost him the love of his life and turned her into a mortal enemy. Now he can’t trust her, but he still desires her. He also needs her help....

Older, wiser, and unwilling to play the fool again, Noelle runs a group of highly skilled assassins. And she’s just been offered the hit of the century: Eliminate Jim Morgan. History gives them no reason to trust each other, but with their lives in jeopardy at the hands of a common enemy, the lines between love and hate are soon blurred. Now Noelle and Jim must face the past if they want to have a future—let alone a future together.

Linda's Thoughts:
"Is this seat taken?"
The deep, gravelly voice jolted Noelle from her blood-thirsty thoughts. When she laid eyes on the man it belonged to her breath caught in her throat.
She blinked, wondering if maybe she'd dreamed him, but then he flashed her a captivating grin and she realized that he must be real - her mind wasn't capable of conjuring up a smile this heart-stoppingly gorgeous.
A pair of vivid blue eyes watched her expectantly as she searched for her voice.
"There are lots of other seats available," she finally replied, gesturing to the deserted tables all around them.
He shrugged. "I don't want to sit anywhere but here."
She moistened her suddenly dry lips. "Why?"
"Because none of those other seats are across from you," he said simply.

MIDNIGHT ACTION by Elle Kennedy was an absolutely fabulous, ultra-steamy romantic thriller! The story alternates between the present day and flashbacks to nineteen years ago when the two primary characters first met. I discovered this series when I previously read - and was mesmerized by - MIDNIGHT CAPTIVE. I had asked my library to add the rest of the series to their offerings and this was the first they added. They've since added the rest of the series... so, I'll be reading/reviewing them soon! I can unabashedly attest that the first two I've read have been obsess-ably awesome!

This was the heartbreaking and emotional tale of former black-ops operative Jim Morgan and Noelle, the daughter of Jim's criminal target nineteen years ago. Jim is an alpha male with a bold capital A. Noelle is a kickass heroine who is ruthless to the core because of devastating betrayals that have occurred in her life that have shaped her that way. Years ago, Noelle was used by Jim Morgan when he seduced her to get to her father as part of his uncover assignment. She found strength from who knows where, picked up the pieces of her life and vowed revenge. Therefore, the two are at a place of both raw sexual chemistry and intense hate. From what the author disclosed in this book, this situation has permeated the previous books in this series. So... MIDNIGHT ACTION finally affords this couple a second chance at love. Their HEA story literally blew my socks off.

Following please find a few of my favorite quotes from this highly addictive read:

It suddenly occurred to him that for the first time in years, they were about to be alone together for more than five minutes.
Just the two of them. On a small jet. Tens of thousands of feet in the air.
Christ.
Maybe he should've packed a parachute, just in case.
---

"Come here," she ordered."
As he approached the bed, he found that his hands were trembling. Desire continued to wreak havoc on his motor functions, and he felt like an awkward oaf as he stretched out on the mattress beside her, his muscles and limbs unable to remember their individual roles.
Noelle took pity on him by grasping his hand and placing it directly over one full breast.
His heart abruptly started beating again, a fast, pounding rhythm that drummed in his ears and surged through his blood. He squeezed that perfect breast, groaning when her rigid nipple brushed the center of his palm. God, he didn't even know where to begin. Which gorgeous part of her to kiss first. To touch. Lick. Devour.
In the back of his mind, he knew he should stop this before it was too late.
But who was he kidding?
It was already too late.
He'd been a goner from the moment he'd laid eyes on her.
Those big blue eyes peered up at him, shining with trust, anticipation, and need. "Make love to me, Jim."
His pulse kicked up another notch.
His hands started shaking again.
And then he did exactly what she asked.
---

Noelle stared up at the ceiling and waited for her heart-beat to regulate. Her thighs were sticky, her sex still throbbing from the mind-shattering orgasm.
It took a while to find her voice, and once she did, it came out as dejected as ever. "Did this get me out of your system?"
He didn't speak for one long beat, until finally he muttered. "No." Another pause. "Did it get me out of yours?"
She kept her gaze on the ceiling. "No."
The mattress shifted as Jim sat up. He didn't try to touch her. Didn't try to kiss her. He simply slid off the bed and stood at the foot of it, still naked, still impressively erect.
After a moment, Noelle shifted her head and looked at him.
He looked back, his cheeks hollowing as his stubble-covered jaw went rigid. "Then I guess we'll just have to try again later."

Note that I'm reading the series out-of-order; Therefore, you can safely infer that each of the books works well as a standalone with the romantic relationship and the development of the danger plot fully contained within each novel.

Midnight Action is packed with a slew of intriguing secondary characters and the set up for future romances is seductively incorporated as side stories. If you love racy romantic suspense with uber-sexy characterizations, this is a must-read! Add in non-stop action, a solid plot, excellent pacing, and riveting suspense, and the sum total equals a story that will keep you on the edge of your seat through-out. Just be prepared for an adrenaline-filled, incredibly deep, gritty and emotional read - and for the sleepless night which will ensue until you've read the last page.


Suggested Reading Order: 
MIDNIGHT RESCUE (Book #1)
MIDNIGHT ALIAS (Book #2)
MIDNIGHT GAMES (Book #3)
MIDNIGHT PURSUITS (Book #4)
AFTER MIDNIGHT (Book #4.5)
MIDNIGHT ACTION (Book #5)
MIDNIGHT CAPTIVE (Book #6)
MIDNIGHT REVENGE (Book #7)