Book Review: Operation: Endurance by Christi Snow

Title: Operation: Endurance
Series: When the Mission Ends, Book 3
Author: Christi Snow
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Sensuality Rating: Steamy
Source: review copy provided by author
Published: April 2013

They had a single night of passion before he deployed on a risky mission.
18 hours on a mission gone very wrong was all it took to shatter all their hopes and dreams.

The hero:
He survived 6 months of captivity and torture, kept alive by dreams of her.

The heroine:
She thought he was dead and moved on only to have her world fall apart once again.

Two people who have been hurt more than any two people should ever have to suffer. Can they find redemption and healing with each other or will another threat shatter what’s left of them?

A tortured hero.
A grieving heroine.
A serial rapist who won’t give up.

Warning: This book features graphic sexual violence which some readers could find disturbing.

Why I Read this Book: I've enjoyed reading this series and after reading the Before the Mission Begins novella, I was excited to finally read Chris and Julie's book. I’m a little sad that this series has come to an end but I know the author has some other books/series in the works.

What I Liked: The main reason I wanted to read this book was for the hero and heroine, especially after that novella! Chris has been a part of this series since the very first book and my heart has ached from him ever since. He’s a wounded hero, in more ways than one. Both Chris and Julie each had some issues to work out and I enjoyed reading each of their journeys.

I love it when an author provides snippets from villain’s POV and Christi Snow does that without giving too much away. I got just enough of the villain’s back story, to provide a little reasoning for their antagonistic ways. Also, I’m a reader who likes guessing at who the villain is. I usually have all kinds of notes going back and forth between possible suspects in the romance suspense novels I read. I did correctly guess who the villain was at one point but found myself second guessing my choice, so it wasn't like it was an obvious thing.

What I Didn’t Like: Chris has a debilitating physical condition that was too easily resolved and this miracle couldn’t have happened at a better time for him. It was just too convenient.

I wasn’t fond of the paranormal element. If it had been just one scene, and stayed in that one scene, I would have been fine with it but as it stood, it carried over into the story line too much for my liking. This is more of a personal preference than an actual fault with the book or the writing. Most readers probably won’t even mind this paranormal element in the slightest.

Overall Impression: Operation: Endurance wasn’t my favorite book in the series but it was still an enjoyable read. I am so happy that Chris finally got his HEA, as it’s been a long journey for him. And I’m glad that Toni (a secondary character in this book) will get a novella and her own HEA. She deserves it.

Brianna’s Rating:
3 1/2 Frogs