Fabulous! Great world building, loving the characters, will be looking for more by this author!

3.5
Vivien Jackson has the ability to paint a world where everything has fallen apart. From the landscape to the people everything is written with a unique style all to her own. The story while focus a little too much on there lead characters inner thoughts the landscape around the two leads will keep reader connected.
Wanted and Wired is more focused on the technologically enhanced people.

This story drags on while the two leads lust after each other bring the face pace story to a snails pace. After a while readers will yell get it on already. Creating a friendship into romance works when you are not reading each characters inner thoughts and listening to their endless thoughts or lack of blood flow. A reason why the book isn't a 4. I will read the next in the series to see where the story is going.
There is an over the top eye rolling moment and when you read it you will know why. (Mari )
Advance Copy from Netgalley for my thoughts

Wanted and Wired is an intriguing science fiction romance in a futuristic world of our own crazy invention. A bit of a mystery, some romantic suspense tossed in and you have the beginning story in a series that promises to make your mind be fully engaged while your emotions fall all over the place.

There is world building in the beginning – it’s necessary for this is quite a different USA and the people who inhabit it now are vastly superior to what we once were… for the most part, humans will after all still be humans with all their different ways of doing things, and getting in trouble. I can safely say that this started out slow for me, but I felt the world building was vivid and necessary to understand where the mind set of this world came from. Once you get past the first information filled chapters, the story of intrigue and romance between Mari and Heron takes off in satisfying ways. This story is full of word pictures that paint an uncertain future with vivid images that are often softened around the edges by Heron’s viewpoint.

If you need a protector in your sci-fi romances, then Heron is your guy. Enhanced by technology, he holds on to that human part of him and while he may provide the brawn and strength in this relationship, he also is the brain of the operation with an undying love of history and the small things from the past that need to be preserved. As a gun for hire, Mari is an interesting woman. She has her own agenda yet the friendship she has with Heron is growing into something more. That’s probably the one thing that truly scares her in this world.

I enjoyed my time in this world and will definitely follow this series as it grows. If you are a reader of science fiction or post-apocalyptic romance then Wanted & Wired should be on your reading list.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

After Texas seceded and formed into the Texas Provisional Authority (TPA) splitting with the United North American Nations (UNAN), the country is spiraling into chaos. Mari survived the riots that left many dead, and now she makes her living as a mercenary for hire. With her current partner Heron looking out for her; they’ve had a pretty successful track record.

That is, until a job goes wrong. Now, they’re both on the run, but from whom they have no idea. Is it the TPA, UNAN, or is it someone from either of their mysterious pasts? Can they really even trust each other past this undeniable attraction they each have for one another? Regardless, they’ll have to work together to stay off the radar and figure out who’s out to get them before it’s too late.

I really loved the setting that Vivien Jackson has going on in Wanted & Wired. It feels like a dystopian sci-fi where the world has almost imploded upon itself (the worst is still yet to come), but they have this amazing tech. It took me a little while to get familiar with the terminology as Jackson doesn’t use anything so mundane as cyborg or android, etc. No, we’re graced with mech-clones, nanites, free-fae, technocrat, whole-organic, and post-human to name a few. To be honest, I’m still grappling with use of these terms even at the end of the story.

I think it’s because the worldbuilding seemed a bit off for me. It’s how Mari projects information. It seems at times to be a bit distorted and like you’re missing pieces. Well, turns out, there’s a reason for this, everything becomes clear by the end of the book. Obviously can’t reveal anything for spoiler purposes, but I look back on this book with new eyes, and want to do a reread ASAP.

It’s for this reason, as well, that I liked Heron’s point of view better than that of Mari. Heron is post-human. Meaning he once started out as whole-organic, but when he was injured in the riots he was enhanced in order to save his life. Now, he’s got this kind of omnipotence about him. He’s, for all intents and purposes, as good as a walking computer. But it’s his care and devotion to Mari—and hers for him—that’s the most telling about his character. Heron is quite a different hero from what I’m used to reading and I rather like that. I wouldn’t call him an alpha necessarily because honestly I think that Mari is more the alpha or lead than Heron, but he’s not a beta either.

This leads me into one of the bigger aspects of the book. The sex. Or maybe I should say the chemistry-filled, teasing romance leading into sex. Working together for a number of years now, both Mari and Heron have developed feelings for one another. Feelings that neither has admitted to the other, yet it is literally constantly on their minds. This is another aspect with a potential reason given towards the end, so suffice it to say, I was not really prepared for how much the relationship would overtake the story. Vivien Jackson certainly knows how to amp up the tension big time, yet still balances it pretty well with the main story arc.

Overall, I really enjoyed Wanted & Wired. The disjointed way things start out and progress keeps me from giving it a higher rating, but I’m confident that, being more familiar with the world and what to expect writing-wise, the next books will get better.

A rip-roarin’ new snarky, sexy sci-fi paranormal romance series with the perfect balance of humor, heat, and heart. Now that Texas has seceded and the world is spiraling into chaos, good guys come in unlikely packages and love sprouts in the most inconvenient places…

Rogue scientist • technologically enhanced • deliciously attractive
Heron Farad should be dead. But technology has made him the man he is today. Now he heads a crew of uniquely skilled outsiders who fight to salvage what’s left of humanity: art, artifacts, books, ideas-sometimes even people. People like Mari Vallejo.

Gun for hire • Texan rebel • always hits her mark
Mari has been lusting after her mysterious handler for months. But when a by-the-book hit goes horribly sideways, she and Heron land on the universal most wanted list. Someone set them up. Desperate and on the run, they must trust each other to survive, while hiding devastating secrets. As their explosive chemistry heats up, it’s the perfect storm…

Publication Date: April 4, 2017
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
384 pages

***********************

Review of Wanted & Wired

This book is way more science-fictiony than what I expected from the blurb or the book cover. We’re talking futuristic earth, clones, space station, and hi-tech human alterations. When merged with two amazing characters that have a connection that is deeper than either of them imagined, you get non-stop, top-fuel action and heat from page 1 to page done.

Mari is flirty and has always had a thing for her partner Heron. She is the wit in Wanted & Wired, smart-mouthed, tough, and resilient. And engaged in an occupation that is not always 100% legitimate. Mari’s partner, Heron, brings the geekiness to the scene and maybe a little sophistication. Plus his own deep-running regard for Mari. These are two very different people who have become partners and, consequently, end up in an ontherun situation.

See how I made up that word – ontherun. Mari does that a lot (well, maybe it is the author, but the words pop up while Mari is in charge of the storyline). Words like pinchedlipsdrawntotheside and howcouldihavesiredandidiot. Why use a fancy word when appending several plain words will due. This is Mari.

Heron, is wired, or ‘post-human’. His brain has been altered to run super fast, super efficiently, and can handle almost unlimited multi-tasking, calculating, planning and projecting. He easily connects to other systems or the ‘cloud’. He is the epitome of the 21st century techno-geek dream. Eat your heart out Elon Musk. Heron is not all zeros and ones though. He is “the gentle guardian angel who made a living out of pillowing her [Mari’s] wild-hare crazy.” In this futuristic vision of human augmentation, the results are mixed, but Heron is the best-case scenario.

That is not to say that he is not flawed in a way that makes him vulnerable. It is this vulnerability that will further complicate the lives of Mari and Heron as they attempt to evade the authorities.

The physical relationship between Mari and the post-human Heron is really quite fascinating. Heron’s technology puts a new spin on sex scenes that takes them to a whole new dimension. Traditional sex comes off as very creative when you add a bit of technology. And get your mind out of the gutter – not that kind of technology. On the other hand, the sex is pretty electric, so maybe the gutter isn’t completely inappropriate!

These two characters, Mari and Heron, make the story. But there are several other aspects that fill in a lot more color. Different settings, and creative use of color and of language stand out and give Mari and Heron a solid backdrop.

Part of the action takes place on a space station that is tethered to the earth. Another part takes place in an arcology that becomes a refuge for our wanted heroine and hero. But most interesting may be that Wanted & Wired takes place at some time in the future when Texas has seceded from the United States, for reasons not made clear in the story. The Texas Provisional Authority and the United North American Nations are the two governments that play roles in the story.

There is an orange silk dress. Orange is not a color that is often used to describe fashion in fiction. I know. It is my favorite color and I am aware there is a dearth of orange in fiction. Its presence in the story makes its own statement, which I can’t get into without a bit of a spoiler. But I loved it. The orange on the cover may be what drew me to this book on the NetGalley site.

There are some very cool uses of words that just made me stop and highlight on my tablet. Some I understood, a few others I looked up. For instance – ‘crisscross-applesauce’, which I take to mean sitting cross-legged. How about ‘all hat, no cattle’, ‘on the pull’, ‘haired out’ and ‘gophernuts’. Are these Texas idioms? Ms. Jackson is from that great state. But my favorite new word is petrichor – which refers to the earthy scent produced when rain falls on dry soil. I love that smell and now I know what to call it.

I would describe Wanted & Wired as relentless action with non-stop geekiness, a few scorching love scenes and a heroine and hero with fierce intents and emotions. Wanted & Wired is book 1 of what appears to be an new series with plenty of potential. Wanted & Wired gets 5 stars.

NetGalley provided a copy of this book so that I could bring you this unbiased review.

Wanted and Wired is a fireball of a scifi romance. The chemistry between Heron and Mari is off the charts. I loved the role reversal with Mari being rough and tough and stuff and Heron being the brainy one. The story started out a little slow with world building but when that was done it took off like a bull from a chute complete with twists and turns that will leave you breathless. This story has several sub plots that will keep you guessing and wanting more.

'Wanted and Wired' by Vivien Jackson is book One in the "Tether" series. This is the story of Heron and Mari. Heron and Mari are working as a Team that Heron heads up. It is a uniquely skilled outsiders who fight to salvage what's left of humanity. But on one of these assignments something goes wrong and they end up on the run. This sets them up to start working more closely and they end up starting to act on how they have been feeling toward each other.
Wanted and Wired is an exciting Sci-fi romance read!
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Wanted and Wired (Tether Book 1) Kindle Edition
by Vivien Jackson
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Wow! A sexy, thrilling dystopian adventure paired with one of the deepest love stories I've read in ages. And one of the sexiest, purest love from a male character.
They did it, they actually did it. Texas seceded and through the USA into an unending war. Mari and Heron run errands and ops to keep things somewhat even, or rather Mari runs them and Heron does everything in his incredible power as a post human with nearly unending control and mental strength to protect her. He is the center of his rather large, cybernetic universe and he is the one thing she has always relied on.
And I can see why. I am in love with Heron myself. His overriding urge to protect precious things, be they ancient works of arts that he rescues from the smoldering remains of Texas and the remaining USA, or the people he loves, is so deep and he puts so much into it without turning cave man Alpha asshole. He is such a fully realized male, I want one.
Mari is equally realized. She is a shooter, a hitwoman for money who is constantly trying to find out info on her father. She is driven, just as Heron, but by other things. She is so well realized, that when we switch to her third person limited POV, she has her own language. A language so genuine, we can place her as from the south, from the country but with just that edge of education from her genius father.
Ms. Jackson allows the plot to drive itself, like a well maintained Tesla, Eco safe, but fast and sexy to boot. Breadcrumbs are laid, but in such away, the answer the mystery is a gut punch and not an a-ha, I knew that moment.
The side characters, Mrs. Weatherly to Chloe are fascinating enough that I was plumb pleased to see this is a series starter. I can't wait to dig into the world, as destroyed as it is, that Ms. Jackson has created with its many levels and dangers lurking around the corner.
Ms. Jackson carefully places a far enough time frame from ours that, while we can accept the tech, it is advanced enough that it makes sense.
5 stars out of 5
This book is Book Nerd Approved!
https://www.amazon.com/Wanted-Wired-Tether-Book-1-ebook/dp/B01N2JSTF4/''

Unable to post on to amazon - but have it set up on my calendar to post on 4/4

Book one in a new sci-fi romance series. Mari is a kick-butt mercenary, Heron, is a post-human and her partner. Their last job is a set-up and they need to figure out who, what, where and why. A good start to a new series that surprised me at how much I enjoyed the characters and story.

Book Info
Paperback, 352 pages
Expected publication: April 4th 2017 by Sourcebooks Casablanca
ISBN 1492648167 (ISBN13: 9781492648161)
Series Tether #1
Other Editions (1)

Source:Netgalley EARC

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BOOK BLURB


A rip-roarin' new snarky, sexy sci-fi paranormal romance series with the perfect balance of humor, heat, and heart. Now that Texas has seceded and the world is spiraling into chaos, good guys come in unlikely packages and love sprouts in the most inconvenient places...

Rogue scientist • technologically enhanced • deliciously attractive Heron Farad should be dead. But technology has made him the man he is today. Now he heads a crew of uniquely skilled outsiders who fight to salvage what's left of humanity: art, artifacts, books, ideas-sometimes even people. People like Mari Vallejo.

Gun for hire • Texan rebel • always hits her mark
Mari has been lusting after her mysterious handler for months. But when a by-the-book hit goes horribly sideways, she and Heron land on the universal most wanted list. Someone set them up. Desperate and on the run, they must trust each other to survive, while hiding devastating secrets. As their explosive chemistry heats up, it's the perfect storm...

My Thoughts


This book takes the term Tech Head to new heights in ways I was not expecting but was mostly utterly delighted by.

Heron is so much more than what Mari thinks of him when first partnered together. Not only does he handle with aplomb the myriad details needed to smooth the way for Mari prior to and during her contracted jobs. His personal devotion to her however is the biggest motivator to keep her safe at all costs, the lengths he must go to do so are unlimited and more than once at a high cost to himself.

The biggest lesson taught to the reader through Heron and Mari’s experiences is not to judge based on ones claim to humanity, more Cyborg at this point than man Heron proves his worth a million times over throughout the read. Mari has to learn that lesson herself, and learn it she does.

The romance between the two takes place slowly at first and then goes supernova once they finally connect physically.

There is a lot of world building and character development as this is book one in a series so that means more information dumping takes place throughout it but it also means the story arc continuations hinted at lure one in as well.

Reminds me a lot of one my favorite older futuristic dystopian Sci-Fi series Crimson City . Am happy to have found a new to me author whose work is unique into itself but uses familiar to me attributes in its characters and plot arc.

[EArc from Netgalley in exchange for honest review]


On every book read as soon as it is done and written up for review it is posted on Goodreads and Netgalley, once released then posted on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles as well.

Wanted and Wired is a unique, dystopian, scifi romance.

Mari is a gun for hire and Heron is her back up. When an assignment goes horribly wrong, Mari finds herself on the run from the law with Heron doing everything he can to help save her.

Heron is in love with Mari and has been for years but she has never seen him as more than a technologically enhanced friend, but the with them being on the run together, Mari starts to see Heron for the person he truly is.

Jackson writes a highly original and masterfully imaginative tale. I was blown away by the pictures that Jackson could create with words. Those pictures pulled you in and made for some amazing world building.

I received this ARC copy of Wanted and Wired from Sourcebooks Casablanca. This is my honest and voluntary review. This book is set for publication April 4, 2017.

My Rating: 4 stars
Written by: Vivien Jackson
Series: Tether (Book 1)
Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Publication Date; April 4, 2017
ISBN-10: 1492648167
ISBN-13: 978-1492648161
Genre: Romantic Scifi

Itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/want...
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Wanted-Wired-T...
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13 likes

Heron can be up front at times, "her unspoken question hit him in the gut. “Yes, Mari, you may put your mouth all over me.” Mari was one saucy girl and I liked that, there were times I don't think Heron knew what to do with her, “you boys get to it, then,” Mari said. “I’ll just sit over here and watch.” She could tell by the twitch beside Heron’s mouth that he was itching to say something in response to that..." This book was very different in aspects of robots and machines and humans and I really enjoyed it.

Wanted and Wired by Vivien Jackson is the first book in her new Sci-Fi Tether series. I enjoy reading some Sci-fi with a fantasy element, but I do tend to enjoy straight fantasy more. I had mixed feelings about Wanted and Wired. This had a lot of possibilities, a good story line, and some really interesting and likeable characters. I also thought Jackson’s writing was good.

Mari is a tough heroine, who is also a crack shot who never misses. She partners with our hero, Heron, who is human and part droid (technically advanced). When things go wrong on an assignment, Heron uses his technical ability to be one step ahead of those trying to catch them. During this adventure, we meet many people who are technically enhanced or complete droids. The key to the story is to find out who betrayed them in the assignment, as well as to keep Mari safe from those who want her killed.

My mixed feelings: The story was very technical, which was either a bit redundant or confusing for me. Though I like my fantasy and sci-fi, I do not like too much technical terms which takes me out of the story. I also did not like the constant sexual innuendos, and situations which seemed to be constant. Wherever, whenever, whoever was around, it was all about their lust for each other. I like my books to be story oriented, with the sexual chemistry and situations part of the story.

I did think that Heron and Mari were good heroes, if we had the time to learn about them; as well as some of the secondary characters that were well done, such as Chloe, Kellen, Adele, just to name a few. If you enjoy Sci-Fi with advanced humans or droids, and heavily sexual stories, then Wanted and Wired would be a good read.

I have to start by saying this is not a paranormal story but very definitely a science fiction look at a dystopian Texas with amazing technology. It has a brutal eloquence and whilst at times I admit the technological terms did seem to run away with the story I understood that it's the first book in a series so there's an awful lot of world building going on. Perhaps the author tried too hard at times to impress how very different things are but once I got past about the twenty percent mark I was fully on board and happily turning the pages.
Once Mari and Heron are on the run its fast paced and full of interesting characters . I'm almost reminded of TVs shows such as Farscape and Firefly in terms of the 'crew' that support Heron but there the similarities end. There's a war coming and unfortunately it looks like it's because of Mari's latest assignment but her partner Heron will go to any lengths to save her . Heron is I suppose you could say genetically modified with absolutely astounding abilities that really helped charge up the romance side of this story! If blunt their initial scenes of ogling each other felt infantile and odd considering how long they have worked together but happily the author quickly gets over that giving her readers a very satisfying romance.
Mari is kind of a conundrum really. It's not easy to make a female assassin likeable but she's not the sort to go quietly and frankly runs full tilt at every problem she encounters. Yet there's a reticence to her, a softness that few get to see but I thought the author did a really good job in showing the different sides to her when she interacted with those around Heron. No spoilers but a lot of this story is connected to Mari's past and as her memory is shaky at best there's a lot she doesn't know. What she does know though is she's not the only one in danger and she might be the only one who can turn the tables!
I liked that Mari could own her own sexuality unapologetically and applaud the author for that. I will be brutally honest and say I tried reading this three times as I struggled with the couples internal monologues initially but once they left the city wow did this story take off! Who doesn't like a guy like Heron? He's totally smitten and has been for quite some time but I think there's still a lot more to learn about the world these characters are living in. I mentioned that I was perhaps a little bewildered by Mari and her past and have to say there are two revelations at the end that make sense and yet really don't! Proof positive that the author still has a trick or two up her sleeve as I will be thinking about these characters and pondering just what to think for quite some time
This voluntary opinion is of a copy provided for me by Netgalley and these thoughts are my own honest opinion

I thought this book worked really well within the genre. It held my attention and had some really intriguing moments.

Mari is an assassin for hire in a world that is rapidly changing. Texas is an independent country and humans who aren't so human due to a multitude of robotic parts and programs are a regular occurrence.

She is a complex character with a definite moral code that is all her own. Mari has a lot of Daddy angst that she is not dealing with very well. Her father is a scientist is supposedly being held by someone somewhere and Mari feels obligated to try to rescue him, despite the fact that he was never a very good father. Her support comes from Heron, a man who is little more cyborg than human these days, try to protect Mari from some of the poor decisions she makes. There is a definite degree of fire between these two characters and the romantic angle does add to the story and not detract.

Heron's band of merry men or should I say merry mixture of people and technology provide even more of a foundation for Mari to survive in this brave new world. They are an interesting group of character who add an additional layer to the tale.

There are some moments in the story that I did have to go back and reread to check I got it but generally it rolls along fast and furious. I absolutely recommend giving this book a go if you have a love of Syfy and strong female lead characters.

2.5 stars

This is a first time for me to read Vivien Jackson's book and since it's a start of a new series I make a go for it. I guess it just didn't work so well for me.

Set in fictional post war divided America, Wanted and Wired stared gun-for-hire Marissa Vallejo and technologically-enhanced Heron Farad who got framed for contract ran wrong. Mari was the muscle of the duo, described as tots kick-ass female; while Heron was the brain who plan and double plan everything and had huge resources at his beck and call.

The story started at a run and I was totally immersed in it. Their verbal sparing was rather entertaining to read, more so because these two harbored feeling for each other but never expressing them. As it went though, it felt - for me - like the story focused more on Heron and Mari love affair, instead of the bigger picture.

Described as kick-ass as Mari was, to me she appeared more as reckless and not so brilliant operator; which was really a let down because I really wish she could play more part than damsel in distress needing a rescue here. Furthermore, although - or probably because - the pages spewed a lot of gibberish techie details that overwhelmed my simple mind, I did feel some missing sequences on when Heron "woke up", ran amok (in a matter of speaking), and made his way back to his physical body.

In all fairness, with this being a first entry in new series, I'm sure there's still a lot to reveal in the next installments; and probably more characters to introduce. I'll just take a wait and see stand and see what adventure the next book would bring.


Advanced copy of this book is kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Mari is an assassin. She always hits her target. Her partner, Heron, sets up the hits, they share the money, and while they are always on the run, they're happy. Until she's hired to take out a quad (a robot that looks human, often clone-like) and when the bullet hits him, blood spurts out. Quads don't have blood; she just killed the man, not his clone. And they are both in big trouble now...

Sourcebooks Casablanca and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you). It will be published April 4th.

A woman assassin isn't common but she's from Texas and has had some bad experiences in her past, so she does what she needs to do and tries not to feel guilty about it. It's hard when a mistake was made in her assignment. What burns her is it was not her mistake. Someone set them up for a fall.

This is an action packed story with lots of danger set in a future world where many of the humans have been augmented with nanos to increase their performances and skills. She won't go there but her partner has been changed. He's afraid to tell her how much. She's not too concerned with that. She's falling in love with him and wants him to love her, too. He does but he won't admit it. They are in the middle of a war and they don't need the distraction. Of course, knowing better doesn't mean you don't do it.

Heron has an ability to plug in electronically and become the car, the helicopter, the building or the space ship. While they were hiding in one of his buildings, they were tackled by a couple of gunmen who plugged Heron into a strange port. Mari manages to kill both of them and remove the port but the damage has been done. There are bugs in his system now, just like a virus in a computer. He has to leave his body and go into the computer to see if he can isolate and kill them. He only has so long to do it and the hours are counting down. Mari goes back to Texas to shut down the source. Heron is still in the computer. It's very, very dangerous in Texas.

This futuristic novel was entertaining. It's a bit spicy with the sex but the overall story was good to read. This is not the end of this story, there will be more in this series. It's not going to get nicer either. War is on the horizon and Mari and Heron are in their sights.

This book is the perfect blend of romance and science fiction. Mari is a hired gun and Heron, her handler, in this raw, sexy, futuristic story. When things go horribly wrong, they have to run to survive. Heron is part man part tech but his feelings for Mari are all too human. I read this book in one setting because I just couldn't put it down. I can't wait for the next book in this series!

Sexy and funny with a Kick ass lady hero and a hero to lust after!!