<I>This book was received via Netgalley for an honest review</I>

So this is the fifth book in Burrows' <B>Hornet</B> series, and if I'm honest it has been a while since I read the others... which is probably why it took me a little while to get going with this one! it can be read as a stand alone but there was a pretty big (and important chunk of back story) that game from the previous.

Anyways this picks up from where we last left the Hornet team... apart from the whole you know two team members going rogue and wandering off on their own thing!

Jean-Luc is the epitome of laid back Cajun but as with all good heroes that changed when he met the right women, ok so his right women is a world renowned super intelligent virologist who just so happens to have invented the super cure...

Of course nothing can go smoothly, or you know according to plan, but this was a highly entertaining read with enough twists to keep it interesting...

Je t'aime Jean-Luc that sexy Ragin' Cajun!!! I've been waiting to see what kind of story he would get and Ms. Burrows did not disappoint. So happy to see that his playboy days are over! Jean-Luc has been looking for Claire, who definitely caught his eye during the Martinique attack (last book) that killed her best friend and fellow doctor, Tiffany. Now in Nigeria, Claire is working with Doctors Without Borders when a horrific viral outbreak kills so many people and is showing no signs of stopping. It's awful!! When Claire goes to a nearby militant camp looking for answers, she actually finds Jean-Luc.
I don't want to give anything away but the story line from here on out is intense and there are some pretty scary moments along with some hot moments between Claire and Jean-Luc. I love that we get more of the rest of the team too! I enjoyed this book a lot!

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley.

I'm delirious. I just finished this book and I'll be lucky if I can form complete sentences. I loved this book! I'm a little in lust with Jean-Luc anyway, that crazy Cajun and this just sent me right over the edge. It's white knuckle kindle gripping ride as Jean-Luc goes after the woman that has captured his heart, Claire Oliver.
This book brings Claire to Nigeria were she's called by a friend she went to school with because of an unknown outbreak of some new strain that is killing people, wiping out whole villages. Claire already has a price on her head and her research, she's working on a special project that's wanted by some lunatic, and crazy bad man has hired a group of subcontractors to go after her. After escaping with her life in a previous book in Martinique, losing her colleague and best friend, she's on her own. She doesn't know that Marcus and Jean Luc are on their way to find her. Jean Luc has sworn to protect her. He's gone against Hornet orders, so he's operating off the grid more or less. Claire battles time and extreme circumstance as she tries to ascertain what she's even up against. When she finds Jean Luc the pressure is on. Marcus is missing. So many risks, twists and turns. Back home Hornet is aware of what's happening and closing in on more information and finding out where they are, meanwhile the threat to kidnap Claire, with her anti-viral and her research is escalating.

This story is a rush. It's suspense, the ever lustful Jean Luc and Claire connection, along with who is wearing what hat. I did not put this one down. I kept those pages turning because each one brought a new turn of events. Also enter Mercedes (boo hiss) who isn't a nice person and she now must face Marcus.

Marcus wants answers for what happened to his partner Danny. (I do too) I can't wait for their book!
This one was a 5 star all the way for me. It's got it all. Turns out Jean Luc can sing after all.

**advanced reader copy from NetGalley and Entangled for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own**

**I received a copy of Reckless Honor from Net Galley in exchange for an voluntary and honest review**

Reckless Honor is the fifth book in the Hornet series by Tonya Burrows. I've read three books in her series and even though it was as a stand alone book you can read them in order. But I've been waiting for Jean Luc's story and I wasn't disappointed at all. However, if you read only one book I'd recommend reading Code of Honor as this book picks up where it ends.

Dr. Claire Oliver loves working for Doctors Without Borders (Or Medecins San Frontieres) but when a outbreak takes off like wildfire in the Niger Delta she has to wonders if Akeso, the medicine she and her best friend Tiffany had developed could help save those infected but it hasn't been tested on humans. However, Bioteric and Defion want Akeso and they aren't afraid to kill to get it. But when she needs to go to village to collect samples to find the origin, she doesn't expect to find Jean Luc as a prisoner. But he's been infected by the virus and takes him plus one little survivor back to the hospital. Has she found him in time and will she be able to save him? When Jean takes a turn for the worse will she be able to give him Akeso and save him?

Jean-Luc Cavalier is in Niger with his team mate Marcus Deangelo left without permission after losing Danny in Martinique to find Claire before Bioteric and Defion does. Whether the two men will have a job with Hornet when they get back is iffy. But when he sees Claire at the hospital he knows that she needs to leave even if he doesn't survive. Can two hard headed people survive kidnapping, torture, an evil man wanting to create a new society to find love and keep the Bio Terrorists away from Akeso? Because it going to take the whole Hornet team to save all of them this time.

Reckless Honor reminded me a little like Julie Rowe's Biological Response series with a dash of Outbreak thrown in but I really loved it and give the story 4.5 stars..

✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ FIVE-STAR ✩ REVIEW ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩

> > Judging a Book by it's Cover < <
This cover continues with the darker, edgier, cold and broody feel. While the covers fit the often darker subjects that Ms. Burrows delves into, they are dramatic but flat visually. Unfortunately, if not for the author, I'm not certain I'd stop to read the synopsis. I think I preferred the bolder but dramatic second edition covers better for their eye-catching abilities.
The synopsis for this fifth book promises a thrill ride into another third-world environment and the dark world of bioterrorism, corruption, and greed. A favorite amongst HORNET readers, Jean-Luc finally gets his chance to shine and charm the ladies. That said... let the good times roll, mon ami!

> > Looking Deeper < <
POV ~> Third-person

Jean-Luc made Claire a promise as she fled Martinique, he'd find her. He'd keep her safe. But she had to be smart, keep herself and her research safe, and survive the unsurvivable as she entered a new, deadly hot zone along Africa's Niger River.
Cursed by a voodoo queen, Jean-Luc lost his charm with the ladies but he's drawn to Claire in a way he'd never been before despite feeling she was way too good for him and he'd never deserve someone like her.
Against orders, Jean-Luc crossed the globe to find Claire, with Marcus in tow as backup. They were fully aware that they risked everything by going in... there was a hot new virus outbreak, hostiles at every turn, and no backup to rely on. And when things went FUBAR, they had to fight for their very lives.

Jean-Luc has always been a fan-favorite character (though my guy still has not been written). Jean-Luc has this casual, easy attitude that seems to be synonymous with the Cajun or Bayou lifestyle. But, deeper down, there are a lot of repressed emotions and issues.
The cast was full, rich, engaging. The chemistry between the lead characters was at a slow burn for quite the time due to circumstances unfavorable to them but you could still feel their attraction and WANT to be MORE to/for one another. Dialogue was entertaining and smart. The interactions were mostly natural and believable.
The plot was dynamic and had plenty of emotional depth. I'm not a big crier and this did not quite get me there, but I did choke up a little in two separate parts. The plot also seems to hint at some history about "my guy" and the ending provides a glimpse into who may be getting their next book... but now my interests were really piqued with Marcus's vow to Lena, as I could not help but think there was some undercurrent of "something" interesting between Raya and "my guy". Then there also seems to be the interesting turn that Harvard is taking. Hmmmm... guess we'll have to wait and see how this all unfolds!
There were conflicts, both between them personally as well as externally. Most were resolved by the end of the book. Some are shown to continue into the next plot. Predictability was low, plus several surprises along the way. The conclusion is solid and left me satisfied.
Overall, I feel this was another fantastic addition to the series.
Emotional, Enjoyable, Exciting.
.
Rating: [R+] ~ Score: 4.55 ~ Stars: 4
A lot of bloodshed & death.
Prolonged and detained suffering from various viral causes.

==========================

⭐ ⭐ **** Disclosure of Material: I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the Author/Publisher with the hope that I would voluntarily leave unbiased and unsolicited feedback. I was not asked, encouraged, or required to leave a review - nor was I compensated in any way. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising". ***** ⭐ ⭐

ARC received for review

Jean-Luc chases Dr. Claire to Africa and then they fall in love in the middle of an outbreak of a very, very deadly virus and bad guys trying to take her research and kill everyone. Jean-Luc is all kinds of sexy and perfect for Claire.

Now what stupid thing is he (can't tell you who that'd be a spoiler) about to do now? What bug has crawled up Harvard's arse and died? Will Ian and her hook up? Which one will get the next book?

Extreme violence and danger are at the heart of this story. That and heartbreaking illness in people with few resources. This book went a step...or ten...too far to be an enjoyable read for me. Of course, I love adventure and brave soldiers or ex-soldiers who face terrible odds with fearlessness, but this one just...undid me.

I loved Jean-Luc. He was sweet and hot, and one of those ex-CIA, current bad-a$$ operatives that I always fall for. After the disaster in Martinique, Jean-Luc can’t stop looking for for Dr. Claire Oliver. In Martinique he had promised to save her friend, but failed after nearly being killed himself. When he finally healed from his injuries, he was tracking her down in Nigeria, where a horrible outbreak of hemorrhagic fever was decimating villages, when he was captured by a militant group, holding him for ransom. Unfortunately for him, the camp where he was being held was wiped out by the unknown and deadly fever. Jean-Luc was infected.

I had a hard time warming up to Claire. She was so focused on what she wanted to accomplish that she seemed oblivious to the danger she was in, the danger to others because of her and the danger to those trying to protect her. I’m not fond of people who get lost on a mountain or in the wilderness making others risk their lives to save them. I felt that way about Claire...just obliviously focused on her own goals. In a twist, it is Claire who finds Jean-Luc. He is very sick, but she takes him back to the hospital, knowing he can infect everyone he comes in co tact with. In what shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone, she manages to save him and that’s when the real events of this story begin.

While the banter and sexual tension between Jean-Luc and Claire was fun to read, there is a lot of death in this book, some of it violent, some just tragic. I can watch the evening news if I want to experience this much suffering. I don’t find this entertaining. If you’re a huge, devoted fan of this series, you’ll probably want to read this book anyway, if not, you might want to skip this one.

2shay

ARC graciously provided by Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for an honest and voluntary review.

This was my first book in the Hornet Series. I think it would have been better to have read the others, but I really enjoyed this romantic suspense story. I will be going back and reading the others.

Jean-Luc Cavalier, like his last name suggests, has been difficult to take seriously in all of Tonya Burrows’s HORNET books I’ve gone through. The voodoo spell on his man bits that had cursed him into celibacy? Jean-Luc the manwhore had always looked like a joke to me and that’s putting it quite kindly. The womanising bastard of a language-expert hasn’t made his mark on me like some other characters in this series have, and I’ll readily admit my own scepticism when the time rolled around for his own story.

But the context in which Burrows has written his and Claire’s story is undeniably irresistible: the threat of a virus in far-flung Nigeria, the high-stakes of biological warfare coming into play? I’m fidgety with excitement. It’s a story that has its roots in the previous book (which I don’t really remember now), so I struggled a little in catching up with a plot that races through a hot-zone and tries to uncover the mystery behind a rapidly-spreading, man-made virus.

There was a bleakness to this that isn’t present in Burrows’s other books and perversely, I found myself liking the head and dankly pervasive atmosphere of the angst and the hopelessness that surrounded the dying camp that Jean-Luc and Claire found themselves in, while the geek in me slurped up every word to do with viruses and mutations. But as with most RS books, this took a suspense of disbelief to get through—the flitting from exotic location to yet another exotic location, the James Bond-esque type of action, the miraculous happenings when you least expect them.

What I wasn’t sold on was Jean-Luc, unfortunately. Not when I couldn’t shake the longstanding idea of him being a self-serving bastard and deem him a credible hero. Mostly the problem I have with manwhore types is this—I will always doubt their ability to commit no matter how special they make out a woman to be, let alone stick to that very one woman despite the extraordinary circumstances that bring them together.

Past the adrenaline rush and the intense emotions deadly situations tend to pull out of people, I couldn’t be convinced that Claire would have been enough for Jean-Luc not when nothing else has made him changed his mind on the ‘Laissez les bons temps rouler’ motto he went by until the threat of violent hemorrhagic death came on him, curse on his dick aside. That he wanted a chance with Claire because the threat of pending death brought the weight of regrets down on him or that she’d helped saved him…well anything less extreme than that wouldn’t have made him change on his own volition otherwise, would it? The suddenness with which Jean-Luc opted for monogamy was beyond unbelievable as a result and I was surprised in fact, that Claire didn’t have the same reservations, the giving, determined doctor that she is.

But Claire’s constant heart-sickness and the pain she felt about her own dilemma concerning the virus and the people she’d left behind made her a heroine laden with her own burdens—so much so that I didn’t see her getting her head past it at all. From her wanting a night to forget to her inexplicable falling in love with Jean-Luc baffled me as well, when most of the book was spent dodging mercenaries, arguing about playing god and figuring their way out of tricky situations with their only connection being the virus and her determination not to let anyone die because of her.

While Claire/Jean-Luc wasn’t quite a pairing I could realistically buy into, Burrows’s writing has always appealed to me nonetheless, which is what keeps me coming back to her HORNET series. The insertion of the rest of the guys is always a boon—the slight focus on Harvard, Ian and Marcus made me want their own stories, yes, these HORNET men nearly unhinged with their own deep issues—and a timely reminder that there’re so many loose threads yet to be tied up, as each one bleeds into the next story.

LOVED this book!!! Finally, Jean-Luc and Claire get their book! I love the Hornet series and this book is a great addition. Jean-Luc is the ultimate playboy who has been smitten with Claire since they first met in a prior book. When she disappeared in Nigeria, he immediately rushed to try to find her. Unfortunately, he was captured for ransom before he located her. Then, while there, he was infected with a dangerous virus.

Claire, as a talented physician and researcher, was in the region treating the sick when she found Jean-Luc critically ill. But, Claire has an experimental treatment she developed and risks everything to get to it so she can use it to save him. But the people that were chasing Claire for this treatment are still chasing her and they don't care who they hurt in their quest to get both Claire and her research.

This is a very quickly moving novel that fans of the genre will love. I loved the characters and their story. The author made me care about them and feel invested in their getting a HEA. There is lots of action and a struggle for life that is woven throughout the book. While this is a romantic suspense, fans of both genres will enjoy this book. The author is on my must read authors' list and should probably be on yours as well.

I really enjoyed this story of Claire, a doctor working on a cure for virulent viruses, and Jean Luc, once a CIA agent now a member of the covert ops organization - HORNET. .Jean Luc's unauthorized mission is to save Claire from bioterrorists who want her for the cure she's been working on. Lots of suspense, action, and romance make this a great read.

Good read, but I guess it's not a standalone,I felt like I had missed the part where the H and h fell in love, that this was more of a story resolving how things work out for them.

Jean-Luc I found to be adorable, I mean you're not supposed to describe a manly-man as adorable but Jean-Luc just was, “right. Alors pas. I’ve been frustrated …to say the least…and the cork popped when I touched you.” There were times Jean-Luc didn't like have to have patience, “uh-uh.” She held up a hand as he prowled toward her. “Bath first.” He scowled at the tub like it had just insulted his mother, then sighed dramatically." I liked this book, I fellin love with Jean-Luc.