In this third book in Monica McCarty’s Lost Platoon series, we see everyone picking up exactly where book 2 left off. Scott’s dead girlfriend turned out to be a Russian spy. Even though she had been the reason he was still alive with her last minute phone call to him on their sat phone, he couldn’t believe he’d fallen for a Russian spy. He’d been planning on proposing. He went from grieving his men and his girlfriend, to hating himself for ever letting her close. How could he have been so blind?

Natalie isn’t dead. She’s also a terrible spy. Seriously, she’s really bad. But that’s because she’s not a spy. I mean, technically she is, but not really. She was adopted at five years old from Russia. And Russia used the children adopted out as spies. Not like highly trained secret double agents, but more along the lines of, hey I will kill your (adopted) family if you do not spy for Russia, this is why you were allowed out of the country and by the way we killed your parents. Natalie is really put in a tight spot. So her version of spying is that she tries to pass along intel that is useless and boring and not at all helpful. She thinks she may be able to get out unscathed. It’s just a little light treason after all. Until the night she meets Scott.

She and Scott have an amazing night together, and while he wants more, she tries to break up with him. But she’s told to get close to him. Once more she tries to give her contact really useless information, but when she finds out something potentially lethal, she warns Scott that his team has been compromised. She saved them with that phone call. Unfortunately, at the end of the last book, his team found out that she was the one who betrayed them.

But she wasn’t.

Scott needed closure. He just couldn’t fathom how he’d allowed himself to be played so hard. He started to look into Natalie’s life and saw she had a close friend. He hunted down the friend and found…a ghost.

I love the second chance type of trope where someone was betrayed by the other. Scott can’t believe that Natalie isn’t dead. Seeing her only solidifies the fact that she was the one who betrayed his team, nevermind that she’s also the one who called him to tell him to get out therefore saving their lives. There’s another complication. though. And Scott doesn’t know what to believe or who to trust, but he starts to see an entirely different side of Natalie. Learning to trust and love again, while also trying to stay out of prison for treason, isn’t easy on a relationship. This book tackles some tough topics and handles them well. I love that the betrayal is real. It isn't just a big misunderstanding that could be solved by a simple conversation. This was a true and heart-rending betrayal that had extenuating circumstances that everyone had to learn to move past.

This author does an amazing job with the “betrayal trope” (I don’t know what else to call it), and she makes you see both his side, her side, and you fall in love with them both. This series cannot be read out of order. I really hope this wasn’t the last book in this series. While the over-arching storyline may have been wrapped up, this team could do so much more.

***Review copy courtesy of Berkley Romance

*3.5 stars*

Hard-fought answers found…

This was my favourite read of the series with many answers provided and relationships satisfactorily sorted. Natalie’s role in the team’s mission was finally revealed and both she and Scott fought hard to make it right between themselves and those they cared about. It was messy, good gawd, soooo messy, but I loved that it wasn’t black and white. This story was all about the grey areas so finding closure there seemed right...

And theirs wasn’t the only relationship sorted. Kate and Colt’s roller coaster ride ended just as I’d hoped. All in all, the suspense and tension that had built throughout this series finished on all the high notes. Definitely the best way to end it, being left with a ‘darn this was good’ kind of feeling…

So much of what we find out about the lost platoon in the first and second book comes to a head—and what seems like a conclusion—in this third book of the series, Out of Time. And what a fitting title!

His men put a lot of trust into Lieutenant Commander Scott Taylor when he asked them to scatter across the globe and remain in hiding until they had answers to who betrayed them. He was crushed when he heard the woman he had been dating was killed in a car accident not long after she had alerted them to the betrayal. What he doesn’t want to believe, however, is that she could be behind that very betrayal, but all the evidence points in her direction.

Natalie Andersson, born Natalya Petrova, was adopted and raised by a loving American family. I admit it was a bit of a stretch for me to buy how she could be a Russian spy given her background, but for the sake of the story, I went along with it. And to be fair to her, she did what she could to sabotage the Russians’ efforts to use her without risking the lives of those she loved. That took some moxie. Now, Natalie has taken a new name and made a new life for herself, praying neither the Russians nor the Americans find out she is alive. Scott, furious and hurt, however, shows up on her doorstep demanding answers.

The love and hate relationship between Natalie and Scott runs parallel to that of Kate and Colt, whose story readers have been getting piecemeal throughout the series. Kate is probably one of my favorite characters in the series—high-powered and knows how to get things done. Colt is a hot head, and frankly, it’s no wonder Kate divorced him all those years ago. His insecurities got the better of him, and he wasn’t the best husband to her. He grows as a character throughout this series, especially in these last two books. I think of all the romance threads in the series, theirs was the one I was most drawn to.

Out of Time was action packed and high in emotion and suspense, much like its predecessors. While the romance is front and foremost in a series like this, I liked that the mystery aspect remained strong as well. It was never far in the background when it was not front and center. My suspicions from the last book proved correct.

I had a hard time with this story. To know that Natalie is the one who betrayed Scott's platoon and by half way through there is still nothing that made me like her, it was hard to get behind her as the heroine of the story. But Monica McCarty does a great job of character development and it is a well-written story!

I've been enjoying the Lost Platoon series from Monica McCarty - and this book is a great addition. Scott Taylor is honorable and brave and sexy. Natalie is caught in the worst kind of situation and the sparks really fly between the two of them as they face the truth about themselves, their relationship and the threat surrounding them. Can't wait for the next installment!

I usually enjoy a Monica McCarty novel, but this one is lacking for me. The story feels rushed, time wasn't given to adequately "get to know" the characters. Scott is a SEAL that feels by his girlfriend Natalie following a blown mission. I liked Natalie's character though I felt that she wasn't fully developed. Natalie was adopted from Russia and raised in America, thus when Scott's mission in Russia goes bad he soon finds out she was "working as a spy." The author gives some background as to how Natalie ended up in America, but I felt we were left hanging concerning her birth parents in Russia. This story may continue in another novel, but I did feel like I was left asking questions as to where are they parents, etc. Overall something was missing and the story just felt incomplete. This is part of a series, so additional character from previous novels as well as future novels are introduce.

Packed with danger, intrigue and suspense, Off the Grid, delivers a punch in the Lost Patrol series and leaves you wanting more. I wish the platoon wasn’t so dispersed, so they could have more of a group dynamic to the stories. I want to be pulled in deeper to them as a group. That being said – I loved the mystery, romance and edge to this book.

I wasn’t sure of the route this book was gonna take but I’m happy with the way it turned out. Secrets and lies with a dash of romance. I wish I read the other books in this series but I didn’t have to to enjoy this one. But I will be adding them to my tbr.

✦Review & Giveaway: OUT OF TIME (The Lost Platoon) by Monica McCarty https://wp.me/p3d0RZ-aZj
Publication Date: December 31, 2018
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Reviewed by: Reading in Pajamas/ Donna
Rated 4 Stars

I enjoyed this installment in the Lost Platoon series, even though it started out a bit slow for me. There was a lot of talking about and searching for clues to what happened in Russia. It picked up for me about a third of the way in. I like Natalie and understand why she did the things she did, I also understand her attraction to Scott. Their relationship sure needed some work, but their physical relationship was spot-on. I am glad questions were answered, and that the series is moving in a slightly different direction. Maybe then the Unit will be together and hopefully show the camaraderie that I love with group series.

*Review copy provided by Penguin in exchange for an honest review.

~*~*~*~

Kindle https://amzn.to/2FivSx1

✦The Lost Platoon Series by Monica McCarty✦
1. GOING DARK ➢ Review 5 Stars http://wp.me/p3d0RZ-9G1 | Kindle http://amzn.to/2qtdF55
2. OFF THE GRID ➢ Review 4.5 Stars https://wp.me/p3d0RZ-aO5 | Kindle http://amzn.to/2subV0J
3. OUT OF TIME ➢ Review 4 Stars https://wp.me/p3d0RZ-aZj | Kindle https://amzn.to/2FivSx1

My final review for 2018! Loved closing out the year with an action suspense romance, and surprise this one is a two-fer! Not only do we get to enjoy Scott and Natalie's story there's a second couple throughout who share a redemption. Now, in order to truly understand all that goes on in this book, I do recommend reading books one and two as they outline the whole backstory AND the bomb dropped (no pun intended) at the end of book 2 that leads to our hero and heroine reconnecting. On the run as he's supposed to be dead, Scott has recently learned that the woman he loved (and thought he lost) was a double agent, working as a sleeper Russian spy within the US government. Brokenhearted, he goes on a mission to find out her secrets and if he and his men can figure out who leaked their original mission.

Natalie is also on the run. A sleeper spy she is not but no one will believe her. Threatened by a true spy she unknowingly gave some information but risked it all to save the man she love's life. That risk cost her everything and now she has to take on a new identity in order to survive. When Scott shows up, looking for the identity she took over and finding Natalie instead, its a battle of truth and trust. With all the secrets she kept, how can Scott ever believe the biggest one she has and its the only one to make him truly trust her. As Scott has to learn to trust his gut with Natalie, he can't deny that he wants to protect her at all costs. There's still the same flare of attraction when they touch. Being on the run is no easy romance, and the suspense will keep you guessing until the end.

The side story throughout Out of Time was a shinning point for me. In the previous novels, we learned about Kate, Scott's newly discovered half-sister, and her now ex-husband Colt. Torn by what Colt thought was an affair between the two (which was really a new sibling-ship), their divorce and now uncivil attitudes spark off the page. Both still love one another, but Kate can't come to terms with Colt not trusting her, and Colt doesn't understand how badly he hurt Kate in his doubt. As the climax of the Lost Platoon's fate comes to a near-end, Colt and Kate reconnect in am explosively sexual way, cutting the tension with heartbreaking passion. Two couples reunited through tragedy, learning to trust and love each other again! My only disappointment is that the true leak of the platoon's mission seemed too easy to figure out and almost had an anticlimactic ending. But let's be real...we're all here mostly for the romance!

I haven’t read the previous books in this series. This isn’t a stand-alone book you can just read on its own. For the first 20-30% of the book I was mostly confused, trying to piece together what was actually going on. There was a back story that I had missed with not reading the first 2 books.
I liked the storyline when I got to grip with what was happening. The story had a strong start but then kind of lost its flow in the middle. The last 20% was the best part for me. It was full of action and twists and turns.
I didn’t connect with the characters though which was disappointing. I think that had a lot to do with the story being hard to get into at the start and the changing POVs. We had POVs from 4 people.
I found parts of the story predictable and repetitive which in turn made the story a bit boring.
I think if I had read the previous books my rating may have been slightly higher.
Overall it was an ok book for me!

The series kicked off with a bang! A top secret seal team mission, compromised, A betrayal at the highest level. Secret survivors hide off the grid hunted by friends, enemies? With all that excitement and romance too. This sounded like the highest grade of catnip for a reader like me. Alas...………
When the series started off I settled in for a cozy series expecting exciting highly romantic stories for these hunky seal heroes and the excitement of hunting down the traitors. As the story progressed particularly in the previous book in the series there were a lot of conflicting stories competing for air time though the central theme made it through successfully.
And then wham bang and the series is done, the traitor is exposed. It all feels so rushed and I feel a bit cheated that the series peaked and landed without my realizing it. It is an exciting plot with Russian sleeper agents smuggled into this country when children, growing up in the system and being in position to aid a traitor's plans.
I am disappointed that the seals who died stayed dead and the author did not stage an 11th hour surprise survival story. While I personally felt that there were other stories waiting to be told, the author did not and so I bow to her mage. I read that she is going back to Scotland to spin us tales about the Campbells which I am looking forward to.

I spent my holidays rereading Harry Potter and catching up on my romances. I had some hit and misses and unfortunately this was a miss. At the start of this suspense novel the main character is a Navy Seal and they spent 5 pages talking about his accolades. Like omg we get it. You think you’re a badass. I couldn't recover from my annoyance with Scott and I DNF'd early on.

OUT OF TIME is the third instalment in Monica McCarty’s contemporary, adult THE LOST PLATOON romantic, military suspense series focusing on SEAL Team Nine whose members are MIA or dead following an unsanctioned and undercover mission to Russia than went horribly wrong. This is thirty-three year old Lieutenant Commander Scott Taylor, and former executive assistant to the deputy secretary of defense, twenty-nine year old Natalie ‘Natalya Petrova’ Andersson’s story line. OUT OF TIME can be read as a stand alone but I recommend reading the series in order for back story and cohesion as there is an on-going theme and premise throughout including the rekindling relationship and romance between former husband and wife duo Colt Wesson, Team Nine’s former chief, and CIA agent Katherine ‘Kate’ Wesson.

NOTE: If you have not read the previous instalments there may be some spoilers in my review.

Told from several third person points of view including Natalie and Scott, and Colt and Kate, OUT OF TIME follows in the aftermath of SEAL Team Nine’s disastrous mission to Russia in which eight men didn’t make it out alive, and the survivors have found themselves in hiding around the world. Thirty-three year old Lieutenant Commander Scott Taylor struggles to get past the betrayal of his former love, a woman now deemed a Russian spy for her supposed role in the attack against Scott’s former Team but also a woman presumed dead in an accident meant to cover a trail of betrayal and spies. Determined to uncover the truth, Scott goes in search of a someone with connections to the past but discovers the woman he once loved is alive, with more secrets that are about to change the course of their lives. What ensues is the rebuilding relationship and romance between Natalie and Scott, and the potential fall-out as a suspected mole has sent their sights on the remaining members of Team Nine.


The relationship between Scott and Natalie is one of second chances. Scott wants nothing more than to take down and crush the woman he once loved but once the truth is uncovered and revealed Scott must come to terms with what was, and what is about to be. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.


Meanwhile, former husband and wife duo Colt Wesson, Team Nine’s one-time chief, and CIA agent Katherine ‘Kate’ Wesson find themselves working together in an effort to bring home one of their own. Colt’s past treatment of his former wife is reprehensible and heart breaking in light of the revelation of secrets and truth, and as such Colt works tirelessly to win back the woman who’s heart he destroyed.

The world building continues to focus on the search for the truth. Secrets and lies are exposed; betrayal and treason come at a cost.

OUT OF TIME is a suspenseful and revealing story that follows several paths towards truth and retribution. The premise is heart breaking, engaging and real; the characters are animated and colorful as they struggle to make sense of it all; the romance is seductive. OUT OF TIME is a compelling and energetic read but I struggled with the quick resolution, and the lack of information regarding the guilty party’s demise.

Copy supplied by Netgalley


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4.5 Stars

I’ve loved every book in this series, and I’m thrilled that we get not only one romance, but two! I’ve been waiting for Kate and Colt’s romance since they’ve been featured in bits and pieces with every installment and I was thrilled they got equal page time with Natalie and Scott. Both romances were amazing! Explosive chemistry and a bit of angst as they each must sort the past out, and find out who was responsible for the attack on SEAL Team Nine.

I do think this series is best to read the series in order, but that’s no chore because all the stories are exciting, addictive, and filled with sexual tension and sizzle! I’m wondering if this is the last book in the series? If it is, Out of Time ends The Lost Platoon series perfectly, but I’ll be sad to say goodbye to the characters!

A copy was kindly provided by Berkley in exchange for an honest review.

I read the first book in The Lost Platoon series when it came out and I missed the release of the second. I don't think it mattered. This one wrapped the series up and it seemed that it did it much sooner than I expected. Book One followed one member of the platoon and I expected Six books to follow each of the six members. Did not happen. While I liked the characters the action seem rushed and the solution also rushed. At the conclusion some things were still up in the air. I wondered if it just did not sell well and the series was cut short.

I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.

I haven’t read any of the others in this series, but I can tell from the writing of this one that they must have been good. Monica McCarty is a new author for me, but she is similar to Suzanne Brockmann in the subject matter of her military romances. I enjoyed the story, and would like to go back to the beginning of this series and try them all. The character development was well done and the plot development and pacing were top notch. I look forward to trying more of this author’s books. Thanks for adding this ARC on Netgalley.

I didn't realize this was part of a series when I picked this one up. That said, it wasn't too difficult to get in to the story. I felt for a few chapters that I was missing something but once the action got going, I was sucked into the story.

This one is about Natalie and Scott. They have lots of issues to overcome and some truths to be revealed. Not much more I can say here without revealing the plot. Needless to say, there have been some wrongs and finding out if it truly was Natalie who betrayed everyone takes some time and some team work.

I liked Natalie and Scott as a couple. They have a history so it was easy for them to fall back into each other. I almost liked reading about their past as much as their movement to heal their hears.

Good suspense story.

A short while ago I read the second book in The Last Platoon series and quickly grew obsessed with a certain couple. Imagine my surprise when I found out that my favorites were not the main characters in this final book. I went into it just a bit sad, but Monica McCarty did such a bang up job with this book that the sadness lasted for like 0.1 seconds. Bonus, I got TWO amazing romances in Out of Time. Second bonus, one of the couples was my favorite couple!

What I have loved about these books are just how easy they are to devour. The characters and the plots are equally interesting and don't even get me started on how swoony the romances are. In Out of Time, the main couple featured are Scott and Natalie. Scott and Natalie used to be a couple before the devastating secret Russia op, but Scott is heartbroken and devastated when he finds out Natalie was killed for trying to help his team. His devastation increases by ten-fold when he learns that Natalie wasn't who she said she was - she was a Russian spy. And then he finds out that she's actually alive and living under a fake name - and boy, was he angry. Now, does that not sound absolutely tantalizing? This book had just the kind of angst and torture that I like in my second chance romances. Obviously, there was much much more to Natalie than being a Russian spy, but the trust between the two was on shaky ground. Despite that, their chemistry was stronger than ever and it was just a treat watching them slowly try to understand the other. Scott was such a complex character. He was a jerk to Natalie at times, but his arrogance and frustrations were understandable. I did easily soften up to him, and I thought he did a good job at redeeming himself towards the end. I liked Natalie a lot too. She let Scott be angry because she understood his thought process, but she also did not let him walk all over her. She had gone through a lot, and I really wanted her to find her HEA.

Then, we were privy to Kate and Colt, my two stubborn children, who I shipped so so hard. These two really made my heart ache in this one and I was a complete mess over them by the end. Kate and Colt had a lot to work through to fix their broken relationship and trust in each other, but the journey was glorious. My gosh does Monica McCarty know how to write intense sexual tension between her characters. These two were HOT, HOT, HOT! Like in the previous book, I totally thought Kate and Colt stole the show again. The plot was also exciting in Out of Time and a lot of the threads from the previous two books finally came together. I enjoyed the book so much that I almost wish it had been longer because I was just not ready to let these characters go.

The Lost Platoon books are so entertaining and swoony, so if you're a fan of romantic suspense, you should definitely try them out!

First, let me preface this review by saying that I did not read the first two books in the series, and perhaps I should have. Right off the bat, I had trouble getting into the story because the first few chapters are spent on reintroducing characters and plot lines from what I'm assuming took place previously in the series. It was a lot to take in. That said, though, I honestly enjoyed the book as a whole.

I loved the chemistry between Scott and Natalie, even if the "failed Russian spy" storyline didn't mesh at times and the ending was way to neatly wrapped up. Their passion and love for one another is more than enough to carry their story, though. I also fell in love with Kate and Colt, and I appreciate that McCarty didn't gloss over the serious issues they need to get past in order to get their happily ever after. Well worth the read! Thank you, Netgalley, for the opportunity to read this title.