I don't think you can go wrong with one by M.L. Bachman! This second book in the Delta Force Series was a good one! Characters Richie Goldman and Melissa Moore were ones I connected with right away. I really liked both of them. The storyline was fast pace, filled with action, and kept me intrigued. Another great one by the author!

I love books about military men and women! Richie (Q) is an essential part of his unit. He is the brains and sees things well before others think they are a possibility. Melissa became a member of Delta Force after she was rescued by a man in the army who braved horrible danger to get to her. She never knew who the man was but that forever changed her. Now she is one of the elite warriors and is joining a new unit. Richie and Melissa have an instant connection but some on the team aren't as sure, with all the dangers they face the tension is high and so is the romance!
This is the second book in the series but the first that I've read. It stands alone fine but does make you want to go back and read about how the team first came together. I have to say that this author did a wonderful job making me adore the characters. Q is a quirky guy whose brain doesn't work like everyone else. That just makes him adorable! Melissa has her past and then a past in the army that leads to distrust but wants to be a valued member of her unit. The tension between the members was palpable and I wasn't sure how it would work out but I liked what the author did there.
It was a 4/5 for me. I really liked this team and am ready to read more about them!

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy of this book (via netgalley). I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.

Adorable warrior-geek and movie references? What's not to love about that? M. L. Buchman's writing is addictive and every book is exciting and engrossing in its own way while building on the familiar. I always enjoy how he perfectly balances the technical data with the actual action and romance.

Richie Goldman is the geek of his Delta team and aptly nicknamed 'Q' for the Bond movies tech wizard but he's also a highly trained warrior, a fact that is sometimes overshadowed by his big brain. And he's got no game when it comes to the ladies so it's understandable when he falls all over the new addition to the team. But she's as skilled as she's gorgeous and they find a rhythm that he's never found with anyone else on or off the job.

In her previous life, Melissa Moore was a museum curator and an extreme sports enthusiast. Until she lost her brother on a mountain climb and was rescued by a military officer and the course of her life was changed. Now she is only the second woman in Delta but she is determined to be the best. For a woman whose life was originally on a different track, she fit in with the rest of the operators very well. She's smart and both mentally and physically strong, and her strength lies in her ability to make split-second assessments of situations and people, a skill that would be highly needed on their assignment.

The team has been tasked with taking down a South American drug lord and his operation and as the only two pilots on the team, Richie and Melissa find themselves spending a lot time together as they brush up on their skill in prep for their assignment. The immediate connection between Melissa and Richie does not sit so well with the rest of the team for many reasons. With the only two women in Delta on the same team, there is the understandable friction between them until they reach an understanding. For the rest of the team, concern for Richie is a driving factor and Melissa's skills pose a threat to their structure. Their resentment of her puts pressure on the team dynamics, but they'll need each other and their wits to survive the Colombian jungle.

The first half of this book was slow going as it focused on team building and the training Melissa and Richie underwent, but it was balanced out by the action-packed second half of the story. Melissa's even temperament made her a major asset to the team due to the circumstances of this particular assignment and she brought out the best in Richie with the effortless way she understood him, challenged him and encouraged him to be his best. I liked how Richie embraced both the geek and warrior sides of him and grew into his potential.

HEART STRIKE lacks the fireworks of the first book but it was a solid and satisfying read and the main characters were just as lovable. M. L. Buchman is an auto-read for me and I'm looking forward to more from him.