The heroine’s job is lifesaving to others but life endangering to her own. She’s called to war torn Congo to contain a deadly break out of Ebola but almost instantly the small camp is slaughter by militants and the heroine only survives by hiding in a uniform cabinet. When she found, her life is saved by the hero, a cheetah shifter who is so Buddha. He’s larger than life while constantly keeping a very comforting level of calm and cool confidence. My god the man was so hot and magnetic it practically made me Jell-O on the floor. The heroine and hero are instantly connected and are so in tune with one another it was quite literally magic. The heroine is very capable of handling herself in any sort of danger but she happily steps back and let the hero lead them through a war torn jungle. He’s always got a plan and a quick mind with the capability to find a solution to any problem. He brought such a level of comfort the both the other characters and me and the reader. It’s a lot to take in and the story doesn’t allow for very many rest periods. The action never stops from the start to the climax, the characters lives’ are in constant danger and it makes for a thrilling ride. But even in the face of all this danger, the hero and heroines growing attraction and love is easy to believe and very easy to root for. It was like they instantly knew each other and never fought their feelings or tried to deny what was developing between them. They had this way of speaking to each other that so smooth and almost poetic. I can’t believe how amazing this book was and could not recommend it enough. I could not put it down and didn’t mind being late in a bid to read every single word. ( )

Just when I think this series can't get any better, Liu puts one out like this. This was an action packed thriller that had me sitting at the edge of my seat several times.

Rikki is a virus hunter doing work in the Congo, because of her past she unknowingly becomes the target of two men who want information from her. Both want her alive and are willing to go to extreme measures to ensure that she's taken captive.

Rikki was a pretty kick ass character. She's emotionally and psychically scarred which has caused her to take a rather jaded outlook on life. But despite her pragmatic approach to things you can still tell she's a rather compassionate person. She's also no slouch in a pinch, despite being a human character among the supernatural. This is one of the things that I adore about Liu's books. Her heroines come across as real people. They have issues, but they're willing to do what they have to in order to survive. For instance, when Rikki is cornered by a bad guy in the beginning she stabs him in the eye with a freakin syringe in order to get away. That's ballsy man.

Because a bunch of men want Rikki, her boss has hired Dirke & Steele to be her body guards. Amiri, a cheetah shifter, and Eddie a guy who can light things on fire with his mind are dispatched for the job. Amiri and Rikki both have some interesting pasts and as they get to know each other you know exactly why feel a connection with each other. They know how to relate to what has happened to the other and its wonderful to see a relationship in a romance where you completely understand why the two characters are drawn to each other.

One of the things that made this story so compelling for me was the Congo setting. The majority of the action is our heroes running for their lives through the jungle with two different pursuers on their tail. It really added to the suspense, because they were isolated with not way of contacting anyone who might be able to help them. The jungle also added a level of creepiness in the "forest has eyes" kind of way. I just loved it.

My only regret about this book is that I haven't read the series in order. I was all over the place with these books, reading the ones that sounded the most interesting to me first. While these can be read as stand alones, there's a story arc that runs through the whole series. Some of the nuances of that arc were lost on me as I've read the stories out of order. I usually have to stop and think about what's happened or has yet to happen in the story in order to center myself. So I would say if you can, read these books in order.

I would highly recommend this book for anyone looking for an action packed urban fantasy with a strong love story threaded through it. ( )

I am not really a romance reader, but given the storyline, I was willing to give it a try. I am more than happy that I did. A Virus Hunter for the CDC, posted in Africa sounded right up my alley.

The story was slightly confusing to me, as it appears that this is one of those series that is very much interactive when it comes to the characters. The characters have their own stories, which seem to have been put forth in earlier books. As a series, the stories of these characters seem highly interesting. However, looking at the others, I am not sure that I will go there. They seem a bit more 'romance' than action/adventure, but we will see. If I can get my hands on one or two of the others, especially the first one, to see if the story line grabs me as much as this one did, I will take the time to try it out. The conceptualization is interesting - the covers put me off most of the stories, to tell the truth. That whole "rippling biceps' 'swanning female' thing. Of course, from what I can tell, Liu writes romances more than action adventure, but reading this volume tells me that she apparently has a strong hand for it. Africa and virus hunting really tripped my trigger with this one. I hope the others are strong also (even if the covers are really bad. . . but I guess they are working for a certain type of reader, so I don't imagine they care what an action reader like me thinks!) ( )

I am not really a romance reader, but given the storyline, I was willing to give it a try. I am more than happy that I did. A Virus Hunter for the CDC, posted in Africa sounded right up my alley.

The story was slightly confusing to me, as it appears that this is one of those series that is very much interactive when it comes to the characters. The characters have their own stories, which seem to have been put forth in earlier books. As a series, the stories of these characters seem highly interesting. However, looking at the others, I am not sure that I will go there. They seem a bit more 'romance' than action/adventure, but we will see. If I can get my hands on one or two of the others, especially the first one, to see if the story line grabs me as much as this one did, I will take the time to try it out. The conceptualization is interesting - the covers put me off most of the stories, to tell the truth. That whole "rippling biceps' 'swanning female' thing. Of course, from what I can tell, Liu writes romances more than action adventure, but reading this volume tells me that she apparently has a strong hand for it. Africa and virus hunting really tripped my trigger with this one. I hope the others are strong also (even if the covers are really bad. . . but I guess they are working for a certain type of reader, so I don't imagine they care what an action reader like me thinks!) ( )

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