Cherry Jamboree
“To the Brink” by Cindy Gerard (Bodyguard Series, Book III)
Cindy Gerard adds another layer of complication to my life with “To the Brink”. Because now, not only do I have to find a man that fits all of these specifications (to name a few please see here, here, here, and here), I now need to find a man who has cherry breath. A man who loves sucking. On lifesavers. On cherry lifesavers. Lord help me! Cruel are you to taunt me with a man whose sweet tooth I’d like to nibble on meself. Add to the mix an all-consuming protective man, throw in some hard abs and broad shoulders, some unfulfilled longing, desire, heat and a large schlampadinkle, and you’ve got my vote for one of the hottest men committed to print by Cindy Gerard: Ethan Garrett.
Ethan and Darcy’s story is told by use of flashbacks which is totally helpful seeing as how they both have intense history. We read about the exact moment Ethan spots Darcy and lost his heart, how he charms his way into her bed and their whirlwind romance and marriage thereafter. Thus, we also read about the breakdown of their marriage - due largely to the fact that Ethan is unable to shake his paranoia (being a soldier of war) and his consuming need to keep Darcy safe. Where most women would be happy to be wrapped in bubble wrap and left in a padded room awaiting the next time their husbands appear to screw them mindless (*waves and points to self*), Darcy is the opposite. She would rather serve her nation by acting as Ambassador to war torn places, seeking her own adventure and making a difference in the world. Where are your priorities woman?!? When Ethan is unable to understand Darcy’s desire to accept a post in Israel, they get into a major fight and decide to go their separate ways (though not before Ethan kills a man in the street for trying to attack Darcy while the two were out for dinner). Neither have been able to truly forget the other which therefore makes for great yearning/longing scenes from Ethan (because who cares about the heroine and her problems).
Cut to modern day, where Darcy has left a rather chilling voice message on Ethan’s phone, telling him that she’s in trouble and that he’s the only one who can help. Armed with his schlampadinkle, an unlimited supply of cherry lifesavers, and oh yeah, possibly a gun, Ethan goes running after Darcy, who has been kidnapped by some Islamic terrorist group and carted off into the jungle. You see, Darcy was handed something she should have had access to, and the person to whom the tape contained incriminating evidence of wants her d-e-a-d. Unfortunately said guy did not count on Ethan and his fellow brothers who follow him on this search and rescue mission into the jungles of the Philippines. At this point, the story flip flops between Ethan’s terror at not getting to Darcy in time to tell her that he should never have walked away from her, and Darcy’s terror at the possiblity of being raped, killed, and mutilated. Oh and how she should never have let Ethan go.
Darcy is forcibly dragged to the terrorists’ base camp whereupon she meets Amy Walker, the missing American who at this point, is out of her mind crackerjack insane with having to live with the constant terror and gang rape. Darcy befriends Amy (well, actually she’s ordered to keep Amy quiet since she’s wailing like a dying cat) and the two become inter-dependent on each other to survive. While taking a pee in the jungle (under the watchful eye of her captor), Darcy hears a plonk and fumbles around the ground to investigate the source. As the poor woman has understandably been through a bit, I will refrain at this juncture from making comments about touching things and patting around the ground upon which one is peeing. Anyway, she picks up what she thinks is a lifesaver and then pops it into her mouth to discover that it is of cherry origin. SHEESH. Anyway, that’s how she realises that Ethan’s hiding in the bushes watching her pee and then eat her own pee. And that he’s coming to save her.
With blazing guns and exploding bombs, the boys roll into town and get the women out. Unfortunately, Ethan gets hit by a stray schrapnel and bleeds all over the floor of the jungle. No word as to whether his cherry lifesavers fall out and Darcy helps herself to his tasty treats. Anyway, Darcy tries desperately to stem the bleeding while Ethan rambles incoherently about saving her before passing out. Thankfully, Ethan is in the jungle with Manny and Dallas, and the two drag his ass to the helicopter piloted by Nolan. Once back in the good old US of A, Ethan tries to keep Darcy with him and to keep her safe as intruders once again strike her home in a valiant bid to search out the video tape.
I’m not going to tell you guys what happens next - but suffice to say, Cindy Gerard writes a damn good action suspense novel and “To the Brink” is possibly my favourite in the series, with the right about of heat, romance, and longing. I will never look at a pack of cherry lifesavers the same way again.
Pickled Tink said,
February 13, 2009 @ 11:09 am
I’ve been silently stalking your blog for a month now and I must say you girls have never let me down!
I’m going to put this on my (already long) list.
PS.
I had a different thing in mind when I read the post title. I have to go scrub my dirty mind now…
Sheridan Sakura Carlotta said,
February 13, 2009 @ 11:11 am
Pickled Tink! We welcome you out of the silent shadows Lurk no more! (And put your stalker skills to use by helping us track down our favourite stars). Glad you like our blog. This is a great one by Cindy Gerard, especially if you like a bit of fast paced action/mystery with your Romance (which also does not disappoint). Be prepared to not be able to put this one down though!
PS: Dirty minds without proper gutter-homes are always welcomed here
Chanel19 said,
February 13, 2009 @ 11:36 am
well, at least she doesn’t tinkle cherry flavoured pee…
Bridget Locke said,
February 13, 2009 @ 1:56 pm
This is, hand’s down, my fave of Ms. Gerard’s book. That flash back to their first night together? *fans self* Talk about smokin’ hot. Phew! The woman knows how to write sexual chemistry, doesn’t she?
Bridget Locke said,
February 13, 2009 @ 1:58 pm
LOL! And I’d forgotten about that. Yeah, what is up with picking something off the ground and popping into your mouth when you’re peeing? Is a good thing she wasn’t going #2….just sayin’.
Sheridan Sakura Carlotta said,
February 13, 2009 @ 2:10 pm
Chanel19, I’m amused and a little bit disturbed by your train of thought.
Bridget - This is probably my favourite Cindy Gerard book as well! And yes, their first night together was pretty hot. I loved their banter about whose apartment was nearer to the party. Plus, I’m a sucker for a good book about longing.
Re: Picking things up from the grounds of Indonesian jungles and popping them into your mouth - I couldn’t agree more. She’s also lucky that rustling sound she heard when the lifesaver hit the grass next to hear weren’t bat droppings.
cindy gerard said,
February 13, 2009 @ 10:06 pm
You guys crack me up. First - thanks for the props on Brink. Second: the lifesaver was NOT in her pee :o) EEEwwwwww! It landed in front of her - far out of the tinkle zone. I do have SOME standards :o)
Just had to get that straightened out. Carry on ladies! You rock!
Hugs
Cindy
Sheridan Sakura Carlotta said,
February 13, 2009 @ 10:51 pm
I’m glad you cleared the pee question up Cindy! No seriously, cos I’ve been wondering for days now how close the lifesaver was to her pee pool. And yes, I do have quite a fair amount of spare time on my hands.
Frannie said,
February 13, 2009 @ 10:51 pm
This is one of my favourite’s of Cindy Gerard’s as well, but now I’m having a little meltdown, because you made me want to read it again and it’s gone missing - little space in the G section of the shelves where it ought to be - maybe one of the daughters has it, which means it’s gone forever. And if I do find it - where to flip to first - peeing in the jungle or first night together?
Sheridan Sakura Carlotta said,
February 13, 2009 @ 11:30 pm
Frannie I think you have the irrefutable right (having carried them in your womb and then painfully pushed them out) to get the book back. Some things are sacred! As to your request for our advice, I would say, go to the peeing scene first. So that you may read and enjoy the sexy chemistry without the rather unsexy thoughts of going number 1 in a jungle with no toilet paper. I cannot remember if Darcy had a leaf as I am pretty sure Ethan did not kindly leave behind the lifesaver wrapper to wipe her bits with.
cindy gerard said,
February 14, 2009 @ 2:01 am
Is there nothing left to ‘fantasy’ ladies :o0 I mean, can’t we just assume that since Darcy is our heroine, she has certain, well, powers that us mere mortal readers don’t have? Like drip dry capability?
Seriously, I’m still laughing about all the fuss over the pee scene.
And somehow, I can’t reconcile myself to a lifesaver wrapper constituting adequate, um, wipeage power :o)
Carry on….
cg
Bridget Locke said,
February 14, 2009 @ 2:36 am
LOL! Cindy, you crack me up!
What I loved most about this book, other than the super hot flashbacks, was the fact that you KNEW they still loved each other. It was just Ethan’s pigheadedness and inability to open up to his wife that basically caused them to fall apart.
Don’t forget, she has a new series out. The characters are intro’d in Dallas’s story, which is a total mindtrip of epic proportions. The new series is good, though one of the books seriously pissed me off b/c the hero is such a jerk. *sigh* Sorry, rant over.
Chanel19 said,
February 14, 2009 @ 4:11 am
Hey, I’m a nurse. It was professional concern.
Yup, on my ward we’ve seen cherry koolaid coloured pee, steeped tea coloured pee, we got excited the first time we saw blue pee.
You don’t want to start us on poop descriptions. It’s a colo-rectal ward.