Today I would like to welcome back M.L. Buchman, who recently published Full Blaze (reviewed here). If you enjoy a hefty dose of adrenaline mixed with your romance/romantic suspense, you can’t go wrong with either of Buchman’s marvelous series. Take the Night Stalkers (start with The Night is Mine (reviewed here) for a military twist, and Pure Heat (reviewed here) for the start of firefighting season.
Point Tallies to Get a Date
by M.L. Buchman
From Full Blaze:
Well, okay, Cal got another half a point for not saying the expected. Add that to the one he’d earned jumping into space to reach her helicopter, and he was still nowhere. In her personal system, it took at least ten points to get a date, though this guy might need twenty.
…
Damn, but he had a nice voice for storytelling, all deep and warm. No way that was worth another point. Couldn’t be.
…
Cal had settled in comfortably, looking out the window like any normal rubbernecking tourist, not like some freaked-out survivor of a close brush with death. Good recovery time. His smoke-smeared face actually highlighted his light brown eyes and bright smile. The man was several points worth of handsome and clearly knew it.He turned to meet her gaze.
“Biding your time? It’s not going to work on me,” she informed him.“Damn, and I had such hopes what with not knowing your name and all.”
Okay, she’d give him another half point for funny. She had a weak spot for funny, not that she’d ever admit that to this man.
…
There was no way she liked this Calvin guy. Even if, she did a little mental math, he had somehow slipped past ten points.Fighting the Black Saturday bushfires, he may have even snuck up close to twenty without her noticing.
Damn him!
Jeannie Clark has a problem. It isn’t flying her Firehawk helicopter through the massive turbulence of a forest fire—she was born to fly. It isn’t that she’s a woman flying in a man’s world—not when her boss is the notorious retired Army Black Hawk pilot Emily Beale.
Her problem? Keeping the man at bay when all her instincts are insisting she let him in.
So, she does what any smart woman would do. She takes a dumbass idea from a guy and starts a list. Men are always making lists about the wrong things, who cares if she can cook like his Mom—her own mom could barely barbeque!
So what are a few of the right things:
- Good-looking? Nice bonus but not required.
- Funny? A major plus, but most men aren’t the kind of funny they think they are.
- Smart? More or less important than funny? Tough call.
- Has one of those toe-curling deep voices? Oh yeah! Major points when it really shouldn’t earn any. Damn his genes anyway!
- Aware of someone besides themselves? Snort! Extra points if they even ask about your job, never mind anything about you.
- They actually listen to your answer? Whoa! Now we’re starting to cook with fire.
- Vulnerable? Yeah, that cuts the list right down. Even remotely accessible gets them a half point here.
- Strong? Not just in “I can lift that heavy suitcase” kind of way (that’s why the silly things come with wheels, Du-uh!). But strong in a stable way, a dependable way that stands close when needed.
- Safe? Right! When was the last time a man made you feel safer when he was around and interested in, well, what men are always interested in?
- Can kiss like…
Well, that’s where the whole list starts unraveling on poor Jeannie.
What would you add to the list?
About M.L. Buchman
M. L. Buchman has over 25 novels in print. His military romantic suspense books have been named Barnes & Noble and NPR “Top 5 of the year” and Booklist “Top 10 of the Year.” In addition to romance, he also writes contemporaries, thrillers, and fantasy and science fiction.In among his career as a corporate project manager he has: rebuilt and single-handed a fifty-foot sailboat, both flown and jumped out of airplanes, designed and built two houses, and bicycled solo around the world.
He is now a full-time writer, living on the Oregon Coast with his beloved wife. He is constantly amazed at what you can do with a degree in Geophysics.
To learn more about M.L. Buchman, visit his website or follow him on
Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, or Youtube.
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Men in uniform period! Sooo sexy!
That’d be navy men.