Reviewed by Taylin
TITLE: A Military Holiday Duet – Countdown
SERIES: Fire Lake #6.5
AUTHOR: M Tasia
PUBLISHER: Borough Publishing Group
LENGTH: Total, 176 Pages. Countdown approx. 82 Pages
RELEASE DATE: November 16, 2023
BLURB:
Two teams sent on dangerous missions that’ll probably ruin their holiday plans.
Countdown (Fire Lake #6.5) – M. Tasia
A last-minute mission sends the team away from their loved ones, and there’s no guarantee they’ll make it out alive, never mind making it home for the holidays.
Mission: Undercover (Bear’s Brigade #2.5) – Emily Mims
A motorcycle rally from Texas to Mexico is not what it seems, and things get even more complicated for Josh, who’s undercover on a holiday-ruining babysitting mission that’s turned dangerous.
REVIEW:
The author provided this Christmas extra alongside two novels from the Fire Lake series. It contains two short tales from two separate series, and as I am not familiar with the Bear’s Brigade series by Emily Mims, I will only be reviewing Countdown by M Tasia.
With military lives on the line, LH Investigations must go to Mexico on a retrieval mission. Unfortunately, it’s only a month till Christmas, and a timely return is not guaranteed.
This special was a shortie and a sweetie, primarily highlighting military families’ difficulties while their loved ones are doing their duty. As this tale is a Christmas special, it is understandable that the people and not the mission dominate.
The tale is told in the third person from multiple viewpoints. I get why everyone has a say, but with all members of the Fire Lake clan (and the bad guys) voicing their thoughts, there is little time for depth. Novellas rarely go deeper than surface events, and what was written was done well, but I’d have liked more than a page each and skimmed over emotions.
Anyhoo – what was presented was entertaining and worthy, recommended reading.
When the Fire Lake members have their sendoffs, it is a bittersweet mixture of love, pride, and worry. The characters put on brave faces, but later in the proceedings, I think one deep account of the gut-wrenching sadness highlighted by the season was missing. Nevertheless, it was good to read how those left behind banded together to ensure their loved ones had something special to return for.
Then, there is the thrill of Brick and his boys doing what they do best in Mexico. The investigation throws up glitches, and Brick doesn’t like unknowns, as they can get people killed. It’s always a pleasure to read how the team works to solve puzzles, the inevitable takedown of the bad guys, and the ensuing organized mayhem where the team shows what they’re made of – awesome.
RATING: 
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