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Proving Ground (The Northstar Security Series, 1) Paperback – April 3, 2015

4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 29 ratings

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Screw-ups don’t get second chances. That’s what Caitlin Malone believes when she returns to Oregon after failing her first Northstar Security assignment. When she inadvertently stumbles across a plot to steal deadly pathogens from the bio-lab near her hometown, she sees a chance at redemption. USDA Forest Ranger, John ‘Mac’ MacAlistair, doesn’t want to babysit the motorcycle club holding their annual rally in his national forest. To make matters worse, Caitlin is attending the rally with Mac’s estranged uncle. Having her home again brings up feelings that are better left buried. It’s early September. Any spark will send the dry timber into a raging fire. The terrorists are counting on that distraction to work in their favor. When Caitlin is trapped by the wildfire, her only hope of rescue is pinned on Mac, the man she's tried two years to forget. Before they can share their feelings, Mac and Caitlin must first escape the burning forest and stop the terrorists from releasing the deadly pathogens.
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Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

...he couldn't reach the knife. Although handy in most situations, it would be useless against a gun. His only chance of coming out unscathed in this encounter would be quick reflexes and luck. Mostly luck.
Breathing slowly, he cleared his mind, took a cautious step forward--and froze when he heard the click of the gun's safety release.
The time it took to consider alternatives should've been spent backing out the door. However, in his nearly thirty years, he'd only run away from one situation, which, although dangerous to his emotional well-being, hadn't been life threatening. He wasn't backing down now.
The gun didn't waver. The person behind it remained shadowed, but steady hands indicated someone other than a fly-by-night burglar. Had one of Sean's old nemeses come after him for some long overdue retribution?
"I don't know who you are." Mac kept his voice calm, soothing. "But I'm pretty sure I'm not the person you want to shoot."
The snick of a switch and a blaze of overhead light prevented more talk. Blinded by the sudden brightness, Mac stood rooted to the floor, hands in the air, not daring to make any sudden moves.
"Damn it, Mac, I could've killed you!"
Caitlin Malone.
Mac's heart stirred to life. Blood surged through his veins as his breath released on a whoosh. He lowered his hands, but his body refused to budge. His reaction had nothing to do with the fact Caitlin had greeted him with a shotgun, and everything to do with the woman herself.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ The Wild Rose Press, Inc. (Crimson Rose) (April 3, 2015)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 274 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1509201114
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1509201112
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 0.62 x 8 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 29 ratings

About the author

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Stanalei Fletcher
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Visit Stanalei at https://www.stanaleifletcher.com/ to sign up for her newsletter and be the first to receive news of release dates and cover reveals.

Stanalei has over twenty years of training in the martial arts and holds the rank of Sandan, a third-degree black belt, in Aikido.

After a taste of life on both U.S. coasts, she now resides near the beautiful Wasatch Mountain Range with her husband. Together they enjoy backcountry dirt trails on a RZR, visiting our National Parks, or exploring museums and ghost towns.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
29 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the characters believable and engaging. They describe the book as a fast-paced romantic adventure with an action-packed storyline from start to finish.

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4 customers mention "Character development"4 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the believable characters. They say the book provides ground-breaking tests for the characters and readers.

"...with her father to Mac’s estranged Uncle Jack, there is plenty of character building. Proving Ground has the makings of a great series...." Read more

"...The characters are well written and likeable. Proving Ground is action packed from start to finish. I look forward to more books by Stanalei Fletcher." Read more

"...Good storyline and characters. Ebook from netgalley and publishers however bought copy of book since liked it so much...." Read more

"PROVING GROUND TESTS THE CHARACTERS AND READERS WIN!..." Read more

3 customers mention "Pacing"3 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's pacing. They find it riveting, action-packed, and impossible to put down. The storyline is good with a strong romantic theme.

"If you enjoy a fast-paced adventure with a strong romantic theme, you’re going to love this book!..." Read more

"...The characters are well written and likeable. Proving Ground is action packed from start to finish. I look forward to more books by Stanalei Fletcher." Read more

"...Good storyline and characters. Ebook from netgalley and publishers however bought copy of book since liked it so much...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2018
    An interesting listen with some action, lost love, family issues, drama and second chances. Caitlin is a strong woman but has an issue of thinking things out before she jumps which gets her into a mess with her job which puts her on leave. Her boss is an old time buddy of her fathers, he demands she goes home, she doesn’t want to for a few different reasons. Go home as order she does with her tail between her legs. On returning home she finds two things her father is in the hospital with issues from a long time accident from a bullet and the man she has always loved right in her face. He is the real reason she left years ago much against her father’s wishes. Her father told her if you take this job don’t come home….

    Mr. Fletcher’s narration is good he does need to work a little on his women voices which are not bad just not a true female voice. He also needs to pause a little more to let you get the full effect. I am not staying it is bad by no means, and he didn’t race through it just needs a little more pause between characters, and what is going on around them. His normal voice is pleasant, it was a clear and clean audio with no background noises, no repeating of words and no volume changes. There were times when a little too much emotion was displayed and maybe not enough at other times. His male voices are wonderful, I always knew who was talking and what they were feeling. I thought his nurse was wonderful loved how she took control and you had no trouble understanding she meant business. I could not tell when breaks were taken, and I did enjoy his narration. He did bring the story a live and enjoyable. I thought it was worth my time and did enjoy the audio.

    The author gives a good listen with interesting characters. It wasn’t a book I had trouble putting down but wasn’t a book I didn’t want to listen to. Her characters are likable, the plot was nice along with the action. Something was missing I can’t put my finger on it but it. I thought Caitlin needed to grow up a little, the story is a lot about me, me and what I want. She isn’t a team player and it maybe the reason I didn’t really care for her was because of the voice the narrator used for her. I did enjoy a lot of the scenes, along with the danger and excitement. Is it worth your time, yes it was entertaining and I did enjoy it. I enjoyed the mystery around the plot but didn’t understand why she didn’t tell them about the two men from the start or at least once Mac got to her. It was a long time before they started looking for the man who started it all. Caitlin just never has her head where it needs to be. There was a little humor and I really enjoyed it as well as the danger. It isn’t a story I got lost in but it is a good story.
  • Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2015
    If you enjoy a fast-paced adventure with a strong romantic theme, you’re going to love this book! Caitlin Malone returns to her hometown after a botched job with Northstar Security, a firm her father helped launch. There’s longstanding friction between father and daughter because of Caitlin’s decision to join the firm against his wishes.

    But Caitlin’s tenuous relationship with her dad is nothing compared to the tension that erupts when she encounters John “Mac” MacAlister, a once platonic childhood friend. Several years older, Mac thought of himself as a quasi-big brother to Cait despite underlying feelings of a romantic nature between them. That eventually lead to passionate encounter, leaving Mac unable to forgive himself, and Caitlin confused and hurt.

    This smoldering relationship, with all of its underlying tension, is at the heart of Proving Ground. But the romance is set amid a super-charged adventure that pits Cait and Mac against a bio-terrorist and a raging forest fire. They must work together in order to survive and that’s when the action and their relationship really heats up.

    Stanalei Flechter delivers strong, believable characters who seep under your skin. From the moment Cait and Mac are on the page together, their attraction is combustible. Putting them in a perilous situation ratchets up the intensity in a manner that keeps you eagerly reading to see what happens next.

    But it isn’t just the romance that makes this book work. I like my romantic reads with strong secondary character relationships and Proving Ground excels at that. From Cait troubled relationship with her father to Mac’s estranged Uncle Jack, there is plenty of character building. Proving Ground has the makings of a great series. I will definitely be looking forward to future releases from this author!
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Erryn Barratt
    4.0 out of 5 stars Promising first book in a series (an audio review)
    Reviewed in Canada on March 5, 2018
    Several of my friends have been encouraging me to read Stanalei Fletcher’s Northstar Security Services books. I have them all, but I rarely have time to sit and read, so they were sitting quietly on my e-reader, patiently waiting. When I saw the first book was on audio? I pounced.

    I want to address the narration first because it was problematic for me. Now, I understand that often authors have little or no control on who they are able to secure as a narrator. Given that the character of Caitlin Malone was clearly the main character, I was expecting a female narrator. Now, Sandra Brown uses male narrators for her thrillers, so I have heard this done. And Charles Henderson Norman was perfectly competent. He mispronounced a few words, but that’s me being picky. Certainly the errors didn’t pull me too far out of the story. Putting his work in context, I believe he did a good job. I certainly won’t hesitate to listen to another book narrated by him.

    I love the romantic suspense subgenre of romance and this book was a good example of what can make a book enjoyable. I love kick-ass heroines and Caitlin is just such a woman. Occasionally she does questionable things, but she admits her mistakes and owns up to them, accepting the consequences. Winding up back in her hometown, on her father’s doorstep, is not her idea of fun. It is the true punishment it is meant to be.

    But going home is never simple. She almost immediately runs into John “Mac” MacAlistair, the man she once gave her heart and body to. It turns out he’s been staying with her father and wants her to reunite with her estranged father. And Caitlin wants Mac to give Jack a chance for redemption. Mac blames his Uncle Jack for the death of Mac’s parents and hasn’t spoken to the man since.

    Against this backdrop, there is a massive forest fire, a lethal virus, a terrorist, and a loving husband whose wife is dying. The synopsis of the book gives the reader a good idea of all the elements of the book, but the twists and turns are what draw the reader in. There are frequent point of view changes, and although they are clearly delineated, the listener has to pay attention. I liked that I got different people’s perspectives on this situation. Often in romance you only get the hero and heroine’s points of view. This book, as a suspense, benefits from showing diverse characters’ inner motivations and conflicts.

    I enjoyed the book. Charles Henderson Norman’s Irish brogue was great and the story carried me through. Did I find all Caitlin’s actions realistic? Not necessarily, but that’s the great thing about fiction. I can’t wait to listen to the next book!