Review: The Night is Mine by M.L. Buchman

Title: The Night is Mine
Author: M.L. Buchman
Genre: Military, Suspense
Heat Index: 3 out of 5
Release Date: Feb. 1, 2012
Word/Page Count: 384 pgs
Format: Netgalley

First in a thrilling military romantic suspense series based on the real-life elite helicopter pilots who transport Navy SEALs and Delta Force teams in and out of combat and covert missions. (SOAR are the heroes of Black Hawk Down.)

Buchman’s heroine flys the most dangerous military ops and tries to find the one man who can be a hero in her own life. Ace-pilot Captain Emily Beale goes undercover as bodyguard to the First Lady, with her rugged commander, Major Mark Henderson, who is determined to cover her back. Can she learn to keep her desire at bay before her covert mission implodes?

Put your brains on 'snooze' in page one and just go along for the ride. And what a ride. Think of this - (if you must think at all) - as if Jerry Bruckheimer (Transformers) did a mash up of GI Jane, The Sentinel, Fire Birds, and The Food Network. Yes. The Food Network.

This story hit all the right buttons for me: a strong, military heroine, sexy hero, helicopters, suspense, and shit gets blown up. It was exactly what I wanted to read and I went into it with the right frame of mind, basically...Don't think too hard.

Forget the rather ridiculous plot - a bad-ass female pilot gets pulled off combat duty to go cook for the First Lady. Ignore that the heroine is a quite a 'Sue' - beautiful, smart, the best pilot (EVAH!), everyone loves her and more than one male character is in love with her. Overlook the rather weak 'Who done it?' mystery.

Just enjoy the ride.

If you are looking for gritty realism about female pilots in combat ...run, run away. This isn't the book for you. Realism is a dirty word for Bruckheimer and it's also true here.

Ultimately, this entertaining story played like a summer-blockbuster in my head. I cast it accordingly, (Patrick Dempsey as the President soooo worked for me!) with likeable actors and the whole thing was a hit.

The prose is easy to read, the characters likeable, I was prepared for the exaggerated plot and I had my popcorn handy...and I'm so there for a sequel.