If the plot in Running On Empty made more sense, it may have received a higher score. But the fact is the plot really made NO SENSE if you think about it. It's a lot like a Hollywood action movie... all flash explosions, and some intense situations, but ultimately completely forgetable.
WARNING: This review contains spoilers.
WARNING: This book contains extreme violence (scenes of torture)
Running on Empty is an interesting start to a series, about a rescue organization (Last Chance Rescue Elite) mixed with spycraft taking on extremely high-risk rescue missions. While the high concept was interesting, that the MMC was brainwashed into believing FMC had betrayed him, and vowed to exact revenge on her, that can't sustain the book and it was resolved easily at 25% point with MMC basically switching sides. And while the FMC and MMC had to undergo trials and tribulations to stay together and find and defeat the enemy, the idea that the bad guys basically spent a TON of money and operatives for NO appreciable gain except they get to, uh... torture two operatives was just... nonsense!
To recap... Sabrina Fox was one of the best female agents ever produced by The Company. She eventually tired of the game and was transferred to the civilian organization LCR (Last Chance Rescue) rescuing victims from the most volatile regions in the world. Her marriage to Declan Steele, her trainer, lover, and fellow Company employee, was a secret, but she was elated when he said he was contemplating retirement. Then he disappeared. Then months later she got a text to meet him in Paris... she thought she saw him, then just as she approached the cafe, it exploded. She eventually recovered physically, but she was dead inside, having locked down her emotions and continued on her missions...
But Steele was not dead. Whoever captured him tried to torture secrets out of him, and brainwashed him into believing that his wife was the traitor that set him up. Months later, he was rescued, and the only thing on his mind was revenge... how he will get his hands on her... But when he finally did get her... he couldn't quite do it. As his memories came back, he slowly realized that he had been played... and there was a mole in the company that he was trying to find... But whoever that was, he was very very close, and very very good. As they narrow in on the traitor, the traitor kidnapped Sabrina and tried to torture secrets out of her instead. Now Declan must race against time, with the rest of LCR on his side, to rescue the only woman who has his heart.
The characters are nice and detailed and mentally broken in many ways. But the main plot... doesn't make sense. Capturing Steele to get secrets out of him didn't work. So why release him as a trick? Why go after Sabrina later? It makes no sense! Who spent this much money to fake a death for nothing? Then kidnap Sabrina and transport to a different nation, and setup fake clues, again, for no gain? What was their motive? Makes no sense except to setup for the rescue! That's why I can't give this book more than an "OK" rating.
Category: romantic suspense
Primary Plot: Woman lost her husband, a fellow operative, but he's not really dead. He's been brainwashed into believing she had betrayed him... and now he's free, he'll hunt her down...
Tropes: enemies to lovers, scars, disguise, spy, amnesia, reunion
Overall Rating: 3/5 (rounded up from 2.5/5)
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