Title - Mission: Happy
Series - A Texas Desires Novel
Author - Rylie Roberts
Genre - Contemporary Romance Standalone
Release Date - October 20, 2016
A decorated war hero and top-ranked Navy SEAL sniper, Connor McDaniel, spends more time in combat than most. Phrases like ‘good versus evil,’ ‘right or wrong,’ and ‘God and country’ guide his every decision. When on a training assignment in a foreign land, Connor makes one faulty step, triggering a political international firestorm. Though he stands by his decision, and has the support of his commander, ultimately the country he has distinguishably served has no choice, but to bench him—permanently.
Award winning super-star, Julia Holly, seemed to have it all. With several number one blockbuster films, a few first place beauty pageant ribbons and the coveted all-time best Scream Queen trophy on her shelf, she easily conquered Hollywood. The only complication in her otherwise perfect life, the onetime brief encounter, with the hot military man of her dreams, who hadn’t paid her even the smallest amount of attention. When a chance meeting puts Connor McDaniel back in her path, she gives no hesitation in making a second introduction.
While Connor’s sole focus rests on sidestepping the political landmines that threaten his career, an auburn haired angel appears out of nowhere, making him believe life can go on without the military. Yet, navigating the minefield of civilian life can be complicated. Does Connor dare believe in fairytales or will his heart and his dreams get caught in the crossfire?
Mission Happy
By Rylie Roberts
“He has, but he’s pissed off all the time. I get why no one wanted to be around him. But you’re beautiful. Any guy that gets to know you would wanna date you,” Connor said, not coming any closer as he reached for his glass of water. When he took his drink, she extended herself a little farther across the table—definitely more than halfway. She loved hearing those unguarded words and didn’t know how to make the invitation any clearer.
“Oh, that was a good answer,” she whispered. They stared at one another for several seconds without moving. From the corner of her eye, she saw Tony’s head. Luckily, he stopped abruptly, and Julia prayed he would slowly back away, not draw attention to himself and ruin this moment. If Connor heard him, he never looked back. His gaze stayed locked on hers.
“It’s a true answer,” he said after a long pause. His voice grew hoarse and he cleared his throat. His gaze slid to her lips, and Julia’s hand tightened on the armrest to keep from reaching out to touch him.
Yeah, she wanted that kiss like she wanted her next breath. Her core clenched as her heart picked up a beat. Julia’s gaze slid to his mouth. She was certain sin would come from something so perfect.
Surprisingly, she didn’t have to make the next move. It was all Connor, and boy, he didn’t disappoint. Connor moved with purpose. He reached out, his strong hands holding her head in place as his lips descended. Julia opened before he ever got there. Honestly, if he planned their kiss as a sweet sampling of the lips, she blew it. She wanted him too badly and thrust her tongue inside his mouth before he ever fully met her lips. From the moment her tongue slid across his, fireworks exploded, knocking her completely off balance. The neurons in her brain seemed to stop connecting. Again, all Connor. He dominated, tilting her head as she reached out to fist his shirt, keeping him right there while she lost herself in his magnificent kiss.
And, oh did the magic happen.
He slid his tongue across hers, reaching the farthest depths of her mouth as he lifted his hand, dislodging the ponytail to help better tangle his fingers in her hair. He ghosted his free hand across her cheek. She lost any amount of dominance she’d tried to gain. Connor consumed her, body and soul, kissing her like she’d never been kissed before. Julia’s world ceased to exist. She managed to move her free hand to his bicep and just hang on.
Connor forcibly slowed them down, turning the kiss into a sweet, sensual exploration. She tightened her hold on both his arm and his shirt. No way did she ever want this to end. Being kissed by this man was everything she’d been missing from life. She’d clearly gotten her place wrong tonight. As much as she had thought she’d been the aggressor, Connor had always been the one in control.
When he moved his mouth from hers, both those strong, muscular hands held her head in place as her eyes fluttered open. His heavy, panting breath coated her skin. Why had he stopped? She needed so much more.
“Not here.”
*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by the author/publisher for my reading pleasure in hopes of an unbiased opinion, a review was not a requirement.***
This is the third book in the Texas Desire series and while technically it can be read as a standalone, there are cameos by the characters we've known and loved in the previous books, and really the books are so good that you don't want to miss out on a single one of them!
Connor's life isn't going according to plan. After contesting a PTSD diagnosis, he finds himself in LA before undergoing another series of tests that hopefully will prove he is fit to go back on tour, although he's not holding his breath. After all, defying orders, even if they were given by an entitled cretin, doesn't fly well with the military. Meeting the lovely Julie at the bar of the exclusive club his friend Ty is a member of, was just the distraction he needed to forget about his problems for a while. What he didn't count on was how much this encounter would affect his life.
A-list movie star Julie has been crushing hard on Connor ever since their mutual friend Ty Bateman introduced them, even if he didn't seem interested back then. Finding him alone at the bar, and after one too many cherry martinis, she decides to just grab the bull by its horns and introduce herself again. Her attraction for Connor increases ten-fold the more time they spend together, and it doesn't hurt that Connor seems interested in her, Julie, and not the movie star. One thing leads to the other and soon they discover they can't take their hands off each other. Any plans to see where this thing between them might be going are interrupted when Connor's diagnosis is confirmed and he needs to make some hard decisions. Julie is not about to let him escape from her a second time, though.
While I loved both of the previous books, I can safely say Mission: Happy is my favorite. I loved Connor, there were a couple of times I wanted to shake him up a bit, but for the most part, he was the perfect man for Julie. Supporting, protective and loving. I just melted with how sweet he could be with her. And Julie was very likable, despite a bit of a penchant for crying sometimes, which really didn't bother me at all. She didn't do it to manipulate, so I was fairly okay with it. I liked that she was willing to do just about anything she needed to for Connor. Their chemistry was out-of-this-world hot, too! *fans self* Their connection was palpable from the first word they exchanged, their playfulness, how perfect they were for the other and how happy they made each other were just the cherry on top of the cake!
Loved seeing all the boys and having them play such a pivotal part in the plot, as always their lifelong friendship is a thing of beauty!
All in all, this book was a wonderful addition to the series, magnificently written, with a captivating plot and twists that kept me on the edge of my seat! Highly recommendable!!!
Rylie Roberts is the Amazon #1 international best selling author and native Texan who loves to write and read romance. Please follow the newsletter by emailing rylie@rylieroberts.com or following me on social media. Stay tuned, there's more on the way.
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