And Able by Lucy Monroe

They’re the good guys fighting the bad guys. They’ll get the job done -- if the price is right and so is the cause. Meet three sexy men who individually are READY, WILLING, AND ABLE to go the distance -- and together, are unstoppable...

Claire Sharp trusts few people and relies on no one. But after her life is threatened, ex-mercenary Brett Adams blows into her self-contained world, full of southern charm, rugged good looks, and enough sexual experience to write a how-to manual...experience he makes it clear he’d like to use on Claire. She wants help fighting the bad guys, but she’s not about to fall into Brett’s bed. For one thing, the guy has a no-commitment clause that would stump most big-shot attorneys, and for another, despite her response to his sensual kisses, in Claire’s experience sex isn’t exactly fireworks and brass bands. Definitely not worth getting too excited over...

Brett plans to prove her wrong. He’s never felt such a powerful combination of lust and friendship with a woman. He’ll give her a white-hot pleasure like nothing she’s ever known and she’ll realize that some things in life are worth every risk. When the threat to Claire grows dangerously close, pitting them against deadly odds, Brett will do whatever it takes to save her. Because Claire Sharp has just found herself a man who’s ready to bring it on, willing to do what it takes, and able to go the distance...

This was the final book in Lucy Monroe's much applauded Mercenary Series.

Brett "Hotwire" Adams is a former merc turned security expert who's not too keen on the commit thing, but is very keen on getting into Claire Sharp's bed. He's been avoiding her, but when she's attacked in her home, he's forced into her company. Which isn't very good for his self control. Aside from his attration to her, the protective alpha-male needs her to be safe. And trying to discover who's after her isn't easy when he's always got sex on the brain.

As for Claire, she can't figure out what an ex-merc with the body of a Greek god wants with her anyway. She understands that they have a love of all things computer in common, but as far as she can tell, that's the only thing they have in common. And she certainly doesn't understand why he'd be attracted to her. She does know, however, that she trusts him to keep her safe. So when he informs her that he'll be staying with her until things are resovled, she reluctantly agrees. She's not sure she can handle being in close proximity to him all the time, but she doesn't doubt he'll keep her alive.

As the story unfolds, and certain truths come to light, Claire leans on Hotwire more and more, both emtionally and phsyically.

I think this was a great end to LM's trilogy. Hotwire was everything I expected him to be from her previous books: Charming, amazing to look at, an excellent lover and lethal when protecting Claire. I thought he was a bit of a moron for taking so long to realize his true feelings for Claire, but I didn't begrudge him his thickheadedness. How could I, when he was putting another thick head to use so well? *snicker*

Claire was a great heroine, too. One of the things I love best about LM's heroines are how grounded they are. Claire knew she wasn't qualified to handle the threats to her life alone, so she trusted Hotwire to do it for her. That isn't to say she just turned a blind eye and didn't help where she could, but she didn't rush head first into danger to prove she was tough, either. She kept a level head and did what she could to help, but stood back and let Hotwire handle the things he knew how to handle best.

They're arguments over her being a Pacifist had me snickering, and I was feeling for Claire, too. The suspense plot to a backseat to the romance, too, which is always a big plus in my book.

I found myself irritated with Hotwire several times, like when he refused to see what he really felt for Claire and hid behind a promise he made to a dead woman, but as always LM redeemed him for me. I just love how once her heroes (or heroines for that matter) make a commitment, that's the end of it. There's no going back and forth, wondering if things are right or not. They realize they have feelings and that's that. It's wonderful.

I was very disappointed that we didn't hear anything about Wolf's sister Daisy, or any of the other characters from her Three Brides for Three Bad Boys anthology. I realize that this series was simply a spin off of that one, but I would still have loved to hear about how things were with them.

The series goes in the following order:

Ready
Willing
And Able

The series comes highly recommended. Do yourselves a favor and get thee to the story to buy them. You won't be sorry.

4.75 out of 5