Perfect Romantic Suspense, Intelligently Written!

Story: 5 stars, original, fast pace, great action. WOW!
Relationship/heat: 4 stars, develops a bit too fast but then it is great and Sizzling hot. A few explicit sexual scenes well written and loving.
Narration: 5 stars, amazing voice, PERFECT!
Overall: 5 stars, great listen, worth a credit!

STORY: Wow, What a surprise! This is actually a pretty original story for this genre, intelligently written, fast pace, action packed, very hot book! Rachel Grant wrote a clever, pretty believable story (well...somewhat) that is engrossing, deals with serious issues, yet full of humor, love and heat.
I’m adding Rachel Grant to my favorite authors list, and can’t wait to listen to the next in the series and more books by RG.

NARRATION: Another surprise! It was just PERFECT! GT has an amazing voice, perfect pace, great male AND female voices, and just a pleasure to listen to. He is able to have female voices that sound natural and not forced, and he distinguishes between characters very well. BRAVO!

Overall, if you like this genre, this book is a must listen! It will elevate your expectations for all others. Definitely worth a credit!

12 people found this helpful

Action, suspense, loved it!

This book captured my attention immediately and did not let go. Well paced, the story is told as a military romance, but the meat of the book is intrigue and action.
What I liked?
1. Narration by Greg Tremblay was excellent. Clear voicing, paced well and good use of different voices in his repertoire, from the female character to the older general.
2. Action, constant movement, excitement woven through the story to keep character involvement real.
3. Romantic tension: will they, won't they... well played, Rachel Grant, well played
4. Excellent resolution.

I'm in for book 2 whenever it is released. Enjoy this one, it is entertaining!

10 people found this helpful

Stellar story and performance 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

I’m so delighted to have listened to a well edited, intelligent, steamy, intriguing and heartfelt story. This is the second time I’ve listened to it because of the newest book, Catalyst.
Thank you Rachel Grant and Audible!!!

8 people found this helpful

A superbly paced, action-packed, sexy thriller!

Rachel Grant's Tinderbox is a fabulous, edge-of-your-seat story set in one of the most politically unstable regions of the world, the Horn of Africa. Doctor Morgan Adler has been contracted by the Djibouti government to undertake an archaeological survey of the proposed route of a new railway, but when she is threatened by a local warlord, she heads for the US military base at Camp Citron hoping they will be able to protect her and her finds - one of which could well be the archaeological discovery of the decade. Or the century.

Master Sergeant Pax Blanchard is assigned as the head of her protection detail so that she can continue her work; the attraction between them is intense, but he's adamant that pursuing a relationship with Morgan would be unprofessional and tries to keep his distance...

As Morgan continues work on her dig, it becomes clear that the threats she has received may be related to more than her archaeological finds. Someone who had worked in that area previously has disappeared and is presumed dead, Morgan is being targeted... . I’m not going to reveal more about the plot which is complex, incredibly satisfying and very topical, other than to say it’s brilliantly constructed and utterly compelling – this was an audiobook I found very difficult to put aside.

Greg Tremblay is a new-to-me narrator, and I was really impressed with his performance, which is excellent on all counts. There is a large cast of - mostly male - supporting characters, and he does a great job of differentiating between them all using a wide variety of pitch, tone and accent - and his female voices are superb. I really hope he continues to narrate books in this series, and I'll definitely be seeking out more of his work.

Tinderbox is a great listen - I didn't want to put it down!

8 people found this helpful

Fantastic New Series

I rarely give 5 stars across the board. Only books that I would listen again get this honor, Tinderbox captivated me from the start and kept me there until the end.

Rachel Grant has a scientific background and puts it to good use when writing her novels. Romance, and in particular romantic suspense, is a hard genre to do well as evidenced by the dirth of books that make Scooby Doo and Nancy Drew look like Tolstoy.

What I love most is that the female leads are smart and strong. There are no TSTL moments. The males, while alpha (and necessarily rugged and handsome) are not the caricatures that none of us would be able to stand in real life. These guys are warriors who also love their women. That leads to great romance and Grant is also a master at handling the steamy scenes. Writing sex scenes that are not formulaic, contrived, or do not overwhelm the plot is definitely a skill. That being said, if you are offended by sexual scenes in books, you should probably steer clear instead of buying the book and complaining about it afterward.

Djibouti is a fascinating setting for this novel. One of the characters comments that countries in this region get too little attention and it is painfully true. Getting to learn about these failed states (Somalia, Yemen, etc) and their importance in the world is incredibly important to the security of people in the rest of the world. Being able to learn something about the archaeological and geological significance of this country as well as its importance as a base for U.S. operations in Africa while getting a riveting plot is really incredible.

This is a book that I loved the first time and know I will listen again. If I have made this sound like an intellectual exercise, don't be put off. It is just such a thrill to be treated as a thinking adult while reading romantic suspense. Kudos to Ms. Grant, as well as her husband who has worked for the Navy in this part of Africa, for giving us such a great book.

Greg Tremblay was amazing with the delivery of the story.

7 people found this helpful

Flashpoint Series

All I can say is WOW! I am writing this review after listening to the full series. I will try and rate each book on its own merit, but my advice would be to read the series. This is explosive.

The story about Morgan Adler (unintentional badass) and Pax Blanchard (down to the core military man) is captivating. The scene set in Djibouti (where it all begins) and in the most volatile areas on the African continent is real, believable, gripping and full of action and suspense. I absolutely loved this story. Really well done.

This brings me to the narration. Mr Greg Tremblay, you have mastered the essence of keeping a listener at the edge of their seat with your narration skills. This was brilliantly done. This was a book that I could not wait to finish.

If you are into action, love, lust, drama, and a storyline with merit, READ THIS BOOK! Mind you, READ THE SERIES!!!

3 people found this helpful

Really fantasic melding of thriller and romance

This book was one of the first titles I downloaded after joining the Romance Package and it was worth the price of the package alone. I don't think I would have tried this book had I not joined the Romance Package but it gave me the option to return it if I didn't like I so I was game. It turned out to be one of my favourite books I've listened to this year. The story itself is interesting as it explains military politics in a war zone but it weaves in a believable and intense romance. The characters were well thought out as believable people and the romantic bits were integral to the story and progressed naturally. Loved the performance of the reader as well. Greg Tremblay was able to affect several accents as well as authentically play both the male and female parts. Great pacing and a very emotive style. Great all around!

3 people found this helpful

Wow! Liked this book way more than expected!!

What made the experience of listening to Tinderbox the most enjoyable?

This is a real adventure story with real sex. It is so unusual to get both in one book. Either you get a romance with sighing virgins and no real story line or you get a great story and they kind of skip over the sex. This book has real, adult sex, and a great story with realistic military details...for a romance.

What did you like best about this story?

I love real adult sex, steamy, messy and a little crude. I love military fiction that gets the details right and feels credible. This is packed with action and suspense. I forgot that it was actually a romance until the hot sexual tension of two adults kicks in.

What about Greg Tremblay’s performance did you like?

I tend to prefer male narrators and Greg does an excellent job of bringing action, adventure and raw sex to life.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes because I didn't become frustrated with plot twists that bring me back to my High School days. No adolescent drama! Thank god!

3 people found this helpful

Tinderbox

Awesome story and awesome sex. Love the narrator too😍 The plot was not only interesting but informative!

3 people found this helpful

One exciting suspenseful thrill after another

I just love this author and all of her book she pulls you in with excitement, thrills, action and suspense. This is romance as its finest with an author that never disappoints you with strong women who know how to hit the ground running and the hero’s that do their best to keep them safe. This is a wonderful start to a new series with a great plot and delightful characters that keep you turning the pages. She pulled me in from the first page until the last. I stayed up very late to listen as much as I could, I hated to put the book down.


Mr. Temblay did an outstanding job pulling the listener in giving a wonderful listen to his many different character voices to his wonderful tones they all were delightful. He held me on the edge through all the danger to the romance. His female voices were as great as his male ones. I had to trouble picturing the scenes as they unfold holding me on the edge through the danger which is filled with action. His tones and emotions were great you always knew who was talking and just what they were feeling. There was no repeating of words, no background noises, no volume changes. It sounded like he finished it at one setting if breaks were taken I could not tell. He made me feel like I was setting right there watching a movie as he delivered the excitement and thrills even a few chills that I felt all the way to my toes. He performance was outstanding giving me a listen I was hooked on from start to finish.


When Morgan and Pax meet you can see the sparks they create coming right off the pages. Pax likes a strong woman which Morgan is. Pax isn’t letting any grass grow under his feet as he shows his very alpha side. He makes demands and expects her to fall in line following him and the orders he gives. Rules are rules as these two try their best to put up a wall to keep their attraction at bay. Neither willing to admit what they feel which really adds to the story giving a very interesting and exciting read. As danger comes their way they must learn how to work together as they try to fight their attraction. Pax is doing everything he can to keep her safe when she is taken he is on the race against the clock to find her. Morgan must really pull on her enter strength to get through some very trying days as she works to survive and hopefully escape. She is praying Pax finds her in time and he is doing everything he can to locate her and bring her back safe and sound. It really gets exciting here and very dangerous as not everything is as it seems.


Ms. Grant has out done herself filling each page with excitement, suspense, danger, wonderful hot love scenes that is full of tension, lust, thrills and chemistry that leaves you holding your breath just waiting to see what comes next. The danger keeps you on the edge with eyes glued to the pages turning them as fast as you can. I was talking to the characters as if they were real people. When you start talking, yelling at the book you know you are so invested you can’t put it down that you have a wonderful read you wish would not end. Mr. Grant deliveries all this and more she is one of my go to authors when I want something exciting that I know will pull me in making my heart beat faster as she takes me through one thrilling scene into the next. I have trouble waiting for her next book to come out. If you are looking for a wonderful author that keeps you one the edge with excitement and thrills you have found her. I hope you enjoy this story as much as I have.

2 people found this helpful