I Dream of Danger is the second book in the Ghost Ops series. First off I would like to say that if you haven't read the first book yet, don't worry about it. I didn't either, and I was able to follow the story. I love it when authors write books like this!
Elle Thomason had a great life. She had a father who adored her, and a loyal friend in Nick Ross. However Nick disappears mysteriously from her life when she's a teenager. Shortly after her father is diagnosed with Dementia. Elle dreams of Nick and that they'll meet again. She's stunned when he shows up for her father's funeral. Nick has a secret of his own. He has been gone from Elle's life for so long, but he's never forgotten her. They have an unbridled attraction for each other. However after their reunion, Nick has to suddenly leave. Elle is heartbroken, but decides she needs a change.
Ten years later, Elle discovers she has a supernatural ability of sorts. Her scientific findings put her in danger and the only one who can save her is Nick. Elle and Nick have great chemistry together. The story is told from different perspectives, Nick and Elle being the main ones. I love that you get both characters' point of view. However their characters are typical of this genre. Nick is an alpha-male, and Elle is the only one that can soften him. He's fiercely protective of her, but Elle, though a girly-girl, is very much able to take care of herself. Overall the story is good. It's a great book to read when you want to relax after a hard day's work. This is a series I wouldn't mind reading more of.

Read more at http://www.2readornot2read.com/2013/07/review-i-dream-of-danger-by-lisa-marie.ht... ( )

I read Heart of Danger, the debut of the Ghost Ops series earlier this year and enjoyed the creative story angle Rice presents by delving into a not so distant future world of elite military warriors who are considered domestic terrorists by the U.S. government and are now fugitives. Although I Dream of Danger does provide exposition about the plot conflicts, it is best to start the series with the first book. I felt the background information provided in this second book was more to help readers remember important details about the plot rather than to introduce new readers to this series.

I expected the plot to focus on the Ghost Ops’ means of survival as they are being hunted and their quest to clear their name. While this aspect is part of the story, it becomes secondary to a more complex plot revolving around a sinister scientist’s obsession with creating a superhuman warrior. The paranormal aspects included add a level of intrigue to the story, and they provide the impetus for human scientific experimentation to continue and for the Ghost Ops team’s involvement to stop the unethical practices of a wealthy pharmaceutical company.

The novel begins ten years before the current action of the central plot. Ella Thomason is the protagonist who has a connection with one of the future Ghost Op team members, Nick Ross. She grew up with Nick until his sudden disappearance five years ago. When he unexpectedly shows up at the funeral of Ella’s father, she is both shocked and excited about his return.

During his absence, Ella has often had vivid dreams about Nick observing his life, and through her dreams, she can piece together information about what Nick’s life might be like. She has never been as close to anyone as she was to Nick, and his abrupt departure left her feeling more alone than ever. Her loneliness was only compounded when she had to sacrifice her life, her dreams, and her education to stay home and take care of her ailing father, whose dementia steadily worsened.

Rice uses multiple POVs to tell the story this story which was effective in providing more depth to their characters and adding more substance to the story. Getting Ella’s and Nick’s POVs deepened my understanding of the intense feelings they have for each other, even through their separation. Later in the story, Rice also adds the POV of the antagonist, Dr. Charles Lee, the scientist with a deranged agenda for creating a super warrior with special powers. His motivation for power and respect is the driving force behind his actions.

During these early scenes it is evident that Ella’s feelings for Nick are stronger than just friendship, and Nick’s POV reveals his inner conflict over his restraint and desire for Ella. His attraction for her began before he left her, knowing she was too young for him at the time.

Nick and Ella finally give into their yearnings for one another as passion consumes them. Ella is elated that Nick is back in her life. When Nick leaves Ella again without telling her where he is going, she is devastated. His abandonment once again almost breaks her. By providing this glimpse of how their relationship has developed, Rice reinforces the agony both Ella and Nick experience once they are no longer together.

However, I was relieved to see Ella take charge of her life by leaving her childhood home that has become a dark, depressing, stifling place that would only continue to stagnate her. Courageously, she takes her meager belongings and with limited resources sets out to forget Nick and begin living her life. Kudos to Ella for being proactive instead of playing the victim!

The author makes a smooth transition to describe Ella’s life ten years later. The vivid, life-like dreams Ella has had her entire life have led her to study neurobiology so that she can begin to identify, understand, and control her perception that she is having out-of-body experiences when she dreams. Her work leads her to become part of a research group focused on the study of those with psychic abilities. Unknowingly, she has become a part of Dr. Lee’s experimentation on human subjects in his efforts to create super soldiers with enhanced abilities and powers.

When members of the research group go missing, Ella is forced to flee. Her desperate situation leads her to psychically call out for Nick, who is now a member of the fugitive Ghost Ops team. Nick hears her call in his dream and begins a frantic search to find Ella.

From this point on, the Ghost Ops get involved in the drama. Here we get to see a very different side of unflinching, stoic Nick whose biggest weakness is Ella. I could feel the meltdown he was beginning to experience in the painstaking search for the woman he loves. Rice does an excellent job of describing Nick’s tumultuous emotions and his growing impatience to rescue Ella. I even begin to get anxious, silently saying, “Hurry, hurry, hurry before it’s too late!” Needless to say, the suspense was intense.

Ella is an admirable character because of her diligence in overcoming the obstacles she has faced. She never complained or whined about the sacrifices she made to care for her father. She started over with nothing and eventually earned a Ph.D. Intuitively, she knows she has a gift that others do not, and I like that she becomes passionate about her research to find answers. Yet, when she becomes suspicious about the real agenda behind Lee’s research, I’m disappointed when she passively continues with research she knows is unethical.

The story builds into another crisis when Ella eventually works with the Ghost Ops team to resolve another major conflict of the story: the need to rescue her fellow research subjects who have been kidnapped by Dr. Lee and whose lives are in immediate danger.

Furthermore, Ella has her own inner conflicts that she must deal with before she can move forward now that Nick has reappeared in her life. How will she deal with the pain from Nick’s abandonment and can she overcome her fears that he won’t leave her again?

Rice also weaves in an unexpected element to the story that creates another suspenseful plot thread which changed my expectations of what to expect next In his impatience to develop a super warrior, Dr. Lee has begun injecting himself with the experimental drug, and the consequences of his actions shocked and frightened me. This complication is just developing and will certainly carry over into the plot of the third book in the series. I am looking forward to discovering how this new problem will add to the plot.

Rice does a good job of describing and explaining the advanced technology used to forward the plot in this fictitious world, and she shows how the technology can improve our lives, but that it also has the potential to destroy our future.

I had three major issues with the plot. First of all, I appreciated that Rice included background information throughout the story to aid in the reader’s understanding, but at times this information was redundant and detracted from the pacing of the story.

A second aspect was that I felt the rescue mission to capture Ella’s colleagues was rushed and lacked the full attention it deserved. I wish Rice would have lengthened the story so that the drama could have been heightened.

A final component that I didn’t like was in how closely this storyline replicated the one in Heart of Danger. A Ghost Op falls in love with a scientist with paranormal abilities, and she uses those powers to help in the mission. I also found the crisis and its outcome mimics the one in the first book. I hope that this doesn’t mean Rice will use a formulaic plot as she continues the series.

Overall, this is a series that I will continue to follow. The characterization and creative storyline with some surprising events kept my interest, and I look forward to the third book which features Jon, the third predominant team member and his search for a woman in danger.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. ( )

Everything starts at a funeral. After years of caring for her father with Alzheimer's, the disease finally won the battle and Elle is burying him. Among those present a good surprise: Nick Ross. She had not seen him for at least five years and there he was, handsome and strong, supporting her.
Elle was born into a good family. Despite having lost her mother very early, his father, Judge Thomason, was a man well liked and possessions. She always had everything she wanted. At age seven she found a wounded boy, skinny, starving, hiding in their backyard. Her father took him as a child and there he lived until age 18. This was Nick.
Now Elle is in danger and for some reason, needing help, she thought of a single person. The person that she tried not to think for 10 long years. The man who abandoned her when she most needed. But despite all that, it was on Nick Ross whom she thought. Does her ability to astral projection could help to contact him? And would Nick want to help her?

A book to hold your attention. You won't drop it until read everything.

5 STARS!!!! ( )