Blood & Glory by Drotuno
Review by Les16
Rating: M
Genre: Hurt/Comfort/Romance
Characters: Edward/Bella
Summary: The definition of a mercenary is a soldier for hire. Secret identities, smart and strong women, a fight to keep loved ones safe, and maybe love and friendship along the way. Canon couples. AH/AU/ Rated M for lots of reasons, including violence and lemons
If you were going to make a list of all the qualities a good story must have, what would you include? A plot that pulls you in from the very first word? A leading man that is part bad-ass, part love-sick fool with a hint of mystery that is also drop dead gorgeous all thrown in for good measure? How about a leading lady that can give as good as she gets; is strong, yet vulnerable and sensitive at the same time...beautiful and snarky but is also damaged...but not broken? Or, how about a supporting cast full of unique individuals, each with their own talents and personalities, that as a whole make up a group of people you've never seen before? What about a story that has lots of action? We're talking guns, explosions, helicopters...just to name a few? What if said story had lemons so hot they curled your toes and melted ice cubes?
If any or all of the above is what you look for when picking out your next fic to read...look no further than Drotuno's Blood and Glory...because it has everything I've mentioned...and then some.
Drotuno throws the readers right into the middle of the action as soon as the story starts. You see, Edward Cullen is a mercenary, otherwise known as a soldier-for-hire, that works for his father, Carlisle. Edward's 'team' consists of Jasper the sniper, Emmett the explosives specialist, and Mickey...not Michelle, the girl that can break into anything. They've been to hell and back together, seen and done things no one but them understands, but Carlisle needs their help once someone very special to him becomes the target of some very unsavory people.
They were my brothers and my sister. They'd taken hits, punches, and bullets for me, and I'd done the same for them. We'd taken down small armies, dictators, and even whole governments, all for an unbelievable paycheck. We lived for the thrill, the adrenaline, and the money.
Enter Bella, the woman that is about to turn Edward's world upside down without even trying. Unbeknownst to her, she winds up in the middle of a huge mess...one of her estranged father, Charlie's, doing. It will be up to Edward, his team, and Carlisle to find her, before it's too late.
Bella is a private investigator and with the help of her silent partner, Carlisle, runs Gravity. When Bella turns up missing, Bella's girls help Edward and Carlisle, led by none other than Alice. She is the computer expert that can hack into anything who also just happens to be an electronic guru as well. Mack or Makenna who has a photographic memory and can draw any face she's ever seen and Rose...well, she's just an all-around bad-ass that you don't want to mess with.
The first few chapters move at a fast, furious clip, and lucky for you all, there are now 13 chapters posted so you won't be stuck waiting with bated breath for the next chapter! Believe me when I say you'll be on the edge of your seats in no time.
Drotuno has done an amazing job of weaving heart-stopping action with the very real aspects of dealing with a harrowing experience. There is anger, there is fear and tears, and then there is the process of healing, all done in the midst of a crisis.
"Bella," Carlisle groaned, but I wasn't having it.
"No! I'm done. We'll eat, and he can go play informant tomorrow," I yelled. "I have my own problems to deal with. Like avoiding getting killed by a psychopath…stopping a senator from taking his wife for every dime she's got just, because he likes them young and violent…and getting my girls back to their respective homes safely. I think they've been uprooted long enough. The sooner he goes, the sooner you get these assholes off my back. Mm'kay?" I asked, pointing to my father.
The whole room was still and silent, except for Rose. She was laughing her ass off quietly at the back of the room.
"Well, thank fucking God and all that's holy," she sighed. "Bells is back."
Edward fights his growing feelings for the feisty, stubborn Bella and she fights hers just as hard for the brooding, moody Edward. There are fireworks, there are angry words thrown back and forth, there is flirting and homemade apple pie which all makes for some interesting reading.
"I don't answer to you, Edward. I've told you that before, and you need to start listening," she snapped, and fuck, it wasn't the time to notice how fucking gorgeous she was when she folded her arms across her chest, set her jaw, and tilted her chin in defiance. "We could put it to a vote..."
"No fucking vote," I growled, throwing my hands in the air. "I can't risk it. I just can't. We'll pack up, and we're out of here by tomorrow morning."
"No!" she snapped back, her hands on her hips. "I don't want to run from him, Edward. You told me he doesn't deserve the best of me, and the best of me would fight. I'm staying here."
I picked up the bar stool closest to me and threw it out the back sliding glass door, because she was using my own words against me. "Damn it!" I growled, watching it shatter down the steps, before turning back to the room.
I'm telling you, if you don't read this story, you are missing out! It's got it all - action, romance, some lighthearted moments all mixed together to make for the perfect story. Drotuno has a way of telling a story that is as compelling as it is brilliant. She'll suck you right in to the world of hired killers, of running for your life, of fighting for what you believe...so much so you won't want to leave!!
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