Alternate Connection: A Romantic Suspense Novel in the Countermeasure Series

Chris Almeida · Cecilia Aubrey

Oct 2015 · Countermeasure Series Book 15 · Éire Publishing, LLC

About this ebook

Countermeasure dives head-on into a melting pot of danger in the Middle East. The stakes just got higher.

CIA Operative Nathan Nelson has built his life on secrets, especially those that have shaped the man he is—secret feelings for a woman he’s viewed as off-limits for a decade and events that taught him to keep his shields up. Now, those secrets come barreling down on him at the worst time.

Foreign Service Specialist Rachael Moore’s personal crusade puts her in the cross-hairs of very dangerous people. She has risked her life to free herself from the past and in doing so, exposed her battered heart and deeply concealed dreams to the man who once told her he would never touch her.

Unknowingly, their connection may not only bridge the chasm between them, but shed light on a puzzling mystery. Their perilous journey becomes a race for their lives, leading them into a conspiracy rooted deeper than their tangled emotions.

Will their present collaboration shatter the tenuous links of their woven past or forge a future bond they never expected?

18+ GRAPHIC LANGUAGE AND ADULT SITUATIONS
**For fans of Covert Affairs, NCIS, Blindspot, and Strike Back.
**Third in a thrilling, romantic suspense series!
**Other books in the series include COUNTERMEASURE and TO RUSSIA WITH LOVE and the upcoming fourth novel LOCKED & RELOADED. 

Interview with the Authors 

Q - So what makes the Countermeasure Series special?
A - Countermeasure pulls in the best of Erotic Romance, Adventure and Suspense into one single series. We also aim to write about people, not characters. They are true to life and flawed, also someone you feel you can connect to and invite for a coffee just to shoot the breeze. The series has two separate, yet connected sets of books. The novels develop the bulk of the mystery and adventure in the plot. The short stories and novellas develop the characters and bare the characters' souls to you. All of their dreams, disillusions, fears are exposed in the short stories. The short stories and Novellas are also what we call Romantica. They are stories portraying a day in the life of the characters after their "I do". A mix between Romance and Erotica where you are the fly on the wall during the married couples' intimate moments. If you enjoy high heat, spicy reads involving married couples, you got to the right series.

Q - What order should I read the books?
A - We recommend you read the novels and novellas in the following order. Please note the short stories and novellas are not mandatory reads to understand the suspense arc in the novels.
- Countermeasure 
- Uncharted (FREE prequel with subscription to our newsletter)
- Ecstasy by the Sea (also available in Countermeasure: Bytes of Life Volume I - A 3-Book Bundle Deal)
- Cuffed at Midnight (also available in Countermeasure: Bytes of Life Volume I - A 3-Book Bundle Deal)
- Take Me 
- Passion at Dawn (also available in Countermeasure: Bytes of Life Volume I - A 3-Book Bundle Deal)
- Something Crazy 
- To Russia with Love 
- Blindsided (also available in Countermeasure: Bytes of Life Volume II - A 3-Book Bundle Deal)
- Roaming Pleasure 
- Payback 
- Lost to Rapture (also available in Countermeasure: Bytes of Life Volume II - A 3-Book Bundle Deal)
- Brazen 
- Christmas Wish (also available in Countermeasure: Bytes of Life Volume II - A 3-Book Bundle Deal)
- Alternate Connection 

Q - Why should I give these books a try?
A - Because the Countermeasure Series books take you on a fast, fun and thrill-filled ride that will leave you wanting for more from all of our characters. Readers who are not skirmish about adult scenes and language appreciate the books greatly.

Thank you for reading!

 For more information about the series and how the books connect, reading order and upcoming stories, please visit the series' official website.

 Countermeasure Series Categories
- Romantic Suspense
- Erotic Romantic Suspense
- Romantic Thriller
- Mystery and Suspense
- Mystery Series 
- Crime Thrillers
- Thrillers and Mysteries Best Sellers 
- Thrillers 100 Must Reads

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Ratings and reviews

I really enjoyed this book. The connection between Nathan and Rachel was there right from the beginning. Once I started this book I could not put it down, and felt very blessed to have received an Arc of this book to review. If Nathan sounds familiar, then you guessed correctly that this is the same Nathan that is in Countermeasure, and although he was not my favorite, he has grown on me and I love that I really get to know him and his story in Alternate Connection. I won't give out any spoilers because that would just ruin the book for you. I will say this.... You will cry, yell, jump up and down in excitement and more than likely be turned out. I love the way Christ and Cecilia write. They never disappoint and they are an amazing writing team. This story just like the others is well thought out, believable, intense and well researched. Can not wait for the next one!

Again, grabbing on and taking the ride the authors take you on from page one is no surprise...they're great at Romantic Suspense...and know exactly which buttons to push, character wise to keep you engaged. This is Nathan's story (and talk about heart throb/hero...Nate brings it here!), but Cassandra and Trevor are never left off the front burner...there is so much heart and emotion dedicated to both the characters and the story as a whole, that there are times when your heart just sighs...that's when you're not sitting on the edge of your seat gripped by the suspense that is. The ending is perfect to want for more, and boy do I ever! Now the wait begins for the next installment of the Countermeasure series. This book was provided by the authors as an ARC for my honest review...the above is exactly that.

Where do I begin? There is so much to tell you about Alternate Connection by Chris Almeida and Cecilia Aubrey. In this third installment of the Countermeasure Series, we get to learn what makes CIA Agent Nathan Nelson tick and why he was such a jerk in the first two books. I was actually surprised he would get a story because he was quite the PITA to the main characters of the series, Trevor and Cassandra. Nate is quite the complex character, though, and it was awesome to learn more about him. The mystery surrounding the plot of this story is unbelievable. This one is quite detailed and I found myself hanging on each word to make sure I didn’t miss anything. Alternate Connection is one of those books that you can read several times and pick up something new each time you read through it. The authors did a fabulous job with their research. The action scenes in the book are why I read romantic suspense. I enjoy a good mystery, but it is the edge of your seat action that has me coming back for more. I enjoy the adrenaline rush of those scenes. Almeida and Aubrey do a great job of describing the scenes as if the reader is there with the characters and feeling the same tension. Now let’s talk about all the love going on in Alternate Connection, which is personally my favorite part. The authors continue to develop Trevor and Cassandra from the first two novels and boy did they put these two through the ringer in this one. It was actually welcoming after reading all the sexy Bits and Bytes of Life starring these two where you think their marriage is all bliss. The conflict in this one showed their vulnerable side and was the source of the tears I shed while reading. Nathan and Rachael’s love story was so unexpected. I had some preconceived ideas about them from teasers, the blurb, etc, but the way it turned out was much better than what I imagined. There are so many layers to Nathan and to see him peel all those away for Rachael was phenomenal. He is wound tight for so long and to see Rachael give him the freedom to let it all go just by being herself was simply amazing. Their chemistry was palpable even when they tried to hide it so well. I only wish we could have read more about these two after they reunited and were out of harm’s way. The ending felt a little abrupt, but other things had to happen in the story so it worked out. As for other characters in Alternate Connection, I enjoyed meeting the AWE Crew and reading more about Jessica and Stephan who we met in previous novels). This story is a mystery but so much of it involves relationships. We watch new friends being made, enemies learn to tolerate each other, families adding new members, friendships growing stronger and so much more. Almeida and Aubrey know how to create multidimensional characters. I only hit on the highlights for me from Alternate Connection in this review. As you read other reviews I am sure you will get a good overall feeling of the depth of the book. If you have read the Countermeasure Series you must continue on with Alternate Connection. If you are new to the series, I highly recommend you start at the beginning so it all makes sense. You will be so glad you jumped into the Countermeasure world. *I received an ARC of this book for review purposes.*

About the author

 ABOUT THE AUTHORS

CHRIS ALMEIDA & CECILIA AUBREY

Writing had touched Chris Almeida’s and Cecilia Aubrey’s lives in different ways through the years, but never took flight until 2010, when Chris and Cecilia met and began roleplaying online as a hobby. It was through playing fictional characters in a sort of improv written theater that writing took a central position in their lives. The transition from roleplaying to novel writing was smooth, and they attribute the ease of writing realistic characters to their ability to live the scenes through role play.

Chris and Cecilia have since chosen to release all their titles independently. They have several short stories and two novels published under their own label, Éire Publishing, and are vocal supporters of independent publishing done right. They are currently working on the next novel in their series. Through all the chaos and laughter, they still hold true to their roots, bringing their favorite role-play characters and stories to life.

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