Don’t let the title of the series scare you, McClouds and Friends is not some sort of strange TV morning show or kid cartoon network. In fact, this series by Shannon McKenna is far from child safe, it was my first foray into the “erotic romance” category.
The basic world
This is a world of hard, emotionally scared men who work in some manner in security, either former FBI agents or in their private security agency. A former military father who had retreated to the woods to raise his family raised the McCloud brothers. The boys then have unique outlooks and skills as compared to most men and come in handy when the shit hits the fan — which it always does!
These male characters are dark; don’t think that you are going to find sweet, poetry spouting males. But, they are passionate and devoted to their females which I think are very important characteristics.
There is an individual plot line per book, but there is an overarching plot line that covers the first portion of novels. This advancement of series plot is one of the strengths we see here. The action scenes are extremely well written and when you read the book, it will be on the edge of your seat. I try to never start a McCloud book late at night because I will be up until 3am reading!
The only odd thing is that there is a bit of paranormal that is often folded into the storyline. It comes out in strange ways, but you just have to suspend your disbelief in this series.
Conclusion:
This is a romance series that packs quite a bit of a punch. We have dark men who have a level of contained violence that many women would just walk away. No, not saying that they are abusive, but it takes a strong woman to put up with and set them straight. What I love about this series is that our females are not just simpering females, but strong women in their own right.
I will admit that there are only a few of the books that I really love and re-read fairly often, those are marked below. On the same hand, because there is an over-arching plot line, I would suggest you read them in order.
The Books: These should be read in order. [*] Means they are my personal favorites
- *Behind Closed Doors (#1) 2002 Characters: Seth Mackey and Raine Cameron
- *Standing in the Shadows (#2) 2003 Characters: Connor McCloud and Erin Riggs
- *Out of Control (#3) 2005 Characters: Davy McCloud and Margot Vetter
- Edge of Midnight (#4) 2007 Characters: Sean McCloud and Liv Endicott
- *Extreme Danger (#5) 2008 Characters: Nick Ward and Becca Cantrell
- Ultimate Weapon (#6) 2008 Characters: Valery Janos and Tamara Steele
- *Fade To Midnight (#7) 2010 Characters: Kevin McCloud and Edie Parrish
- Blood and Fire (#8) 2011 Characters: Bruno Ranieri and Lily Parr
- One Wrong Move (#9) 2012 Characters: Alex Aaro and Nina Christie
Bea's Hive 