Billionaire Carter Aymes, director of Cyber Operations, a covert cyborg force, devotes his wealth and time to saving lives, rescuing hostages and other victims from desperate situations. His ultimate mission is to hunt down and eliminate Lamani, the alien terrorist mastermind, before he conquers the galaxy. When Carter hires Beth O’Shea, a vulnerable yet courageous woman with connections to his … connections to his past, their attraction is immediate and strong, but he knows getting involved with her is a bad idea. He’s her boss, and he has way too many classified projects to risk letting someone get close.
Rejected by the progenitors who cloned her, Beth is determined to live a normal human life, beginning by getting an ordinary job with a security firm. But, from the start, she questions the extraordinary secrecy surrounding the organization. She can’t help but wonder about the tall, muscled, larger-than-life director who gave her a chance when she desperately needed one. Could he ever be romantically interested in a woman like her, in a clone?
When Beth is attacked, they both realize how short and tenuous life is, and their mutual attraction becomes too powerful to resist.
As their relationship heats up, so does the urgency to capture Lamani before he can unleash a stealth weapon at a critical planetary Summit meeting. With time running out, Carter discovers that stopping Lamani may require sacrificing Beth’s life.
Will Carter be able to rescue her, or will his new love be the one person he can’t save?
Cyborg Commander was previously titled Hunted by the Cyborg.
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Cyborgs on secret missions, political intrigue with a tyrannical nation planet, and romance come together in this exciting sci-fi series that I have been jazzed about since I picked the first one up. Part Bruce Wayne and part Captain America, I’ve been waiting for Carter Aymes’ story since he was introduced in book one as the leader of the cyborg operations and wondered who would be the lucky female to win his heart.
Hunted by the Cyborg is book six in the Cy-Ops series. There is a series arc that flows through the series, but it is also flexible and not too difficult to jump in out of order (so says the gal who started with book two and didn’t get to book one until after book five).
Carter has seen many of his cyborg operatives and closest friends find their special someone and feels wistful to have the lonely feeling go away. But, as the head of a vast business empire, a secret operations and security firm, and a goal to keep the galaxy safe from the Lamis Odg terrorists, there isn’t a lot of time for romance let alone finding someone he could trust with his secrets and not push when he had to be away on secret missions. Then a chance encounter followed by a flagged security screening on a potential new employee has him getting very unprofessional thoughts about a certain female who may or may not be who she says she is.
Beth O’Shea is getting her chance at life away from the stifling world of the O’Shea space station with this job planetside for Aym-Sec a prestigious security firm. But, then she gets flag and brought in for questioning as a potential security threat. She can’t tell them the truth even though her secret is not dangerous at all. Not like the danger she’s in whenever the boss man, Carter Aymes both terrifies and intrigues her from their first encounter.
I’ve come to appreciate the futuristic world, the unique alien races, the exciting, adventure-filled plots as the cyborgs battle the terrorists, and the spicy romances these cyborgs find, usually during perilous situations. Carter’s story is a little different because it seems (I don’t know for sure) to be the culminating story in the series story arc. Because of that, I don’t want to give away too much because there are some great surprise reveals and twists in this one.
He and the cyborgs know that Lamani the head of the Lamis-Odg, who has been directing affairs and has been in hiding for over ten years, must be found and his new secret weapon traced and eliminated even while the races of the galaxy send reps to the big summit to discuss what to do about the terrorists and will they vote for peace or all-out war.
Carter and Beth start up a tenuous romance against this back-drop. Carter has to keep the Cyborg Operations side of the business and that he is one a secret for security reasons and he has to figure out what to do with his fear when Beth wants a bigger part of the action as she settles into her job. Beth is really living for the first time and the learning curve is a big one including the fact that she’s in a relationship with the wealthy and powerful man who also happens to be her boss. She stumbles into danger, but it only makes her want to get training so she can be less of a liability and feel more worthy of Carter.
I loved this pair together and the ups and downs of their swift-moving, spicy romance. Beth might be new to many things, but she had no trouble being assertive about what she wanted and needed when Carter struggled not to keep her out of things because he needed her safe. She was smart and was realistic about what she pushed for and what she knew she had to simply accept when it came to her work and to Carter’s responsibilities. Like I said, a great pair and she was perfect for Carter.
I had my suspicions about Lamani and I was right and I had an inkling about another big surprise, but wow, I didn’t see that big exciting stunner. There wasn’t much fighting like in past books, but there was plenty of intense excitement when the big scenes came. This felt like the end of the series, but there was room for more if the author wants to add another story or two. I’m always up for more of this series so I’d not say no.
All in all, it was fab from cover to cover. I was jazzed that Carter’s book and his heroine more than met my expectations. This cyborg series is perfect for sci-fi romance lovers who like black ops action in space, intriguing twists, and some sexy romances.
Sometimes you read a book and the layers just speak to you, you know? That’s what this book did to me. I got the characters that were trying to find a way when they were judged by what they were, not who they were. I got the characters building love story, because it felt real, not rushed or manufactured. The plot was deep with twists that I did not see coming, and some major O’Henry type of dramatic irony mixed in that my jaw was dropped a few times. I was so deeply invested in the story and the characters that I was mad that I had to go to sleep and finish it the next day. The combination of current and projected future technology added another layer of depth that sucked me in deeper. I was gifted with an advance review copy, but I”m leaving a review because I absolutely could not put it down. Because I love great stories, I love the ones that this author writes. If this is your first Cara Bristol novel, be prepared to have your mind blown!
TRUST ME—TELL ME—I CAN HELP YOU
A Sci-fi story is only as good as the author who pens it, and Ms. Bristol has spun a tale that grabs the reader and holds them captive from the beginning to the end. When you are finished, you know you have been on an amazing journey, and can’t wait to pick up and read the next book. The storyline, the background of the characters, the descriptions of the sights, sounds, smells, are all part of this tale, making the reader feel like a voyeur along on this journey. Also, while this is an ongoing saga, the stories are written in a manner that will read well as a stand-alone, what is shared from previous books is enough to refresh from previous books, or set the stage for a new reader.
Carter Aymes is the head of Aym-Sec and Cy-Ops. He is also part Cyborg, and when all else fails, his team goes in and gets the job done. They are preparing for a major venue that will have dignitaries and heads of planets convening for a meeting, and his Aym-Sec is in charge of security.
Beth O’Shea has come to Terra United after passing a vid-com interview to have an in-person interview with Brock at Aym-Sec. This will be her first real job, and a chance to have a life. She is the clone that was commissioned after Liza O’Shea was killed on a safari, but now Liza’s parents have regret for going through with it. Her life with Liza’s parents has been unhappy, and they want her gone.
The plot will bring her to Terra United where Carter will see her, and he will mistake her for Liza, his college girlfriend. Things she says he finds questionable because Liza never mentioned a twin sister. Then when Beth’s interview is canceled without any explanations, she must try and find a job, but when she goes to leave the motel, she is intercepted and taken captive.
The story is an amazing adventure with secrets that will be revealed, an unexpected attraction, a new job, danger, angst, life and death situations, attempted murder, and so much more. The story is one that keeps the pages turning as the mystery unfolds and the reader is left in shock at some of the events. Not everyone is who they seem to be; the nefarious intent is in play, secrets will be revealed, and more.
Beth’s life will be in jeopardy. Carter will feel like she betrayed him. And the universe is still being threatened. Will the truth be revealed before more lives are lost? How deep does the infiltration of danger extend?
“Life offered no guarantees, only chances.”
Whether you enjoy Sci-fi romances or not, get ready to be thoroughly entertained and enthralled with this story. The characters, the story concept, the descriptive beauty of the world and it’s environment had me falling into the story to experience it as it was happening. That is the best type of book.
Cara Bristol has given us angst, action, suspense, and beautiful romance in this book. The conflict between Carter and Beth is believable and emotional. Resolving all of the mysteries that surrounds them provides surprising answers to questions no one even realized were open. The story maintains your interest throughout. I hated to put it down!
I highly recommend this book to anyone.
The latest book in the Cyborg series and I have to say I think this is my favorite so far. I always enjoyed the glimpses of Carter in the previous books so it was wonderful to read his story.
Beth was a wonderful character. Innocent in a lot a ways, but also smart, strong and full of life. I enjoyed the interaction between Carter and Beth.
This book was also action packed with a lot of twist and turns
My fave cyborgs are back!
Carter may be the boss at Cy-Ops an Aym-Sec but he still has needs. He is rocked when he meets the “twin” of his ex-college girlfriend. Its been almost 15 years and he still wonders what happened to Liza.
Beth’s run in with Carter shook her. Her ID is forged and she is not who she claims to be. She is trying to make a life for her after her “parents” wash their hands of her. She is supposed to have an interview at Carter’s firm but her interview is cancelled when her ID is flagged. But Carter and the crew take a leap of faith and she is soon working with them, and gaining their trust whilst solidifying her skills.
Her tenuous relationship with Carter is flourishing but there is still danger ahead and a political summit may just be the ignition to a major incident.
Beths past is so mysterious and Carter just sees her, not her past! Great read and so happy with the ending! The Lamis ODG is finally dealt with…even if it may only be temporarily. Great plot and truly loved getting little glimpses of the other cyborgs and their other halves.