C. Smith Rydell is in Peru on an important mission, trying to find out who’s been leaking information to drug runners, when he and his partner are spotted.  After their escape, he’s abruptly pulled off his assignment to provide protection to Honoria “Honey” York-Litton.  Unfortunately, Smith discovers that unlike the simple baby-sitting job he’d been envisioning, he has to take Honey to El Salvador in order to trade weapons and cash for something the CIA wants.  Even more unfortunately, he and Honey have a past.

Honey York only wants to go to El Salvador to make sure her sister, who is a nun there, is okay.  The CIA has basically blackmailed her into getting the information they want.  Now, she has to deal with a situation that’s beyond anything she’s ever experienced.  The only certain ally she has is Smith, the man she thought she’d never see again.  Can Honey and Smith make it out of El Salvador with their lives, and hearts, intact?

On the Loose is an action-packed novel that doesn’t let up until the very end.  Smith is a great hero: tough, smart, bad-ass, and caring in his way.  I liked his dedication to his job as well.  Honey initially seemed to be a flighty, debutante-type character, but as the story progresses she reveals hidden depths.  The past Honey and Smith have is an interesting addition to the many conflicts in the story.  The journey Honey and Smith take through different countries is interspersed with chapters from the points-of-view of the villainess of the book (an incredibly cold and calculating woman) and an ally of theirs with dubious connections.  Tara Janzen did a great job of creating a tense atmosphere and multi-faceted characters.  Her supporting characters were great too, and I am looking forward to the next book in the series, which features my favorite supporting character.  The only thing that disappointed me about On the Loose is, since it was so driven by the action, I didn’t feel as close to Smith and Honey as I would have liked.  Still, if you like your romance heroes tough and capable and your stories full of adventure, you’ll definitely enjoy On the Loose!