The Guilty Pleasure of a Rogue Russian Submarine Captain: RED HEAT by Nina Bruhns

I have long awaited the guilty pleasure of reading Nina Bruhns’ Red Heat, which immediately caught my eye with its disgruntled Russian submarine captain hero—strikingly similar in some regards to my own renegade Russian sub captain in The Russian Seduction.  Brunhs’ Captain Nikolai Romanov may be in disgrace, but he has an unavoidable sexual sizzle, “killer handsome in his uniform of black and gold.” 

In Red Heat, Romanov’s secret mission is to identify the American spy hidden as a journalist aboard his Russian research submarine and prevent her from making off with a top-secret data chip that would resurrect his sinking star and prove his worth to his FSB handlers.

Nikolai doesn’t expect the CIA spy to be beautiful, vulnerable yet capable analyst Julie Severin.  And neither of them expects the dangerous attraction that pulls Julie into Nikolai’s bed—and his heart—in the midst of a perilous mission to the Arctic Circle.  Now Julie must decide what matters most:  her loyalty to her country and her valued career with the CIA, or her growing passion for Nikolai.  Before the Chinese sub stalking them through the frigid Arctic waters loses its waning patience and torpedoes everyone aboard the aging Russian vessel to keep Julie and her secrets buried forever.