A Game of Chance (Bestselling Author Collection)

Linda Howard is a good writer, because from the start of a book she keeps the reader's interest until the very last page of the book. This book was touching and romantic, as well as being a thrilling.

Linda Howard writes the same books over and over again......pleasant and mindless - but oh-so-readable! They are sort of like good milk chocolate......I leave the 85% dark chocolate (earth science, philosophy, linguistics, etc.) to my husband.

I really enjoyed this book. As I’ve been working my way through the MacKenzie series it’s been fun to watch Linda Howard’s skills evolve with each book. And she’d clearly hit her stride by the time she wrote A Game of Chance. Both the hero and heroine are likable, well-rounded characters with strong backstories and motivations. The chemistry between them is sizzling and the plot is compelling. The overall pacing is good, with enough time spent developing the romance to make it believable but not so much that the overarching plot stalls out. I stayed up past my bedtime on a work night just to finish it and that’s the sign of a great book. My usual lengthy review is in the spoiler below and I have a few nitpicks but the bottom line is that this book is a winner, full stop.

<Spoiler Alert>
The basic plot is that Chance is the adopted son of Mary and Wolf MacKenzie. I really enjoyed reading about Chance’s backstory and how he came to be part of the MacKenzie clan and how that shaped who he grew to be in the prologue. However, I did think it odd that Howard chose to inject an adopted son into the family instead of giving his story to Michael, the only one of Wolf and Mary’s children who doesn’t have his own book. I mean, obviously Howard couldn’t do the whole “finding him on the side of the road” thing with Michael, but she could have given the rest of Chance’s character to Michael easily enough.

Anyway, Mary found Chance passed out from flu and pneumonia when he was 14 and she took him to the hospital and basically browbeat everyone around her until she and Wolf were granted custody of him. Chance had been living on the streets since the age of three and can’t remember where he comes from or what happened to his parents. Even his name is unknown and he chooses the name Chance for himself on the day his adoption goes through. He’s very wild when they first take him in but eventually integrates into the family and loves them dearly.

Now he’s all grown up and a “soldier of fortune” which usually refers to a mercenary, who is typically an amoral bad guy, but in this book seems to indicate that Chance does freelance black ops for the U.S. government without much of an official tie. In the beginning of the story he goes to see Zane and shows him a file that indicates a dangerous terrorist they have apparently been hunting for a long time has a daughter they didn’t previously know about. If I have one complaint about this story it’s that the bad guy never seemed like much of a threat. There were a couple of throw-away lines about him having caused the death of 50,000 people at some point but that was it. And since those things weren’t happening on page, they didn’t feel real to me. Thus, I didn’t quite get why Chance and Zane in particular were SO intent on getting this guy that they’d go to the lengths they did to draw him out. It’s been years since I read Zane’s story so if there was an explanation in there I’ve forgotten it and it really needed to be established in this book for anyone new to the series.

The brothers hatch a scheme to more or less kidnap the daughter, Sunny, without her realizing that’s what’s going on. They set it up so that she and Chance are on a private plane together and then he fakes engine trouble, forcing them to “crash” in a remote box canyon. All of this was planned and scouted ahead of time to ensure they were isolated together, but not really in danger. Once there Chance plans to work his magic on Sunny and get her to fall in love with him so she’ll reveal whether she’s working with her father or knows where he is. What he didn’t count on was being so affected by her both physically and emotionally.

Sparks fly and they soon end up sleeping together. Naturally, because this is a Linda Howard MacKenzie book, Sunny is a 30-year-old virgin and Chance just can’t get enough of her. Eventually his plan works just like he’d hoped and Sunny tells him everything he wants to know because she loves him.

This period in the canyon could have ended up feeling disgusting because Chance was deliberately lying to and seducing Sunny for his own ends, but I thought LH did a good job of showing us Chance’s conflicting emotions on the subject. He started out unsure if she was a soulless lackey of her father’s but was so bowled over by his incredible attraction to her that he was having trouble maintaining objectivity. And as their relationship progress, he continually lamented what he was doing to her and how hurt she’d be when the truth came out. He constantly thought about how little time they had left and that he’d have to let her go because she deserved so much better than him. But at the same time his mind was also filled with how desperately he craved being with her and how violently he rebelled against the idea of any other man ever touching her. It all came together to show Chance as a man who genuinely cared about Sunny, not just an ice cold robot doing whatever it took to get the job done.

That being said, however, I do think he could have handled the ending better. Once he established that Sunny was not only innocent but that she’d been running from her father’s goons her whole life, Chance made the unilateral decision to use her as bait to lure her father out of hiding. He did this WITHOUT TELLING HER. That’s just not cool and this may be a factor of the book’s age. This book is 18 years old now and I think if it was written today, Howard would have changed it so that Chance was up front with Sunny and she bravely volunteered to be the bait because she trusted Chance to keep her safe. Instead he just keeps on lying to her and placing her in danger against her will. This might have seemed more justified if we’d gotten more background on the bad guy. If he had personally done something to Chance (like tortured one of Chance’s men to death, etc.) to make him so h*ll-bent on catching the guy that he was willing to take any risk. But in the absence of that it feels a little cold and dispassionate for Chance to put the woman he supposedly loves in danger, and to keep her in ignorance so she can’t even attempt to protect herself.

The climax itself was nicely action packed and I liked how emotionally devastating it was for Chance that Sunny nearly died…along with their unborn child. The final resolution of their romance was a tad lackluster though because it took Chance way too long to tell Sunny that he loved her. She spent more than a week recovering in the hospital and he visited her, but just said things like that he wouldn’t walk away because she was carrying his child. That leaves Sunny with the impression that he never cared about her in the first place and is only hanging out now because of the baby. He never just apologizes for what he did or confesses that he loves her until weeks later, after he’s forcibly dragged her to MacKenzie mountain. And yes, it was pretty ridiculous for him to be so hung up on the fact that he doesn’t know who his biological parents are. That they could be drug dealers or rapists for all he knows and thus he’s not worthy of being in a relationship with Sunny….when he knows full well HER father is a child-molesting international terrorist. Yeah. A more plausible hang-up for him would have been angsting over the things he’s done in his life, (killing people on his missions, etc.) and how easily that comes to him versus the sweet, innocent and self-sacrificing nature of Sunny’s personality.

<End Spoiler>

But these are all small complaints and the story worked extremely well as it was written. In fact, I’m already planning to read it again!

Intense. Both of the main characters I liked, they were not the ''normal'' people you would run across. Unusual start to the way Chance started life and became a Mackenzie. That did get my attention. The whole Mackenzie family was interesting. One of the cutest and funny personalities was Chance's niece, "Nick". She made me smile quite often.
Sunny also had an intense life, always looking over her shoulder. She was tough but still found ways to enjoy life as best as she can. The one time, she let herself trust a bit, she gets into a "relationship" with Chance and it bit her in the butt. OK, not exactly a relationship, there was sex. And fair amount of it. I guess I have to chalk it up to the dangerous situations, the attraction that was already there, Chance's practised seduction, for Sunny's quick fall into "bed" with Chance. Otherwise it would be hardier to believe. Remember I said that I liked Chance? Well, I did because I saw where he came from and what he was hoping to do. But there was manipulation from the word go when it came to his setting things up with Sunny. And he sure was cold in the beginning when it came to using her. His being in control of his feelings around her, don't last all that long though, which really shocks him. Good.
After everything hits the fan, things wrap up fairly quickly.
So I guess, my review would be that I liked it with a few reservations.

I bought the Complete Mackenzie Collection, so I was able to read one book after the other. I loved Chance's downfall into falling for a woman, which he just swore off in Macknezie's Pleasure. Biggest thing I didn't like, is the author had just finished describing that an ant couldn't get to their picnic, yet they get fired on right after arriving at their pre-scouted spot. And AGAIN, Chance has a traitor on his team?? Really?? After he had a traitor in the previous book, he would really have another one right after that??? And where's the rest of this team and Zane that they didn't immediately take out the sniper and anyone else that was out there? Including this once again traitor. The other part I didn't like is that he just took it upon himself to say Sunny wouldn't want to participate in being bait or some plan to draw out her father to get rid of him. Really?? So, he thinks she'd want to have to keep running and wouldn't want to do something to end it. Hmmmm. Not believable to me. To me, he could have come clean, she would have been pissed, participated in the plan, then he have to grovel to get her forgiveness and get to the happy ending. Otherwise, I enjoyed their time in the canyon, just shook my head at his dumb thinking of being able to just let her go, trying to convince himself, knowing it just wasn't going to happen.

In A GAME OF CHANCE, LINDA HOWARD moulds her heroine and hero, Chance MacKenzie and Sunny Miller into a combustible fusion of sprite and fun, engaging readers to the spark of chemistry with the right mix of action and deceit to intrigue romance readers. Ms. Howard has rounded up her legacy of the MacKenzie story with Chance and it is always a delight to see our favourite characters Wolf, Mary, Joe and Zane living their happily ever after.
With A GAME OF CHANCE, Ms. Howard weaves fantasy with her magical pan again, with passion stamped over the plot - and it bolsters a feisty Sunny Miller who represents the steel women of the 90s. Ms. Howard knows how to make readers feel - since Sunny Miller is a gutsy woman who lives in the shadow of her father as a vitrolic terrorist and Chance believes himself to be a wild orphan never to be controlled by someone.
A GAME OF CHANCE is not the best out of MacKenzie series but the nostalgia evoked in loyal followers will push them to love this - it is implausible and certainly bewildering for Chance to risk Sunny into a web of deceit. Ms. Howard's trademark passionate scenes bolsters the emotional intensity as usual- and the SEX is incendiary - so for this, I think I will give it a chance and delve into this dose of delicious escapism.
Ms. Howard has fuelled dreams in many romance readers and with this popular Mackenzie series, it touches the heart of many readers that one day love fierce as the characters may come to their doorstep. It is infectious - and I thank Ms. Howard for rekindling this hope, always.

Hey! you know that Chance scouted out the location of the canyon when he was haveing her plane connections delayed and rerouted.
I loved the way L. Howard kept the character of Chance true to form from one story to the next.
Also if John is old enough to have a girlfriend he is old enough to get caught up in some machinations that needs Zane and Chance to rescue him and set him on the path of his two uncles'- besides Zane needs to produce another daughter and Chance one to put them into a hilarious competition [aided and abetted by their wives]
there are still enough up close stories to be told with Mary and Wolf still in the background -- and lets go back in time to Michael's and Josh's stories.
I, along with so many others, agree that this has been the best family series ever written - with all of the ladies well matched with the Mackenzie men - this is a family that can't stand still - these are classics -
With Sunny willing to put her life on the line for Chance, she does a great job of breaking down his reserve and teaching him to love. Love only comes from giving.
I do love a woman who is willing to take care of her own self-preservation [grin] and dragging a man into realizing her worth.
L. Howard has spoiled us with her Mackenzie Men -- Don't stop now!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED -- DEFINITELY A KEEPER FOR ANY LIBRARY!

Linda Howard is one of my favorite authors. I will pretty much read anything with her name on it. Still, you have to like her style of writing. The story lines tend to change, but the basic premise is always there. Heroine meets man, he usually has a few issues, and they must learn to love and trust each other with whatever plot Ms. Howard has thrown in. I personally like the way she maneuvers these types of novels.
I think Game of Chance is an especially good Linda Howard story. Meet Sunny Miller. She has had a very tough life. She is living on her own with no relatives or even friends. Her mother is dead, and she has only one person in her life that she contacts by cell phone for a couple of minutes a week. She has never had the luxury of settling down or trusting anyone. She can't afford trust, her father is a world renown terrorist and looking for her. To keep from staying in one location, Sunny has a job as a courier, delivering packages (for very important clients) from one location to another. During one of Sunny's deliveries, she is robbed. Due to the nature of the job, Sunny is investigated and comes to the attention of CIA agent Chance MacKenzie. Chance is a top agent in his field and thinks Sunny is working with her father. The plan is to meet her and to either have her learn to trust him enough to divulge her secrets or spend enough time with her that she will make a mistake so the CIA can catch both her and her father.
Take one very wounded heroine afraid to trust, throw in a CIA agent who has his own set of trust issues (even though he is attracted to Sunny), and you have the basic plot of this book. It's simple, it's straight forward, it works. You have an empathy for the character of Sunny and all that she goes through. Quick read; good story; I would recommend.

In order to take down terrorist Crispin Hauer, Chance Mackenzie must track down his daughter, Sunny Miller, and use her to lure the terrorist out into the open. Wielding a great deal of power and influence, he intercepts her at an airport posing as a charter pilot. Used to playing the game and living out many roles, Chance finds himself stunned by the power Sunny comes to wield over him through her strength of will and positive attitude.
Despite the myth surrounding the Mackenzies, which started years ago, A Game of Chance is a well-written story. While Chance succeeds at living up to the expectations of readers, the main delight of this story is Sunny Miller who is the cause of his long-awaited fall. Sunny is an admirable heroine whose dark heritage is first a cause for suspicion and then a source of relativity between her and Chance. She refuses, throughout the story, to play second fiddle to what she suspects are Chance's true domineering and protective tendencies. And despite the fact that Chance does play the game well, Sunny suspects almost from the beginning, that he is hiding his true nature.
Linda Howard seems to have faced a great deal of pressure living up to the expectations her audience had for Chance but she deals with them well. Her success lies in the strength of her characters and they seem to truly drive the story even though the tone is edgy enough to retain the reader's attention when the showdown takes place and Sunny and Chance are forced to confront all their fears.

I doubt there are many romance fans out there that don't know about this series, but in case you're a Howard newcomer, here's the order: (MacKenzie's) Mountain, Mission, Pleasure, Magic, and then finally, A Game of Chance. With the exception of MacKenzie's Magic, they are all excellent reads.
Anti-terrorist agent Chance MacKenzie has been trying to get to the infamous terrorist Cripsin Hauer for what seems like forever. When Chance discovers he has a daughter--Sunny Miller--he sets his sights on seducing her, figuring she can lure Hauer to him. What he doesn't know at the time, is that Sunny has been on the run from her father since birth...
The book was a typical Howard in that it was fast-paced and sexy. The only reason I didn't give the book a solid five was because it was reminiscent in some ways of her early categories from the 80s...in other words, the hero infuriated me by his use of Sunny, going so far as to knowingly put her life in dire straights, even AFTER he knew of her innocence. I don't feel the reader was given enough "good" chapters at the end to completely balance out what Chance did to Sunny enough to get totally over that fact.
It's common for Howard to use a misunderstanding between the characters in her books, or even an out-and-out usage of the heroine on the part of the hero, and let's face it...they make excellent premises for a hot getting-back-together scene toward the end. But this is the first time I can think of where she had a hero use a heroine to the point of putting her in a position where he purposely endangered her LIFE. If an author's going to do that, I want to read major big-time, mind-blowing grovelling scenes before the heroine forgives him.
Nevertheless, A Game of Chance was a great read. Chance was sexy with a capital SEX (one of Sunny's lines in the book!) and Sunny made a great, independent heroine for the most part. Still, in retrospect, I find myself more likely to reread MacKenzie's Mountain and MacKenzie's Pleasure, Wolf and Zane's stories.

Linda Howard is one of my favourite authors, and her Mackenzie's Mountain was one of her earlier works that set her above the rest of the writers coming out of Silhouette Intimate Moments. A Game of Chance, is a continuation of that series, following Mackenzie's Mission. Surprisingly, it's rather a "tame" read for Howard. Chance Mackenzie, the adopted brother to Zane, is on a mission to capture a known terrorist and his unknown mole in the FBI. The only way to get to him is through the daughter he has never seen, Sunny Miller. Sunny is the one link and Chance intends to set her up to lure her father out.

He arranges it so she is nearly robbed in an airport. She is a courier and she missed her flight because of it, just as Chase intends. When she says she has to get her case to San Francisco ASAP, Chase offers to fly her there. Once they are out a ways, Chase fakes fuel pump trouble and sets down in a secluded canyon, with Zane on their trail keeping an eye on them. The whole purpose of this is to get Sunny to depend upon Chase, get her to trust him. They spend nearly ten days with Sunny thinking they are fighting to survive. Only, once Chance learns there is another sister and that Sunny is not in league with her father, he let's them be "rescued", just to use Sunny as bait. He leaks her whereabouts knowing the FBI mole will give the information away.

Chase is just a wee bit non-caring about using Sunny in the beginning. And the fact she has fallen in love with him does not make him blink at using her as bait. The depth that is usually there in Howard's characters is just missing from this tale. It's all very predictable, with the mole tossed in at the last minute, so there is no mystery.

Rather disappointing, considering the powerhouse Howard always is. It was nearly 40 pages into the book before we meet Sunny. In a 250 page book that is a long time before you actually get into the story. And sorry, Chance just really loses points at being such a user.

You will want to continue the Mackenzie saga, but just not, it's not the brilliance of the first ones.

I opened this book with both anticipation and trepidation, because I had built it up so much in my mind, I was afraid of being disappointed - alas, I didn't have to worry.
Chance Mackenzie, the adopted Mackenzie boy whom Mary rescued at 14, is now a lethal government agent working along with brother Zane. As the book begins, Chance heads home to Wyoming to bring a file so important that he must hand deliver it to Zane. It appears that a terrorist, Crispin Hauer, has a daughter who works as a courier. Determined to catch Hauer, Zane and Chance set the trap for the daughter, hoping she will lead them to him.
Sonia "Sunny" Miller has spent all her life running from her father. Her mother died in the attempt and all Sunny has is her sister, Margreta, and even that contact is minimal, only a weekly phone call Margreta makes to Sunny's cell phone - if the phone call is missed, the sisters must assume the other has been captured or killed.
When Sunny's latest courier delivery goes awry, she finds a rescuer in pilot Chance McCall, who offers to take her to her destination when she is almost robbed. In reality, it is all part of the trap, including the near crash that lands Chance and Sunny in a remote canyon, without possibility of escape. Here, Chance hopes to seduce Sunny into confiding in him, and once she has, he will signal Zane to "rescue" them, and Sunny will not be the wiser until it is too late.
Linda Howard does not disappoint. First of all, it's great visiting the Mackenzies again, especially devilish Nick :D and the Diapered escape artists. But this is Chance's story, and in Sunny Miller, he has met his perfect match.

I have really liked all of the Mackenzies stories I have read so far. (Mackenzies Mountain, Mackenzies Mission, and A Game of Chance). However since I had never met Chance in the other books I'd read, it was interesting to see how he interacted with the other Mackenzies. His relationships with Zane and Wolf were as touching as the one with Sunny.
Chance went to alot of trouble to set up an "accidental" meeting with Sunny, the daughter of an international terrorist. He was determined to use her to track down her father. Two big problems interupted this great plan. 1. Sunny had no contact with her father. 2. Chance and Sunny found themselves instantly drawn to each other. They both had some issues to work out,(and a mission to complete), but eventually they found themselves back on Mackenzies Mountain. There with the help of the family they learned to put the past behind them. What a great way to end this series!

Chance Mackenzie was hunting a notorious terrorist when he found a link to the man, his daughter. Chance didn't care if Sunny Miller was working with her father or innocent, he would seduce her for the killer's location. Sunny had been on the run from her father since birth. When she fell in love with Chance, she vowed to keep him safe. Little did she know that she was bait in a very dangerous trap.
Chance and Sunny are a great match. Howard's ability to craft believable multi-dimensional characters constantly amazes me. This is a rich, poignant tale of a wounded soul who finds his peace at last. As much as I loved all the MacKenzie men and women, Chance was my favorite, after Wolf, and the one who most needed a happy ending. Simply wonderful!
So why didn't I give it a 5 star rating? As noted by another reviewer, Chance needed to grovel after putting Sunny in danger. If he had laid it on the line about what he wanted, she probably would've agreed. He never gave her that choice. Understandable in the context of the type of job done by Chance, but deplorable in a romance where the one putting the other in danger is the hero.
Still and all, buy this book. You won't be disappointed.

I really don't know where the negative comments are coming from. I thought Chance was a terrific hero and Sonny his perfect match. She did not quickly forgive him and he was not mean to her. He had a terrorist to catch and he protected her as best he could in the process. What else would those readers have had him do, give it all up and take Sonny away while her father still lived and threatened her and the rest of the world?

Not a "Chance." The ending was anything but abrupt. It was just the exact type of ending that the series reader could want. It expressed Chance's love for his adopted family and his acceptance of his position in it. Ms. Howard knows her characters and knows how to write a story. Although I am sorry to see this series end I fully understand that it cannot go on without the death of Wolf and Mary and that would not be worth its continuation. Congratulations Ms. Howard on a great ending to a great series!!

i enjoyed this book. undercover agent chance mackenzie was looking for an elusive terrorist and sets out to seduce his daughter sunny miller. he thinks she will eventually lead him to her father. he feels bad about doing it and the book has his POV in it as well as hers. he is not sure that she is innocent in all this and he feels an attraction to her that gets in the way. finally he realizes that that she is in danger and the only way to protect her is to tell her who he really is.

Chance Mackenzie drew me into this book only wanting more of Linda Howard's wonderful creation. He was an unwanted child who grew up too fast and too hard. With the love of Wolf and Mary Mackenzie, this man changed his colors and became one of a great slew of Mackenzie leading men. The story centers around Chance, an agent in an ultra covert agency, and Sunny, the woman he falls in love with at first sight. The only problem is... everything he has told her is a lie. His name, what he does for a living, the way they met. It was all created to help him get close to and find a way to capture her terrorist father. But all that changes after a few days with her stranded on a desert valley in Nevada. This is a great read. I couldn't put it down and neither will you!

I liked the Mackenzie series. I looked forward to this book. I loved the heroine, Sunny. Unfortunately, I pretty much hated Chance.
Chance starts off as a competent alpha male who knows what he's doing and since reaching adulthood, gets along well with family, kids, and colleagues. Sunny has a past that's made her a survivalist in the extreme. So far so good.
But Chance doesn't allow himself to admit making a mistake in the face of contrary evidence, to admit anger toward himself without lashing out, or enough time to put on condoms despite the fact that he's got a sufficient supply. The sex almost always occurred during a fit of anger on his part which he directed at her because...I don't know why... she didn't do anything wrong. She scared him because she was very committed to survival and he got mad at her then they had sex. It felt like most of the sex scenes were rapes. I read this book twice to see if I would react the same way and it seemed even worse during the repetition. He was a decent guy *except around the woman he supposedly loved* when he became an abusive rapist.
I found that I couldn't get around this hatefulness that Chance displayed to Sunny. This is extremely unfortunate because Sunny is one of the coolest romance heroines out there which is the only thing saving this review from having only 1 star. The Boy Scouts could use a new motto, "Be prepared, or be with Sunny." She's a dream heroine except that I found the virginity thing was tedious and unnecessary, despite virgin heroines being a Mackenzie novel "theme" of sorts. Even had she made him grovel, he would have had to show evidence of being capable of of behaving decently, if not rationally, toward her for me to be able to stomach this as "romance."
Take a chance on the other novels. Read the first 3-4 chapters of this one for the initial character development and family tie ins, then throw it in the fire if you want something to keep you warm. I'm sorry, but sex as punishment leaves me cold.

I chanced upon this book and enjoyed reading it totally. The writing style and pace of the story were just compelling for you to keep the pages turning and in no time, the story ended. I liked the characters, Chance and Sunny, plus other supporting characters from the MacKenzie's family. Chance was an all dependable hero and appeared to know what to do even in the most dire situations. He was very smart and manly, great sense of humour and of course, sexy and passionate. Sunny was just amazing. She is bright and sincere, with a touch of innocence. But she was also resourceful, brave and determined. I loved the way they teased and matched wit with each other. Now, I'm hooked to read all the books on the MacKenzies from the beginning!

You can read the story synopsis by other reviewers. For me, the story was good, but not the greatest of LH's books. A satisfying read though.

Good character development and a solid story. Good romance and fireworks between the characters. And Chance is a great alpha male.

My only (teeny-tiny) quibbles with this book are that

a. Chance needed to grovel a LOT more for what he did to Sunny (he almost got her killed, fer crying out loud!)

b. Erm, while I know it was important to the storyline, I had a hard time believing that she was able to keep the baby after that much extensive surgery and blood loss (OK, so I know too much).

c. Lastly, I don't care WHY the man lies to you, if you find out, you give him heck...I don't care if he saved the universe from the Pod People. So Sunny 'accepting' what he had done just didn't ring true--- either that or she's a major doormat.

Otherwise, a great read and I highly recommend it!

Howard seems to have a pattern going with downed aircraft and lovers surviving the elements. Undercover agent, Chance MacKenzie in an attempt to learn the whereabouts of a known terrorist captures the man's daughter, Sunny Miller. A complicated plan is set up and the game begins.
The game hits a bump when Chance realizes that Sunny is running from her pedophile father who is wants to kill her as he did her mother. Using Sunny as bait the Feds draw her father to them. Howard is a master of happy endings.

FBI agent Chance MacKenzie needs to infiltrate an elusive terrorist's organization to bring the terrorist to justice, and what better way to that than through his daughter. As he stalks Sunny Miller, befriends her in a moment of need, then proceeds to crash land their plane, forcing them to forage before being "rescued" he becomes attracted to her. Lots of sex later, and her head over heels for him, he discovers that she isn't going to be able to provide the foray into her father's organization like he thought. When he learns that she has no desire to be reunited with her father, he uses her as bait, leaking her whereabouts so that an FBI mole will take action. Will she be able to forgive him when she learns of his deception?

This is just Howard at her worst. An unforgivably horrible "hero" paired with her typical virginal doormat just don't make for compelling reading. It's a bit older, and the age shows and does not translate well as a contemporary novel. The dialogue is atrocious, the plot thin, and the hero just not worthy of a second chance.

© Tracy Vest, September 2008

Set in the barren western United States, Linda Howard brings two very lonesome people together. From the fast beginning these characters are romantically drawn to each other, although both have sworn not to marry or reproduce. This story moves right along and within the first few pages the reader knows what's up and is hooked. Remember, in Mackenzie's Pleasure & Mackenzie's Magic there was the hint that Chance is just a good-look playboy whom they have not caught yet? There was a reason for that and it surprised me. The main plot is basic. Chance is dedicated to finding a terrorist, by way of the terrorist's daughter, first as an informant then, as the bait. The attitude is romance though on both sides, and Chance & Sunny are lying to each other about themselves. One person is protecting their own heart and a futures they do not want to see happen, ever in their life. The other person is protecting someone else. This book will answer questions "Mackenzie" readers have, and some you didn't realize you had, within unusual ways. What a wonderful ending including the whole family. For new "Mackenzie" readers, do yourselves a favor and read book one through five, in order if possible. You'll be glad you did. I had hoped for a more exciting ending involving the entire family, maybe a little more kick but, the book was action packed and the ending was pleasant and quick. This remains the best series I have ever read! Thank-you Linda Howard. Please think up another plot for this family as a whole. Go for John.

I always enjoy Linda Howard's books, but found myself thinking that she didn't put as much time into this one. Chance wasn't nearly as likeable as the other MacKenzies. He actually came off as rather mercenary when it came to his methods regarding Sunny. And I'll admit to being puzzled as to the plot. I never really thought there was a good reason drawn for the villian to be so determined to kill Sunny, his own daughter. We're expected to believe a terrorist is afraid for his reputation? It wasn't realistic at all. Very little action, covered by lots of hot sensuality. This book was satisfying but certainly not exceptional.

Undercover agent Chance MacKenzie is trying to capture a terrorist and uses the man's daughter as bait. Sounds cruel and heartless? Chance is neither of these. If you like romance, anticipation and sizzling sex, Linda Howard is the writer for you. This is the fifth and last (?) of the MacKenzie series. I, along with hundreds of other readers, waited years for Chance's story. I wasn't disappointed. Chance is as sexy and exciting as we all knew he would be and Sunny is his match. Sure, we all wanted all of the individual stories to be longer, but Ms. Howard was writing for the Silhouette series which is not known for its length. Linda Howard is an extremely gifted writer; she is my favorite and I read extensively in all genres. I loaned MacKenzie's Mountain (1st of the series)to my sister-in-law (who was not a reader). When she was finished, she would not let my tall, handsome brother cut his black hair. She wanted it long like Wolf's. Readers, give Linda Howard a break when she says the MacKenzie series is over...... On the other hand, please, please, please, Linda..

This book took a different track than I expected. For a while, the story almost seemed stuck. Then, pieces fell together end nothing was "stuck". This story, like all that I've read so far, comes with my highest recommendation.

I have been waiting for Chance's story ever since he was introduced in MacKenzie's Pleasure and was not disappointed! You get to know his character and information about what his life was like before the MacKenzie's took him home. The interaction between Chance and Wolf was so moving and the last line of the book brought me to massive tears! I recommend reading the books in order to get a feel of the family, but each story is wonderful on it's own and I don't believe there's a better romance writer than Linda Howard. I love the MacKenzie's and their stories but I do wish there would have been more interaction between Chance & Sunny from the time she finds out what he did, to the end of the book. The book could have been 1000 pages and I would have loved it! I know Linda said this was the end of the MacKenzie stories, but I wish there was some way of doing the grandkids stories (especially Nick's) without having Wolf and Mary get old. Happy Reading Everyone!

I really enjoyed the full family story of the Mackenzie Family. From Mackenzie's Mountain to Mackenzie's Mission then Mackenzie's Pleasure and Mackenzie's Magic. All great stories of strong characters, strong family ties and very strong emotional connections that lead to wonderful romance. A Game Of Chance has a very unique Mackenzie family connection. This story is very heart warming, daring, romantic with an incredible ending that really, really warms the heart. If you have read Linda Howard's other Mackenzie series books this one is a must read. Believe me, it will leave you smiling.

I have been waiting for this book since the first book on this family.Chance is an unforgetable man and Sunny is the absolutly only one for him. Chance has such strength and charisma and he holds your attention from the first mention of him. Sunny has her secrets too and together they deal with all the uglyness of dealing with her father. When he realizes that he could lose Sunny,Chance takes control and whisks her away. A must read and a must re-read!This is a wonderful family, I wish she would continue and do stories on the rest of the brothers!

Finally, Chance's story and it was well worth the wait! I savored this book and will probably read it over and over, until my copy falls apart. Nick just keeps getting cuter and funnier--the family had better watch out. Margareta needs a story, as does a sadly overlooked character from the 1st McKenzie book--Clay, the sheriff. He really needs a story and we could see how Mary & Wolf are doing early in their marriage. Sunny was exactly the woman Chance needed and she was as easy to fall in love with as Chance was. Keep the books coming, Linda!

Chance is very, very HOT. This is a great read...I couldn't put it down. As soon as I read the last word, I thought: I want more, more, more MacKenzie books. Linda Howard wrote a brief letter at the beginning of the book, saying that there wouldn't be any more MacKenzie books. My personal opinion is that she has to write a full length story about Nick (Zane and Barrie's daughter). Please, please, please, write this story even if you wait several years to do it.

What was Mrs. Howard thinking. This book was one of her worsts. I liked nothing about the book. I did'nt like the characters, the plot was ok but overall is was down right BORING. I don't like heros who use the heroine to the point of life endangerment and then the heroine just forgives when the apology is made. Oh Please could she not come up with something better than that. And how do you forgive something like that after 1 paragragh - either she's a idiot or the book is horrible, in this case I would have to say both. Save Your Money!

A great read! However, the "pardon" from Sunny was too easy, Chance deserved a good sweat, duty is fine, but she did not deserve the way he used her. The last two chapters were wonderful, the meeting between Wolf and Chance made me teary. Well handled. Met Ms. Howard at a book signing in Borders in New York, she says the McKenzies are done, but please Nick deserves at least a Christmas Novelette. And, Margretta, Sunny's sister, poor woman, a suffering shadow, also deserves a book, after all she is not a McKenzie and it will be chance, pardon the pun to make her happy.

I read everything Linda Howard writes, McKenzie's Mission I have read more than once... This was a good read, but did not have the power the other books in this series had.
I will continue to read Linda Howard books, but she did disapoint me on this one. I hesitate to spend the money for Mr. Perfect until I read what other fans have to say.

Fans of the Mackenzie series will be pleased to see that Chance is like his father and brothers. He is a strong and capable warrior that knows how to treat a lady. Sunny Miller is a strong woman who finds joy in life despite a difficult life of running. Together they over come adversity and find love. This book nicely concludes the Mackenzie series and ties up some loose ends. This reader couldn't put it down and read it in one sitting.

This book was the "BEAST", the "BOMB" in other words. I love this book so much that I read it 5 times. This deserved a standing applause with a twist. I could read it again. It was so good that I didn't want to lend it to my sister who I usually let read my books. I just wish it didn't have to end. Linda if you are reading this then you are the total bomb. And it doesn't have to end. You should go back and do the other brothers, ... I just love it. I wish it was longer, and I wish it wouldn't have never ended. That's my review. "Linda is the Bomb"!

I also have waited years for the final book about Chance. I just finshed it last weekend and wanted it to continue. I wish that it could have been about another 50 pages, but I know that author's and publisher's have time constraints. Chance and Sunny were great together. The tension sizzled thoughout the book. I only wish that Linda Howard would write about yeh Nick! My two favorites along with chance were Zane who I read first and then Wolf. Continue being great Linda!! Love your books.

You can't beat MacKenzie's Mountain, but it started this saga and boy has Linda kept the ball rolling. As with all of her books this one keeps you turning the pages. But I have to say that my favorite MacKenzie has got to be Nick. I see Wolf and Mary and the whole brood living to ripe old age, so please Linda can we have Nick's story. Nick has already set it up to be a side splitter.