Into the Storm by Suzanne Brockmann.

Hero: Mark "Jenk" Jenkins
Heroine: Lindsey Fontaine
Category: Contemporary
Grade: B

In a remote, frozen corner of New Hampshire, a Navy SEAL team and the elite security experts of Troubleshooters Incorporated are going head-to-head as fierce but friendly rivals in a raid-and-rescue training exercise. Despite the frigid winter temperatures, tension smolders between SEAL Petty Officer Mark Jenkins and former cop turned Troubleshooter Lindsey Fontaine after an impulsive night of passion goes awry. And then suddenly Tracy Shapiro, the Troubleshooters' new receptionist, vanishes while playing the role of hostage during a mock rescue operation.

Teaming up with the FBI to launch a manhunt in the treacherous wilderness, Jenk and Lindsey must put aside their feelings as a record snowstorm approaches, dramatically reducing any hope of finding Tracy alive. The trail is colder than the biting New England climate until a lucky break leads to a horrifying discovery - a brutally murdered young woman wearing the jacket Tracy wore when she disappeared. Suddenly there is a chilling certainty that Tracy has fallen prey to a serial killer - one who knows the backwoods terrain and who doesn't play by the rules of engagement.

In a race against time, a raging blizzard, and a cunning opponent, Jenk and Lindsey are put to the ultimate test. Risking everything, they must finally come together in a desperate attempt to save Tracy - and each other.

I'm a straight up Suzanne Brockmann fangirl.

I love this woman for introducing me to some of my most favorite characters, EVAH. Anyone that knows me knows how much I love this series (despite how long it took me to read this latest addition to the series) and I really really loved this book.

I loved getting to know Mark Jenkins, who has only been in the background until now. I thought Lindsey was a kick ass heroine, I didn't think she was a TSTL heroine because she was a cop and she knew when it was okay to do what she had to do in order to get the job done. So yeah, Lindsey rocked my socks in that aspect but she was a real stupid head when it came to her love life.

I wanted to slap her upside her head so many times when she would push Jenk away and say stupid things to throw Jenk off her scent (which was clearly smelling like, DO ME NOW JENKY BOY! instead of the thanks for the great sex but I'm over you scent she THOUGHT she was sending out) and it pissed me off at first when Jenk just sort of walked away from her with his tail between his legs. It made me think, 'Where are the Sam Starretts and the Wildcard's of this series when they were assholes right back to their women because at least when they were assholes, they weren't whining like little panty boys over stupid girls.

Not that I thought Jenk was a whiny baby or anything, it was just...wow was he way different from Tom, Johnny and Sam them...he was so junior high compared to their college level of hotness. I felt older compared to Jenk when reading this book because of his whole situation, the whole crush/love thing he had for Tracy and then the whole I want Lindsey thing too...it was all just so childish to me.

But it didn't ruin the book for me, and this is where I don't know if Suz does this on purpose or what but she tends to highlight and make the secondary characters overshadow the sexiness of the main characters in these books.

Because in this book, it was ALL about Izzy Zanella for me.

I just love me some Izzy and I love his smart ass mouth and his sense of humor (which I totally got, each.and.every.single.time.) I loved HIM. And regardless of what you said, Ames, I want Izzy to end up with Tracy. She's his Lys. He's Sam and he's the new secondary character that I just can't get enough of. Izzy was the one that made me love the book and not think it to be a lame junior high, something that my niece Chelsea would call me after school and tell me all about. This guy liked this girl but liked this other girl too and he wanted to be with that girl and when he was the other girl who doesn't even love him called him to come help her and he took off running and blah blah blah.

Wow, what a way to set up Izzy's book though, man, that was the ish. I just effing loved it. What I loved most about this book was that EVERYONE was in it. I mean, not front and center, no, that was all Jenk and Lindsey and the people in Jenk's world, the world that we don't get to see because Sam, Johnny and Wildcard don't run in the same circles as them but even though they weren't front and center for this book (which I think Jenk should thank Suz for because they would have outshined Jenk for sure) I loved that they were still apart of the book, I loved that even Muldoon who only gets passing comments wasn't left out of this book.

I just loved seeing the crew again, back together again and ridding the world of the scum we all hate.

It was a great book, with the secondary characters picking up the slack for the front runners, Jenk was a good hero but that's about all it was for me, he was just good, he wasn't this hot shot YUMMY hero, but just your standard swoonworthy hero who was sensitive and the "good guy" instead of the Billy Bad Ass that all the women want to jump through hurdles to love and be loved by him in return.

It was a great read and I look forward to more from Suz on this series..but I'm hella looking forward to, Izzy's book and his heroine had better be, Tracy friggin' Shapiro.

Breaking Point by Suzanne Brockmann

Hero: Max Beghat
Gina: Gina Vitagliano
Category: Contemporary
Grade: B+

As commander of the nation's most elite FBI counterterrorism unit, agent Max Bhagat leads by hard-driving example: pushing himself to the limit and beyond, taking no excuses, and putting absolutely nothing ahead of his work. That includes his deep feelings for Gina Vitagliano, the woman who won his admiration and his heart with her courage under fire. But when the shocking news reaches him that Gina has been killed in a terrorist bombing, nothing can keep Max from making a full investigation - and retribution - his top priority.

At the scene of the attack, however, Max gets an even bigger shock. Gina is still very much alive - but facing a fate even worse than death. Along with Molly Anderson, a fellow overseas relief worker, Gina has fallen into the hands of a killer who is bent on using both women to bait a deadly trap. His quarry? Grady Morant, a.k.a "Jones," a notorious ex-Special Forces operative turned smuggler who made some very deadly enemies in the jungles of Southeast Asia . . . and has been running ever since. But with Molly's life on the line, Jones is willing to forfeit his own to save the woman he loves.

Together with Max's top agent Jules Cassidy as their only backup, the unlikely allies plunge into a global hot zone of violence and corruption to make a deal with the devil. Not even Jones knows which ghosts from his past want him dead. But there's one thing he's sure of - there's very little his bloodthirsty enemies aren't willing to do.

Okay, it took me over four months to finish this book and boy was I glad that I did. So Max and Gina we know from Over the Edge are back and they're getting their own book. Max is still being a butt head about not wanting to keep Gina in his life because even though he loves her with every breath in his body, he's afraid of loving her and well it doesn't make things any better with her being like 20 years younger than he is.

But love her, he does.

In the first half of the book, it drove me up the wall how many times Max tried to drive Gina away. There were times when I wanted to do bodily damage to him at how dumb he was being, but that was when I thought his issues were the age thing between him and Gina.

Well, and then there was the thing with Grady Morant, Dave Jones to those of you guys who have read Out of Control, Molly and Jones were a big part of this book since Molly is Gina's new best friend, they served in a camp out in Kenya together and became very close. Gina laid her life on the line for both Molly and Jones and I just loved their little family.

Max Beghat, the fucker. My friend LindaLou, loves when Sam Starrett says that about Max in I believe it's Out of Control. And I totally agreed with Sam's sentiment toward the FBI Hot Shot in this book. He got on my damn nerves in the beginning of the book, while he was in rehab?? Yeah, I wanted to stab him in the neck. When he didn't share some pertinent information with Gina, forcing her to run away from him??? Yeah, I wanted to gouge his eyes out with a butter knife. But when he finally comes clean about how he really feels for Gina and everything he went through while she was away from him, all of my madness at him faded into the wind because just like *snaps fingers* I was done being mad at him for all of his transgressions in this book. Max proved to be a great hero, one that by the end of the book, I was more than a little bit in lust with. He will never replace Sam Starrett in my heart (especially after the short story in the back of the book) but he's one of the best heroes this series has.

Gina Vitagliano. What a great heroine, I love her sassy mouth, I love how in the most dire of circumstances, she was still able to keep her wit and her smarts about her. For someone who kept getting into hostile terrorist situations, Gina was seriously one of the strongest heroines, EVER. She's also my favorite heroine too...in this series, I haven't been a big fan of any of the heroines because none of them have Gina's personality or her vibrance for life and her determination to land her man. Gina was everything the other women weren't and she seriously was the best heroine, for me at least. She was as Ignacio said in Nacho Libre, good, realllllyyyyyy good. HA!

The story started out a bit slow for me but as soon as it started picking up, it picked up and just kept right on runnin'...I loved it. The storyline was great, the characters were the best and though it would have been nice to see some Sam and Alyssa up in there or even any of the other Troubleshooters, it was still a great read for me.

I loved the secondary storylines with Molly and Jones and then Jules as well. How can you NOT love Jules? I don't know how SB does it but when she writes about Jules and all of his sexy mens, it doesn't bother me. The man love concept doesn't really bother me. I'm so busy cheering Jules on that I guess his sexual orientation doesn't register for me the way it does in other books by other authors. But I just love Jules personality, I love what he brings to these stories and I love him as a man and want him to get his very own book. I want him to find happiness the way all of his friends are finding happiness. He totally deserves it.

Molly and Jones, oh holy wow...I loved how their story ended, it was just the right amount of everything that's right in this world. I loved how SB was able to write their story AND give them their happy ending. I loved Dave Jones shady ass from the moment I met him in Out of Control and I loved him all the more in this book. I loved his fierce devotion and adoration of Molly, I loved how he worried over her and how he was so hot damn sorry for bringing her into his dangerous life even though he didn't want to harm her, I loved how he was so damn sorry that he took a gamble and lost. I just loved him! Their story was a great addition to this already great book.

What I loved most about SB's writing in this book is something that Nikki said in a comment left for me on my personal blog, Coffee House Banter.

She said, "No other author has this way of planning books so far in advance that really works. There is a reason and a purpose for everything. No other series seems that way to me. She really controls circumstances and characters in her books not the other way around. She never gets herself in a corner that she has to come up with a quick explanation (that doesn't make sense)."

I loved how I was able to read something in this book and think, "OMGOSH I remember that" from 4 books ago. It was amazing how well thought out this book was. Things that happened in Out of Control were poppin' up again in this book and everything that didn't fit then, now fit perfectly and totally meshed. I loved that aspect of the book and applaud Suzanne Brockmann on a job well done.

Entertained? Yep, I sure was. Annoyed and Peeved? Yep, you got it, at Max, I sure was. Filled with joy and gooey goods? Oh yes, she totally delivered on this.

Now seriously? You can't ask for a better book, then. The only reason I gave it a B and not an A is because it took me so long to get through this book, but after careful thought, it wasn't the story that made me take so long, it was my frustration at Max...so brava, Suz...great effing job! =)

Ladies Man by Suzanne Brockmann

Hero: Sam Schaefer
Heroine: Ellen Layne
Category: Contemporary Romance
Page Count: 216
Grade: B+

From the Publisher:

The moment she spies the rugged hunk in the faded jeans at the airport, Ellen knows she should run for cover. Instead, she throws caution to the wind and plunges into a sizzling affair with the gorgeous cop. Between romantic dinners, sensual limo rides, and a perfect night of passion, Ellen is living every woman's fantasy. Until she's caught in the sights of a deranged stalker, and the divorced single mother is suddenly turning to N.Y.P.D. detective Sam Schaefer for her very survival....

Soon Sam's taking a bullet meant for Ellen, and racing against time to stop a killer from hitting his target. Keeping Ellen safe will take everything he's got. Earning her trust could be a mission impossible, as two wary hearts team up for a summer they'll never forget-and a sizzling adventure that could get them both killed...or give them everything they've ever wanted.

This was a really cute book. Very short and yet very fulfilling. Though, I've got to say that Suzanne Brockmann really loves to write those Older Heroines dating the Younger Hero's and then having issues with the age thing. This is not the first kind of story that I've read this and maybe because this book was such a short book, was why I liked it so much. Because, had I had to endure another Into the Night, I would have been majorly disappointed. Joan DeCosta got on my hot damn nerves with her constant "You're too young for me to have a real relationship with, so let's just have sex and that's it" Ugh...I got really tired of that line and that whole routine halfway through that book.

This book was different, because Ellen was upfront with Sam when he asked her why she didn't want to be with him. I liked that about Ellen, she's was a cool heroine, not very memorable though I'm afraid to say. She wasn't this spectacular heroine, but she was very likeable.

I'm glad this was a short story because it was perfect for what I needed right now, after the McKettrick read. I needed something less intense and I needed a couple who didn't fight nearly as often, this book was perfect with that.

The hero, Sam isn't my favorite hero but he was a very good one. Hot and sharp and hella charming, just the way I like them....but his sneakers? Oh hell no, that had to go. I know, it's a stupid thing to hold against a perfectly fine hero, but I couldn't get over the sneakers bit...he had cross trainers on with jeans, a button down white tee AND tie and a blazer as well...with cross trainers? Oh no, sweetie, you can do better than that and I can help you with that, you see, because in my mind I redressed you. You were wearing, slighty baggy jeans, with casual Addidas on, like the Campus or the Samoas and they were crisp and fresh and extremely white and it was paired with a button down white tee and tie, and a blazer...in my mind that is MUCH better, the battered cross trainers with the bright strike through it, yeah not feeling that so much...but hey, to each his own, so it's all good in the hood.

I liked Sam and Ellen as a unit, they were good together, they made each other laugh, they made ME laugh and I just thought their little romance was so cute, even if Ellen did bug a little with all of her, "A relationship between us could never work" crap, I loved that Sam wasn't a quitter, I loved that Sam was determined to prove to her that he loved her and I loved Ellen's kids, especially little Jamie...such a smart kid he was, Uncle Bob was the bomb too, I really liked him and his love he had for Ellen and her kids, it was cute.

This story was cute and I totally recommend this for quick, weekend reads! Good job, Suz.

Hot Target by Suzanne Brockmann

Hero: Cosmo Richter
Heroine: Jane Mercedes Chadwick
Category: Contemporary, Military
Page Count: 560 pages
Grade: A
Buy It: Here, or Here.

When Navy SEAL Chief Cosmo Richter's mother falls and breaks both of her wrists, he applies for a month of leave to care for her. Soon it becomes clear that she's comfortable and happy with her nursing care, and needs little from him besides a daily visit.

Unused to idle time, Cosmo approaches former SEAL Tom Paoletti, founder of civilian security organization called Troubleshooters Incorporated. Tom eagerly signs him on. Cosmo has no idea that this temporary project will lead him deep into the life of movie producer and screenwriter Jane Mercedes Chadwick.

Jane's latest project, American Hero - a World War II drama that dares to acknowledge homosexuality - has raised the ire of certain outspoken groups such as the so-called Freedom Network and she's been receiving horrifying death threats on a regular basis.

On the surface, Hollywood writer Jane Chadwick and tough-as-nails Navy SEAL Cosmo Richter are polar opposites. But both have intricate facades in place, hiding their true selves from public scrutiny. When thrust together, they develop a tentative friendship and begin to let each other in. But neither has learned to trust, and they'll be many missteps before they can admit that what they've found is real love - and that their relationship is worth fighting for.

Gosh this book was really good and I'm talking really good, even after the first three times I've read this book, it was good and it continues to be good to me. Cosmo was one of the SEALs that I wanted to get to know more of because he was such a hottie, quiet guy.

You should know that I have a thing for quiet and lethal guys and if Cosmo isn't one of those guys then I don't know who is. I loved reading about the quiet and mysterious man who was deadly and lethal, a man who wasn't a talker, one who was a doer...hehe, he's a doer. I'd like to do him. hehe.

Anyway, back to the story, so Cos has all this time off since his Mom doesn't need him to care for her, so he goes to Tom to get some work, to fill in his time and is assigned to watch out for Mercedes Chadwich, big hot shot screenwriter. She goes by Jane though, just so you know. You see, Jane wrote a screen play about the homosexuality of some of the men in World War 2 and it's gotten a lot of flack from different anti homosexual organization like, the Freedom Network. So Cos is hired to keep her safe and keep the weirdo's off her set, which he does.

Personally, Cos can seriously do no wrong where I'm concerned because he's just seriously hot stuff, but I was happy to read this book, I finished it quite fast the first time I read it and this last time, I think it's gotten me out of my reading funk.

I love the discription of Cosmo too:

The SEAL chief was tall and muscular, with a lean face and pale blue eyes he usually kept hidden behind sunglasses. Yeah, he was impressively dangerous-looking -- something no one had ever been able to say about Decker, even during his own years with the Navy.

Damn, those pale blues eyes? To die for.

The book moved along at a fast pace which was great for me, since I tend to get bored really easily, but Suz did a great job, keeping the storyline flowing and her character development was pretty good. I loved the secondary storyline between Robin and Jules, gosh it was good to see Jule again, I missed him in Gone Too Far but was wrapped up in his story, which surprises me because I didn't think I could really get into a gay love story, because it's just not my thing, but I liked the story of Robin and Jules, but unlike what I'm used to from Suz, to me, their storyline didn't usurp all of my attention from Cos and Jane.

I liked reading about the behind the scenes action of a movie in the making, I liked getting to know Cosmo and I think Jane was a good heroine, not one of my favorites, but she was acceptable for Cos, not like our Izzy but she'll do for his story...LOL.

The book was great and I totally recommend this book to anyone who wants a good romantic suspence to pass the time...this one doesn't disappoint.

Grace says:

After Dylan's rave review and a push from Ames, I quickly scooped this one up from the library and found myself drawn back into the SEAL series. It had the action and humor, which I've always loved, and distinguishable and loveable characters that stick with you, even after their happily ever after. I can't say enough good things about SB's talent, because darn..her books are just fab!

Now since Dee has already given you a run down on the plot, I'll just add my thoughts on the story. I've always been intrigued by Cosmo when he was introduced in earlier books, but I never shared Izzy's love for the particular SEAL. But now, having read his book? Oh Izzy girl, I do see the attraction. *wink* He's quietly lethal, impressive and fierce and yet, there's a vulnerability about him that makes him human. Sometimes, he stumbles with his words when he doesn't feel in his element but in the next second he's back to being in control, decisive and very much intimidating. But not to the point of being an overbearing alphamale jerk. In fact, he was amazingly patient with Jane and didn't flinch at apologising if he was wrong. Oh, and lets not forget his sense of honor, generousity and love for his mama without being a push over. Gotta love that.

I thought it was cool to have Jane putting on a facade for the world to see, and then to have Cosmo strip her down to her core to see the real Jane. Not the Jane who wore distracting sexy outfits to get her way or the sexpot who pretended to be with a different man every week to keep her profile up, but the real Jane who would rather be comfortable in an oversized t-shirt and boxers than wear anything remotely sexy to bed. It was good to see Cosmo get through her defenses and vice versa.

As for the subplot with Jules, I really enjoyed it! It was great to get a deeper look into his character beyond being Alyssa's best friend. The only thing that irked me regarding this, was that Jules didn't get his HEA. Call me a romantic sap, but it just didn't feel right, leaving him hanging like that. Poor Jules.

Anyway, this was a great romantic suspense read and one I recommend, especially if you've read the prior books in the series. :)

Verdict: B+

The reading order:
The Unsung Hero
The Defiant Hero
Over the Edge
Out of Control
Into the Night
Gone Too Far
Flash Point
Hot Target
Breaking Point

Gone Too Far by Suzanne Brockmann

Hero: Sam Starrett
Heroine: Alyssa Locke
Grade: A

Tough-talking Navy SEAL Sam Starrett and FBI sharpshooter Alyssa Locke, who played supporting roles in Brockmann's four previous romances (Into the Night, etc.), finally claim center stage in the author's suspenseful hardcover debut. Unfortunately, the oft star-crossed lovers must share the limelight with a plethora of characters from Brockmann's earlier SEAL Team 16 tales, which makes for an overstuffed and somewhat disjointed read. The book's primary and most compelling thread focuses on Sam and Alyssa's search for his daughter and almost ex-wife, who may have been kidnapped by terrorists. As the pair scour Florida, they slowly learn to trust each other. At the same time, Alyssa's boss, renowned FBI negotiator Max Bhagat, must deal with his attraction to a much younger woman, and Sam's former SEAL commander, Tom Paoletti, is all but accused of aiding terrorists. To top everything off, Brockmann throws in snippets of Sam's childhood friendship with Noah Gaines, a black boy he rescued from bullies, and includes her trademark-a WWII love story relayed through letters. Although Brockmann has effectively juggled several story lines in her previous romances, here she simply has too many balls in the air, and inevitably she loses track of a few. Still, the author's fans will find plenty of enjoyment in watching passion-and tempers-flare between Sam and Alyssa. New readers, meanwhile, will find that Brockmann has gone to great lengths to get them up to speed, and those who aren't discouraged by the book's slow start will find themselves drawn in by the characters' snappy dialogue and jam-packed lives. -Publishers Weekly 2003.

I finished this book for like the thirtieth time since the book came out. It's really good, I promise. I know that there are others out there that didn't like this book (not even a little bit) but that's okay because I know there are some people out there that share my enthusiasm for these characters, I love Sam Starrett, he's #1 in my book, up there right alongside Dageus MacKeltar as my Ultimate Hero. He's just one of those men that I can't seem to get enough of. If SB wrote lots of second and third and fourth and fifth epilogues about Sam and Alyssa, I would happily read each and every single one of them because I love Sam that much. There's just something about the realness of Sam that I find appealing. He's real. I like that. A song that I hear all the time that totally reminds me of Sam, is Tim McGraw's A Real Good Man. I love all of his imperfections and though he's made some major disappointing choices in his life, none of that matters to me, because I love his character.

He's got one helluva foul mouth, he never loved his wife not even a little bit, he hid from his marriage and he lusted after a former lover, one that he very much loves with all that he is. He throws up after every target that he eliminates, he was a macho, trash talking red neck who had little respect for women in the Military or gays in the FBI, what's to love, right?

One of the reasons I love Sam so much is you can see the great wealth of growth that Sam did throughout the entire Troubleshooters series. In the beginning, yeah he was hateable (is that a word?) because he slept around, he got rip roaring drunk all the time and he mouthed off all the time but you see the change in him with each book, you see the change him from the fun loving, care free Sam to the duty over love Sam in the following books and then the miserable husband in the last books and then finally, we get his book and you can see the real man beneath the man he shows to everyone else.

We get to see the real Sam, his roots, where he came from, how he became the man we knew and how he turned into the man I know and love now. It's just effing great, if you ask me.

In Gone Too Far, we finally get to read Sam and Alyssa's happy ending. It was a long time coming because Suz built their characters up in the previous books and if you didn't read the other books in the series, you can't truly appreciate the uniqueness of Sam and Alyssa's relationship. Their whole relationship was complicated from the very beginning so it didn't come as much of a surprise to me that their book was filled to the brim with complications.

I was very happy with Sam's happy ending in GTF because he finally got what he always wanted, a shot at a real relationship with the love of his life, Alyssa Locke. Alyssa Locke wasn't called the ice queen for nothing, she was a real power to be reckoned with. Stubborn as a bull, annoying as all get out, but that's who Sam loved, he couldn't help it anymore than she could.

I understood a lot of why Alyssa acted the way she did and though it bothered me sometimes, like when she was always yelling at Sam about coming on to her in the car and how she always just assumed the worst in Sam, all of that bothered me but not enough to hate the book though. Oh heck no, I loved these characters too much.

My only problem about this book is after all this time, you would think that we knew a little more about Alyssa but we never really got that. We got the general background information about her but nothing really concrete, like we hear a lot about all of her sisters and what not but they didn't play a big part or even a small part in Alyssa's story, it would have been nice to get to know Alyssa, see Alyssa back in the day the way we got to see young Sam.

Not that I'm complaining about all of the Sam we got in the book, oh no, I loved reading about Sam's old life back when he was Roger Starrett, I loved reading about how he met and befriended Noah and then how he developed a strong and loving relationship with Noah's grandfather, Walt. I also loved the secondary story between Walt and Dot. I loved reading about Walt and Dot's letters from the war and I loved watching true love prevail in their case. Their story was a great addition to the story and it didn't overpower Sam and Alyssa's story in the least, like some of the other stories have in the past.

Another thing I couldn't stand about this book was Tom and Kelly's wedding. I hate Kelly's reasons for wanting to finally marry Tom. Someone as big and as important to the men of the series should have gotten a better wedding than the one that SB gave him. I hated that it took Tom getting sent to jail, possibly prison for her to wake up and realize that she had to marry Tom, because they wouldn't let her in to visit him. After all the time that Tom has spent trying to convince Kelly to marry him, for her to finally want to marry him because he was in jail is kinda bittersweet for Tom. He deserved more and I was pissed to high heaven at Kelly for this. Although I do have to say that I laughed at the wedding scene, you gotta admit it was funny, I just thought that Tom deserved better.

This book is filled with all the oohs and ahhs of good scenes and the OMG of the action scenes, there's plenty of a swoonworthy quotes in this book and heart warming scenes that will leave all of us chicky lala's happy, you gotta love these SEALs. It's a very good book and a great ending to Sam and Alyssa's story.

I totally recommend this book.

*edited to add* You must read this series in order to really enjoy this book...

The Reading Order:

The Unsung Hero

The Defiant Hero

Over the Edge

Out of Control

Into the Night

Flashpoint

Gone Too Far

Hot Target

Boiling Point

Flashpoint by Suzanne Brockmann

Hero: Jimmy Nash
Heroine: Tess Bailey
Grade: C

Jimmy Nash has already lived two lives - and he can't talk about either of them. Formerly an operative of a top secret government agency, he has found a new job with a shadowy company called Troubleshooters Inc. Created by a former Navy SEAL, Troubleshooters Inc. helps anyone in desperate need - which provides a perfect cover for its other, more perilous objective: covert special operations." "Now Nash and a quickly assembled team of expert operators have come to the earthquake-ravaged country of Kazbekistan in the guise of relief workers. There, amid the dust and death, in a land of blood red sunsets and ancient blood feuds, they must track down a missing laptop computer that may hold secrets vital to national security." To get it done, Nash does what he does best: break every rule in the book and manipulate those who can help him get what he needs. But this time, Nash may have met his match in Tess Bailey, a Troubleshooters operative with all the right instincts - and zero field experience. The deep attraction between them is immediate ... and potentially explosive, with risk at every turn. Now these two professionals must play out their dangerous games in the world's most dangerous place - cut off from their own government, cutting deals with people they can't trust, and guarding forbidden passions that threaten to compromise their crucial mission.

A very good book, one that isn't popular among most of Suz's fans. I'm very easy to please because a book doesn't have to be perfect for me to enjoy a book. I only ask that the author supply me with a hottie of a hero, a strong storyline and a happy ending and if they've got those three things, I'll overlook the little inperfections in the story and enjoy the ride the book is taking me on.

That's the way Flashpoint was for me. Jimmy Nash was one bad ass mother effer, who hates relationships of any kind. He's hardened by the life he's led and he's got demons that he's running from. He's cynical and yet there's a vulnerability in him that you can't help but fall in love with, not to mention that he's hotter than Hades. He works for Troubleshooters Inc and he's on a case to find missing laptop that is crucial to the safety of the United States, so with a team they set out to Kazbekistan to retrieve with no help from the U.S.

Tess Bailey on the other hand is grea at doing her job, the only thing working against her is that she's had absolutely NO experience in the field, all of the work she's done for the government was behind the scenes and out of the line of fire. She's down to do whatever it takes to get the job done though, the things she does to prove herself totally cracked me up, oh gosh, Tess Bailey was a grea match for Jimmy Nash because she's a little spitfire and that meshed well with Nash's surly personality, their romance was so cute and it had me sighing all over the place because you have a guy like Nash who is just the absolute worst with women, suffering because he wants so much to be with Tess but because of the demons that he's running from, feels unworthy of love. It was wonderful to read about Tess fighting her way into his heart and giving him the space he needed to work things out for himself.

It was great to see familiar faces from the previous Troubleshooters books and the chemistry between Tess and Nash was a joy to read about.

Now do get me wrong, it's not one of my most favorite books in the whole world, or even of SB's for that matter, but it WAS good. I even liked the secondary storyline between Decker and his woman. The book was filled with nonstop action in hot territories and it was great to get caught up in the action of Suz's books.

I definitely recommend this book for those of you who want to read an action packed romance, it's a cute read aside from all of the things blowing and what not...you'll enjoy I'm sure.

Peace out.

Into the Night by Suzanne Brockmann

Hero: Mike Muldoon
Heroine: Joan DaCosta
Grade: C

A terrorist plot to assassinate the president on U.S. soil transforms what could have been another humorous, larger-than-life Navy SEAL romance from Brockmann (Out of Control, etc.) into a sobering story that will strike a patriotic chord with readers. Brash, 30-something White House PR assistant Joan DaCosta and shy, super-polite 25-year-old Navy SEAL Mike Muldoon are an unlikely couple, but the two quickly connect when Joan is sent to scope out the naval base in Coronado, Calif., for a presidential visit. Though their attraction is immediate, Joan can't bring herself to get over their age difference and the fact that they live on opposite sides of the nation. Intertwined with their off-and-on romance are the recollections of Joan's grandparents (one a WWII veteran and the other a WWII widow); details of a terrorist plot to sneak machine guns onto the base; and a side story involving SEAL wife Mary Lou Starret's friendship with a man of Arab descent. As always, Brockmann's snappy dialogue infuses each encounter with wit and vigor, but what really stands out is her sympathetic portrayal of Mary Lou, arguably one of her least likable recurring characters. Although it will take readers a while to warm up to Mary Lou, as well as to Joan and Mike, who are less dynamic than the protagonists from Brockmann's earlier books, this is a worthy addition to the author's SEAL saga.

I read this book a while ago and the first time I read this book, I loved it...but was really intrigued by Sam Starrett, I wanted to know what made him the way he was, so sad and I really wanted to know what happened in his life that led him to marry someone he didn't love and made him just so unhappy with himself and his life. You see, I read this book first before having read the others in the series, when I found out I had read out of order, I immediately remedied that by reading everything before, falling all the more in love with this series...

The first time reading this book, I fell head over heels in love with Mike Muldoon. He was the perfect guy, too perfect some of the time, but that wasn't such a bad thing. He was the hottest guy, a pretty boy if you can say in the SEAL Team 16 and you know I love me some hot guys!

This book wasn't as good as the other books was for me, I guess because I couldn't stand Joan DaCosta. She got on my hot damn nerves with all her Junioring to Muldoon. I hated that she kept using their age difference against him and all of the pushing him away thing got really old, really fast...I just wanted to smack her upside her big ass head and say, "Get over it already you dumb shit!"

But I didn't, because like Meredith said in Grey's Anatomy on Monday, you can't help who you fall in love with...but damn Mike of all the good women in the world, you had to fall in love with Joan frickin' DaCosta?

You see, Joan works for the President for the United States and she's sent to Coronado to check out the location, make sure it's safe enough for a visit from the President because there have been a flurry of Terrorist Threats and what not, so Joan is partnered up with Mike and they're immediately drawn to each other, he's younger than she is, by 9 years and she has a hard time getting over that fact, I mean he's totally digging her and she is him, but because he's younger than her by 9 years, she tries to foil his plans for her at every turn, from trying to set him up with other women to insulting his manhood by calling him Junior all the time, it just got really old and made me want to do bodily harm to her person.

She almost ruined the book for me, but luckily Muldoon saved it. The action factor is high, for there is lots of action in this book, it was a good fast paced book, but becuase I had issues with the heroine and I hated to see Sam, so sad and whiny, I gave this book a C...but the series is still one of my very favorites...

Out of Control by Suzanne Brockmann

Hero: Kenny "Wildcard" Karmody.
Heroine: Savannah Von Hopf
Grade: B+
Date: 3/9/06

Bestselling author Suzanne Brockmann knows how to push the limits of romantic suspense to new, breathtaking heights. Potent, gripping, and explosive, Out of Control is a roller coaster ride of a novel– as a single act of loyalty becomes a desperate struggle for survival. . . .

Savannah von Hopf has no choice. To save her uncle’s life, she goes in search of Ken “WildCard” Karmody, a guy she barely knew in college who is now a military operative. She must convince him to help her deliver a cache of ransom money into the hands of terrorists halfway around the world. What she doesn’t expect is to end up in WildCard’s arms before she can even ask for his help.

WildCard has always had a soft spot for beautiful women. But when he discovers Savannah’s hidden agenda, he is determined to end the affair. But Savannah is bound for Indonesia with or without his protection, and he can’t just walk away. When her plan goes horribly wrong, they are trapped in the forsaken jungle of a hostile country, stalked by a lethal enemy. As time is running out, they scramble to escape, risking their lives to stop a nightmare from spinning even further out of control. . . .

I took this book with me yesterday to work, read it on my breaks and couldn't stop laughing, it reminded me of the first time I read this book, I was in college, sitting in the library, waiting for my brother to finish his class so that we can go home. I had just finished checking my email and thought to get a few chapters of reading in before I headed home.

I zipped through the entire book that night.

I laughed high and loud throughout the entire book, never once skipping ahead to see if the book got better. It was cool how Suz turned Wildcard's character around into a really great hero. Because after reading the other books before Out of Control in the series, I kept wondering how she was going to pull it off, because in the beginning of Over the Edge, I wanted to throttle Wildcard for his stupidity in pissing off the Marines, who wanted to kill him. Had it not been for Senior Chief Wolchonok, they probably would have jumped his ass (he probably would have won the fight cause he IS a big bad SEAL, but still), and quite frankly, I wanted them to get his ass, because he was so bloody obnoxious.

But she did a wonderful job, because not only was Wildcard a stand up guy in this book, but he was one heck of a funny guy. Like in this scene, when he meets Savannah.

"Hey," Ken knocked on the front window of the car. "You know, it's not a real smart move to have the car running while it's up on a..."

He realized he was looking down at a young woman who'd hiked her skirt all the way up to the tops of her thighs. She had the AC on full blast and her blouse unbuttoned so much that he could see the lace of her bra. It was red.

Holy God."Uh, up on a jack," he finished.

Dear Penthouse, I never thought I'd write a letter like this but...

He's just one riot after another...I just love it, check this one out too, it's when Kenny goes to Nils (hero in The Defiant Hero) and my favorite SEAL, Sam for advice on relationships:

"I was just wondering if there were any rules that I don't know about,"

"Rules?" Johnny repeated. "Like...?"

"Don't do it in animal masks while swinging from a trapeze until the third week of the relationship," Sam suggested. "That's a rule I always followed religiously--along with the one about not having sex in her parents' kitchen in the middle of a black-tie party. Broke that one once--got into real trouble."

The funny scenes and lines go on for days throughout this book, Wildcard is a riot, a laugh a minute and just a whole lot of fun, aside from the fact that they're running from bad guys, who want them dead in the jungles of Jakarta.

In this story we meet Molly and Jones who later come to the aid of Wildcard and Van, their story is sweet, a great addition to the storyline. This book is just an all around fun read. Ya'll should read it.

Oh yeah and Savannah was cool too. LOL.

Over the Edge by Suzanne Brockmann

Hero: Stan Wolchonok
Heroine: Terri Howe
Grade: A+
Date: 2/24/06

Her passion is flying. As one of the best helicopter pilots in the naval reserves, Lieutenant Teri Howe is strong, dedicated, and highly skilled–until a past mistake surfaces, jeopardizing everything she’s worked for.

Rock steady Senior Chief Stan Wolchonok has made a career of tackling difficult challenges. So it’s no surprise when he comes to Teri’s aid, knowing that his personal code of honor–and perhaps his heart–will be at risk. But when a jet carrying an American senator’s daughter is hijacked, Stan’s unflinching determination and Teri’s steadfast courage are put to the ultimate test. The rescue mission will be daring and dangerous. But somewhere between peril and resolution, the line between friends and lovers begins to blur, pushing both their lives over the edge. . . .

My favorite book in this series after Gone Too Far (so I'm biased, who cares!). Even though Stan drove me bonkers when he kept insisting that Teri didn't and couldn't possibly want to be with him, especially since she could have hottie Mike Muldoon, I didn't hate the book. I loved the book from the very beginning when Stan is sick with the flu and he has to go and bail Wildcard out of the mess he got himself into over at the Ladybug Lounge.

I didn't even hate the book when I saw Sam over at the Ladybug Lounge with some other heiffer that wasn't Alyssa Locke.

The entire story was great. Loved the chemistry between Stan and Teri, it was a nice change to have the heroine chasing the hero for once in these books, because it's usually the other way around. Stan was a great hero and I just loved him to pieces and will have some very mean words for whoever tries to say that Stan isn't the man...even when he's up on the karaoke stage singing, Natural Woman...LOL.

The book was witty, fun and the secondary storyline was another winner for me, I love reading about all the historical romances and historical references in her books, they totally have me cheering these older couples on. It's very endearing that Suz can make us fall in love with couples from back in the day just as good as she can make us fall for the modern day couple, it's magic, I tell ya.

Ya'll should most definitely get this book, read it and love it just like I did...or else! hehe..j/k. Don't listen to Holly, she's a hater! LOL...Love you Holly!

The Unsung Hero by Suzanne Brockmann

Hero: Tom Paoletti
Heroine: Kelly Ashton
Grade: B+
Date: 2/22/06

After a near-fatal head injury, navy SEAL lieutenant Tom Paoletti catches a terrifying glimpse of an international terrorist in his New England hometown. When he calls for help, the navy dismisses the danger as injury-induced imaginings. In a desperate, last-ditch effort to prevent disaster, Tom creates his own makeshift counterterrorist team, assembling his most loyal officers, two elderly war veterans, a couple of misfit teenagers, and Dr. Kelly Ashton -- the sweet "girl next door" who has grown into a remarkable woman. The town's infamous bad boy, Tom has always longed for Kelly. Now he has one final chance for happiness, one last chance to win her heart, and one desperate chance to save the day....

Someone in my book club is buying this series and will be reading it for the first time, I think she is mighty lucky, because I would give my right foot (or wait, maybe my left foot, or maybe just a toe on my left foot, *sigh*) to be able to read this series for the first time. I absolutely LOVE this series, so because my friend picked it up, I'm picked it up too and started a thorough reread of the books, I'm so loving life again right now. This book was fast paced, action packed and the main romance between Tom and Kelly was sweet, even though a few times throughout the book I wanted to smack Tom upside his head and tell him to get on with it, DO HER already! It was great to become reacquainted with characters I have come to love so very much. Suzanne Brockmann does a wonderful job of wrapping you up in the storylines between Kelly and Tom, Joe, Charles and Cybele and then with Mallory and David. Each storyline really took off and only added more goodness to the entire story as a whole.

Suz was the very first author to make me realize how hot, nerds can be. David Sullivan will forever hold a special part of my nerd heart. Loved his storyline with Mallory, they were perfect for eachother. They kinda stole a bit of Tom and Kelly's thunder but that's okay, because we see a lot more of Tom and Kelly throughout the series so I'm not too worried about it.

If you haven't read this series, you have to...I demand it. LOL. Just kidding, but seriously, this is a really great series and I'm loving my reread of this story so very much!

The Defiant Hero by Suzanne Brockmann

Hero: John "Nils" Nilsson
Heroine: Meg Moore
Grade: B+
Date: 2/22/06

"The United States refuses to negotiate with terrorists." Meg Moore remembered the warning from her job as a translator in a European embassy. Those same words will spell out a death sentence for her daughter and grandmother who have been kidnapped by a lethal group called the Extremists. Meg will do anything to meet their unspeakable demands; anything—even kill—to save her child.

When Navy SEAL Lieutenant, junior grade, John Nilsson is summoned to Washington, D.C., by the FBI to help negotiate a hostage situation, the last person he expects to see holding a foreign ambassador at gunpoint is Meg. He hasn't seen her in years, but he's never forgotten how it feels to hold her in his arms. John could lose his career if he helps her escape. She will lose her life if he doesn't. . . .

I don't remember enjoying John and Meg's story nearly as much the first time (which was so many years ago) as I did this time around. This is the only Troubleshooters book that I haven't done a thorough reread of (I only reread my favorite scenes). So, by reading this entire book yesterday, it was like I was reading it for the first time, because I didn't remember a lot of what happened in the book.

Whoa.

Johnny Nilsson is a stud.

I never paid much attention to him and his story the last time around, because I was so wrapped up in Sam and Alyssa's secondary story. I was dying for them to finally get their own story told, their entire story and not little scraps of a story in between the bigger and main storylines of the books. This time around, I paid a whole lot more attention to John and Meg's story, but throughout the book I found myself obsessing over Sam (my friend Holly will tell you just how much, because after I realized the error of my ways, I called her, crying and whining about it for three whole hours, I'm certifiable, I know it.).

But I really liked all of the stories told in this book. Meg Moore, who is some kind of language specialist working at for the government has her worst nightmare come true, well any mother's worst nightmare really...terrorists kidnap her daughter and her grandmother and hold them hostage, until Meg kidnaps the head of another terrorist group. As a mother, it's hard to say how much you would go through for your child, you would like to think that you would everything in your power to help someone, not trust ANYONE to help you, not even a SEAL, so I shouldn't have been so pissed off at Meg throughout the book because if you put yourself in her shoes, would you have trusted anyone to help you? If it meant the life of your child, would you go against the directions of the kidnappers and trust someone you think you might love?

Honestly?

I would honestly like to think that I would, but I'm not 100% sure. But whatever, this book was the bomb, plenty to love with the grandma (dude I totally forgot her name) and Ralph then Meg and Nils and most definitely...SAM AND ALYSSA!

With all those to die for characters and storylines, what's not to love? Get it, read it and love it!