Harvard's Education (Tall, Dark & Dangerous, Book 5) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is the fifth in Suzanne brockmann's S.E.A.L. series for Mira books. It is just as good as the first three. I thought the fourth EVERYDAY AVERAGE JONES was not as good.
Harvard is the only black member of this SEAL team, and we have been waiting for his story.
When FinCOM agents are training with SEAL teams anything can't happen, they have rules. Like only 8 hour days. No out of country training missions, limited runs, etc.
Joe Cat needs for them to realize that they can't do what the SEAL's can. One of the agents is P J Richards, a woman. He wants the members of his team to become friends with one of the FINK agents. Turns out the best agent is PJ.
Harvard has trouble seeing her as an agent and as capable as she is. This causes trouble between them from the start.
PJ is not a trusting soul either. The dance of working together and romantic attraction leads to other problems. Over the course of 8 weeks they manage to overcome most of their problems.
However, on a planned mission, fubar happens. PJ and Harvard are the only ones in place who can rescue Joe Cat who has been shot and captured by tangos. With several Marines dead, they know they only have one chance and very little time.
As with all of Brockmann's books everything works out at the end and we have a good time with these characters.

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A New York Times Bestselling AuthorFor eight weeks FInCOM agent P. J. Richards is being given access to the absolutely-no-women-allowed world of the U.S. Navy SEALs, and she isn't about to let anyone tell her she can't hack it. P.J. can't afford to be distracted by anything . . . or anyone. And that includes Senior Chief "Harvard" Becker, who believes there is no room for women in a combat zone. To P.J.'s mind, Harvard has a lot to learn.

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Hot Pursuit Review

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(More customer reviews)I have loved Christina Skye's contemporary thrillers/romances, but this one is a bit of a let down. I won't go into a description of the plot as that has been done very well by other reviewers. But I would like to say something about the character development. While she has established the characters, their backgrounds and the plot, the female character's personality is stagnant throughout the story. The woman becomes extremely annoying because her reaction to every situation is the same, basically she feels that she knows best and she will do what she wants to do. This results in her bodyguards themselves being exposed to unnecessary risk, but after an initial burst of repentence, she does it again and again. The character is supposed to be kind and compassionate and loyal to her friends, but her actual behaviour paints her as selfish, stubborn and careless of other people's lives, not to mention just a little bit stupid. It just doesn't make sense. Wouldn't a supposedly bright person learn from repetitive mistakes (especially those involving gunfire!) and grow up a little? Frankly, I cannot see what the male lead is supposed to see in her.

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The Ocean Between Us (Mira) Review

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(More customer reviews)It's always amazing to me that readers can have such different reactions to books. I confess, I'm mystified by those readers who didn't like this book, because I loved it. The depiction of Navy life was incredibly realistic and I thoroughly enjoyed learning about what it's like to serve on a carrier and/or land a plane on a carrier. I also loved the Pacific Northwest setting, which Ms. Wiggs brought alive so beautifully. But what I enjoyed most about this book were the characters. For me, it's ALWAYS about the characters, and Steve, Grace, Brian, Emma, Katie, Josh, and Lauren crept into my heart and stayed there till the very end, with me rooting for them all the way. This book is beautifully written and a real page-turner. Bravo, Ms. Wiggs! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

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Forever Blue (Tall, Dark & Dangerous, Book 2) Review

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(More customer reviews)Carter "Blue" McCoy is a member of an elite group of Navy SEALs. He travels home to Hatboro Creek to attend the wedding of his stepbrother to his childhood sweetheart. One of the first people he sees is Lucy Tait, police rookie and a girl he knew in high school. Lucy has had a crush on Blue for more than 10 years. Seeing him again jolts her. He is instantly attracted to her. They decide to engage in a brief affair. Brief becasue Blue will leave Hatboro Creek after the wedding; SEALs never stay in one place. But things get complicated when Blue's stepbrother turns up dead and Blue is the main suspect in his murder.
I just read my synopsis and realized that I cannot accurately convey how good this book is. Blue is tough, quiet, strong, and stern. He's also kind and honorable and darn sexy. I remembered him as an intriguing character from the 1st book in this series, PRINCE JOE. He makes an absolutely wonderful hero in FOREVER BLUE. Lucy is tough, direct, courageous, and (gasp!) not a virgin. (Regular romance readers will know what I mean by that last one.) I really, really liked Lucy. Blue and Lucy together are very hot, sweet, and sometimes even funny.
I usually dislike suspense or mystery in romances, but Brockmann knows how to incorporate these elements without taking away from the romance. I liked FOREVER BLUE even better than PRINCE JOE, which I would grade an A. I guess that means FOREVER BLUE is an A+.

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For Lucy Tait, no one was more of a hero than Blue McCoy, who had once rescued her.Blue had come home from the Navy to see his brother married, not killed.The whole town thought he was the culprit, but what would the investigating officer - Lucy Tait - think?--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Night Watch (Tall, Dark & Dangerous, Book 11) Review

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(More customer reviews)Girls, if you're the saving type - you know, stray kittens, kicked puppies, men with low self-esteem so afraid of their emotions that they choose not to feel them - then Wes Skelly is the hero for you! He's so emotionally closed down that he only allows himself to feel much of anything when he's drunk (not a pretty sight!). This guy's going to need the mother of all savers!
And Brittany Evans is a saver if ever there was one! A woman who adopted a thirteen-year-old "juvie" to save him from foster care (he's now nineteen and a baseball prodigy) she's also a nurse and a very nurturing sort. But she's not nauseatingly sweet or annoyingly good. She's smart, sassy and on occasion a smart aleck and I liked her a lot. She fully recognizes her weakness for guys like Wes and so she tries to keep things light and casual when they are set up on a blind date. A sweet friendship results and it is clear that these are two people that truly like each other. All's well until she tries to help this intense emotional cripple to see the good and the positive in himself. Well she's really got her work cut out for her as we hear all about (she's a "talk it out" kinda gal) every issue Wes has: low self-esteem, height sensitivity, the death of a sibling, a cold, distant father, his possible drinking problem and his unrequited love for the wife of a friend. Phew! This guy either needs some serious therapy or an abundance of friendship and support from the most patient, understanding woman in the world! Lucky for him he meets Britt.
Don't get me wrong, I did like this story. But if you've got little patience for this particular brand of tortured hero, consider yourself warned. I'm a bit of a sucker for them myself on occasion, even though at times his problems seemed over the top. But Wes is a very likeable guy and worth the effort, though it seems Britt is doomed to a life of reassuring him (it seems she wouldn't have it any other way). And though I like Britt's character, we find out little about her other than what I've described above, that she's a great mom, that she's divorced from a guy who cheated on her and that she's jealous of Lana, Wes's unrequited love. Contrasted with the mountain of stuff we learn about Wes, she seems a bit short-changed (a chronic problem of almost all Brockmann heroines). But their friendship is sweet and their passion is hot! The background story of Lana's TV star sister's stalker, mainly serves to provide the expected, exciting SEAL Team Ten climax of the story.
If you are a fan of the Tall Dark & Dangerous series, I think you'll like this book. It's a quick and enjoyable read and it pretty much wraps up all the guys from Alpha Squad, though we are briefly introduced to "the new guy" Rio Rosetti. Could book 12 be in the works? A recommended read!

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Hollywood Nights . . . Leading To Hollywood DaysWhen U.S. Navy Seal Chief Wes Skelly was sent to L.A. on assignment, he agreed to go on a blind date with beautiful single mother Brittany Evans, sister-in-law of a fellow SEAL. After all, he had been secretly in love for years, albeit with a woman who belonged to another man. So what did he have to lose?Plenty, it turned out. Because suddenly the woman he thought he could never have was available. However, so was Brittany -- and not only that, she was in danger. Because of him. He knew he could keep her safe. But why was he increasingly certain that he was the one in danger?--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Breaking the Rules: A Novel (Troubleshooters) Review

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(More customer reviews)Well first of all let me mention, if you haven't read at least the past 4 or so novels of the Troubleshooters series, this is not the place to start. You will be lost and constantly thinking "Glehk - who are these messed up people and why on Earth should I even care?" And "Why in the world does that big girl put up with that total butthead anyway? Run Jenni! Run!!!"
The first 75% or so of the novel is completely bogged down in various forms of Gillman family dysfunction and the ways it has totally messed up the Gillman siblings - Dan, Eden and Ben. There are readers who enjoy angsty books and chapter upon chapter spent analyzing the ways parents can damage their children, with fists and with words. They are probably going to rate this book much higher than I have. I really can't say I'm one of them and on more than one occasion I almost put this book down for good.
I'll be honest, when I read my Navy Seals I really don't want to spend hours reading about them sitting around with tears in their eyes and talking about their feelings and how they've been victimized by society. Why is Dan such a jerk? Why is Eden such a slut? (excuse me, exotic dancer) Why has young Ben painted his finger nails black and is now walking around like a Marilyn Manson impersonator? No. Not for me, at least not from this author, because frankly - Brockmann really doesn't do this type of plot all that well. The characters are too one dimensional and stereotypical. These books she puts out anymore - it's like they don't even have characters. They have ISSUES which pose as characters.
I want ACTION. I want hi-jacked planes, romps through a jungle to escape the bad guys. I want thwarted terrorist plots and a couple of explosions. In other words, I want Suzanne Brockmann the way she USED to write.
In the final chapters the author seems to remember that she's supposed to be writing Romantic Suspense, and the suspense part of the story finally kicked in with kidnappings, rescues, shoot-outs with the bad guys and those Navy Seals finally doing what they do best, making our hearts pound. It really was almost enough to salvage the book, but take my word for it when I say this is no Over the Edge (Troubleshooters, Book 3) with Terri and Stan.


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Navy Blues (The Navy Series #2) (Silhouette Special Edition, No 518) Review

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(More customer reviews)This book was horrible. I wish I could give it 0 stars.
First of all, the main character is immature, irresponsible and completely unlovable. If youre like me and cant get past the idea of a grown woman doing something so selfish and irresponsible as to try to use her unsuspecting exhusband as a sperm donor, youre probably going to spend the entire book wishing that this woman would get hit by a car.
The panty-waste exhusband is almost as unlikeable as she is. He spend the entire book being suspicious but unwilling to end the relationship. They break up and get back together a few times during the book, and the whole time I just wanted someone in that relationship to take a hint.
If you are in the Navy or have a loved one that is, you may be tempted to read it just because of the catchy little Navy theme and the pretty picture in front. This book has absolutely nothing to do with Navy life except for the fact that the ex is serving. He goes on one deployment that barely fits into the plot.
I spent the entire book thinking... This cant be all there is... This must be about to get really good. It never did.

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A New York Times BestsellerDespite her ex-husband's bullheadedness, Carol Kyle knew he'd be the perfect man to father the child she so desperately wanted. Yet she also realized that the strong, honorable man would never allow his child to be raised without a father. So Carol needed to plot, to plan, to maneuver, to seduce Steve into her bed for one last time . . . and then leave once more. Still, the passion when they were together was never the problem -- it was the absences that tore them apart. Had they grown enough to chance trying again -- especially when Carol's plan seemed about to work?

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Navy Brat (The Navy Series #3) Review

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(More customer reviews)I generally enjoy any kind of romance with a military theme and the cover of this book quickly caught my eye. It's unfortunate, because I endured 297 pages of boredom in order to get to the anti-climatic finish.
The "heroine" of the tale, Erin MacNamera is a bland character with very few redeeming qualities. Forced to grow up as a navy brat, she refuses to engage in a relationship with a wonderful man simply because he is in the military. She is petty, spiteful, and rude in her quest to drive him away.
My biggest problem with the story is the fact that the author conveys an attitude that growing up as a military brat is a prison sentence. She fails to mention the plethora of benefits there are to being a military dependent. Most children of military tend to be outgoing, culturally sensitive, broadly educated and adventurous.
This is the first book I've read by this author and it will also be the last.

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A New York Times BestsellerErin MacNamera had one hard and fast rule: never, never, never fall for a navy man. But, from the heart-stopping moment her eyes met Lieutenant Brandon Davis's across a crowded lounge, Erin knew life would never be the same. Sexy, tender and strong, Brandon was all she'd ever dreamed of in a man, but he was also navy - and as a navy brat from way back, she knew better than to give her heart to a seafaring man.

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Navy Baby (The Navy Series #5) (Silhouette Special Edition, No 697) Review

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(More customer reviews)I have read quite a few Debbie Macomber books, and so far, I thought this one was the best that I read so far. It was a great story, the characters were real, with emotional depth, and the pacing was great - everything was just right, and I enjoyed this one very much.
This is a classic we-made-a-baby, now-we-must-marry, storyline, and this one is hard to do well, and even harder to do well and realistically in a contemporary setting, yet in this story, Debbie Macomber manages to really make it work.
Hannah is a minister's daughter. She was engaged to a wonderful man, but he has just died, before they could marry. Angry, sad, and bitter, Hannah meets Riley Murdoch in a set of unusual circumstances, and, in a wholly uncharacteristic gesture, she throws herself at him. When Riley realizes that this is her first time, he tries to talk to her, but she disappears before he can get any information at all. Riley tries to find her - but without even a last name, it is pretty hopeless - until, Riley meets her in an unexpected way - at the other end of the *metamorphical* shotgun. Forced into a marriage neither of them wanted, do they even have a chance?
This story was done exceptionally well, we feel both Hannah's and Riley's very real reservations, their very real and realistic emotions, as they have to work out what they *really* want - and how they will get there. I loved this story especially because it was about two people who are trying to do the right thing, about two people who both try - eventually - to rise above their anger and bitterness to try to create something beautiful, meaningful - and lasting. And, at the end, isn't that why I read romance?

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A New York Times BestsellerIt was a night she'd never forget . . . two strangers coming together in one breathless moment of intense need and heart-stopping desire. But now sheltered Hannah Raymond is expecting the child of rugged naval seaman Riley Murdock - a man she thought she'd never see again. Now fate has reunited them. They had created the miracle of life together, but would that be enough to spark the miracle of love?

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Navy Woman (The Navy Series #4) (Silhouette Special Edition, No 683) Review

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(More customer reviews)Royce Nyland is a single father who only shows his soft side to his daughter. At work he is just the icy Commander to his staff. That is until Catherine Fredrickson breaks through his icy wall. She becomes very important to him but they have a lot of problems to work out. Most imporatantly the fact that he wants her to quit the Navy and she refuses. Somehow, they will muddle through. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy romance novels.

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The return of a poignant classic in New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber's NAVY series!Busy attorney Catherine Fredrickson loved her job at a submarine base in Washington, but her new boss, Royce Nyland, had her spirits sinking fast. The icy widower was distant, demanding . . .and incredibly attractive. And though he kept her at arm's length, he aroused a stormy passion in Catherine that was impossible to deny.Already struggling to keep afloat while caring for his energetic daughter, Royce didn't need any more distractions -- especially not in the form of an appealing woman! Though the laws of the sea deemed naval fraternizing strictly taboo, how long could Royce resist romance when just the sight of Catherine capsized his vulnerable heart?--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Navy Husband (The Navy Series #6) (Silhouette Special Edition, No 1693) Review

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(More customer reviews)"Navy Husband" was an enjoyable read. This book follows two sisters, Shana and Ali. Ali is part of the Navy, and when the Navy sends her overseas, Ali reminds Shana that she had put down her name as "support person" to take care of her daughter Jasmine, in this contigency. At the time that Shana had agreed to put her name down, it had seemed to be only a technicality, as it did not seem likely that she would ever be needed, but things change, and now Ali reminds her of her agreement.
The timing could not be worse. Shana has just broken up with her five-year boyfriend, and, as a gesture (to herself) that she is starting a whole new life, Shana quits her job, moves to another city, and buys a pizza parlor (a major career change). A little girl is exactly what she does *not* need right now. In the end, though, everything works out, and as they tend to in romance land, everything works out much better than anyone could have hoped for.
I had just read some of Debbie Macomber's older books, and I thought that this book felt more contemporary (DUH ME!!) - I thought that there was more of an *edge* to her characters than I've seen in this author's older books. (Shana spends a major part of the book *breaking up* with her old boyfriend - even though, as she keeps saying "I am SO over him!") I guess Debbie Macomber has updated - although, even with the more savvy and street-smart Shana, I thought at times that she *was* a little bit too good - she's always so polite, I kept waiting for her to *really* give it to him, which she never did. I guess even city girls in Debbie Macomber's books are still sweet girls, at heart.
There was not as much emotional depth to this story as in some of her other books, but on the other hand, it was fast-paced, never boring - an enjoyable, and quick, read. And, yes, I did think that the nine year old was pretty mature for nine - but not overly so, a very mature nine year old *could* pull it off, and I guess that perhaps Jasmine had grown up quick.


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A New York Times BestsellerWhen Shana Berrie's sister, a naval nurse, is sent to sea, Shana looks after her daughter, Jazmine. Lieutenant Commander Adam Kennedy, a family friend, seems to feel she needs help as a substitute parent - while Jazmine decides Shana needs help finding a husband. A navy husband, of course!

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