Review - Infamous

Title: Infamous
Author: Suzanne Brockmann
Publishing Date: August 2010
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Rating: A
Sensuality: Hot
Book Disclosure: I purchased a new book and even had it signed by Ms. Suz herself!

Infamous is a stand alone book. Yay, for those of you who want to try Ms. Brockmann and don't know where to start. I'd definitely recommend starting here.

Alison Carter is a history buff and professor back in Boston. She writes a book centering around a famous gunslinger and sheriff. A famous producer reads her book and makes a movie according to the legend. He hires Allison to be his historical advisor for the movie. While on the set, Allison mistakes A.J. for an extra. While she is reprimanding him for wearing briefs (which were not worn in the Wild West) A.J. has an ulterior motive for wanting to meet Allison. See, his grandfather was the infamous gunslinger the movie represents as a murderer. But A.J is being haunted - I use the term loosely because the grandfather has no malice - but wants A.J to set his story straight. So A.J. travels to the movie set to meet with Allison to share the real story.

I am just going to tell you right now, I absolutely loved everything about this story and I feel like gushing about it. Seriously, Suz absolutely rocks!! I just wish she would write faster, LOL! Fans of Suzanne Brockman will still see her signature style - deep, well developed characters, fantastic dialogue and a fly by the seat of your pants plot. What more could a reader ask for? Lots of passion, well not to worry, Suz delivers there too!

There is a lot going on in this book. You have the present day romance between A.J., a carpenter from Alaska, whose tall and buff and is great with his hands *wiggles eyebrows*. You have Allison who is a no nonsense gal with a winning smile and down-to-earth outlook on life. These two are completely explosive when it comes to chemistry. Hang on dear reader, things aren't so simple. Both come with heavy baggage that must be dealt with before the happy ever after can be achieved. Not to worry, Suz mixes in plenty of light hearted moments to even out those ball-busting ones.

Too make things unique and change things up a bit, a ghost is thrown into the mix. This ghost is not hokie in anyway. It is actually very interesting how Suz tied actual historical accounts from the ghost and his past love through her diary. Then to make things even more on the edge there is a suspense plot that puts Allison's life in danger. Trust me, there is a lot going on, but is all brilliantly concocted. I highly recommend this book to all different kinds of readers - fans of contemporary, romantic suspense, Suzanne Brockmann and westerns won't want to miss out on Infamous.


This book can be purchased in print or kindle format from Amazon

Review - Hot Pursuit

Title: Hot Pursuit
Author: Suzanne Brockmann
Publishing Date: August 2009
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Rating: B
Sensuality: Hot

Hot Pursuit is the 15th book in Suzanne Brockmann's Troubleshooter series. Anyone who is familiar with my blog knows how much I love this series. Brockmann has gone back to two of fans' favorite characters, Alyssa and Sam. Their story continues as they are now happily married with an infant son. Alyssa and Sam both work for a private firm Troubleshooters Inc. which was founded by Sam's former SEAL Chief Tom Paoletti. Alyssa takes an assignment to provide protection to a young congress woman who has received threatening notes recently. Things take a sinister turn when a heart is found in the bottom of her secretary's desk.

Suzanne Brockmann is known for her multiple story arcs and Hot Pursuit is no exception. This time Danny Gillman, or Gilligan as his SEAL brothers refer to him meets Jennilyn who is an aid to the congresswoman, Maria. He pursues her for a two week fling while he is in New York with no strings attached. Jennilyn is used to men ignoring her while they trip over their tongues after they lay eyes on Maria. So when Danny approaches Jennilyn she isn't exactly sure how to handle him.

Hot Pursuit is typical Brockmann with great dialogue and interesting characters, yet it definitely wasn't my favorite by her. Part if this was due to the fact that I didn't really like Danny. I hated the way he approached Jennilyn. It wasn't romantic, it was logical and cold and quite frankly, a big turn off. But their story will continue in Brockmann's next book and with faith I am sure she can turn Danny into real "Hero" material. He just didn't have it in this book. He was too selfish by far, and has some growing to do.

Alyssa and the killer portion of the book went well. Sometimes the killer narrated the story, but they were brief and spaced far apart. One complaint I had was the way the cover summary mislead my expectations of the book. This is the part that I am scratching my head over:

But then, while investigating a suspect, Alyssa is ambushed and suddenly finds herself imprisoned by The Dentist. Cut off from everyone she loves and relies on, Alyssa must call upon all of her strength and skill to survive this final confrontation with the sadistic monster, meanwhile trusting that her Troubleshooter teammates, led by her beloved Sam, will reach her before it’s too late.

For me these two sentences ramped up the suspense because every time Alyssa was by herself, I kept waiting her to get abducted. She does, but let's just say it was misleading.

Brockmann wrote an Author's Note at the end of the book. In it she states that she will have one more Troubleshooters book where Izzy and Gillman will get their happy endings. But she may not write anymore after that. I will be sad if that is the case. I want Lopez to find someone!

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This book can be purchased in print and kindle format from Amazon.

Review - Dark of Night

Title: Dark of Night
Author: Suzanne Brockmann
Publishing Date: January 2009
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Rating: A
Sensuality: Hot

There has been a lot of controversy surrounding Ms. Brockmann's 14th book in her vastly popular Troubleshooter series, Dark of Night. Now I'll be honest, I did not pay attention to all the discussions about this book. I didn't want to read any spoilers, inadvertent or not. Many reviews have been posted and the majority all disclosed spoilers. I hate spoilers. I really do. So, this review will be SPOILER FREE. The only plot summary I will give, will come from the cover blurb on the book.

A very shady government organization known as The Agency has come after James Nash nearly killing him. An opportunity arose to fake Nash's death and Lawrence Dekker took it. Only a small handful of people know that Nash is alive and Dave and Sophia aren't among the elite. Dave and Sophia in their grief over Nash's death turn to each other for comfort and their relationship moves from that of friends to lovers. Dave is attacked by a man that results in a knife injury. Dave believes that the attack has something to do with his past. Nash knows that it actually has something to do with him and The Agency. Now, people who Nash cares about are in serious danger. The troubleshooters will team up to put an end to the threat.

Dark of Night is classic Brockmann. There is fantastic dialogue, realistic multi-faceted characters, acute attention to detail, and non-stop, intense action. One of the reasons why I love this series so much is how the characters evolve throughout it. Real people are constantly changing and evolving and her characters do too. The characters become so real to me, I wonder that they aren't actual people. She is able to convey this realness in her attention to detail. There were so many scenes that were peppered with little nuances and references that paint such a vivid picture.

I know a lot of fans of this series were very worried over the Dekker/Dave/Sophia love triangle aspect. All I will say about this is that readers should trust Brockmann. If you have been a fan of the series up until now, then trust her to tell the story the way she believes it should be told. I did and I am very satisfied.

I am sure there are some readers out there who haven't started this series. Just to prove how confident I am that you will be entertained by this book, that I recommend just jumping in and start with this one. You won't be lost at all. Instead, I think you will be so entertained by the story and the characters that you will want to go back and read the other books, so as to find out all you can about them. Because for me, after having read Dark of Night, I now want to go back and read through all the other books again. That's just my two cents, for what it's worth.

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Review - Into the Fire

Title: Into the Fire
Author: Suzanne Brockmann
Publishing Date: 2008
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Rating: A
Sensuality: Warm

Into the Fire is the thirteenth book in Suzanne Brockmann’s Troubleshooter series. The main characters are Hannah and Vihn Murphy. Vihn is accused of killing Tim Ebersol who was the neo-Nazi leader of the cult, Freedom Network. Murphy’s wife Angelina had died by Ebersol’s hand in the book Hot Target. She was brutally gunned down to set an example and it affected Murphy and the rest of the Troubleshooter’s team, as to be expected. Murphy has always been friends with Hannah since they were teenagers. He has had feelings for her even before he met Angelina. After being accused of Ebersol’s murder, he is determined to keep Hannah safe.

Ms. Brockmann is a consummate story teller and Into the Fire is no exception. She has left nothing out in this story. She has grabbed the readers’ attention and not let go. I love the depth at which she delves into each and every character. She also has the art of conversation down to absolute perfection. There is a lot going on in this book; Vihn and Hannah’s relationship, Izzy and Eden’s, Decker, Dave and Sophia’s and Nash and Tess’s. The stress level is very high for everyone and emotions are extremely volatile. Many of these relationships are at a breaking point.

Izzy is an absolutely wonderful character and I cannot get enough of him. He is uncouth and says what is on his mind, but beneath that lackadaisical demeanor is a man with a heart of gold. What amazes me is that he is a knight in shining armor, but none of his friends realize this. He keeps his heart of gold hidden beneath his sarcastic demeanor and doesn’t care what his friends think of him. As a matter of fact, he is happy to let them think the worst, while he does his best to act in a manner that is so by the book and following a strict code of honor. I absolutely loved his relationship with Eden and felt that it overshadowed Vihn and Hannah’s story. Vihn and Hannah just had so much baggage it was easier for me, and more enjoyable for me, to take a time out with Izzy and Eden.

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Review - All Through the Night

Title: All Through the Night
Author: Suzanne Brockmann
Publishing Date: 2007
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Rating: B
Sensuality: Kisses

All Through the Night is book 12 in the Troubleshooter series. Jules and Robin are getting married. Only, the thing is that nothing seems to be going right. Their old Victorian house has bats in the attic and doorknobs that keep falling off the doors, which in turns leads to someone getting locked in a room and a pesky reporter who wants the dirt on their upcoming nuptials. One thing is clear though – that Robin and Jules are completely head over heals in love with each other. Nothing is going to stand in their way of getting married.

All Through the Night is such a treat for fans of Jules Cassidy. Since he first appeared in the series in The Defiant Hero, he has played a large role in each book. His spunky, fun personality has kept readers wishing and hoping that he finally get his own happy-ever-after. Now that Robin has gotten his act together Jules does. Robin has accepted his sexuality. He has also entered rehab and has been successfully staying sober. He is determined to be the man he wants to be for Jules. Their wedding is so sweet and very touching. Brockmann really sold me that these two will make their marriage a success.

There is also a small secondary romance between a reporter Will Schroder and Robin’s assistant Dolphina Patel. This romance was less than spectacular. It is one of those love-at-first-site romances, which I think is a total cop out on Brockmann’s part. The twist, in this case, is that Will is forced to make some very horrid choices and ends up hurting Jules and Robin. Dolphina with good reason wants nothing to do with him. This book was really too short to properly develop their relationship.

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Force of Nature

Title: Force of Nature
Author: Suzanne Brockmann
Publishing Date: 2007
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Rating: B+

Force of Nature is Suzanne Brockmann’s tenth book in her Troubleshooter series. Private detective Ric Alvarado, along with his new receptionist Annie Dugan, stumble into a dangerous situation when they take a new case for a client. What they thought was a cut and dry missing person case turns into something more sinister with mob and terrorist dealings. Ric and Annie team up with Jules Cassidy and the FBI on a high profile case to stop a dangerous al-Qaeda terrorist from entering the United States via Gordon Burns, the local mob boss.

Annie and Ric have known each other since they were eleven and fifteen respectively. Secretly, they have been in love with each other. Ric has quit the police force and opened up his own private detective agency. Annie has just recently had her best friend die of cancer. She was living in New England but moves back down to Florida to get away from the memories. She takes a job at Ric’s agency thinking she is his partner, when he thinks she is more like his receptionist. Annie doesn’t want to be a receptionist and sit behind a desk all day pushing papers. To say Ric and Annie don’t see eye to eye would be an understatement. They are constantly at each others throats. Really, their bickering is just a front to hide their true feelings for each other. While most of the time this was funny to read, sometimes it got a little tedious. One thing that I really like about them as a couple though, is that they always talk their problems out. There are no big misunderstandings between them.

The second story arc in this book is between Jules Cassidy and Robin Chadwick. Jules and Robin started their story arc in Hot Target. They have a history together, but haven’t seen each other in years. Their relationship is so bittersweet. They love each other so much but Robin has a slew of problems. He is an actor and doesn’t want to come out of the closet for fear it will ruin his career. He is terribly lonely and drowns his sorrow in alcohol. He won’t admit he has a problem and that he is an alcoholic. Jules knows Robin is bad news, but he can’t help who he loves. As bad as Robin sounds, I still can’t help but like him. He is a very charismatic guy, and very likable. He makes some terrible choices that ultimately end up hurting him and those he loves.

This book is action packed with plenty of suspense. The pacing is fast and doesn’t let up. Force of Nature is another solid book in the Troubleshooter series.

Review - Into the Storm

Title: Into the Storm
Author: Suzanne Brockmann
Publishing Date: 2006
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Rating: B+
Sensuality: Warm

Into the Storm is book ten in Suzanne Brockmann’s Troubleshooter series. Mark Jenkins, of Navy SEAL’s Team Sixteen is asked to work side by side Lindsey Fontaine, former cop and now employee of Troubleshooters Inc. Troubleshooters Inc. was started by former Team Sixteen captain Tom Paoletti. He is pitting his employees against the new captain and his team of SEALs in a training op exercise. Lindsey and Mark will be working together to set things up between the teams. Lindsey and Mark are instantly attracted to each other. The rest of the plot is rather complicated and I am not going to go into all the details. I will say that the summary on the back of the book is a little misleading. The hostage situation with the receptionist Tracy doesn’t actually take place until about 250 pages into the story.

Ms. Brockmann is the queen of great dialogue and there is no shortage of conversations worth quoting. Whether the conversation takes place between couples or SEAL buddies, Brockmann gets it right every time. Her characters seem so REAL. Izzy especially stole the show with his antics and one-liners.

I had mixed feelings about Lindsey and Mark’s relationship. On the one hand, they made a really cute couple and had some very funny, tender moments together. On the other hand when Mark came on too strong, I would cringe right along with Lindsey. With her hang-up about relationships, she did the only thing she knew how which was to push him away. But Mark being a navy SEAL knows nothing of failure, so persistence played a major part of his strategy.

There is a lot going on in this book. There are multiple plot lines involving Sophia and Decker and Izzy and Tracy. There is also a suspense plot involving a sociopath. All these plots were very interesting, yet I thought they took to much attention away from Lindsey and Mark. I still really enjoyed the story and couldn’t turn the pages fast enough, but after finishing the book, I can’t help but feel that Lindsey and Mark got short changed a little. It could be because their story hadn’t appeared in any of the previous books. For those of you new to this series, I think Into the Storm can be read without reading any of the other previous books in the series. I will say that Sophia and Decker have appeared in Flashpoint. However, Brockmann does a good job of catching the reader up without a bunch of info dumping.

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Review – Breaking Point

Title: Breaking Point
Author: Suzanne Brockmann
Publishing Date: 2005
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Rating: A
Sensuality: Warm

*Warning, You must read the books Over the Edge and Out of Control before reading this book!

Breaking Point is book nine in Brockmann’s Troubleshooter series. Finally, fans get to finish Gina and Max’s and Molly and Jone’s stories. At the beginning of the story, Max receives an email stating that Gina has been the victim of a terrorist bombing in Germany. He flies there to identify the body and bring it back, only to discover the body is not Gina. Thus begins an investigation that Jules and Max undergo to find out what happened to Gina.

Man, this book was so good. Right from the beginning it took a hold of me and did not let up one iota throughout the story. That surprised me too, because I was hesitant to start this book. It just seemed like I wasn’t going to like it and boy was I wrong. It is very intense. I am not going to lie to you. This is not a light romance. It is heavy and in some places, very dark. Brockmann does a good job of not letting the reader get too overwhelmed with the darkness and interjects with happier moments.

What I really enjoyed the most was the range of emotions Brockmann was able to evoke and the intensity with which I felt them. The joy and elation when Molly and Jones finally unite; the sorrow and regret when Max thinks Gina is dead and there are so many more ups and downs and twists and turns. The reader is in for quite a treat with this story. As harsh as the trip is for these couples to reach their happy ever after, it is all so much sweeter when they finally do reach it. I loved this book and I will be so sad when I finally catch up to the current book in this series. Brockmann is a genius.

Review - Hot Target

Title: Hot Target
Author: Suzanne Brockmann
Publishing Date: January 2005
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Rating: A-
Sensuality: Warm

Cosmo Rictor, a US Navy SEAL of Team Sixteen, is taking a month of leave time to care for his mother after she falls and breaks both of her wrists. While on this “vacation” he contacts his former captain Tom Paoletti to see about a temporary job at Troubleshooters Inc. Tom has just the assignment for him. J. Mercedes Chadwick (Jane) is producing a very controversial WWII movie involving homosexuality. She has received several death threats the FBI is taking very seriously. The production company HeartBeat hires Troubleshooter Inc. to provide protection for Jane.

At first Jane repels Cosmo and quite frankly, I don’t blame him. She is a selfish manipulative bitch. She screws up big time at a press conference and she and Cosmo go head to head about it afterwards. I thought to myself, “Oh no! How is Brockmann going to fix this? These two are supposed to be lovers, yeah Cosmo thinks Jane is hot, but she is a total bitch. Cripes! How is this going to work?” Well, I needn’t have worried. Brockmann pulls Jane’s head out of her ass and makes everything better – much better. Jane’s abrasiveness and sarcasm turns to quirkiness and sensitivity. She becomes a charming, likable person. When they finally do get to their happy ever after, it is very touching and sweet. It’s a totally big sappy *sigh* moment.

In addition to Jane and Cosmo’s relationship there is a side story arc with Jules, his former lover Adam and Jane’s brother Robin. Robin and Adam are playing the lead roles in Jane’s production. They are both vying for Jules’s attention in a twisted love triangle. This was absolutely riveting and heartbreaking to read. Jules has appeared in previous books in this series. He is usually a funny upbeat character, but in this story we see how sad and unhappy he is with his life. Robin and Adam each have problems of their own and compound Jules’s unhappiness. This story arc is not completely wrapped up at the end of Hot Target. Not to worry, Jules gets his happy ever after later on in this series.

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Review - Flashpoint

Title: Flashpoint
Author: Suzanne Brockmann
Publishing Date: April 2004
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Rating: B+
Sensuality: Warm

Flashpoint is book seven of Brockmann’s Troubleshooter Series. This is the story of Jimmy Nash and Tess Bailey. Tom Paoletti, a former US Navy SEAL has started his own business Troubleshooters Inc. – an agency designed to help anyone in need (secretly specializing in covert operations). Nash and Tess are assigned to Larry Decker's (Deck) team to retrieve a laptop from a known Al-Qaeda terrorist who has died in an earthquake in Kazbekistan.

The beauty of Brockmann’s stories is the complexity of her characters. In the beginning of this book it was very hard to like Jimmy Nash. He is so afraid of emotions and feelings that he closes himself off from everyone around him; even his best friend Decker. He is afraid of intimacy with a woman and only has one night stands and lots of them. This is typically not the type of hero I like to root for. But, he is not one-dimensional. He also tends to collect a motley crew of unfortunates and does everything he can to help them. He is a complicated man who doesn’t think he deserves any chance at real happiness. It was a joy to see him grow emotionally through his relationship with Tess and Decker; to become the kind of man you can really stand up and cheer.

Tess was a pleasant surprise. She has a lot of courage and was very resourceful in tight situations. I was with Nash, always underestimating her and then she would turn around and surprise me (Nash too). I liked how she didn’t play games and she forced Nash to be honest with her and himself.

Even Decker, who is portrayed (at least through Nash’s eyes) as a stand up guy, makes some really poor, bone-headed decisions. I just had to shake my head at his lack of pitiful judgment. But, then he goes and surprises me by learning from his mistakes and he fully redeems himself. Decker and Sophia Ghaffari begin their story arc in this book and I wonder if they will eventually get their own book. Sophia is another great character. She is so strong and courageous. She really stunned me by surviving what she has gone through and her willingness to help Decker’s team. Another great addition to the Troubleshooter series. On to the next book we go.

Review - Gone Too Far

 

Title: Gone Too Far
Author: Suzanne Brockmann
Publishing Date: 2003
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Rating: A-
Sensuality: Warm

*Note* Do not even think of starting with this book. You must read the other books in the series first. Click here for the reading order.

Gone Too Far begins about six months after the previous book Into the Night ends, with the assassination attempt on the President’s life during a SEAL demonstration at the Coronado naval base. Tom Paoletti’s Navy SEAL Team Sixteen prevented the success of that terrorist attempt. Mary Lou Starrett, Sam’s wife, knows who the terrorists are and runs to Sarasota in an attempt to flee for her and her daughter’s safety.

Gone Too Far had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. The action or suspense starts very quickly in the beginning, with Sam’s discovery of a dead female body in his wife’s home and no sign of his two year old daughter Hailey. He assumes it is his wife Mary Lou. Meanwhile, Tom Paoletti is being brought in for “questioning” concerning the attack in Coronado. He is in danger of being arrested for providing assistance to known terrorists, conspiracy to assassinate the President and Treason. So basically, the shit is hitting the fan. Max Bhaght, of the FBI, is called in to handle the situation with Paoletti and Starrett. Max heads down to Sarasota, which is where Gina Vitagliano is also staying at the same time. Gina and Max’s story arc first started in the book Over the Edge, and continues throughout this book, as well.

There is a quote from Linda Howard on the cover of Gone Too Far, which I think sums up my feelings perfectly. “At last! Sam and Alyssa’s book!...There’s everything anyone could want: action, danger, suspense, passion and tears.”

I was very happy for Sam and Alyssa to finally get their happily ever after. Brockmann gives the reader more background on Sam and Alyssa. Sam, I think, is more developed than Alyssa. The only thing I didn’t like was that Alyssa, at times, could be down right nasty and cruel to Sam. She would say the most vicious things to him, practically shredding him to little pieces. She would show him compassion too, but man, when she wanted to wound him, she did not hesitate and would hit below the belt. Sam is great though. I loved his character, faults and all. His back story is just heartbreaking. Then, at the end of the book, when he declares his love for Alyssa, it is so, so good. I just loved it. *Sigh*

Suzanne Brockmann's Troubleshooter Series

 

I just finished up the book Gone Too Far by Suzanne Brockmann, which is book six of her Troubleshooter series. This series has been awesome so far. It is absolutely incredible. Brockmann has created the most unnervingly, realistic characters I have ever encountered in a romance series. As a matter of fact, it is hard to imagine her characters as just that; they seem more like real people than fictional ones. She has delivered time and again for me. All her books have received no less than a B rating from me. The weakest book was Into the Night and even at her weakest she is still a strong storyteller. These books definitely need to be read in order because some of the storylines continue from story to story. Each book has a soap opera feel to it with the interwoven story threads but all the storylines are most entertaining and interesting. I highly recommend this series whole-heartedly. You won’t be disappointed. Here is the reading order:

Book 1: The Unsung Hero
Book 2: The Defiant Hero
Book 3: Over the Edge
Book 4: Out of Control
Book 5: Into the Night
Book 6: Gone Too Far
Book 7: Flashpoint
Book 8: Hot Target
Book 9: Breaking Point
Book 10: Into the Storm
Book 11: Force of Nature
Book 12: All through the Night
Book 13: Into the Fire
Book 14: Dark of Night
Book 15: Hot Pursuit
Book 16: Last one of the series for a while. Finish Izzy and Gillman's story arcs

She also has The Reader’s Guide to the Troubleshooter Series, which details each book and the characters in the book along with a map of each story arc. You can check it out here.

Review - Into the Night

Title: Into the Night
Author: Suzanne Brockmann
Publishing Date: December 2002
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Rating: C
Sensuality: Warm

Into the Night is book 5 of the Troubleshooter Series. Mike Muldoon, with a face like an angel and a body of a warrior, is Joan DaCosta’s SEAL liaison for a presidential visit. Joan, who is a White House staffer, is seven years his senior and quite hung up on that fact, even though it doesn’t seem to bother Muldoon. Mike wants to impress Joan and see if he can take their relationship past the “friend” level. This is a challenge for Mike because he has never had to pursue a woman before. Usually they, proposition him and he says either “yes” or “no”.

I am having a really hard time rating this one. I am not sure how I feel about it. The first four books in this series are really top notch. They are excellent stories with compelling characters that are so hard to put down once you’ve started reading them. This book, on the other hand was difficult for me to get into. I was more than halfway through the book before I really felt enticed to finish reading it. Part of the problem for me was that I don’t particularly care for stories where the heroine is older than the hero. Call me old fashioned, but I get hung up on that. It’s silly. Yes, I know.

Another reason is that the side stories were not all that interesting and dragged a bit. Mary Lou Starrett, Sam’s wife, has a large roll as a secondary character. I have mixed feelings about this part of the book. Her story is very depressing, and has no true closure at the end. That was very frustrating for me, but I did like her growth as a person. I went from not liking her at all, to feeling sorry for her, to wanting her to get her “happy ever after” too.

Also, we don’t really get much background on Joan or Mike. A lot of time is spent focusing on their hang-ups (mainly the age difference). It is not until the last quarter of the story that we start to get a glimpse of Mike’s background. There were some issues with Joan’s family (mainly her father) that were only scratched on the surface. I would have liked for there to have been more about their backgrounds.

Even with all these problems, Brockmann is still a top notch writer and I still can’t wait to read the next book in the series. I do hope it’s a little better than this one.

Review - Out of Control

Title: Out of Control
Author: Suzanne Brockmann
Publishing Date: March 2002
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Rating: B+
Sensuality: Hot

Out of Control is book four of Brockmann’s Team Sixteen Navy SEAL series. Let me tell you what a wonderful series this is. The first three books in this series are very hard to top, but this book, I am happy to say, lives up to my expectations. Savannah von Hopf, a lawyer back east, who is a bit of a control freak, has to deliver a ransom for her Uncle Alex. Alex is being held hostage in Jakarta. She gets the name Ken “WildCard” Karmody from Adele, with whom she knew back in college, in the hopes that he will come with her to drop off the ransom. This is a road romance with opposites attracting.

Out of Control is actually not just Ken and Savannah’s story, but three other stories as well. First, there is the continuation of Alyssa Locke and Roger “Sam” Starrett’s story. Then there is Savannah’s grandmother’s double spy story. Finally, there are the two new characters: Molly and Jones. The previous SEAL books in this series were written the same way; stories within a story. Brockmann’s ability to tell a story and grab the reader by pulling them deeply into the story is phenomenal. Normally during a book if I am pulled away from the main story line I get irritated and immediately want to skip the boring parts and get back to the good stuff. I don’t know how she does it, but this doesn’t happen when reading a Brockmann novel (out of the 4 that I have read). Reading her book is sort of like watching a soap opera with all the different storylines. As soon as you are engrossed in so-n-so’s story they up and flip over to someone else. Brockmann’s books are the same way. The beauty of Brockmann’s book is that I am equally engrossed in all of the aspects. I can’t seem to turn the pages fast enough.

There was one small part of the book toward the end that made me want to throw the book at the wall. This is why I rated the book a B+ instead of an A (which is what I rated the three previous books in this series). One of the characters (I’ll not be naming names) really just had one of those special bonehead moments. They did something that I felt the author would really be hard pressed to resolve. She did resolve it, but I felt it was more or less quickly skimmed over and so it was a let down for me in the end.