Review: Troubleshooters Series #16 Breaking the Rules

Two things to remember from previous books:

1. At the end of Book 15: Hot Pursuit, Dan Gillman tells Jennilyn LeMay that he loves her, but Jenni doesn't believe it's real. "If you really do," she tells him, "then call me when you get back from Afghanistan." 
2. Also, from Book 13: Into the Fire, Izzy Zanella married Dan's sister, Eden because she was pregnant. Not with his child but someone else's. After a miscarriage, Eden left Izzy and refuses to see him, no matter how many time Izzy goes to Germany to see her. 

Synopsis:
Dan is seriously injured in Afghanistan. Izzy uses some heroics to save him, coming close to death himself, and the two of them are recovering in Germany. When Jenni gets word of Dan's injury she immediately flies to his side. Izzy makes another attempt to see Eden, and when her roommate turns him away one more time, he finally realizes that it's time for him to move on.

Meanwhile, Eden is now back in the States dancing as a stripper in Las Vegas. The money is good and she needs all the money she can get in order keep her younger brother, Ben, from being sent away. Ben is 15 and gay and his abusive step-father is going to send him to a Christian camp in an attempt to "pray the gay away".

While at the local mall, Ben approaches Neesha, a young homeless girl that he's seen in the same clothes and eating the leftovers of others. Eventually, Neesha tells Ben that she's escaped from a child prostitution ring and she knows there are bad men out there looking for her.

When Ben is taken to the "gay camp" and nearly dies due to diabetic complications, Dan, Jenni, Izzy and Eden team together in an attempt to gain custody from Dan and Eden's waste of a mother and loser of a step-father. They also look for Neesha to protect her, but Nessha doesn't know whom to trust. The men from the prostitution ring spot Neesha and give chase. Eden makes a distraction and Neesha gets away, but the men now know the group has information they need and things go from bad to worse.

My Response:
I found it annoying that the two couples, Dan/Jenni and Izzy/Eden, don't want to admit they love each other. Or, they think the other doesn't love them as much, so they're just not going to say anything. Of course, neither of these couples know the other very well, so maybe it's for the best, but they just keep second guessing themselves.

I thought there was a little less action in this book, but we get to hear a lot about how Dan and Eden grew up and the things they went through. We learn why Dan is so hard on Eden and doesn't trust her as well. I'd actually be interested in a story about Ben and/or Neesha when they get a little older. I could see Neesha becoming a strong female character like Alyssa Locke.

Overall Enjoyment: 3.5
Language: Yes
Explicit: Yes
Age Appropriate: 21+

Review: Troubleshooters Series #15: Hot Pursuit

I'm getting to close to the end of this series and I'm not sure what to do when I'm done. It's been a great series!

Synopsis:

Troubleshooter Alyssa Locke has been trying to catch a serial killer known as "The Dentist" for years. The Dentist, known for keeping the teeth of his victims, has resurfaced and is doing everything he can to lure Alyssa to the scene of his crimes so that he can make her his next victim. What begins as an easy lesson in security for an assemblywoman quickly becomes dangerous for not only Alyssa, but also for Jennilyn, the assemblywoman's chief of staff.

Dan "Gilligan" Gilman is assigned to protect Jenni and they both quickly agree to two weeks of great sex with the understanding that they'll both just walk away when Dan goes wheels up. It sounds like a good plan in the beginning, but can they really just walk away?

My Response:

This was a great thriller. I really wasn't sure who The Dentist was going to be as Brockmann cleverly had you believing it could be any one of three suspects. The assignment really starts off as a kind of vacation for the group, and when they discover there is a real threat, several characters that we know and love are brought into the story. 

As Jules Cassidy enters the story, Robin comes too (because he is safe with Jules than away from) and ends up taking care of Alyssa and Sam's son, Ashton. Not only does this keep Ash well cared for, it also helps keep Robin sober as it's been announced that Jules and Alyssa will soon be leaving for Afghanistan. Robin can't even bear to think of the possibility of something happening to Jules. With the birth of their son, Alyssa and Sam now have to address the fact that they can't afford to go on dangerous missions together. I sense there may be a change of career for one or both of them in the future.

Jenni and Gilman's story ended a little differently than I expected, but I appreciate the way Brockmann wrote it. This series has created its own little world and endings are not always neat and tidy. Gilman is a bit of a jerk, but he's still very likable and you want to believe he's sincere by the end of the book. I guess we'll find out in the next one, which I'm downloading from the library right now.

Overall Enjoyment: 4.5

Language: Yes

Explicit: Yes

Age Appropriate: 21+

Review: Troubleshooters Series #14: Dark of Night

Synopsis:
The Troubleshooters are reeling after the loss of one of their own. Led by Navy SEAL Lawrence Decker, a team of investigators, including my favorite, Jules Cassidy, former CIA operative Dave Malkoff, Sophia Ghaffari, Tess Bailey and even receptionist Tracy Shapiro, band together to uncover the truth regarding The Agency, a black-ops sector that will stop at nothing to achieve their objective.

When Decker barely escapes an attempt on his life, it becomes clear that the hunters have become the hunted, and the Troubleshooters are no longer just solving a crime, they are also fighting for survival.

My Response:
This book is getting a lot of bashing on Amazon. There's a lot of complaints about characters changing personalities. I don't know, it really didn't feel that way to me. Okay, so Tracy is a little smarter now. Is that really so hard to believe? I couldn't work the office phone system either after being there for 4 years, but I had the smarts to figure other things out. Maybe she really buckled down and learned some things.

It seemed like so much was happening and I really wasn't sure what was going to happen. Seriously, Suzanne Brockmann changed things up on us. And finally, Decker finds some peace.

Overall Enjoyment: 4
Language: Yes
Explicit: Yes
Age Appropriate: 21+

Review: Troubleshooters Series #13: Into the Fire

Synopsis:
Vinh Murphy has been MIA ever since his wife, Angelina, was caught in the crossfire of a routine security assignment gone bad.  (See Book 8: Hot Target) Swamped by his grief, Murphy basically keeps himself in an alcohol-induced haze.

Hannah is a former cop, now deaf from an injury sustained on duty. She and Murphy have always been "just friends". And even though Hannah is the one who introduced Murphy to Angelina, she's always had feelings for him. Murphy seeks solace in Hannah's arms and is completely guilt ridden. In fact, Hannah's not sure she'll ever see him again. Finally, after several months, Murphy has decided to re-enter the land of the living and comes to Hannah. Things are easy with Hannah and Murphy finds his attraction to her growing. When it's announced that the leader of Freedom Network, a neo-nazi group that Murphy blames for Angelina's death, is dead and the FBI thinks he may have pulled the trigger, Murphy and Hannah set off to investigate because Murphy honestly cannot remember the last few months of his life. He thought about killing the leader many times. Did he actually do it?

Secondary Story:
Irving "Izzy" Zanella gets involved with Danny Gilman's younger sister, Eden. In fact, she's not even 18. Okay, it's the day before her birthday, but she's still much younger than Izzy. When Eden turns up pregnant six months later and is claiming Izzy to be the father, Gilman goes crazy as Izzy steps up and marries her. As Eden thinks Izzy is going wheels up, she discovers damaging footage of herself on the Internet. Izzy has been nothing my nice to Eden, but Eden leaves him before he can leave her.

And throughout all of this investigation and searching (oh yes, some of the group is taken) Nash and Tess are fighting. In fact, Nash is almost telling Tess to leave him. It's clear to Decker that he's hiding something, but Decker is so twisted inside about what happened between him and Sophia way back in Book 7: Flashpoint, that he hardly even speaks to Nash anymore.


My Response:
Wow. This story had some heartbreaking parts. First, Murphy is just a mess and you feel for this big, tough guy who just doesn't have an idea on how to heal after Angelina's death. The Troubleshooters are called in and there's a heart-pounding confrontation with members of Freedom Network as you wait to hear who's still standing. And I'm still not sure how I feel about it.


Overall Enjoyment: 4.5
Language: Yes
Explicit: Yes
Age Appropriate 21+

Review: A Lesson in Trust by Jennifer Connors

The Lesson Series by Jennifer Connors is an interesting idea. THIS book, A Lesson in Trust, is actually Book 6 of the series. The basic premise of the series is this:

Ginny and her friend finally go on a vacation. Although she's not a romance book reader, Ginny is persuaded by her friend, Lisa, to pack several romance books for the trip. Good thing she has them, because everything that can go wrong on a trip does. The resort is hosting the Gay and Lesbian Alliance, so there's a serious shortage of straight men. Ginny gets sick and lands in bed for three days. As she finally emerges from her room, a storm comes through knocking out power to the resort. After several miserables days, Ginny and Lisa finally give up and head home. They're almost home when Bam! they are hit by a truck. This is when the interesting part starts.

Ginny "wakes up" to find herself in another woman's body, in Scotland and in Medieval Times! Ginny quickly catches on that this isn't really real and that she's living in a romance novel. Surely, as soon as she finds the hero she's supposed to fall in love with and him with her, everything will be okay and she'll be herself again. But just as they fall in love and make that true heartfelt connection, Ginny's version blurs and she leaves that stranger's body and the man she just fell in love with. The next time Ginny wakes up, it's a different book with a completely different time period and with different characters and circumstances. 

While all of the heroes became likable, there's been a couple of times that I was really disappointed that it wasn't the end. The first was with Colby in Book 3, A Lesson in Patience. Oh, I really liked Colby! Colby was a rancher in 19th century America forced to care for his siblings after his parents are tragically killed. He's bitter and angry, but Ginny helps him to heal.

I started this series so long ago, that I can't go back and review them all. All in all, they've all been enjoyable and it's been a fun series to read. 

So now, Book 6: A Lesson in Trust...

 

Synopsis:

Ginny's new persona must live in the shadow of scandal created by her parents. She is sent to live with an Uncle in far north England. Her uncle unexpectedly disappears on a trip, but his wife, Olivia, agrees to let Ginny stay. It becomes clear early on that Olivia's brother, Michael,  is destined to become Ginny's love interest. Olivia is less than thrilled and as strange events happen to Ginny that make everyone question her sanity, Ginny and Michael seek to find out who is behind it all. Could it possibly be Olivia?

My Response:

This is the second time I've wanted the series to just end. I would have been happy with Ginny staying with Michael. He believed in her sanity and there was just something about him. I have no idea how many books will be in this series, but I'm very curious to see how it's going to finally end. I will admit, it's becoming frustrating. You just want Ginny to find her happiness! 

Overall Enjoyment: 3.5
Language: Mild
Explicit: Yes
Age Appropriate: 21+

Review: Troubleshooters Series: # 11 and #12

These two books in the Troubleshooters Series just seem to go hand-in-hand. I just had to read #12: All Through the Night immediately after #11: Forces of Nature.

Force of Nature (Troubleshooters, Book 11)
Synopsis:
Former cop turned private eye Ric Alvarado isn't doing too well on his own. His life is out of control and his new assistant, Annie Dugan, is more interested in be a field agent than receptionist. As she is the younger sister of a childhood friend, Ric tries to ignore the sparks between them. As one of Ric's clients turns femme fatale and tries to gun down an innocent man, Ric comes to the rescue only to find out that he saved the life of the son of crime boss, Gordon Burns. Ric and Annie are soon both undercover as they try to bring Burns down.

FBI Agent Jules Cassidy has been trying to prove that Burns is tied to terrorist activity. Thanks to Ric and Annie, Jules finally has a way into the notorious crime boss' organization. In the course of the investigation, Jules finds himself face to face with movie star Robin Chadwick, who, while charismatic and handsome, is also self-destructive and still in the closet regarding his sexuality. And Jules is powerfully attracted to him.

With Jules and Robin's help, Ric and Annie are soon entrenched in Burns' organization and surrounded by killer who may have already killed and FBI infiltrator.

My Response:
This is another story where the main characters' story (Ric and Annie) becomes secondary to me. I was so much more interested in Jules and Robin! Some might be turned off by two gay characters falling in love, but I think Suzanne Brockmann does a great job of it. Robin's life is a complete mess and Jules is just the cool and collected guy that takes care of business. Jules is one of my favorite characters and you just want things to work out for him. I love that Jules has established a relationship with best friend Alyssa's husband, Sam. The two are such opposites, but it's clear that they've become close friends in their own right. Robin makes a huge, grand gesture at the end and hopefully, he can get his act together.

Overall Enjoyment: 4.5
Language: Yes
Explicit: Yes
Age Appropriate: 21+ 




All Through the Night (Troubleshooters, Book 12)
I finished Book 11 and immediately downloaded Book 12 from the library. I just couldn't wait to read Jules' story!

Synopsis:
Robin and Jules are getting married. Of course the guest list is made up of a long line of close friends from the FBI, SEAL Team Sixteen and the Troubleshooters. Good thing too, because Jules ex, Adam, shows up with complaints of a stalker. Adam also makes a play for Robin, which makes Jules less than happy. But, through several mishaps with home renovations, a reporter looking for a scoop and Adam causing trouble, Jules and Robin are determined to have their happy day.

While on assignment, Jules in serious danger. With the help of the nosy reporter, they work to communicate across the globe to get Jules out. Can Robin really stay sober when there's always the possibility of Jules not coming home from work?

My Response:
I thought this was a little more of a fluff book. Not complaining, because I was glad to read a little lighter story.

Overall Enjoyment: 4
Language: Yes
Explicit: Hmm...I can't remember. Probably?
Age Appropriate: 21+

Review: Troubleshooters Series #10: Into the Storm

You'd think by Book 10 I'd be looking for something else to read, but I just can't get enough of this Suzanne Brockmann series. When I realized what was going on in this book, Into the Storm, it kind of creeped me out, but this is another great suspenseful story.

Synopsis:
The guys from Troubleshooters, Inc. are going head-to-head with a team of Navy SEALs in a mock training exercise. While playing the role of hostage, the Troubleshooters' new receptionist, Tracy Shapiro, vanishes.

SEAL, Mark "Jenk" Jenkins had a one night fling with former cop turned Troubleshooter, Lindsey Fontaine. Both wanting to ignore the other, Jenk and Lindsey must set aside their feelings and team up to find Tracy in the New Hampshire wilderness as a record breaking snowstorm approaches. As they discover a brutally murdered young woman wearing Tracy's jacket, Jenk and Lindsey realize Tracy may be in the hands of a serial killer.

My Response:
Good and creepy. The serial killer in this story is not your average serial killer if such a thing can be said. Rather than doing the killing himself, he puts his victims together and waits for one to kill the other.

Overall Enjoyment: 4
Language: Yes
Explicit: Yes
Age Appropriate: 21+ years old

Review: Troubleshooters Series #9: Breaking Point

Ever since Suzanne Brockmann's third book of the series Over the Edge, I've been waiting and hoping for this book.

Synopsis:
Max Bhagat, FBI commander, pushes himself to the limit and puts nothing ahead of his work, including his feelings for Gina Vitagliano. Having met Gina many years ago when Max served as negotiator as Gina was held hostage on a plane, Max has buried his attraction to her. Not to mention he's about 20 years her senior. But when Max receives the shocking news of Gina's death, there's no question that he will investigate her death himself. As he arrives to the scene of Gina's death, Max discovers that Gina is still alive and proceeds to do everything in his power to find her.

Gina is in Southeast Asia with Molly Anderson, who we met in Out of Control, Book 4. She's with Molly in the same little village working as a relief worker. Gina and Molly soon both find themselves being used as bait in a deadly trap against Grady Morant, a.k.a "Jones", whom Molly loves.

Max and Jones find each other and team up, with FBI agent Jules Cassidy as their only backup, in an attempt to make a deal with the devil and get Gina and Molly back.

My Response:
Wow, I liked this book. There's something about Max that I've always loved. He's always on top of his game, never looking ruffled and never breaking a sweat. It was great to see Max become a little more human and finally confront rather than run from his feelings. Gina is a strong young woman who has always known what and who she's wanted.

And again, we have more Jules helping to save the day. He's a great character!


Overall Enjoyment: 4.5
Language: Yes
Explicit: Yes
Age Appropriate: 21+ years old.

Review: Troubleshooters Series #8: Hot Target

Hot Target is another great book by Suzanne Brockmann in the Troubleshooter Series. And this one sets up some characters that we'll be seeing in future books.

Synopsis: 
Jane Chadwick is a high-profile movie producer in LA working on a film that portrays the homosexuality of a real-life hero during World War II. A group of extremists known as the Freedom Network is pressuring Jane to abandon the project. As the harassment turns to death threats, Troubleshooters, Inc. is called in to provide round-the-clock security.

Navy SEAL Chief Cosmo Richter finds himself facing a month's leave with little to do. As he's never really learned how to just take a vacation, he offers his services to Troubleshooters, Inc. and ends up in LA protecting Jane, which she fights the entire time.

Starring in Jane's movie is her brother, Robin Chadwick, who is in denial with regard to his messed up life. Robin meets with openly gay FBI agent, Jules Cassidy, in an attempt to research the gay community. Suddenly, and seemingly out of the blue, Jules' ex-lover, Adam, walks back into Jules' life and turns him upside-down. Jules knows Adam is trouble, but he just has a hard time staying away from him. Jules suggests Adam for the co-starring role in Jane's movie, and after Adam gets the part a tense dynamic begins between Jules, Adam and Robin. Robin, who Jules finds himself attracted to. Robin, who is straight.

My Response:
Even though Jane and Cosmo are the focus of this book, I was really drawn to the story between Robin, Adam and Jules. I love Jules' character and I'm hoping he gets a book of his own. Robin is very likable and his life becomes a little more out of control as the book goes on.

There's a tragic event that takes place in this book which, as surprising as it was, I appreciate Brockmann writing it as she did. These SEALs and protectors are in a dangerous business and to gloss over the danger and not have anyone ever get hurt is unbelievable. The tragic event added a realism that made the story even better.

Overall Enjoyment: 4
Language: Yes
Explicit: Yes
Age Appropriate: 21+ years old

Review: Truths and Roses by Inglath Cooper

I like to browse free and cheap books on Amazon. When doing so one night, I found Truths and Roses by Inglath Cooper for 99 cents. You can't go wrong with that.

Synopsis:
Will Kincaid was the kid everyone always wanted to be around. A professional football star, he suffers a career-ending football injury and heads back to his small hometown of Lake Perdue to recuperate and figure out the next stage of his life.

Hannah Jacobs never left Lake Perdue. She is hiding a life-changing, traumatic experience from everyone she knows. She dresses plain, doesn't wear make-up and does everything she can to not be noticed. When Will, literally, runs into her, she conceals her identity so that Will will not recognize her. When he finally does, he wonders what happened to the girl he once knew and hasn't forgotten about.


My Response:
With reason, Hannah is definitely avoiding life. She hasn't dealt with the trauma from her past and she's just afraid to put herself out there. Her self-esteem is zero. After her truth comes out to Will, he takes action to make life in a small town a little easier for her and she is finally able to start getting the help she needs. In turn, Will has a secret of his own that most adults would be completely horrified to admit.  Hannah helps him to overcome his obstacle and they both begin to heal.

The events of their lives were very believable and handled in a real way. I wanted something "more" from them, however. More sorrow, anguish, something... But, I enjoyed the book. There's a good message of it's never to late to change your past and become the person you want to be.

Overall Enjoyment: 3
Language: I can't remember, so there must not be very much :)
Explicit: Not really. More suggestive than explicit.
Age: 17+

Review: Troubleshooters Series #7: Flashpoint

---Spoiler Alert in 1st paragraph---
Skip to Synopsis if you haven't read the first six books.

This book feels like the beginning of a new series. And in a way, it truly is. If you've read Suzanne Brockmann's first six books of the series, you'll remember how Tom Paoletti was basically run out of the SEALS on a rail. I'm still a little annoyed by all that transpired, but those events have led us to a new group of characters taking the limelight and to Paoletti's new business venture, Troubleshooters, Inc.

Synopsis:
Run by a former SEAL, Troubleshooters, Inc. helps anyone in desperate need - which provides a perfect cover for its other objective: covert special operations. An expert team is assembled to go into earthquake-ravaged Kazbekistan, under the guise of relief workers, to find a missing laptop computer that is believed to hold secrets vital to national security.

Jimmy Nash is a rule-breaker with secrets of his own, and is part of the team assembled together to retrieve the lost laptop. Also on that team and in the field for the first time, is Tess Bailey, the woman from the support staff he had a fling with and never called. Their attraction to each other is still deep, but they're in a volatile situation isolated from their own government and surround by people they can't trust. The last thing they need to do is act on their attraction. Tess is tired of being overlooked and is out to prove to the men around her that she is fully qualified and capable of being in the field.

We're also introduced to Lawrence Decker, who has just been briefly mentioned in the previous books. Deck is the leader of this group and has an unexpected encounter with Sophia, the widow of the owner of the laptop, that's throws him off balance.

My Response:
Flashpoint is a little different from the other books in the series, in that the romance part of the story is not the focus. And you know, that didn't bother me at all. The story is a really good story with action and suspense at every turn.

Overall Enjoyment: 4
Language: Yes
Explicit: Yes, but not as much as previous books in the series.
Age Appropriate: 21+

Review: Troubleshooters #6: Gone Too Far

If you've been reading this series by Suzanne Brockmann, finally...finally! We get to Sam's and Alyssa's story. I gotta tell ya, I really like Sam, aka Ringo, formerly known as Roger Starrett. All his many names are explained and Sam's back-story is something else. You really feel for this poor little lost kid, trying to be tough.

Alyssa Locke has her own struggles from a difficult childhood, and it's no wonder these two have had such a volatile and passionate relationship. They just can't trust each other! 

Synopsis:

Picking up where Book 5: Into the Night left off, Sam's soon-to-be ex-wife, Mary Lou, takes their daughter and runs off to Florida. As Sam shows up at Mary Lou's door, he finds his daughter is missing and a brutally murdered woman is laying on the floor. Alyssa Locke is assigned to help with the murder investigation, bringing her and Sam face to face once again. Unfortunately, Sam doesn't trust her and ends up on the wrong side of the law. Alyssa puts her career on the line as she tries to solve this case and gain Sam's trust.

In the historical story that is always present is this series, the love story between Sam's Uncle Walt, a Tuskegee airman and his Aunt Dot, a helicopter pilot, unfolds in a series of letters written during WWII. They struggle with the possible ramifications of being a bi-racial couple during a time of segregation.

The third story-line brings us back to Max Bhagat, FBI negotiator, and Gina Vitagliano, former hostage. Gina hasn't forgotten about Max and insists she's in love with him despite their 20 year age difference. Max insists that it isn't love, but rather transference as a result of being held hostage. Max, however, can't seem to forget about Gina either, and doesn't know what to make of that.

My Response:
I loved this book! Sam is an interesting character. Tough as nails, cocky and arrogant, he also feels his emotions deeply. A jerk, most of the time, he has a great sense of humor as well and just can't stop thinking about Alyssa. Alyssa is a strong woman keeping up her guard and having a hard time trusting someone that seems so completely out of control. The action and suspense of the story was great. I just wanted to sit and read all day.

Overall Enjoyment: 4.5
Language: Yes, it's Sam Starrett after all.
Explicit: Yes
Age Appropriate: 21+

Review: Troubleshooters Series Books 1-5

I started this book blog in the middle of Into the Night, book three in the Troubleshooters Series by Suzanne Brockmann. Since I just finished book five, now seemed like a good time to review the first few books in this series.

I love this series! The series revolves around the lives of Team Sixteen, an elite group of Navy SEALS. Each SEAL has a unique personality and interesting characteristics. Some are true golden boys, while others still struggle with their demons from the past.

In all of these books, Brockmann weaves additional historic stories that recount Nazi Germany or battles during World War II, with those characters becoming involved in the present-day story as well. Oft times, I wished the historic characters had a book of their own, as they were very intriguing.

The Unsung Hero (Troubleshooters, Book 1)
Story of Lieutenant Tom Paoletti who catches a glimpse of an international terrorist in his hometown as he is recovering from a near-fatal head injury. But, he can't trust himself to believe if what he sees is real or an injury-induced hallucination. Dr. Kelly Ashton is the girl he's always longed for.

The historical story is between Tom's uncle and Kelly's father, both struggling with the idea of being called heroes, as well as the loss of a woman they both cared for during World War II.

Overall Enjoyment: 3.5
Language: Yes
Explicit: Yes
Age Appropriate: 21+




The Defiant Hero (Troubleshooters, Book 2)
Meg Moore's daughter and grandmother have been kidnapped by extremists. Following the demands of the kidnappers, she is soon holding a foreign ambassador hostage. Found in a no-win situation, she requests former flame, Navy SEAL John Nilsson, to be called it to serve as negotiator.

The historical story is of Meg's grandmother, as she recounts the events of falling in love with her husband during WWII in an attempt to keep Meg's daughter calm.

This book has a third storyline that gives us great introduction to the tumultuous relationship between Roger "Sam" Starrett and Alyssa Locke. Sam and Alyssa's story was the one I really wanted to read about. I'm looking forward to more.

Overall Enjoyment: 3.5
Language: Yes
Explicit: Yes
Age Appropriate: 21+



Over the Edge (Troubleshooters, Book 3)
While on a simple training op for reserves, Lieutenant Teri Howe finds herself hoping that a past mistake won't jeopardize everything she's worked for. As she lacks assertiveness, she seeks out the assistance of Senior Chief Stan Wolchonok, who gives her pointers on being assertive. The training op suddenly becomes a real-life mission to rescue the daughter of an American senator when her flight is hijacked. As they prepare for the rescuer, Teri and Stan find themselves becoming more that friends and colleagues.

The historical story is about Helga Shuler who is brought in on the negotiating side of the hijacking. Helga, an older woman, is constantly writing everything in a notebook so that no one will find out that she is experiencing the early symptoms of Alzheimer's. She constantly finds herself drifting back to when she was a child, during WWII, and Denmark had been invaded by the Germans. Stan is her childhood friend's grandson.

We are also fortunate to get another dose of Sam and Alyssa. Again, this was who I really wanted to read about. Additionally, the bond that develops between Max, the FBI negotiator and Gina, the hostage that pretends to be the Senator's daughter, is heartwarming, yet tragic.

Overall Enjoyment: 4
Language: Yes
Explicit: Yes
Age Appropriate: 21+



Out of Control (Troubleshooters, Book 4)
In an attempt to save her uncle's life, Savannah von Hopf seeks out navy SEAL Ken "Wildcard" Karmody, a guy she met a couple of times in college and had a crush on. When Wildcard discovers that Savannah hasn't been upfront with him, he's tries to walk away, but just can't quite turn his back on her. The two of them fly to Indonesia and soon find their own lives in jeopardy.

The historical story is about Savannah's grandmother and grandfather, both of whom were double agents during WWII. The fun part about discovering this story line was having it unfold in the grandmother's published memoir that several different characters were reading. A very cleaver way to tell the story.

In a third storyline,  Molly the missionary and Jones the mercenary have an interesting relationship. Jones doesn't trust anyone, and Molly isn't sure she trusts Jones. We're never told Jones' whole history, and I'm hoping he'll get his story down the road.

And, we get some more of Sam and Alyssa. When things finally appear to come together, a former fling drops a bombshell and both Sam and Alyssa are crushed.

Overall Enjoyment: 4
Language: Yes - Wildcard's language is a little cruder than the other's in previous books.
Explicit: Yes
Age Appropriate: 21+



Into the Night (Troubleshooter, Book 5)
To celebrate a presidential visit to a California naval base, White House staffer Joan DaCosta arrives to scope out the area. Lt. Mike Muldoon is assigned as her SEAL liaison and is immediately attracted to her. Although there is only a seven year difference in their ages, Joan balks about it he entire time. Meanwhile, terrorists are plotting to assassinate the President during his visit.

In the historical story, we learn how Joan's grandparents fell in love after the death of her grandmother's first husband in WWII.

And, we get more of Sam and Alyssa. Unfortunately, they have completely separate lives. Sam is married to Mary Lou with a daughter, Haley and Alyssa is involved with Max, the negotiator from Book 3. Or is she?

Overall Enjoyment: 4
Language: Yes
Explicit: Yes
Age Appropriate: 21+

Recommendation: Outlander Series

This is more of a recommendation than a specific review. The Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon is my favorite series of all time. Having read all seven books in the series at least twice, I cannot recommend it enough. Seriously. It's that good.

The Outlander Series is an epic historical romance novel with time travel, war, love, heartbreak, and men is kilts. I found this series shortly after I read the Twilight Series. I was Team Edward all the way, but let me tell you, Edward Cullen's got nuthin' on Jamie Fraser! He's a great character with passion, flaws and a great sense of humor.

Synopsis:
Claire is a combat nurse that has just return from the war and has reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon in the Scottish Highlands. She unexpectedly walks through the standing stones in one of the ancient stone circles where she is hurled back in time.

As she awakes in 1743 Scotland, Claire is thrown into the midst of danger. She is saved from life-threatening events by Jamie Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior, and becomes a torn between the love she has for her husband and the desire she feels for Jamie.

There are currently 7 books published in the Outlander Series. They are, in order:

Outlander: with Bonus Content

Dragonfly in Amber (Outlander, Book 2)

Voyager (Outlander)

Drums of Autumn (Outlander) Publisher: Delta

The Fiery Cross (Outlander)

A Breath of Snow and Ashes (Outlander)

An Echo in the Bone: A Novel (Outlander)

Book 8 currently being written.

These books are HUGE, and Diana Gabaldon has done a tremendous amount of research to bring each one to life. The historical details are amazing and really give the reader an understanding of the political climate and how harsh living was in such a primitive and war torn time. It's a series that will make you laugh, cry, and become obsessed with all things Scottish. You may even find yourself telling others "...dinna fash yourself..." as Jamie is often known to say!

Ratings from 0 to 5
Overall Enjoyment: 5 - My all-time favorite series!
Language: 4 - Swearing and often crude references to body parts, but it fits the time.
Explicit: Yes, but not for the sake of being explicit. The story and historical details are the focus of this series.
Age Appropriate: 21+ years. 

Review: Flat-Out Love by Jessica Park

Flat-Out Love by Jessica Park is a great little book I randomly found on Amazon one day. I simply adore this book. In fact, I've already read it twice and I felt the same feelings the second time around as I felt upon the first.

Synopsis:

Julie heads to college in Boston and arrives to find that the apartment she rented is a bogus deal. Her mother puts her in contact with Erin, an old college roommate, and Julie moves in with Erin and her family. Julie immediately hits it off with Matt, the smart, caring and geeky college student son, and Celeste, the young quirky teenaged daughter. Erin's other son, Finn, is a traveling adventurer so Julie is set up in his old room. Saddened by the absence of Finn, Celeste carries a life-sized cardboard cut-out of Finn (aptly named Flat Finn) with her wherever she goes. While Julie thinks this is extremely odd, Matt encourages her to just go with it.

As Julie gets to know the family and particularly Celeste, she begins to realize that something is not quite right in this household. It's more than just Celeste's attachment to Flat Finn, it's the way the parents are detached and Matt is acting like Celeste's parent. Celeste is extremely sheltered and protected with no friends at school and dressing too young for her age. Julie begins to encourage Celeste to try new things and break out of her shell. Much to Matt's dismay.

While all this is going on, Julie and the real Finn become friends on Facebook and Julie begins to have feelings for him. Although Julie and Matt have become great friends, there's something going on that Matt just won't tell her. Finn gives her a little insight, but she knows there's more. 

My Response:

Julie and Matt have some really cute banter going on between the two of them that feels real and not cliche. Celeste is not only quirky, but freakishly smart too, and her very precise speech is a kick. When Julie finally realizes the truth of the events around her it's heartbreaking. I may have even said, "Oh no" out loud. I like a little bit of gut wrenching and I got it. Even the second time around I felt a little pain in my heart for this family. This book is definitely on the top of my favorite's list!

Ratings from 0 to 5

Overall Enjoyment: 5 - I loved it!

Language: 3 - swearing

Explicit: No, but a couple of suggestive comments

Age Appropriate: 17+