Do or Die (Reluctant Heroes #1)

Do or Die by Suzanne Brockmann is the first book in her Reluctant Heroes series, a spin-off of her Troubleshooters series.

Ian Dunn is an ex-Navy SEAL who is in jail for a bar brawl when a lawyer he has never seen, Martel Griffin, tells him he has a get-out-of-jail-(almost)-free card. Another lawyer he has never meet says she is his lawyer and thinks he should take the deal. Time served if he helps rescue two children kidnapped and being held in a foreign embassy. The government cannot send in anyone associated with the US government, but by being thought of as a rogue Dunn can be used.

Dunn is in jail for a reason. He made a deal to keep his brother and his family safe from the Dellarosa family who runs Miami. And Manny Dellarosa will not know why Dunn is out, just that he is - which will likely make him believe that Dunn traded information for release.

Phoebe Kruger, Dunn's new lawyer, just inherited his case. She thinks Dunn is a jewel thief but there was never enough evidence to convict him. Now she is confused as to why he would not take a deal that ends with his freedom.

Now Dunn, Kruger and Martel have joined forces both to rescue the kidnapped children, but to deal with the fallout from the Dellarosa family. Brockmann is a master in her field. Her characters are people you would want to know. Her plots are twisty and wonderful. And her romance is steamy. She is a must read author for anyone who loves a well-crafted story.

Brockmann, Suzanne. (2014). Do or Die. New York: Ballantine Books.

Passion and Peril

Passion and Peril by Suzanne Brockmann and Jill Sorenson contains two great stories.

Scenes of Passion by Brockmann features Maggie Stanton, a lawyer with an MBA who really wants to be an actress. She has acted since high school, but her family talked her into studying business and law. Now she works at her uncle's law firm.

When she is contacted by one of her high school friends, she is amazed at how much he has changed. Matthew Stone dated her best friend in school. They were all three in plays together in what Maggie thinks of as the best time of her life. Now Matthew has inherited his father's estate and company - if he can improve the company in one quarter. While he does not care about the money, he can't let thousands of people lose their jobs because of something he did not do. Maggie agrees to help, if he will try out of the local play.

Scenes of Peril by Jill Sorenson finds Paige Dawson at her Sierra's cabin in a blizzard. When a tree branch falls out front, she tries to move it before a driver hits it. But when she is trying to slide it out of the way, Colin Reid comes flying around the curve. To miss Paige, he swerves his car off an embankment and into an icy lake. After Paige saves him, they are snowed in for a week - which gives them time to get to know each other.

Brockmann and Sorenson are both great writers. Fans of romance already know about them, but readers who have not yet tried the genre would do well by starting with either of these authors.

Brockmann, Suzanne and Jill Sorenson. (2013). Passion and Peril. New York: HQN.

Future Perfect

Future Perfect by Suzanne Brockmann has been reprinted. It was her first romance novel as show that though her novels have gotten better she was great to begin with.

Juliana Anderson owns a bed and breakfast with her great aunt. It is located in Benton, Massachusetts. It is in a Victorian mansion and when guests are present, Julia and Alicia dress and act in period costumes.

Webster Donovan is an author. He is quickly approaching his next deadline and has not written even the outline for his next book. He thinks that a quiet B&B is a great place to think and catch up. He has booked a suite for six weeks.

Brockmann has written a sweet tale of romance and friendship that readers will love.

Brockmann, Suzanne. (1993). Future Perfect. New York: Bantam.

Breaking the Rules (Troubleshooters #16)

Breaking the Rules by Suzanne Brockmann is the sixteenth book in her Troubleshooters series.

Izzy Zanella and Dan Gillman are part of SEAL Team Sixteen. They have never been good friends and since Izzy married Danny's sister, they have been even worse friends.

Sure they got married to make sure that Eden's baby would have a home and insurance, but that was not the only reason. But then Eden miscarried and she went to Germany to stay with a friend to recover. Now it has been months since Izzy and Eden have spoken.

When Izzy finds out that Eden is back in Las Vegas trying to get custody of her little brother, he flies there to see that she is alright. But the custody battle is not straight forward and other factors make it safer to have a SEAL to help out.

Brockmann's characters are great. Though each book in the series focuses a different person, they group of SEALs and Troubleshooters overlap and it is great to read about a familiar character from the background of a previous book. Her suspense is knuckle-bitingly good, her romance is steamy, and overall she is one of my favorite writers. She is also one of the few mainstream romance genre authors who includes and speaks up for gay characters in her books.

Brockmann, Suzanne. (2011). Breaking the Rules. New York: Ballantine Books.

Body Language

Body Language by Suzanne Brockmann is the story of long-time friends who fall in love. Actually, they have been in love with each other for years, but they are about ready to admit it.

Clint McCade is a photographer and camera-man. He travels the world working on projects. Cassandra "Sandy" Kirk owns a production company that makes films. Her current contract is to film a man running for office to make commericals for his campaign.

When Sandy's phone rings at three in the morning she knows it is McCade. He is probably halfway around the world in another time zone. But he says he is on the corner
calling from a payphone. He has just ridden his motorcycle all night from LA to Phoenix, AZ to see her.

He came to tell her that he is in love with her, but when she says she thinks she finally met someone, Clint decides that a good friend would help her out and not try to distract her.

Brockmann is now known for her romantic suspense novels. While Body Language is just a straight up romance, her ability to bring characters to life draws readers into the lives of those characters.

Brockmann, Suzanne. (1998). Body Language. New York: Bantam.

Taylor's Temptation (Tall, Dark & Dangerous #10)

Taylor's Temptation by Suzanne Brockmann is her tenth book in the Tall, Dark, & Dangerous series about Navy SEALs.

After Bobby Taylor is injured in a mission he needs some time to recover. When his best friend Wes Skelly is assigned to go overseas on a mission, he asks Bobby to go to Boston to talk his little sister, Colleen, out of going on a humanitarian mission to one of the most unstable countries on the planet.

Bobby and Colleen have been a little in love with each other for years, but did not know the other person felt the same way. High stress and close proximity to one another leads to temptation.

Bobby has to decide if the beating he will take from his best friend is worth the risk. The reward could be a life with the woman of his dreams.

The Tall, Dark & Dangerous series was Brockmann's first series. Each of her books is better than the last.

Suzanne, Brockmann. (2001). Taylor's Temptation. New York: Silhouette.

Identity: Unknown (Tall, Dark & Dangerous #8)

Identity: Unknown is the eighth book in Suzanne Brockmann's Tall, Dark & Dangerous series.

When a man wakes up in a homeless shelter in a small town in New Mexico he has no idea who he is. He does not recognize himself in the mirror or know his own name. He has no wallet but in his left boot is a .22 caliber pistol and a wad of 100 dollar bills. Wrapped up with the money is the name of a ranch - The Lazy Eight.

Not knowing what else to do, but instinctively knowing not to tell anyone he has amnesia, he heads for the ranch. He is currently going by the nickname Mish - because the man who runs the shelter he awoke gave it to him.

When he gets to the ranch the manager, Becca Keyes, thinks he is the hand she has hired and starts calling him Casey. Mish doesn't think his name is Casey but begins work at the ranch. As Mish and Becca grow closer together he tries to keep his distance. It is not fair to get involved when he has no idea who he is - what kind of man carries a gun in his boot?

But the attraction between Mish and Becca is getting stronger. He will have to tell her the truth and warn her that he might be a criminal. He is not sure whether he wants her to run away or help him get his memory back.

Brockmann has written an enjoyable puzzle for readers to figure out along with the characters in this book. Her characters, as always, are instantly real and readers will find themselves caring what happens to them.

Brockmann, Suzanne. (1999). Identity: Unknown. New York: Silhouette.

The Admiral's Bride (Tall, Dark & Dangerous #7)

The Admiral's Bride by Suzanne Brockmann is the seventh book in her Tall, Dark & Dangerous series.

Dr. Zoe Lange is a biological warfare specialist with the CIA. She has been called into the Pentagon to a secret meeting to discuss a break in. A right-wing militia group has stolen the worst nerve agent known to man.

Zoe will be going undercover with a team of SEAL in Montana. The leader of the group, Admiral Jake Robinson, has been her idol and fantasy since she was a teen. In Vietnam Jake saved her father's life - along with hundreds of other wounded and captured American soldiers.

Now they will be posing as man and wife inside the compound of the lunatic who stole the nerve agent. While in close contact their feelings for each other will grow to the point where emotions could get in the way of the operation.

Brockmann's Tall, Dark & Dangerous series is a great choice for romance fans who like plot with their romance. Her stories of suspense would hold up even without the personal connections in the stories - the romance just makes them more fun to read.

Brockmann, Suzanne. (1999). The Admiral's Bride. New York: Mira.

Hawken's Heart (Tall, Dark & Dangerous #6)

Hawkin's Heart by Suzanne Brockmann is the sixth book in the Tall, Dark & Dangerous series.

William "Crash" Hawken is a Navy SEAL. He is assigned to black ops - super secret missions - under Admiral Jack Robinson. Along with working for Jack, he is like a son to him and his wife Daisy, who took over raising him when his mother died.

Now Crash is being framed for killing Admiral Robinson. In a shoot out that only two people survived, all of the forensics point to Crash being the shooter. He has to find a way to escape from jail or the courthouse and find the man responsible for the assassination.

The only person Crash feels like he can trust is Nell Burns. Nell was Daisy's personal assistant until her death one year ago. Nell and Crash are in love with each other but his stubbornness is keeping them apart. Now he will need her help to stay alive, clear his name, and find the real killer.

Brockmann is the queen of romantic suspense. She is great at developing characters and making them interesting because of / in spite of their flaws. She is a must read author for any romance or suspense fans.

Brockmann, Suzanne. (2005). Hawken's Heart. New York: Mira Books.

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

Harvard's Education by Suzanne Brockmann is the fifth book in her Tall, Dark & Dangerous series.

FInCOM (the series version of FBI) and SEAL Team Alpha are teaming up for a training exercise. The plan is to form a joint team that can go into hostage situations.

Out of the four FInCOM agents assigned to the training, only one has any chance of getting out of a combat situation alive. But that agent is not given an equal test by Senior Chief "Harvard" Becker because that agent is a woman.

Though thinking himself chivalrous he is actually being a chauvinist - a condition he will have to get over if the team has any hope of working. And soon the team will be in a place where mistakes will mean the death of team members.

The Tall, Dark and Dangerous series was Brockmann's first series featuring Navy SEALs. Though the books are not as sophisticated as the later Troubleshooters series, readers of romantic suspense will enjoy them.

Brockmann, Suzanne. (1998). Harvard's Edcuation. New York: Mira Books.

Everyday, Average Jones (Tall, Dark and Dangerous #4)

Everyday, Average Jones is the fourth book in Suzanne Brockmann's Tall, Dark and Dangerous series.
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Harlan "Cowboy" Jones was part of the SEAL team that rescued Melody Evans from the US Embassy in a country that was in the middle of being taken over by their military. After the rescue Cowboy and Melody spent six days together.

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Seven months later, Cowboy is assigned to Virginia and is finally close enough to go see Melody. Though Melody says she does not want to see her, Cowboy travels to see her anyway to change her mind. He is shocked to see that she is seven months pregnant.

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Though Cowboy has been thinking of Melody since he last saw her, he takes the approach that he is going to "do the right thing" and asks her to marry him. She is offended that he even asked.

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In order to convince her that they would be great together, Cowboy requests leave and camps in Melody's backyard.

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Though the plot is thin, based on an idea whose time has passed, the characters and writing are excellent. Brockmann is a master of romance and romantic suspense.

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Brockmann, Suzanne. (1998). Everyday, Average Jones. New York: Silhouette.

Frisco's Kid (Tall, Dark and Dangerous #3)

Frisco's Kid is the third Tall, Dark and Dangerous book by Suzanne Brockmann - the master of romantic suspense featuring Navy SEALs.

Frisco wanted to be a SEAL since he was eleven years old. Through hard work and determination he became one. Then, five years ago, he was hurt on a mission. Now his doctor says he will never recover enough to go back to active duty. In fact, his doctor is surprise he can even walk.

But without the SEALs, Frisco - Lt. Alan Francisco - doesn't know who he is or how he will go on. The day after his doctor kick him out of the VA hospital, his sister shows up with her five year old daughter and informs him that he has to watch Natasha while she goes to rehab.

With the help of his neighbor, Frisco will have to learn to do everything while using a cane. But the hardest lesson will be that it is okay to ask for help.

Tall, Dark, and Dangerous is the first set of books that Suzanne Brockmann wrote. While not as sophisticated as her Troubleshooter series, they are well written and fun to read. If all romance writers were at talented as she is, there would be no negative stereotypes about the genre.

Brockmann, Suzanne. (1997). Frisco's Kid. New York: Silhouette.

Forever Blue (Tall, Dark and Dangerous #2)

Forever Blue is the second book in the Tall, Dark and Dangerous series by Suzanne Brockmann.

Blue McCoy, a member of SEAL Team Ten's elite Alpha Squad is taking leave to go back to the town he grew up in - Hatboro Creek, South Carolina. He will be attending the wedding of his step-brother Gerry to his (Blue's) high school girlfriend Jenny Lee Beaumont. Blue is not looking forward to the wedding.

But when he gets to Hatboro Creek he sees the only person in town he was hoping to see - Lucy Tait. She was a freshman when Blue was a senior and she is just about toughest woman Blue ever met. They met when most of the boys baseball team was beating Lucy up for making the team. Though they were never really friends, Blue has always wondered what happened to her after he left town to join the Navy.

Lucy Tait is the newest, and first female, member of the Hatboro Creek police department. When someone is killed
and Blue is the main suspect she is assigned to the case. The evidence points to Blue but it is all circumstantial. Will Lucy be able to save the man she has had a crush on since she was fourteen?

Brockmann is a master of the romantic suspense novel. She seamlessly weaves the mystery of her plot in with character development. Anyone who believes the stereotypes about romance novels being poorly written with no plot would be proven wrong by reading any Brockmann novel. She is awesome.

Brockmann, Suzanne. (1996). Forever Blue. New York: Mira Books.

Prince Joe (Tall, Dark and Dangerous #1)

Prince Joe is the first book in Suzanne Brockmann's Tall, Dark and Dangerous series which features the Navy SEALS of Alpha Company.

Veronica St. John has a difficult job ahead of her. Her fledgling media consultation / PR firm (she is the only employee so far) has the job of making the prince of a small European country look good. The country needs US support to extract the oil field just discovered. Veronica has put her career on the line for her best friend, the prince's sister.

But the prince is a royal pain. He is pompous, flashy, and not great on camera. When his first public appearance on US soil ends in an assassination attempt, Joe Catalanotto is called. He looks remarkably like the prince.

Now it is Veronica's job to take a Navy SEAL and make him act like a prince.

Brockmann is a master at the romantic suspense novel. This was her first book with a Navy SEAL - now the majority of her novels are about SEALs or retired SEALs, including her Troubleshooter series. Her books are great, fun reads that will entertain readers until the last page.

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Brockmann, Suzanne. (1996). Prince Joe. New York: Mira Books.

Hot Pursuit (Troubleshooters #15)

Hot Pursuit is the 15th book in Suzanne Brockmann's Troubleshooters series of romantic suspense novels.

Alyssa Locke takes a small team of Troubleshooters to New York City to help out a friend - a simple assignment in self-defense training. What she doesn't realize is that she is being lured to NYC by a serial killer she chased for years in the FBI.

Maria Bonivita is a newly elected Assemblywoman. Her two best friends helped get her elected - one of them, Jenn LeMay, is now her Chief of Staff. When she starts getting threatening letters, Maria thinks it is part of the job. But Jenn thinks there might be more to it.

The serial killer sent the note - along with the surprise waiting in Jenn's desk drawer. It is all part of the plot to finally get close enough to Alyssa to control her. But what killer stands a chance against Alyssa, especially backed up by Troubleshooters' ex-Navy SEALS?

Brockmann is one of the top romantic suspense writers. She is great because her books are really thrillers with a romantic sub-plot. She has created a team of Navy SEALs and FBI agents that can solve any mystery and look great doing it, but they are not over the top. I would recommend her books to any suspense readers.

Brockmann, Suzanne. (2009). Hot Pursuit. New York: Ballantine Books.

Forbidden

Forbidden by Suzanne Brockmann is one of her earliest works of romantic suspense – as opposed to romance alone.

Kayla Grey goes to Asylum, Montana to find her best friend’s brother. Her friend, Liam has been dead for two years – killed in a bus bombing on a small island in Central America. But now Kayla has information that Liam is not really dead.

Being unfamiliar with how quickly the weather can change in the mountains of Montana, Kayla gets lost in a storm. The man, Cal Bartlett, who rescues her is instantly drawn to her and is more than willing to meet her in town the next night for dinner as a thank you. Before he can meet her the next night he finds out that she is the woman his brother asked to marry him. He is upset that she lied to him – if only by omission since she did not know who he was – and feels guilty for being attracted to his brother’s love.

When she convinces Cal to travel with her to Central America to find out what really happened to his brother, but is will be one tense trip where his battle between lust and guilt fight for his attention.

Brockmann, Suzanne. (1997). Forbidden. New York: Bantam

Hero Under Cover

Hero Under Cover by Suzanne Brockmann.

Annie Morgan is the foremost expert on ancient metalworkings. After collecting a piece from the in London the gallery she just left is blown up. When she reached the US on her way home she is detained by a team of FBI and CIA agents. They are convinced she a part of a ring of thieves.

In order to get close to her, a CIA agent poses as her bodyguard – after a threats related to a mask she is working leaves her nervous. The collector who owns the mask insists on protection. But after she falls for her bodyguard, will she forgive him for lying to her?

Brockmann, Suzanne. (1994). Hero Under Cover. New York: HQN.

Kiss and Tell (Sunrise Key #1)

Kiss and Tell by Suzanne Brockmann is the first book in the Sunrise trilogy.

Leila Hunt is visiting her brother in the Florida Keys. She is on vacation from her job in New York City and is in her hometown for New Years Eve. She moved off of the small island of Sunrise Key because she always felt like everyone was in everyone else’s business.

Leila is home trying to decide if she should marry her boyfriend Elliot. She knows she doesn’t really love him, but thinks he will be a good father for the children her bio-clock is telling her she wants. But at midnight at her brother’s costume party a man dressed as a ninja kisses her. When they kiss there are fireworks – well, there are actually fireworks, but Leila is sure they are coming from this stranger.

Now she is on a mission to find the ninja who ran off after he kissed her. Her brother and his best friend Marshall – whom Leila has been fighting with since she was ten – are trying to help her narrow the possible men. When the guest list is narrowed to four men plus Marsh, Leila is off to find each man and kiss him again – if only to prove that what she felt was due to the champagne.

Brockmann, Suzanne. (1996). Kiss and Tell. New York: Bantam Books.

Body Guard

Body Guard by Suzanne Brockmann is about escaping from the mob.

Alessandra Lamont has something that mob boss Michael Trotta wants - one million dollars that her husband stole. Unfortunately, Trotta did not discover the theft until after he killed Lamont's husband. Now if Alessandra doesn't find the money that she knew nothing about she will be killed. She has 48 hours.

FBI agent Harry O'Dell is fearless. He is good at his job because he does not consider his personal safety a priority. Since his wife and son were killed he is solely focused on revenge.

When Harry and Alessandra are forced together in a fake witness protection detail to trap Trotta, Harry may find a reason to reclaim his life - and reconnect with his two other children.

Brockmann, Suzanne. (1999). Body Guard. New York: Ballantine Books.

Dark of Night (Troubleshooters #14)

Dark of Night is the 14th book in Suzanne Brockmann's Troubleshooter series. The Troubleshooters are dealing with the death of one of their team - Jimmy Nash.

Sophia and Dave have been dating for a short time - Dave's dream come true. When they go to Boston so that Sophia can say goodbye to her dying father, Dave is attacked. His past seems to be coming back to haunt him.

Attacks on other of Jimmy's friends lead the team to believe that it is not Dave's past that is haunting him.
Someone is panicking, trying to make sure that Jimmy is really dead and trying to take out his friends to see if he comes to their rescue.

The black ops agency he worked for is trying to cover its tracks. The Troubleshooters have to find out who is running the agency before they can kill everyone Jimmy ever cared about.

Brockmann has written another sexy suspense thriller that readers will not be able to put down. It looks like Decker has finally met his match.

Publishing note: pages 119 to 184 have been scrambled! All of the copies my library received are this way, but the book it too good to wait for the correction. The pages are numbered so read it anyway. Think of it as a choose-your-own-adventure with only one path!

Brockmann, Suzanne. (2009). Dark of Night. New York: Ballantine Books.