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SEALed #4
SEALed Forever
In this fourth sexy contemporary romance featuring the personal side of being a Navy SEAL by author Mary Margret Daughtridge, Navy SEAL Garth Vale rescues an abandoned baby while running an undercover mission for the CIA. He desperately needs the help of local MD Bronwyn Whitescarver, who has her own reasons to get involved . . .
Praise for SEALed with a Ring:
"Enjoyable and sensual romance that whets the reader's appetite for more tales of these brave SEALs."
-Night Owl Romance
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
May 8, 2011
Sadly, I was disappointed with this book. Having enjoyed the previous books in the series (SEALed with a Kiss, SEALed with a Promise, SEALed with a Ring), I was really looking forward to this one. But unfortunately, despite a few good moments, it never fully captured me. That makes me sad, because I think MMD is a good writer with an eloquent style, but there was just not enough happening in this book. The plot wasn't all that suspenseful, the romance was a bit ho-hum and not entirely believable (sorry, but I didn't believe that all of a sudden Navy SEAL Garth was "in-love-at-second-sight" with Dr. Bronwynn Whitescarver--it all seemed a bit too convenient and self-serving to me since Garth was looking to advance his career and a wife was a necessity). And when Garth started referring to Bronwyn (after knowing her one day) as his "mate" and the "love of his life" I had to check the cover and make sure I wasn't reading a Lora Leigh Breeds book by mistake!
The book started out promising. I enjoyed reading about Garth's near death experience on the battlefield, and his fight to bring his fellow SEAL (Davy, from SEALed with a Ring) back to life and the whole "out of body" experience he had. That was a bit heartbreaking. I enjoyed the set up of the plot--Bronwynn (best friend of JJ from SEALed with a Ring)along with her dog Mildred deciding to leave the big city and heartbreak behind and trying to establish a practice as a 'country doctor'. And then Garth (after recuperating from his injuries and while working with the CIA at a small airstrip in N.C.), finds a baby aboard a small plane. He brings the baby (he names her Julia after his mother) to the new doctor in town, and then realizes he met her once before at Davy and JJ's small wedding a year ago. They end up having a physical connection that Bronwynn is reluctant about. She's got lots of baggage (the tragic death of her undercover cop fiance; her relationship with her parents), Garth's got some baggage (he's not at all happy with the man he's turning out to be). Garth starts planning in his head about how Bronwynn's going to be his wife, and how he can get her to agree to give up her idea about being a country doctor (he needs her to be ready to move with him wherever he's stationed). There's some manipulating going on by Garth (which didn't endear him to me), taking care of the baby he found, some talk about the paranormal (are there ghosts in the house?) and lots of introspection being done by Bronwynn and Garth. But not much else happens. I needed some action! Give me some hot romance or at least some action, but the plot about the baby (who is she, why is she abandoned on a spy plane) sort of just laid there. At one point I was ready to quit reading, because I couldn't see where this was going, but then something interesting would crop up, and I'd read a few more chapters. Finally near the end of the book, things started rolling again, the plot about the baby came to a head, and Garth's and Bronwynn's relationship got worked out. But it was a long road (*sigh*) to get there...
Needless to say, this wasn't my favorite book of the series. The romance was rather tepid, the mystery surrounding the baby was 'meh', the characters were just so-so...this just wasn't my cuppa. Yes, the writing was good, it's just the theme wasn't all that exciting to me. The whole thing read more like Women's Fiction, rather than romance, and that's not what I was looking for. 3 1/2 stars
The book started out promising. I enjoyed reading about Garth's near death experience on the battlefield, and his fight to bring his fellow SEAL (Davy, from SEALed with a Ring) back to life and the whole "out of body" experience he had. That was a bit heartbreaking. I enjoyed the set up of the plot--Bronwynn (best friend of JJ from SEALed with a Ring)along with her dog Mildred deciding to leave the big city and heartbreak behind and trying to establish a practice as a 'country doctor'. And then Garth (after recuperating from his injuries and while working with the CIA at a small airstrip in N.C.), finds a baby aboard a small plane. He brings the baby (he names her Julia after his mother) to the new doctor in town, and then realizes he met her once before at Davy and JJ's small wedding a year ago. They end up having a physical connection that Bronwynn is reluctant about. She's got lots of baggage (the tragic death of her undercover cop fiance; her relationship with her parents), Garth's got some baggage (he's not at all happy with the man he's turning out to be). Garth starts planning in his head about how Bronwynn's going to be his wife, and how he can get her to agree to give up her idea about being a country doctor (he needs her to be ready to move with him wherever he's stationed). There's some manipulating going on by Garth (which didn't endear him to me), taking care of the baby he found, some talk about the paranormal (are there ghosts in the house?) and lots of introspection being done by Bronwynn and Garth. But not much else happens. I needed some action! Give me some hot romance or at least some action, but the plot about the baby (who is she, why is she abandoned on a spy plane) sort of just laid there. At one point I was ready to quit reading, because I couldn't see where this was going, but then something interesting would crop up, and I'd read a few more chapters. Finally near the end of the book, things started rolling again, the plot about the baby came to a head, and Garth's and Bronwynn's relationship got worked out. But it was a long road (*sigh*) to get there...
Needless to say, this wasn't my favorite book of the series. The romance was rather tepid, the mystery surrounding the baby was 'meh', the characters were just so-so...this just wasn't my cuppa. Yes, the writing was good, it's just the theme wasn't all that exciting to me. The whole thing read more like Women's Fiction, rather than romance, and that's not what I was looking for. 3 1/2 stars
May 8, 2011
SEALed Forever was a complete miss for me, having enjoyed her other books I expected better but was disappointed. It was a drag for me to finish the book since I didn't really like the characters and the way they talked and their internal monologues didn't work for me.
Garth is a SEAL, he was the commanding officer on a mission in Afghanistan which didn't go as expected and since then his career seems to be going now-where, he slowly comes to the realization that his team was supposed to die and act as a trigger to get more troops, rather than survive. Hello, you find out someone wanted to kill you, and you still don't lose faith in the system and want to get back on track?Maybe yeah you don't want years of hard-work going down the drain but I would question my loyalty to the cause.
Bronywn is a doctor with loads of medical bills and she is fast losing interest in medicine but can't quit because of said bills. Both her parents are doctors and put her brother through med school but not her since they felt that she was too soft-hearted to survive it. Bronwyn is JJ's best-friend(the previous book) and she meets Garth on JJ and Davy's wedding. She is also still grieving the loss of her fiancee.
A few months later, Garth is working on some air-strip which is actually a place for CIA, when he comes across a baby on the plane. He is worried about the baby but he knows that if he reports it to his higher-ups his career cannot be salvaged so he takes her out to be examined by a doctor. The doctor is Bronwyn who has newly shifted to the town, wanting to share a closer relationship with her patients than the few minutes in the ER. She is staying in a house which needs a lot maintenance along with her dog. There is no light when Garth comes to her door-step, she tries to send him away saying she has not yet un-packed but then she does examine the baby.
When the light comes on, Garth is suddenly love-struck, yup, he thinks this one is my mate and my wife and the future mother of my kids. This didn't ring true for me at all, he barely knew her and the mate thing was too PNR. Bronwyn is not sold, she is not looking for another Troy(her fiancee), who being an under-cover cop kept loads of secrets from her and she knows that Garth too is keeping secrets from her, first refusing to tell her whose baby it is etc . She wants to re-build a life here.
Garth is thinking oh she will make a good officer wife but I need to make sure that she doesn't settle here. To me that didn't sound romantic instead it was stalkerish, he was mentally re-arranging her life without asking her. Then supposedly there are some ghosts there in the house and Bronwyn is a healer. And then the old characters from the other books make an appearance and have a conversation about phenomenons that can't be explained..it was all so boring and un-interesting for me. There were some good moments but they were few and far between.
One moment, Bronwyn is like all no-no and the next moment they are jumping each other?Then they break-up and then Garth suddenly does a U-turn.
Bottom line this book was not for me. It was all over the place and one more thing Garth rarely went to work.
Rating 2
Garth is a SEAL, he was the commanding officer on a mission in Afghanistan which didn't go as expected and since then his career seems to be going now-where, he slowly comes to the realization that his team was supposed to die and act as a trigger to get more troops, rather than survive. Hello, you find out someone wanted to kill you, and you still don't lose faith in the system and want to get back on track?Maybe yeah you don't want years of hard-work going down the drain but I would question my loyalty to the cause.
Bronywn is a doctor with loads of medical bills and she is fast losing interest in medicine but can't quit because of said bills. Both her parents are doctors and put her brother through med school but not her since they felt that she was too soft-hearted to survive it. Bronwyn is JJ's best-friend(the previous book) and she meets Garth on JJ and Davy's wedding. She is also still grieving the loss of her fiancee.
A few months later, Garth is working on some air-strip which is actually a place for CIA, when he comes across a baby on the plane. He is worried about the baby but he knows that if he reports it to his higher-ups his career cannot be salvaged so he takes her out to be examined by a doctor. The doctor is Bronwyn who has newly shifted to the town, wanting to share a closer relationship with her patients than the few minutes in the ER. She is staying in a house which needs a lot maintenance along with her dog. There is no light when Garth comes to her door-step, she tries to send him away saying she has not yet un-packed but then she does examine the baby.
When the light comes on, Garth is suddenly love-struck, yup, he thinks this one is my mate and my wife and the future mother of my kids. This didn't ring true for me at all, he barely knew her and the mate thing was too PNR. Bronwyn is not sold, she is not looking for another Troy(her fiancee), who being an under-cover cop kept loads of secrets from her and she knows that Garth too is keeping secrets from her, first refusing to tell her whose baby it is etc . She wants to re-build a life here.
Garth is thinking oh she will make a good officer wife but I need to make sure that she doesn't settle here. To me that didn't sound romantic instead it was stalkerish, he was mentally re-arranging her life without asking her. Then supposedly there are some ghosts there in the house and Bronwyn is a healer. And then the old characters from the other books make an appearance and have a conversation about phenomenons that can't be explained..it was all so boring and un-interesting for me. There were some good moments but they were few and far between.
One moment, Bronwyn is like all no-no and the next moment they are jumping each other?Then they break-up and then Garth suddenly does a U-turn.
Bottom line this book was not for me. It was all over the place and one more thing Garth rarely went to work.
Rating 2
January 14, 2013
It was cute. I can honestly say, it is not at all what I expected. Seems I have been getting that a lot lately... Really a 2.5
This was one of those stories where you saw a big tough SEAL turn into mush over a baby. It is just what every woman wants to read. Something in our biological minds longs to see a brutish tough male be so calm and serene with a child.
Add a woman into the mix, and BAM! You have SEALed Forever. Nothing complicated. Just simple. Just easy. Cute. But, you know what brought it down to 2.5 stars? Our SEAL was kind of a creeper...
If she could hear his thoughts she would have been running for the hills and into his arms. If this was a romantic suspense novel I would have though he would be the serial killer. He kept mentioning that she was his soulmate, potential mother to his children, etc... after speaking to her for all of 5 minutes. Its one thing to be attracted instantly but what he was saying was creepy.
This was one of those stories where you saw a big tough SEAL turn into mush over a baby. It is just what every woman wants to read. Something in our biological minds longs to see a brutish tough male be so calm and serene with a child.
Add a woman into the mix, and BAM! You have SEALed Forever. Nothing complicated. Just simple. Just easy. Cute. But, you know what brought it down to 2.5 stars? Our SEAL was kind of a creeper...
If she could hear his thoughts she would have been running for the hills and into his arms. If this was a romantic suspense novel I would have though he would be the serial killer. He kept mentioning that she was his soulmate, potential mother to his children, etc... after speaking to her for all of 5 minutes. Its one thing to be attracted instantly but what he was saying was creepy.
July 1, 2011
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading Mary Margret Daughtridge’s SEALs since I read SEALed with Promise, my first book of hers. Her stories flow seamlessly, her characters are always, of course, upstanding and charming (we are talking SEALs here!), and what captures me the most is the emotion she hits you with in her stories. So you can imagine my surprise, though I still had a good time with this book, it lacks the same punch of emotion as the previous editions in this series.
I’m really surprised at my reaction in this instance because there’s a child involved, and children always get to me in romance, especially when tall, dark, handsome, and alpha heroes succumb to the joy of kids along with their love for the heroines. So I was ready to be hit hard by Ms. Daughtridge when Garth finds a child stowed in a box on an airplane that’s used to cart around spies and the like. He’s stunned, amazed, and full of outrage that someone could do this to a child, one who is now half dead from such callousness. Garth first finds a doctor to help the little girl and then he begins investigating to find out what he can do for her and her circumstances. What he finds is the love of his life in the doctor he seeks out and then that he and his team had been deliberately sent into an ambush in Afghanistan, which resulted in the injury that has now placed him in isolation working for an out-of-the-way security company, all so he won’t and can’t tell anyone about the circumstances of his team’s attack.
Though Bronwyn and Garth have met once before, it was a short and hurried introduction and nothing came of it. Now with a twist of fate, they meet again and, though it doesn’t go well at first, their attraction slowly emerges as they work together to keep baby Julia safe. Garth knows almost immediately that Bronwyn is the one for him. It takes her a little more time to trust the man whom she first thinks is a kidnapper. Doing some fast talking and telling her what he can, Garth agrees to her terms to keep her from contacting the authorities as her job requires. In the meantime and in between his investigation and trying to get his job back, Garth sets out to prove to Bronwyn she belongs with him. And this is the only time I was disappointed in Garth.
He does things to sort of sabotages her new life so she’ll look toward life with him, which will be on the move from place to place, embracing the life of the wife of a SEAL. I feel he doesn’t put enough faith in Bronwyn when he resorts to this underhandedness. Yes, she makes it clear she wants to make a go of her new medical practice, wanting to slow down after her time as an ER doc. But he never gives any other option a thought, even though he’s thinking for a time his career might be over. I do have to give him points for keeping at it, going full bore to keep his job. That’s just not enough, however, with his little bit of deceit and hijinks when it comes to Bronwyn.
I’m happy to say Garth does wake up, of course, and then really goes after what he wants from higher-ups who call the shots, and he stands up for all that is right. He redeems himself marvelously. Bronwyn also wakes up, at last letting the past go, wanting and needing the future. And what about baby Julia in and among all the turmoil? Well, you need to read the book to find out!
Still a nice story, full of fun and mystery. I do enjoy Ms. Daughtridge’s detail and storytelling concerning SEALs. She gets the danger they go through and the camaraderie across to readers perfectly. My hankering for her stories will never die.
See my complete review at http://www.goodbadandunread.com
I’m really surprised at my reaction in this instance because there’s a child involved, and children always get to me in romance, especially when tall, dark, handsome, and alpha heroes succumb to the joy of kids along with their love for the heroines. So I was ready to be hit hard by Ms. Daughtridge when Garth finds a child stowed in a box on an airplane that’s used to cart around spies and the like. He’s stunned, amazed, and full of outrage that someone could do this to a child, one who is now half dead from such callousness. Garth first finds a doctor to help the little girl and then he begins investigating to find out what he can do for her and her circumstances. What he finds is the love of his life in the doctor he seeks out and then that he and his team had been deliberately sent into an ambush in Afghanistan, which resulted in the injury that has now placed him in isolation working for an out-of-the-way security company, all so he won’t and can’t tell anyone about the circumstances of his team’s attack.
Though Bronwyn and Garth have met once before, it was a short and hurried introduction and nothing came of it. Now with a twist of fate, they meet again and, though it doesn’t go well at first, their attraction slowly emerges as they work together to keep baby Julia safe. Garth knows almost immediately that Bronwyn is the one for him. It takes her a little more time to trust the man whom she first thinks is a kidnapper. Doing some fast talking and telling her what he can, Garth agrees to her terms to keep her from contacting the authorities as her job requires. In the meantime and in between his investigation and trying to get his job back, Garth sets out to prove to Bronwyn she belongs with him. And this is the only time I was disappointed in Garth.
He does things to sort of sabotages her new life so she’ll look toward life with him, which will be on the move from place to place, embracing the life of the wife of a SEAL. I feel he doesn’t put enough faith in Bronwyn when he resorts to this underhandedness. Yes, she makes it clear she wants to make a go of her new medical practice, wanting to slow down after her time as an ER doc. But he never gives any other option a thought, even though he’s thinking for a time his career might be over. I do have to give him points for keeping at it, going full bore to keep his job. That’s just not enough, however, with his little bit of deceit and hijinks when it comes to Bronwyn.
I’m happy to say Garth does wake up, of course, and then really goes after what he wants from higher-ups who call the shots, and he stands up for all that is right. He redeems himself marvelously. Bronwyn also wakes up, at last letting the past go, wanting and needing the future. And what about baby Julia in and among all the turmoil? Well, you need to read the book to find out!
Still a nice story, full of fun and mystery. I do enjoy Ms. Daughtridge’s detail and storytelling concerning SEALs. She gets the danger they go through and the camaraderie across to readers perfectly. My hankering for her stories will never die.
See my complete review at http://www.goodbadandunread.com
May 7, 2011
Author Mary Margret Daughtridge is a graduate of the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, with a BA in speech communication and an M.Ed. in speech pathology and audiology. Her alter ego, MM Holloman, is a landscape artist with her paintings displayed in corporate and private collections. Other titles in this series include: SEALed With a Kiss, SEALed With a Promise, and SEALed With a Ring. Mary resides in North Carolina where she was born and raised.
Fourth installment in the SEALed series: While in the middle of an undercover CIA mission at an air strip, Navy SEAL Lt. Garth Vale finds a sick abandoned baby on a plane. His superiors don't want to know about it, and Garth fears for the baby's safety. The only person who can help is the new small town doctor in town, Bronwyn Whitescarver. Bronwyn left the fast-paced ER setting for a quiet medical practice, but when gorgeous Garth shows up she knows quiet is anything but what she'll get. Garth's story doesn't add up, and it would appear he's willing to put her medical license on the line to keep his secret.
There were a few things about the book that bothered me. First, after a brief re-encounter, Garth falls in love (at second sight) with Bronwyn. For a hard-core SEAL whose team called him Darth Vader, he was really soft. The logic and pacing were fast from his point of view, in my opinion. Second, after having this realization, Garth sets in motion a plan to get Bronwyn to fall madly in love with him in return. Nothing crazy or major, but little things added up to big things: purposely not wanting to fix her AC, setting up cameras to catch her "ghost" so she'd want to move all over the country when he returned to full SEAL status. It made him somewhat unlikable. Third, the way the story "wrapped up" seemed too easy for a case that should have had way more repercussions.
None of these things detracted me from reading, and for the most part, I enjoyed the book. The small town setting was perfect, and I love Southern stories. The array of secondary characters (other SEAL members and Bronwyn's friend) really made this book pop, along with the mild humorous tones. I really like the mild paranormal angle as well. 3.5 of 5 stars.
Kelly Moran
Bookpleasures
Fourth installment in the SEALed series: While in the middle of an undercover CIA mission at an air strip, Navy SEAL Lt. Garth Vale finds a sick abandoned baby on a plane. His superiors don't want to know about it, and Garth fears for the baby's safety. The only person who can help is the new small town doctor in town, Bronwyn Whitescarver. Bronwyn left the fast-paced ER setting for a quiet medical practice, but when gorgeous Garth shows up she knows quiet is anything but what she'll get. Garth's story doesn't add up, and it would appear he's willing to put her medical license on the line to keep his secret.
There were a few things about the book that bothered me. First, after a brief re-encounter, Garth falls in love (at second sight) with Bronwyn. For a hard-core SEAL whose team called him Darth Vader, he was really soft. The logic and pacing were fast from his point of view, in my opinion. Second, after having this realization, Garth sets in motion a plan to get Bronwyn to fall madly in love with him in return. Nothing crazy or major, but little things added up to big things: purposely not wanting to fix her AC, setting up cameras to catch her "ghost" so she'd want to move all over the country when he returned to full SEAL status. It made him somewhat unlikable. Third, the way the story "wrapped up" seemed too easy for a case that should have had way more repercussions.
None of these things detracted me from reading, and for the most part, I enjoyed the book. The small town setting was perfect, and I love Southern stories. The array of secondary characters (other SEAL members and Bronwyn's friend) really made this book pop, along with the mild humorous tones. I really like the mild paranormal angle as well. 3.5 of 5 stars.
Kelly Moran
Bookpleasures
May 5, 2011
Sealed Forever by Mary Margaret Daughtridge
Contemporary Romance -May 1st, 2011
3 ½ stars
Sealed Forever is a slower read where two seemingly unlikely main characters find love and the unexpected.
While Navy SEAL Lt. Garth Vale recovered from a `failed' mission, he took another job working with the CIA. But after a routine plane flight he finds a mysterious package that contains a baby girl! Suspecting that there is foul play, he decides to hide her and pretends he is the father. But the child is ill, so he takes her to the nearest doctor. And knocks on the door of the heroine, a former ER M.D.. Dr. Bronwyn Whitescarver is brunt out and wants a start fresh. She hopes to practice medicine with heart, the way she wanted when she graduated school. When a tall and rugged stranger shows her a baby and no documentation she is suspicious and feels he is not the father. Where did this baby come from? The more time Garth spends with Bronwyn the more he knows she is the woman for him but will strange occurrences and the mystery of the baby keep them apart?
The two main characters are genuine and the author spends some time developing them. This novel has an old town feel as it slowly unfolds. The author clearly wants you to believe in these two people and that they would meet and find love. Each of the characters has quirks that make them easy to relate to and are very serious about their jobs. I felt they were very noble characters as each of them save people, just in different ways.
However, some of the plot is a bit improbable. Such as the heroine opens the door to a strange, large man during a storm in a broken down house when her electricity is out. Also there are some unexpected `paranormal moments.' But I liked how the story included a baby that brings them together and the mystery behind the baby
Unpredictable, heart-felt and filled with genuine characters.
Reviewed by Linda from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club
Contemporary Romance -May 1st, 2011
3 ½ stars
Sealed Forever is a slower read where two seemingly unlikely main characters find love and the unexpected.
While Navy SEAL Lt. Garth Vale recovered from a `failed' mission, he took another job working with the CIA. But after a routine plane flight he finds a mysterious package that contains a baby girl! Suspecting that there is foul play, he decides to hide her and pretends he is the father. But the child is ill, so he takes her to the nearest doctor. And knocks on the door of the heroine, a former ER M.D.. Dr. Bronwyn Whitescarver is brunt out and wants a start fresh. She hopes to practice medicine with heart, the way she wanted when she graduated school. When a tall and rugged stranger shows her a baby and no documentation she is suspicious and feels he is not the father. Where did this baby come from? The more time Garth spends with Bronwyn the more he knows she is the woman for him but will strange occurrences and the mystery of the baby keep them apart?
The two main characters are genuine and the author spends some time developing them. This novel has an old town feel as it slowly unfolds. The author clearly wants you to believe in these two people and that they would meet and find love. Each of the characters has quirks that make them easy to relate to and are very serious about their jobs. I felt they were very noble characters as each of them save people, just in different ways.
However, some of the plot is a bit improbable. Such as the heroine opens the door to a strange, large man during a storm in a broken down house when her electricity is out. Also there are some unexpected `paranormal moments.' But I liked how the story included a baby that brings them together and the mystery behind the baby
Unpredictable, heart-felt and filled with genuine characters.
Reviewed by Linda from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club
Read
February 10, 2026DNF, wtf is this? I read the other three and they weren't half bad but this one is just weird. Garth wants Bronwyn for his "mate" ugh. So bad. Cheese, off the walls spy stuff and a baby from who knows where, just what?
July 29, 2011
There's the U. S. Navy, and then there are the Navy SEALs. While they are all a part of the greater whole, no one will ever disagree with the perception that a SEAL is a very different animal in the military spectrum. Their training is unique and their duty assignments are very special--most often the kinds of assignments which would, if you knew about them, result in your death. Such is the hero of this story: a man who has been pulled back from his own death by his concern for a fallen comrade who was also near death; a man who is paying dearly for an intelligence screw-up by someone lots higher in the military chain of command; a man who is not afraid to fall in love at first sight--it is almost a family tradition--and that's exactly what he does. He is also a man who finds a baby and with a gentleness and sensitivity many would find surprising, seeks to find a safe place for her and the care she so obviously needs.
Dr. Bronwyn Whitescarver has come to this little town to set up her medical practice having become tired and deeply disillusioned with the practice of medicine in the big city hospitals where she was an ER physician. She is not even unpacked, has certainly not set up her office nor is she ready to see patients by the slightest stretch of the imagination, and Garth is at her door, clutching a baby who is lethargic, non-responsive, and appears to be dehydrated among other things. Now is when they each realize they have met before when they were official witnesses at a recent wedding. Garth's awareness of Bronwyn is new; her attraction to him is a remembered thing from when she was first introduced to him, and it still frightens her now as much as it did initially. It takes Garth very little time to become certain that she is his One--the mate he has been seeking and like everything he has ever wanted, he begins the process of going after her. It takes very little time for her to respond to him and they become sexually involved. That, however, doesn't solve some of the deeper issues.
This is a very delightful love story between two people who know how to communicate and who use language so well. But there is also the matter of the baby found on a private plane that has landed in the small private airport where Garth is working undercover, without any information, a name, documentation, etc. Who is her mother and to whom was she being sent? Because of Garth's status as an undercover agent, he can tell Bronwyn very little, and she is smart enough to resent being kept out of the loop. This hidden part of Garth's life will ultimately lie at the heart of the problems between the two of them.
This story has so much in it that it is difficult to mention specifics in this review. Suffice it to say that the narrative not only tells Garth and Bronwyn's story, but also lets the reader gain insight into the struggles they are enduring as they must face themselves, their sense of disappointment over who they have become, and wondering if their future will be as disappointing as has been their past. They are bound together over the baby -- named Julia for Garth's mother -- but even that connection is tentative as they must decide what to do with her and how to keep her safe. Perhaps the question that drives this novel is: "How do two sad and searching people find their way to one another?" Garth is aware that whenever he is around Bronwyn he feels alive with a sense of completion. Bronwyn, on the other hand, comes to believe that Garth has accepted her without reserve, without qualifiers, accepting and respecting and honoring the unique qualities she brings to her medical practice as a true healer. Even when they are having their difficulties, there is a sense that they are celebrating each other's strengths.
This is the first work by this author I have read but I know I will go back and read the other three novels in this series. Having met a number of Garth's pals in this story, it will be fun to go back and read more about each of them indepth. This is an instructive and entertaining novel. Incidentally, a bit of information gleaned from the author's blurb indicates that the medical resource for this novel was another author, Elizabeth Vaughan who is a medical doctor in addition to her career as an author. Small world. This is a great book and well worth the time and effort to read it.
I give it a rating of 4.5 out of 5.
This review was originally posted on Book Binge by Judith.
Dr. Bronwyn Whitescarver has come to this little town to set up her medical practice having become tired and deeply disillusioned with the practice of medicine in the big city hospitals where she was an ER physician. She is not even unpacked, has certainly not set up her office nor is she ready to see patients by the slightest stretch of the imagination, and Garth is at her door, clutching a baby who is lethargic, non-responsive, and appears to be dehydrated among other things. Now is when they each realize they have met before when they were official witnesses at a recent wedding. Garth's awareness of Bronwyn is new; her attraction to him is a remembered thing from when she was first introduced to him, and it still frightens her now as much as it did initially. It takes Garth very little time to become certain that she is his One--the mate he has been seeking and like everything he has ever wanted, he begins the process of going after her. It takes very little time for her to respond to him and they become sexually involved. That, however, doesn't solve some of the deeper issues.
This is a very delightful love story between two people who know how to communicate and who use language so well. But there is also the matter of the baby found on a private plane that has landed in the small private airport where Garth is working undercover, without any information, a name, documentation, etc. Who is her mother and to whom was she being sent? Because of Garth's status as an undercover agent, he can tell Bronwyn very little, and she is smart enough to resent being kept out of the loop. This hidden part of Garth's life will ultimately lie at the heart of the problems between the two of them.
This story has so much in it that it is difficult to mention specifics in this review. Suffice it to say that the narrative not only tells Garth and Bronwyn's story, but also lets the reader gain insight into the struggles they are enduring as they must face themselves, their sense of disappointment over who they have become, and wondering if their future will be as disappointing as has been their past. They are bound together over the baby -- named Julia for Garth's mother -- but even that connection is tentative as they must decide what to do with her and how to keep her safe. Perhaps the question that drives this novel is: "How do two sad and searching people find their way to one another?" Garth is aware that whenever he is around Bronwyn he feels alive with a sense of completion. Bronwyn, on the other hand, comes to believe that Garth has accepted her without reserve, without qualifiers, accepting and respecting and honoring the unique qualities she brings to her medical practice as a true healer. Even when they are having their difficulties, there is a sense that they are celebrating each other's strengths.
This is the first work by this author I have read but I know I will go back and read the other three novels in this series. Having met a number of Garth's pals in this story, it will be fun to go back and read more about each of them indepth. This is an instructive and entertaining novel. Incidentally, a bit of information gleaned from the author's blurb indicates that the medical resource for this novel was another author, Elizabeth Vaughan who is a medical doctor in addition to her career as an author. Small world. This is a great book and well worth the time and effort to read it.
I give it a rating of 4.5 out of 5.
This review was originally posted on Book Binge by Judith.
May 31, 2011
I don't know what to make of SEALed Forever. I haven't read the previous books in the series but figured that the story wouldn't be difficult to follow. SEALed Forever starts with Garth experiencing a near-death experience. Fast forward a year later and he's a groomsmen for his friend's, Davy, wedding. He meets Bronwyn who is the bride's best friend. Apparently that encounter didn't leave an impression on either one of them.
Garth is working at a small airstrip in North Carolina when he finds a baby in a box. The baby looks dehydrated so he decides he needs to take the baby to a doctor. He doesn't want to take her to the ER because he doesn't want to have to answer any questions. Bronwyn doesn't want to be a big city doctor and decides to leave Baltimore for small town living. She's now a country doctor in N.C. starting her own practice. Garth shows up on her doorstep during a storm, seeking her assistance in helping the baby that he named Julia.
The first issue I had with SEALed Forever were the names! Good grief they were a mouth full. Bronwyn Whitescarver. Landreth. What in the world? Anyway, so when Garth ends up on Bronwyn front porch, it's dark. The lights had just gone out so they couldn't see each other. Once the lights turn back on, both Bronwyn and Garth realize that they've met each other before. Bronwyn is relieved because she knows that Garth can be trusted. Garth finally gets a look at Bronwyn and it's like the angels started singing. He's instantly in love and starts thinking of her as his mate. Pump the breaks. Mate? Say what? Is this a PNR cause that is some paranormal talk right there. Garth is already thinking about making Bronwyn his wife. Because Garth was moving fast in his thought process, I expected this to be a whirlwind, passionate courtship. Boy was I wrong!
The romance dragged and was lukewarm. Bronwyn is still recovering from losing her fiancee so she is not ready to get into a relationship. I can't help but compare this book to other romantic suspense books I've read involving Navy SEALS. I expected Garth to be intense and dark. Instead I thought he was boring. I didn't find the love at first sight aspect believable and thought he was too pushy and manipulative.
All in all, the entire plot dragged and the story arc took too long to reach its conclusion. The romance or the mystery surrounding the baby did not keep me engaged enough to care about the outcome.
Garth is working at a small airstrip in North Carolina when he finds a baby in a box. The baby looks dehydrated so he decides he needs to take the baby to a doctor. He doesn't want to take her to the ER because he doesn't want to have to answer any questions. Bronwyn doesn't want to be a big city doctor and decides to leave Baltimore for small town living. She's now a country doctor in N.C. starting her own practice. Garth shows up on her doorstep during a storm, seeking her assistance in helping the baby that he named Julia.
The first issue I had with SEALed Forever were the names! Good grief they were a mouth full. Bronwyn Whitescarver. Landreth. What in the world? Anyway, so when Garth ends up on Bronwyn front porch, it's dark. The lights had just gone out so they couldn't see each other. Once the lights turn back on, both Bronwyn and Garth realize that they've met each other before. Bronwyn is relieved because she knows that Garth can be trusted. Garth finally gets a look at Bronwyn and it's like the angels started singing. He's instantly in love and starts thinking of her as his mate. Pump the breaks. Mate? Say what? Is this a PNR cause that is some paranormal talk right there. Garth is already thinking about making Bronwyn his wife. Because Garth was moving fast in his thought process, I expected this to be a whirlwind, passionate courtship. Boy was I wrong!
The romance dragged and was lukewarm. Bronwyn is still recovering from losing her fiancee so she is not ready to get into a relationship. I can't help but compare this book to other romantic suspense books I've read involving Navy SEALS. I expected Garth to be intense and dark. Instead I thought he was boring. I didn't find the love at first sight aspect believable and thought he was too pushy and manipulative.
All in all, the entire plot dragged and the story arc took too long to reach its conclusion. The romance or the mystery surrounding the baby did not keep me engaged enough to care about the outcome.
July 21, 2020
I would recommend this series to anyone who likes strong men & women plus a little intrigue will love this. Go for it you won’t be disappointed
June 5, 2011
This book might seem as if it should be a romantic suspense, but it isn't. Even though the hero is a SEAL, the story is a relationship story. This series of books have SEALs in them but they are not action books. Generally I'm okay with that in this series but the relationship here wasn't strong enough to carry the book without more action.
It started strong. The first bit of the book was great. It was a scene where the hero, Garth, was in Afghanistan and injured in action. The supernatural stuff here was okay. But once he got back to the US, it lost steam. I liked him. I liked his story of coming to realize what he really wanted in life but not as much as I'd have liked a book with more action.
The actual story about the abandoned baby wasn't that interesting. And I say that being a person who generally loves pregnancy/babies in books. There was just too much about loving the baby (after 3 days you're so in love with her that can't conceive of giving her up?) I mean I love babies but you knew going in she wasn't yours.
The love story was just okay. He fell in love with her at first sight. It was a little odd though to have the hero in a nonparanormal romance keep referring to the heroine as his "mate."
I really didn't enjoy the psychic element involving the heroine at all. It just seemed out of place and unnecessary especially since none of the other 3 books in this series included this element at all.
There was a bit at the end that I really did enjoy though
Ultimately not as good as the last one but I'll still read any further books in the series.
It started strong. The first bit of the book was great. It was a scene where the hero, Garth, was in Afghanistan and injured in action. The supernatural stuff here was okay. But once he got back to the US, it lost steam. I liked him. I liked his story of coming to realize what he really wanted in life but not as much as I'd have liked a book with more action.
The actual story about the abandoned baby wasn't that interesting. And I say that being a person who generally loves pregnancy/babies in books. There was just too much about loving the baby (after 3 days you're so in love with her that can't conceive of giving her up?) I mean I love babies but you knew going in she wasn't yours.
The love story was just okay. He fell in love with her at first sight. It was a little odd though to have the hero in a nonparanormal romance keep referring to the heroine as his "mate."
I really didn't enjoy the psychic element involving the heroine at all. It just seemed out of place and unnecessary especially since none of the other 3 books in this series included this element at all.
There was a bit at the end that I really did enjoy though
Ultimately not as good as the last one but I'll still read any further books in the series.
September 12, 2011
Posted at Oh My Books!
SEALed forever is the story of Garth, a Navy SEAL and Bronwyn, a young doctor. Garth, while on an undercover mission, finds an abandoned baby. He doesn't know what do to with her, except he knows he has to keep it. But the baby isn't right, and the only doctor near is Bronwyn Whitescarver.
Bronwyn is still dealing with her boyfriend's death when Garth comes to her new house asking for her medical advice. She knows something is off with his story about the baby, but decides to take care of both of them.
Their story started good. They had met before, but it wasn't important for any of them until now. Garth feels attracted to her from the beginning and always is very sure of his feelings for Brownyn, but she isn't ready. Of course, their attraction isn't easy to ignore, and soon they are "together".
The romance was sweet, but full of complications, as Bronwyn indecision and Garth desire to keep his job no matter what, that made the story much longer than what I expected. The baby was an unnecessary complication, but it gave the story a sweet touch.
Although I haven't read the previous SEALed books, SEALed forever was easy to follow. As I said before, it took longer that necessarily to reach it ending, but I still enjoyed Garth's and Bronwyn's romance.
SEALed forever is the story of Garth, a Navy SEAL and Bronwyn, a young doctor. Garth, while on an undercover mission, finds an abandoned baby. He doesn't know what do to with her, except he knows he has to keep it. But the baby isn't right, and the only doctor near is Bronwyn Whitescarver.
Bronwyn is still dealing with her boyfriend's death when Garth comes to her new house asking for her medical advice. She knows something is off with his story about the baby, but decides to take care of both of them.
Their story started good. They had met before, but it wasn't important for any of them until now. Garth feels attracted to her from the beginning and always is very sure of his feelings for Brownyn, but she isn't ready. Of course, their attraction isn't easy to ignore, and soon they are "together".
The romance was sweet, but full of complications, as Bronwyn indecision and Garth desire to keep his job no matter what, that made the story much longer than what I expected. The baby was an unnecessary complication, but it gave the story a sweet touch.
Although I haven't read the previous SEALed books, SEALed forever was easy to follow. As I said before, it took longer that necessarily to reach it ending, but I still enjoyed Garth's and Bronwyn's romance.
June 10, 2011
4.5 out of 5. This is the fourth novel in Ms Daughtridge's first series, yet it reads like the work of a much more experienced author. Well-defined characters that come alive, whose personalities make each one memorable and easily followed throughout the story, a plot that is a very nice balance between romance, suspense and special ops mystery, just a little of the ESP kind of stuff mixed in with possible ghosts in the old house the heroine has moved into, and a really nice love story blended with some self-learning and a growing awareness on the part of both the main characters that they are more than they previously thought or were willing to accept. Thinking back on this reading experience, I have to say that the novel read with the ease of a simple story, but in reality it was quite complicated. Both Garth and Bronwyn were just so very likeable, both highly intelligent, both ready for a life partner, but both greatly impacted by hurts and disappointments from the past. To "watch from the sidelines" as they worked through those issues separately and together almost felt like having the best seats in the house. Just a truly wonderful read!
June 1, 2011
This one was a slow starter for me. It was very difficult for me to get into the story. I have not read any of the previous books in this series, so I’m not sure if that had anything to do with it.
Bronwyn is a doctor who meets SEAL Garth at her best friend JJ's wedding to fellow SEAL Davy. The two barely even noticed or acknowledge other, but some time later they meet again.
Garth finds a baby, and in need of a medical opinion he goes to the town doctor who turns out to be Bronwyn. Upon seeing her again, and spending a very short amount of time with her, he comes to the realization that she is his "mate." Not only was that an incredibly short amount of time to be believable, but the whole "mate" thing sounded like a paranormal romance. Day two and Garth was already talking about Bronwyn having his children.
I didn't have any vested interest in either one of the characters or their relationship.
Bronwyn is a doctor who meets SEAL Garth at her best friend JJ's wedding to fellow SEAL Davy. The two barely even noticed or acknowledge other, but some time later they meet again.
Garth finds a baby, and in need of a medical opinion he goes to the town doctor who turns out to be Bronwyn. Upon seeing her again, and spending a very short amount of time with her, he comes to the realization that she is his "mate." Not only was that an incredibly short amount of time to be believable, but the whole "mate" thing sounded like a paranormal romance. Day two and Garth was already talking about Bronwyn having his children.
I didn't have any vested interest in either one of the characters or their relationship.
July 15, 2013
This is the 4th of Ms Daughtridge's Sealed... books. In some ways I liked it better and in other ways I didn't. Overall a very good read, with visits from Lon, Do-Lord (bk #2), Davy & JJ (bk #3). As with her other 3 books, Ms D writes beautifully. There aren't as many $10 words (those that require a dictionary) but there's plenty of writing like:
and
Loved the series, loved the books and have now read them all twice. If Ms Daughtridge publishes more, I'll definitely be buying them.
"If I command her to do what she wants to do anyway, it helps us both maintain the illusion that she's obedient." (Bronwyn speaking about her dog, Mildred)
and
"I want to tell you more than I've ever wanted anything in my life. More than I've ever wanted anything at all," he repeated in the same gravelly, uninflected tone. "Except to kiss you." (Garth speaking to Bronwyn)
Loved the series, loved the books and have now read them all twice. If Ms Daughtridge publishes more, I'll definitely be buying them.
December 24, 2015
This wasn't bad. While this was a bit of a wrap everything up book there seemed to be plenty of loose ends for another installment in the series. "Bronny" (gack, sounds like a My Little Pony) situation was a bit contrived. The deal to get her to practice medicine in the hinterlands didn't seem good enough considering who her sponsors were. The paranormal stuff was just weird - I didn't have a problem with her being able to heal with touch as much as the "young woman with angst causes poltergeists" part. That was completely unnecessary.
The Lt seemed too naive to be an officer - especially when he's plotting to get her to leave NC and trail after him. It also seems unreasonable that he'd take as long as he did to figure out he'd been sidelined.
I liked that they had the baby to keep them together and get his buddies involved. The resolution to who she was seemed a bit out of left field, but hey, it's all black ops!
The Lt seemed too naive to be an officer - especially when he's plotting to get her to leave NC and trail after him. It also seems unreasonable that he'd take as long as he did to figure out he'd been sidelined.
I liked that they had the baby to keep them together and get his buddies involved. The resolution to who she was seemed a bit out of left field, but hey, it's all black ops!
June 3, 2011
After reading previous books by this author, I was a little excited to jump into her story telling of romance. While the book was nice, it wasn't a great read for me.
While the characters were detailed nicely and the author tried to make us love them, they each fell a little flat for me. It seems the series started out great, but by the time you get to this book it is too predictable and boring. I honestly had to force myself to finish the book just so I could read the ending that I knew was coming. The story was slowly paced and even when the plot seemed to pick up, the pace always returned to a lull.
Overall, if you have read the series then you might has well read this one if you are someone who likes to see a series through. Otherwise, if you haven't read any of them yet, go ahead and give it a pass for now.
While the characters were detailed nicely and the author tried to make us love them, they each fell a little flat for me. It seems the series started out great, but by the time you get to this book it is too predictable and boring. I honestly had to force myself to finish the book just so I could read the ending that I knew was coming. The story was slowly paced and even when the plot seemed to pick up, the pace always returned to a lull.
Overall, if you have read the series then you might has well read this one if you are someone who likes to see a series through. Otherwise, if you haven't read any of them yet, go ahead and give it a pass for now.
May 29, 2012
My main beef throughout most of the book was Garth's single-minded intention that Bronwyn would be the one to give up everything and move willy-nilly. Every move he made was aimed at obtaining that goal, and for some reason that really annoyed me. It was all about him - yes, he loved her, but she needed to be willing to uproot multiple times just for HIS career. No thought really about her career (other than like a good military wife she'd be content to stay at lower rungs on the career ladder). Yes, of course by the end everything worked out (that's not a spoiler, I don't think since it's a romance after all and we know there's an HEA), but that still irked me the multiple times he thought about it.
July 23, 2011
Having liked the free Kindle download SEALed with a Kiss by the same author, I decided to buy this book when it dropped to $.99 and expected to like it as much. I didn't. It was still a good read; I just didn't like it as much. It moved more slowly, and the "woo-woo" (slightly paranormal) stuff seemed out of place, given that there wasn't any in the first book. The first book was so realistically done for me that the extrasensory perception elements in this book wobbled my suspension of disbelief somewhat — it was like another series altogether, a somewhat different reality.
Other than that, it was all nicely done. It just didn't quite meet my expectations.
Other than that, it was all nicely done. It just didn't quite meet my expectations.
May 29, 2011
Usually when I start reading a series, I want to see the entire thing through. That is why I downloaded and read this book. By the 4th book in the series, there's a predictable (and slightly mind numbing) pattern of mostly perfect people falling in love within minutes of meeting, or at least one of them is in love. This book lack much of the passion of the earlier books, but had some supernatural elements that kept me interested.
December 28, 2011
Sorry, not a fan.
On paper, this romance seemed to have all the right stuff (SEALs, romance and an abandoned baby- sounds good to me!), but the author also added a manipuative hero, government conspiracies, some armed forces history & information, shared near-death experiences, psychic abilities and more. Now, I love a good paranormal romance, but the plot elements in this story just didn't gel- not even the basic romantic relationship felt authentic. I wish I had given this one a pass.
On paper, this romance seemed to have all the right stuff (SEALs, romance and an abandoned baby- sounds good to me!), but the author also added a manipuative hero, government conspiracies, some armed forces history & information, shared near-death experiences, psychic abilities and more. Now, I love a good paranormal romance, but the plot elements in this story just didn't gel- not even the basic romantic relationship felt authentic. I wish I had given this one a pass.
May 21, 2011
I was generous with the 2 stars...I'd really give it 1 1/2 stars if I could. I really enjoyed the 1st book, the 2nd & 3rd were okay...4th not so great. But once I start a series I feel like I have to finish it regardless of whether or not I'm enjoying it...which explains why I hardly ever buy a book in a series.
October 6, 2011
Mary-Margret Daughtridge usually has more drama, suspense and tension in her "Seal" books. This one just didn't seem to go in that direction. Don't get me wrong. It's still a great read with two very in-depth characters. I hope she gets back to the nitty gritty of Seal Team work and keeps the action at full impact. She still knows how to write a hot steamy sex scene.
November 15, 2014
Low key, yet engaging. There is very little on scene danger although there is plenty of mystery and intrigue. The ending is drawn out and flat. I've gotten used to books having final "come to Jesus" moments and this one doesn't have that, although all the threads are tied up at the end.
April 27, 2011
Review to come
June 13, 2011
It took me awhile to get interested in this one, but once I did it was good. Still a little choppy, leaving some gaps in the story.
June 27, 2011
Hooked! Can't wait to read the previous books in the series.
November 1, 2011
An excellent addition to this series.
August 24, 2011
Haven't read anything to do with any type of military, until now. Yes it was exciting and recommend this book.
December 18, 2011
#whaaaaa?
#jumped the shark?
#jumped the shark?
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