I'm still eagerly exploring the world of audio books as a newbie so I was willing to give this one a try when I was offered the chance. Add to that a new to me author I wanted to try and a military romantic suspense and it was an easy choice.
I ended up both listening and reading this one to try out Amazon's Whispersync for the first time since I already had an e-copy of the book. I know this is old news to others, but I thought it was pretty cool beans to have that flexibility with the book. I found it an uncomplicated process and made the switch a few times. I did have to be a little patient when I went back and forth because it took a few seconds to 'sync' to the furthest point, but other than that it was a snap.
This book is the seventh book in a series. It was the first one I listened to/read, but I had no trouble since it worked well out of order or as a standalone. Yes, there were mentions of characters that I surmise were the main characters in previous books, but the plot was self-contained and the world explained well enough for me to get along fine.
The story opens with Kate Morgan flying up to Portland to visit her sister. Kate is engaged to the son of a wine making family in Sonoma and he is everyone's idea of a catch. As the big wedding day approaches, Kate starts to harbor doubts. She knows that everyone else would just call it wedding jitters because she and Randy are 'perfect' for each other and yes, she liked him, too. It is sitting next to a total stranger that completely unsettles her and puts things in perspective. Her quick connection and attraction to Tyler is enough to make her realize that she is getting ready to make a huge mistake with Randy. Tyler is definitely interested, but he wants no part in breaking up her engagement nor does he want to be her rebound guy. His understanding and caring lead her to be willing to step out and take a different direction in her life even to exchanging letters with a Navy SEAL and giving him a chance from thousands of dangerous miles away.
Tyler Gray simply planned to fly up and spend some time with his folks before his next assignment. This assignment is hush hush like all of them, but there are hints that it will be hard and more dangerous than usual. His relaxing trip gets upended by a woman who takes his breath away. He always wanted a special love and chance for a family and he can't believe his bad luck to discover that she is taken. Or is she... Tyler spends time with Kate and they connect quickly and deeply. He tries to do the right thing, but he still can't keep away or break it off completely. He is thrilled when she agrees to let them write. The other guy doesn't seem to appreciate her qualities and takes her for granted. If the guy steps aside, Tyler will definitely take over from there. He only has a few days before he leaves and he is concerned about the situation Kate will be in, but he trusts that she has the strength and the heart to be there for him when he gets back.
This story situation was not exactly one that I was sure about. The scenario of a woman engaged to another guy was not setting well with me. I went ahead with the story anticipating that I might very well set it aside because of it. As it turned out, I didn't, but I won't go so far as to say that my concerns were unwarranted. Kate does indeed skate the line with Tyler. There is no actual cheating taking place and neither was there a love triangle. But yeah, I would be more comfortable with a different set up.
So the story started out slow as Kate and Tyler introduced, dealt with attraction, and Kate sorted out her situation with Randy and how she felt about Tyler. It wasn't utter drab-dom since Kate and Tyler really burned up the sheets. Oh yeah, girlfriend was a wildcat and shocked even her SEAL into realizing he'd hit jackpot. For three-fourths of the book, it was Contemporary Romance and a gentle slow developer at that. It wasn't until the last segment that both action and suspense kicked in with two different situations. I was only mildly interested up until that point, but then howdy boy was I into it.
JD Hart as a narrator was a definite plus. He did a really great job with Tyler and pretty well with the other voices too including the gals. His timing and sense of storytelling were right on. In fact, the best compliment I can give is that I didn't even notice him, but only the story.
In summary, I enjoyed my first time reading/listening to this author and would definitely read more of the series. Romantic suspense lovers who like a lot of spice and don't mind the balance more toward romance should give it a go.
My thanks to Barclay Publicity for the opportunity to listen to this story in exchange for an honest review.