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Echo Platoon #3.5

Never Forget

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Master Chief Rusty Kuzinsky has thrown his heart and his savings into preparing a warrior’s retreat. Never Forget is a special place for SEALs to find solace and to heal after grueling operations like those he endured his entire career. Just as his first guests are due to arrive, a military war dog suffering from PTSD lands in Rusty’s lap, requiring attention he simply can’t spare.

NCIS Special Agent Maya Schultz has her hands full raising a teenage son while investigating crimes taking place within the military. When Rusty offers her son a summer job caring for his new dog, practical Maya can’t tell what’s more dangerous—the crazy dog or her attraction to a man who witnessed her husband’s death ten years ago…and claims to see him, still.

But when danger threatens Maya’s remaining family, Rusty’s special gift and his unhinged dog become her only defense against a suspect who’ll do anything to avoid going to prison. With time running out and life or death at stake, Maya has to choose whether to follow her head as she has always done or to trust her heart this time.

200 pages, Paperback

First published June 15, 2016

21 people are currently reading
117 people want to read

About the author

Marliss Melton

54 books531 followers
Marliss Melton is the author of over twenty romantic suspense, medieval, and inspirational stories. She relies on her experience as a military spouse and on her many contacts in the Spec Ops and Intelligence communities to pen realistic and heartfelt stories about America's elite warriors and fearless agency heroes. Daughter of a U.S. foreign officer, Melton grew up in various countries overseas. She has taught English, Spanish, ESL, and Linguistics at the College of William and Mary, her alma mater., and to this day she lives in Williamsburg, Virginia. Marliss also writes inspirational romantic suspense as Rebecca Hartt. Be sure to “friend” Marliss on Facebook! Visit www.marlissmelton.com or https://RebeccaHartt.com for more information.

Series:
* SEAL Team 12

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5 stars
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29 (14%)
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
Profile Image for Pilar S.C..
Author 10 books272 followers
January 24, 2021
Este es uno de esos libros que se leen en un suspiro, en media tarde.

La trama es rápida e intuitiva.

Me ha encantado la historia de Draco y su papel en la novela (qué le voy a hacer; soy fácil), pero quizás es lo que más me ha gustado.

Curtis podría haber tenido un papel más, mucho más, importante. Sé que la historia prácticamente se centra en él, pero debería haberse centrado también en sus sentimientos y emociones. Santana también debería haber interactuado más (quizás tenga su propia historia, guiño, guiño).

Maya y Rusty me han encantado, pero ¿cómo no hacerlo?

No obstante, he echado en falta algo. Esta novela se me queda coja.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Sophia.
Author 5 books399 followers
March 1, 2017
Audio Review

Ever just need a character(s) to have his or her story told? That's how I was when I listened to the scene in Hard Landing when Rusty and Maya meet. There were sparks, but she shut it all down to a smolder when she held Rusty responsible for her late husband's death. I was more than thrilled when this long novella was released following up on Rusty and Maya's story.

Never Forget is part of the Echo Platoon series and there is a gentle connection with an earlier story, but it also makes a decent standalone or intro the author and series.

Rusty Kuzinsky is retired from the SEALs and now is pursuing his plans full-throttle for a warrior retreat where SEALs can come and get some down time to adjust after coming off their missions. He's always been a protector and caregiver to his men and this is another way he can take care of them. Busily readying for his first group of SEAL guests, his life is complicated by the arrival of a retired military dog he agreed to take if the dog's handler didn't make it and also he bumps into captivating Maya Schultz at the home store. Her difficulties with her teenage son tug at him and he offers to take on Curtis for the summer to help with the dog, Draco.

Maya has spent years pushing away emotions and holding to her grief and loss. Her job at NCIS keeps her occupied as does the care of her son, but now that he is getting older and showing frustration, anger, hanging with bad kids and some rebellion, she fears that she is enough. Once again, she wishes she could turn to her dead husband. She resents that Rusty Kuzinsky came back alive and lived on to retire when her husband and a father is gone. Her head knows that Rusty isn't to blame, but she's scared that if she lets go of the bitter resentment then other emotions will pore in. Only now that Rusty is helping with Curtis, she is forced to loosen her grip on the past and on her heart maybe even dream a little about an older warrior like Rusty.

I enjoyed seeing an Autumn romance between a retired SEAL and a widow, the antics of a struggling boy and an old war dog, and yes, it didn't miss a dash of suspense to liven it up.
The pacing and development were just right for this type of story that couldn't be rushed. It flipped back and forth between Rusty and Maya's point of view with a few moments of Curtis and others taking a narrative lead.

Rusty is ready to take the plunge into the new segment of his life that allows him to take a chance on love, but the lady he chooses needs more patience and perception on his part than leading a group of baby SEALs. I really enjoyed Rusty because even if it is a hard thing, he does the right thing. Maya really struggled and it was hard to see and she kept one hand on the hand brake the whole time with Rusty, but I loved how his steadfastness really worked on her and she finally gave him a chance.

This isn't a full-blown novel so the suspense is there and definitely a danger, but not really complex. It stayed to the background until it finally made things exciting there in the end.

Armen Taylor is not new to me as a narrator since I've listened to all the stories of the Echo Platoon series he has narrated. He's a great match for the tone and writing of these books and I have no trouble sinking into the story as he narrates it.

All in all, this book was utterly satisfying and lived up to my expectation for Rusty and Maya's story. I can easily recommend it to those who enjoy slight spicy military romantic suspense.

My thanks to the author for the opportunity to listen to this book in exchange for an honest review.
506 reviews5 followers
March 9, 2017
Fantastic military romance and suspense!
This is the first book by Marliss Melton that I have read or listened to and I was very impressed. I am rather picky about military-themed contemporary romances, but this one had everything that I could ask for: romance, lovable characters, and some suspense. Although this is Book 5 in the Echo Platoon series, this book can be read out of order just fine.
The author has some great vocabulary skills. Marliss Melton has a knack for using interesting words that convey the meaning well.
The male narrator's voice was gorgeous: warm, velvety tones with excellent enunciation and pacing. Armen Taylor was quite good at portraying both male and female voices. He could even convincingly sound like a whiney teenager.
I really liked all of the characters. Rusty, a newly retired Navy SEAL, is a very good guy, very respectful, no temper, organized, and is adorably focused on his new charity. He just started a retreat for Navy SEALs to decompress after coming back from war. Rusty even likes to cook and decorate his farm house. That is so sexy. Rusty has the most wonderful personality! He is a dream guy and the perfect book boyfriend, in my opinion. I really like how both primary characters are around 40-years-old. Rusty has had some hard times with friends and family dying in the past, but he is doing well. Maya's husband had been a Navy SEAL and who died 10 years ago. She has been raising her 14-year-old son Curtis alone. Rusty catches her eye and she begins to think she can give dating a try for the first time since she was married. Maya's son Curtis slightly annoyed me at first, but I quickly warmed up to him when he acquired a work ethic and and developed more respect for his elders. The chapters from his third person point of view showed that Curtis had a good heart. Drako, a retired Navy SEAL dog that Rusty adopted, has some PTSD, so there are some touchy times with him, but I love him. Drako was a good dog at heart and he really shows that.
I like that there was not too much gritty realistic modern-day danger. I am NOT a fan of the serious TV crime dramas, and I do not like contemporary romance novels with many pages devoted to evil modern criminals, drug smuggling, kidnapping, etc. Thankfully, this novella kept that kind of thing to a minimum. Even though Maya is a JAG military investigator, not much is mentioned of her daily work activities. The slow, careful romance with Rusty takes center stage, along with her son's growing bond with the dog Drako. There are some shady characters who are up to no good and pose a danger for Maya and Curtis, which leads to some action/thriller scenes. I was quite pleased with the quality of the suspense scenes in the last third of the book.
This audiobook is really satisfying overall. I think it was a perfect length, and I like the third person past perspective that alternates among Rusty, Maya, Curtis, and one minor character. There was one lightly steamy love scene. I like how Maya and Rusty's romance developed slowly so that the payoff and their happy ever after was even sweeter.
The author gave me a free copy of the audiobook, and I voluntarily wrote this honest review.
Profile Image for Teresa.
1,388 reviews3 followers
August 3, 2017
Never Forget our military men and women

Never Forget is a story that will have your heart with Master Chief Rusty, Maya, Curtis and Draco a retired WMD. Rusty retires from the Navy after 21 years and he decides to give something back to the men whom he trained to be SEALs and opens The Never Forget retreat. His place will give the team's a place to unwind after deployment. When a Marine shows up with Draco who has lost his trainer to a IED he wonders if he's taken on too much.
He's carried a torch for Maya the widow of one of his men, so when he discovers she needs help with her teen son, Curtis, Rusty offers a job caring for Draco. Little do they know that between Curtis and Draco that both Maya and Rusty will find the love they've needed for each other and that Draco will help to find Curtis when he's taken by a sailor who's taken him after finding his weapons stash.
Great book and as the title suggests Never Forget our men and women who have given so much to keep us safe and free.
Profile Image for Pontiki.
2,518 reviews9 followers
July 26, 2018
Rusty is a great leader, a noble man, and a loner. But, when Maya is struggling with raising her 14 year old son, Curtis, he can’t help but want to make things better. His dog could also use a friend, and there’s a family in the making.

Good adventure, too short to be much in the way of romance, not bad, but the novels are MUCH better.

KU
223 reviews
January 30, 2020
I like Rusty and that he isn't the "traditional" at least 6 foot burly persona of a SEAL. Rusty is probably more in line with actuality so I appreciate that.

Maya & Rusty are an interesting couple. The Ghost thing....meh...other than how it helped with the situation at the end didn't really add to the story they way it incorporated.

Curtis was definitely and interesting add to the storyline.
Profile Image for Dee.
1,501 reviews173 followers
November 22, 2017
3.5

I was all ready to give this 4 stars but the ending was just to quick, it really peed me off so decreased rating.
Profile Image for Dione.
341 reviews9 followers
May 19, 2019
It was okay, but not compelling.
Profile Image for Sharon.
455 reviews3 followers
April 21, 2020
I love anything with SD and hot SEALS, plus this was well done.
Profile Image for Karen.
1,253 reviews51 followers
March 9, 2017
Audio review

"Even Dogs are soliders "
What did you love best about Never Forget?
I loved the story line it was different than anything I've read. I loved the idea of a retreat for soldiers returning from war

Who was your favorite character and why?
Drago and Curtis

What does Armen Taylor bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
He did a great job of bringing the charaters to life

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
Dogs are really mans best friend

Any additional comments?
I was gifted this by the author for an honest review and I can honestly say I am now in love with this story. I loved it so much I plan on getting more of this series once I have more credits in my account. I love miltary romances and I am a huge animal lover so this was a win win for me
86 reviews5 followers
March 3, 2017
Never Forget is part of the Echo Platoon series and is another great read/listen by Marliss Melton. The story centers around Rusty, retired from the military, and Maya, a widowed mom of a teenage boy named Curtis. I really enjoyed watching the relationship develop between all three characters including a retired military dog named Draco. This military romance has everything you need to make a great book-strong, relatable characters, sexy military guy, hero dog, conflict/danger to overcome, and a happy ending. While this book is part of a series, the author does a great job giving background information so that it can be read as a stand-alone book without the feeling you are missing something. If you haven’t read anything by Marliss Melton, you don’t know what you are missing. Pick up this book for a fun, quick read! You won’t regret it.
Profile Image for Bobbie.
1,202 reviews10 followers
February 27, 2017
I have read several of Marliss Melton's books but had never listened to one so thought this would a good chance to see how I much I would enjoy listening versus reading, and this was a very enjoyable listen. I thought the narrator did a good job distinguishing the different voices. I liked that the story read well so that I had a "movie in my mind" while listening. Some narrators just read a book and others give it emotion and nuance. This book felt that way to me. I can highly recommend if you like military romance books. Ms. Melton always does a good job with her military heros making them very believable and her Echo series has been a fun series to follow.
Profile Image for Yvette Wright.
53 reviews1 follower
September 22, 2016
Great!

Good book about difficulties faced by our returning military with some romance and suspense thrown in.
Also portrays the war dogs who must adapt to peacetime.
Profile Image for April.
1,850 reviews73 followers
June 26, 2016
**"Proceeds from the sale of this book benefit LZ-Grace Warriors Retreat in Virginia Beach."**

Never Forget by Marliss Melton is #5 in her heart-pumping "Echo Platoon" series. It can be read as a stand alone.

Once again, Ms. Melton has created an energetic, and suspenseful tale.

Well written, emotionally charged with engaging, intriguing characters and an intriguing, unquestionably unique storyline.

Filled with loyalty, a Retired Marine canine (who has PTSD), gun runners, dangerous situations, a near death experience, a bitter and angst teenager, and a warriors's retreat for down time to help warriors relax and face reality again.

Meet, Master Chief Rusty Kuzinsky and NCIS Special Agent Maya Schultz. When Maya's teenager son, Curtis is threatened, does she trust her gut or let her heart take over.
Rusty was with Maya's husband when he was killed and claims to see his ghost, but will he be able to save Curtis?

Once again, Ms. Melton has written an emotional, intriguing tale with complex, wounded, rather in body, mind or soul, warriors and the women who fall in love with them. Will keep you captivated from the first page to the last and yes, beyond.

In "Never Forget", Ms. Melton, has written a compelling and thoughtful prologue concerning the actual "Warriors Retreat" in Virginia Beach, Virginia. I enjoy the connection her characters always have with the Military and she never forgets their canine sidekicks. Another fantastic read in the "Echo Platoon". Another sweet Romantic tale from Ms. Melton! Fans of Military Romance, adventure, suspense, and heart pumping, soul deep storytelling, should pick up "Never Forget". Ms. Melton never disappoints and always delivers. Fantastic read!
Received for an honest review from the author.


Rating: 4.5
Heat rating: Mild
Reviewed by: AprilR
Profile Image for Mandy C.
236 reviews16 followers
July 3, 2016
Sweet and sexy.....can't resist a man and his dog!

Have waited for Rusty's story and I was not disappointed. A lovely story of losing love and finding it once again. I loved the interaction between the leads and the dog. It all tied together nicely. Definitely worth your time. I'm a fan of that story line and hoped that Rusty didn't have to remain alone. The strength of his character just drew you in. The aspect of apparitions added a nice touch. Many believe in visitations of some sort and I'm pleased it wasn't hyped up to be more. Another nice touch. Well written...... Touching and heart warming. Thank you for another part of the story....literally!

Profile Image for Roger.
5,608 reviews28 followers
July 3, 2022
Never Forget (Echo Platoon, #3.5), my fourth read from author Marliss Melton, the best so far! Enjoyable, tightly woven & well-written romantic suspense. I'd received a free Audible copy of Take Cover (Echo Platoon #4.5) and read it & enjoyed it greatly and decided to read the series. “I received a free Audible copy of this book and I'm voluntarily leaving a review." Armen Taylor's narration adds to the enjoyment of the book. The gifting of this book did not affect my opinion of it. I'll be reading more from this author and in this series. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).
Profile Image for Davia.
832 reviews13 followers
September 23, 2016
Fantastic story!

Rusty has done so much for his team. With his retirement i was worried how he would see Maya again. Bravo great story a true HEA for people who deserve it. I love this series!!! I hope we hear more from them in the future.
13 reviews1 follower
June 24, 2016
Heroism

A fantastic story of courage,. understanding.
, and support for fellow returning veterans. Look forward to more stories with the same message.
4,538 reviews29 followers
August 25, 2016
I think I like the novellas in this series even better than the novels, so far. This was an excellent story.
Profile Image for Rebecca Delio.
1,116 reviews5 followers
October 18, 2016
Great Story

I have read several of Rebecca Zanetti's books and enjoyed each and everyone of them, I especially love books with dogs and this story was exceptional.
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