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Troubleshooters #2
The Defiant Hero
In The Unsung Hero, award-winning author Suzanne Brockmann dazzled readers with her remarkable cast of tough and tender U.S. Navy SEALs. Now her daring men in uniform return for THE DEFIANT HERO—a thrilling novel of steadfast courage, intimate passions, and the profound risks that are taken in the name of love. . . .
"The United States refuses to negotiate with terrorists." Meg Moore remembered the warning from her job as a translator in a European embassy. Those same words will spell out a death sentence for her daughter and grandmother who have been kidnapped by a lethal group called the Extremists. Meg will do anything to meet their unspeakable demands; anything—even kill—to save her child.
When Navy SEAL Lieutenant, junior grade, John Nilsson is summoned to Washington, D.C., by the FBI to help negotiate a hostage situation, the last person he expects to see holding a foreign ambassador at gunpoint is Meg. He hasn't seen her in years, but he's never forgotten how it feels to hold her in his arms. John could lose his career if he helps her escape. She will lose her life if he doesn't. . . .
From the Paperback edition.
"The United States refuses to negotiate with terrorists." Meg Moore remembered the warning from her job as a translator in a European embassy. Those same words will spell out a death sentence for her daughter and grandmother who have been kidnapped by a lethal group called the Extremists. Meg will do anything to meet their unspeakable demands; anything—even kill—to save her child.
When Navy SEAL Lieutenant, junior grade, John Nilsson is summoned to Washington, D.C., by the FBI to help negotiate a hostage situation, the last person he expects to see holding a foreign ambassador at gunpoint is Meg. He hasn't seen her in years, but he's never forgotten how it feels to hold her in his arms. John could lose his career if he helps her escape. She will lose her life if he doesn't. . . .
From the Paperback edition.
390 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 27, 2001
309 people are currently reading
1937 people want to read
About the author
Suzanne Brockmann
253 books3,568 followersAfter childhood plans to become the captain of a starship didn’t pan out, Suzanne Brockmann took her fascination with military history, her respect for the men and women who serve, her reverence for diversity, and her love of storytelling, and explored brave new worlds as a bestselling romance author.
Over the past thirty years she has written sixty-three novels, including her award-winning Troubleshooters series about Navy SEAL heroes and the women—and sometimes men—who win their hearts. Her personal favorite is the one where her most popular character, gay FBI agent Jules Cassidy, wins his happily-ever-after and marries the man of his dreams. Called All Through the Night, this mainstream romance novel with a hero and a hero hit the New York Times hardcover fiction bestseller list. In 2007, Suz donated all of her earnings from this book, in perpetuity, to MassEquality, to help win and preserve equal marriage rights in Massachusetts.
In addition to writing books, Suz writes and produces indie movies and TV including the award-winning romantic comedy The Perfect Wedding. Her recent feature, Out of Body, is streaming on Amazon Prime.
In 2018, Suz was given the Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award from the Romance Writers of America. Her latest projects are Blame It on Rio (Tall, Dark & Dangerous # 14), available in print and e-book from Suzanne Brockmann Books, and Marriage of Inconvenience, a six-episode LBGTQ rom-com TV series, streaming on Dekkoo in April 2023.
Over the past thirty years she has written sixty-three novels, including her award-winning Troubleshooters series about Navy SEAL heroes and the women—and sometimes men—who win their hearts. Her personal favorite is the one where her most popular character, gay FBI agent Jules Cassidy, wins his happily-ever-after and marries the man of his dreams. Called All Through the Night, this mainstream romance novel with a hero and a hero hit the New York Times hardcover fiction bestseller list. In 2007, Suz donated all of her earnings from this book, in perpetuity, to MassEquality, to help win and preserve equal marriage rights in Massachusetts.
In addition to writing books, Suz writes and produces indie movies and TV including the award-winning romantic comedy The Perfect Wedding. Her recent feature, Out of Body, is streaming on Amazon Prime.
In 2018, Suz was given the Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award from the Romance Writers of America. Her latest projects are Blame It on Rio (Tall, Dark & Dangerous # 14), available in print and e-book from Suzanne Brockmann Books, and Marriage of Inconvenience, a six-episode LBGTQ rom-com TV series, streaming on Dekkoo in April 2023.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 462 reviews
October 1, 2017
*** 3.65 ***
A Buddy read with my friend Jo @ The Abtastic Ab Loving Geishas, despite not having hot man-abs on the cover...
Well, another Navy Seal Alpha Dude story of falling in love and doing whatever possible to get the girl of his dreams to accept his love... This time it was John Nilsson and the widowed mother of a 10 year old girl, Meg. The first time they have met was at a foreign country where she helped him pull a stunt which could have endangered people's lives. In that instance, she had noticed how likable and trustworthy he is, and if she had not been married, albeit to a cheating bastard, she might have considered some flirting with the somewhat younger and quite charming American soldier. This time around he is called up from a training exercise and shockingly, is told that his old friend Meg has taken the Kazbekistany ambassador at gunpoint as a hostage and he is the only person she is willing to negotiate with. The whole SEAL team 16, aka The Troubleshooters, travels with him and kind of like the Musketeers, they are all for one and one for all.
"...“What the hell was she doing on the nonhostage side of a handgun?” ..."
Meg is in trouble and has made it even worse, but she is ready to do whatever she has to in order to keep her doughtier and grandma, who have been kidnapped by terrorists, alive. She is pushed to the edge and the only person she could think trusting enough to keep her girl safe is John. She has never even imagined herself holding hostages, and despair is her constant companion.
Meanwhile, Grandma Eve is keeping her great-granddaughter occupied with the story of her first love during WWII in England, distracting the little girl from the terror she is experiencing while being held by the Kazbekistany terrorists. But the girl is not the only one captivated by the story of love and war. Their big burly jailer is also riveted and this gives some hope to the old lady, that he might show at least a little bit of kindness... The story of Eve and Ralph includes the battle of Dunkirk and I loved every second of that tale. They were my favorite of the all together three love arcs that were addressed in this book. I loved the way Eve was introduced to us:
"..."A faceful of wrinkles, sagging breasts, thin gray hair, loose skin, brittle bones, failing memory—wah-hoo! Let’s have a party! She hadn’t minded so much while her husband was alive. He’d always managed to make her feel twenty years old and impossibly beautiful. But he’d been gone for two years now, and for two years, all she’d felt was old."..."
The main couple, Meg and John, drove me insane at times. Through the whole book Meg was acting like a maniac, which is somewhat understandable, since the lives of her and her loved ones were in immediate danger. However, she trusted John enough to call on him, but not enough to let him do what he does best and actually help her. Her fatalistic view of the situation and her inability to see the big picture was hurtful to both of them and could have ended in many tragic ways... Thank goodness John was a professional and cared enough about her to still give her choices, where I might have just hit her over the head with a brick and done what needed to be done, her opinion and feelings be damned!
"..."“Fuck sorry!” he shouted. He was actually shouting at her. He was livid. “Sorry doesn’t cut it when the bullshit you’ve been shoveling is way up past your head. You were just using us. You were using me. You know, Meg, when it comes to getting fucked by you, I would have preferred finishing what we started three years ago.”"..."
The third couple consisted of now FBI agent Alyssa Locke and another member of the SEAL team 16, Sam/Houston/Roger, who have a love-hate vibe, which results in some sizzling sexual tension. Pity neither one of them knows what to do with it and they end up acting like fourth-graders pummeling each-other with insults and ending up hurting each-other's feelings. They are a team I could really get behind though. We will see where the author leads us with them.
Overall, this was a very engaging read with plenty of drama and love, but there were little things that bugged me, mostly phrases some of the characters threw around, which made them seem petty and shallow, as well as made wide assumptions of others, which bordered on bigotry... The fact that it was true on all sides, did not made it more pleasant, but I guess we are supposed to accept that as part of the soldier's life... I will continue with the series, but I hope it gets better than this book...
Now I wish you all Happy Reading and my you always find what you need in the pages of a good book!!!
A Buddy read with my friend Jo @ The Abtastic Ab Loving Geishas, despite not having hot man-abs on the cover...
Well, another Navy Seal Alpha Dude story of falling in love and doing whatever possible to get the girl of his dreams to accept his love... This time it was John Nilsson and the widowed mother of a 10 year old girl, Meg. The first time they have met was at a foreign country where she helped him pull a stunt which could have endangered people's lives. In that instance, she had noticed how likable and trustworthy he is, and if she had not been married, albeit to a cheating bastard, she might have considered some flirting with the somewhat younger and quite charming American soldier. This time around he is called up from a training exercise and shockingly, is told that his old friend Meg has taken the Kazbekistany ambassador at gunpoint as a hostage and he is the only person she is willing to negotiate with. The whole SEAL team 16, aka The Troubleshooters, travels with him and kind of like the Musketeers, they are all for one and one for all.
"...“What the hell was she doing on the nonhostage side of a handgun?” ..."
Meg is in trouble and has made it even worse, but she is ready to do whatever she has to in order to keep her doughtier and grandma, who have been kidnapped by terrorists, alive. She is pushed to the edge and the only person she could think trusting enough to keep her girl safe is John. She has never even imagined herself holding hostages, and despair is her constant companion.
Meanwhile, Grandma Eve is keeping her great-granddaughter occupied with the story of her first love during WWII in England, distracting the little girl from the terror she is experiencing while being held by the Kazbekistany terrorists. But the girl is not the only one captivated by the story of love and war. Their big burly jailer is also riveted and this gives some hope to the old lady, that he might show at least a little bit of kindness... The story of Eve and Ralph includes the battle of Dunkirk and I loved every second of that tale. They were my favorite of the all together three love arcs that were addressed in this book. I loved the way Eve was introduced to us:
"..."A faceful of wrinkles, sagging breasts, thin gray hair, loose skin, brittle bones, failing memory—wah-hoo! Let’s have a party! She hadn’t minded so much while her husband was alive. He’d always managed to make her feel twenty years old and impossibly beautiful. But he’d been gone for two years now, and for two years, all she’d felt was old."..."
The main couple, Meg and John, drove me insane at times. Through the whole book Meg was acting like a maniac, which is somewhat understandable, since the lives of her and her loved ones were in immediate danger. However, she trusted John enough to call on him, but not enough to let him do what he does best and actually help her. Her fatalistic view of the situation and her inability to see the big picture was hurtful to both of them and could have ended in many tragic ways... Thank goodness John was a professional and cared enough about her to still give her choices, where I might have just hit her over the head with a brick and done what needed to be done, her opinion and feelings be damned!
"..."“Fuck sorry!” he shouted. He was actually shouting at her. He was livid. “Sorry doesn’t cut it when the bullshit you’ve been shoveling is way up past your head. You were just using us. You were using me. You know, Meg, when it comes to getting fucked by you, I would have preferred finishing what we started three years ago.”"..."
The third couple consisted of now FBI agent Alyssa Locke and another member of the SEAL team 16, Sam/Houston/Roger, who have a love-hate vibe, which results in some sizzling sexual tension. Pity neither one of them knows what to do with it and they end up acting like fourth-graders pummeling each-other with insults and ending up hurting each-other's feelings. They are a team I could really get behind though. We will see where the author leads us with them.
Overall, this was a very engaging read with plenty of drama and love, but there were little things that bugged me, mostly phrases some of the characters threw around, which made them seem petty and shallow, as well as made wide assumptions of others, which bordered on bigotry... The fact that it was true on all sides, did not made it more pleasant, but I guess we are supposed to accept that as part of the soldier's life... I will continue with the series, but I hope it gets better than this book...
Now I wish you all Happy Reading and my you always find what you need in the pages of a good book!!!
February 18, 2022
Meg Moore is a translator for the Kazbekistan embassy in Washington, D. C. She’s a divorced mother of a 10-year old daughter Amy and her grandmother Eve is visiting from England. As she’s leaving for work she is confronted by Kazbekistani extremists, demanding that she capture and kill Osman Razeen, the leader of a terrorist group who is currently being held in the embassy. They’ve kidnapped Eve and Amy and will kill them if she doesn’t comply. Meg takes desperate actions, creates a hostage situation within the embassy and makes her own demand…she’ll only negotiate with Navy SEAL Lieutenant John (Nils) Nilsson.
This is a reread for me, my first time over ten years ago but it’s also my first on audio. I’d forgotten the explosive start, made even more dramatic by the narrator. I was just as mesmerized as I recalled from earlier, if not more. The action never lets up and it transitions from present to three years earlier when Meg and Nils first met in Kazbekistan, providing their interesting backstory. We also get Eve’s narrative as she deals with the abductors, protects Amy and reminisces about her early years right before WWII in England. An added bonus was the developing “relationship” between Navy SEAL Roger (Sam) Starrett and former Navy sharpshooter Alyssa Locke who’s now an FBI agent serving on the counterterrorism unit.
I remember my exasperation with Meg the first time around, which continued this time but for different reasons. She’s six years older than Nils and made it an issue but it didn’t resonate so loudly for me. What did bug me was her stubbornness in refusing to accept help when it was the obvious choice to make. It got tiresome. But the real delight this time was Eve’s story and presence, which was much more profound. I also loved what got started with Sam and Alyssa, the promise of what’s to come oh so enticing. Switching to audio made this an even more wonderful experience. I have the original version featuring Carrington MacDuffie who delivered a strong performance. She managed a large cast of characters extremely well, along with an assortment of accents, romance and action. I definitely enjoyed this more the second time around. 4.5 stars
Posted on Blue Mood Café
This is a reread for me, my first time over ten years ago but it’s also my first on audio. I’d forgotten the explosive start, made even more dramatic by the narrator. I was just as mesmerized as I recalled from earlier, if not more. The action never lets up and it transitions from present to three years earlier when Meg and Nils first met in Kazbekistan, providing their interesting backstory. We also get Eve’s narrative as she deals with the abductors, protects Amy and reminisces about her early years right before WWII in England. An added bonus was the developing “relationship” between Navy SEAL Roger (Sam) Starrett and former Navy sharpshooter Alyssa Locke who’s now an FBI agent serving on the counterterrorism unit.
I remember my exasperation with Meg the first time around, which continued this time but for different reasons. She’s six years older than Nils and made it an issue but it didn’t resonate so loudly for me. What did bug me was her stubbornness in refusing to accept help when it was the obvious choice to make. It got tiresome. But the real delight this time was Eve’s story and presence, which was much more profound. I also loved what got started with Sam and Alyssa, the promise of what’s to come oh so enticing. Switching to audio made this an even more wonderful experience. I have the original version featuring Carrington MacDuffie who delivered a strong performance. She managed a large cast of characters extremely well, along with an assortment of accents, romance and action. I definitely enjoyed this more the second time around. 4.5 stars
Posted on Blue Mood Café
February 22, 2020
2.69 stars, rounded up.
Sometimes you want cheese, and it's just the right amount, and you're in cheese nirvana:
Other times you want cheese, and it's just too much, and you end up with all the regrets:
This was a little of both.
Clearly, a story about terrorism, child abduction and a mother in peril just isn't meaty enough to carry the plot of an entire book all by itself, doncha know. Nope, this thing needs some filling. Lots and lots and lots of filling. So much filling that you pretty much lose sight of the plot entirely for huge chunks of the book. Because who cares about terrorist plots when romance is in the air, amirite?
So, you have a story wherein a little girl and her great-grandmother are abducted by extremist terrorists (not just your run-of-the-mill terrorists, , and held in custody until you, the girl's mommy, bring them a terrorist from an enemy cell so they can kill him. Then, and only then, will your daughter and grandmother be released. Do you: A) immediately call the FBI and inform them of this terrorist threat and tell them everything you know upfront to give them the best opportunity possible of saving your family as quickly as possible, or B) follow the terrorists' exact instructions, hoping on dumb luck and the gullibility of some guy you knew once a few years ago, and go along with the terrorists' plan because obviously, even though they're terrorists, they're totally trustworthy and will follow through with their promises if you deliver what they want, all the while acting like the epitome of the stereotypical hysterical woman? If you're smart, you choose A. If you're Meg, you choose B.
She chose B so hard, y'all.
And she's a mom, I get it, but she set womanhood back by at least a few centuries with her hysteria. I mean, she called in John because she knows him and trusts him. But then she doesn't trust him and is constantly lying to him and badgering him about how untrustworthy he is even though he And John Nilsson was every corny action movie hero ever. Bonus points for stripping atop a car hood, in the rain, while hanging on with at least one hand the whole time, while the car is in motion. He must have godlike powers to accomplish that feat.
And then there's Alissa Locke. She was set up as a really cool character in the previous book. The first woman who even stood a chance of getting into the SEALS but had to settle for the prestigious job of an FBI sharpshooter instead. And here, we find out that she doesn't know how to track her targets or how to keep her targets from spotting her, doesn't know how to dress for a sweltering hot day in D.C. even though she lives there, and doesn't understand how alcohol works. But have no fear! A man's here to show her the ropes! And what a man he is! A condescending, patronizing, sexist Texan redneck, complete with a cowboy hat and a high opinion of himself. Of course, she must have him!
But Sam's a classy guy. Really. He is.
I just didn't understand this subplot. Why was it here? I certainly hope I'm not supposed to be rooting for these two to get together in the future. And the whole stupidity in the motel room was ... well, stupid. It was like something out of a 80s sitcom with the stupid handcuffs and the abuse of chocolate syrup.
Then there's Amy and Eve, in the hands of their captors, and Eve spends the entire time telling their sole guardian (why were these guys not on rotation?) about her love affair during WWII. Which is actually the only thing that happens in this book that makes a lick of sense. Getting your captor to see you as a human being is goal number one for anyone who has been abducted. It's your best hope for escape or release, and it can work. So go for it! But my lord, did I so not give a crap about her story.
Once again, this is a dual narration, and I believe all the books in this series are. Patrick Lawlor is the better of the two. He's much more natural than Melanie Ewbanks, who can sound a little too technical at times. Still don't like getting two sets of voices for the same characters, and their various accents were almost painful to listen to. Still, Lawlor was at least fun to listen to at times.
Thankfully, I was in the right mood for cheesy and stupid, even if I did find a lot of it frustrating.
Sometimes you want cheese, and it's just the right amount, and you're in cheese nirvana:
Other times you want cheese, and it's just too much, and you end up with all the regrets:
This was a little of both.
Clearly, a story about terrorism, child abduction and a mother in peril just isn't meaty enough to carry the plot of an entire book all by itself, doncha know. Nope, this thing needs some filling. Lots and lots and lots of filling. So much filling that you pretty much lose sight of the plot entirely for huge chunks of the book. Because who cares about terrorist plots when romance is in the air, amirite?
So, you have a story wherein a little girl and her great-grandmother are abducted by extremist terrorists (not just your run-of-the-mill terrorists, , and held in custody until you, the girl's mommy, bring them a terrorist from an enemy cell so they can kill him. Then, and only then, will your daughter and grandmother be released. Do you: A) immediately call the FBI and inform them of this terrorist threat and tell them everything you know upfront to give them the best opportunity possible of saving your family as quickly as possible, or B) follow the terrorists' exact instructions, hoping on dumb luck and the gullibility of some guy you knew once a few years ago, and go along with the terrorists' plan because obviously, even though they're terrorists, they're totally trustworthy and will follow through with their promises if you deliver what they want, all the while acting like the epitome of the stereotypical hysterical woman? If you're smart, you choose A. If you're Meg, you choose B.
She chose B so hard, y'all.
And she's a mom, I get it, but she set womanhood back by at least a few centuries with her hysteria. I mean, she called in John because she knows him and trusts him. But then she doesn't trust him and is constantly lying to him and badgering him about how untrustworthy he is even though he And John Nilsson was every corny action movie hero ever. Bonus points for stripping atop a car hood, in the rain, while hanging on with at least one hand the whole time, while the car is in motion. He must have godlike powers to accomplish that feat.
And then there's Alissa Locke. She was set up as a really cool character in the previous book. The first woman who even stood a chance of getting into the SEALS but had to settle for the prestigious job of an FBI sharpshooter instead. And here, we find out that she doesn't know how to track her targets or how to keep her targets from spotting her, doesn't know how to dress for a sweltering hot day in D.C. even though she lives there, and doesn't understand how alcohol works. But have no fear! A man's here to show her the ropes! And what a man he is! A condescending, patronizing, sexist Texan redneck, complete with a cowboy hat and a high opinion of himself. Of course, she must have him!
But Sam's a classy guy. Really. He is.
I just didn't understand this subplot. Why was it here? I certainly hope I'm not supposed to be rooting for these two to get together in the future. And the whole stupidity in the motel room was ... well, stupid. It was like something out of a 80s sitcom with the stupid handcuffs and the abuse of chocolate syrup.
Then there's Amy and Eve, in the hands of their captors, and Eve spends the entire time telling their sole guardian (why were these guys not on rotation?) about her love affair during WWII. Which is actually the only thing that happens in this book that makes a lick of sense. Getting your captor to see you as a human being is goal number one for anyone who has been abducted. It's your best hope for escape or release, and it can work. So go for it! But my lord, did I so not give a crap about her story.
Once again, this is a dual narration, and I believe all the books in this series are. Patrick Lawlor is the better of the two. He's much more natural than Melanie Ewbanks, who can sound a little too technical at times. Still don't like getting two sets of voices for the same characters, and their various accents were almost painful to listen to. Still, Lawlor was at least fun to listen to at times.
Thankfully, I was in the right mood for cheesy and stupid, even if I did find a lot of it frustrating.
October 2, 2017
Buddy read with the amazing Choko
As with the previous book, The Defiant Hero seems to follow the same recipe featuring the romance of the main couple, but also a romance set in a past war.
“I’ve let you get away too many times before,” he said quietly. She could barely hear him over the rain. “I’m not letting you go this time. Not willingly. Not when you need me—and dammit, you do need me.”I’m not a big fan of second-chance romances but for the most part I liked the romance between Meg Moore and Navy SEAL John Nilsson. Years ago the chemistry between them was hard to deny but Meg was married and even if her husband was a cheating bastard in the end she chose to stay with him because of her daughter and she hasn’t seen John since. But when her daughter and grandmother are kidnapped by a terrorist group named the Extremists the only person she can asks for help is John. Obviously the feelings they had back then is still there and it’s definitely just as strong. I really liked how protective John was over Meg and how hard he fought to help her, risking his life and his career numerous times to help her. Meg on the other hand annoyed me at times. Although I admired her determination to save her daughter and grandmother at all costs, the risks she took with the safety of others made me think of her as reckless and stupid.
As for the romance set in the Second World War, I really loved the romance between Meg’s grandmother and her Ralph and I’m SO very happy that they had a HEA. The previous book with its very devastating war romance had me in tears for days so I’m very grateful that I didn’t have to experience those emotions again with this instalment.
There were two secondary characters from the first book that also played a major role in this book and that is Lt. Sam Starrett and now FBI agent Alyssa Locke. These two clashed wills so many times in the previous book and it was even worse in this one. It was plain as day that they had feelings for each other but instead of admitting it they tried their best to antagonise each other. The sexual tension between them drove me CRAZY. I really want them to end up together but I think it’s going to be a very bumpy ride until they get there with tons of drama :-(. As a read who doesn’t appreciate OTT drama or angst I really can’t say whether I would enjoy that journey.
I must say I really loved the sweet romance of the grandmother and I didn't hate the main characters like I did in the first book. But I have to say the suspense never captivated me and I felt myself skimming many pages just too move the story along. It also lacked that depth of emotion I experienced in the first book which is why I rated this one lower than the first one.
April 11, 2022
I am kind of behind of my reading due to stomach problem. I hope I do not catch any Covid related disease.
So The Defiant Hero. This is my second book by Miss Brockmann. So far, I am loving it. So good. Miss Brockmann certainly knows how to write a very engaging story telling. The blend of romance and suspense is the perfect blend of her story.
I do especially love Eve story. How vulnerable she is and how she grew up fast under a unlikely circumstances.
I am loving this series so far and certainly looking forward to another book.
4 stars
So The Defiant Hero. This is my second book by Miss Brockmann. So far, I am loving it. So good. Miss Brockmann certainly knows how to write a very engaging story telling. The blend of romance and suspense is the perfect blend of her story.
I do especially love Eve story. How vulnerable she is and how she grew up fast under a unlikely circumstances.
I am loving this series so far and certainly looking forward to another book.
4 stars
February 10, 2010
I really enjoyed this book by Suzanne Brockmann about the Navy Seal Team 16 and their romances. I gave it 3 stars because it felt like that Brockmann's main plot was weak. I didn't like Meg at all and the relationship with John and dialog felt weak and forced, almost not interesting. In fact, MEG IS TOO STUPID TO LIVE. Sorry, had to get that off my chest. I hate it when female characters are stupid. "Oh gee, I have a big strong Navy Seal to help me but I'm sure I know better how to handle a terrorist than he does, so I'll go ahead and do this my way."
The subplots were way more interesting - Alyssa and Sam were funny and I'm glad it wasn't wrapped up in this book. They will be a good subplot for a while yet. The grandmother's story about her WWII romance was awesome and well done. That alone was worth the book. But I didn't like how the focus would switch while the grandmother was telling the tale to the narrator and back. It didn't feel natural, more like Brockmann lost the focus.
I listened to this book and the reader was not a good one. Her voice was good and she did the female voices pretty well but didn't handle the male voices well or keep them separate and straight.
This was one of Brockmann's early books in the series and definitely intriguing enough to read the other stories.
The subplots were way more interesting - Alyssa and Sam were funny and I'm glad it wasn't wrapped up in this book. They will be a good subplot for a while yet. The grandmother's story about her WWII romance was awesome and well done. That alone was worth the book. But I didn't like how the focus would switch while the grandmother was telling the tale to the narrator and back. It didn't feel natural, more like Brockmann lost the focus.
I listened to this book and the reader was not a good one. Her voice was good and she did the female voices pretty well but didn't handle the male voices well or keep them separate and straight.
This was one of Brockmann's early books in the series and definitely intriguing enough to read the other stories.
September 22, 2010
I disliked the characters, and I disliked the author's writing style.
The author has five different stories happening, 3 current day and 2 flashbacks. She frequently is telling one story, then stops at a cliff-hanger point, then goes on to another two stories before coming back to the first story. Notwithstanding the cliff-hangers, she is jumping around within these five stories for the entire book. It was irritating, annoying and offensive. It felt worse than tv commercial interruptions. Other authors can create suspense without resorting to this method. Aside from this problem, I did not like the choices and actions of the three main female characters. I disliked Eve's lying in her flashback story. I disliked the way Alyssa treated Sam and therefore I disliked her. I hated Meg's actions. She kept doing stupid things that put her own life and John's life in danger. I also didn't like the way she pressured him to tell about his abused youth. Nothing was fun about this book. I wanted it to be over. The story is primarily about Arab terrorists kidnapping two females and related Navy SEALS action.
DATA:
Sexual language: moderate. Number of sex scenes: four. Copyright: 2001. Genre: romantic suspense.
The author has five different stories happening, 3 current day and 2 flashbacks. She frequently is telling one story, then stops at a cliff-hanger point, then goes on to another two stories before coming back to the first story. Notwithstanding the cliff-hangers, she is jumping around within these five stories for the entire book. It was irritating, annoying and offensive. It felt worse than tv commercial interruptions. Other authors can create suspense without resorting to this method. Aside from this problem, I did not like the choices and actions of the three main female characters. I disliked Eve's lying in her flashback story. I disliked the way Alyssa treated Sam and therefore I disliked her. I hated Meg's actions. She kept doing stupid things that put her own life and John's life in danger. I also didn't like the way she pressured him to tell about his abused youth. Nothing was fun about this book. I wanted it to be over. The story is primarily about Arab terrorists kidnapping two females and related Navy SEALS action.
DATA:
Sexual language: moderate. Number of sex scenes: four. Copyright: 2001. Genre: romantic suspense.
February 20, 2022
Meg Moore is approached by a man in a parking garage. He tells her that her ten-year-old daughter Amy and her elderly Grandmother Eve are being held hostage until Meg complies with their demands. Meg must enter the Kazbekistan Embassy and kill Osman Razeen, a known terrorist. With no other option, Meg enters the Embassy, taking the Ambassador, Razeen, and a third man hostage. When the hostage negotiator contacts her, Meg insists that she will speak with no one except Navy SEAL John Nilsson. Meg and John have a past. She knows if anyone can help her get her daughter out of the hands of extremists, John is the man for the job.
The second book in Brockmann's Troubleshooter series is even better than the first. I had a hard time putting this book down. Not only do we have Meg and John's story, we had a riveting suspense story, a flashback to a WWII romance, and some positively scorching scenes between Sam and Alyssa. I'm loving this series and wish I could just jump into the next book right now. My rating: 5 Stars.
2022 RE-READ: I'm working my way through the series again and this book just did not hold up for me. I did not like the heroine this time around. She asked John for help, but really would only do things her way. Why bother asking? She refused to tell him the whole story concerning her daughter's kidnapping until we were through 90% of the book. Ugh!
The other parts of the book (Eve's WWII flashbacks, Sam & Alyssa's love-hate relationship) brought my rating back up. My new rating: 4 Stars.
The second book in Brockmann's Troubleshooter series is even better than the first. I had a hard time putting this book down. Not only do we have Meg and John's story, we had a riveting suspense story, a flashback to a WWII romance, and some positively scorching scenes between Sam and Alyssa. I'm loving this series and wish I could just jump into the next book right now. My rating: 5 Stars.
2022 RE-READ: I'm working my way through the series again and this book just did not hold up for me. I did not like the heroine this time around. She asked John for help, but really would only do things her way. Why bother asking? She refused to tell him the whole story concerning her daughter's kidnapping until we were through 90% of the book. Ugh!
The other parts of the book (Eve's WWII flashbacks, Sam & Alyssa's love-hate relationship) brought my rating back up. My new rating: 4 Stars.
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August 2, 2022
Is Suzanne Brockmann older than her own husband, or is the older-heroine trope one she just particularly loves? I've now read three books by her with about four couples in this vein. Not complaining at all, but I'd definitely love to know the answer!
A little bit of cheating here; Meg is married when she first meets John, a dashing Navy SEAL who's about five years younger than her. Meg's husband is a massive cheater but she wants to reconcile with him for the sake of their daughter, so their romance is limited to a handful of kisses before she banishes him.
Fast forward three years and she's now a widow, but the circumstances of her reunion with John aren't happy. Terrorists have kidnapped her daughter and she needs his help to get her back.
We have Brockmann's signature fast-paced action and romance combo, with rather more of the former than the latter. What there is of the latter, however, is nice and emotional. I just struggle to really connect with the main characters when there are also so MANY other characters getting a look-in.
A little bit of cheating here; Meg is married when she first meets John, a dashing Navy SEAL who's about five years younger than her. Meg's husband is a massive cheater but she wants to reconcile with him for the sake of their daughter, so their romance is limited to a handful of kisses before she banishes him.
Fast forward three years and she's now a widow, but the circumstances of her reunion with John aren't happy. Terrorists have kidnapped her daughter and she needs his help to get her back.
We have Brockmann's signature fast-paced action and romance combo, with rather more of the former than the latter. What there is of the latter, however, is nice and emotional. I just struggle to really connect with the main characters when there are also so MANY other characters getting a look-in.
February 5, 2022
Rereading for group read. Feb. 2022 and still as good as the first time!
I'm a fan of multiple storylines, and there are 3 great stories happening within this book. The main plotline involves Meg & Nils with a good mix of intrigue, suspense, chemistry, and frustration - as they race against time to save Meg's daughter. We get an introduction into Sam & Alyssa's story with a whole lot of attraction hidden beneath layers of denial - very hot & steamy - can't wait for more. And we get the past love story of Eve & Ralph as Eve tells the story to her granddaughter while they are held hostage by terrorists. The pages of this book are filled with suspense, danger, tension, mistrust, miscues, but also filled with love, hope, hot sex, & hotter men! A Defiant Hero is a Must Read!
I'm a fan of multiple storylines, and there are 3 great stories happening within this book. The main plotline involves Meg & Nils with a good mix of intrigue, suspense, chemistry, and frustration - as they race against time to save Meg's daughter. We get an introduction into Sam & Alyssa's story with a whole lot of attraction hidden beneath layers of denial - very hot & steamy - can't wait for more. And we get the past love story of Eve & Ralph as Eve tells the story to her granddaughter while they are held hostage by terrorists. The pages of this book are filled with suspense, danger, tension, mistrust, miscues, but also filled with love, hope, hot sex, & hotter men! A Defiant Hero is a Must Read!
February 16, 2022
2022 - Loved it just as much listening to the audio version.
I love this book because the plot has so many subplots going on. Kinda like Tom Clancy's style. Meg's daughter and grandmother, Eve, have been kidnapped by terrorists and she needs help. She calls John, a SEAL with whom she has a history, and uses him as an escape route. John figures out he has been used and gives chase. Both Meg and John are complex characters and strong willed. Meg will do whatever it takes to find and save her daughter and grandmother. John just wants to keep Meg alive.
The secondary characters Sam/Alyssa had some sizzling interactions. They really got off on the wrong foot in "Unsung Hero" and I think this time things only got a little better. I was really interested in the WW2 subplot of Eve and Ralph. It was really well done and wove throughout the book.
I love this book because the plot has so many subplots going on. Kinda like Tom Clancy's style. Meg's daughter and grandmother, Eve, have been kidnapped by terrorists and she needs help. She calls John, a SEAL with whom she has a history, and uses him as an escape route. John figures out he has been used and gives chase. Both Meg and John are complex characters and strong willed. Meg will do whatever it takes to find and save her daughter and grandmother. John just wants to keep Meg alive.
The secondary characters Sam/Alyssa had some sizzling interactions. They really got off on the wrong foot in "Unsung Hero" and I think this time things only got a little better. I was really interested in the WW2 subplot of Eve and Ralph. It was really well done and wove throughout the book.
July 21, 2022
John Nilsson and Meg
Review May 2020:
2.5 to 3 stars. I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as the others I've read recently in this series (Books #1 and #3). I rarely enjoy books or films based around kidnapping and hostage situations, so I guess it's no surprise this one didn't grab me that much. I also didn't find the romantic WWII back story in this one as convincing/moving as in the other books for some reason. Somehow I just didn't really connect with it. I admit, I did a little bit of skimming here and there to keep this book moving for me :(
I will read more in the series, though. Brockmann writes really good heroes and heroines, although these two weren't my fav couple of the ones I've read. I did enjoy the secondary romance of Lys and Sam. Obviously more to come on that one :)
Review May 2020:
2.5 to 3 stars. I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as the others I've read recently in this series (Books #1 and #3). I rarely enjoy books or films based around kidnapping and hostage situations, so I guess it's no surprise this one didn't grab me that much. I also didn't find the romantic WWII back story in this one as convincing/moving as in the other books for some reason. Somehow I just didn't really connect with it. I admit, I did a little bit of skimming here and there to keep this book moving for me :(
I will read more in the series, though. Brockmann writes really good heroes and heroines, although these two weren't my fav couple of the ones I've read. I did enjoy the secondary romance of Lys and Sam. Obviously more to come on that one :)
April 13, 2012
This book took me 10 days to read, that's terrible.
The first half of this book was slow. Honestly, I really really did not like Meg. Talk about TSTL, at least for me. If she'd just trusted John from the immediate things would have been a lot more interesting, in my opinion. The constant driving from place to place and all the arguing about trust, it was overkill. It felt like 75% of the book was the same conversation between Meg and John over and over again.
However, the last quarter of the book was really good. I even sniffed a bit at the end. The last 25% is what pushed this book up to a three star book. That and Eve and Ralph, actually.
Again, there were three stories, Eve and Ralph, Meg and John, and Alyssa and Sam. Eve and Ralph were told in flashbacks, Alyssa and Sam were the side story, Meg and John were the entree. Of the three, in the end, I think I liked Ralph and Eve's story the most. It was so touching and heroic. (I'd say Alyssa and Sam, but their story isn't complete yet.)
Overall, not quite as good as the first book, but still decent. Supposedly the next book really shoots it out of the park, so I'm excited for that!
The first half of this book was slow. Honestly, I really really did not like Meg. Talk about TSTL, at least for me. If she'd just trusted John from the immediate things would have been a lot more interesting, in my opinion. The constant driving from place to place and all the arguing about trust, it was overkill. It felt like 75% of the book was the same conversation between Meg and John over and over again.
However, the last quarter of the book was really good. I even sniffed a bit at the end. The last 25% is what pushed this book up to a three star book. That and Eve and Ralph, actually.
Again, there were three stories, Eve and Ralph, Meg and John, and Alyssa and Sam. Eve and Ralph were told in flashbacks, Alyssa and Sam were the side story, Meg and John were the entree. Of the three, in the end, I think I liked Ralph and Eve's story the most. It was so touching and heroic. (I'd say Alyssa and Sam, but their story isn't complete yet.)
Overall, not quite as good as the first book, but still decent. Supposedly the next book really shoots it out of the park, so I'm excited for that!
May 27, 2015
Book two in the long running and popular Troubleshooters series, Suzanne Brockmann again incorporates three plotlines to weave her story. Surprisingly it wasn't the main plotline regarding kidnapping, terrorists and second chance love or the WWII nostalgic story which really kept my interest - it was the explosive enemies to lovers third thread between Roger "Sam" Starrett and FBI sharpshooter Alycia Locke that earned this book an extra half a star. And promises to be ongoing over the next couple of instalments. Woo Hoo.
★★★★☆
★★★★☆
August 2, 2022
Not as good as the first book in this series. Granny's story >>>>>> MC's romance
January 13, 2019
*Warning* This book contains flashbacks to characters who are not the MCs. Be aware that said flashbacks (and then flashforwards to present day) are always during exciting moments and I personally found it extremely frustrating because I hate when the action on page stops to go to something else.
This is a continuous series where all the characters play a role in each book, sometimes big roles, sometimes little, and I have my favorites. In the case of The Defiant Hero, I wasn't super interested in the lead characters, Meg and john. Yes this is supposed to be their romance and HEA, but come on, Sam and Alyssa are getting their groove on in this book! For the first time. This is important. Sam and Alyssa are KEY characters in this series and if you are going to read this series, you first DO have to read them in order (if you want to get all the backstory), and you MUST pay attention to Sam and Allyssa, Jules Cassidy, and Max Bhagat. If you skip parts about them, you will not be getting the FULL wonder that is the Troubleshooters series. Not kidding.
John and Meg's story in The Defiant Hero is good and fun and I enjoyed it, don't get me wrong. But if given the choice, I would have been just as happy to have read only the parts about Alyssa and Sam, Cassidy (his 2 seconds worth of page time), and the historical romance of Meg's grandmother, Eve, and her WWII romance with Rafe.
I had no clue what I was getting in to the first time I read this series. OMG, I was obsessed with it all those years ago, couldn't get enough and I literally bookmarked my hardcopies with the sections on characters I wanted to read over and over - like Sam and Alyssa. In fact, after reading about them in this book, with all their anger, distrust, and almost hate, I want to jump right in to All Through the Night where I can finally see them happy and loving. What a contrast! :)
And of course Jules Cassidy. If memory serves, Suzanne Brockmann had no idea that a bit character named Jules Cassidy would soon take over the Troubleshooters series. We don't get to see much about him in these early books, but he is a total badass, and he gets his moments (yes plural) to shine. A gay FBI agent - I was in love at first sight and when he finally gets his HEA, I couldn't get enough.
The Defiant Hero is a good installment to the series, and it's extremely well written. I liked seeing Meg and John again (it's been a long time), and I am almost giddy with excitement because I know what is coming and I can hardly contain myself.
4 stars (The narration was good. Still wish it was dual narration to give the male characters more authentic voices.)
This is a continuous series where all the characters play a role in each book, sometimes big roles, sometimes little, and I have my favorites. In the case of The Defiant Hero, I wasn't super interested in the lead characters, Meg and john. Yes this is supposed to be their romance and HEA, but come on, Sam and Alyssa are getting their groove on in this book! For the first time. This is important. Sam and Alyssa are KEY characters in this series and if you are going to read this series, you first DO have to read them in order (if you want to get all the backstory), and you MUST pay attention to Sam and Allyssa, Jules Cassidy, and Max Bhagat. If you skip parts about them, you will not be getting the FULL wonder that is the Troubleshooters series. Not kidding.
John and Meg's story in The Defiant Hero is good and fun and I enjoyed it, don't get me wrong. But if given the choice, I would have been just as happy to have read only the parts about Alyssa and Sam, Cassidy (his 2 seconds worth of page time), and the historical romance of Meg's grandmother, Eve, and her WWII romance with Rafe.
I had no clue what I was getting in to the first time I read this series. OMG, I was obsessed with it all those years ago, couldn't get enough and I literally bookmarked my hardcopies with the sections on characters I wanted to read over and over - like Sam and Alyssa. In fact, after reading about them in this book, with all their anger, distrust, and almost hate, I want to jump right in to All Through the Night where I can finally see them happy and loving. What a contrast! :)
And of course Jules Cassidy. If memory serves, Suzanne Brockmann had no idea that a bit character named Jules Cassidy would soon take over the Troubleshooters series. We don't get to see much about him in these early books, but he is a total badass, and he gets his moments (yes plural) to shine. A gay FBI agent - I was in love at first sight and when he finally gets his HEA, I couldn't get enough.
The Defiant Hero is a good installment to the series, and it's extremely well written. I liked seeing Meg and John again (it's been a long time), and I am almost giddy with excitement because I know what is coming and I can hardly contain myself.
4 stars (The narration was good. Still wish it was dual narration to give the male characters more authentic voices.)
May 6, 2011
I have to agree with other reviews I've glanced at--for most of the novel, the main female protagonist is just too stupid to be believed. Let's see--your daughter is taken hostage by a terrorist extremist group and they want you to use your connections as a linguist to hold another terrorist hostage at his embassy and then deliver him to them in exchange for your daughter's life. Okay. Now, would you have a better chance of getting your daughter out of that situation alone, or with a team of Navy SEALS and FBI behind you? Hmmmmm...wait, I need to think about this...professionals who I already know are good at their job and trustworthy, or just me. Wait...still thinking. No, I'm pretty sure I can do it on my own. Well, I'll use them a little bit, but will essentially be lying to them about almost everything and then STILL do the bulk of it all by myself. Yes, that sounds like a plan.
Um, NO. Does anyone else think this is a bad idea? I pretty much felt like about three-forths of the book was rediculously pointless, due to her extreme stupidity.
This one definitely wasn't of the same caliber of the first in the Troubleshooters series, The Unsung Hero. For this one, I definitely was looking forward to hearing the stories of the secondary characters--Eve and Ralph from World War II era and Sam and Alyssa from present day--more than those of the main characters, Meg and John. Actually, come to think of it, Alyssa was really annoying me as well, with her larger-than-the-average-boulder-sized chips on her shoulder regarding her gender and race. I'm not saying there isn't some truth to what she experienced, but she took it way to far. For someone who wants to be judged on her own merits, she sure is awfully judgemental about Sam/Roger/Houston (at this point, I don't even remember what his real name is. Hopefully I'll have it figured out by his book, which I think is number six). She definitely has a lot of growing to do before she gets my vote as a sympathetic character; at this point I'm thinking Sam can definitely do better. Which leaves me with Eve and Ralph. I loved their story! Definitely a highlight of the book, especially since it wasn't obvious from the start what was going to happen there. It almost made up for the rest of the book. Almost. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more of this series, but this one will never be counted among one of my favorites.
Um, NO. Does anyone else think this is a bad idea? I pretty much felt like about three-forths of the book was rediculously pointless, due to her extreme stupidity.
This one definitely wasn't of the same caliber of the first in the Troubleshooters series, The Unsung Hero. For this one, I definitely was looking forward to hearing the stories of the secondary characters--Eve and Ralph from World War II era and Sam and Alyssa from present day--more than those of the main characters, Meg and John. Actually, come to think of it, Alyssa was really annoying me as well, with her larger-than-the-average-boulder-sized chips on her shoulder regarding her gender and race. I'm not saying there isn't some truth to what she experienced, but she took it way to far. For someone who wants to be judged on her own merits, she sure is awfully judgemental about Sam/Roger/Houston (at this point, I don't even remember what his real name is. Hopefully I'll have it figured out by his book, which I think is number six). She definitely has a lot of growing to do before she gets my vote as a sympathetic character; at this point I'm thinking Sam can definitely do better. Which leaves me with Eve and Ralph. I loved their story! Definitely a highlight of the book, especially since it wasn't obvious from the start what was going to happen there. It almost made up for the rest of the book. Almost. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more of this series, but this one will never be counted among one of my favorites.
January 21, 2018
This was another excellent book in this series. Three different stories being told at the same time which all weave into the main thread of the book. Never was I confused or lost. It was so very clever. And, as with the first book, the WWII history and story line within that weave was wonderful. And, again, all the characters in all the stories were so well written and developed. This author has an amazing talent and I am so thrilled to have discovered her, albeit a bit late to the party. Just a fabulous book. Onto the next one!
July 26, 2015
I am surprised as this one was a definite upgrade from book 1. Much better story.
December 27, 2020
***2020 Update ***
I decided out of the blue I wanted to re-read this. So I did. I really love this. A little dated in places, but still such a great read. My original review stands. Although I think I appreciate the Meg/John story a little more this time around. Now I am hooked and need to go on and read the next book because it is hands down my favorites of the series, I think.
***************
Original review
The 2nd in The Troubleshooters series.
Meg Moore is accosted in her parking garage. An extremist terrorist group has kidnapped her daughter and grandmother. Their demand? They have a special mission for her because they know that she is able to move without much scrutiny within a particular European Embassy. Meg is terrified. She knows that the US will not negotiate with terrorists. Her daughter and grandmother are as good as dead. In a desperate move, Meg creates her own hostage situation and refuses to speak to anyone but John Nilsson.
John, a language specialist like Meg and a member of the navy SEAL 16 team, shares a past with Meg. He has been in love with her for years, but she was a married woman at the time. Now he, with the help of Tom Paoletti, SEAL team 16 and the FBI, is determined to help her out of the mess she's gotten herself into.
This is the book where I realized that I really liked Brockmann's series and her storytelling style. As is her hallmark, there iss the main action/intrigue oriented story featuring her main H/H John and Meg. There is also a secondary WWII plot told in flashback and there is the long running secondary romance arc of Sam and Alyssa.
The best part of the book, imo, is Sam & Alyssa. This is where the Sam and Alyssa UST really begins to take shape and starts to take off. And truthfully, they really threaten to steal the book from under Meg and John. I read an interview once where Brockmann explains why she crafted the long running arc of Sam and Alyssa the way she did (she originally planned it to go on for at least seven books but her publishers wisely talked her down). She said that in romances, if a couple has a past, you only ever hear about it in conversations or told in a truncated fashion in flashbacks (like Meg and John in this book). She wanted to create a couple where the readers actually lives the course of the romance with the characters. She wanted people to have the experience of the ups down, the time and the separation. IMO, this absolutely works because I became so invested in these characters that I actually couldn't wait to read the next books just to see what was happening with them next. If I wasn't thrilled by the main HH, that is ok because Sam and Alyssa were there and we could follow them next. This obviously wouldn't work if the couple weren't well developed, had a high root-for factor or the writing was bad. But none of that is true. S & A are hot, seriously rootable and the writing for them is great.
The second best part of the book is the WWII story told in flashback. Meg's grandmother Eve lucks out (relatively speaking) with one of the kidnappers who is actually kinda humane. To keep her great-daughter occupied, she begins to tell the story of how she took part in rescuing over 300,000 British troops during the 'miracle of Dunkirk' (a real WWII event) and how she met her first love, one of the soldiers. The story works to humanize her as a person for her kidnapper (who listens raptly, if covertly to the story.
The Meg/John story is, imo, the least effective of the three storylines. Much of their relationship is revealed from the flashbacks where they first met and a brief two week period where they fell in love. But it underlines how unsatisfactory this style is especially juxtaposed with the S&A storyline. Or, it could be that I simply wasn't as interested in them as I was the other two. They didn't engage me as much. Also, I think the trust issues Brockmann thrust into their story seemed a little contrived, considering all the other stuff they were already going through.
On the whole though, this was a great book. The three stories flowed together well. The understated humor and romance angst of S&A was a great counterpoint to the intensity of the other two stories.
Well played. I recommend.
I decided out of the blue I wanted to re-read this. So I did. I really love this. A little dated in places, but still such a great read. My original review stands. Although I think I appreciate the Meg/John story a little more this time around. Now I am hooked and need to go on and read the next book because it is hands down my favorites of the series, I think.
***************
Original review
The 2nd in The Troubleshooters series.
Meg Moore is accosted in her parking garage. An extremist terrorist group has kidnapped her daughter and grandmother. Their demand? They have a special mission for her because they know that she is able to move without much scrutiny within a particular European Embassy. Meg is terrified. She knows that the US will not negotiate with terrorists. Her daughter and grandmother are as good as dead. In a desperate move, Meg creates her own hostage situation and refuses to speak to anyone but John Nilsson.
John, a language specialist like Meg and a member of the navy SEAL 16 team, shares a past with Meg. He has been in love with her for years, but she was a married woman at the time. Now he, with the help of Tom Paoletti, SEAL team 16 and the FBI, is determined to help her out of the mess she's gotten herself into.
This is the book where I realized that I really liked Brockmann's series and her storytelling style. As is her hallmark, there iss the main action/intrigue oriented story featuring her main H/H John and Meg. There is also a secondary WWII plot told in flashback and there is the long running secondary romance arc of Sam and Alyssa.
The best part of the book, imo, is Sam & Alyssa. This is where the Sam and Alyssa UST really begins to take shape and starts to take off. And truthfully, they really threaten to steal the book from under Meg and John. I read an interview once where Brockmann explains why she crafted the long running arc of Sam and Alyssa the way she did (she originally planned it to go on for at least seven books but her publishers wisely talked her down). She said that in romances, if a couple has a past, you only ever hear about it in conversations or told in a truncated fashion in flashbacks (like Meg and John in this book). She wanted to create a couple where the readers actually lives the course of the romance with the characters. She wanted people to have the experience of the ups down, the time and the separation. IMO, this absolutely works because I became so invested in these characters that I actually couldn't wait to read the next books just to see what was happening with them next. If I wasn't thrilled by the main HH, that is ok because Sam and Alyssa were there and we could follow them next. This obviously wouldn't work if the couple weren't well developed, had a high root-for factor or the writing was bad. But none of that is true. S & A are hot, seriously rootable and the writing for them is great.
The second best part of the book is the WWII story told in flashback. Meg's grandmother Eve lucks out (relatively speaking) with one of the kidnappers who is actually kinda humane. To keep her great-daughter occupied, she begins to tell the story of how she took part in rescuing over 300,000 British troops during the 'miracle of Dunkirk' (a real WWII event) and how she met her first love, one of the soldiers. The story works to humanize her as a person for her kidnapper (who listens raptly, if covertly to the story.
The Meg/John story is, imo, the least effective of the three storylines. Much of their relationship is revealed from the flashbacks where they first met and a brief two week period where they fell in love. But it underlines how unsatisfactory this style is especially juxtaposed with the S&A storyline. Or, it could be that I simply wasn't as interested in them as I was the other two. They didn't engage me as much. Also, I think the trust issues Brockmann thrust into their story seemed a little contrived, considering all the other stuff they were already going through.
On the whole though, this was a great book. The three stories flowed together well. The understated humor and romance angst of S&A was a great counterpoint to the intensity of the other two stories.
Well played. I recommend.
June 21, 2017
A primera vista me pareció un libro que me iba a entretener bastante pero..........no de por qué me ha costado muchissssimo terminarlo. Así que las 2 estrellas puede que no sean nada justas porque, realmente, no encuentro razón para que no me haya gustado. La historia no está mal escrita, es típica dentro de su género pero con personajes escritos con cierta dignidad, dotados de historia y carácter ......pero......una pena.
Leeré el siguiente antes de darle carpetazo a la autora
Leeré el siguiente antes de darle carpetazo a la autora
February 1, 2010
This was a really good book, but i have to agree with others that Meg got on my nerves a time or two. Not enough to ruin the book for me, but there were a few times i want it to plain smack her. It seem to me that her decisions were all very stupid, she truly topped the cake when it came to stubborn heroine for sake of being contrary.
August 4, 2016
Me ha gustado un montón.
Es una historia con muchas temáticas, romance, suspense, acción, y además, 2 historias de amor paralelas. 1 de ellas queda resuelta, la otra supongo que tendrá su libro protagonista o acabará como paralela en otro libro de la serie.
Recomendable.
Es una historia con muchas temáticas, romance, suspense, acción, y además, 2 historias de amor paralelas. 1 de ellas queda resuelta, la otra supongo que tendrá su libro protagonista o acabará como paralela en otro libro de la serie.
Recomendable.
February 10, 2016
Loved it just as much the 2nd time!!!
May 25, 2022
La segunda novela de los Troubleshooters, The Defiant Hero (2001) presenta tres historias que no me parece que estén muy bien enlazadas.
La de la pareja protagonista, Margaret Delancy Moore (Meg) (34) y John Nilsson (28), se conocieron en la embajada estadounidense en Kazbekistán (país imaginario) hace tres años. A los seis meses tuvieron un frustrante encuentro en Washingotn, D. C., cuando el marido de él quiso que a él le montaran un consejo de guerra. Ahora, andan con ella al límite porque han secuestrado a su hija y a su madre, y John intentando salvarlas. Una historia mñé, lo único especial es que ella es mayor que él. Eso sí, te tiene tensa todo el rato por la parte del secuestro.
Luego mete la típica historieta de la SGM, muy tópica, aquí sobre la evacuación de Dunquerque. En las relecturas, paso de esta parte, y no te pierdes nada.
Pero claro, luego están ALYSSA y SAM. Lo inolvidable de esta novela es la parte de la historia dedicada a estos dos. Los primeros libros de la serie te van contando su historia de amor a cachitos.
Crítica más extensa, en mi blog.
La de la pareja protagonista, Margaret Delancy Moore (Meg) (34) y John Nilsson (28), se conocieron en la embajada estadounidense en Kazbekistán (país imaginario) hace tres años. A los seis meses tuvieron un frustrante encuentro en Washingotn, D. C., cuando el marido de él quiso que a él le montaran un consejo de guerra. Ahora, andan con ella al límite porque han secuestrado a su hija y a su madre, y John intentando salvarlas. Una historia mñé, lo único especial es que ella es mayor que él. Eso sí, te tiene tensa todo el rato por la parte del secuestro.
Luego mete la típica historieta de la SGM, muy tópica, aquí sobre la evacuación de Dunquerque. En las relecturas, paso de esta parte, y no te pierdes nada.
Pero claro, luego están ALYSSA y SAM. Lo inolvidable de esta novela es la parte de la historia dedicada a estos dos. Los primeros libros de la serie te van contando su historia de amor a cachitos.
Crítica más extensa, en mi blog.
June 7, 2021
Yeahhhh, these aren’t for me. At all. Struck good luck with book 4 and should have left it at that. Seeing the formula repeated in these first two books has not been fun. The most egregious element of the formula that I particularly did not enjoy: the inversion of the typical alphahole and Mary Sue behaviour. The female protagonists treating the men poorly and stringing them along while the men cry and showcase extreme vulnerability in repeated declarations is not enthralling and doesn’t ring true. I don’t like romances where the men are characterised as such and I don’t like this where Meg is doing the same.
Additionally, Meg being loyal to a serial cheater makes no sense even if she tries to pass it off as her doing it for her daughter. That’s not how you teach girls to have self respect. Nils loving her at first sight reads as corny and sappy. Them forming a forever bond over linguistic ability is flimsy as hell.
Moreover, the inclusion of a past war romance alongside the present one becomes less charming with each iteration. The story itself may be cute, but this paint by numbers writing isn’t.
Anyway, I have work to go and do. There’s more I can add, but why bother. These books are two decades old, the author struck gold with some faithful fans, and I remain opposed to bad writing and the American military. So…bleh.
Additionally, Meg being loyal to a serial cheater makes no sense even if she tries to pass it off as her doing it for her daughter. That’s not how you teach girls to have self respect. Nils loving her at first sight reads as corny and sappy. Them forming a forever bond over linguistic ability is flimsy as hell.
Moreover, the inclusion of a past war romance alongside the present one becomes less charming with each iteration. The story itself may be cute, but this paint by numbers writing isn’t.
Anyway, I have work to go and do. There’s more I can add, but why bother. These books are two decades old, the author struck gold with some faithful fans, and I remain opposed to bad writing and the American military. So…bleh.
August 23, 2025
I really didn't like Meg or Alyssa as characters. I understand why they were like that, but man, when someone tells you to listen, and it's their job to do what they are doing, don't assume you know better when you have no clue. Nils dealt with terrorism for a living. Meg knew that from when the first met. Didn't she believe that he knew what he was doing 3 years later when her grandmother and daughter get kidnapped by terrorists? Nope. She thought she knew more. ARGH And Alyssa was a straight up stick in the mud bitch who has had to fight tooth and nail to get where she is in the man's world of sharpshooting, but she still treats people like they are beneath her and she never lets loose until she gets way too drunk and really lets loose. However, once she sobers up, back to being an ice bitch, according to Sam. Not sure why guys gravitate to women like this.
October 23, 2021
When you finish a book with the remnants of tears, from a story well told…
A fantastic inter-generational female story of adversity and heroism in several story arcs, and two romances (potentially a third) in one book - yessss. I cried. No, I SOBBED at the end. So fantastic.
A fantastic inter-generational female story of adversity and heroism in several story arcs, and two romances (potentially a third) in one book - yessss. I cried. No, I SOBBED at the end. So fantastic.
March 28, 2017
I was really looking forward to this novel as I loved the first book, Unsung Hero, in this series. Unfortunately, this book has failed to capture me in the same way.
There are numerous character story lines fighting for attention and the transitions are very choppy. It seemed like we, the readers, are a pin ball in a pin ball machine as we are careening from character to character as well as jumping from past to present in many of the characters' lives. It is just too much. In the first book, it seemed like these transitions were handled with so much more finesse.
First you have Meg and John and their weird friendship/love/I don't know you relationship.
I don't like Meg, the heroine of this novel. She is extremely obtuse and therefore we have what feels like is an on-going TSTL thread going throughout most of her scenes. We see their past in two different time sequences plus we have their current chase to save Meg's daughter and grandmother. John is a good character except he's written with Meg and since I'm so not enamored with Meg, his scenes are ruined as well. So for this couple it's like we have 3 story lines, none of them good. In fact I was cringing through so many of their scenes and just trying to push through until I got to someone else's part or I finished the book. Everything in present time with Meg and John from pg 100 to pg 318 was painful for me - with Meg fighting everything to prove she's a brain dead emotional mess and John leaving all his SEAL training behind and enabling the mess.
Then you have Eve and Amy, the kidnapped daughter and grandmother. We see them in their current story line as the kidnapped victims in which Eve is a solid character but we also are given the story line of Eve's first love when she was 15 back in the WWII time frame. Although this is a decent story line, the entire time I'm wondering what the tie in is. In the first book there was an obvious and excellent tie-in with the historic war character development but in this one I was clueless up until the end. So for most of the book it just seemed like a distraction that wasn't needed for the current storyline. Don't get me wrong, Ralph and Eve was a really sweet story and I liked it, but even though in the end, you can see how it was all supposed to tie together, it just made the book busy.
The you have Sam with a million names and Alyssa. And although I really like these two and their antagonist relationship and want to see more of them, the major problem is that we have them battling it out in lieu of actually seeing the FBI/Seal team work on the kidnapping. This really weakens the investigative element of the plot and leaves other characters who would have been the supporting cast drastically undeveloped.
So although I love Ms Brockmann's writing and this story had so much potential it felt more like a train wreck. I'm not giving up on this series as I really loved the first book and absolutely raved about it, but I am taking a break and looking for a book with fewer subplots hopping all over the place.
There are numerous character story lines fighting for attention and the transitions are very choppy. It seemed like we, the readers, are a pin ball in a pin ball machine as we are careening from character to character as well as jumping from past to present in many of the characters' lives. It is just too much. In the first book, it seemed like these transitions were handled with so much more finesse.
First you have Meg and John and their weird friendship/love/I don't know you relationship.
I don't like Meg, the heroine of this novel. She is extremely obtuse and therefore we have what feels like is an on-going TSTL thread going throughout most of her scenes. We see their past in two different time sequences plus we have their current chase to save Meg's daughter and grandmother. John is a good character except he's written with Meg and since I'm so not enamored with Meg, his scenes are ruined as well. So for this couple it's like we have 3 story lines, none of them good. In fact I was cringing through so many of their scenes and just trying to push through until I got to someone else's part or I finished the book. Everything in present time with Meg and John from pg 100 to pg 318 was painful for me - with Meg fighting everything to prove she's a brain dead emotional mess and John leaving all his SEAL training behind and enabling the mess.
Then you have Eve and Amy, the kidnapped daughter and grandmother. We see them in their current story line as the kidnapped victims in which Eve is a solid character but we also are given the story line of Eve's first love when she was 15 back in the WWII time frame. Although this is a decent story line, the entire time I'm wondering what the tie in is. In the first book there was an obvious and excellent tie-in with the historic war character development but in this one I was clueless up until the end. So for most of the book it just seemed like a distraction that wasn't needed for the current storyline. Don't get me wrong, Ralph and Eve was a really sweet story and I liked it, but even though in the end, you can see how it was all supposed to tie together, it just made the book busy.
The you have Sam with a million names and Alyssa. And although I really like these two and their antagonist relationship and want to see more of them, the major problem is that we have them battling it out in lieu of actually seeing the FBI/Seal team work on the kidnapping. This really weakens the investigative element of the plot and leaves other characters who would have been the supporting cast drastically undeveloped.
So although I love Ms Brockmann's writing and this story had so much potential it felt more like a train wreck. I'm not giving up on this series as I really loved the first book and absolutely raved about it, but I am taking a break and looking for a book with fewer subplots hopping all over the place.
June 5, 2014
Like the previous book, several stories at different period in time mingled in this book.
The lead one involved Meg, whose daughter and grand-mother were taken hostage, and who was manipulated by terrorists to do their bidding. She got John to help her.
A second one with the hostages being hostages, trying to survive and escape. While trying to survive, the grandmother remembered and told back to the little girl how she first fell in love with Ralph during WW2 in England.
A third one with another member of Team 16, Sam with Alyssa, the FBI sharpshooter, who he was wildly attracted to though it seemed she positively hated his guts.
I really liked the secondary stories. There was not much in the hostage situation, but I liked that it wasn't overdeveloped. I really liked the story Eve told Amy and the guard incidentally, even though there was plenty that she should not be proud of considering the amount of lies that she hide herself behind at the time.
I really liked the way the relationship between Sam and Alyssa developed until it blew away, leaving both of them hurt and hurting the other.
However I disliked everything regarding the lead story. I never could understand what John saw in Meg, in the past or worse now to fall in love with her. She was definitely stupid, stupid, stupid, trying to do exactly what the terrorists had asked her to do without trying once to gain any leverage thanks to John or his team's help. It took her until it was almost too late to realize she was in over her head and finally accept help. Regarding her private life, she never was better accepting her philandering husband's regular affairs and still willing to try to give him another chance so that her daughter might be happy. As if living in an unhappy and frustrated family without respect between the parents was better than them being divorced. And what it took for her to accept to get married to John was the last straw . Absolutely awful character who did not deserve any happy ending and probably would not get it anyway.
The lead one involved Meg, whose daughter and grand-mother were taken hostage, and who was manipulated by terrorists to do their bidding. She got John to help her.
A second one with the hostages being hostages, trying to survive and escape. While trying to survive, the grandmother remembered and told back to the little girl how she first fell in love with Ralph during WW2 in England.
A third one with another member of Team 16, Sam with Alyssa, the FBI sharpshooter, who he was wildly attracted to though it seemed she positively hated his guts.
I really liked the secondary stories. There was not much in the hostage situation, but I liked that it wasn't overdeveloped. I really liked the story Eve told Amy and the guard incidentally, even though there was plenty that she should not be proud of considering the amount of lies that she hide herself behind at the time.
I really liked the way the relationship between Sam and Alyssa developed until it blew away, leaving both of them hurt and hurting the other.
However I disliked everything regarding the lead story. I never could understand what John saw in Meg, in the past or worse now to fall in love with her. She was definitely stupid, stupid, stupid, trying to do exactly what the terrorists had asked her to do without trying once to gain any leverage thanks to John or his team's help. It took her until it was almost too late to realize she was in over her head and finally accept help. Regarding her private life, she never was better accepting her philandering husband's regular affairs and still willing to try to give him another chance so that her daughter might be happy. As if living in an unhappy and frustrated family without respect between the parents was better than them being divorced. And what it took for her to accept to get married to John was the last straw . Absolutely awful character who did not deserve any happy ending and probably would not get it anyway.
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